Hello there,
The planet is burning and I'm very tired, but I've watched some really great things recently and I'm excited to share them.
Watch
I absolutely loved Beef (Netflix), which is one of the best shows Netflix has produced in a long time. The writing is excellent, there are constant twists and turns, the music choices are hilarious, and it's incredibly funny in a very dark way. Ali Wong and Steven Yeun are incredible in it and a joy to watch. I finished all the episodes before I found out about the controversy surrounding the casting of one of the supporting actors, but to be honest, I still think it's worth watching.
To my surprise, Netflix then dropped another new, excellent show called The Diplomat, which is kind of like if you combined The West Wing and Veep and focused on the State Department instead. Keri Russell is hilarious and though there's some intrigue, I mostly enjoy the show for the comedy. I saw a foreign policy expert complaining on Twitter that it's really unrealistic, but I definitely do not care!
In the midst of what seems like mostly superhero movies and remakes in theaters these days, I watch more TV than movies at this point. But I actually went to a real theater to see How to Blow up a Pipeline and it was one of the best movies I've seen in awhile. It's an independent movie that doesn’t rely on special effects or Hollywood tropes, and it's an on-the-edge-of-your-seat thriller with a real motley crew of characters. It's tightly scripted and has some unexpected plot choices that had me fully absorbed in the action for the whole movie.
Read
Age of Vice is one of those books that I didn't love but fully enjoyed when I was reading it because it's really immersive and had a few fascinating characters. It centers on a crime syndicate in New Delhi but also works its way through a larger cast of characters who become enmeshed with the family. It starts off focusing on the life of one the servants, which I thought was the most compelling, but then moves on to other characters I found annoying.
See the full list of recommendations.
Follow
Joanna Hausmann is a comedian and writer who does some super funny videos in English and Spanish. We briefly overlapped in two workplaces and I always too starstruck to strike up a conversation, but I've followed her on Instagram for a long time and she's worth following. I especially love this recent one.
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Do
Today I'm making prickly pear lemonade. You can try it too by ordering some syrup.
Until next time,
Rachel