Not Just Books: July 2023

While we do love us some books, believe it not, we do have a life outside of reading. So to highlight our other pop culture interests, on the last Monday of each month, we each will highlight three other “happenings” from the last month. Big events on favorite TV shows, new movies we’ve watched, old movies we’ve “discovered,” etc. Pretty much whatever we found of particular interest outside of the book world during the last month. Share your own favorite things in the comments!

Serena’s Picks

Netflix Movie: “Extraction 2”

My husband and I both enjoy action movies and, over the past few years, we have fairly diligently made out way through the Netflix original action movies that they’ve been releasing. Most of them we’ve enjoyed. Other, like the more recent “Luther” movie…less so. But Chris Hemsworth always promises a good time, and we enjoyed the first “Extraction” quite a bit and it was a no brainer to check this one out. And I think I might have liked this one even more than the first! It even had a last minute reveal that was a bunch of fun for fans of these Netflix movies.

Apple TV Show: “Ted Lasso”

Per the usual, I’m several years behind the major trends in popular TV. But also per the usual, I will justify this choice by saying that it allows me to binge entire series of shows and be caught up right around when the last season is finishing up. Such was the case with “Succession,” and so we have here, too. I can definitely understand why this very optimistic, very hopeful show was so popular when it first came out. And I think it’s a lovely exception to the general rule we’ve seen lately in TVs and movies where stories have to be aggressively grim and depressing all in the name of supposed “realism.” It’s nice to watch a show about good people just being good to one another.

TV Show: “Alone”

It’s summer, so it’s time for another season of “Alone!” This and “The Great British Baking Show” have quickly become my all-time favorite reality TV shows. Yes, I can still enjoy of season of “Survivor” or “The Amazing Race,” but it really comes down to the cast, and if it’s a miss there, well. But so far, “Alone” has yet to let me down! It’s always interesting to see what choices the various survivalists will make, and it’s fun to couch coach. “No! Never make a log cabin!” “What are you doing fishing without a net??” “What? You really think you’re going to survive off deadfalls for mice?!” So easy to judge, so hard to actually do. The best kind of reality TV!

Kate’s Picks

Video Game: “Stardew Valley”

This isn’t the first time I’ve highlighted “Stardew Valley”, the gentle and calming open world farm simulator game. I initially started playing it a few years ago on my computer, but it tapered off like many games do. But a combination of things got me back into it. For starters, one of our book club friends had just gotten into it on her new Switch, and I was feeling nostalgic. And also, ALA took a lot of emotional energy out of me and I needed a low stakes burnout outlet. So back into it, now on the Switch, I went! I still love this game where you can grow crops, raise animals, make artisan goods, and build relationships with the townspeople, and having played it before I was able to strategize a bit more going in so that I was pretty well set up for a successful farm earlier, which meant I could focus on schmoozing with the townspeople and rebuilding the community a bit more instead of worrying if my crops were going to sustain me. And I’m romancing the same character because I just can’t quit you, Sebastian!

Film: “Barbie”

While my Terror Tuesday friends opted to go for the full “OppenBarbie” double feature, I myself decided to opt out of their afternoon screening of “Oppenheimer” and join them for drinks before seeing an evening screening of “Barbie”. As someone who played with her Barbies far longer than most children do, I knew that I really wanted to see this movie. And oh man did it NOT disappoint. I loved the way that Greta Gerwig captured the pastel and feminine but aspirational aesthetic of Barbie, while also doing a pretty solid critique of misogyny, capitalism, and how the can do spirit of Barbie showing girls that they can be anything is a good start but also a bit naive in a sexist society filled with oppressive power structures. Margot Robbie brought a lot of cuteness and pathos to Barbie, Ryan Gosling was a HILARIOUS Ken, and I actually found myself weeping deeply a lot more than I anticipated? Highly enjoyable!

Netflix Show: “Glamorous”

If you are looking for a feel good, witty, queer centered and joyful series to sink into, look no further than “Glamorous”! It’s a little “Ugly Betty” and a little “Devil Wears Prada”, but it definitely stands on its own as a kind of soapy but really delightful story. It follows Marco, a gender nonconforming wannabe influencer who is a bit aimless in pursuit of fashion and make up fame. When the legendary model turned make-up mogul Madolyn Addison ends up at Marco’s mall fashion counter and offers him a job as a second assistant, Marco accepts and is thrown into the corporate make up and glamor world, and finds a cutthroat work place that puts him to the test. It’s always fun seeing Kim Cattrall and she’s a delightful Madolyn, but it’s Miss Benny as Marco who really shines in the lead role. It’s also always great to see so many queer characters and actors in a mainstream show, and a show that has lots of queer joy. What a perfect summer watch!