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
Movie: “Dune: Part Two”
I had to patiently wait for a night that we had the boys off at their grandparents, but I did finally get to see this one! It was always going to be a priority to see it in the theater, and boy, am I glad that I did! I loved it so much! Not only were the visuals and soundtrack amazing (well worth the ticket price), but every single actor was knocking it out of the park. Frankly, it was a relief to finally come across a good movie again. I feel like too many of the recently released films have all felt like cardboard cut-outs of stories, with nothing really new to say. But this felt like a return to excellence. In many ways, these first “Dune” movies have reminded me of the LOTR trilogy, both being sets of films where it truly feels like everyone involved really cared about the story they were telling and you could see that in every little detail. Definitely check this one out, especially in the theater if it’s feasible for you!
Apple TV+ Movie: “Greyhound”
Apparently, my husband and I have embraced middle age a bit early, in that somehow we’ve found ourselves watching a number of WWII movies and shows back-to-back. I haven’t joined a “WWII” bookclub yet, so I think I’m holding complete middle-age-dom at bay, but…it’s getting dicey. Mostly, I wanted to watch this one purely because of Tom Hanks. There are certain actors who just sell you on pretty much any story, and Hanks is that actor for many of us! The story was also exciting and nerve-wracking, focusing on one of the many perilous crossings of troops across the Atlantic during the war. It’s impressive how much tension could be built simply by staring out across an empty ocean, worrying about submarines. If you enjoy wartime movies, this is definitely one to check out.
Kate’s Picks
TV Show: “Shōgun”
I first read the epic historical fiction novel “Shōgun” the summer after my freshman year of college, and I was OBSESSED with it. I loved the melodrama, I loved the sweeping descriptions, I loved the way that it evoked a time and place I was wholly unfamiliar with. So when I saw that FX had a new show coming out based on the book, I wondered how it would translate. And let me tell you, “Shōgun” the show is phenomenal. The story takes place in 1600 Japan, when an English Pilot named Blackthorne and his crew run aground in Japan, which at this point was very isolationist outside of doing trading with Portugal and the Jesuits. There he meets Toranaga, a daimyo who is trying keep his power while his rivals threaten his life and stature, as well as Mariko, a cunning woman samurai who is trying to prove her loyalty to Toranaga. Toranaga soon realizes that this ‘barbarian’ may be a great asset. The show is gorgeous, it has a great cast, and my favorite thing about it is that while the book is very centered on Blackthorne and a Western lens, the show has instead centered Toranaga, Mariko, and the other Japanese characters. I am once again obsessed, and have my husband along for the ride this time.
Podcast: “Oh, That’s Just My Autism”
So for the past few years my family has been on something of a neurodivergence journey, as my daughter has been receiving educational services and occupational therapy for potential ASD and we are slowly getting our ducks in a row to seek out a medical evaluation and diagnosis. While working through all of this I’ve been noticing my own neurodivergence (ADHD) more, and have also been considering getting my own evaluation for ASD the more I’ve learned (and the more I’ve seen similar behaviors and traits in myself). I’ve been reading up on various things, but I also found a chill (and in many ways SUPER relatable) podcast called “Oh, That’s Just My Autism”. It’s hosted by Melissa, a woman who received her ASD/ADHD diagnosis in her early 40s, and who put together a podcast to kind of parse through that process and the way she has processed her diagnoses. She tackles subjects like anxiety, parenting as a neurodivergent person, rejection sensitivity, and going on a self discovery journey later in life that can take you by surprise. It’s easy to digest and I relate to it pretty well, so it’s been a fun listen.
Joint Pick
Documentary: “Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God”
I blame Kate for this. Once again, she pulled me into watching another horrific cult show (ok, I’m a pretty willing victim). This one pulls no punches, hitting viewers over the head with the horrific end of “Mother God” right in the first few minutes of the story. I won’t spoil it for you, but I’ll never look at Christmas lights the same way again. But, overall, this was another fascinating documentary that had us both glued to the screen. It was like a car crash that we couldn’t stop staring at! There are a few versions of this story out there, so you have choices, but if you enjoy documentaries about crazy cults, this is definitely one to add to the list. Just don’t be eating dinner during the first episode, as I was.
The Library Ladies 