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I've got a few posts in the works that aren't working out right now, so let's focus on something everyone need more of right now: delight. What delightful books, shows, movies, and more have you consumed lately? This could truly be anything — podcasts, Spotify playlist, recipes — let's hear them all!
For my $.02:
- My husband and I have started watching The Great British Baking Show, because we'd never seen it. Why are the seasons so whackadoodle? But: lovely. (We started with the 2012 season, which Netflix calls “Beginnings.”)
- If you're into fantasy PG cartoon shows, my son and I have been watching The Dragon Prince as well as the reboot of She-Ra (both on Netflix). They both veer a bit into politics but they're beautifully done and really interesting shows. We've finished Dragon Prince but are only on season two of She-Ra. The She-Ra reboot is particularly refreshing/fascinating from a liberal, feminist, inclusive perspective. I'm trying to find a good think piece on it if you haven't heard about the various controversies, like how some people thought the children's superhero should look “sexier” (siiiigh)… (Here's the title from The Mary Sue's initial review: “She-Ra and the Princess of Power Is a Funny, Smart, Totally Inclusive Celebration of Female Empowerment. (It's also just a heck of a lot of fun.)”)
- In terms of books:
- Children's fantasy: I just read Ella Enchanted, by Gail Carson Levine, to my eldest — it may be the last book I ever read to him (at 9) but we both found it enchanting. It's really lovely. Skip the movie. (This recommendation came from a long Twitter thread with recommendations for heartwarming fantasy books that people remembered and loved; I got half the list from the library.)
- Chick lit: Bet Me, by Jennifer Crusie, was absolutely delightful. They are the yuppiest yuppies who ever yuppied. The heroine is a zaftig actuary and wears fabulous shoes, and everyone in it is delightful. (This was yet another recommendation from the Fated Mates podcast!) This book is riiiight on the line between “chick lit” and “contemporary romance,” which I would define in terms of the “volume of sexytime pages.” Chick lit has less; contemporary romance has more; I feel like the HEA (happy ever after) is only guaranteed with the romance, although I'd say it's assumed with chick lit.
- Contemporary romance: Rafe the Buff Male Nanny, by Rebekah Weatherspoon, was absolutely delightful; thank you to the reader who recommended. It's a novella, definitely in the “contemporary romance” category. The heroine is a Black heart surgeon with twin 6-year-olds and a miserable ex-husband.
- In terms of recipes, we've added a bunch of Skinnytaste recipes to our oeuvre lately, including Quinoa Huevos Rancheros Bowls and Cauliflower Rice Chicken Biryani. We've also been loving this salmon pesto recipe, which I think I found on Pinterest. As the weather gets colder I can't wait to make Sausage and Tortellini Soup from Emily's Bites, as well as a roast beef crock-pot recipe a friend recommended.
- OH! And workouts — I just did a YouTube workout from EMKFit, which is delightfully dorky, just as The Cut promised. I recommend.
Over to you guys — what have you found delightful lately?
Anonymous
Podcast: An Oral History of The Office – 12 episodes hosted by Brian Baumgartner who played Kevin Malone on the show
Jeffiner
I’ve been enjoying the podcast SheDunnit. It covers Golden Age mysteries and authors with a feminist slant. There’s also a book club, and I’ve been reading a lot of new authors because of it.
Panda Bear
Yes, I love this too!
stress, food, anxiety
You guys have been so helpful when I ask for suggestions for a niece, who lives far away. She is going through a hard time right now. If you can relate and can give me suggestions about what is best to support her/what not to say, I would be grateful.
She is an only child, and her Mom has severe mental illness and has stopped taking her meds. My brother is holding it together as best he can, while being the sole breadwinner, and doing all of the home/child care. Now they have all been quarantined together…. and remote high school just started.
My niece has started limiting her food, and over-exercising and my brother found her in a near panic attack after she admitted she was fearful she had over-ate. He got her to her doctor immediately. They have some plan and will have close follow-up. Mom is not really tuned in.
I am trying to be supportive for my brother, and feel awful I am not there more for my niece. I encouraged him to find a therapist/counselor etc.. for my niece, which I think would have been helpful years ago when my SIL had her first mental breakdown.
Any thoughts/ideas/advice?
Elegant Giraffe
Can you start frequently but informally reaching out to your niece (perhaps via text at first) to provide another source of adult support?
Elegant Giraffe
Also perhaps pay for meal delivery and/or a housekeeper for your brother
stress, food, anxiety
I would love to do this. But SIL’s paranoia (and now pandemic) makes this difficult.
This is a terrible, terrible time for people with mental illness. If you didn’t have enough to worry about already.
stress, food, anxiety
Yes, I have been needing to do this more. I do text her occasionally and she sends me pictures of her cooking adventures (this became a new hobby over the summer…. now I worry it is complicated….). And I try to send her a little something every month or so.
Sloan Sabbith
Do you have any adult or young adult daughters who could reach out to your niece? Or does she have any older cousins who are women you could ask to just chat with her? My cousin is 16 and while she definitely would have essentially ignored anything my mom tried to do to be supportive when she was having some anxiety, she was more responsive when I reached out to her by text. We have an ongoing text thread that’s mostly about Taylor Swift, but I work in some advice or supportive comments here and there.
stress, food, anxiety
I don’t unfortunately. Our extended family is very small and no other relatives of her generation. SIL’s family is overseas.
Ponka
I would comment her Insta -“Oh, you look so beatiful!”, “You took such a great photo” etc
Mal
I agree that being a non-judgmental, supportive presence in her life (even from afar) is very, very helpful. Having someone who takes you and your feelings seriously is such a gift when your’re young and feel out of control of your own life. Just reaching out and saying – hey, I know things are hard right now, and I’m happy to be a listening ear if you need one – could be appreciated, even if she doesn’t day so. Then, after that, reach out just to chat – no need to ask her HOW SHE’S DOING all the time. I know friends of mine who had health/mental health issues in high school appreciated having “normal” conversations with people, not having to talk about their issues all the time.
I’m sure there are moms of teens on here that will have more practical advice, but I want to commend you for caring so much – you’re a good Aunt! We need those non-parent parental figures in our life. :)
stress, food, anxiety
Good advice. Thank you, and thank you to all who posted. I really appreciate it.
Anonymous
For now, I would just try to keep the lines of communication open. If you can send her a picture of something in your day that you think would make her smile, or a cartoon, a meme, etc. it will let her know you are thinking about her. When you have a good rapport going, you can try for something deeper.
Anon
Best childhood throwback: Hocus Pocus
Best uplifting sports movies: Miracle, Unstoppable (Bethany Hamilton’s documentary)
Best fun, pretty light 2000s drama: Center Stage
Anonymous
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
The Dawn Wall or Free Solo
How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days
Anon
Also, I reread Harry Potter earlier this year (probably for the 15th time?) and it was as great as always.
Elegant Giraffe
We’ve been watching Glow – took me a few episodes but it’s fun.
Great books I’ve read lately: An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth (think I saw the rec here!), Save Me the Plums, the audiobook version of Jessica Simpson’s Open Book (omg – so candid), and Rodham.
Senior Attorney
I loved Save Me the Plums!
Vicky Austin
I did too!
anon a mouse
I really did not like Glow in S1 but it takes such a feminist slant in S2 and got super fun.
Mrs. Jones
We are almost finished with the Harry Potter books and will then watch the last movie with our almost-10-year-old son.
I just read Nothing to See Here by Wilson and it was funny.
Most of my books/shows/podcasts are true crime and the like, so many people don’t find them delightful. But I love/d I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, Catch and Kill, Mindhunter, The Wire, and My Favorite Murder.
Sloan Sabbith
Love these threads. I’ve read a bunch of good things recently, although not all of it would be considered light reading.
I’ve been on a bit of a domestic thriller kick lately, and I really liked the two most recent books by J.T. Ellison- Tear Me Apart and Lie to Me. I’ve also read What She Knew by Gillly MacMillan, which I enjoyed. I also read American Kingpin, about the founder of the Silk Road site. Love.
I’m just starting I Was Told It Would Get Easier by Abbi Waxman, about a mom and her teenage daughter on a college tour. The mom is a lawyer, which I like- there’s also some spot-on discussion of sexism in the workplace.
Favorite (“favorite”) passage so far:
“The board is concerned that if we promote too many women at once, it will look like we’re reacting to social pressure.”
“Social pressure to promote capable people?”
“Women.”
“Which other women are up for partnership?”
“Janet Manolo. Just Janet.”
“And the board thinks making two women partners in one year is too many? Last year you jade three men partners and no one wondered about that.” I suddenly thought of the RBG quote about enough women on the Supreme Court being nine.
I have read almost all of Christina Lauren’s books this year, and just finished Love and Other Words. I liked it, although not as much as some of their other books- favorite is Unhoneymooners, followed up by My Favorite Half-Night Stand. Definitely light, funny reading.
I’m also reading a galley copy of Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America by Ijeoma Oluo (the author of So You Want to Talk About Race), which I wouldn’t call “delightful” but is definitely interesting.
Other grab-bag recommendations: Half of a Yellow Sun (loved this- more than Americanah), Bluebird Bluebird (a contemporary mystery set in Texas), Ordinary Grace (a historical fiction/mystery novel by the author of This Tender Land), Loveboat Taipei (a cute YA romance set at a summer camp in Taiwan), and Kevin Kwan’s new book.
Bonus: For any sciencey people who liked the book The Gene, I just finished Breath from Salt: A Deadly Genetic Disease, a New Era in Science, and the Patients and Families Who Changed Medicine Forever, which was EXCELLENT. It’s pretty in-depth, but accessible- I wouldn’t call it light reading, but it doesn’t require a science background. It’s about cystic fibrosis, but I think it would be interesting to anyone who’s interested in medicine, genetics, drug development, or healthcare policy.
Anonymous
I’m a million years too late, but I read The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Fantastic. One of the few that I finished the back 2/3 of one night when I couldn’t sleep.
And sort of a cook-how-cook-book, but Salt Fat Heat Acid. I feel like I need to reread.
Anon
That’s a fantastic book. Everyone I know who has read it (from all different backgrounds) has enjoyed it.
Sloan Sabbith
I loved that book!
Anon
I’m so jealous of how fast you can read!!
Sloan Sabbith
It’s kind of my only hobby, honestly.
Art
Where can I buy beautiful framed art? I need large framed art for two walls (above the couch in family room and living room). I prefer framed to canvas print. I want to spent less than $500 on each. My style is minimalist modern I guess. I’m overwhelmed looking online but maybe I’m not looking at the right sites. I’d like decent quality and unique pieces. This is extra embarrassing because I’m on the board of a local art gallery. But shows are cancelled right now and the pieces in the store are more than I want to spend. Thanks!
Anonie
Perhaps you could email the gallery and ask for the contact info of their artists in rotation? How wonderful it would be to support a local/regional artist with your purchase!
Anon
I feel like blank walls are better than buying art that you don’t have a personal connection to. Like buying a piece for the size and color scheme and price, like decorators do.
I agree with the other response. Talk to your gallery or fellow board members about your budget and the style you’re interested in. They would know so much more about which local artists fit into that bucket than any of the posters here.
Anonymous
Maybe try a local art school and see if they do student shows, competitions or commissions?
I sort of get the idea, however, that you really just want decor, more than art? If so you can find things at IKEA or other furniture places. Or more unique things at Etsy or similar. You can easily get prints very cheaply framed by buying nice big frames at IKEA and then getting a proper passe-partout (the cardboard frame) made to measure instead of doing professional framing.
If you do want actual art at the price point you mentioned, you need to do cheaper framing and spend the money on the art. Fine art prints (litography for example) is your best bet, and photography.
Anon
Until you find a piece that you love and is unique (that can take a while / be difficult during this pandemic time) you can look to icanvas dot com for a huge assortment of prints. You can select from different sizes, frames, and materials (i.e. print v. canvas, glossy v. non-glossy) or have it framed locally. I wanted lovely art around my home but my budget doesn’t fit originals or limited edition prints so I found some great work on that site, which lead me to discover some great artists actually. You can search by color, theme, artist, etc.
Anonymous
I have purchased a couple of pieces from lindsayletters dot com
Anon
Check out Juniper Print Shop, they have a nice selection and their large prints are sized to fit perfect with Ikea’s Bjorksta frame. We bought a large print to put behind our king bed and I think the overall cost include the frame was under $200.
Anon
Shows we were totally into but had sadly finished:
Schitt’s Creek
Unorthodox
Lennox Hill
And yes, I am willing to admit we are newly-minted Hamilfans.
I need some new suggestions!!
Anonie
Chiming in to say I LOVE Schitt’s Creek! And if you’re a Hamilton fan, I recommend the book “The Hamilton Affair.” I have about 50 pages left and have enjoyed it.
Anonymous
I cannot recommend Carl Hiassen’s new book, Squeeze Me, highly enough. I have been non-stop laughing. Check out the review in the New Republic, and you’ll understand why.
https://newrepublic.com/article/159057/carl-hiaasens-secret-writing-good-trump-novel
Anon
I haven’t read this one but I generally laugh until I can’t breathe reading Hiassen so thanks for the rec! I could use some laughing right now.
Anon
Also, now that I’ve read your link… I am not a fan of Salman Rushdie after I read Padma Lakshmi’s memoir (she had undiagnosed, very painful endometriosis – he was unsupportive and was mainly pissed that she didn’t want sex as often)
Senior Attorney
If you’re looking for a page-turner, I recommend “You Should Have Known” by Jean Hanff Korelitz. It’s a few years old but it’s about to be a big HBO miniseries with Nicole Kidman called “The Undoing.”
Anon
i’m a little embarrassed to admit, but recently watched Heart of Dixie and just finished Sweet Magnolias, which I am so sad only had 1 season. i realize this is kind of ridiculous to say given all of the streaming options available, but i feel like i’m running out of things to watch. over the years i’ve watched and liked: 24, Unorthodox, Narcos, Homeland, Law & Order, Greys Anatomy, Private Practice, Friends, The Wire, Parenthood, Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill, NCIS, CSI, Scandal, The Resident, Brothers & Sisters, Desperate Housewives, 90210, Criminal Minds, Big Little Lies
Couldn’t really get into: Jane the Virgin, Quantico, Designated Survivor, How to Get Away with Murder (liked the first season, then got too ridiculous)
Anon
If you’re into these sorts of shows, Netflix just got a large assortment of 90s and early 2000s era black sitcoms like Sister to Sister, Moesha, and Girlfriends (which I love as it reminds me of my circle of 20 something professional friends, including the forever student). They are a bit nostalgic and somewhat wholesome.
Jo March
Sweet Magnolia was renewed for season 2!
anon for this
I guess all the stress of the moment has really gotten to me — the only tv I can handle these days is teen-focused. Recently I’ve loved Babysitters Club, Never Have I Ever, and Sabrina.
And the only reading is chick-lit romance. Jasmine Guillory’s books have been great for this.
Anon
If you haven’t watched Gossip Girl before, that could be perfect for you right now. It’s on Netflix.
Vicky Austin
Parks and Rec before it goes off Netflix :( Also GBBO and Sarah Millican on YouTube (British comedian, funny as a crutch but very thick accent so turn the subtitles on!).
Uhhh…reading cookbooks is always comforting to me and doesn’t take a lot of brain power. Working through Julia Turshen’s right now. I haven’t been reading much otherwise – I got stuck in “I have to finish this or else I am a bad person but I’m not excited about it so I’m just letting it collect dust” jail. I did try the books that Killing Eve is based on. I wouldn’t call them delightful, but escapism is escapism these days.
Recipes: Smitten Kitchen confetti cookies, banana bread just to see the smile on my husband’s face (I hate it, don’t judge me), pyttipanna (a Swedish dish that translates to “put it in the pan,” i.e., get rid of your leftovers, but which usually ends up being potatoes, onions, something porky, and fried eggs on top). And Kat, your note about Sausage and Tortellini soup reminds me that I have a great recipe for that somewhere…
Anne-on
I LOVE the confetti cookies! I also hate bananas and banana bread, but I make it at least twice a month for quick kid breakfasts ?♀️
Anon
Good Girls Revolt on Amazon Prime is so good! Sort of has a Mad Men feel to it.
Ribena
Oh I really enjoyed it!
Ribena
Film – The Intern
TV – Babysitters Club
Books – all in the same vein as I Capture The Castle: Eva Ibbotson’s romances, Laura Wood’s romances. I use the word ‘romance’ but it’s in the old-fashioned sense – these are love stories, not dirty books.
Mary Ann Singleton
TV:
Teenage Bounty hunters (you just have to get past the first episode, then it gets really good)
The Vow
Beforeigners (Norwegian sci-fi show)
Never Have I ever
The babysitters club
And I rewatched all of Hart of Dixie for comfort/escapism (minus the episode where the flu comes to Bluebell and the have to deal with a pandemic.)
Anne-on
I really loved teenage bounty hunters! One Day at a Time is also great.
JGC
Also am enjoying GBBO with the whole family. Netflix has a number of good foreign shows (very accessible) which are a nice change of pace especially since we’re not traveling: Babylon Berlin, Money Heist, and Borgen. As for books, I recommend Shantaram (soon to be a TV series), An American Marriage, The Tenth Muse, and American Kingpin (non-fiction, reads like novel).
Anon
Do you recommend watching Borgen with English subtitles or dubbing? I’m interested in the show and got a notice about “new dubbing available in English” but wouldn’t that just look weird…?
JGC
For Borgen, we’re watching with both dubbing and English subtitles. The dialogue was so fast-paced that we couldn’t rely on just one. Sometimes the subtitles are slightly different from the dubbing, but close enough. For other foreign shows, we’ve only used subtitles.
Opal
Not new, but I am currently reading Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold. For anyone with 8-12 year olds I highly recommend Poppy by Avi. While technically book 2 of the Dimwood Forest series, if you only read one this is it. It stands on its own. A brave girl mouse is on a quest to save her entire family from starvation and the owl that controls their lives.
Love the GBBO. Baked bread recently and the husband and I were all Paul Hollywood in discussing what went right and how it could be improved. I just like how nice everyone is to each other. Oh, you have that massive show stopper? Let’s help you move it.
Finally broke down to get CBS Access so I can watch the new Star Trek series.
Anonymous
Even though its not really summer…summer reality shows are on:
Big Brother
Love Island
Christie
I’ve been having a hard time finding things to watch on tv right now that I want to watch but I’ve also enjoyed Somebody Feed Phil (travel
and food series) and Lucifer is ridiculous enough in premise to offset the crime theme. I’m also looking forward to the 2nd season of The Mandalorian.
As for books, I read The Graceling Trilogy this summer (young adult/sci-fi or fantasy) and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I started listening to Michelle Obama’s Becoming on audiobook and loved it, I just couldn’t finish it before my library loan ran out. I do mean to finish it though. Her life is so interesting to hear about and her voice is very soothing to listen to!
Jules
Super-late to this thread, but if anyone comes back to it, I just read and loved Good Riddance by Elinor Lipman (light fiction but very warm and lovely, a nice tonic in these times) and especially The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett, the story of two very fair-skinned Black identical twin sisters, whose lives diverge when one of them decides to live as a white person. Very layered and moving.
Stephanie
A show that my husband and I have both enjoyed is Younger on Hulu! It’s light and funny and witty and the perfect length (30 ish minutes) for the end of the day. It has SIX full seasons of many episodes, so it’s a good one to go into together without having to focus too much. We’ve been so surprised by how much we have enjoyed it, but I’m someone who now frantically googles whether there will be a next season!
Anne-on
I’ve enjoyed Younger, One Day at a Time, Teenage Bounty Hunters, Zoeys Extraordinary Playlist, Watchmen (late to the game, I know), Sweet Magnolias, Never Have I Ever, and Black AF.
I’m doing mostly comfort reading right now so lots of gentle fantasy and romance. The House by the Cerulean Sea was just lovely. I’d also suggest the new collection of short stories by Ted Chiang (exhale), Gideon the Ninth, The City in the Middle of the Night, Song for a New Day, Oona Out of Order, The Happily Ever After Playlist, Get a Life Chloe Brown, Get a Clue Dani Brown, and Ninth House.