The Best Books, Movies and More for a Long Weekend
I don't know about you guys, but my family and I are less inclined to go places and do things as Delta has been on the rise — so in case anyone else is planning on a really chill Labor Day weekend, let's do a mini roundup of:
- best book you've read recently:
- best TV show you've seen recently:
- best movie you've seen recently:
- best app/game you've played recently:
- best audiobook/podcast you've listened to recently:
- best recipe you've tried recently:
{related: underrated movies we loved}
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For my own answers…
- best book you've read recently: I'm a big fan of romance books for fun escapist reading. (I find them… hopeful and happy, I guess?) In terms of contemporary romance I kind of really liked Annika Martin's Billionaire series, and You Had me at Hola was a lot of fun. In terms of historical romance I've enjoyed reading the other books in the series the readers turned me on to, The Spymaster's Lady. Two of my favorite authors, Sarah MacLean and Sophie Jordan, have new books out so I'm excited to read those in the next week or so.
- best TV shows I've seen recently: We're late to the game but we really enjoyed Money Heist and the first season of Ted Lasso (SUCH a nice break from toxic masculinity!). We also enjoyed Loki, Shadow & Bone, and we just binged three seasons of Star Trek: Discovery with my son
- best movie you've seen recently: I…. may not… have seen a movie recently? Huh. I may get around to watching Annette this weekend, which is on my list.
- best app/game you've played recently: I really enjoy the meditation app Loóna, and of course my love of TikTok continues.
- best audiobook/podcast you've listened to recently: I'm in the midst of the audiobook for Bad Blood (about the Theranos/Elizabeth Holmes debacle), and am enjoying that.
- best recipe I've tried recently: I think this one farro/broccoli one from Gimme Some Oven is a recent-ish addition — we also have made versions of this Purple Carrot recipe with sweet potatoes and lentils a few times since we got it in a PC box. (We also adore this quinoa huevos rancheros recipe from Skinnytaste and eat it like twice a month… next week we're trying the NYT's ginger lime chicken recipe.)
{related: my favorite fashion movies!}
Over to you, readers… what favorites would you recommend to other readers?
Books: Wayward by Dana Spiotta, plus currently reading The Women of Troy by Pat Barker, which is a follow up to one of my favorites in recent years, The Silence of the Girls (similar to Circe, retelling parts of the Iliad from the perspective of women). Next up is the new Louise Penny mystery, which are always pretty good.
TV: The Chair, Never Have I Ever
Movies: CODA, Val, and I did actually really enjoy Annette, though I’m not sure I’d exactly say it was a great movie.
Podcasts: The Ezra Klein Show is a longtime favorite for discussion of politics and other topics, plus Unspooled for movies.
Recipe: the sundried tomato and roasted red pepper pesto from the NY Times is pretty good and easy to make from pantry ingredients (tomatoes, tomato paste, peppers, parm cheese, walnuts, olive oil, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes). I make it vegan by subbing nutritional yeast for cheese and put it on pasta, sandwiches, sweet potatoes, other veggies…
best book you’ve read recently: Really enjoyed The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson. Also this is hilarious but I meant to buy The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and somehow ended up with something called The Seven 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, and that was a fun crazy timey-wimey murder mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed
best TV shows I’ve seen recently: Ted Lasso for sure, also enjoying The Valhalla Murders on Netflix
best movie you’ve seen recently: Remind me again? What are “movies?”
best app/game you’ve played recently: I’ve been learning Spanish on Duolingo and it’s fun and effective!
best audiobook/podcast you’ve listened to recently: Still loyal to Your Wrong About and its partner Maintenance Phase
best recipe I’ve tried recently: This one was a real winner (and I only marinated for 20 minutes and it was still good) –
Cilantro/Lime Chicken
1 c. packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 c. packed fresh mint leaves
1/4 c. packed fresh tarragon leaves
1/2 c. olive oil
1/3 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. lime juice
3 tbsp. cider vinegar
5 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno chile, sliced
2 tbsp. chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
12 assorted small chicken parts (about 3 lb.)
1/3 c. mayonnaise
In food processor, puree herbs with oil, soy sauce, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, chile, ginger, oregano, cumin, and 1 teaspoon salt until smooth. Transfer 3/4 cups to small bowl; set aside. Transfer remaining marinade to gallon size resealable plastic bag; add chicken. Seal bag, tossing to coat, and refrigerate at least 5 hours or up to overnight.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place wire rack in rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Arrange chicken on rack. discarding marinade in bag; bake 30 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F. Roast another 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked (165 degrees F).
Whisk mayonnaise into reserved marinade. Serve chicken with green sauce.
The Evelyn Hugo/Evelyn Hardcastle thing is super confusing with the titles so similar.
Book: Recursion by Black Crouch. I don’t read much sci-fi but this was so good.
TV: Dating #NoFilter on Hulu. It’s silly but funny and feels much more real than the Bachelor/Love Island type shows.
I haven’t seen a movie since before the pandemic and I don’t do podcasts/audiobooks/games. My husband does most of the cooking (I bake) but tbh we have our tried and true favorites and don’t really try new recipes.
*Blake Crouch
best book you’ve read recently: A Ghost in the Throat (meditative, beautiful). Light and fun: The Rehearsals, by Annette Christie, and Well Played by Jen de Luca
best TV show you’ve seen recently: Ted Lasso. I just binged Season 11 of the Great British Bakeoff but I don’t like Matt Lucas so it was less delightful than usual
best movie you’ve seen recently: A comfort re-watch of Planes Trains and Automobiles – it brought home John Candy’s lost potential as a great villain!
best app/game you’ve played recently: I love Scrabble so Word Domination has been fun and addictive
best audiobook/podcast you’ve listened to recently: Jamie Loftus’ Lolita Podcast was brilliant, and inspired me to read it. (It was beautifully written and so deeply uncomfortable). Listening to Beyond the Ruins in audiobooks
best recipe you’ve tried recently: Zucchini quesadillas from Smitten Kitchen, but as baked crispy tacos.
best book you’ve read recently: You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero
best TV show you’ve seen recently: Ted Lasso, Loki
best movie you’ve seen recently: Minari – it is REALLY good and I only heard about it from a Delta flight.
best app/game you’ve played recently: I’m embarrassingly obsessed with TikTok and RedFin
best audiobook/podcast you’ve listened to recently: Still loving Armchair Expert with Dax
best recipe you’ve tried recently: super easy zucchini casserole from SkinnyMs.com:
https://skinnyms.com/baked-zucchini-spinach-feta/
Oh, we watched Minari back around Oscar time and loved it!
TV: The Bureau.
Recipe: Yewande Komolafe recipe for Baked Tofu in the NYT.
Books:
-The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon (spooky but not too spooky)
-The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
(I have Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire in my Kindle queue and will report back!)
Loved The Dutch House, and really anything by Ann Patchett.
Movie: Loved Coda on Apple TV.
Series: Really enjoyed The Chair, and Unforgotten. Have just started Only Murders in the Building which is fun.
Book: Just read The Henna Artist for my book club, which was an interesting story set in late 1950s India. By pure chance, then picked up A Saint for all Occasions, which I loved. Both address similar issues which are so timely: the way in which a woman’s life can be determined by her ability to control whether or not to have children, and the way in which social norms judge women based on how or whether she mothers. A Saint for All Occasions is also a family saga which begins with the first immigration of two sisters from Ireland in the 50s. Loved it!
Recipe: Just made Parmesan with locally grown eggplant.
I just bought the latest Ellie Jordan ghost hunting book. Perfect for reading on my screen porch and dreaming of getaways to Georgia.