Mid-march reading and media consumption

 Reading so much and also just loving so much tv lately. It's such a weird time because we all remember how we were feeling a year ago. I'm feeling extra grateful we are able to do things like shop for Easter basket stuff, and see my sister and her family. We are getting our first dose Covid vaccines on Saturday, which really makes it feel like the home stretch is happening. 

Creating money by Sanaya Roman and Duane Packer: 5/5. Another book "written" by spirit guides. I am kind of falling into this weird world where spirits are a huge thing (I don't know why! I am kind of a skeptic). So the deal with this book is you need to think about what you would do if you had millions of dollars. How would you spend your days? Then you need to try to do those things even if you don't have the millions. For me, I would still work my normal day job, but just with a more relaxed, joyful attitude. So I can try to adopt that carefree happy attitude about work now. And I would do more things that are a "waste" of time, including: reading more, writing on this blog more (even though only a couple people read it), doing yoga classes, taking classes on stuff like meditating, and weirdly, doing reviews on stuff. Anyway, I am going to try to work some of that useless stuff into my life now instead of waiting until I'm 60 and able to retire. 

Inside out and back again by Thanhha Lai: 5/5. This is a book of poems about moving to the US during the Vietnam war. I loved how so few words could so fully explain such a complicated and difficult time for the author. 

Hunger by Roxane Gay: 5/5. I feel like lightbulbs are turning on all around me so I am suddenly seeing something I never once thought about because it was in the dark and I had no idea it existed. This is about being "of size" and black and female. The part where she talks about buying a second seat in the airplane because that's what the airlines tell you to do hit me the hardest. The flight attendants are so confused by two boarding passes and one person. And then that second seat you paid for doesn't really feel like yours because the other people in the aisle don't know you paid for it, so they feel it's theirs too to put their bags on. 

Dress your family in corduroy and denim by David Sedaris: 5/5. I have read so much of this author that I end up rereading so many short stories. But they are so good every time. I love knowing that he used to work as a house cleaner, even as his stories started to be read on the radio, and he started to get a hint of fame. 

Siblings without rivalry by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish. I loved their other book, and this one has the same vibes. Basically, when someone is expressing an emotion, do whatever you can to not minimize it. Let the person have the feelings. No one in the world wants their emotions to be brushed away. It's a good reminder. 

Ted Lasso: 5/5. Jon got a year of Apple TV for free with his new phone, and the first thing we did was watch the entire season of Ted Lasso over a couple days. It's just so great!! It's cheesy for sure, but perfectly so. A favourite thing for me is when characters on a show have such good friend chemistry that they finish each other's sentences. The coaches in Ted Lasso had that excellent chemistry down. Such a feel good show. 

The Morning Show: 5/5. Somehow, I had never heard of this one, even though it has so many huge names in it. We are halfway through, and it's just so great. I love the #metoo aspect of it. 

The Bachelor: 4/5. My mother and sister were not fully into this season. I LOVED it. I fully loved the "after the final rose" episode that was about the picture of Rachel at the plantation party. I think they did a great job (not perfect!!) of introducing systemic racism to your average white middle-class middle-age home (aka my parents). I think we are collectively learning SO much about systemic racism right now, and we all need to wake up to what is still happening. I also really liked Matt James. He seemed so open and down-to-earth to me. 

Superstore: 4/5. This show feels like it goes on and on. I for sure miss when the show was about Jonah and Amy potentially hooking up, but I do love that this show deals with huge issues like misogyny and unions and immigrations in a super light way. 

Reading from the last week or two of February

Jon and I are lucky enough to get a few hours together on every other Friday morning. Sometimes we go out for breakfast, sometimes we go for a run, sometimes we go get groceries. We feel SO SO grateful that our life allows for this time together. Anyway, the other week we used our couple hours to go to both a bookstore and the other bigger library we don't always go to. I had to put a limit on myself, otherwise I would have come home with thirty books. 

We are never meeting in real life by Samantha Irby. 5/5. Oh my gosh. I loved this book so much more than I thought I would. I loved reading about her experiences as a receptionist at a veterinary clinic. I loved when she wrote about her body with so much honesty and self love. It made me want to love my body more. Can't wait to read her other book of essays. 

Super Attractor by Gabrielle Bernstein. 4/5. I mean, I liked this book. It reminded me of the Secret, and also a lot of other books about manifesting. She writes about meditating and talking to your spirit guides and always trying to feel good. And I'm pretty down for all those things. 

When the body says no by Gabor Mate. 5/5. This one is a life-changer. I would recommend this book to every single person who has any autoimmune issues at all. Plus, anyone who has stomach issues or cancer. Basically everyone. Which is so many people in my life. Jon is reading this book now because he is super interested in the connection between stress and illness. A couple surprising things I learned from this book: 

- Stress is often not obvious. It is low level and chronic and you probably are not aware of it. It's usually from childhood stuff. 

- positive thinking is not the same as positive being. Like, just saying things are good and trying to have a good attitude is really not great for you. You need to be positive from the inside, deep down. Which involves tons of work and facing things from your childhood. 

- Being "nice" is so bad for your health!!! No one is just super nice all the time on the inside. If you are being nice all the time, you are not being real. If everyone says how nice you are all the time, you need to make some changes and really look at if you are doing what you want to do in life. 

- Feeling guilty that you did something wrong often means you are on the right track. If you avoided feeling guilty all the time, you would only be living for other people. 

The best of me by David Sedaris. 5/5. I devour everyone he writes. Loved all these stories. I had already read many of them, but his writing is the kind you can read over and over. My favourite stories usually involve his sister Amy, but I also enjoyed reading about his father. I laughed out loud so much.