Once a month, I share the best of what I’ve been reading, watching, and exploring. Enjoy!
Books
The Wedding People by Alison Espach. The perfect summer novel about love, grief, and second chances, all set against the backdrop of a destination wedding. Think White Lotus meets Eat Pray Love. Darkly hilarious—I laughed out loud numerous times—and deeply heartfelt.
Music
Goldie Boutilier. [Spotify] I found her music by accident and then listened to it for days. She’s the real deal—her voice is stunning and her lyrics are effortlessly cool. Some of my favorites include “Cowboy Gangster Politician,” “Body Heat,” and “The Ways I Punish Myself.” You’ll tell your friends you discovered her before she blew up.
Films
Sinners (2025). [Amazon Prime | Apple TV+] I don’t usually go for vampire films, but this one sucked me in (sorry). Set in 1930s Mississippi, Michael B. Jordan plays twin brothers returning home to open a juke joint, only to clash with a vampire cult feeding on the town’s pain and history. It’s gorgeously shot, rich with blues, and uses its fangs as social commentary. Don’t stop watching when the credits begin to roll—there’s a final surprise waiting for you.
Strange Days (1995). [Hulu] When this film came out in 1995, it bombed—it was too weird, too dark, too much. But watching it now feels like opening a time capsule that predicted the future. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by James Cameron, the film asks, “What happens when we start consuming other people’s lives like media?” We’re living the answer now—and the ending’s still unwritten.
Before Sunrise (1995). [Amazon Prime | Apple TV+] I rewatched this film on June 16th—known to its fans as “Before Sunrise Day.” It’s the date Jesse and Celine meet on a train and choose to spend one night wandering Vienna together. No phones, no rush, no plot twists. Just two strangers, a city, and the rare magic of being fully present with someone you just met.
The Virgin Suicides (2000). [Amazon Prime | Apple TV+] Sofia Coppola’s first film is like a sad poem wrapped in soft lighting and a stunning soundtrack. It captures the strange ache of adolescence and not knowing someone but thinking you do. If you liked Lost in Translation, this is where it all started.
Shows
The Handmaid’s Tale Season 6. [Hulu] The first season of this show was a knockout. And then it hit a mid-series slump, and I nearly gave up. But the final season rewards the wait—its last few episodes are some of its most gripping.
Related
Bold
