From time to time, instead of my usual email with one big idea you can read in 3 minutes or less, I share with you the best of what I’m reading, watching, and exploring. Enjoy!
Books
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata. This short novel takes you inside the life of a woman who finds contentment in her seemingly mundane job at a Tokyo convenience store. Expect dry, witty writing and an exploration of the pressures we all feel to conform. Here’s a flavor: “My present self is formed almost completely of the people around me. I am currently made up of 30 percent Mrs. Izumi, 30 percent Sugawara, 20 percent the manager, and the rest absorbed from past colleagues. My speech is especially infected by everyone around me and is currently a mix of that of Mrs. Izumi and Sugawara.”Films
May December. (Netflix) Disturbing, yet brilliant. The acting here is some of the best I’ve seen recently—raw, real, and riveting.
Anatomy of a Fall. (Amazon Prime | Apple TV+) If you go into this film expecting a classic whodunnit with a big twist, you’ll be very disappointed. The film should really be called Anatomy of a Relationship, instead of Anatomy of a Fall, since its beauty lies in the nuanced exploration of a marriage. And a special shoutout to the canine performer—if there were an Oscar for dogs, this one would be a shoo-in.
Dumb Money. (Amazon Prime | Apple TV+) If you’re looking for a fun, fast-paced film, this one’s for you. It’s a humorous and thrilling ride through the chaos of the GameStop stock saga.
Killers of the Flower Moon. (Apple TV+) A profound look at greed, corruption, and the reign of terror against the Osage Nation in the early 1920s. And the Oscar for best actress goes to Lily Gladstone.
Shows
Succession. (HBO Max) I know, I’m late to the party on this one, but wow, was it worth it. This show is a masterclass in storytelling, character development, and sharp wit, all set against the backdrop of a media empire’s internal power struggles. The first few episodes start out slow—I almost gave up—but the show picks up steam fast.
A 3-minute video I loved
“I Want to Write a Poem” by Rudy Francisco. If you enjoy poetry, take a moment to watch this. I was blown away.A new internet browser I’m using
Arc Browser. I didn’t think I’d ever stop using Chrome—until I found Arc. It’s not just a different browser—it’s an entirely different way to navigate the web. It brings order to chaos, and it’s way more powerful (and beautiful) than Chrome.
