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
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. When I love a book as much as I loved Zevin’s most recent novel—Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow—I dive into other books by the same author. I really enjoyed this one about bookstore owner A.J. Fikry who receives an unexpected package that changes his life. Dive into a world where books aren’t just tales, but life’s companions. The paragraph on pp. 195-96 made me cry. Leadership: In Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Goodwin is like the history teacher that you wish you had. In this book, she traces the paths of four American presidents—Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson—dissecting the challenges they faced and the leadership choices they made. Although some of the conclusions felt forced, I still enjoyed it. (If I could read only one book from Goodwin, I’d go with her earlier one, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln).Films
They Cloned Tyrone. (Netflix) When a series of mysterious events unfold in an urban community, three unlikely allies find themselves unraveling a conspiracy much larger than they could have imagined. Great thriller sprinkled with a good dose of humor and intrigue. It’ll leave you guessing till the very end.
No Hard Feelings. (Amazon Prime | Apple TV+) Jennifer Lawrence is brilliant in this hilarious and raunchy R-rated comedy.
Thoroughbreds. (Hulu) Two childhood friends reconnect, and what starts as shared sentiments soon spirals into a dark plot. High society meets its chilling underbelly in this sharp-witted thriller.
Possessor. (Hulu | Amazon Prime) A spectacularly violent sci-fi thriller. The main character is a mind possessor, infiltrating the minds of the unsuspecting to carry out assassinations. But when a job goes awry, the lines blur between the possessor and the possessed.
Shows
The Bear Season 2. (Hulu) The second season of this show—about a failing sandwich shop in Chicago—is even better than the first. The intense pressure cooker that was the first season vented some air, and much of the tension became tender. Storytelling and character development at their very best. Highly recommended.
Silo. (Apple TV+) Amazing dystopian sci-fi thriller about a community that lives in a giant underground silo. Rebecca Ferguson is brilliant.
