Okay Thanks Maria

Podcast Roundup / 100616

I'm a podcast fiend. Morning, noon, and night you can often find me listening, so naturally I'm subscribed to waaaaay too m...

I'm a podcast fiend. Morning, noon, and night you can often find me listening, so naturally I'm subscribed to waaaaay too many. What I listen to fluctuates with my moods and it can be hard to keep track, actually. Podcast Roundup is a way for me to gauge what's good, why, and (hopefully) get to know what everyone else listens to ☟ in the comments.

What's New

∎ Creative Pep Talk / I quit my job last week, in the hopes of pursuing some sort of creative...something. I've listened to this podcast off and on for a while now, but I resubscribed last week because, um, can't we all use a pep talk?

∎ Hopefully We Don't Break Up / I found this podcast through Jamie Lee's podcast. It's a couple (____ and _____) who interview other couples about being a couple. There are some surprisingly good, honest, hilarious moments in nearly every episode.

∎ The Best of the Worst / The aforementioned podcast by Jamie Lee. She basically interviews another comedian/friend about their worst...whatever. Sex, school, drug experience. It's always funny and always interesting.

∎ Remarkable Lives Tragic Deaths / So good! The title says it all. Marilyn Monroe. James Dean. Princess Di. Rasputin. There's drama, intrigue, and, you know, death. I'll say it again: so good!

∎ Insecuritea / Hey Fran Hey + Crissle from The Read talk about Issa Rae's new TV show Insecure? Sign me up!

∎ Every Westworld Podcast Ever / This is a catchall. I'm listening to 4 different Westworld podcasts right now? Yeah. That obsession is real. For the curious: Out West, Watching Westworld, Sweetwater Saloon, Decoding Westworld.

What's Good

∎ Startup / Okay. I was not into last season of this podcast. But season 4 started off strong and just got soooo much better. Episode 4? They announced that the rest of the season is all about your favorite perv and mine: Dov Charney, of American Apparel fame. Here's a Huffington Post article about it.

∎ 2 Dope Queens / If you're not listening to this podcast, please leave. No for real. What are you doing?

∎ My Favorite Murder / This 👏Podcast 👏 Is 👏 Everything. I'm not a hardcore true crime nut per se, but I would describe myself as a murderino and Karen and Georgia are never not funny. This one is a no-brainer.

∎ Politically Re-Active / I know, I know. Literal overload of politics right now. You pretty much can't escape hearing someone and their mother talk about the insanity of who the f*ck is gonna be the President of the United States. But if I have to hear somebody talk about it, I'm gonna vote Hari Kondabolu and W. Kamau Bell. They interview all kinds of people (from Jill Stein to Kathleen Hanna), and I like it when I can learn something and laugh at the same time. Alright. That's what I'm listening to lately. What about you? Let me know in the comments.

Review / The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

I spent some time with this book. Goodreads tells me it was 36 days, exactly. I gave it 3 stars. I’m not sure what I wanted from The...

I spent some time with this book. Goodreads tells me it was 36 days, exactly. I gave it 3 stars. I’m not sure what I wanted from The Goldfinch, but I wasn’t quite satisfied. Perhaps I wanted intrigue, more movement. The back cover—mine bent and curling now—promises the protagonist trapped inside these pages is “at the center of a narrowing, dangerous circle.” Well, I guess.
I mean, let me not be flippant, the danger is there. The weighty anticipation of it, 600 or so pages in, kept me going. Deep in the narrative, I prepared myself for whatever Theo might come up against, his actions in the previous pages creating more and more knots in the thread of his life. But like, damn Donna, get to it already.
I hate going over plot in a review. That’s what the back cover is for, honestly, so I’ll skip it. I read this book because The Secret History is one of my favorite books and Tartt seems more than capable of crafting a story rich enough to hold me for 700+ pages. Which The Goldfinch does, mostly. It’s just that, in that last stretch, well, I began skimming paragraphs of dialogue—even the choppy, hilarious prose she writes for Boris, and he’s arguably the most interesting character in the novel.
There is a climax and I was bored. Like a thing you’ve been waiting for all week that just somehow doesn’t satisfy. The thing is, I don’t think the book fails at anything it sets out to do. It’s not really meant to be a thriller; this book has many other mysteries on its mind. Fate and character and art and beauty and the meaning we give to objects. That is all there, and these preoccupations are built into the narrative beautifully, for the most part.
I just didn’t care much for those things. And that is why I was disappointed, I suppose. It’s a fine book, and intriguing for nearly all of its pages. There is a section in the first half of the book, when Theo lives in Las Vegas and meets the unforgettable Boris. This is a rich, rich section that shows off Tartt’s ability to create believable, meaningful relationships between characters. The momentum in this section carries through until the final fourth of the book. Then and only then did reading it feel a bit like a chore, until I finally had to sigh and skim and eventually realize that what I wanted and what Tartt intended are two different things.
This is a book worth reading, but be forewarned: upon completion you may not feel properly rewarded for your efforts.

New In / Holy Pink Shirt, Batman!

I am 100% here for awkwardly cut, raw hem denim. I thrifted these jeans a week ago, and the previous owner had already cut ...

I am 100% here for awkwardly cut, raw hem denim. I thrifted these jeans a week ago, and the previous owner had already cut a slit into the hem of each leg. So I was like, well now I have to cut them up! And cut them up I did. When I showed Charlie he laughed and said they look goofy, which is true. I told him it's a ~thing~ and that I like it too much to resist.
This hole-y top is another gem from SheInside. I was expecting it to fit a bit differently when I bought it, but I can't hate too much because it's honestly one of the softest tees I own. Plus, that baby pink color is so friendly.
The day we took these photos we spent like 5 hours at the same coffee shop, reading and Soundhound-ing every other song playing. The DJ at Lux is on point.

Design Idea / Chair As Nightstand

Nightstands. A place for everything from books to contact cases to 3-day old cups of chamomile tea. Totally useful, always timeless. But...

PHOTO CREDITS:

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Burger Pickin' / Whataburger

Burger Pickin' is a series where I eat at a burger joint and then rate it. There will be no sesame bun left un-turned. / What a ...

Burger Pickin' is a series where I eat at a burger joint and then rate it. There will be no sesame bun left un-turned.Younot badNot bad.
Score Card

Overall: C+

Podcast Roundup / 100616

Review / The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

New In / Holy Pink Shirt, Batman!

Design Idea / Chair As Nightstand

Burger Pickin' / Whataburger

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