community
A place where we can share and give things that are adding joy to our lives right now.
books
Circe
by Madeline Miller
In times of torment, it can be helpful to look deep into the past. There is virtually nothing we’re going through now that the ancients didn’t experience. Madeline Miller won the Orange Prize in 2012 for her first novel, A Song for Achilles, and, early in 2019, Circe, her long-awaited second novel, was one of the six shortlisted contenders for the Women’s Prize for Fiction (previously the Orange Prize).
Finding Mrs. Ford
by Deborah Goodrich Royce
From the beautiful book cover to Royce’s words that will captivate you as she takes you on a thrilling journey through Watch Hill, Rhode Island, New York, and Detroit. I couldn’t put it down. I fell in love with the characters. And I was guessing right until the turn of the final page.
Love Her Wild
by Atticus
And love this title! Atticus, followed by hundreds of thousands on Instagram (@atticuspoetry), is revered for his ability to make magic out of the ordinary. He writes about love, sadness, and sunsets. “We are made of all those who have built and broken us.”
Me
by Elton John
Are you like me? I grew up with Elton John and know most of his lyrics by heart and can hum most of the tunes. I ran - not walked - to see Elton John on his final concert tour. I haven’t read this myself, but I have heard this book is open and vulnerable; an account of his imperfect life. My gift is this book and this one’s for you.
shows
All American
Introduced to us by our 14-year-old daughter, this series is a little reminiscent of High School Musical (without the music), Blind Side and Friday Night Lights. There are two seasons; I have watched one. Each episode is full (sometimes too full) of individual stories within the larger context of a great football player from an economically disadvantaged neighborhood (South Crenshaw) recruited to play for a high school in a more affluent community (Beverly Hills). Sounds a little cliché, a little, but the relationships formed, and challenges overcome, are worthy of the championship title. (Netflix)
Modern Love
This twelve-part series on Hulu is based on Sally Rooney’s best-selling novel, Normal People. I loved the book that follows the relationship between Marianne and Connell, from high school through their years at university. Set in Ireland, this is more than a coming of age/teenage romance; it is a story that deals with class and privilege and the complexity of human relations. (Hulu)
The Last Dance
ESPN’s The Last Dance has capitalized on the void left in the wake of COVID-19 in the otherwise packed, mid-spring sport calendar, captivating an audience thirsty for any and all sports content. The show overdelivers in its recount of Michael Jordan’s esteemed career with the Chicago Bulls, with unparalleled camera crew access, showing both the ups and downs of the infamous Bulls dynasty teams in equal fashion. Furthermore, the show ads a significant array of star power and legitimacy with the inclusion of some of the most high-profile individuals in recent history, cross-cutting between sports, politics, media and pop culture. As sports fans have been left reeling in the pandemic-induced destruction of sport and entertainment, The Last Dance provides a welcomed return to “normalcy” and captures the imagination of onlookers yearning for inspiration. (ESPN)
Unorthodox
This Netflix miniseries (too mini for me) is the story of a young woman’s escape from her Hasidic community in Brooklyn. I was intrigued by the peek into a lifestyle that I don’t know much about and the incredible acting by Shira Haas (Esty). (Netflix)
