I used to do these posts as a recap of all the books I’d read the month prior. These days I’m still reading books, but I’m also spending more time watching TV and movies and listening to new music. Therefore, I thought it only fitting I update this monthly roundup accordingly! Here are some of my picks for November 2017.
I first read Big Little Lies a few years ago and at the time, I thought it was a bit of a fluffy suspense read, but didn’t necessarily dig into the feminist messages inside. I finally got around to binge-watching the HBO miniseries recently and man was I blown away. This was such an awesome show with such wonderful actresses and it really dug into some dark themes around domestic violence and the cost of the secrets we keep to protect ourselves and our loved ones. 10/10 would recommend.
Some other things I’ve been watching: The Crown, which returns next month for a second season; Shimmer Lake, which is one of the best mystery/crime films I’ve seen in years; What Happened to Monday?, which stars one of my favorite actresses, Noomi Rapace; and the Halloween original from 1991, The Addams Family—which, believe it or not, I’ve never seen. (I know! It’s a classic! For the record, I thoroughly enjoyed it.)
On the bookish front, it’s been a bit quiet.
I’ve been a little overwhelmed with my new job and with the general busyness of the season, so I haven’t been reading as voraciously as I used to. I do, however, have a couple of recommendations of collections to pick up (I’ve found that lately, they’re easier to digest than long novels).
First is Trigger Warning, by the incomparable Neil Gaiman; this collection of short stories ranges from horror to fantasy and everything in between, and even the page-long stories in his preface essay are captivating. On the nonfiction front, I really enjoyed Scaachi Koul’s One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter. Her essays are sometimes humorous and sometimes sobering. She touches on topics from racism to feminism to the difficulties of shopping for flattering clothing. These are both books that I plan to re-read again and again over the years