August Recs

High, low, and everything in between.

Stonegate Farm, a magical place!

I’m one of those people who’s constantly texting and receiving recommendations from friends—be it a great horror movie (Talk to Me, oof!!), a fun nail polish (love Olive and June), the latest mind-expanding interview (adrienne maree brown, Every Single Time). So, I decided that once a month, I’d like to share all my top recommendations with YOU, friend. These items did not necessarily come out in said month, but they’re what entered my radar, and made me excited in some way. (Jill Gallagher always shares “Bright Spots” in her wonderful newsletter, and I love it every time.) 

So, without further ado…

READING: CONSENT by Donna Freitas. Donna is that rare eclectic writer who’s written everything from sci-fi YA to experimental-yet-accessible adult fiction to provocative, researched non-fiction. She also wrote a memoir, CONSENT: A MEMOIR OF UNWANTED ATTENTION. This book is fascinating in that it combines a philosophical inquiry into the idea of consent with the true, horrifying story of how her doctoral professor and mentor stalked her. It reads like a thriller, and left me also questioning what many of us think of as a black and white concept. As Donna writes: “We have made consent out to be something straightforward, as straightforward as the single word no, but we are lying to ourselves and one another about this. If stopping someone’s behavior were as magical as uttering a two-letter word, then my professor’s behavior would never have gone on as long as it did. The word no meant nothing in my case. I paid dearly for this. I’m still paying for it.” 

READING: IN THE DREAM HOUSE by Carmen Maria Machado. Reading CONSENT made me think of Carmen Maria Machado’s memoir, which also explores the intricacies of consent from within the confines of an abusive same-sex relationship. I remembered it as being one of the most compelling, emotional, and beautifully-written books that I’d ever read. I was happy to go back and find that this was still very much the case.

WATCHING: Real Housewives of New York (the 2023 reboot; also on Peacock). On a lighter note, I have to mention the new RHONY. Please, hear me out. Even if you’ve never seen a single Housewives episode in your life, this might be the perfect treat for you. Especially if you, like me, tortured yourself through the second season of And Just Like That. RHONY is what AJLT should be! It features six successful women ranging in age from 30s to 50s (half are single, and none are true sole “housewives”), who trade witty banter, joke about their sex lives, go on fabulous vacations, have deep conversations (family trauma, being forced out of the closet, etc.), and endure some low-level drama (ahem, cheesegate). There are also fun, weird moments, like when one couple is celebrating their anniversary at a fancy restaurant while it appears that a man is dining with a stuffed penguin behind them. Like AJLT, there are also hilarious recaps to be had; I highly recommend the ones by John Paul Brammer.

LISTENING TO: Scamanda. If you, like me, love stories about female scammers, you do not want to miss this. The podcast tells the true tale of Amanda, a charismatic and attractive white woman who amasses a huge blog following after she’s diagnosed with cancer.  Of course, there are dark and disturbing secrets hiding underneath her brave facade. (Thanks Sam Langdorf for the rec!) 

WATCHING: Aniara. I watch a lot of movies, but I am still thinking about this one—it’s fascinating and haunting. It takes place in the future after earth has become uninhabitable due to climate change; people are now taking shuttles to a new living colony on Mars. The film follows one woman who works onboard the ship, and what happens to her and the rest of the passengers after it gets accidentally knocked off course. I don’t want to give anything else away, but it’s a captivating and complex movie that explores many facets of human nature. It’s also co-written and co-directed by a woman, Pella Kågerman, which is something I always appreciate in the male-dominated cinema space. (Thanks for recommending, Mandy and Justin!) 

VISITING: Stonegate Farm. If you live in or around New York, I highly recommend checking out Stonegate Farm, a place I now return to mentally when I want to calm my nervous system. I met co-owner Jill Rowe at a yoga retreat a few weeks ago, and upon checking out her farm’s Instagram, I knew I had to go to there. Two friends and I attended their Wellness Weekend this month to get treatments (including massages from the fabulous Sophie Bolvary), all in the midst of flowers and butterflies. They also host weekly wood-fired pizza dinners with fresh ingredients from the farm. 

That’s it for today. Anything you’ve been reading, watching, thinking about, etc.? Let me know in the comments below!

This month’s recs! (Source)

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