Listening – For a long time there I loved Pandora, then she was replaced by her step brother, Spotify, but now Spotify is dead to me and I am loving his much-cooler cousin, Songza, an online collective of curated song lists. And yup, it’s free. On your computer or as a phone ap. What’s different from the others? Instead of searching by an artist name or genre, you pick out a mood and Songza plays you a soundtrack. Even better: they don’t use algorithms, they use real people with great taste in music. This is like that year in your 20s when you had that friend who made really good mix tapes but then they moved to Ohio and you went back to listening to Gloria Estefan. Listen, that was NOT okay. Well, your friend just moved back in town and they are making mix tapes for all occasions! Some of current favorites of mine; Vintage Soul Dance Party, Dancing Queens of the 70s, Cool and Canadian, Classic Biker Bar Rock, Andy Warhol’s Record Collection, Whip Smart Women of the 90s, Peggy Olseon’s Bohemian Awakening (just search “Mad Men” for all kinds of fantastic treasures). Songza is going to change your life. You’re welcome.
Reading – All the Light We Cannot See, a historical novel set in WW2 Europe, and I’ll admit, is not exactly my genre. I’m not big on long novels, especially long novels with Hitler, but you know what? It sucked me in. The writing is good. The descriptive qualities are superb, which I cannot help but attribute to the author empathizing with one of his characters – a blind girl. A French blind girl. This book is like one of those recipes I read on paper and think “Yeah, no thanks.” but then I put it in my mouth and think “Oh hell, yes!” It’s a good one.
Loving – I’m loving the idea of highly decorative envelopes peppered with vintage stamps and stuffed with simple stationary. Wouldn’t that be a fun addition to your mailbox? Especially with the annual Valentine Swap coming up (stay tuned for something next week) I have mail on the brain!
Wearing – These pants. Holy cats, Y’all. These black fleece pants are a game changer. They were a Christmas gift and all my other pants are getting jealous because these babies have been on constant rotation ever since. These pants look like regular black yoga pants but they are the warmest, snuggliest, amazing pants in the history of Pants Town USA. They are not cheap, but Eddie Bauer has some good sales so hang in there. Prepare yourself! Everybody knows fleece is warm, but it also gets staticy and picks up hair and stops feeling soft after a couple round in the wash, right? Yeah, no, these pants don’t do that. Water and snow and stuff just roll off. Indoor, outdoor, or under other pants as long-undrewear, I’m telling you, these pants.
Watching – I’m over-the-moon-and-back thrilled that Transparent was a winner at Golden Globes because that will mean more people will watch it and then I will have more people to discuss this show with me. Yes, because I’m selfish like that. Transparent is complicated and weird and confrontational and sometimes it made me really, really uncomfortable. But isn’t that the hallmark of good TV? When it makes you uncomfortable but you still want to know what happens next? I like to think so. It’s is the story of a fractured family, each member more compellingly flawed than the next, and oh yeah – the dad decided at 60something that he wants to live as a woman. He is a trans parent. Get it? That said, and given the title, the show is not about a man’s transition to another gender; it’s about a series of conversations between interesting people with complicated histories and the issue of gender is just one of the characters. It’s on Amazon Prime, which is new to me, but they have some great stuff on there (Alpha House’s newest fan here!). I got rid of cable last summer but I’m finding tons of treasures on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon (and saving lots of money too). Winter is long, though – so you have any reccomendations, I’m all ears. Homegirl loves her TV time.
You must watch Mozart in the Jungle on Amazon Prime. It’s sooooo good and highly addictive. Prepare to binge!
I’m liking the name already — looking it up now!
Omg I LOVE Gael García Bernal.
Songza – love it – thank you!
It’s awesome, isn’t it?
My recommendations for this cold long winter? “An Honest Woman” with Maggie Gyllenhaal on Netflix. Its a little dark… maybe a lot dark, but beautiful with great acting.
Ooooooo. NOTED – I love that gal! Thanks!
Great offerings! Have songza playing and have looked at the pants — they look like something I would use a lot! Thanks.
I just started ( and gorged on four episodes already ) on Black Mirror on Netflix. Very well done British series of separate stories w powerhouse actors and writers. Theme is the extending of our relationship with and through technology. What tech is presented is not yet available (or perhaps? oh dear) but perfectly logical in its evolution .
The stories are unsettling, not disturbing but definitely unsettling and hard to stop watching.
Weird and British? My favorite combo. On it!
Songza, i love it! Yes, I had that same experience of getting cool music- mine was the girl I was studying abroad with in Norway when I was 20. I bought a 10-pack of CDs for an ungodly amount of money in our tiny remote town and burned the max 90 minutes on every single one. 10 years later, still some of my favorite soundtracks. Thank you for sharing, my love/hate relationship with pandora had been long-souring.
I will have to give Transparent a try. I’ve been getting into Breaking Bad (yes I’m 1000 years late to that party). But I’ve loved Arrested Development forever, so Jeffrey Tambor found a new dysfunctional family? Yes please.
That’s funny. I had a Norwegian roommate when I was 20 and she was EXACTLy who I was thinking about when I wrote that thing about mix tapes. Darnit those Scandinavians have the best taste is everything!
Also I’m with you on the Jeffery Tambor front. He is a treasure.
If you enjoy a good mystery, lots of Art Deco fabulousness, awesome Australian accents, and modern women you should try the Miss Fisher Mysteries on Netflix. There are currently two seasons with a third currently in production/original broadcast in Australia. They are fabulous. This series is funny, smart, and excellent winter viewing. The mysteries themselves get a little convoluted but when don’t they ever?
I’ve been a reader for several months now and you are a definite highlight of my day.
-Sue
If you have hulu plus I have to recommend “This is Jinsy.” It has flown under everyone’s radar, but is exceptionally absurd, British, and surreal. It’s a comedy about a made up island nation. British comics love it, but the US comedy scene has been silent about it. Loved the David Tenant episode.
I’ll have to get into the shows your commenters mentioned–lots of good picks! Also, finished All the Light We Cannot See and loved it. It’s been a while since I read something where I honestly didn’t know how to react. We’ll chat more at book club!
See you at book club — woot woot!