#002 A list of things to listen to, watch & read
Whether you're looking for background noise while you cook and garden, want a guaranteed good read, or have just run out of Netflix shows to binge, I've got some great reccs...
Happy weekend, friends! I hope you’re looking down the barrel of a relaxing couple of days. I’m going to a bbq and then it’s back to tag-teaming stopping the spinally-challenged dog jumping off the sofa after flies and niggly paint jobs round the house. We’re at that annoying point in the redo-not-reno where everything looks worse than it did when we moved in, so we really need to finish at least one room! Anyway, enjoy this month’s installment of reccs and let me know yours in the comments :)
Listen
Tom Holland - On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m low-key obsessed with Tom Holland. My Instagram Discover feed is exclusively baby Spiderman. In this episode he mostly talks about quitting drinking and overcoming the social anxiety of group situations without alcohol, but also touches on his childhood at rugby school and starting ballet, and then his acting career, from a young age. He’s just such a nice, grounded man!
Sleep Walking, Stairwells & Shame - Trusty Hogs
Need a laugh? Listen to this episode from two besties who happen to be chaos-prone comedians, and prepare to soil yourself.
Is there anything else to say? If you came here in the hopes of avoiding Barbie fever, I’m sorry. I haven’t seen the film yet but this playlist, including Lizzo, Cyndi Lauper and actual Ryan Gosling singing, curated by Mark Ronson, has made me want to dress up in pink and hit the Odeon even more.
Watch
It’s quite bold to recommend something I’ve only watched one episode of, I know, however, I’m sure like me you don’t consume a whole lot of live, on-the-TV TV and might have missed the existence of this new Channel 4 show entirely. I suppose this is more of an alert to start watching along with me! Because it’s on the ‘proper telly’, we’re only getting one installment a week, which is annoying but also kind of nice? Anyway, Becoming Elizabeth is a historical drama about Elizabeth I’s beginning, well before her ascent to the throne. It has a bit of a (saucy) Tudors vibe, if you liked that, and a good amount of characters and side stories. I keep checking to see when the next one is coming (Saturday night, so you’ll have two to watch by the time this email goes out), which is usually a sign of half-decent telly.
My lovely friend, biggest supporter and first fully-fledged subscriber, Sam recommended this - Hi, Sam! - and I’m glad she did. It’s been a while since I’ve sunk my teeth into a multiple-part cult documentary! This one follows Vanity Fair’s investigation into the celeb’s favourite megachurch. Scandals, cover-ups, embezzlement, angry ex-congregants and Jesus look-a-like pastors await.
Poignant in parts, really fun and flamboyant in others, Pose is a drama about New York’s underground LQBTQ+ ball culture in the 80s and 90s. There are storylines about fashion sabbotage, dating as a trans person and choosing your own family, plus plenty of scathing one-liners and out-there catwalk choreography. You will root for these characters!
Read
I almost never re-read books but for Heartburn I made an exception. If I could write like anyone, it would be Nora Ephron. She’s so funny and relatable, you barely notice you’re reading; the pages fly by. For those unfamilar, this one’s about her second divorce and the bizarre things that happened to her during that time in her life. It’s peppered with recipes too!
The Fake Islands That Fooled a British Generation on Everything Is Amazing
A feature about a tropical island news story on April Fool’s Day that went too far. The details are hilarious and would surely have been spotted and shared on social media in mere minutes today, but back then, everyone was convinced. Mike’s newsletter is mostly for paid subscribers but this gem has been re-published for free as a little summer treat.
The Book Your Dog Wishes You Would Read - Louise Glazebrook
I get this book for everyone who brings a dog into their life. It’s especially useful if you’ve just got or are about to get a puppy but it’s endlessly informative whatever age your pooch is. Louise is super knowledgeable on doggy body language and shares tidbits on everything from breed-specific behaviours to enrichment games. If you’d like to understand your best friend better and be better equipped to advocate for them out in the world, buy this now.
P.S! Substack have recently introduced subscriber referrals. When you use the ‘share’ button on any post, you’ll get credit (which equates to x months of a paid subscription to TWP for free) as a thank you for any new subscribers you bring here. You can keep track of the referrals you’ve made and how close you are to free months on my Leaderboard tab.