Beach Reads and Netflix Feeds: What Our Team is Tuning Into this Summer
In what’s become a bit of an annual tradition around these parts, we asked our DCS team members and strategic partners what they’re reading and watching this summer. Here’s what’s getting us through the dog days of July and August:
What We’re Reading This Summer
Darya Kharabi: I like history, sociology, and anything having to do with faeries, so recently, I've been enjoying The Burning of Bridget Cleary by Angela Bourke.
Starting as an examination of the last murder of a "witch" in Ireland, it delves into the historical context of the situation, examining the collision between the magical, folkloric world of the rural Irish of the time and the regimented, religious rise of British colonial occupiers.
I'll leave you with this: the word "faerie" will never ring the same after reading this book.
John Denny: I like reading two books at a time — fiction and nonfiction.
Starting with the nonfiction, I recommend to all of us, red, blue, or in between to read Isabel Wilkerson's latest New York Times Bestseller, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent. It builds on her previous book The Great Migration. Both books fill in a lot of holes left by our history classes.
My favorite fiction writer is Lisa Gardner and any one of her FBI/Detective murder books are great reading; I just finished another one called One Step Too Far.
Charlie Lotz: I don't read a lot of nonfiction, but a major life change (like moving to Spain back in January) will do that to you!
In honor of my new digs, I just finished The Ornament of the World by María Rosa Menocal. It dives into a period many treat as a historical footnote -- the Muslim rule of Spain -- and gives it its proper due. We're talking about a period of 700+ years here!
Most interesting is Menocal’s focus on the religious tolerance towards Christians and Jews established during this period. It's a great read for anyone, but especially thrilling when you can walk outside and visit many of the sites discussed in the book!
Anna Havrilla: I can't say I’d have read a memoirist's ode to his garden before this year, but that is indeed what I’m reading (and loving) now.
And oh boy, would I have missed out. In Meir Shalev's My Wild Garden: Notes from a Writer's Eden, he illustrates not only his chaotic garden, but also precious moments in time. From where he's rescued an errant seed, to the neighbors that helped him find his green thumb, there's real beauty to this memoir set in Israel's Jezreel Valley. Lyrical and sweet, it’s great for contemplative mornings and for learning that sometimes we just don't know what we don't know – in gardening and in life.
Ben Fozard: Since I do a lot of reading for school, I wanted to take a break from reading for fun so as to not burn myself out. It didn’t last long.
Finding myself frustrated with my performance in various hobbies, I turned to the wonderful world of sports psychology. The Inner Game of Tennis by Timothy Gallwey is a book I've heard about for years; people in all forms of competition have cited it for improving your play. And while I don't play tennis, everything I've read has directly translated into my other hobbies. I'm not through it yet, but so far, I completely endorse the book if you struggle with the mental aspects of competition.
Stephanie Watkins: So far this summer I've read Into the Planet: My Life As a Cave Diver, a fascinating book by Jill Heinerth, a world-renowed cave diver who leads the field in a male-dominated "sport" (which is also terrifying...I'm glad she's doing it because this hobby combines multiple nightmares for me).
I also just started My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Bachman. I'm trying to get through ALL of his books because I loved A Man Called Ove so much. Two other recent reads I’d recommend: The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson and Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Hurari.
What We’re Watching This Summer
Donna Malpezzi: The Staircase is a true-story murder mystery streaming on HBO Max that stars Colin Firth and Toni Collette. A similarly titled documentary streaming on Netflix follows the real Michael Peterson and his family as they navigate the investigation and court trial into the murder of his wife.
There are loads of unexpected twists and turns, and I would recommend watching the documentary first as it informs the series on HBO Max.
Donna Malpezzi (x2): On the lighter side, Julia is streaming on HBO Max.
It follows Julia Child in her early public TV career as she pioneers the modern cooking show.
Julia alters the perception of food in the United States and in her own unique way advances the engagement of women in the workplace.
Darya Kharabi: I've been deeply enjoying the new season of Love, Death, and Robots. With bite-sized shorts, each episode explores a different, distinct sci-fi world while considering concepts of human greed, love, longing, survival, and more.
They're funny, serious, emotional, and contemplative pieces that encompass all of my favorite parts of sci-fi. Not to mention the gorgeous animation and production, especially in the "Swarm" episode -- that one actually left my jaw hanging. Even my partner, who usually shuns the TV screen, asks to re-watch episodes from time to time!
Charlie Lotz: To say I'm jazzed about the just-premiered fourth season of What We Do in the Shadows would be an understatement. A dark comedy mockumentary about vampires who've been (unsuccessfully) plotting to overthrown humankind for hundreds of years from their headquarters in...Staten Island? Sign me up!
It's just the right blend of incredibly smart and incredibly silly, and it's probably the only show my wife and I actually tune into the very day a new episode comes out. Watch it, ya bloodsuckers!
Stephanie Watkins: I haven't really found anything earth-shattering lately on TV. I finished up Peaky Blinders...but that got a bit silly/unbelievable. Same with Stranger Things.
I will say, though, that I watched Senior Year and that got some good laughs. You know you're getting old when they start making comedies about the timeframe you went to high school! I've watched all of the British crime shows available, and pretty much caught up on all of the period pieces...I need to pace myself!