My Favorite Stuff of 2019
I may not be Barack Obama, but I also like to recap my favorite things of the year! Here we go:
The Only Plane in the Sky: A Narrative History of 9/11, by Garrett M. Graff. This book was both hard to pick up and hard to put down. Hard to pick up because you knew you were going to be reading about the worst day of people's lives; hard to put down because you became transported into that day and then superimposed it with what you yourself remember from that day.
I can't imagine how much effort must've gone into gathering these hundreds of accounts from eyewitnesses to 9/11 - and how to choose what to include. It's a 5-star effort for that alone.
I am really loving this LDS podcast interviewing members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, both known and unknown. The host, Morgan Jones, gets better and better with her interviewing skills and can bring the best out of people.
Note: a favorite episode of mine is episode 3 "Racism in the Church," which was done before the current format really took shape. What Zandra Vranes said about intent vs. effect has stuck with me in a powerful way.
The Thing About Pam
If you want a true-crime quick fix, this one - if you can ignore the folksy host's intonations - is a wild ride for sure.
Bear Brook
Another true crime podcast I thought was super interesting.
White Lies
If you want a true crime podcast that actually says something about society as a whole, White Lies is one I continue to think about. The hosts set out to solve an unsolved murder of a white preacher sympathetic to the Civil Rights Movement in Selma Alabama. In order to get to the bottom of it, though, they have to convince the while folks who were around then to talk - and that's not something they're willing to do.
I also loved:
Books
The Price We Paid, Andrew Olsen. I had a vested interest in this book: my 3rd and 4th great grandmothers were in the Martin Handcart company, but they were so traumatized by it they didn't like to speak of their experiences and couldn't bear to look at a handcart for the rest of their lives. Reading this book helped me understand more of what they went through. For that alone, this book was invaluable to me on a personal level.The Only Plane in the Sky: A Narrative History of 9/11, by Garrett M. Graff. This book was both hard to pick up and hard to put down. Hard to pick up because you knew you were going to be reading about the worst day of people's lives; hard to put down because you became transported into that day and then superimposed it with what you yourself remember from that day.
I can't imagine how much effort must've gone into gathering these hundreds of accounts from eyewitnesses to 9/11 - and how to choose what to include. It's a 5-star effort for that alone.
She Said, by Jody Kantor and Megan Twohey. An important read but also a gripping page turner. Content note: yes, there are graphic descriptions of sexual assault - but they're told factually and I don't think it's gratuitous. It's not for the weak of stomach, but it's important to get the details out there.
Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman, by Robert Massie. I normally shy away from biographies - especially ones that are nearly 600 pages - because they're usually full of unnecessary details (just get to the good stuff!). While there is a lot of detail (all the wars and treaties!), this book is mostly "good stuff." Having visited St. Petersburg earlier this year I loved reading about places I'd been and picturing what imperial Russia was like.
Tess of D'Ubervilles, Thomas Hardy. Some of my favorite novels are the ones with endings that just break your heart. Tess of the D'Urbervilles will break your heart - but it's also gorgeously written, with a moving condemnation of societal double standards we still live with today.
2019 was a good year for music that I loved. Have 3 hrs 13 minutes? Listen to my playlist!
Tess of D'Ubervilles, Thomas Hardy. Some of my favorite novels are the ones with endings that just break your heart. Tess of the D'Urbervilles will break your heart - but it's also gorgeously written, with a moving condemnation of societal double standards we still live with today.
Music
2019 was a good year for music that I loved. Have 3 hrs 13 minutes? Listen to my playlist!
Podcasts I Enjoyed:
All InI am really loving this LDS podcast interviewing members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, both known and unknown. The host, Morgan Jones, gets better and better with her interviewing skills and can bring the best out of people.
Note: a favorite episode of mine is episode 3 "Racism in the Church," which was done before the current format really took shape. What Zandra Vranes said about intent vs. effect has stuck with me in a powerful way.
The Thing About Pam
If you want a true-crime quick fix, this one - if you can ignore the folksy host's intonations - is a wild ride for sure.
Bear Brook
Another true crime podcast I thought was super interesting.
White Lies
If you want a true crime podcast that actually says something about society as a whole, White Lies is one I continue to think about. The hosts set out to solve an unsolved murder of a white preacher sympathetic to the Civil Rights Movement in Selma Alabama. In order to get to the bottom of it, though, they have to convince the while folks who were around then to talk - and that's not something they're willing to do.
I also loved:
- The Daily, "Impeachment through the eyes of a child"
- Criminal, "Mrs. Sherlock Holmes"
- Dolly Parton's America, "I Will Always Love You"
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