☀️ Sunday Sharies: April 2023
books to read, movies to watch, things to buy, and more!
Why have Sunday Scaries when you could read the Sunday Sharies? There’s a lot of stuff we’d like to share that won’t fit in our usual Thursday newsletter. Some of that stuff is here. Read on for a special monthly collection of podcast, book, and miscellaneous other recs from your trusty Double Take duo.
— Jenni Cullen and Jess Spoll
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Jenni: In April, I finished The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li (3/5 stars), which explores the intricacies of female friendship through the story of two girls from provincial France. I said before that it reminded me a lot of the My Brilliant Friend series, and I stand by that. Another in the female-friendship vein — though with a different vibe entirely — the thriller/mystery novel by Calla Henkel, Other People’s Clothes (4/5 stars). I rounded out the month with Crooked Kingdom, second in Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows series (3.5/5 stars, the first was better) and The Rosie Project (3/5 stars), a cute feel-good romcom.
Also of note: this article about the largest trial to date on the four-day work week. The University of Cambridge studied over 60 companies for 6 months in 2022, and the results are exciting.
Jess: I wouldn’t say that I’m fully out of my reading-disappointing-books slump, but I did enjoy one bright spot this month in Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (4.5/5). Sadly, I followed that up by reading two thrillers that I’d had high hopes for, but that let me down: Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak (3/5) and Hostage by Clare Mackintosh (2/5).
Jenni: I’m a broken record at this point. The Normal Gossip podcast is back with Season 4, and where Kelsey McKinney leads, I will follow. Episodes come out every Wednesday and it’s the highlight of my midweek morning.
Jess: Since I started running outside again, I’m back on my audiobook kick. I am halfway through both All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers and Let Me Lie by Clare Mackintosh. Neither are gripping me. I’m struggling in that I need a thriller to keep my mind occupied while I’m running, but I’ve read so many that they’ve started to all feel the same.
Jenni: We had a group of friends over recently and made a Persian barley and chickpea soup a.k.a. ash-e jo; it’s healthy, vegetarian, and was a crowd pleaser. I’ve also started pulling out a few spring and summer dessert recipes like this tried and true raspberry buttermilk cake from Smitten Kitchen.
Jess: I’m a Half Baked Harvest fangirl, and I tried a new recipe of hers recently that was a huge hit: Spicy Tuscan Chicken Pasta. I also tried her Chili Crisp Chicken Mango Rice Bowl recipe, which was fairly tasty, but definitely would be better in the summer when you can find fresh mango.
Jenni: Sometimes I need an extra motivation to lace up my sneakers and put in a few miles, and Jog On with Harry Morgan’s positive videos never fail to make me smile and go “ohhhkay fine, I’ll go for that run.”
Jess: My watching of anything other than TV has taken a big hit during this pre-Emmys-deadline season (so many new shows!!), but I did find the time to watch 2 new movies. I attended a press screening of Renfield, the vampire movie starring Nicolas Cage and Nicholas Hoult, and it was fun, but I wouldn’t say that it’s worth going to the theater for. I also watched the new Apple TV+ movie Ghosted with Ana de Armas and Chris Evans, and it was an abysmal waste of talent. Who thought it was a good idea to cast a man known for playing Captain America as a hapless, awkward farmer?
Jenni: REI had a sale in April, and I treated myself to a comfortable new bike saddle. While I haven’t used it yet (it just arrived on Friday), it sure does look comfy!
I also restocked my favorite ever “no-makeup” makeup lip product: this Neutrogena lip balm in sun berry. It’s got SPF(!) and a lovely light tint that also works on your cheeks for an easy springy-summery glow. I’ve been buying this stuff on repeat since 2016 and shan’t be stopping anytime soon.
Jess: In my endless pursuit for non-denim pants that are functional and classy without being too businesslike, I tried the Sloane Tailored Pant from Abercrombie. They are comfortable and flattering, although a little pricey for the quality. They’re also too long on me, even though I got the “short” size (for reference: I’m 5’2”).
I’m also trying to diversify my footwear, so I purchased these faux-leather loafers from Old Navy. I went the inexpensive route because I don’t know how much wear I’ll get out of loafers, but they’re surprisingly cute and don’t look too cheap.
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