☀️ Sunday Sharies: June 2023
a Jennifer Lawrence movie, a BookTok disappointment, the elusive non-denim pant, and more!
It’s the last Sunday of the month, and you know what that means. There’s a lot of stuff we’d like to share that won’t fit in our usual Thursday TV newsletter. Some of that stuff is here. Read on for a special monthly peek into what your trusty Double Take duo has been watching, reading, listening to, and more.
— Jenni Cullen and Jess Spoll
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An ~Announcement~ from your Double Take writers: This month, we will be introducing a paid tier to our newsletter. Our newsletter is a reader-supported project, with no ads or sponsorships, and as it grows, we want to add even more features and make it as best as it can be. You can continue to be a non-paying subscriber, and you’ll still receive our weekly TV recs, but the Sunday Sharies will be only available to paid subscribers.
Jenni: Really sorry to any of the hardcore fans, but I finally read The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros after hearing non-stop hype for a month, and I was very underwhelmed. 2 out of 5 stars purely because it wasn’t so awful that I had to stop reading it, but there was next-to-no character development and it was extremely predictable. I was hoping for an excellent fantasy to get lost in and now I need something to cleanse the palate from this disappointment.
On a better note, I also finally got around to reading Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus this month and it was just as enjoyable as people say. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Jess: I finished Naomi Novik’s Scholomance trilogy and my final ruling is that it was entertaining enough, especially if you like the dark academia vibe, but it was somewhat underbaked and there were a lot of hand-wavey explanations in place of detailed world-building. 3.5/5 for the third book, The Golden Enclaves, and 3/5 for the trilogy overall.
For book club this month, we read the YA mystery/thriller The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, and it was ridiculous and silly and yet so very addictive. (4/5)
And my apologies to the Piranesi lovers, I’d heard great things, but it did not work AT ALL for me. Interesting premise, but I’ve never wanted to DNF a book as bad as I did in that first half. (1/5)
Everything else I read this month: The Family Game by Catherine Steadman (4/5), The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman (2.5/5), The Beach by Alex Garland (1/5).
Jenni: Pretty much the only thing on repeat for me at the moment is boygenius’s album, The Record. Can’t get enough.
Jess: I’ve had Zach Bryan playing 24/7 in advance of seeing him at Forest Hills last night. He was incredible live — highly recommend seeing him in concert if you get the chance. I’ve also had Dial Drunk by Noah Kahan stuck in my head for weeks.
Jenni: Anything and everything with fresh fruit. Cobblers, crumbles, your simple berries and homemade whipped cream? All winners. My aunt and uncle also just gifted me a huge container of pitted cherries from the tree in their backyard and I’m excited to try my hand at a cherry pie in the next few days.
Jess: Every time we do the Sunday Sharies, I realize that 1) I don’t cook enough, 2) When I do, I always cook the same recipes, and 3) Jenni is like a walking advertisement for a farmer’s market (I mean this in the nicest way; I’m envious!). I’ve really just made tacos like 6 times this month, so here are my favorite taco recipes: hawaiian chicken tacos, chili crisp chicken tacos. But I won’t judge you if you just throw some taco seasoning on shredded chicken and call it a day.
Jenni: I recently fell down a nostalgia hole and watched the entire (and only) season of My So-Called Life starring a teenage Claire Danes and Jared Leto. It’s a pretty iconic bastion of 90s suburban teen angst and for some reason it hit the spot.
It’s also prime “private chef in the Hampton” TikTok season and I am loving it. It’s the perfect summer content, mixing an unattainable-for-most lifestyle with attainable delicious recipes all in an idyllic beachy setting. Highly recommend for those days you want to disassociate from reality and get some dinner inspo at the same time.
Jess: Raunchy, R-rated comedies are making a comeback this summer with No Hard Feelings and Joy Ride. I was able to screen both early, and they were unabashedly fun and called to mind the days of theater-viewing when there were new releases every week, and not just cash-grabs built on existing IP.
Jennifer Lawrence’s starring role in No Hard Feelings feels nostalgic, as she’s been somewhat off the radar compared to her ubiquity during 2015-2016. Her charm and comedic timing make her the perfect lead in this, keeping the movie from feeling too cringey or absurd. It does have a creepy undercurrent, but it made me laugh often enough that I could see past it. (3/5)
Joy Ride is even better, with an ensemble cast of incredible comedic actresses (Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu, and Sabrina Wu) and a storyline that blends the classic “girls trip” gags with a sweet story of friendship and identity. Be warned, this movie is as raunchy as it gets, but it also made me cry so hard that I almost sobbed out loud in the theater. (4/5)
Jenni: I can’t think of anything too exciting for this one, most of my money this month has been going toward lodging and transport deposits for trips in July and August. However, I can be a broken record and mention again that I have been loving and re-ordering SkratchLabs granola bars and energy chews. They’re great to take on long runs or hikes.
Jess: Who hasn’t been on a hunt for the elusive pant that isn’t jeans or slacks and is casual enough to wear every day but classy enough to wear to a nice restaurant? And not only is that style hard to pin down, but then you have to find one that actually fits; at 5’2”, that’s not the easiest task. But I just purchased the Colette Wide-Leg Pants by Maeve and I think these are the grail. They’re incredibly comfy, lightweight enough for summer days in the city, and elevate a simple outfit. I bought the cropped style in the standard length, and they hit perfectly at the tops of my shoes.
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