A special Memorial Day Weekend edition of Sunday Sharies… because Monday is the Sunday of long weekends. 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: The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins is a bit bizarre and difficult to explain in detail without making it sound unappealing, so I’ll keep it vague. It’s a contemporary fantasy/horror with hint of an American Gods (Neil Gaiman) vibe and it was definitely weird but also had me hooked! (3.5/5 stars). I also finished Everything I Know About Love: A Memoir by Dolly Alderton and found it to be a beautiful tribute to female friendship (4/5 stars).
Jess: I wasn’t the biggest fan of A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik, the first book in the Scholomance trilogy, but it ended on a cliffhanger and I found myself thinking about it often. Because of that lingering curiosity, I decided to give the sequel, The Last Graduate a chance, and I’m glad that I did. It had a much more satisfying story arc and I liked being back in the unusual fantasy world that Novik has created. This month I also read Let Me Lie by Clare Mackintosh (2/5 stars) and The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda (4/5 stars).
Jenni: The Retro Running playlist on Spotify, every new Normal Gossip episode that comes out, and surprisingly, after a very convincing TikTok essay on the subject, Carly Rae Jepsen’s 2015 album Emotion.
Jess: Just Taylor Swift on repeat in preparation of seeing her at MetLife.
Jenni: I had a birthday this month and requested we use a Sally’s Baking Addiction recipe (of course). This lemon blueberry layer cake was just perfection — absolutely delicious.
Jess: Another Half Baked Harvest recipe — shocking, I know! I followed her advice to make a batch of quesadillas in the oven, and it was life changing.
Jenni: The final episodes of A Small Light pretty much wrecked me, so between that and the Succession finale, I’ve returned to my Youtube safe space of interior design and baking videos (I will be making this summery tart ASAP). Just a bit of a reset before heading into a June filled with season and series premieres.
Jess: After binging XO, Kitty, I was in the mood to watch something else that was cute and light, so I started Never Have I Ever. It’s exactly what I was looking for, and I’m catching up just in time for the 4th and final season, which premieres June 8.
Jenni: Mostly stuff for races and training these days — I bought a running belt, non-cotton athletic socks (game changer), and SkratchLabs granola bars & energy chews to take on long runs.
Jess: Impulsively (and by that I mean I was influenced too easily by a TikTok) I bought the Olive and June manicure set, and I actually love it. I’ve been a loyal Essie girl forever, but I think I’m converted.
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