Some media (books and television) that I’ve read and watched over the past few weeks.
Books 📚
Lo-Fi: A Novel (Liz Riggs)– This novel was set in the Nashville indie rock scene circa the early 2000s. While I have no familiarity with the Nashville music scene, the story — focused on a woman who works at gritty music venue — felt someone familiar. The nights of shows, excitement over the next band coming through, and the intra-scene drama felt similar to what I experienced growing up in the punk scene. The mixtapes, playlists, parties, and late-night conversations that featured prominently reminded me of that time. Ultimately, I didn’t find the characters very compelling and it all fit a bit tedious, but at the same time, that might mean that it is being effective in capturing the lives of twenty-something hipsters.
The Secret History of the Rapid Kit: A True Crime Story(Pagan Kennedy) – This is the story of the little known Marty Goddard and her advocacy for the adoption of rape kits in police departments and hospitals. Until the 1970s and Goddard’s advocacy, survivors of rape were widely mistreated and ignored. Despite her ground-breaking work, Goddard has faded from public view, so the book intertwines the history of the rape kit with Kennedy’s quest to locate Goddard. It was a well-written and history. It was also nice to see another book from Pagan Kennedy. Her ‘Zine: How I spent six years of my life in the underground and finally… found myself… I think, was an influential book for me in the 1990s.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles: A Novel (Rufi Thorpe) – This is the story of Margo who struggles with the realities of single motherhood in her early twenties. After losing her job, her roommates, and taking in her semi-estranged father, she eventually decides to start an OnlyFans account as a way to make ends meet. It’s a story of personal growth as she navigates her new found self-reliance and society’s general disapproval of sex work.Â
Television 📺
Your Friends & Neighbors – I thought this show — ostensibly focused on a main character who is fired from his high-earning finance job and who then turns to robbery — would be more focused on the crime and heist aspects. Instead, it was heavily focused on the drama of rich people. It had just enough to keep me interested, but not much more than that. The main take away is that everyone is miserable in their own unique way.
The Office – It usually starts with watching an episode or two, and before I know it, I’m back to a full re-watch. There is such consistently good material, even in the seasons after Michael Scott left (well, maybe not the last one).