mating in captivity by esther perel

I appreciate the sentiment and goal here, which is to help long term monogamous couples maintain an erotic spark in their homes, but I must say that this book is so unrigorous, in that it doesn’t attempt to prove or define anything, that it honestly does a disservice to its own thesis. 

the gentlemen (2019)

While this Guy Ritchie movie doesn’t live up to its forebears (in my humble opinion) in terms of snappy dialogue and humor, it was certainly funny at times, and the twists were nice and exciting, and colin farrell’s character was a classic. 

Mrs America (2020, Hulu)

This historical retelling of the fight for the ERA was very worthwhile if you like history and/or strong women actors - powerful cast, nuanced themes, intelligent and careful writing, great music. 

the infinite staircase by geoffrey moore

A business bro decides he’s wiser than like, descartes marx kant and nietzsche combined, and just solves all the moral and ethical dilemmas of our species in one simple to read airport hardcover - goes about as well as you’d expect. 

About Grace by Anthony Doerr

Doerr’s first novel is far too long, far too sentimental; you can see all the signs of what will make him a world-class writer but he’s not there yet; it wasn’t bad but I would only recommend this to completionists like myself. 

The City Is Up for Grabs: How Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Led and Lost a City in Crisis by Gregory Pratt

This well-researched and interesting snappy read is a great window into what goes wrong when a leader goes power crazy and then just crazy, but what I really enjoyed was how the author managed the fact that the author himself, as a local reporter, played a significant role in a lot of the drama. 

Casablanca (1942)

For some reason I had an idea that Casablanca would be slow and boring but I was definitely mistaken - it crackles with excellent (and often contemporary sounding) dialogue, wonderful acting, memorable scenes, fast-paced action, and an arresting story. 

The Beekeeper (2024)

Statham absolutely shines in this perfect “so bad it’s good” action revenge fantasy nonsense, it’s “so poorly written and acted it’s sort of funny”. 

the spy who came in from the cold (1965)

The classic movie version of the classic book is a slow burning and excellent spy thriller; some of the tenser scenes at the end are completely mesmerizing. 

The Laws of Trading by Agustin Lebron

This was a short and informative read about life and evolution through the lens of financial markets, and I have to say there were some interesting deep results in here that make it well worth the time for anyone with an amateur interest in finance. 

Get Out (2017)

Such a taut, perfectly crafted masterwork of suspense and bleak comedy - not a wasted second. 

the abyss (1989)

As 1980s blockbusters go it’s outclassed by the true greats, but despite weirdly shifting tone (is it fun and feel good, is it creepy thriller, idk), the characters and story succeed and make this a pop-corny good time. 

Star Trek: Voyager

It’s no DS9 but with great characters, wonderful actors and mediocre writing this long story has a strong spot in the star trek universe for the dedicated fan. 

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig

I slept on this 70s classic for years because I didn’t know anything about it (and thought it was about motorcycles, which, not really) so I’m late to the party but can certainly add to the chorus - it’s stone-cold genius and just so beautiful and inspiring. 

Mayor (2020)

This is an indie documentary about Ramallah’s mayor filmed in 2017, and it’s interesting for its juxtaposition of the outrageous and challenging realities of life in the occupied west bank with the day to day trivia of running a municipality. 

American Conspiracy: the Octopus Murders on Netflix (2024)

I’m torn because the story and research here is top notch and quite compelling but the documentary craft itself is about as generic and bland as any other netflix true crime treatment, which is boring.