Originally published on Post Grad Purpose
Well, May is just about over, which means summer is almost here. I’m always surprised at how fast May goes by, but maybe that’s because it’s my birthday month (thoughts on turning 25 → here). The month has been really busy, so I don’t have as much to share in regards to what I’ve been watching and listening to. My reading, however, didn’t take a hit.
What I’ve Been {Watching}
- Master of None season 2 Aziz Ansari’s amazing show is finally back! I feel like this show is super underrated for some reason and I only know a handful of people who watch it. Everyone is seriously missing out because this show, which is a Netflix original BTW, is everything. It’s hilarious, thought-provoking, relatable, and artistic, and covers a wide range of social issues. I still have a couple of episodes of the new season left, though, so no spoilers please.
What I’ve Been {Reading}
- Tiny Beautiful Things Cheryl Strayed is a genius. If she started a cult, I would join it. I read her memoir Wild about two years ago and loved it and this month I finally read Tiny Beautiful Things. It pulls from her advice column Dear Sugar, which she wrote anonymously, and covers every topic imaginable. The advice is so raw and honest and I underlined at least half of the lines. This is a book I’ll be keeping by my bedside.
- 11 Years Old, a Mom, and Pushed to Marry Her Rapist in Florida I’ll admit, I was drawn to this New York Times op-ed by the click-bait headline. The issue of child marriage, though, is serious and completely overlooked in our country. As the writer points out, this isn’t a problem just affecting girls in third world countries. Girls as young as 11, 12, and 13 are being married to men 2-3 times their age everyday in the U.S. Read this and then please, please do some research into how this can be fixed.
- The Book of Unknown Americans I was seeing this book everywhere on Instagram and its beautiful cover drew me in. Luckily, the words inside were just as good. It’s a story about a teenage boy who falls in love with a girl with a brain injury, while also weaving in their families’ stories (and other people’s stories) of immigrating to the U.S. from Latin American countries.
- Glaciers I found this little book at Brattle Book Shop on a Memorial Day weekend trip to Boston and read it in two days. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book like it – it leaves a lot unsaid. It follows one day in the life of Isabel, a twenty-something woman from Alaska, as she reflects back on her childhood and how she’s spent her life obsessed with the past. Very good, unique read. (Sidenote: In a college, I did a photo essay about this book store and this is the first time I’ve been back since. It was just as awe-inspiring as I remembered it.)
What I’ve Been {Listening To}
- Bad Liar Selena Gomez is killing it and I’m loving it. As I mentioned last month, I’m a huge fan of hers and have been since I was like, 16. When I first heard this song, I was sort of slow to like it. It’s very different. Now though – this song is on repeat and probably will be all summer.
Post Grad Reads
- 10 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Freak Out if You’re Graduating Without a Job via Cosmopolitan
- Why It’s Totally Normal Not to Have a Dream Job also via Cosmopolitan
- Getting My Dream Job Ruined My Life, But I Wouldn’t Change a Thing via Glamour
- How to Survive the Post Grad Job Hunt via You, Me & DC
Kate Gardner 