Open Tabs: Sept/Oct 2022
what I've been reading, watching, googling, listening to, and thinking about
Hi! I’m here for another issue of Open Tabs, covering the months of September and October. Sometimes it just makes more sense to do a couple of months at once, so you’ll have plenty to peruse. Enjoy!
Fall is here! We’ve gone through the — late summer heat / 2 weeks of beautiful weather / wow why is it so cold all of a sudden / oh hey it’s warm again!!! / GORGEOUS fall foliage / just kidding the rain is here, the heaters are on — cycle, and I think we are firmly settling into My Apartment is Never Warm Enough season.
The omens have come and gone, I’m thinking a lot about ghosts and god, and wow…I’m realizing how many emotional ups and downs I’ve had in the space of ~2 months.
But you’re not here for any of that, you’re here to pick through my brain and find out what I’ve been consuming. YES, I’ve been watching Gilmore Girls, don’t worry.
Note: Compiling this has proven that I am 100% in a consumption phase, i.e. bombarding my brain with as many things as possible in order to distract myself.
Reading
A Brief History of (My) Dark Academia (LitHub): I don’t even know how to preface this one, just really loved reading this. The author, Adrienne Raphel, has a book out called Our Dark Academia that I just might need to read.
Where is the Line Between Public & Private Policing in St. Louis? (Pro Publica): Police are a tool of the wealthy, not an equal and public service to “protect” citizens…There are so many things wrong with this, but in one word: police. And while I don’t agree with the implied solution in this article (that ~everyone~ should have more police—as if they are truly a protective force), I still think it’s an interesting read.
On the Cult of Craftism (The Millions): Is contemporary literature overwhelmingly focused on “the perfect sentence”, rules of craft, and formulation (for publishing/mass consumption), rather than actually…telling a story? This essay does (sort of) get at what bothers me about a lot of contemp lit, however…as the essay mentions at the end, there is clearly some Very Good Stuff being published now. (I can never quite put my finger on why my personal preference is for books published 20+ years ago rather than the latest, but this is giving me some things to consider! And the nuances of this would require an entirely separate essay.)
The Hidden Cost of Incarceration (The Marshall Project): The burden of these hidden costs (phone calls, food and hygiene products, etc) mostly lands on the families of the incarcerated. People are imprisoned, forced to work for unbelievably low wages, and still required to pay for basic necessities, or even to communicate and stay in touch with those outside.
The Great Food Instagram Vibe Shift (Eater): The shift from highly-curated, professional-level photos, to casual, unfiltered photos. This is particularly interesting to me as someone who works in the food content realm, but of course it applies to social media trends as a whole.
Watching
I can see now that I have watched A LOT of stuff lately, which maybe explains why I haven’t read as much…
Blue Planet II (HBOmax): The ocean is so scary (I’m fascinated).
Gilmore Girls (Netflix): I started re-watching Gilmore Girls (again) and it never fails to comfort me. Season 1 Luke & Lorelai? My only hope. (I’ve just finished season 3)
Emma Chamberlain’s House Tour (ArchDigest): I rarely hype up a wealthy famous person with a big a nice house but…this house is truly beautiful.
Industry (HBOmax): I watched season 1 a couple of months ago, and just finished season 2—and it’s just been renewed for a 3rd season! This seems to be an under-hyped show but it is very good.
Love is Blind (Netflix): I am in the midst of season 3 and I swear I have a mental breakdown every time I watch this show. Solid reality TV. (I see this as an absurdist takedown of heteronormative relationships and marriage, but maybe I’m reaching…we all watch for the drama).
Brand New Cherry Flavor (Netflix): I didn’t watch this when it was released because I thought it would be too gross/scary…it is pretty gross, but not really scary. It was worth it though, I thought it was a fun show.
Blair Witch Project: Continuing on the theme, I was too scared to watch this in my youthful years but for some reason I was thinking about it? It’s not particularly scary while watching, but I am now afraid of (1) bundles of sticks, (2) getting lost in the woods, (3) children standing in corners, and (4) wearing jeans while hiking.
Listening
All the Omens Spoke of Change (Spotify playlist)
The Awakening by Kate Chopin (Audiobook): Every once in a while I listen to an audiobook, and this was great!
Interview with Ottessa Moshfegh (Reading the Room): I’ve been loving this podcast (I usually watch on youtube) and this was great.
Googling
jury nullification
19,287 seconds to hours
luke danes season 1
too much dopamine
skin cycling
Other Thoughts
Book Buying Ban(ish): I’ve mostly been on a book buying ban the last 2 months—I bought 2, but I read them immediately, so I think that’s fair for my purposes. It has felt nice to be focused on the books I already own, without dragging more in from the library or bookstores, however…my choices did feel a little stale, which I think slowed my reading momentum. Interesting to see how buying books (or even just using the library) impacts my overall reading habits.
(Un)Social Media: I find that my need for boundaries and privacy (and my distaste for superficial connections) makes it very difficult for me to fully engage on social media, and sometimes I wonder why I’m on instagram at all. I like sharing photos, but I also don’t want anyone watching me exist…I consider deleting the app just about every other week, but where else is an aging millennial to go?
Notion: In further reading updates, now that I have my iPad mini, I’m actually keeping up with my reading journal and notes on Notion. I’m hoping this will make it easier for me to organize my thoughts and write more reviews for this newsletter.
Thanks for reading this month’s issue of Open Tabs! Most likely, the next one will be another 2-month issue at the end of the year. More book reviews are on the way!
If you want to keep up with me day-to-day, follow me on Instagram, Goodreads, or Storygraph.