Welcome to this week’s edition of Open Tabs, where I share my current reads, recent obsessions, and media consumptions every Sunday!
For a couple of days this week, I got brief glimpses of sunshine hitting my front room, and naively thought Spring was near…now it’s just freezing, rainy-snow again. I should know better!
I read quite a lot this week, though I guess most of it was audiobook-listening. I would really like to make dent in my physical TBR this year, but I never seem to read fast enough!
Reading [Books]
Health and Safety: A Breakdown by Emily Witt
The author chronicles her experience in a specific scene in NYC during the 2010s. I had mixed feelings about this by part 3, but overall felt enthralled by this memoir.
Chelsea Girls by Eileen Myles (audio)
Sociopath: A Memoir by Patric Gagne (audio)
I listened to an 11 hour audiobook in 2 days…A really interesting memoir that gives perspective to an oft-maligned personality disorder. I could certainly list out some critiques of this work, but as far as memoirs go, I recommend. I’ll be looking for some reviews (and other critiques) on this one though—I’m curious what people diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder think of this!
Graveyard Shift by M.L. Rio
I liked the atmosphere and the general idea behind the story, but it was way too short to really come together in a satisfying way. I don’t think the scope of this actually fits into a novella-length story, so it felt rushed and lacking in detail. 100 more pages to flesh out the characters and plot, it could have been really fun!
Reading [Online]
The Origins of Valentine’s Day (Hypnogoria)
Against Enthusiasm by Jacob Silverman (Slate) — this is a throwback but still quite interesting today.
“As if mirroring the surrounding culture, biting criticism has become synonymous with offense; everything is personal—one’s affection for a book is interchangeable with one’s feelings about its author as a person.”
Watching [TV]
My Brilliant Friend (season 3)
In any and every medium, this story absolutely eviscerates me. Next up, the final season of the series.
Watching [YouTube]
Watched a bunch of videos about folk horror on The Eldritch Archives. A very cool youbtube channel filled with literature & film analysis, audiobooks, and things you might like if you’re into gothic, folk horror, and weird little stories.
Listening [Music]
Graveyard Shift (playlist)
M.L. Rio included a playlist in the back of Graveyard Shift. It gets a solid 9/10 for vibes—I just wish the story followed through on that atmospheric potential!
Last Week…
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