Best New Books of 2023

1. The Woman in Me: Britney Spear’s new memoir/autobiography is revealing, powerful, and tells a truth that is very hard to hear.
2. How to Say Babylon: A Memoir: Safiya Sinclair’s childhood was unorthodox, to say the least. The fact that she survived without an emotional breakdown is a miracle in itself.
3. The Duke’s Secret Cinderella: This Cinderella reboot is as hot as hot can be. Going deeper than other adaptations, it takes the reader to unexpected places that are wonderful, sexy, and captivating.
4. Women of the Post: A Novel: Based on a true story of African-American servicewomen during World War II, it is a shame that it took decades for these women to be recognized.
5. Leslie F*cking Jones: Jones is brutally honest about her life and career while dropping a few f-bombs along the way. It is brilliant, honest, and a must-read.
6. The Last Lifeboat: A harrowing tale of surviving a sinking ship during World War II, it held me until the final page.
7. Code Name Edelweiss: Set in Los Angeles in the 1930s, a recently widowed mother takes a job spying on a growing pro-Nazi movement in the city.
8. Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism: Rachel Maddow’s latest non-fiction book is both a political thriller and a warning about what could happen when democracy is pushed aside.
9. Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America: Author Heather Cox Richardson travels through different periods in American history. In each era, she speaks of the politics of that time and how they still reverberate today.
10. Spare: Prince Harry’s tales of growing up in the House of Windsor are less like a fairy tale and more like a soap opera set in a gilded cage. Not exactly a ringing endorsement of this particular lifestyle.

This will be my last post of 2023. See you next year.

Best Movies of 2023

1. Barbie: Barbie is part life lesson and part feminist tale. Narrated by Helen Mirren and acted to perfection by Margot Robbie, it is a reminder of why this doll continues to attract new generations of fans.
2. Maestro: This biopic tells the story of Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) and Felicia Montealegre Cooper (Carey Mulligan). Written, directed, and starring Cooper in the title role, this movie is the story of a marriage that is both loving and complicated.
3. Golda: Helen Mirren plays the late Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir. As the Yom Kippur War rages on, she must deal with both internal and external pressure.
4. Rustin: Bayard Rustin (Colman Domingo) was instrumental in making the March on Washington a reality. But he was also gay and distrusted by his colleagues because of his sexuality.
5. Fair Play: Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) are newly engaged. After she is promoted at the financial firm they both work at, their relationship unravels unexpectedly and painfully.
6. Priscilla: Priscilla Presley (Cailee Spaeny) meets her future husband, Elvis Presley (Jacob Elordi) when she is just fourteen. Director Sofia Coppola reveals the many imperfections in the supposed fairy tale marriage of the Presleys.
7. You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah: Stacey Friedman (Sunny Sandler) is about to become a bat mitzvah. But before that day comes, she goes on a coming-of-age rollercoaster that anyone can relate to.
8. Ordinary Men: The Forgotten Holocaust: This documentary reveals that many of those who participated in the Holocaust were not mythical monsters. They were average men who became murderers.
9. Quiz Lady: Estranged sisters Anne (Awkwafina) and Jenny (Sandra Oh) must work together to pay off their mother’s debts. The solution is for Anne to compete on a Jeopardy-like game show and win the prize money.
10. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret: This screen adaptation of Judy Blume’s classic YA novel follows Margaret Simon (Abby Ryder Fortson) as she leaves NYC for the suburbs and wishes for puberty to come.

Thoughts On NYE 2024

New Year’s Eve is a time to reflect on the year that is about to end and think about what the next year may bring.

With this time of year comes the annual New Year’s resolution. Many people stick to the standard promises of losing weight, quitting or limiting drinking and/or smoking, tightening up their finances, etc.

I’m not one to make resolutions on New Year’s Eve. I’m likely to break them by the time January 2nd comes around.

The only thing I can do is to do my best, prioritize the work that is needed, and hope that the visions in my mind become a reality.

Wherever you are tonight and whatever you are doing, have a happy New Year. Here’s to 2024.

Watching Childhood Cartoons Makes Me Feel Nostalgic

Daily writing prompt

What makes you feel nostalgic?

View all responses

As an old millennial, watching old cartoons from the 1980s makes me feel nostalgic for a much simpler time.

Spoiler: The only show that is missing from this list is She-Ra and the Princesses of Power