I’m a big lover of art, and am constantly consuming media — whether it’s movies, books, or concerts so I thought I’d put together some of my favorite things I’ve watched and read lately. Since it’s the end of the year… I actually read 35 books this year (thank you Libby), saw 33 movies (thank you AMC A-List!), and went to 40 concerts. Phew! Let’s just say I like to be entertained.

FYI If you sign up for a library card at your local library you can get eBooks and audiobooks for free on Libby. It’s a huge help, or you can easily buy books used on apps like Pango Books, eBay, Thrift Books, or Amazon used books.

What I Watched

• Nosferatu: Horror is one of my favorite genres, and this one did not dissapoint. Everything is absolutely stunning — the cinematography, the costumes, the set. And the acting is superb. Bill Skarsgård is literally unrecognizable as Count Orlock, and actually kind of terrifying. 10/10.
• A Complete Unknown: I wasn’t sure what to expect with this movie, but it was actually such an interesting story about Bob Dylans origin. I liked how it wasn’t just about Bob Dylan, and incorporated lots of other musicians stories into it as well like Johnny Cash and Pete Seeger. After a while it was really crazy how at the beginning of the movie it felt like “that’s Timothée Chalamet” and then over time he really transformed into Bob Dylan and looked just like him.
• Nightbitch: So this was a movie based on a book that came out a few years ago and I only got about 1/3 of the way through before giving up on it, so I had no idea what to expect from this movie. I ended up loving it because it was so bold and edgy on how women are treated as mothers. It really puts a spotlight on how women have to sacrifice their life goals and ambitions just to ensure the well being of her kids.
• Queer: I’m a big Luca Guadagnino fan so I couldn’t miss this movie. It’s beautifully shot, and. based on the semi-autobiographical novella by William S. Burroughs. It follows an American expatriate wandering around Mexico City in the 1950’s, being addicted to drugs and alcohol, falling in love, and a crazy ayahuasca trip. It ended up being so surrealist and trippy, and full of metaphors to unpack and analyze. This is one where it had so much to think about that I can’t wait for it to stream and rewatch it to really unpack everything that happened. Also Jason Schwartzman really stole the show even though he was only in the movie for a few minutes. Oh, and the soundtrack is amazing.

What I Read

• The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop: If you’re a Gilmore Girls fan this one is a must. I loved learning about Kelly Bishop’s life, and she is such a boss. It’s not super heavy on the Gilmore Girls lore but definitely worth the read. I actually listened to the audio version which was narrated by here and amazing. Her views and thoughts are inspiring, and she is a true icon with an incredible story. What a woman.
• Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K Reilly: This novel follows siblings –a brother and sister– in New Zealand and goes back and forth between their perspectives. It follows their struggles follows as they navigate queerness, multiracial (M?ori-Russian-Catalonian) identity, and the dramas of their big extended family as they try to find themselves and their happiness. This is one of those no plot, just vibes kind of books. This one was okay for me, I enjoyed it but got a little bored at times.
• I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself by Glynnis MacNicol: This is one of the rare non-fiction books I’ve read this year and I really loved it. It follows her life during the early days of the pandemic in Paris and is really a story that celebrates the simple things in life like friendships, good food, and pleasure. I loved it and would totally read it again. It kinda of feels like a modern A Moveable Feast to me. Just a little love letter to Paris.
• The Most by Jessica Anthony: This is one of the shortest books I’ve read this year. It’s about a 1950s American housewife who goes for a swim in her apartment complex’s swimming pool one morning and won’t come out. The whole book takes place in about a day and is about a marriage at its breakpoint. I didn’t love this one as much as I expected to, but it was a super quick read.
• My Husband by Maud Ventura: In this story a French wife is obsessed with her husband to an insane degree. It’s actually so funny how crazy she gets, and makes this novel suspenseful and darkly funny. She basically spends her life obsessing over her husband and is desperate to be a perfect wife for him. It was surprisingly entertaining, and the ending has a fun twist that made me laugh.

That’s everything for December! It was actually a packed month as far as books go. I really wanted to hit that Goodreads goal, hah! Have any books you love? Drop them in the comments or DM me on Instagram.

xx Erika

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I’m starting a new column to share some of my favorite older movies! First off is But I’m a Cheerleader  It’s about a high school cheerleader whose parents send her to a conversion therapy camp to “cure her lesbianism.”  Besides being hilarious and ridiculous, the set on this movie is amazing. I mean, the bathroom wall is made of daisies. It’s this magical mix of colorful Barbie suburbia and so over the top. Such a colorful movie! Did I mention Natasha Lyonne and Rupaul are in it? It’s currently streaming on Amazon Prime if you want to watch!

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How cool are these graphic socks? Such a good gift idea!

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I recently came across the band DOPE LEMON from Australia. They’re kind of like The Mama’s & the Papas meets The Doors, check out their video below!

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Amy Winehouse is one of the most inspiring artists to me. New photos were released of her pre-Frank. These and more will be part of this book. They’re so tragically beautiful. Love Amy forever.

Photo credit: Charles Moriarty

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