How it’s going -
Welcome to the 25th edition of Sunday Spiel, a pseudo journal to document what I’m reading, watching, creating, and over-organizing. Feel free to share with friends. Let’s get into it:
📚 What I’m reading
“When the Nines Roll Over & Other Stories” by David Benioff.
David Benioff, the writer/producer of Game of Thrones and The 3 Body Problem, delivers a brilliant collection of eight short stories. I discussed Benioff’s hit book City of Thieves in my Top 10 Books I Read in 2023 post, and it still stands as one of my favorite fiction books. With how much I liked his writing style and my recent interest in short-form fiction, I had to pick up When the Nines Roll Over and Other Stories.
The short stories cover vastly different topics with intriguing main characters - a young Russian soldier fighting rebels in Chechnya, a man building a bunker for the impending apocalypse, a Hollywood waitress who dreams of becoming an actress, and even a punk rock band in Brooklyn. The stories center around young characters on the cusp of life-changing moments, grappling with love, loss, rebellion, and self-discovery. Benioff uses humor and vivid characters to explore the emotional complexities of youth, showcasing the transformative power of a single event and the way in which joy and sorrow can be intertwined.
Favorite Quote: “There are a few moments in your life when you are truly and completely happy, and you remember to give thanks. Even as it happens you are nostalgic for the moment, you are tucking it away in your scrapbook.”
Ratings: 3.8/5 Goodreads
📺 What I’m watching
One of my favorite shows of the last few years, Hacks' season 3 delivers the show's best outing yet. A year after their dramatic split, comedians Deborah and Ava reunite, with both facing new challenges in their careers and personal lives. The show masterfully balances humor with profound character growth, solidifying the brilliance of Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder's dynamic duo. Leveraging this talented cast, the show effortlessly reinvents itself every season, and I hope we get one more.
Only a handful of shows have consistently made me laugh out loud while watching, and Hacks easily makes that top five. If you have not seen the show or caught up on season 3, put it at the top of your watchlist.
Ratings: 99% Rotten Tomatoes, 8.2/10 IMDb
Movies I’ve Watched Recently:
The best I saw in the last month was American Fiction, which was equal parts hilarious and intelligent. Check out the trailer here.
Napoleon sucked, two cool battle scenes and the rest was tough to watch. Why did they go with Joaquin Phoenix with an American accent and a French army with British accents?
State of Play was a fun, short political thriller with Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, and Russell Crowe, but the plot was a little too predictable for my taste.
💰 Things I’m purchasing
I recently bought the C6 Crowley Record Player - it’s a simple setup, costs $200, and connects to any speaker you want via bluetooth.
At first, I wasn’t convinced of the superior audio quality of vinyl until I heard a certain song that sounded entirely different and significantly better through a record. Those songs for me were on the Texas Moon album by Khruangbin and Leon Bridges. The record sounded like a small concert often does - a singer’s incredible voice reverberating off the walls of the room, truly sounding like they’re right next to you singing.
I can’t say it’s a good or smart purchase for everyone but wanted to share my experience. I’ve had a lot of fun buying records and trying to become slightly more analog with one part of my day in an overwhelmingly digital world.
🎙What I’m listening to
I Don’t Want to Know by Fleetwood Mac. My new favorite song off of their Rumours album, and one that has been on repeat for my significant other (TT) the last month. She broke a new record yesterday playing it 11 times in a row, and I still enjoy it somehow.
Hovvdy by Hovvdy. In their self-titled album, the band blends a weird mix of indie rock and country that is both charming and nostalgic. I loved a majority of this album, but my favorite songs were Bubba and Make Ya Proud.
Have a fantastic week, all. Stay goofy.
Charlie
Honored to be mentioned, happy 25th edition - so proud of you! So well written!