I was very excited about the return of The Crown this week, and I already watched the first four episodes of the final season. The last six episodes come out on December 14, and then it will be over and I’ll be very sad. It’s one of my favorite shows of all time, and I love rewatching it again and again when I want comfort TV. The Margaret Thatcher Ibble Dibble scene from Season 4 is perfection in and of itself.
But there were other things to watch, read, and listen to this week that I also found entertaining, so let’s get to it.
All the Light We Cannot See on Netflix. The book is beautiful. I mean, it won a Pulitzer Prize. It took almost ten years to turn this story of a blind French girl and a young German soldier into this four part series. It’s visually quite stunning. The acting is a bit over the top, but it’s pretty much what one would expect from a WWII drama full of Nazis. Plus I love Hugh Laurie (thankfully not a Nazi, but part of the French Resistance).
My Name is Barbra by DUH! Barbra Streisand wrote a book, and I think I need to talk about it for several weeks, because this baby is a doorstop. It’s 970 pages or 48 hours of listening pleasure. I checked out both the ebook and the audiobook from the library. I don’t normally listen to audiobooks, but this one is worth it. As my friend Leigh said, “She reads it just to me! Sublime!” And Leigh was spot on. Barbra sounds just like she’s talking to you, you know. And the level of detail. Oy! It’s impressive. Some reviews have said the detail is boring and shows how egotistical she is, but it’s Barbra and I am here for every description of her Brooklyn lunches, the buckles on her shoes, and the application of her black eyeliner. And she hasn’t even turned 20 yet. More to come!
What Adidas Knew About Kanye from The Daily podcast. Megan Twohey is an investigative reporter with the New York Times, and she digs deep into the implosion of the Adidas/Kanye West multibillion-dollar partnership. This 45 minute listen zoomed by, because Megan did some very thorough research, but also because she’s got an incredibly pleasing top notch podcast voice.
Bernie Taupin: The Storyteller on the Literally! With Rob Lowe podcast. I’ve already listened to Bernie on Marc Maron’s podcast, and he was a wonderful interview subject. He had great stories about writing songs with Elton, but he’s had a very interesting life away from Elton as well. I almost didn’t listen to this interview, because I thought it would be repetitive, but Bernie was just as delightful and had a slough of other charming stories. He’s a wonderful conversationalist, and I would totally listen to a podcast if he wanted one of his own. I can’t wait to read his book.
Here’s yet another installment in my effort to revisit songs or bands from the ‘80s that I ignored, didn’t know existed, or forgot about until just recently.
This week I enjoyed listening to “Don’t Leave Me This Way” by The Communards, a British synth-pop duo formed in 1985. Lead singer Jimmy Somerville had just left Bronski Beat after a falling out with the band. The Communard’s “Don’t Leave Me This Way” cover features Somerville’s awesome and very distinctive falsetto. Amazing cover, and so typically ‘80s to have the video to an upbeat banging dance tune filled with black trench coats, a dark underground dance club, informants, and intrigue.
Wishing everyone a very happy Thanksgiving week. Wear the stretchy pants!