Jen V’s December Recs
Well, that’s it! That’s a wrap on another year! And gosh, what a year it’s been.
On the scale of things, I know my year hasn’t been as challenging as many others (thanks Jacinda!). My goal at the start of the year was to really take Mary Oliver’s “joy is not made to be a crumb” sentiment (from her poem Don’t Hesitate) on board, and I think I’ve done that.
I feel like I’ve really embraced myself wholly this year and I’m proud of that work. And I’m so immensely proud of building this pod with Jenn D, it has really immeasurably enriched my life. So thanks Jenn, and thanks to anyone who listened to an episode over the year!
Lots of movie watching this month, which is great! I love everything about films, I’ve decided. I think if I could go back and choose a different career path, I’d choose something to do with film. I watched a random selection of trashy Netflix Christmas movies which I won’t recap because let’s face it, no one’s going to touch them for the next 11 months, but I very much enjoyed re-watching Happiest Season, Last Christmas and The Holiday for our Festivus bonus episode.
Dune was finally released here in the Antipodes, and I watched it twice. Full disclosure, I think Dune is one of the most tedious books ever written (granted I never make it more than a few chapters in, and I am not trying again) but as a piece of filmmaking it’s actually breath taking. I was keen to see it a second time because I knew I’d be less stressed and could just focus on the sheer scope of it. Lots of staring at the desert but I reckon that’s just the price you pay when something is a director’s passion project. Shout out to my bffs at Wētā Workshop for the gorgeous work they did on this one. (I’ll keep flattering them until one day they give me a job doing… something. I don’t know.)
I also saw The French Dispatch which, in typical Wes Anderson fashion, was just a whimsical delight. I’ve never been hugely into Wes Anderson but something just clicked for me watching this one – it’s not really a film as much as a piece of art, you know? It’s a vibe, I can’t really explain it.
That was all too much Timothée Chalamet, but thankfully he is not in Spiderman: No Way Home. No spoilers but when I tell you I loved this, I am saying it for a very particular reason. Someone online said it felt like watching a 250K+ word fanfiction play out in real life and, you know what, no lies detected. Here for every too long minute of it.
Happy to report that I finished the year having read 92 books, smashing my Goodreads goal of 24. That’s more books than the last four years combined and I am thrilled. Highly recommending getting into a light-hearted feud with your local library, it spurs you to great heights.
I read two Taylor Jenkins Reid books this month, Daisy Jones & The Six (surprising style, not sold on the execution) and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (similar conceit, interesting commentary). Both annoyed me because I felt I could have written them, which is entirely my own fault and actually has nothing to do with the books.
If you’re looking for a good beach/holiday read to round out the festive break I really enjoyed Casey McQuiston’s One Last Stop. A sweet lil romance with a supernatural adjacent twist, and lots of queer commentary.
Other than that, I’ve been reading some tarot books to try and deepen my understanding of it. I’m really getting into it as a way of setting my intentions for the day, and just to check in on myself, like a little therapy session. It’s a good tool! And Jenn D got me Maggie Stiefvater’s beautiful Raven’s Prophecy tarot deck for Christmas, and I’m just loving using it.
Speaking of! I actually have a podcast recommendation this month! Caroline O'Donoghue’s Sentimental Garbage is all about celebrating those “guilty pleasure” things women love that society shames us for. Highly recommend the Halloween Bonus episode all about tarot – listen here.
As for TV, I’m very, very behind on all the things I want to watch because I’ve been writing/reading like a demon. I finally finished season 3 of Sex Education and I have far, far too many feelings about Adam Groff that I did not ask for. SIGH. I worked through a delightfully weird little Australian comedy called Frayed. And now I’m about to start the new season of Queer Eye because binge watching wholesome media that requires absolutely nothing from me is where it’s at!
And for those keeping track, yes Panic! At The Disco was indeed my top artist on Spotify. Shocked Pikachu. And my top song was ‘High Hopes’ which I played a shameful 73 times apparently. I’ve been told that’s excessive, and people telling me that don’t even know that it only started in August really. Worrying.
I’m going to leave you with this playlist I’ve been working on for the last three months – it’s the music I think Ronan Lynch listens to over the course of the day (do you know how much EDM I’ve listened to? It’s a lot. And I tried really hard to only have songs released pre-2013). Don’t listen to it on shuffle, I spent hours agonising over the order so it’s a journey from waking up, through unwilling school attendance, to restlessness, to street racing, to fighting sleep and ultimately losing the battle. Because I am a normal person and that is a normal person thing to do.
Hope you’re all easing into the new year! May 2022 bring us all a lot of joy. Remember, it’s not made to be a crumb.