☀️ Summer '23

A round-up of recommendations from Summer 2023.

Hey friend,

Happy first few days of Fall 🍁. With the changing of the season comes a fresh set of recommendations.

Below you’ll find the compilation of recommendations from the summer of 2023. This list reflects the books, essays, podcasts, shows, videos, and experiences that made a positive impact on me and others subscribed to The Pause over the past three months (a big thank you to those of you who shared your favorite recs with me).

A reminder about formatting before we jump in…

1. Each recommendation will have a brief description and link to access it.

2. If a recommendation has a “*” next to it, it means it has been recommended before or was recommended twice this time around.

You can revisit the past year’s recommendations below:

• 🌸 Spring 2023 Recommendations (here)

• ❄️ Winter 2022-2023 Recommendations (here)

• 🍁 Fall 2022 Recommendations (here)

Have fun browsing and enjoy whatever jumps out at you. 🥂

~ L

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🎧 Listening Recommendations

Podcasts

Abby Wambach: Will I Ever Truly Be Loved? | We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle

This is the first episode of a three-episode deep dive into Abby’s life. I live for the love and safety that exists between Glennon, Amanda, and Abby throughout all three episodes. Raw. Introspective. Honest. Cathartic. Part 2: Abby for the 1st Time on Divorce & Her Unrequited Love, Part 3: Abby’s Christmas Miracle: When All the Heartbreak Made Sense

Atomic Parenting Habits | Good Inside with Dr. Becky

The Atomic Habits x Good Inside crossover I never knew I needed. Thirty minutes of insightful reminders about how to create meaningful parenting habits.

You 2.0: Slow Down! | Hidden Brain

Listen here
This podcast was like a sip of cold water on a hot day. A deep dive into the many benefits of savoring with insights about how to turn even the smallest moments into opportunities for pleasure.

The 5-minute daily playtime ritual that can get your kids to listen better | Life Kit

Child-directed interaction for the win. This is a great reminder of the relentless flood of demands and commands kids have to deal with on the regular and how we as parents can help them feel more autonomy.

Music

*RENAISSANCE | Beyoncé

Listen, this album has been out for well over a year and it’s still the go-to. The only words I can try to muster about her impact—this album, her tour, her ENERGY—are I’m grateful to be alive at the same time as her. She is a gift. Her art is a gift. Genius. (HEATED always and forever ❤️‍🔥)

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📖 Reading Recommendations

Books

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood | Trevor Noah

https://www.amazon.com/Born-Crime-Stories-African-Childhood
This book is a few years old, but I just picked it up and, subsequently, couldn’t put it down. Noah is a master at telling stories from his life that are prolific and relatable in a casual and funny tone. Thoroughly enjoyed the ride and getting a window into his mind.

Outrage Machine: How Tech Amplifies Discontent, Disrupts Democracy—And What We Can Do About It | Tobias Rose-Stockwell

https://www.outragemachine.org/
Per the website: A book about how the internet has broken our brains, and what we can do to fix it. Rose-Stockwell does an excellent job of putting into words all the intricacies that have gone into creating our current online environment. Part tech history, part social psychology. I appreciated how clearly he outlined the creation and evolution of social media with a healthy mix of data, research, and personal anecdotes.

Untamed | Glennon Doyle

https://untamedbook.com/
This is my second time reading Untamed and it still hits the spot. Every essay felt like a re-revelation and a call to tap into the more honest and heart-centered parts of myself. Highly, highly recommend/re-recommend.

Driven to Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood through Adulthood | Edward M. Hallowell, M.D. and John J Ratey, M.D.

https://penguinrandomhouse/driven-to-distraction
This book was recommended as an incredible resource with very helpful tools, especially for women diagnosed with ADHD later in life. Per the website: Through vivid stories and case histories of patients—both adults and children—Hallowell and Ratey explore the varied forms ADHD takes, from hyperactivity to daydreaming. They dispel common myths, offer helpful coping tools, and give a thorough accounting of all treatment options as well as tips for dealing with a diagnosed child, partner, or family member. But most importantly, they focus on the positives that can come with this “disorder”—including high energy, intuitiveness, creativity, and enthusiasm.

Essays

The Wages of Overwork | Culture Study by Anne Helen Petersen

The Wages of Overwork

I admire and value Anne Helen Petersen’s Substack, Culture Study, too much to put into words, and this piece highlights an incredible example of why. Helen Peterson is thorough without being verbose, insightful without being pretentious, and just straight-up massively talented. Three other pieces I loved by her this past quarter: The Specific Catharsis of “That Guy” a hilarious deep-dive into a TikTok meme, Where’s My Rest Badge? a think-piece on how our devices and apps aren’t programmed to account for rest, and “American Motherhood Felt Like That: Like a Plan Devised by Men.” about why American moms feel so touched out.

Is ‘Camel-Mode’ Inevitable for Parents? | Kathryn Jezer-Morton for The Cut

https://www.thecut.com/is-camel-mode-inevitable-for-parents
I really appreciated this piece by Kathryn Jezer-Morton diving into whether all parents go into camel-mode, especially in the early days of parenthood. Per Jezer-Morton: I call it “camel mode” because when you’re caring for young children and giving yourself over to their needs, you are crossing a metaphysical desert of the self, without water, like a camel. “Water” is your sense of personal sovereignty — it lives inside you somewhere (in your … humps), but after you become a parent, it recedes from view and soon from mind.

Feeling Alone in a Relationship? You’re not alone. | Esther Perel and Mary Alice Miller

https://www.estherperel.com/feeling-alone-in-a-relationship-youre-not-alone
Esther does it again. This blog outlining how many of us are feeling alone in our relationships was a healthy look-in-the-mirror piece with helpful tips on how to reconnect. Highly, highly recommend. Loneliness isn’t new, but it’s also no longer just about being socially isolated. Over the last decade, we’ve experienced a new type of loneliness—the loss of connection, trust, and capital while we are next to the person with whom we’re not supposed to be lonely.

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📺 Viewing Recommendations

YouTube

The single most important parenting strategy | TED

This video. I’m convinced everyone in the world would benefit from watching it, even if they aren’t a parent. The way Dr. Becky explains parenting and relating to children just makes sense. Also, the exercise she takes people through towards the end of this video is worth the watch alone. Grateful she exists.

Back on 74 | Jungle

God dammit, I love these Jungle videos so much. SO MUCH. I haven’t felt my body light up from pure dance genius in a long time and this, along with the rest of their one-shot dance videos, did the trick. A joy to enjoy.

How a fruit expert picks the ripest fruit | Bon Appétit

OK, kind-of weird recommendation, but also, SO HELPFUL. I’ve watched it multiple times and my fruit-picking game has never felt so fierce.

Therapist Breaks Down Couples Fighting in Movies & TV | GQ

This therapist drops relationship tools like hot breadcrumbs throughout this video. Greatly appreciated her analysis, style, insights, humor—everything.

11 Minutes of Comedians on Periods | Netflix

LOL. Just lol. This is my secret period indulgence every month. It makes me laugh and feel less PMS’y. The whole thing, but especially Michelle Wolf’s first couple of minutes talking about what periods should actually be called, 💀.

Streaming

Platonic, Apple TV+

https://tv.apple.com/us/show/platonic/
I really loved this show. Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne’s friendship chemistry is everything, and it was delightfully refreshing to see a male/female friendship that never turned into a romantic love story explored. A comedy with depth.

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✨ Experience Recommendations

Apps

Floret

https://apps.apple.com/floret
I really love this app. Part check-in journal, part calendar, part to-do list, part gratitude journal, part photo album, I love the way this app encapsulates a full day in my life.

NYT Cooking

https://apps.apple.com/nyt-cooking
Closing out with this gem. This app is my new obsession. If you enjoy cooking to any degree, you will enjoy this app. The UI is well thought out and the recipes kick most home-cooked meals up a notch without being overwhelming. Our go-to summer recipes included: Skillet Meatballs with Peaches, Basil and Lime for the summer stone-fruit, Shrimp and Tomato Pasta for those beautiful Sungold tomatoes, and Puttanesca Chickpea-Tomato Salad for a delightfully delicious side dish.