Stir crazy

Hello! I am in a snit because I've been stuck in the house all of a three-day weekend, thanks to a weird cold-type thing in which the main symptom is that I sound like Harvey Fierstein. I have watched all of the things and read all of the things and run my phone battery down playing mindless games. I hope you have had a more enjoyable and externally focused weekend.

📖 This Must Be the Place
A novel by the author of Hamnet, this is a beautiful read that plunks you right down in the middle of most every scene. You can practically feel the wind and fog on your skin. If it bounces between characters in different eras a little too much in the beginning, it flows easier the further you read. About a fourth of the way in, I went onto Goodreads to mark every one of her books as To Read. Jeez, this woman can write.

🎥 Citizen Ruth (Kanopy, Pluto)
I will watch anything starring Laura Dern, so I'm not sure how I missed this little gem from 1996. She is perfection in the story of a trashy broad who becomes a pawn in the abortion wars. It hits very different in 2026 and overplays its hand at times, but overall a fun watch. No one on the planet has an emotional breakdown like Laura Dern.

📺 Widow's Bay (Apple TV)
Turns out there's a reason everyone is talking about this show. Besides Matthew Rhys, who I will watch read the phone book. It's a hilarious, unique take on 'something's amiss in this town.' And Stephen Root is in it, so what more do you need to know?

I also recommend the new season of Drag Race All Stars, which is quite excellent, the new season of America's Sweethearts, which is addictive, and Tremé if you didn't get around to it the first time. One day, I will touch grass again.

xoxo,
Carla