Kimberlee K.

Oh hi!

The last two months have turned me into Pac-man, racing around chomping down books, movies, and music like they are the very fuel keeping me going and I’m so happy to share them with you!

Here’s what we’ve got:

Podcasts

Obsessed with Brooke Averick (pop culture) I am an avid listener of Brooke & Connor Make a Podcast, so I was thrilled to have more of Brooke in my ears each week. Each episode breaks down an obsession, either one of her own, or one that a guest brings to the table, and is blessed with her trademark humor and unabashed love to love things.

Friday Candy (lifestyle) ICYMI: the girls trip I went on back in January was with the co-host of this cozy new podcast, Ashlyn Sailsbury. Each episode she and her husband dive into a specific topic (like living abroad, becoming parents, etc.) sharing stories of their own experiences and those written in by listeners. They also share their weekly “joy reports” which is a handful of things that brought them joy each week. It’s like a Friday hug.

Bone Valley (true crime) It has been a while since I’ve dove headfirst into a crime podcast, but this one GOT ME. It follows author Gilbert King as he investigates a murder from the 1980’s that is brought to his attention by a judge that believes the jury got the verdict wrong. It’s a wild ride.

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Books

The Little Liar by Mitch Albom (historical fiction) follows the story of four people in World War II Europe and the ways in which their lives intertwine. I love pretty much everything Mitch Albom puts out and this is no exception. It is fast paced and written with so much heart. I marveled at the way the tiniest pieces fit together and I never left the edge of my seat!

Good Material by Dolly Alderton (fiction) follows middle aged Andy after his girlfriend Jenn unexpectedly and inexplicably breaks up with him. I am a huge fan of Dolly Alderton’s books and thought this stuck to her trademark humor and exploration of human vulnerability. I was rooting for Andy, rooting for everyone, and found familiarity in finding yourself in a rut you didn’t expect to be in.

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer (Christian nonfiction) constantly turned me into that gritted teeth emoji, as chapter after chapter made me feel called out (in a good way). It offers four main strategies to eliminate hurry: silence, solitude, stillness, and simplicity, all of which ask us to simply slow down. I listened to the audiobook but will definitely be picking up a hard copy to reread and highlight the heck out of.

The Age of Magical Overthinking by Amanda Montell (Psychology, nonfiction) explores 11 cognitive biases in the modern world, and asks you to take a step back and ask the very necessary question of why? Why do I think like this? Why do I always assume ____? It is rife with addicting information that lets you hold your life at an arm’s length before diving in deep for dissection. I loved it.

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TV Shows

American Manhunt is a three-part documentary series about how the Boston Marathon bombers were identified and caught. It is an incredible feat of reporting and effort by law enforcement, told with care by police officers, detectives, FBI agents, survivors, as well as those connected to the tragedy and the bombers in unexpected ways. (find it on Netflix)

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Movies

All of Us Strangers (romance, fantasy) stars Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott, a powerhouse combination that delivers an emotional story about a man writing about the death of his parents, who meets and starts a relationship with his neighbor. (find it on HBO Max)

My All American (sports, Christian) follows the story of college athlete Freddie Steinmark and wowwww what a story, what a guy! I don’t want to say much because I don’t want to spoil anything but, I would advise a tissue (or two) perhaps. (find it on Netflix)

Greater (biography, sports) tells the story of Brandon Burlsworth, a walk on at the University of Arkansas who went on to become an All American. Another incredible story of faith, football, and perseverance. (find it on Netflix)

Stronger (biography, drama)tells the story of Jeff Bauman, double amputee and survivor of the Boston marathon bombing. I watched this after finishing American Manhunt and was again overwhelmed by the magnitude of the event and the ways in which it changed so many lives. It follows Jeff’s journey after the bombing and the unexpected “hero” role thrust upon him.

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Music

Eternal Sunshine by Ariana Grande

The Afterparty Deluxe by Russell Dickerson

Deeper Well by Kacey Musgraves

Fireworks & Rollerblades by Benson Boone

TORI by Tory Kelly

Don’t Forget Me by Maggie Rogers

The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology by Taylor Swift

Older by Lizzy McAlpine

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Newsletters & Devotionals

A few friends and I went through The Daily Guide to a Joy Filled Life by Tommy Newberry, texting each other each day with thoughts on the reading and corresponding exercise. It was such a great way to focus in on the joy to be found in each day, and to confront the things in our lives that are, as the book describes, “joy reducing.”

For my fellow writers out there, I’d highly recommend For Dear Life with Maggie Smith, a Substack full of inspiration and writing advice, not to mention honest chats about how hard it is to write and to get your thoughts organized on paper.

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Misc

Now, to round out the bunch, I’ve got two word games for you!

Strands is the latest game by the New York Times. It’s a cross between a word search and a crossword puzzle and offers a good challenge, especially as you get the hang of it. (find it here)

Semantle took me a while to understand but has increasingly become my favorite brain game. Each puzzle has a word you are trying to guess, and in order to figure it out, you need to guess other words to see how close they relate to the answer semantically. For example, skyscraper and building are close to the same thing, but not quite. So if the answer was skyscraper, guessing things like building, structure, New York, tower, etc. might all return higher percentages of similarity, while words like phone, laugh, blue, and echo, would return very low scores of similarity. It definitely takes a little while to get the hang of it, but I love the challenge! (find it here)

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Have anything you’ve been loving over these last couple months? Let me know!

See my previous favorites post here.