I’m linking up with the lovely Leigh Kramer to share what I’m into in July.
television (and movies?) worth watching
I am really not qualified to comment on what’s on tv, but we did finally finish all seven seasons of Gilmore Girls. All in all, I loved the series. (Since you asked: the finale didn’t blow me away, but I was happy with the resolution of the main plot lines.)
We started watching Gilmore Girls about the same time I started reading Brené Brown, and that made for a fascinating (and frustrating) combination. Brené champions vulnerability, and the Gilmore Girls’ plot lines are driven forward by characters not saying how they really feel.
What’s up next? I’m so interested in Parenthood or Bunheads (for the Lauren Graham and Amy Sherman-Palladino connections), old favorites like Felicity and Veronica Mars, or new-to-me shows like The Americans and The Mindy Project. But a whole television series is a commitment, so instead of diving into a new series I immediately canceled Netflix.
(But I would love to find a great show or a few good movies to watch on vacation next month, that would appeal to my husband and me, my quirky brother, and my parents. What would you recommend? Hit me.)
I haven’t seen a movie (in or out of the theater) since Les Mis, but I’m planning on watching this one when it hits the theater. I didn’t like the book, but I love Keri Russell:
currently geeking out on
Deliberate practice. I’ve read five books on the subject in July and will share some thoughts with you soon.
on my nightstand
I’ve been reading ridiculous amounts of fiction, but I don’t need to tell you about that here: check out the sidebar and the twitterature link-up.
I also reviewed two chick lit picks over on Life as Mom for this month’s Booking It. Head on over to read my reviews of Someday, Someday, Maybe, the new novel from Lauren Graham (I know, more Gilmore Girls!), and Attachments by Rainbow Rowell of Eleanor & Park fame.
I’m getting ready to dive into:
The Engagements: A Novel, J. Courtney Sullivan
Life After Life, Jill McCorkle (I loved chapter 1 but chapter 2 gave me the creeps. This one might end up in the abandoned pile.)
Still: Notes on a Mid-Faith Crisis, Lauren Winner
Escaping into the Open: The Art of Writing True, Elizabeth Berg
The Meaning of Marriage, Tim Keller
Best of the web
This month, I was into the royal baby watch. I loved Kate’s nod to Princess Di with her polka dots, and her thoughtfully chosen (because she pays attention to that kind of thing) bump-revealing dress.
Sarah Bessey’s reflection thanking the Duchess on behalf of every woman who has ever given birth was my favorite.
(And I’m impressed how Will and Kate managed to dupe the paparazzi and slip into the Lindo wing. That seems a promising beginning for young George.)
While we’re talking style icons, how about these 12 unforgettable style lessons from Jackie Kennedy?
I keep coming back to this one on how clutter affects you and what you can do about it. 
These 23 times Mindy Kaling perfectly captures your angst are hysterical. (#4 reminds me we’re overdue for a friendship post here.)
This time lapse video of the girl who learned to dance in a year blew me away.
These screen rules are so wise, and why I want to be Elizabeth Foss when I grow up.
I write all my blog posts out longhand, and you should too. This one’s very much in the spirit of 2k to 10k.
For more Gilmore Girls-themed fun: take the Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge. (I scored 137 out of 339.)
(I shared many of these links over on the MMD facebook page already. You can follow along by liking the page here.)
What about you? What are you into this month?
36 comments
I love Parenthood, but I somehow got sidetracked this past season. I still have a bunch of episodes on my DVR that I need to watch!
Aw… I’ve seen the Di/Charles/William and Kate/William/George pics before, but I totally missed that Di’s “part-times” (a phrase my sister-in-law introduced into our family some 25 years ago = knee highs) are totally showing in that picture. Bless her heart… glad Kate just went without! 🙂 And glad to know I’m not the only one that was completely glued to the Royal Baby Watch! 😉
“part-times”–love it. 🙂
I love Bunheads! But I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it because ABC Family cancelled after the first season.
I saw that. On the plus side, at least that means if I watch it, I won’t be tied to my tv for the next six months like I was for Gilmore Girls. 🙂
Best part of the GG finale – SPOILER HERE – was Luke sewing all the tarps together. It captured everything about his character and his relationship with Lorelei and Rory for the entire series. And on the Rory Gilmore challenge, I scored 34; if it hadn’t been for all the Jane Austen novels I’d have really been sunk.
I like what you have to say about Luke there.
Thanks for highlighting that moment. It’s one of my favorites in the series.
Solidarity, Sister!
I’ll never get tired of Gilmore Girls, crazy outfits and dated pop culture references included. I’ll second Parenthood but I have to take the opportunity to push 2 of the best shows out there: Friday Night Lights and Parks and Recreation. As soon as you uncancel Netflix, add those to your queue. I’m not even afraid to be bossy about it 🙂
A great big YES to Friday Night Lights! We watched that last year and LOVED it.
Funny thing: Parks and Recreation was in my first draft, but my list of thinking-of-watching tv was getting too long so I cut a couple. 🙂 So it’s one of the best ones out there, huh? Noted. 🙂
I’ve only seen a little bit of Gilmore Girls! I feel like I need a girls’ weekend with my little sister to watch some of it now! We’ve watched some Suits lately, and we really liked it. Loved the royal baby pics and Kate’s dress choice as well. Deliberate practice sounds fascinating.
Can I just say….you are a rock star!! I have been following your blog for a very short time and I absolutely love it! I can’t wait to see the notification of a new post in my email or on FB. I INSTANTLY drop whatever I am doing and spend a few moments thoroughly enjoying whatever it is you have written. Plus, I love all the links! Keep up the good work!
Can I just say….you are so sweet! Thanks so much for the kind words. 🙂
I’ve got it! Watch the first two seasons of “Sherlock”, the BBC version with Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock and Martin Freeman as Watson. I dragged my feet about watching it, because I thought it was going to be stodgy. I was wrong! It is modern, funny, quirky, and really smart. I’m not even a mystery fan, but it really charmed me. It is parent-friendly, but the humor and style make it very young, too. And there are only a few episodes per season–I think five–so it’s not a huge time commitment. (Although each episode is long.) The actors do a GREAT job, and the big bad guy, Moriarty, is SO SCARY! I highly recommend it for multi-generational viewing.
The other BBC show I recommend for you is “Call the Midwives”. Again, the seasons are short, so you can either watch it all at once quickly or take your time and savor it. It’s set in the 60s, so the costumes are fun, and it’s about a young midwife who turns up for her first day at her first hospital job…and finds out it’s not a hospital, it’s a convent. She and some other young midwives live with the nuns, and they all bike around London, delivering sweet little babies and dealing with things like kidnappings, violence, falling in love, prostitution, and bigotry. And the nuns are sassy, which is obviously the best kind of nun. Again, you could watch this with your parents or brother. And I love that the babies are really newborns, so every episode, there’s a moment where you just melt.
That’s so good to know about Sherlock! Thanks for the recommendation: that sounds like it might be a good series for our trip. (I’m confident my mom, at least, would like it.)
And I can’t believe Call the Midwives didn’t make my list! I’ve had that one in mind for ages, I think ever since Downton season 3 ended. Thanks for the reminder. 🙂
I second Dee’s vote for Sherlock. I am obsessed with that show. I let the kids (ages 13, 11, and 9) watch it with me–for the most part, it’s pretty clean. There is really only one episode (A Scandal in Belgravia) where I worried (I had seen them before), but much of the adult themes went over their heads. There are a total of six episodes (three per season), and each episode is about 90 minutes, so it’s really like six mini-movies. The suspense is so great. I have the first season on DVD, and I just may bring it along for our extended-family vacation next week.
I only scored 70. Must.Keep.Reading 🙂 Thank goodness for Jane Austen, Shakespeare & Stephen King.
I love Parenthood.
I love Gilmore Girls so much. And Lauren Graham has a book out? I NEED it!
Parenthood is a good show. It’s an emotional roller coaster. There’s not a single episode where I didn’t laugh and cry
Oh how I love Gilmore Girls. And Parenthood. And Bunheads. Bunheads isn’t much of a commitment because it’s only one season. My husband and I really liked Foyle’s War which is mysteries set in World War II England and dealing mostly with issues on the homefront like espionage and rationing. I know what you mean, though, about not wanting another series. Sometimes I hate that when we get into a series it becomes our default evening. Finish chores. Watch show. Go to bed. Ugh. And I’m a huge royal family fan so I was so excited about the baby. I’m interested in the intentional practice. I recently bought a College Algebra book and am working through trying to take time to do some concrete math practice which is bizarre because I’m so not a math person. But I felt for some reason that I needed to practice something concrete like that. Any best book to start with in regards to intentional practice?
I haven’t watched Gilmore Girls in years. I liked it when it was on originally, but I am afraid I will be disappointed if I try to rewatch it. So I leave it unwatched, which might be a stupid choice.
I totally know what you mean about Gilmore Girls and the vulnerability thing. I’ve been watching Gilmore Girls since it was originally airing and it will always be one of my favorite shows, but after studying family/relationships/personal growth, etc. in a graduate school full of therapists, as I watch through the series again many things I never noticed before stand out like red flags!
One of my recent favorites? “Call the Midwives.” The shorter seasons means it doesn’t take over (but it leaves me wanting more!).
You should definitely watch Parenthood. It’s great!
I took the Rory Gillmore test and scored 49. So embarrassed. And I call myself a bookworm…guess I have more reading to do 🙂
Love all your links! You’re actually one of my most favorite blogs ever. I think we’d be BFF’s in real life!
I loved the link to the Jackie O photos. She knew how to do fashion so beautifully. She’s right up there with Audrey Hepburn. Now, if only today’s women would realize that workout wear isn’t meant to go everywhere! I love my running pants in the cool weather as much as the next person, but I’m starting to grow really tired of seeing so many panty lines through yoga pants/lycra pants/capris on women. Surely there must be another option!
The Rory Gilmore reading list is something I’ve turned to for so many years. I was a huge fan of The Gilmore Girls!
Yay for finishing Gilmore Girls! Love that show so much, though I agree the finale was underwhelming. But in a mostly satisfying way. I completely forgot that Lauren Graham wrote a book! I’m curious about your thoughts. Life After Life- that’s the one you heard about on a podcast and told me to read, right? Should I not?
I love Keri Russell, too! Ever since Felicity I have been totally entranced by this young woman. She is talented and beautiful, of course, but she is also a happy wife and mother and a wonderful role model for young people…unlike so many other celebrities today. Can’t wait to see this newest movie!!!
I’m watching GIlmore Girls as I type (recently started over again with season 1). Such a neat connection that you made between Brene Brown’s work on vulnerability and these characters.
Looking forward to checking out all these links…thanks for sharing!
I’m re-watching seasons 4 & 5 of Gilmore Girls with my sister right now! I just love seeing Luke and Lorelai finally get together and start navigating a real relationship. 🙂
Looking forward to checking out Someday, Someday Maybe as well.
I loved Austenland in all it’s cheesy, fan-fiction glory and can’t wait for the movie.
love the list <3
I always secretly wanted Rory to end up with Jess at the end. 🙂 Ahh Jess. So broody. So dreamy. I will love you forever.
I thought it might happen for a few episodes! I did love what they did with his character when they brought him back in season 6.
Loved that youtube video. I loved Bunheads and Parenthood, but Parenthood got into some themes I didn’t like and I stopped watching it. Bunheads looked to be heading in that direction, too, so I’m glad it was cancelled before I got disappointed.
Fun family movie? Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life (from Netflix).
Wonderful finds here as always! I’m also reading Lauren Graham’s book, and I LOVE it! (I wish I’d had it to read for comfort and inspiration when I lived in NYC myself). The movie Austenland looks fantastic! 🙂 I really loved Bunheads (I’m a big fan of Sutton Foster, being a musical theatre gal myself.), it was sad when they cancelled it. (One of the last episodes has Sutton’s brother Hunter Foster guest starring on the show as her brother. They sing a sweet duet that I loved). Can’t wait to hear what you think about Lauren Winner’s Still. (I LOVED it). Haven’t read Berg’s Escape Into The Open – its been on my reading list for awhile – heard good things about it. Also enjoyed your post on books about deliberate practice! 🙂
you always have the BEST shares!! thanks! good stuff for me to check out/read tonight! =)
Long time listener, first time caller. 🙂 Fellow Austenland Movie waiter right here! *waves hand* I cannot wait to see Keri Russell in this role – I’ve been a fan since Felicity. I loved reading your What I’m Into post! This is my first month to link up with my blog, but I can’t wait to do it again next month. Adored your summer reading list, btw!
Hi Ginger! Welcome to the comments section, and thanks for the kind words. 🙂