Sunday, July 7, 2019

What I read, watched, saw, and did in the first half of 2019

Books I finished in 2019 so far:

Books I did not finish:
  • The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson (clearly, I did not give a fuck)
  • Birds of America by Lorrie Moore (on the verge of finishing it)
Although I'm 2 books behind in my reading goal for the year, it's been a good reading year so far. I really loved the first five books I read, it's a good genre mix (3 fiction, 3 nonfiction, 1 memoir), they're geographically varied (Russia, Korea/Japan, Singapore/China, Antigua, Osage land), and I've read as many books by female authors as by male. On the list for the near future are Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, How to Write an Autobiographical Novel (essays) by Alexander Chee, and Belgravia by Julian Fellowes.

NEW! Short Stories read:

My office has started a short story reading club. So far, I've read these:
Podcasts consumed:
  • The West Wing Weekly (season 6)
  • My Dad Wrote a Porno (season 1)

TV watched in 2019 so far:
  • Veep (seasons 4-7)
  • Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (season 6-present)
  • The West Wing (season 6): rewatch, along with The West Wing Weekly podcast
  • Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (season 4, part 2)
  • Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (season 4 + special)
  • American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace (season 2)
  • Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj (volume 2)
  • Star Trek: Discovery (season 1)
  • Secret City (season 1)
  • Sex Education (season 1)
  • Planet Earth (season 1)
  • Russian Doll (season 1)
  • Special (season 1)
  • Dead to Me (season 1)
  • The 2000s (CNN docuseries)
  • When They See Us (limited series + Oprah interview)
  • Angels in America (HBO limited series): rewatch with Cricket
  • Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: with Page & Popcorn
  • The Lobster
  • A Futile and Stupid Gesture
  • Abducted in Plain Sight
  • The Birdcage: for the 645348th time
  • Brené Brown: The Call to Courage
  • Wine Country
  • Murder Mystery
Other series/movies attempted in 2019:
  • The Magicians (end of season 1, beginning of season 2): I guess I have a love-hate relationship with this series, and I guess I'm in hate right now.
  • Bonding (episodes 1-5): Was in the middle of a binge but then got taken away from it and never got back.
  • Les Miserables (episodes 1-5): Just never got around to the 6th but I think I'll watch it right now.
  • Umbrella Academy (episodes 1-4): It's fine. I may return to it eventually.
  • Big Little Lies (episodes 1-2): Will revisit.
  • Fleabag (episodes 1-2): Will revisit.
  • The Newsroom (episodes 1-2): May revisit.
  • Derry Girls (episode 1)
  • Pose (episode 1)
  • My Mad Fat Diary (episode 1): At Courtney's insistence; will revisit.
  • Eighth Grade: Had to turn it off.
Movies seen (in the theater) in 2019 so far:
  • The Favourite
  • Booksmart
Live performances seen in 2019 so far:
  • Torch Song at the Helen Hayes Theater, with NYMAAC
  • White Noise at the Public, with Kathryn
  • Gary at the Booth Theater, with Kathryn
  • Hadestown at the Walter Kerr Theater, with NYMAAC
  • Ain't No Mo at the Public, with Kathryn and Hillary
  • Calenna Garbä in concert with QUO & LGBAC musicians at the Argentine Consulate
  • Socrates at the Public, with Kathryn
  • Merrily We Roll Along at Roundabout (Laura Pels)
  • Hillary and Clinton at the Golden Theater, with NYMAAC
  • Vanity's Vanities at Slate
  • New York Public Radio: Live at the Brooklyn Bowl, with Josh
  • New York Philharmonic in Prospect Park
  • Much Ado About Nothing at the Delacorte, with Courtney and Richie
  • The Skivvies: Live at the Brooklyn Brewery, with Sam & Álvaro
Exhibitions seen in 2019 so far:
  • Harry Potter: A History of Magic at the New York Historical Society, with NYMAAC
  • Unseen Oceans (exhibit) and Backyard Wilderness (movie) features at the American Museum of Natural History, with Cricket
  • Escher: The Exhibition and Experience at Industry City, with Cricket
  • Reich Richter Pärt at the Shed (and the Vessel), with Álvaro and Mark
  • Tolkien: Maker of Middle Earth at the Morgan Library
  • Love & Resistance: Stonewall50 at the New York Public Library
Other:
  • Promoted to manager at work
  • A relationship is brewing
  • Joined the board of my co-op (oops)
  • Stepped down from the Staff of QUO but back up to chair the artistic director search committee (oops again)
  • Wrote my last few articles for Teaching Music magazine
  • Played in 6 concerts with QUO and 3 with the LGBAC symphonic band, and marched in 8 events with the LGBAC marching band. Also participated in a recording session and played timpani in church on Easter.
  • First physical and dental checkup in longer than I can remember
  • B'nai Mitzvah: The Next Generation began with my cousin Samantha
  • New board games discovered: Magic Maze, Seven Wonders, Secret Hitler
  • Got a new phone: Samsung Galaxy S10e
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