FMG: Something to watch + a LOT to read

plus I'm revealing my secret favorite rom-com trope

Happy first Friday of October! I meant to write this approximately two hours ago but alas I have been very busy watching every TikTok that the hot jump-rope guy has ever made (no, I’m not linking it here — my dad reads this newsletter — but yes, do give jump-rope-guy a TikTok search if you know what’s good for you).

Some other highly important and equally riveting content I’ve been consuming lately:

• Audiobooks: I am a firm believer that listening to books counts as reading them (two of my recent favorite non-fiction reads, The Storyteller by Dave Grohl* and A Very Punchable Face by Colin Jost, were both actually listens vs. reads) — and I recently started listening to The Art of Small Talk by Casey Wilson and Jessica St. Clair. It’s actually only an audiobook (which makes sense because both Casey and Jessica are actors and therefore half the punch of the book comes from their voices/inflection), and it’s just about the easiest, most delightful listen ever. It’s basically a lighthearted, humorous discussion on the many physical and emotional benefits of small talk, plus how to effectively engage in it. I will say that the humor is VERY millennial — and I don’t say that as a negative (as I am a millennial myself), but simply as a content warning to those who don’t necessarily align with the self-deprecating, deadpan, omg-I’m-so-random humor of my age range. It’s quick, it’s fun, and it has genuinely challenged me to engage in a bit more small talk. Note: Jessica St. Clair played small yet HIGHLY memorable roles in two of my all-time favorite rom-coms, Life As We Know It and Wanderlust (both highly underrated and worth calling off other weekend plans for). Another note: Casey Wilson played a memorable role in the canceled-way-too-soon sitcom Happy Endings, and she wrote a really great book of essays called The Wreckage of My Presence. She’s also Norma in the Dooneese skit, which is why her voice sounds familiar to you.

  • *Ugh, I know.

• Physical Books*: I’m currently reading Ghosts by Dolly Alderton — and if you know anything about Dolly, you know that she’s the kind of writer who makes writers want to become better writers. I love her non-fiction book, Everything I Know About Love, and her second novel, Good Material, so I figured it was time I read her first. I’ll be honest and say that it’s a touch slow for me, but I’ve had a really busy few weeks so I haven’t prioritized reading. My copy is due back to Libby on Saturday, though, so I’ve gotta get moving! Up next on my TBR is the new Liane Moriarty book, Here One Moment. The premise sounds odd, but I’ve never been let down by Liane before — so stay tuned.

  • *By physical books I obviously mean Kindle books. Though I do have a physical copy of Here One Moment because Book of the Month was running a hell of a sale!

• TV: Yes, I have obviously started Nobody Wants This, which is the new Netflix show that I truly could’ve sworn was a movie when I first saw the trailer but is indeed a 10-episode show. I’ve only ever seen the trope man-of-the-cloth-falls-in-love-with-a-normie once before (or twice, if you count the story of my own parents), but that one time (see here) was enough to solidify it as a favorite trope of mine. Aidan Shaw Pastor Dan, you will always be famous.

  • I will say that it’s one of those relationship shows that makes me feel particularly single, so I don’t love that aspect — but my dearly beloved sister is challenging me to see it as encouraging rather than distressing. Thankfully, it’s funny enough (and Leighton Meester’s husband is hot enough) that my positive feelings are beating the negative ones.

• And if you only click one link in this entire newsletter, let it be this one: I personally find it nearly impossible to live in the year 2024 and not feel an onslaught of terrifying feelings at every waking moment — fear, despair, empathy, outrage, etc. — and I find it equally impossible to balance those emotions with the positive ones. Thankfully, this world is home to people who are much wiser than I am, people who have the words to process this dichotomy and help us collectively move through these feelings. Austin Channing Brown’s newsletter this week was titled, “The World is on Fire, and I’m Planning a Birthday Party,” and I found it incredibly moving and helpful as I work through my own feelings. Please give it a read.

  • There are so many urgent causes worthy of our donations right now, and I’m a firm believer that generosity won’t make you poor. I hope you take a few minutes this weekend (and I promise I will too!) to send 2, 3, or 5 dollars to a cause that speaks to you — and then I hope you also plan a birthday celebration, snuggle a new baby, dance at a wedding, or pour an extra glass of wine. As Austin Channing Brown says, “Dancing is part of the revolution… I have to have hope because hope is a duty.”

Cheers to hope, and cheers to you!

XO, Gail

And as a reminder:

It’s an election year, and it is my duty to remind you that while newsletters like this are crucial for maintaining sanity and levity, I am not a news source and am in no way a replacement for staying informed. For every newsletter you read that makes you smile, I hope you also read an informed take on politics, world events, and social issues (then fact check it!) — and for every heavy piece of news you take in, I hope you also consume and/or create a piece of art that promotes light, laughter, and joy.

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