October 2024: What All the Badass Women are Reading, Watching, and Listening to this Month
Whether you’re ready for Kathleen Kelly Fall or already leaning into spooky season, I’ve got the book recs for you –> a new Nora Ephron visual beauty, two highly-anticipated thrillers, a new release from the host of The Lazy Genius podcast, a daily inspiration book to help us manage our peace between now and Election Day and more! Plus, new shows, returning shows, AND a new podcast from TWO of our favorite badass women authors!
Keep reading to check out what all the Badass Women are Reading, Watching, and Listening to this month!
First up - and just in time for the Eras Tour return to the States…
From red carpet looks, to streetwear, to tour costumes, Sarah Chapelle of the successful Instagram and blog Taylor Swift Style, has spent more than a decade documenting Swift’s fashion choices and the intention behind each ensemble. Her deep dives into songs, lyrics, and behind-the-scenes insights paint a portrait of a megastar who knows exactly what she is doing. Taylor Swift Style seeks to explain the ‘why’ behind Swift’s outfits―the Easter Eggs and deeper meanings behind every hemline and haircut―that speak to the emotional context of each musical moment.
I’ve been so excited for this new release from my IG friend, @badasscrossstich! I love any excuse to build up my craft supply stash!
Craftivism, or the space where art and activism meet, is a powerful, ever-evolving social justice movement that continues to grow and diversify as more voices and mediums take part in it. In Let's Move the Needle, Shannon Downey (on Instagram at @badasscrossstitch), an outspoken voice in the craftivist movement for over a decade, provides a roadmap and accessible toolkit for burgeoning art activists. Filled with self-reflective activities, exercises, prompts, and stories, Let's Move the Needle educates and empowers creatives to center their art around collective action in service of political, social or community issues they are most passionate about; affirming that everyone can be a changemaker and that change-making can be generative, enjoyable, and a bit sassy!
This is the book we’re reading and discussing this month at Bards Alley Bookshop…
Everyone knows Judy Blume. Her books have garnered her fans of all ages for decades and sold tens of millions of copies. But why were people so drawn to them? And why are we still talking about them now in the 21st century? In The Genius of Judy, her remarkable story is revealed as never before, beginning with her as a mother of two searching for purpose outside of her home in 1960s suburban New Jersey. The books she wrote starred regular children with genuine thoughts and problems. But behind those deceptively simple tales, Blume explored the pillars of the growing women’s rights movement, in which girls and women were entitled to careers, bodily autonomy, fulfilling relationships, and even sexual pleasure. Blume wasn’t trying to be a revolutionary—she just wanted to tell honest stories—but in doing so, she created a cohesive, culture-altering vision of modern adolescence.
Aside from learning more about Judy’s feminist evolution, it was also a nice walk-down-memory lane as it explored the background of each of her books! Speaking of, you’ll be SHOCKED to know where I recently found these books!
Dollar Tree!!!
Getting ready for your Kathleen Kelly fall? Then you’ll definitely want to check this out!
Nora Ephron at the Movies is the first illustrated monograph on the writer, journalist, director, and the visionary behind When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and You’ve Got Mail.
Here are two thrillers I’ve been anxiously anticipating - I really enjoyed the earlier books by each of these authors!
Liam Noone was many things to many people. To the public, he was an exacting, self-made hotel magnate fleeing his past. To his three ex-wives, he was a loving albeit distant family man who kept his finances flush and his families carefully separated. To Nora, he was a father who often loved her from afar - notably a cliffside cottage perched on the California coast from which he fell to his death. The authorities rule the death accidental, but Nora and her estranged brother Sam have other ideas. As Nora and Sam form an uneasy alliance to unravel the mystery, they start putting together the pieces of their father's past—and uncover a family secret that changes everything.
Anna Williams-Bonner has taken care of business. That is to say, she’s taken care of her husband, bestselling novelist Jacob Finch Bonner, and laid to rest those anonymous accusations of plagiarism that so tormented him. Now she is living the contented life of a literary widow, enjoying her husband’s royalty checks in perpetuity, but for the second time in her life, a work of fiction intercedes, and this time it’s her own debut novel, The Afterword. After all, how hard can it really be to write a universally lauded bestseller? But when Anna publishes her book and indulges in her own literary acclaim, she begins to receive excerpts of a novel she never expected to see again, a novel that should no longer exist. That it does means something has gone very wrong, and someone out there knows far too much: about her late brother, her late husband, and just possibly... Anna, herself. What does this person want and what are they prepared to do? She has come too far, and worked too hard, to lose what she values most: the sole and uncontested right to her own story. And she is, by any standard, a master storyteller. With her signature wit and sardonic humor, Jean Hanff Korelitz gives readers an antihero to root for while illuminating and satirizing the world of publishing in this deliciously fun and suspenseful read.
I’m a big fan of Lazy Genius podcaster, Kendra Adachi. Excited to check out her new release!
If productivity systems tend to let you down, reading The PLAN will be such a relief. Most time-management books leave you feeling inadequate, focusing on greatness and optimization. But what if you want to simply live your life without chasing productivity at every turn? Is there a way to manage your time without being at its mercy? Absolutely, and The PLAN will show you how. In her signature “Kind Big Sister” style, Kendra Adachi offers a fresh take on managing your time. Using the memorable acronym PLAN, you will learn to prepare, live, adjust, and notice like a Lazy Genius, all through the lens of what matters to you in your current season.
In her most urgent book yet, New York Times bestselling author Jessica Valenti shines a light on the conservative assault on women’s freedom, cutting through the misinformation and overwhelm to inform, engage, and enrage. From the attacks Americans know about to the ones anti-abortion lawmakers and groups are trying to hide, Valenti details the tactics and horrors that she’s been painstakingly tracking in her acclaimed newsletter, Abortion, Every Day. Abortion gives voice to women’s frustration and outrage in a moment when they’re fed up with being talked over and diminished. And in an election year when abortion is dominating the national conversation, Valenti provides the language, facts, and context readers need to feel confident when talking about the attacks on their bodies and freedom.
Of course we can’t talk about the election without acknowledging the stress it’s creating. Hoping this book from the author of Set Boundaries, Find Peace might help manage that a bit!
In this inspiring book of daily insights, Nedra delivers food for thought, friendly reminders, and perspective shifts to help us stay true to who we are and what matters most. Topics include setting boundaries, rising above drama, expressing ourselves with clarity and integrity, and finding peace and joy every chance we can get.
Moving on to what to watch! Lots of returning series this month but also some new debuts…
I was a big fan of the old Matlock so it’s not really surprising that I would enjoy this one. And I absolutely did not see the surprise twist coming at the end of episode one. Can’t wait for Episode 2 to drop on October 17th. While we wait, you can watch the trailer here.
As I menioned, some popular shows are returning this week! Here are some I’ll be watching!
Season 4 of Abbott Elementary dropped last week! You can catch it on Wednesdays at 9:30 ET on ABC or the next day on Hulu! No spoilers but there was a very happy reveal!
Last but not least, TWO of our favorite Badass Women’s Book Club authors - Emily Amick (Democracy in Retrograde) and Jo Piazza (many! but most recently The Sicilian Inheritance) have teamed up to produce a brand-new podcast! Give it a listen here!
Until next month, keep living your best life!