What We’re Reading, Watching, and Listening To
A running list of what the CTA team is reading, watching, and listening to.
April 2024
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert: If you’re looking for some creative inspiration, let this book be your friend. Gilbert explains her theory that the world is inhabited by ideas and sometimes we get lucky enough to bring those ideas to life.
Come Drink From the Stanley Cup from Culture Study Podcast: A deep dive into how and why Stanley Cups took over the world.
The Women by Kristin Hannah: While this is technically a story about the Vietnam War, it is so much more than that. It is about friendship, finding yourself, and most importantly, women.
March 2024
Good Material by Dolly Alderton: Stand-up comedian Andy tries to process a Big Break Up. Full of humor and insights into relationships, friendships, and dating in your 30s.
Big Swiss by Jen Beagin: A sex therapist’s transcriptionist falls in love with a client while listening to her sessions. Chaos ensues.
Mind the Game Podcast: There’s something really special about getting to dig into the philosophy and the game of basketball with one of the best to ever play it. Featuring conversations between LeBron James and JJ Redick, this pod is definitely worth a listen.
Caitlin Clark and Iowa find peace in the process: Can you tell it’s March Madness? We can’t stop talking about Wright Thompson’s piece on the wonder that is Caitlin Clark (and it involves a yacht).
February 2024
Trespasses by Louise Kennedy: Set in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, this story follows a young woman navigating love and family, alongside her community and country.
Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb: A page-turner that reveals the hidden truth behind America’s most famous (fictitious) composer. You won’t be able to put this one down.
House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas: If you know, you know.
December 2023
Setting the Table by Danny Meyer: A look at how restaurateur Danny Meyers created his restaurant empire centered in the concept of Enlightened Hospitality. Great for foodies or anyone interested in how to build a company and an approach to leadership.
The Root of Over-Meeting Culture by Anne Helen Peterson: Why are we meeting so much and getting so little done? This essay digs into the forces behind over-meeting culture and some ideas on how to fix it. You’ll be nodding along to this one.
2023 Person of the Year: Taylor Swift by Sam Lansky: As Sam says, when Taylor has a story to tell, you listen (or read).
November 2023
Now and Then by The Beatles: NEW! BEATLES! MUSIC! IN THE YEAR 2023!! If you’ve fallen for the song, check out this episode of the podcast Switched On Pop that dives into why this song feels like a journey back in time.
Milk Teeth by Jessica Andrews: A love story, a story of self-discovery, self-love, and self-acceptance — and told across Europe (what could be better). This is for anyone who’s eagerly waiting another Sally Rooney book.
Severance by Ling Ma: The storyline of this novel follows survivors of a pandemic that decimates almost all of humanity. Written in 2018, it's an eerie read to compare to our collective experience of the COVID-19 pandemic.
October 2023
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett: A beautiful story about family, love and love lost, paths crossing, growing up, and of course, cherry farming.
Full Body Chills: The best spooky podcast that releases a new story every day for the entire month of October.
When I’m Dead by Hannah Morrissey: When a local girl turns up dead and another goes missing, a small-town medical examiner is running out of time to discover how the two crimes are connected.
September 2023
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah: A classic coming-of-age story in almost all ways except that it takes place in the Alaskan wilderness.
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott: If you’ve ever wanted to write a novel or short story, Anne Lamott’s book is a must-read. It is instructive while still being completely charming, funny, warm, and relatable. Honestly, it’s great even if you’re not planning on doing any writing.
Yellowface by R. F. Luang: A page-turner about, of all things, the publishing industry. This book explores the ideas of diversity and cultural appropriation and the cut-throat publishing world. Definitely one that you’ll want to discuss with friends.
August 2023
Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li: Ocean’s Eleven meets The Farewell in Portrait of a Thief, a lush, lyrical heist novel inspired by the true story of Chinese art vanishing from Western museums; about diaspora, the colonization of art, and the complexity of the Chinese American identity.
None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell: A famous podcaster ends up as the subject of her own true crime podcast and that’s all we have to say about that.
Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn: The perfect coming-of-age story for anyone who has ever had a quarter-life crisis and found themselves suddenly living in their childhood bedroom.
July 2023
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano: A beautifully told story of four sisters in Chicago. Some (us) call it modern-day Little Women. You won’t want to put it down.
The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson: Captivating novel follows four different Dakota women across generations.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros: Set in a brutal war college for dragon riders, this book is like if Harry Potter met Game of Thrones and added in a dash of the Hunger Games.
June 2023
Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans: A collection of short stories and a novella — each story is like a gut punch, but in a good way!
Sooner or Later Everything Falls into the Sea by Sarah Pinsker: A collection of short stories that are all quirky and weird and sci-fi/fantasy themed, but also somehow super relatable.
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld: If a love story between a writer for SNL and Hozier happened during peak quarantine…you would have this book.
May 2023
Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins: A dark suspense book set on an isolated island in the Pacific. You’ll stay up finishing this one.
The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth: The sleepy costal town isn’t quite so sleepy…
Happy Place by Emily Henry: The latest from rom-com queen Emily Henry, a perfect summer beach read.
April 2023
The last season of Succession: Are they good at this? Are they bad at this? We have no idea, but we also can’t stop watching.
Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles: The writing is just absolutely incredible.
Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson: Nostalgic for anyone who’s spent time in Brooklyn Heights. Plus reckoning with the evils of generational wealth.
March 2023
Reading Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
Reading Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Listening to The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton
Watching Shadow and Bone Season 2 on Netflix
February 2023
Work Appropriate: Anne Helen Peterson’s podcast gives advice on all of the crazy and sometimes downright annoying things that we deal with everyday in the workplace.
Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid: A sports book that isn’t really about sports at all (groundbreaking, we know).
The City We Became by N.K Jemison: Regarded as the greatest science fiction author of our decade, NKJ brings intersectionality to a weird world, and blows us away with a fresh take on The City That Never Sleeps.
January 2023
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin: A book about friendship and video games is even better than you imagine (the hype is real).
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo: A novel in verse.
Normal Gossip: The best podcast about other people’s gossip that everyone should be listening to.
December 2022
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation — you can’t go wrong with a classic!
Home Alone — those pranks are better than you remember.
Love Actually — minus the really, really sad parts.
November 2022
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro: When an author wins a Nobel Prize in Literature, figure their next book is worth the read!
The World We Make by N.K. Jemisin: A little sci-fi, a little dystopia.
The Final Revival of Opal And Nev by Dawnie Walton: Technically, we’re listening to the audio book for this one — it’s giving Daisy Jones and the Six.
October 2022
Harrow the Ninth: Because who’s not into lesbian necromancers in space?
Algorithms of Oppression: Fascinating read on how search engines reinforce bias and oppressive structures.
It Starts with Us: A new Colleen Hoover book and a Taylor Swift album in one week???? We’re not ready.
The Stand: Because some of us didn’t get enough of pandemics.