SCREENSHOTS #9: Conversations with People Who Hate Me and other recs
Movies, series, books and more: everything I've watched, listened to, read, and tried in December.
SERIES
Severance
This series is brilliant. I must say, though, that I found it confusing and kind of boring until pretty much the end of the first episode, when there's a plot twist that made me feel intrigued. I'm glad I kept watching it.
Severance is a sci-fi drama about work/life balance. The storyline is around the employees at this company called Lumon Industries - they all go under a procedure that literally separate their work and personal memories. When they are at work, they don't remember what their lives look like outside - family, hobbies, memories. And then, when they are outside, they don't know anything about their work.
I guess I can describe it as perturbing and, at the same time, genius. The photography also adds a lot to the drama. The office has not windows and all the light are white. Cast is incredible. The shows is a subtle - or maybe not that subtle - critic to the corporate world.
The second season premieres on January 16th on Apple TV.
Senna
This six-episode Brazilian biographical drama series narrates the life of Ayrton Senna, a legendary Brazilian Formula 1 driver. Senna died back in 1994 - I was still a little kid, but I remember how shocking his death was. I knew he was an idol - but I didn't know anything about his career, why he brought so much joy to Brazil, or even the backstage stories. And I think the series helps me understand this context a little bit more. It's not an excellent show, but I would recommend it to anyone who knows who Senna was or anyone who loves Formula 1.
Available on Netflix.
La Palma
Ok, one fact about me: I kinda love movies and series about natural disasters. I don't know, I guess I love the adrenaline. With that being sad, I was very curious to watch La Palma - it's about a a Norwegian family spending their vacation on La Palma (Canary Islands - another reason why I wanted to watch it, since we visited Tenerife back in September) and facing a disaster when a volcano starts to sign an imminent eruption.
There are some interesting stories involving the characters - although these stories are pretty shallow - the effects are cool, but don't watch it with a lot of expectations. It's just… entertaining. There are certainly some plots that were too good to be true…
Available on Netflix - the show is half English/half Norwegian.
MOVIES
Carry-On
Another personal preference: I love movies that contain airport and airplane drama/action. And I think this was a good one - it's about a young TSA agent who sees himself involved in a trap from a mysterious traveler who blackmails him into letting a dangerous package slip onto a Christmas Eve flight. There are some cheesy plots, but overall, it is a good and entertaining movie.
Available on Netflix.
Trap
I remember seeing some posts about this movie, and I was curious to watch it. Honestly, I can't say a lot, but it's about “a man and his teenage daughter realizing they're at the center of a dark and sinister event while watching a concert.” If you like mystery and tension… it's a good one. It was not obvious, and I didn't see some of the things coming.
Available on Max and on Amazon Prime Video.
BOOKS
Conversations with People Who Hate Me
I mentioned I was listening to this book in my recent post - I'm tired of social media: why I'm redefining my digital life - and now that I finished, I can't stress enough how I loved the reflections that
brings up. So many good points and observations about the cancel culture and online fights. It's an easy and engaging read - I actually highly recommend the audiobook version.This, for instance, was so enlightening: Marron states that we love debate because it satisfies our itch to "declare a winner and a loser at the end of a battle". It is the same reason that makes us love sports. "Social media platforms promise us bountiful hauls of gold coins if we do it well", Marron continues. "Social media platforms flatten other human beings into two-dimensional avatars, making it all the easier to see our enemies—or perceived enemies—not as fellow people, but bullseyes on which we can perfect our aim […] But what does winning a debate actually do? Does it change minds? Does it advance social justice causes? That would be lovely if so, but I worry that it is more of a performance for those who have already made up their minds. An opportunity to impress those who already agree with us."
On the blog
What to wear in New York City during Winter – tips and outfits inspo - besides being a good resource for people traveling to NYC and even for locals, this is also perfect for anyone traveling to Canada and Europe.
What I use to run in the cold: my gear guide - as I already mentioned here and on my IG, I'm gonna run my first half-marathon in March and finding appropriate gear to train in the cold weather was key!
Some interesting reads
What have I learned in 6 months without alcohol? I am a bad ass with a heavenly sleep routine - love this post from
- especially because I also shared some similar thoughts on a recent post here.Redefining How I Consume Content - on this post,
talks about the way she consumes content and this resonated a lot with me, because, as I mentioned here, I'm trying to redefining my digital life. She has great guidelines for social media usage - especially the “Only use Instagram for posting not scrolling”.Europe will change you - incredible post from
- in the past, I used to say that moving abroad doesn't solve your problems - and, in fact, it doesn't solve all of your problems, but it can solve so many! And Wiesner brings so much light to this topic, talking about quality of life. A must-read!Lessons I Learned From a Just-Okay Year - I love how
was so honest about her year - and I also love the lessons she shares!What Will Really Matter on Your Deathbed - a beautiful, emotional and touching post from
about her mother's death. So many powerful reflections! “My mother had no followers on social media, had never been in the newspaper, wasn’t ever asked for her autograph, and meant so much to so many people.”I Was a Health Insurance Executive. What I Saw Made Me Quit - such an interesting article from the New York Times.
From my Intagram
Some of the posts that deserve your attention:
The best fashion hack for your winter outfit
Winter outfits - best tips
Some reflections on 11y living abroad
In other news…
I'm currently in Madrid, Spain, where I will spend the next weeks studying Spanish at LAE Madrid. I'm so excited for this adventure! This was an old dream of mine. Let me know if you have any content requests about it :)
Let me know if you have good recs on movies, TV, podcasts, books… I'm all ears! And let me know if you have followed any of these tips that I share here :)
Laura! What an honor to be included on this list. Thank you so much for reading the book and taking the time to write such kind things about it. Wow.
Thanks for the share Laura!
Enjoy your time in Spain and if you come down to Barcelona at all let me know :)