A Date, Two Eye-Opening Books and Broken Rules

Last Saturday I went on a fun date that involved me spending a good hour or two reading in a coffeeshop and a happy date, because he got to bring along his laptop and work. Before you say, that isn’t really a date, Ingrid, just two people doing your own thing, never you worry—we talked too. By the end of it, said date was hungry—it was lunch time—and there was an Indian restaurant right next door to the cafe, so we hopped over and enjoyed an Aloo Tikki Chaat and a Mushroom Tikka Masala with Garlic Naan, and I kept my book in my book bag.

Also I was interviewed here. Take a look if you’d like to see what I think about the topic of curiosity, and what I’d do on my last day on earth.

The Curious George Questionnaire: #11

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Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

I know, I know—I said that I’m trying to hold out until at least Mother’s Day for this one, but hear me out: I was passing the Lightning Loan section at the library, and there it was just staring at me. How could I not take it home?

If someone was holding a gun to my head, forcing me to pick a favourite Sally Rooney novel, this one might be it. The story is about two brothers, Peter and ten-year-younger Ivan, and their relationship to each other, as well as to their romantic entanglements, in the aftermath of their father’s death. Peter is a successful lawyer caught between his love for two women, a much younger student and a literary academic and his soulmate. Ivan is a chess prodigy, and he starts a relationship with a woman 14 years older. I loved this book. It’s so juicy with relationships and all the miscommunication that comes along with them. Sally Rooney is the master of minute detail in her storytelling, it makes me marvel at her creativity. The book reaches an incredibly tender place. Her gift of showing love in its many different forms really shines through in this story.

Stolen Focus by Johann Hari

In my last update, I promised a life changing book. This is the one! I listened to it as an audio book that’s narrated by the author, and it really makes a difference. You can hear the passion in his words. He discusses the decline in humankind’s ability to pay attention, how it’s contributing to the rise of extremism among other things, and what it would take to change the trajectory. The answers don’t solely lie on us as individuals. It’s more complex than going of a phone diet, for example. His arguments are deeply researched and the interviews he conducted for all the quotes are posted online.

They Called Us Exceptional and Other Lies That Raised Us by Prachi Gupta

is a memoir about achieving the American dream and everything it entailed for Prachi Gupta. The book is structured as a note/letter/book to her mother (which makes it all the more powerful), and in it, she examines the way the model minority myth destroyed her family. At times, it is truly heartbreaking in its portrayal of growing up with an abusive parent, constantly being measured only by what one achieves outwardly. Thank you,

Istiaq Mian

, for recommending it in your note here!

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Adolescence directed by Philip Barantini

A mini-series about a 13-year-old boy who is accused of murdering his female classmate. The acting is superb. I read that this was the screen debut for Owen Cooper, the actor who played the 13-year-old boy, Jamie Miller. His performance was magnificent as was each actor’s on the show. I could read every emotion off the dad’s face. Each episode was filmed in one take. I had to go back and rewatch it when I read that.

Maybe I’ve had my head in the clouds but—there was one part in the second episode, where the lead detective’s son pulls him aside and explains the whole red pill, blue pill thing on instagram, which was as eye-opening for me as it was for the lead detective. Interestingly enough, just a couple of days after I finished watching the show, I came to the part in They Called Us Exceptional where the author writes about her brother’s indoctrination into the "‘manosphere’ world.

If there was ever a time for this show to be talked about, it’s now.

Sarah Wilson

wrote an excellent listicled take on the show too.

Also this article on what teenage boys had to say about the film is interesting.

Please Don’t Touch The Art— a short film directed by Miles Mendes and Kangan Bansal

It’s filmed in the Art Gallery of Ontario, my favourite gallery in Toronto. They may have broken a few rules while filming it, but isn’t that what art sometimes requires?

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Have you seen the cover of Francesca Bossert’s new poetry book?

I’ve had the honour of taking a sneak peak inside, and her poetry is divine!

This recipe takes grilled cheese sandwiches to the next level

and isn’t even that complex to make. Plus it has inspired me to invent grilled cheese sandwiches with all kinds of add-ons.

And, last but not least…

Brad Pitt has a new film coming soon where he plays a Formula 1 driver

and it looks good. Javier Bardem is in it too, as is Damson Idris!

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Please let me know what’s caught your attention lately. Any good books? Things you’ve been watching, juicy gossip (only the good kind)? I’d love to know.

Until next time,

XO Ingrid

PS I’m in the middle of reading a spicy romcom, so stay tuned for that recommendation soonish. Cheers to the imminent arrival of spring weather 🤞🏽🤞🏽