december 2022 finds is finally here!
BOOKS
1. heaven by mieko kawakami is a dark story about bullying. it reminded me of lord of the flies.
2. deux soeurs by david foenkinos was a story of heartbreak with an unexpected ending. an easy read in the tiny folio format, perfect for on the go reading.
3. the dangers of smoking in bed by mariana enriquez is a book of horror short stories. it was shortlisted for the booker prize in 2021. i like to read from various backgrounds and countries. i wonder what i learned from the book by this buenos aires-born writer.
COMICS
4. hierba by keum suk gendry kim is a heartbreaking story about a comfort woman. it deserves all the accolades it received: best comics of the year by the new york times and the guardian, among others. i read the 6th spanish edition and her book, la espera, was recently launched in spain. i’ll try to read more of her work.
5. that miyoko asagaya feeling by shinichi abe is about tokyo in the early 70s. i was surprised by the casual domestic rape. and it was creepy to read how matter of fact the storyline continues. it’s even worse that the main characters are inspired by the manga-ka and his real life wife.
MAGAZINES
6. i read british vogue and was impressed. they use their platform to discuss important issues such as the current situation in iran.
MUSIC
7. rip maxi jazz.
8. this is in case you want to see warhaus live.
9. a nice version of girl from ipanema by frank sinatra and antonio carlos jobim.
10. i listened to benjamin biolay’s new album, saint-clair. it’s not his best. but i’m going to see him live this year, hoping for a hit playlist.
FILMS
11. i tried watching three new romanian films. the first was câteva conversaţii despre o fată foarte înaltă, a lesbian film directed by a man for some reason. unfortunately, unwatchable.
12. the second was departe de tine by james pillion. shot in romania and featuring romanian actors, it failed to start as far as i could watch. the imdb score is 5.5.
13. and the lucky third was povestea unui pierde vara by paul negoescu. a weak, but absolutely watchable film. the fact that the style is woody allen’s actually made the film better. its strength was the very natural dialogues. you can watch it in full below.
14. i could barely sit though triangle of sadness by ruben ostlund. no idea how this 2:27 of weak bits quilted together got the palme d’or.
TV SERIES
14. letterman went to kyiv to interview zelenskyy. this was before zelensky recent visit to the united states.
15. sand castle tapes is documenting the recording of the homonym album by balthazar. watch to see how the belgians recorded in a castle during covid.
16. i watched the animation feature showcasing kid cudi‘s homonym album. it could have easily been better. below, you have the man himself suffering while eating wings. entertaining!
17. emily in paris 3 picked up the pace. emily’s outfits continue to be clownish and random. this is the perfect weak storyline. enjoy it!
18. sylvie is the real star of the show. she has agency, drive and by far the best outfits. watch philippine leroy-beaulieu below, at 59, stealing the show in real life, too.
YOUTUBE
19. watch to see the behind the scene behind a very interesting documentary. watch to see wild romania.
find more here. the actual documentary is available on hbo, in most european countries.
20. how to restore a bonsai.
21. japanese gift wrapping is expectedly unparalleled.
22. vienna has been living in the future for a long time.
23. two examples of new architecture presented by dezeen.
24. tokyo street style is forever mesmerizing.
25. how hypnotic can glass blowing be?
26. just in case you need some travel inspiration. this channel is full of wonderful drone footage. enjoy!
27. i like this house and i like this channel.
28. i found this content-creating couple called sam and victor.
29. interesting behind the scenes for the 5-star hotel in the shard.
30. if you were wondering what ville valo was up to, watch this. he is back with his first solo album.
31. please click to watch on youtube. the two videos are about how the japanese using “ugly” vegetables and fish.
how was your december?
photo and video credits: copyright holders and little aesthete
