Briarpatch Bests: September
Where we recap a month's worth of things we read, watched, listened to, and bought.
Hello!
Nothing reminds us how quickly the calendar is moving quite like sitting down to draft another Briarpatch Bests. You might have noticed our Monthly Digest got a little ‘rebrand’ which delights us to no end. The alliteration. The new cute logo. We love it all.
In case you’re new around here, we do one of these emails every month. Linking past issues here if you want to check them out: Jan, Feb, Mar, April, May, June, July, and August.
September brought us established school rhythms, some crazy carpooling Olympics, a few weekend trips and limited time to read. While Christmas suddenly feels like it is right around the corner (coming in hot in 79 days), we’re happily distracting ourselves with fall decorating, Halloween costume planning, and swapping The Life of a Showgirl choreography videos and memes.
📚 Reading
BKS: I don’t know where my reading rhythms have gone but if you see them will you direct them back this way? Ok thanks. I know one thing that has derailed me is my Kindle getting buried at the bottom of my purse and not being on my nightstand or sofa table to easily pick up. Going to rectify that ASAP.
One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid was our first book club pick for The Briarpatch Bookclub and I loved it! I was especially pleased with the ending which could have been really fraught but TJR handled it beautifully.
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower was popping up all over social media for me, and I finally borrowed it from Kindle Unlimited. I found it utterly charming. It’s short, and there are many volumes. I hear it really revs up around Volume 3-4. It’s a regency setting, and Emma is trying to access her inheritance but is foiled by a despicable male cousin. She lives in a quirky neighborhood in a very distinct house and that part gives Gilmore Girls in the 1830s.
KNW: My recommendations are slim pickings—I was so distracted with some September chaos that I didn’t even use all my Spotify Audiobook hours. This is where I confess that I tend to be too picky with listening time because I want to make the ‘best and highest’ choice of how to use those hours. Which I understand is nonsensical and I’m working on it. Insert my elder millennial LOL here.
Awake by Jen Hatmaker laid me out. I devoured an advanced copy in less than 24 hours and then immediately bought the audio version after multiple people told me that her friends and family read their own text messages. I’m neither going through a divorce nor do I have 5 grown children, but I am still thinking about the way she tells her story in a way that allows the reader to overlay their own experiences and feel a lot of feelings.
Taylor Jenkins Reid’s One True Loves was our Briarpatch Bookclub pick for September. I read it, loved it, and promptly borrowed After I Do from one of my best friends, who had it in her personal library.
Adding a kiddo recommendation here because we’re very deep into our Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew obsession and these ‘2020 Clue Versions’ are very popular with my little people. I have to hide them on the shelf in the linen closet so they don’t sneak to the end to figure out ‘who done it’.
📺 Watching
BKS: Sports! Sports! Sports! Listen, we’ve been watching a lot of football these days so our other show watching has been minimal. But I’ll share a few favorites down below…
High Potential: Encouraged by both Kristin and my parents, LAS and I have started this show and we really like it. It’s a fun procedural and wraps up nicely every time. Also, Kaitlin Olsen’s wardrobe is a 10/10.
Kid recommendation: Weather Hunters on your local PBS station is the cutest show for kids! It’s about a family that travels to experience and document different weather scenarios. (Produced by Al Roker!)
Dancing with the Stars: Listen, my kids are obsessed! We’re actually having family over tonight to watch and I’m thinking about making paper plate paddles so we can give our own scores. Stay tuned!
KNW: Echoing B’s “Sports are back” sentiments, but I did manage to sneak a few low lift shows while folding laundry. And can also co-sign B’s ‘Weather Hunters’ recommendation—my children are equally obsessed.
The Summer I Turned Pretty: While other people might feel differently, I’m fully on board with the weekly episode drops for shows such as TSITP. The energy and anticipation were next level, and I loved unpacking each episode with friends on MP/text threads. I’ll 100% be sat for the movie whenever it comes out because I am loyal to a fault.
Sullivan’s Crossing: As I have shared previously, this show is a cousin of Virgin River and it’s a delight in every way it is intended. It’s a Hallmark-adjacent dramatic television show about a city doctor who returns her childhood quaint little shoreside town.
My Life with the Walter Boys: I find it hilarious that this love triangle troupe doesn’t have nearly the same fever pitch following that TSITP has, but I’m clearly not bothered. I am in the middle of season 2 and am forever jealous of Jackie’s high school wardrobe.
Doc: Shows set in DC and hospitals are automatic must-watch shows for me—at least for a few episodes to check them out. I’m four episodes into this new Netflix drama about a doctor who has experienced a brain injury that wiped the memories from the last 8 years of her life. While it isn’t The Pit, I will continue to watch the season and see how things unfold with Dr. Amy.
🎧 Listening
Executive decision to leave ‘audio’ books in the ‘reading’ section—we’re choosing to define listening as podcasts or other auditory content consumed.
BKS: Is there any answer but The Life of Showgirl? I’m here for these bangers. It’s a raucous good time and I love that it seems to be reflective of all of the love and fun our girl is having in her private life. A new podcast on the scene that I’m loving is Shelf Respect from The Popcast with Knox and Jamie. On Shelf Respect, Knox, Jamie, and Erin discuss books in a variety of ways and it’s an utter delight.
KNW: TLOAS doesn’t technically count for September listening, but it’s all that is on my brain at present. While we were not so anxious waiting for TS12, I fell hard for Olivia Dean’s new album, The Art of Loving.
Man I Need is on repeat in my brain along with the remixes that are replicating like rabbits on TikTok. I need the remixers to get those versions uploaded to Spotify ASAP.
🍳 Cooking
KNW: I riffed off Caroline Chambers Tiny Tomato Pasta + the NYT’s Chicken Cutlets at least 3 times in September. I can’t talk about the end of tomato season—my garden is nearing her last harvest. The only thing that is making me feel slightly better is the onslaught of soups I’m about to make…
BKS: I have loved using our dinner spreadsheet (which you can contribute to if you’re a paid subscriber) to plan meals. After making Emily’s chicken sheet pan fajitas, I put my own spin on it with chicken tenderloins, teriyaki sauce, broccoli, carrots, and a side of rice. It was easy, delicious and a crowd pleaser. Last week I made mini meatloaves and I used 2lbs of ground turkey and put half of the meatloaves in the freezer. Yesterday I pulled them out and Monday dinner could not have been simpler.
🛍️ Shopping
The three best things we bought in September.
KNW:
This is cheating because I didn’t buy it in September but I opened this portable charger this month and it saved my bacon so many times.
My plan was to tag my “beloved fall cropped jeans” that I’ve worn on repeat the last few weeks but I can’t find my exact pair online right now (these are the same color but have external buttons). However, I can happily share the $15 oversized sunglasses I’ve worn nearly every day in September. You cool kids can keep your tiny sunglasses, I will wear oversized sunnies for the rest of my days.
At the ripe old age of almost 42.5, I’ve finally accepted that I cannot pull off turtlenecks because I have a short neck and short torso. I’ve also realized that certain square-neck tops are very flattering for me and this $20 workout top is no exception. I bought it in mauve and plan to also purchase it in black.
BKS:
New Merit Flush Balm—I bought a gift set that’s no longer available but I’m most excited about this color.
I grabbed this skort from Amazon specifically for a football game and while it isn’t the highest quality, I think it will be fun for this season and I’ve already worn it several times.
This diffuser has been the best purchase. I haven’t had one with this type of throw before and the scent is so good.
We just wrapped up our inaugural month of The Briarpatch Book Club with a Substack Live that’s available for all subscribers. It’s chaotic, but in a fun way!
We’re excited to dig into The Academy by Elin Hildebrand for our October Bookclub gathering. Join us on Substack Live on October 29th at 9 p.m. EST (which also happens to be KNW + KPW’s 21st dating anniversary…)
Thanks for hanging out with us in this little corner of the internet. Happy October. May the fall temperatures be generous and the mini Halloween candy treats be plentiful.
Love,
Kristin + Betsy
Leaving this note here: Taylor mentioned that she watches the Gilded Age during her interview with Jimmy Fallon earlier this week. In addition to all of the shows we listed for September I do beg and explore you to go and watch the Gilded Age on HBO Max. I agree with Taylor. It is a delightful bit of entertainment.