Welcome to our Monthly Digest where we recap a month’s worth of books, podcasts, recipes and more. One of our monthly staples is going to be our Dear Besty column. We are answering your calls for advice as a mini podcast once a month. If you have a Dear Bestie/Besty question, you can share with us here. Excited to answer Tina’s question this week in the audio above.
Reading
Thanks to Emily P. Freeman, we believe the entire month of January is the the new week between Christmas and New Year’s so we are reflecting on the books we loved best in 2024. (If you want to see what we’re reading each week in real time, you can upgrade to our paid tier).
BKS: It is so hard for me to pick favorite things. Why is that?! My answer is always, “it depends…” but alas I’m going to share 5 of my favorite books from 2024. I’ve been a co-editor of an online book club for the past 6 years and we have a great archive over on our IG if you want more romance recommendations. The book club is taking a break for now so I’m glad to have this and other spaces to chat books with you! It’s also worth noting that one of my most favorites is in KNW’s list (Most Wonderful Crime of the Year) so I gave another title instead of cheating you out of a recommendation.
A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston. This is a romance where our MC winds up in her favorite fictional town. It’s a delight on every level.
Lies + Weddings by Kevin Kwan. Kevin Kwan never misses for me! The author of the beloved Crazy Rich Asian series, does rich people problems so well. And while that is fun, his books rich (see what I did there?) sense of place and often more than one place, are some of my favorite parts.
God of the Woods by Liz Moore. A literary mystery with dual timelines set at a sleep-away camp, this book was everywhere last summer. I’m happy to say that it very much lived up to the hype for me.
What I Ate in One Year by Stanley Tucci. A very enjoyable reading experience on audio. Something about me, food memoir is a very specific niche that I ADORE. Combine that with Tucci’s Hollywood connections and stories and this book is a treat.
Defending Jacob by William Landay. A backlist title that has also been made into a miniseries on HBO. This psychological thriller features an attorney father whose teenage son is accused of murder and the toll it takes on their family.
KNW: In late 2023, after reading Fourth Wing and needing a space to discuss it, I accidentally started a book club with some preschool mom friends. I encouraged a few of them to read about the dragons and *poof* a “bookclub” was born. In 2024, I read a number of books I wouldn’t have picked up on my own, but I’m glad they landed on my bedside table. Five books that shook to the the near top of list for last year were:
The Lost Apothecary - Set in London. Time hopping. Romance, Non-threatening mystery. Read this last January and still think about it occasionally.
The Women - Kristin Hannah rarely misses for me. Her books lean heavy (and I need to follow them with a frothy fun romance) but I think she handles harder topics with curious insight and panache.
The Midnight Library - A ‘choose your own adventure’ that still has me thinking about the choices we make in every day life.
Dark Matter - A title I’d never pick up on my own (the cover by itself is a deal breaker) made for fascinating bookclub discussion and Im glad I branched out into the sci-fi world for a minute. I had to listen to the last third of the book when it wasn’t dark outside…
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year - If you didn’t read this in December, file it away for next Christmas. I’m not a crime-junky reader, but the romcom and English countryside of it all made for a perfect read while managing through all the holiday chaos.
Watching
Obviously Football has been on our TVs more than anything else but we’ve found some spare time to watch some old favorites and new things too.
BKS:
When I saw a movie was coming out with the beloved, Stanley Tucci, already mentioned highly once in this newsletter, all about choosing a new Pope I was SOLD. We watched Conclave over the holiday break and it was a fantastic film. I wanted the ending to be a little different but I loved the thought provoking result.
All Creatures Great and Small is a PBS Masterpiece show that truly is a weighted blanket of a show. It is warm and tender and sweet and almost nothing bad ever happens. Based on the real life of James Herriot, a vet in the Yorkshire Dales of northern England, Season 1 starts in the late 1930s . Season 5 came out in January and it’s just as delightful as the previous 4. It’s about found family, the scenery is STUNNING, and the general low stakes shenanigans are a welcome respite from the world. The other thing I’ve watched very slowly on solo lunch breaks, is The Jinx. Maybe the opposite of All Creatures…The Jinx follows the case of Robert Durst, who is accused of multiple murders. When this came out in 2015 it was a real phenomenon but I missed it in real time. If you like true crime, it’s a very good documentary. There are 2 seasons.
KNW:
Chaos ensued when (HBO) Max removed my beloved comfort show, The Wing Wing, from it’s catalogue two days into 2025. The error was quickly ratified, and I happily re-watched season 7 of the show while I was laid out with strep throat. I have now started back over at the beginning as one does with any good comfort content.
I also managed to finish season 3 of Emily in Paris, which is frothy + nonsensical and just what I needed as I was folding laundry at night. The Pit popped onto my Max radar during the West Wing drama and was a quick added to my queue. Three episodes deep and I plan to see out the season (big ‘ER-adjacent’ vibes). Speaking of hospitals, I’m one of 11 people still watching Grey’s Anatomy. I hadn’t started Season 21, but quickly fell back into the world of Meredith Grey (good to see you permanently back, Mere). Twenty+ seasons in with plans to see it to the bitter end…
Not sure you can fully trust my television recommendations because I don’t really do much “intense” genres and I am not one one to be wildly critical of television media content. I know what I like and don’t like so I tend to stay in my own television lane. I also have a weird proactive green flag for shows set in emergency rooms and Washington DC.
Listening
Executive decision to leave ‘audio’ books in the ‘reading’ section, we’re choosing to define listening as podcasts or other auditory content consumed in the 97 days of January,
BKS: If you love to listen to people talking about books, Currently Reading is my favorite podcast on the subject. Meredith and Kaytee do such a good job of sharing their current reads and diving into broader bookish topics every Monday. Additionally I’m back in my true crime era like it’s 2014 and I just finished season 1 of Serial. So naturally I’m combing through the archives of Crime Junkie. I know this is a true crime podcast staple but I’m just now getting into it. I scroll the episode list and just listen to episodes that intrigue me (for me that usually means an older case from the 80s or earlier and something that, maybe, has some resolution.) I’ve become pretty particular about the type of content I consume in this genre and honestly, Crime Junkie has quite the catalog to choose from.
Lastly, I’m loving the new Drew and Ellie Holcomb album that released last Friday. Juuust in the nick of time for January.
KNW: Nathan & Nora’s podcast “Every Single Album” has kept me company this month at we all prepared to watch the Grammy’s over this past weekend. Already looking forward to their Grammys recap podcast later this week. Still in my “Enneagram Era” with Susane Stabile as I try to understand myself and all my people. And finally, my ‘try to educate myself without being too overwhelmed’ efforts are being supported by Derek Thompson and Plain English ongoing deep dives into topics that I feel I should know more about.
Cooking
Here are 10 sure fire winners to help you get through your February dinners.
KNW:
Chicken Parm + Salad
Buffalo Hand Pies / (Leave out the buffalo sauce or sub in BBQ or Ranch to meet the needs of your family)
BKS:
Buffalo chicken strips (pro tip: pull half the tenders out for the kids before you sauce them and it will be a hit for everyone.)
BLTs
Tostadas (I just use all the usual taco suspects but put things on a tostada on top of refried beans. My kids skip the beans and basically eat a flat taco and love it.)
In addition to these 10 recipes, don’t forget BFD (breakfast for dinner), smoothies, takeout CFA and pizza (whether DIY or Delivery). If you repeat all these once, you have meals covered for the rest of February.
Thanks for hanging out and catching up on the choas of the last month. Onward and upward to February. May it bring all the pink and red that your hear desires.
Love,
Kristin + Betsy
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