Summer R & R List – Diocesan Staff Recommendations

by | Jul 8, 2021

If you have some spare time this summer, but find your what-to-try list either empty or running amok, check out our curated list of things to read, listen to, watch, and game. Your diocesan staff offers up a bit of everything — from the heartwarming (Ted Lasso) to the thought-provoking (Jesus and John Wayne) to the blood-pumping (Soca 2021 Latest Hits). There’s sure to be something here to help you catch up on your much needed R & R. 

What we’re watching

Ted Lasso (AppleTV, season 1 available, season 2 starts July 23)
Mare of Eastown (HBO Max)
In the Heights (Hurry! Leaves HBO Max July 11)
Mythic Quest (Apple TV)
Workin’ Moms (Netflix)
Special (Netflix)
Death in Paradise (Netflix)
Messiah (Netflix)
Hamilton (Disney+) then the original 1776 (Amazon Prime or iTunes)
The Summer Olympics (NBC and NBC affiliated channels)
Schitt’s Creek (Netflix)
Loki (Disney+)
Great British Baking Show (Netflix)
Peaky Blinders (Seasons 1-5 on Netflix)

what we’re watching, second inning: Can’t forget baseball!

The Natural
A League of Their Own
42
Bull Durham
For the Love of the Game
The Rookie
Sandlot
The Babe
Moneyball

What we’re reading

Nonfiction

Small Victories: Spotting Improbable Moments of Grace – Anne Lamont
Think Again – Adam Grant
Digital Minimalism – Cal Newport
Jesus and John Wayne – Kristin Kobes Du Mez
Dear Church – Lenny Duncan
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent – Isabel Wilkerson
Looking for God in Messy Places – Jake Owensby
Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time – Marcus Borg


Fiction

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry – Fredrik Backman
Anxious People – Fredrik Backman
The Testaments: A Novel – Margaret Atwood
The Book of Longings – Sue Monk Kidd
The Girl With the Stars in Her Eyes – Xio Axelrod
A Grain of Wheat – Ngugi wa Thiong’o

What we’re listening to

Singles 

Masego (Youtube)
Rising Appalachia (Youtube)
Jon Batiste (Youtube)
Why Don’t We Go to Italy,  I Am a Town and Down at the Twist and Shout – Mary Chapin Carpenter (All Spotify)
Sounds of Summer (with Slightly Stoopid) – The Movement (Spotify)
Todo se transforma – Jorge Drexler
Palm Beach – Vicente Garcia
Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison


Albums

Ruthie Foster’s Let it Burn (esp. 1st track Welcome Home)
Strunz and Farrah’s Americas 

Spotify Playlists

In the Heights
Soca 2021 Latest Hits 
90s Country Music 
Jazz Guitar Classics 
Mozart Summer Classical 
Swirlyfoot’s EDM Favs 
Swirlyfoot’s Acapella Favs 
Swirlyfoot’s Fav Jazz Covers 
Swirlyfoot’s Disney Favs 
Billy Joel
Harry Chapin
Jim Croce
Cat Stevens
Sunshine Reggae
Uplifting Soul Classics


Podcasts

Unlocking Us with Brené Brown 
Under the Influence with Jo Piazza 
Smartless with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett

Audio books

Game of Thrones (series) – George R.R. Martin
The Vorkosigan Saga (series) – Lois McMaster Bujold
Dating Makes Perfect – Pintip Dunn 


What we’re gaming

Animal Crossing New Horizons (Rev. Todd’s Nintendo friend code is SW-8240-3424-0441!)
Dadish, in which a dad (who’s also a radish) must defeat various obstacles and fast food villains to regather his angsty and scattered radish children.