Some of the Books, Podcasts, and TV Shows I loved in 2022

Friends, I’ve made a 5 minute Double Shift community survey to get your feedback on this newsletter and other offerings I’m considering for 2023. Getting your opinion is HUGELY helpful to me. Everyone who fills it out will be entered to win a $50 bookshop.org gift certificate. TIA!

As we kick into holiday gear here in the US, I’m rounding up some of the media I consumed/recommended/talked about this year in the newsletter.

Feel free to throw a few of these books on your Christmas list to avoid your grandmother buying you used lingerie from the thrift store (true story) or add the podcasts to your queue in anticipation of a long travel day. The TV series are all a great reason to retire early to a TV to decompress after non-stop family time.

I’m proud to say nothing on this list is sponsored and I get no affiliate link kickbacks, so you know all of my recommendations are 100% genuine.

No audio newsletter this week. Travel safe, savor your food, and get some rest if you can.

ALSO: I'd be remiss if I didn't share that I had my first article published in Harvard Business Review this week. It's a topic I think will resonate with many of you: 5 Things Employers Get Wrong about Caregivers at Work. I hope this will foster some meaningful converation among leaders, and I'm excited to do more speaking and consulting on this topic next year. Hit me up if your ERG or DEI leaders would like to bring me to talk with your workplace about programming.

Onto this list....

Books I Loved This Year (in no particular order)

Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change: Angela Garbes’ memoir/manifesto is essential reading.

Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto: A powerful meditation against capitalism, busyness and grind culture, and what it takes from us.

Dietland: A Novel Twisted, funny, satirical, and memorable.

Mountains Beyond Mountains: An inspirational biography of the legendary Paul Farmer for all who are interested in social change.

Equal Partners: Improving Gender Equality at Home: If you’ve enjoyed Kate Mangino's insights in the newsletter and want to do more thinking and taking action about equal partnership, definitely buy the book.

Mother Brain: How Neuroscience is Rewriting the Story of Parenthood: Challenge so many of your assumptions about motherhood and learn some fascinating brain science.

The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms Gurus, Goop and the False Promise of Self-Care: I can’t shut up about this book. You won’t be able to “unsee” the wellness industrial complex after this.

Crying in HMart: A moving memoir about a mother-daughter relationship.

How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk: The number #1 most recommended parenting book by our Double Shift member community.

Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living: A little bit nerdy, but deeply impacting how I’m thinking about community.

Woman at 1,000 Degrees: An engrossing Icelandic historical novel spanning the 20th-21st centuries.

A Minute to Think: A book on creativity and productivity that’s actually good in a very over-saturated genre.

TV Series I loved This Year (in no particular order)

Minx : 1970s feminist journalist teams up with a pornographer with a heart of gold.

Old Enough!: Adorable Japanese children completing errands on their own that will shock and delight you. Also good for watching with your own kids.

A League of Their Own: More fun and more gay than the original.

Serialized Podcasts I loved This Year (in no particular order)

The Trojan Horse Affair: From Serial Productions, a fascinating story about Muslim panic in Britain.

Under The Influence with Jo Piazza: Seasons 1 and 2 Great reporting on moms and influencer culture.

Cover Story Seasons 1 and 2 from NYMag: Season 1 is  great reporting about the dark side of the mainstreaming of psychedelics. Season 2 is just heating up and I'm addicted. Hosted by my former colleague Hanna Rosin, it's about a shady billionaire and ex-CIA guys with lots of secrets to unravel.

Tomorrow’s members-only thread will hit your inbox at 8PM EST, right around when the Thanksgiving dust has settled.... and I’ll be asking Double Shift members to share their most crucial holiday survival tactic.

Do me a favor? I’ve made a 5-minute Double Shift community survey to get your feedback on this newsletter and other offerings I’m considering for 2023. Your opinions are HUGELY helpful to me. As a thank you, I'll randomly select one lucky winner among those who fill out the survey by midnight EST December 8th to win a $50 bookshop.org gift certificate.