procrastinationchronicles.com – how television rules my life…

new and noteworthy tv: 4/21-5/4

April 20, 2025 No Comments

A busy finale season with the enjoyable The White Lotus (HBO), the very middling The Hunting Party (NBC), the kind of charming Good Cop/Bad Cop (CW), always amusing Abbott Elementary (ABC), the series finale of the very Bosch Bosch: Legacy (Prime), and the weirdly premised but still interesting Matlock (CBS). I also finished up the touching but tough watch Dying for Sex (Hulu) and decent sci-fi The Ark, which I had recorded a while ago off of Syfy.

The site that I normally reference for this list thefutoncritic.com was down when I went to do this. So looking at other sites in different formats my have some missed but decided to add some streaming movies since I keep my eye on those as well.

You (Net) Season Premiere, Thursday 4/24 – We’re all dying to see the latest obsession and see how the whole thing raps up, odds that Dan makes it?
Etoile (Prime) Series Premiere, Thursday 4/24 – This new dramedy from the Palladinos (GGirls, Mrs. Maisel+) is set in the world of ballet at NY and Paris ballet companies.
I, Jack Wright (Brit) Series Premiere, Thursday 4/24 – A crime thriller focusing on the aftermath of a suicide and the following discoveries.
Babygirl (Max) Movie Spotlight, Friday 4/25 – Nicole Kidman stars in this erotic drama, decent reviews.
Havoc (Net) Movie Spotlight, Friday 4/25 – A detective fights through the criminal underworld to rescue a politician’s son, with Tom Hardy and Timothy Olyphant among others.
Wear Whatever the F You Want (Prime) Series Premiere, Tuesday 4/29 – Reality spotlight, the stars of What Not to Wear, Clinton and Stacy bring an updated sensibility to their latest makeovers, the original was a mainstay.
The Four Seasons (Net) Miniseries Premiere, Thursday 5/1 – A remake of the ’81 movie of three couples vacationing together and drama follows, with Tina Fey and Steve Carell among others.
Another Simple Favor (Prime) Movie Spotlight, Thursday 5/1 – I don’t remember where Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick’s characters left off but definitely intrigued to see them again in Italy.
Miss Austen (PBS) Miniseries Premiere, Sunday 5/4 – A fictional telling of Jane Austen and her sister.

The procrastinator lists mostly scripted items that may not be on your regular season pass, though notation does not imply recommendation. Times noted are typically PST, please check your local listings.

new and noteworthy tv: 4/7-4/20

April 6, 2025 No Comments

I’ve been busy watching ‘quality’ tv and movies to finish up my end-of-year lists (yes my best movie lists usually don’t get done until March). So kind of nice to just watch tv. Though I am a little behind in things. I’m so glad I don’t follow March Madness.

I burned through Mid-Century Modern (Hulu) not because it was great but because it was light, except for the loss of Linda Lavin mid-season, which was heartbreaking. I also went back and finished Squid Games (Net), which, lame, way less engaging to repeat some of these events even with the new perspective, and super lame to end mid events to set up the third and final season. Reacher (Am) is also losing a bit of its luster, the first season definitely the funnest. Over on network tv, The Irrational (NBC) finished the second season, and it’s not amazing, but he’s a likable protagonist, and his insights into the way people work are somewhat interesting in context.

Hacks (HBO) Season Premiere, Thursday 4/10, 9pm – Excited to see what Deborah and Ava get into as they launch the late-night show, they’re best when they’re on the same side, but they are good as foes.
Your Friends and Neighbors (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 4/11 – Jon Hamm stars as a failed money guy who starts stealing from his neighbors, and you know there’s secrets.
The Last of Us (HBO) Season Premiere, Sunday 4/13 – Joel and Ellie won my heart, so I’m excited to see them again, but not sure where the show is going next.
Sherlock & Daughter (CW) Series Premiere, Wednesday 4/16, 9pm – The American daughter joins to solve her mother’s murder, and I’m assuming other cases.
The Stolen Girl (Free) Series Premiere, Wednesday 4/16, 10pm – A sleepover brings the worst fears.
#1 Happy Family USA (Am) Series Premiere, Thursday 4/17 – Ramy Youssef leads the adult animated cast following an ‘upbeat’ Muslim family in America in the early 2000s.
Leverage (Am) Season Premiere, Thursday 4/17 – This show might not be great television, but I love to watch the latest heisty revenge they get on the bad guys.
Ransom Canyon (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 4/17 – Capitalizing on Yellowstone vibes, three ranching dynasties fight for land and whatnot.

best, movies

must-see movies of 2024

March 31, 2025 No Comments

This might be the latest in the year I’ve done my top movies list, but it’s still March (for a tiny bit longer)! I’ve all but stopped going to the theater and there were just a few of the touted films that took a bit to hit streaming. I like to do my movie list based on the calendar year (mostly), but those December limited release ones are always a tough get. I of course do not see everything though I do see more than most, and I almost always see all of the Academy-nominated best pictures. You will see they did not all make my cut.

Civil War – This was hard to watch this version of dystopian future (and getting harder most days) but very good, Dunst was compelling, and the journalist perspective worked.
Nickel Boys – I found the first-person camera POV on this very disconcerting at first, but it grew on me (though I probably appreciated the book more), another tough watch around a brutal reformatory in the Jim Crow South but very moving.
September 5 – A tight thriller on the hostage crisis from the perspective of the 1972 ABC Olympic Sports broadcast coverage, it limited the POV and scope of the story but kept me engaged and on edge.
Wicked – This Maguire book is an absolute favorite, and I thought the original musical did a great job of capturing the spirit and finding its own groove. I thought the cast of this was great (thought Grande moreso felt like she was channeling Chenoweth). I do remember liking the musical itself better (thought the visuals on this were fun) and personally hate a ‘to be continued.’ I think they could have done it in one go (though this endpoint actually felt like it had some completion).
A Real Pain – Anxiety-filled and poignant moments as these two cousins join a Poland tour to find their heritage, a little too anxious for me to love but Culkin earns it.
Conclave – I was expecting to hate this, religion bleh, electing a new religious official double bleh. But although there were some stretches in the story, I was completely engaged in this Pope-fest. And actually more interested in a possible upcoming turnover (not that I’ll get the behind the scenes).
All of Us Strangers – This might have technically been last year, but Andrew Scott is just so good (in anything). This look at his character’s relationship with a neighbor and his look back at his past was really weird (I had to look at the movie description part way through) but good.
My Old Ass – I love a good coming of age flick and this version has a character meets an older version of herself, while tripping of course. The dynamics on lessons of plans for our lives, love, and loss were sweet and funny (yes a few quibbles), and yes Aubrey Plaza can also do no wrong.
Thelma – Some lessons here about how we deal with aging, but this tale of truth and aspirational revenge hit a lot of great notes to be funny, sweet, and satisfying.
The Idea of You – I don’t know why it’s hard to deliver a good rom-com but this trite-sounding ‘older woman connects with younger famous musician’ hit the right notes and Anne Hathaway brought it.

I would love to know in the comments what your faves of the year were.

new and noteworthy tv: 3/24-4/6

March 22, 2025 No Comments

Throwing in the towel on Grosse Point (NBC), too confusing about things I don’t care about. I did start With Love, Meghan (Net) in which she is admittedly a little stiff but it’s a ‘sweet’ enough inspiring show.

A variety of things are also starting to rap up for the season. Shifting Gears (ABC), Animal Control (Fox), and Going Dutch (Fox) are all middling comedies but with a need for more funny I stuck with them. I also still enjoy Harley Quinn (Max) though admittedly a little less so as the novelty has worn off. And I ended up sticking with Doc (Fox) which is such a dumb premise but otherwise a pretty standard medical procedural, we’ll see where next season goes.

Alert: Missing Persons Unit (Fox) Season Premiere, Tuesday 3/25, 9pm – This show isn’t good but for some reason I have kept watching, the title is pretty self-explanatory, this season a couple new cast step in.
Side Quest (App+) Series Premiere, Wednesday 3/26 – A Mythic Quest spinoff, they do some of the best standalone episodes so curious as to this anthology treatment of those impacted by the game.
The Studio (App+) Series Premiere, Wednesday 3/26 – Seth Rogan takes the helm of a studio and takes a comedic look behind the scenes of his negotiating for success
The Conners (ABC) Season Premiere, Wednesday 3/26, 8pm – This shift post Roseanne has held up and I’ll watch into the final season.
Bosch: Legacy (Am) Season Premiere, Thursday 3/27 – Excited for the return of this even if it will reportedly be the final season, it will fill the Reacher hole in my schedule (though this is a much better show).
Mid-Century Modern (Hulu) Series Premiere, Friday 3/28 – I think there should always be a show following this Golden Girls formula, put 3 likable actors together and throw in a sassy senior, this time it’s Matt Bomer, Nathan Lane, and Nathan Lee Graham (who I don’t really know) with Linda Lavin.
The Last Anniversary (AMC+) Series Premiere, Sunday 3/30 – A young woman inherits a house on a remote island, and family secrets are found.
The Bondsman (Am) Series Premiere, Thursday 4/3 – Kevin Bacon stars as a bounty hunter back from hell to return those escaped and maybe try to redeem himself, sure.
Dying for Sex (Fx/Hulu) Series Premiere, Friday 4/4 – In this comedy, Michelle Williams plays a woman diagnosed with cancer who decides to leave her husband and explore her sexual desires, promising cast.

new and noteworthy tv: 3/10-3/23

March 8, 2025 No Comments

I did binge through Running Point (Net) which was cute but a little ridiculous and not revolutionary. I tried Suits LA (NBC) but had to pass, the characters were kind of smarmy and blah at the same time. I’ll give another watch to Grosse Point Garden Society (NBC) which is at least a little campy as we follow past and present timelines to ponder a murder. I also caught Paris & Nicole: The Encore (Pea) which was almost too painful to finish, the ridiculousness of earlier years had some charm but now the manufactured events don’t work.

Upcoming looks like a lot of drama. I just need a little more light fare though I am turning back to Squid Games (Net) which I figured I’d finish the season of even though this second series hasn’t grabbed me. I have also confused myself with adding subscriptions to Peacock and Paramount+ since I normally only do one at a time but between end-of-year movies and return series, I got overwhelmed. I still haven’t done my best pic list…

Adolescence (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/13 – A British crime drama about a 13-year-old accused of the murder of a classmate.
Long Bright River (Pea) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/13 – Amanda Seyfried stars in this suspense series as a police officer dealing with the opioid crisis and a personal connection.
Dope Thief (App+) Series Premiere, Friday 3/14 – Brian Tyree Henry stars as one of two friends who get in over their heads as they pose as DEA agents to rob a house.
Good American Family (Hulu) Series Premiere, Wednesday 3/19 – All might not be what it seems when a family adopts a girl with a rare form of dwarfism, some good cast including Ellen Pompeo, Christina Hendricks, Dule Hill, and Mark Duplass.
Happy Face (Para+) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/20 – Based on a true crime where a girl discovers her father is a serial killer.
The Residence (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/20 – Uzo Aduba as an eccentric detective solving a murder at the White House.

new and noteworthy tv: 2/24-3/9

February 23, 2025 No Comments

Finishing a few things. High Potential was one of my fave new procedurals, not because the premise particularly adds much (or is consistent) but Kaitlin Olson and the cast are good. Laid on Peacock was kind of fun chaos though don’t we all tire of the self-involved protagonist? Also on Peacock the very odd house of people taken in by some fleeing jewel thieves, Leopard Skin, not necessarily good but interesting. I also finished up Bookie which I didn’t realize was the final ep of the season which turned out to be the final ep of the series.

And caught the first Good Cop/Bad Cop which so far seems like a solid enough procedural with some small-town quirks and family drama thrown in (though my HuluTV didn’t pick it up, for some reason I’m having trouble with CW shows). Oh, and there’s a State of the Union on 3/4, personally, I won’t watch 47 live.

Black Ops (Hulu) Series Premiere, Tuesday 2/25 – This looks like a pickup of a BBC comedic series of two new recruits getting in over their heads undercover.
Running Point (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 2/27 – This is the new Mindy Kaling (+others) series starring Kate Hudson who takes over a a basketball franchise.
Toxic Town (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 2/27 – Based on a true story about mothers looking for answers when their babies are born with disabilities.
Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue (MGM+) Series Premiere, Sunday 3/2 – A small plane goes down and folks are dying one by one.
With Love, Meghan (Net) Series Premiere, Tuesday 3/4 – I don’t get all the Meghan hatred out there and since she was doing a bunch of lifestyle before she got Harried I’m mildly intrigued by this series.
Daredevil: Born Again (Dis+) Series Premiere, Tuesday 3/4 – Jessica Jones was my fave of these series but had heard Charlie Cox was coming back and curious.
Deli Boys (Hulu) Series Premiere, Thursday 3/6 – This is like Gentlemen but for Pakistani American brothers and convenience stores, and a comedy.
Dark Winds (AMC) Season Premiere, Sunday, 3/9, 9pm – This show is really good and I think I lost this channel in my switch to HuluTV so I may look into AMC+ or any other options once these are all released.

new and noteworthy tv: 2/10-2/23

February 8, 2025 No Comments

I caught the first episode of Paradise (Hulu) which aired as a tease on network and it was entertaining enough though I’m somewhat dubious they can keep the intrigue. Also happy to dive back into the not ‘good’ but fun Wild Cards (CW). The first episode of Watson (CBS) was a little too bland but very House mystery illness of the week.

And in the finishing categories, I somehow stuck with the series that I described as a medical show crafted by AI, Brilliant Minds (NBC). Finally got around to the second season of The Old Man (Fx) which honestly wasn’t as good as the first (it has since been cancelled). Fellow Travelers from my temp Paramount+ subscription was very well done but a tough watch and maybe a stitch long. And the series finale of 911: Lonestar (Fox) which was Ryan Murphy ridiculous but maybe I have a soft spot for Rob Lowe.

Now that I’ve finished my best tv of 2024 list I’m trying to do a little movie catchup to get to that list. But still enjoy dabbling in some regular shows.

Yellowjackets (Show) Season Premiere, Sunday 2/16, 9pm – This won’t be done until April so I may need to come back to my Paramount+ subscription after a month or so.
White Lotus (HBO) Season Premiere, Sunday 2/16, 9pm – I didn’t looove this show as much as others but it has definitely been well done and another stellar cast to check out.
A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story (Brit) Series Premiere, Monday 2/17 – Based on a true story of a nightclub manager whose life unraveled after getting involved with an abusive race car driver.
Death in Paradise (Brit) Season Premiere, Wednesday 2/19 – I’ve been catching this when it hits PBS but I may have lost track of it when I moved to Hulu TV.
Good Cop/Bad Cop (CW) Series Premiere, Wednesday 2/19, 9pm – Brother/sister detective team with their chief of police dad, with Leighton Meester at least worth a look.
Reacher (Am) Season Premiere, Thursday 2/20 – Sure I’ll take another round of this, it’s pretty mindless.
Zero Day (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 2/20 – Lies and conspiracy bringing Robert De Niro to the small screen along with Jesse Plemons and Lizzy Caplan so yes taking a look.
Suits LA (NBC) Series Premiere, Sunday 2/23, 9pm – With the delayed popularity of Suits they had to capitalize on it, I thought the original started fun but then I tired of it.
Grosse Point Garden Society (NBC) Series Premiere, Sunday 2/23, 10pm – The preview had kind of a Desperate Housewives murder and secrets kind of vibe.

best, tv

top tv of 2024

February 1, 2025 No Comments

I’ve never caught up on everything but at some point, I just have to call it and do a list. For reference here’s where I went last year. This year I picked up Disney+ so did a deep Marvel catchup and while they can be entertaining nothing quite hit the list. The order and the list aren’t always ones that I can necessarily argue for that heartily but here’s what it looks like.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Am) – Was this the best show of last year, maybe not, but I might have given a little extra credit because I found the new approach to this concept well done and can’t argue with the performances of Maya Erksine and Daniel Glover (though I would pay good money to see the Phoebe Waller-Bridge version).
Shrinking (App+) – This was my fave new show of last year and I’d argue that this year kicked the sophomore slump to the curb, I’m still totally drawn in by these characters and the chaos, humor, and heart in their lives.
The Diplomat (Net) – Another second season that held up, mostly because these seasons are so short and jam-packed with action (ridiculous plot perhaps), I am on the edge of my seat to see what season three will bring.
Somebody Somewhere (HBO) – This show completed its run with another season of touching moments for these characters and dare I say some growth, sad to let them go but excited to see what these actors do next.
Hacks (HBO) – After the completion of the previous season I wasn’t sure about bringing them back (story-wise) but loved the opportunity for the dynamic between Jean Smart’s Vance and Hannah Einbinder’s Daniels together in new territory, while I always want them to be encouraging each other their sparring brings the goods.
Fallout (Am) – I really don’t follow video games but knowing that The Last of Us was such a good one I’m giving them a little more credit and found myself burning through this post-apocalyptic drama, I honestly will check out nearly everything Walton Goggins is in.
Nobody Wants This (Net) – Again maybe not the ‘best’ show but it is surprisingly hard to find a good good ole rom-com and I am now officially campaigning to just keep putting actors I love together, because yes the Seth from The OC dates Veronica from Veronica Mars gives it some extra legs.
Evil (Para+) – Robert and Michelle King have almost always won me over since The Good Wife/Fight and while this show has the same smarts the literal take on evil in the world from our trio of investigators and the impact on their personal lives was so good I had to start paying when they moved to Paramount+, it had a good run.
Shogun (Fx/Hulu) – This was just one of those sweeping epics that was beautiful and compelling and really shows what an adaptation can look like, some beautiful performances all around.
The Gentlemen (Net) – I might have a recency bias for this but I was pleasantly surprised to find this aristocrat inheriting a weed empire and all the characters that go along with it, a fun ride after being kind of over Guy Richie, there’s also for me the right tone of brutality and humor that’s a fine line.

You can also see what some critics were looking at as well. Let me know what your faves were in the comments. And stay tuned for my must-see movies (which seriously mostly come out in 2025).

new and noteworthy tv: 1/27-2/9

January 25, 2025 No Comments

I feel like I’ve been watching a lot of heavy fare so I decided to dabble in some half hours. Colin From Accounts was a cute meet-cute and took advantage of the tail end of my Paramount+ account. Then I caught How To Die Alone on Hulu which was a sweet turn your life around comedy. I’ve also dabbled with the not great Doc and am giving Going Dutch and Shifting Gears a couple of episodes to see if they get a little more funny. And the Hollywood Squares reboot which was kind of old school sweet but not enough to bring me back.

Paradise (Hulu) Series Premiere, Tuesday 1/28 – A shocking murder in an exclusive community with some good names like Sterling K. Brown and James Marsden.
Mythic Quest (App+) Season Premiere, Wednesday 1/29 – This series is a gem and will be tuning back in to apple for this and a few other catch-up things.
Mo (Net) Season Premiere, Thursday 1/30 – It’s been a few years since the first season of this came out but I remember being engaged in the Palestinian family in Texas.
Wild Cards (CW) Season Premiere, Wednesday 2/5 – I dig a good con show and this fluffy con artist helps a cop redeem himself show is entertaining enough.
Apple Cider Vinegar (Net) Series Premiere, Thursday 2/6 – Kaitlyn Dever looks like a liar touting healthy habits for curing ‘cancer’.
Clean Slate (Am) Series Premiere, Thursday 2/6 – George Wallace plays an old school car wash owner whose trans daughter shows up played by Laverne Cox.
Fallen (SundN) Series Premiere, Thursday 2/6 – Based on a book series a girl is sent to a mysterious facility and dives into the battle of good vs evil.

best, books

best books of 2024 (aka the books I read)

January 20, 2025 No Comments

Book club has again kept me pretty busy, those read through that noted with an*. And while I got some nonfiction listening during my walks this year’s goal is to get a little more between book club reading in. That would of course be easier if we keep our page count down. The fave books of book club were Father of the Rain, The Bee Sting, and Demon Copperhead. I’d love to hear any faves you have to add to our list. Stay tuned for best tv and movies which just needs a little catch-up time.

*Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam – Overall I enjoyed this limited POV description though still not totally onboard for topics focusing on kind of the destruction of the world (as we know it), also appreciated the movie’s slightly different but representative take.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens – A friend loaned me her copy when she heard I hadn’t done this when it was all the rage, I mean not all that deep but I get it, never did catch the movie which got meh reviews.
*Afterlife by Julia Alvarez – I enjoyed this story of a woman’s love and loss in the immigration story.
The Arrest by Jonathan Lethem – I always enjoy a Lethem (Motherless Brooklyn, The Fortress of Solitude, Brooklyn Crime Novel, Dissident Gardens) but this post-apocalyptic (again) take a little bit odd.
*Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng – I also always enjoy an Ng (Everything I Never Told You, Little Fires Everywhere) and thought this alt-reality and family story was really touching and engaging.
*Dr No by Percival Everett – We all got on board after loving American Fiction (the movie based on a book by this author) and found this a fun ride but a super odd take on a kind of bond villain + math.
*Father of the Rain by Lily King – Becoming an always love a Lily King (Writers & Loveer, Euphoria), and this one was definitely a pull-you-in story of a woman and her strained relationship with her father.
*Silver Nitrate Sylvia by Silvia Moreno-Garcia – I honestly didn’t finish this one, I had a hectic month but I just wasn’t that into it and book club didn’t persuade me to finish, didn’t feel like it held together.
*Murder Your Employer: McMasters Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes – We liked the idea of this school for murder better than the execution (pun intended).
*The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst – I was actually enjoying this but the month got away from me and while I intended to get back to it, book schedules have yet to allow, I did catch the BBC miniseries which was a fun, now dated take.
*Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson – I have been enjoying the Kevin Wilson (Nothing to See Here, The Family Fang) and thought this was a fun take on a weird moment for a town and a girl.
*The Bee Sting by Paul Murray – We all enjoyed Skippy Dies so we went back to the well and this one was really well done but honestly kind of a bummer which I think put some off.
*Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver – We almost didn’t do this one due to Kingsolver baggage (The Poisonwood Bible, The Bean Trees, Prodigal Summer) but this turned out to be a fave though I could have done with a few edits.
*The Fraud by Zadie Smith – Another repeat author (White Teeth, Swing Time, On Beauty, NW) and I didn’t love this take on a few lives through the lens of those related to famous authors of 1800s England.

Nonfiction

Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty – I’d been familiar with Shetty through various touchpoints but hadn’t sat down to read this, it does a nice job of tying the principals together with actionable tips on how to apply, it’s not unfamiliar to Buddhist and other principles.
Deep Work by Cal Newport – He also wrote Digital Minimalism which I liked, extolling the virtues of deep work with some tips on how to relearn how to have focus, one of the keys to being more effective with your time, would read again.
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg – This had been on my shelf for ages, as a big fan of habits I really liked this, a very different structure than Atomic Habits but appreciated the case study approach to individual, organization, and society, would read again.
Brag Better by Meredith Fineman – A great story of why it’s so important to learn to brag better and some very specific examples of how to do it, would read again.
We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers – I’d been familiar with her but picked this up as a recco from my biz coach, a great moral and tactical agenda, a little more skewed to entrepreneurial options but still relevant to all.
How to Keep House While Drowning by K.C. Davis – This was definitely targeted to people who are in fact drowning, I think permission to know that your worth is not your tidiness and systems for supporting you to ease in, I appreciate a system.
Invisible Influence by Jonah Berger – This was a really good look at the science of influence, things that influence you to do something or not to do something, there’s a lot of interesting nuance but a helpful awareness, would read it again.
Self Compassion by Kristin Neff – This was one of those books that kept getting recommended in other books, she did a lovely job of talking about merits and how to do it as well as differences compared to self-esteem, would read it again.
Insecure in Love by Leslie Becker Phelps – A recommendation that wasn’t totally my jam, lots of info on romantic relationships, and the attachment styles may have been a little challenging to follow in the audio versions, though some strategies to deal with regardless of style.
The Gap and the Gain by Dan Sullivan and Dr Benjamin Hardy – I generally appreciated this framing of shifting perspective to what you’ve accomplished instead of where you have yet to go, interesting strategy regarding goals.
Give and Take by Adam Grant – I loved this science-backed perspective on giving with some amazing case studies about how giving is so a great takeaway in every chapter.
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stake are High by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, and Switzler—I almost finished this years ago but finally went back to read this in full and then discussed it again in my coaches’ book club and loved the techniques, I’ll reread this and continue to share with clients for communication.
The Universe Has Your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein—This was recommended by someone in a book or otherwise. It was a little more on the woo side, and while I liked some of the principles, I didn’t love it.
Clockwork: Design Your Business to Run Itself by Mike Michalowcz—This had some interesting ideas more focused on running your own business and overlaps with some of the ideas I discuss with my clients about really finding what is most important for you to be doing.
Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein—I have always considered myself a generalist and so I took some special appreciation about how valuable those skills are with examples and a little science to back it up, enjoyable read.
10x is greater than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less by Benjamin Hardy and Dan Sullivan—I’ve read The Gap and the Gain by these authors and this along with Who Not How are often recommended, in fact my business incubator group has a weekly book club discussing these theories in our business, what I most appreciate is the idea to step away from fine-tuning and look at what totally different (and perhaps greater) approaches could be.
Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs by John Doerr—I’ve worked in a lot of organizations that use a variety of metrics for success and finally reading this detail on OKRs was helpful to ground through this approach, the anecdotal chapters show why and the appendix gives a little more detail on how – are you clear on what you’re measuring and how?
The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande—Someone mentioned this, I think, in relation to Range, and so I added it to the list. I use checklists as a great example of how to easily “Digitize” in my 6Ds framework, but these examples really drive the approach home.
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg—I didn’t read this when it was first all the rage and then avoided it when all the backlash hit, and there were definitely some valuable insights within this while also being flawed in its approach from a place of privilege among other things.
Radical Candor: Be a Kick-ass Boss without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott—Communication is one of the key areas I work with clients and teams on so this approach was really illuminating, I might take a few of the techniques with a grain of salt but appreciate the take.
Zero Limits: The Secret Hawaiian System for Wealth, Health, Peace and More by Joe Vitale and Ihaleakala Hew Len—A friend said they found this approach really impactful and I was intrigued but felt like the approach of the book was limiting in that I felt like it set up the need to attend a workshop to really try out that might have shifted some of the ideas that didn’t totally resonate.
The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter by Michae D. Watkins—This was another book I started ages ago and have read parts of, I found it much more insightful than I initially thought dealing with some great questions and approaches, particularly for those entering at leadership roles, it would be impactful throughout your career and at any transition.
Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change by Susan Bridges and William Bridges—This was another book club book pick except they picked Transitions by the same author which was apparently more specifically about the qualities of transitions while Managing was for me a great pick in that it focused more on how to manage more organizational transitions, a great evaluation of phases with lots of great criteria to evaluate how to make the most successful.

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