Summer flared its hottest this month, then began to cool in the final days. There are whispers of fall, but I’m certain the heat will be back for a final, vindictive hurrah. August has felt dedicated to preparation and new steps. Anticipation and surprises. But I see no destination. Just the things on the horizon and the unexpected along the way.

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This month’s playlist:

High and Low

Gripping. Especially since this movie manages to transform from a single-room drama to a meticulous police procedural halfway through. The protagonist’s struggle with the moral dilemma felt realistic and caused me to vacillate between disgust for him and respect. And finally land on admiration. Fantastic ending. Not ideal, but satisfying.

Bel Canto

I asked friends for book recommendations for my flight to Thailand. This was one of many, and I failed to read it until my return (I consistently overestimate how much I can read on trips). Beautiful writing. But it did not connect with me through the first two-thirds. I was not engaged with the premise and was not interested in the ceaseless digressions into the private lives of the enormous cast. The final act got me, though. I wept. The book is a sly seduction into these love affairs that consume you unaware. I gained something from this.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

Surprised by this one. Did not expect a cozy fantasy adventure about learning to treasure the time we have and the people we’re with through the eyes of an ageless elf, where a mere ten years blindsides her with more meaning than all the millennia she’s lived. Strangely relatable to me. First episode drew tears.

Grace

This is secretly another movie review. A friend invited me to watch the doc It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley. When she learned I’d never heard of him, she encouraged me not to look anything up. I wouldn’t have it any other way. The movie is a by-the-numbers music documentary, but very well executed. I walked out of the theatre with a respect for the artist and some insight into the mind of musicians--an utterly foreign place to me. Lovely interviews. Careful curation. Thoughtful. I’m a Jeff Buckley fan.

NYT Games

I never liked crosswords. Too finicky. But I was introduced to Connections a few months ago, and it’s, unfortunately, extremely my shit. This also put me back on Wordle--only a lockdown fad for me--and was coaxed to try The Mini, if only to try to best my friends’ times. I was pissed when The Mini was paywalled and “replaced” with Pips, though Pips is quite fun. I like this semi-daily ritual.

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This month, I also took photos for friends, watched so many Akira Kurosawa movies, and joined a softball league with no prior experience. I managed to hit a triple my first time at bat, and walked a lot of players when it was my turn to pitch.