Monthly Repertoire #1
May's roundup of what I read, listened to, obsessed over, and bought
I’ve wanted to do a monthly roundup like this for a while, but was honestly having trouble coming up with a title. I’ve settled on “Monthly Repertoire,” a nod to my ballet past. In these monthly roundups, I’ll share what I read that month, podcasts I listened to, shows/movies I watched, things I obsessed over, what I bought, what I’ve been up to, etc. Hope you enjoy!
What I Read
I’ve been in a reading rut—too tired to read in the evening and unmotivated to pick anything up, but I think I’m coming out of it. This month, I read four books.
The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis | Amazon | Bookshop.org
I had the opportunity to attend the Annual Indy Book & Author Luncheon benefitting Christamore House at the end of April, and Fiona Davis was one of the featured authors. I’ve always heard spectacular things about her writing, but I often have to be in the right headspace for historical fiction, so I hadn’t previously picked any of her novels up. Long story short, what was I waiting for? I now feel like I need to read her entire back catalog. This is a story across two timelines centering on the Metropolitan Museum of Art and two women whose paths cross in unexpected ways over a stolen Egyptian artifact in a heist occurring on the night of the Met Gala. (Diana Vreeland is a very fun side character.) There’s a mystery, the pursuit to recover the stolen antiquity, a bit of 1970s New York glamour, and a really beautiful intergenerational female friendship.
5/5 stars
The Favorites by Layne Fargo | Amazon | Bookshop.org
This was the Indy Beach Reads & Bubbly April book club pick, which I, admittedly hadn’t finished by the time we held our weekend book retreat. We had the opportunity to have a Zoom call with (pictured below) with author Layne Fargo, which made me want to finish the book, and I’m so glad I did. This book was a bit polarizing among my book club members, but I really enjoyed it. I didn’t particularly like the characters, and I’m embarrassed to admit that I’m an English major who never read Wuthering Heights, but I really loved the immersive, dramatic, sometimes over-the-top world of ice dancing, as well as the storytelling style, which was reminiscent of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Daisy Jones & The Six, which is one of my favorite novels I’ve read in the last ten years. The book has been optioned, so I’m excited to see what the adaptation looks like.
4/5 stars
Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green | Amazon | Bookshop.org
In March, I lucked into an extra ticket to John Green’s sold-out Indianapolis stop on his Everything is Tuberculosis book tour. One thing you should know about me is that I’ve been following John Green’s career for almost 20 years, back when he and Hank started The Vlog Brothers. You know, when YouTube used to be fun and not a pipeline for incels. Looking for Alaska will always remain in my all-time top five favorite books, and I will read anything he writes. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, but oh my gosh, it was such a beautiful story that taught me so much. Green takes a topic that can feel overwhelming and opaque (did you know TB kills over one million people globally on an annual basis?) and weaves history, personal stories, and primarily the life of Henry, a teenager suffering from a drug-resistant strain of the disease in Sierra Leone into a book that has both gravitas and heart at a time when so much of the important funding that helps fight this illness all over the world is being cut by the Trump administration’s bull-in-a-China-shop strategy to reduce the size of the federal government. Put simply, I loved this book, and think it should be requisite reading in 2025.
5/5 stars
Be Ready When The Luck Happens by Ina Garten | Amazon | Bookshop.org
I listened to this one, and just as everyone says, it was a total delight. I loved hearing about Ina’s journey (I had no idea she worked for the Office of Management & Budget!), how she came to buy the Barefoot Contessa store, and her beautiful love story with Jeffrey. The descriptions of food alone are worth it. I just loved hearing about her and Jeffrey’s summer camping their way through Europe, her decision-making (she has deep business acumen, but also takes many risks), and how she really seems to live life in a way that is both beautiful and savory. It’s like the memoir equivalent of a decadent meal.
4.5/5 stars
What I Watched
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (Hulu)
Wow, what a mess. I’m not a big traditional reality tv watcher (I’ve never seen an entire season of The Real Housewives—I know, I know!), but this show brings together a lot of my hyper fixations (Mormons, momfluencers, the performance of motherhood, white feminism). I’ll put my main takeaways in bullet points:
I really hope Jen is okay. I’ve never heard of production making the decision to stop filming someone out of respect for their mental health, so kudos to the Hulu team for making that decision.
Taylor’s parents’ behavior, especially at the barbecue, is unbelievable. I feel awful that she had to endure that conversation (and probably many more similar ones).
I was bored by the Demi/Taylor drama. Just like last season with Whitney, some of it felt forced. Why does someone always have to be “out”?
For a more thorough breakdown, I enjoyed this conversation between
and :The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
Warning: Spoilers Ahead
I think I’m in the tiny minority here, but I liked the series finale episode? While the last season, overall, was lackluster and somewhat boring, I think they wrapped it up, as well as they could have given the constraints they’d been given around the Hannah/June reunion in preparation for The Testaments. I think episodes 8 (Exodus) and 9 (Execution) were the best of the season, and I will never forget that final shot of Lawrence, nor the character arc of Aunt Lydia. I last had watched Season 5 when I was pregnant with Rowan (I remember having an absolutely unhinged meltdown while watching the Serena birth scene), so it was definitely a different experience watching as a mom. After all, the original sin of the series/the world of Gilead is ripping children from their mothers, and that’s really hard to stomach as a mother.
The Pitt (HBO Max)
I know I’m way behind the 8 ball on this one, but wowowow, this show is so good. I wasn’t sure how I’d take to it since I don’t tend to love procedurals, have never seen ER, and stopped watching Grey’s Anatomy after the third or fourth season, but I loved it so much. Be prepared to cry at least once an episode.
What I Listened To
This Episode of about Karoline Leavitt
In traditional fashion,
and wax poetic about how Leavitt (and the Trump administration writ large) is basically a professional troll designed to grab attention and own the libs.This Episode of The Dream
A conversation between host Jane Marie and Charlotte Palermino (founder of Dieux Skin) discussing skincare marketing and how wellness narratives seep into nearly everything that’s sold to us.
This conversation about education and public school
As someone firmly in the Team Public School camp, I found this discussion refreshing and honest. I think we have a lot of potential to think through a 2025 version of education reform and conversations like this are a good starting point.
What I Obsessed Over
Eurovision
I became a Eurovision superfan during the pandemic. I blame a couple friends of mine, as well as
’s pandemic-era Patreon PowerPoint parties when one of her listeners did a deep dive on Eurovision. I remain convinced that the best lineup of songs was 2021 (the 2020 re-do - playlist below), but 2025 was a relatively entertaining lineup. Although, if I can make a plea to Peacock, it would be to bring back Johnny Weir as U.S. host in 2026.My favorites from 2025 are linked below:
“Wasted Love” by JJ (Winner, Austria)
“Bara Bada Bastu” by KAJ (Sweden)
“Hallucination” by Sissal (Denmark)
This Conversation Between and about Momfluencer Brooke Raybould
I had no idea who Brooke Raybould was before this Substack Live, but wow, this conversation was eye-opening. Such a rich text on the performance of motherhood, optimization culture, and aesthetics.
What I Bought
I mostly try to stick to thrifting, but I needed some new summer staples (think linen pants and shorts that are suitable for chasing a toddler), and I’m obsessed with everything I recently acquired (on major sale from Old Navy and Gap).
Pants
Drawstring Barrel Leg Jeans: I am truly obsessed with these. I know people, especially millennials, have *feelings* about the barrel leg jean trend, but I love it, and these are so comfy, soft, and perfect for summer.
Linen Striped Drawstring Pants: I needed to replace a pair of white linen pants from Old Navy that had totally worn out, and these are perfect.
Black Linen Pants: These are basically a direct replacement for a pair that I accidentally shrunk in the wash a couple months ago. Whoops.
Shorts
I am always on the hunt for the perfect pair of shorts. THESE are IT. Long enough for chasing a toddler, slightly A-line, and with an elastic waist in the back, I need them in every color immediately.
Tops
I purchased a couple of tanks from Old Navy. This linen blend one in a couple of colors, this one in the “it” color of the season, butter yellow, and this one in this amazing blue and white floral. I also bought the matching skort for the linen blend one.
This perfect t-shirt. I’m always on the hunt for the perfect white t-shirt, and I love how this one is slightly cropped with longer sleeves and a really nice weight.
Shoes
I’d been lusting after these shoes for a couple of summers now, and finally bought them with my J. Crew birthday discount when they were on sale. They’re surprisingly comfortable and I’ve received so many compliments.
Swimsuits
I bought this long sleeve two-piece on the recommendation of Carly who writes
here on Substack from Lands’ End of all places, as well as this top and skirt coverup combo. I love it all.This SwimZip suit for Rowan. I’m constantly on the hunt for full-body rash guards that don’t require as much sunscreen application, and this one is neon, which, with drowning in the news again lately, is the safest for kids in the water.
What I’ve Been Up To
Gardening
I’ve been (slowly) setting up our backyard garden with veggies and cut flowers. The weather needs to cooperate so I can get back out there and finish. I made the following reel while I was setting up the vegetable bed that discusses how we need to reclaim motherhood narratives from the conservative right.
Attending The Indy 500
This past weekend, I went to the Indy 500 for the first time in a couple of years. I didn’t grow up watching the race, but I’m a full convert and true Indy resident now. Despite the less-than-stellar weather, late start, and first half of the race being run on a yellow, it was just the best!
Planning our First Moms for Indiana In-Person Event
and I are so excited to host a book club where we’ll be discussing ’s and ’s book Democracy in Retrograde at The Indianapolis Propylaeum. If you’re local, we’d love to have you. The nominal fee will cover the cost of renting the venue and refreshments. You can RSVP here! 
That’s all for now. Tell me in the comments what you’ve watched, listened to, obsessed over, bought, or been up to in the last month - I’d love to hear it!
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