In this week’s Personal Space, our weekly newsletter, we cut the small talk and got straight to what was on our minds: everything we’ve been reading, watching, eating, listening to and buying this summer. Below, find recommendations from the Kveller team (and click here to subscribe and see what we’re watching, reading, eating, and listening to every week!)
Molly Tolsky, Editor
Lior Zaltzman, Deputy Editor
Shevy Baskin, Director of Audience Development
Daci Platt, Audience Engagement Associate
Romi, age 10, daughter of Chief Content Officer Deborah Kolben and our most popular guest author of all time.
What to watch:
The Judy Blume documentary on Amazon Prime (“Judy Blume Forever”) simultaneously made me want to read every single one of her books, start a career writing YA, and book a vacation to Key West to visit Judy at her bookstore. —Molly
“The Bear” on FX/Hulu is the first show I’ve watched in months where I’ve put away all other screens —Daci
New episodes of “Bluey” just dropped. If your little kids aren’t watching this, I don’t know what to tell you. — Shevy
“Take Care of Maya” on Netflix will scar you for life and make you rethink every medical encounter you have as a parent (this is both a rec and a warning) —Lior
I’ve never been a “Black Mirror” person but the first episode in the new season, “Joan Is Awful,” got me hooked enough to watch the whole new season. —Molly
My 8-year-old and I love watching “Is It Cake”, and the second season just came out on Netflix. (The first episode features a matzah ball soup cake!) —Daci
“The Hunger Games.” —Romi
What to read:
This is possibly the most delightful book on delis you will ever read. —Lior
“The Guest” by Emma Cline is a beach read for people who hate beach reads. —Molly
I did not think I would relate to this book about a mother who thinks she’s turning into a dog, but I did in fact relate to this book about a mother who thinks she’s turning into a dog. —Daci
Rachel Lynn Solomon has a steamy new romance “Business or Pleasure,” and her books are always such a pleasure to read. —Lior
“The Hunger Games.” —Romi
What to listen to:
“The Retrievals,” a haunting podcast about the way women’s and mothers’ pain gets treated in America. —Lior
I haven’t stopped listening to this Jewish musician since the story broke about Paul Rudd appearing in their new video. —Daci
I love every track 2018 Israeli Eurovision winner Netta puts out, and her new single “Everything” is a total earworm. —Lior
The “Such a Fun Age” audiobook was such a fun listen (see what I did there). —Molly
My husband and I listened to Jennette McCurdy’s “I’m Glad My Mom Died” together and now we are trauma-bonded. —Lior
My husband has grown annoyed at how much Sheryl Crow I’ve been listening to lately but I have no regrets. —Molly
“Stranger Things” star Noah Schnapp was recently filmed in Tel Aviv dancing to Israeli pop star Mergui’s “Sucks To Know You.” It’s such a bop.
“The Hunger Games” —Romi
What to buy:
I’m obsessed with this shirt from Phoenicia Diner in Upstate New York, which I recently visited and was so good. —Lior
I may be biased but I got a lot of compliments when I wore the Kveller “did you eat” shirt on my recent vacay —Molly
Don’t ask me to explain it, but somehow this really does make mosquito bites stop itching —Daci
I bought a new swimsuit and I didn’t hate it! —Molly
I wore this incredibly comfortable potato sack of a jumpsuit to the farmer’s market and realized 75% of the women there were also wearing it. —Daci
I regret to inform you that these $26 overalls from Amazon are pretty nice. —Molly
“The Hunger Games.” —Romi
What to eat:
This snack mix that I recently found at Costco is absolutely addictive (and yes, it’s kosher!) —Lior
I’ve now made enough successful recipes from this book to officially recommend it (this one was especially good after going strawberry picking) —Daci
My 1-year-old and I have recently discovered the joy of freeze dried fruit, like these cinnamon apple slices and these Trader Joe’s bananas. —Molly
I highly recommend my favorite summer treat: eating a ripe peach over the kitchen sink and not worrying about how messy you get. (To take it up a level: order peaches. It’s worth it.) —Daci
If you’ve never had a corn pancake, you need to change that. We make these all the time. — Shevy
Peanut butter and pickles. But not together. That would be gross — Romi
