79. What's Fuelling Me These Days
A roundup of what I'm watching, reading, listening, and eating these days!
A slightly different format for Belle’s Book Club today…
Not just because I’m sending it far too late (this week feels all mixed up!!) but also because I had a lot of recs across books, eats, podcasts, and products that have been fuelling me both creatively and personally — so this week you get a roundup of recs!
What I’m Reading…
Dark Matter: I’ve been on a big Blake Crouch kick recently. His books are jam-packed, super easy to read, and make me think more than the average thriller novels. This one is about a man who is kidnapped, and wakes up in a world that is not his own. He has to figure out what happened to him, who he is, and ultimately, how far he’ll go to get his own life back. I gave this one 4/5 stars!
This article about the death of resumé’s and how AI is holding the smoking gun. Such a fascinating read about how the job market is working these days, with so many people utilizing AI to both apply for, and screen for jobs. This article reminded me of the importance of human connection, and the increase we’re seeing in the value of your network and community.
This Substack piece on how being too ambitious is a form of self-sabotage. I loveee how many fascinating takes I find on Substack. In particular, this phrase stands out from the article:
“We are perhaps the only species that suffers from our own imagination. A bird building a nest does not first conceive of the perfect nest and then suffer from the inadequacy of twigs and mud….But humans? We possess the strange gift of being haunted by visions of what could be, tormented by the gap between our aspirations and our abilities.”
What I’m Eating…
My go-to for easy, crisp lunches these days is chicken salad but without the chicken. I make a batch of quinoa on Sunday, mix it with corn, black beans, and finely chopped kale, and put that in the fridge.
Then, every day at lunch time I chop up any other vegetables (cucumber, tomato, peppers) and add that to my mixture. I add a scoop of greek yogurt, a dash of lemon juice, and a TON of salt, pepper, and dill. Mix, and scoop it onto some seedy bread.
I’m also eating coconut + pumpkin seed cookies which are salty, sweet, and scrumptious. I cream together some butter and sugar, add two eggs and a scoop of peanut butter, add pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, salt, oats, and a small amount of flour and then top with some brown sugar before they go in the oven.
This cake by Broma Bakery: I made this several times in one month because it was SO easy and delicious! Twice with strawberries and once with blackberries. I think strawberry was superior. Perfect for a Summer gathering, a weekend treat, or (like we did) a date night activity on a random Tuesday!
What I’m Listening To…
Titanic, Ship of Dreams: This podcast series was a recommendation from Susie B and it is SO well done. Of course, like almost every woman my age, I grew up fascinated by the Titanic. This series takes you through the story, history, and horrors of the Titanic story. From build to infamy.
Mr. Electric Blue: I have no idea why Benson Boone is getting so much hate on this fun, 70s pop-style album but I’ve had this catchy tune stuck in my head all week! A summer-y album with stellar vocals, what’s not to love??
Ralph, the album: I photographed Ralph at a music festival when I worked for my university newspaper YEARS ago, and this was her new album at that time. I’ve had a bit of a renaissance with it and it’s on repeat a lot in my house these days!
What I’m Watching…
Dept Q: I’ve been unimpressed with a lot of shows coming out of Netflix these days, but THIS SHOW was phenomenal, terrifying, and gripping. It’s a british crime drama with really well done storytelling and character development. We were hooked for all 9 creepy episodes.
MasterChef: Rewatching old seasons of MasterChef has been a great source of comfort lately. You can watch a bunch of past seasons on Prime - I just finished season 4 (an incredible season) and I love having episodes on while I cook dinners.
Jurassic World Rebirth: I’m going to see this tonight and I’m so excited! I oddly adore the Jurassic movies, like all of them. I find series like James Bond or Jurassic so fun because they are all the same story, working within specific constraints, but told in slightly different ways or with new filming strategies. Plus, I just love dinos.
What I’m Loving…
Cutting my hair: I chopped like 10 inches off at the beginning of June and I am OBSESSED with the short hair for Summer trend. So easy to deal with, so sweet with a hat, and so light on your neck.
Biking for fun: Ever since I was 15, I would bike to work, to soccer practice, to University, or a friend’s house. It’s always been a form of transit for me, so when I started biking through the massive park behind our house, I realized it was the first time I’ve cycled for fun! I absolutely love getting out for a ride in the sunshine and just soaking up the fresh air and greenery.
Coworking Days: I ran my first “Coworking Friday” a while ago and we’ve done another few Fridays since then! It’s such a fun way to end the week with some ‘coworkers’, snacks, and accountability!
The Gazelle shoes: These cute, pale pink Adidas kicks were my Summer shoe pick and I am LOVING them. They’re comfortable and they work with dresses/shorts/jeans.
My scent of the Summer: This is my scent always, actually, but it’s especially good in the Summertime! Balmy, not too sweet but not too heavy, I love it so much.
Thank you so much for being here and chat next Wednesday,
xo — Belle