Laura Recommends. . . .

When a thing strikes me as particularly amusing or lovely or informative, I want other people to find it and be amused or love it or learn from it too. So in that spirit, recommendations for things I think will warp your starship (as it were). Onward!

Laura Recommends...

...a podcast: A Good Read

A production of the BBC, this show is hosted by Harriet Gilbert, who every week sits down with two guests to discuss the three books (one chosen by each of the guests and one by Gilbert) all three have read for the program. As far as I can see, the only criteria for the books is that the person who chooses it thinks it is "a good read," and as such there's a wonderful variety of kinds of books featured. Guests on the show also tend to be of diverse backgrounds, which is a delight. The show is on hiatus at the moment (I believe it comes back in June), but the archives contain years of episodes for your very much listening pleasure right now.

...a short, deep dive: Pantsuit Politics interviews a dairy farmer

I've recommended the podcast Pantsuit Politics before, but today I'm suggesting a segment of a particular episode. In the most recent episode, Beth interviewed Carilynn Coombs, who owns a dairy farm with her husband. They discuss how a dairy farm works--both the hands-on farming parts and the business, administrative side--and the state of milk production and distribution in the US and why so many small dairies are in trouble. It's fascinating and important. Start at minute 24:05 to hear just the interview. It runs for about forty minutes.

...a TV show: Chef's Table

Chef's Table is a documentary Netflix original. Each episode (about an hour long) is a portrait of a world-renowned chef. These are absolutely fascinating and deeply compelling investigations of creativity, genius, ambition, and set-back. (As the chefs are from all over the world, there is often some wonderful photography of various landscapes, street markets, etc.) While the style of the show remains consistent from episode to episode (it's easy to tell you're watching Chef's Table and not some other show), beyond that there's little in the way of format to the way the episodes are presented. Usually there are some brief "talking heads" snippets with people who know the chef who is the subject of the episode and there are always a few close-ups of some signature dishes, but otherwise each episode's structure is dictated by the life and interests of the chef in the episode. All the episodes seem to go together, but no two feel alike. This distinction keeps the show fresh. I've never seen an installment that wasn't good, but I particularly recommend Volume 1, episode 3, and Volume 2, episode 1 and episode 5. Be aware that Volume 2, episode 1, contains some potentially upsetting/triggering discussion of cancer.

...an audiobook: The Uncommon Reader

This 2007 novella about Queen Elizabeth II discovering the joys of reading is a delight in print, but the audio book, which the author, Alan Bennett, reads himself, is just superb. It's funny and insightful and will make you think about reading and life and duty. I've both read and listened to the book, and Bennett's narration definitely adds a little something to the experience. At just under two and a half hours, it's perfect for listening to in one go, perhaps during an afternoon lie-about in the hammock or a car trip. 

...a curiosity in the publishing world: Romance Author Trademarks "Cocky", Romance Community Responds 

Recently a romance author trademarked the word "cocky," claiming other authors' use of the word was infringing on her brand, a series of books using "cocky" in the series title. The romance community is... not happy. This is amusing from the outside, but it's causing a good deal of anxiety and loss of sales (and thus money, obviously) for several independently published romance authors who have received cease and desist letters. That the author received the trademark is also a fairly concerning precedent. This story is continuing to develop, so if you're, like, *super* interested, follow the hashtag #cockygate on Twitter.