Welcome to Simplavida Sunday, a quick look at a few things we are reading, watching, using, listening to, etc.
Let's get going.
Books
Paul's book pick of the week is Raymond Chandler's Lady in the Lake, an underrated noir, full of plot twists, narrative sleight-of-hand, Philip Marlowe, and, as the title suggests, a lady in a lake. Chandler once wrote that when stumped in writing a novel, have a guy come through a door with a gun in his hand and then deal with it. I think having a lady appear in a lake works better, on this books's evidence.
Howard's book pick is Sinclair Lewis's classic and cautionary It Can't Happen Here, about the fragility of democracy, and the cracks through which fascism can appear in modern societies.
Listening
Paul is mostly an audiobooks and podcasts guy, but he is currently obsessed with Fontaines D.C.'s latest track Starburster. The Irish post-punk band's months-old release is a trippy melange of Radiohead, Interpol, and, you know, Gregorian monks. It is chanting, swooping, looping, halting, and delirious, perfect for Sunday morning hill intervals. Paul had it on loop for an hour recently and didn't even notice.
Movies
Returning to the Chandler theme, Paul just finished the fiercely innovative 1946 version of Lady in the Lake. There are other versions, as well as an upcoming Apple TV variant. Still, this one is a classic, in particular for its bold attempt at truly first-person narration, which doesn't entirely work but is worth celebrating.
Gear
Paul's current favorite flat trail/road shoe is the Asics Novablast 4. He's onto his third pair, and loves them for Zone 2 training days. They are Hokas for actual runners, as opposed to, you know, boomer airport walkers with roller bags and/or gelato salespeople.
Back next week with more ... stuff.
