232. Things I've liked

I feel like more and more of my life just revolves around consuming content. Summer is a particularly rich time for consuming content. I feel like I should be outside more and not in front of a screen, but that’s the way things go nowadays. These are the best things I have watched or read so far this summer:

1. Captain America: Civil War. This is by far my favorite movie of the summer so far. It was just enjoyable in so many ways. I love the characters. The storyline sucked me in with a good mixture of action, mystery, suspense, and enjoyable people. I’ve seen a lot of superhero movies since college and I think this might be a top 3 choice for me. I saw it twice in the same week in the theaters. I haven’t done that with too many other films. A fun antidote to the all the other crap that our world is dealing with on a daily basis.

2. The Hike by Drew Magary. I actually got this book via Audible. I like Magary’s writing. He’s funny, snarky, intelligent, and I like to hear his takes on stuff. I kind of expected the same brand of humor in this. Little did I know that this was actually a thriller. The book center’s around a man who visits rural Pennsylvania on a business trip and ends up stumbling into an alternate dimension when he goes out for a little hike. I’m glad I got this via audiobook because I gave up my weekly podcast binge to listen to it. If you’re looking for something that’s a little scary, weird, and just a little bit warm and friendly, check out the Hike.

3. Pothole Confidential by R.T. Rybak. This was another book that I had trouble putting down. I really like R.T. and I’d even met him a couple of times. He always struck me as someone who generally cares about all parts of the city of Minneapolis. This book showed that. It talks about triumph, tragedy, good times, tough times, and a bunch of other little things that often get overlooked in the typical coverage of politics. In this sweltering hellhole of an election season, Rybak’s memoir was a tall, ice cold glass of lemonade. It made me gain a little bit more faith in public officials.

4. Stranger Things. This has been the show of the summer. And for good reason. It’s terryfying, fun, spooky, and beautiful. It tells the story of when a fourth of fifth grade boy goes missing in a small Indiana town. His group of friends goes looking for him, as does his mom and the local sheriff. It definitely has that 80s horror vibe, but it’s not absolutely terrifying. The kids are what really makes the show. Kids are often used as just another way to tell a story, but these kids are the story. We’re seeing the world through their eyes. It made me miss my younger days of hatching schemes and riding around town on my bike. I’m guess this will be even better to watch in October.