December 20, 2024
A favorite show, top books of 2024, and some tunes.
And it’s another (sporadic return) of 3 Things.
It was a busy year and I didn’t make time for this little newsletter at all but I am currently working on a little strategy for posting in the new year. It will still be 3 things, mostly on Fridays, but with a new look and some new direction.
Thing # 1
TV I love — The Mafia Kills Only in Summer (TV series)
The Mafia Kills Only in Summer (La mafia uccide solo d'estate) is an Italian comedy-drama that combines dark humor with a heartfelt exploration of Sicily’s mafia history. Set in Palermo, the story follows Salvatore “Totò” Vele, a boy growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, as he navigates the typical challenges of childhood—such as school, friendships, and first love—against the backdrop of the ever-present mafia.
There is a good balance of humor and drama with Totò’s innocent perspective highlighting the absurdities of the mafia’s influence on everyday life. The title itself symbolizes the fact that, despite the violence associated with the mafia, its presence often becomes invisible or normalized for ordinary people, particularly children who grow up with it as a constant backdrop.
The narrative does not dwell heavily on graphic violence but rather examines how life in Sicily has been shaped by both the fear of and acceptance of the mafia, all through the lens of a family’s everyday existence. Totò’s coming-of-age story is a touching and comedic journey as he grapples with love, loss, and the peculiarities of growing up in a place overshadowed by the mafia.
Note: I spent some time in Palermo this October during my honeymoon. We specifically went there because of this show, and it was fun to see so many locations from the series in real life. Also, there is a film by the same name but I do not know anything about it as I have not watched it and do not know if it is related.
Thing # 2
Books — Top reads this year
Beautyland — Marie-Helene Bertino
The Wedding People — Alison Espach
Sandwich — Catherine Newman
Sea of Tranquility — Emily St. John Mandel
The Sea, the Sea — Iris Murdoch
Hamnet — Maggie O'Farrell
Martyr — Kaveh Akbar
Thing # 3
Post Wedding Blues — A playlist
*Some songs I have been enjoying…
Post Wedding Blues
Hotline — Billie Eilish
Favor — Julien Baker
So We Won't Forget — Khruangbin
Gideon — My Morning Jacket
THE DINER — Billie Eilish
Juna — Clairo
Es Una Fantasia — Helado Negro
Are You Looking Up — Mk.gee
It Must Change — ANOHNI, Antony and the Johnsons
The Smoke — The Smile
Back to Me — Moonchild
She's Leaving You — MJ Lenderman
Lullaby — Grace Ives
Let The Light In — Lana Del Rey, Father John Misty
Mornin | Streetlights — Dawn Richard
Weird Goodbyes — The National, Bon Iver
Docket — Blondshell, Bully
Babyyy — Grace Ives
The List — Moonchild
You Can Make Me Feel Bad — Arthur Russell
Imprint — Felt
Mariella — Khruangbin, Leon Bridges
Evergreen — Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners
Suburbia — NoSo
Take Off Ur Pants — Indigo De Souza
Colores Del Mar — Helado Negro
Eyesore — Women
*Bonus Things!
167 Best Book Covers of 2024 *you gotta scroll for the good stuff
From beachgoers to the Beatles: David Hurn’s photos of bookworms
That’s all for this dispatch of Things on Friday. Thanks for reading. Hopefully, you’ll stick around for future Things!
Signing off from a weird and warm Christmas season
— Staci