Chicago's NPR News Source

Nerdette Newsletter: Book Club! Succession! Muffins!

The Nerdette newsletter is a curated list of things to do, eat, watch, think about, read, and generally enjoy. Delivered every Friday.

Nerdette Delightful AF Newsletter Nerdsletter

Hey there!

The final episode of the #NerdetteBookClub is out today! This was a bit of an experiment, and we’d love to know whether you liked it! Did you follow along? What could have been better? Feel free to reply to this email with your ideas. We want ALL OF THEM! We’ll be back with a normal episode of Nerdette on Friday, October 18.

So! Now that we’re done with The Testaments, you might be wondering what to read next. Here are some ideas from the book club panel:

  • Jill is excited to dive into Mikki Kendall’s Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists, a historical graphic novel about the fight for women’s rights.

  • Heather can’t say enough good things about What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker, a memoir by Damon Young that keeps popping up in my universe, a sure sign to read it.

  • And if you STILL haven’t read Madeline Miller’s Circe, I think it would be a great palate cleanser after The Testaments. It’s a feminist retelling of Greek mythology, full of nuance and texture and lush explorations of power and privilege and immortality and grace. Read it already!

Earlier this week, I tweeted that I’ve officially seen enough episodes of Succession to want to do nothing but watch Succession (which, for the record, is two.) Rich people behaving badly is one of my favorite genres, and this does not disappoint.

I can’t wait to dive into The Secret Commonwealth, the second installment of the new series by Philip Pullman that’s adjacent to the His Dark Materials series. And I’m going to go home and make these apple pecan muffins tonight, which look truly glorious. I also decided to go all in and make these chicken ragu hand pies earlier this week, which I’m not even a little mad about.

I’ll be back next week with more recs, notions, and links. Til then, have a lovely week! (And if you like what you just read, sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every Friday.)

The Latest
From an unauthorized Obama musical to 1776 to Hair, a shortlist of August productions tap into our national zeitgeist and Chicago’s role on the international stage.
This weekend, comedians descend on Chicago for the revival of one of the world’s largest improv festivals. No topic is too hot to handle.
Art
The up-and-coming Chicago artist has landed a major commission on the West Side, one of six projects tied to the city’s moment in the national political spotlight.
De La Soul brought their signature energy, Chicago’s Kara Jackson brought the prose and more reviews from Union Park.
The 20th anniversary show comes as the rapper-actor is eyeing an EGOT and releasing an album featuring a duet with girlfriend Jennifer Hudson.