February was just as intense as January, but thankfully shorter. I desperately need a break − which is pretty good, because I’ll be turning 30 on the 27th (woo!) and on holidays on the 28th of March. From March 31 to April 30, I’ll be touring Europe (going mostly through Northern Italy, Slovenia, Germany with a quick jump through Austria, Hungary and Croatia), and I’ll get two more weeks of in May to recover before going back to work.
Perfect timing.
Also, while I’d rather not share my entire itinerary before the trip (but will probably share as I go!), please email me or reach out to me in another way if you’re in Northern Italy, Slovenia or Germany and you’d like to grab a cup of tea − I’m covering enough cities that there’s a strong chance it will be possible!
(This month’s featured photo is actually from January because not a single photo from February was good enough to be preserved.)
What I’ve read / Texte
📚 Books / Livres
27 books in total this month, of which 10 made this list.
In English
- Fiction
- [The Bread the Devil Knead](# The Bread the Devil Knead), domestic abuse in Trinidad.
- Bryony and Roses, a cute Beauty and the Beast retelling, with less abuse and more humour.
- Speak of the devil, a whodunit where the murder is the least terrible thing that happens.
- Rana Joon and the One and Only Now is a beautiful story of grief and poetry in the 1990s Los Angeles Iranian-American community.
- Non-fiction
- Free: Coming of age at the end of history, a fascinating insight into an Albanian childhood in the 1980s and 1990s.
- Hijab Butch Blues, a memoir by a queer person of Pakistani (?) heritage whose family emigrated to an Arab country and who then left for the United States.
- ADHD Pro was excellent in the « ADHD is an explanation, not an excuse » category of self-help books.
En français
- Fiction
- Brûleurs suit un jeune Algérien déterminé à venir clandestinement en Europe.
- Traquemage : le serment des pécadous, BD complètement barrée et forte en fromage.
- Non-fiction
- La BD Replay suit l’histoire du développeur de jeux Jordan Mechner et de son grand-père, réfugié autrichien pendant la seconde guerre mondiale.
🔍 Papers / Articles académiques
In English:
- Study Reveals Intricate Layers in the Link Between Physical Activity and Depression: news release and paper
📰 News and blog posts / Articles
In English:
- Obsessive Culture War Is a Dead End, Just Ask Ron DeSantis, ZNetwork
- How Narendra Modi became India’s influencer-in-chief, Rest of world
- Beyond the Wikipedia Silo : Suggestions for Your Next RetroWeb Site by IndieSeek was thought-provoking and is once again making me want to create a short-track speed skating website with all the info that I have but that doesn’t have a solid source for Wikipedia.
En français:
- L’Ouganda, laboratoire des arnaques aux cryptomonnaies en Afrique, Le Monde, accès payant
- De jeunes chercheurs ébranlent les «mythes électoraux» de la gauche contemporaine, Médiapart, accès payant (demandez-moi le pdf !)
- Polynésie : Moetai Brotherson espère « un dialogue » sur l’autodétermination en 2024, Le Monde, accès payant
- À propos de la question arménienne : pour un mouvement de solidarité international à gauche, Les mots sont importants
What I’ve watched / Vidéo
🎞 Movies / Films
I have watched one (1) movie this month, Anatomie d’une chute / Anatomy of a Fall. It was good. Unexpectedly, it was based in my city, but I also recommend it if you don’t have a deep love for Grenoble. It’s ok. Not everyone can understand the bliss of living here.
📺 TV Shows / Séries
Rewatching Abbott Elementary with my partner, which means I’m staying as patient as I possibly can to not watch the beginning of season 3. It’s hard, y’all!
📷 Online video / Vidéos en ligne
Available in several languages:
- Capitalisme américain : le culte de la richesse sur Arte (French or German audio, with French, German, Spanish, Italian & English subtitles). 3×55 minutes.
- Fox McCloud knife carving (the result and making of), by Sébastien Tourneux, no text (1min30)
In English:
- Modern Conflicts: Myanmar and the Rohingya genocide, RealLifeLore (50min)
- Behind the scenes of Some like it hot: secrets, scandals, and Marilyn’s mystique, by Matt Baume (55min)
- Why Germany is still divided, The Present Past (30min)
- Selling kids for clout: the downfall of family channels by Shanspeare (2h)
- « Learned helplessness » and the tech literacy crisis by Tiffany Ferg (26min)
- Why Hollywood ruined romantic comedies, Answer in Progress (21min)
- Best croissant in Paris, Luis, a glorious shitpost (7min)
- Ranking the weirdest things at the 1893 Chicago world’s fair by Kaz Rowe (48min)
In French:
- Les pionniers du rap complotiste : rcknsqt, mysa, tito prince de Irracible (30min)
- Et pourtant on les croit : les charlatans du web, de Le Vortex, L’extracteur et Modiie via Arte
What I’ve listened to / Audio
🎤 Podcasts
In English:
- The Apollo One Disaster (1967), Rainbow Valley
- The shoe bomber with Miles Klee, You’re wrong about (no website)
- You are what you watch, 99% invisible
En français:
- Paris Hilton, prisonnière des années 2000, Connaissez-vous l’histoire par Binge Audio
- Muriel Robin, une icône comique non désirée, Connaissez-vous l’histoire par Binge Audio
- Le radio show en léger direct : Sardines FM, Arte Radio
- Revenu de base garanti, l’expérience positive du Kenya, Le biais d’Esther Duflo sur France Culture
What I’ve played / Jeux
I played Hades with extreme enthusiasm once again. At about 100 runs, I’ve defeated the final boss… uh… 5 times? Hey, everyone begins somewhere. (I’m also very thankful for God mode. Thank you, Hades developers. Next accessibility mission: visual cues for everything that is currently only sound-based.)
Where I’ve been / Lieux
Went to the Bay Area for three days, to Paris for two weekends, skiing not a single time because my knee still hasn’t recovered from that end of January fall. My skiing season is probably finished with two (2) ski outings, I am absolutely heartbroken, but at least I can now start deciding on which bike I want to acquire for the warmer season 👀