CYB#73: Back At It – August reads, things to watch (and listen to)

This is gonna be interesting.

After a week in Paris in June and a month on the cool, foggy Marin coast—walking trails, climbing hills, exploring tidepools, reading, and slowing the pace—it’s back to Oakland life. The weightlifting routine is underway again (squats remain a brutal joy), starch, sugar, and alcohol are dialed down, and more plans with friends are on the calendar. I’m also reflecting a lot on aging, goals, and time—how to best show up for the people I love and the causes I believe in, especially right now.

The books, shows, and resources in this issue won’t solve those big questions, but they’ve offered insight, amusement, and practical ideas—and I hope they’ll do the same for you.

READING

Vera, or Faith – Gary Shteyngart (2025, Random House): Gary Shteyngart’s writing, at its best, feels like champagne bubbles with an edge—sparkling, sharp, and just a little dangerous. His latest, Vera, or Faith, is set in a post-Trump future and told by Vera, a Korean-American-Russian child of privilege whose Upper East Side life spirals into a layered, biting, and funny tale. It’s deep, satirical, and unexpectedly warm.

The Kaiju Preservation Society – John Scalzi (2022, Tor/Macmillan): Imagine pandemic lockdown meets Jurassic Park in an alternate universe—an underemployed tech product manager is suddenly recruited to help protect kaiju, Godzilla-sized lizards, in a parallel world. I’m not typically a Scalzi reader, but this was smart, cinematic fun that kept me smiling for hours.

Shmutz – Felicia Berliner (2023, Washington Square Press): If you have any interest in ever reading a coming-of-age novel about a young Hasidic Jewish woman in deepest Brooklyn navigating autonomy and desire through a hidden laptop and a deep immersion into free online porn, this is your book. Schmutz, which means dirt in Yiddish, is also a Yiddish slang term for porn. There’s a lot of depth in this novel, and truth, enough that you don’t need to be Jewish (or observant) to enjoy this book.

WATCHING

Is the algorithm serving me anything truly unique? Maybe not—but here’s what’s kept me watching:

The Pitt, Netflix: I’ve never been someone who watches hospital shows or police procedurals, but I got hooked so hard on The Pitt. Just check it out. Those actors! Brilliant.

Pernille, Netflix: This show from Norwegian actor/director/showrunner Henriette Sternstrup is about Pernille, a divorced child welfare worker in Oslo, who lives with two teen daughters and her 70-something dad. Every episode, she navigates personal challenges, supports neglected and traumatized young people, and mourns the loss of her best friend, her sister, killed in a car accident. Compared to the Marvel Universe, this may not sound like much, but the writing and the acting are magnificent.

AI

A quick tip from my consulting and AI work: If you want more effective AI output, give the tool a role and a process, not just a task. Instead of saying, “Write a donor appeal,” try:

“You are an experienced nonprofit development writer crafting a donor letter for a youth mentoring program. First, outline three potential opening hooks that create an emotional connection. Then, expand the best one into a 300-word draft that uses plain language, specific impact stories, and a clear call to action.”

By requesting steps and options before the final draft, you’ll receive more creative, tailored results, and you can guide the process instead of settling for whatever the AI produces first.

LISTENING

Two current obsessions: Wet Leg and bbno$ (pronounced Baby No Money). Wet Leg is all sly humor, catchy hooks, and post-punk energy—playful songs that stick in your head for days. bbno$ blends clever, fast-paced rap with beats that make you want to move, equal parts wit and groove. Both are so good.

Okay, we’re back! Thank you for being a part of this.

Best, Susan

P.S. If you try any of these books, shows, or the AI tip, I’d love to hear how they land for you—just hit reply.