Summer may be winding down, but the Goff Public team has been soaking up the season with some amazing entertainment picks. Whether you’re looking for your next great read, a must-watch series, addictive podcasts, or a new song, our team’s favorites have got you covered.
🎧 Adam Darragh is listening to the Fontaines D.C.
“The Irish post-punk band has released three singles ahead of their forthcoming album. They are refreshingly raw, yet equally melodic.”
📺 Allison Winters is watching the 2024 Olympics
“Powerful stories. Diplomacy and sportsmanship. Great views of the host city/country. Incredible (and relatively unknown) athletes pulling off superhuman feats. What’s not to love? To top it off, this year we got Snoop Dogg as an Olympics influencer, serving up plenty of meme-worthy content to last until 2026.”
📚 Caroline Burns is reading “Real Americans” by Rachel Khong
“This is one of those books where if you were to physically highlight every line that resonates, gives you new insight, or simply makes you smile, the entire novel would be filled with Sharpie! Real Americans explores the stories of three different generations within the same family, and how each character is uniquely impacted by the experiences and decisions made by their parents in the previous generation.”
📚 Chris Beeth is reading “Everyone Who is Gone is Here” by Jonathan Blitzer
“A powerful, empathetic history of the humanitarian crises on the U.S.-Mexico border, and of the politics of immigration. The author, New Yorker writer Jonathan Blitzer, provides a multifaceted and humane look at the people affected by the challenge — migrants seeking sanctuary, policymakers, activists and people who live along the southern border.”
🎧 Cali Torell is listening to “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” by Chappell Roan
“I’m late to the game on ’your favorite artist’s favorite artist,’ Chappell Roan. I saw somewhere (probably TikTok) that getting into Chappell now is like getting into Lady Gaga before she made it big. Believe the hype!”
📺 Chris Duffy is watching “Hacks” on HBO Max
“I watch TV to escape, which is why comedy is my favorite genre. ’Hacks‘ is a series about generational differences. It features a young comedian who is hired to be the head writer for an older, legendary female comedian — and chaos ensues!”
📚 Ellen Larson is reading a lot of narrative non-fictions
“I’ve always enjoyed a handful of non-fiction books a year, but in 2024 I’ve gotten into them big time — specifically, narrative non-fiction. Three favorites that I’ve read this summer are ‘The Looming Tower’ by Lawrence Wright, ‘Challenger’ by Adam Higginbotham and ‘When the Sea Came Alive’ by Garrett Graff.”
📚 Grace Rose is reading “Slouching Towards Bethlehem” by Joan Didion
“Essay collections are my favorite to read and this one is a gem. Beautiful writing. This is focused on Didion’s experiences in 1960s California.”
📚 Madeleine Rush is reading “The Lager Queen of Minnesota” by Ryan Stradal
“A family saga told from the viewpoints of generations of women from the same family, plus the drama of the brewing industry had me hooked. As the name alludes, it’s set in Minnesota and written by a local author, so there are copious amounts of fun local references. Cheers!”
📚 Rachel Sosnowchik is reading “I Have Some Questions for You” by Rebecca Makkai
“I’m in a monthly book exchange with two college friends — we’ve been doing it for over eight years! My friend Cosi sent this in July and I couldn’t put it down. It’s a riveting combination of boarding school cold-case mystery, interrogation of the true-crime genre and analysis of how much we can (or can’t) escape our high school selves.”
📺 Jenny Alvermann is watching “Friends” on HBO Max
“I realize I’m literally decades behind, but as a 90s kid growing up in the early 2000s, I missed out watching this culturally iconic show when it was the ‘it’ thing. These days, my husband and I have been ending our evenings basking in the nostalgia, laughing way too loud together and getting overly invested in the goofy storylines of all the characters — it feels like reliving my childhood!”
📚 Liv Hultgren is reading “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” by V.E. Schwab
“I’m a sucker for a good fantasy novel, and the ‘Invisible Life of Addie LaRue’ is one of my new favorites in the genre. It follows a young woman who makes a deal with the devil — in exchange for immortality, she is instantly forgotten by everyone she meets. It’s an incredibly compelling story that explores themes of life, death and morality with a blend of fantasy and historical fiction as you follow Addie through the centuries.”
🎧 Sara Swenson is listening to “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!” on NPR
“I love listening to this hilarious weekly news quiz. Pro tip: NPR is hosting two live shows in Minneapolis on August 29-30. It’s even funnier to watch the show live!”