Fun Things
Below are some non-academic things I am interested in or have been thinking about recently.
Crochet
I learned to crochet when I was very young, but didn’t get really into it until around 2022. I’ve been really enjoying blanket patterns by Helen Shrimpton because of their interesting shapes and variety of stitches.
Reading
My favorite genres tend to be science fiction and urban fantasy, but I can be convinced to read pretty much anything. Here are some things I’ve read and enjoyed recently:
The Goblin Emperor
This might be my all-time favorite book. How a book can be so feel-good while containing such dark themes is beyond me.
Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy
An incredibly fun read as someone who is fascinated by human anatomy, and Mary Roach makes it wonderfully funny as well.
Project Hail Mary
It is so much better than the movie. Please read the book instead of watching the movie. My favorite book I read in 2026.
Everything Is Tuberculosis
This was the book that made me realize I could enjoy non-fiction. And it’s a quick read, too.
A Deadly Education
Imagine if Harry Potter were better written, more interesting, and not written by a transphobe.
How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying
The distribution of reviews for this book among my friends is bimodal. If you like the main character’s voice, you’ll love it, otherwise, give up. Personally, I loved it.
Latte art
I have loved coffee and tea of all kinds for a very long time, from black light-roast filter coffee to sugary lattes to lightly sweetened Assam. In the last few months, I have been trying to improve my latte art in a small cortado cup (which I love, from notNeutral).
Things I’m listening to or watching
I’ve had to do quite a lot of driving in the last year, so I’ve jumped into the world of podcasts for the first time, but I’ve always enjoyed some good (and bad) television. Here are some things I’ve enjoyed recently:
Podcast
The Rest Is Science
Hannah Fry (math professor and TV presenter) and Michael Stevens (of Vsauce fame) take on big scientific questions with a combination of expertise, joyful curiosity, and many, many interesting tangents. I started listening to this because I loved the Vsauce channel when Michael was still posting on it, and this podcast has not disappointed. And now I’m a Hannah Fry fan, too.
Podcast
Search Engine
PJ Vogt takes the kinds of questions I would search online in the middle of the night and follows them down the rabbit hole. Not every episode is a hit, but the good ones are funny, odd, fascinating, and/or unexpectedly moving. I always come out of these having learned something I want to tell my friends.
Podcast
The Checkup with Doctor Mike
There are some gems in here. I particularly enjoy the ones where I get to watch a trained medical doctor take down people spreading insane misinformation.
TV
The Pitt
You might know it from the dozens and dozens of awards it has won since it came out in 2025. Deservedly, in my opinion.
TV
Pluribus
You might also know this one from the many awards its first season has won, though we won’t get another one for way too long. I have heard it called “strange, funny, and unsettling” and I agree with that assessment. I will also watch and appreciate most things with a queer woman as a main character.