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3 Things I Like This Week – June 5

Photo by Tony Hand on Unsplash

Each week (give or take one or two here and there) I share three things I like – It could be a book, a movie, a podcast, an album, a photo, an article, a restaurant, a food item, a beverage, or anything else I simply enjoy and think you might too. You can find a whole pile of things, especially books, I like and recommend HERE.

1) Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner

I had never read any Stegner until I picked this one up several weeks ago, and I didn’t really know what I was wading into. I was under the impression that Stegner was a “western writer,” and that is true, though not in the stereotypical way. He doesn’t write cowboy books or western epics like Lonesome Dove (another favorite of mine). Rather Stegner writes, at least in Angle of Repose, of the West almost as a character that shapes his story. It is a force as much as it is a place. It stands against the East, with all its pretense and refinement and confinement. Angle of Repose is a family saga, written with multiple timelines that merge as the story progresses. It is a human story much more than plot driven story. and it deeply explores the motivations and struggles and temptations and the human condition in general. I found it to be deeply insightful and compelling. It is a slow burn, but it never sputters or peters out. There are are characters from this novel that will stick with me like those from East of Eden or Lonesome Dove have done. I am sure I will read more Stegner down the road, but not for a bit because I want to sit with this one for a bit.

 

2) Upside

I recently saw a comedian talking about how he refuses to get emotionally invested in gas prices because what is he going to do, just not drive? I basically feel the same way. However, higher gas prices do hit the budget in an uncomfortable way. A few years ago my brother, who was driving for Lyft, introduced me to this app as a great way to save some money on gas purchases. It’s basically a cash back reward program where you get money back per purchase. It’s only a few cents per gallon, but it adds up over time (because what are you going to do, just not drive?). And if you refer other people you get rewards on their purchases too. I’ve used Upside for several years. It’s legit. It’s helpful. You can cash out your rewards in gift cards or to a bank account. If you do a lot of driving, it’s worth checking out.

 

3) “Midnight Heat” by Christone Kingfish Ingram

I’ve enjoyed the Blues for a long time, and most of the great Blues musicians are old or dead. So when I tumbled across the music of Kingfish Ingram a few years ago when he was just a 19-year-old starting to hit it big I was excited. He’s phenomenal as a recording artist and even better live. If you like blues you need to know him.