Good morning,
And welcome to the Cultural Reads Newsletter with worldwide book, music, and movie recommendations.
In today’s newsletter: 40 Life Lessons, South African Books, Free Documentaries, Malibu Jazz, Poor Things & Bongeziwe.
I turned 32 last week, and since I like reading other people’s life lessons, I decided to share mine for a second time.
Here are 40 lessons on:
(1) Happiness & Wellbeing
(2) Work & Career
(3) Learning & Growth
Hopefully, some will strike a cord! These are my 1-year, 10-year, and lifetime goals for those interested.
South Africa is one of the most famous and touristic African countries for its parks, nature, wines, and culture.
It’s also a country with a difficult apartheid history and racial struggles. To learn more about its culture and history, check out the best South African books.
Let me know if I missed any!
Are you looking for a documentary to watch?
Check out Documentary Area. This website offers a massive selection of free documentaries.
Check out the Yussuf Dayes Experience in Malibu if you like jazz music.
Yussuf Dayes is a London-based drummer famous for chill, poppy songs like Rust with Tom Misch and forward-looking jazz styles such as his album Black Classical Music.
Poor Things, the latest movie by Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos, known for The Lobster and The Favorite, received 11 Oscars nominations and won 93 prizes out of 408 nominations.
The film tells the story of Bella Baxter (played by Emma Stone), a woman who came to life through a Frankensteinesc experience and discovers the outside world for the first time.
It’s a fantastic Odyssee, full of the weird humor, surreal sceneries that seem AI-generated, but also critical of society and our way of dealing with social issues.
You can watch the movie in the cinema!
I already wrote about Bongeziwe in 2021 and finally had a chance to see him live.
Bongeziwe is a true artist, singing in Xhosa and experimenting with different genres. The concert was packed with people (including many South Africans) and a mix of his slower pop songs and newer electronic album.
If you ever have the chance, see him!
