Quarterly Culture Edit: Books, Music, Film, Museums (Second Quarter 2026)

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Wow. This was an adventure. I love to read long books and I am so happy to have read War and Peace in my life. Not only did I enjoy the story and the characters, but as a history-lover, I was invested in all of Tolstoy’s analysis of what makes men “great” and what actually drives historical events and their subsequent analysis.

I found myself laughing out loud often and admiring the writing, truly with a feeling of awe. Reading great literature makes me realize how I will never do anything as great as write a sentence like Tolstoy, but appreciative that I can experience reading greatness. Can you tell I’m currently obsessed with the idea of greatness?.

Although, according to Tolstoy, I really shouldn’t be. One of my favorite scenes was Prince Andrew’s (first) near-death experience where he contemplates the meaning of life, and posits that nothing matters except the sky. “Looking into Napoleon’s eyes Prince Andrew thought of the insignificance of greatness, the unimportance of life which no one could understand, and the still greater unimportance of death, the meaning of which no one alive could understand or explain.”

If you’re a persistent reader, I highly recommend War and Peace.

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

I count myself lucky to have a loving, straightforward relationship with my mother. While I didn’t find Crying in H Mart to be relatable, I did find it to be compelling. Michelle Zauner is an excellent writer who helps you understand and empathize with all of the figures in her story.

This is a memoir about mother/daughter relationships, illness, death, creativity, culture, and belonging. I understand why it got so much hype and am glad I read it.

How to Read a Book by Monica Wood

I’m sitting down to write this review two months after reading the book and I can hardly remember it. That’s probably not a great sign. When I finished it I gave it 3 stars, so it must have been ok.

My one highlighted quote was “This is Book Club, this out-of-the-blueness, because reading books, even annoying books about lucky people who think they grew up tragically, gets us talking.”

As a reader, I do love when authors validate the goodness of reading.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

The premise of this novel felt unique: a woman is trapped in her body at the same age for hundreds of years. She is cursed to remember everything while everyone around her only remembers her for one day. If they meet the next day, it’s like they’ve never seen her before.

I appreciated that this book tackled concepts like the value of a life and the meaning of adventure without completely ignoring the practicalities of the “curse.”

This book made me think just enough and certainly entertained me each time I picked it up.

Maro

I recently started listening to Maro, a Portuguese singer who competed in Eurovision in 2023 with the beautiful song “Saudade, saudade.”

I enjoy her album hortelã, but I actually find myself listening to this YouTube video of her performing in a field of cattle most often. There’s something so calming and idyllic about it. If you need to relax, give this video a try.

True Blue by Madonna

I’m an 80s music lover through and through, and this quarter I found myself coming back to True Blue over and over. “Open Your Heart” never ceases to make me get up and dance and just feel so in love.

Olmsted and Central Park, 1983 | From the Vaults by The Met

I called this section “Film” instead of “Movies” because I wasn’t totally sure how to categorize what I’m sharing here. The Met occasionally releases old short films from their archives and I found this video about the design of Central Park to be beautiful.

If you want to think a bit more about one of the most famous parks in the world, through the lens of art and design, check this out.

Charade

Give me Cary Grant. Give me Audrey Hepburn. Give me Paris. Give me 60s fashion. You’ve given me a perfect movie. Audrey Hepburn absolutely shines in this comedy and Cary Grant brings such chemistry to the screen.

We started watching this in Lake Como after our days in Paris and we didn’t finish it until we got home. Turning it on made me feel like I was walking the streets of Paris again, and I have a feeling this will become a comfort movie.

I don’t have any specific exhibits to recommend and review because all of my museum going this quarter was on vacation. You can read the full Paris itinerary here, but for this post I want to highlight my favorite museum that surprised me.

The Musée Rodin in Paris was Rodin’s actual home and studio, and it was quite unique to see an artist’s work in the space they actually occupied. I’m not well versed in sculpture, but I loved getting to see the human form represented throughout the grounds and inside the home, and I felt a difference in my perception and experience depending on where I was.

I highly, highly recommend visiting this museum if you ever get the chance.