Happy Friday! ☀️
Ciao from Roma where I’m spending the week with my sister and her family. A week of work mixed with a stubborn cold, I’m hoping the sun and the mild weather in a city I love will work its magic. Oh, and Happy 5th podcast birthday to my friend and his little Hotel Matze. Matze is Germany’s best interviewer.
What I’m reading 📖
Where to begin… Since reading ‘A Gentleman in Moscow’ and ‘The Rules of Civility’, Amor Towles has been my all-time favourite author. I’ve anticipated his newest novel ‘The Lincoln Highway’ for a long time and I’ve been devouring it since it came out a few days ago. Towles is a master at creating universes and constructing a case of characters that lure you into the story. His latest book is set in the post-war 50ies and follows Emmett, his brother, and two friends on a road trip across the United States. The story has it all: friendship, freedom, simple yet profound dialogues. Towles’ greatest talent is to evoke such a vivid imagery that makes you want to live the story yourself. I’m about half-way through and it already is my favourite book of the year. Pick it up at my neighbourhood book store Uslar & Rai or read more about it here.
What I’m listening to 🎧
My month of October was once again filled with a blend of re-discovered favourites from The Stills, Starsailor, and The Cardigans, new songs by Sam Fender, Gangs of Youth, and White Lies, and electronica duo Gheist on heavy-rotation. Hit it.
What I’m watching 📺
Growing up, one of the strongest memories I connect with my dad is Formula 1. He rarely missed a race and it was a father-son Sunday tradition to watch the greatest drivers in the world compete year in, year out. Next to Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher was a fixture on the circuit and he dominated the sport of many years. Years after his tragic skiing accident that left him living in isolation, Netflix recently released a documentary about Schumacher. Whether you’re into Formula 1 or not, it is a deeply moving documentary about peak performance, ambition, character, and family. Extra points for the Rhineland accents. Watch the trailer.
What I’m thinking about 🧠
“The reward has to be the experience.” – Dave Grohl
What else?! 💯
So here goes: I’m convinced that one of the greatest gifts to the world is the Thai massage. No matter where you are in the world, no matter how rickety the often whole-in-the-wall massage studios are, compared to many high-end spa experiences, I’ve found the Thai massage to be consistently the best. Support your local Thai massage! Mine’s Sophak in Berlin (don’t tell anyone!)
Salve, thanks for reading, have a great weekend!
David
I am also reading "Lincoln Highway" (and also put it in my newsletter that's going out next week)! I too really liked all of Towles' other books — it's amazing how someone can write so masterfully across different worlds and ideas (although I feel like the world Wooly inhabits isn't dissimilar to the world that Tinker Grey and co. are flitting about — that pedigreed New York "Society"). Great post!