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Pilot episode

By Jason Hahn —

Thanks for watching the pilot. I hope you'll tune in to the next one.

It's fitting that I'm writing this first newsletter issue right after Thanksgiving because gratitude is the motivation behind this experiment. I'm so thankful that @briesbookshelf has become such a rewarding outlet for me, and I mean that in a few ways:

  • It's been an invaluable place for me to process my time as a parent, particularly as a stay-at-home dad. It has been so helpful to have a place to type out and share reflections, whether in lengthy captions for reflection-based posts or in responses to some of the fantastic questions I get in the Q&As. I digest experiences best by typing them out, so this has been so wonderful to have.
  • It's been fun to see the following grow and to engage with so many of you via comments, DMs and otherwise.
  • I've learned a ton from the account's followers – a ton about parenting, books, resources and more.
  • Reviewing children's books has been an incredible lens through which I can recall memories of my times with my daughter when she was younger. It's also been a uniquely edifying set of spectacles for examining my hopes for Brianna, since so many books beckon grown-up readers to consider how they should be raising their children, who will ultimately shape the world.

So I wanted to start this newsletter as a small way of saying "thanks" to all of you who follow @briesbookshelf and are interested enough to subscribe. Letting folks have more of a peek behind the curtain of who I am and what I enjoy is the least I can do.

As I said above, I'm considering this newsletter as an experiment (just as I once considered @briesbookshelf an experiment). That's partly because I don't have the clearest view of what this should be yet and partly because I want to avoid putting too much pressure on myself to make this something perfect right away. I used to love writing on personal blogs, but I'm a bit out of practice and the newsletter element is new to me, so please bear with me – and please let me know if you have suggestions or feedback!

Thanks for watching the pilot. I hope you'll tune in to the next one.

Things I have thoughts about:

  • "Thor: Love and Thunder": I finally got around to seeing this film. I had very low expectations going in, so I guess you could say I found it...fine. It was funny (though it felt forced and tired at times) and entertaining enough in most spots, but I thought the tone was wildly uneven throughout the film. I also thought the forked storylines could've been tied together more artfully (though both main stories did have their respective insight and heart), and Gorr deserved a bit more development. I'd consider it one of the weaker MCU movies to date, but I'm definitely not mad about seeing it on Disney+ in the comforts (and frugality) of home.
  • "The Dunker Spot" podcast: Over the past year or so, "The Dunker Spot" has become my favorite basketball podcast. It's co-hosted by Nekias Duncan, an up-an-coming NBA/WNBA writer who's star is rising quickly; and Steve Jones Jr., former NBA assistant coach and son of NBA broadcasting legend Steve "Snapper" Jones (they're both excellent follows on Twitter). They do an incredible job discussing and opining about the on-court aspects of the NBA (and WNBA) without stepping into "hot take" territory or getting immersed in the drama-driven, clickbaity off-court topics that usually dominate social media and talking-head shows. The podcast is uniquely educational and the duo is really funny too (especially once you get a few episodes under your belt and you start to get the "bits" they do).

    This past week, popular NBA writer/podcast host Zach Lowe was their guest and the episode is a worthwhile listen for any fan of the league. Zach says some glowing things about Nekias (who was a guest on "The Lowe Post" six months ago) and Steve at the end, which was nice. This was like enjoying a much-anticipated cross-over episode, and I loved every second of it. I love seeing these guys thrive.
  • "A Christmas Together" by John Denver and The Muppets: I grew up listening to this Christmas album on a cassette player, so I love turning it on during the holidays and letting the tidal wave of nostalgia wash over me.
  • Microsoft Launcher: This one's for the Android nerds out there. I enjoy tinkering with launchers every now and then, and this week I set up Microsoft Launcher for the first time. I've found it to be quite good once you customize it to your liking. It's sort of like Nova Launcher. My favorite features so far are the customizable folders that open the first app in the folder with a tap and open the whole folder with a swipe-up gesture, and the customizable dock. Animations can get a bit janky when transitioning from/to the home screen, so it's far from perfect, but I'm surprised at how much I like it.

Things Brie has enjoyed lately:

  • Bath bombs: Brie got a bath bomb as a birthday party favor at school last week, and she loved it. So when we saw a holiday-themed bath bomb at the grocery store the next day, she asked to get it...and we did. And we ended up getting her another one this weekend. This is obviously not a financially sustainable habit, but it was a fun addition to bath times this week.

That's it for my first try at this. Feedback is welcome! Please subscribe and share as you see fit.