What the ‘225 Dine’ team is reading, listening to and more this week

Is it fall yet? It certainly doesn’t feel like it. Instead, the summer heat continues and the desire to chill out in the shade or the A/C is strong. You might be in need of some good podcasts, books, TV shows or new music to get you through the sweltering days.

Read on for what the 225 Dine team is into right now.

For a thrilling late-summer read

‘When No One Is Watching’ by Alyssa Cole

“Billed as ‘Rear Window meets Get Out,’ I was immediately intrigued by the premise. Brooklyn-born Sydney Green is seeing her neighborhood change around her as gentrification takes hold. But as she and her new neighbor Theo research the groups behind the ‘revitalization’ and recent disappearances, they discover something more sinister. Cole is more known for her romance novels, and in this New York Times piece she explained why she took a break from that to release this thriller about gentrification, racism and Black history. I’m just getting started with the book—which just debuted this week on the New York Times bestseller list—but I’m already enjoying the pace.”

—Benjamin Leger, managing editor

For your podcast binges

‘You’re Wrong About’

“The ‘You’re Wrong About’ podcast is seriously so amazingly interesting. Hosts Mike and Sarah visit an event or person from the past that the public has developed a wrong impression about. It’s great if you’re interested in history, but also pop culture, like me. From the Y2K bug to Marie Antoinette, this podcast truly covers everything.”

—Julia-Claire Evans, contributing writer

For a daily newsletter actually worth reading every day

‘The Morning’ by ‘The New York Times’

“The New York Times refreshed its daily newsletter back in May, and it’s been a consistent part of my morning routine ever since. It’s kind of like The Skimm in the sense that it distills each big news story into a bite-size synopsis. But the Times, of course, is about more than hard news, so this e-newsletter aims to be more of a well-rounded, virtual update to the old-school print newspaper format. There’s a ‘front page’-style story (today’s is on the fires burning in the American West), briefs on other big developments and an ‘idea’ of the day. It’s rounded out by games, recipes and other cultural items. I like that it’s a mix of fresh content paired with links to deeper dive stories, rather than just aggregated content. I’ll admit the best thing about it, though, is that it never, ever goes to my spam folder. And after years of trying to prevent that from happening with The Skimm—and so many other great daily newsletters I’ve subscribed to—I’m happy to wake up to this one as the first email in my inbox each day.”

—Jennifer Tormo, editor

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Smoke from the wildfires ripping across the Western U.S. nearly blocked out the sun in Northern California on Wednesday.⁣ ⁣ Strong winds are likely to continue to fuel the extraordinary number of fires burning in California, Oregon and Washington State. Evacuation orders are in effect in some counties.⁣ ⁣ Nearly 2.3 million acres of land have burned in California this year — or about 20 times what had burned at this time last year — and there have been 2,650 more fires than at this point in 2019. ⁣ ⁣ The Creek fire, which ignited on Friday evening, has burned 152,000 acres — 5 times the size of San Francisco — and is still out of control. Over the weekend and into Tuesday afternoon, the National Guard airlifted hundreds of civilians out of the Sierra National Forest and away from the fire, their exits trapped by a dense ring of flames. Pilots involved in the rescues said it was the most harrowing flying of their careers. ⁣ ⁣ California is not alone in battling an unprecedented fire season.⁣ ⁣ In Washington, Gov. Jay Inslee said that 330,000 acres had burned across the state, more than what burned in each of the last 12 fire seasons. In the small town of Malden, nearly all of the homes and municipal buildings — including the post office and fire department — were burned to the ground.⁣ ⁣ In Oregon, the fires have torched hundreds of thousands of acres and forced the evacuation of much of Medford, a city of more than 80,000 people about 30 miles north of the California border. ⁣ ⁣ Tap the link in our bio for the latest about the wildfires. Photo from the Bear Fire in Oroville, California on Wednesday by Josh Edelson/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images.⁣

A post shared by The New York Times (@nytimes) on Sep 9, 2020 at 10:41am PDT

For money talk and financial advice for women

‘So Money’ with Farnoosh Torabi

“I’m a writer, so money and number talk can get pretty boring for me. But not with this podcast. Award-winning financial strategist, TV host and best-selling author Farnoosh Torabi interviews business owners, authors and influencers every week to share financial advice, success stories and money mistakes. The fun and upbeat podcast is a great way to start the day and get motivated to make millions.”

—Cynthea Corfah, staff writer