{"id":315710,"date":"2025-11-24T13:51:04","date_gmt":"2025-11-24T13:51:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/uncategorized\/recent-favorites-fall-2023\/"},"modified":"2025-11-24T13:51:04","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T13:51:04","slug":"recent-favorites-fall-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=315710","title":{"rendered":"recent favorites | fall 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"


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do you remember the era of monthly favorites and long-form content and blog posts? well, i miss it so i want to share some of my favorites. this isn’t specific to a month, but these are things i’m loving lately.<\/p>\n

books!<\/h2>\n

okay, i am sorry to say that i’m not reading as much as i’d like. HOWEVER, here are some books that i read recently and i love love love. whenever someone asks me a recent read i loved, i respond with this:<\/p>\n

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bliss montage<\/a>, by ling ma<\/h3>\n

the stories in this book occupied my thoughts rent-free!! i listened to this on audiobook towards the end of summer, and i enjoyed it so much that i want to purchase it in physical form and annotate the pages. whenever i visit my local bookstore, i am tempted! i’m still new to the short-story genre, but all of these were so wonderfully eccentric and existential that i’m completely sold. or perhaps i just love Ling Ma’s work. this collection of stories is perfect for autumn (and honestly any time of year). <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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stay true<\/a>, by hua hsu<\/h3>\n

i rarely think of memoirs beyond a personal look into the author’s life. and i don’t mean this negatively! to me, memoirs are an inside look of the author’s experiences and are almost like a public diary. the story is often more important than the way it’s told or the writing style, especially since most of the memoirs i read are from authors who didn’t come from a writing background. that said, Stay True reminds me that the art of literature and writing is equally as important as the story you tell. it is easily one of the most beautiful memoirs i’ve read and i keep recommending it to everyone. but!! i still haven’t finished it!! (fraud) i’m about 70% through and i already know it’s a favorite and a book i will cherish for years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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tomb sweeping<\/a>, by alexandra chang<\/h3>\n

this was Subtle Asian Book Club’s September book of the month and it truly did not disappoint. although it is another short story collection, the feeling and *vibes* were completely different from Bliss Montage. where Bliss Montage toed the line of dystopian and sci-fi, tomb sweeping observed the seemingly mundane and everyday-ness of life. it made me feel a lot of feelings \u2013\u2013 angst, sorrow, joy, confusion \u2013\u2013 but most of all, it made me feel seen. it was definitely a more personal book for me, as a Chinese-American from California who worries about her parents often. (a number of stories have these themes lol)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

films!<\/h2>\n

as someone studying film, i must include my favorite films. <\/p>\n

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frances ha (2012)<\/h3>\n

i first watched frances ha sometime in high school and honestly don’t remember much about it. but in my recent rewatch, it is now one of my all-time favorites. a beautiful film that captures the essence of growing up in your 20s, changing friendships, and living in new york city. also the screenwriting is so good. greta gerwig supremacy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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oppenheimer (2023)<\/h3>\n

i finally watched oppenheimer on the last day it was showing on 70mm imax. it was 10am on a sunday and pouring rain, but the theatre was still packed and the film did not disappoint. i can understand the hype for this feat. i definitely need to rewatch to have a better understanding of the film, but maybe in a few months because it was a Lot.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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the conformist (1970)<\/h3>\n

i watched this in one of my film classes and i am obsessed!!! pure art!! bernardo bertolucci was truly doing so much with this. the framing, cinematographer, and color-grading? muah. the depth of characters and political commentary? MUAH. anyway, please watch this. you will not regret it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

products!<\/h2>\n

okay now here are some things\/products i’ve been loving lately, in no particular order:<\/p>\n