09/07/2022
Image description: a pink background has white text saying ‘Paper Road’s Top Picks’. There are four rectangle images in the middle. The first is cream with black text reading ‘Mean Baby’ across the top and ‘Selma Blair’ at the bottom accompanied by a monochrome image of Blair. The second is white with pink, purple, orange and blue text reading ‘Tomorrow I Become a Woman’ across the top, and ‘Aiwanose Odafen’ along the bottom and there are three profiles of women in the centre in pink, orange and blue. The third is a mustard colour with white text reading ‘Cha Cha Real Smooth: Falling in love is easy. Growing up is hard.’ in the top two thirds of the image and the bottom has coloured images of the three main characters. The final image is quite dark, with red being the colour in focus and figures standing around it, almost as if they are walking down a hallway. There is text reading ‘Stranger Things 4’ in black and red near the bottom of the rectangle. In the bottom left corner there is a rounded white logo with a P for Paper Road.
Disability Representation is Empowering by Jordyn Presley
In Mean Baby: A Memoir, Selma Blair will make you laugh and cry as she tells her life story in a way that is endearing and so vulnerable. An important book for opening eyes around the lived experience of multiple sclerosis (MS), we see a side of her that is raw and powerful.
Burn it Down by Nyalat Pel Kun
Tomorrow I Become a Woman is my reminder that marriage ain’t it, and the patriarchy needs to be burned to ashes- that’s on period. Aiwanose Odanfen created a complex three dimensional character and her writing is approachable and easy to consume. I cried three times listening to this wonderful book. If you read Tomorrow I Become a Woman, let me know below how many times you cried.
Real Smooth by Stefanie Gold
If you haven’t seen the June 2022 film Cha Cha Real Smooth, it’s really worth it! It’s a film about friendship, love and a bit of bar mitzvah dancing. It gives you all the ‘feels’ and I found it so refreshing to see a film where an autistic person IRL plays an autistic character. Vanessa Burghardt brings so much authenticity to her role as the gorgeous ‘Lola’ who boasts an impressive collection of potato mashers and has a sweet little hamster called ‘Jerry’. Check it out on Apple TV.
Hooked by Jasmyne Tzitziras
Recently I have been HOOKED on the newest season of Stranger Things, and without spoilers I can say that it really holds up to all the expectations I’ve put on it based on previous seasons. What are your thoughts on the show?
Paper Road Magazine 