What Moved Me: April 2025
Catching up on the books, music, podcasts, and other things that I've loved lately
I’m back for another round up of the books I’ve read, the music I’ve listened to, the podcasts I’ve binged, and a few other things I’m loving.
As always, this monthly offering is free. I love sharing the things I love, especially books. However, if you value what I share here on What Moves You, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your support means so much to me.
For those who are already paid subscribers: thank you so much. I am so grateful for you.
Let’s start with the books:
I read 4 books this month. Here’s what I read: Starling House by Alix E. Harrow, For Never and Always by Helena Greer, The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters, and It’s Elementary by Elise Bryant
Imagine if Mexican Gothic, The Heiress, Encanto, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer had a book baby — you’d get Starling House. It’s a powerful book about profound poverty in a small town and what life looks like when everything is survival. It’s also a book about family, whether it’s the family you’re born into, the family that you choose, or the family that chooses you. It’s also a gothic fantasy novel with feminist and mythic undercurrents.
Our heroine, Opal cares more about her brother Jasper’s future than her own. She’s raised him since their mother died suddenly and tragically, which apparently is a thing in Eden, the small town in Kentucky where they live.
At the center of the story is the mysterious Starling House, home of a famous, reclusive author from the 19th century and her “heirs” — including the most recent, Arthur who is brooding, misanthropic, and mysterious.
Harrow has an incredible gift for metaphor which makes the book even more vivid and visceral and deeply compelling.
*****
For Never and Always is an adorable second chance romance. It’s part- Sweet Home Alabama, part - Gilmore Girls, and part my Big Fat Jewish Wedding. I don’t want to give away too much because there is a big, somewhat shocking reveal fairly early on but basically Hannah and Levi have been best friends who are also deeply in love with one another since they were teenagers running around Carrigans, a Christmas-themed inn in upstate New York.
When Hannah’s aunt Cass, who owned Carrigans, dies, she bequeaths the inn to Hannah, Miriam (Hannah’s cousin) and Levi. Chaos, melodrama, and intense flirting ensues.
There are some really interesting class issues at play — Hannah’s family owns the inn while Levi’s family are “the help”. The book is beautifully, aggressively Jewish and queer, which I love. And while there is essentially no spice, which is a bummer for me because I like my romances on the spicy side, I love how they work through all of the relationship drama — years and years of it.
*****
I read The Berry Pickers for the book club I am only nominally a part of but I am so glad that I read it anyway, even if I don’t make it to the actual meeting about this book. It’s a slow, quiet book but it packs a powerful punch.
It’s the story of a 4 year old indigenous child, Ruthie who is kidnapped by a white woman, desperate for her own child after multiple miscarriages. And it’s the story of the aftermath of her disappearance on her brother Joe, just 2 years older and the last person to see Ruthie alive.
Ruthie grows up as “Norma” in privileged, white, upper class America, while Joe grows up in Canada, struggling with grief and pain as well as the everyday discrimination and racism of being Indigenous.
There aren’t any big reveals or twists. Just the quiet lives of 2 siblings separated by the selfish and illegal actions of a white woman who believed she had done nothing wrong by kidnapping a 4 year old.
*****
I’ve had It’s Elementary on my TBR ever since
shared about it in one of her substacks last year. So I was delighted to see it on the shelf at my local library. This book did not disappoint.It’s a cozy mystery (no blood and gore, no constant suspense) with a dash of romance. And while mysteries aren’t really my thing these days, this one was fun.
It’s not everyday you read a story involving a missing principal, a PTA president high on power, elementary school parent drama, and a single mom hero, who is also the subject of lust.
Mavis is our single mom detective — she’s not really a detective but when she stumbles upon something fishy after a dramatic PTA meeting, she decides she wants to solve the crime with the help of the hot school counselor with great forearms who seems to have the hots for her.
Mavis is a fantastic character and I love how she’s not perfect, but she’s also not a total hot mess. She’s a pretty normal mom just trying to do her best and struggling to make adult friends, just like the rest of us.
I also love how Bryant weaves in so much in addition to the mystery of the missing principal including book bans, casual racism that shows up in DEI committees as well as the workplace, access to education, gentrification, bullying, and so much more.
Highly recommend this book, even if you’re not a mystery fan.
(quick note: all of the links you see in the book review section are affiliate links at Bookshop.org and if you’re thinking about buying any of these, please consider using my links instead of using amazon. For one, I get a tiny commission when you use my links. But also important, bookshop.org directly supports small bookstores, which is of great value to me.)
Things to Watch:
Listen….life is nuts right now. I haven’t watched much this month unless you count watching all 3 of the Zombies movies on Disney+ on repeat because they are my 5 year old’s favorite movies. I think I have now fully absorbed them into my bloodstream. And weirdly excited for the 4th Zombies movie coming out this summer. Shaking my head at myself.
Music and Things to Listen to:
Ok, so I do have a whole playlist, but before you go listen to that, check out this incredible cover/collaboration between Maggie Rogers and Broken Social Scene. I haven’t listened to this song in probably 20 years and I had forgotten how much I loved it and then Maggie covers it and it’s all I’m listening to right now:
I did make a full playlist, though. You can listen to it here.
Don’t like YouTube? Here’s the track listing:
Last Girls at the Party by the Beaches, last night’s mascara by Griff, End of the World by Miley Cyrus, Just Fine by Mary J. Blige, Fighter by Joseph, Falling Asleep at the Wheel by Holly Humberstone, Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl by Maggie Rogers and Sylvan Esso, What Happened to Me by Abby London.
A few things to listen to or read on your phone:
In case you didn’t know, I am a contributing writer to the online fitness and health publication, Fit Bottomed Girls. I’ve written several articles for them, but most recently I wrote about the importance of strength training for women over 40, particularly when it comes to bone health and aging powerfully (not just gracefully).
I also really appreciated this nuanced article about starting and then quitting Ozempic on NPR by
.A few podcasts:
I loved the Decoder Ring episode about How “Chicken Soup for the Soul” Sold it’s Soul — I have never read a Chicken Soup for the Soul book and no idea how linked to the Law of Attraction the books are and how yucky the whole creation of that empire was.
Decoder Ring also had a great podcast episode about the surprising history of spring break, which included a big discussion of Girls Gone Wild.
Interestingly, that wasn’t the only podcast I listened to this month that referenced Girls Gone Wild.
just released a fascinating episode on her Under the Influence podcast featuring author Sophie Gilbert and about how late 90’s culture has influenced the tradwife/influencer culture we are living through right now.I’ve read some great substacks, too.
I meant to share this one last month, but please read
‘s fantastic piece on her substack about attempting physical therapy while parenting 4 kids. There is so much crossover between my experience as a yoga/movement teacher trying to move my body while parenting 3 kids and I loved the fresh, but familiar perspective.Another one I meant to share last month, but I just reread it and it’s so good, is
’s interview with about the tyranny and utter chaos of illegal kegels. If you’ve ever wondered about the conflicting advice by pelvic health professionals, read this today.And if I’m honest, that’s the only thing I can remember reading this month on substack. With my half marathon training and prepping for film fest with my dance studio and the absolute chaos of the world we live in, I’ve been a little disconnected here. So I’ve love YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS from substack this month!
Here’s my latest video on YouTube:
I don’t typically call what I teach “yoga” anymore, preferring the term “movement”, which is broader and encompasses the actual variety of styles I teach. This particular flow features a lot of yoga poses, but the way I teach it is not. The practice is intended to build heat, while also focusing on hip mobility. It’s a fun, dynamic practice and great for a energy boost morning or midday.
One last thing:
Tomorrow I am kicking off a brand new month-long movement program called A Month of Morning Movement. The idea is to get moving every day (or simply more consistently), by having access to variety of short, fun movement practices.
Every day in May, you’ll receive a pre-recorded movement practice (yoga, mobility, strength training, core focus, or mellow), all between 8 and 18 minutes long. You’ll also receive daily tips rooted in habit science to help make movement, in the morning or otherwise, more accessible and more possible.
If that sounds useful to you, you can get more info and sign up here.
I also offer different payment options to make this program as affordable as possible.
*****
That’s it for April from me, but I want to know, what are you loving lately? Hit me with your book recs, music, podcasts, and anything else moving you right now!
Let me know in the comments!
Oh, I am so glad to hear you enjoyed It's Elementary. And thanks for the shoutout on the post about physical therapy.
I have Starling House on my TBR pile. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it!