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Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
You don't hate reading, you just haven't found the right book yet
Somewhere between school worksheets, forced 'classics,' and being told to 'read for your personality,' a lot of people decided books weren't for them. Not because stories bored them, but because the wrong stories were handed to them at the wrong time, with the wrong kind of pressure. If that's you, here's the truth: you don't hate reading. You just haven't met the book that feels like it was written with your brain, your pace, your life in mind. Maybe school broke it Most of us were taught to read like we were sitting an exam. Theme, symbol, foreshadowing, five-paragraph essays. No one told you it was okay to skim a slow paragraph, skip a chapter that drags, or abandon a book that isn't working. Reading turned into a performance, not a pleasure. Take that pressure off. You're not getting graded anymore. Start with frictionless pages Open ten different books and read just the first page of each. Not the blurb, not the reviews, the first page. The one that makes you forget you're 'trying' to read, keep it. Voice is everything. If the sentences feel like wading through mud, that isn't a moral failure. It's a mismatch. Form matters as much as genre Maybe you don't want a 500-page epic right now. Try a novella, a graphic novel, or an essay collection you can dip in and out of. Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata is 176 pages and reads like a sharp, weird conversation with a friend. Before the Coffee Gets Cold is short, sentimental, and simple without being shallow. If you like visuals, Heartstopper, Saga, or Persepolis might do more for you than any dense literary brick ever will. If you like conversation-heavy storytelling, Daisy Jones & The Six reads like a documentary transcript, no heavy lifting, just pure story. Audiobooks count (and sometimes work better) If you're always on the move or your attention scatters on the page, listen instead. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah is even better in his own voice. Andy Weir's The Martian or Project Hail Mary are basically adrenaline in audio form. Commuting, cooking, and folding laundry all become reading time. Stop gatekeeping yourself. Give yourself permission to quit Adopt a DNF rule: If you're not into it by page 50 (or 30, or 10, set your own line), stop. Life is too short to finish books out of guilt. Make a 'not for me' shelf and move on. Weirdly, that freedom alone makes you more likely to read more. Read for obsession, not obligation Ask yourself what you're actually into when you're not reading. True crime podcasts? Try I'll Be Gone in the Dark or The Adversary. Start-up drama and scandal? Bad Blood will keep you up late. Reality TV messes with the heart underneath? Contemporary romance like Beach Read, Happy Place, or The Hating Game moves fast and feels like hanging out with chaotic friends. Heist movies and morally grey geniuses? Six of Crows is a YA that reads like a blockbuster. Want a mystery that's clever without being bleak? The Thursday Murder Club is warm, funny, and weirdly tender. Short attention span? Go short form Pick up an essay collection like Jia Tolentino's Trick Mirror, Durga Chew-Bose's Too Much and Not the Mood, or Samantha Irby's anything. You can finish a piece in ten minutes and still feel like you ate a full meal. Newsletters, long-form journalism, even fan-fiction that's better than half the paperbacks out there, read what actually holds you. Make reading easy to start Leave a book (or Kindle) where your thumb naturally goes: next to the kettle, on your nightstand, in your bag. Download samples to your phone so you can test-drive a dozen books without spending a rupee. Put the library app on your home screen. Tell yourself you'll read two pages. Most days, you'll read more. But even if you don't, two pages is still two more than yesterday. Community helps, shame doesn't If you like talking about what you read, find a low-pressure book club or a friend who also wants back in. If you hate the idea, don't. Track your reads if that motivates you. Don't if it turns joy into a spreadsheet. This isn't a personality project. It's just you and a story that makes your brain light up again. Books by vibe If you want something fast, funny, but secretly smart, try Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine or Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. If you want tension and a plot that drags you by the collar, The Silent Patient, Gone Girl, or The Woman in the Window won't let you look away. If you want heartfelt and hopeful, A Man Called Ove, The House in the Cerulean Sea, or Lessons in Chemistry. If you want real life told like a novel, Educated, When Breath Becomes Air, or Crying in H Mart will do it. If you want pure delight, try Legends & Lattes fantasy with cinnamon rolls and zero doom. Swap any of these for something closer to your taste—sports, food, finance, art, parenting, space, myth, manga. There is a book for every niche. There is even a niche for every sub-niche. Someone has written your book. You just haven't bumped into it yet. The point is not to become 'a reader' T he point is to remember what it feels like to get lost for twenty minutes and come back lighter, brighter, or at least a little less alone. If a book doesn't give you that, it's not your book, at least, not right now. Put it down. Try another. Reading isn't a test of discipline. It's a search. And searches take time. You don't hate reading. You hate boredom, shame, and the feeling of being forced. Strip those out, follow your curiosity, and watch what happens. One day soon, you'll look up from a page and realise an hour just vanished. That's your book. Keep it close. Then find the next one. And the next.
Chicago Tribune
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Where are the shows about regular people fighting back?
In the sardonic heist novel 'The Payback,' out this month, three millennial retail workers — including a former computer hacker — are in dire straits thanks to their enormous student loans and a newly established law enforcement agency called the Debt Police, who operate like loan shark henchmen. Which is why 'thousands of us limping to our cars and throwing up blood, all because we'd forgotten to be born rich,' is how one of them sums up their predicament. Her debt, she says, follows her around 'like a stalker in the night.' So the three hatch a plan to take down their student loan company and wipe out their remaining balances — and those of everyone else while they're at it. 'The Payback' is funny, knowing and a shot of hope-filled adrenaline that comes at a moment when the the cultural temperature is especially on edge and shaped by feelings of powerlessness over larger forces. Author Kashana Cauley began her career as an attorney before shifting to writing for TV (including the animated Fox series 'The Great North' and 'The Daily Show with Trevor Noah') and as a novelist. We talked about the origins of 'The Payback' and the conspicuous absence of stories like these — of regular people banding together against the odds — in present-day TV and film. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Q: What were the seeds that led you to conceive this story? A: I paid off six figures of student loan debt myself, and I paid it off thanks to TV work. But I don't think you should have to hit the lottery like I did in order to want to better yourself as a member of the working or middle classes. I'm a first-generation college student, so nobody in my family really knew what college was for, how to get there or what it is you might do with such a degree. I don't think that's uncommon among Black American families; only two or three generations of us have been going to college. So I did my undergrad in economics and political science at the University of Wisconsin, but I had no idea how you got a job because I didn't know you were supposed to get jobs through your friends' parents; my parents sent me to college so I didn't have to work on the assembly line at General Motors like my dad, so I was completely confused. I went to law school at Columbia University, which is something you can do without connections. And law school is expensive and I got stuck with a quarter million in student debt. We were told this is an investment in yourself and your future. I thought I was doing the things that I was supposed to do to construct a feasible American life. It's the same for the girls in 'The Payback' — they're doing the things American society tells them are the ways to better themselves. Are they rewarded for that? No, they're not. They're stalked and harassed by the Debt Police. So in the wake of being abandoned (by systems we're told to buy into), what can people do to change their circumstances? Throughout American history— the civil rights movement, farm workers who organized, other civil rights movements — it's mostly everyday people going, 'I don't want to live this life. What can I do about it? Well, I can talk to my friends and maybe we can come up with a plan together where we don't have to be as under the thumb as we are and devoid of rights. Maybe we can fight for what the American promise is supposed to be.' And that's where 'The Payback' came from. It's three girls who work at the mall who go: We're kind of all we have. Q: Stories about regular people coming together to problem-solve, to work through conflict, to figure something out, these used to exist in various forms throughout Hollywood history. You're a TV writer yourself, so I'm curious if you've pitched storylines similar to what we're describing — and if so, what was the response? A: My last book, 'The Survivalists,' is about survivalism but also how people come together to form a community in incredibly unlikely circumstances, which I feel like is related to what you're talking about. The book had a lot of Hollywood interest that kind of fizzled. This is a weird time in Hollywood right now, where they're just not buying anything. Everybody I know who is pitching shows right now is suffering. So there was a lot of interest, but I don't know if it would have gotten to the finish line. I had another show I pitched called 'Black Republicans,' about a Black person who's like: I've been fired from my job, I'm at my wit's end, my only plan to make money is to become a Republican for the cash. And what happened was, a lot of people we talked to tried to fit that one into what they called 'middle of the country narratives.' I'm going to note that I'm from Madison, Wisconsin, originally and the concept of 'middle of the country narratives' is pretty wild. Basically, they want whiter, more conservative ideas. But this is completely unfair considering the history, because many white folks from the 'middle of the country' have gotten together in groups to campaign for better lives for themselves, including poor white people from Appalachia. I think there's this idea that a 'middle of the country' narrative is white people farming in Iowa. I was always afraid any adaptation of 'The Survivalists' would suffer from that, too. But I think it's a shame that we don't have more of these stories on TV because we love underdogs. Q: A lot of shows function as a digital narcotic as opposed to something that galvanizes audiences to help envision what's possible, even if you aren't in a position of power. A: One exception is 'Andor,' which is a great show about everyday people joining together against something much bigger than themselves — the Empire — and going: So there are little things you can do to throw a wrench into their operations. It's not like the big plot that they carry off in 'Rogue One,' where they steal plans for the Death Star, but they do the little things in 'Andor.' The show was really well-received and I think it's because regular people were inserted into the narrative. Over the almost 50 years of the franchise, the people in those movies and TV series have become larger than life. But at the end of the day, I feel like they were always meant to be that 'regular people' concept. Q: Media executives are captains of industry themselves and therefore a segment of society who would be criticized in a lot of these kinds of stories. And it seems like there's this energy that's basically: Let's not give audiences any big ideas about pushing back. But studio bosses have always been captains of industry, so it feels worthwhile to try to understand what's informing this trend right now. A: Back in the day, everything wasn't a big-budget Marvel movie that costs 'X' so we have to make that back, so we're not taking any chances. Without that spirit of experimentation, there's less opportunity for stories like that to emerge in lower budget projects. We're also just generally not living in a great time for workers' rights. When I see AI coming and hear people say maybe we can replace everyone from film editors to screenwriters, I don't see an industry that is understanding about things like workers rights. So perhaps they wouldn't be as friendly to those stories. Especially if they're not making many lower budget movies. Q: One of your characters is a computer hacker, and I think the common perception is that hackers have antiauthoritarian personalities. So it's interesting that we haven't seen an entire generation of people who became hackers for good. Is that perception accurate to you? A: Yes, and in the book she's very antiauthoritarian. I call them ethical hackers — folks who are hacking for good — I'm amazed that type of character has not been represented so much either. We live in a digital world and while there are plenty of folks doing stuff offline and analog, a lot of life exists on the internet. And if you're looking at the problem of student loans, like they are in the book, it's impossible to not think that it has an online component. Q: Do you want to see 'The Payback' optioned for TV or film? A: You bet! I have a gung-ho TV and film agent and we are in the middle of that process, so I should probably not provide specifics .
eNCA
02-07-2025
- Sport
- eNCA
What Went Wrong In SA After 2010 World Cup
Dan Corder on Trevor Noah | What Went Wrong In SA After 2010 World Cup
The Herald
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald
Benno's back at the fest
At 50, Durban-based performer and comedian Ben Voss doubted whether anyone would want to see him back on the National Arts Festival stage. 'I've been a bit trepidatious,' he said. 'You hit 50 and you're like, am I relevant at all any more?' But his new one-man show, Becoming Benno , is so, so, funny. 'This is a show I've written from my heart,' he said. 'I haven't been back since 2019 and I wondered if people would still be interested. 'Art is valuable if you are doing it, but even more valuable if people see it.' The award-winning performer, known to many for his work as the satirical Beauty Ramapelepele, or his Green and Black Mamba comedy shows, which came to the festival over the years, is now performing as a version of himself caught between his SA roots and a new life in Australia. This premise has become a sort of local joke. Saffas longing to fly off into the Aussie sunset for the promise of a safer, better-governed utopia. Was it Trevor Noah who did the 'that's it, I'm moving to Australia' high-pitched woman's voice skit that went viral? Though Becoming Benno also looks at this split, he likes to think it's not running away from a home you hate, but carrying that SA flavour with you to the newer pastures. 'The show is about this dual personality,' he explained. 'One foot in SA, one foot in Australia, and caught in no-man's-land between two cultures. 'Do you want to run away from home, or are you moving towards something else? 'Are you abandoning your life, or just creating new options?' The show was developed as part of his application for a global talent visa to Australia, which he received with much gratitude in 2024. 'It was after the riots in Durban. I started writing this show and thinking about the 400-plus people dead in the streets, which shocked me as someone with a 10-year-old daughter.' Voss reached out to legendary satirist Pieter-Dirk Uys for a reference letter needed in the application process, and two lines in the email made him relook at the show's concept. 'He wrote the letter and in the email said: 'You've just got to be clear about what you are doing.' He's not interested in people running away from SA, he's interested in people who are running towards something else. 'SA is not something to run away from,' he said. 'It is a beautiful place and it's built an entire career for me. 'If you are lucky enough to have the chance, immigration can be about carrying the torch forward. 'That is what this has been for me.' Voss has deep ties to the Eastern Cape. He credits the National Arts Festival with launching his career. 'There is an earthiness to Eastern Cape people that works. 'The festival really set me up. The unpretentious nature of the theatre I do, which speaks to the Gqeberha and East London crowd, I think they get that.' After beginning work on the show in early 2024, Voss shared a draft with a few trusted colleagues, including John van de Ruit, Steven Stead and Schalk Bezuidenhout. Their feedback helped him reshape the script into something more grounded and authentic. 'They thought it was too stand-up,' Voss said. 'Schalk loved it. John thought I was rehashing old gags. He pushed me to make it more honest.' Van de Ruit, author of the popular Spud book series and second half of the Mamba comedies, came on as dramaturge through the process, and veteran of the arts Michael Richard came on board to guide rehearsals for its first runs in Johannesburg before the Adelaide festival in Australia in February. Becoming Benno runs at the Victoria Theatre in Makhanda until July 5.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Marc Guehi meets celebrity SUPERFAN ahead of potential Liverpool deal
Liverpool interested in Guehi All the usual reliable Liverpool reporters confirmed the Reds' interest in Guehi a couple of weeks back. Since then it's been speculated whether Guehi would favour a move to Merseyside - either this summer as a part of a mooted £40m transfer or else in 2026 as a free agent. Konate out, Guehi in? The Chelsea academy graduate would need guarantees of first-team football if he were to make the move - a prospect that would be more achievable on Merseyside if Konate leaves. Advertisement And maybe Guehi will have been persuaded to move to the Premier League champions following a meeting with one of the club's No1 celebrity fans this week. Trevor Noah - Liverpool fan Trevor Noah, the US-based comedian and talk show host, is a long-standing supporter of the Reds - travelling to the 2022 Champions League final in Paris. He has also been pictured on several occasions with Liverpool stars and is never shy about expressing his devotion to the club on social media. Guehi meets with Trevor Noah With Guehi Stateside following the conclusion of the Crystal Palace season, he posed for a photo alongside Noah in New York. 'Pleasure to meet you, Trevor & watch you live! Thanks, bro.' Guehi wrote on Instagram. Advertisement If Noah is as big a Liverpool fan as he claims, then he will have surely been making a sales pitch to Guehi. Hopefully the South African comic has put in enough groundwork on Guehi that Richard Hughes can take over to seal the deal.
