AJB Recommends - Amy Julia Becker

What I’m Reading, Watching, and Listening To: June 2026

June 17, 2026

Books, essays, podcast episodes, and more that I think are worth your time, plus recent cultural news that I’m paying attention to in the month

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May 2026 • Worth Your Time

May 29, 2026

Books, essays, podcast episodes, and more that I think are worth your time, plus recent cultural news that I’m paying attention to in the month

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A horizontal collage of book and movie covers displayed side by side. Visible covers include Sinners on the far left with a fiery orange-red design, On the Basis of Sex featuring a woman in a blue suit standing before courthouse columns, All the Light We Cannot See with a blue sky over a cityscape, an abstract black-and-white cover with small glowing light icons arranged in a grid, and a partially visible white cover on the far right with bold black letters beginning “BEI.”

April 2026 • Worth Your Time

April 30, 2026

Books, essays, podcast episodes, and more that I think are worth your time, plus recent cultural news that I’m paying attention to in the month

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A collage featuring several panels: a close-up of a person using a wheelchair; the book cover On Repentance and Repair by Danya Ruttenberg; the book cover Flourish by Daniel Coyle; an image of two hands connected with bright green string in a web-like pattern; and a smiling Sammy Basso wearing glasses and a jacket while seated in a wheelchair.

March 2026 • Links Worth Your Time

March 26, 2026

Books, essays, podcast episodes, and more that I think are worth your time, plus recent cultural news that I’m paying attention to in the month

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February 2026 • Links Worth Your Time

February 20, 2026

Books, essays, podcast episodes, and more that I think are worth your time, plus recent cultural news that I’m paying attention to in the month

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How The Pitt Gets Disability Right: Realistic Representation in TV Healthcare

February 6, 2026

I’ve been noticing how The Pitt portrays people with disabilities. As with most everything else, they do a good job. First, there are the disabled

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A horizontal collage of five book and media covers. From left to right: a close-up photo of hands assembling a jigsaw puzzle on a brown rug; the bright yellow and red cover of From Behaving to Belonging: The Inclusive Art of Supporting Students Who Challenge Us by Julie Causton and Kate MacLeod; the illustrated white cover of The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi; a dark concert-style image of a person walking through a glowing doorway labeled Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour – The End of an Era; and the cover of the film Deliver Me From Nowhere

January 2026 • Things Worth Your Time

January 28, 2026

Books, essays, podcast episodes, and more that I think are worth your time, plus recent cultural news that I’m paying attention to in the month

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My Favorite Books of 2025

December 31, 2025

Here are books I loved in 2025. Non-Fiction The Discipline of Inspiration by Carey Wallace. Everyone is an artist, and all art is from God.

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A horizontal banner with five book covers side by side. The titles shown are: This Is Happiness by Niall Williams, The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green, Think Again by Adam Grant, and The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. The covers include a landscape with a tree, bold colorful text, a lit match with water where the flame should be, and a blue background with white cloud shapes. On the far left are black-and-white photos of a person holding a phone that partially covers their face.

December 2025 | Things Worth Your Time

December 17, 2025

Books, essays, podcast episodes, and more that I think are worth your time, plus recent cultural news that I’m paying attention to in the month

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A collage featuring five panels. From left to right: abstract artwork with floating platforms and red dots; a photo of three smiling women from The Lucky Few Podcast wearing light-colored outfits against a beige background; the book cover of Brave New World by Aldous Huxley showing a globe surrounded by famous landmarks; an illustration of two overlapping hands, one pink and one beige, on a blue background; and a close-up of an open red book under striped shadows.

November 2025 | Things Worth Your Time

November 25, 2025

Books, essays, podcast episodes, and more that I think are worth your time, plus recent cultural news that I’m paying attention to in the month

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October 2025 | Things Worth Your Time

October 31, 2025

Books, essays, podcast episodes, and more that I think are worth your time, plus recent cultural news that I’m paying attention to in the month

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A collage of five images side by side. From left to right: (1) A painting-style image of figures with outstretched arms in earthy reds, blues, and browns. (2) A cartoon drawing of a roller coaster with red flags at the top. (3) A cartoon rocket with a round window pointed toward a yellow moon in a starry purple sky. (4) The cover of the book Orbital: A Novel by Samantha Harvey, featuring colorful planets and cosmic imagery. (5) The cover of the book The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story by Daniel Nayeri, showing two figures carrying large backpacks walking toward an orange sky with airplanes overhead. (6) A poster for the Apple TV+ show Still starring Owen Wilson, showing Wilson in a blue cap and shirt standing outdoors with a camper in the background.

September 2025 | Things Worth Your Time

September 22, 2025

Books, essays, podcast episodes, and more that I think are worth your time, plus recent cultural news that I’m paying attention to in the month

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August 2025 | Things Worth Your Time

August 14, 2025

Books, essays, podcasts episodes, and more that I think are worth your time, plus recent cultural news that I’m paying attention to… ESSAYS ESSAY: “Canada

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A row of five covers displayed side by side. From left to right: A stylized illustration of abstract human figures interacting with oversized, open books against colorful backgrounds. How to Read a Book by Monica Wood, featuring a cozy bookshop storefront with a cat, table, and chairs outside. Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano, showing a close-up, colorful painted portrait of a woman’s face. Life, Animated by Ron Suskind, with a serene blue background and silhouettes of two people swinging above the title. How to Slow Down and be a Peaceful Presence When Tensions are High, a Christian leadership guide, with minimalist design featuring circular cutouts of nature imagery.

July 2025 | Things Worth Your Time

July 13, 2025

Books, essays, podcasts episodes, and more that I think are worth your time, plus recent cultural news that I’m paying attention to… BOOKS BOOK: The Hospitality

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June 2025 | Things Worth Your Time

June 18, 2025

Books, essays, podcasts episodes, and more that I think are worth your time, plus recent cultural news that I’m paying attention to… FILMS/MOVIES/DOCUMENTARIES TEDxAtlanta: Cash,

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April 2025 Favorites

April 30, 2025

Favorite books, essays, podcasts episodes, and more that I enjoyed in the month of April, plus recent cultural news that I’m paying attention to… Books

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This image is a collage featuring five different media recommendations. From left to right: 1. The Russell Moore Show – A podcast with a blue background and black-and-white text. 2. The Lucky Few Podcast – A podcast featuring an image of three women smiling and engaged in conversation. 3. Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks – A memoir displayed as a book cover, with a hand holding the book. The cover features a desert-like landscape. 4. The Good Hard Story Podcast with Katherine Wolf – A podcast with a soft, neutral-toned design featuring Katherine Wolf 5. Ezra – A film starring Bobby Cannavale, Robert De Niro, Rose Byrne, Vera Farmiga, and Whoopi Goldberg.

March 2025 Favorites

March 27, 2025

Favorite books, essays, podcasts episodes, and more that I enjoyed in the month of March, plus recent political news that I’m paying attention to… Books:

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