What's new on Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime Video & Hulu in June 2019

The shows and movies dropping into various streaming options this June include several exciting titles. I always make myself a list of what to watch for, so I'll share that with you, highlighting the ones I'm anticipating most and including links to full lists of new titles for each platform. Here we go!

New on Netflix in June 2019

Most anticipated: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse on June 26. This megahit took the Oscar for Best Animated Feature and has been on my to-rent list ever since it dropped on digital (I love it when something I'd been meaning to rent lands on a service I already subscribe to). The trailer looks gorgeous! For an enthusiastic discussion to whet your appetite while you wait, check out the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast singing its praises.

Writers decades ago earned more, begging the question: WTF?

Freelance writers, wrap your head around this: "Hemingway signed a fresh contract with Collier’s in early 1944 that would pay him $3,000 per 2,500- to 3,500-word article." That's more than $43,000 today. 

The article about Hemingway focused on his filing a massive bill for expenses (it was $13,000 in WW2-era cash, or $187,000 when adjusted for inflation). The headline was about the expenses, but the part of the article that grabbed me highlighted how much more people used to be able to make freelancing for magazines and newspapers.

Just imagine making even the $3,000 today, never mind how much he got when adjusted for inflation. Most freelancers get nothing like that for a piece. Maybe if you're a recognizable name, but few get the David Sedaris rate (he's in a position to demand top dollar, and I hope he does).

Prairie Fires reveals hardship lurking in the Little House books

If you grew up reading the Little House books and wondered if the tale was sugarcoated for children (it was), have I got the book for you – Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline Fraser. She deservedly nabbed the Pulitzer Prize for biography for this book in 2018.

Fraser dug deep into any records she could find, fleshing out details lurking between the lines of the story told in the children's books. It's a fascinating read.

As I wrote a few years back, I grew up cherishing the Little House books. As a child I didn’t just play house, I played Little House. I imagined living in a log cabin while pining for a piece of horehound candy and a tin mug to call my own. I craved a gingham dress even though I couldn’t pick a gingham anything out of a lineup.

Review: Daisy Jones & the Six takes readers on a realistic, rockin' ride

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is better than it has any right to be. An oral history about a band, that isn’t a real band, told entirely through interviews, that aren’t real interviews? That sounds like a recipe for disaster. And yet … it works. So well. It’s so engaging, feels so real. It opens the portal to every rock documentary, interview, book about a band and performance I’ve ever loved.

As I read, I connected to the characters in this book while at the same time an invisible thread was binding all my past music loves to me and to this story. It's magic.

Podcasts that rock

A good podcast is like a glass of fine wine (preferably the chocolate variety): it fills you with a happy glow, leaves you wanting more, and might even knock you off your feet.

Whether you listen on your commute, at the gym, or just puttering around the house, these podcasts will rock your socks:

This American Life 

This podcast focuses on a different theme each week, comprised of several segments. The masterful storytelling, humor, drama and even a few plot twists will draw you in.

Standout episodes: The Super and Petty Tyrant are both deliciously engrossing, shocking, and fascinating. Listen with a buddy, because you will definitely want someone to share stunned observations with.

Theranos and Elizabeth Holmes: Best bets to read, listen and watch

If you can't get enough of tales about Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, have I got a slew of bingeable options for you. Take your pick: listen, watch or read, there are many ways to ingest this endlessly fascinating story.