FNC: Easter long weekend recommendations + chats

Emily Writes

03 Apr 2026 — 10 min read

Eww what a bad week. But now it's the long weekend yay! And I am heading to Tāmaki Makaurau for the launch of Kiwi Health Heroes by Caitlin Timmer-Arends, So-Young Cho and Rebecca Waddel. It features my Eddie, and his bestie and me are going to the launch on Tuesday. Let's chat! This is a special version of Friday Night Chats - a bumper version for the long weekend.

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Also it's free! Friday Night Chats is normally for paid members only but occasionally I put out a bonus one and that's what this is! Paid members get to comment and are the first to get the heads-up about the week's EJP podcast! So if you like this, or want to support the work I do, take out a paid subscription and join the chat with paid members every Friday! Thank you so much! Arohanui Emily.

Kiwi Health Heroes is a gorgeous kids' book that is really inspiring and a great read for all families. I'm not just saying that because it features my boy's story!

Kiwis have a long history of great achievements. Everyone knows we were the first to split the atom and give women the right to vote, but did you know that we’ve achieved A LOT of things in health and medicine, too? For a start, it was a Timaru inventor who created the first ever disposable syringe. And a doctor from West Otago made a world-first discovery about chronic fatigue syndrome. How about the amazing Kiwi who introduced air-based search-and-rescue missions after witnessing a disaster? And let’s not forget the clever minds behind the high-tech medical imaging that helps to save lives every day. There have been so many amazing achievements by our very own KIWI HEALTH HEROES over the last hundred years. Forge your own path through this fascinating book and discover them all!

You can order a copy from your local bookstore here.

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This wasn't a great week for me. I have a meniscus injury. Didn't even know I had a meniscus, but anyway, I have one, and it made a loud pop, and it hurts SO BAD. Well, it doesn't hurt much now, but when it happened - OH MY LORD.

Anyway, I've been to the physio twice, and I'm seeing an ortho surgeon and getting an MRI. It's annoying. I can walk now, at least. But being on tramadol at the start of the week meant I couldn't write what I wanted to.

But I'm off the trammys now, and I did my first workout today. So, I'll be all good. No newsletter on Monday because it's a long weekend!

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Also - HERE IS THE PODCAST! Episode 3! I almost can't believe it. I know Josh can't. Here's a link to the Emily Josh Pod RSS feed - a few people were asking for this very specifically and we aim to please.

And here's an embedded player for Spotify because it's the only one that reliably works on the newsletter.

If you are feeling generous this Good Friday please let the spirit motivate you to leave a rating and review, it really helps get the word out about the pod. Also having the pod's cover artwork show up on the podcast charts might be the funniest thing to happen in this otherwise bleak year.

Here's the article we talk about in the podcast this week! Remember all of our podcasts are on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and if you're a paid subscriber you get Friday Night Chats plus the podcast early!

What I'm reading:

Why Palestine Matters So Much to Queer People - Palestinian identity can “upend the whole world order, if done right, if spun right, if we activate it enough. And I think queerness is a very similar kind of identity.”

In “Yes,” an Israeli Filmmaker Charges Israel with Self-Satisfied Brutality

‘Heated Rivalry’ Actor and First Out Trans Pro Hockey Player Says ‘Trans Participation in Sports Is a Non-Issue’

Ewww I hate agreeing with Wayne Brown!!!

Pop Culture catch-ups!

The Lindy West Adult Braces discourse:

I desperately want to be chosen to interview Lindy West at a writers festival when she's brought to Aotearoa. I cannot wait to read Adult Braces. As a huge fan of Lindy's I'm horrified and titillated (I know I'm ashamed) by the discourse around this book. People are so angry!!! I must read it!! Why do books take so long to get here?!

The Mormon Housewife Turned Bachelor discourse:

I don't watch the Bachelorette but I did watch two episodes of Secret Lives of Mormon Lives and so I knew of Taylor Frankie Paul. This is the only piece I think is good:

The New Harry Potter Trailer Is Out discourse:

I wanted to write about this. But it requires a clear head, and I was on (legal) drugs. But in short, I hope that everybody refuses to watch the new Harry Potter. JK Rowling uses her massive wealth to actively campaign against human rights. She's a miserable troll.

What I'm watching:

I saw Project Hail Mary at the movies, and I really loved it. I thought it was beautiful. My friend Simon hated it and I thought his review was great and maybe even correct and I still loved it haha. Maybe I will watch The Martian and Interstellar this weekend.

I watched Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen on Netflix. It's a great allegory about marriage that features blood pouring from people's eyes and mouths!! How about that!

Related: I just realised the very hot lead in that show was also in Daisy Jones and the Six, which I think is an underrated, very good show. And I am always interested in details about its shoot because it was so long.

Can I go extremely against the grain and suggest that actually The Pitt is becoming too depressing????!!!

What I'm listening to:

I am listening to Rachel Reid's gay hockey book Time To Shine even though I think it's actually the narration that is making these books seem bad? A friend said she liked The Shots You Take, but I thought the protagonist, Riley, sounded like a whiny loser. So maybe that was the narrator?

I listened to season two of Foundling. It's the podcast I talked about where a woman who was left on a grass verge as a newborn tries to find her mother. I guessed who her mother was pretty quickly which makes me wonder why the Police didn't realise?

I am thrashing Raye's incredible album May Contain Hope and the new Kneecap son Fenians.

Mostly though I am OBSESSED with this episode of ICYMI about Lindy West's unhinged husband and girlfriend sending unhinged emails.

Still bored?

Sign this petition: Stop the deportation of autistic 5-year-old child, Aidhan Nithin.

And this one: Demand the Government support people experiencing homelessness!

Still, still bored?

I was right! I was right! In 2020 I said Quibi was great here: Emily Writes: Quibi was dumb but I loved it a lot.

And now there are Quibi clones everywhere!! TikTok is launching its own version! All those Heated Rivalry rip-offs you see (like Wrestling with Love) are on Quibi clones! I was right! I was right! Because I have a tiny, tiny attention span - I knew that five-minute-long episodes would be huge. I was just too early in saying so lol.

Ok you got to the end I will reward you with a photo of me in the cosplay I was forced to wear by my son:

What are you watching? Reading? Listening to? Hopefully our podcast Emily Josh Pod which - at the risk of repeating myself - is on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Have a great weekend. Drive safe if you're driving. Arohanui Emily x

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