July Wrap-Up

Whew, I'm almost caught up!

*guzzles tea*

Let's go!

Books I Read

4/5

This entire book was like adorable Love, Simon fan-fiction. If you want something full of fluff and sugary-sweet romance that'll rot your teeth right out of your mouth, here it is. I devoured the book within a couple hours since it's less than 200 pages and written entirely in e-mails, but it boosted my spirits so much. I think I would have loved it even more if this were in novel form rather than novella/e-mail form, but I understand that the book came about spontaneously. But there were some holes within the e-mails when the characters were in person together and I feel like I missed out on the in-person interactions since the characters could only reflect on what had already happened. Still, these are small complaints for a book that is really fun and soothes the soul.

5/5

WOW. This is my new favorite A.S. King book by far. The depth to this story and these characters is remarkable. King has a talent for painting a full picture of a person with two sentences and vivid word choice. I loved everything about this and I didn't get tired of reading about any of the different characters; sometimes ensemble casts run the risk of boring readers if one character is weaker than the rest, but I didn't feel this way at all. I never know how to categorize the genre of her books (magical realism? surrealism? something else?), but every one of them is obviously her. There was an underlying tension/mystery throughout the whole story, but it wasn't clear at first how everyone and everything connected. The more you read, the more the pieces fell into place, and by the end of it I was in awe of how thoughtful and masterful the intricate web of characters and storylines was. If anyone were to ask me which A.S. King book to start with if they hadn't read any before, I would point them to this one.

5/5

This was so cute! Adorable artwork, good story, great friendship. I read the whole thing in a day and felt so warm and cozy afterwards. The way everything wrapped up was a fun twist too since I didn't see the specifics of it coming. I highly recommend this!

Movies I Watched

4/5

I'll repeat what I've said about most Tarantino movies: this was very well done! It was funny, action-packed, and every character leaps off the screen because their dialogue is written in such a specific way to fit that person. As usual though, the movie could've been tightened up a little.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.5/5

I liked this more than I thought I would! The fight scenes were really cool; it reminded me of choreographed dance more than your typical "action-movie-fistfight-sequence." I could've used a little more depth from the characters since I didn't feel totally connected to any of them, so I think that's what's keeping me from rating this higher. I don't tend to love movies that are all action but no personality. The characters were all right, but nothing outstanding. It was entertaining overall though!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4/5

 

What a sweet, heartwarming movie! All of the animals were so well cast and Ewan McGregor is great in anything. A lot of the plot is very predictable, but it was the perfect cozy movie to watch on a dreary night at home. It's a good story to watch with the family.

 

 

 

 

 

4/5

 

Awesome indie movie! Family dynamics, quirky characters, and wild but simple adventures are all here. It was really funny too; there were several laugh-out-loud moments. I just wish the ending had been neater. It felt like the writing was rushed toward the last fifteen minutes of the movie because the writers didn't know exactly how the plot was going to wrap-up. I wouldn't discount the whole thing just because of that though; it's still worth watching.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4/5

This movie was WILD. I still don't know what my exact feelings are on it, but it definitely gave me a rush. This story is not at all what it seems on the surface. I went into this with low expectations because although it was labeled as a queer horror movie about musicians, I was fully expecting it to be your typical prodigy child story but with lesbians who die because gay characters in horror movies have horrendous life expectancy. Instead, I got a movie that was . . . something else altogether? It was good and it was full of twists I didn't see coming and I love how they played with time and flashbacks to make you go "OHHH, I get it now!" (think "How to Get Away With Murder"). But I also feel like it was the kind of movie that was trying to be too many things at once? Like, is this a revenge story about sexual predators or is this a story about musicians trying to reach perfection or is this a horror story about a deadly virus? It was a lot of things at once in a short amount of time, which made it a little jumbled and confusing. But the plot twists alone were fantastic and the acting was incredible and I was glued to the screen.the whole time. (Fair warning: this movie is very gross. There was a lot of vomiting. I was not a fan.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5/5

I've always been a fan of Taylor Swift's music, but I know she can be a controversial person in terms of the ups and downs she's had in her personal and professional life and how she's handled those things as a public figure, so I was curious to learn more about what was going on behind the scenes. She definitely hasn't had it easy as someone who made it big young and uses other people's praise and acceptance to keep her self-esteem up; being dependent on the approval of others was a recipe for disaster when it came to her mental health. I also missed the details of her court case when she was sexually harassed by a DJ and that was fascinating to learn about. Same thing with her change of heart when it came to discussing politics publicly; I think it's fantastic that she's finally speaking out about the things she believes in and using her platform to encourage others to vote. It was also interesting to get a peek into her songwriting process. I loved the whole thing. It was a way more open, honest, and vulnerable portrayal of her as a person than I've ever seen before.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4/5

 

How had I never seen this before?? I loved it! I love Natalie Portman in just about anything, so she was great, but I was also totally pulled in by the storyline. What a well-executed, futuristic concept that's (horrifyingly) relevant today. The slow rise of the people against the government was satisfying and inspiring. I could've done without the romantic storyline honestly because I didn't buy the chemistry as much as I bought the friendship and the other ways in which the characters influenced each other, but my small complaints are just that: small. It was really well done and I'm glad I finally saw it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Obsessions I Acquired

"Folklore" album by Taylor Swift - My love for Taylor Swift as a musician has been rekindled thanks to her incredible "Folklore" album, which is easily her most impressive one. I'm a big fan of her "fun" releases, such as anything from "1989," but her talent as a lyricist is where she truly shines, and that's why "Folklore" is as good as it is. If you're one of the fans who loved the lyrics in "All Too Well" from "Red" or "Lover" from "Lover," you'll love this album too. I was so excited when I heard that this album would be more stripped down and indie and she pulled it off even more than I thought she would! The lyrics are masterful and I don't feel like there's a single dud in the whole collection. She has succeeded in completely reinventing herself once again. I would be perfectly content if she only put out music like this from now on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you're still not convinced, give these two songs a listen, which are my favorites from this collection: "seven" and "august":

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pictures of the Month

Zoom shenanigans with friends

Of course I got all decked out to watch "Hamilton"

My friend Zoe, who's in our Kids On Bikes campaign, also drew my character (and drew it way better than me LOL!)

Writing outside is one of my favorite parts of summer

I got a signed bookplate for Love, Creekwood!

Josh and I are getting creative with our virtual date nights; we're rereading The Lightning Thief together as a sort of book club for two!

I wanted to do something to help ease the feeling of loneliness and isolation for those of us who are still quarantining at home, wearing masks, and practicing physical distancing. This pandemic has not been easy on anyone for a myriad of reasons and when doing what's safe is such solitary work, it's easy to feel like you're the only one practicing caution in an ever-changing, unpredictable, scary world. So I created a few simple graphics people can download and share so we can remind each other that we're not alone in our efforts. By keeping yourself safe, you are literally saving lives. Hopefully these graphics are a good reminder of that. 💖

Playing board games on the floor with my brother, as you do when there are at least four tables available for gaming . . .

Josh surprised me with a homemade bouquet of flowers 💖

Scout likes them too 😂

Got my signed copy of The Sacrifice of One by Emily Fortney!

Made homemade cinnamon rolls on a whim; they were sooo good 😋

We made a charcuterie board feast for dinner one night and it's easily one of the best dinners we've had in a long time.

Needed to shake things up a little, so I printed out a ton of new quotes on writing to hang up near my desk. I love looking over at them whenever I drift off instead of writing what I should be writing 😂

Time for Scout pictures!

This goof loves to hide under my bed

She melted

"Plz, plz don't takes my laundries awayz"

 

How was your July?