Reading...

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Once upon a time, I checked this book out of the library. I then returned it after reading about three chapters. I have no idea why I didn't get into it then, but man, am I ever enjoying it now. Admittedly, the story gets off to kind of a slow start, but now that I'm invested in the story, I don't want to put it down.


Watching...

George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight

I'm house sitting for some friends right now, so I have an actual TV. This is both strange and wonderful. It also means that I've been able to watch George every night. Such a good interviewer. Additionally, I may have a bit of a celebrity crush on him. And Jian Ghomeshi. Apparently I have a thing for guys who can interview well. Also, is there a rule that Canadian interviewers must have a weird name?


Listening...

"Disney Dudez" by Toddrick Hall and IM5

Okay, so, just in case you were thinking I was some elegant person who reads classic literature and gets excited about watching really good interviews, and the whole attractive-Canadian-celebrities line of discussion didn't tip you off, I thought I would throw this video in there. I have this inner teenaged girl that melts every time I see a boy band like this one. To be fair, I did not discover this on my own. However, it is entirely my decision to watch this at least once a day. It's just so catchy!

Reading...

Still Life with Oysters and Lemon by Mark Doty

I found out about this book through Joy the Baker. I loved the quote she shared, and immediately upon reading her post, thought to myself, "Any book called Still Life with Oysters and Lemon is something I must read." So I went and ordered myself a copy. I took this book on the plane to London (Ontario, not England), and read it all on the way there. It was so good that I may have to read it again. Like, right now. Anyway, Doty writes beautifully about art and life and, well, beauty. This little book is a stunning testament to the importance of our connection to things and the observation of beauty. Plus, it had the added bonus of reawakening my fascination with art history.


Watching...

Gilmore Girls

Because sometimes you just need something you can count on. This series is easily one of my all-time favourite TV shows. I own all seven seasons, and watch them regularly. I quote lines from the show far more often than people probably realize. Basically, this is my comfort food of TV shows.


Listening...

The Blessed Unrest by Sara Bareilles

Sara Bareilles released a new album last week! I downloaded it right before I left for London, and listened to it pretty much every night of the trip. It's delightful. The same well-written lyrics and interesting musical turns I expect from her, but with a more mature sound than her other work. It feels like a really logical followup to Kaleidoscope Heart and her Once Upon Another Time EP. I think "Hercules" is currently my favourite track. Or possibly "Manhattan." Really, the whole album is excellent.

Reading...

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler

Okay, so I am behind everyone else in the blogosphere when it comes to reading this gem. I blame the fact that I just finished the last of my thesis revisions, and I have the most ridiculous, ever-growing "to read" list. But, now that I have finally picked it up, I am devouring this book. I know that love for the '20s is kind of the thing right now, but I was enamoured with this time period long before the emergence of The Paris Wife, and Midnight in Paris, and Gatsby-fever. I took a modernist lit class during my undergrad, and, unlike pretty much everyone else in my class, adored the literature we studied. And how can you not be enamoured by this time period? The opulence and lushness are astounding, and all I want to do is run away to New York or Paris and become a writer and live this kind of life. This kind of magical lifestyle is exactly what this book captures, only it tempers this vision a little bit, revealing the wear and tear that such a lifestyle inevitably creates. And Zelda is such a fascinating character in her own right. The voice in this book is fresh and snappy, and overall it is just beautifully written.


Watching...

The new adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing

Okay, so, there is a story to finally seeing this movie. Basically, my friend and I were planning to go see it, and we waited and waited and waited for it to actually come out, and then the only show time was really late, and I ended up going by myself. Which is fine, because I actually love going to movies alone. But that's a whole other story. The movie was visually lovely (black and white for the win!). And the actors were excellent, managing to place just the right emphasis on the right parts of their lines so as to get the full impact of each joke or speech or witty comeback. This is no easy feat when it comes to Shakespeare; thus, the astounding number of horrible stage and movie versions of Shakespeare's plays. I loved that it was set in modern times but retained the original Shakespearian text. And, most importantly for an adaptation of a comedy...it was FUNNY. All in all, I genuinely enjoyed it.


Listening...

This Kurt Hugo Schneider and Kevin Olusola cover of "Little Talks" by Of Monsters and Men.

I love the cello. And am a big fan of Kevin's celloboxing. And, come on now, how amazing is it that all the background instrumentation is made using Coca Cola products? I mean, can we just take a second to talk about how impressive that is? Seriously.

Reading...

Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger
At the risk of incurring the wrath of other English scholars...it turns out I'm not the biggest fan of Salinger's writing. Not that it isn't good. It's excellent and well-written, but there is something about his style that is bugging me. I haven't quite put my finger on it, but I just can't get behind this book as much as I want to.

Watching...

Criminal Minds Season 8 Finale

I finally got around to watching the last episode of this season on the weekend, and it was so intense that it almost made me late for work. This show is so ridiculously addicting, but man oh man does it mess with my mental state.

Listening...

"Emmylou" by First Aid Kit
I'm walking around singing this song repeatedly. So lovely.