January Wrap-Up

I totally forgot to do this. Forgive me?

January was a weird month for me. Working in a restaurant as I do it meant I finally got to relax a little bit like everyone else did over the Christmas period. I also escaped the waitressing world for a way too short week to do some work experience at a magazine.

Back to the waitressing again now.

Here’s hoping that 2017 will bring some sort of life progress.

This month I reviewed:

The Sun is also a Star – Nicola Yoon

The Dream Thieves – Maggie Stiefvater

Blood for Blood – Ryan Graudin

The Goldfinch – Donna Tartt

I adored all of these books for lots of different reasons. They have totally reinvigorated my love for YA and for complex storytelling in general. In The Raven Cycle I am being reminded how wonderful it is to lose yourself in a series. Reading Nicola Yoon made me think about how vital it is to read widely and diversely about experiences that aren’t my own. Ryan Graudin shattered my heart into a thousand pieces and reaffirmed the conclusion I have come to lately: fiction, much like life, is not supposed to be comfortable.

The Goldfinch made me fall more in love with books than I have ever been.

I also wrote…

Twitter: Some feelings

A Mystery

Reasons to watch Search Party

OTHER THAN BOOKS: Some recommendations you didn’t ask for.

To Read: This insane article about super rich doomsday preppers in America. This may just be because I am poor, have terrible eye sight and no bunker, but honestly, if there is an apocalyptic event I am happy enough to go out in that. I’ve read the books. I don’t want to be dealing with any of that post-apocalyptic shit.

To Listen: Invisibilia. I ADORE this podcast. I have been listening to it very gradually so as not to run out of episodes. I have shaken up my podcast habits in a big way lately. I was listening to a lot of so called ‘inspiring’ shows where billionaires talk about how they got rich. I recently realised that I have no interest in billionaires. Instead, I’m interested in questions. Invisibilia is all about those. Subjects include: Is blindness a social construct? and Do our thoughts REALLY create our world?

To Watch: Whiplash. I just watched this movie yesterday and it BLEW MY FREAKING MIND. It might be the most intense hour and 45 minutes I have ever spent. Also? It felt like 5 seconds. This story about an abusive music teacher (JK Simmons) and a talented jazz drummer (Miles Teller) will tear you apart, horrify you and make you question everything you ever thought about greatness and achieving it. It’s not often I call a film about 2 white men a religious experience but this one totally is. NECESSARY VIEWING.

ALSO ALSO ALSO I have Instagram now! I update it as irregularly and with as varying quality as all my social media. Follow me? I’m @Lydiat21