Tag Archives: Music

What I’m Currently Reading!

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Hello folks, and sorry for the minor delay! Busy days, busy days. I have a couple book reviews I need to get written soon, and should have one for you next weekend. For today, here’s some of the books I’ve been reading lately. Plus a couple book playlists, because anyone who knows me knows I love a fun book-themed playlist!

So without further ado, what Amanda is currently reading:

The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings – this book is releasing in June, and I’m reading the arc right now. This book is EXCELLENT! It features a magical New Orleans where magic is performed through music, ghosts haunt the city, and graffiti has come to life and wanders the streets driving people mad if they walk through the paint. I have no idea how it’s going to end! You can definitely expect a review when I finish this book.

Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet by Thich Nhat Hanh – this is the last book that came out before Thich Nhat Hanh’s death in January, though it actually a collection of some previous talks, writings, interviews, etc that had been compiled by his students following his stroke a few years ago. I have a hardcover copy of this book, but I am  also listening to the audiobook right now, particularly while I work.

Book of Gothel by Mary McMyne – this is also an arc I’m reading, and the book will be out in July. It’s a feminist, semi-historically-grounded take on the Rapunzel fairytale. I’m not very far into yet, but it is very good so far and I’m curious to see how the author will twist the traditional elements of the tale.

Sisters of the Forsaken Stars by Lina Rather – I read and reviewed the first novella, Sisters of the Vast Black, last year and loved it. This novella is a direct continuation so, of course, I had to grab it! I haven’t actually started this one yet, it’s next on the pile as soon as I finish one of the above, lol.

Last Call at the Nightingale by Katharine Schellman – I actually JUST finished this one (another arc for a book releasing in June) and this will likely by the review I get written up for next week!

So that’s what I’m currently reading. You can likely expect reviews for most, if not all, of these (time depending, of course). In the meantime, here’s a couple of the book playlists I’ve put together lately, just for the fun of it!

Playlist for Nettle & Bone – here’s the playlist I made to go with Nettle & Bone, which I just reviewed a couple weeks ago. This book officially released last Tuesday, so if you haven’t bought it yet, GET THEE HENCE!

Playlist for Spindle Splintered – I didn’t actually write a review of Spindle Splintered by Alix Harrow because I read it last year when the blog was dead in the water. But the sequel is coming out soon, so I might read that and then review both together… possibly. In the meantime, have a playlist!

Playlist for King of Infinite Space – here’s another one for a book I read last year and didn’t review. King of Infinite Space by Lindsay Faye is a queer, modern-day, magical realist take on Hamlet, and it is EXCELLENT. I cried so bad at the end! I pulled this playlist together for it right after finishing the book. Enjoy!

Ok, that’s all from me for today! Expect a review next Saturday!

Song and Story: My Personal Playlists

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Over the last few years, especially as apps like Spotify have become more common, making playlists for all sorts of things has become more and more popular. Fans make playlists based on their favorite books, fanfics, ships, etc. Some authors have taken to releasing an official book playlist for each of their new release publications. And so on and so on.

As my best friends are aware, I have been making playlists for DECADES. Since way back-when, when they were still called MIXTAPES. I remember with great fondness, the labor of love that was: listening to the radio waiting for bated breath for your favorite songs to play, ready to press record the second those first few notes hit, and doing this over and over again until the cassette tape was full. And then, years later, the joy of burnable cds and the first version of itunes, allowing you to make endless combinations of music to suite every mood.

I make playlists for everything: specific themes, stories I am writing, stories I am reading, characters I love, for road-trips and for test-taking, etc. I mostly keep mine on “private,” though I have started curating a few of the official playlists for the book subscription box Fox & Wit, for whom I work.

The playlists I make for Fox & Wit are usually around 10-14 songs long, however, I usually start with MANY more songs than that and then cut down to the best songs that most fit the feel/tone/themes of the book.

But I thought it might be fun to share just a few of the playlists I’ve done for myself as well. So here we go:

First, this started as the official book playlist for Just Watch Me by Jeff Lindsay, curated for Fox & Wit, but I discovered I didn’t actually like the book that much, so this rapidly became more generally what I call “The Greatest Heist Playlist Ever.”

Next we have a playlist called “You Go Too Fast For Me” which is, of course, a playlist I made for Good Omens, and one of my favorite ships: Crowley and Aziraphale.

Then we have one of my more idiosyncratic playlists. I have an obsession for songs about trains. I have been adding to this playlist slowly for YEARS. I don’t have every single song ever written that mentions trains – there are dozens, possibly hundreds, of blues songs ALONE that mention trains – I mainly just keep the ones I like best. I call it “Runaway Train” (because of course I did).

I also have this playlist, “Icarus and Daedalus,” the title of which is probably self-explanatory. I am likewise obsessed with songs (and poems and art) about the myth of Icarus and Daedelus. Like the train playlist, I have been adding to this one slowly for years as well. I’m still tinkering with it a lot lately.

Then I have this playlist called “Songs to Conquer By” which I made specifically to help power me through studying for my PhD Comprehensive Exams – I made it through mostly unscathed.

On top of all that, I have playlists I make for the stories I am writing personally. Currently, I am working on a fanfiction for Camp Nanowrimo, so I made a playlist for that one: It’s called “Holes In Your Coffin” (which is the name of the fic) and it is for The Dresden Files (more the short-lived tv show than the book series) and for my Harry/Bob ship.

In addition, I have a playlist for the only novel I have written a FULL draft of, called “Midnight’s Knife.”

And finally, I have a playlist for my half-started novel “They Shall Have Fire.”

So there are just a few of my playlists, all available on Spotify. I have others on Spotify that I will probably keep to myself. And I have even more in older formats, like on burned CDs.

If you like to make playlists and feel like sharing, I would love to see/hear them! I am also always looking for new music. I am a VORACIOUS music omnivore, so please send me any recommendations you have!

Some Fun Things To Do While Self-Isolating

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There have been a few of these posts and articles floating around the internet, but I thought it would be fun just to compile and share a few of the things I’ve found to keep you entertained, to keep you indoors, to keep your anxiety under control, etc…

Keep in mind that these are just things I’ve managed to find, and things that I personally find fun or cool or whatever (I’m sure you’ve seen many of these and more besides in other places).

First off, I love museums! So, here’s an article about 12 museums that offer virtual tours, including the British Museum in London, the Van Gogh Museum, and the Guggenheim!

And since we’re talking about museums, we can’t forget that these Paris Museums have put 100,000 images online for free unlimited viewing!

Next, I love music. I love going to concerts in genres ranging from classic rock to indie alternative to classical! I regularly attend concerts at the Houston Symphony. I was hoping they might do something online for audiences, but I suppose they didn’t have the setup necessary for it. Instead, the Seattle Symphony has done something very cool and is sharing previously recorded concerts for free streaming on YouTube and Facebook. More information can be found on their website here.

In for more classical music, you have probably heard that the Met Opera is doing free viewings of some of their previous Met Opera in HD programs (which they usually broadcast via Fathom Events in movie theatres and on their Subscription App). You can find more information, including a schedule on their website here. 

Yesterday (Monday, March 16th) they streamed Carmen, which I watched and really enjoyed. Tonight (Tuesday, March 17th) they will be streaming La Boheme. Just fyi: you can stream these performances straight from the website, however due to more site traffic than they were prepared for, the Met Opera recommends streaming from their On Demand App. The App does technically cost money, however you can access the free broadcasts without signing up by going to the “Browse and Preview” option! It’s a tiny bit glitchy (again, due to more traffic than they’re used to) but it worked me just fine!

For more fun, the Georgia Aquarium has live cams in many of their habitats so you can visit with the fish and animals going about their lives without any clue of the turmoil currently going on among us crazy humans.

I recommend watching some Mister Roger’s Neighborhood if your anxiety or restlessness is especially bad. Amazon Prime has quite a few episodes. And the Fred Rogers Productions website releases 5 new episodes twice per month for free.

I always, of course, recommend reading. If your local library has been forced to shutdown due to the social distancing efforts, I recommend looking for their digital collections. You’ll find that most (though not all) libraries have a partnership with one of the two e-catalog apps for ebooks and audiobooks: Overdrive and Libby. Keep in mind that you do need a library card from your local library to access the collections, but many libraries allow you to apply for a digital-only “card” on their websites that will give you a code or number to use the digital collections.

Speaking of books, I also HIGHLY recommend Levar Burton Reads. Obviously this is going to appeal to the millennials who grew up on Reading Rainbow, but really anyone who likes fiction would probably enjoy this. It’s a podcast that Levar Burton started awhile ago where he chooses a short story to read. It’s a delight!

And, of course, there are plenty of tv series and movies to watch on cable and on the myriad streaming services available these days. Perhaps I’m wrong, but I think it’s generally safe to assume that most people have at least ONE of the major streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, or DisneyPlus. Just for the fun of it, here are a handful of television series that I really enjoy:

The Good Place (seasons 1-3 on Netflix)
Community (on Hulu)
Lost in Space (the new one on Netflix)
The Umbrella Academy (on Netflix, and the wait for season 2 is killing me!)
Hilda (Netflix, animated and family-friendly)
Futurama (one of my all-time favorites, on Hulu)
Adventure Time (another favorite, also on Hulu)
Amphibia (a really cute new-ish animated series on DisneyPlus)
Gargoyles (if you want to go old-school on DisneyPlus)
Good Omens (on Amazon Prime, based on the novel by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, and possibly the best thing to come out of 2019)

And for the anime fans: Fairy Tail, My Hero Academia, Soul Eater, Tada Never Falls in Love, Golden Time, Inuyasha, Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, and Yu Yu Hakusho (to name just a few…)

Also, a friendly reminder that STAR TREK exists and has gifted the universe with seven different series, 13 movies, and more novelizations than you can shake a stick at.

I might also suggest something to help keep you calm and balanced, such as meditation. There are a ton of meditation books, videos, and apps. But I personally use and really like an app called Stop, Breathe, and Think. It has both a free and a paid premium version, and contains quite a lot of guided meditations and some short videos for yoga and such as well.

So that’s what I have! I would love to hear about some of things you have found, either online or elsewhere, to keep you busy, calm, and/or entertained! Please feel free to share in the comments!

5 Things to Know Me By

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If you are remotely active on Twitter, you might have seen one of the newer memes floating around, in which people list the 5 (or 7 or 10) albums (or tv shows, movies, etc) to listen to in order to understand them.

Tweets like this:

And this:

And this:

I have no idea who started it (who EVER knows where these things start???) but it’s a pretty fun way to share some of your favorite things.

I RT’d and responded to a few on Twitter, but I thought it might be fun to share a few such lists here on my still-new blog. So without further ado, 5 things to know me by:

5 Music Albums:

  1. Let Live and Let Ghosts by Jukebox the Ghost (just fyi: Jukebox the Ghost is my favorite band of all time and I have seen them live 4 times – the last time for free as a person on their official guest list!)
  2. Abbey Road by The Beatles (I grew up on the Beatles – my mother raised me well – and I struggled with picking one for a long time, but I think this is my favorite of their studio albums)
  3. The Cowboy Bebop Movie OST (I love anime, and I love anime music, and the Cowboy Bebop soundtracks are some of the best ever made. The movie soundtrack in particular is pure MAGIC)
  4. Break the Cycle by Staind (this album was SO IMPORTANT to me during my particularly emo moments of high school)
  5. The Essential Barbra Streisand (look, I cannot stress the importance of this singer and this album enough. During many very very long road trips, my mother and I would keep ourselves awake by singing along to this album – on cassette tape no less – at the very top of our lungs… and it also began my lifelong love for showtunes and Broadway, starting from like the age of 7 or something like that)

(Honorable Mention goes to Phoenix by The Classic Crime, which has been so important for me emo moments of the last 10 years)

5 Movies:

  1. The Labyrinth (magic, portal fantasy, fantastic music, amazing puppets and artistry, and David Bowie… need I say more???) (Also, The Dark Crystal, because DUH)
  2. The Neverending Story (Also DUH. Those 80s fantasy movies are SO VITAL to my development as a reader, a writer, and a person)
  3. Robin Hood (the Disney animated version)
  4. The Fall (the 2006 Tarsem Singh film – if you haven’t seen it, YOU NEED TO NOW)
  5. The Last Emperor (by Bernardo Bertolucci – the extended four hour version, I cry EVERY SINGLE TIME)

(Honorable mention goes to My Neighbor Totoro, which I watch a lot at night when I am depressed and/or insomniac)

5 Books:

  1. Watership Down by Richard Adams (I love this book so much I am planning to get a tattoo with a quote from it)
  2. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende (ditto this one, on the tattoo thing)
  3. Dune by Frank Herbert (I read the first book in 6th grade and worked my way through the whole series by the end of 8th grade)
  4. Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (I’m cheating sort of but whatever) (In 4th grade my elementary school librarian noticed that I was reading far above my grade level and gave me these books to read, and life has never been the same since then. They are an integral part of who I am and the reason I first decided I wanted to be a writer)
  5. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (I read this book in 5th grade and adored it, and have since taken 2 college courses on Jane Austen and written several papers on the various aspects of the books)

(With an honorable mention to Neuromancer by William Gibson and The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien)

5 Musicals:

  1. Les Miserables
  2. Phantom of the Opera
  3. Rent
  4. Wicked
  5. Company

(Yes, I tend to prefer the Standards, over newer musicals… though I did really enjoy Hamilton and Hadestown!)

5 TV Shows (live action):

  1. Star Trek (all of them, don’t make me just pick one!)
  2. Doctor Who (Whovian forever!)
  3. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (yeah man!)
  4. Law & Order (I watched every season of the original series with my mother from the age of 9 or 10 or so, and I have had an obsession with crime dramas and murder mystery shows ever since)
  5. M*A*S*H* (still the best comedy show ever made ever)

5 Animes:

  1. Robotech (the one that started it all for me!)
  2. Sailor Moon (MOON PRISM POWER!)
  3. Dragon Ball Z (KAMEHAMEHA!)
  4. Cowboy Bebop (You’re gonna carry that weight…)
  5. Neon Genesis Evangelion (can you tell how important the CLASSICS are to me???)

(Honorable mention goes to Fairy Tail – I am currently working my way straight thru the whole series – all 328 episodes – for the third time! And also My Hero Academia, which I’m really enjoying so far, though I’m a season behind…)

5 Western Animation Shows:

  1. DuckTales (the original mostly – DISNEY AFTERNOON RULES FOREVER!, but also the new version)
  2. Futurama (god I love this show so much!)
  3. Star vs the Forces of Evil (this Disney show was SO GOOD GUYS!)
  4. Adventure Time (obviously)
  5. Over the Garden Wall (this was a 10 ep mini-series and I adore it and it is my best “comfort” watch – I watch it almost every night to fall asleep to)

So, what kinds of things would show up on YOUR “5 Things” lists??? Please share! I’d love to hear about it!