What I Read

Winter is in full swing, which means many an afternoon spent curled up on the couch. We broke some horrifying temperature records in Kitchener-Waterloo this week, and I’ve been coping with a large pile of excellent novels.

Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson: Crazy, creative, disturbed, kept me up all night. A woman wakes up one morning and finds herself in bed with a strange man. A photo on the bathroom mirror informs her it’s her husband, and her reflection reveals that she’s decades older than she remembers. She discovers a journal that she’s been keeping for weeks. Who can she trust? Is she safe? Usually I’m not a huge mystery fan, but this was a game changer. For someone who can’t sit through an episode of Game of Thrones without covering my eyes, I’m sure starting to love psychological thrillers.

Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes: A realistic YA novel published in 2014 featuring a popular misfit in small town ‘murica. Sassy, dark-minded, yet very popular narrator has two boys chasing after her: a hot geek with a moped, and a smooth-talking older stud. I found the love seesawing a bit tiresome, but the gritty, dark narration refreshing. Important issues like peer pressure, bullying, sex, and racism are explored, yet it never seems heavy-handed. For fans of Mean Girls.

Where Willy Went by Nicholas Allan: I have to mention this gem I found in our Parenting Collection. While assessing this section I found that the sex education books circulated more often than everything else, and was delighted to find Where Willy Went: the big story of a little sperm. He’s very good at swimming.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn: Dozens of people have told me to read this book, but it wasn’t until I saw a receptionist trying to sneak in a few chapters on the job that I knew I had to give it a go. I finally got my hands on it, and I can definitely see why it has such a wide appeal (despite it’s horribly unlikable characters). It’s hard to talk about Gone Girl without spoiling anything, but I will say that in addition to the high tension and numerous dark twists, I loved the wording. I found Amy’s journal entries in particular so unusually worded and quirky.

What I Watched

Selma Wow. Powerful, heavy, relevant, and very different than the trailer made it out to be. While they stayed true to history, and depicted the horrific violence, it was not the same “glorification/gorification” that some people were concerned about after seeing the trailer. This movie is meant to unsettle you. Be prepared to feel.

Mushi-shi An TV anime series based on a series of manga by Yuki Uruskibara. Beautiful, peaceful, thought-provoking. Mushi exist everywhere in the world – spirits that can only be seen by certain people, but who affect everyone on a regular basis. They manifest themselves in hundreds of fascinating different species. The stories follow a solitary, mysterious Mushi Master as he travels from town to town solving Mushi related problems. The tone and magic really reminds me of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series.

Groundhog Day. My tradition of two years now is to skip the Superbowl and instead opt into red wine and my yearly viewing of Groundhog Day. This year I realized that the blizzard is the source of magic that makes him relive the day over and over. The twinkle sounds and especially sparkly snowflakes gave it away. Turns out not everything about the weather can be explained after all.

What I Listened To

Girl Talk Any group that mixes Paint it Black with Black and Yellow is more than okay in my books. My partner Danny said it best: Girl Talk is perfect for someone who likes every type of music and also has ADD. You’ll never get bored, and you’ll constantly be surprised by their high-energy mixes. A lot of their music is available for free (or by donation) on their site.

What I’m Planning

I’ve been diving head first into programming at work lately. Keep your eyes out for upcoming posts on my projects: Poetry Blitz, MP3 Flash Mob, Make Your Own Wreck This Journal, Zentangle, Recycle Mania, Grown Up Craft Club.

What did you love this week?