This #MusicMonday I'm featuring the song "Synesthesia" by Andrew McMahon.I have been wanting to post this song for a while. I just never got around to scheduling it. As someone who has a mild from of synesthesia, ordinal linguistic personification, I was drawn to the title of this song. However, it's just honestly a great song about love! It's one of those songs that makes you want to smile and dance around like a fool because it just makes you happy.
There's more to life than singing songs we write when we are in the shadow of the moon
It's that time of the month again! This time around I'll be featuring a list of things I enjoyed from March. So here we go...
Activities
Reading
I calculated I've read seven books in a month time! That's an average of a book every 4.3 days. I didn't know how much I missed reading till I got my Fire tablet last month for my birthday. I use to read a lot during summer breaks in high school and in my early collage years. However, around the time I met my now husband there were just other interests and responsibilities that occupied my days. Plus, I moved away and 95% of my unread books were still in my bedroom at my parents house. Six years later, I still can't bring myself to download any of the books that I know are sitting collecting dust on the book shelves of my adolescence. Sorry Harry Potter, we will be reunited again -- promise!
Books
Honesty by Seth King
I didn't know there were so many ways to describe love and pain in 219 pages, but somehow Seth King was able to accomplish just that. I felt trapped and consumed by this book. The only way out was through to the very last page!
The last time I felt consumed or trapped by a book(s) was while I had finally gotten around to reading the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins over a year ago. I hadn't read anything seriously for probably years but work was slow and I decided to dust off the box set my husband had bought after we saw the first movie. I was in the middle of reading through the second book when I found out my grandma was in the hospital suffering from a stroke and heart attack. While Hunger Games is a great series in its own right and is beloved by many -- I lost myself in the pages of these books for those reasons and more. I was 894 miles away from my family and the only thing I was able to do was wait by the phone, lay in bed and became Katniss Everdeen during her darkest days. My husband thought I was obsessed and loosing it -- maybe I was. I must of reread a combination of these books three times over experiencing Katniss's emotions again and again before my grandma finally passed away ending her 10 day fight. I had lost my grandpa, her husband, to an extended illness just a few years before but this time was different -- she was supposed to be the healthy grandparent-- and clearly I was having a hard time dealing. I was hiding in the pages of a book, blanked by my own grief and I couldn't let go -- I had trapped myself.
My point is, Honesty is a book that will make you feel raw emotion intensely and for that reason I knew it was special. I wanted so badly for these characters to have a happy ending. As I turned the pages holding my breath and foolishly willing for the fairy tale ending I knew would never come, I again found myself lost within a book. This time for 2.5 days and I survived to tell you about it.
To learn more about this book and its characters check out my post on Honesty here. Already read Honesty? Check out the soundtrack I put together for the book here.
Have you ever had an emotions experience reading a book? Let me know about it in the comment section below!
Music
iii - Miike Snow
If you've read my blog you must know by now how much I love music and sharing music I like. This month I found Miike Snow's latest album and I love it! Every song is truly great but here is a list of a few notable tracks:
I'm not always good about eating breakfast. In the past I would make a cup of coffee, get distracted and not eat anything until lunch time. However, recently my husband and I have started working out more so I can't afford to loose the extra calories I need to keep me going. Lately we've been getting these tasty breakfast burritos that include bacon, roasted potatoes, jalapeno, cheddar and cage-free eggs. My husband love them probably more then I do, but they are my current favorite breakfast burrito and we have had them almost everyday in March.
Reese's Eggs
It's Easter time and the peanut butter eggs are here! I try and eat as organic as I can, but even knowing what's in these little treats -- I can't seem to break my addiction to Reese's seasonal peanut butter cups. It's bad, but I never let myself buy too many. Go me! If you didn't know, every holiday season Reese's puts out a fun different "shape". Let's be real -- the other seasonal shapes suck! What kind of Christmas tree is that??!! They don't ever quite look right and for that reason the egg is my favorite. It's pretty hard to mess up an oval! You can thank my inner fat kid for this featured favorite! hahaha What's the one snack or food you just can't pass up? Let me know in the comment section down below!
Health
Nature's Way ALIVE! Gummy Vitamins
My husband will be the first to tell you I'm awful at taking vitamins. My bad! We try and eat as healthy as possible while limiting the amount of processed foods and take-out we eat. Some weeks are more hectic than others which means we don't always sit down to a balance meal. So vitamins help me make sure I'm getting all the nutrients I need -- of course only if you take them. I have a horrible memory at time and remembering to take gross pills isn't exactly at the forefront of my mind most days, BUT these things taste like fruit snacks! If there is anything I love just as much as a Reese's peanut butter egg -- it's a good pack of fruit snacks. Taking these vitamins is much easier for me to remember and taking more than the recommended number is a struggle some days. _____ What were some of your favorite things from the month of March? Let me know in the comment section below.
About a day ago I finished the book Honesty by Seth King and I posted my thoughts on the book here. After publishing the post, I found myself at the gym running on the treadmill with Cole Furman still in head -- his voice still ringing in my ears. I put my head phones on, turned up the volume and pushed play on my recent unpolished playlist. This playlist of random songs was made months ago but I hadn't gotten sick of the songs yet so at this point it's my go-to. Then something happened... every song was about Cole and Nick. I ran along listening to song after song trying to distance myself from the voice in my head and the words I had just read -- it was no use. Each song brought on a memory from the book like I was watching the movie of Honesty in my mind -- you know, if it was out of order and blurry like a day dream.
I'm not going to lie, I'm feeling a little obsessed and crazy at this point. (I know you're thinking it!) How could this random playlist on shuffle speak to me this way? Well it did... and my mind will not rest until I've crafted the perfect Honesty soundtrack. So here are the songs to the movie in my head! For best results listen in order.
**sorry for any spoilers**
My Honesty Soundtrack
1. Kids - Lady Danville
Cole leaves the gym hurt, embarrassed and a little angry.
2. I Want to Feel Alive - The Lighthouse and The Whaler
Cole downloads the dating app.
3. Can You Tell - Ra Ra Roit
Cole and Nick exchange glances in gym class.
4. Make You Mine - Public
Cole and Nick become friends.
5. The Fear - Ben Howard
Nick freaks out and pulls away from Cole.
6. No Harm - The Boxer Rebellion
Nick just can't stay away -- he messages Cole.
7. The Fool - Ryn Weaver
Cole agrees to a limited relationship with Nick.
8. ILYSB - LANY
Nick and Cole hangout and ride around on the beach before sunset.
9. I Need You - M83
The night Cole spends sleeping and not sleeping on Nick's floor.
10. Mercy - Muse
Nick is fighting his inner demons after Cole leave the next morning -- he's losing control.
11. The Immortals - Kings of Leon
Nick and Cole hang out the next day, Nick can't withhold anymore.
12. Hands to Myself - Selena Gomez
Their love is electric and addictive.
13. Nightlight - Silversun Pickups
Nick wants the best of both worlds, so he does everything he can to hide Cole from the other parts of his life.
14. Can't Deny My Love - Brandon Flowers
The shadows start to roll in and the fights begin.
15. Trembling Hand - The Temper Trap
A break up and all connections cut -- the heartache sets in.
16. Won't Stop Running - A Great Big World
Cole reaches out to Nick, he refuses to let go of what they have.
17. Only Love - Ben Howard
Nick accepts Cole back into his life and after the dust settles, they retreat into their little world
18. Fire and Flood - Vance Joy
Maybe their love isn't enough -- the cracks widen. Cole knows the end is inevitable, but hold on with everything he has.
19. One Call Away - Charlie Puth
Nick has disappeared and hasn't contacted Cole. Cole can't help but wait by the phone.
20. Open Season - High Highs
Nick invites Cole on a road trip. They ride in the car together in their own little world feeling excitement and uncertainty.
21. Skinny Love - Birdy
They know! It's too risky. It's over.
22. Take Care - City and Colour
Cole contemplates Nick's actions and his decision to try and live a "normal" life.
23. Stitches -Shawn Mendes
Cole buries himself in his work. He's walking around town trying to get interviews for his blog.
24. Crazy - Teemid, ft. Joie Tan
Cole watches people dance through the window of a crowded night club while he stands outside on the sidewalk.
25. Hang On - Ellie Golding
Cole finds out about the accident. He's envisioning the events of that day and this song hangs in the air as we watch Nick in his car.
Cole looks for answers, he drives to meet Nick's sister.
28. I'm Gonna Be (500 miles) - Sleeping at Last
Cole now knows where to find Nick. He takes Nick's letter and goes to visit him. He decides what he wants his future to be.
29. Never Forget You - Zara Larsson, MNEK
(Credits roll on this movie in my head.)
Bonus Track: Mr. Brightside - The Killers (Jacques La Cont's T.W.Duke Remix)
(1hr 56min)
I know the order of these songs might not follow the books events exactly, but I think it does a good job of highlighting them. Now that this playlist is made, I can let the voice in my head die down and revisit ColeyAndNickyVille through this "soundtrack" whenever I want.
I hope you enjoyed this list of songs! Let me know what song(s) you would have on your Honesty soundtrack in the comment section down below!
I came across this book while searching for my next literary adventure. I knew I didn't want something about a teen vampire. I had just read my way through a bad vampire series and I didn't want to jump into another made-up world of magic and danger just yet. Instead I stumbled upon the book Honesty by Seth King. The cover art stood out from the others on the list of most popular and it was a price I liked... sample downloaded! It would be an understatement if I said that I didn't know what I was getting myself into, so I won't because I didn't.
I jumped into the sample the minute it downloaded onto my tablet and I read the words: "My story was real, and it happened, and no matter how hard I try and forget it, I will never be able to make it unhappen." Just like that I was hooked into a world of magic and danger. Unlike the made-up world of teen vampire novels this book took place in the real world with very real monsters and fear -- the south. The magic was all encompassing love, and the danger... I'll get to that in a minute.
Don't get me wrong, I don't have a particularly strong opinion of the south. What I do know is that since moving from the Midwest three years ago to southern North Carolina things are just different. I don't really know how to explain it but it's like life operates at a different frequency. I have lived in many different places in my life but not where anyone would describe as south or southern until now. Here in southern North Carolina things move slowly, people can't drive, taxes are high, state pride is at an all time high and opportunities come to those with connection -- or maybe that's just my perception.
Back to the book... this is a story of young love. This is also a story of fear and pain. Cole and Nick are falling in love and they are also both closeted LGBTQ nineteen year olds with everything to lose. Cole's dysfunctional family tries their best to deny his more "feminine" interest pushing him to act more masculine. Nick's family takes pride in their athletic, popular and masculine son, who's praying for the "normal" life his parents expect. While their love sets them free in the best ways possible, it also imprisons them and put their lives in danger of crumbling around them if anyone finds out.
What struck me most about this story is its -- honesty. I just wanted to reach through the pages of this book and hug these characters, comfort them and tell them it'll be okay. Tell them that there are people in the world who will accept you as you are, as you were meant to be. I can't imagine the world I live in being so cruel and intolerant, then I realize I don't know a lot about the world outside my own bubble.
I decided very quickly that this story should not be seen through the lens of my own experience in this world or my feeling on equality and tolerance or what I knew to be possible, this story was about how these characters experience the world. This book spoke to me and taught me a few things about myself. You don't have to be struggling in the same away to take an important lesson from this book. Truth is truth no matter how we stumble upon it.
I read Honesty in 2.5 days. I read it late into the night because I couldn't put it down. I read it on the couch ignoring my husband while he played video games next to me. It was intense, heavy and unlike any other literary experience I've had to date -- mainly thanks to King's writing style. I was stuck inside the brain of Cole Furman and I couldn't get out for 291 pages not matter how uncomfortable, intense, exciting, lonely or heartbreaking it was!
Simply put... this book feels important. This book is brave. This book is honest.
I'm glad the author acknowledged the need for more books in this genre featuring more diverse couples. It's something I didn't even know I wanted to see happen. I'm glad people like Seth King are brave enough to write a book that challenges the norm. I fell in love with these characters just as much as any other book about love and I want others to have the same experience. Love is love and love looks different to everyone. This book is about a very human experience, we shouldn't need to put it in a different category away from all the other books.
Some Favorite Quotes:
"The casual kind of cruelty hurt the worse, as it usually rolled off the lips of the ones we loved most. Sometimes we let our loved ones pick and pick and pick at us until suddenly there was nothing left to save."
"Who I loved was as much a part of me as my hair color or the fact that I was right-handed at everything except taking photos. Boys were in my DNA."
"'man is free the instance he decided to be.' That was just so untrue. We were trapped in ten thousand different ways, and there was nothing we could do about it."
"Chains come in all shapes and sizes, squirt. Some of them we even make for ourselves."
"First you thought you knew everything. Then you discovered you knew nothing. Then you learned that knowing nothing was okay. Then you started over from there."
Are you going to read Honesty in the future? Have you ever read a book you felt was important to share with the world? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.
Update: I couldn't get Cole Furman's voice out of my head or my ears after reading this book. Go check out the soundtrack I put together for this book -- here.
When I make a playlist for a road trips I like to pick songs I can image myself listening to while looking out the window and watching the world zoom by. Am I watching the city lights fly by? Am I watching farm land go by on a cloudy day? Whatever your driving landscape, I hope you enjoy this playlist! My best guess is that this mix was made sometime around 2011.
"Keep The Car Running" - Arcade Fire
"Houdini" - Forster The People
"40 Day Dream" - Edward Sharp & The Magnetic Zeros
"The Great Salt Lake" - Band of Horses
"A Lack of Color" - Death Cab for Cutie
"Armistice" - Phoenix
"Spotlight" (Twilight Mix) - Mute Math
"Daniel" - Bat For Lashes
"Fireworks" - Polock
"A Million Ways" - OK Go
"Boy With A Coin" - Iron & Wine
"Chicago" - Sujan Stevens
"Not About Love" - Fiona Apple
"Grand Junction" - Computer Magic
"Four Winds" - Bright Eyes
"I Would For Anything For You" - Foster The People
"Just Pretend" - The Bens
"Trinity" - Paper Tongues
"Animal" - Mike Snow
"Ragged All Week" - Hounds of the Wild Hunt
(1 hr 17 min)
For best result listen to tracks in order!
Also, if you're wondering about the title I gave this mix "I Would Do Anything For You so Keep The Car Running"... Let me just say that I name my mixes by mashing a few song titles together. It's something I've done since my high school days so that I can better remember which songs are on the CD. Enjoy!
This is about the time of the month were I run down a list of things I enjoyed from the previous month. So here we go...
Netflix
The Railway Man (R)
Eric Lomax (Colin Firth), a former British army officer and POW, discovers that the Japanese interpreter who tortured him is still alive. He and his new wife (Nicole Kidman) set out to confront the man who caused him so much pain.
The plan was to watch this movie passively one night while I was working. I continues to work, but this movie was better than I expected. I have always like Colin Firth as an actor, but I wasn't sure if I would like this movie because of the topic -- war. However, this movie is more about the humanity of the characters and what they endured. It's also about bravery, survival and most importantly forgiveness. While this movie is not for everyone, also it's rated R, I would suggest you give it a watch if your in the mood for something a little heavier.
Hulu
Superstore (NBC)
"The Office" producer Justin Spritzer returns with another workplace comedy, this time forsaking a desk-bound environment for the world of retail. The giant megastore where Amy works is staffed by employees with a wide range of time served under their company-issued smocks, from summer hires to committed-for-life managers. Together they all must face the daily grind of bargain hunters, the madness of door-busting sales and painfully boring training sessions, forging relationships along the way.
This show is hilarious! I'm not surprised that The Office producer Justin Spritzer is involved in this show. The cast of misfits is exactly what TV needed after shows like The Office and Parks and Recreation are no longer a thing (sad face). Having worked retail there are many situations that are true to life and just pure comedy. I'm a fan of both America Ferrera and Ben Feldman so it wasn't hard to immediately love their Superstore characters. I need more episodes of this show in my life! PLEASE DON'T CANCEL IT NBC!
Grandfathered (FOX)
"ER" and "Full House" star John Stamos plays a version of himself: a charismatic, longtime bachelor named Jimmy who finds his life turned upside down when he learns that not only is he the father of a grown man named Gerald, but also a grandfather to Gerald's baby daughter. This sophisticated coming-of-age comedy proves that not everyone grows up at exactly the same time as Jimmy must learn to adapt to the sudden changes in his life, connect with his newfound family -- and perhaps reconnect with Gerald's mother. Stamos also serves as an executive producer.
This show is also great! The story line might not be truly original but with John Stamos as the principle character there is just something you got to love about this modern family. I feel like this maybe FOX's version of Modern Family and I'm okay with that! Each characters struggles with find themselves and define their roles in the new family dynamic, which is perfect because they can get themselves into some pretty messy situations. I look forward to the next episode every week!
Electronics
Amazon Fire Tablet
My husband surprised me with the Amazon Fire Tablet for my birthday in February! I have been wanting to read more and found myself reading on my phone before bed more and more. I mentioned to him that I would have used my Motorola Xoom Table we got back in 2011 for reading but it's too heavy and large for me to hold over my head in bed every night -- so I was beyond exited when I got this thing!
It took me a little bit to get used to the Fire interface they have. While it is an android you only have access to the Amazon market place which limits your choice on apps and downloadable content. That's fine for me at the moment. I decided I was going to make this table just for leisure and not about business or social media. I have not downloaded Twitter, Facebook or even connected my email on my Fire Table -- I'll leave that for my phone. I have, however, downloaded a number of inexpensive books and even started a little book club with my mom (she reads more then I do). I'm looking forward to some new literary adventures and maybe more blog post about books!
Lifestyle
HelloFresh
A co-worker of my husbands sent us a code for a free week trial of HelloFresh and boy was it nice! Honestly, I'm not the one who does most of the cooking in our house -- my husband is a much better cook. However, even I was excited for this box to arrive! We got the three meals for two people option and selected the following meals:
Honey-Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Mazzarella-Crusted Chicken
Fusilloni Al Forno (Pasta)
Each meal was good and paired with a side of vegetables and potatoes except the pasta dish. The instructions for the meals were SUPER simple and gave me the confidence to cook 1.5 of these meals by myself. My husband helped me out for one of them. (Side Note: It helps if you have a fully functional kitchen with appliances that work properly. We live in an apartment with small appliances that cook unevenly, but we made it work). Each meal was yummy and I would have loved to receive more of these boxes but they are a little pricey -- so our week of HelloFresh was a highlight from February!
