Hey, guys. This is a part of an ongoing series. If you want to read last month’s “Favorites” post, here’s the link. This is mostly just a collection of books, movies, music, etc. for me to look back on in the future. If you don’t like these types of posts, you can wait for the next one. I hope you enjoy.
//Books
I didn’t read many books this month. My reading time was mostly filled with blogs and FanFiction. I only finished six physical books.
- The 100 by Kass Morgan – I mentioned that I was going to read these in my last favorites post. I’ve gotten mixed reviews about these books from people who have and haven’t watched the show. I judged them both separately, so I actually really loved the books. I literally read all four in a week. I bought the fourth book off of Amazon, while I was reading the second book because it wasn’t at my local library, knowing that I’d want to read it immediately after the third one.
Needless to say, I really liked the books. I personally prefer the show because it’s way darker and faster paced. You sort of have to judge them separately because one is a tv show for adults and the other is a book for teenagers. They’re completely different mediums. I would recommend watching the show first, then reading the books because the show is more enjoyable (it’s usually the other way around when it comes to these things). I will say that I like that the two main characters, Clarke and Bellamy, aren’t badass leaders in the books. They still contribute something to the group because of their knowledge, while still being understandably selfish. The book is much more realistic in how teenagers would act in this Lord of the Flies scenario, which is something YA novels lack nowadays.
- Book 1 – The 100
- Book 2 – Day 21
- Book 3 – Homecoming
- Book 4 – Rebellion (This one was my favorite on account that it was more like the show)
Note: The books and show tell completely different stories, so it won’t be repetitive if you read both. (Season 1 actually started filming before the first book even officially came out)
- The Runaway Princess by Kate Coombs – I love this book. I’ve read it before, but I bought it for a penny over winter break and finally got around to rereading it. It’s a satirical book about traditional fairy tales. It’s hilarious! Please don’t judge it by its title. It’s a really fun fluff book to read.
- Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon – I actually read this in January when my friend let me borrow her copy, but I reread it when my copy came from the library. I personally prefer The Sun Is Also A Star, but this book is really good, too. It reminds me of a much more serious version of the movie Bubble Boy. Here’s the trailer for the Everything Everything movie if you want a general synopsis.
- Sammy Keyes And The Hollywood Mummy by Wendelin Van Draanen (Audiobook) – I mostly listened to music this month. This was the only audiobook I listened to. I found out that I could rent the audiobooks for all the Sammy Keyes novels on my Kindle, which got me really excited. They’re probably my favorite books (If you judge favorites by how many times you’ve reread the series). I don’t think I’ll be listening to many audiobooks this month. I may get back into podcasts. I don’t know yet.
Related – Awesome Books I Read Last Semester
//Movies
- La La Land – I actually watched this movie twice. I didn’t have high expectations for this film, but I kept hearing all this hype about it, so I decided to watch it for myself. I gotta say, Ryan Gosling is a really good pianist (there were extremely long takes to make sure that the audience knew it was really him playing). I have a new appreciation for Jazz music. The ending was AMAZING and I recommend you watch it. I watched it a second time the next day because it was playing for free at my school’s theater.
(Complete side note: This was the second time some form of entertainment tried to convince me to appreciate Jazz music. The first time was when I was reading The 100 because Bellamy was talking about how not a lot of music survived when the planet was irradiated and the humans had to go into space, the second time was in La La Land, and the third time was in an episode of a show that I forgot the name of. I just thought that was worth mentioning. So now, in 20 years, I can look back and read about how in March of 2017, the universe was telling me to listen to jazz music.
- Into The Woods – I didn’t finish this movie, but I want to now. A friend of mine and I laid on a (tiny) couch and watched it during Spring Break, while she commented on how broad my shoulders are because we couldn’t fit on the couch. I really enjoyed it and want to see the play now.
- Princess Protection Program – As far as DCOMs go, it’s not my favorite, but when an eight-year-old asks you to watch it with them, just do it. It’s not worth the argument. (Even if you want to finish Into the Woods first)
//TV Shows
- Dancing With The Stars – This probably shouldn’t be on here because only two episodes have aired and I haven’t finished either of them. I’m mostly just putting it here to put out that I’m following the show right now. I’ve never been a huge fan, but I’ll probably follow it for a few weeks until I get bored.
- Baby Daddy – I love this show. It’s something I mindlessly watch, but it’s so interesting and cheesy (but not as cheesy as Young & Hungry, ugh). This season has been great so far.
- Imposters – This is a Bravo show that recently came out. It’s about a secret agency that sends agents to marry civilians, steal all their money, blackmail them, and disappear without a trace. I’m not explaining it that well, but it’s good. It’s a bit slow at first, but I’ve been getting into it.
- The 100 – You shouldn’t be surprised that this show is here. It would’ve probably been in the April Favorites post, but they aren’t airing any new episodes this month :'(. This is my favorite season now. I am extremely invested and am going to miss it after it ends in May. (Thankfully, it was renewed for Season 5 this month.)
//Music
I listened to a lot of depressing music this month. Well, not really depressing as much as music that makes you feel something. It’s mostly the top two songs. I listened to those on repeat for most of the month. The bottom two are more from the last two weeks.
- Knocking On Heaven’s Door by Raign – Walking around in the city listening to this song feels very cathartic. It was very calming and I love the lyrics. Most music you hear nowadays have lyrics about falling in love, so it was nice to listen to something different. (I’m actually listening to it as I write this blog post)
- Saturn by Sleeping At Last – I love the musical score of this song. It’s beautiful. I love their music in general, but this song is my personal favorite.
- Where We Are from Moana – This is my brother Zidan’s favorite song from Moana. We sort of had this thing going where we’d sing this song whenever we were in the living room. It’s becoming my favorite song from that movie.
- City of Stars from La La Land – Well, I’ve already explained that I’ve watched the movie twice. The music is really good! This isn’t even my favorite song in the movie, I’ve just been listening to it the most. I love the main movie score and the song that John Legend sings is a close second. Make sure you watch the movie before you listen to the songs.
//Food
- Salmon – I’ve been eating a lot of salmon this month (1) because it’s healthy and (2) because it’s delicious. My mom seasons it with salt, pepper, thyme, lemon, and olive oil before baking it in the oven. Delicious!
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries – I ate these for dessert every night for two weeks.
- Fruit By The Foot – My mom bought those giant boxes of these candies and I’ve been taking them to school for a snack. When we were in elementary school, these types of fruit snacks were never in our house, so I’m surprised she got them.
- Mangos – I can’t wait till most fruits are in season this summer (the strawberries aren’t that great yet). We have managed to find really good mangos recently, which is why I’ve been eating so many of them.
- Maple Almond Butter – So I went to Wal-Mart to get peanut butter one day, but decided to try almond butter instead. It’s definitely an acquired taste, but by the end of the week, I would just take it in a spoon to eat as a snack. It’s surprisingly good for something that’s all natural.
//Priceless
- Extended Family – my uncle who lives in Bangladesh came to Atlanta last month. His family used to live here, but they moved a few years ago. Long story short, he had to file taxes here because, in order to keep U.S citizenship while living abroad, you still have to file taxes (Yeah, I don’t get it either, so just go with it). The way I found out was so funny. I went to the kitchen and my mom told me that my uncle was here. I said I know, I saw it on Facebook, assuming she meant in the U.S. Then she said, “How?” At that moment my uncle came out of the bathroom and I was like, “Hi!” and gave him a hug. He wasn’t supposed to come to Atlanta. He was in Michigan. The trip was so last minute that he didn’t bring any clothes. He just borrowed some from another one of my uncles. Anyway, it was so great to see him. I’m really close with my extended family (to the point where I don’t know how I’m related to them) so it was a great surprise.
- Sleep – I don’t know why, but I’ve been having a lot of trouble sleeping in the last few weeks. I just haven’t been able to turn my mind off. I just laid in bed restlessly for hours. I even took melatonin pills a few times just to get a good nights sleep. It’s gotten better, but I’ve come to appreciate the ability to fall asleep easily.
(There are a few more “Priceless” things I want to talk about, but that’ll come in the next post.)
I’m sorry for being so inconsistent with my posting schedule. I just haven’t been in the headspace to blog. I’ve been writing a lot on my own, but I want to get back into writing on this site again. I have finals at the end of the month, but I still want to keep up with this. Hopefully, I’ll get better. Until next time.
-Trish
I’d Appreciate Your Support Of This Blog By Following Me On:
What were some of your favorite things this month?