Lists & Procrastination: 5 Things I’m into for the Moment

Gentle Readers, welcome!  It’s time for another installment of Things I’m Currently Obsessed With.  Previous installments can be found here, here, here,here, here, here,  here,  here, here,  here, here, and here.

1. The Other Austen Tumblr

I discovered this Tumblr about a week ago, and I love it. My mom (who is an Austen fanatic) and I spent more time than I’m willing to admit scrolling through the blog, laughing and reminiscing about some of our favorite Austen adaptations.  Very funny, very smart, and super entertaining.

2. Homeland Season 1

I’ve been watching this excellent series for a little while now, and it’s so tense and so exceedingly well done that I find myself thinking about the characters long after an episode has ended.  Claire Danes plays a FBI agent convinced that an American soldier/prisoner of war has turned and is a spy for terrorist forces.  As she gets more embroiled in her obsession of proving she’s right, the soldier struggles with post-traumatic stress and readjusting to family life.  This isn’t ordinarily my type of show, but it is so good, you guys.  So good.

3. Sleigh Bells – Reign of Terror

Admittedly, this band is not for everyone. Often characterized as noise-pop/dance punk, their sound is a little alienating to the casual music listener.  However, I believe their sound grows on you (kind of like a fungus).  Their new album has a bit of an evolution of sound for them, but it’s still pretty ridiculous.

Here’s the video for Comeback Kid (it’s kind of weird):

4. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

This one isn’t really a good kind of obsession.  I’ve been thinking about the end of Delirium since I finished it about a week ago, and I can’t shake the feeling of disappointment it left me with.  I knew–knew–how the second book would end when I finished the first book over a year ago, but that doesn’t mean that I wasn’t sort of crushed that my predictions were right.  I wanted Oliver to subvert expectations and make some really smart, really good commentary about youth and love and all that–and she took the safest, most predictable route ever.

Obviously I’m not going to go into detail because I don’t want to spoil it for those who haven’t read it, but damn.

5. The trailer for Bully

You may have heard about this documentary–it’s been getting some attention since the MPAA rated it R and caused an outrage, since slapping an R-rating on a movie like this pretty much guarantees that it can’t be shown in schools.  There was a petition to get the rating changed, the Weinstein brothers have talked about taking a break from screening their movies for the MPAA, and people, in general, are worked up about this whole thing.  As well they should be.  I think the MPAA is worthless, corrupt, and totally unnecessary.  At any rate, the movie looks absolutely heartbreaking.

 

Links and Miscellany

In lieu of a real post today, I thought I’d post a couple of things that I’ve seen around the internet this week.  Enjoy your Saturday! (I’m in class all day. Gross.)

1. Kristen Bell and her love of sloths:

I feel like this is really cute (and you guys know I love me some Kristen Bell), but I also think it’s kind of scary.  What do you guys think?

2. Stacked on ARCs and etiquette

I’ve read several blog posts about this issue this week, but I think Stacked’s article talks about it in the most articulate and all-encompassing way.  As a blogger and future librarian, this concerns me.  I wasn’t at ALA Midwinter (I can’t afford it), but I’m embarrassed for some of the bloggers who were.  It seems like a big sticky mess, and I feel like this is not a problem that’s going away on its own.

3. John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars has been optioned.

We shouldn’t be surprised, right?  I haven’t read it yet, but I got a copy waiting on my kindle.

4. The Komen Foundation has pulled funding for breast cancer screenings at all Planned Parenthoods.

This isn’t a political issue, you guys.  This is way bigger than that.  What Komen is doing is totally pathetic, totally weak, and totally unacceptable, no matter what your stance is on choice.  Speak up.

There has been some changes worth following: What Komen Actually Said (WaPo); Komen Reversal (Jezebel)

5. I shouldn’t be shocked by this, but I am. 

When is White History Month Tumblr

Shocked, horrified, and absolutely embarrassed.

Lists and Procrastination: 5 Things I’m Into For the Moment

Gentle Readers, welcome!  It’s time for another installment of Things I’m Currently Obsessed With.  Previous installments can be found here, here, here, here, here, here,  here,  here, here, and here.  (I realize that at some point, I’m going to have to make a separate page for this.)

1. Friday Night Lights on Netflix

I watched the first season a long time ago and loved it, but I couldn’t keep up with the show.  Now that it’s available on Netflix Instant, I’ve been watching the show like crazy.  Skylaw* has an absolutely insane TV/entertainment setup in his house, and I’ve gotten him hooked, too.  Watching the show on his huge flatscreen is infinitely better than watching it on my MacBook.

2. Sporcle.com

Work has been slow, and Sporcle’s quizzes have been keeping me entertained.  I may or may not have memorized every single Buffy episode title this week.  I can do all 144 episodes in under 4 minutes, which I think is pretty impressive.  More impressive is me working on my geography (which I should know as a licensed social studies teacher, duh).  Either way, the site is endlessly entertaining.

3. Everwood

Watching this series in conjunction with Revenge has been interesting mostly because Emily Van Camp looks so damn young on Everwood.  The show is totally hokey and emotionally manipulative (and I’m not sold on the actress who plays Delia), but I totally love it.  It’s a great way for me to check out for a while after a long day.  Besides, I’m on break still.  I deserve some mindless entertainment.

4. Raw Blue by Kirsty Eagar

Carly has dropped out of uni to spend her days surfing and her nights working as a cook in a Manly café. Surfing is the one thing she loves doing … and the only thing that helps her stop thinking about what happened two years ago at schoolies week.   And then Carly meets Ryan, a local at the break, fresh out of jail. When Ryan learns the truth, Carly has to decide. Will she let the past bury her? Or can she let go of her anger and shame, and find the courage to be happy?

I took the summary from Goodreads simply because I’m not far enough into the story (as of this scheduled post) to really summarize it.  I will say that so far, Eagar’s book is absolutely compelling.  I’m on something of an Aussie-YA kick right now, having just finished Laura Buzo’s really excellent Good Oil (which isn’t available in the United States as of right now and SHOULD BE) and Cath Crowley’s Graffiti Moon.  There are a bunch more Australian authors I want to check out.  I’m totally digging Aussie YA.

5. The trailer for The Five-Year Engagement

Co-written by Jason Segal and starring Emily Blunt, how could I not want to see this movie?  It might end up being terrible, but the trailer isn’t totally offensive, it’s got a great cast, and sometimes you just need a stupid movie.

 

 

*Skylaw is the nickname that my BFF Tranatlantic came up with for my beau.  I hate every word available to describe Skylaw.  He is my boyfriend, but I feel weird saying it.  From this moment forward: Skylaw.