~reading, listening, watching~

A non-sewing post--what?!?  I wanted to write a quick little post about what I'm reading, watching, and listening to at the moment.  I've been spending insane amounts of time in the car the last couple of weeks with camp commutes, and I bought some new things to keep me going.

~listening~

1. The Lumineers--I bought two of their albums and like both very well, although Cleopatra is particularly good.

2. Mumford and Sons--I know, I know.  Always late to the party, but I tried them a few years ago and couldn't understand the appeal.  Now I get it.  Wonderful lyrics, great folksy-sound, love it.  I particularly like Sigh No More, although Babel is a close second.

3. The Strumbellas--they are like a more upbeat version of the Lumineers, and I like them a lot too.

4. Bryan Adams' Bare Bones Tour--this is a favorite album that I return to again and again.  I've been a Bryan Adams fan since the early 90s when he came out with Waking Up the Neighbors, but I really loved his MTV Unplugged album.  The Bare Bones tour is like a better version, with some new songs included in the familiar canon.  Plus it is live, and he is funny.

5. The Head and the Heart--I discovered this group while I was casting around for the Lumineers and Mumford and Sons.  I bought two albums and like both very well.

6. Hozier--oh man.  I had this album on repeat for almost a solid week.  It is so good.  He needs to make a second album, because I'll be all over it.

7.  All five Twilight albums.  On repeat.  All awesome.  'Nuff said.

8. Outlander soundtracks (all three): I put these on at home to put together a cabinet and it was the perfect background for a long project.  I do listen to these in the car sometimes, but I prefer to listen to them at home.

If you like any of these, I also recommend Laurence Fox's debut album (he of Inspector Lewis fame); it is very very good.

~reading~

My reading list is kind of insane right now, since I'm working through some story research.

1. Something Other than God by Jennifer Fulwiler.  I used to read her blog regularly (and contribute to the Seven Quick Takes linky) but never got around to reading her book until now.  It is VERY good.  Entertaining and thought-provoking.  I dog-eared a lot of pages.

2. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.  I read this book my freshman year in college and definitely did not appreciate Lewis' mastery.  I decided I needed to revisit it after finishing Jen Fulwiler's book.

3. The Temperament God Gave You/The Temperament God Gave Your Spouse/The Temperament God Gave Your Children, by Art and Larraine Bennett.  I read the first two and am hoping to start the last one soon.  The first two were quite illuminating, as I had thought that my husband and I were quite similar, but it turns out that we are quite different.  I am a classic melancholic, whereas he is a classic choleric.  I'm still figuring out my kids, but the books offer a lot of strategies for communication, problem-solving, and parenting the different temperaments that I'm finding helpful to think through.

4. A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon.  I'm re-reading this one in fits and starts because I want to get through the whole series again before Tell The Bees That I Am Gone comes out (and yes, I know there isn't a publication date on it yet, but I've not read the later books as often as the first five, so I think it is good to revisit them in order).  I also find this book the hardest to read of the whole series because of all the hard things that happen in it, so I'm having to set it aside pretty often.

5. The Tech-Wise Family by Andy Crouch.  I've not started this year, but it is high on my stack.

6. A bunch of books about writing by K.M. Weiland and Martha Aldersen.

7. The Power of Silence by Robert Cardinal Sarah.  A friend recommended this to me recently when I was asking some questions about something I'm writing, and I look forward to diving into this one soon.

8. Volatile Bodies: Toward a Corporeal Feminism.  This book was suggested by a book of critical essays about the Twilight series that I read earlier in June (The Twilight Mystique, also very good and thought-provoking.  I found it a helpful way to process my need to return to the Twilight series last month; I'm sure I'll write more about it all later).

I have a few other novels on my stack, and a book about the Silk Road, but those are rather further down on the priority list.

~watching~

1. Only Lovers Left Alive.  The Hollow Crown.  I Saw The Light.  I basically want to watch everything Tom Hiddleston has done right now.  He's so stinkin' talented.  And smart.  And thoughtful.  Basically all the things my favorite actors share.

2. The Arrangement.  I heard about this show sometime last fall and the premise seemed interesting.  I'm watching it on amazon and find it more compelling than I expected.  It's very meta.

3. Quantico, season 2.  I loved season 1 of this show, and watched it in a rush last August.  I started season two before abc cut me off, so I've been waiting for it to hit netflix.  The second season is following a similar structure to the first and I am hooked.

4. The Exception.  I watched this movie a few weeks ago, and can't really decide what I think of it.  Christopher Plummer and Janet McTeer were amazing as the Kaiser and his wife, but the main storyline seemed a little forced in places.  There were some weird things that didn't fit.  But I liked it well enough to finish it, so I guess that is something.

5. Life.  Robert Pattinson continues to amaze me with the interesting projects he's picked since finishing Twilight (I don't really understand why people don't give him any credit as an actor; I think he is an incredibly subtle actor).  This one is about the photographer who captured James Dean, and the strange relationship between the two men. I'm looking forward to it.

6. Song to Song.  Michael Fassbender sings.  The end.  I've been waiting for this one to come out for a little while and I'm eager to watch it.

7.  Two Women.  As if Ralph Fiennes couldn't get any better, I discovered last year that the man speaks Russian!  And now has done a Russian language film.  Well done, Mr. Fiennes.  My admiration knows no bounds.  The man is a brilliant and thoughtful actor.

8. Fugitive Pieces.  I find Stephen Dillane to be a really interesting actor in a quirky kind of way, and try to seek out the projects he appears in.  I think I might even have seen this when it came out a few years ago, but I think it is worth revisiting.