I had heard a lot of talk recently about the release of the third book in this trilogy, Mockingjay, and everything seemed to point to it being something I would enjoy so I bought the first book while I was at Target the other day. After a few days of it just sitting around in various places around my house I finally picked it up last night at around 10:30. And I COULD. NOT. PUT. IT. DOWN. Which resulted in me staying up till about 3 am to finish the dang thing. My eyeballs were ready to melt out of my skull but it was so worth it - really well written and thought-provoking and riveting. I was completely caught up in the world of of Katniss and Peeta and this strange North America That Was.
I've always had a weird fascination with these post-apocalyptic/Big Brother-taking-over kinds of stories where human character is tested: The Giver, Brave New World, The Road - books that ask, when faced with the direst of circumstances how will we respond and react to the world and each other? And yes, sometimes it's extremely dark and brutal but also just so lovely at the same time. Kind of like life I suppose.
Needless to say, I'm on my way out to pick up books two and three right now.
2. AMC
So, I was going to give this spot to Breaking Bad because I've been main-lining that show like a heroin (IRONY) these past few weeks and am just absolutely blown away by everything that this show chooses to be. But then Mad Men waltzed on in this week and punched me in the face with about eighty-seven different emotions. So, AMC in general? I love you.
I started in on Breaking Bad actually for silly reasons (I saw Aaron Paul hanging around at Lollapallooza and thought, hey I should watch his show) but then it completely sucked me in. These characters are so well-drawn and believable. I simultaneously hate them and love them. Walt is a complete badass and scary as hell at times but at the same time I can't help rooting for the guy. And Jesse is a whiny entitled idiot but I just want to weep for him because despite it all he still feels so innocent. And in almost every single episode I find myself at some point all curled-up and tense at wondering about the fate of these characters. I'm loving it and hating it at the same time because it's SO good but it's destroying my soul in the telling of this completely devastating story.
And speaking of devastating: Mad Men. Holy goodness, Jon Hamm. You sir, are an actor. This past episode killed me. Don and Peggy bonding and leaning on each other and yelling at each other and being so truthful in a way hardly anyone on this show every is - it was just beautiful. The last scene where he holds her hand? Still makes me a little choked up just thinking about it.
Yes AMC, thank you for your deliciously wonderful programming. This is quality.
Oh! And I find myself a little stupidly excited for The Walking Dead. I think this might go back to what I was saying above about my weird fascination with post-apocalyptic themes. Check out the trailer.
3. Lollapallooza Artists
I still really need to do a blog dedicated to the entirety of Lollapallooza but right now I'm just focusing on some of my new favorite artists that have come from the event. Namely, Mumford and Sons, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes and The Temper Trap. In the case of Edward Sharpe, this was a band that I already loved; "Home" is one of my favorite songs right now and will probably always remind me a little bit of 2010. But watching them live is a completely new experience. First, their set was probably one of my favorites from the entire weekend. It was also probably the biggest hippy-dippy-love-fest I've ever been a part of (This band EXUDES love and happiness). I've since been listening to the entire self-titled C.D. and it's the perfect companion for a drive down the coast with the windows down. (Fun/sad fact: the seed money to record their first album came from Mr. Health Ledger *sigh*).
I also knew The Temper Trap previously. Or rather, the one song "Sweet Disposition" from the "500 Days of Summer" soundtrack. But the entire CD is pretty fabulous. Every song is something unique and ranging between the upbeat "Fader" ad the smooth "Soldier On" that accentuates the crazy high falsetto of the lead singer.
Then there's Mumford and Sons who are adorable Aussies with a folksy sound. And... I don't even know what to say. Amazing lyrics and harmony. It's hard to choose a favorite song but I'd have to say that The Cave is pretty high on the list. It's one of those songs that makes me want to get up and DO something with this life.
4. Threadless.com
If I could live in a tee-shirt and jeans forever I would. And this website would keep me in tee-shirts for life cause I would buy almost everything. Like this design which has been sold out forever. But I WANT.
5. Blueberry Vodka
It's like you're not even drinking alcohol. Which yeah, kind of dangerous. But it's all good. Just throw a splash of lemonade in there and it's like blueberries are having a party in your mouth! Plus you get drunk. And sometimes that's fun.
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