Words of Wisdom for Your Wednesday
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Tune In Tuesday: Feel Good Jams Playlist
Readers, I have become brave today.
Instead of giving you one single, random song that I tend to like a bunch, I’m actually going to get over my fear of being judged by my lack of ability to make a kick-ass playlist that can be enjoyed by the masses, and fulfill the requirements of Tune In Tuesday: Random Playlists Edition by giving y’all a sampling of my Feel Good Jams playlist on Spotify.
I can feel myself growing as a person by doing this.
Really. I can.
So here’s what I did: I queued up my Feel Good Jams and then put it on random shuffle. Here are the first five songs that played.
1. “She’s Not There”—The Zombies
This song is so great. It’s groovy and hip in a rare evergreen way. It sounds equally awesome in the background of an episode of “Mad Men” or as background in “Girls.” And I totally impressed Boyfriend on our second date when I knew this song. 🙂
2. “Don’t Stop Me Now”—Queen
If you’re in a really, deeply shitty mood, the cure is this song. I promise. Any song that compares a passing car to Lady Godiva can ONLY put you in a good mood. Also, I won major points with Boyfriend on our first date when I broke the rule of turning up the volume in a guy’s car when this song came on the radio. (I promise that not every song on my Feel Good Jams playlist has a story dealing with Boyfriend.)
3. “When I Get You Alone”—Thicke
This video has old-school Robin Thicke with grody long hair, riding a bike through NYC. Also, the song is catchy as hell. And has a great rhythm guitar section.
4. “Hashpipe”—Weezer
This song, man. This is the song that sold me on Weezer. I know that that’s basically sacrilege, but it is Le Truth.
5. “Morningside”—Sara Bareilles
I frakin’ love Sara Bareilles. And this song. I would like to karaoke it. That is how much I like it.
So that is my random, random selection of feel good jams for you. If you’re having a crappy Tuesday, I hope that it has helped out a little. And if not, well, then there is no hope for you.
BONUS: I put this six-second song in every playlist I make. EVERY ONE.
Tune in Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Ginger at GReads!
What’s Making Me Happy {11}
I’m not sure I’ve ever been more tired after work than I was all this week.
I don’t know if it was the excitement of a new job and new routine, or if I wasn’t sleeping well, or if it was the weather (which had been gross and grey and rainy), but I was EXHAUSTED all week.
So hopefully my body will catch up on sleep so that I don’t have to go to bed at 10:30 on a Friday anymore. I mean, not that there’s anything wrong with that. In fact, I quite enjoyed it.
And, as per usual, there were some other things I enjoyed this week.
1. Angel & Faith
This past year, Dark Horse Comics rolled out the Angel & Faith comics, following the conclusion of the Season 8 Buffy comics. And while Buffy will always and forever be my main squeeze, I must say that the writers (and illustrators and inkers and production people) are doing a freaking fantastic job with this comic. The last four-comic story arc they did, “Daddy Issues,” was SO GOOD. I was squealing and OMG-ing as I read them. Seriously.
If you are interested at all in Angel & Faith, I advise that you find your nearest comic book store and pick them up. You’re only nine issues behind (which is really not that bad) or you could pick up the first trade paperback and issues 6-9 and READ THEM.
2. Newsies
After talking about seeing the stage-musical Newsies with my friend Kelly since it was in previews at Paper Mill Playhouse, we FINALLY got together to try and get lottery tickets for the show yesterday. AND WE ACTUALLY GOT THEM. The show is so much fun, and there are THREE So You Think You Can Dance alums in the show (Evan Kasprzak (!!!), Alex Wong, and Thayne Jasperson. So that was exciting.
3. Khaleesi Mug
So, after we got the lottery tickets for Newsies, Kelly and I had two hours to kill in Midtown. Which is not our favorite place to be. So we headed over toward Bryant Park (mostly in hopes of finding a public restroom. We were successful.) and ended up stopping in the HBO store.
Which has SO MANY Game of Thrones things. So I bought a khaleesi mug, because, how could I not?
I think I’m gonna go back tomorrow and buy the map of Westeros print to hang in my office. 🙂
4. Henri, The Existential Cat
This is some amusing shiz right here.
And those are the things making me happy this week! Have a happy Sunday!
TGIF: Supporting Characters
Happy Friday everyone!
This week, Miss Ginger at GReads! has asked us about those oh-so important, but oh-so looked over supporting characters. And, you know, as I thought about this, I realized just how much I like supporting characters. When I’m writing, it’s actually easier to write supporting characters than it is to write the main ones. This is most likely because of my own personal hang-ups and fears and insecurities about writing inconsistent characters, but really, supporting characters are super fun. They pop in and out of your main character’s life, giving advice and working as a sounding board and giving, you know, support. Or, sometimes, not.
And though I could probably talk about supporting characters all day long, I will refrain from doing so, so that you’ll continue to like me. Instead, here’s a run down of some of my fave supporting charactes of late.
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins: Jenna. She’s a sarcastic, lesbian vampire who loves pink and plays best friend/roomie to Sophie, the main character. I mean, what more could you ask for?
Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson: So, in this road trip book, there are a lot of supporting characters. Because that is the nature of road trip books. But out of the characters Amy and Roger meet, Lucien was my absolute favorite. He was curteous and gentlemanly and oh-so Southern, and I just adored him.
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson: Aunt Peg. Now, a case could probably be made that Aunt Peg is a main character since she, you know, wrote the thirteen letters in the thirteen little blue envelopes that title the book, but, I’m gonna consider her a supporting character. And, y’all she is The Awesome. She’s everything a quirky, zany aunt should be—an artist with eccentric friends, a family member who sees potential in her niece, and a woman who absolutely loved life and hated Nicholas Sparks. Aunt Peg is the best.
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin: Jamie. This book is all sorts of WTF?!, but one of my favorite people in the book was Jamie, the bisexual, black, Jewish guy Mara meets when she moves to Florida. And though it’s a little bit annoying that he’s the I’M DIVERSE character, those aren’t the things that I love about him. He’s witty and geeky and provided a much-needed comic relief in the book, and I loved him for that. I’m definitely hoping for more Jamie in The Evolution of Mara Dyer.
The Mortal Instruments/The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare: Church. He’s an immortal cat who tends to hate everyone. I like him.
So, feel free to tell me all about your favorite supporting characters in comments, and enjoy your Friday! TGIF!
TGIF is a weekly meme hosted by Ginger at GReads!
Words of Wisdom for Your Wednesday
Bethany Larson 