Hello, and welcome to the first installment of "My Favorite Things." This will be a monthly roundup of my favorite, books, movies, tv shows, songs, etc. from the previous month. I always love reading about what excites others, so I wanted to share my excitements with you!
If you know anything about me, you know that I am an avid reader. As a student I have not been able to read as much as I want, but I still end each month with a few new favorite books.
The Hacienda by Isabel Canes
Nothing tickles my fancy quite like a good gothic novel, and The Hacienda does not disappoint. Set in rural 19th century Mexico, it includes just about everything that makes a good gothic novel tick: a haunted house, folktales, rigid social structures, sexual tension, religious imagery, and lots of spine chilling happenings.
Jade City by Fonda Lee
The best way I can describe this book is if Peaky Blinders took place in a fantastical East Asia inspired nation. The magic system is quite unique, hinging around a magical mineral called "jade" which enables people of certain genetic predispositions to wield its powers. The world-building, character development, and general complexity are astounding and yield a truly incredible story. I am almost done with the second installment and look forward to completing the trilogy soon.
Unless I am listening to an audio-book or composing, I am probably listening to music. I usually listen to an eclectic assortment of music, but my recent listening has been fairly dominated by one album in particular. Taylor Swift's Midnights album has basically been on repeat since its October 21 release. It is quite a departure from her two pandemic albums: folklore and evermore. I would say that it fits somewhere between Reputation and 1989 with a hint of Lover, but it really is an homage to everything we love about Taylor Swift: stellar lyrics, catchy melodies, fun production, immaculately crafted bridges. These are my top listened songs from the album.
Anti-Hero
Bejeweled
Maroon
The Great War
Karma
I could go one about why I love each one, but I think I will just leave them here. Though I love the whole album, the lyricism and production on these five songs seem to have caught my attention more than the rest.
Aside from Midnights, I have also been listening to Noah Kahan's new album Stick Season. This album is for people who loved growing up in New England but have dreams bigger than their hometowns. I particularly love the songs "Northern Attitude" and "Homesick." Musically, I would say that Noah Kahan sounds similar the bands Town Meeting, Langhorn Slim and the Law, and The Lumineers. So, if you like an acoustic folk-inspired sound, then you will probably like this album.
I believe both albums are out on all streaming services, so check them out if you haven't yet!
I don't usually watch a lot of television, but I did find myself obsessed with two shows recently: House of the Dragon and The Rings of Power.
Like many, I was rather disappointed in the last season of Game of Thrones. So, I was pretty hesitant to start HBO's House of the Dragon. I think I held off watching until the fourth episode was released, and I really only caved because I started seeing posts about the show on social media. One night I decided to order Mexican food, make margaritas, and watch the first episode. I ended up watching four. If you were often put off by the sexual violence and misogyny of Game of Thrones, you might try House of the Dragon. I don't believe there is any on-screen sexual assault, and many of the more graphic scenes seem to have been filmed with a woman's perspective in mind. This is more of a political drama with dragons than the all out convoluted epic fantasy that was Game of Thrones, which is one of the reasons why I think I prefer the prequel to the original. I do wish the music were a bit different from the music of Game of Thrones, but I understand why it is useful to keep the main theme the same. I would recommend checking it out, but it is definitely for an audience prepared to see the incest, violence, and amorality typical of George R.R Martin's universe.
Despite a barrage of bad reviews, I think that The Rings of Power might be one of my favorite television shows ever. I grew up on The Lord of The Rings. I've seen the movies countless times and read the original trilogy and The Hobbit around fifteen years ago, so I would consider myself a bit of a Tolkien nerd. I can't call myself a true Tolkien nerd, though, because I haven't read The Silmarillion or any of the other prequels. I will change that soon! Anyway, because I had never really engaged with the prequel materials, I had no idea what to expect from the show. It turns out that most of the show's criticisms became my favorite aspects: women protagonists, people of color as more than background caricatures, some romance... I will say the show can be a bit slow, but I actually enjoyed the slow bits because they really helped to build both the world and my own empathy for the characters. The music is also stellar and will likely show up in my 2022 Spotify wrapped. If you are a fan of Tolkien at all and don't mind a few liberties taken for the sake of screen adaptation, then you should check out The Rings of Power!
I hope this was interesting for you! Please leave a comment if you also love anything I mentioned, or if you have any recommendations for books/music/tv shows/movies I should check out!
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