Book hauls have always been my favorite videos to make and are usually my favorite videos to watch. Due to good sales and cheap secondhand shops I've acquired a crap ton (official recorded weight) of books over the last few months. Below are two videos documenting those acquisitions in an attempt to show you how hard I've failed at saving money, and how my rabid consumerism has caused me to run out of shelf space.
I haven't been posting videos as often, but I'm still posting. Unfortunately my computer is getting old and iMovie doesn't work as well as it should. For my computer's health, and my own, I've had to limit the amount of time I spend editing. Hopefully this will change sometime soon, but for now I'll try to maintain a once a week schedule. Thanks for sticking with me! For more videos and updates subscribe to GetAKloo.
I swear I'll read them all eventually...
-S
Sunday, September 11, 2016
Friday, September 9, 2016
Songs On Repeat
Do you have listening habits when it comes to music? I've always had the tendency to play a group of songs on repeat for a few weeks at a time and then I'll move onto the next phase. I cycle through my favorites and come back to them every so often, rediscovering lost loves from months or years before. Last week I picked up Sam Hunt's 2014 album Montevallo and Oh Wonder's 2015 self titled album. I've had both albums blasting on repeat since. They were great for my family's extended weekend road trip to Illinois.
Body Gold by Oh Wonder -
33 "God" by Bon Iver -
Raised On It by Sam Hunt -
Air 'Em Out by Clipping. -
Kevin (Ft. Leon Bridges) by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis -
Without You by Oh Wonder-
Into You by Ariana Grande -
Should I Stay or Should I Go by The Clash (This song has been stuck in my head all week. I blame it on Stranger Things. I'm currently on episode 5 and can't get enough.) -
Wherever Is Your Heart by Brandi Carlile -
Tonight (Ft. Gangsta Boo) by Clipping. -
House Party by Sam Hunt -
After writing this post and looking at the list my only thought was, "wow, this seems so white girl." But maybe that has more to do with the fact that I am a white girl (sitting here drinking a Pumpkin Spice Latte) and less to do with the actual compilation of songs. Are we all walking clichés in one form or another?
Ok, time to float back into the shallow end and leave this post on a lighter note. Music is good. Music is universal. It helps connect us. Hopefully these songs made you feel connected. Or maybe they just got you to dance around your room for a little bit.
-S
Body Gold by Oh Wonder -
33 "God" by Bon Iver -
Raised On It by Sam Hunt -
Air 'Em Out by Clipping. -
Kevin (Ft. Leon Bridges) by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis -
Without You by Oh Wonder-
Into You by Ariana Grande -
Should I Stay or Should I Go by The Clash (This song has been stuck in my head all week. I blame it on Stranger Things. I'm currently on episode 5 and can't get enough.) -
Wherever Is Your Heart by Brandi Carlile -
Tonight (Ft. Gangsta Boo) by Clipping. -
House Party by Sam Hunt -
After writing this post and looking at the list my only thought was, "wow, this seems so white girl." But maybe that has more to do with the fact that I am a white girl (sitting here drinking a Pumpkin Spice Latte) and less to do with the actual compilation of songs. Are we all walking clichés in one form or another?
Ok, time to float back into the shallow end and leave this post on a lighter note. Music is good. Music is universal. It helps connect us. Hopefully these songs made you feel connected. Or maybe they just got you to dance around your room for a little bit.
-S
Thursday, September 8, 2016
I Call It Casual Thursday
After two years of three day work weeks I've found my favorite thing to do on Thursday is go to a coffee shop and read. Usually my Thursday outfit choices are casual and comfy, typically workout clothes or jeans and a t-shirt, makeup optional.
Today's OOTD consisted of my favorite striped t-shirt from J. Crew (similar) and a pair of broken-in blue jeans (similar) from American Eagle. I opted for sunscreen instead of makeup and decided not to touch my hair once I rolled out of bed. That's right, I woke up like this.
For those of you wondering what I was listening to, it's Sam Hunt's Montevallo. I'm not usually a country person but this album has wiggled it's way into my brain and taken over. Let's just say it, I'm obsessed.
More like blasting "Raised On It" over and over and over again. In fact I almost named this post "Snap backs and Levi jeans." If only I owned a pair of Levi's.
This is his, "You talkin' to me?" face.
After 26 years I finally managed to pick up "Alice in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll. Have you read it? I'm not very far into the story yet. My brain is having a hard time moving past "Shrill" by Lindy West. Seriously, go read that book.
With the presence of pollen allergies and the threat of rain, I've spent most of my time indoors lately. It was nice to finally get outside and go for a walk again. Hopefully September has more nice days like this one planned.
Thursday, August 4, 2016
52 Book Challenge Update
Hey guys! Now that we're a little over half way through the year I figured it was time to check in on my 52 Book Challenge. I never set out to finish one book a week since that's just not my reading style/pace, but I did expect to be more on track by this point in the year. So far I've finished 19 books on my list and am currently reading 3 more.
1. A book you meant to read in 2015, but didn't -- The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan *
2. A book set in a different continent -- Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon*
3. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2015 (winner or nominated) -- The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins *
4. A book by an author you discovered in 2015 -- The Dumb House by John Burnside*
5. A book with a title beginning with the 1st letter of your name -- Silver Linings Playbook by Mathew Quick
6. The highest rated on your TBR -- Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
7. A book about books -- The Year of Reading Dangerously by Andy Miller
8. A classic book with less than 200 pages -- Candide by Voltaire
9. A book that was mentioned in another book -- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee*
10. A book by an author you feel you should have read by now -- The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
11. A book from the Rory Gilmore challenge -- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll
12. A childhood classic -- The BFG by Roald Dahl*
13. Reader’s Choice -- Just Kids by Patty Smith (currently reading)
14. A book with one of the five W’s -or H in the title (Who/What/Where/When/Why/How) -- Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling*
15. A book set in the past (more than 100 years ago) -- Persuasion by Jane Austen
16. A book from the top 100 mystery novels -- Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
17. A book with a beautiful cover -- Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (Vintage Classics Bronte Series edition)
18. A book on a summer/beach reading list -- Bridget Jone's Diary by Helen Fielding*
19. A non-fiction book -- Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion
20. A book with a first name in the title -- Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery*
21. A book from the Goodreads Recommendations page -- Fifth Avenue, 5 AM; Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman by Sam Wasson
22. The first book in a new to you series -- Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (changed to City of Bones)*
23. The next book in a series you are reading -- Voyager by Diana Gabaldon (currently reading)
24. A "between the numbers" book of a series (0.5, 1,5, 2.5, etc.) -- Four by Veronica Roth *
25. A book whose main character is in a profession that interests you -- The Art Forger by Barbara A. Shapiro*
26. A book everyone is talking about -- Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (a bunch of Youtubers are currently buddy reading this)
27. A book with a beautiful title (in your own opinion) -- The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
28. A biography, autobiography, or memoir -- Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein*
29. A book by an author who writes under more than one name -- Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith/J.K. Rowling*
30. A fairytale from a culture other than your own -- Angela Carter's Book of Fairytales
31. A work of young adult fiction -- Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins*
32. A historical fiction book -- East of Eden by John Steinbeck
33. The 16th book on your TBR -- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon*
34. A book about mental illness -- Brain on Fire by Susannah Calahan
35. An award winning book -- The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
36. An identity book - a book about a different culture, religion or sexual orientation -- A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hossieni
37. A book that you've seen the movie of but haven't read -- The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
38. A book about an anti hero -- A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess*
39. A previous suggestion that did not make it into the list -- The Road by Cormac McCarthy (Read an Oprah Book Club book)
40. A novella from your favorite genre -- Animal Farm by George Orwell
41. A book about a major world event (fiction or non-fiction) -- Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges (changed to Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow which I'm currently reading)
42. A top 100 fantasy novel -- The Princess Bride by William Goldman
43. A book about a thing that goes bump in the night -- The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
44. A book you're embarrassed to read in public -- Summer Sisters by Judy Blume (I wouldn't say I'm easily ashamed of reading books in public but this was on one of the lists they suggested)
45. A book related to a hobby or passion you have -- A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
46. A crime story -- In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
47. A book with a type of food/drink in the title -- The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
48. A dystopia -- Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro*
49. A book with a great opening line -- 1984 by George Orwell
50. A book originally written in a language other than English -- One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
51. A short story from a well-known author -- The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
52. A book published in 2016 -- When We Were Alive by Chelsea Fisher (changed to The Yoga of Max's Discontent by Karan Bajaj)*
As you can see I've changed a few of the books from the original list out of convenience and mood, but I'd like to stick to the original list more closely for the second half of the year.
Are you participating in the 52 Book Challenge? How are you doing? Any books you'd recommend I read next?
-S
1. A book you meant to read in 2015, but didn't -- The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan *
2. A book set in a different continent -- Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon*
3. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2015 (winner or nominated) -- The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins *
4. A book by an author you discovered in 2015 -- The Dumb House by John Burnside*
5. A book with a title beginning with the 1st letter of your name -- Silver Linings Playbook by Mathew Quick
6. The highest rated on your TBR -- Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
7. A book about books -- The Year of Reading Dangerously by Andy Miller
8. A classic book with less than 200 pages -- Candide by Voltaire
9. A book that was mentioned in another book -- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee*
10. A book by an author you feel you should have read by now -- The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
11. A book from the Rory Gilmore challenge -- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll
12. A childhood classic -- The BFG by Roald Dahl*
13. Reader’s Choice -- Just Kids by Patty Smith (currently reading)
14. A book with one of the five W’s -or H in the title (Who/What/Where/When/Why/How) -- Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling*
15. A book set in the past (more than 100 years ago) -- Persuasion by Jane Austen
16. A book from the top 100 mystery novels -- Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
17. A book with a beautiful cover -- Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (Vintage Classics Bronte Series edition)
18. A book on a summer/beach reading list -- Bridget Jone's Diary by Helen Fielding*
19. A non-fiction book -- Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion
20. A book with a first name in the title -- Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery*
21. A book from the Goodreads Recommendations page -- Fifth Avenue, 5 AM; Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman by Sam Wasson
22. The first book in a new to you series -- Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (changed to City of Bones)*
23. The next book in a series you are reading -- Voyager by Diana Gabaldon (currently reading)
24. A "between the numbers" book of a series (0.5, 1,5, 2.5, etc.) -- Four by Veronica Roth *
25. A book whose main character is in a profession that interests you -- The Art Forger by Barbara A. Shapiro*
26. A book everyone is talking about -- Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (a bunch of Youtubers are currently buddy reading this)
27. A book with a beautiful title (in your own opinion) -- The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
28. A biography, autobiography, or memoir -- Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein*
29. A book by an author who writes under more than one name -- Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith/J.K. Rowling*
30. A fairytale from a culture other than your own -- Angela Carter's Book of Fairytales
31. A work of young adult fiction -- Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins*
32. A historical fiction book -- East of Eden by John Steinbeck
33. The 16th book on your TBR -- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon*
34. A book about mental illness -- Brain on Fire by Susannah Calahan
35. An award winning book -- The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
36. An identity book - a book about a different culture, religion or sexual orientation -- A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hossieni
37. A book that you've seen the movie of but haven't read -- The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
38. A book about an anti hero -- A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess*
39. A previous suggestion that did not make it into the list -- The Road by Cormac McCarthy (Read an Oprah Book Club book)
40. A novella from your favorite genre -- Animal Farm by George Orwell
41. A book about a major world event (fiction or non-fiction) -- Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges (changed to Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow which I'm currently reading)
42. A top 100 fantasy novel -- The Princess Bride by William Goldman
43. A book about a thing that goes bump in the night -- The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
44. A book you're embarrassed to read in public -- Summer Sisters by Judy Blume (I wouldn't say I'm easily ashamed of reading books in public but this was on one of the lists they suggested)
45. A book related to a hobby or passion you have -- A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
46. A crime story -- In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
47. A book with a type of food/drink in the title -- The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
48. A dystopia -- Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro*
49. A book with a great opening line -- 1984 by George Orwell
50. A book originally written in a language other than English -- One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
51. A short story from a well-known author -- The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
52. A book published in 2016 -- When We Were Alive by Chelsea Fisher (changed to The Yoga of Max's Discontent by Karan Bajaj)*
As you can see I've changed a few of the books from the original list out of convenience and mood, but I'd like to stick to the original list more closely for the second half of the year.
Are you participating in the 52 Book Challenge? How are you doing? Any books you'd recommend I read next?
-S
Monday, July 11, 2016
BICYCLE, BICYCLE!
Today I went for a bicycle ride with my dad along the trail near my house that goes out towards Suttons Bay. We did not ride the whole trail but managed about eight miles out and back, sixteen miles total. Today was only my fourth time riding my road bike this year. A few years ago I had accomplished weeks worth of frequent riding time by this point in the summer. Sixteen miles would have been an easy ride for me back then, but it certainly wasn't easy for me today.
About half way out towards Suttons Bay the trail runs into Lakeview Hills Road. Before they paved the middle section of the trail a few years ago this was the turn off point for road bikers. You could take Lakeview Hills down and around and eventually connect back to the paved trail. This alternative route was slightly longer and a lot hillier, so when they finally paved the entire trail choosing to stay on the straighter, flatter path became the easier choice. Before I noticed, I had gone months and then years without taking the Lakeview Hills route. So today my dad and I decided to ride up the first two hills before turning around to head home.
Guys, I forgot how hard it is to climb hills. Years ago, after riding the same hills all summer I started to feel like I could climb anything. Unfortunately, time quickly erases those physical talents we once worked so hard to achieve. The first hill was deceptive and I conquered it pretty easily, but that second hill almost killed me. I was about one third of the way up the second hill when I started slowing down and felt a little like everything inside of me was falling apart. You know those cartoons where the character is driving along in a car and suddenly parts start falling off until the car is just an axel with wheels and a seat? Well that's how I imagined my ride up that second hill. I downshifted until I couldn't anymore and then all I had was the pedals and my feet. The entire time I was panting and kept thinking, "just keep going, just keep going." We have two choices when confronted with a challenge, we can either give up or keep pushing forward.
Eventually, I made it to the top of the second hill. As I tried to regain my breathe I was able to look out over the bright blue water and distant tree cover hills thankful that I didn't give up. Sometimes being able to see the world a little better is worth the pain of climbing a hill, especially if you haven't done it in a while. I finished today's ride with sore muscles and an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment.
-S
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Music For May
I haven't made a playlist for this blog in a while so I figured it was about time for something new. Despite the majority of the songs on this list having been released prior to 2016, I tried to stay true to the music I've been listening to the most this month. The list is full of catchy pop songs and rounded out with the occasional folk and rock track. Pop songs tend to be my spring time jams since they're great at getting me pumped for summer. You can also tell my KOL phases is still going strong this month. I made a full playlist on Youtube for anyone who wants to enjoy!
Birthday by Kings of Leon
Angela by The Lumineers
God Only Knows by The Beach Boys
The Sound by The 1975
If I Could Change Your Mind by Haim
Ain't No Man by The Avett Brothers
Dust in a Baggie by Billy Strings and Don Julin
Molly's Chambers by Kings of Leon
Dig Me Out by Sleater-Kinney
UGH! by The 1975
Soundtrack by Catfish and the Bottlemen
Cleopatra by The Lumineers
I Ain't Gonna Work Tomorrow by Billy Strings and Don Julin
Please Pardon Yourself by The Avett Brothers
Forever by Haim
Stop Desire by Tegan and Sara
Fans by Kings of Leon
Can you believe it's been 50 years since The Beach Boy's album Pet Sounds was released? (That makes it sound like I was there 50 years ago... I was not) Those songs never get old. It took me a long time to figure out the track order for this playlist so hopefully it turned out alright in the end.
-S
What have you been listening to in May?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)