Hello, friends and fellow book lovers! I hope you are staying safe and well during these times. I, like most sensible people, have been self-isolating the past few days, which has actually resulted in not much reading, if we’re being honest. I still have my full course load, so I have to write papers and do readings for school.
I’m also heading home about six weeks sooner than I had originally planned, so I need to pack all my shit AND eat all the food I had stockpiled for the self-isolation. I have two weeks’ worth of pasta, cookies, frozen broccoli, and pizza (most of which I actually bought ten days before the self-isolation when I went to the grocery store to get food for my boyfriend and I for the weekend and thought the weekend was actually three weeks long? idk). So I’m unnecessarily stressing about that.
But anyway, I thought I’d give a bit of a reading update for y’all so I could talk about the books I’ve been reading lately!
Currently reading
I am currently reading Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, which is about a troupe of performers who perform Shakespeare in the ruins of the US after the world has been destroyed by a flu pandemic. It’s, uh, timely? I just want to emphasize that I am not reading this book because of everything that is happening! It was genuinely next on my TBR. It’s one of the few books I have on my kindle that is unread, and it is by a Canadian author, and it was on my 2020 TBR. BUT it is interesting reading it given current circumstances. It’s really good and I’m really enjoying it. The writing is fantastic, and I love the dual timelines.
I’m also listening to the audiobook of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer. It’s really great and I’m really enjoying it. I love Kimmerer’s exploration of her Indigenous knowledge and scientific knowledge and how they interact. The audiobook is narrated by the author, and I highly recommend it.
Just finished
I just finished reading Middlegame by Seanan McGuire, which I adored. I wasn’t expecting to love it as much as I did, but I really loved it. I loved the characters, I loved the different perspectives, I loved the plot and idea, I loved the writing. It was just so perfect, tbh.
What I’ve been watching
My boyfriend said the other day that he wanted pop music with better, more interesting bass parts and then remembered that that was just Abba. So he wanted to watch Mamma Mia, and who am I to say no to Mamma Mia. I would highly recommend if you’re self-isolating. It’s so fun, and the music is (obviously) great.
My school put on a production of Grease recently, in which my boyfriend played bass and my friend was playing Rizzo. So I watched the movie the weekend before seeing it AND went to go watch the performance twice. Again, would recommend. Great music, loved it.
I also recently binged Love is Blind on Netflix. omg it was so dumb and dramatic and I loved everything about it. Please go watch it if you want some light entertainment. Prepared to get weirdly invested in some random people’s love lives.
The Bachelor ended recently, and wow, what a shit show the finale was. Unpopular opinion here, but I’m on Team Barb. I’m on Team Anyone But Peter, tbh. I think Barb calling Madi out on live tv was awkward, but it had 👏🏼 to 👏🏼 be 👏🏼 said 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Glad Madi and Hannah Ann don’t have to deal with Peter’s BS any more though.
I have also been watching so much youtube lately, so here is a list of some of my favourites, in case you want something to watch:
- Tiffany Ferguson: I am in love with all of her videos. She does a lot of analyses into trends on social media, and I love them all. My favourites are her ones on family vlogging, youtubers being unrelatable and quitting their jobs, and her video on veganism on youtube.
- Ashley @ bestdressed: I have adopted Ashley as my younger sibling, which I don’t think she knows but I treat her the same anyway. She does primarily fashion/lifestyle videos, but she also does apartment makeovers and some really great chatty videos.
- Sarah Schauer: ex-viner turned youtuber, the epitome of chaotic energy. I love all of her videos, especially her more recent ones.
- Julia Cudney: does some amazing movie analyses and stands up for romcoms.
- The White Males who do Commentary and are Funny: these youtubers all have similar content in that they make a video commenting on something in a humorous way. I love them all, please check them out.
- Meghan Rienks: I am specifically recommending Meghan’s recent videos on her channel being hacked, if you have two hours to kill. They’re very entertaining (unfortunately for her), and I would highly recommend them.
- Strange Æons: especially this video where she talks about how to dress gay and her videos reviewing Onision’s books.
- Types of videos I find weirdly entertaining and you might as well: there are some videos I love watching that are not from particular youtubers, and I thought other people might find them entertaining too.
- “What I spend in a week” videos: where (usually) twenty-something women document what they spend in a week. I am obsessed with all of these videos, please don’t ask my why, I do not know.
- Food budgeting videos: again, idk why I love these videos, but I am obsessed with watching videos on cheap meals and meal planning. Do I have children or dependents? No. Am I a single woman who goes to Starbucks three times a week? Yes. Do I still watch a lot of these videos? Yes.
- Some women who kind of talk about drama but in an intelligent way
- ~more food-related content~
- Unnatural Vegan: I love all of her videos but especially the ones where she debunks other vegan influencers. She always does so in a respectful, facts-based way and is the most level-headed person on youtube. I love putting her videos on while I clean.
- Abbey Sharp: very similar to Unnatural Vegan. Talks a lot about other youtubers, but is an actual trained dietician and gives props when props are due.
So, that’s what I’ve been reading and watching lately, pals! What about you? What books have you recently finished? What are you going to read next? What should I read next? Let me know!
Ally xx
I think lots of people are going to be reading Station Eleven in the next few weeks! Keep safe x
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It’s definitely topical! You as well xx
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I have a feeling I’ll be watching quite a bit of Mamma Mia if I’m stuck at home indefinitely. Both the films are my go-to happy-go-lucky films when I’m feeling rubbish as there is something about ABBA tracks that lifts my spirits, even melancholy ones.
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SAME I’ve been listening to ABBA non-stop this quarantine tbh
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I really wish I could be self-isolating but I have no symptoms and the shop where I work hasnt shut yet so I have to be in. I have so much uni work as well so I totally get not reading as much as you would like to during this time. Stay safe xx
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I hope you’re able to stay safe despite working! And hopefully uni calms down for both of us and we can actually read soon! xx
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Luckily both my work and Uni has now shut so I can stay home with my family and stay safe. Hope things work out the same for you 🙏
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Oh I am so not gonna read station 11 anytime soon. Think it would add to my anxiety levels! Take care Ally <3333
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LOL totally understandable!
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Station Eleven has been on my TBR for ages, but with everything going on I’ve been wondering if I should bump it up the list and read it sooner. 😉 I also loved Middlegame way more than I expected to. Good luck with the moving back home early!
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It’s definitely a very topical book! I put in down in favour of other things (I don’t really know why though), but I’m hoping to finish it soon!
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Stay safe!
I’m hoping to get to Station Eleven soon 🙂
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You as well! 💕
I hope you enjoy Station Eleven when you get to it!
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I saw someone else reading Station Eleven on Twitter and saying how perfect it is to read right now lol. I think I want to read it now just because its way too timely.
You can never say no to the iconic campy masterpiece that is Mamma Mia!
Yes, my favorite genre of comedy, white dudes who are actually funny. But seriously those guys are hilarious. I’m going to check into the other channels/videos you mentioned because I’m bored and need to find more to watch.
Stay safe!!!
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It’s so timely, and it’s sososo good too!
Mamma Mia is perfect and I will take no criticism (except that Pierce Brosnan can’t sing but we forgive him anyway)
Oooh I hope you enjoyed any of the youtubers you checked out! 💕
You as well! I hope all is well, Sav 💕💕
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