Saturday Thoughts

*I have been trying and failing all week to write a review of Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen. Not because the book is bad or complicated but because I read it so long ago I forget little details which means I need my copy of the book which I've misplaced and...sigh. But it's a wonderful book, super lovely, and I'll probably have a short review up soon. I just want you to know it exists because it's already out!

*The Super Bowl is tomorrow! I'm surprised by how much of the cultural narrative this dominates, like our local news was all SB SB SB--oh Labrador Retrievers are the most popular dogs--SB SB SB. And we don't even have a team! Or a team in the area in it! (yes we should all be worried about the local news) I am of course excited and rooting for the Seahawks.

*THE FAULT IN OUR STARS trailer. I, like everyone else, cried straight through the trailer. Also, how wonderful to hear all that gorgeous dialogue being spoken? Also, I strongly disagree that The Fault in our Stars is like A Walk to Remember--it is not. Maybe there are some superficial similarities but THEY ARE DIFFERENT. Also can I really see this in theater? I mean I tend to cry really super easily during movies and it can be embarrassing. Please tell me what to do. What are you doing?

*Jeremy Casella, whose album RCVRY is one of my favorites in the world, is funding his next album through Kickstarter. I don't know how many readers I still have who like the singer/songwriters of Christian faith, but he is one of the best. I mean check this gorgeous lyric:

No one told you that faith would come easy
No one promised the way would be clear
Turn the ground in the fields of your story
While you're sowing the seed of your tears
Under skies wide and blue as the ocean
Make your peace with your own history
So much more than the sum of your longings
Are the good and the bad - all this beauty and tragedy

sigh. so pretty. One of my all time faves.

*Back to books, though, there are so many I want to read! I did read Mind of Winter by Laura Kasischke last weekend and WOW. What's the last great book you read?

*Still trying to figure out a film club revival. It will come to me, I know it!

*So when Debi said she'd watched (and loved!!!) The Walking Dead the other day I got really excited and realized I had forgotten how much fun it is to share the stories that you love? Like, sometimes on the internet I get kind of down, because someone is always complaining somewhere about something that I love and even though it shouldn't, it does take away some of the enjoyment. But...well it's hard to find people in real life who love the same things you do? So I go on the internet, mainly tumblr and twitter to find out what people are thinking, etc. But like...it was just super nice and refreshing to chat about the show and it made me all excited for it to come back. (also Jenny this is why I'm super sad you can't watch our ABC Family shows until they are on Netflix) And ha, it also made me think how sharing stories can make you actually love them more...and not just stories! Like, I am a lifelong Cardinals fan and when I first became a fan it was something I shared with my best friend and we were embarrassingly obsessed. And this year, I dabbled into the internet fandom and when you spend your time reading what other people think about the team you love, you start caring more about them winning...like not just for your own sake but for the sake of everyone who also loves them because you become fond of them as well based on loving the same thing. IT'S WEIRD, OKAY? Anyway, lol, I've wanted to mention that weirdness about sports fandom for awhile.

*Speaking of sports! As I said, I became a Cardinals fan at a young age, and I've also mentioned I was a figure skating fan at a young age. I want to do some sports themed weeks on the blog, starting with skating, which will begin tomorrow. Actually, it's just sort of an accident that it happened this way--I have a few posts lined up on the subject and a few ideas as well. But I've always loved the idea of theme weeks. So starting tomorrow, as a Woo-hoo Sochi is finally here! sort of celebration the posts will be about skating. BUT. If you are like, ugh, Amy WHERE ARE THE BOOKS THAT'S WHY I COME HERE, well there will actually be a lot of bookish content this week as well that ties in. Also, I hope even if you don't know much about skating or don't care you'll pay attention because I think there's a lot of variety in the posts and also...I don't know sports are really about life you know? In other words, I won't be posting about the finer points of the judging system or anything like that, that's not my thing. And hopefully around Opening Day of baseball, I'll have a baseball week!

Anyway, that's it for now! (whenever I finish these posts, I'm always like, ugh, I forgot ten things I meant to mention!!) Have WONDERFUL FIRST WEEKENDS OF FEBRUARY, friends!