What has my attention this week?
(Note: All Amazon links are affiliate links.)
Book: A Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss
I’ve had this one on my list forever and now that I’m doing a bit of a “sequel blitz,” I only just realized my library has it. This shockingly tiny “in-between-quel” to Rothfuss’s luxurious Kingkiller Chronicles is a strange little book, as Rothfuss himself notes in the foreword. Even knowing it was about the fae minor character Auri, it wasn’t what I expected. But it’s beautiful in its own right, something to be savored. Think of it as a poem in prose form, and you’ve pretty much got both its tenor and its purpose.
Movie: From Up on Poppy Hill directed by Goro Miyazaki
I officially became a Studio Ghibli fan last year. I had enjoyed Castle in the Sky and Porco Rosso, but the incredibly fabulous Howl’s Moving Castle was my tipping point. This one is a close a second though. Although the “brother/sister” twist felt a bit cheap and manipulative in my book, overall this is an incredibly charming, beautiful ode to young love, made all the sweeter through the nostalgia of its 1960s setting. It somehow made me think of the ’30s movies I love with Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland — although in an entirely non-madcap way.
Music: Inhuman Rampage by Dragonforce
Someone recommended Dragonforce to me the other week after seeing my post about my love for symphonic metal band Nightwish. I liked the samples on Amazon and there was a copy of Inhuman Rampage available on SwapACD, so I grabbed it. They’re a leeeetle hyper for my tastes, but I like their vocals and lyrics and there’s at least something good in every single song.
Food: Newman O’s
How do you eat your Oreos? I always have to open each cookie, lick both sides, put them back together, then eat the whole thing. I splurge every now and then on these “healthy” alternatives to Oreos. They’re just as good, and I could easily eat the whole package in one sitting… if my tongue wouldn’t go raw from all that licking.
Plant: Bonsai Tree
Meet Buddy the Bonsai. I have a notorious black thumb, but I couldn’t resist this little fellow. The container was too cute, if nothing else. So far, he’s survived all of two weeks in my questionable care. Can we make it to week three?
Cute Animal I Want This Week
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Don’t be a hedgehog. Let other people use the hedge.
My hedgehog is a nice hog. He’ll share. 😉
Music! I love that question. 🙂
In the last couple months, I discovered Imelda May. I was listening to some big band on either Accuradio or Pandora (thinking the latter) a while back, and her song “Big Bad Handsome Man” came on the feed and I was dancing in my seat to it so much that I had to go buy it on Amazon. I think it’s available on Prime, too, if you’ve got that. Additionally, kinda rediscovered Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Brian Setzer.
Hmmm, now I’m going to go have to listen to my Dieselpunk List on Amazon… 😉
All right. I’m convinced. :p Going to check out Imelda…
Ah I LOVE symphonic metal as well – Ghost Love Score by Nightwish is amazing!
You should check out the Finnish band HB. They’re Christian, which takes their music to a whole new level of awesome. Here’s one of their English albums on YouTube – the first song is “The Jesus Metal Explosion.” 🙂
Hah. Great minds. As a matter of fact, I was just listening to Hb the other day. I put them in next week’s post. :p
Now I gotta go find this HB you speak of because Christian Metal sounds cool.
It’s in Finnish, just so you know. 😉
Eh, I listen to Gaelic Storm a lot. Half of their stuff is in Gaelic.
I have really been digging the soundtrack to “Theory of Everything” when I write.
Is that James Newton Howard? He does really good stuff.
So nice to run across another symphonic metal fan! My personal favorite band in that genre has to be Within Temptation.
On the book front, though, I have to admit I continue to be puzzled by all the love that Patrick Rothfuss gets. I just don’t see the appeal of his books (but I guess that’s just me).
Yes! I adore Within Temptation. They’re right up there with Nightwish for me.
Haven’t heard symphonic metal. Sounds interesting though. Sometimes I listen to Classical for Studying on Pandora. Nice and smooth listening. Calming. I find it hard to write to something that too upbeat. Then I can’t focus. But mostly I tune into the silence when everyone’s asleep. Recently I’ve had some jam sessions in my car with a song called “Roses” by Chainsmokers. SWEEEZZEEETT!!
For me, symphonic metal is kind of like “epic opera.” :p It’s hard and driving, but–especially with female vocalists–it has this soaring, haunting beauty to it.
Ooh, I’ve wanted a bonsai for a while now! My dad had a hedgehog for a while, too. 🙂
Trade you. 😉
One, Hedgehogs are adorable little things! Had one in the early 90’s. Even if one became enraged, rabid, possessed by demons, the worst it could do aggressively to you is make adorable painless sucky, nibbles, cuteness. Just remember, petting them along the grain of their spines is safe, the other way… It feels really wicked, lol.
Two, had a bonsai for years, miss it now. It got a blight x.x Easy to take care of, durable as all hell as long as kept out of the cold and watered frequently.
Three, Studio Ghibil rocks, but I have not seen the one you mentioned >_>
Four, A Slow Regard of Silent Things… Every since I read Anne McCaffery’s “Nerilka’s Story” I have loved reading about side characters, particularly when we get to see things from within their POV, emotions, perspectives, etc.. I have debated getting a copy of “A Slow Regard of Silent Things” every since it came up in a writing excuses podcast with Patrick on it, but like you said, so far down the priority list… *sighs*, but Auri is very interesting to me from everything said in that podcast >_>
And if nothing else, that title rocks >///>
Aww, now you’re *really* making me want a hedgehog!
That’s good to hear about the bonsai. So far, it’s thriving suspiciously well under my dubious care.
And, yes, I’d say definitely make time to read Slow Regard (it’s really short) before the next Kingkiller book comes out.
You can always get me talking when you bring up the topic of music! I’m a huge Dire Straits fan and recently discovered a gem of an album–Testing the Water released in 2014 by John Illsley (bassist and co-founder of Dire Straits). Sadly and unjustly, it only has a few reviews on Amazon…it deserves more!
How are the Newman O’s?
The Newman O’s are awesome. I need to replenish the stash. 😉
Lately I’ve been listening to (fairly recently discovered) Celtic style flute/harp duo Rosewynde. My parents got me their album Walking Tune for Christmas. Their music is lovely, soothing and not distracting at all. Their Caoineadh Cu Chulainne is my favorite, mostly because it has a nice, wild, open-air sound, but also because of the Gaelic title.
LOVE their band name. If they’re music is as pretty, it must be gorgeous.
I’d like to mention New Age music, specifically the show Hearts of Space and music by Steve Roach. He is practically a Hero to me.
I’ll have to check him out!