Last Monday was exciting for me – both Kelly Clarkson and Coldplay released new albums on the same day! After steeping in both for about a week, I have some thoughts:
Even as a diehard Kelly Clarkson fan, I have to admit that Stronger fell a little flat for me. It’s more My December than All I Ever Wanted. As one great review (which I regret not bookmarking because I can’t find it again) noted, is Kelly surrounding herself with an endless supply of losers? I enjoy a sassy musical kiss-off as much as anyone, but enough is enough. I loved some of the songs immediately, but with others, I wondered how they made it past the final cut. Kelly, you’re better than this!
That said, my emerging favorites are “You Love Me,” “Let Me Down,” “You Can’t Win,” and the title track. And though many pixels have been spilled over “Einstein” with its chorus of “Dumb plus dumb equals you,” it really is a guilty pleasure (and still better than anything Ke$ha has produced).
One of my favorite things about Coldplay is their ability to deliver a cohesive album (including cross-references to the other songs!). Apparently the concept of Mylo Xyloto is a star-crossed couple in a dystopian society, which surprised me because of the hope that pervades the entire thing. Where Viva la Vida was dark and brooding, MX is overwhelmingly joyful – joy in the face of despair? Maybe I’m just projecting my own emotional state onto this record, but I’m extremely moved by it. I don’t care what the electronica influences mean for their direction as a band, or how supposedly inane the lyrics are. I can’t even pick a favorite track because I love them all. (The chipmunk effects on “Charlie Brown” are a little annoying, though.)
BONUS: I planned to write a “real” review of Needtobreathe’s The Reckoning (which was released in September) and try to submit it to a website. But I think it’s too late now, so I’ll go ahead and talk about it here. I wasn’t sure this band could top The Outsiders, but they’ve moved to a different level. The consistent message of The Reckoning is the importance of seeing and facing truth – the need to stop running, open our eyes, and accept the healing that comes with knowing the truth. I appreciate that message, and the fact that it also rocks as only Needtobreathe can is just icing on the cake. My current favorite selections are “Slumber” and “Drive All Night” (which seriously makes me want to drive all night).
What new music are you enjoying right now?
Yes, this looks like a month of pure fluff. I have been reading heavier things, but haven’t managed to finish them yet.
Names My Sisters Call Me by Megan Crane
Megan Crane is one of my go-to novelists, and this one about the dysfunctional relationship of three very different sisters didn’t disappoint. The plot was well thought out, and I understood where Courtney was coming from even in her unwise decisions. I cringed for much of the book, waiting for something horrible to happen, but it all ended pleasantly but realistically. :) Also, Lucas is a worthy addition to any Heartthrobs of Modern Fiction list.
Love Starts With Elle by Rachel Hauck
Another sweet, likeable, but just okay Christian romance, set in South Carolina. Elle is an artist-turned-gallery owner trying to put her life back together after a broken engagement. Heath is a lawyer-turned-novelist taking a sabbatical after the tragic death of his wife. They’re both endearing and you’ll root for them, but I kept thinking, “Who talks like that?” You’ll know what I mean if you read it.
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
This book arrived on my doorstep one day at 6 pm, and I finished it by 11:30! It’s set in San Francisco and features Lola, a costume enthusiast, and her next-door neighbor/childhood sweetheart, Cricket. Cricket moves back in two years after breaking Lola’s heart and leaving town, and their path back toward each other is full of obstacles (like pride, misunderstandings, and rock star boyfriends). I’ve decided I prefer Anna and the French Kiss to this companion – I relate much more to Anna, and hello, PARIS! However, while Etienne is dreamy, Cricket is more my type, so the books kind of balance out. ;) Can’t wait for Isla and the Happily Ever After!
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Along with her parents, Amy is cryogenically frozen for a 300-year space trip to colonize a new planet. Unfortunately, she’s woken 50 years ahead of schedule into a dystopian society on the ship. But she immediately connects with Elder, the teenage second-in-command. While (and maybe because) this story is very well-written, it’s also upsetting and disturbing (and claustrophobic!). So although I couldn’t put it down, I can’t exactly say I enjoyed it.
Absolutely, Positively by Heather Webber
Another enjoyable, suspenseful chapter in the life of Lucy Valentine. Love! With the unexpected revelation that there’s more to Lucy’s power than even she knows, I’m especially excited for the next book.
Books for October: 5
2011 year to date: 64
I can’t believe it’s November. Is anyone doing NaNoWriMo? I don’t understand why they schedule it in one of the busiest months of the year – the only worse choice would be December. I attempted it in 2008, and only made it to about 18,000 words before deciding the stress and isolation wasn’t worth it. Someday I’ll try again, but maybe in January or July instead!
3 Comments + Posted in: book reviews, reading, the writing life
Here are more highlights from my 2007 trip to Southern California – part 1 is here!
After touring Hollywood, my mom and I ventured down to Long Beach and the Aquarium of the Pacific! Being very familiar with Atlantic sea life, we were excited to see some Pacific fish.
The aquarium also had a parrot and Lorikeet aviary.
Later we looked at the Queen Mary and a lighthouse, rode a Ferris wheel, and had dinner at a delicious Greek place.
My mom is a fan of the Schullers, so on our last full day in California, we went to church at Crystal Cathedral in the OC. The building and grounds were beautiful.
After church, we made a last-minute decision to go to the Getty Museum. It was magnificent – one of my favorite memories from the trip. I also thought I saw Liv Tyler there (my only possible celebrity sighting).
After a week and a half in SoCal, I felt very comfortable there! I loved the culture, the beautiful weather and surroundings, and the excitement. On our last night, my mom and I were watching the news in our hotel when I suddenly exclaimed, “Oh, that girl found her lost horse!” I’d been there long enough to follow an entire local news story. My mom shook her head at me and said, “Time to go home.” But I left a little piece of my heart in LA, and I look forward to visiting again.
2 Comments + Posted in: family, memory lane, travel
On the very day the biggest Plan B of my life began, I happened to be reading an amazing (but awkwardly subtitled) book called Plan B: What Do You Do When God Doesn’t Show Up The Way You Thought He Would? by Nashville pastor Pete Wilson. Many insights from this book have stuck with me, but none more so than the main question Wilson poses:
What would you do if you were absolutely confident God was with you?
As I’ve tried new things and taken more risks, I’ve asked myself this question more and more. Thinking about it in the abstract fills me with courage and hope. If I had total confidence that God was with me, I would be fearless – or at least know that I ought to be. In his sermon last week, my pastor talked about the prayers of the early Church, how God literally shook the building they were in to let them know that He was behind them and He was unstoppable. If I knew that God was guiding me completely, I wouldn’t hesitate to act on things. It’s just so hard to know whether my plans and hopes come from Him, or whether they’ll end with life as I know it in ruins.
The hard thing is, that’s not necessarily an either/or. When I think about confidence that God is with me, I naturally equate that with confidence in eventual success, because God can’t fail. It’s easy to forget that what we think of as success isn’t always what He wants for us. He was with those early Christians in a powerful way – and most of them ended up martyred. So, translating that to 21st century America… if I were to (totally hypothetically) someday find a less stable, lower-paying job more in line with my interests and gifts, or even become a freelance writer or go back to school, that could in fact end with me broke, houseless, and without any short- or long-term security – and it could be exactly what God wants for me. It wouldn’t necessarily mean that He wasn’t “with me” when I made that decision. Comforting and helpful, huh?
For years, I’ve often wished that God would just tell me audibly what to do about things. But I stopped recently when I read Anthony DeStefano’s book Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To. He points out that throughout the Bible, God only spoke directly – via angels or in person – to those who had crucial roles in history, or extremely difficult jobs to do. He was very direct with them because they needed His strength and Presence to accomplish what He had prepared for them. The bottom line was to be careful what you wish for. With great power comes great responsibility, and all that. I can vouch for this in a small way through my own experiences.
In the end, even if we end up far from where we thought we’d be, if we belong to God, He is with us. And that’s really all we need.
6 Comments + Posted in: faith, reflections
I saw this pumpkin bread recipe at Simple Thoughts and decided to bake some ASAP. Conveniently, I had half a can of pumpkin in the fridge that needed to be used up. :) This recipe makes two loaves, one for you and one for a neighbor. But my family and friends don’t want me plying them with baked goods, and it’s dangerous enough having one loaf of this bread in the house. It is DELICIOUS, and excellent topped with a little cream cheese for breakfast.
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups flour
3 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
4 eggs
1 can pumpkin (not pie filling)
1 cup oil
1 cup water
Chocolate chips to taste (the original recipe suggested an entire package)
Combine dry ingredients, combine wet ingredients, combine all together, yada yada. Bake at 350 F for 60-70 minutes.
Aside: I typically substitute unsweetened applesauce for oil and a little baking Splenda for sugar when I bake. I also mix it up with flours depending on the recipe, my mood, and what I have on hand. For this I combined white, whole wheat, and a little barley flour (which is very light and adds a little flavor – thanks to Smitten Kitchen for the tip). Sometimes I throw in a dash of flaxseed, but that would have been too heavy for this bread. It’s fun to experiment though.
3 Comments + Posted in: baking