My friend Myla Smith will release her third studio album, Hiding Places, on September 10! She and the album were featured in Billboard magazine last week (and also the Memphis Flyer).
I’ve been singing along to Myla’s songs since her coffee-shop days ten years ago, and she’s come 100% into her own on this record. Recorded in Nashville with a whole slew of legendary musicians and producers, Hiding Places is confident, honest, and really catchy. It’s about bravery and hope and what it means to really love someone. It has something for everybody.
I can’t wait for this album to be unleashed on the world… but three of you won’t have to wait! I have three copies of Hiding Places to give away. Comment below to enter, and tell your friends. The giveaway will close on Friday at 3 pm, at which time I’ll randomly select three winners. Yay!
8 Comments + Posted in: giveaway, music
A little late, but it’s a holiday!
The Best Worst Thing: A Memoir by Kristen K. Brown (3 stars)
Kristen’s husband, Todd, died suddenly of a heart attack when they were both in their early 30s. This memoir recounts their courtship and marriage, and Kristen’s process of adjustment to single motherhood and life without her best friend. While she and I are coming from very different places spiritually, I admired her strength, honesty, and zest for life even in terrible circumstances.
Bunheads by Sophie Flack (3 stars)
Hannah has worked incredibly hard all her life just to dance in the corps of the Manhattan Ballet. Then she meets Jacob, a regular college student, and starts to realize how much she’s sacrificed for her career. As the ballet season unfolds and company politics heat up, she weighs her options: continue on with no promise of success, or leave and start a real life? I enjoyed this, but often just felt bad about how unhealthy the ballet world is. Wow.
Wild Mind: Living the Writer’s Life by Natalie Goldberg (4 stars)
This follow-up to Writing Down the Bones was a text for my writing class. As the title indicates, it focuses on setting your writer’s mind free and writing out of your instincts. Many chapters end with a “try this” activity idea. Natalie Goldberg is undoubtedly a little crazy, but it’s a good kind of crazy. :)
Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian (4.5 stars)
At a high school in an island community, three very different girls secretly come together to take down the popular crowd: Kat, the rebellious outcast; Mary, the mysterious newcomer with a tragic past; and Lillia, the insider. Each of them have their own reasons for revenge. But as revenge plots often do, this one quickly spirals out of their control. This novel is like a really, really good soap opera with extra depth.
Love at 11 by Mari Mancusi (3 stars)
A decently enjoyable novel about a San Diego news producer, Maddy, who stumbles upon the scoop of her life while shopping for fake designer purses in Tijuana. Her adorable new photographer, Jamie, helps her chase the drug-smuggling case. As they get closer to answers, they also get closer to each other – but unfortunately, he’s engaged. Meanwhile, Maddy’s parents are going through a messy divorce after 30 years of marriage, and she’s left to mother her teenage sister Lulu, who’s partying a little too hard. I felt eh about this at first, but the plot tied together and redeemed itself in the end!
The Red Sea Rules: The Same God Who Led You In Will Lead You Out by Robert J. Morgan (3.5 stars)
This short book, really more of a devotional, outlines principles from the Israelites’ deliverance in Exodus that we can apply to our own “Red Sea” experiences. It’s helpful and comforting, and encouraged me in my relationship with God. But for some reason I was expecting something more revolutionary.
Sparkly Green Earrings: Catching the Light at Every Turn by Melanie Shankle (3 stars)
I’m probably one of few people who doesn’t follow the Big Mama blog, but I still wanted to read her memoir about her journey to motherhood and her daughter. It’s good, but I’d probably feel more engaged with it if I were a mom.
This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith (4 stars)
I received this novel for my birthday and read it in one sitting. After teen star Graham Larkin accidentally e-mails regular teen Ellie, the two start an anonymous correspondence that grows into an unlikely friendship. He’s so taken with her that he selects her Maine hometown as the location of his next movie. They finally meet in person… and that’s just the beginning. Relationships are broken and mended, and long-kept secrets are exposed, and it’s all beautiful and real. I LOVED this book.
Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Life and Love from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed (4 stars)
I heard of Cheryl Strayed, via her newer memoir Wild, before I ever heard of Dear Sugar. But after reading this compilation of her best advice columns as Sugar, I see why she had such a following. Her compassionate, wise words to confused and hurting people ring true because they’re born from her own life experiences. I related both to the letter writers and Sugar’s answers, and cried multiple times. I recommend this book for anyone who’s lost a loved one (Sugar’s mom died when she was 22), or really anyone who’s been through hard times. Even if you don’t agree with all her advice, as I didn’t, you’ll feel stronger in your own worldview because of what she shares. Amazing work.
Books for August: 9 (at least 3 were read in an airport)
2013 year to date: 50
1 Comment + Posted in: book reviews, reading
Time to link up with HopefulLeigh again for What I’m Into!
August General Highlights:
I had an excellent 34th birthday with friends and family, went to Miami and the Keys, and continued my Story 101 class. It was an eventful month (so why do I often feel like I have nothing to talk about here?). Oh, and I bought a domain… changes are on the way! :)
Books:
Book roundup on the way as usual, but these were my favorite reads this month! I read Burn for Burn on my Kindle in the airport, and when a cute guy asked me what I was reading, I had no idea what to say. I figured “a young adult novel about smart girls getting revenge” would get me a raised eyebrow at least. Most of what I read needs an explanation, and sounds weirder the longer I describe it. Does anyone else have this problem? How do you deal with it? I guess the only way to avoid it is to read exclusively classics or Top 10 bestsellers.
TV/Movies:
I watched Friends With Kids on Netflix. I can’t wholeheartedly recommend it to all because it definitely earns its R rating, but it was surprisingly profound and touching. It also hit a lot of emotional triggers for me. I thought about it for days.
Video:
My friend Myla Smith just released another music video! “Can’t Say No” is the first single from her new album, Hiding Places, which drops September 10. I’ll be giving away three copies of the album here next week, so stay tuned!
This intense, fearless Amy and Travis routine is my favorite of this So-Dance season. (Runner-up: this week’s similar Paul & Hayley dance. It got me in the intro when he said, “This dance is about me showing Hayley I’m going to be there for her.” Sob!) Amy is incredible and I’m SO excited that she and Fik-shun are in the finale. I seem to have a knack for calling the top two during the auditions (exhibit B: Melanie and Marko).
I’m probably the last person to learn about Henri the French cat, but he’s cracking me up.
Music:
My top spins of the month: “Wake Me Up” by Avicii, “Roar” by Katy Perry, and “Best I Ever Had” by Gavin de Graw. The latter is a great example of a big-picture story told in few words. I don’t know what to think about the “Roar”/”Brave” controversy since I’m a big fan of both ladies. In my case, Katy has a slight edge for the lyric “I’ve got the eye of the tiger.” #GoTigersGo
The Internets:
Like many people, I’ve become slightly obsessed with Forty Days of Dating. The forty days are almost up, and I feel like I’m watching the last few seconds before a terrible train wreck. But maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Blog Love:
♥ Conversion Diary went to a brewery and got a one-eyed cat.
♥ Jimmy Cornfoot analyzes celebrity and depravity in light of the VMAs, Lady Gaga, and Walter White.
♥ A beautiful love poem for people who have already done some living and loving.
♥ TRUTH from my new favorite blogger, Leanne Penny: Grief Is Awkward.
♥ Jonalyn Fincher shares a moment of holy sorrow. I’ve had many similar experiences.
♥ Storyline Blog on why loving stuff to the point of ridicule is a good thing.
♥ Kindred spirit Alece Ronzino checks in on how she’s finding Blessed Assurance.
Feel free to share your August faves!
8 Comments + Posted in: what i'm into
I’ve mentioned that on my birthday, my mom and I rode bikes on the Greenline. The Greenline crosses over the Wolf River, and there’s a swampy area just before it (on the Shelby Farms side) where I’d seen flocks of ducks before. So we stopped and spent a few minutes dashing from one side of the bridge to another, exclaiming about the wildlife.
According to my research, these turtles are red-eared sliders.
I spotted this guy sunning!
The Greenline in general is full of butterflies. I think these are actually moths, but they’re still pretty all in a row. We also saw plenty of huge catfish, but they didn’t stay at the surface long enough for photos.
If you have kids, it’s worth taking them to this bridge to see a lot of nature in one place!
4 Comments + Posted in: nature
I try to keep “My Weekend” posts to a minimum here, but this one was pretty cool!
When I was in seventh grade, I met a girl named Carissa and we became fast friends. Together we went to some of our first boy/girl parties, marched in our first parade, got inducted into junior high honor societies, and saw Wayne’s World in the theater. I mean, milestone events. Sadly, at the end of the year, she and her family moved away. We exchanged letters and she came back to visit a couple of times, but eventually we lost track of each other. I always wondered what happened to her, so I was thrilled last year when she found me on Facebook! On Friday, she came through Memphis with her three kids en route to her new East Coast home, and we met for dinner at the Rendezvous. We hadn’t seen each other in about 20 years. Happy times!
On Saturday I participated in my third Forrest Spence 5K! The Forrest Spence Fund is run by a couple from my church, and you can learn about it here. Although I only did minimal “training” beforehand, in the process I finally discovered my natural pace, so I was optimistic about this 5K. I ran most of the first mile, something I’d never done before, and felt great. But I didn’t want to burn out early, so I decided to walk for a little bit. Then the 80% humidity started getting to me, and I never got my mojo back. I was passed by multiple stroller pushers and even a chihuahua (seriously). Even so, my time wasn’t my worst ever, so it was fine. The True Blue 5K in November is my favorite race anyway.
I saw The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones with my neighbor Elizabeth, my only local friend who also loves the Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices books. I enjoyed the movie, BUT… I feel like it didn’t translate very well. Anyone who hasn’t read the books will probably be confused, because a lot of key things are explained sparingly or not at all. The mythology of the books is so much richer (and less cheesy). Elizabeth and I had an extensive comparative discussion afterwards. Other fans, please chime in with your thoughts. I will say that I was very pleased by the casting, other than the morally bankrupt tabloid producer from Mr. Deeds as Hodge (an association that made me totally unable to take him seriously).
How was your weekend?