Stuff I Like: Kindle + Reading/Watching/Listening

Liking
I love books. I've always loved books. Something about going to the library and coming out with a stack full of books to read always made me feel indulgent and happy. And then one year for Christmas my aunt gave me a Kindle. I was suspicious. How could I read books on a screen? I used it a little bit but not much and then one day I discovered that my library offers Kindle downloads and IT WAS ON. Suddenly I realized, hey, I can have three or four or twenty books on my Kindle AT THE SAME TIME. And carry them around with me!

I eventually stepped on that Kindle and upgraded to this one, which I still have. I'm really into it to the point that I was reading my current book (see below) in paper form and was mad because it was too heavy to balance on my chest while reading in bed. Ugh, so heavy. I literally got out of bed and downloaded it onto my Kindle and everything was better. The only thing I really don't like is when the charge is low because it only happens at really inconvenient times. Real books never need charging (but I also can't read them in the dark, so it's a draw.)

PS. If you have a Kindle, this cover is the best.

Watching
Season 3 (aka the final season) of Home Fires started showing up on my DVR! For those of you into WWII England stuff, this is for you. The first two seasons are on Netflix (I think? Maybe Amazon.) It takes place in a rural English village on the verge of WWII and it's really well done in that British character actor way. Highly recommend.

Also, I started watching Grey's Anatomy on Netflix because somehow I never watched it and I didn't get the references in Shonda Rhimes's book. FINE I WILL WATCH YOUR DAMN SHOW. It's really compelling and easy to watch (especially if you like to play games on your phone while watching TV) though Kate warns me that it goes kinda Scandal after the first few seasons, meaning, it starts out fairly relatable and then all the characters lose their minds. Like, by season 3 of Scandal I was like, THESE PEOPLE ARE ALL MONSTERS. So, I will just keep binging until I can't take it anymore. I really like Sandra Oh, so that helps.

Reading
Continuing the theme of World War II books, I started reading Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher. I've read this before (a few times) and have always liked Rosamunde Pilcher for when I need a good, comforting read. Her books, while not challenging, tend to be long and involved so you can fall into them and really get invested in her characters. You can also generally count on a happy ending, which I appreciate.

Another writer I like for the same reason is mystery writer Dick Francis. Now, I actually like horses and horse racing but even if you don't his mysteries are still really compelling and intelligent. He also writes really dreamy male characters which makes me believe that his wife was his ghost writer all along. A few of my favorites: For Kicks, Longshot, To The Hilt.

Listening
This week I'm going to recommend a comedy podcast I've been listening to for a while:
The Guilty Feminist. Each week they "discuss topics 'all 21st century feminists agree on' while confessing their insecurities, hypocrisies and fears that underlie their lofty principles." It's real talk taped with a live audience and is very, very funny. I especially recommend the earlier episodes when it was Deborah and Sofie hosting together because they play off each other well.

PS. Thanks for all the Ryan Adams help last week! I remain overwhelmed by I've been listening to some of them online, including 1989 which is growing on me. 


Bonus Question: I hate the iPhone calendar. Anyone have a calendar app they love?