Jana Says

Weekly six pack, 2017, v30

December 1, 2017 by Jana 12 Comments

It’s hard to write about mundane things when the world is falling apart. I mean, just this week: a war criminal drank poison on TV, North Korea launched a missile with the capacity to hit the US, 45 continues to wreck and divide the county, more powerful men were forced to reckon with their horrific behavior, net neutrality is dying, and, not to be outdone, the fucking Elf on the Shelf started showing its face all over my social media.

Oh, and we had an earthquake in Delaware.

It’s almost too much to take.

I probably should just rant in one long post and get it over with but every time I try, it comes out like a jumbled bunch of nonsense. Like my brain is refusing to allow me to process what I’m seeing and hearing and reading. Because none of it is normal. NONE OF IT. And I feel like I’ve said all of this before.

Sigh.

Anyway. Here’s what I’ve been up to.

Reading. I’m on the verge of DNF Lincoln in the Bardo but I did finish Chuck Klosterman’s X, started Dark of the Moon, picked up Joe Victim and My Absolute Darling from the library, got Josh Malerman’s new book from NetGalley, and bought a few on Black Friday.

Buying. So many things. So many bookish things, to be exact. But the best purchase was the Kindle Paperwhite. I agonized over buying it but my iPad just wasn’t going to cut it going forward, particularly for reading outside, and when it’s $30 off, you buy it.

Watching. Godless. It’s a limit series on Netflix, only 7 episodes, but it is fucking amazing. It’s a Western with a heavy feminist spin, the acting is spectacular, the writing is magnificent, and even if you don’t like Westerns, I assure you you’ll like this. I also watched Mudbound and highly recommend it, too.

Waiting. For all the summer concert announcements. I’m normally pretty patient but this year is killing me. Some of my favorites have new albums releasing next year so that means tours and I NEED DATES. NOW.

Following. This. Erica doesn’t normally do an advent calendar (she has a magnetic Santa countdown thingy) but someone I follow on Twitter posted a link to this and I love it and thankfully there’s 24 days to do it because I legit have no idea which local charity to pick.

Laughing.

That’s all for this week. I’m planning on enjoying every single unscheduled minute of this weekend because Erica’s birthday parties are next weekend and then competition season starts and my free time and sanity goes with it. Hope y’all have a great weekend and I’ll see you back on Tuesday with…something. (That’s not intentionally cryptic. That’s just indecision)

Add it to my (play)list

November 28, 2017 by Jana 11 Comments

There was a time in the not so distant past that Erin and I collaborated on playlists and shared them with you guys. The series is now defunct but that doesn’t mean I’m not willing to resurrect it, even if temporarily, for this month’s installment of Add It To My List with Lauren and Bre.

I tried to think of a cohesive theme like that one time I put together a not at all complete list of songs that make me happy or significant songs but I couldn’t come up with one so this list is just a sampling of the songs that are currently in heavy rotation in my Spotify queue. Some are older songs, some are newer songs, all are rock songs, Rush and Shinedown definitely make an appearance, and one might surprise you. In any event, these are all songs I currently love and think you should add to your playlists.

Highway by Bleeker. Catchy as hell and an excellent driving song. I spend a lot of time in my car. Good driving songs are essential.

Put Your Money on Me by The Struts. I cannot get enough of this band. All their songs are fun and I’d really like to see them live.

Promise by Eve 6. I had forgotten about this one until it came up on my Daily Mix and now I literally listen to it daily.

Song #3 by Stone Sour. I’m not a gigantic Stone Sour fan but I am obsessed with this one. Seeing them perform it live last summer helps.

Long Live Rock & Roll by Daughtry. Admittedly, this is not a great song by the actual definition of great song. But it pays homage to a lot of music that’s important and meaningful to me and like Highway, it’s good for the car.

Sound of Madness by Shinedown. It is IMPOSSIBLE to pick just one Shinedown song because you know, they’re my favorite, but in the interest of space and time I’m using this one because it’s my ringtone. Favorite lyric: I created the madness, wrote the book on pain, somehow I’m still here to explain*

Dreamline by Rush. With 40 years of music to pick from, it’s virtually impossible to choose which one I think you should add to your playlist. This is, however, the song that pushed over the line from casual fan and more than 20 years after I first heard it, it remains tied with Subdivisions as my all-time favorite Rush song. And, fun fact, the chorus was my senior quote. Favorite lyric: Time is a gypsy caravan Steals away in the night To leave you stranded in Dreamland*

*only these two songs get favorite lyrics because I’m kind of lazy

Okay. What songs do you think I should add to my playlist?

Introducing Elizabeth Warren

November 21, 2017 by Jana 21 Comments

On September 29, I lost my sidekick/shadow/favorite dog ever, Dobie. If I’m being honest, I’m still not over it and I have yet to go more than 2 days without crying. But I haven’t been the only one suffering. For weeks, Barkley has been doing this with a stuffed dog we put on the couch to make it feel like a second dog was there:

And my daughter’s been struggling as well. Watching her hurt hurts me.

So we had a discussion about getting another dog and while I certainly was in no rush, I agreed to entertain the idea. We talked about it and came up with these criteria: the dog had to come from a local rescue, couldn’t look anything like Dobie, and had to be free from a heart condition. I agreed to look online (I would not go to a shelter) and if a dog seemed to speak to me, I’d reach out to the rescue and learn what we needed to do.

And one did. And I did.

I put in the adoption application, traumatized my cat with an in-home mobile vet visit (which was a fucking nightmare that ending in my cat running away but at least she’s vaccinated now), and 3 weeks later, Elizabeth Warren came home with us.

Yes, her formal name is Elizabeth Warren. After THAT Elizabeth Warren. Because she’s smart, capable, determined, strong, admirable, and despite her circumstances, she persisted. We call her Lizzy, though.

The facts: She’s 5, a puppy mill survivor, and while we’re not 100% sure of her breed, we think she’s some sort of Maltese mix. She’s tiny, quiet, trusting, loving, and absolutely the cuddliest little thing. Barkley is happy to have her around (even if he refuses to show it) and the cat has moved from hatred to indifference so we’re making huge progress.

Having her is like having a 5 year old puppy because, with her being used exclusively for breeding, she never learned how to be a dog. So we’re working on housetraining and walking on a leash and getting on a schedule and navigating stairs and socializing and playing with toys and everything you expect a 5 year old dog to know but she doesn’t because life in a breeding box doesn’t allow for that. It’s weird, getting used to teaching the basics again. It’s starting over but thus far, it’s absolutely worth it.

And she’s doing great! Housetraining has been easier than expected and she doesn’t even need to sleep in her crate at night. She has an affinity for blankets (which is great because I have them all over the house), will walk on a leash as long as Barkley is with her, walks up and down stairs when she thinks no one is looking, kind of likes riding in the car, is a little daredevil (she’ll eat from her food dish when it’s ON TOP OF her crate), super curious (she loves her reflection in the fireplace) and will play with anything that’s not actually a dog toy (ex., my apron strings, my phone, a rug, and stuffed matzoh from a toy Seder plate). She’s finally able to get a bath (yay!) and has her very first grooming appointment next month. She’ll also be attending doggie school early next year. And, fun fact, I’ve shown her videos of her namesake and she watches them VERY intently.

I know it seems fast (it was only 6 weeks from Dobie’s passing until Lizzy came home) but I know that no amount of time would be enough. I could wait 6 weeks or 6 months or 2 years, and it still wouldn’t seem right. But she’s fit right in and I see so much of Dobie in her and that’s comforting. I’m trying hard not to make her another rendition of him and letting her be her own quirky self but it’s hard sometimes. I know it’ll get easier, though, and I’m looking forward to that.

Also, if anyone knows of an online store or Etsy shop that sells custom dog clothes, please let me know or send me a link. I want to buy her a shirt.

Weekly six pack, 2017, v29

November 17, 2017 by Jana 13 Comments

Thanks to everyone who participated in SUYB this month (I promise I’ll finish reading all your posts today) and a HUGE thank you to Tanya for the amazing facelift of this little space of mine! If you need or want yours done, I cannot recommend her enough. Not only is she crazy talented, her patience is unparalleled.

It’s been quite a week with all the news coming out of DC and my anger is starting to boil over. Like, cannot be contained anymore. Between Al Franken and the rollbacks on protections for elephants and more mass shootings and fucking Roy Moore and just the endless steaming pile of shit that just keeps growing like a political landfill replete with stinking turds, it’s hard to focus on anything else anymore.

But like my hero Elizabeth Warren, I persist. So let’s recap this week’s non-shitty events.

Reading. Ghettoside by Jill Leovy. Still. Nothing new from the library and I’m on a NetGalley break.

Watching. Mr. Robot and Damnation. The former is so fucking weird and at least 4 times an episode I get lost and the latter is filling my inexplicable love of Westerns. Even thought it’s less Western and more drama. I don’t know. At least I’m taking a break from Netflix.

Eating. Baked ziti. I haven’t had it in YEARS and I couldn’t stop thinking about it so I made some the other day and now I have enough until I turn 50. Separately, it’s one of those foods I make that I never actually follow a recipe and make differently every single time. See also: stuffed shells and crab cakes.

Listening. New podcast alert (well, new to me): Professional Book Nerds. It’s interview style (at least the ones I’ve listened to) and I really like the hosts. Plus, they’re funny and they followed me back on Twitter so I have to pimp them now.

Welcoming. A new dog! If you follow me on IG, you’ve seen her take over my feed and I’ll go into depth about her next week but the gist is her name is Lizzy (after aforementioned Elizabeth Warren), she’s 5, a puppy mill survivor, and she’s absolutely awesome. Barkley is adjusting as well as a cranky old man can adjust, the cat fucking hates her, and it’s nice to hear 8 feet running around the house again instead of just 4.

Laughing.

That’s all she wrote this week. Can’t remember what all of my weekend plans are but I know some involve doing a mile walk in the cold and the dark at the beach so mixed feelings about that. I’ll see you guys back on Tuesday. Have a great weekend!

Show Us Your Books, November 2017 edition

November 14, 2017 by Jana 38 Comments

Do you love the new SUYB logo? I do, and we have the supremely talented Tanya to thank for it (you’ll see the rest of her handiwork in a day or two).

Show Us Your Books. Join the Link-Up! Talk books the 2nd Tuesday of Every Month

For those who are new, that’s me and Steph circa 1997, classily drinking what appears to be Boone’s Farms. We went to college together and have basically been friends ever since. It’s actually pretty cool.

But you’re here for the books so let’s talk books instead walking down memory lane. I had a pretty decent reading month and by that I mean I read some fucking fantastic books that you too need to read. I’m actually quite impressed with me as I read TWO from my NetGalley queue and some new releases as well (and finished my Goodreads goal!). I plan to dig into the bowels of my TBR over the winter so let’s enjoy the new books while we can.

As always, don’t forget to visit Steph and some of the other bloggers joining us. And we’ll be doing two in December. One is our regularly scheduled SUYB on December 12 and our annual Show Us Your Favorite Books of the Year on December 26. Please don’t feel obligated to join us for both; we know it’s a lot.

So, in no particular order, here’s my books from the last month. All reviews, as always, are copied directly from Litsy but I don’t recommend following me over there because I use it just for record keeping and not at all for what they intended.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. Simply put, this book is fucking amazing and I’m jealous of anyone reading it for the first time. Her writing is gorgeous in its simplicity and emotion. She handles sensitive issues in a non-preachy way and the plot unfolds like a mystery which it sort of is but also not and the storytelling is phenomenal and you legit can’t figure out where it’s going until it gets there. Easily one of the best books I’ve read this year and my shitty review doesn’t do it justice.

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera. Reading this book in the middle of fresh grief wasn’t the smartest choice but the heartache mixed with optimism and a twist on carpe diem made it time well spent. It’s not easy, reading about dying teenagers, but it’s not supposed to be easy. There is so much tragedy and loss in the story that it hurts, physically, but there’s so much love, too. The sci-fi elements didn’t do it for me (they annoyed me, in fact) but you can suspend belief within the context of the bigger plot and message.

Caroline by Sarah Miller. This book is written in the same tedious manner as the Little House books with numerous pages devoted to the most mundane details but not nearly as engaging. The book felt split in 2, with the first half being one long, continuous story and the second half as Kansas vignettes. But reading the Ingalls’ story from Ma’s perspective made me understand why she was such an asshole, and the sympathy for her is real and not simply because of Pa’s selfishness and stupidity (although that is a big part of it).

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green. It’s no secret around here that I have a major crush on John Green. So maybe take that with a grain of salt when reading my review but seriously, this book is spectacular. It’s probably one of the best, most accurate, honest, and carefully written books about mental health I’ve read. He touches on all aspects of it, from what it’s like living with OCD and anxiety to loving someone who deals with it. Aza didn’t need to be a teenager to make the story relevant but I’m happy for all the kids like her who have now have someone representing them in a book. Some of the typical YA parts irked me (but I’m 40 so really, that’s expected) and the plot is kind of a mess but I 100% recommend this book.

Artemis by Andy Weir. I love his writing. It’s smart, sarcastic, and quick. He knows how to construct a hell of an engaging plot and excellent characters and I enjoyed how this one was a thriller with a western feel but in space and the main character was a badass woman. But something fell flat. The breaking of the 4th wall was unnecessary, he tried too hard with the sarcasm at times, and dude, we get it. You’re smart with science. Stop shoving it down our throats. Still, it was a quick, entertaining read even if it did have elements of blah. It’s going to make a great movie (we all know it’s bound to happen). ARC from NetGalley.

The Art of Hiding by Amanda Prowse. Meh. This book was a fine way to pass the time on a plane in in a waiting room. The characters felt underdeveloped and parts of the plot felt rushed and tropey but I liked the premise of Nina learning to care for herself and her boys after the unexpected death of her husband (a plot point that needed way more attention). There’s actually a ton of really good financial lessons tucked into the book so that was a nice surprise. ARC from NetGalley.

The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne. This book gave me the biggest book hangover I have ever had. I genuinely don’t even know how to review it. It was big, beautifully written, story of a gay Irishman born to a teen mom, adopted by people who didn’t really like him, and who struggled his whole life to accept himself and find happiness. It’s friendship and love and tragedy and family and gay rights told over 70 years. It made me so angry and sad at times but filled with hope and smiles at others. If you’re going to read it, be prepared for the commitment.

The Financial Diaries by Jonathan Murdoch and Rachel Schneider. To be honest, this is not a book I expect most people to enjoy. I received it after completing an event at FinCon called FinX, (sponsored by the Center for Financial Services Innovation) where I spent the afternoon conducting financial transactions as an unbanked person. It was incredibly eye opening, but also completely in line with what I find interesting. The book focuses on how people manage their money but rather than reading like actual diaries or an ethnography, it was absolutely 100% a sociological study with TONS of academic research highlighted. It’s a well done book but for me, it wasn’t what I was looking for right now. Had I read it in college or grad school, I probably would have loved it, though.

Currently reading Ghettoside by Jill Leovy with Lincoln in the Bardo and X up next.

Now it’s your turn! Show us your books! Nonbloggers, leave a comment with what you’ve read recently that you’d recommend (or one that’s a hard pass)

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