Entertainment Archives - Page 23 of 32

This week in…: Volume 23

July 3, 2015 by Jana 15 Comments

This week in reading…Finished Let it Be and The Long Home (2 books on my Literary Ladies list), started Missoula, and I’m about 3/4 of the way done with Please Don’t Come Back From the Moon. And I learned that the author of one of my favorite books, The Sisters Brothers, has a new book coming out in September. I might have done a little jig of glee when I learned that. Also, mark your calendars–the next Show Us Your Books linkup with me and Steph is July 14th.

This week in movies…Did you guys know that there’s a new movie in the Rocky series coming out this fall? It’s not about Rocky, though. Well, I mean, it sort of is but it centers on Apollo Creed’s son. Who’s played by Michael B. Jordan. Or, as I refer to him, Vince from Friday Night Lights. It looks pretty kick ass, too.

This week in TV…Last Comic Standing. Hell on Wheels. Denis Leary’s new show Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll. What do they have in common besides showing my ridiculously eclectic taste? They all start this month! I might actually watch some TV that’s not John Oliver! Because let’s face it, this season of True Detective is pretty damn terrible and I need something to watch.

This week in music…Shinedown released a new song, “Cut the Cord”. I will listen to Brent Smith sing the alphabet I love his voice so much but I’m on the fence about this song. Take a listen. What do you think?

This week in creepy shit I do…Do you guys also do that thing where you start reading a book by a new to you author and you instantly fall in love and then get all of his (or her) books from the library and then ~~stalk~~ follow them on social media and Google the crap out of them so you can learn all the things including if they’re doing an appearance/book signing/book reading near where you live? No? Just me? Okay. But I might have done that this week with Dean Bakopolous. I also might have problems.

This week in good news…So remember how a few months ago I was all bummed because I didn’t get a job I thought I was perfect for? I believe now that there was a reason I didn’t get it as it left me available to take a job that’s even more awesome and more exciting. I get to work at home for a publishing company in their speakers group (to be clear, I will not be doing any speaking. I will be helping promote the authors who do want to speak). GUYS. I get to work around books. And the people who write them. Without wearing pants (well, I mean, I won’t be wearing pants. The authors might. I don’t know their choices). Basically, it’s perfect.

This week in things I don’t give a shit about…Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner getting a divorce. They’re a Hollywood couple. How is this surprising at all? Why is everyone freaking out? It’s almost as bad as when that one guy left One Direction.

This week in things that are awesome…I mean besides last Friday’s SCOTUS decision? Hard to get better than that. But there are a few that came close. Like Bree Newsome climbing the flagpole in South Carolina to remove the confederate flag. I don’t care what you do with that flag in your personal life but it has no business flying in front of a government building. Then there was this TV station who staffed their rival station’s newsroom so they could attend the funeral of the rival station’s sport anchor. This San Francisco woman who developed an app to help combat food waste and hunger among San Francisco’s homeless. These best friends who built their own tiny house neighborhood so they can be together forever.

This week in internet reads…So many good reads I’ve been saving to Pocket and need to share with you all (oh, if you’re not using Pocket, I highly recommend you do so, especially if you hate having 32980473287 tabs open at once so you remember what you want to go back and read. Plus, it’s like your own personal magazine) but I can’t do that. So I picked the highlights, like this Buzzfeed posts about 19 things you should know if you date a book lover. Keeping with the book theme, Hello Giggles posted 23 children’s books secretly written for 20somethings (last on the list is Wonder by RJ Palacio. All I can say to that is ALL THE YESSES!!! If you have not read this book yet, do it), Book Riot came up with 80 bookish lists they wish existed, and I also found this list of 10 great writers no one reads anymore (maybe we should turn this one into a reading challenge for next year?). The Huffington Post shared 51 reasons to be in love with life.

This week in funnies…

Happy Fourth of July weekend for those celebrating!! May you enjoy the founding of our freedom and America’s birthday by eating dozens of hot dogs, fighting crowds at the beach, and keeping your pets from freaking out at fireworks!

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This week in…: Volume 22

June 26, 2015 by Jana 20 Comments

It’s a slow week with my trip to New York but let’s hit some of the highlights.

This week in reading…Still reading The Long Home, finished Hidden Bodies and The Husband’s Secret and picked up 7 new books including Dirty Rush, Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac, and The Rosie Effect. I’m about to build a book fort and never come out because I refuse to accept that there’s not enough time to read everything I want.

This week in TV…did you guys know Christian Slater has a new show, Mr. Robot? I didn’t until 2 days ago. I don’t know that I’ll watch it but it warms my 16 year old heart to know he’s still employed.

This week in projects…I want to do something more with my bookworm series. Podcast, perhaps? Would you guys listen or be guests? Also still working on my book and while this is the first draft and it’s a disaster, I think it’s got potential. And I never say that about my work.

This week in what the hell…Makeup shaming. To quote John Oliver, how is this a thing? But it is and I love the ladies all over Instagram and YouTube who are responding to the bullshit of makeup shaming by only making up half their faces. Ladies (and gentlemen), if you want to wear makeup, go ahead and do it. Whatever reasons you have, those are your reasons and no one, I mean NO ONE, has the right to tell you otherwise. Wear as much or as little as you want in whatever colors you want and if it makes you happy, then fuck everyone else’s opinion. Especially some douchecanoe on the internet. He’s probably jealous of your smoky eye skills anyway.

This week in internet reads…Anyone want to take a road trip with me to this town in upstate New York that has 6 bookstores? In light of Nick’s interview yesterday, there’s this interesting article about men and work-life balance. This post from The Bloggess because she’s often much better at saying things than I am (although I don’t get the requests to share like she does because, let’s face it, she’s WAY more famous than I am. In fact, famous and I have never met). And, finally, this crazy story about an American fugitive living in Australia (but now he’s actually dead).

This week in funnies…

Have a great weekend! I’ll be back here Monday with something profound and witty. Or utter nonsense. Definitely one of those.

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This week in…: Volume 21

June 19, 2015 by Jana 23 Comments

This week in reading…if we’re friends on Goodreads, disregard what it says as “currently reading” because I cannot keep my currently reading books straight. I started Some Luck and while I’m enjoying it, others are popping up. Like Hidden Bodies, Caroline Kepnes’s follow-up to You (thank you, NetGalley). You all know how much I loved that book and it’s nothing short of a small miracle that I don’t have to wait until September to read the new one. I also started The Husband’s Secret and other books like The Long Home are back in waiting which means that current reads are being mixed and matched like Punky Brewster’s socks.

This week in shit I don’t care about…The Stanley Cup. The NBA finals. The release of the new 50 Shades book (this one actually has me asking why? Why another book? Do we really need his perspective? No. No we don’t. E.L. James, we need to have a long chat). Firefly. Well, I care a little about Firefly only in that it affects traffic near my house. GO AWAY, concert revelers. Find another route.

This week in TV…Anyone else excited for True Detective? I know the casting was controversial but I love me some Vince Vaughn and I’m looking forward to seeing what he does in this kind of role.

This week in podcasts you should listen to…If you’re not already listening to Criminal, do that. Also, Book Riot has another podcast, All the Books!, and it’s a weekly one devoted to new book releases. Crime and books. My two favorite subjects.

This week in things that are awesome…the kid in Washington who started an Instagram account that praised and complimented his classmates. This story about Laverne Cox and her reaction a 7 year old trans girl. The volunteers organizing all the books in a Philly high school’s basement.

This week in Internet reads…This article and accompanying video on how much sleep you actually need and the cumulative effect of sleep debt. If you’re into the Myers-Briggs personality tests, you might like this post on classic novels for each personality type (I’m an INFJ and the recommended book is Ulysses by James Joyce, which is extra funny and coincidental because it’s one of the books in my and Alyssa’s upcoming reading challenge). This post is originally from February but it’s important because it gives you all the reasons why you should stop using your smartphone in bed (this is a good accompaniment to the article about hours of sleep). And, finally, for all my fellow 80s kids, here’s a list of things we could do in school that kids today most definitely cannot.

This week in funnies…

Have a great weekend! Happy Father’s Day to those celebrating! See you back on Monday with a recap of my favorite books of the year (so far).

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This week in…: Volume 20

June 12, 2015 by Jana 22 Comments

This week in reading…Finished Dept. of Speculation, started Forever, Interrupted, and still trying to work through Alex Woods. I want to like it but I think it might wind up as a DNF for me. And thank you to the 30+ bloggers who participated in this month’s Show Us Your Books linkup and the next one is July 14. Mark your calendars now!

This week in TV…Orange is the New Black season 3!!! That is all.

This week in confessions…Last Friday was my birthday and, as you know, people come out of the Facebook woodwork to say happy birthday. That is, of course, you’re related to me, in which case you completely ignore the fact that I’m celebrating my birthday. I might not know which of my friends said it but family? I totally keep track.

This week in things that I did…A few months ago, I was interviewed for Media Shower’s blog about all kinds of things like blogging and saving money. You can check out the interview here. I also finally got myself a bit organized with my library book due dates (no more fines for me) and the Interview with a Bookworm series? I have plans for a spin-off. Details coming soon.

This week in cooking…I made easy homemade macaroni and cheese. No one in my family likes it so that means it’s all for me. Fat girl win!

This week in things that are awesome…and also why animals are better than people. Did you read the story about the service dog who JUMPED IN FRONT OF A BUS to protect his blind owner? I can think of one person I’d do that for and she came out of my body.

This week in internet reads…Scary Mommy was on point with the posts about the struggle of the introverted mother and why I use the f word. Then I read this post on Thought Catalog about 17 things that happen when you’re extremely motivated but also extremely lazy. And there was this post about the effects of fiction on the brain which cited all kinds of studies but really left me wondering how I get a job as a test subject for a study of people reading. And because dogs, especially Bichons because, you know, I have two, I loved this senior dog’s advice to younger dogs.

This week in funnies…

Have a great and wonderful and fun weekend! If you’re watching OITNB, let me know so we can discuss! If you actually have a life and don’t care about OITNB or don’t feel the need to watch every single episode in 2 days then I’m a little jealous of you. See you on Monday!

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This week in…Birthday edition!

June 5, 2015 by Jana 36 Comments

It’s my birthday, bitches!!! Today I turn 38 which is all kinds of crazy because on a good day I feel 12, maybe 13 except I have a child and a mortgage and spend a ridiculous amount of time feeding other people/animals or worrying about what to feed them so I guess that actually makes me a grown up. I’m excited for today and all the freebies I will be accumulating and the fact that we’re going to The Everett Theater (featured prominently in Dead Poets Society, specifically the theater where Neil performed in A Midsummer Night’s Dream) to see The Goonies! Birthday win!

And now let’s do a quick recap of the rest of birthday week:

This week in reading…Finished Wonder, working through Alex Woods, finished a book written by my friend Nick (I’ll be sharing more about this in a few weeks), and started Big Little Lies. Picked up Jon Krakauer’s Missoula: Rape and Justice in a College Town. Show Us Your Books is this Tuesday, June 9 and Alyssa and I will be announcing a yearlong reading challenge this summer so brace yourselves for that. I love how much of my week is devoted to books or thinking about books.

This week in TV…Maybe you know this, maybe you don’t, but I believe that Wentworth Miller is one of the best looking men on the planet. He’s been on TV recently in The Flash and there’s some other superhero show starting next year that he’ll be on, too but the big news is that FOX IS CONSIDERING BRINGING BACK PRISON BREAK!!! #sorrynotsorry for the shouting but I just about lost my shit when I read that. It’ll be an “event series” like they did with 24 but I don’t care. Give me all the Prison Break and give me all the Wentworth Miller. Thank you, Fox, for this gift.

This week in cooking…My husband’s favorite meal that I make is stuffed shells. I don’t make them often because they are a huge pain in the ass. But this time I got smart. This time I made 2 pans of them, one to eat this week for dinner and lunches and one to freeze for the next time he wants them. I wish I had a recipe to share but I don’t because I make them differently every single time. I also used homemade marinara sauce for this batch and holy shit, did it taste even better.

This week in things that are awesome…I know people are split on their opinions of The Big Bang Theory as a show but if you don’t think the fact that the show’s creator established a scholarship fund at UCLA for low income science students with the stars of the show contributing money towards the initial $4M endowment is awesome, you need to rethink your definition of awesome.

This week in internet interestings…My husband, in addition to his full-time job, is a part-time adjunct instructor at a university so this article in The Atlantic (shared on FB by a friend who is a full-time professor) about how poorly adjuncts are paid and the effect on their performance and ability to serve students hit home. Jennifer Weiner knocked it out of the park again with her post for The New York Times on the pressure to look good. Then there was this post from Buzzfeed about how someone impersonated the reporter to trick a sexual assault victim into giving up her real name but the most interesting takeaway for me was learning about some guy named Chuck Johnson. I was blissfully unaware of him until that post, and he is the reason the internet can be a dangerous place (confession: I fell into the “I must learn all about him” rabbit hole at one point). The contempt I have for him is on par with the contempt I feel towards the Duggar parents after watching their “interview” on Wednesday night.

This week in birthday funnies…