New Damien Rice Song

Two posts in one day! What is happening with the world?  Procrastination that is what's happening.  I love finding new music so instead of doing my homework right now I thought I would share with you a new song I've found.  Damien Rice's My Favourite Faded Fantasy just came out on Spotify and because I actually read my email I am now obsessed with this song.

If you haven't listened to Damien Rice before and you are into more folksy, slow, and emotional music definitely check him out.  He's a little like Glen Hansard or the Cary Brothers.  This song seems to have a little bit of different vibe from his other songs he's written but I love the way it begins slow and starts to build.  There is nothing more disappointing than a song that doesn't go anywhere. This song builds perfectly.

What have you been listening to lately?

ox Caitlin

Reading Roulette

In a bit of a response to my post yesterday, maybe my first step outside my comfort zone would be to read a book that I would never just pick up.  I've been wanting to increase the number of genres I read from this year simply because I think I've gotten into a reading slump.  I feel as though I walk into a bookstore (or virtual bookstore like Amazon) and always pick up the same books with similar characters and similar characters.  When I came across this Buzzfeed post I went flipping through the books like crazy. (It gets a little addicting so be careful).  Most of the time I find you get recommendations from Goodreads based on what you have read before.  This is different because it is "Books you should read in your 20s" and has nothing to do with what you may like or dislike. 

Goodreads | Amazon

The first was Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sadaris.  Here is the Goodreads summary. 

David Sedaris' move to Paris from New York inspired these hilarious pieces, including the title essay, about his attempts to learn French from a sadistic teacher who declares that every day spent with you is like having a caesarean section. His family is another inspiration. You Can't Kill the Rooster is a portrait of his brother, who talks incessant hip-hop slang to his bewildered father. And no one hones a finer fury in response to such modern annoyances as restaurant meals presented in ludicrous towers of food and cashiers with six-inch fingernails.

I have heard of this book before but I've never read it.  It's definitely out of my comfort zone simply because I rarely read outside of YA genres and most of those books are Sci-fi or fantasy.  I think I might try to pick it up.  Reading new books is a great way to increase your depth of knowledge and understand different ways of life.  It's kind of like meeting a new person for the first time and having a suddenly personal but enlightening conversation about life. (But of course there is the pleasure of doing all this in your warm bed without any social constructs). 


I encourage you to take a look at this Buzzfeed post.  If anything it is just fun to flip through the books and see what pops up.  Also if there are any books that really were out of your comfort zone I would love to hear what they are?  It's always great to find new reading material. 

ox Caitlin

Getting out of your comfort zone

My dad always sends me interesting articles while I'm at school.  Lately many of them have been about college and the future.  I think he is trying to gear me up for real adult life but still wants me to get the most out of my last year of college experience.

This weekend he sent me an interesting article from the New York Times discussing how colleges, and the world, does not push people out of their comfort zone.  Despite the fact that college is the perfect opportunity to meet tons of new people and change who you are, many students meet the same people and have the same interests as they did during high school.

Now I know the author is talking generalizations.  I'm sure there are many people who completely reinvent themselves the moment they set foot on their college campus, but I think the author makes a good point.  When I was getting ready to go abroad a speaker from the Global Education department spoke about getting out of our comfort zones.  He drew a picture very much like the one I have at the begging of this post.

Basically everyone has a comfort zone that they like to stay in because it's, well, comfortable.  It's your safe place.  Outside your comfort zone is where you start to get uncomfortable but it's perfectly alright.  You can learn and grow from the experiences you have here.  If you go beyond the second zone you get into the danger zone.  This is the place you probably don't want to go because bad things can happen, either physically or mentally it really depends upon who you are.  In order to have more fulfilling experiences you want to take some chances and aim for the middle zone.

I think many people stay in their comfort zone too often, myself included.  The author is right in saying college is the perfect time to test out boundaries and try new things.  While abroad I road in a helicopter which was completely terrifying but I was so incredibly happy I did it.  Now you don't have to do something crazy like sky diving.  Instead maybe you can try to get an internship your too afraid to apply for, take a class outside of your major, or make a plan to meet more people who are different from you. After reading this article it makes me want to take more chances even though I might be uncomfortable at first.  The results of taking chances can be gratifying and amazing!

ox Caitlin

When Life Leaves You Gutted

I've been trying to write this for a few days.  I needed to write this down but I couldn't get the words to fit just right (if that makes any sense).  I hope this all makes sense and even if it does't it helped me get some feelings out into the open. So get ready because this post is going to get a little heavy.

Life is a funny thing.  It leaves people behind and passes people up.  It doesn't care who you love or who you hate anything can happen to anyone.  The good the bad it doesn't matter. We've seen the fragility of life in the deaths of Robin Williams and Joan Rivers.  If you're like me, you may have felt your stomach drop when you realized Mrs. Doubtfire was gone and the fashion police would probably cease to exist.  However, recently these blows from life have come a little closer to home than I would like.

I learned just a few days ago that a person I spent a significant amount of time with last year has gotten very sick.  I haven't seen her for months and we weren't super close but it still feels strange.  She is probably the most positive person I've met and learning she was sick made me feel almost strangled. For me, the strangled feelings come from my inability to understand why some things happen.  As humans we are always looking for patterns and meaning so when something seems random, like sickness and death, we can't comprehend what life has just thrown our way.

I can tell you that I've learned that remembering the past and truly living are the most important things we can do. If a loved one is sick reach out to them and make them know that you are there for them.  It's also important to never take too many steps back because one step too far and life will be gone in a moment.

ox Caitlin

The Maze Runner Film

If you spend any time surrounded by dystopian young adult fiction, or a television with cable at this point, then you probably know that The Maze Runner is coming out on film on September 19.  I am pretty pumped about this movie.  Part of this is because I loved the series by James Dashner and the other part is that I barely remember what happened.  I hope the movie will jog my memory on the plot.

Here is the trailer if you haven't had the pleasure of seeing it or reading the series.  From the trailer it looks like it's going to be a pretty good movie.  It seems to capture the darker bits of the series well but we'll see when it actually comes out.

I don't think I ever actually posted a review of The Maze Runner on here (I probably read it in the pre-blog days) but after shuffling through pages of reviews I found I have written a review of The Death Cure, which is the third installment of the series.  While most of the series is a bit jumbled in my mind, I do remember the world building was fantastic and the characters were well developed.  The first book was full of mystery and action that kept me captivated and I hope the movie reflects the book.

Are there any movies you are looking forward to seeing?

ox Caitlin

Waiting on Wednesday

This is my first time writing a Waiting on Wednesday post but I have a book that I want to talk about and it just so happens to be Wednesday so here it goes.

Waiting on Wednesday is a book blog event hosted by Breaking the Spine where book enthusiasts talk about the books they cannot wait to be released.

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Today I'm going to talk about Rooms by Lauren Oliver.  

Wealthy Richard Walker has just died, leaving behind his country house full of rooms packed with the detritus of a lifetime. His estranged family—bitter ex-wife Caroline, troubled teenage son Trenton, and unforgiving daughter Minna—have arrived for their inheritance. 

But the Walkers are not alone. Prim Alice and the cynical Sandra, long dead former residents bound to the house, linger within its claustrophobic walls. Jostling for space, memory, and supremacy, they observe the family, trading barbs and reminiscences about their past lives. Though their voices cannot be heard, Alice and Sandra speak through the house itself—in the hiss of the radiator, a creak in the stairs, the dimming of a light bulb. 

The living and dead are each haunted by painful truths that will soon surface with explosive force. When a new ghost appears, and Trenton begins to communicate with her, the spirit and human worlds collide—with cataclysmic results.

Elegantly constructed and brilliantly paced, Rooms is an enticing and imaginative ghost story and a searing family drama that is as haunting as it is resonant.

This books is set to be published on September 23, 2014 and I cannot wait.  I have read and enjoyed Lauren Oliver's Delirium series and I hope I will enjoy this books.  It's a little different from what is currently on my bookshelf but I'm very excited to get my hands on this book.  

What is on your waiting list?

ox Caitlin  

Watkin's Glen

School is back in session.  Today was my first day but I thought I'd show a little bit of my last days of summer.  My parents decided to stick around for a few days after they dropped me off at school last week. Up until this summer I haven't totally explored the region around my school (which is actually kind of sad when you think about it).  We decided to head down to Watkin's Glen at the southern tip of Seneca lake.  I think the pictures say it better than I will but it was a beautiful walk.

I thought this spot was especially gorgeous (even though we did get a little wet going under that waterfall).  The water created this curtain over the path.

The rocky walls were covered in pretty little flowers and a ton of moss and lichen. The place reminded me of walking through the rainforests in Australia and New Zealand.  It was the first time I've seen greenery like that in a while.

At one point we came out into this cemetery. I know some people are creeped out by cemeteries but as long as it's daytime I find them pretty peaceful places.  This one was especially lovely, as it was near the gorge and the forest surrounding it was super lush.

While there I took this photo of these doors.  My mom is an artist and recently her pinterest page has been covered in cool doors.  I think these once lead to an old mausoleum.  Even though they are a bit rusted I think they're such unique doors.

After walking through the gorge we sat down for some yummy sandwiches at the Glen Mountain Market.  The place is pretty small but the sandwiches were the perfect meal after a hike.  They also had a ton of baked sweets.

I would encourage anyone heading through the finger lakes region to check out Watkin's Glen. Although I would hike the gorge before you go on your wine tour to avoid any spills (eek!).  The rocks tended to be slippery.  If your not going to be in the Finger Lakes region, I would still encourage you to get out while the weather still beautiful.  Ever since returning from abroad I've been trying to take advantage of the area around me.  As a college student it's sometimes hard to get out and see the area around campus but I urge you to try.  I wish I had taken more advantage of the Finger Lakes region now that I'm a senior.

So get out and enjoy the world these next few weeks.  Be a tourist in your home town.  You won't regret it!

ox Caitlin