Category Archives: Geekness

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Geeking About the Beatles: With the Beatles

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If you’ve known me for any extended amount of time, then you know that my all time favorite band is The Beatles. One of my blogging goals for 2015 is to have a regular feature and because I’m completely random, I will be featuring a Beatles album monthly. This is exciting because it gives me a chance to relisten to these albums again. I’m not exactly reviewing it (as I am not a music reviewer) but instead enjoying it as a fan.

Look at that cover, y’all. No one is smiling. We’re getting all moody and pensive here!

With the Beatles is the second studio album released by The Beatles in November 1963, interestingly on the same day that JFK was assassinated. If you remember, Please Please Me was released that same year in March so to have two full albums in released in 8 months in incredibly impressive when you think about it takes years for some artists just to do one album. Plus there are eight original songs on here including George’s first song!

  • It Won’t Be Long (Lennon/McCartney) – Lead Singer – John
  • All I Got to Do (Lennon/McCartney) – Lead Singer – John
  • All My Loving (Lennon/McCartney) – Lead Singer – Paul
  • Don’t Bother Me (Harrison) – Lead Singer – George
  • Little Child (Lennon/McCartney) – Lead Singer – John
  • Til There Was You (Willson) – Lead Singer – Paul
  • Please Mister Postman (Dobbins/Garrett/Gorman/Holland/Bateman) – Lead Singer – John
  • Roll Over Beethoven (Berry) – Lead Singer – George
  • Hold Me Tight (Lennon/McCartney) – Lead Singer – Paul
  • You Really Got a Hold On Me (Robinson) – Lead Singer – John
  • I Wanna Be Your Man (Lennon/McCartney) – Lead Singer – Ringo
  • Devil in Her Heart (Drapkin) – Lead Singer – George
  • Not a Second Time (Lennon/McCartney) – Lead Singer – John
  • Money (That’s What I Want) (Bradford/Gordy) – Lead Singer – John

Standout Song: Money (That’s What I Want)

Personal Favorites: Not a Second Time, Don’t Bother Me, Please Mister Postman, You Really Got a Hold On Me

Least Memorable: Hold Me Tight, Devil in Her Heart

Unlike their first album which was recorded in one day (!), this one took the span of three months. None of these songs were released as singles so unlike most albums today, if you bought this you were listening to all brand new to me songs. For me, personally, this was the first Beatles album I listened to non stop so it holds a special place in my heart. It’s not a collection of songs that is earth-shaking but they are all very enjoyable to hear.

George gets his first song on here (plus sings lead on two more) so that’s a huge step up for him. “Don’t Bother Me” is a song where he sounds pretty pissed off and I love that. Ringo gets a song that was originally used by The Rolling Stones so once again it’s like he’s getting leftovers. Two of my favorite covers, “Please Mr. Postman” and “You Really Got a Hold On Me” are originally Motown songs and their rock and roll versions put a very nice spin on them. While it’s not a huge favorite of mine, “Money” features John really going at the song which is always fun.

The songs are still mostly light and about romantic love though my personal favorite, “Not a Second Time” is from John who’s been hurt and refuses to allow that person to hurt them again. I’ve loved this song ever since I first heard it because it resonates so very much in my life.

Overall, it’s a good follow-up album. Things are still pretty light but the fact that there are a bunch of original songs that have stood the test of time show that they definitely were not one hit wonder.

Next Month: A Hard Day’s Night

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What Good Books Have You Been Reading Lately Vol. 8

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To newcomers of this blog, this is a semi-regular feature on my blog. I have no set date on when these posts will go up. It all depends on how much I read and how good the books are that I read. Lately, I have been picking good books so it’s been good reading times for me. My spreadsheet is getting a workout!

So…I read a lot since the last time I did this…

Stephen Biesty’s Cross-Sections Castle by Stephen Biesty and Richard Platt (DK Pub, 1994)

My blurb: This has been one of my favorite books since I was a kid. It’ one of those books that explains every single feature of the castle. Kind of like a where’s waldo with historical facts. You can usually find someone pooping. There’s a spy to find in every page as well as a couple making out in weird places. Incredible detail to keep you occupied for hours.

Esther: Royal Beauty by Angela Hunt (Bethany House, 2015)

My blurb: In all honesty, I feel that Esther is an extremely played out story from the Bible. There’s only so many different ways you can tell this story without a been there, done that feeling. But I have always loved Angela Hunt’s books and I know she does her research very well. It’s a good and not safe adaptation (spoilers: they have sex! there are eunuchs!) that is both consistent with Scripture, historical fact, and breathes life into a very old familiar story.

Home of the Braised by Julie Hyzy (Berkley, 2014)

My blurb: I haven’t been reading cozy mysteries in a long time but I picked this one up and it made me question why I stopped. SO MUCH FOOD in this one plus it’s set in the DC area so I knew exactly where everything was taking place. It’s a fun mystery and even though it’s right in the middle of the series, I didn’t feel lost at all. Did I mention food?

Absolutely truly by Heather Vogel Frederick (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2014)

My blurb: I felt absolutely cozy after reading this. I’m a big fan of the author’s previous book series (The Mother-Daughter Book Club) so I was delighted to find out she had a new one. It takes place in a small town, with a big family, and there are BOOKS and a mystery. The main character is a delightful young teen girl who I feel is a good role model for that age group. Very fun and I look forward to more books.

Unfriending My Ex by Kim Stolz (Scribner, 2014)

My blurb: I got this from the library on a whim and it turned out to be a really good read. Kim Stolz was on America’s Next Top Model and she wrote a pretty darn good book about social media usage. Despite the fact that she uses an iPhone and not an Android, I could very much relate to her stories about being glued to her phone, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Not that I feel any need to cut myself off cold turkey after reading this but it’s a very amusing, engaging and informative read. I laughed a lot.

Beyond All Dreams by Elizabeth Camden (Bethany House, 2015)

My blurb: This book takes place in the Library of Congress and it’s about a female librarian. HELLO YOU HAD ME AT LIBRARY. There’s also a mystery and slight romance. It’s actually the best book I think the author has written.

Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography by Laura Ingalls Wilder and Pamela Smith Hill (editor)

My blurb: Well this book just destroyed my childhood. So it’s Wilder’s REAL autobiography as the Little House series was a) mainly written by her daughter Rose and b) heavily fictionalized plus the editor’s commentary on the sides chock full of facts and trivia. Like I said, my childhood is now ruined because I found out things like (SPOILERS) Jack, the brindle bulldog, never went to Plum Creek and onward with the family or the fact there was an extra family who lived with the Ingalls family during The Long Winter and she just chose not to add them in. It’s a great long read but be prepared to be like WTH.

I Never Knew That About New York by Christopher Winn (Plume, 2014)

My blurb: I’ve been to NYC three times and after reading this book, I want to go again. TONS of interesting facts about all the places and buildings that I’m sure even locals don’t know. Also a great walking tour book.

We Can Work It Out by Elizabeth Eulberg (Point, 2015)

My blurb: It’s a YA book where all the characters love the Beatles? It’s the best book ever! So much Beatles in this book! But also a lot about friendship and dating and priorities. It’s actually a really good book for teen girls about how to put things in perspective during the high school years as well as even when you’re a 30-something adult. And did I mention Beatles?

Ms. Marvel Vol 1.: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson (Marvel, 2014)

My blurb: I’ve been hearing lots of good things about this new comic series and I’m glad I finally decided to read the first one. It’s different as the main character is a teenage Pakistani American who is also Muslim. Quite different from your normal comic book heroine. But she now has the powers of Ms. Marvel and it’s a really good look at her trying to fit in, trying to get her parents to understand her, and trying to use her powers for good. Really good artwork too.

Unrequited by Lisa A. Phillips (Harper, 2015)

My blurb: Ah this book was the story of my life. It was actually quite sad, scary, and refreshing all at the same time to know that it wasn’t just me that went through a lot of this stuff. And the fact that society looks differently at when it happens to men vs women. Also, I felt this to be much more relatable than a lot of Christian advice given on the same subject. Highly recommended.

The Beatles Lyrics by Hunter Davies,editor  (Little, Brown & Company, 2014)

My blurb: This is all about the stories behind all the songs the Beatles wrote by their only official autobiographer. When you think about it, they were only in their 20s when they wrote all these songs. Lots of people try to over analyze them for hidden meanings but this book just tells the stories of what caused the inspirations for them. You can also see the handwritten lyrics for some of the songs, many of which the original copies will sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars or even more. The author and I seem to disagree on what makes a good song but oh well. Plus it ties in to my next Beatles album post which will be next week.

That’s what I’ve been reading. What good books have YOU been reading lately?

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Fandoms I just can’t get into: The Podcast version

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I think I’m the last person in the world who knows what Serial is but hasn’t listened to it yet.

I don’t listen to podcasts.

I feel like everyone listens to podcasts. And everyone has their favorite podcasts. And everyone wants to find a new podcast.

Me? I just don’t have interest in listening to them. And it makes me feel like I’m doing something wrong for not listening to them.

I think the main reason why I don’t listen to podcasts is because I do not have anything to listen to them on. I don’t have an IPod or a portable music player (wait do those even exist anymore?). And anytime I get a phone, I seem to get one with the worst battery life ever so to listen to anything on it (downloaded or streaming) will drain the battery faster than it takes The Flash to travel across a room.

I’m also not sure exactly where people are listening to podcasts. Is it at home? Is it while they drive? Is it while they work out? Is it while they are just out and about? Do they listen to it on their computer or their phone?

I know I’m sounding completely ignorant right now.

When I work out, I listen to music because it’s there as a distraction to keep me going and my mind is a beat zoned out. I can handle the beat of the music and not necessarily the words. When I’m driving, it’s the same thing but I also enjoy listening to audiobooks because I get involved in the story. Weirdly enough I also enjoy multi voice dramatic audiobooks because it’s like a movie in my head with the different voices and the sound effects.

But I don’t like talk radio. It bores me to hear people just sit there and talk. I don’t mind READING what they say but when people have discussions, I feel the urge to tune them out. Because isn’t that what podcasts are? People just sitting there talking?

I know I’m weird. Maybe you can help.

Tell me what podcasts you think I would like. Think of my interests and my personality and the style of how I like things. Also what exactly do you listen to them on? What’s the best device? How do you not have your phone’s battery drain?

Depending on how many/if I get any recommendations, I may do a follow-up posts to this with my reactions to what I listen to.

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“Fresh Off the Boat”: It’s About Damn Time

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If you follow me on Twitter, then you know that this week I was SUPER EXCITED for the new show Fresh Off the Boat.

I actually do not cover this show for Entertainment Weekly. I am just damn excited for it on my own. (Though I DO cover The Musketeers and Veronica Mars, if you would like to read up on those, shameless plug)

Why? Because it’s the first show in over 20 years to star an Asian American family on network TV since Margaret Cho’s All American Girl came out in 1994.

Seriously? It’s taken TWENTY years for America to be ok with seeing an Asian American family on TV again?

Sure there have been Asian actors that have had major roles in TV shows.

selfiereconstruct

John Cho

Yunjin Kim, Daniel Dae Kim, Naveen Andrews

Ken Jeong

Mindy Kaling

Those were just some notable examples. But while Asians have starred in TV shows, there’s only been one show on network TV that stars an entire Asian American family. Which is insane considering that Asians make up 5.3% of the U.S. population. I mean are we STILL that foreign to you?

The only other Asian family I have seen in a TV show over the past few years was Sullivan and Son which featured an interracial family (and coincidentally starring the same mom from All American Girl) where cultures are blended. But that as on TBS and sadly it got canceled last year.

Why did I love the first two episodes of FOB so much? First off, it was actually REALLY funny. And it’s funny right from the beginning and not like Selfie funny where all the better writing happens right before the show gets canceled. Second, the acting so far is great. Constance Wu, who plays the mom, is hilarious and is pretty much my mother. She’s a tiger mom yes (it’s not a stereotype, if you grew up with parents who immigrated to the US, they really are like this) but she also loves her boys and she plays it well. The dad is great too (really the Bill Pullman scene is funny because it’s true) and the boys are adorable.

Also if you’re trying to place where you might have seen Randall Park who plays Eddie’s dad:

Finally, because I could relate so much to Eddie’s character. The story is just like my family with three boys instead of the three girls. The feeling of wanting to assimilate to find my own identity. Being teased because I was different. Being called ethnic slurs. I can’t begin to tell you how many times the scene when Eddie gets called a “chink” has happened to me just liked that when I was growing up. And I’m SO glad that was shown because yeah, this stuff actually happens. The show is not racist or stereotyped because for many Asian Americans: THIS ALL HAPPENED TO US. As long as the show does not go into stock Asian characterization, this should be a breakthrough as more diversity needs to happen on TV because….it happens in REAL LIFE.

I know I’ve been going on a diversity kick lately on my blog but that’s because it’s something that is very important to me. I’ve grown up for years trying to be like everyone else and wanting to be like everyone else because that was what surrounded to me and what was presented to me as the ideal. But then this dialogue from the pilot episode made so much sense:

  • Eddie: Why aren’t chicks giving me soda? Emery: You want it too much.

Ah truth.

I’m not the one one who really enjoyed the first two episodes as ratings were pretty darn good and most of the reactions I’ve seen have been mainly positive. This Buzzfeed article explains everything. Everything is truth, especially 4 and 8. Even if you aren’t Asian, if you’ve ever felt like you wanted to fit it but you stand out because of cultural differences, I think you’ll enjoy the show. And even if you didn’t, I still think you will.

Asian American families. WE DO EXIST. And now the whole country will know.

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What is Deborah Geeking Over This Week Vol. 5

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Gosh it’s been a while since I’ve done one of these but here we go:

icecream

It’s not Superman ice cream but damn it, if I love artificially blue colored ice cream. This is a cotton candy flavored ice cream mixed with other things. Also ice cream is best enjoyed in winter.

beatlesbook

I’ve been wanting this book since 2000. I am now finally the proud owner of it. Seriously, dream come true. My 16 year old self is freaking out right now.

books

This was my library haul the other day. The sad/good part is that I still have 11 books on hold I need to pick up. Holla!

Last year I raved about the garlic tuscan bread from Wegmans. While I still love it, I decided to try out something new. Which led me to randomly choosing their jalepeno cheese bread. Holy crap! While I normally don’t like hot stuff, this was DELICIOUS. There are whole pepper slices in here. And cheese. And it’s bread. NOM NOM NOM.

Lately I’ve found myself expanding my beer tastes even further and I’ve discovered that I really enjoy a good coffee stout. The more coffee taste the better. This is the most recent one that I’ve tried that I enjoy. Look at me, trying out new things.

But going back to old things, Blink 182’s been in the news a lot the past week due to Tom DeLonge may or may not be quitting/being kicked out of the band. I have always had a HUGE crush on him since….I was 15? So let’s think of happier times with an old school pic of my crush.

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Geeking about The Beatles: Please Please Me

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If you’ve known me for any extended amount of time, then you know that my all time favorite band is The Beatles. One of my blogging goals for 2015 is to have a regular feature and because I’m completely random, I will be featuring a Beatles album monthly. This is exciting because it gives me a chance to relisten to these albums again. I’m not exactly reviewing it (as I am not a music reviewer) but instead enjoying it as a fan.

Please Please Me was the first full studio album released by The Beatles in March 1963 under the Parlophone label with George Martin as the producer. They recorded this album in less than 13 hours on a single day. Can you imagine how insane that is compared to what people do today? There are 6 covers on here and the rest are Lennon/McCartney originals.

  • I Saw Her Standing There (Lennon/McCartney) – Lead singer – Paul
  • Misery (Lennon/McCartney) – Lead singer – John/Paul
  • Anna (Go to Him) (Arthur Alexander) – Lead singer – John
  • Chains (Goffin/King) – Lead singer – George
  • Boys (Dixon/Farrell) – Lead singer – Ringo
  • Ask Me Why (Lennon/McCartney) – Lead singer – John
  • Please Please Me (Lennon/McCartney) – Lead singer – John/Paul
  • Love Me Do (Lennon/McCartney) – Lead singer – John/Paul
  • P.S. I Love You (Lennon/McCartney) – Lead singer – Paul
  • Baby It’s You (David/Williams/Bacharach) – Lead singer – John
  • Do You Want to Know a Secret (Lennon/McCartney) – Lead singer – George
  • A Taste of Honey (Scott/Marlow) – Lead singer – Paul
  • There’s a Place (Lennon/McCartney) – Lead singer – John/Paul
  • Twist and Shout (Medley/Russell) – Lead singer – John

Standout song: Twist and Shout

Personal favorite songs: Twist and Shout, Anna (Go to Him), Baby It’s You, Please Please Me

Least memorable: Boys, Chains

While the Beatles had recorded songs before, this was the first album they recorded together as a group. I know that bands, groups, and singers these days have albums coming out when they are young teens but almost all the time they never write their own songs. A lot of those songs also have four or more writers credited. So for a bunch of guys that are 23 or younger (!!), this is pretty incredible.

Most of the songs are very light about love. There’s nothing too deep lyrically in these songs plus the guitar chords sound quite simple and not as complex as they will become later on. This album sounds very oldies like. I also find it interesting that everyone in the band gets to sing. These days it almost feels like a lot of popular bands really consist of the band backing up the lead singer (who usually doesn’t play an instrument either). Here George gets two and even Ringo joins in on the fun. Unfortunately for them, the selections chosen for them aren’t very outstanding. Two of these songs were originally done by girl groups so it’s a curious selection. Then again so was “Baby It’s You” but I just adore that song in general so maybe it’s in the way it’s sung.

Twist and Shout is the best song on this album. It was also the last song recorded during that 12+ hour session and you can absolutely tell that in John’s voice as it’s basically ripped to shreds.

All in all a decent first album. While, it’s not my favorite and other than “Twist and Shout” there’s nothing really jumping out, it’s a darn good start.

Next month: With the Beatles

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What Good Books Have You Been Reading Lately Vol. 7

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To newcomers of this blog, this is a semi-regular feature on my blog. I have no set date on when these posts will go up. It all depends on how much I read and how good the books are that I read. Lately, I have been picking good books so it’s been good reading times for me. My spreadsheet is getting a workout!

I Work at a Public Library by Gina Sheridan (Adams Media Corporation, 2014)

My blurb: This book is HILARIOUS. Though you will probably appreciate it more if you work/worked in a public library (obvs). Which I do. If you do read it, please don’t be those people.

Checkmate by Steven James (Signet Select, 2014)

My blurb: I’ve been reading this series from Steven James for about 6 years. It is one of the best thriller series I’ve ever read. It’s also one of the few series that my mom and I both read. This was the conclusion and it was very satisfying. Also gory. Which is fantastic. Also elements of faith. Also fantastic. Also set near DC, woo! Sad to see end but so worth it.

Goodnight Darth Vader by Jeffrey Brown (Chronicle Books, 2014)

My blurb: These are just the cutest books ever. Seriously if you’re a Star Wars fan and you don’t like these, then you are not one with the Force. While you can read this to your kids, adults will enjoy them even more. SO CUTE.

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Bernie Su and Kate Rorick (Touchstone, 2014)

My blurb: As you already know, I’m a huge fan of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. One might think that this book was redundant, because The LBD is already a retelling of Pride and Prejudice so wouldn’t this book be more so? Nope. It gives more insight into the story, plus the writers had to make sure everything matched up with the videos. That meant if they mentioned a date they had to go back to the timeline they had  created already to make sure that all characters were actually available on that date. Talk about fact checking! It’s a wonderful addition to the series.

Yes Please by Amy Poeher (It Books, 2014)

My blurb: This book is awesome. First off, it’s a beautiful book. The pages are not your normal book pages, they’re more glossy and heavy. Second, if you’re a fan of Amy’s you’ll love this book. It’s hilarious just like her as well as insightful. It’s not all deep and heavy full of secrets like other celeb memoirs. It’s just Amy. If you’ve read her BFF Tina Fey’s book Bossypants, you’ll enjoy this one too.

That’s what I’ve been reading. What good books have YOU been reading lately?

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That Time I Got Really Geeked About a Spreadsheet

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So I’m going to get all book nerdy on you today.

Last week I talked about my reading stats for last year and my reading goals for 2015. You might also remember that I had trouble remembering exactly how many books in each category that I read last year. This was due to Goodreads being the only source of how I kept track of my books. In order to figure out numbers in each genre, I had to count from the beginning several times. When one reads over 200 books, this becomes a bit problematic because after a while everything just runs together. I knew I wasn’t giving the correct numbers but I was tired of having to keep going back and forth.

I knew that I needed to make a different change in 2015. That’s when I decided to keep a reading spreadsheet.

Now let me first say that I really love doing data entry. I’ve worked in records management and secretly let me tell you it’s something I really enjoy. I love stats and keeping track of things so I can see trends and growth over time.

I knew that other folks had been keeping their reading habits on spreadsheets but I had dismissed them earlier. After all, I used Goodreads. Why should you use something else? Then I ran into my problem and realized I needed something more than just Goodreads.

Book Riot (which if you love books and reading is site you need to be visiting every day) had an article up a few months ago called “How I Track My Reading: The Ultimate Reading Spreadsheet.” The author of the post feels the same way I do about data, tracking, stats, and reading. She also gives a link to where one can download a template for a spreadsheet and then customize it to their own preferences.

Google Drive is an amazing feature. I don’t currently own Microsoft Office products but with Google Docs and Google spreadsheets, I don’t need to. And being online, I can update this spreadsheet anywhere that I can have internet access. No more waiting hours later to write down that book!

As stated last year, the biggest genre I read the most of was Christian fiction. This meant that the majority of the authors I read were white and female. This year, I want to read more diversely. This doesn’t mean I’m purposely choosing what I read but I want to keep a closely better track of what authors I’m reading. I also want to read more non fiction as well.

So here are screenshots of what my spreadsheet looks like. I have many different things I want to keep track of as you can see. And yes I have read 10 books at this point, by the time this publishes it might be more. (Click on the images to make them bigger)

Here’s the first half. The first column is for when I finish the book. Then there’s title, author, gender of author (drop down menu to choose from female, male, collaboration), publisher, year version I’m reading is published, date started, date ended, pages, Fiction or Non Fiction, Level (drop down menu for Adult, YA – young adult, or MG – Middle Grade).

Reading Spreadsheet1

The second half – Genre, Format (book, ebook, ARC – advanced reader copy, etc), source (where did I get book from), Nationality of author, Diversity – is the author a Person of Color (this is any author that is not white). Then we get to the formula tracking columns which tally up pages read, books finished and how many POC authors I’ve read.

ReadingSpreadsheet2

I realize that not everyone cares so much about data like this! These are the things that are important for me to keep track of when I read however. I know that some people couldn’t care less who writes their book or even how many books they read. But I am trying to read outside my normal routine so for me it is important to know that I’m not just reading the same thing over and over. Re: tracking diversity of author, it can get a little tricky because sometimes that means researching an author’s background but after last year of reading over 200 books and only reading THREE POC authors, I want to make an effort this year of reading more.

I still use Goodreads to keep track of what books I’m reading and also because I’m doing their reading challenge. And it’s a good tool and website. I just know that for me personally, I want more info and that means doing this spreadsheet. It may mean a little bit more work but that’s ok! You may get sick of seeing spreadsheets after work all day. But for me, this is great fun.

Now on to more reading!

Thank you very much to Book Riot for the inspiration to do this.

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The Year of Enjoying What I Like

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This week, my posts will be taking a look back at 2014 and looking forward to 2015.

This was a rather good year geeky wise for me.

Movie wise: I saw 18 new movies in theaters (plus a few older ones thanks to the Alamo Drafthouse) including Guardians of the Galaxy five times. Yes this ties the record with The Avengers for most time seen in theaters. No I did not spend a ton of money doing this. One highlight was seeing Interstellar in real IMAX at the Smithsonian. Definitely worth it.

TV wise: All my shows I watched were great. Gracepoint was good enough for me that I want to switch to Broadchurch (this is a compliment). Peter Capaldi was wonderful on Doctor Who. The Walking Dead was gross and wonderful and will the next half please get here soon?

The shows I watched for Entertainment Weekly were quite good (ok, Metal Hurlant Chronicles wasn’t a fave). It’s a crime Selfie was canceled (it really was) but The Musketeers will be returning later this month. I’ll also be recapping Veronica Mars from the beginning as I watch it for the first time.

Book wise: I read a lot this year. I surpassed my goal and read 229 books in 2014. Here’s a breakdown of what I read.

(Numbers are a bit off because I kept losing track when counting repeatedly)

Christian Fiction 135

General Fiction 17

YA 37

Graphic Novel 19

Picture Book 1

Non Fiction 10

Diversity – 34 books written by males (All White Males)

3 books written by POC authors

Diversity wise I failed horribly. Most of those 34 books books were graphic novels so a lot were by the same authors. Also this just shows that Christian fiction is written almost exclusively by white females because that is their target audience.

But graphic novels in general are outside of my normal reading habits so I’m hoping to read more in the future.

Goals for next year?

Reading wise: I’m going to read a lot again next year. I still have a goal to read at least 200 books but I’d like to go outside of my normal reading for a change. I want to read more non fiction and I want to read out of my normal reads. This doesn’t mean less Christian fiction but more intentionally finding books outside of that genre. My “what books have you been reading” posts are quite popular so be sure to keep an eye out for those.

Movie wise: Oh 2015 is the year of two Marvel Cinematic Universe movies (including new Avengers?), Hunger Games, James Bond, and a new Star Wars movie you say? Well you know where I’ll be.

Blog wise: I want to do something different on my blog this year. While I still want to keep my schedule of what I post on MWF, I’d like to incorporate a new feature for Geekness Fridays. I don’t want to plan out a set schedule of what I’m going to post every Friday because I do enjoy spontaneity. But for this year, I’d like to try something new with my favorite band ever.

Once a month I’m going to listen to a Beatles album and spend a Friday talking about it. I’m not a music expert by any means, just a huge fan. There are twelve studio albums so I’ll be talking about one once a month. It’ll be fun to try something different and I’m looking forward to listening to all the albums in their entirety again.

So yeah. That was 2014 and those are goals for 2015.

2014 has been a good geeky year and I have no doubt that 2015 will be just the same if not better.

Because I do not need these to be a geek: 20140919_162811

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All the Christmas movies are already checked out

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Christmas is next week and whether or not you celebrate it, it’s the time for all the holiday movies to show up. Sure there’s all those Hallmark holiday movies (that I refuse to watch) but I’m talking about the good stuff. Well at least the stuff that I like. Here are some of my favorites, you may agree to disagree.

While A Christmas Carol is just a darn good story no matter what, The Muppet Christmas Carol is hands down my favorite. The songs. The creepiness. The humor. Plus this is the movie that I was first introduced to Michael Caine and therefore the movie I always associate him with no matter what else he’s been in.

It’s a Wonderful Life is just a classic. My family watches it every year on Christmas Eve. To be honest, it’s really hard for me to watch sometimes because I hate how people treated George and I HATE Potter. But the ending makes me cry every time. Also the actor who played Harry was hot.

Home Alone is a modern classic that is still enjoyable. It’s just fun.

The Santa Clause is the same way. It’s one of the few Santa movies that I love to rewatch because it’s enjoyable every time.

nativity

There’s actually not too many movies based solely on the Nativity Story but I really do love this one though I feel like it didn’t get much fanfare. But then it’s a Bible movie and we all know how Christians and Hollywood feel about Bible movies…..
holiday

While it’s not perfect, The Holiday is still one of the most delightful chick flicks ever. Who would have ever thought Jack Black and Kate Winslet would pair up? Also Christmas in England seems delightful.

Hands down, Love Actually my favorite Christmas movie of all time. In fact this movie is one of my favorite of all time and is in my top ten list. I love this movie so much I watch it every year. So many reasons to love it. I just saw it in theaters at a quote along and that was just so much awesome.

BONUS: This is actually a TV movie but……A Very Brady Christmas is just darn good stuff. Enjoy!