SONGS WORTH SHARING

Dear Reader,

If you don’t already know, every Thursday I upload a weekly update, if you will. And at the end of those posts, I list some of the music I’ve been listening to during that week.

But this week I realized that I listened to a lot of music. So I decided to just dedicate an entirely separate post to everything I’ve been listening to, separated into three parts: Oldies, Car Songs, and Honorable Mention. Enjoy.

Oldies

It began with Billy Joel. I was listening to a sad playlist made by someone else on Spotify, when the song And So It Goes comes on. I recognized it from covers I had heard, but never realized Billy Joel sang it–I had really only known him for Piano Man and For The Longest Time. 

After listening to his most popular hits and falling in love with Vienna and She’s Always a Woman to Me, I became sad that music really isn’t the same as it once was–something adults always seem to babble on about as it goes in through one ear and right out the other.

But maybe they’re right.

So I made a playlist of my favorite songs from a time before I was born, which include:

• Sweet Pea by Tommy Roe
• Tainted Love by Soft Cell
• Every Little Thing She Does is Magic by The Police
• Love the One You’re With by Crosby, Stills & Nash

Car Songs

I love to sing, but I’m well aware that not everyone enjoys listening to my voice as much as, say, the original artist. And, being at college, I’m never really alone in a car, driving around, singing at the top of my lungs–which is something I really miss. So you can best believe that I took full advantage of the car when I went home this weekend. These are the songs that I was shamelessly jamming to:

• I’m Alive by Michael Franti
• Notice Me by Alexa Rae Joel
• Sugar, This is Gospel by Fall Out Boy vs. Panic at the Disco
• Finding Something to Do by Hellogoodbye
• Oh Cecelia (Breaking my Heart) by The Vamps feat. Shawn Mendes
• Honey I’m Good by Andy Grammer

Honorable Mention

Yes, this song gets it’s own category. It is that. Good. 

This is a cover of Take Me To Church–a song that was dead to me. I heard it, loved it, watched the music video, got goosebumps, learned it on the piano, belted it when I was home alone. It was on playlists of mine for months, and then I was over it.

But This. Cover. Not only did The Melodores revive this song, they straight up killed it again. In a good way. These metaphors aren’t really working, are they?

Anyway, LISTEN TO THIS COVER. Watch Dan pour his heart and soul into this song and I dare you to listen to the original without enunciating “sharpen your knife” in your head like they do.

Yep, it was a good week in music for me, and it ended up being a good week all around.

Funny how those are related.

Sincerely,

Sammy

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{ESC} BOOK SEVEN: THE MANNY

Dear Reader,

I guess they all can’t be my new favorite book.

The Manny by Holly Peterson really isn’t that bad. I picked it up knowing exactly what it would be: a cute, cliché story. A quick read. A setting in New York City. All of this was enough for me to purchase the book (for $5, mind you) and read it.

So, if you want to read it, be aware of what you’re getting yourself into. I honestly think half the reason why I liked it as much as I did is because I didn’t set high expectations. But then I went online and read some pretty mean reviews. I mean, some people seemed actually offended that they spent time on this book.

Now, some of the criticisms I found to be valid. A lot of people didn’t like the main character–I didn’t mind her, but I can definitely see how she could get on some nerves. Personally, though, I feel that the other characters (like, I don’t know, the manny) were lovable enough to make up for it.

Another criticism I read was about the, ahem, sexy scenes. Now, I’m not one to peruse erotic romance novels. I haven’t purchased or read Fifty Shades of Grey (yet), so I didn’t think they were truly awful. But, again, if you’re expecting hot and heavy scenes full of intense passion that just flies off the page: probably not the book for you.

Overall, though, it was just as I thought it would be. So I give it 3.5 stars and accept that I will probably not be rereading it any time soon.

I did find the ending adorably perfect, though.

Sincerely,

Sammy