Life Of A Blogger #22 & #23

Weekly feature created by Jessi at Novel Heartbeats to discuss one non-bookish topic per week. For more information about this feature click here

My life is a little hectic right now, trying to continually make time to read while working and going to school and slowly unpacking the never-ending “I don’t know where it goes” boxes from the move, plus keeping the rest of the house straight….it’s a lot. Anyway, I missed last week’s post. Not that I didn’t have reminders, but when I sat down to write it, I just couldn’t, so I’m combining last week and this week into one post.

Topic One: Favorite actors/actresses
First, let me just say Chris Evans….Chris Evans, Chris Evans. I love him, like a lot. I think he is an amazing actor and so damned pretty. I’m also a big Joseph Gordon-Levitt fan. He’s awesome, even in films I didn’t like, I still normally like him…..except Looper because I seriously hated that movie. Such a damn letdown…but that’s not the point. I love so many actors that I am having a hard time thinking of them all: Emma Stone, Emma Watson, Jena Malone, Woody Harrelson, John Cusack (especially his older stuff), Matt Bomer, Ian Somerhalder, Kristen Bell, Mandy Moore, Zac Efron, Nathan Fillion (and the entire Firefly/Serenity cast), and I know I’m leaving so many out but I just can’t think of more

Topic Two: Favorite music albums

This is another topic where there are too many possible answers, but I’ll narrow it down as much as possible. The very first album that comes to mind is Yourself Or Someone Like You by Matchbox Twenty. I don’t follow much of their newest stuff. In fact I’ve had the newest album on my computer for a year and have yet to listen to it, but there is something about their first record that gets me. I love every single song, which is rare for me. There is always a song or two that I just don’t care for, but not here. Lyrically, I think Rob was at his best here, with soulful lyrics that felt like he really understood what I was going through and maybe I wasn’t so alone. Push is probably my favorite, but I also love Argue and Long Day and Back 2 Good.

The same basic feeling goes with Away From The Sun by 3 Doors Down. I think both of these albums really pushed me to love music for it’s lyrics as well as for the guitars and drums and so forth. AFTS has several songs with a downright depressing feel and when that album came out, I could relate so much. The song Away From The Sun is probably one of my favorites, but I also adore The Road I’m On and Changes and Sarah Yellin’.

The Paramour Sessions by Papa Roach is another one that just stuck with me. Initially, I hated it because it sounded so different from Getting Away With Murder and I had really enjoyed that album, but it grew on me. Time Is Running Out is kind of like that anthem for when you just don’t know what the hell is going on with your life anymore. Reckless has that awesome depressive sound. Everytime time it gets to that part where he says “Goddamn son of a bitch” it’s like I can feel his pain…..which sounds weird when I right it but that doesn’t make it any less true.

Masterpiece Theatre by Marianas Trench is a recent(ish) discovery, but is just so damned catchy. It has the perfect combination of pop-y upbeat songs and slow, heartfelt ballads that I can’t help but listen to it constantly. I also love all of the Masterpiece Theatre tracks, which is an awesome mashup all of their songs. You’d think them singing over top of each other in bits would get too much, but somehow they make it work.

No musical list of mine would ever be complete without a spot for Sick Puppies. This album was something I bought on a whim. I really liked All The Same, but I’m touchy about buying albums off just a single song (and a slower one at that). But it was $10 and I loved the name. I soon fell in love with everything about the album, the songs, the lyrics, the sound, the people in the band, all of it. Shim had me at “Preach me your religion if you’re dumb enough to pray” which was a line that really struck a cord with me, being atheist and all.

There are many other albums out there that I adore and listen to repeatedly, but these few are what come to mind when I think of favorite albums. They are the best of the best in my humble opinion.

Do you agree? Let me know in the comments!