Thoughts on being queer in a violent 2016

For the past week (& a bit), I’ve been thinking a lot about this blogpost. I’m sure we all know by now what happened in Orlando. The brutal attack on Pulse has send ripples through the global LGBT community and its allies, and everyone has had their say by now.

I’ve been thinking about this blogpost, because I felt like I had to say something. As a blogger, and more importantly: as part of the LGBT community. But the truth is, that most of the time I’m lost for words. There’ve been several incarnations of this post, and yet none of them have made it online, until now.

Reading & Writing slumps

As you might’ve seen in my recent blogposts, for several months I’ve had a reading slump. I couldn’t pick a book to read, I wasn’t interested in the ones I was reading, and I was generally pretty much not interested in reading. I still read, because I’m me and I feel like I have a reputation to uphold by now.

May wrap-up!

The end of another month has come and gone, which means it’s time for another wrap-up! May was definitely a better reading month than April and March, though I’m still not entirely out of the reading slump yet.

Still, I do need to thank my good friend from over at Samen Helen for making me read A Thousand Splendid Suns when I didn’t feel like anything at all. It put me way back on track. Thanks!

Movie review: X-Men Apocalypse (2016)

 

My love for the X-Men goes way, way back. As a child, I watched the animated series. As a teenager, I watched the movies with Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen. Now, as a 20-something, I gleefully watch the new timelines with James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender.

First 20 books of 2016

Despite still working my way out of a reading & writing slump, I have somehow managed to finish some books as of late. As such, I just reached the 20th book and decided to celebrate by writing a little blogpost about it!

I do feel like I’ve learned a lot already this year, and like these books have helped me become a slightly more well-rounded person. It’s a colourful, diverse bunch with classics, YA, children’s, non-fiction, murder mystery, contemporary LGBT, Japanese, Dutch, French, Ancient Greek, you name it.  I’m an eclectic reader, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Book review: The Miseducation of Cameron Post

Title: The Miseducation of Cameron Post
Author: Emily M. Danforth
Page count: 470 pages (paperback)
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Rating: 4/5 stars

April reading wrap-up

During April, the reading slump that started in March happily continued, and I spent way more time watching silly Japanese television than reading. Which is fine too, though I did miss that feeling of really getting stuck in a story. Maybe next month.

Either way, although I did only read two books, they were pretty good books, so let’s get this started!

(spoilerfree) Film review: Captain America: Civil War

 

After months of waiting and countless teasers, trailers, promo photos/stills, interviews, and me blocking literally every tag related to this movie on Tumblr, it’s finally here: the new Captain America movie, and the start of Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If you’re anything at all like me, you’ve been probably been bouncing everywhere for the past week or three.

Kokoro no Sora: ‘Japan from the Outside’ as seen from the actual outside

For the past 8 years or so, I’ve been a fan of the Japanese group Arashi. Although I use the word ‘fan’, in reality it’s pretty lowkey and sometimes I don’t keep up with them for years. Recently, however, I checked in with them again through a newfound obsession with their show on Fuji TV, VS Arashi.

I figured I might as well check what I’ve missed music-wise, and came across a song called Kokoro no Sora, released in 2015. The theme for the song, the accompanying video and even the album, is Japan. More specifically, Japan as viewed from the outside.

Now, not only did I recognize traditional Japanese things and influences in the video set design, costumes & choreography, I also came across the ‘Japan from the outside’ bit. And things suddenly got a lot more hilarious. And by hilarious I mean “I thought about this too much and things turned really serious all of a sudden”. 

March reading wrap-up!

I hit a reading slump.

I still read some things this month! Just comparatively little, is all. And I have especially not been reading for the past two weeks or so. Explanations, quick book reviews, and probably way too many exclamation marks beneath the link!