Tag: hobbies

The Lineup: Hannah

Hannah’s Lineup

Podcast: Edith! by Crooked Media

Edith! is a scripted podcast about the somewhat-true story of Edith Wilson being the first unofficial female president of the United States. 28th President Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke in 1919, one year before the end of his presidential term. Rumors have long said that his wife Edith assumed many of his presidential duties. Edith!, starring Rosamund Pike, fictionalizes that story with humor and intrigue.

I love listening to scripted podcasts. It reminds me of old-time radio shows and is a nice change from traditional talk radio or audio books. Scripted podcasts are also perfect for short or long summer road trips!

Available here or wherever you get your podcasts.

TV Show: Ted Lasso

Starring Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso is a feel good show for the entire family. Ted Lasso is a football coach from Wichita State (funny for us Kansans!) who travels across the pond to England to become a manager of a soccer team. It’s hilarious. It’s heartwarming. It’s good TV!

I don’t rewatch many shows. But when I’m sick or in a bad mood, a handful of shows can perk me up…Gilmore Girls, Parks and Rec, and Ted Lasso. I do prefer season 1 to season 2, but I can’t wait for season 3!

Available on AppleTV+

Hobby: Sourdough

I grew my first sourdough starter from scratch in May 2019. The then-preteen boys named him Thanos. We just celebrated his 3rd birthday! I’ve baked yeasted breads for many years, but sourdough was a whole new adventure. In the last three years, I’ve explored different methods, experimented with recipes, and collected a myriad of equipment.

Working with sourdough and baking bread is a source of stress relief for me. The pandemic hasn’t been good for anyone’s mental health, and it’s important to find a hobby that brings you peace and happiness. Working with sourdough brings me a sense of calm. It might sound weird to some people, but prepping, baking, and enjoying the fruit of my labor is my happy place. After all…carbs = happiness!

For more information about growing your own sourdough starter and several starter recipes, check out The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion : The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook.

Game: Monument Valley

Monument Valley is an award winning puzzle game from ustwo games. It’s available on a variety of platforms, from iOS to Android to PC. It’s different than any other puzzle game you’ve ever played before. The artwork and music are smooth, mellow, and beautiful. The puzzles make you think, but they won’t stress you out. If you like puzzles and adventure games, definitely give Monument Valley a try. It’s even a game you can revisit later. The puzzles are so intricate that you won’t remember every step of the journey.

There are two seasons available, Monument Valley I and Monument Valley II. If you are lucky enough to have Apple Arcade, you can play both for free!

Book: The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

The House is the Cerulean Sea pulled me out of a reading slump. It’s one part humor, one part fantasy, one part romance, and one part science fiction. It ticked all the boxes of my favorite genres in one book! The book does start a bit slow, but you will be rewarded if you plow through the first three chapters.

The book tells the story of Linus Baker, who is a social worker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. These magical youth reminded me of mutants from the X-Men. Linus has to visit an orphanage run by the mysterious, intelligent Arthur Parnassus, who has several secrets of his own. Arhur’s charges are likely the most dangerous youth Linus has ever come across, including the Anti-Christ himself. As Linus spends time with Athur and his wards and gets to know them, the line between his duty and his heart begin to blur.

Available for checkout from KanShare Libraries

The Lineup: Xochitl

Xochitl’s Lineup

Book: Did You Ever Have a Family? by Bill Clegg

A terrible accident kills a daughter, her father, her mother’s boyfriend, and her fiancé the night before the wedding. Since it’s a small town, rumors fly and having a space to grieve is difficult for the few family members left. So difficult that one of them goes across the country for a clear mind. The book is told in no particular order from many people’s points of view, all leading to a true resolution. This was a super emotional read. Going through multiple points of view during different times and nothing in order, I came into it thinking I would be confused and wouldn’t enjoy it. I’m glad I was proven wrong. Despite timelines seeming like they’re going all over the place, it was pretty easy to grasp the story early on, and I felt the flow of the story was better this way than it could’ve been from just one point of view and sequentially. Bill Clegg tells the story of grief and broken families with imperfect people. There weren’t any main characters, but I would say that the mothers really drove this story. This is definitely a depressing book, but I felt like the book ended in the best way that it could, with comfort and resolution.

I read it on our Libby app but we also have physical copies in our catalog.

TV Show: Succession

I am finally catching up with the rest of the world and have started watching Succession. It is brilliantly funny. Succession takes a look into the lives of a family that has built its massive wealth by managing the news, media, and theme parks from all over the world. The family is messy and two-faced, with the main siblings fighting for power amongst one another and doing anything they can to get it. No one is likeable in this series, and I think that’s why I’m obsessed with it. Also, the soundtrack is killer, as well as the acting. It doesn’t seem like a comedy from this description, but I think it’s because it is actually dark humor in the true sense. The stuff that happens to this family and the stuff that they do is just so surreal that you just have to laugh. It’s hard for me to take breaks while watching Succession. I am almost done with the latest season.

There are a lot of adult themes and scenes, so I would refrain from watching if you’re underage or not comfortable with watching that.

You can find it on HBOMax and we do have the first two seasons on DVD at the Derby Public Library.

Music/Album: Wasteland, Baby! By Hozier

The album that has been on constant rotation these past few months has been Hozier’s Wasteland, Baby! This genre is one I do not listen to much of. My Spotify statistics can verify that I mainly listen to R&B, but this album has a lot of influences from gospel, soul, and blues artists—the beginnings of my favorite genre. Hozier is a powerful singer and a remarkable lyricist. His debut album caught my attention for the first time back in November, and I had it on constant repeat. Naturally, I found myself listening to his second one, and it became an instant favorite, moreso than his debut. Themes of activism and love found throughout this album resonate with me, and the blend of folk with different genres is done so well. My favorite songs on the album are “No Plan” and “Dinner & Diatribes.”

We have the album available to checkout at the Derby Public Library or you can stream it on any music streaming service you use.

Hobby: Lego (Batman Car)

Following the theme of “stuff I usually don’t do,” I have accidentally found myself creating a LEGO collection. I did not grow up with LEGOs and never saw the appeal of them as I got older. Last month I built a set meant for someone else, and thus my newest and most expensive hobby was born.

I mainly started off with smaller sets of franchises I liked, then worked towards more difficult sets with lots of pieces. Admittedly, I love doing puzzles, so it’s not that farfetched that I got into LEGO building. My newest build was a Technic set of Batman’s car in the latest movie, and it was a beast. I loved every minute of it and can’t wait to pick out my next LEGO set.

Movie: Sabrina (1995 version)

I adored the 1954 version of Sabrina, starring Audrey Hepburn, so I was pretty excited to see how the 1995 version would hold up. It was just as comedic and romantic as the original. Sabrina’s actress was phenomenal in the role, and I especially liked her solo parts. Harrison Ford’s character was also entertaining, and certainly different from the majority of the roles he does. My favorite difference between this version and the older one is that the Paris scenes are actually filmed in Paris. It made the film look more authentic and helped with the growth of Sabrina’s character on screen. Maybe because I usually find romantic endings to be cheesy, my favorite part of the movie was Sabrina’s time in Paris. I think if you’re looking for something familiar and sweet, I would give this movie a watch if you haven’t.

We have the DVD to check out in the library catalog.