loving >> week 162

Hello!
Happy Sunday! How has your weekend been thus far? I have found my recent school weeks to be nonstop, so I cherish any time I have to spend with my family {my sister and I, for example, saw and loved The Intern last week}, read a good book {my current novel? Rebecca Stead’s Goodbye Stranger, which is all sorts of excellent}, or bake a good treat {apple cider doughnuts for the win}. Of course, I also love to catch up any all things Ciao Bella, such as finally posting this week’s Love List, the first in quite a while! Here’s what has made my month of October…

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1 ♥ Honor Girl I’ll be the first to tell you that I wish there were more graphic novels published, or, at the very least, better publicized for the YA audience. I’ll save that discussion for another day, but it is an important point to be made when I come across as good of an example as Maggie Thrash’s memoir, Honor Girl. In the book, which was released earlier this fall, Thrash writes of her experience with first love at camp, threading the narrative with questions of sexuality and feelings on friendship. It’s a stunning piece of nostalgic writing, only outdone by Thrash’s distinct and simplistic illustrations. I think the book premise sums it up best: “This graphic-novel memoir is a debut of the rarest sort.” It really truly is.

2 ♥ Goosebumps I’ve been on a Halloween movie kick as of late – ’tis the season – watching everything from Halloweentown, a classic that could never get old, to Hocus Pocus, a cult favorite I had only seen for the first time this year. Scary movies are not my cup of tea, but I could never turn down witches, monsters, and so-so special effects! I believe my Halloween film traditions are ample explanation for my excitement over the new Goosebumps movie released this past Friday.

If you have not yet seen the trailers, a brief synopsis: Jack Black stars as the author R.L. Stine, a hermit of sorts, who lives among locked editions of each Goosebumps book with his daughter, played by Odeya Rush {the novels should never be opened, unless you are brave enough to deal with a monster}. Cue the boy next door, a role filled by Dylan Minnette, whose curiosity gets the best of him; needless to say, following his appearance, they have a long night ahead of them. I think the film is such an inventive twist on the popular book series, and I hope to catch it before the month’s end! Do you plan to see Goosebumps in theaters?

3 ♥ The Skimm Let it be known that The Skimm is nothing new. The “daily email newsletter to start your day” was founded in 2012, and since its start, it has gained a large – and continually growing! – audience of readers. It’s no question as to why it’s so popular; in a world saturated with news, it’s convenient to have the highlights of the day all in one place for easy reading {their sense of humor doesn’t hurt either}. Though I signed up just last month, I’m already a huge fan, and I’ve made it an important part of my weekday morning routine. If you’re interested yourself, I suggest reading more HERE.

4 ♥ Hamilton Broadway’s biggest and newest hit Hamilton has been in the news lately, and for good reason! Its creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda {who also wrote the musical In the Heights} was the recipient of the MacArthur Genius Grant; the show is sold out to the summer of 2016; and the cast album had a very successful release on iTunes. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll be able to see a performance anytime soon {tickets are too scarce and expensive for my liking}, but in the meantime, the soundtrack is a terrific alternative. The entire cast is so talented, and the songs themselves are nothing short of incredible. I would and could gush about it more, but I believe my time would be better spent convincing you to buy it :) Have you listened to any of the Hamilton tracks?

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5 ♥ My sister, Lulu Finally, I want to give a belated birthday shout-out to my little sister, Lulu! She turned one year older last Friday, and we celebrated the special day appropriately with a pancake breakfast, pedicures, and a homemade chocolate chip cake. I’m so grateful to have Lulu in my life, and I hope her birthday was just as amazing as she is. To put it simply? I’m lucky that my sister is also my best friend.

Have a great Sunday!
Bella