The Best June 2017 Pick-Me-Ups
I don't know about you guys, but June was shit to me. School literally started a few days into June and I already had to say hi to my old friends stress and all nighters on the 2nd week. The first few weeks of school were already so full of requirements and lectures. I died around 17 times.
It wasn't all that bad though, with the help of some amazing literature, music, and movies, I was able to pick myself up from the ground (literally) and haul ass to July. Here are the best pick-me-ups of June 2017.
LITERATURE
Let's start with some good ol' books because this month was such a good reading month I can't even. I read some of the most amazing pieces of literature my eyes have ever set eyes on (not kidding) this month and I'm psyched to share them with you!
Simon vs. the Homos Sapiens Agenda
Goodreads Summary
Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.
With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.
Goodreads Summary
Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.
With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.
I truly, madly, deeply fell so in love with this book to the point that I literally tried to read slower because I just didn't want it to end. I absolutely loved Simon, as well as his friends and family because they all felt so real. Like, they weren't perfect paper cut-outs, they were people. They all made mistakes, they all feel.
My love for this book grabe I can't even begin to express how beautiful this story is. It's a light coming of age story about this boy and his coming out story - but it's also so much more than that.
5/5 stars, highly recommend. Can't wait for the movie!
Ready Player One
Goodreads Summary
It's the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place.
Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets.
And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune — and remarkable power — to whoever can unlock them.
Goodreads Summary
It's the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place.
Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets.
And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune — and remarkable power — to whoever can unlock them.
Ready Player One has been in my To Be Read pile for so long and I finally picked it up and I am obsessed with it. I finished this book in a little less than 2 days, that's how good it is. I loved the story, the diversity, the pop culture references (I geeked out so many times throughout this book I swear)!
I honestly have a soft spot for books about videogames because I think they're so interesting and different. If you feel the same, I highly recommend this book!
MUSIC
It's been a good month for music as well because I've been spending a lot of time studying and moving around, which means I've also been listening to music a lot. I have this weird thing where I can't do anything for a long period of time without some kind of background noise or music. Or else I fall asleep. Because naps, amirite? Naps are love, naps are life.Awesome Mix Vol. 2
Yep, the soundtrack for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Honestly, how could I not? This playlist is so upbeat and old school and gah I love it so much. I blast these tunes whenever I go running or cooking or basically any activity wherein I can pretend I'm also in the middle of an epic battle.
MOVIES
I'm your typical broke senior so I didn't get to watch a lot of movies in the cinemas, so I only have 2 movies that kept me alive this month.
And duh, the first one is Wonder Woman. I will shamelessly say that Diana single handedly carried the entire DCEU (because she really did and I love Gal Gadot so much it hurts). Pictures of little girls dressed up as Wonder Woman makes my heart melt every single time I look at them because heck that right there is going to be the long-term effect of accurate representation of women in the media. Women can kick ass and are strong as heck. We're not damsels in distress. We're not scared of the dragon. We are the dragon.
The next film is a local movie called Camp Sawi, and it's the stories of these women who go to a trip to an island to "heal" from their heartbreaks. I cried so many times while watching. It was such a heart warming film, plus it features beautiful, beautiful views here in the Philippines!
Aaaand that's about it. I hope ya'll are having a much better June than I am. Enlighten me on what your pick-me-ups are and let's both cry about the beauty of these things because I am just so full of feelings.
And duh, the first one is Wonder Woman. I will shamelessly say that Diana single handedly carried the entire DCEU (because she really did and I love Gal Gadot so much it hurts). Pictures of little girls dressed up as Wonder Woman makes my heart melt every single time I look at them because heck that right there is going to be the long-term effect of accurate representation of women in the media. Women can kick ass and are strong as heck. We're not damsels in distress. We're not scared of the dragon. We are the dragon.
The next film is a local movie called Camp Sawi, and it's the stories of these women who go to a trip to an island to "heal" from their heartbreaks. I cried so many times while watching. It was such a heart warming film, plus it features beautiful, beautiful views here in the Philippines!
Aaaand that's about it. I hope ya'll are having a much better June than I am. Enlighten me on what your pick-me-ups are and let's both cry about the beauty of these things because I am just so full of feelings.
Andrea
May the comments be ever in my favor (or not)