Oh my, May flew by! I had a wonderful birthday, saw two super cool classical concerts, started working on fun events for my orchestra, and I enjoyed the “summer-is-coming” weather. Of course, I also managed to read a few books and binge some great TV. Without further ado, here are my favorites:

I Read…

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. This book, this boooook! 

Y’all, this book had a bit of everything I love: murder mystery, court room drama, coming of age, and romance – all set in the marshes of the Southern US of A. 

Oh, how beautifully mesmerizing this book is. Atmospheric is an understatement, and I could almost hear and feel the marsh, the insects and birds, the mud and sand and ocean. This book is masterfully written and a must read! 

Also, I can’t wait to see the movie, yay!

I Also Read…

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas!  

Truth time: I have a complicated relationship with the Crescent City books. I loved the ToG and ACOTAR series, and I WANT to love Crescent City (like, really badly). BUT: the love is not happening for me…

I can’t keep track of the characters, I’m not super invested in Bryce and Hunt, and parts of the plot, world building, and descriptions feel a bit “recycled” from Maas’ other series. Also, about 70% of the book is spent at Bryce’s apartment, gathered around the table (I mean, a white couch…who does that?) talking about what is happening…WHY? 

Still, I’ll be reading the next installment – it’s Sarah J. Maas, after all!

I Watched…

I watched the first two episodes of the new Obi-Wan Kenobi series, and they were everything I hoped for, and more!

The show follows the prequels seamlessly and vibes like the old-school Star Wars era, but is darker and far more emotionally motivated. Ewan McGregor is as flawless, unflappable and witty as ever, and little Leia is a sassy badass I didn’t expect but absolutely adore 🙂

I believe this series will be perfect for studying character-driven storytelling, and I can’t wait to see the other four episodes!

Oh, and the new John Williams theme is already a classic (those horns). Chills!

I Listened to…

Tosca, performed by the the Dutch Philharmonic Orchestra and the Dutch National Opera, conducted by Lorenzo Viotti! 

Tosca is an extremely dark and pessimistic opera by Puccini. It’s about the volatile singer Floria Tosca, who takes matters into her own hands when the sadistic chief of police Scarpia arrests her lover. It’s a psychological drama (I mean: D-R-A-M-A) with an unhappy, bloody ending. 

The performance I saw was non-traditional, fresh, and super atmospheric. I LOVED the modern setting, the condensed way in which the story was told (less is definitely more), and the fact that the music didn’t just serve the story: it played an active part in the drama (also: that clarinet solo, OMG). 

Tosca is a disaster unfolding, and as a member of the audience, you can’t look away from the criminality, sexuality, sadism, political intrigue, and sense of hopelessness. It’s a terrible story. Fantastic, but terrible.

I highly recommend seeing it, if only for the Te Deum: wow, wow, wow!

I Played on Repeat…

The soundtrack to The Secrets of Dumbledore, by James Newton Howard!

I’m a fan! The score for Secrets is much darker than the scores for the previous two movies, but I love the sharp, dissonant moments and menacing tones. Ambience is this score’s forte, and the composer’s ability to generate ruckus, dread, and sensitivity are perfect for writing those sad, horrible, dramatic scenes in my WIP!

Of course, the references to John Williams’ original Harry Potter themes are still amazing 😉