BOOK
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
Once I picked up this book I couldn’t stop reading it. I’m not going to spoil the twist, but I’m going to spoil a little, so don’t read further if you hate spoilers (who are you??). I was under the impression when I started that it’d be a fun rom-com love triangle story. WRONG. It was a sad friendship cancer love story. This was so heartbreaking and so beautiful and wow. I was in my feels for days. And then the new Taylor Swift album came out, so here I am, still in my feels.
FILMS
The Kissing Booth and the Sequel (Trailer)
I am cosigning my seal of approval on the sequel because how can you mess this one up? Joey King? Love her. Jacob Elordi? What a deep voice this young man has. This story of how a girl fell in love with her best friend’s older brother despite their list of friendship rules forbidding this budding romance is just a lot of fun! Pure Netflix fun. Here’s to hoping true love conquers all for these young kids who face a couple obstacles here and there.
Taylor Swift is out here trying to single handedly save 2020. She released this doc earlier this year at Sundance and then on Netflix, but definitely worth revisiting after she dropped her surprise, new album, folklore, last night. Watch her rise to fame and the moments we didn’t see as she hid away from the world while falling in love with actor, Joe Alywn, and writing her sixth album, Reputation. If you were a Taylor hater, I think you might change your mind after peeling back the curtain.
One Direction: This is Us (Trailer)
When I was nineteen I convinced my younger cousins to come see this in the theaters because I didn’t want to be the weird older girl seeing the One Direction movie alone ?? Then the opening credits started and I got goosebumps and started sobbing and screaming, so it was still weird and my ten year old cousins were probably scarred for life. In honor of One Direction’s anniversary do yourself a favor and do more than they did by watching this gem of a documentary. You’ll laugh, and you’ll cry (or maybe that’s just me).
Jumanji: The Next Level (Trailer)
Hard to find a better family movie than this one. Adventure (wild ostrich and mandrill monkey chases), body-swap antics on another level (Danny DeVito as Dwayne Johnson?!) and a crazy fun cast (Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, Danny Glover, Awkwafina, and of course Nick Jonas). Don’t let my dad falling asleep trick you to thinking this one isn’t a wild ride. I’m just saying if there was an option to play inside video game right now, I would jump (most likely trip) my way in.
TV SERIES
Somehow, even though I knew what was going to happen, this was just as refreshing as the first time I watched. If you’re looking for a burst of feeling, binge Zendaya battle with sobriety as she fights to hold onto something in life worth grounding herself. Is it her sister? Her new best friend that she’s fallen in love with? Her mom? Love Island? Or will she ultimately always turn back to drugs? TW: there are some tough scenes with sexual assault so please watch at your own discretion.
Revisiting Glee was an experience… an emotional rollercoaster to say the least. Don’t get me wrong, some moments do not hold up but I know this show changed my life. From the musical performances to the unforgettable cast, I promise some episodes are worth rewatching: Sectionals (A classic), Britney/Brittany (#FreeBrittany), West Side Story (We Love you Naya Rivera), The Quarterback (if you’re ready to cry).
MUSIC
Not sure how to write a better review than Rob Sheffield, who with just two sentences made me feel goosebumps for two hours. But, here goes. I would like to preface, I’m incredibly biased. I’ve been a Swiftie for years, I’ve been to all but one of her solo tours, I’m in several online fan groups where we discuss lyric theories and speculate when her next music video or single will drop. That being said, I’m also really hard on her. I haven’t liked a lead single of hers the first go around since ‘Mine.’ I always have anywhere from one to six skips on any album. So, I want everyone to know it’s not hyperbole when I say, this is Taylor Swift’s best album. It’s everything I’ve always wanted from her and so much more. In two words, Grammy winning.
Happy Decade Anniversary to the most consistent band of boys I’ve been lucky to have witnessed during the prime of their collective greatness. I have a strong love/hate relationship with individuals in this band (Hi, Harry and Zayn), but overall they’ve blessed us fans with something unforgettable – their nostalgic discography. Their music has brought so many people so much joy, that it takes little effort to fight the urge to get sucked into the drama that surrounds them and just break into dance while jamming out to Girl Almighty. To the boys – thanks for giving us nothing new outside of releasing music we’ve all heard before. Gotta love ‘em (and hate ’em).
