Reading

So one day, as I’m walking past the Indigo by my work, I stumble in and see that they have a promotional deal on this table near the back.  It was $10 for any 3 books on that table, and it was littered with some classics.  The first two on this list are just a couple of the nine books that I picked up from that deal.

Crime and Punishment – I just cracked this novel from Fyodor Dostoevsky on my morning subway commute, so I’ll have to let you know how it is in a few days!

Heart of Darkness – The classic novella from Joseph Conrad, I was pleasantly surprised as this classic story was followed by another 4 additional short stories by Conrad.  Although the language is a bit dated, the content is still impactful.

Preacher – I’ve had the first 3 parts of this collection for a few years, but never got around to reading them.  Now that I hear AMC has made it into a show, I’ve been more encouraged to finish them off before I catch the live-action episodes.  I’ve finished the first book of six, and I’m looking forward to getting through the rest of the series.

 

Listening

My girlfriend and I had been in a long distance relationship between Jan 2015 to July 2016, and during that time we would send each other music that we liked.  As her arrival date got closer, we played a game: Since we were going to the Osheaga festival in August, we would send each other artists who would be performing.  One such artist was The Arcs.  I found them quite randomly, just going through the Osheaga artist lineup and checking out random tunes on YouTube and Spotify.  I liked their sound and sent a song off as my contribution to our game.  Once Osheaga came around, we went to check them out.  Well, I must say, that put on a helluva show.  First off, I didn’t even realize it was Dan Auerbach’s (of Black Keys fame) side project, so it was already promising.  Secondly, there were two drum kits and an all-female mariachi band.  I was sold.  They put on one of my favourite performances of the festival, and I had to pick up the album.   Give it a listen if you get a chance, it’s got a great classic feel to it.

At work, I’ve been listening to the podcast, Swords & Scales, a great collection of stories and interviews regarding crimes and murders.  IT goes into all sorts of details, from interviews with related parties, to the judicial system and its results, to in-depth descriptions of the crimes committed.  It’s haunting, informative, and riveting, and it certainly helps pass the occasional monotonous day.

 

Watching

I’m a sucker for documentaries, and I recently caught two music-related ones that I enjoyed.

First was Artifact“, a film by Jared Leto about his band, 30 Second To Mars’ struggle with the music industry and their label.  It was pretty interesting to see the development of an album behind the scenes, and to see the conflict and pressure put on by their label.

The second was I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, a documentary on Steve Aoki.  I don’t really follow Aoki too much, but it was great to get a glimpse at his journey to success and the influences he had throughout his life.  And Travis Barker makes an appearance, so that’s always a plus for me.  The guy one of my top 3 favourite drummers (the others being Dave Grohl and John Bonham), and it’s a beast on the set.In terms of shows, I’ve been watching episodes of The IT Crowd, and I’ve found it pretty entertaining.  I’m always a fan of British humour and can relate to the comedy and struggles within the office space lifestyle.