Thursday, August 2, 2018

Stuff I Like: Reading, Packing, Learning.

Hi y'all! I've got some new stuff to tell you about and I'm pretty sure I already spoiled one of the things but too bad. That's just the way it goes, I guess. Also, before I start I just want to mention that this cute dress at Loft is now less than $14 and I CAN'T ORDER IT. Someone buy it and make it go away, please. Ugh. ANYWAY:



This Book Which Checks All My Boxes
So, listen. I am a basic nerd who likes Jane Austen and  time travel books so any time there's a novel or TV show that combines these two things? I AM IN. Even if it's terrible, I still want to read/watch it. I'm currently reading The Jane Austen Project and I am embarrassed at how into it I am but not too embarrassed to tell you guys about it. Even though I know it's stupid to review books I haven't finished, so far it's delightful and I highly recommend it if you like Jane Austen and/or time travel.



This Toiletries Kit That I Already Mentioned
I always forget about LL Bean as a source of really good quality stuff and while on a recent bike trip I admired a friend's no-nonsense toiletry kit. She told me it was LL Bean and, since my sad old Target kit is dying and I have a trip coming up (have I mentioned it?) I thought it was time for an upgrade. The kit comes in four sizes (I got the medium) and a bunch of colors. It's basically perfect and it has a little detachable shower caddy! Love.



This App That I'm Hoping Will Teach Me French
I am trying to learn a bit of rudimentary French and, while Coffee Break French is very helpful, I'm more of a visual learner so I started looking for a flashcard app. I finally found SpeakEasy which has flashcard sections as well as a phrasebook which includes spoken, phonetic and proper spelling for each word. It's great and available for a bunch of languages. Je parle couramment le français. Pourquoi ris-tu?

PS. I've also got Duolingo and it's fun but not so helpful with common phrases for travelers. I can't imagine a situation in which I'll need to say, "The boys are rich and calm."

9 comments:

  1. Have you seen Austenland? It is seriously delightful. JJ Feild is great in it, and the film was made by Jerusha Hess (who also did Napoleon Dynamite). It is hilarious. Jane Seymour is particularly wicked and campy in it. An all around good romp.

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    1. I've read the book but didn't see the film. It sounds perfect, thank you!

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  2. I loved The Jane Austen Project!!! I'm also a big time travel nerd - have you read the Chronicles of St. Mary's series? So much fun. The first one is called Just One Damned Thing After Another. What are some of your other favorites, aside from Connie Willis?

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    1. Oh, I haven't! I will check that series out. I really like SOME Connie Willis but her two tome Black Out/All Clear was too long and just exhausting. A couple of my favorites: Time and Again (Jack Finney) and Life After Life (Kate Atkinson, though not really time travel, more like multiple lives instead.)

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  3. I just ordered that book. I have entirely too many books sitting in my "to read" pile, but what can I say. Time Travel + Jane Austen = Perfection.

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  4. How about, "The boys I like are rich and calm"?

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  5. That LL Bean toiletries kit is awesome! I asked for it for Christmas years ago and still use it regularly. It hold everything I need AND keeps it organized. I love it!

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