In the end, isn’t it just about distracting yourself from all the things you don’t know how to do? Here are some strong distraction contenders:
Peaky Blinders. PEAKY. BLINDERS.
My love for semi-historical movies and TV shows comes directly from my dad, who loves Vikings and enjoys the rare occasions when the History Channel actually airs history-related content. I won’t lie, when I watched the first episode of Peaky Blinders I fell asleep – not uncommon for me, and definitely not any type of comment on the actual quality of the show (for reference, I also fell asleep during The Matrix, much to the dismay of anyone who learns this about me). BUT, the creepiness of the theme song and the intense drama that follows said creepy theme song soon drew me in and I haven’t come up for air since. Set in the interwar period as experienced by 1920s Birmingham, England, the show follows an up and coming crime family and details their fight to the top of the racetrack gambling scene. There’s drama, comedy, secret children, rival gangs, handsome dudes, and the fact that this gang actually did exist in 1920s England. What more do you need?
On repeat:
Out of Love, by Two Friends ft. Cosmos & Creature
Sometimes, your friend shows you a song that makes your whole life better. That is how I feel about this jazzy, summery, perfect, wonderful song. I’ve listened to it approximately 73 times and I still love it… Not sure I can say the same for my roommates.
One Good Song
Matt Andersen is an angel sent from above. I promise. This really is just one, good, song. On exchange in China now and even back home in Ottawa, this is enough of the Maritimes to keep me going until the fall. His latest album was released two years ago, and it is a gift to ears worldwide.
Dermot Kennedy
Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Dermot Kennedy – the Dublin artist is incredibly diverse and has such a unique sound I don’t even know how to describe it! My favourites so far include Moments Passed, Young & Free, and Glory.
A Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson
I know it’s summer, and every cell in my body is yelling at me to stop cramming my brain full of more stuff – but I figure if I can trick it into learning through humour, I’m all for it. I made the unfortunate mistake of leaving the book at home (I’m bad at packing), so I won’t see it for a few more weeks, but I started it before I left, and I already know I love it. I’ll have to let you know, but as far as online reviews and real person reviews go, I’ve heard nothing but good!
Katie Spicer is a 4th year Kinesiology student and Copy Editor of The Athenaeum