Happenings of the Month: February 2016

So I intended to have this up on Monday, but life kind of intervened. Anyway, here’s February for you.

Entertainment of the Month:

• Movies/TV

Based on an amazing true story, The Finest Hours tells the story of a horrific storm, a broken tanker ship, and a daring Coast Guard crew. Set in 1950’s New England, this movie follows Coast Guardman Bernie Webber (Chris Pine), his girlfriend Miriam (Holliday Granger), and the crew of the S.S. Pendleton, guided by Ray Sybert (Casey Affleck). When one of the worst storms in history hits the coast of New England, a huge tanker splits in half, dooming the crew to their deaths. But the Coast Guard “[has to] go out,” and Bernie Webber is in charge of the rescue attempt. This was one of the most intense theater experiences I have ever had, but it was also an amazing story of bravery and perseverance. I highly recommend it.

• Books

Karen Kingsbury is known for deeply faith- based, contemporary fiction. Though I have my criticisms sometimes, I do tend to devour her books  when I have them. Her Angels Walking Series is exceptional, based on the concept of angels walking among us. Kingsbury takes the concept a little further, creating a story based on teams of angels sent to Earth on specific missions. In Chasing Sunsets, famous baseball player Marcus Dillinger is turning his life around, learning to find purpose in Christ. He is helped along by the magnetic, bigger-than-life Mary Catherine. Everything depends on keeping these two safe and bringing them together, but the powers of darkness seem determined to separate them forever.

During the month of February, I continued my journey through the Fate of the Jedi series and finished The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. The former has gotten a little weird, but not too bad. It’s still extremely interesting. As for the latter, it got darker than Cinder was. The next book, Scarlet, in particular, tickles at some really dark edges. Overall, the series kept me up way too late. Lots of adorable moments. A few horrible ones. I can’t help but feel that the many young couples is highly unrealistic, though, and that frustrated me a bit. For those of you who’ve finished The Lunar Chronicles, what did you think?

• Music

"Disney Love Medley" - Voctave ft. Kirstie Maldonado and Jeremy Michael Lewis – This a cappella medley of love songs from Disney features the vocal talents of Pentatonix’ Kirstie Maldonado and her boyfriend, both of whom have heavenly voices. They’re adorable and the song itself is one of the most gorgeous things I have ever heard.

"Homeward Bound" - BYU Vocal Point ft. The All-American Boys Chorus – BYU Vocal Point is an all-male a cappella group with some fabulous flair. Their arrangements are really neat, and this particular song is absolutely gorgeous, highlighted by the angelic voices of a boys’ choir.

Adam Young Scores – I’ve always liked Owl City, but this year Adam Young has started a really neat new project. Every month he’s releasing a new soundtrack inspired by many different things, entirely free. February’s album was inspired by the Apollo 13 space mission, and March’s is based on the RMS Titanic. Young’s soundtracks have a quirky, non-conventional edge, but they still have the emotional basis that all good soundtracks do. March’s is particularly gorgeous. I’m really loving this project, and you should definitely check them out.

My Life This Month:

I had a near breakdown this past week. Emotional breakdown, that is. Not entirely unusual for me, but nonetheless frustrating. Everything just overwhelmed me at once: my play, school, and relationships. One of my scenes went a little wrong on Saturday, and it kind of made everything seem terrible. After a little time and context, I thankfully felt a little better. Funny how often life is like that. Sometimes I get overloaded, and I have to take a step back.

Speaking of the play, I am having a blast. Such a large, young cast has its backstage drama, but I really love acting. And it’s fun to be a part of community theater. I highly recommend getting involved with your local theater in some capacity, either on-stage or off. It’s a blast.

Sometimes growing up feels so difficult. There are so many new waters to navigate. Friendships change and grow, new responsibilities crop up. So many things are unfamiliar, and I don’t always know how to handle them. But then, that’s life, isn’t it? Experiencing new things, learning to trust. I just wish it wasn’t so frustrating sometimes…

Other Web Happenings:

The Firewall Saga | Braden Russell – Blogger over at thestorymonger.com, Braden is an awesome writer. He’s started a web serial project, self-described as post-apocalyptic cyberpunk. I’m really excited to see where this project goes.

How to Read Flirting Signals | Studio C – Studio C is one of my absolute favorite Youtube groups, and this sketch is absolutely hilarious.

How was February for all of you?