Would you like to know what I’ve been reading the last twelve months? I made a list.
As I have done for the past few years, in 2019 I kept a list of the books I read. Generally books I read only for fun and not for school, but sometimes they crossed over. I realized a while back I just wasn’t reading enough for pleasure, and that was making my life, well, much less pleasurable. Reading has always been a vigorous Continue reading “2019 Reading Year in Review”
Well, my friends, we have arrived, finally, at the 12th day of holiday music. I hope you have enjoyed the series this year; there are already several excellent choices on the docket waiting for next year’s edition. Remember, too, you can click back through to see the playlists from the last several years right here:
I have Dean Martin’s smarmy version of this song on my iPod, but now that I’ve discovered this one, I have a feeling it’s going to be replaced. I really like this song: winter has always been “snuggle weather” as far as I’m concerned — and yes, I recognize my great good fortunate privilege to be able to say that, and I don’t take it for granted. Ella Fitzgerald’s gorgeous rendition makes me want to dance, dance, dance.
Have a wonderful holiday, whichever one you’re celebrating, if you are doing so, and if you aren’t, have a great week! I am celebrating myself, so expect me to be off the blog for a little while as I take a well-deserved vacation from All The Things. I’ll catch you toward the new year.
We are almost at the end of our 12 Days of Seasonal Earworms, and I was reminded of this song this year at my son’s holiday music concert at school. I hadn’t heard it in about a million years because Houston’s Pathetic Christmas Music Station doesn’t seem to have it in its rotation. There are many versions of it out there, including one by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, whose music I like a lot, but it doesn’t have the iconic gravel of Louie Armstrong and just isn’t as good, so here we go.
Do not imagine I have forgotten about Hanukkah, which starts very soon. Happy Hanukkah to all who are celebrating it!
Okay, so tonight’s earworm isn’t technically a holiday song, but hear me out. Everyone needs a little break from Christmas music now and then, even the most devoted fans of it. The song I’m posting tonight — and in fact the entire album this song comes from — actually does mean Christmas to me, because my aunt gave me this album on cassette for Christmas when I was in eleventh grade, and it was one of my very favorite gifts that year. I listened to it nonstop that winter — as I am wont to do with music I love — and so this song, the title track, has been lodged in my brain for the last few decades as a Christmas song, even though it’s technically not one.
I’m not really into crooners, in general, I have to admit. I grew up listening to the original Big Bands and do like Big Band music. In my twenties, swing dancing was my favorite hobby. But the only song I can listen to with Michael Bublé in it is “The Elf’s Lament” by Barenaked Ladies, and I’m about done with Dean Martin and his whole rat pack. I’m just not interested.
But this song? Somehow I just love it.
I have to thank my friend Sarah Warburton for this one, because I hadn’t heard it before she shared it with me. And now I love it. Its catchy little self is running through both our heads.
In other news, I have one straggler essay left to grade before I can begin to tackle the trillion administrative tasks that have been put on hold until I could get my papers graded, and then once those are done, I’ll get a little time off, which I really need, wheee!
(Though, let’s be honest, I’m still going to be writing, because there aren’t any days off from being an author when you also have a day job that’s something else. And I cannot wait to get back to the writing! Edits of my next book, the second in the Animal Affinities series, are on the docket, so fans of Finis., rejoice! The next one is finally on the horizon. More details on that soon.)
The other day David posted Motörhead’s version of this song on his blog — which is awesome, by the way — but this rendition was already on my list for this year. In high school my friend Patricia and I were unabashedly ridiculous Bryan Adams fans. His music was so ubiquitous in that era, and we loved it. I still enjoy listening to it now and then, although I’m more likely to have the Red Hot Chili Peppers or Ani diFranco or Hamilton in the kind of heavy rotation Bryan Adams saw back in the day. Anyway, enough about that. This song is super fun.
Enjoy!
So here’s one that’s haunting and lovely from back in what my friend David Jón Fuller refers to as Sting’s “vampire-presenting days.” I love it.
Okay, I get it. Not everyone loves the holidays. Not everyone enjoys hanging out with their family. In fact, some people cannot even with the holidays because they’ve successfully managed to more or less escape the pandemonium and strife of the families they came from, and having to go back during the holidays is stressful.
Friends, I see you — and your relative nightmare. This mildly inappropriate earworm is for you.
Okay, I have to include this new Christmas song this year because it’s by Wrabel, and I have a special fondness for Wrabel’s music because when he was in tenth grade, he was in my English class.
So, shout out to you, Wrabel. Your English II teacher is proud of you and really happy about the art you’re putting out into the world. “11 Blocks” is still in heavy rotation on my playlist. Happy holidays, kiddo. Good job. 🙂
Sappho's Torque 