January–April 2019 felt a lot like treading water. Between planning the PRSA Charlotte Symposium, teaching at UNC Charlotte, preparing for my APR Panel Presentation, volunteering with the Charlotte Speech and Hearing Center, showing up for my husband at his Isles Meet-ups and meeting client expectations at my day job, my life has been full and vibrant, but now I’m very much looking forward to taking a step back this summer. (And hopefully spending a lot more quality time with my Kindle – preferably poolside.)
Here’s what I’ve got to show for myself in March/April.
Read
The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory
Yikes. I gave this one 2/5 ⭐️ But it’s nothing against the author – I think this genre (modern romance) is just not my cup of tea! ☕️ I saw this book all over my Instagram feed and it was even endorsed by Reese Witherspoon’s book club, but to me, it was predictable and boring, the dialogue didn’t feel natural, and the main characters were painfully immature. But, like I said, it was all over Instagram, so maybe it’s just me 🤷🏻♀️
Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis
I have mixed feelings about this book – just as many people have mixed feelings about Rachel Hollis. I just discovered her this past fall when I read her first book, Girl, Wash Your Face, and absolutely loved it. So when I saw she was releasing a second book, I preordered it immediately. Overall, this was a quick read and a good pep talk. BUT, I felt like it was rushed to capitalize on the success of her first book because it didn’t share a ton of new content and half of it felt like a response to all of the criticism she’s gotten over the past year. Some sections of the book felt forced, like she was simply regurgitating #feminism commentary from social media.
This sounds like a negative review, but after finishing this book, I immediately went out and took a giant step towards my biggest goal that’s been hanging out in the back of my mind since I was 15, so that should tell you something. 3/5 ⭐️
Watch
The fourth season of Catastrophe recently came out on Amazon and MPR and I blew through it. This is one of the only shows that makes me straight up cackle every episode. I don’t really know how to describe it other than two terrible people who found each other, got married and had kids. Since I find them hilarious, maybe I am also a terrible person, but goodness is this a great stress reliever.
I am not yet a mom, so I can’t fully appreciate or relate to this show, yet I still find it very funny. Also somewhat depressing. But still funny. Apparently this is a Canadian show that is already in its third season, but is just now being gifted to us Americans on Netflix. So it’s a good investment in characters and storylines since you know you’ll be able to follow them for at least a few seasons. P.S. Why is it that every show has a woman who works at a PR agency? I feel very seen 👀
Listen
I would first like to share that MPR surprised me with a Spotify Premium family plan, and I feel like the fanciest lady in all the land. Perhaps we’re the last people on planet Earth to use the free Spotify subscription with ads, but this is coming from a girl who keeps the 6-CD changer in her car stacked, so I guess somewhere along the way I stopped keeping up with music technology 📻
I’m late to the party on this pop-punk gem. We saw them on tour with State Champs in March and when they took the stage I instantly fell in love. Sometimes going into a show with zero knowledge of the opening bands is the greatest treat. I’m now a big Grayscale fan and am hoping that since “Adornment” came out in 2017, they’ll be gracing us with a new album this year.
Another band where I must have been living under a rock to not acknowledge; however, I firmly believe that certain bands and albums come into your life at specific times for a reason, so I won’t question the music universe. We’ll be seeing Set It Off on tour with Emarosa this summer, and these two pop-heavy bands are going to make the best lineup ever. I can’t compare their newest album to any of their previous albums, but Midnight reminds me of new Fall Out Boy and pumps me up on my way to work.
Disclaimer: MPR started a music/hockey podcast with his buddy Devin – BUT – it really is fantastic. They’re 15 episodes in and have landed some amazing interviews, including Nic Newsham from Gastby’s American Dream, Shane Told from Silverstein and Nick Ghanbarian from Bayside. Check it out if you love alternative music, hockey, or both! 🏒🎧
What are you reading/watching/listening to these days?
Caitlin Ryan, APR 