I read Crime and Punishment in five days. It was my first Dostoevsky, I was on Christmas break, and I was taken. The novel had been on my shelf for months. I bought it in one of Barnes & Noble’s regular buy-2-get-3rd-free sales, and I didn’t give one thought to the translator. Once I fell … Continue reading Cost in Translation
Opinion
Queen Harvest’s 2019 Reading Recap
For my fifth annual Reading Recap I decided to do something a little special: procrastinate for five months before finishing it. In my defense, I was very busy around New Year's, and I am very not-busy now. 1. Norse Mythology, Neil Gaiman (2017) I am a sucker for tradition. Even if I don't follow them … Continue reading Queen Harvest’s 2019 Reading Recap
Queen Harvest’s Top Five (5) Albums of 2019
For five years I have memorialized the albums that spoke to me in a year-end blog post. The record of 2019 shows that I invested my time into no more than four albums and one EP. That’s it? That’s it. Out of the five recordings that meant something to me in 2019, here are the … Continue reading Queen Harvest’s Top Five (5) Albums of 2019
Queen Harvest’s Top Five (5) Albums of 2018
By January of 2018, I was burned out. I had spent each of the previous 52 weeks identifying, listening to, and evaluating a new album. Though I got a lot out of my 2017 music mission, I did not have the energy or interest to invest in a lot of new music. As a result, … Continue reading Queen Harvest’s Top Five (5) Albums of 2018
Queen Harvest’s Top Ten (10) Movies of 2018
The One that Holds Everything (The Romanoffs Episode 8) The Violet Hour (The Romanoffs Episode 1) End of the Line (The Romanoffs Episode 7) House of Special Purpose (The Romanoffs Episode 3) The Royal We (The Romanoffs Episode 2) Bright and High Circle (The Romanoffs Episode 5) Expectations (The Romanoffs Episode 4) Panorama (The Romanoffs … Continue reading Queen Harvest’s Top Ten (10) Movies of 2018
Queen Harvest’s 2018 Reading Recap
I had one goal for reading in 2018: enjoy it. I forced myself to read too many educational books in 2017 for no reason other than I should, and I did not want to wear myself down that way again. I believe I succeeded. I still read a fair number of educational books, but they … Continue reading Queen Harvest’s 2018 Reading Recap
Queen Harvest’s 2017 Reading Recap
Early this year I followed Marie Kondo's advice and put every book I owned on the floor to be judged. I held every book and decided whether it brought me joy--if yes it stayed, if no it was discarded. Unfortunately, the joy a book brings can fluctuate based on all those words between the covers. … Continue reading Queen Harvest’s 2017 Reading Recap
2017: Third Quarter Note
I feel like several years have passed since the second quarter of 2017. For reference, in the last three months I have graduated with a master’s degree, left my job of over three years, and moved across the country to start my career in a new landscape and climate, where I know no one but … Continue reading 2017: Third Quarter Note
In Review: The Devil in the White City and The Fountainhead
Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City is a remarkable piece of pop history. Larson takes two very different historical narratives–one bringing pride and hope to a city, the other leaving shame and fear –and sews them into one fascinating garment. I expected the serial killer to keep my interest, but I was pleasantly … Continue reading In Review: The Devil in the White City and The Fountainhead
2017: Second Quarter Note
Since my First Quarter Note I have diligently, doggedly, at times reluctantly, maintained a rigorous schedule of listening to a new album of music each week. There have been difficult dry spells when I felt burned out (See Weeks 17-19) and times of glorious abundance when I had the world on a string (See Week … Continue reading 2017: Second Quarter Note
