July 2023 Favorites

Another month comes to an end. My July certainly had some bumps in the road, but also some very pleasant vistas. I enjoyed stocking up on anime and manga during the RightStuf Anime Birthday Sale. And writing flowed through me once again, which, at this point, feels like a great honor. Which is maybe how it's meant to feel.

Here are some other favorites.

Ballad of Never After: Another absolutely enchanting tale from Stephanie Garber. With magic and longing and heartbreak. I don't want to ruin anything for people who haven't read the book yet, but wow. Those last few chapters. Brilliant.

Cardcaptor Sakura: This series has such a similar soul to Magic Inc. And the Clear Card arc has brought me so much joy. Syaoran and Sakura are a forever favorite ship for me. Their connection is so sweet and genuine. And I love every second of it.

Call Us What We Carry: These poems are blazing with heart and truth about recent years. I've had a love/hate relationship with poetry over the years, mostly due to my own self-afflicted wounds. And even now, I find myself feeling lost in the weeds at times. Unable to process all of the beautiful words. But then it all comes together with words that are so raw and real. Like this book often does.

Speak Now (Taylor's Version): Well, here we are again (tonight). As usual, I am taking my time with experiencing (and re-experiencing) this album. The music video for I Can See You is so much fun with the references, while simultaneously heartbreaking when she takes that last look back at her past exploding.

YouTube Favs: I've been watching more Daryl Talks Games and his video "Stories That Use Time to Hurt You" made me so emotional and draws on two of my favorite stories. Michael MJD's video on the Windows XP Bliss Wallpaper was surprisingly meaningful. I've also been enjoying The Book Leo's videos, Moon Channel's videos, and TheMentok's videos on the history of Mario characters.

Other Music Favs: Dark in My Imagination (of Verona), Juno (Nerina Pallot), Love Back (Gabrielle Aplin), Kissing Other People (Lennon Stella), Crying on the Bathroom Floor (So Below), Passenger (Britney Spears), Stuck (Echosmith).