September & October | Favorites

TIA HERE with a slightly late duo-monthly favorites post. To excuse my lateness: I am currently in the craziest part of the semester in terms of papers/big projects/work/club activities, so finding a free hour for Duo Diaries has been a challenge. But you'll never find time if you don't make time! So here I am, making time.

MUSIC

Justin Bieber was never one of my favorites, but as of late, I've become a huge fan of his music, namely: "Sorry," "Where Are Ü Now," and "What Do You Mean." I'm seriously hooked. I've always thought the Biebs was a good singer, but I never cared much for his lyrics or sound. These new songs, though, tell a different story. I feel like his lyrics are more genuine now, and the embracing of the sorta unique electronic sound is doing him well.

Summer Favorites | Honeymoon, Broken Monsters, and Lemonade

TIA HERE with my summer favorites, covering everything I've been digging from May through August. Enjoy!

MUSIC

Hayley Kiyoko is a singer and songwriter who is best known for playing Velma in the live-action Scooby Doo movie (YES, that was her). But I've also found that I really dig her EP, This Side of Paradise. Her song "Girls Like Girls" has one of the most awesome music videos I've seen in a while, too, so I hope you check it out! Gotta support my fellow half-asians.

DoubleBooked | AFTER DARK vs. KAFKA ON THE SHORE

THE DUO HERE, with something new for you! Introducing, DoubleBooked: a novel collaboration comparing our latest reads, lit-erally. Each month (hopefully), in an effort to read more, we will be reviewing two trending titles so you know what to check out next.

March & April | Favorites

TIA HERE and it's that time again! (Time for a bimonthy favorites post.) Here is what I've been particularly enjoying for the past two months.

MUSIC

Ukulele tunes are all I care about right now, and that is in part due to Steven Universe (see below) but mostly because I've been really enjoying playing my ukulele lately! It's basically free accompaniment for any song you would ever want to sing, in any key, at your own pace. Ukutabs and other chord-listing websites are all I need to feel like I can finally sing along to the songs I love. Recently, it's been mostly Steven Universe and stuff from Bioshock Infinite and The Hunger Games. A very strange combo, I know.

January & February | Favorites

TIA HERE and although it's been a little while because of the toils of Cornell classes and clubs, I thought it was a good enough time to talk about my monthly favorites—or, rather, my bimonthly favorites.

January and February are crazy, cold, ambitious months, when people start and end their New Year's Resolutions and trudge through miles of snow. This is the wildest time to try to hold onto sanity, but also the most important. Here is my list of things that have kept me sane in the past month or so:

MUSIC

Rachelle Dyksinski is a wedding singer with a soothing voice that is perfect to listen to when doing homework or taking a break. Check out her YouTube channel and thumb through her music if you love acoustic guitars, the occasional ukulele, and a lovely female singing voice.

Review | "This Is Not A Test" & "Please Remain Calm" by Courtney Summers

TIA HERE with my first book(s) review of the year, and of Duo Diaries... ever. And there is no better way to kick off the book reviewing than with the book I just finished yesterday—Please Remain Calm, the novella sequel to This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers. Because the two go very much hand-in-hand, I thought it'd make sense to throw them all together into one nearly spoiler-less post (don't worry, there's a bold, all caps warning for when you get there).