Let's Pretend This Never Happened

Isn't that such a great title?  Too bad I didn't come up with it!  "Let's Pretend This Never Happened" is a mostly true memoir about and by Jenny Lawson,

Have you ever been on a bus, or sitting around somewhere and you hear people's conversations, and you wish you could write this down because seriously?  This is going on?  That is basically what this book is, except it happened to the author AND she wrote it down into a nice mostly consecutive order.  And it is so goddamn funny!  Like, seriously funny.  This is one of the only novels that I have ever read that probably had me laughing throughout most of it.  And don't get me wrong, not at her, well kind of at her, but at the situations that she has been in throughout her life.  For example, her dad is a taxidermist, and this resulted in her playing with a lot of dead animals as a child, which kind of grew to a weird obsession in her later years.  Not with any gross taxidermy stuff, but like the mouse in clothes on the cover of her book.  She decided/has decided to collect small taxidermic animals that have some sort of anthropomorphic feeling to them.

I don't want to give too much away, but it's interesting how Jenny juxtaposes stuff that happened in her life.  Like she had an eating disorder when she was younger, which she acknowledges, but she talks about it in a way that is not "oh pity me," but more like, "man that was stupid."

Anyway, I read this book a while ago, and thought it would be a good holiday read for anyone with a few hours to themselves.  Heck you could probably even turn it into a family affair, although there are some parts that are more PG13.

Happy reading, and remember, share this with your friends!

Yay for Lana Del Rey!

So as most of you know I have been on hiatus from my blog as I have had a complete early life crisis of sorts - nothing too crazy, but there were definitely tears shed and desperation felt.  Yet through it all I managed to watch movies and listen to music.

I realize that with this particular artist I am not on the bandwagon, but hitching a ride from the horse and buggy.  (Yes I know I've used that saying before, but dang it, I like it!)  Anyway, you indie listeners may recognize the name Lana Del Rey, but for those of you who don't you should definitely listen to her at least once.  And for your convenience I have linked up not only her website, but a youtube video of her song "Born To Die," 

Lana Del Rey has a unique vocal range, and as someone who has a limited vocal range, I love being able to sing along with her.  She sings in a lower tone, which a lot of people liken to Janis Joplin, but I think the comparison stops there.  Her songs are very smoky and sultry.  Also, her songs are kind of sad, but easily relatable to life situations.  A lot of other reviewers/critics agree that she gives off this 1920's/1930's prohibition era vibe, which I really like.

I really like "Born To Die" because it's one of those songs that is about living in the moment.  It is kind of unique because it doesn't imply that you have to be a superstar to enjoy life.  The message that I take away from it is that some people are meant for greatness, but a lot aren't and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that as long as you are living in and enjoying the moment.  I think there is a lot more to this song than I am mentioning.  Whoever listens to it will get out of it what they need, and that is something that is really cool about Lana Del Rey as an artist - complex songs speak to people on different levels, and that is what I love about this type of music.  

Anyway, I hope you check out her website or her youtube video.  I tried to keep this short and sweet (like me), and will try to write more frequently.  Oh and as a special bonus I included the lyrics to the song below.  

Feet don’t fail me now

Take me to the finish line

Oh my heart it breaks every step that I take

But I’m hoping at the gates,

They’ll tell me that you’re mine

Walking through the city streets

Is it by mistake or design

I feel so alone on the Friday nights

Can you make it feel like home, if I tell you you’re mine

It's like I told you honey

Don’t make me sad, don’t make me cry

Sometimes love is not enough and the road gets tough

I don’t know why

Keep making me laugh

Let’s go get high

The road is long, we carry on

Try to have fun in the meantime

Come on take a walk on the wild side

Let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain

You like your girls insane

Choose your last words, this is the last time

Cause you and I, we were born to die

Lost but now I am found

I can see but once I was blind

I was so confused as a little child

Trying to take what I could get

Scared that I couldn't find

All the answers honey

Don’t make me sad, don’t make me cry

Sometimes love is not enough and the road gets tough

I don’t know why

Keep making me laugh

Let's go get high

The road is long, we carry on

Try to have fun in the meantime

Come on take a walk on the wild side

Let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain

You like your girls insane

Choose your last words,

This is the last time

Cause you and I

We were born to die [x3]

Come on and take a walk on the wild side

Let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain

You like your girls insane

Don’t make me sad, don’t make me cry

Sometimes love is not enough and the road gets tough

I don’t know why

Keep making me laugh

Let's go get high

The road is long, we carry on

Try to have fun in the meantime

Come on take a walk on the wild side

Let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain

You like your girls insane...

Choose your last words,

This is the last time

Cause you and I

We were born to die