2014: People, Places, and Things

Another year has come and gone and I’ve decided to throw together a year-in-review post. Some of it might be a bit of a humble brag, but I also took the opportunity to reflect on the many changes/big decisions I made over the past twelve months.

PEOPLE

2014 was the year I met…

…Zach Braff (August) in New York, after seeing him in a delightful production of Bullets Over Broadway.

…Jamie Oliver (September) while he was promoting his latest book, Comfort Food.

…my 20+ publishing peeps! Especially the lovely Jane, who I am slowly turning into another concert buddy (please check out her super pretty website here).

…a few bands including You Me At Six, The Maine, Paradise Fears, Nick Santino, Cameron Leahy (lead singer of The Downtown Fiction), and Eric Halvorsen (former bassist of the now defunct A Rocket to the Moon).

2014 will also be remembered as the year I become obsessed with Neil Gaiman. I haven’t met him (yet! *crosses fingers*), but this was the year I finally started reading his books and realized that I had been missing out on something magical.

PLACES

2014 was the year I went…

…to New York City for the Writer’s Digest Conference in August. It was a whirlwind weekend full of stories and advice, seminars and agents. I came out of it certain in the knowledge that a) I am, indeed, a writer and b) agents are people too (even if they are intimidating).

…to England and France in the winter on a family vacation. We saw Christmas markets in Lille and Amiens (France), took a short trip to Brussels (Belgium), and then spent some glorious days in one of my favourite cities, London (England, obvs).

…to 30 concerts (I’m just really proud of achieving this goal, guys).

…to my first ever circus!

THINGS

2014 was the year I…

…convinced Ro that we needed matching tattoos (tattoos that represent both You Me At Six and All Time Low).

I’m Reckless, she’s Brave.

…finally got the Panic! at the Disco tattoo I’ve wanted for years.

…quit my well-paying but boring customer service job in April so that I could go back to school.

…started working towards my publishing certificate because it’s the best career out there for me.

…interned at HarperCollins in the sales department (which is how I ended up spending a day with Jamie Oliver) and put my newly gained knowledge of the publishing industry into actual practice.

…started an internship at Tundra which made me realize that publishing children’s books in particular is what I’m meant to do with the rest of my life.

…started writing for idobi radio, which allows me to combine two of my greatest passions (writing and mostly-pop-punk music) at least once a week.

…re-wrote my novel (again).

2014 in a nutshell

It was a crazy busy year! I didn’t achieve all the resolutions I made in January, but I started making progress towards most of them. I hope all you readers out there had just as good a year (if not better!). Bring it on, 2015!

Best concerts of 2014

This year, Ro and I hit 30 concerts. 30!!!! This was a personal best for us, and it was our goal for 2014 (we were unbelievably excited when we bought tickets for that last show). There were a couple of duplicates – some favourite bands that came to town on more than one tour – but we also saw a few bands we’ve never seen live before.

This list is pretty much in order, but the lines sort of blur once you get past the top ten. Yay live music!

1) Bring Me the Horizon – December 5 (Wembley Arena)

2) Panic! at the Disco – February 1 (Sound Academy)

3) You Me At Six – October 13 (Phoenix)

4) Fall Out Boy – June 25 (Molson Amphitheatre)

5) The Maine – March 1 (Hard Luck Bar)

6) Paradise Fears – August 12 (Mod Club)

7) Twin Atlantic – December 10 (Rivoli)

8) Taking Back Sunday – April 8 (Kool Haus)

9) Andrew McMahon – November 5 (Opera House)

10) The Ready Set – October 30 (El Mocambo)

11) The 1975 – May 6 (Kool Haus)

12) Nick Santino – November 10 (Hard Luck Bar)

13) Bastille – October 15 (ACC)

14) Deaf Havana – February 15 (Rivoli)

BONUS:

Riot Fest – September 6-7 (Downsview Park)

I’m so ready for the 2015 concert season. I can’t wait to see what our total will be this year!

Best albums of 2014

This year, for my “Best of” lists, I decided to do something a little different. Instead of listing 10 albums, I went with 14 (because it’s 2014, obviously…); and, instead of just making a list, I put them into completely made-up categories, that sort of hint at why I consider them the best of this year, along with my favourite song.

Without further ado:

A favourite band’s new album that took a while to grow on me:

Cavalier Youth – You Me At Six

Latest incarnation of a talented singer:

Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness – Andrew McMahon (in the Wilderness)

Concept album/sequel to another concept album:

The Resistance: Rise of the Runaways – Crown the Empire

“Sing-alongs and headbanging are unavoidable”:

Happiness Is… – Taking Back Sunday

Scottish album that took forever to come out, but it was worth it:

The Great Divide – Twin Atlantic

Country-style old school rock ‘n’ roll:

Big Skies – Nick Santino

“Finally new music from these guys!”:

Losers & Kings – The Downtown Fiction

Dance all night:

The Bad & the Better – The Ready Set

If all female-fronted bands sounded like this, I would listen to female-fronted bands more often:

White Noise – PVRIS

Unapologetic pop-punk (from a Welsh band, no less!):

Wishful Thinking – Neck Deep

Final album from a band that’s been around for over a decade:

Lowborn – Anberlin

Solo music from a guy in a popular (fun.) band:

Strange Desire – Bleachers

Pure pop-rock:

Oh, What a Life – American Authors

Guilty pleasure:

5 Seconds of Summer – 5 Seconds of Summer

BONUS:

Most magnificent/unexpected single:

Centuries – Fall Out Boy

This list doesn’t even include those albums released in 2014 that I haven’t listened to in full yet, such as This Wild Life’s Clouded, not to mention any re-releases (The Maine’s deluxe edition of Forever Halloween), or albums by bands that I love(d) that left me feeling a little “meh” (Breathe Carolina’s Savages).

Best books of 2014

Similar to what I did with my “best albums of 2014”, I decided to do a top 14 picks. This was especially hard for books because of the 60+ that I read this year, less than half were 2014 releases. But here they are, in no particular order, with links to any relevant Fiction Friday posts (books that weren’t previously discussed for Fiction Friday have a blurb):

The Whispering Skull – Jonathan Stroud

Holy frack, that cliffhanger! Also, I heart Lockwood.

Made for You – Melissa Marr

If you want spine-tingly YA, pick this one up now!

The Enchanted – Rene Denfeld

Who would have thought that a book about a prisoner on death row would have this big an effect?

How to Build a Girl – Caitlin Moran

Funny, sassy, British – is there a better combination of words?

Station Eleven – Emily St.John Mandel

Don’t read this if you were even remotely afraid of being infected with Ebola…

The Miniaturist – Jessie Burton

A scandalous, well written historical fiction debut.

Hollow City – Ransom Riggs

The sequel to Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – excellent for its use of creepy old photography.

Bird Box – Josh Malerman

There were moments when my heart actually started pounding with fear.

The Hangman’s Revolution – Eoin Colfer

Not the best Eoin Colfer book I’ve ever read, but yay time travel!

Shouldn’t You Be in School? – Lemony Snicket

I’ll probably read Lemony Snicket books forever. Quick, mildly complex, and with a hint of nostalgia.

Every Breath – Ellie Marney

Though technically released in 2013 in her native Australia, Marney’s Sherlock Holmes-inspired YA novel came out in Canada in October and I love it. I haven’t felt this way about a fictional character since Lockwood (see The Whispering Skull).

Comfort Food – Jamie Oliver

I don’t usually buy a cookbook and I certainly wasn’t expecting to include a cookbook in my “best books” list, but it’s Jamie Flippin’ Oliver, and this is a gorgeous book (food-wise, but also the actual design).

Edie’s Ensembles – Ashley Spires

Edie might actually be my spirit animal. I’m not super stylish, but I like putting colours together and when my outfit is particularly (in my opinion) stellar, I do feel a little sad if no one notices. Sidenote: Edie’s best friend Andrew’s cuteness kills me.

Chu’s First Day of School – Neil Gaiman/Adam Rex

Chu’s sneezes are so cute, I can barely stand it! Plus my two year old niece loves this book (and the first one, Chu’s Day), which makes them extra adorable.

BONUS:

Speaking of Neil Gaiman: hands down the best book I read this year, however, was Neverwhere. My interest in Gaiman’s work was renewed when I read The Ocean at the End of the Lane, but Neverwhere was the book that tipped me over into straight-up obsession.

Maybe it’s not my weekend, but it’s going to be my year

Happy New Year!!

Like most people, I try to come up with a couple of resolutions in January, usually something like “exercise more”, “eat healthier”, “spend less money on frivolous items” and “stop biting my nails” (though I’ve been making that particular resolution every January for at least 10 years and so far, it hasn’t stuck…).

This year, I’ve decided to set a few different resolutions. Sure, I’m still going to try to exercise more and eat healthier and spend less and maybe this will be the year I FINALLY stop biting my nails (I doubt it), but I also have a few other culture-centered goals in mind:

1) I realized recently that I’ve never seen an Audrey Hepburn movie. I want to change that. I want to watch movies that were made before the 80’s (I’ve seen most of the 80’s “cult classics”), the real classics: Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Gone With the Wind, the original Great Gatsby, Cleopatra, etc.

2) Expand my musical horizons. I don’t listen to a lot of female singers, but I’d like to give them another try. Bands like Tonight Alive or Foxes or Anavae who fall into the pop-punk/metal genres but who I sometimes avoid because their lead singer is a girl. I’m also thinking of looking at rap, but that might be a little too adventurous.

3) Mix up my reading list. Once I’m done the book I’m currently reading, I’m going to put a hold on YA fiction (and this time I mean it!). I’m going to read more “adult” books and I’m going to look at genres outside of my comfort zone.

4) Set writing goals – weekly or daily, I’m not sure yet – and actually stick to them. 
4i) Write the sequel to Fireworks (or at least the first draft). And maybe map out book 3, but let’s not get crazy so early in the year.

5) Grab my future (as an author) by the loins i.e. decide if I need to edit Fireworks again or if it’s actually done for realz and then choose between traditional publishing (getting an agent and all that) and self-publishing.

And that’s it. I like to think by the time 2014 comes to a close I’ll be more well-rounded and will hopefully be one (or several) steps closer to being a published author. Or at least a better writer.