Welcome to the second edition of my Monthly Fun Stuff format! Here are some things which caught my attention in the month of November!
On the Web.
— November gloom can really weigh down on us, and it looks like it won’t be any better in December. Unless, of course, you live in Qatar and those are the BEST months in the whole year. 😀 Well, I’m spending this autumn/winter season in Poland. What came in handy in this tricky situation was The Most Uplifting Podcasts list put together by Grace Atwood on The Stripe. To enjoy while stuck in traffic. 🙂
— For those of you who struggle at work, The Cut prepared an article about 9 Types of Bad Bosses and How to Work for Them. Very relatable.
— And if you still have a hard time finding those perfect Christmas gifts, you might like this list of 10 Best Tech Gifts Under $200.
Music discoveries.
Not really up my alley, usually, but for some reason can’t stop listening to this!
Book of the month.
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
This is one of the very few books which I’ve actually re-read. I am a sucker for a good fantasy book (as you could see in my October recommendation as well 🙂 ). Although to be frank, I’d much rather call this one a “fairy tale for adults”. The plotline follows Vasya, a daughter of a minor boyar of Rus – Pyotr Vladimirovich. A boyar? Yes, you guessed right – the story takes place in 14th century Russia (or rather: Rus). Vasya lives deep inside Russia’s vast forests where winters are long and harsh, and where creatures of old folk legends come alive. The girl was born with a gift – she can not only see the spirits guarding her home and the village, but also senses growing forces of dark and powerful magic in the woods. As you might have figured out, she’s the only one who can save her people from the evil born from the most frightening tales.
I am absolutely in love with the world that Katherine Arden has created, as well as the characters. She effortlessly incorporates local mythology in the plotline, making this book nearly impossible to put down. It does take some time and patience to get used to her style of writing though. Don’t let it discourage you – it is a wonderful read and I would definitely recommend it to all the fellow fantasy lovers out there!
TED Talk of the month.
A very interesting take on being bored. 🙂 Plus, a social experiment that I would have taken part in, had I known about it! Manoush Zomorodi is sometimes stating the obvious, but she’s also making some pretty good points along the way.