March 11, 2021
Recent Releases
The Prom: All Emma wants is the chance to attend her high school’s prom with her girlfriend by her side, but the PTA believes only heterosexual couples should be allowed, so they cancel the dance in protest. Outraged when the news breaks, an ensemble of endearingly self-obsessed, down-on-their-luck theater stars decide to descend upon Emma’s small, conservative Indiana town and help take up her cause. Originally a Broadway show (and loosely based on a true story), Netflix’s recent film adaptation is a musical masterpiece featuring a brilliant cast of talented newcomers and some of Hollywood’s biggest names (Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman, Kerry Washington, Keegan-Michael Key, Andrew Rannells). The Prom reminds us all of the importance of kindness and inclusivity, staying true to ourselves, and fighting back against bigotry. Watching this movie is guaranteed to make you laugh, smile, cry, and dance along to the fantastic soundtrack, which is full of catchy tunes and incredible performances! Available on Netflix.
The Lighthouse: The Lighthouse is a horror movie released in 2019 about two lighthouse keepers in the 1890’s. This film is a deep dive into insanity and isolation; bringing up themes like alcoholism, homoeroticism, and mythology. The only two actors in the film, Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe, have crazy chemistry, and this entire film will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end of the credits. Check out this film for an experience you’ll never be able to forget! Available on Amazon Prime and for rental on other streaming services.
Anna and the French Kiss: Anna is perfectly content with her life in Atlanta, where she has a cool job, an amazing best friend, and a crush who’s just starting to show signs of liking her back. Then, Anna’s whole world is turned upside-down when her estranged father decides to enroll her in a Parisian boarding school for her senior year of high school. At first, Anna is less than thrilled about the move, and she struggles to fit in in her new environment, plagued by her inability to speak French, but things start looking up after she meets a great group of companions who help Anna see everything Paris has to offer. One of those friends—the kind, handsome, and incredibly charming Étienne St. Clair—forms a particularly close bond with Anna. The two share a sizzling mutual attraction, but Étienne already has a girlfriend, and Anna’s got her crush back home. Will the stars align for them to have a happily ever after in the City of Love? You can tell based on the cringey title that Anna and the French Kiss is a doozy, but it’s addicting! Despite this book being a little stupid and really clichė, it’s also so magical and romantic. Since seventh grade, I’ve read it more times than I can remember, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop.
My Life with the Walter Boys: Young Adult books are always jam-packed with horrible drama that never really adds up if you sit and think about it. Wattpad.com is a way for everyone to become a writer, making for some pretty amazing cringe. Wattpad is most known as a platform that holds an ungodly amount of fan fiction, or fictional stories based on celebrities and existing film/novel characters, but it’s also a platform where people who want to be authors can post their work, without having actually published a book. In the simplest of terms, it’s a starting point for creative writers. Ali Novak first uploaded her book My Life with the Walter Boys to Wattpad in 2009, and the book gained so much attention that she was able to publish it in 2012.
Austenland: It’s been a long time since I was a teen, so the book that would have been my pick for a so-bad-it’s-amazing YA novel I loved back in the day is now out of print. That said, if you can get your hands on a used copy of Kiss Me, Creep by Marian Woodruff, it’s a trashy mess of a good time. Barring that, you might consider Austenland by Shannon Hale. This book has all the clean sweetness of a YA romance, but it is technically a New Adult read, meaning our heroine is somewhere between the ages of 18-24. (I also recommend the film version starring Keri Russell and J.J. Feild.)
In the 25th century, astroneers are fundamental in discovering the many, many planets that the universe has to offer. From lands with barren landscapes to the ones filled with plant life, any could be home to you. Just keep in mind that this game doesn’t stop at the surface of its planets! Dig deep and discover what could be awaiting you down below. From its simple yet beautiful graphics to its being an “open world” sandbox adventure that you can play at your own pace, Astroneer earns the “Chill Game” verdict for this week. Available from System Era Softworks on Steam, Xbox One, and PS4.
An epic survival game, Raft plops you in the middle of an oceanic world on just a small raft. So think fast, and collect the floating materials that pass you by in order to expand your raft, protect yourself, get food and water, and explore the seas that are beyond the horizons. But beware of jumping ship, for there is a shark lurking in the water below. You never know, you may find another raft or island to explore! A charming interface and game dynamics makes it this week’s Honorable Mention. Available from Redbeet Interactive on Steam, as well as Android, Microsoft Windows, and other platforms. 
Ever wondered what it was like to go to Hogwarts from the Harry Potter universe? If you have, then Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery is the game for you! Customize your own character, choose your house, get a magical creature as a friend, and practice spells as you immerse yourself in the beloved world that has magic around every turn. And, like its title suggests, there is a mystery afoot that your character will have the chance to explore and maybe solve. With creative characters, stunning graphics, and a fascinating plot, this game is great for both die-hard Harry Potter fans and those just entering the fandom, which earns it the “Groovy Mobile Game” verdict for this week. Available from Jam City on both Android and iOS platforms.
Garrett, Logan, Dean, and Tucker are teammates on Briar University’s championship-winning hockey team and, in the eyes of the female population, four of the hottest, most popular and sought-after guys on campus. Hannah, Grace, Allie, and Sabrina might be the only girls at Briar who refuse to fall for their devilish good looks, playboy reputations, and capitvating charms. After reading all that, you may be rolling your eyes and thinking these books couldn’t possibly get more cliché… and in some ways, you’re right. But in each book in this series, Elle Kennedy showcases her incredible talent of weaving together overused plot points and stereotypical character archetypes to ultimately craft beautiful, humorous, gut-wrenching, super steamy novels that always leave you wanting more. This series also addresses real-life problems like rape, physical abuse, alcoholism, degenerative disease, and unplanned pregnancy, which adds a whole new, inspiring element to what might otherwise be thought of as “typical” college romances. So, as each story progresses, readers—and the books’ central female figures—all come to see that there’s so much more to these sexy hockey players than they realized. Off-Campus is one of my all-time favorite series, so I can’t help but fall in love with these books and their endearing characters every time I read them!
When You Were Mine is a modern re-telling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, but with a twist: it’s told by Rosalind, the girl who loved Romeo before Juliet showed up. In this novel, Rose and Rob have been best friends their entire lives. When Rob returns to town for the start of senior year, Rose decides to tell him about her feelings for him. But then, her mysterious cousin Juliet shows up, and with her comes drama of all sorts. Suddenly, Rob is obsessed with Juliet, and Rose begins to worry … because we all know how the play ends. The characters reminded mea lot of the ones from Mean Girls, so if you’re a fan of that film, you will like this book.
Ashton Irwin is the drummer and a vocalist for Aussie band 5 Seconds of Summer. When Coronavirus forced the group to postpone their 2020 summer tour, Irwin saw this as an opportunity to work on a solo project. On his debut solo album, Superbloom, the drummer was able to talk about problems he has dealt with, like depression and eating disorders, on a more personal level than if he were to release these songs with the band. Superbloom’s sound is nothing like that of 5SOS. Much of Irwin’s influence comes from ’90s grunge music, and he incorporated a lot of that sound into the album. As a longtime 5SOS fan, it’s cool to see one of the members try new things. Irwin assured his fans that this was just a one-off; he even said that Superbloom wouldn’t have been born if it weren’t for the pandemic.
Pale Waves is a British indie-pop band who, in 2019, toured North America with The 1975. Their newest album, Who Am I? is one of my all-time favorites. First, its grunge pop sound gives it an early 2000’s feel, which makes it super nostalgic to listen to. Second, this album is significantly more lyrically vulnerable than their other work. In track, “She’s My Religion” lead singer Heather Baron Gracie writes about her toxic relationship in which she and her partner felt like they needed each other to feel alive. She also writes about her experiences being gay, feminism, and the struggles of growing up and dealing with change. Listen to it when you’re looking to feel a little angsty. I promise you’ll love it.
The Beautiful Game is the pop funk album you never knew you needed. Vulfpeck is royalty among the indie funk scene, and for good reason. They focus on simple grooves and use unordinary instruments like cajón drums and synths, as well as electronic elements to add new sounds to each track. This album is pure fun and games, and always brings a smile to my face. I hope it does for you, too. Take a listen for some good, old-fashioned funk with some new-school excitement.
My parents listened to a lot of ’70s music while I was growing up. Artists I heard most often were were Pink Floyd, Grateful Dead, Fleetwood Mac, and Harry Nilsson. When people hear the name “Harry Nilsson,” they usually think of his songs “Gotta Get Up” or “Coconut,” Both fantastic, but what I think of is his album, The Point.
Located in Maribel, Wisconsin, the Maribel Caves Hotel is now referred to by locals as Hotel Hell. From the mysterious fire that started it all to the supposed hauntings, Hotel Hell really earned its nickname.
Now that we’ve got running out of the way and have learned how we can build up our endurance, why don’t you go ahead and take a look at yourself in the mirror? Looking pretty good, right? But wait, you can run a mile without stopping and not feel like your lungs are going to collapse; however, there’s still one thing missing: MUSCLE!
Are you one of the people who likes to listen to music while you study or do homework? 
Takeout may be one of the best things you can treat yourself to; there’s no cooking involved, no prepping of ingredients, and no planning ahead of time for anything. You just make the call, tell them your order, and put your feet on the table.
Solo dates are a great way to spend a little alone time with one of the most important people in your life: yourself! And with solo dates, you don’t have to worry about another person at all, like holding up part of the conversation or wondering if what you are wearing is too formal or casual. Below is a list of five solo date ideas that could be fun for you!
Coffee, it makes the world go ’round. Making coffee sure is cheaper at home, but we all love to splurge on the good stuff every now and then. Every Saturday, and sometimes Fridays, I gather my computer and notebook and head to a coffee shop for the day while I complete homework. I’ve always loved the mood of coffee shops, and the smells that fill the building, but due to COVID-19, many have had to limit their hours, or have switched to “take-out only” entirely. Through trial and error, I have found three coffee shops in the Green Bay area that I continue to find myself coming back to time and again.