Currently

It's been a while since I've done one of these posts and what better time write one up then on my birthday. 30. I'm 30 people. I thought it would be awful as I'm still living at home, not married, no children, but to be honest, I'm really looking forward to entering my 30's. I'm not really considered a young adult and it's coming to a point where I'm not caring at all what people say or what I say to people. 

This also mean that it was 5 years that made my November Vlog in 2015. I made this on my birthday even though I posted it a couple of days later. I was definitely not as skinny as I am now, but damn, my hair was on point!

On to the currentlys!

Reading

Currently 

I'm only a few chapters into this book, but it is so good! Usually I'm a little wary reading about concentration camps, because the history makes me so angry. However, this story seemed so intriguing. As a history lover I can't just pick and choose what part of history I deem more worthy of research. 2020 has been a year of incredible study of WWII from Europe to the Pacific and back to the home front. And the history of Auschwitz and the other concentration camps cannot be left out. It's essential (now more than ever), that I also read from the enemy perspective as well. 

Still continuing with Heidi's read-along. We've finally gotten into book two! I really do enjoy the book, however, it's a slow, slow start! Watching the movies prior to reading the books, has helped me visually with the story. In my mind I see Elijah Wood as Frodo or Orlando Bloom as Legolas or Liv Tyler as Arwen. It's sad that some characters were undeveloped in the films, such as Merry who was extremely intelligent or couldn't be in the films such as Tom Bombadil, Goldberry, Glorfindel and Gildor. And characters that I didn't particularly care for have now become my favorites! I love Aragorn in the books! It's been a lot of fun.

Finished

Coming from Virginia this is a personal story of immense sacrifice and valor. Within the first week of D-Day, twenty-two young men from Bedford, Virginia gave their lives on the beaches of Normandy. Many of them were already serving in the Coast Guard during the Great Depression.. When war came, these 'Bedford Boys' became the backbone of Company A, of the 116th Regiment of the 29th Division. A beautiful and heartbreaking account of the men who died, those who came back home and the families who mourned the loss of their husbands, sons, brothers and friends.

These are the stories of the lesser known men of Easy Company. Those that may have been too nervous to talk about the war and are finally comfortable with reliving those memories. These are their words as they talk about their childhoods, their training and the European campaign from June 1944-August 1945. There's also chapters from the families of several deceased members and the impact that the war their fathers fought had in their lives. Such a good book! Not every man is featured in each chapter and sometimes someone just contributes a sentence. Yet, every man has a story to tell.

SGT. Don Malarkey is one of the most recognizable and loved members of Easy Company. He saw more combat than any other man in his company and unfortunately was unable to see the rewards of capturing Hitler's Eagle Nest. His story of his simple life from Astoria, Oregon to becoming a respected soldier, sergeant and above all a friend. Someone who saw pain, sorrow, death and fear and was tempted over and over again to give up, but still soldiered on. Possibly the most beautifully written Easy Company biography I've read so far. By the end of the book, Don Malarkey has become your best friend as you fight this war by his side.

Similar to We Who are Alive and Remain, this book is told entirely from the families of the deceased men. Some of them who were never able to come to terms with the war they fought. The effects that the war had on these young men varied greatly. There were those who were able to come home, have families and live completely normal lives. Others drowned their memories and painful PTSD in alcohol. Rescued letters and journals also provide wonderful insight into the lives of these soldiers and how war became their norm, but their love of home was never too far away.

TBR

The true account of the First Reconnaissance Battalion, an elite Marine unit during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The book originated from a three piece article featured in Rolling Stone magazine. I found out about the book because it was the basis for the HBO seven part mini-series that was made in 2007 and is filmed in the same format as Band of Brothers and The Pacific. The Generation Kill mini-series has been considered the bastard child of the HBO war series as it's not about WWII and also it really deals with the dark and ugly side of combat in the Middle East. Plus the Marines are by no means as genial and likeable as the paratroopers in Band of Brothers. However, I would have been 11-12 when this war started and so it's now a part of my history.

 

Nathaniel Fick is featured in Generation Kill as one of the few competent leaders during Operation Iraqi Freedom. One Bullet Away is his personal story, starting from his time at Dartmouth college to the most elite of Marine Corps operations. While serving as a Marine lieutenant, Nate Fick was disheartened at the terrible leadership he witnessed and the abuse of power from the higher ups. His hope in writing One Bullet Away was the prevention of more incompetent leaders in the military. However, the book has now become required reading the OCS (Officer Candidate School). The reviews in One Bullet Away are wonderful and people have said it's a great companion to Generation Kill. 

Watching

I've gotten back into watching Gilmore Girls and I really, really missed Stars Hallow! I left off near the end of season 3 years ago and all I've been watching lately is dark, dramatic series. So, I needed something funny and crazy. I went back to the kooky little town and I'm glad I did too! 

Ironic that as soon as I start watching this show again, Rachel writes a post about Gilmore Girls, giving an overall review of Rory's three boyfriends, Dean, Jess and Logan. I'm only in season 4, so I haven't met Logan. However, I seem to be in the minority of those who actually like Dean. I could never like Jess. His rudeness to authority (especially Loralai) never won any affection from me. Plus the fact that he just walked in and took Rory away from her boyfriend was unacceptable.

I guess Dean becomes really awful later on in the series, but from the first 3 season I really liked him. He was a good kid. Yes, he may have said and done some stupid things, but he was a kid who was falling in love for the first time. Cut him some slack. Plus he was the first person to call Rory out on her obsessive people pleasing nature ("Congratulations, Rory, someone doesn't like you").

 Like I said, I'm only in the beginning of season 4, so I guess there's major development coming up for these three. I'll just have to see if my opinion of Jess gets better. As of right now, I'm glad he's gone. And not like any of Rory's boyfriends matter to me, Luke Danes has owned my heart since season 1!!!

To be honest, my 30th birthday has been a quiet, but rather delightful day. Work at 4:45 in the morning, off at 12, working out till 1, my sister-in-law and her children came and I got to hold her new baby for almost 2 hours! Then my parents and I went out to eat. Nothing too big or extravagant and I've gotten some lovely gifts. Here's to hoping that 30 will be the start of bettering myself and discovering more of my life and how to live it.