November Spotlight

Welcome to our monthly spotlight post! Once a month we will give you some tips on what we are doing between making products and working. Here we will mostly dive into what has caught our eye or ears in the past few weeks. 

For this month's recommendations keep reading. If you have some suggestions or things we should check out, please let us know in the comments. 

Current reads

A Storm of Swords: Blood and Gold by George R.R. Martin 

The fight for the Iron Throne continues. The Starks are divided, fighting for the return of the two sisters of the young wolf and king of the north. On the other side of the sea, Daenerys Stormborn, is slowly making her way to Westeros. If you are ever in the mood for an epic fantasy, ASOIAF, never disappoints. 

The Rot (Råta) by Siri Pettersen 

The second book of the exciting trilogy The Raven Rings by the Norwegian author Siri Pettersen. Hirka is in a dying world, hunted, longing for the world she knows. Not this strange world where no one seems to understand that they are living in a rotting, dying world. For thousands years, the source the rot has craved freedom, and when Hirka realizes who she is it will have massive implications. 

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius 

An interesting little book that we came across while on a "I'm-only-looking" trip to our local bookstore. It is a collection of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius' privater notes to himself and his ideas on Stoic philosophy. It can be a heavy read due to somewhat antiquated language, but also a very good one. Even though it was written almost 2000 years ago, it still contains relevant wisdom on life, death, and the universe. His logic and perspectives are so open, honest and will get you to think a little more of your own views. 

Look within: do not allow the special quality or worth of anything to pass you by.

Streaming

Maid (on Netflix), inspired by Stephanie Lands' memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay and a Mother's Will To Survive, is an American drama. A young mother tries to deal with domestic abuse, poverty and homelessness. While the story sounds heavy, it is refreshingly honest and real compared to many other series trying to take on the topics mentioned. 

Home for Christmas (on Netflix), if you're looking for a series to get you into the Christmas mood, this might be perfect for you. Everyone else is loved up, matched up and ready to hit those family dinners this Christmas. Everyone that is, except Johanne. On a whim, while trying to fend off the many questions about her private life, Johanne says she has a boyfriend. Only problem is: it's a lie. Now she has 24 days to find her match. A perfect combination of funny, weird, awkward and romantic and just in time for Christmas. 

Listening 

Wind of Change (Spotify)

Spies. Secrets. Soviets. And tight leather pants. Need we say more? There is a rumor that the popular song by the Scorpions was in fact written by the CIA. Journalist Patrick Radden Keefe sets out on a quest to find the truth. 

Other podcasts we are enjoying this month: 

Hey YA - for the YA lover. Keeps you updated on the YA genre, books, news and latest adaptations. 

The Happiness Lab - the science of happiness. Dr. Laurie takes us through some of the latest research on the topic and shares some inspiring stories that will change the way you think about happiness. 

The Dropout - the fascinating story of Elizabeth Holmes and her company Theranos, that turne out to be a scam. The podcast sums up the story and is currently following the ongoing trial against Holmes. 

Self-care and mental health 

As the holidays are getting closer, it is important to make time for some self-care. Even if you think you don't have the time, we encourage a few minutes of self-care everyday. What you prefer is up to you to find out, but here are some ideas we have been testing out: 

Morning/evening yoga, if you are like us and feel a little stuff when waking up or prefer to stretch a little before going to bed, but don't have the time to spare on a full routine, we can recommend Yoga with Bird. She has yoga routines ranging from five minutes to an hour, which can fit into even the busiest of schedules.

Our favorite routine these days is to start the day with a seven minutes yoga stretch with Bird, have a nice cup of tea and do a morning check-in by meditating for a few minutes or write in our journal. 

Other things you can try: 

• meditation
• walks 
• dancing for five minutes (yes, it does improve your mood)
• keep a diary 
• set a timer (10-30 minutes) and do a screen free activity 

 

 This blog post was written by Gabriela Saez, you can follow her reviews on Instagram @bookstrider