April was one of those months that felt like it lasted a week. I can't believe that it's over, and that I posted so infrequently throughout the month. Lots going on outside of the scope of what this blog is about, so I'll spare you that and get into what piqued my interest this month.
What I Read
Don't Put Me In, Coach by Mark Titus Before he was one of the world's formost voices in college basketball for Grantland, The Ringer, and now Fox Sports, Mark Titus was the founder of Club Trillion, and an overnight sensation because of his unique perspective as a walk-on benchwarmer for one of the country's most athletically accomplished universities. His memoir tells the story of how he ended up at Ohio State, what life was like for him in college, and all the hilarious behind-the-scenes stuff you could ask for. The book is definitely entertaining, and Titus's style makes it for a very easy read. Still, given the book's publication in 2012, it's difficult to shake the idea that this was going to be marketed as a basketball-focused version of a Tucker Max book. Titus has moved on to bigger and better things, so I'm hoping that this will be the first of at least a few entertaining books he writes.
Becoming Nicole by Amy Ellis Nutt Full transparency, I'm bending the rules for this one. I started it just at the end of April, and finished it on May 2, so I'm counting it. Whatever. I simply could not wait to talk about how great Becoming Nicole was. Pulitzer Prize Winner Amy Ellis Nutt is a phenomenal writer, and when presented with such a great story as an American family seeking to help their transgender daughter adjust and become herself in a world that so regularly appears so ugly, she can make magic happen. This is a book that will break your heart, put it back together, understand people you may not have been able to before, and change the way you see others. How much more can you want from a book?
What I Listened To
Manchester Orchestra - The Million Masks of God The band with perhaps alternative rock's longest-running winning streak has done it again. After the unexpected breakthrough success of Black Mile to the Surface, Manchester Orchestra have emerged with yet another Album of the Year contender in The Million Masks of God. Focusing mostly on intricate, atmospheric tracks, the band's musicianship feels so detailed throughout. When the band bursts forth with their signature crashing guitars throughout the album, it feels like a perfect release of energy, and a fitting style for the band as well. No matter whether you prefer the band's bombastic earlier albums like Mean Everything to Nothing or the more detail-oriented Black Mile to the Surface, there's going to be something for you to love on this album. Perhaps the most intriguing part of The Million Masks of God, for me at least, is that these songs seem to be begging to have the band flesh them out even more in concert. Thankfully, I think we'll have the opportunity to see Manchester Orchestra in their most perfect form very soon.
Looking Forward to May This summer seems poised to be America's return to the movies, and I can't wait for all of the big releases coming out. From Spiral: From the Book of Saw, A Quiet Place: Part II, Those Who Wish Me Dead, and even this week's upcoming Wrath of Man, there may not be enough popcorn in the state of New Jersey for me to enjoy, and I can't wait for it. For the Netflix crowd, I'm also really interested to see how The Woman in the Window turns out, which is coming out on the 14th. J. Cole just announced that he'll have a new album coming out, and I'm always interested in his releases. Aside from that, though, it looks like I'll be spending plenty more time with The Million Masks of God for the time being. I promise I'm totally fine with that. That being said, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little pumped for the new Waterparks album Greatest Hits to drop at the end of the month, too. Can't wait to check back in next month and see how it all played out!
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