Kati Rose

Constantly Seeking Wonder

13 Underrated Comedies of the 2000s

If you follow me on Instagram, recently you would’ve saw I attended an event promoting Super Troopers 2. I’ve been a Broken Lizard fan since I first saw Super Troopers when I was 14 and thought it was absolutely hysterical.

I’ve come to realize not everyone knows what Super Troopers is and it always shocks me. How?!? I thought it was one of those films that EVERYBODY had seen?

The 2000s were a great time for comedy and that means there were plenty of funny movies that flew under the radar compared to bigger comedy hits of the oughts – think Mean Girls, Anchorman, and The Hangover. Well, that leaves plenty of laughs to still be had. I put on my movie-glasses and got to work in putting together a list of what I think are 13 Underrated Comedies of the 2000s.

13 Underrated Comedies of the 2000a

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Life Lately: April 2018

Some bloggers have stories to share about exotic vacations or exciting announcements. My life is a little more average, but I’ve learned through the years that readers still enjoy hearing about it. Here I am to talk about all those ground breaking matters on what I’m thinking, eating, watching, and more. This month features Harry Styles, home renovation, and s’mores.

Life Lately April 2018

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Weekend Coffee Break Vol. 1

Welcome to Weekend Coffee Break. The perfect opportunity for me to do exactly what I intended when I created this blog: find joy in the things I love most and the ability to share that with others. You can expect to see these posts every second and fourth Saturday morning. You’ll get your fill of the best of the best in what the internet has offered with pop culture, music, and a bit of everything in between.

Weekend Coffee Break

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Is it Time for Little Mix to Reign?

Were you a fan of the Spice Girls? Do you enjoy pop music? If you answered yes to either of those questions, I may have the perfect suggestion for what you should listen to next: Little Mix.

10 Reasons Why Little Mix Deserve More Attention

I have been a long time fan of pop group Little Mix. In one of the first iterations of this blog circa 2012 there was even one or two posts all about my love for Jade, Jesy, Leigh-Anne, and Perrie. I’ve stood in line for hours to meet them and paid for overpriced concert tickets where they were only on the docket as the opener. Little Mix is a massive success in their U.K. home, breaking long-held records even, but it seemed hardly anybody knew who they were in the states. What gives? Why were these talented ladies only a blip on the radar?

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Literary Run Down: March 2018

I slowed it down during March with my books, but only slightly, as I still read a whopping ten books. We went from a high month in February where all the books were great…to March, the month where I had the most number of horrible books I’ve encountered since I started doing reviews. How do you manage to call it and DNF (did not finish) a book when you hate it? Honestly, teach me your ways. Instead – I slogged through each page complaining about how much I hated said book. It was all in the hopes it somehow got better or because I simply wanted to know how the stupid storyline ended.

Literary Run Down: March 2018

On a winning note, I finally managed to schedule and get my book reviews to align with Jana and Steph‘s Show Us Your Books link-up! I’ve been meaning to for months, because I love how they’ve created this little community for all book lovers to chat.

March’s Top Pick: Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – Taylor Jenkins Reid

March’s Dud: The Idiot – Elif Batuman (You know it’s a bad month when there’s MULTIPLE dud contenders.)

FICTION

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows – J.K. Rowling (5 Roses)

There were tears. (Lots of them.) I didn’t want Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows to end, even though I’ve read through it multiple times before. I know every time I read through the series, that sadness will be there as the pages dwindle, but I also know I can re-enter Harry’s world many more times throughout my life. The series will always have a special place in my heart.

Harry Potter and The Cursed Child – J.K. Rowling (2 Roses)

I don’t even know where to begin with this book. It sent me into a rage. Harry Potter and The Cursed Child is basically bad fanfiction. In February I posted my full length review (yes, it deserved one) so I’ll spare you the details here. Basically it comes down to there being no charm of the original books and I’m simply going to pretend it doesn’t exist. I was shocked this book wasn’t the dud of March, but somehow another book stole that title. Barely.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda – Becky Albertalli (3 Roses)

Guess what…I read Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda because it’s going to be a movie with Love, Simon. How many of you saw that coming? My biggest complaint was that reading it, I realized just how far removed from my high school years I am. At times the mellow-dramatic teenage angst felt so over-the-top, but probably is far more realistic for that age than I want to recall. If you can get past that with only a few eye rolls, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda is an enjoyable story about being vulnerable and loved for exactly who you are. Some of the questions posed are worthy of larger discussions such as why in society is straight and white still the default.

A Wind in the Door – Madeleine L’Engle (1 Rose)

Ever read the first book in a series, enjoyed it and thought oh boy there’s four more? Of course you have – that’s what all readers do. In the case of the Time Quartet by L’Engle, it really should’ve stopped with A Wrinkle in Time. Book two, A Wind in the Door was terrible. TERRIBLE. If it wasn’t for my pure stubbornness and dislike of not finishing books – I wouldn’t have made it more than 40 pages into this. The storyline, characters, everything about it seems jumbled and halfed. The magic is gone with that wind.

Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – Taylor Jenkins Reid (4 Roses) 

Even though I predicted almost every single twist (which I can’t tell if that’s a result of them actually being semi-predictable or if I’m a little too obsessed with pop culture) the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was still a thoroughly enjoyable read. The titular character Evelyn is complicated and flawed and she knows that. The book’s title (purposefully) makes the reader assume this will be all about Evelyn’s seven husbands, but it’s so much more than that. Know that this isn’t just your simple “chick-lit” story, rather it’s a full of bombshells, scheming, secrets, lies, and the lengths one will go to in becoming famous and protecting those they love. If the rest of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s works are this good, I definitely need to pick them up soon.

The Idiot – Elif Batuman (1 Rose) 

I ended up feeling like the idiot as this was almost torture to get through. I understand the premise of The Idiot was language being susceptible to problems and barriers, but it felt stagnant, pretentious, and disjointed. I can’t even decide what was the worst part. Was it the dry writing that felt like I was muddling through sludge? Was it the one dimensional characters that even through 423 pages, I couldn’t connect with the main character, let alone the secondary characters. Actually, all the characters annoyed me when they did show the slightest glimpse of personality. There wasn’t much of a story, but I kept reading to see if that ever changed. Unless all those things sound fun to you, I’d skip it.

Fates and Furies – Lauren Groff (2.5 Roses)

The first-half I zoomed through, but the second-half was a struggle. While later chapters felt more interesting, they also left me with the need to take a shower because I felt gross in some respects. A story of two ultimately unlikeable characters, Lotto and Mathilde. It documents their love affair, both in building it up and tearing it down. I enjoyed that the marriage was realistic, with a good and not-so-good look at what it takes to make one work, but was unpleasantly surprised to find one particular side to be heavy-handed in the bad. While I loved the big reveal, it seemed Fates and Furies ended so soon after it left me with a feeling of “that’s it?” One can tell Gross is a lover of language as the book is brimming with beautiful metaphors and descriptions, but at times it felt convoluted and overdone. The lovers of Greek Mythology will be happy as well to find those long-held anecdotes weaved throughout to propel the storyline.

Seven Days of Us – Francesca Hornak (3 Roses)

We’ve all heard it before – a dysfunctional family coming together for the first time in ages. In the case of the Birch family, its to celebrate Christmas and spend seven days quarantined together, due to prodigal daughter Olivia coming home after being a doctor in Liberia helping patients with a deadly virus. As the patriarch of the family refers to the holiday, “every Christmas is a quarantine of sorts.” Of course, the premise couldn’t be as simple as that – there’s secret relationships, an unknown child from a long-ago affair, and cancer diagnoses! While it’s nothing new, Seven Days of Us was still a fun read. I will say there was one last twist at the end that was fairly unnecessary and I felt at least, took away slightly from the book. (That could also be because I’m someone who just likes happy endings okay?)

NONFICTION

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry – Neil deGrasse Tyson (4 Roses)

If it hasn’t been said yet, Neil deGrasse Tyson has one of the best voices to listen to when learning about science. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry was a fascinating juncture into subject matters way over my head. After finishing, I felt like I learned a lot of cool things – but was still left confused. The universe is truly mind boggling. Neil deGrasse Tyson makes a weighty subject, much more accessible taking the reader on a journey from the creation of matter to the periodic table of elements. If you’re a perpetual learner or a science geek, I would definitely recommend this. My only caveat would be to read it slowly and properly digest each chapter.

SELF-HELP

Dream Year – Ben Arment (2 Roses)

A friend who recently launched her own business highly reccomended Dream Year and I was excited to read it. While I will honestly say I did learn a few lessons, most of the book came off as extremely privileged. At one point Ben Arment discusses how he lost $15,000 attempting his dream but he learned that you have to be prepared to take big chances and lose it all. Telling people to not think of losing large sums of money as a deterrent to attempting something is not reality. Most people would be bankrupt or at least in a financial position that would be near impossible to recover from if they lost that amount of money. There may be truth to taking risks, but saying if people aren’t willing to risk it all is just another excuse they have to overcome is simply bullshit to put it mildly.

Have you ever found a book in the self-help genre that doesn’t come from an incredibly privileged point of view?

P.S. – Let’s reminisce about a better time, when I had a month full of amazing books. Otherwise know as last month. 

Until next time,

Kati Rose Signature

Top 5 Tunes: March 2018 (Plus Bonus Monthly Playlist!)

I feel like I say this every month, but you guys…March was seriously brimming with so much musical goodness. Why did I think only featuring five was a good idea? My top choices this month all skew a bit more pop-sounding, other than one solid rock song.

Top 5 Tunes: March 2018 (Plus Bonus Monthly Playlist!)

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1. Found / Tonight – Ben Platt and Lin-Manuel Miranda

Ben Platt and Lin-Manuel Miranda decided to combine Broadway superforces and create a charitable song, “Found / Tonight” to benefit the #MarchforOurLives. It’s a beautiful arrangement of Hamilton‘s “The Story of Tonight” and Dear Evan Hansen‘s “You Will Be Found” that results in a match made in musical heaven. Every time I listen to “Found / Tonight” I become slightly emotional, not going to lie. By combining the themes of the original songs, the listener is left with a powerful feeling of acceptance and standing up for what you believe in to create change. Buy the song here.

2. Sanctify – Years & Years

I have a confession. Years & Years is one of those bands that exploded on the scene a few years ago and I honestly didn’t understand the buzz. I now completely get it. I am a full-fledged convert and apologize to all my friends I previously looked at skeptically. “Sanctify” is ringing in a new era for Years & Years, but don’t worry the unapologetic vibrancy the band was known for is still there, just a little refined. It’s a sexy synth-pop song with a hypnotizing melody. (It also feels a little risqué due to the mixture of overt LGBTQ lyrics mixed with holy references.)

3. Pyramids of Salt – The Wonder Years

I can sum it up simply: you won’t find a more good old-fashioned alternative rock song than you do in “Pyramids of Salt.” The Wonder Years are back with another round of poetically gorgeous lyrics about loving someone so much, but not being able to heal or protect them; which is a subject matter we can all relate to. “Pyramids of Salt” follows all the rules to incite emotion by walking the fine line between soft and chilling, only to ramp up in the right places with layers of sounds to leave you feeling raw.

4. There’s a Reason – Wet

Is it supposed to be spring in the US? I thought I heard that rumor, even if it doesn’t feel or look that way here in Minnesota. Since that warped reality is currently the case, I was especially drawn to “There’s a Reason” – Wet’s new sunny and bright song. The mid-tempo ballad is a great mixture of emotional and delicate, without being a downer, partially thanks to the bubbly drum beat. “There’s a Reason” is a perfect bridge that old fans will love, but can most assuredly help them find fans in a new audience too.

5. Say Amen (Saturday Night) – Panic! At The Disco

Somehow after almost two decades of performing, Panic! at the Disco continues to bring the classic spastic energy you expect from the band. If Brandon Urie ever stops being theatrical and slightly over the top, I’ll truly worry something is wrong. Between the coursing drum beat throughout “Say Amen (Saturday Night)” being mixed in with the call and response formula chorus, this song is meant to be your Saturday night anthem…maybe with slightly less ninja fighting. I think it will do well on mainstream radio as it’s a fun pop-rock song.

Honorable Mention: I am almost ashamed to tell you how much of a bop I find “No Excuses” by Meghan Trainor to be. As soon as the beat starts, it’s almost irresistible to start grooving. “No Excuses” is a sassy song that has a killer retro production.

The March 2018 playlist has 41 tracks for your listening pleasure. I always say my playlists are like my rubbish drawer, not in the sense that they’re full of awful things, but for the fact that they always contain a little bit of everything. An interesting tidbits this month include a haunting orchestral version of a well-loved classic 90s rock song.

5 Worthy Songs to Fuel Your Friday!

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Do you have any songs that are just so. dang. catchy that you can’t help but dance, even when you don’t want to? 

P.S. – You may say upbeat pop songs aren’t your thing, maybe my go-to writing playlist is a better alternative option.

Until next time,

kati-rose

 

Why I Can’t Stop Watching Vanderpump Rules

Listen, I’m not normally one for reality tv. I cringe any time my mother turns on Keeping Up with the Kardashians. I never found the genre of reality television entertaining. Except for two particular Bravo shows that I can’t stop watching. Vanderpump Rules is one of them. (Gold star if you can guess the other.)

Vanderpump Rules is currently finishing its sixth season. Each year it gets more and more ridiculous, but yet, I am more and more compelled to tune in and be captivated by these people’s lives. It’s not a guilty pleasure – remember, I don’t believe in those. It has all the formulaic elements of a classic reality show, but there’s just enough of some extra quality that entices me to the point I can’t get enough.

Vanderpump Rules: Why I Can't Get Enough of One Reality TV Program

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Finding Your Community

For long-time readers of this blog, it’s no surprise I have struggled along the way. What originally drew me to the world of blogging was that it was a unique way for everybody to have a voice and a platform for the things that mattered to them. Over the past few years with the rise of the influencer, it has seemed to me that many blogs began to morph into a very particular and uniformed thing. We began to expect certain formulas. There were similar color schemes and multiple versions of the same topics. I’m not bashing it – the fact that many individuals (often women) are becoming trailblazers and using blogging as a career path is an amazing feat and definitely something to be applauded.

Finding Your Community in Blogging

It just wasn’t me. It would never be me. For a long time it made me lose my motivation because I felt like I was on the outside and I couldn’t even pretend to fit in. I hate to admit it, but I think for a long time I myself even equated my blog to “unworthy” because it wasn’t those things.

It took me a while to realize I was looking at blogging the wrong way. 

In my book club, we read The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls. During a chapter on the record industry and fans, there was a passage that resonated with me. It basically boiled down to stop chasing an audience you will never have. Palmer knows her band is a niche sound that most of the quote “mainstream” audience won’t enjoy. Instead of letting that fact be disheartening, she uses it to her advantage. She sends her heart and soul out to those who will devour it and enjoy it as thoroughly as she does. That’s how I need to think about blogging.

I may never be some major influencer, that’s okay. Instead, I have found my own amazing community, no matter the size. The fact that the internet has allowed me the ability to share what I love with others and have conversations and relationships that are based on that excitement grow…well, that’s pretty incredible.

For that, I want to say thank YOU to my community.

  • Thank you for finding the topics I blabber on about interesting enough to read (or pretend to find interesting.)
  • Thank you for repeatedly coming back.
  • Thank you for taking the time to comment and share my words.
  • Thank you to the wonderful people both locally and around the globe I have gotten to know and develop friendships with because of this community.

If you happen to be new around Constantly Seeking Wonder, here’s what you can expect from me:

  • I enjoy entertainment – books, movies, tv, music, and pop culture.
  • I am a complete fangirl and don’t know how to share my love at a volume lower than 10.
  • I am sarcastic and self deprecating and occasionally full of expletives.

You can take it or leave it. I know I’m not for everyone. I don’t want to be for everyone anymore. Most likely I will never go viral and there may even be posts that occasionally get hardly any interaction and that is okay. I’m learning to realize it’s less about the numbers and more about the value anyways.

Out of curiosity, what draws you to my blog?

P.S. – I unabashedly like what I like, there’s nothing guilty about my passions.

Until next time,

kati-rose

5 Reasons Harry Potter and The Cursed Child was Awful

It’s no secret that I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan. Almost to the point it’s troublesome. Which is why it came as a surprise for many to find out I had avoided reading Harry Potter and The Cursed Child for almost two years like it was the plague. People expected me to be ecstatic over a continuation of the world I loved, but I had my reservations because I didn’t want anything to taint it. I could reason that Fantastic Beasts was somehow separate because it wasn’t directly Harry, Hermione, Ron and other favorite characters.

The longer I held off reading The Cursed Child, the more rumblings I heard of unhappiness, which frankly scared me off more. After finishing my recent re-read of all seven books, I figured the time was ripe and I couldn’t avoid it any longer. The play reads like bad fanfiction and trust me, I have unfortunately read a lot of terrible Harry Potter fanfic in my life to know what I’m talking about.

Now I can say I have read the entire series as a factual statement, however I will also need to go on pretending The Cursed Child doesn’t exist. It was that bad. Some of you may have seen my ranting over on Twitter, but I couldn’t just leave it – I had too many opinions on this okay?

Obviously there will be major spoilers below, so read at your own risk. I don’t want any of you coming at me saying I ruined the ending.

5 Reasons Harry Potter and The Cursed Child Was Awful

1. Stop trying to tell me these are supposedly the same characters

Not a single character felt like they were the ones I knew and loved. Their general characteristics were there, but they felt like flat imitations. There were also a few actions that seemed so out of left field, I couldn’t understand how I was expected to believe they were indeed supposed to be the same characters.

  • Hermione, who was always a strong female character, suddenly turns evil and bitter as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher because she didn’t marry Ron. I always shipped Romione too, but give me a break. Her whole personality doesn’t depend on what dude she ended up marrying or not. Plus, wasn’t Defense Against the Dark Arts the only class Hermione ever struggled in?
  • Did you know if you get humiliated it turns you into a Death Eater? At least it did for Cedric Diggory. Any moral values that were engrained in you are suddenly gone. Dang, why didn’t Voldemort use this recruitment tactic more often?
  • Let me give you a little math problem: 1 bad personal experience with a love potion yourself as a teenager + 1 love potion back to school gift for your fourteen year old nephew = logical? According to the Ron Weasley of The Cursed Child world, this is totally plausible. All because it will be a plot point when you can convey secret messages through the love potion later. Riiiightttt.
  • We’re talking about the same Harry who snuck off on his own and had that engrained Potter sense of adventure now having the headmistress watch his son using the Mauraders Map and changing his schedule? I know people change slightly as they become parents but you don’t go from Harry to Dictator Potter because of it.

2. Didn’t you create the concept of Fidelius Charms J.K. Rowling?

THAT IS NOT HOW FIDELIUS CHARMS WORK. Albus and Scorpius venture back into Godric’s Hollow before the events of 1981 that changed Harry and the entire wizarding world’s lives forever. Okay, I can get with that. The next part, not so much. Fidelius Charms are supposed to be so powerful that only one person can hold the secret. Yet, here Lily and James are romping about Godric’s Hollow and everybody from the future can see them no problem. Not only that, but Albus and Scorpius can get close enough to them to steal young Harry’s blanket, write a secret message on it, and sneak the blanket back to the couple. Are we supposed to believe the entire town of Godric Hollow was under a Fidelius Charm or…? Yeah, I’m not quite sure either.

3. Uhm…this is Voldemort we are talking about

The entire time Harry was learning about Horcuxes from Dumbledore, he is taught how Voldemort could never fathom loving somebody. That he had so much belief in himself and despised relying on others in any form other than to do his bidding as his faithful servants. Now we’re supposed to suspend this entire belief system to think Voldemort would come to the conclusion that having a child of his own would benefit his rise to power. That after going to great lengths to protect his immortality with seven Horcuxes, he’d think you know what else is another fool proof method of protecting myself? A child with Bellatrix Lestrange. Plus, are we supposed to believe that he’d even be able to still create a child with the tiny bit of his intact soul that resided in his creepy post-resurrection snake being?

4. Plotpoints only have to matter if you say they do

While we’re on the topic of this “realistic” child birth, you’re trying to tell me Bellatrix was pregnant and NOBODY noticed? That Draco or his family never heard about his aunt having a baby, even though it was right under their noses in their own house? That in twenty years nobody noticed any of the magical tapestries updating that Bellatrix and Voldemort procreated? Okay then. If that doesn’t feel like you got hit with a confundus charm, maybe this will: Bellatrix supposedly tortured Hermione while nine-months pregnant, gave birth soon following, and within days at most, participated in the Battle of Hogwarts. I know magic is pretty powerful but even that sounds like a stretch.

5. I can’t get over the trolley witch

Okay guys, what the heck was the whole scene with the trolley witch? I literally had to re-read it multiple times to assure I didn’t miss them suddenly being in a dream sequence. I get the magical world can have weird and wacky things happen, but this was just lol worthy. Claw hands? Pumpkin Pasty grenades? This is a scene I can’t even explain with a straight face if you haven’t read the story. It was truly head scratching.

The one redeeming feature of The Cursed Child was the friendship of Albus and Scorpius. I loved that. Since the series ended, I’ve found myself developing serious headcannons concerning Harry and Draco post-war. By seeing their sons become best friends, it was like seeing aspects of that come to life.

Harry Potter and The Cursed Child? Here’s 5 reasons to pretend it doesn’t exist.

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The original books weren’t perfect, but The Cursed Child doesn’t feel like it’s even in the same vein. In a lot of ways it doesn’t even feel like J.K. Rowling actually wrote it, just stuck her name alongside somebody else for the money.

Will I see the play live if I ever have the opportunity? I mean…probably because I’m a sucker for anything Harry Potter related. I’d feel bad for whoever attends with me because I’ll end up ranting again, but they would know what they were getting into.

I want to say, I know plenty of people did really love The Cursed Child and that’s okay. This post wasn’t meant to tell anyone their opinion was wrong. I hate when others do that to things I love, so please keep on enjoying Harry Potter and The Cursed Child.

Have you read Harry Potter and The Cursed Child? Thoughts?

P.S. – If you’re looking for another fantastic world to get lost in, have you tried The Captain America trilogy?

Until next time,

kati-rose

Women’s Empowerment Playlist

Happy International Women’s Day! What better way to celebrate than with a little dash of empowerment in the form of a playlist. As we have seen in recent movements, today in 2018 this is just as important of a day than ever to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of all women. For more information and resources visit their website. This year’s theme is #PressforProgress for a call-to-action in gender parity.

I know a playlist isn’t a easy, fix-it solution, but good music keeps spirits up and can be a mechanism for pushing people forward as we all continue on with the good work needing to be done.

To all the amazing women…

  • Who came before us to make life what it is today
  • That raised the current generations to be fierce and independent and to know their voice is worthy
  • Supporting all women on their achievements and dreams
  • Raising future generations of amazing women who will keep breaking down boundaries
  • Told they can’t express themselves in the way that feels right to them 
  • Speaking up and fighting for change every day

I raise my glass to all of you and have more gratitude than I could ever express.

The Women’s Empowerment Playlist is only a small selection of the songs I could’ve included. The original working playlist before I parsed it down had over 60 songs. Let me tell you, it was incredibly hard to not include them all, but I didn’t know if people would actually find a four-hour long playlist useful.

In honor of #InternationalWomensDay here’s a playlist to get you amped and empowered.

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I decided to instead go for a more upbeat, pop driven focus. The vibe I was going for when I was listening is one that gets me amped up and want to take on the patriarchy basically. It’s 25 songs all about loving yourself, being your biggest fan, and not taking anybody’s shit. Most songs are from 2010s, not that those classic jams (Man! I Feel Like A Woman!, Respect, No Scrubs, I’m Every Woman…and so on) aren’t incredibly important and worthy songs to still bop out to today.

What do you hope can change for future generations of women?

P.S. – Like many women, my mom is one of my biggest influences, but there’s one unique connection we share through music.

Until next time,

kati-rose