9-7-2025 MY FAVES: the tumblr teenage dream

 books of the week

finally read tajna krvavog mosta! the final 200 pages had me literally jumping out of my seat. it's been a long time since i've read such plot twists. 

took a break from serious reading to dig out an archival hieroglyph - a july 2014 j-14 magazine. what a throwback it was! from reading celebrity gossip (one direction cheating scandals? justin and selena? miley feuding with katy perry?), up and coming stars (an interview with a preteen sabrina carpenter), to solving quizzes (are you a belieber or a mahomie? what kind of awesome are you?), it was enjoyable to read material meant for a teenager. i grew up religiously reading the croatian version - ok je ok! and it was my bible. i learned fashion tricks, i styled my looks based on the teen celebrities of the time, and i loved reading about relationship tips. i am so thankful for this silly material, because even in 2010 and 2014, you could still find some empowerment for girls. 

i'm reading the latest new yorker issue as well - using libby! some articles i found interesting so far: the creepiest rendition of the national anthem, this poem by patricia smith, the history of the new yorker's editing department, troubles at sotheby's, and the humble and hopeful history of a24 studios:

“taste has to evolve with the times,” [noah] sacco (acquisitions exec) said. “we’re all collectively most interested in what is absent in culture—and what is absent is always changing.”

 

music of the week

piggybacking off the 2010s nostalgia, and reading the ancient scriptures of another time, i sourced so many forgotten songs. do you remember some of these bangers?

melodies - madison beer

glamorous life - eden's crush

mr president - pia mia

problem - ariana grande, iggy azalea

ain't it fun - paramore

riptide - vance joy

for more songs of that time, check out a new playlist i made.

for more specific tumblr era songs, here's an extensive playlist of tumblr-esque songs. early lana, arctic monkeys, the 1975, and much more. perhaps it could be a perfect fall playlist to indulge in, while we dust off our knee high boots, put our hair in space buns, and desaturate every photo we post on instagram...

and finally, a specific playlist tied with the galaxy aesthetic of the time. you'll find seapunk and late electroclash, that sound as shimmery as the galaxy...