This month has been a wild ride for me emotionally, so I haven’t set aside much time to think or write about life. However, I am determined to keep to this schedule I set for myself, so I whipped up a quick post that pairs some of my favorite underrated songs with books I’ve read. It’s quick and simple, but I hope it’s fun!

“Apple Juice” by Oscar Lang: I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Se-hee

• Why: Sometimes life is the absolute worst, but you still get up and drink apple juice or eat your favorite food, no matter how hard. There’s always some reason to keep going, even if it’s tiny.

“Alaska” by Little Hurt: Are You Listening? by Tillie Walden

• Why: People want to or are currently travelling to get away, not to get somewhere.

“Had It Comin” by Peachie: Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

• Why: Sex, drugs, and rock & roll was fun for a while, but the idealistic view we had inevitably falls apart, and now we’re here, looking back on “the good ol’ days” and realizing that maybe they weren’t as good as we thought.

“Buzzkill” by Baby Queen: Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin

• Why: Disillusioned queer women who can’t help but be negative sometimes, even when life should be great and their loved ones are doing their best.

“Literally Dead!” by Make Out Monday: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

• Why: A somewhat one-sided love story that flirts with and transcends death. Plus, “death” is a little ambiguous in both of these.

“Facedown” by Magnolia Park: The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake

• Why: Water-based stories and metaphors dealing with complicated relationships, the idea of many types of love, and somewhat combative storytellers.

“Going to Hell” by Adeem the Artist: Real Queer America by Samantha Allen

• Why: Queer people exist everywhere, even in the most conservative U.S. states! And these queer people can create amazing communities and art.

“Plea from a Cat Named Virtue” by the Weakerthans: The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa & translated by Philip Gabriel

• Why: Cats and their physically/mentally ill owners.

“아메리카노 Americano” by 10cm: Crema by Johnnie Christmas, Dante Luiz, Ryan Ferrier, and Atla Hrafney

• Why: Coffee and warm-hearted, good vibes.

“Lizard Suit” by The Mountain Goats: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

• Why: Sorta pretentious people trying to make waves in their own unique ways in very specific avenues. Plus, explorations of mental health and wellbeing when they’re tied to relationships with others and getting attention.

Honorable Mentions:

• “Soft Boy” by Wilbur Soot: I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman
• “Green Tea” by Shonen Knife: Café Con Lychee by Emery Lee
• “Pink Panther” by Scene Queen: The Summer of Jordi Perez (and the Best Burger in Los Angeles) by Amy Spalding
• “Hit Like a Girl” by Meet Me @ the Altar: The Spitboy Rule: Tales of a Xicana in a Female Punk Band by Michelle Cruz Gonzales
• “Best Friend Breakup” by Lauren Spencer Smith: This Is What It Feels Like by Rebecca Barrow