Good vibes only Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness
Middle school is all about awkward moments and that one boy or girl who broke your heart, causing the world to crumble to pieces around you. The remedy to this disaster in my day? The croons and tunes of Jason Mraz.
The pop/folk singer just got me in my time of terrible troubles. Lyrics like “I won't give up on us, even if the skies get rough. I'm giving you all my love; I'm still looking up” cut right deep to the soul of my 14-year-old self.
Music lovers young and old can still revel in the acoustic guitar sounds of Mraz when he brings his new tour, “Good Vibes with Jason Mraz,” to the Mohegan Sun Arena Saturday. After a four-year hiatus, the singer will release a brand new studio album titled “Know” on Aug. 10. “Have It All,” a single from the album, is already racking up the views on YouTube and will be on the playlist of many this summer, includ- ing a new generation of middle schoolers.
Susannah Cahalan
Sure, you could watch the recently released Netflix adaptation of this nonfiction work, but, as in most cases, the book is better. “Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness” was released in 2012, but if you haven't read it (as I hadn't until now), you should. It's a fascinating, fast-moving book about Susannah Cahalan's struggle with a rare autoimmune disease. She was a 24-year-old reporter for the New York Post when she began having a swift, dramatic physical deterioration — experiencing everything from seizures and numbness to paranoia and psychotic behavior. Cahalan's writing is powerful without ever becoming overheated, and she has a clear-eyed take on the medical world as well as her personal relationships during that harrowing time.