5 on the Fifth

5 on the 5th: Five Reasons Why BBC America’s “Orphan Black” Is Awesome

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On the fifth day of each month, 5 on the 5th shares five of something that I like or recommend to readers. Whether it’s five items that share a common theme, or five reasons why I like the topic at hand, this monthly meme gives us an opportunity to talk about other subjects that aren’t normally discussed here at the blog. 

I know last month’s 5 on the 5th was also TV-oriented… But Game of Thrones isn’t the only awesome show that’s back for a new season. Orphan Black launched its fourth season on April 14th on BBC America; and though I’ve mentioned it before at the blog, it’s time to dedicate a post to this crazy-fantastic series. 😀

And what’s the best way to do that if many readers aren’t familiar with Orphan Black? To give you five reasons to start watching it!

NOTE: This following post contains limited spoilers from Seasons 1 through 3 of Orphan Black.

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5 on the 5th: Five Reasons Why I’m Excited for Season 6 of “Game of Thrones”

/ saraletourneau / 14 Comments

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On the fifth day of each month, 5 on the 5th shares five of something that I like or recommend to readers. Whether it’s five items that share a common theme, or five reasons why I like the topic at hand, this monthly meme gives us an opportunity to talk about other subjects that aren’t normally discussed here at the blog. 

AHHHHH! 19 more days until Game of Thrones is back! Is anyone else counting down, too? 😀

I’ve been a fan of George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire books for a while, so it’s been incredible watching his “shades of gray” characters and the gritty, chaotic world they live in come to life on TV. And while Game of Thrones has deviated from its source material at times, it has still been a faithful adaptation in spirit. But this season, we’ve reached the point where the show will pass the material that GRRM has written so far. In other words, everyone – including those of us who have read the books – is in for 10 Sunday nights worth of shocking twists.

So, what am I looking forward to most for Season 6 of GoT? It was tough to narrow it down to only a few things – because there’s a TON I’m excited about. So, if there’s a storyline you want to talk about that’s not discussed in this post, feel free to do so in your comments. Otherwise, let’s catch up with the first official trailer for Season 6 after the jump.

WARNING: This post contains spoilers from both the Game of Thrones TV show and George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire books. Also, some of the videos and links provided below may not be suitable for young readers.

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5 on the 5th: Five Soothing Music Albums to Help You Relax

/ saraletourneau / 16 Comments

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On the fifth day of each month, 5 on the 5th shares five of something that I like or recommend to readers. Whether it’s five items that share a common theme, or five reasons why I like the topic at hand, this monthly meme gives us an opportunity to talk about other subjects that aren’t normally discussed here at the blog. 

I have pretty eclectic tastes when it comes to music: symphonic metal, progressive rock, singer-songwriter, classical crossover… And over the past couple years, new age and instrumental music has woven its way into my iTunes library. While I can understand why some people would find this genre “boring,” I’ve grown to love it. New age instrumentals are now my go-to music picks when I’m working on blog articles – and they’re immensely helpful for meditating, stress relief, or winding down at the end of the day.

So, for today’s 5 on the 5th, I’d like to recommend Five Soothing Music Albums to Help You Relax, complete with links to each CD’s Amazon page and song clips on YouTube. If you like keyboards, acoustic guitars, and nature sounds, perhaps one or more of these gems will be perfect for playing in the background or for lulling you into a calmer, more peaceful state.
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5 on the 5th: Five Things I Learned from Archery Lessons

/ saraletourneau / 48 Comments

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On the fifth day of each month, 5 on the 5th shares five of something that I like or recommend to readers. Whether it’s five items that share a common theme, or five reasons why I like the topic at hand, this monthly meme gives us an opportunity to talk about other subjects that aren’t normally discussed here at the blog. 

Some of you might remember that I was taking a beginner’s archery course over the fall and early winter. Well, the final class was a few Saturdays ago, so I wanted to share what I learned over those 10 weeks. And what would a post on archery be without some GIFs of famous fictional archers? 😉

So, here are Five Things I Learned from Archery Lessons!
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5 on the 5th: Five Bookish Christmas Gift Ideas for Writers (+ The Creative Blogger Award)

/ saraletourneau / 23 Comments

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On the fifth day of each month, 5 on the 5th shares five of something that I like or recommend to readers. Whether it’s five items that share a common theme, or five reasons why I like the topic at hand, this monthly meme gives us an opportunity to talk about other subjects that aren’t normally discussed here at the blog. 

I still have some catching up to do in the Blog Awards Department. So, for this month’s 5 on the 5th, I’m combining it with *finally* accepting Elizabeth Rawls’ nomination for the Creative Blogger Award. Thank you again, E., and I’m sorry it’s taken so long for me to get to this!

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Here are the rules for the Creative Blogger Award:

  1. Thank the blogger who nominated you and post the link of said blog.
  2. Share five facts about yourself to your readers.
  3. Nominate 15 to 20 blogs and notify all nominees via their social media or blogs.

As you can probably tell from the title of this post, I’ve put a “creative” spin on accepting this award. 😉 Instead of five random facts, I’m recommending five books on the craft of writing. And with Christmas and other gift-giving holidays around the corner, there’s no better time to find new reference books for the writer in your life – or for yourself!

Btw, the following books are for all writers. I may do a separate 5 on the 5th in the future specifically on reference / craft books for speculative fiction writers.

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5 on the 5th: Five Delicious Black Teas to Try This Fall

/ saraletourneau / 15 Comments

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On the fifth day of each month, 5 on the 5th shares five of something that I like or recommend to readers. Whether it’s five items that share a common theme, or five reasons why I like the topic at hand, this monthly meme gives us an opportunity to talk about other subjects that aren’t normally discussed here at the blog. 

Ah, fall. I’m not the biggest fan of this season, but I love many foods that are associated with it: soup, apple cider, pumpkin pie… and black tea! Well, yes, I do drink black tea year-round. But I know other people take a break from it during the warmer months and then come back to it as the nights get cooler and the leaves start to fall. So, what better way to kick off autumn than trying some new black teas? Here are five I highly recommend, along with links in case you feel tempted. 😉
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5 on the 5th: Five Things I’ve Learned in the Past Year

/ saraletourneau / 38 Comments

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On the fifth day of each month, 5 on the 5th shares five of something that I like or recommend to readers. Whether it’s five items that share a common theme, or five reasons why I like the topic at hand, this monthly meme gives us an opportunity to talk about other subjects that aren’t normally discussed here at the blog. 

This might sound like a more appropriate post for New Year’s. But when I launched 5 on the 5th earlier this year, I realized what I was setting myself up for in September. And… well, I’m not the kind of person who runs around announcing her birthday to the world. (FYI: I HATE being sung to by a wait staff at a restaurant. It makes me want to curl up and hide.)

Last year’s birthday, however, was a milestone as well as a day of reflection. I thought back on the things I was grateful for, the lessons I’d learned, the goals I’m working towards – and it evoked a sense of wonder, excitement, and bravery for the future. I’d like to do that again this year through this month’s 5 on the 5th. Here are five things I’ve learned in the past year. Continue reading →

5 on the 5th: Five Fantastic Speculative Fiction Blogs

/ saraletourneau / 22 Comments

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On the fifth day of each month, 5 on the 5th shares five of something that I like or recommend to readers. Whether it’s five items that share a common theme, or five reasons why I like the topic at hand, this monthly meme gives you and me an opportunity to bond over other subjects that I don’t normally blog about. If you have suggestions about future 5 on the 5th topics, feel free to suggest them in the Comments section at the end of this article.

This month, I’m featuring Five Fantastic Speculative Fiction Blogs. Like last month’s writing websites, these five blogs are places I regularly visit, and each has a unique twist on their genre coverage. While I love “big-name” sites like Tor.com or TheOneRing.net, I wanted to showcase a few other favorites that readers might not have heard of before. So, if you’re a fan of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, this list is for you!

Visit any of these sites by clicking on their respective logos or on any of the article links provided.

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5 on the 5th: Five Awesome Websites for Writers

/ saraletourneau / 22 Comments

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Welcome to the first edition of 5 on the 5th! This is a new monthly meme where, on the fifth day of the month, I’ll share five of something. It could be a group of items (books, writers, tea, websites, etc.) with a common theme, or a a list of five items (again, all sharing a common theme) that doesn’t fall under other post categories at this blog.

To kick things off, I’ll start with Five Awesome Websites for Writers. They’re all blogs I visit regularly, and each has a unique spin on the tips and resources they offer. Most importantly, the content they offer absolutely blows my mind! Their breadth of knowledge, and how well they understand the important aspects and minor details of writing… I don’t know how these ladies do it, and so I want to express my gratitude and admiration – by telling you about them. 🙂

If you’re interested in visiting any of these sites, you can click on the site’s respective logo or any of the article links provided.

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