This Is Our Theme Song.

It's every book-lover's theme song, actually.



(Don't know what's up with the bagpipes, though.)

Some Tunes and a Teaser

I'm about to head off to my local library where I volunteer every week for two hours. The librarians are really nice and I genuinely love it, especially shelving books. Sometimes I love it less, like when I'm asked to open all of the audiobooks to see if any CDs are missing, but either way I get to spend two hours in the library, so yay.

Anyways. It's Tune In Tuesday at GReads, which is something I love to participate in because music is my second love next to books. My picks for this week would be:

The Modern Leper by Frightened Rabbit

Bigger Than Us by White Lies

Wake Up by Arcade Fire

Hell by Tegan and Sara

Also, there's Teaser Tuesday. I just finished Shine last night, so I guess you guys are getting a teaser from my current e-book read, 13 Little Blue Envelopes:

"They left the smoke of the bar and stepped back into the fog. Keith walked her along a different route, once she would never have been able to find on her own, to the glowing red circle with the bar cutting through it that read underground. 

"So you'll be back tomorrow?" he asked. 

"Yeah," she said. "Tomorrow."

 Not the most exciting teaser, but it's hard to find a good one on an e-reader.

(Oh and also, the winner for the Fated audiobook has been picked and I'm about to email her now.)

It's Tuesday!

Tuesday is a very exciting day for book lovers, as it has many many new releases. Here's the two I'm most excited for:

AHHHH! I'll definitely be hitting up the Books-A-Million on Thursday for these two. (I say Thursday because my family and I will need something to do to kill time before we go to The Avengers premiere, which is something I'm really excited about because JOSS WHEDON! And IRON MAN. I love Iron Man so much. Even if the second movie was, well, you know.) When You Were Mine also came out today, which Simon and Schuster sent me yesterday as a lovely surprise. It looks fantastic so I can't wait to start it.

Oh and while I'm doing Tuesday things, I suppose I'll go ahead and share a teaser with you.

"We, um--we should be watching the turtles." She's breathless and doesn't sound at all convinced. I cast a glance over the edge of the tarp. The first two turtles have left the nest and a third--no, a third and fourth are pushing their way up through the sand. 

"We should." The apple scent of her hair tangles around my brain as my  lips brush her neck. She shivers in a way that has nothing to do with the temperature, and it pleases me in a way I can't even explain. That time, I kiss her.--From page 99 of Something Like Normal, by Trish Doller

So far I'm really enjoying this, and as I'm halfway through it I hope to finish it tonight. I've been a reading machine lately. Mostly because I'm still sitting a lot and reading and sitting happen to go very well together. I'm also reading Pandemonium, but I won't be sharing a teaser for it since it's a sequel and will contain spoilers for the first book no matter what.

There's also Tune In Tuesday, which seems to basically be a meme that gives me an excuse to share music on my book blog, so YAY. It's hosted by Ginger at GReads, and this month is the random playlists edition. HOLLA.

Turn Off This Song by The Lonely Forest

I've been LOVING this band, The Lonely Forest, lately. This is the song that hooked me, and even though I never go outside when I listen to it that doesn't mean I don't love it.

Heart's A Mess by Gotye

This song, like Somebody That I Used To Know, has an infectious beat and lyrics you'll want to belt at the top of your lungs.

Oh, and in case you're interested: I saw my surgeon today, and he said that I'm looking good and can return to normal life as much as I feel comfortable doing, so woooo! Can you see why I'm (obviously) in a good mood?

Breaking Fellini Review

Author: M.E. Purtfield
Release date: November 1, 2011
Publisher: trash books
Pages: 160 (I think? Somewhere around there.)
How I got it: For review from author

Breaking Fellini is a novel of No Wave and New York during 1977. Sixteen-year-old Joni Corso loves to play rock guitar, but being in a local cover band just doesn't excite her anymore. She wants to perform originals and join the scene in New York City were Blondie, Patti Smith, and The Ramones found fame. Able to convince her mother to spend some time with her estranged father in Manhattan, Joni jumps at the opportunity to redefine herself and join a band. Amidst a whirlwind of classic rock, drugs, urban recession, and drag queens, Joni meets Phaedra a homeless girl with a mission to destroy rock idols and the mainstream. Joni joins her band No! and starts plays the kind of music she's been craving. The kind of music that out punks Punk. But Dad sees her as something else: a famous rock guitarist with a band on the Top 40 charts, something Joni doesn’t want to be anymore. Now she has to decide which musician she can live with being and for who or risk losing her new life and father she just found.

Breaking Fellini chronicles a young girl's new-found independence and exploration/partial discovery of a completely new style of music (that was also new to me--but not something that sounds very appealing to me).  In theory, this book could have been awesome, but I found it to be lacking in several areas.

This book was short. In the author's note after the book was finished, Purtfield said this was purposeful and that it felt like the length was an accurate representation of No Wave music. While I think that was a cool idea, I can't help but feel like it could've been improved by giving more attention to side characters, the descriptions of music, and Joni's father. Instead, the novel focused more on Joni's anger and fear towards and for her father and some people he'd done business with. Personally I feel like this was a mistake as I never fully connected to this story like I wanted to.

Despite the lack of development I zoomed through this novel because of its short length, and I did enjoy Joni as a character. Also bonus points for having a main character that is gay without it being a big deal! Overall, though, there are just so many things I expected and wanted from this book that I never seemed to get and I closed the book a feeling little bitter about that.

Plot: Moved quickly enough but I would've liked it to focus on music a bit more.

Characters: Joni's the only one we really got to know but she was likable.

Writing: Average.

Ending: Very unsatisfying.

Kid friendly? There's mentions of rape, sex, drugs, a whole lotta swearing.

Overall:

I'd put this down without hesitation if something else was going on.

Unfortunately, this wasn't the book for me, despite having a few really cool things going for it. That being said, I'm sure others that search for a unique story will find enjoyment in this novel.

Top "Ten" Tuesday

So even though it's my birthday I HAVE to do this Top Ten Tuesday because it's Books I'd Give a Theme Song To, and this TTT was like MADE FOR ME. But I could only think of six (hence the "Ten", thing) because this is HARD, guys.

1. The First Drop by Rise Against  for The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

"I'm sick and tired of playing your games
I'm not alone
I stand amongst the voiceless millions in the unforgiving sun
Here arm in arm we parade these streets
And sing our songs."


(I'm pretty disappointed in the direction the album for the movie is going in; it's completely the opposite of what I'd envisioned for it.)


2. Let It Be by The Beatles for Saving June by Hannah Harrington


"When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be"


(Mostly just because it plays such a huge role in the book, and I'll never be able to hear it again without thinking about this book.)


3. All I Wanted by The Airborne Toxic Event for Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King


"And you tell me that your scared that you're
Turning into your mother.
I feel myself, turning into my father.
As we lie to each other like they do,
And say we're so happy.
It's easy when you're young and you still want it
So badly."


4. Asleep by The Smiths for The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chobsky

"Sing me to sleep 
And then leave me alone
Don't try to wake me in the morning
"Cause I will be gone
Don't feel bad for me
I want you to know
Deep in the cell of my heart
I will feel so glad to go."

(Again, it plays such a huge roll in the book.)

5. Where Is My Mind by The Pixies for Going Bovine by Libba Bray

"With your feet on the air and your head on the ground
Try this trick and spin it, yeah
Your head will collapse
But there's nothing in it
And you'll ask yourself
Where is my mind."

6. What Sarah Said by Death Cab for Cutie for If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Mostly just for this line, because it makes me think of Adam and what he went through throughout the whole book:

"Love is watching

someone die."

Do you agree or disagree with my picks? Sound off in the comments, and link me to yours.

Virtuosity Review

Author: Jessica Martinez
Release Date: August 2, 2011
Pages: 302 (e-galley)
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Most Appropriate for Ages: 14+
Where I Got It: For review though Galley Grab

Now is not the time for Carmen to fall in love. And Jeremy is hands-down the wrong guy for her to fall for. He is infuriating, arrogant, and the only person who can stand in the way of Carmen getting the one thing she wants most: to win the prestigious Guarneri competition. Carmen's whole life is violin, and until she met Jeremy, her whole focus was winning. But what if Jeremy isn't just hot...what if Jeremy is better? Carmen knows that kissing Jeremy can't end well, but she just can't stay away. Nobody else understands her--and riles her up--like he does. Still, she can't trust him with her biggest secret: She is so desperate to win she takes anti-anxiety drugs to perform, and what started as an easy fix has become a hungry addiction. Carmen is sick of not feeling anything on stage and even more sick of always doing what she’s told, doing what's expected. Sometimes, being on top just means you have a long way to fall....

Virtuosity is an intense tale full of music, love, and having others control you.

Carmen does not live a normal life. She doesn't go to school or have friends, and her biggest worries are definitely not homework; she's a huge classical-music-celebrity. Despite the completely different life Carmen leads than yours and mine (unless you're a classical-music-celebrity) she is incredibly easy to relate to from the first page.

Though at times I thought Carmen and Jeremy's relationship that were a bit cheesy, overall I liked it. And I really liked Jeremy. I hate it when love interests are perfect and say perfect things and the only thing you know about them is defined by their relationship, and that was definitely not the case with Jeremy. He was his own person with his own problems and I loved him for that.

The descriptions of music that Martinez writes are ridiculously good. I found that classical music could make for interesting subject matter when written well when I read If I Stay, and Virtuosity definitely didn't disappoint in that department. In fact, the writing overall didn't disappoint. I'm impressed that this is Martinez's debut and I'll definitely be keeping an eye on what she releases next.

Despite how much I enjoyed it, Virtuosity was just missing that "wow" factor for me, so I don't know how long it'll be staying with me. BUT, with that being said, Virtuosity is a promising start to a promising new author's career. If you read it, I'm sure you'll agree.

Plot: Surprisingly gripping.

Characters: Not really any side characters, but the main characters made up for it.

Writing: Very good!

Ending: Pretty much perfect.

Kid Friendly? There may have been a tad of swearing, as well as addiction to prescribed drugs.

Should I read it? If you're a fan of contemporary, definitely.

Overall:

My Misadventures as a Teenage RockStar Review

Author: Joyce Raskin
Release Date: June 13, 2011
Pages: 114 (E-galley)
Publisher: Graphia
Most Appropriate For Ages: 12+
Where I Got It: For review from Netgalley
Challenges: Debut author challenge

Rock ’n’ roll isn’t just about sex and drugs. It’s about self-expression, lasting friendships, and self-empowerment. That’s what Alex learns after she starts playing bass for a rock band in this almost true story. Joyce Raskin, author and musician, culls from her memories to create this funny, touching, and honest look at what it’s like to be a teenager, a girl, and a rock star all at the same time.

Also included are a note from the author, instructions on how to play basic guitar chords, advice on songwriting, and more!

While not without it's share of  flaws, My Misadventures as a Teenage RockStar was a fast, fun read that I ended up enjoying quite a bit.

Our main character, Alex, starts playing bass for all the wrong reasons: she wants to be cool, she wants a boyfriend, etc. But as she gets more into the music, she realizes that music's about so much more than "being cool", and that you don't need a boyfriend to be happy, etc. Needless to say, she grows up. A lot. It was so cool to watch this girl go from writing "I'm ugly ugly ugly" in her diary to being a confident bass player, all through the power of music.

But I did have some problems with this one. I found the illustrations to be completely unnecessary and not really fitting towards the audience the book seemed to be marketed for.

Also, I had some issues with the writing. Time doesn't really seem to exist. We're not told how much time passes from chapter to chapter, and it made everything seem way too fast and easy for Alex. I mean, as a whole, the writing was rather choppy. And Alex got kind of repetitive. I loved her character, but I think she exceeded the limit of times on can say "girl power!", "rock-n-roll power!", and "x power!" in one book.

BUT. I still found myself to be immersed in the story and Alex's character, despite my problems. And the author's note at the end included some helpful notes about writing songs, playing the guitar and/or bass, and even some basic chords. This one is the perfect read for young girls who are interested in learning how to play guitar and maybe join a band. It was a lot of fun.

Book Report:

Plot: Easy to get lost in (though admittedly unrealistic).

Characters: Good. Alex grew a lot, and her friend Sal seemed pretty cool.

Writing: Could've been better.

Ending: Worked perfectly.

Kid friendly? Pretty. There's some pot-smoking, drinking, and an attempted rape. (Though Alex decides to become straight-edge, so that's always good.)

Should I read it? If you're interested in music and can spare a few hours, give it a try.

Overall:

 

Tour: Angelfire Playlist

Angelfire rocked. It really rocked. So, because I am a music (and Angelfire) lovah, I'm thrilled to bring you guys the official Angelfire playlist as part of the Teen Book Scene tour! Take it away, Courtney.

Music is an enormous part of my writing ritual. I create a playlist in my iTunes for every project I’m working on. Here are some songs on my playlist for ANGELFIRE:

We Are The Fallen – Through Hell

Red – Pieces

Again – Flyleaf

30 Seconds to Mars – From Yesterday

Civil Twilight – Human

Red – Mystery of You

Florence + The Machine – Cosmic Love

Rev Theory – Broken Bones

10 Years – Don’t Fight It

Globus – Preliator

Leona Lewis – Run

Counting Crows – Colorblind

Katy Perry – Who Am I Living For?

Civil Twilight – Letters From The Sky

Evanescence – Bring Me To Life

Flyleaf, Civil Twilight, Florence, and Evanescence are all great bands! (And I suppose I'll just have to keep quiet when it comes to Katy Perry and Leona Lewis....) Thanks so much for that awesome! Everyone be on the lookout for my review of Angelfire, coming soon.

Shade Review

Author: Jeri Smith-Ready
Release date: May 4, 2010
Pages: 309 (ARC)
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Most appropriate for ages: 14+
Where I got it: From publisher for review

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.

Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.

It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding—and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.

As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart?and clues to the secret of the Shift.

----------------------------------------

So I'm ready to go to Vegas. I think that it is really the only place where I can truly proclaim my love for Shade by marriage. I would love to marry several books, and Shade is definitely one of them for several reasons, such as:

1. Punks! I am completely obsessed with music, and Shade mentions a lot of music, specifically one of my favorite genres, punk. It also mentions Death Cab For Cutie (who are most certainly not punk, by the way), and I love them. I loved how into music everyone was, and I loved that concerts were just a regular thing for them (it made me try and talk my parents into moving to Baltimore, where the story takes place). The music really added to the book for me.

2. Originality! I love paranormal books, but most of them have gotten kind of similar to me lately. Not Shade. I've never read a book like it before.

3. Characters! Aura was incredibly strong, fierce, sarcastic and easy to love. What more can we ask for from a main character? As for the guys, I love them both so much that it feels like I'm cheating on both of them. Logan is so sweet, and musical, and wonderful. But Zachary is so confident, and Scottish (accents=WIN), and wonderful. So you can see my-...er, I mean Aura's dilemma. But by the end I'm definitely rooting for Aura and Zachary to be together.

4. Writing! So, sometimes you have a good teen voice, and other times you have very descriptive, beautiful writing. Jeri Smith-Ready is one of the rare types of authors that can greatly combine both.

5. Grabbing! It completely grabbed me and sucked me in from the first page. I didn't want to put it down.

6. Ending! AHHHHHH! That was a nice little cliffhanger. I need the next book, Shift. Now please.

How kid friendly is it? Not very. While I loved Shade (a lot, obviously), I think this is a book that should stay with more mature readers as it contains language, sexual content, as well as drug use and drinking.

I'm off to the bookstore to grab my own hardcover of Shade, and then to Vegas.

If I Stay Review

Author: Gayle Forman

Release Date: April 9, 2009

Pages: 198 (Hardcover)

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Most Appropriate For Ages: 14+
Where I Got It: Borrowed from a super-awesome friend

In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen year- old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck... A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands.
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I can't breathe. If I Stay has left me-quite literally-breathless.

Will I stay or will I go? That's the question Mia, the main character, has to face in If I Stay. I can't go too into it without giving anything away, but I can tell you that the circumstances, the consequences, the final choice, every part of it was heartbreaking, but made for an amazing story overall. There was not a dull moment. There were a lot of flashbacks, too, but each part revealed a new part of the story and each one was interesting.

The characters were so real. I feel like we've all become the best of friends in just a little under 200 pages and at any moment they'll come over and we can talk about music. Mia was tough, yet fragile. She had a great relationship with her family, which I loved. And you could tell why she loved them so much, they were great. And Adam was just...amazing. I loved him so much. I loved all of the characters so much.

The writing was gorgeous. You won't catch me saying that about a lot of things, but it's never been more true than when describing Gayle Forman's writing and storytelling. Every word was almost lyrical and each sentence is moving.

I also loved how much music there was in this novel. It talked about punk, classical, concerts, and the whole music scene. They were so into music and you could feel everyone's love for it. For a music freak like me that made me squeal on the inside with happiness.

The ending wasn't exactly what I'd expected, but I loved it so much. I cannot even begin to think about the choice that I would've made in Mia's position because it would be too painful to even think about. Overall, if you haven't read this yet, I highly suggest that you change that as soon as possible.


Be sure to check back tomorrow to read an interview with Gayle Forman! (And by the way, Gayle Forman has just announced that there will be a sequel to If I Stay! Let us rejoice in song! *Music starts to play, but I then realize that a song/dancing isn't in the budget* If you want more on that then you can go here.)