Music Monday (On Tuesday)

When Amanda and I first started this blog back in December I wasn’t exactly sure what direction we were going to take it in but I was eager to start posting to the world. So for two Mondays I started a little segment called Music Monday where I posted a video of a song I just couldn’t take off of repeat. Well I wanted to try to start that back up again with a video from a song that I just couldn’t get out of my head while reading Matched by Ally Condie. The song is Skip the Charades by Cold War Kids. Their new cd is amazing and if you like this song you should pick up their cd that just came out this summer.

ENJOY!!!!

Bianca

M.I.A.

We know we have been a little absent as of late, so today Bianca and I were trying to figure out what exactly we wanted to achieve with this blog. It is pretty simple; we love books and want to share our love with others. So seeing as how we have been learning the art of reviewing, we have decided that while we continue to review books we are also going to give you little insights into just how obsessed we are with books.

These little snippets will just be fun/interesting things that somehow tie into the books we love or even didn't love so much. A little example of this is how some authors have 'playlists' that is sort of a soundtrack to their books. Kind of a musical log of how a book progresses for them. Maybe we won't do a playlist, per se, but a song will remind us of a book or character from time to time and it's fun to share.

With that in mind, here is an awesome example of when that happens: in a complete coincidence, while we were talking about songs that relate to books we have read, the band Mumford and Sons came up. The song White Blank Page seems to be written from none other than Jacob's (Twilight) point of view. Both Bianca and I had expressed this thought to other people before ever telling other. So it must be true, no?

So tell us dear dear readers, do you ever hear a song and feel as though it goes perfectly with an unrelated book? Share!

Amanda

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

One hour to rewrite the past . . . 

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there; swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back. 

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past. 

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened? 

http://www.myramcentire.blogspot.com/

I have to start by saying what a story!!!!!  From the first couple of pages you are so enthralled in Emerson's story  it is hard to put the book down.  I can't believe that this is Myra's first novel!!!

Emerson is a young girl who has been through some pretty horrific events within the last couple of years and has taken that pain and made herself a strong individual. You love her so much because Emerson doesn't seem to realize the strength she has gained through her pain becoming a little spitfire.  Thomas, Emerson's brother, has arranged for her to meet Michael, this tall, dark, and handsome guy, who believes every word Emerson says and doesn't think she's crazy.  Michael can also see people or "rips" from the past.
The two of them have real electric chemistry and it grows stronger with each physical connection.  But Michael continues to want to keep their relationship professional. I found myself flipping a few pages ahead to see if they finally kiss because I couldn't take the tension anymore.

When you think you what is about to happen the story takes a twist and you find yourself not believing what you are reading.  I can't wait to read the next book and see how Emerson and Michael's story continues.

Bianca

Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton

For Nick Pardee and Silla Kennicot, the cemetery is the center of everything.
Nick is a city boy angry at being forced to move back to the nowhere town of Yaleylah, Missouri where he grew up. He can’t help remembering his mom and the blood magic she practiced – memories he’s tried for five years to escape. Silla, though, doesn’t want to forget; her parents’ apparent murder-suicide left her numb and needing answers. When a book of magic spells in her dad’s handwriting appears on her doorstep, she sees her chance to unravel the mystery of their deaths.
Together they plunge into the world of dark magic, but when a hundred-year-old blood witch comes hunting for the bones of Silla’s parents and the spell book, Nick and Silla will have to let go of everything they believe about who they are, the nature of life and death, and the deadly secrets that hide in blood. (http://www.tesssagratton.com/)

Tessa Gratton has written an incredible novel that had me hooked after the first couple of pages.  I really loved Nick and Silla and the chemistry between the two of them.  Silla is a strong and brave character and you can see why Nick gravitated to her so quickly against the advice of so many around him.  I loved how as I was reading the story I could feel the energy and tension between Nick and Silla through Tessa's writing.

As I was reading I really thought I knew where the story was going and what the ending outcome was going to be, but was blown away by a couple of plot twists. I couldn't put the book down until I read what happened.  Everyone should definitely put Blood Magic on their must read list!!!

As a side note I can't wait to meet Tessa when she comes with Maggie Stiefvater to the Borders in Novi in July!!!

Bianca

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

R is a young man with an existential crisis–he is a zombie. He shuffles through an America destroyed by war, social collapse, and the mindless hunger of his undead comrades, but he craves something more than blood and brains. He can speak just a few grunted syllables, but his inner life is deep, full of wonder and longing. He has no memories, noidentity, and no pulse, but he has dreams.
After experiencing a teenage boy’s memories while consuming his brain, R makes an unexpected choice that begins a tense, awkward, and stragely sweet relationship with the victim’s human girlfriend. Julie is a blast of color in the otherwise dreary and gray landscape that surrounds R. His decision to protect her will transform not only R, but his fellow Dead, and perhaps their whole lifeless world. Isaac Marion website



I am a huge fan of anything zombie related and when Maggie Stiefvater suggested this book on her blog I knew that I was going to be a fan....and I was.  The story is from R's point of view and he is a zombie.  What makes this story different from other zombie stories out there is that even though R has difficulty communicating verbally he still has internal thoughts and in a weird way dreams of a "life" for himself.  R meets Julie one night when he goes out feeding with a group of fellow zombies.  He eats a portion of her boyfriend's brain and sees clips of his past with Julie and through these clips R feels instantly connected to Julie and keeps her safe from the other zombies.  R takes Julie to his home at the airport, hides her out in an abandoned plane and shows her his humanity as they talk and share stories from Julie's past and from what R can remember.  A lot of the time they bond of music, which I am always a sucker for. They have an unspoken hope for a better life for everyone. As the days go on Julie sees that R is different and begins to hope that their could be a change or cure when day to their current situation.

It was nice to see that even if one day the zombie apocalypse does happen we can still have a sense of humanity and a connection with other beings.  It was a strange love story between R and Julie but it was never not believable.  Isaac Marion really does a fantastic job of describing the details so that you feel what R feels. You see the destruction around him, but that you also see the beauty and hope that is surrounding him waiting to be found and nourished.

I also liked how this story really makes the reader think about their current lives and how we can be zombies ourselves.  Sitting back and watching our lives race before us or watching what happens to our world and never doing anything about it.  I was constantly putting the book down and reflecting on my own life.  I highly suggest this book to everyone.  You will not be disappointed!!!

Bianca

Gossamer by S.L. Naeole

Let me start this particular review off by stating that I know that my first few reviews were especially rough. I am a work in progress and I appreciate all of you sticking with me while I learn to write better reviews. Now let's begin...

Gossamer by S.L. Naeole is the first in the Faeble series that centers around a young girl named Sophia Blythe. Sophia is a foster child that has finally settled into a family but hasn't necessarily found any peace.  She is struggling to overcome her notorious past while trying to imagine a future. 

There is a supernatural element but the best thing about this book is that it doesn't really center around it.  Naeole really thrusts the reader right into Sophia's world and it is immediately apparent that Sophia's biggest obstacles aren't anything supernatural but heartbreakingly human.

There are some plot points that are familiar but all have a great spin on them so they don't feel recycled. There is a new school and new love interest to create some conflict for Sophia, but as I stated- Naeole does this with such creativity that you truly don't know what to expect and will love every minute involved in trying to figure it out. 

I know that I have given a glowing, gushing review but I just have to state that of all the books I've read(a veritable ton) I just can't get over how much I love Naeole's style of writing. I feel like she writes books that make people(me) want to be a writer. So, yes, I gush. I have an author-crush and I implore all of you who enjoy romance, mystery and good old fashioned story-telling to check out all of her books. You can get them at www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com. Or...if you don't think they are for you, I guarantee you have a friend who would love them. Ok, done gushing. :)

~Amanda~

Eternal Eden by Nicole Williams

How do you review a book that you are really torn on? Eternal Eden by Nicole Williams has me perplexed. The beginning of this young adult book is not unlike most others out there. Good looking, mysterious, seemingly perfect guy shows up and sweeps 'normal' girl off of her feet. The problem with this standard setup is that I just couldn't feel the chemistry between the two main characters, Bryn and William.  Bryn was yelling at him when she first met him and then all of a sudden willing to die to hear his voice again.  Hmmm... In addition to that, the main character Bryn seemed to have continually contradicting descriptions put on her by the author. First Bryn is described as normal and somewhat introverted. Next she is described as somewhat dark because of her past. She is also explained to be average in the looks department and yet she seems to capture the attention of all the great looking guys around her. Add to this that she doesn't have much of a personality in the beginning and it is easy to understand why I was ready to end this book before it even got into the real plot.

Nevertheless, I decided to stick with this book because it was only .99 for the Kindle on Amazon.com and figured it had to get better.  The supernatural element was revealed- immortality. Not all that interesting considering how much fun an author could have with that idea. I'd say that about half way through the book, the plot got a little better but by no means was the reader ever really surprised by what was happening.  The end seemed to be where Williams really shined and set up a sequel quite nicely.

Here is where I am torn, how can I recommend a book that was only interesting for about 25% of the total book?  I can't. But I will give the sequel a chance and then let everyone know if trudging through the initial book is worth the trouble. I suppose part of me wants to give this new author a chance and see if the problems were just a part of being a first time author. Again, feel free to check it out but come back this summer for a review of her second book when it comes out and I'll let you know then if I can get behind this series. Thanks for reading! :)

~Amanda~