Every Monday I post whatever song I can't get out of my head or just can't get enough of because Mondays can often be less than marvelous, and music is happy--even when it's sad. If you'd like to join the party, just make your own Musical Monday post and leave a comment!
Valentine's Day was last Sunday. To celebrate--and because I couldn't give you all a box of candy hearts and a "Thank you for being one of my fabulous bloggy friends" valentine made of construction paper and glitter--Musical Mondays this February feature love songs in varying degrees of cheesiness.
Since today is the last Monday in February, I decided that the songs should be extra cheesy--theatrical, even. This week's songs are "Taylor the Latte Boy" and "Hopelessly Devoted to You" by Kristin Chenoweth. (Who knows how to sing.) The first one is just funny, and the second comes from a scene from Pushing Daisies, a lovably odd TV show that (sadly) aired for only two seasons and ended last year.
I hope your February has been great, and if not...well, March starts next Monday :)
Wishing you a Mountainous Monday (I'm runnning out of words that start with M),
Every Monday I post whatever song I can't get out of my head or just can't get enough of because Mondays can often be less than marvelous, and music is happy--even when it's sad. If you'd like to join the party, just make your own Musical Monday post and leave a comment!
Valentine's Day was yesterday! To celebrate--and because I couldn't give you all a box of candy hearts and a "Thank you for being one of my fabulous bloggy friends" valentine made of construction paper and glitter--Musical Mondays this February feature love songs in varying degrees of cheesiness.
This week's songs are "Hey Na Na" by Katie Herzig and "Closer" by Jars of Clay (a band that made many appearance during Christmas-themed Muscial Mondays). "Hey Na Na" has been stuck in my head all week--it's catchy and fun. "Closer", on the other hand, is one of the cutest (and openly cheesy yet serious) love songs I've ever heard: "You're my shirt iron-on, I'm the tick, you're the bomb. You're the L and V. I'm the O and the E."
I found two videos of "Closer" that I liked. One plays the original version, while the other plays an acoustic version that happens to have some dancing toddlers that got in front of the camera. It's too cute not to post, but the tempo of the song is much slower than the original, so I felt the need to post that too. The regular version is the first video; watch which ever one you like.
Happy [Late] Valentine's Day! I hope you all had a lovely day celebrating the--not necessarily romantic--love in your life.
Wishing you a Marvelous (I'm not feeling particularly creative today) Monday,
Every Monday I post whatever song I can't get out of my head or just can't get enough of because Mondays can often be less than marvelous, and music is happy--even when it's sad. If you'd like to join the party, just make your own Musical Monday post and leave a comment!
Valentine's Day is this Sunday. To celebrate--and because I can't give you all a box of candy hearts and a "Thank you for being one of my fabulous bloggy friends" valentine made of construction paper and glitter--Musical Mondays this February feature love songs in varying degrees of cheesiness.
This week's songs are "Must Have Done Something Right" by Relient K and "My Skeleton" by Crystal Thomas. "Must Have Done Something Right" is fabulously cheesy and great for car sing-alongs. "My Skeleton" isn't outright romantic but it is about love. (It's also quirky, catchy, and musically fun.)
Happy [Early] Valentine's Day! There are many kinds of love, and I hope you all get to have an enjoyable day with your favorite people.
Spring Semester started on Thursday and my homework pile is quickly becoming as tall as me. Between that and my library clerk adventures my online (and reading for fun) time has been much tinier this week, and I haven't read and commented on as many of your lovely blogs as I'd like to. I've also received some wonderful blog awards, which I will acknowledge and pass on at some indeterminate time in the future when. . .well, when I have time to do it. Until then, please understand that I'm not ignoring you because I think it's fun.
Summary: Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It's made him vulnerable. And now there's a new king in town.
A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he's one of the good guys. Nick isn't buying it, though Zara isn't as sure -- despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it's a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It's her life -- and his. (From Amazon.com) ___________________________________________ Captivate is the sequel to Need which debuted in December 2008. I tried to read Need but couldn't connect with the story and put it down halfway through. I did, however, read far enough to get to know the characters and become curious about where their stories would go. For this reason--and because the cover of Captivate is SPECTACULAR--I decided to break a personal rule and read a series book out of order. I have no regrets.
Captivate is an absorbing novel; I was drawn in by Zara's (the main charater's) humorous first-person narration and stayed for the deliciously thickening plot, which involves romance, action, and a handsome, mysterious new pixie king named Astley who is convinced that Zara is meant to be his queen. Zara expresses her annoyance:
Pixies and their ridiculous queen obsession. I'm so tired of it.
Zara may not initially agree, but Astley is one of the most likeable and entertaining characters I've ever met. Author Carrie Jones gives him a unique, believable speaking voice and every scene he appeared in was my new favorite of the novel.
Jones writes beautifully, peppering Zara's descriptions with interesting, funny, and often gorgeous similes. Between the expressive prose and Astley large sections of the book are un-puttdownable. I was addicted to Captivate.
While I enjoyed Zara and her voice, though, I never connected with her: I didn't cry when she cried, feel frightened when she did, or even smile when she was happy. I liked her, but I didn't care about her, and since I knew the other characters (Astley included) through Zara, I didn't care about them either.
As the plot builds Zara deals with the potential for destruction that we're all born with, and the lack of reader-character connection is awkward. From what I read of Need, I feel confident saying that Captivate is more serious than its predecessor. Zara is confronted with awful events and makes some difficult decisions, growing up significantly in the process.
Unfortunately, not connecting with Zara didn't stop me from being annoyed and slightly nauseated when she and her main love interest, Nick, called each other "baby" on every other page. It came across as a little too cheesy and unbelievable. Moreover, I came close to ditching Captivate about eighty pages from the end when the plot begins to drag painfully. I was bored, and it was a battle to the end of the book, which--thankfully--wrapped up this installment of Zara's story perfectly.
Captivate is an enjoyable but at times tedious read. I recommended it for readers of faery stories, anyone who enjoys their stories with touches of mythology, and for anyone looking for something different--this series is nothing if not unique. Jones deftly inserts enough backstory for readers new to the series to enjoy Captivate but be curious about Need, and I intend to give the book a second chance.
Every Monday I post whatever song I can't get out of my head or just can't get enough of because Mondays can often be less than marvelous, and music is happy--even when it's sad. If you'd like to join the party, just make your own Musical Monday post and leave a comment!
Today is the first day of February; the 14th of February is Valentine's Day. To celebrate--and because I can't give you all a box of candy hearts and a "Thank you for being one of my fabulous bloggy friends" valentine made of construction paper and glitter--the next four Musical Mondays will feature love songs in varying degrees of cheesiness.
This week's songs are "So Do I Love You" and "Well I Mean What I Mean, and I Mean What I Say" by musician/poet Bradley Hathaway. "So Do I Love You" is a song full of similes that make me smile: "Like a baker loves dough/like a philosopher loves to know/like a comic loves laughs/like a toddler loves a bubble bath/so do I love you." The other song is honest and sweet. Bradley Hathaway sings out of tune (when his vocals can be called singing) but that's part of the charm. Enjoy!
