Music Monday (7) The Video Game Edition

   Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

I was mostly offline at the end of last week. I was pretty busy and took a somewhat impromptu break from the internet. I hope everyone had a great weekend. Anyway, welcome back to Music Monday. This week Adri and I are tackling some of our favorite video game trailers and theme songs, hence the title of this post.

My first pick this week is Glockenpop by Spiderbait, which is one of the songs featured in Little Big Planet. I always like to play the levels that use this song since it’s so catchy, and I don’t mind listening to it more than once in a ten minute timeframe (or however long it takes me to beat the level). From the Little Big Planet OST (original soundtrack), I think Glockenpop captures the feel of the game best.

My second pick is Blackheart by Two Steps From Hell, which is used in the PlayStation 4 trailer. I regularly listen to Two Steps From Hell. I really enjoy their music. So, I liked Blackheart even before it was used for the trailer. I might even have to do another post that features a couple more of my favorite Two Steps From Hell songs.

Well, since I'm becoming a permanent blogger here...

This week, we're focusing on video games so my selections are based off a game I fell in love with: Mirror's Edge. I found the game because the PlayStation store had some type of anniversary thing gong on at the time, and the game was free. At the end of the game, the song Still Alive sung by Lisa Miskovsky plays as the credits roll; unfortunately, I didn't care for the song at the time.  **Fun Fact: Still Alive is also the name of the song that plays at the end of Portal (Yet another pair of songs that share the same name).**

It wasn't until the reboot (which at the time, I mistakenly assumed was the sequel) was announced that I started to like Still Alive. However, history repeats and the same thing happened with Mirror's Edge Catalyst. I was not a fan of CHVRCHES' Warning Call, but of course, I found myself coming back to the song. I guess you could say I'm listening to this song until I can actually play Mirror's Edge Catalyst. **cries** :,-(

On a side note, I have also been listening to the soundtrack released by Solar Fields while playing the original Mirror's Edge. I love Savant, the Anchor District, and Catalyst.

What are some of your favorite video game theme songs?

The Friday 56 (86) The Lost Lullaby by Jason Segel & Kristen Miller, illustrated by Karl Kwasny

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Charlie Laird has a very bad feeling...

1. There’s a NEW GIRL at school, and Charlie and his friends have DEFINITELY seen her before.
2. He’s been hearing strange noises after dark, which is NEVER a good sign.
3. The nightmares are back, and they’re WEIRDER THAN EVER.

Not since he faced his fears has Charlie had so many bad dreams. Whenever he falls asleep, he finds himself in a Netherworld field, surrounded by a flock of CREEPY BLACK SHEEP.
They're not counting sheep. They refuse to jump. In fact, they don't do much at all. EVEN EERIER, THOUGH, is that it’s not Charlie’s nightmare. Somehow he’s trapped in someone else’s bad dream. And he’s pretty sure the twins ICK and INK are responsible.
Charlie and his friends thought they’d put the twins out of business, but it seems they didn’t quite finish the job. Now the WOOLLY NIGHTMARES are closing in, and INK has shown up at Cypress Creek Elementary! Charlie’s convinced that INK is up to NO GOOD. And if he’s right, it could be a very long time before anyone’s dreams are sweet again...

"He'd only just finished when Charlotte appeared in the kitchen and gave Charlie's father a kiss. "Charlie's annoyed with me."

Charlie crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at his stepmother."--The Lost Lullaby by Jason Segel & Kristen Miller, illustrated by Karl Kwasny

Comments: I basically binge read the rest of this series. And oh man, The Lost Lullaby was such a good book.

What are you reading this week?

Review: The Sleepwalker Tonic by Jason Segel & Kristen Miller, illustrated by Karl Kwasny

Title: The Sleepwalker Tonic
Author/Illustrator: Jason Segel & Kristen Miller; Karl Kwasny
Source/Format: Borrowed from the library; Hardcover
More Details: Middle Grade; Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Delacorte Books for Young Readers; September 8, 2015
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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Nightmares! The Sleepwalker Tonic is the sequel to the hilariously scary New York Times bestselling novel Nightmares! by multitalented actor Jason Segel and bestselling author Kirsten Miller. You thought the nightmares were over? You better keep the lights on!

Charlie Laird has a dream life.

1) He has a weirdo stepmom who runs an herbarium.
2) He lives in a purple mansion with a portal to the Netherworld.
3) Since they escaped from the Netherworld, he and his best friends have been sleeping like babies.

But Charlie can’t shake the feeling that something strange is afoot. Charlotte’s herbarium used to be one of the busiest stores in Cypress Creek. Now her loyal following is heading to Orville Falls for their herbal potions.
Weirder, though, Orville Falls is suddenly filled with . . . zombies? At least, they sure look like the walking dead. Rumor has it that no one’s sleeping in Orville Falls. And Charlie knows what that means. Things are getting freaky again...

After reading Nightmares I was pretty excited to get my hands on a copy of The Sleepwalker Tonic by Jason Segel & Kristen Miller. I mean, Nightmares was surprising in all the best ways. The ideas introduced were fantastic and the execution was spot on. And oh man, this series just keeps getting better and better. The Sleepwalker Tonic was so good. All the things I loved about the first book were brought back and incorporated into the continuation of Charlie Laird’s story.

Charlie Laird was pretty much enjoying life after the events of the first book. It made me happy to see how his life had changed for the better, but that peace doesn’t last long when strange things start happening. The plot was fantastic. I loved how all the dream and nightmare aspects were incorporated. There were a lot of imaginative ideas introduced in The Sleepwalker Tonic, and I loved how they were ultimately presented.

Once again, I really liked the characters. There were some new faces, but even if they were secondary, they had their place in the story. Charlie was a great narrator, and I enjoyed reading from his perspective. I liked how his character was developed, the growth that he went through, and the lessons he learned. I also enjoyed how involved his stepmother was. It’s always nice to see one or more of the characters parents involved in some way or another.

One thing that The Sleepwalker Tonic gets right is the conflict. I liked how it was set up and how it ultimately played out. The villains were suitably creepy in their own right.

The Sleepwalker Tonic was a fantastic addition to the series, and yet I have so many questions left unanswered. Needless to say, I’m definitely looking forward to the next book, The Lost Lullaby.

Musing Mondays (64) Random weekly Question(s) & Currently Reading

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by Jenn at Books and a Beat that asks you to muse about something book related each week.

My musings for the week...

I haven't done a Musing Mondays post in a while, and I figured that today I'm going to get caught up on some of the random weekly questions that I missed.

Random Weekly Question from October 10th:  Can you recall a time when you weren’t an avid reader?

Nope. I was probably too  young to remember.

Random Weekly Question from October 17th: Who are the key players in your current book? (or current themes, if nonfiction)

Yesterday, I just started reading The Twistrose Key by Tone Almhjell. The key players are Lin Rosenquist and her pet, Rufus.

Random Weekly Question from November 7th: Do you prefer fast-paced novels, or slow, descriptive novels?

Honestly, this question could go either way and I think it depends entirely on the book. Some are slow and saturated with descriptive prose, but if they're good--and I mean really good--then I don't mind the slower pace as long as I'm digging the story. Then, there are some that set a brisk pace, and I feel like the same sort of concept applies. I just don't think it matters as long as the story is good and the pace and descriptions ultimately serve a purpose. If it works it just works.

Random Weekly Question from November 14th: How has your reading changed in the last 10 years?

My reading hasn't changed that much in the last ten years. Except, I do read more and from a larger variety of genres, but that's about it.

Other musings...

To start out this week, I'm currently reading The Twistrose Key by Tone Almhjell.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Something is wrong in the house Lin's family rented. The clocks tick too slowly. Frost covers the flowerbed, even in a rain storm. And when a secret key marked "Twistrose" arrives for her, Lin finds in a crack in the cellar and unlocks a gate to the world of Sylver. This frozen realm is the home of every dead animal who ever loved a child. Lin is overjoyed to be reunited with Rufus, the pet she buried under the rosebush. But together they must find the missing Winter Prince in order to save Sylver from destruction…and they’re not the only ones hunting for the Prince...

What are you currently reading?

Music Monday (6) Tinashe, Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas, and the trio of Jaded(s)

   Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me, that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Normally, I don’t participate in two memes in one day, but today I’m going to do it. So, in addition to Music Monday, I'm also participating in Musing Mondays for the first time in a couple of weeks. And, of course, Adri is back today, and we’re going to talk about more of the music we’re currently listening to.

For my first pick today, I'm going with one of my favorite songs,  Feels Like Vegas by Tinashe. I first heard about Tinashe while listening to a radio station—I don’t remember which it was—but I do remember really liking All Hands on Deck, which led me to search for more of her music. And that's how I discovered Feels Like Vegas.

Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas are so underrated, which is a shame because I really love their music, especially Tired Oak. There are other fantastic songs like Caught Up and Sorry I Stole Your Man, but for today I'm sticking with Tired Oak.

Hi, Adri here again, I'm back for another round of Music Monday. This week, I wanted to share music in a slightly different way. Hence, the last part of the title for this post "...and the trio of Jaded(s)". For my picks this week, all the songs have the same name, but they are different.

For Jaded by Deadmau5, I only found it because I went hunting for other songs after listening to ALL the versions of Ghost N Stuff.

I've been listening to a lot of songs by Lone after finding the song Pineapple Crush. So, I was around when Reality Testing dropped. Naturally, I tried to listen to all of the songs when I found Jaded. Lone has too many songs, and I don't favor one over the other (he can't put out any songs that I don't like). 

And the last song from the trio of Jaded(s). I've been listening to Disclosure since their song featuring Sam Smith. So, like Lone, I was following them when their album dropped. After listening to the song and watching the video a couple of times, it was then that I realized that Jaded looked familiar. And I was right. Dun-dun-dun!

Have you listened to any songs that have the same or similar name?

The Friday 56 (85) Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed...

The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminaecontinues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault.

Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy's most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station's wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands. But relax. They've totally got this. They hope...

"Donnelly, H: I'm not even sure what I'm trying to ask.

Guest591: Um, Okay.

Donnelly, H: Just...

Donnelly, H: If nothing was ever going to happen with us--and I know in what passes for reality for you that's obviously not true, but just pretend--if nothing was ever going to happen, would you want to be my friend?"-- Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Comments: I have waited so long for this book to come out. I was really excited for it, and while the story wasn't exactly what I was expecting, it was still a good book,

What are you reading this week?

Review: The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

Title: The Star-Touched Queen
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Source/Format: Borrowed for the Library; Hardcover
More Details: Young Adult; Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Martin's Griffin; April 26, 2016

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Fate and fortune. Power and passion. What does it take to be the queen of a kingdom when you’re only seventeen?

Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of death and destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father’s kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran’s queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar’s wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire. But Akaran has its own secrets—thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most…including herself...

I’m late to the ban-wagon for this one…

You know, The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi has all the elements I like about fantasy, so I really don’t know why it took me so long to get to this one. Now that I have read it, I can firmly say that The Star-Touched Queen is one of my favorite books of 2016. From the characters to the plot, I adored everything about this story.

The world was just awesome. The customs and traditions of the society in The Star-Touched Queen were woven with the fantasy elements in the story, and the effect was really cool. I loved all the little details that Chokshi put into the world building. It was complex and layered, and added depth to the story.

The plot itself was also good. I do like that Chokshi took some time to introduce the key players and the society that Mayavati (Maya) lived in, as well as establishing the relationship between the MC and the secondary characters. The style of writing in The Star-Touched Queen is very descriptive. I could picture the various scenes as they were happening. In the end, I liked the descriptiveness because it was easy to picture the setting as the characters moved from place to place, and the various scenes as they were happening.

I really liked Maya as a character, and that’s a good thing since The Star-Touched Queen is primarily told from her perspective. I enjoyed her story, and liked how Chokshi portrayed her character and the circumstances she was subjected to. Amar wasn’t a bad character. He was mysterious and he kept secrets from Maya, but the two did have some chemistry.

The Star-Touched Queen was a story rich with detail, a cast of awesome characters, and a story that had me hooked from page one. And now, I just have to wait until the second book comes out.

Music Monday (5) Janelle Monáe, Breach, & Lianne La Havas

  Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me, that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Before I get to what I’m listening to this week, I want to take the time to welcome Adri to Music Monday. Adri has blogged a couple of times on Our Thoughts Precisely, and today, she’s going to share some of the music she’s been listening to down below.

Recently, I’ve been listening to more of Janelle Monáe's music. Her style of music and vocals are just amazing. I like all of her albums—The Electric Lady, The ArchAndroid, and even Metropolis: The Chase Suite. Some of my favorite Janelle Monáe songs are Primetime featuring Miguel, Q.U.E.E.N., Electric Lady, Dance Apocalyptic, Sincerely Jane, Tightrope, and Come Alive (War of the Roses), just to name a few.

Primetime is one of my favorite songs, because it had the one collaboration that I didn't know I needed in my life. And if Janelle Monáe and Miguel ever made a full album together, I would definitely buy it.

Electric Lady is on the same album as Primetime. Not only is the beat catchy, but the lyrics are too. 

Hi, Adri here, I'm back, long time no see. Coincidentally, I found both of the songs by thumbnail browsing. For Unstoppable by Lianne La Havas, her hair in the thumbnail captured my attention (#NaturalHairMoment #HairGoals), and I couldn't help but to check it out. I instantly loved the song. 

When I fist saw the thumbnail for Everything You Never Had (We Had It All) by Breach featuring Andreya Triana, my immediate reaction was: "Wait what?". I just had to drop what I was doing and listen to it. Some parts of the song reminded me of my two other favorite songs: Finally by CeCe Peniston and It Takes Two by Rob Base and D.J. E-Z Rock. I just like it and have had it on repeat. P.S. I love the music video. (Fun fact: Did you know that the Woo! Yeah! loop originated from Think (About It) by Lyn Collins?) 

What are you listening to this week?

The Friday 56 (84) The Sleepwalker Tonic by Jason Segel & Kristen Miller, illustrated by Karl Kwasny

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Nightmares! The Sleepwalker Tonic is the sequel to the hilariously scary New York Times bestselling novel Nightmares! by multitalented actor Jason Segel and bestselling author Kirsten Miller. You thought the nightmares were over? You better keep the lights on!

Charlie Laird has a dream life.

1) He has a weirdo stepmom who runs an herbarium.
2) He lives in a purple mansion with a portal to the Netherworld.
3) Since they escaped from the Netherworld, he and his best friends have been sleeping like babies.

But Charlie can’t shake the feeling that something strange is afoot. Charlotte’s herbarium used to be one of the busiest stores in Cypress Creek. Now her loyal following is heading to Orville Falls for their herbal potions.
Weirder, though, Orville Falls is suddenly filled with . . . zombies? At least, they sure look like the walking dead. Rumor has it that no one’s sleeping in Orville Falls. And Charlie knows what that means. Things are getting freaky again...

"Paige took off down the sidewalk as if she didn't have a concern in the world. Charlie swallowed again and rushed to catch up with her. Orville Falls may have been the kind of town you'd see on a Christmas Card, but it was the middle of summer and there was no one around."--The Sleepwalker Tonic by Jason Segel & Kristen Miller, illustrated by Karl Kwasny

Comments: As it so happens, I was in luck. My local library had the next two books in the Nightmares series, and I was able to put a hold on them before anyone else did.

What are you reading this week?

Review: The Bridge From Me To You by Lisa Schroeder

Title: The Bridge from Me to You
Author: Lisa Schroeder 
Source/Format: Won (Giveaway), Bound ARC
More Details: Young Adult; Contemporary; Romance
Publisher/Publication Date: Point; July 29, 2014

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Lauren has a secret. Colby has a problem. But when they find each other, everything falls into place... 

Lauren is the new girl in town with a dark secret. Colby is the football hero with a dream of something more. In alternating chapters, they come together, fall apart, and build something stronger than either of them thought possible--something to truly believe in...

The synopsis doesn’t tell much about the book, but I decided to give it a try anyway. And folks, let me tell you, I’m glad I did. The Bridge From Me To You is the first book I’ve read by Lisa Schroeder, and it was a very cute contemporary novel. The story focused on a high school football player and a girl just trying to find her place in the world. This concept had the possibility of turning into a been-there-done-that kind of thing. However, it was anything but typical, and I liked this book more than I thought I would. At first, I wasn’t too sure about how I would react to the writing, but actually, I really liked it. The development of the characters respective situations, backstories, and relationships didn’t suffer because of the alternating POVs and writing. The combination of prose and poetry was interesting to read, and worked well. I think Schroeder did a good job at the emotional aspect of the book, and I liked the chemistry between Lauren and Colby. The friendships were great too—they seemed realistic, and the connection between the characters was there. Another thing I liked was how this book didn’t gloss over the issues, but instead showed the potential worries and emotional damage that could come from them.

At the end of the day, The Bridge From Me To You was a very good book. I really enjoyed it, and I would consider picking up another novel by Schroeder.

Review: The Snow Queen by Hans Christain Andersen, Illustrated by Sanna Annukka

Title: The Snow Queen
Author/Illustrator: Hans Christain Andersen; Sanna Annukka
Source/Format: Blogging for Books; Hardcover
More Details: Classic; Fairy Tale
Publisher/Publication Date: Hutchinson; October 22, 2015 (Originally published in 1844)

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Hans Christian Andersen's magical tale of friendship and adventure is retold through the beautiful and intricate illustrations of Finnish-English illustrator Sanna Annukka. Cloth-bound in deep blue, with silver foil embellishments, The Snow Queen is a unique work of art.

Sanna Annukka is familiar to many from her collaborations with Marimekko and her artwork for Keane's album, Under the Iron Sea. For her second book project, she illustrates Hans Christian Andersen's classic fairy tale, The Snow Queen...

The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen is one classic I’ve been meaning to read. Since I had a chance to read the edition illustrated by Sanna Annukka, I figured that now was the time. I’ve heard about the numerous retellings and stories loosely based on the Snow Quuen, but I wanted to see if the original tale was good. Actually,  I really enjoyed The Snow Queen. It was a short  and charming tale about friendship and the Snow Queen. It was also somewhat of an adventure too. The illustrations were gorgeous (in this edition), and the story itself was nice. I enjoyed the friendship between Kay and Gerda—especially Gerda’s loyalty. I could understand her motivation for undertaking the task of helping her friend. Now, the Snow Queen, she was an alright character, but she wasn't really that present in the story. The majority of the book was spent almost entirely on Gerda’s perspective and the characters that were directly part of her end of the story.

Really, I can’t say anymore. The book was so short that I found it hard to find something to say without delving too far into the story. So, I will leave it here today, and end this review by saying I’m glad that I can finally mark The Snow Queen off the list of classics I haven’t read. It was a very nice story.

This coy of the book was provided by Blogging for Books (Publisher) for this review, thank you!

About the author...

Hans Christian Andersen was born in Odense, Denmark, in 1805. The son of a cobbler and washerwoman, he didn't start school until he was seventeen. He became famous for his fairy tales, including classics such as The Ugly Duckling and The Little Mermaid. The Snow Queen was published in 1844. When he died aged 70, the king and crown prince of Denmark attended his funeral...

About the illustrator...

Sanna Annukka spent her childhood summers in Finnland, and its landscape and folklore remain a source of inspiration. A print maker and illustrator based in Brighton, England, she is also a designer for Finnish textile brand Marimekko and has been featured in Vogue and many interior design magazines. She had also illustrated Hans Christian Andersen's The Fur Tree...

Music Monday (4) Grimes

  Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me, that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

This week, I'm listening to Grimes. I really enjoy Grimes' style of music. Her Art Angels album is one of my favorites since it has songs like REALiTi (both versions), Pin, and Venus Fly featuring Janelle Monáe.

Listen to REALiTi HERE
Listen to Medieval Warfare HERE

What are you listening to this week?