The Friday 56 (156) & Book Beginnings: Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

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

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl's castle. To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there's far more to Howl—and herself—than first meets the eye.

Beginning: "In the land of Ingary, where such things as seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility really exist, it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of three."

56: "It would be a thin blue face,: she murmured, "very long and thin, with a thin blue nose. But those curly green flames on top are most definitely your hair."

Comments: I've talked about Howl's Moving Castle for the Friday 56 before, but I'm sharing it again because I recently reread it. I also used this book as an example in an upcoming blog post. I love this book. It's been four years since I first read it, and it's such a great story. It was nice to reread it. Have you read Howl's Moving Castle or seen the movie adaptation?

Upcoming Music I'm Waiting For: Second Half Of The Year

Listen, there have been a lot of good albums released in the first six months of the year. Despite how many I’ve already listened to, there are many more I’ve yet to get to. I’m looking forward to the second half of the year and all the music that’ll be coming out before January 2020. Some of my favorite artists are back with new albums to be released sometime in 2019, and oh man, I’m so excited.

(**Note: “current singles to listen to from” = songs that are available to listen to from the upcoming albums.**)

lll by Banks 

Banks is back. It’s been about three years since The Altar was released, and I loved that album. Of course, Banks released two singles in 2017: Underdog and Crowded Spaces. Those were really good on their own. However, I’ve wanted another full album: a follow-up to The Altar. And it’s happening. Luckily, the wait won’t be too long since lll comes out on July 12, 2019.

Current singles to listen to from lll...

• Gimme

• Look What You’re Doing to Me

Charli by Charli XCX 

With songs like You (Ha Ha Ha), Take My Hand, and Black Roses, Charli XCX’s True Romance album is one of my favorite releases of 2013. Admittedly, I haven’t kept up with some of her more recent music. However, her new album, Charli, has caught my attention because of the collaborations with Lizzo, Troye Sivan, and others. Charli releases on September 13, 2019.

Current singles to listen to from Charli...

• 1999

• Blame It On Your Love

Sunshine Kitty by Tove Lo 

Out of all the music on this list, Sunshine Kitty is the album I’m most looking forward to. I have Tove Lo’s first three albums. She’s an artist I consistently listen to and buy music from. I am beyond excited for Sunshine Kitty. There’s no release day yet, but it says 2019. So, I have my finger’s crossed that the wait won’t be too long.

Current singles to listen to from Sunshine Kitty

• Glad He’s Gone

Halsey 

You know, I’ve listened to both of Halsey’s albums—Hopeless Fountain Kingdom and Badlands—and I’ve liked them. So, I’m looking forward to Halsey’s next album (No name or release date yet).

There are, of course, many other albums coming out between July and the end of the year. However, these are the main ones I’m waiting for. What upcoming music are you waiting for? Or, what are some recent singles, albums, or eps you’ve listened to?

Release Day Excerpt & Giveaway: Blastaway by Melissa Landers

Today is the release date for Melissa Landers new book, Blastaway! If you haven't heard about it yet (which you might have, since there was a post about the cover reveal in September of 2018), you can check out all the details about Blastaway below. You can also read an excerpt and enter for a chance to win a finished copy of the book (the giveaway is courtesy of Disney-Hyperion and Rockstar Book Tours and is US Only). So, keep scrolling!

About the Book...

Title: BLASTAWAY

Author: Melissa Landers

Pub. Date: July 9,2019

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 304

Goodreads; Amazon;,  Kindle;  Audible;  B&N; iBooks; Kobo; TBD

Kyler Centaurus isn't your typical runaway. All he wanted was a quick trip to the legendary Fasti Sun Festival. Who wouldn't want to see new stars being born? Um, try Kyler's entire family. They couldn't care less about mind-blowing wonders of science. When an accidental launch sequence ends with Kyler hurtling through space on the family cruiser, the thrill of freedom is cut short by two space pirates determined to steal his ship. Not happening! Luckily, Kyler bumps into Fig, a savvy young Wanderer who makes a living by blowing up asteroids. She could really use a ride to Earth and Kyler could really use a hand with the pirates. But when Kyler learns the truth about Fig's mission, the two must put aside their differences long enough to stop the threat of astronomical proportions racing towards Earth....

Excerpt!

At some point, I must have fallen asleep. 

I say that for two reasons. First, my chin was wet with drool, and I hardly ever slobber on myself when I’m awake. And second, I was no longer on Earth. 

I sat bolt upright and stared out the window as distant stars whizzed past in a blur. There were no planets in sight, and judging by the swirling purple nebula ahead of me, this wasn’t the way to Nana’s house. I checked the navigation screen and felt my mouth drop open. The flashing beacon that represented my ship was halfway between Earth and Fasti.

(So you see, it is totally possible to steal a spaceship on accident.)

I guess my hand hit the EXECUTE button when I fell asleep. And because it would take just as long for me to turn around and go home as it would to finish my journey, it made sense to keep going, right? Either way, my parents would ground me into the afterlife, so I might as well earn the sentence, right? 

Right. 

An electric thrill rushed through my veins when I thought about the possibilities that lay ahead of me. Anything could happen on this trip. Literally anything. I could discover a brand-new element. Or meet a secret race of aliens. Or invent a new energy source. Or eat so much chocolate that I puked. Either way, I had complete freedom to make this journey into whatever I wanted, and once I realized that, there was no freaking way I could turn back. It was like the universe had dropped a gift in my lap, a gift I had no intention of returning.

I wiped the drool off my chin and smiled.

“Hold onto your stars, Fasti. Here I come.”

About the author...

Melissa Landers is a former teacher who left the classroom to pursue other worlds. A proud sci-fi geek, she isn’t afraid to wear her Princess Leia costume in public—just ask her kids. She lives just outside Cincinnati in the town of Loveland, “Sweetheart of Ohio.”

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads

Enter below for a chance to win a finished copy of Blastaway. The giveaway is courtesy of Disney-Hyperion and Rockstar Book Tours. US Only. Ends on July 22 at 12:00 a.m. EST.

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Music Monday (82): Cirque du Soleil (Volta), Phyllis Hyman,The Deele

   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 

Breana: I'm finally back from my break from blogging, and to start out I'm participating in Music Monday. Recently, I’ve been listening to a lot of Cirque du Soleil soundtracks, and a particular favorite of mine is the music for Volta. I like all the songs, but one I’ve especially enjoyed is Like Kids. If the video doesn’t play for you, you can always search for the album on Spotify.

Adri: This week for music monday, I want to talk about the late Phyllis Hyman. I stumbled upon her singing It Don't Mean A Thing on the Broadway revue called Sophisticated Ladies. Recently, I decided check out some of her music. I can definently say I'm loving it. So here are I Can't Live With Out You and Goddess of Love.

Andrea: This week I'm back with another old school song, Two Occasions by The Deele. Enjoy your week peeps!

What are you listening to this week?

I need a break....

I'm taking a break from the blog. I will be back in July. See you all next month!