The Monday Musts is a new weekly meme hosted by Lovin' Los Libros,
where you share what you consider a must-read book, a must-listen
song/album/artist, and something that's a must see (TV show, movie,
blog, pictures, etc).
Welcome to Monday Musts! Why the Irish edition you ask? Well, I'm obsessed with all things Irish and since St. Patrick's Day is this week, I decided to dedicate the week to things having to do with the Emerald Isle. Stay tuned the rest of the week for more Irish goodness!
My musts for this week:
~ Must Read ~
If you like contemporary romance, I highly recommend the Gallaghers of Ardmore trilogy by Nora Roberts: Jewels of the Sun, Tears of the Moon, and Heart of the Sea. Jewels of the Sea was one of the very first contemporary romance novels I read and it started my love of the genre. It didn't hurt that the series is set in Ireland, plus while it's mostly contemporary it also has faeries and ghosts and a wonderful underlying thread of magic. I've already read the series a couple times and I've been thinking lately it's time for another reread.
~ Must Listen ~
U2 and The Corrs are two of my favourite bands, and they both happen to be Irish. There are several versions of When the Stars Go Blue but for me none will ever compare to this version with Bono and the Corrs. *heart eyes forever*
~ Must See ~
Three of my favourite movies set at least partly in Ireland: PS I Love You (the book is also fantastic, and it's written by Irish author Cecelia Ahern), Leap Year (which is doubly fitting this year since it is a leap year), and Laws of Attraction. All three of these are romantic comedies (although PS I Love You is also incredibly heartbreaking and makes me cry like a baby every time I watch it).
What do you think of my musts? What are your
musts for the week? Tell me in the comments, or if you participated in
The Monday Musts this week, feel free to leave a link to your post in
the comments and I'll visit you back!
The Monday Musts is a new weekly meme hosted by Lovin' Los Libros,
where you share what you consider a must-read book, a must-listen
song/album/artist, and something that's a must see (TV show, movie,
blog, pictures, etc).
My musts for this week:
~ Must Read ~
Upside Down by Lia Riley. Well, the whole Off the Map series for that matter, but this is the first book (there are three novels, plus two novellas). I love Lia's books, and Bran and Talia have a special place in my heart for a lot of reasons. These books are heavy on the feels and swoons, plus they're crazy sexy. They have a great balance of tough real life issues mixed in with humour and a whole lotta sexytimes. Definitely one of my favourite New Adult series.
~ Must Listen ~
Coldplay has been one of my favourite bands for a long time, and I love love love their newest single, Adventure of a Lifetime. The video is weird (as are a lot of their videos), but the song is amazing. I just want to get up and dance every time I hear it.
~ Must See ~
The adorable magnetic bookmarks Happy Hello makes. I kept seeing them on Instagram, and I finally caved and bought two sets a couple weeks ago (plus bought another set this past weekend). If you visit my blog regularly, you'll know I'm obsessed with London, so I couldn't resist the London bookmarks, plus I'm currently obsessed with Outlander, and while I technically bought these for my mum, I keep stealing them because they're just so freaking cute. I can
see this becoming an addiction! Be sure to check out Happy Hello's Etsy shop.
What do you think of my musts? What are your musts for the week? Tell me in the comments, or if you participated in The Monday Musts this week, feel free to leave a link to your post in the comments and I'll visit you back!
The Monday Musts is a new weekly meme hosted by Lovin' Los Libros,
where you share what you consider a must-read book, a must-listen
song/album/artist, and something that's a must see (TV show, movie,
blog, pictures, etc).
My musts for this week: ~ Must read ~
Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway. I'm a contemporary romance junkie, and this book had everything I love about the genre, especially in YA: friendship, humour, romance, family relationships, and lots of real emotion. It made me giggle like crazy, plus I even cried a couple times. If you're a fellow YA contemporary lover, I highly recommend Emmy & Oliver.
~ Must Listen ~
Hold On by Walk Off the Earth. I absolutely love this song. It's so catchy, plus I love the lyrics.
~ Must See ~
Frasier. The Complete Box Set was a daily deal on Amazon a few months ago (something like 60% or more off), and since I've always loved the show, I splurged and got it for myself as a birthday/Christmas present. I'm so glad I did - January was a pretty hellish for my mum and me, so we've been binge-watching the show, and I swear it's saved us from going crazy. It's familiar, it's hilarious, we love the characters, and it's the perfect way to shut off our minds for awhile. I know it's not for everyone - I imagine some people would have trouble getting past Frasier's personality (I mean, he can be insufferable, there's no denying that), but I guess since I watched Cheers when I was little, and then transitioned into Frasier, I find it more amusing than anything. Plus Niles and Daphne are one of my OTPs. <3
What
do you think of my musts? What are your musts for the week? Tell me in
the comments, or if you participated in The Monday Musts this week, feel
free to leave a link and I'll be sure to check out your post!
The Monday Musts is a new weekly meme hosted by Lovin' Los Libros, where you share what you consider a must-read book, a must-listen song/album/artist, and something that's a must see (TV show, movie, blog, pictures, etc).
My musts for this week:
~ Must read ~
Every Breath and Every Word by Ellie Marney. I'm obsessed with all things Sherlock, and I've read a ton of Sherlock-inspired books, but these are my favourites. They're popular in Australia, where the author is from and where the books are set, but have sort of flown under the radar here in North America, which is a shame. They've got great characters, lots of action and mystery, plus feels, swoons, and humour. The third book, Every Move, will be available in North America next month, and I can't wait to read it, even though I'll be sad to say goodbye to Rachel and James.
~ Must Listen ~
Thursday's Child by David Bowie. This song was when I really discovered Bowie as a musician. Before this, I only knew him from Labyrinth (which has been one of my favourite movies since I was 5 or 6), but this song came out when I was 15, and I loved it. When I discovered the guy singing it was the Goblin King from Labyrinth, I loved it even more and started listening to more of Bowie's music. I was surprised when some of the songs I'd been hearing on the radio for years - China Girl, Changes, Let's Dance, etc - were him, too. This remains one of my favourite songs of his (As the World Falls Down from the Labyrinth soundtrack is my favourite).
~ Must See ~
Like I said in my 'must read', I'm obsessed with all things Sherlock, and I love the BBC's version with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. The Abominable Bride special that aired on New Year's Day was amazing - a complete mindfuck in all the best ways. I loved the Victorian-era setting and the nods to the original Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock. If you're a Sherlock fan but haven't seen the special yet, get on it! Or if you haven't watched Sherlock but have thought about it, the whole series is amazing.
What do you think of my musts? What are your musts for the week? Tell me in the comments, or if you participated in The Monday Musts this week, feel free to leave a link and I'll be sure to check out your post!
Music
is a huge part of my life, and so even though Ramblings of a
Daydreamer is technically a book blog, I wanted to dedicate Mondays to
music.
If
you'd like to join me, grab the graphic and let's talk music on
Mondays! Talk about anything music related you want -spotlight
a band or singer, a specific song, album, video, soundtrack, a
concert you went to, old music, new music, obscure music, whatever you
want. Tell us what song is inspiring you this week, or what you've
listened to while reading or writing. Make a soundtrack for a favourite
book, or tell us a song you associate with a certain character. Share
your post in the linky below and then be sure to visit other blogs!
After being sick the last couple days of November and the first few days of December, I was relieved to feel better late last week, and I was also relieved to get back into the kitchen. I love to cook - it's one of my many creative outlets, and I take a lot of pleasure in it. I always listen to the radio while I'm cooking (it's pretty much the only time I have the radio on), and this song came on and I loved it instantly. The beat had me dancing around the kitchen, and the lyrics are fun. I wrote down the title, looked it up on YouTube, and I've been listening to it ever since. It has no personal meaning and doesn't relate to my writing (at least not right now), it's purely a pleasure song.
*As far as I know there's no official video for this song, but you can at least listen to it...I always put music on on YouTube then go to another page to keep working or whatever*
"I used to be a strange fruit, Billy Holiday
Then you got me by my roots
Sent the pain away
I tried to question our direction, that was my mistake
I had to ask you where we going baby, Marvin Gaye
I used to do it like Sinatra, do it my way
Now I'm the Fugee, you're my Lauryn Hill that got away
I felt we had it at last love, Etta James"
~"Hurt me Tomorrow" by K'naan~
If
you know me at all, you'll know that I'm obsessed with U2. They're
my favourite band, I work them into a conversation whenever possible,
and since I can't in good conscience talk music without talking
about them, I decided to add a feature at the end of every Music
Monday post with a U2 lyric.
One of my favourite U2 songs, both lyrically and musically. It was actually inspirational in my third book, especially when choosing the title.
"Car alarm won't let you back to sleep You're kept awake dreaming someone else's dream Coffee is cold, but it'll get you through Compromise that's nothing new to you Let's see colours that have never been seen Let's go to places no one else has been"
Music
is a huge part of my life, and so even though Ramblings of a
Daydreamer is technically a book blog, I wanted to dedicate Mondays to
music.
If
you'd like to join me, grab the graphic and let's talk music on
Mondays! Talk about anything music related you want -spotlight
a band or singer, a specific song, album, video, soundtrack, a
concert you went to, old music, new music, obscure music, whatever you
want. Tell us what song is inspiring you this week, or what you've
listened to while reading or writing. Make a soundtrack for a favourite
book, or tell us a song you associate with a certain character. Share
your post in the linky below and then be sure to visit other blogs!
Music Mondays are back!
November flew by, and even though I hadn't been doing Music Mondays long before last month, it felt strange every Monday not to be doing music-related posts. But...back to regularly schedule posting now after an awesome month-long Scarlet read-along. My song of the week this week is Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys. I just heard it for the first time a couple weeks ago on Dancing With the Stars and I keep pulling it up on YouTube to listen to it. For some reason, it makes me think of my current WIP...I'm not really sure why. When I first heard it, the part that goes "nobody knows that she's a lonely girl and it's a lonely world" really struck me as my main character. I need some inspiration for this story, so I'll take it wherever I can get it!
"Everybody stares as she goes by
'Cause they can see the flame that's in her eyes
Watch her as she's lighting up the night
Nobody knows that she's a lonely girl
And it's a lonely world
But she gon' let it burn baby, burn baby"
~Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys~
If
you know me at all, you'll know that I'm obsessed with U2. They're
my favourite band, I work them into a conversation whenever possible,
and since I can't in good conscience talk music without talking
about them, I decided to add a feature at the end of every Music
Monday post with a U2 lyric.
My friend Laura (who I met at a U2 concert last year) was "singing" Elevation lyrics to me over text message the other day so I got the song stuck in my head lol
"Love, lift me up out of these blues
Won't you telll me something true
I believe in you"
~Elevation by U2~
What songs are stuck in your head this week?
I've been horribly sick all weekend and it's taking just about everything in me to sit here and do this post, so I don't have the energy to create a Linky this week. If you're participating, please just post your links in the comments. Next week I'll be organized ahead of time and get a Linky up. ;-)
Music
is a huge part of my life, and so even though Ramblings of a
Daydreamer is technically a book blog, I wanted to dedicate Mondays to
music.
If
you'd like to join me, grab the graphic and let's talk music on
Mondays! Talk about anything music related you want -spotlight
a band or singer, a specific song, album, video, soundtrack, a
concert you went to, old music, new music, obscure music, whatever you
want. Tell us what song is inspiring you this week, or what you've
listened to while reading or writing. Make a soundtrack for a favourite
book, or tell us a song you associate with a certain character. Share
your post in the linky below and then be sure to visit other blogs!
Please note that because next month I’ll be co-hosting the Scarlet Read-Along with Jessica, and will be posting Scarlet-related posts every Monday
all month, Music Monday will be on hold until December. Please feel free to
continuing doing it yourself, and you can even share your link with me so I can
visit, but I won’t have a linky posted. I’ll be doing Music Monday on my author blog
through November, and starting the first Monday in December, I’ll be back to my
regular blog schedule here. Hopefully a few new people will join us for Music Monday in December,
too. ;-)
Songs on replay this week
Undermine from ABC's Nashville
No One Will Ever Love You Like I Do from ABC's Nashville
Fix You by Coldplay
Bad Moon Rising by CCR
Monster Mash by Bobby Pickett
I’ve had this song stuck in my head all week. I love Coldplay, and although I
don’t have a favourite song ever, this is definitely one of my
favourites of theirs. It's on the 'soundtrack' for my 3rd novel, and I have a feeling it's going to end up on the soundtrack for book #4 too (which I’ll be starting in a couple days for NaNoWriMo by the way!). I've loved this song since the very first time I heard it. It just stirs up so much emotion in me, and I'll admit I cry at least every other time I hear it. When it goes from being quiet and just hits that crescendo..gah, it's so powerful. I hope you enjoy!
Music
is a huge part of my life, and so even though Ramblings of a
Daydreamer is technically a book blog, I wanted to dedicate Mondays to
music.
If
you'd like to join me, grab the graphic and let's talk music on
Mondays! Talk about anything music related you want -spotlight
a band or singer, a specific song, album, video, soundtrack, a
concert you went to, old music, new music, obscure music, whatever you
want. Tell us what song is inspiring you this week, or what you've
listened to while reading or writing. Make a soundtrack for a favourite
book, or tell us a song you associate with a certain character. Share
your post in the linky below and then be sure to visit other blogs!
I've had a love/hate relationship with country music most of my life. My parents listened to a lot of it when I was little, so I felt like I was stuck with it. I found it boring and annoying (plus on a more personal level, when my dad was really sick from cancer and couldn't sleep he'd have the country TV station on and sit and listen to it all night, so country music in general held painful memories for a long time). As I got older and could choose my own music, it was rarely my first choice - I liked a few songs by some of my parents' favourites, but it wasn't until Shania Twain that I decided I actually liked country. Since then, for the most part, I've enjoyed country music. My mum listens to the country station on the radio every morning and sometimes I stop and listen as I'm passing through, and sometimes I even have that station on when I'm working in the kitchen. There are a few country singers/bands I love, like Shania (still), Lady Antebellum, Dixie Chicks, Johnny Reid, Reba, Taylor Swift, and a few others. I saw the previews for ABC's Nashville all summer and when I first saw them I wanted to watch the show...but then they showed the same commercial all...summer...long...and I lost interest. But, a couple weeks before the series premier they started showing new ads, and I decided I'd give it a shot, and I'm glad I did. I had just decided that the love interest in my fourth book would either be an urban cowboy type, or Irish, but I couldn't decide which...then when I started watching Nashville, it made my decision easier - urban cowboy won. I already have a couple of Irish characters planned for future books anyway, so it's all good. ;-) I figured while I'm writing book #4 I'll likely be listening to a lot of country music to get into the mood, so it was good timing that Nashville started when it did. There have only been two episodes so far, but I've loved every single song they've played. This one has been stuck in my head the last few days (even after only hearing it once), so it's today's Song of the Week.
"Just 'cause I ain't lived through
Same hand that was dealt to you
Doesn't make me any less
Or make any more of you
I wouldn't trade my best day
So you could validate all your fears
And if I've only got one shot
Won't waste it on a shadowbox
I'll stand right here"
~Undermine - ABC's Nashville~
If
you know me at all, you'll know that I'm obsessed with U2. They're
my favourite band, I work them into a conversation whenever possible,
and since I can't in good conscience talk music without talking
about them, I decided to add a feature at the end of every Music
Monday post with a U2 lyric.
Speaking of country music...in the late 80s, after their huge success with The Joshua Tree, U2 wanted to try something different. They had a fascination with America, so they toured the heartland of the US, listened to country and jazz and the blues, and wrote songs that were completely different from anything they'd ever done. The result was Rattle and Hum - both the movie and the album. I think it's their most underrated album because it's not their typical, distinct U2 sound, but I love it. Heartland is one of my favourite - if not my favourite - songs from that album. It's so haunting and beautiful and whenever I hear it, it just does something to me. If you haven't heard it, I really encourage you to get it on iTunes or find it on YouTube and listen to it - it's amazing.
"See the sun rise over her skin She feels like water in my hand Freeway like a river cuts through this land Into the side of love Like a burning spear And the poison rain Brings a flood of fear Through the ghost-ranch hills Death valley waters In the towers of steel Belief goes on and on"
~Heartland - U2~
Do you like country music? If so, what would you recommend I listen to while trying to get into the mood for writing a book with a cowboy-type character?
Music
is a huge part of my life, and so even though Ramblings of a
Daydreamer is technically a book blog, I wanted to dedicate Mondays to
music.
If
you'd like to join me, grab the graphic and let's talk music on
Mondays! Talk about anything music related you want -spotlight
a band or singer, a specific song, album, video, soundtrack, a
concert you went to, old music, new music, obscure music, whatever you
want. Tell us what song is inspiring you this week, or what you've
listened to while reading or writing. Make a soundtrack for a favourite
book, or tell us a song you associate with a certain character. Share
your post in the linky below and then be sure to visit other blogs!
Songs on Repeat This Week:
Rush of Blood to the Head - Coldplay
Warning Sign - Coldplay
Amsterdam - Coldplay
Where the Streets Have No Name - U2
The World We Live In
- The Killers
I have a friend who’s really into indie music, and several years ago she was constantly introducing me to indie bands (sometimes literally...we went to a few concerts together and she knew the bands). She was the one who got me into The
Killers while they were still indie, and I loved them from the very first song.
I was so happy when they became popular and I got to hear their songs on the
radio all the time.
I got to see them in concert during the Hot Fuss tour in
2005. They were actually my first concert, and it was with the friend who got
me into them, so it was extra special. We were pretty far from the stage, but I
didn’t care. It was in an amphitheatre, and I remember right before they came on there was this incredible sunset. Because it was an open air arena, people
near us were smoking pot and I remember getting kind of high on the fumes.
The band was so amazing live, better than I could have imagined. When they sang All These Things That I Have Done, I remember the
part where they sing ‘I’ve got soul but I’m not a soldier’ over and over, and
it was my first experience hearing 10,000+ people singing together - it may
sound ridiculous but it still gets me kind of teary, it was just so amazing.
Anyway, I still love their music, and although The World We
Live In isn’t my absolute favourite song, it’s one of them, and it’s the one
that’s been stuck in my head the most lately. Enjoy!
“Bless your body, bless your soul
Pray for peace and self-control
I gotta believe it’s worth it
Without a victory I’m so sanctified and free
Well maybe I’m just mistaken
Lesson learned and the wheels keep turning”
~The World We Live In - The Killers~
If
you know me at all, you'll know that I'm obsessed with U2. They're
my favourite band, I work them into a conversation whenever possible,
and since I can't in good conscience talk music without talking
about them, I decided to add a feature at the end of every Music
Monday post with a U2 lyric.
"I want to run
I want to hide
I want to tear down the walls
That hold me inside"
Are you a fan of The Killers? What songs are stuck in your head this week?
