Making Up For Monday (3) + Music Monday (3)

How many books do you read at a time?

Before I started blogging, the answer would have been one or two. Now that I have, I am reading at least three books at one time, and have even balanced five. I wrote a paragraph for Readiculous Reads when I just started blogging and write that I would never in a million years actually read multiple books at the same time. For better of for worse (until death do us part), that fact has changed. Mondays through Thursdays I have AT LEAST my School book (hard copy, usually for library books and ones I own), my home book (digital copy, usually for blog tour or Netgalley), and finally, my portable book that I might double up with my school book that usually goes to the gym with me. I know this sound hectic and crazy, but it works for me. I talk more about my reading/reviewing habits in one of my newer posts, "What I've Learned....My Four Month Blogoversary"

Music Monday is a weekly book meme hosted by Total Book Geek. These are the requirements:

• Choose a book or a scene from a book.
• Choose a song that fits said book or scene.
• Tell us why you paired them together.
• Don't forget to share the title and author.
• Be careful not to include spoilers!

I have very mixed feelings about the Lumineer's album, but a few of the songs are just perfection. The one I'm featuring for today's Music Monday is Slow it Down. This is the kind of song where the lyrics could be from a car commercial, and I would still love it. It isn't about the lyrics, but about the soul of the song, and the feeling one gets when one listens to it. This sends absolute chills up my spine and it fits perfectly with my newest bookish obsession -The Ascendance Trilogy by Jennifer A. Nielsen. This song represents Imogen and Jaron's unbeatable love which I admire so much, and even though they aren't my OTP, they are very sweet together. Check out my spoiler free review of The False Prince.

I picked the song because of these lines which symbolize how their love has to be kept hidden unlike Amarinda's which is expcted:

"Some love was made for the lights,

Some kiss your cheek and good night,

Lift up a red high heel,

Lock up your doors with steel"

Music Mondays (2) + It's Monday! What Are You Reading (1)

If I Lose Myself: One Republic~ The Divergent Trilogy. 

In honor of the Divergent movie coming out (and the fact that I recently read Allegiant), I decided to make today's Music Mondays about the Divergent Trilogy. So, I was on the airplane, on my way to Portland (see massive STS book haul), and this song came on, and I thought it would be perfect. This song is basically a lyrical representation of how Tobias becomes Tris's new family, and their truly epic love story. I have my interpretation next to each line, yes, I am a certified weirdo for doing so. 

I stared up at the sun~ This symbolizes both the Dauntless flames and Tris being overwhelmed with the change of faction Thought of all of the people, places and things I’ve loved~'That I left behind' my wonderful addition in song lyrics. I stared up just to see~more being overwhelmed With all of the faces, you were the one next to me~Throughout the entire training process, Tobias was always with and there for Tris among the unfamiliar Dauntless,was faces

This is a basic overview of Tris and Four's love story, and the beginning of their relationship, mostly displayed in Divergent itself.

You can feel the light start to tremble~Or trust of the faction and their leaders Washing what you know out to sea~Tris FINALLY felt like she had found a home, but all of that was ruined when Jeanine induced Dauntless with the syrum You can see your life out of the window tonight~It's almost as if to isn't is the only night left, and the two of them are reflecting on their life (if you know what I mean in Allegiant)

This verse is a lot more about Insurgent and Allegiant - all of the emotion and turmoil that arose.

This meme -hosted by Book Journey- is "a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!"

Recently Finished: Grasshopper Jungle: Andrew Smith~  My review is coming very soon for this weird book. Jayne @ Fiction_TheNewReality said that this is the kind of book the blogger community either loves or hates. I wanted to be on the love side so badly, but I'm not Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Austin Szerba interweaves the story of his Polish legacy with the storyof how he and his best friend , Robby, brought about the end of humanity and the rise of an army of unstoppable, six-foot tall praying mantises in small-town Iowa.

To make matters worse, Austin's hormones are totally oblivious; they don't care that the world is in utter chaos: Austin is in love with his girlfriend, Shann, but remains confused about his sexual orientation. He's stewing in a self-professed constant state of maximum horniness, directed at both Robby and Shann. Ultimately, it's up to Austin to save the world and propagate the species in this sci-fright journey of survival, sex, and the complex realities of the human condition.

Currently Reading: Always and Forever: S.P. Cervantes~ This is for my blog tour stop on Friday, yes I know I'm cutting it close.  Synopsis: Twin sisters Ava and Hannah were ripped from their peaceful seeming lives into a whirlwind of attacks and war only to learn the real truth about their existence. 

Nothing was as it seemed anymore and may never be again. They had already lost their father in childhood now they have to cope with their mother’s kidnapping as they watch those sworn to protect them risk their lives.

Future Reads: The Prophecy: S.P. Cervantes~ My blog tour stop for this is on Friday, so check back because there's an awesome giveaway and review  Synopsis: The Prophecy: S.P. Cervantes~ Ava Fox has spent the past year acclimating to her new life as a wizard of Shadow Hill. Over the past year, her connection with Dalton has only grown stronger. They share a bond she has never known and can't explain. 

The danger is still there, even after the Sabatino coven was defeated, and Ava's future is anything but sure. Her powerful relationship with Dalton continues to make others wonder about the Prophecy, and their place in it. Time and again Ava's loyalty and strength will be put to the test as she fights for those she loves. There are many more secrets of Shadow Hill that will be revealed in The Prophecy.

The Cellar: Natasha Presten~ This was part of my huge Portland haul, and seems like it will be one hec of an edge-of-your-seat book (cliche alert!!!)  Synopsis: Nothing ever happens in the town of Long Thorpe – that is, until sixteen-year-old Summer Robinson disappears without a trace. No family or police investigation can track her down. Spending months inside the cellar of her kidnapper with several other girls, Summer learns of Colin’s abusive past, and his thoughts of his victims being his family…his perfect, pure flowers. But flowers can’t survive long cut off from the sun, and time is running out….

Monday Memes

 

Music Monday is a weekly book meme hosted by Total Book Geek. I freaking love this meme because I am a music addict all you have to do is:

-Choose a book or scene from a book

-Choose a song that fits said book or scene

-Tell us why you paired them together

-Don't forget to share the title and author

-Be careful not to include spoilers.

This book fits every single scene with Anden from Prodigy to Champion by Marie Lu. This song especially fits the scene when Anden starts kissing June, and she pulls away. It also reflects the moment June makes the huge decision in the middle of Congress, then has to tell Anden. I don't think we give Anden enough credit for keeping a whole country together in the midst of war, and he's not even 23 years old yet. As the equivalent of president, he has to keep up this constant facade that everything is fine, and hide the fact that he is trying to keep his emotions together. I mean, he wasn't even allowed to drink alcohol when the series began. He has to be the Superman for the entire Republic, and isn't allowed a single moment of weakness.

It may sound absurd but don't be naïve
Even heroes have the right to bleed
I may be disturbed but won’t you concede
Even Heroes have the right to dream
And it's not easy to be me

This resonates so much with his character because he has the right to grieve for his father and everything that happened to him. He obviously had hopes and dreams like any other person before he took the inevitable position of being the boy king he was groomed to be. 

I can't stand to fly
I'm not that naïve
I'm just out to find
The better part of me

I'm more than a bird,
I'm more than a plane
I'm more than some pretty face beside a train
It's not easy to be me

I wish that I could cry
Fall upon my knees
Find a way to lie
'Bout a home I'll never see

Every lyric represent Anden's struggle so much. As Elector, his decisions are questioned constantly, and he struggles twice as much as any other Elector because of his youth. Throughout Champion, he has the decision to make, about whether to become his father or not, and to carve his own path. 

Anyone who has read the book will surely no what I mean, and if they haven't, they have discovered a wonderful new song. 

This is the first time, I'm doing the meme 'Making Up For Monday' hosted by An Avid Reader; A Wannabe Writer and it is really fun. This is the background:

Let's face it, Mondays are the worst. The week has just begun and its another five days until freedom from profession purgatory. So I decided to make Mondays a little brighter by coming up with something fun to write about. Each week I will have a theme or game, or something fun to do that week. And you can play along! All you have to do is find the question for that week, go to your own blog, write a post that day based on that question, and link your post to this one using the link up tool at the bottom of the post.  Don't forget to explain why. 

This week's lovely question is: Do you lend books out and, if so, what are your rules to lending? 

My answer is that I do lend books out, and make absolutely certain that they come back in meticulous condition without a scuff, bump, or scratch to be seen. My friends think I'm too intense when it comes to lending books, but what they don't remember is that books are my BABIES. Would you want to cut and bruise your baby? 

I think not.

Most of the times, I'm too stingy and selfish, and don't lend books out. It's all fun and games when you're baby is playing (or being read) by another person until you're baby goes out of you sight. Then you freak out as a parent, wonder how they're doing, and check up on them every half hour. 

All of what I just said is enough evidence that I should be thrown into a mental hospital, but you did get your answer. I rarely lend books out, but when I do, I make certain they come back in perfect condition under pain of lost friendship or death (you know, whichever one works for you).

Leave your own song and opinion in the comments below, or link back to Total Book Geek and An Avid Reader; A Wannabe Writer.