Lyrical Tuesday: Twist In My Sobriety

This week I chose a song I absolutely love, even though its meaning sometimes escapes me: 'Twist in My Sobriety' by Tanita Tikaram

The idea/rules:

• Think of a song that has inspired you
• Choose two sentences
• Explain what they mean to you
• Post a link to the song
• Post the Button below and leave a comment with your link!

<br /> <a href="http://s528.photobucket.com/albums/dd329/Lifeincorporated/?action=view&current=music-notes-circle.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i528.photobucket.com/albums/dd329/Lifeincorporated/music-notes-circle.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />

• 'All God's children need travelling shoes'I love travelling and the idea that life in itself is a journey and that we all should be prepared to travel appeals to me. I also think it is a brilliant opener to a song. It is slightly mystical and strange, yet after listening to it for the second time, the opening makes a lot more sense.
• 'All good people read good books'Although perhaps slightly judgemental, I love this sentence. Everyone likes different kinds of books and thinks different books are good, but I do think people tend to like others who like or read the same kind of books.

The lyrics to this song are simply brilliant and ever so slightly nostalgic and whimsical. Tanita Tikaram has a beautiful voice and I simply love this song. Definitely check it out:

 So, what song did you pick? Leave a link in the comments! :)

Bronte's Friday

Follow Friday is hosted by Alison Can Read and this week's question is:

Q: Activity! Dreamcast your current read.

Yaaaaay, so excited. Oh wait, casting 'Wuthering Height's is going to be difficult!!! The characters are so complex and difficult. And they reflect so much more than just the characters

For Cathy I would choose Amber Heard. She is gorgeous and I think she's be able to deal with the slightly psychotic side of Cathy.

For Heathcliff I would go for Michael Fassbender. He was pretty good as Mr. Rochester, who I sort fo see as a tamed down version of Heathcliff. But then there is the age gap that might make this pairing a bit off. Oh well. 

For Linton, Cathy's husband, I might go for Michael Pitt. He would be such a contrast to Michael Fassbender and he looks slightly scared ont he picture below, which would be necessary in the movie.

This week, I chose Emily Bronte's 'Wuthering Heights' because I am currently rereading it and have, again, absolutely fallen in love with it. There is something about Heathcliff and Cathy that is immensely interesting and fascinating. Emily Bronte is my favourite Bronte, much better than Charlotte Bronte, if you ask me.

Anyways, Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader and Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice.
BB:

1801. - I have just returned from a visit to my landlord - the solitary neighbour that I shall be troubled with. This is certainly a beautiful country! In all England, I do not believe that I could have fixed on a situation so completely removed from the stir of society. A perfect misanthropist’s heaven: and Mr. Heathcliff and I are such a suitable pair to divide the desolation between us. A capital fellow!

The book is narrated in the beginning by Lockwood, who travels to the countryside to escape people. The solitary neighbour, Mr Heathcliff, is actually everything but a 'capital fellow' and Lockwood's inability to see this leads to some rather amusing, but also distressing, moments in the book.

F56:

'He threw himself into a chair, laughing and groaning, and bid them all stand off, for he was nearly killed - he would not have such another walk for the three kingdoms.'

Cathy's father has just returned from a journey and in itself it is a rather insignificant line, but I love the way it is written.

So, how about you? Who have you decided on for your casting?

Lyrical Tuesday : Viva la Vida

I know this post is late, but is it my fault technology abandoned me? Ir probably is, I probably rpessed a button somewhere that didn't want to be pressed. Oh well, let's stop my whining and return to the matter on hand: Lyrical Tuesday (now Wednesday).

A lot of people hate on this band and I don't usually like their songs, but Coldplay has two songs I love: Viva la Vida and Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall. I chose the first one, because I love the lyrics. They are very epic and symbolic for a pop song.

The idea/rules:

• Think of a song that has inspired you
• Choose two sentences
• Explain what they mean to you
• Post a link to the song
• Post the Button below and leave a comment with your link!

<br /> <a href="http://s528.photobucket.com/albums/dd329/Lifeincorporated/?action=view&current=music-notes-circle.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i528.photobucket.com/albums/dd329/Lifeincorporated/music-notes-circle.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />

• It was a wicked and wild  wind / Blew down the doors to let me in
  I absolutely love wind and how it is used in movies and literature. I think we've all seen or read the following scene somewhere: a woman standing on a lonely cliff, wind playing with her hair and dress. And the idea of a wild wing knocking down doors to let in a king, that is pretty epic.
  
  I just imagine this great gate, with a rugged traveler in front of it, waiting for someone, something. Suddenly, the wind picks up and his mantle rustles. There is a great noise and the wind beats into the gates, busting it open. The wind rushes into the hall, silencing all conversation. Heads turn to face the lone traveler, who slowly enters.
   
• Listen as the crowd would sing / 'Now the old king is dead ! Long live the king!'
  This quote is great in expressing the power of the people. If you see the song as dealing with the French Revolution, it would explain how the French brought down the monarchy and then later on established Napoleon as an Emperor. The feeling of power that a cheering crowd must bring is mind numbing.

So, here's the song. I absolutely love the drum-party.

Lyrical Tuesday is back!

I decided to reintroduce Lyrical Tuesday because I quite liked it and I really wanted to write about this song: Mission by Rush. It just has brilliant lyrics and is melodiously perfect.

The idea/rules:

• Think of a song that has inspired you
• Choose two sentences
• Explain what they mean to you
• Post a link to the song
• Post the Button below and leave a comment with your link!

<br /> <a href="http://s528.photobucket.com/albums/dd329/Lifeincorporated/?action=view&current=music-notes-circle.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i528.photobucket.com/albums/dd329/Lifeincorporated/music-notes-circle.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br />

• I hear their passionate music / Read the words that touch my heart
  That sums up why I like to listen to music. Some artists can write lyrics so perfectly that they simply immediately catch your mood. For example, when you're heartbroken, you go straight to Adele. 
• I wish I had that drive
  Most musicians/artists work incredibly hard to reach their goals and I really hope I will, at some point, reach the same kind of commitment and drive. Working hard at your dream is, I think, invaluable, especially in a society where everyone can be "famous" but only a few people are actually skilled at what they're doing. 

This is a life version, but I chose it simply because Rush is amazing live. Also, don't hate the singer's hair, it's brilliant!

So, join in! Leave a link in the comments below!

Review: 'The Devil's Legacy' by Tom Jackson

I don't think I have ever been proven so wrong by a book. I was rather skeptical at first about how Jackson was planning on linking Jack the Ripper, the Titanic and the Parthenon Marbles. It just seemed impossible. And then I started reading and it all made sense. 

What is the bizarre umbilical cord that links the 200-year old theft of the Parthenon Marbles to the Turkish Governor of Athens, Jack the Ripper, Winston Churchill, the Titanic, Napoleon Bonaparte, the British Royal family, an obscure nineteenth century Italian artist, and a Koala bear? That’s right--a Koala bear! What skeletons are entombed in Pandora’s Box? The British government assembles a team to resolve the mystery and return the artefacts to Greece within a six-month deadline. Success must be achieved against an intensifying background of treason, competition from an American billionaire collector, and the intervention of the Greek mafia. Failure would threaten the very fabric of British society.

I was utterly drawn in by this book. By inter-weaving different stories from different time periods there is always something new the reader learns while still being kept utterly in the dark about where the Marbles are. There are so many, but not too many, story twists, keeping the reader endlessly on the edge. This is crucial in a story which focuses on a search for some age old rocks. By shaping it into a detective/crime novel it still remains all the more interesting to those who might not get all the inter-cultural links. 

Natalie Sinclair is a great main character who is dragged into this mystery, completely unknowing. What I really appreciated about Jackson's writing is that he did not force a relationship between her and David King, an agent sent along to find the Marbles. It might be hinted at, but it is not as important as it is in many other novels. First and foremost is the mission and it is great to see both a strong male and female character in the same book without both of them having to save each other constantly. Very refreshing and oh so interesting. John Walker is another amazing character, slightly sarcastic but always there. 

The array of historical characters that pas by is interesting even for those who don't know a lot about history. It might seem from the description above that you need to be knowledgeable about all of these events and people but don't worry: you don't have to. The story is just as gripping if you are new to European history. There is also some great humor in this book. It is of the sarcastic, hilarious kind. Especially the koala mentioned in the description had me hysterically laughing, which was embarrassing considering I was on a bus, alone. 

I give this book...

4 UNIVERSES!!!!

It is an amazing book that is bound to keep its reader on the edge of his seat the entire time. I could not put it down and there are always twists and turns in the story.

Review: 'Light of Requiem' by Daniel Arenson

What a finale! Every trilogy needs an end that is representative of the entire trilogy and ‘Light of Requiem’ definitely delivers.

War has ravaged the world. Cities lie crumbled. Forests smolder. The crows feast.
In the ruins, Requiem's last dragons lick their wounds and mourn a death among them. But they will not have long to grieve. From the ashes, a new enemy arises, one more horrible than any before.

His soldiers dead, the tyrant Dies Irae collects severed limbs, heads, and torsos. He sews them into rotting, maggoty mimics of life. With dark magic, he animates his creations... and sends them hunting.The mimics live to kill. They do not sleep. They feel no pain. They never stop hunting. Worst of all, they undo all magic around them. When mimics are near, Requiem's survivors cannot become dragons... and must fight as humans.

Without their greatest gift, how can Requiem's children survive?

I really enjoyed the first two books and especially the challenges that were thrown in the way of the characters. Unfortunately, one of my favourite characters died at the end of the 2^nd book but therefore we get some great new characters. I especially loved Umbra, who simply kicks ass. Here I would like to allow myself to make a point about Daniel Arenson: he creates great characters. In all of his books I have read so far there have been great female characters. Gloriae is very interesting, especially in this book as she finally tries o come to term with her actions in the past and her new found identity as Vir Requies princess. Talking about characters, Lacrimosa greatly improved in my opinion. In the previous two books I felt that at times she didn’t live up to the other characters, but in ‘Light of Requiem’ she became stronger and memorable.

This is a darker book than the previous two. The previous two were dark at times, yet there was always an element of hope. Here, as in all good finales, all hope seemed lost, completely vanished, towards the end. There was no way tat the Vir Requies could defeat Dies Irae one more time. Especially now tat he has gone mental and created mimics. Those mimics are terrifying. Arenson has a talent for creating creatures and he went for it in this book. But he still manages to make the reader feel sorry for these horrible creatures, making the story so much better by it. 

Many of Arenson’s books, I feel, are about the coming together of people who are trying to overcome an evil. For example in ‘The Gods of Dream’, still one of my favourite books by him. He executes this perfectly in this book, showing how diversity can benefit everyone. I especially liked the Earthen, who believe in an Earth god, because I have a weakness for those kind of groups. It links in perfectly with the theme of sacrifice that runs strong through the book. In the face of certain death, sometimes it is still better to fight than run, even if it might cost you your life

I give this book…

4 UNIVERSES!!!
I truly enjoyed this book and think it is a deserving finale to a great trilogy. Arenson has achieved to create a truly inspiring story with all the major themes that make epic literature: honour, sacrifice, love and friendship.

Williams' Friday

Follow Friday is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee's View.

Q: What is one thing you wish you could tell your favorite author?

May I say how amazing this question is? Well, first I have to pick an author and I have been able to decide on two: Carlos Ruiz Zafon and J. K. Rowling. Let's start with Rowling. All I want to say is: THANK YOU!!!!! I absolutely loved Harry Potter and those books created so many special moments all throughout my life, so thank you for that. 

And I just want to tell Zafon that his stories are beautiful in detail and that he basically is to blame for my holiday sucking. Barcelona in real life can never top the Barcelona he has created in his books. But his stories grip me, cause me to have dreams and nightmares and have always left me wanting more!


This week I chose a play I hate for Friday 56 and Book Beginnings. F56 is hosted by Freda's Voice and Book Beginnings by Rose City Reader. I really dislike 'A Streetcar named Desire' by Tennessee Williams. I don't hate the author, I loved 'The Glass Menagerie', but I just find Blanche utterly unsympathetic. Anyways, let's get on to the play.

BB:

'The exterior of a two-storey corner building on a street in New Orleans which is named Elysian Fields and runs between the L&N tracks and the river. The section is poor but, unlike corresponding sections in other American cities, it has a raffish charm.' 

I really like the way that Williams creates a setting. It just has a lot of atmosphere and is very emotive, helping the actors in their performance. Therefore, this play started of very promising for me.

F56:

Blanche: 'Myself, myself, for being such a liar! I'm writing a letter to Shep. She picks up the letter.) "Darling Shep. I am spending the summer on the wing, making flying visits here and there. And who knows, perhaps I shall take a sudden notion to swoop down on Dallas! How would you feel about that? Ha-ha! (She laughs nervously and brightly, touching her throat as if actually talking to Shep) Forewarned is forearmed, as they say!" - How does that sound?'

Well, as I said, I don't like Blanche. She is weak, manipulative and lying. She is so utterly stuck in her ideas of how things are she is unable to properly live. I absolutely concur that she has had a hard time, but I simply don't like her. On a side note: has anyone seen the movie? How sexy is Marlon Brando in that?

SO, how about you? How do you feel about 'Streetcar' and what would you ask your favourite author?

P.S. I am hopping around the blogosphere, but it seems I can't follow any more blogs, apparently I hit my max. What's that all about? Does anyone know?