Fresh Kindling
If you’re like me, maybe you got a lot of books for Christmas. I know I’ll be kept busy for the next few months – the parents sent me Paula Deen’s Southern Cooking Bible to peruse for new heart-stopping butter-filled recipes, the boyfriend got me The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, and his mom got me the entire Hunger Games trilogy. As if that wasn’t enough, my parents got me a subscription to Angry Robot Books, which means I’ll be getting “free” ebooks for the next six months from what is basically my favorite publisher. Awesome.
Maybe you’re not like me, though – maybe you’re like my mom, who got a brand new Kindle Touch for Christmas, and you’re looking for a few things to fill it up with. I am here to help.
I love ebooks, and though I love regular books too, the cool thing about ebooks is that you can just download them instantly and start reading. I’ve actually read way more in this past year than I had the year before, just because I had access to ebooks on Nick’s kindle (and now my tablet.)
So here’s some of my favorites from this year and things I think you should check out if you’ve got a brand new shiny device to fill up with brand new shiny books:
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Shotgun Gravy – Chuck Wendig, $2.99
I just finished this one a few days ago, and I’ll be honest, my head is still ticking about it. Chuck is one of my favorite writers, and this novella seems to be dipping a toe into the Young Adult (YA) genre that I love so very much…only, you know, with a heavy dose of profanity and vulgar language. It tells the story of a teenage girl who we know very little about, except that she’s done something very bad - and how she gets herself into and out of a mess. Highly recommended if you’d like a taste of “YA for Adults,” as it were – thanks to the “novella” style of the story, it’s also a fast read that will leave you ready for more in just a few hours.
Will Grayson, Will Grayson - John Green & David Levithan, $8.99
A little “pricey” for an ebook, but worth every cent – Nick and I read this book earlier this year in it’s actual hardcover form and absolutely loved it. An actual YA novel peppered with nerdy jokes, this book tells the story of two very different teenagers from different sides of the same town, both named Will Grayson. At first you aren’t totally sure how the alternating chapters have anything to do with each other – until the book turns, and suddenly everyone is muddled together with one another. Easily one of my favorite books I read this year.
Vegas Knights – Matt Forbeck, $4.79
Remember earlier when I said I loved Angry Robot Books? The folks at their publishing house were kind enough to send me an ARC of this book before it hit shelves (digital or otherwise) and I absolutely could not put it down. Matt tells us a story of two college-age magic users (sound familiar?) who get themselves in a mess larger than they can handle when they head to Las Vegas to try using magic to cheat in the casinos. If you’re a fan of Harry Potter or other “urban fantasy” type settings, you’ll love this one – and as seems to be the case with Matt’s other books (I also highly recommend Amortals) he throws in a twist before you reach the end that you won’t see coming – but will keep you on the edge of your seat til the end.
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins, $4.69
Another book that I read in paperback (and now own the hardcover of, thanks to Christmas) – this book also falls under the YA header, but is absolutely suitable for readers of all ages. Suzanne’s writing is a little difficult to work past at first, but once you get to the core of the brutal story, you won’t be able to put it down. Our leading lady, Katniss Everdeen, has volunteered to take her sister’s place in a gruesome battle that takes place each year in the nation of Panem. Only two contestants are chosen from each district each year, and only one of the children – yes, children - can survive. This book follows Katniss to the end – and you’ll want to follow right along, too.
The Secret Garden - Francis Hodgson Burnett, $0.00
As a kid, I remember watching this movie. I remember being fascinated by the garden, frightened by the epidemic in the beginning, and just incredibly moved by the entire thing. Since this book is a freebie, I downloaded it to read and – uh, wow, okay, I forgot how dark this story was. The epidemic in the beginning? Terrifying. In fact, I’m actually not all the way through this one, but since it’s a freebie there’s no reason you shouldn’t pick it up, right? Go for it!
Beauty Has Her Way - Anthology, $4.99
Last but not least, if you like stories of kickass female protagonists, you’ll want to pick up this anthology. This is another one that I admittedly haven’t finished yet – I like to read short stories one-or-two at a time – but so far the tales within have been wonderful. If you’re a fan of role playing games and things like it, you’ll be pleased to see some stories from folks like Ed Greenwood, Filamena Hill, Chuck Wendig, and so on tucked between these digital pages. Since many of the folks have more kindle books and novels that they wrote on their own, this could be a great sampler for someone looking to discover new authors that publish in the digital format.
So what about you, folks? Have a favorite book you read this year, digital or not? Are you an e-reader person? Share your story suggestions in the comments, say hello, share your love of reading, and so on. Lets get our read on.
A Single Moment
I wrote a song today.
I’m not sure if or when anyone will actually hear it, I’m kind of considering saving it for my first trip busking instead of attempting to record, but what’s important is: I wrote a song.
I was listening to an interview with Lisa Hannigan some time ago, and that paired with the Swell Season documentary, both of them sort of hinted at this thing, you know, where you write a song based on a fixed moment in time. Maybe you don’t feel that way anymore and maybe it was only five minutes five years ago, but sometimes those moments are song worthy.
Flashing back a bit, those of you that have been following for awhile will certainly be familiar with my whirlwind move to Wisconsin, and it’s occurred to me over the past few months that I didn’t really take much time for myself in all that – I did, but I didn’t. I had a lot of things bottled up that were – and still are – eating away at me slowly from the inside. Things I didn’t feel comfortable talking about or don’t want to bother anyone with, but that are still there.
I love music and I love playing music, and I have an awful habit of trying to write songs that are good instead of writing songs that mean something. I look at all of my favorite artists – pretty much the entire Irish music scene, really – and all of them, I love them because they make you feel. Because the musicians are clearly feeling something while they’re playing.
So today I started musing with a little chord progression I’d discovered while learning a cover of someone else’s song, and it turned into words. All at once this specific moment from years ago popped into my head, and it became a song.
It was between moves, one apartment to the other, at a time that barely matters now – but I had accidentally scheduled the electricity to be cut off a day early, so we were stuck in compelte darkness trying to move the last of our things. Trying to clean up messes we’d meant to, make sure we didn’t leave anything behind. But it was dark – and there’s only so much you can do; with flashlights or without them, you just can’t get the job done in the dark.
For some reason or another, that memory flooded my head. So I wrote. eAnd I played, and I just let words flow, and there was music.
I’ve been playing a lot lately – mostly by myself, or alone, or when no one’s home – my fingers hurt, my touch screen on my phone doesn’t seem to want to acknowledge my left hand, but I’ve felt better lately than I have in awhile.
It’s amazing what music can do, isn’t it? It can turn a day around, heal wounds that medicine can’t, and connect you to a person you’ve never met.
It’s like it’s human nature to turn words into song – and I love that. I love how honest it is. How natural. It gives you a sense of place, of belonging.
It’s a bit of a lifeline, isn’t it?
Musings On A Film
Somehow, despite how busy Nick and I have both been lately, we managed to escape to the city yet again – this time to Milwaukee to see one of the limited showings of The Swell Season, the all black-and-white documentary film about the band of the same name.
Nick and I discovered the Swell Season sort-of by accident; our exploration of the Irish music scene always seemed to bring up a few of the same names, including the famed Glen Hansard, front man of The Frames and a good friend – at least, as far as we can tell – of Damien Rice. Glen’s music sways from feeling like a traditional Irish ballad to heartfelt half-screaming lyrics to upbeat rock numbers with his band, hitting a series of different genres along the way. He quit school at age 13 to start busking on the streets of Dublin and hasn’t stopped playing since.
So in the backstory department, Glen eventually meets up with the beautiful Markéta Irglová and the musical chemistry was near about instant. The two wrote songs together, formed their duo “The Swell Season” and eventually ended up co-starring in the Fox Searchlight Film, Once, a story of a Czech immigrant girl who falls in love with a busker from Dublin – sound familiar?
The Swell Season documentary followed the two of them… well, post-film. I knew going in that it had been a tough road for the pair, and would be tough to watch - Markéta and Glen had fallen in love, then fallen out of love, and very recently Markéta married someone else. Where there should have been a wonderful love story, it was uncomfortable, painful, heartbreaking…but like any good heartbreaking story or love story, it was beautiful.
The film goes on tour a bit with Glen and Mar as they perform here and there, their lives on the tour. Entirely in black and white, it’s very easy to see that – unlike Once, which felt a bit like a fairy tale, we’re seeing two very real people living out very real lives. We meet Glen’s parents – and see some footage of his father’s last days before he drank himself to death, a gut wrenching realization once he shares this fact – as they remark on his fame, his Oscar award. His mother so proud that it seems to hurt him at times, and while he’s struggling with how to deal with fame, she tells him she wouldn’t have it any other way. Typical parental issues in a very atypical situation for two people to be in.
At some point, the film takes a turn, too – we see Markéta struggling with with fame as it grows, a crowd of people gathering after a show and Mar refusing to go out because she can’t stand the people acting like she’s anything special. From that point on, there’s dissonance between them. We don’t see the happy, loving couple that we saw in the beginning – we saw two people that got into something and had to figure out how to get out of it in one piece.
The entire story was beautiful. Difficult to watch, at times, but beautiful. It’s refreshing to see something so honest from people who are supposed to be “famous” – if they achieved nothing else, they showed that people are…well, just people, regardless of fame, regardless of the awards. Glen Hansard is just a guy who plays guitar, and Markéta Irglová is just a girl – born only a few weeks after I was, in the same year – who plays piano. There is nothing special about them except their honesty, which shines through in the film, in their music, and in everything we see of them.
Markéta will be in Chicago in a few weeks on her first ever solo tour. Glen, I’m not sure if or when I’ll get to see him, but should I get to meet either of them, on the street, after a show, in a pub, or wherever – I’m not going to get excited and ask for an autograph or photo, I’m going to thank them. For giving me inspiration to keep making music, for being so humble in their situations, and for being willing to share their story.
Like Markéta said in her Oscar acceptance speech – “fair play to those who dare to dream.” I hope all of theirs come true, because even after achieving fame there’s still something left to be gained.
An Ocean and a Rock
Remember that blog post from awhile ago where I said I was embarrassed that I hesitated to buy tickets to Lisa Hannigan’s show in Chicago?
Yeah, no. Strike that. Post-Concert, I can now upgrade (downgrade?) my status to officially mortified.
The trip getting into the city was easy enough, Nick and I learned our way around the “L Trains” pretty quickly, including a hands-on crash course on what you do and don’t do. And by “hands-on” I mean “we were the only people who seemed to stumble when the train departed since there were no places to stand” and “I sucked it up and sat next to a stranger after the first two minutes and was not assaulted in any way.”
We spent the afternoon cruising around on the subway and wandering around the city, out to Navy Pier and up the “Magnificent Mile” while we talked about Lisa and Damien and enjoyed the day off in general. We had a late lunch at our favorite pizza place1 and ended up at the absolute fanciest malls I have ever seen ever.
Somehow over the course of all this, I ended up – as I often do on Very Important Days – with a terrible migraine. I had done all the usual steps to prevent it but apparently the pull of the universe was just a bit much and by the time we lined up at Double Door I could barely see straight. Thanks to our fear of getting off at the wrong station / getting lost / me wanting to get the train ride over with, we ended up at the venue near 30 minutes before they opened the doors, with one lonely dude waiting in line at the front. He actually asked us if we had heard John Smith (the opener) before, and I said yes2 and the way he was asking if he was any good, I swear I thought that was John himself trying to mess with us. As it turns out, it wasn’t, thank God.
Once we got in we sort-of beeline’d for the front, and boy oh boy did we get a good spot. I somehow have the extremely good luck of being at the Very Front for every concert I have ever attended3, and this was no exception – actually, this was probably the closest I’ve been to any musician ever. Not bad for someone who shares the number one spot on my must-see list.
John Smith, the opener came out about fifteen minutes after the show was scheduled to begin, at which point I was immediately able to forget my headache as he launched into an a capella song that rapidly became an amazing guitar song “about death,” in his words. Nick and I were completely enamored and ready to buy CDs (which he was sold out of!) – his music fell somewhere between Ben Harper, Trace Bundy, the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack and Mr. Damien Rice himself – all in all it was amazing. He made a few jokes about us not knowing who he was (been there myself – nobody wants to be the opening act) and even one about him “being a big deal in England” (followed rapidly by shaking his head and mouthing the words “no I’m not”) and frankly, we would have gone to see him play solo. This guy is definitely on my radar now – we haven’t gotten our CDs yet, but we plan to! Watch out for this one, internet.
After a short spell (mostly filled with me trying to keep my head up, strangely as long as there was someone standing on stage making music I felt fine) Lisa and her band came out. Without a word, they immediately launched into Paper House, by far one of my favorite songs on her new album – at least, before we saw her play live. Now I’m honestly not sure which one is my favorite. I managed to capture most of the song on video – to be honest I was not entirely expecting her to play it first and was a little surprised to have to get my camera back out so soon!
Pistachio came next, and let me just say that I was completely enamored with this song live. It’s one that I always listened to on-and-off from Sea Sew but occasionally skipped, but suddenly I found myself falling in love with it. I also fell in love with this crazy table organ thing she was playing which was one of – I can’t even count how many instruments she pulled out. The woman is amazingly talented and each song she brings out an assortment of new toys, looking absolutely tickled to death about each one. But right, the table organ thing (someone correct me on what this thing is seriously:)
Next up was A Sail, a song that I had been a little hesitant about on the actual recording, but it turned out to be phenomenal live. Nick and I both shot each other a look during this one – though we’d heard it before, we hadn’t really heard the lyrics. “It’s long gone, that carry on from December / it is no matter / if you remember.” Maybe nothing, but as people who like to read into things a lot – well gosh, the whole song reminded us an awfully lot of Damien’s “I Remember” (which he sang with Lisa) in the lyrical department. Almost like a call and answer of sorts.
Ocean and a Rock and Venn Diagram were every bit as beautiful as I’d expected, though both dwarfed a little bit by the beauty of the songs off of Passenger. I loved these songs on her first album and both were great – especially live – but it’s hard to put them up next to the newer ones. While there are some musicians where I’ll admittedly be a snot and go “Well this isn’t as good as their earlier work” – Lisa Hannigan is only improving the more and more she plays.
This next one took me a little bit to track down on YouTube (here’s a recording, though not from the Chicago show) – this was easily one of my favorite songs. Called, at least by this video and her set list, Flowers. She actually started up with a bit of crowd banter at this point and told us about how they were having “classic movie night” and that her choice had been Point Break. She called this song – and her playing of the electric guitar – the musical equivalent of shooting a gun in the air and yelling “Hyeahhh!” – this song. This song. It’s not on either album and I genuinely have no idea where to find it other than YouTube but it just blew me away. I expect to hear this on the soundtrack of some modern western or something in due time.
Little Bird came next, another song that I liked and caught a recording of, along with some more crowd banter, followed by O Sleep, a song that she originally did with Ray LaMontagne on the album. This was another song that captivated me in the recording that didn’t disappoint live – especially as a duet with the phenomenal John Smith.
As the songs rolled out and she chatted with the audience, this one was dedicated to such-and-such and that one to someone else, so imagine all of our surprise as we’re standing there and hear her say in her sweet, quiet voice: “This one is for Stephen Colbert.” As soon as she started playing we all cheered and knew it, I Don’t Know, a song she’d performed on his show previously. This is one of my favorite Lisa tunes; prior to the show I would have told you it was my absolute favorite but now I’m honestly not sure! It was great live and so much fun to see Lisa dancing around.
Passenger followed to great excitement of the audience; if you’ve heard the song by now you know about the opening line – she even introduced by saying “And this song is written about you!” It begins – “Walking ’round Chicago / I have smuggled you as cargo / though you are far away, unknowing.” The crowd response was so great and cheerful she had to stop and restart the whole song again! Each time a midwestern city/area was mentioned it got a huge applause and cheer.
Once the song was over and she was getting ready, a guy yelled out “What’ll I Do!” to Lisa’s surprise – she could tell (and so could we) that he was being cheeky after peeking at the setlist, but nonetheless she pronounced “This is for that guy!” and got on with the song.
A few things to be said about “What’ll I Do” – I absolutely did not like this song before I heard it live. While the others that I changed my mind about I had sort-of liked, this one I did not like at all. I wasn’t sure about it. It sounded odd, or different, but live - live you can really see how much this woman loves performing and absolutely must do it with every fiber of her being. It’s so full of energy and life and for a song that could have been so depressing, it just fills the entire room with happiness. You couldn’t help but clap along, stomp along, dance if you wanted to. It was just so classically Lisa.
Safe Travels, Don’t Die was the next choice, to my surprise – I thought for sure that song would be last, but nope! The song is hilarious as she warns you against various dangers (she introduced it as “some tips for life”) such as sitting too close to screens, bungee jumping, and playing with gasoline pumps (another Point Break reference was here, too.)
Finally, Lille. A song I’d been dying to hear live since I first heard it, and a famous one in the Big Book of Lisa Hannigan and Damien Rice’s Big Quasi-Romantic Musical Tale. The first song she wrote when they split up, purposely the last song at her concerts and the last song on the album. It was extraordinary seeing her play this – in two ways, one that it was downright beautiful and heartfelt, but on the other because I had read an interview with her once where she said she liked that song because it always made her smile, and that “even if I’m not smiling when I start, I’m smiling by the end” because the song is just so hopeful. Instead we got a passionate, emotional Lisa who looked on the brink of tears for the majority of the song. There was a certain sadness to it that despite my familiarity with the song, I hadn’t been expecting. It was magical and beautiful and a completely amazing moment.
She and the band left and came back quickly for an encore as expected; they opened it up with Home, a song from the new album that I hadn’t listened to much prior to coming, and then of course Knots, the loud, stomp-your-feet track she released as a single not too long ago. Talk about a song that just captures you – when she plays this song live it’s like an entire carnival crammed into three minutes. The different sounds and instruments, the energy from the entire band, it was just great.
As a closer, much to Nick’s delight, a rather creative version of Depeche Mode’s Personal Jesus (or as my setlist says, “Personal Jebus.”) She played it with some sort of creative drumming-on-a-dulcimer-with-a-string-bow technique and the entire band was just on fire. In Nick’s words “it wasn’t the best version of the song, but man they were having fun up there.” They were! It was like a party and a metal show all at once!
After the show I managed to nab the last setlist from the stage thanks to a helpful bloke who worked for the venue while Nick was in line to get a CD. While I was returning to the line, though – there she was! Ms. Lisa Hannigan herself sitting at the merch desk, chatting away with everyone – and Nick only a few folks away from the front. They were out of CDs but we purchased a beautiful poster and had her sign it for us and had a nice little chat that I wish could have gone on forever.
Lisa was so incredibly nice, sweet, friendly, beautiful, amazing – I cannot possibly give enough adjectives to fully explain how rewarding the experience was. I especially loved getting to chat with her – however short it was, and even though Nick and I kept coming up with a billion things afterwards we wish we could have said! Here was a woman that I had been following and inspired by since I was in high school – right in front of me! Chatting away! It was wonderful.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. To Lisa, to John Smith, to the entire band, to Double Door – this was the most magical, completely captivating performance I have ever attended. I hope to see you again soon. :)
1. It should be noted that I, Manda Collis, noted Pizza Aficionado, have dubbed Chicago Style Pizza superior to New York Style Pizza.
2. I only knew of him because I googled him before the show to see if we’d like his music. AGAIN, GUILTY.
3. There have been a few exceptions such as stadium shows and shows with fixed seating, but I’ve definitely been within arm’s reach of Regina Spektor, Michelle Branch, and Dashboard Confessional. Good enough.
Ten Songs That Should Be On GLEE.
It’s about time you all knew about my television obsession, if you didn’t already. I love TV. I love TV shows. I especially love TV shows that broadcast online the night after so I don’t have to deal with the Black Box of Doom popping up on my absurd island television. Among these shows is Glee.
So I was doing some thinking today and decided that there are a few songs I would just love, love, love to see them do – in no particular order, here’s my Top Ten Suggestions for Songs to Be Covered on Glee.
1. “Hopelessly Devoted to You” – Grease
I would especially love to see this done as a duet of some kind. Maybe Emma and Quinn – although we all know that if another Olivia Newton John number comes up, Rachael will be first in line to sing it. But here’s hoping.
2. “Stronger” – Britney Spears
I was reading an article a few days ago that the producers were considering a Britney episode – and if so, this one has to make the cut. While I’m sure this would also be a Rachael number, it’d be nice to see Mercedes step up with it. Or even Kurt!
3. “Keeping the Faith” – Billy Joel
If the upbeat medley in Movin’ Out wasn’t convincing enough, imagining Finn belting this one out (maybe alongside Mr. Schu?) is enough to make me want to see some Billy Joel in an upcoming episode.
4. “Glee Club Rehearsal” – You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown
This broadway number never ceased to amuse me… so let’s throw it into an actual Glee Club rehearsal in the TV show? Pretty Please?
5. “Fidelity” – Regina Spektor
Even though it’s not Regina’s best song, it’s a popular one – and I think that alone would be enough for it to make the cut. For a change of pace it might be interesting to see Brittany cover this song – or even Emma?
6. “Winner Takes it All” – ABBA
Seriously, they’ve got to bring in ABBA sometime – and when Rachael and Jesse finally split, I’m hoping she’ll get over it with this classic ballad.
7. “Telephone” – Lady GaGa
Let’s face it – the folks who do the music for Glee are extremely up with the times when it comes to sampling pop hits. I’d be interested to see if they’d be able to work in some GaGa – though Telephone might be the most tame option, my other choice being “Beautiful, Dirty, Rich”
8. “Wild at Heart” – Gloriana
Okay, okay, I know what you’re thinking – but Kirsten Chenoweth was able to bring country to the show, so maybe we can have a little more? Plus this would be an excellent group number.
9. “Need You Now” – Lady Antebellum
Another country song, but I’d love to see this done as a duet with some of the adult characters on the show. They don’t get to sing nearly enough.
10. “My Funny Valentine” – Frank Sinatra
One of my favorite classics, and I’d love to see Sue put that “classic” look to work with this one to taunt Will… or anyone else for that matter. Why haven’t we seen some Rat Pack covers yet, Glee?
I could go on for hours, but these are just a few top picks. What songs do you think they should cover on an upcoming episode of Glee? And if you watch… what do you think of this season so far? Madonna episode? Let me know!
Ocracoke Islanders… Listen Up!
Today’s post is going to be short and sweet to attempt to draw some attention to something Leslie and I were discussing today! We’d like to host a Tweet-Up here on Ocracoke Island!
If you’re not familiar with a Tweet Up, it’s basically an opportunity for twitter users from an area to get together and socialize – and maybe see who else you know uses Twitter! It’s a great tool for both personal networking and for businesses, and it should be fun to find out who here on the island is tweeting.
So if you’re on Ocracoke or have plans to visit – comment here, or send a reply to Mandarific88 or BooksToBeRed – or just stop in Leslie’s shop (Books To Be Red) and let her know you’re interested! More information will be coming soon – can’t wait to see you there! :)
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