What a Week for My Favorite Things!

The Holidays!

Of course everyone's life is crazy this time of year but, for those of you who don't know, I work in a church office which brings about a whole lot more crazy! BUT It's also a really great time of year. The kids try a little harder to behave, in hopes Santa will notice; people are generally a little nicer to each other and heck there's lots of junk food and presents!!! AND This week I got to spend a whole day with my Mom, which is an extremely rare treat :-)

HUSH HUSH / FallenArchangel

We released a fun little video yesterday, encouraging you to gift the gift of Hush, Hush this holiday season. We are thankful for Drew Doyon for doing this, he's a great guy and a super great sport for indulging us when we ask him for crazy things. We'll have more Patch goodness coming in 2010!!

Blue October

Ok so Kangaroo Cry was featured on NCIS last night and, by the way, it was awesome! Hearing the music and Justin's voice on my TV made me so proud!! And then at then end of the show Approaching Normal, their latest album, got a nice plug. Also last night Blue October performed at "Not So Silent Night" with The Fray, Boys Like Girls, and others. AND now today they have released a new video for JUMP ROPE which is a huge single in Germany!! The boys in BO certainly are having a happy holiday season!

Can't Wait to Hear Kangaroo Cry on NCIS Tonight

Looking forward to tonight's episode of NCIS on CBS. My husband watches the show every week and I sometimes watch along, however tonight I will be all ears as Blue October's Kangaroo Cry will be featured near the end of the show!!! Reportedly the music has been written into the storyline - it should be GREAT!!!!!

Big Day

Today has been a big, busy day for us over at FallenArchangel.com. We made the announcement that we are now the OFFICIAL Hush, Hush Fansite. How exciting. We are still celebrating with give-aways of books (courtesy of Simon & Schuster) and bookmarks.

Come on over and check us out at FallenArchagel

Kangaroo Cry to (finally) Be Used on NCIS

I am so excited that Blue October's Kangaroo Cry is finally going to be used on NCIS! It was on a 'soundtrack' for last season and since my husband watches the show I listen every week for it :-)

According to Austin 360.com "the tune will air at the end of the December 15 episode....The song ties in with the storyline and will be used for a full 3 minutes. "

YAY!! Can't wait!!

Note: NCIS is broadcast on CBS.

Just because I'll use any reason to post a Blue October video...Here's a video of them performing Kangaroo Cry and Picking Up the Pieces at Webster Hall in NYC this past May. (Sadness by me since I was supposed to see them two days before the NY show, but the show was cancelled)

ONE

I have been a supporter of the ONE Campaign for a few years now. I think it's a great movement towards accomplishing great things!

It makes me happy when celebrities use their names, faces and voices for GOOD, to help make people's lives better. Today Ashley Greene (Alice Cullen in the Twilight Saga) and ONE introduced the following video featuring many of Hollywood's brightest young stars.

Tomorrow is World AIDS Day, please share this message with as many people as you can!

Blue is Back

Blue October was back on stage this weekend for the first time since Justin's hospitalization forced the cancellation of their Pick Up the Phone Tour. Justin suffered from an extreme panic attack and setback in his own mental health battles which resulted in his hospitalization and a period of recovery at home. Thankfully he received medical treatment, hopefully lots of support from his family and friends, and seems to be doing well. They were on stage at Stubbs for two nights this past weekend and everything I've read says they were great.

Justin was reportedly nervous about getting back up there and afraid he'd have a hard time with some of the lyrics (due to a new medication) but it seems once the lights went down and the fans came to life, he slipped right back into his comfort zone and wowed everyone!!!

Their set list included lots of my favorites, here's a look at Justin (and Ryan) performing the song that inspired the name of my blog...It's Just Me. It seems to me that Justin has a whole new level of emotion in his singing, he feels it all a little more now, not sure if that's a good thing for him, but it certainly translates into a powerful performance.

video from YouTube user angeleinaustin from 11/21/09 concert at Stubbs, Austin TX

First Look at Remember Me

I am really excited to share this, the first teaser of Summit's Remember Me staring Robert Pattinson. It looks really GREAT, I am definitely going to see this! I enjoy seeing Rob in "other" roles :-)

I'm Still Here

I haven't posted anything in forever, I am still here, just crazy busy. My sister Rebecca and I have been working our fingers to the bone (lol not really) on FallenArchangel.com. We had a GREAT cover week last week and are going to meet Becca Fitzpatrick on Saturday! This little project is turning out the be a little bigger and a lot more fun than we had expected. I have also been extra busy at work, with the kids, preparing for the holidays and following all of the New Moon hype as well :-) Looking forward to heading out with the NEPA TwilightMoms tonight for drinks and snacks before the MIDNIGHT release!!

I made a promise to myself that I would buckle down and make time to blog, I really want to talk even if no one wants listen :-). For now I leave you with this hilarious video which made me laugh out loud at my desk this morning.

Note: While that video was funny it's not the one I meant. This is the one I intended to post.

Blue Love

So I probably talk a little too much about Blue October on here, but since this is my blog, I LUV BO, and I used one of their songs to title my blog....I guess it's OK.

But today I'm thinking about Blu & especially Justin a little differently. I talked recently about how they were going to be testifying/speaking to a Congressional SubCommittee about Mental Health Issues & Suicide Prevention. This is something they are quite passionate about, especially Justin who makes no secret of the battle he has fought and continues to fight every day. Word came on Tuesday night that due to a medical emergency Justin would not be there, I believe that none of BO was. So now I am left to worry..... like a Mother about a child, (only I don't look at Justin like my child LOL believe me) It must be something serious for them to have had to pull out. My thoughts & prayers are with them and they are in my heart. Hopefully we will hear something soon.

I leave you with this video of a live performance many years ago. For those who don't 'get it' or maybe just never really thought about it. Watch this and listen to him, I mean really listen. Maybe you or I have never felt quite this low, but maybe we can help others who have.

I continue to be blown away by his honesty and willingness to share this with others. And one last thing, here's a really recent video of Justin (& Matt) talking about the Pick Up The Phone Tour.

Fallenarchangel.com. Spreading the Hush, Hush love.

I'm gonna let my sister Rebecca say it for me, since she said it so well!!

I couldn't let October 13, 2009 pass without mentioning the small detail of today being the official release day of Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. Not only because I think it's an incredible book that you should all read, but as I've mentioned before my sister and I started Fallenarchangel.com, a Hush, Hush fansite.

Yep, we love it that much.

We've got all sorts of great stuff, a forum, a blog (for those of you who have read it you get why it's called The Coldwater High eZine) contests, twitter, even an "Ask Becca" thread on the forum where she'll stop by on Mondays to answer questions. She is just that super cool and down to earth. Just ask Lisa and Laura who posted 13 reasons why they love Hush, Hush!

While it's still insane to think we have an actual fansite, things have REALLY started to get exciting. Especially with the release today! Jenn (that's me!) and I are going to be at our local Borders in Scranton, PA this Friday from 7-10 pm to help promote Hush, Hush with giveaways (bookmarks, posters, a signed copy!) and a reading. Eeek, we even plan on wearing t-shirts with Fallenarchangel.com on them. Becca will be in Philly next month so we are working on arranging a time to meet her. In person!!! We've had the pleasure of working with Simon & Schuster here and in the UK. So many amazing things and more in the works.

And let me tell you Becca'a fans are incredible. One of the best parts about starting the site (aside from getting to work with Becca) is meeting the people who love Hush, Hush like we do. We have 119 amazing members who have been already built an awesome community with pics of who they see as Patch and Nora, other books and TV shows the love and more. Then there's Brittany who has been pumping out some killer banners using the teaser lines we posted the last ten days leading up to the release today. I'm telling you, they are just the best fans a girl could ask for. Becca is one lucky lady!

Hopefully if you've read Hush, Hush you will come join the fun and show your love for Becca. And if you haven't read it, you'll go pick a copy up today and come hang out with us when you finish at http://www.fallenarchangel.com/.

So here's a BIG shout out to Becca Fitzpatrick on her very first release day! Thank you for writing one of the best stories I've ever read, and for being so supportive and just plain awesome. I am beyond excited to see what lies ahead. Hmm, Crescendo (the follow up to Hush, Hush) anyone? Heck yeah!

In Defense of YA. Does it Really Need Defending?

This morning I was thrilled to see the announcement that the movie rights to Maggie Stiefvater's "Shiver" series have been snatched up!! I love this book, cannot wait for the sequel and now look forward to a big screen adaptation.

"Shiver" is the latest, in a long line of Young Adult books, to see cross-over success and popularity with teens, young adults and adults alike. The Young Adult 'genre' is breaking free of the small racks in the corner of the children's section, and is being featured prominently, in its own section. Front and center! This trend may be getting more attention now, because of the Twilight series, but it's been there, working it's magic slowly, quietly for a while. Because of this there's a whole lot of great writing and storytelling finding it's way into the hands and hearts of a lot more people. People, who 5 years ago would NEVER have thought of buying something from the Young Adult Section of their bookstore.

Heck, I am 36 years old and have been reading YA books like crazy for the past year. And you know what....I love them, many rank among the best books I have ever read!

Some are quick to criticize authors, publishers, production companies, etc who are currently promoting or moving forward with this sort of project; saying they are exploiting or latching onto Twilight's success, cashing in on it. I don't see it that way. Someone or something will always have to come first, to blaze the trail and the others can either move forward into this new territory or be left behind. Which would you rather be??

I think we should celebrate the turn things have taken lately. The fact that the Young Adult 'genre' (I just don't know if that is the right term) is getting so much attention and has become so successful, is a hugely positive thing. Just think about how many more teens and young adults are reading because of this! I have seen firsthand how falling in love with a book or book series can turn someone, who only read for school, into a voracious reader. What could possible be bad about that?!

Note: I guess I should mention that I am the co-owner and admin of a fansite dedicated to a Young Adult book about a Fallen Angel. Clearly my love for this type of book is obvious and so I may be a little, tiny bit biased :-)

Another Note: MTV.com has posted an article today titled "'Shiver' Is Latest Werewolf Love Story Latch Onto 'Twilight' Success" I felt the need to comment on the post, perhaps you will want to as well.

I have read Shiver and love it! I should mention that I am a huge fan of Twilight, and in fact this entire genre. Yes, they are both Young Adult Urban Fantasy books, and both authors have taken artistic liberties with their 'supernatural' characters BUT I don't really think they should be compared beyond that. I am pleased that SHIVER is moving to the big screen, I hope that it will be blessed with a great screen writer and director who will bring the book to life, not re-invent it.

btw 'latching onto Twilight's success' sounds kind of negative... I think bringing the world of Young Adult books to the bigscreen is great and the fact that Twilight lead the way should be celebrated. Others are smart to follow in it's footsteps instead of being left behind :-)

Blue October Takes On A Cause

Another justification for my Blue October love.....

Their latest round of appearances is being dubbed the "Pick Up The Phone Tour". It's a "music tour committed to reducing the stigma associated with mental health as well as making the access to help and hope for all safe and without fear." (Indiestar.tv) This tour marks the first time a tour has been solely devoted to suicide prevention.

Blue's lead singer and songwriter Justin Furstenfeld has made no secret about his own battles with depression and his struggles with his own mental health. He has been able to turn his emotions into music, amazing music, and has spoken on more than one occasion about trying to help others learn to channel theirs into other directions, art, music, writing, etc.

I admire him very much for having the courage to put his own battles out there for the world to see, and at the same time providing a glimmer of hope for those who haven't found their own outlet yet.

So, if the Pick Up The Phone Tour comes your way, go check it out. Not only will you see an AMAZING show, but you'll be helping to raise funds & awareness for suicide prevention!

Busy, Busy, Busy

I've been super busy lately with some really great stuff!

My sister Rebecca and I have started a HUSH, HUSH fansite, blog & forum called FallenArchangel. HUSH HUSH is a fabulous new YA book by Becca Fitzpatrick which debuts on October 13. After reading an ARC we fell in love with the book and decided to go for it!! It's been a lot of work, and is still in progress BUT check it out! Becca has been a great help and we are currently working with the publisher on some great stuff.

Also working with our local TwilightMoms to make plans for the Midnight Release of New Moon. Lots of good stuff coming this Fall!

Witch Hunts, A Real Trailer & Catching Fire

I just returned home from a meeting in Salem, Mass. It was my first time there and I really enjoyed it.

While I was in Salem, and had only my mini-netbook computer with me, the newest New Moon Trailer was released. I am going to call this the real trailer since the others didn't really count. The first was a little teaser, the second was propaganda for Jacob (not that I didn't enjoy it, but it just wasn't a theatrical trailer in my opinion) and now what we have all been waiting for ....yay the real trailer! I saw it on the VMA Awards and then found it in HD on-line, but the little teeny weenie screen just didn't do it for me. One of the first things I did when I got home was to check it out in all it's glory on my 17" screen. It's really great!

On the subject of the VMAs, I know I'm a day late on this, I still cannot believe what Kanye did to poor Taylor Swift & Beyonce. How utterly awful for Taylor, obviously. But poor Beyonce must have been mortified as well. I'm not really gonna give him any more of my time, he's just not worth it. However, I think Beyonce deserves some props for the way she called Taylor back on stage, following a win of her own, and allowed her to deliver her acceptance speech.

I took CATCHING FIRE with me on my trip and read the heck out of that book. I was sooo close to the end when I arrived, but saved the rest for my trip home. I'm not going to say much about it yet. I need to digest it a little more...I will say I didn't want it to end!

Borders Ink is having a YA promotion...check it out

Bad Celery, Really Good Cookies and Summer Wrap Up

I haven't had much time to blog lately, busy on a project which will be revealed on Saturday. It's a lot of work, but should be totally worth it in the end. I hope I will be able to get my part done (and done well), please send some positive thoughts my way.

I also haven't picked up a book in a while and let me tell you Catching Fire is calling my name! Hopefully I will get to read that soon. My sisters and I are planning to read it together, leach of us will take a turn reading it out loud to the others. Could be lots of fun (or not lol), but it's a little bit hard to sync up all of our schedules.

Here's some randomness from today....

• I Love Farmers' Markets, spent the morning at a local one.
• Discovered, quite possibly, the BEST chocolate chip cookies in the world at aforementioned Farmer's Market.
• Ate the worst piece of celery EVER while trying to snack 'healthy' this afternoon. See what happens when you try to be good.

Some more randomness (in pictures) from Summer, which began with cleaning out a senior citizen's apartment, a really big mohawk and locks of love. And pretty much ended when school went back this week.

He was allowed to do whatever he wanted with his hair for Summer Vacation, however this only lasted one week before I took him back to get it cut in half. I think this still qualifies me for The Coolest Mom contest.

Her second donation to Locks of Love.

Me learning to love the Barleycorn. This is one of many things from my Grandmother's apartment that we still have to find a home for.

The kids and their cousin - Amusement Park Fun! (Knoebels)

Friends raising $$ for Alex's Lemonade Stand



NEPA TwilightMoms - This picture was taken the day we met for lunch (and drinks, of course), had some discussion of The Time Traveler's Wife book & then went to see the movie.

Steamtown train museum & train ride. My Aunt, my sisters, the kids & I spent the day having local fun....train museum, train ride, lunch at Moe's, ice cream, Riverside Park & stops at a few produce stands.

Back to School

Of course there was a heck of a lot more that went on, but I won't bore you with any more. Back to school brings about a complete change, a return to routine, a tighter schedule.....sigh. But on the bright side Fall is my favorite season and changing leaves are just around the corner!

A Really Great Contest - Hurry It's Almost Over

My sister is running a fabulous contest over at her blog. The winner gets a book for themselves and one for their local library! The book choices are super.

1. pre-order of Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick 2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (not new but you MUST read it plus #3 wouldn't make much sense without it) 3. pre-order of Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins 4. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater 5. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan 6. Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev 7. Wings by Aprilynne Pike 8. pre-order of Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld 9. Rampant by Diana Peterfreund (sort of a pre-order since it comes out next week) 10. pre-order of Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (oh wait, did I say that twice. totally unintentional, honestly)

Check it out here.

But hurry she is picking a winner tomorrow!!

Hush, Hush Book Trailer

I can't tell you how excited I am for the October release of Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. For a little something to hold you over until the book comes out click here.

I Can Make a Difference and So Can YOU!

Check out this blog/project called Living Your Five. It's an amazing idea that empowers each and every one of us make a difference a little at a time!

Living Your Five is all about knowing what matters most to you and making a difference in your world in ways large and small.

Living Your Five is founded author by Kay Cassidy, and features authors Tera Lynn Childs, Becca Fitzpatrick and Alyson Noel.

Check out their site here and spread the word. Together we really can make a difference.

Check This Out

Check out this video for Maggie Stiefvater's new book Ballad which will hit stores on October 1st. Maggie made this animated storyboard and recorded the music. She is pretty amazing.

I'm So Blue...

It has taken me a few days to process this. The Blue October / Crazy Making Tour will NOT be making the scheduled stop in Montclair, NJ. I cannot be mad, I'm sure they had a legitimate reason, but I am sad and disappointed.

My sister and I had pre-sale tickets to this concert and I was literally counting down the days. I bought the old songs I wasn't as familiar with from itunes and have been listening to them as often as I can (most are not rated PG for my kiddos' ears) so that I would be ready for whatever crazy-making stuff they'd throw my way.

They will honor tickets for the NJ show at the stop in NYC two days later, but it just isn't going to work out for me. ((sniff, sniff))

It probably sounds stupid for a 30+ Mom to be so sad over something like this, but I can't help it. I had really liked Blue October for a few years, but since seeing them in concert on the Approaching Normal Tour, I have fallen in LOVE with them. Everybody needs a little something special now and then, to keep them going, especially Moms who tend to do a lot for everyone else and not quite as much for themselves. I am going to do my best to see them another time, but for now I have my new tunes to listen to and some great pictures and reviews from others who were able to catch them this time around.

A Pretty Good Book to Movie Translation

I saw The Time Traveler's Wife yesterday, with a great group of ladies (shout out to the TwilightMoms). I was very skeptical going into it. Recently my sister and I read My Sister's Keeper and then were completely floored (not in a good way) by the movie. I was feeling a little gun shy about this one.

When I first began reading The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger I had a little trouble getting into it, found it a bit hard to follow. But then all of a sudden I was three quarters of the way through the book and didn't want to put it down. It was one of those books that sucked me in and I had a hard time pulling myself back to reality. (love that kind of book!)

The movie surprised me, although there were a lot of things from the book missing, overall they did a really good job of taking it to the big screen. Rachel McAdams did a beautiful job of portraying Claire, through the good and the bad, and Eric Bana was a very believable Henry (although his time traveling hair should have been left in the past).

I would suggest you read the book before seeing this movie, but then.... I suggest you see this movie. I'd give it a B+.

The Time Traveler's Wife

I read this book by Audrey Niffenegger several months ago. Overall I really liked it, although I sometimes had a difficult time keeping up with the timeline. There's a lot of jumping around between the present, past and future.

Tomorrow a group of about 11 of us will be getting together for a book discussion (with dinner & drinks of course) and then to see the movie.

I am hoping that the movie will be able to live up to the book, they so rarely do....

How Old Is Too Old For Young Adult?

Well I don't think you're ever too old for it. I have recently been turned onto the world of Young Adult Fiction and don't ever want to be turned off. No matter how old I am (cough...36...cough).

Just today, my sister was telling me about a blogger getting some harsh comments, claiming she was too old for YA! Yikes. On the same subject I want to share some thoughts from Maggie Stiefvater, the author of a fabulous new YA book, Shiver.

The real thing that grated my cheese was this idea that a blogger ought to step down from YA lit because she's no longer a teen. Um, no.

Actually, allow me to clarify: HELL NO.

The average YA author is older than I am and all of us are older than our intended teen readership. Does that mean we ought to be writing adult fiction instead? That would be a lot of unhappy Twihards if Stephanie Meyer decided to write Twilight as an adult series. The thing about YA is that the kernel of it, the point of it, the entire theme of the genre is coming of age. Coming of age is something that we can understand at any age. It's being on the cusp of something new. It's making that leap, deciding what to do with yourself. It's doing anything for the first time. That's the point of YA fiction, and it's something that anybody can enjoy. Look at the success of TWILIGHT. Harry Potter. (and yikes, SHIVER).

To say that adults can't read YA because they aren't the same age as the protagonists is as ludicrous as saying that teens can't read adult books because they aren't yet adults. It's ultimately condescending, either way. Adult saying to teen: "you won't enjoy this movie/ book because as a teen, you haven't experienced loss/ cheating/ tax evasion/ other adult theme." Teen saying to adult: "you won't enjoy this teen movie/ book because it's been too long since you were cool." No. You cannot say that.

.....I identify more with the character issues in a lot of YA -- the growing up, the jumping off cliffs, the newness -- than I do a lot of adult fiction, which deals with fatigue, mid-life crisis, marriage issues. Am I the only twenty something who feels this way? Nope. There's also thirty somethings, forty something, fifty somethings who prefer the genre . . . age is irrelevant when coming to reading. There's no "this is right for this age." "this is wrong for this age."

There's this: "This book is right for me." "This book isn't my thing."

That's the only truth there is in reading. As a reader and as a writer, never forget that YA is a marketing distinction. It's books placed in a certain section of the bookstore because they will probably appeal to teens. It doesn't mean they won't appeal to anybody else. And it doesn't mean that that's the only place in the store they could go. We write the best books we can about the characters we care about, no matter how old they happen to be. And I don't care who's reading my books. I don't care if it's grandmas with fake teeth or teens with ipods or toddlers drooling sippy cups on the pretty blue ink. I just care that they're being read.

Well said Maggie.

Two Weeks and A Crush

My sister and I are going to see Blue October in 2 weeks. That's right, two weeks from now we will be basking in the afterglow of the amazingness that is Blue October...and hopefully waiting by the stage door for a few pics and autographs :-)

In the meantime I found some amazing pictures of Justin (Furstenfeld) and Matt (Noveskey) performing recently to hold me over. Of course I love Justin and his pics were amazing BUT I have to share this one of Matt (I totally have a crush on him ever since we saw them in concert last time). The picture was taken by JBrockey.

Hush, Hush & 500 Days of Summer

I have decided to hold off on posting a review of Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick, until we get closer to the release date, probably sometime next month. I will tell you that I LOVE this book, absolutely love it :-)

I was really excited to see (500) Days of Summer over the weekend. It was only in for 3 days - I was supposed to see it Friday, had a little snag in the plans; was busy with the family all day Saturday; but finally made it on Sunday afternoon. I was not disappointed. The movie was really great and the actors were fabulous. My heart opened up to Gordon Joseph-Levitt as Tom Hansen, he did such a great job with this character, and then broke for him as well. And Zooey Deschenel as Summer Finn was absolutely beautiful.

Love the tagline.... "This is not a love story. This is a story about love." It hits the nail on the head.

I had a few 'issues' with things near the end, but would totally recommend it. If you have the chance to see this movie, by all means..do!

(500) Days of Summer

Going to see this movie with my Mom and Sisters tomorrow night, have heard great things.

E! News Report of the Breaking Dawn Concert With justin Furstenfeld

Two of my favorite things combined....sigh

I bought the Breaking Dawn Special Edition today, mostly because I wanted to watch the DVD that was included. To my surprise at the back of the book I found the lyrics to all the songs that Justin performed. I think I already knew them by heart, but love reading them. Happy Day!

Now that I have this edition I am thinking of donating my other copy of Breaking Dawn to the local library. I have heard that the waiting list for the Twilight Series is very long. I just don't know if they will take used books (it looks almost brand new). Hate to think that there are people, especially teens, who don't get to read some books because they can't afford them and their library doesn't have them. Our local library doesn't have a very good Young Adult section, but that's a conversation for another day.

Justin is Everywhere!!!

Love that Justin Furstenfeld is everywhere today!! A special edition of Breaking Dawn with footage from the Breaking Dawn Concert Tour that Justin did with Stephenie last year, hit stores today.

I just turned on E!News and there was Justin serenading me. Love it!!!

Hush, Hush

Well thanks to my fabulous sister Becky, I spend my night last night reading an ARC (advance reader copy) of Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. I will be writing about this later, so stay tuned!

Find out more about Hush, Hush!

Shiver

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

I am loving this book and now I stumbled upon some great on-line stuff. Definitely going to post a review soon!

Check it out!

My sister is out of town for the weekend and I filled in as Guest Blogger. Check it out here.. Me, Guest Blogger? Really?

Book Reviews

I spend a great deal of time reading and, thanks to my youngest sister, most of my reading has been Young Adult. She turned me onto the genre, but I have stuck to it because I love it!

I've decided to put this hobby to good use by doing some book reviews. I'll start with some of the books I have read this summer and we'll see how it goes. Here are a few of my recent reads which I may (or may not) review.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Kissed by an Angel (Power of Love/Soulmates) by Elizabeth Chandler

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Maximum Ride (series) by James Patterson

The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson

The Uglies, The Pretties, The Specials by Scott Westerfeld

The Forest of Hands & Teeth by Carrie Ryan

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer

Crazy Making

Blue October kicks off their "Crazy making" tour this weekend (with Switchfoot). If you are a fan of this group and have not seen them live you really need to. They are incredible.

I will be seeing them in NJ in August, can't wait!

For more info visit BO's website.

Blue October Love

Justin Furstenfeld from Blue October has four really great vids on YouTube talking about some of the songs from their newest album Approaching Normal. The album is amazing and the videos are really cool.

Check em out here ...

Twilight Saga Excitement

I have spent many hours today enjoying the newly re-launched New Moon Official Website. It is really cool and shows a lot of great shots from the movie. Check out some of my favorite screenshots on the NEPA TwilightMoms blog here and visit the site here.

From New Moon Site Pics

2 of my Favorite Things

Two of my very favorite things are the Twilight Saga books and Blue October (Justin Furstenfeld and the boys) in a funny twist of fate these two are connected. Stephenie Meyer cites many Blue October songs on her playlists for the Twilight Saga books. She was inspired to write many scenes after/while listening to their songs. As a matter of fact before Breaking Dawn was released Stephenie and Justin Furstenfeld did a tour together promoting the book. Justin sang acoustic versions of some of his songs (let me tell you I would give my right arm to have been at one of those concerts).

As happy as I am for Blue October to be getting the love of the Twilight fans, I have some personal hang-ups about it - that's a discussion for another day.

Ok back to the purpose of this post... A special edition of Breaking Dawn is hitting stores on August 4 and it includes a little bit o' Justin. Check it out

This Special Edition of the #1New York Times bestseller includes: An exclusive Breaking Dawn Concert Series DVD featuring a performance by Blue October's Justin Furstenfeld and a conversation with Stephenie Meyer and Justin Furstenfeld. A reproduction of the personal, handwritten lyrics for My Never from Justin Furstenfeld. A limited-edition, full-color Bella & Edward poster (on reverse side of book jacket). And more! The astonishing, breathlessly anticipated conclusion to The Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn illuminates the secrets and mysteries of this spellbinding romantic epic that has entranced millions.

It's safe to say that I will be purchasing this! If you are interested you can pre-ordered now at Borders.com, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and probably many more outlets.

First Post

I have been working on fansite/blogs for some of my favorite things (Twilight, Maximum Ride, Blue October) and decided I should have one main blog for me. A place to talk about anything, everything and nothing at all. Visit whenever you'd like. I look forward to making some new friends and maybe keeping in touch with some old ones.