Double-Stacked Bookshelves

Teaser Tuesday:  Mozart's Last Aria Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Jenn @ A Daily Rhythm . Here are the rules: grab whatever you're reading, open to a random page, select no more than two sentence (NO SPOILERS), share the title and author, and GO! Here's today's teaser: "I gathered myself and approached her.  'Madame Hofdemel?' I said.  'I am--' 'I know who you are.  It's obvious, to look at you.  When he cut my face, my husband didn't take my eyes.'  Her voice was curt and bitter." --page 57     Mozart's Last Aria by Matt Rees  I'm a little obsessed with Mozart and Vienna in general, so this book seemed right up my ally.  Not too shabby so far :) Happy reading!  

This week's prompt for the Writer's Workshop is:  10 Things That Make Me Happy...   A Strong Cup of Coffee.  I like to taste my coffee and have it kick me gently in the face.  Mmmm. Rain.  The sound.  The smell.  The feel.  The atmosphere.  The...taste, I guess.  Being from the PNW allows me to experience the beauty of rain a lot.  However, we've had an unusually dry Winter/Spring...and going in to Summer, so I haven't been able to enjoy my delightful rain as much as I would love to. Hoppy Beer.  I am also thankful that I live in a region that produces seriously outstanding beers (You go, Oregon!).  As my preferences have changed over the years, I have become increasingly drawn to IPAs and the like.  The hoppier, the better in my opinion! A Plethora of Books.  I feel completely lost without a book on my person at all times.  What if I have to wait somewhere?  What if I get sto...

We've done it!  Today is the final post for the A-Z Blogging Challenge and I consider this year's edition a resounding success.  It was a blast!  But on to today's letter...Z. Z is for "Zombie" and "Zip-Lock" "Zombie" - The Cranberries   If you're posting about music, how can you not choose this track as representative of Z?  It's so freakin' good!  A protest rock song written in memory of two boys, Jonathan Ball and Tim Parry, killed during the IRA bombings in Warrington, "Zombie" was released in late 1994 by Irish band The Cranberries.  It is beautifully angry and historically significant.  Such a great song. *Lyrics :  "It's the same old theme since nineteen-sixteen / In your head / In your head they're still fightin' / With their tanks and their bombs / And their bombs and their guns / In your head, in your head they are dyin'" "Zip-Lock" - Lit   A fun l...

Only one more day to go in the challenge.  Well done, fellow A-Zers!  Today is all about the letter Y. Y is for "You and I Both" and "Your Biggest Mistake" "You and I Both" - Jason Mraz   My ears love Jason Mraz.  He's so smooth and soulful and doesn't put out a bad track...seriously.  If you're looking for a chill set of pipes, this is one of your options.  When Mraz released "You and I Both", I had already been a fan for years.  This only solidified how awesome he is...it's a beautiful song. *Lyrics :  "See I'm all about them words / Over numbers, unencumbered numbered words / Hundreds of pages, pages, pages for words / More words than I had ever heard and I feel so alive" "Your Biggest Mistake" - New Found Glory   Ah...a little NFG.  I haven't listened to them in several years, but for a while there in high school and early college I loved me some NFG.  They had a few ma...

Welcome to Tuesday and the near completion of the A-Z Blogging Challenge.  Today's post is dedicated to the incredibly difficult letter X. X is for "X&Y" and "XXX's and OOO's (American Girl)" "X&Y" - Coldplay   It's such a chill song.  I'll admit, I got over the hype of Coldplay quickly when "Yellow" was so overplayed.  But they've managed to redeem themselves beautifully.  Well done, Chris Martin.  Still not my favorite Coldplay track, but it's definitely got merit and the album has some of my favorite tracks. *Lyrics :  "Trying hard to speak and fighting with my weak hand / Driven to distraction, so part of the plan / When something is broken and you try to fix it / Trying to repair it, anyway you can" "XXX's and OOO's (American Girl)" - Trisha Yearwood   Released in 1994, Trisha Yearwood's "XXX's and OOO's" is just a fun country t...

Happy Monday, fellow A-Zers.  Let's hope this week, our final week in the blogging challenge, goes out with a bang!  Today is all about the letter W. W is for "Who's Crying Now" and "Wo Willst Du Hin" "Who's Crying Now" - Journey   Hands down, this is my favorite Journey song.  My parents had a vinyl copy of 1991s Escape , the album the track is on, as well as a tape of it.  I wore the tape out from rewinding it so much.  Since that time, Journey has always remained one of my all-time favorite bands.  Steve Perry's crystal clear voice is hauntingly beautiful...you really can't go wrong. *Lyrics :  "It's been a mystery / And still they try to see / Why something good can hurt so bad / Caught on a one-way street / The taste of bittersweet / Love will survive somehow, some way" "Wo Willst Du Hin" - Xavier Naidoo   Probably my favorite German artist, Xavier Naidoo is a soul and R&B si...

Saturday...I've yearned for you!  I hope everyone is having a relaxing Saturday...basking in your respective activities and modes of relaxation.  Me?  I'm reading...maybe doing some laundry (because I love that).  Perhaps watching a movie or some TV today.  The possibilities are endless.  Aside from that, today is all about the letter V. V is for "Vienna" and "Vogue" "Vienna" - Billy Joel   This is a beautiful melodious song.  It's a decadent metaphor for life and Joel presents it so well.  From 1977s The Stranger , Joel has declared "Vienna" to be one of his favorite songs to perform...it's that good.  The song was inspired when Billy Joel visited his father, who was living in Vienna at the time.  While there, he noticed an old woman sweeping the street and he questioned this practice.  The ensuing conversation with his father opened his eyes to the way American's tend to push the elderly population to the side...

Happy Friday, A-Z participants.  I don't know about the rest of you, but I am very ready for the weekend.  I plan on reading and doing little else.  Yep.  But for now, let's talk about the letter U. U is for "Undone: The Sweater Song" and "U Got It Bad" "Undone: The Sweater Song" - Weezer   The first single off Weezer's self-title 1994 debut, the song was meant to be a sad one, but it wasn't taken that way by listeners.  Stylistically, it's a pretty basic song with very minor chord changes.  Because of it's simplicity, it's been covered by multiple people, including The Fray, The Offspring, Angels & Airwaves, and The Bloodhound Gang.  It's a catchy little tidbit. *Lyrics :  "If you want to destroy my sweater / Hold this thread as I walk away (as I walk away) / Watch me unravel, I'll soon be naked / Lying on the floor (lying on the floor) / I've come undone" "U Got It Bad...

Sorry it's such a late post today, dear readers.  I'm catching up at work and today's post has been on the back burner.  But it's here now!  Yay!  Today is all about the letter T. T is for "These Dreams" and "Til I Hear It From You" "These Dreams" - Heart   Heart is awesome.  Just plain awesome sauce.  "These Dreams" was the first song by the band to hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.  It's a gravelly power ballad and we can thank Nancy Wilson for having a cold during recording. *Fun Fact :  The song was originally offered to Stevie Nicks, but she had no interest in recording it.  Also, though Heart had only previously recorded their own music, they were so interested in this song that they included it on their self-titled album. "Til I Hear It From You" - Gin Blossoms   I am obsessed with the Gin Blossoms; have been for a long time.  "Til I Hear It From You" was released in...

We've reached the halfway point of the workweek and I don't think Friday afternoon can get here any faster.  Ugh.  Aside from that, today is all about the letter S. S is for "Step By Step" and "The Seed (2.0)" "Step By Step" - New Kids on the Block   NKOTB were my first boy band.  I loved them.  I remember having a VHS tape of one of their concert specials and I watched that thing religiously.  I wanted to be serenaded by Joey.  Mmmm.  I guess Jordan and Donny were pretty steamy too.  The other two...not so much.  Oh well.  "Step By Step" is a fun track.  It doesn't mean much, but it's catchy. *Fun Fact :  "Step By Step" is the best-selling single for NKOTB.  It was voted #4 in a Smash Hits poll of "Best Boyband Songs...Ever" and is also on the list of About.com's 30 Guilty Pleasures. "The Seed (2.0)" - The Roots   Such a great song.  Great beat.  Great vibe.  So chill...

Hello Tuesday.  I've really got nothing clever or pun-y to say in my intro today, so let's get right to it.  Today is all about the letter R. R is for "Right Here Waiting" and "Richard Marxism" "Right Here Waiting" - Richard Marx   In the 80s, I was In Love with Richard Marx.  Capital L-O-V-E love.  I remember that my parents went to one of his concerts and brought me back a sticker.  A freaking sticker!  That's it!  So rude.  Aside from that, this song got me every single time.  It's such a great track.  The second track released from his Repeat Offender album, it became Marx's third consecutive #1 on Billboard's Hot 100.  It is his best-selling single. *Fun Fact :  Between the years of 2000-2003, "Right Here Waiting" was listed in the top 15 of Billboard's Hot Adult Contemporary Recurrents...more than ten years after its initial release.  That's staying power! "Richard Marxism" ...

Good morning and happy Monday...barf!  Is it just me, or was the weekend incredibly fast and way too short?  Sigh.  Regardless, I hope you all had a delightful weekend and are pumped for this week's portion of the challenge.  Today is all about the letter Q...and it was difficult (don't judge me for my choices!). Q is for "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" and "Queen of Apology" "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" - Backstreet Boys   *covers eyes in shame* I apologize for including this...I really do.  This is not my favorite BSB song.  I was never the biggest fan of theirs.  N'Sync was so much better.  But I digress.  This track is off their debut album, Backstreet Boys , and was released as their first US Single.  They had released four previous tracks in Europe before taking a run at the US market.  However, it wasn't until Millennium that the group reached superstar status in the US...technically their thi...

Happy Saturday, fellow A-Zers!  Today I'm heading over to Oregon State University with my dad to watch the spring exhibition football game.  It's kind of our thing :)  This shall be an interesting year for the Beavs as we usher in a new coach and a new era.  Exciting things!  Today is also all about the letter P. P is for "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and "Push" "Pour Some Sugar on Me" - Def Leppard   Such a great karaoke song...and stripper song, I guess.  I love me some Def Leppard and have such respect for their drummer, Rick Allen.  How many one-armed drummers are there, really?  If you're looking for some good new wave British heavy metal from the 80s/90s, this is your band! *Fun Fact :  "Pour Some Sugar on Me" was ranked #2 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 80s in 2006.  In 1991, the song was ranked number 1 on MTV's Top Videos of All Time.  And AVN magazine ranked it the "#1 song used by strippers du...

Happy Friday, peeps!  Can I tell you all how excited I am that it is nearly the weekend?  So excited!  I need this weekend...and possibly a vacation.  That'd be super nice.  Anywho...today's all about the letter O in the A-Z Blogging Challenge. O is for "On Bended Knee" and "Our Song" "On Bended Knee" - Boyz II Men   Boyz II Men...they're just so smooth and so suave.  How can you not like them?  Seriously!  They went on a reunion tour a few years ago and I was so bummed that I missed their stop at one of the local casinos.  Fail on my part!  Regardless, this is a great song :) *Fun Fact :  This was the first time that a single from an artist replaced a single from the same artist on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US since The Beatles did it.  "On Bended Knee" replaced "I'll Make Love to You" in 1994. "Our Song" - The Spill Canvas   I just love The Spill Canvas.  There's somethi...

Happy day after taxes, people!  We are plowing into the second half of the A-Z Blogging Challenge and I am no longer completely caught up on posts (and scheduled ahead).  Thank you work for taking time away from my blogging!  Regardless, I'm plugging along.  Today is all about the letter N. N is for "Name" and "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" "Name" - Goo Goo Dolls   This was the first hit for the Goo Goo Dolls, though they had two previous released from their debut album, A Boy Named Goo .  I loved this song when it came out.  Still do, actually.  It's a great little track that works in all the right ways.  It's also the song that propelled the previously considered alternative band into the mainstream pop atmosphere. *Fun Fact :  The Goo Goo Dolls are the only musicians to have three songs on Billboard's "Top 100 Pop Songs 1992-2012" chart.  These songs are also all in the top 25.  In addition, the...

Moving along nicely in the A-Z Blogging Challenge.  I think we're halfway through!  Today is all about the letter M. M is for "Marry the Night" and "Mad World" "Marry the Night" - Lady Gaga   No list is complete without Lady G.  She's a genius.  Genius!  Though not my all-time favorite Gaga song, this song is brilliant and the video is a storytelling slice of awesome.  Critics and fans alike praised the song.  Though it's not one of her "dance songs," it is a stand-alone track that deserves every praise it's been given.   *Lyrics :  "I'm gonna marry the night / I won't give up on my life / I'm a warrior queen / Live passionately tonight" "Mad World" - Gary Jules   A beautiful, heartbreaking song.  Jules' "Mad World" is actually a remake of the Tears for Fears track from twenty years previous.  He took the fairly pop tune, slowed it down, and made it even ...

Greetings, Tuesday and fellow A-Zers!  Today we're moving on to the letter L for the challenge. L is for "Little Things" and "La Cienga Just Smiled" "Little Things" - Good Charlotte   The debut single for GC, this was the first song I heard by them back in 2001.  It also led to my first "real" concert (Good Charlotte, Slick Shoes, and MxPx).  I have been a fan ever since; even when they went mainstream with their The Young and the Hopeless album.  Eventually they were able to redeem themselves with their next three follow-ups, especially Good Morning Revival . *Lyrics :  "Yeah, this song is dedicated / To every kid who ever got picked last in gym class / To every kid who never had a date to no school dance / To everyone who's ever been called a freak / This is for you" "La Cienga Just Smiled" - Ryan Adams   When I was living in Austria, I had about an hour or so commute at about 5:30 in th...

Good morning, Monday!  Nice to see you again...I guess.  It's the start of the third week in the A-Z Blogging Challenge and we're moving along to the letter K. K is for "The Kill" and "Kryptonite" "The Kill" - 30 Seconds to Mars   This is a great song and video.  It's like a mini-movie.  So awesome!  It's creepy and reminiscent of The Shining and I love it.  Also, Jared Leto is pretty nice to look at.  Mmm hmm.  *Lyrics :  "What if I wanted to fight / Beg for the rest of my life / What would you do? / You say you wanted more / What are you waiting for? / I'm not running from you (from you)" "Kryptonite" - 3 Doors Down   The first single released by 3 Doors Down was "Kryptonite" and it was so good.  It had a great build up and was really catchy.  Not too shabby for a song written by a fifteen year old kid. *Lyrics :  "You called me strong, you called me weak / But still yo...

Happy Saturday, fellow A-Zers!  I hope you're all enjoying a well deserved weekend and patting yourself on the back for making it through week two of the challenge.  Today I'm heading over to Cherry City Comic Con (not my choice...the BF is kind of a nerd), so it shall be interesting.  I know exactly 1 name on the list of attendees... Naomi Grossman aka Pepper from American Horror Story.  Regardless, today's all about the letter J. J is for "Jessie's Girl" and "Jealous" "Jessie's Girl" - Rick Springfield   This is my 80s jam of choice.  I built a Pandora station around it.  I bought an 80s compilation disc because of it.  I crank the volume up on the radio whenever it comes on.  I watch 13 Going on 30 (which I love) and can't wait for the scene in the cab when this song plays.  Basically, I love "Jesse's Girl".  *Fun Fact :  "Jessie's Girl" actually garnered Rick Springfield the Grammy ...

Friday!!!  We're so close to the weekend, fellow A-Zers and I can smell the freedom!  It's also nearing the end of week two of the challenge and I'm still feeling confident.  How about you?  Today is all about the letter I. I is for "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" and "It Must Have Been Love" "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" - Whitney Houston   I love a good Whitney track, but her older stuff is gold.  It's probably silver, platinum, diamond, and any other precious metal/gem you can think of.  She's that glorious.  But I have to say that there's just something wonderful about this track.  It makes me smile...and dance.  *Fun Fact :  Though released to mixed reviews and comparisons to some of Houston's earlier tracks, as well as Cyndi Lauper, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" won a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1988. "It Must Have Been Love" - Roxette   This song.  Oh, this ...