List #23 - I'll show you my books; you show me yours... vol.2

Steph and Jana host a monthly link-up - a place for bloggers & readers to share what books they've read the previous month.  I blog.  I read.  I've talked about the multiple book challenges I'm tackling.  So, this link-up is a great way to share my thoughts on books I've read, keep track of my book challenges, and find (even more!) books to read that are shared by others.

Link-up here

Books I've read since the last link-up:

 Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach - There was a time that I dreamed of getting an American muscle car...a '60s Corvette Stingray or Mustang or Camaro. Now, that I've read the chapter about car crash experiments with human cadavers, I don't think I could ever drive it without worrying about the steering wheel impaling me straight through the heart. Prior to reading this, I was completely supportive and open to donating my organs and/or body to science. I still am. In fact, as much as I watch crime dramas and documentaries, I kind of think it would be cool if my body was used to determine various degrees of decomposition...and if what they learned could catch a killer. That would be awesome. Some of the science-y stuff got a little technical. I skimmed those parts. Overall, I enjoyed this book and Mary Roach's voice.

 Deadline by John Sandford - I have read John Sandford books since the early '90s with his first in a series featuring Lucas Davenport. In recent years, he's written a spin-off series as well featuring a cop who works primarily in rural areas in Minnesota named Virgil Flowers. I can not say enough how this author never disappoints me. The characters are fantastic, the stories twist and turn, and as it rolls into the end at a fast-pace, I can't put the books down. This was my favorite in the Flowers books. This laid back cop finds himself in the midst of dog-nappers, meth-cookers, embezzlers, and murderers. The stories intertwine perfectly. If you read thrillers/mystery/cops vs bad guys books, give John Sandford a try.  Even though he writes series, they are written well enough that you could pick up this book and not need to have read any of the others.

 

 Dead Famous by Ben Elton -  Great concept. In a house being filmed around the clock for a reality show (think Big Brother), one of the contestants/housemates is murdered. The story bounces around from days in the house before and after the murder from housemates' points of view to the detectives studying film to the film crew and producer. All this bouncing around got a little tiresome. Plus, the lead detective wasn't a particularly endearing fellow.  Great concept, but just an okay book.

 Hope to Die by James Patterson - Dang, I never tire of these Alex Cross books (there's been 22 of them). They do have a formula, and I know the good guy always wins, but I enjoy the ride of getting there.  Unlike the Sandford book above, I think you'd have to read at least this one's predecessor to truly get into it.

My Booky Wook by Russell Brand - I was somewhat disappointed by this book. He doesn't gloss over the fact that he was kicked out or fired from jobs and schools (deservedly so) for being an all-around ass; I respect him for the honesty. I just felt like he could be more insightful rather than just re-telling a story. The chapter about his show RE:Brand was great.  This was published in 2007, so a lot has happened in his career and personal life since publication. (No, Katy Perry is not in this book).  He leaves it open for more books to come, and he has had more published.  I'd read another, but I wouldn't rush to do so.

Have you read any of these?  Are there any MUST read books that you recommend?

Sunday's Seven Snapshots #15

I'm guessing my neighbors done the street weren't too happy to find their car like this. 

It's not often that Ricky beats Astro to this spot, but he tries to get there every now and then. 

These were not as tasty as I thought they'd be. 

Decorating windows...ahem...visual merchandising is part of my job description. 

The Animal Welfare League featured my feline babies again. I think they need an agent. 

I try on customer's items, you know, just to make sure they look alright. 

Some Saturday nights need to include $5.99 bottles of wine. 

Friday Favorites Five vol.3 - Pinterest Edition

This week's Friday Favorites Five is brought to you from my pinterest boards.  If you want to visit me, or better yet, follow me on pinterest, look for me here.  These are the five pins that interested me the most this week:

1. Favorite Book Lover Pin:

Found on modernmrsdarcy.com

 2. Favorite Wellness Pin:  The pin said: "A Well Being~ Cranberry Cleanser: The juice acts by cleansing your lymphatic system and eliminating body fat. This is a juicing recipe and it can be done in a blender but you should add at least a cup of water. Drink every morning for 7 days. Can be repeated monthly."

found on healthyandnaturalworld.com

 3. Favorite Beauty Pin: The pin said "DIY hair Growth mask....Cinnamon is a spice that we normally use in the kitchen, but did you know that you can stimulate hair growth with cinnamon?"

found on dailycurlz.com

 4. Favorite Recipe Pin: Oven Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic, Olive Oil, and Lemon Juice

found on kitchme.com

 5. Favorite Funny Pin:

found on lovethispic.com

Happy Friday, and even better - Happy Weekend!

Want to see more Friday Favorites?  Check out the link-up:

Soundwave Music Festival 2015 - Day Two - My Music Experience

Continuing my Soundwave experience...

Day two had me arrive even earlier.  I purchased my phone recharger, I ate my pizza, I filled up my water bottle, and I headed to Stage 2 to find my position for the day.  My favorite live band was going to be here...I haven't seen them for over six years (after seeing them on a regular basis for 8 years prior)...I was going to get as good of a spot as possible.  This means I was going to stay at Stage 2 for most of the day.

First band for the day was my second band viewed to incorporate classical instruments, a band from Finland - Apocalyptica.  They brought an impressive crowd for their 1:00 time slot.  The use of cellos and standing bass is a sight to see and a sound to hear.  This is not a display of musicianship that you'll see at your average music festival.  Even the banter from the Finnish boys talking about the Australian heat was entertaining.  Plus, the artwork for the band's backdrop is beautiful.  Everything about this set was beautiful.

Staying put at Stage 2, I could hear Stage 1's sets but not really see them.  Scottish band, Twin Atlantic, was next up on Stage 1.  They sounded good.  They also sounded really happy to be there.  I decided that I'm going to check out more from this band.  I liked what I heard.

As this band was playing, I realized I was being surrounded by a lot of under 18s.  The kids were here in full force.  Especially the females.  I learned why.  I knew what band was about to play.  I knew they had a strong female vocalist.  What I didn't know was how much these young girls worshipped her (and I learned why).

Tonight Alive was playing to their home crowd.  They were strong, tight, and entertaining.  The crowd was a ball of explosive energy and most of the girls around me knew every word to every song.  Led by the infectious, Jenna McDougall, she is a blend of early Gwen Stefani (before she was a glamorous fashionista) and Hailey Williams from Paramore.  She's got attitude, swagger, pipes, and a killer smile.  McDougall is that girl that guys want to be with and girls just want to be.  Leading the crowd in a chant encouraging those to refuse to live in fear of the judgement of others, this band seemed to be spreading a positive message to their young followers.  Hey, I'm not young, but I'm young at heart...and Tonight Alive earned a new fan.

Photos by Neal Walters Photo

All Time Low hit Stage 1 and took notice of the storm clouds rolling in.  They played a few songs before the force of the storm grew strong with rain and high winds.  As previously mentioned, their set was cancelled due to the quick onslaught of rain drenching their equipment.

I got to talking to my fellow fans at Stage 2.  The two girls next to me had come from New Zealand specifically to see Papa Roach.  The boy to my right had flown from Perth (think New York to LA).  My Papa Roach partners and I were not planning on losing our front row spot, so we braved the storm.  Fortunately, the toughest part of it passed in time for my Papa Roach boys to hit the stage.  Have I mentioned that this is my favorite live band?  I haven't seen them since moving to Australia.  The lead singer has gotten sober since I last saw him.  I'm not going to lie; I was worried his crazy stage antics wouldn't be there with sobriety in his life.  Jacoby and the boys still got it.  If you like rock music, if you like live music, you should see this band.  The adrenaline that pumps when they are on stage is electric.  The crowd was thunderous (and that was the crowd, not remnants of the storm), and the performance was powerful.

Oh........and I found myself in a crowd shot!  Since my hands aren't in the air, I'm guessing that was one of those times I was holding onto the barrier to avoid my ribs from crushing.  Awww, the dangers of a rock show.

After one hour of pure bliss for me, the never blissful Marilyn Manson took over Stage 1.  I saw Manson during the height of his career.  I'm glad I did because he hasn't been too strong lately.  I like his new material, and the two songs he performed live from his new album were probably the best he performed.  I know all about performance and shock rock, but I gotta admit that I wasn't impressed when he broke the beer bottle (on purpose) and cut his arm drawing blood, especially when the under 18 girl next to me said "That's uncool.  My best mate is a cutter."

Back to Stage 2 and back to me hanging on the front barrier because now I that I saw my favorite live band, I was going to see my favorite live guitarist - Slash with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators.  Good gosh almighty, this guy deserves every accolade, every praise, every identification as an icon and/or legend.  He exudes rock 'n' roll.  He exudes cool.  He still plays with passion.  His band is led by vocalist Myles Kennedy who is a talent in his own right.  He's not trying to be Axl or Scott Weiland, but when Guns 'n' Roses and Velvet Revolver songs are played, he does them justice.  In recent years, Slash has released three solo albums with Kennedy performing most of the vocals.  These songs hold up in set filled with 'Night Train', 'You Could Be Mine', 'Slither', and 'Sweet Child of Mine'.  The new material is great...but it's not GNR.  Nor, does Slash try to act like it is.  He's just Slash.  The crowd didn't mind.  It was loud.  It was rockin'.  When I got home, confetti that flew during 'Paradise City' fell out of my bra when I went to the shower.  I've seen Slash many times before (with GNR, Velvet Revolver, and solo), but I think my life is a little more complete by experiencing this set.

That's right; Slash gets two pictures because he's Slash!

After standing 9 hours at the front of Stage 2, I headed over to Stage 3 for Fall Out Boy.  The crowd was massive, and that's saying a lot because I left a massive crowd seeing Slipknot at Stage 1, and Smashing Pumpkins were playing at another stage as well.  FOB deserves their following.  They write catchy little tunes that you can dance to, and Patrick Stump's vocals are spectacular live.

Last mention is a band that performed its last show together...ever.  Yep, this is the end for Conditions which kinda sucks because I just discovered them when checking out all the Soundwave bands.  They were really good, the very small crowd was very appreciative, but I was a little sad at the underwhelming feeling of a band calling it a day after 8 or so years.

This was MY experience.  The booking of bands is always so solid that I'm always going to miss some.  This year, I missed Godsmack, Judas Priest, Of Mice & Men, and more because of set time clashes between the five stages.  I ain't complaining.  I believe my weekend was packed full with great music, great crowds, and free water for two full days!

Anybody want to come to Australia and join me next year????

Want to read my other Soundwave posts?  Here they are:
 Friday Favorites - Soundwave Edition
Soundwave - Takin' Care of the Basics
Soundwave - The Music - Day One

Soundwave Music Festival - Day One - My Music Experience

More about my Soundwave experience...the important stuff...the MUSIC!

Day one, I arrived a little before noon.  I wandered a little to check out the lay of the land, where the five stages were located, looked at the merch, grabbed a beverage, and headed over to Stage 4.  I caught about half of Australian based band King Parrot's set.  Not really my sound.  And, I don't exactly appreciate band members calling people the "C" word because we don't know their music and aren't really getting into their set.  Hey.  I'm there.  I'm giving you a listen.  You could have gained a new fan for all you know.  I'd give King Parrot a miss.

I was there at Stage 4 waiting on Nothing More.  This Texas band has been together for a few years and has had some recent success with their self-titled album.  Their rock has stellar vocals and lyrics, guitar riffs, melodies, and more.  They are my kinda rock band.  I was thrilled to see them.  They have some crazy contraptions on stage built from bicycle chains, rebar, and other metal.  They use them throughout to showcase different ways to play percussion and a bass guitar.  The vocalist has such a powerful voice his neck actually turned red.  I'm not kidding.  I've never seen anything like it.  I don't know if his vocal chords strain so hard against his neck or what, but his neck turned bright red!  This band held my attention the entire 40 minutes they were on stage.  My personal favorite was the impassioned performance of 'Jenny'.

Next up on Stage 4 was Melbourne band, Ne Oblisviscaris.  I was completely unfamiliar with the band, but my friend wanted to see them.  This is the first metal band I saw this weekend that included classical instruments in their sound; this featuring a violinist.  The vocalist growls a little too much for my taste, but that's just me.  I like rock music.  But, I never claimed to be a fan of the hardcore metal growling scene.  Cool, if you are.  It's just not my taste.  That being said, I was glad I watched the set.  The crowd was into it.  The band fed off that energy, and the musicianship was impressive.

We headed over to Stage 1 to check out Japanese power pop band One OK Rock.  High energy with excellent stage presence and a fun way to learn Japanese (as they throw in some Japanese in their mostly English lyric songs).

I headed over to Stage 2 for Gerard Way.  The former lead singer of My Chemical Romance has released a solo album that sounds nothing like MCR.  It blends guitars and keyboards to create a sound closer to British new wave than emo rock.  I like it.  I can dance to it.  I like to dance.  I give credit to Mr. Way for using his stage platform to quickly bring attention to spreading love to all, especially the transgender community and raising awareness of mental illness and encouraging sufferers to get help.  Yes, serious topics for a music festival...but as he holds the crowd's attention, why not use it for some good?

From there, I visited the free water station, took a stroll, had some food, and took a seat in the stands.  I've seen Steel Panther several times before (Heck, I even saw them when they were Metal Skool - I think that's what they were called).  Seen it.  Done it.  Over it.  But, they brought in a big crowd as I watched from the seats. (The pic below also shows the set up of stages 1 and 2)

I admit it...I got lazy...and I was saving energy for day 2.  I stayed in my seat from this faraway view for the rest of the day.  The music was great.  From this place, I listened to Antemasque, Incubus, and Soundgarden.  Seeing 'Fell on Black Days' live was a moment, a big moment for me.  All three of these bands are impressive, no frills, no gimmicks, just straight forward rock music played well.

I left a little early (9:30ish), got on my train, and headed home for some shut eye to prepare for day two.

If you want to read my other Soundwave posts, here they are:
Friday Favorites - Soundwave Edition
Soundwave - The Basics

Anybody want to come to Australia next year and join me?

Soundwave Music Festival 2015 - My Experience

If you read my Friday Favorites a few days ago, you know that I was at Soundwave this weekend.  (If you didn't read them, shame on you! Go read them now, then come back and join us.) 

Let's get a few basics out of the way...

The Weather:
It's the end of summertime in Sydney, and we were definitely feeling the heat on Saturday and half of Sunday.  Temps were pushing the high 30s (high 90s, close to 100 for my Fahrenheit peeps).  Then, a storm rolled in on Sunday afternoon with buckets of rain falling on us and high winds.  A band (All Time Low) had to be stopped, their equipment got messed up (well, they actually said something else, but I'm trying to be polite for my PG rated readers), and had their set cut short.  They handled it like champs singing one of their songs a capella and leading the crowd in a clap-a-long/sing-a-long of 'We Will Rock You'.  Many people ran for the hills (or covered areas), but I was holding firm in my front row spot on the barrier waiting for my favorite live band who was scheduled to play next (more about them soon).  The temperature dropped about 15 degrees (25 degree F drop)...I was soaking wet...I admit it; I was shivering.

before & after the storm

Takin' Care of Things:
I made a few wise decisions.  One of these choices was takin' care of my feet.  I've had these Air Jordans for a very, very, very long time.  They took care of me this weekend.  My feet were comfortable.  No pain, no aches, no blisters.  Ain't nobody got time for that.

Second wise decision: takin' care of hydration and taking full advantage of the 'Free Water' stations.  I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate the Soundwave folks providing these stations.  In that heat, you need to hydrate.  Instead of trying to suck every last dollar out of the crowd, a row of taps are provided to fill up water bottles.  Also, if you're up front at the barrier (like I was on the second day), volunteers and security guards are constantly handing out free cups of water.  Really, I can't say enough how much I appreciate this service.  Think about it.  I probably drank no less than 20 bottles of water over the two days.  At $4 each, that would be $80 more to spend over the weekend. 

After the first day of limiting my phone use, I spotted a tent advertising a way to recharge my phone.  I decided I needed to be takin' care of my phone, and this portable recharger was the way to do it!

I saw a mob of people hanging at this pizza food truck all day during the first day (Happy As Larry).  I wanted the pizza, but I didn't want to wait.  I was smart on day two.  I knew I was going to be standing in one spot all day long...and I knew I needed some food to give me strength for that task, so I decided takin' care of the hunger was a good way to start the day.  So, I spent the best $13.50 I'd spent all weekend and had this as soon as I got there.

At the start of day one, I was hot and thirsty.  I had yet to discover the free water stations.  I thought I needed some adult beverages to quench my thirst.  After paying $8 for the cider and $12 for the frozen margarita, I decided takin' care of my funds was a better idea, and the free water was a better option.  I wasn't there to drink; I was there to see good music.

Next, the important stuff...the MUSIC!  You've done enough reading today; that post starts tomorrow.

Sunday's Seven Snapshots #14

Making shredded beef brisket in the slow cooker 

This pretty much summed up the 2015 Oscars

Nails for the next couple of weeks: OPI Do You Lilac It?

This guy spent the entire week with us

Pretty sunset and clouds one night this week

My feline babies were featured in the Animal Welfare League's 'Love Tails' - I'm such a proud mama

I'm at Soundwave Music Festival this weekend - I'll give you a full report soon!