Florida Georgia Line

This past wednesday I finally got to see one of my favorite musical groups, Florida Georgia Line! They are a country music duo that has had major success in the last year. They have had multiple No. 1 songs as well as a No. 1 album. Recently they release a deluxe version of their album Here's To The Good Times... This Is How We Roll. Their songs are amazing and they are very talented performers. Seeing them live was an awesome experience. They really know how to throw a party!
The first performer was Dallas Smith and he was so much fun to watch. He is a very talented singer and he had some nice dance moves. Later that evening I actually got to meet him and he was very nice. I also picked up a copy of his CD and  have been listening to it on repeat. The songs are amazing and really relatable. I look forward to hearing more from him.
The next performer was Colt Ford. Colt is a pretty fun musician. Who doesn't love a country rapper? His performance was energetic and upbeat. I had a lot of fun singing along and dancing during his performance. I definitely enjoyed when he sang "Dirt Road Anthem" with Dallas Smith and one of the highlights of the night was when Florida Georgia Line and Colt Ford rapped together.
Finally it was Florida Georgia Line's time to perform. I had been waiting for this moment for months. I had seen videos of their performances but nothing can compare to seeing it live. They are such amazing performers. They know how to engage the crowd and make everyone feel like a part of the show. Each song is so fun and full of energy. They made a wednesday night feel like a saturday. I really enjoyed seeing them live and would love to see them again. Next time I may spring for the VIP tickets and get to be right there in the front where all the action is.

The 1975

I recently stumbled upon The 1975, an English rock band. They recently released their debut album that reached No 1 in the UK. I first heard their music when I came across their video for Girls on Vevo. The music pulls you in and makes you want more. The lyrics are very thought provoking, the music is fun and it draws you in. Each song I listen to is better than the last. Right now my favorite is The City and I absolutely love the video. I recently read an interview that Matt Healy did with Michael Hann for The Guardian. It was a very enlightening interview. Matt is a very intelligent man and I love his attitude. The article only made me like him that much more. I can't wait to hear more from The 1975. This is just the beginning and I think they will accomplish a lot. Here is the link the the interview if you would like to check it out. http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/31/1975-matt-healy-success-is-brittle

The Secret Circle

I was first introduced to The Secret Circle after watching the TV show based on the books. I was disappointed when I discovered there was only one season of the show so I decided to take a chance on the books. The books are a lot different from the show but they are amazing. The biggest difference in the books is that there are twelve members of the circle rather that six. I think this gives the book a better dynamic because having more characters with different personalities gives the story more depth.
The books, like the show, center around Cassie Blake. Cassie is a teenage girl whose life is changed when she and her mother move back to her mother's home town. New Salem is a town with a long history and much of this history is attached to the families that live on Crowhaven Road. The children of these families are special and Cassie is one of them.
Over the course of the books we follow Cassie's life in New Salem. She meets the members of the club and soon becomes one of them. She learns about her family history and about who she really is, a witch. While there is a lot of self discovery in this book there is a lot adventure as well. The club has their fare share of adventure but with it comes danger. They are constantly being challenged and having to defend themselves. But through it all they become stronger as a group and as people.
Not only do the books explore the personal relationships between the members of the club but also magic. They learn that magic is about more than making your life easier, its about the good of all. They embrace their history and through it they learn more about themselves. They make mistakes but from them they learn that magic is responsibility and it is nothing without love. They learn that magic is not a toy but a responsibility that needs to be taken seriously.
I enjoyed every minute of these books and did not want to put them down. I highly recommend them for anyone that enjoyed the show. These are wonderful, magical books. They aren't quite like the fantasy of the Harry Potter books. They are more grounded in reality but there is still the element of fantasy. Read them and discover the magic for yourself.

Musical Musings

Last night I saw You Me At Six at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. You Me At Six is a British rock band that I have been a fan of since 2008. Their sound has evolved over the years but it is still amazing. This is their first headlining tour in America and it was a proud moment for me to be there to witness it.
I showed up a few hours early to get a good spot in line. Although waiting is not the funnest thing I met some cool people that helped the time pass quicker. Once I was inside I got a pretty good spot close to front so I got some great pictures. I was not really familiar with the bands that played prior to YMAS but they were all really good.
First was Dinosaur Pile Up. Although the sound system was not the best they were pretty cool. Apparently this was their first show on the tour. Dinosaur Pile Up is an alternative rock band from England. They had a good sound and nice stage presence. I think this tour is a good chance for them to gain more fans in America.
Next up was Conditions, an American band. They were really good and full of energy. I really enjoyed how they fed off the crowd and got everyone involved. I definitely think they gained some fans last night, I know they won me over. Also their bass player definitely gained some fans on his side of the stage. He knows how to work his bass and had a few girls swooning.
After Conditions was Cute Is What We Aim For. They are an American rock band. This is a band that I am familiar with but it had been years since I had listened to their music. They were good and so energetic. So much so that the lead singer kept losing his in ears. Although they had a good amount of fans there I think they expected more from the crowd. They are a good band and excellent performers but its hard to fully get into the songs when you don't know the lyrics. I still think they had a good time and I enjoyed their performance.
Last but definitely not least was You Me At Six. They were amazing! From the minute they came on stage it was so high energy. They are definitely comfortable on stage. The whole crowd knew every song and I think YMAS was pleasantly surprised. The stage was small but I think the band adapted quite well. Max, one of the guitarist, is always full energy and he looked so young without his facial hair. Matt, bassist, was both mellow and energetic. Chris, guitarist, stayed on the left side of the stage and kept it kind of mellow. Josh, singer, moved all over the stage and got everyone in the crowed going. I think Josh has a gift for working a crowd. Dan was in the back as most drummers are but his performance did not lack, he is definitely a sexy beast on the drums. There was a little mishap in the middle of their set when someone in the crowd fainted and they had to stop the show. But everything got taken care and YMAS came back on and finished the set.

Overall it was a great night and I had so much fun. All the bands were great. I was glad I got to be a part of this special time in YMAS career. I can't wait to hear the new music they recorded over the summer in Los Angles, CA. They are a special band and I expect more wonderful things from them in the future.

Revenge Wears Prada

I was so excited when I discovered that this book was being published. I have been a The Devil Wears Prada fan for a long time. I still have my first edition of the book.  Lauren Weisberg is an excellent writer and I can see how she has progressed in her writing since her first book. This book was a little different than I was expecting but it did not disappoint.

In this book we see Andy's life 10 years down the road. It starts off with Andy's wedding and then moves on to let us know what has been happening for the last 10 years. Things have progressed in an interesting direction. Andy is still a writer but now it is for the high end wedding magazine that she created with Emily. In the last book these two didn't exactly see eye to eye and now they are best friends. 

The book shows how their new friendship started and how it leads  them back to where they met. Each girl has her own reason to dislike Miranda but some forgive more easily than others. Although it has been 10 years Miranda still haunts Andy's dream. Andy wants to stay as far away from Miranda as she can get but the life she has chosen will bring her into contact with Miranda on more than one occasion. Emily on the other hand still wants Miranda's approval and won't let anything stand in her way of a second chance.

Andy's personal life isn't as perfect as it seems. In the last book Andy's job caused problems in her relationship and this time is no different. The magazine Andy and Emily have created has caught the eye of Miranda and she will not stop at anything until it is in her possession. Andy however is reluctant to make the sale and it is her decision that will change the course of her life.

I enjoyed every minute of this book and highly recommend that everyone pick up a copy. If you loved The Devil Wears Prada then you will love the sequel. This book has a more mature tone than the first book but it still has the same drama and excitement. Enjoy!

Unsaid Things

One of my favorite bands, Mcfly, wrote a book. When I first found out about this book I thought it would be full of funny stories about their years together. When you see videos of these guys or see them in concert they always look like they are having so much fun and goofing around. At times you can get jealous because they are always smiling and laughing. But this book gave a deeper look into how their lives have been.
When you see the finished product it is hard to tell if anything went wrong during its making. I have all of Mcfly's CDs and I would have never know that anything was less than perfect during their production. I had never realized that not every CD is loved by the artist. I love all of Mcfly's music and it's rare to find a song that I don't like. I was there when Above the Noise came out and they were launching the Super City site. I never would have imagined that what they created was not what they had gone in wanting. It can be very disappointing when you have an idea and turn it over to someone else and it becomes something you did not envision. Although it did not turn out the way they wanted I think they learned some valuable lessons from the process and us fans got to experience something beyond the ordinary.
This book also gave us a glimpse of their personal lives. I would not have known that their lives and relationships with each other were anything other than perfect. But we have to realize life is not perfect. Everyone struggles with things. Dougie always appeared to be a fun, out going, wacky person. I was shocked to discover that he struggled so much with things. I'm glad that he was able to get a wake up call and start down a path that would lead him to recovery. When I was reading his story I just wished I could give him a big hug and let him know that things will get better. Tom I never would have expected him to have trouble with his mental and emotional states. As a fellow cancer sign I can understand the ups and downs that can come from being ruled by the moon. But his problems went far deeper than that. But Tom was able to get help and I think it is amazing that he shared his story with us.
I am very thankful for Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones, Dougie Poynter and Harry Judd for sharing their stories with us. I am appreciative that you were willing to let us into your past and let us see the things that weren't so obvious. I love your music and look forward to all your future project. This was an eye opening experience and I thank you for that.

Billy and Me

The debut novel by Giovanna Fletcher is absolutely charming. I could not put it down! This book touched me on so many different levels. I'll admit that I was intrigued to read about this romance between a seemingly ordinary girl and famous actor, especially considering it was written by the lovely wife of Mcfly member Tom Fletcher. I figured it would give us a glimpse into the life most teenage girls dream of. But it is so much more than that.
As women I know that we often dream of meeting these gorgeous celebrities and them falling madly in love with us. We imagine what our lives would be like and how we would be swept off into this world of glitz and glamour. But in reality that is not always the case. Often times we fall for the illusions we have created of these people. We think that their lives are fabulous and how could our lives not be fabulous if we were with them. But like any life there are struggles and set backs. Being surrounded by people all the time does not cure loneliness. And being in love can not protect you from the harsh lessons life can bring us.
In the beginning the story leads us down the road we all dream of. A handsome stranger sweeping us off our feet and transporting us to this romantic magical world. But as it goes on it brings in the reality of things that can happen in any new relationship. Feeling out of place in this persons world and wondering how you are meant to fit into their life. It reflects upon how we can lose ourselves in relationships and how we try to do everything to keep things positive and not let our worries get in the way.
The underlying story is something that I personally connected with a lot. In life we can spend our lives trying to take care of the people around us and trying to be everything we think they need us to be that we can forget that we need to take care of ourselves. In being everything to everyone else we can lose who we truly are and it's not always easy to get back. I have struggled for many years trying to please my parents and my older brother and trying to be everything that I thought they wanted me to be. Now at the age of twenty five I am struggling to rediscover who I am. This book reminded me of that and helped me to see that hope is not lost.
Giovanna is an amazing writer. Every time I picked up this book I felt transported to Sophie's life in Rosefont Hill. As I was led through the ups and downs of the story I was overwhelmed with so many emotions. And while there are times
of sadness through out the book they still held a feeling of release. A way to let go of things we have no control over and to remember the good things in life.
Giovanna I thank you for writing this wonderful book. It has been an inspiration in more ways than one. I look forward to your next book.

A Discovery of Witches

This was a discovery indeed. I happened upon this book while reading People magazine. They reviewed the book and it seemed like something I would like. I loved this book from the moment I started reading it. They story is different from all the other books I've read. It didn't construe witches vampires and daemons in the same way that they have been portrayed. Each witch has certain powers rather than all witches having all powers and vampires to fry in the sun or shimmer either. Daemons aren't evil creatures they are instead overactive thinkers. 
The story is very complex as well. There are so many layers and it can be easy to get lost. I find the love story to be interesting. They like each other for their faults and they are loyal from the start. But this is more than just a love story. It is full of adventure, secrets and history. I love how fierce Diana can be. She is strong, intelligent and doesn't allow people to push her around. Matthew is smart, mysterious and somewhat controlling but in this book that's normal for a vampire. Diana compliment each other very well. They push each other to grow. 
A warning however. When reading this book know that it is set up as a trilogy. The second book, Shadow of Night, came out in July of 2012 and the third has not yet been released. I advise having the second book ready when you finish this book. A Discovery of Witches is an addicting book especially at the end and you will want to jump straight into Shadow of Night.