One Singular Sensation

On Friday, I had the great pleasure of seeing the West End revival of A Chorus Line and I was blown away. I assumed it would be good (theatre tickets are expensive so I rarely go 'just because') but I was not prepared for how much I would love it. 

I have loved the music of A Chorus Line since I was a child. I've only seen the film once or twice but I have listened to the songs many, many times over the years. I don't think I've been to a job interview without 'God, I hope I get it' filling my head at some point! I can't dance to save my life but I do remember 're-enacting' the opening number and 'I Can Do That' in my living room more than once. So, to see it all brought to life again right in front of me was an absolute joy. 

Firstly, the audience seemed to be on a bit of a high even before the show started- the excitement was palpable and I already heard a couple of people humming 'One'. I don't want to spoil anything so I won't go into too much detail but we were literally thrown into the opening scene and the momentum continued to build all the way until the finale. No easy feat when there's no interval to hide behind and regroup. 

The staging was brilliant mostly due to the use of the mirrors, particularly in 'The Music and the Mirror'. Also, The London Palladium is such a grand theatre steeped history, thus the perfect setting for this ode to brilliance of the performer, the entertainer. The songs have also stood the test of time - everything that is said is still relevant today. Each performer really shone both collectively and individually and everybody nodded and clapped in agreement when Cassie exclaimed 'they're all special!' The cast obviously enjoy perfoming A Chorus Line very much and their enthusiasm was catching. I tip my imaginary top hat to them and urge anyone who is after a fun and entertaining evening to grab a ticket.

Best of 2012: Music

Every year, like everybody else, I try and make a 'Best Of' list. However, it seems to be getting harder every year. I'm not sure what this means...nevertheless here is a selection of my favourite bits and bobs in music this year.

Albums

As with last year, I didn’t listen to too many albums- despite using Spotify a lot more than usual. However, of the ones I did listen to, these were the best:

Given To The Wild- The Maccabees

Devotion- Jessie Ware

Django Django- Django Django

Is Your Love Big Enough?- Lianne La Havas

Red- Taylor Swift

Girl On Fire- Alicia Keys

Fantasea- Azealia Banks

Songs

In no particular order, a sampling of my favourite songs of the year because there were just too many (apologies if you do not have Spotify). This will probably be the last year I do these lists because it has become too hard. We have so much music at our fingertips these days, which makes it difficult to keep track.

Live Acts

I haven’t seen many live acts this year, so the following win by default:

Dizzee Rascal, Katy B and The Wanted at the Olympic Torch concert the night before the Opening Ceremony.

Groove Armada, Kelis, Crazy P and Rita Ora at Lovebox.

Watch The Throne Tour

Holiday Road Trip- Day Four

Best in YA Films/Television

Well, obviously the number one would have to be Gossip Girl. Just the other day, we said a final goodbye to our favourite Upper East Siders. Gossip Girl has been so much a part of my life, so needless to say I sat through the finale with a lump in my throat -especially that part where they all ran up- or maybe down- the steps of The Met to It’s Time by Imagine Dragons. In fact, here’s the song so we can all have a little weep:

Anyway, back to the task at hand, other YA films/television of note this year have been:

Switched at Birth- whilst I was on holiday, the new season was due to start so we watched the marathon. Now, we don’t have this show in the UK but I really hope E4- or somebody similar- buys it because it is a little gem. I usually have the TV on in the background whilst reading/writing or whatever but I had to actually watch Switched at Birth due to the sign language subtitles and it really made a difference.

The Amazing Spider-Man- this was so full of teenage angst and humour. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone really added a new spark to the Spider-Man franchise.

Hart of Dixie- ok, so technically Rachel Bilson's latest vehicle is not really about teens but the main characters are young enough to qualify and they often interact with teenagers. Plus, it is on The CW. I don’t think there has been  such a fun, small town show like this since Gilmore Girls- please, correct me if I’m wrong. Burt Reynolds *in my best Lavon voice*! 

Best Music to Write To/ Be Inspired By

Difficult question, as it depends on what I am writing. However, these have been on constant rotation throughout the year.

All of the Lights & Runaway- Kanye West  

Smoke & Mirrors- Gotye

Help I’m Alive- Metric 

Holiday Road Trip- Day Three

Best “I Want To Go There” Setting in a Book

The Fault In Our Stars- Amsterdam. I actually managed to achieve this one last weekend. It's a lovely city and everything was very Christmassy so that made the trip extra special. However, we didn't manage to go to the Anne Frank House! Never mind, it is only 40 minutes away by plane (I know! I was surprised too) so I'm sure we will go again in the summer. 

Amsterdam 22/12/2012

Other notable mentions:

The Disenchantments- Road trip from San Francisco to Seattle

In Honor- Austin to LA road trip with a stop at the vortex place. I just loved this book.

Favourite YA Characters

Jordan Woods- Catching Jordan- A no nonsense, football playing  tour de force. Someone you definitely would want to be friends with.

Alex Patrick- The Mockingbirds Novels- Still upholding justice at her shady private school.

Colby, Meg and Alexa- The Disenchantments- Just too cool. Didn’t really like Bev though. 

Holiday Road Trip- Day One and Day Two

Best Book Of The Year/Book I Can’t Get Out Of My Mind:

This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers- 

I just had a quick scan through my Goodreads ‘read’ bookshelf and found that I have been quite stingy with my stars this year. Only three books have five stars and they are not YA. Therefore, the best YA book of the year for me goes to the most memorable- most haunting, in fact. This book was a disturbing rollercoaster ride. It wasn’t terribly scary in terms of the story- the zombies were just background scenery- it was just extrememly raw and unsettling. I remember feeling cold whilst reading it because the writing was so atmospheric. This book made me feel similar to one of my only five star novels of the year- Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Both had destructive but misunderstood female protagonists- although Amy was a different kind of destructive to Sloan. Courtney Summers is definitely one of my favourite contemporary YA writers. All of her books have stayed with me and I have even re-read them, which is not something I do very often. I look forward to her next offering.

Most Unexpectedly Delightful Book Of The Year

The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg- It reminded me a little of Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin but I preferred the main character in this book. I liked the tone too- very...zingy, for want of a better word.

In Honor by Jessi Kirby- I can't even remember how I found this book but I'm glad that I did. 

Flat-Out Love- Jessica Park- This is a good one for those who enjoy older YA/ New Adult fiction. I liked that it was set in college and the characters were well thought out. Plus, one character was named Celeste, which is one of my favourite names. 

Best “New To Me” YA Author

Miranda Kenneally

This year, I got my hands on Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker. I love the world she has created. The characters are very real in terms of the way they talk and what they think. I like that faith plays a part in her work but she doesn’t preach at the reader- it is part of, rather than extra to, the framework. Finally, I do enjoy most kinds of sports so I appreciate that her characters are competitive and don’t mind getting their hands dirty- it’s not all about make-up and ‘will they, won’t they’.

Best Sequel

The Rivals by Daisy Whitney- I love a good old 'justice prevails' novel. Throw in a private school and some snooty posh kids and I'm in YA heaven. This sequel didn't disappoint. 

Best Debut

The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder- If we're comparing novels with cancer fighting young protaganists then...*whispers* I preferred this to The Fault In Our Stars. I just liked the tone of this novel. Oh, and it was set partly in my favourite place in the world- Disney World. 

Girls In White Dresses- Jennifer Close- Technically, this isn't a YA but it could be classed as a New Adult novel. Like the show 'Girls', I wasn't completely sold to begin with but this book has stayed with me throughout the year. 

Best Guilty Pleasure Book

The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants by Ann Brashares- I had seen the films but never read the book, so this year I read the first and last in the series. Quite fun with a good message. 

This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper

I have had this book on both my Goodreads to-read shelf and my actual bookshelf for quite a while (thanks to Em). I was prompted to pluck it off the shelf by Laineygossip and I’m glad that I did. I do love a good family dramedy so this book was right up my street and now I cannot think why I took so long to finally pick it up.

When we are first introduced to Judd, he has just lost his father to cancer and his wife to his manager. He has also found out that, apparently, his father’s dying wish was for his family to sit shiva. Over the seven days of mourning, Judd clashes with his mother and siblings (all of whom have their own emotional baggage), reconnects with old friends and flames, and attempts to get over his cheating wife who just will not go away (with good reason). On top of all of this, he tries to work through his grief. The combination of these elements produces a tumultuous yet hilarious, touching, and slightly cringeworthy tale.

I have never read a Jonathan Tropper novel but after reading this I immediately bought the Kindle edition of How To Talk To A Widower . I noted that a few other reviewers lamented his cinematic style of writing but as a film and television addict, I connected with his vivid, dialogue heavy prose. I could picture all of the characters and more importantly, for me anyway, I could hear their voices. Therefore, I am not surprised that a film adaptation is in the works. For what it's worth, I pictured Malin Akerman as Jen so hopefully that’s who she’s playing. I'm not too sure about Zac Efron as, presumably, Phillip. I had a Franco- at least a Franco voice- in that role whilst reading. However, the proof will be in the pudding.

Overall, I think this novel successfully conveyed the message that you never know what is around the corner, so take time to take stock and make good with those who mean the most to you, even though life isn't always what we thought it would be. Schmaltzy but true.

★ ★ ★ ★

This Is Where I’ll Leave You music: 

Novocaine For The Soul- Eels 

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler, Maria Kalman (Illustrator)

Word on the streets (that would be YA obsessed avenue) is that Why We Broke Up is a jolly good read, so I was pleased when I came across it at Waterstones Piccadilly. I’m not sure what I was expecting to be honest. I did not enjoy it but I thought it was an awfully good read. I’m still not sure how I am going to translate my feelings into words.

First things first, the presentation of this novel is brilliant. Maria Kalman's artwork is impressive and adds great depth to the moody tone. It is also deceiving. I fell into the trap of forgetting that just because it is a picture book, it doesn’t mean it will be a quick and easy read. It was actually quite dense.

Now, onto the story. Min is on her way over to her newly ex-boyfriend Ed’s house, accompanied by best friend Al. She is writing Ed a letter explaining why they broke up. Min wants closure, Ross and Rachel style. Through a challenging stream of consciousness, Min speaks of how she met Ed, their glory days as a couple, and the great and terrible thing that split them up.

I did not like Min. Skimming the Goodreads reviews, I do not think many people liked Min. I do not think Min was intended to be likeable. She is pretentious, precocious, precious, paranoid and lots of other ‘p’ words. She is exactly how I am sure most adults view teenagers. She is exactly how most of us behaved as teenagers- if we replace film with music or sport or whatever held our attention back then that made us think we were 'different'- and this is precisely why reading her thoughts is uncomfortable. I think I feel the same way towards Min that Joanie does (and this probably goes for all the other twenty something’s reading this book). I could see it coming, like Joanie, but took a step back, waited for it and shrugged when it happened because Min is on a learning curve. Lots of people have spoken about the floods of tears they were in after reading this novel but I thought it was very frank in a ‘this happened, now grow up and move on’ kind of way. It wasn’t a sob story so much as an everyman’s cautionary tale or life lesson.

I am rambling because I still cannot exactly put into words how I feel about this book. But the fact that I am still thinking about it shows it was provocative (every time I say that word I say it in a Will Ferrell voice). I would give this novel a solid 4/5 and not just because I ended reading it with listening to ‘We Used To Be Friends’ by The Dandy Warhols and it fit PERFECTLY. So, here are my Why We Broke Up musical choices.

★ ★ ★ ★

We Used To Be Friends- The Dandy Warhols

Smoke and Mirrors- Gotye

The Fall by Ryan Quinn

In theory, this is definitely my kind of book but unfortunately the reality did not meet my expectations. I read this on my Kindle so perhaps some little nuances were lost in digital translation but never mind.

The Fall follows Ian, Haile and Casey through their fall semester as seniors at a small but respected college somewhere in New England. Each character is struggling internally with something- obviously, or else what would be the point of the novel? Haile is a musical prodigy who is trying to get her groove back; Casey is the captain of the football team trying to decide between Med school and the NFL; and Ian who is dealing with coming out to his close friends and family. Tied up in all of this is a quasi murder mystery.

Overall, despite the set-up for an exciting, turbulent ride, the story fell flat. By the end of the novel I was none the wiser as to what any of the characters had achieved or hoped to achieve- with the exception of maybe Ian. In truth, this novel could have just been told from Ian’s perspective. There was enough there to make Ian’s story full and vibrant- what with him being gay and dealing with coming out, his football coach dad and mum moving to be closer to him, his sister and her newfound faith, Jamie and Nato, the list could go on. Haile and Casey could still be his close friends but secondary characters because that is what they felt like despite having their own voices.

Haile did not seem like a real girl to me. Even her friend Eve was more three dimensional and she only featured briefly in the beginning. It was all about her hair or her figure or being an object of desire. There was a possibility to make her character really interesting, after all who doesn’t want to get into the head of a musical prodigy? Yet, there was very little about Haile’s musical life. Perhaps the author Ryan Quinn is not a musician and felt a little hesitant about approaching that territory without conducting a great deal of research, which is fair enough, but this is even more of a reason to have made Haile a secondary character. In fact, she would have sparkled more in the background as part of the love triangle (that turned out not to be a love triangle) and as a close confidante to Ian. I liked Casey’s character but that was about it. Again, his story could have been fleshed out more as there was something to work with- the pressure of leadership, losing a parent, career choices- however, like Haile, he felt more like a cipher.

As for the murder mystery aspect, that should have been cut out or been the whole story. It did not seem to serve much of a purpose if Ryan Quinn wanted a character driven novel.

Overall, I am always on the lookout for a good college based story but I thought The Fall was just ok. Perhaps it needed to be longer like two of my favourite college novels The Art of Fielding and The marriage Plot. In fact, I can’t even think of a song to go with it and that’s rare.
★ ★ ★

In Honor by Jessi Kirby

This book has been on my list for a while- always paired with Saving June. I cannot remember where I found out about it but for some reason I have not been able to get a hold of it until now. Anyway, it was definitely worth the wait.

Honor is due to start her freshman year at UT Austin. However, instead of getting excited about orientation and the like, she is grieving the loss of her big brother, Finn, an US Marine killed in action.

After finally opening Finn’s last letter, which contains a pair of tickets for a Kyra Kelly concert in California and jokey instructions to tell Kyra about him, she sets off on a road trip to fulfil her brother’s unknowingly last wish for her. However, Finn’s BFF Rusty throws a spanner in the works by inviting himself along for the ride and the adventure.

I always enjoy a good road trip book- probably because I have never taken one myself and what are novels for if not to live vicariously through someone else? I love anything to do with Texas, cowboys and football, and just say the word military and I’ll probably get a lump in my throat, so already this novel had me from the start. Honor was a likeable character, heartbreakingly earnest and her grief was quietly present on every page but it was not exploited;  I appreciated that Jessi Kirby did not turn this into a sob-fest. Rusty was very Tim Riggins like in personality but that did not matter too much, his character did the job.

The writing style was very simple, the plot was also uncomplicated but the emotion was there and I found myself reading well into the night to finish it off. The final few chapters, where both Honor and Rusty eventually unravel, were incredibly touching. I appreciated the use of nature and learnt a few bits and pieces along the way (such as the Sedona vortex), and like all the other road trip novels, I found myself wanting to do the activities Honor experienced.

In Honor is one of those books that you probably will not remember forever but it quietly touches the heart in a painfully earnest way. Unfortunately, I am sure Honor’s story is not too uncommon nowadays. I am not sure if the author experienced something like Honor as it felt very real, emotionally speaking, but either way I am glad I finally got a copy of this book. Oh and I definitely want my cowboy boots now! 4/5.

★ ★ ★ ★

A little reading music for In Honor: Carry On My Wayward Son- Kansas

The Descendants

Awards season always makes me feel culturally overwhelmed. More than likely I haven't seen most of the films nominated, so I try to cram them in whilst nodding knowingly when discussions arise.

So, I finally got round to watching The Descendants and boy do I wish I could have those two hours of my life back. The cinematography was stunning but the film itself lacked the wow-factor expected after all the awards hype.

George Clooney was good but if anything, the younger actors outshone him, particularly Shailene Woodley. I couldn't believe that was the same girl from The Secret Life of the American Teenager!

It was interesting to see that it was a book adaptation, as throughout the loooong two hours I kept on thinking it would probably play out better in novel format rather than the silver screen. The novel probably provides a greater back story with regard to the cousins and the land- also more of Elizabeth's life before the accident and what led to her secret.

The score was beautiful and wonderfully accompanied the breathtaking shots. I will have to look into purchasing the soundtrack. Also, it was a brilliant piece of tourism propaganda for Hawaii- I want to go now more than ever.

So, overall despite being a little on the long side, it was still a decent family drama.