Life of a Blogger (1): Favourite Bands

Hosted by Jessi @ Novel Heartbeat. Life of a Blogger is a weekly feature designed to reveal more about the blogger outside of books and blogging.

So obviously I love talking about myself and about things OTHER than books and while I still think that I'd like to start a new blog to mush all that non-bookish stuff together, I also think that it'd still be good for me to not talk about books on The Runaway Reader 24/7. Because I have a lot of interests and it's always so stuffy for me to have to do similar things even when it's centred around something I really enjoy so Life of a Blogger is a really fun and good thing for me to participate in and also for a chance for you to hopefully get to know me a bit better! 

This week, we're talking about... Favourite Bands.

I probably love talking about music as much as I love talking about books. I get that same crazed look in my eyes while I start rattling off songs that I adore and just like when I talk about books, people back slowly away from me. Thank goodness this is over the computer so that I can't see you walk away too! But maybe, you like the same bands that I do? And maybe you'll tell me in the comments so we can gush together? 

1. Phoenix >> I discovered them through Anna's blog approximately four years ago and I have been a huge fan ever since. I love how eclectic their music is and OMG, THOMAS MARS. He's just the coolest dude ever. I would probably give up a lot of things to see this band play live.

I like... Lisztomania, Long Distance Call, Rome, Entertainment, Trying to Be Cool, Run Run Run, Drakkar Noir, 1901

2. Of Monsters and Men >> You do not understand how much I love Of Monsters and Men. They probably top my favourite band list right now (maybe alongside Phoenix). I don't have any words to explain their greatness so I'll just give you some songs to listen to ASAP. 

I like... Mountain Sound, Dirty Paws, King And Lionheart, Love Love Love, Slow And Steady, From Finner, Six Weeks, Your Bones

3. Maroon 5 >> Maroon 5 is one of my ultimate go-to artists. I know I'm always going to love their music and want to sing along even if I have a much stronger preference for their earlier work. Whatever, I still sing along obnoxiously whenever they come on the radio. And ADAM LEVINE ASDFGHJKL. 

I like... Sunday Morning, She Will Be Loved, Harder To Breathe, Misery, This Love, Payphone, Makes Me Wonder, Through With You

4. Fall Out Boy >> I've listened to Fall Out Boy since I was 8. They were squeezed right between Hannah Montana and Jesse McCartney. I kind of fell out of listening to them afterwards but then their album Save Rock & Roll came out and I started listening to all their songs again and they're so good for jamming and also Patrick Stump is like the bomb diggity. 

I like... The Phoenix, Thnks Fr Th Mmrs, Sugar We're Going Down, Dance Dance, This Ain't A Scene It's An Arms Race, A Little Less Sixteen Candles A Little More Touch Me, Alone Together

5. Bastille >> After hearing Pompeii, I totally fell in love with Dan's voice and downloaded their entire Bad Blood album which I just love SO much. Definitely, definitely one of my favourite bands.

I like... Pompeii, Laughter Lines, Bad Blood, Things We Lost In The Fire, Laura Palmer, Flaws

6. Noah and the Whale >> I haven't been listening to Noah and the Whale for very long but they have quickly cemented their spot on my list of favourite bands. They just have a very quirky and fun vibe that I really love and that I don't think I see enough of.

I like... 5 Years Time, L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N, The First Days of Spring, Atoms in a Molecule

7. OneRepublic >> OneRepublic is another one of those bands whom I've liked for a long time. And I honestly have no clue what else I can write in these little blurbs so I'll just say that they're really good, I enjoy their music, and Ryan Tedder is just crazy amazing at everything.

I like... All The Right Moves, Life In Color, Feel Again, If I Lose Myself, Secrets, Good Life, Counting Stars, Apologize, Stop and Stare, Mercy

8. Imagine Dragons >> Another awesome lead singer named Dan! Is there some sort of a pattern I'm seeing? And I'm actually crazy in love with their name.

I like... On Top Of The World, Amsterdam, Demons, Bleeding Out, It's Time, Radioactive, Round and Round

9. Marianas Trench >> Canada represent! It's funny because whenever I learn that non-Canadians like them, I get this really shocked face because I still don't really understand the mass of their fanbase. I always feel like their music is really only played in Canada, like Hedley and Down With Webster. But it's great that they're getting recognized because they're so good!

I like... Haven't Had Enough, Desperate Measures, Good to You, Ever After, Stutter, Desperate Measures, Fallout, Celebrity Status

So clearly, I have waay too many favourite bands. I don't even think I'm halfway done! This is just a little peek at the artists I love. And sorry for the blurbs. As you can see, I'm obviously rubbish at coming up with descriptions.

If you share my favourites, or if you have an recommendations, I would love to see what you think in the comments! Happy listening!

** Images via GQ, NPR, The Sun, WNYC, and Starpulse

Let's Just Talk About The Fault In Our Stars Trailer, Kay?

Yeah, I know I'm a little late to the party here but CAN YOU JUST STOP AND LET ME TALK ABOUT THE FAULT IN OUR STARS FOR A SECOND?

Because I just re-watched the trailer and I don't know, but something changed and now I'm actually really excited for the film. Like, really really really really really REALLY excited.

And excuse me if I sound a little shocked because I kind of am! While I did enjoy the novel, I don't remember ever being so ecstatic about the film adaptation. Sure I was interested to see how it would turn out but it wasn't consuming my every thought like it is now. I JUST REALLY CAN'T HOLD IT IN ANYMORE. CAN THE MOVIE COME ANY SLOWER??

It's been a while since I finished The Fault In Our Stars and in that while, quite a bit has happened. I've read two more books by John Green and one short story and let's just say that I wasn't too impressed by them. And as much as I don't want it to affect my view of The Fault In Our Stars, it has. Because HOW can I like The Fault In Our Stars when I absolutely detested all his other books? What makes it so special? I'm not going to say that I know or attempt to find out because it isn't important. But it explains why I wasn't initially too excited for the movie and why, now after seeing the trailer twice, I really am excited!

Through the trailer, all the things that I didn't like about John Green's novels - the sappy quotes (god, those metaphors!) and the ludicrousity (yes, I made up a new word) - just came together really nicely. And it helps that Shailene Woodley is Hazel because I think she's going to be fantastic! I'm still on the fence about Ansel Elgort because he doesn't shout Gus to me but I'm sure he's going to kick butt in his role. So when the film comes out on the sixth of June, I'm most definitely going to be the first person at the theatre to watch it. And I know I'll cry during the movie like I never did with the books and I know I'm going to be shouting and jumping with feels but it's going to be okay because I know that the film will be terrific and be way better for me than the book was.

Also for those of you who haven't watched the trailer yet, I'm attaching it below so I can force you to talk to me about it.

Your Turn: HAVE YOU SEEN THE TRAILER FOR THE FAULT IN OUR STARS YET? ARE YOU FREAKING OUT LIKE I AM OR ARE YOU JUST MEH ABOUT THE WHOLE THING? OMG DID IT GIVE YOU FEELS LIKE IT GAVE ME? AND WHO'S COMING WITH ME TO THE THEATRE ON JUNE SIX?

Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald

Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald

Published January 24, 2012 by Candlewick

Hardcover, 336 pages

Borrowed from library

So in Getting Over Garrett Delaney, Sadie has a massive crush on Garrett whom she's known for two years and has quickly become her best friend. She loves him but the problem is he doesn't love her back and when he goes off to camp without her and falls in love, Sadie decides once and for all that she can't continue being hurt and hung up over him. As a result, Sadie concocts a master twelve step plan to help her finally get over Garrett. But what is a plan to help her mend her broken heart turns out to be something larger: a path of self-discovery and a chance for her to break free from the confines of who she made herself to be with Garrett.

This book has been on my TBR for such a long time so when I found out in my school library, I think I did a little jig of joy. Plus, it's by Abby McDonald who, if I'm not mistaken, also wrote one of my favourite books Dangerous Girls (which there is a sequel to!) under the name Abigail Haas. I was pretty excited to start this book, to say the least. 

But when I got into it, it was just kind of...bleh. I don't what's gotten into me lately because usually, I get lucky and hit a lot of really good books that I enjoy a lot and now it just seems like every single book I read is a meh or a total miss. And while Getting Over Garrett Delaney is not a bad book by any means, it's just a bit boring. Like there was just no excitement about it. It was a very sweet book but it wasn't outstanding and the story isn't something that I'd likely remember over an extended period of time. 

However, I did really relate to Sadie's predicament. I mean, come on, who here hasn't been totally hung up on someone who doesn't like them back? To be honest, I'm kind of going through that right now and I'm finding myself in Sadie's position as well, where it's just gotten so big that I'm just looking to get rid of it desperately. I actually think I might need to follow in Sadie's footsteps with the plan. My totally non-existent love life aside, I really was rooting for Sadie to rise from the whole Garrett situation all along! At first, it appeared that Sadie and Garrett were really good together but McDonald slowly reveals more details about their relationship and it's totally clear that Sadie has changed herself to impress this guy and if there's anything I know about love it's that you should NEVER EVER change yourself for anyone. Like if they can't accept you the way you are, are they really worth it? Golden advice, kids. Live it and learn it. 

Getting Over Garrett Delaney also had a great cast of secondary characters who I really enjoyed reading about. The only thing was that with the secondary characters, they all had their own stories which I liked but also deterred a bit from the actual story. Like I was interested in the Sadie's story but also in everyone else's story and McDonald didn't really provide much explanation on them so I was part wishing for them and part glad that they weren't there. I don't know if that makes any sense but basically, while I did rather like the individual stories, I think I would have preferred them not to have been there at all. 

Good but not memorable or exciting. Getting Over Garrett Delaney was a sweet book with a good cast of characters and a highly relatable message. Like most of us have probably experienced an unrequited love and I know I certainly have so it was interesting to read about someone going through a similar thing.  But even so, I couldn't help but feel bored through it all. Getting Over Garrett Delaney was a book that I had been looking forward to for a very long time and while it didn't meet my expectations, it wasn't a total disappointment either. 

you if you're looking for a light and sweet contemporary that is very relatable.