It’s definitely time for me to round up this month’s favorite songs and albums! I’ve “discovered” a bunch of new music lately – most of it is over three years old, so you might have heard of it before. However, the current chart-topping music hasn’t sparked my interest. I wonder why?

Singles:

What Else Is There ~ Royksöpp


Although I’ve never really held any interest in electronic music (as a genre), this particular song hooked me from a video. The band is Norwegian, and the song was released in 2005. 
The guest vocals on this song are done by Karin Dreijer Andersson (from The Knife) – her voice is plaintive, and haunting.
I’ve really become addicted to this song – I’d have to count it as one of my newest favorites. 


Find it here at Amazon.com



Feeling Good ~ Katie Stevens


Ok, so this isn’t a true “single”, but rather a cover. Still, I loved this girl on American Idol. Her big voice won me over instantly, and then knocked me over when she performed Feeling Good. 
It’s amazing how she can go from the soft melody of the first verse to the rocking beat of the chorus. As usual, I think this cover is better then the original. 
From the number of times this has been played on my iPod, this is another favorite. =) 


Listen on Youtube.

Albums: 

My December ~ Kelly Clarkson


I admit, I’m a huge Kelly Clarkson fan. I’d only heard lukewarm opinions about this album of hers, released in 2007, so it was after I’d memorized All I Ever Wanted and Breakaway that I added this one to the collection.
I see why bubble-gum pop lovers would have a hard time stomaching this particular CD. It’s got a rock-ish side to it, with edgier/more depressive lyrics. Of course, if you like that, blended in with the adult pop, then you’ll love this!

Favorite tracks:


My December
Sober
Haunted
Don’t Waste Your Time
Maybe
How I Feel
Irvine
Find it here at Amazon.com

Unwritten ~ Natasha Bedingfield


Original songwriters, artists who write their own songs, and a trademark music style. Throw it all in together, and you’ve got British singer/songwriter Natasha Bedingfield.
You hear her single “Pocketful of Sunshine” in stadiums and malls all the time, but to me, her first album is what really broke ground.
It’s got almost an artsy style to it; like it’s been polished – but with rough edges. Listen to it enough, and you’ll become addicted, like me. :)





Favorite Tracks:                

These Words

Single
If You’re Gonna Jump
Peace of Me
The One that Got Away 
Wild Horses
Sojourn (Bonus track)


So that’s it – a quick round-up of my recent favorites in music. What have you been listening to? 
 

Welcome to Angel Island, not far from the shores of Cape Light. It’s said to harbor angels that help guide the lost, that sometimes lead them right back to where they began…

Liza Martin arrives on Angel Island to sell the inn she and her brother inherited from their aunt, so she can bolt back to her busy life in Boston. But back home awaits a broken marriage and an unstable career. The more time she spends on Angel Island, and with every local she meets, the more she finds herself enjoying the tranquility of the place. Her new friends don’t want to see her sell the inn to developers who will ruin the island’s charm. There is much for her to resolve before her departure- and it is going to take a band of angels to mend her broken wings and redirect her soul.

I opened up this book with a little more anticipation than is advisable when starting a new book that links to another series. The Cape Light novels were fantastic, and the first two are on my all-time-favorites list.

I love the way Kinkade and Spencer used the town of Cape Light in the book, and some of the characters from the past novels are in it, so there is no character overload at all.
Liza is a likeable character, and I was able to connect and sympathize with her throughout the whole book. The rest of the characters, which I won’t list, were just as unique as real-life, small-town “characters”.

The plot was a typical Spencer/Kinkade one, leaving much of the story up to how the reader connects with the characters. It was typical, which meant it was also predictable. The ground covered had already been explored in their other novels, and while I enjoyed reading it, the suspense wasn’t there.

Another thing I missed was some of the raw heartache from the first two novels. Granted, I’m slightly biased on this point, considering Emily Warwick is one of my all-time-favorite book characters (when you wish they were real, then you know you’re hooked). But still, the character flaws and breaking-down points weren’t as realistic, or described as adequately as I wanted/expected them to be.

I would give this book a 4/5, considering I couldn’t put it down until I finished, which was about 1am. Entertaining, but predictable, without as much emotion as it potentially could have had. I really liked this book, and will be awaiting more from the Angel Island series.

Image from: http://www.christianbook.com/

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