Bel's "Top 10 Books I'd Give A Soundtrack To"

I thought I won the lottery when Nat told me about this meme. Take two things I love – music and books – mix and stir and I’m in heaven! So let’s get underway shall we?

Book: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

“Catch and Release” by SilverSun Pickups

Most readers really responded to the chemistry between Adam and Juliette. She experiences a sensory explosion because of Adam’s simple touch.  Not only does the very seductive bass echo their underlying sexual tension between them but the lyrics also describe her awakening.

Book: Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey

“Afterglow” by INXS

This song always hits me hard. I can’t listen to it without thinking of Wren and Danny. And every time I hear it (on repeat), I fall in love with the book all over again. Wren desperately holding on to what’s familiar and reluctantly realizing that she has to let go. It really does make me teary-eyed... pass the tissue please …

Book: Matched, Crossed by Ally Condie

“Take The World” by She Wants Revenge

There’s something about the the tone of this song that reminds me of Cassia and Ky. The lines “Is this the life, the one you imagined? Is this the life, the one in your dreams?” sound like a challenge Cassia's grandfather would make to her.

Book: City of Glass

“Ride” by Carey Brothers

I cannot express to you how special this song is to me. I have loved it for so long and it still gives me goosebumps any time I hear it. It’s so simple and yet it’s a potent punch to the gut. “You saw all my pieces broken, this darkness that I could never show…” This is Jace by the end of the book, shattered and vulnerable as he tries to come to terms with the truth about his childhood. And there’s Clary by his side anchoring him.

Book: The Maze Runner Trilogy by James Dashner

“We’re In This Together” by Nine Inch Nails

Yeah, this very disturbing and relentless romp through hell and back needs a gritty song. In fact, if The Maze Runner should ever become a movie, they should have Trent Reznor do the entire musical score. Just sayin' ...

Book: Saving June by Hannah Harrington

“Cough Syrup” by Young The Giant

Many of our readers know how much I love this book being that it was in my Top 10 of 2011. It’s really unnecessary to add another song to a book that already has its own massive soundtrack provided by the author, but I included this one because it’s about pain and healing.  It’s so beautiful, sad and yet hopeful – just like how Harper, Laney and Jake evolve by the end of the book. (Funnily enough, Young The Giant used to be called The Jakes … and there I go sounding like Jake!)

Book: Wither (Book 1: The Chemical Gardens Trilogy) by Lauren DeStefano

“Possession” by Sarah McLachlan

Sarah McLachlan first wrote this song about a stalker. The song just like the book hides a very dark and sinister undertone beneath it's beautiful melody and lyrics. It just struck me as fitting for Rhine who is kidnapped, married off and kept against her will, devising her plan for her freedom. 

Book: Where She Went by Gayle Foreman

“Anyone’s Ghost” by The National

This is one of Nat’s favorite books and I hope I don’t disappoint her. I picked it because I think it captures Adam’s emptiness without Mia. And if you listen to the lyrics, "I had a hole in the middle, where the lightening went through it, told my friends not to worry", you can picture him walking around the streets of Manhattan a bit lost, confused, hopeless – and with his headphones on.

Book: The Iron Knight

“Don’t Take Your Love Away” by VAST

A powerful, sweeping story needs an equally powerful song. One of the things I love about VAST is that his songs are lyrically and musically dramatic. This beautiful song is perfectly matched for The Iron Knight ‘s majestic landscape and epic love story. Oh Ash ... *sigh*

Book: Fallen

“I Follow Rivers” by Lykke Li

Out of the series, I like Fallen the best.  I like the mystery of Luce’s inexplicable pull towards Daniel. I think that idea is conveyed in the song’s lyrics. Plus it has such as an ethereal feel that I associate with the book. 

Honorable Mentions:

I had so much fun doing this that I ended up having difficulty narrowing down my choices to just ten. There are also ones we’ve mentioned before but they’re so worth revisiting.  :)

Book: Hush Hush, Crescendo by Becca FitzPatrick

“The Big Bang” by Rock Mafia

Seriously? Do I need to explain this? If you’ve read my love letter to Patch, this should come as no surprise to you. 

Book: Hunger Games Trilogy

“Crossfire” by Brandon Flowers

Taylor who? Puhleese girl … step aside and let the Master (of Nat’s heart) sing this song that so perfectly captures the series.

Book: Silence by Becca FitzPatrick

"Need You Now" by Cut Copy

Okay I'm just looking for reasons to talk about Patch. This song just came to mind at the end of Crescendo and it happens to work for Silence. Plus, he does say "hush" a few times ...

Book: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

“We Found Love” by Rihanna

I picture this during that clandestine rave scene where the kids are reveling in the chaos and their brief freedom. Lena is there, exposed to all this for the first time as Alex encourages her to step out of her comfort zone. There’s no real deep meaning in this song for me. It’s just the rush and vibrancy of the music that connects for this one scene. 

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

* * * *

What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every newborn has become a ticking genetic time bomb – males only live to twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty.  In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out. 

When sixteen year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege.  Despite her husband Linden’s genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one other purpose: to escape – to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than her freedom.  Linden’s eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting close to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments.  With the help of Gabriel, a servant she is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left. 

Wither is a suspenseful novel that I could not put down.  In fact, stupid me kept reading it until one in the morning, which wouldn’t have been a bad thing except I had to get up four and a half hours later for work. Don’t worry.  I learned my lesson.  I only stayed up until midnight the following night to finish it up.

Lauren DeStefano wastes no time in jump-starting the story.  The first time we’re introduced to Rhine is when she is stuffed into a dark room along with several other girls after they’ve been kidnapped.  It’s immediately clear that Rhine is someone who processes her environment thoroughly before deciding how best to react.  No matter how dire her circumstances, she refuses to relinquish control.  Her courage is admirable.  She’s not the kick-you-in-the-guts, guns-blazing heroine.  She’s the quiet, observant, insightful, calculating heroine who will delicately work her way out of a situation.

And that’s what she does when she's one of three picked from that group of girls and married off to Linden Ashby.  She realizes it would be fruitless to fight so she decides to play by the rules on the surface as she discreetly plans her escape.  Linden is not a cruel husband.  He’s actually sweet but he is utterly oblivious about how his latest wives have been acquired for him.  His overbearing father, Housemaster Vaughn controls the reigns.  While Rhine works hard to keep an emotional and physical distance from Linden, she also can’t help but pity his sheltered life. She and her sister wives live comfortably and are provided with the best, however, it's very much like living under house arrest as everything they do is monitored.  They are relegated to their floor of the mansion and must receive permission to be able to venture anywhere else.  Rhine knows that Linden favors her of the three wives and uses it to her advantage.  She knows the risk of the game she’s playing and she artfully does her best to hide her disgust and loathing of the two men who have stolen her life from her.

Housemaster Vaughn is best described as the father-in-law from hell.  Outwardly, he oozes gentleness.  In reality, he is just plain creepy and views the girls only as playthings for his son to keep him occupied and provide heirs.  He is quietly menacing and makes your skin crawl.  He loves his son very much and will do anything to keep him alive.  She uncovers some horrific secrets about him and what goes on in the rest of the mansion – that he’s been endlessly experimenting and looking for a cure in the basement lab.  It’s how he’s been conducting these experiments and the cruel lies that he spreads that are terrifying. Nothing is sacred and lines are easily crossed in his zealous quest to find a cure for his son.  The more she learns, the more she realizes that running away may not be as easy as she assumes. 

It’s odd to describe something terrifying as also beautiful but Wither is both.  There are painful moments when Rhine is sifting through her memories and reaching for ones that keep her connected to her brother and her family.  The memories of her parents describing life before the genetic anomalies are heartbreaking.  The beautiful moments come when Rhine finds herself sharing genuine friendships with one of her sister wives, Jenna, Deidre her stylist and also with her servant, Gabriel.  These three people provide her with the few bright spots in her miserable prison and give her resolve that she will escape and find her way back home to her brother.

Wither is a dark novel with some graphic and uneasy moments but overall I enjoyed it.  The suspense keeps you hooked and draws you into this absurdly dysfunctional world where the wealthy have everything at their disposal and the less fortunate must fend for themselves.  This upper crust society turns a blind eye to the fact that young girls are kidnapped and sold into polygamy because the grim reality is that it's a sordid means of survival for the human race.  The book has ample deceit and intrigue that leaves you guessing about what will happen next.

Wither is part one of The Chemical Garden Trilogy.

~ Bel

A Peek in the Biblio-Bin - #4

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. It is a way for bloggers to share what books they have won, received for review, bought from the bookstore, borrowed from the library or friend, etc.

This week Bel is giving you a peek into her section of the Biblio-Bin.

As her freshman classmates move into dorms at Cornell University, Olivia Somerset suffers a nervous breakdown. When months of coaxing and analyzing fail to rouse Olivia from her stupor, big sister Miranda decides the sisters should fly off to Barcelona for some "vacation therapy."

When a mistake at their Barcelona hostel leaves the Somersets in a large co-ed dorm room, Olivia and Miranda are saved by kindly Mr. Brown and his son Greg, who happily volunteer to surrender their private room. But while Olivia feels an instant connection with brooding Greg Brown, Miranda sides with fellow guest and cocky American travel writer Lenny:

The Browns are just plain weird, and must be avoided at all costs.

In the midst of urbane Peruvian priests-in-training and Scottish soccer fans, from the shops of La Rambla to the waters of the Mediterranean to the soaring heights of Montjuic, Miranda works to protect her still-fragile sister while Olivia struggles to understand her burgeoning adulthood, her feelings for Greg, and the fear that makes the next step in her life so impossible to take.

Inspired by E. M. Forster's classic novel A Room with a View, debut author Hannah Sternberg's Queens of All the Earth is a poetic journey of young love and self-awakening set against the beauty of Catalonia. Teenagers and adults alike will be riveted and moved by this coming-of-age novel about the conflicting hearts and minds of two very different sisters.

Summer 1869, and Sherlock Holmes and his friend Irene celebrate her sixteenth birthday by attending the theater to watch a celebrated magician make a real dragon appear on stage. It is the London sensation. Sherlock and Irene meet the magician, Alistair Hemsworth – just as he is arrested for the murder of his rival, The Wizard of Nottingham.

It seems that traces of the missing Wizard’s blood and his spectacles were found in Hemsworth’s secret studio. Hemsworth has a motive: not only is the Wizard his rival, but he also caused a scandal when he lured Hemsworth’s wife away. But is Hemsworth guilty? Sherlock has his doubts, and soon, so does the reader.

With humor and plot turns as dizzying as a narrow London lane, Shane Peacock invites his readers into a fascinating world, and a fresh adventure with one of literature’s favorite characters. The Boy Sherlock Holmes series is an international success with readers and reviewers alike.

The breathtaking conclusion the New York Times bestselling Hush, Hush saga!

The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They’ve overcome the secrets riddled in Patch’s dark past…bridged two irreconcilable worlds…faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty, and trust…and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in each other, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they’ve worked for—and their love—forever..

Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer — they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one wonderful and terrible summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.

.

What if you knew exactly when you’d die? At age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years to live. Thanks to a botched effort to create a perfect race, all females live to age twenty, and males live to age twenty-five. While geneticists seek a miracle antidote, the world is crumbling: Orphans roam the streets, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and polygamy abounds.

When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to escape. But then her husband, Linden, exposes her to a world of wealth and decadence she never knew existed. Even if she can’t quite hate her husband, though, she knows to fear her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote and who may or may not be hoarding corpses in his basement lab. At the same time, Rhine is growing dangerously close to Gabriel, a house servant. Will she be able to escape the mansion—before her time runs out?

.

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the YA scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

Why not share your finds with us?