Now that you’ve seen my review, how would you like to win a copy?

To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment telling me if you have watched any of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s films.

For an extra entry, leave a comment on this video’s Youtube page.

This is an international giveaway and will remain open until February 29th.

After I taped this vlog review, I realized I’m mispronouncing Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s last name. My apologies.

Good luck!

Here are six reads I’m planning on:

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Book covers link to corresponding Amazon pages.

Find a regularly updated list of my 2012 reads here.

The Goodreads summary reads, “The story of a love like Romeo and Juliet featuring an Amish boy and a girl who is not Amish, stuck in an impossible situation, separated by two very different cultures.”

There’s a lot of Christian fiction with young people as protagonists out, just look at this list, but this is one of the first books I’ve seen in the YA genre with no Christian tag attached.

To make it even more novel (See what I did there??), the girl is from the outside, not the boy. Usually it’s the other way around.

With such a plot, I can only see it ending in heartbreak, or leading to drastic change.  Either way, I bet it’ll be intense.

Temptation (add it to your amazon wishlist) will be released on June 26th from Harlequin Teen.

A big shout-out goes to Julie who mentioned this book on Twitter and got me intrigued.

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

I posted the following book reviews:

Poison by Sara Poole
Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
A Wedding Invitation by Alice J. Wisler

As well as my first movie review of 2012, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time.

I talked a lot about Entwined by Heather Dixon, including a book review, an author interview, and an international giveaway, which is open until the 10th.

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I participated in my first Top Ten Tuesday with the 10 Most Anticipated Books of 2012.

Sarah and I started and continue our Downton Abbey Recaps.  You can read the episode one and two recaps on Sarah’s blog.

An author interview with Susan Fales-Hill

Personal favorite: 3 Tips to A Slimmer TBR.

Want to know a little more about Heigl’s latest adventure comedy? Click here.

A peak at some of the books I read:

So yeah, January was really good. And February will be even better.

Here are five songs that do the trick every time.

Young Dumb And In Love by Mat Kearney

The title is an accurate representation of at least 75% of young relationships, I’m sure. The entire Young Love album is full of catchy, dance-along love songs.

Sample lyric: She’s not like any other girl/ She’s got me crying first, dying first, waiting for the repo man

Smile by Uncle Kracker

This song has one of my all-time favorite lines. Ready?

(You’re) cooler than the flip-side of my pillow, that’s right.

The next great pick up line, I’m telling you.

Love Your Love The Most by Eric Church

I’m not sure how someone can put the line, “I like mustard on my fries” in a love song and make it work but Eric Church does.

Like My Dog by Billy Currington

You kind of have to listen to the entire song to get a proper appreciation for this one, but here’s a taste of the lyrics:

He never says “I wish you made more money”
He always thinks that pull my finger is funny
I want you to love me like my dog

I do not, nor will I ever, think the finger pull joke is funny. I just can’t.

Coffee and Cigarettes by Never Shout Never

Yeah, I have friends, but they have friends,
And they have parties, and I’m so akward.

OMG, story of my life.

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So, I just noticed all of these songs are by male artists. Anyone know of a female singer who takes walks on the lighter side of love?

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Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side was one of my favorite books of 2009.  The ending tied things up nicely, and I was surprised to hear news of the sequel.  It didn’t necessarily need one, in my opinion.  But since I loved reading about Jessica and Lucius, I was excited to see what this installment would bring.  I even WoWed and teased it.

Unfortunately, I was somewhat disappointed.  Rather than simply being from the POVs of Jessica and Lucius, two new voices were thrown in, Mindy and Raniero.  Respectively, they’re the best friends of Jessica and Lucius.  While the story the new POVs added was interesting, it ultimately distracted from the main plot points, Jessica’s faith in herself and Lucius’ imprisonment.

While Jessica fights feelings of inadequacy, Lucius is fighting demons of his own.  Determined to bring the vampires he rules into an age where law and justice reigns, he battles with other powerful leaders, including ones who raised him.  He becomes imprisoned when a murder points to him as the suspect, leaving Jessica alone to clear his name.  If she doesn’t succeed, fast, she’ll be left with a crumbling reign and heartache.  For if the real murderer is not found, Lucius will be killed.

Lucius is sent to solitary confinement (his only companion: a rat); during this time he writes letters.  Just like Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, these were my favorite portions of the story.  His letters are sharp, showing how intelligent he is and how he carries himself.

Mindy and Raniero have romantic woes, and it all started at Jessica’s wedding.  I sometimes felt as if I were missing things, and I probably would have enjoyed their storyline better if I had read The Wedding posted on Beth Fantaskey’s website.  Although not in print or listed as an “official” sequel, knowing what occurred during the wedding would have aided me in feeling more sympathy toward these two.  Vague references were not enough.

I did enjoy the fact that Jessica had to use her intelligence to solve her problems.  Few facets that would aid in Lucius’ freedom were dropped in her lap.  Watching her use ingenuity and brain power to get to the bottom of things was refreshing.

Ultimately, Jessica Rules the Dark Side was an okay read.  There were parts I greatly enjoyed, like Lucius’ letters and Jessica’s journey to becoming a ruler.  Yet if measured against the previous novel, this book falls short in its ability to cause feelings of suspense, mainly due to a distracting add-on.  Published by Harcourt, Jessica Rules the Dark Side is a decent sequel to the original book.

February 13-24, I’m hosting a celebration of North and South on Melanie’s Musings! Just think, two weeks brimming with Thornton and Margaret.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (Not John Jakes, his is another beast entirely) is my favorite book, hands down. The BBC mini-series, starring Daniela Denby-Ashe and Richard Armitage, is my all-time favorite book to film adaptation.  Funny how that works out, isn’t it?

In case you’ve missed it, North and South is the story of Margaret Hale, a young woman in England during the 1800s. Her father has abruptly transplanted his family from the small, quaint town of Helstone, to the smoggy, industrial town of Milton. She’s overwhelmed, culture shock sets in, and she cannot seem to find where she belongs. As her mother’s health fails, she is driven to desperate measures, putting the safety of her family in danger.

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The following lovely ladies will be joining me throughout the party to share rather interesting aspects on what there is to love, both serious and light. (One post made me almost spit out my tea, then I broke into hilarious laughter.)

• Nicole from WORD for Teens
•  Sandy from Pirate Penguin’s Reads
• Nat from Richard Armitage Fan Blog
• Maria from Fly High!
• And an interview with C.S. Winchester, N&S fanfiction author

I’ll also be hosting giveaways including books, ebooks, and a copy of the DVD.

I really, really hope you take the time to come visit the blog sometime during the celebration. Thornton and Margaret will be waiting.

Save the Date: February 13-24

<center><a href="http://melaniesmusings.net/announcing-a-north-and-south-celebration" target="_blank"><img alt="Feb 13-24" src="http://melaniesmusings.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/blog12.png"/></a></center>

If you’ve yet to start on this gem, here are five good reasons why you should.  If you missed this episode, or any of Season 2, it is available until March on the Masterpiece website.

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We start on the battlefield. Matthew prepares to lead a surge, with William by his side. It will be dangerous. Yet when Matthew sounds the call, they all race forward valiantly. A bomb goes off near Matthew and William jumps forward to protect. They are both blown backwards.

Were you able to tell if the rest of the troop completed the mission, Sarah?

No, I didn’t. This scene went so fast and I was so worried about Matthew and William! I had to rewind to see again because I didn’t want it to be true that they were hurt! They also didn’t really discuss it much after-at least that I caught.

The next morning, Mary springs into action. She has decided she’ll watch over Matthew while he’s at the hospital. Cora has called Lavinia from London.

Watching Mary’s reaction to the news is so heartbreaking. I want Mary and Matthew to be together so much this season! You can see they still care for each other very much and it’s so hard to watch them dance around each other and try to be proper and ignore their feelings. I don’t think Mary’s doing a great job at hiding it though-her whole family knows how she feels!

I can tell Lord Grantham is just itching to say something, but he stops himself.

When Sybil hears Mary plans to stay by Matthew at the hospital, she decides to go there as well, to lend moral support. When she asks Branson for a ride, he goes off about the latest political news, the Russian royal family has been killed.

Although he doesn’t approve, he says that sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the greater good. This is the first time I’ve really not liked Branson. Killing children? Not okay under any circumstances.

Yeah, I’m not loving the Branson/Sybil relationship as much I thought I would. I don’t really see the attraction on Sybil’s side-I think he appeals to her a bit, but I think he’s too pushy. They may win me over yet, but we’ll see. As of this episode I’m still feeling a bit meh about them.

After he arrives and settles in, the doctor discovers that Matthew’s injurys are really bad. It’s worse than anyone’s imagined. Not only does the doctor think he’ll never walk, it’s also supposed that he’ll never be able to have sex/children.

Agreed. I liked seeing that Matthew isn’t just trying to get back at Mary but he really does care for Lavinia. This moment between them is very sweet and it’s again, so sad to watch everyone around Matthew try to be strong while they are breaking down inside.

Back at Downton, Mrs. Bates has reappeared, after O’Brien told her Bates is working there again. She once again threatens to sell Lady Mary’s story to the papers, even though Bates has given her all the money he has to keep her quiet.

That evening, Anna tells Mary of the visit. Mary knows what she must do and goes to London the next morning to see Carlisle.

Oooh-that Mrs. Bates! She just won’t stop! I’m glad Mary has some connections to stop her, but I’m worried about the price she’ll have to pay if she tells Carlisle her secret.

She tells him everything that happened with Pamuck. He’s shocked, but agrees to do what he can to keep Mrs. Bates quiet.

He actually seems rather pleased, saying this puts them on more equal footing. The more I see of Carlisle, the less I like him.

Yeah, I think he’s a bit swarmy. I liked that he didn’t brush Mary off after her confession, but I’m worried what he might do with the information. I don’t trust him.

I don’t think Mary really trusts him either.  At the very least, I think she knows what he’s capable of.

Carlistle gets Mrs. Bates to “sell” her story to him, making her sign agreements that she’ll sell it to no one else.

The next day, Carlisle and Mary’s engagement is announced in the papers. Mrs. Bates comes back enraged, saying that he’s tricked her, but Carlisle reminds her of the papers she’s signed. He threatens her that if she doesn’t keep her promise, he’ll see her in court.

I like that Mrs. Bates has been quieted-for now. I’m sure she’ll have some new evil plan though-she’s just that horrible!

Mary arrives back at Downton that evening and tells Bates of the news.

I loved this moment between Mary and Bates. I like that this season the staff and the household really love Bates, whereas last season, they weren’t sure about him. He’s proven invaluable to the household and I like that Mary has taken care of him and Anna. Sure, she was saving herself as well, but I think she cares about Anna as well and doesn’t want to see her get hurt.

While Mary was in London, Lavinia was visiting Matthew. He breaks off their engagement, telling her about his disability and how their’s could never be a real marriage. Lavinia protests, but he tells her to return to London, think of him as dead, and remember him as he was.

Exactly! I can’t believe Lavinia would just give up! Mary would fight for him and I think she will. To me, this shows Lavinia is too weak and she’s nice and all, but I think Matthew could do better.

Soon after, Isobel finally arrives back and goes to see Matthew at the hospital.

While Matthew has been at the hospital, William has been staying at Downton, after some string-pulling from Violet. His lungs were severely injured and he’s going to die.

His final wish? To marry Daisy. She doesn’t want to, but she’s basically forced into it by the others. She doesn’t want to lie to him anymore.

He says he wants to be able to take care of her, and the pension she’ll get as his widow will be all he can do.

She does marry him and hours afterwards, he dies.

I’m afraid this scene didn’t quite move me to tears.  I spent most of my time worrying about what this’ll do to Daisy’s conscience.  Will she be able to reconcile her actions to herself? Now, one last thing:

Mrs. Hughes has been taking food to Ethel, who is now trying to find work while caring for her child. Poor Ethel has been trying to write letters to soldier who fathered her child (I forgot his name) but he won’t respond. Mrs. Hughes tries to deliver a letter to him when he’s visiting Downton, but he refuses to even look at it and says it’s none of Mrs. Hughes business.

I agree, Ethel is a frustration.  I’m worried about this new maid, though.  The way Lord Grantham was looking at her… I think she could cause trouble.  Especially since he and Cora seem to be having a few arguments lately.

The preview for next week definitely has me anxious!  The man with the scarred face and Carlisle’s threats against Mary both caught my attention. Is it Sunday yet?

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Visit the rest of our recaps:

Season 2, Episode 3

Season 2, Episode 2

Season 2, Episode 1

When I get on twitter, the first thing I do is check my replies. Then I, umm, reply to them.

Lately, though, I’ve been worried. Since a lot of twitter accounts are hooked up to people’s cell phones, I’m wondering if tweeting people who aren’t on twitter late at night may be rude. The last thing I want is someone’s phone going off at midnight and them waking up to read a somewhat inane comment I’ve made.

Or should I assume everyone turns their phones off? Goodness knows I have no issues emailing people late, and I know a few friends who have their emails sent directly to their Droid. Twitter is a different beast altogether, though, I think.

Basically, this quandary has me confused. I need your opinions, twitterers. What’s the appropriate protocol?

With a past full of disappointment, a present with loneliness, and a future with question marks, Samantha’s character has many challenges to overcome over the course of the novel.  Some of the issues seem to be glossed over in order to focus on the romance, a tangled web in itself.

Speaking of the romance, my feelings towards it were mixed.  I spent a rather large portion of the book wondering whether I really wanted the characters to get together.  Instead, the majority of my time was spent thinking about whether Samantha and Carson would be good for each other.  It intrigued me, but I wasn’t rooting for it to happen.

Although I didn’t know it from reading the official summary,  this book is set in 1993 with flashbacks to 1985.  The details in the flashbacks are historically accurate and help paint an appropriate picture of the Vietnamese refugee camps, not a surprise since Alice J. Wisler actually did work in such camps during the time period.  However, in the 1993 portions of the book, there were not enough things to make the era distinct, other than an offhand reference to Princess Diana.

This book lacks a clear focus.  Although Samantha is undeniably the main character, a lot of time is spent on secondary characters.  Just enough to get to know the reasoning behind their actions, without the opportunity to feel as if I really knew them.  In the end, the forays into the secondary characters’ pasts served only to distract from Samantha’s story.

A Wedding invitation tends to stumble over itself and is a bit awkward.  While Samantha’s experience in the refugee camp, as well as the overarching romance perked my interest,  it wasn’t enough to endear the book to me.

This book was received for review from Bethany House .