RED by Taylor Swift

I know I know. This is not a book. But, Taylor writes lyrics, which in some ways can be construed as poetry, and she just released this album last week. Plus I’m a big fan of Taylor. So here’s what were gonna do. I’ll share my thoughts on the music, which are my initial favorite songs, and include some of the lyrics I like the most.

To start, Taylor writes these prologues at the beginning of each CD booklet. I think they are phenomenally written (truthfully that is what gave me the idea to do a review about the CD). She says: “There’s an old poem by Neruda that I’ve always been captivated by, and one of the lines in it has stuck with me ever since the first time I read it. It says ‘love is so short, forgetting is so long.’” She writes a decent amount about her inspiration for the CD and I always find it thoughtful.

I listened to the CD probably once or twice a day since I've owned it. The first time I immediately thought the CD was too quiet and slow. The middle does pick up, but overall, the album is a softer tone. That’s not to say it’s bad. Some of those songs are really good. I think it depends on the mood you’re in and what you’re feeling at the time. Also, you have to be very tolerable of listening to Taylor rant about all her boyfriends and love experiences.

I’ll share my top three songs. The first is “I Almost Do”, which is probably the best slow song on the CD. Many friends have commented they enjoy this song. It’s also the most relatable song on the disc. “Stay Stay Stay” is upbeat, sweet, and contains my favorite lyrics on the album. I’ll also give props to “22”, which is in the same ballpark as “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”. It’s dance-ish and starts in a similar fashion to a Ke$ha song. It’ll probably be on the pop radio stations eventually. (Honorable mention: “All Too Well”, “The Last Time”, “Begin Again”, “The Lucky One”.)

I’m going to wrap up with some of my favorite lyrics from the CD…

You took the time to memorize me / My fears my hopes and dreams / I just like hanging out with you / All the time / All those times that you didn’t leave / It’s been occurring to me / I’d like to hang out with you / For my whole life / Stay [Song: Stay Stay Stay]

And I just want to tell you / It takes everything in me / Not to call you / And I wish I could run to you / And I hope you know that / Every time I don’t, I almost do [Song: I Almost Do]

I bet you think I either moved on or hate you / Cause each time you reach out, there’s no reply / I bet it never ever occurred to you / That I can’t say hello to you and risk another goodbye [Song: I Almost Do]

Tonight I’m gonna dance / Like you were in this room / But I don’t want to dance / If I’m not dancing with you [Song: Holy Ground]

My rating for RED by Taylor Swift: 4 stars out of 5. Get it here!

P.S. She just announced tour dates. Check here!
P.S.S. How’s that for showing some personality on the blog?

The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom

I said a few weeks ago that I read The Five People You Meet In Heaven to get pumped up for Mitch Albom's new book The Time Keeper. I've probably read this book four or five times now and I enjoy it every time. As I said in an earlier Albom review, Mitch is my new favorite author.

The book is about an older gentlemen who works at a waterfront amusement park. Eddie dies one day while trying to save a little girl from a defective ride. He awakens in heaven, but it is not what he expects. His life is explained to him as he meets five people who were in it. Some are loved ones he's greatly missed and some are apparent strangers. But all changed the path of his life forever.

I really like this book. It's irrespective of any particular religion. Anyone can read it. The writing style makes the story that much better. And I love thinking about this kinda stuff. Like who are the five people in my life (so far) who have changed my path forever?

My rating for The Five People You Meet In Heaven: 5 stars out of 5. Get it here!

P.S. I heard this was made into a movie...has anyone seen it?

Moonwalking With Einstein by Joshua Foer

This is another book I picked up at the airport on my trip to Chicago. I needed something to read and, with limited choices, Moonwalking With Einstein was the selection. Not going to lie, I didn't finish the book. I probably read seventy-five percent of it on the plane, but I didn't pick it up when I got home. It's not that the book was bad. I just have an exam coming up and I'm in study mode, meaning a book has to be really good for me to finish it.

Moonwalking With Einstein is written in an eerily similar manner to Fooling Houdini, the book I reviewed a few months ago. This book highlights Joshua Foer's pursuit of success in the memory world championships. It's a dorky competition to see who can memorize the most in a short time frame. There is a lot of academic jargon and information about the mind and memory. As much as I like to learn about stuff, this translated into a lot of skimming. I was more interested in his story. I didn't feel the need to finish the book because I had a solid idea of how it was going to end (otherwise he wouldn't have written a book, right?).

This was a good book to pass the time, but I wouldn't tell you to run out and buy it. Now it's back to studying!

My rating for Moonwalking With Einstein: 2 stars out of 5. Get it here!

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

[Apologies for the Amazon logo, but I couldn't find a picture of the book cover.]

Short post cause I'm short on time. I first heard of Tao Te Ching and Lao Tzu in A Million Little Pieces. I said back then that I couldn't wait to read Tao Te Ching. I ordered it from Amazon right away and read it quickly. So why this long until I posted a review about it?

Well, it's complicated. It was written in around the 6th century BC, meaning there have been countless translations. The version I read was translated by James Legge, which was a mistake since the guy died in the 1800s. For me, I thought the translation could have been cleaner. I know it's hard to translate from "Chinese" to English, along with the fact that languages have evolved over the centuries. There was no flow and it was extremely hard to decipher the meaning.

The book itself is fairly simply. Eighty-one chapters, all less than a page. Some are a few sentences. Everything said is powerful and thought provoking. Things like "The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long" and "Those who know do not speak; those who speak do not know." Clearly stuff right up my alley. But because the translation was so difficult to comphrehend, it took away from the enjoyment of the book.

I have not given up on Tao Te Ching. My opinion is I found a bad version and I need to keep looking to find a better one. I probably would appreciate a more current translation rather than something that is traditional. Are there any suggestions??

My rating for this version of Tao Te Ching: 1 star out of 5. Get it here!