Friday's Music: Always Looking - Dum Dum Girls

Another girl band for you! This is one of my favourites from this band, and I chose it with Saba and Jack’s relationship in mind.

Oh I never felt a beat in my heart ‘til you made it start

I never felt a beat in my heart ‘til you made it start

-

It’s been written in the stars

The reason of the hearts like ours

Yea I was always looking, I was always looking;

I was always looking for you

These lyrics are so painstakingly accurate when it comes to Saba’s (initial?) feelings towards Jack. I instantly got reminded of Saba’s heartstone, something which features continually in both books, and how it gets hot near her hearts true desire. I also felt it important how she threw it away in Rebel Heart, only to have Nero bring it back to her.

I hear him laugh.

His name’s Jack.

Heat burns into me. Crawls over my skin. A trickle of sweat runs down my chest. I pull out the heartstone tucked safe inside my vest.It’s warm. No. Hot.

-

As I move away from him, the hearstone starts to cool down.

~Bushra

Friday's Music: Heaven - Ailee

This song was actually a suggestion by Freehawk @eurecalaurice! It’s a genre, you could call it, that hasn’t featured here before, called Kpop. It’s quite a sweet song, and by looking at the translated lyrics in English, I straight away saw how it relates completely to Saba and Lugh’s relationship, minus the romance.

Where you are, I will be there too
Where you go, I will go there too

Their relationship was a rickety road for me. I got mixed feelings for Lugh in Rebel Heart, I almost found him –excuse my language- bitchy. But as I went on in the book, I felt I could look past that and focus more on Saba’s task at hand.

I smile for you every day, I pray for you
With thoughts of you, I fall asleep - I open my eyes as I call for you

~Bushra

Try It Tuesday: The Declaration!

This book was DEFINITELY a page turner. You couldn’t guess at all what was coming next, and each climax of the book was as good as the last. Many, many plot twists and GREAT character development. This book is literally an emotional roller coaster, and you also feel anger towards certain characters and ideas in the story.

It's the year 2140 and Longevity drugs have all but eradicated old age. A never-aging society can't sustain population growth, however…which means Anna should never have been born. Nor should any of the children she lives with at Grange Hall. The facility is full of boys and girls whose parents chose to have kids—called surpluses—despite a law forbidding them from doing so. These children are raised as servants, and brought up to believe they must atone for their very existence. Then one day a boy named Peter appears at the Hall, bringing with him news of the world outside, a place where people are starting to say that Longevity is bad, and that maybe people shouldn't live forever. Peter begs Anna to escape with him, but Anna's not sure who to trust: the strange new boy whose version of life sounds like a dangerous fairy tale, or the familiar walls of Grange Hall and the head mistress who has controlled her every waking thought?

An interesting thing about this book is the philosophical ideas and issues it brings up. Is it right for anyone to live forever? Is it okay to label ANYONE as a ‘Surplus’? Frankly, I just hope they never ever find a cure for old age because, this book has scared me away from that idea. Read the series, and decide for yourself whether you would be pro-life or pro-choice in this dystopian thriller.

~Bushra

Friday's Music: Under My Skin - Jukebox the Ghost

I have a lot of adoration for this band! Not too well known, but unique and quirky. I chose this song because I felt some parts of it represented the relationship between Saba, Jack and De Malo, something I’m sure a lot of us are curious about. It was something new when things started to happen between Saba and De Malo, and I felt like it changed Saba, opened her up. It literally felt that De Malo got under her skin.

I can feel you breathing under my skin,
Yeah I can feel you breathing under my skin

Of course, Jack gets under her skin, but in a different way. Where with De Malo Saba’s fire is sparked and harnessed into this beautiful passion, I feel like Jack is a gust of wind that creates a firestorm of feelings. Although this isn’t the only thing to look forward to in Raging Star, it is certainly something you should look out for. I want to see what Saba chooses to do with Tommo in the mix too, or rather, where the fates will take her.

I don't think there is anyone under your skin,
Like a Cheshire cat I think you're just a grin,
And I can feel you laughing, under my skin,
And the happy palpitations are making me... grin

~Bushra

Friday's Music....?

Hello Free Hawks! Today I decided to try out something new, so instead of a song, you're getting a small comic strip. Meet the chibi version of Saba and Lugh! (click picture to enlarge)

If you have other ideas to be drawn, comment below. Or even better, send in your own commissions! p.s apologies for the hurried colouring, next time will be better, promise.

~Bushra

Raging Star

The name of the highly anticipated Book #3 of the 'Dustlands' trilogy has been revealed by author, Moira Young!

RAGING STAR!

We've compiled a list of reactions below as well as the opinions of our admins! If you'd like to tell us what you think, leave a comment or tweet us at @DustlandsFans!

Friday's Music: Let Me In - The Unseen Guest

I don’t know about you but, this song gives me strange chills. The images the lyrics give out with this sense of foreboding, and trying to keep something evil out. The music of course, compliments his voice, and the violin is simply delectable. The description underneath the video on youtube says a bit more about the instrumentation, and how they incorporated both western and Indian instruments.

I couldn’t help but be reminded of Tommy, and his unrequited love for Saba. I’m very curious as to how Saba and Jack being in love will affect Tommy in the third book, especially after that last scene in Rebel Heart, something I absolutely didn’t expect to pop up!

The days run together

They crowd at your front gate

-

And sometimes in the night

You answer the phone

And they breathe down the line

Just to see if you’re home

~Bushra

Friday's Music: Ninth Ave Reverie - The Middle East

Choosing a song from this band was one of the hardest decisions I’ve EVER had to make when it’s come to music. I started listening to them only a couple months ago, but they’re already one of my absolute favourites, and I love almost all their songs equally. It was between this song, The Darkest Side, Lonely and Hunger Song.

Although this isn’t one of their most famous (they’re mostly renowned for Blood), it moves me a lot. I like how his voice is so honest and hopeful and melancholy, and I love how he says ‘you say a lot of things’, he just sounds really fond of whoever he’s singing about, and really sad. The lyrics in general are so quirky, and they paint lovely pictures in my head. I thought I heard a bit of Saba’s father in this song, with his star gazing, and the whole thing with Lugh not believing in the stars.

I wholly recommend the rest of their albums (they only have two, and one of them is really short). Their music is very inspirational and relaxing, and listening to their songs from start to finish is like going on a summer road trip.

You say you can't stop dreaming about your funeral day

Where all your long-time friends will be crying for you

I'd be up the back with a rose in my hand

And I'd give to you in death what I could not in life

~Bushra

Try It Tuesday: Hannibal - TV Series

Today I bring to you this new TV series called Hannibal, based on Thomas Harris’s book, Red Dragon. Only some elements and characters are taken from the story, as it’s not a direct adaptation, so if you’re a person that likes reading the thing before seeing it as a movie/tv series, this might be an exception! I cannot stress enough how much I’m enjoying this series, with its convincing character development and brilliant plot.

Hannibal Lecter, a cannibal and psychiatrist, is a VERY interesting character. Although I still haven’t gotten round to reading the four stories by Thomas Harris, I feel as if though the actor playing Hannibal, Mads Mikkelsen, does him a lot of justice, with his compelling looks, talents and accent. I find the chemistry between him and our second protagonist, Will Graham, very real, and I like how everything is progressing.

Another appealing thing about this show is that I felt myself sympathising with a serial killer! This, if nothing else, should be an indicator of how commendable it is. I urge you to try out at least an episode, and see how it goes.

~Bushra

Friday's Music: Icarus - White Hinterland

Casey Dienel, performing as White Hinterland

I was just roaming YouTube a few days ago when I stumbled across this singer. Her voice, combined with the bass provides a strangely relaxing song that I feel like I can listen to over and over. Although some of the lyrics are quite intense, it makes me feel hazily happy. In this song I see some of Saba and Jack’s relationship, and perhaps Saba and Demalo’s encounter, lurking at the edges. 

-

Together going arm and arm, To meet our solitude, to meet it head on, I'll meet you where the water's warm, To meet my solitude, to meet it head on

 -

Though I can see clearly ahead of me, I cannot stop it once I'm set a-spinning, What can it mean? Why must I always see, the ending at the beginning?

~Bushra

Try It Tuesday: John Green

Yes, this week it’s a person! I’ll warn you all from the beginning that this post won’t do him justice. John Green is a most inspirational, accomplished man. He’s an author of several bestselling books, has a youtube channel (Vlogbrothers, with his brother, Hank Green) that has over a million subscribers, and on top of that, a father and husband. I’m quite sure you’ve heard his name around, since his newest novel, The Fault In Our Stars, has been the New York Times best seller for a while now!

I first discovered John’s and Hank’s youtube channel when a friend linked me to a video of theirs from 2009, about how to be a ‘’Nerdfighter’’. This roped me into the Vlogbrothers world. ‘’Raising nerdy to the power of awesome.’’

Along with this channel, they do another: crash course. They've done past courses in World History, Ecology, Literature and Biology, and now John is doing US History and Hank chemistry. After checking out the youtube channels, you must must must start give John's books a read!

The first book I read was called Paper Towns. The realness of the story, the characters and the ideas was something that made me fall in love with this book and John Green’s writing. I felt I could relate to most of his characters, and I found he has a particular, quirky way of channelling emotions and thoughts, that I previously couldn't form into words, into elaborate characters and plot twists.

I will stop here, and let you discover the world of John Green and Nerdfighteria. I truly hope the experience for you is as great as it was for me. DFTBA (don't forget to be awesome).

 “Did you know that for pretty much the entire history of the human species, the average life span was less than thirty years? You could count on ten years or so of real adulthood, right? There was no planning for retirement. There was no planning for a career. There was no planning. No time for planning. No time for a future. But then the life spans started getting longer, and people started having more and more future. And now life has become the future. Every moment of your life is lived for the future--you go to high school so you can go to college so you can get a good job so you can get a nice house so you can afford to send your kids to college so they can get a good job so they can get a nice house so they can afford to send their kids to college.”

― John Green, Paper Towns

~Bushra

Friday's Music: The Lion's Roar - First Aid Kit

Folk isn't a genre I’d normally opt for, but First Aid Kit have whisked me away with their music and voices and lyrics. I got caught up in their passion, and the wistful melancholia which is especially evident in this song. The song actually first reminded me of Molly Pratt and Ike’s relationship. Her devastation at his death haunted me quite a bit in the beginning of Rebel Heart, and I started to fear for Jack and Saba’s relationship, hoping Moira would spare us any affliction that’d surely come to us if either of them was hurt!

This verse reminds me of how Saba changes when she’s around Jack, how much softer she gets around him, and how forlorn she is when he’s not there.

Sometimes I wish I could find my Rosemary Hill

I'd sit there and look at the deserted lakes and I'd sing

And every once in a while I'd sing a song for you

That would rise above the mountains and the stars and the sea

And if I wanted it to it would lead you back to me

I urge you to check out the rest of their music, it won't disappoint.

~Bushra

Friday's Music: Come Talk to Me (cover) - Bon Iver

This song was originally written by Peter Gabriel.

Today, I bring to you this wonderful cover of Come Talk to Me, done by Bon Iver (I personally prefer this version of the song to the original one). The music flows so beautifully, it makes you relax and close your eyes and dream of a cabin near a valley where the air is sweet and you're always in a state of harmony, all your problems are solvable. This imagery contrasts greatly with Saba’s adventure, battling the harsh red sand, toiling away to get what she wants and needs. It also reminds me of Saba and Lugh’s relationship in Rebel Heart, and how broken it slowly became, which made me really sad, because if it wasn't for Saba’s sisterly love for Lugh, the story would've gone down a different route altogether. I really want them to bond again, and for Lugh to tell Saba everything that happened to him while she was on her way to finding him.

In the swirling curling storm of desire, Unuttered words hold fast

-

I can imagine the moment, Breaking out through the silence, All the things that we both might say, And the heart, it will not be denied, 'Til we're both on the same damn side, All the barriers blown away

-

I said please talk to me, Won't you please come talk to me?, Just like it used to be, Come on, come talk to me

~Bushra

Friday's Music: Seven Day Mile - The Frames

This friday, I chose to share with you Seven Day Mile by The Frames, a brilliant band from Dublin. I fell in love with their music after watching a heartbreaking film called Once, featuring Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard (marvelous people)!

I picked this song in particular because it makes me anticipate how the story will conclude.When will our friends get the rest they deserve? When will all those loose ends be tied? The song's telling Saba to carry on, that soon all of this will be over, after just one more adventure. This song again, reminded me of the themes of fate and destiny in this story, ''I don't have a choice in this, it's a road I've come upon''.

I urge you to listen to the rest of their music, especially Falling Slowly and Revelate.
-
And down here nothing gets chance

It's a world too big for us

Time will be the judge of all here

~Bushra

Friday’s Music: Seven Nation Army – The White Stripes

So today I bring to you Seven Army Nation. Here’s the link.

I chose this song because it reminded me of Saba’s red hot rage. It’s one of the things that fascinate me in this story. Why does she feel this rage so intensely? Where does it come from? Why does it make her so strong? It adds an unfathomable depth to Saba’s character, and matches her already fueled  wild spirit.

I'm gonna fight 'em all

A seven nation army couldn't hold me back

-

And I'm talking to myself at night,

 Because I can't forget

Back and forth through my mind

-

I'm gonna work the straw

Make the sweat drip out of every pore

And I'm bleeding, and I'm bleeding, and I'm bleeding

(these are just some of the lyrics)

This reminds me of her determination throughout the story, in everything she does, like her quest to find Lugh or free Jack from the fire. It also reminds me of her fearlessness in the face of death; Wise man sees that, he turns around an gits the hell out as fast as he can. But we ain’t turnin, I says. No, he says. Wisdom ain’t a virtue I ever aspired to. ~page 292 BRR. That's what Saba's says in response to Ike about the four dead men they saw that were hanged by the Tonton. I also think with Saba, it's hard to approve of her actions and sympathize with her at times, her tenacious body and mind seems like it can take care of itself. 

This song has an intent beat, and I think it matches the steadiness of Saba's persistence to get what she wants.

~Bushra

Try It Tuesday - Unwind Trilogy by Neal Shusterman

Unwind was released in 2007, and followed by Unwholly (book#2), Unstrung, which was a short story to accompany Unwind. Unsouled is scheduled to come out this October.

Connor, Risa, and Lev are running for their lives. The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child "unwound," whereby all of the child's organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn't technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and to survive.’ ~ Summary of Unwind (book#1) from Goodreads

Fans of Young Adult dystopia and science fiction, this is a must read! It’s an enthralling story with plenty of credible characters that you're likely not to forget, and apprehension at every corner. Neal’s writing is fantastic, with a plot well thought out and intricate. The book invokes a lot of issues, and mainly those bioethical (i.e. abortion/reproductive rights). This allows the reader to ponder over the controversial matters raised in this book, and form their own opinions. The ending of Unwind is a very emotional one, and it helped me know what my stance on the whole procedure of this so called unwinding was.

This link is to a short movie featuring the process of unwinding that I particularly enjoyed. I like the bit when the woman says ‘’sweetie, you don’t die. You just stop living.’’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=9snP4HuRsr4&feature=fvwp

This is a book I will always recommend, especially those looking for a stimulating fix. Go, read Unwind and Unwholly before October!

~Bushra

Friday's Music: The Moon Asked the Crow - CocoRosie

So every Friday, I’m going to be choosing a song that reminds me of a certain scene/character from the Dustlands, or of the story in general. It'll be a mix of obscure and popular artists, with as much variation as possible.

The link to the song is here.

It might seem obvious why I picked this song, but it was for much more than that. Both the music and the lyrics brought about the underlying themes of destiny and fate that put a real twist on this story. The lyrics are like a short tale, the beginning reminding me of the wastelands and the forgotten past:

 I caught a glimpse out the window, A Polish graveyard filled with widows, I coddle a bottle of warm beer, I see a pool of liquid tears, Glimmering so sweet and mellow, A sea of lilting wilting willow, A secret book of forgotten wishes, Drown in ponds with broken dishes

This verse paints a sad, reminiscent image of the past, especially the references to the graveyard, the wilting willow and the books of forgotten wishes. (page 100 of Blood Red Road, where Rooster Pinch shows Saba a book for the first time in her life – that scene ALWAYS comes up in my head, it’s one of my favourite!).

The moon asked the crow, For a little show, In the hazy milk of twilight, No one had to know, The moon asked the crow, For a little show, In the hazy milk of twilight, No one had to know

The chorus is like a little tribute to Nero, and it makes me think of all those times Nero disappeared from Saba’s side for longer than usual. Where was he, and who was he with?  ‘’He’s always got an opinion does Nero, an he’s real smart too’’ – page 8. It also reminds me of De Malo and his relationship with Saba, how it's ‘hazy’ and mysterious.

this artwork was inspired by this song

Angel brother I miss your hair, Careless nature gentle stare, You fell like rain in the dark abysses ,  Kissed the lips of bloody twinsis, Sung to you a slew of sirens, Tricky mermaids and evil pirates,

Saba’s determination to find Lugh, no matter what comes in her way, screams out to me in this verse. And the particular mention of hair too, reminds me of their contrasting hair colours, and how she says ''My golden heart is gone'' when Lugh is taken by the riders.

You watched the sky, With kaleidoscopic eyes, Howling out right, To the blasphemous night, A wolf in the garden, Why do you linger so, Like a silky snail soul, The moon asked the crow

This verse always leaves me conflicted, bringing me a mix of memories and emotions from the story – is it about Saba’s father, his star reading and the way he’s so resigned about everything that’s happening? Or is it about Lugh and his blue eyes, and his hate for their Pa being a ‘star reader’? The mention of howling also strangely reminds me of the scene in pages 27 to the beginning of 30, where their Pa is shot down by the riders, and how Saba feels the red hot rage rise up inside her for the first time. (I still get chills when reading this part). This song certainly deals with the enigmatic fate business in the story, or I think so anyway!

CocoRosie are two sisters that believe in fairies, with unique voices and music. I would definitely recommend them to anyone who enjoys quaint but meaningful music!

~Bushra