Finally! The Fine Art of Truth or Dare has arrived.

And, of course, ToDay’s post has to be a playlist. So, here it is, for Ella and Alex…

Must I Paint You a Picture – Billy Bragg

It’s Only Time – The Magnetic Fields

Mambo Italiano – Dean Martin

Let My Love Open the Door – Pete Townshend

Airplanes, Pt II – B.o.B feat. Eminem and Hayley Williams

Itchin’ on a Photograph – Grouplove

You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me – Dusty Springfield

The Way You Look Tonight – Frank Sinatra

Take on Me – A-ha

Tu vuo’ fa’ l’americano – Renato Carosone

Slight Figure of Speech – The Avett Brothers

I Can’t Make You Love Me – Bon Iver

and one more, just because it’s one of the most underappreciated love songs of my teen years:

Throw Your Arms Around Me – Hunters and Collectors (find the early 90s version)

If you wanna buy the book… Thank you!

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Head House Books

At the turn of the 11th century, Sei Shonagon was an attendant to the Empress of Japan. During her time in court, she wrote a Pillow Book, a sort of poetic journal comprised of musings, gossip, and lists. We don’t know much about her–no one is even completely sure of her real name. But the book is easy to find, and I heartily (haha, sigh) recommend it. “Pillow” referred to where it was kept, rather than hinted at bedroom content, but I would hazard a guess that Shonagon had a lot going on inside. Eight hundred years before Austen, she wrote with much the same charm, cleverness, and occasional sharp bite.

It’s a happymaking week here in Jensenland. The Fine Art of Truth or Dare is out on Thursday. And it’s Valentine’s Day. Two things that can definitely make my pulse a little skittery. Despite any wry, skull-accessorized appearances to the contrary, I’m really a hearts-and-flowers kinda girl. So, in honor of cardio-pulmonary systems and Sei Shonagon, I’m borrowing one of her list themes for a Tuesday Ten.
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So here’s the winning list, chosen by my fab mad panel of experts (on me, at least; their musical expertise has been called into question). It was almost unanimous. One voice called for the list with the Kates (Nash and Bush) which was great, but I gotta say, this one was creative– from the song-per-decade to the interpretation of Truth- fun and definitely Me. Congrats, Kai!

Six Decades of the Truth About Love Playlist

60s: The Rolling Stones – (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
70s: The Sex Pistols – Liar
80s: Squeeze – If I Didn’t Love You I’d Hate You
90s: The Magnetic Fields – I Think I Need a New Heart
00s: Comet Gain – Don’t Fall in Love If You Want to Die in Peace
10s: The Black Keys – Tighten Up

And an honorable mention to “Novel”.

Mostly truths about (ex) lovers and other things.

So this is a day late, but…the theme for this week’s giveaway contest is “Best of the 80s”. Send me a playlist of fab 80s songs and, if you win, I send you an ARC of The Fine Art of Truth or Dare.

Some people think ToD is like a contemporary “Pretty in Pink”. Maybe ’tis, maybe ’tisn’t, but one thing I know is that for anyone who loves 80s new wave music, the PiP soundtrack is a classic. So now it’s your turn. Channel your best Molly Ringwald and put together a playlist worthy of Andie Walsh. Even better, Duckie Dale.

You thought it was gonna be “Dares”, right? Admit it.

Nah. Just finished a script (yup, lots and lots of music stuff in it), so I’m in  happy happy movie mode, harkening back to fave films of my childhood and adolescence.

This theme ends next Wednesday, February 1st, at 10pm Eastern. Then, my fabulous panel of experts (made up of lovely but slightly crazy people who know me and who know music) will pick a winner.

Guidelines:

-Follow the theme, at least in a comprehensible way.

-Choose no more than ten songs, no less than five.

-Make sure you give title and artist (and version, if it matters).

-Make sure they are listenable somewhere, in case my mad folk don’t know them.

-Send only one list per theme.

-Email your list to me here: melissa@melissajensen.com

-You must be in the US or Canada (or have a US/Canadian mailing address) in order to participate.

Hint: I like most genres. Hip hop, punk, pop, country, Celtic, big band, reggae, Bollywood, (old) soul… Hint: I don’t much care for dubstep/electronica or gooey, croony singers.

The panel picks a winner, I send an ARC, and post the playlist here. Last week’s winner will be announced tomorrow (Friday the 27th).

Go.

So. Here’s the thing. I am notoriously cyclically fickle when it comes to music. Which means several things. One, I have beloved faves that I come back to again and again. And again. Two, my playlists tend to look like they were made by four completely different people with completely different tastes. Three, I often get bored and go hunting for new music (new to me, anyway) that will, of course, make me want to exercise or dance around the kitchen or curl up with a book (or my husband) and generally make all well in the world.

So. Here’s the challenge: For the next two weeks, I’m going to periodically put out a call for a playlist. I’ll give a theme; you give the songs. At the end of each period, my fabulous panel of experts (made up of lovely but slightly crazy people who know me and who know music) will pick a winner.

Guidelines:

-Follow the theme, at least in a comprehensible way.

-Choose no more than ten songs, no less than five.

-Make sure you give title and artist (and version, if it matters).

-Make sure they are listenable somewhere, in case my mad folk don’t know them.

-Send only one list per theme.

-Email your list to me here: melissa@melissajensen.com

-You must be in the US or Canada (or have a US/Canadian mailing address) in order to participate.

Hint: I like most genres. Hip hop, punk, pop, country, Celtic, big band, reggae, Bollywood, (old) soul… Hint: I don’t much care for dubstep/electronica or gooey, croony singers.

The panel picks a winner for each theme, I send an ARC, and post the playlist here.

Yay. A musicky contest. Love those.

And the first theme is…surprise, surprise…Truth. Five to ten songs about truth. “Truth” doesn’t have to be in the title, or even in the lyrics. Just has to be in there somewhere, somehow in theory or spirit. This theme ends Sunday, January 22nd, at 10pm Eastern.

Go.

11. My interest in mummies and bog bodies as possible book subjects is slightly disturbing.

10. Bjorg jewelry.

9. Research proved that I am, much to my distress, not yet the geeky girl I hoped I had become.

8. G-Side, Lindi Ortega, Blitzen Trapper, Renato Carasone, Grouplove, Gyptian, Melody Gardot.

7. Laura Mercier Creme de Pistache Souffle.

5. I am not, contrary to Winston Churchill’s assertion, growing more conservative as I get older.

4. The Oz books, especially Ozma and the Patchwork Girl, never get boring.

3. Moving to Ireland is going to be more complicated than I thought, but totally awesome when it happens.

2. Much of the “Grownup” literature vaunted recently isn’t nearly as good as the YA I read this year.

1. We absolutely have to save independent bookstores, music/arts programs, polar bears, libraries and bees.

(6. I’m not getting smarter either, Mr. Churchill. Still can’t count.)

In anticipation of February and the release of The Fine Art of Truth or Dare, I’m starting a new ARC giveaway contest* on Twitter, and it’s an arty one…

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Since someone (completely unrelated to me) very kindly decided to describe The Fine Art of Truth of Dare as “Anna and the French Kiss Meets Pretty in Pink“, I’ve been seeing lots of comments about what a good thing that would be. Well, there are certainly some similarities to both. Ella, like Anna, is definitely a stranger in a strange land…and the land is definitely somewhat strange. Alex Bainbridge, like Etienne St. Clair, is a very cute, really decent, slightly clueless guy. They speak French.

Like Andie in Pretty in Pink, other-side-of-the-tracks Ella doesn’t quite fit in and, if given the choice, would rather not have to pay attention to all of the rubbish that comes with trying to survive high school: mean girls, the right shoes, well-meaning (read: inept) adults, heartbreak. Like Andie, Ella has the very best best friend ever. And (even if just in my head) a really good soundtrack.

I remember seeing Pretty in Pink for the first time. While The Breakfast Club remains my truly beloved John Hughes fave, I have a big soft spot in my heart for PiP. I’m a huge sucker for any good Cinderella story. As long as Cinderella has some serious goals along with getting the prince. Like a Nobel prize. Or a showing at MoMA.

Anyway. Thinking about PiP got me thinking about some of the teen-oriented movies that I’ve loved through the years.

(Yes, I do store these things up for Tuesdays.)

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Thanksgiving in the Fine Art of Truth or Dare

From: fmarino@thewillingschool.org

To: abainbr@thewillingschool.org

Date: November 23, 1:11 p.m.

Subject: Re: TG

Alex-

I will be having my turkey (there will be one, but it will be somewhat lost among the pumpkin fettuccine, sausage stuffed artichokes, garlic with green beans, and at least four lasagnas, not to mention the sweet potato cannoli and chocolate ricotta pie) with at least forty members of my close family, most of whom will spend the entire meal screaming at each other. Some will actually be fighting, probably over football.

I am hoping to be seated with the adults. It’s not a sure thing.

-Ella