The Eurovision Song Contest 2012

The Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan this year, at the end of May. For those unfamiliar with the phenomenon, it is similar to "American Idol," but predates it by several decades.

Over forty nations, mostly from Europe, but some from Africa and Asia, enter one original song into the contest, and over two semi-finals and one final, all of those nations vote by phone or computer for their favorite. The trick? You cannot vote for your own nation's entry. The winning nation hosts the contest the following year. Past winners and contestants have included ABBA, Katrina and the Waves, Lordi, Cliff Richard, Nena, Lulu, Johnny Logan, and Celine Dion.

Here are four more entries from the first semi-final:

Albania: "Suus" by Rona Nishliu



Romania: "Zaleilah" by Mandinga



Switzerland: "Unbreakable" by Sinplus



And Belgium: "Would You?" by Iris



While Albania and Belgium present some of the same old ballads that invariably both bore audiences and also win the contest sadly, Romania and Switzerland are more with the spirit of the mad dancey eurotrash tunes that embody the spirit of Eurovision. I kinda like Romania as an early fave, and the Swiss entry is growing on me.

The Alphabetical List of Would-Be Princes

The Alphabetical List of Would-Be Princes, by Fredric Joss Shelley

"Even when you follow the rules you've set on yourself, you have no idea who you will eventually fall for or why those rules no longer apply."

Jack Bradley has lived a life of order - from neatly arranged sock drawers to alphabetically-memorized shopping lists. Even his chance encounters with "would-be princes" happen to be occurring in alphabetical order. First Aaron, then Ben, and so on...

This is the story of one bachelor with twenty-six possibilities, from A to Z.

The Alphabetical List of Would-Be Princes is a heartwarming novel about wanting to hold on and learning to let go; looking for love and allowing love to find you; and figuring out the rules and knowing when to break them. With the help of enduring friendships and a few random guiding voices, Jack learns to navigate his way through the alphabetical list in the hopes of finding his prince and a happily-ever-after to call his own. This inventive, inspiring tale will take you on an unforgettable journey full of amorous pursuits, zinger-spouting friends, and all the letters in between.

The Alphabetical List of Would-Be Princes

Get it at Lulu and Amazon.