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Saturday, July 31, 2010

The YA Lit Six

So I know it's been dead around here. I've been writing and revising. Basically, I wrote a 63K book in a month and a half and added 10K more revising in the next couple weeks.

But anyways.

Harmony (who's awesome and you all should tell her so) came up with the idea to start a writing group/blog. And she asked me to be part of it. So I'll be posting there on Saturdays every week! Go here to see what I'm talking about this week and what the other girls have posted already this week.

Peace and cookies,
Laina

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday (50)

Waiting on Wednesday is, of course, brought to us by the lovely Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Not sure if I have a theme this week. Maybe you guys can come up with one :P First up this week we have:

The Properties of Water by Hannah Roberts McKinnon - To be released October 26th, 2010

"The Properties of Water" is the story of two teenage sisters who live on a lake. When the older sister suffers a tragic swimming accident, both sisters and their family must learn to cope with the aftermath.

(Summary from goodreads.)

Why I want it: Because it sounds sad and we can all use a good cry once in a while. Sorry I couldn't find a better summary. Hey, does this cover remind anyone else of the cover of Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins?

Next up, we have:

Girl, Stolen by April Henry - To be released September 28th, 2010

Sixteen year-old Cheyenne Wilder is sleeping in the back of a car while her mom fills her prescription at the pharmacy. Before Cheyenne realizes what's happening, their car is being stolen with her inside! Griffin hadn’t meant to kidnap Cheyenne, all he needed to do was steal a car for the others. But once Griffin's dad finds out that Cheyenne’s father is the president of a powerful corporation, everything changes — now there’s a reason to keep her. What Griffin doesn’t know is that Cheyenne is not only sick with pneumonia, she is blind. How will Cheyenne survive this nightmare, and if she does, at what price?

(Summary from goodreads.)

Why I want it: Because it sounds awesome! Kidnapping books really intrigue me, and I can only remember one book I've read with a blind main character, From Charlie's Point of View by Richard Scrimger (really recommend it). And does this cover remind anyone else of Sleepless by Thomas Fahy?

Hey, maybe that's my theme! It works as well as any.

Okay, that's it for today.
Peace and cookies,
Laina

Oh!! And you can read the first chapter of Girl, Stolen here.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Fun Friday: Give Me Something to Sing About! (38)

Fun Friday: Give Me Something to Sing About! is where you guys get to see a song or two I like or that I want to talk about each week. Thanks as always goes to J.J. at Random Musings for help with the title.

Okay, this song is called All Over You and it's by The Spill Canvas. Enjoy!



Peace and cookies,
Laina

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

CSN sneak peak

Hey, guys, I don't have energy to do a Waiting on Wednesday post this week. Next week! So instead, I'm doing this.

You guys know CSN stores, right? They have tons and tons of stores that sell everything. Furniture, bedroom furniture sets, barbecues, baby stuff, everything.

Of course, you guys know how cramped my bookshelves are and how desperately in need of a new one I am, so when CSN asked me if I'd liked to review something from them, of course, I chose a bookcase.

This one:


Isn't it cute?? And I think it'll be perfect for me.

Okay, that's everything!

Peace and cookies,
Laina

Monday, July 12, 2010

In My Mailbox (27)

In My Mailbox is brought to us by The Story Siren and was inspired by Alea.

Did I let the blog go dead again? I'm really bad at this regular posting thing, aren't I? Well, anyways, I only have one book this week, but it's a big-un.

For review:

Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton - ARC

Teagan Wylltson's best friend, Abby, dreams that horrifying creatures--goblins, shape-shifters, and beings of unearthly beauty but terrible cruelty--are hunting Teagan. Abby is always coming up with crazy stuff, though, so Teagan isn't worried. Her life isn't in danger. In fact, it's perfect. She's on track for a college scholarship. She has a great job. She's focused on school, work, and her future. No boys, no heartaches, no problems.

Until Finn Mac Cumhaill arrives. Finn's a bit on the unearthly beautiful side himself. He has a killer accent and a knee-weakening smile. And either he's crazy or he's been haunting Abby's dreams, because he's talking about goblins, too . . . and about being The Mac Cumhaill, born to fight all goblin-kind. Finn knows a thing or two about fighting. Which is a very good thing, because this time, Abby's right. The goblins are coming.

(Summary from goodreads.)

When I got it, I opened it in my mom's store and I made noises one shouldn't make in public, and then for like an hour, I didn't want to stop petting it. Erm, I mean... that wasn't weird at all... hahaha.

Okay, so, that's everything.

Peace and cookies,
Laina

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Storytime Spotlight (4)

Most of you probably know that I work at my library holding a weekly Storytime every Thursday, for around three year old kids to around five year old kids, with some closer to twos and some over fives. Shesten of I Heart Monster suggested that I share my lesson plans for the week. I rarely actually have a lesson plan, since most of my Storytimes follow pretty much the same general structure, but I figure I'll share with you guys what I'm reading and such each week.

The theme: Cats! M who comes almost every week had been asking for a kitten week, and I tried to get as many of those as possible, but it's really more of a cats themed week. I'd done a cat week before, but it was long enough ago that it didn't really matter. Cats are a very popular subject for childrens books so you have a lot of choices with this theme.

Books we read:

Nini Here and There by Anita Lobel

Nini the cat is very, very worried. She loves her comfortable windowsill perch in her sunny home in the city. But the clues are clear: Nini's people are going away. Will they take her? Or will they leave her? And if they take her (and, oh, she hopes they do), will she like wherever it is they are going? Will it feel like home?

Tiger by Nick Butterworth

Tiger isn't a real tiger, he’s a kitten. But sometimes when he plays, he pretends to be a tiger in the jungle. Children won't be able to resist joining in the fun as this precocious kitten runs, creeps, snarls, and sleeps just like a real tiger!

Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, Are You Waking Up? by Billy Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson

Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, are you waking up?
Not yet, Mother, I'm a sleepy buttercup.


Kitty Cat should be getting ready for school, but instead, she's practicing her purr, looking for her socks, chasing a little mouse, and more.

(All summaries are from goodreads. Click the titles to go to the goodreads page of each book for more information about the books.)

We read Nini Here and There first. It wasn't a favorite of the kids, but I thought they liked it pretty well. It might go over better with older kids, and I think it'd be a good book to read to a child before a vacation or trip if they were a little bit nervous.

Tiger was really well loved. It's absolutely adorable and the kids really liked it (and so did I). They liked seeing Tiger pretending to be a real tiger and it was really cute asking them if they thought he was a real tiger or not. The final decision was that he was a baby tiger, if you're wondering. ;)

Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, Are You Waking Up? we read last since it was the shortest and I always try to leave the shortest book for last when their attention spans are running out. They liked this one a lot, too.

I don't have any pictures here since the colouring pages I used were from a colouring book. Tip if you go for that option: Copy one page the day before/the day you prepare and then photocopy the copy. Since colouring book pages are double-sided, when you photocopy them, the picture on the other side can show through and copying the copy gives you a cleaner picture. I always copy my pictures while the kids are there because they love watching it. They're fascinated by the photocopier.

Of course, we did our Storytime rules.

"Turn your listening ears up." We pretend to turn our ears up.
"Stay in your chair." I tap the leg of the chair I'm sitting in.
"Look with your eyes, not with your hands." I point at my eyes, then at them.
And then I always ask, "And if we're good listeners, what do we get?" and they get to go, "Stickers!"

Other cat themed books:

Pandora by William Mayne
The Mouse, the Cat, and Grandmother's Hat by Nancy Williard
The Grannyman by Judith Byran Schacher
Have You Got My Purr? by Judy West
The Cinder-Eyed Cats by Eric Rohman
Wee G. by Harriet M. Ziefert
Hello, Calico! by Karma Wilson (and sequels - board books)
A Little Kitten by Jane Feder (board book)
Sammy Salami by Jerry Smath
A Box Full of Kittens by Sonia Manzano (Maria on Sesame Street!!)

And I think that's everything! This was a nice, easy and simple one, so... not that much to write about!

Peace and cookies,
Laina

Sunday, July 4, 2010

In My Mailbox (26)

Wow, I haven't done one of these in like a month... So this is like the last month's total.

As always, In My Mailbox is brought to us by The Story Siren and was inspired by Alea.

Received for review:

The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman - Hardcover

The Sanctuary of the Redeemers is a vast and desolate place - a place without joy or hope. Most of its occupants were taken there as boys and for years have endured the brutal regime of the Lord Redeemers whose cruelty and violence have one singular purpose - to serve in the name of the One True Faith.

In one of the Sanctuary's vast and twisting maze of corridors stands a boy. He is perhaps fourteen or fifteen years old - he is not sure and neither is anyone else. He has long-forgotten his real name, but now they call him Thomas Cale. He is strange and secretive, witty and charming, violent and profoundly bloody-minded. He is so used to the cruelty that he seems immune, but soon he will open the wrong door at the wrong time and witness an act so terrible that he will have to leave this place, or die.

His only hope of survival is to escape across the arid Scablands to Memphis, a city the opposite of the Sanctuary in every way: breathtakingly beautiful, infinitely Godless, and deeply corrupt.

But the Redeemers want Cale back at any price… not because of the secret he now knows but because of a much more terrifying secret he does not.

(Summary from goodreads.)

A Place for Delta by Melissa Walker - Hardcover

Joseph can hardly believe what he has been asked to do. His Aunt Kate, a wildlife biologist, is waiting for him at a research station and needs his help taking care of an orphaned polar bear cub only a few months old. He will leave his friends and family and venture to the farthest northern town in the United States. As the adventure unfolds, Joseph and his newfound Eskimo friend Ada find mysteries wherever they look. The bear cub, Delta, remains in danger. Who would want a polar bear dead? Joseph will have to look to the North Georgia woods to save Delta. When his parents were kids, they too embarked on an excursion into the unknown. Their encounters with the wilderness beyond their backyard have shaped the future for Joseph and Delta. A Place for Delta is about one family's journey—a passage born in the Appalachian Mountains and leading to the Arctic.

(Summary from goodreads.)

(Despite what goodreads said, this isn't the Melissa Walker of the Violet books. But I still think it sounds cute. And I don't know why I'm talking in parentheses)

The Jaguar Stones Book One: Middleworld by J & P Voekle - Paperback

“As I see it,” said Max, “all that stands between humankind and the end of the world is two talking monkeys, a crazy archaeologist covered in red paint, and a couple of kids with blowguns. Am I right?”

Fourteen-year-old Max Murphy, video-gamer extraordinaire, is furious when his archaeologist parents cancel the family vacation to go on a dig in Central America. But things go from bad to worse when Max is summoned to join them, only to discover that his parents have vanished. With the help of Lola, a fast-talking, quick-thinking Maya girl, Max embarks on a quest to find out just what’s going on. Soon Max and Lola are running for their lives in the perilous rainforest, as they unlock ancient secrets, meet mysterious strangers, and begin to understand that, in San Xavier, nothing is ever as it seems.

Fate has delivered a challenge of epic proportions to Max Murphy. But can a teen whose biggest talent is for video games rescue his parents from the Maya Underworld and save himself from the villainous Lords of Death?

(Summary from goodreads.)

This one sounds really fun. :) I like the paperback cover much better than the hardcover... cover. That didn't sound right for a minute there. I have a lot of caffeine in my system.

Bought at Walmart:

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce - Hardcover

Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris-- the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.

Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts fiercely alongside her. Now Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves and finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax-- but loving him means betraying her sister and has the potential to destroy all they've worked for.

(Summary from goodreads.)

Yay for #sistersred! If you don't know what that means, you need to get your butt on Twitter!

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer - Hardcover

Bree Tanner can barely remember life before she had uncannily powerful senses, superhuman reflexes and unstoppable physical strength. Life before she had a relentless thirst for blood... life before she became a vampire.

All Bree knows is that living with her fellow newborns has few certainties and even fewer rules: watch your back, don't draw attention to yourself and, above all, make it home by sunrise or die. What she doesn't know: her time as an immortal is quickly running out.

Then Bree finds an unexpected friend in Diego, a newborn just as curious as Bree about their mysterious creator, whom they know only as "her". As they come to realize that the newborns are pawns in a game larger than anything they could have imagined, Bree and Diego must choose sides and decide whom to trus. But when everything you know about vampires is based on a lie, how do you find the truth?

(Summary from goodreads.)

I also got a Villain sticker from Chelsea Campbell but it's across the room and I can't be bothered getting up to get it.

Okay, I think that's everything.
Peace and cookies,
Laina

Friday, July 2, 2010

Fun Friday: Give me something to sing about (37)

Fun Friday: Give me something to sing about! is where you guys get to see a song or two I like or that I want to talk about each week. Thanks as always goes to J.J. at Random Musings for help with the title.

You guys thought I was in a retro mood last week with a song from 2005. Here's one from 1981 for you.



Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes.

(If this video won't play right or the sound sucks or anything, I'm really sorry but I can't play it right now.)

Happy Friday!

Peace and cookies,
Laina

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Oh Canada

Our home and native land! True patriot love in all thy sons command. The True North strong and free! From far and wide, we stand on guard for thee and that's all I can do off the top of my head. That's the gist of it, though :P

It's Canada Day. Or will be when you guys read this. I'm writing it at 5am on the day before, though. So pretend I'm watching fireworks or something. Actually, since Thursday will be the last day Eclipse plays at the theatre, hope to heck I've either seen it Wednesday or am watching it today. Otherwise I'll be irked.

But not the point. The point is... yeah, Canada Day. I'm Canadian. And proud of it. So... flag.


And all that.

Peace and cookies,
Laina