Fun Friday: Give Me Something to Sing About! (51)

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.



(Let's Be Friends by Emily Osment)

Don't judge me. I like this song.

Peace and cookies,
Laina

Waiting on Wednesday (63)

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

Chasing AllieCat by Rebecca Fjelland Davis - To be released February 1st, 2010

Sadie Lester has been dumped with relatives for the summer. Boredom seems inevitable in her small Minnesota town until she meets Allie—a spiky-haired off-road biker with incredible grace and speed. Training for the upcoming bike race, Allie leads Sadie and cute fellow cyclist Joe up and down Mount Kato—an exhilarating rush that pushes their limits. The fun ends abruptly when they stray off the trail and find a priest, badly beaten and near death. After calling for help, Allie mysteriously disappears from their lives.

Just like the trash littering the beautiful river bluffs, there's something foul afoot. Creepy rednecks are prowling the woods, the same ones who ran Sadie and Allie off the road one night. It's not until the day of the big race that Sadie finally learns the startling truth about Allie, her connection to the priest, and what drove her into hiding.

(Summary from goodreads.)

Why I want this: Because it sounds awesome!!

Human .4 by Mike A. Lancaster - To be released March 8th, 2011

The Millgrove talent show has the same performances as any other small town — a cheesy ventriloquist, off-key karaoke singers, and bad dance routines. But after Kyle Straker is hypnotized as part of his friend’s mysterious new act, Millgrove will never be the same again.

When Kyle and the other volunteers awaken, the entire audience, the entire town, and possibly the entire world, is frozen still. Telephones, radios, televisions, and computers no longer work— only a strange language flashes across the screens. When everybody suddenly wakes up, it becomes clear that they have changed—and that Kyle is now an outsider, one of the 0.4.

Is Kyle still under hypnosis, or is this chilling new world real? Will he awaken from a dream to roars of laughter, or is there something much more sinister happening?

One of the last of his kind, Kyle records his story on a series of cassette tapes, describing the shift, and what it means for the future of mankind.

(Summary from goodreads.)

Why I want this: Again, it sounds awesome!! I don't read enough science fiction and I love the premise of this one, that it's being recorded on tapes.

Oh, and my theme this week? Grey covers!

Peace and cookies,
Laina

Short update

So, things. Remember The YA Lit Six? (You better, I write there every Saturday :P) It was a twitter now. You should follow it!

And speaking of The YA Lit Six, you guys should check out my post this week. It's an excerpt from my WIR (work-in-revision) Spyder.

Okay, that's everything!

Peace and cookies,
Laina

Fun Friday: Give Me Something to Sing About! (50)

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.



(White Lines by Alexz Johnson)

I recently fell in this one again. Isn't it gorgeous?

Peace and cookies,
Laina

Waiting on Wednesday (62)

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

Vesper: A Deviants Novel by Jeff Sampson - To be released January 25th, 2011

Emily Webb is a geek. And she’s happy that way. Content hiding under hoodies and curling up to watch old horror flicks, she’s never been the kind of girl who sneaks out for midnight parties. And she’s definitely not the kind of girl who starts fights or flirts with other girls’ boyfriends. Until one night Emily finds herself doing exactly that . . . the same night one of her classmates—also named Emily—is found mysteriously murdered.

The thing is, Emily doesn’t know why she’s doing any of this. By day, she’s the same old boring Emily, but by night, she turns into a thrill seeker. With every nightfall, Emily gets wilder until it’s no longer just her personality that changes. Her body can do things it never could before: Emily is now strong, fast, and utterly fearless. And soon Emily realizes that she’s not just coming out of her shell... there’s something much bigger going on. Is she bewitched by the soul of the other, murdered Emily? Or is Emily Webb becoming something else entirely—something not human?

As Emily hunts for answers, she finds out that she’s not the only one this is happening to—some of her classmates are changing as well. Who is turning these teens into monsters—and how many people will they kill to get what they want?

(Summary from goodreads.)

Why I want this: I love mysteries, I love paranormal, so this sounds like a great mix of those! Plus we need more geek girls in books. I really like the cover, too.

The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal - To be released January 25th, 2010 (by Egmont - don't we love Egmont???)

Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia knows her role in life. But everything changes when she learns, just after her sixteenth birthday, that she is a false princess–a stand-in for the real Nalia, who has been hidden away for her protection. Cast out with little more than the clothes on her back, the girl now called Sinda must leave behind the city, her best friend, Kiernan, and the only life she’s ever known.

While struggling with her new peasant life, Sinda discovers that magic runs through her veins–long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control. Returning to the city to seek answers, she instead uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor’s history forever.

(Summary from goodreads.)

Why I want this: Could you imagine how it'd feel to find out something like that? That would like totally destroy everything you thought you knew about yourself. Also, cool cover!! I like the face in the locket.

Okay, that's everything!!

Peace and cookies,
Laina

In My Mailbox (31)

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

I randomly had a really good week bookwise. Ironic since I'm doing NaNo and hardly have any time to read... Just wait til December!! I'm spending all of December reading, I promise.

So here's what I got!

Won from contests:

The Absolute Value of -1 by Steve Brezenoff - Hardcover

The absolute value of any number, positive or negative, is its distance from zero: |-1| = 1

Noah, Lily, and Simon have been a trio forever. But as they enter high school, their relationships shift and their world starts to fall apart. Privately, each is dealing with a family crisis—divorce, abuse, and a parent's illness. Yet as they try to escape the pain and reach out for the connections they once counted on, they slip—like soap in a shower. Noah’s got it bad for Lily, but he knows too well Lily sees only Simon. Simon is indifferent, suddenly inscrutable to his friends. All stand alone in their heartache and grief.

(Summary from goodreads.)

And this one came with some really awesome swag:

I absolutely adore the Firelight swag. It's even more vibrant in real life.

I also got this:

Cool, hey?

From another contest I got this:

Bloodthirsty by Flynn Meaney - Paperback

Some vampires are good. Some are evil. Some are faking it to get girls. Awkward and allergic to the sun, sixteen-year-old Finbar Frame never gets the girl. But when he notices that all the female students at his school are obsessed with a vampire romance novel called Bloodthirsty, Finbar decides to boldly go where no sane guy has gone before--he becomes a vampire, minus th ...more Some vampires are good. Some are evil. Some are faking it to get girls. Awkward and allergic to the sun, sixteen-year-old Finbar Frame never gets the girl. But when he notices that all the female students at his school are obsessed with a vampire romance novel called Bloodthirsty, Finbar decides to boldly go where no sane guy has gone before--he becomes a vampire, minus the whole blood sucking part. With his brooding nature and weirdly pale skin, it's surprisingly easy for Finbar to pretend to be paranormal. But, when he meets the one girl who just might like him for who he really is, he discovers that his life as a pseudo-vampire is more complicated than he expected. This hilarious debut novel is for anyone who believes that sometimes even nice guys-without sharp teeth or sparkly skin--can get the girl.

(Summary from goodreads.)

I loved the cover of this one so much that I didn't care that it was a no-PO box contest and entered anyways. And while it was a pain in the butt to get here because I HATE the delivery company, it's worth it.

Oh, and it came with this:

I think it's an iron on decal? In any case, it's cute.

For review I got:

The Invisible Order: Rise of the Darklings by Paul Crilley - Hardcover

Emily Snow is twelve years old, supporting herself and her younger brother on the streets of Victorian England by selling watercress. One early winter morning on her way to buy supplies, she encounters a piskie--a small but very sarcastic fey creature that has been cornered by a group of the Black Sidhe, piskies from an opposing clan. She rescues him and unknowingly becomes involved in a war between the Seelie and the Unseelie, two opposing factions of fairies that have been battling each other throughout the long centuries of human history, with London--and England itself--as the ultimate prize.

When the Invisible Order--a centuries-old secret society of humans that has protected mankind from the fey's interference--gets involved, things really start to get complicated.

Now she is the central figure in this ancient war that could permanently change Earth. With no one to trust, Emily must rely on her own instincts and guile to make the right choices that could save her family and all of mankind.

(Summary from goodreads.)

This one sounds really good. Can't wait to read it!

And last, also for review:

Star-Crossed #3: Gemini Night by Bonnie Hearn Hill - Paperback

Logan McRae's guy is far away and out of touch, and she is heartbroken. She turns to her mentor, renowned journalist Henry Jaffa, who helps her land a job as the Friday intern for CRUSH magazine in San Francisco. With a little luck, she could also be the mag's teen astrology columnist. All she has to do in order to prove herself to Stacy, her editor, is figure out the astrology chart for one of the celebs who will be attending the CRUSH launch party Halloween night. But when she studies the mystery person's chart, she sees disaster predicted for the weekend of the costume party. Who is the in-danger Gemini? Is it fashion designer Graciela Perez, the "Silver Dragon"? Is it her friend Chili's new guy, teen celebrity chef Alex Keen? Or is it, as Logan suspects, out-of-control singing star Arianna Woods? As Logan turns to her book, Fearless Astrology for guidance, she sees something she's missed before. Big trouble is predicted that night for her sign as well.

(Summary from goodreads.)

I haven't read the other two of this series, but I'll just get them from the library.

Okay, that's it for this week! What'd you guys get?

Peace and cookies,
Laina

Fun Friday: Give Me Something to Sing About! (49)

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.



(Take Me On the Floor by The Veronicas.)

I'm not usually a big Veronicas fan (they're usually just a liiiiittle too perky for me), but I really like this song.

Peace and cookies,
Laina

Waiting on Wednesday (61)

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

No real theme this week, either. But both are books that look REALLY good. :)

See What I See by Gloria Whelan - To be released January 1st, 2011

Kate Tapert sees her life in paintings. Yet one place she never sees her life is in the work of the famous and reclusive artist Dalton Quinn—her father, whom she hasn’t seen or heard from in nearly ten years. Now Kate has an art dream of her own, and a scholarship to art school to help make it a reality. The last piece to the puzzle is staying with her father, which means it’s time for Kate to work her way into Dalton’s life, into his mind, and into his heart, whether he likes it or not.

See What I See is a powerful family story filled with uneasy relationships, deep secrets, reluctant togetherness, and an examination of the unbreakable bond between father and daughter.

(Summary from goodreads.)

Why I want this: I like a good contemporary book as much as the next person and this one sounds like it has the possibility to be a real tear-jerker. (In a good way!!) Plus, the cover is cool. I like the edging around the top of the cover.

Bitter Melon by Cara Chow - To be released December 28th, 2010

Frances, a Chinese-American student at an academically competitive school in San Francisco, has always had it drilled into her to be obedient to her mother and to be a straight-A student so that she can go to Med school. But is being a doctor what she wants? It has never even occurred to Frances to question her own feelings and desires until she accidentally winds up in speech class and finds herself with a hidden talent. Does she dare to challenge the mother who has sacrificed everything for her? Set in the 1980s.

(Summary from goodreads.)

Why I want this one: I love books set in the 70s or 80s because it wasn't that long ago, but it still seems so far away.

On the cover: Does anyone know if this is the official cover or if the one on the right is? Goodreads uses the one on the right on the main page of the book, but Fantastic Fiction and Amazon use the one on the left... and it's hard to find a large picture of the flower one.

I rather hope the one on the left is the offical cover. I think it's much more special than the flower one. (As much as I love flowers, it's kind of been done. A lot.)

Okay, that's it for this week!

Peace and cookies,
Laina

Things I Talk About on Twitter (2)

Makeup. I'm a little bit of an addict, I'll admit. This is where I keep most of my makeup:

(See, Ashy! I told you that it'd all fit in one picture. Well... my makeup case isn't on there, but it COULD. :P Honest.)

Anyways, I saw these drawers in a video on youtube and was annoyed that no stores around here had them until I found them in walmart. I think they were like 10, 20 dollars? Honestly, it's one of the best buys I've ever found. I have a mirror on the wall above it, so I do my hair and makeup here, which is why the curling iron is on top.

Wanna see what's inside? (Click pictures to enlarge if you want. They're all pretty big.)

My eye makeup. Eyeshadow, eyeliner, false eyelash glue, all that stuff. Eye makeup is my favourite.
Face makeup. Mostly this has foundations and pressed powders that I don't use, but there are also a couple concealers, some colour stick thingies I play with some times, bronzers, blushes, glitter. This tends to be my catch all drawer with my sponges, sometimes mask and scrub things, makeup pencil sharpeners (I have a ton of these), random Halloween makeup. The usual, you know?

Lippies!! I'm not as huge into these as eye makeup. I tend to chew my lips a lot, so they don't usually last long. I have some lip glosses, a couple lipsticks, and extra lipbalm. Elf stopped selling those Candy Shop lip tins so I got them for 50 cents each.

And yes, those are Skittle Lipsmackers. They were part of a contest prize.

Now, this is what I keep in my makeup case:

Do you want me to list what all is in here? I could do it in the next post if you do, but this post is long already. Anyways, it all fits in this:


(Pictured next to I Am Not a Serial Killer for reference because it was the closest book when I took this picture.)

Also, these weren't in the picture because I was using them for something, but I use these all the time to line my eyes on top. Most often, I keep the orange and top purple in my makeup bag.

Here's a tip. The bottom purple one broke on the drive home from the city when I bought it. So I bought a really cheap potted lip balm, emptied it out (a popsicle stick works well to get the lip balm out or one that you've used works, too, I just didn't like the lip balm at all - oh, and if there's a residue from the balm/gloss, use a disinfecting wipe to clean it out, then wash it well), and then dumped the broken eyeshadow into the empty case. I got bored and used the end of my powder brush to pack it down, but it works fine loose, too. However you like your eyeshadow.

Okay, so that's everything. Let me know on if you want me to do another post listing the contents of my makeup case!

Peace and cookies,
Laina

Requested Makeup Post

Okay, a little off topic post today (though am I ever on topic??), but I have a friend who's having issues deciding what to buy for makeup since she's just got into it. Since it'd take a looong time to Tweet about all my makeup, this is my answer.

This is what I keep in my makeup kit (there'll be more makeup stuff in my next Things I Talk About on Twitter post, that's what kicked this off):

The basics, though:

A good moisturizer. I like Biore's with spf.

Foundation. I use Revlon ColorStay for Oily/Combination skin. It cost like 20 bucks, but that's because the drug store overcharges here and I couldn't get to Walmart to get it like I wanted. Normally, it's around 10 or 15, I believe. I use a concealer brush to put it on (it doesn't have a pump and it works better than sponges) and a foundation brush to blend. Generally I don't need to use a concealer with this because if you don't blend it out right away, it starts to dry and can basically double as a concealer, plus then if I sweat, it won't go anywhere. I don't like powder foundations because they tend to look very cakey on me and they often don't match.

Whatever you use, just make sure that it matches your skin tone. There shouldn't be any lines or anything.

Powder. Mine is by CoverGirl, it's the TruBlend mineral pressed powder, I believe. It doesn't run off a lot. I use a flat-topped powder brush to apply it because I find that blends my foundation a bit extra in case I missed it... and I just really like my powder brush.

Blush. I use Elf blushes, most often the one in the mini makeup case thing. You can find it on the elf site, though, I think. I think it's called the blush and bronzer duo, or something like that. I find if I don't use blue with foundation, I look all washed out and sick. Not a good look :P Some people swear by bronzers, but I'm not good with them so I tend to skip them. Oh, and get a nice blush brush, it really helps with the application.

Mascara. My favourite is CoverGirl LashBlast. Depending on what look you're going for, it's good to have a length mascara and a volume mascara. Waterproof mascara holds more and won't run as easily, but can be harder to take off.

Oh, while I'm thinking about it...

Makeup remover. I have makeup removing wipes and waterproof eyemakeup remover.

Okay, that's the very basics.

A couple of extras:

Eyeshadow. Eyeshadow is my favourite thing in the world. I recommend starting with a neutral quad or trio, but remember that not everyone's neutrals are the same. Most often I use pink and purple eyeshadows because they're WAY more natural on me than browns or whatever. Anyways, you want a light colour, not white, like gold or pink, a deeper colour in the same family for your crease, and a white or very light colour to highlight. Brushes: An eyeshadow brush and a blending brush are your best friends.

Also, an eyeshadow primer will keep your eyeshadow looking fresh all day. I use Elf's, (of course... I'm an Elf addict, haven't you noticed?) but if you don't want to buy one, a little bit of liquid concealer over your eyelids can work pretty well.

I normally use a cream eyeshadow on an eyeliner brush to line my eyes on the top, then top it with a powder eyeshadow. That makes the colour really vibrant and long lasting. Note: Pretty much all cream eyeshadows crease on their own. They're better used as bases or like I do, lining. I only use pencil eyeliner on the bottom of my eyes because I'm not very good at using it on the upper lid. Hence the cream eyeshadow lining. Plus I get better colours that way.

I don't use lip stuff every time I wear makeup, but I do have a couple lipglosses and lipsticks I like. One lipstick I like is L'Oreal Color Riche in Sweet Peach, I think... but honestly, I'm not so hot for lipstuff. Mostly I use lip balm.

So, that's my basic post. Anyone wanna throw in anything else?

Peace and cookies,
Laina

Fun Friday: Give Me Something to Sing About! (48)

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.



(Enough to Let Me Go by Switchfoot.)

My friend Ashy recommended this one. You guys thank her!! :D

Peace and cookies,
Laina

Waiting on Wednesday (60)

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

No theme this week. These two just come out near each other. :P Unless you guys see a theme I don't.

Playing Hurt by Holly Schindler - To be released March 1st, 2011

Star basketball player Chelsea "Nitro" Keyes had a full ride to college—and everyone's admiration back home. Then she took a horrible fall during senior year. Now a metal plate holds her together and she feels like a stranger in her own family.

That summer, Chelsea's dad hires Clint, a nineteen-year-old ex-hockey player and "boot camp" trainer, to work with her at a northern Minnesota lake resort. As they grow close, Chelsea finds that Clint's haunted by his own tragedy. Will their romance end up hurting them all over again—or finally heal their heartbreak?

(Summary from goodreads.)

Why I want this: Hockey players are hot? I actually babbled about this on twitter the other day when I was stalking facebook pictures... plus, you know, Sidney Crosby.

Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach - To be released March 31st, 2011

A haunted castle, a handsome young man dead for four hundred years, one heck of a scary portrait of a witch, and a treasure hunt -- not to mention a princess for a roommate! -- all await 15 year old American girl Caitlyn Monahan when she earns a scholarship to a French boarding school.

There are secrets behind the stone walls of Chateau de la Fortune, buried for centuries along with the mystery of who killed Raphael, the charming ghost who visits Caitlyn at night. But as Caitlyn unearths the history of the castle, nothing scares her as badly as the secret she learns about herself, and the reason she was chosen to come to the Fortune School.

And nothing breaks her heart as badly as falling in love with a dead guy.

(Summary from goodreads.)

Why I want this: The cover is gorgeous, and, hello, hot dead guy!!! Ghost stories creep me out more than just about anything, but I still enjoy them.

Peace and cookies,
Laina