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.
(August 28th 3:30 AM by Automatic Loveletter.)
This is the most played song in my library but I've never shared it here. It's a bit older so you might have heard of it, but if you haven't, it's definitely worth a listen!
Tell me what you think in the comments!
Peace and cookies,
Laina
(Also, happy early New Year's!)
Friday, December 30, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Waiting on Wednesday (97)
Waiting on Wednesday is, of course, brought to us by the lovely Jill at Breaking the Spine.
Did you guess my theme last week? It was... drumroll please... butterfly covers! Alright, on to this week's covers.
Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen - To be released February 14th, 2012 (Hey, maybe some of you could ask for this as a Valentine's Day present from your honeys or your besties.)
Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in. It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want to read this: Most of what I know about Robin Hood comes from Bugs Bunny and Keropie. I can't wait to see how this one turns out. Plus, the cover is awesome.
Undeadly by Michele Vail - To be released February 28th, 2012
The day I turned 16, my boyfriend-to-be died. I brought him back to life. Then things got a little weird...
Molly Bartolucci wants to blend in, date hottie Rick and keep her zombie-raising abilities on the down-low. Then the god Anubis chooses her to become a reaper—and she accidentally undoes the work of another reaper, Rath.
Within days, she’s shipped off to the Nekyia Academy, an elite school that trains the best necromancers in the world. And her personal reaping tutor? Rath. Who seems to hate her guts.
Rath will be watching closely to be sure she completes her first assignment-reaping Rick, the boy who should have died. The boy she still wants to be with.
To make matters worse, students at the academy start turning up catatonic, and accusations fly—against Molly. The only way out of this mess? To go through hell. Literally.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want to read this: NECROMANCY AND AN ACADEMY THAT TEACHES THEM, HOW AWESOME IS THAT??? *coughs* Ahem. I mean, it sounds very interesting.
What are you guys waiting on this week?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Did you guess my theme last week? It was... drumroll please... butterfly covers! Alright, on to this week's covers.
Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen - To be released February 14th, 2012 (Hey, maybe some of you could ask for this as a Valentine's Day present from your honeys or your besties.)
Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in. It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want to read this: Most of what I know about Robin Hood comes from Bugs Bunny and Keropie. I can't wait to see how this one turns out. Plus, the cover is awesome.
Undeadly by Michele Vail - To be released February 28th, 2012
The day I turned 16, my boyfriend-to-be died. I brought him back to life. Then things got a little weird...
Molly Bartolucci wants to blend in, date hottie Rick and keep her zombie-raising abilities on the down-low. Then the god Anubis chooses her to become a reaper—and she accidentally undoes the work of another reaper, Rath.
Within days, she’s shipped off to the Nekyia Academy, an elite school that trains the best necromancers in the world. And her personal reaping tutor? Rath. Who seems to hate her guts.
Rath will be watching closely to be sure she completes her first assignment-reaping Rick, the boy who should have died. The boy she still wants to be with.
To make matters worse, students at the academy start turning up catatonic, and accusations fly—against Molly. The only way out of this mess? To go through hell. Literally.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want to read this: NECROMANCY AND AN ACADEMY THAT TEACHES THEM, HOW AWESOME IS THAT??? *coughs* Ahem. I mean, it sounds very interesting.
What are you guys waiting on this week?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Friday, December 23, 2011
Fun Friday: Give Me Something to Sing About! (78)
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, it's December 23rd, so I'm going to do a Christmas song. Don't sheild your ears, though. Trust me, it'll be a good song.
(Mittens by Carly Rae Jepson.)
What do you guys think? What are song of your favourite non-traditional Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanzaa/Winter Solstice/Yule/Winter holiday of your choosing songs?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Okay, it's December 23rd, so I'm going to do a Christmas song. Don't sheild your ears, though. Trust me, it'll be a good song.
(Mittens by Carly Rae Jepson.)
What do you guys think? What are song of your favourite non-traditional Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanzaa/Winter Solstice/Yule/Winter holiday of your choosing songs?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Waiting on Wednesday (96)
Waiting on Wednesday is, of course, brought to us by the lovely Jill at Breaking the Spine.
We have a THEME this week. Wanna see if you can guess it? Bonus cool points to anyone who does.
The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker - To be released February 1st, 2012 in the UK and May 1st, 2012 in the US
3 years, 1 month, 1 week and 6 days since I’d seen daylight. One-fifth of my life. 98,409,602 seconds since the heavy, steel door had fallen shut and sealed us off from the world
Sherry has lived with her family in a sealed bunker since things went wrong up above. But when they run out of food, Sherry and her dad must venture outside. There they find a world of devastation, desolation...and the Weepers: savage, mutant killers.
When Sherry's dad is snatched, she joins forces with gorgeous but troubled Joshua - an Avenger, determined to destroy the Weepers.
But can Sherry keep her family and Joshua safe, when his desire for vengeance threatens them all?
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: BECAUSE IT SOUNNDS AWESOME. Okay, so, this is actually the UK cover, but I like it and there's like a 25% chance that would be the one that I'd get in Canada. (I have a full set of UK Harry Potter books, for example. Plus, my blog, my rules.) Also, I wanted to talk about this cover. I kept thinking about how cool and pretty it was when I looked at it. Then I realized the butterfly has HANDS and LITTLE PEOPLE in the design. How freaky is that???
The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison - To be released February 14th, 2012
Penelope (Lo) Marin has always loved to collect beautiful things. Her dad's consulting job means she's grown up moving from one rundown city to the next, and she's learned to cope by collecting (sometimes even stealing) quirky trinkets and souvenirs in each new place--possessions that allow her to feel at least some semblance of home.
But in the year since her brother Oren's death, Lo's hoarding has blossomed into a full-blown, potentially dangerous obsession. She discovers a beautiful, antique butterfly pendant during a routine scour at a weekend flea market, and recognizes it as having been stolen from the home of a recently murdered girl known only as "Sapphire"--a girl just a few years older than Lo. As usual when Lo begins to obsess over something, she can't get the murder out of her mind.
As she attempts to piece together the mysterious "butterfly clues," with the unlikely help of a street artist named Flynt, Lo quickly finds herself caught up in a seedy, violent underworld much closer to home than she ever imagined--a world, she'll ultimately discover, that could hold the key to her brother's tragic death.
(Summary for goodreads.)
Why I want to read this: 1. It's a mystery and I love mysteries. 2. Her name is awesome. I adore unusual nicknames from given names. 3. A character who hoards really, really intrigues me.
Alrighty, so did you guess the theme? What are you waiting on this week? Leave your answers in the comments below.
Peace and cookies,
Laina
We have a THEME this week. Wanna see if you can guess it? Bonus cool points to anyone who does.
The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker - To be released February 1st, 2012 in the UK and May 1st, 2012 in the US
3 years, 1 month, 1 week and 6 days since I’d seen daylight. One-fifth of my life. 98,409,602 seconds since the heavy, steel door had fallen shut and sealed us off from the world
Sherry has lived with her family in a sealed bunker since things went wrong up above. But when they run out of food, Sherry and her dad must venture outside. There they find a world of devastation, desolation...and the Weepers: savage, mutant killers.
When Sherry's dad is snatched, she joins forces with gorgeous but troubled Joshua - an Avenger, determined to destroy the Weepers.
But can Sherry keep her family and Joshua safe, when his desire for vengeance threatens them all?
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: BECAUSE IT SOUNNDS AWESOME. Okay, so, this is actually the UK cover, but I like it and there's like a 25% chance that would be the one that I'd get in Canada. (I have a full set of UK Harry Potter books, for example. Plus, my blog, my rules.) Also, I wanted to talk about this cover. I kept thinking about how cool and pretty it was when I looked at it. Then I realized the butterfly has HANDS and LITTLE PEOPLE in the design. How freaky is that???
The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison - To be released February 14th, 2012
Penelope (Lo) Marin has always loved to collect beautiful things. Her dad's consulting job means she's grown up moving from one rundown city to the next, and she's learned to cope by collecting (sometimes even stealing) quirky trinkets and souvenirs in each new place--possessions that allow her to feel at least some semblance of home.
But in the year since her brother Oren's death, Lo's hoarding has blossomed into a full-blown, potentially dangerous obsession. She discovers a beautiful, antique butterfly pendant during a routine scour at a weekend flea market, and recognizes it as having been stolen from the home of a recently murdered girl known only as "Sapphire"--a girl just a few years older than Lo. As usual when Lo begins to obsess over something, she can't get the murder out of her mind.
As she attempts to piece together the mysterious "butterfly clues," with the unlikely help of a street artist named Flynt, Lo quickly finds herself caught up in a seedy, violent underworld much closer to home than she ever imagined--a world, she'll ultimately discover, that could hold the key to her brother's tragic death.
(Summary for goodreads.)
Why I want to read this: 1. It's a mystery and I love mysteries. 2. Her name is awesome. I adore unusual nicknames from given names. 3. A character who hoards really, really intrigues me.
Alrighty, so did you guess the theme? What are you waiting on this week? Leave your answers in the comments below.
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Friday, December 16, 2011
Fun Friday: Give Me Something to Sing About! (77)
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.
So, we all know that I love Alexz Johnson and what kind of fan would I be if I didn't post about her new song?
(Skipping Stone by Alexz Johnson.)
Now, I don't know how long this will last, but right now (when I'm typing this and hopefully when it posts), you can download the song free from her website. No strings attached, I promise.
Leave your thoughts in the comments!
Peace and cookies,
Laina
So, we all know that I love Alexz Johnson and what kind of fan would I be if I didn't post about her new song?
(Skipping Stone by Alexz Johnson.)
Now, I don't know how long this will last, but right now (when I'm typing this and hopefully when it posts), you can download the song free from her website. No strings attached, I promise.
Leave your thoughts in the comments!
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Waiting on Wednesday (95)
Waiting on Wednesday is, of course, brought to us by the lovely Jill at Breaking the Spine.
Tempest by Julie Cross - To be released January 17th, 2012
The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy... he’s in college, has a girlfriend... and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.
That is... until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.
Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.
But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him.
Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly... and possibly the entire world.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: For one thing, I've always loved time travel books. I also really like male MCs and you don't see a ton of them in YA. So double cool points!
Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood - To be released February 6th, 2012
Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.
Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word . . . especially after she finds her mother's diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.
If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want to read it: Witches, tea parties, and FORBIDDEN ROMANCE. Duh, how could I not want to read it???
So what do you guys think? Are you waiting on anything special this week?
Peace and cookies,
Lana
Tempest by Julie Cross - To be released January 17th, 2012
The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy... he’s in college, has a girlfriend... and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.
That is... until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.
Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.
But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him.
Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly... and possibly the entire world.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: For one thing, I've always loved time travel books. I also really like male MCs and you don't see a ton of them in YA. So double cool points!
Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood - To be released February 6th, 2012
Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.
Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word . . . especially after she finds her mother's diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.
If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want to read it: Witches, tea parties, and FORBIDDEN ROMANCE. Duh, how could I not want to read it???
So what do you guys think? Are you waiting on anything special this week?
Peace and cookies,
Lana
Monday, December 12, 2011
Things I've Read Recently
I have a review written somewhere, I just need to find the notebook it's in, so for now, I'm just going to talk a little bit about some books that I've read recently but don't want to do full reviews of.
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Published: January 1st, 2002 by either Scholastic or HarperCollins, I'm not 100% sure because goodreads is confusing and it's late.
Genre: Middle grade fantasy
Binding: Paperback
Page count: Goodreads says 162 and I'm not getting up to check the copy I have.
Part of a series? No
Amazon link.
Summary (from goodreads): Coraline's often wondered what's behind the locked door in the drawing room. It reveals only a brick wall when she finally opens it, but when she tries again later, a passageway mysteriously appears. Coraline is surprised to find a flat decorated exactly like her own, but strangely different. And when she finds her "other" parents in this alternate world, they are much more interesting despite their creepy black button eyes. When they make it clear, however, that they want to make her theirs forever, Coraline begins a nightmarish game to rescue her real parents and three children imprisoned in a mirror. With only a bored-through stone and an aloof cat to help, Coraline confronts this harrowing task of escaping these monstrous creatures.
Thoughts: This isn't the first time I've read this (more like the third), but it's one of my absolute favourite books ever. Highly recommend. V and I were reading it, but we didn't finish. I think it might be a bit beyond her because she's only eight. Depends on the kid. She was liking it, though.
Coraline: Graphic Novel by Neil Gaiman and P. Craig Russell
Published: July 1st, 2008 by HarperCollins
Genre: I guess middle grade fantasy too? I'm not sure how graphic novel genres work...
Binding: Paperback.
Page count: Goodreads says 186 pages.
Part of a series? Nope.
Amazon link.
You don't need the summary again, do you? ;) You're smart people, you know how to scroll. Here's a goodreads link for you, though.
Anyways, I saw this on my library website and it looked interesting so I figured I'd order it and see what it was like. I don't mean to repeat myself, but it was, again, very interesting. I don't know a lot about graphic novels, but it was cool seeing Coraline another medium. Part of me kept expecting to see the movie Coraline, though, blue hair and all (because blue hair and all and anyone who says otherwise is on the wrong blog). I probably wouldn't buy this one because it isn't really a favourite, but it was well worth a read.
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Published: January 1st, 2009 by Dutton Juvenile
Genre: YA... um, I'm not sure what. Mostly contemporary but sort of a not? I don't know. It's hard to explain.
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: Goodreads says 208 and I'm not going to the other room to get my copy and check, so we're going with that.
Part of a series: Yes, it has a sequel.
Amazon link.
Summary (from goodreads): What if you had everything:
A gorgeous boyfriend who was madly in love with you?
Quirky hip parents who totally got you?
A musical talent that could take you anywhere?
What if your biggest problem in life was choosing which path to take?
Follow your first love--music-- to New York City?
Or stay with your boyfriend, friends, and family?
What if one day, you went out for a drive...
And in an instant everything changed?
What if suddenly all the other choices were gone?
Except for one - the only one that truly mattered?
What would you do?
Thoughts: I bought this at a Walmart in the city because I had heard good things about it and it was pretty. (See the edge along there? The front part of the cover lifts up and there's shattered glass underneath. Really cool.) Then because I suck and my to-read pile wants to murder me in my sleep, I did the same thing I do to most of the books I buy. I put it on a shelf and forgot about it.
THEN I won a contest and got a (signed) copy of If I Stay and certain people threatened to disown me if I didn't read it. I still didn't read it for a while because I suck like that. Then I FINALLY started to read it and I loved it. I kept tearing up in public and it was just... great. Read it. Now.
Where She Went by Gayle Forman
Published: April 5th, 2011 by Dutton Juvenile
Genre: YA Contemporary
Binding: Hardcover
Page Count: 260 according to goodreads.
Part of a series? No duh.
Amazon link.
I am not going to post the summary to this one because it has MAJOR spoilers if you haven't read the first one. So click the goodreads link at your own risk. I am WARNING YOU and I am not responsible if you spoil yourself.
I won't say much about this one for the risk of spoiling, but I will say that I loved it. It made me cry as much as If I Stay and the choice of a twenty-one year old narrator isn't something you see often. (And I won't say who narrates it. NO ONE ELSE DO EITHER.)
Then recently I got sick and I wanted something comforting, so I decided to reread a book I had already read. I guess that's comforting for the same reasons watching movies I've seen 20 times is. Or my brain is just weird. (Quit snickering.) Anyways, this is what I read.
Birthright by Nora Roberts
Published: March 30th, 2004 by Jove (By Jove, I think she's got it!)
Genre: Adult romantic suspense.
Binding: Paperback (Mass market paperback, if you're wondering.) (Those are the shorter ones.)
Page Count: Goodreads says 502
Part of a series? No.
Amazon link.
Summary (from goodreads): On a hot July afternoon, a worker at an Antietam Creek construction site drives the blade of his backhoe into a layer of soil — and strikes a 5,000-year-old human skull. The discovery draws plenty of attention and a lot of controversy. It also changes the life of one woman in ways she never expected.
(I'm only putting part of the summary because this post is getting long.)
Thoughts: I had this book on my mind for a while because I recommended it to a friend. I was telling her about this scene where Callie, the main character, is in a motel room and her ex-husband is in the room next to hers. She wants to talk to him, but she's too stubborn to call him or go next door, so she starts playing the Jaws theme on her cello. He bursts into her room, grabs the bow and goes, "You know I hate that."
That stuck with me and still made me giggle after years since reading this, so I figured it was time for a reread and it was just as good as I remembered. Can I just be Nora Roberts? Only with Twitter because I read in an interview that she doesn't tweet and I don't know if I can live like that.
(Oh, also, this IS an adult romance novel, so there's smexytimes and stuff. If you're not comfortable with that, it's okay. There's mystery and archaelogy stuff which is fascinating and family drama, too, so if you skim those parts, you won't feel left out. The romance is a big part of the novel, though. It IS a romance novel and if you don't like romance, you'll probably want to skip this one no matter how much I tell you I loved it.) (If you don't like romance of any kind, what ARE you doing here??? Like 90% of the novels I read have some kind of romance.) (Picture books generally don't.) (Although there is Smitten where a sock and a mitten fall in love and lots of princes and princesses fall in love.) (But even if you don't like romance of any kind, I don't want you to stop reading my blog, okay? Because you guys are awesome.)
(But if you don't think blue hair is awesome AND you don't like romance... I don't know what you're finding here for you, but I hope you're enjoying it.)
Anyways. One of my favourites. Highly recommend it.
Let's move on, shall we? Next up we have:
Are You Afraid? by Carla Cassidy
Published: March 7th, 2006 by Signet
Genre: Adult romantic suspense
Binding: Paperback
Page count: 352
Part of a series? Nope.
Amazon link.
Summary (from goodreads): At the age of sixteen, Jessica Langford endured and escaped the grip of a serial killer who buried his victims alive. After overcoming this terrifying experience, she started her own radio program to help those living in fear. If she could survive her past, why not help others do the same?
But now her past is being resurrected. An anonymouse man calls in to her how with remarkable knowledge of her traumatic experience - and her worst fears. With help from Detective Jake Merridan - a gorgeous cop on the brink of burnout himself - Jessie must try to uncover the intentions of this mysterious caller, to find him before he kills again and makes her life worse than anything she's ever feared.
Thoughts: I liked this one a lot. The romance was sweet and the serial killer part was scary like it's supposed to be. All good. (Also an adult romance, so again, sexytimes, yada yada, you know the rest.) (When I say adult, I mean grown-up. Not adult like adult movies because we all know what that euphanism means and that's a bit icky.) Recommend.
One last book that I want to talk about:
Making Waves by Tawna Fenske
Published: August 1st, 2011 by Sourcebooks
Genre: Adult romantic comedy
Binding: Paperback
Page count: 352 and you know the goodreads deal by now.
Part of a series? Nope, standalone.
Amazon link.
Summary (from goodreads): She always wanted to belong... just not to a disfunctional pirate crew.
Juli has trouble fitting in, though she'd prefer to keep the reasons to herself. But when she mistakenly stows away on a ship of misfit corporate castoffs, her own secrets become the least of her concerns.
He knows plotting a diamond heist may be considered unusual behavior...
But Alex isn't feeling very normal when his unscrupulous boss kicks him to the curb. Meeting Juli doesn't do much to restore normalcy to Alex's life, but it sure is exhilerating!
As Alex and Juli bare their secrets - and a whole lot more - they find that while normal is nice, weird can be wonderful.
Thoughts: I started reading this at 5am on a Wednesday beause I didn't have to shower and was almost late for work because I forgot to watch the clock. (Yes, I go to work at 6am. Yes, it's as fun as it sounds.) I didn't finish it that day, so the next day, when I had Storytime at 10am, I read more after my shower at 8 and was again almost late for work.
That's how good it was. It was funny and sweet and quirky and I didn't want to put it back. I'm a bit sad I have to give it back to the library. *sniffle* YOU KNOW. Tomorrow is my birthday. (Please picture this as you read that.) Anyways, this is a definite recommend.
Alright, so there you have a few things I've read that I haven't talked about on here before. What have you guys been reading? Have you read any of these? Going to now? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Coraline by Neil GaimanPublished: January 1st, 2002 by either Scholastic or HarperCollins, I'm not 100% sure because goodreads is confusing and it's late.
Genre: Middle grade fantasy
Binding: Paperback
Page count: Goodreads says 162 and I'm not getting up to check the copy I have.
Part of a series? No
Amazon link.
Summary (from goodreads): Coraline's often wondered what's behind the locked door in the drawing room. It reveals only a brick wall when she finally opens it, but when she tries again later, a passageway mysteriously appears. Coraline is surprised to find a flat decorated exactly like her own, but strangely different. And when she finds her "other" parents in this alternate world, they are much more interesting despite their creepy black button eyes. When they make it clear, however, that they want to make her theirs forever, Coraline begins a nightmarish game to rescue her real parents and three children imprisoned in a mirror. With only a bored-through stone and an aloof cat to help, Coraline confronts this harrowing task of escaping these monstrous creatures.
Thoughts: This isn't the first time I've read this (more like the third), but it's one of my absolute favourite books ever. Highly recommend. V and I were reading it, but we didn't finish. I think it might be a bit beyond her because she's only eight. Depends on the kid. She was liking it, though.
Coraline: Graphic Novel by Neil Gaiman and P. Craig RussellPublished: July 1st, 2008 by HarperCollins
Genre: I guess middle grade fantasy too? I'm not sure how graphic novel genres work...
Binding: Paperback.
Page count: Goodreads says 186 pages.
Part of a series? Nope.
Amazon link.
You don't need the summary again, do you? ;) You're smart people, you know how to scroll. Here's a goodreads link for you, though.
Anyways, I saw this on my library website and it looked interesting so I figured I'd order it and see what it was like. I don't mean to repeat myself, but it was, again, very interesting. I don't know a lot about graphic novels, but it was cool seeing Coraline another medium. Part of me kept expecting to see the movie Coraline, though, blue hair and all (because blue hair and all and anyone who says otherwise is on the wrong blog). I probably wouldn't buy this one because it isn't really a favourite, but it was well worth a read.
If I Stay by Gayle FormanPublished: January 1st, 2009 by Dutton Juvenile
Genre: YA... um, I'm not sure what. Mostly contemporary but sort of a not? I don't know. It's hard to explain.
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: Goodreads says 208 and I'm not going to the other room to get my copy and check, so we're going with that.
Part of a series: Yes, it has a sequel.
Amazon link.
Summary (from goodreads): What if you had everything:
A gorgeous boyfriend who was madly in love with you?
Quirky hip parents who totally got you?
A musical talent that could take you anywhere?
What if your biggest problem in life was choosing which path to take?
Follow your first love--music-- to New York City?
Or stay with your boyfriend, friends, and family?
What if one day, you went out for a drive...
And in an instant everything changed?
What if suddenly all the other choices were gone?
Except for one - the only one that truly mattered?
What would you do?
Thoughts: I bought this at a Walmart in the city because I had heard good things about it and it was pretty. (See the edge along there? The front part of the cover lifts up and there's shattered glass underneath. Really cool.) Then because I suck and my to-read pile wants to murder me in my sleep, I did the same thing I do to most of the books I buy. I put it on a shelf and forgot about it.
THEN I won a contest and got a (signed) copy of If I Stay and certain people threatened to disown me if I didn't read it. I still didn't read it for a while because I suck like that. Then I FINALLY started to read it and I loved it. I kept tearing up in public and it was just... great. Read it. Now.
Where She Went by Gayle FormanPublished: April 5th, 2011 by Dutton Juvenile
Genre: YA Contemporary
Binding: Hardcover
Page Count: 260 according to goodreads.
Part of a series? No duh.
Amazon link.
I am not going to post the summary to this one because it has MAJOR spoilers if you haven't read the first one. So click the goodreads link at your own risk. I am WARNING YOU and I am not responsible if you spoil yourself.
I won't say much about this one for the risk of spoiling, but I will say that I loved it. It made me cry as much as If I Stay and the choice of a twenty-one year old narrator isn't something you see often. (And I won't say who narrates it. NO ONE ELSE DO EITHER.)
Then recently I got sick and I wanted something comforting, so I decided to reread a book I had already read. I guess that's comforting for the same reasons watching movies I've seen 20 times is. Or my brain is just weird. (Quit snickering.) Anyways, this is what I read.
Birthright by Nora RobertsPublished: March 30th, 2004 by Jove (By Jove, I think she's got it!)
Genre: Adult romantic suspense.
Binding: Paperback (Mass market paperback, if you're wondering.) (Those are the shorter ones.)
Page Count: Goodreads says 502
Part of a series? No.
Amazon link.
Summary (from goodreads): On a hot July afternoon, a worker at an Antietam Creek construction site drives the blade of his backhoe into a layer of soil — and strikes a 5,000-year-old human skull. The discovery draws plenty of attention and a lot of controversy. It also changes the life of one woman in ways she never expected.
(I'm only putting part of the summary because this post is getting long.)
Thoughts: I had this book on my mind for a while because I recommended it to a friend. I was telling her about this scene where Callie, the main character, is in a motel room and her ex-husband is in the room next to hers. She wants to talk to him, but she's too stubborn to call him or go next door, so she starts playing the Jaws theme on her cello. He bursts into her room, grabs the bow and goes, "You know I hate that."
That stuck with me and still made me giggle after years since reading this, so I figured it was time for a reread and it was just as good as I remembered. Can I just be Nora Roberts? Only with Twitter because I read in an interview that she doesn't tweet and I don't know if I can live like that.
(Oh, also, this IS an adult romance novel, so there's smexytimes and stuff. If you're not comfortable with that, it's okay. There's mystery and archaelogy stuff which is fascinating and family drama, too, so if you skim those parts, you won't feel left out. The romance is a big part of the novel, though. It IS a romance novel and if you don't like romance, you'll probably want to skip this one no matter how much I tell you I loved it.) (If you don't like romance of any kind, what ARE you doing here??? Like 90% of the novels I read have some kind of romance.) (Picture books generally don't.) (Although there is Smitten where a sock and a mitten fall in love and lots of princes and princesses fall in love.) (But even if you don't like romance of any kind, I don't want you to stop reading my blog, okay? Because you guys are awesome.)
(But if you don't think blue hair is awesome AND you don't like romance... I don't know what you're finding here for you, but I hope you're enjoying it.)
Anyways. One of my favourites. Highly recommend it.
Let's move on, shall we? Next up we have:
Are You Afraid? by Carla CassidyPublished: March 7th, 2006 by Signet
Genre: Adult romantic suspense
Binding: Paperback
Page count: 352
Part of a series? Nope.
Amazon link.
Summary (from goodreads): At the age of sixteen, Jessica Langford endured and escaped the grip of a serial killer who buried his victims alive. After overcoming this terrifying experience, she started her own radio program to help those living in fear. If she could survive her past, why not help others do the same?
But now her past is being resurrected. An anonymouse man calls in to her how with remarkable knowledge of her traumatic experience - and her worst fears. With help from Detective Jake Merridan - a gorgeous cop on the brink of burnout himself - Jessie must try to uncover the intentions of this mysterious caller, to find him before he kills again and makes her life worse than anything she's ever feared.
Thoughts: I liked this one a lot. The romance was sweet and the serial killer part was scary like it's supposed to be. All good. (Also an adult romance, so again, sexytimes, yada yada, you know the rest.) (When I say adult, I mean grown-up. Not adult like adult movies because we all know what that euphanism means and that's a bit icky.) Recommend.
One last book that I want to talk about:
Making Waves by Tawna FenskePublished: August 1st, 2011 by Sourcebooks
Genre: Adult romantic comedy
Binding: Paperback
Page count: 352 and you know the goodreads deal by now.
Part of a series? Nope, standalone.
Amazon link.
Summary (from goodreads): She always wanted to belong... just not to a disfunctional pirate crew.
Juli has trouble fitting in, though she'd prefer to keep the reasons to herself. But when she mistakenly stows away on a ship of misfit corporate castoffs, her own secrets become the least of her concerns.
He knows plotting a diamond heist may be considered unusual behavior...
But Alex isn't feeling very normal when his unscrupulous boss kicks him to the curb. Meeting Juli doesn't do much to restore normalcy to Alex's life, but it sure is exhilerating!
As Alex and Juli bare their secrets - and a whole lot more - they find that while normal is nice, weird can be wonderful.
Thoughts: I started reading this at 5am on a Wednesday beause I didn't have to shower and was almost late for work because I forgot to watch the clock. (Yes, I go to work at 6am. Yes, it's as fun as it sounds.) I didn't finish it that day, so the next day, when I had Storytime at 10am, I read more after my shower at 8 and was again almost late for work.
That's how good it was. It was funny and sweet and quirky and I didn't want to put it back. I'm a bit sad I have to give it back to the library. *sniffle* YOU KNOW. Tomorrow is my birthday. (Please picture this as you read that.) Anyways, this is a definite recommend.
Alright, so there you have a few things I've read that I haven't talked about on here before. What have you guys been reading? Have you read any of these? Going to now? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Friday, December 9, 2011
Fun Friday: Give Me Something to Sing About! (76)
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.
Here's a song I really, really like.
(Haven't Had Enough by Marianas Trench.)
I don't usually talk about videos, but this is one I really like. For one thing, pirates. (Because pirates are so much cooler than ninjas. And everything else, too.) For another, if you watch the girl, she's the one being chased, but she is totally in control of things. She's in the lead. It's cool.
What do you guys think?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Here's a song I really, really like.
(Haven't Had Enough by Marianas Trench.)
I don't usually talk about videos, but this is one I really like. For one thing, pirates. (Because pirates are so much cooler than ninjas. And everything else, too.) For another, if you watch the girl, she's the one being chased, but she is totally in control of things. She's in the lead. It's cool.
What do you guys think?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Waiting on Wednesday (94)
Waiting on Wednesday is, of course, brought to us by the lovely Jill at Breaking the Spine.
I have not done one of these in ages. How does it go again? Oh, yeah, I think I remember ;)
Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough - I think this one might be out in the UK or something. Goodreads says it was published January 6th, 2011, but Amazon says April 2012. I think. Not sure!!
Beware of Long Lankin, that lives in the moss...
When Cora and her little sister Mimi are sent to stay with their elderly aunt in the isolated village of Bryers Guerdon, they receive a less than warm welcome, and are desperate to go back to London. But Auntie Ida's life was devastated the last time two young girls were at Guerdon Hall, and now her nieces' arrival has reawoken an evil that has lain waiting for years.
A haunting voice in an empty room...
A strange, scarred man lurking in the graveyard...
A mysterious warning, scrawled on the walls of the abandoned church...
Along with Roger and Peter, two young village boys, Cora must uncover the horrifying truth that has held Bryers Guerdon in its dark grip for centuries - before it is too late for Mimi.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want to read this: Goodreads says this was inspired by a folksong about murder, witchcraft and revenge and come on, that just sounds awesome! Plus that cover is gorgeous and I am a shallow, shallow girl.
Next up:
Fracture by Megan Miranda - To be released January 17th, 2012 (Not much longer!!)
By the time Delaney Maxwell was pulled from a Maine lake’s icy waters by her best friend, Decker Phillips, her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead.
But somehow Delaney survived—despite the brain scans that show irreparable damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be fine, but she knows she’s far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can’t control or explain, Delaney now finds herself drawn to the dying, and when she meets Troy Varga, a boy who recently emerged from a coma with the same abilities, she is relieved to share this strange new existence. Unsure if her altered brain is predicting death or causing it, Delaney must figure out if their gift is a miracle, a freak of nature—or something else much more frightening...
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: Partly I have a fondess for the name Delaney and this just sounds awesome. Kinda like extra cool zombies.
Alright, I think that's everything, do you? What are you guys waiting on today?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
I have not done one of these in ages. How does it go again? Oh, yeah, I think I remember ;)
Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough - I think this one might be out in the UK or something. Goodreads says it was published January 6th, 2011, but Amazon says April 2012. I think. Not sure!!
Beware of Long Lankin, that lives in the moss...
When Cora and her little sister Mimi are sent to stay with their elderly aunt in the isolated village of Bryers Guerdon, they receive a less than warm welcome, and are desperate to go back to London. But Auntie Ida's life was devastated the last time two young girls were at Guerdon Hall, and now her nieces' arrival has reawoken an evil that has lain waiting for years.
A haunting voice in an empty room...
A strange, scarred man lurking in the graveyard...
A mysterious warning, scrawled on the walls of the abandoned church...
Along with Roger and Peter, two young village boys, Cora must uncover the horrifying truth that has held Bryers Guerdon in its dark grip for centuries - before it is too late for Mimi.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want to read this: Goodreads says this was inspired by a folksong about murder, witchcraft and revenge and come on, that just sounds awesome! Plus that cover is gorgeous and I am a shallow, shallow girl.
Next up:
Fracture by Megan Miranda - To be released January 17th, 2012 (Not much longer!!)
By the time Delaney Maxwell was pulled from a Maine lake’s icy waters by her best friend, Decker Phillips, her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead.
But somehow Delaney survived—despite the brain scans that show irreparable damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be fine, but she knows she’s far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can’t control or explain, Delaney now finds herself drawn to the dying, and when she meets Troy Varga, a boy who recently emerged from a coma with the same abilities, she is relieved to share this strange new existence. Unsure if her altered brain is predicting death or causing it, Delaney must figure out if their gift is a miracle, a freak of nature—or something else much more frightening...
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: Partly I have a fondess for the name Delaney and this just sounds awesome. Kinda like extra cool zombies.
Alright, I think that's everything, do you? What are you guys waiting on today?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Monday, November 14, 2011
Is anybody still here?
You've probably noticed that things around here have been a bit quiet. AKA we've had complete radio silence since *gulp* July 20th. Around the beginning of July, my internet stopped working at home and I couldn't get it fixed until November 1st. (The joys of living in a small town.) I don't like making excuses about my blogging, so I just... didn't blog. But it's fixed now and my unannounced semi-hiatus is off!
Other new things that have happened that you may or may not have heard of:
Other new things that have happened that you may or may not have heard of:
- I got a new job. I'm baby-sitting an eight year old girl about 50-60 hours a month. The hours are a bit crazy, but I like it.
- Laina Has Too Much Spare Time turned three in October and I couldn't celebrate because of my lack of internet. This shall be remedied soon.
- I finished the second draft of my third book.
- The other blog I write at, the YA Lit Six? We're looking for three new members. Anyone interested?
- I put a "Subscribe by email" widget thing in the sidebar over there. ---->
- I have run out of ideas of what you guys would want to know, so how about I'll go and blog now?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Waiting on Wednesday (93)
Waiting on Wednesday is, of course, brought to us by the lovely Jill at Breaking the Spine.
Wherever You Go by Heather Davis - To be released November 14th, 2011
(Summary from goodreads.)
The summary of this one kind of reminds me of Chasing Brooklyn. Which I haven't read, so it could be totallt different, but whatevs.
The Sharp Time by Mary O'Connell - To be released November 18th, 2011
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: I love her name!!! This one will probably make me cry, but that's not a bad thing, right? Also, I love the cover.
So what are you guys waiting on this week?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Wherever You Go by Heather Davis - To be released November 14th, 2011Seventeen-year-old Holly Mullen has felt lost and lonely ever since her boyfriend, Rob, died in a tragic accident. The fact that she has to spend most of her free time caring for her little sister and Alzheimer’s-stricken grandfather doesn’t help. But Holly has no idea that as she goes about her days, Rob’s ghost is watching over her. He isn’t happy when he sees his best friend, Jason, reach out to help Holly with her grandfather—but as a ghost, he can do nothing to stop it. Is his best friend really falling for his girlfriend?
As Holly wonders whether to open her heart to Jason, the past comes back to haunt her. Her grandfather claims to be communicating with the ghost of Rob. Could the messages he has for Holly be real? And if so, how can the loved ones Rob left behind help his tortured soul make it to the other side?
(Summary from goodreads.)
The summary of this one kind of reminds me of Chasing Brooklyn. Which I haven't read, so it could be totallt different, but whatevs.
The Sharp Time by Mary O'Connell - To be released November 18th, 2011
Sandinista Jones is a high school senior with a punk rock name and a broken heart. The death of her single mother has left Sandinista alone in the world, subject to the random vulnerability of everyday life. When the school system lets her down, her grief and instability intensify, and she ponders a violent act of revenge.
Still, in the midst of her crisis, she gets a job at The Pale Circus, a funky vintage clothing shop, and finds friendship and camaraderie with her coworker, a boy struggling with his own secrets.
Even as Sandinista sees the failures of those with power and authority, she's offered the chance to survive through the redemptive power of friendship. Now she must choose between faith and forgiveness or violence and vengeance.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: I love her name!!! This one will probably make me cry, but that's not a bad thing, right? Also, I love the cover.
So what are you guys waiting on this week?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Waiting on Wednesday (92)
Waiting on Wednesday is, of course, brought to us by the lovely Jill at Breaking the Spine.
Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez - To be released October 18th, 2011
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want to read this one: Because it sounds awesome!!
Scored by Lauren McLaughlin - To be released October 25th, 2011
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want to read this: Also sounds awesome. I think the idea that your future could be ruined by who you're friends with is one that would resonate with a lot of people and I'm really rambling here and I don't think I'm making much sense. Basically - sounds awesome. Want to read. Me Jane. You Tarzan.
So what are you guys waiting on this week?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez - To be released October 18th, 2011
Now is not the time for Carmen to fall in love. Two weeks before the most important violin competition of her career, she has bigger things to worry about—like growing out of that suffocating “child prodigy” label, and not disappointing her mother. But it isn’t just the wrong time. It’s the wrong guy. Jeremy is Carmen’s most talented rival, and according to her mother, he’s only interested in one thing: winning.
He isn’t the only one.
Carmen is so desperate to win she takes anti-anxiety drugs to control performance nerves. But what started a year ago as an easy fix is now a hungry addiction. Her mother insists now is not the time to quit, but Carmen is sick of not feeling anything on stage and even more sick of doing what she’s told.
When the darker side of the classical music industry and her mother's ambition collide, Carmen must choose between her career and her love for music.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want to read this one: Because it sounds awesome!!
Scored by Lauren McLaughlin - To be released October 25th, 2011Set in the future when teenagers are monitored via camera and their recorded actions and confessions plugged into a computer program that determines their ability to succeed. All kids given a "score" that determines their future potential. This score has the ability to get kids into colleges, grant scholarships, or destroy all hope for the above. Scored's reluctant heroine is Imani, a girl whose high score is brought down when her best friend's score plummets. Where do you draw the line between doing what feels morally right and what can mean your future? Friendship, romance, loyalty, family, human connection and human value: all are questioned in this fresh and compelling dystopian novel set in the scarily forseeable future.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want to read this: Also sounds awesome. I think the idea that your future could be ruined by who you're friends with is one that would resonate with a lot of people and I'm really rambling here and I don't think I'm making much sense. Basically - sounds awesome. Want to read. Me Jane. You Tarzan.
So what are you guys waiting on this week?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Waiting on Wednesday (91)
Waiting on Wednesday is, of course, brought to us by the lovely Jill at Breaking the Spine.
These covers kind of match... no similar themes, though, really.
All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin - To be released September 27th, 2011
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: The coffee/chocolate part kind of reminds me the In Death books by JD Robb. Wouldn't that just be a cruel, unfair world??
I love the idea of crime boss chocolate ring, though. This one just sounds great.
Audition by Stasia Ward Kehoe - To be released October 13th, 2011
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: I know a certain couple of people who used to dance who might like this one. *pokes certain people*
Okay, so what are you guys waiting on this week?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
These covers kind of match... no similar themes, though, really.
All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin - To be released September 27th, 2011
Chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is increasingly scarce, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city’s most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine—going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until someone in her inner circle ends up poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she’s to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight—at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafiya family.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: The coffee/chocolate part kind of reminds me the In Death books by JD Robb. Wouldn't that just be a cruel, unfair world??
I love the idea of crime boss chocolate ring, though. This one just sounds great.
Audition by Stasia Ward Kehoe - To be released October 13th, 2011
Once you've been chosen,
what step can you take...?
Seventeen-year-old Sara's dream of becoming a star ballerina is challenged when she falls for Remington, an older choreographer. Instead of success onstage, she becomes Rem's muse, which is a future she never considered--and one that threatens to break her heart.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: I know a certain couple of people who used to dance who might like this one. *pokes certain people*
Okay, so what are you guys waiting on this week?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Waiting on Wednesday (90)
Waiting on Wednesday is, of course, brought to us by the lovely Jill at Breaking the Spine.
I have another theme! PRINCESSES!!
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson - To be released September 10th, 2011
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: PRINCESSES!! (Sorry. My inner five year old is a little loud in this post. Anyways. Secret wife?? Sounds awesome. The cover is cool, too.
Just Your Average Princess by Kristina Springer - To be released October 11th, 2011
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: Okay, so maybe it's not exactly the same kind of princess, but run with the theme here! I think this looks supercute and I love the cover. That's just adorable.
Peace and cookies,
Laina
I have another theme! PRINCESSES!!
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson - To be released September 10th, 2011Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.
Elisa is the chosen one.
But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will.
Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.
And he’s not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.
Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.
Most of the chosen do.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: PRINCESSES!! (Sorry. My inner five year old is a little loud in this post. Anyways. Secret wife?? Sounds awesome. The cover is cool, too.
Just Your Average Princess by Kristina Springer - To be released October 11th, 2011Jamie Edwards has loved growing up on her family’s pumpkin patch in Average, IL, and she’s always dreamed of one day being the town’s Pumpkin Princess at the annual Pumpkin Festival. But when her rich and famous cousin, Milan Woods, comes to town and changes everything, Jamie knows she has to expose Milan for who she really is and teach her that life’s not all pumpkins and apple butter at the patch.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: Okay, so maybe it's not exactly the same kind of princess, but run with the theme here! I think this looks supercute and I love the cover. That's just adorable.
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Friday, June 24, 2011
Fun Friday: Give Me Something to Sing About! (75)
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.
Since it's OFFICIALLY summer, how about a summer themed week?
(Summer's Not Hot - Selena Gomez and the Scene.)
This song is cute and I like the beat. :) What do you guys think?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Since it's OFFICIALLY summer, how about a summer themed week?
(Summer's Not Hot - Selena Gomez and the Scene.)
This song is cute and I like the beat. :) What do you guys think?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Waiting on Wednesday (89)
Waiting on Wednesday is, of course, brought to us by the lovely Jill at Breaking the Spine.
Kind of a theme this week. Boy books! Both the books I'm featuring this week have male main characters.
Going Underground by Susan Vaught - To be released September 13th, 2011
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: I don't think this is something I've ever seen in a YA book before. Also, does the cover remind anyone else of Pushing Daisies?
Okay, this one you're going to have to wait a while for, and normally I'd hold off on posting about it a little while longer, but it fit so well with my theme that I couldn't resist.
Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic - To be released January 18th, 2012
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: Because I want to know why he won't see his eighteenth birthday!!! Also, I am in love with the car on the cover.
What are you guys waiting on this week?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Kind of a theme this week. Boy books! Both the books I'm featuring this week have male main characters.
Going Underground by Susan Vaught - To be released September 13th, 2011
Del is a good kid who’s been caught in horrible circumstances. At 17, he’s trying to put his life together after an incident in his past that made him a social outcast—and a felon. As a result, he can’t get into college; the only job he can find is digging graves; and when he finally meets a girl he might fall in love with, there’s a whole sea of complications that threaten to bring the world crashing down around him again. But what has Del done? In flashbacks to Del’s 14th year, we slowly learn the truth: his girlfriend texted him a revealing photo of herself, a teacher confiscated his phone, and soon the police were involved.
Basing her story on real-life cases of teens in trouble with the law for texting explicit photos, Susan Vaught has created a moving portrait of an immensely likable character caught up in a highly controversial legal scenario.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: I don't think this is something I've ever seen in a YA book before. Also, does the cover remind anyone else of Pushing Daisies?
Okay, this one you're going to have to wait a while for, and normally I'd hold off on posting about it a little while longer, but it fit so well with my theme that I couldn't resist.
Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic - To be released January 18th, 2012I had the dream again. The one where I’m running. I don’t know what from or where to, but I’m scared, terrified really.
Austin Parker is never going to see his eighteenth birthday. At the rate he’s going, he probably won’t even see the end of the year. But in the short time he has left there’s one thing he can do: He can try to help the people he loves live—even though he never will.
It’s probably hopeless.
But he has to try.
Why I want this: Because I want to know why he won't see his eighteenth birthday!!! Also, I am in love with the car on the cover.
What are you guys waiting on this week?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Friday, June 17, 2011
Fun Friday: Give Me Something to Sing About! (74)
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.
Here's a bit of a mellower song for you guys.
(Take Me to the Riot - Stars.)
Whatcha think? I like the mellow vibe on this one... but let's not examine the lyrics too closely. ;)
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Here's a bit of a mellower song for you guys.
(Take Me to the Riot - Stars.)
Whatcha think? I like the mellow vibe on this one... but let's not examine the lyrics too closely. ;)
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Waiting on Wednesday (88)
Waiting on Wednesday is, of course, brought to us by the lovely Jill at Breaking the Spine.
Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay - To be released September 13th, 2011
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: Because it sounds AWESOME??????? (Also. It makes me giggle that they use the same quote as New Moon.) It just sounds incredible. And Juliet not loving Romeo? COOL!!!!
Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barrett - To be released September 19th, 2011
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want to read this: Goddesses!! Gods and goddesses seem to be trending lately, hey? And not just of the Greek variety.
What are you guys waiting on this week?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay - To be released September 13th, 2011
"These violent delights have violent ends
And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which as they kiss consume."
—Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
The most tragic love story in history . . .
Juliet Capulet didn't take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn't anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she's fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she's forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: Because it sounds AWESOME??????? (Also. It makes me giggle that they use the same quote as New Moon.) It just sounds incredible. And Juliet not loving Romeo? COOL!!!!
Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barrett - To be released September 19th, 2011
Ariadne is destined to become a goddess of the moon. She leads a lonely life, finding companionship only with her beloved, misshapen brother Asterion, who must be held captive below the palace for his own safety.
Then a ship arrives bearing a tribute of slaves from Athens, and Ariadne meets Theseus, the son of the king of Athens. Ariadne finds herself drawn to the newcomer, and soon they form a friendship—one that could perhaps become something more.
But Theseus is doomed to die as an offering to the minotaur, that monster beneath the palace—unless he can kill the beast first. And that "monster" is Ariadne’s brother...
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want to read this: Goddesses!! Gods and goddesses seem to be trending lately, hey? And not just of the Greek variety.
What are you guys waiting on this week?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Friday, June 10, 2011
Fun Friday: Give Me Something to Sing About! (73)
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, so most of you probably know this song, but on the off chance you don't watch Glee/car commercials/twitter, I'm going to post it anyways.
(Animal - Neon Trees.)
So what do you think?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Okay, so most of you probably know this song, but on the off chance you don't watch Glee/car commercials/twitter, I'm going to post it anyways.
(Animal - Neon Trees.)
So what do you think?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Waiting on Wednesday (87)
Waiting on Wednesday is, of course, brought to us by the lovely Jill at Breaking the Spine.
The Implosion of Aggie Winchester by Lara Zielin - To be released August 6th, 2011
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: I've said before that I don't really get the whole prom thing because none of the schools I've ever gone to have had them, but I like the pregnant Goth-girl best friend line, and this one just sounds awesome. I love the name Aggie. But I'm having a love/hate thing with the cover. I can't decide if I love it or hate the letters across the face. More and more it's leaning towards love, though.
Misfit by Jon Skovron - August 2011
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: I just really like the sound of this one. And hello, cute skater boy. (He was a sk8er boi, she said see you later boy, he wasn't good enough for her. She had a pretty face, but her head was up in space. She needed to come back down to earth. Okay, I'm done.)
What are you guys waiting on this week?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Sixteen-year-old Aggie Winchester couldn't care less about who's elected prom queen–even if it's her pregnant Goth-girl best friend, Sylvia Ness. Aggie's got bigger things to worry about, like whether or not her ex-boyfriend wants to get back together and whether her mom will survive cancer.
But like it or not, Aggie soon finds herself in the middle of an unfolding prom scandal, largely because her mom, who is the school's principal, is rumored to have burned prom ballots so Sylvia won’t be elected queen. Aggie's own investigation makes her wonder if the election could be dirty on both sides.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: I've said before that I don't really get the whole prom thing because none of the schools I've ever gone to have had them, but I like the pregnant Goth-girl best friend line, and this one just sounds awesome. I love the name Aggie. But I'm having a love/hate thing with the cover. I can't decide if I love it or hate the letters across the face. More and more it's leaning towards love, though.
Misfit by Jon Skovron - August 2011Jael Thompson has never really fit in. She’s changed schools too many times to count. The only family she’s ever known is her father, a bitter ex-priest who never lets her date and insists she attend the strictest Catholic school in Seattle. And her mother—well, she was a five thousand year old demon. That doesn’t exactly help.
But on her sixteenth birthday, her father gives her a present that brings about some unexpected changes. Some of the changes, like strange and wonderful powers and the cute skater boy with a knack for science, are awesome. But others, like the homicidal demon seeking revenge on her family? Not so much.
Steeped in mythology, this is an epic tale of a heroine who balances old world with new, science with magic, and the terrifying depths of the underworld with the ordinary halls of high school.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: I just really like the sound of this one. And hello, cute skater boy. (He was a sk8er boi, she said see you later boy, he wasn't good enough for her. She had a pretty face, but her head was up in space. She needed to come back down to earth. Okay, I'm done.)
What are you guys waiting on this week?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Friday, June 3, 2011
Fun Friday: Give Me Something to Sing About! (72)
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.
Wow, it's starting to get hard to find music for these... time for new tunes soon!! Haha.
Anyways, this is a fun song.
(Fire In Your New Shoes - Kaskade ft. Dragonette.)
I love this song. :D What do you guys think?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Wow, it's starting to get hard to find music for these... time for new tunes soon!! Haha.
Anyways, this is a fun song.
(Fire In Your New Shoes - Kaskade ft. Dragonette.)
I love this song. :D What do you guys think?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Waiting on Wednesday (86)
Waiting on Wednesday is, of course, brought to us by the lovely Jill at Breaking the Spine.
Eve by Anna Carey - To be released October 4th, 2011)
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want to read this: Well, I like the idea of an 18 year old main character, and I really, really want to know what really happens to the girls after they graduate! Caleb sounds yummay, and I love the cover. It reminds me a little of Heather Dixon's Entwined. (I'm pretty sure it's not the same stock photo, though, because I've spent more time than I care to admit playing with the stock photo of Entwined's cover. Seriously.)
Mercy Lily by Lisa Albert - To be released October 11th, 2011
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want to read this: It sounds so sad! And I'll probably cry. But I hope it'll be worth it.
So what are you waiting on this week?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Eve by Anna Carey - To be released October 4th, 2011)The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus—and the vaccine intended to protect against it—wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her.
Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust...and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want to read this: Well, I like the idea of an 18 year old main character, and I really, really want to know what really happens to the girls after they graduate! Caleb sounds yummay, and I love the cover. It reminds me a little of Heather Dixon's Entwined. (I'm pretty sure it's not the same stock photo, though, because I've spent more time than I care to admit playing with the stock photo of Entwined's cover. Seriously.)
Mercy Lily by Lisa Albert - To be released October 11th, 2011A poetic, moving story about a teen who must make an unimaginable choice
Mama has slowly been losing herself to MS. After traditional treatment fails, she takes bee sting therapy, administered by Lily, to alleviate her pain. Lily is trained as a veterinary assistant, so she can easily handle the treatments. What she can't handle is what happens when the bee sting therapy fails and it becomes clear that Mama wants to die.
One beautiful summer day, Lily's mother asks her for the most impossible thing of all—mercy. They live in Oregon, where the Death with Dignity Act allows a patient to make the decision to end their own life.
While navigating first love, friendship, and the other normal worries faced by high school sophomores, Lily also has to choose: grant Mama's request, or cling to Mama's fading life for all it's worth.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want to read this: It sounds so sad! And I'll probably cry. But I hope it'll be worth it.
So what are you waiting on this week?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Friday, May 27, 2011
Fun Friday: Give Me Something to Sing About! (71)
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, I confess. I like Disney a lot. If the TV is on in my house during the day, it's either on Disney or the Food Network. *is ashamed* *only not really*
One of my favourite shows is Wizards of Waverly Place. I love Selena Gomez and I finally got around to getting her second CD with her band - and I LOVED it. This is one of the songs I like the best:
(Rock God - Selena Gomez and The Scene.)
What do you guys think?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Okay, I confess. I like Disney a lot. If the TV is on in my house during the day, it's either on Disney or the Food Network. *is ashamed* *only not really*
One of my favourite shows is Wizards of Waverly Place. I love Selena Gomez and I finally got around to getting her second CD with her band - and I LOVED it. This is one of the songs I like the best:
(Rock God - Selena Gomez and The Scene.)
What do you guys think?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Waiting on Wednesday (85)
Waiting on Wednesday is, of course, brought to us by the lovely Jill at Breaking the Spine.
Sweetly by Jackson Pearce - To be released August 23rd, 2011
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: While I haven't read Sisters Red yet, I like the idea of this being a companion rather than a direct sequel. I don't think we see that very often in YA, at least I don't, and I like it. I am also in LOVE with this cover. Oh, and I also think that the idea of a Hansel and Gretal retelling is awesome.
Drink Slay Love by Sarah Beth Durst - To be released September 13th, 2011
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: Okay, it's a short summary. But were-UNICORN?? How freaking AWESOMESAUCE is that?? I can't wait to see when a little information more about this one comes out.
So what are you guys waiting on this week?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Twelve years ago, Gretchen, her twin sister, and her brother went looking for a witch in the forest. They found something. Maybe it was a witch, maybe a monster, they aren’t sure—they were running too fast to tell. Either way, Gretchen’s twin sister was never seen again.
Years later, after being thrown out of their house, Gretchen and Ansel find themselves in Live Oak, South Carolina, a place on the verge of becoming a ghost town. They move in with Sophia Kelly, a young and beautiful chocolatier owner who opens not only her home, but her heart to Gretchen and Ansel.
Yet the witch isn’t gone—it’s here, lurking in the forests of Live Oak, preying on Live Oak girls every year after Sophia Kelly’s infamous chocolate festival. But Gretchen is determined to stop running from witches in the forest, and start fighting back. Alongside Samuel Reynolds, a boy as quick with a gun as he is a sarcastic remark, Gretchen digs deeper into the mystery of not only what the witch is, but how it chooses its victims. Yet the further she investigates, the more she finds herself wondering who the real monster is, and if love can be as deadly as it is beautiful.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: While I haven't read Sisters Red yet, I like the idea of this being a companion rather than a direct sequel. I don't think we see that very often in YA, at least I don't, and I like it. I am also in LOVE with this cover. Oh, and I also think that the idea of a Hansel and Gretal retelling is awesome.
Drink Slay Love by Sarah Beth Durst - To be released September 13th, 2011What happens when a vampire is stabbed through the heart by a were-unicorn? She suddenly develops a very inconvenient conscience. Oops.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: Okay, it's a short summary. But were-UNICORN?? How freaking AWESOMESAUCE is that?? I can't wait to see when a little information more about this one comes out.
So what are you guys waiting on this week?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Monday, May 23, 2011
March, April, and May (so far) Picture Book List
Wow, it's been a while since I've done this. Skip it if you want, it'll be long.
March:
March:
- Teatime in Space by Caroline Castle
- Regards to the Man in the Moon by Ezra Jack Keats
- Aliens Love Underpants by Claire Freedman
- Aliens in Underpants Save the World -//-
- Beegu by Alexis Deacon
- What Faust Saw by Matt Ottley
- Nova's Ark by David Kirk
- Smelly Peter the Great Pea Eater by Steve Smallman
- Alistair in Outer Space by Marilyn Sadler
- Alistair and the Alien Invasion -//-
- Space Station Mars by Daniel San Souci
- Hush, Little Alien by Daniel Kirk
- Giraffes Can't Dance by Gail Andreae
- Sheep in a Shop by Nancy Shaw
- Tomatoes From Mars by Arthur Yorinks
- Mud is Cake by Pam Muňoz Ryan
- Pirate Pup by Caroline Stutson
- Fluffy, Scourge of the Sea by Teresa Bateman
- A Kitten Tale by Eric Rohmann
- Mrs. Watson Wants Your Teeth by Alison McGhee
- If the Shoe Fits by Alan Osmond
- Ice Cream by Elish Cooper
- Big Little Elephant by Valeri Gorbachev
- How to Catch an Elephant by Amy Schwartz
- A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead
- Sam Who Never Forgets by Eve Rice
- What Elephant? by Geneviéve Côté
- Ella the Elephant by Jan Latta
- Horton Hears a Who! by Dr. Seuss
- Never Ride Your Elephant to School by Doug Johnson
- I Love My Mama by Peter Kavanegh
- The Elephant Wish by Lou Berger
- Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Suess
- Ella the Elegant Elephant by Carmela D'Amico
- Where's That Cat? by Stephane Poulin
- Ice Cream Fun Day by Kitty Richards
- Bats at the Ballgame by Brian Lies
- Dino-Baseball by Lisa Wheeler
- Brady Brady and the Ballpark Bark by Mary Shaw
- Hit the Ball Duck by Jez Alborough
- The Berenstain Bears Go Out For The Team by Stan Berenstein
- Rhinos Who Play Baseball by Julie Mammano
- Curious George Plays Baseball by Margaret & H. A. Rey
- Roasted Peanuts by Tim Egan
- Albert's Ballgame by Leslie Tryon
- Tulip at the Bat by J. Patrick Lewis
- The Jungle Baseball Game by Tom Paxton
- A Girl Named Dan by Dandi Daley Mackall
- Luke Goes to Bat by Rachel Isadora
- Batter Up Wombat by Helen Lester
- The Boys by Jeff Newman
- Snow Bear by Piers Harper
- Panda & Polar Bear by Matthew J. Baek
- Hush Little Polar Bear by Jeff Mack
- Because I Love You So Much by Guido van Genechten
- Baby Polar by Yannick Murphy
- Cold Paws, Warm Heart by Madeleine Floyde
- Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth
- Zen Ties -//-
- Zen Ghosts -//-
- A Friend Like You by Julia Hubery
- I Am Going to Save a Panda by Lauren Child
- I Am a Little Panda by François Crozat
- On Beyond Zebra by Dr. Seuss
- The Monkey and the Panda by Antonia Barber
- Sweet Hearts by Dorothy Donohue
- Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.
- Tracks of a Panda by Nick Dawson
- Mr. Panda's Painting by Anne Rockwell
- Here Comes the Aliens by Colin McNaughton
- We're Off to Look For Aliens -//-
- Dancing Larry by Daniel Pinkwater
- Patrick's Dinosaurs on the Internet by Carol Carrick
- A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na
- Wow! Said the Owl by Tim Hopgood
- Little Hoot by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
- Owly by Mike Thaler
- Good-Night, Owl! by Pat Hutchins
- Sam and the Firefly by P. D. Eastman
- "I'm Not Sleepy!" by Jonathan Allen
- Little Owl Lost by Chris Haughton
- Annie Hoot and the Knitting Extravaganza by Holly Clifton-Brown
- The Owl and the Pussy-Cat by Edward Lear
- Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
- Berkeley's Barn Owl Dance by Tara Johnson
- Down in the Woods at Sleepytime by Carole Lexa Schaefer
- Angelina and Henry by Katharine Holabird
- Archibald Frisby by Michael Chesworth
- Bailey Goes Camping by Kevin Henkes
- Three Days On a River in a Red Canoe by Vera B. Williams
- Camping Day by Patricia Lakin
- Froggy Goes to Camp by Jonathan London
- Arthur Goes to Camp by Marc Brown
- Curious George Goes Camping by Margaret Rey
- Franklin Has a Sleepover by Paulette Bourgeois
- The Bear Scouts by Stan and Jan Berenstain
- The Berenstain Bears Go to Camp -//-
- A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee by Chris va Dusen
- Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite! by Diane deGroat
- Maisy Goes Camping by Lucy Cousins
- Just Me and My Dad by Mercer Mayer
- The Easter Egg by Jan Brett
- If I Were the Easter Bunny by Louise Gardner
- Peter Rabbit's Happy Easter by Grace Maccarone
- 10 Easter Egg Hunters by Janet Schulman
- Splat the Cat: Where's the Easter Bunny? by Rob Scotton
- Clifford's Happy Easter by Norman Bridwell
- Countdown to Easter by Ann Marie Harris
- Easter Bunny's on His Way! by Brian James
- The Best Easter Eggs Ever! by Jerry Smath
- Easter Mice! by Bethany Roberts
- Bunny Trouble by Hans Wilhelm
- More Bunny Trouble -//-
- Big, Bad Bunny Trouble -//-
- Benny's Chocolate Bunny by Janee Trasler
- Clifford's Big Red Easter by Nancy Parent
- Owen's Marshmallow Chick by Kevin Henkes
- The Great Easter Egg Hunt by Michael Garland
- Miss Spider's Tea Party by David Kirk
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
- Can You Make a Scary Face? by Jan Thomas
- The Wacky Wedding by Pamela Duncan Edwards
- A Closer Look by Mary McCarthy
- Leo the Lightning Bug by Eric Drachman
- What the Ladybug Heard by Julia Donaldson
- I Love Bugs! by Emma Dodd
- Jump! by Scott M. Fischer
- I Love Bugs! by Philemon Sturges
- Bugs at Play by David A. Carter
- Hello, Bugs! by Smriti Prasadam
- Sleepyhead Bear by Lisa Westberg Peters
- Mud by Mary Lyn Ray
- It's Spring! by Linda Glaser
- Spring's Sprung by Lynn Plourde
- Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms by Julia Rawlinson
- Hooray for Spring! by Kazuo Iwamura
- Spring Sail by Larry Dane Brimner
- Spring Is Here, Grumpy Bunny! by Justine Korman
- B Is For Bunny by Tanya Lee Stone
- Good Job, Oliver! by Laurel Molk
- Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson
- It's Spring! by Jimmy Pickering
- Spring Is Here by Will Hillenbrand
- Ready for Spring by Marthe Jocelyn
Friday, May 20, 2011
Fun Friday: Give Me Something to Sing About! (70)
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.
(Valerie by Glee Cast.)
This is one of my favourite new Glee songs. I LOVE Naya Rivera's voice, and this song is an awful lot of fun to sing along to.
Peace and cookies,
Laina
(Valerie by Glee Cast.)
This is one of my favourite new Glee songs. I LOVE Naya Rivera's voice, and this song is an awful lot of fun to sing along to.
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Waiting on Wednesday (84)
Waiting on Wednesday is, of course, brought to us by the lovely Jill at Breaking the Spine.
The Death Catchers by Jennifer Anne Kogler - To be released August 16th, 2011
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want to read this: I LOVE Morgan le Fay. It comes from reading this book over and over and over as a kid. Also, I think the cover of this will be really cool in real life. (It was a pain in the tuckas to find a picture of, though.)
Tunnel Vision by Susan Shaw - To be released August 16th, 2011
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want to read this: I like mysteries. This is a little bit more thriller, but I think I'll like it.
Anyone find it cool that the heroine names are kinda similiar in these??
Peace and cookies,
Laina
The Death Catchers by Jennifer Anne Kogler - To be released August 16th, 2011
On her fourteenth Halloween, Lizzy Mortimer sees her first death-specter.
Confused at first, Lizzy soon learns from her grandmother Bizzy that as Death Catchers, they must prevent fate from taking its course when an unjust death is planned—a mission that has been passed down from their ancestor, Morgan le Fay. Only, Lizzy doesn't expect one of her first cases to land her in the middle of a feud older than time between Morgan le Fay and her sister Vivienne le Mort. Vivienne hopes to hasten the end of the world by preventing Lizzy from saving King Arthur's last descendant—humanity's greatest hope for survival. It's up to Lizzy, as Morgan's earthly advocate, to outwit fate before it's too late.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want to read this: I LOVE Morgan le Fay. It comes from reading this book over and over and over as a kid. Also, I think the cover of this will be really cool in real life. (It was a pain in the tuckas to find a picture of, though.)
Tunnel Vision by Susan Shaw - To be released August 16th, 2011
On her way home one evening, Liza has to force her way through a group of men in a train underpass. She doesn’t think anything of it, but when her mom is shot dead moments later, Liza’s world turns upside down. Even worse, Liza was really the target. Only hours after her mother’s death, Liza is nearly killed again and she and her dad are placed in the witness protection program.
Leaving everything she's ever known behind, Liza and her dad pick up and move, never staying in one place for long. It's too big of a risk--and Liza's worst fear is realized when she gets recognized. The would-be killer is still on their trail, so all Liza and her dad can do is keep running. Unsure whom to trust and where to go, they're just trying to stay alive.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want to read this: I like mysteries. This is a little bit more thriller, but I think I'll like it.
Anyone find it cool that the heroine names are kinda similiar in these??
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Monday, May 16, 2011
Things I Talk About on Twitter (11)
Heffalumps. (Elephants.) More specifically, one I made.
I made it for my elephant Storytime at work. Because I knew none of the kids would know how to make elephant noises (you make one and see!!), I brought in one of the elephants that I got for Valentine's Day from my mom the year before last.
The one on the back left makes elephant noises!! (There's a mommy elephant, and a daddy elephant, and a baby elephant. And yes, I know, the baby elephant looks like it's doing bad things to my blanket, but that wasn't on purpose.)
That was last year's Valentine's day present from my mom. This year I got a pig!
Peace and cookies,
Laina
I made it for my elephant Storytime at work. Because I knew none of the kids would know how to make elephant noises (you make one and see!!), I brought in one of the elephants that I got for Valentine's Day from my mom the year before last.
That was last year's Valentine's day present from my mom. This year I got a pig!
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Friday, May 13, 2011
Fun Friday: Give Me Something to Sing About! (69)
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.
WARNING: Laina is immature. Note the number up there. ^ It makes me giggle. And so does posting this song in the post with that number.
(PG-13 warning, though, guys.)
(Redlight District - Porcelain and the Tramps)
If you guys follow me on Twitter, you know I live next door to a church. I also talk about a song I won't play out loud during the summer, for that reason, that is about strippers. This is that song.
Peace and cookies,
Laina
WARNING: Laina is immature. Note the number up there. ^ It makes me giggle. And so does posting this song in the post with that number.
(PG-13 warning, though, guys.)
(Redlight District - Porcelain and the Tramps)
If you guys follow me on Twitter, you know I live next door to a church. I also talk about a song I won't play out loud during the summer, for that reason, that is about strippers. This is that song.
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Waiting on Wednesday (83)
Waiting on Wednesday is, of course, brought to us by the lovely Jill at Breaking the Spine.
Hey, I kinda have a theme this week! Darkish covers, with red accents.
Dark Parties by Sara Grant - To be released August 3rd, 2011
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: I like books about cities in walls. I know. Random. But what can I say? I do. And the dystopian thing is totally cool.
The Cupid War by Timothy Carter - To be released August 8th, 2011
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want to read this: Pink bodysuit. That is hilarious. And I think this is a different sort of take on the whole Cupid thing that will probably be very interesting to read.
So what are you guys waiting on this week?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Hey, I kinda have a theme this week! Darkish covers, with red accents.
Dark Parties by Sara Grant - To be released August 3rd, 2011
Sixteen-year-old Neva has been trapped since birth. She was born and raised under the Protectosphere, in an isolated nation ruled by fear, lies, and xenophobia. A shield "protects" them from the outside world, but also locks the citizens inside. But there's nothing left on the outside, ever since the world collapsed from violent warfare. Or so the government says...
Neva and her best friend Sanna believe the government is lying and stage a "dark party" to recruit members for their underground rebellion. But as Neva begins to uncover the truth, she realizes she must question everything she's ever known, including the people she loves the most.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want this: I like books about cities in walls. I know. Random. But what can I say? I do. And the dystopian thing is totally cool.
Ricky Fallon had decided against killing himself — just before slipping off a bridge to his death. Now he's a Cupid in the afterlife, helping people fall in love. The job would be cool if it weren't for the dorky pink bodysuits, his jerky boss, and attacks from joy-sucking shadowy entities called Suicides.
When Fallon discovers a dangerous new breed of Suicide, a terrific battle erupts. To save the girl he's falling for — oh, and prevent total world domination — Fallon uses a secret weapon to kick some serious Suicide butt.
(Summary from goodreads.)
Why I want to read this: Pink bodysuit. That is hilarious. And I think this is a different sort of take on the whole Cupid thing that will probably be very interesting to read.
So what are you guys waiting on this week?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
Monday, May 9, 2011
Books I Read Whilst Sick
So I had the plague. Again. This isn't really a review of anything, because I was usually too loopy to review, but here's what I read.
Summary (from goodreads): That's a dead vampire, I thought. My boss dragged me out of bed at two in the morning to see a dead vampire? I might be an Occult Special Investigator for Vancouvr's Mystical Crime Lab, but a dead vampire is routine and no reason to disturb a person's sleep. Then I took a closer look at the body...
Published: May 26th, 2009 by Ace Books
Genre: Adult urban fantasy/mystery
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 371
Part of a series: Yeppers.
Amazon link.
Summary (from goodreads): As an Occult Special Investigator, Tess Corday has seen her fair share of disturbing crime scenes - but nothing has ever shocked her as much as the ritualistic murder of a drugged-out runaway kid, who she soon learns was not the first such victim.
Summary (from goodreads): Occult Special Investigator Tess Corday is not known for her people skills. If a crime's been committed, she wants the guilty party to face justice - end of story. But when a powerful necromancer is killed, Tess has to handle the heavy politics in the occult community as carefully as she handles the scant evidence.
Summary (from goodreads): If only Meg hadn't moved away. Then maybe eleven-year-old Wendy wouldn't be so upset about the other things going on in her life. Like her mother's marriage, and the new stepfamily that came with it. If only Wendy could find someone else like Meg to be her best friend - always and forever.
Thoughts: My mom (and Mires) said that as long as I sat on a blanket (I sat on like four, it was like a nest), I could organize my bookshelves, which I'd been itching to do since I was so bored. And, okay, so maybe I exhausted myself a little and spent the next two days doing nothing, but my bookcases are organized!
Summary (from goodreads): Seventeen-year-old Annika Truman knows about the power of positive thinking. With a little brother who has cancer, it's all she ever hears about. And in order to help Jeremy, she will go to the ends of the earth (or at least as far as Hollywood) to help him believe he can survive his upcoming surgery.
Paradise County by Karen Robards
Summary (from goodreads): Left bankrupt after her billionaire father's sudden death, Alexandra Haywood returns to Shelby County, Kentucky - that bit of Southern splendor known as Paradise County - to sell the family's magnificent horse farm. Part of her mission is to fire Joe Welch, the sexy, stubborn farm manager who worked hard for the Haywoods while raising his children.
Night Child by Jes Battis (OSI #1)
Published: May 27th, 2008 by Ace Books
Genre: Adult urban fantasy/mystery
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 292
Part of a series: Yes.
Amazon link.Summary (from goodreads): That's a dead vampire, I thought. My boss dragged me out of bed at two in the morning to see a dead vampire? I might be an Occult Special Investigator for Vancouvr's Mystical Crime Lab, but a dead vampire is routine and no reason to disturb a person's sleep. Then I took a closer look at the body...
Tess Corday soon realizes that there is not going to be anything ordinary about this cares - not the lab results on the cause of death; not Mia Polanski, the teenage girl living at the address found in the vamp's pocket, who may well be in thrall to a demon; and certainly not Lucian Agrado, the necromancer who is liaison to the vampire community. Agrado is supposed to be part of the solution, but Tess suspects he might be part of the problem.
Under pressure from her boss, Tess is trying to go by the book on this one. But when Mia reaches out to her, she risks her career to help the girl - and finds herself in the middle of a paranormal conspiracy that will change her life forever.
Or possibly end it...
A Flash of Hex by Jes Battis (OSI #2)
Published: May 26th, 2009 by Ace Books
Genre: Adult urban fantasy/mystery
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 371
Part of a series: Yeppers.
Amazon link.
Summary (from goodreads): As an Occult Special Investigator, Tess Corday has seen her fair share of disturbing crime scenes - but nothing has ever shocked her as much as the ritualistic murder of a drugged-out runaway kid, who she soon learns was not the first such victim.
All the dead teens had traces of the dangerous magical drug called Hex in their bodies. All were the children of powerful mage families. All were killed with the sacred tools of mages. It adds up to the chilling possibility that the OSI is dealing with a serial killer, one who has incredible inhuman powers.
To stop the slaughter, Tess and her partner, Derrick, will go anywhere and do anything - including seeking help from the necromancer Lucian Agrado, whom Tess is under orders to avoid. But as the deaths continue, Tess becomes convinced that the identity of the killer is locked inside her own head. And the question is, how many rules is she willing to break to get to the truth?
Inhuman Resources by Jes Battis (OSI #3)
Published: May 25th, 2010 by Ace Books
Genre: Adult urban fantasy/mystery
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 305
Part of a series: If you haven't figured that out by now, you're probably on more drugs than I am.
Amazon link.Summary (from goodreads): Occult Special Investigator Tess Corday is not known for her people skills. If a crime's been committed, she wants the guilty party to face justice - end of story. But when a powerful necromancer is killed, Tess has to handle the heavy politics in the occult community as carefully as she handles the scant evidence.
A priceless suit of armor may know something about the murder, but it's not talking. Neither is Tess's sometime consultant, sometime lover, Lucian Agrado - who is officially representing the necromancers in the grisly matter.
Tracking down the necromancer's killer will pit Tess against old enemies, draw her into forbidden realms - and force her to confront a nightmarish truth that will change her world forever...
Thoughts: I didn't want to do a real review on these, because I didn't read them in a reviewing frame of mind, but I did want to mention them. If you read adult books, I highly recommend you read them. They're really, really good and the author is Canadian, which is really cool. (Seriously... the bio in the back of the books says he lives like two hours away from me. It's crazy cool.) And as a big fan of murder mysteries, I really enjoyed that element as well. Recommend.
Always and Forever Friends by C.S. Adler
Published: 1990 by Avon Camelot (my edition), 1988 by Houghton Mifflin
Genre: MG contemporary fiction
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 164
Part of a series? Nope.
Amazon link.Summary (from goodreads): If only Meg hadn't moved away. Then maybe eleven-year-old Wendy wouldn't be so upset about the other things going on in her life. Like her mother's marriage, and the new stepfamily that came with it. If only Wendy could find someone else like Meg to be her best friend - always and forever.
There were the popular kids - who all stuck together. And there was Honor, a bright and interesting girl who didn't seem to want to be anybody's best friend. It was only when a new girl came into class and Wendy thought she'd found the perfect "always and forever" friend that she really got to know Honor... and found out what friendship was all about.
Anyways, I got distracted by this one while I was tidying. For the record, even though it's older, it's still good. I honestly thought it was from '96 or '97, not this old. The only part that really jolted me was an eleven-year-old taking a purse to school XD Recommend.
Just One Wish by Janette Rallison
Published: March 5th, 2009 by Putnam Juvenile
Genre: YA contemporary fiction
Binding: ARC (Won in a contest)
Page Count: 264 (Goodreads says the hardcover has 272, though)
Part of a series? No, I think it's a standalone.
Amazon link.Summary (from goodreads): Seventeen-year-old Annika Truman knows about the power of positive thinking. With a little brother who has cancer, it's all she ever hears about. And in order to help Jeremy, she will go to the ends of the earth (or at least as far as Hollywood) to help him believe he can survive his upcoming surgery.
But Annika's plan to convince Jeremy that a magic genie will grant him any wish throws her a curveball when he unexpectedly wishes that his television idol would visit him. Annika suddenly finds herself in the desperate predicament of getting access to a hunky star actor and convincing him to come home with her. Piece of cake, right?
Thoughts: It was cute, funny, and made me cry at the end. Maybe it was the drugs, but I didn't always connect with the voice entirely at the beginning and at certain parts throughout. But all and all, a solid read. If I were to rate it, I'd probably give it three and a half roses. Good characters, great dialogue, and I flew through it, so it's not that there was anything wrong with it, I'm just... hard on contemporary books. And, again, cold medicine. Recommend.
Paradise County by Karen RobardsPublished: 2000 by Pocket Books
Genre: Adult romance/ mystery / thriller
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 437
Part of a series? Nope.
Amazon link. Summary (from goodreads): Left bankrupt after her billionaire father's sudden death, Alexandra Haywood returns to Shelby County, Kentucky - that bit of Southern splendor known as Paradise County - to sell the family's magnificent horse farm. Part of her mission is to fire Joe Welch, the sexy, stubborn farm manager who worked hard for the Haywoods while raising his children.
But Joe refuses to be fired, and he and Alex clash. They also fall for each other - hard. Just as their attraction flares, a shocking murder with ties to the past rocks the county - and cuts close to home when Joe's teenage son, Eli, and Alex's wild-spirited younger sister, Neely, vanish. Now, the evil that lurks beneath Paradise County raises its gruesome head - and Alex is targeted as the next victim.
Thoughts: This one was pretty good. I liked the crime/mystery element and Joe was hot. Some parts of it sort of felt like it was written in the 90s, not 2000, but it wasn't bad at all. Recommend.
I'm not even going to ATTEMPT to do this with movies. I've watched so many it's not funny since our cable's out and sometimes when I'm sick, the cold medicines make me so foggy that I can't focus on anything for more than five seconds at a time. Hence, a lot of movies.
Alrighty, so that's what I've been reading. What about you guys?
Peace and cookies,
Laina
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