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

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

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

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:

• 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

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

Seventeen-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

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

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, 2011

Set 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

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

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