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

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

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, 2011

What 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

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:

1. Teatime in Space by Caroline Castle
2. Regards to the Man in the Moon by Ezra Jack Keats
3. Aliens Love Underpants by Claire Freedman
4. Aliens in Underpants Save the World -//-
5. Beegu by Alexis Deacon
6. What Faust Saw by Matt Ottley
7. Nova's Ark by David Kirk
8. Smelly Peter the Great Pea Eater by Steve Smallman
9. Alistair in Outer Space by Marilyn Sadler
10. Alistair and the Alien Invasion -//-
11. Space Station Mars by Daniel San Souci
12. Hush, Little Alien by Daniel Kirk
13. Giraffes Can't Dance by Gail Andreae
14. Sheep in a Shop by Nancy Shaw
15. Tomatoes From Mars by Arthur Yorinks
16. Mud is Cake by Pam Muňoz Ryan
17. Pirate Pup by Caroline Stutson
18. Fluffy, Scourge of the Sea by Teresa Bateman
19. A Kitten Tale by Eric Rohmann
20. Mrs. Watson Wants Your Teeth by Alison McGhee
21. If the Shoe Fits by Alan Osmond
22. Ice Cream by Elish Cooper
23. Big Little Elephant by Valeri Gorbachev
24. How to Catch an Elephant by Amy Schwartz
25. A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead
26. Sam Who Never Forgets by Eve Rice
27. What Elephant? by Geneviéve Côté
28. Ella the Elephant by Jan Latta
29. Horton Hears a Who! by Dr. Seuss
30. Never Ride Your Elephant to School by Doug Johnson
31. I Love My Mama by Peter Kavanegh
32. The Elephant Wish by Lou Berger 
33. Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Suess
34. Ella the Elegant Elephant by Carmela D'Amico
35. Where's That Cat? by Stephane Poulin
36. Ice Cream Fun Day by Kitty Richards
37. Bats at the Ballgame by Brian Lies
38. Dino-Baseball by Lisa Wheeler
39. Brady Brady and the Ballpark Bark by Mary Shaw
40. Hit the Ball Duck by Jez Alborough
41. The Berenstain Bears Go Out For The Team by Stan Berenstein
42. Rhinos Who Play Baseball by Julie Mammano
43. Curious George Plays Baseball by Margaret & H. A. Rey
44. Roasted Peanuts by Tim Egan
45. Albert's Ballgame by Leslie Tryon
46. Tulip at the Bat by J. Patrick Lewis
47. The Jungle Baseball Game by Tom Paxton
48. A Girl Named Dan by Dandi Daley Mackall
49. Luke Goes to Bat by Rachel Isadora
50. Batter Up Wombat by Helen Lester
51. The Boys by Jeff Newman
52. Snow Bear by Piers Harper
53. Panda & Polar Bear by Matthew J. Baek
54. Hush Little Polar Bear by Jeff Mack
55. Because I Love You So Much by Guido van Genechten
56. Baby Polar by Yannick Murphy
57. Cold Paws, Warm Heart by Madeleine Floyde
58. Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth
59. Zen Ties -//-
60. Zen Ghosts -//-
61. A Friend Like You by Julia Hubery
62. I Am Going to Save a Panda by Lauren Child
63. I Am a Little Panda by François Crozat

April:

1. On Beyond Zebra by Dr. Seuss
2. The Monkey and the Panda by Antonia Barber
3. Sweet Hearts by Dorothy Donohue
4. Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.
5. Tracks of a Panda by Nick Dawson
6. Mr. Panda's Painting by Anne Rockwell
7. Here Comes the Aliens by Colin McNaughton
8. We're Off to Look For Aliens -//-
9. Dancing Larry by Daniel Pinkwater
10. Patrick's Dinosaurs on the Internet by Carol Carrick
11. A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na
12. Wow! Said the Owl by Tim Hopgood
13. Little Hoot by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
14. Owly by Mike Thaler
15. Good-Night, Owl! by Pat Hutchins
16. Sam and the Firefly by P. D. Eastman
17. "I'm Not Sleepy!" by Jonathan Allen
18. Little Owl Lost by Chris Haughton
19. Annie Hoot and the Knitting Extravaganza by Holly Clifton-Brown
20. The Owl and the Pussy-Cat by Edward Lear
21. Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
22. Berkeley's Barn Owl Dance by Tara Johnson
23. Down in the Woods at Sleepytime by Carole Lexa Schaefer
24. Angelina and Henry by Katharine Holabird
25. Archibald Frisby by Michael Chesworth
26. Bailey Goes Camping by Kevin Henkes
27. Three Days On a River in a Red Canoe by Vera B. Williams
28. Camping Day by Patricia Lakin
29. Froggy Goes to Camp by Jonathan London
30. Arthur Goes to Camp by Marc Brown
31. Curious George Goes Camping by Margaret Rey
32. Franklin Has a Sleepover by Paulette Bourgeois
33. The Bear Scouts by Stan and Jan Berenstain
34. The Berenstain Bears Go to Camp -//-
35. A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee by Chris va Dusen
36. Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite! by Diane deGroat
37. Maisy Goes Camping by Lucy Cousins
38. Just Me and My Dad by Mercer Mayer
39. The Easter Egg by Jan Brett
40. If I Were the Easter Bunny by Louise Gardner
41. Peter Rabbit's Happy Easter by Grace Maccarone
42. 10 Easter Egg Hunters by Janet Schulman
43. Splat the Cat: Where's the Easter Bunny? by Rob Scotton
44. Clifford's Happy Easter by Norman Bridwell
45. Countdown to Easter by Ann Marie Harris
46. Easter Bunny's on His Way! by Brian James
47. The Best Easter Eggs Ever! by Jerry Smath
48. Easter Mice! by Bethany Roberts
49. Bunny Trouble by Hans Wilhelm
50. More Bunny Trouble -//-
51. Big, Bad Bunny Trouble -//-
52. Benny's Chocolate Bunny by Janee Trasler
53. Clifford's Big Red Easter by Nancy Parent
54. Owen's Marshmallow Chick by Kevin Henkes
55. The Great Easter Egg Hunt by Michael Garland

 May:

1.  Miss Spider's Tea Party by David Kirk
2. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
3. Can You Make a Scary Face? by Jan Thomas
4. The Wacky Wedding by Pamela Duncan Edwards
5. A Closer Look by Mary McCarthy
6. Leo the Lightning Bug by Eric Drachman
7. What the Ladybug Heard by Julia Donaldson
8. I Love Bugs! by Emma Dodd
9. Jump! by Scott M. Fischer
10. I Love Bugs! by Philemon Sturges
11. Bugs at Play by David A. Carter
12. Hello, Bugs! by Smriti Prasadam
13. Sleepyhead Bear by Lisa Westberg Peters
14. Mud by Mary Lyn Ray
15. It's Spring! by Linda Glaser
16. Spring's Sprung by Lynn Plourde
17. Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms by Julia Rawlinson
18. Hooray for Spring! by Kazuo Iwamura
19. Spring Sail by Larry Dane Brimner
20. Spring Is Here, Grumpy Bunny! by Justine Korman
21. B Is For Bunny by Tanya Lee Stone
22. Good Job, Oliver! by Laurel Molk
23. Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson
24. It's Spring! by Jimmy Pickering
25. Spring Is Here by Will Hillenbrand
26. Ready for Spring by Marthe Jocelyn

If you're wondering, I'm up to 288 books this year. You can see the full list here. 

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

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

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

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

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