This Journal Belongs To Ratchet

Finished This Journal Belongs To Ratchet by Nancy J. Cavanaugh.  I received a copy from the publisher on Netgalley.

Summary (from Goodreads):

“A debut middle grade novel about a girl named Ratchet and her quest to make a friend, save a park, and find her own definition of normal. Ratchet tells her story through the assignments in her homeschool journal.

If only getting a new life were as easy as getting a new notebook.
But it’s not.

It’s the first day of school for all the kids in the neighborhood. But not for me. I’m homeschooled. That means nothing new. No new book bag, no new clothes, and no friends – old or new. The best I’ve got is this notebook. I’m supposed to use it for my writing assignments, but my dad never checks. Here’s what I’m really going to use it for:

Ratchet’s Top Secret Plan
Project Goal: turn my old, recycled, freakish, friendless, motherless life into something shiny and new.

This year, I’m going make something change.”

This book  is absolutely charming.  I fell completely in book-love with Ratchet immediately, and she’s definitely one of those characters that you won’t forget.

I also felt so awful for Ratchet.  The fact that her mom died is obviously so painful for her and her dad refuses to talk about it (or the mom at all) and Ratchet basically desperately wants two things: any sort of information about her mom so that she can be more like her and a friend.

And that broke my heart, because those are two very, very small wishes, you know?  Because most people have friends and have the (to Ratchet, at least) luxury of knowing their moms or at least knowing ABOUT them.

But this isn’t a completely sad book.  Ratchet is one of those irrepressible girls and reading it, I just knew that things would work out for her.  (And, spoiler, they do.  But you have to read to find out how.)

Recommended.

That Time I Joined the Circus

Finished That Time I Joined the Circus by J.J. Howard.  I received a copy from the publisher on Netgalley.

Summary (from Goodreads):

“Lexi Ryan just ran away to join the circus, but not on purpose.

A music-obsessed, slightly snarky New York City girl, Lexi is on her own. After making a huge mistake–and facing a terrible tragedy–Lexi has no choice but to track down her long-absent mother. Rumor has it that Lexi’s mom is somewhere in Florida with a traveling circus.

When Lexi arrives at her new, three-ring reality, her mom isn’t there . . . but her destiny might be. Surrounded by tigers, elephants, and trapeze artists, Lexi finds some surprising friends and an even more surprising chance at true love. She even lucks into a spot as the circus’s fortune teller, reading tarot cards and making predictions.

But then Lexi’s ex-best friend from home shows up, and suddenly it’s Lexi’s own future that’s thrown into question.

With humor, wisdom, and a dazzlingly fresh voice, this debut reminds us of the magic of circus tents, city lights, first kisses, and the importance of an excellent playlist.”

This book completely captivated me.  I loved Lexi, with her sarcasm and her knowledge of all things music (even though I think I would’ve gotten along better with her dad, whose musical taste was stuck in the 80s), and I love the fact that she ran away and joined the circus AND TOTALLY NAILED IT.

The circus she joined is sort of a combination circus and carnival, not what I generally think of as a circus.  It sounds completely awesome and frankly makes me want to run away and join the circus myself.

Not surprisingly, the other circusfolk are more like a family than coworkers (I would guess that living and traveling with people would make them more than your average work people) and Lexi is quickly accepted among them.

The only false note here is how quickly Lexi forgot to keep looking for her mom.  But that is a minor thing and it didn’t keep me from loving this sweet, fun book.

Recommended.

Spellbinding

Finished Spellbinding by Maya Gold.  I received a copy from the publisher on Netgalley.

Summary (from Goodreads):

“There’s more than one way to be powerful . . .

It is during a routine school project that Abby Silva–sixteen and nearly friendless–makes a startling discovery: She is descended from women who were accused of witchcraft back in 1600s Salem. And when Abby visits nearby Salem, strange, inexplicable events start to unfold. Objects move when she wills them to. Candles burst into sudden flame. And an ancient spellbook somehow winds up in her possession.

Trying to harness her newfound power, Abby concocts a love potion to win over her longtime crush–and exact revenge upon his cruel, bullying girlfriend. But old magic is not to be trifled with. Soon, Abby is thrust headlong into a world of hexes, secrets, and danger. And then there’s Rem Anders, the beautiful, mysterious Salem boy who seems to know more about Abby than he first lets on.

A reckoning is coming, and Abby will have to make sense of her history–and her heart–before she can face the powerful truth.”

When I was a kid, I loved Scholastic’s Point imprint.  They published books by R.L. Stine (Fear Street, not Goosebumps) and Diane Hoh and Richie Tankersley Cusick, plus someone named Christopher Pike.  Not sure if you’ve heard of him.

But I read so many of those books and loved them all.  So when I learned that Scholastic was reviving the imprint?  YES.

Spellbinding is the first one to be released, and there were a couple more this month.  (I will get to them soon; thank you Scholastic and Netgalley!)

This isn’t scary in the traditional sense.  It’s creepiness comes more from the question I asked myself, one I bet most readers would share: how would I retain my integrity if I could literally have anything I wanted?

And that’s something that’s now facing Abby.  Thanks to her history and her own powers, she can make things happen.  All of a sudden, she’s better at school and her crush likes her.  (LIKES HER, likes her.)

Which is another interesting thing to contemplate: if you’re used to being invisible, how do you react when all of a sudden, you’re on people’s radar?

But even beyond the deep thoughts/sociological questions behind this book, this is just a ridiculously fun read.  It’s not the kind of book that you’ll be throwing at everyone you know, but it is the kind of book that will make for a great weekend afternoon.  You could put Spellbinding down but you won’t want to.

Things I’m Obsessed With

Welcome to the latest Things I’m Obsessed With!

TV:

The rest of my Thursday night shows are all ending tomorrow.  I usually watch The Big Bang Theory and The Office live and then watch Grey’s Anatomy on Friday morning (which is generally the best part of my Friday) but now I’ll have to watch Grey’s and Big Bang Theory on Friday.  The Office has a one hour retrospective followed by the 9-10:15 series finale.  Last week’s episode was so great and really reminded me why I loved this series.  (Figures that they’re getting great again just in time to leave.)

I will miss my shows but this will also give me lots more time to read.  (See post below for reasons why this is a good thing.)

Books:

We are two weeks away from BEA and I am beyond excited! I have so many books that I want to get and 10 I would bite someone for and I just want to get to the part where I am there already.  So let’s get on that, okay?

I am still crazy behind on review books and while this is an excellent problem to have, it’s also keeping me away from books I’m desperate to read.  (Those include, but are not limited to, Clockwork Princess, The Obituary Writer, the last Across the Universe book and the new Jessi Kirby [Golden]. )  I am considering taking a review book vacation during BEA, but what I may do instead is just take a vacation from restricting myself to reading by release date.  Maybe while I’m on BEA vacation, I can also read some of the review books I’m most excited for, even if they’re farther ahead than I’d like (and many of those are books that you can read right now—books like The Program and Wedding Night and The Other Typist and Icons and The Lucy Variations and The Originals).  Although I may be pretty close to them by the time BEA starts anyway, since I’m about a month behind.  There are so many amazing books ahead for me, you guys!  I wish I had enough money so that I could do nothing but read.  That’d be awesome.

So what are you obsessed with this week?

Evidence of Life

Finished Evidence of Life by Barbara Taylor Sissel.  I received a copy from the publisher on Edelweiss.

Summary (from Goodreads):

“On the last ordinary day of her life, Abby Bennett feels like the luckiest woman alive. But everyone knows that luck doesn’t last forever.… As her husband, Nick, and daughter, Lindsey, embark on a weekend camping trip to the Texas Hill Country, Abby looks forward to having some quiet time to herself. She braids Lindsey’s hair, reminds Nick to drive safely and kisses them both goodbye. For a brief moment, Abby thinks she has it all—a perfect marriage, a perfect life—until a devastating storm rips through the region, and her family vanishes without a trace.

When Nick and Lindsey are presumed dead, lost in the raging waters, Abby refuses to give up hope. Consumed by grief and clinging to her belief that her family is still alive, she sets out to find them. But as disturbing clues begin to surface, Abby realizes that the truth may be far more sinister than she imagined. Soon she finds herself caught in a current of lies that threaten to unhinge her and challenge everything she once believed about her marriage and family.

With a voice that resonates with stunning clarity, Barbara Taylor Sissel delivers a taut and chilling mystery about a mother’s love, a wife’s obsession and the invisible fractures that can shatter a family.”

I sympathized with Lindsey and I understood her insistence that she learn what happened to her family, as well as her refusal to give up until she had to.  If, by some miracle, they were found alive, how could she ever explain that she gave up?

There were parts of the book that made me roll my eyes and tested my credulity.  But it was an enjoyable book that kept me turning pages.

When I started reading this, I was pretty sure that it was essentially going to be the Ashley Judd movie Double Jeopardy (I obviously won’t say whether that impression was correct in terms of how the plot went.)

The two are similar in terms of both substance and enjoyment.  This is not the kind of book that you will want to re-read every year or two or the kind of book that you give to friends and family for their birthday or for Christmas.  And that’s okay.

This is the book that you bring with you on vacation or that you read when you’re not feeling well.  This book is comfort food and the literary equivalent of a Lifetime movie.  (I do not judge; there are Lifetime movies that I love.)

The Camp (and amazing, AMAZING giveaway)

Finished The Camp by Karice Bolton.  I received a copy from the author for a blog tour.

Before we get to the review, Karice Bolton has provided the best giveaway ever: click on the link to win a Kindle Fire, Nook HD or $100 giftcard.  Good luck!

Summary (From Goodreads):

“Emma has always tried to be perfect in her almost eighteen years of existence, but it has never been good enough. As she finds herself counting the days until she’s officially free from her parents’ reins, her stepfather hands her a plane ticket explaining that she must attend the Re-Boot Camp in the wilds of Alaska.

Once she lands in the middle of nowhere, she realizes the camp is nothing like she imagined, and she wants out immediately. That is until she meets Liam.

The camp is full of teens with dark pasts, but she finds herself drawn to Liam’s ability to see who she really is and who she wants to become. While Emma and Liam begin adjusting to a place neither wants to be, frightening events begin to unfold. When people begin disappearing, it becomes apparent they can only trust one another as they fight for survival.”

This book was a complete delight to read.  I was expecting a fun summer read (very light, a little creepy, some romance) and it was that, but it was also very good.

(Note: I wasn’t expecting it to suck, of course, but I was expecting brain candy.)

I completely adore Emma.  She’s smart, funny, sarcastic and completely capable.  The fact that there’s a potential serial killer on the island scares her, of course (she’s still a person!) but whereas a lot of people would be nearly catatonic, she’s determined to do as much as she can to help.  As opposed to, say, curling up in a corner and waiting to die.

And Emma-and-Liam?  Holy. Crap.  THAT IS ALL.

I know this is supposed to be a standalone but I hope there’s a sequel.

I’ve never read Karice Bolton before, but I definitely plan to seek out her other books (she’s written two trilogies; the first books in both of those are currently free on Kindle and this one is 99 cents—99 cents, people!).

Highly recommended.

Here are the other stops on the blog tour:

May 15 | http://www.memyshelfandi.com/ | @myshelfandi
May 17 | http://thereadingdate.com/ | @readingdate
May 19 | http://kaidansseduction.blogspot.com
May 20 | http://fictionfolio.com/ | @TaraMQ
May 22 | http://littlehyuts.blogspot.com/ | @LittleHyuts
May 28 | http://thecompulsivereader.com | @compelledtoread
May 28 | http://bookwormdream.blogspot.com/ | @BookwormDreams
May 31 | http://prettylittlememoirs.blogspot.com/ | @LittleMemoirs
June 3 | http://sparetimebookblog.blogspot.com/ | @b_ls
June 3 | http://readingandwritingurbanfantasy.blogspot.com/ | @JenniferBielman
June 4 | http://theobsessivereader.com/review-policy/ | @ZeniaRadoor
June 5 | http://whyanot.wordpress.com/ | @whyanot
June 5 | http://mundiemoms.com | @MundieMoms
June 6 | http://bookreaderchronicles.com/
June 6 | http://thekams.wordpress.com/ | @thekams
June 7 | http://bookalicious.org/ | @BookaliciousPam
June 8 | http://www.moonlightbookreviews.com | @MoonlightReview
June 9 | http://goodbooksandgoodwine.com/ | @booksandwine
June 10 | http://ramblingsofabooknerd.com/ | @sarabooknerd
June 11 | http://pageturnersblog.com/ | @pageturnersblog
June 11 | http://alexalovesbooks.com/ | @alexalovesbooks
June 12 | http://www.bookscompleteme.com/ | @bookscompleteme

Kelly Hager Movie Hall of Fame (Latest Inductions)

BACKSTORY:  A conversation with my best friend John resulted in the creation of The Kelly Hager Movie Hall of Fame.  The first six movies chosen were The Godfather, Heathers, Casablanca, The Princess Bride, Rocky and When Harry Met Sally…

CRITERIA:  Each month, two movies will be chosen.  One will be a classic and the other will be contemporary (read: within my lifetime).  The contemporary movie will be at least 10 years old, as that way, the movie will have proven staying power.

THE NEW PICKS:

Jaws.  I absolutely adore this movie, and so many of the reasons why were more or less accidents.  Jaws is one of the scariest movies ever made and a huge part for that is because the shark wasn’t working properly.  Because of that, for most of the movie, you only see a fin and hear the music.  (Also, reportedly the first time Spielberg heard the score, he thought it was a joke…until he saw a scene with the music playing during it.) I seriously live in fear of the day they decide to remake this movie because there’s no way Hollywood will manage to get it right a second time.

The Shawshank Redemption.  This is one of the best movies ever made and I’m sure you’re all sick of me complaining about how it should’ve won Best Picture but didn’t (I would’ve also accepted Pulp Fiction over the comparatively awful Forrest Gump).  But this movie is so much better than it had any right to be.  Conventional wisdom says that if you set a movie in a limited setting and make it probably, what, 95% talking to 5% action at best, it will fail?  Well, not when you cast Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, base it off a Stephen King novella and get a great screenwriter and director.  If you haven’t seen this movie…well, I’m sad for you, but it’s on cable all the time.  Change that.

Agorafabulous

Finished Agorafabulous by Sara Benincasa.  I received a copy from the publisher.

Summary (from Goodreads):

“`I subscribe to the notion that if you can laugh at the shittiest moments in your life, you can transcend them. And if other people can laugh at your awful shit as well, then I guess you can officially call yourself a comedian.’

In Boston, a college student fears leaving her own room–even to use the toilet. In Pennsylvania, a meek personal assistant finally confronts a perpetually enraged gay spiritual guru. In Texas, a rookie high school teacher deals with her male student’s unusually, er, hard personal problem. Sara Benincasa has been that terrified student, that embattled employee, that confused teacher–and so much more. Her hilarious memoir chronicles her attempts to forge a wonderfully weird adulthood in the midst of her lifelong struggle with agoraphobia, depression, and unruly hair.

Relatable, unpretentious, and unsentimental, Agorafabulous! celebrates eccentricity, resilience, and the power of humor to light up even the darkest corners of our lives. (There are also some sexy parts, but they’re really awkward. Like really, really awkward.)”

This book is literally laugh out loud funny but as a disclaimer, there are also parts that will make you cringe.  (The first example is on the second page, and is the most disturbing depiction of suicide ever.  It’s not graphic but it’s such a horrible way to die that it stuck with me throughout the rest of the book—and will probably stick with me forever.)

Even besides being really funny, it’s also thought-provoking.  I always say that I’m about two steps away from being agoraphobic because I am such a hermit that it’s not even funny.  Turns out that if that’s true, those are two very important steps.

I admire Sara Benincasa so much for the things that she shares in this book.  She’s very willing to expose her life—even the parts that make her look…well, weird.  SO much respect for that, because I have such a hangup on how people perceive me.

Highly recommended.

Wasteland

Finished Wasteland by Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan.  I received a copy from the publisher on Edelweiss.

Summary (from Goodreads):

“Welcome to the Wasteland. Where all the adults are long gone, and now no one lives past the age of nineteen. Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan’s post-apocalyptic debut is the first of a trilogy in which everyone is forced to live under the looming threat of rampant disease and brutal attacks by the Variants —- hermaphroditic outcasts that live on the outskirts of Prin. Esther thinks there’s more to life than toiling at harvesting, gleaning, and excavating, day after day under the relentless sun, just hoping to make it to the next day. But then Caleb, a mysterious stranger, arrives in town, and Esther begins to question who she can trust. As shady pasts unravel into the present and new romances develop, Caleb and Esther realize that they must team together to fight for their lives and for the freedom of Prin.”

This took me a bit to get into, but once I did, WOW.  This is a book that made me happy that I’m a very patient reader, because otherwise, I think I may have given up.  (I say that to tell you this: stay with this book.  You’ll be happy you did!)

I loved Esther, but the book has multiple narrators (primarily Esther and Caleb, but not exclusively) and I didn’t click with any of the others at first.

This is an interesting world and you should know that there are very creepy parts.  (It’s a plus for me, but it may not be for you.)

This is apparently the first book in a trilogy.  I’m not sure where the other books will go; I thought this worked very well as a standalone.  But I am also not unhappy with this news because by the end, I was fully invested in the world and the characters.

Period 8

Finished Period 8 by Chris Crutcher. I received a copy from the publisher on Edelweiss.

Summary (from Goodreads):

“In this full-length novel from Chris Crutcher, his first since the best-selling Deadline, the ultimate bully and the ultimate good guy tangle during Period 8.

Paul “the Bomb” Baum tells the truth. No matter what. It was something he learned at Sunday School. But telling the truth can cause problems, and not minor ones. And as Paulie discovers, finding the truth can be even more problematic. Period 8 is supposed to be that one period in high school where the truth can shine, a safe haven. Only what Paulie and Hannah (his ex-girlfriend, unfortunately) and his other classmates don’t know is that the ultimate bully, the ultimate liar, is in their midst.

Terrifying, thought-provoking, and original, this novel combines all the qualities of a great thriller with the controversy, ethics, and raw emotion of a classic Crutcher story.”

I don’t know what it was with this book, but I didn’t connect to it at all.

If you read the synopsis, you’ll see that it has a lot of the things I generally love in books: creepy people, a serious issue (in this case, bullying), a good teacher, and it’s YA.

And yet it fell short for me. Ultimately, I didn’t care about the characters or what happened to them.

And I am sure the problem is me. If you look on Goodreads, you’ll see that it’s almost at four stars.

But even though I wasn’t in love with the story or characters, I still kept reading to find out what was happening. There’s definitely something to be said for that, right?

A lot of people are absolutely in love with Chris Crutcher’s books, so I would be open to trying another one. This one, though, didn’t work for me.