Wishlist: Take Two

Wishlist description: A post about books that have already been published that I unfortunately can't get my grubby hands on either because the bookstores in my country don't carry them or due to insufficient funds. *sniff* 

'Take two' because the 300+ books in my mountainous TBR pile is clearly not enough that I'm doing another wishlist. As the saying goes, my fellow reading friends, 'you could never have too many books'.  

Seventeen-year-old Luke lives and works at the Moonflower Motel in Moab, having fled New York City where his father Frank drowns his sorrows after the death of Luke’s mother. Back in New York, eighteen-year-old Ava meets Frank at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. When these lost souls converge in Moab, what happens transforms them all.  

A story of love and grief, addiction and redemption, set in both NYC’s Upper West Side and in the red rock desert of Moab, Utah.

What attracts me to this novel is its cover. I love the boy sitting on the edge with the girl standing behind him with that breathtaking view surrounding them. They are in a relax pose, leaning back while looking overhead and it makes me wonder what's their story; how did they end up there.

The summary reads like a potential good read and this book gives me a similar vibe like Amy & Roger's Epic Detour (which I LOVE!) so naturally, it is in my wishlist. Interesting fact: the author of this book is the granddaughter of Madeleine L’Engle (A Wrinkle in Time, anyone?)

Hilda and best friend Benji are obsessed with celebrity deaths. One celebrity death leads them to an apartment room of Hank, an odd old bat. Hilda becomes attached to Hank in his sad, solitary room and a level of understanding when he presents her a tile from Jayne Mansfield’s pool. One day as she stops by his apartment to share in their enjoyment of old American classic films she finds not Hank in her room, but Jake—Hank’s downstairs neighbor. Jake is a 19-year-old high school dropout, Hollywood screenwriter, whose ambition led him where he is today. Jake it seems has been taking care of Hank, but Hilda is the only who will get all of Hank’s secret: One haunting enough to try to commit suicide.

Characters that are obsessed with death? They sound quirky and a little off to me which I think, will make a perfectly fascinating read! And with epic lines like the one below, it's a no brainer this book is in my wishlist. Its presence, justified.

"what the hell do ya think I'm gonna do? My cock's been useless for years. I'm lucky to get any piss out of it, let alone make it stand to attention long enough to get my rocks off" 

Vera's spent her whole life secretly in love with her best friend, Charlie Kahn. And over the years she's kept a lot of his secrets. Even after he betrayed her. Even after he ruined everything.

So when Charlie dies in dark circumstances, Vera knows a lot more than anyone—the kids at school, his family, even the police. But will she emerge to clear his name? Does she even want to?

 

Okay, this book? It's going to be a great read. I just have this gut feeling it's going to put me in an emotional spinner of heartbreaks and tears then spit me back out when the glimmer of hope starts to rise from the horizon. It probably doesn't make any sense but I just know.  

Kara hasn't been back to Oak Park since the end of junior year, when a heroin overdose nearly killed her and sirens heralded her exit. Four years later, she returns to face the music. Her life changed forever back in high school: her family disintegrated, she ran around with a whole new crowd of friends, she partied a little too hard, and she fell in love with gorgeous bad-boy Adrian, who left her to die that day in Scoville Park....

Amid the music, the booze, the drugs, and the drama, her friends filled a notebook with heartbreakingly honest confessions of the moments that defined and shattered their young lives. Now, finally, Kara is ready to write her own.

Good stuff has been said for this book and so, I am ready to devour this book. Sadly, I couldn't find it anywhere in my country. 

The sad thing about a wishlist is, I don't know when I'll be able to read these awesome books :( That being said, I'm currently in a mood for some dark, sombre, tears-falling kind of books.

Make my day and donate me a book will you? V(^.^)V

Wishlist: Australian Edition

Wishlist description: A post about books that have already been published that I unfortunately can't get my grubby hands on either because the bookstores in my country don't carry them or due to insufficient funds. *sniff*

For my first Wishlist, I would like to rant about books by Australian authors. The reason why is because bookstores in my country don't carry a lot of books by Australian which is disturbing, really. So here are the books that made into my wishlist:

1) Raw Blue by Kirsty Eagar

The ocean is a vivid emerald colour and the wind ruffles the wave faces so that they shatter the sunlight like glass. Seeing that glittering skin always tightens my throat with joy … I forget about the underbelly of things, my secrets, and I feel easy and free.

Carly has dropped out of uni to spend her days surfing and her nights working as a cook in a Manly café. Surfing is the one thing she loves doing … and the only thing that helps her stop thinking about what happened two years ago at schoolies week.

And then Carly meets Ryan, a local at the break, fresh out of jail. When Ryan learns the truth, Carly has to decide. Will she let the past bury her? Or can she let go of her anger and shame, and find the courage to be free? (synopsis taken from http://www.kirstyeagar.com/)

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I am tempted to read Raw Blue after reading reviews by bibliophile brouhaha and Steph Sue. Before, I have never even heard of Kirsty Eagar but after googling about this book and its author, I really really need to get my hands on this one. Sounds like a gem. I want I want I want!

2) Girl Saves Boy by Steph Bowe

  The first time we met, Jewel Valentine saved my life.

Isn’t it enough having your very own terminal disease, without your mother dying? Or your father dating your Art teacher?

No wonder Sacha Thomas ends up in the lake that Saturday evening…

But the real question is: how does he end up in love with Jewel Valentine?

With the help of quirky teenage prodigies Little Al and True Grisham, Sacha and Jewel have a crazy adventure, with a little lobster emancipation along the way.

But Sacha’s running out of time, and Jewel has secrets of her own.

Girl Saves Boy is a hugely talented debut novel, funny and sad, silly and wise. It’s a story of life, death, love… and garden gnomes. (synopsis taken from http://heyteenager.blogspot.com/)

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There are plenty of reasons for me to read this one. First, there's the beautiful cover and the eye-catching title. Then, there's the fact that the author, Steph Bowe is only seventeen but reviews for her debut novel are glowingly positive. But no, I want to read this book because Steph Bowe is a blogger that I like. I admire her honesty when reviewing books eventhough she is a published author. Another thing I love about Steph is, she's younger than me but it's hard to tell from her insightful posts and witty opinions. Those two reason alone is enough for me to fork out money to buy this book. Come book, come to Malaysia's shore!  [visit Steph Bowe at Hey! Teenager of the Year]


3) A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley

 Charlie:
“Who’s this?” Dad asks when a catchy tune comes on the CD mix I made for the trip. We pass the skeleton tree that never has leaves, no matter what the time of year. Bare gray branches wave us on.
“No one you know, Dad,” I say.
It’s me.

Rose:
“You’ll go if you want to, Rose,” Mrs Wesson said this year. It takes a lot of wanting to get out of a place like this, though. It takes wanting so bad, it’s all you care about, all you breathe. Some days I think it takes more wanting than I’ve got.


Charlie Duskin loves music, and she knows she’s good at it. But she only sings when she’s alone, on the moonlit porch or in the back room at Old Gus’s Secondhand Record Store. Charlie’s mom and grandmother have both died, and this summer she’s visiting her grandpa in the country, surrounded by ghosts and serving burgers to the local kids at the milk bar. She’s got her iPod, her guitar, and all her recording equipment, but she wants more: A friend. A dad who notices her. The chance to show Dave Robbie that she’s not entirely unspectacular.

Rose Butler lives next door to Charlie’s grandfather and spends her days watching cars pass on the freeway and hanging out with her troublemaker boyfriend. She loves Luke, but can’t wait to leave their small country town. And she’s figured out a way: She’s won a scholarship to a science school in the city, and now she has to convince her parents to let her go. This is where Charlie comes in. Charlie, who lives in the city, and whom Rose has ignored for years. Charlie, who just might be Rose’s ticket out.

Told in alternating voices and filled with music, friendship and romance, Charlie and Rose’s “little wanting song” is about the kind of longing that begins as a heavy ache but ultimately makes us feel hopeful and wonderfully alive. (synopsis taken from http://cathcrowley.com.au/)

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Sadly, I have seen the cover of this book many, many times but it has never make me curious to know more about the story. Perhaps it's the model who I personally do not find aesthetically pleasing enough (I know, I'm shallow like that but I'm working on it) or the simple desaturated image, but something about the cover really turns me off - I do like the flowery swirlies tho. 

It wasn't until one blogger who is known to be very critical and strict with her reviews recommended this book that I sat back and started to notice A Little Wanting Song and its intriguing synopsis. People gushes about Cath Crowley's beautiful lyrical prose and how amaZZing this book is, so naturally it is in my Wishlist. Besides, anything with music will attracts me. Not only that, this book supposedly would appeal to fans of Sarah Dessen *raises hand* and Melina Marchetta *me again!*

4) Feeling Sorry For Celia and The Year of Secret Assignments - Jaclyn Moriarty

Feeling Sorry For Celia

 Life is pretty complicated for Elizabeth Clarry. Her best friend Celia keeps disappearing, her absent father suddenly reappears, and her communication with her mother consists entirely of wacky notes left on the fridge. On top of everything else, because her English teacher wants to rekindle the "Joy of the Envelope," a Complete and Utter Stranger knows more about Elizabeth than anyone else.

But Elizabeth is on the verge of some major changes. She may lose her best friend, find a wonderful new friend, kiss the sexiest guy alive, and run in a marathon. So much can happen in the time it takes to write a letter...

The Year of Secret Assignments (US) aka Finding Cassie Crazy (UK)

The Ashbury-Brookfield pen pal program is designed to bring together the two rival schools in a spirit of harmony and "the Joy of the Envelope." But when Cassie, Lydia, and Emily send their first letters to Matthew, Charlie, and Sebastian, things don't go quite as planned. What starts out as a simple letter exchange soon leads to secret missions, false alarms, lock picking, mistaken identities, and an all-out war between the schools--not to mention some really excellent kissing.

When Lydia, Emily, and Cassie are assigned pen pals among the thugs at Brookfield High, they respond in characteristic style:

Cassie: “Ialways think it’s funny when a teacher tries to be cool. I want to sit them down and say ‘It’s okay, you’re a grown-up, you’re allowed to be a nerd,’ and they will look up at me confused but also relieved and teary-eyed.”

Lydia: “I am a fish. You wouldn’t think so to look at me, what with my uniform and the hair on top of my head and all that. But it’s true. I am a fish.”

Emily: “Don’t get me started about chocolate! My nickname might be ‘Em,’ but sometimes it’s also Toblerone! I think this is an angiogram of Thompson, which is my last name.”

And their pen-pals? Sebastian is an artist, a black belt in Tae Kwan Do, and a major hottie. Charlie is utterly gullible, a car expert/occasional thief, and a really sweet guy. But Matthew is…well, he’s either a psychopath or a figment of Cassie’s imagination, neither of which is a good sign. And what starts out as a simple letter exchange leads to secret assignments, false alarms, lock picking, legal drama, mistaken identities, Dates with Girls, and all-out war between the schools . . . the biggest challenge Lydia, Cass, and Emily’s friendship has ever faced. (synopsis taken from http://www.jaclynmoriarty.com/)

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Both books by Jaclyn Moriarty are loved and treasured by many in the ya blogosphere. I would love to join in the fun but monthly income seems to hate me right now. *wipe tears*

[Extra: Jaclyn Moriarty wrote her first novel at the age of 7 about talking toys. She later did her Masters in Law at Yale then her PhD in Law at Cambridge. Talk about aaawesooome!! She also shares some awesome tips about the creative writing process at her website. ]

Btw, if you any of you is generous enough to give me one of these books, please, by all means do contact me!! V(^^)V