This week I'm joining Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews and sharing the books (or book as the case may be) that I acquired throughout the week.
What If by Rebecca Donovan (For Review/Promotional Copy)
What books did you receive?
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Stacking the Shelves (20)
This week I'm joining Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews and sharing the books (or book as the case may be) that I acquired throughout the week.
What If by Rebecca Donovan (For Review/Promotional Copy)
Friday, August 29, 2014
The Green Teen Cookbook ed. by Laurane Marchive and Pam McElroy
The Green Teen Cookbook: Recipes for All Seasons -
Written by Teens, for Teens
edited by Laurane Marchive and Pam McElroy
Published by Zest Books and distributed by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Published: July 29, 2014;144 pages; Ages 12+
BOOK DESCRIPTION The Green Teen Cookbook:
The
Kitchen can be one of the trickiest places for young adults to
navigate—add trying to be healthy, eco-minded, and budget-conscious, and
things get even more complicated! Now there is The Green Teen Cookbook (Zest
Books; ISBN 978-1-936976-58-4; $14.99 PB) to help guide teens through
the mysteries of the kitchen and create some amazing meals. With
inspiring tips on how to cut through the chaos of going green as well as
master over 70 recipes, including a seasonal key that ensures optimal
freshness (and a minimal carbon footprint), any teen can become a green
culinary expert and learn how to: shop on a budget; get the most out of
your pantry; cook more consciously; eat healthier, and more! Featuring
full color photos throughout, The Green Teen Cookbook is an all-in-one guide for eating green and eating well—by teens and for teens!
This
book is for people who enjoy cooking great, seasonal food for
themselves as well as for other people—on a budget. It’s a guide for
customizing recipes for each season, and for learning how to appreciate
the different foods available each month. And readers looking to educate
themselves on the food industry will enjoy the essays about
globalization, vegetarianism, imports/exports, farming in the US and
abroad, and much more.
This book arrived at my house at the perfect time
Just over a week ago, while finishing up my shopping at the grocery store, I had an embarrassing revelation. I had chosen a check-out line with the fewest number of people in line and started to unload the items from my cart onto the conveyer belt. I noticed the items of the shopper in front of me. He had fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Everything that was healthy. I looked at my items and didn't have any of those things. When the clerk asked which items were his and which were mine (so she could ring them up separately), I said, "Can't you tell? Healthy, healthy, healthy." (as I waved mine hand over his groceries) "Processed, processed, processed." (as I waved my hand over mine) I commended him on his healthy choices and acknowledged that it didn't go unnoticed. I decided the next time I went shopping, I would make sure to add more fruits and vegetable and whole grains to my cart and try to purchase fewer processed foods.
I'm getting ready to write my grocery list for my next shopping trip and plan to use my copy of The Green Teen Cookbook for inspiration. While this book may be geared toward teens who may be on a budget or don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, this book isn't just for teens. It is for anyone who wants to make thoughtful food choices - in the items they purchase and where they buy them.
What I like about the book:
- The recipes are fairly simple
- Many recipes incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables
- Wide variety of dishes to make - including snacks and desserts
- Vivid pictures accompany every recipe
- It includes and index of online sites for more inspiration and information
The Green Teen Cookbook would make a great addition to every cook's collection. I hope to share some recipes that I try over the next few months either here on my blog or on Twitter or Instagram. Please check make to see what delicious meals I've cooked up!
I'd like to thank Zest Books for providing this copy of The Green Teen Cookbook to me. It couldn't have arrived at a better time.
Readers can purchase a copy of The Green Teen Cookbook
Check out what other people are saying about The Green Teen Cookbook on the Summer Bloggin' Blog Tour hosted by Zest Books
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Pam McElroy, co-editor of The Green Teen Cookbook,
an editor and caterer living in San Francisco, California. She edits
books of all genres and caters under the name Meatball Maven. She has
also been involved in the food industry since she was a teen--in
restaurant kitchens, as a caterer, and as an editor for dining
magazines. Her hobbies include reading cookbooks cover-to-cover,
shopping at farmers markets, and cooking epic and seasonal meals for
friends and family.
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Someone Like You by Karen Rock: Excerpt and Giveaway
Someone Like You
by Karen Rock
Publication Date: September 1, 2014
Published by Harlequin (Heartwarming)
You can't program love…or can you?
Kayleigh Renshaw has come up with the idea for a brilliant "compatibility app," a new kind of matchmaking software. All she needs is a programmer to help her bring the idea to market…and she knows exactly who she wants. But Niall Walsh—a code whiz and her former best friend—has been avoiding her since he returned from Afghanistan. In spite of their history, and some sparks that go beyond friendship, he's proving reluctant…. Is it her, or is something darker holding him back?
PRE-ORDER
Heated blood rushed through her. That was treacherous thinking—for both of them. “But if you used the app, you’d find the right girlfriend. Want to be with her. You can’t waste your time on someone like me. I’ll never be more than a friend.”
He closed the distance between them in one stride and eyed her. “Sure about that?”
And suddenly, he pulled her into his arms, his strong body enfolding her. His lips lowered then paused, his heated eyes questioning. Was he waiting for her to refuse him?
Her bones melted against him, and her resolve to keep things professional crumbled. She wanted this kiss as badly as she’d ever wanted anything. She stretched up on her tiptoes and heard him groan as his lips swept down and captured hers, the caress as feather soft as the dragonfly’s wings.
He pulled the band around her bun loose, and her hair tumbled down her back, his hands burying themselves in it. When he deepened their kiss, his mouth slanting firmly against hers, her skin heated. Their hearts pounded together, and she breathed in his minty breath, tasting the strawberries they’d eaten earlier. Wanting him closer, she traced his bunching back muscles, loving their hardness and strength.
When his lips left hers and traveled along her jaw, she fitted herself against him closer still, needing to feel all of him. As his lips slid along her earlobe then down her neck, the world tilted and spun madly in the wrong direction.
She cupped his face and brought it back to hers, wanting his mouth again, the caress deepening into a demanding kiss that left her breathless and clutching on to his shoulders when her knees weakened.
At last he stopped, and they stared at each other, chests heaving, breath coming in fits and starts.
“Still sure?” he murmured, his eyes searching hers. Struck dumb, she nodded automatically, her gesture making him scowl, disappointment in his eyes. When he strode out of the pavilion, her fingers traced her swollen lips
How had she let that happen?
She’d love to connect with you!
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Waiting on Wednesday: Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham
Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:
Not That Kind of Girl
A young women tells you what she's learned
by Lena Dunham
Publication Date: September 30, 2014
Published by Random House
Pages: 288
Add to Goodreads
from Goodreads
"There is nothing gutsier to me than a person announcing that their story is one that deserves to be told," writes Lena Dunham, and it certainly takes guts to share the stories that make up her first book, Not That Kind of Girl. These are stories about getting your butt touched by your boss, about friendship and dieting (kind of) and having two existential crises before the age of 20. Stories about travel, both successful and less so, and about having the kind of sex where you feel like keeping your sneakers on in case you have to run away during the act. Stories about proving yourself to a room of 50-year-old men in Hollywood and showing up to "an outlandishly high-fashion event with the crustiest red nose you ever saw." Fearless, smart, and as heartbreakingly honest as ever, Not That Kind of Girl establishes Lena Dunham as more than a hugely talented director, actress and producer-it announces her as a fresh and vibrant new literary voice.
Lena Dunham may not be the voice if MY generation, but I love her wit and humor. I am a huge fan of GIRLS and what to see how her talent translates to the written word.
This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:
Not That Kind of Girl
A young women tells you what she's learned
by Lena Dunham
Publication Date: September 30, 2014
Published by Random House
Pages: 288
Add to Goodreads
from Goodreads
"There is nothing gutsier to me than a person announcing that their story is one that deserves to be told," writes Lena Dunham, and it certainly takes guts to share the stories that make up her first book, Not That Kind of Girl. These are stories about getting your butt touched by your boss, about friendship and dieting (kind of) and having two existential crises before the age of 20. Stories about travel, both successful and less so, and about having the kind of sex where you feel like keeping your sneakers on in case you have to run away during the act. Stories about proving yourself to a room of 50-year-old men in Hollywood and showing up to "an outlandishly high-fashion event with the crustiest red nose you ever saw." Fearless, smart, and as heartbreakingly honest as ever, Not That Kind of Girl establishes Lena Dunham as more than a hugely talented director, actress and producer-it announces her as a fresh and vibrant new literary voice.
Why I'm Waiting
Lena Dunham may not be the voice if MY generation, but I love her wit and humor. I am a huge fan of GIRLS and what to see how her talent translates to the written word.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
It's Release Day: FERAL by Holly Schindler
It's Release Day!!!
FERAL
FERAL
by Holly Schindler
Published by Harper Teen
August 26, 2014
432 Pages
About FERAL
The Lovely Bones meets Black Swan in this haunting psychological thriller with twists and turns that will make you question everything you think you know.
It’s too late for you. You’re dead. Those words continue to haunt Claire Cain months after she barely survived a brutal beating in Chicago. So when her father is offered a job in another state, Claire is hopeful that getting out will offer her a way to start anew.
But when she arrives in Peculiar, Missouri, Claire feels an overwhelming sense of danger, and her fears are confirmed when she discovers the body of a popular high school student in the icy woods behind the school, surrounded by the town’s feral cats. While everyone is quick to say it was an accident, Claire knows there’s more to it, and vows to learn the truth about what happened.
But the closer she gets to uncovering the mystery, the closer she also gets to realizing a frightening reality about herself and the damage she truly sustained in that Chicago alley….
Holly Schindler’s gripping story is filled with heart-stopping twists and turns that will keep readers guessing until the very last page.
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Stacking the Shelves (19)
This week I'm joining Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews and sharing the books that I acquired throughout the week.
Sneaking Candy by Lisa Burstein (Purchased) - my review
Better Than Perfect by Simone Elkeles (Purchased)
A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall (Purchased)
Just Like the Movies by Kelly Fiore (Won)
The 100 by Kass Morgan (For Review)
Day 21 (The 100 Series) by Kass Morgan (For Review)
Heart on a String by Susan Soares (For Review)
What new books did you get this week?
Friday, August 22, 2014
MELT by Selene Castrovilla - Trailer Reveal and Giveaway
Earlier this summer, I received an review copy of MELT by Selene Castrovilla. It is an incredible book. From my review: "The
writing transported me to where Dorothy and Joey were. Through the good
and the bad. I wasn't just reading a book, I was witness to this story . . ."
Today, I'm thrilled to reveal Selene Castrovilla's MELT Book Trailer Contest winning video by Jacqueline Xerri. Check out the book and trailer below, and let us know what you think in the comments. Then be sure to enter the giveaway via the Rafflecopter!
Today, I'm thrilled to reveal Selene Castrovilla's MELT Book Trailer Contest winning video by Jacqueline Xerri. Check out the book and trailer below, and let us know what you think in the comments. Then be sure to enter the giveaway via the Rafflecopter!
MELT by Selene Castrovilla | Last Syllable Books | November 6, 2014
Melt is a brutal love story, set against the backdrop of The Wizard of Oz. Sixteen year old “good girl” Dorothy just blew into the small town of Highland Park – where the social headquarters is Munchkinland (Dunkin’ Donuts.) There, she meets Joey – a “bad boy” who tells no one about the catastrophic domestic violence he witnesses at home. Can these two lovers survive peer pressure, Joey’s reputation, and his alcoholism? And then there’s his family's secret – about to be unleashed.Told in dual first person, Joey's words are scattered on the page - reflecting his broken state. Dorothy is the voice of reason - until something so shattering happens that she, too, may lose her grip. Can their love endure, or will it melt away?
Melt is based on true events. It is both a chilling tale of abuse, and a timeless romance. It will hit you like a punch in the face, and also seep through the cracks in your soul.
Trailer for MELT
Created by Jacqueline Xerri
What do you think of the Trailer?
About Selene Castrovilla
Selene Castrovilla is an award-winning teen and children’s author who believes that through all trends, humanity remains at the core of literature. She is the author of Saved By the Music and The Girl Next Door, teen novels originally published by WestSide Books and now available digitally through ASD Publishing. Her third children’s book with Calkins Creek Books, Revolutionary Friends, was released in April. She is also a contributing author to UncommonYA. Selene holds an MFA in creative writing from New School University and a BA in English from New York University. She lives on Long Island with her two sons. Visit her website www.SeleneCastrovilla.com for book excerpts and more information!
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Goodreads
Giveaway
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Waiting on Wednesday: AGAIN by Lisa Burstein
Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:
AGAIN
by Lisa Burstein
Publication Date: September 22, 2014
Add to Goodreads
From Goodreads
How far would you go for a second chance?
Eleven years after flunking out of college, Kate has finally hit rock-bottom. Losing her job and boyfriend in one drunken night, she’s determined to fix her life by going back to the moment when she let partying and sex take over. And do things right this time. At twenty-nine, she heads back to freshman year of college, with a catch.
Pretending she's nineteen with a new roommate and full class schedule is easy. When she meets her shy, sexy and seven-years-younger RA, Carter, following her self-imposed sobriety and celibacy rules is proving to be anything but.
A senior enduring years of regret, Carter is more than ready to graduate. He’s anxious to move on from the party his freshman year where he witnessed his frat brothers about to commit a sexual assault. Instead of doing the right thing and stepping in, he looked the other way and left. His guilt has made for a lonely four years.
When he meets the new freshman on his floor, spunky and confident Kate, he wonders if his time as an outcast has finally come to an end.
Kate and Carter’s growing friendship and undeniable attraction make it harder to hide the demons from their respective pasts. But when their secrets are finally revealed, will their chance at starting over together still be there?
This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:
AGAIN
by Lisa Burstein
Publication Date: September 22, 2014
Add to Goodreads
From Goodreads
How far would you go for a second chance?
Eleven years after flunking out of college, Kate has finally hit rock-bottom. Losing her job and boyfriend in one drunken night, she’s determined to fix her life by going back to the moment when she let partying and sex take over. And do things right this time. At twenty-nine, she heads back to freshman year of college, with a catch.
Pretending she's nineteen with a new roommate and full class schedule is easy. When she meets her shy, sexy and seven-years-younger RA, Carter, following her self-imposed sobriety and celibacy rules is proving to be anything but.
A senior enduring years of regret, Carter is more than ready to graduate. He’s anxious to move on from the party his freshman year where he witnessed his frat brothers about to commit a sexual assault. Instead of doing the right thing and stepping in, he looked the other way and left. His guilt has made for a lonely four years.
When he meets the new freshman on his floor, spunky and confident Kate, he wonders if his time as an outcast has finally come to an end.
Kate and Carter’s growing friendship and undeniable attraction make it harder to hide the demons from their respective pasts. But when their secrets are finally revealed, will their chance at starting over together still be there?
Why I'm Waiting
- I am a HUGE FAN of Lisa's books - I love her characters and the stories she tells
- It's a story about second chances
- I must find out how a 29 year old can pull off being a 19 year old
- This two chapter teaser - read it for yourself and then add AGAIN to your TBR list!
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Review: The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone by Adele Griffin
The Unfinished Life Of Addison Stone
by Adele Griffin
Publication Date: August 12, 2014
Published by Soho Teen
Pages:356
Source: Publisher
Purchase Amazon / Indiebound
from Goodreads
National Book
Award-finalist Adele Griffin tells the fully illustrated story of a
brilliant young artist, her mysterious death, and the fandom that won't
let her go.
From the moment she stepped foot in NYC, Addison Stone’s subversive street art made her someone to watch, and her violent drowning left her fans and critics craving to know more. I conducted interviews with those who knew her best—including close friends, family, teachers, mentors, art dealers, boyfriends, and critics—and retraced the tumultuous path of Addison's life. I hope I can shed new light on what really happened the night of July 28.
—Adele Griffin
From the moment she stepped foot in NYC, Addison Stone’s subversive street art made her someone to watch, and her violent drowning left her fans and critics craving to know more. I conducted interviews with those who knew her best—including close friends, family, teachers, mentors, art dealers, boyfriends, and critics—and retraced the tumultuous path of Addison's life. I hope I can shed new light on what really happened the night of July 28.
—Adele Griffin
My Thoughts
Like the art created by the late Addison Stone, Adele Griffin has created a masterpiece by telling her story.
The many distinct voices and characterizations shows the true talent in Adele Griffin's writing. At first it took a little getting use to jumping from one character interview to the next, but as the book progressed I looked forward to reading the different perspectives of the narrative. The images of Addison and her work help to capture her story and give a sense of who she was or how she allowed people to see her.
The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone certainly made me question: How do we know someone after they are gone? Is it from the stories that people tell about them? What will their legacy be - especially for someone so young. From the many observations of the people who knew Addison, it is clear that no one person knew her completely. Whether someone is blinded by their adoration or their jealousy or their own selfish gain, it isn't possible to know exactly who she was. We can only place the pieces together to gain a sense of who she was.
There were many times that I became completely engrossed in the life and death of this young artist that I had to remind myself that she is a fictional character. I expected to be able to jump over to Twitter or Facebook and find updates on her story and people talking about this daring artist and her mysterious death. I could imagine a large following of young artists creating tributes to her and making fan art.
The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone is a rarity and very special. I think it would appeal to many teenage and adult readers. It reads like a documentary and kept me captivated until the very end.
Disclaimer: I received this ARC from Soho Teen in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any way other than the ARC provided. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
Monday, August 18, 2014
Blog Tour: Amity by Micol Ostow - Guest Post and Giveaway
I've had my eye on Micol Ostow's YA horror novel, Amity, for quite a while. Publication day is almost here! I want a book that scares me beyond words and I think Amity just might be the book to do it. I'm pleased to be a part of this tour, hosting Micol and offering a copy of Amity to one lucky reader.
AMITY
by Micol Ostow
Published by EgmontUSA
Publication Date: August 26, 2014
368 Pages
About Amity
For fans of Stephen King and American Horror Story, a gruesome thriller suggested by the events of the Amityville Horror.
Connor's family moves to Amity to escape shady business deals. Ten years later, Gwen's family moves to Amity for a fresh start after she's recovered from a psychotic break.
But something is not right about this secluded house. Connor's nights are plagued with gore-filled dreams of demons and destruction. Dreams he kind of likes. Gwen has lurid visions of corpses that aren't there and bleeding blisters that disappear in the blink of an eye. She knows Amity is evil and she must get her family out, but who would ever believe her?
Amity isn't just a house. She is a living force, bent on manipulating her inhabitants to her twisted will. She will use Connor and Gwen to bring about a bloody end as she's done before. As she'll do again.
Alternating between parallel narratives, Amity is a tense and terrifying tale suggested by true-crime events that will satisfy even the most demanding horror fan.
Connor's family moves to Amity to escape shady business deals. Ten years later, Gwen's family moves to Amity for a fresh start after she's recovered from a psychotic break.
But something is not right about this secluded house. Connor's nights are plagued with gore-filled dreams of demons and destruction. Dreams he kind of likes. Gwen has lurid visions of corpses that aren't there and bleeding blisters that disappear in the blink of an eye. She knows Amity is evil and she must get her family out, but who would ever believe her?
Amity isn't just a house. She is a living force, bent on manipulating her inhabitants to her twisted will. She will use Connor and Gwen to bring about a bloody end as she's done before. As she'll do again.
Alternating between parallel narratives, Amity is a tense and terrifying tale suggested by true-crime events that will satisfy even the most demanding horror fan.
For my stop on the blog tour, I've asked Micol to share some books that made her fall in love with reading and writing.
Welcome Micol!!
Good question! Happy to share a few of
my favorites.
Eloise, Kay Thompson
(illustrated by Hilary Knight)
Eloise lives at the Plaza hotel, and she
is interested in people when they are not boring. I think we all can relate! Eloise is one of my favorite
read-alouds. It taught me all about voice, character, language, and the
interplay between words and text. There’s a reason she’s a classic.
A Little Princess, Frances
Hodgson Burnett
When it comes to Hodgson Burnett, I find
people to be pretty divided between Princess
and The Secret Garden when it
comes to choosing favorites. I always came down on the side of Little Princess because, as we see from
Eloise, I have a soft spot for charming young girls with absentee parents and
lots to share with the right reader. My mother read this one aloud to me long
after I was old enough to be reading it myself.
Tiger Eyes, Judy
Blume
Judy Blume was the first author I
encountered who didn’t talk down to teens and wrote about issues we were
actually concerned with, in a non-moralistic way (death! sex! adolescent
friendships!). She felt very fresh and modern to my pre-teen eyes. From there I
moved on to others in the same vein, like Paul Zindel and Paula Danziger, but Tiger Eyes was the beginning of it all
for me.
The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret
Atwood
Everything Atwood writes is whip-smart,
incisive, and even humorous in its darkest moments, but Handmaid’s Tale was the first of her novels that I encountered. It
was as subversive as Catch-22 or Lord of the Flies but unique to me in
that it dealt with gender issues and feminism, which, as a high school student
I was just beginning to be interested in. It’s more accessible than some of her
later work, but it’s indelible, and it packs a punch. Atwood 101.
Giveaway Details
Prize: One copy of Amity by Micol Ostow
(provided by EgmontUSA)
Must be 13 years or Older to enter
U.S./Canada addresses only
To enter, fill out Rafflecopter below
Giveaway ends August 28, 2014
If I cannot verify your entries, those entries will not count.
Tomorrow's Tour Stop
August 19, 2014
Check THIS LIST for all tour stops
Micol
Ostow is half Puerto Rican, half Jewish, half editor, half writer, half
chocolate, half peanut butter. When she is under deadline, she is often
half asleep. She believes that the whole is greater than the sum of the
parts except in the case of Chubby Hubby ice cream. Micol is the author
(or ghostwriter) of over 40 books for teens, including Egmont USA’s
family and So Punk Rock (and Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother).
Amity is her first horror novel. She
received her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the
Vermont College of Fine Arts and lives in New York City, where she
practices liberal consumption of coffee, cheese, and chocolate.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Death at Carp High: Excerpt and Giveaway
Death at Carp High
by Jeremy Gold
Publication Date: April 7, 2014
274 Pages
Genre: Mystery, Young Adult
Synopsis:
Jake Brown is your average, above-average kid. He generally has his mind on the usual things that male high
school seniors think about: girls, avoiding Spanish class, girls,
pizza, surfing, girls, and of course, girls. None of that changes when
he and his best friend, Dean, go surfing and find a body with a hole in
its head floating beyond the waves.
Shortly after “the big discovery,” Sydney, a cross country running teammate of Jake’s, asks him to go to Morp—“Prom” spelled backwards—a Sadie Hawkins-
In the beginning, Jake and Dean try keeping Lily and Sydney out of harm’s way, but high school girls are pros at teasing out even the most well-kept secrets. Eventually, the foursome becomes entangled in clues—and preoccupied with making sure dire threats from their prime suspect don’t pan out!
Death at Carp High has as many peaks and troughs as a winter swell at Rincon, and it’s all Jake and Dean can do to avoid wiping out.
Shortly after “the big discovery,” Sydney, a cross country running teammate of Jake’s, asks him to go to Morp—“Prom” spelled backwards—a Sadie Hawkins-
In the beginning, Jake and Dean try keeping Lily and Sydney out of harm’s way, but high school girls are pros at teasing out even the most well-kept secrets. Eventually, the foursome becomes entangled in clues—and preoccupied with making sure dire threats from their prime suspect don’t pan out!
Death at Carp High has as many peaks and troughs as a winter swell at Rincon, and it’s all Jake and Dean can do to avoid wiping out.
EXCERPTI’m pretty sure Sandra DeFargo wasn’t wearing any under- wear in homeroom, this morning,” I repeated to Dean. Dean was my best friend.“How could you tell, Jake?” he asked.“When I turned around to look at the clock, I noticed she was sitting with her legs slightly apart. She was wearing pantyhose but nothing else.”“Do girls even wear pantyhose and panties at the same time? Aren’t the panties already built in to the pantyhose? They are called ‘panty’ hose, after all.”“Good point. The real question is, however, why was she wearing pantyhose to begin with?”“Nobody wears pantyhose to school.”“I know. So why was she?”“For that matter, why was she wearing a dress?”“Hardly any girls wear dresses.”“Maybe it has to do with some sort of medical condition.”“Like varicose veins.”“Do kids our age even get varicose veins? I thought only old people got that.”“It could be an anomaly,” I said.“Or cancer.”“What? Why would having cancer necessitate having to wear pantyhose?”“Maybe it’s some sort of skin cancer. Maybe her legs would look really bad without something to cover them up.”“So why wouldn’t she just wear pants?” I wondered out loud.“Exactly. Ninety percent of the girls at school wear pants.Only the real slutty girls wear dresses.”“Short dresses.”“Sans underwear.”“Maybe Sandra decided to go slutty, all of sudden.”“Pantyhose, though, definitely detract from the slutty look.”“And besides, she’s way too straight to be a slut.”“Which means, you might just have imagined the whole thing.”“So you’re saying it was just wishful thinking on my part?” I asked.“That I imagined the whole thing?”“I’m just saying that maybe some part of your subconscious mind saw what it wanted to see,” Dean said.“It’s possible. Still...it still doesn’t answer why she was wearing pantyhose to begin with.”“No it doesn’t. And it also doesn’t answer a more fundamental question.”“Which is?” I asked.“Why was she sitting with her legs apart?”“Hmm? ”“Exactly. Why weren’t her legs crossed?”“Or pressed together?”“We’ve already ruled out the whole ‘slut’ angle, right?”“Right. Sandra DeFargo is not a slut. Too smart, too straight. Too Christian.”“On the other hand, you know what they say about those Catholic girls.”“Except we’re not going to a Catholic high school.”“Which doesn’t mean she couldn’t still be a repressed Catholic, acting out against her priest and parents.”“You make a good point. Just because she ‘appears’ to be straight, doesn’t mean she actually is. For all we know, she’s having wild sex with different guys every night.”“Don’t you think we would have heard about it if that were true, though?”“Probably. But it’s not like we’re part of that crowd.”“The crowd that has wild sex every night?”“Yes. That crowd.”“You think this was a one-time deal or you think she’s, uh...turned over a new leaf, decided to spice up her life a little bit?” Dean asked.“You’re suggesting the pantyhose could actually be an attempt to change things up and get laid?” I said.“Hooking up and getting laid is always a good thing,” Dean reminded me.“Definitely. Though if she thinks wearing pantyhose is what it’ll take...”“Dude, it doesn’t take much for a girl to get laid at our school.”“I wish I could say the same for the guys.”“I know what you mean.”“At least you have a girlfriend,” I said.“Yeah, but we’re not doing it,” Dean said, holding out his hands disappointedly.“And why exactly is that again?”“The biggest reason is that she’s ‘not ready,’” he said.“And the lesser reason?”“It’s against my religion.”“Oh that’s right...you’re Mormon,” I said, pretending I hadn’t remembered.“Hard to forget something like that.”“I can imagine it would be,” I said. Unless you knew Dean like I did, you never would have known that he went to church at least once a week and planned on going on a two-year mission abroad after his first year of college.“So you’ve finally decided not to have sex before you’re married?” I asked.“Well...not completely. If the right girl threw herself at me...I might just give in to the temptation.”“And Lily isn’t ‘temptation’ enough?” I queried.“She’s definitely temptation...”“But she isn’t enough temptation?” I pressed.“Well...given the right circumstances...”“Like both of you inebriated at a party? Which incidentally is also taboo in the Mormon religion. Drinking alcohol, right? Which, of course, you have freely sampled more than once.”“I have, haven’t I,” Dean admitted nodding his head.“So what’s one more sin in the book? You just have to say a few extra Hail Marys, right?”“We don’t say Hail Marys, dude. Catholics say Hail Marys.”
Want to win a copy of Death at Carp High?
Enter the tour-wide giveaway below.
Jeremy Gold is seventeen years
old…in his mind. He lives in Carpinteria, California, a small beachside
town, ten miles south of its more celebrated sister, Santa Barbara. He
loves hiking, mountain bike riding, and of course, writing. Death at Carp High is the first in the six-part Jake Brown mystery series.
Jeremy and his wife, Calla, have been married since 1979. Any resemblance between their 21-year-old son, Dan, and Jake Brown is purely…understandable.
Jeremy and his wife, Calla, have been married since 1979. Any resemblance between their 21-year-old son, Dan, and Jake Brown is purely…understandable.
Author links: