For my tag today I decided to tackle the Would You Rather tag. Amber over at Only True Magic did her own version and tagged anyone that hadn't yet done it, so here I am. Be sure to stop by and check her version of it out here.
You would think that question with only two options would be easy to answer, wouldn't you? No! They aren't! Every time I thought I had this down, my mind found another way to skew the question and then it went off on that tangent until I was finally about to figure out a coherent way to tell you all what my answer was. Let's see what I managed to figure out, eh?
1. Rather read only a series or stand-alone books?
If I could be guaranteed that the standalone would have all loose ends tied up by the end, then I would choose standalones. The longer that a series goes on, the more chances to has to have dud books, especially book two in a trilogy. I'd rather avoid that and have, say, a 900 page monstrosity in one go.
2. Rather read a book whose main character is male or female?
I'd choose to read female main characters because at least that voice would be more similar to the one in my head.
3. Rather shop only at Barnes & Noble (or other actual bookstore) or Amazon?
For the pure thrill of being able to pick up books and look through them, feel them, check out what they look like under their dust jackets, I would have to choose physical bookstore, especially used bookstores because they tend to be really cool treasure troves.
For the sake of my wallet and the fact that they give me the ability to buy more books, I'd have to go with Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Saving $6 off a new hardcover really adds up.
4. Rather all books become movies or tv shows?
Television series. Given the right channel or online network, a book could be transformed into a true epic and on tv (or Netflix, Hulu, etc.) they'd have the time to get into all the side stories, character arcs, etc., that we love in a book rather than glossing over them or ignoring them completely.
5. Rather read 5 pages per day or read 5 books per week?
5 books a week sounds great in theory, but I think that would be too many stories to cram into my poor little head week after week. I'd start forgetting the details about them and that would be sad. 5 pages a day would give me more time to think about what I read and it would build up anticipation for the next day.
6. Rather be a professional book reviewer or an author?
I wanted to be an author when I was younger. In high school I would sit in class and start story after story when I was supposed to be taking notes. However, after college and even after majoring in Creative Writing, I don't think that I have what it takes anymore. Maybe someday that will change, but for now I think I would be much happier writing about the book I enjoyed, and even the ones I didn't, if it meant I could help people on their way to finding books that they, in turn, could enjoy.
7. Rather only read the same 20 books over and over or get to read a new book every 6 months?
I tend to re-read a lot and am perfectly content with that. Even with stacks upon stacks of new books to read I tend to go back to the old favorites, so I'd pick that option: the same 20 books over and over. Harry Potter, of course, is going to take up most of that list, but what would the other 13 be I wonder?
8. Rather be a librarian or own a book store?
Definitely a librarian. I've never been one, so I'm sure there are plenty of inner problems that I have no idea about (budget meetings, etc.), but after having worked in a bookstore and having had the pressure of trying to sell membership cards and magazine subscriptions, I think that a library atmosphere would be more up my alley.
9. Rather only read your favorite genre or your favorite author?
I think I would rather stick with my favorite author. It would be hard to choose one, but I think I know who it is and she's got a fairly decent sized library of work so I would be set for awhile, not to mention that the genres she writes are diverse enough that I wouldn't be stuck reading the same thing over and over again.
10. Rather only read physical books or eBooks?
Physical books just feel better, plus I do feel some eye strain when reading eBooks that I don't get when I read physical books. There's just something about holding the book and seeing how much you've got left to read, holding the heft of a huge book in hand, and knowing you've got a backpack full of potential reads that could take out a mugger in needed that makes physical books the obvious choice. :)
These were fun to answer, really, in the end. If you haven't done this tag yet I strongly encourage you to. Leave your link in the comments so I can see what your choices were.
I'm an old school Pokemon fan. I grew up with the anime, watched every episode of the original series, etc. I wanted to have the games when they first came out, but at the time I didn't have a GameBoy. Now, though, I'm old enough to enjoy the fandom at will and I have been having a lot of fun searching out Pokemon in the real world with Pokemon Go.
When I saw that Jess had done this tag, I had to read her post and then I decided that I just had to do this tag myself! The questions are cute and a good sidekick to the game (which, if you haven't tried yet, please do!).
Starters: The Book That Started Your Love of Reading
I don't have that great of a memory, especially if we are talking about ten to twenty years, but I think that it had to have either been Anne of Green Gables or A Wrinkle in Time. I remember reading both when I was young and loving them a lot. We were supposed to read A Wrinkle in Time in class that year, but I couldn't wait and read ahead while the others read their chapters aloud. It was that good!
Pikachu: An Iconic Classic You'll Always Love
There are so many to choose from. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn has been a favorite of mine for some time now. I re-read it several times a year, even. Harry Potter, of course, but is it a classic yet? Yeah, just answered my own question there. *lol* Harry Potter will never get old. There's something new, some new way to think, every time I go back to read it. I don't think that'll ever stop being amazing to me.
Zubat: A Book You Lost Interest In Because It's Literally Everywhere
I hate to say it, but the Divergent series has become more of a chore to think about reading than something I really want to finish. It was overhyped when it first came out, but I thought I would give it a try anyway. The first book, or at least the first half of it, is pretty good, but then I got spoiled for the ending of Allegiant because everyone was talking about it. After that, I got kind of bored with it. There didn't seem to be a lot of reason to push through the slow bits when I knew where it was all going.
Ditto: A Book That Reminds You of Other Books (Tropes) But You Still Love Anyway
Red Queen was a book that a lot of people told me was incredibly similar to other YA books, but I wanted to give it a chance anyway. I'm happy that I did. It does, admittedly, have all the things I was warned about, but it still had enough of it's own energy to make me like it.
Snorlax: A Book/Series You Have Not Started Because of Sheer Size
I can't think of a series that I haven't read any of, but there are a few I have picked up a volume in the series, read a couple chapters, then realized how enormous the undertaking is and backed off for awhile in favor of something else, the Discworld series chief among them.
Gengar: A Book That Kept You Up At Night
Creed by Trisha Leaver was a spooky one. It was like the novelization of a horror movie. I don't recall liking it very much in the end, but the reading of it up to a point was nerve wracking, especially when I started reading it around midnight.
Nidoking/Nidoqueen: Your Bookish OTP
I don't think I have as strong feelings as some towards certain couples. There are a few I like that may or may not be canon: Hermione/Viktor for one; Ronan/Adam; Celaena/Dorian.
Rapidash: A Fire Hot, Fast Paced Read
Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris was a real hot read and I think it was for two reasons. The first is because I went into it knowing that there were bad things afoot instead of thinking things were okay at first and finding to the contrary 50 pages in. The second is that I picked this book up while I was working and I had to shelve it, but having peeked at the first page while doing so I was hooked! Once I finally sat down to read it I was done in a matter of a day or two.
Eevee: Series You'll Never Get Tired of Seeing Spin-offs For
My first answer feels like it should automatically be Harry Potter, but I was badly burned by Cursed Child, so I think anymore books in the HP series will have me very hesitant.
Besides that, I don't think I could ever be tired of Percy Jackson books. I've only read two of them so far, but Rick Riordan has a writing style that doesn't seem to be waning any time soon.
Magikarp: A Book/Series That Was Surprisingly Awesome
Genshiken is a manga series that bored me at first, but I decided to give the rest of the series a chance. I reread the first book and continued onward, finding it to be much better the second time around. The series got a lot better. The first read might have just occurred at a bad time for me. I'm glad I went on with it because there's a lot of fandom culture regarding cosplay, anime, and video games discussed in later volumes.
Legendary: An Overhyped Series You're Still Excited to Read
The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater is an overhyped series that I really need to get around to reading. I keep meaning to, but I misplaced my copy of The Raven Boys so that binge is on hold for a bit.
Mew & Mewtwo: A Collector's Edition You Wish You Owned
I went to Books of Wonder for the first time earlier this year and saw a signed first edition of Prisoner of Azkaban. That is my favorite Harry Potter book and I would love to have that. I think it was something like $400, though. :(
Poke-Egg: A Debut Novel You're Very Excited For
You Don't Me But I Know You by Rebecca Barrow sounds particularly interesting. It sounds like it could be really sad, but there's a lot of potential for hope, so maybe it will work out in the end? I'll have to wait until next year to find out, sadly, but I'll be sure to keep a sharp eye out for an ARC. :)
Lure Module: An Auto-Buy Author
Neil Gaiman. It doesn't matter what genre it is. Childrens, adult, non fiction: whatever it is, I will buy it.
Server's Down: A Book Release You've Been Waiting on Forever
I have to wait until 2019 for the illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix which I am especially looking forward to for two reasons: 1) it's my second favorite book in the series, and 2) it is the biggest book in the series and I can't wait to see how big this thing is going to be!
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Harry Potter Thursday is a weekly meme created by Uncorked Thoughts.
Whenever I reread the Harry Potter books, I tend to start from the beginning and somewhere around books three or four I tend to get distracted and start reading something else. The biggest downside to this is that I tend to not read the last three books in the series, which is sad for me because these are the books where the most Ravenclaws are mentioned.
I've taken the Pottermore Sorting Hat quiz twice and both times I was sorted into Ravenclaw, which made me very happy. Assuming their yearly student quota is similar to Gryffindor's of five students per year, I'm going to try and choose which four other students I'd want to room with for seven years of magical education.
Let me say, before I start, that I'm going into this assuming that Hogwarts would suddenly have co-ed dorms and that any of these students would either age suddenly or get younger in a hurry and we'd all have our seven years at Hogwarts together. Also, there's the possibility that I'd be attempting to get certain students resorted into my House so we could all hang out together.
Luna Lovegood
Luna is probably an obvious choice as she is the most talked about member of Ravenclaw. I feel like she'd be someone amazing to be around. Sure there are things about her that would probably be a bit grating if I had to deal with them for hundreds of days in a row, but I'm pretty good at tolerating things in roommates so I think we'd get over it. She believes in a lot of fantastical things, so she'd always be up for believing me if I had a story to tell. She's got a near encyclopedic knowledge of magical creatures, so she'd be the Ravenclaw answer to Hermione Granger for homework help. Plus, she's a nice person that stands beside you when things get rough and that would be essential in wizarding high school.
Scorpius Malfoy
I read Cursed Child and I could not see how Scorpius was sorted into Slytherin, it just didn't make any sense. He didn't have any of the qualities that we saw exhibited in Slytherins and I felt like he did have a lot more Ravenclaw type qualities: he had the brains, the more even temper. He seemed like a nice person that would be a really considerate roommate.
Arthur Weasley
I don't see how Arthur and Luna wouldn't get along. He's basically the Muggle-centric version of her. And, as a Muggle born witch, we'd hit it off because I'd be able to explain all this crazy Muggle stuff to him in exchange for him explaining crazy Magic stuff to me.
Angelina Johnson
At first glance, Angelina and I don't really have anything in common. She's much more into sports than I am, having been a member of the Quidditch team throughout her school years. However, I think she more than proved herself to be an amazing person and student in terms of educational means and in terms of honesty and bravery when confronted with adversity (i.e. Dark Wizards attacking the school and the students within). Having a dorm full of students all alike would get boring after awhile, so why not room with someone who is cool but not so alike that we'd end up hating each other?
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Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Thoughts on Tomes. Check out the Goodreads group here.
It would be more than easy to fill this list with Weasleys because even with all their problems, they really managed to be there for one another and work things out (eventually).
There will definitely be Harry Potter characters on this list but I'm going to do my best to broaden my answers for some of the spots.
5. Mortimer "Mo" Folchart as a Father
This man is quite possibly the ultimate father figure. He has a very kind personality and would do anything for his daughter. He's one of the biggest bookworms in the book world. Not only does he have a collection that might rival the Beast's someday, but he can fix almost anything that could ever happen to them. I think that kindness is essential in a parent and having the open mind of bookworm lends a person that something extra that makes a great parental unit.
4. Professor Digory Kirke as a Grandfather
Professor Kirke has the ultimate grandfather persona. He's a kindly old man who believes the stories the children in his care tell him and doesn't mock them. His house is full of history and I bet he'd share those stories if you asked. There's plenty to explore, so visits to grandfather's house would never be boring. He's a sweet old man that would be my ideal grandpa.
3. Lupin as an Uncle
It's weird thinking about Lupin as a wise old uncle type character considering that, reading the books now he's my age, but that's how his character comes across. He has a wisdom that belongs to a man twice his age, he's kind to kids that are afraid, and he'll do whatever he can to protect those he loves, even if it puts him in pain.
2. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle as a Grandmother
She could either be my grandmother or my mother and thus the grandmother to my children, but either way she would be a great one. She's a lot of fun and she knows a lot more than me about raising children and ways around their bad behavior. She's be a great source for maternal knowledge one way or the other.
1. Tonks as a Sister
I feel like Tonks would be an amazing big sister. Sure she's got a lackadaisical personality at times, but she really can step up when the situation calls for it. She'd probably help me dye my hair and she wouldn't let me hide in my room worrying over something. I can see her helping me out, either by sitting with me and working it out or dealing out a well deserved punch if needs be. ;)
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Top 10 Tuesday is a weekly meme that is brought to us by The Broke & the Bookish. Check out the topic list here.
In honor of the fall television season starting up, this week's topic has to do with television. I decided to go with my top ten television shows of all time. This was a bit hard as there are so many choices and when it gets down to it, there were so many that were a part of my childhood that I loved and now I have to cut them down.
10. Space Cases
This was probably one of my first exposures to science fiction and as I remember, it was a lot of fun. There were super powers, there was inter-dimensional travel, etc. It was a factor in the beginning of a lifelong love of the unusual.
9. The Secret World of Alex Mack
This was another show about super powers that I loved. I remember pretending to be able to float things across the room and melt into a puddle. Obviously it never worked, but it certainly was fun imagining.
8. Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?
My mom, my sister, and I had a lot of fun watching this show together and trying to figure out the answer before the end of the game. There was even a computer game that I played quite a lot related to the show. I wish they'd bring this game back, it was a lot of fun and you learned a lot about the world while watching/playing it.
7. Criminal Minds
Mysteries are addicting and crime shows don't deliver anything short of mysteries. Every season gets weirder and weirder, which can be both great and frustrating sometimes. What I like about Criminal Minds, aside from the innovative story lines, is the varied cast. My personal favorites are Garcia and Reid.
6. Cutthroat Kitchen
Alton Brown is funny and sinister and brings all sorts of elements of craziness to this show. It's a cooking show meets game show meets insane asylum. Alton never fails to amaze me with the ingenuity of his sabotages.
5. Sherlock
The downside to this series is that there are only three episodes per season. The upside is pretty much everything else. There are the classic stories brought to new life by actors that have proven themselves time and time again. This show inspired me to go back and read all the Sherlock stories, which I'm working my way through as we speak.
4. Golden Girls
This showed aired during my infancy so some of the jokes are a bit dated, but these girls never fail to illicit a laugh from me. Bea Arthur played one of the first bookworms I ever learned to love that wasn't a contemporary and Estelle Getty played her mother who proved that being short of stature was no reason to let anyone sass you without sassing right back.
3. Supernatural
I started this series late, but grew to love it. The monster of the week scheme of the early seasons was interesting as it gave me the chance to learn about a lot of different creepy crawlies as well as see various takes on ones I knew like vampires and werewolves.
2. Doctor Who
This show has everything and has been with me for every part of my life. I remember visiting England in 2005 and seeing the merchandise when New Who was just starting. Christopher Eccelston (9) was my first Doctor and ever since I've turned to the Doctor when I was sad, when I was happy. Whenever I needed something, all I needed to do was look for the right Doctor Who episode and there it was.
1. Gilmore Girls
This is one of the few shows that I can watch over and over again without getting bored. There are very few spots of this show that I skip over though I have seen it multiple times. It's good to watch, it's good for background music, it's basically the television version of a comfort food.
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Gideon always has a plan. His plans include running for class president, becoming head of the yearbook committee, and having his choice of colleges. They do NOT include falling head over heels for his best friend and next door neighbor, Kyle. It’s a distraction. It’s pointless, as Kyle is already dating the gorgeous and popular head cheerleader, Ruby. And Gideon doesn’t know what to do.
Kyle finally feels like he has a handle on life. He has a wonderful girlfriend, a best friend willing to debate the finer points of Lord of the Rings, and social acceptance as captain of the basketball team. Then, both Ruby and Gideon start acting really weird, just as his spot on the team is threatened, and Kyle can’t quite figure out what he did wrong…
Rating: 3 Stars
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Been Here All Along has the classic feel of a Sandy Hall book, what with the writing style continuing to be lighthearted and the author's use of multiple points of view. It is a quick read not only because the length of the novel barely surpasses 200 pages, but because the subject material and the manner in which it is written do not bog the reader down with heavy emotions.
The story was nice enough. It featured two best friends since childhood, Kyle and Gideon, who have the kind of friendship that forms the basis for something lasting, whether it be a lifelong friendship or something more, as the romantic threads of the story lead you to believe.
The use of multiple points of view in this particular work of Hall's was well executed. It was not heavy handed as in A Little Something Different, which famously had fourteen different p.o.v.s., and it had a few more than Signs Point to Yes. As a reader you're able to find out more information through this tool and that worked well here, though the voices of Kyle and Gideon did feel interchangeable at times. Whether this is down to the writing style or whether it was intentional because they grew up together and would obviously have similar mannerisms I do not know. In any case, those points were where the story fell a bit flat in the telling.
To sump up, I'd definitely recommend picking this up. It's perfect for a quick, light read. I would've said it was a very good summer read, but as we're on the cusp of autumn, let me rephrase: it's a very good book to read on a Sunday when you want to remember the good times of the summer, the fun that you had with friends, rather than going back to school that may or may not be all that fun (which, hey, it might be for you, who knows?).
In any case, give it a whirl. It'll be fun. :)
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Forget the ghosts, Mica. It’s real, live people you should fear.
Tragedy has brought Micaela Burgos back to her hometown of Sleepy Hollow. It’s been six years since she chose to live with her father in Miami instead of her eccentric mother. And now her mother is dead.
This town will suck you in and not let go.
Sleepy Hollow may be famous for its fabled headless horseman, but the town is real. So are its prejudices and hatred, targeting Mica’s family as outsiders. But ghostly voices carry on the wind, whispering that her mother’s death was based on hate…not an accident at all. With the help of two very different guys—who pull at her heart in very different ways—Micaela must awaken the hidden secret of Sleepy Hollow…before she meets her mother’s fate.
Find the answers.
Unless, of course, the answers find you first.
Thanks to NetGalley and YA Reads for giving me the chance to read this book and review it for you today, YA Reads especially for the chance to be a part of the book tour for Wake the Hollow.
I love reading retellings of my favorite stories because, as you might have guessed, it offers up a myriad of new ways for the story to go. Maybe it's modern day, maybe the princess does the saving this time, etc. Luckily most of my favorites have had plenty of retellings so I haven't been short, but I can't remember ever having seen a Sleeping Hollow retelling. This was a first for me and I'm pleased to share this review with you, as well as an excerpt from the book following.
Rating: 3 Stars
Having never been to Sleepy Hollow, I liked the introduction to the town. While the beginning was kind of slow and took awhile to get going, the descriptions of the town got me into the right state of mind. It was a pleasant image to have, considering it's something like 80 degrees while I'm reading it.
There was some difficulty getting to like or hate some of the characters. It was obvious who we were supposed to dislike, considering the way they acted and the things they did. However, it didn't feel like it was an individual hate, it was more like I was hating stock footage of a group rather than the individuals themselves.
Micaela was a girl with a lot of trouble in her life and I kind of wish that the story hadn't gotten complicated with a love story. Sure there were the moments with Bram, her childhood friend, that hearkened back to their shared past, but it didn't feel like anything really need to come of that or mentioned much beyond it being a somewhat friendly connection. As for Dane...well, he was an oddball that seemed neither here nor there. Again, I think Mica would've faired much better if she'd been able to concentrate on the story of her mother and the mystery of her death & Sleepy Hollow.
The ending was a bit lukewarm for me as well. It wasn't as big of a shocker as I'd usually expect from a thriller, but it made due.
I'd recommend checking it out because the premise the author came up with for Mica's family history and the circumstances surrounding her mother's death were intriguing and deserve at least a look through.
About the Author
GABY TRIANA is the award-winning author of six YA novels—Wake the Hollow (Aug. 2016, Entangled), Summer of Yesterday, Riding the Universe, The Temptress Four, Cubanita, and Backstage Pass, as well as thirteen ghostwritten novels for best-selling authors. Originally a 4th grade teacher with a Master of Science in Elementary Education and ten years teaching experience, Gaby earned Teacher of the Year in 2000, wrote her first novel, Freddie and the Biltmore Ghost, then left teaching to launch a full-time writing career.
She went on to publish young adult novels with HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster, win an IRA Teen Choice Award, ALA Best Paperback Award, and Hispanic Magazine’s Good Reads of 2008. She spends her time obsessing about Halloween, Christmas, and Disney World, as well as hosting parties, designing mugs, making whimsical cakes, and winning costume contests.
When she’s not writing, she might also be watching Jurassic Park movies with her boys, posting excessive food pics on social media, or helping run the Florida region of the SCBWI. Gaby lives in Miami with her three sons, Michael, Noah, and Murphy. She has one dog, Chloe, and two cats—Miss Daisy, and the reformed thug, shooting survivor, Bowie.
Visit her at www.gabytriana.com and @GabyTriana on Twitter.
Read Below for an excerpt from the book:
Chapter One
“A drowsy, dreamy influence seems to hang over the land, and to pervade the very atmosphere…” — WashingtonIrving,“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”
Follow me, please. The woman’s smoky silhouette hovers over me again.
Leave me alone. I cover my eyes, though I can still see her swirling shape through my fingers.
She floats closer, wringing her misty hands. You mustn’t ignore me, Micaela. You must come with me.
Stop, I won’t go with you! I hate that I can never see her face clearly. Why won’t she leave me alone? Wake up!
A long screech rips me from the hazy dream. My eyes fly open, and my hands grip the first thing ahead of me for balance. Seats. Plastic. Brakes hiss to a stop. A drunk old man asleep in a window seat opposite mine stirs. Where am I? The Metro-North train…that’s right. We’ve pulled into Tarrytown station. 11:28 p.m. I almost slept through my stop.
Hurrying, I stand to gather my bags, try to shake off the haunting image of the faceless woman. But her voice rings through my brain fog one last time…need to face the inevitable…
She got that right.
As difficult as this is for me, I have to do it. For my mom. And my sanity.
The train doors slide open, and I stumble through them onto the platform. The sweet smell of the river mingled with cold, fresh air hits me. I’m transported six years back, waiting for my southbound train to the city, for my plane out of this forsaken place to go live with Dad in Miami. Don’t think about it, I remind myself. Just do what you came to do, then get back home.
The valley hasn’t changed much in six years. The station is still the same old cabin from when I was twelve. Boxy, old houses still sit across the street, and behind me, power lines still ruin the view of the Hudson’s palisades.
Lumbering into the station with all my stuff, I see the building is empty except for a woman using the ticket machine, in a hurry so she won’t miss the train. Her little girl has a teddy bear in the crook of one arm and a jacket in the other, all while trying to play a video game on her handheld. “Let’s go, baby.” The mother tugs her child by the elbow clutching the teddy bear. The bear drops to the ground without the girl noticing, and the two move on.
I reach down to grab it, my bags slipping off my shoulders and hitting the ground.
“Ma’am.” I run over and hand the mother the little girl’s bear.
“Oh, thank you so much! She would’ve freaked.” The mom smiles at me.
The little girl takes her bear, gives me a shy glance with big brown eyes, and together, they hurry across the platform, jumping onto the train just in time.
The doors slide closed. The train slips into the night.
She almost left her bear.
The very memory I told myself to avoid at all costs comes barreling in—my last day here six years ago. The station’s honey wood paneling, the lines on my mother’s face, how she looked so worn. She’d held a tissue to her stiff lips.
Then the worst part—I’d pushed Sofia, the doll she’d made me when I was little, into her hands. “Take care of her for me,” I’d said, though I knew she wouldn’t. Just like she hadn’t taken care of me.
Her gaze had gripped me, hazel eyes welling up, burning through pain. “Selfish, like your father,” she’d said.“Go. You two deserve each other.” Then she’d turned and left.
I remember standing there shaking, not knowing what to do, what to think, whether I was making a mistake by leaving. But I needed to go. I needed a parent. Sorrow crushing me, I stepped onto the train, and when I reached my father’s arms three thousand miles later, I cried for days.
Yet, despite it all, I’m here. Because she asked me to come. Because I want to make things right with her.
Because I need closure before I can move on with my life.
I wipe my eyes with my sleeve and head outside to find Abraham Derant, my best friend from Sleepy Hollow Past. He’ll probably be the only person happy to see me back. We reconnected online recently, where I had the chance to browse through his selfies and discover that everyone now calls him “Bram,” which makes me laugh, because he always hated his name. But it suits him, too. He’s changed a lot since we were twelve—now he’s big and brawny and athletic—a fact that knots my stomach. I can’t start anything romantic with him, though. One, he’ll always be just Abraham—the boy who grew up with me at Sunnyside, the historic home in town where both our moms worked. He did always try too hard, joke too much…plus he didn’t bathe every day. So, yeah.
And two, I won’t be staying long anyway.
Get in, get out, go home.
All around me, trees rustle in the feisty October breeze. I close my eyes and take in the sounds, breathing deeply. When I reopen them, I spot headlights coming down the hill, then a car turns out of my view and heads into the adjacent parking lot. Nerves flutter in my stomach. In a minute, Abraham—Bram—will be live in front of me again after all these years.
Around the corner of the station, a car door slams shut, and heavy boots step onto the wooden walkway leading to the building. I get my friendliest smile ready. “Hey, you.”
The sound stops. No one appears. But I heard someone. I know I did. “Hello?”
With my bags, I trudge to the other side of the station where the parking lot is. There’s an old blue Eclipse, ticking as its engine cools off in the chilly night, but no Bram. Maybe I should’ve asked what car he’d be driving. I call him, but it goes straight to voicemail—Greetings, I’m being held captive by an army of Amazons. Don’t try to find me. Beep…
“Hey. I’m at the station. Call me.” I hang up, about to text him, when another text comes in from Nina, my dad’s assistant, telling me the townhouse key won’t be available until tomorrow, so I should check into a Days Inn instead.
“Ugh.” Hell no. I’ll ask Bram if I can stay with him before I stay in some cheap motel by myself.
I’m a few letters into my reply when I hear it— “Lela.” A whisper.
Nobody calls me that anymore. Only Mami—my mom. Sometimes Bram did, a long time ago. To everyone else, I’ve always been Micaela or Mica. The chill in the air deepens. I pocket my phone and hug my bags tightly to fight off the cold. Suddenly, I hear something even weirder than the whisper—the clop of a horse’s hoof.
But why would… I smirk. Sleepy Hollow, boots, horseman. Okay, I get it.
“Cut it out, I know it’s you,” I tell the emptiness. It’s a small town. In small towns, people make up their own entertainment. And Bram Derant has always been king of entertainment around here. “Where are you?”
I head to the shadowy recesses behind the station, bracing for his surprise attack, but I don’t see him. Then, in on the breeze comes mumbling near my ear. I can’t understand what it’s saying. I swallow softly. The voices are back, torturing me again. Jesus, I’ve been here less than five minutes, and already, this town is haunting me.
“Bram?” I call out, even though I know it wasn’t him.
Nothing. Just wind, crickets, and tinkling chimes from somewhere nearby.
“Fine, I’m leaving, then.” I spin and hurry across the road toward Route 9. I still know my way around and will walk to Bram’s apartment if I have to, I don’t care. I think I hear soft footsteps behind me, but when I glance over my shoulder at the army of shadows I’m leaving behind, there’s no one.
Faster up the hill, away from the riverbank, I walk in the middle of the street. Visibility is higher here, away from stalkers in bushes and other hiding places. Wow. I’m really thinking like the city girl I’ve become. No one ever gets attacked in Sleepy Hollow in real life.
The smell of lavender, my mother’s favorite, fills my senses. I stop in my tracks. Mami? My ears strain to hear. On the street, a crumpled gum wrapper rocks in the wind. Moths dance beneath the dim street lamp, and assorted pumpkins sit on front porches like families gathered in the dark, telling ghost stories.
“Come out already!” I cry aloud.
In the distance, a dog howls a sad reply.
Then, from a side street, a low voice emerges. “Micaela Burgos, as bossy as ever.”
Even in the dark, I make out his wide smile, as mischievous as the day he sat in the corner of Ms. Sanstet’s Pre-K class for putting sand in my shoes. His hair has darkened since I last saw him, short on the sides, long on top. “God, you scared me.” My hand presses against my chest. Because he startled me, or because I’m seeing him again after six years? Not sure.
“Sorry. But finally, you’re here!” He pumps his fist in the air and emerges from the shadows into the cone of light cast from a nearby lamppost. I’m hit with the full picture I can’t quite get from his pics online. Wearing jeans and a black sweater, keys in hand, Bram makes his way down the street. He’s super gorgeous with wide shoulders, over six feet tall, and sigh,this will be tough.
“Thank you, thank you. My flight got in late, then I had to wait to take the next train, and…”
His dark brown eyes soak me in underneath heavy brows. He shakes his head.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” I ask.
“Nothing, you just…” He blinks a few times. That rascal smile.
I cock my head. “I just what?”
“You don’t look twelve anymore.” He laughs, letting out a low whistle. “Holy shit, Mica. You are one fine woman.”
I grin in spite of myself. Apparently, someone learned to flirt while I was away. “Uh, thanks.”
“You’re so welcome. And what’s this?” He gestures to my clothes and purse. His eyes land on the tag hanging from it. “MK? Code for Micaela?”
“Wow, really?” I shake my head. “Michael Kors?”
“Forgive me, Miss Burgos. I keep forgetting you’re a Miami girl now.” He glances down at his clothes. “And me in my Gap jeans and ten-dollar sweater.”
“Stop, you look fine.” Way more than fine. Hot. Pick-me-up-and-carry-me-straight-into-hell hot. But no. God, no. I can’t tell him that. I shouldn’t even think that. He’s good ol’ Abraham from back in the day, nothing more, nothing less. “You look…uh…great!” I say instead. “Just like your thousands of selfies.”
“Oh? I post too many, do I?” He clucks his tongue and makes silly duck lips. “As if you don’t post pics every day from your gleaming white mansion.”
Is that all I’m going to be while I’m here? The holes-in-her-Payless-shoes-turned-rich-girl? “Not a mansion. Just a house.”
“It’s nicer than where I live.” He raises an eyebrow, the funny-faced kid I remember poking through.
Ugh,I should’ve left the bag at home. Then again, it feels strangely satisfying being able to show that we’ve come such a long way. “Anyway…” I try not to feel his resentful jab. “Come help me with these bags already.”
His eyes chastise me.
“Please?”
“Hmm, I was waiting for the magic word.” Bram grabs my bags out of my tired hands, but instead of carrying them off to his car, he places them at his feet. Suddenly, his arms are enveloping me, my cheek against his broad chest. Bone-crushing, heartbeat-skipping, a nice…really nice hug. And hey, how about that? He bathes now.
God, he smells good. Like the woods by my old house after an autumn storm.
Still, it takes me a moment to melt into him. I’ve pushed this corner of the world out of my mind for so long, tried forgetting the pain, that I almost can’t give in. But some things are worth remembering. I allow my arms to wrap around him and lean into his solid body.
“There you go,” he whispers. Do not cry, I tell myself. Do not. “Sorry, Mica.”
“No, don’t. I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Okay.” His clean scent is laced with underlying familiarity. Another memory—us at Kingsland Point Park, by the lighthouse, the day I left. He’d told me he loved me, a pretty bold move for a twelve-year-old. It shocked me at the time. I’d pushed him away gently, not ready to feel that way, but now…
I pull back, reeling, pressing my sleeve against my eyes. “Were you the one sneaking around back there, scaring the crap out of me?”
“Me? I sneak not.” He lifts my bags again and hoists them onto his new muscle-man shoulders.
“Over there?” I point toward the station. “You weren’t going, Lellaaaa?”
“Nope, I just got here. They close the pickup/drop-off area after eleven, so I parked over there.” He points down a street. “Voices still torturing you, Mica?”
He always loved teasing me about my peculiar “talent.” I guess he still doesn’t believe I can hear them, whoever they belong to. “You’re in a blue Eclipse?”
“Black Accord. Mom’s old car. Everything okay?”
Black Accord? But then…who was walking around? I could’ve sworn… I rub my eyes and suck in a deep breath. After the sleepless nights I’ve had over the last month, it’s not hard to believe I might’ve imagined it all. “Fine. I’m just exhausted. Hey, is it okay if I stay with you tonight? Change of plans. My townhouse key isn’t ready for pickup.”
“Of course, Princess, you know you can. You’ll get to see our amazing palace. Let’s get thee off to bed! Your chariot awaits.” He struts off toward his car.
Princess. I say nothing about his new nickname for me, but he knows he’s hit a nerve.
He cocks an eyebrow back at me. “It was just a joke, Mica. I know you can take the girl out of Sleepy Hollow but not Sleepy Hollow out of the girl. Face it. This town is, and always will be, your home.” He pops the trunk and tosses my heavy bags inside like they’re filled with nothing but feathers. Then he rounds the car to open the passenger door for me. Before I have the chance to sit down, he kisses my cheek. “So welcome home.”
I give him a half smile then stare out at the quiet, sleeping town. Home. I don’t have the heart to tell him I stopped thinking of this place as home a long time ago. But if anyone can make me think of Sleepy Hollow that way again, it’d be Bram.
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