That Time I Joined The Circus Playlist, continued
Chapter 16: If Only
“It’s about getting out of a rut, you need luck
But you’re stuck and you don’t know how”
The Pet Shop Boys, “Love Etc.”
WordCircus: Who's Counting?
A bracelet to track your life. It sounds like a terrible idea to me for a number of reasons. First, there’s the whole “quantified” element: anything that adds more math to my life is automatically suspect. Second, it could just be my overactive imagination, but after reading the article I immediately pictured a dystopian future government jamming one of those things on my wrist, administering nudges in the form of electric shocks every time I tried to eat butter…
WordCircus: Refreshingly Derivative
Fans of the impressive muscles and distinct gravelly growl of Vin Diesel—try not to faint. There WILL be a sixth Fast & Furious movie coming to a multiplex near you! And, the very same weekend, you can also see the third Hangover movie. Which one will moviegoers pick? This is so exciting. It’s on!
That Time I Joined the Circus playlist, continued
Chapter 13: BECAUSE I’M STUPID
“How come I end up where I started?
How come I end up where I went wrong?”
—Radiohead, “15 Step”
That Time I Joined the Circus playlist, continued
Chapter 12: DEFINE INTERESTING
“In the end I was the mean girl
Or somebody’s in-between girl”
-Neko Case, “Hold On, Hold On”
“My life has a soundtrack - it plays in my head all the time.”
Lexi, from That Time I Joined the Circus by J.J. Howard, is a music lover. This is her soundtrack, pulled from the lyrics that begin each chapter. What would be on YOUR soundtrack?
Read an excerpt of That Time I Joined the Circus here: https://apps.facebook.com/thisisteen/?nid=1079
(Source: Spotify)
HAPPY RELEASE DAY to JJ Howard!! That Time I Joined the Circus is officially out today!
If you’re in the NYC area, don’t miss JJ Howard tomorrow, talking about her debut novel, That Time I Joined the Circus at 42nd Street NYPL, Bergen Room at 2:10 pm.
Save the Date! JJ Howard and Kody Keplinger will be at Books of Wonder on Sunday 3/24 at 1:45 for the Mega Signing!
JJ Howard with her book fair copies of That Time I Joined the Circus arrives at my school’s book fair!
Check out this great PW review for THAT TIME I JOINED THE CIRCUS by JJ Howard!
Howard’s well-paced debut is a contemporary twist on the old-fashioned notion of running away from home to join a circus—17-year-old Lexi would much rather still be living with her musician-father, Gavin, on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, hanging out with best friends Eli and Bailey, downloading songs, and making music mixes. In this case, it’s Lexi’s long-absent mother who has apparently joined the circus. When Gavin dies unexpectedly, leaving his daughter penniless, her only option is to track down her mother in Florida. Failing to find her, Lexi gratefully accepts work with the Circus Europa. Howard effectively builds suspense by alternating chapters between Lexi’s gradual adaption to an itinerant life with the circus and the earlier days in New York leading to Gavin’s death; the author creates persuasive portraits of both cultures and includes the requisite romantic possibilities. Lexi’s credible voice, tumultuous emotions, and passion for music are authentically adolescent, while her growing resilience adds a tough yet appealing streak to her character and keeps her future in doubt to the very last pages. Ages 12–up. Agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary + Media. (Apr.)
