A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

A preview of the upcoming movie adaptation was enough to finally convince I needed to read this children's classic. The extra bonus in the library catalog was an available unabridged audio version read by the author herself.

An awkward girl and her genius preschool brother are swept into the intergalactic war of good and evil as they try to bring their scientist father back from a prolonged absence. They're joined by a neighborhood teenage boy with his own special talents.

Led by three supernatural creatures who steer their adventure, the children encounter many new and different creatures. They also learn to recognize their own strengths and the good in the world.

I enjoyed the book quite a bit, but reflect that I probably would not have enjoyed it as a child (I hated science fiction). I'm certainly glad that I'll understand the references now, as this book is considered an essential classic in the canon of children's literature.

Every Anxious Wave by Mo Daviau

Karl's a nice enough guy, but maybe a little lonely. When he discovers a wormhole that allows him to drop into and out of the time continuum, he builds a side business transporting people to seminal rock concerts. See Hendrix at Monterey Pop! Watch the Ramones at CBGB!

When he bumbles a date and accidentally sends a friend to 980, Karl is forced to enlist the help of an astrophysicist to work the science end of getting him back. Lena's a socially awkward genius in punk goddess guise. Of course, there are sparks. Of course, there are complications.

It's a fun, light book full of 1990s music references and the kind of characters to whom you can relate. The time travel begins to make things a little sticky - not everybody is as diligent as Karl about not altering the past - but even at its twistiest the story never gets super sci-fi complicated.

I read it in a single sitting, and it was a welcome departure from more serious topics I'd been pondering. Plus, now I keep trying to decide what my ultimate concert experience would be ...

Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang

Liz Emerson may be the most popular girl in the junior class, but she's also a mean-queen diva who has decided to end her life but make it look like an accident.

The book moves back and forth in time - from Liz's childhood, to now in the hospital, to months ago, to last week, to 8th grade, to the day of the accident. How on earth did her life get to the point where she can see no other way?

Wow, this is a wonderful book - tough, but also fair in illustrating how broken many otherwise perfect-seeming people can be. Does she deserve to live? Could this have been avoided? Why would you even want to be her friend?