I can't believe we've come to the end of the Teen Years flashback, guys! It's been a nostalgic month and I loved getting to relive and remember some of my teen years. Maybe some of them weren't positive memories, and perhaps while going through them it didn't feel so great - but right now as I look back, I'm pretty happy.

And I had to save the best for last! So far I've covered the boys in my teen years, TV shows I watched, and movies that were big releases; but I haven't actually covered what I truly listened to!

I turned 13 in 2000, so my teen years were the early 00s - a fantastically awesome time of boybands, pop music, and choreographed dances. Hate on it all you want, but I know you can sing every word to these songs...and probably do the little Bye Bye Bye wave in perfect sync, too. This was a strange time of technology too, when mp3s and iTunes started messing with sales charts and statistics. Napster went kablooey, the FCC cracked down, and suddenly file sharing was a whole mess of leaking CDs and music.

Still, music was music and will always remain, and these are a few songs that had the most play in my house:

Godfrey Gao, recently cast as Magnus Bane in the City of Bones movie. YUM.

Don't You Wish by Roxanne St. Clair
Delacorte Press, 368 Pages
US Release Date: July 10, 2012
Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher, via NetGalley (thank you Random House and NetGalley!)

When plain and unpopular Annie Nutter gets zapped by one of her dad's whacked-out inventions, she lands in a parallel universe where her life becomes picture-perfect. Now she's Ayla Monroe, daughter of the same mother but a different father—and she's the gorgeous, rich queen bee of her high school.

In this universe, Ayla lives in glitzy Miami instead of dreary Pittsburgh and has beaucoup bucks, courtesy of her billionaire—if usually absent—father. Her friends hit the clubs, party backstage at concerts, and take risks that are exhilirating . . . and illegal. Here she's got a date to lose her V-card with the hottest guy she's ever seen.

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews!

So, as you probably saw from this post, I picked up a ton of great books from ALA - all of which I am super excited to read. But there are only so many minutes and hours in a day, and unfortunately I just can't read all of them in time for their release no matter how hard I try. Which makes me feel incredibly guilty, because I want these ARCs to serve their purpose! My solution? Spread the love, of course!

1. Flesh & Bone (Benny Imura #3) by Jonathan Maberry - expected Pub date: Sept 11
2. Romeo Redeemed (Juliet Immortal #2) by Stacey Jay - expected Pub date: Oct 9
3. Such Wicked Intent (The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein #2) by Kenneth Oppel - expected Pub date: Aug 21

I'm asking three things:

1) You post a review within 2 weeks before or after the official pub date. Which means you HAVE to be a reviewer*. Either your own book blog or Goodreads/LibraryThing. You don't have to be a follower of mine, trusted friend, anyone I've ever talked to before, and I'm not going to set a minimum to how long you've been reviewing. You just need to prove to me that you have the means to do so and that you've reviewed books before. (Leave your URL, please!) And I mean an actual review, filled with paragraphs and reasons to love or like or hate. Not some schmoopsy "this was a great book, 4 stars!"

2) You send the book back to me within TEN days of receiving the book and with Delivery Confirmation. Because I am asking for DC, this is limited to the US only.

3) You have read the preceding books in the series or have the means to do so in the next couple weeks. Most of these will release in the next 2 months, and I'd like your review to go up in a timely manner regarding the pub date. While I would like proof you've read the previous books (a link to the review is preferable), I will take it on faith if you just tell me you have.

So. That's that. Are you interested in any of these books? If so, just leave me a comment with which book you'd like to borrow, the URL to your blog/Goodreads/LT/other site where you will post a review, and the reassurances that you have read or will be reading soon the previous books in the series. Questions? Ask me in the comments or tweet me!

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
Random House, 288 Pages
US Release Date: June 26, 2012
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher, via TLC Book Tours (thank you Random House and TLC!)

“It still amazes me how little we really knew. . . . Maybe everything that happened to me and my family had nothing at all to do with the slowing. It’s possible, I guess. But I doubt it. I doubt it very much.”

Luminous, haunting, unforgettable, The Age of Miracles is a stunning fiction debut by a superb new writer, a story about coming of age during extraordinary times, about people going on with their lives in an era of profound uncertainty.

On a seemingly ordinary Saturday in a California suburb, 11-year-old Julia and her family awake to discover, along with the rest of the world, that the rotation of the earth has suddenly begun to slow. The days and nights grow longer and longer, gravity is affected, the environment is thrown into disarray. Yet as she struggles to navigate an ever-shifting landscape, Julia is also coping with the normal disasters of everyday life—the fissures in her parents’ marriage, the loss of old friends, the hopeful anguish of first love, the bizarre behavior of her grandfather who, convinced of a government conspiracy, spends his days obsessively cataloging his possessions. As Julia adjusts to the new normal, the slowing inexorably continues.

With spare, graceful prose and the emotional wisdom of a born storyteller, Karen Thompson Walker has created a singular narrator in Julia, a resilient and insightful young girl, and a moving portrait of family life set against the backdrop of an utterly altered world.
-----------------------------Goodreads summary

One of the reasons I wanted to read this novel is because I saw Curtis Sittenfeld had blurbed it – and though I don’t mention her often on this blog, Curtis Sittenfeld is an insta-read author for me. There’s something so engaging and powerful about her novels, and I read them as fast as they release. (Which, can we please have a new one soon? Pretty please?)

I feel like The Age of Miracles is very reminiscent of a Curtis Sittenfeld novel, in the best way possible. There’s something similar in their writing, in that quiet, understated detail that individually seems to be simple, but together makes the most powerful picture. This isn’t the most action packed novel, not by a longshot – but there’s never a second I feel like it’s boring. There’s always something there right behind the words, always something happening just past the words we’re reading.

When I chose the book to review, I was a little confused as to if it was a YA novel, or adult fiction – and then I found out the narrator is a 12-year-old girl and was even more confused. Truthfully, I never really found out (I think it is classified as fiction), but that’s part of its structure: it appeases so many qualifications of each genre. It’s a bit Dystopian and Sci-Fi, with this not quite futuristic novel but still a different world than our own; it’s a bit contemporary, with the relationships and learning what love means; it’s a bit coming-of-age.

I’m going to say something, and it might lead you astray but let me explain: this book terrified me. It’s not a scary, thriller novel; but the imagination and detail to the world made it feel so real. And the scariest part is that I really feel like this could happen. Who can say that the world isn’t already slowing? How many times do we glance up at a clock and swear that the day lasts a bit longer? Just the other day I was astonished that it was already 8:30pm and still a bit light out. Karen Thompson Walker has built the brilliant situation that seems just out of reach, not quite inevitable but definitely possible. And that scares me shitless.

I was so impressed with how thoughtful the novel was, too. Every scenario was taken into consideration, and I felt that I was really following the fate of this planet as I read. And though I’m definitely not a scientist, the physics and scientific explanations that happen throughout seem absolutely real. I know a bit about earth’s rotation and how these seasons affect everything on a grander scale, and The Age of Miracles really felt like it was non-fiction in it’s reasonings.

Even though I feel like this novel is mostly a plot- and world-driven novel, that doesn’t mean the characters were any less than fantastic. Juliet, the main character, is an 11-year-old girl having to go through the stress of middle school in this entirely unprecedented and changing world. If we thought we had it bad wondering about training bras and how that boy suddenly smells good, imagine if you had to figure that while the world also seems to be ending! Juliet is quiet and worrisome, and she stole my heart with her sympathy, seriousness and innocence. Each secondary character was also done quite well, with features about them that I equally loved and hated. It was a really great balance of personalities with everyone; just one more way I feel like this entire story was a reality.

The Age of Miracles is both unlike anything I’ve ever read before and entirely like the best parts of my favourite authors’ writing. The story is unique and original in the best way possible, creating a world that feels familiar but is so unlike our own. There’s a soft wisdom in all of Karen Walker’s words, making a beautiful, compelling story. I highly recommend this book.

Since last week's teen years were focused on TV shows, I figured it only fair to give movies a week, too! I'm really big on soundtracks. I don't know if it's the natural writer in me, but I love having stories to go with music. Of course I can make my own stories, but I also like when I have one to go with music in the first place (this is probably why I love musicals so much). Since I turned 13 in 2000, I chose movies that were released between 2000-2005 (my HS grad year) that had songs I distinctly remember.

Bliss (The Bliss Bakery #1) by Kathryn Littlewood
Katherine Tegen Books, 374 Pages
US Release Date:
Challenge: Local Library Challenge

Rosemary Bliss’s family has a secret. It’s the Bliss Cookery Booke—an ancient, leather-bound volume of enchanted recipes like Stone Sleep Snickerdoodles and Singing Gingersnaps. Rose and her siblings are supposed to keep the Cookery Booke under lock and whisk-shaped key while their parents are out of town, but then a mysterious stranger shows up. “Aunt” Lily rides a motorcycle, wears purple sequins, and whips up exotic (but delicious) dishes for dinner. Soon boring, nonmagical recipes feel like life before Aunt Lily—a lot less fun.

So Rose and her siblings experi-ment with just a couple of recipes from the forbidden Cookery Booke.

A few Love Muffins and a few dozen Cookies of Truth couldn’t cause too much trouble . . . could they?

Kathryn Littlewood’s culinary caper blends rich emotional flavor with truly magical wit, yielding one heaping portion of hilarious family adventure.
------------------Goodreads summary
This is definitely a MG novel for the true middle grade readers. You know how some MG books can transcend age groups, kind of blur with YA books (all 3 of Rick Riordan's series, Shannon Messenger's Keeper of the Lost Cities, etc)? Not this one. It's for the young readers, and unless you have a distinct liking for Middle Grade books, you might want to pass this by.

Lucky for me, I do have an affinity for MG books, so it didn't bother me! I just had to constantly remind myself as I was reading that this is for the younger set, that the main character is young. The writing is fantastic, incredibly easy to read and approachable to a young set. I loved the language in the book, it was that nice balance of being young but still educational with some "big" words being used and explained. It was clever to focus on a family with several varying ages, because it allowed certain elements to be explored further or elaborated on.

Can I tell you how much I love books that focus on family? I feel like there are so few in today's books (I know that's not true, but still) and it was wonderful to see one that allows a true family unit, one that works together and places value on each other. The dynamic between all the siblings and the parents is great, and I really loved seeing them work through problems together. And that Rose wants to stay with her family, loves them and understands how they're a support system? That's definitely something I would want my kid to read and emulate. Her siblings are all great characters with their own distinct set of skills and personality. I loved how Ty was a little bit narcissistic, that Sage was the bratty younger brother but quite brainy, and even little Leigh, small as she is, has a developed personality trait too. And how much do I love that they're all named after herbs?! Rosemary, Thyme, Sage and Parsley.

Rose is a perfect middle grade character, too; she's at that weird time of growing up where she's trying to figure out who she is by herself as well as who she is within the world. She struggles with a blossoming crush who doesn't know her name, wanting to be something but not knowing quite how to get there, and feeling like she's not really being seen. At the same time, you can tell how strong she is and how much potential there is to her; she's dedicated, loyal and fiercely protective of her family. She loves them no matter how much she feels like they overlook her, and I love that. If I had a little girl, I would love for her to befriend Rose.

The recipes and mischief the Bliss family get into are also fantastically fun and magical, and the wording of the recipes is definitely unique - the book has it's own sort of language, but it's easy to understand and follow along. All the trouble and chaos the family creates through their recipes are such an adventure, and I had a lot of fun reading about the problems and finding out how they would try to fix everything. I usually call books like this predictable, but I can safely say that I didn't know what Rose, Ty, Sage, and Leigh would get themselves into next!

There were a few things I didn't like though. While I didn't predict what the Bliss family would do next, I wasn't particularly at the edge of my seat, either. It wasn't the most action packed book - though the action that was there was breathtakingly amusing - and sometimes I felt like the story dragged on a bit. I appreciate the focus on Rose and her growth, but there were a few instances I felt she could have come to conclusions faster. It wouldn't have been outside her character parameters or potential. The use of modern references (Justin Bieber, for one) was also a bit odd to me; the setting and plot of the book feel so magical and otherworldly, having real world references kind of shattered that illusion. It's this fantastically fantastical world where magic in cookies can make people tell the truth, where love exists and bikes are ridden to town squares and breathe of people who tell no lies can be captured in a mason jar...it feels like this great dream world, and then something real would come along and break the spell. Personally, it felt out of place and a bit disappointing that this could be a real town somewhere.

Also, be warned that this is book one of two (I think two anyway, I haven't seen anything about a third one!) - it would have been nice knowing that going in! I wasn't really noticing it for the first half of the book, but as it went on I was definitely thinking, "Hmmm there's only a small chunk of pages left how is this going to wrap up?!" And about 5 pages before it's end I realized OH. Maybe this isn't really the end! and sure enough, there's a book 2. While I do like the ending to this book - it was satisfying and complete while still having a great setup for the next part of the story - I would have liked knowing that heading in. Having a second part doesn't necessarily make Book 1 any worse or difficult, but it did explain the pacing and might have lessened my distraction.

Still, this was a magical story, and sometimes it felt like a fairy tale. I especially liked how the villainess wasn't quite villainous throughout the entire novel; it's brilliant that we find Aunt Lily to actually be kind of likable. I don't blame Ty or Sage for being swept up in her beauty and magnetism, I'm not sure I'd have seen through it either! The subtle little doubts from Rose were great though, and just enough to make you wonder who Aunt Lily really is. It's a great way to make the reader really feel a part of the story.

TGIF is hosted by Ginger at GReads!


I'm kind of twisting the question - I've only done TGIF 17 times, and most of those are recent and/or I still agree with everything. Which would be quite a boring answer! So instead, I'm going to revisit the first TGIF I ever did, which was the first of the new year since my blog was born on January 1: Book Blog Resolutions! What better time to check in on New Year's resolutions than just over halfway through the year?!

For the original post, click here; though in summary, my resolutions were:
     1) Track my reading.
     2) Read 100 books.
     3) Give vampires another chance.
     4) Open up discussions on books.
     5) Blog.

SUCCESSES: I'm surprised that I've actually kept up with these pretty well! Normally resolutions are lost on me by February. But I've tracked my books consistently, and that this blog still exists is testament to number five. I am still on track to read 100 books in the year (3 books ahead!), though I've been slacking lately. It was going swimmingly, I was over 8 books ahead at one point...and then life got in the way and now I'm only on track. Hopefully in the coming summer months I can pick it back up.

EHHH MAYBE: I've tried with the discussion, and I feel I've had some successes. But I'm still crap at responding to comments, and I don't engage on Twitter as often as I could or would like to. I'm working on it, I swear!

NOPE: The vampire thing. Still haven't gone there. I really, really should - I just can't yet. Vampires are a very non-summer weather thing for me, and obviously that's not been happening for most of this year.  Can I just blame it on the world and its weird weather?! (But really, I know, I know; I will get to vampire books! I have The Immortal Rules waiting, and I'm certain I'll check out the Vampire Academy series before the year is out.)

Follow Friday is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee's View, meant to spotlight two blogs and allows bloggers to link up and meet other fabulous bookish friends and share the Following love!
I don't like saying I'll never read a book, just because I always find myself picking up strange, random or completely unexpected books at the oddest times. Maybe I end up enjoying them, a few times I've questioned why I kept going...regardless, I've definitely read ones I swore I wouldn't. (Such as the Twilight series.) I'd like to say Fifty Shades of Grey - and I assume that'll be the popular answer because there are very polar responses to that series - but the truth is that I've totally read random passages as I stand in a store killing time. I don't think I'll ever read all of it, but...stranger things have happened!

Though I will say it'd be hard pressed to get me to read the Sookie Stackhouse series. I don't know if that counts as a 'super-hyped' book (kinda? True Blood is pretty huge...) but I've tried to read Charlaine Harris books before and the writing was just...not for me. I had to put it down, and I very, very rarely DNF books. Maybe the SS series is better, maybe the one I tried was just a fluke, but it was so bad for me I can't go back.