Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore 
by Robin Sloan

The Great Recession has shuffled Clay Jannon away from life as a San Francisco web-design drone and into the aisles of Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. But after a few days on the job, Clay discovers that the store is more curious than either its name or its gnomic owner might suggest. The customers are few, and they never seem to buy anything—instead, they “check out” large, obscure volumes from strange corners of the store. Suspicious, Clay engineers an analysis of the clientele’s behavior, seeking help from his variously talented friends. But when they bring their findings to Mr. Penumbra, they discover the bookstore’s secrets extend far beyond its walls. (Description from Goodreads.com)

This was a great summer mystery.  Perfect for book lovers like me! There's an intriguing book store that literally houses thousands of one of a kind book, there are fabulously quirky characters on every page, and it feels as if you are solving a puzzle as you read Clay's forays into the secret world of the "Broken Spine."  I loved the juxtaposition between traditional paper books and the fabulous technologies of the present and  future. This book is very funny, but it also makes you think about a lot of things as you follow the mystery.  I highly recommend this title to any avid readers out there looking for a quick, fun summer read!  

Full disclosure: Borrowed from my Library 

Lola and the Boy Next Door

Lola and the Boy Next Door
by Stephanie Perkins
companion to Anna and the French Kiss

For budding costume designer Lola Nolan, the more outrageous, the outfit-—more sparkly, more fun, more wild-—the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins move back into the house next door.

When the family returns and Cricket-—a gifted inventor and engineer—steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door. (description from Amazon.com)

Stephanie Perkins truly has a gift! She writes budding romance like no other currently in contemporary YA. Her romances are natural, realistic, believable, and swoon-worthy.

I was beyond delighted with many facets of this book. First off, can I just say, HOORAY for a love for the BOY NEXT DOOR!! I am a HUGE fan of this type of romance - boy next door, best friend since forever, etc. - and definitely feel that these nice guys do not get the recognition and love that they deserve often enough. Super huge kudos for that.

Second, I loved that Lola had two Dads. I loved that it was just the make-up of their family and there was no drama about that. It's just who they were. I loved that they were the guys that they were, too. They were both good, caring, fun Dads.

I loved that Lola was...well, Lola. She was fun, she was free, she experimented, she pushed the envelope, and she didn't apologize for herself. I felt so bad when someone else caused her to begin to doubt herself, and was so glad when Cricket reminded her that who she was...was just perfect. <3

I loved the way that Lola and Cricket interacted with each other. I loved the way that they strengthened each other. I loved the way that though they may have each doubted themselves, they never doubted each other. I loved their love. Every time I look up into the sky at night from this day forward, I will look at the stars and think of Lola and Cricket.

Worthy of a gold star? Absolutely. You should read this one immediately.

Sweet Venom - How Did I Love Thee? A Pictorial Teaser!!

So, I just finished Tera Lynn Child's newest book, Sweet Venom, and it is my favorite book of hers to date. It's too early to post a real review, yet...so I'll just show you some fun pictures of some of my favorite things in the book and let you simmer.


Hopefully, this is intriguing enough to entice you to check out Tera Lynn Child's website and to think about reading Sweet Venom when it comes out on September 6th!!