Princess in Pink by Meg Cabot Book Review

Mia Thermopolis is just about finished her freshman year. Things are looking up: she's passing algebra, she's about to turn 15 and she has a boyfriend! Since Michael is a senior, Mia is very excited about attending the prom. If Michael ever asks her!

As usual, things don't go as expected in Mia's life. Her birthday dinner with her family (her mom, step-father & algebra teacher Mr. G., her dad, her grandmother and Michael) ends in chaos; her birthday party ends abruptly and Mia is starting to think that Michael will never ask her to the prom.

Fans of Cabot's Princess Diaries series won't be disappointed with the fifth book in the series.

What I'm Reading

Ever wonder what your local children's librarian is reading? Here's a list of books I'm currently reading in my free time when I'm not working at the library.

Athletic Shorts: Six Short Stories by Chris Crutcher - I've heard that Chris Crutcher is one of those authors that all children's/young adult librarians should read. Admittedly, this is the first book I've read by him, but I'm thoroughly enjoying it and will definitely be reading more books by him. In Athletic Shorts Crutcher brings back characters from his novels. In the introduction, he writes that he often gets letters asking what happens to his characters after his books end. He said that once the book ends, he leaves it to the readers to decide that happens to his characters. But sometimes the characters don't leave him and this is how he wrote Athletic Shorts. I would recommend this book to young adults who like sports and are reluctant readers.

Princess in Waiting by Meg Cabot - I'm listening to the 4th book in the Princess Diaries series on my way to and from work and on long drives. The narrator is Clea Lewis and while she isn't Anne Hathaway, she does a good job. I've read all of the books in this series except #10, Princess Mia, and I decided to re-read them all before reading the last book. What better way to re-read them but to listen to them! The book starts out with Mia making her debut in Genovia. She can't wait until she returns to New York City to see her new boyfriend Michael.

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson - I'm reading this on my Kindle. When Ginny's Aunt Peg unexpectedly passes away, she leaves Ginny 13 letters. The first letter begins a scavenger hunt type trip in which Ginny must go to different countries and perform a task as specified by her Aunt Peg. As she completes each task, she can open the next envelope. Her journey begins in London, England and takes her all over Europe. Teens who enjoy Sarah Dessen and Megan McCafferty's books will enjoy 13 Little Blue Envelopes.

How do I keep all these books straight and not get them confused with each other? Good question! I've always read more than one book at a time and I'm usually able to keep them all straight. But sometimes I do get things mixed up, so I just try to read different kinds of books. There's a couple other titles I just recently started, but I'll blog about them another day!

So, what are you reading? Leave a comment and let me know!

Princess in Love by Meg Cabot (audiobook version) Book Review

Mia is back and she finally has a boyfriend! Unfortunately it isn't Michael but Kenny her biology lab partner. Kenny is a really nice guy, but she doesn't love Kenny. How is she supposed to break up with Kenny without hurting his feelings. And she can't tell Michael her true feelings because 1) Michael is her best friend, Lilly's older brother and 2) Michael has a girlfriend, Judith Gershner. At least Mia has a date to the cultural diversity dance. That is if Kenny ever gets around to asking her!

Not only does she have this to worry about, but finals are approaching and Mia is worried about flunking algebra. And after finals, she has to leave for Genovia where she will be officially presented as the heir to the throne. Could life be more stressful?

What's a girl to do and how does she get the boy she really loves to notice her?

Anne Hatheway narrates the third book in this series by Meg Cabot and continues to do an excellent job of bringing the book to life.

Jinx by Meg Cabot book review

I finished another Meg Cabot book today. Jinx is a stand alone book and not a part of a series. As usual Meg did not disappoint.

Wherever Jean "Jinx" Honeychurch goes, bad luck seems to follow her. From the day she was born, when lightning hit the hospital where she was born, trouble has always followed her. Something or someone always gets broken or hurt (especially Jinx)whenever she is around. She hopes her bad luck will end when she moves from Iowa to New York City to live with her aunt and uncle and to finish out the school year at her cousin Tory's school. She soon realizes that she can't escape her bad luck and her cousin has an interesting theory about why she has such bad luck.

Recommended for teens who have read other Meg Cabot books, particularly teens in high school.

Princess in the Spotlight by Meg Cabot (audiobook version) Book Review

I haven't come down from my Meg Cabot high and I plan to read or re-read as many of her books as possible. I recently finished listening to Princess in the Spotlight which is narrated by Anne Hatheway. As in The Princess Diaries, Anne Hatheway does a spectacular job bringing the book to life.

Princess Mia is back in Princess in the Spotlight. The excitement hasn't calmed down since she found out she is the Princess of Genovia. First she has her first exclusive TV interview with Beverly Bellerieve which she is strongly protesting against. Then, a surprising announcement from her mother who is dating Mr. G, Mia's algebra teacher. And, Mia has a secret admirer. Could it be her crush, Michael?

Recommended to readers who read the first book as well as anyone who enjoys reading princess stories. I would recommend this series for those in 7th grade and up.

Tea with Meg Cabot at the Palm Court at the Plaza Hotel

I had the most amazing time today having tea with Meg Cabot at the Palm Court at the Plaza Hotel with two of my co-workers, Helen and Kelly, and my mom, Debbie. It was truly an opportunity of a lifetime. We met Meg outside the Palm Court and while we were waiting for our tea, had our pictures taken with Eloise.




Tea at the Palm Court was delicious. The menu included The Classic, The New Yorker, The Chocolate Tea and the Eloise Tea, plus your choice of tea. Check out their afternoon tea menu here! I decided on The Classic: Truffled Quail Egg Salad; Maine Lobster, Sturgeon Caviar; Roast Beef, Horseradish; Cucumber, Radish, Basil; Smoked Salmon, Endive. Simply to die for. Plus scones with lemon curd and clotted cream! Not to mention the desserts! THEN, we shared the Chocolate Tea which included chocolate fondue which included strawberries, poundcake, house-made marshmallows, pretzels and golden pineapple and MORE scones. It was delicious and we did not go home hungry!

There were no lulls in conversation during our tea. We talked about everything! Meg told us she was working on a new Heather Wells book, which I'm very excited about because Heather Wells is one of my favorite characters. Meg was very interested about the library and asked what a regular day was like. It was very casual and just felt like spending time with good friends.

Before we knew it, it was time to go home. But first we had to take a few more pictures and I had my own personal book signing. Meg graciously signed some books that I had brought with me and I was presented with a bag of books as well. It was very exciting.



Then one on one pictures before a final group picture.








I'm having trouble finding the words to describe this experience. I've already used amazing and opportunity of a life time, but Meg Cabot is amazing. She is one of the most down-to-earth people I have ever met. She was really interested in learning about us. She was so happy to be there-I think she had a smile on her face the entire time. I know I did. Before meeting someone, you have an idea of how that person is going to be. I knew Meg was funny-all you have to do is read her books and her blog. She appears to love what she does. When you meet her in person, it's refreshing to find that everything you believed is really true. Thank you so much Meg for this experience. I will never forget it.

Airhead by Meg Cabot Book Review

Unfortunately I haven't been able to read as many Meg Cabot books as I would like to before meeting her this upcoming Sunday, but I did finish the first book in the Airhead trilogy. Emerson Watts is a junior at Tribeca Alternative High School (TAHS) who likes play videogames and make fun of the Walking Dead, or popular students at TAHS, with her best friend Christopher. She could be no different from her younger sister Frida, who wants to be part of the popular crowd and is trying out for cheerleading despite Em's discouragement. After a freak accident occurs at the opening of the new Stark Megastore, Em wakes up to find that her brain has been implanted into supermodel Nikki Howard's body. Life will never be the same for Em who soon learns that it isn't easy being popular or a supermodel. I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the trilogy, Being Nikki but in the meantime I'm trying to finish Cabot's Insatiable before tea on Sunday.

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot (audiobook version) Book Review

I have a very exciting opportunity next Sunday. I'm having tea at the Plaza Hotel with three friends and young adult author Meg Cabot. If you know anything about me, you know that Meg Cabot is one of my favorite authors. In anticipation of meeting her, I've been reading as many books by her as I can before next Sunday.

While I have read The Princess Diaries (the first book in the 10 book series) before, I wanted to re-read the book again since so much of the series takes place at the Plaza Hotel. We have the audiobook at the library and I thought this would be a great way to reintroduce myself to the series. I was not disappointed.

Actress Anne Hatheway, who plays Princess Mia in the movie version of The Princess Diaries, does an excellent job narrating the book. She adds an extra dimension to the book, perfecting the voices of Mia's father and grandmother who both speak with a Genovian accent. She is definitely the perfect narrator for the book making the book laugh out loud funny.

Mia Thermopolis has lots going on in her life: she's the tallest girl in the freshman class at Albert Einstein High School, she's in love with the most popular boy in school who doesn't even know she's alive, she's flunking alegra and to make matters worse, her mom is dating her alegra teacher! Things can't get any worse. Or can they? When Mia's father drops in for an unexpected visit, he tells her he is the crown prince of Genovia, which makes her the Princess of Genovia! She has enough going on in her life, she doesn't need to be a princess too!

I especially love the mention of the Palm Court, which is where I'll be having tea with my friends and Meg Cabot and the description of the ladies room at the Plaza Hotel. I can't wait to experience it all first hand.