Thursday this week was Library Day for me! I love a trip to the library, where I can roam through the stacks and pick out the few (okay, many) books that jump out at me. Here's what came home with me this week:

The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier
Our Tragic Universe by Scarlett Thomas
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
The Jane Austen Marriage Manual by Kim Izzo
Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigliani
The Cherry Cola Book Club by Ashton Lee
Two-Part Inventions by Lynne Sharon Schwartz
The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

Of course, there's always more I could have borrowed, but these should last me for a week or two!

It’s hard to describe what Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore is actually about. It’s about a bookstore, certainly, but also the strange characters who visit at all hours of the night in desperate need of books from the three-story-tall bookshelves. It’s about Clay Jannon, who needs a job in this era of recession, but isn’t entirely certain what he's gotten himself into. It’s about centuries-old secrets – but also about Google and its current domination of the Internet. It’s about a quest. It’s about the struggle of progress. It’s about loyalty. And above all, it’s about books.

I’m sure that doesn’t give you a very clear picture or summary, but I wasn’t really trying to. You’ve got to discover what this book is about yourself. Putting the pieces together, page by page, is one of the joys of reading it. Let me make this clear, though – I loved this book. I actually stayed up until midnight to finish it, and it’s been quite awhile since I’ve been able to stay awake long enough to do that. It was a pleasure getting to know Clay Jannon. His voice as the narrator made you feel like you were talking to him yourself. The atmosphere of the book reminded me strongly of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice with Nicholas Cage. You know… 

Seriously, read this book. I borrowed it from the library, but it is now on my must-own-and-reread-soon list. Become friends with Clay, Kat, and Mr. Penumbra and begin dreaming of his bookstore. If only it were real!

Emily Elizabeth Davis’ mother has already decided what Emily will be when she grows up. That’s a pretty common premise for many books. But the delightful twist in Destiny, Rewritten is that it’s not because Emily’s mother is a super powerful executive or a micromanaging parent. It’s because she believes in fate. And destiny. The day before Emily was born, her mother bought a book of Emily Dickinson’s poetry and wrote an inscription in it: “Emily Dickinson is one of the great poets. The same will be said of you one day.” So there it is. Emily Elizabeth Davis will grow up to be a poet.

Eleven-year-old Emily is not so sure she agrees with this plan, but how can she tell her mother that? Then her precious book of Emily Dickinson’s poems, where her mother has written all the important moments of Emily’s life, is accidentally given away to Goodwill. Emily has to do whatever it takes to get it back, even if that means lying to her mother, skipping school, or even (gasp!) stepping on the cracks in the sidewalk. It’s a journey that takes Emily far outside of her comfort zone and stretches her as a human being. She has to decide if she believes in fate and learn how to control her own destiny.

This is a very enjoyable and quick read. Emily’s voice shines through clearly in the narration. She is definitely someone I would like to be friends with if I were eleven. I loved the twist of her mother choosing her future because she believes in destiny. It’s a refreshing change from the overly controlling mothers found in many other books. The message of deciding who you will be for yourself is an important one for today’s kids. I’d recommend this book to any middle school girl as a book about learning who you are. 

Time to jump into two new challenges! The European Reading Challenge is hosted by Rose City Reader. For this challenge, you read books by European authors or set in European countries. Try to get as many countries as you can! So far, I've read 8 books from different countries. Check out my Reading Challenges page to see which countries I've "visited" through books.

How Many Pages Will You Read? is hosted by Abducted By Books. I'm aiming for a minimum of 30,000 pages in 2013 (and I'm pretty sure I'll go over that). According to Goodreads, my current number of pages read is 19,713. Almost 2/3 of the way there! I'll be keeping a running tally on my Reading Challenges page. Let's see how far over I can go!

This post was inspired by Jessica's post at Quirky Bookworm. I loved her list (so much that I'm borrowing a couple), and was excited to make my own!

1. Attend the Fforde Ffiesta. Jasper Fforde is one of my favorite authors, and a weekend of Fforde-inspired silliness would be great!
2. Visit Jane Austen's house in Chawton. I've actually been to her house in Bath, but I'd love to go to the house where she did most of her writing.
3. Harry Potter Reading Marathon. I stayed up all night to read the seventh book when it came out. I would be fun to start at the beginning and read them all straight through.
4. Travel in Tuscany, inspired by Frances Mayes' books.
5. Read War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. I've tried twice. Third time is the charm?
6. Visit Prince Edward Island, home of Anne of Green Gables. I've read this series so many times, and I would love to visit her world.
7. Work in a used bookstore. Just something I'd love to do someday.
8. Travel to Narnia. Okay, okay. I know it's not real. But I still want to go.
9. Read all of the Newbery Medal winners.
10. See a Shakespeare play in Stratford-upon-Avon. I've been to Stratford (for a few hours), but didn't get a chance to see the Royal Shakespeare Company in action.

There's always more, but that's the start of my list! What's on your literary bucket list? You can post in the comments here or link-up your post on Quirky Bookworm.

This weekly meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict - Review
My sign-up post for the A-Z Reading Challenge
(I also created a 2013 Reading Challenge page where I can keep track of all my many challenges for the year!)
Book Club Tips? - I'm trying to start a book club with a few of my friends. Anyone have any suggestions or tips to share?

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling (almost DNF, but I pushed through to the end)
Arabella by Georgette Heyer (then I had to indulge in one of my favorite authors to recover)
After Rome by Morgan Llewellyn

The Vatican Diaries by John Thavis (surprisingly fascinating!)
My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business by Dick Van Dyke (I just started listening to this yesterday as an audiobook. It's read by the author, so you know it's going to be hilarious!)

The Strength of His Hand by Lynn Austin (third book in her Chronicles of the Kings series)

And after that, I'm out of library books! Time for another trip to stock up!

Now that I've finally got my book blog up and going, I'm looking to add something else bookish to my life. I'm hoping to start a book club in the area with a few of my friends. I know a lot of you book bloggers out there belong to book clubs. Does anyone have any suggestions for how to get this started? Any good books that would generate lots of discussion? How do you run your book clubs? I'll take any tips, hints, and wisdom you have!

I am diving into my first reading challenge today! I'm going to try to read through the alphabet both ways - by title and by author's last name. I've figured out where the books I've read so far this year belong on the list. I'm actually not doing too badly! I'm missing 8 letters in the title category and 10 letters in the author category. You can check out my list on the 2013 Reading Challenges page. I'll be updating it with links to reviews and filling in the blanks as the year progresses.

Anyone have any suggestions for Q or X??

When Courtney Stone wakes up one morning, she discovers she is no longer herself. Instead, her mind is inhabiting the body of Jane Mansfield, who lives during Jane Austen’s time. Courtney has to figure out what happened (although she never really does), what to do next, who she can trust, and ultimately, who she is.

I would consider myself a Jane Austen addict, having read her books many times. The premise of this book caught my eye, as just about anything involving Jane Austen does. It just fell flat for me, though. Courtney has just broken up with her fiancé, so, granted, she’s a little whiny and feeling a little betrayed. And apparently she’s also confused about being attracted to her best friend Wes, who also betrayed her by hiding her fiancé’s infidelity. And then she’s confused because she’s suddenly living the life of a whole different person in a whole different time period. Anyone would need a chance to vent. But it seems like that’s all Courtney did! By the end of the book, I was so tired of “what if, what’s next, what am I feeling, who am I really…” monologues. The character just did not have enough depth (or enough variety in her conversation) to get my sympathy or even my interest.

The idea of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict has promise, but unfortunately, that’s about all the book has going for it.

This weekly meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

This is my very first It's Monday! What Are You Reading? post! And because it's summer break, it's going to be chock-full of books I've read and plan to read (and hopefully will post reviews of in the near future).

Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini
Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler (the second audiobook I've ever listened to)
Words Spoken True by Ann H. Gabhart
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan (Loved this book!)
Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Stay tuned for reviews of those, coming soon.

I just started The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling this morning. I've been waiting to get my hands on this one from the library for months, and the moment has finally arrived!

After Rome by Morgan Llewellyn
The Vatican Diaries: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Power, Personalities, and Politics at the Heart of the Catholic Church by John Thavis

It's supposed to be a beautiful sunshiny week here. I'm planning on grabbing a blanket and a glass of lemonade and stretching out in the sun for hours of reading bliss!