It just so happens that this weekend is Labor Day weekend—aka the symbolic end of summer, the last three day weekend for what feels like forever, and the last day you can wear white or seer sucker (if you happen to live in the Hamptons). 

But those of us who love reading know what a three day weekend really means: the perfect excuse to grab a new book. Well, I’ve combed the shelves, read the reviews, and looked at far too many book covers, so I can now officially act as your genre tour guide this Labor Day weekend. 

What makes a book young adult? Do you know? I’m not sure I do. Most people agree that the target audience for YA is anyone between the ages of 12 to 18, with anyone below 12 being considered middle grade and anyone above 18 adult. But why is a certain type of book targeted towards the 12 to 18 age group? Is it the age of the protagonist? Is it the themes in the book? Or is it something more sinister—a statement about quality perhaps?

Wondering what to read over the long weekend? Excited to catch up on the releases you’ve missed? Look no further! In honor of summertime reading and three days off, we’ve compiled a list of the most promising June/July new releases—one in each genre—that we’ll be reading along with you. And check in with us tomorrow too: we’re putting together the perfect Fourth of July themed Date Night. 

It’s Top Ten Tuesday again! As usual, today’s post is brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish. The theme: Top Ten Classics.

Welcome to our first end of month review, where we break down everything we enjoyed reading this month. Be prepared: it’s a lot.

Guys, I have no idea.  Wikipedia says: “Mostly set during the twenty-third century, the film's central plot involves the survival of planet Earth, which becomes the duty of Korben Dallas (Willis), a taxicab driver and former special forces Major, when a young woman (Jovovich) falls into his taxicab. Upon learning about her significance, Dallas must join forces with her to recover four mystical stones essential to defending Earth from an impending attack.”

Yeah sure.  That can be what it’s about.

I employed a guess-and-check methodology, which produced roughly a 50% success rate. I also discovered that drink names are frequently misleading. For example, significant time was lost with the Maiden’s Prayer, which by all rights should have been the perfect cocktail to drink while reading a romance novel.  Unfortunately, the insipid nature of the beverage leads me to believe that the maiden in question was praying for something rather different than what I thought she was.

Some genres, of course, were more teasing than others.  Science Fiction proved particularly difficult to pin down, and in the end I had to abandon my belief that its cocktail should be neon in color.  I think that in the end my results were solid—although it is my hope that you will subject them to further testing.