Counting Thyme

Seriously, as soon as this book gets in your hands (or ears) you will need to make TIME and clear your calendar.  Nothing else is going to get done until you finish, or unless you are a good multitasker.  For example, today I ran over 6 miles in the heat and humidity and was almost late for an appointment.  Then I cleaned a junk cabinet with the book playing.  I even took my phone in the bathroom with me so I could listen while I showered.  It's that good and that riveting.

Coming of age and being in sixth grade is hard enough but imagine if you now have to deal with all that while your brother battles cancer, your family moves across country, you have a new school, have to make new friends, miss your old best friend back home and you're starting to get some tingling feelings around one certain boy.  This is Thyme, with a "TH" she says when she introduces herself.

Right around Thanksgiving, Thyme's family moves to NYC for her little brother Val, who is fighting a rare cancer.  Leaving her best friend, Shawny and her life in San Diego behind is not as easy for Thyme as it seems to be for her older sister, Cori, who appears to be embracing the freedom and excitement of NYC a bit more than Thyme.  Even with the thought that this is just temporary, Thyme can't help but make friends, join the drama club and perhaps even succumb to her feelings for Jake?

So now the rest of my day seems shot, too, since I want to go out and watch "The Wizard of Oz", ride the 4, 5 or 6 train (I have plans to go to the city on Wednesday so I will try and make it to the East side just for Val), listen to Simon and Garfunkel and Stevie Ray Vaughan, eat some kugel and play some classic board games.

With strong characters you'll love, an unputdownable plot, my favorite city as the backdrop, this book is a winner. You heard it from me--do not be left in the wings on this one.  I promise you, you will not be disappointed as long as you book yourself several hours of TIME for this one!