The Vinyl Princess is also about changes, summer, and seeking a community of people who share your passions.Īllie, her best friend Kit, her mom, her grandmother, and all the other characters in the novel seem very real. the Vinyl Princess) and her love for music, specifically her love for vinyl records. The Vinyl Princess by Yvonne Prinz (HarperTeen, 2009) is about Allie (a.k.a.

When not working at the record store, Allie is blogging about music at She also writes a music zine. For the summer she is working full-time at Bob & Bob Records. Allie is sixteen years old and she lives with her mom in Berkeley, California. Music, to me, is one giant puzzle, and collecting music is about finding all the pieces and trying to fit them together.' I know the artist's musical background and I know if they played in any other bands, even if it was only as a sideman, even if it was only for fifteen minutes. This particular track is from the Rescue Blues 7', but the original song can be found on Heartbreaker, which is mentioned in the book.'He asks me about an LP and I know exactly when I got it, where I got it and even whose collection it originally came from. Ryan Adams - Come Pick Me Up (vinyl rip) A great read, and I am quite proud of the fact that I own almost every LP that she mentions in the book. The story, however, is not one dimensional, and is not fixated on her job (with its quirky workers and customers) or even her blog, but rather expands into the vivid streets of Telegraph, shenanigans with best friends, and the universal longing for similar souls in this dreary world.īest of all, the book is really funny…and not just grin-inducing funny, either-but laugh out loud, often to tears, funny. Her insight about the joys of vinyl is incredibly accurate, and every time she puts on another record, you’ll feel a lovely shiver of understanding. The book records her new and exciting journey into the world of music blogging she begins to give her two cents on and in a fanzine with the same name while she works full-time at her favourite store, Bob & Bob’s Records (named for Marley and Dylan, modeled after Amoeba Records, which the author co-founded). Raised by a freethinking Berkeley scholar mother, Allie is more conscious to the world around her than her peers, and, being the daughter of a drummer, she also has a deep respect and love for the musical greats, across all genres. Following a 16 year old semi-reclusian vinyl junkie named Allie, The Vinyl Princess perfectly encapsulates the diminishing appreciation for musical integrity, specifically in the LP form.

All You Get Is Me by Yvonne Prinz