If You Like: Birthday Edition
“If You Like…” is a feature highlighting blogger recommendations for books, authors, TV shows, movies, and music based on the things you already know and love. Today is my 22nd birthday, so I’ve asked everyone to contribute their favorite birthday-related things.
If you like birthdays (and who doesn’t?), you might like…
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Books
- Sweet 16 by Kate Brian: This book is a silly, fun read about a girl who, on her 16th birthday, gets a second chance at life after acting like a spoiled Sweet 16 brat. — Ashley (Book Labyrinth), Jennifer (YA Book Nerd) and Ginger (G Reads)
- You Wish by Mandy Hubbard: A really great book that is both funny and touching. It will make you think twice about what you wish for when you blow out your birthday candles! — Ashley (Book Labyrinth)
- The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot. — Ginger (G Reads)
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. — Ginger (G Reads)
- Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl. — Ginger (G Reads)
- One Whole and Perfect Day by Judith Clarke: Lily just wants a perfect day with her family to celebrate their grandfather’s 80th birthday, but is it possible? Great story about family relationships. — Annette (The More You Read, The More You Will Know)
- Leap Day by Wendy Mass: Josie is celebrating her 4th birthday, but she’s 16 years old. This is about her day. — Annette (The More You Read, The More You Will Know) and Jennifer (YA Book Nerd)
- Magic and Misery by Peter Marino: Opens up on the main character’s shared birthday.– Jen (Goddess Librarian)
- Curious George and the Birthday Surprise by H.A. Rey. — Jen (Goddess Librarian)
- Party Games by Whitney Lyles: Working for her mom’s party planning business is cramping Sara’s celebration of her own sweet sixteen party and keeping her client happy may cost her the boy she’s crushing on. — Jennifer (YA Book Nerd)
- The Secret Language of Birthdays: Look up your birthday and see which celebrities have the same birthday. — Jennifer (YA Book Nerd)
- Uglies by Scott Westerfeld: Turn Pretty on your 16th birthday and become a bubble head…or not. — Jennifer (YA Book Nerd)
Movies
- Sixteen Candles: John Hughes! Molly Ringwald! The classic 16th birthday movie & a must-watch for everyone. — Ashley (Book Labyrinth), Annette (The More You Read, The More You Will Know), Jen (Goddess Librarian), and Ginger (G Reads)
- 13 Going on 30: 13 year old Jenna gets the surprise of her life at her birthday party – she wakes up and has a whole new life at the age of 30. Sweet, funny, and nostalgic. An awesome rom-com about getting a fresh chance at life. — Ashley (Book Labyrinth), Jennifer (YA Book Nerd), and Ginger (G Reads)
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. — Ginger (G Reads)
- The Little Mermaid. — Ginger (G Reads)
- The Game: Starring Michael Douglas. Suffering from a midlife crisis, his brother gives him a ticket to a live-action game. Weird and bad things happen. — Annette (The More You Read, The More You Will Know)
- Liar, Liar. Starring Jim Carrey. For his son’s birthday give, he must not tell a lie for 24 hours. Yes, this is a comedy! — Annette (The More You Read, The More You Will Know)
Music
- “Time of Your Life (Good Riddance)” by Greenday. — Ginger (G Reads)
- “When You Wish Upon a Star” from Pinocchio: I don’t know why, but this makes me think of birthdays – making a wish when you blow out the candle?? — Ginger (G Reads)
- “Birthday” by the Beatles (of course!). — Annette (The More You Read, The More You Will Know)
- “Happy Birthday” by Altered Images. — Annette (The More You Read, The More You Will Know)
Activities
- On my birthday I like to make birthday cupcakes! It’s whatever I feel like cooking that day. I’ll go to the store, buy the necessary ingredients, and then head back home for the baking. You should definitely play your favorite music while baking, because it adds flavor to the cupcakes. Seriously! That night I usually go out to dinner with family and open a few presents. Two years ago I went to Walt Disney World for my birthday and it was AWESOME! I highly suggest doing this for a birthday at least once in your life. I was given special Mickey Mouse ears and everything! Plus if you can prove it’s your birthday they offer you free passes on some of the rides. That is all I can think of! It’s nothing too crazy with the exception of WDW
— Lindsi (Books, Sweets, and Other Treats)
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What better way to celebrate your birthday than by gathering a group of your closest friends to hang out and have fun? Here are some social games that will get you and your buds screaming at each other in no time (all in good fun, of course!). My favorites are Taboo and electronic Catch Phrase – there’s a MUSIC edition too! Balderdash and Cranium are also a guaranteed to get everyone laughing and having a blast. — Capillya (That Cover Girl)
Food
- Anything on my absolute favorite food-porn blog, Tastespotting. You don’t even have to search for birthday cake. Just click the link and send it to your best friend and say, “I want you to make me any of these delicious things for my birthday.” — Capillya (That Cover Girl)
- Pancakes! Who doesn’t like pancakes? Definitely pick up a pancake batter dispenser from Williams Sonoma. One of the traditions in our house is to have breakfast pancakes by doodling the amount of years you’re turning with the pancake batter – then eating them when fully cooked! It’s birthday fun and a yummy way to start your birthday! — Capillya (That Cover Girl)
Do you have any of your own birthday related recommendations to share?
Next week, bloggers will be sharing recommendations based on the classic Christmas film It’s a Wonderful Life. If you have seen it and want to share recommendations or get involved in future weeks of “If You Like…” please contact me for more information.
Tags: lists
Filed under: If You Like
You might also like:
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Reasons My Birthday Was Awesome: Part Two
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Reasons My Birthday is Awesome: Part 1
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If You Like: Valentine’s Day Edition
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Happy Birthday! For everyone who does not already know. This if you like is no coincidence, today is Melanie’s birthday!
1 Justin Goodman said this (December 13, 2010 at 12:32 AM)
Thank you!
2 Melanie said this (December 13, 2010 at 12:38 AM)
Just a very non-literary comment: Happy Birthday, Great-Niece.
3 Bob Baumann said this (December 13, 2010 at 2:48 AM)
Thanks!
4 Melanie said this (December 13, 2010 at 10:44 AM)
Great suggestions this week! and a very, very Happy Birthday to Melanie
I want pancakes now, thanks to Capillya! lol
5 Ginger @ GReads! said this (December 13, 2010 at 9:30 AM)
I want pancakes, too. And lots of other delicious foods….haven’t decided which ones I’ll be able to fit in.
I also can’t believe I don’t have that pancake batter dispenser. My mom even works at Williams-Sonoma. Why don’t I have that??
6 Melanie said this (December 13, 2010 at 10:43 AM)
Lots of great suggestions there! Hope you have a great day. If you’re like my kids, you would insist on a birthday “week!” You will need the whole week to read and watch and listen and make all those suggestions!
7 Annette said this (December 13, 2010 at 10:40 AM)
Good call! Birthday week it is
8 Melanie said this (December 13, 2010 at 10:42 AM)
Woo hooo! Happy day of birthday to you, Melanie! I promise as a birthday present that I shall participate in this next week, and hopefully send me answers in advance to future weeks
9 Anna said this (December 13, 2010 at 11:43 AM)
Thanks Anna. That would be a lovely birthday present
10 Melanie said this (December 13, 2010 at 12:23 PM)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!
11 Ashley said this (December 13, 2010 at 11:49 AM)
Thanks Ashley, and thanks also for having some great recs to contribute every week. I really appreciate it! (Plus, as you can tell in my IMM, I really am starting to buy the things people suggest.)
12 Melanie said this (December 13, 2010 at 12:23 PM)
Hope you have the best birthay ever!
Here is a Winnie the Pooh quote that I found fitting: “If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.”
LOVE DAD!
13 Chuck said this (December 13, 2010 at 1:19 PM)
ok oK, a BATTER PEN IT IS IN THE NEXT BOX, WHO KNEW?
Happy Birthday to You by Dr. Seuss and If You Give a Cat a Cupcake (this is a new one not around while you were younger)
Love and Miss you,
Mom
14 Judy said this (December 13, 2010 at 1:51 PM)
There’s no pressure….but it does sound really awesome
I definitely didn’t know about If You Give a Cat a Cupcake, but I love the other books in that series.
Love you too!
15 Melanie said this (December 13, 2010 at 4:37 PM)
This is such a great post – especially on YOUR BIRTHDAY!! I’m still waiting on one of these magic cupcakes to show up in my mailbox…
16 Tara said this (December 13, 2010 at 4:23 PM)
I’m not sure cupcakes ship very well or I would totally send you some. If you’re at BEA, though, I’ll totally try to bring some baked goods to share with everyone
17 Melanie said this (December 13, 2010 at 4:39 PM)