June 5, 1956: Elvis Presley flings his hips around on the Milton Berle show.

Which, you know, was SCANDALOUS.

I've got to say: this semi-regular series has been HELL on my wallet. Because every time I find a historical fact I want to highlight, I start combing through my old reviews (and Novelist), looking for something that fits... and then I end up ordering a whole bunch of other books that catch my eye.

IT'S GETTING BAD.

Anyway, in honor of Elvis and his hips, I shall point you back to my post about Autum Cornwell's Carpe Diem, which, among other things, features a character who talks like John Wayne and has hair like Elvis: sideburns, pompadour and all.

From my post:

Vassar Spore is the daughter of an efficiency expert and a life coach. She has her life planned out—in detail—for the next ten years.

On her sixteenth birthday, she receives a UPS package from her artist grandmother, who she's never met in person. It contains a plane ticket to Singapore.

Of course, Vassar has no intention of going, and her parents have no intention of letting her go. For one, no Spore has ever even left the state, let alone the country—for another, missing her summer classes would mean falling behind in her battle with Wendy Stupacker for valedictorian. It would not fit into The Plan.

Man, I love that cover. I loved it when the book first came out, and I continue to love it now.