I'm Not Your Manic Pixie Dream Girl - Gretchen McNeil

My rating: ⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Beatrice Maria Estrella Giovannini has life all figured out. She's starting senior year at the top of her class, she's a shoo-in for a scholarship to MIT, and she's got a new boyfriend she's crazy about. The only problem: All through high school Bea and her best friends, Spencer and Gabe, have been the targets of horrific bullying.

So Bea uses her math skills to come up with the Formula, a 100% mathematically guaranteed path to social happiness in high school. Now Gabe is on his way to becoming student body president, and Spencer is finally getting his art noticed. But when her boyfriend dumps her for Toile, the quirky new girl at school, Bea realizes it's time to use the Formula for herself. She'll be reinvented as eccentric and lovable Trixie - a quintessential manic pixie dream girl - in order to win her boyfriend back and beat Toile at her own game.

Unfortunately, being a manic pixie dream girl isn't all it's cracked up to be, and "Trixie" is causing unexpected consequences for her friends. As the Formula begins to break down, can Bea find a way to reclaim her true identity and fix everything she's messed up? Or will the casualties of her manic pixie experiment go far deeper than she could possibly imagine?"

I had mixed feelings while reading this book and couldn't decide how I felt about it, but after spending some time post-read pondering, I've come to the conclusion that Bea's friends were the only redeeming part of this story. Bea herself was unlikable to a shocking degree - she was judgmental, selfish, and a genuinely horrible friend. What's more, while the whole premise of this book is built upon the "horrific bullying" she and her friends experience, the only character who is actually the recipient of horrific bullying is Gabe. I'm sorry, but from one nerd to another, being called "Math Girl" is neither horrific nor bullying, particularly when a. literally the only thing she cares about is math and b. she openly admits partway through the book that she decided upon starting high school that everyone there was mean and horrible and decided not to talk to any of them. Making the choice to assume the worst of everyone and isolate yourself without any attempt to make friends isn't bullying.

Then there's the whole manic pixie dream girl thing, the whole concept of which irritates the shit out of me. Because women aren't analyzed under a microscope and torn apart for everything they do already, let's definitely let a man coin a term to describe a certain type of woman and use it to tear each other down further. And while we're at it, how many times did Bea need to shit talk Dakota and Noel and their vocal fry or insinuate that Cassilyn is stupid or a bitch? I frequently choose books based on title or cover without reading the description, and in this case it really bit me in the ass because what I expected to be a story shining light on the "manic pixie dream girl" trope as something that applies not to women but to men and their expectations actually ended up being almost 350 pages of Bea tearing down other young women and treating her friends like shit, only to learn basically nothing but still manage to get the guy in the end. Hard pass.

Bookish and the Beast - Ashley Poston

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Rosie Thorne is feeling stuck - on her college application essays, in her small town, and on that mysterious General Sond cosplayer she met at ExcelsiCon. Most of all, she's stuck in her grief over her mother's death. Her only solace was her late mother's library of rare Starfield novels, but even that disappeared when they sold it to pay off hospital bills. 

On the other hand, Vance Reigns has been Hollywood royalty for as long as he can remember - with all the privilege and scrutiny that entails. When a tabloid scandal catches up to him, he's forced to hide out somewhere the paparazzi would never expect to find him: Small Town USA. At least there's a library in the house. Too bad he doesn't read.

When Rosie and Vance's paths collide and a rare book is accidentally destroyed, Rosie finds herself working to repay the debt. And while most Starfield superfans would jump at the chance to work in close proximity to the Vance Raines, Rosie has discovered something about Vance: he's a jerk, and she can't stand him. The feeling is mutual.

But as Vance and Rosie begrudgingly get to know each other, their careful masks come off - and they may just find that there's more risk in shutting each other out than in opening their hearts."

💬    💬    💬

Sooooooooo story time. Way back in March (March 16th to be exact) my colleagues and I reported to work and learned that we were temporarily closing due to COVID. Being the library nerds we are, a lot of our staff (me included, obvi) took the opportunity to stock up on books before we headed home. Of course, as has been well-documented on this blog, I wound up having a difficult time focusing on books after this closure, and most of those books have sat unread for months, waiting for me to be able to concentrate. 

Recently, my focus has been getting better, so I've started working my way through this mountain of books. Of course, one mountain isn't enough, so I also requested some advanced reader copies. The stars aligned, and I decided to read Geekerella, one of the books I randomly chose off our shelves because it sounded interesting, followed by Bookish and the Beast, one of the ARCs I requested because I'm a sucker for Beauty and the Beast.

Y'ALL. This is an effin series! And there's a book in between! WHICH I HAVE NOT READ. So...weird coincidence that I happened to read two books in the same series one right after the other without realizing it, and also now I have to read The Princess and the Fangirl. Another book to add to the mountain.

Anyway, about the book itself. The description does a pretty thorough job of breaking down what to expect, and there aren't a whole lot of surprises in the plot, but its beauty is in its simplicity. There are ups and downs, but it's a light read, and it'll probably make you happy. Honestly, particularly right now, what more could you ask for?

Oh, what was that? If you said great characters, I agree 100%, and Bookish and the Beast has them in spades. Vance was ok - he didn't have me wowed, but he was a serviceable MC. Rosie, on the other hand...can I get a hell yes? She is feisty, outspoken, and assertive, and I. LOVE. HER. There's a moment where she punches the Gaston character in the face, and I just... 

Also, huge shout out to Space Dad, her silver-haired, hella rad children's librarian father. 😍 Authors, do you want me to immediately fall in love with your book? Include an awesome librarian character. Impossible for me to resist. Then, of course, rounding out the fantastic character list, we have Quinn and Annie, Rosie's best friends. We should all be so lucky as to have a pair of BFFs as loving and supportive as they are. (I mean, I am so lucky, not to rub it in or anything. 😉)

But back to the book. Whether you're a Beauty and the Beast fan, a sucker for retellings, or just a fan of pleasant reads, this is a good book to add to your shelf. Give it a shot!

Chasing Lucky - Jenn Bennett

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐✯ (That's supposed to be 3.5, I did the best I could with what I had)

From the cover:

"Budding photographer Josie Saint-Martin has spent half her life with her single mother, moving from city to city. When they return to her historical New England hometown years later to run the family bookstore, Josie knows it's not forever. Her dreams are on the opposite coast, and she has a plan to get there.

What she doesn't plan for is a run-in with the town bad boy, Lucky Karras. Outsider, rebel...and her former childhood best friend. Lucky makes it clear he wants nothing to do with the newly returned Josie. But everything changes after a disastrous pool party and a poorly-executed act of revenge lands Josie in some big-time trouble - with Lucky unexpectedly taking the blame.

Determined to understand why Lucky was so quick to cover for her, Josie discovers that both of them have changed, and that the good boy she once knew now has a dark sense of humor and a smile that makes her heart race. And maybe, just maybe, he's not quite the brooding bad boy everyone thinks he is..."

I am so conflicted about this book. Parts of it had me all in, but others it felt like the book version of a scratched DVD, experiencing the story in fits and starts and filling in the details I missed. We kick off with Josie and her mom arriving in Beauty, where almost immediately Josie runs into her childhood best friend, Lucky - now Lucky 2.0, Tall, Dark, and Brooding. 

I am here for this - hooked and prepared for their first real confrontation! Except after revealing that Lucky and his family now own a boat repair shop across the street from the Saint-Martin bookstore, we fast-forward four months. We're told that Josie's welcome to Beauty was less than warm, and while she has dodged rumors and kept her distance from her classmates at school, Lucky has been her mysterious shadow, constantly popping up on the outskirts wherever she goes, watching her with those dark, bad-boy eyes but never saying a word.

"We never talk. Not really. He's never said, So, let's catch up! Or, How's life been treating you? Nothing normal like that. We don't acknowledge that we were once best friends and spent every Sunday eating dinner at his house. That we used to secretly meet up after school at an abandoned cedar boatshed at the end of the harbor...No. He's just...around."

Intriguing behavior to be sure...I only wish we had been able to watch this unfold. Instead, we get a couple of chapters telling us Lucky is ruggedly handsome but surly and mysterious, and then we get Lucky taking the fall for Josie accidentally committing an act of vandalism. I need more character building, damn it! And speaking of character building, given what a huge part she plays with basically everything that happens, I wish Josie's mom had been fleshed out a little more. Don't just tell me your mom is horrible...paint me a word picture. 

 

Again, we get story in fits and starts - Winona immediately forbids Josie (based on...what, exactly?) from seeing Lucky, then is reliably absent from the story except to pop up and remind us that Josie is Not Allowed to see him. Until (fits and starts!) with zero discussion, suddenly it's fine. Sigh. I just...don't teleport me from A to Z, take me all the way through!

My desire to see more of the story play out aside, Chasing Lucky did pull me in, and Jenn Bennett continues to do what she does best, which is capturing the longing and uncertainty of a budding possible relationship. Honestly, it says a lot about her ability as a writer that my complaint essentially boils down to "why didn't you make this book longer?" I felt every tug of the heart and flutter of butterflies (or in Josie's case, bats?), and with one glaring exception, I was swooning. 

(For the record, that glaring exception was the most awkward euphemism I've ever read - "I'm achingly aware of the hard outline pressing against the place in my jeans where my seams converge" - but we don't need to talk about that.) 

I want to go to all of the Karras family dinners, be best friends with Evie, and punch Adrian Summers in the face. Possibly more than once. Chasing Lucky isn't going to dethrone Starry Eyes or Alex, Approximately on my mental list of best heart-eye emoji books, but it's still a good read, and I will still eagerly read any YA that Jenn Bennett writes.

Revenge of the Red Club - Kim Harrington

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Riley Dunne loves being a member of the Red Club. It's more than a group of girls supporting each other through Aunt Flo's ups and downs; it's a Hawking Middle School tradition. The club's secret locker has an emergency stash of supplies, and the girls are always willing to lend an ear, a shoulder, or an old pair of sweatpants.

But when the school administration shuts the Red Club down because of complaints, the girls are stunned. Who would do that to them? The girls' shock quickly turns into anger, and then they decide to get even."

EVERY MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL SHOULD HAVE A RED CLUB!

I had to get that out before I started reviewing the actual book. Truly, I can't even imagine how different my life would be if growing up I had a group of peers to talk frankly with about periods and other mysteries of life. Shit, I would be down to start a Red Club now, and I'm a full-grown adult.

Anyway, to the book. I have to admit, I may have been sleeping on Middle Grade recently. The two most mind-blowing books I've read in the last few months have both been MG, and rest assured, I will be stepping up my TBR game! My very first thought upon learning about this book was "A book about periods?! Sign me up!" And while I need to clarify that this is SO much more than a book about periods, my enthusiasm was not misplaced. I loved Riley from the second I started reading, and I cheered for her throughout the book. She's a role model I wish I had in middle school, and my library may not be open to the public right now, but when it is I'll be doing everything I can to get Riley's story into the hands of as many middle schoolers as possible.

Riley is feisty as hell, not afraid to stand up for herself, and when things at school start getting bad for the girls who go there, she and her friends refuse to take it lying down. Banding together, they plan a week-long protest to bring awareness to what the female students have been facing and bring about change, and Riley uses her super skill - a gift with words - to fight for change. She and her friends are an inspiration and a reminder that we can all use our super skills to affect change. Changes that, like in Riley's life, may feel small but often have a ripple effect. Now let's carry some Red Club energy into the injustices we see in our own circles!

First Page Friday - Easy to Read Books

My ability to focus is a little like a badly-tuned radio. Sometimes it seems like it's getting better (like today, when I sat down and read an entire book in basically one sitting!), but then it goes fuzzy again and I re-read the same sentence eight times because I can't concentrate. So if you, like me, still can't seem to get it dialed in, I hope some of these books help.

1. Beauty by Robin McKinley

This retelling of Beauty and the Beast is delightful. I first read it probably in my tweens, and I've been in love with it ever since. I still re-read it regularly, and every time I do it's as good as it was the first time.

2. Between Shades of Gray or Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

I have recommended Between Shades of Gray to library patrons many times, and a pretty significant portion of responses are a strange look followed by some variation on, "is that like a Fifty Shades book?" Rest assured, my friends, it is not. Both books take place during World War II - Between Shades of Gray follows a Lithuanian family fighting for survival at a work camp in Siberia, and Salt to the Sea tells the story of the greatest yet relatively unknown maritime tragedy ever to take place, the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustlaff at the hands of a Soviet submarine.

I'm sure some of you are thinking right about now "easy to read books? How are either of these easy to read?" And yes...the subject matter is not easy to read. It's ugly, and it's a gut punch. Ruta Sepetys does a masterful job of showcasing the best and worst that humanity is capable of. In the case of these books, "easy" may not be the right word...but they pull you in, and they're hard to put down. You should read them.

3. Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Aw yeah, getting some Middle Grade on the list! A fantasy series about hidden sanctuaries for magical creatures under attack by a secret organization? Sign me up!

4. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

I know, I know, I include this on every list I do, but honestly, if you're looking for an easy to read book, they don't come any easier than this. Devour it in a day.

5. Legend by Marie Lu

This was on my list for a pretty long time before I read it, and then I ended up getting a copy with one of my book subscriptions, started reading that night, and just...didn't stop. It's intense, it's exciting, and it's a quick read because you can't help but be sucked in right away. For a long time, it was a trilogy, and now there are four books, since Rebel came out last year. Woohoo!

6. Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu

I reviewed this a while back if you'd like to read my full thoughts on the book, but the short version is while I think it wrapped up a little too neatly, this book is amazing. 

7. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

This book is amazing. Written in verse, it's Xiomara's experience in high school, navigating assholes, her first relationship, and her super strict, religious mother. It's her discovery of slam poetry, sharing her voice, and being true to who she is. I can't read it without crying, Xiomara is incredible.

8. Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Ok, I cannot tell a lie. I haven't actually finished this series. But I read the first one, and I loved it! Then I got a new job and things got hectic, so Thunderhead fell by the wayside, and now The Toll is out, and I need to read them all. Ooh, maybe we could do a read-along to motivate me! We'll see!

9. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

It's pretty well-documented that I love anything and everything Becky Albertalli writes, so if you're still sleeping on the Creekwood books, please remedy that ASAP. For the record, this includes Love, Victor on Hulu. I'm watching it right now (literally, as I type), and it makes my heart so happy. I mean I know that isn't necessarily written by Becky Albertalli, but...still.

10. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

Great movie, even better book! It's told from the alternating perspectives of two high school students, one unwillingly preparing for his college interview, the other fighting like hell to stop her family from being deported. It's a beautiful story.

11. To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

I'm obsessed with this series, both the books and the movies. Obsessed. Light, low-risk, heartwarming. 

12. The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo

This book makes me so hungry. And so happy. I tried to combine happy and hungry to make a hybrid word meaning you're happy but feeling snacky and couldn't. Hacky, maybe? That doesn't sound very nice, though. Whatever, read the book. It's marvelous.

13. We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

Alright, this is another one I need to qualify because there's a high probability it will make you cry. It's not an easy to read book in the emotional sense, because it's heavy and it packs a punch, but it's short and it pulls you in and won't let you put it down. And it's beautiful.

14. When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Yessssss, girls who code! This book caught my eye because of its cover, and the book is just as good as the cover art. Personally, I recommend the book over the audio, but either option is great. And I fell out of the loop a little bit and didn't realize there were MORE BOOKS! Another read-along option, I guess!

15. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

Was that a record scratch I just heard? Yeah, this one is a little bit of an outlier. But I love it! I read it for the first time in elementary school, and I'm a little ashamed to admit that I fell so hard for it that I stole the copy from my classroom library. (Mrs. Johnson, I know you're not reading this, but I'm so sorry). That copy was pretty beat up, so eventually I had to buy a new one, and every time I reread it I enjoy it just as much as the first time.

Guest Review - The Grace Year

This week I've got a special guest here to share her thoughts on The Grace Year by Kim Liggett. Just in case my review was not enough to convince you to give it a shot, my sister Molly Whoremon (friends call her Whore) dropped by to provide a second opinion.

From the cover (for anyone who needs a refresher):

"No one speaks of the grace year. It’s forbidden.

In Garner County, girls are told they have the power to lure grown men from their beds, to drive women mad with jealousy. They believe their very skin emits a powerful aphrodisiac, the potent essence of youth, of a girl on the edge of womanhood. That’s why they’re banished for their sixteenth year, to release their magic into the wild so they can return purified and ready for marriage. But not all of them will make it home alive.

Sixteen-year-old Tierney James dreams of a better life—a society that doesn’t pit friend against friend or woman against woman, but as her own grace year draws near, she quickly realizes that it’s not just the brutal elements they must fear. It’s not even the poachers in the woods, men who are waiting for a chance to grab one of the girls in order to make a fortune on the black market. Their greatest threat may very well be each other.

With sharp prose and gritty realism, The Grace Year examines the complex and sometimes twisted relationships between girls, the women they eventually become, and the difficult decisions they make in-between."

💬    💬    💬

I honestly do not know how to even begin to review this book. I don't read synopses for books so I never really know what to expect, but as I made my way through this book it felt like a totally different experience than other books.

It's such a chilling tale of oppression, heartbreak, misunderstanding, love, fear, realization, and so many other emotions. I don't think I've ever been so moved and truly connected to a story before. I felt every emotion of the main character, Tierney, as she did and was briefly a part of her journey through this book.

I know this really doesn't explain what the book was about at all. I don't think I could ever do it justice. I will say though that nothing is ever what it truly seems. 🖤

10/10 would recommend.

Anti-racist Reads

In light of everything going on this week (this week, and basically every day, week, and hour since the pilgrims came over on the Mayflower), I've decided to hold off on the post I was planning to make this week and instead focus on books about racism and how to be anti-racist. I also figured that since so many better-informed people than I have already put in the work to share such resources, I should take this opportunity to amplify some of those voices. So, let's get to it.

First things first, while this is not a book, it is an incredible resource. Brianna Wallace and Autumn Gupta (@Autumn_Bry on Twitter) created Justice in June, a month-long curriculum designed to be a starting point for allies to use in educating themselves. Please use and share this, because it is truly phenomenal.

Victoria Alexander also shared some fantastic book lists on Twitter, subdivided by topic no less! Follow the link for a thread of start recommendations, intermediate recommendations, a topic-specific list, biographies and personal narratives, Black feminism, Black LGBTQ+ literature, and Black-centered fiction. For anyone interested in adding to their personal book collection, Victoria also provided a list of Black owned indie bookstores you can support, AND, as if that wasn't enough, put together an anti-racist resource guide. (Note: The book lists on Twitter are images, so I'll be sharing the titles featured on each list in the comments for anyone unable to view those images.)

Then there is this comprehensive compilation of resources for all ages put together by Dr. Nicole A. Cooke. It includes a variety of formats, so peruse and learn! 

And finally, since everyone deserves to see themselves in the books they read, and since Black and Indigenous People of Color deserve books that celebrate their lives in addition to books that document their struggles, below are two great reading lists highlighting authors of color. In addition to educating ourselves on how to be anti-racist, let's also celebrate some of the excellent stories being told about experiencing joy and success.

52 books by women of color to read throughout 2020.

14 Incredible Books to Read When You Need a Dose of Black Girl Magic