Don't Break the Rules, Change 'Em

Puddin': Julie Murphy

In my first audiobook read, Puddin' kept me hooked from start to finish. The companion novel to Dumplin', tells the story of Millie and Callie and how they are thrown together; When Millie's family gym pulls its sponsorship of Callie's dance team, she and the team take revenge on the gym by vandalizing it. When Callie is the only one that is identified, she is forced to work there to pay off the damages and becomes friends with Millie. As they both grow closer they learn that appearance doesn't matter as much as true friendship does.

This was one of my first audiobook reads since the Harry Potter series and I quite enjoyed it. I was very interested in the concept of the spin-off novel with the two minor characters but, WOW, was it so well written and well told that I felt like I was really there with them every step of the way. I would listen on my way to and from work and would stay in my car to keep listening. I think the only thing I would like more is another spin-off of more characters from the Dumplin' universe.

Pros:
Extremely immersive

Cons:
Could've been a little shorter

 

We're going to need more than a few tubes of lipstick...

Beauty Queens: Libba Bray

It's been a hot minute since I first read this book. I read Beauty Queens when it first came out in 2009,  but haven't really given much thought since then until I found a copy at my local bookstore for dirt cheap. Obviously, I bought it, took it home and immediately fell right back into the story I remembered.  On their way to the Miss Team Dream Pagent, a plane full of teen beauty queens crashes on a deserted island. The surviving queens must figure out how to survive until they are rescued. Miss New Hampshire, a budding journalist buts heads with Miss Texas, who was the ringer to win, over leading the girls; Miss California and Miss Colorado form a rivalry turned friendship after realizing they are the only girl of color left alive after the crash; Miss Arkansas,  a proclaimed " Wild Girl" who just wants to be a pirate queen and fall in love; And poor Miss New Mexico with a tray table stuck in her head. Filled with Pirates, a corrupt Corporation and secret arms deals, Beauty Queens is a hilarious read that will make anyone feel better about themselves.

I always thought this book was funny when it would think about it and now reading it again years later, it still holds up. The idea to the Corporation seemingly running the country through a CW type programming network and beauty/health items doesn't seem super absurd until you realize they are behind the plane crash, the arms deal, a plan to start a war, and take over the country. With carefully planned "commercial breaks" and footnotes to explain Corporation products, such as Lady 'Stache-Off, a hair removal cream, really ties into how much anyone can willingly bend to a company if they ask. The footnotes themselves try to omit point of the story and in the contestants' applications to make them seem more conservative or mold them to what they want them to seem like. Who does that remind you of?

Pros:
Absolutely hilarious

Cons:
Somewhat juvenile at times
 

Dear Evan Hansen, Today's Going To Be A Good Day and Here's Why...

Dear Evan Hansen: Val Emmich

There are so many quotes I want to put in this review but I know I can't make them all work. When it was announced that Val Emmich was doing a novelization of the hit Broadway musical, I was so excited as this was the closest I was ever going to get to seeing the show as the tour has already been here and gone in Chicago. After being tasked by his therapist to write letters to himself, anxiety-ridden Evan Hansen writes one that is taken by outcast Connor Murphy. When Connor commits suicide with Evan's letter still in his pocket, his family assumes that they were friends. Unable to tell them otherwise, Evan pretends that they were and makes fake emails from him to Connor and back for his parents and sister. When things get out of hand, Evan starts to unwind and admits to everything.

This Novelization was so spot-on, I couldn't ask for more. With the addition of actual quotes and lines from the show being placed in it still felt like its own telling but still showed how close tot he source material it was.  With an incredible message of  "No one deserves to be forgotten", Dear Evan Hansen is the book to pick up if you ever feel alone.

Pros:
No One deserves to be forgotten

Cons:
KINKY!

 

Not The Love Story You Were Expecting

The Love Interest: Cale Dietrich

Well that was, different. I went into this book with some pretty decent expectations, really thinking I was gonna get a typical love triangle trope but, wow was I thrown for a pretty obvious loop. Raised in the LIC (Love Interest Center), Caden is chosen to be a Nice, a spy of the boy next door type, to win over young scientist Juliet. He is up against a Bad named Dyl who he is competing against, whoever Juliet picks in the end lives, the other dies. When Caden begins to develop feelings for Dyl, he puts a wrench into the entire operation, to the point where both of them plus Juliet, New friend Trev and former Love Interest Natalie on the run to bring down the entire company.

I assumed going into the story that it was a typical love triangle with two boys liking the same girl and she'd have a hell of a time picking one over the other, but as soon as Caden and Dyl were en route to start wooing Juliet, it was pretty obvious where the story was going. Not that that's a bad thing but pretty obvious and I could tell where the story was going from there. It was a pretty easy read and had a pretty violent climax but overall,  I don't think I'd read it again.

Pros:
a new twist on love triangle trope

Cons:
pretty obvious twists

The Carls Just Appeared

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing: Hank Green

Hank Green may be playing the role of little brother copying big brother, John Green, but he did so well! I really enjoyed his debut novel, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing and am still living on the cliff he left me hanging on. April May is a 23-year old art school grad who is living her life the best she can with her girlfriend Maya and pal Andy. When she sees a mysterious statue on her way home one night, she calls Andy and the two of them make a Youtube video interviewing the statue they have named Carl and it goes viral. Everything starts to snowball for April as she starts getting weird dreams that involve Carl and a Wikipedia post that continues to have typos that spell out some kind of message. With the help of Andy, Maya, and new friends, Miranda and Robin, April May learns she was chosen by the Carls and must overcome an addiction to the internet and save the world.

I finished this book literally 4 hours ago and I am still reeling! Hank really uses his platform as a Youtuber to relate to his target audience by inserting modern slang and websites into his character's lives and personalities. For instance, April, Maya, and Andy use Wikipedia to find the first clue from Carl, they also use Reddit, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to communicate with others in the world who are experiencing the same dreams they are to solve each sequence, even going so far as to make an app. For anyone that wants to read something that is going to grab them by their shirt and won't let go until the end, I highly recommend Hank Green's An Absolutely Remarkable Thing. 

Weddings Aren't For Everyone

The People We Hate At The Wedding: Grant Ginder

As much as I enjoy contemporary, this book really does live up to it's Goodreads rating. The story is good in conception, Perfect older sister, Eloise, is getting married in England bringing with her a ton of family drama; her half-sister, Alice, who recently had a miscarriage and is having an affair with her boss; half-brother Paul, who is realizing her boyfriend doesn't want to be monogamous anymore; and her mother, who is still missing her life traveling Europe with her ex-husband but is also having a hard time with the loss of her second husband to cancer. When Paul hasn't spoken to his mother in three years and refuses to go to the wedding at the last minute, a whole lot of family secrets and drama unfolds the wedding weekend.

I absolutely did not like this book. The author spends way too much time going into detail on very inconsequential things, such as what each and every character is eating at each and every meal but doesn't go into detail on more important things, like more of the family dynamic when the sibling were growing up. It almost reads like he needed a specific word count before he finished the book. The perspective also is pretty difficult to get through. switching between characters is fine but doing it in third person just makes it so annoying. Unless you also plan on reading the worst rated books on Goodreads, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.

Pros:
Fantastic idea

Cons:
Terrible execution


 

And Now For Something Different...

I have seen a lot of different booktubers doing a "book challenge" that I would also like to take part in and that is the "Worst Book" challenge. Seems simple enough, go to your GoodReads page and sort your Want to Read list by average rating and do worst to best and read the five worst books! so here are my five for the next month:


1: After Alice by: Gregory Maguire, GoodReads rating: 2.78/5
This Alice retelling has been sitting on my shelf for a few years but I haven't been inclined to really pick it up. I'm intrigued to read this as it tells of Alice's friend Ada who follows Alice down the rabbit and must follow behind all her adventures.

2: The People We Hate At the Wedding by: Grant Ginder, GoodReads rating: 2.85/5
I'm starting to push myself more toward adult romance and take a break from YA and I was hoping this book would do that. I got it for a steal in the bargain section at Barnes & Noble after seeing it full price at Target earlier in the day.

3: Revenge Wears Prada by: Lauren Weisberger, GoodReads rating: 2.88/5
The sequel to The Devil Wears Prada was one that I wasn't expecting to be on this list but now that I think about it, it makes sense. Not many people want a sequel to their favorite stand alone and this is one that I would agree with but I am excited to see what happens to Andy, Emily and Miranda.

4: The Love Interest by: Cole Dietrich, GoodReads rating: 3.20/5
I'm not too sure about this one to be honest. I picked it up because the premise of rival spies trying to woo a girl seemed interesting but the more it sat on my shelf the more I was worried it was going to be a literal love triangle trope and it turned me off, so here's hoping.

5: The Midnight Dance by: Nikki Katz, GoodReads rating, 3.20/5
I was really hoping this was a 12 Dancing Princesses retelling, which is my second favorite fairy tale) and was kind disappointed when I realized it wasn't or at least couldn't tell from he description but I'm hoping it's something good!


I encourage everyone to do this if only to give you some kind of incentive to get those To Be Reads read!!

With A Little Bit of Fanfiction

Fangirl: Rainbow Rowell

Now, I'll admit I dive into fanfiction every once in a while and that I will live on some of the fictional worlds of my favorite books, but I don't do it as much as Cath. She and her sister, Wren, spend most of their time writing fanfiction for their favorite series, Simon Snow (similar to Harry Potter).
When they go to college and Wren starts to branch out, Cath hides in her writing, Cath learns she must leave the comfortable world of Simon and live in the real world around her, including and tough roommate and her overly friendly buddy, her writing professor turning away everything she turns in and Wren wanting to reconnect with their birth mother. This book is one of the best books to read before you leave for college to prepare you for leaving home and having the confidence to do you.

There are three books I make a point to read every year, Beastly by Alex Flinn, the Harry Potter series, and Fangirl. I'm not super into contemporary but this is my favorite. There is just something about the community of fangirls and fanboys now with so many different genres, being books, movies, shows, etc. but this book just speaks at a level that can reach so many people. I can't wait for my yearly jump into this world and fall back in love with all these characters.

Pros:
Totally relatable to today's youth

Cons:
None. It's perfect