YA Wednesday: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


3.5 stars

This was one of those books I picked up solely because it had been recommended and because it's popular. I'd never read a review for it, a synopsis, or even the back of the book. So when I started listening and found the book was about college students, I was surprised, as most YA ends at the end of high school. I guess it would fit into the New Adult genre, but it was probably rejected because it didn't have any explicit sex scenes.

However, it was a romance, which isn't really my cup o' tea. I guess Eleanor and Park was too, but somehow there was enough other stuff going on in that one that I was never getting that squicky feeling I get when I read romance. The romance in this was more predictable for me. I realized way before Cath that Levi liked her. He was an okay character, but just kind of eh. I would have liked the book much more if it had kept the focus on Cather's relationship with her sister and father. Those parts of the book came alive and just sang. I was left with a few unresolved questions about those relationships (like why Wren and Courtney had a falling-out, and what happened in Wren's relationship with Alejandro, what happened with her dad's mental state, etc). Instead, the book took a downturn and suddenly became all about the romance.

Okay, here's the thing. Unless you love someone, beyond-the-norm makeout scenes are just gross. And I sort of loved Levi, but not enough to think making out with his chin was sexy. To me, it was just kind of icky and funny at once. Levi was once said to be exploring her throat with his tongue or something like that--automatic gag reflex. I kept thinking--Eewww. These people do not know how to kiss! At first, the Simon Snow snippets were so boring I zoned out on them, but during the obsessive love stuff, I was glad for a moment of relief. It bordered on Twilight-esque at times.

Overall, I did like this book. I loved most of the characters, especially the dad. He was so true and sensitively portrayed. I also loved the relationships and dynamics between all the characters in the family, including the mother. My other favorite character was Reagan, so I was disappointed that she never got much of a story herself. She was just there to drive Cath around and be her friend. Which was fine, except that she never had any backstory or a life of her own beyond being Cath's friend.

I'm still sort of torn on the number of stars. May upgrade to 4 at some point if the book sticks with me for a long time.




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Writer Wednesday: Book Spotlight on WHITE CHALK by Pavarti K Tyler

Welcome to a White Chalk Spotlight from Novel Publicity! This posts includes and excerpt, book blurb, and information about the author, Pavarti K Tyler. I just got my copy today and can't wait to read it. Look for a review coming soon.

An Excerpt

Too cold for me to be out, drenched in a thin sweatshirt, I trudged home after school. November had betrayed me with its promises of clear skies, and I’d skipped the bus.

Mr. Harris pulled up, his oversized body squished into the too small car. When the window rolled down, warm air tinged with the scent of coffee invited me in.

“It’s a little cold for you to be walking, isn’t it, honey?” He peered out the window, brows pulled high to his forehead, appraising my appearance.

“Can you drive me home, Mr. Harris?” My teeth chattered as I spoke.

“Come on, get in. But you know teachers aren’t supposed to pick up students on the side of the road.” He chuckled softly to himself.

“I know. I won’t tell anyone. Please? I’m just so cold.”

In the car, I kicked my soaked backpack out of the way of the heating vent and slid my feet out of my shoes. My toes had gotten so cold I half wondered if they’d be tinged with black—gangrene setting up shop. I leaned back and closed my eyes, letting the warmth of the car envelop me. When I opened them, I realized Mr. Harris hadn’t started driving again.

Instead, he sat staring at me. Parked in the middle of the road, his eyes roamed my body as I shivered.

Cold? Lust? I didn’t know, but the feeling of power spreading through my chest as he took in the curve of my hips made me bold. I sat up and pulled the wet sweatshirt over my head, revealing the T-Shirt beneath.

Mr. Harris shifted in his seat. His gaze fell upon my breasts and the sound of his breath sped up.

“Mr. Harris?” I asked, the temptation of seducing a teacher thrilling me.

“Yeah?” His voice was hoarse.

“Thanks for the ride.”

“What?” His body snapped to attention as he remembered where he was. “Oh, right… um….” He shifted position again.

“Really, I appreciate it.” I laid a hand on his arm and rose up in my seat, leaning forward so I could kiss him on the cheek—innocently, like kissing an uncle or cousin. But I knew it wasn’t, and when I pulled away, the dark intensity of his eyes told of desire I’d only been hoping to find.

About the Book

[caption id="attachment_3210" align="alignleft" width="200"] Click to buy on Amazon[/caption]

Evolved Publishing presents an intimate glance inside teenage angst and confusion, and one talented but troubled girl's attempt to make sense of life, in the coming-of-age tale, "White Chalk," by award-winning author Pavarti K. Tyler. [Literary, New Adult, Women's Fiction]

Chelle isn’t a typical 13-year-old girl—she doesn’t laugh with friends, play sports, or hang out at the mall after school. Instead, she navigates a world well beyond her years.

Life in Dawson, ND spins on as she grasps at people, pleading for someone to save her—to return her to the simple childhood of unicorns on her bedroom wall and stories on her father’s knee.

When Troy Christiansen walks into her life, Chelle is desperate to believe his arrival will be her salvation. So much so, she forgets to save herself. After experiencing a tragedy at school, her world begins to crack, causing a deeper scar in her already fragile psyche.

Follow Chelle’s twisted tale of modern adolescence, as she travels down the rabbit hole into a reality none of us wants to admit actually exists.

About the Author

Award winning author of multi-cultural and transgressive literature, Pavarti K Tyler is an artist, wife, mother and number cruncher. She graduated Smith College in 1999 with a degree in Theatre. After graduation, she moved to New York, where she worked as a Dramaturge, Assistant Director and Production Manager on productions both on and off Broadway. Later, Pavarti went to work in the finance industry several international law firms. She now lives with her husband, two daughters and one very large, very terrible dog. She keeps busy working with fabulous authors as the Director of Marketing at Novel Publicity and penning her next genre bending novel.

White Chalk (Evolved Publishing) marks Tyler’s third full length novel and promises readers familiar with her work the same mind bending experience. Her other projects include: Shadow on the Wall (Fighting Monkey Press) and Two Moons of Sera (Fighting Monkey Press). Shadow on the Wall has received many awards: Winner of the General Fiction/Novel Category of the 2012 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Winner in the Fiction: Multicultural category for The 2012 USA Best Book Awards, and Finalist in the Multicultural Fiction category for the 2012 International Book Awards.

White Chalk has been hailed as “brave”, “raw”, and “destroyingly beautiful”. In line with novels such as White Oleander, Thirteen Reasons Why and Gemma, White Chalk invites you to witness one girl’s heartrending story of confusion and desperation.

You can find out more about Pavarti K Tyler here:

Website: http://www.pavarti.com

Twitter: PavartiDevi

Facebook: Facebook profile

Blog: http://www.pavarti.com

Why Writers Write

That's a question that I'm sure lots of fellow writers get asked, and it's always an awkward moment. Why, indeed. So I've come up with a handy list, feel free to pick and choose some and use them next time someone asks you that most unanswerable question.

• Because I want to
• Because I need to
• Because I have to
• To get out all the crazy
• To keep from going crazy
• Habit
• Duty/obligation
• Inspiration
• I had an idea
• Someone gave me an idea
• I was trying to come up with an idea
• I want to share my ideas
• I like to cleverly hide my ideas in fiction
• I keep hoping for a good idea
• I have no idea
• I started and couldn't stop
• I stopped and couldn't get started again, so now I will never stop because then I might never get started again.
• It's my calling
• It's my therapy
• It's my escape
• It's my revenge
• It's my one true love
• I'm in love with my hero
• I'm in love with my villain
• Someday I'll be discovered
• I don't care if no one ever reads it, I have to get it out of my head
• If I don't write it down, where will it go?
• I have to see what happens next

For most of us, the answer is probably some combination thereof, or a hundred other reasons. For most of us, it's probably because it's who we are, because we can't NOT write. Notice how none of the above reasons said, "for the money?" If a writer is writing for that, good for him/her. Bravo. He made it in the writing world and hit the publishing jackpot. My guess is, his books are not excellent. But what do I know? I only write because I'm a writer.

Happy Writer Wednesday, everyone!

My phone, my life.

Does anyone remember those t-shirts that were popular in the 90s that said, "Basketball is life," or "Golf is life" or "climbing is life" and stuff like that? I think they were popular around the time of "NO FEAR" t-shirts, right after the "Co-ed Naked..." went out of style.

Lately it's more like..."My phone is life." Has anyone else noticed the obscene attachment we have to our phones? As someone who resisted getting a cell phone for years after everyone else (back when they were still called cell phones instead of smart phones or just phones), I never thought I'd be someone to get overly attached to one. I didn't have a smart phone for ages, either. I resisted the same way I resisted the Kindle and other ebook devices. Books should be written on paper, damn it! Phones should be for phone calls, damn it! The computer is for internet!

Flash forward to 2013. Just after Christmas, overjoyed to ridiculous proportions with the 4 inches of snow on the ground (for the record, we only got ONE snow last year, about 1 or 2 inches, that melted in a day, so my excitement was probably warranted), I decided I'd go for a run in the snow and take some pictures. I then stuck my sleek white smartphone in my pocket and took off. Almost back to the house, I reached in my pocket, only to find it empty. The horror! How could I live without a phone?

Several searches of the shoulder of the road on foot, and several drive-bys while hanging out the window of my fiance's truck yielded only frustration and a chapped face. My pearly white phone had disappeared into the snow like a...well...snowflake.

"It's okay," I told my fiance, exhausted from the search and having resigned myself to the fact that all my pictures, texts, phone numbers, and calendar entries for the past year had vanished and were not going to be recovered. Once the despair wore off, I was strangely calm. "I don't need a phone," I said. "It might be nice to be without it for a while." He disagreed heartily, and offered to buy me a new phone, which I refused. I was all prepared to be phone-less. After all, I am not one of those zombies who walk around with their noses glued to their phones all day. I hardly use Facebook anymore. I don't call many people, and I could always use someone else's phone, since all my family was home for Christmas. Right?

Before I go on, I should mention that my internet access also comes through my phone. Which means no phone = no internet. Suddenly I had to rely on my mom and sister to even check my email. Driving the 45 minutes to my fiance's house was both frustrating (how do I know he's home? Am I supposed to pick up some food? I'm running late, but I can't shoot him a text letting him know...) and even made me a bit nervous. What if my car broke down? It was cold, and I wouldn't be able to call anyone for help.

All the appointments on my calendar, also on my phone of course, were missed. I had planned to take at least one picture every day for a year...that was shot to hell in the very first week of the year. I missed important emails from my realtor, texts from friends asking what I was doing for NYE, invitations to events, and worst of all...I couldn't remember anyone's number! I didn't even know my own fiance's phone number, let alone my realtor, chiropractor, or boss. I knew exactly three numbers: my mom's, and two of my sisters', one of whom has had her phone since before I had a cell phone, so I knew it from way back in the day when people either had to memorize phone numbers or carry around an address book. So quaint and primitive it seems absurd to us now, when all the information to be found is at our fingertips, 24/7.

I finally got my phone back, 10 days later, a neighbor having found it on the road, mere inches from a stream of melting snow runoff. My conclusion? My smart phone has made me stupid. I no longer remember anything. My smart phone remembers everything for me, which lets my brain coast through the day emptily. I am a phone zombie. All that important stuff is kept in one place, which is seductively convenient. Unfortunately, when we lose that one place...we're lost. How did we ever live without having all that at our fingertips--calendars, texts, directions when we're lost, restaurant and menu lists when we're hungry, alarms to remind us of important events...not to mention phone numbers. And let's face it, most of us use our phones a lot more often for internet, texts, etc, than we do for making phone calls.

It's a little frightening to learn just how much I rely on my phone. Did I really say, just two weeks ago, that I don't need a phone? What I need is a second phone, as a backup. Just in case.