Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl

It's been a while since I've read read a romantic story but here I am finally. 

Cather (Cath) is the twin sister of Wren. Their mother had abandoned the family when they were eight and they were raised by their bipolar father. Heading off to college Cath was concerned about him, disturbed that her sister didn't want to room with her, and pressured to finish writing her fan fiction story before the last episode of the original series is released.

She  has found great satisfaction and recognition for her stories about Simon Snow (think Harry Potter) on the website FanFixx. Having been allowed into the class Fiction Writing, she is shocked to find her teacher thinks fanfic is little more than plagiarism and she is finding it hard to create her own characters and situations.

Cath has more things to worry about as she starts college. From the location of the cafeteria to meeting new people she finds comfort in her writing.

I highly recommend this book to anyone going off to college.

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

Out of the Easy

The story opens in 1950 in New Orleans. Josie's mother was a prostitute who worked in a house run by a madam named Willie. Josie shared nothing with her mother - no love, no good memories. When she was twelve Josie started hiding in a book store so she could spend the night there. The owner, an old gentleman named Charlie, fixed up a little apartment above the store and let her stay there. When she was older she started working there with Charlie's son, Patrick.

Josie successfully finished high school and Willie had promised to pay for her college as long as it was located in New Orleans so Josie could continue cleaning the house in the morning after all the parties have ended. Josie, understandably, wanted to get as far from New Orleans as she could. One day, a student from Smith College, Charlotte, came into the store. They feelt an instant affinity and Josie dreamed of attending Smith. The only problems were being accepted and raising the considerable amount of money needed to attend.

Josie's mother was implicated in the death of a tourist who had, that same day, visited the book store and bought two books. Josie drew the attention of police and mobsters protecting her mother and her mother's gangster boyfriend. Will Josie manage to get out from under her mother's baggage, avoid falling into the same bad career, and follow her dream?

An added plus for this book (in my opinion) is that Josie loved books. I received an advance copy of this book for early review.

My rating for this book: 

The Magicians (2009)

I think Lev Grossman wrote this book for the adults who have read Harry Potter, Narnia, and other classic fantasies. Magic in those worlds was taken for granted and the question about where it comes from is not considered. The young people who find themselves in the Brakebills School take the training in stride but when they graduate they question what they can use their skills for. One of their instructors named Fogg asks them this question.

"Sometimes I wonder if man was really meant to discover magic," Fogg said expansively. "It doesn't really make sense. It's a little too perfect, don't you think? If there's a single lesson that life teaches us, it's that wishing doesn't make it so. Words and thoughts don't change anything. Language and reality are kept strictly apart - reality is tough, unyielding stuff, and it doesn't care what you think or feel or say about it. Or it shouldn't. You deal with it, and you get on with your life."

The central character, a mathemathically brilliant young man named Quentin, has always been fascinated by a series of books called Fillory and Further about two brothers and their two sisters who discover a hidden world called Fillory (sound familiar?). Throughout his time in Brakebills he hopes to be able to access Fillory which, he is convinced, is real and where he feels he will find a home. After their graduation Quentin and his friends embark on a vacation to find adventure in Fillory.

The reader will enjoy nods to several fantasy classics. The venture of these young people is difficult and painful at times but the reader is carried on to see if they succeed in finding Fillory and their place in this or any other world.

Fun quote: The thick plottens.

My rating for this book: +++

Catalyst (2002)

Kate is having a rough time. She grew up without a mother. Her father is a minister who pays more attention to his parishoners than his family. Her brother is... a brother. And to make things even worse, she doesn't get into MIT, her dream since fourth grade. Now her neighbors, the Litch's have a fire and Teri, a classmate, is moving in with her until their house can be rebuilt.

Braaaaaaaaaccchhhh...
It wasn't part of my plan to be the schmuck that wound up on the cot, but there you go. Teri and Mikey took my bed. As if worrying about MIT weren't enough to keep me awake I have a lawn mower roaring in the middle of the room.
Mmmbrrrraaaaachhh...
The law mower is Mikey Litch breathing through his mouth, producing a decibel-per-pound output that is off the charts. I should sample the noise and sell it to struggling musicians. I'd make a fortune.
...
How can Teri stand it? This could explain her anger management problem. I've got to do something or I'll never go to sleep.

Teri's dad is long gone, a blessing for the family, and her mother seems to be rather shell shocked and not very helpful in times of disaster. Teri has a two-year old brother who clings to Teri like a leech and Teri, amazingly, has a chip on her shoulder and isn't the most friendly and appreciative person.

Kate is torn between suffering with her own problems and trying to make a difference for Teri and maybe put a chink in her defensive armor that puts everyone off. I have to admire Kate because Teri is mean, rude, a thief, and as obnoxious as can be. I don't know if I could have been as persistent and patient as Kate.

I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy teen age stories with true-to-life problems.

My rating for this book: ++++

Black Girl/White Girl (2007)

During the summer months I try to read "adult" books since I can devote more undistracted hours to reading, whether it be outside on the deck or enjoying a balmy evening on top of the covers of my bed. I buy books off the clearance rack and from new releases, I read books waiting patiently for me in piles around the house, and I pull books off my library's shelf as I perform an inventory. My first summer book was by Joyce Carol Oates, an author new to me.

This book reminded me a little of Davita's Harp since both books are about extremely bright, young women raised among liberal activists and, for the most part, without a father, as Genna's father is constantly on the move, hiding from the feds. Her mother is not occupied by her work like Davita's, but by drugs and self-pity.

In 1974, Genna goes to a liberal, all-female college in Virginia founded by wealthy ancestors and is eager to become friends with her black roommate, a scholarship student from Washington D.C. who seems to have enough in her life (religion and family) to not befriend anyone at the school. The story is told from Genna's viewpoint as she tries to support Minette through several instances of racism.

The genius of this book is that like Genna, we are not offered any insight into Minette's lack of response to Genna. While this book could have been, like so many, a cross-race friendship story, instead is how people from different backgrounds may never cross the race divide. Like Genna's father wrote:

"Some truths are lies. Some lies are truths. For all human utterances are provisional and expedient. And what we wish to believe to be REAL is but our political perspective and our political perspective is determined by race, class, social privilege from which we must be wakened to be free to throw off our skin-consciousness which is our collective blindness and sometimes that awakening must be violent for there is no other way."

This is an outstanding book and I recommend it to people who enjoy good character development stories.

My rating for this book: ++++