Kidlit Mashup for Summer Reads

 Since there are four Sundays in June and July, I will have three days to post book reviews for any of you who like to follow along with my yearly reads. For the end of June, I thought I'd do a fun mash-up of some books for kids and young adults that I've read recently that might be of interest as summer reads for a younger audience or younger-at-heart audience. So, here goes...

Images for all books copied from Goodreads

First, I'd like to discuss Accountable a non-fiction young adult book by Dashka Slater that is about a racist social media account that was created by a group of teen boys in secret, and the consequences of that account when it was discovered by some of the girls who were posted about on it. Accountable calls into question who should be held accountable for this type of cyberbullying and how they should be held accountable for it. 

What I appreciated most about this book was the fact that Slater gives us a very unbiased look at both sides of this situation. This event fractured not only the high school where it took place, it also fractured this community in the small town in California where it happened. On the surface, it seems to be a straightforward situation. The perpetrators did something inexcusable and should be held accountable for their actions. But as the story unfolds it becomes clear that how that punishment should be carried out, who should be included in it, and how long it should be meted out is much more complex than expected. While the boys who created the account were punished, what about the other students who followed the account? How culpable should they be for liking its posts, and should the ones who commented be held more accountable than those who did not? All of these things are called into question as the school administrators grapple with how to handle this different type of bullying in the age of social media. Administrators who in many ways were not savvy enough about social media to fully grasp its cultural and social impact on the students under their academic care. The book also delves into the long history of racial injustices and the emotional scars carried through from generation to generation that surface in the families of the students posted about on the account in some very awful ways. It brings up the issue of white privilege and the lack of education, knowledge or understanding this type of privilege still engenders in much of American society as well. Other things the book explores are issues with post-traumatic stress that can often result from bullying, mental health issues surrounding both victims and abusers is discussed, and the ways our own personal tragedies and traumas can affect how we react to situations like this one as an adult are also covered. All in all it is a very important book for both young people and adults to read. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars only because I thought the book was a little longer than it needed to be. But I still would highly recommend it to anyone who has a young person in their life or works with young people to get an inside look at what they deal with in the age of social media and instant communication in general. 

My next pick, The Ogress and the Orphans, is a fantasy for middle grade readers, or those aged 8-12 years old by the award-winning author Kelly Barnhill. It centers around a small village, a group of orphans, an untrustworthy town mayor and a ogress who just wants to find a place in the world to belong. We are told by an omniscient narrator that the village of Stone-in-the-Glen, where the story takes place, used to be a lovely town. Then through a series of supposed mishaps and misfortunes, starting with the loss of the town's library, Stone-in-the-Glen evolves into a community of isolated and mistrustful people. 

I love how Barnhill weaves in elements of what can happen to a society of people when the sharing of knowledge and open discussion is lost as it is in The Ogress and the Orphans. She also includes a look at how negative changes to the environment of an area can also erode. Both these threads are cleverly used as metaphors for the real world. Other themes carried through in the book are ones about found family, friendship and what it means to be a community and a good neighbor. I loved the characters but especially Harold the Crow. The orphans in the story ultimately become the heroes on a quest to save their town and the orgress who has been unfairly blamed for all of its problems by the smarmy mayor. While I thoroughly enjoyed this book and think it deserved winning the National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2022, I did feel that it was a bit longer than it needed to be. For me that impacted the pacing some. However, in the paperback edition of The Ogress and the Orphans I have, there is a great discussion guide and some wonderful philosophical discussion questions for young readers to enjoy if they wanted to read and discuss this book with other kids or with the adults who might enjoy reading it with them. 

Another book for middle grade readers that I've enjoyed recently is The Galaxy According to CeCe by Sherry Roberts. Though, for this audience, I would say this one would most likely appeal to younger readers in the 8-12 age bracket as the main character is younger at age eleven. The story follows the "badventure" of CeCe Laurence as she grapples with moving to a new town right before starting middle school for the first time. Roberts is an author friend and has shared with me that this series of books has been a very personal one for her to write as aspects of the story were taken from real events in her own life. 

CeCe finds out, right before the school year begins, that she and her family are moving. Not only are they moving to a new town, one CeCe has never even heard of, but they're moving to a whole new state. Her reaction to this bomb her parents drop on her, barely giving her time to adjust to this news, is instantly relatable. From there, CeCe discovers that not only will she be the "new girl" in this small town, but she will be living in the observatory where her astronomer dad will be working. Both things make CeCe feel she is starting middle school for the first time with two strikes against her. Luckily her love of soccer and band become her saving graces as they help her meet and make friends with some kids in her neighborhood who will also be starting middle school for the first time at her new school. However, what starts out as a blessing also becomes a trial as CeCe's skills as both a musician and athlete make her a target for the middle school's "mean girl," Mercedes. What follows is an adventure in navigating the perils and triumphs of starting over in a new place, transitioning from elementary to middle school, and learning to be true to yourself even in the face of bullying. Plus, the supposed haunting of the house attached to the observatory where CeCe lives adds a fun touch of mystery to the story.

I highly recommend this fun middle grade read! I look forward to the sequel set to come out later this year.

                    

My last selection is the picture book Like Father, Like Son by the wonderful award-winning author, and a former writing mentor of mine, Lesléa Newman. This beautifully written book for young readers explores the nurturing aspect of parenting a father can hold toward their child. Newman is a pioneer at tackling topics that expand the ways young children can see their world and this book is no exception. Illustrator A. G. Ford has also provided a very diverse look at fathers and sons as well with his beautiful artwork throughout.

The simple message the book conveys is that fathers can be just as tender and loving as mothers. They can also be important role models in terms of showing their children a "gentler way to be" or a kinder way to handle sadness, adversity, or negative emotions. Additionally, the story shows us that fathers can love baking, sewing, or other professions and activities that may not be seen as traditionally masculine in the same way that mothers can embrace careers and passions that are not traditionally feminine in our society. The messages in the text and in the illustrations are conveyed in a fun way as well that make it a joy to look at and read. I highly recommend it!

If you would like to purchase any one of these books simply click on the title. Each book title will take you to a site that is a independent or local bookstore in my midsouth region of Kentucky and Tennessee, all of which actively support literacy in their communities. Or you may want to shop for them on bookshop.org a webstore that supports independent booksellers across the US. I also encourage you to check with your local public libraries to see if they have copies of any of these books in their collections. If they do not, requesting that they add them to their catalogs is another great way to support these and other authors. It also makes these and other important stories more widely accessible to younger readers and their families.

The Goose Girl Reimagined in T. Kingfisher's Upcoming Fantasy

 

Image copied from Goodreads

A Sorceress Comes to Call is a reimagining of the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale The Goose Girl as only T. Kingfisher can write it! It is a story told from dual points of view, one being the daughter of the sorceress of the title, and the other being a middle-aged spinster desperately trying to save her brother from doom.

The story opens with teenage Cordelia frozen in church unable to do something as simple as itch the end of her nose. Afterwards, we realize that she is under the thumb of an overly controlling, abusive mother, Evangeline, who is also a sorceress. Cordelia’s only comfort and source of escape are her rides on her mother’s magnificent horse Falada. However, things go horribly wrong when her mother’s current benefactor casts her aside and she is forced to search for another rich man to help support them. Evangeline soon sets her sights on the wealthy Squire a few towns over. From there we meet Hester, a middle-aged spinster with the gift of presentiment. Hester is awoken in the middle of the night by a sense of impending doom. This doom soon arrives on her and her wealthy brother’s doorstep in the form of Evangeline and her daughter Cordelia. From there the story unfolds with Hester and Cordelia desperately trying to stop Evangeline from ensnaring Hester’s brother and harming the friends and people of the Squire’s household, including the Squire himself.

I have long been a fan of T. Kingfisher’s fantasies and her latest one did not disappoint. I was immediately sympathetic to Cordelia’s plight when I realized her mother could use her magic to make Cordelia “obedient.” In other words, she can take over Cordelia, literally making Cordelia her puppet. Not only that but we learn that Evangeline can do the same to others without magic, allowing her make them do whatever she wants. It is a terrifying prospect for everyone good in the story as well as being a horrifying form of abuse for Cordelia. Then later, after Hester is introduced, I realized she is the goose girl in this story. Hester used to breed and raise geese, making her a middle-aged goose girl, in fact. I loved that interesting character twist from the original fairy tale! 

Kingfisher does not pull any punches with this dark fantasy, either. Along the way we meet characters who are wonderfully developed, lovely people, but who are not able to be kept safe from Evangeline if she feels they are standing in the way of what she wants. I also liked the interesting way Kingfisher changes the narrative for the horse Falada. Anyone who is familiar with the story knows that the goose girl from the fairy tale has a horse that is her saving grace throughout the story, even after said horse is killed by the girl’s evil rival. However, I have always found that part of the fairy tale to be simultaneously heartbreaking and creepy. Heartbreaking because in the original tale Falada is a good character and a loyal and loving friend. Creepy, because after he is killed, the horse in the original tale goes on to help the girl by speaking to her, offering her advice. In A Sorceress Comes to Call Falada is not the loving, loyal creature he is in the original fairy tale. Instead, he is something much, much darker. So, I wasn’t sad to see him cut down. But the way Kingfisher still has Falada help his mistress is no less creepy or gross.

I give this novel 5 out of 5 stars. It was well-paced, a wonderfully inventive take on the original Goose Girl by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, and keeps you guessing how the heroines will not only win but survive at the end. If you love works such as Uprooted and Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik or The Bear and the Nightingale series by Katherine Arden, and you enjoy strong female character leads where the men are sidekicks and helpers, then you will love this book. However, I will say that if you are looking for a fantasy with a strong romance thread, this may not be that book. There is some element of romance for Hester in the novel, but it is not the focus of the story. It is an action-packed fantasy adventure, though, and I am very grateful to both NetGalley and Tor books for giving me an eARC of it to read in exchange for this honest review.

Stay tuned next month for my summer fun reading theme! My first review for July will be a mystery rom-com, The Dead Guy Next Door by Lucy Score about a reluctant clairvoyant and a hot private eye. My other review will be for the upcoming romance Last Call for Love by Rebekah Crane that's about rivals, summer love, and second chances.

A Conversation with Rom-Com Author Katelyn Doyle

 

I'm excited to host a Q&A from rom-com author Katelyn Doyle on my blog today that discusses her book Just Some Stupid Love Story, along with a little about her writing process, and what we can look forward to from her in future. The novel is Doyle's debut into contemporary romance. Here is a short synopsis for the book shared by MacMillan Publishers.

For fans of Emily Henry, a debut about a rom-com screenwriter who doesn't believe in love and a divorce attorney who does, forced together at their high school reunion fifteen years after their breakup

Molly Marks writes Hollywood rom-coms for a living—which is how she knows “romance” is a racket. The one and only time she was naive enough to fall in love was with her high school boyfriend, Seth—who she ghosted on the eve of graduation and hasn’t seen in fifteen years.

Seth Rubinstein believes in love, the grand, fated kind, despite his job as, well…one of Chicago’s most successful divorce attorneys. Over the last decade, he’s sought “the one” in countless bad dates and rushed relationships. He knows his soulmate is out there. But so far, no one can compare to Molly Marks, the first girl who broke his heart.

When Molly’s friends drag her to Florida for their fifteenth high school reunion, it is poetic justice that she’s forced to sit with Seth. Too many martinis and a drunken hookup later, they decide to make a bet: whoever can predict the fate of five couples before the next reunion must declare that the other is right about true love. The catch? The fifth couple is the two of them.

Molly assures Seth they are a tale of timeless heartbreak. Seth promises she’ll end up hopelessly in love with him. She thinks he’s delusional. He has five years to prove her wrong.

Wickedly funny, sexy, and brimming with laughs and heart like the best romantic comedies, Just Some Stupid Love Story is for everyone who believes in soulmates—even if they would never admit it.

Photo credit Shannon M. West

A Conversation with Katelyn Doyle

 

Author of Just Some Stupid Love Story

 

Q: Just Some Stupid Love Story is a second chance romance that sees former flames Molly and Seth cross paths at their 15-year high school reunion. What makes high school reunions such great backdrops for interpersonal drama, and did you always know you wanted the book to open with a reunion?

A: The beauty of a high school reunion is that you are surrounded by people who knew you right at the time you are defining yourself and beginning to become who you are going to grow up to be. So much of who we are is coming into focus when we’re in high school, and while we (hopefully) evolve past that, going through the adolescent trenches with your classmates gives you very useful context into their personalities. Especially if one of those classmates happens to be your first love.

 

A high school reunion is therefore a very heightened setting, because you want to see all your old pals and learn how they’re doing…and you also very likely want to show everyone you’ve conquered the world and met your potential. Part of the fun of going is to reconnect with people who know who you were, while also introducing them to who you’ve become. And that is such a delicious dynamic to kick things off with in a second-chance romance.

 

This is so important for Seth and Molly because he’s not just seeing her as the hotshot too-cool-for-love woman she presents herself as when they meet as adults. He still knows the funny, brilliant, vulnerable, girl she was when they first fell in love at fifteen. He already knows she’s capable of great ardor—he’s experienced it—and that gives him the ability to see through her adult emotional defenses and believe in the possibility of their romance even when her instinct is to push him away.

 

And for Molly, she fell for Seth when she was younger and softer and not yet so terrified to let herself love someone. She can’t fully safeguard her heart against the truth of all those big unresolved feelings they had for each other, no matter how badly she wants to.

 

High school reunions are also legendary vehicles for drunken hookups—cough cough, Seth and Molly—and a great place to party and bond with old buds. That was also fun to write, because it gives us an opportunity to meet Seth and Molly’s friend group, who we get to know and love over the course of the story.

 

Q: This is a dual POV contemporary romance! Which feels increasingly hard to find these days—what made you want to write this story from both Molly’s and Seth’s perspectives, and was that always the plan when you started writing?

A: I adore dual POV stories because I love seeing a relationship evolve from both sides of the story. I think it gives you a very intimate lens into the two protagonists’ personalities. (I like to think that romance novels are thrillers of intimacy.) So yes, that was definitely the plan!

 

Q: You’ve previously written bestselling historical romance novels under the name Scarlett Peckham. When did you decide to try writing a contemporary romance, and what are the biggest differences between writing historical and contemporary?

A: I was feeling creatively frustrated after the pandemic and had some trouble with a historical book I was working on. So, while waiting for edits back from that book, I decided to try something new to see if it would kickstart my creativity. I adore rom-coms and had been kicking around the idea to pair a romance-averse rom-com writer with a hopelessly romantic divorce attorney for a long time, so that was the idea I wanted to pursue. And the book just poured out of me. It worked for reinvigorating my brain too—my subsequent historical book was a dream to write.

 

My historical books are very different in mood from this book—they are written in third person, they are very steamy, they’re all set in 18^th-century England, and while they have a lot of humor and swoonery, they’re more politically pointed. (The vibe shift is why I decided to publish under a different name.)

 

From a writing perspective, historicals require a lot more research and I find that in writing them, I’m more focused on subverting tropes and being in conversation with the long history of the sub-genre, which is evolving very quickly and in an exciting way. I’m also very focused on reflecting the political moment of the time in those books—spotlighting people who were challenging cultural mores, fighting for expanded rights and pushing forward progressive values.

 

In contrast, I like my rom-coms to be more bubbly and hilarious with big fun set pieces and splashy locales, and to write them in first-person so we feel very close to the characters’ brains and emotions as they are falling in love.

 

Q: Can you tell us a little about your writing routine? Where and when do you most like to write?

A: I usually write from about noon to five or six, always on my tattered living room couch, and always with my cat and a selection of about five beverages nearby. But I’m not a “MUST WRITE EVERY DAY” type of writer…I tend to follow my creative impulses. If there’s a day I don’t feel like writing I don’t stress about it (unless I’m on deadline) because I feel like my brain probably needs a break to do background work. (Rebecca Solnit once wrote “writing is not typing” and I firmly believe this to be gospel.) And if I feel like holing up for an entire weekend and downloading my whole brain into my laptop, I jump on the opportunity to follow the muse.

 

Q: Lastly, we have to ask – what are you working on next?

A: I’m working on my next rom-com! Without saying too much, it’s about two people who absolutely despise cruises who are dragged aboard a luxury Caribbean cruise catering to a “mature” clientele for two weeks. I went on a similar cruise to research it, so it’s filled with true-to-life set pieces—swimming with pigs, Sinatra impersonators, “cruise ambassadors” paid to ballroom dance with the single ladies, copious buffets—not to mention lots of steamy forced proximity from our two characters and a big plot twist. It’s been a blast to write.

A Brief Review of Just Some Stupid Love Story

 

Image provided by Flatiron Books

I'm excited to share a Q & A session with author Katelyn Doyle to promote her debut romantic comedy Just Some Stupid Love Story later this week. But before that goes live I wanted to share a brief review of the book with you to give you a feel for this novel and its homage to classic rom-com films. I found it to be a clever and modern take on many of the rom-coms I grew up with in the 80s and 90s from filmmakers like Nora Ephron or Penny Marshall.

Just Some Stupid Love Story is a very fun and at times, touching rom-com about second chances and first love. This novel's premise was most reminiscent for me of the movie When Harry Met Sally; a Nora Ephron classic. However, in this story, the cynical writer, or screenwriter in this case, is Molly the female lead, and Seth her love interest is the happy, extroverted and sometimes over-the-top optimist, making for a nice twist. Also, we get a much deeper look in the book of why Molly is so cynical about love and so afraid of being hurt by it. But the timeline scenario of them meeting up after a fifteen-year absence and sometimes reconnecting, sometimes not for the remainder of the book, which spans five years, is very much like the movie in its structure. Unlike Harry and Sally though, Molly and Seth were once high school sweethearts and Molly broke Seth’s heart near their high school graduation.

After meeting up again at their fifteen-year high school reunion, they make a fun bet about who is right about whether or not soul mates exist. I felt like that was similar to Harry and Sally's debate about whether men and women could be platonic friends in the film, though they don't make a bet about it. In the novel, what ensues is a five-year span of Seth and Molly staying connected as friends even though both long for more. I will admit at the start of this book Molly is so snarky, cynical and really just sad, that I wasn’t sure I would really be able to connect with her as a character. I often have a hard time reading dark comedy style books or watching them as films. However, Seth was so likeable and so unbelievably optimistic, that Molly balances his Pollyanna persona nicely. The fact that Seth is a divorce lawyer with a conscience also makes for a nice change of pace from the typical stereotypes about attorneys.

As someone who loves the Nora Ephron movies and really rom-coms in general, I enjoyed picking out the Easter eggs to this movie genre as I read this book. All in all, I give this one 5 out 5 stars and would happily read this novel again. It would almost be a relief reading it a second time knowing how it ends. The realism of the emotional scars both characters bear made it hard to be sure there would be a happily-ever-after or even a happy-for-now end. However, it is a romance so… 

I was privileged to receive a free eARC of this novel from NetGalley, Flatiron Books and Katelynn Doyle in exchange for this honest review.

Tune in again on June 6 to read the fun Q&A I got to host with Katelynn Doyle about Just Some Stupid Love Story. Hope you enjoy it, and if you love romantic comedies then definitely pick up a copy of this book!

My next book review will be of an advanced reader copy of T. Kingfisher's latest fantasy A Sorceress Comes to Call. As Kingfisher is currently one of my favorite fantasy novelists, I am super excited to get the opportunity to read the eARC of her latest work.