Chick Lit Review: The Lonely Hearts Club - Elizabeth Eulberg

Penny Lane has had it with guys. Her entire high school career has been a train wreck in dating: she’s been cheated on, lied to, and used. What happens with her childhood friend and now soulmate (Dawson and Joey level infatuation) is the last straw. After making her think he loves her, he hooks up with another girl in Penny’s basement. She is done. She is the sole member of the Lonely Hearts Club, at least until word gets around that it exists, and then she is the founding member of an ever growing club. Most of the girls in her high school seem to have had similar experiences with guys and are more than happy to join her.

First rule of the Lonely Hearts Club: No dates.

But as Penny gets to know Ryan she starts to think maybe not all guys are jerks and she’s having trouble sticking to club rules.

The Beatles reference in the title is no coincidence. The cover mirrors Abby Road (nicely done). Her name is Penny Lane. Her parents are Beatles nuts. Penny can relate life moments to Beatles songs and frequently does. Each chapter begins with a Beatles lyric foreshadowing what’s coming. For Beatles fans (which I totally am) it’s a nice touch, for non-Beatles fans (who are these people?) maybe it would get old, but there is enough to the book that it would still be really good.

Chick Lit Review: Along for the Ride - Sarah Dessen

Auden is fresh out of high school, but with none of the usual high school experiences behind her. She is super driven, her professor parents didn’t have high expectations for their marriage, but they sure do for their offspring. She was too busy with school work and insomnia and missed out on prom, friends, a life…

For her summer before college Auden is going to a seaside town to spend time with her dad and his new wife and baby. She was hoping to bond with her dad, but he’s holed up working on his book. Her step-mom is busy with her new step-sister. Auden is more than happy to take the time to get a jump start on her readings for first year.

When Auden is roped into helping her step-mom with her ultra girly store she starts making actual friends, including fellow insomniac Eli, who has his own reasons for not sleeping. Things start to change for Auden, but will she let them?

I really like Sarah Dessen books. More than “really like”. They are like comfort food for me. Literary mac and cheese. I have read Lock and Key, Just Listen, This Lullaby, The Truth About Forever… (favourite is a tossup between Just Listen and The Truth About Forever. BTW.) I always know I’m going to love them, read them too fast, and wish I had another one. Along for the Ride didn’t break this pattern.

YA RA update: The 10 in '10 Teen Chick Lit Challenge

I made a dent in the list and only had to buy one book, Sea Change, because it wasn't in the library catalogue. It is now, because I donated it. It is not one I will want to read again, which is the criteria for making it onto my shelf at home.

I have three of the leftover titles on my holds list (fingers crossed they don't all come in at the same time) and have started a new list to tackle. This time I am embracing the girlishness. I enjoy YA chick lit. It is my escapism. I'm not apologizing for it. I'm in excellent company.

I am going to take part in the 10 in '10 Teen Chick Lit Challenge. I have started a list with some of the titles that I just added to the purchasing list for the library, and some I have just heard about. I'm sure I'll learn about lots of new titles through the challenge.

The List (with its fair share of headless torso covers. What is up with that?):
Geek Charming - Robin Palmer (This is off the list. I read like, one chapter and couldn't handle it)
The Lonely Hearts Club - Elizabeth Eulberg
Along for the Ride - Sarah Dessen
The Cupcake Queen - Heather Hepler
She's So Money - Cherry Chevra
The Sweetheart of Prosper County - Jill Alexander
Shiver - Maggie Stiefvater
The Season - Sarah McLean
The Year of Secret Assignments - Jaclyn Moriarty
Aaaaand another one that I haven't picked yet. I have to leave wiggle room.

YA RA

I realized that if I am going to do more YA book talks, then I will need to read more YA books. I always read YA books, but they were of a girly persuasion. I am trying to read a gazillion YA blogs and now I have a list a mile long of books I need to read including:

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
Prom and Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
You, Maybe by Rachel Vail
Sea Change by Aimee Friedman
Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livinston
Keturah & Lord Death by Martin Leavitt
Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty (I anticipate devouring this whole series)
Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Paper Towns by John Green
Peeps by Scott Westerfeld

I already have the last three signed out from the library. Let's see how many holds come in before I leave next Friday. The ten hour plane trip will at least let me put a dent in the list.

It's a start(?)

Ugh. It is still really girly, though.

whip it good

Whip It was awesome. Now I want tattoos, roller skates, and some athleticism. T-Griff and I came up with some possible roller-derby names:

Insane Gretzky
Pain Austen
Victoria Wreck'em (sadly, one very similar to this is already taken)
Demi Roar
Buck Wild
Foxy Firestarter
Betcha Sketch
Grudge Judy
Faith Kill
June Carter Crash
Thorn Fury

The roster of names taken is here.

Yvy's existing nickname lends itself nicely to roller-derby: Yvy-kin Evil.

i love sundays

Pancakes and chocolate milk for breakfast, pan seared zuccini sprinkled with parmesan crisping in the oven, bacon wrapped scallops done on the bbq, beef and barley soup simmering in the slow cooker...

I love Sundays.

The only time of the week when we have the luxury of time to prep.

foxy

I have a thing for foxes lately. There used to be a little red fox that lived near my home when I was a kid. I saw one when I was visiting there the other day. I hope they're related.

Last night at the Clay Cafe I painted a pen cup to put in my office (to replace the ugly black mesh one issued)with a fox on it. We'll see how that turns out. It doesn't get fired until Tuesday. In the meantime, to apease my lust for the fox I have taken to Etsy for some retail therapy.

Day Defy Project had this adorable ring. I have never had a brass ring. It is gonna be crazy heavy, but I have an irrational love for it.


Miss Brigette has some adorable prints, many with foxes or coyotes. I really like the original paintings, but I will have to wait for a really bad day to engage in that level of retail therapy. I love this print and it will live over our couch.


Miss Bridgette's flickr has a lot of great pieces.

Lazy Sunday listening to CBC Radio 1 (Vinyl Cafe and Wiretap), eating watermelon and taking a class on making stamps out of erasers. I will likely make a fox (skill permiting).

Wiretap's words of wisdom: "to love everyone is to love no-one". This is of course in the context of a man who hooks up with a girl who is half swan who cheats on him.