Girls in the Stacks.com - Read. Review. Laugh.

You know how some books just hit you hard?  Maybe you have a book that gives you goosebumps every time you read it, or makes you laugh, or cry (or both!)….those books are the ones you remember, recommend, and pass on.  Each of us at GitS have our favorite hard-hitting books, but we all agree that Beauty Queens by Libba Bray, with its scathing commentary on today’s beauty industry and antics so funny you’ll cry, is a book that smacks you like a Mac truck.

Why is that?  Personally, I think Beauty Queens masterfully delves into self-image and the over-sexualization of girls, which are not easy issues to discuss in our society.  We’ve seen the stories about teens being bullied by peers on the Internet and then doing something drastic to stop the torment.  We’ve seen and read stories about girls who starve themselves to achieve a crazy ideal that is plastered all over our media and advertising.  And yet we still expect girls to be pretty and proper and prim, but sexy and appealing.  It’s honestly disturbing, and as someone who was in high school only a decade ago, Beauty Queens spoke to that small part of my inner teenager who struggled with image and weight.  I now work with teens at my library and I see these funny, smart, very individual teenagers just trying to figure it all out.  And they’re my heroes, because they deal with so much more now through the Internet and social media.

But at the same time, Libba Bray also weaves humor and pathos, encouraging the readers to laugh with these girls as they struggle to survive and figure out who they are.  In the hands of someone else, this type of writing could come off as patronizing; but Libba makes us care about these girls.  She makes us care about all of them and see them as individuals, then teenagers, then young women.  I love this book and I encourage any teenager, male or female, that I meet to read it.

–Amanda

Beauty Queens is this great dynamic book that strips away all the conventional trappings of what beauty is, and it’s written in a “hardcore good” type of way.  However, the thing I like the most about this book is its origins. This book was not Libba Bray’s idea. That’s right; this was the brain child of David Levithan and a fellow co-worker.  They gave her the premise of a plane full of beauty contestants that survive a plane crash – she went from there and created an amazing book in the process.

In this hilarious interview (http://www.omnivoracious.com/2011/04/ya-wednesday-a-conversation-between-libba-bray-and-libba-bray.html) Libba  conducted with herself (she’s cool like that) she equates Beauty Queens as the feminist version of Lord of the Flies, and says of her beauty queens, “without the expectations and pressures of civilization, they have the freedom to be themselves—or at least to start figuring out who they might be.” This seed of an idea planted by David to Libba could have taken many different forms, yet she went and wrote this brilliant book on beauty obsession.

Think how different it could have been had they asked someone else to write it?

–Stacy

I think that my audiobook review kind of sums it up -see link here  but the biggest reason out of all of them:  It has given me heart in that I can raise a teenage girl (current age, 14 months) because we can read this book together and discuss the end message -girls rock, don’t apologize or demean yourself because corporations attempt to sell a problematic image of what girls/women should be. Thank you for giving me a book that says everything I want to tell my daughter (and the high school girls I teach) and also be hysterically awesome.

–Sarah

So now that we’ve confessed – did you read Beauty Queens and love it?  Tell us why!

Amanda and I both love to “read” books by listening to them.  We REALLY love the audio version of Beauty Queens because Libba Bray herself reads the audiobook.  She is a trained actress, and it totally shows as she brings the huge personalities of the book to life in a way that if we were to read it to ourselves, the voices in our head could never do these characters justice .  Plus, the commercials are SO BRILLIANTLY done with music behind the cheesy announcer voice and everything.  Honestly-it’s a whole different experience listening to the book!

Here are our reasons that audiobooks, including Beauty Queens, ROCK:

Amanda’s Reasons:

–Author narration – when it’s done right, it’s amazing (see audiobooks from Neil Gaiman for another good example).  Audiobooks not only need to get the story across, but should be an immersive experience where you get wrapped up in the narrator and the narration the same way you would have with the print or ebook.  I follow audiobook narrators the way I follow my favorite authors – obsessively.  Libba Bray does such an amazing job making every. single. character. sound completely different and true to their personalities.

–Read a book and drive a car at the same time.  Or clean your house.  Or fix dinner, pack boxes (can you tell I’m moving?), exercise, walk your dog….Audiobooks let you do that.  I would not have survived my previous 1 hour drive to work every day without an audiobook going at all times.  Plus – sometimes the audio version of a book I previously didn’t like changed my opinion!

–Great narrators do…..things with their voices.  Great narrators make you believe that all those characters are talking to you.  Great narrators make you laugh, yell, jump, and get goosebumps.  Bad narrators can completely ruin a book and make you wonder how they got that job in the first place.

Sarah’s Reasons:

-Someone is telling ME a story.  I have always loved to have someone else read to me.  It makes me feel cozy and connected, and I love losing myself in a story that someone is weaving for me, and I don’t have to do the work in my head.

–Makes all chores no longer chores.  Like Amanda, I love getting into my car after a long day and perking up immediately knowing that I have a 25 minute drive home where I get to continue a great book.  Likewise, I will volunteer to make dinner and then clean up after dinner, so I can have extra time with the story.

–Brings reading to life!  Libba Bray does a particularly amazing job in Beauty Queens making the evil corporate leader sound like Sarah Palin, the beauty queens sound like, well, ditzy blonds, and the hot pirates sound like amazingly good-looking British boys.  Plus, the commercials have music and sound effects (the Feed audiobook by M.T. Anderson is the same way).  So much more is added when producers can play with sound!  See my original review of Beauty Queen on audio here (it lists the 10 reasons why Beauty Queens is awesome).  See  Nancy’s interview with Libba Bray here and my interview for Libba Bray for Vocab Gal here.

So those are our reasons that we love audiobooks-do you guys love audiobooks as well?  What did we forget to include on our list of reasons why audiobooks “rock”?!

Hey everyone!  Don’t forget, we are discussing Beauty Queens by Libba Bray this week – look for posts about why we love this book, why we loved the audio (and audio in general!) and our favorite weirdest beauty products/beauty advice we’ve ever seen!

And here’s what we are currently reading:

Poison by Bridget Zinn
March 12, 2013, Disney Hyperion

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend…

Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she’s certainly no damsel-in-distress—she’s the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.

This book is as cute as its cover! It’s not a stuffy high fantasy novel; it’s a sweet, fun filled silly ride of a novel. I nicked named it Disney.

I was drawn to this book by the description, a potions master who must kill her best friend? That is my kind of read, a fantasy about a smart heroine tasked to do the unthinkable.

I loved Kyra from the moment I met her on page one, she is quick, funny and not afraid to get her hands dirty – she’s the kind of character that makes me smile. Fred also makes me smile, though don’t be fooled by his aloofness there is more to him. Though he is defiantly the comedian, the sunshine of the book.

If you’re looking for a super cute, super fun quick read then this is the book!

XOXO, Stacy

Jillian had a plan: celebrate the end of her first year of college with an amazing summer full of beaches, barbeques, and bonfires. When her mom insists she needs a summer job, and her boyfriend spends more time with his band than with her, Jillian’s plans go down the drain. 

Grant had a plan: finish his Masters, get a great job at Google, and get the hell out of Georgia. He might be giving up some of the fun of his youth, but he knows his all work and no play method would be worth it when his dreams came true.

But things never go according to plan. 

When temptation brings them together and tragedy tears them apart, Jillian and Grant will be forced to choose: fight for their dreams, or fight for each other.

Excerpt of Awesome:

I set my phone back in my purse and was about to start the car when I heard a tap at the window. When I turned, Grant was standing beside my car.

I rolled down the car window and he bent down, resting his forearms on the window edge. “Jesus Christ you scared me!”

“Sorry about that, Cupcake. I saw you sitting here and wanted to make sure you were okay. You’re not having car trouble or anything are you?”

I shook my head, trying not to look at his bright green eyes or how his biceps bulged as he leaned his weight on them. “No, I’m fine. I was texting someone before I left.”

“Oh, okay. Good. Glad you’re okay.”

I smiled, but didn’t say anything. A breeze drifted over him, sending Grant’s scent directly to me. It was intoxicating, like cloves and fresh-cut grass mixed with a little ocean salt air. I wanted to breathe it in for hours. I unconsciously leaned my head toward him, breathing deeply.

“Do you…” he whispered, trailing his words off.

I sat up straight, realizing I was practically now laying my head on his arm. “I’m so sorry, I’m just tired,” I mumbled, mortified by what I’d done. “I need to go.”

I had no idea what he was about to say, but I knew whatever it was, I would’ve had a hard time saying no. And I needed to leave before he asked again.

I expected him to stand back up and leave, but he didn’t move. Instead, his brows pinched together like he was contemplating something very deeply. I wanted to run my finger between them and straighten the little crease that formed. I licked my lips, leaning in again. He tilted his head down toward me, bringing us closer still. Inviting me. Daring me.

We were so close that our breath mingled together, a bouquet of mint and cherry soda. My eyes slid shut, praying he was brave enough for that final step, because I wasn’t. I could still feel his hot breath on my face, enveloping every one of my senses until I was hyper alert to even the slightest movement. The rustle of the trees, the hum of engines, the thunderous boom of my heart, the slight whimper that escaped my lips. His face was so close to mine, his lips hovered millimeters above mine. We were almost kissing. Almost touching.

Almost.

But neither of us moved.  We were locked in position where we neither wanted to be but weren’t willing to admit it. It was the sexiest game of chicken I’d ever played.

But he lost, or maybe I did, as he stepped back to put distance between us once more.

“I’m… I shouldn’t…Grant, about tonight…” I didn’t know what I was going to say, but it wasn’t necessary. Grant interrupted.

“Go get some rest. You earned it.” He leaned into the car so his lips grazed my cheeks ever so gently. “Goodnight, Cupcake.”

I clutched the steering wheel to keep my mischievous hands from grabbing him and dragging him into the car with me.

“Well, have a good night,” I told him, and started the car.

He looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn’t. Instead, he tapped twice on my door and stood back up, rocking back on his heels. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Jillian. Drive safely.”

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 We’re super thrilled to host New Adult author Molly McAdams on the blog today and  feature her new novella Stealing Harper, the companion to Taking Chances. Below the post you can find the exclusive excerpt and giveaway! For more fun, check out our interview with Molly when we talked Taking Chances and New Adult here.

STEALING HARPER PLAYLIST::

Hot Tottie – Usher: Ch. 1 First party

Break Your Little Heart – All Time Low: Ch. 1 First party

All American Nightmare – Hinder: Ch. 2 “A girl bring me to my knees? Hell. No.”

Think Twice – Eve 6: Ch. 3, all of

Kush – Dr. Dre: Ch. 4 Party

The Only Hope For Me Is You Acoustic – Gavin Mikhai: Ch. 4 Bruises

Miserable At Best – Mayday Parade: Ch. 5 After driving Harper to the dorms.

Aerials – System of A Down: Ch. 5 Beach fight & surf

Cadence Acoustic – Anberlin: Ch. 6 Sketching Harper

Playing God – Paramore: Ch. 6 “Look in a f***ing mirror, Princess.”

One More Night – Maroon 5: Ch. 6 “I’ll tell you, if you tell me.” & Fight

Crushcrushcrush – Paramore: Ch. 7 New Year’s Eve Poker

Not Strong Enough – Apocalyptica: Ch. 7 “I know she wants me, too.”

I Can’t Stay Away – The Veronicas: Ch. 8 “All I’ve ever wanted is you.”

Poison and Wine – The Civil Wars: Ch. 8 Shower scene

How Long – Hinder: Ch. 8, end of

Perfect – My Darkest Days: Ch. 9, beginning of

The Memory – Mayday Parade: Ch. 9 Harper fainting

It Will Rain – Bruno Mars: Ch. 9 “How can you even ask me to choose between you two?”

I Won’t Give Up – Jason Mraz: Ch. 10, beginning of

Can’t Forget You – My Darkest Days Ch. 10 sick Princess

I’d come for you – Nickleback: Ch. 11 “You’re pregnant, Princess?”

Endlessly – The Cab: Ch. 12 “Today is only allowed to be an I love you day.”

Better Than Me – Hinder: Ch. 13 “What the hell have I done?”

Crash – Sum 41: Ch. 14 The Scene That Shall Not Be Named

Saving Amy – Brantley Gilbert: Ch. 14 The End

Wake Up – Coheed & Cambria: Extra

Crazier – Taylor Swift: Extra

IV The Road and the Damned – Coheed & Cambria: Extra

THE EXCLUSIVE EXPERT - Check out  the excerpt right before this @ Bookfind

“…you kiss anyone tonight?” Bree’s voice reached me as I stepped through the front door and I closed it quietly when I heard Princess murmur, “No.”

“I can help with that!” My hands formed into fists over Zach’s words and I growled. Over my dead body.

“No, no, no. I told you guys, she’s off limits!”

Thatta girl, Bree. I took the last few steps toward the living room when Zach spoke again.

“Come on, Bree, what’s your deal?”

“Cause she’s pure. Completely. Pure.”

I froze. What the hell, Bree? Shit, from the way Harper’s cheeks went fire engine red, Bree wasn’t lying. She was pure. I looked at Harper’s mortified expression and the urge to take her in my arms and take her away from this overwhelmed me. I didn’t know where the protectiveness for her came from, but somehow I knew I’d do anything for this innocent girl and I’d kill anyone that tried to take that innocence from her.

Bree’s index finger went to tap Harper’s lips and Harper grabbed her wrist, pulling it back “Breanna!”

“Shh!” Bree covered her own lips with her index finger this time, “Harper, don’t tell them!”

Harper looked up and her jaw clenched as she took in Brad, Drew, Derek and Zach bursting out laughing. I wanted to punch every single one of them.

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Maid of Secrets (Maids of Honor #1) by Jennifer McGowan
May 7th 2013 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

This book is in the same vein as the His Fair Assassin series by Robin LaFevers, so if you’re a fan of those you’ll like Meg’s tale of life as a thief hired to spy in Queen Elizabeth’s court.

What I really liked: Meg. She is a great protagonist with several layers – a great actress and thief with a moral consciousnesses that she uses to guide herself in her newly appointed duties as the Queens spy, and that’s not all. She’s also has a bit of an Edietic memory and her inner dialogue is the heart of the book.

What else I liked: Rafe Luis Medina, the Count de Martine. This guy is swoony in all the ways guys are meant to be swoony, however he’s not over the top. He plays it cool, because he’s on a mission of his own.

What I really really liked: The perfect balance of plot and romance. The kind where the romance never overshadows the main plot. Why yes, I like my romances to be the “b story.”

What I didn’t like: The beginning was a tad to slow for my taste, and I almost gave up. Though, I am glad I forged ahead.

XOXO, Stacy
received this book for an honest review from the publisher

Buy Links: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | IndieBound | The Book Depository

—-

Jennifer McGowan writes Young Adult romance full of swash and buckle. Her first novel, MAID OF SECRETS, debuts in Spring, 2013 from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Age: Royal Secret.
Came From: A small town in northern Ohio.
Became a Maid of Honor: After bringing her tale of spygirls to the noble city, and winning the favor of the great house of Simon (& Schuster).
Special Skill: Matrix-like reflexes, superior strength, fabulous wit… okay, ah – we’ll get back to you on that.

—-

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Dead Ever After (Sookie Stackhouse #13) by Charlaine Harris
May 7, 2013; Ace

This book killed me and had me reminiscing and yearning for the good ole days of Sookie, when shenanigans were high, and the sexual tension was thick.

If you have not read this book and do not want to be spoiled, than do not read any further. SPOLIERS ABOUND.

We all knew that the end was nigh for Eric and Sookie, but I was secretly holding out hope that Charlaine was pulling the wool over our eyes and that Eric and Sookie would end up with a happily ever after. Alas, that did not happen. She picked Sam.

I wanted Eric for several reasons:
*He was the most compelling. interesting and never-the-dull suitor Sookie had.
*He cherished Sookie, but was never overprotective unless need be. In other words, he let her fight/figure out some of her own problems.
*Together they had the best storylines.
*The passions and tension between them was high. Remember book 4?

Why I hated Sam as a choice:
*He was vanilla.
*Their three-sentence “getting it on” scene was vanilla. Ever so vanilla.
*Compared to all Sookie’s other suitors, he seemed the weakest. Just a lurker in the crowd.
*He gave her the nickname “little lady” and to me that is a name you give a dog, or your little girl. Not your lover.
*He said, and I quote, “I’ll ricochet you.”

However, if you read this series because you loved Charlaine’s approach to writing paranormal mysteries, then this book is stellar.

XOXO, Stacy

It’s May and it’s time for another round of BOOK BUZZ. This month’s books have a creepy death theme, but we’re rolling with it.

Dead Ever After (Sookie Stackhouse #13) by Charaline Harris
May 7th 2013 by Ace
Alas, the end of an era has come and the biggest question on everyone’s mind – who will Sookie choose.  Sadly, we know the answer and we don’t like it.

Maid of Secrets (Maids of Honor #1) by Jennifer McGowan
May 7th 2013 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Fans of the His Fair Assassin series by Robin LeFevers will like this new series about a bunch of maids who are spying for Queen Elizabeth. This book is about Meg, and her spunk and wit will leave you wanting more.

The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher
May 7th 2013 by Gallery Books
This hard-hitting cotemporary book about suicide has been on our radar for months and since it’s such a serious issue, we have nothing witty to say.

Spirit and Dust by Rosemary Clement-Moore
May 14th 2013 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Fans of Texas Gothic will love this book. Heck, fans who love a good book full of laughs will love this book. Daisy is the quintessential odd-ball character that one can’t help but adore.

Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia by Jenny Torres Sanchez
May 28th 2013 by Running Press Kids
The title and cover pulled us in, but it’s the description that sealed the deal. We’re ready for Frenchie and what she discovers.

It’s back!! The Occasional YA Book Club (OYABC) will be reading Beauty Queens by Libba Bray May 12 – 19.  

Starting on May 20, we will be doing some posts about this hilarious book, including tie-ins to the book involving our favorite beauty products (ridiculous product advertisements are scattered throughout the book), and Sarah and Amanda will be doing an audio re-review and discussion!

Why did we pick this book?  Quite honestly, the last two OYABC reads have been pretty heavy (Fracture by Megan Miranda and Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky) and we wanted something a little more lighthearted!  This isn’t to say that Beauty Queens  is all fluff; in fact, it tackles some pretty tough subjects like self-perception, beauty in today’s world, and the impact of body image on teenage girls.  But…if you’ve read the book, you understand why we also think it’s hilarious because Libba Bray tackles these topics with wit, flair, and sometimes downright cry your eyes out hysterics.

So join in our reading adventure next week  - and be sure to comment and let us know what you’re thinking as you’re reading!

And here is what we’re currently reading (besides Beauty Queens!)