Reading, Writing, and Me

He Must Like You  by Danielle Younge-Ullman Purchase From My Bookshop TW: Sexual Assault Overview: His hand was on her butt and then the sangria was in his lap. Libby isn't quite sure how she ended up pouring a pitcher of cold beverage over the town's most popular man, but she doesn't regret it. Well, sort of, because it cost her her job. But she's not sorry, because that wasn't the first,  second, or third time Perry has sexually harassed her. Somehow, Perry isn't even her biggest problem. With lingering memories that still bother her, a suddenly empty college fund, and a father who is a menace to the town, Libby has a lot to deal with as she tries to make it through senior year. Overall: 5 Characters: 5 I love Libby. I love her voice, her sarcasm, her not totally jaded cynicism. I guess I found a lot of myself in her. Libby has a lot of self doubt and worry that makes her very self conscious. Her dad's erratic behavior has trained her brain to try ...

The Voting Booth  by Brandy Colbert Purchase Through my Bookshop* Overview: Marva is an activist. She's spent the last 2 years leading up to the 2020 election canvasing, registering people to vote, and being as involved as possible. She's been waiting to vote for the last 4 years. Duke's brother was an activist and community organizer, but he got shot two years ago. Duke doesn't feel his passion, but he definitely knows the importance of showing up to vote. After meeting in line at the polls, Marva becomes tied to Duke as they go through a million different hoops so he can finally cast his ballot. Voting in the US is unnecessarily hard by design. If you've never encountered that, this book makes it abundantly clear. Overall: 3.5 Characters: 3 I liked Duke and Marva, I just didn't feel like they got particularly well developed. We know things about them. There's about five major pieces of both of them that we hear about but don't get too deep into ...

Today, Tonight. Tomorrow  by Rachel Lynn Solomon Order It From My Bookshop * Overview: Rowan and Neil have always been a pair. No, they weren't friends and they didn't date. They were adversaries in the most equally matched game of intellectual tests. Valedictorian is the final prize between them, but there's still HOWL. HOWL is the loser's chance for redemption through the giant, city-wide scavenger hunt that the senior class participates in as a send off every year. Really, it's Rowan and Neil's game to win. The only problem: everyone wants to team up to take the two big winners down once and for all. With no choice but to join forces, they start to realize that teaming up is the only ticket to $5,000 and a final victory. The prize at the end of the night might be more than money and a title. Overall: 5 Characters: 5 I loved Rowan. She's hilarious and full of witty banter. I identified with her a lot. Beyond her academic battle, she's a hug...