Sarah Quigley Signing/Last Day of School

Hate that picture. Grossgrossgross. I look slightly pregnant. I'm not.
But it's the only one I took so I guess I'll have to deal.

Sarah Quigley is the adorable author of the newly released YA novel, TMI. I haven't read it yet but according to almost every review I've read, it's awesome. Of course it is. It's set in Minnesota.

So let's start at the beginning.
Friday was my last day of school. I had to take two finals and then was released from prison at 11:30. It is so great to have your last day be only two and a half hours long. I love it. I got to walk to the neighborhood cafe, drink tea spritzers, eat grilled cheese that tastes like grandma's, and get sunburned while sitting at the park. I also saw the movie New In Town for $3. It's hilarious and Minnesotan and it has Harry Connick Jr in it. I think I can just leave it at that.

After all that fun, my friend and I headed over to The Red Balloon Bookshop to meet Mrs. Sarah Quigley. The Red Balloon is the definition of indie. It's aimed mostly at kids but it does have a section of YA and some adult stuff too. It's also pretty teensy. Before Friday I hadn't been in there for a year or two which is a tragedy.

I don't know what I was expecting, but when I walked in I was a little shocked because it was all old people. Like adults. Not old old. Just in comparison to me. There were a few younger girls there but my friend and I were almost the only teens.

What's so cute about it is that all of the adults were family/high school classmates/college classmates that came to see her. Awww.

So she talked for a little bit - about the book, about her background, about how she got her gig as a writer, etc, and then she read an excerpt and then we got our books signed and...that was it.

It was fun.

Although I do have a confession. I didn't introduce myself as a blogger or anything. I was too scared of all the old people and of being like, "Yeah I'm a blogger and you're book is about how one girl gets in trouble for all of the stuff she posts on her blog and I'm just like her and I need attention, blahblahblah." So yeah. I don't think Sarah knew who I really was. I've even emailed her. How pathetic am I? Sarah, if you ever read this, I was the blonde one in the striped dress. Don't hate me.

Shakespeare

This is just a quick reminder about the Shakespeare challenge that I'm hosting for the summer.

It's sponsored by Lisa Mantchev.

It's not that hard.

It'll make you smarter.

There already about 12 people participating which is so so great but I'd love to have more! The more the merrier, eh?

You can read the post with all of the info here. Hope you'll join us!

Booking Through Thursday/Saturday #35: Unread

On Saturday

Is there a book that you wish you could “unread”? One that you disliked so thoroughly you wish you could just forget that you ever read it?

Oh have I got a story for this.
So back in the day when I was a young and innocent second grader, I was very into the chapter book series like The Boxcar Children, Nancy Drew, etc.
I walked into the school library one day and headed over to the section that housed those type of books and decided to try something new. I picked up a Mary-Kate and Ashley mystery book. The Case of the Missing Mummy.
I went home that night expecting it to be like a crappy Nancy Drew book or just entirely fluffy and superfluous. What I didn't expect was to be scared out of my mind. I stayed up super late to try and finish it but had 20 pages left by the time I had to go to sleep. I had the worst nightmare that night and had to wake up my mom and get her to finish the book with me so I would know how it ended and hopefully sleep soundly from then on.
But that didn't happen. For the next two years I couldn't go down in the basement by myself and before going to bed each night I had to check in my closet and in the crack between my bed and the wall to make sure that there were no mummies hiding there.
It was seriously the scariest book I've ever read and it scarred me for life.
Curse you Mary-Kate and Ashley.

Out of the Pocket by Bill Konigsberg

Bobby Framingham is the star quarterback at Durango High School and one of the most talented high school football players in California. He's waiting on scholarship offers from big schools and hopes he'll go pro after college. On the field, his teammates are like his brothers. But off the field, he knows he's different - Bobby is gay.
Can he still be one of the guys and still be honest about who he is? And even more, if people knew, could he still get that scholarship? Bobby's not sure. After all, there are no openly gay male atheletes in any of the major college or pro sports. Can he help change that? He doesn't want to be a hero or a poster boy for gay rights - he just wants to play football - but how he handles his istuation will send a big message.
Just like in football, once Bobby's forced out of the pocket he'll have to make a play. He'll have to deal with the changing dynamics of the team and his changing relationships with his friends an family, and accept that his path to success might be more difficult, and more public, than he'd hoped.
(Summary from jacket flap)

Out of the Pocket is a surprisingly readable and relatable take on homosexuality in high school.

And I say "surprisingly" because I'm a cover judger. It looked like it might be a little too boy-ish and manly for me based on the football player and the sky and the black but it wasn't at all. It could appeal to anyone and I think that's the point. How anyone should be able to pick up a book like this and enjoy it.

I actually like the fact that the cover is marketed at guys because I know a guy or two who could stand to read a little more about homosexuality.

One of the things that really impressed me about Out of the Pocket was how realistic it was. Bill Konigsberg wasn't afraid to tackle all of the stupid stereotypes and idiot high school jock guys head on. Jokes, slurs, and crudeness, all included. It added personality and "real-ness" to the football guys and made it even more dynamic when Bobby came out and had to deal with their crap. Nothing was sugar-coated or brushed over. It was all laid out on the table and dealt with in a methodical manner.

I also like the statements that some of the characters made to Bobby.

"Bobby, you're a cool guy. Who cares if you're gay or straight? It's all the same, I mean, either way you love someone. That's all there is to it."

And amen to that.

There were a few tiny things that could have been improved about the book. I wish there had been a little more depth - I would've liked to hear more of Bobby's opinions and thoughts about the events. There wasn't enough of that. I also think that a few of the side characters, like Carrie, would've been fun to learn more about. Their backgrounds and personalities could've been hashed out more.

But overall, I think that this was a solid novel that dealt with a real life issue in a way that's simple and understandable. I applaud the author for that.

B

The Lake

Memorial Day weekend at the cabin. It's officially summer.