"Fangirl" by Rainbow Rowell

I saw mini reviews of "Fangirl" posted around Instagram.  I liked the cover, and people seemed to really appreciate the story, so I picked it up from my local library!

Image via Goodreads

Summary:  Cath is your average 18 year old on the cusp of college...well, average if you're afraid of change, confused by normal social interactions and obsessed with a boy wizard.  (So in my experience, average.)

"Fangirl" is about a girl who goes to college for the first time and finds herself totally out of her element.  Cath starts off alone, intimidated by her new life and a little scared to take the next step into adulthood.  She'd be just fine back at home, sharing her bedroom and her love of Simon Snow fanfiction with her twin sister, keeping track of her depressed dad, and eating from every taco truck in sight.

But college forces everyone to grow up, whether they're ready or not.

Cath soon finds herself making friends with her kinda-scary roommate, co-writing a story with a kinda-cute guy from her creative writing class, and learning about herself outside of her role as twin sister, daughter, and superstar fanfic writer.  Oh, and she meets a man.

My Thoughts:  Good books take the reader through a range of emotions as the story progresses.  "Fangirl" was no different.

I started out uncomfortable, possibly because Cath hits a little too close to home.  She's so anxious about starting college that she spends all her time in class or hiding out in her room.  Going to the cafeteria in her dorm or talking to her roommate are too much for her.  I can relate to this, as my own freshman (and sophomore....and junior) years were quite similar.  Because of my personal experience, and because I know what it's like on the other side, I was uncomfortable and at times disappointed in Cath for letting her anxiety keep her from meeting people and experiencing new things.

As Cath branches out beyond her dorm room, I got more comfortable with the story and started to revel in Cath's quirkyness.  Cath is unashamed of her obsession with the wildly popular Simon Snow series.  She revels in total lack of desire to party with her sister.  And she loves a good hipster sweater.  While Cath has a penchant for crying that occasionally made me want to punch her in the face, her quick comebacks and good heart kept me cheering her on.

Then there is sadness.  So much sadness.

And then there is the ending.  But you'll have to read the book to find out if it's happy or not.

Rating:  I recommend it, and I'll read it again.

Also Read By:  None, but I'll check out more by Rainbow Rowell

Reviewed By:  Tami

"The Rosie Project" by Graeme Simsion

I've had "The Rosie Project" on my to-read list since it came out.  I came across it on a new release newsletter published by my local library and thought it sounded good, so I put in a request.  When my turn eventually came, I wasn't able to get to it before it was due and returned it unopened.  Repeat five or six times and eventually I got tired of the process and just read it.  I'm so glad I did!

Summary:  Don Tillman is a genius in everything except social skills.  So when he gets it in his head that it's time to get married, he goes about the process as any genius would: he creates a 16 page questionnaire to filter out the smokers, the drinkers and the perpetually late.  Don's survey, dubbed "The Wife Project," is intended to help him find his perfect match without wasting a bunch of time.

When his first candidate appears at his office door, Don is flabbergasted by what he finds.  Rosie couldn't have possibly completed the questionnaire in a compatible manner and is completely unsuitable.  But after spending time with her, Don finds an excuse to see her again.  And against all logic, see her again.  Soon Don is finding excuses to see Rosie every chance he can get until "The Rosie Project" begins and Don's life changes forever.

My Thoughts:  I really enjoyed this book for a lot of reasons.  The characters are all interesting and charismatic.  Don drove me absolutely nuts in an endearing, charming, immensely likable way.  Rosie was as real as it gets and stayed true throughout the book.  Gene was over-the-top, a little sad, but loyal to his friend.  The interactions between Don and Gene and Don and Rosie felt genuine and natural in a way that was totally believable.

The plot of the book was complex, fascinating and had me on my the edge of my seat with questions as the story progressed:  Who is Rosie's real dad?  Will Done realize that Rosie's a great catch?  Will Rosie realize that Don's not so bad?  Did Gene have a thing with Rosie? What is Gene going to do next?  I particularly enjoyed reading about Don's fascinating life.  As someone (a little) obsessed with charts, timelines and spreadsheets, I found Don's minute by minute schedules completely fascinating and weird and glorious.  I loved watching Don adapt to change and grow throughout the book as he came to realize that not everything can be planned ahead.

And the best part.....the ending.  But you'll have to read the book to see why.

Rating:  I'll read this again, and I just requested the sequel from the library.

Also Read By:  Nothing.,...yet!

Reviewed By:  Tami

"Lies My Teacher Told Me" by James W. Loewen

 Originally, my brother gave me this book years ago. I recall being on a plane headed for South America reading it. I do not recall seeing it when I returned. Whatever happened to the poor text is forever a mystery, but it inspired me to pick it up as an audio book for Tami and I to listen to on the way to work. 

Summary: Loewen selected the twelve most used textbooks in high school American History classes. He then spent years reading and analyzing all twelve and talking with college students in his classes. This book is the result of that research. Loewen's major conclusion should be obvious from the title. He argues strongly that American History textbooks are not vehicles for historical facts, but a way for students to learn the multitude of American myths that our nation has come celebrate. He criticizes textbooks for pretending that good old USA is always the good guy, no matter what. Similarly, textbooks deify our founding fathers and other famous figures by either hiding their crimes or justifying them in bizarre ways. He spends a lot of the book clearing up many of the big myths to give the reader clear and factual information. He also goes into the metadata, discussing the amount of space devoted to different purposes, for example comparing number of words used for the War of 1812 and the Vietnam War and other such events. He talks about the historians who work for the publishers to show that many of them have published very truthful academic work outside of school textbooks, and goes into the dynamics of textbook publishing to show how a person fully aware of the truth might end up echoing the same old myth.

What I Liked: This book is a refreshing look at the way in which history classes are used for reasons other than teaching history. I also learned a lot from this book about what really happened when Columbus came to America, bringing with him an endless tide of Europeans.  

What I Didn't Like: It was a little outdated. This book was published in 1994 and the success of the internet has made myth-busting both easier and harder. This book is written right at the end of the non-internet era and so it never comes up in the discourse.

Rating: This is a must read if the only thing you know about history is what you learned in school.

Also Read By This Author: None.

Reviewed By: Nick