Angieville

Retro Friday   is a weekly meme hosted here at Angieville and focuses on reviewing books from the past. This can be an old favorite, an under-the-radar book you think deserves more attention, something woefully out of print, etc. Everyone is welcome to join in at any time! I include roundups from participating bloggers in my post every week. The first time I ever heard about Big Mouth & Ugly Girl was on the lovely Shannon Hale's website a few years ago. I was browsing around and ran across a list of her book recommendations. This one was on the YA non-fantasy list and the title caught my eye. So I hunted down a copy at my local bookstore and went home with it. Something about her description of why she liked it made me certain it was worth buying sight unseen. I must have felt strongly because, let's be honest, I would never otherwise have purchased a book with the above left cover. I'm sorry, but it's horrendous. Sort of the definition of unappealing. The one on ...

Best reads of the past month: Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman This sweet, smart little novel follows 15-year-old Julia Lefkowitz who loves Jane Austen. Enter her best friend Ashleigh the Enthusiast. Ashleigh adobts Austen as her latest obsession, dragging Julia off to crash an all boys school cotillion in search of a Darcy and a Bingley apiece. Suitable young men are found (naturally), but which one is which? Delightful and quirky, full of sly Austen references, and even a play within a play. I stayed up late in the closet reading this one. No finer recommendation. Big Mouth & Ugly Girl by Joyce Carol Oates My first Joyce Carol Oates book. Her first YA offering. A match made in heaven apparently. It reminded me of a more "American" (?) version of Just in Case. No less angst, but a little more hope. The two main characters, Matt and Ursula, develop alter egos (see title) which in turn enable them to cope with the shocking events of their junior year. Ignore the puzzling, sl...