The last book I posted about was the unnamed disaster of self-publishing, which took me about a week to get through. It was short, and it had large print, but there was definitely a lack of motivation to pick it up during down times. It didn't get any better in term of technical editing, and the story actually got worse as it progressed. The supporting characters were all cliches. It was painful to read it, and I will never read another book by that author.
After that, I wanted to read something good, and I'd heard a lot of positive buzz about the debut novel from Holly Smale, "Geek Girl". It was as close to perfect as any book I've ever read! It's a 'young adult' novel, but I'm nearly 30 and I loved it. Harriet Manners, a socially awkward teenager whose classmates have literally labelled her 'Geek', is 'spotted' by a modelling agency and becomes swept up in a whirlwind of high fashion and a web of her own lies. Harriet's journey towards self-improvement is tenderhearted and so hilarious that I was laughing out loud on the bus while reading it. So, so funny. I thought about quoting a few of the one-liners that made me giggle the most, but there were just too many, I couldn't decide! The supporting characters are all wonderfully drawn individuals who I would love to be friends with in real life. Honestly, I cannot recommend this novel enough, it is simply brilliant. The next book in the series (squeeeeeee!!) may be out as early as next spring, and I am so looking forward to it!
In all, "Geek Girl" took my just under two weeks (I didn't want it to end!) and last Friday, April 19th, I started reading Paul Christopher's art history thriller "Michelangelo's Notebook", which has frequently been recommended to me by customers. I've really been looking forward to it, as the series was described to me as a female version of Indiana Jones or Robert Langdon. Fantastic, right? So far, not so much. The introduction to our heroine, Finn Ryan, in the first chapter is a full page physical description of her posing nude for an art class. Throughout the story, every male she meets is entranced by her body, often staring openly at her breasts, and she is not above using her body to get a man to do what she wants him to. It is the worst sort of sexist portrayal of a woman who is supposedly intelligent and ambitious. Really, just appalling, and reading it right after the incredibly female positive "Geek Girl" is making it seem that much worse. I'm about half-way through it now, and I honestly couldn't say whether I will read the other three books in the series. A lot depends on how Finn is portrayed during the remainder of the story. I really hope it gets better!
Happy Reading!
