Tag Archives: Humor

Spontaneous

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And as long as the world spins on, we can still dance. No matter who we are, we can always dance.

Title: Spontaneous

Author: Aaron Starmer

Series: Standalone

Publication: August 23rd 2016 by Dutton Books for Young Readers

Pages: 368

Source: Publisher in exchange for a honest review

Summary from Goodreads:

Mara Carlyle’s senior year is going as normally as could be expected, until—wa-bam!—fellow senior Katelyn Ogden explodes during third period pre-calc.

Katelyn is the first, but she won’t be the last teenager to blow up without warning or explanation. As the seniors continue to pop like balloons and the national eye turns to Mara’s suburban New Jersey hometown, the FBI rolls in and the search for a reason is on.

Whip-smart and blunt, Mara narrates the end of their world as she knows it while trying to make it to graduation in one piece. It’s an explosive year punctuated by romance, quarantine, lifelong friendship, hallucinogenic mushrooms, bloggers, ice cream trucks, “Snooze Button™,” Bon Jovi, and the filthiest language you’ve ever heard from the President of the United States.

Aaron Starmer rewrites the rulebook with Spontaneous. But beneath the outrageous is a ridiculously funny, super honest, and truly moving exemplar of the absurd and raw truths of being a teenager in the 21st century . . . and the heartache of saying goodbye.

Thoughts and Things:

Basically, and it was fantastic. Spontaneous was a surprise for me, I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did. Generally, when things are promoted as being outrageously funny, they tend to disappoint in some way. Spontaneous, thankfully, was not one of those cases. It was wholly original, perfectly ridiculous, and the perfect emotional kickstart after midterms.

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My Lady Jane

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“You’re wrong,” Lord Dudley said. “You’ve always been a fool.”

“The fool thinks he is wise,” G retorted. “But the wise man knows himself to be a fool.”

Title: My Lady Jane

Authors: Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

Series: Standalone

Publication: June 7th 2016 by HarperTeen

Pages: 491

Source: OwlCrate

Summary from Goodreads:

The comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey. In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, featuring a reluctant king, an even more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to actual history—because sometimes history needs a little help.

At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about. Jane gets to be Queen of England.

A Listical of Feelings about My Lady Jane:

  • A brilliant satire with a masterful mix of history and fantasy
  • Jane loves books. The end.

“Put down the book.” She wanted to look away, as he seemed distracted from holding the trousers in place, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the book. What if he hurt it? What if he followed through with his threat?
“No horse jokes,”he said.
“My lord, I apologize for the horse joke. If you put down the book—unharmed!—I will give you a carrot.”

  • Alternate history that is more entertaining than actual history – but still awesomely historical.
  • Gifford wins best horsey-husband of the year award.
  • Hilarious narration/author commentary as part of the actual book.

They collapsed into each other, and although it would be indelicate to detail what happened next, these narrators will tell you that a “very special hug” does not begin to describe it.
P.S. They totally consummated.

  • A creative cast of creatures that put all zoos to shame. I never would have thought of a skunk or a ferret, just sayin’.
  • An adorable, slow-burning romance that both adds to the overall hilarity and will make your heart go all pitter-patter
  • While it is very long, it doesn’t drag and, by the end, all you want is more.

  • The whole thing is freakishly charming. It sucks you in, like a good pie that you don’t realize you’re eating until it’s all gone.

My Lady Jane is a book I did not expect to like. I love historical fiction, and the book had raving reviews, but I was nervous because of how much I love history. But, have no fear, My Lady Jane is a brilliant, engaging, and unique masterpiece of rehashed history with a bit of magical flair thrown in. I was in love by the time I’d finished the prologue. If you’re a fan of The Princess Bride or Monty Python and the Holy Grail, you will fall head over heels in love with this motley cast of misfits.

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My Mad Fat Diary

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“If you are slightly different, if your face doesn’t fit, they judge you and consign you and throw away the fucking key.
They never, ever stop to think that THEY might be wrong, that THEY are making a mistake. Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t been the victim of a massive miscarriage of justice – I’m not saying that – BUT I know what it’s like to be stinking judged before people have even bothered to find out what you are about. They have boxed me off into the ugly group even before I have opened my gob.
SOCIETY IS SHIT.”

Title: My Mad Fat Diary

Author: Rae Earl

Series: Rae Earl # 1

Publication: April 19th 2016 by St. Martin’s Griffin

Pages: 368

Source: Publisher in exchange for a review

Summary from Goodreads:

It’s 1989 and Rae Earl is a fat, boy-mad 17-year-old girl, living in Stamford, Lincolnshire with her mum and their deaf white cat in a council house with a mint green bathroom and a refrigerator Rae can’t keep away from. She’s also just been released from a psychiatric ward. My Mad Fat Diary is the hilarious, harrowing and touching real-life diary Rae kept during that fateful year and the basis of the hit British television series of the same name now coming to HULU. Surrounded by people like her constantly dieting mum, her beautiful frenemy Bethany, her mates from the private school up the road (called “Haddock”, “Battered Sausage” and “Fig”) and the handsome, unattainable boys Rae pines after (who sometimes end up with Bethany…), My Mad Fat Diary is the story of an overweight young woman just hoping to be loved at a time when slim pop singers ruled the charts. Rae’s chronicle of her world will strike a chord with anyone who’s ever been a confused, lonely teenager clashing with her parents, sometimes overeating, hating her body, always taking herself VERY seriously, never knowing how positively brilliant she is and keeping a diary to record it all. My Mad Fat Diary – 365 days with one of the wisest and funniest girls in England.

My Thoughts:

OH MY GOODNESS! I am in love. I have found a voice that speaks to the inner depths of my soul and feeds it all the chocolate it could possibly want. I cannot thank St. Martins enough for sending me a copy of this book to review, I have found a new favorite. Now, I must be honest. Going into this book, I had no idea what it was about. I’d heard of Rae Earl because of the television show, but that was it. I was clear headed, I had no expectations, and so – I was able to enjoy every little aspect of this diary. And yes, folks. That is what this is: a diary.

This book is beyond describing. It was hilarious – that much I can say. My Mad Fat Diary is hilarious, heart-breaking, honest, and everything you could ever want from a diary. It was intimate and it was real. It was also, as I have already said, gut-clenchingly hilarious.

As is customary when I find myself at a loss for words because I love something so damn much, I leave you with this – BECAUSE I CAN, THAT’S WHY!

Basically. My Mad Fat Diary is amazing. It comes out in the U.S tomorrow, so grab it! Honestly, you’re missing out if you don’t. Besides being original and completely wonderful, this book is so enjoyable I don’t even know what to tell you. Read it. Love it. Cherish it.

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