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978 reviews by:
leighsnerdlife
Thank you Quirk Books for sending me a copy of Paperback Crush!
Sweet Valley, Babysitters Club, RL Stine, Christopher Pike… these books and authors were a huge part of my childhood. So I’ll admit, when I first saw this book on Instagram I kind of freaked out!
Paperback Crush is a detailed look back at YA from the 80s and 90s, delving into societal influences on the themes, structure and plots of these books. Moss looks at these books with a critical eye - it’s not all nostalgia and heart eyes. In truth, a lot of the themes and plots would be seen as quite problematic today. I like that she approached it in that way - it definitely provokes conversation.
The genre was such a different beast back then, making modern YA look almost unrecognizable. I can’t picture today’s lengthy tomes succeeding 20-30 years ago - YA skews toward a slightly older audience nowadays. I don't prefer one over the other, but it’s an interesting difference.
Overall, this book is a fun trip down memory lane - I recognized a lot of the covers shown and even found a couple that I would love to reread again (anyone remember Behind The Attic Wall? I literally gasped when I saw the cover included in this book - I loved that story!).
Paperback Crush also includes an interview with Christopher Pike (did you know CP is a pen name?! I had no idea). It’s a great interview. Back then YA authors churned out multiple books a year - they were ridiculously prolific. Pike landed in YA by accident, and essentially kept it going for the pay check. He considers himself a ‘hack writer who got lucky’. I’m glad he did - I can’t imagine my childhood without his stories.
Sweet Valley, Babysitters Club, RL Stine, Christopher Pike… these books and authors were a huge part of my childhood. So I’ll admit, when I first saw this book on Instagram I kind of freaked out!
Paperback Crush is a detailed look back at YA from the 80s and 90s, delving into societal influences on the themes, structure and plots of these books. Moss looks at these books with a critical eye - it’s not all nostalgia and heart eyes. In truth, a lot of the themes and plots would be seen as quite problematic today. I like that she approached it in that way - it definitely provokes conversation.
The genre was such a different beast back then, making modern YA look almost unrecognizable. I can’t picture today’s lengthy tomes succeeding 20-30 years ago - YA skews toward a slightly older audience nowadays. I don't prefer one over the other, but it’s an interesting difference.
Overall, this book is a fun trip down memory lane - I recognized a lot of the covers shown and even found a couple that I would love to reread again (anyone remember Behind The Attic Wall? I literally gasped when I saw the cover included in this book - I loved that story!).
Paperback Crush also includes an interview with Christopher Pike (did you know CP is a pen name?! I had no idea). It’s a great interview. Back then YA authors churned out multiple books a year - they were ridiculously prolific. Pike landed in YA by accident, and essentially kept it going for the pay check. He considers himself a ‘hack writer who got lucky’. I’m glad he did - I can’t imagine my childhood without his stories.
A couple of months ago HarperCollins hosted a meet and greet where I had the opportunity to meet Annie Ward, the author of the upcoming thriller Beautiful Bad. The interview was fascinating; Ward mentioned that the book actually started as a memoir! That definitely sparked my interest - so much so, that I started reading it on the subway ride home.
The story drew me in very quickly - I tore through it over a couple of days. It’s well written - the world building was absolutely fantastic. The plot takes place in several countries, and I could picture each one quite clearly. As for the structure of the story, I struggled with it a bit. The plot jumped through three timelines: Past, Present and Day of the Killing. The division became confusing and broke up the flow of the story. I think one of the timelines was even going in reverse? Perhaps some readers could have kept it all straight, but for me it meant spending a lot of time trying to place where I was in the plot. To put it in perspective, I normally have no issue following this type of story structure - take that as you will. Anyway, I felt like the pacing could have used some tightening up as well, especially in the past sections. As for the ending - it really threw me for a loop! It was definitely unexpected. I’m actually not sure how I feel about the ending - I’d be interested to hear how you guys feel once you’ve read it!
Overall it’s a fun read and I think it would pair quite nicely with a day lounging on the beach.
The story drew me in very quickly - I tore through it over a couple of days. It’s well written - the world building was absolutely fantastic. The plot takes place in several countries, and I could picture each one quite clearly. As for the structure of the story, I struggled with it a bit. The plot jumped through three timelines: Past, Present and Day of the Killing. The division became confusing and broke up the flow of the story. I think one of the timelines was even going in reverse? Perhaps some readers could have kept it all straight, but for me it meant spending a lot of time trying to place where I was in the plot. To put it in perspective, I normally have no issue following this type of story structure - take that as you will. Anyway, I felt like the pacing could have used some tightening up as well, especially in the past sections. As for the ending - it really threw me for a loop! It was definitely unexpected. I’m actually not sure how I feel about the ending - I’d be interested to hear how you guys feel once you’ve read it!
Overall it’s a fun read and I think it would pair quite nicely with a day lounging on the beach.
What a cute book! It was the perfect story to read over Christmas - it’s a really unique and modern take on The Christmas Carol. I loved most of it, with one exception. Holly pre-death was irritating af - not because she was a total asshole, but because of the valley girl teen-speak. Afterlife Holly was way more tolerable. As for the ending, I saw the surprise twist coming right from the start - but I still really enjoyed it.
Happy publication day to The Gown by Jennifer Robson, and thank you to HarperCollins Canada for an advance copy of this book!
I am an unapologetic follower of the royal family, so I was extremely excited to hear about The Gown - and thrilled to be able to read it early. I’ve seen it be compared to the Netflix show The Crown, and to a certain extent that makes sense - but this book intentionally shows the royal family from a distance. The real focus is on two of the women who embroidered Princess Elizabeth’s wedding dress. It’s a great angle to approach a fascinating moment in history.
The story explores two time periods and 3 point-of-views, but it is still very linear and easy to follow. Some books jump around so much that I tend to get pulled out of the story just trying to keep it all straight in my head. Thankfully, Robson pulls it off very well; it was very easy to get drawn in.
I’m struggling to describe how beautifully written this book is, from the descriptions of the embroidery process to the stark reality of post-WWII London. The story jumps off the page and comes alive! But Robson’s greatest strength are her characters - they are solid and very real. Miriam and Ann’s struggles are heart-breaking, and you can’t help but feel for them. It can get pretty heavy, touching on the Holocaust, sexual assault and PTSD - but each is handled with care and respect.
There is a bit of a mystery to the tale as well, and I love how it was all revealed in the end. So so so good.
Funny enough, I have Goodnight From London sitting on my bookshelf waiting to be read; I had no idea it was the same author! Now I can’t wait to dive in.
I am an unapologetic follower of the royal family, so I was extremely excited to hear about The Gown - and thrilled to be able to read it early. I’ve seen it be compared to the Netflix show The Crown, and to a certain extent that makes sense - but this book intentionally shows the royal family from a distance. The real focus is on two of the women who embroidered Princess Elizabeth’s wedding dress. It’s a great angle to approach a fascinating moment in history.
The story explores two time periods and 3 point-of-views, but it is still very linear and easy to follow. Some books jump around so much that I tend to get pulled out of the story just trying to keep it all straight in my head. Thankfully, Robson pulls it off very well; it was very easy to get drawn in.
I’m struggling to describe how beautifully written this book is, from the descriptions of the embroidery process to the stark reality of post-WWII London. The story jumps off the page and comes alive! But Robson’s greatest strength are her characters - they are solid and very real. Miriam and Ann’s struggles are heart-breaking, and you can’t help but feel for them. It can get pretty heavy, touching on the Holocaust, sexual assault and PTSD - but each is handled with care and respect.
There is a bit of a mystery to the tale as well, and I love how it was all revealed in the end. So so so good.
Funny enough, I have Goodnight From London sitting on my bookshelf waiting to be read; I had no idea it was the same author! Now I can’t wait to dive in.
