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The follow up to [b:The Babysitters Coven|38856385|The Babysitters Coven (The Babysitters Coven, #1)|Kate Williams|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1549996372l/38856385._SY75_.jpg|60417414] takes a little longer to get into than the first entry in the series, but eventually it becomes compelling. The two Sitters, protagonist Esme and her slaying partner Cassandra (daughter of Circe) have attracted the attention of the ruling body, the Synod, and find themselves playing host to a Sitters convention, which is unexpected, given their non-dynamic location: Spring River, Kansas. The other Sitters arrive from NYC, Miami, and other cities, everyone descending on a Zombified hotel. The Synod don't like to be remembered, so they brainwash people--for their own good, including Esme's bestie, Janis.
In addition to dealing with her Sitter duties, Esme has some family matters on her mind: her dad is depressed, and the electricity has gone out at home--theirs is the only house so effected. Her mom is still catatonic in a care facility. Since Esme learned in book one that her mother's catatonia is physical only, and that she's still alive inside and aware of everything going on, the situation feels all the more devastating.
It's time for Cassandra and Esme to learn about curses, and the dreaded Red Magic. To help them they have their Counsel (a la Buffy's Watcher), Brian, who is increasingly frustrated with the young womens' lack of interest in their training and their frivolity regarding the conference. It's not like the interior designer wanted to be assigned to be a football coach in Kansas or make friends with Esme's downer dad. The perks (magic) are nice though. Same goes for Adrian, a mysterious guy Esme suspects is following her. Turns out she's right, and he's got a strange power that isn't revealed until nearly the end of the book.
In addition to dealing with her Sitter duties, Esme has some family matters on her mind: her dad is depressed, and the electricity has gone out at home--theirs is the only house so effected. Her mom is still catatonic in a care facility. Since Esme learned in book one that her mother's catatonia is physical only, and that she's still alive inside and aware of everything going on, the situation feels all the more devastating.
It's time for Cassandra and Esme to learn about curses, and the dreaded Red Magic. To help them they have their Counsel (a la Buffy's Watcher), Brian, who is increasingly frustrated with the young womens' lack of interest in their training and their frivolity regarding the conference. It's not like the interior designer wanted to be assigned to be a football coach in Kansas or make friends with Esme's downer dad. The perks (magic) are nice though. Same goes for Adrian, a mysterious guy Esme suspects is following her. Turns out she's right, and he's got a strange power that isn't revealed until nearly the end of the book.
I really love Rapinoe's memoir. I love that she's incredibly self-confident and proud of her many accomplishments and simultaneously focused on using her platform to amplify issues of racial injustice, as well as LGBTQ rights. The story of her life is more or less a vehicle for discussing race and sexuality issues. The part where she is frozen out of soccer for a while after kneeling in solidarity with/support of Colin Kaepernick is chilling, but as she reminds us, her whiteness allowed her to have her career back, something that Kaepernick is yet to be afforded.
I highlighted a bunch of wonderful statements, but Libby ate them, so I'll spare you a dozen quotations.
There is surely valid criticism of Rapinoe using her platform, rather than giving the mic to the people she is speaking for/about/in advocacy of. For better or worse, though, white people need to hear from other white people.
I highlighted a bunch of wonderful statements, but Libby ate them, so I'll spare you a dozen quotations.
There is surely valid criticism of Rapinoe using her platform, rather than giving the mic to the people she is speaking for/about/in advocacy of. For better or worse, though, white people need to hear from other white people.
High schooler Simone was born with HIV. Her dads (Dad and Pops) adopted her, having lost many people they loved to AIDS. Dad is a doctor and Pops a teacher. When we first meet Simone and Dad, they're at a gynecologist appointment for Simone. Simone's dad joins her in the examination. Is that common these days, for a parent, especially a cis male parent, to accompany a 17-year-old to pelvic and breast exams?!?
The story is more about Simone connecting with a potential boyfriend and having to disclose her status, something that had gone unwell at her previous school. Her two best friends are queer, one an asexual lesbian and the other bi. The love interest, Miles, is Black like Simone and a lacrosse player despite how white the sport (stolen from indigenous Americans natch). Despite being super new at school, Simone is the student director of the theater department's production of Rent, which some members of the community think is too risqué for teens. And this is San Francisco! So you can imagine how things might go if Simone's secret is revealed.
I liked Simone and her family. Like most YA love interests, Miles is too perfect. I found Simone's relationship with her besties frustrating, but I liked how things developed with her HIV support group.
The story is more about Simone connecting with a potential boyfriend and having to disclose her status, something that had gone unwell at her previous school. Her two best friends are queer, one an asexual lesbian and the other bi. The love interest, Miles, is Black like Simone and a lacrosse player despite how white the sport (stolen from indigenous Americans natch). Despite being super new at school, Simone is the student director of the theater department's production of Rent, which some members of the community think is too risqué for teens. And this is San Francisco! So you can imagine how things might go if Simone's secret is revealed.
I liked Simone and her family. Like most YA love interests, Miles is too perfect. I found Simone's relationship with her besties frustrating, but I liked how things developed with her HIV support group.
3.5 stars rounded up
In order to help her stand in mother, Kell Jameson returns to the town she fled sixteen years ago. Before she even gets to the orphanage, she is stopped by Sheriff Luke Calder, a Chicago cop who fled to Hallden. Sparks fly at their first encounter--outwardly angry sparks, inwardly hottt. Flames remain between them throughout, even during the short boy-loses-girl phase. Kell is a complex character. Luke is a little too perfect, despite his Troubled Past.
Reckless is compelling and has lots of great characters. I didn't mind the non-ending ending, but other readers might.
In order to help her stand in mother, Kell Jameson returns to the town she fled sixteen years ago. Before she even gets to the orphanage, she is stopped by Sheriff Luke Calder, a Chicago cop who fled to Hallden. Sparks fly at their first encounter--outwardly angry sparks, inwardly hottt. Flames remain between them throughout, even during the short boy-loses-girl phase. Kell is a complex character. Luke is a little too perfect, despite his Troubled Past.
Reckless is compelling and has lots of great characters. I didn't mind the non-ending ending, but other readers might.
3.75 rounded up
Miriam Kendrick lives in the tiny Nova Scotia town of Sandford with her parents, who are the world's happiest couple, and her good-natured brother, Nate. It's the end of her junior year, and she's afraid to admit to herself that though she's got it pretty good, she wants more, and she wants out. She's ever-fueled by a longtime family woe--her grandfather ignorantly ceding his stake in a successful comics franchise. He fought for it until the end, but then his daughter, Stella, surrendered for a settlement and the freedom to get on with her life. Miriam has not surrendered or settled, so when she meets Weldon Warrick, the grandson of the man who screwed over her granddad, she is upset to find that she is attracted to him.
There are side stories about friendships and Weldon's story, that of a spoiled rich kid stealing cars to get his dad's attention, but somehow he reforms when he's exiled from Hollywood to Sandford (except that one measly car theft that is sort of his and Mir's meet cute). As I'm writing all this, I'm realizing the elements of the novel are annoying, but it's still a decent read, and if you're a comics nerd (which I'm not), all the more so.
Miriam Kendrick lives in the tiny Nova Scotia town of Sandford with her parents, who are the world's happiest couple, and her good-natured brother, Nate. It's the end of her junior year, and she's afraid to admit to herself that though she's got it pretty good, she wants more, and she wants out. She's ever-fueled by a longtime family woe--her grandfather ignorantly ceding his stake in a successful comics franchise. He fought for it until the end, but then his daughter, Stella, surrendered for a settlement and the freedom to get on with her life. Miriam has not surrendered or settled, so when she meets Weldon Warrick, the grandson of the man who screwed over her granddad, she is upset to find that she is attracted to him.
There are side stories about friendships and Weldon's story, that of a spoiled rich kid stealing cars to get his dad's attention, but somehow he reforms when he's exiled from Hollywood to Sandford (except that one measly car theft that is sort of his and Mir's meet cute). As I'm writing all this, I'm realizing the elements of the novel are annoying, but it's still a decent read, and if you're a comics nerd (which I'm not), all the more so.
When I added this book to be tbr, I didn't realize it was authored by a man. A gossipy historiography of women's television by a dude isn't as appealing to me as it would be if written by someone on the female/femme/transfeminine spectrum, but that didn't stop me from reading it.
I'm not the biggest View watcher, so I didn't connect like a fan or hate watcher. I've only even been thinking about The View lately because Meghan McCain saying something vile trends on Twitter now and again. I love celebrity gossip, regardless. The first half of the book flowed better, maybe because people stopped being as cooperative with Setoodeh toward the end, or Barbara Walters failing due to age isn't as fun as her failing due to arrogance and self-absorption. I also noticed around the middle that Setoodeh refers to women by their first names, except the brief period when Rosie O'Donnell and Rosie Perez were both on the show, but the men were last-named.
The gossip about individual insecurities and popularity declines was hard for me to read, and maybe it turns out I don't love gossip as much as I thought I did.
I'm not the biggest View watcher, so I didn't connect like a fan or hate watcher. I've only even been thinking about The View lately because Meghan McCain saying something vile trends on Twitter now and again. I love celebrity gossip, regardless. The first half of the book flowed better, maybe because people stopped being as cooperative with Setoodeh toward the end, or Barbara Walters failing due to age isn't as fun as her failing due to arrogance and self-absorption. I also noticed around the middle that Setoodeh refers to women by their first names, except the brief period when Rosie O'Donnell and Rosie Perez were both on the show, but the men were last-named.
The gossip about individual insecurities and popularity declines was hard for me to read, and maybe it turns out I don't love gossip as much as I thought I did.
