Bookanista Review: Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn

So funny story -- immediately prior to reading this novel, I was chatting with several bookish friends about how I was mostly burnt out on the YA contemporary issue novel -- those dealing with abuse, self-harm, incest, drug use, etc. I tend to gravitate towards the sunny, carefree side of contemporary YA, probably to counterbalance all the dark science fiction and dystopians I read.

CHARM & STRANGE is a strange case, however. It's not immediately clear what genre you're getting. Is it a YA contemporary featuring a male protagonist with some serious mental health issues or is it a paranormal about werewolves living among us? (In this set-up, it reminded me a lot of Justine Larbalestier's LIAR, except that Andrew isn't so forthright or cheeky about his possible unreliable narrator status).

What is clear is that Andrew needs to excise his demons. The action in the present takes place over the course of one night at a party in the woods with Andrew's boarding school classmates, and is interspersed with flashbacks of his family life.  The novel cleverly plays with the idea that we often need fiction to be able to deal with fact and keeps you guessing and compulsively reading to find out what is fact and what is fiction in Andrew's life.

CHARM & STRANGE is available now. Find out more about it at the author's website.

FTC disclosure: Netgalley


See what the other Bookanistas are excited about this week:

Shelli Johannes-Wells gives cover love to FAKING NORMAL

Stasia Ward Kehoe delves into DANCER, DAUGHTER, TRAITOR, SPY by Elizabeth Kiem

Elana Johnson and Nikki Katz adore THIS IS W.A.R. by Lisa & Laura Roecker

Gretchen McNeil is wowed by THE WIG IN THE WINDOW by Kristen Kittscher

Katy Upperman praises WORST CASE OF PASKETTI-ITIS by Kris Asselin

Blog Tour: Proxy by Alex London

Looking for an action-packed dystopian that's different than what's already out there?  You'd do well to pick up PROXY then.  

The synopsis: 

Knox was born into one of the City's wealthiest families. A Patron, he has everything a boy could possibly want—the latest tech, the coolest clothes, and a Proxy to take all his punishments. When Knox breaks a vase, Syd is beaten. When Knox plays a practical joke, Syd is forced to haul rocks. And when Knox crashes a car, killing one of his friends, Syd is branded and sentenced to death. 

Syd is a Proxy. His life is not his own. 

Then again, neither is Knox’s. Knox and Syd have more in common than either would guess. So when Knox and Syd realize that the only way to beat the system is to save each other, they flee. Yet Knox’s father is no ordinary Patron, and Syd is no ordinary Proxy. The ensuing cross-country chase will uncover a secret society of rebels, test both boys’ resolve, and shine a blinding light onto a world of those who owe and those who pay. Some debts, it turns out, cannot be repaid.

My thoughts:

It's sorta funny that I read this right after putting up my post about animal death in fiction, because PROXY kills off a bunch of zoo animals and some poor horses.  I was able to keep reading though, because although the animal death wasn't entirely justified, it was understandable in the context of the brutal setting. The action flows really well and Syd is relatable and someone worth rooting for.

Even if I didn't 100% buy it from a characterization standpoint, the ending is a great example of poetic justice and sets up some interesting questions for the sequel.

And now, here's the author to talk about the book!

Proxy excerpt: 

“‘…why else do you think I hired you?’
‘Because I have small hands and I don’t steal.’
‘These things are all true,’ Mr. Baram answered. ‘But that doesn’t make them my reasons. Perhaps not even I know my reasons.’
‘I’m sure your reasons are as noble as your visage.’ Sydney joked.
‘My visage, eh?’ Mr. Baram chuckled. ‘You’ve been reading through my library.’
‘You should password protect better if you don’t want readers.’
‘Oh, I want readers, my boy.’ Mr. Baram sighed. ‘A world of readers, I want, and yet, all I have is you. You want information, mere data, just like everyone else. That’s not reading. Wisdom? Inspiration? Phfft! Their time has passed, eh?’ He waved his hand in the air. ‘You cannot nourish the soul with data!’” – page 35, PROXY

Alex London on the best aspect of the society in Proxy: 

I suppose the technology they have in Proxy is pretty great, but it is also that technology that isolates people from each other and from the context in which they live. If you can afford it, you can do or get or be anything you want anytime you want it. Some might say that kind of freedom is ideal. There are no laws-- only corporate regulations, agreements and contracts. It's an entirely free market, where you get whatever you can pay for...and nothing more.

None of this sounds very good does it?

I suppose the good side of that is, that in that society you are free to be awful and to exploit your neighbors and abuse your proxies--no laws will stop you--but you are also free to be kind, to be generous, to be a boon to those less fortunate than you.

Of course, one of my main characters chooses to be like that and one most decidedly doesn't, but they are both free to change. Exploring that, how much of what they think and know comes from the society around them and how much they can defy its expectations is the crux of the Syd and Knox’s journey. I suppose that's true of everyone growing up, in a bleak imaginary future, or now, in our society, in our time. We all have to decide who the best version of ourselves is and how much we are willing to do to become it.

So the best aspect of the world of Proxy? The people in it, just like our world.

About Alex London: 

Alex London writes book for adults, children and teens. At one time a journalist who traveled the world reporting from conflict zones and refugee camps, he now is a full time novelist living in Brooklyn.

You can find Alex London on twitter and his website.

Find the next stop on the Proxy blog tour on The Compulsive Reader tomorrow!

Bookanista Review: All You Never Wanted by Adele Griffin

ALL YOU NEVER WANTED is a story of sisters in crisis.  Alex is the older sister, prettier and more popular, but hiding an embarrassing secret that is making her withdraw from life.  Thea has always wanted to be like Alex, and as Alex diminishes, Thea sees her chance to take over, spinning wild lies in her quest for world domination.

It's also a "poor little rich girl" story, in a way, because Alex and Thea's problems are magnified by their new wealth.  Their mother has remarried, to a fabulously rich man who lives in a mansion the girls call Camelot, and while the money can buy lots of things, it has also effectively removed their mother from their life, as she now travels with her new husband instead of taking care of her children.

I absolutely loved how real both sisters came off.  They aren't best book friend material by any means - Alex is very withdrawn, prickly and "ice queen"-ish while Thea is overdramatic, a compulsive liar and could give Hedda Gabler a run for her money in the soul-sucking department - but their struggles are relatable and their motivations fully understandable.

Alex's story unfolds in third person, fitting for a girl who has distanced herself from her own life. Her secret shame came as a direct result of a rich guy power play by her step-father, so she's especially bitter. She's also developing an eating disorder, and no one wants to call her on it - not her drug-dealer boyfriend, her friends or her sister - all for their own underhanded reasons. But fortunately for her, Xander is in her life. And he might just offer the lifeline she needs. (LOVE Xander!)

Thea's story is first person all the way, and we get front row seats to the way she deceives everyone - even herself.

Highly recommended, especially to those readers who value excellent character development. I'd also suggest Bennett Madison's THE BLONDE OF THE JOKE as a read-alike. Thea reminded me a lot of Val, especially in the way she spectacularly self-destructs.

Find out more about ALL YOU NEVER WANTED at the author's website.

FTC disclosure: Bought

Check out what the other Bookanistas are up to this week!

Shari Arnold loves SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL by Trish Doller

Tracy Banghart embraces IMPOSTOR by Susanne Winnacker

Shelli Johannes-Wells delights in Cory Doctorow’s LITTLE BROTHER and HOMELAND

Nikki Katz gets the shivers for 3:59 by Gretchen McNeil

Stasia Ward Kehoe, Carolina Valdez Miller & Debra Driza sing out for the cover of THE SOUND OF LETTING GO

Jessica Love raves about ROAD TO TATER HILL by Edith M. Hemingway

Katy Upperman celebrates THE SEA OF TRANQUILITY by Katja Millay – with giveaway!

Animal Death in Fiction: Is it a deal breaker for you?

We all have our deal breakers when it comes to fiction, and mine is clearly the death of animals.  It's why I avoid obvious tearjerkers like OLD YELLER or MARLEY AND ME or WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS (hint: if the animal is on the cover, it's probably going to die). But sometimes, even if you do your best to pick books that seem to have nothing to do with furry creatures, you'll encounter the tragic death of an animal anyway. And the thing is - sometimes these deaths seem gratuitous - a shortcut for the author to show that a character is deranged or a cheap trick to wrangle some emotion out of the reader.  And that's when I'm compelled to exit.

Recently, I was reading AMITY & SORROW, an adult novel about a mother and a pair of sisters fleeing a cult. With spare and haunting prose, Author Peggy Riley shows us the horrors these women have lived through and how difficult it can be to escape our pasts.  She also shows how warped Sorrow has become, detailing her increasingly erratic and destructive behavior. But then Sorrow kills a kitten - and I had to put down the book forever.

Perhaps I'm overly sensitive, but that act seemed unnecessary.  I already knew that Sorrow was seriously messed up - wasn't there another way to illustrate how far she'd go?  Anything other than killing a newborn kitten?

There are other books that have shocked me with their cat and dog killing ways.  One of my biggest hurdles to liking fan favorite JELLICOE ROAD by Melina Marchetta is that Taylor drowns a cat - and once she did that, it was very difficult for me to sympathize with her (though I did finish the book). I had to skip a whole chapter in Tiffany Schmidt's SEND ME A SIGN because of a dying pet, and gritted my teeth together when Jerome reveals that he used to kill cats in Martha Brockenbrough's DEVINE INTERVENTION (though this is admittedly a good reason for Jerome to worry he might end up in hell).

There are times, too, that I'll avoid books entirely because other readers have warned me about animals dying within (such as BLACK CITY by Elizabeth Richards and ORIGIN by Jessica Khoury - as much as I find the premises of these books appealing, I just can't go there right now).

That is not to say I don't think there is a legitimate place for animal deaths in some stories.  For example, I thought the way KM Walton handled it in CRACKED was justifiable and moving. See, Victor is friendless, hopeless, and plagued with suicidal thoughts. The family's elderly poodle is Victor's only reason for living - so when he dies, it's the final straw. (Note: I think it was wise that Walton stressed that the poodle lived a full and happy life.)  And Megan Shepherd's THE MADMAN'S DAUGHTER would have hardly worked as a retelling of THE ISLAND OF DR MOREAU without being true to the original's animal experimentation plotline.

If animal deaths are also a deal breaker for you, you might want to check out this list of books where the dog dies (sadly I couldn't find a similar list for cats) and this website which covers all animal deaths in movies.

(Speaking of movies, I was beside myself with worry for the cat in MOONRISE KINGDOM, and then *pow* the poor dog bites it.)

What's your take? When is it acceptable to portray animal deaths in fiction - if ever? 

The Gilmore Girls Watch Along Week 3

Yes, I am very, very behind, but I finally finished season 3 of Gilmore Girls!  See Melody's recap.

In this set of episodes, Rory and Dean break up (because she couldn't tell him she loved him, even after he gifted her with a junkyard car) and then ultimately get back together in the season finale. I'm really liking Rory's relationship with Dean because it brings out so much of her character.  After the break-up, Rory doesn't want to "wallow" as Lorelei advises, but instead throws herself into completing items on a list -- until she goes to a party, her icky classmate Tristan kisses her, and she realizes how good she had it with Dean. THEN and only then does she break out the ole Ben & Jerry's tub and settle in for a good cry. (aside: why have I never seen these five gallon tubs of Ben & Jerry's?! Get me some Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough STAT!).

Meanwhile, Lorelei gets back together (sorta) with Max when she realizes she's not over him, and then *shocker* he proposes in the season finale. But hey, we ALL KNOW she needs to end up with Luke, so this can so not happen, right?

Looking forward to season 2!

Bookanista Review and Blog Tour: Star Cursed by Jessica Spotswood

STAR CURSED is the stunning sequel to BORN WICKED (my review).

The official summary:

With the Brotherhood persecuting witches like never before, a divided Sisterhood desperately needs Cate to come into her Prophesied powers. And after Cate's friend Sachi is arrested for using magic, a war-thirsty Sister offers to help her find answers—if Cate is willing to endanger everyone she loves.

Cate doesn't want to be a weapon, and she doesn't want to involve her friends and Finn in the Sisterhood's schemes. But when Maura and Tess join the Sisterhood, Maura makes it clear that she'll do whatever it takes to lead the witches to victory. Even if it means sacrifices. Even if it means overthrowing Cate. Even if it means all-out war.

In the highly anticipated sequel to BORN WICKED, the Cahill Witch Chronicles continue Cate, Maura and Tess's quest to find love, protect family, and explore their magic against all odds in an alternate history of New England.

I loved this sequel! We get more of everything I adored about the first book -- Cate's complex relationship with her sisters, sweet scenes with love interest Finn, witches using their magic against the evil brotherhood -- plus terrifying and surprising new developments. The ending crushed me.  I need desperately to know that things will be okay in book three.

As part of the blog tour, each day Jess is revealing an annotated snippet from STAR CURSED.

If you add up the page number from each stop during the tour, you can enter to win a one-of-a-kind annotated ARC plus a star trio necklace! Find the other stops below, and on June 21, enter the Rafflecopter here:


Mon, 6/3: Good Books & Good Wine
Tues, 6/4: Ex Libris Kate
Wed, 6/5: Mundie Moms
Thurs, 6/6: Presenting Lenore
Fri, 6/7: Hobbitsies


Mon, 6/10: Green Bean Teen Queen
Tues, 6/11: I Read Banned Books
Wed, 6/12: Two Chicks on Books
Thurs, 6/13: Forever Young Adult
Fri, 6/14: The Story Siren


Mon, 6/17: YA Bibliophile
Tues, 6/18: Marie Lu
Wed, 6/19: Beth Revis
Thurs, 6/20: Veronica Rossi
Fri, 6/21: Marissa Meyer


STAR CURSED releases on June 18. You can read the first chapter here.


Pre-order links: Indiebound | Barnes & Noble | Amazon


Find Jess online: blog | Twitter | Facebook | Cahill Witch Inspiration pinboard


What the other bookanistas are featuring this week:

Carolina Valdez Miller celebrates 17 & GONE by Nova Ren Suma

Carrie Harris awakens you to INSOMNIA by Jenn Johansson…with giveaway

Christine Fonseca praises THE PLEDGE by Kimberly Derting

Corrine Jackson is wild for WHEN IT HAPPENS by Susane Colasanti

Elana Johson invites you to her ABANDON release par-tay!

Katy Upperman is bewitched by NANTUCKET BLUE by Leila Howland

Stasia Ward Kehoe is wild for THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER by Stephen Chbosky

Tracey Neithercott highlights WHERE THE STARS STILL SHINE by Trish Doller

Tracy Banghart raves over JUMP WHEN READY by David Pandolfe

Cover Reveal: Promise of Shadows by Justina Ireland

Have you read VENGEANCE BOUND yet?  I have, and it rocks.  So I was super excited to learn that Justina Ireland has a new book coming out next year (March 11, 2014 to be exact) and that is about a Harpy, one of my favorite mythological creatures. 

Check out this premise:

Zephyr Mourning has never been very good at being a Harpy. She'd rather watch reality TV than learn forty-seven ways to kill a man, and she pretty much sucks at wielding magic. Zephyr was ready for a future pretending to be a normal human instead of a half-god assassin. But all that changes when her sister is murdered--and she uses a forbidden dark power to save herself from the same fate. 

Zephyr is on the run from a punishment worse than death when an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend (a surprisingly HOT friend) changes everything. Because it seems like Zephyr might just be the Nyx, a dark goddess made flesh that is prophesied to change the power balance. For hundreds of years the half-gods have lived in fear, and Zephyr is supposed to change that. 

But how is she supposed to save everyone when she can’t even save herself?

And now, check out the stunning cover:

Here's what Justina has to say about the cover:

My editor asked me what I wanted for the cover and I said "A really cool one."

Not helpful.

So I told her I really liked font-driven covers. She gave that to the designer, Lucy Ruth Cummins, and they came up with this lovely thing.

Awesome! Go ahead, put PROMISE OF SHADOWS on your Goodreads shelf, and visit Justina's website for more info on her books.

What do you think about the cover?

Bookanista Relauch + Massive Summer Giveaway

As May draws to a close, we're celebrating the start of summer and another great beginning: THE RELAUNCH OF THE BOOKANISTAS! New members, new logo, new website design and a whole lot more of the book love we all adore!

As I mentioned a few weeks ago with my first Bookanista review, I'm thrilled to join this amazing group of writers recommending books we loved. I'll be posting a book most Thursdays and new reviews from other members will be up at the site every Thursday. These are not critical reviews - these are books that we recommend with enthusiasm.


In order to celebrate in style, we're offering prizes!
 a Rafflecopter giveaway

THE WINNER OF THE BOOKANISTA RELAUNCH GIVEAWAY OF AWESOME WILL RECEIVE

Signed copies of these Bookanista-authored books…
IF I LIE and TOUCHED by Corrine Jackson PLUS ARCs of JUST ONE DAY and SPEECHLESS LET THE SKY FALL by Shannon Messenger
BY BLOOD by Tracy Banghart
POSSESSION, SURRENDER and ABANDON by Elana Johnson
TOUCHING THE SURFACE by Kimberly Sabatini (plus a swag surprise)
BAD TASTE IN BOYS by Carrie Harris
AUDITION by Stasia Ward Kehoe
THE GIRL GUIDE by Christine Fonseca (plus sweet swag)
MILA 2.0 by Debra Driza
LEVEL 2 by Lenore Appelhans
UNCONTROLLABLE and UNTRACEABLE by SR Johannes
AND A SECOND WINNER WILL GET A BOX FILLED WITH Bookanista-beloved reads including
DITCHED by Robin Mellom
JELLICO ROAD by Melina Marchetta
TAKEN by Erin Bowman
CLOCKWORK ANGEL by Cassandra Clare
MONSTROUS BEAUTY by Elizabeth Fama
SPARROW ROAD by Sheila O’Connor

You can find lots more Bookanista Relaunch Book Love at our sites around the interwebs:
Carolina Valdez Miller, Carrie Harris, Christine Fonseca, Corrine Jackson, Debra Driza, Elana Johson, Jessica Love, Katy Upperman,Kimberly Sabatini, Lenore Appelhans, Nikki Katz, Rebecca Behrens, Shannon Messenger , Shelli Johannes-Wells, Stasia Ward Kehoe, Tracey Neithercott , Tracy Banghart

What are YOU reading this summer? *currently reading CODA by Emma Trevayne and ALL OUR YESTERDAYS by Cristin Terrill*

Blog Tour: Impostor by Susanne Winnacker

I read IMPOSTOR last year and really enjoyed it (read my review)! I also got to meet Susanne in person not long ago (we had sushi) and it was a blast.  Today I have a fun interview with her as part of her official IMPOSTOR blog tour.


If you had your MCs ability to take on the form of anyone, who would you like to impersonate for a day?

I’d love to be a man for a day. Maybe because I love the idea that there might be aliens somewhere in the galaxy, and let’s be honest sometimes men act like an alien species. It would be a strange and definitely funny experience to have a male body. Maybe I’d finally understand the male brain a bit better!


If the Weepers from your debut THE OTHER LIFE went up against the Variants in IMPOSTOR, who would win?

Hm, I don’t think the Weepers (zombies) would stand a chance. It would certainly be a challenge for Tessa, Alec and the rest of the gang. I mean if the Variants had weapons (which they often do) it would be easy, but let’s say they don’t have weapons. Alec is very strong and can do martial arts and all that stuff, so he would probably destroy the Weepers with only a few scratches to show for it. Tessa is a good fighter, but her Variation wouldn’t be of much use in a fight against Weepers. They don’t care how she looks. But she would certainly take Alec’s appearance to use his tall frame as an advantage.

You recently went to the Seychelles (envious!) -- what are the must-sees if any of us manages to get there someday?

Ahhh. Yes. It was wonderful. I could gush about it all day. But must-sees:

Cousin Island – it’s a nature reserve that you can only visit with a guided tour. You’ll see endangered birds nesting on the ground inches from your feet, and enormous turtles that want you to pet them! Yes, I touched a turtle! It was 150 years old and huge.

Snorkeling near the coast – The husband and I snorkeled for the very first time when we were there and it was a magical experience. I saw a lionfish, and parrotfishes, and eagle rays, and hundreds of blue and red and yellow fish.

Vallée de Mai – a nature reserve on Praslin island. It’s like a jungle and there you can find the Coco de Mer. A symbol of the Seychelles. It’s about ten times as big as a coconut, so you should be careful not to stand under the trees for too long…


What German words would you like to teach us today?

Hm, I think it’s a bad sign that the first words that came to my mind were cuss words…maybe I can find a “nice” cuss word. Let’s go with “Trantüte”. It’s a word to describe someone who’s really lame, no fun. It’s what I call our dog whenever he doesn’t want to go on a walk.


I hadn't learned that word before, so thank you! What's next for you?

BEA! But I guess that’s not what you meant. I’m working on the sequel – waiting for edits actually. And I’m working on a middle grade and a YA horror!

Check out the other stops on the tour!  And find out more about IMPOSTOR on Susanne's website.

Enter to win one of five finished copies of IMPOSTOR:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Gilmore Girls Watch Along Part 2

Realizing we needed to catch up on some popular TV series of days past, Melody of Hollywood The Write Way and I decided to do a Watch Along. We took a vote and Gilmore Girls won. Melody has the guidelines for Week Two on her blog.

On to this week's episodes! (Season 1, episodes 8-12)

Love and War and Snow

Snow is coming town, and Lorelei loves snow. She has a date with Max (who just "happens" to be stranded there) and she invites him into her house, breaking a rule she's always had to protect Rory. Rory has dinner with her grandparents as usual, as has to spend the night due to the bad roads. Lane feels like Rory doesn't have time for her anymore.Several great reaction shots in this ep. Luke looked really disappointed when he saw Lorelei cavorting in the snow with Max. Lane was grossed out/envious of Rory and Dean kissing. After all the talk about running hands through hair (Lane did it to her crush and was mortified), Lorelei ran hers through Max's hair, which was hilar.

I also loved that Rory teaches her grandparents the joys of frozen pizza ("something you'd eat at a carnival" says a scandalized Emily).

Rory promises Lane that they'll spend more time together, so I hope this happens!

Reminds me of my own teen life: I can understand Lane's feelings of being left out because her best friend is dating someone. Very well.

Rory's Dance

There's a big dance at Chilton, and Emily insists that Rory go. Rory asks Dean, and he agrees. Emily comes over to witness the pre-dance festivities and get photos, but is alarmed that Dean honks instead of coming to the door. Also, Rory and Dean end up falling asleep and staying out all night.


Paris' date admits he's Paris' cousin, but Rory doesn't seem to care. Paris confronts Rory about it, and ends up revealing this pathetic fact to her whole class herself. Paris seems to be her own worst enemy!


Rory and Dean clarify their relationship -- awww! And they fall asleep reading together - double awww!

The fight that ensues early the next morning when Rory comes in at 5:30 am is very illuminating. Lorelei seems more upset by the fact that Emily witnesses Rory's mistake more than she's upset by the mistake itself - which Rory calls her on. Emily tells Lorelei point blank that she's disappointed in her and afraid that her way of bringing Rory up is going to result in Rory making the same bad choices. But really - Lorelei's style implies way more trust than Emily's ever did, and Rory is very concerned about keeping this trust.

Reminds me of my own teen life: I went to three high school dances. Only one of them was with an actual date.

Forgiveness and Stuff

Lorelei is disinvited to Emily's annual Christmas bash, and Richard has a health scare.

I loved Lane's speech about the importance of choosing a gift, and that if you choose the wrong one, you might end up at a Korean Bible Camp for the summer. Ha!

And great Luke-Lorelei interaction: he makes her a special Santa burger! He closes down shop to drive her to the hospital.

Reminds me of my own teen life: Visiting the hospital. Unfortch.

Paris is Burning

Lorelei gets scared and decides she should break up with Max for Rory's sake. Then she's caught kissing Max on teacher's day by Paris.

No Dean? Sacrilege!

An interesting look at Lorelei's thought process and how she's tried to shape her dating life so it doesn't affect Rory. It was pretty cold how she scoffed at Sookie for her lack of dating though - good for Sookie that she asked someone out!

Looks like Paris and Rory have the first kindlings of non-hate!

Reminds me of my own teen life: We didn't have parents' day, but I did go to a friend's school and pretend to be an exchange student from Spain. And people believed me.

Double Date

Lane asks Rory to set her up with Dean's friend and Sookie has her first date with Jackson but begs Lorelei to go with her as a date for Jackson's cousin Rune.

Rune is horrified by Lorelei's height, and doesn't want to go on their double date. Lane discovers that Todd is boring, and probably not worth lying to her mother to go out with.

Hilarious line from Lorelei to Rory after Rory lies about her plans. "I have to know where you are at all times, especially when you're wearing my shoes."

Reminds me of my own teen life: Strict mother like Lane's FTW!

Concert Interruptus

Sookie gets 4 tickets to The Bangles in concert.  They end up giving their good seats to Rory and her Chilton classmates and buying some nosebleed seats.

Love this sign at the town rummage sale: "Drop off here - Nothing alive or gross."

I did a little squee when The Bangles sang Eternal Flame.

Rory and Paris have a heart to heart.  Paris defends Tristan, but Rory says she thinks Paris could do better.

Lorelei goes looking for the two classmates who ditch the concert to party with boys. She knocks on all the apartment doors. Love the lady who says "I don't talk to anybody. People annoy me."

Reminds me of my own teen life:  I didn't go to my first concert until I was 18. It was in Ecuador, a band from Argentina called Vilma Palma y Vampiros.



More to come next week!


Forever Young Adult Gilmore Girls Recap