Quote of the Day from President Obama, Dr Strangelove on Stage, Author's Guild Letter to AI CEOs, A Haunting in Venice Movie, The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata, Starsight by Brandon Sanderson, Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson, and Crave by Tracy Wolff

Hey there, fellow book dragons! It's nearly the end of July already, which makes me happy because that means we're one month closer to my favorite time of year, Autumn, with it's cooler temps and gorgeous foliage (and opportunities to curl up under a blanket with a good novel or three and a cup of tea). I've not had much time to read, due to being a full time caregiver for my husband, who has multiple ailments going on at once, but I did manage to get some ebooks read and I've been enjoying watching Star Trek Strange New Worlds and other shows on streaming services as a way to relieve stress. At any rate, here are some gleaned tidbits from Shelf Awareness and some reviews. Keep cool, friends of the book!

 I desperately miss our former wonderful president, Barack Obama, not only because he was a great president, but because he was a reader and a wise man with a sense of humor and a fantastic family. Here's a quote about Librarians that I completely agree with...they're vital to every community in America.

Quotation of the Day

President Obama: 'Thank You, Librarians'

"In a very real sense, you're on the front lines--fighting every day to make the widest possible range of viewpoints, opinions, and ideas available to everyone. Your dedication and professional expertise allow us to freely read and consider information and ideas, and decide for ourselves which ones we agree with.

"That's why I want to take a moment to thank all of you for the work you do every day--work that is helping us understand each other and embrace our shared humanity. "And it's not just about books. You also provide spaces where people can come together, share ideas, participate in community programs, and access essential civic and educational resources. Together, you help people become informed and active citizens, capable of making this country what they want it to be.

"And you do it all in a harsh political climate where, all too often, you're attacked by people who either cannot or will not understand the vital--and uniquely American--role you play in the life of our nation."--Former President Barack Obama in an open letter to librarians published in American Libraries magazine

Though I am NOT a fan of Kubrick films, this is one of two that I found interesting enough to watch more than one time. Probably because Dr Strangelove is hilariously creepy and stars the late, great Peter Sellers. It should be fascinating to see what they do with it on stage.

On Stage: Dr. Strangelove

The first stage adaption of Stanley Kubrick's classic film Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, will make its world premiere in London's West End in the fall of 2024, Playbill reported

The 1964 movie was loosely based on the novel Red Alert (1958) by Peter George, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Kubrick and Terry Southern. The play will be directed by Sean Foley and BAFTA and Emmy Award winner Armando Iannucci. A venue, casting, and the creative team will be announced at a later date.

"It is both a privilege and a thrill to be asked to adapt and direct one of the most iconic films of all time, and working with Armando Iannucci on the adaptation has been a joy," said Foley. "Stanley Kubrick's 'nightmare comedy' is a perennially relevant satire on world politics and how powerful men can be stupid enough to let us all die if it means they get to brag about it."

Foley told BBC News that the next challenge is finding an actor to play the three main roles https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscFeKke8I6ahiIh13Eg~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6iQWJCnpoMLg-gVdw, famously and brilliantly portrayed by Peter Sellers in the film: "They've got to be a great comic actor, of which we have very many. They've got to be of that shape-shifting kind of quality. They've got to want it. It's going to be a really tough gig. I'm sure some people, when we approach them, are going to go, 'No way, I'm not going to be compared with Peter Sellers in those roles.' But there will be someone who has the appetite and skill and talent and sees the opportunity to do it in their own way."

If you're a fan of any kind of entertainment media in America, you've likely heard of the Writer's Strike that has Hollywood studios at a standstill. Coming from a union family, I am very much on the side of the writers who make the shows we all love, and who deserve fair compensation and a guarantee that their work won't be exploited by AI without consent or compensation.

8,000 Writers Sign Authors Guild's Open Letter to AI Industry CEOs

The Authors Guild has submitted an open letter https://www.shelfawareness.com/ct/x/pjJscFeLlboI6ahiIk91Gw~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6iQWZTypoMLg-gVdw to the CEOs of prominent AI companies, including OpenAI, Alphabet, Meta, Stability AI, IBM, and Microsoft, calling their attention "to the inherent injustice in exploiting our works as part of your AI systems without our consent, credit, or compensation."

More than 8,000 writers and their supporters signed the letter, including Dan Brown, James Patterson, Jennifer Egan, David Baldacci, Michael Chabon, Nora Roberts, Jesmyn Ward, Jodi Picoult, Ron Chernow, Michael Pollan, Suzanne Collins, Margaret Atwood, Jonathan Franzen, Roxane Gay, Celeste Ng, Louise Erdrich, Viet Nguyen, George Saunders, Min Jin Lee, Andrew Solomon, Rebecca Makkai, and Tobias Wolff.

The letter requests that the AI leaders "mitigate the damage to our profession by taking the following steps:

1) Obtain permission for use of our copyrighted material in your generative AI programs.

2) Compensate writers fairly for the past and ongoing use of our works in your generative AI programs.

3) Compensate writers fairly for the use of our works in AI output, whether or not the outputs are infringing under current law."

Maya Shanbhag Lang, president of the Authors Guild, said, "The output of AI will always be derivative in nature. AI regurgitates what it takes in, which is the work of human writers. It's only fair that authors be compensated for having 'fed' AI and continuing to inform its evolution. Our work cannot be used without consent, credit, and compensation. All three are a must."

Nora Roberts commented: "If creators aren't compensated fairly, they can't afford to create. If writers aren't paid to write, they can't afford to write. Human beings create and write stories human beings read. We're not robots to be programmed, and AI can't create human stories without taking from human stories already written."

I'm a fan of Kenneth B, and have been since reading his autobio, and this sounds like another winning film that he's directing and acting in. He was born 2 days and 2 hours before I was, so I like to think we'd be friends if we ever met.

Movies: A Haunting in Venice

20th Century Studios has released a new trailer for A Haunting in Venice https://www.shelfawareness.com/ct/x/pjJscFeLn78I6ahiIR1yGg~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6iQWZ73poMLg-gVdw, its third Agatha Christie adaptation from actor-filmmaker Kenneth Branagh after Death on the Nile and Murder on the Orient Express. Deadline reported that the new project is based on the novel Hallowe'en Party, featuring Inspector Hercule Poirot (Branagh). It hits theaters September 15.

The cast also features Tina Fey, Michelle Yeoh, and Kelly Reilly, Kyle Allen, Camille Cottin, Jamie Dornan, Jude Hill, Ali Khan, Emma Laird, and Riccardo Scamarcio. Branagh directed A Haunting in Venice from a script by Michael Green.

The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata is a delightful romantic comedy novel that takes the dumb celebrity in crisis trope (who always falls in love with the sensible female protagonist, mainly because she makes his life better by managing it and knowing how to be a paid wife, basically) and plays with it enough to make the pages fly by. Zapata's prose is spicy without being deviant or weird, and her plot flies like a fastball at Fenway. Here's the blurb: 

Vanessa Mazur refuses to feel bad for quitting—she knows she’s doing the right thing. The thankless job of personal assistant to the top defensive end in the National Football Organization was always supposed to be temporary. She has plans for her life, and none of them include washing extra-large underwear one more day for a man who could never find it in him to tell her good morning, congratulate her on a job well done, or wish her a happy birthday—even when she was spending it working for him.

The legendary “Wall of Winnipeg” may be adored by thousands, but after two years Van has had enough.

But when Aiden Graves shows up at her door begging her to come back, she’s beyond shocked. Mr. Walled-Off Emotions is actually letting his guard down for once. And she’s even more dumbstruck when he explains that her job description is about to become even more outrageous: something that takes the “personal” in personal assistant to a whole new level.

What do you say to the man who is used to getting everything he wants?

I found it hard to not snort at how easy Aiden seems to seduce Van into working with him again, and I also found it somewhat unbelievable that she would fall for him because he's big and muscled up, which somehow makes him irresistible. Personally, I know that there are women who go gaga for big biceps and soforth, but when the guy sporting them is such an obvious jerk, why would you allow the sight of a handsome face and big brawn to completely rule out your common sense? That said, I can understand why Van agrees to the new contract with Aiden, because having a ton of student loans hanging over your head, and also desperately wanting a home of your own so you can set down roots can really make someone desperate to fulfill those dreams before they hit 50. The amount of debt students wanting a degree must go into these days is ridiculous and depressing. College should be free for everyone. Anyway, I enjoyed the banter between the main characters and was delighted by the HEA ending. All in all, I'd give this fun rom-com a B+, and recommend it to all those who have fantasies about romances with sports stars.

Starsight by Brandon Sanderson is the second book in the Wayward Stars series...I'm reading the final book of the triology now. This particular Sanderson book series appealed to me because it's SF and YA, and it's about a young woman who longs to be a pilot. Having been a lifelong Star Trek fan and fan of nearly every type of science fiction that involves space flight and exploration, I knew that this series was going to intrigue me, and it did, right from the get-go. Sanderson is a master storyteller, along the lines of Ray Bradbury, and his prose is lush and verdant without being too overly informational and picky. Here's the blurb:  

From the  New York Times bestselling author of the Reckoners series, the Mistborn trilogy, and the Stormlight Archive comes the second book in an epic series about a girl with a secret in a dangerous world at war for humanity's future.

All her life, Spensa's dreamed of becoming a pilot and proving herself a hero like her father. She made it to the sky, but the truths she learned there were crushing. The rumors of her father's cowardice are true--he deserted his Flight during battle against the Krell. Worse, though, he turned against his team and attacked them.

Spensa is sure that there's more to the story. And she's sure that whatever happened to her father that day could happen to her. When she made it outside the protective shell of her planet, she heard the stars--and what they revealed to her was terrifying. Everything Spensa has been taught about her world is a lie.

Humankind has always celebrated heros, but who defines what a hero is? Could humanity be the evil the galaxy needs to be protected from? Spensa is determined to find out, but each answer she discovers reveals a dozen new questions: about the war, about her enemies, and even, perhaps, about Spensa herself.

But Spensa also discovered a few other things about herself--and she'll travel to the end of the galaxy to save humankind if she needs to.   

After I read Skyward, which had a well thought out ending, I told myself I wouldn't read another of Sanderson's books in the series, because, really, what else was there to say? Yet I found myself gravitating toward this second book, because I could tell that Spensa was going to need more answers about the hateful space "eyes" that want to wipe out everything and everyone but themselves, and she wants to exonerate her father, which she knows is a long shot, but still, it's worth a try for our intrepid heroine. Of course when I got to the end of this swiftly plotted feast of a book, I had to order the last book, just to see how Spensa fairs under all this pressure to save her planet and her people. I'm surprised that Sanderson hooked me into this deceptively addictive series. I'd give the second book a B+ and recommend it to anyone who read the first tome.

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson is a sea fantasy adventure novel that's part of a "secret" series that Sanderson wrote for his wife and never intended on publishing and presenting to the world at large. I'm glad that he did, though, because this fantasy adventure reads like something out of Tolkien, if he were a Navy captain with a fantastic imagination and a love of underdog stories. Here's the blurb:

The Stormlight Archive and Mistborn with a new standalone novel for everyone who loved The Princess Bride.

The only life Tress has known on her island home in an emerald-green ocean has been a simple one, with the simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But when his father takes him on a voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes, Tress must stow away on a ship and seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. Amid the spore oceans where pirates abound, can Tress leave her simple life behind and make her own place sailing a sea where a single drop of water can mean instant death?

Note from Brandon:

I started writing this in secret, as a novel just for my wife. She urged me to share it with the world—and alongside three other secret novels, with the support of readers worldwide it grew into the biggest Kickstarter campaign of all time. I’m excited to present this first book to you at last: a different type of Brandon Sanderson story, one I wrote when there were no time constraints, no expectations, and no limits on my imagination. Come be part of the magic.

This story didn't have the lightheartedness or romance of Princess Bride, but it did have some amazing and unique world building (seas made of reactive colored sand/seeds? Dragons and wily sorceresses keeping company? Sign me up!)  that made it a real page-turner, though, as with most of Sanderson's books I've read, it was way too long and could have used some editorial trimming. I'd give the book an A-, and recommend it to anyone who loves a good fantastic tale of a young woman coming into her own on the high seas.

Crave by Tracy Wolff is an urban fantasy novel that reads like Twilight fan fiction, right down to the soppy and stupid female protagonist who smells of strawberry shampoo. Blech. Twilight was one of the most poorly written novels I've ever read, replete with a sagging plot and embarrassingly awful characters. At least Crave's writing was of a slightly higher caliber than Meyers, though her plot was rather thin most of the way through the book. Here's the blurb:
My whole world changed when I stepped inside the academy. Nothing is right about this place or the other students in it. Here I am, a mere mortal among gods…or monsters. I still can’t decide which of these warring factions I belong to, if I belong at all. I only know the one thing that unites them is their hatred of me.

Then there’s Jaxon Vega. A vampire with deadly secrets who hasn’t felt anything for a hundred years. But there’s something about him that calls to me, something broken in him that somehow fits with what’s broken in me.
Which could spell death for us all. Because Jaxon walled himself off for a reason. And now someone wants to wake a sleeping monster, and I’m wondering if I was brought here intentionally—as the bait. 

This is another book where the female protagonist loses her mind and her agency at the first sight of a handsome, dangerous boy, in this case, an immortal vampire. Once again I'm struck with the pedophilic age difference of the two main characters, and how willing the old vampire is to give into his lust for a sweet and stupid young teenage girl, whom of course he uses not just for her blood but also for sex.  WHY does this keep happening in vampire or other "monster" books in the past 20 or so years? Feminists of the past 100+ years are rolling in their graves at the thought of the proliferation of these sexist tropes. I could also see the end coming a mile away, so there wasn't even a nice surprise element of the HEA to look forward to. All in all, this book is barely worthy of a C, so I will give it a D+ and say that I can't really think of anyone to recommend this Twilight fan fiction to, because there are so many better books to read out there. Don't waste your time or money on this cheap immitation of a Ray Bradbury short story from the 1950s.

Elliott Bay Book Company Celebrates 50th Birthday, Killers of the Flower Moon Movie, Super Book Buyers and Encyclopedia Love, Bookstores Sue Montana's Anti-Drag Law, Reese's Book Club Picks Yellowface, Obit of Milan Kundera, Wonka Prequel Movie, One, Two, Three by Laurie Frankel, A Fatal Illusion by Anna Lee Huber, and Clean Air by Sarah Blake

Good day to you, fellow people of the book! I meant to write a new blog post two days ago, but I'm having trouble getting to my regular daily/weekly activities because I am having to be the caregiver for my husband, who just got out of the hospital about 10 days ago after falling and breaking ribs and a shoulder blade and collapsing his lung. Since he's already on dialysis for his failed kidneys, and his diabetes and high blood pressure have gone into overdrive, I've had to help set up physical and occupational therapies, get him signed up for the handicapped access bus, and make sure he has help bathing and dressing and getting something to eat that's not filled with sodium, though of course, that's the food he likes the most. I'm also in charge of laundry, cooking, housecleaning, etc. So it's been difficult to find time for myself. Still, I did manage to read several books and dig up some interesting tidbits for ya'all. Avoid sunburn and keep reading indoors! 

I remember (and miss) EBBC back when it was in Pioneer Square and the booksellers were a friendly lot. Once they moved to Cap Hill, a certain snobbishness set in, and the booksellers sneered at genre readers, like myself. Still, I wish this iconic bookstore a happy 50th anniversary, and here's hoping they'll still be around in 50 years to celebrate their 100th! 

Seattle's Elliott Bay Book Co. Celebrates 50th Anniversary

On Saturday, Elliott Bay Book Co https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscFTbnrkI6ahjIB1-HQ~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6iTCZ_xpoMLg-gVdw, Seattle, Wash., celebrated 50 years of business with a party that invited several generations of booksellers and members of the broader book community in the region to commemorate this special milestone with current owners Tracy Taylor, Murf Hall, and Joey Burgess.

Attendees were treated to a series of reminiscences by prominent figures in the bookstore's decorated history, each charting the establishment's journey from its iconic origins in the Pioneer Square neighborhood in 1973, to its current iteration on Capitol Hill.

The evening's master of ceremonies was local drag superstar Irene "The Alien" DuBois, who was recently featured on RuPaul's Drag Race season 15. Speakers included founding owners Walter and Maggie Carr; Holly Myers, a staff member since 1980, reading a prepared statement from interim owner Peter Aaron (who could not attend); Congressional Representative Pramila Jayapal; and Rick Simonson, whose career as the events coordinator spans roughly the entirety of the store's existence.

Elliott Bay has been an influential pillar of literary engagement both locally and nationwide. It has hosted multitudes of guest speakers and authors over the course of its long-running events series, which has featured Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama; Bruce Springsteen; Dave Matthews; Anne Rice; Annie Leibovitz; Raymond Carver; and David Sedaris. The coffee shop in the hit television show Frasier was based on the original Elliott Bay Cafe.

In 2010, the bookstore relocated to its current location, a former Ford truck repair shop building, circa 1918, at 1521 10th Ave. in Capitol Hill's Pike/Pine corridor. The 20,000+-square-foot bookstore features 19-foot-tall ceilings, rows and rows of cedar shelves lined with more than 150,000 titles, and Little Oddfellows Cafe.

In June 2022 the store was purchased by Elliott Bay's longtime former general manager, Tracy Taylor, along with married team Murf Hall and Joey Burgess, of Burgess Hall Group. Under the current ownership, Elliott Bay Book Co. is one of the largest queer- and woman-owned bookstores in the U.S. --Dave Wheeler

I cannot wait to see this movie, it sound wonderful, and the cast is amazing!

Movies: Killers of the Flower Moon

Paramount and Apple have released a new trailer for Killers of the Flower Moon https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscFTbwekI6ahjIBB_Tg~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6iTCcChpoMLg-gVdw, adapted from David Grann's 2017 book, Variety reported. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the Apple Original film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Lily Gladstone has set its wide theatrical releasefor October 20, and will subsequently stream on Apple TV+.

The cast also includes Jesse Plemons, Tantoo Cardinal, John Lithgow, Brendan Fraser, Cara Jade Myers, JaNae Collins, Jillian Dion, William Belleau, Louis Cancelmi, Tatanka Means, Michael Abbot Jr., Pat Healy, Scott Shepard, Jason Isbell, and Sturgill Simpson. Killers of the Flower Moon was produced alongside Imperative Entertainment. Scorsese is producer along with Executive producer Leonardo DiCaprio

 One thing that I noted about this section of Shelf Awareness is that older bibliophiles like myself get to have our say, which I enjoy. I, too, was a voracious reader as a kid, and we had an incomplete set of World Book Encyclopedias that I used to read for fun whenever I was between trips to the library. Even once I was in college, I remember finding reference books and periodicals and encyclopedia entries that would keep me fascinated for hours on end, much to the chagrin of the librarians.

Super Book Buyers and Book Lovers

Not long after devouring the BooknetCanada stats, I found a Guardian q&a https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscFTbwekI6ahjIBAkGA~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6iTCcChpoMLg-gVdw with Richard Ford, author most recently of Be Mine. Something he said helped narrow my focus. I suspect that many, if not most, of us have one book from childhood that remains imprinted in our memories, or even, if we're lucky, still sits in a place of honor on our bookshelves.

Ford said his favorite book growing up was The World Book Encyclopedia:

"My parents bought this for me when I was eight and doing dismally in school, one red-leatherette volume for each gold-embossed letter of the alphabet. Polio, the Boer war, Abraham Lincoln, basketball: entries were short, informative and often happily had photographs."

This sparked my memory of a particularly evocative sentence in Frank McCourt's bestselling memoir Angela's Ashes, where he recounts a singular boyhood moment that SBBs of all nations can relate to: "There are bars of Pears soap and a thick book called Pears' Encyclopedia, which keeps me up day and night because it tells you everything about everything and that's all I want to know." Every Super Book Buyer has an origin story, and every book counts. --Robert Gray

I'm so very glad that Montana bookstores and authors and others are suing to remove this horrible "anti-drag" law, which is really just a law based on prejudice against LGBTQ people.There's absolutely nothing "lewd" or "salacious" about drag queens/Trans women reading books to kids! They're not putting on a strip show for heaven's sake, they're just reading out loud!

Bookstore, Author, Others Sue to Block Montana's 'Anti-Drag' Law

Montana Book Company https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscFTdn-8I6ahjKhhyHg~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6iTD56npoMLg-gVdw, Helena, Mont., is among a dozen plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit filed last Thursday against Montana's "anti-drag" law, passed in May. The law bans people dressed in drag from reading to children in public schools or libraries, and prohibits businesses and state-funded entities from allowing minors to see so-called "sexually oriented performances."

Calling the law unconstitutional, an abridgement of free speech, and "motivated by anti LGBTQ+ animus," the suit seeks a temporary injunction as well as damages for one of the plaintiffs, Adria Jawort, an author, transgender woman, and member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, whose appearance to speak at the Butte-Silver Bow Library on June 2 was cancelled because, as a librarian said, the new law made it "too much of a risk to have a transgender person in the library."

The defendants are Montana's Attorney General, the Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the chief executive of the city and county of Butte-Silver Bow. The plaintiffs' law firm is Upper Seven Law in Helena.

The suit describes plaintiff Montana Book Company as "an independent LGBTQ+-owned bookstore [that] aims to create an open and inclusive community space for marginalized populations in Montana. The Montana Book Company has hosted and plans to continue to host age-appropriate drag shows open to the public."

Bookstore co-owner Chelsia Rice said, "Drag has long been an important artistic and cultural expression. This law wrongly targets the constitutionally protected speech of performers, artists, authors, and other Montanans." Coincidentally, the suit was filed on Montana Book Company's fifth anniversary. 

Rachel Corcoran, a teacher in the Billings Public Schools, "has dressed up as fictional and historic male and female characters to connect with students, enhance learning, and build community. For example, she has dressed as a crazy cat lady, the rapper Eazy-E, Tina Turner, Waldo (of Where's Waldo? fame), Lilo (from Lilo & Stitch), and Princess Bubblegum (from Adventure Time). While in gendered costumes, she reads to students and engages in learning activities at school."

Under the law, she is considered "a 'drag queen' or 'drag king' participating in 'drag story hour' at such times. Thus, she faces criminal penalties, lawsuits, and revocation of her teaching certificate."

The suit calls the law "a Frankenstein's monster" that "prohibits drag performers from leading story hours in schools and libraries, which is an unconstitutional content- and viewpoint-based restriction on free speech. But that's not all: the bill bans reading to a child in a library in a superhero costume, conducting classroom activities dressed as Ms. Frizzle, inviting a Disney princess impersonator into the classroom, and staging a production of Shakespeare's As You Like It. These restrictions apply regardless of a person's gender identity and sex."

In addition, the law "limits First Amendment activities of artists, businesses, and entities that receive state funds. Displaying or disseminating obscene materials and performances has long been illegal in Montana," but the law "creates new, confusing restrictions on 'sexually oriented performances'--with a definition that, inter alia: allows the display of human cleavage but not prosthetic cleavage; restricts 'stripping,' regardless of whether nudity results; and may--this is unclear--prevent allowing minors to view 'any simulation of sexual activity,... salacious dancing, [or] any lewd or lascivious depiction or description of human genitals.' " Unlike the state's obscenity statute, the law "does not incorporate the Miller test--the classic definition of obscenity--which safeguards artistic expression, political speech, and science. Worse still, an entity that receives any state funds--e.g., any art museum or independent theater--cannot display a live or prerecorded performance with essentially any sexual content, regardless of artistic merit and even if the audience is limited to adults."

And the law's penalties are "as confusing as they are draconian," the suit stated. "Everyone involved in putting on a 'drag' (read: costumed) story hour or so-called 'sexually oriented performance' can be sued within ten years of the event by a minor who attends the performance--even if the minor and their guardian consented at the time--with statutory damages and attorney's fees assured to the plaintiff." If the violator is "a library, school, teacher, school or library administrator, [an] 'entity that receives any form of funding from the state,' or employee of such an entity, they shall be fined $5,000. Moreover, teachers and other school personnel will be suspended for a year; upon a second offense, they will lose their certificates. And if the violator is a business that serves alcohol, it will be fined between $1,000 and $10,000 per violation and ultimately lose its business license."

I've been wanting to get my hands on a copy of this book, it sounds wonderful, and I'm even more excited about it since it's a Reese Witherspoon book club pick.

Reese's July Book Club Pick: Yellowface

The July pick of Reese's Book Club is Yellowface by R.F. Kuang (Morrow). Reese Witherspoon wrote https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscFTdwr8I6ahjKh51Gg~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6iTD8P3poMLg-gVdw, "This contemporary psychological thriller follows Juniper Song--a bestselling author who is not who she's pretending to be. She didn't write the book she claims she penned, and she is not Asian American. Clear your schedule because the moment you start reading you won't be able to put it down. This story circles themes like the dark side of book publishing, social media culture and so much more.... When you finish it, you'll want to talk about it immediately."

RIP to the man who wrote the Unbearable Lightness of Being.

Obituary Note: Milan Kundera

Milan Kundera https://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/x/pjJscFTek74I6ahjKkojGA~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6iTDJL2poMLg-gVdw, "a Communist Party outcast who became a global literary star with mordant, sexually charged novels that captured the suffocating absurdity of life in the workers' paradise of his native Czechoslovakia," died July 11, the New York Times reported. He was 94. Kundera's "run of popular books began with The Joke, which was published to acclaim in 1967, around the time of the Prague Spring, then banned with a vengeance after Soviet-led troops crushed that experiment in 'Socialism with a human face' a few months later." He completed his final novel, The Festival of Insignificance, in 2015, when he was in his mid-80s and living in Paris.

His most enduringly popular novel, The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1984), was an instant success, reprinted over the years in at least two dozen languages. It was also adapted into a 1988 film starring Daniel Day Lewis.

The Times noted that Kundera "could be especially pitiless in his use of female characters; so much so that the British feminist Joan Smith, in her 1989 book Misogynies, observed that 'hostility is the common factor in all Kundera's writing about women.' Other critics reckoned that exposing men's horrible behavior was at least part of his intent. Still, even the stronger women in Kundera's books tended to be objectified, and the less fortunate were sometimes victimized in disturbing detail."

Kundera told The Paris Review in 1983: "My lifetime ambition has been to unite the utmost seriousness of question with the utmost lightness of form. The combination of a frivolous form and a serious subject immediately unmasks the truth about our dramas (those that occur in our beds as well as those that we play out on the great stage of History) and their awful insignificance. We experience the unbearable lightness of being."

After playwright Vaclav Havel helped lead the successful Velvet Revolution in 1989, and then served as president, first of Czechoslovakia and then of the Czech Republic, Kundera's books became legal in his homeland for the first time in 20 years, but "many Czechs saw him as someone who had abandoned his compatriots and taken the easy way out," the Times noted, adding that there was scant demand for them or sympathy for him there. By one estimate only 10,000 copies of The Unbearable Lightness of Being sold.

When Communism ended in 1989, Kundera had been living in France for 14 years with his wife, Vera Hrabankova, first as a university teacher in Rennes and then in Paris. Czechoslovakia revoked his citizenship in 1979, and he became a French citizen two years later.

The last book he wrote in Czech before switching to French was Immortality (1990). His next works were Slowness (1995), Identity (1998), and Ignorance (2000). Kundera was often nominated, but never selected, for the Nobel Prize in Literature.

"Enigmatic and private, and more than a little grumpy about the clatter and clutter of modern Western society," Kundera was largely out of the public eye from 2000 until the announcement in 2014 that he had created yet another novel, The Festival of Insignificance, the Times noted. In the book, he wrote: "We've known for a long time that it was no longer possible to overturn this world, nor reshape it, nor head off its dangerous headlong rush. There's been only one possible resistance: to not take it seriously."

I LOVED the movie with Gene Wilder from the 70s, and I can tell from the movie trailer that this version of a prequel will be just as beloved and iconic. It's also debuting a few days after my birthday, so I have a reason to go to the theater to celebrate!

Movies: Wonka

Warner Bros. has released the official trailer for Wonka https://www.shelfawareness.com/ct/x/pjJscFTek74I6ahjKkogSQ~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6iTDJL2poMLg-gVdw, based on the eccentric chocolatier created by Roald Dahl in his classic children's novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The "musical fantasy film follows the adventures of a young Willy Wonka, including how he met the Oompa-Loompas," Variety reported.

Along with Timothy Chalamet as Willy Wonka, the film stars Olivia Colman, Sally Hawkins, Keegan-Michael Key, Matthew Baynton, Matt Lucas, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carter, Natasha Rothwell, Simon Farnaby, Paterson Joseph, Tom Davis, Rakhee Thakrar, Justin Edwards, Colin O'Brien, Ellie White, Freya Parker, and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith.  Wonka will hit theaters December 15.

One, Two, Three by Laurie Frankel was the July pick for my library book group.This enchanting and fascinating contemporary lit novel read like a YA "finding yourself" romance, and yet it still had many points that would draw in an adult audience. Frankel, who was one of the Seattle 7 Writer's Group (along with Garth Stein and Erica Bauermeister and Jennie Shortridge, all published famed writers) has taken the story of a town poisoned by industrial chemicals, and the mother and triplets who are all trying to sue for the damage that this has done to the town and to their own bodies, and turned it into a triumph, ala Silkwood or Erin Brockovich. Here's the blurb: In a town where nothing ever changes, suddenly everything does...

Everyone knows everyone in the tiny town of Bourne, but the Mitchell triplets are especially beloved. Mirabel is the smartest person anyone knows, and no one doubts it just because she can’t speak. Monday is the town’s purveyor of books now that the library’s closed―tell her the book you think you want, and she’ll pull the one you actually do from the microwave or her sock drawer. Mab’s job is hardest of all: get good grades, get into college, get out of Bourne.

For a few weeks seventeen years ago, Bourne was national news when its water turned green. The girls have come of age watching their mother’s endless fight for justice. But just when it seems life might go on the same forever, the first moving truck anyone’s seen in years pulls up and unloads new residents and old secrets. Soon, the Mitchell sisters are taking on a system stacked against them and uncovering mysteries buried longer than they’ve been alive. Because it's hard to let go of the past when the past won't let go of you.

Three unforgettable narrators join together here to tell a spellbinding story with wit, wonder, and deep affection. As she did in This Is How It Always Is, Laurie Frankel has written a laugh-out-loud-on-one-page-grab-a-tissue-the-next novel, as only she can, about how expanding our notions of normal makes the world a better place for everyone and how when days are darkest, it’s our daughters who will save us all. 

Frankel's prose is smooth as silk, and helps along her elegant plot to it's somewhat bizarre ending. My only problem with this book was that two of the three sisters fall in love with the evil chemical plant CEO's son almost immediately, and suddenly they both go from being rational teenagers to dunderheads who will do or say anything for a boy they barely know. It's like invasion of the body snatchers, on a much smaller scale. Since I have been a teenage girl (a looooong time ago), I found the way the girls acted to be utterly unbelievable and sexist. I never lost my mind over a boy when I was a teenager. However, a man in my book group who actually is raising pre-teens on the verge of puberty, noted that his daughters lose their minds over crushes on boys every day. So apparently I'm an anomaly. Anyway, I did enjoy the novel, for the most part, and would give it a B+ and recommend it to anyone looking for a more serious YA book that has diverse disabled protagonists.

A Fatal Illusion by Anna Lee Huber is the 11th novel in her Lady Darby mystery series. I've read most of the series, but I noticed that as time goes on, Huber's writing gets more fiddly and overblown with descriptions of everything from the landscape to the actions of parliament. Here's the blurb:

New parents Lady Kiera Darby and Sebastian Gage look forward to introducing Sebastian’s father to his granddaughter, but instead find themselves investigating an attempt on his life.

Yorkshire, England. August 1832. Relations between Sebastian Gage and his father have never been easy, especially since the discovery that Lord Gage has been concealing the existence of an illegitimate son. But when Lord Gage is nearly fatally attacked on a journey to Scotland, Sebastian and Kiera race to his side. Given the tumult over the recent passage of the Reform Bill and the Anatomy Act, in which Lord Gage played a part, Sebastian wonders if the attack could be politically motivated.

But something suspicious is afoot in the sleepy village where Lord Gage is being cared for. The townspeople treat Sebastian and Kiera with hostility when it becomes clear they intend to investigate, and rumors of mysterious disappearances and highway robberies plague the area. Lord Gage’s survival is far from assured, and Sebastian and Kiera must scramble to make the pieces fit before a second attempt at murder is more successful than the first.

I like that Kiera works to build bridges between her father in law and her husband, his son, but it sounds to me like the old coot wasn't really worth all the time and effort spent on keeping him alive, when he could barely acknowledge all his wrong doings and cruelty to his legitimate and illegitimate children. Toxic parents aren't likely to change, and though here Kiera manages to use psychotherapy to get everyone to open up, I sincerely doubt it will last long with Gage's father being such a stiff necked, mean old man. I like that Keira and Gage brought along their baby daughter, and that she was able to meet her grandfather. Still, there were too many political info-dumps in this book, which brought the slow plot to a standstill. So i'd give the book a B-, and recommend it only to those who've read all the other books in the series, and have the patience to make it through this one.

Clean Air by Sarah Blake was a dystopian science fiction/mystery novel that I was surprised to discover as a real page-turner. Here's the blurb:

In this postapocalyptic story of mystery, suspense, grief, and loss, a girl processes her mother’s death as a serial killer’s presence makes her already dangerous world even more deadly.
 
The climate apocalypse has come and gone, and in the end it wasn't the temperature climbing or the waters rising. It was the trees. They created enough pollen to render the air unbreathable, and the world became overgrown.

In the decades since the event known as the Turning, humanity has rebuilt, and Izabel has grown used to the airtight domes that now contain her life. She raises her young daughter, Cami, and attempts to make peace with her mother's death. She tries hard to be satisfied with this safe, prosperous new world, but instead she just feels stuck.

And then the tranquility of her town is shattered. Someone—a serial killer—starts slashing through the domes at night, exposing people to the deadly pollen. At the same time, Cami begins sleep-talking, having whole conversations about the murders that she doesn't remember after she wakes. Izabel becomes fixated on the killer, on both tracking him down and understanding him. What could compel someone to take so many lives after years dedicated to sheer survival, with society finally flourishing again?

Suspenseful and startling, but also poetic and written with a wry, observant humor, this “skillful blend of postapocalyptic science fiction, supernatural murder mystery, and domestic drama is unexpected and entirely engrossing” (Publishers Weekly). 

Life  in this time, in the domes, where you have to wear protective gear to keep you from touching or breathing in deadly pollen, is rather dull and terrifying at the same time. The serial killer aspect of the book ups the ante with the plot even more, as the clean prose whips along like a fresh breeze. And, not to spoil the ending, but the actual killer's identity was a huge surprise for me, and I'm usually 10 steps ahead in mysteries, where I know who the killer is by the third chapter. I won't spoil the surprise for you, but I'm rather shocked that this angle to the end of the world hasn't been taken before (perhaps it has and I've just never run across it). At any rate, I found this book chilling and fascinating in equal measure, though I wouldn't recommend it to someone who is depressed about the future of humanity. I'd give Clean Air a B.

ABA Tarot Campaign, Review of Stuff Mom Never Told You, The Famous Five Comes to TV, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Dune, part 2 Movies, Something Close to Magic by Emma Mills, Skyward by Brandon Sanderson, Slow Time Between the Stars by John Scalzi, and You Bet Your Heart by Danielle Parker

Welcome to July, my fellow hot book lovers! Temperatures are already soaring into the 80s and 90s here in Western Washington, and I'm staying out of the radiation by holing up with the AC on and reading as many books as possible. My husband is getting home from yet another hospital stay (he fell and broke some ribs and his shoulder blade) today, so because I'll be taking care of him, my reading time will be somewhat curtailed. Still, it will be good to have him home and healing. Meanwhile, I hope you sun worshipers can grab a good "beach read" while having fun in the sun! 

This sounds like a boatload of fun! I am a fan of Tarot cards, and I enjoy reading them for entertainment, of course, as I don't really have the gift of divination.

ABA Launches 'The Future Is Indie' Campaign With Tarot Readings

To counter the next Amazon Prime Day, scheduled for July 11 and 12, the American Booksellers Association is launching "The Future Is Indie" campaign, which "champions the importance of independent businesses in shaping the future. The campaign seeks to inspire consumers to actively engage with independent businesses and make conscious choices that contribute to a better future--more economically sound, more vibrant, more interesting, and more diverse."

A highlight of the summer campaign is a mini-Oracle deck of six tarot cards (r.), which can be used to do "fun and informed bookish readings as they relate to the indie bookstore experience from a reader's perspective. The card readings range from engaging one's curiosity, to fighting temptation, to receiving personal recommendations." The campaign also includes digital assets, printable posters, suggested copy, as well as "The Future Is Indie" T-shirts available from Bonfire.

I need to find a copy of this book, which sounds wonderful. I come from a long line of feminist, tea-drinking women who were strong and intelligent and survived all kinds of misogyny. If nothing else it sounds like there's a lot of sections with historic feminist trivia that I would find fascinating.

Review: Stuff Mom Never Told You

A well-read feminist reviewer of a certain age who encounters Stuff Mom Never Told You: The Feminist Past, Present, and Future may find herself sheepishly wondering: How much can she learn about feminism from a couple of young women? Answer: lots, if those women are Anney Reese and Samantha McVey, cohosts of iHeartMedia's intersectional feminism-minded podcast Stuff Mom Never Told You. Their book of this name is as elucidating as it is galvanizing.

In their authors' note, Reese and McVey say that the decade-old podcast (of which they aren't the original hosts) began "with the goal of examining everything and anything through a feminist lens," and their book shares this mission statement. It's a feminist smorgasbord in six themed chapters: on women in sports, on reproductive rights, and so on.

As with any smorgasbord, there's a range of textures and tastes: each chapter features a condensed graphic novel illustrated by Helen Choi that introduces the topic at hand; a fictional cautionary tale that hypothesizes what would have happened if progress (Roe v. Wade, gay marriage) had been thwarted; and straight-up reporting on how progress was made.

If the book's clustered mini-profiles of activists representing a range of social justice movements come across as the smorgasbord's nutritive but unexciting vegetables, other sections are dessert: there are pop culture riffs, a crossword puzzle about disability rights, etc. As for things not clocked by even a seasoned feminist: Who knew that women are bigger consumers of horror than men are? And that Hugh Hefner's Playboy Foundation funded the first 10,000 rape kits?

The most powerful moments in Stuff Mom Never Told You are found in the book's "journal entry" sections, in which Reese and McVey grapple with their place in the world. (Each author's personal take is distinguished by a thumbnail of her Funko toy-style likeness.)

There's also commentary via occasional capsule-size outbursts, such as when Reese writes: "I maintain that while I'm not condoning the violent, vengeful actions of the character Ellie in The Last of Us Part II, I feel very strongly a male character doing the same thing would not have attracted the same vitriol." With its breezy tone and Feminism 101-heavy content, Stuff Mom Never Told You is a fine entry point for newbie feminists and feminism-curious young adults. For older feminists, the book offers some new info and the reassurance that there are righteous young women out there flying the flag high. --Nell Beram, author and freelance writer

I remember reading some of Enid Blyton's childrens books on the recommendation of my friend RM Larson's mother, a children's book author herself. They were wonderful, and I look forward to seeing what this filmmaker does with her "5" series.

TV: The Famous Five

Noting that it is "safe to say that no one saw this one coming," the Hollywood Reporter wrote that Danish filmmaker and "enfant terrible" Nicolas Winding Refn, director of Drive, The Neon Demon, and the Pusher trilogy, "has been tapped to reboot" The Famous Five, a limited series based on Enid Blyton's classic children's books. Blyton wrote 21 books, beginning with Five on a Treasure Island, first published in 1942. They have been adapted for television multiple times.

Refn will be creator and producer on the new series, which has begun filming across the southwest of the U.K. He is executive producing through his by NWR Originals company together with BBC Studios-backed Moonage Pictures for the BBC and German public broadcaster ZDF. Tim Kirkby (The Pentaverate) will direct the three 90-minute episodes of The Famous Five.

"This Famous Five will be a modern, timely and irreverent action series with adventure at its heart," said Will Gould, co-founder of Moonage Pictures.

"All my life I've fought vigorously to remain a child with a lust for adventure," Refn noted. "By reimagining The Famous Five, I am preserving that notion by bringing these iconic stories to life for a progressive new audience, instilling the undefinable allure and enchantment of childhood for current and future generations to come."

These are two movies that I'm also really excited to see, the first because I loved the TV adaptation of Daisy Jones and the Six, and the second because I've been a fan of Dune for decades...first as the books and later as the movie that everyone loves to hate.

Movies: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo; Dune, Part Two

Leslye Headland (Russian Doll) will direct Netflix's highly-anticipated adaptation of the novel The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo https://www.shelfawareness.com/ct/x/pjJscFTZlusI6ahkcB93Tg~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6iTC5ejpoMLg-gVdw by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Deadline reported. Liz Tigelaar, creator and showrunner for Tiny Beautiful Things, wrote the script. Liza Chasin is producing for 3Dot Productions while Brad Mendelsohn will produce for Circle of Confusion. Jenkins Reid and Margaret Chernin will exec produce.

A new trailer has been released for Netflix's Dune: Part Two

https://www.shelfawareness.com/ct/x/pjJscFTZlusI6ahkcB93Tw~k1yJoKXv-hs8x6iTC5ejpoMLg-gVdw, based on the classic sci-fi novel by Frank Herbert. IndieWire reported that unlike Dune: Part One, the sequel "will solely have a theatrical release well ahead of PVOD and streaming. Part One had a day-and-date debut on Warner Bros. Pictures' streamer HBO Max during its release amid the Covid-19 pandemic."

Something Close to Magic by Emma Mills is a YA fantasy/romance combined with an adventure/quest that will keep you turning pages into the wee hours. I couldn't put it down, though it contained some of the old tropes that most fantasy fans have seen time and again, from authors like JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis, and JK Rowling. Here's the poor orphaned or neglected girl/boy who ends up being nearly enslaved by some nasty middle aged woman who puts her down and constantly tells her she's worthless. Along comes a wild and crazy looking person who engages the poor orphan and takes them on an adventure that will change the orphan's live forever. This is true for Hagrid and Harry Potter, for Frodo and Gandalf, and in this book it's poor apprentice Aurelie and the magical "hidden princess" Iliana. Here's the blurb:

 

A baker’s apprentice reluctantly embarks on an adventure full of magic, new friendships, and a prince in distress in this deliciously romantic young adult fantasy that’s perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson and Gail Carson Levine.

It’s not all sugar and spice at Basil’s Bakery, where seventeen-year-old Aurelie is an overworked, underappreciated apprentice. Still, the job offers stability, which no-nonsense Aurelie values highly, so she keeps her head down and doesn’t dare to dream big—until a stranger walks in and hands her a set of Seeking stones. In a country where Seeking was old-fashioned even before magic went out of style, it’s a rare skill, but Aurelie has it.

The stranger, who turns out to be a remarkably bothersome bounty hunter named Iliana, asks for Aurelie’s help rescuing someone from the dangerous Underwood—which sounds suspiciously like an adventure. When the someone turns out to be Prince Hapless, the charming-but-aptly-named prince, Aurelie’s careful life is upended. Suddenly, she finds herself on a quest filled with magic portals, a troll older than many trees (and a few rocks), and dangerous palace intrigue.

Even more dangerous are the feelings she’s starting to have for Hapless. The more time Aurelie spends with him, the less she can stand the thought of going back to her solitary but dependable life at the bakery. Must she choose between losing her apprenticeship—or her heart?

Mill's prose is charming and lyrical, while her plot flies by relentlessly. But it's her characters that really shine here, and once they're well on their way in the quest adventure, there's a great deal of witty banter and sweet moments to look forward to, so readers will never be bored. There's even a sincere HEA that proves tremendously satisfying. I'd give this delightful novel an A, and recommend it to anyone who loves traditional fantasy quests with strong female protagonists.

Skyward by Brandon Sanderson is a YA science fiction/adventure novel that has elements of Battlestar Galactica (the original TV series) and Top Gun, as well as dystopian movies/books like the Hunger Games and Divergent. Here's the blurb:  

From Brandon Sanderson, the author of the bestselling Mistborn series, comes the first book in an epic new series about a girl who dreams of becoming a pilot in a dangerous world at war for humanity's future.

Spensa's world has been under attack for decades. Now pilots are the heroes of what's left of the human race, and becoming one has always been Spensa's dream. Since she was a little girl, she has imagined soaring skyward and proving her bravery. But her fate is intertwined with her father's--a pilot himself who was killed years ago when he abruptly deserted his team, leaving Spensa's chances of attending flight school at slim to none.

No one will let Spensa forget what her father did, yet fate works in mysterious ways. Flight school might be a long shot, but she is determined to fly. And an accidental discovery in a long-forgotten cavern might just provide her with a way to claim the stars.

"Startling revelations and stakes-raising implications...Sanderson plainly had a ball with this nonstop, highflying opener, and readers will too."--Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

Sanderson's excellent prose matched with his engaging characters makes the plot fly faster than the space ships on Spensa's homeworld. I gulped this book down in record time, because I just couldn't wait to see what happened next, and how Spensa would find out the truth about her father and his dishonorable behavior before he died. Sanderson sets up a tangy mystery and then twists the whole plot toward the end, with something no one could have seen coming. I was shocked, and I'm usually one step ahead of authors when it comes to mysteries within any given novel. My one complaint is the consistent attention drawn to Spensa's diet of eating rats. Shudder. But that one small gross detail wasn't enough to put me off of this splendid book. I'd give it an A-, and recommend it to anyone who likes stories of young women coming of age in another world, and stories of women pilots and the sacrifices they have to make to take to the skies.

Slow Time Between the Stars by John Scalzi is a short story from an anthology called The Far Reaches. This science fiction tale reminded me of Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C Clarke, in that it was full of technical detail about space travel and what kind of planets one is likely to find in the far reaches of space. Here's the blurb:

An artificial intelligence on a star-spanning mission explores the farthest horizons of human potential—and its own purpose—in a mind-bending short story by New York Times bestselling author John Scalzi.

Equipped with the entirety of human knowledge, a sentient ship is launched on a last-ditch journey to find a new home for civilization. Trillions of miles. Tens of thousands of years. In the space between, the AI has plenty of time to think about life, the vastness of the universe, everything it was meant to do, and—with a perspective created but not limited by humans—what it should do.

John Scalzi’s Slow Time Between the Stars is part of The Far Reaches, a collection of science-fiction stories that stretch the imagination and open the heart. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.

I'm a big fan of Scalzi's books, but this story was more serious and different than his other works, which always have a strong sense of humor/sarcasm running through them. Not so with our immortal space AI, which is tasked with finding a new home for humanity, no matter how long it takes. Unfortunately, it takes thousands of years, and with each passing millennia, the AI's mission becomes diluted by it's own sense of hubris. Another odd thing is that this story doesn't have the traditional beginning, middle and end. It's sort of a stream-of-consciousness diary of what the AI probe is seeing and thinking about. I was somewhat underwhelmed by the AI who loses it's mission on purpose, because that rendered it useless to human interests. So I'd give this rather bland short story a B-, and recommend it only to those who are interested in deep space exploration from a scientific POV.

You Bet Your Heart by Danielle Parker is a YA romance that starts out with a strong female protagonist, but ends with a young woman who sacrifices her dream for the love of a boy, which is sad and misogynistic. Here's the blurb:

A riveting, swoon-worthy teen romance centered on two high achievers fighting for the title of high school valedictorian and falling in love along the way, from debut author Danielle Parker.

Sasha Johnson-Sun might not know everything—like how to fully heal after her dad’s passing or how many more Saturdays her mom can spend cleaning houses. But the one thing Sasha is certain of? She will graduate this year as Skyline High’s class valedictorian.

At least, she was sure before the principal calls Sasha and her cute, effortlessly gifted ex–best friend, Ezra Davis-Goldberg, into his office to deliver earth-shattering news: they’re tied for valedictorian and the scholarship attached…

This outcome can’t be left to chance. So, Sasha and Ezra agree on a best-of-three, winner-take-all academic bet. As they go head-to-head, they are forced not only to reexamine why they drifted apart but also to figure out who they’ve become since. With her future hanging in the balance, Sasha must choose: honor her family’s sacrifices by winning (at all costs) or give her heart a shot at finding happiness?

I just don't understand WHY it is always the girl/woman who has to give up her scholarship, college career, successful business, entire life for the guy in these romance books/movies (especially Hallmark movies! The woman ALWAYS gives up her great career and life to go and help/support the guy's family farm or dream business somewhere in the middle of nowhere, or even in a completely different country! It's ridiculous!)...it makes no sense to me. If HE really loves HER as much as he claims to, why can't he give up whatever failing business he's barely keeping afloat and move to the city and support her in her career while he finds a new path along the way? Sasha's mother has worn herself down to a nubbin supporting her daughter and raising her by herself, and Sasha has worked extremely hard to get top grades and has even set up a great tutoring program to help others, when Ezra just swoops in an takes over her tutoring program and undermines her at every turn and seduces her (and for some reason she becomes a slow-witted idiot at the sight of him...really? Girls are that much of a slave to their hormones? That's so false and sexist!) so that she gives up on the bet and scholarship and lets Ezra win, though he's from a very wealthy family and DOESN'T NEED the SCHOLARSHIP money at all! So her dreams are down the toilet but he's got it all, once again, mainly because he's good looking?! Really? That's just sad, and sickening, and the opposite of an empowering message for young women of today. Though the prose is bright and the plot moves at a decent pace, I'd give this book a C, and I wouldn't recommend it to any young woman looking to follow her dreams of higher education and a great, fulfilling career.