Fam, if you're in the market for perfect beach or pool side reads I've got a couple of winners. They're in my favorite YA romance genre. Just PLEASE before you settle down and get comfy exercise due diligence with the sunscreen. Future you will be grateful.
"'And you know how Wharton is. They don't just want some typical straight-A .student. Academics is just one part. They want leaders, not lazy soon-to-be seniors who can't even get a job at the bakery.'"
Rochelle, protagonist of Zakiya N. Jamal's If We Were A Movie, is obsessed with getting accepted at her mother's alma mater. She's done her academic due diligence, being on track to be valedictorian. But something is missing. She's applying to an ejlite business school and she's, never held a job the summer before her senior year.
Fortunately she gets a job at Horizon Cinemas, a beloved Black founded and owned multi plex. There are only two problems. Her immediate boss is Amira, her academic rival and all round nemesis. And someone seems to be trying to sabotage the theater to force it to close.
"Some people don't think asexual or aromantic people count as queer, or just not queer enough without another letter tacked on, and--well, it's a shitty feeling, being told that you don't belong by people who are supposed to know what it's like to be treated like there's something wrong with you."
What I love the most about Amanda Dewitt's Wren Martin Ruins It All is that her narrator, Wren, is unapologetically ace. In my experience people who are ace encounter the most entrenched prejudice. IDK. Maybe it's because of the idea that developing sexual attraction is an integral part of growing up. The narrative so often is that they just haven't found the one or are somehow deficient.
At the beginning of his senior year in high school Wren has been bumped up to student council president. And does he ever have plans for change. "'I want to abolish the Valentines Day Dance,' I say with all the confidence of someone dropping an atomic bomb. 'And redirect the funding into the school's infrastructure to actually improve this place for everybody who goes here after us.'"
In Wren's opinion it's just plain wrong to devote such a huge amount of the school's very finite resources to a one night event that won't benefit many of the students when the badly in need of repair facilities endanger them all. The year before a student performing in a play fell through the stage.
Wren has a problem even bigger than the love of the student body for the dance. His newly bumped up vice president, Leo, just happens to be his personal nemesis. And Leo believes that they can get the dance sponsored by a social media ap called Buddy.
Needless to say, Wren is not a happy camper.
It doesn't look like Wren and Leo are going to work together well...
...unless...
On a purrrsonal note, today I'm enjoying a perfect day 📚 and writing outside near my beautiful flowers. Today when I walked to train for the mountain climb I wore my new used boots. They are very comfortable and seem perfectly suited to the mission. I am SO EXCITED about achieving my goal and raising money for a good cause. Also it is getting less hard to give up the foods I enjoy. It's been weeks since I've had candy, 🍰, ice cream 🍦...you know the yummy sugary stuff. Of course I can't give myself a treat to celebrate because human treats have too much sugar. So I have to enjoy watching Tobago enjoy a treat. She's going to get an unexpected tin of her beloved Fancy Feast.
A great big shout out goes out to my kids and friends for being there for me during this traumatic transition. And a great big shout out and tons of wishes go out to my good friend, Bailey, who is marrying the love ❤️ 😍 💖 ❣️ 💕 💘 of her life today. They are such a cute couple!!!
Jules Hathaway
Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone
