Girl Mans Up

Girl Mans Up by ME Girard is the story of Pen deciding to be who she need to be for herself instead of who others want her to be.

Torn between what her immigrant parents want for her, what her best friend is pushing her to do, and what she feels inside, Pen (short for Penelope) is being pulled in too many directions. Add the fact that the girl she has a crush on is the girl her best friend, Colby, wants her to talk to - for him.

Set outside of Toronto, Girard's book about a girl who doesn't fit the stereotype of what a teen girl should be, is a griping tale that combines all of the pressures of being a teen with that of being split between two cultures and trying to come out in a homophobic setting.

Girl Mans Up will be released September 2016.

Girard, ME. (2016). Girl Mans Up. New York: Katherine Tegan Books.

Dept of Speculation

Dept of Speculation by Jenny Offill is an amazing and unique book.

Beautifully written, this is the story of a relationship. Readers will follow the narrator through meeting someone, getting to know him, getting married and having a child.

Set in Brooklyn, people who live here will recognize some of the more ridiculous and charming aspects of the city.

The amazing thing about this book is that Offill took the time to make each and every paragraph perfect. Each one is physically separated on the page like a stanza of poetry. And each one stands on it own. But together they tell the story of a life.

If you are a fan of books or good writing, check out this unique novel.

Offill, Jenny. (2014). Dept of Speculation. New York: Vintage Books.

Before the Fall

After the Fall by Noah Hawley is a great book that tells the tale of a plane crash - and all of the people on the plane.

A small, private plane is flying from Martha's Vineyard to New York. Aboard the plane are two very wealthy couples, the crew, and a painter. Once the plane crashes, with only a two survivors, the story looks at each person and their lives leading up to that day mixed with the current day National Transportation Safety Board investigation, the news stations speculating on why and how, and the altered lives of the two survivors.

Hawley is a great writer. His book is a well crafted story of disaster, mystery and human interest. I cannot recommend it enough. Buy a copy today.

Hawley, Noah. (2016). Before the Fall. New York: Grand Central Publishing.