April Book Club Reviews
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The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
Alexa Monroe works in Berkely but is across the bay visiting her sister in San Francisco. Drew Nichols is in town for an ex’s wedding, dreading going without a date. The two of them find themselves stuck in an elevator when the power goes out. And while all that happens is flirting, Alexa finds herself agreeing to be his “fake date” for the wedding. And obviously, the evening starts with a fake date, but it’s something more real by the night’s end.
I will be completely honest here; romance novels are a bit outside my regular reading fare. But a few articles explaining the problems within publishing and marketing that have led to a sexist disregard had convinced me to give the genre a shot. Earlier this year, in the book club, we had read The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams. The plot of that novel involved a bunch of baseball players who created a romance book club to better themselves and improve their relationships. Not exactly high concept, but self-aware enough that I figured it would be fun. And while I found the book fine, I didn’t really feel all that strongly about it. So when this one came up as the first in a new romance series with solid recommendations, I figured I would find it similarly fine.
Imagine my surprise when I clicked with it shortly after cracking the spine. The plot is just a meet-cute, but the writing is so breezy that I found myself flying through the pages. There are just little touches here and there that make the story engaging. I like that the author and main character are Black, which introduces layers to many of the social interactions, from tension when she’s the only Black person in any given situation to keeping Drew on his toes for dating someone who’s not the standard “tall, thin, and blonde” that everyone is used to seeing him with.
Small things give the characters a bit of extra depth to their existence that make this book pop. Alexa thinks of herself as short and a little too heavy. Drew’s insecurity which he overcompensates with a jocular but non-aggressive demeanor. While the story is simple, these characters seem real. Without any hesitation or embarrassment, I can absolutely recommend this romance novel and will be reading the follow-up: The Proposal.
Review by Adam
I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Trigger Warnings: Death, Drug addiction, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Suicidal ideation
Jude and her twin brother Noah are inseparable. Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude wears red lipstick, cliff-dives and does all the talking for the both of them. Three years later, they are barely speaking. Something has happened to change the twins in different yet equally devastating ways. Told from two points of view, the past in Noah’s and the present in Jude’s, Jandy Nelson’s I’ll Give You the Sun is a story about first love, family, loss, and betrayal.
The book’s unusual structure (told from two separate points of view of two different characters, three years apart) has the potential to be a confusing mess, but Nelson handles it with grace. Both threads are compelling and give the characters unique opportunities to show character growth and relationship changes. Nelson’s writing is expressive and imaginative, full of metaphors and imagery. You can tell Nelson thought deeply about every word in the book. Nelson writes lines like “Mom picks up a knife and thrusts it into his gut, twists. Dad forges on, oblivious.” and “Jude barfs bright blue fluorescent barf all over the table, but I’m the only one who notices.” While some of the writing may come off as gimmicky to some, I thoroughly enjoyed the eccentric style.
Here’s why I recommend this book for adults: The character development, growth, and transformations are beautifully written. The relationship between Jude and Noah is ever-changing and compelling; you want to know what happened between the twins, and the payoff is incredibly rewarding. From the quirky writing style, you sense that the characters are just bursting off the page. The book delves into Jude and Noah’s relationship with each other and their relationship with their parents, plus their parent’s relationship with each other, bringing more mature themes into the book. While the characters are teenagers, their problems and feelings are real and relatable to all ages. It’s easy to get into this book and hard to put down. If you want a book that deals with love, family, jealousy, loss, betrayal, and sexuality that is powerful and well crafted, then I cannot recommend this book enough.
Review by Liz
Guts by Raina Telgemeier
Guts covers a lot of categories here: it’s non-fiction, it’s a graphic novel, and it’s aimed at tweens. However, it’s a great read for almost anyone – especially someone trying to understand anxiety, and even more for someone unfamiliar with mental health struggles trying to identify anxiety in a child or teenager. Telgemeier, a prolific and popular graphic novelist for middle graders, traces her history with anxiety back to middle school, where she struggled with different fears and physical manifestations of anxiety. It is her own life story, so it occurs primarily in the 90s when not everyone had even heard of mental health, and therapy seemed like it should be a secret to most people.
GoodReads calls Guts “thoughtful, charming, and funny,” which is a succinct way to sum it up. It traces the author’s struggles while also teaching kids (and parents!) about how and why people experience anxiety. It helps remove a bit of stigma from therapy, phobias, and family troubles. The graphic novel aspect really brings Telgemeier and her family to life – and shows what’s going on in her head in creative ways. Besides these more serious themes of mental health, this book also portrays sibling rivalries, friendship issues, and school troubles. Its images are realistic, informative, and fun while telling a true story. Read Guts in one sitting, alone, or with your favorite worrisome youngster!
Review by Shelly
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse by Charlie MackesyI’m going to take the description for this book from Penguin’s website because it’s the best description, “The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse isn’t a conventional picture book. Rather than a linear narrative, it’s a collection of quiet musings and conversations. The four titular characters meet one another and share each other’s confidence. It’s not aimed at any clear audience, and works as well for eight-year-olds as it does octogenarians. And yet, in the final dark months of 2019, the tremulous beginning of 2020 and the swirling chaos of the pandemic year, it offered hope to hundreds of thousands of people” (Vincent)
This book isn’t a traditional graphic novel; it’s more like a picture book filled with beautiful illustrations and meaningful messages. The boy is on a journey and meets a mole who joins him on his journey. They encounter a fox and a horse, and the group relies on each other as they journey home. Along the way, they share their views on life, love, and friendship. And cake. I liked the mole for his love of cake.
The text may be a little hard to read, as it’s handwritten. There is an audio version that is read by the author that is well done. Pick up the book to enjoy the illustrations as you listen to the story!
Vincent, Alice. “‘This Book Saved My Life’’How the Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse Became a Publishing Phenomenon.” www.penguin.co.uk, 7 Oct. 2021,
www.penguin.co.uk/articles/2020/feb/the-boy-the-mole-the-fox-and-the-horse-saved-my-life.html.
Review by Amelia
Love Overdue by Pamela MorsiDJ is your stereotypical librarian, prim, proper, and downright dull, except for that spring break she let loose and had one amazing night with a total stranger. She can’t stop comparing any man she’s tried to date to him for the last eight years, and she never even got his name! She takes a job at a small-town library and meets a whole cast of quirky yet charming people, including her spring break mystery man, who happens to be the son of the library board’s president, who also happens to be her landlord. Scott has doesn’t recognize DJ as his mystery woman, but he too hasn’t forgotten her in the last eight years. These two have to deal with awkward conversations and many other issues before they “find” each other again.
With April, including National Library Week and Librarian Appreciation Day and its national spring break season, I thought this book would be the perfect one to recommend this month. Usually, I’m not too fond of books that play heavy on stereotypes, but this one worked for me as it reads like a good ole Rom-Com movie. There are quirky characters, that small-town charm, and some drama. There were a lot of awkward moments that made me laugh and roll my eyes.
I liked that both DJ and Scott are very focused on being what people expect them to be, and they both wanted at least one experience of not being that person, and it has stuck with them these last eight years. They shared an instant connection that has shaped their relationships and is evident once they reconnect. This book is an excellent read if you want a contemporary romance that is light and sweet.
Review by Amelia
Trigger warnings: Domestic abuse
This is the story of Lily Bloom, who grew up witnessing her father abusing her mother and feeling helpless to do anything about it. Deciding to live life on her own terms, she graduates from college, moves to Boston, and starts her own business. She meets Ryle, a handsome surgeon who is brilliant, charismatic, and maybe even a little arrogant. Lily, who promised herself that she would never end up in an abusive home again, and Ryle, who never wants to get married and have children, come closer with time. When Atlas, Lily’s first love and now a successful chef, turns up in Boston, he asks Lily the same questions about her relationship that she should’ve been asking herself all along. With a heartbreaking situation, Lily’s refusal to acknowledge the truth of her situation slowly changes. With all the strength she’s mustered over her life, she once and for all makes what might be the hardest decision of her life.
I went into this book never having read any of Colleen Hoover’s books and not knowing that my heart would be in pieces by the end of it. Was I in tears multiple times throughout this book? Yes. Would I reread it and cheer for Lily (who, by the way, is one of the strongest fake people I’ve met) throughout it? YES! It Ends with Us brings to light the painful realities of so many women in the world and offers a perspective on just how complicated their situations might be and what they might be feeling. This is a raw, emotional, honest, and inspiring romance that shows just how many kinds of heartbreaks there can be.
Review by Sai