From the Library 8/14

From the Library is my Friday listing of what I checked out from the library this week.

Slow week but that's good since I need to get caught up on the books I have checked out. I'm trying to read The Summoning (Armstrong) and Rumors (Godbersen) before Monday. Wish me luck on that one. Anyway...

Between Mom and Jo - Julie Ann Peters (for the GLBT Challenge)
Nicholas Nathaniel Thomas Tyler has four first names and two mothers. As the only child in his class with gay parents, he endures the taunts and prejudices of classmates and adults over the years as best he can, drawing reassurance and strength from his parents. Challenges nearly overwhelm him, though, when their relationship ends; Jo moves out, and Nick, now a teenager, is left with Erin, his birth mother. Peters captures the voice of an adolescent sorting through the memories of his childhood in poignant prose that rings with truth. As Nick develops from a boy to a young man, he must address his own sexuality, his ties to his family, and his need to assert his individuality. This novel is a timely exploration of the struggles faced by same-sex couples and their children, and while the issues are significant, the story is never overwhelmed by them. Because Jo lacks biological or legal relationship to Nick, he can be cut off from her with no recourse, which makes his experience slightly different from that of other children of divorcing parents.


Enthusiasm (audio) - Polly Shulman, writer; Jennifer Ikeda, narrator (for the Everything Austen Challenge)
Julie's best friend, Ashleigh, is an enthusiast. Julie never knows what new obsession will catch Ashleigh's fancy, but she does know she's likely to be drawn into the madness.

Ashleigh's latest craze is Julie's own passion, Pride and Prejudice. But Ashleigh can't just appreciate it as a great read; she insists on emulating the novel's heroines, in speech, dress, and the most important element of all—finding True Love. And so Julie finds herself with Ashleigh, dressed in vintage frocks, sneaking into a dance at the local all-boys prep school, where they discover some likely candidates.

The problem with Ashleigh's craze this time, however, is that there is only one Mr. Darcy. So when the girls get a part in the boys' school musical, what follows is naturally equal parts comedy and romance, as a series of misinterpreted—and missed—signals, dating mishaps, and awkward incidents make Julie wonder if she has the heart for True Love.

Love, Cajun Style - Diane Les Becquets (I've been meaning to read this for a long time but I'm suspicious of writers who write about Louisiana without actually being from here. It makes me nervous.)

It’s the summer before Lucy’s senior year in high school, and life in her sleepy Louisiana town is about to be turned upside down. Her mama’s flirting with the dark stranger who runs the art gallery, her best friends Mary Jordan and Evie have boys on the brain, the drama teacher is sparking some powerful (if very, very wrong) feelings in Lucy, and a new boy has moved to town—Dewey, whose gentle ways captivate her. With everyone, including herself, so embroiled in affairs of the heart, it is any wonder the town of Sweetbay is fixin’ to have itself one sweltering summer?