Rachel Reads & Reviews

Sharing books for everyone

  • Ranking The Friendship Ring

    This 1998-2000 series precisely disects, and relives to the messiness of friendship and adolescence. As the first protagonist introduces the series, seventh grade is where hormones hit you and you end up crying on the bathroom floor over nothing. Something Zoe Grandon thought she’d never do. But then again, she never thought she’d get a crush on her neighbor, Tommy Levitt nor want CJ Hurley to share friendship rings with her so badly. And it is that friendship ring that starts the desires and drama for the friend group.

    1. Not That I Care: The third book is unique as it only takes place during one class period in Morgan’s life instead of over several days as with the other girls. Morgan causes the most drama. Of course, it stems from insecurity and a generally aggressive attitude that makes even her good-intentioned acts come across as snarky and manipulative. Plus her home life is not the best either with her immature Dad running off to be an actor, her Mom’s short temper and the low-income situation. The ‘Bring Yourself in a Sack’ project that has been the center of the previous two books is used to its full extent as Morgan freaks out about how personal each item is and flashesback to their significence and thus relates to the present day. It was a fascinating and unique way to give insight to Morgan.
    2. If Only You Know: The first book introduces Zoe Grandon, the friendliest and most well-adjusted girl in the grade. In fact, she and her family are considered so stinking happy and perfect, they could be a sitcom. Even Zoe believes that about herself but as her older sisters warn her, hormones will change her to someone she doesn’t know. It’s true and Vail paints a painful relatable picture of how everything feels so important and fragile in Zoe’s life. Zoe feels on top of the world yet horribly insecure, mood varying wildly that she feels out of control all the time and the gossip of girl world only makes it worse. It’s a great introduction and shows Vail’s expertise in teasing out all the very real feelings.
    3. Popularity Contest: The book serves as an nice full circle moment to the series. While nothing is quite resolved (especially on the Olivia end), Zoe realizes several important things about friendship like honesty and communication (not that it solves everything) as well as likability which Zoe has struggled throughout the series.
    4. What Are Friends For: Olivia has been on the fringes of the series, and the friend group which she acknowledges. She tends to put off the other girls with her moral righteousness and intellectualism. In fact, she finds most of the girls in her class, and her friends to be ridiculous with their preoccupation with popularity, primping and boys. She prides herself with asserting her individuality and not falling for such shallow concepts. Then she gets a crush and everything turns upside down where she almost considers backing off her morals to fit in and even getting to know Morgan? While I found Olivia to be a little bit unbelievably precocious, she was such a unique protagonist with a defined personality that it kept me invested. I only wish her arc could have been touched upon more in the last book.
    5. Please, Please, Please: CJ’s book is good as shows the hidden steel and rebellion under the shy ballerina. While she has intense talent, and a vicarious stage mother, CJ doesn’t want to be a prodigy, she wants to blend in and hates the thought that others see her as stuck-up for her ‘specialness.’ Her story was engaging, fast-paced and complex especially in relation to her mother. It simply comes second to last because I found the others more intriguing.
    6. Fill in the Blank: This seems to be a companion book rather than part of the series. Even the internet is confused as some websites say this is #6, others say it’s #5. I lean to companion because it breaks away from the circle of girls to focus on Tommy Levitt. While it is interesting to see his side of the story (and how totally clueless he is) and some very funny observations, it did feel very disconnected from the rest, and I wished a little more depth from him and how he regards masculinity but then again, he’s a teenage boy so I really shouldn’t be expecting such reflection from him.
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  • Ranking Wondergirls

    No, no, not the Kpop group from the 2000s Wonder Girls. I’m talking about the early 2000s book series from Scholastic by Jillian Brooks. It’s generic as it’s all about four girls and their ups and downs in the ever complicated girl world of friendship but it’s a solid series I believe like a disney sitcom. Predictable but entertaining enough with good lessons.

    1. And the Winner Is. . .: Amanda is running for class president despite her fears of public speaking. But that’s okay because she has her friends by her side and a solid campaign platform until a major rift forms when the school suggests cutting the arts funding for soccer. Now, it’s friends vs friends and the whole thing becomes a popularity contest. This one comes first because I enjoy Amanda’s character the most and I found her platform and her speech to be very well written. And though I found her friends were being harsh when they turned against her for missing a few meetups to work, I once again found it to be a reasonable rift, highlighting the series’ focus on realism.
    2. Perfect Harmony: Traci and Felicia head to the Chicago with the rest of the orchestra for the state semi finales, a competition Traci is dreading since she still hasn’t been able to master the piece. That is, until a cool boy from a rival orchestra teaches her a technique. . . and he may have a crush on her?! Problem is, cool boy is bad news but Traci can’t seem to see it. There is a bit of romance in this book, but in a slow burn sort of way since everyone is in sixth grade but I enjoyed the sweet build up between Ryan and Traci. Yes, there was another friendship conflict (a fact thankfully acknowledged by Traci who accidentally adds to the fire in her attempts not to fight) but doesn’t come across as overwrought or annoying. It even has some mother-daughter bonding.
    3. The Makeover: When Felicia feels bummed over her dad’s new girlfriend, Arielle decides to help her with a makeover, beauty wise and confidence-wise. But then Felicia supplants Arielle as the most popular girl in school! Arielle is a decent friend in this book which is great as the previous ones displayed her selfishness and toxicity in full force. Arielle actually tries to be nice, and though her flaws (selfishness, vainity, pride) still get in the way, it comes across less harshly as it did before. Plus the reunion between Arielle and Felicia was super heartwarming.
    4. Growing Pains: The debate over the arts vs sports budget continues and Amanda makes a stand for the non-funded arts program to show the school board (and her friends) why the arts are necessary. Still relatable to today’s world, Amanda’s book is once again a favorite and I enjoyed the continued progression of everyone’s characters. Can’t say more because of spoilers but it’s good.
    5. New Girl: The first book in the series introduces Traci, the titular new girl, to Wonder Lake, IL where she’s excited to now be with her summer friend, Felicia all year round. But Felicia seems more interested in being popular and being friends with Amanda and Arielle. The latter whom Traci clashes right away on the soccer field. Predictable but a good beginning in establishing all the characters’ personalities, relationships and setting up continuing themes.
    6. Birthday Blues: Felicia’s one wish for her birthday is for her parents to get back together and when her dad seemingly breaking up with his girlfriend, her wish may just come true. Yes, it was glaringly obvious that it wouldn’t, but I think it would be relatable for kids of divorce to still wish for a reunion especially as Felicia sees how amicable her parents are; so her desperate desires did seem realistic as they used selective clues.
    7. Troublemaker: Felicia’s first book reveals she’s more than a former shy girl, showing her anxieties and insecurities as she tries to maintain her new circle. And ends up getting everyone in trouble when they help her try to break up her dad and girlfriend. This gets last place because I just felt the girls were so irrational snide to the girlfriend. I get that they’re only twelve but I found it mean-spirited.
    8. Team Player: This book comes last because it shows Arielle at her worst, and most selfish, and she doesn’t even learn as she continues to excuse herself and her attempts to become unselfish are still rooted in making herself look good so it’s more performative than selfless. So yeah, I guess it’s only good because you can admire the progression from here to The Makeover.
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  • Top 5 Disney Girls

    Released in the late 90s, this children’s series by Gabrielle Charbonnet (pen name of Cate Tiernan, author of the fantasy Sweeps series among others involving witches,w warlocks and wiccan for adults) follows the adventures of six girls living in Orlando, Florida who have a big secret. Not only do their lives echo their fav Disney princesses, but they are Disney Princesses.

    It brought me immediately to that wonderful imagination of childhood and wonder as the girls are convinced of their “real” identities, using it as a guide to see magic everywhere they are, to be kind to others, and solve their problems through the magic of friendship. Schmaltzy but adorable.

    I also really enjoyed the combination of the girls’ imagination and the ambiguity that there maybe is a bit of magic in their lives even as adults may dismiss it as a coincidence or overzealous fantasy.

    Each of the girls is unique, harboring the traits of each Disney princess (Jasmine, Belle, Snow White, Ariel, Pocohontas, Cinderella) but in a more realistic way that relates to the current experiences in 90s Florida.

    Plus it has some interesting 90s slang I never heard of like ‘get glossy’ and ‘blow my hair back’ which. . . yeah, I can see why they have not stayed in the mainstream.

    Anyway, let’s get to it, my top 5 favorites.

    1. One Pet Too Many: Paula is my favorite of the girls, not only as the eldest but as someone who is an animal-lover, mature and mellow. She’s the peace-maker of the group and wears her heart on her sleeve, at least when it comes to her animal rescues so she’s heartbroken that her parents won’t let her keep an injured armadillo she rescued. So, like in any good kid sitcom, she hides it in her closet. There’s a good lesson here about friendship (as one of the subplots is Ariel’s seeming allergic reaction to all of Paula’s pets and the fur that’s on all her clothes) as well as nature and freedom.
    2. Cinderella’s Castle: Ella is still adjusting to her new life with her stepfamily (not cruel as in the movie, but she doesn’t click with them as she imagined she would) and her newfound realization that she is. . . . kinda boring. She wants to shake things up and not be old, dependable Ella. First with a new wardrobe, then by bringing a fantastic cake for the class party. Unfortunately, her masterpiece isn’t working out as she wants which is driving organized, perfectionist Ella crazy. Charbonnet draws an interesting arc for Ella as she realizes that she is partly to blame for her uncomfortableness with her stepfamily, still stuck in the idea of doing all the work herself just as she had done when it was just she and her Dad. Ella has to learn to embrace her family and accept their help as much as she takes her friends’ help.
    3. Beauty’s Revenge: Isabelle’s beast is no handsome prince but her annoying next door neighbor. Kenny has played pranks on Isabelle and her friends all her life, but unfortunately, their parents are friends and Isabelle’s parents commit the greatest betrayal when they have a chicken pox Kenny stay over for a week while his parents go on a business trip. Living in close quarters with Kenny is the worst and spurs Isabelle to commit some pranks of her own. I’ll admit, Isabelle’s plan was sort of ingenious and funny, but the resolution between the two is nicely tied in with the class’ ancestors project. They emerge from the experience with . . . well not a new friendship but a trice but who knows how long that’ll last.
    4. And Sleepy Makes Seven: This one gets on the list because it was the first one I read after finding it in a used bookstore in Madrid. Yukiko already has five siblings, all boys, and she desperately wants her new sibling to be a sister. It’s a cliche plot but it was engaging enough with its sweet friendship and magic to make me remember and finally urge me to buy the rest of the series.
    5. Adventure in Walt Disney World: The super special features the POV of all the girls when they get a surprise trip to the Disney Institute. But impulsive Ariel accidentally mixes up the forms and the girls end up in classes they have no interest in (shy Ella in improv, pacifist Paula learning karate, Jasmine learning storytelling etc.). But Paula urges them that this might be a magic test and that they should step out of their comfort zones. Which they do, and they all discover something new about their abilities and what they believe they could do. It has all the adventure as the title suggests in the happiest place on Earth with fun descriptions of the different, classes, rides and whatnot. Unfortunately, it gets number five because even though it’s longer than the other books, it still felt surface level and I wished it had been longer to see the girls growing more in each of their classes.
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  • Supermartian in Torch-Songs

    Alright so maybe this is just relevant to the YJ fandom and those who have knowledge of events occurring in season 2 of the show, but it’s a comic book so I’m putting it in my book blog. Aka the importance of reading tie in comics.

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  • Ranking Magic Attic Club Specials

    Another series from a small publisher, also connected to a store catalogue of dolls, clothes and acessories, the Magic Attic Club follows four (later five) friends who befriend their neighbor, Ellie. She owns the titular attic where, when the girls put on the amazing outfits, they’re transported to out of this world adventures from going back in time to meet their ancestors to becoming snow queens. Generally, they’re individual adventures but there are four specials. Not all equal though.

    1. Beyond the Attic: The second special introduces the fifth girl in their special club, Rose whom the girls intially butt heads at first. But after deciding to give her and themselves a second chance, they tell Rose their secret and get a total Night in the Museum adventure. Okay, there’s no dinosaurs playing fetch but its still a magical way to spend Christmas. I liked the lesson about trying to see past first impressions and the girls learning to put their strengths together when it looks like they’ll get trapped beyond the attic.

    2. The Secret of the Attic: The first book in the series has a great set up, nicely introduces each of the girls while hinting at possible plots in future books. It just gets second because it doesn’t have Rose. What can I say, I like the rare indigenous represetation.

    3. The Ghost of Camp Whispering Pines: While the first two specials were Christmas-themed, this is all about summer as the girls escape the heatwave to go to camp. That’s pretty much it, they do scavenger hunts, eat awful camp food and they encounter what they think is a ghost. It’s cute, but not very memorable.

    4. Jewel of the Sea: This special felt completely unnecessary. With the others, you can see why it was chosen as a group adventure and had some interesting dynamics but this could have easily been an individual adventure. I didn’t see why there needed to be all five of them to help a snobby British girl celebrate her birthday. So yeah, this comes last.

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  • Ranking Kat the Time Traveler

    It’s the summer so I’m back on my summer reread. Which is a lot of kids book, mainly from the late 90s. Yes, they’re generic and cliche but they’re also very comfortable like an old. . . like an old book. Anyway, let’s get to it.

    The premise follows 10 year old Kat and her physicist aunt who find an incomplete time machine from the late, great-uncle Malcom. With a litte tinkering, they manage to make it work and end up in Victorian England for the Grand Exhibition. That’s only the first of their many adventures where they find history needs a little helping hanf to come out right every once and awhile. Also the illustrations as you can see above are amazing!

    1. Secrets of the Nile: Maybe it’s because I was reading Samantha Knox earlier this year but the archeological scene in the 1920s is just fascinating and Kat’s inadvertant adventure on the Nile is just as fun when she helps a little boy find the real archeological thief and release his innocent father from jail.

    2. The Emperor’s Gift: Nostalgia is probably what puts this one in second place sincce it’s slower than the others but it is a time period that doesn’t get much love in fiction. China during Marco Polo’s travels. And Kat and her aunt accidentally impede Marco’s journey with their presence as magicians in the Khan’s court so it’s up to them to get the Polo’s back on track and save the princess from her arranged marriage. I enjoyed how Aunt Jessie and Kat used a bit ingenuity and “magic” to save the day and cover their tracks in the history books. Plus it hints at a greater mystery regarding the time machine’s medallion power sources.

    3. Kat the Time Traveler: The first book in the series creates a delightfully intriguing introduction when Kat and her aunt end up in Victorian England. Then a mix up with their bags threaten that they may stay stuck in time if they don’t find the two inventors with their missing machine. Unlike other time travelers, I appreciated that Kat and Jessie were smart in not trying to radically change beliefs and ideals that wouldn’t fit in the era but find work arounds like encouraging their room renter to take interest in her servant’s education.

    The Missing Notebooks: The final book in the series is just another adventure for the duo when they arrive in Florence and meet Leonardo di Vinci whose art and his strategies end up in the hands of a Pisa spy. While it’s a nice story and has some high flying action, showing young readers why Leonardo is considered such a Renissance man (he coined the term after all with his multi talented hyphanate), I found the others more enjoyable.

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  • Jim Colucci Interview

    Jim Colucci is a freelance writer and commentator on today’s and yesterdays entertainment offerings, especially sitcoms. Writing for such outlets as TV Guide, The Advocate, and his blog, Must Hear TV, Colucci has also written comprehensive companion guides to such hits as Will and Grace, All the Family and of course, The Golden Girls. Colucci graciously took the time to answer my questions on the impact of sitcoms, writing companion guides, the Girls’ LGTBQ fandom, and of course, favorite Golden Girls episode.

    1. You’ve been a mainstay in the entertainment business, what were your tv influences?

    I was always influenced by sitcoms more than dramas, perhaps because sitcom problems are usually neatly wrapped up within 23 or so minutes.  The shows have almost always been aspirational, showing us the ideal of who we could be, rather than who we are. (If I wanted to see who we are, I certainly could find examples both good and bad in real life in suburban New Jersey.  I didn’t need the TV for that!) 

    Growing up, on some level knowing I was gay, with somewhat conservative parents, in a household rightfully dominated by the needs of a disabled sibling, brought with it a great deal of pressure to achieve. All those factors also just made me “different” – which would turn out to be a good thing later on life, but which would also make me stand out in the way that kids don’t want to among their peers. Television was both the perfect escape for me and the perfect tutor.  My parents planted me and my disabled brother in front of “Sesame Street” several times each day, hoping that it would spur him to talk and read.  It didn’t work for him, but as a result, I read before age 2.

    My first TV loves were “The Electric Company” and a local New York children’s show, “The Magic Garden.” Soon after, shows like “The Jeffersons” and “Good Times” showed me people I wouldn’t regularly have encountered in my mostly white suburb. “All in the Family” and “Maude” taught me about politics. “The Golden Girls” and “Designing Women” brought me into a world of hilarious wit but also activism, bringing perspectives on social issues more progressive than what I would have encountered at home. 

    “Moonlighting” became appointment viewing for me and my whole high school friend group, who would gather together every Tuesday for a new episode, and quote the lines throughout the week. “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “The Bob Newhart Show” and “Newhart” were well-constructed and starred actors with impeccable comic timing. 

    And I did watch quite a few hour-long shows/dramas; “Dynasty” and “Falcon Crest” brought high fashion and high camp. “Charlie’s Angels” and “Wonder Woman” were just ridiculous fun. My dad, who didn’t usually pay much attention to scripted TV, always reminded me when it was time to watch “Wonder Woman.” I was glad that he was taking interest in one of my shows. Now of course I get that the appeal was Lynda Carter in her costume.

    Later on, TV helped me deal with being gay and come out.  I can thank “thirtysomething” for being a pioneer in depicting two men together. And I loved that on Showtime’s sitcom “Brothers,” one of the titular characters, who was gay, was presented with dignity, and made it seem possible to be out (and he was Italian-American to boot!)  By the late 1990s, as I was making the coming-out journey myself, “Will & Grace” inspired me.

    I lived for the clever parody and expert comic bits contained in the “Get Smart” reruns I watched after school – and when the show was then moved into the wee hours of the morning on Channel 5 in New York, I would try my hardest to stay up until 2AM to see it. Unfortunately, I often fell asleep. 

    But nothing beat “I Love Lucy,” which ran both at 9AM and in an after-school timeslot, and was of course the font of all kinds of comedy, from physical to character-based to joke writing, the show that invented it all. I remember one night in junior high, miserable from having gotten my braces tightened that afternoon, the only things that could cheer me up and make me laugh were “Lucy” after school, and then the brand new episode of “Laverne & Shirley” that night at 8:30 on my local ABC station; it was the one where they get hired as extras in a Troy Donahue film, playing cavewomen clumsily swinging on vines.  Who wouldn’t laugh at that?

    It’s really hard to discern which shows shaped my sense of humor and what I think makes for good television in terms of form and structure, and which ones shaped my character and sense of self.  I guess the answer is that the best of the shows I mentioned did both.

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  • Book Highlight: Obviously Imogen

    Since it’s Pride Month, I figured I should priotize some LGTBQ centered book and what better start than with Becky Albertalli. I mean The Upside of Unrequited and Simon vs the Homo Sapien Agenda were great, and this new story was no exception especially as it’s one close to Albertalli’s experience.

    You may have heard of the controversy where Albertalli was forced to come out as bi after aggressive discourse over straight authors profiting over queer stories. It’s more complicated than that but that’s how I’m going to sum it up, you can go search for me if you want to. But Albertalli’s coming out opened a new can of worms over being identifibly queer, being closeted, what gives one the criteria for queerness or questiioning or queerbaiting etc. Like I said complicated.

    And that’s the mess Imogen gets into when she visits her best friend, Lili in college. Imogen can’t wait to get out of her comfort zone, especially at Blackwell where she’ll be attending in just five months. What she did not expect that in a burst of baby gay insecurity, Lili lied to her friends that Imogen and her dated. They’re cool exes now but Imogen is nervous that she’ll ruin the lie and nervous that Lili’s cool friends think she’s bi when everyone at home knows her as the straightest person ever. Capital A Ally but obviously straight.

    So what does it mean when Imogen starts getting fluttery feelings for Tessa? That she’s addicted to texting her, making the girl smile, wanting to make her laugh in turn. She can’t actually be bi? She would have known by now, wouldn’t she? So is this a case of going method or has there been more to herself than obviously straight?

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  • Avalon High Review

    Since reading School for Good and Evil (and my roommate binging Merlin) I got interested in the story of Arthur, Camelot and all that jazz. I don’t know why it never interested me before but it’s actually really cool! I mean the big prophecy, shady relatives and a sizzling love triangle. 

    So I headed right to an adaption by one of my favorite authors, Meg Cabot who ties Camelot’s prophecy of The Once and Future King with a lesser known yet adjacent poem, the Lady of Shallot aka Elaine of Astolt. 

    Elaine of Astolt is nothing like Elaine Harrison who only shares the name because her parents are medieval literature professors. Professors on sabbatical for their books on that very subject, uprooting her from their home in Minnesota for a year long stay in DC. Major bummer for Elaine who has to go through the new girl thing at Avalon High. And yes, the names foreshadows everything in Arthurian legend from golden boy class president A. William Wagner, best friend Lance, girlfriend Jennifer and unstable half brother, Marco and Elaine is unwittingly drawn into the repeating history of legend. 

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  • May Books

    Take the Lead by Alexis Daria

    If you enjoy Dancing with the Stars, readers will love Daria’s Dance Off series where long time instructor, Gina has been dying to get a trophy after ten seasons of losing. Unfortunately, she gets paired with reality wildnerness star, Stone whose claim to fame is that he’s tall and silent. . . and hot. Not that she cares, she’s going to be professional about this and get the trophy. But the show’s producers are pushing for a showmance and the more time they spend with each other, it’s hard to deny the heat.

    As usual, the chemistry Daria writes between her couples are off the charts and I was as drawn in as Gina and Stone were. It helps that behind the cameras, the two have a lot in common, vying for a more grounded, realistic life to follow their dreams than the flash of fame.

    In fact, Stone’s big secret is that most of his reality show is a lie. He doesn’t live with his family, he wasn’t homeschooled. In fact, he quit his job as an engineer so he could film the show, and the reason he has been relegated to strong and silent is because he’s a bad actor who can’t stay the constraints of reality tv. He only does it for the money, but the more time Stone spends with Gina he realizes he wants to break out of the box the show has put him in and pursue what he wants. Gina has long been in casual relationships, putting her career first but her attraction to Stone is more than a fling and she finds that she trusts him–she loves him even if she’s scared to admit it. The problem is the showmance puts her career in jeporady as she’ll be falling into promiscuous Latina tropes just when she’s being respected as a professional chereographer and dancer.

    Despite the flashy premise, I enjoyed how mature and realistic the dynamics between everyone was with a little reality tv drama. I can’t wait to read the next one.

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