4 posts tagged “fred flare book club”

I have begun this post half a dozen times, but never seem to be able to finish it...however, both Anne's roarsome post on the FF Blog and the rather late date have convinced me to just get my scheiße together and post!


In case you couldn't tell, that is me reading this month's Fred Flare Book Club pick, Promise Not To Tell, to my jack o' lantern (who, due to the delayed nature of this post, is already a mushy, moldy heap in the compost).

Yes, I am getting rather into it. And yes, I do have french braids in, like the girl on the cover. Yes, I did just realize that now.

Promise Not To Tell is really a rather thrilling read, all spooky and mysterious — quite different from last month's, The Perks of Being a Wallflower. As soon as I got it (yes, over a month ago...sorry, peeps, I know I've been as flaky as a cherry pie) I sat down and started reading, and I did not stop until I finished! I just had to know what was coming next. I am not the only one who felt this way, Keith and Jen (watch out on loading Jen's post...it is terrifying) were also drawn in to the story...though I don't think they quite made it through in one fell swoop.

The way the book is structured is that it has pretty much two storylines: the present day, and some years (can't recall exactly, and I haven't my book in front of me) in the past. The past storyline tells of Del Griswald, a.k.a. The Potato Girl, whose brutal, mysterious murder left its mark on the small town and those who knew her. The present day storyline begins with another murder of a young girl, so like that of Del, that leads the town to whispering. The Potato Girl's presence looms large in the collective conscious, and connections begin being made, whether they are valid or not.

The narrator is someone who knew Del as a child and left the town when she grew up, returning just in time for the for the second girl's murder. We see things through her eyes as she struggles to figure out what is going on now, what truly happened all those years ago, and what it all means for her and those she loves.

It is quite an excellent book, and will definitely keep you guessing and surprised, not to mention creeped the heck out! Pick up a copy at your local library, independent bookstore, or at Fred Flare.com

My pun'king got tired of my lame azz read-aloud skillz and made me let him read it himself. Loser.

Literaturally yours,
Charlotte

Oooh, look at the pretty pretty Fred Flare Blog post about the FF Book Club! Dang! The FFBC is so entirely amazing, I am not even kidding you. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a pretty much genius book. I highly recommend it! And I also highly recommend popping over to the FF blog and checking it out...leave a comment if you've read it about what you thought! Link a picture of yourself with the book!

In a horribly paraphrased quote from Teen Girl Squad, "I wish the book could be my ringtone!" Yep.

Love always,
Charlie

I can't believe that I'm a week late on posting this up...my excuse is that I didn't get the book right away and then was super-busy this week. Anyway, better late then never, riiiight?

Did you see the post on the Fred Flare Blog a month ago about the Fred Flare Book Club? You can click the link to  chex it out, but pretty much what happened is Keith posted about how awesome books are and asked for people's suggestions for the first ever Fred Flare Book Club pick! About a gazillion people commented, which was amazing, and about eight trillion fantastic books were suggested! Keith and I looked through all of them, and, after much difficult narrowing down, picked this book:

I first encountered it at SEP about 3 years ago or so when a girl had a copy and my entire floor read it. I totally loved it, but it kind of slipped to the back of my consciousness and I didn't really think about it much (except for random times) until now. So, what's it about? Well, the back has a pretty darned awesome blurb so I'll just type that up:

Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor. This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative new voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks Of Being A Wallflower.

This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.

So...that convince you? Not quite? OK. The reason why I love this book is that it is written in a beautiful, simple style. Charlie knows the perfect words to match the emotions and experiences of his life. Charlie is innocent, funny, insightful, and willing to share his life with the unnamed "friend" through letters. He's pretty much everything I wish I was, and, since he is named "Charlie," I kind of like to pretend that I am him, some times. It sure would be nice to have someone to write letters to, like he does. Someone who listens but doesn't respond so they don't judge you or tell you you're right or wrong or do this or that or anything...

I would definitely recommend reading this book!! If you don't have a copy, pick up one at the library! Fred Flare also has it on special for $9.99, or you can stop by your local independent bookstore. Read it, enjoy it, and stop in at the FF Blog on October 17 for a super discussion of fun!!

Love always,
Charlie