The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin

A special thank you to Edelweiss and HarperCollins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Renowned poet, Fiona Skinner, is asked about the inspiration behind "The Love Poem," her most iconic piece. The poem is actually a story about her family and a betrayal that spans years.

The Skinner siblings—Renee, Caroline, Joe, and Fiona—are in limbo. They are caught between their previous life when their father was still alive, and their uncertain future without him. His death sets in motion several events: Joe's baseball career, the Pause (a period of time where their mother was incapable of leaving her bedroom), moving to a smaller home, and one unsupervised summer where they were almost feral by its end. But what happened that summer was that they forged a deep connection and became incredibly loyal to one another.

Two decades later the family is once again marred by tragedy and the siblings are left questioning how deep their bonds really are, their own life choices, and just how far they will go for true love.

Conklin's intimate portrait of the Skinners speaks to family obligation, resentment, tragedy, and above all, love. More specifically, the kind of love that is eclipsed by grief and how one family is changed forever after such a monumental loss.

This sweeping and moving novel spans a large period of time. Conklin tackles the early years with ease but as the Skinners grow, the more dysfunctional and unlikeable they become. Unfortunately this is how she propels the narrative and I couldn't engage with the older versions of the characters. Also problematic was the futuristic dystopian parts, they didn't work or fit with the style of the rest of the narrative and caused unnecessary bulk. Ultimately what saves the book is Conklin's beautiful writing—I loved The House Girl and really enjoyed parts of this book.

TARA CONKLIN worked as a litigator, but now writes full-time. Her first novel, The House Girl. was a New York Times bestseller, #1 IndieNext pick, Target book club pick and has been translated into 8 languages.

Tara was born in St. Croix, USVI and grew up in Massachusetts. She currently resides with her family in Seattle, WA. 

Indigo: An Afternoon with Angie Thomas

Bottom left/top right photo sources: publisher promotional photos. All other photos by Girl Well Read—do not use without written permission.

The Toronto launch of On the Come Up was presented with Indigo Books & Music at Baillie Court in the Art Gallery of Ontario. Angie Thomas sat down with literary journalist, Donna Bailey Nurse, for an in-depth conversation on her body of work.

Thomas travels a lot these days, and that's because she's got another New York Times bestseller on her hands. In fact, at the time of writing this, Thomas is sitting in the number one and number two spots. She brought along her mom with whom she credits for keeping her grounded.

When asked what she thinks the reason for her success is, Angie said that young black girls identify with her characters and went on to say that "What we're seeing—not just with The Hate U Give—but what we're seeing in general with art is that, you know, we're seeing a huge Black Renaissance."

Even though her books encompass the nature of Black experience, they appeal to a multitude of people. It saddens her to have come to learn that "anti-Blackness is global," but that she also sees that "Blackness is beautiful" and that "there areas many different layers to Blackness, so many ways that Blackness looks differently in different areas and different countries."

What about this rumour that young people have short attention spans?

Thomas commented that "we're not giving them things that hold their attention." Growing up in the digital age, young people are aware of the world, they are becoming activists and "they're proving society wrong every single day."

There is a rich literary heritage in Jackson, Mississippi. Touching on some of her influences in writing, Thomas credits Jessmyn Ward whose Logan family (from Sing, Unburied, Sing) influenced her Carter family. She wanted them to be a "contemporary" version of the Logans.

The Hate U Give is Angie's response to police killings of young Black boys. Told by a girl who attends a white prep school, Starr's story is that of so many other girls. It is these stories that are the ones not being told and she wants to empower them. Thomas specifically spoke about Hailey and Chris: there are so many Haileys, meaning people who "never see themselves." Chris is "not woke, he's barely drowsy." Angie says that Chris "starts in a coma and is trying to wake up, but America has given him NyQuil—his privilege has allowed him to be sleepy."

On the Come Up is about Bri Jackson, a girl that wants to be a rapper, but her song goes viral for the wrong reasons. There is an incident involving a security guard and Bri is not given the benefit of being a young woman, instead she is seen as a threat. Angie herself aspired to be a rapper and was even featured in a magazine. She said it was a learning experience, she learned to be authentic. "Rappers make you think, laugh, cry," and that they are "storytellers through rhymes" that are real and authentic because they "speak from the heart."

The character of Khalil haunts OTCU and (being post-Khalil) the characters from THUG are seen from a different angle. Although Bri lives in the same neighbourhood as Starr, they don't know each other. Bri is too much and not enough. "'She’s too loud. She’s too aggressive. She’s too angry. She’s not smart enough. She’s not delicate enough. She’s not wise enough. She’s not intelligent enough,' when the fact is, she’s enough. Period. And she has to come to realize that herself." Thomas says "At the end of the day, you have to define yourself. You have to know yourself, and you have to love yourself."

At the heart of both books is the great love of a Black family and this is front and centre in both novels. Angie also doesn't want to portray stereotypes in her books. Maverick is not a unicorn—stereotypes tell you about the absent Black father. There is so much love within Black communities, and these books are her love letters to them.

What does her writing process look like? 

Thomas starts with characters. For THUG, Starr and Khalil came to her. She then tries to plot around them. OTCU was plotted out of the censorship from THUG. Thomas also uses J. K. Rowling's plotting chart as well as a calendar to help keep everything straight. And yes, she does suffer from writers block: "it's your brain's way of telling you to take a break."

On the Come Up

Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least win her first battle. As the daughter of an underground hip hop legend who died right before he hit big, Bri’s got massive shoes to fill.

But it’s hard to get your come up when you’re labeled a hoodlum at school, and your fridge at home is empty after your mom loses her job. So Bri pours her anger and frustration into her first song, which goes viral…for all the wrong reasons.

Bri soon finds herself at the center of a controversy, portrayed by the media as more menace than MC. But with an eviction notice staring her family down, Bri doesn’t just want to make it—she has to. Even if it means becoming the very thing the public has made her out to be.

Insightful, unflinching, and full of heart, On the Come Up is an ode to hip hop from one of the most influential literary voices of a generation. It is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; and about how, especially for young Black people, freedom of speech isn’t always free.

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ANGIE THOMAS is one of the leading voices exploring Black girlhood. Author of the #1 New York Times bestselling, award-winning novel The Hate U Give, she is a former teen rapper who holds a BFA in creative writing.

Angie was born, raised, and still resides in Jackson, Mississippi.

Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis

A special thank you to HarperCollins Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hollis's goal is to help women unpack unpack the crippling mind-sets that destroy their self-confidence and keep them from moving forward and reaching their full potential.

While she may not be the most radical in the self-help field—after all, a lot of what she is saying is common sense—her heart is in the right place. Hollis's message is simple: women spend too much time apologizing for who they are and don't voice what it is that they want. She reminds us to take 'me' time. So often we don't recharge our own batteries and are left bitter, angry, and exhausted because we have sacrificed ourself in order to make everyone else happy. Sound familiar?

As Rachel Hollis says in the book, "Girl, you do you!".  If you are finding parts of the book are either not applicable, or simply not your bag, move along. Take what applies to you and your life/situation and listen to what she has to say. Her followers love her no-nonsense approach and bluntness. It's like having a good ol' gab with a girlfriend. A friend that is trying to talk you into buying the dress that looks fab on you when you are doubting yourself. Or the friend that gives it to you straight because they care.

Hollis is unapologetic. You are always going to be too much something for someone, and not enough something for someone else. We only need to be enough for ourselves and more importantly, believe in ourselves.

I did prefer the format for Girl, Wash Your Face. Hollis started each chapter with an anecdote (often Google-worthy) in the form of a lie that she once believed, followed by things that helped her overcome the lie. This book is a little different in that it is divided into three sections—Excuses, Behaviors (Behaviours if you are in Canada), and Skills. It was a little heavy on the excuse section which is probably why she changed the format, but stick with it because her trademark honestly, cheeky humour, and effort are abundant.

RACHEL HOLLIS is a New York Times best-selling author (Girl, Wash Your Face), a TV personality, motivational speaker, podcast host, and CCO of The Hollis Company.  

She resides just outside of Austin, Texas with her husband, Dave, and four children.

The Last Resort by Marissa Stapley

A special thank you to the author, Simon & Schuster Canada, NetGalley, and Harlequin Graydon House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Drs. Miles and Grace Markell run the Harmony Resort where they help couples with their failing marriages. It is an opportunity for the couples to reconnect with the gorgeous Mayan Riviera as the backdrop.

Johanna and Ben seem to have a picture-perfect marriage, but they actually don't know each other at all. Shell and Colin constantly argue because Colin is a workaholic and Shell feels like she takes a back seat when it comes to his job, but that's a front for what has really torn them apart, it's actually too devastating to speak of.

Both couples begin the intensive therapy program and it quickly becomes apparent that that Miles and Grace Markell do not live up to their personas. They also appear to be hiding something.

As a deadly tropical storm descends on the coast, trapping the hosts and the guests on the resort, secrets are revealed, loyalties are tested, and no relationship or person will be unchanged.

The Last Resort is perfectly paced with an interesting multiple point of view perspective. With its excellent premise and setting, there is enough intrigue the keep the reader vested in the story. Stapley employs some interesting tactics to move the narrative along—TMZ news releases, dialogue between "him" and "her," and the story alternates between past and present.

The book is clever, tense, and gripping. With themes of loss, love, and an exploration into relationships and what it takes to make them work, Stapley has really come into her own and I can't wait to read what she publishes next.

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MARISSA STAPLEY is the Globe and Mail bestselling author of Mating for Life and Things to Do When It's Raining. She writes the commercial fiction review column "Shelf Love" for the Globe and Mail, and reports on books and culture for the Toronto Star.

She lives in Toronto with her husband and two children.

The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray

A special thank you to Edelweiss and Penguin Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In the same vein as The Mothers and one of my favourite books from last year, An American Marriage, this incredible debut is about mothers and daughters, identity and family, and the complicated relationships that can consume you instead of nurture you.

The Butler family has had their share of trials—as sisters Althea, Viola, and Lillian can attest—but nothing can prepare them for the literal trial that will turn their lives upside down.

Althea is the eldest of the girls and therefore the default matriarch after the death of their mother. She has had no choice but to be strong and is domineering. Therefore it comes as quite a shock to her sisters when Althea and her husband, Proctor, are arrested. They were always such upstanding citizens, active and trusted members in their community, and they are disgraced in an instant. Yet no one knows the real truth, not even the Butler sisters.

Viola and Lillian are left to care for Althea and Proctor's teenage twin girls, yet they are battling their own demons that are impacting their abilities to fully care for Baby Vi and Kim. What unfolds is a story of loyalty, love, and the complexities of relationships—sometimes those we are closest to we know the least about.

The story is told through each sister. Their voices are unique and their character is rich and fully developed. Gray also includes letters between Proctor and Althea during their incarceration. Although they are at the centre of the story, we never get a true sense of who they are and are left speculating like the rest of the characters and townspeople.

This incredible debut was haunting and eloquent. Gray's writing is stunning and complex, much like the relationships that are explored in The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls. She doesn't back down from issues that are real and raw—eating disorders, abuse, depression, guilt, dysfunction, etc., and her characters are left hungry for love and acceptance.

ANISSA GRAY graduated from Western Michigan University and received her Masters in English from New York University. She has world as a print reporter, and in journalism as a writer, editor, and producer.

The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls is her first novel.

Don't You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane

A special thank you to Edelweiss and HarperCollins Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Georgina Horspool is a thirty-something waitress at one of the worst restaurants in Sheffield. She gets fired and humiliated in front of the other diners so that the chef can save face with a restaurant critic. To make an already crap day even worse, she walks in on her boyfriend in bed with his PA, he claims that he didn't know they were "exclusive".

Her brother-in-law gets her a job as a barmaid at a newly renovated pub that is owned by some of his clients. Under strict instructions from her less than supportive sister, she is told not to mess it up. The only problem is that the bar is owned by her first love—the boy she fell in love with in high school—only he's no longer a boy. Lucas McCarthy has grown into a devastatingly handsome, successful man, with a dog. In a cruel twist of fate, Georgina, voted "Most Likely to Succeed" has managed to only have dead-end jobs the last 12 years.

Getting reacquainted with Lucas brings to the surface an event from her past, one that she has tried to push down ever since it happened. Georgina is the only one that knows what really happened on the last day of school and why it has haunted her ever since.

So when a book is named after a kick-ass song that's associated with a kick-ass movie that defined your generation, you read it!

McFarlane is a great writer. There were so many cheeky bits—she's really witty—yet at the same time, there were some beautiful and tender moments. Georgina is a wonderfully-flawed protagonist who is vulnerable yet strong, and is layered and complex. I felt for her. Her family don't seem to be overly supportive or encouraging, in fact there were times where I questioned if they even liked her. She is constantly reminded about her failures and that she should be married by this point in her life (cue eye roll). But how is she supposed to get married when she seems to attract complete wankers?! Speaking of wankers, her roommate was a total pill, and truth be told, I could've done without her.

This book is so much more than romance. It is funny, sweet, and heavy at times. McFarlane explores some complicated relationships, and the dynamic of not being where you thought you'd be later in life and what that does to one's psyche and worth. She created some endearing and engaging characters and I would certainly recommend Don't You Forget About Me.

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MHAIRI MCFARLANE is a Sunday Times bestselling author from Scotland. McFarlane has written four books.

Her name is actually pronounced Vah-Ree and she lives in Nottingham. 

Ayesha At Last by Uzma Jalaluddin

A special thank you to Edelweiss and Penguin First to Read for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ayesha Shamsi is a busy girl. She has put aside her dreams of becoming a poet, instead she works as a substitute teacher so that she can pay off her debts to her wealthy uncle. She lives in Toronto with her boisterous Muslim family who always reminded her that her beautiful younger cousin, Hafsa, is close to rejecting her one hundredth marriage proposal. Even though Ayesha is lonely, she doesn’t want an arranged marriage. Then she meets Khalid who handsome and smart, yet overly straightforward and conservative.  She finds him incredibly irritating and judgemental of her, yet she is attracted to him.

When a surprise engagement between Khalid and Hafsa is announced, Ayesha is torn between her feelings for Khalid and her own purpose. But Khalid is also struggling balancing his wants against his beliefs—he can't stop thinking about Ayesha.

I first heard about this book at an author event I attended last summer (doesn't summer seem like forever ago?) and I was immediately intrigued. It was wonderful to hear Uzma speak about her inspiration for the book. She is utterly delightful and enchanting, I encourage you to attend any of her events.

Jalaluddin has a gift for writing engaging dialogue. Her writing is clever with humour sprinkled throughout. She also highlights the timely and relevant issues that immigrants face, even in more multicultural countries like Canada.

Toronto is the perfect setting and I enjoyed learning more about our Muslim communities. Jalaluddin deftly guides the readers though the complex duality that her characters face; they are trying to honour their beliefs and culture without being conformed by the society they are trying to assimilate.

I highly recommend this modern retelling that has has been optioned for film. What a great acquisition! I think that this piece will translate well on the big screen and I really hope the studio stays true to the book and shoots it in Toronto. Congratulations, Uzma!

UZMA JALALUDDIN is a teacher and also writes a funny parenting column named 'Samosas and Maple Syrup' for the Toronto Star, Canada's largest daily newspaper.

She resides in Toronto with her husband and children.

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

A special thank you to Edelweiss and Penguin for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Bride Test is a spin off of sorts from The Kiss Quotient, Hoang's smash debut. This book is about Khai, who is Michael's cousin. He has no emotions when it comes to love or grief; he is literal, he likes when things balance (he is an accountant), and is easily irritated with others, especially when they touch his things. He thinks he is defective when in fact he is not, he is on the spectrum. His overbearing mother, Cô Ng, decides it is time for him to get married and takes matters into her own hands. She returns to Vietnam in order to find him the perfect bride.

Esme Tran is a mixed-race, single mother that lives in the slums of Ho Chi Minh City. She has always felt she doesn't belong. When Cô Ng offers her a chance to come to America to seduce her son, she accepts. This could not only be the break her little family needs, but she could also track down her biological father.

Seducing Khai proves to be incredibly difficult—instead of making Khai fall in love with her, she is falling head-over-heals for him. With her time almost up, and with Khai convinced he is unable to love, Esme feels she has failed.

But there is more than one way to love.

I found this book less provocative than The Kiss Quotient because there was more build up and tension and I certainly don't mean this as a criticism. It was more about the journey of falling in love, learning one's likes, dislikes, boundaries, and an exploration in the discovery of pleasure and consent. Esme and Khai's journey is a learning experience.

This story is smart, sassy, sexy, exactly what you would expect from a romance book. But on the flip side, Khai's struggles are real and genuine. Hoang really shines here and brings forward her voice and experience also having Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Hoang's character development is incredible. She pens characters that are layered, complex, and flawed, yet are incredibly endearing. I adored Esme and learned by reading the Author's Note that she is loosely-based on Hoang's own mother who was also an uneducated immigrant (I encourage you to read this, it is informative and touching). There is also humour sprinkled throughout—I especially enjoyed Quân and the dynamic between him and his brother.

Helen Hoang is a gift. She brings to life characters that are not considered mainstream, but their stories need to be told and are just as valuable, enlightening, and entertaining.

HELEN HOANG has been addicted to romance since she was in grade eight.

In 2016, she was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in line with what was previously known as Asperger’s Syndrome. Her journey inspired The Kiss Quotient.

She currently lives in San Diego, California with her husband and two kids.  

After the End by Clare Mackintosh

A special thank you to Edelweiss and Penguin for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Max and Pip are best friends, lovers, soul mates. They are unshakable, the strongest couple you know. But then their only son, Dylan, gets sick and they are faced with making a decision—that no parent should ever have to make—based on recommendations from the doctors that care for their son. For the first time in their relationship, they are not in agreement and each wants a different future for their son. Max doesn’t want to give up on Dylan, he wants to seek alternative treatments to prolong Dylan's life, whereas Pip doesn't want to give up on Dylan, but she doesn't want him to be in pain for the rest of his days.

What if they could have both?

This book was a gift even though it totally shattered me. It is an emotionally wrought page-turner about an impossible situation. Because none of us know the future, we make our decisions based upon the facts we have at the time. MacIntosh draws on her own personal tragedy and reflects on the life-changing decision that she and her husband were forced to make for their own critically ill child.

There is an incredible plot twist done through the narration (that unfortunately I see is given away in the publisher provided synopsis). I literally had to reread the ending of the proceeding chapter because I was so caught off guard. What an interesting take on a narrative that has been done time and time again and I loved it!

Mackintosh's After the End explores marriage, parenthood, and love. It brings us a family that forges new relationships in the face of tragedy and speaks to the resilience of the human spirit. This is a story of hope, of what the future may bring, and what the heart tells us.

CLARE MACKINTOSH is the New York Times and #1 international bestselling author of I Let You Go, I See You, and Let Me Lie, translated into more than thirty-five languages and with more than two million copies sold worldwide.

She lives in North Wales with her husband and their three children.