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graftonway · 7 years

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we shall fight

It’s been hours since the movie ended and I’ve taken the train home and listened to music and washed up and eaten grapes and scrolled through tumblr and still all I hear is this:

tickticktickticktickticktickticktick

You hear it throughout the film. It stays with you, seeping into your brain until you’re conditioned to it, until everything ticks and continues to, until you’re hyper-aware of rhythm and even phone notifications blinking, your typing, remind you of it. A friend described it perfectly as taking a long breath and not being able to breathe while holding it. The feeling that’s dropped to the bottom of my stomach hasn’t left yet; I’m still waiting for something to happen. I don’t even know what, but it’s stifling, tense, overwhelming. And that is all of Dunkirk in a nutshell.

This isn’t, strictly speaking, a war movie. Frankly I’m not even sure it’s a movie. It seems to be - or at least pretend towards being - everything: horror, thriller, documentary, symphony, cinematography, emotion, art. Much like the way it spans all three branches of the armed forces (land, sea, air), it tries to be everything at once. Perhaps in the hands of a lesser director this would have ended a disaster, but - and forgive me if I’m being crass with this comparison - Nolan, like Dynamo, plucks salvation from what could have been absolute catastrophe.

The first thing that you take away from Dunkirk is the sheer scale. Of course, as a history student, I’ve seen the photos of the beaches before, long unyielding lines that stretch as far as there is beach. Nolan does it slightly differently. Instead of one snaking, scattered queue there are multiple short ones, cinematic as anything and yet still overwhelming in number. It makes for a great introduction to the film, sets the stage for what’s to come. The aesthetic beauty that war sometimes begets versus the horrific reality it encompasses. The constant push and pull between the patience of the body of waiting men, never heard once to complain, and lack of time that’s played out again and again. Tiny, moving human parts and the weight of the unmentioned German war machine.

Nolan’s movies are always clever, though here the cleverness isn’t as immediately obvious as something like Inception. It’s a layer that you peel back and revel in as you watch. It’s something that builds up, in all its scattered parts and broken pieces, pieces that you collect and store until they come together and make sense. Take the premise of time here, for instance. Words on screen that are always meant to provide context do the opposite here: ‘the mole / one week’, ‘the sea / one day’, ‘the air / one hour’ make no sense to the viewer as they settle in. But all it takes is for one shot - Cillian Murphy’s face in the dark on a boat, straight after his appearance in the bright sunshine on a different vessel - to realise what it means: the action is all taking place in a different time scale. And that moment hits you like a punch in the gut, even though it’s the most simple of revelations. A perfectly positioned callback. Without even knowing why you begin to watch the film differently, all because of the buildup that explodes with one miniscule yet incredibly powerful detail.

It’s this same kind of buildup that squeezes itself into the music. The movie lurches between sound from the get go - the quiet of walking down the street to the startling pops of gunfire, the brief moment before the torpedo hits to the jarring explosion. War sets in here without a single line of expository dialogue, the way it can weigh down other films (the “war is hell, boys” trope that even Hacksaw Ridge was guilty of). Instead all we get is the constant, jarring soundtrack, so loud and in your face that you are drawn into all of the violence and spectacular chaos (something that the multiple timelines also lend themselves to). This builds and builds until it ends, abruptly, twice: firstly, when the Little Ships come into view, and secondly, on the train that Tommy and Alex crumple into. The suddenness of the way it ends is as jarring as any explosion or loud dramatic orchestral note, all the more sharp for its absence. We get sweeping, nostalgic strings over the view of the flotilla, and pure silence (combined with the same sweeping music later) when Tommy falls into the seat.

Which is why so much weight comes to rest upon just these two scenes - the ships and the ending - and why I want to talk about those in particular. It will come as no surprise that they’re the two I cried at; as a kid I read about the Dunkirk spirit and the Churchill speech, and they both have special meaning for me. Add to that me just being a complete and utter sap for nostalgia, sentiment, painfully obvious emotional manipulation.

There’s enough emotional impact in the story of the Little Ships themselves that any film could pull it off with suitable heroic payoff, but it’s just done so very well here. The ticking of the pressure cooker and the fear of death instantly vanishes, replaced by the heartwarming, exceedingly British orchestra. For there is some measure of nationalism (I hesitate to say propaganda, but) with this, as with all war movies; it’s an unavoidable trope, yet one handled so well here. It’s muted - the only flag is the one in the small corner of a larger blue flag, blurred in the background of Mr. Dawson’s boat. Bolton (a place name in and of itself) calls out to some of them, asking where they’re from. And in the end the boats go by an approximation of Dover. But the real focus is on the humanity of the people who came to save the troops. No dialogues or stars in these scenes: just civilians, just ‘home’. Some reviews were critical about the lack of character names and the like, but I think that was done intentionally for this reason, to demonstrate how humanity is about being and not knowing. With the lack of the tickticktick in the background Dunkirk’s first message is, ironically, hammered through: in a movie so packed with tension, it isn’t actually the tension that’s important, but how we escape it. Only later do you get introduced to some of the characters’ personal lives - Dawson is so determined because his son died - but that doesn’t matter, because the heroism is already there. If the movie is a breath you’ve been holding then the Little Ships are the moment you breathe out.

Character development is hardly present in the movie, which makes it all the more impressive that we still manage to feel for and care for every single one of them; I think this is one of the greatest achievements of the film, in that Nolan somehow gets to the heart of war and the rawest of our emotions. Too many war movies get bogged down in character development, the false belief that you need to know the character in order to feel for them shifting the focus away from showing actual war itself. But Nolan understands this, and makes the choice not to identify his characters. The three Mole soldiers look the same; the French soldier’s real name is never given; and Tommy’s name is a generic epithet for all British soldiers. They have no personal characteristics at all. And yet, when Gibson is drowning inside the boat, your heart seizes; you want him, desperately, to get out. Here Dunkirk takes on the shape of the great war novels, like the nameless French soldier in All Quiet On The Western Front. This is the horror of war - that everyone dies - and the real way to experience it is being frightened of death itself, not just fleshed-out characters you have come to feel for dying.

In fact there’s barely any dialogue in the movie, either, except for necessary communication; Bolton is the most heavy-handed in exposition, but otherwise words are limited to observations about the tide, speculation on target practice, explanation for locking the door. Which is why everything that isn’t technical carries so much weight. Collins’s breezy ‘afternoon’ regardless of his near-death experience might be played for laughs but it’s also a conscious remarking on the stereotypical British spirit. One that struck me deeply is Peter’s ‘he’s fine’ to the Shivering Soldier (or something to that effect) - in just one phrase the dilemma of shell shock, the question of blame, and the soldier’s innocence are perfectly captured. But my favourite, of course, as someone weaned on Churchill, is the speech.

As a twelve, thirteen year old I memorised that speech, word for word, all the way till the end. I’ve listened to it many times. And I can’t even begin to explain how emotional I got when Tommy began to read it out and all the cuts from each time period began to intersect with each other. If ever the movie was disparate (and I don’t think it was, and I don’t agree with people who did) it came together at the end, each thread drawn together by possibly the most iconic, recognisable historical device. The sense of unity, of destiny, of a swelling, growing belief in the job left. The two last images of the film - the burning spitfire and Tommy’s face - cleave so perfectly into each other; I don’t think I’ve felt that kind of breathtaking momentousness from an ending for a very, very long time. Farrier gets captured but he’s also arguably the biggest hero of the film, saving countless numbers of people on the beach that hour. He ends up captured and his plane ends up burning, but the Germans didn’t burn it - he did, and in doing so it becomes a symbol of defiance in the face of defeat. We are always reminded that this is a defeat. But that doesn’t signal futility and devastation.

One of the reasons I say that this isn’t a war movie is because the enemy is never really there. Besides the last scene, where Farrier is captured, you don’t see any German soldiers (and even those are blurred out). That gives you the impression that this isn’t about triumph, in any way, but about survival, as the old man in the end so neatly put it. All we did was survive. That’s enough. Many horrors of war are depicted here. Drowning in the locked hull of a torpedoed ship, waiting patiently on a packed bridge for Messerschmits to strafe you. Violence, while not graphic, is never shied away from. Tension and impending doom is built masterfully, whether through Collins’ helplessness watching Farrier or Bolton closing his eyes to wait for death. But while you get the feeling that it is inescapable, you never get the feeling that it is insurmountable, and that is what Dunkirk is about, really. My major qualm with the movie before I watched it was how they were going to turn it into a triumphant, gun-waving kind of thing when it was a defeat. But it’s not about defeating the Germans, because as Churchill said wars are not won by evacuation. Not even about the end of a battle given the continuous references to what is yet to come. It’s about what matters most to us, what the ‘Dunkirk’ used in modern British parlance now refers to: human spirit and endeavor. Battling on.

Dunkirk is probably not the greatest war movie I’ve ever watched (although that is a topic for another time). It has, of course, its problems. I’m not sure how much credence the lack of poc claim has as I haven’t had the time to go look it up yet, but other tiny things niggle here and there. Yet one of the major criticisms I’ve heard about this movie is that it’s too intense and action focused and, of all things, I think that that’s the least concerned anyone should be about it. You can’t capture all of war in a single movie. You can barely capture certain experiences. If other movies are allowed to develop other aspects, like character and the mundanity of war, why shouldn’t Dunkirk be allowed to dig deep into the terrifying tension and uncertainty that is so fundamentally a part of it (being shelled while in foxholes is another example that comes to mind)? There is emotion in intensity, and humanity is found everywhere. Even in the most painful, most terrible of times.

There’s a trope in Waiting For Godot about the weary, fallible hero, the human struggling to create meaning and stay alive in the most downtrodden noble sense. It’s a trope I’ve always thought applies to the way the British view themselves and certainly something that applies here, weary soldiers and civilians alike picking themselves up with the haunted promise in Tommy’s face. Youthful and yet tattered, dark and hollow yet with a measure of steel that lends backbone to that famous line: we shall go on to the end.

#dunkirk #dunkirk movie #christopher nolan #film analysis #i could go on about the cinematography more probably i need to watch it again #god the sound #cinematografix

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londontheatre · 6 years

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Fluid (Jack O’Neill)

There are times when I really wish I could write. Not these reviews but something worthwhile. They say everybody has a book inside of them but I’ve yet to find mine. As for writing a play, fat chance. Maybe that is why I enjoy nights such as Xposed which was a new writing night of eight short plays at the Hen & Chickens Theatre.

The evening started with a play called Fluid, written by Nick Maynard, Directed by Shafeeq Shajahan and performed by Jack O’Neill. This was a monologue with Jack’s character being a rough, ‘chavy’ boy from Bolton on a stage supposedly performing a rap for the eager audience – which included his mum, brother, girlfriend and friends. Only our lad has other ideas and is going to use this opportunity to tell everyone something that he has been hiding.

Immediately the play started, my thoughts turned to “oh great, another coming out play”, but no, the writer was far cleverer and more subtle than that. This story was deeper and really revolved around the question of is there a difference between having sex and making love? The short answer is yes, definitely and Jack’s character really goes into some detail about why and how it is different. The language is quite graphic and thanks to the delivery, also much more erotic than you would have thought. A lot of this is due to Jack’s performance which feels exceptionally real and powerful in his use of tone and language to get his point across. A great start to the show.

Next up was Stars by DJ Sylvis, Directed by Edwina Strobl and performed by Tris Hobson and Jack Doyle. A tale of two people in love though they live thousands of miles apart from each other and have never met. But the two of them have an open sky full of the wonders of the universe above them and this really brings them together in a very gentle but at the same time really romantic way. Over a late night phone conversation, they discuss the stars and planets kidding each other in a soppy but loveable way as the stars shine above them.

Stars was a big change after Fluid and worked really well as a play in its own right. The story was very gentle and the two actors really seemed to work well together in bringing this long distance romance to life. I loved the starfield but my one criticism is that neither character had a phone in their hand which just really stood out as a strange anomaly in the staging . Even a fake one that lit up would have been good. However, ultimately, this was a really nice play.

Number three and it’s monologue time again with Angus Fisher’s The Scene directed by Chris Davis and performed by Freddie Wintrip. This is the story of a young lad on a gap year who on a trip to Bangkok, decides to go a little bit wild.

All the way through this play, I kept wondering how a boy as naive as Freddie’s character managed to cross the road by himself, let alone travel round the world. This was a really typical, shallow, twinkie gay guy who seemed to walk into situations with his eyes shut then be surprised when they went wrong. Whilst Freddie played him extremely well, I really had no empathy with him and at the end, was not that worried about where he went from now on.

Finishing the first half was, what turned out to be my favourite play of the evening One Night Fran by Adam Szudrich, performed by Olivia Davies, Reena Lalbihari and Tori Louis. This is the story of three women, all of whom go on a date with Fran. The three dates are virtually the same but each woman sees her time with Fran in a completely different way.

Oh, this was perfection. The writing was excellent, the direction gentle but perfect and the acting brilliant. There was a lovely lyrical quality to the three stories, told as interweaving monologues, that just worked perfectly. The twists at the end of the story were nicely timed and performed, leaving me, for one, really wanting to know what happened next when the lights went down. Awesome.

After the interval and we were back with Mark Daniels’ play Something About Billy. Directed by Jake Leonard and performed by David K Whiting, Katharine Jee and Daniella Finch, Something About Billy was a really nice story centred around Billy’s 21st birthday meal with his family. Before he arrives, Billy’s mum gets to the restaurant early as she has some news to impart to Billy’s dad about their son.

So, yes, Something About Billy is a ‘coming out play’ but it was a really lovely one. I loved the reaction from Kevin, the father, on being told – in a pretty blunt way – by his wife that their son was gay. Although my father took the news reasonably well when it was broken to him, I think that internally, his reaction was probably the same as Kevin’s internally. I also really loved Billy’s mum Michelle and her tactics of winding up her husband by repeating a certain phrase that I couldn’t possibly mention here. There was a nice chemistry between the two parents and overall, this was a heartwarming story told in a really amusing and enjoyable way.

Gold Star (left Beth Eyre ,right Roseanna Frascona)

Next up was Gold Star written by Roisin Moriarty, directed by Will Maynard and performed by Roseanna Frascona and Beth Eyre. The story of two ladies on a first date, Gold Star was a really interesting approach to a subject that, even now seems to plague the LGBT+ community, that of bi-phobia. Although I, like most people, didn’t identify with many of the comments being thrown around, unfortunately, they were all ones that I have heard round the LGBT+ community at one time and another. Overall, Gold Star confused me slightly. On a personal level, no matter how much attraction I felt for someone, I would have ended the date relatively quickly if they had spouted as many negative and at times ignorant statements that were presented by someone supposedly trying to impress on a first date. So, although I wasn’t keen on the scenario, I was impressed that the subject was raised and that for every negative point, there was a positive. The two actors looked and sounded good together, and although not entirely my cup of tea, the whole production was well put together and very thought provoking.

On to our penultimate play. Written by David Hendon, The Temp is a tale of unrequited and forbidden infatuation as Russell (Derek Murphy) falls hook line and sinker for the new office temp, Tom. Unfortunately for Russell, there is nothing he can do about things as not only is he closeted at work, he is also a married man and somehow he doesn’t think his wife would approve of his lustful thoughts over Tom. Coulda business trip to Manchester be the catalyst Russell needs to be free?

The Temp was an interesting piece. Delivered as a monologue, Russell’s story probably resonates with a number of men of a certain age who have allowed their lives to be dictated by convention and have ended up living a life that isn’t of their choosing. It is impossible not to feel sorry for Russell, though he never portrays himself as a victim. I have to admit I guessed the ending about halfway through but even so, I really felt for Russell when it happened. A nicely written piece, well directed by Sam Luffman and portrayed exceptionally well by Derek Murphy.

Finally, to end the night it was the turn of Oakley Flanagan to present their play Pray Your Wings Will Carry You. In a loud gay bar Curtis (Hassan Govia) meets Gabby (Josh Enright). The two of them hit it off and a night of passion follows. Curtis considers himself all man and sexually he takes on the traditional male role, whilst he treats Gabby – who identifies as non-binary – as a woman in the bedroom. This leads to friction and Curtis is confronted with examining the role he has assumed and the preconceptions he has formed about people’s places in theworld of love and sex.

Pray Your Wings Will Carry You (left Hassan Gavia, right Josh Enright)

A really powerful play to end on, Pray Your Wings Will Carry You tackles the subject of male/female/non-binary in a forthright and thought provoking way that is bound to get people talking in the bar afterwards. I’m pretty ‘right-on’ when it comes to the LGBT+ community but I inwardly made the same assumptions as Curtis when it came to assigning roles in the bedroom for these two, and it was really great to have these ideas – which I didn’t really realise I had – challenged in this way. The two actors circled each other beautifully – thanks to some lovely movement by Director Alex Prescot and the story flowed nicely from their initial meeting to the final moment as they looked towards… what? Well that was left for the audience to make their mind up.

Xposed was a really well curated evening by Full Disclosure Theatre with a great assortment of plays that, while centred around the LGBT+ community, covered a myriad of different themes. It was great to see subjects like men who sleep with men for pleasure, bi-phobia and non-binary genders being tackled in real style. My one gripe with this and similar events is that you rarely, if ever see a play that is about older, less perfectly formed gay men. Maybe this is because all the writers are younger people but I do worry that, to an outsider, most of these plays – with the exception of One Night Fran – made it look as if the life of gay people ends when their youth fails. Still this is a minor moan and probably says a lot more about me than anyone associated with the production.

Overall though, the evening was highly enjoyable and, as these events always do, reminded me forcibly of how much talent there is in the fields of writing, directing and acting out there and how many stories are waiting to be told.

Review by Terry Eastham

About XPOSED: XPOSED takes place on 19 and 20 November at the Hen and Chickens Theatre, near Highbury and Islington station. The night will feature eight plays by eight emerging writers, and you can read more about each one below:

Fluid by Nick Maynard Directed by Shafeeq Shajahan Now everyone’s equal and everyone’s the same. But some of us don’t want to be the same. What happens in a post-gay world when sexuality becomes fluid?

Stars by D.J. Sylvis Directed by Edwina Strobl A conversation between two universe-crossed lovers who’ve never met, brought closer by the stars that surround them both.

The Scene by Angus Fisher Directed by Chris Davis This trip to Bangkok won’t be forgotten anytime soon. A tale about what happens when you mix love, sex and alcohol.

One Night Fran by Adam Szudrich Directed by Sepy Baghaei When three women go on separate dates with Fran, they see the same things in very different ways.

Something About Billy by Mark Daniels Directed by Jake Leonard Michelle has something to tell Kevin about their son Billy. A comedy about coming out to a traditional, working-class family.

Gold Star by Roisin Moriarty Directed by Will Maynard To some, squishy bits are irrelevant. To others, they’re all that matter. A primary school teacher gives her date a light-hearted lesson in acceptance.

The Temp by David Hendon Directed by Sam Luffman Russell becomes infatuated with office newcomer Tom – he just hasn’t told his wife. A weekend away at a conference offers Russell the chance to confront who he is.

Pray Your Wings Will Carry You by Oakley Flanagan Directed by Alex Prescot A chance encounter in a gay bar becomes an examination of the roles we play in sex and love

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afoolsingenuity · 7 years

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Looking Forward // April 2017

I’m mixing things up a bit this month. Normally I only include books which I haven’t read yet and I am excited to read but this month I decided to include all the books I’ve both read and haven’t which are being released this month. I want to get folks excited for books and I want to make sure everyone wants to read too. Basically, I am attempting to spread the love whilst failing epically at talking myself out of spending money.

Geekerella - Ashley Poston Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Retelling, Young Adult Release Date: 4th April 2017 Red Sister – Mark Lawrence Genre: Fantasy Release Date: 6th April 2017

Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad’s old costume), Elle’s determined to win…unless her stepsisters get there first.

Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons—before he was famous. Now they’re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake—until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise. But when she disappears at midnight, will he ever be able to find her again?

Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom.

It's not until you're broken that you find your sharpest edge.

A brilliant new series from the bestselling author of PRINCE OF THORNS.

"I was born for killing – the gods made me to ruin"

At the Convent of Sweet Mercy young girls are raised to be killers. In a few the old bloods show, gifting talents rarely seen since the tribes beached their ships on Abeth. Sweet Mercy hones its novices’ skills to deadly effect: it takes ten years to educate a Red Sister in the ways of blade and fist.

But even the mistresses of sword and shadow don’t truly understand what they have purchased when Nona Grey is brought to their halls as a bloodstained child of eight, falsely accused of murder: guilty of worse.

Stolen from the shadow of the noose, Nona is sought by powerful enemies, and for good reason. Despite the security and isolation of the convent her secret and violent past will find her out. Beneath a dying sun that shines upon a crumbling empire, Nona Grey must come to terms with her demons and learn to become a deadly assassin if she is to survive…

A brilliant new series from the bestselling author of PRINCE OF THORNS.

Why Am I Excited?

Well, I’ve read it so it’s easy to give reasons why I’m excited for everyone else to get reading but it is one I want to get my own copy of. I mean, it’s a brilliant book and it’s one for all those who have been a part of any fandom ever. Also, I am very much in love with Darien and I’m not normally a fan of celebrities in books.

Why Am I Excited?

I got an ARC of this book in my Illumicrate box and I’ve not started yet but it sounds amazing. I’ve not read anything from Mark Lawrence before so I am a little nervous about it. It looks utterly awesome, though.

Letters to the Lost – Brigid Kemmerer Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult Release Date: 6th April 2017 Alex, Approximately – Jenn Bennett Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult Release Date: 6th April 2017

Juliet Young has always written letters to her mother, a world-traveling photojournalist. Even after her mother’s death, she leaves letters at her grave. It’s the only way Juliet can cope.

Declan Murphy isn’t the sort of guy you want to cross. In the midst of his court-ordered community service at the local cemetery, he’s trying to escape the demons of his past.

When Declan reads a haunting letter left beside a grave, he can't resist writing back. Soon, he’s opening up to a perfect stranger, and their connection is immediate. But neither of them knows that they're not actually strangers. When real life at school interferes with their secret life of letters, Juliet and Declan discover truths that might tear them apart. This emotional, compulsively-readable romance will sweep everyone off their feet.

Bailey “Mink” Rydell has met the boy of her dreams. They share a love of films and talk all day – Alex is perfect. Well, apart from the fact that they’ve never actually met . . . and neither of them knows the other’s real name.

When Bailey moves to sunny California to live with her dad, who happens to live in the same town as Alex, she decides to track him down. But finding someone based on online conversations alone proves harder than Bailey thought, and with her irritating but charismatic (and potentially attractive?) colleague Porter Roth distracting her at every turn, will she ever get to meet the mysterious Alex?

From the author of Night Owls comes a story of summer, first love and hidden identities . . .

Why Am I Excited?

Another book I have read already but had to make sure got a feature because it is an utterly amazing read. I know some people haven’t enjoyed it but I seriously loved this book. I loved the connection between Juliet and Declan and they were utterly adorable and then the book dealt with grief and a complicated relationship between parents and children. I just loved it.

Why Am I Excited?

I have been excited about this book for ages and all I see is rave reviews of this book. I want to read it so bad so I need to get a hold of a copy. I mean Jenn Bennett writes good books anyway but this is a sex positive books which everyone seems to have loved I want to read like last week.

Duels and Deceptions – Cindy Anstey Genre: Historical, Romance, Young Adult Release Date: 11th April 2017 The Upside of Unrequited – Becky Albertalli Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult Release Date: 11th April 2017

Miss Lydia Whitfield, heiress to the family fortune, has her future entirely planned out. She will run the family estate until she marries the man of her late father's choosing, and then she will spend the rest of her days as a devoted wife. Confident in those arrangements, Lydia has tasked her young law clerk, Mr. Robert Newton, to begin drawing up the marriage contracts. Everything is going according to plan.

Until Lydia—and Robert along with her—is kidnapped. Someone is after her fortune and won't hesitate to destroy her reputation to get it. With Robert's help, Lydia strives to keep her family's good name intact and expose whoever is behind the devious plot. But as their investigation delves deeper and their affections for each other grow, Lydia starts to wonder whether her carefully planned future is in fact what she truly wants…

Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love. No matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can’t stomach the idea of rejection. So she’s careful. Fat girls always have to be careful.

Then a cute new girl enters Cassie’s orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly’s cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly's totally not dying of loneliness—except for the part where she is. Luckily, Cassie's new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. If Molly can win him over, she'll get her first kiss and she'll get her twin back.

There's only one problem: Molly's coworker, Reid. He's a chubby Tolkien superfan with a season pass to the Ren Faire, and there's absolutely no way Molly could fall for him.

Right?

Why Am I Excited?

I mean, it’s a historical and a romance and it sounds awesome. I heard about this book last year and I’ve just been counting down to the release ever since. I have enjoyed all the Swoon Reads books I’ve gotten so I don’t doubt I will feel the same about this one. I just need it in my life already.

Why Am I Excited?

Another one I actually have an ARC of but I’ve not read it yet. I am so excited/nervous about this one as I’ve not actually read an Albertalli book before but I heard about this one at the beginning of the year and I wanted to get reading it.

Fireworks – Katie Cotugno Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult Release Date: 11th April 2017 It Happened on Love Street – Lia Riley Genre: Contemporary, Romance Release Date: 25th April 2017

From Katie Cotugno, bestselling author of 99 Days, comes Fireworks—about a girl who is competing with her best friend to become the new pop star of the moment—and all the drama and romance that comes with it—set in Orlando during the late-'90s boy-and-girl-band craze.

It was always meant to be Olivia. She was the talented one, the one who had been training to be a star her whole life. Her best friend, Dana, was the level-headed one, always on the sidelines, cheering her best friend along.

But everything changes when Dana tags along with Olivia to Orlando for the weekend, where superproducer Guy Monroe is holding auditions for a new singing group, and Dana is discovered too. Dana, who’s never sung more than Olivia’s backup. Dana, who wasn’t even looking for fame. Next thing she knows, she and Olivia are training to be pop stars, and Dana is falling for Alex, the earnest, endlessly talented boy who’s destined to be the next big thing.

It should be a dream come true, but as the days of grueling practice and constant competition take their toll, things between Olivia and Dana start to shift . . . and there’s only room at the top for one girl. For Olivia, it’s her chance at her dream. For Dana, it’s a chance to escape a future that seems to be closing in on her. And for these lifelong best friends, it’s the adventure of a lifetime—if they can make it through.

Set in evocative 1990s Orlando, New York Times bestselling author Katie Cotugno’s Fireworks brings to life the complexity of friendship, the excitement of first love, and the feeling of being on the verge of greatness.

The most romantic place she never wanted to be . . .

Pepper Knight moved to Everland, Georgia, as step one in her plan for a successful legal career. But after this big-city gal's plans go awry, going home with her tail between her legs isn't an option. So when the town vet-and her sexy new neighbor-offers Pepper a temporary dog-walking job, she jumps at the chance. No one needs to know that man's best friend is her worst nightmare . . . or that Everland's hot animal whisperer leaves her panting.

The last thing Rhett Valentine wants is to be the center of small-town gossip. After his first love left him at the altar, he's been there, done that. These days, life is simple, just the way he likes it. But sultry southern nights get complicated once sparks fly between him and the knockout next door. When she proposes a sexy, secret fling-all the deliciousness and none of the prying neighbors-it seems too good to be true. And it is. Because Pepper's determined to leave Love Street, and when she goes, she just might take his heart with her . . .

Why Am I Excited?

A book set in the 90s? I am totally down for that. I have enjoyed Cotugno’s past two books, I had issues with them but I enjoyed them and this is the last chance I’m giving her to totally impress me but I am excited. I think it’s the 90s setting, I am a 90s child after all.

Why Am I Excited?

I blame this one on Nick. All of it. She told me about this book on Twitter and then I got myself a review copy! What?!?! I am insanely excited to get reading but I’ve been waiting to read until it’s closer to the release because that’s how I roll. I adore romance and I trust Nick’s opinion absolutely.

And those are my books for April (maybe, if I can get them all anyway). Have you read any of these? Is there one I should read first? And have any missed any books because you know what I need is more books on my TBR?

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#a fool's ingenuity #books

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