Audiobook of the week

The Boyfriend List and The Treasure Map of Boys –E. Lockhart


Ruby lost her boyfriend, became a leper at school, started having panic attacks, and now she sees a shrink. A shrink who had her make a boyfriend list. Now she needs to see if sorting out her past can help her deal with the present and figure out the future.

As a Reader:

I thoroughly enjoyed these books and wish my library had the middle one, The Boy Book, on audio too. There’s no perfect guy to fall for or male best friend with a heart of gold for Ruby to end up with. Ruby is flawed and so are her friends, ex-friends and the guys in her life. Flawed in perfectly likable ways. Yay! What a realistic breath of fresh air!

As a Writer:

I have to admit I’m jealous of the author’s clever premise, which allowed her to explore the complex minefield called dating in more than a “get the perfect guy” kind of way. I’m also jealous that Ruby doesn’t always make necessarily likable choices, but she’s still a character you root for and care about. Writing likable protags in genre fiction, especially YA female protags, can feel limiting at times. Although the author does keep the protag’s sexual experiences on the fairly innocent side of things, it’s still refreshing to see flawed done well.

If you like these, you might also like:

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks- E. Lockhart
The Earth, My Butt and Other Round Things and Vegan Virgin Valentine- Carolyn Mackler
Viola in Reel Life- Adriana Trigiani
Peace, Love and Baby Ducks- Lauren Myracle
Secret Life of Prince Charming- Deb Caletti
Keeping the Moon- Sara Desson

Coming soon: Incarceron, along with a contest to win an ARC of its sequel, Sapphique.