Stephanie A. > Recent Status Updates

OH NO I don't know how I feel about fractional stars! WHY SO LATE IN THE GAME?? Way before Goodreads, when I had a handwritten list, I used half stars...but now, after 14 years, I've very much gotten used to being forced to pick the best fit and use the review box for nuance. Mostly I fear this will make people even more hesitant to give "true" 5 stars vs. 4.5... I dunno, I need to sit with this for a while.

...Minna. Could your embroidery be more dramatic?

I am...very confused why the mere mention of the cotton plant in the presence of a Black American has her gasping and apologetic for being insensitive. It's okay to be excited about the cool properties of cotton without stopping to acknowledge its associations with slavery, actually. What an absurd transition to go from 'here's a weird plant fact!' to 'yeah, bizarre. btw did you know my ancestor was a slave.'

WHY IS THERE ALWAYS. A BOY.

Alas, Charlie got a little stupid, but at least she didn't describe it in any detail. Also East seems surprisingly okay-ish. I dont think he has a nefarious agenda about bedding virgins and if he does, he has sure put in a lot of time and effort first.

Aaaand it's March. (Im sorry I just really cant get over how this timeline becomes a runaway train)

Starting January. WHAT is this pacing...

Simone, this has become beyond embarrassing.

I am having a really fun time reading overall, though!

I am so over the lesbian drama.

At last... the promised Zip Zapp (app).

Update: it is mostly Davi's mother that is gross. Her dad is merely spineless.

Davi's parents are gross and I'm glad she's allowed to think so.

25% of this book was just September??

Actually hang on I'm still mad about this; up next in the enforced part of their curriculum are Hawthorne and The Crucible, and are you kidding me?? Stop taunting me with the English education of my dreams!

p.s. lmao there is another class on 'Boarding School Lit' which name-checks Prep among its readings. Grossssssss.

So Emerson and Thoreau, the kids apparently find "dull and impenetrable" and Rhode, lamenting his dumb enforced old-white-man curriculum, wants "to be teaching Toni Morrison, Jhumpa Lahiri Richard Wright." OK, I admittedly have not read either of the first two, but I HAVE been assigned books or short stories by the other 3, and talk about dull and impenetrable??

My one request for this book is that Charley remain my favorite and not turn into the idiot MC from Prep. (side note: I WILL be comparing this book to Prep in my review and there is a 100% chance I rate it higher)

" 'She's the kind of student I dreamed about when I took this job." . . . After class lets out each day, Charley lingers just to talk about books.'
Oops. Shippin' it.

(please hold while I add in all my backlogged status updates while I read this outside sans internet)

I won a giveaway?? I won a giveaway with only 10 copies and twenty thousand entries??? HELL YEAH. (Gray After Dark, for those curious)

One thing I do wish more authors would go back to doing is saving the one and only bedroom scene for the last chapter, both to enhance the Yearning and so that you can simply quit early if you so choose; the end of this page works perfectly as an ending with all the closure you truly need.

When the adaptation of my dreams becomes reality, I feel sorry for Wardrobe because this magic blue dress has a lot to live up to.

(P.s. I'm still not particularly rooting for them. I read too much YA to ever be okay with the rationale.)

I dont think you needed your shirt off for her to hear your heartbeat. 🤨

I HATE THIS, pt. 2

TAKE HIM BACK. This is the only groveling man who has ever deserved a second chance.

Hmm guess you cant do spoiler cuts in status updates. Alas I am NOT typing that all out on my phone again. Hidden from feed at least.

Oh no this is awful. Didnt even consider that <spoiler>the messages might come back to bite them. was holding out hope that at least Maggie would randomly break up with him first...</spoiler>

Petition to slightly rewrite the end of ch.18 so he doesnt go home, slap one or two new chapters on for closure and make this at least a 4 star book???

This killed me. Never mind, Ridge/Maggie 5eva. Sydney who

You know what? Changed my mind. Polyamory could be a solution here. let's Sister Wife it up.

LIKE THIS. I WISH I COULD ACTUALLY SEE THIS HUG.

Also, though, Sydney should probably move the hell out already. Living with your ex or crawling back to your parents are both far less harmful or embarrassing living situations at this point.