Tahleen reviews: "Rush Me" by Allison Parr

Title: Rush Me
Author: Allison Parr
Publisher: Carina Press (e-book only), 2013

Rating: 4 stars

Rachael Hamilton is struggling to make a living in New York City, working as an intern (for free) at a major publisher with hopes of eventually landing her dream job, and temping to pay the bills. One night while out with her roommate at a party with theater friends, Rachael gets lost and finds herself in the wrong party. With the New York Leopards, the city's major football team. After an awkward and tense first encounter with the quarterback, Ryan Carter, she leaves in a hurry with a few angry, choice words—only to realize the next morning she forgot her scarf. Of course she goes back for it, only to be pulled into a poker game with some of the other Leopards, to Ryan's chagrin. Thus begins Rachael's unlikely friendship with a bunch of professional football players, and the slow-burn romance that eventually develops between her and the least likely of the Leopards, Mr. Carter himself.

So I really, really liked this book for the most part. It's what you expect with the "New Adult" genre (which I still maintain is adult fiction with Millenial main characters); young 20-something in the city, trying to find her way in the world, finds a hot and sexy romantic lead. But this book is flipping funny. I loved Rachael (though it took her WAY too long to get over her weird hatred of jocks in my opinion), and Ryan is great too. The secondary characters are all wonderful too; I loved how Rachael just falls in with these guys, who become very brotherly toward her. This was like my dream in college. It's a lot of fun to read.

The dialogue is sparkling and witty, and the situations are occasionally laugh-out-loud. This is a rom-com of the highest order. It was also refreshing that Rachael is Jewish, even though she says she's more Jewish in theory than in practice. Abe, however, seems to be a fairly devout Jew, which is nice to see.

I remember there being a few awkward moment while I was reading where I cringed at a word choice, I think maybe it was the use of a mental disorder as an adjective to describe someone or something that was clearly not suffering from said mental disorder, but other than that my only problem was waiting for the characters just get over themselves, already. I was really rooting for Rachael and Ryan to get together, and stay together, in the end.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoyed Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham, so long as they like more sex and steaminess in their fiction. Because there's that, too. I'm happy to say I've already got the two sequels, Running Back and Imaginary Lines, waiting on my nook.

I do have to say, I know the author personally (worked with her in high school and went to college with her!), but this in no way had any effect on what I thought of this book. Honestly, I'm relieved I liked it so much! Well, maybe I could hear her saying some of the things Rachael says and that made me like it even more, but it's still all good and I recommend it to you anyway. Great job, Allison!

Disclaimer: I bought this e-book with my own money. Even if I also bought it to support my friend. :) It's a bargain, anyway!

Tahleen reviews: "Zombie Baseball Beatdown" by Paolo Bacigalupi

Title: Zombie Baseball Beatdown
Author: Paolo Bacigalupi
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2013
Narrator: Sunil Malhotra

Rating: 3.5 stars

Rabi, Miguel, and Joe have bigger problems than their losing Little League season. It's true, Rabi is a terrible hitter, and their coach doesn't seem to know what he's doing or how to create a batting line-up. Most of the other kids on the team would like to beat the three of them up, and know how to spin it to their advantage. Miguel's parents have been deported, and his aunt and uncle, who are also in the United States illegally, live in fear that they will be next. You'd think that would be enough problems for the boys. But all that pales in comparison when they stumble upon their coach—zombified. Finding a brain-hungry zombie is only the beginning, as their investigation leads them to the revelation that the zombie problem is much, much bigger than their small Iowan town.

Paolo Bacigalupi has managed to write a book, really a social commentary, on the meatpacking industry, immigration, racism, and zombies. You read that correctly.


I'm not really sure how I feel about this book. I enjoyed Sunil Malhotra's narration, mostly his zombie sounds, and it all works together as a cohesive unit, but part of me feels like Bacigalupi tried too hard to get too much in there, and it was like I was being lectured to at times. We leave this book knowing exactly how the author feels about certain hot-topic issues of the day.

I really enjoyed the relationships between the main characters and the development of their relationships with secondary characters, and the climax is great. The parts with the zombie attacks really make this book worth listening to; if it weren't for that, I'm not sure I would have bothered.  I am not so sure how I feel about the complete open-endedness of the book, but I can understand the logic behind Bacigalupi's choice to end it the way he does. It is impressive that Bacigalupi is able to write a readable and zombie-filled story while really writing a social commentary on two major contemporary issues, I just wish the execution had been a bit more subtle.

I listened to this book as part of the 2014 Hub Challenge. It was one of the Top Ten Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults.

Disclosure: I got a copy of this audiobook from my local library.

Guest Review: "The Runner's World Complete Book of Women's Running" by Dagny Scott

Title: The Runner's World Complete Book of Women's Running
Author: Dagny Scott
Publisher: Rodale Books, 2007

Hi everyone! Tahleen here. Today, my friend Sara has agreed to do a guest review. People seem to be getting into running lately, at least in our neck of the woods, most likely because of the Boston Marathon on Patriot's Day. Thinking about taking up the pastime? Here's Sara's review of The Runner's World Complete Book of Women's Running, which she says is essential for all women who want to start running or who are runners but want to improve. She should know, she's training for a half marathon.

Review:

Perhaps you're already a runner. Maybe you're looking for a way to stay active and better your health. Perhaps last week, you stood along Boylston cheering and screaming for the Boston Marathon runners, and suddenly it occurred to you that running just might be something more than a huffy, painful, dreaded workout. Perhaps you're working up to one mile; perhaps you were one of those Boston marathoners placing one last victorious foot in front of the other after 26.2 miles. It doesn't really matter what stage you're at physically or mentally when it comes to running—The Complete Book of Women's Running can serve as a both mini-bible the marathoner and, most importantly, a place to start for the beginner.

I picked up this book years ago, during my initial curiosity with running. In my head, I wanted to run 3 miles, and I wanted to do so as soon as possible. From a beginner's standpoint, the book provided a thorough introduction to the world of running, from what to wear, to the importance of a good running shoe, to goal setting, to stretching, and the whys behind each. On top of offering a comprehensive look at the basic elements of running, the book touched upon the important mental principles that accompany running and attaining goals. I was able to step back from my inflated, 3-mile expectations and understand that each of our bodies are built in their own way, and that running is about slowly building endurance and strength, and not instant gratification. The book emphasized not only the physical but the mental challenge of running and how to overcome both, which I feel is essential for all beginner runners to understand before they lace up their sneakers.

The language in the book is especially useful for beginners —it is simple, sensible, and easy to follow, and broken up with women's personal stories in relation to the particular topic (racing, safety, balancing running with careers and family). The outline and overall flow of the book are effective in creating a friendly, quick read, while the chapters, divided by topic, help the book serve as a quick-reference for the more experienced runner.

Of particular importance to the overeager beginner (myself, several years ago), the book offers a 6-week walking-to-running training plan that builds your body up to 30 minutes of continuous running. Short vignettes, anecdotes and tips written by women runners of all ages discuss the hurdles they faced in overcoming their own beginner's challenges, and I found myself gathering motivation and inspiration from these stories, especially when I felt the overwhelming urge to just quit. These personal stories, placed throughout each chapter and pertaining to various topics and issues, really helped break up the text and were effective in making the topics easy to relate to and accessible to a beginner. I was struck by not only the contagious motivation within each personal story, but also by the in-depth perspective it provided on running as a whole.

For the more experienced runner looking to increase their speed and distance, the book also offers training plans for 5k, 10k, half marathon and full marathon distances, all with thorough explanations and smart guidelines to help runners work toward goals and avoid injury.

Why the specific emphasis on women and running? This is where the book continues to go above and beyond the quick-reference-guide level. Not only does it provide the basics of running on topics such as stretching, speed workouts and nutrition, easily accessible by all (male or female) runners, it tackles larger issues that often sit closer to home with women. Pregnancy and running. Caring for your body. Body image issues. I felt these particular topics also highlighted a sense of camaraderie and wisdom among women and presented running as something to bond over and derive strength. The book covers all grounds in an informative, concise way, and I appreciated its particular focus on not only attaining physical health, but mental health as well, specifically as a female runner. As Scott writes in her eloquent, simple introduction, "my goal was to impart the breadth and depth of what running can mean to women: more than just fitness or friendship or sanity but rather all those things together."

I am currently using this book as I train for my very first half marathon. As I've increased my mileage, I've referred to the book for guidance in stretching properly, eating well to fuel my body, and the specifics of different types of workouts, including Fartlek runs, long runs, and tempo runs. I can see my own running story woven throughout the book in the voices of other women runners who have attained or are reaching for goals, and every time I use the book to look up that specific how-to, I am reminded that yes, there is something in running and that yes, I can do it, that anyone can.

If you're looking for a great place to start or want to tackle that marathon once and for all, The Complete Book of Women's Running is a solid place to find not only information and facts, but also a deeper look into why it is that so many love to run.