#The Summer of Jordi Perez

[lgbtqreads]

Fave Five: YA Sapphic Summer Romances

Cool for the Summer and Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler Wish You Weren’t Here by Erin Baldwin The Summer of Jordi Perez and No Boy Summer by Amy Spalding Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson Hot Dog Girl and Melt With You by Jennifer Dugan

[wahlpaper]

The Summer of Jordi Perez Review

The Summer of Jordi Perez by Amy Spalding

CW: Parents Not Believing Their Child, Emotionally Bad Experience with a Cop, Fat-phobia, Fat-shaming, Queerphobia, Heteronormativity, Self-esteem Issues, Capitalism, Bad Parents, Unpaid Internship, Diet Talk

5/5

It's official! This is the 84th book that I have read this year, breaking my record of 83 in 2021! It was a very good choice of book to do that with. The Summer of Jordi Perez is a cute queer teen romance with a fat main character! Author, Amy Spalding, is plus sized herself, giving the book an "Own Voices" element. I, the reviewer, am also fat. Further down I will talk about my personal relationship to the book and its themes.

The Summer of Jordi Perez (and The Best Burger in Los Angeles) is about Abby Ives, a gay teen fashion blogger experiencing her first big crush. When she starts her summer internship, she's blindsided with the news that she'll be sharing it with her classmate, Jordi Perez. What's even worse is that they'll be competing for a job set to start in the fall. Instead of hating each other though, they fall for each other. Unfortunately, first relationships are hard to navigate and neither girl is as sure of themselves as they seem. They'll have to be patient if they want things to work.

This book is cute, sweet, and just the right amount of serious. Abby has had small crushes before Jordi, but over the course of the book she experiences a lot of "firsts" for crushing and then "firsts" for dating. She obsesses over Jordi, second guesses every interaction, gushes to a friend, and more. While the relationship between Abby and Jordi is cute to experience, the characters also deal with important matters. They both have parents that don't see the best in them. Abby's mom is disappointed in her weight and her lesbianism. Jordi's parents don't trust her to behave. They deal with self-esteem, heteronormativity, capitalism, mistakes, and more. I appreciate everything Spalding takes the time to tackle in The Summer of Jordi Perez.

I only disliked one part of the book, the subtitle. "And The Best Burger in Los Angeles" refers to the subplot between Abby and her new friend, a jock named Jax. However, I'm not sure it needed to be included in the title. Jax needs to rate burgers to help out with his father's new app idea. He wants to do it with Abby. It is a sweet subplot, but the burgers quickly become something they do off-page. The subtitle raises their importance, but the book ends the quest in an anticlimactic way. I don't mind how it ended, but the title would be better off without the subtitle.

As I mentioned above, Abby is a fat girl. She loves fashion and blogging about it, but she doesn't like to share photos of herself in the clothes she suggests. Over the past few months I have started working with my therapist on body image issues and my relationship with food. My journey isn't precisely the same as Abby's, but I feel we are both at the middle point of our journey and have had the same negative influences. I have spent the last week taking at least one selfie a day so that I can be more comfortable in pictures. Jordi is a photographer, so Abby is forced to face a similar challenge. We both have different things that we’re more comfortable with already and different things we need to grow towards in the future. Spalding really captures the struggle of knowing it's okay to be fat in theory, but failing to apply that to oneself.

The Summer of Jordi Perez worked its way into my life at the right time. The fat girl trying to navigate dating is exactly the kind of representation I needed. I hope that this book will speak to others as well. A little bit of fat neutrality and a little bit of fat positivity, piled on top of "Healthy At Every Size" is the perfect recipe. I highly recommend Spalding's book to all!

[shark-myths]

do you have any book recs for books about girls that feel like girl out boy. i want to read about girls but i don't want to read about fall out boy yk

I love this question! I am constantly seeking for books that feel like Girl Out Boy because I want to live in that muggy girlspace at all times. These cut a wide swath of genres and probably only 2 of them are genuine read-alikes in tone; the rest share a headspace or ethos or were otherwise important in shaping that world. I would love to collect other peoples’ recommendations on this question, so please chime in!

Nonfiction:

Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein

Any book by Melissa Febos

Dead Blondes and Bad Mothers by Sady Doyle

The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic by Jessica Hopper

The Riot Grrrl Collection ed. by Lisa Darms

Fiction:

The Scapegracers series by H.A. / August Clarke—the most GOB thing I have ever read in my life!

Supper Club by Lara Williams

Anything Resembling Love by S. Qiouyi Lu

We Were Witches by Ariel Gore

It Goes Like This by Miel Moreland

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

You Know I’m No Good by Jessie Ann Foley

When We Were Magic by Sarah Gailey

The Summer of Jordi Perez by Amy Spalding

Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera

Pages for You by Sylvia Brownrigg

The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Perez

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu

Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

Girl Mans Up by M.E. Girard

Passing Strange by Ellen Klages

Girls on Fire by Robin Wasserman

Post-Traumatic by Chantal V. Johnson

Comics:

Bitch Planet by Kelly Sue DeConnick

Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

Man-Eaters by Chelsea Cain

Paper Girls by Brian K Vaughn

Girl Town by Casey Nowak

The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag

Okay, I'm stopping myself now, because this is clearly just becoming a "Book About Women Sharks Want You To Read". And I could go on, and on, and on. Please let me know if you read and like any! Reading and talking about reading are my favorite things in the world.

Go forth and read about girls!

[wyntersecret-a]

Murder Mystery Simulator Cast

Participating Muses for Upcoming Sim Event

@awalkoflife

Samantha Carpenter

Harrison Morgan

Sabrina Spellman

Buffy Summers

@depictedmorada

Maddy Perez

@diivinerose

Dahlia Knights

Daisy Knights

Daniela Knights

@frigid-vitality

Santiago Ramirez

@godccmplex

Elijah King

@hostilidadesveladas 

Windsor Blackert

@itsagraywcrld

Eloise Gray

@lavishbylaw

Genevieve Scott

@stvrlyte

Simon Baker

Jordi Chen

Frankie Hughes

Lily Johnson

Marius Northall

@xwildheart

Aniyah Blake

Savannah Forbes

Alice Lee

Jane Porter

Violet Rogers

my contenders:

Emeline Entwistle (we always need the troublesome entrant)

Ophelia Keal

Landon Wynter

Lance Wynter (twin au represent)

[bookcub]

yesssss pls post the sapphic recs!

okay heres the whole list. i did not enjoy all these books and i loved some and liked others and disliked a few as well.

read responsibly!!

Books with sapphic relationships

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (adult fantasy)

Planning Perfect by Haley Neil (YA coming of age)

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust (ya fantasy)

Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni (adult fantasy)

The Holiday Trap by Roan Parrish (adult romance)

Princess Princess Ever After by Kay O'Neill (middle grade graphic novel)

A Spindle Splintered and A Mirror Mended by Alix E Harrow (new adult fantasy adventure)

The City of Dusk by Tara Sim (adult fantasy)

Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner (adult romance)

The Girls I've Been by Tess Sharpe (ya thriller/adventure)

Satisfaction Guaranteed by Karelia Stetz-Waters (adult romance)

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston (ya mystery/coming of age)

Romancing the Inventor by Gail Carriger (adult historical steampunk romance)

Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake (adult romance)

The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar (ya romance)

The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec (adult fantasy)

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (adult historical romance)

Knit, Purl, a Baby and a Girl by Hettie Bell (adult romance)

Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar (ya contemporary)

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M Danforth (gothic horror historical adult?)

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston (adult urban fantasy scif ish)

The Summer of Jordi Perez by Amy

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli (ya contemporary)

Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins (ya contemporary)

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust (ya fantasy)

Not Your Sidekick by CB Lee (ya scifi)

Huntress by Malinda Lo (ya fantasy)

Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst (ya fantasy)

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult (adult contemporary)

Ash by Malinda Lo (ya fantasy)

Girl from the Sea by Molly Ostertag Knox (ya fantasy graphic novel)

Books with sapphic characters

Ophelia After All by Racquel Marie (ya contemporary)

The Scapegracers by HA Clarke (ya urban fantasy)

A Line in the Dark by Malinda Lo (ya thriller)

The Tea Dragon Society by K O'Neill (ya graphic novel)

Star-Crossed by Barbra Lee (middle grade contemporary)

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland (ya horror)

Ben and Beatriz by Katalina Gamarra (new adult romance)

Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales (ya romance)

Untouchable by Talia Hibbert (adult romance)

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert (adult romance)

Run by Kody Keplinger (ya contemporary)

Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann ya romance)

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray (ya satire)

[haveyoureadthisqueerbook]

Tash Hearts Tolstoy, Kathryn Ormsbee, ace

Transmogrify! 14 Fantastical Tales of Trans Magic, edited by g haron davis, trans and many other things

The Secret History, Donna Tart, mlm

Black Water Sister, Zen Cho, lesbian

Spell Bound F T Lukens, nb/m romance

In Deeper Waters, F T Lukens, mlm

So This is Ever After, F T Lukens, mlm

Hench, Natalie Zina Walschots, bi main character

Legends and Lattes, Travis Baldree, wlw

She Drives Me Crazy, Kelly Quindlen, wlw

The Atlas Six, Olivie Blake, idk everyone's bi

These Violent Delights, Micah Nemerever, mlm

The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry, C M Waggoner, wlw

The Girls I've Been, Tess Sharpe, wlw

Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses, Kristen O'Neal, bi main character

Between Perfect and Real, Ray Stoeve, trans main character

Kemosha of the Caribbean, Alex Wheatle, wlw

Tarnished are the Stars, Rosiee Thor, aro and wlw rep

Golden Boys, Phil Stamper, mlm

Vespertine, Margaret Rogerson, aroace

Malibu Rising, Taylor Jenkins Reid, lesbian part-main-character (one of four)

The Henna Wars, Adiba Jaigirdar, wlw

I'm Afraid of Men, Vivek Shraya, trans author (autobiographical)

The Gilded Wolves trilogy, Roshani Chokshi, mlm and poly rep

That Inevitable Victorian Thing, E K Johnston, wlw and intersex rep

Girls of Paper and Fire, Natasha Ngan, wlw

Daja's Book, Tamora Pierce, wlw

If We Were Villains, M L Rio, mlm

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid, wlw

Ramona Blue, Julie Murphy, sapphic but questioning main character

The Fascinators, Andrew Eliopulos, mlm

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, Hank Green, bi main character

On a Sunbeam, Tillie Walden, wlw

Wilder Girls, Rory Power, wlw

Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit, Jaye Robin Brown, wlw

We Are Totally Normal, Naomi Kanakia, mlm and some unaddressed trans undertones

Like a Love Story, Abdi Nazemian, mlm

Pet, Akwaeke Emezi

The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass, Adan Jerreat-Poole, nb gay queer rep

Finding Home series, Hari Conner, mlm

The Sea in You, Jessi Sheron, wlw

Love Letters, Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West, wlw

The Summer of Jordie Perez, Amy Spalding, wlw

I Was Born for This, Alice Oseman, trans, mlm, and unlabelled main characters

Radio Silence, Alice Oseman, demisexual and bi main characters

Ash, Malinda Lo, lesbians

Our Wives Under the Sea, Julia Armfield, trans and wlw main characters

Confessions of Frannie Langton, Sara Collins, wlw

A Taste of Gold and Iron, Alexandra Rowland, mlm

Even Though I Knew the End, C L Polk, wlw

Huntress, Malinda Lo, wlw

Hope that's better, sorry I missed the submissions form! I checked everything against your list so these are all new.

These are finally all queued! Thanks for your patience :)

[stuckfm]

˚₊· ͟͟͞➳ anonymous said: bipoc mw?

kiana lede, pamalaaam, stacythiru, ahnesti monet mcmichael, katelyn folasade, simi moonlight, precious lee, kayla jane, dasilvadakid, aiyana lewis, cheyenne maya carty, tatyanaalii_, emmanuelle koffi, anyang deng, summer dean, alexis denise williams, kara roselle smith, bella hatch, jade rabarivelo, manahou mackey, jashaun st john, ange jose, blu hunt, eden bristowe, amber midthunder, shina nova, ellamariehi, ta’kiya blaney, maia cotton, erica ransfield, chelei kahalewai, shondina lee, nat weaves, melemaikalani makalapua, braydee cardinal, maile akln, christopher meyer, josh levi, carter gregory, alex aiono, archmadekwe, aubreyomari, chance perdomo, chibuche, daniel ezra, drew ray tanner, jahkingguillory, jordan fisher, jaden smith, keiynan lonsdale, mason gooding, ángel bismark curiel, d’pharaoh woon-a-tai, jordi webber, kekoa scott kekumano, thomas weatherall, ziggy ramo, sage atankahe (they/them), xolo maridueña, michael cimino, des qua, keith powers, naswyn, marvin anthony, aj saudin, nathannuyts, boman martinez-reid, jharrel jerome, calvyn james, jacob perez, marquis rodriguez, jordan calloway

[kingsbridgelibraryteens]

Which YA books do you think have the BEST TITLES EVER? Check out our latest display, featuring:

The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe

The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan

Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses by Kristen O'Neal

Revenge of the Evil Librarian by Michelle Knudsen

The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried by Shaun David Hutchinson

The Summer of Jordi Perez (And the Best Burger in Los Angeles) by Amy Spalding

[nerds-in-wonderland]

🌈🏖Queer Summer Romance🏖🌈

The Summer Of Not To Perez (And The Best Burger In Los Angeles)

By: Amy Spalding

"Seventeen, fashion-obsessed, and gay, Abby Ives has always been content playing the sidekick in other people���s lives. While her friends and sister have plunged headfirst into the world of dating and romances, Abby’s been happy to focus on her plus-size style blog and her dreams of taking the fashion industry by storm. When she lands a great internship at her favorite boutique, she’s thrilled to take the first step toward her dream career. Then she falls for her fellow intern, Jordi Perez. Hard. And now she’s competing against the girl she’s kissing to win the coveted paid job at the end of the internship.

But really, nothing this summer is going as planned. She also unwittingly becomes friends with Jax, a lacrosseplaying bro-type who wants her help finding the best burger in Los Angeles, and she’s struggling to prove to her mother—the city’s celebrity health nut—that she’s perfectly content with who she is.

Just as Abby starts to feel like she’s no longer the sidekick in her own life, Jordi’s photography surprisingly puts her in the spotlight. Instead of feeling like she’s landed a starring role, Abby feels betrayed. Can Abby find a way to reconcile her positive yet private sense of self with the image others have of her?"

~Alice 🌌

[rantreader]

July Reading Goals

[mydearldydisdain]

@projectliterature​ event 02 : underappreciated   —  The Summer of Jordi Perez    — “All truly great dresses have pockets.”

[lgbtqreads]

Fave Five: Queer "Summer" YA Reads, Part I

Fave Five: Queer “Summer” YA Reads, Part I

This post is strictly queer YAs with summer in the title. Part II will contain other summer books. Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman The Summer of Everything by Julian Winters Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler The Summer of Bitter and Sweet by Jen Ferguson The Summer of Jordi Perez by Amy Spalding

[mplchameleon]

Hello! Queer YA wednesdays are BACK! But with a new twist! Instead of books by debut authors, each week, we’ll be tackling one letter of the queer alphabet and featuring books that highlight specific LGBTQIAP+ identities.

This week, we’re starting with the L: Lesbian! These three books -- The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum, The Summer of Jordi Perez by Amy Spalding, and This Is What It Feels Like by Rebecca Barrow -- all feature lesbian teens as main characters. Descriptions are, as always, below the cut!

[annabethisterrified]

This book was so heartfelt and cute and amazing and gay and wonderful and hilarious!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Read my cousin’s book!!! You will love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ofliterarynature]

NOVEMBER 2019 WRAP-UP

TOTAL BOOKS READ: 14

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff [audio] ★★★★☆ Touching Darkness by Scott Westerfeld [ebook] ★★★★☆ Baker’s Magic by Diane Zahler [audio] ★★★★★ The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz [audio] RR ★★★★☆ Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz [audio] RR ★★★★☆ Revenge of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz [audio] RR ★★★★☆ The Spellmans Strike Again by Lisa Lutz [audio] RR ★★★★☆ Trail of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz [audio] RR ★★★★☆ The Last Word by Lisa Lutz [audio] ★★★★☆ Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day by Seanan McGuire [audio] ★★★★★ The Summer of Jordi Perez by Amy Spalding [audio] ★★★★★ The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler [audio] ★★★☆☆ The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow [audio] ★★★★★ A Thousand Beginnings and Endings ed. Ellen Oh & Elsie Chapman [audio] ★★★☆☆

This post is late, but at least it’s here! I had a few very good 5 star books that I heartily recommend, but the one that probably caught me most off-guard was Baker’s Magic, which turned out to be a fantastic middle grade fantasy full of magic, baked goods, princesses, sea adventures, pirates, a lady captain, and long lost fathers (and dead mothers, unfortunately). On the other hand, the Spellman books unfortunately turned out to be not as good as I remembered them, possibly because I’m older now and find their dysfunction more depressing than charming. Now wish me luck, I’ve got another 7 books to go if I want to hit my (reduced) goodreads challenge!

[bookcub]

Romance is REAL