#accidentally coloured the upside down with bi colours

[femmeetart]

Ronanceweek day four: favourite episode/missing scene

Nancy falls out of her trance into Robin's arms

"Madonna, Blondie, Bowie, Beatles? Music! We need music!"

[myonlypen]

I've not had an excuse to write this before but can I just saw how much I LOVE these flags, purely from a vexillological standpoint? I haven't done any research into the intended meaning of aspects of these flags, this is purely my interpretation: if my interpretations are anything close to the intended ones then that makes them great flags though!

The first one, the standard LGBT pride flag. Usually you want to keep the number of colours on a flag to a minimum to avoid business or eye-hurtiness. But on this one the use of lots of colours is deliberate. To me, it is very good at representing what it stands for: inclusivity. As far as I know, I could be wrong, the colours don't stand for specific things, and that's a good thing because they can stand for anyone who feels like it represents them. And the simple design means the multiple colours works, and each stripe being the same size helps reinforce the concept of equality. It's also easy to remember which order the colours come in, because it's just the rainbow. If you accidentally draw them in the wrong order, you can just turn it upside down and you've done it correctly now! Some people are taught that the rainbow has 7 colours and while there's no "correct" answer for that, 6 is definitely more sensible answer because indigo and violet are just purples. Newton only chose 7 when he was playing about with prisms for mystical reasons. I'm glad this flag is on my side in thinking that 6 is a better count.

I'm not a fan of the more recent pride flags with the triangle on the hoist. I understand why they were made: some groups want to exclude some people from the LGBT+ label so the flags that add colours for e.g. trans are made to explicitly say "yes, including them too!" but I feel like that's sort of ceding ground by allowing the claim that the original flag didn't represent them. From a design point of view they're not great because they compromise the simplistic design which makes my "too many colours" complaint more valid. Plus the stripes aren't all the same size any more due to the triangle so I can't argue the equality interpretation. That, and, they're harder to draw from memory which is important for flags. Once I get to the triangle I'll have to remember which other flags' colours were incorporated into it and in which order. And perhaps this last complaint is a little cynical but I also get a bit of a consumerist vibe; "there's a new pride flag this year, please buy our new thing with the updated design. gib money plz"

But the trans flag? That's my favourite of the lot! Blue and pink are colours associated with the gender binary, at least in the English speaking world. At first I felt a bit put off by this because it felt like somewhat reinforcing gender roles. What if you're a guy who likes pink or a girl that likes blue? But then I thought about it some more. The colours aren't very deep so it isn't putting those associations front and centre. In fact, the pastel colours make it really easy on the eyes too, I could look at this flag for hours! The horizontal like of symmetry is also effective; the fact that the blue and pink are reversed on top and bottom communicates that it's about both trans men and trans women and doesn't privilege one over the other, and the white in the middle represents non-binary people. Of course, that could be seen implying that gender is a one-dimensional spectrum with the the binary on either end which may not be the case but there's only so much you can represent on a flag. On a lot of flags, I find that white space doesn't look like a part of the design but just part of the canvass that wasn't filled in (like, Japan isn't a red circle on white, it's just a red circle and the rest is blank) - but with this flag the white actually looks like it's part of the design and it works.

The bisexual I don't have as much to say about because I don't see it as often as the other two. You'd think that a flag representing "bi" would be a bicolour flag. But it's not! Because it doesn't represent one or the other, it represents both or either! Whether the two things it represents are straight and gay relationships, or gay and lesbians, the thin line in the middle means it doesn't matter to those who this flag represents. Magenta is also a top-tier colour so that boosts its likability rating too.

Flag Wars Bonus Round

Happy Pride Month!

These flags were close on their results for second place in the previous pride flag poll, so I decided to make a poll with just these flags.

[justintimbershit]

1-99

1: 6 of the songs you listen to most?XO - John Mayer Cabaret - Justin Timberlake Lights On - Shawn Mendes Bad Habit - The KooksHow Would You Feel - Ed Sheeran You’re Gonna Llive Forever in Me - John Mayer

2: If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?literally John Mayer so I can ask him why the FUCK he played XO in Chicago and why that was only the 10th time ever and first and only time of TSFE tour he played it

3: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17.“Mom’s stumped us. We had absolutely no idea who she’d dredge” (I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson)

4: What do you think about most?how terrible life is and then how much i wanna die tbh

5: What does your latest text message from someone else say?“Jena should i get dropped off at your house then we can go get joe & julie?” IOWA TOMORROW FOR ED :DDDD

6: Do you sleep with or without clothes on?always w shirt but no pants lol

7: What’s your strangest talent?hating life as much as i do idk i have no talent

8: Girls… (finish the sentence); Boys… (finish the sentence)girls r hot n nice boys r hot n mean

9: Ever had a poem or song written about you?yeah bc we were in love lol :(

10: When is the last time you played the air guitar? idk i usually dont

11: Do you have any strange phobias?feet, being alone but also being in large crowds, idk theyre not very weird

12: Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose?no?

13: What’s your religion?idk man none atm prob

14: If you are outside, what are you most likely doing?looking forward to going inside. but working and therefore reading.

15: Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?behind bc i am ugly lol

16: Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?um probably panic at the disco but then also the killers

17: What was the last lie you told?“its fine” bc no it is not fine i wanna fight

18: Do you believe in karma?ya i think so. maybe

19: What does your URL mean?i like Justin Timberlake and also swearing

20: What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?weakness is probably just who i am as a person and strength is idk i dont have any

21: Who is your celebrity crush?lmao. you say this like i have one. i have many. like thousands.

22: Have you ever gone skinny dipping?nope

23: How do you vent your anger?talk to someone usually

24: Do you have a collection of anything?movie/concert/sporting event tickets and also empty gatorade bottles on my floor

25: Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?phone bc im ugly

26: Are you happy with the person you’ve become?eh. better than what i was but could be better

27: What’s a sound you hate; sound you love?hate is my sisters voice lol love is john mayers voice bc he sounds like a fuckin angel

28: What’s your biggest “what if”?what if i was someone else but not really someone else just like what if i was me with a better life or a differnt life in which things didnt always go so terribly for me ya know

29: Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens?ghosts maybe but aliens def

30: Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm.right arm some paper hanging off my nightstand and left nothing

31: Smell the air. What do you smell?the faint scent of clean laundry and lotion

32: What’s the worst place you have ever been to?hm.. great question. i feel like ive been to some pretty bad places but i cant recall any???

33: Choose: East Coast or West Coast?ive never been to either but east coast i think

34: Most attractive singer of your opposite gender?justin timberlake bc hes one of the most attractive men in the entire world

35: To you, what is the meaning of life?bein happy, doin what you want, livin

36: Define Art.something someone creates

37: Do you believe in luck?yes i do

38: What’s the weather like right now?humid i think

39: What time is it?9:41 pm

40: Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed?nope to both

41: What was the last book you read?i recently finished “The Upside of Unrequited” and now im workin on “More Than This”

42: Do you like the smell of gasoline?no i hate it it makes me nauseous

43: Do you have any nicknames?jules

44: What was the last film you saw?o fuck um fist fight maybe?

45: What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?the sunburn i got in florida was terrible bc i couldnt walk for a day so im gonnna say that

46: Have you ever caught a butterfly?no :(

47: Do you have any obsessions right now?brandon saad being a chicago blackhawk again, tommy la stella, john mayer, reading gay books

48: What’s your sexual orientation?bi

49: Ever had a rumour spread about you?uuuuum possibly ??? idk

50: Do you believe in magic?nah but also maybe

51: Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong?in my mind yes but most of the times my actions dont reflect that especially if its been a while

52: What is your astrological sign?sagittarius

53: Do you save money or spend it?both. i allow myself to spend it as long as i still have a decent amount saved

54: What’s the last thing you purchased?lunch at panera lol

55: Love or lust?neither bc they both suck when ur alone

56: In a relationship?no lol

57: How many relationships have you had?zero

58: Can you touch your nose with your tongue?nope i am not talented like that

59: Where were you yesterday?yesterday. i think i stayed home all day then me mary and joe hung out and went to get milkshakes at steak n shake

60: Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?the inside of the bra bra sitting waiting to be put away lol

61: Are you wearing socks right now?indeed

62: What’s your favourite animal?sloths my fav

63: What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you?i dont have one bc if i did ppl would like me, tf

64: Where is your best friend?at home id assume

65: Give me your top 5 favourite blogs on Tumblr.whats tumblr

66: What is your heritage?im italian but i was born here and so were my parents

67: What were you doing last night at 12AM?watching an episode of Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia before i showered

68: What do you think is Satan’s last name?satan satan

69: Be honest. Ever gotten yourself off?yeah lmao who hasnt tho

70: Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend?i think so sometimes but other times im the worst person ever idk how i have friends

71: You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do?fuck u boss i love dogs and if u hate dogs that much as to not understand the situation i dont wanna work for a dog hater. asshole.

72: You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid?a. maybe probably b. everything ive never done but wanted to c. probably

73: You can only have one of these things; trust or love.fuck. um. shit. id say love but then u cant trust the person you love so like… but at the same time i love love so much i feel like id die w/o it n ya know i dont trust anyone anyways so im gonna say love

74: What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it?srsly…..Bye Bye Bye by *NSYNC bc i cant be sad listening to that song lolol

75: What are the last four digits in your cell phone number?9077

76: In your opinion, what makes a great relationship?communication n openness

77: How can I win your heart?just be nice to me lol i have low standards

78: Can insanity bring on more creativity?yes i do believe so

79: What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?buying tickets to see john mayer lol that changed my life so drastically. my life is now pre john mayer and post john mayer. he literally fucking sang xo i will never get over it that will always be the happiest moment of my life im crying while typing this

80: What size shoes do you wear?8 - 9 ½ depending on the shoe

81: What would you want to be written on your tombstone?‘probably died because she said she wanted to die so often that death got sick of hearing it and killed her.“

82: What is your favourite word?fuck

83: Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word; heart.justin timberlake. god im so fucked lol

84: What is a saying you say a lot?'i hate my life’ 'i want to die’ 'u should fight’

85: What’s the last song you listened to?Fools Gold by One Direction lmao

86: Basic question; what’s your favourite colour/colours?turquoise

87: What is your current desktop picture?justin timberlake leaning on a car lookin all hot n shit

88: If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be?myself tbh

89: What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell the truth on?uuuum idk it depends whos askin ya know. id answer certain questions if asked by one peson but not another

90: One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren’t really doing anything, they’re just standing around your bed. What do you do?probably cry and attempt but ultimately fail to go back to sleep

91: You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power?flying or teleportation

92: You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again?when john mayer played XO at my concert obviously

93: You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?losing all the pictures on my computer bc i keep saying im over it but im really not that was the entire past 4 years of my life in pictures and videos and theyre just gone its bullshit

94: You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be?oh man. so many. but if i had to choose one justin timberlake. wow bet no one saw that comin

95: You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?literally fuckin no where im seeing ed sheeran in a matter of hours im not leaving. but if it were a different day lol id say amsterdam or boston

96: Do you have any relatives in jail?not that im aware of

97: Have you ever thrown up in the car?when i was a smol child yea h but not recently

98: Ever been on a plane?when i was a child yes

99: If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say?um lol idk probably nothing tbh i dont wanna be held responsible for whatever happens afterwards

[justasmallbloginabigklainefandom]

Rec This Thing: Interlude Press books part 2

A post including all my Interlude Press books’ reviews. All copied from my goodreads account.

My story: Again, I’ve been following IP since the very beginning.

See my posts for the Star Host, Something Like A Lovesong, the Bones of You and the Luckiest here. Part one of these recs here (I am still working on combining the Summer Love stories in one post). All books I’ve read have been reviewed, except for Lodestones. I feel like I should reread that one before I can give it the review it deserves.

Oh by the way, I now have an IP shelf on goodreads.

Books in no particular order. Spoilers for almost every rec.

Black Dust by Lynn Charles

My story: Found the announcement on the IP site.

Story: Tobias moved on from the accident that killed his friend and injured his former boyfriend Emmett. Living in New York, he’s succesful Broadway musician. But then after 15 years of silence, Emmett calls.

Rating (1 to 5): 4

Why?: This book was a nice read. I love the Reunion trope, so this is no exception. Toby and Emmett have been through a lot. An accident has changed both of them, but whereas Emmett has learned to live with it, Toby can't seem to move past it. Why? He ignores it. That is why Toby has left to live in New York, where he is quite successful. Of course, his life gets turned upside down when Emmett marches back in. After 15 years, a lot has changed. Their relationship was well written, even though I am not a fan of what their relation shifted to at one point. Toby realises his life has been dull since the accident, and Emmett brings back the colour. Despite the accident, what permanently injured Emmett, Emmett is so full of life! It might all sound a bit vague, but I try to keep spoilers out of here. Just read it!

Recommend?: Yes.

Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee

My Story: Found the announcement on the IP site.

Story: Jess Tran is the daughter of two superheroes, and her older sister is slowly developing her powers too. There’s only one problem: Jess doesn’t seem to have any powers at all. Defeated, she decided to apply to an internship. Little does she know that it’s the company of the Mischiefs, her parents’ enemies.

Rating (1 to 5): 5

Why?: Hohoho merry Christmas to me. I had been waiting so long to read this book and it did not disappoint. Not Your Sidekick follows Jessica Tran, a daughter of Chinese-Vietnamese immigrants, living in a slight dystopian future version of the world. In 2138, the United States no longer exist. After World War III, it merged together with Canada and Mexico into the Collective. Also in the future, people with superpowers exist. Jess's parents are Smasher and Shockwave, the resident C-class superheroes. Her sister Claudia is already becoming a superhero and her brother Brendan is a genius. Jess herself is nothing compared to her, so she starts applying for an internship at Monroe Industries, a prestige tech company. Unbeknowst to her, it is also home to the Mischiefs, her parents' enemies. She has to work with the mysterious M. Luckily for her, the girl she's been crushing on, Abby Jones, works there too. And oh boy, this book was a delight. Here are some things I loved the most: a) QUEER ASIAN SUPERHEROES OH GOD. CB Lee's other book, Seven Tears at High Tide, also features an Asian main character. Both books also delve into Asian culture etc, and Not Your Sidekick doesn't disappoint. I don't speak Vietnamese, but I loved the use of random Vietnamese phrases. b) Shipping! A part of me was rooting for Jess/M and a part of me was rooting for Jess/Abby. Oh well, then they turned out to be the same person. c) Emma and Bells. Everyone needs a group of friends to rely on. And wow, Bells is trans. That was something I didn't see coming, because in this book, it isn't supposed to be a huge thing. d) Just like Jess's bisexuality. It's just a fact, it's part of her identity, but it's normal. There is no huge coming-out story, or a huge extra biphobic plot to add drama. This isn't new, though, but that is why I love Interlude Press books: you read Advanced Gay books, as I call them. Gone are the overly painful and angsty "every day I wake up in a world I don't know because I am gay/bi/trans/ace/poly/whatever minor identity, and I hate it and this is my huge story" books. Straight people in novels don't have that either. e) The way superpowers are handled in this book. There are different classes of power, and different kind of powers. It isn't all power and strenght and speed, but it is direction and changing appearances. And those powers are used for small things: Abby fixing household tech, Jess looking for oranges, Bells changing his body to fit his identity. f) This world is so mind-blowing. And also the way 'Old America' and its tech is seen by these newer generations. It is a scary thought that the war happened in 2028, because that is so close by. All the books set in a dystopian future are always set a couple of hunderd years in the future, but uhm, my OCs graduate in 2028. But what if they won't? Because the world is fucked? g) Speaking of this world being fucked, the plot is so great. Maybe a little predictable sometimes, but I enjoyed it anyway. Oh God, I could go on. Maybe the only thing I didn't really like was the open ending. Not because it was a bad ending, but because I didn't see it coming. This is the fourth IP book (I think) where this has happened. I guess I accidentally started four new series this year. Hang on. The Star Host, In the Present Tense, Céilí, and The Better to Kiss You With. Ah well, I am looking forward to all the sequels. Anyway, the next book wil be from Bell's POV. I will miss Jess dearly, but I am ready for it.

Recommend?: FUCK YEH

Hold by Rachel Davidson Leigh

My Story: Found the announcement on the IP site.

Story: When Luke finds out he has the power to stop time, his friends want him to become a superhero. Luke has other plans, since he’s too busy rehearsing with the new boy Eddie.

Rating (1 to 5): 5

Why?: I love Duet Books, and this one sure as hell did not disappoint. Luke is an interesting character, who realises he can stop time. He's still grieving his sister's death. He knew it was coming, but that doesn't make it any less awful. One thing that I also love is that he is adopted into a white family like me! And one day, Luke meets Eddie, and everything changes. The book is about misunderstanding and not knowing enough. Luke sees and hears things and turns it all in a story he sees as reality. It starts with Eddie's gun. As a reader, you know you don't get all the information, but you start creating your own stories in your head too about everyone except for Luke. Your views on Wes and Eddie (especially him) are not, uhm, final. You don't know the full stories, you cannot explain their behaviour. This book shows you what can go wrong if you don't know the full story. Not only Luke acts out of ignorance, but also Dee, and because of those actions this book took a turn I did not expect at all. Hands up, don't shoot. I read this book in one go around midnight, and even though it was too late for this shit, I completely lost it at that part. Oh, I do not recommend reading books around midnight. I also don't recommend reading books that are very Star Wars heavy the day after Carrie Fisher died (*sigh*). Aside from the amazing stories, all the characters were great. As a theater fan, I loved how involved they all are in theater. Luke is a bit naïve, but the moment he realises things aren't always as they seem, he vows to protect his friends. Eddie is sweet and characters like him is something we need more in YA lit. I also love how Leigh doesn't ignore the racial identities of both boys. Dee might be my favourite, but that's because I live for (bisexual) strong female characters, who aren't afraid to speak their minds, but who are also flawed and who acknowledge their flaws and mistakes. AND MARCUS HOLY SHIT THAT WAS NOT WHAT I EXPECTED- WHAT A PLOT TWIST. Marcus and Luke actually talked about Marcus being ace or are. When Marcus described what he was feeling, I already thought in the back of my mind: "Yep, aro/ace headcanon." First of all, maybe this doesn't have to be a headcanon. Maybe this will be canon. (He's still figuring it out, so give him time y'all.) (Despite that, should I talk about this in the Ace Book Club?) Second of all, I may have shredded a tear or two (thousand) when they actually named the terms. Honestly, apart from this I don't have much to say. There's only one downside to this book: I want to know more about the Hold. Luke is gifted with this abitily, but it's out of nowhere, and sure he and his friends are curious, but it never gets explained in this book why he can do this and what the Hold actually is, and after a while, no one questions it anymore. I guess I still do, but I'm not part of the story. Luckily, this doesn't stop you from enjoying and loving this book.

Recommend?: Yes

Flying Without A Net by E.M. Ben Shaul

My Story: Found the announcement on the IP site.

Story: Dani and Avi fall in love, simply as that. But whereas Dani is ready to show the world, Avi needs his time to balance faith and sexuality. Luckily, Dani is there for him the entire time.

Rating (1 to 5): 4

Why?: Oh this book. OH THIS BOOK. I think I should clarify real quick that I am an atheist and yes, I read a book about religion. I am actually very pro-religion, which isn't a combination you see often (then again, I am also a pro-sex sex-repulsed asexual, so there you go). Honestly, as long as you don't use (or actually misuse) your religion to oppress others, like the Westboro Baptist Church does, but instead are religious because it's really important to you etc, totally go for it! So why did I read a book that focuses a lot on religion? Well, first of all, you had me at sign language interpreter. Second of all, since I want to be unbiased etc about religion, I want to low-key educate myself on all the different religions out there (LOW-KEY, PLEASE KEEP IN MIND LOW-KEY) by reading books and fanfictions like this and by reading blogposts about the Islam, about Christianity, about Judaism, about Hinduism, about Buddhism and so on. I am ashamed to say I once bashed religion a lot, and I do not want to fall back into that bullshit again. Except for occasionally reading a Jewish tumblr user's blog post, I never really knew anything about this religion, and then this book came along. Since the fanfic Things I Cannot Change taught me so much about Christianity and sexuality, I decided to use my IP giftcards on this book. I can't say it's the best thing ever written, since I still am an atheist who sometimes cannot understand why people are religious, but it sure as hell helped me. Dani and Avi were so great together, and well, despite the fact that they're both Jewish, they're very different. Which is normal. And so are their families. Sure, this book was confusing 80% of the time, but I did enjoy it. I loved how Dani and Avi opened up to each other, but also to themselves. I loved the background characters (DEAF CHARACTER HOLY SH-) and how the relation unfolds. The Yiddish and Hebrew added so much more to the story (like how Spanish adds so much more to In The Heights: the musical), but I must say that I don't recommend buying the eBook if you don't know the terms. There is an Appendix explaining all the Hebrew and Yiddish terms, but if you read the eBook, you cannot easily access those pages. I got to read them after I finished the book and wow, it cleared up a lot. So how do you avoid confusion? BUY THE PHYSICAL COPY! I have one last question: E.M. Ben Shaul's Goodreads account shows another book featuring Dani and Avi? Where can I find that?

Recommend?: Heck yes

Daniel & Erik’s Super Fab Ultimate Wedding Checklist by K.E. Belledone

My Story: Found the announcement on the IP site.

Story: Daniel and Erik are getting married, so Daniel has the best plan ever: install Aurora, a Wedding Planning app. What could go wrong?

Rating (1 to 5): 4

Why?: Ha. Ha ha. Ha ha ha. This book gave me too many feelings, and I did not expect that to happen at all. It sounds like a fun rom-com, and whereas it definitely is a rom-com, it also hits you like a ton of bricks. Daniel and Erik are getting married, so Daniel installed Aurora, a Wedding Planning app. Aurora is hectic, but she/it really cares. Or so it seems. Daniel becomes the ultimate groomzilla, whereas Erik decides to stay calm. Sometimes I just wanted to bang my head against the table and yell: "JUST ELOPE!", but Daniel wanted things to be perfect. Later on, you realise there's a reason for that, but it still annoys Erik, who just wants to get married to the man of his dreams without all those extra things. And this book took a turn I did not expect at all. And I applaud K.E. Belledonne for doing that instead of sticking to the usual plot these books can follow. I didn't think it was as hilarious and I thought it would be, but Aurora is still hilarious. The Featured Articles were the things I looked the most forward to. Aside from humour, this book also deals with things I did not expect: art, the complexity of family, slight homophobia, and don't even get me started on that glass. That was beautiful. This book is beautiful! Oh, and this is my more book-geek side: I always read acknowledgments at the end of the book. First of all, thank you Lex. Second of all, I always love to read how all these authors support each other. It makes reading these books so much better.

Recommend?: Yup

Small Wonders by Courtney Lux

My Story: Found the announcement on the IP site.

Story: Trip Morgan is a pickpocket, but not in a way you’d expect. He’s not out for money, but he’s out for people’s small wonders. When one day, he meets Nake Mackey, he thinks he’s found the boy from his favourite wonder and he wants to get to know him better.

Rating (1 to 5): 4

Why?: This was one hell of a read. Trip Morgan is a runaway. He has left his old town, since he was unwanted, and now shares a place with a couple of other outcasts of society. Trip makes his living with singing on the streets, and picking other people's pockets. He's very good at it, but he always returns the stuff he stole, unless it's interesting. And Nate has some interesting stuff. Nate Mackey is the opposite of Trip. He's more businesslike, more stiff, more /boring/. And Trip makes it his mission to make Nate's days better and more fun. I must admit that it took me a long time to get into this book. I liked Trip, but I thought the others were kind of irritating. Luckily, I continued reading and I warmed up to all of them. The story was sweet in its own way (this is Trip after all), and the struggles of all the characters, even the background characters, are well done. And while helping Nate warm up, Trip himself has his own epiphany: life has been shitty, really shitty, but that doesn't mean that it won't get better. And that's what this book is about.

Recommend?: Yeh