#rules for rule breaking

[richincolor]

We have three books on our radar for this week! You should check them out:

The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le Roaring Brook Press

Nhika is a bloodcarver. A cold-hearted, ruthless being who can alter human biology with just a touch. In the industrial city of Theumas, she is seen not as a healer, but a monster that kills for pleasure. When Nhika is caught using her bloodcarving abilities during a sham medical appointment, she's captured by underground thugs and sold to an aristocratic family to heal the last witness of their father’s murder. But as Nhika delves deeper into their investigation amidst the glitz of Theumas’ wealthiest district, she begins to notice parallels between this job and her own dark past. And when she meets an alluring yet entitled physician's aide, Ven Kochin, she’s forced to question the true intent behind this murder. In a society that outcasts her, Kochin seems drawn to her...though he takes every chance he gets to push her out of his opulent world. When Nhika discovers that Kochin is not who he claims to be, and that there is an evil dwelling in Theumas that runs much deeper than the murder of one man, she must decide where her heart, and her allegiance, truly lie. And - if she's willing to become the dreaded bloodcarver Theumas fears to save herself and the ones she's vowed to protect.

Rules for Rule Breaking by Talia Tucker Kokila

Winter Park and Bobby Bae are Korean American high school juniors whose families have been friends since the kids were making crayon art. They, however, are repulsed by each other. Winter is MIT-bound, comfortable keeping people at arm’s length, and known by others as responsible, though she has a desire to let loose. This probably comes from her rebel grandmother, who is constantly pushing boundaries and encouraging Winter to do so as well. Winter’s best friend is moving abroad and won’t be attending college at all, and Winter’s wrestling with what it means to be left behind. Bobby is as Type-A, anxious, and risk-averse as you can get. He’s also been recently dumped, which has him feeling disoriented and untethered. That’s why, when Winter’s and Bobby’s parents insist that they go on a northeast college campus tour together, both teens find reasons to accept even though the thought of being stuck in a car together for 700 miles sounds unbearable. What awaits them is a journey of self-discovery where the only rule on their road trip is to break all the rules. At first, this happens in hilariously calculated ways (using lists and reason and logic!), but they soon abandon that, challenging each other to dares in Virginia, getting high and wandering around Philly for food—and battling the subsequent digestive distress—and crashing a party in Cambridge. And, of course, realizing that they’re perfect together.

Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé Feiwel & Friends

Sade Hussein is starting her third year of high school, this time at the prestigious Alfred Nobel Academy boarding school, after being home-schooled all her life. Misfortune has clung to her seemingly since birth, but even she doesn’t expect her new roommate, Elizabeth, to disappear after Sade’s first night. Or for people to think Sade had something to do with it. With rumors swirling around her, Sade catches the attention of the girls collectively known as the ‘Unholy Trinity’ and they bring her into their fold. Between learning more about them—especially Persephone, who Sade is inexplicably drawn to—and playing catchup in class, Sade already has so much on her plate. But when it seems people don't care enough about what happened to Elizabeth, it's up to she and Elizabeth's best friend, Baz, to investigate. And then a student is found dead. The more Sade and Baz dig into Elizabeth's disappearance, the more she realizes there’s more to Alfred Nobel Academy and its students than she thought. Secrets lurk around every corner and beneath every surface…secrets that rival even her own.

[mydarlinginej]

read my full review of rules for rule breaking by talia tucker here.

Booksmart meets Never Have I Ever in this debut YA rom-com about two Korean American teens forced into a shared college visit road trip where they discover that the reasons they’ve been rivals their entire lives might actually be signs they’re a perfect pair.

Winter Park and Bobby Bae are Korean American high school juniors whose families have been friends since the kids were making crayon art. They, however, are repulsed by each other.

Winter is MIT-bound, comfortable keeping people at arm’s length, and known by others as responsible, though she has a desire to let loose. This probably comes from her rebel grandmother, who is constantly pushing boundaries and encouraging Winter to do so as well. Winter’s best friend is moving abroad and won’t be attending college at all, and Winter’s wrestling with what it means to be left behind. Bobby is as Type-A, anxious, and risk-averse as you can get. He’s also been recently dumped, which has him feeling disoriented and untethered.

That’s why, when Winter’s and Bobby’s parents insist that they go on a northeast college campus tour together, both teens find reasons to accept even though the thought of being stuck in a car together for 700 miles sounds unbearable. What awaits them is a journey of self-discovery where the only rule on their road trip is to break all the rules. At first, this happens in hilariously calculated ways (using lists and reason and logic!), but they soon abandon that, challenging each other to dares in Virginia, getting high and wandering around Philly for food—and battling the subsequent digestive distress—and crashing a party in Cambridge. And, of course, realizing that they’re perfect together.

my review:

Winter Park‘s and Bobby Bae‘s families have been trying to become best friends ever since they were in pre-school. That only fuels their dislike of each other, and ever since then, they’ve made a set of rules to adhere to since they’re forced to interact. When both of their parents strong-arm them into taking a joint road trip to visit colleges, they begrudgingly agree, only to realize over the trip that they’re more similar than they’ve thought.

Honestly, I didn’t much like the first fifty or so pages of the book, just because I feel like they really dragged with the constant “I hate Winter/Bobby so much” monologues. However, once they actually set off on the road trip, I started having more fun with this book. Both Winter and Bobby have distinctive voices and their own issues to work throughout the book. Once they put aside their differences, they’re able to help each other out and grow closer.

read my full review here.

[alyssalikestoreadbooks]

Rules For Rule Breaking - Talia Tucker

"Winter Park and Bobby Bae are Korean American high school juniors whose families have been friends since the kids were making crayon art. They, however, are repulsed by each other.

Winter is MIT-bound, comfortable keeping people at arm’s length, and known by others as responsible, though she has a desire to let loose. This probably comes from her rebel grandmother, who is constantly pushing boundaries and encouraging Winter to do so as well. Winter’s best friend is moving abroad and won’t be attending college at all, and Winter’s wrestling with what it means to be left behind. Bobby is as Type-A, anxious, and risk-averse as you can get. He’s also been recently dumped, which has him feeling disoriented and untethered.

That’s why, when Winter’s and Bobby’s parents insist that they go on a northeast college campus tour together, both teens find reasons to accept even though the thought of being stuck in a car together for 700 miles sounds unbearable. What awaits them is a journey of self-discovery where the only rule on their road trip is to break all the rules. At first, this happens in hilariously calculated ways (using lists and reason and logic!), but they soon abandon that, challenging each other to dares in Virginia, getting high and wandering around Philly for food—and battling the subsequent digestive distress—and crashing a party in Cambridge. And, of course, realizing that they’re perfect together."

Listen Date - July 2024

Length - 304 pages

Genre - Romance, Contemporary, Teenager

Rating - 7/10

Stars - ★★★☆☆

Notes - I think the dynamic between Winter and Bobby is really cute, and the way they're rivals is a good set up for the rest of the book. I love the Korean culture, and everything i’m learning about it through this book. Bobby getting broken up with made sense, and sets the theme for the road trip. Emmy deciding not to go to college is also nice, because it shows that college just isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay. Bobby getting high for the first time was a funny scene, and him tripping out was such a mood. Me too, Bobby, me too. The itinerary mocking is very amusing to me, and i love how frenemies Bobby and Winter’s relationship is. I also like how every chapter starts off with a rule, and the chapters go on the show how they break them. It’s perfect. The smoking scenes were also really cute, and i love how Bobby and Winter interact with each other. Them as friends makes a lot of sense, and i love this sort of dynamic where they’re able to get alone when they let their walls down. I like the conversation Bobby has with Winter about not atoning for his families wrong doings. Him blaming himself for his parents actions is really poignant and Winter being there for him as a best friend was sweet. The flirting in New York scene was so sugary sweet and I loved it so much. They’re SO made for each other. Bobby’s confession was so sweet and the reveal that he’s been pining the entire time is so adorable. The party and kiss was so perfect and i was waiting the entire time for them to just GO FOR IT!!! Rivals To Dating!!!!!! The cops coming to break up the party that Winter and Bobby go to was really smart and i like how the lie was played out with Jaqueline pretending to be their parents. The argument between the two because of Jaqueline in also smart and i like how Winter freaks out about the change. Bobby freaking out about his culture is realistic, and his parents hiding it from him is wrong. He should be allowed a chance to connect with his culture, even if his parents dont want to themselves. Winter trying to avoid Bobby is sad. They deserve to be together and happy. The crying at the derms office was so relatable and reminded me of Never Have I Ever (Iykyk). Winter trying to distance herself from Bobby but failing massively was cute, and i like the way they finally get together with her grandma and her friends telling Winter to seize the moment and she does. The entire bingo scene was great and i loved the competitiveness that fueled their rivalry to begin with. i LOVE the ending where they finally get in trouble for all the rules they’re breaking, and their relationship in general is so cute and wholesome.  

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 4/5

Book Blurb: Booksmart meets Never Have I Ever in this debut YA rom-com about two Korean American teens forced into a shared college visit road trip where they discover that the reasons they’ve been rivals their entire lives might actually be signs they’re a perfect pair.

Winter Park and Bobby Bae are Korean American high school juniors whose families have been friends since the kids were making crayon art. They, however, are repulsed by each other.

Winter is MIT-bound, comfortable keeping people at arm’s length, and known by others as responsible, though she has a desire to let loose. This probably comes from her rebel grandmother, who is constantly pushing boundaries and encouraging Winter to do so as well. Winter’s best friend is moving abroad and won’t be attending college at all, and Winter’s wrestling with what it means to be left behind. Bobby is as Type-A, anxious, and risk-averse as you can get. He’s also been recently dumped, which has him feeling disoriented and untethered.

That’s why, when Winter’s and Bobby’s parents insist that they go on a northeast college campus tour together, both teens find reasons to accept even though the idea of being stuck in a car together for 700 miles sounds unbearable. What awaits them is a journey of self-discovery, and the only rule on their road trip is to break all the rules. At first, this happens in hilariously calculated ways (using lists and reason and logic!), but they soon abandon that, challenging each other to dares in Virginia, getting high and wandering around Philly for food—and battling the subsequent digestive distress—and crashing a party in Cambridge. And, of course, realizing that they’re perfect together.

Review:

Two lifelong academic rivals find themselves going on a road trip together to explore colleges while also breaking the rules for the first time in their lives...as well as realizing that maybe they aren't as repulsed by each other as they claim. Winter is MIT bound and has always been comfortable with keeping at an arms length. She loves spending time with her grandmother and she hates losing. Bobby is as Type-A, anxious, and risk averse as you can be and he feels a bit like he's never been good enough. Winter and Bobby's parents are family friends yet both Winter and Bobby can't stand each other and have been academic rivals. Winter hates that Bobby is so good looking, that he has a perfect girlfriend, and seems to be good at everything he does. Bobby can't stand how at ease with everything Winter is, that she's got such a loving and open family, that she's better than him at everything and that she gets under his skin like no one else. While their parents think they would make a cute couple, neither of them can stand to be in the same room and have made rules for each other to coexists together. With college visits come around, Winter finds out that her best friend isn't even going and Bobby is newly dumped by his girlfriend for being "boring" , and both their parents can't take them on their college visits and suggests they go together. There's nothing they'd like least... yet when they discuss it they realize that they could use this trip to break all the rules and for once abandon having a plan and just going with it. Yet now that they are stuck together they begin to learn more about each other, exploring new places and discovering their own feelings for one another because you don't spend that much time obsessed with someone without maybe possibly falling for them. This was a really cute academic rivals to lovers stories and I adored how both Winter and Bobby had their own struggles yet constantly challenged each other to be better and would be there for one another. This was a sweet read and I would definitely recommend it!

*Thanks Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, Kokila for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[girlnephew]

[maeamian]

Part of the reason that Republicans are so desperately acting like they will never lose again is because they are deeply terrified that this is their last real chance to win. The big orange dipshit came in and gutted the party of everyone who wasn't a loyalist, which left it full of nasty little gremlins who have gaping voids where charisma and human decency is supposed to go.

They still hold a lot of power, but if we stop them this year the next presidential election may not be the Most Important One Of Your Life™, that's not a guarantee or anything, but if they don't win here and now their future looks grim, this dipshit is the only guy they have left and he's extremely diminished and has his brains leaking out of his ears at this point. We can beat him into the ground.

So that's what we're gonna fucking do. We're gonna break these fucking fash. They will crash upon us and we're gonna break their fucking necks. When they come for us they will lose because they're fucking losers and we have each other's backs which is something they fundamentally are incapable of comprehending.

[topbottomswitchblade]

it’s difficult to be a dom with anarchist leanings.

my sub will be like “i have to tell you something... i broke a rule. i’ll accept whatever punishment you see fit.” and i’m like. rise up comrade you have nothing to lose but your padded restraints. no doms no masters. oh you want me to spank you. yeah i can do that.

[taliatuck]

Meet the characters of Rules for Rule Breaking! Available now! Get your copy today!

Thanks @raconteur.recs for this adorable edit!

[stinkyfishboy]

obsessed with the breakdown of this show into people using the characters as barbie dolls to play house with

[morganbritton132]

I want a fic where Tim unwittingly becomes the rebellious kid after his dad dies because he has a hard time adjusting from his latchkey kid with absentee parents life to the almost constant adult supervision at Wayne Manor.

Like, Tim spent years sneaking around to do Batman shit and even when he got in trouble, if he waited long enough his parents would either leave town or forget about it.

Now he’s getting the ‘I’m not mad, I’m disappointed’ talk from Bruce for skipping school and supplementing half his meals with energy drinks and is just like: ???? Nothing has changed??

Tim gets hurt on patrol and Bruce tells him that Robin will not be out in Gotham the next night, and then gets mad when he finds Tim on a rooftop in his civies taking pictures. Tim is just like: Robin’s not out. I followed your order. What’s the problem?

Tim disappears for a few days following a lead and gets grounded for not telling anybody where he went (even though he did. It’s in the Batcomputer) and for missing school which he interprets as meaning that Robin is grounded (can’t patrol). So it’s confusing when he gets in trouble again for inviting Kon over to hang out because he’s ‘grounded’ which doesn’t even make sense because Bruce isn’t even home??

[mangozic]

the wettest of cats

[skyberia]

workarounds to having a vampire as your partner in crime

[pipperoni32-blog]

Rules for Rule Breaking

by Talia Tucker / 4 stars

**Expected publish date March 19, 2024**

This was such a joy to read! I quickly fell for these two flawed overachievers, and their resistance to each other. Bobby might be the most anxious leading man I've come across, yet somehow he's all the more charming for it. Winter is intimidating, yet so confident in her sense of self, and prioritizing her comfort over public opinion.

When neither of their parents want to go on a college tour with them, Bobby and Winter are forced to make the journey together. They've been rivals for as long as they can remember, and they've developed rules to help them stay civil around their families. Winter's grandmother encourages the two to use this trip as a chance to live a little, to not be so hemmed in by the rules they've built for themselves.

A great YA roadtrip book, with a wonderful supporting cast of friends and flawed family. I was so interested in how Bobby and Winter's experience with their family culture shaped them. Their rivalry wasn't too hurtful, which is always a tough line to walk, and I loved their banter when they forgot to guard themselves.

Thank you to the publishers through Netgalley for the ARC! I can't wait for this book to come out, and for everybody to get a chance to meet these two!

[overwhelmedandlonely]

[At a gala]

Janet Drake: Jack, honey, where’s the baby?

Jack Drake: Hm? Oh, Bruce Wayne asked to hold him. I figured he’d be safe.

[Bruce sprinting to the car]

Bruce: Alfred, start the car!

Alfred: Master Bruce, is there a problem? And why do you have the Drake child?

Bruce: Don’t worry about it, let’s just go.

Alfred: Sir, I don’t think the Drake’s would appreciate you abducting their baby.

Bruce: But-

Alfred: No “buts”, sir. Please return him, he is not an orphan.

Bruce: *under his breath* Not yet…

Alfred: SIR-

[decoysatrn]

a conversation/realization Hori and his editor had about Bakugo and the final chapter