Welcome to Litsy!

Since I enjoyed The Handsome Girl & Her Beautiful Boy so much, I decided to check out the other titles by B.T. Gottfred.

Ok, I freaking loved this book. A sweet romance about two kids needing to be true to themselves. Additionally, I loved all the talk about girls hearing they shouldn't like sex, or that they shouldn't be in the driver's seat regarding their sexuality. The book does so much to show this is utter nonsense! As a high school librarian, this book has a lot of sex, which makes be a little leery; however, the characters and story need to be shared!

I really actually enjoyed this book and found it to be quite RELATABLE at some point throughout. We have all been awkward, dorky, nerdy, thought we were freaks, or unusual. At some point we've all hid behind a mask of who the real us is. This book really touches on that and highlights that it's incredibly important to find that person who lets you be yourself and loves the REAL YOU!

It was the best book I've ever read and I just couldn't put it down no matter how much I tried lol, it has explicit content in it but I loved it, I loved it so much that I even read the Acknowledgements, I even started crying a bit. Idk why lol

I discontinued reading the 3rd Harry potter book, I couldn't handle it, I don't enjoy books that have anything to do with death. It just freaks Me out! I only read 100 pages so its not too much
So I went for a calmer book, I wanted to read it, I just couldn't I freaked out
It's just the way I've always been since I was a kid
So I'm reading this to calm myself down until I'm ready to go back to Harry potter world again

My new Reading is Sexy Mudflap Girl Nerdy vinyl decal. I may have gotten one for #summersantagoespostal as well (shhhh!)

Benedict Pendleton is smart, logical, says whatever is on his mind & doesn't care if people hate or love him for it. He's the most socially awkward student in Riverbend High School. Penelope Lupo thinks she'd be a social outcast if others knew what she thought about all the time. These two seem to have little in common but after chance encounters a friendship blooms, then attraction, then... Well, you can guess. A quirky, explicit, fun YA read.

I'm not reading it yet, but did I select this book for the title? Even before I saw the cover? Why yes, yes I did. Looking forward to an entertaining read ahead of Chicago's 3rd Annual Young Adult Book Festival and an appearance by the author.

That ending though! So very meta. A fun read with lots of predicable YA tropes, but it still manages to have very profound moments. 🤓

A book, Sherlock Holmes, Foosball and a Christmas tree will occupy my overcast (aka perfect) day. The only thing missing is the coffee! *shouts over my shoulder to the empty coffee pot* "MAKE YOURSELF USEFUL MR. COFFEE!" ☕?
#DoYouEvenLitsyBro
#ReadingIsMyFavorite
#WatchMeLitsy
#LitsyAToZ

Can another author take this exact same premise with all the self-actualization and sexually supportive content but minus the horribleness and re-write the book I was hoping this would be?

Beyond the few awesome quotes I posted and the format, which I loved, there were too many truly AWFUL adults, jarring language including liberal use of retarded and whore, and insta-love instead of the slow build I was hoping for.

Read so we can discuss!

"So we judge to inflate our self-worth. Thus, if I ever judge you, you can say, 'Benedict, why is your self-worth low today?'"

"So this "sex" thing that makes it possible for humans to actually be alive is something we are taught not to feel good about. How screwed up is that?...

And then maybe because our bodies want to do it because of nature and our minds don't want to do it because of religion or morals or whatever, sex becomes confusing..."

This whole passage (pg 63-4) is pretty spot on. I have mixed feelings about the overall book but this is great. Frank. Needed.

"That was the day I told the world to accept me for who I am or go fuck itself."

Too bad this is so much easier to think than to do, as the MC Pen finds out.

My biggest gripe, (and I have many) is that there was so much shaming going on. Fat shaming, slut shaming, nerd shaming, it went on and on. Then, everyone used the word retard or retarded as an insult all the time. Even the adults! Why? This is not ok, it‘s disgusting and totally insulting.

Pen and Benedict have an unlikely friendship that leads to a love story that blossoms when they start being real for the first time. I loved how they were able to get what they wanted from the relationship by being open and honest. Funny, quirky, explicit and honest, "The Nerdy and the Dirty" is one of the few YA books to accurately capture the thoughts that go through the minds of teens, especially about fitting in, sex, and growing up.

How can you resist a title like this! #netgalleyreads

"Filled with plenty of humor, romance, and chaos, The Nerdy and the Dirty is a novel that will stay with readers long after they finish this highly original tale of redemption and acceptance."