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Welcome to the GirlSpring Book Club! This a fun monthly collab with the Springboarder Bookclub members,  where we share our monthly book reviews. Check out our book review below!

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Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton

August Intoccia:

This book has a captivating plot that makes you want to read more. The layout of the book is intriguing and the language is warm and welcoming. There is strong female characters and an emphasis on female friendships. Overall this is a great book, and I would definitely recommend it. 

Jaina:

This heartfelt book on love explores how a young girl navigates her love life, crushes, boyfriends, lovers, exes and in between. I enjoyed this book as it talked about her life in the early 2000s and on through high school and college. One thing I enjoyed about this book is that her friend Farley, always stuck by her side. She shows in the book how she overcame negative obstacles and chose to love herself for who she is. It teaches valuable lessons in acceptance, love, crushes and self-image.

Sage Davis:

This book was so interesting to me. To be honest, at first I thought I wouldn’t like it because it was a memoir, but I found it to be enjoyable. I listened to the audio book which is a completely different experience because the author was reading it. I really got the feel of the people. I think this book is relatable on so many different levels and it’s worth the read. It makes you take a step back and look inside yourself and in your life. I love the emphasis on female friendships. I think in today’s society, there aren’t many honest and well-intentioned friendships. Friends that will stick by your side no matter what. That’s what I love most about this book.

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Book Info

Want to buy the book? Click here

You can find this book in audio form, with Audible or Spotify!

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The post Book Review: Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton appeared first on GirlSpring.

By: Victoria Spear

Sugar milk and flour are key components to any line of literature, from the pre-baked oven steeped in culture to the many vanilla extracts of trauma and tears. Food forms a connection between culture and emotions in day-to-day life; whether it’s soup, rice, or simply a secret recipe of cake.  The poetry in “Magic City Gospel” by Ashley Jones and “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Saltine” by Nickole Brown displays emotions and memory through food expanding on social class as well as culture as a whole.  Food is important in many cultures and is expressed in many ways through shows, books, and even poetry with how it leaves an impact. Jones and Brown both emphasize this in both a positive and negative manner with social class and race. They emphasize this by; exploring social class through taste, using culture and how food leaves an impact, and using the sense of smell to allude to memory.

Using culture and how food leaves an impact

While reading through `Magic City Gospel’ by Ashley Jones, she makes a lot of references to food when recalling a specific memory. Food as well as taste is a key component in memory and is used frequently through poetry and literature. Using one of the four senses it leaves a bigger impact for the audience and readers overall.  Culture also plays a deep part in food and memory from a young age to when one grows up. Thus many can relate when reading through these poems, for they have had these experiences and even feel a sense of comfort knowing they are not alone. 

 In ‘Sonnet for Sopping’ Jones draws attention to how her mother eats her food with her hands, she describes the texture and smell of colonization and culture being interrupted to fit into social dynamics. This transpires on page 12: “What special flavors hide inside thumb, index, middle, ring, what slides through that is lost on the cold teeth of a fork?”(5-7). The detail she goes into emphasizes the fingers and how they hold the foods and flavors of eating with their hands rather than with utensils. The following lines add to this tension: “When did we embrace the colonial cuffs of silverware so that even our food assimilates?” (12-14). Here she is drawing attention to how their culture is being interrupted by needing to fit in with society’s standards and abandoning their simple way of eating. This conditioning is seen very often and carries on to the next generation as seen here with Jones as she was watching her mother eat with her hands differently from how she was raised on utensils.

This displays how culturally significant it is for people of color to have to appropriate themselves to keep appearances. The fact that it was colonized for coloreds to use utensils rather than to use their hands to eat, unfortunately, is only one example of what happens in day-to-day life with socialization. Using food from her culture as well as providing a specific memory to her message leaves an impact for the reader. With Jones drawing attention to her culture, using this experience is inspiring, to slowly draw oneself from society’s expectations that affect everyone; including the way they eat and present themselves. 

Exploring Social Class Through Taste

Taste is explored through many forms of literature, due to it being one of the five senses humans possess. The sense of being able to taste certain things in a meal or even fluid is enough to recall a memory, even one of social standing. In “Thirteen Ways of Looking at A Salatine’ by Nicole Brown provides examples as well as memories of how the taste of a saltine left a huge impact on her memory about her social standing. Much like black culture Jones explores through food, Brown draws attention to the taste of a cracker that held her title in social class. 

Brown explored the topic of recalling social class through taste in her work. Much like Jones, Brown recalls her experience with saltines and remembers how it relates to her family. She does this in section eight lines (7:5-9): “Like the family I love best, the bite is rough at first but quickly goes soft nearly falls apart without even the need to chew,” (7:5-9). This allusion to taste talking about how ‘rough’ her family is and how they ‘fall apart without the need to chew’ really goes into how her family dynamic operates. The fact that the taste of the saltine instilled memories in her about her family dynamic spoke volumes. She follows up in a section about how her first experience of being called a ‘cracker’ to being innocent at first; she didn’t realize it was meant as an insult. “The first time I was called a cracker no one could have told me it was anything but a jive at what we ate,” (9:2-3). The ‘jive’ she’s speaking about is the lack of food they were able to eat because they were poor and saltines were very cheap and affordable to purchase for food. This gives the audience an insight as to how bitter she truly sees the food and how it resolves back around to her life each time she tastes the saltine. 

Although many can relate to social class and descrimination due to background, the way Brown explores this through the taste of a simple saltine is brilliant. Taste does have a strong impact in literature and day to day life especially when thinking culturally or one’s social class. Whether ist cornbread cake or a simple saltine, the crumbs that role of our taste buds can leave an impact on how we look at oneself as well as the world as a whole.

Using sense of smell to allude to memory

Whether or not it’s a personal experience among people, the sense of smell is used to decipher whether something is good or bad; the smell can be so familiar enough to even recall a specific memory in poetry. Smell is essential in many forms of literature to explain one’s surrounding familiarity of understanding. It’s very popular within fiction and poetry as well; many of the works using smell mostly refer back to memory of a certain subject or past event. With this writers and creators can have more effect within their work and even lead their readers with a sense of relativity and connection. 

Works that stood out the most with smells would have to be Jones in “Gospel of Grits”. In this work what stood out the most is how the writer emphasizes how people in the south wake up to breakfast with smell. “Wake up, bacon. Wipe eyes, biscuit dough. Sting of coffee silenced by sugar, kiss of milk.” (page 49 lines 4-5). These lines allude to how the narrator can recall memories in the morning through smell when waking up each morning for breakfast. Jones even highlights each step of waking up before smelling the familiar scent of said breakfast food, this adds more detail and allusion to the poem and work overall making it memorable. She even follows up in the following lines, “When I think of you, I think of heat.”(page: 49 line:7).  Jones is indirectly saying that through food and smells she’s recalling fond memories of waking up each morning to a fulfilling meal. This seals the case with how impactful the sense of smell is even with creators when trying to express meaningful moments through their work. 

Many would-be often surprised with how much personal experience can be placed on the sense of smell alone. Whether or not it draws back in memory of good or bad is up to experience, but we as humans use this sense to decipher just that. The way smell is explored through others’ works may be small but it is relatable to others especially the audience in many ways. Jones was successful with capturing this, and giving her readers one of her best works that most can relate to. 

Food, smell, and taste leave a heavy impact on literature as we know it and inspire authors to formulate writings that peers and strangers can relate to whether it’s socially or culture-wise. Ashley Jones and Nichole Brown highlighted this beautifully in their works, from their experiences with race to the struggles of being poor. Their works exploring their memories through their work left a huge impact on others, leaving behind a feeling of relativity and understanding. Maybe just maybe, the baker steeped and cooked up in literature makes a wonderful pound cake. 

The post Poundcakes and Cornbread by Victoria Spear appeared first on GirlSpring.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder- Holly Jackson

This book had me on my toes. The storyline was great and the twist at the end was unpredictable. Well, at least for me. This book is a little on the mature side- the rating is 14 and up. After I read the book I watched the show on Netflix and I thought it was very enjoyable.  There are some differences between the show and book but overall I rate it 4.5/5.

Percy Jackson and The Olympians Series- Rick Riordan

This is my favorite book series. Hands Down. All of the books are great. I read this series when I was in the 5th grade and I loved them, so I decided to give them a reread. There are 5 in total, and I encourage  you to read all of the books. All of the characters are so well written, which makes it so relatable to kids and teenagers. It is just a good story for ages 9 and up. I totally recommend checking out the show on Disney + as well. I rate this book 5/5.

Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy – Rex Ogle

For all my graphic novel lovers, this is the book for  you. This book radiates girlhood. It is the modern retelling of Little Women and how they would be in the modern world. This story is very wholesome and is good for ages 9 and up. I rate this book 5/5.

The post My favorite books I’ve read this month appeared first on GirlSpring.

“A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas

Fantasy books portray the best amount of female main energy. Feyre from the “A Court of Thorns and Roses” series sums up a ‘strong woman’ to me. First, she provides for her family, protects them, and defeats a whole kingdom. That is pretty awesome.

Next to her is the famous Nesta who doesn’t let anyone tell her what to do or how to do it. This fearless woman has powers of fire, and I think that is a perfect aspect for her personality. Fire can create warmth but it is also very dangerous. Like a moth to flame as some would say, Nesta draws in more than moths and like her sister, Feyre, she wins a war and defeats a kingdom.

Mor and Amren are also no less than these two power-sisters. Amren scares people with her presence alone, and Mor who is nicknamed “The Morrigan.” You have to be some type of powerful to have a ‘the’ in your name.

The Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros

Transferring Universes a little bit, if we head all the way to Basgiath College of Poromiel, we will not only find Violet Sorrengail, but also Rhiannon Mathias, and Imogen. All of these talented women have each been through the Basgiath war college. These women take no disrespect and they don’t give anyone the chance to even think about underestimating their abilities.

Violet, who defies all ‘laws’ that everyone says are true, still finds a way to beat every system she is put in. Imogen who is one of the strongest of her year not only helps violet become greater but is actually very caring underneath her protectiveness. Last but not least Rhiannon is a dark skin queen has been with Violet since day 1 at the college, and is Violet’s ride-or-die. She proves to everyone that she needs to be there and that she earned her spot. She ends up becoming a leader and earns great respect, while still being respectful to others. 

“A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” by Holly Jackson

This book is a little on the modern side and it takes place on earth. Pip Fitz-Amobi, a high school student, dedicates her senior year to solving a murder, just to prove that the nicest person she knows innocent. Solving a murder is one thing, but she takes this case to heart, because the crime happened only a few years ago in her own town. She goes through various hardships while solving this fresh case such as death-threats and the loss of her dog. Still, she proceeds to persevere because she knows it’s the right thing to do. Even when her own life is in danger all she wants to do is help others.

Every day we all should strive to be like these extraordinary female characters. They’re fearless, strong, witty, sincere, and powerful. These women have all gone through their hardships, but they all made it out to the top, and so will you. 

The post 3 Books with Extraordinary Female Characters appeared first on GirlSpring.

If you’ve ever found it challenging to read, especially a classic novel that reminds you of endless homework and book reports, audiobooks can take your reading game to the next level. They allow you to listen to a book instead of looking at the text, but it still counts as reading! Listening to a verbal retelling of a story can engage you in a new way, whether for leisure or school. It’s a great way to consume classic novels, which may be a tricky genre of books to get into. Here’s why audiobooks can help with reading and some must-listen classic audiobooks:

Why audiobooks?

Audiobooks offer a new way to engage with reading material, allowing you to effectively process the material, stay hooked, and get your imagination working. A study from the National Literacy Trust in the UK found that three in five children and young people say listening to an audiobook helps them understand a subject. It can also help build reading comprehension, pronunciation and fluency, and critical listening.

They’re also easily accessible on your devices. Since classics are often a challenge for young readers due to the language, the audio format can make the experience more enjoyable and captivating. You can find classic audiobooks on Everand, which offers titles like Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell or Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. You can browse through the classics or find other audiobook genres that pique your interest, further igniting a love for reading classics and beyond. Other platforms like LibriVox provide public-domain audiobooks for free, so you’re bound to find classics to listen to without paying a cent.

 Here are some classic audiobooks you can start with:

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

This beloved classic by Louisa May Alcott chronicles the lives of the four March sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—as they transition from childhood to womanhood, set in the backdrop of the American Civil War. The story follows the sisters as they navigate the love, grief, and challenges of adulthood, and the writing masterfully captures the essence of sisterhood, family, and personal growth—which still resonates today. Each of them aims to find greatness and fulfillment in their own ways, which often clash with each other’s dreams. But through it all, they remain fiercely loyal and supportive, with their unwavering bond remaining a constant throughout the story. Listening to their lives unfold through the audiobook can take you on an emotional journey filled with joy, heartbreak, and love.

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Though it’s not technically a novel, William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is undoubtedly a classic. The star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, meet and fall in love, though the feud between their houses keeps them from being together freely. Despite this, they do what they can to be with each other, looking to marry secretly, but a series of misunderstandings and hasty actions ultimately lead to their demise. It’s a tragedy but also a passionate and heartfelt tale of young love and the cost of violence and hate. Shakespeare’s works are notoriously challenging to read due to the language, but the audiobook can provide a dramatized reading that can help you better comprehend the story through verbal cues and inflections that also make the story more immersive and emotional. Another reason to read this classic is to understand and appreciate the source material of all the various Shakespeare interpretations, from films like Romeo + Juliet to the West Side Story musical.

 Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Anne of Green Gables is a must-listen coming-of-age story that’s set to resonate with any young person finding their way in the world. The story follows orphan Anne Shirley, who’s mistakenly sent to live with the Cuthbert siblings instead of a boy to help out on the farm. Despite this, the Cuthberts grow to love her vibrant spirit and unique personality and keep her, and her life in the fictional town of Avonlea begins. She tries adjusting to her school life, makes friends, finds rivals, and navigates the expectations of her new home. Her story is filled with moments of both joy and grief, but her colorful imagination, strong sense of friendship, and love of nature help her move through life with resilience and positivity. 

Animal Farm by George Orwell

This satirical allegory by George Orwell finds its basis in Eastern European history, turning historical figures and events into a fable featuring all kinds of farm animals living in Manor Farm. The animals band together to revolt against their oppressive farmer, Mr. Jones, which allows them to establish Animal Farm, which advocates for freedom and equality. However, once a pig named Napoleon gains complete control of the farm through manipulation, the farm’s ideals gradually degrade. The pigs become wealthier under this totalitarian state while the other manimals face hardships. It’s a chilling cautionary tale of the corruption of revolutionary ideals and the importance of critical thinking. The audiobook can provide an easy-to-understand gateway to political and social commentary without the intimidating terminology and language, making for an engaging and educational listen, especially with its relevance today.

The post Exploring Literary Greats: 4 Must-Listen Classic Audiobooks  appeared first on GirlSpring.

1. Pride and Prejudice by: Jane Austen 

To be honest, any book written by Jane Austen would be a great summer read, but Pride and Prejudice is my favorite. A classic enemies to lovers story, Pride and Prejudice is a wonderfully written feel good book that anyone can enjoy!

• To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by: Jenny Han

If enemies to lovers isn’t your thing, how about fake dating? This book with its funny, energetic, and interesting characters, focuses on two people who start fake dating and realize they want to actually date. This book is a great summer read if you just want to feel happy.

• Little White Lies by: Jennifer Lynn Barnes 

Now, if you want a book that doesn’t focus on a romance but rather a back-stabbing plot-twisting mystery, then this book is definitely for you. The book focuses on an 18 year old girl who is trying to find out who her father is while also trying to survive her debutante season. If you enjoy not knowing what is coming next and to constantly need to read the next chapter, I highly recommend this book. 

• Once Upon a Broken Heart by: Stephanie Garber

If you don’t want to dive into 19th century literature or read about a realistic romance, then might I suggest this wonderfully magical book? This book has it all, vampires, magic, a girl with pink hair, enemies to lovers, heartbreak, betrayal, and so much more. If you love a good grumpy-sunshine-trope-fantasy book then definitely read Once Upon a Broken Heart. 

• The Phoenix Files by: Chris Morphew

Finally, if you are into the supernatural, suspenseful, and intense side of reading, this book is the one for you. WIth only 100 days until the world is destroyed, the main characters have to work together to try and save it. This book has many plot twists that you truly can not see coming. 

There you have it! All of these books I have thoroughly enjoyed reading and hope that you will have fun with them as well. Have a great summer!

The post 5 Great Books to Read During the Summer! By: Corra Maddox appeared first on GirlSpring.

If you didn’t know, March is Women’s History Month! This month, we get to celebrate all the accomplishments that have been made by women and all the accomplishments yet to come! One of the ways we can celebrate is by reading books that have female characters that can empower us and motivate us to become better. Here are some books with female characters that everyone should aspire to be like!

1. The School for Good and Evil by: Soman Chainani 

If you like a fantasy book centered around two best friends trying to find out where they fit, then The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani is for you. This story focuses on two teenage girls, Agatha and Sophie, who are transported to a magical school where fairytale characters learned how to survive in their stories. While Sophie is girly and extroverted, Agatha is socially awkward and stubborn. Even though they are total opposites, they love each other dearly. I remember reading this book for the first time, and I loved how strong these characters were in their own ways. They never let others put them down and relied on each other through the dark points in their lives. 

2. The Cruel Prince by: Holly Black

The Cruel Prince is a young adult fantasy that follows a teenage mortal girl named Jude Duarte. The story focuses on her trying to navigate through a magical world filled with manipulation, deceit, and treachery. Jude has to face so many different challenges, but she faces them all with determination and strength. She will protect her family at all cost, and she always finds a clever way to get out of situations. I love reading about her wit and cleverness. Also, seeing Jude work through her trauma can be inspirational for anyone.  

3. The Inheritance Games by: Jennifer Lynn Barnes 

Avery Grambs is the main character in this comedic, suspenseful mystery. She is intelligent and witty. She is always looking for and solving the riddles and puzzles in life. Reading her sarcastic and witty comebacks made me feel comfortable about who I am. No matter how many people questioned whether she deserved what she got, she remained strong, and she always knew her worth. If you want to read a book full of riddles and witty conversations, then you should read The Inheritance Games. 

4. Once Upon a Broken Heart by: Stephanie Garber 

Evangelina Fox is a caring dreamer who is constantly looking for her true love. While the other characters on this list are fighters, Evangelina is a lover. She always tries to make sure that everyone is happy and puts their needs before her own. Fox is a selfless girl who is a ray of light for all those around her. Reading about her made me realize that strength isn’t just about fistfights and wielding swords – it is about having the strength to smile everyday. 

5. Six of Crows by: Leigh Bardugo 

Now, my all time favorite book is Six of Crows. It is filled with wit, heists, fights, and some of my favorite characters ever. My favorite character of all time is Inej Ghafa. Her story is filled with suffering and darkness, but she never loses hope. Inej believes in her faith and never yields from it. She supports her friends through their hardships, she grows from her past, and wants to make sure no one has to go through what she did. She tries to stay calm and focused on her path. Her strength and determination inspire me everyday.

There you have it, 5 of my favorite books featuring strong female characters!

Check out more March Book Reads Recommendations here!

The post 5 Books With Strong Female Characters by: Corra Maddox appeared first on GirlSpring.

It was in a poetry style, not prose. 15 books make up Metamorphoses, each book containing multiple stories. As I started reading, I noticed the verse, alliteration, and rhyming, and it made the experience much better than if it were prose.

My favorite line from the book is probably from the prolouge: “…may the song I sing be seamless as its way weaves from the world’s beginning to our day.” The alliteration with the “s” and the “w” — I can’t even begin to explain why I like it so much. It just sounds so good!

Ovid basically tells stories to the reader from his own point of view in Metamorphoses. Sometimes characters are telling stories to other characters. There’s the Trojan War, Odesseus, Zeus’s affairs, Perseus and Medusa, anything you might expect to find is in that book.

I think my favorite character might be Athis – a son of a daughter of the Ganges River in India. I mean, yeah, Athis was killed by Perseus and wasn’t mentioned anywhere else, and I don’t really know why he was important. But the fact that he’s from India resonates with me. Somehow. I don’t know. It just does.

I also really loved the way Orpheus’s story was written. It was so tragic and it made me feel so strongly that I almost cried, which I never do when I read. Another thing was how many affairs Zeus had. He had so many it was hilarious!

Overall, I would definitely recommend that you read reading the Metamorphoses of Ovid, even if Greek mythology doesn’t necessarily interest you. It does require a very, very long attention span and lots of time, but I would say it’s definitely worth it.

The post A Review of Ovid’s Metamorphoses appeared first on GirlSpring.

I read a lot of romance novels. I know the tropes, the cliches, all the things that make people fall for a good swoony read. Because of this, when I find a romance novel that transcends the simple tropes that I have read numerous times, it sticks with me. That’s how I felt when I was reading Happy Place by Emily Henry. I had read her previous novels and loved them, so my expectations were high but Henry took me by surprise with her fourth novel. The book delves into life after college, strong female friendships, and obviously love. 

Summary:

Happy Place is a dual timeline novel. It covers the main character Harriet’s “Happy Place” which encapsulates the time when the friendships and loves are all new as well as real life, when people are older and have seen and been through more, together and apart. The general plot follows Harriet and Wyn. They are brought together by their college best friends and become very close friends, and eventually much more. For years they are happy but life gets complicated and they end up breaking up. Because their friend group was already going through the changes that life brings, they decided to not tell any of their friends that they split, allowing them to believe that they were just in a long distance relationship. This all changes when Harriet’s best friend Sabrina drags her along to a week-long getaway at the lake house that the friends used to go to every single summer after college. When she gets there she finds out that they got Wyn to go to “surprise” Harriet. This throws the former lovers into a fake relationship in order to preserve the friend group they hold so dear. However, the time together brings back memories, and feelings….

Friends

Despite loving how Henry writes romance, I fell in love with how she wrote the female friendships in this novel. The friendships between Harriet and her best friends Sabrina and Cleo are so complex and real. When you meet as college roommates and remain best friends until your thirties, there are going to be lots of changes. Most importantly, this novel shows how you can disagree with your friends, and be mad at them, but at the end of the day you can love them more than anything else. I’m used to tearing up when I think romance is really cute, but the friendship scenes in Happy Place really got me, multiple times. I could see myself and my friends which made the novel even more special of a read.

Mental Health

Along with lovely interpersonal relationships, Henry beautifully writes about mental health in Happy Place. The characters deal with difficult childhoods, large life changes, loss, depression, anxiety, etc. and all of the plotlines feel genuine and honest. The descriptions of feeling like you are disappointing the people you love hit really hard for me personally. By giving two timelines, you can see so much growth in all of the characters which I loved. 

Overall, this book was incredibly written and covered topics that really meant a lot to me. 4.5/5

The post “Happy Place” Book Review by Devyn Snapper appeared first on GirlSpring.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month and we’ve got 5 great books to check out

1 – Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (2011)

A high school girl leaves behind a series of cassette tapes after taking her own life. Those tapes lead classmate Clay Jensen on a chilling journey as he reconstructs her pain.

In honor of National bullying prevention month, click here to read more info on anti-bullying provided by Girl Spring.

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