October Spotlight: Rainbow Rowell

Once a month, my plan is to introduce you to an author who I think is worth your time.  Depending on the month, it may be someone who I consider a favorite, or it may be someone I simply feel is noteworthy.  Whatever the case, I hope to give a little bit of information about the author themselves, then spend the month reviewing some of their titles individually on what I'm going to refer to as "Spotlight Saturdays".  

This month I am starting with an author who has recently stolen my heart.  Her name is Rainbow Rowell.  She and I are of similar age, and we are both married with 2 boys.  We both love Disney, comic books and all things "nerdy".  She may not realize this, but as far as I am concerned, she and I are imaginary BFFs. You may have heard some of the buzz surrounding her book "Eleanor and Park".  It was nominated for a handful of awards and won a few of them.  It was not her first book, but it was Rainbow's first YA (Young Adult) novel and the one that put her on the map.  She followed up "E&P" with another YA title, the critically acclaimed "Fangirl", and these titles have been book ended by contemporary adult fiction "Attachments" and "Landline", respectively. 

It sounds like a cliche, but the reason Rainbow's characters have captured so many of us is because they are real.  They aren't beautiful or sterilized.  They aren't formulaic and they don't always do or say the right things....just like you and me.  She has a knack for dialogue and conversations feel organic.  In all of that, she is still able to infuse her stories with a dream-like quality that pulls you in and reminds you of that time you fell in love.   With the real sometimes comes the ugly, and as adored as her books have been, there have also been plenty of critics, claiming that her subject matter is too profane or inappropriate for the younger audiences she targets.  I will touch on this more deeply when I review her individual titles, but I truly believe that with the rare exception, the disputed content is true to the characters she has introduced us to and is never gratuitous.  

I'm excited to tell you about Rainbow's books this month.  She is someone who is relatively new to me, and yet I knew instantly that she and I were kindred and I devoured every book she'd written. In like a week.  (The laundry may have gotten neglected that week.)  I think I'll start at the beginning, and tell you about "Attachments" this Saturday.  It's the most easily accessible, if not the most moving, of her books.  I think you'll like it.  I know I did.