The Taming of the Tights

The Taming of the Tights Louise Rennison

Tallulah is back at school, ready to put Cain and the kissing behind her. Even if Charlie has a girlfriend. She also has bigger issues--Dother Hall is still very financially unstable and while it’s not in danger of closing, it is very much in danger of falling down. And while Sidonie recognizes Tallulah’s talent, not everyone else does and the more she tries to prove herself, the more hilariously she fails in the eyes of her teachers (but never to us, dear reader.) And there is still the Cain thing. Tallulah may be willing to ignore the kissing, but Cain has no problem telling others about it.

I love Tallulah and her craziness. I like that only some of her drama is self-invented. I love the insanity that is Dother Hall and the Dobbinses and the Tree Sisters and her fun size pal and the crazy dog Ruby. Overall, very hilariously funny. I don’t think it gets near as much love as Georgia, which is too bad.

Book Provided by... my local library

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A Midsummer Tights Dream

A Midsummer Tights Dream Louise Rennison

After the summer holidays, Tallulah is back at Dother Hall in the Yorkshire Wilds, hoping to become good enough to earn the golden slippers of applause. Of course, Dr. Lightowler still hates her. And Charlie still has a girlfriend. And Alex is off at uni. And Cain licked a snowflake off her nose. But Ruby has the owlets and the mad twins are as mad as ever. Tallulah's friends continue to be a laugh riot, as do her teachers.

Big problems-- Dother Hall has a tax issue and might shut down (and, of course, continues to fall down around everyone's ears.) Also, the local girls are NOT HAPPY with the Dother Hall girls stealing their men.

I still cannot get over the fact that Rennison named her broody, dark Yorkshire men Cain, Ruben, and Seth. And then when Beverly's mum starts hunting Cain across the moors? DYING OF LAUGHTER.

I love Tallulah's outlook on life. I love down-to-earth Ruby and Mr. Barraclough's pie tribute band. I love all the broad Yorkshire dialect that's a bit more fun that what you read in The Secret Garden.

But seriously, I just live for the drama of the town, especially between the Eccles lasses and the Hinchcliff lads. Oh yes.

Book Provided by... my local library

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Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me?

Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me? Louise Rennison

This is the last Georgia Nicolson book! The very last one!

The band is making it big and going off to London to be proper rock stars. Masimo wants Georgia to move with them! Yes, she's only 15, but he's a Luuuuuuuuuuuuurve God. But first she must survive another Shakespearean extravaganza.

Their production of Romeo and Juliet is hysterical. Although this is the LAST AND FINAL book in the series, it doesn't read like one. YES I like how it ended but... this is Georgia, Rennison could totally write another book starting the next day where Georgia pantses is all up. Which has happened on many, many occasions. To the point where I almost don't *trust* this ending. But I guess I must because (a) I like it (b) there will be no more fabnosity.

Oh Georgia, even though you'd have so much less drama in your life if you just chilled out a bit, I will miss you dreadfully. I love you and the mad gang dearly. I love your crazy family and your demented cat and your array of boys in the cakeshop of life. You have changed my vocabulary forever. You have made me snort all manner of liquids out my nose. You made many, many people stare at me oddly as I laughed loudly at this book flying back from London.

Speaking of, even though I had the US edition pre-ordered and everything, a few weeks before it came out I was walking through Heathrow and saw a giant display of this book and couldn't help myself. It not only entertained me wonderfully on the flight home, but I'm happy to say that the British edition still has the glossary in back. HUZZAH!

Book Provided by... my wallet

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Withering Tights

Withering Tights Louise Rennison

YAY! Louise Rennison has a new series! YAY!

Tallulah is Georgia's cousin (Georgia's mentioned, as is some of her advice on boys, but she doesn't really play a role in the book) and is off to performing arts summer camp. Only, when she gets there, she discovers that small town Yorkshire is not what she expected. Everyone else is boarding at the school, but Tallulah has to do a home stay with an overly nice family obsessed with owls. There are grotty boys who play in angry bands and interesting boys at the boys reform school down the road. But Tallulah's big worry is that she wants to be accepted into the year-round program, but, unlike her friends, she's not that talented and isn't sure what to do...

Tallulah is a little less mad than Georgia, but just as funny. I like that some of her problems are real, and not entirely her own invention, unlike her cousin. But, if you thought Georgia's rehersals and performances of Shakespeare (MacUseless anyone?) were hilarious, wait until you see what Tallulah does as Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights. To top it all off, this is a novel that very much plays with the conventions of British novels set in the rural England-- complete with references to Cold Comfort Farm. Seriously. The grotty boys are named Ruben, Seth and Cain.

Cannot wait for more.

ARC Provided by... publisher at ALA midwinter

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Georgia On My Mind

Have you nominated your Cybils titles yet?

There's still time to enter my banned books give away! See the bottom for details!

Today's book hasn't been banned, but other books in the series have been sometimes because the title are too suggestive (On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God) or for the baffling accusation of pornographic content (really Menasha WI? Really? Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging is porn? Really?)

Also, I got mock-yelled at today by a former co-worker of mine because he reads this blog (HI DAVID!) and even though he's a grown man, I got him hooked on this series, which I find both awesome and hysterical.

Stop in the Name of Pants! Louise Rennison

Georgia is once again on the rack of love. Masimo wants an answer, Robbie's back in town, and then there's always the Dave the Laugh factor.

I liked this book. Georgia has to deal with some real drama this time--drama she didn't create, and drama she can't control. This book actually made me cry, and not just because I was laughing too hard. Also, Wet Lindsay is back! Hurrah!

Many moons ago, for Weekly Geeks #12, Becky asked me the following questions:

Does it have Dave the Laugh?

Holy Cow, YES!!!!

And how much is he in it?!

A lot. Dave the Laugh fans will rejoice at his starring role in this one!

And how about this one...is Georgia any closer to growing as a character? Or is it the same old, same old?

She does grow, but not a lot. So, she's still loveable shallow crazy Georgia, but in her reactions to these other outside-her-control things in her life, you see she's not the same girl we started reading about.

When it comes to the last page are we back where we started on page one? Georgia confused about boys once again!?

Yes and no. I mean, she's still confused, but things have changed.

I have some spoiler-y thoughts here.

BOOK GIVE AWAY INFO!

To celebrate our right to read, I'm giving away banned books. All you have to do is check out the banned book lists on my sidebar and email me (kidsilkhaze at yahoo dot com) with your choice of book (if it's a series, you can choose any volume in the series). If you blog about the contest and email me the link, I'll give you an extra entry. Multiple winners will be selected. The contest ends on midnight on Sunday and is open world wide. GO READ!

Phoar!

Final done, fireworks watched, and all is lovely-jubley with the world.

Anyway, a review, because that is what we, here, at Biblio File, are all about.

Love Is a Many Trousered Thing by Louise Rennison

According to the opening letter, this book was originally supposed to be called Trouser Snakes A-Go-Go which would have been even more full of hilariousity.

Anyway, let's see, last we saw the fantabulous Miss Georgia, Masimo had just told her she was his one and only and then Robbie, the original Sex God, showed up from Kiwi-a-go-go land. Ful of sophistocity and maturousity, Georgia mumbled some rubbish about having to catch a train and ran away.

So, as this installment starts, Georgia is sitting on a wall in the park, trying to catch her breath, as running in heels is hard. Now, she has found herself back on the rack of lurve. She has gone into the bakery of love and accidentally walked out with two cakes. Or possibly no cakes, as Masimo hasn't called and she's still not entirely sure what Robbie is doing in town and what he wants. And, of course, there is always the Wet Lindsay factor. And Dave the Laugh has gotten himself a group of titchy little fans. Georgia wants advice from the Hornmeister himself, but can't quite bring herself to ask, and she's not entirely sure why.

This book is basically one big nervy b. as Georgia tries to figure out what's going on. There are bouts of hilariousity including the bison dance and the invention of snot disco dancing. Uncle Eddie continues to grow more disturbing.

Georgia has some big desicions to make and--get this-- she actually makes some. And actually talks to her Mutti a bit.

Erlack a pogoes!

Not as funny as Startled by His Furry Shorts (which is the funniest so far). And don't worry, it doesn't seem that Georgia has grown up at all.

Jas is starting to wear on me, but I'm liking Rosie more and more. Where did Honor and Soph come from? Did I forget them from Startled by His Furry Shorts? Or did they just appear out of nowhere?

Well, all's left to do know is sit on our hands until the next one. Luckily, this volume not only has the customary glossary written by Georgia herself, but a few other appendixes. We not only get the new and revised snog scale, but a run down of the ace gang AND the lyrics and dance moves to the Bison Dance and Snot Disco. So maybe instead of sitting on our hands, we should maybe stomp stomp to the left, leg kick leg kick?

HOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRNNNNNNNNNNNNN!

Also, for your viewing pleasure, this is what a Robin Reliant looks like. She's right. It is a clown car.

Milk Out Your Nose Funny

So... Tuesday night I ended up going out and didn't read Startled by His Furry Shorts until yesterday...

Georgia's back in full force in a longer-than-usual installment of hillariousity. MacUseless rehersals are in full swing as opening night approaches, first-formers are being tortured by Wet Lindsay and Astonishinly Dim Monica AND Mark the Gob, Libby continues her "sex bum" dance, Masimo has one week to tell Georgia whether or not he'll exclusively see her, Dave the Laugh is having a laugh? snogging Georgia and then leaving the party with Emma!, then there's Robbie, the original Sex God, plus Radio Jas, Rosie and Sven's wedding, the return of the bison horns, Elvis's obsession with fire safety, Slim, Miss Stamp, Herr Kramer, and Wet Lindsay's scary hair extensions...

I love these series this one was even funnier than usual-- one of the best so far... as usual per late, Rennison leaves us hanging off a cliff, so I must already start counting down the days until next year!

Also, a note on the new cover design...

When I opened up the Amazon box Tuesday night, I showed Dan the new covers and he said exactly what I was thinking:

"There is no way you could knock yourself out with those Nunga-Nungas!