false <![CDATA[The Rules for Hearts]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173672227m/313197.jpg 313197 3 Battle Hall Davies is sure of some things: she's going to Reed; she loves girls; and her older brother, Nick, is cooler than she could ever be. Nick ran away when Battle was in high school, and four years later, he's tracked her down. Now she's spending her summer before college in &#147;Forest House,&#148; the co-op where he lives in Portland. Battle is quickly swept into Forest House's community Shakespeare production, its all-night card games, and the arms of her new roommate, Meryl. It turns out that Nick isn't who Battle thought he was&#151;and Battle's not who she thought she was, either. 304095 2007 The Rules for Hearts total:135|5:13|4:39|3:54|2:22|1:7| 135 434 241 27 1 0 false false Wed Nov 11 18:25:44 -0800 2009 Wed Nov 11 18:28:52 -0800 2009 With the end of summer camp and Battle's return to her parent's home I was hoping to see some sort of resolution for her relationship with Nic but instead we got an entirely new story that barely mentio...more...]]> 2 0 false false Thu Apr 09 12:34:52 -0700 2009 Thu Apr 09 12:37:00 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Mon Apr 27 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Apr 28 16:27:39 -0700 2009 Tue Apr 28 16:30:48 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sat Jun 02 12:48:49 -0700 2007 Thu Jun 21 17:20:11 -0700 2007 Sara Ryan today so I could shower her with praise for her latest novel, The Rules for Hearts. Battle Davies drives across the country the summer before her freshman year of college to live with her brother, Nick, whom she hasn't seen in years. Ryan covers a lot...more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Apr 30 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 20 14:11:04 -0700 2009 Mon May 04 18:10:34 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Fri Jan 04 21:59:21 -0800 2008 Fri Jan 04 22:06:11 -0800 2008
Was it this book with the annoying symbolism? I read three books one right after another, and now I can't recall. I think it was. So I will ignore the annoying symbolism.

Another unusual(ish) YA s...more...]]> 2 0 false false Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Tue Aug 14 06:05:15 -0700 2007 Fri Aug 24 14:24:38 -0700 2007 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Dec 08 12:20:26 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 08 12:21:26 -0800 2008 0 0 false false Wed Sep 30 17:02:50 -0700 2009 Wed Sep 30 17:04:18 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Fri May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu May 14 07:43:33 -0700 2009 Thu May 14 07:44:48 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Jan 07 06:56:23 -0800 2008 Mon Jan 07 07:04:38 -0800 2008
I can't decide if it's a bit derivative of GREENSLEEVES by Eloise Jarvis McGraw, or maybe a conscious homage/updating; it...more...]]> 2 0 false false Sat May 09 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat May 02 21:26:55 -0700 2009 Sat May 09 11:44:51 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Fri Oct 26 20:45:33 -0700 2007 Fri Oct 26 20:48:55 -0700 2007 Empress Of The World, and I hoped this would live up to what that built, but it didn't -- the ending was especially disappointing, since it was even beyond abrupt. There wasn't any real climax to the book, and it sort of just slipped into being over. I lov...more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Mon Jul 16 18:57:23 -0700 2007 Fri Jul 27 10:06:03 -0700 2007
Also, I have to admit, I get really excited when I start reading books set in Portland, because -- Oregon! Whee! I've been there! But even those this took place in Portla...more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Aug 16 19:30:39 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 16 19:31:43 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Sun Feb 15 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Jan 27 11:43:07 -0800 2009 Sun Feb 15 08:50:55 -0800 2009 Idk, I just didn't really enjoy it.]]> 3 0 false false Fri Aug 22 10:00:45 -0700 2008 Thu Aug 21 07:16:54 -0700 2008 Fri Aug 22 10:00:45 -0700 2008 Empress better. Give Ryan credit though--she gives her characters unique voices and methods. Her teenagers are startling aware in their world views.
But I liked Empress better, largely I think, because I like Nic better. I can follow her thinking better, understand her better. I don't ...more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Tue Sep 11 20:56:23 -0700 2007 Tue Sep 11 20:56:45 -0700 2007 more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Jul 23 14:24:17 -0700 2008 Wed Jul 23 15:23:48 -0700 2008
"The Rules for Hearts" was more like a spin off then a sequel, and ultimately unsatisfying. This one is written from Battle's perspective, as she leaves home for college. However, I found myself wanting to know more abo...more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Nov 25 17:38:43 -0800 2008 Tue Nov 25 17:47:51 -0800 2008 Empress of the World. While Empress focused on first love and coming out, Rules for Hearts focuses on the difficulties of maintaining both connection and independence with family, friends and lovers. Nice to read a book with queer characters who aren't labeled and de...more...]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=313197