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American Road Narratives: Reimagining Mobility in Literature and Film by Ann Brigham
Author: A True Story by Helen Lester
The Big Roads by Earl Swift
Bull by David Elliott
Chopping Spree by Diane Mott Davidson
The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman
Giant Days, Volume 4 by John Allison, Max Sarin, and Whitney Cogar
Hannah and the Homunculus by Kurt Hassler
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Hilda and the Stone Forest by Luke Pearson
I Am Not Sidney Poitier by Percival Everett
I Say Tomato by Katie Wall
Instructions by Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess
Jem and the Holograms, Volume 3: Dark Jem by Kelly Thompson
The Long Cosmos by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
Lucky Boy by Shanthi Sekaran
Lunch Lady and the Field Trip Fiasco by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Mayday by Karen Harrington
The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break by Steven Sherrill
Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson
National Audubon Society Guide to Landscape Photography by Tim Fitzharris
Needled to Death by Maggie Sefton
Noragami Volume 03 by Adachitoka
Over the Ocean by Taro Gomi
Red Hook Road by Ayelet Waldman
Skybreaker by Kenneth Oppel
Ten Things We Did by Sarah Mlynowski
Tip of the Tongue by Patrick Ness
Triangle by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
Tru & Nelle by G. Neri
The White Road of the Moon by Rachel Neumeier

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (July 03)
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (July 10)
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (July 24)
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (July 31)
June 2017 Reading Report June 2017 Reading Sources

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I Say Tomato: 07/09/17

I Say Tomato  by Katie Wall

I Say Tomato by Katie Wall is the story of the struggles of an Australian actress in Hollywood. Sunday "Sunny" Triggs is trying to land the big roll on a television series if she can just get the accent right (American with a hint of Australian) and if she can get the chemistry right with the leading man.

And it's the chemistry part — the old casting couch trap — that takes the bulk of this short book. As long as Sam likes her, her chances of getting the part are good. But it's obvious from this reader's point of view that Sam is stringing along naive Sunny.

In tone, the book reminds me of Angels by Marian Keyes. In both books, Los Angeles, and more precisely, the entertainment industry piece of it, is scrutinized for its excesses and its coldness.

But in both cases, Los Angeles is only shown in bits and pieces. There are shady deals and crazy parties and sex and drugs, but there is a quieter side too of people working long hours for small parts and big parts. Hollywood is often portrayed as an all or nothing, or set up, as I Say Tomato, is a modern retelling of the Icarus legend.

Three stars

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