Happy Friday, Readers!

This week I finished The Misadventures of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty. It was a good middle grade read. But finishing it means that I am finally going to start From Twinkle With Love. I happened to see it on my library’s bookshelf and knew, even though I had other things to read, that I definitely wanted to get to this one.

Let’s take a look at the beginning with Book Beginnings hosted by Rose City Reader.

Monday, June 1
Homeroom
Hello, namaste, buenos dias, and bonjour Mira Nair!

The basics.
Name: Twinkle Mehra
Age: Sixteen
Occupation: Sadly, a junior at Pikes Peak Charter in Colorado Springs. And ugh, the only one who’s still sixteen. Mummy and Papa obviously thought they’d birthed a prodigy when they stuck me in kindergarten a whole year early…ha. But that doesn’t matter. If you learn only one thing about me, it’s that I think I have a filmmaker’s soul. Like you, Mira.

I didn’t know that From Twinkle With Love was an epistolary novel before I started. I started with the audiobook, so the format was a little jarring and confusing until later when Twinkle explains that she’s writing in this journal and instead of writing “Dear Diary,” she’s addressing each of her letters to a female filmmaker.

Out of the gate, I can identify with Twinkle – I turned 16 after my junior year of high school started. I wonder if this is going to further play into her story, or if Menon is just providing us with basic vital statistics to start. I suppose we’ll see.

Let’s move on and see what’s on page 56. The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda at Freda’s Voice.

So I’m just hanging out, sorta painting (that’s the best I can do) and petting Roux, the adorable red Lab that belongs to the lady who owns the place. He keeps putting his gigantic head in my lap every time I pick up my brush and looking at me like, You can’t resist this, Twinkle. Let’s be real.

Okay, so I’m a sucker for scenes with dogs. I love dogs. I particularly love Labs, having had one when I was a small child and another when I was living by myself out here in NM. Clearly Twinkle doesn’t consider herself a painter, but I wonder if her phrasing is indicative of self-esteem issues that I don’t know about yet.

What’s on page 56 of what you’re reading?