Lisa the Nerd

in a sentence or so: Ruby is back for her Junior year at Tate Prep and is navigating the waters of high school while putting the slut rumors behind her, making new friends, and using what knowledge she has of boys to her advantage. excessive list-making and hilarity ensues.this is book two of the Ruby Oliver quartet. if you have not read book one, there will be some spoilers abound. also, you should TOTALLY get on that because it’s hilarious and Ruby is a fun gal. we pick up with Ruby as she returns from her summer from traveling with her mom in her theater show. normally, she’d be bummed to have spent the summer away from all of her friends...but Ruby doesn’t have any friends at the moment. still suffering from the massive blow out that ended her relationship with her best friends, Ruby is clinging to the two quasi-friends in her life: Megan (whose boyfriend just went away to college) and Noel (quirky, cute, and a solid source of humor in her life). Ruby continues to try to do the right thing...most of the time. but hey, is it her fault her ex-boyfriend suddenly seems to want to mend ways? or that her long time childhood friend is obviously a beefcake? and when it comes to being a good friend to Megan, what is she supposed to say when her boyfriend is obviously interested in dating around? Ruby is a list maker, so it is only fitting that i share with you, in list form, the 5 things i adore most about Ruby Oliver in this recent installment of her life. 1. Girl knows her movies. I am nowhere NEAR as well versed as I’d like to be with movies...and Ruby gives me hope that one day, I will be. 2. She is snarky. y’all KNOW i love a snarky gal. but she very rarely does the snark at the expense of someone else, which i appreciate. she’s a nice girl with a sarcastic side. 3. she is comfortable in her own skin. sure, insecurity sneaks in on a rare occasion, but mostly she’s self assured and confident and that makes her an absolute blast to read about. she’s not cocky, mind you, but is finally starting to come into her own. 4. she loves to analyze. on more than one occasion, she mourns the loss of her old friends because she misses being able to micro analyze everything to do with boys. like when Jackson leaves a note in her locker, she wants to talk about why he left it, why he wrote what he wrote, etc. very girly. love it. 5. the banter between Ruby and Noel. they have such an easy exchange that is heavy on the humor and wit. i love reading their conversations because they feel absolutely real. you get an insight into who they are as characters while laughing along the way. if you’re looking for a series with a main character girl you could totally picture being besties with, i suggest giving this series a shot. i’m halfway through and i can’t help but want more! humor, relationships, love, movies, and lists are all things that Ruby is a fan of, and so am i!fave quote: i listened to this in the car, so i don’t have a direct quote to share, unfortunately. BUT i can tell you my favorite part was the analysis of boys on the phone. oh man, so good. fix er up: i was continually annoyed when Ruby made an unfortunate decision. however, it’s what makes her so real so i can’t hate on it too much!title: The Boy Book: A Study of Habits and Behaviors, Plus Techniques for Taming Them (Ruby Oliver Quartet, #2)author: E. Lockhartpublishing info: 2006, Random Housegenre: Humor, Chick Lit