Bookanistas: Drinking in BLOODTHIRSTY

Happy Bookanista Thursday! The short version—we’re debut authors recommending good books. Because our to-read lists can NEVER be long enough.

Today, I’d like to talk about BLOODTHIRSTY by debut author Flynn Meaney. Here’s ye olde blurb, courtesy of Goodreads:

Some vampires are good. Some are evil. Some are faking it to get girls. Awkward and allergic to the sun, sixteen-year-old Finbar Frame never gets the girl. But when he notices that all the female students at his school are obsessed with a vampire romance novel called Bloodthirsty, Finbar decides to boldly go where no sane guy has gone before--he becomes a vampire, minus the whole blood sucking part. With his brooding nature and weirdly pale skin, it's surprisingly easy for Finbar to pretend to be paranormal. But, when he meets the one girl who just might like him for who he really is, he discovers that his life as a pseudo-vampire is more complicated than he expected. This hilarious debut novel is for anyone who believes that sometimes even nice guys-without sharp teeth or sparkly skin--can get the girl.

This one will appeal to people who like silly humor, ridiculous (and sometimes totally unreal) situations, and lots of references to pop culture. In other words, I loved it. I don’t mind suspending my disbelief if it’s in the name of a good satire, and this one’s good. I laughed out loud quite a few times and really ticked off the people in the Borders café. I’m sorry, Borders people. Let’s just be happy we still have a Borders, eh?

This book is less about vampires and more about the vampire phenomenon and why the heck it’s so appealing. At the beginning Finbar’s not even remotely cool. He’s the kind of guy who goes a step beyond lame—he doesn’t just play solitaire at a party; he watches somebody else play solitaire. But through this increasingly ludicrous pretend-to-be-a-vampire plan, he morphs into the kind of guy who says “cock” in a discussion of “To His Coy Mistress” in English class and gets cool points for it.

I also really happen to like that poem.

So. If you think the idea of a pretend vampire getting chased by a herd of Jacobs at a gaming convention is freaking hilarious, this is the book for you. Hope you’ll check it out, and if you do, let me know what you thought!

And while you're at it, check out the other books we're celebrating this week!

• Elana Johnson devours Demonglass
  
• LiLa Roecker shines a light on Clarity
  
• Christine Fonseca joins The Liar Society - with giveaway
  
• Shelli Johannes-Wells swoons over Possum Summer
  
• Scott Tracey leaps for The Liar Society - with giveaway
  
• Myra McEntire invites Lisa & Laura Roecker into the fort
  
• Beth Revis hosts a blog tour stop for Like Mandarin
  
• Carolina Valdez Miller gushes over Imaginary Girls
  
• Bethany Wiggins falls for A Change of Heart
  
• Shana Silver is mad for Bad Taste in Boys
  
• Sarah Frances Hardy loves The Liar Society
  
• Stasia Ward Kehoe wonders at Where She Went
  
• Veronica Rossi delights in Delirium