It's that slow-burn fire
If you want it you can get it
If you ain't scared to go higher
That's all it takes, that's all you need
Success in every breath as we proceed (we in here, yeah, yeah)
That's realer than the blood you Bleed (we in here, yeah, yeah, we in here)
I hear the hard times hummin', can't keep runnin'
'Til the drummer keep drummin'
And if they want something, we here, we here
And if there's ever any question you can tell 'em this
'Cause I like to win
I Like to Win, Shonlock
Schedule
Kick-off:May 3, 2024Midway Check In: May 13, 2024
Final Discussion: May 24, 2024 at 6PM PST
You can RSVP for the Digital Hang here ⛹🏾♀️ - This means you get an email with the link to join on the day of and gives me a good idea of how many folks to expect!
If you can’t make it to the digital hang, you can always use the comment section to leave your thoughts, reviews, and reflections at any time.
Dream Team
I didn’t know I was ready for a girls sport anthology until I heard about Out of Our League. I say this as someone that isn’t a sports fan and isn’t too into sports books, despite the fact that I have in fact read/started a few in the past few weeks. Maybe it was because it called to my younger self as many YA books do. It took me back to high school where sports were a fun activity. I wasn’t the best player by any means. I tried many, excelled at none, but I made many friends, visited other schools, and had an otherwise healthy outlet for my teenaged energy levels. Ostensibly this anthology has something for every reader whether they play or not. I, for one, am excited to see so many different genres of sports as described in this Kirkus Review:
“This compilation featuring many big-name contributors from YA literature not only centers young women’s voices but also showcases their strengths and different abilities, emphasizes the power of team camaraderie, and demonstrates the value of hard-won lessons. Powerlifting, sport climbing, crew, boxing, and ice hockey are all included, alongside more common sports such as softball, soccer, and basketball.”
For a Q&A with The Nerd Daily, Dahlia Adler and Jennifer Iacopelli talk about working together, their love of stories and what readers should expect:
Dahlia: All sorts of sports, all sorts of levels of athletic competition, and all sorts of voices. It was really important to us that sports not be seen through a single lens or experience, and to show there’s just as much beauty in doing it for fun or a way to bond with friends as doing it for a medal or trophy.
Jennifer: Authenticity. One of the things Dahlia and I talk about a lot when it comes to sports fiction is an accurate portrayal on the page being as important as the plot and the character arcs. We made sure to recruit authors that would prioritize that, along giving our readers a variety of authentic perspectives as far as the level of competitiveness and the diversity of the athletes themselves.
When asked if there any particular story that resonated with her, Adler says:
“I definitely wrote my story, ‘Volley Girl,’ for my younger self, though my sport was actually hockey, not volleyball. I wasn’t a huge or preternaturally gifted athlete or anything, but my love of hockey was so defining for me in camp, and knowing when I left my last summer as sports staff that I’d likely never play it again was something I really needed to grieve.”
Check out the rest of the Q&A here. I didn’t find quite as many editor/contributor interviews or videos promoting this anthology. If you happen to come across any send ‘em my way!
General
Are you planning on reading along this month?
What do you think of the cover, title, description?
Have you read or heard anything by the editor or these authors before?
What are you looking forward to the most from this collection?
Time to Play Ball
Are you a fan of sports or sports literature?
Do you watch women’s sports? 👀
Did you or do you play any sports? Are you on a team? Anyone you know?
What’s your favorite sports movie, song, media?
Anything else, let me know!
Don’t forget to like the post before you go ♥ I’d love to hear from you so share your thoughts in the comments, reply to this email or seek me out on social media.