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- LeBron, Curry and Durant named on USA Olympics teamLeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant have been named as part of a star-studded USA basketball team for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
- Scheffler: How I avoided distractions to win The MastersIt's hard to put into words how special this win is. It's been a long week, a grind of a week as the golf course was so challenging, and to be wearing this green jacket again and getting to take it home is extremely special.
Scheffler: How I avoided distractions to win The Masters
- Britain's Draper fights back to reach quarter-finals in MunichBritain's Jack Draper made an impressive comeback against Germany's Rudolf Molleker to book a spot in the quarter-finals of the Bavarian International in Munich.
Britain's Draper fights back to reach quarter-finals in Munich
- Decouple ASP.NET Core Identity, Authentication and Database EnginesReusable codes for JWT security in business applications
Decouple ASP.NET Core Identity, Authentication and Database Engines
- Brown targets gold for Team GB at Paris 2024 OlympicsSky Brown is gunning for gold for Team GB at the Paris 2024 Olympics, with the 15-year-old skateboarding star hoping to follow up her ground-breaking bronze at Tokyo 2020 with even greater success this summer.
Brown targets gold for Team GB at Paris 2024 Olympics
- China's first F1 star ready for 'Champions League' home stageFor Sauber's Zhou Guanyu, the return of China's grand prix after a five-year absence this weekend marks a significant moment in his own career and the country's interrupted Formula 1 story.
China's first F1 star ready for 'Champions League' home stage
- Price-McCaskill undercard to feature Welsh rising starsLauren Price will headline a stacked card of rising Welsh stars when she challenges Jessica McCaskill for the WBA, IBO and Ring Magazine world welterweight titles in Cardiff on Saturday, May 11, live on Sky Sports.
Price-McCaskill undercard to feature Welsh rising stars
- How One Author Pushed the Limits of AI CopyrightElisa Shupe was initially rebuffed when she tried to copyright a book she wrote with help from ChatGPT. Now the US Copyright Office has changed course—but there’s a catch.
How One Author Pushed the Limits of AI Copyright
- UEFA considering Euro 2024 squad announcement delayUEFA have been asked to delay the deadline for squad submissions for Euro 2024, Sky Sports News has been told.
UEFA considering Euro 2024 squad announcement delay
- Owens announces retirement from rugby on medical adviceKen Owens has announced his retirement from rugby on medical grounds, after a hugely successful career representing Scarlets, Wales and the British and Irish Lions.
Owens announces retirement from rugby on medical advice
- Baltimore bridge collapse survivor escaped through car's manual windowOne of the survivors of the Baltimore bridge disaster managed to escape because he was able to roll down his car's manual window, a lawyer has said.
Baltimore bridge collapse survivor escaped through car's manual window
- Why Arsenal's Club World Cup fate rests on CL gloryAtletico Madrid became the latest side to secure their place in next year's inaugural 32-team Club World Cup, but Arsenal have work to do to seal theirs.
Why Arsenal's Club World Cup fate rests on CL glory
- Christa Comes Out of Her Shell by Abbi WaxmanB+ Christa Comes Out of Her Shell by Abbi Waxman April 16, 2024 · Berkley Contemporary Romance CW/TW CW: sexual assault (in the past, brief description) Christa Liddle has led an interesting life. When the book opens, she is studying sea snails on a fictional island in the Indian
Christa Comes Out of Her Shell by Abbi Waxman
CW: sexual assault (in the past, brief description)
Christa Liddle has led an interesting life. When the book opens, she is studying sea snails on a fictional island in the Indian Ocean. Her mom calls her frantically because her father who ‘died’ in a plane crash 25 years prior has come back to life. A complicating factor is that Christa’s dad is a Steve Irwin-type character – a famous TV conservationist. He also started a toy company called Liddle’s Liddles – a Beanie Baby-type affair. His plane had crashed in the Alaskan wilderness and he was never seen again. At the time Christa was only 2, so his disappearance from her life didn’t make much of a personal impact, but it had a huge impact on her two older sisters and her mom, which in turn affected Christa. She also grew up in the public eye with all the bullshit that that brings. She had found a temporary reprieve on her island with her sea snails, but events pull her back to LA.
The title suggests that Christa needs to come out of her shell but that’s not entirely accurate. If you’re thinking of the common idiom meaning that someone needs to gain confidence and stop being shy, you’d be wrong on that count. Christa is not shy. She’s pretty forthright, but she was absolutely hiding from people and from problems, too. She was hiding from the things she did and had done to her as a teenager in the public eye (think Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears), she was hiding from her big emotions, and she was certainly hiding from her family, with whom she has a loving and complicated relationship. While the romance subplot is quite strong, especially in the last half of the book, I would categorise this book as closer to women’s fiction, due to the importance of the relationships that Christa has with her two sisters and her mom.
First person narration is often a miss for me, but Christa’s wit and personality really shine so it was a pleasure to immerse myself in her thoughts. Within the first few pages, I felt I knew Christa on a bone-deep level. My emotions were deeply invested in this story and it was very easy to empathise with Christa to the point I got angry when her mother would seem to make decisions for her around public appearances.
Back to that romance subplot: it is charming and gentle. Our hero, Nate, very much meets Christa where she’s at. For a brief moment at the start of the book I feared that it would be a love triangle (something I detest) but that is not the case. Christa’s HEA is only possible because of the growing she does as an individual. Nate is a pretty uncomplicated character in this story.
Much of the plot rests on the fact that Christa’s family was famous and their fame rises again with her dad’s reappearance. There are some really interesting reflections on the impact of that level of celebrity, especially because Christa detests being in the public eye, in part because of her terrible experiences.
In the wake of her dad’s disappearance, Christa and her mom went on many TV shows to talk about the conservation foundation and raise funds. Christa, as the youngest, was the most pliable and so was roped into these things. As a teenager, Christa rebelled and the media ate it up. The media got their piece, and fame has only ever had a downside for Christa. For example, her sisters were jealous of the time that Christa and their mom spent together. Not because the sisters wanted to be on TV. They just wanted their mom. There’s a lot to unpack in those relationships. In the wake of her dad’s reappearance, Christa is once again roped into the public eye and as a reader I got to see her navigate it as an adult this time.
I genuinely enjoyed this romance and will definitely be looking out for more Abbi Waxman novels! I devoured this book. It was charming and completely immersive, and after bouncing off many a contemporary romance lately, that is high praise indeed from me.
- Sesame Street writers vote for strike if 'fair deal' is not reachedSesame Street writers have unanimously voted to support strike action should a deal not be reached after two months of negotiations over pay and union coverage.
Sesame Street writers vote for strike if 'fair deal' is not reached
- Why WNBA's top pick Caitlin Clark's salary has sparked debateOne of the most anticipated Women's National Basketball Association's (WNBA) Drafts saw the Indiana Fever snap up college basketball superstar Caitlin Clark as their top pick, however the disparity in her salary compared to National Basketball Association (NBA) players has sparked criticism.
Why WNBA's top pick Caitlin Clark's salary has sparked debate
- Papers: Man Utd scout runs rule over Brazilian winger Gustavo NunesThe top stories and transfer rumours from Wednesday's newspapers...
Papers: Man Utd scout runs rule over Brazilian winger Gustavo Nunes
- 100 days before the Games - can Olympic boxing be saved after Paris?There are 100 days to go before the Olympic Games begin in Paris. But a doomsday clock is also ticking down on Olympic boxing.
100 days before the Games - can Olympic boxing be saved after Paris?
- Red Roses make attacking changes as they seek rugby perfectionEngland's Red Roses have won five Women's Six Nations titles in a row and are seeking a fifth Grand Slam in six years, yet they have made a fundamental change to their attacking play in 2024.
Red Roses make attacking changes as they seek rugby perfection
- Can Hull claim maiden major title? British & Irish hopes at the ChevronFresh off the back of Scottie Scheffler's win at Augusta National last week, we're now all set for the first women's major of the year with the Chevron Championship in Texas this week.