
We are thrilled to announce that Recommended Reading by Paul Coccia has received glowing praise from both Kirkus Reviews and The School Library Journal—two of the most respected voices in young adult literature!
Kirkus Reviews raves, “Bobby Ashton has a plan for the “perfect summer before college.” Too bad it’s already ended up in the drink—literally.
Bobby’s grand gesture—to profess his undying love to an older co-worker—results in a shattered bookstore window and his ending up soaked in the campus fountain. He loses his summer job, and his crush rejects him! So that he can at least keep his scholarship, his semi-famous and kind-of-retired sculptor mom gets roped into repurposing the broken glass into a statue that will be donated to the college. Meanwhile, Bobby finds another job at his Uncle Andy’s downtown used bookstore, which is in serious need of a facelift. Bobby thrives on planning and designing; he can take on the challenge of sprucing up the shop, especially as more customers come in for an always spot-on recommendation from the new bookseller—like new pansexual guy in town Luke, who peruses the romance section even though he claims “true love” is a flawed concept. Maybe Bobby’s summer can be salvaged, just like the broken glass? This fun read is ideal for romantics, pragmatists, book lovers, and underdogs alike. The appealing characters’ clever, sometimes snarky dialogue supplies readers with plenty of laughs. Bobby describes himself as “extra,” but he just wants to be appreciated for who he is: plus-size and gay. Bobby and Luke present white. 10/10 would recommend! (Romance. 14-18)”
Meanwhile, The School Library Journal has awarded Recommended Reading a starred review. They say, “Gr 9 Up–Bobby Ashton has big plans for the summer before college—including making a grand gesture to the boy he loves and recording it for the world to see. The one thing Bobby loves even more than the boy is the idea of love and all the swoonworthy tropes in romance novels. But plans go off the rails immediately, and the epic fail of his declaration leads to a bookstore window crashing and Bobby finding out that the love of his life has friend-zoned him. How did he read everything so wrong? Taking inspiration from Jane Austen’s Emma and a little bit of the film The Shop Around the Corner, Coccia creates an entertaining world where Bobby sees the sparks flying between the people he meets, but not when it pertains to himself: for instance, he thinks there is no way his friend, the perfectly beautiful Luke, could ever love someone who looks like him. As Bobby gains confidence in his romantic matchmaking skills and his book-matching skills (at his job at Corner Books) he begins to learn that maybe he shouldn’t judge a person by the cover—including himself. This is a beautiful body positive story with unquestioned LGBTQIA+ acceptance. Readers will laugh at the antics Bobby seems to always find himself in and also feel his angst as he learns to love himself and find his own epic love story.
VERDICT: Teens who love retellings of Emma will devour this story; it is full of smart banter and lovely romantic moments throughout.”
Paul is represented by Amy Tompkins.
Congratulations, Paul!
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