Review: Extra Credit Epidemic

Extra Credit Epidemic by Nina Post

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Book Info: Genre: Coming of Age, YA
Reading Level: Young Adult (F/F romantic interests)
Recommended for: Fans of surreal comedy, F/F coming-of-age relationships
Book Available: July 1, 2013 from Curiosity Quills
Trigger Warnings: bullying

My Thoughts: Taffy was my favorite character in the previous book from Nina Post, One Ghost per Serving (my review linked here where formatting allowed), so I was super excited to hear she was featuring in this book.

I think a lot of people won't quite understand or appreciate the humor in this one. It's not the sort of almost slapstick that Nina Post uses in her Last... of the Apocalypse series; it's more a sort of surreality shown through the interactions of the characters. People who enjoy things like Monty Python's Holy Grail (or the TV series) will probably like Extra Credit Epidemic. A small sample of dialogue with Taffy's mother:

“How are you? Are you eating? Are you sleeping?”
“Don't you think your extraordinarily high expectations could be putting too much pressure on me?” Taffy asked.

Taffy is such a player, and that really amuses me, since so often the stereotypical lesbian behavior is “bringing a U-Haul for the second date.” It also seems so counter to her usual behavior, which is to hold everyone at arm's length and/or completely ignore them that I have to wonder how she so thoroughly switches on the charm for her pick-ups. We are never given the details, just the information that she did it again. Taylor's silly little ditties on her banjo and Gabe's wrestling mask gave them each a fun quirk, but their characters were also well-developed otherwise, which I appreciated.  I really loved the growth shown by Taffy through the course of the book, and the strong team she built with Taylor, Gabe, and Van.

The major problem I had with this was a formatting issue: chapters 15 and 16 were mixed up, so it went Chapter 14, chapter 16, then chapter 15, which left me very confused until I figured that out, because it went from heading into the farm in Ohio to pulling into Taffy's house with everyone mad at Taffy and I having no idea why until I noticed the chapter mix-up. This was an ARC, so hopefully that will be fixed by the time this book is released on July 1, 2013.

Nina Post is a recent addition to my favorite author roster. I've read all of her books so far, and enjoyed them quite a lot. My favorite is “Danger in Cat World” (review linked here where formatting allowed).

Disclosure: I received an ARC e-book copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: Taffy Snackerge is a high school senior who likes doing things her way. Gifted in science, she'd rather analyze infectious diseases and pick up a girl for the occasional fling than deal with her boring schoolwork or the high school social scene. When she notices a surprising number of cases of food poisoning in the area, she's eager to dig in and find the cause.

To help with the investigation, Taffy approaches the only teacher she's ever liked and respected, Van Brenner. As a former state epidemiologist, Van is uniquely qualified to help Taffy get the data and insights that she needs. However, Van has one condition: Taffy needs to work with two other students on the case, and she doesn't get to pick them.

As the cases start to multiply and the underfunded state health department continues to drag their feet, Taffy knows that it's up to her to find out what's making so many people sick. But can she learn to work with her two teammates—including a beautiful, hyper-organized girl who's president of the Young Attachés Club and an emotional overeater who can't go out in public without his lucha libre mask—while still retaining her autonomy? Can the team fend off a snooping assistant principal and step up when the adults let them down? And can they locate the source of the outbreak before it reaches epidemic proportions?



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JKS Communications Presents: Book Feature "Out & Equal" edited by Selisse Berry

I will be reading and reviewing this book in the middle of March.  In the meantime, be sure to also see my separate guest post from Selisse Berry.

Synopsis

BOOK DETAILS

Paperback: $14.95, eBook: $?.??

ISBN: 978-0-9881898-0-5

Nonfiction, 214 pages

Out & Equal Workplace Advocates February 14, 2013

A major transformation is happening in today’s workplace. This groundbreaking anthology chronicles personal narratives from lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and allied executive trailblazers who have conquered adversity and ushered in policies that affirm and support the LGBT community in the workplace. Out & Equal at Work profiles an advocacy organization located at the intersection of the private sector and the broader social movement: Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, and its visionary Founding Executive Director, Selisse Berry.

Website: OutandEqual.org

   Twitter @OutandEqual     Facebook Out & Equal Workplace Advocates

Praise for Out & Equal at Work

“Out & Equal at Work speaks to the power of cultivating an environment that celebrates diversity, and ensures employees can bring their whole selves to work every day. Not only is this the right thing to do, but I believe it has profound benefits on employee engagement, retention, productivity and, ultimately, business results. Sexual orientation and gender identity are differences that should not matter. The only things that truly matter are the content of one’s character and the unique talent a person brings to the organization.”

– Don Knauss, Clorox CEO

“There are business books that reinforce the business imperative of diversity. This book is not just one of those. It’s a collection of authentic stories from real people — authentic, successful role models — whose stories are both moving and educational. More than that, they’re inspirational, because they demonstrate how LGBT employees can contribute and prosper at the highest levels in the inclusive workplace.”

– Harry van Dorenmalen, Chairman, IBM Europe

“Every American deserves to be treated fairly and equally in and out of the workplace. Out & Equal at Work is both educational and inspirational for employers and employees regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. With moving personal stories, Out & Equal at Work puts a human face on the benefits of diversity in the workplace and the rewards of being open and honest about who we are.”

– Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)

“Part of the way we each find the strength to bring our whole lives into the workplace is to learn about the experience of others who have taken that step. We not only can succeed, but we can contribute to the work environment in a more substantive way and lead a more fulfilling life. These stories of leadership and courage serve as a real inspiration.”

– Rick Welts, Chief Operating Officer, Golden State Warriors

“These are the stories that executives around the world should hear, coming from the brave voices of smart, successful executives who are making important contributions in business, in government and in the ways they conduct their lives with dignity and integrity. Even more so, these are the stories that all companies should want to be part of, showcasing how creating inclusive workplaces equates with creating a business culture where all of us can bring our mind and heart to work.”

– Sophie Vandebroek, Xerox Corporate Vice President

“When I started my career at Ford Motor Company, and ultimately served as Ford’s Vice Chairman, what strength and insight Out & Equal at Work would have offered. Each personal narrative here is a reminder how important it is to celebrate diversity and openness in every workplace — and to lead by example.”

– Allan Gilmour, former Vice Chairman, Ford Motor Company and President, Wayne State University

“The aim of the Nation’s best employers is to implement policies that make every workplace as equal, welcoming and purposeful as it can be. Selisse Berry’s new book, Out & Equal at Work, will help managers and employers everywhere understand why these fair-minded values make a real and lasting difference.”

– The Honorable John Berry

Biography of Selisse Berry

Editor of Out & Equal at Work

Selisse Berry is Founding Executive Director of Out & Equal Workplace Advocates. Under her leadership, the organization has grown significantly with dramatic increases in attendance at the annual Workplace Summit and the expansion of programs and global initiatives. Selisse is a frequent speaker on workplace equality and has spoken across the United States and abroad including recent presentations in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy, Canada, Hungary, the West Indies, and Mexico. Her most recent awards include the Outstanding Hero Congressional Recognition from Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi; the Parks Award* in Rome, Italy; and the KQED Local Heroes Award** in San Francisco, California.  Selisse is the editor of Out & Equal at Work:  From Closet to Corner Office, Out & Equal’s new anthology of personal stories of executive trailblazers who have transformed the workplace for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.

Selisse’s clear and unwavering vision has been instrumental in creating an international organization whose philosophy reflects the importance of treating all colleagues in the workplace with respect and dignity. Since her first job as a guidance counselor, Selisse has continued her commitment to justice as a teacher and as a leader of several social service organizations prior to founding Out & Equal Workplace Advocates. She has master’s degrees in education and theology from the University of Texas and San Francisco Theological Seminary respectively. Selisse and her wife, Cynthia Martin, were legally married in California in 2008.

*The Parks Award was given by Parks – liberi e uguali, a nonprofit organization advocating for LGBT workplace equality in Italy.

**The KQED Local Heroes Award was given by a public television station.

Website: OutandEqual.org

   Twitter @OutandEqual     Facebook Out & Equal Workplace Advocates

JKS Communications Presents: Guest Post by Selisse Berry of Out & Equal Workplace Advocates

Today I welcome Selisse Berry to Now is Gone.  Selisse is an advocate for GLBTQ rights in the workplace, and founded Out & Equal Workplace Advocates.  I will be separately featuring information about her book, Out and Equal, and at the bottom of her guest post here, I will be providing some information about Out & Equal Workplace Advocates.  I will also be reading and reviewing Out & Equal in the middle of March, so I will post links from that review back to these posts at that time.  Without further ado:

             I first realized that I am a lesbian when I was studying in seminary to become a Presbyterian minister. I quickly learned that, if I came out and chose to live my life honestly and openly, I would not be allowed to be ordained as a minister. I had to leave a career that I loved simply because of my sexual orientation.  

From that point forward, I dedicated my life to creating workplace equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the workplace, with the hope that one day people will no longer have to choose between a career they love and living their lives with authenticity and integrity. My own experience inspired me to found Out & Equal Workplace Advocates sixteen years ago to advance workplace equality for LGBT people. Over the years, Out & Equal has grown into an international nonprofit organization working with multinational corporations, executives, employee resource group leaders, and diversity professionals to create more inclusive workplaces. Through this work, I met many senior executives and leaders who have driven real change in the corporations where they work. They each had touching personal stories of being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and allies.  

I realized that their stories were history in the making, and this inspired me to write Out & Equal at Work: From Closet to Corner Office. I knew that the stories had to be told, and so I reached out to senior executives from some of the world’s top corporations, inviting them to join me in sharing our stories. I was so honored with the results – that so many powerful people were happy to share their stories - including the CEO of Intuit, who is an important ally to the LGBT community, and openly LGBT senior executives from the Walt Disney Company, the Clorox Company, Campbell Soup, Merck, IBM, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Deloitte, Wells Fargo, and many other top corporations.

Out & Equal at Work is the first time that business leaders, including C-Suite executives from Fortune 500 Companies have come together to share their personal stories of facing discrimination and forwarding LGBT equality in the workplace. In many ways it is a book that reminds us that it really does get better. And, although things have improved, there is still so much to do. In 29 states, anyone can be fired simply for being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, and there are still some countries that punish LGBT people with the death penalty.

I hope that Out & Equal at Work will inspire people, including you, to become involved in Out & Equal’s efforts to expand workplace equality. There are many ways to become involved with Out & Equal: our headline events like the Workplace Summit, the annual LGBT Executive Forum and Momentum Leadership Celebration, local Regional Affiliate events, and training for your organization. We also host free monthly Town Call webinars, maintaining the world's largest registry of LGBT employee resource groups which connects LGBT employee resource group leaders from around the world. Contact info@outandequal.org with any questions.

Copies of Out & Equal at Work can be purchased online, or via Amazon for electronic versions.

Out & Equal Workplace Advocates

Founded by Executive Director Selisse Berry, Out & Equal Workplace Advocates is the world’s largest nonprofit organization specifically dedicated to creating safe and equitable workplaces for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

The organization has grown significantly with dramatic increases in attendance for the annual Workplace Summit, the expansion of regional affiliates across the United States, and many global initiatives. Out & Equal has created numerous programs to advance its mission, including the first Global Summit in London, the annual Out & Equal Workplace Summit, the LGBT Executive Forum and Leadership Celebration, bimonthly Town Call seminars and the world’s largest registry of LGBT Employee Resource Groups.

Out & Equal is committed to creating safe and equitable workplace environments for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender employees. We believe that people should be judged by the work they do, not by their sexual orientation or gender identity. Every day, we work to protect and empower employees to be productive and successful—so they can support themselves, their families, and contribute to achieving a world free of discrimination for everyone.

Website: OutandEqual.org

   Twitter @OutandEqual     Facebook Out & Equal Workplace Advocates