Book Review: 'Landline' by Rainbow Rowell

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is cute, romantic, and funny. It's almost everything I've ever wanted from a Rainbow Rowell novel, except Tyrannus Basilton Pitch and Simon Snow. I really loved Carry On. Like, a lot. And before that, I fangirled extensively over Fangirl. This isn't quite as much fun as those, perhaps because I can't quite identify with Georgie McCool as much as I can with Cath Avery. I don't have two young daughters, or any children at all.

But I still enjoyed listening to the audiobook. I love little Noomi, and how she pretends to be a green kitty, punctuating all her speech with meows. I love Georgie and Neal together. I love Seth's Sethness and Scottie's Scottiness. I love the guy at the Halloween party who randomly decided to dress up as Maggie Simpson.

I think my favorite side character, though --this is a minor spoiler, so look away if you must -- is Alison, the "pizza guy" who turns out to be a pizza gal. I love that in Rainbow Rowell's world, attraction between two women doesn't end in death and heartbreak (The Night Circus, I'm looking at you) but in sweet hand-holding and intense eye contact following a triumphant puppy birth. With sympathetic family members, even! See, film industry, how it is possible to write lesbians/queer women without writing tragedy?

I tried mentally casting a movie version of Landline, but it's tough to come up with a Georgie. She's a beautiful, funny blonde, but less of a Kate Hudson body type and more of an Amy Schumer body type. The material isn't raunchy like Schumer's usual films, though. I also thought of another funny blonde with a curvy figure, Rebel Wilson, but this isn't as slapstick as her usual fare. Let me think about this one some more.

I like Jason Sudeikis (the lovely Olivia Wilde's partner IRL) for Neal, Danny Pudi for Scottie, and Neil Patrick Harris for Seth. I would like to see NPH with chestnut hair for a change.

I purchased this audiobook with my own funds at a library used media sale and was not obligated in any way to review it.