More heartfelt, pop culture-infused novels along the lines of ‘Fangirl’

Here’s the Super guide to the world of Rainbow Rowell:

“Attachments”

Lincoln is the newest “Internet security officer” of The Courier. His job is to monitor all of the newspaper’s employees’ Internet use, including reading their e-mails and chat logs, especially the ones with red-flag words.

Beth, a film critic, and Jennifer, a copy editor, know that someone is reading their e-mails, but honestly, they don’t really care. They’re still going to talk about the swoon-worthiness of Ben Affleck, Beth’s commitment-phobic musician boyfriend, Jennifer’s fears about motherhood, and that cute guy Beth saw walking down the office hallway.

As Lincoln reads these exchanges, he finds himself falling in love with one of the women. But how can you tell someone you’ve fallen for her because you’ve been reading her private messages?

Pop culture hooks: the Internet, e-mail, Y2K bug, a lot of ’90s movies (“Fight Club,” “Dark City,” “The Matrix” and “You’ve Got Mail”), Dungeons & Dragons, rock music, Jason Bateman, grammar humor

“Eleanor & Park”

Eleanor just wants to get through life one day at a time. She has just gotten back home from being kicked out for a year. Her home life is precarious at best and terrifying at worst.

Park could be considered one of the popular kids in high school, but being half-Korean in a relatively white neighborhood automatically sets him apart from his classmates. What’s more, he’d rather spend his time listening to music and reading his comic books.

Their worlds collide one morning in the school bus. It isn’t love at first sight, not even “like” at first sight, but it’s the beginning of something much more precious. Eleanor knows first loves don’t last forever, just look at Romeo and Juliet. But, maybe, this thing with Park is worth risking her heart.

Pop culture hooks: comic books and graphic novels (“X-Men,” “Watchmen,” “The Dark Knight Returns”), Alan Moore, ’80s music, mix tapes, The Smiths, Joy Division, The Beatles, taekwondo, high school English literature, ’80s movies

“Landline” (out in July 2014)

Based on the description on Rowell’s website, “Landline” tells the story of TV show writer Georgie.

Georgie’s marriage is on the rocks and she knows it. A busy career in Los Angeles is keeping her from coming with her husband Neal and their children to Omaha, Nebraska, for Christmas. The night of Neal and the kids’ departure, she discovers a way to talk to Neal in the past.

The question is, does she use this as a way to fix her marriage, or is it better to nip it in the bud? Cake Evangelista

Source: Rainbowrowell.com