F. Scott Fitzgerald: He makes reading attractive

Tell me he's not the sexiest 20th century writer
you've ever seen. 

   I have to admit it; as far as teenage girls go, I'm pretty stereotypical. I subscribe to Seventeen magazine to keep myself updated on why I am an inadequate female. I listen to the loop of 10 songs that are deemed acceptable, all themed on being up in the club or falling desperately in love at the age of fifteen, which are two things that our generation can relate to. But there is one custom of which I am not a part of: Obsessing over male movie stars, singers and/or fictional vampires. For some reason, I've just never gotten into the whole airbrushed, steroid-using sparkly look. But I do have one very embarrassing fangirl crush: F. Scott Fitzgerald. Let's face it, you guys, he's beautiful. And a genius. After reading The Great Gatsby (which I can say that I appreciated if not actually enjoyed that much) I was interested in exploring more of his thoughtful, lyrical style. I checked out This Side of Paradise from the library and am about halfway through, and it is truly a gem. If you know anything about Fitzgerald, you'll understand the crazy hijinks that go on in this novel when I say it was based on Fitzgerald's own experience in college. Full of romantic trysts, raging parties and a fair amount of poetry, this book is sure to entertain.
   The main character, Amory Blaine, is a model of a young Fitzgerald himself. Charming, attractive, overly-thoughtful and overly-ambitious. He does, of course, have his flaws that give us as the readers that same love-hate feelings towards him as we feel with the characters from Gatsby. He's vain and snobbish and egotistical as anything. But, I don't know...somehow his charming turn of phrase and devastatingly handsome looks make that acceptable. I love the way this book is written, so poetic and lyrical and captivating, even though I have yet to figure out the point. But you'll be the first to know if I ever do.