What’s Up Wednesday

November 20, 2013November 22, 201345 Comments

“What’s Up Wednesday” is a fun weekly meme started by my friends Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk. From Jaime: It’s similar in some respects to the Currently… post, but it’s been whittled down to only four headings to make it quicker and more manageable on a weekly basis. You’re invited to join us if you’re looking for something to blog about, a way to let your blog friends know what’s been going on with you. If you’re participating, make sure to link your What’s Up Wednesday posts to the list on Jaime’s blog each week. That way, others can visit your post and check out what you’ve been up to.And now, here’s what’s up with me this week…And now, here’s what’s up with me this week…

What I’m Reading: Over the weekend I read Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas, and it was GOOD. Super twisty and dark, like a Courtney Summers novel merged with a fast-paced crime drama. I also started listening to an audiobook of Kristin Cashore’s Fire. I adore Graceling and Bitterblue, and it’s taken me way too long to get to Fire’s story, but I am loving it. She’s a fantastic protagonist, and the audio is very well done. As well as listening to Fire, I’m reading Sara Guillory’s Reclaimed. I’ve only just started, but so far, so good!

What I’m Writing: Still plugging away at my revision. I’m past the story’s midpoint and I’ve cut nearly 5K, which feels awesome. I love streamlining, “trimming the fat” as they say. Last night I came across a scene I’d forgotten all about (an anecdote I stole from my husband’s childhood) and it was really fun to reread. This manuscript is coming together, and I’m getting excited about the prospect of sending it off to my CPs. Hopefully that’ll be soon!

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Wrapping my head around our big move to… Florida! We’re leaving California in thirty days and I have plenty to do. Good news: We found a lovely house with a kitchen perfect for baking. Bad news: We’re going to pack our household goods ourselves (instead of letting the Army hire movers to do it like usual) and I am up to my eyeballs in boxes.

On Sunday night I went to The Night of Writing Dangerously, held in the Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco. It was so amazing! I got tons of revising done, chatted with like-minded writers, met my awesome Twitter friend Kristen Rudd (who graciously invited me as her guest), and heard YA author Gennifer Albin give a heartfelt and inspiring speech — “Your story matters!” All in all, it was a fabulous event. If you’re ever presented with the opportunity to attend, do!

What’s Inspiring Me Now: A repost by Becca Puglisi at Writers Helping Writers called Conflict vs. Tension. It talks about how the two terms are related but not always synonymous. Great food for thought as I revise my manuscript. Also, a post by romance author Roni Loren entitled My Promise When I Review or Recommend Books. She says: If I don’t like something or have neutral feelings on it, you’ll just never hear about. The books I recommend or rate highly on Goodreads are books I honestly loved… This is exactly how I feel about public reviews. My blog is a positive place where I choose to promote books I sincerely enjoy. Those that don’t resonate with me don’t get a lot of attention, and those with which I can’t find anything good to say don’t get any attention at all. So, if I rave about a book, it’s one that made a true impact on me, one that I’ll recommend to anyone who’ll listen. What’s your book review policy?

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

YA Book Club :: ALLEGIANT

November 18, 2013November 17, 201318 Comments

{YA Book Club is the brainchild of writer/blogger Tracey Neithercott.
For guidelines and additional info, click the image above.}

November’s YA Book Club selection is
Allegiant by Veronica Roth

From Goodreads – The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories. But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love. Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

*Warning :: This post includes thinly veiled spoilers.*

I read Allegiant nearly a month ago, and my opinions are still rather muddled. It’s definitely one of those all the feels books. I liked so much about it…

The stark-but-arresting prose. Veronica Roth writes emotion beautifully. I felt Tris’s and Four’s affection, worry, sadness, anger, and passion completely.
Tris’s strength. She doesn’t back down when she believes in something, and it’s been fascinating to watch her grow and come into her own as this trilogy progressed.
Four (because I will not call him Tobias) and everything he stands for. He’s clearly damaged, but he’s just so inherently good. Tris’s love for him makes total and complete sense.
The world beyond the wall. I was desperately curious about what the gang would find, and I was not disappointed.
The backstory concerning Tris’s mom and her introduction to life Chicago. I found her history riveting, and I liked that Tris continued to feel a connection to her.
The idea of genetic purity, and the weight it held for different characters in the story. Compelling stuff.
Veronica Roth’s fearless storytelling. She writes ruthlessly, with more concern for the integrity of the narrative than the rath it might invoke in some fans. So admirable.
Speaking of which… The ultra-shocking death of a Very Important Character did not enrage me. I would have personally preferred a HEA, but I thought the conclusion felt bleakly appropriate.

While I enjoyed Allegiant, I had a couple of issues with it…

There were a few instances in the story where the pacing felt off. There were stretches when not much happened at all, then bursts of action that were awesome, but also sort of dizzying.
I did not like the dual POV as much as I thought I would. For me, Tris’s voice blended with Four’s, and there were scenes where I became confused as to whose head I was in.
Again, this is purely personal, but I preferred knowing Four only through Tris’s adoring eyes. In the first two books he had his flaws, but he was portrayed as powerful and solid and indestructible — nearly fearless. In Allegiant, there were times when he seemed a little… whiney? Not that guys can’t have feelings of doubt and inadequacy, but Four never felt like that guy before. Is it awful that I want him to be purely badass?
As far as conflict, did anyone else feel like there was one antagonist too many? Marcus, Evelyn, Nita, Caleb, David, the various serums, the Big Bad Government… Sometimes I wasn’t sure who the true villain was. I suppose that speaks to the complexity of the plot, but at times I found it all a bit overwhelming.

I’ve been so invested in Tris and Four and their supporting cast for the last few years, and the end of their story truly did a number on me. Overall, I thought Allegiant was a courageous and fitting conclusion to a fantastic trilogy.

What did you think of this month’s YA Book Club selection?
(Book Clubbers: Don’t forget to drop by Tracey’s blog to add your link!)

What’s Up Wednesday

November 13, 2013November 13, 201352 Comments

What I’m Reading: I finished Robyn Schneider’s The Beginning of Everything and while I really enjoyed it, I wanted a different ending for the characters. Totally a personal preference thing, but yeah… Have you read it? What did you think of the conclusion? I also read The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black, and I thought it was fantastic. Part of me is surprised because it’s a novel about vampires and that’s not really my thing. But then, I’ve heard awesome things about Holly Black’s writing, and this story totally lives up to the hype. Now I’m reading Leah Raeder’s Unteachable (thanks for the rec, Dahlia!) and I’ve gotta say… I’m loving it. It’s a tough story and it’s making me all kinds of uncomfortable, but the writing is gorgeous and the emotion is raw and so intense. It’s unputdownable, and I cannot wait to see how it wraps up.

What I’m Writing: I’ve started to poke away at my revision. It’s extensive, to be honest, and quite daunting, but I’m finding that my early chapters aren’t nearly as bad as I thought they were. There are even bits of unintentional foreshadowing that really work… Win! I want so badly for this story to be the sort of amazing I envision, and that alone is motivating. I love this stage of the process: the sorting out and the tying together and the prettifying.

Quality control.

What Else I’ve Been Up To: House hunting. We’re looking for a place to rent in Awesome Secret City, and it’s really hard! We’re currently very far away, so we have to take what we can get as far as information available on the Internet. I’m not super comfortable signing a lease sight-unseen, but it looks like that might be what we end up doing. And it’s not just the house we have to take into account — we’ve got to consider schools, shopping, commute times, neighborhoods, and a host of other craziness. I forgot what a challenge moving can be.

So… I’ve been baking and drinking! I’ve posted my favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe here before, but it’s worth repeating. These are the perfect cookies, guys. Especially when consumed with an icy cold Bud Light (or milk — pick your poison).

What’s Inspiring Me Now: Contemporary YA Week over at Stacked, which started Monday and is still going strong. From librarian/blogger Kelly Jensen: I have a nice array of guest posts from contemporary YA authors. We’re going to travel across the globe to talk about Australian contemporary YA, we’ll talk about mental illness in contemporary YA, humor in contemporary YA, and much, much more. In fact, I have 7 guest posts lined up, along with a host of book lists. I thought that in addition to new posts, I’d rerun some older content, as well, in order to give a huge range of voices and insights into contemporary YA. Fantastic, yes? As a huge fan of contemporary YA, I’m so enjoying this series.

Additionally, I’m finding this post entitled The Four Types of Character Flaws from Writers Helping Writers to be incredibly timely and very helpful. Tons of awesome character-related advice to consider as I tackle my revision. (Also, I love Writers Helping Writers. If you’re not following this blog, you should be!)

And, finally, the mama in me got all teary paging through photographer Jenny Lewis‘s One Day Young series. She captured images of mamas and their babies within 24 hours of birth, her aim being to express the extraordinary bonding, tenderness and strength between mother and infant. The photographs are beautiful and heartwarming, and I hope you’ll check them out.

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

HOW TO LOVE Winner…

November 11, 2013November 11, 20132 Comments

First of all, Happy Veterans Day, and a heartfelt THANK YOU to all who serve, and have served in the past, especially my amazing husband.

Second, thanks to all who commented on last week’s How to Love Bookanista recommendation. It was so fun to hear about what you’re reading and loving!

Biggest congrats to…

Jennifer Pickrell

You’ve won a copy of Katie Cotugno’s How to Love! I’ll be in touch today so we can sort out the address details. Hope you adore this story as much as I do!

Have a great week. 🙂

Bookanista Rec :: HOW TO LOVE

November 7, 2013November 8, 201323 Comments

Today’s Bookanista recommendation is
How to Love by Katie Cotugno

From Goodreads – Before: Reena Montero has loved Sawyer LeGrande for as long as she can remember: as natural as breathing, as endless as time. But he’s never seemed to notice that Reena even exists, until one day, impossibly, he does. Reena and Sawyer fall in messy, complicated love. But then Sawyer disappears from their Florida town without a word, leaving a devastated—and pregnant—Reena behind. After: Almost three years have passed, and there’s a new love in Reena’s life: her daughter, Hannah. Reena’s gotten used to being without Sawyer, and she’s finally getting the hang of this strange, unexpected life. But just as swiftly and suddenly as he disappeared, Sawyer turns up again. Reena doesn’t want anything to do with him, though she’d be lying if she said Sawyer’s being back wasn’t stirring something in her. After everything that’s happened, can Reena really let herself love Sawyer LeGrande again?

This book… I wish I could put into words how much I adore it, and how deeply it moved me. If ever there was a perfect Katy Book, How to Love is it. It’s a story full of all the things I love about contemporary YA: an awesomely relatable main character, a troubled but inherently good love interest, emotional richness so intense there were times I had to step away, and tons of sweet/steamy/loving/passionate moments that never, ever got old.

There were so many elements of this story that I felt a personal connection to, and most of them led back to main character Reena… Her longing for adventure and her enthusiasm for writing. Her maturity and introvertedness. The fondness she feels for the members of her family, imperfect as they are. Her desire to be a good person, and to make good choices, not to mention the guilt and disappointment she feels at failing. Her unconditional and lasting love for Sawyer, and her absolute devotion to her daughter. Reena is my idea of a “strong female character” personified, and she’s my newest favorite YA protagonists.

Other things I love about How to Love… Its Florida setting. Its strong sense of family. Its references to Catholicism. Its fantastically genuine voice and witty dialogue. Its nonlinear before-and-after format. And, of course, its love interest, Sawyer LeGrande. Oh, Sawyer… He’s got issues. He can be a jerk. He does stupid things. And yet, I love him as Reena does. Somehow, even through all of his nonsense and idiocy, it’s easy to see the goodness in Sawyer’s heart. It’s easy to root for him to get his shit together, for his sake and for Reena’s.

I adore How to Love in the very same way I adore Lola and the Boy Next Door, The Sky is Everywhere, Where the Stars Still Shine, Fangirl, and Saving June. I want so badly for it to get the exposure it deserves, and I’m so confident that you’ll love it too, I will buy a copy for one lucky person who comments on today’s post (US only, please). So, tell me about the last truly fantastic book you read, and I’ll randomly select a winner and post his/her name Monday. Sound good?

Don’t forget to check out what my fellow Bookanistas are up to:

Shari Arnold is enthralled with THE BITTER KINGDOM by Rae Carson

Christine Fonseca is nostalgic with ROOMIES by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando

Jessica Love is wild for WINGER by Andrew Smith

Tell me: What’s the last really amazing novel read?

What’s Up Wednesday

November 6, 2013November 5, 201340 Comments

What I’m Reading: Robyn Schneider’s The Beginning of Everything, which is witty and thought-provoking and highly entertaining. It’s taking me awhile to get through because I’ve been busy, but in no way does that speak to its quality. Up next… I don’t know! I’ve read through my TBR pile and I’ve got nothing on-deck. That gives me a weirdly anxious feeling. Anyone have a great recommendation?

What I’m Writing: Not much because… I finished my WiP! Yep, on Halloween I officially typed The End, concluding the first draft of the story I started in April.

Over the weekend, I took a much-needed writing break, though I did think about my upcoming revision A LOT. My To-Do list is extensive and I’ve got tons of work ahead of me, but I *think* I know what needs to be done to make my story readable. I love revising, so I’m very happy to be at this stage of the game.

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Over the weekend, my husband, daughter, and I took a trip to Yosemite National Park. None of us had been before and we weren’t sure what to expect. Yosemite did not disappoint. In fact, it’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. We had an amazing time hiking and adventuring. Plus, we got to attend the wedding of two great friends, which made the trip even more awesome. Obviously I took zillions of pictures…

Tunnel View, without any sort of filter. The park is this stunning naturally.

Yosemite sky, also without filter. It was so blue. And I kind of love the “Speeding Kills Bears” signs, which were everywhere. There’s something oddly charming about them. We didn’t see any real bears, so the signs were the next best thing.

My girl had a great time! She got a kick out of the snow and the incredible views.

We hiked four strenuous uphill miles to get to Nevada Falls, then four more miles back to the truck, and I’m proud to report that my daughter rocked it. My husband and I were wiped by the end and she had to have been too, but there was absolutely no complaining. She’s a little soldier. 😉

With my favorite girl at the hotel (we stayed at the Tenaya Lodge, which was fantastic) and out among the sequoias.

And, with my handsome husband at the wedding. Congrats to Ryan and Johanna!

What’s Inspiring Me Now: A post from writer Anya Monroe about the NaNo Pep Talk she gave 125 eighth graders who are participating this year, and the ways she connected with them through writing and books. Also, a super short and heartwarming story about the Xhosa culture and their I am because we are philosophy. Definitely worth the read. And finally…

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

October Reading Wrap-Up

November 1, 2013October 31, 20134 Comments

October = Longest Month Ever
(As always, covers link to Goodreads pages.)

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke – My favorite element of this 2013 debut is its atmospheric setting. The town of Echo and The Citizen, the house protagonist Violet and her brother live in, are seriously creepy. I enjoyed this unique and twisty mystery, and the story’s romantic subplot kept me guessing. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a great novel to pick up if you’re having trouble leaving Halloween behind.

Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting – Another creepy book! I’ve loved The Body Finder novels since I read the first a few years ago, and this latest installment is no exception. Kimberly Derting writes fantastically sinister murder mysteries and love interest Jay is adorable. With the exception of The Body Finder, the first book in this series, Dead Silence is my favorite. I love how empowered and headstrong main character Violet has grown to be, and I’m becoming more and more intrigued with Rafe and his backstory. Definite recommend!

Invisibility by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan – This novel requires major suspension of disbelief (spellseekers and cursecasters!), but for the first half, I was totally invested in Stephen and Elizabeth’s plight. The second half of the story, however, took a hard left into urban fantasy territory, which just isn’t my genre of choice. That said, I suspect that if you like books about magic, evil, and curses set in a big city, you’ll like Invisibility. Who else has read it? Thoughts?

Just One Year by Gayle Forman – There are so many things to love about Just One Year. Willem is everything I adore in a male character: damaged, sensitive, passionate, searching, adventurous — perfectly imperfect. And the story’s varying cultures as described in Gayle Forman’s beautiful, evocative prose become supporting characters that gave me an epic case of wanderlust. A 2013 favorite. My full Bookanista recommendation is HERE.

Shine by Lauren Myracle – I found this novel to be gripping, beautifully written, and incredibly unique. Main character Cat felt so real and relatable, and the many supporting characters were well-developed and layered. Despite solving the story’s big mystery fairly early on, I still loved this book. It was the first I’ve read by Lauren Myracle, and I can’t wait to get my hands on more of her work.

Fault Line by Christa Desir – This isn’t the sort of book that sweeps you off your feet with romance and exoticism, nor is it the sort of book you’ll fall traditionally head-over-heels in love with — in fact, a good deal of this story is downright painful. But it is an affecting read and, I think, an incredibly important novel. It’s going to start conversations about rape, victim blaming, and the “right” way to cope, and it’s remarkably relevant. My full DAC review is HERE.

Just as Long as We’re Together by Judy Blume – My very favorite childhood book. Fun fact: I read my paperback so many times I split its spine — literally, right in half. Recently, I spotted a copy in a used bookstore and had to have it. I spent a few days joyfully rereading (and adding tons of giddy status updates to my Goodreads profile HERE). Grown up Katy found this story to be just as moving and fantastic as Preteen Katy did. Five stars for Judy Blume!

Allegiant by Veronica Roth – This book crushed me with feels. I’ve been so invested in Tris and Four and their supporting cast for the last few years, and the end of their story truly did a number on me. That conclusion… It hurt my heart. I had a few minor issues with parts Allegiant (I’ll save them for YA Book Club) but overall, I thought it was a courageous and fitting conclusion to a fantastic trilogy.

How to Love by Katie Cotugno – I can already say with certainty that this debut novel will be among my top-five favorite books of 2013. Guys… It is perfection. If you’re into books about romance and heartache and family, books with stellar voice and steamy kisses and emotion so thick it drips off the page, you will adore How to Love. I’m going to rave about it in greater detail in a Bookanista rec next week, but for now I’ll just say: Buy this book. You won’t regret it!

So… What’s the best book you read in October?

What’s Up Wednesday

October 30, 2013October 29, 201336 Comments

What I’m Reading: I finished Judy Blume’s Just as Long as We’re Together and loved it just as much as I did when I was a kid. Even though it was published way back in 1987, it’s still perfectly relevant. Recommend! I also read Veronica Roth’s Allegiant, a book that pretty much crushed me with feels. That ending… It hurt my heart, but I thought it was courageous, a fitting conclusion to a fantastic trilogy. Now I’m reading Katie Cotugno’s How To Love and oh my gosh… I love it SO MUCH. It’s such a Katy Book. Along with a spectacularly intense romance, there’s the bonus of an incredibly sweet and real mother-daughter relationship. I’m adoring everything about this one!

What I’m Writing: Guys. I am almost done with the first draft of my WiP. I’m two-and-a-half scenes from THE END (85K words… jeez!), and I’m beyond excited. I’m going to finish this thing tomorrow (Halloween!), and then I’m going to eat buckets of candy to celebrate. A little excerpt…

He pulled her close because he couldn’t stand a breath of space between them—not tonight, not when he needed her like this. He hid his face in hollow where her neck met her shoulder, where the scent of vanilla was so hypnotic he could hardly think straight. “I’m happy when I’m with you,” he said softly.

It was the absolute truth, as well as the biggest lie he’d ever told. Nobody in the world grounded him like Dylan—thrilled him like Dylan—but that didn’t mean her presence wasn’t comparable to excavating his heart with a rusty spoon.

What Else I’ve Been Up To: Shopping for something to wear to the wedding we’re going to this weekend. It’s in Yosemite, which I’m excited about, but I haven’t been able to find the perfect dress yet. Wish me luck!

On Saturday I ran a 10K in Big Sur with some great friends. We all have girls in first grade, so it’s fun to trade stories about our daughters’ sassy moments. 🙂 The run was awesome, beautiful scenery and not too crowded, but most of it was through a campground and the campfire smoke was not exactly conducive to clean breathing. Still, I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

I made Chewy Nutella Brownies, my very favorite brownie recipe. These babies include an entire jar of Nutella, four eggs, dark chocolate cocoa powder, mini chocolate chips, and espresso. They’re rich in the very best way. I firmly believe that homemade brownies are worth the extra time and effort. These are proof!

And… We carved pumpkins! Hard to tell, but that’s my attempt at Wonder Woman back there. She was a challenge, but my daughter requested her. Of course I fully support her love of superheroes and girl power.

What’s Inspiring Me Now: My upcoming revisions! My To-Do list is a mile long, and I can’t wait to dive in. While I find first-drafting ~~excruciating~~ challenging, I love to revise. Mostly because when it’s finally time to do so, I know my characters well and I’ve figured out lots of cool ways to add depth and texture to the story. Also, it’s so satisfying to fill plot holes! I’d much rather polish something that already exists than try to spin a story out of nowhere (and I call myself a writer…). Anyhow, my friend/CP Alison Miller and I decided to set some revision goals for the next month (or two?) and root each other on during the process (mostly because we REALLY want to read each other’s stories!). From time to time, we’ll blog about our progress and encourage each other, and anyone else who wants to join us. How about it? Are you up for NaNoReviseMo?

Also, this cutie pie inspires me every day. She’s so full of smiles and joy. Love her.

Tell me… What’s up with you today?

A Cover Reveal…

October 28, 2013October 27, 20138 Comments

I’ve spoken about my talented and generous friend Christa Desir before. Her debut novel, Fault Line, came out a few weeks ago and I reviewed it HERE. It’s a difficult book, but an incredibly important book, and that’s what I’ve come to expect from Christa: unflinching and compelling stories that speak not just to teenagers, but to readers of all ages.

Christa’s sophomore novel is called Bleed Like Me. It’s due to release Fall, 2014 from Simon Pulse. I read an early version awhile back and it is fantastic. Fearless and tragic and intense, a little bit romantic and a lot horrifying, Bleed Like Me is a story about two damaged teenagers who find an obsessive sort of love in each other. It’s everything a dark YA novel should be. I’m thrilled that its cover so perfectly reflects its tone and quality. But first, Bleed Like Me‘s summary…

Seventeen-year-old Amelia Gannon is overwhelmed. Her parents are pre-occupied with her high-needs adopted brothers, her best friend is more interested in bumming cigarettes than bonding, and her job at the hardware store feels more and more like a life sentence. She finds an escape in troubled new guy, Michael Brooks. He’s obnoxious, possessive, and addictive. Gannon lets him insert himself into her life, and Brooks is just as addicted to her as she is to him. Swept into an intense relationship, their passion ultimately becomes dangerous to them both.

And beautiful the cover…

What I love… The stark white background. The clean font (which matches Fault Line‘s). The tagline: Their worst addiction is each other. The bold red heart, and the way it’s broken in half. And the blood-like drip-drop. Mesmerizing.

Gorgeous, right? This cover is going to stand out on bookstore shelves everywhere. If you want to give Christa some cover love, her blog is HERE (she’s a brilliant blogger — I recommend following if you’re not already!). Find Christa on Twitter HERE. And add Bleed Like Me on Goodreads HERE.

What do you think of Bleed Like Me‘s cover?
What’s your favorite recently-released cover?

Bookanista Rec :: JUST ONE YEAR

October 24, 2013October 23, 20137 Comments

Today’s Bookanista recommendation is
Just One Year by Gayle Forman

From Goodreads – When he opens his eyes, Willem doesn’t know where in the world he is—Prague or Dubrovnik or back in Amsterdam. All he knows is that he is once again alone, and that he needs to find a girl named Lulu. They shared one magical day in Paris, and something about that day—that girl—makes Willem wonder if they aren’t fated to be together. He travels all over the world, from Mexico to India, hoping to reconnect with her. But as months go by and Lulu remains elusive, Willem starts to question if the hand of fate is as strong as he’d thought. The romantic, emotional companion to Just One Day, this is a story of the choices we make and the accidents that happen—and the happiness we can find when the two intersect.

(My Bookanista recommendation of Gayle Forman’s Just One Day is HERE.)

Oh, how I have anticipated this novel! Since I read the final pages of Just One Day way back in February, I’ve wondered and worried about the fate of Allyson and Willem. I’ve also wondered and worried about how Just One Year would measure up to its predecessor. I empathize with Allyson so much, and reading her story was an incredible experience. How could Willem “The Deserter” De Ruiter possibly compete in the narration department? (Incidentally, these were the very same concern I had before reading If I Stay‘s companion story, Where She Went.) Turns out all my agonizing has been for nothing. Gayle Forman writes consistently amazing duet novels, and I will never doubt her brilliance again.

There are so many things to love about Just One Year. Willem is everything I adore in a male character all rolled into one. He’s damaged, sensitive, passionate, searching, adventurous — perfectly imperfect. Despite knowing Lulu (Allyson) for just one day, he’s found the best in her and he latches on (in a totally non-creepy way). Even after Lulu’s long gone, that “stain” on Willem’s heart won’t rub off, and he eventually finds the courage to face his long-standing demons.

Second only to Willem’s amazingness are Just One Year‘s exotic locales. This novel is a whirlwind journey with stops in Paris, Amsterdam, Cancun, and Mumbai. To be completely honest, with the exception of Paris, I’ve never had much desire to visit any of the cities listed above, but through Willem’s eyes, they felt colorful and exciting and accessible. Just One Year has given this homebody an incredible case of wanderlust. Seriously, the varying cultures as described in Gayle Forman’s beautiful, evocative prose become supporting characters in Willem’s story. I liked them almost as much as Broodje and Kate!

I could spend all day fangirling over Just One Year. It’s one of my favorite reads of 2013, and Gayle Forman is most definitely one of my favorite contemporary authors. But instead of continuing to rave, I’ll close with a quote that I hope will encourage you to pick up Just One Year as soon as possible…

By that point, it’ll have been more than year since I met Lulu. Any sane person would say it’s too late. It already felt too late that first day, when I woke up in the hospital. But even so, I’ve kept looking. I’m still looking.

Don’t forget to check out what my fellow Bookanistas are up to:

Christine Fonseca is delighted by BY BLOOD by Tracy Banghart

Jessica Love is traveling with TIME AFTER TIME by Tamara Ireland Stone

Nikki Katz is wow’d by THE SPECTACULAR NOW by Tim Tharp

Kimberly Sabatini is reveling in THE MOON AND MORE by Sarah Dessen