Category: Bookanistas

Bookanista Rec :: HOW TO LOVE

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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

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

Bookanista Rec :: JUST ONE YEAR

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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

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Bookanista Rec :: FANGIRL

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Today’s Bookanista recommendation is…
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

From Goodreads – From the author the New York Times bestseller Eleanor & Park, a coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love. Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . . But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving. Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere. Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to. Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone. For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

It’s sort of hard for me to put my affection for this novel into words. It is the quintessential Katy Book (romance and reading and writing!) and I adore everything about it. Seriously — everything, which doesn’t happen frequently. Like, even when I really, really love a book, there are often still instances when I’m reading along and am pulled out of the narrative to think huh, I would have done that scene a bit differently. But that did not happen while I was reading Fangirl. Not once. I can’t name one flaw, not one tiny thing I’d change about this story. In my mind, it was perfection; it was an absolute joy to visit Cath’s world.

Rainbow Rowell is a master of dialogue. She’s brilliant at crafting quirky, charming, blemished-in-the-best way characters. She’s a genius when it comes to taking commonplace situations (feeling unmoored during freshman year of college? who hasn’t been there?) and spinning them into something vibrant and unique and utterly compelling. And she writes the tingly feelings of first love like no other contemporary author I’ve read. She makes hand-holding hot. In Fangirl, she makes reading aloud hot.

I can’t say much more about Fangirl, because it’s a novel that must be experienced, delighted in, and savored. You have to meet Cath and Levi and Wren and Reagan for yourself. You have to delve into their complex relationships, and dive head first into the fandom of Simon Snow. Fangirl is one of those rare books I wanted to crack open and reread immediately after finishing. A 2013 favorite for sure!

How awesome is this? The other day I found The Outsiders and Fangirl shelved side-by-side. If you’ve read Fangirl, you know that this placement has to be some sort of bookstore serendipity.

*A few links of note: Rainbow Rowell speaks to The Toast about continued attempts to ban her YA debut Eleanor & Park (an incredible book), YA Highway interviews Rainbow Rowell about Fangirl, and Bookanista Jessica Love gives her take on Fangirl and Cath’s super-relatable introvert tendencies.*

(Amazing art by Simini Blocker)

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

Christine Fonseca keeps guessing with BREAKING GLASS by Lisa Amowitz

Jessica Love connects with THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE by Leila Sales

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Bookanista Rec :: THE TRUTH ABOUT YOU & ME

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Today’s Bookanista recommendation is…
The Truth About You & Me by Amanda Grace (AKA Mandy Hubbard)

From Goodreads:  Smart girls aren’t supposed to do stupid things. Madelyn Hawkins is super smart. At sixteen, she’s so gifted that she can attend college through a special program at her high school. On her first day, she meets Bennett. He’s cute, funny, and kind. He understands Madelyn and what she’s endured – and missed out on – in order to excel academically and please her parents. Now, for the first time in her life, she’s falling in love. There’s only one problem. Bennett is Madelyn’s college professor, and he thinks she’s eighteen – because she hasn’t told him the truth. The story of their forbidden romance is told in letters that Madelyn writes to Bennett – both a heart-searing ode to their ill-fated love and an apology.

I’ve read and enjoyed a few of Mandy Hubbard’s books now, and this Amanda Grace novel is by far my favorite. It felt very, very real to me — perhaps because it’s set in a town that neighbors the one I grew up in, or perhaps because I share a few of main character Maddie’s personality traits. The Truth About You & Me is a story of forbidden romance, one with a spin I haven’t seen before, and I think it’s incredibly well done. Here’s what I loved most:

  1. The story’s format… The Truth About You & Me is written in 2nd person, as an after-the-fact apology letter from Maddie to Bennett, which had the potential to come across as awkward and tiresome. It did not. “Maddie” writes her letters in a style that’s clear and stark, in a voice that’s teenish, but never childish. Such a smooth read.
  2. Madelyn herself… Though I  certainly do not agree with her choice to deceive Bennett, Maddie somehow managed to win me over. She’s incredibly intelligent, though naive, and I could relate to her overachieving tendencies. I could feel how torn she was when it came to Bennett, and how much she cared for him. I believe that she really loved him — that she truly wanted it to work — which makes her decision-making process a little easier to understand.
  3. Bennett Cartwright… He’s a doll. I still can’t decide if he was genuinely duped by Maddie, or if he chose to turn a blind eye to certain clues because he liked her, but again, he made me believe that his feelings were genuine and he very much earned my sympathies, especially toward the end of the novel.
  4. Time… It’s extraordinarily important in this story, and its passage made both Maddie and Bennett more likeable, and more transparent. It gave their relationship depth, and showed how invested they were in each other, even though, thanks to Maddie’s letters, we know their romance is destined for collapse.
  5. That scene at the cabin… If you’ve read The Truth About You & Me, you know the one I’m talking about. If you haven’t read it yet, you’ll know this scene when you get there. Guys… It is SO intense, in the very best — and very worst — ways. It’s steamy and emotional and heartbreaking, and everything in between. It’s incredible.
  6. The conclusion… Sure, I wanted a different ending for Madelyn and Bennett, but the way their story wrapped up was right and real and true. It cemented the book’s themes of love and honesty and consequence, but it made me feel hopeful about Maddie and Bennett’s futures.

The Truth About You & Me makes me want to run out and buy the Amanda Grace novels I’ve yet to read. I truly loved this one, and if you like romantic contemporary YA that’s not all black and white, I think you will too.

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

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Bookanista Rec :: AUDREY, WAIT!

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Today’s Bookanista recommendation is
Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway…

From Goodreads – California high school student Audrey Cuttler dumps self-involved Evan, the lead singer of a little band called The Do-Gooders. Evan writes, “Audrey, Wait!” a break-up song that’s so good it rockets up the billboard charts. And Audrey is suddenly famous! Now rabid fans are invading her school. People is running articles about her arm-warmers. The lead singer of the Lolitas wants her as his muse. (And the Internet is documenting her every move!) Audrey can’t hang out with her best friend or get with her new crush without being mobbed by fans and paparazzi. Take a wild ride with Audrey as she makes headlines, has outrageous amounts of fun, confronts her ex on MTV, and gets the chance to show the world who she really is.

The above summary describes Audrey, Wait! as a wild ride, and that’s exactly what it is. I had a blast following along with Audrey’s fast-paced misadventures, and cheering her on through her blunders and bloopers. This book is a perfect mix of fun and heart and substance, and it’s a definite new favorite.

There are a million things to love about this novel: the music, the humor (the humor!), the outlandish supporting characters, the romance, and the descriptions of fashion and friendships and feelings. But the number one stand-out element of Audrey, Wait! is its voice. It’s contemporary YA perfection. There’s swearing and slang and spirit, but there’s also a level of nuance and sophistication that’s hard to describe. Audrey is wry and cheeky and observant, and she pretty much always says exactly what she wants to say, when she wants to say it. She is utterly unique, and her personality soars off the page. Behold…

“You have to turn it up so that your chest shakes and the drums get in between your ribs like a heartbeat and the bass goes up your spine and fizzles your brain and all you can do is dance or spin in a circle or just scream along because you know that however this music makes you feel, it’s exactly right.”

And…

“I liked James and James liked me and we both knew it and if you think about it, that’s like a miracle. A real miracle. Everyone says that babies are miracles, and don’t get me wrong, I love cute little pudgy babies, but if you think about it, me having a baby right now would not be a miracle. At all. But finding someone that gets me? That’s the real work. That’s where the miracles are.”

See? That’s just a tiny sampling of the awesomeness of this book. Audrey, Wait! is like nothing I’ve read before, and it’s a fantastic example of how absolutely real and relevant young adult literature can be. I highly recommend it!

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

Lenore Appelhans showers praise for HALF LIVES by Sara Grant

Shari Arnold gushes about HYSTERIA by Megan Miranda

Shelli Johannes-Wells raves about RECONSTRUCTING AMELIA by Kimberly McCreight

Shannon Messenger adores THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US by Kasie West

Tracey Neithercott is mad for EARTHBOUND by Aprilynne Pike

Kimberly Sabatini dishes about ROSE UNDER FIRE by Elizabeth Wein

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Bookanista Rec :: OCD Love Story

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I’m thrilled to recommend one of my favorite 2013 debuts:
OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu
(Reviewed for the Debut Author Challenge and The Bookanistas)

From Goodreads: When Bea meets Beck, she knows instantly that he’s her kind of crazy. Sweet, strong, kinda-messed-up Beck understands her like no one else can. He makes her feel almost normal. He makes her feel like she could fall in love again. But despite her feelings for Beck, Bea can’t stop thinking about someone else: a guy who is gorgeous and magnetic… and has no idea Bea even exists. But Bea knows a lot about him. She spends a lot of time watching him. She has a journal full of notes. Some might even say she’s obsessed. Bea tells herself she’s got it all under control. But this isn’t a choice, it’s a compulsion. The truth is, she’s breaking down…and she might end up breaking her own heart.

OCD Love Story is one of those rare “issue books” that doesn’t make you feel like you’re reading an issue book. It’s got so much personality and style, so many unique and interesting characters, it reads like an incredibly thoughtful and entertaining contemporary YA story — which is exactly what it is.

One of OCD Love Story‘s greatest strengths is its voice. The story feels authentically teen without ever trying too hard. Bea’s narration is spunky and seamless, so frank it made me squeamish at times (she admits she’s got no filter when it comes to saying what’s on her mind–it’s one of the things she works on in therapy). Mental illness is an uncomfortable, complex, messy topic, and Bea does some truly scary things, but she speaks about her disorder (and her life) with such disarming honesty, she’s an easy character to empathize with. While I didn’t necessarily like all of Bea’s choices, I always liked her, and I was rooting for her to come to terms with her OCD every step of the way.

Bea’s love interest, Beck, is as absorbing as Bea herself. At first, his OCD seems less severe than Bea’s, but as the story progresses, Beck’s obsessions and compulsions became clear and alarming. His reason for behaving the way he does is sincerely heartbreaking, and mostly I just wanted to give him a big hug. That said, I often found myself wondering if he was really a good match for Bea, or if they were set on a path of mutual destruction. The way Corey Ann Haydu handles their developing romance is clever and compelling, and I was incredibly impressed with how the story wrapped up.

Don’t let OCD Love Story‘s cheery yellow-and-pink cover mislead you; it is a heavy book about teens dealing with a sometimes debilitating mental illness, and there are some truly cringeworthy moments within its pages. But there are also moments of humor and friendship and a sweet, sweet romance, making OCD Love Story one of my favorite debuts of 2013.

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

Lenore Appelhans adores IN THE AFTER by Demitria Lunetta

Jessica Love raves about GOLDEN by Jessi Kirby

Tracey Neithercott is wowed by A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES by Rachel Harris

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And learn more about the Debut Author Challenge HERE.

Bookanistas Rec :: THIS IS WHAT HAPPY LOOKS LIKE

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Today’s Bookanista recommendation is
This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

From Goodreads: When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O’Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds. Then Graham finds out that Ellie’s Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media’s spotlight at all costs?

Six Reasons Why You Must Read This is What Happy Looks Like…

  1. Characters – Graham and Ellie are so easy to relate to, and so easy to love. They’re genuine and authentic and layered. They’re kind to one another, and considerate of their friends and family. Graham and Ellie both have issues, but they’re not hung up on their troubles in a way that becomes tiresome. 
  2. Setting – Maine! Summer! Small town! Ocean! Ice cream parlor! Movie set! (Enough said?)
  3. Romance – This one’s adorable, guys. Graham and Ellie are fantastic individually, but they make even more sense together. They have obvious chemistry, and their relationship is free of the contrived drama sometimes found in YA romance. The many challenges Graham and Ellie face on their journey to coupledom are formidable, but they feel real. Also, I like that this story doesn’t stretch out the “getting together” phase. There are plenty of sweet and steamy moments scattered throughout the narrative.
  4. Voice – Simply put, Jennifer E. Smith rocks the teen voice. Her books are a fantastic example of how contemporary YA should read.
  5. Email – Graham and Ellie meet online through a fluke email mix-up. Their on-going messages are sprinkled throughout the story, a device that could have taken a hard left into Cheeseville. Instead, the messages impart a quirky sense of fun, and a different way of getting to know the story’s main characters. Loved the emails!
  6. Fate – This is What Happy Looks Like lends  the same warm-and-fuzzy tingles movies like You’ve Got Mail and Serendipity induce. There’s something so romantic and enviable about meant-to-be love. I think fate and real life meld perfectly in this book.

So… What are you waiting for? Pick up This is What Happy Looks Like before this summer ends — you’ll be happy you did!

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

Nikki Katz is delighted by CHARM AND STRANGE by Stephanie Kuehn

Stasia Ward Kehoe meanders into adult fiction
to ponder LIFE OF PI by Yann Martel

Jessica Love has cheers for CHALKLINE by Jane Mitchell

Gretchen McNeil  sings out for SECOND VERSE by Jennifer Walkup

Shari Arnold adores ALSO KNOWN AS (AKA) by Robin Benway

Tracy Banghart delves into TOUCHING THE SURFACE by Kimberly Sabatini

Christine Fonseca is held captive by ABANDON by Elana Johnson

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