Book Love: Where She Went

WHERE SHE WENT
Gayle Forman
Dutton

If I Stay was an amazing novel. It was intense, emotional, and gripping. It was an entirely new take on the theme of grief in YA (at least for me) and it handled everything so well. Obviously the sequel, Where She Went, has a lot to live up to - not only because of how great the first book was but also because If I Stay is not a novel that demands a sequel. It told a complete story that ended, not with a cliff-hanger, but with various threads that didn't really need to be sewn up. I didn't finish If I Stay hoping for a sequel; I finished it thrilled at what a great story it was and how much I was drawn in and wrapped up in Mia's life-or-death struggle.

So while I knew that Gayle Forman is a talented storyteller, I wasn't quite sure what Where She Went would be like. Told from Adam's viewpoint and picking up three years after Mia's accident, it somehow manages to do the impossible. Not only is it just as emotional and gripping as its predecessor, but it also takes a story that is complete and made it even better, delving deeper into what happened when Mia went into her coma. It made a sequel to If I Stay seem not necessary, but inevitable... all while telling a completely different story from a different character, in a different place, and a different time.

I picked up Where She Went one afternoon and didn't put it down until I had read the entire thing. I didn't close the book, check the clock, or reach for a bookmark even once. I just kept turning the pages, holding my breath and crossing my fingers right along with Adam.

I love this book. I hesitate to say it's better than the first, because opinions will vary on that, but it's definitely a worthy sequel as well as being absolutely brilliant in its own right. It's amazing, incredible, and absolutely stunning. 

What's the Point of Reviewing?

A few comments on a few different blog posts during this whole mafia kerfuffle have called into question why an aspiring writer would even want to write reviews. Why, as someone who wants to be an author, would you spend your time reviewing books (time that could be spent writing your own stories), why would you be upset if someone tells you that you shouldn't be reviewing or sharing your opinion on the internet? Really, what's the big deal with giving it up and where's the merit in reviewing anyway?

Looking at books critically, thinking about the different aspects of a work and finding out why it did or didn't work for me has always helped with my own writing. When I conscientiously notice how vital and wonderfully-written the setting in Daisy Whitney's The Mockingbirds is, I can also look at how she did that and how I can do the same thing with my novel. It's been said that the only apprenticeship writers have is reading and I would argue that reviewing takes that one step further by looking more deeply at a book. It's like taking a book apart, looking at all the pieces, finding out what makes them fit together the way they do, and then trying to build your own book. For this analogy to work you really must imagine books as clocks.

So yes, reviewing does take time that could be spent writing. However, that time could also be spent eating, watching television, going to the grocery store, doing laundry, or a hundred other things that don't help writing the way reviewing does.

I reviewed books because I love them. It's easy to ask why on earth I'd want to both write and review others' writing, but my love of books doesn't stop at writing them. I love reading them and I love talking about them - blogging and reviewing allowed me to do this. Though my friends and family read, almost nobody reads the same genre as I do and none of them can endlessly discuss books the way I love to. I don't have reader friends and it was nice to be a part of a community (YA bloggers) that are similarly passionate about books, about the YA genre, and like discussing the same things that I do.

Blogging about books, either through reviews or discussion posts, is something that I loved. Giving up something that you love or being told that you should give up something that you love or that it conflicts with something else that you love -- that's hard.

*I'm cross-posting this on my former blog, Ten Cent Notes.

Television Wishes: Three Books

I'm a fan of television. Not only do I watch a lot of shows, but I watch them aggressively, if that's possible. While there are relatively few movies I can watch for two whole hours, I have no problem flying through a full season of a show in a couple of weeks. And I get excited about the shows; I honestly care what happens to the characters and love when something completely unexpected happens nearly as much as I love when something that's been building for a while finally happens.

I'm sure I will always love books the most, but as far as storytelling goes, television is in a unique place in that the stories get to stretch out over long periods of time and the characters grow and change as time goes on. Pam from season six of The Office is a much more mature and self-assured person than the Pam of season two was. Books, even long series, rarely have this ability.

That said, there are a few books, both stand-alones and series, that I think would be great bases for television shows.

Flirt Club

Cathleen Daly

Alright, so no offense to Hannah Montana & friends, but do you guys remember when Disney Channel used to have really good shows? (Sure, my definition of "really good" may be a bit tainted by the fact that I had a huge crush on Gordo, but whatever.) Let's turn back the clock to those days and then put Flirt Club into production because this novel about junior high drama geeks is hilarious, cute, and wonderful. I can just imagine it as an incredibly quirky and lovely "tween" show that, as an "adult" (I use that word very loosely in relation to myself) I would totally watch.

The Kid Table

Andrea Seigal

This book is pretty structured (the story is divided into five sections, each one detailing a family event at which the kid table members are present), but I think that could work really well for a television show. The book is focused on Ingrid Bell and her five cousins, a concept that I think would be awesome for a show, especially because the second I was done with The Kid Table I wanted more about Ingrid and her family. Think NBC's Parenthood meets Community with darker Dexter-esque* undertones. Yeah, I think that could be most excellent. I know I'd tune in weekly.

The Naughty List 

Suzanne Young

Spy cheerleaders? Heck yes. This would totally satisfy my craving for another great spy show. (For some reason I just can't get interested in Chuck.) The Naughty List and its sequel, So Many Boys, follows a squad of high school cheerleaders who double as spies who catch cheating boyfriends. The book is fabulous, fun, and smart... just like the show would be. Plus, stereotype-defying is always awesome. The more I think about this one, the more I really, seriously want the tv show. UM, PLEASE.

*Okay, I've only seen a few episodes of Dexter. But it's definitely creepy and has that dark undertone and plus the main character in this book might be a psychopath.

Book Love: Leverage

LEVERAGE
Joshua C. Cohen
Dutton

Leverage, told through the dual perspectives of Danny, a scrawny and fearful gymnast and Kurt, a tough but troubled football player, is one of those stories that just completely knocks you out. What starts as a nasty rivalry between the football team and the gymnasts grows increasingly hostile as the tyranny of a few of the football players seems to know no bounds. Without giving much away, the event that lies at the center of this novel is incredibly terrifying and told with a gritty realism that makes it all the more monstrous.

I'm not joking when I say that this is, quite possibly, the most disturbing book I've ever read. Firmly rooted in reality and worst possible scenarios, Joshua C. Cohen paints a vivid portrait of two guys who, despite their obvious differences, are trapped in their fear and fighting for courage.

Kurt, the newest member of the football team, is an incredible character full of heart and a need to be bigger, tougher, stronger than anyone else so that nobody can hurt him. He's has plenty of weaknesses but more than makes up for them with how amazing and protective he is. On the other side of the story is Danny, a talented gymnast who finds an unexpected friendship with the hulking Kurt; in spite of the animosity that exists between their respective teams, neither of these boys realizes the horror they'll soon be wrapped up in.

You guys, this book is amazing. Amazing and gritty and horrifying and terrifying and incredible and written so well I almost can't believe it. Kurt has skyrocketed to a place on my list of Favorite Ever Characters while a few of his teammates earned themselves a place on the Characters Who Should Die Die DIE!!! list. And that list didn't even exist before this book. I can't stop thinking about it. I emailed the author before I'd even finished just to go OMG OMG OMG THIS BOOK. If you're a fan of Courtney Summers, if you like gritty, edgy contemporary, you should definitely read this book. I hesitate to recommend it to everybody, omg just because it is so intense and it doesn't shy away from the horribleness of the events. But really, truly, this is a great story. The characters are developed so well it's scary, the writing is incredible, and it's a story that stays with you well beyond the last page.

i'm a bear, etc. (sleepwalk with me)

SLEEPWALK WITH ME
Mike Birbiglia
Simon & Schuster

Sleepwalk With Me, based on comedian Mike Birbiglia's one-man show of the same name, is a memoir of his life. More specifically: it's a memoir of awkwardness and, as the title suggests, sleepwalking. Except that Mike's sleepwalking is in a whole other category and we should really call it X-TREME SLEEPWALKING!! LIKE THE HULK!!*

To be completely upfront about it, I love Mike Birbiglia. He's my absolute favorite stand-up comedian; he manages somehow to tap into the awkwardness of life in a completely authentic way, possibly because he really is that awkward. Which is nice. Because he reminds me of myself. In his book he unearths such painful memories as his first love, the time he maybe had cancer, and those terribly personal family stories. Starting the book by explaining that his dad always told him not to tell people anything even the slightest bit personal sets the stage for Birbiglia to write down and share the most personal stories.

And it's funny, which is an understatement. This book is laugh out loud while reading funny, which is a particular hard-to-achieve brand of humor. Of course, it helps if you're familiar with Birbiglia's stand up (which is also excellent). And while being hilariously funny, the book also manages, somehow, to be incredibly sad. It's this bittersweet mix of hilarious and tear-jerking that works so perfectly and is all the more powerful just because it's so rare to find. Going into this book I expected to laugh, because Bahooski** is a funny guy. I also knew that some of the stories would be personal. I wasn't prepared, however, for just how perfectly he would capture the events, emotions, and bittersweet truths of life that he chooses to write about.

Mostly what I didn't expect was that this book would become so personal to me. I can only chalk it up to the fact that all of the unhappy truths Mike sees in himself (and then proceeds to write about, fortunately for us) are the same ones I see in myself, awkwardness being only one of many. Even if you don't often read memoirs or don't know who Mike Birbiglia is, I recommend this. Because it's awesome and amazing.

*I'M THE HULK, I'M THE HULK, I'M THE HULK! 
**This is another inside joke for anyone who's read the book or heard/seen his stand-up. The above footnote is also an inside joke, btw. So many reasons to read this book!

a disclaimer of sorts

When I ran a book review blog one of the big reasons I didn't only review books I liked was because I wanted people to trust me. I didn't want to be fangirling all over books that didn't deserve it -- and I wanted to present a balanced view of even those books where all I really wanted to do was shout YES, THIS! THIS IS GOOD! BUY THIS! READ THIS!

I miss that. I miss the detailed, super-balanced reviews.
I miss it because I know, I know, the books I love aren't going to be the ones you love. Just because I think a book is super-fantastic-wonderful doesn't mean you will and there is a part of me that feels bad about essentially only presenting half of the story when it comes to books. Every book I feature on this blog will be one I love. One that I can wholeheartedly recommend, one that's good enough to reread, one that belongs on my Goodreads favorites shelf.

Now, when I tell you about a book, it's because I honestly love that book. It's worth reading. My recommendations will probably never be as in-depth as my reviews were, but they will still - of course - be honest. I'm telling you this because a lot of times when I see blogs where every review is glowing and they never mention the negatives of a book (because, let's face it, most books aren't perfect), I lose a little bit of trust in that reviewer.

But I'm not a reviewer anymore.
And I love the books that will be featured here.
And I hope you will too.

the first rule of flirt club has been broken*

Izzy (Cisco) and Annie (the Bean) are eighth grade drama geeks who in spite of being absolutely incredibly awesome, have no idea how to get boyfriends. Or even how to talk to boys, really. To combat this problem they start the Flirt Club, the purpose of which is to help them be less awkward around the opposite sex. Told through their notes to each other, Flirt Club tells the story of their wonderfully authentic and drama-geeky year.

And I love it - did I mention that? Not only do Cisco and the Bean remind me of me and the friends I had in middle school, not only are their problems real things that girls go through, but more than anything this story brought me right back to middle school and my own super-geeky times. Reading their notes to each other is like reading my journal, age 12, minus all the mortification that comes from knowing that actually happened to me. This book had me laughing out loud (for real) so many times and I just wanted Cisco and the Bean to be my best friends. The things that these girls are into aren't Justin Bieber or Hannah Montana, but stage productions and shows from the 60s. There are Star Trek references. The girls have secret agent numbers and that definitely has something to do with Get Smart. (You can just imagine my giddy, geeky happiness at finding this out.)

I love these girls. I love their story. I love the book. Because they're wonderfully quirky and great, because their friendship is honest and real, because there's an authentic level of geekdom here, because the whole book is hilarious, because their secret agent numbers are 88 and 66.


*The first rule of Flirt Club? Don't talk about Flirt Club, obviously.

books are lovelytimes

(via weheartit.)

I love different books for different reasons. Some of them make me laugh; some make me cry. Some characters are like me and some are who I'd like to be, or who I'd like to be friends with, or who I never could be but can understand anyway. Sometimes it's the story and sometimes it's the characters and sometimes it's something else altogether - the setting, the voice, the themes explored. Sometimes what I love is the very idea of the book, the premise  that everything else was built upon.

Different books.
Different reasons.

I want to share with you the books I love but my reasons won't always be your reasons and my reasons won't always be the same. I know how to analyze a book, how to look at the different parts and write a review based on it. But I don't always know how to put in words the reasons why I love a certain book.

I'll work on it though. I'll work on telling you not how a book is, but what it is. What's great about it, what makes me want to read it again, what I love about it, why you should read it. Sometimes these reasons will be sweet, sometimes they'll be insane, sometimes they'll be none or all of the above.

<3

hello, faces.

My name is Jordyn.

I used to be a book blogger and I'm starting this blog because - long story short - I realized I couldn't review books while at the same time hoping to write them for a living. I know how personal writing is and I know how difficult it is and I know that what I want to do more than anything as a reader is support the genres, authors, and books that I adore.

So I will talk about the books I love.

And I will talk about writing.

And I might talk about other things too. For instance, I think I might have a slight iced tea addiction. Surely this is a thing?