Summer Lovin'... Had Me a Blast

When I found out Jenny Han, Jessi Kirby, and Morgan Matson were kicking off their Summer Lovin' tour in LA, I immediately re-read Flannery's recap of the YA or Bust! tour to get tips.

• Arrive early
• Bring a camera to record the authors
• Take notes

I was reminding myself of those tips as I peeled down Ocean View Blvd at 7pm -- for a 7pm signing. Luckily, the event hadn't started yet. The Once Upon a Time bookstore in Montrose was packed by the time I got there. I was planning on using my phone to record the authors, but, uh, I forgot to charge my spare battery and had just enough juice to get text updates about the Spurs-Jazz game from Noelle. (Thanks, Noelzy!) And because I know you're dying to know, yes, the Spurs won. :) The only other camera I had was my Fuji Instax, so yeah, no video. As to the third tip, notes... I fully intended to take them. On to my faulty memory recap!

The first thing I noticed was just how stylish each author was. Jessi was rocking a sundress and boots (no, they weren't red, but they were very cool), Jenny had a cute dress with killer heels (very Carrie Bradshaw), and Morgan wore a shift dress and flats that Zooey Deschanel would bat her eyelashes off for. Each author introduced herself and then read a passage from her book. Morgan started it off with a passage from her new book, Second Chance Summer, which was the only book I hadn't read, though I definitely plan to. Jenny read from We'll Always Have Summer, which was just released in paperback with a special bonus -- Conrad's letters. Jessi read from In Honor, which I had just devoured the day before.

After the reading and before the Q&A with the audience, Jenny decided they needed to play Marry, Date, Kill. The choices? Voldemort, Nagini, and Dobby. Ha! Before I give you their answers, I'll give you some time to ruminate on what your answers would be.

*************************** PINKY, ARE YOU PONDERING WHAT I'M PONDERING ***************************

Jenny, the instigator, made Morgan answer first. Morgan decided to kill Nagini, date Voldemort, and marry Dobby. Her explanation: You can't date a snake and Dobby is the sweetest.

Jenny answered her question next and decided to kill Nagini, date Dobby, and marry Voldemort. Explanation: She would marry Voldemort and change him.

Jessi decided to kill Nagini, date Voldemort, and marry Dobby.

The next round of Marry, Date, Kill was even better. Choices? Peeta, Gale, and... Finnick! Dun dun dun! I think the audience actually gasped when Jenny made Finnick the third option.

Morgan: Date Finnick, Marry Peeta, and Kill Gale.
Jenny: Date Finnick, Marry Peeta, and Kill Gale.
Jessi: Marry Gale, Date Peeta, and Kill Finnick.

Jessi's answers got the most reaction from the audience and the other authors. When Jessi said Gale was her favorite, Jenny responded (paraphrasing), "What's there to love? He's barely even IN the first book!" Morgan said that she was glad there was a table between her and Jessi. Jessi, though, stood by her man. I knew Jessi would pick Gale. I mean, hello, have you read In Honor? Anyone who owns this shirt would love Gale.

The Q&A followed, but really, how can you follow Marry, Date, Kill? This is my excuse for not remembering the questions -- except my own that is. I asked who they would cast as Finnick (because that's the question I ask everybody). Some suggestions were tossed out, like Chris Hemsworth, but Morgan wondered if that would be "too much Hemsworth." If I had taken notes, this is where I would have written "THERE CAN NEVER BE TOO MUCH HEMSWORTH."

After the Q&A, the wonderful staff at Once Upon a Time got us cupcakes. This was in addition to the swag provided by Simon & Schuster.

At the table, each author also had a little something for us. Morgan had Second Chance Summer postcards, Jenny had Burn for Burn chapter samplers, and Jessi had bottle cap keychains with a picture of a boot. I actually brought dduk, a Korean rice cake, for Jenny because that's how we Koreans roll (and I thought it would be funny). I got my books signed, including my Burn for Burn ARC. I was worried that only books purchased at the store would be eligible for signing, but Once Upon a Time is the coolest bookstore ever and they said that as long as we bought one book from them, we could get as many signed as we wanted. I ended up buying 5 books. They gave me the books in a reusable tote and I nearly exploded from the You've Got Mail / Shop Around the Corner of it all.

I had a lot of fun at this signing and loved meeting other bloggers, like the girls from Read Now Sleep Later. Alethea and Thuy even had these gorgeous bookmarks for their blog, which I shamelessly asked for. I will definitely try to attend the next signing at Once Upon A Time for Marissa Meyer (Cinder) on June 7th. Come!

Review: Boy21 by Matthew Quick

Boy 21 by Matthew Quick
Reviewed by Noelle: May 9, 2012
Published March 5, 2012 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Goodreads • Buy on Amazon • Kindle 

Finley's entire life is basketball and he trains tirelessly even though he's nowhere near the best player on the team.  As his dad says, effort can outwork talent.  Basketball consumes his every waking thought and he wouldn't have it any other way.  Without basketball and the team he'd have too much time to remember all of the things he's desperate to forget.  Russ is new to town, a basketball phenom whose love of the game died with his parents.  Now he's calling himself Boy21, saying he's an alien life form and obsessed with outer space.  Can Finley do as his coach asks and somehow help Russ, even if it means giving up his hard earned starting spot?

"Sometimes a player's greatest challenge is coming to grips with his role on the team."

--Scottie Pippen 

"No matter how good one player is defensively, he's only as good as his help defense." (source)

And that is exactly what Boy21 is about---except Matthew Quick isn't talking about basketball.  He's talking about life.  Sure, basketball brings Finley and Russ together and at different times and in different ways it acts as a savior for both boys.  But as all consuming and amazing and beautiful as it can be, both Finley and Russ are forced to experience how tragedy can make anything insignificant--even your heretofore reason for living.  Sometimes it doesn't matter how much you love something.  Real life has a way of changing your priorities and when it does, it's the team you have around you that counts.

All of Matthew Quick's trademarks are here: rough neighborhood, sad histories, finding (non-romantic) love in a hopeless place, unconventional friendships and support systems, a tragic event, and behind it all a hope so earnest it's almost hard to endure.  

There's a shift in direction between the first and second half and I think there is some confusion created by the change of focus.  Some decisions and conclusions seem very abrupt.  Still, there's much to love about Boy 21, especially the relationships between Finley, his dad and Pops and Finley and Russ.  Like Sorta Like a Rock Star, the ending is a little too convenient to seem wholly realistic but by the time you get there you are so won over by the protagonists that you are willing to forgive just about anything to believe good things can happen for them.

You might not know this about me but I'm a huge basketball fan.  Obviously I loved reading such a well done basketball book.  It's fitting though that I finished this book the same night I watched my favorite team get eliminated in the NBA playoffs.  But instead of being bummed, thanks to Matthew Quick, maybe tonight I'll go out on my porch, look at the stars and think about things bigger than basketball.

Rating: 3.5 stars with an inclination to round up to 4 stars.

Review: In Honor by Jessi Kirby

In Honor by Jessi Kirby
Reviewed by Maggie: May 7, 2012
Published: May 8, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Goodreads • Buy at Amazon • Kindle • Book Depository



My unofficial title for In Honor is 33 Shades of Blue. This isn't mommy porn; this is straight up Maggie porn.

There are a lot of reasons to read In Honor -- likable main character, road trip to California, scuba diving (who knew it could be so hot?), and some really beautiful images of nature. But really, there's ONE main reason:

Tim Riggins.

Before I digress, and I will digress, let's talk plot. In Honor begins with our main character, Honor, at the funeral of her beloved older brother, Finn. 18-year-old Finn, the high school football star who rejected his college football scholarship to enlist in the Marines, died while serving in Iraq. A few days after he dies, Honor gets a delayed letter from him written months before his death. This isn't a meaningful, symbolic letter written while in the trenches because a) there aren't any trenches in Iraq, and b) this isn't a paranormal romance where the characters know when they're going to die. Rather this letter is more along the lines of a you-always-complain-about-me-never-writing-you-any-letters-so-here's-a-letter letter.

However, as a surprise, Finn included two tickets to see Kyra Kelley, Honor's all time favorite singer, in California. Finn closes the letter by telling Honor to put her feet in the ocean and tell Kyra Kelley about "her handsome older brother." Honor knows this isn't some final dying wish of his, but as a way to hold on to him, she chooses to interpret his letter literally. All you readers who complain about how underdeveloped parents are in YA, this isn't a problem here. The parents are killed off way before the book starts. (Is it wrong to put a smiley face here? Yeah, probably. Okay, moving on...) For Honor, losing Finn isn't just losing a brother, it's losing her only family. This makes her impetuous decision to drive alone from Texas to California, without telling anyone, to see a concert believable. Sure, she's grasping at straws but you can understand her motivation. However, she doesn't end up making the trip alone. Enter Rusty.

Rusty was Finn's best friend. They did everything together from the time they were 5 years old, including rebuilding a classic Chevy Impala. However, when Finn decided to enlist instead of going to college together, their friendship cracked. This is why Honor is surprised when she spots Rusty at the funeral. What doesn't surprise her is that there's a beer bottle wrapped in a paper bag at his side. He spots her the next day as she's preparing to leave for California in the Pala, and he invites himself along. This is where the story really begins.

Now let's get back to #33. This is why I love YA. Jessi Kirby unabashedly loves Friday Night Lights and Tim Riggins and unapologetically writes him into her story.

Picture of Jessi Kirby posted by Heidi Kling on Twitter.
Look at the shirt! How can you not love her?

However, such is her talent that it doesn't read like fan fiction -- or my diary. Tim is the base, and the face and the voice (at least in my head), but the character is Rusty. There are times when Rusty says or does something and it's just that much hotter picturing Tim Riggins saying and doing it. Including talking about foot sweat. It cracked me up when Honor, after having shared a beautiful moment with someone else, is walking through the woods pondering the sweetness of lif--OH HAI, SHIRTLESS RUSTY. Can you blame her? Not even when Rusty says things like,

"There's a lot they like about me, H, but it doesn't have much to do with football. Or conversation."

I put a "33!" in my notes here. Speaking of my notes, I needed to buy a bigger pack of Post-it flags. And the "HO HU" is actually "UH OH" and it refers to tequila. Most of those notes refer to Riggins-worthy moments, but my favorite notes involve Finn. I loved Finn, or rather the memory of him. If you've read Sarah Ockler's Twenty Boy Summer, the sibling relationship in In Honor rivals that. I sobbed through Twenty Boy Summer, but In Honor has a much lighter tone with notable poignant moments. There are two endings in this book. The first one, I loved. I thought it was true to the characters and as it should be. The second ending... I didn't need. Don't get me wrong, it was SUPER cute, but I didn't think it was necessary. There are some predictable scenes but overall, I really enjoyed where this book took me. And for Honor and for me, it's about the journey, not the destination. 

Rating: Riggins would tell you to read this book. 4/5 stars.

Bookmark Binge: May 6, 2012

In case you haven't gotten enough of...


Graffiti Paris?
Fafi, one of the artists in Graffiti Paris, has a new book and is on tour. Next stop, London. 

The Tomorrow Series?
The film version is now online through Amazon and Netflix.

Burn for Burn?
Jenny Han is touring with Jessi Kirby and Morgan Matson. Summer lovin'! (CA only)
Burn for Burn has a tumblr that will be updated with information.


Look at all of these links just lying around...
Wear The Old Coat features a day in the life of the lovely Leanne Hall.
A new favorite tumblr: Underground New York Library.
Read the first chapter of Team Human by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan.
YA Highway and appoggiatura characters. Can anyone think of more YA examples?


Coming Soon -- What We're Reading and Reviewing...In Theory
Noelle:

Maggie:



Some YAA news:
We decided it might be nice for both of us to be able to take part in Twitter conversations at the same time (genius, right?) so we did a little Twitter housekeeping this week.  @YA_anonymous will be the blog account and author/book news etc.  Maggie's YAA twitter account is @YAAMaggie and Noelle's YAA twitter account is @YAANoelle.  Thanks for following! Tweet you later, alligators.

Review: Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
Reviewed by Maggie: May 5, 2012
Published: September 18, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Goodreads • Preorder at Amazon • Kindle • Book Depository



"Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves."
-Confucius

"Oh, here go hell come."
-Calvin Tran

I love revenge stories. Whether it's Edmond Dantes in Count of Monte Cristo or Beatrix Kiddo in Kill Bill, there's just something about characters who say, No. Not anymore. Not again. 

In Burn for Burn, we meet three characters -- a princess, a basket case, a brain. The chapters alternate between their points of view as we discover how they end up on a collision course of revenge. The book opens on Mary Zane, who is on the ferry to Jar Island, returning home after an extended, self-imposed absence. Mary's story is the most mysterious. Not only does she have secrets, but her secrets have secrets. Lillia Cho is pretty and popular, a girl used to getting what she wants though her wealthy family ensures she doesn't want for much. However, none of that prevents her from getting what she doesn't want. Kat DeBrassio is a townie, a local determined to get off Jar Island after years of rumors reducing her reputation to trash. She's had to deal with tougher problems though, like losing her mother, so these rumors -- and the source of them -- don't get to her. Until they do. Each girl is set off by events to act, to no longer be passive recipients of other people's shit.

From the beginning, as "the mist breaks into lace" and Jar Island is unveiled, it had my attention. This novel is, for lack of a better word, delicious. Revenge is so sweet. ...But there's a reason why Confucius has been around since Before Christ. What happens after the wheels have been set in motion and you discover you didn't have the whole story? Or that your target changed for the better? Or even if the source of your humiliation is as bad as you think, how low do you go? There are so many shifting layers to this story. A huge part of that is due to the well-drawn supporting characters. The line between friend and foe, which seems so sharply drawn at first, becomes blurry as we learn more about the characters, and I found my sympathies ping-ponging from side to side.

Mary, Lillia, and Kat each have their own motivations and are determined to mete out consequences as they see fit. It cracked me up when Kat got stuck in the bureaucracy of it all though.

"As amped as I am about doing this, it's sort of annoying. I mean, basically my whole night is going to be spent doing this crap."

Zombies have shown that there are really only two certain things in life: taxes and bureaucracy. There aren't any zombies in this story, but there is a paranormal element. I hesitate to mention it because the minute people hear that word, it's either an immediate turn on or turn off, and really, it's just one layer of this multi-layered story. Even better, not one of those layers is a love triangle. There is love, but in this book (the first of a planned trilogy), friendships are the most explored relationships. Considering this book was written by two best friends in Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian, I'm not surprised. I've never read a Siobhan Vivian book, though I plan to now, but I read Jenny Han's Summer Series last year. While I liked it, the main character felt a little young. That is not an issue in Burn for Burn. I was rubbing my hands together after the first few chapters.

Bonus points: Non-stereotypical minority main character! Lower-middle class characters. Rally girls, which reminded me of Friday Night Lights. That gorgeous cover, which depicts the characters pretty accurately.

I was surprised by how much I liked Burn for Burn. It hit the right notes of friendship, revenge, and anticipation, and I just sunk my teeth into it. The writing between Han and Vivian is seamless. I imagine it was perfected over years of sending texts and emails back and forth as only BFFs can. As I said immediately after I finished the book, I hope Han and Vivian gave each other one of these because they deserve it:

I'm going to be a bit of a figure skating judge on my rating because you can't give the first performance a perfect score, especially when you know the second one can be even better. Overall, this was a very exciting start to a trilogy and Book 2 is going on my "frenzied anticipation" list.

Rating: 4/5 stars. 

I received this copy from the publisher. No other compensation was received. Just as an aside, when my grandmother tasted the Thanksgiving turkey I had spent hours slaving over, she said, "It's not as good as last year's (catered) turkey." When I looked over at my mother, she said, "Well, she's right. And you gained some weight, didn't you?" Being honest is embedded, for better or for worse, in my genetic code.

Review: A Killing Frost by John Marsden

A Killing Frost by John Marsden
(The Tomorrow Series #3)
Reviewed by Noelle: May 3, 2012
Published August 1, 2006 by Scholastic Inc. (first published 1995)
Goodreads • Currently unavailable under $28 *faints*

This review contains unavoidable spoilers for the first and second books in The Tomorrow Series but minimal spoilers on A Killing Frost.  Life advice from Dave Chapelle, the perils of reviewing a book without being able to talk about 80% of it and more after the jump!

Review: Graffiti Paris by Fabienne Grévy

Graffiti Paris by Fabienne Grévy
Reviewed by Maggie: May 2, 2012
Published June 1, 2008 by Abrams
Goodreads • Buy at Amazon • Book Depository


"Look around and take notice of the traces left by street artists on the city's walls and pavement. Rethink the city, rediscover its surfaces, and map out walks that may lead you to new graphic horizons. Find something in the least imaginable places, choose what to look at — beauty is where you discover it —and interpret the artistic messages that are being communicated to you. This is an adventure that takes place in the street."

This is how Fabienne Grévy begins her fantastic book. Graffiti Paris is a book of street art photographs taken by Grévy and her father over 15 years. Together, they wandered around Paris as they looked for pieces to curate their "imaginary museum." The result is a diverse collection of street art ideas, techniques, styles, and artists. Grévy includes pieces by famous artists and anonymous ones, works with messages and works without. Each piece is numbered, and details, such as name, location, and translation, are indexed in the back of the book. The most familiar artist, at least to Americans, is probably Shepard Fairey (#53). Another notable artist is Blek le Rat (#127), the man who inspired Banksy. My favorite artist, Fafi (#49), is also included.

I absolutely loved this book. It felt like I was walking around Paris with the coolest guide, the one who always finds the hole-in-the-wall restaurants that serve the best food. I love to travel, and when I do, I like to wander off the beaten path. The next time I'm in Paris, this book will be my guide. (Hopefully, I'll have a Shadow as well.) I know a lot of pieces have already been painted over, but what better way to explore than looking for random street art? I love how Grévy describes graffiti art: an "artistic break-in that has yet to find a name in the books of art history." Parfait.

Rating: 5/5 stars.

I went through my pictures from France and found two that I wanted to share:

I lived in France for nearly a year and there were roughly 3,682 strikes.

This picture was taken at the Louvre during one strike.

I loved that even the strike posters had an artistic bent.

Translation: My guardians are angry. Give them what they are owed.

This next picture was taken in the town of Angoulême.

Angoulême is home to the International Comics Festival

and there is comic-inspired graffiti art painted throughout the city.

This was one of my favorite towns in France.

I loved exploring the city while going on a street art hunt.

You can get a map of the different locations from the Hôtel de Ville.

Note: If you're interested, this gorgeous hardcover is on sale for less than $7 on Amazon.