We'll Always Have Summer

This is the second Jenny Han book, the first was It's Not Summer Without You, but I didn't know it was a trilogy so I might go back and read the first book, The Summer I Turned Pretty.

In both books, I felt like I was with every character as they talked about their feelings in individual chapters. I admit because I didn't read the first book, I can't really believe Conrad really loved Belly, but in the third book, it was completely revealed. 

On the cover of each book, it describes it as a summer novel and I can feel everything at Cousins. I wanted to run into the water with Conrad, play pranks with Jeremiah, and help plan Belly's wedding. I could see myself nestling into their lives to add to the fun or just to be part of it, but I could also envision myself in the tough times. Talking to Belly about her knotted feelings for Conrad and the love she has for Jere. Arguing with Conrad, to make him tell me how he feels about the wedding and touching Jere's shoulder, coxing him to tell me how far he would go to make this wedding work.

This trilogy was beautiful. Honest and beautiful. Everyone was fragile and held each other. Jere could hold Belly unlike anyone, while Belly held Conrad closer than anyone. They were constantly in each others' lives and causing friction.

I think the biggest question is, can you love two people at once? People have made movies dispelling true love as with one special person, but what if you have two special people in your life? Even if you do love more than one person, is it equally? I don't think you can love two people equally, so what's the nature of love? Love can be unconditional, so why do people limit it to one person? There are people in life you no doubt can't let go like a best friend or a favorite relative. You love them, but I'm pretty sure you love some of them more than others. When you say "I love you", I always saw it as you saying you love the person as much as they love you, but sometimes you say it out of manners, not because you believe it.

It's Not Summer Without You

This was the first book I read by Jenny Hal and I REALLY loved it. I have tried to write and read books taking place i the summer and never succeeded, but It's Not Summer Without You was practically perfect. Cousins became real to me and I wanted to escape to the summer house with the people I loved most for a few months in the most beautiful time of the year. Regardless, of what Belly went through I  want a mother like Susannah, an undying lover like Jeremiah, and a character like Conrad
Belly was the character I could relate to the most probably because the book was mostly told from her point of view and on occation Jeremiah and because I've felt the same way she has.

Mockingjay

I am reading the  third and last book in The Hunger Games Trilogy; Mockingjay. I read the first and second books last year so my memory of the second book isn't too clear, which has unfortunately confused me a pretty good amount.  

I'm only up to page 26, but already I'm getting into the strong addiction I had for the other two books. Suzanne Collins uses one of the best description, action, and dialogue I have ever experienced in a book. I mean, she actually takes you to District 13, underground and unfamiliar, because her descriptions, sometimes simple, are layered in a way that instills a vivid and memorable picture of a scene or person. I love this series and I don't usually read series since elementary school, so for me to stick with one series for two years, says something.

I'm concerned about the movie trip I'm going on with my class (and others) because I have a feeling the movie will disappoint me. I want my passion and addiction for the book to stay alive and strong even after I finish Mockingjay, but way too often I have seen movies based off books and did not like the screen version. With a book as detailed and beautifully crafted as The Hunger Games are, a movie in only maybe a few hour time span, may not be capable of capturing the images that mean so much to each of the books' readers'. Every reader holds onto certain parts of the book and when those parts are formatted to their specifications, they have a bad outlook on most or all the movie.

The one word to sum of this series so far is: FINESSE. 1) It's one of my vocab words and 2) It defines Suzanne Collins talent for writing perfectly in essence. 

The Choice

I just finished reading Paper Towns by John which was the first book I read by him. It was really down to earth and I liked that because Q and his friends talked the way kids my age and older actually talk. The situation-finding a missing girl- was a little cliche I thought at first but the journey Q, Radar, Ben, and Lacey go on proved me completely wrong.

Now I am rereading another Nicholas Sparks book, that I bought a few years back in my favorite bookstore, Barnes and Nobles. This book somewhat resembled the The Notebook, the second book by him that I read, but the characters had completely different lives and problems that I got lost in the pages just like I had with the three other books I've read by him; The Notebook, The Wedding, Dear John, and The Choice.
Travis, the first main character has an issue with being in a dedicated and serius relationship because he is concerned about how different and difficult his life will be when he gets married and decides to have kids of his own. Instead, he does sports and rides the waves, literally and metaphorically, while his friends live with their kids and in-laws.  I really like this book and want to finish it again soon.

Lions of Little Rock (***** stars)

I finished reading this book a few days ago and it has won the title as one of my favorite historical fiction books. HISTORICAL FICTION PEOPLE!! Usually when I see this genre I run to the realistic fiction section becasue most historical fiction stories are boring becasue its just endless facts without a strong story. Lions of Little Rock blew my mind with the bizarre plot and character relationships and because the story was crafted so skillfully it was not frustrating to read the facts blately stated throughout. The facts, instead of boring me to death, were actually welcomed and cleared up the questions I had building up in the past chapters. Don't go scouring bookstore shelves for this book yet because I read the unpublished copy, but by the time the published version is sold, everyone who reads this posts should be reading it or at least considering to read it.
One thing I admire about this book is the imagery and symbolism. When the magic squares are brought into the picture and the main character listens to the lions outside her window at night in the zoo you start to develop a connection with her and want the things she wants. In everybook, you, the reader, should care aboutthe characters becasue without an interest in the character you don't get much from reading the book.

...Evin's Post... ;)

I read Evin's blog post, Love and a Bad Hair Day, and I could actually hear her voice throughout it even before she made a text to self connection about the time(s) when she focused more on making others happy and leaving no time to think about her. As soon I she started talking about taking time to think about yourself, I thought about Madea in I Can Do Bad All By Myself (movie) when she argued with her daughter Cora about never having "me time" when she was trying to provide money for her and her family.
I actually started thinking about the hundreds of times I've thought about making other people happy, regardless if it was a close friend or an aquiantance. Sometime earlier in history, I thought to myself, "is my life MINE or am I making it revolve around other people?" I never got to think about ME and what I WANTED. I enjoyed reading Evin's post becasue she brought memories to me that I didn't want to think about because I knew they were true.
The worst memories are the ones that have the most emotions and a lot more than usual, you come out of the situation with scars and with wrapped up emotions. You feel like you can't deal with your emotions because you don't wan to. Evin's post spoke deeper than words for me and I know that when people read her post and read my reaction to it, they might think I'm missing the point or going over board with my feelngs, but sometimes it takes the littlest things to make you feel those issues you pushed back. This was more of a personal call to me and there were a lot of things (there still are) that have been affecting me, but Evin reminded me to think about ME when things go unexpectedly. Sometimes you just need to close the door on the world to think about yourself and where you want to go in life even as you struggle. For this situation, I think WORDS spoke louder than ACTIONS for me because I was reminded to take myself out of the wings of life's stage and put me back as the leading star.
I also got attached to Evin's post because her voice was real, not like she was writing for a newspaper, but like she was talking to me. I felt like we were on the same level and I knew she was writing for 13-14 year olds, not scholars at Harvard.
Evin's post is a promontory amoungst posts for others to look at for help in writing in your own voice and triggering old or new memories.

The Wedding~Nicholas Sparks

The wedding is a book that i read a few years back and i decided to reread it this year because i really connected to his writing and craft.
His characters in this book are dynamic and they feel the emotions deeply in every situation they are cast into. One thing ive noticed is that the setting in all or most of his stories is north carolina.
I can connect to his stories because i lived in north carolina for so many years of my life. The events may be too adult for me but i really like imagining myself in my hoise in nc with my family. Nicholas Sparks has a craft that draws all hungry readers and he has captivated me and made me a dedicated reader. His characters are real but not his problems are expressed in word and lifd is spun on an angle.