I got two special books in my mailbox this week. Both of which I've read, but since their paperback releases were this week - well I just had to buy them! I am IN LOVE with the paperback edition of Moonglass. Seriously. That sunset is gorgeous & the scene fits the book so perfectly. When Jenny Han announced there would be bonus CONRAD material in the paperback of We'll Always Have Summer, well there was no question there.. of course I needed this book!!!
The bonus material inside We'll Always Have Summer are the letters Conrad wrote to Belly. I won't tell you when or why he wrote them (it may be spoilery), but I seriously screamed out loud when I saw this in one of the letters - CHRISTMAS BEACH COUCH!!!!!!!! If you know me, then you know it's my favorite scene in the whole series (it's in book 2). I even got Jenny Han to sign my book with it :) Oh Conrad... *sigh*
(I choose to not comment publicly about the plagiarism controversy that came to light this week in the book blogging community. I will state that I do not condone those actions; however, I do support weekly features that bring books to people's attention & encourages them to read.)
Today I am guest posting at the fabulous Lisa the Nerd's blog! I'm sharing my most favorite book I read in 2011. Can you guess what it is?? Lisa has been featuring a different book blogger all week long, so be sure to check out the previous posts. We love our books & we love to share why we adore them so much!
If I haven't convinced you by now to read this series... then perhaps my Book Love 2011 guest post will!
Who's a fan of those dreamy summer reads that you just want to soak up year round?! I know I've found quite a few favorites in the YA realm.
With the official start of summer beginning this week (according to the calendar) I am hosting a week long event dedicated to all those fabulous summer reads we can't seem to put down.
A few of my book blogger friends will be contributing as well. So be sure to drop by their blogs & read about their favorite summer reads all week long! And don't miss out on the GIVEAWAY at the bottom of this post.
Monday 6/20: GReads! - kick off to Summer Lovin' Week
Thursday 6/23: Anna Reads : Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols
Friday 6/24: Fiction Folio : That Summer by Sarah Dessen
Those who frequent my blog & follow me on twitter may have seen me mention a little known series by an author named Jenny Han. Yes?? ;-) The story of Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah at Cousins Beach starts in the first book titled, The Summer I Turned Pretty. And what a beautiful, un-put-downable story it is. It's rare I come across a story that captivates me so much that I am thinking about these characters long after I've finished reading it.
It's been a few months since I first met them, yet I still wonder - what are those crazy kids up to at the beach?! I quickly devoured the second book in the series, It's Not Summer Without You, and then moved on to the third and final book, We'll Always Have Summer. Jenny Han kept my emotions on one wild literary roller coaster ride! Never knowing which boy Belly would choose, or not choose. The story is rich with passion, conflict, love, and friendship. I was swept away by Jenny Han's writing, only to be dumped out on the sandy shores and then carried back out to sea again. This series is what sparked my love for summer reads. If you're in need of something to take pool-side this summer, then I suggest starting here. It will definitely quench your thirst!
**GIVEAWAY**
Want a chance to win 5 of our favorite Summer Lovin' reads?
Then fill out the form below for your chance to win:
Thank you SO MUCH to every one who entered my giveaway for books 1 & 2 in the Summer series by Jenny Han! The attention I got for this giveaway was INSANE! I'm sure it may have had something to do with the fact that I gushed all over twitter & this blog about those books! haha
I have chosen a winner at random from random.org & that winner is...
Congrats!!! I hope you enjoy these books as much as I have! Plus that rockin' playlist as well ;-)
The winner has already been contacted via email. If there is no response within 48 hrs, a new winner will be selected. Thanks again to all who entered!
Published: April 27, 2010 by Simon & Schuster
Received: bought from Barnes & Noble
Can summer be truly summer without Cousins Beach? It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come. But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the way it started--at Cousins Beach. {taken from goodreads.com}
The second book in this amazing series by Jenny Han has lived up to the first! It's Not Summer Without You brings us back to Belly, Jeremiah, & Conrad and what is left of their teenage years at the beach house. The story picks up right where The Summer I Turned Pretty leaves off, without skipping a beat. This made the transition between books seamless and flawless. I knew I had to get my hands on the next book, as soon as I finished the first, & the beginning made me feel like it was a continuation of the story that I fell in love with in book one.
It's fall and Belly is at home, with her mother & brother Steven. The boys (Jeremiah & Conrad) are back in Boston. The summer's rays have dissipated behind the chilly clouds, and the carefree attitude that summer once brought has now settled in for a cold winter's nap. However; with the way things ended at the beach house Belly has hope. A feeling that something is upon her toys with her in the back of her mind. That feeling, she soon realizes, belongs to Conrad. While he is at college, the two of them begin to talk on the phone. Their nightly chats take form & soon they are what Belly lives for. Forget the summer, late night talks with Conrad are way better than waiting the crucial winter months before they're back together again at Cousins beach.
Belly makes several attempts to introduce Conrad to her life away from the beach. He makes a few trips to her house to visit, and even promises to take her to prom. Meanwhile, Belly's mother is making trips of her own: back & forth to Boston to help Susannah (the boys mother) who is losing her battle with cancer, once again. This turn of events begins to take a toll on Conrad & he pulls away from Belly, as well as Jeremiah & any one else who has a close relationship with him. As the summer draws closer, the idea of every one going back to Cousins beach becomes nonexistent. The good times they once shared there are over shadowed by heart ache & loss.
The second installment in the Summer series took on a more emotional vibe for me. The plot no longer revolved around Belly and her desires to be noticed at the beach. Real world issues are introduced & as the reader you start to develop compassion for how these characters learn to deal (or not deal) with these situations. One thing remains constant though, who will Belly end up with? Is it Conrad - the broken, misguided true love of her life? Or is it Jeremiah - the carefree, effervescent best friend who is always by her side? You must read this book to find out! I have totally fallen in love with Jenny Han & her ability to consume my desires to read. Just as this emotional roller coaster picks up speed, the story takes a crashing turn. I found myself holding my breath in anticipation for whats to follow. When an author can take the reader on a journey such as this one, a masterpiece has been written.
Stay tuned for my review of the 3rd & final book, We'll Always Have Summer. It is the perfect ending for such a romantic, heart-felt summer series.
Have you ever read a book that just completely consumed you?! So much that it's all you can think about long after the pages have been turned? Well, The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han did just that for me! I'm all about sharing my love for books with others & when I come across a story that I just have to shout to the world how amazing it is - I do a giveaway!
If you would like a copy of books 1 & 2 from this series: The Summer I Turned Pretty & It's Not Summer Without You, then fill out the form below! The 3rd & final book, We'll Always Have Summer will be published April 26th - just in time for summer! Along with the first 2 books, I will be giving away a mixed CD of Jenny Han's playlist for these books. What goes best with amazing books? an amazing soundtrack!
Your Ex-Lover is Dead - Stars
Stolen - Dashboard Confessional
Please, Please, Please - The Smiths
Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis
If it's the Beaches - The Avett Brothers
The Funeral - Band of Horses
All the Years - Beach House
Blue Eyes - Cary Brothers
Landslide - The Dixie Chicks
Us - Regina Spektor
I Thought I Saw Your Face - She & Him
Love Story - Taylor Swift
Wake Up - Arcade Fire
Sweet Disposition - The Temper Trap Forever Young - Youth Group
*Want to know my thoughts on the first book The Summer I Turned Pretty?! Check out my review for it here. My reviews for the 2nd & 3rd book are coming soon!
Giveaway Rules:
Open to US & Canada residents only
Giveaway ends on March 25, 2011
Winner must respond within 48 hrs of being contacted
Published: May 5, 2009 by Simon & Schuster
Received: bought from Barnes & Noble online
Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer--they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along. {taken from goodreads.com}
Wow. Simply freaking wow. I devoured this book in a day! I put aside the laundry, the dirty dishes, my job (sort of lol), & read this book like my life depended on it! It was that good. Even though I turned the last page not long ago, my mind is still reeling from it. I am totally & utterly engulfed by this beautifully written portrayal of a young girl's summer that changed her life forever. It was the summer that she evolved from a girl in to a young woman. The summer of firsts & definitely not lasts. This same summer, that she turned pretty, she also opened herself up to what ever the ocean's tides brought in.
Belly is on the verge of turning 16 & she is spending another summer at the beach house with her family. She's made the same summer trek out to the beach with her mom & brother, Steven, since she was born. They stay at her mom's best friend's house, Susannah, along with her two boys: Conrad & Jeremiah. The six of them have a routine that they replicate each summer; from what they eat as their first night's dinner, to the type of sun tan lotion & beverage they drink as they lay under the hot smoldering sun. Summers at the beach house is what Belly has lived for. Though her best memories growing up are from this sandy sanctuary, she also has vivid memories of what it means to be the only girl among three older boys & always leaving her left behind. But this summer - things have changed. Belly is no longer the little girl with pig tails & braces. She has shifted in to a beautiful young girl. A pretty young girl. And it's Conrad & Jeremiah who have noticed this change.
The story shifts back & forth from Belly's memories of summers spent at the beach. I enjoyed seeing these experiences through Belly's eyes. Her first kiss happened at this beach, along with her first love, & her first heart ache. My stomach dropped when the boys constantly left her behind. I could totally relate to that feeling, being the youngest sibling in my own family. The "tattletell" syndrome was all too familiar! Belly's relationship with Conrad & Jeremiah was always different. Conrad was the dark, mysterious protector that she has always been crushing on since she could remember. Jeremiah was the playful, funny, charismatic best friend that she could always count on. Though her relationship with each boy was different, there was still a common connection: they both cared for Belly, deeply. It wasn't until this summer that those feelings began to rise & present themselves.
Another element in the book that Belly was struggling with involved family matters. Her parents had recently gotten divorced & she found herself on the outskirts with her mother. Not fully understanding the end to her parent's marriage, she forced herself to accept it. Susannah, her mother's best friend, was the perfect antidote for Belly's worries. She stepped in & had a way of making the whole world a better place. Her presence alone could lift Belly's spirits & carry her away to a time & place where everything made sense again. However, Susannah was dealing with a demon of her own: cancer. Her boys had a watchful eye on their mother & it was obvious they too were concerned about her happiness & her health, yet they didn't quite know the truth about it all. In dealing with these issues, Conrad pulled away from the family. Especially Belly. Just when she felt herself completely & hopelessly falling for him, he did what every other confused teenage boy does: he broke her heart.
The setting for this book is what grabbed my attention from the beginning. The thought of being a teenage girl & spending the summer at a beach house thrilled me. The idea of waking up to the tide rolling in, the seagulls squawking, & the smells of warm salt in the air tickled at me as I turned the pages. But it wasn't the hot summer sun that kept me flipping the pages; it was the heat that transpired between Belly & these two boys for whom she's known her whole life, yet somehow have become much more to her than just summer house mates. If you've ever read a book before that has played out like a movie, then you know exactly what I am talking about. The words on the page took a life of their own & I was no longer reading, I was there - witnessing these moments as Belly grew up & turned pretty, right before my own eyes.
I should warn you now, you will need the second book (It's Not Summer Without You) immediately after you finish the first! I made the mistake of not having it in my possession & now I am on a hunt to find it! I have to know what is in store for the next summer at the beach. What will become of Belly? and Conrad? and Jeremiah? Was this their last summer as kids? Will they now be burdened with the dilemmas of being a young adult? If you're waiting to read this book as a summer read, I suggest you stop waiting - and grab it now! Once again I owe Carla from The Crooked Shelf a huge THANK YOU for recommending this book to me. She knows her stuff!!
I tend to place music with books that I read & while I was consumed by this story, Youth Group's "Forever Young" came to mind. I love this song in itself, but I felt that it captured so much about Belly & her story with Conrad & Jeremiah. Time doesn't stop, whether we want it to or not, but we'll always have that desire to be "forever young".
*Edit: since writing this review, I have located the 2nd book (read it!) & moved on to the 3rd & final book (thank you S&S galley grab!) - so be on the look out for those reviews to come.
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