Stand Up!

Jessica Kim wrote Stand Up, Yumi Chung! and I don't know if she has done stand up, but man she nailed it!  The whole "why" and the nervousness and the exhilaration.  I really appreciated learning more about Yumi's experience as a Korean-American, too.  And I love the grace that was demonstrated in Jasmine's reaction- especially since, while I know that Yumi should have said something right away,  Jasmine just to assumed that Yumi was Kay because she was Asian and well that was hopefully a teachable moment for Jasmine, too!
Great great book!

29

I was dating when I was 29 and I probably did go on 29 dates and if the Korean belief that bad things end in 9 is correct, but they need a could use a little more evidence, they can use my experiences!  29 Dates was a very sweet book.  I can recommend it very highly because of the way in which Melissa de la Cruz tackles the issues of cultural differences and just because she is such a good writer.  It was interesting to learn about the Korean matchmaking experience, too. 

Different and Good!

Archer's Quest by Linda Sue Park was a very good read and one that I will recommend for sure.  I like magical realism and it works really well here.  I liked learning about Korean mythology for the first time ever.  The story is about a normal kid from Upstate NY who happens to meet Chumong, a dude from Korean Mythology. 

Bad Faith

The Incendiaries is one that I knocked down a couple stars after reflection, but just to three stars, because I can recommend it.  The way it was written was just not very enjoyable.  And the intimacy scenes were just very tiresome.  I am just so over that! 

Follow them to college?

I wish and wonder and HOPE that Jenny Han will follow Lara Jean and Peter as they go to college. At least through their freshman year!  Oh please, oh please!  I think Jenny Han has become one of my favorite writers.   And this series really is good.  Always and Forever, Lara Jean had an ending that surprised me a lot.  The only thing that I didn't like so much about it was the drinking.  Not that people were drinking.  I know that underage kids drink.  And I still think that is wrong.  But I am admittedly hardcore about drinking and don't see any point in it at all.  Check out what happened to a kid I knew when she was little.  She was the driver.  Just happened this week.  Here is the snapchat video of the night the accident happened.

P.S.

Remember when we used to write notes and include P.S. and P.P.S.S. and P.P.P.S.S.S.?  Well, maybe I just over communicate.
P.S. I Still Love You was gooooood.  Everything by Jenny Han is gooood.  And I was very excited to see that the third book in the series is out!  I can't wait to read it!

My Favorite Star

has to be sun, right?  I mean, without the sun, what would we do?  We wouldn't do anything, we'd all be dead.
That has nothing to do with The Sun is Also a Star.  I can't remember why this title fits.  I mean, I can't figure out the reason for the title.  The fact is mentioned in the book.  Natasha is fond of "provable facts" and really doesn't want to have faith or trust in anything that is not a "provable fact."  Whereas Daniel believes dreams are important, that passion is important, that feelings are important.
And girl meets boy and they fall in love.
But the book is more than just boy meets girl and they fall in love.  It is really beautiful.  It is really moving.  It is really well written.  This is my favorite for the Printz this year.  Will it win?  Probably not, but I would like it to win!

I Wonder...

If anyone remembers this song.  When I saw the title of the new Jenny Han book, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, I was instantly reminded of that song.  And then it hit me...probably no one else who reads this book will think about that song.  Because the song is super old!  True it has its own wikipedia entry, but 1984 was a long, long, long time ago.  Even Jenny Han herself is too young to remember the song, really.  She was only four when it came out!
But that is neither here nor there.
To All the Boys I've Loved Before is the first in a series.  I wonder if it will be a trilogy like The Summer I Turned Pretty.  I loved, loved, loved that series.
I did love this book, too, but I wasn't as goo-goo, madly obsessed with it as I have been with other Han books.  I am not sure why.  I still gave it four of five stars and it will be totally easy to recommend it.
What I loved about this book is that it is just so true to life.  Han has once again created believable characters.  Yes, some teens are having sex.  But some are not.  Some of the teens in this book have sex (but it is not described at all) but the main character doesn't.  She doesn't want to.  And yes, she is still normal!  The other thing I loved about TATBILB is that Lara Jean, the main character, really grows during the story.  She does a lot of realistic self-evaluation.  Her growth as a person is shown so well, not overbearing and obvious, but just an evolution, just like in real life, not a made-for-tv movie.
Once again, as in The Summer I Turned Pretty, loss plays a part in this novel.  Lara Jean's mother died when she was young and you can see how she, and her older and younger sister, and their father have been impacted by that.  It is great to see a really great father figure in this book, too.
This is a great little book and I am looking forward to the next one, which I will read for sure.

Ya...wow

Man. I  loved Eleanor and Park.  People told me I would.  I bought it on audible.  And man, I did love it.  Wow.  What a beautiful and sad and hopeful story of two on the fringe kids...well, who isn't on the fringe, really, when you think about it?  I mean, life is not easy.  Eleanor has it awful at home.  Her step-dad.  Oh my gosh...just a monster.  Truly.  Park has wonderful parents, but you know, he's still a teen and man, it is hard to be a teen.  What a beautiful heart he has.  Man.  I just loved this book.  You have to read it.  Right now.  You must.  You must buy it.  Recommend it to everyone.  I loved this story.  Also, set in the 80s, so a nice bit of historical fiction for today.  Great book.  Just great.