Book Love from Ginger

Book Love 2011 continues with one the bloggers nearest and dearest to my heart. GINGER!

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Dear Followers of Lisa the Nerd,

                I was asked by the amazing (and quite hilarious) Lisa to share with you, one last time, my favorite book that I’ve read in the last year.  First of all, ONE BOOK?! Are you kidding me???  That’s like trying to choose your favorite child (not that I would know because I remain child-less, for now).  Needless to say I found it to be difficult because I’ve read SO MANY GREAT THINGS this year.  From dystopian, to contemporary, and back to paranormal; I’ve found a new love to match each of these categories.  BUT to keep with Lisa’s demands (I mean.. so kindly requests, hehe) I have chosen ONE book that I can’t end the year on and NOT scream my love and devotion for.

THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY BY JENNY HAN

Yup. That’s THE book (well 3 book series in this case) that completely won me over this year.  I’m a girl who appreciates a well-written contemporary.  When an author has the ability to take one coming-of-age character, place her in the most breath-taking scenery, and conflict her world – I am SOLD.  Take me off the shelf, package me up, and deliver me because this book defines what Ginger loves best in YA lit. 

There is this fictional place called Cousins Beach.  And I know it’s fictional because I’ve totally tried to look it up on google maps.  IT CAN NOT BE FOUND, dammit.  This beach.. ohh this beach.. it sets the tone for the whole story.  I imagined my toes sinking in the warm golden sand, feeling the salty spray on my face from the waves rolling in.  Let’s not forget to mention how unbelievably gorgeous a blanket of stars strewn across a night sky can be, resting atop an endless body of ocean.  Yup.  That’s my fantasty island. Right there.

Then there’s the boy. Oh wait. BoyS? Yes, that would be plural.  On this side of the beach we have Conrad: the dark, mysterious, broodingly handsome, OMG-I-WANT-TO- RIP-YOUR-SWIM-TRUNKS-OFF.  Then over there, making sand castles, we have Jeremiah: the quirky, cute, mischievous, little brother who in the right light could be one serious HOT ASS.  As you can see, I was torn; just like Belly (oh did I forget to mention her name? Yes, it’s weird. Get over it.)  But let’s be real here.  I always, ALWAYS go for the broken beautiful boy.  So Conrad, he’s my dude.

So we have the beach. We have the boys. Now enters conflict.  Belly is following after her first true love, yet she’s also noticing a new love that’s always been by her side.  In the background we have some family drama going on, too.  Then there’s SUSANNAH.  Pretty sure this woman broke my heart in the best possible way.  She’s the mother of Conrad and Jeremiah.  The story that is centered around the three of them, prepare yourself, grab a box of Kleenexes because you’ll need them.

Like all good things, summer must come to an end.  I cried like a baby when it was time for Belly to leave Cousins beach and go back home.  I know that longing one has for summertime.  There is something about that season that sets your soul at ease.  It’s as if you have an excuse to get away with not doing things by simply saying, “its summertime, I’m on vacation!”  If I could transport myself to being 16 again, I would totally put myself at that beach, inside that house, with all those fabulous characters.  The Summer I Turned Pretty completely, 100% turned my love for reading up a huge notch. 

When I look back on 2011 and my reading piles, it’s this series that will jump out the most at me.  Not only did I read it, I shared my passion for it with everyone in the book blogging community (even by sending actual copies to people who HAD TO READ IT!), but I also MET JENNY HAN HERSELF.  Yes, that happened.  I totally geeked out and went all fangirl on her.  And you know what she did?! She gave me a Team Conrad button.  Oh yes she did.  Dreams do come true.  Now I just need to invent Cousins beach and find me a Conrad there.  THEN my life will be complete.

xoxo Love,

Ginger (the girl who blogs at GReads!)