"I just stared up at them until it felt like I could breathe, maybe for the first time that day."

Photo credits go to this Photobucket account

Hi Megan,

So I thought I would change things up this time by putting the book art first. And this is really a terrible cover for this book.  This whimsical, light-hearted cover will leave UK readers COMPLETELY unprepared for the massive amount of emotional suck-itude within its pages.

This is not a happy book. Sure, it's got that romance plot thing going on, but really, it's not that lovey-dovey. For anyone who has lost a loved one, this is a horribly depressing book. So I'll get real for a bit, and talk about me and my life-something I really hate doing, but since my personal experience had a huge influence over how I received this book, I think it's appropriate.

The summer before my freshman year of college, we found out that my grandma had an advanced case of lung cancer.  She had been having respiratory problems for a long while, but the doctors continually misdiagnosed her, and in fact reassured us that cancer was the least likely cause of her illness. This hit me hard.  Grandma was like a second mom to me--she was my babysitter, piano teacher, and imparter of age-old womanly wisdom,  like baking, sewing, and the facts of life. She had always been healthy and active, so to see her frail and hooked up to oxygen machines was difficult to say the least.

Despite some misgivings, I went off to college, and got caught up in that life. I made new friends, and met my first serious boyfriend--the first guy who I thought might be "the one," and who I was very excited to introduce to my family. Then, just before Spring Quarter Finals, I get a call from my parents, letting me know that Grandma was in her last days.  A few days later, during finals week, she passed away before I was able to go home and say goodbye. Needless to say, it was crushing. I'm not one who cries, but losing one of the most important people in my life left me gasping for air.

When I started Second Chance Summer, honestly, I wasn't impressed. The writing was so-so, and I really wasn't that engaged.  And she quoted song lyrics for the dedication. I hate it when authors do that (did you ever read Halo? She quoted Beyonce, and the book was horrible).  But as I read on, I became increasingly engrossed, and ended up reliving my own losses. This book had me bawling, not for the character's loss, but for my own. Because I've been there. I've felt that. I still find it hard to cope with the fact that my grandma will never meet my husband, and never sew a quilt for my babies. And, like Taylor, I was very fortunate to have a shoulder to cry one, one that didn't belong to a friend or family member, but my boy, my love. Honestly, I don't know how I could have handled that finals week without him.  While we are now separated, and it ended with him being an ass, reading this book reminded me that he's not a bad person, just a terrible boyfriend.

So while Morgan Matson may not be the best writer, in the conventional sense, she gets it. She understands that devastating loss. So props to her for that.

As for my quote, that was another thing she "got." I loved growing up outside the city limits, because in my darkest moments, seeing the stars changed everything.

To a happier posting next time,
Becca

“Everyone knows how fond the king is of his dark little fool…”

Dear Becca, 

Despite the fact that I was English major, I got through college without taking a course specifically on Shakespeare. I have read several of his plays, but I would not saw that I have extensive Shakespearian knowledge. King Lear is one of the ones I missed and I have to say, I felt at a terrible disadvantage while reading this book. The Sparknotes helped, but I always felt a little in the dark…like when someone tells a joke and you mostly get it, but it’s just not as funny because you know you’re missing something. In order to fully appreciate this book, I think I should have read the play first but unfortunately I just did not have the time or desire to do so.

Christopher Moore, author of FOOL (Photo Credit)

That said, it was still a very funny book. As you mentioned, there was lots of raunchy humor! I read this primarily on my BART rides to and from work and often hoped that no one was reading over my shoulder. I wish that I knew more about the Fool’s story line in the original play so that I could compare it to this adaptation. I assume the ending isn’t the only thing that’s changed.

I particularly enjoyed the footnotes, an appropriate touch since Shakespeare plays always have a lot. Taking something so familiar and making it silly was such an easy way to create humor in the story. For instance: “2. The dog’s bollocks!–excellent! The bee’s knees! The cat’s pj’s. Literally, the dog’s balls, which doesn’t seem to be that great a thing, yet, there you are.” The Fool’s narrative voice is great and I love that the story is so clearly his. I especially liked all the references to “perfect f***ing French”. These comments seemed to capture the spirit of this character exceptionally well for me.

I wish that I could have sat down and read this book in one day. I feel like it’s a one-sitting kind of book. It would have helped me stay in that world and mindset a little easier, especially since it was a little more difficult for me to get there without having read the play.

One thing that I would be interested to discuss with you is the “future” of this blog and our exchanges. I have a stack of books at home that have been on my shelves for years going unread and I thought I might try to burn through some of those and include one as a blog book. However, the more I thought about it, the more I thought it was a bad idea. Those books have gone unread for years because I’m not very excited about them. Personally, I want to focus on sharing books that I’m really excited about or books that other people are really excited about. I’d like to focus on “buzz” books. (Books that are creating a buzz. Was that obvious?) We are both looking toward careers and futures that center heavily on books so it seems appropriate. I will really have to consider my next choice… 

Til we read again!
Megan

Second Chance Summer

Dear Becca,

Shortly after we went to the LA Times Book Festival, Jessi Kirby did a book reading signing in my area. She was touring with Jenny Han and Morgan Matson, which is how I came to find my latest YA selection: SECOND CHANCE SUMMER by Morgan Matson.

At first, I was a little wary of this book. It’s about a teenage girl, Taylor Edwards, who goes to her family’s old summer house for her father’s last summer. (He only has a few months left to live after being diagnosed with cancer.) I wasn’t sure about reading this because I don’t usually gravitate towards books about death or terminal illness. I understand why such books are important for people going through similar situations – we all need something to relate to and help us sort out our emotions – but personally I don’t like reading a story that’s going to turn out to be a “downer”. My mom went through cancer and she’s recovered, thank goodness, but it’s not something I long to relive. Nor was it something I wanted to read about while we were going through it.

Anywho, suffice it to say I had my reservations but Morgan Matson was one of the sweetest authors I’ve ever met. She was very down to earth and we spent a good ten minutes discussing her MFA. She was extremely encouraging when I told her I was thinking about applying to an MFA program. I definitely wanted to see what her latest book was all about.

As with most of my book choices, part of the storyline is a summer romance between Taylor and her first love, Henry. Taylor and Henry dated before the Edwards family stopped summering at their lake house. There is some mystery about what happened that summer, but it is enough to say they did not break-up on good terms. I suppose I’ve always known that the key to a novel about a good summer romance is the male love interest but it really hit home with this book. Henry is an extremely good guy. In fact, I can’t think of anything really negative about his personality or the way that he treats Taylor. That said, he might be a little bit too good to be true. I loved him as a character and of course I wanted him and Taylor to wind up together, but to all the young ladies out there – most guys are not this perfect and most guys do not give you this many chances.

Now, fair warning, I tried to read this book with a steely heart since I do not like crying during books. But I cried anyway. (Just a little bit.) You know the ending is coming but it’s still just so darn sad! The father-daughter relationship is a huge aspect of this book that I haven’t really focused on in this post. (Again, the whole talking about death/illness thing – I’m not good at it.)

Lastly, I hesitate to say anything about this because I know it’s not Morgan’s fault…but what really bothered me while reading this book was the number of typos. I’m used to there being one every now and then – after all, no copyeditor is perfect – but there were so many in this book that it actually became a distraction.  Nevertheless, it didn’t take away from it enough to stop me from recommending the book to you! And I’ve since gotten Morgan’s first book, AMY & ROGER'S EPIC DETOUR, which I am excited to read!

I hope I’m not killing you with all these romances…

Til we read again,

Megan

PS (10/1/12) - I have to add a much delayed post script because I failed to mention that Matson references Colorado College, which is where I spent my first two years studying. It's very rare for people to know what I'm talking about when I mention the college, so I was more than a little surprised! After reading Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, I found out that the CC reference in Second Chance Summer is actually Roger from her first novel making a guest appearance. I wonder what Matson's connection is to CC!