Tuesday, October 6, 2015

First & Then Book Superlative Blog Tour: A Pair of Love Letters


Today I'm beyond thrilled to be a part of a very unique blog tour for First & Then, a contemporary young adult debut from Emma Mills (LOVED IT!). Since this novel deals with life in high school, the amazingly creative team at Fierce Reads decided to put together a superlative-themed blog tour, one where each blogger is assigned a yearbook-style superlative to address along with Emma. What superlative was I given you ask? Well, I'll tell you:

BOOK MOST LIKELY TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE

Instead of simply listing a few reasons as to how our book of choice impacted our lives, I thought it might be fun to write love letters to the character(s) of those books instead. I asked Emma to let protagonist Devon take the reins though, so she's here to share a love letter to one Mr. Sam-I-Am. Take it away Devon!

Dear Sam-I-Am (Mr. Am?),

Thank you for so faithfully shepherding the events of Green Eggs and Ham, which is the first book I remember reading all by myself. I’m a pretty serious reader now— Jane Austen books are my favorite, but I like YA and mysteries and fantasy as well—and you, Sam, kicked it all off with your culinary adventures and your rhymes. Thanks for paving the way for me to read everything else that I enjoy. I couldn’t delight in Sense and Sensibility had I not hashed out that reading thing way back in the day with the help of your unapologetically green breakfast.

Fondest regards,
Devon Tennyson

Like Devon, I wanted to write to one of my firsts as well, so here I go baring my fictional soul:

Dear Cast of Twilight,

There are many who would read this letter and scoff at my choice of book for this particular superlative, but I've never been one to be embarrassed or ashamed of my reading preferences, so it seems silly to have any hesitation in writing this letter now. You all have been mocked mercilessly over the years, your character flaws dissected and posted for ridicule on every corner of the internet, and while you are undoubtedly imperfect and your poor movie adaptation laughable at best, you are single-handedly responsible for both this blog and my current employment.

Before you came along reading for me was a chore. You see, I was traumatized in high school by a pair of classics by the name of Moby Dick and Crime and Punishment. These books were painful for me. My soul died a little with each page I forced myself to flip (I DON'T WANT TO CALL YOU ISHMAEL DAMMIT!), but I persevered because in the end I would be tested. I would have to recall names. Quotes. I would have to wax poetic on symbolism, metaphor and character motivation. And though I read both cover to cover, I met with near failure in the from of a D grade on both tests. Those grades haunt the overachiever in me still.

In the aftermath of that academic tragedy I could not be persuaded to pick up a piece of fiction for any other reason than it was required of me for class, but then, years after college, a friend told me of you. Read this, she said. Fangirl with me, she said. And so I did. What followed was me seeking out every paranormal young adult story I could get my hands on, and I became a proud stalker of the YA shelves at my local bookstore. I started a blog to share my newfound love of reading. And, as of this moment five plus years later, I have a new career designing book covers, something that would never have been possible without you.

So, while some may snort at the idea of you having a profound impact on anyone's life, please know that you forever changed mine for the better. As I wrap up this letter to go work on a new cover, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Warmly,

Jenny

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FIRST & THEN
(releases October 13th from Henry Holt & Co)


Devon Tennyson wouldn't change a thing. She's happy watching Friday night games from the bleachers, silently crushing on best friend Cas, and blissfully ignoring the future after high school. But the universe has other plans. It delivers Devon's cousin Foster, an unrepentant social outlier with a surprising talent for football, and the obnoxiously superior and maddeningly attractive star running back, Ezra, right where she doesn't want them first into her P.E. class and then into every other aspect of her life.

Pride and Prejudice meets Friday Night Lights in this contemporary novel about falling in love with the unexpected boy, with a new brother, and with yourself.



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BOOK SUPERLATIVE TOUR

Don't miss out on all the amazing stops on this tour as each has its own special superlative. I also hope you guys add this one to your lists as I absolutely adored it (full review to come next week!)

 
 

22 comments:

  1. oh wha a beautiful and sweet cover, I love the colors!

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    1. Isn't it? Fierce Reads/Macmillan always has the most creative tour ideas:)

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  3. This is such a cute idea for a blog tour! I loved your letter -- too funny! I can't wait to read your review of the book!

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    1. Thanks Christina! You already know I loved this one as much as you did:)

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  4. I love this tour so much, Jenny! All the posts have been fantastic so far.
    I love your love for Twilight! And oh no! Those tests are giving me nightmares too!
    You should never be ashamed for your love for Twilight. Twilight is the book that also got me into the YA world, so I have nothing but love for it. Although the movies are another thing entirely.
    Fun post, Jenny!

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    1. Let's never speak of those tests again Nick. It brings up terrible memories ;-) All those Russian names that started with "r" in Crime and Punishment and I had to do quote identification! Impossible ;-)

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  5. Oh my gosh! I loved your letter Jenny! Twilight is actually the whole reason I got into PNRs and I don't regret it at all! Between it and the H.P series, it they totally made me the avid reader I am today!

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    1. YEAH! *Twilight high five* I read Harry Potter well after Twilight, but I fell madly in love with it too:)

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  6. Wow I am glad that Moby Dick didn't scare you off reading completely. What we would do without Sam I am and Green Eggs and Ham. What a fun post, Jenny. I have this one and I am looking forward to it.

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    1. Moby Dick hurt me to my very soul Heidi. We even got to skip the chapters that dealt with whaling only and had no bearing on the plot, and it was still one of the most tedious reading experiences of my life.

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  7. Love the letter! I feel the same way. Twilight's the whole reason I actually enjoy reading. I struggled so badly with reading growing up (nothing about it made sense until I was...god, 11?), and when I was 12 I found the first Twilight book. Went from struggling to finish a very middle school type book, to flying through the Twilight books in a day. They have their issues, but they've left their mark!

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    1. WOO HOO! I will forever love Twilight for reigniting my love of reading Amanda, I'm so glad it did the same for you:)

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  8. I love this post - I LOVE your love letter!! Isn't it funy where a simple book can lead to? Thanks for the lovely post, Jenny :)

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  9. I LOVE THIS SO MUCH! And you have a fan in me in that you share your undying adoration for The Twilight series. REPRESENT GIRL! So many scoff and lift their noses at it. But they just don't understand! Gah!and you design book covers? Wellll, we will be in touch because I'm a writer and when I'm looking to publish you'll be first on my list. ;) mwahh!♡♡

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    1. WOO HOO!!!! *Twilight love high five* And yes, I design covers full time, so I hope you reach out when you're ready!

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  10. What a cute tour..and I love your love letter Jenny!!!

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  11. Moby Dick was my first DNF!! I ended up getting back to it before GR and my blog too because I was no quitter (and my TBR pile was NOTHING compared to what it is now) and finished it, but I still don't like it at ALL! BLAH!
    And Crime and Punishment I also read but skimmed a lot... UGH!
    I love how heartfelt your letter is Jenny, reading can change so many things on our lives! I've always been a massive reader & bookwyrm and I'm glad that even reading some awfully boring classics, they never killed my love for books!

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  12. I love your letter, Jenny. You shouldn’t be ashamed at all. While this book is not without flaws, it definitely changed book tastes of many people and picked up interest to YA.

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  13. The author's ability to craft heartfelt and poignant narratives shines through, leaving readers with a profound sense of connection to the characters and their journey. The blog tour's attention to detail, insightful analysis, and engaging writing style make it a standout among book tours.

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