Summery Reading
Confession: I've been in a bit of a slump. My summer so far has been quite busy, and I managed to re-read about three Harry Potter books before picking up another new read. However, I did just finish a rather enjoyable book- Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories, a cute little anthology featuring twelve popular YA authors, edited by Stephanie Perkins. It was a fun way to get back in the swing of things.
As I said, there were twelve individual stories in this book. I didn't read all of them- two of them I just didn't vibe with, so I skipped them. However, all the other ones were enjoyable. I'll just tell you about my favorite ones: "In Ninety Minutes, Turn North", by the editor, Stephanie Perkins, and "Love is the Last Resort", by Jon Skovron. I've read a but of Perkins before, but I had never read anything by Skovron, so he was a surprise.
Perkins little tale was actually a bit of a sequel. She has added to a Christmas anthology last year, and this story contains the same characters, just later in their relationships. It's definitely not necessary to read the first anthology to read this story though- she gives enough backstory and explanation that everything still makes sense. I think Perkins is great at short stories; she is excellent at getting the point across and using hints and witty banter to keep every paragraph lively. Her characters are realistic and relatable. North and Marigold, the couple in this story, make the reader a little more hopeful in the search for love.
"Love is the Last Resort" totally surprised me. It's not written in a traditional style- it's a bit blocky and formal and odd. I loved it. Lena, Arlo, Zeke, Isabella, Franklyn, and the rest all had me giggling at their hijinks and dramatics. Skovron is a master at deadpan sarcasm, even on the page. The elaborate plan concocted by the resort workers; the utter insanity of the rich young peoples' flights and fancies; and the delightful banter and quirkiness all made for a lovely, engaging story that made me smile to the last page. It also made me want to read more of Skovron!
Overall, Summer Days and Summer Nights was great. The stories range from relatively normal to quirky to downright strange, but they all make you believe in love just a little bit more. It's great for curling up in a patch of summer sunlight with an iced tea nearby. I highly recommend it!
As I said, there were twelve individual stories in this book. I didn't read all of them- two of them I just didn't vibe with, so I skipped them. However, all the other ones were enjoyable. I'll just tell you about my favorite ones: "In Ninety Minutes, Turn North", by the editor, Stephanie Perkins, and "Love is the Last Resort", by Jon Skovron. I've read a but of Perkins before, but I had never read anything by Skovron, so he was a surprise.
Perkins little tale was actually a bit of a sequel. She has added to a Christmas anthology last year, and this story contains the same characters, just later in their relationships. It's definitely not necessary to read the first anthology to read this story though- she gives enough backstory and explanation that everything still makes sense. I think Perkins is great at short stories; she is excellent at getting the point across and using hints and witty banter to keep every paragraph lively. Her characters are realistic and relatable. North and Marigold, the couple in this story, make the reader a little more hopeful in the search for love.
"Love is the Last Resort" totally surprised me. It's not written in a traditional style- it's a bit blocky and formal and odd. I loved it. Lena, Arlo, Zeke, Isabella, Franklyn, and the rest all had me giggling at their hijinks and dramatics. Skovron is a master at deadpan sarcasm, even on the page. The elaborate plan concocted by the resort workers; the utter insanity of the rich young peoples' flights and fancies; and the delightful banter and quirkiness all made for a lovely, engaging story that made me smile to the last page. It also made me want to read more of Skovron!
Overall, Summer Days and Summer Nights was great. The stories range from relatively normal to quirky to downright strange, but they all make you believe in love just a little bit more. It's great for curling up in a patch of summer sunlight with an iced tea nearby. I highly recommend it!
(picture courtesy of goodreads.com)
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