To All The Boy's I've Loved Before Film Review

Image from medium.com

I cried and laughed during this film adaptation of To All The Boy's I've Loved Before. I watched it three times this weekend. Not only is the film well casted but it captures the essence of the book with the same title. To All The Boy's I've Loved Before, the novel, is one of my favorite books of all time. Actually, I love the whole trilogy. Jenny Han wrote a book that I can re-read again and again and I will never get sick of it. I see myself in Lara Jean Song Covey and can relate to her love for baking, love for vintage things, love for writing letters and the fact that she has great taste in style. If you haven't noticed the ice blue pops of color throughout the film, you must know that I am all for it! I have to say that everything in the film is aesthetically pleasing.

Viewers follow Lara Jean on a path of finding herself. When she starts "dating" Peter Kavinsky, her father hasn't seen her this happy for a long time. This happiness reminds him of Lara Jean's mom when she was alive. Dr. Covey wants his daughter to be happy. Even Lara Jean's friend, Chris, notices that Lara Jean is happier with Peter.

Peter challenges Lara Jean to step outside of her comfort zone. Although a hot tub video popped up, Lara Jean musters the courage to stand up for herself. Peter also stands up for her as well. There is one scene at the Corner Cafe where Lara Jean admits that she is scared to be in a relationship and that's why she doesn't have a boyfriend. Lara Jean is scared that if she lets people in, she will lose them...just like her mother. I feel that this scene is very important and I am glad it was in the film.

The relationship between Dr. Covey and his daughters shows a very positive and supportive family dynamic. Although there may be same squabbles between the Song Covey sisters, the sisterly love between Margot, Lara Jean and Kitty is strong. This romantic comedy is the perfect combination of humor, mostly through Kitty, to endearing love notes and the connection that Lara Jean and Peter have.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before shows how everyone doesn't have the perfect family with two parents and a couple of kids living in a nice house with happy lives. Lara Jean lost her mother at a young age and Peter's father walked about on his family and is remarried and has another family. A lot of people can relate to both family dynamics.

This is one of the very few Asian led films I've seen in a long time and I love that there is Asian representation in a young adult book to film adaptation. Hollywood has a long history of whitewashing and I am glad to see Asian actresses play the Song Covey sisters. Representation matters! Also, who noticed Jenny Han's cameo in the film? The film adaptation is well casted and the soundtrack is perfect!

Can I say that having JAM at the end of the film is the perfect segway into a sequel? Great call for including that scene at the end of the film. I would love to see P.S. I Still Love You turn into a film adaptation! If you haven't read the To All the Boys I've Loved Before trilogy, please read them! Also, please root for more films!

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

Title: Always and Forever, Lara Jean
Author: Jenny Han
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication date: May 2, 2017
Pages: 336
Source/format: Purchased//Hardcover

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

Lara Jean’s letter-writing days aren’t over in this surprise follow-up to the New York Times bestselling To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and P.S. I Still Love You.

Lara Jean is having the best senior year a girl could ever hope for. She is head over heels in love with her boyfriend, Peter; her dad’s finally getting remarried to their next door neighbor, Ms. Rothschild; and Margot’s coming home for the summer just in time for the wedding.

But change is looming on the horizon. And while Lara Jean is having fun and keeping busy helping plan her father’s wedding, she can’t ignore the big life decisions she has to make. Most pressingly, where she wants to go to college and what that means for her relationship with Peter. She watched her sister Margot go through these growing pains. Now Lara Jean’s the one who’ll be graduating high school and leaving for college and leaving her family—and possibly the boy she loves—behind.

When your heart and your head are saying two different things, which one should you listen to?

M Y  T H O U G H T S

I am floating on Cloud Nine after reading Always and Forever, Lara Jean. Jenny Han surprised her fans with the most heartfelt novel in the series! Always and Forever, Lara Jean sparkles with its pop culture references, Lara Jean's pursuit for the perfect chocolate chip recipe, Peter's charm and of course the sisterly bonding between the Song sisters.

The novel dives in around Easter time during Lara Jean's senior year of high school. Everyone is waiting to hear back from college and Lara Jean is super nervous to see where she gets accepted to. Readers are reunited with returning characters and are introduced to some new faces. Always and Forever, Lara Jean is a roller coaster full of emotions with a forthcoming wedding, a death of a loved one and senior year with its ongoing anticipation of going off to college.

Always and Forever, Lara Jean shows realistic display of anticipation for the college waiting game. The excitement and the upset are both on point and the ups and the downs of relationships are true. But in the end, everything is worth it. Although people may have certain thoughts about Lara Jean's and Peter's relationship, it is ultimately Lara Jean's and Peter's decision that matters. Through best of times and the worst of times, they stayed strong. Both write their own story as they mature from book 1 to book 3. Although, I always rooted for a Lara Jean and John Ambrose McClaren shipping, Miss Han's ending of the novel brings the series full circle because, after all, it all started with a love letter.

The message in Lara Jean's yearbook from Peter is perfection! I don't want to spoil it but you MUST pick up this book if you've read the first two books in the series. For those who haven't read To All the Boys I've Loved Before, add it to your TBR list. In fact, marathon To All the Boys I've Loved Before, P.S. I Still Love You and Always and Forever, Lara Jean!

Jenny Han's Upcoming Release

So during BookExpo America and Book Con, Simon & Schuster along with Jenny Han announced a third book in the To All the Boys I've Loved Before duology. Can I say OMG! YAY, the Song girls are returning!

I loved how Jenny surprised her readers with the book title on a cake! Always and Forever, Lara Jean will be released spring of next year! To celebrate the news, Jenny took photos with fans at the Simon & Schuster booth on Saturday, May 14th at Book Con. Sprinkled donuts were handed out as part of the celebration.

To all my fans who asked me for one more book about Lara Jean...this one's for you. #AlwaysAndForeverLaraJean #spring17

A photo posted by Jenny Han (@jennyhan) on May 13, 2016 at 1:02pm PDT

If you're at BookCon, come celebrate with me at the S&S booth! Because donuts. #AlwaysAndForeverLaraJean #getriveted

A photo posted by Jenny Han (@jennyhan) on May 14, 2016 at 7:55am PDT

Although I wasn't fortunate enough to attend BEA this year, I am excited to hear the amazing news about another Jenny Han book. I am a huge fan of the To All the Boys I've Loved Before series and I am super pumped for Spring 2017. Are you excited for the Always and Forever, Lara Jean?

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

Title: P.S. I Still Love You
Author: Jenny Han
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication date: May 26, 2015
Pages: 337
Source/format: Purchased/Hardcover

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from Goodreads.com): 

Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter. She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever. When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

In this charming and heartfelt sequel to the New York Times bestseller To All the Boys I've Loved Before, we see first love through the eyes of the unforgettable Lara Jean. Love is never easy, but maybe that’s part of what makes it so amazing. 

My Thoughts:

Jenny Han has done it again! I love To All the Boys I've Loved Before because it's perfect and I never thought the sequel would just as good. P.S. I Still Love You starts right where To All the Boys I've Loved Before left off right around the holiday season. I love how Lara Jean's family makes sure to incorporate Korean traditions into their daily lives despite their mother not being with them anyone. The sisterly bonding between the sisters is still there and each sister brings something special to the sisterhood. Despite their differences, they are always there for each other. I am definitely growing fonder of Kitty in this book. She is so sassy and so witty. I love how Kitty never gives up. I have never seen a kid so determined in everything she does. She is definitely one of my favorite characters in the book.

Lara Jean admitting her feelings to Peter is realistic when it comes to a first love. Their relationship is special despite the ex-girlfriend and the scandalous hot tub video. It's not cookie cutter perfect but it's real! I had some serious feels when reading P.S. I Still Love You. Everything about this book is cute and romantic. I was a little worried when John Ambrose McClaren entered the picture though. I am not a fan of love triangles so course I was a little bit upset with Lara Jean was torn between two guys. However, for some odd reason, this so called love triangle actually worked.

Of course I squeed when Lara Jean plans scrapbooking sessions with the elderly and when she makes homemade Valentine's Day cards. And Lara Jean baking up a storm! Yes, please! Snickerdoodles are my favorite type of cookie so I was ecstatic to see snickerdoodles making an appearance in the book. Also, the chai sugar cookies with the cinnamon eggnog icing sound divine! When Lara Jean talks about how baking is calming and how it stabilizes her, I totally agree. I like to bake because it's relaxing and it clears the mind. All you have to do is take ingredients, follow the instructions and you create something magical.

Han touches upon some difficult teenage situations such as cyberbullying. I know everyone should be careful about what they write and post on social media but what happens if someone posts information you don't want up online? What happens when people just laugh and don't do anything about it. In these days, cyberbullying is on the rise and Han explored the views of men and women about such exploitation. Why is every one rooting for Peter but slut shaming Lara Jean? It's not right.

Assassins is the big thing for my students during the summer and reading how Lara Jean and her friends play the game for old times sake is the icing on the cake. Imagine 46 teenagers and 13 staff members running around trying to eliminate each other with popsicle sticks. That's what I look forward to in the summer.

The novel is nostalgic and Han is making me fall in love with the book. The more I read, the more I love this endearing novel. This is the second book I've read where I teared up. Han does an incredible job when writing about first loves and she takes readers on an emotional journey. She has captivated my heart! To All the Boys I've Loved Before and P.S. I Still Love You are books that I relate with the most out of all books I've read in my life. That says something. Thank you Miss Jenny Han for writing both books! You are amazing and I feel like you get me.

BEA 2015 Recap Part I

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

So after five days of Harry Potter fun, I headed to New York City and met up with Selina to enjoy a week of everything bookish. I took an Amtrak train from South Station late morning on Tuesday and arrived into the city around 3:20ish. The hotel was about 6 or so blocks from Penn Station and I met up with Selina at the hotel. We ended up going to a local market around the corner and made a nice pasta dinner with salad with bread and butter.

I was running a bit late for the Jenny Han's P.S. I Still Love You Release party but I did attend. I was fine navigating the subway but once I got off the subway, I was walking toward the wrong direction. It took me awhile to find where Powerhouse Arena is located but I made it! I purchased two copies of P.S. I Still Love You, one for me and one for Elizabeth from Book YAbber and Novelty Podcast. I met up with Emma from Miss Print upstairs along with my OTSPSecretSister aka Nicole from The Book Bandit. Can I say that Nicole is the best secret sister ever? I always look forward to her cute notes and well picked out surprises. I was super excited to meet Emma and Nicole since I've been talking to them on Twitter for quite some while. I met up with Melissa from Novelty Podcast who introduced me to Britt from Please Feed the Bookworm.

Jenny Han's Release Party!

The release party was quite epic. There was a makeover area, a nail area, photo shoot area where you can "sit" in Lara Jean's room and of course the signing with Jenny Han. Since I arrived late, I received an orange ticket. Groups were called up by ticket color in order to minimize the craziness. When my ticket was called, I went to stand in the signing line. I finally got to meet Jenny and it was pretty epic! Jenny said I looked familiar and then remembered my name. It totally made my day. I was able to get a picture with Jenny after she signed my copy of To All the Boys I've Loved Before, P.S. I Still Love You and My True Love Gave to Me. I had her personalize and sign a copy of P.S. I Still Love You for my friend Elizabeth as a super early birthday present. Let's say that Elizabeth was super happy about this!

Thanks Melissa for taking this photo!

Melissa and I were able to get our photos taken at the photo booth. Of course I blinked in my copy of the photo and Melissa half blinked in her copy. Emma, Nicole and I ended up walking back to get the train and I ended up planning Wednesday's schedule with Selina before heading to bed.

Melissa and I at release party's photo booth

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Let's say that Selina and I woke up around 9:00-10:00 since the Exhibit Hall at the Javits wasn't opening until 1:00. This is the only day we were able to sleep in and we took advantage of it. Selina and I had breakfast at the hotel before walking to the Javits. Let's just say that our hotel is less than a 15 minute walk and I already heard stories about the shuttle running late. Some people I knew on Twitter tweeted that they were waiting 30-60 minutes for the shuttle. Selina checked in her bag before we picked up the Publisher's Weekly Show Daily. I didn't bring a bag because it was a half day and I planned to share Selina's bag. There were so many things in the Show Daily that I had to revamp my Wednesday schedule. We didn't line up until 12:50ish. We didn't plan to line up for Truthwitch was a plus for us since we were able to hit more booths instead of waiting in the crazy line.

The Exhibit Hall in the morning

I thought Wednesday was going to be my calmest day. I only had two things on my list that I had to do. I wanted to make it to the drop for Tonight the Streets Are Ours by Leila Sales and I wanted to meet Mike Curato for an in-booth signing of Little Elliot, Big Family. Meeting Mike was a must for me since I missed the chance to meet him last year at BEA. Little did I know that there were tons of drops on Wednesday. I picked up galley drop schedules at most of the publishers that I was interested in. These schedules were major lifesavers. I believe I picked up the most ARCs this day and it also freed up my schedule for Thursday and Friday. I wanted to spend more time in the Autographing Area on Thursday and Friday so I definitely took advantage of the scheduled drops, primarily HarperCollins drops and maybe one Penguin drop.

I believe I went to two ticketed signings in the Autographing Area but I caught the end tails of both lines in order to maximize my time on the floor. I was fortunate to pick up a galley of The Copper Gauntlet. Britt and I were asking Scholastic if they had more copies in the back. I am surprised there wasn't a line this year. I remember I had to wait at least 20 minutes for The Iron Trial drop last year. I picked up a copy of Illuminae for my friend Molly from Cherry Blossoms & Maple Syrup before attending more of the scheduled events. I was fortunate enough to meet Margie from Bumbles and Fairy-Tales very briefly when I was waiting in the Tonight the Streets Are Ours drop line. I love her little bee Moo business cards. They are so adorable! I also met Dana from Dana Square in the same drop line was well. It's so nice to meet people in person.

Meeting Mike Curato was pretty awesome. I got a ticket at Macmillan 30 minutes prior to the signing and of course I got number three! Elizabeth and I were able to take a picture with Elliot and his big family when we waited in the Mike Curato line. It was such a cute way to get fans excited about the new book while we waited. I was super excited when Mike recognized me. I usually chat with him on Twitter and I am constantly retweeting many of his tweets. Little Elliot is super special to me not only because Little Elliot is an elephant but he reminds me of Olivia the pig and Olivia is super important to me during my high school years.

Elizabeth and I joined Little Elliot's family. Photo credit: Elizabeth and Devin

My calmest day of the week became pretty hectic and probably the busiest. I don't recall all the times of the drops but I know I went to at least 3-4 drops which had more than one book being dropped at the same time. I am pretty sure I left the Javits after the Eterna Files signing and ended up meeting Selina back at the hotel. Four hours of craziness was pretty productive. Selina and I made grilled cheese sandwiches and pasta salad before we headed to check out Carlo's Bake Shop in Times Square. After we got back to the hotel, we ended up eating dessert and started planning for Thursday.

This is how I felt on Wednesday. Thank you Selina for picking this up!