How To Love

How To Love by Katie Cotugno

Hardback, 400 pages

Published 3rd October by Quercus

Shelves: arc-or-review, books-i-own, title-appeal, realistic-fiction, read-in-2013, new-adult, lasting-impression, cover-appeal, contemporary, better-than-expected

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

This is a love story. But it’s not what you think. This is not a first kiss, or a first date. This is not love at first sight. This is a boy and a girl falling in messy, unpredictable, thrilling love. This is the complicated route to happiness that follows.

This is real. This is life. This is how to love.

BEFORE:
Reena has loved Sawyer LeGrande for as long as she can remember. But he’s never noticed her, until one day… he does. They fall in messy, complicated love. But then Sawyer disappears from their humid Florida town, leaving a devastated – and pregnant – Reena behind.

AFTER:
Three years later and there’s a new love in Reena’s life: her daughter Hannah. But just as swiftly and suddenly as he disappeared, Sawyer turns up again.

After everything that’s happened, can Reena really let herself love Sawyer again?

How to Love was a book that I immediately wanted to pick up as soon as it came through my door - I loved the bright cover, the intriguing title and the fact that it was a contemporary new adult book, something that I always want to read more of. I literally couldn't wait to start this and so I opened it up and read - it didn't take me long at all to become hooked!

How To Love was one of those books that I knew that I would enjoy after only a couple of chapters. The writing felt very natural, the story seemed both effortlessly but fantastically written. Though this is a debut novel, it is clear that the author has a true talent. I felt completely at ease when reading and it was so easy to get a real sense of the setting and the characters. Reena, especially, felt more like a real friend rather than a fictional character. Though it was so easy to get absorbed into this book, it was also often interesting to sit back and try and look at the big picture, looking and seeing how different people are affected by different things, and how things may not always be how they are perceived. 

This book revolves around Reena and Sawyer, two people who have a difficult past. Firstly, we're introduced to Reena and her young daughter, Hannah who are living in their hometown with Aaron, her boyfriend, and nearby to Reena's religious father and step-mother. Sawyer hasn't been in the neighbourhood for a long time, but  now he is back and he's seeking out both Reena and Hannah, his daughter. Reena is not how she used to be, and Sawyer is not how he used to be either - it's very easy to see the changes, however subtle, that their separation and independence has made. Cotugno manages to switch between past and present, before and after Sawyer's disappearance, in a very readable way - sometimes it can be difficult and feel 'jumpy' to move between different times, but the changes flowed very well and really made the book what it is - captivating.

This book is so captivating because despite it being very easy to read, it is very complex and also very realistic. The realism of this book is admirable, it is so easy to imagine the characters acting out their movements, reacting to each others behaviour. Cotugno really got into my mind with this story and got me thinking, how would I have reacted in the position of Reena? Would I have done anything differently? The complexity lies within this novel in many ways. There are so many different and very genuine issues that one would have to consider in the position of either Reena or Sawyer. I thought that Reena was an incredible character - she was strong and she always seemed to try her best, she fought to hold her own and do what was best for her daughter under difficult circumstances. I also liked Sawyer - I wasn't all that taken by 'before' Sawyer, but he really did seem to grow during his time away and the apparent changes are both admirable and loveable. Despite all of Sawyer's problems and his (what initially seems like) quite poor action of leaving, we get to learn a lot about him as the book progresses and by the end, I had absolutely fallen for him and I was willing Reena to take a risk and be with him!

Overall, this is a book that is rather difficult to review as to really appreciate it, you need to pick it up and connect with the story and the characters yourself. I think this would be a great book for any young adults or adults wondering whether or not to venture into this new new adult category of books - I can definitely see both age groups being able to appreciate this one. Cotugno is an absolutely incredible writer, destined to be a favourite. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next! 

Stacking the Shelves and Showcase Sunday (68)

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Showcase Sunday is hosted by Books, Biscuits and Tea.

These memes are a replacement of The Story Siren's In My Mailbox.

Stacking the Shelves and Showcase Sunday make a place to showcase your new books,

whether you obtained them through the post or otherwise.

I received three very different books this week. The first book that I received was a copy of Resist which I really can't wait to read! I also received a new adult book, Finding It and a young adult book, Dark Possession. 

Hope you all have a great weekend!

From the Review Pile (71)

From the Review Pile is a meme hosted by Stepping Out of the Page every Thursday.

The aim of this meme is to showcase books that you've received for review (or if you don't receive review books, any book that you own and really want to read/review) but haven't yet got around to reading, in order to give the book some extra publicity.

I know that a lot of you have a huge pile of books that you want to read/review, but it understandably takes a while to get around to reading them all - here you can give a book (or two!) some of the publicity that it deserves, even if you haven't read it yet!

-----------------------------------

This week, I'm going to showcase Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron!
As it's October, I thought it was only appropriate to showcase the most appropriate book for the month and that is this one - Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron, from an abundance of talented writers. I love reading 'seasonal' books and will definitely have to read this around Halloween time!

Under My Hat by by Jonathan Strahan, Neil Gaiman, Holly Black , Garth Nix, Tanith Lee, Jane Yolen, Charles de Lint, Isobelle Carmody , Patricia A. McKillip

Paperback, 432 pages

Expected Publication 4th October 2013 by Hot Key Books

A stellar cast of acclaimed fantasy writers weave spellbinding tales that bring the world of witches to life. Boasting over 70 awards between them, including a Newberry medal, five Hugo Awards and a Carnegie Medal, authors including Neil Gaiman, Garth Nix and Holly Black delve into the realms of magic to explore all things witchy.

That Burning Summer

That Burning Summer by Lydia Syson

Paperback pages

Expected Publication 3rd October by Hot Key Books

Shelves: arc-or-review, better-than-expected, books-i-own, cover-appeal, historical, read, read-in-2013, realistic-fiction, ww2, young-adult

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

Romney Marsh, July 1940. When invasion threatens, you have to grow up quickly. Sixteen-year-old Peggy has been putting on a brave face since the fall of France, but now the enemy is overhead, and the rules are changing all the time. Staying on the right side of the law proves harder than she expects when a plane crash-lands in the Marsh: it's Peggy who finds its pathetic, broken pilot; a young Polish man, Henryk, who stays hidden in a remote church, secretly cared for by Peggy. As something more blossoms between the two, Peggy's brother Ernest's curiosity peaks and other secrets come to light, forcing Peggy and Henryk to question all the loyalties and beliefs they thought they held dear.

In one extraordinary summer the lives of two young people will change forever, in a tense and gripping historical drama from Lydia Syson, the author of the acclaimed A WORLD BETWEEN US.

Okay, first thing first - that cover! Yes, I completely unashamedly fell for the gorgeous vintage-style cover of That Burning Summer before I knew what the book was even about (though the contents are portrayed pretty well on the cover, actually). I am so glad that That Burning Summer caught my eye after finding out it was set in England during World War Two, I picked it up and absolutely devoured it.

That Burning Summer is set in rural England during the Second World War. We are introduced to Peggy, a sixteen year old, who one day, during her daily chores, stumbles across someone who she does not expect to meet - a young Polish pilot named Henryk. Neither are sure whether or not to trust each other, but they do begin to bond until Ernest, Peggy's younger brother, finds Henryk and becomes suspicious. Not only are there obvious difficulties with knowing who to trust or not during a war, we also sometimes have to wonder whether one family member can trust the family member as there are is also an interesting subplot regarding Peggy and Ernest's father. I believe that the main focus of the story is intended to be the gradual building relationship between Peggy and Henryk, but there felt like there was a lot more to think about or to consider if you weren't actually interested in 'romance'.

Due to the historical setting of the book, it is clear that this is also a big feature of the book, perhaps more so than anything else. It is very apparent that the author, Lydia Syson, has taken a lot of time and care when writing this book, and I really appreciated that, it was great to be reading and to be learning at the same time. I can't say that I knew much about the roles of the Polish in our RAF services during the war, so it was good to be enlightened! Though I did learn a few new things and appreciated the facts that I already knew, I liked how the information was shared - I never once felt like I was being filled full of facts, and I was never bored!

What I loved most about this book was the ease of reading - it was just so lovely to read. I can imagine that this would be great to read in one sitting or as slowly as you like, there is something about it that is so relaxing. To me, it felt like it would have made a fantastic sunday night drama on the TV - an enthralling story with a sweet ending. I really enjoyed this relaxing read and I hope that many others will do too, whether they are older children, young adults or adults. I will definitely be looking out for more books by Syson.