Signing recap: Stephanie Perkins in Manila!

One of my most anticipated signings this year, Stephanie Perkins, author of one of my favorite books (Anna and the French Kiss) arrived in Manila as the next hot author in a string of fabulous, amazing author line-up for this year. And of course, who am I to pass this once in a lifetime chance to see her?

Photo courtesy of Kate of The Bookaholic Blurbs!

My morning was an adventure of sorts. I live close by, but I still got to the venue a little late because I had to fetch a few blogger friends! I love the night and the morning before signings... there's always this low level buzz that turns into something that keeps us up all night because of the anticipation and excitement at the prospect of meeting an author we idolize and adore, and in this case? That's Stephanie Perkins.

Stephanie answering questions!

I wasn't there the moment she arrived, but there's still this shock factor when I saw her face to face, up close. It took a while to sink in: Stephanie Perkins is in front of me, speaking, smiling, talking, answering questions. I was star struck!

As always, I was lucky enough to ask Stephanie a question, and it was:

To Steph: where did all the love, romance and swoony moments from your books came from? Where do you get your inspiration for writing such swoon worthy, romantic, heart warming stories and characters?

The biggest part was certainly her husband, Jarrod.

Steph met him when she was 17. She draws a lot of inspiration from her own life. She also draw inspiration from television, movies, books that make her swoon and get her excited. For Steph, it's all about trying recapture those moments. When Steph writes swoon worthy romantic scenes, she gets to relive them, relive in that moment, and so she tries to get those moments on to the page the best that she can. It's her wanting to feel those warm, fuzzy feelings again and again, to get that in fresh ways. Steph is a people watcher/observer, and so when she sees a couple's sweet moments, even the tiniest things, she tries to blow that tiny little moment and make it into a huge thing.

A quick rundown of the Q&A:

- Stephanie wasn't expecting Anna and the French Kiss to be such a hit. There wasn't a lot of marketing done for her book and that time, what's big are paranormal books. But Gayle Forman and John Green's books came out, and with it the publicity for contemporary YA, so she's eternally grateful to both authors. *
- Stephanie gave some quick tips to a blogger who is going to Paris about places she can visit while she was there. She talked about this arena in the middle of the city that isn't very popular with the tourists, but worth a visit!
- When asked if Etienne was patterned after anyone, personality or appearance wise, she said yes. Stephanie patterned him after two actors, height and confidence based. The gist: short actors who had overflowing confidence, those who are short but act tall! (Confidently short!) A lot of Etienne is also based on Steph's husband, Jarrod.
- A lot of the male characters in Steph's books had a part modeled after her husband, Jarrod, not just Etienne!
- What's crucial in Steph's books is that the characters are friends first before they had a deeper relationship, and she pulled all of that from her friendship with her husband.
- Anna and the French Kiss a NanoWrimo book. It took Steph 7 years to finish writing it. *
- Steph likes horror! Yep. If you check her website, she has an upcoming book that comes out in 2015. It's a contemporary horror, based on real life horror story and not supernatural influenced. Her biggest inspiration in writing horror stories is Stephen King. *
- When asked if one of Steph's characters were to walk into the Q&A, who would it be and what will they say, she said it will probably be Isla and Josh, as they're both very good readers. They'd probably keep to themselves since they're both very private and they'll probably be hanging out in the graphic novel section. *

* Thanks to Kayla of the Bookish Owl, Precious of Fragments of Life and Chyna of Lite Rate Ture for some of the points in the run down!

I still got to hang out with some of my blogger friends, and it's not a book signing day without us snapping photos of each other! Check it out! To our surprise, we were told that we'll be getting advanced reading copies of Isla and the Happily Ever After. If you were there, you would've seen our reaction. Yep, lots of gasping and screaming!

(Photo courtesy of Kate at The Bookaholic Blurbs!)

Also, Stephanie Perkins' husband, Jarrod, was so adorable! We approached him and asked him to sign Steph's books and he was okay with it! And yes, that's him holding a sign with the Filipino translation of "Anna and the French Kiss".

At the public signing, Stephanie signed more than a thousand books! Her husband, Jarrod, also had his own table set up and he was also signing books!

Steph greeting her fans! (Photo grabbed from Sab the Book Eater)

664 last number. No breaks. No snacks. No dinner. All personalized. Hugs. Conversations. Interactions. YOU ARE EXTRAORDINARY @naturallysteph
— JB Roperos (@itsjbroperos) July 6, 2014

I had to leave early, but I can wholeheartedly say that I had fun! What can I say? Another awesome event, National Bookstore, well done!

As a special bonus, watch Stephanie giving a message to her Filipino readers and fans below. Yep, she was amazing, funny, bubbly, talkative and she's just... wow. Awesome? I've ran out of words to describe her!

The awesomeness continues: 2 new YA Book signings this June and July!

It's a good year to be a Filipino Young Adult bookworm.

After the success of the triple powerhouse signing last April, National Bookstore is bringing two more AMAZING authors for their June and July signings! Who, you ask? Why the bestselling authors Jenny Han and Stephanie Perkins! How's that for AMAZING June and July?

JENNY HAN EVENT PAGE

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where are the book signings?
June 21, 2:00 pm, at National Book Store, Glorietta 1
June 22, 2:00 pm, at National Book Store, SM Cebu

When will the registration be?
Registration opens at 10:00 am on June 21 at National Book Store, Glorietta 1 and 10:00 am on June 22 at National Book Store, SM Cebu (in the store, NOT the events area). Each guest will be asked to fill out the registration form upon arrival. Separate registrations for each event is required should you wish to attend both events. First come, first served.

Is there a registration fee?
No. There is no registration fee.

How many books can I have signed? Is there a limit as to how many people can have their books signed?
You may have any number of books signed as long as they were purchased from National Book Store, Bestsellers or Powerbooks, and we do not have any preset limit as to the number of people.
However, although we will take every effort to get as many books signed as possible, depending on the number of attendees, we reserve the right to limit the number of copies per person or limit the number of people in line. First come, first served.

Can I bring old books or other editions of the books?
Yes, as long as the books were purchased from National Book Store, Bestsellers and Powerbooks.

Do I need to buy on-site?
No. You can buy books before or during the event.

Can I have other items signed?
No. Only books will be allowed to be signed by the authors.

Can we have our photo taken with the author?
Yes, you can have your photo with the author when she signs your book. However, we strictly allow one photo per person only.

How much are the books?
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (Trade Paperback – P395)
The Summer I Turned Pretty (Trade Paperback – P349)
It's Not Summer Without You (Trade Paperback – P349)
We'll Always Have Summer (Trade Paperback – P349)
The Complete Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy Boxed Set (Trade Paperback – P1,079)
Burn for Burn (Trade Paperback – P385)
Fire With Fire (Trade Paperback – P385)

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STEPHANIE PERKINS EVENT PAGE

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where are the book signings?
July 5, 1:00 pm, at National Book Store, SM Cebu
July 6, 2:00 pm, at National Book Store, Glorietta 1

When will the registration be?
Registration opens at 10:00 am on July 5 at National Book Store, SM Cebu (in the store, NOT the events area) and 10:00 am on July 6 at National Book Store, Glorietta 1. Each guest will be asked to fill out the registration form upon arrival. Separate registrations for each event is required should you wish to attend both events. First come, first served.

Is there a registration fee?
No. There is no registration fee.

How many books can I have signed? Is there a limit as to how many people can have their books signed?
You may have any number of books signed as long as they were purchased from National Book Store, Bestsellers or Powerbooks, and we do not have any preset limit as to the number of people.

However, although we will take every effort to get as many books signed as possible, depending on the number of attendees, we reserve the right to limit the number of copies per person or limit the number of people in line. First come, first served.

Can I bring old books or other editions of the books?
Yes, as long as the books were purchased from National Book Store, Bestsellers and Powerbooks.

Do I need to buy on-site?
No. You can buy books before or during the event.

Can I have other items signed?
No. Only books will be allowed to be signed by the authors.

Can we have our photo taken with the author?
Yes, you can have your photo with the author when she signs your book. However, we strictly allow one photo per person only.

How much are the books?
Anna and the French Kiss (Trade Paperback – P349)
Lola and the Boy Next Door (Trade Paperback – P349)
Isla and the Happily Ever After (will be released in August 14)

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So who's excited for these signings? I am! I'd love to meet other readers, book bloggers and book lovers, so if you're going, let me know!

And for anyone who's tweeting about both events, please use the hashtags #JennyHaninPH and #StephaniePerkinsinPH! Let's have these hashtags trend!

Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Stephanie Perkins, you have done it again!

If you think Anna and the French Kiss is fabulous, then you'd be delighted to know that Lola does not disappoint!

Title: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
Pages: 338
Release Date: October 3rd 2011 (AU) / September 29th 2011 (US)
Published by: Dutton
Source: Publisher (Thank you, Tina!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary (from Goodreads):

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Lola and the Boy Next Door has all the familiar Stephanie Perkins style we have all come to love. The magic of her writing, I have to say, is still there. But I am pleasantly surprised to find out that Lola has something to offer that is not in Anna. It's like two worlds colliding and having this two completely different story lines meshing together. Yes, the lovely French boy and the film geek is back, and they play a big part in Lola and Cricket's story.

Two years ago, Lola fell hard for her next door neighbor, Cricket. Two years ago she also had her heart broken, and just when Lola thought her life was going smooth, Cricket comes back along with the ghost of the past. But Lola's different now, right? She's got a cool rocker boyfriend, Max, whose way older than she is, and the Bell twins arriving next door shouldn't bother her. So why is Lola afraid of letting the Bell twins come back into her life now? And why does Cricket seem so different yet so familiar?

Lola's family is so dysfunctional! Dysfunctional, but perfectly normal. She has two fathers, and she's proud of having Nathan and Andy in her life. They're gay, but they're the best parents one can have. I think nothing about Lola or her life is typical, but despite all of that she came out as this unique, intriguing person with such a strong appeal.

I didn't know it would be possible to love the whole book so much and not be a fan of the protagonist. Lola wasn't the best role model there is out there, and I often find myself disagreeing with a lot of her decisions in life, but that didn't stop me from adoring her a little bit. Lola is a very complex character, with a lot of issues. But she's got a lot of spunk, like a younger version of Lady Gaga. She expresses herself through dressing up, she's creative, oftentimes adorable even. But Lola is painfully crappy at one aspect of her life: Love. Max is one walking disaster she should have seen a mile away. And I have such a thing for pining for the underdog, the other guy, which is Cricket.

Cricket, on the other hand, is a different story. It was painful to read about him. He's this genuinely nice guy, maybe too nice to the point that he just get stepped on and took advantage of by everyone because they knew they'd get away with it. Cricket's life and along with his family revolved around his twin sister's dream. The Bell siblings are all talented, but Calliope is exceptional. Cricket thinks he's not. He's the type of person who sees the good things in everyone except for himself. I think I agree with Lola in her assumption that Cricket is too good for her. But love is anything but perfect, and whatever Lola lacked, Cricket compliments, and vice versa. It just felt so unfair at times about how Lola seems all confused with her feelings, leading Cricket on and Cricket has to suffer all the time. It doesn't help that he's also painfully shy and naive, most of the time. But Cricket Bell is a guy who is attractive for all the unusual reasons. Lanky, extremely tall, has a penchant for wearing striped pants and yet so achingly attractive!

Lola and the Boy Next Door just seem to have it all. Quirky characters, as evident with Lindsey, Lola's wanna be detective best friend, the best gay parents in the world, a homeless mother who isn't as heartless as Lola thought she is, jealous twin sisters, tons of great and not so great childhood memories, sparkly dresses, automatons, loud music and a heart warming, fantastic story.

Stephanie Perkins has a knack for torturing her readers with such a complicated and difficult love story. It's a wild, excruciating roller coaster of emotions, frustrations, misunderstandings, and making tough decisions before finally seeing the light and getting your own happy ending. Love isn't easy, and the journey to happiness is rough, with bumps and twists and bents along the way, and Stephanie Perkins wrote about that in such exquisite fashion. Exquisite, I tell you! Peppered with her trademark hilarity and heart melting, breath taking moments, Lola breaks the curse of second novel flops. It's just as good as Anna, and it reminds us of every single thing we loved about Stephanie's writing.

Now all we have to do is wait for Isla and the Happily Ever After!

Content (plot, story flow, character):
SWOON WORTHY!

Stunning: Worthy of a Goddess' Praise!

Book Cover:

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Have you ever read a book where it just sweeps you off your feet and you realize you're not even past page 20? No? Try reading Anna and the French Kiss and you'll see what I mean.

Title: Anna and the French Kiss Author: Stephanie Perkins
Pages: 372
Release Date: December 2, 2010
Published by: Dutton
Source: Borrowed (thanks Tina!)
Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Summary:

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna—and readers—have long awaited?

Anna, our seventeen year old protagonist, has been shipped to a boarding school in France, specifically in Paris, which everyone knows is the most romantic city in the world. But Anna has a life in Atlanta, friends to leave, including a POTENTIAL love life, and she hates her father for sending her away, alone, for one year, in a foreign land, just so her dad can brag about his "money" and status to his friends. But Anna's sucky life in Paris had an interesting turn when she met Etienne, and the year she thought would be the worse of her life turned out to be the one she will never forget. Because Etienne, as it turns out, is the one guy she can never have.

I don't know where to begin telling you the things I love about Anna and the French Kiss. From page one, I was able to relate to the story. I know the feeling of being left alone in an unfamiliar country, barely speaking the language, and being stuck there for one whole year. Anna and I just clicked, because at some point in my life, I WAS HER, and she didn't let go of my heart until I turned to the last page.

Anna has every single familiar thing we can all relate to. I'm sure we all have our own Bridgette, that one friend who can cheer us on when we think the world can't get any worse. Our own Meredith. Our own Rashmi, who I learned to love. She's a great friend, not too emotional, but someone who can knock some good sense to you when you need it. Our own Josh, that one male friend who we can all rely to when things get tough. And our own Etienne, of course.

And I am not ashamed to say this, but the only other "person" who I have rooted for, screamed for, fangirled for this much was ASH of The Iron King. Etienne is not a fairy, nor is he a Prince, but he's just that someone close to reality, that one you wish is THE ONE. For a lot of us, Etienne is the epitome of that one ideal person we'd want to fall in love with. I am so glad that Etienne's character felt real. He wasn't perfect, heck, his life is one big mess. Etienne is not your typical tall, dark and handsome boy who is a usual staple in YA novel. He's that eighteen year old boy, short, with fantastic accent, and despite his obvious popularity, is plagued with the same insecurities as everyone else. He's afraid of change, like everyone is! The conflicts and the ups and downs he experiences made Etienne a flawed, but very believable guy.

Anna is just fantastic. This confused, OC teenage girl, homesick and alone, who tends to overthink and over analyze anything and everything. I can't remember when I've laughed so much because of a female lead. Anna is hilarious!

Anna captured perfectly a teenager's life in that one year in Paris, her struggle in life and in love.

Anna and The French Kiss has everything, drama, a healthy dose of comedy, overflowing with romance, and filled with lessons we can all learn, teenager or not, kids and adults alike, all set in one of the most fascinating, beautiful and romantic place in the world. So if you're looking for a contemporary YA novel, you don't need to search too far! This is one of the best contemporary stories I've ever read.

If you're not yet in love with Paris, Stephanie's descriptions of the city will make you love it! I wanted to pack my bags right away. If only I can!

If I can give Anna and the French Kiss 10 butterfly ratings, a hundred, maybe more, I will in a heartbeat! I only have 5, the maximum, but it far exceeds my qualifications for a mind-blowing book!

My rating

Content (plot, story flow, character):

Stunning: Worthy of a Goddess' Praise!

Book Cover:

Don't you just love the Eiffel Tower as the backdrop? I do!