Paper Pizza: fangirling

10 Romantic Reads That Will Leave You Squealing For More + PRETTY BOOKISH PHOTOS

4:46 PM
By Kenzie
9 Comments

I know that Valentine's Day has gone and passed, but is it really over? I think the whole month of February does sort of celebrate this day of love, even if the 14th is no longer here. So, since I am a huge fan of Valentine's Day (chocolate, cards, pizza... what holiday gets better than that??) and I happen to devour romance books, I thought I'd give you all a few recommendations for when you're looking for that special read.

Okay, I'm not going to lie, this post is basically an excuse for me to ramble on and on about some books tHAT NEED MORE LOVE. I've been in a very bookish mood lately so please, indulge me.

Book recommendations that will probably destroy your soul but leave you squealing for more

I'm going to list these from most soul-wracking to this is the cutest book I have ever touched. Or at least try to...

The Dangerous Art of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis

"Maybe I'm not so ugly after all. Maybe no one is really ugly, and maybe no one has the right to call someone that or tell them that they are. Maybe the only real ugliness is what lives inside some people."

I'm putting this first because I'm still on the "book high" for it. I can't even properly form the words on how much I loved this book, so I'm just going to copy and paste my recent review of it because it SUMS UP MY FEELS PERFECTLY.

Initial response: Too much of an emotional mess right now to write a review but allow me to say that EVAN AND HENRY ARE THE CUTEST DARN THINGS IN THE WORLD AND I AM MENTALLY CHUCKING MORE STARS AT THIS BOOK BECAUSE IT DESERVES THEM ALL.

More composed response:

I flipping love this book with all my heart and soul. Okay? I haven't read a book like this since All The Bright Places, which was around this time of year THREE YEARS AGO.

I absolutely fell in love with the characters right away. Evan is an adorable little cinnamon roll and deserves the world. You hear me? He. Deserves. The World. And don't even get me started on Henry. THAT BOY. *sobs over his level of perfection for years and years*

Their relationship is so SO good. I don't know how to explain it, but their connection was built so perfectly... in a way that didn't make it seem like the book was just trying to have romance in it. You know? Henry and Evan have been life-long best friends and when Evan comes back from church camp, Henry is basically like:

"lol y did u leave me i road my bike passed your house everyday lol i think this girl likes you, ev. lol ev, i know she likes you. do you like her? say no, ev. tell me you like me because i like you. as a friend. (not really because i'm gay. for you. and only you.)"

And meanwhile, all Evan can think about is:

"When did Henry get so hot?"

But that's not even the best/most important part of their relationship. Evan is in an abusive household and it's a really, really difficult situation to be in. Henry doesn't know that Evan's mother is abusive, but he slowly begins to piece it together. What I love is that Henry doesn't want to "save" Evan, he wants to help him. Because, realistically, Evan is really the only person who can save himself from this type of abuse and Henry is just... UGH. He is so supportive and caring and sweet and DID SOMEONE SAY THANKSGIVING? *sobs even more*

And what I love even more about this book was that the author, Angelo (I LOVE YOU), put so many personal emotions into this. Like, everything felt so real while I was reading it. I felt all the things Evan was feeling and that's something I really love when it comes to reading a book. It was just so raw and it discussed issues that nobody even talks about... And the fact that this was also based on Angelo's personal story made it even more beautiful.

So, yeah. I WANT TO WRAP THIS BOOK UP IN A FUZZY BLANKET AND TIE IT TO MY BACK AND NEVER LET GO. (aka: I LOVE THIS BOOK AND I NEED MORE FROM ANGELO. <3)

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

"My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations."

Yeah, you've heard of this book. And yeah, you've probably read it... But it is worth mentioning so imma just leave it right here. Okay? Okay. (See what I did there? *laughs turn into ugly sobs*)

It's my favorite John Green book aside from Turtles All The Way Down. I didn't enjoy Looking For Alaska or Paper Towns (not including the road trip part because that was MY FAVE) as much as some people. I used to think I was the only one but now I've been hearing similar opinions? Oh well, John Green is still a mastermind.

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

"You are all the colors in one at full brightness."

DON'T LET THE ADORABLE PASTEL COVER FOOL YOU! This book ripped apart my soul and threw it into the streets to be run over by a gigantic monster truck. Here, read it. *shoves tear-stained book at you*

I know a lot of people think that this book is "romanticizing" mental illness but I beg to differ. This book is about two teens, Violet and Finch, who meet at the top of their school's bell tower and eventually fall in love. Violet is suffering the loss of her sister at the time but Finch has something deeper going on that nobody really puts much thought into. So, I just want to say that this book is about two people who have mental illness and fall in love. They do not fall in love BECAUSE they have mental illness (which, to me, would be when the whole "romanticizing mental illness" comes into play). Also, if I may add, Finch was never properly diagnosed with his mental illness, so it's not like Violet knew of his disorder right away.

Anywho. THESE ARE MY BABIES AND I WILL FIGHT YOU IF YOU HURT THEM. GRRR. (I'm just kidding. I respect everyone's opinions and I love hearing what you think. So please read this book. It is beautiful and sad and asdfghjkl. It wasn't until the author's note did I cry because words like "this was based on a story of a boy I knew and loved" reaLLY KNOW HOW TO KNOCK ME IN THE FEELS.)

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

"He made her feel like more than the sum of her parts."

I read this book in two sittings and such a long time ago... but it'll always be one of my all-time favorites. It takes place in the 80s which I THINK IS SO COOL. It's about two "misfits" who find liking in each other. Eleanor lives in a dysfunctional household and she's not really the noticeable person at school, but Park finds a liking in her and they end up exchanging comics and music and ASDFGHJKL- SUCH AN ADORABLE LOVE STORY. I cry for days.

I really need to read it again because It's been so long and my memory can only recall the moment when Park wore eyeliner.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

"You only get one life. It's actually your duty to live it as fully as possible."

THIS! BOOK! Can we talk about how ethically thought-provoking it was? I honestly did not expect to love this book as much as I did. The way it was written made me feel cozy, you know? I actually won it in a goodreads giveaway right around the time when the movie came out and LET ME TELL YOU, MISTER- IT WAS AMAZING. I'm fairly certain I cried? I can't remember because the emotional trauma was just too much. Oh! And the movie is just as amazing. You should definitely watch it. The actors are top notch. (Do I sound like an official Brit? Yes? No? Just lie to me, I want to be British.)

So, if you want a book that makes you laugh, cry, and think about life then this is the book for you.

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

"The universe stops and waits for us."

BRO. This book is so good. I honestly didn't think I was going to love it as much as I did? Which says a lot considering how much I adored Everything, Everything. Nonetheless, I feel as though this book deserves more recognition. I mean, I know it's in the works of becoming a movie (YES) but the way it was written... it was so creative. The story's events all take place in one day, which is something I don't typically enjoy but THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD, I DIDN'T MIND.

The book centers around Natasha who is trying to help her family from getting deported back to Jamaica. During her day roaming around NYC she meets Daniel who comes from a strict Korean family. He dreams of becoming a poet and unlike Natasha, he is a hopeless romantic.

Their relationship is so good, you guys. I know that it would be considered "insta-lovey" since the book takes place all in one day BUT IT DIDN'T FEEL THAT WAY. Plus, the book also shows the point of view of the people Daniel and Natasha encounter through their day.

I don't know, I just feel like if you didn't enjoy Everything, Everything like I did, you will absolutely devour this one.

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

"hehe. nice."

*giggles* Yes, of course I am going to put this book on the list... I can't help it! Nicola Yoon is now one of my favorite authors. <3-<3 Her creativity just captivates me!

I won't say much about this book since you all have probably heard a lot about it BUT THIS BOOK IS THE CUTEST THING EVER AND I LOVE IT SO MUCH. It makes you believe in love and want to take risks. Y'all should have seen me while reading Olly and Maddy's IMs. I couldn't stop giggling and smiling. AND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE MOVIE (perfection).

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

"Baz... Y-you're wearing jeans."

"I am. And you're wearing half the countryside."

If you know me or have briefly encountered my awkward presence on the internet, then you probably know I will never ever shut up about this book.

Let's break it down, shall we?

Gay Harry Potter Fanfic + Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell = Carry On

You know how when someone asks you "lol what's your favorite book?" and you just kinda black out because WHAT KIND OF EVIL QUESTION IS THAT?! Well, this is the book that always pops into my mind first. Don't get me wrong, I love alllllllll my babies... But there's something about this book that makes me want to jump off walls and cry from happiness.

Th sass in this book is so real. We have clueless Simon who is "The Chosen One" and is always thinking about scones, and then we have Baz who doesn't know how to deal with his feelings so he pushes Simon down the stairs. (They're such beans.)

It's a fantasy novel written by a contemporary author. NOTHING GETS BETTER THAN THAT. So, please, please, PLEASE READ THIS BOOK FOR ME. I am begging you here.

To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

"'Is this your feller?'

'No, not really,' I say, and Peter throws his arm around my shoulder and says,

'Yes, sir. I'm her feller.'"

When I first started reading this book, I thought it was going to be childish... BUT BOY, WAS I WRONG. It says it's about a girl who writes love letters to all her past crushes and they accidentally get mailed out BUT THAT'S NOT EVEN THE START OF IT. She (Lara Jean) agrees to "pretend date" this boy (Peter Kavinsky) so that her current crush doesn't find out her true feelings... *bursts into a fit of girly giggles* And it's just so good. Peter and Lara Jean's sarcastic banter is literally the best thing ever.

I will never ever get over this book.

It's actually a trilogy. I read the second book thinking it was the last one and I was soooo upset because of how everything was going, but then JENNY HAN CAME OUT WITH A THIRD AND YES. I cried like a baby reading the third book. #noshamehere

It's just one of those books that will leave you squealing forever and make you the happiest person in the world.

Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

"I try not to change, but I keep changing, in all these tiny ways... And every freaking time, I have to reintroduce myself to the universe all over again."

I am sooo not smiling stupidly at my laptop as I think about this book. Why would I do that? It's not like this book plastered an everlasting grin on my face and now people mistake me for the joker.

But for real.

This book was like the king of "cutest books in the history of books". Simon is one of the most adorable characters I have ever read, and I just adored his whole mindset. Of course, the book centers around Simon who is dealing with the whole "coming out" situation. He doesn't really know how to go about it, but he discovers that another boy from his school is going through the same situation, so they start talking to each other under fake names.

I am such a sucker for "we met online so we've never been in each other's physical presence before" type of romances. So, my favorite part was when we FINALLY got to figure out who Blue was.

So, if y'all wanna look like me (aka the joker) please read this book. I promise you won't regret it.

TALK TO ME!

Wow. This was a really long post... but I couldn't help it! Once I get started on talking about books there is no stopping me. Mwuhahahaha! SO, TELL ME; WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE ROMANTIC READS? ANY THAT MAKE YOU SMILE STUPIDLY AND GIGGLE LIKE CRAZY?? Any that I forgot to add to this list? Lemme know, friend.

xx Kenzie

P.S. If you click on some of the titles of the books, you'll see my aesthetic boards for them. ;)

2015

An Author's Assistant For A Day

9:22 PM
By Kenzie
4 Comments

On May 16th, 2015, my sister and I had to privilege to join our Teen Book Festival as volunteers. This was our first time volunteering at the event, and our second time attending it, so I was pretty new to how things went down at this book lover extravaganza.

Anywho, each volunteer (and there were a lot) was assigned a certain shift. My sister and I luckily got the same shift as an author’s assistant. Can you guess which author we got? If you haven’t seen my Instagram post, I was the author of All The Bright Places, Jennifer Niven’s assistant!

Now, if you haven’t read All The Bright Places this post may or may not be as meaningful to those who have read it- it’s a really sad book. That’s all I’m gonna say. So, I might be suggesting that you go read the book even after you’ve read this post, to know why I mention the words “hugging” and “crying”. Mkay?

I’m going to be going through the whole day with you, from start to finish, to show you exactly what it was like to be around authors, young writers, and crazy book fans. A few days before the event, my sister and I attended a mandatory meeting to go over what we would be doing at the event. I got really nervous because I was afraid I was going to forget where to go because I’m not very good at directions. o.O So, here is the day of the event:

( but first, my name tag I got to wear all day. *sighs* I've always wanted one of those. )

7:00am:

I wake up but laid in my bed for about fifteen more minutes to try and soak up as much sleep as possible. However, that was not possible so instead I decide to get up and get ready.

I was supposed to be at the college where the festival was held at around 8, but there were still people showing up at 8:30.

9:00am:

We wait outside for the authors to arrive in a bus or on an old firetruck (at least, that’s what I think it was). A marching band escorts the authors to the “red carpet” where they enter the building and walk into a room where there is, like, a walk of fame? Basically, it was a walkway made of gold stars with the authors’ names on them. Like this one:

( I stole this from Jennifer. Hehe. )

After that, we met Jennifer Niven for breakfast where we talked about One Direction, Paper Towns, and the movie for All The Bright Places ( *squeals and whispers* we got an exclusive look at who might play Finch! >.< Spoiler Hint: Elle Fanning is playing Violet. ).

( Hehe, here's a super sneaky, extra stalker-ish picture I took of Jennifer before we ate. >:D )

It was so awesome. I kept exchanging looks from the other volunteer we were paired up with, as if to say “is this real?”.

Once breakfast was over with, and all the authors got their goodie bags, we all gathered in the gym for a “Truth or Talent”- where all the authors either performed a talent (there were some cool/odd ones) or tell a truth (which was quite humorous).

Someone even got their head shaved! They even started throwing the hair around... O.o

There were a lot of authors there, including two or three teen authors. The ones that were there, who I was semi-familiar with were:

Sarah Dessen ( I bumped into her while we waiting in line and exchanged a few words, but I wasn’t able to get my book ( The Truth About Forever ) signed. She was wearing a very lovely dress though, I should have asked her where she got it from... Acordding to her ‘truth’, she was actually a pretty bad girl in high school. o.O )

( ^ wasn't her dress super cute?!? )

Gayle Forman ( She wrote If I Stay, which I just finished a couple days before the event- I was able to meet her and get it signed after my poor siblings were waiting in line for ages! It was worth it though. However, I wasn’t able to tell her that I liked her book. She did ask if I was the first out of my sisters to read it, and I was. *whispers* She’s super cool guys. )

( ^ so jealous of both of those writers, getting to sit next to each other. -.- (too much awesomeness) )

Ally Condie ( she wrote the Matched trilogy, and it turns out she is from close to where I live! I wasn’t able to meet her or get my books signed by her either. Maybe next year! )

( ^ she is the one in the back with the blue shirt on. I apologize for the quality. I took the pictures on my phone and I was further away from the stage. )

Jessica Brody ( she wrote 52 Reasons to Hate My Father, which I haven’t read... but she’s a huge One Direction fan guys. Plus, for her talent, she referred to the Spice Girls as One Direction but with yells then continued on with rapping a Spice Girls song. Man, I gotta read her book now. )
Ellen Hopkins ( She wrote Rumble - haven’t read that, yet. )
A. S. King ( she wrote Ask The Passengers which has been on my tbr list for a while now. >.< I heard she's a really cool person, and seems like it. So, maybe I will work with her next year- if Jennifer isn't there. )
Jo Knowles ( she wrote Read Between the Lines - which I keep seeing at Barnes and Noble. So, I'm kinda interested...)
Katie McGarry ( she wrote the Pushing the Limits series, which I have not read yet but heard good things about. Her ‘truth’ was really funny. Apparently she fainted while giving speech in class, hit her head, fell to floor, and all right in front of her crush. o.O )

( ^ hehe, here she is giving her 'truth', as you can see by her facial expression. )

Goodness, this is getting really long. I better skip on over to when we start talking about the book, All The Bright Places.

So, each author had three sessions where they talk about their book, writing, and answer questions.

The first session wasn’t as big as the next two, but it was still amazing! There were so many cool fans, and one girl brought artwork with her- which was lovely. We talked about the movie and about Finch- who is actually based off a real person Jennifer Niven knew and loved. Actually- and here’s the best part- the boy’s uncle was there with us that day! He was so nice and talked to my sister and I the whole time. He showed us a picture of the boy who was based off of Finch. Like I said, you’re probably thinking “oh, cool” if you haven’t read the book, but if you had, you’re probably thinking “OHMYGOSHISTHISEVENREAL!?!?” just like I was.

There were some tears that went around, and at the end of the session there was a lot of hugging. It was so nice and comforting, and I think everyone made a couple new friends- all thanks to this book. :)
Jennifer talked about her other books, which were a series and more in the adult genre. She also talked about her love for Supernatural and her cat that has thumbs. Oh, and I almost forgot: she talked about her next book she's writing! All The Bright Places was her first YA book, but she signed a contract with Random House to write another YA book. She told us what the title might be and what it'll be about ( eekkkk ). She said that she's written eight chapters so far and it will be about a boy who can't see faces ( like, he can't recognize anyone. Apparently it's real and Brad Pitt has it. That's all I know. ), and a girl who is very visible but feels invisible. I don't know about you, but I want to be the first person to throw my money at the cashier and run with that book. RUN.

After the seconds session was over, we went for lunch- well, all the authors got to eat lunch in this fancy “authors only” room. So my sister and I decided to go get a smoothie. But... the line was too long, so instead we got gourmet philly cheese steak mac & cheese ( wow, that was a mouthful, but... one word: HEAVEN ). Plus, I didn’t want to go far because the festival was held at a big college campus, and I have this fear of getting lost. >.<

We went back to meet Jennifer for the third session- but gosh, the room (it was a classroom) was so warm. .-. Thankfully it cooled down a bit after we opened the windows. I took a lot of videos, but I don't know how to upload them and I'm too lazy to figure that out, so here are a couple pictures:

( ^ Jennifer hugging a fan who came up to my sister and I and gave us a hug- along with the other girl who brought in her artwork. It was very touching. :) As you can see, there is a box of tissues there on the table, which was very useful. )

( ick, I apologize for my sleepy face, but here is an author-to-fangirl selfie (whatever you want to call it ) )

( picture of author + volunteers I stole from Jennifer. You have to admit, we have some pretty awesome selfie taking skills. Am I right? ;) Ugh, I'm pretty sure we had the most fun and the coolest group. XD )

Once le third session was over- and by then I had probably taken over fifty photos on Jennifer’s iPhone and fans’ iPhones/iPods/camera (hehe, I loved being in charge of taking pictures)- we went into the gym where most of the authors were signing- except Gayle Forman and Sarah Dessen. They were signing the the chapel and when I walked out of our classroom, I knew why- there were a TON of people already waiting in line. I tried to get in with the line before it got even bigger, because I did actually want to get my book signed by Gayle Forman. BUT... my other sister and brother were suppose to meet me with my book and get it signed for me, however they were not there yet. So, I’m standing in line, trying to figure out how I’m going to save my (well, my siblings’) spot AND get back to the gym where Jennifer needs me! DUM. DUM. DAHHH... What will happen? Well, apparently I got a little too comfortable with all the awesome book lovers there, I didn’t even think about the rude ones. I asked someone if they could save my spot in line really quick (because at this point my siblings had texted me saying that they were waiting for me to get them), but nooooooo... she gave me the dirtiest look possible and told me that it wasn’t legal? Okay, I know that it’s hard to save someone’s spot in line, but at least she could have said it kindly. You see, I’m the type of person to dwell on these kinds of things so I decided to forget about it and focus on the good parts of the day. Because that was all that mattered, right?

( Gayle Forman and my other sister- I don't know if you can tell but she was very impatient that day. My sister not the author. >.< )

By the time I got back to the gym, it was already really crowded. I had to sure that everyone in line had a post-it note with their name on it so everything can move a bit faster. I also too loads of pictures on Jennifer’s phone ( which had an epic All The Bright Places phone case on it. #jealous ), and she posted a lot of them on her website/ social media sites.

( yet another selfie I took in the gym. *apologizes for the bad face day* )

Sadly, I had to leave a bit early. But before we left, we had Jennifer sign our book while we signed her’s. Then we exchanged quick hugs and left. It was such an awesome experience and totally worth it! I hope to go next year and hopefully Jennifer will be able to make it. She was a total fangirl and a very fun person to talk to. It was like you were already friends. She'll definitely be my favorite author forever. <3

( ^ sweet book swag Jennifer was giving out- all except the pin with her face on it. )

Alright, I think that is about it. Thank you all so much for reading. <3 I'm sorry it was so long, I hope you didn't get bored. It's okay if you did, I probably would have too. XD Maybe you can tell me about your author-to-fan experience if you have had one, and if you haven’t, tell me about who you would like to spend the day with.

Again, thanks for reading. <3 I apologize for the low quality photos. >.<

Allegiant

ALLEGIANT

6:20 PM
By Kenzie
13 Comments

•-•

Divergent news // Allegiant // followers

1:39 AM
By Kenzie
11 Comments

Before I begin my post, I'd just like- *looks over at amount of followers* Oh.my.word... Just give me a second to snap back into reality.

*high pitch squealing*

Okay, I think I'm good...for now. •-•

Thank you all so much for my 14 followers. I haven't even started posting yet and I already have 14!! You guys make my day. <3

Now... For all you Divergent fans ( including ME!! ), Veronica Roth finally announced the name of the third book in the Divergent trilogy.

brb. *fangirls in other room*

{ not my photo. }

Ahhhh, I can't tell you how long I have been waiting for this.

For all of you that don't know what Divergent is, here's just a little of what it's about:

"In the distant future, the city of Chicago has divided society into five separate factions, each one meant to uphold a particular virtue of humanity: Abnegation (the selfless), Amity (the peaceful), Candor (the honest), Dauntless (the brave) and Erudite (the intelligent). On a given day each year, all 16-year-olds' must take an aptitude test that tells them which faction they truly belong to. After taking the test, they can decide whether or not to transfer from their faction to a different one for the rest of their lives.

Sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior was born into an Abnegation family, but selflessness has never come naturally to her. She feels lonely and constricted by her environment and feels like she doesn't belong. When the time comes for Beatrice to take her aptitude test, the results are surprising: she doesn't fit neatly into any one faction; rather, she shows equal aptitude for three -- Abnegation, Erudite and Dauntless. She is told she is therefore Divergent and is warned never to share this information with anyone.

On Choosing Day, the day the 16-year-olds make their choice of which faction they will belong to, Beatrice ultimately makes the decision to leave her home faction and join the Dauntless. Beatrice, who then renames herself Tris, and the other new Dauntless transfers must then compete in a grueling initiation that will determine whether they will make the cut to become full-fledged members. As a growing conflict between the factions intensifies, Tris learns the true power -- and danger -- of what it means to be Divergent." { via Wikipedia }

The third book ( Allegiant; meaning, "Loyalty or the obligation of loyalty, as to a nation, sovereign, or cause.") will be released October 22nd of this year.

Currently the 'Divergent' movie is in the making.

Starring...

Shailene Woodley as Tris

Theo James as Tobias\ Four

Kate Winslet as Jeanine Matthews

Zoë Kravitz as Christina

Miles Teller as Peter

and more.

The movie, I believe, is being filmed in Chicago.

As you can tell, I am very excited. I totally recommend these books to all fiction lovers.

Hope you have a wonderful day! :)

{ note: Please comment anything you are interested in for me to post on here. }