Fierce Fangirl Fridays: Contemporary Books

Fierce Fangirl Fridays are put on by the wonderful and lovely Jackie @ Too Much of a Booknerd. If you’re not following her already, seriously, go do it, because she’s amazing. Now, what is Fierce Fangirl Fridays? Basically, it’s where you fangirl/boy over anything – that’s right, each week you pick a different thing you’re fangirling about the moment and JUST RUN FREE WITH THE FEELS. Only rule? Just pingback to her post here! It’s so easy that it hurts. 😄

This week I will be fangirling about…

Contemporary Books!

So, I’ve talked about it on the blog before – give me a good cheesy book full of adorableness, swoons, and ships and I’m sold. There is nothing quite like a contemporary – either people love them or hate them, but me? It seems to reduce me to a state of fangirling that doesn’t usually happen outside of the contemporary genre. It’s basically, THEY’RE SO CUTE and OMG I CAN’T HANDLE THE FEELLLLLLLLLLLLSSSSSSS and I. CAN’T. EVEN.

This month, I decided that I would make it my mission to read as many contemporaries as I could – June is the start of summer in the U.S. and contemporaries are basically the books of summer. Plus, after a rash of serious, intense books, I just wanted to read a book full of hearts and cuteness and happiness.

AND GALS AND GUYS, IT WORKED. Do you know what I love best about contemporaries? The way that it makes you feel. If a contemporary book is done right, you should be FEELING something. Happiness, hurt, like your heart is being ripped out of your chest (oh, erm, not as fun but, you know, eh), contentment, SOMETHING. You connect with the characters on another level, and most of the time, it doesn’t matter what the plot is, it’s about the characters  and their journey and their ship and their life and their hearts and OMIGOSH THEIR FEELS.

Recently, I just finished Saints and Misfits and Eliza and Her Monsters, and they both reminded me why I keep coming back to contemporary – no, they weren’t the fluffy, adorably cheesy books that I gravitated to. And yes, I totally picked them up because I was obsessed with their covers. But they made me feel things. A lot of things. Eliza and Her Monsters actually made me shed a possible single tear (it’s unconfirmed yet) – and you know I’m a soulless, heartless book reader that never cries over books (yet has a breakdown over a McDonalds chicken nuggets commercial – it was really cute, okay?). They bring out a side of contemporary that isn’t just about a good swoon or romance – it’s about what makes us human and falling in love with a character and their journey.

I’m still a mess of feels over Eliza, and thanks to that book, I’m just in a mood where I literally just want to read all the books. I forget how reading a good book can just get you back to the point where all you want to do with your life is sit and read books because you’re at that level of obsession.

So, thank you, contemporary books. This was my Fangirl Friday ode to you (I’m pretty sure I stole some of these lines from Shakespeare or something).

What do you think? Do you love contemporary books? What are you fangirling/fanboying over this week? Let’s discuss in the comments below!