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).
I love contemporary like you but fantasy too. In contemporary All the Bright Places, The Serpent King etc. are fantastic books. So yes I love them too😉
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Oooh, I haven’t read those ones yet, but I’ll definitely have to try them out. But fantasy is so epic as well. It’s a hard choice. XD
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I recently found out that John Green is releasing a new book in October and I’m so excited!!! His books are some of my favorite contemporaries. I also love Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta and Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley. ❤
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Ooooh I haven’t read either of them, but I’ll definitely have to add them to the TBR. And I was super shocked by John Green’s announcement but I’m so obsessed with the name already. XD
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OMG right?!?!? It’s such a great title for a book!!
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YES. I know nothing about what it’s about but I don’t care because that title. XD
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I think I’ve read 1 YA contemporary… But it was filled to the brim with feels! That’s What Light by Jay Asher. I want to pick up a Kasie West soon, too. Any suggestions?
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Oooooh, I heard Jay Asher can really master the art of making you feel. I have yet to try one of his, though. And ooooh, okay, I’ve read all of hers and out of them all, I would really recommend PS I Like You (which was my favorite of hers) or By Your Side. Those were my two tops of hers. (If you do ever want to try her non-contemporary, I would super recommend Pivot Point because that was my all time favorite of hers – not mushy feels though XD).
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You know me and contemporary don’t always mesh together, but I cannot deny the intense feels that they bring!. (It’s probably the reason why I avoid them…to much pain!) But lately contemporary books have been calling at me, probably due to the warmer weather! So you might see a couple of contemporaries pop up on my TBR here and there! Awesome post Mandy!
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Yes, but I so get it. XD The feels and pain are quite intense. BUT YES. Summer = contemporaries. But I am super intrigued to see what will pop up…maybe a certain Cinderella retelling? :O And thankies, Rendz!
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I don’t normally pick up contemporaries, but I think they’re great to read in between a fantasy or sci-fi binge. Loved the post though!
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Oooooh, definitely. Allows you to leave the huge world of whatever fantasy or sci-fi, go back to this world to prepare for the next one. XD But thank you, Kyera! ❤
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Great post, I’m not the biggest contemporary fan but I have been reading a lot more lately and they are definitely great for this time of year.
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Yes! Summer is the perfect time for them! 🙂 Thank you!
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Your welcome
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I LOVE contemporaries too! And like you, I read a TON in the summer! They are such feel good books, even when dealing with serious topics, and I love that I can just sit out on my front porch and read a whole contemporary in one sitting while enjoying some fresh air!
I read Eliza & her Monsters this morning and absolutely LOVED it! I almost shed a tear LOL! But seriously, it was a great book. Have you read Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda? If not, I would highly recommend it, it is my favourite contemporary ever!
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Ooooh, that is literally the most perfect spot for them. ❤ You're so right about them – even if they are serious, they really do give you this good feeling. And summer is the perfectttttt time for it.
And YES. Omigosh, it was SO good, and same about the tear. And I haven't, but it's on my list! I super need to get to it now, though! :O
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OMG you must read Simon Vs ASAP! It is amazing
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Ahhhhh, okay, I’m totally scooting it on the July TBR. It’s one of those books I’ve been meaning to for months but it keeps getting lost in the pile. So doing it then with your rec! 😀
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YES woo hoo! Tell me how you like it! Or dm me on twitter while you’re reading it so we can fangirl together!!!
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Yes, I will definitely let you know as soon as I read it. So if you get an all CAPS fangirling message, you will definitely know what it’s about. XD
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YAY! Can’t wait!
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😀 😀 😀
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I love contemporaries too, for all the reasons you mentioned. When they’re good, they are so unbelievably good! I’ll have to look up Eliza to see the book that might have, maybe, caused you to shed one Cry Baby tear.
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Yes and super yesssssssss. When they’re good, they kick you so hard in the feels. But I really recommend, Birdie! I didn’t think it would be as good as it was, but it really took a hold of me.
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I definitely added it to my list of books to read soon!
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Yay! 😀 I definitely think you would enjoy! 🙂
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YAYAYAY!!!! I’m so happy to hear that your month of reading contemporaries has been so wonderful! That is so great to hear. I want to read all four of those books! I ADORE contemporaries lately myself. Like cannot get enough of them lately. You MUST read The Color Project though for real! Definitely my fav contemporary of the year!
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Thank you! I know you can’t with all the book tours and such, I do recommend doing a week or so full of contemporaries because it was so much fun and full of happiness, Krysti. I musttttttttttttttttttttttt. I’mma put it so high up on the TBR. I failed myself on it. XD For you, I totally recommend Eliza. It was sooooooooooo good.
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I would LOVE to! I would actually like to do a “Week of West” and read all of Kasie West’s books, but I was working on my schedule for July and August today, and they’re already pretty dang full. LOL. I cannot wait of you to read that book. I really want to read Eliza! I just got my copy of it actually. Just need to squeeze it in!
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OH NO. D: Poor Krysti’s reading schedule. That would be soooo much fun, though. And it would be super fun and fast. Maybe…September? XD But yessssssssssss. IT IS SO GOOD. And I totally thought, eh, this might take me a while and then next thing I know I was done with it the next day because it just forces you to binge it all.
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I would LOVE to make that happen. I would also love to do a solid week of backlist books at some point this year as well as a week of local author books that I need to catch up on. It’s so hard to schedule that, but I think I can do it? I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! That makes me so happy! 🙂
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Yes! Maybe when it gets closer to fall? I know there is a decent amount in September and such, but maybe a little bit later it will slow down *fingers crossed for Krysti’s TBR* But both of those sound like os much fun.
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Hahaha. I just need to choose to make it happen. It’s totally my own fault. But I can’t not sign up for a blog tour or request an ARC of a book I want still. I need to find that chill we were talking about still…
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Ahahaha. But no, it’s so tempting and I mean, when are you going to get the chance again? But book chill will happen…one day.
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Haha! I hope the book chill will happen one day. But I don’t have high hopes for myself. LOL. 🙂
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Ahahahaha. No, it’s a bit too tempting.
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AHHHHHH YES MANDY! YOUR FANGIRLING IS ON POINT THIS WEEK. I can honestly relate to everything you said — the one thing that I love most about contemporaries is the fact that they make you FEEL. I mean, love me some good plot-driven stories but I ADORE CHARACTER-DRIVEN CONTEMPORARIES. GIVE. ME. MORE.
Gosh, Mandy, this was such a wonderful post! ❤ And I still haven't read Eliza and Her Monsters but now I really really want to *cries*
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Thankies, thankies. XD BUT SO MUCH YES, JACKIE. IT IS SO TRUE. It just takes you to a whole new level of fangirling and love.
But thankies so much, Jackie. I really appreciate it. ❤ And I'm sorry since I know you're on a ban. When you get off it, though, I super recommend. But it hits you in the feels.
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You’re very welcome, Mandy 😊💞 Yessss, that and the Eliza book will be the first two books I’ll buy when my ban is done 😛
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Ahahahahaa. Sounds like a plannnnnnnn. 😀
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