Winger by Andrew Smith Book Review – A Male Perspective

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Hi everyone! So I know I’ve already reviewed Winger by Andrew Smith, and that I’ve talked about it a lot in Tuesday Top Tens and it was this last week’s Fandom Friday, but I wanted to share a little more on it. Maybe you think I’m a little crazy, or biased, or I just need to stop pushing this book on everyone, but I don’t really want to stop. And one of the people that I kept pushing to read it was my boyfriend, and yes, I felt a sort of gratification when he enjoyed it as much as he did. I mean, I had to be like “I told you so!”. You would too. Now to pass along my genius and wonderful taste in books (haha!), I asked him to do his own review of Winger, so not only would you get another opinion on the novel, but it would be a guy’s perspective as well.

So without further ado, enjoy this review!

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The 411 on Stephenie Meyer Day and Why Every Twilight Fan NEEDS to Go!

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This photo is courtesy of the official Stephenie Meyer Day website

This photo is courtesy of the official Stephenie Meyer Day website

Hello friends! I have something really awesome and special to share with you today. I had heard of this event from a distant from a few people, purchase but as I have gotten further and further into the world of blogging, medications and becoming more aware of the different events that take place all over the world.

One of the events that just recently came to my attention was Stephenie Meyer Day, which takes place in Forks, Washington, the home of the fictional character of Stephenie Meyer’s iconic Twilight Saga. I saw it from a distance, and I wasn’t sure what it was. So I was really excited when Katie, who is an active participant and cosplays as Victoria, asked me to help her out, in sharing this awesome event with my followers, and learning more about it. Its a whole weekend, which also includes the event, Forever in Forks. Confused? I was a little bit. I didn’t really know the difference between the two, or what we really went on. Luckily, I had Katie’s awesome help to tune me in to the 411. Check it out.

Sara: What are the differences between Stephenie Meyer Days and Forever in Forks? Are they two different events that coincide the same weekend, or what? 

SMD: Stephenie Meyer Day is an annual celebration of the world-renowned author of The Twilight Saga, held in the series’ setting of Forks, Washington. Designed to coincide with the September 13th birthday of Bella Swan, Stephenie Meyer has grown to include an entire weekend of festivities. An estimated 100,000 Twilight fans have visited Forks per year since the surge in popularity of The Twilight Saga.

Forever in Forks is an annual gather for Twilight fans to come together in support of a good cause. Each year, a Forever Party is held in a Twilight-related city, with proceeds going toward the chosen charity. In 2012, Forever in Forks raised $2,500 in Los Angeles for Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Stephenie Meyer Day and Forever in Forks intersected for the first time in 2013.

Sara: How did these events come about? Who was involved, what was the inspiration, how long as it been going on? 

unnamed-1SMD: Stephenie Meyer Day was proclaimed in 2007, following a visit by the Twi-Queen herself. Marcia Bingham (then ED of the Forks Chamber of Commerce) and employee Mike Gurling came up with the idea to honor the author for her contribution to the boost in tourism to the isolated, rainforest community.

The Chamber of Commerce officiated over the event until 2010 when a group of local business owners volunteered to take it over and to the next level. Through 2010, the event was rather small scale and held in the city park with vendors, a lookalike contest and birthday cake to celebrate Bella’s birthday. With formation of the SMD 2011 committee, new ideas and a clear vision of where the event would go in the future was formed.

A cast of professional lookalikes were commissioned along with organize, Twilight-themed events like St. Marcus’ Day festival, Bella and Edward’s wedding and prom. Local businesses donated funds and merchandise to cover expenses and prizing.

After 2012, the SMD committee dissolved and two separate groups formed. For the purposes of this article, I can only speak for the original Stephenie Meyer Day group that holds the domain name and Facebook page of the same name.

For SMD 2013, the cast had been expanded to a full Cullen family including Nessie and Jake, along with two beautiful Nomads. We had the privilege of having a professional publicist work with us, helping with social media, news releases and website content. A direct result of this collaboration is our partnership with the very popular Forever in Forks organization and a long anticipated return of the Queen herself, Stephenie Meyer.

Sara: How many people come to these events? Is it a huge worldwide known thing, or is it small and intimate? 

SMD: This Stephenie Meyer Day, we had fans come from Colombia, Chile, Japan and the United Kingdom! We have had visitors attend from all over the world, but most of our guests are from the United States. However, with the growing popularity of our Facebook page, we’re interacting more and more with guests from other countries, most of whom are already saving to make the trip next year.

Each year, we have anywhere between 500-1000 people attend Stephenie Meyer Day.

Sara: What kind of atmosphere is created there? Why would this be something a Twilight fan needs to do? 

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SMD: The atmosphere created during Stephenie Meyer Day is one of love and inclusion. Everyone who travels to Forks has at least one thing in common: a love for Twilight that’s so strong, they’re willing to visit a small, remote logging town that’s difficult to get to, and often far from where they live. The event is a safe space for Twilight fans, many of whom can relate to feeling ridiculed or stereotyped for being Twilight fans.

More than that, though, visiting Forks during Stephenie Meyer Day is an opportunity to really live and breathe the world of Twilight. It’s the only time of year that fans can visit the town and meet real “vampires”-the Olympic coven, our group of Twilight character look-alikes. It’s also the only time of year that Forks hosts Twilight-specific events, such as Bella’s birthday party or a vampire baseball game. Essentially, Stephenie Meyer Day is the ultimate Twilight convention.

Sara: How is each year different from previous years. What makes someone return each year? 

SMD: Many of our guests have been to Stephanie Meyer Day multiple times, and it’s primarily due to the connections they make with other fans, the event organizers and the Olympic Coven. They’re excited for the event every year, but more than that, they’re excited to reconnect with the friends they’ve made, most of whom live in different states, or even different countries.

Each year is different because we really strive to offer fans new and unique events. Our events tend to be inspired by plot points in the book, character traits or locations featured in the novels. In 2012, for instance, we recreated Edward and Bella’s wedding and reception. This year, one of our more memorable events was eating s’mores on First Beach with Stephenie Meyer.

Sara: What are the MUSTS of the weekend? What are the events that you just CAN’T miss? 

SMD: While every year is different, there are certain themes that live on from year to year. The event began as a simple celebration of Bella’s birthday, so we continue to throw a party for Bella and serve cake every year. And while there are no guarantees about what will be on the schedule, we always strive to feature local business and showcase local scenery, such as the beaches of La Push or the Hoh Rainforest. We want our fans to fall in love with the Pacific Northwest when they visit Forks, and they do; many of them are already planning their next trip before they leave.

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Photo Courtesy of the Official Stephenie Meyer Day Facebook Page

Photo Courtesy of the Official Stephenie Meyer Day Facebook Page

Sounds awesome, right? They really put in a TON of work and care into this event, and to making it the ultimate thing to do as a Twilight fan. In fact, I’m already planning on going next September, to be a part of this amazing thing. I saw pictures all over Facebook and Twitter, Instagram and more of my friends, and others, having an unforgettable time up in Forks, the entire weekend. I was floored when I saw that Stephenie Meyer had made an appearance, hanging out with the fans, eating s’mores, taking pictures and signing books. Incredible.

And if you don’t believe me, check out these fan reactions to the most recent SMD back in September of this year.

Sam Edward Moden: 

“SMD was definitely an experience I’d love to do again for years and years to come. From the fabulous activities run by SMD and their wonderful cast who make the event one to remember.”

Melissa “Rosemelie” Rivett

“Stephenie Meyer Day is something that I will never forget; thanks in part to the amazing friends I went with and made, the town welcoming us in, the Olympic Coven bringing Twilight to life, and Stephenie Meyer herself showing up. There were so many different memorable events that I can vividly recall as though they just happened yesterday. To see people of all ages still coming out for something that all started a few years ago, and ‘ended’ a year ago with something truly spectacular. I can’t wait to go back to Forks and make more memories in 2014, and most likely, many more years to come!”

Maren Monkress: 

“My favorite thing about Stephenie Meyer Day 2013 was meeting everybody. They’re just so nice and they stay in character. I love them all! They make me feel like family! When it was time to go with the last event, and all of us had to do our goodbyes, I tried so hard to leave the tears and all the sadness. It was one of our favorite vacations! It made me shine the Twilight sense. I am so excited for next year!!”

Kels: 

“My favorite part was meeting everyone again and having Stephenie Meyer there and came over to sit by me. The beach party with the fire pit was truly awesome. And Emmett, my monkey man, carried me to the beach [Note: Kels is wheelchair bound and the chair couldn’t drive on the beach]. Victoria gave me her stole and Carlisle, my pretend husband, giving me his scarf really made my day.”

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Still not convinced? I’m surprised at you! I know my followers, and I know that you know a good thing when you see it!

I honestly think this sounds like one of the COOLEST things. The dedication of so many fans, gathering together in the town of Forks for some Twilight fun…its just awesome. Whether you’re a Twilight fan or not, you must admit that it sounds amazing. Imagine if we all went to New York City or London for a Mortal Instruments/Infernal Devices weekend. Or we…okay, I can’t think of anything else because so much of the fandoms are in these HUGE cities like New York and London and Los Angeles and such. What Twilight has in Forks, and the actual people in Forks, is a beautiful thing, and I definitely can’t wait to be a part of it.

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They just announced their 2014 schedule, which made me incredibly excited. Its next September the 11th through the 14th of 2014. Definitely get on board with this. There are so many ways to keep track of them, to find out more and more information.

You can find them: 

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Their Website

I hope to make it up the coast to Forks next September, and to meet all of these amazing people, and to experience the fun and unforgettable experience that is Stephenie Meyer Day. I hope that all of my Twilight followers will check this out, and hopefully start saving those pennies in order to go!

Keep an eye out, because we’ll have much more news in the future, and don’t forget to follow them on their various social medias to keep updated!

Also, keep an eye out in the next month or so for a detailed article on the what, when, where, and how of getting involved with this event. We’ll help you out with when to book your flight, rental cars, preregistration and where to stay, and all the nitty gritty!

So stay tuned, Twilight fans! There is SO much more to come. Until then, be safe ;)

Fictional Crush of the Week-Michael Moscovitz of The Princess Diaries Series

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I am so excited to share this one. Meg Cabot was my first dive into real young adult literature, site when I was 12 years and I first picked up The Princess Diaries. 13 years later, Meg Cabot is still one of my absolute favorite authors and Michael is still one of my biggest fictional crushes.

Character Name:

Michael Moscovitz

Michael

Book or Series They Appear In:

The Princess Diaries

Author/Creator:

Meg Cabot

Played By: 

Robert Schwartzman

Who They Are:

Michael Moscovitz is the main love interest of Mia Thermopolis in Meg Cabot’s ten part series entitled The Princess Diaries. As much as I love Robert, and his portrayal of Michael in the first Princess Diaries, he is much better in the book and he doesn’t disappear, like he does in the movies!

He is three years older than Mia, and the brother of her best friend, Lilly. He’s extremely smart, getting into Colombia on early decision, and the treasurer of the Computer Club. He is also incredibly good with math, and helps Mia with it, and is basically the reason that she passes math. He’s musical, and starts a band with other boys in his school, and he eventually invents a robotic arm that is incredibly important to the medical world. He is also a super geek and loves talking Star Wars and Buffy, and all sorts of other things. Michael is tall, with dark, curly, messy brown hair and brown eyes. Also, according to Mia, he has a wonderful smelling neck.

Why I Am Crushing On Them: 

Its kind of funny. I first had a crush on Michael when I first read The Princess Diaries back when I was twelve/thirteen years old. He was one of my first fictional crushes before I was completely involved with the world of fandom :) He just seemed so incredibly perfect.

And I swear, I’m not just saying this but my boyfriend is SO much like Michael Moscovitz, it totally kills me. He’s so smart, so good at math (seriously, I would not have passed math in college without him), and he’s musically talented. He even LOOKS like Michael. So okay, that helps. A lot. ;) And I’m kind of like Mia: a writer, socially awkward, incapable of calming down and not being worrisome or paranoid haha.

He’s incredibly smart. He’s musically talented. He’s a nerd. He invents a Cardio-Arm, to assist doctors in heart surgery. He quotes Star Wars and Buffy and all sorts of nerd things at the drop of a hat. He falls in love with a princess, and gets her to fall in love with him. He gives her a Princess Leia flash drive to save her novel on because he knows she loves Princess Leia. I mean, seriously? How can I not? He’s the perfect boy, because he’s the most real character of all the fictional crushes I could have. He’s real. Except for the whole “super-genius-invented-a-new-piece-of-medical-equipment-thing-at-twenty-years-old” thing but he’s genuine. He loves Mia, and he isn’t afraid to show it but he isn’t full of angst, he doesn’t whine, he’s not tragic. He’s very much like my boyfriend.

Plus he waited for Mia! He waited two years while she dated the wrong boy, and he built a reputation for himself, made himself worthy of a princess while working in Japan on his Cardio-Arm and came back, and fought for her. Its so cute and romantic and beautiful and agh. I love Michael.

Notable Quotes: 

“Michael has never cried during a Broadway show. Except in that scene where Tarzan’s ape father is brutally murdered. And that was only because he was laughing so hard.”

“Roses are red
Violets are blue
You may not know this
But I love you too.”

“Mia, I’m not sorry. And I’ll wait.
Love, Michael.”
(The fact that he says this after they have an epic makeout session is too much for my emotions to handle)

“Dear Mia,
What can I say? I don’t know all that much about romance novels, but I think you must be the Stephen King of the genre. Your book is hot. Thanks for letting me read it. Anyone who doesn’t want to publish it is a fool. Anyway, since I know its your birthday, and I also know you never remember to back anything up, here’s a little something I made for you. It would be a shame if Ransom My Heart got lost before it ever saw the light of day because your hard drive crashed. See you tonight.
Love, Michael.”
(And he gives her the Princess Leia flash drive! AGH!)

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I hope you enjoyed this week’s Crush, and that you’ll read the EPIC Princess Diaries series!

Happy Weekend!

Fandom Friday-Winger by Andrew Smith

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The Fandom Friday is a weekly feature, with each blog post written by a new contributor.

This is the weekly post where either myself, or a guest blogger, talks about a new fandom. See, I’ve had the experience in my life where I’ve been made fun or put down about my particular fandoms. And that has made me feel pretty crappy. But I’ve also put down other fandoms as well.

So I’ve decided to change that. I’m opening my world up to new fandoms, and the best way to do that is to bring people in to write about various fandoms. I’m very excited about this segment.

If you guys are interested in becoming a guest blogger for the Fandom Friday, feel free to email me at whatanerdgirlsays at gmail.com or contact me HERE

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I know. I know. I haven’t done one of these in ages. I apologize. I could blame NaNoWriMo or school or any number of things but it all boils down to this…I’m lazy ;)

I also know that technically the subject of this week’s Fandom Friday is not exactly a Fandom. But its a book thats extremely important to me, was one of the BEST reads of the year, and its a book that I literally keep pushing on people. I kept pushing my boyfriend to read it, telling him he was going to like it and it took him ages, but he finally did.

And he absolutely loved it. We spent one night just discussing it, and discussing how good it was, and lamenting and whining about how its not nearly as popular as it should be. He even recommended it to a customer who was looking for a book for her son. I converted him.

So now its time to convert you.

Winger by Andrew Smith

What It Is: 

Winger is Andrew Smith’s 6th (7th?) novel, a standalone contemporary YA novel. It follows the story of Ryan Dean West, a 14 year old boy, and his adventures in boarding school. He’s extremely smart, having skipped a couple grades. But he also is a fumbling, awkward, and extremely funny normal teen boy. You follow him as he deals with homework, playing rugby, the always fun trial and tribulations of teenage girls and more. The book is all in Ryan Dean’s head, which means you get his intelligence but you also get his insane sarcasm and humor throughout the entire novel. Not only do you get his narration but you get pictures and diagrams of his life and he’ll have conversations with himself (Ryan Dean 1 and Ryan Dean 2). This book is hilarious. I can’t even begin to tell you HOW hilarious it is.

On the very first page, Ryan Dean’s head is hovering precariously over a toilet bowl, and two kids are trying to shove his head into it. The thoughts that are going through his head while this is happening is enough to grab you from the very beginning. Its a simple story of a boy in high school, but there’s also so much more below as well. In Ryan Dean’s encounters with girls, friends, trouble, mischief, school, and the normal every day life of a teenager, he learns a lot and lives a lot.

How I Found It

I first met Andrew Smith when I went to the Ontario Teen Book Fest. I was an invitee to the Author Breakfast, which was exciting for me and for my blog. I knew a few of the authors like Jessica Brody and Morgan Matson and Marie Lu but others were brand new to me (and most of them became favorites this year). I didn’t know Andrew Smith but after Carrie Arcos told me about his amazing books, I had to introduce myself. He was funny, inspiring and just a great guy to talk to. He talked about his lack of support when he wanted to be a writer, and his desire to support his own kids in whatever they choose to do. It really hit me.

The Teen Book Fest was the unofficial launch of Winger. It was a Saturday event, and the book was set to release on that Tuesday. But they were specially releasing it for the event, and, because I’m not as good with foresight as I’d like to think I am, I didn’t buy it. I put it immediately on my “to-read” list but that was it. Later that day though, I follow Andrew on Twitter and Facebook and such, and discovered that Winger was going to be featured in The New York Times, a couple days before its release. Thats incredible!

So I finally bought it on ebook, and devoured it, and then lamented that I didn’t have a signed copy of it, because its one of the best books that I’ve ever read, and I kept missing all of his signings, and I finally saw him again in October and got it signed. Which felt like a huge accomplishment. Then I spent all the months since June, when I read it, shoving down everyone’s throats. Which is essentially what I’m doing here as well.

Why You Should Be Reading It

Because…because you just should! It is the best book of the year (close second is Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl). Easily. This book blew my mind. I couldn’t believe how much it made me laugh. The humor is fantastic. Its exactly what I would imagine that a teen boy’s mind would be. After Jon read it, I asked him if it was that way, and he confirmed it for me. Ryan Dean is the realistic mind of a teenage boy. Andrew Smith gives teens more credit than authors in the past and recognizes their intelligence and maturity. But he also recognizes that they’re TEENS. They are full of sarcasm and hormones and awkwardness and all of that. One minute Ryan Dean is talking to friends, or doing homework, and the next, he’s lamenting over a hot girl or punching a teammate in the face. He’s all over the place. He has an amazing, hilarious character.

This is what I tell people, because I feel like it really resonates with the YA audience right now. John Green is the most popular YA author right now. It was shown in the EW’s YA Book Tournament, when The Fault in Our Stars went up against Harry Potter. Thank goodness Harry Potter won. I love TFIOS but its not one of the best YA books. Its just not. But he is the pinnacle of YA right now. You don’t meet YA readers who haven’t read at least one of his books, most likely TFIOS. So people know him.

So this is what I say, which is the truth: Andrew Smith takes what John Green does, and makes it so much better. He doesn’t hold back. He doesn’t go in, careful about language or context. He just writes. He just writes the story, and tells it like it is. Which is what makes it so good. He is genuine in the story he is telling. I tell people, its like you’re hanging out with Andrew and he’s telling you about his time in boarding school. Its not written like someone writing a novel, but just someone telling a story (and yes, there is a difference).

Plus, its funny. Its just so hilarious. Its full of so much humor. Every time Ryan Dean has a conversation with himself, I’m laughing, because I totally do the same thing. How often do we argue with ourselves before we do something? And the drawings and diagrams that are in the book crack me up too. Its full of so much humor, but it has the ability to tug at your other emotions as well.

Look, if that doesn’t convince you, maybe this will. My boyfriend is not a YA reader. He’s read some John Green and he’s read the entire Harry Potter series and he likes both. But he reads Truman Capote and Kurt Vonnegut and authors like that. He’s attempting Ulysses by James Joyce right now and he reads books about MATH and SCIENCE. He tends to stay away from YA, not because he has anything against it (because I would THROW DOWN) but because its just not what he enjoys reading.

But I convinced him to read Winger and he loves it. He loved it so much that he gave me my copy back and immediately bought his own copy. He keeps talking to me about it. It is obviously a book that he enjoyed, and that is saying something. Even if your’e not a YA reader normally, you’re going to like this book. I guarantee it.

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I hope this convinces you. If it doesn’t convince you, please feel free to send your address to my email address (under Contact) and I would be happy to pay you a visit, and convince you in person. I’ll do it. Don’t tempt me ;)

Andrew’s new book Grasshopper Jungle will be hitting bookstores in February (I’m counting down the days!), and as the year wraps up, Winger is getting a ton of recognition and accolades. Do NOT miss out on this book. Also check him out at his website, because he’s constantly doing events and you will not regret meeting this awesome author.

Happy Reading!

Blogger Secret Santa Fun!

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This year, pills for the first time, I got involved with The Broke and Bookish‘s Blogger Secret Santa. Its the fourth year they’ve done it, and I had to get involved. Secret Santa is a fun thing to do AND its a book/blog version, so its really cool. You are on a “broke and bookish” rule base. You send a book (or two), a card and some goodies to another blogger, and you’ll get your own package as well!

I’m really excited about who I got. I’m not going to say anything because I won’t be able to send hers until Friday, but I’ve got some things packed up for her and I’m excited for when she gets it! I also really like her blog, so that’s exciting.

Packing up some stuff to send to my Secret Santa on Friday!

Packing up some stuff to send to my Secret Santa on Friday!

But today, I got my package from my Secret Santa!

As soon as I saw the package at home, I knew exactly what it was!

This is the first thing I saw when I opened my package.

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I have a *slight* addiction to Hot Cheetos so I was *slightly* excited about the fact that they were in my box!

Then I dug in. I may be 25 years old but I still loving opening presents just as much as the next person :)

And I was so happy and excited with what I found inside!

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Not only did I get yummies (Hot Cheetos AND chocolate, I’m in trouble!), I got some awesome books that I’ve been looking forward to reading, like:

The Selection by Keira Cass and Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke. I also have my own copy of Lola and the Boy Next Door now, which is VERY exciting, because I absolutely adore that book.

I also got a brand new composition notebook. I have a *slight* addiction to those as well.

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If I look tired, its because I had just gotten off work when I got home and opened this ;)

My Secret Santa, I learned, was Jenna from Book Heartbeats :) She was an awesome Secret Santa to have and you should definitely go follow her blog!

I loved the idea so much that I got together with some of my closest blogger and book friends like Sylvia from Fangirl Feeels and Erin from That One Geek Girl, Jade from Dhampirs and Dragomirs, and more, and we are doing our own little Secret Santa! I can’t wait for that as well, and I’m incredibly excited about who I got for mine!

We’re going to do a Secret Valentine too, so more book sharing. SO Much fun!