Welcome to Litsy!

This was my first book by Mary H.K. Choi, though I‘ve seen her books on Bookstagram and other places. I finally picked this one because it is the The Stacks podcast book for August. I enjoyed it and will definitely be reading more of her work.

I really liked this book. Read on audio book / paperback. It was a cute romance, but also covered a lot of not typical things in romance. Covers some hard topic, family relationships. It felt like a real story, not just a romance for romance‘s sake. Well rounded. Read as one of my #bookspin and #bookspinbingo reads. @TheAromaofBooks

4 🌟I was pulled into Penny‘s story right away. I saw so much of myself in her that I immediately empathized with her. And my heart went out to Sam. Both POVs were strong and I loved Sam and Penny‘s relationship.But there was more going on than that. Several characters intertwined around Sam and Penny‘s relationship and while it did occasionally feel like too much was going on, I loved that there was more to the story than the romance.

A little angsty to start, but enjoyable by the end

(This is the last of my July reviews!)
Wow, I hardcore loved this book. And it's hard to explain or sum up. In some ways, not a lot happens, and in other ways, all the things happen. Two lonely people connect when both really need it, and it's lovely and difficult and human.

Meh. Took a while before I got into the story, but I like how the hero and heroine‘s relationship developed. Also, June deserved better friends than the 2 of them.

I loved every second of reading this story! I appreciate that the author constructed a slowly building relationship and intimacy of communication and trust between the characters, while also having characters acknowledge their flaws and personal issues.

Love, friendships, and us--personality, emotions, thoughts-- are nice, they are also confusing, messy, awkward, scary, shared or one-sided, and sometimes basic, complex, and deeply felt.

Once I reached the part when Penny and Sam start texting each other, I went full throttle into this story, which filled me with joy, laughter, and it felt like I was watching Penny and Sam's experiences playout...then Mary Choi turns the feel of the story so quickly on its head.

I couldn't stop reading the book, even if I felt like I was going to burst out crying (and I ended up crying at several points).

So I'm halfway through Emergency Contact, and I cannot believe how each character's experiences seems similar to my own experiences. I haven't felt a similarity like that in a long time.

After I'm done with this book, I'm gonna need to devour Mary Choi's other book.

I have to say this was so-so for me. It was hard for me to connect with any of the characters and as a result was meh as far as reading goes.

Started Emergency Contact this past Friday, and I am loving every second of it! It's funny, has a sarcastic narrator, a writing style that's easy to follow and pick up, and the cover is so beautiful. I don't usually go for YA romances--or romances in general--but this one reeled me in.

Penny's first time experiences during her first few days at college are awkward funny, and Sam is dealing with his emotional heartbreak through baking for a cafe ❤

July‘s tbr that are still tbr haha. #july2020 #tbr

Enjoyed this one! Penny and Sam both have serious issues they‘re dealing with, but form a bond and trust each other, each telling the other things they can‘t say to anyone else. Their friendship develops into something more, further complicating their lives. I got some serious Rainbow Rowell vibes while reading!
#doublespin

Given that I'm far from the target audience, take my comments with a grain of salt. I didn't connect to any of the characters or the story. I'm perfectly indifferent.

I know not everyone would like this book, but the vulnerability of the two mc‘s touched me in some odd way. There is not a lot of action to the plot, more character driven, so that could turn some off. Penny & Sam compelled me & a few laughs, had me eager to keep reading this one.
1 part (comment under spoiler tag) felt it came from nowhere but it wasn‘t to bad, but I loved what Choi has Sam say to Penny. She also restated in her acknowledgments.

Was very pleasantly surprised by this book! It was real and raw, the characters weren‘t perfect or stereotypically beautiful and they were dealing with real problems.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

This was a great YA romance set in the MC‘s freshman year of college. Both Penny and Sam have some work to do on themselves, but find a bond and trust in each other. Really enjoyed this! #booked2020 #thinkpink for the cover. #bbrc #teenangst #notformiddlegrade more for age of characters than content. I don‘t think that age group would connect with this very much. #readmyowndamnbooks

#goldonthecover #auldlangreads

Genre: Romance, Young Adult Fiction

Date started: December 9, 2019

Date completed:

How did I choose this book: The concept of the book intrigued me

Summary:

This was such an adorable read. I really love that it takes place in university instead of high school! I can‘t wait to pick up Choi‘s other book! 🤩

Inflated my heart like a balloon ❤

Perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell. Highly recommend.

This is the kind of YA romance that I can get behind. Read it if you don‘t like YA. Read it if you don‘t like romance. Because really, it transcends both. It took me right back to making those friendships that last a lifetime. That kind of crazy bonding that doesn‘t happen after 25. Fantastic characters I could really love and root for.

That said, the audio is shit. Definitely read, don‘t listen!

I‘ve been listening to this #audiobook while running around town all day! The audio itself is terrible. Sam‘s narrator sounds like the Marlboro man, not a 21-year-old college student, and I just don‘t like the VO artist doing Penny.

HOWEVER, the story is fantastic!! It‘s so good, it is overcoming the audio limitations!

Met Mary H.K. Choi today at Powell‘s. Laini Taylor was the moderator and the conversation was truly wonderful. She was funny and amazing of course.

I wish I was liking this book more, I just don‘t feel connected to the characters at all. The text exchanges between Penny and Sam are fun, though, and it‘s a pretty quick read, so I plan on finishing this morning at least. And then I really should go do some yard work before it gets too hot. Or I could just stay in and start a new book? 💁🏼‍♀️

This was cute, but I‘m mostly feeling “meh” about it right now. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Book 11 of #SummersEndReadathon ✔️
Time: 49h3m

#bfcr3 #smallsteppers

*swoon* this book is incredibly cute. That is all.

*swoon* this book is incredibly cute. That is all.

I‘m a sucker for a cute cover, alternating narrators, and young love. This book checked all those things. A quick, easy read, with an ending that left me wanting way more! #Book22of2019

This book alternates between two main characters Penny and Sam. Penny is just starting College when she meets her roommates 'Uncle' Sam. Penny runs into Sam again when he is on the street having a panic attack. That is when texting back and forth begin.

Choi‘s writing is delightful! The dialogue wasn‘t contrived or cliché. Not once did I feel, as a ?? of a more *ahem* refined age, I couldn‘t relate to Penny&Sam. I was quickly involved and invested in their relationship and I LOVED that BOTH narrators were complex with interesting subplots. Lots going on: mother/child/friends/college/writing and filmmaking/alcoholism/toxic relationships... something for everyone! I just wish the end was longer!

Even though this took me over week to finish this book I truly enjoyed it.

This truly was an adorable story with some heavy subjects that didn‘t weigh down the story. I enjoyed Penny and Sam‘s back and forth through text, so cute.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A not overly complicated YA about two people who find each other and help one another to understand life and figure themselves out.

Bonus shot of my desk 🤓

Penny thought of this Korean saying for when you really, really liked something. You‘d say it “fit your heart exactly.”

Thank you @Mem_ugh for the gifts! This book reminds me of Eleanor and Park so I‘m hoping it‘s as good! And I‘m hoping to get more organized with the cool to-do notepad and I ❤️ the picnic blanket. It will get put to good use! #summerreadingswap @rather_be_reading

Finished this on my drive home yesterday! I liked it, but there was a lot of ableism. Still, it‘s a lovely romance about family, mother-daughter relationships, anxiety, and female friendships. Big tw for rape (it doesn‘t occur on the page but one character describes what happened to another), panic attacks.

As for #BFC, this week + next are #ALAAC19 weeks, so I‘m taking a break from running. Still did my yoga! #BookFitnessChallenge

Ahhhhh I felt butterflies I felt joy I had several public laughing fits- this book was all that & a bag of chips. It made me feel as good as To All the Boys I've Loved BeforeAND Fangirl both did. Penny who, let's be clear is wholly unique & likely written with some of Choi's own weird/awesome shine, had a bit of Cath's personality and Lara Jean's confidence + a combination of their humors and awkwardness- she and the book were just... excellent.

Second YA book I‘ve read by a Korean-American author that mentions trypophobia! The first was in Maurene Goo‘s The Way You Make Me Feel.
The funny thing is I‘ve always had this thing about seeing little holes. It doesn‘t freak me out but little holes clustered together always gives me goosebumps. And so when I read it for the first time, it was like, oh hey there‘s actually a term for this!

Had an outpatient procedure this morning which has left me tired and still a bit jittery. All of my books seemed too heavy so I downloaded some YA to keep me company on this surprising rainy day.

I read a lot of dark lit, and that can get heavy after awhile. During times like these, I like to turn to "Slice of Life" YA books like Emergency Contact as a palate cleanser. This book definitely did the trick (while it covers it's fair share of heavy subjects), and I enjoyed the characters and the pacing.

Adorable YA I found at the library. It made me feel feelings. (Also - really excellent cover art!)

I‘m almost done with this one, and I‘m enjoying it so far. Not my super favorite, but it‘s entertaining! #audiobook #litsyAtoZ

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5