Please welcome Luisa Plaja to the blog today! Luisa stopped by today to talk a little bit about her new novel Kiss, Date, Love, Hate (released February 2nd) and has also written a fun guest post on YA books featuring films and filmmaking. I picked up some great rec's from this post!
Note to Luisa: You need to read Anna and the French Kiss right now! :)
I'll be reviewing Kiss, Date, Love, Hate in February, but for now, over to Luisa...
Kiss, Date, Love, Hate by Luisa PlajaPublisher: CorgiRelease date: Feb 2nd 2012
What if you could change your friends' lives and loves through the settings of a computer game...?
Lex Murphy's group of friends have all dated, hated, ignored and lusted after each other for the last few years. If only there was a way of matching people perfectly to avoid all the unrequited love, dumping and drama! Then Lex's friend George is given a mysterious Sims-like game by his software-testing dad which involves building character profiles in the categories of Life, Looks and Love. Lex and George populate the game with avatars for all their mates, making a few 'wishful thinking' adjustments to the settings - and find that the next day these tinkerings have come true! But how long can this new calm, loved-up atmosphere continue?
Guest Post: Luisa Plaja on YA books featuring films and filmmaking:
Kiss Date Love Hate is mostly set during a film course in the October half-term holiday. The main character, Lex, spends the week altering her friends’ lives and loves, but when she’s not busy creating havoc she’s quietly making a short film with her course partner.
Like Lex, I love film and cinemas, and I’ve been on very enjoyable (though FAR less eventful) filmmaking courses. I also love reading about film-loving characters. So I wanted to list a few other YA books that touch on movies and filmmaking.
I absolutely loved this book about movie-lover Gem and the underground film she sets out to make, with her friends Lo and Mira as producer and star. Gem’s summer shapes up very differently from how she expected, and she hits friendship and family traumas on the way to discovering a lot more about life and herself. Simmone Howell is one of my favourite Australian authors and this book is inspiring and brilliant.
2) Viola in Reel Life by Adriana Trigiani
Adriana Trigiani is a bestselling author of adult fiction, and her debut teen novel is a sweet story for younger teenagers. It’s set in a boarding school, with a heroine who loves to shoot films. There’s a mystical element to Viola’s filmmaking and her Indiana surroundings are beautifully described.
Can you believe I haven’t read this one? I know from what everyone has said that I really should. When I asked Twitter for help with this post, this book came up because Anna is a movie buff. It probably needs no introduction, but just in case: it features an American girl in Paris, a hot boy and loads of what I’m told is totally swoonworthy romance.
4) Dani Noir by Nova Ren Suma
I haven’t read this one either but it’s now on my wishlist. I’ve heard lots of great things about this author, and the book sounds amazing. It’s the story of Dani, a girl from a small town who loves watching noir films in an arty cinema, and one day stumbles upon her very own cinematic mystery.
The product description says: “When Henry develops an old camera film he uncovers a mystery and events spiral until his life resembles the drama of the big screen.” Film, drama, mystery – it sounds fantastic!
I’d love to hear other recommendations if anyone knows of any more.
Thank you very much for having me at Daisy Chain Reviews, and thanks to all the Twitter friends who helped with this post!
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Kiss, Date, Love, Hate by Luisa Plaja is published by Corgi on February 2nd 2012, £5.99.
i agree with Leanna...you MUST read Anna! I haven't read just Henry, I did see the TV adaption and that was awesome and I've loved a couple of Michelle Mogorian's other books so I probably should. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI'm such a film buff as well, it was actually my major in college and has always been something I've been passionate about. I'm trying to think of other books that have featured it, but my brain isn't cooperating today. If I think of one, I'll come back and leave another comment, but like Vicki and Leanna said, you can't go wrong with Anna!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jenny and Vicki - I know you're right about Anna! I'm a huge film buff too and was surprised that I couldn't think of more titles. I've actually thought of some since writing this post, and then forgotten them again. Nooo!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much to Leanna for having me here, too, and I know YOU are right about Anna too! :)
Thanks for the great guest post, Luisa! I'll have to check out Notes from a Teenage Underground. That one has been recommended to me a few times now!
Delete@Jenny - I studied film in college too, and yet I'm kinda coming up blank here!
I've remembered one! It was reviewed on Mostly Reading YA recently: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews.
ReplyDeletePhew - I knew I'd seen one recently!
Leanna, I hope you enjoy NFATU if you get hold of it.
Fab post, thanks Luisa and Leanna! I've read just two on the list and I really enjoyed both so I will have to check out the others! And yes, Luisa, read Anna ASAP!!!
ReplyDeleteOoh, I have Me and Earl and the Dying Girl from Netgalley, really looking forward to the film-making aspect of it!
Filmmaking has always interested me, so I'm definitely going to check out a few of these books! (Aside from Anna, which I've read, along with the rest of the world) Thanks for the recommendations!
ReplyDelete- Lauren
Unfortunately, I don't have any recommendations, but I'm totally psyched for this book--I'd never heard of it before. It sounds so cool!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, there's reel life staring us but I don't know if you'd class that one as theres not a lot of film making in it lol. You have to ad Anna soon Luisa!
ReplyDeleteI really want to read Dani Noir too, but mostly because of the beautiful cover. ;) I love the description of your new book & it looks great too! I love covers! ;) Viola in Reel Life by Adriana Trigiani is indeed a fabulous read. I really like boardingschool settings.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all these great comments - I really appreciate it and am adding to my wishlist... and Anna is at the top, I promise! :)
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks again to Leanna!
Agreeing with everyone else - definitely read Anna as soon as you can! I've read it twice and loved it both times :P. And I've always been really intrigued by the filmaking process so I'll have to check out some of these books! Excited for Kiss Date Love Hate, it sounds amazing :). Thanks for the fab post! :)
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like my kind of book! I was quite addicted to the Sims for a while... ;) Great post, and yes, read Anna ASAP!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins yet, either! Sob, I need to do so...
ReplyDeleteGreat post (: