Far From Over by April Lindner (a musical guest post!!!)

Our Dearest and Awesome Readers,

Dang, it's been awhile!!!

I know that we haven't posted in about, oh, forever, but we'll be up and running soon. I'll give specifics soon. Now to the post:

I'm here to talk about this awesome novella is coming out, and is linked to Love, Lucy by April Lindner! The novella is Far From Over! The best thing is that Ms. Lindner herself wanted to share a playlist and the cover with all of you!!! Here's her post:

Jesse’s Playlist

Music is at the heart of “Far From Over,” the new companion story to my novel Love, Lucy.  A digital-exclusive novella, “Far From Over” comes out this week. 

Jesse Palladino is used to moving on.  A street musician backing through Europe, he’s never in one place for long.  Which is why it’s so surprising he can’t seem to move on from Lucy, the girl he fell for in Florence.  They parted ways when Lucy returned home to start college, but every crowded piazza and winding cobblestone street reminds Jesse of the time they spent together. Now staying with a friend in Naples, he can't help wondering if it's time to pack up and move on again. But just when his mind is made up, something--or someone--might give him a reason to stay.

As he stands in Piazza Carita, Jesse plays a mix of English, American, and Italian power pop, hoping he might convince someone to stop and listen.  Here are some of the songs on his playlist:

Recovery by Frank Turner

When the Stars Go Blue by Ryan Adams

Parole in Circolo by Marco Mengoni

Happy Ending by MIKA

Wonderwall by Oasis

Fuori C’e il Sole by Lorenzo Fragola

I’m Yours by Jason Mraz

Matteo Becucci by Fammi Dormire

How Bad We Need Each Other by Mark Scibilia

Alexis again: Great tracks, huh? Go read this novella while listening to the playlist and get into Jesse's story!

XOXO,

Lexi

"Love, Lucy" (an EXCITING review by Lexi)

Our dear readers,

Hello today! So we're going to be talking about the book Love, Lucy by April Lindner today! I wrote a celebration post, and April herself created a playlist and wrote about it in our last post, so check those both out before you read this! Otherwise, keep reading...

I'm in love with this cover!

Summary: "While backpacking through Florence, Italy, during the summer before she heads off to college, Lucy Sommersworth finds herself falling in love with the culture, the architecture, the food...and Jesse Palladino, a handsome street musician. After a whirlwind romance, Lucy returns home, determined to move on from her "vacation flirtation." But just because summer is over doesn't mean Lucy and Jesse are over, too." (Thanks, Goodreads!)

Review: This book is amazing. I didn't expect any less from this author though, as her other two books are great as well! (Check out Jane and Catherine by April Lindner, too!) I have to say that this book is up for book of the year already for me. Lucy did exactly what I aspire to do -- travel to a foreign country across the pond. Her personality and actions are all realistic, and she'll have you grimacing with embarrassment and frustration, loving along with her, and aspiring to live out your dreams. Jesse is a guy who we all hope to run into and fall for in our lives, too. His character is surprising at points, but also sweet, and he leaves us hopeful. All I can say (without giving anything away) is that this book will have you on the edge of your seat, wanting the novel to at least tie up every loose end, which, of course, it does.

Recommendation: You may want to read this one in one sitting once you start, but make sure you read this on a weekend where you have enough time to do this. Eat some candy (sour gummy worms are best), sit in the sunshine (or at least sunshine spot on a chair inside), and read away! It's too good to read any other way!

Rating: 5/5 Italian flags

Till next time!


XOXO,

Lexi

The Love, Lucy Playlist by April Lindner (an awesome guest post!!!)

Hello, readers,

Today is going to be dedicated to Love, Lucy playlist, and read what the creator, author April Lindner, has to say about it!

The following is written by April Lindner (YAY!!!):

When I graduated from college, my parents gave me the gift of a lifetime: two months backpacking solo through Europe.  I climbed an Alp in Switzerland, took the Sound of Music Tour in Austria, rode a Bateau Mouche in Paris, and ate fish and chips in the general vicinity of John Cleese in London—but nothing thrilled me as much as my time in Italy.  Maybe my abiding love of all things Italian can be explained by the fact that I’m half Italian.  Maybe it’s because I studied the language in college and can bluff my way through conversations with cabdrivers and waiters.  Or maybe it’s the art, the architecture, the amazing food, the warmhearted Italians, or the rolling hills of Tuscany.

Whatever the reason, I go back to Italy whenever I can (not often enough!) and, the rest of the time, I rely on music to transport me back to the land of my dreams. I can shut my eyes and listen, and suddenly I’m riding an overnight train into Florence, wandering through a sun-drenched piazza, hearing a street musician’s guitar, and falling in love all over again.

In putting together a playlist for my new novel, Love, Lucy, I chose songs with the power to jolt me back into Lucy’s world.  Here’s what you need to know about the plot of Love, Lucy: the summer before Lucy Sommersworth goes off to college, her parents send her on her very own backpacking trip of a lifetime to Europe, but there’s one little catch—she has to give up her dreams of an acting career and enroll as a business major at Forsythe University, her father’s alma mater.  In Florence, Lucy finds herself falling in love with the culture, the architecture, the food—and with Jesse Palladino, a footloose street musician.  Lucy returns home, determined to move on from her “vacation flirtation.”  But just because summer is over doesn’t mean Lucy and Jesse are over—or does it?

For Lucy’s playlist, I’ve chosen a mix of American rock and European pop. Here are some highlights:

• The first song, Check In by Fiamma Fumana perfectly captures the buzz of an airport’s busy international terminal, the sheer excitement of being about to hop on a plane to Europe for the very first time.

•  Lucy and her friend Charlene land in Paris, then backpack on to Salzberg, Vienna, and Munich, so I have tossed in some of Lucy’s favorite songs in German and French: Ne Me Quitte Pas by Regina Spektor; Elle Me Dit by Mika (a British pop star I first discovered in a café in Rome); and Madchen Mit Plan by 2raumwohnung.

• Italy is meant to be the trip’s grand finale for Lucy, and it’s the place where she meets and falls for Jesse. Songs like Cosa Hai Messo Nel Caffe by Malika Ayane, Come un Pittore by Moda, and Fammi Dormire by Matteo Beccuci capture the tenderness and excitement of a summer love in romantic Florence, Italy.

• Finally, I’ve tossed in some songs in English for good measure—We are Golden by Mika, Every Single Body Else, by Butch Walker, Whole World With You by Willie Nile—songs that capture the excitement of an American in Europe for the very first time—making new friends, walking through thrilling new landscapes, and saying yes to adventure.

Thank you to April Lindner for an awesome blog post today!!! We appreciate it!!!

Till next time, readers!

XOXO,

Lexi

"Love, Lucy" Release!!! (an EXCITING Lexi celebration)

Hello, all!!!

I have been reading nonstop for awhile, and am ready to post about lots of books for you guys!!! My favorite one so far has been Love, Lucy by April Lindner!!! I read it a month or so ago, but couldn't post about it because it was an ARC (Advanced Reader's Copy). So I've been waiting and waiting and trying to distract myself till I could post about it; that's how much I love it!!! It just came out yesterday, so let's get on with the celebration!!! (Expect a formal review plus lots of fun content tomorrow!!!)

Here's the GORGEOUS cover:

I officially announce it as my favorite book thus far. I LOVE April Lindner's other novels, but this one just resonated with the wanderlust in me.

John Green described it best: "I'm in love with cities I've never been to and people I've never met."

This novel is just amazing, you guys. I know you all will love it!

This book also gave me hope as a girl who is going through a quarterlife crisis. I'll explain more tomorrow, but if you're a traveler (truly or at heart), want to follow your dreams, terrified of the future, or just want to escape into and/or just read an amazing novel, celebrate this book release with me!!!

Look forward to tomorrow for lots of fun things having to do with the book!!!

Till next time!!!

XOXO,

Lexi