Wondering if you should spend the time to read the Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy by Jenny Han? This review has all the details to help you decide! There are three books in the Summer I Turned Pretty series: The Summer I Turned Pretty, It's Not Summer Without You and We'll Always Have Summer. The books are published in chronological order and should be read as such. My Thoughts on the Summer I Turned Pretty Books Individually The Summer I Turned Pretty Belly Conklin loves summer. Every year, the Fishers and the Conklins spend the summer at Cousins Beach. And Belly has had a massive crush on Conrad Fisher for as long as she can remember. Now that she's had her glow-up, she feels that this summer will be special. But little does she know, it'll also be the summer that'll change everything, both for the better and for worse. To be honest, the first novel started out bad. Belly was an insufferable main character, the writing was irritating to read and there was practically nothing happening throughout the 300 pages. That being said, the only reason I continued onto the second book was because I already purchased the second novel in advance. Click here for my in-depth review of The Summer I Turned Pretty! It's Not Summer Without You When Jeremiah calls Belly up one day to let her know that his brother is missing, the duo packs their things in search of Conrad. All signs show that he had travelled back to Cousins Beach. What follows is an adventure filled with grief, confusion but most important of all, love. The second novel was slightly better than the first one. Belly developed some brain cells, the love triangle was beautifully executed and the writing was tolerable enough for me to want to continue reading. And that cliffhanger of an ending was the push I needed to continue onto the last book. Click here for my in-depth review of It's Not Summer Without You! We'll Always Have Summer Belly's finally over the boy who has consumed her teenage years, she has a boyfriend she loves and who loves her, and she's in the same school as her best friend; It's everything she's ever wanted. But what she doesn't know is her boyfriend is keeping a secret from her. And so is her ex-lover, who also happens to be her boyfriend's brother. Belly has to make a difficult choice; Which brother will it be? Oh, the angst and the pining and the love triangle were everything in this one. There was a particular plot line in this one (it's a spoiler so I won't say what it is but if you've read it, you'll know what I'm talking about) that felt a little rushed and random. Other than that, everything was wonderfully executed. Me at the end of We'll Always Have Summer. Click here for my in-depth review of We'll Always Have Summer! My Thoughts on the Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy as a Whole It's obvious that the books individually went through their own journey. The series got better over time but that doesn't necessarily mean that it was worth going through the initial turmoil just to get a glimpse of a fairytale ending. The characters had their ups and downs throughout the series. Some were positive, some not so much. There are times when you'd want to knock these characters in the head and when that happens, you'll have to push through because it can only get better from there. After three books, I've grown to adore these characters and their silly personalities. One thing that never changed throughout is the world-building. The world-building in the trilogy is fantastic. I don't know how Jenny Han does it but Cousins Beach is the embodiment of a perfect summer. You wished you could be transported into this world of sunny, perfect pool days while you live in a beach house for a whole summer. When you go from one book to another, it's just like reading another chapter. The story flowed smoothly from one book to the next. I appreciated that the writing got better as the books went on, which I think was a cool way to show how Belly matured over the books. Should you spend time on this series? I think I would have enjoyed the Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy more if I was a teenager. But reading it as an adult, the series feels mediocre. There wasn't much depth to the characters or plot and their problems seem like trivial problems (like seriously? Choosing between two brothers? Isn't the obvious answer to choose the older one?) when you compare it to what you have to endure as an adult. If you really want to read it but don't want to spend so much time on it, you can make do by watching the series on Amazon Prime Video. The book wasn't very memorable and there's nothing in the book that you can't already get from the show. ★★★☆☆ (3/5) About Jenny Han Jenny Han is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before series, now a Netflix movie. She is also the author of the Summer I Turned Pretty series, Shug, and Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream. Her books have been published in more than thirty languages. A former librarian, Han earned her MFA in creative writing at the New School. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

It may be the end of summer, but We'll Always Have these quotes with us. Belly thinks she's got her life all figured out. She's over the boy who has consumed her teenage years, she has a boyfriend she loves and who loves her, and she's in the same school as her best friend; It's everything she's ever wanted. But what she doesn't know is her boyfriend is keeping a secret from her. And so is her ex-lover, who also happens to be her boyfriend's brother. In We'll Always Have Summer, Belly has to make a difficult choice. Which brother will it be? This book was so good. The angst, the pining, the love triangle; it was everything to me. If you could only read one book in the Summer I Turned Pretty series, let it be this one. Check out the full review of We'll Always Have Summer here. Disclaimer: This post contains spoilers for those who have not yet read this book or the rest of the Summer I Turned Pretty series. If you have not yet read We'll Always Have Summer, I hope these quotes convince you to get on it as soon as possible. I've also left the page numbers of these quotes down so that you can find them easily in your own copy. I read the digital version distributed by Simon & Schuster. It has 295 pages in total. We'll Always Have Summer Quotes YOU ARE THE MILK TO MY SHAKE, forever and ever. Chapter Three, Page 18. The room was packed with people, but when Jere looked at me, there was no one else. Just me and him. Chapter Four, Page 19. A fight is like a fire. You think you have it under control, you think you can stop it whenever you want, but before you know it, it’s a living, breathing thing and there’s no controlling it and you were a fool to think you could. Chapter Five, Page 29. But just because you bury something, that doesn’t mean it stops existing. Those feelings, they’d been there all along. All that time. I had to just face it. Chapter Eight, Page 46. Maybe that was how it was with all first loves. They own a little piece of your heart, always. Chapter Eight, Page 46. Firsts were important. But I was pretty sure lasts were even more important. Chapter Eight, Page 46. There are some things only a friend who’s known you your whole life can say, and instantly, I felt a little better. Chapter Nine, Page 49. It’s a known fact that in life, you can’t have everything. Chapter Forty-Seven, Page 204. It belongs to you, always has. Chapter Fifty-five, Page 234. I need you to know that no matter what happens, it was worth it to me. Being with you, loving you. It was all worth it. Chapter Fifty-five, Page 234. Just don’t go. Please just never go. Please just always be near me, so I can at least see you. Chapter Fifty-five, Page 235. I always believed that we would find our way back to each other every time. That no matter what, we would be connected—by our history, by this house. But this time, this last time, it felt final. Like I would never see him again, or that when I did, it would be different, there would be a mountain between us. Chapter Fifty-five, Page 235. He didn’t give me flowers or candy. He gave me the moon and the stars. Infinity. Chapter Fifty-six, Page 239. I think I’ll always love him a little bit. I’ll always have him in my heart. But he’s not the one I choose. I choose you, Jeremiah. Chapter Fifty-seven, Page 242. I think about you a lot. You’re pretty much all I think about. Chapter A Couple of Years Later, Page 253. Leave your favourite quote from We'll Always Have Summer down in the comments!

Bring your summer hats and swim suits because it's officially summer with the last book of the Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy. Disclaimer: This review contains spoilers for those who have not read The Summer I Turned Pretty and It's Not Summer Without You. Check out my review for The Summer I Turned Pretty and It's Not Summer Without You! About We'll Always Have Summer Belly thinks she's got her life all figured out. She's over the boy who has consumed her teenage years, she has a boyfriend she loves and who loves her, and she's in the same school as her best friend; It's everything she's ever wanted. But what she doesn't know is her boyfriend is keeping a secret from her. And so is her ex-lover, who also happens to be her boyfriend's brother. In We'll Always Have Summer, Belly has to make a difficult choice. Which brother will it be? We'll Always Have Summer Review Okay, I’ve got to be honest. That was so good. The angst. The pining. Literally, give me everything. Let’s first talk about the characters because they are the superstars of this book. Belly Conklin is now a grown-up who goes by Isabel. She’s in Finch University with her best friend and boyfriend, how much better can her life get? Not going to lie, Jeremiah Fisher’s personality just dropped from the second book. He was so inconsiderate, acting immaturely, was a selfish prick and made an unforgivable mistake. I don’t know what happened to him from It’s Not Summer Without You but this is not my Jeremiah. He’s probably the worst character in this book and it’s such a shame that so much time was spent developing his character, just for it to go down the drain. On the other hand though, Conrad Fisher. He's the love of my life. This is his book. Belly’s best friend, Taylor Jewel, was also extremely lovable in We’ll Always Have Summer. The girls seemed to have gotten over some kind of barrier and now they’re as thick as thieves. I loved Taylor and appreciated how much she did for Belly, especially when she was going through a difficult time. Plot, pining, what's the difference? The book basically revolves around this one plotline and everything leading up to it. It’s quite a bit of a spoiler so I’m not going to talk about it in detail. However, I felt that this plotline was a little rushed. I think there was a different way to go about the love triangle, and this crazy decision that Belly made was not the right solution to do it. That being said, the pining was everything. Now we have chapters in Conrad’s POV and it’s intriguing to read about what goes on in that convoluted mind of his. I feel that he has been such a mysterious character to me because I haven’t seen his brain fleshed out in front of my eyes. But now that I have, it’s messy, beautiful and I want more of him. What’s the point of life if I don’t have myself a Conrad Fisher in the end? Words of poetry. Jenny Han, you have outdone yourself with the writing in this book. The profession of love was sentimental and it touched my heart deeply. This was a beautiful end to a series. It’s reassuring to know that We’ll Always Have this book with us. ★★★★☆ (4/5) About Jenny Han Jenny Han is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the To All The Boys I've Loved Before series, now a Netflix movie. She is also the author of the Summer I Turned Pretty series, Shug, and Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream. Her books have been published in more than thirty languages. A former librarian, Han earned her MFA in creative writing at the New School. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

If you're missing Cousins Beach, here are all the best quotes from It's Not Summer Without You to take you back. When Jeremiah calls Belly up one day to let her know that his brother is missing, the duo packs their things in search of Conrad. All signs show that he had travelled back to Cousins Beach. What follows is an adventure filled with grief, confusion but most important of all, love. Click here to read my full review of It's Not Summer Without You! I compiled a list of my favourite quotes from the book together with clips from the second season of The Summer I Turned Pretty, streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Disclaimer: The quotes below contains spoilers for those who have not yet read the book or watched the show. If you have not read It's Not Summer Without You, these quotes might convince you to get on it. Or I think the least you could do is watch the show. Do you have a favourite line from It's Not Summer Without You? Leave them in the comments below!

Here are seven books American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo has read that should be added to your reading list. GUTS has been on repeat since the day it was released. That's right. Singer-songwriter, Olivia Rodrigo, has done it again. With her debut album, SOUR, skyrocketing off the charts, everyone was wondering if she could pull out another album under her hat that could be on par with the sister album. GUTS, Rodrigo's sophomore album, is doing extraordinarily on the charts, earning the top spot on US iTunes on its release day. GUTS also earned 60.9 million streams on Spotify, the 10th biggest first-day album debut by female artists. Critics from the Guardian, Vogue, Pitchfork and the Financial Times have also commended the album, giving it high praise. Not only is her singing amazing, but I am in awe of her songwriting. The lyrics she writes appear simple but they are words captured straight from the heart. She translates emotions into words so perfectly. With that in mind, I wanted to see what were some things that the 20-year-old loved to read or had recommended before. Here are the seven books Olivia Rodrigo has recommended. Helium by Rudy Francisco The Marvels by Brian Selznick The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon The Flame by Leonard Cohen Just Kids by Patti Smith Auguries of Innocence by Patti Smith Twilight by Stephanie Meyer 1. Helium by Rudy Francisco In an interview with Teen Vogue on what Rodrigo did during the social distancing in 2020, Rodrigo says: I try to read every night before I go to bed. Right now I'm reading this book of poetry by Rudy Francisco called "Helium". Helium is the debut poetry collection by internet star, Rudy Francisco. Helium is filled with work that is simultaneously personal and political, blending love poems, self-reflection, and biting cultural critique on class, race and gender into an unforgettable whole. Ultimately, Francisco's work rises above the chaos to offer a fresh and positive perspective of shared humanity and beauty. 2. The Marvels by Brian Selznick Back in 2017, Rodrigo posted a selfie on Twitter featuring the fictional novel written by Brian Selznick. Set in 1766, Billy Marvel has survived a ship wreck. After the tragic accident, he finds work in London in a theatre where his family flourishes for generations, until young actor, Leontes Marvel, is banished from stage. Almost 10 years later, Joseph Jervis finds refuge with his uncle in London. Albert Nightingale's strange, beautiful house captivates Joseph and leads him on a search for clues about the house, his family and the past. 3. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon Christopher John Francis Boone, a boy with autism, knows all the countries of the world and their capitals. He knows every prime number up to 7,057. He hates the colour yellow and won't eat his food if different parts of it are touching each other. One night, his neighbour's dog is found dead in the garden. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time follows this young boy as he goes on an adventure to find out what happened to his neighbour's dog and on this journey, he discovers unexpected truths both about himself and the world. 4. The Flame by Leonard Cohen In an Instagram photo dump posted by Rodrigo, a page of this book is featured on the cover, with her favourite line seemingly underlined in bright pink pen. She also recommends it in an interview with Vogue, saying: "It's so incredible, and I'm in love with Leonard Cohen. He's amazing". The Flame is the final work from Leonard Cohen. It features poems, excerpts from his private notebooks, lyrics and hand-drawn self-portraits. The Flame offers an unprecedentedly intimate look inside the life and mind of a singular artist. A reckoning with a life lived deeply and passionately, with wit and panache, The Flame is a valedictory work. 5. Just Kids by Patti Smith In another infamous Instagram dump, Rodrigo is eating a croissant while reading Just Kids by Patti Smith. Patti Smith offers a never-before-seen glimpse of her remarkable relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe from the 1960s to 70s in the days of New York City and the Chelsea Hotel. A true fable, Just Kids is a portrait of two young artists' ascent, a prelude to fame. An honest and moving story of youth and friendship, Smith brings the same unique, lyrical quality to Just Kids as she has to the rest of her formidable body of work—from her influential 1975 album Horses to her visual art and poetry. 6. Auguries of Innocence by Patti Smith In the same interview with Vogue, Rodrigo gushes about how much she loves Patti Smith and how eager she was when she had a surprise visit from the author. Auguries of Innocence is the first book of poetry from Patti Smith in more than a decade. It marks a major accomplishment from a poet and performer who has inscribed her vision of our world in powerful anthems, ballads and lyrics. In this intimate and searing collection of poems, Smith joins in that great tradition of troubadours, journeymen, wordsmiths and artists who respond to the world around them in fresh and original language. Her influences are eclectic and striking: Blake, Rimbaud, Picasso, Arbus, and Johnny Appleseed. Smith is an American original; her poems are oracles for our times. 7. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer Rodrigo is unabashedly a huge fan of Twilight. She's posted multiple photos of her love for the characters, and you can see the first novel on her bookshelf in the interview with Vogue! Isabella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Bella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Bella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife—between desire and danger. Deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires. This is a love story with bite. I have not read any of these books, but am eager to get my hands on them. Based on the synopses alone, they all sound really intriguing. Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? And I'd also love to know what's your favourite song from GUTS. I currently have making the bed and get him back! on repeat.

Here are the books and poems recommended by 24-year-old American singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams. Gracie Abrams has made a name for herself in the music industry. Despite being born into fame, her album Good Riddance has done exceptionally well. After touring with pop star Taylor Swift as the opening act for her Eras Tour, Abrams will be going on a tour of her own to Europe in the fall. As today is Abrams’s birthday (plus I have such a deep adoration for this girl), I took a deep dive into her social media profiles and feature articles to find all the books she’s recommended or posted about. These are the seven books recommended by Gracie Abrams. Risking Everything: 110 Poems of Love and Revelation by Roger Housden The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf Still Possible by David Whyte The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry My Neighbour Totoro by Hayao Miyazaki The House of Belonging by David Whyte Wild Geese by Mary Oliver 1. Risking Everything: 110 Poems of Love and Revelation by Roger Housden In an interview with Refinery29, Abrams says that this poetry book is "bringing her joy". Abrams explains: There's this collection of poems called Risking Everything— that is my favourite book in the world. It's just the most heartbreaking and striking poetry from different poets and I bring it with me everywhere; every flight I'm on I read it again and again, and I find something new every time. I could not recommend it more. Even if you're not into poetry. I truly do believe that if you spend 10 minutes with this book, it will change your mind about that. Risking Everything: 110 Poems of Love and Revelation brings together great poets from around the world whose work transcends culture and time. Their words reach past the outer divisions to the universal currents of love and revelation that move and inspire us all. These poems urge us to wake up and love. They also call on us to relinquish our grip on ideas and opinions that confine us and, instead, to risk moving forward into the life that is truly ours. In his selection, Roger Housden has placed strong emphasis on contemporary voices such as the American poet laureate Billy Collins and the Nobel Prize–winners Czeslaw Milosz and Seamus Heaney, but the collection also includes some timeless echoes of the past in the form of work by masters such as Goethe, Wordsworth, and Emily Dickinson. The tens of thousands of readers of Roger Housden’s Ten Poems series will welcome this beautiful harvest of poems that both open the mind and heal the heart. 2. The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf In 2017, Abrams tells Highlark that the last book she read was The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf. I highly recommend it if you wanna wake up a little. The Beauty Myth is a bestselling classic that redefined people's views of the relationship between beauty and female identity. In today's world, women have more power, legal recognition, and professional success than ever before. Alongside the evident progress of the women's movement, however, writer and journalist Naomi Wolf is troubled by a different kind of social control, which, she argues, may prove just as restrictive as the traditional image of homemaker and wife. It's the beauty myth, an obsession with physical perfection that traps the modern woman in an endless spiral of hope, self-consciousness, and self-hatred as she tries to fulfill society's impossible definition of "the flawless beauty." 3. Still Possible by David Whyte In a Tumblr post, Abrams posted a photo of a David Whyte book. The poems in Still Possible pay homage to the invisible passage of time—the deep, private current that wends through our lives as a steadfast companion, sculpting our interior worlds as inexorably and exquisitely as its visible manifestations. Whyte turns his eye, and his pen, to the possibilities and harvests this shaping reveals: the shyness and vulnerability of love, the illusion of imperfections, and the new invitations that beckon along the way. The poems reflect an abiding faith in time's wisdom: a journey turned away from in youth waits patiently for later maturity; an early experience ripens in secret to reveal, decades later, a full understanding. Under Whyte's poet-philosopher gaze, a rain-soaked in an Irish farmhouse becomes a meditation on the essence of a truly good day: a settled contentment, alert and open to whatever may call. Plus sheep, Seamus Heaney and a dog. Powerful language rests on a foundation of what isn't said, a silence underpinning the eloquence of articulation. In this way, Still Possible hovers above the numinous and the unknowable—what we pray for, what we pass on, what mystery awaits and, in the end, what it might mean to be happy. 4. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry In another Tumblr post, The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry sits atop a stack of books. A pilot stranded in the desert awakes one morning to see, standing before him, the most extraordinary little fellow. "Please," asks the stranger, "draw me a sheep." And the pilot realizes that when life's events are too difficult to understand, there is no choice but to succumb to their mysteries. He pulls out pencil and paper... And thus begins this wise and enchanting fable that, in teaching the secret of what is really important in life, has changed forever the world for its readers. 5. My Neighbour Totoro by Hayao Miyazaki In the same photo with The Little Prince, you can see a glimpse of My Neighbour Totoro at the bottom of the stack of books on the right. Eleven-year-old Satsuki and her sassy little sister Mei have moved to the country to be closer to their ailing mother. Soon, in the woods behind their spooky old house, Satsuki and Mei discover a forest spirit named Totoro. When Mei goes missing, it’s up to Satsuki to find her sister, and she’ll need help from some new, and magical, friends. This beloved animation classic by legendary Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki, has been transformed into a novel. 6. The House of Belonging by David Whyte Abrams posted a quote from Sweet Darkness on her Instagram profile. The quote comes from the book, The House of Belonging by David Whyte. In this book, poet David Whyte turns his attention to the deepest longing of human beings—the desire to belong to people and places and the many ways of experiencing a sense of home. The House of Belonging has sold over 50,000 copies and contains some of his most beloved poems, such as The Truelove, The Journey, and Sweet Darkness. The deeply moving title poem reads as balm and benediction to wherever one finds one's home in the world, and taken together, the collection illuminates the myriad ways we belong—to others, to ourselves, and to the world. 7. Wild Geese by Mary Oliver Abrams posted another quote on Instagram, this time about Wild Geese by Mary Oliver. An anthology, this book's title poem, Wild Geese, opened Staying Alive. Mary Oliver is one of America's best-loved poets. Her luminous poetry celebrates nature and beauty, love and the spirit, silence and wonder, extending the visionary American tradition of Whitman, Emerson, Frost and Emily Dickinson. The winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, she has lived for many years on Cape Cod. Her extraordinary poetry is nourished by her intimate knowledge and minute daily observation of the New England coast, its woods and ponds, its birds and animals, plants and trees. Mary Oliver is hugely popular in the States, where her many books have sold hundreds of thousands of copies. These include four recent collections published in Britain by Bloodaxe Books. Wild Geese is a selection of her best-known poems, including the title-poem and The Journey. 8. How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi There's a paragraph from How to be an Antiracist on Abram's Instagram page. Ibram X. Kendi's concept of antiracism re-energizes and reshapes the conversation about racial justice in America—but even more fundamentally, points us toward liberating new ways of thinking about ourselves and each other. In How to be an Antiracist, Kendi asks us to think about what an antiracist society might look like, and how we can play an active role in building it. In this book, Kendi weaves together an electrifying combination of ethics, history, law, and science, bringing it all together with an engaging personal narrative of his own awakening to antiracism. How to be an Antiracist is an essential work for anyone who wants to go beyond an awareness of racism to the next step: contributing to the formation of a truly just and equitable society. Besides these specific book recommendations, Abrams has also posted a number of photos of her favourite poems across Instagram and Tumblr. Poems recommended by Gracie Abrams The Art Of Disappearing Poem by Naomi Shihab Nye Fall Song by Mary Oliver How I Go To The Woods by Mary Oliver Notice by Steve Kowit The Journey by Mary Oliver Love After Love by Derek Walcott The Gate by Marie Howe My Dead Friends by Marie Howe The Journey by Mary Oliver Disappointment by Tony Hoagland Weather Report by Charles Bukowski Abrams has also mentioned that she is a huge fan of Kate Baer and Mary Oliver. I think it's safe to assume that she'd enjoy majority of the works written by these two women as well. It’s evident from her recommendations that she loves poetry and I think it shows in her songwriting. Her lyrics are poetic and rhythmic, often expressing deep emotions I couldn’t even fathom, let alone put into words. Personally, I'm not the biggest fan of poetry books but I'd be open to give it a try someday. If you've read any of the books she's recommended or posted about, let me know what you think about it in the comments. Happy birthday to this sweet girl. I cannot wait to see what she puts out in the future. Gracie Abrams and her music is a gift to us all.

Interested to knit the sold-out Taylor Swift Folklore Cardigan? You've come to the right place! With the Europe leg of the Eras Tour just around the corner, many Swifties have been looking for their Eras outfit. If you love the album, Folklore, the Folklore Cardigan is perfect for you! Unfortunately, the cardigan has been discontinued from the official merch site but you can always knit your own. With these step-by-step videos, you can knit your own Folklore Cardigan in no time! The written pattern is produced by Lionbrand. Happy knitting!

This fictional band managed to take over the world, but will it take over your heart? Sometimes I feel as if I've read a whole other book than the one others have been raving about. I found Daisy Jones & The Six to be incredibly overhyped. About Daisy Jones & The Six Daisy Jones is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties. She's beauty, she's grace, she has the kind of voice that receives much praise. The Six, a band started by the Dunne Brothers, Billy and Graham, but later led by Billy Dunne, is getting noticed by producers. They've started touring around the country, landing gigs bigger than the previous ones. On the eve of their first tour, Billy's girlfriend, Camila, finds out she's pregnant. Faced with the newfound success of his band and the pressure of his impending fatherhood, Billy does questionable things while he's on tour. Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer finds that the way to reach immeasurable success is by combining the two stars together. Daisy Jones & The Six soon become full-blown rockstars, topping the charts and playing sold-out arenas. Their music made them famous but their breakup made them legends. In Daisy Jones & The Six, we find out what really happened between the band members that led to their sudden disbandment. Daisy Jones & The Six Review I'm going to be honest, I thought Daisy Jones & The Six was a real band at first. I searched them up, fully expecting to find a whole discography on Spotify. The way it was written in an interview transcript made me think that I was reading a non-fictional book. However, I hated this writing style. This oral history-style format where the characters are reminiscing about their days in the band was a great concept in theory, but I don't think it worked very well. I found it difficult to get into the story. I was confused and lost. I had to put the book down a few times, then I picked it up again a few days later hoping somehow I might be able to get into it this time round. The book only became a little tolerable when I read it along with the audiobook. The audiobook helped a bunch and created a clear distinction between characters for me. Even then, I had to fight the urge to put this book throughout my read. The main reason why I found it difficult to continue was that everything we know about the book is told to us. It's practically what every English teacher tells you not to do; Show, don't tell. This makes the book fall flat because there isn't a chance for the reader to interpret the story in their own way. This book took me a month to finish! I think it might've even put me in a tiny reading slump... While I hated the way the book was written, I think the concept of the book is really cool. The world-building was immersive and put me right into the 70s. Taylor Jenkins Reid has obviously done her research and it shows in how the 1970s music scene in L.A. was written. However, the characters were annoying and predictable. I hated most of them. Daisy Jones is a spoilt, rich girl who thinks the world revolves around her. If something doesn't go her way then she'll throw a tantrum. Her need for drugs being her only personality trait is annoying. She's just a pretty girl who can sing. I tried to like her in the beginning but she's just an awful person. I think the moment where I couldn't stand her the most is when she gets angry at Billy for not loving her back. As if he doesn't have a wife and kids? Who the hell does she think she is? And then she says confidential information Billy has told her in confidence to the whole world just because she's angry at him for not wanting to kiss her. Daisy Jones is an entitled brat and I despise her. Then we have the rest of the characters. Billy was alright, in the most alright way an arrogant rockstar could be. I appreciated his (very little) character development throughout the book though. Graham, Karen and Camila were mediocre. Warren was just there (I honestly don't remember much about him). Eddie was irritating. Pete was also just there (don't remember much about him either). Everyone failed to make a lasting impression on me. The characters were bland. They don't have any personality, had barely any character development. And it didn't help that it was in an interview style so these characters felt even further away from me. While the characters reminisce on their days as Daisy Jones & The Six, there wasn't much happening. The plot was predictable and repetitive. It's nothing we haven't heard from band documentaries. My Recommendation ★★☆☆☆ (2/5) I think this book had an interesting premise but it just failed to show in the end result. For one, the writing style does not work well, and the characters need to have a serious revamp. I love how there's a visual adaptation coming on Prime Video though and I'm excited to watch it. Considering this oral history-style format, a visual adaptation (especially since this would be a TV series) would work splendidly. And based on the teaser and trailer that's already out, it looks awesome so far. I'm hyped to watch it. But the book? It's boring. I wouldn't waste my time reading it. But if you do choose to read it then read it together with the audiobook because you'd be scratching your head for hours without it. Daisy Jones & The Six managed to strike a chord for the people of the fictional 1970s L.A., but it felt like a broken record that needed more tuning to me. About Taylor Jenkins Reid Taylor Jenkins Reid is the author of Malibu Rising, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and four more novels. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, their daughter, and their dog.

The long-awaited second season of The Summer I Turned Pretty is back! This season follows the plot of It's Not Summer Without You, with a few noteworthy differences. The Summer I Turned Pretty is back for a second season. All episodes are now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. There are eight episodes for the second season of The Summer I Turned Pretty, each episode spanning about 50 minutes, to cover the length of the book. Despite that, the writers of the show did change a few aspects of the book in the series. They also gave more time for some characters and subplots to shine. The plot of season 2 of The Summer I Turned Pretty follows the plot of the second book in the Summer I Turned Pretty series, It’s Not Summer Without You, written by Jenny Han. If you haven’t read It’s Not Summer Without You, check out my review of the book here! Disclaimer: This post contains spoilers for those who have not yet watched season 2 or read the book. From left: Christopher Briney, Gavin Casalegno, Lola Tung, David Iacono, Rain Spencer, Sean Kaufman and Elsie Fisher for season 2 of The Summer I Turned Pretty. (Source: Prime Video) Episode 1: Love Lost There’s no graduation for Steven in the book. In episode 1, we see Steven graduating from high school and giving his valedictorian speech. He doesn’t graduate in the book. In fact, there’s barely any mention of him in the books. Therefore, there is also no graduation gift from Susannah in the book. Davis, Taylor's boyfriend, is replaced by Milo, a new character in the series. In the book, Taylor has a boyfriend called Ben Davis. Everyone called him Davis and he’s “really cute; he had dimples and green eyes like sea glass”. However, Taylor has found a new beau for the series, Milo, who’s a rockstar and appears much cooler than Davis. Belly ordered a pizza for Laurel, instead of making her a sandwich. A minor difference but a difference nonetheless: Before Belly and Steven leave for the graduation party in episode 1, Belly tells Laurel, “I ordered you a pizza, okay, so please eat it.” In the book, Belly had made a sandwich for her. “I went over to the fridge and pulled out stuff for a turkey sandwich. Mustard, cheese, white bread. […] ‘It’s for my mom,’ I said. I made the sandwich, put it on a plate, covered it with plastic wrap, and left it on the counter where she’d see it.” Making a sandwich for your mother just seems more thoughtful to me than making a call for pizza. But food's food. Steven didn't go to the party with Taylor and Belly. In episode 1, Steven and Belly go to the party with Taylor and Milo. However, in the book, Belly went with Taylor and Davis. Belly’s argument with Steven was with Taylor. At the party, Belly gets into an argument with Steven. It starts off lighthearted about Steven spilling a drink on Belly’s top but it later turns into Steven blaming Belly for making things awkward between him and the Fishers. Since Steven is not there for Belly to pick a fight with in the book, Belly gets into an argument with Taylor. Taylor has been trying to help Belly get over her sulky mood by matchmaking her with Cory Wheeler, a boy in their grade. Belly wasn’t happy with it and took a hit on Taylor’s pet cat. Taylor then related Belly’s cranky behaviour to losing Susannah and Conrad, which ultimately made her even more unhappy. Jeremiah called Belly first. At the end of episode 1, Belly calls Jeremiah after looking at photos of her and Conrad. However, in the book, Jeremiah calls Belly first, at which he asks her for help to look for Conrad. Episode 2: Love Scene Belly had met up with Jeremiah at Conrad’s school. At the beginning of episode 2, Belly is taking the bus. She later ends up on Conrad’s campus where she meets up with Jeremiah. In the book, she makes an elaborate scheme to leave her car at Taylor’s house. She also met Jeremiah there where they’d drive together to Conrad's school. Conrad had a somewhat different roommate. Eric Trusky, Conrad’s roommate, doesn’t know who Belly is in the book. However, when Belly meets him in the show, Eric says “Oh, yeah, you’re Belly. Yo… when you guys broke up, my man fell into a depression,” clearly signalling that Conrad must have mentioned her to him before. Belly found the necklace on the table, instead of in the drawer. When Belly and Jeremiah went to Conrad's dorm room to look for him, Belly looked through Conrad's items for a clue of where he might have gone. In one of the drawers, she found a Tiffany box with an infinity necklace inside. She took the necklace and put it on. In the show, Belly looked through the things on Conrad’s table and she found an infinity necklace under his book and laptop. She took his laptop and left the necklace and book on the desk. Jeremiah and Belly were on decent terms. Gavin Casalegno as Jeremiah Fisher and Lola Tung as Belly Conklin in the second season of The Summer I Turned Pretty. (Source: Prime Video) Although Jeremiah was angry with Belly for leaving him in the dark when his mother passed away, they still made small talk on their drive to Conrad’s school. However, in the series, Jeremiah was giving her the cold shoulder, later falling apart after experiencing a flat tyre. Jeremiah’s car did not break down On the way to Cousins, Jeremiah’s car broke down. They stopped at the side of the road before Jeremiah scolded Belly for not being there for him the past summer. His car doesn't break down in the book. Conrad and Belly only kissed on their solo trip to Cousins. In the series, it’s implied that they did more than kiss when they didn’t in the book. Episode 3: Love Sick Steven didn't comfort Belly when she had just broken up with Conrad. After Belly breaks up with Conrad in episode 3, she walks back into the school where Steven gives her a comforting embrace. They look at Conrad’s car as he drives away. Steven doesn’t comfort Belly until the next morning in the book. “The next morning, Steven came to my room and sat at my desk. He’d just gotten home. He was still wearing his tux. “I’m asleep,” I told him, rolling over. “No, you’re not.” He paused. “Conrad’s not worth it, okay?” Aunt Julia is a new character in the show. Aunt Julia, Susannah’s half-sister, is a new character. She has had some unresolved conflicts with Susannah, including the ownership of the beach house. Mr Fisher was the one who wanted to sell the house. After Susannah’s passing, the ownership of the house automatically transferred to Aunt Julia as they both owned part of the house. Since the house was still Susannah’s in the book and she didn't have a half-sister to give it to, Mr Fisher was the one in charge of the Cousins house. Ultimately, it was his decision to sell off the house. “It’s not his house to sell. It’s my mother’s house, actually.” No romance subplot between Steven and Taylor. Sean Kaufman as Steven Conklin and Rain Spencer as Taylor Jewel in The Summer I Turned Pretty. (Source: Prime Video) Besides the Belly and Conrad-Jeremiah love triangle, there is also a romance subplot between Steven and Taylor which doesn’t happen in the book. Belly's outfit to Susannah's funeral was different. Belly didn't wear her glasses and her hair the same way in the book. I wore my old glasses to the funeral, the ones with the red plastic frames. [...] They made me dizzy, but I didn't care. Susannah always liked me in those glasses. She said I looked like the smartest girl in the room, the kind of girl who was going somewhere and knew exactly how she was going to get there. I wore my hair halfway up, because that was the way she liked it. In episode 3, Belly wore her hair halfway up but opted out of the funky glasses. Conrad didn't sing at Susannah's funeral in the book. The funeral was a sombre moment for the family. Only the preacher said a few words about Susannah. In the series, Conrad sang a song on the guitar that Susannah “always asked me to play for her”. Taylor and Steven don't surprise Belly, Jeremiah and Conrad at Cousins. At the end of episode 3, Taylor and Steven surprise Belly, Jeremiah and Conrad at the beach house, which they don't do in the book. Episode 4: Love Game Skye is a new character. Skye is Aunt Julia’s child, half-cousin of Conrad and Jeremiah. The gang did not go to the boardwalk. After the air-conditioning in the beach house spoils, Aunt Julia demands everyone to leave the house so that she can call a repairman to fix it. Conrad, Belly, Jeremiah, Skye, Steven and Taylor decide to go to the boardwalk, where they play games and eat ice cream. They don't go to the boardwalk in the book. Belly, Conrad and Jeremiah spent a lot of their time surfing and swimming. Cam Cameron is back in season 2. At the boardwalk, the gang walk into a rock-climbing wall where Steven eagerly approaches the wall to attempt a climb. Cam Cameron comes running in with a harness. He’s working at the boardwalk, where he later becomes the personal tour guide for the six of them. Cam Cameron's time ended in the first book and he sadly does not make a surprise appearance in It’s Not Summer Without You. Cleveland and Laurel's relationship. Laurel's romance with Cleveland doesn't happen in the book. Since the chapters are from Belly and Jeremiah's point-of-view, the readers don't experience much more other than what happens to the two of them. Their things were not ransacked from them. After coming home from the boardwalk, they walk into an empty house, all traces of the house being Susannah’s are gone. While they were at the boardwalk, Aunt Julia had called the movers to move all of Susannah's furniture into a storage unit. In the book, nothing happens to their belongings. After their things get ransacked, the seven of them decide to sleep at the clubhouse where the debutante ball happened in season 1. But since they still have their furniture in the book, they sleep soundly in Susannah's house. Episode 5: Love Fool The truth or dare dare was given by Jeremiah instead of Skye. After the gang settles down at the golf course, they play a game of truth or dare. Things get a little awkward when Skye dares Belly to kiss Jeremiah. In the book, truth or dare was being played by Conrad, Jeremiah and Belly so the dare was given by Jeremiah for Belly. "Hey, Belly," he said. "Truth or dare." [...] "I dare you to kiss me, old-school style. I've learned a lot since the last time." Nothing about Belly's volleyball camp. One of the main subplots of the second season of The Summer I Turned Pretty is Belly’s volleyball camp. Something happened in the last volleyball season that caused her to have a falling out with the volleyball team and her coach. Now that it’s the new season, Taylor is eager for Belly to come back to the team. There is no mention of Belly’s love for volleyball or the volleyball camp in It’s Not Summer Without You. Episode 6: Love Fest Jeremiah was the one who bought the beer for their party. In episode 6, Conrad, Jeremiah and Belly drive down to the store to get drinks for their party. (It’s also where the creator, writer and executive producer of the show, Jenny Han, makes a surprise cameo!) The boys try to persuade the cashier to let them buy booze—Conrad handing him a fake ID while Jeremiah is immediately shown the sign on purchasing alcohol for minors—but to no avail. Alas, Belly goes in and truthfully tells the cashier about their situation, inviting him to the party as well. It works. She comes out with two Slurpees and the young boy hauling a few crates of beer behind her. In the book, Jeremiah goes to the store by himself and purchases it for the rest of the time. He didn’t go through any difficulty. I hoisted up two cases of beer and handed them over. "We're having a party." Belly asked for Conrad's forgiveness about what happened at the funeral at the beach, instead of at the supermarket. Chris Briney as Conrad Fisher and Lola Tung as Belly Conklin in The Summer I Turned Pretty. (Source: Prime Video) After getting the booze, Conrad, Jeremiah and Belly go to the supermarket to get props and decorations for their party. Conrad meets Belly in one of the aisles. As the tension between them looms, Belly asks Conrad for his forgiveness for what she said to him at Susannah’s funeral. In the book, Belly talks to Conrad about it at the beach, when she was drunk and going to jump into the freezing ocean. "Just wait a second, please. I need to tell you something. I'm really sorry for the way I acted that day." [...] "At... at the funeral, I was awful to you. I was horrible, and I'm so ashamed of how I acted. It wasn't how I wanted things to go, not at all. I really, really wanted to be there for you. That's why I came to find you." Belly didn't want Taylor to come to the party at Cousins. The party wouldn’t have been a memorable one without Taylor and Steven’s iconic duo dance to Party in the USA. However, she wasn’t supposed to come to the party in the books. At least, Belly didn't want her there. "A party?" she squealed. "I wanna come!" [...] "What about Cory's party?" I said. "I heard his brother's condo has a Jacuzzi. You love Jacuzzis." [...] "By the time you get here, everybody would be gone. You should probably just go to Cory's." [...] "Do you like not want me to come?" "I didn't say that," I said. "You basically did." Belly was very adamant about Taylor not coming to their party in Cousins. She kept making excuses for why Taylor shouldn’t go, implying that she didn’t want Taylor there because she wanted the Fisher boys to herself. Belly didn't have a speech in the book. After the party, at the beach, Belly drunkenly goes to the ocean. Conrad pulls her out before she can do anything stupid and they have an argument about their relationship. She told Conrad that she would’ve fought for him and their relationship if she knew that he still cared about her. This did not happen in the book. Laurel had answered her phone when Belly called her for help. After Belly settles down, she drunkenly calls her mother for help. Laurel doesn’t answer her phone and Belly’s brought to her mother’s voicemail. However, in the book, Laurel answered her phone when Belly called her for help. She proceeded to drive to Cousins in the middle of the night, arriving at the house in the morning. Episode 7: Love Affair The house was clean by the time the first visitor of Laurel's plan had arrived. By the time Mr Fisher came to the house for Laurel’s meeting in the book, the house had already been cleaned. However, it wasn’t clean in the show and, in this case, Aunt Julia, came back to a messy and vandalised house. It also wasn't clean later on when Mr Fisher was the second person to arrive as there was graffiti on the walls. The song they were singing on the way to Conrad's school was different. On the trip from Cousins to Conrads’ university, Belly, Jeremiah and Conrad were listening to Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. In the show, they listened to Tom Petty’s Free Fallin. Belly and Jeremiah didn't go to Finch University while waiting for Conrad. In the book, Belly and Jeremiah had gone to eat and talk about the funeral and losing Susannah. When Conrad left to take his exam, Jeremiah and I bought turkey and avocado sandwiches on whole wheat bread and we ate them out on the lawn. On the other hand, while they were waiting for Conrad to be done with his exam, Belly and Jeremiah visited Finch University, the university they both wanted to go to. They take a tour of the school, exploring the campus, dormitories and sports court. Belly bought a Brown sweater. In the book, Belly buys a Brown sweater. Instead of going straight to the car, I stopped at the student store. I bought a soda and a hoodie that said BROWN in block letters. Even though it wasn't cold, I put it on. However, in the series, Belly is already wearing a Brown sweater that was given to her by Conrad earlier on in the car. Instead, when she is at Finch with Jeremiah, she buys a grey Finch College hoodie. Belly and Jeremiah's kiss happened differently. First off, they kissed much later. Although it was not specified in the show, Belly and Jeremiah only kissed when Conrad had left to go for his second exam. By the time Conrad was done, the sky "was starting to get dark". Besides being too eager to have a make-out session on Conrad’s car, they also originally kiss in the car instead of on top of it. Therefore, when Conrad came back, he saw them from the dashboard window. It felt like a world outside of that car, that moment, didn't exist. It was just us. Lastly, since the kiss happened after Conrad's first exam, they managed to ask him how he did on the test before the mood turned sour. Jeremiah said, "Does it look like good news to you? It looks like good news to me." It did to me, too. Conrad strode up to us, his eyes gleaming. "I killed it," he said triumphantly. First time I'd seen him smile, really smile—joyful, carefree—since Susannah died. He and Jeremiah high-fived so hard the clap rang out in the air. And then Conrad smiled at me, and whirled me around so fast I almost tripped. In the show, only Laurel and Steven called to give him their support. Episode 8: Love Triangle Jeremiah asked Belly to go after Conrad. In the book, Belly went off her own free will and Jeremiah didn't ask her to do so. Jeremiah and I stared at each other in silent horror. And then my hand was on the door handle and I was on my feet. I didn't look back. I ran after him and called his name, but Conrad didn't turn around. I grabbed his arm and he finally looked at me, and there was so much hate in his eyes I winced. Conrad kept the necklace. Before Conrad and Belly leave the motel, Conrad gives the infinity necklace to Belly saying, “You should take it. It's still yours.” However, in the book, Conrad keeps the necklace, only giving it back to her in the third book, We'll Always Have Summer. He stared at me, and then he leaned forward and touched the necklace around my neck. The one I'd been hiding under my shirt all day. "If you like Jeremiah, why are you wearing my necklace?" I wet my lips. "I found it when we were packing up your dorm room. It doesn't mean anything." [...] "Then give it back." He held his hand out, and I saw that it was shaking. Conrad didn't take the bus back. Christopher Briney as Conrad Fisher. (Source: Prime Video) After their night in the motel, Conrad tells Belly that he'll be going back to Cousins with a friend. "Hey," he said. "A friend of mine is coming to get me." [...] "It's easier this way. He'll take me back to Cousins so I can get my car, and J can take you home." In the show, Conrad takes the bus back to Cousins to clean the house up, while Jeremiah drove Conrad's car to send Belly home. A few other miscellaneous differences. Nona was not in the show. Nona, Susannah's hospice nurse, was not mentioned in the series, She had taken care of Susannah when she was sick. No mention of Jeremiah's ex-girlfriend, Mara. Jeremiah had an ex-girlfriend, Mara. She was not brought up in the show. Season 2 of The Summer I Turned Pretty was quite different to It's Not Summer Without You. Many side characters had more time to shine, causing a few plot points to change along the way. Overall, I still enjoyed the second season of The Summer I Turned Pretty and am looking forward to the third season! I'm curious to know how they'll fit such an epic ending to the trilogy, or if they'll change it up entirely. Have you watched the season 2 of The Summer I Turned Pretty? What were your thoughts on this season? Are you Team Jeremiah or Team Conrad?

Wondering whether you should pick up the second book in the Summer I Turned Pretty series? Find out in this review. If you have not yet read my book review for The Summer I Turned Pretty, you can find it here! About It's Not Summer Without You For the first time in her life, Belly isn't going back to Cousins Beach this summer. When Jeremiah calls Belly one day to tell her that Conrad has disappeared, she drops everything to look for him. All clues point back to Cousins. Maybe they will be spending another summer there after all. It's Not Summer Without You Review It's Not Summer Without You vs. The Summer I Turned Pretty. Unlike the first book, which I downright disliked, this one was mediocre. Some parts were boring and repetitive, but some parts were so good, I couldn't put the book down. Since there was a general mission amongst the characters, I felt that this book was more progressive and it flowed smoothly. Not only has the plot been laid out clearly for readers, but the writing has also improved by a mile. There are less irritating repetitive phrases and I could get through the book without wanting to throw it onto the floor. The gang's back together (most of them at least). Belly has changed into a whole new person in It's Not Summer Without You. She's so much more helpful and understanding, and she apologises for her mistakes instead of sulking about them. It seems as though this girl has grown another brain since the last time we saw her, which is not uncommon considering what she had to go through. The only thing I didn't understand about this girl is her relationship with Taylor. I cannot fathom how they've been friends for so long because every time they have an interaction, it's like they want to cut each other's throats out. Since we had dual-perspective chapters in It's Not Summer Without You—one in Belly's POV and the other in Jeremiah's POV—I found that there was more depth to the other characters. Reading Jeremiah's POV allowed me to understand him better. Instead of seeing him from Belly's fantasy-coated lens, Jeremiah is a genuine and good-hearted person. Besides feeling jealous of his brother, there seems to be no ill will in his bones. I also understood Conrad a little more than I did in the first book. Again, there wasn't a lot of Steven in this one, which was kind of sad because he seemed to also be more mature now. There seemed to be more thoughtful conversations between characters which allowed them to open up about their feelings. This was refreshing to see after the lack of substance we had in The Summer I Turned Pretty. Nostalgia, a shared history, counted for a lot. More than I’d realised. Overall, this was a much more pleasant read to The Summer I Turned Pretty and I actually found myself excited to continue reading, something that did not happen in my first read. The book ended on a cliffhanger so I’m eager to dive in into the third and last instalment of the Summer I Turned Pretty series. At this rate, I'm hopeful book three would be as good as or even better than book two. Me with We'll Always Have Summer. ★★★☆☆ (3/5) About Jenny Han Jenny Han is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the To All The Boys I've Loved Before series, now a Netflix movie. She is also the author of the Summer I Turned Pretty series, Shug, and Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream. Her books have been published more than thirty languages. A former librarian, Han earned her MFA in creative writing at the New School. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Missing FSOTUS and Prince Henry? Here are the best quotes from Red, White & Royal Blue (with page numbers)! Red, White & Royal Blue follows Alex and Henry. Handsome and charismatic Alexander Claremont-Diaz is the First Son of the United States. And then there's His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales. He's full of himself, condescending and an overall pain in the arse. When The First Son and the Prince get into a public argument that threatens the relationship between US and Britain, their teams decide it's best to set them up in a public truce to straighten things out. Their damage control works and soon Alex and Henry find their friendship growing deeper than any of them could ever imagine. I rated Red, White & Royal Blue three stars. I found that there were too much politics involved in it. As a non-American, the political jargon and politics, in general, were jarring to read and confusing to understand. It took me the whole book plus re-reading half of it before I realised that FSOTUS stands for First Son of the United States... why wasn't there a glossary for this? You can find out more in my full review of Red, White & Royal Blue here. Overall, I enjoyed the romance and the main characters, but I probably wouldn't read this one again. Despite my average reading experience, Alex and Henry's journey was adorable to witness for the most part. I've jotted down the quotes that captured my heart, together with the page numbers so that you can easily find them in your copy. These are based on the UK paperback edition distributed by Macmillan. Disclaimer: This post contains spoilers for those who have not yet read the book. Red, White & Royal Blue Quotes They grew up made to talk about their feelings a lot, and then his mother became president, and life became less about feelings and more about international relations. Chapter Two, Page 22. “He has a personality of a cabbage.” Chapter Two, Page 25. “So Henry’s your new best friend. You will smile and nod and not piss off anyone while you and Hnery spend the weekend doing charity appearances and talking to the press about how much you love each other’s company. If somebody asks about him, I want to hear you gush like he’s your fucking prom date." Chapter Two, Page 25. Catchiness sells, coolness sells. Chapter Two, Page 28. "Sworn enemies forced to make peace to settle tensions between their countries? There's something totally Shakespearean about it." "Shakespearean in that hopefully I'll get stabbed to death." Chapter Two, Page 30. “This sheet says his favourite food is mutton pie. I literally cannot think of a more boring food. He’s like a cardboard cutout of a person." Chapter Two, Page 30. “How can I be wrong about my own favourite? It’s a personal truth.” “It’s a personal truth that is wrong and bad.” “Which do you prefer, then? Please show me the error of my ways.” Chapter Two, Page 52. “How many times do I have to tell y’all not to discuss your murder plots in front of a sitting president? Plausible deniability. Come on.” Chapter Three, Page 64. do it for the gram Chapter Three, Page 73. I think he’s cute. that’s because you can’t hear all the menacing gobbling Yes, famously the most sinister of all animal sounds, the gobble. Chapter Four, Page 77. “Jesus Christ, it’s like they can see into your soul. Cornbread knows my sins, Henry. Cornbread knows what I have done, and he is here to make me atone.” Chapter Four, Page 77. “When the world seems awful, such as when you’re trapped in a Great Turkey Calamity, you can put it on and vanish into biscuit land.” Chapter Four, Page 81. Straight people, he thinks, probably don’t spend this much time convincing themselves they’re straight. Chapter Five, Page 112. He’s trying not to think too hard about what comes next. He may not have experience in practical application, but he’s done research. He has diagrams. He can do this. Chapter Six, Page 135. “Maybe there’s more than one dream for you, or more than one way to get there.” Chapter Seven, Page 179. I’ll be damned but I miss you. Chapter Eight, Page 203. You are a delinquent and a plague. Please come? Chapter Eight, Page 213. He wants to call Henry. He guesses it makes sense—they’ve always been fixed points in each other’s worlds, little magnetic poles. Chapter Eight, Page 227. “Someone else’s choice doesn’t change who you are.” Chapter Eight, Page 229. “I wanted to believe in some people being good and doing this job because they want to do good. Doing the right things most of the time and most things for the right reasons. I wanted to be the kind of person who believes in that.” Chapter Eight, Page 229. “Every time I see you, it takes another year off my life.” Chapter Eight, Page 234. “I know you’re young, but this is a forever decision. Even if you don’t stay with him forever, if people find out, that sticks with you forever. So you need to figure out if you feel forever about him.” Chapter Nine, Page 238. Forever. It seems like an impossibly huge word, something he’s supposed to grow into ten years from now. Chapter Nine, Page 238. Thinking about history makes me wonder how I’ll fit into it one day, I guess. And you too. I kinda wish people still wrote like that. Chapter Nine, Page 241. History, huh? Bet we could make some. Chapter Nine, Page 241. The phrase “see attached bibliography” is the single sexiest thing you have ever written to me. Chapter Nine, Page 241. Should I tell you that when we’re apart, your body comes back to me in dreams? That when I sleep, I see you, the dip of your waist, the freckle above your hip, and when I wake up in the morning, it feels like I’ve just been with you, the phantom touch of your hand on the back of my neck fresh and not imagined? That I can feel your skin against mine, and it makes every bone in my body ache? That, for a few moments, I can hold my breath and be back there with you, in a dream, in a thousand rooms, nowhere at all? Chapter Nine, Page 242. “I gotta be honest. I thought a prince would be more of a candy-ass.” Chapter Nine, Page 254. Sometimes you just jump and hope it's not a cliff. Chapter Nine, Page 256. He wears a key to his childhood home around his neck, but he doesn’t know the last time he actually thought about the boy who used to push it into the lock. Chapter Nine, Page 259. “Can’t you ever just do one thing without having to be so goddamn extra about it?” “That is bloody rich coming from you.” Chapter Nine, Page 260. “I’ve been trying to be happy my entire idiot life. My birthright is a country, not happiness.” Chapter Ten, Page 272. “Look, I might now be a fucking royal, but I know what it’s like for your whole life to be determined by the family you were born into, okay? The lives we want—they’re not that different. Not in the ways that matter. You want to take what you were given and leave the world better than you found it. So do I. We can—we can figure out a way to do that together.” Chapter Ten, Page 274. “Your hair in the mornings is truly a wonder to behold.” Chapter Ten, Page 277. “She told me if I wasn’t a thousand percent serious about you, I needed to break things off.” “A thousand percent?” “Yeah, don’t let it go to your head.” Chapter Ten, Page 282. “I’m taking a picture of a national gay landmark,” Alex tells him. “And also a statue.” Chapter Ten, Page 289. At cruising altitude, he takes the chain off his neck and slides the ring on next to the old house key. They clink together gently as he tucks them both under his shirt, two homes side by side. Chapter Ten, Page 291. I’m there for whatever you decide you want to do, just, like, let me know if I need to start practicing gazing wistfully out the window, waiting for my love to return from the war. Chapter Eleven, Page 296. You see, for me, memories are difficult. Very often, they hurt. A curious thing about grief is the way it takes your entire life, all those foundational years that made you who you are, and makes them so painful to look back upon because of the absence there, that suddenly they’re inaccessible. You must invent an entirely new system. Chapter Eleven, Page 299. I thought, this is the most incredible thing I have ever seen, and I had better keep it a safe distance away from me. I thought, if someone like that ever loved me, it would set me on fire. Chapter Eleven, Page 300. And then I was a careless fool, and I fell in love with you anyway. When you rang me at truly shocking hours of the night, I loved you. When you kissed me in disgusting public toilets and pouted in hotel bars and made me happy in ways in which it had never even occurred to me that a mangled-up, locked-up person like me could be happy, I loved you. And then, inexplicably, you had the absolute audacity to love me back. Can you believe it? Sometimes, even now, I still can’t. Chapter Eleven, Page 300. Here: I can’t decide if your emails make me miss you more or less. Sometimes I feel like a funny-looking rock in the middle of the most beautiful clear ocean when I read the kinds of things you write to me. You love so much bigger than yourself, bigger than everything. I can’t believe how lucky I am to even witness it—to be the one who gets to have it, and so much of it, is beyond luck and feels like fate. Chapter Eleven, Page 302. Please stay gorgeous and strong and unbelievable. I miss you I miss you I miss you I love you. I’m calling you as soon as I send this, but I know you like to have these things written down. Chapter Eleven, Page 304. “I’m not gonna let that happen. Listen, I’m telling you right now, I will physically fight your grandmother myself if I have to, okay? And, like, she’s old. I know I can take her.” “I wouldn’t be so cocky,” Henry says with a small laugh. “She’s full of dark surprises.” Chapter Twelve, Page 312. “You and me and history, remember? We’re just gonna fucking fight. Because you’re it, okay? I’m never gonna love anybody in the world like I love you. So, I promise you, one day we’ll be able to just be, and fuck everyone else.” Chapter Twelve, Page 312. i’ve kissed your mouth, that corner, that place is goes, so many times now. i’ve memorised it. topography on the map of you, a world i’m still charting. i know it. i added it to the key. here: inches to miles. i can multiply it out, read your latitude and longitude. recite your coordinates like la rosaria. Chapter Twelve, Page 319. give yourself away sometimes, sweetheart. there’s so much of you. Chapter Twelve, Page 320. “Priority one is damage control, not feelings.” Chapter Twelve, Page 324. “I am your mother. I was your mother before I was ever the president, and I’ll be your mother long after, to the day they put me in the ground and beyond this earth. You are my child.” Chapter Thirteen, Page 327. He hates himself, but he doesn’t regret anything, and maybe that makes him a bad person and a worse politician, but he doesn’t regret Henry. Chapter Thirteen, Page 331. The cocky shithead part of him is slightly pleased to finally have a claim on Henry. Yep, the prince? Most eligible bachelor in the world? British accent, face like a Greek God, legs for days? Mine. Chapter Thirteen, Page 335. “Sweetheart.” “Hi, love. Are you okay?” Chapter Thirteen, Page 337. “That's the choice. I love him, with all that, because of all that. On purpose. I love him on purpose.” Chapter Thirteen, Page 344. But the truth is, also, simply this: love is indomitable. Chapter Fourteen, Page 373. What was your favourite quote from Red, White & Royal Blue?

Amazon Prime Video is bringing Casey McQuiston's best-selling novel, Red, White & Royal Blue onto your screens. But fans of the acclaimed novel may be surprised by the differences between the book and the film. Streaming on 11 August, you can watch the film adaptation of the book of the same name on Prime Video. The book has captured the hearts of many, and with the limited run time of 1 hour and 58 minutes, not all the iconic moments from the book can be transferred onto the screen. Disclaimer: This post contains spoilers for those who have not yet read the book or watched the film. Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine for Red, White & Royal Blue. (Source: Prime Video) Many characters are missing from the movie or lacking their storylines. June Claremont-Diaz does not exist in the film. A fan-favourite character, June Claremont-Diaz, is not in the movie. Many of her roles are taken over by Nora Holleran (played by Rachel Hilson). Thus, there is also no White House Trio, which consisted of Alex, June and Nora. The Claremont-Diaz family is still together. From left: Congressman Oscar Diaz (Clifton Collins Jr.), President Ellen Claremont (Uma Thurman) and First Son of the United States Alexander Gabriel Claremont-Diaz (Taylor Zakhar Perez) in Red, White & Royal Blue. (Source: Prime Video) In the books, President Ellen Claremont (Uma Thurman) and Senator Oscar Diaz (Clifton Collins Jr.) are divorced. Ellen then marries Leo Castalazzi, who becomes Alex and June's stepdad and the First Gentleman of the United States. However, Ellen and Oscar are still together in the movie so Leo does not exist in this realm of Red, White & Royal Blue. Oscar is also not a Senator in the movie, and he was addressed as a congressman. Alex and Henry's height difference is inaccurate. Alex is approximately 5' 7" tall while Henry is 6' 0". Actor Taylor Zakhar Perez, who plays Alex, and Nicholas Galitzine, who plays Henry, are both 6' 2", with Perez having a slight advantage over Galitzine. Rafael Luna does not appear in the film. Rafael Luna, an openly gay American Senator and Alex's role model, does not exist in the movie. His storyline is disregarded entirely and some of his roles are taken over by a new character, Miguel Ramos. Since he played such a big role in the books, many of the future events are altered. Miguel Ramos is a new character in the movie. Miguel Ramos (Juan Castano) is a gay journalist, who also happened to have a romantic relationship with Alex in the past. Now, Miguel uses Alex to get newsworthy quotes for his articles. It was insinuated that he was the one who was behind the email leaks. Liam is not in the movie. Alex's childhood best friend, Liam, is not in the movie. The duo spent a lot of time together in high school as they were roommates and he was Alex's first queer experience. Cash is not in the movie. Cash is Alex's Secret Service agent. He protects Alex and they've become good friends. Henry's name is different. Goodbye Henry George Edward James Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor. Hello Henry George Edward James Hanover-Stuart-Fox. Nora lacked personality in the movie. Nora is Alex's best friend in the movie, but she lacked personality. In the book, she was a genius who was amazing with numbers and could formulate data and statistics in the blink of an eye. This was not discussed in the movie as most of her conversations with Alex only revolved around Alex and Alex and Henry. Bea's storyline was removed from the film. Princess Beatrice (Ellie Bamber) was in the press for a while for substance abuse. The Queen had sent her for a wellness retreat but she had checked herself out. The next day she went back to get herself rehabilitated, and she has been clean ever since. The press nicknamed her the "Powder Princess" but nobody from the Royal Court confirmed or denied the allegations. When the emails get leaked in the book, the public also found out that the rumours about Bea's substance abuse were true since Henry had confided in Alex about them. Bea's past was not mentioned in the movie and it did not come up when Alex and Henry's emails were leaked. Senator Jeffrey Richard's scandals were not addressed. Jeffrey Richards (Donald Sage Mackay), the Republican Senator who was running against Ellen Claremont for the presidency, has a murky past. He sexually assaulted young boys and took advantage of them, holding it against them until they were in their adult years. This was not brought up in the movie. RIP the Queen, Long Live the King. We had a Queen Mary of England in the book, but now we have King of England (Stephen Fry) in the movie. Henry's mother is not in the movie. Henry's mother, Catherine, is the main driving force for helping Henry's family come to terms with her son's sexuality. Catherine had become a distant parent after the loss of her husband, and she wanted to make it up to her children by being there in their lives now. However, as she was not in the movie, Henry had spoken to his grandfather himself. Percy was just there for the vibes. From left: Henry (Nicholas Galitzine), Pez (Malcolm Atobrah), Nora (Rachel Hilson) and Alex (Taylor Zakhar Perez) at Alex's New Year's party. (Source: Prime Video) Percy Okonjo (Malcolm Atobrah), also known as Pez, plays a much bigger role in the books. He's best friends with Henry, manages a nonprofit humanitarian foundation and is the heir to his family's company. In the movie, he barely appears for two scenes. His romance with June is also replaced with Nora since June does not exist. These main plot lines were changed Alex and Henry are older in the movie. Alex and Henry are aged up in the movie so Alex is a law student. In the book, Alex was still deciding on what he wanted to do while he was an undergraduate. The location where Alex and Henry first met was different. In the book, Alex and Henry first met at the Rio Olympics. "Do you really not remember being a prick to me at the Olympics?" Alex remembers it in vivid detail: himself at eighteen, dispatched to Rio with June and Nora, the campaign's delegation to the summer games, one weekend of photo ops and selling the "next generation of global cooperation" image. Alex spent most of it drinking caipirinhas and subsequently throwing caipirinhas up behind Olympic venues. And he remembers, down to the Union Jack on Henry's anorak, the first time they met. In the movie, Alex and Henry met at the Melbourne climate conference. Alex didn't smear cake on Henry at Prince Philip's wedding in the book. Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Henry and Taylor Zakhar Perez as Alex Claremont-Diaz in Red, White & Royal Blue. (Source: Prime Video) In the movie, Alex is a little tipsy so when he puts his glass on the table, he accidentally pushes it into the $75,000 wedding cake. When he picks the glass back up, there's cake on the glass and on his hands. So when he pulls Henry back by the shoulder to get Henry's attention, he forgets about the icing on his hand and smears cake onto Henry's blazer. However, the cake was not ruined in the book until Alex is "tripping over his own foot and stumbling backward into the table nearest him" and the cake falls on top of the both of them. Alex goes through the Henry fact sheet with Amy instead of the White House Trio. In preparation for the damage control weekend, Zahra hands Alex a Henry fact sheet that has all the information Alex needs to make it seem like they've been best friends for a long time. He goes through them with June and Nora and they turn it into a drinking game, drinking for every answer Alex gets correct. In the movie, Alex goes through the fact sheet with Amy (Aneesh Sheth) on the plane while they're on the way to England. Henry meets Alex for their damage control weekend in a car, instead of a horse. Nicholas Galitzine and Taylor Zakhar Perez in Red, White & Royal Blue. (Source: Prime Video) In the book, Alex meets Henry for their damage control weekend on a horse. "Henry comes galloping around the bend on the back of a pristine white horse." However, Henry drives a convertible in the movie, showing off some very swift moves. Henry mysteriously gets Alex's number. In the book, Alex gives Henry his number after their damage control weekend. "Here," Alex says. "That's my number. If we're gonna keep this up, it's going to get annoying to keep going through handlers. Just text me. We'll figure it out." In the movie, Henry mysteriously gets Alex's number, claiming he got it from "MI6" and that he's "not kidding". Alex takes the initiative to help his mother find a way to win Texas. In the book, the President had requested for the White House Trio to help her with her campaign. "I've been thinking," Ellen says, "this time around, y'all—the 'White House Trio'." [...] "Y'all shouldn't only be faces. Y'all are more than that. You have skills. You're smart. You're talented. We could use y'all not only as surrogates, but as staffers." In the film, Alex takes the initiative to draft a "14-page memo detailing how we can win in Texas next year". Zahra then tells him "If there's one thing people on campaigns hate, it's when the family of the candidate takes initiative." Zahra Bankston (Sarah Shahi) in Red, White & Royal Blue. (Source: Prime Video) Alex knows he's queer and he doesn't have a sexuality crisis. In the book, Alex kissed his best friend Liam and they explored their sexuality together. He thought it was just a thing best friends did and didn't think too much about it. When Henry kissed him at the New Year's party, he was rethinking his straightness and had a sexuality crisis about it, confiding in June about this encounter. In the movie, it's clear that Alex already knows he's queer. He doesn't have a sexual crisis after Henry kissed him, and the dilemma he faced revolved more about him kissing his enemy rather than him kissing a guy. It's unclear when he found out about his bisexuality but there was mention of him hooking up with two guys before Henry. Alex's coming out was different... After realising he was bisexual, the dialogue between the book and movie is slightly different. Alex goes to his mother's office and tells her that he's bisexual. Ellen is relieved and is proud of Alex for coming out. Then Alex tells her that it's with Henry. Ellen takes a few moments to recall a Henry before she realises Alex is referring to the Prince of England. Immediately, Ellen gets a little frantic and asks Alex if he's free in an hour. Ellen leaves the office and not a few seconds after the door closes, Alex receives a meeting invite from his mother. In the movie, Alex related his coming out to becoming a problem for his mother's election. The duo also do not reconvene in an hour and instead, they have a meeting right then and there with pizza. ... and there was no PowerPoint slide. In the book, after Alex and Ellen reconvene again in an hour with Chinese food, they go through the necessary paperwork, Ellen claiming "this is, quite frankly, a logistical and ethical clusterfuck, so we need to make sure we have our ducks in a row". Ellen also presents a PowerPoint slide to present to Alex, the slides titled: Sexual Experimentation with Foreign Monarchs: A Gray Area Exploring your Sexuality: Healthy, But Does it Have to Be With The Prince of England? Federal Funding, Travel Expenses, Booty Calls, and You Unfortunately, the iconic presentation slides were not in the movie and Ellen admitted "if I'd had more warning, I could have made you a PowerPoint presentation". Henry and Alex exchanged their ring and necklace respectively. In the book, Henry gives Alex his ring to keep. Alex keeps it together with his necklace. At cruising altitude, he takes the chain off his neck and slides the ring on next to the old house key. They clink together gently as he tucks them both under his shirt, two homes side by side. In the movie, they exchange their ring and necklace so they have a part of each other with them. The delivery of the most iconic line of Red, White & Royal Blue was different. The most famous line of Red, White & Royal Blue, "History, huh? Bet we could make some" was originally said in one of Alex's emails to Henry. In the film, Alex said it to Henry when they were at the V&A. How Alex and Henry's relationship was outed was different. Alex (Taylor Zakhar Perez) and Henry (Nicholas Galitzine) at the V&A in Red, White & Royal Blue. (Source: Prime Video) In the books, Alex and Henry were outed after a photo of them kissing in a car was leaked to the press. However, in the film, their emails were hacked (presumably from Henry's side). The aftermath of the scandal was different. In the book, Senator Jeffrey Richards was behind the leaks. "Basically, Richards hired a firm that hired the photographers who followed Alex and the hackers who breached your server, and then he hired another third party to buy everything and resell it to the Daily Mail." Prior to this incident, Rafael Luna had joined the opposition party to find proof to take Richards down after his history of sexual assault. During this period, Luna found out that Richards was the cause of the leaks. He then sent Nora an anonymous email (which only Alex could decipher) with all the information they need to take Richards down. From there, they gathered the proof Luna attained to make a police report against Richards. In the movie, there was no mention of who was behind the leaks (although it was implied that Miguel did it and that he had access to Alex's emails for a long time before the leak happened). Additionally, since Richards and Luna's storyline were omitted from the movie, there was no drama surrounding the anonymous email Nora received. And the trivial scenes and details that I loved from the book but weren't adapted for the film Henry goes to Alex's part of Kensington Palace in search of Cornettos. On the damage control weekend, Henry comes wandering into the quarters of Kensington Palace where Alex was residing to look for Cornettos, something he craves when he can't sleep. "Hello," he says, hoarse. "Sorry. Er. I was just. Cornettos." [...] He crosses to the freezer and extracts the box of ice cream cones, showing Alex the name Cornetto across the front. "I was out. Knew they'd stocked you up." There was no Star Wars reference. When Henry and Alex visit the hospital, they go their separate ways to speak with the children. Alex overhears Henry speaking to a girl about Star Wars and who their favourite characters are. Later, he asks Henry which movie was his favourite. "Return of the Jedi." A beat. "What?" "To answer your question," Henry says. "Yes, I do like Star Wars, and my favourite is Return of the Jedi." Although the boys did visit the hospital, they did not discuss about Star Wars. I still enjoyed the film nonetheless but as a book-to-screen reader, I was a little disappointed that some of these iconic scenes were changed or removed entirely. Have you watched Red, White & Royal Blue? If so, did you have a favourite scene from the movie?