Saturday 16 June 2012

Fortnight of Guests 2012: Luisa Plaja



Today we have the wonderful Luisa Plaja here with us today, author of the Kiss series and her new book Kiss, Date, Love, Hate came out earlier this year.  She's the nicest person ever and also edits the awesome book blog Chicklish!  Ok, enough of my rambling, here's Luisa on her favourite summery books!!  :D



Summer Love

by Luisa Plaja


It's finally the sunshine season! But just in case you're looking out of your window and wondering what I mean, I thought I'd highlight a few of my favourite stories of summer fun and romance. These are guaranteed to make you feel like you're basking in the sunshine even if it's drizzling outside, or entertain you if you really are lying on a beach...



- Summer (series) by Katherine Applegate, republished in omnibus form as Beach Blondes and Tan Lines
Katherine Applegate is one of my favourite authors of nineties teen fiction. (And I’m looking forward to Eve and Adam, which is co-written with Katherine Applegate’s husband Michael Grant, and will be out later this year. ) I read the Summer series when it was first published, and I scrabbled about with slow modems and ancient internet architecture for the sole purpose of ordering Katherine Applegate’s books from the USA. (This was before Amazon - can you even imagine?!) I love these light-hearted, summery reads, and the main character is even called Summer, so... Recommended retro summer reading!



- My Scorching Summer Diary by Liz Rettig
This is the latest story about Kelly Ann, a Glaswegian girl whose misadventures I've been following since I first read My Desperate Love Diary in 2005. Kelly Ann is an expert at getting herself into outrageously funny situations which she chronicles in her diaries, and this is the fifth instalment, though it works perfectly as a standalone. It's set in London, where Kelly Ann has a summer job in a hotel, and it's definitely a fabulous beach read.





- Miss Understanding: My Summer on the Shelf by Lara Fox
Another story of a summer in London, with a different kind of job but just as many entertaining situations. Anya is an intern in a publishing house in this sequel to My Year in Agony. Clever and very funny!



- The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells
Mia Gordon spends summer in the Hamptons, where she’s surrounded by family drama, including snooty cousins who have no time for her. Only Simon seems to understand her... This is a realistic, moving story of self-discovery and romance. I've heard there's going to be a sequel and I can't wait!



Lovestruck Summer by Melissa C. Walker
I love the setting of this one - you can feel the Texan sun beating down on you as you read. Great characters feature in this very sweet, quirky summer romance.

I've written more about of some of these at Chicklish if you'd like to read full reviews: My Scorching Summer Diary, My Summer on the Shelf, The Summer of Skinny Dipping, Lovestruck Summer.

I can think of lots of other wonderful YA novels set in summer, including Jessie Hearts NYC by Keris Stainton, How to Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone Elkeles, Nobody's Girl by Sarra Manning and Every Summer by Claire Hennessy. I've heard great things about Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols and the Summer series by Jenny Han, though I still haven't actually read any of those (I know, I know - I need to!) I also desperately want to read Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler.

Oh, and I've written a summertime novel too - Swapped by a Kiss, which is set at a music festival in August... :)

Please add your own favourite summer books in the comments - I'd love to add more to my list!

Thank you very much for having me at The Book Addicted Girl, and happy summer!
Luisa
http://www.luisaplaja.co.uk


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Thank you so much for taking part, Luisa - I've seen a whole load of books to add to my wishlist!!  And I can say that the Summer series by Jenny Han is really worth the read!! :D  


Everyone, if you liked this post, make sure you follow all the FoG events on Twitter at #FortnightOfGuests

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Luisa Plaja is the author of several novels for teenagers, including Split by a Kiss, Swapped by a Kiss and Extreme Kissing. Her latest novel, Kiss Date Love Hate, is about a magical Sims-style game that makes relationship wishes come true. Luisa blogs at Chicklish and Girls Heart Books and she loves books in all their forms.

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