Thoughts From Places: Turtles All the Way Down Tour

My Trip to New York City's Nerdfighteria

In October I went to New York City for a couple days to go to the Turtles All the Way Down tour with Hank and John Green. I left on a Monday night at about 10:30pm (by Megabus which was late. It's always late because it comes from Toronto and it always gets stuck at the border.) I got into the city at about 8:30am or so and started the long walk to my Hostel from 27^th to 88^th. I could have taken the subway but I love walking the city as I never know what I'll find. I did take a break in Times Square to people watch and around 62^nd where I went to Lincoln Plaza Cinema to see Loving Vincent that movie that is completely painted in the style of Van Gogh! That wasn't a spur of the moment thing though. I have been following it's progress since they announced the movie years ago. Originally it wasn't coming to Buffalo and I thought I'd never see it but it just so happens that it was still playing in New York so I couldn't not go see it! I love seeing movies by myself. The first time I did was last year when I went to see Alice Through the Looking Glass while backpacking.

I love NYC!

I went by myself, but I met a bunch of nerdfighter friends, old and new, for a gathering before the show. I belong to the New York Nerdfighter group on Facebook. I joined it years ago when I went to the NYC stop of the Tour Because Awesome! In line for the concert I met some awesome people! Some of whom I met up with at NerdCon and again here! It was like a mini reunion! Seamus set up a pre-show gathering that I went to, but was late for! By the time I got there they had already written a bunch of nerdfighter notes and were just about to put them in John's (and Maureen Johnson's) books! One of the coolest parts of this was that Lori Earl, Esther Earl's mom was there. I had forgotten my TSWGO bracelet and she noticed and gave me one!! Lori is the mom of Nerdfighteria and is the loveliest person.

A bunch of us got food and then went to Bryant Park for a couple hours to kill time before making our way over to the Town Hall. We all sat in a circle and just talked about all sorts of nerdy things. There was about 20 or so of us. What was great though was that halfway through this other group of people came behind us and just started juggling? It must have been an agreed upon spot to practice or something, but either way it was really cool. One of our group actually abandoned us and they taught him how to juggle. I love how spontaneous NYC is. The venue was only a couple blocks away and I met up with Marie (who had my ticket, she bought us front row because she is amazing!) out front near the tour bus! We actually got to meet Rosianna Halse Rojas before we went in!

John and Hank Green!

The show itself was great. It was like watching a Vlogbrothers video live. John came out first and read a selection from Turtles. And then Dr. Lawrence Turtleman came out and gave a powerpoint presentation on Monotypic Taxa as windows into Modern Phylogeny (aka Hank in a turtle costume wearing a suit jacket). They took questions from the audience in the form of a mock Dear Hank and John episode, wherein they both forgot the format of the podcast. Hank brought out his guitar and sang a few songs. John did a tribute to Amy Krouse Rosenthal in the form of “We are here because we are here because we are here” to the tune of Auld Lang Syne that we all sang together which was sad and moving. Hank came back out and they both sang the Anglerfish song (which by the way is my favorite Hank song), All Star (because of course) and the first verse and chorus of Sweet Caroline BUT we couldn’t sing the BAH BAH BAH or the SO GOOD. It was so hard. John was so excited by the silence in the part that he literally jumped up and down around the stage. It was like his entire life was completed. As an encore they came out and sang the Mountain Goats.

As if just seeing John and Hank the night before wasn't enough, I was also invited to be in the audience for John's segment on Good Morning America the next morning. My friend Seamus was contacted by the producer to have him and 20 or so “mega Nerdfighters” come and welcome John. Seamus invited me and Marie along with a bunch of others! I had to get up at 5am, I fought with the 86^th street station turnstyle, but I did get to the studio. We waited in the VIP line and got our IDs checked (to make sure we were on the list, how cool?!), and got bracelets to wear. Once in we were led to the studio. We could see Times Square out the window. Basically, taping GMA was incredibly boring and kind of annoying. Commercials are forever long. There is this guy there who is supposedly a comedian that is in charge of keeping the audience under control or whatever. He “taught” us how to clap and how to smile and made fun of us. He was actually horrible. One of the serious segments was about that horrible Weinstein or whatever his name is and the comedian fellow literally said, “and remember big smiles.” We all looked at him like he was nuts and he said, “you know appropriate smiles though.” I was so mad that this man was telling me to smile during a segment about sexual assault that I told him to eff off.

The GMA Green Room!

He must hear that a lot though or I didn't say it loud enough because he still chose me to be one of the ten that went backstage to the green room to film a commercial spot with John. That was fun. I can officially say that I met him. I was the closest to where he was sitting (about 5 feet away from him) wearing my Pizza John shirt and he said “Thanks for wearing my torso on your face. Wait, no. You know what I mean!” and he looked around and saw all of us wearing DFTBA merch and was excited that we were all real nerdfighters. He asked me if I liked the book and I responded that since I got it last night from the event that I hadn't started yet. He was excited that all of us were at the show and asked if we liked the “Sweet Caroline” bit because he wasn't quite sure. I especially assured him that it was fantastic and that I loved how excited he got over silence and that it was surprisingly satisfying.

When the 10 of us who were picked came back to the main stage the cast of Goodbye, Christopher Robin was there! Domhall Gleeson, Bill Weasley himself, was there along with Margot Robbie, Kelly MacDonald, and Will Tiltson. The show gave everyone in the audience a ticket to Goodbye Christopher Robin's Director's screening of his film that night. Originally, I was going to try to see Aladdin on Broadway (well actually I tried to win the Hamilton lottery and of course did not get it), but I had already wanted to see the movie so I couldn't pass up a free ticket.

After the taping of GMA, some of us went to a diner on 9^th Ave for breakfast. It was so nice to spend time with other nerdfighters. From there a few of us went to Central Park with the intention of reading some of Turtles, but it was such a nice day so we sat at the top of this GIANT rock in near the children's playground. We sat there for what seemed like several hours but was only a few. Because we had all gotten up so freakin' early time seemed to be moving way too slow because of those extra hours. Eventually, we went to a Starbucks and actually read for a few hours before we made our way to Paris Theatre to use our free tickets. Goodbye, Christopher Robin is an amazing movie and I highly recommend it! What was cool was that the Director was there and introduced the movie! It was an incredible experience, the whole 2 days in New York was just bananas.

I'm so thankful for John and Hank for creating such an awesome and welcoming community. Even though I'm not from NYC the nerdfighters there are so kind and invite me to events even though I can't always attend. 

Best Wishes and DFTBA,

~Laura!

Collection: The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars

I have a small collection of copies of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Unlike my Pride and Prejudice collection my TFIOS collection doesn't just contain books, it also has two different audio books, the movie adaptation DVD, and a prop from that movie! I think that this may contain ever edition printed in the US, but I could be wrong. 

Pictured above from left to right:

• First Edition, 2012.
• This has the original cover art, featuring the now iconic black and white clouds designed by Rodrigo Corral.
• I pre-ordered this the summer before when John Green announced that he was going to be signing every first edition of the book, all 150,000 of them. I then spent the rest of the summer watching him slowly descend into his signing psychosis. Of course, this first edition of the novel is signed by John Green in red Sharpie.

• Exclusive Collector's Edition, 2013.
• This cover features Rodrigo Corral's famous clouds, but instead of being what I call "TFIOS Blue" it is a beautiful metallic silver! This edition includes discussion questions and a Q&A section, most of the questions (and therefore answers) were taken from the tumblr John set up shortly after the book was released. 
• Weird story about this book: this is my second copy of it. I pre-ordered it from Barnes and Noble that day it was announced and when it came in my copy was printed wrong! Some of the Q&A section was printed interfiled within the first few chapters. I could have probably sent it back and got a new one for free but it was cool having a weird copy so next time I went to B&N I just picked up a new copy.

• Exclusive Project for Awesome Edition, 2014.
• Like the Collector's edition this book features the clouds but instead of metallic silver it is metallic green! This is my favorite edition by far because the entire jacket is an inside joke for nerdfighters. It has a different author photo and biography (filled with small tidbits of information that only nerdfighters would understand) and instead of praise for the book on the back it has a letter from John Green to thank readers for donating to the P4A!
• This edition of the book was created just for the Project for Awesome, an annual 48 hour charity event that John and his brother Hank do every December. To learn more visit its website. 

• Paperback Edition, 2014.
• Classic cover, in a slightly darker TFIOS blue, featuring yellow circle with "#1 New York Times Bestseller" inside of it.
• For two years I had been waiting for Penguin to release the paperback edition of TFIOS so that I would have an edition I felt comfortable with writing in. This is the edition I have marked up with my own thoughts. 

• Movie Tie-In Edition, 2014.
• This cover features Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort as Hazel and Augustus. It also comes with 4 color pages of stills from the movie!
• When this book was released I realized that I had a mini collection of TFIOS building so I figured I would add this edition as well. I also adore Woodley and Elgort as the main characters I have come to love so this cover seemed perfect to me. 

• An Imperial Affliction by Peter Van Houten, 2013.
• This is a screen accurate copy of the prop Shailene Woodley reads from in the movie adaptation! What's really cool about this book is that John only wrote a few pages of text for the movie, they just printed it multiple times in a different order to achieve this hefty 500 page book.
• I bought this book during P4A 2014 and this is, as of right now, also the most expensive book I have ever purchased at $150, but I told my wallet that it was okay because all the money was FOR CHARITY (and it is also really cool to have a MOVIE PROP!).

• The Fault in Our Stars DVD, 2014.
• My copy of the movie. I adore this movie and I maintain that it is the best YA book adaptation I have ever seen, despite that they took out almost every single scene that made me love the book (ie the dinner between the Lancasters and the Waters, the entirety of Issac's eulogy, and when Issac and Hazel play Counterinsurgence). 

• Unabridged Audiobook, 2012.
• Performed by Kate Rudd, this is the official reading of the story. 
• Confession: I have yet to listen to this version because I have been spoiled by the Limited Edition one.

• Limited Edition Audiobook Boxset, 2012.
• Performed by John Green, this is the nerdfighter version. This boxset includes an exclusive Hectic Glow wristband and concert ticket, postcards from various book settings, and a Q&A DVD with John. My mom pre-ordered it for me as a Christmas gift in 2011 (she is obviously the greatest). 
• I have listened to this audiobook so many times I lost count. I don't care that it was read by a then 34 year old man pretending to be a 16 year old girl. I love it because John wrote the book and therefore he knows exactly how to read each character's dialogue the way it sounded to him in his head when he wrote it. Does that make sense?

After reading all of that you're probably wondering why on earth I collect The Fault in Our Stars. The answer is simple, I love the story. I love everything about it from the characters and plot to the way John Green uses his writing in such a way that can make me laugh and then cry because of the same sentence. I love the symbolism and dialogue, the adventure and romance. I love that even though it is sad, it is incredibly real. I love that even though the main characters have cancer it isn't about that, it is really about two kids going on a quest to get answers from their favorite author and I can relate to that. If you haven't already read TFIOS I wholeheartedly encourage you to do so as soon as you can and yes you will cry, but you will also laugh and be glad you did. 

As we say in my hometown: Don't Forget to Be Awesome.

Best Wishes,

~Laura!

Thoughts From Places/Nerdy Review: Tour Because Awesome 2

Tour Because Awesome 2 

April 26^th at Gramercy Theatre, NYC

 In my last blog post I wrote about the first two missions I had when I went to NYC by myself last month. This blog post is about that third mission I promised to tell you about.

Eilidh Reid's Poster!

Let’s start at the beginning, shall we? The real reason I took a nine hour bus ride by myself across the State of New York was to see Hank Green in concert at the Gramercy Theatre. I’ve been a Nerdfighter for about 5 years now and I had yet to go to a gathering, or to an event in which John or Hank would be in attendance. (For those of you who do not know what a Nerdfighter is please refer to this video.) When Hank announced that he was going on a North Eastern tour in April I knew I had to go. I looked up the tour dates, decided to go to the last show in NYC, bought my ticket immediately, and then booked a seat on the Megabus. Simple, right? Wrong. It was only after I did all that that I realized that while I had a ticket to the show and a ride to New York I had no place to stay while I was in the City. That’s when the idea hit me. Who are the people who would even go to see Hank Green in concert? Well, fellow Nerdfighters of course! And where are Nerdfighters found? The internet. And so I joined the Nerdfighters of NY group on Facebook and asked if anyone had a couch for me to crash on after the show. Ultimately, I ended up staying in a hotel instead, but just the knowledge that there would be several hundred fellow nerds at that concert made me feel 100% more confident about going.

Misson Three: Go to the Tour Because Awesome.

After leaving the Library I made my way to the hotel I was staying at a few blocks away from the theatre. Some of the Nerdfighters in my group were planning to meet up in front of the theatre at 5 to go get something to eat before the show started. When I got to my hotel it was about 4 o’clock and I was exhausted. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go an extra two hours early to the theatre to meet people I didn’t know or if I just wanted to take a nap. I was seriously considering the nap, when I thought about how the whole point of me coming to NYC at all was to go to the concert and meet fellow Nerdfighters, so I dragged my butt out of bed and walked to Gramercy Theatre. In hindsight that was the best move of my life thus far. If I hadn’t gone to the theatre when I did I would not have met the man I was there to see, Hank Green.

Me and Craig!

I approached the theatre and took a picture of the marquee sign. At first I didn’t even notice that there was already a line forming from the theatre to the end of the block. As soon as I did I went to get in line, but there was a guy standing outside the line talking to the people in line. That guy was Craig Benzine (WheezyWaiter on Youtube and lead singer of Driftless Pony Club) and I was startled! I waited until he was done talking and then asked him if I could take a picture with him! Then I turned around and WHAM! Who was standing behind me? HANK GREEN!  He was standing in the middle of the line making his way through, signing things and taking pictures and being a genuinely awesome person. So once my brain started functioning again I speed walked to the end of the line. And after about ten minutes I met Hank. I asked him to sign my copy of 13 Little Blue Envelopes (he crossed out Maureen Johnson’s name to put his own and then hanklerfished it), talked a little about how I was from Buffalo, and then I asked if I could take my picture with him. I took out my camera and turned it around so I could take the photo myself and Hank got so excited that I was using an ACTUAL camera for a selfie instead of a phone that he HUGGED me and did a really happy squishy smile. Hank Green is an amazing person.

Me and Hank!!

He wasn’t the only amazing person I met that night though. I met a ton of amazing Nerdfighters. I met some from my facebook group, I met a group of teens from New Jersey, and I met two awesome girls, M. and B. who I hung out with during and after the show. We made a group standing on the corner of 23^rd and Lexington, we made a circle and just sat down. We talked about how we found out about John and Hank, where we were from, whether we were still in school or not, and which Hogwarts house we would be in. As we sat there, the line got longer and Hank eventually went back inside (with his dad! Who we surprised by one) knowing who he was and two) making a point of saying hello to him).

Me and Sam!

A little while later, Sam from DPC came out to take pictures of the crowd and somehow I was the only one who knew he was and asked for a picture with him as well. People kept walking by and asking us who we were waiting in line for and every time we said “Hank Green” we would get a blank stare and then an “oh,” which made me sad. Hank should be just as famous as other artists who have played the Gramercy, but at the same time I am glad he isn’t. He has a loyal, nerdy following that truly care about him and people in general. For example only at a concert as nerdy as this one would there be people kind enough that if someone from the very front of the crowd needed to go to the bathroom there was no hesitation that of course your spot would be saved. When the actual concert began there wasn’t that huge push of people from behind trying to get closer that usually happens at rock shows. This turned out to be a very good thing for a couple reasons. One was that it's always really annoying and the second is that standing right in front of my group was a little boy and his mom who no one wanted to squish against the gate. That little boy was Hank's nephew, his mom was the Katherine's sister in law. There was a lot of family love going on in that audience and I loved it! The Tour Because Awesome crowd was honesty the best crowd of people I have ever encountered.

As for the concert itself, it was the greatest show I have ever been to. The lineup was incredible. First there was Rob Scallion and his wicked guitar skills, then Andrew Huang with his infectious energy. After them it was Harry and the Potters, a band that both wizards and muggles alike cannot help but love and Driftless Pony Club who I absolutely adore. And finally Hank Green and the Perfect Strangers the band we were all there to see. They were all exhausted but every single one of them gave their all during that last show. Being there felt like I was a part of one giant inside joke. From the surprise visit from famous Youtubers like Hannah Hart, Grace Helbig, Tyler Oakley and one of the Gregory Brothers to Hank throwing a giant stuffed snake into the audience during Harry and the Potters’ “Save Ginny Weasley,” and from the chants of DFTBA to Hank’s encores of the theme from Ghostbusters and the Batpeople song. 

Thank you to everyone I met that night for making Tour Because Awesome truly magical and of course awesome! 

~Laura!

Review: This Star Won’t Go Out by Esther Earl

This Star Won’t Go Out by Esther Earl

Release Date: January 28^th, 2014

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Pages: 431

Source: Preordered during the Project for Awesome 2013

Summary (goodreads.com): A collection of the journals, fiction, letters, and sketches of the late Esther Grace Earl, who passed away in 2010 at the age of 16. Photographs and essays by family and friends will help to tell Esther’s story along with an introduction by award-winning author John Green who dedicated his #1 bestselling novel The Fault in Our Stars to her.

My Review:

I have so much to say and I know none of my words will come close to what Esther’s words deserve. I am kicking myself for not taking notes while reading this particular book. I had so many things to say and yet now in front of this blank document none of them will come to me.

I pre-ordered my copy the moment I learned that Esther’s parents were putting together this collection. It has taken me most of the year to read it to no fault of the book or author but because I needed the courage and strength to read Esther’s words. I never knew Esther, most people who love her and this book haven’t either, but that hardly matters. Esther Earl will be in the hearts of every nerdfighter and reader of this book for as long as they are alive to remember it.

I learned a lot about Esther from this book. I learned a lot about myself and the world around me as well. Esther, though I never met her, has taught me lessons. One of the most important things that came from reading this book was actually not to deify people. Esther seemed to be afraid that with all the attention she was getting near the end of her life because of her friendship with John Green that people would think that she was special and she didn’t feel like she deserved that because she didn’t think she was. She didn’t think she was because she had cancer and she was dealing with it. It was this thinking that, to me, makes Esther special in her own way. Esther wasn’t perfect but she was one of a kind special.

My favorite part about this is actually Esther’s unfinished story, Anderaddon. It is about these creatures called Ebitillies (cousins of hedgehogs) and Ebitties (beaver-like creatures). The draft focuses on Docknel the king of Anderaddon who is trying to solve a riddle. This story is amazing. Esther had such an ear for dialogue and accents! I don’t think I will ever find a story that I long for more of. She had promise and although she didn’t get to finish this story she has become a successful author through This Star Won’t Go Out. Here’s praying that Esther is continuing to write up in Heaven because I will definitely be searching for the rest of Anderaddon when I arrive.

I should also add that I am really quite surprised and pleased with the format of this book as well. For a publishing company to put this much effort into a memoir of a young girl is heartwarming. This Star Won’t Go Out is huge and heavy and colorful and wonderful. Every page is in color, it is color coordinated according to the section and who is writing. It has so many wonderful family photos, photos of the famous Make-A-Wish sleepover, of Catitude chats, of Esther, of her drawings. There are copies of her actual journals so the reader can see her handwriting and she how much love she put into every letter. I am so glad that the physical book is worthy of Esther. 

Read This Star Won’t Go Out.

Read it, cry, and remember.

Read it and listen to Harry and the Potters.

Read it and tell your family and friends you love them.

Read it and then make someone else read it.

Read it and go buy a wristband to support TSWGO.

Read it and remember Esther.

Read it and DFTBA. 

~Laura!

HPA's Esther Day Project

Llama George sees TFIOS

On June 5th, I received an email from the Harry Potter Alliance about the Esther Day Project. The main idea was "if you’re seeing The Fault in Our Stars, take a selfie or a picture with your friends making the shape of a heart with your hands. Tag your photos #EstherDay wherever you upload them." So when my cousin Kelly and I went to see the movie later that day we took a photo in front of the poster outside the theater. I also took a picture of Llama George, as well.

Who is Esther and why are you doing this? Well, Esther was a nerdfighter who semi-inspired John Green to finish writing his book about a girl with cancer. Why would she inspire him to do so? Because she had cancer. In fact, she died from it in 2010 at the age of 16. Before her passing, however, John told her that he and his army of nerds would celebrate her birthday (August 3rd) every year. John asked her what she wished the holiday to be about and she suggested a day devoted to telling those you love in a non-romantic way that you love them (ie: family and friends).

Kelly and I before TFIOS!

I am particularly felt that the Esther Day Project surrounding TFIOS was appropriate on a personal level because I was seeing the movie with someone I don't necessary express my love of her all the time (mostly because we are very awkward people. Um, hi Kelly! I love you lots just so you know!). I am so glad that I got to experience the movie premiere with her. She is the only fellow nerdfighter I know (because I forced it upon her) so she was the only one who understood how important it was that we stand in front of a poster and figure out how to do heart hands while also taking a picture of ourselves.

I decided to post this in July, instead of June because I figured that most people would be but I believe that the Esther Day Project shouldn't just be concentrated in June, but for as long as people are going to see TFIOS.  I hope this reminds people who haven't seen it yet or those who didn't know about it to add their own photos!

~Laura!

Review: An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Title: An Abundance of Katherines

Author: John Green

Release Date: September 21st, 2006

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 227

Source: Library

Summary (goodreads.com): When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton’s type is girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact.

On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washed-up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy-loving best friend riding shotgun but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to pro

ve The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl.

Love, friendship, and a dead Austro-Hungarian archduke add up to surprising and heart-changing conclusions in this ingeniously layered comic novel about reinventing oneself by Printz medalist John Green, acclaimed author of Looking for Alaska.

My Review:

This is the first John Green book that I’ve read and I thought it was brilliant. I liked how diverse it was. Hassan, Colin’s best friend, made this book awesome for me. He was just so different from any other character I’ve ever read (meaning he was the first Muslim character I’ve read about). It’s also got a quite a lot to do with math (which I try to avoid at all costs), but in a cool way. Who would have thought to make a theorem about old girlfriends? Colin did because that’s the kind of kid he is and that’s why I liked him! The characters in this book and their dialogue is just amazing. The plot is completely original and totally hysterical. What I like most about An Abundance of Katherines is it's contemporary. There are no fantasy creatures and no magic, but it feels as if there is. It’s essentially about a sad kid who goes on a road trip with his best friend to get away from it all and along the way he has a bit of a crazy adventure! Which I for one would love to do! Read this you won’t be sorry (especially since the math is optional)!

Review: Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

Hi

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE! I figured I’d post this particular review today seeing as it’s a book about CHRISTMAS! (NOTE: I honestly did mean to post this yesterday on Christmas, but I started writing it 15 minutes before my family came over. I was busy the rest of the day, but as they say better late than never at all!)

Title: Let It Snow, Three Holiday Romances

Author: John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle (Anthology)

Summary (goodreads.com): Sparkling white snowdrifts, beautiful presents wrapped in ribbons, and multicolored lights glittering in the night through the falling snow. A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms one small town into a romantic haven, the kind you see only in movies. Well, kinda. After all, a cold and wet hike from a stranded train through the middle of nowhere would not normally end with a delicious kiss from a charming stranger. And no one would think that a trip to the Waffle House through four feet of snow would lead to love with an old friend. Or that the way back to true love begins with a painfully early morning shift at Starbucks. Thanks to three of today's bestselling teen authors John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle the magic of the holidays shines on these hilarious and charming interconnected tales of love, romance, and breathtaking kisses.

My Review: This is a group of short stories that actually coincide with one another to the point where they’re also one big story in addition to being three individual stories which I think is so fabulous!

The Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson (5 hearts)

-AWWW! I want to read more about Stuart and Jubilee (which personally I don’t find to be a weird name at all but characters in the book seem to)! Jubilee is such a sweetheart, Can you imagine being stuck in a strange town on Christmas all alone? I wouldn’t be able to handle that but Jubilee does in this story! As per usual Maureen Johnson doesn’t disappoint! This is such a great story, its funny and serious at the same time.

A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle by John Green (5 hearts)

-This is the first story I’ve ever read by John Green and I’m now convinced he's a genius so I must read some of his other books now. This story is ridiculous (in a good way of course). It’s a story about how several teenagers risk their lives on Christmas Eve to get to a waffle house full of cheerleaders. The whole story is highly amusing!

The Patron Saint of Pigs by Lauren Myracle (3 hearts)

-This story disappointed me a little, it wasn’t nearly as funny as the previous stories. I didn’t enjoy it until the end because it wrapped up the stories of the characters in Johnson and Green’s stories. When the previous characters came in the story got better because I found Addie (the main character of Myracle’s story) annoying and self centered.

Overall, this is an amazing holiday read that I recommend to all my blog readers!