Summer Of Yesterday by Gaby Triana

So over the weekend I decided to binge read. I picked up and book and didn't put it down until I finished it. Sometimes these impulse reads disappoint me but not this book. Summer of Yesterday was the perfect read to indulge myself on. The romance in it was tangible, the connection between Haley and Jason was perfect. It was a romance that I wanted for myself and that was why I enjoyed it. Because reading books is about dreaming, imagining for yourself and for the characters. As I was reading their love story, I couldn't help but remember songs that related. So for this week I'm going to create a sound track for the book.

The first song that I chose was Paradise by Coldplay. The exposition of the novel starts with Haley wanting to get away from her family. From her Dad and her step-mom and their protectiveness. She dreams of a place that she could be free. The song captures that, it's a girl dreaming of a place where her parents don't fight. I think that it shows how important it is for Haley to learn a lesson, to learn to love her family no matter what. This part of the book sets the stage for everything that follows.

The second song that I selected for the book was Kiss Me Slowly by Parachute, It fit Jason and Haley's relationship in the best ways. The song is about the whirlwind of a new relationship, not knowing where its going or how its going to end but knowing that he (the lead singer) likes this girl and wants to see how it will go. In the book Jason and Haley have just met, but both feel a connection. Haley knows that it will never work out because she's from the future (which is actually modern times because the majority if the book is set in 1982) and she will have to return but she wants to see where it will go anyway.

The next song that I selected was Dark Side by Kelly Clarkson. As the novel progresses, you really see into Jason and Haley's lives. Jason doesn't want to go to college for reasons revealed later in the book. Haley is hiding who she really is from Jason, she's hiding the truth, that she traveled back in time. Instead lying to Jason about being ditched by her Father to teach her a lesson about respect. Both of them have secrets, things that they believe the other can't handle. Dark Side is one of my favorite songs because it bluntly tackles the problems with dating. The fear that if you let people in they won't like what they see. At this point in Summer of Yesterday the characters are at this point, suspended, afraid to let all of themselves show.

The last song that I chose was If You Ever Come Back by the Script. I have a warning here, this will show spoilers, for me to fully explain why I chose this songs I will have to reveal the ending. So If you would like to keep the ending a mystery, or want to read this book later, you can scroll down to the bottom of the page where I will have all the songs linked. Moving on, At the end of the book Haley must return back to the future, where she belongs. But neither Jason or Haley want to let go. Jason accepts that it is the right thing to do and encourages her to leave. When Haley makes it back to her time, Jason's brother Jake, now older, leads her to a place where he left her a letter. Part of the letter says "I don't know if I will ever see you again, but you need to know that I owe everything I have to you." (Triana 139) First off, that quote is just swoon worthy, he believed in what Haley said and make his life into what he wanted. Second, that quote shows that he didn't know if he was going to see her again, but he would always welcome her. Always love her. The song by The Script is about waiting for a girl t come back, leaving a key under the mat so she could always get in. I just felt that they connected so well.

I loved this read, if you want a bittersweet book, or a swoon-worthy love story I hope you check it out. If you do decide to read it let me know what songs you would pair up with it.
Songs:
Paradise
Kiss Me Slowly
Dark Side
If You Ever Come Back

The Bourne Identity

     The Bourne Identity is written by author Robert Ludlum. Before his writing career, Robert Ludlum starred as an actor and a producer. He specialized in spy thrillers, and went on to write 21 books during his lifetime. Born in 1927, he wrote his first book in 1972. The Scarlatti Inheritance, his first work was a success, landing a spot on the bestsellers list. He wrote book after book, each becoming best sellers. Many of his books were made into movies, the first one coming out in 1977, 50 years after the writer was born. His Borne series were adapted into 4 movies, the first one coming out in 2002, Matt Damon starred as Jason Bourne, the main character. Out of his novels, the Bourne series is the most well-known, most likely from the success of the movies. The last of the Bourne movies premiered in 2012, a fourth installment in the original trilogy.
 Robert Ludlum adds a mysterious quality to the books, refusing to name the character until after 50 pages in. He uses high vocabulary, the mix of words creating a strong connection to the book, the pages like scenes in a movie. On page 1 he starts the book out with strong visuals, transporting you to the boat, "The trawler's bow dipped suddenly into the valley of two giant waves, lifting the wounded man off his feet; he twisted to his left, unable to take his hands away from his head."
      Robert Ludlum passed away in 2001. But not without a legacy. Readers still connect with his soul as they read his books. The characters his mind made embedded into people's hearts forever. Even after his death, writers add onto his series, including Eric Van Lustbader, who has continued the Bourne series, writing 9 books, the last one coming out this year. The first one made into the 4th movie in the Bourne films.

A Study In Sherlock

     After finishing the remnants of The Beginning of Everything, I plan to read A Study in Sherlock. A Study of Sherlock is a collection of reinterpretations of the original books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I loved reading the originals, the bright brilliance of Holmes' character bleeding into the plot and experiences. The fantastical and impressive reasoning behind all of the mysteries. Even with it set in the past, I always found myself lured to finish book after book, enjoying the new mysteries alive on the pages in my hands.
     I was first introduced to the characters in winter of last year, a close friend bought them for me. Now, with the friend disappeared to pursue their own education I come back and reread the books as a memory of the past, both Sherlock's and my own. They bring a sense of nostalgia I enjoy.
     I look forward to starting this new book, reading other people's ideas on what happened to the detective in the streets of London, them taking a crack at the peculiar dynamic between Sherlock and John. I feel like it will give me a wide variety, I can chose which stories I enjoy. From modern day times to the past, from London and other cities, I can follow my favorite detective wherever the author leads him. I am intrigued at the idea of every writer molding my view of the character, shaping his reputation in my mind. I need a redeeming accurate viewing after watching the distant and brilliant character played by Cumberbatch in BBC's Sherlock, who defines himself as a "Highly functioning sociopath." I can't wait to start A Study In Sherlock and figure out what adventures wait for the classic detective.

Character Symbols.

  The book I'm reading this week is The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider.

      An object that would represent the main character Ezra would be a phoenix. I would make Ezra a phoenix because the whole book is about how he lost his old life. He was destined to be homecoming king, to have the most popular girl at school as his girlfriend. But then he crushes his leg, ruining his tennis career (which blows up his social status) and his girlfriend cheats on him. But after that he realizes that he doesn't need that and he decides to do what he wants with his life. He wants to end up with Cassidy and he rises from the ashes of his old life to go and conquer a new one.
     I would represent Cassidy with a record. I chose a record because of her personality, She's old fashioned, really retro, and has two sides. Like a record, where you flip it over to get a new song, Cassidy has two tunes, she goes on in the book as a laid-back retro girl but on the other side she has a past. There was something that made her leave her old school, made her give up her debate dream and deter her from ever competing again.
      I would represent Toby with a flute. A flute is a really quiet instrument, usually it fades into the band and you don't notice it until it's gone. Until there is a measure of the song where they don't play, because when they do they add a complex and airy sound to the music. Toby is an old friend of Ezra's, they drifted apart over the years and Ezra doesn't know hat he's missing until he sees Toby again and realizes that Toby added a happiness and cheerfulness to his life that he didn't have with his old crowd.
     A phoenix, a record, and a flute, these three together make up The Beginning of Everything.