Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

From the hardcover:
Cath is a Simon Snow fan.
Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan.... But for Cath, being a fan is her life - and she's really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it's what got them through their mother leaving.
   Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fanfiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.
   Cath's sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can't let go. She doesn't want to.
   Now that they're going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn't want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She's got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend; a fiction-writing professor who thinks fanfiction is the end of the civilized world; a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words...and she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone.
   For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

Fangirl is one of the cutest books I've read in a while. Even though I'm not really into fanfiction I still loved this book. It's hard when you're an introvert and entirely out of your comfort zone. We've all been there, absolutely no fun. Almost this whole book is a testament to that. I felt for Cath like I have for so many other introverted characters. The paragraph I chose for a quote sums it up pretty well I think. 

   Fanfiction was a huge part of this book with excerpts from Cath's writings. There were also small snaps from the Simon Snow books. I was slightly annoyed by these. The shorter entries weren't a problem, but at times Cath was reading large portions, and I almost skipped them. I was so anxious to find out more of the book's story, but I just couldn't skip them. I was too worried there would be relevant information in the fanfic. Annoying they may have been, but it in no way effected my overall adoration of this book. 

   This book made me laugh out loud multiple times. Busting out a laugh while reading earned me quite a few confusing looks from my lovely dog. Having a goofy grin on my face like a smitten kid was less noticeable, but I am glad I was not reading this in public. That's the kind of book this is. Whether you're an introvert or not this book will make you laugh and "awe!" And if you're not an introvert it may just offer a little look into the anxieties your introverted friend probably has.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

From the dust jacket:
"Eleanor...Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.
Park...He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park.
   Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds - smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try."

"She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something."

I know you're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but let's face it, certain cover art draws you in and entices you to read the teaser. A girl with frizzy, curly hair connected to a boy by music? Count me in. While reading Eleanor & Park I didn't think of much else. I felt so much sympathy for Eleanor, the oldest of 5 siblings, in a two bedroom house, with a controlling step-dad. And Park, with more privileges than he realizes. Park lets Eleanor sit by him on the bus by default her first day, no one else would scoot over, so begins their year of bus rides.
   This book brought back the feelings of first love. I adore how Park loves Eleanor, for herself, even though she doesn't seem to love herself. He tries to make her see her beauty especially when she can't. It was beautiful. This would be a fantastic book to take to the beach or on vacation. It's a simple story but it kept me enthralled until the end.