Oh hi there. How's your summer so far? Just getting started? Well, I have an amazing author on the blog today to chat up her latest release that I think will go PERFECT with your summer to-be-read pile. Please join me in welcoming YA author Trish Doller to the blog!
She's been a friend of mine for quite a few years now and I've had the pleasure of reading her work. She's the type of storyteller that grips you from that first page and refuses to let go... even long after you've finished the book.
Her latest book, IN A PERFECT WORLD, is no exception to that fact. It's set in Egypt, where a young American girl is relocated with her family the summer before her senior year. Immediately I know what you're thinking: Hello culture shock! And yes, there was plenty of that. But there is also a beauty in the unknown through the eyes of a young teen who is not only figuring out her new life's plan, but doing so in such a rich, diverse country filled with culture and new experiences. Add this one to your summer reading list (if you haven't already) & get to know more about Trish & the book below.
About the book: Caroline Kelly is excited to be spending her summer vacation working at the local amusement park with her best friend, exploring weird Ohio with her boyfriend, and attending soccer camp with the hope she’ll be her team’s captain in the fall.
But when Caroline’s mother is hired to open an eye clinic in Cairo, Egypt, Caroline’s plans are upended. Caroline is now expected to spend her summer and her senior year in a foreign country, away from her friends, her home, and everything she’s ever known.
With this move, Caroline predicts she’ll spend her time navigating crowded streets, eating unfamiliar food, and having terrible bouts of homesickness. But when she finds instead is a culture that surprises her, a city that astounds her, and a charming, unpredictable boy who challenges everything she thought she knew about life, love, and privilege.
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I’m super thrilled to be a part of Ginger’s Sweet Summertime Reads and I'm excited to share a few songs from the playlist that inspired me as I wrote IN A PERFECT WORLD. You'll definitely find the making of a bittersweet summer romance in these tracks.
Be Be Your Love - Rachael Yamagata
https://open.spotify.com/track/4HJpiZzOYIdf002T4PfMSS
“Everybody's talking how I can't be your love
But I want want wanna be your love
Want to be your love, for real”
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Sideways - Citizen Cope
https://open.spotify.com/track/6ZixnWzzH1YxqBg9kLOPDy
“These feelings won’t go away
They’ve been knockin’ me sideways
I keep thinking in a moment that
Time will take them away”
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Love Like This (Acoustic) - Kodaline
https://open.spotify.com/track/1VfJeju8B6qP4ZFsYuVW9U
“We're running around like love is what we found
And nothing else could matter in our life
But wait, but wait, but wait
The sun’ll stop shining soon
And you'll be dark in my life
It's as simple as a change in your heart
A love like this won’t last forever.
I know that a love like this won’t last forever”
But I don’t mind. I don’t mind at all.”
Anyone who’s read my other books knows that I don’t really do happily ever after, so when I reached the end of this book I had to make a choice. Bittersweet? Or hopeful? No spoilers.
Bonus tracks:
Bit So3’ayar - Meshwar
https://www.reverbnation.com/meshwar/song/11161502-meshwar-band-reggae-for-peace-hq
While I was researching fun things to do in Cairo (that are not the pyramids), I stumbled on an Egyptian reggae band called Meshwar and was completely smitten. The band and this song make a cameo appearance in the book. Even if you don’t understand the words (I don’t), the melody is both familiar and infectious. Enjoy!
Boshret Kheir - Hussein Al Jasmi
https://youtu.be/QUBvVTNRp4Q
Google translates the title to “good skin” which makes sense because it’s about all the different people who call Egypt home. I discovered it when I while I was seeking "inspiration" from a plate of falafel at my favorite Middle Eastern restaurant (Kebab Village) where they play videos on their TVs. There’s no direct connection to the book, but this song makes my heart really happy. (Good luck making it all the way through without chair dancing. I can’t.)
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Check out these beautiful mood boards that also inspired Trish Doller to write IN A PERFECT WORLD. To see more of her inspirations, click here.
Thank you SO MUCH, Trish, for stopping by to chat up your book, and share some of the tunes & images that inspired this amazing story. For my readers, want to add this one to your summer reading pile sooner rather than later?! Enter to win the book below! Good luck!
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+ Ends 6/19/17
Super excited to see this book featured! So pumped to read it :)
ReplyDeleteThese tunes are all wonderful in their own way. I can't wait to read this!
ReplyDeleteI haven't actually heard of any of these songs before so thank you for the new music! I, super excited for this book.
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds wonderful & I'd love to visit Egypt. I think if I had to pick a place to live, I'd choose London.
ReplyDeleteRead a little bit and can't wait to read the rest
ReplyDeleteDefinitely the UK, Scotland to be exact. Ahh the reading I could accomplish! 📚
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds awesome! If I had to relocate outside of the US, I cross my fingers that I'd end up in Scotland. I've always wanted to live there. Peru would be a close second though.
ReplyDeleteI love Trish's other books. I can't wait to read this one!
ReplyDeleteMy first thought for somewhere to relocate to was London but then Spain popped into my head. So either one.
ReplyDeleteSo looking forward to reading this! I love Trish Doller's books!
ReplyDeleteI'd want to be in Italy - but only if my family could be there, too.
ReplyDeleteDianna