My True Love Gave To Me:
Twelve Holiday Stories
edited by Stephanie Perkins
Genre: anthology, YA/NA, romance, mixed genre
Published October 14th 2014 by St. Martin’s Press
Source: Publisher
Purchase: Amazon
* Barnes and Noble * Book Depository
Local purchase/order: Fullybooked * National Bookstore
Published October 14th 2014 by St. Martin’s Press
Source: Publisher
Purchase: Amazon
* Barnes and Noble * Book DepositoryLocal purchase/order: Fullybooked * National Bookstore
Blurb (Goodreads):
If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you’re going to fall in love with MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME: TWELVE HOLIDAY STORIES by twelve bestselling young adult writers, edited by international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins.
My Thoughts:
Twelve best-selling YA authors delights readers with their compilation of twelve holiday short romance stories. My True Love Gave To Me has mixed genres--different flavors that readers would never get tired of. And since it has twelve stories, I'm going to mention only the ones I want to comment on.
Midnights by Rainbow Rowell was the first story off the book. It was told in the midnights of December 31st 2011-2014. The characters first met at year 2011 and their friendship grew as they welcome each year. I love how Rainbow created a short story without sounding like a short story. The characters had shown foundation and told a lot in just 22 pages. It's like a whole book is narrated into this one. Midnights warmed my heart and made me beg for more. You're a rockstar, Rainbow Rowell. I love this! It's one of my faves here.
The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link was quite an odd one. I thought at first My True Love Gave To Me is an all-contemporary anthology but this story was the first one who've shown a somewhat paranormal/fantasy type and I was intrigued and a little confused at the story.
Polaris is Where You'll Find Me by Jenny Han was different as well, with the Korean female child adopted by Santa Claus himself (no kidding) who grew up living with elves and assisting her 'father' on gift giving during Christmas. This story tugged my heartstrings and until now I don't know I should be happy or sad. But you can clearly see another touch of talent by Jenny Han on this one.
Stephanie Perkins (It's A Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown) was the author I'm looking forward the most since she's the reason I badly want this book and because she's one of my fave authors. I like the depth of her story despite of being a short one and the foundation the characters had in the Stephanie Perkins way.
Holly Black's Krampuslauf was a weird and creepy one. Gayle Forman was another author I'm looking forward to read here as well. Although What The Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? was a nice story, it didn't stick to me like I hoped it will. I like that there's a character growth in Myra McEntire's Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus male lead, from bully to a serious one. I realized I liked that idea very much. Some of my fave books had bad boy-turned-good boy thing.
Remember when I said I hope I could find a Kiersten White work that I would adore? I found it on Welcome to Christmas, CA! I liked how the short story could be an entire novel. It has depth and still managed for the narrator and the story to be witty and fun to read. I really liked it! Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter was another story that had a potential to be a novel. Since the story is complicated--in the characters' way--it would be nice to add more to it. The connection between the two characters wasn't that strong but it's really a good story. It looked like a long story shrink into a small. If it would be stretched, it will turn out to be a great one.
The last story was from Laini Taylor. Despite the paranormal/fantasy-like stories from other authors, The Girl Who Woke The Dreamer was the most peculiar one. Above all, this was also the story that you'd want to see on a separate novel. It has the deepest story and background. I felt like I read an excerpt from a book! The story was captivating and really good.
I read this during Christmas season. Before, I noticed I quite don't feel the coming holidays. But this book changed it and I feel like I can taste the Christmas cookies mentioned on one of the stories and the feel of snow. I could say that you must read this during the holidays too but you can also read it when not and want to forget the summer heat for a while or the stress in school/work or you just want to feel Christmas in July. I would recommend this book to all types of readers--it's like a one-stop shop!
My True Love Gave To Me is truly an enjoyable and worthy read. Enlightening with a touch of eeriness from some stories. Twelve talented authors shared their masterpieces to become one. There were a lot of stories that has potential (and I'd love to) to become a novel. I know I've said that many times and you're probably like, "you've said that on the previous story and another one and another one" but I swear it's because it's like that!
Midnights by Rainbow Rowell was the first story off the book. It was told in the midnights of December 31st 2011-2014. The characters first met at year 2011 and their friendship grew as they welcome each year. I love how Rainbow created a short story without sounding like a short story. The characters had shown foundation and told a lot in just 22 pages. It's like a whole book is narrated into this one. Midnights warmed my heart and made me beg for more. You're a rockstar, Rainbow Rowell. I love this! It's one of my faves here.
The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link was quite an odd one. I thought at first My True Love Gave To Me is an all-contemporary anthology but this story was the first one who've shown a somewhat paranormal/fantasy type and I was intrigued and a little confused at the story.
Polaris is Where You'll Find Me by Jenny Han was different as well, with the Korean female child adopted by Santa Claus himself (no kidding) who grew up living with elves and assisting her 'father' on gift giving during Christmas. This story tugged my heartstrings and until now I don't know I should be happy or sad. But you can clearly see another touch of talent by Jenny Han on this one.
Stephanie Perkins (It's A Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown) was the author I'm looking forward the most since she's the reason I badly want this book and because she's one of my fave authors. I like the depth of her story despite of being a short one and the foundation the characters had in the Stephanie Perkins way.
Holly Black's Krampuslauf was a weird and creepy one. Gayle Forman was another author I'm looking forward to read here as well. Although What The Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? was a nice story, it didn't stick to me like I hoped it will. I like that there's a character growth in Myra McEntire's Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus male lead, from bully to a serious one. I realized I liked that idea very much. Some of my fave books had bad boy-turned-good boy thing.
Remember when I said I hope I could find a Kiersten White work that I would adore? I found it on Welcome to Christmas, CA! I liked how the short story could be an entire novel. It has depth and still managed for the narrator and the story to be witty and fun to read. I really liked it! Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter was another story that had a potential to be a novel. Since the story is complicated--in the characters' way--it would be nice to add more to it. The connection between the two characters wasn't that strong but it's really a good story. It looked like a long story shrink into a small. If it would be stretched, it will turn out to be a great one.
The last story was from Laini Taylor. Despite the paranormal/fantasy-like stories from other authors, The Girl Who Woke The Dreamer was the most peculiar one. Above all, this was also the story that you'd want to see on a separate novel. It has the deepest story and background. I felt like I read an excerpt from a book! The story was captivating and really good.
I read this during Christmas season. Before, I noticed I quite don't feel the coming holidays. But this book changed it and I feel like I can taste the Christmas cookies mentioned on one of the stories and the feel of snow. I could say that you must read this during the holidays too but you can also read it when not and want to forget the summer heat for a while or the stress in school/work or you just want to feel Christmas in July. I would recommend this book to all types of readers--it's like a one-stop shop!
My True Love Gave To Me is truly an enjoyable and worthy read. Enlightening with a touch of eeriness from some stories. Twelve talented authors shared their masterpieces to become one. There were a lot of stories that has potential (and I'd love to) to become a novel. I know I've said that many times and you're probably like, "you've said that on the previous story and another one and another one" but I swear it's because it's like that!
*Thanks to Ruth and Macmillan International for the review copy in exchange of an honest review!
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