Tuesday, February 26, 2013

ELEANOR & PARK by Rainbow Rowell




By: Rainbow Rowell


Hi there! I'm back! You may remember I shared with you Rainbow Rowell's first book called Attachments that I absolutely fell in love with. Rainbow's next book Eleanor & Park came out first in the UK, which I immediately ordered because I wanted to read it so desperately and didn't want to wait for the US version. Well, lucky for you, the US version is out this week, and even luckier, I've got a copy for you to win here on Booking with Manic!

What I love most about Rainbow's writing is she brings you right up close and personal to the characters. You feel their every thought, wish for what they want, and hope they succeed, you seriously do! From the moment you meet the comic-book loving, cool, quiet and elusive Park and vibrant-yet-unsure Eleanor, you'll wait for big moments to happen. And they will, but it'll take time. You'll want to be along for that ride, I promise you! Here's a little snippet:

“Bono met his wife in high school,” Park says.

“So did Jerry Lee Lewis,” Eleanor answers.

“I’m not kidding,” he says.

“You should be,” she says, “we’re 16.”

“What about Romeo and Juliet?”

“Shallow, confused, then dead.”

“I love you,” Park says.

“Wherefore art thou,” Eleanor answers.

“I’m not kidding,” he says.

“You should be.”


Set over the course of one school year in 1986, Eleanor & Park is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.

So, if you're up for your shot at winning a copy of Eleanor & Park, share with us a snippet of when a first love professed feelings for you. I remember being on a date when I was 16 and getting dropped off at home, and my then-boyfriend sitting in the car and telling me that he had three words he wanted to say to me, and then he said them. I was scared and unsure, and I think I might have said, "Thank you." A couple of days or a week later, I said it back. 

Funny enough, he and I are Facebook friends and he even commented on a post I put up just today!
So, share an interesting story (doesn't have to be an I-love-you tale), just something cute, silly, funny, endearing about a boyfriend from your high school days, and you'll be entered to win a copy of Eleanor & Park!

Thanks for stopping by, and I'll be posting more books soon, I promise! If you're new here, please read how we operate below! 

NEW TO BOOKING WITH MANIC?  

If you're new to Booking with Manic, thank you for stopping by! We love new readers! Some notes - If you're entering to win a book, please leave a comment on this post and use an identifying name when commenting. It's usually a great idea to include an email, which I will never give out to anyone else. You can only enter once please. You'll need to check back here in a few days to see if you've won the book -- I will either list the winner in a new post OR highlight the winner's name at the top of this post, or tell you where you can find the winner's name at the top of this post. I do NOT personally contact the winners. It is YOUR responsibility to come back to see if you've won. Most books are supplied directly through publishers, publicists and the authors. Winners will receive books directly from the publisher or author within 3 weeks from the time you provide me with your address, unless I send you the book (sometimes I will). Sorry, but we can only ship to U.S. and Canada so if you're from another country, thank you for coming by to read and discover new authors, but we can't send you a book. Any questions on how I run the blog or suggestions on who you would like to see featured, please email me at stephanieelliot[at]gmail.com. Thank you for your support!

35 comments:

Becki**** said...

Wow - first? Never happens, lol. . .my first HS boyfriend was a fellow cast member in Disney's America On Parade but cant remember anything cute . other than HE WAS, lol

TinaB said...

My boyfriend in high school brought me a rose on our 1 month anniversary. That was pretty sweet even though he turned out to be a psycho!! Ha!!
Brannanflooring@aol.com

ncsuloges said...

The first guy who ever told me he loved me and I believed told me in a mix CD for Valentine's Day. It had a bunch of songs about love and when I walked in to the room where it was playing he said I love you and I melted.

jdstec said...

the first boyfriend to tell me ILY was in the 9th grade walking home from school. He had just given me a Bee Gees album (yes vinyl)

absolutahnie said...

when, after years of worshipping him from afar, he called me and asked me out! we've been together nearly 6 years now.

CAnative said...

Don't remember much about HS boyfriends, but what I do remember is the first time I met my future husband (I was 18). We met through a friend of mine just by chance and I remember having this sense that he's the one. It was really strange but already 29 years later here we are!

Nicole

Juliet Farmer said...

my first real love was in college, and it ended very, very badly.

Mary Jo Burke said...

Had four dates with a guy and he proposed. I got out of the car while it was still moving.

Emma S. said...

Hmmmm, my current boyfriend (of 6.5) years said 'I love You' after he got back from a trip that I was annoyed he didn't take me on.

Sarah P. said...

Oooh! Pick me! Pick me! I loved ATTACHMENTS too.

High school... urg. I think I've blocked it out. But the first boy I had a crush on in HS moved away to Texas before I could act on it. I never saw him again. And that was probably my most successful high school "relationship."

Urgh.

Melissa said...

hmm I can't remember when my first love said ILY...but I do remember my heart breaking later :(

-tmd636

Ready To Be A Momma said...

My first boyfriend, who later became my husband told me on our 3rd date, which was his bday party that he loved me. I told him he was drunk and lying. Needless to say, it didn't work out.
Qweska8402

equinn726 said...

I don't remember the first time a boy said "I Love You," but I do remember dating a boy in HS who thought the world of me and would do little romantic things like pick me up and swing me around between classes. Then he moved away which was sad, but not unexpected. That was probably the sweetest little HS romance I had.

Katie said...

It was before my first year of high school and it was on the phone. And then we broke up a week later haha.

Ally said...

The first man was actually my husband. He said it after we dated a few months. It was special because he was the first and last man to say that to me.

Unknown said...

Boyfriend from HS? What's that? I have nothing cute to share. I was that shy non-involved girl. There was this boy I was head over heels for & just about died when he kissed me on the cheek...on a dare even! So naive I was.

Bev V said...

I didn't have a boyfriend in high school. My (now) husband told me he loved me, and then proposed. We will celebrate our 30th anniversary this fall!

Erin G said...

My high school boyfriend professed his love in a valentine's day card that he left in my locker. It was sweet.

betsy_blixt said...

My first love thought I was sleeping and whispered, "I think I'm falling in love with you". It was the sweetest moment of my life. I didn't till himu ntil about 10 years later that I heard him.

Kim W. said...

The first time my husband told me he loved me...we were playing a game, something like Win, Lose or Draw and he wrote it out. At first I didn't get it, so I was trying to guess it, and he eventually stared at me like "Are you freaking kidding me!?" Haha.

Melissa said...

I never dated in high school. I met my first boyfriend during freshman year of college. We met online before meeting online became popular. It was all these amazing coincidences that fell into play after we connected on a Seinfeld newsgroup.
We had a lot of inside jokes and he did a hilarious Bill Cosby impression. A couple of years ago, I found a copy of "Green Eggs and Ham" that he gave me for my 19th birthday and was laughing at the note he wrote in it, which was full of inside jokes.
We still e-mail sporadically. Our wedding anniversaries are a year apart.

Melissa A from CLC

T. Greenwood said...

This is on my list! Can't wait to read (and hope I win) :)

Nova said...

sparkle40175(at)hotmail(dot)com

My first boyfriend told me he loved me after I finally worked up the nerve to kiss him. We broke up months later because I "wouldn't go all the way", and he wanted to. LOL first love...

Anonymous said...

So glad you're back, sunshine!

The first gesture was in kindergarten. Micheal Kearney reached over and held my hand as we walked out of grade school to our parents. It was my first crush!

I remember it like it was yesterday.

cindy@cindyroesel.com

morninglight mama said...

Second grade, and I still remember his name, too. :) I helped him get his rainboots off in the coat closet-- those kinds that fit over your sneakers-- and then he liked me. I remember he gave me gifts, like a bubble gum machine necklace and I still have the Tigger Valentine's Day card that he gave me, too. :)

The Book Chick said...

I remember my first "real" kiss! It was during a high school dance, and "Kissed by a Rose" by Seal was playing. At the time I thought that it was amazing, but I'm sure that it sucked, hahaha. I would love to win this book!

jonitathebookchick(at)gmail(dot)com

Sue G. said...

I met my hubby when he was just finishing 12th grade and I was just finished 11th grade. 3 months after dating, the night before he left to go to college he gave me a little present all wrapped up. I opened it and it was a gold charm that say "I Love You". I looked at him and he said, "I really do!". I cried!.

31 years later I still love that man!

suegaluska (at) yahoo (dot) com

TaraUB said...

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one that has blocked out high school. I was engaged before I was 21 to my h.s. "love". Thank goodness I found my self esteem in college and ended that which led me down the path to my husband to be.

Lauren said...

My first "I love you" was when I was 16. He was 19 and even brought up getting engaged. That relationship didn't last very long.

Luvschocolate said...

still waiting, been in lust many times but I'm still holding out for the real deal.

Unknown said...

I can't remember! I guess my first love was my HS boyfriend, but I can't remember when he first told me he loved me.

StereoQueenBee said...

Is it sad that I never had a boyfriend in high school?

queenofcrunk@gmail.com

Megan said...

I was in a fight-yelling about something-and my boyfriend yelled at me, 'I love you!'. The fight ended at that point.
Eloise peaches

Reese78 said...

Looking back my high school boyfriend was a dork! I didn't see it at the time...I thought he was the hottest thing to walk the earth. I still have kind of a thing for nerdy guys! ;)

your invisible pixie said...

I was at Disneyland and as we were walking back to my boyfriend's mom's car to leave, he said "I love you" and I said "me too" haha. Whoops!