TATBILB: A Movie Update

I’m not ready to give up on yesterday’s Jenny Han love-fest! Today, I want to talk about the future To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before movie. Yes, there’s going to be a movie!

Two years ago, I posted that the book had been optioned for film by Overbrook Entertainment (Will Smith’s production company). I even offered up some casting suggestions, in which I did my best to come up with actresses who had Korean backgrounds. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like anyone in casting made note of my suggestions!

Here’s what I’ve been able to learn about the film:  

• Wikipedia states that filming began on July 6, 2017. The director of the film is Susan Johnson and Sofia Alvarez wrote the screenplay. The film was shot in and around Vancouver, British Columbia. Production wrapped up August 4, 2017 (which seems really short! Only a month to shoot? Is that normal?).
• Lana Condor, a twenty-year old actress adopted from Vietnam who has already acted in X-Men: Apocalypse, will play the lead role of Lara Jean Covey. In this article by NBC News, she explains how she remembers Jenny Han “telling me how easily whitewashed this movie could have been…Because the beautiful thing is that Lara Jean is not written as a stereotypical Asian character. She’s just the girl-next-door. And it’d be easy for Hollywood to cast white girls to play the Covey sisters.” Janel Parrish of Pretty Little Liars will play Lara Jean’s big sister Margot, and Anna Cathcart from Odd Squad will play younger sister, Kitty. Han was pleased with the casting choices, posting, “That is truly groundbreaking. I haven’t seen Asian American women centered on the screen since Joy Luck Club, which was nearly 25 years ago.” 
• Visit this EW.com link to see Jenny Han’s pictures from when she visited the TATBILB set. Han sure looks like she had a great time, so that makes me hopeful about the finished product.
• So who was cast to play Peter Kavinsky? Josh? Lara Jean’s dad? Check out the full cast and crew from this IMDB link. Be sure to check out a few pictures from the film, too.
  • I’m a bit underwhelmed by the actor chosen to play Peter. I guess I pictured him a bit more all-American boy – like a blonde hair, blue-eyed, big goofy athletic type.
  • I’m super excited about who will play Lara Jean’s dad, though: John Corbett! I always enjoyed him in Raising Helen, Sex in the City, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding. He’s got a good voice and I think he’ll make a good “dad.”

• There is not a release date yet for this movie (correct me if I’m wrong), but I sure am looking forward to it.

Will you be looking forward to seeing To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before on the big screen?

Always and Forever, a Jenny Han Fan

I finished up the third and final book in Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series last night. Han’s books are pure sugar – sweet and a bit addicting. I read through them quickly and eagerly. Like most of Han’s fans, I was glad to see the TATBILB story continued past the first book. The first book was originally a stand alone book, and then, surprise! There was a sequel for us to enjoy. Then, surprise! Another book in the series!

Always and Forever, Lara Jean picks up with our main character, high school senior Lara Jean Covey, adorably in love with Peter Kavinsky. They went through some drama in book two, but now they are back and better than ever. Lara Jean works on baking the perfect chocolate chip cookie, Kitty is Kitty (though she wasn’t featured as much in this book as I had wanted), Peter has an athletic scholarship to nearby UVA, Margot has a new boyfriend, and her dad is happily dating the next door neighbor. The conflict ensues as Lara Jean and Peter contemplate their futures. College is just around the corner – will they stay together? Should they stay together?

The entire book reminded me of that last week of high school, when you’re feeling both excited for the next chapter of your life, but also nostalgic. Everything feels like the last time you’ll do something, so you know you’re supposed to cherish it. The book felt like a long, drawn out goodbye. It seemed like Han was saying goodbye to these characters, too. While the ending was certainly left open to possibilities (how could it not when our main characters are 18 years old and about to head off to college?), I like that we can imagine the possibilities for ourselves.   

In a post from two years ago, I wrote that TATBILB was, “like a young adult romantic comedy. Han’s writing style is approachable and believable. You’ll smile as you read this book.” But it’s not so much about it being believable or relatable, but rather that it’s a bit fantastical. It’s more that we as readers (some of us, at least) love the idea of being the nerdy girl who is dating the most popular and handsome guy in school. He’s the guy everyone loves – his friends, his teammates, the teachers – and yet he is head over heels for you – the girl no one really saw or paid attention to before. And she didn’t even have to pretend to be cool or sexy or give up any of her nerdy obsessions. He actually likes her for her.

How refreshing.

I think that’s why I’ll continue to be a Jenny Han fan. TATBILB might be wrapped up with Always and Forever, Lara Jean, but I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing what Han will write next.

Any Jenny Han fans out there? What book of hers has been your favorite so far?

 

Always and Forever, Cute Shoes

Shoes inspired by the upcoming novel, Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han.

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A while back, I commented on a line of footwear that was (supposedly) inspired by classic American literature. Since the final product was so watered down, I created a few of my own shoe designs for classic novels.

I love drawing shoes. Check out a design I came up with for Andy Weir’s novel, The Martian here. Here you’ll find a design for Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus. I even designed a pair for the classic children’s book Chicka Chicka ABC here. The book Uprooted inspired some great boots here.

My TBR List

The great thing about having reading as a hobby is that you’ll never run out of books! There are always more books to be read, authors to discover, and characters to connect with. And even as you grow and change, your hobby can grow and change with you. There are different genres to explore and challenges to take on. That means my TBR (to be read) list is always growing and changing too. I keep track of what I want to read next by adding titles to my Goodreads To-Read list, and also my wish list and holds list on OverDrive.

Here is what is currently on my TBR list (in no particular order):

1. Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick – I love Anna Kendrick in movies, on talk shows, and the internet, so I can’t wait to see what quips she comes up with for a book!
2. We’ll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han – I have to see who Belly ends up with. Will it be the fun, loving, quick-to-smile Jeremiah, or his older brother, the mysterious and brooding Conrad?
3. Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld – I bought the hardcover version of this book years ago and haven’t had time to sit down and enjoy it yet. I’m looking forward to seeing how Westerfeld weaves the story of a young writer who is just about to be published along with the actual novel that is being written.
4. The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis – First, the cover is beautiful. Second, it sounds like there will be a really interesting setting to this story: NYC’s Barbizon Hotel for Women.
5. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley – I enjoy science fiction, and this feels like a classic that I’ve been missing out on.
6. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger – This is another classic that has somehow escaped me. As an English major, can you believe that it was never on one of my required reading lists?
7. Shadow and Bone, Book 1 of The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo – Many book bloggers seem to love this series, so I’m interested to see if it will be one of my favorites, too.
8. Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han – I’ll have to wait until April 2017 to read this one, but I’m really looking forward to it. This is the third book in Lara Jean Song’s story, and originally Han had said that there were only going to be two books, as “It organically feels like two books to me–two halves of a heart.” But I guess she (or her readers or editors?) changed her mind about that! I felt that the second book ended things nicely…but I’m also eager to read more of the story! You can read more about my thoughts to the first book in the series, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before here.

What books are you looking forward to reading soon? How do you keep track of your TBR list?