Imagination in Focus

Monday, June 6, 2011

Review - FAIRY BAD DAY

Fairy Bad Day - Amanda Ashby
Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal
# of pages: 336 (ARC)
Publisher: Penguin
Release date: June 9, 2011

While most students at Burtonwood Academy get to kill demons and goblins, fifteen-year-old Emma gets to rid the world of little annoying fairies with glittery wings and a hipster fashion sense. She was destined to be a dragon slayer, but cute and charming Curtis stole her spot. Then she sees a giant killer fairy - and it's invisible to everyone but her! If Emma has any chance of stopping this evil fairy, she's going to need help. Unfortunately, the only person who can help is Curtis. And now, not only has he stolen her dragon-slayer spot, but maybe her heart as well! Why does she think it's going to be a fairy bad day?

Okay, right away when I read this book back in April, I knew it was going to be something special. In fact, my first Goodreads status update said: "I'm already on page ten and already this book's fantasy world is way, WAY more creative and exciting than most other books I've read recently."
Seriously. The storyworld here is very dynamic, very detailed, and beautifully simple. It's like Hogwarts lite combined with a non-mythology version of Camp Half Blood. In this world, kids like Emma attend a boarding school (and just the fact that it's a boarding school that doesn't reek of the "Gossip Girl"/House of Night/every-juvenile-delinquent-activity-you-can-think-of- that-allegedly-happens-at-a-boarding-school image REALLY gives me hope for these places continuing to be used as a legitimately-interesting story location) where they learn how to use their gifts to help control the paranormal population. Kids like Emma have "the sight," meaning they can see the several paranormal creatures that make up this richly populated story world, and their jobs are simple: keep these paranormals in order, and if need be, protect the human population by, well, slaying wayward paranormals. There are troll slayers, demon slayers, goblin slayers, coveted dragon slayers, and fairy slayers, which Emma unhappily becomes as the story opens. The synopsis from Goodreads seems so overly-simple compared to the truly dynamic story world Amanda Ashby has created, and also the plot that unfurls as Emma learns that her job slaying pesky little fairies is really more life-and-death than she anticipated. There were some parts of the story that didn't really feel very clear to me (for example, if humans can't see all the paranormals, are they really in danger of them? and is slaying really necessary?) But quite simply, I found this book utterly fascinating.

I really do love "rite-of-passage" characters - actually, I kind of crave them. So while Emma's initial me-centric and immature attitude was a little hard to see through, I really enjoyed how she gradually became responsible, sensitive, and caring. She became much more in-tune with those around her, including the character who is my absolute favorite in the book - Curtis! Curtis was everything I like: sense of humor without being a goofball, caring but not overbearing, and assertive enough to stand up for himself when Emma got a little ridiculous with herself. Plus - added bonus - he went through most of the book on crutches. Yes, a dude who is "strong" and capable but still can't quite walk without assistance. That was very cool, and that's something that really set him apart and made him stand out from all the other love interests in all the other books I've gone through.
Even though I usually make much ado about the main characters in a book (boy/girl + love interest), I need to mention how well-rounded and charming the supporting characters of Fairy Bad Day were. In a time in YA fiction when the designated "best friend character" is usually a couple fries short of a Happy Meal (not in a generally unintelligent way but in an airheady, probably-listened-to-too-many-Hansen-songs way). Either that or they're the "writing angry poetry in red pen" sort. So I really, really enjoyed the fact that Emma's friends/classmates had personalities and were genuinely interesting, but not the Adderall-and-a-leash kind.
Though Fairy Bad Day's ending was satisfying, I am absolutely dying to know if this will be the first installment in a series. As interesting as the storyworld was, there's so much more that could be expanded, so many details left to be explored. This is one of the few books of 2011 that really, truly, has made me want MORE. And isn't the cover a win?!
Seriously, I can't think of a book that's more deserving of your attention this summer!

Fairy Bad Day @ Amazon
Amanda Ashby's website

Sunday, June 5, 2011

surprised by the WSJ: in which I do what the politicians do and speak outta both sides

I'm still not done reading the WSJ's article that has managed to get the book-blogging community buzzing. It's always something, isn't it? A few months ago it was that stuff in Missouri, now it's this...I've been used to newspapers (the NY Times and USA Today are the worst) spinning their own agendas so I don't usually take articles very seriously, but this one surprised me. I assure you, my mental pendulum will swing both ways, so all I ask is that you reserve judgment till you get through the entire post/treatise/diatribe/whathaveyou...

In this blog post, I'm going to do a little something different (although I seriously doubt anyone wants to hear anything that's not 100% ' OMG WSJ IS WRONG!') and talk about where the WSJ gets it right and where it gets it completely wrong. That's what they teach you in debate: that rarely is there ever a totally-right or totally-wrong issue. Same applies here.

On one hand, I do feel very relieved that this article has been written. It's what the literary community so often forgets: consumers (whether they be parents, teens, or interested adult readers) have absolutely no way of knowing what is in a book before they read it. And while there is this attitude of "so what? anything goes in books," that is not the only attitude out there. Real parents, real teachers, real teens, and real adult readers may care a great deal. For us, it's not "anything goes." For us, it's not "reality for some is reality for all," and for goodness sake, it certainly isn't "any book is better than no book!" That is so flipping ignorant. And it can't be both ways. If authors have the right to write whatever they want, with no moral boundary that says 'this is too far,' then consumers have the right to symbolically say, "What the...?! Are you for real?!"

The part that I think is the most insightful is:

Yet it is also possible—indeed, likely—that books focusing on pathologies help normalize them and, in the case of self-harm, may even spread their plausibility and likelihood to young people who might otherwise never have imagined such extreme measures. Self-destructive adolescent behaviors are observably infectious and have periods of vogue. That is not to discount the real suffering that some young people endure; it is an argument for taking care.

So yes, I do share the WSJ's "puzzlement" over why in the world this genre can be so explicit and in-your-face with quite a lot of disturbing themes, situations, and content. Yeah, it freaketh me out. And yeah, there is little-to-no way to know before diving in. And that's where my issue is: some people want to know, and there is no way for them to know. And my issue is with the idea that teenagers - with developing brains and personalities - are ready for anything. That they can handle anything. That just because reality is sometimes horrible and ugly is an open invitation to demonstrate, explicitly, just how ugly it can get. I need to say, though, that the #1 reason why I am sympathetic to this article is because it appeared in the Wall Street Journal, one of America's most important newspapers. If this was the work of some blogger, I would have shrugged and said, "She's got some points, but geez...dramatic much?"

I already shared my favorite part of the article. Now I'll share my least favorite: That part in the beginning where the poor sweet mama couldn't find a book in the whole YA section. I don't buy that for one second! Geez, the last time I went to a bookstore (NYC's Books of Wonder), I left with 10 books. And I'm one of those 'stay away from dark stuff' types. If I can find an armful of books, anyone can! Did she not see Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver? Or Michael Scott's Secrets of the Immortal Nicolas Flamel? What about Neal Shusterman's books, or Cassandra Clare's shiny, flashy, can't-miss-em books? Did she see The Dark Divine or The Maze Runner or Paranormalcy or Prophecy of the Sisters or FOR CRYING OUT LOUD anything with the name "Rick Riordan" on it? What about Matched or Divergent or the freaking BOOK THIEF? And boy, nothing says "dark and disturbing" like that Artemis Fowl! For goodness sake. Yes, I'm the type of reader who will agree with the WSJ that there is some weird, crazy...stuff in YA, but the majority of books are thrilling, enjoyable, uplifting, and written by some of the most gifted, capable, and endearing authors in the industry. If some editors and publicists are impervious to shock or sensibility, I'd reckon there are twice as many who actually do give a wang (at least, maybe a little wang) about what they're releasing into the market.

What do I wish the WSJ had done differently? First of all, part of me is glad that they actually named names and to an extent, held books and authors accountable for the written word. Like I said, it can't be both ways. It can't be acceptance and validation without some reservation. But I wished that they would have ended their article by praising, or even just acknowledging, the authors and books that represent the brighter parts of the genre. Not everything is drugs, sex, cutting, despair, and other unspeakable things. The image they painted is a truth, not the whole truth. It does not come close to describing Veronica Roth and her Divergent, or Kelly Creagh and her Nevermore, or Kersten Hamilton and her Tyger Tyger, or Neal Shusterman and his Unwind, or Bree Despain and her Dark Divine or Patrick Ness and his Chaos Walking...I could go on and on and on and on.

So if I had to draw a line in the sand, would I side with them, or with the pro-#YAsaves trend? Both, actually. Because this isn't an either-or issue. I said I was glad that this article was written. Yes, I am, because I do believe that sometimes 'dark' is 'too dark.' And I do believe that people should be made aware of the fact that some subgenres of YA are pretty... disturbing. And I think something needs to be done to better inform consumers. I think that if people weren't so often surprised or caught off guard, they'd be less hostile to books that they'd just as soon skip.

With most issues, I think that the most truthful realization lies somewhere in the middle. Unfortunately, I can't completely jump of the "WSJ is utterly wrong" bandwagon because, as someone who is often disillusioned by not just the openness but also the seeming permissiveness of literature aimed at Young Adults, I do think that information is a good thing. I do think that consumers need to be made aware of the direction that some books are taking, and how the envelope sure is being pushed far by some books and some authors. But in the very next sentence, I will defend those whose work does not apply at all to this article. As someone who reads YA almost exclusively, I'll be the first to say that no, not every book is for everybody (and it is my complete personal opinion that an even smaller number of books aren't for anybody), but I'll also be the first to say that this is the most diverse, inventive, creative, and lively genre out there.

PS - authors have been sharing their thoughts all day, but the one that really speaks out above the rest is Veronica Roth's post. What she has to say is not only insightful and eloquent, it's also extremely reasonable. Without trying to sound over the top, she keeps demonstrating over and over what a class-act author she is.

Sorry for being complicated,

Saturday, June 4, 2011

BEA book (re)post!

(had a problem with the first post)

The grand total of BEA-books, for me, was 44, plus 10 books that I bought, which brought me up to 54. Needless to say, my bookshelves need a huge alphabetizing makeover!

Books bought at the Strand & Books of Wonder
The Official Illustrated Twilight Guide - Stephenie Meyer
Prophecy of the Sisters - Michelle Zink
Guardian of the Gate - Michelle Zink
The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
Entwined - Heather Dixon
The Cabinet of Wonders - Marie Rutkoski
The Celestial Globe - Marie Rutkoski
Unwind - Neal Shusterman
The Grimm Legacy - Polly Shulman
Monsters of Men - Patrick Ness

Signed BEA books

Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex - Eoin Colfer (released)
The Girl in the Steel Corset - Kady Cross (released)
The Iron Queen - Julie Kagawa (released)
The Throne of Fire - Rick Riordan (released)
Sirenz - Charlotte Bennardo & Natalie Zaman (June 8, 2011)
Spellbound - Cara Lynn Shultz (June 28, 2011)
Goliath - Scott Westerfeld (August 29, 2011)
Ashes - Ilsa Bick (September 2011)
The Eleventh Plague - Jeff Hirsch (September 1, 2011)
Skyship Academy: The Pearl Wars - Nick James (September 8, 2011)
The Name of the Star - Maureen Johnson (September 29, 2011)
The Carrier of the Mark - Leigh Fallon (October 4, 2011)
Crossed - Ally Condie (November 1, 2011)
Legend - Marie Lu (November 29, 2011)

Unsigned BEA books
Pure - Julianna Baggott (February 8, 2012)
The Unwanteds - Lisa McMann (August 30, 2011)
Variant - Robison Wells (October 1, 2011)
The Mephisto Covenant - Trinity Faegen (September 27, 2011)
Tris and Izzie - Mette Ivie Harrison (October 11, 2011)
Forever - Maggie Stiefvater (July 12, 2011)
All These Things I've Done - Gabrielle Zevin (September 27, 2011)
The Inquisitor's Apprentice - Chris Moriarty (October 3, 2011)
Wonderstruck - Brian Selznick (September 13, 2011)
The Scorpio Races - Maggie Stiefvater (October 18, 2011)
Wildwood - Colin Meloy
Draw the Dark - Ilsa Bick (released)
Eve - Anna Carey (October 4, 2011)
Rock On - Denise Vega
Cold Kiss - Amy Garvey (September 20, 2011)
The Snow Child - Eowyn Ivey (February 1, 2012)
After Obsession - Carrie Jones (September 5, 2011)
The Future of Us - Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler (November 21, 2011)
Daughter of Smoke and Bone - Laini Taylor (September 27, 2011)
The Apothecary - Maile Meloy (October 4, 2011)
The Rivals - Daisy Whitney (February 6, 2012)
Liesl and Po - Lauren Oliver (September 1, 2011)
Circle Nine - Anne Heltzel (September 13, 2011)
Shut Out - Kody Keplinger (September 5, 2011)
The Bridge to Neverland - Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson (August 9, 2011)
Wintertown - Stephen Emond (December 5, 2011)
The Iron Witch - Karen Mahoney (released)

Two boxes of books - one that weighed 70lbs and one that weighed around 35 lbs shipped from NY on Thursday to TX, and it arrived Tuesday. We paid about $50 total. Guys, if anyone is going to BEA next year, please please go with USPS! Not only were they cheaper, but they were surprisingly speedy.
I'm really excited to get started reading, and several of these books will giveaways, so keep checking back to see when those start!

Thursday, June 2, 2011

IMM - the BEA books

For my first BEA, I tried to take the careful, somewhat-choosy approach on what I picked up. The grand total of BEA-books, for me, was 44, plus 10 books that I bought, which brought me up to 54. Needless to say, my bookshelves need a huge alphabetizing makeover!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Review - UNEARTHLY

Unearthly - Cynthia Hand
Genre: YA Paranormal
Publisher: HarperTeen
# of pages: 435 (hb)

Unearthly @ Parental Book Reviews

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy. Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side. As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

"In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees..."
Immediately the book struck a chord with me, because, well, there's a boy in a tree in my current favorite young-adult novel, Jellicoe Road, so that similarity was definitely a 'win.' That is where the two books part ways, but for me, first impressions really do a lot to set my reading mood.
I'll be honest and admit to not reading a whole lot of angel-fiction books. In fact, I try and steer clear of them. With angels, I find it harder to suspend disbelief and get involved in the author's storyworld than with other paranormals, so...I was a bit skeptical, to say the least. Even with the boy in the tree.
What I found enjoyable about Unearthly was how unpretentious it was. It featured a likable and easy-to-relate-to heroine, a simple and uncomplicated angel mythology and backstory that actually made sense, diverse and interesting supporting characters, and a stunningly detailed setting - the Jackson area/Teton Mountains of Wyoming. Look, I love New York City, and I love Los Angeles, but I can't tell you how cool it is for other areas of our country to get some exposure. Several passages read like descriptions out of a travel book (which I *loved*) and enhanced the story's realness all the more.
I liked how Cynthia Hand handled her characters. It may seem like a small thing, but I like how the author didn't automatically make Clara good at every single thing she did - yeah, her angel tendencies (and that's not a spoiler, don't worry) made her more graceful, more flexible, and so forth, and she had some other interesting abilities, but not everything came naturally to her (like...flying). That was a welcome change. And can I just say how nice it is to have useful parent characters? Kudos to the portrayal of Clara's mom. Except for the fact that she withheld key plot information from her daughter for no apparent reason (still not sure about that one), I enjoyed the role Clara's mom played in the overall story. I will say, though, that Clara often gave off an immature vibe, in that she really seemed to display a tendency to being self-absorbed. Especially in her interactions with her friends, and with the two potential love interests, I really noticed a "me first" personality, which sometimes made it hard for me to relate to her. Not all the time, just sometimes. (And really, I see that a lot in other first-person YA narratives. Like caring about other people is somehow tied to weakness. You can't be strong if you put other people first...)
Really the only other "meh" thing about Unearthly, for me, was the romance angle. There's a bit of a triangle in here in that there are two guys who, at some point or another, do the usual triangle thing and rival for the main character's affections. Just like in the Twilight series, and unlike in the Hunger Games series, there seemed to be a clear 'winner.' It's the kind of thing where the reader can spot who it's going to be from the beginning, so the whole love-triangle element therefore seemed imbalanced. Plus, I didn't really like the kind of person Clara turned into when she was pining after one of the guys. She seemed to lose all common sense and only seemed interested for the superficial "he's so cute/dreamy/perfect/etc." reasons. It just seemed really out of character with who Clara was the rest of the time. The other guy, though? Boy Number 2? Absolutely perfect. And I'm glad the story ended where it did. I know we've got 2 more sequels in the near future, but it makes waiting for them a little less daunting, knowing that Unearthly's ending was rather satisfying. I'm willing to bet that the next sequel may have a bigger 'villain' character, and may spend more time dealing with more detailed angel mythology, as neither element seemed very prominent in this installment. That's fair, though, because the first book in a series usually only has time to introduce the characters, set up the premise, and give clues about where the story will head next. I'm definitely eager for the sequel.

So all in all? A fun, enjoyable, well-paced read that I would definitely recommend.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

quick post to let yall know...

...that the comment wackness (yes, I just said wackness, because yes, it is still the 90s up in here) is fixed. I'd still be boohooing myself if and shaking my fist at the computer screen if it weren't for Jillian @ Random Ramblings, who completely sorted me out.
Comments are now working!! YAY!

Here is a picture of Fievel. He's happy, and so am I.

Pictures from BEA Part II

BEA was one of the greatest experiences, and I am already eagerly anticipating BEA 2012.
I cannot say enough how grateful I am to the awesome posse of the smartest, sweetest, most amazing girls (too many adjectives?) who took me under their wing and made the whole experience less daunting.
I'm glad I didn't have to trek it alone!
Tuesday Highlights

Arriving at Javits bright and early and meeting up with the girls - Jennifer from Reading with Tequila, Emily from Red House Books, Eleni from La Femme Readers, Taschima from Bloody Bookaholic, Lexie and Tegan from Poisoned Rationality, Briana from BAM Book Reviews, Nikki from Wicked Awesome Books, and Danielle from Frenzy of Noise.
Walking briskly (absolutely no running - we're not on a track team!) with Tasch and Tegan to the Scholastic booth and absolutely spazzing over galleys of Forever, which I did not expect them to have (usually final books in a series market themselves!)
Seeing the rest of the floor, saying "pardon me...excuse me...thank you very much" so many times that one of the publicists from Macmillan said I sounded like Kyra Sedgwick's character from "The Closer." Haha
Signing lines with Ilsa Bick (Ashes and Draw the Dark), Cara Lynn Shultz (Spellbound) at the Harlequin booth (or should I say, the Harlequin Headquarters. That place is bigger than the Batcave!), Eoin Colfer (Artemis Fowl), Leigh Fallon (The Carrier of the Mark), and Jeff Hirsch (The Eleventh Plague)
Sat in on the YA Editor Buzz Panel, which was a godsend because for some reason, my feet didn't hurt but my back sure did. Sat next to the wonderful team from Girls in the Stacks - who just so happen to be Texas bloggers. Some drama with galleys - "do they or don't they?" and almost getting squished, but I'm small so I made it out alive.
Had an amazing hotdog, even if I did shame myself by forgetting that I was in New York City and asking for mayonnaise.
Me and Jennifer braving NYC's idea of a "mall" for dinner and having what was easily the funnest, most interesting conversation of my year (you just don't get good conversation like that where I'm from...lol...unless you're talking about how hot it is, how amazing the Rangers are, or something to do with politics)
Galleys I swooned over: The Carrier of the Mark, Legend, The Scorpio Races, Forever, Wonderstruck (today belonged to Scholastic!), Variant (so excited to see this one) and The Eleventh Plague

Jacob Javits, the larger-than-life NY senator who did so much for education - especially G/T education.

Way to represent, HarlequinTeen!

So excited to see this cover!

Abrams booth - Dairy of a Wimpy Kid

The enormous autographing area. Reminded me a lot of Disneyworld, only no fast passes

Me, Taschima, and Danielle

Me and Tegan - love her. I was this close (thumb and forefinger) to bringing her back to Texas with me to be my little sis. Buuut...that's kidnapping, and is indeed illegal in every state.

The dashing Eoin Colfer

As surprised as he looks, at least the flash wasn't on.

At the YA Editor Buzz Panel. By the way, I absolutely adored that emcee guy. Woulda liked to bring *him* back to Texas too!

Man, Jason Valdez is hot. He almost reminds me of Percy...

Leigh Fallon - and her accent - were so charming and sweet! Meeting her and getting a copy of Carrier of the Mark was a great end to a great day.

Wednesday Highlights

Got to Javits at 5:50 in the morning. No, I wasn't crazy, I was just paranoid about somehow not getting Rick Riordan and Scott Westerfeld tickets.
Having the absolute BEST cab driver in the world. He got me from 5th Ave to the Javits in 4 minutes (aaaand had to outwit a firetruck that blocked three lanes of traffic down a narrow street). I love you, Alfonso!
Breakfast run to Dunkin' Donuts (still ain't got nothin on Krispy Kream) with Tasch and Tegan
Getting career advice from Rick Riordan...RYE-or-dan... (who knew exactly where my hometown is) and getting to take a picture with Julie Kagawa (her publicist-person actually let me and Tasch take a picture with her, and didn't look at my camera like it had Anthrax on it like Rick Riordan's publicist-person. Ha!)
Jennifer and I meeting the funnest Macmillan publicist-person in Ally Condie's line and the *ahem* absolutely high-five-worthy conversations we had. We wondered if, in the future, we'll all be wearing yoga pants like the cover model. Gah, I hope not. I'd never be able to pull that off. Plus...that sign that was right across from us that we kept guffawing over. Well okay, they laughed and I guffawed.

other Cool author signings: Scott Westerfeld (Goliath), Kady Cross (The Girl in the Steel Corset), Ally Condie (Crossed), Marie Lu (Legend)
Hanging out at Mars - the eatery of the future! Our hilarious server who thought that snorting was the funniest thing ever (and when I say "snorting", I mean the sound that emits in between laughs...not the other verb meaning), and that slightly eccentric martian who danced with all those kids. LOL.
M&Ms store!

Wednesday looking @ Javits

Stood in front of a cute little kid in the Rick Riordan line with Tasch.

Easily the best thing about BEA. My kids at YG were like "when you meet Rick Riordan, make him do the 'hook em horns' sign!" As I am an adult and really do want people to take me seriously, I nixed asking for the hook em horns sign.

Julie Kagawa! Got moving advice from her - the verdict? Kentucky is a cool place to live, especially the Louisville area.

I honestly don't remember of Jane Lynch was Wednesday or Thursday...but there she is!

The eatery of the future!

Thursday Highlights

Just managing to get through the day without bursting into tears at the thought of this being the last full day of BEA was an accomplishment
Made the rounds - Little Brown wins the 'Best (Booth) in Show' for Thursday - and had the good fortune of our group being "line-heckled" by Maureen Johnson, who by the way has fabulous taste in dresses. Apparently there was some kind of drama that went down today, but I don't feel like it's my business or right to pass judgment on other people, so...I really don't know!
Left BEA early to figure out how to ship the bountiful booty home. Note to those who may attend next year: do.not.use.FedEx. Ever. Ever, ever, ever. We shipped two boxes - one that weighed 70 lbs and the other that weighed 35 - to Texas, media mail (and we shipped them THURSDAY and they arrived the very next TUESDAY, gaw I love our USPS!) for around $50.
Had the absolute BEST pizza at Lombardi's because Tasch's mother has amazing taste! Good call on Lombardi's
And now...the only real drama of the trip, and it was all my fault. Sometime shortly after 11:00, I managed to get myself lost in a really unfamiliar part of the city. When the streets aren't numbered anymore, it easily happens, and I scared myself into hyperventilation at not being able to hail a cab. I swear, every episode I'd ever seen of "SVU" came back to mind. But I had guardian angels in Lexie and Chaz and the sweetest cab driver - once I did manage to hail one down - who told me about the first time he got himself lost in the city when he first came over to America. That was the sweetest thing.

Me and Jennifer