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Showing posts with label sarvenaz tash. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sarvenaz tash. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

The Geek's Guide To Unrequited Love Blog Tour {review, guest post, giveaway}


I'm so thrilled to have the Geek's Guide To Unrequited Love Blog Tour stopping by today...


The Geek’s Guide to Unrequited Love
By Sarvenaz Tash
June 14, 2016
Simon & Schuster BFYR
John Hughes meets Comic Con in this hilarious, unabashedly romantic, coming-of-age novel about a teenager who is trying to get his best friend to fall in love with him from the author of Three Day Summer.

Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy...
Archie and Veronica...
Althena and Noth...
...Graham and Roxy?

Graham met his best friend, Roxana, when he moved into her neighborhood eight years ago, and she asked him which Hogwarts house he’d be sorted into. Graham has been in love with her ever since.

But now they’re sixteen, still neighbors, still best friends. And Graham and Roxy share more than ever—moving on from their Harry Potter obsession to a serious love of comic books.

When Graham learns that the creator of their favorite comic, The Chronicles of Althena, is making a rare appearance at this year’s New York Comic Con, he knows he must score tickets. And the event inspires Graham to come up with the perfect plan to tell Roxy how he really feels about her. He’s got three days to woo his best friend at the coolest, kookiest con full of superheroes and supervillains. But no one at a comic book convention is who they appear to be...even Roxy. And Graham is starting to realize fictional love stories are way less complicated than real-life ones.



Pre-Order Swag Pack
Anyone who pre-orders The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love or purchases it the week of release (up through Sunday 6/19) will receive an exclusive swag pack featuring a signed book plate, bookmarks, a postcard, and some adorkably nerdy stickers. All you have to do is to email your proof of purchase and mailing address to geeksguidepreorder@gmail.com. (This is international). More info here.


Advance Praise


“As Tash introduces a cast of charming, goofy, and diverse characters, she uses the hopeful voice of a young man in the throes of first love to gently poke fun at fandom while celebrating the passion and camaraderie of the community." 
Publishers Weekly *Starred Review*, Best Summer Books 2016 Selection

"Captures the joyous spirit of Comic Con and fantasy’s ability to provide its devotees with a community through which to contextualize their joys and sorrows. A lighthearted and engaging romp for anyone who loves Spidey and Mary Jane’s upside-down kiss in the rain."
Kirkus Reviews

"With the exacting eye of an anthropologist and the generous heart of a true geek, Sarvenaz Tash has crafted something very special with The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love. Hilariously funny, heart-wrenchingly true and tender, this is a book of super-heroic achievement."
- Scott Snyder, NYT bestselling author of Batman, American Vampire and Wytches

"The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love promises romantic misadventures and pop culture references but delivers so much more. Never have I fallen in love with a group of characters so quickly. Funny, fast-paced, and full of heart, this is the kind of book you'll read in one sitting, and then be a little sad that it's over."
- Paula Stokes, author of The Art of Lainey and Girl Against the Universe

What do you get when you take the oldie-but-goodie “boy meets girl, boy and girl become best friends, boy falls madly in love with girl, boy decides to tell girl” and add in all things geeky, irresistible side characters, epic wins and epic fails? You get Sarvenaz Tash’s awesome new young adult, The Geek’s Guide To Unrequited Love!

The Geek’s Guide To Unrequited Love was such a fun reading experience for me! Laugh-out-loud funny, charmingly sweet and romantic, yet full of depth and heart...I’m totally smitten with this book. The story is very reminiscent of those unforgettable 80’s and early 90’s teen movies, that always manage to feel classic, yet refreshing. The novel unfolds through Graham’s perspective and I’m so in love with his witty, unabashedly geeky, earnest, and authentic voice. Tash does a superb job of capturing and exploring the world of teenagers. Graham, Roxy, Casey, Felicia, and the other young characters just feel so real and honest and unapologetically complex.

Readers, young and older alike, will be able to relate to Graham’s situation as he tries to woo the girl he loves...and of course, in the grand tradition of teen movies, nothing goes according to plan and wild hijinks ensue! Tash throws some wicked twists and fun surprises in Graham’s way and readers will love every single moment of them.

While Graham and Roxy’s potential love story is front and center in The Geek’s Guide To Unrequited Love, there’s also another epic love story being celebrated: the love story between the world of fans and fandoms! Geeks, fanboys, fangirls, obsessed fans, newbie fans, etc, The Geek’s Guide To Unrequited Love has them all. The New York Comic Con setting is so fun and Tash brings this world, full of fans and fandoms colliding, to life with so much love, respect, and epicness!

my final thoughts: Like any great John Hughes film, The Geek’s Guide To Unrequited Love will make you laugh, charm you completely, break your heart a little, and leave you believing in love!

MY RATING
5/5 Cupcakes


The Filmmakers That Inspired The Geek’s Guide to Unrequited Love
By Sarvenaz Tash

Books have always been my first love but movies are a close second. In fact, I went to film school and got my degree in Film and Television Production. (I did make some movies, but I learned pretty quickly that my interest lay mostly in screenwriting. And writing screenplays eventually led me to writing books…but that is a story for a different day!)

There were certain kinds of movies that always spoke to me: funny, character-driven ones. A lot of them fall into the “rom-com” genre which, when done well, are my favorite films to watch. There are four filmmakers who very much inspired my writing, and this book in particular. (In fact, they all make a “cameo” of sorts in the book…)

  1. John Hughes (Pretty in Pink [writer], Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off)
Hands down the biggest inspiration for this book and, if I’m going to be honest, for writing teen stories to begin with. Hughes started my love affair with coming-of-age stories. Even though his films were over a decade old by the time I was a teenager, they resonated with me then—and I think they resonate with teens now. Why? Because the characters are so heartfelt and the comedy comes from timeless situations: falling in love, feeling uncool, getting detention…

  1. Nora Ephron (When Harry Met Sally [writer], You’ve Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle)
As a girl in film school, I can’t tell you how much Nora Ephron’s work and success meant to me. One of the greatest gifts/compliments I ever received was a book of her essays from a college friend of mine with an inscription that I reminded him of her. I truly believe that When Harry Met Sally is the greatest romantic comedy ever written. It’s so funny and so true and the dialogue just sparkles.

  1. Cameron Crowe (Say Anything, Almost Famous, Fast Times at Ridgemont High [writer])
Oh, Lloyd Dobler. The first heartbreakingly earnest geeky boy I ever fell in love with. Coupled with the untraditional love/coming-of-age story that is Almost Famous, Crowe will always have a spot in my heart for his tender and hilarious brand of storytelling.

  1. Amy Heckerling (Clueless, Fast Times at Ridgemont High [director])
As much as Nora Ephron always meant to me as a female filmmaker, Amy Heckerling actually graduated from my film school. Seeing the Clueless poster hanging from the walls of our edit floors always gave me a jolt of inspiration. And don’t even get me started on how much I love that film. It makes me laugh, and swoon, and root for the popular, maybe-slightly-shallow-but-definitely-means-well, girl. It is also the only Jane Austen adaptation I like more than the original book (Emma)!


Sarvenaz Tash was born in Tehran, Iran and grew up on Long Island, NY. She received her BFA in Film and Television from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. This means she got to spend most of college running around and making movies (it was a lot of fun). She has dabbled in all sorts of writing including screenwriting, copywriting, and professional tweeting. Sarvenaz currently lives in Brooklyn, NY.
Win a signed copy of The Geek’s Guide to Unrequited Love and a signed copy of Three Day Summer !
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-ends 6/24
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NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.  Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and Washington D.C. who are 13 years old or older as of date of entry.
To enter, fill out the appropriate Rafflecopter form associated with each giveaway.
The start and end dates for each giveaway will be clearly stated and followed.
The specified amount of winners shall be selected in a random drawing.
Winners will be notified by email and must claim their prize within 48 hours. If a winner does not respond within 48 hours, then a new winner will be chosen.
Word Spelunking is not responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen prizes in the mail. Once a prize is dropped off at the post office, it is no longer my responsibility and I will not compensate in anyway for prizes not delivered because of the USPS.
If a third-party (author, publisher, etc) is shipping a prize, once I provide the winner(s)' mailing information to them, the prize is no longer my responsibility. I will forward your mailing info to the proper people within 48 hours after getting it from you. If you have not received your prize from an author or publisher within 8 weeks, it is your responsibility to contact them further.
By participating in any giveaway, you agree to adhere to these rules. Any breaking of these rules by entrants will disqualify them from the giveaway and their entries will be deleted.


Check out ALL the blog tour stops
Tues. 6/7 Prose and Kahn
Thurs. 6/9 The Hiding Spot
Fri. 6/10 The Reading Nook
Wed. 6/15 Word Spelunking
Thurs. 6/16 Andi’s ABCs
Fri. 6/17 What a Nerd Girl Says

Friday, May 22, 2015

Three Day Summer Blog Tour {review, guest post, giveaway}


I'm thrilled to have the Three Day Summer Blog Tour stopping by today...

Three Day Summer
by Sarvenaz Tash
May 19, 2105
Simon & Schuster BFYR
Michael is unsure about most things. Go to college? Enlist in the military? Break up with his girlfriend? All big question marks. He is living for the moment and all he wants is a few days at the biggest concert of the summer.

Cora lives in the town hosting the music festival. She's volunteering in the medical tent. She's like that, always the good girl. But there is something in the air at this concert and suddenly Cora finds herself wanting to push her own boundaries.

When Michael and Cora meet, sparks fly, hearts race, and all the things songs are written about come true. And all the while, three days of the most epic summer await them...




Praise for Three Day Summer

"A positive portrait of a much-maligned era, this optimistic, exuberant tale is recommended for readers who've wondered why the '60s were so great." - Kirkus Reviews *Starred Review*

"Extremely charming...This sure-to-be-popular, mesmerizing novel...[is] a real page-turner for fans of romance, music, and the swinging 1960s." - School Library Journal

"Three Day Summer will transport you back in time to Woodstock, drown you in incredible music, and introduce you to a couple you'll never forget. It's the perfect summer getaway." - Tamara Ireland Stone, author of Time Between Us and Every Last Word

"Three Day Summer is not just a book—it’s an experience! It made me feel like I was at Woodstock surrounded by free love, music, and mud. I loved it—I couldn’t stop reading!" - Miranda Kenneally,bestselling author of Catching Jordan and Jesse's Girl

Michael, the guy who has no idea what he wants to do with his life. Cora, the good girl who knows her future includes college and working in medicine. These very different teens are brought together by the epic music festival, Woodstock. Cora, who lives in the town hosting the festival, is a volunteer at the med. tent, while Michael, with his girlfriend (who he may or may not want to dump) and friends, is there to witness all the musical greats he loves. Thanks to some trippy brown acid, Cora and Michael’s lives and futures collide during three unforgettable days.


The wild 60’s + epic music + sweet romance = one super groovy reading experience. Sarvenaz Tash’s Three Day Summer is such a fun, feel-good YA book. Drugs, rock and roll, sex, music, peace, and love...this is what Woodstock is famous for and Tash brings it to life in all its psychedelic, tie-dye glory! From the physical layout of the festival and town to the awesome musical acts, memorable moments, the volatile atmosphere surrounding the war, clothing, and dialogue, Tash does such a great job of transporting readers to 1969 and capturing this complex, fascinating time in history. You can tell that the author clearly did her research and did everything possible to make this setting and time feel authentic and real.

While the festival itself is so fun to read about, it is Michael and Cora’s stories that take center stage. I really like these two, both as individuals and as a pair. They’re both witty, charming, and interesting in their own ways. And I thoroughly enjoyed watching their sweet, addicting love story unfold. This is a romance that readers will root and fall for.

my final thoughts: With its vivid setting, excellent world-building, likable characters, and fun romance, Three Day Summer easily charmed me. This is the perfect read for anyone crazy about Woodstock or simply in the mood for a light, entertaining read.

MY RATING
4/5 yummy cupcakes

So You Wanna Live in the ‘60s…A ‘Three Day Summer’ Bonus Post
By Sarvenaz Tash

If you liked Three Day Summer and want to learn more about the 1960s, here are some of my recommendations for things to watch, read, and do! (I used a lot of these as reference material for the book).

Do:
Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
http://www.bethelwoodscenter.org/
The site of the original festival is now a gorgeous and very fun interactive museum that features a lot of footage, music and even a psychedelic VW van to sit in. I visited this museum several times in preparation for the book. It was research that I did not mind one bit!

Read:
Woodstock Revisited, by Susan Reynolds
This book features first-person accounts from a slew of people who were actually at the festival—from the hilarious to the profound, it’s a great non-fiction snapshot of what it actually felt like to be there.

Woodstock: Three Days That Rocked the World, by Mike Evans and Paul Kingsbury
I admit I mostly used this book for its gorgeous full-page photos that helped give me a real sense of the fashion and looks of the festival, but it also has a lot of nice details about each day and each artist.

Linda McCartney’s Sixties
This beautiful book features the late, great photographer’s portraits of some of the biggest rock stars of the 1960s. It really helped me to visualize the looks and styles of the artists up on stage.

Watch:
Taking Woodstock: This superbly fun Ang Lee film is about how the festival organizers came to descend upon the small farm town of Bethel, New York for the biggest music festival the world has ever seen. It stars Demetri Martin, Jonathan Groff and—my favorite bit of casting—Eugene Levy as Max Yasgur.

Woodstock: This famous documentary, released in 1970, was actually filmed at the festival and is responsible for a lot of the archival footage that exists today. Bonus fun fact: Martin Scorsese was an assistant director and editor on this film (and attended the festival as such!). Also, Joni Mitchell wrote a well-known song called “Woodstock” that appeared on this film’s soundtrack even though she did not actually perform at the festival.

Listen:
There are a few compilation albums that feature some of the festival’s best highlights as well as complete setlist albums for some of the biggest acts at Woodstock including Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Jefferson Airplane. You can also find a decent amount of the performances on YouTube and Spotify. One of my very favorite performances? Joe Cocker’s take on “With a Little Help From My Friends” which helped to launch his career and which you can find here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=bRzKUVjHkGk

Sarvenaz Tash was born in Tehran, Iran, and grew up on Long Island, NY. She received her BFA in Film and Television from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. She has dabbled in all sorts of writing including screenwriting, copywriting, and professional tweeting. Sarvenaz currently lives in Brooklyn, NY

Win a copy of Three Day Summer!
One lucky winner win a copy of this groovy book.
Details
-US only
-ends 5/29/15
please read full rules under rafflecopter form
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Unless otherwise stated, the policies and rules for each giveaway are as follows:
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.  Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and Washington D.C. who are 13 years old or older as of date of entry.
To enter, fill out the appropriate Rafflecopter form associated with each giveaway.
The start and end dates for each giveaway will be clearly stated and followed.
The specified amount of winners shall be selected in a random drawing.
Winners will be notified by email and must claim their prize within 48 hours. If a winner does not respond within 48 hours, then a new winner will be chosen.
Word Spelunking is not responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen prizes in the mail. Once a prize is dropped off at the post office, it is no longer my responsibility and I will not compensate in anyway for prizes not delivered because of the USPS.
If a third-party (author, publisher, etc) is shipping a prize, once I provide the winner(s)' mailing information to them, the prize is no longer my responsibility. I will forward your mailing info to the proper people within 48 hours after getting it from you. If you have not received your prize from an author or publisher within 8 weeks, it is your responsibility to contact them further.
By participating in any giveaway, you agree to adhere to these rules. Any breaking of these rules by entrants will disqualify them from the giveaway and their entries will be deleted.