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81st out of 231 books
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554 voters
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How They Met, and Other Stories
by
David Levithan (Goodreads Author)
Just in time for Valentine’s Day comes a confection from David Levithan that is sure to have fans of Boy Meets Boy eager to devour it. Here are 18 stories, all about love, all kinds of love. From the aching for the one you pine for, to standing up and speaking up for the one you love, to pure joy and happiness, these love stories run the gamut of that emotion that at some ...more
Hardcover, 224 pages
Published
January 8th 2008
by Knopf Books for Young Readers
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When I picked up this book, I wasn't expected it to be about gay relationships (there are some straight stories though), but I felt like I shouldn't put it down. Reading the story's, I usually had to wait until a page in to figure out if the narrator was a boy or a girl, which made me realize how love is love and a crush is a crush no matter your preferance. While there were some parts in the book where I cringed, there were others were I laughed. And although I am straight, I found myself relat...more
Disclaimer -- I LOVE THIS MAN!! Every book I've read of Levithan has touched my heart. This collection of short stories began, he says, as a way to avoid an AP physics lesson. That story, "A Romantic Inclination," is so funny.
Levithan's characters search for someone to love...he believes in the power of love.
Favorite line: "every two people cause an intersection. Every person alters the world."
Levithan's characters search for someone to love...he believes in the power of love.
Favorite line: "every two people cause an intersection. Every person alters the world."
I highly recommend this book. Not just for YAs, but for anyone who enjoys a good story about love. As explained in his author's note, each story was written for friends on Valentine's Day, and are for the most part in their original format (the tradition began when the author was in high school). Some of the stories will make you laugh, and some will make you sad, but all are completely enjoyable.
Caitlin
rated it
I started this book thinking it would be a bunch of cute little love story of the usual kind. But I got a little bit of a surprise to find out the first story was about a gay boy. But I can live with some of that mixed in, I kept reading to find that out of 18 stories, 8 focused on gays or lesbians.
But they are all cute little stories about finding love and are worth the quick read. Some of my favorites (probably because they remind me of my self) are A Romantic Inclination and Witho...more
But they are all cute little stories about finding love and are worth the quick read. Some of my favorites (probably because they remind me of my self) are A Romantic Inclination and Witho...more
"Starbucks Boy": Hilarious, clever, and sweet. 5/5
"Miss Lucy Had A Steamboat": I didn't really get this one, but I THINK it's about how one should respond to getting one's heart broken. 3/5.
"The Alumni Interview": Interviews for colleges are always varying degrees of awful. Add to it the awkwardness of the interviewer being your boyfriend's father and everything gets hilarious but even more awful. 5/5.
"The Good Witch": P...more
"Miss Lucy Had A Steamboat": I didn't really get this one, but I THINK it's about how one should respond to getting one's heart broken. 3/5.
"The Alumni Interview": Interviews for colleges are always varying degrees of awful. Add to it the awkwardness of the interviewer being your boyfriend's father and everything gets hilarious but even more awful. 5/5.
"The Good Witch": P...more
Not taking into account that David Levithan is one of my favoritest YA authors but this was great! It's an anthology of stories about love, in different ways you can imagine. I like the unexpectedness and predictability, the simplicity and profoundness, and the sweetness and bitterness in every story. My favorite was The Escalator, A Love Story because it tells a captivating story of a guy falling in love with his longtime girlfriend through a mundane activity such as running up the escalator. I...more
“When I realized I was into girls, it was scary to let go of all the things I was supposed to be and all the things I was supposed to want. It’s like you’re a character in this book that everyone around you is writing, and suddenly you have to say, I’m sorry, but this role isn’t right for me. And you have to start writing your own life and doing your own thing. That was hard enough. But that was nothing —- nothing, I tell you —- compared to the idea that I could let go of the desire to have a gi...more
In his Author's Note, David Levithan explains that this collection of short stories sprang from a tradition of presenting short stories to his friends and family on Valentine's Day. As a result, we have How They Met and Other Stories, which even contains the original Valentine's Day story, "A Romantic Inclination."
The greatest strength of this book is that David Levithan presents to the reader all the different aspects of love, and none of it is sappy or overly sentimental...more
The greatest strength of this book is that David Levithan presents to the reader all the different aspects of love, and none of it is sappy or overly sentimental...more
This collection of stories about love isn't my favorite of Levithan's books—I think his particular explorations of emotion and connection work best for me when they're novel-length. But because I already like his work, I'm glad I read this book, which does have its share of excellent moments. The eighteen stories collected here (most of which are prose but some of which are free verse) center, mostly, around young love (or young lust, or young heartbreak), both straight and queer. Levithan's nar...more
Tortla
rated it
Levithan has such a comforting perspective. Something about the way his characters are imperfect and insecure and dynamic speaks specifically to the experience of young adults...but also to the more general experience of being a human and having flaws and learning about yourself (things that aren't really limited to a particular age, however much adults like to condescend to younger people).
I wish I had a more succinct way of expressing my appreciation for the lovely empathy in Levitha...more
I wish I had a more succinct way of expressing my appreciation for the lovely empathy in Levitha...more
I've read a few of David Levithan's books and loved the energy behind Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist and the melancholy laced within Love is the Higher Law. I was totally blown away by this book, probably because I wasn't expecting to see all of Levithan's "Valentine Day" stories packed into one volume. The 'love' in this book isn't limited to the romantic kind, and stretches to include friendship and family ties. The stories are sweet, sad, hilarious and heart-breaking, and ...more
PVPA Library
rated it
Four and a half stars. Not perfect, but pretty darn close. David Levithan writes awesome love stories that happen to involve queer teens. Hooray. No one else does that really. There are a handful that are about questioning or coming out, but even those stories are still full of confident beautiful teens who just live their lives.
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This is an amazing book, one that all should read. It is a collection of short stories about people, relationships, that are not connected, but somehow intertwined. Levithan proves once again why he is a master story-teller. This book is one everyone should read, regardless of age, gender, creed, sexuality, or anything else.
I'm finding it hard to rate this book because it is made up of so many separate stories. I want to rate Starbucks Boy a 5, How They Met a 4, Miss Lucy had a Steamboat a 2, and Good Witch a very indecisive 3. I love anything David Levithan writes, but some of these were good and some were great and some were phenomenal. I'm glad Starbucks Boy was first, because it caught my attention immediately. I loved every second of it. I read it while sitting uncomfortably on the floor of the train station a...more
one word that came to mind when i think of this book: refreshing. instead of the usual boy-girl love stories (or stories about love as the author says), there's some girl-girl and boy-boy stories in the book too. thank you david levithan. it's very rare for me to read books that touches the homosexuality topic (in fact, this is only my third time).
though some of the stories here are really beautiful, most of them was just okay. i didn't cry and smiled occasionally, which meant it wasn'...more
though some of the stories here are really beautiful, most of them was just okay. i didn't cry and smiled occasionally, which meant it wasn'...more
I heard about this book from ElfArmyWrites so I decided to give it a try.
David Levithan is apparently very popular with the younger generation. He is responsible for the book, and subsequent movie, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. This particular novel, How They Met..., is a compilation of short stories; love stories. What makes this even more interesting is that each story covers a different kind of love: unrequited, rewarded, lesbian, straight and gay.
I enjoyed reading a...more
David Levithan is apparently very popular with the younger generation. He is responsible for the book, and subsequent movie, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. This particular novel, How They Met..., is a compilation of short stories; love stories. What makes this even more interesting is that each story covers a different kind of love: unrequited, rewarded, lesbian, straight and gay.
I enjoyed reading a...more
I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. The variety of styles and characters highlighted, for me, the creative genius of David Levithan, and made me think a lot about what it is that I like so much about him. I've come to the conclusion that a lot of authors writing for young people these days are writing morality tales, even if they themselves don't realise it. They've bought into the ideals of romantic "true love" and that sex and drugs are always bad and always have ne...more
A diner party conversation topic the world over is ‘How did you two meet?’ David Levithan does indeed provide ‘pure reading pleasure’ with this delightful array of stories, mainly of gay love for both genders, but also the ‘straight’ variety. It is the perfect read in the lead up to Valentines Day for young adult and more mature devourers of print. My personal favourites of the eighteen offerings were ‘The Escalator, A Love Story’ and ‘The Number Of people Who Meet On Planes’. The prose poem ‘Wh...more
Levithan’s stories transcend sexuality, and get at the root of love and heartache. While some stories do focus on the difficulties that homosexuality can bring, the stories main focus is on the love and interactions between people. Whether it is a gay relationship or straight couple, young or old, Levithan adds just the right amount of humor and humanity to his stories to appeal to any reader, no matter their sexual preference, race, gender or age. Levithan has a true gift for writing, mixing...more
I usually don't like short stories, but I've discovered that I'll read pretty much anything by David Levithan. His writing is strong and this book of short stories was no exception. He creates worlds withing a few short pages, that take you far away from your own. The stories alone, are quite good -- ranging from happy to melancholic, but their impact comes clear when they're put together in this book. Levithan's stories are not just about love, they are about everything else as well. They are, ...more
My favourite short stories:
Starbucks Boys
The Escalator, A Love Story
The Number of People Who Meet on Air planes
A Romantic Inclination
and sort of:
Andrew Chang
Memory Dance
(It's in order of appearance)
There were some that weren't that memorable. Some that were too heavy. Some that were cute and funny.
Overall it's an interesting read. I think it's nicely balanced. Not too heavy, not too light. It's bitter and ...more
Starbucks Boys
The Escalator, A Love Story
The Number of People Who Meet on Air planes
A Romantic Inclination
and sort of:
Andrew Chang
Memory Dance
(It's in order of appearance)
There were some that weren't that memorable. Some that were too heavy. Some that were cute and funny.
Overall it's an interesting read. I think it's nicely balanced. Not too heavy, not too light. It's bitter and ...more
David Levithan continues to be one of my favorite young adult writers with this collection of short stories. While I disappointed that his growth, as seen in "Nick and Nora's Infinate Playlist", wasn't really continued, I did enjoy most of his stories.
There are a few stand outs in the book from 'Starbucks Boy', about the relationship between a babysitter and a tween, to 'Breaking and Entering', about the aftermath of a break up, and one of my favorites 'The Alumni Interview...more
There are a few stand outs in the book from 'Starbucks Boy', about the relationship between a babysitter and a tween, to 'Breaking and Entering', about the aftermath of a break up, and one of my favorites 'The Alumni Interview...more
I love David Levithan. I'd read many of his books before picking this one up and it didn't disappoint me.
How They Met, and Other Stories is a book of short stories. This always has its pros and cons. When you love a certain story or specific characters, you never get them for more than twenty pages, which sucks. But if a story isn't for you, hey--maybe the next one will be! My friend read it shortly after I did and, though different stories were her favorites, we both enjoyed it immens...more
How They Met, and Other Stories is a book of short stories. This always has its pros and cons. When you love a certain story or specific characters, you never get them for more than twenty pages, which sucks. But if a story isn't for you, hey--maybe the next one will be! My friend read it shortly after I did and, though different stories were her favorites, we both enjoyed it immens...more
I loved Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist so it is no surprise that I liked this book. Levithan has a way of writing about love that is completely cliched and yet totally fresh at the same time. In one story, the main charcter makes the realization that we are always choosing one thing over another, so it should be crucial that the thing we choose--in this case love--be worth more than the things that we are missing as a result of the choice. I love that. Simple, basic truth that we might not ...more
I had no idea what to expect when I started this. I'm pretty sure I looked at the cover and thought, "I like love stories and I'm a fan of short stories, so--perfect!" and then started reading it. I noticed the abundance of gay and lesbian-themed stories after the first three chapters (no idea Levithan is gay until I read the back flap even though I picked up on it pretty quickly, lol), but I was too hooked to let that get in the way of my reading. Levithan is a GREAT author, witty, en...more
I found some of these stories pointless, one or two boring, but all in all I was glad I read this book. My favorite stories were "Starbucks Boy," "The Number of People who Meet on Airplanes," "Flirting with Waiters," and I thought "Princes" was good. My absolute favorite story was "The Alumni Interview," it was the funniest and the most touching story in the entire book. The other stories were okay, but if you were reading this book you would hav...more
Stars: 3.5/5
Overall
A compilation of short stories, some shorter than others, crossing between straight and gay. Some are simple, some complex, some sweet, some fun, some heart breaking and beautiful, some romantic and eternal, these stories are much like all the different forms that love takes. All the stories have a happy ending of some sort, but some of the stories aren't a romance and are about a different sort of love. The style of writing varies between tale both in writin...more
Overall
A compilation of short stories, some shorter than others, crossing between straight and gay. Some are simple, some complex, some sweet, some fun, some heart breaking and beautiful, some romantic and eternal, these stories are much like all the different forms that love takes. All the stories have a happy ending of some sort, but some of the stories aren't a romance and are about a different sort of love. The style of writing varies between tale both in writin...more
Great collection of short stories by someone who isn't afraid to write about the messy, tender, heart-breaking, and ordinary all at once. Because these stories were about a mix of gay, lesbian, and straight couples, I was often in the dark about a character's gender until half way through the story. I liked what this did to me as a reader, and how it made me aware of the assumptions I bring with me.
I really think teenagers will relate to these stories, especially the dialogue and cont...more
I really think teenagers will relate to these stories, especially the dialogue and cont...more
Carrie
rated it
Shelves:
2010,
y-fiction,
unrequited-love,
short-stories,
romantic-comedy,
romance,
glbt-queer,
poetry,
favorites,
recs-y-fiction
Step aside, Are We There Yet?, I have a new favorite David Levithan book. I love his short stories, and this was a uniformly good collection, spanning all different types of love stories – gay, straight, lesbian, or unrequited. Some of my favorites:
The Number of People Who Meet on Airplanes: a man tracks down a matchmaker flight attendant who seated him next to his wife.
Starbucks Boy: Boy accidentally roped into being a nanny for the summer flirts with the Starbucks ...more
The Number of People Who Meet on Airplanes: a man tracks down a matchmaker flight attendant who seated him next to his wife.
Starbucks Boy: Boy accidentally roped into being a nanny for the summer flirts with the Starbucks ...more
How They Met, and Other Stories provides 18 short stories. They range from a teen eyeing the hot Starbucks barista to a Chinese-American teen girl getting sent out on a blind date with her dad's business partner's son. And then there is a gay boy trying to figure out love...or is it lust??? And my favorite...the story of David's grandparents...awwww (it reminded me of my grandparents...I even had my mom read this story).
David Levithan does it again with providing a great book about l...more
David Levithan does it again with providing a great book about l...more
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David Levithan (born 1972) is an American children's book editor and award-winning author. He published his first YA book, Boy Meets Boy, in 2003. Levithan is also the founding editor of PUSH, a Young Adult imprint of Scholastic Press.
More about David Levithan...
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“I think one of the highest compliments you can give a person is that when you are talking to him, you are not thinking about the fact that you are talking to him. That is, your thoughts and words all exist on a single, engaged level. You are being yourself because you aren't bothering to think about who you should be. It is like when you talk in a dream.”
—
102 people liked it
“You could be
the leaf that never falls from the tree
you could be
the sun that never leaves the sky
this might be
the happy ending without the ending
this might be
a reason to try”
—
77 people liked it
More quotes…
the leaf that never falls from the tree
you could be
the sun that never leaves the sky
this might be
the happy ending without the ending
this might be
a reason to try”
