conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me a description for a book titled Love and Other Foreign Words about Josie, Kate, UpJosie with the genre: Teen & Young Adult, Literature & Fiction.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Gr 8 UpJosie Sheridan, 15.4 years old, knows a lot about social language. With a schedule that involves both high school and college courses, she has learned to adapt her communication style in order to fit in with both groups. However, Josie can't seem to wrap her head around the language of Love. To the precocious teen, all-consuming love is scientifically impossible. Her best friend, Stu, is the "love 'em and leave 'em" type, and her school friends make lists of the guys for which they could fall. When her older sister Kate gets engaged, it only furthers her misunderstanding of the matter. The protagonist finds Kate's fianc to be intolerable and makes it her mission to break them up. Meanwhile, Josie attempts to decode the meaning of love for herself and see just what all the fuss is about. At times, the narrator can be pedantic, stubborn, and borderline unlikable. Despite that, readers who persevere will find that underneath that serious exterior is a regular teen muddling her way through finding her first love. Kate, the persistent romantic, is on the warpath to foist her ideals of wedded bliss onto her younger sister who staunchly defies her at every turn. What follows is an all-out war of words where the only solution is for the siblings to find some sort of common ground. These coming-of-age moments add a nice bit of heart to Josie's journey. Give this to cerebral teens who want a quirky love story.Kimberly Castle-Alberts, Hudson Library & Historical Society, OH
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me the first five paragraphs for this book.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Love and Other Foreign Words
  Five weeks pass much too quickly, and soon we are home again in pretty if lake-less Bexley. I am lying this July Fourth afternoon on Stu's bed, staring at the ceiling and seeing nothing but its vast blankness.
  Sophie turns to me. She's smiling, but it's a little sad. "Just tell Stefan that even though you're not in love with him, you really like him and you still want to be friends."
  U R no help to me at all at the moment, and there's a crack in ur ceiling. I'll tell Uncle Ken to get it fixed. Ur welcome.
  There was a parade this morning. I skipped it. Mother, Dad, and I returned home two days ago, too tired and with too much settling in to attend downtown's fireworks yesterday or Bexley's tonight. This is the excuse I initially use when Stefan invites me to both, but since I know I cannot delay a necessary conversation, I walk to his house after my brief and fruitless consultation with Sophie.
  After an awkward hug hello—I am so glad his little sister was in the room—we sit on the steps of his front porch, and he teases me some about having no tan. I lecture him about skin cancer, and I describe and mime my twice-daily application of broad-spectrum sunscreen.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me five more paragraphs.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Madison looks more like Kate than I do, and always has. This resemblance, no doubt, is what has led her to the erroneous conclusion that I am as much her little sister as Kate's. And it is what persuades her to hug me now and kiss my cheek and turn back to Mother and Maggie to practically sing, "Love her."
  We bridesmaids stand, in our elegant if ill-fitting gowns, stealing glances at our reflections but not daring yet to pose on the carpeted stage rising in front of the three-way mirror in the center of the room. We agree Kate should be the first. She, the progenitress of the Grand Entrance, has chosen to slip into her wedding dress in the living room and join us only after we've changed.
  Maggie and the other bridesmaids carefully slip their dresses off, with Mother's expert help, and begin changing back into their jeans and such. Meanwhile, Kate and Madison continue their confab, critically squinting my way every now and then.
  I almost protest when Kate says, "No, she'll never do it." Thank you, Kate. "Plus I just couldn't handle the scene after the one she made about contacts."
  But at least as Mother continues to address Kate, neither one of them notices when the seamstress hands me a crumpled tissue from her pocket, which I quickly use to dry my eyes and stash down the front of my dress—naturally, there's still room—before anyone sees.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Reverse the sentences.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: "
  But at least as Mother continues to address Kate, neither one of them notices when the seamstress hands me a crumpled tissue from her pocket, which I quickly use to dry my eyes and stash down the front of my dress—naturally, there's still room—before anyone sees.. "Plus I just couldn't handle the scene after the one she made about contacts." Thank you, Kate.
  I almost protest when Kate says, "No, she'll never do it. Meanwhile, Kate and Madison continue their confab, critically squinting my way every now and then.
  Maggie and the other bridesmaids carefully slip their dresses off, with Mother's expert help, and begin changing back into their jeans and such. She, the progenitress of the Grand Entrance, has chosen to slip into her wedding dress in the living room and join us only after we've changed. We agree Kate should be the first."
  We bridesmaids stand, in our elegant if ill-fitting gowns, stealing glances at our reflections but not daring yet to pose on the carpeted stage rising in front of the three-way mirror in the center of the room. And it is what persuades her to hug me now and kiss my cheek and turn back to Mother and Maggie to practically sing, "Love her. This resemblance, no doubt, is what has led her to the erroneous conclusion that I am as much her little sister as Kate's.Madison looks more like Kate than I do, and always has
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me the last three paragraphs.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: I lean back while he puts his arms around me, and I ask, "So what do we do until we reach eventually?"
  Stu leads me onto the dance floor, where I step effortlessly—Pperfectly—into his arms, and after just a few seconds, we turn so that I now see the large screen above the fireplace onto which are projected shots of Kate. Kate in a highchair. Kate on a swing. Kate in pigtails. Kate in braces. Kate graduating high school. Kate graduating college.
  Thanks also to my dear friend Libby Marx for acting as my pop culture consultant, to Kristin Boes for her valuable critique, and to Jeff Salon for taking the time to explain the work-life of drug reps to me.