Annabelle Chang recommends books for a living. If you were to ask which one she finds most \u201ccriminally underrated,\u201d she\u2019d tell you it\u2019s Katie Henry\u2019s \u201cThis Will Be Funny Someday.\u201d
\n\u201cIt is truly one of my favorite books I\u2019ve ever read, not just my favorite YA books, just one of my favorite books that I think will really appeal to everyone,\u201d Annabelle, 19, told The Times. \u201cI read it at such an important time in my life. I was 16. The protagonist is also 16.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnnabelle\u2019s love for this book actually inspired our entire family to read it,\u201d her older sister Alexandra Brown Chang, 25, added. \u201cI think it\u2019s absolutely fantastic. I read it when I was 23, but I still resonate with it.\u201d
\nAnnabelle\u2019s knack for recommending great young adult books led her to start an Instagram and blog during the COVID-19 pandemic. After seeing the positive response from readers of all ages, she began selling titles online and at pop-up events, including the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. At 16, she opened a brick-and-mortar store in Studio City: Annabelle\u2019s Book Club LA, the first young adult-focused bookstore in the country.<\/p>\n
At 16, Annabelle Chang opened a brick-and-mortar store in Studio City: Annabelle\u2019s Book Club LA, the first young adult-focused bookstore in the country.
\n(Annie Noelker \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n
On Sept. 2, Annabelle\u2019s Book Club, which was recently featured in a scene in the film \u201cFreakier Friday,\u201d will host an extra special event: a launch party for her sister\u2019s debut novel, \u201cBy Invitation Only.\u201d Inspired by Alexandra\u2019s own experience as a \u201cdebutante dropout,\u201d the coming-of-age story follows two seemingly different female protagonists, Piper and Chapin, whose worlds collide at the elite La Danse des D\u00e9butantes in Paris. Together, Annabelle and Alexandra strive to amplify young adult narratives.<\/p>\n
\u201cHistorically, YA hasn\u2019t been taken as seriously as it should be, but I think we are at a moment where that is changing and people are really recognizing the power of these stories,\u201d Annabelle said. \u201cThey\u2019re impactful for readers of all ages, and they address universal themes and are just incredibly important for everyone.\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019ve wanted to write a young adult novel for a very long time, and I think that coming-of-age stories have pretty much proven to be evergreen because every generation seems to be finding new ways to tell them,\u201d added Alexandra, who graduated from Stanford in 2022. \u201cI think that we don\u2019t really come of age once. We keep coming of age because every single new stage of life, whether it\u2019s going to college or experiencing your 20s, it forces you to reevaluate who you are and who you want to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Annabelle and Alexandra grew up in a literary household. Their mom, Amanda Brown, wrote the 2001 book \u201cLegally Blonde,\u201d which was later adapted into the Reese Witherspoon-starring blockbuster and a Broadway musical. The girls recall their mom and dad, technology investor Justin Chang, reading to them every night, which helped inspire their love for books and storytelling. Among Alexandra\u2019s favorites were \u201cEloise,\u201d \u201cMadeline\u201d and \u201cSweet Dream Pie.\u201d
\n\u201cI loved \u2018Pinkalicious,\u2019 which I think makes sense as the bookstore is also very pink,\u201d Annabelle added. \u201cIt\u2019s always been my favorite color and one of my favorite stories to this day.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve wanted to write a young adult novel for a very long time, and I think that coming-of-age stories have pretty much proven to be evergreen because every generation seems to be finding new ways to tell them,\u201d said Alexandra Brown Chang.
\n(Annie Noelker \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n
At 14, Alexandra started the fashion blog Alex and Ella with her close friend, and later launched her own site, the Zeitgeist, where she continued to write about fashion, art, travel and more. While in high school, she interned for designer Zac Posen in New York, an experience she called \u201clife-changing.\u201d
\n\u201cIt really allowed me to learn so much more about fashion, the business side of fashion, but also the design aspect,\u201d Alexandra said. \u201cAnd it really helped me see fashion in all of its amazing ways and as an art form.\u201d<\/p>\n
In \u201cBy Invitation Only,\u201d fashion takes center stage as the girls prepare for their debutante debuts. Especially through Chapin\u2019s character, Alexandra argues that fashion should be treated as a serious craft \u2014 similar to young adult literature.
\n\u201cWhen all of the debutantes are wearing custom gowns, it makes sense that all of them would have an incredible amount of time and thought put into them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, Alexandra took part in the festivities at Annabelle\u2019s Book Club for Bookstore Romance Day \u2014 an annual celebration of romance books at independent bookstores across the country. In addition to hosting perfume making and lipstick reading \u2014 which is like tarot card reading, but with lipstick \u2014 the store gave away an advance copy of \u201cBy Invitation Only.\u201d
\nWhile there are romantic elements throughout \u201cBy Invitation Only,\u201d the heart of the story lies in the complicated relationship between Chapin and Piper. Unlikely friendships are one of Alexandra\u2019s favorite tropes, she said.
\n\u201cPiper and Chapin come from completely different backgrounds when their lives unexpectedly collide in Paris, and they really do change for the better,\u201d Alexandra said. \u201cAnd I think that\u2019s a great message that everyone could use right now, and it certainly is true for myself and so many of my closest friends, and I really value those friendships.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alexandra spent about five years writing her novel and sent several early drafts to her sisters, including Annabelle; Audrey, Annabelle\u2019s identical twin; and 15-year-old Ames. \u201cI was really excited to get their input as the target age demographic as well,\u201d she said of her younger siblings.<\/p>\n
After the launch at Annabelle\u2019s Book Club, Alexandra will head to bookstores across the country to promote her book, including Kepler\u2019s Books in Menlo Park and Book Passage in San Francisco. Meanwhile, Annabelle is getting ready for her second year at Stanford, where she plans to major in product design and minor in creative writing. Still, she continues to juggle her responsibilities as a student and a business owner.
\n\u201cIt is certainly a balance. I feel incredibly lucky that we have such a wonderful team at our store, who can run the day-to-day when I can\u2019t be there,\u201d Annabelle said. \u201cI find myself going back quite often for events and meetings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even as they pursue their individual paths, Annabelle and Alexandra savor every opportunity they get to collaborate with each other.
\n\u201cI love that we\u2019re able to spend even more time together and that we have this common interest,\u201d Alexandra said. \u201cIt\u2019s really special.\u201d<\/p>\n
Annabelle and Alexandra Brown Chang are two sisters who share a passion for young adult literature and storytelling. Through Annabelle’s bookstore and Alexandra’s debut novel, they aim to amplify the voices and stories of young adults, promoting a love for reading and writing that can last a lifetime.<\/p>\n
Q: What is the name of Annabelle’s bookstore?
\nA: Annabelle’s Book Club LA
\nQ: What is the title of Alexandra’s debut novel?
\nA: "By Invitation Only"
\nQ: What inspired Alexandra to write her novel?
\nA: Her own experience as a "debutante dropout" and her love for coming-of-age stories
\nQ: What is the theme of "By Invitation Only"?
\nA: The complicated relationship between two female protagonists from different backgrounds and their journey of self-discovery and growth
\nQ: Where can readers find Annabelle’s bookstore and Alexandra’s novel?
\nA: Annabelle’s Book Club LA in Studio City, and "By Invitation Only" will be available at bookstores across the country, including Kepler’s Books and Book Passage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Introduction to Annabelle Chang and Alexandra Brown Chang Annabelle Chang recommends books for a living. If you were to ask which one she finds most \u201ccriminally underrated,\u201d she\u2019d tell you it\u2019s Katie Henry\u2019s \u201cThis Will Be Funny Someday.\u201d \u201cIt is truly one of my favorite books I\u2019ve ever read, not just my favorite YA books, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":20573,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-20571","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health-wellness"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/3700697\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5435x2853+0+832\/resize\/1200x630!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F38%2F89%2F8d355ee44a8f940f99f4cf0aa44a%2F1517577-et-annabelle-and-alexandra-brown-chang-5691.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20571"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20571"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20571\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20574,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20571\/revisions\/20574"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20573"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20571"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20571"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20571"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}