September Recap

Books read this month:

Twitter review (140 characters or less):
This book was gripping, intense, and full of twists and turns. I was hooked from the first to the last page. A must read for everyone.

Read from August 30-September 1

Twitter review:
Swoon filled. My sexual tension is rising. Good plot. Extremely funny. Intense moments. Janet Evanovich does it again! (Ranger is still bae)

Read from September 1-September 5

Twitter review:
Ranger is forever my favourite male character after this book. I could not stop reading it. It's funny, intense, and sometimes really sad.

Read from September 6-September 7

Twitter review:
Dickie Orr was involved. I laughed until I cried and I was so nervous I could barely read. The more I read, the more I love Stephanie.

Read from September 7-September 13

Twitter review:
Why did it take me this long to read this book? I loved everything about it. The characters were real. The plot was intense. I couldn't get enough.

Read from September 13-September 19

Twitter review:
This book was adorable and made me feel so many different ways. I'm so glad I found this on Netgalley. Pick it up; you won't regret it.

Read from September 19-September 20

Twitter review:
I NEED a whole series devoted to an undercover cop. I didn't think it was possible to get better after In The Woods but it did. Read this!

Read from September 20-September 26

Tana French is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me. I loved both books that I read by her and I'm already planning on reading Faithful Place in October. I have no doubt that the series gets stronger as it goes on and I'm so excited to see how it goes. I also really enjoyed reading more Stephanie Plum. I wanted to get further in the series, but I'm happy with my book choices that I made this month. I'm hoping that October brings just as many great books.

This month I:

• Turned 21! 
• Got a new phone (Galaxy s3)
• Worked a ton
• Watched my favourite baseball team win the central division
• Went to a few baseball games
• Bought tons of books
• Found a new author
• Bought new shoes
• Getting closer to figuring out what I want to do with my life

So lets talk: How did you do in September? Did you find any new authors?

How The Internet Has Changed Me As A Reader

Before I made a Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, and book blog; I just read. I read old ratty paperbacks that were older than my dad. I bought all of my books used and didn't think twice about it. I just did not think about how my books looked because I thought the only important thing was reading the book and enjoying it.

I realized when I got on Tumblr that it was different. I was different. I saw post after post about how it's a cardinal sin to dog ear books. (Which I do.) I saw people cringe at books in a series being a different edition (?? I was very confused by this.) I saw posts about how hardcovers are the end all be all for book lovers because they are "prettier", I saw people say that anyone that eats while eating are sloppy, post after post was saying that what I did was a cardinal sin.

I didn't know if I was reading all wrong this whole time or if it's just because these people are on the internet and showing pictures of their books all the time. When I first got into the book community, I didn't even know that was a thing.

I've changed because now I see that hardcover copies usually are a little nicer. Neat bookshelves usually are pretty nice. Eating while reading is sometimes a struggle (Even though I still do it.) Basically, I think twice before I do things with my books. Some things will never change, though. I'll always dog ear or highlight in books. I'll probably always snack while reading. And I'll probably still use MY books as coasters.

If I can still read the words in the book, I don't care what I do with the book. That will never change. But I have definitely felt a shift in how I look at books, especially at bookstores.

Has the internet changed you as a reader as well?

When Not To Write a Review

Lately I've been finding books that I just don't want to write reviews for. There are some that I plan on writing reviews for and then when I go to sit down with my notes, I just don't, and can't, do it. So then I have to think to myself "what is making me not want to write the review?"

Sometimes, I like a book too much to where whatever I write is not going to do it justice and I don't even attempt to get my thoughts down. Sometimes I get half way through a book and I realize that it's going to be one of those books that changes my life and I just need to spend the rest of the book enjoying it instead of analyzing everything. Night Film by Marisha Pessl was one of those books for me. I read it last month and haven't even tried writing a review for it because I just enjoyed it too much. I needed to just enjoy it.

Sometimes, I hate a book so much that I couldn't possibly write a review without it sounding like a big rant. I want my reviews to be nice and well thought out, even if I didn't like the book. I want to rationally discuss what I did or didn't like about books. There are some books where I just can't do that, so I choose not to write reviews. Those books I finish just so I never have to think about them again. I don't want to think about the book and I don't want to write a review. So I don't.

Sometimes, I read a book knowing from the start that I'm not going to be writing a review. We all need these books once and a while. If every book I read needs to be analyzed, them I'm not going to enjoy reading as much. So maybe one book a month is just a laid back book that I don't analyze. I just read. It's made reviewing more fun for me and it's made reading more fun for me.

If I don't feel like writing a review for a book, I don't. I don't do it because I won't be into it and the review will reflect that. I want my reviews to be fun but not sloppy. I can't do that if I don't care about writing the review. We all need to take breaks from writing reviews sometimes.

So, how do you decide when you're not going to write a review?

Favourite Place to Read

BOOKISH DISCUSSIONS

If I had to think of the one place where I just get into the zone of reading, what do I think of? Do I think of Sunday mornings with a cup of coffee? Do I think of Friday nights when I know I have the whole weekend ahead of me to do nothing but read? Do I think of long car rides across Michigan? Or do I think of the chair in the living room?

The surprising answer is in the car. I love reading in the car. If I'm going on a long trip, I'll take a few books with me and just read in the car while listening to music. 

I don't have my license so anytime I'm in the car, I'm not driving. I am free to read as much or as little as I want. I usually read in the car no matter where I'm going, even if it's just a trip to the store in the middle of the night. 

I don't get car sick so looking down at my book does not affect me the way it affects some other people. I could sit in a car for 6 hours and read the whole time and not feel queasy once. It's a great skill and I'm glad that I have it.

I just love reading in the car. I used to live 2.5 hours away from my boyfriend so the trip would get very tiring, especially if I was running on little sleep. To keep myself awake, I would talk to him and read. Now that I am living here, I'm not going on long car rides anymore but I do still read in the car.

I am really glad that I have the ability to read in the car as much as I can. I know not everyone can. So, what is your favourite place to read?

Review: Since You've Been Gone

Book: Since You've Been Gone
Author: Anouska Knight
Genre: Chick lit/ Romance
Published: July 27, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin HQ
Own or borrow?: ARC provided by publisher

How do you learn to love again? In one tragic moment, Holly Jefferson s life as she knows it changes for ever. Now to the external world, at least she is finally getting back on her feet, running her business, Cake. Then she meets Ciaran Argyll. His rich and charmed life feels a million miles from her own. However, there s more to Ciaran than the superficial world that surrounds him, and he too is wrestling with his own ghosts. Will Holly find the missing ingredient that allows her to live again and embrace an unknown and unexpected tomorrow? [Via Goodreads]

Netgalley provided me with this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very cute. It was light and fun. There wasn't much that I didn't like about this book. It had the perfect blend of sadness, happiness, humor, romance, characters, plot, and everything else that makes me like or dislike a book. 

I live for tragic stories. The boyfriend has gotten so used to me saying "I loved this book!" and his response is "how many people died?" It's weird. It's probably not normal. But that's just how it is with me. In this book, Holly's husband died two years earlier and she's still trying to move on from it. She hasn't gone on dates or tried to find another boyfriend since then. She's been too focused on her work and trying to keep her late husband alive. Then in comes Ciaran Argyll. At first, I wasn't sure if I'd like him. He's the typical super rich guy that gets everything that he wants. He's also so much more than that.

I've come to realize that chick lit books that I've found rarely have insta-love and this is no different. I didn't feel like the relationship was forced. In fact, the one problem I had with the book was that it was at times a little slow getting to the romance. I was just like "KISS ALREADY" at least twice. But that's what made this book realistic. Holly was still heartbroken over the loss of her husband, so she didn't want to rush into anything. Ciaran didn't make her. 

When the romance did come in, it was adorable. It was fresh. I didn't feel like I was reading about the same couple but set in a different country. I felt like this was a couple I had never read about before. They were strong together. They are good together. I loved them together. I liked Holly and I liked Ciaran and I loved Holly and Ciaran.

I think the strongest part of this book was that Holly still kept her business a main focus even after she was with Ciaran. How often do women get into relationships in books and then you never hear about their career again? Holly was a strong character for so many reasons, but this is one that really stuck out to me.

Would I buy this book and read it again? I really think I would. It is a good, light read. It's cute and fluffy and just what I needed at the time. Plus, the cover is so cute. I love the light blue and I love the cake on the front. That's what made me interested in the book at first. I'm glad I read this and will be looking for it in stores.

TreesofReverie Read-a-thon Sign Up

This will be my fourth read-a-thon that Sarah has made. I'm an addict, what can I say. This time, however, I will be working most days and can't read as much as I did the three times prior. I'll be doing updates on this post and updating it daily.

Goals:
-3 books. I know that isn't a lot but I'll be working a lot and won't have much time to read. If I pass this early, then I'll take it up to 5 books
-1500 pages. I'm more interested in how many pages I read because I set books aside often and don't want to force myself to read a book just to finish it for the read-a-thon.
-Do daily updates on Tumblr. I slacked on these last time but this time I want to do them and link back to this post.
-Have fun!

Sunday September 14:
Books read- 0 (Currently reading: In The Woods by Tana French)
Pages read- 114
Books total- 0
Pages total- 114
Pages goal: 1500

Books goal: 3

Monday September 15:
Books read- 0
Pages read- 38
Books total- 0
Pages total- 152
Pages goal: 1500

Books goal: 3

Tuesday September 16:
Books read- 0
Pages read- 16
Books total- 0
Pages total- 168
Pages goal: 1500

Books goal: 3

Wednesday September 17:
Books read- 22
Pages read- 0
Books total- 0
Pages total- 190
Pages goal: 1500

Books goal: 3

Thursday September 18:
Books read- 0
Pages read- 108
Books total- 0
Pages total- 298
Pages goal: 1500

Books goal: 3

Friday September 19:
Books read- 1
Pages read- 186
Books total- 1
Pages total- 484
Pages goal: 1500

Books goal: 3

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Review: Eleanor & Park

Book: Eleanor & Park
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Format: Hardcover
Own or borrow?: Borrowed from library
Published: February 26, 2013
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Two misfits. One extraordinary love. Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor. Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park. Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. [Via Goodreads]

The Good:

Eleanor was a strong character. She was realistic and it was easy to root for her. She was someone that I would like to know in real life. I wanted to give her a hug and tell her everything was going to be okay. She was smart and I loved the book from her perspective. 

Their relationship was fun and at times I really felt like it could really be true. Neither of them tried to purposely make the other mad. They worked together to make life easier for the other.

The ending. I think the ending was the strongest part of the book. I was so emotional at the end and I started crying and it was just a perfect way to end the book. I'm not sure how many other people like the ending, but I thought that it was more realistic than most other endings to books. I could easily see something like this happening in real life.

The book made me feel all emotions. Happy, sad, angry, confused, exhilarated, giddy, fangirly, and resentment. I may not have liked some parts of the book but I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a wide range of emotions.

I loved the 80's references.

The character development.

The Bad:

There were a few parts in this book where I really cringed at how the characters were described. Park was the weak Asian kid and that's just stereotypical and I was uncomfortable about it. I also didn't like how the two black girls in the books were seen as ghetto almost. No one wanted to talk to them and they spoke differently than everyone else. 

Park was an asshole. I am still not sure how I felt about him. He made me mad more than anything else. I can't really even pinpoint exactly what he did anymore, but I just know that I wasn't too fond of his character.

I had a hard time believing their relationship (when I didn't love it.) It just seemed forced to me.

The book was just slow at times.

The Ugly:

The insta-love. Seriously, it was really weird to me how fast their relationship progressed. That's why it was hard to believe for me. No one falls in love that fast.

This should be in the good and the ugly because I liked this part of the book but it was ugly: her relationship with her step dad. Her step dad made me cringe and I hated him so much.

If you don't mind insta-love and you love a good story with great character development and realistic characters, this may be the book for you. Even though there were things that I didn't like, I'm still glad I read it and I hope Rainbow Rowell continues to write books. She's obviously very talented.

Are Endings Of Books More Important Than The Rest?

BOOKISH DISCUSSIONS

When reading a book, the ending can sometimes make or break the book. For me, it's what I remember most. I may not remember what Amy and Nick from Gone Girl were fighting about at the beginning of the book, but I sure remember the ending. Endings are the last thing we read and usually what sticks with us the most. So are they more important?

To me, an ending can take off a whole star or add a whole star if it's really thought out and ends in a great way. A few weeks about I read We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. Truthfully, the whole book was going to be 2 stars for me. I wasn't that interested in it and I felt like I was lied to about it. But that ending. The ending saved the book for me. It turned out to be a 3 star book. I've also read books that I really liked and it would probably be a 4 or 5 star rating but the ending was disappointing, rushed, or not well thought out and the rating shoots down to a 3 star or 4 star.

Basically, endings are super important to me. Should they be, though? I think, personally, since I read a lot of mysteries it is okay that endings are important to me. If a book takes 300 pages to set up this awesome story about who the killer is and then just says "oh and this is who it is" then it'll ruin the whole book to me. I expect books, especially books where there is going to be a big twist in the end, to have a good ending.

I'm a little more lenient with romance and YA because I read contemporary. At the beginning of the book, we know that at the end they will be living happily ever after. For contemporary, I expect the middle to be better than the rest. I can handle a slow-ish start and a fast or slow ending with contemporary as long as the middle is spectacular.

So endings, important or just another part of the book? Share your thoughts!

Review: We Were Liars

Book: We Were Liars
Author: E. Lockhart
Format: Hardcover
Own or borrow?: Borrowed from library
Published: May 13, 2014
Publisher: Delacorte Press

A beautiful and distinguished family. A private island. A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy. A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive. A revolution. An accident. A secret. Lies upon lies. True love. The truth.[Via Goodreads]

I'm glad I went into this not thinking it's a mystery novel. I would have been seriously disappointed and would have dropped it. I repeat: this is not a mystery novel. That doesn't mean it wasn't good, but it should not be touted as a mystery book when it's not. But even though I went into it with that, I just couldn't connect with this book.

The Good:

- The ending. It was the strongest part of this book. I remember the ending better than I remember anything else about this book. I didn't see it coming and I enjoyed it, unfortunately it didn't help much how I felt about the book.

- They live on a private island. I can't really explain why, but I love the idea of private islands and getting away for a summer. I saw it in the Summer series by Jenny Han, Night Film by Marisha Pessl, and And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie.

- The writing. I know a lot of people didn't like it

because it would

randomly turn into a prose type

of book and people, just didn't

like that. I can see why they didn't, but I 

just thought it was interesting. I also realized that this was usually the most important parts of the book and that made it stand out.

- It was a quick easy read.

The Bad:

- I thought the characters were weak. It says a lot that I'm having trouble remembering their names other than they were called "The Liars." I didn't identify with any of them and I didn't particularly like any of them.

- They were just spoiled brats. If people were saying this book were about a large group of uber rich people that are fighting over grandpa's inheritance, then they'd be pretty spot on. I have no problem with reading about rich people. I LIVE for that, but these people were all just whiny brats because they weren't getting their way 200000% of the time.

- By extension, it annoyed me that this book is called a "mystery book." We don't even know there is even a mystery involved until the end of the book and by then we know what happened.

The Ugly: 

- There were just too many characters and I didn't feel any connection at all so it was rather boring

- There was no character development. Sure, the MC changed a little, but I wouldn't say it was character development

- Again, this is not a mystery book. I can only imagine what I would be saying if I thought it was.

Additional thoughts: Really, overall, it wasn't a horrible book. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. I've read better and I've read worse. Would I read it again? No probably not. Would I recommend it to someone? I would, if they asked for this type of book/genre. Now that I'm done with it, I can see why the blurb is so vague. There isn't really a way to describe the book.

I'll Always Appreciate John Green Even Though I Don't Like His Books

BOOK DISCUSSIONS

Even though I don't like John Green's books, I am still always going to be thankful for his books.

You're probably thinking, "how does that work? What do you mean?"

Let me back up a little. During all of 2012, I was not in the best mindset and I stopped reading. I hardly picked up any books. I didn't buy any books except for a Sarah Dessen box set. The only books I read that year were the Sarah Dessen books and this old book about the 1984 Detroit Tigers written by Sparky Anderson. I worked third shift and would read that book about the Tigers at work over and over and over. 

Then one day I got fired. I didn't know what to do. I was upset and stressed and just wanted to wake up and have it be a dream. But it wasn't. So, my dad tried to cheer me up by taking me to Barnes & Noble.

As I was browsing, I realized how out of touch I was with books. I had seen some I had heard about, but I wasn't on the internet a whole lot at the time and didn't follow new releases or anything like I do now. Anyway, I saw "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green. I liked the cover and I read the blurb and decided it was the perfect book for my depressed mood. I had never heard about the book so I had zero expectations going into it.

I went home and read it in four hours and then bought the rest of his books. Including his co-written books. I realized, through John Green's books, that I did still love reading. I just needed that little push. So even though I don't really like his books, (I know, I know I'm sorry!!) his books pushed me to start reading again and start buying books. I fell in love with books and reading again because of The Fault in Our Stars. So even though I would call it The Fault in Our Three Stars (that's what I rated it on Goodreads) it was still influential to me and I'll always be grateful for that book.

So tell me:

Do you have any authors/books that have helped you out of big book slumps? Do you still like that author/books?

What I Want To See From More Women Characters

BOOKISH DISCUSSIONS

Maybe it's just the books that I'm choosing, but it seems that most women that are in the books that I'm reading are SO one dimensional. They may be really passionate about one thing (that one thing usually turns into a guy by the end) and that's it. Other than Stephanie Plum who is a sports fan and loves her job, but even the hockey is on the sidelines. What I'm getting at is, most women in books are not well written in my opinion. Sure, we may like them but are they well written when we distance ourselves from them after a few months and really, really think about them?

I try to think like an author. I do. I think to myself "gee I bet it would be really hard to make someone three dimensional" but then I remember how easy it would be to describe a girl wearing a dress one day and then the next day chugging a beer at a baseball game. I remember that it's possible to write a girl that is at ballet lessons in her pink frilly tu-tu and then goes home to put on her all black outfit and does witchcraft. See how easy that was? Now imagine that character. Imagine that second character. That was be AWESOME to see in a book.

But I've never seen that. I've seen girly girls and I've seen "tom boys" but I've never seen a girl that was both. I've seen "dainty" girls and I've seen hardcore devil worshipping girls, but I've never seen a girl that did both. But you know what I see in real life? Me. A girl who owns more pairs of heels that I like to admit but also spend 20 Friday's a year in downtown Detroit at a baseball game.

I hardly see any characters that enjoy sports unless they are men. Meredith in Anna and the French Kiss played soccer and it was mentioned in the first 20 pages that she has a Cesc Fabregas poster on her wall. I was SO excited for this character because Cesc is one of my favourite soccer players and I was so excited to finally have a character that loved soccer. You know what I got after that last mention of the poster? About four sentences of how Meredith was off playing soccer. Okay yes, Meredith wasn't a main character and this was a romance that had nothing to do with Meredith, but it still annoyed me because I got one character that was sort of like me and she is pushed to the sidelines and forgotten. I was talking to someone that has read the book more than once and couldn't even remember who Meredith was.

Lindsay Boxer from the Women's Murder Club by James Patterson likes baseball but she only watches it when it's on tv and if Joe is watching it. Baseball is only ever mentioned if Joe is watching it. Sure, you could say they are mysteries books and don't need to talk about baseball, but why is it not possible for her to sit down and watch a game by herself?

People could probably make a lot of excuses as to why these things aren't mentioned, but if someone can go in detail about the food they ate for dinner then cant they take one paragraph a book to talk about a sport that the character loves? If an author doesn't want a sport to get in the way of a "girly girls" image, then say she used to like sports. It's not difficult to write that in. Background information is important.

Of course, this is just me. Maybe someone else wants more female characters to enjoy playing chess. Maybe someone else wants more female characters to stand up for abortion or for anti-abortion. Maybe someone else wants female characters that worship the devil. Everyone wants something different, so this is just my opinion. I just want more characters that are a little more like me.

So, what would you like to see in more characters? Or do you like how it is now?

Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door

Book: Lola and the Boy Next Door
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Series: Anna and the French Kiss #2
Started: August 5, 2014
Finished: August 7, 2014
Published: July 9, 2013
Publisher: Speak

Lola Nolan is a budding costume designer, and for her, the more outrageous, sparkly, and fun the outfit, the better. And everything is pretty perfect in her life (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the Bell Twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood. When Cricket, a gifted inventor, steps out from his sister's shadow and back into Lola's life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door. [Via Goodreads]

Dear Stephanie Perkins, 

Thank you for including Anna and Etienne in this story without drowning out Lola's story. Thank you for adding them to the story but also making us know at all times that this is Lola's stories and not an extension of Anna's. You wrote San Francisco as wonderfully as you wrote Paris and sure, there isn't a beautiful Eiffel Tower or old creepy cemetery, but you didn't need that to make this story beautiful. Thank you for making Lola different than Anna. Lola is her own person and I'm sure Isla is too. Lola and Anna are two completely different people. I was worried that I would feel like I was reading the same book two times in a row, but I knew I wasn't. I could tell the obvious differences between Lola and Anna. So thank you for making different characters so so many different girls can feel connected to the characters. A+ books for an A+ author.

Dear Lola Nolan, 

Thank you for always being yourself. Thank you for being faithful. You are a fun character. You made me laugh. You made me cry. I felt like I could easily be your friend. Lola, you are smart and strong. You know what you want and you go get it. There were times where I wasn't sure that we would get along, especially when you were rude to Calliope but that's my only complaint. Other than that, you were the perfect character for a perfect book. I can't wait to hang out with you again.

Dear Cricket Bell,

*blushes* hi. Thanks for being literally perfect. You're the closest thing to a book boyfriend I've ever had. You're nice and funny and just try to make everyone happy. You're kinda goofy but in a totally sweet way. You and Lola are adorable. You get along so well but you also have your differences and I like that about you two. Thank you for loving Lola and letting her be herself.

Dear Lola and Cricket,

THANK YOU FOR TAKING YOUR TIME. This was not insta-love. I could feel the relationship growing slowly and it made me so happy when you two finally got together. Can I see more relationships like yours? This was a healthy and fun relationship that just filled me with joy and happiness and the way new puppies make me feel.

Seriously, if you like fun, witty characters that aren't super insta-lovey: this is the book for you! I am so glad that I read this book.Still crying about not having Isla yet, though. This is such a fun series. One of my top series I've read this year.

Want to buy this book?: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

I should mention that you should probably read Anna and the French Kiss prior to reading this. They are companion novels, but it just fits better if you read Anna before!

Free Time Fridays [1]

Free Time Fridays is a weekly meme created and hosted by eatupmyfreetime. On Fridays we will recap how we spent our free time during the week + our plans for the weekend! ie. Did you read? If so, what books? Did you shop? Listen to any cool tunes? Binge watch any cool TV shows? Take any trips lately? I want to hear all about it!! You can either mention ALL of the ways you spent your free time that week or focus on one activity. Whatever your heart desires!

How I spent my free time this week:
I didn't actually have that much free time this week. On Tuesday I had my first day of work. I worked Wednesday and Thursday. Tonight I have a baseball game to go to. When I wasn't at work, I was usually sleeping or writing things for my blog.
I really hardly read this week and I'm really upset about it. I wanted to read about 800 pages this week but Tuesday and Wednesday I read around 50 pages total. I may start taking my book to work with me and reading on break.
In the "free time" part of my week it was pretty boring. But other than that I had a great week!

Plans for this weekend:

Friday night I am going to a baseball game. Saturday I work from 3 pm to 11 pm. Sunday I am not working. Hopefully I'll get a bunch of reading done and maybe I won't even leave the bed. I forgot how tiring working 8.5 hour shifts everyday is, but I'm really enjoying the job so far.

How did you spend your free time this week? I'd love to hear about it!

Review: Anna and the French Kiss

Book: Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Published: December 10, 2010
Started: August 3, 2014
Finished: August 4, 2014
Format: E-book
Own or borrow?: Borrow
Synopsis: Anna is happy in Atlanta. She has a loyal best friend and a crush on her coworker at the movie theater, who is just starting to return her affection. So she's less than thrilled when her father decides to send her to a boarding school in Paris for her senior year. But despite not speaking a word of French, Anna meets some cool new people, including the handsome Étienne St. Clair, who quickly becomes her best friend. Unfortunately, he's taken —and Anna might be, too. Will a year of romantic near misses end with the French kiss she's waiting for? Can Anna find love in the City of Light?

Five french stars! I loved this book. I miss the characters, I miss the setting, and I miss how I felt when I read this book. As soon as I got done reading it, I jumped right into Lola because I didn't want to stop hearing about Anna and Etienne. This was the perfect book.

Usually I don't like the insta-love or the super mushy gushy stuff that happened in this book, but I had just got done reading an 800 page book about Ted Bundy, so I NEEDED fluffy and cute, and that's exactly what I got. I don't doubt that I wouldn't have loved it at any other time. Stephanie Perkins has some serious writing talent.

At times, I actually didn't want Anna and Etienne to be together at all. I didn't like that Etienne was in a relationship and stilled had feelings for Anna and was trying to act on them. That bothered me, but I went along with it because of the book mood I was in. I also didn't like that Etienne's actual girlfriend ended up being the antagonist in this book. She never did anything wrong and just by being the reason that Anna and Etienne couldn't be together, she was the bad guy. That trope needs to be burned and never brought back.

I gotta admit though, Etienne is swoon worthy. He's a sweetheart and tries to hard to make everyone happy. Unfortunately, whoever ends up being happy there is always someone else that ends up being upset. I think that's why everyone likes Etienne so much. Because he's a genuinely nice guy and yet he's making people upset without meaning to and we're supposed to feel bad for him. And we do because he's swoony. Swoony isn't a word but if it was, his face would be next to it in the dictionary.

PARIS. The description of Paris in this book seriously made me feel like I wasn't in Michigan in the summer. I felt like I was in Paris in the winter. It was great writing and great imagery. When I go to Paris one day, I'll feel like I already know everything about it because of this book. Thank you Stephanie for turning me into an art snob.

This book was just adorable. Sure, there were some things that I didn't like. There were things I might have changed but overall, this was a great love story and I'm glad that I finally gave Stephanie Perkins a chance. I'm thinking of re-reading it soon before I get Isla and the Happily Ever After.

If you like cute love stories with even cuter male leads, this may be the book for you.
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