Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

I love summer reads. I always reach for something romantic and light; something I can read outside with the sun kissing my skin. I love romance in the summer and catching up on all of those books that I've been meaning to read for ages and ages.

To start on that list of books I've had stacked in my room but never grabbed, I finally picked up Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. I have heard nothing but amazing things about this book, written by a fellow Nerdfighter. (If you are lost... these are people who are awesome and are nerds and watch the Vlogbrothers on Youtube. Made of awesome. DFTBA.)

Before we get into the book, can I just say that I adore the cover redesign? I know there was a big fuss made when they released the new cover but to me it fits the book SO much better than the old cover.

The new cover is so much sexier with its deep reds and sunset motif. This book is far too sexy and far too amazing to have such a simple cover like the old one. Also that is NOT what Anna looks like in my mind. She is also much sexier and cooler. Also where is her blonde streak? Maybe reading this book is the reason I'm gonna put a blonde streak in my hair. Who knows. (It is , though)

This book is about Anna Oliphant from Atlanta, Georgia. Her father decides to send her to a boarding school in Paris for her senior year and she is less than excited. She doesn't speak French, she loves her hometown friends and crushes, and she really doesn't like doing what her father wants her to do. 

Once she gets to France she meets a cool new group of friends, one of whom is Etienne St. Clair, a British boy. Born in America. Going to school in France. Who is fluent in French. And hot. So hot. *drools* BACK TO THE BOOK. They soon become best friends but things get tricky as their relationship starts to heat up. Over the course of the school year, their friendship deepens but St. Clair is taken and Anna may have a boy back home. And friendship is more important than french kisses, yes? No? 

This book was perfect. It has everything that I love. Every. Thing. My favorite books feature boarding schools, unrequited love, amazingly witty writing, and British boys. REAL QUICK let me gush a little bit about Etienne St. Clair. Just.. real quick.

Oh my word. It's been a little while since I've fallen this hard for a literary character. But I mean... St. Clair wasn't even fair. He speaks French, he loves his mother more than any other woman alive, he bites his thumb nail when he concentrates, he wears a knitted cap his mother gave him, and he's british. B.R.I.T.I.S.H. Also he's nice and smart. And British, too.

I loved these characters. All of them were unique and they all felt real. I loved Anna. She was a heroine who had real goals. Anna loves film like I love books and she has a website where she reviews the films she watches. I related so much to Anna and her spirit. She was so much fun and I wanted to be friends with her. We had a lot in common and when I can bond with the main character it makes the book all the better. 

The writing guys. The WRITING. Unreal. Stephanie Perkins is so so funny and so romantic. For me she captured the feeling of being in love and how fun it is just to flirt and wonder. 

First lines:

Here is everything I know about France: Madeline and Amelie and Moulin Rouge. the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, although I have no idea what the function of either actually is. Napoleon, Marie Antoinette, and a lot of kings named Louis. I'm not sure what they did either, but I think it has something to do with the French Revolution, which has something to do with Bastille Day. The art museum is called the Louvre and is shaped like a pyramid and the Mona Lisa lives there along with taht statue of the woman missing her arms. And there are cafes or bistros or whatever they call them on every street corner. And mimes. The food is supposed to be good, and the people drink a lot of wine and some a lot of cigarettes. 

I've heard they don't like Americans, and they don't like white sneakers.

I saw everything so clear with how she wrote, I had a clear picture of each character (ST. CLAIR) ad each place they went. It was lush and romantic and very Parisian. I got lost in this book. I could hardly ever put it down, resulting in so many breathless sleepless nights watching these characters fall in love.

The storyline was so much fun. It honestly wasn't what I expected at all. There were some deeper plot twists that took me by complete surprise and I loved that. It wasn't as light of a summer read after all but it was still a lot of fun. 

Some of the moments in this story that could have seemed very cliche were completely new and sweet. Anna and St. Clair are the most adorable pair ever, mostly because they have such a strong friendship. When they met it was clear there was an attraction but their friendship developed so naturally and that was so delicious to watch. I loved that this wasn't one of those summer romance books you pick up and there is no establishment of friendhsip. It's instant lust and gross me out flirting. This was so subtle and natural and charming. Charming. That's probably the best word for this book. Charming. Also sexy. 

From their first evening together by Notre Dame, to St. Clair giving Anna a Canadian flag as a gift *swoon*, to the sparks that fly at their first movie viewing together, I couldn't breathe for half of this book. I had so much anticipation for them to get together. Just one more chapter, maybe they will finally kiss and I can go to bed. PLEASE JUST KISS. This was me the whole time. The. Whole. Time.

Literally me.

I was so excited while I was reading this book. It made me feel alive and hopeful to find my own St. Clair, or pay science a billion dollars to find a way to bring fictional characters to life. Whichever. The anticipation kept me coming back for more. I couldn't stop thinking about this book. Please please read it. It's perfect for summertime or any time you need a little romance in your life. 

(Also, I don't know who drew this. I found it on DeviantArt and it's sensational. It's exactly how I saw Anna and Etienne. God Bless you.)

Until next time, happy reading! I'd love to hear any recommendations you have for me, or your thoughts about anything I've read. Leave your comments below; I'd love to hear from you.

Gatsby

Hello darlings. I just wrote a post about The Great Gatsby, which is my forever favorite novel, over on my personal blog. I feel that this blog is of vital importance. And since it is about my favorite book, I thought it was only appropriate to link it here. This book defined who I am as a reader and a writer. And just.. who I am as a person.

Please check out my post about Gatsby here.

I'll be posting a book review here tomorrow as well :)

You are lovely. Thank you for reading.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

So many books are called books that "define their generation" and truly "speak to the youth" of that aforesaid generation. These books explore the angst and the pressure that happen while growing up, navigating the waters of High School, and trying to find your place in the world. Coming of age stories speak to people of all ages. We've all been there, we've all felt those feelings.

The book that first showed me the power that those stories could have was, of course, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Holden Caulfield, who by the way, thinks you're a phony (literary joke! Funny! No....? Just me...? K...) started something with his red hunting cap and angst. So many books are said to be written in the tradition of The Catcher in the Rye. This book, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of my favorites.

First Lines:

"August 25, 1991


Dear Friend,


I am writing to you because she said you listen and understand and didn't try to sleep with that person at that party even though you could have. Please don't try to figure out who she is because then you might figure out who I am, and I really don't want you to do that. I will call people by different names or generic names because I don't want you to find me. I didn't enclose a return address for the same reason. I mean nothing bad by this. Honest.


I just need to know that someone out there listens and understands and doesn't try to sleep with people even if they could have. I need to know that these people exist."

How about that for an opener? I've read this book three times now and I always find myself hooked as soon as I read the first line.

This book is about a boy named Charlie. He is starting High School tomorrow. He is nervous and needs someone to talk to. He is you and he is me.

What I find to be the most amazing thing about this book is how timeless Chbosky has made it and how easy he has made it for anyone to plug in their own friends' names and make it their own diary. Up front you know that although these are real people, they are fake names and are not meant to be discovered. Therefore, these are your friends, your family, they are all people you know. You know Charlie, or you are Charlie. This is brilliant.

Throughout his time in High School, Charlie make friends with a set of siblings named Sam (Samantha) and Patrick. Sam and Patrick are truly hipsters. Every Friday night, they are off to a showing of Rocky Horror and not only are they watching it, they are playing Janet and Frankenfurter. The two of them take Charlie under their wing and show him how to "participate" as Charlie says.

Another central character, and a great impact on Charlie's life is his English teacher, Bill. Bill sees the potential in Charlie that hardly nobody else sees. Because he sees this potential, Bill assigns Charlie extra reading assignments, books that are wonderful and classic, ranging from Naked Lunch to On the Road to Peter Pan. Watching how these books affect how Perks is going and how they shape and affect Charlie is such a wonderful subplot of this book. If you are familiar with the books Charlie is reading, the experience of THIS book becomes even richer. Props to you, Mr. Chbosky. Mad. Props.

"Bill gave me one book to read over the break. It's The Catcher in the Rye. It was Bill's favorite book when he was my age. He said it was the kind of book you made your own." 

Back a tangent to the element of the book being timeless. Seriously this is what keeps me coming back to this book. Yes I love the characters, yes I care deeply for Charlie, but the brilliance and subtlety of the writing draws me in time and time again. Within the book, the only other songs and books and movies named by name are classics. Everything else is merely described, letting you set your own life in the book, letting this book remain relevant for generations to come.

"Sam and Patrick drove me to the party that night, and I sat in the middle of Sam's pickup truck. Same loves her pickup truck because I think it reminds her of her dad. The feeling I had happened when Sam told Patrick to find a station on the radio. And he kept getting commercials. And commercials. And a really bad song about love that had the word "baby" in it. And then more commercials. And finally he found this really amazing song about this boy, and we all got quiet."

What these songs were to the author are never named but I can name at least ten different songs, each from a different time period, that are so "mainstream" and say "baby" every other word. I can also find just as many amazing songs about gentle boys, about sad boys, about you, that are from each generation that we let shape us and affect us. This happens all throughout the book. This is a book you make your own.

I've noticed lately as I've been reading books written very recently that for some reason we have it in our heads that in order for a book to be good and valued, it has to be extremely poetic and be riddled with metaphors and poetry. This book is not, and yet it is one of the most prolific books I have ever read. This book I know will stick with me, without all of the forced poetry. The writing is so easy, so normal, and so natural. Even though Charlie's brain has jumps and tangents and he writes how he thinks, I never get lost and I always want more. I recently had to stop reading a book because it was trying so hard to have symbolism and be cryptic and have meaning (BLARGH). This book has the poetry of life. The poetry of a living brain. It makes reality poetry. It's beautiful. (that was pretty poetic... nailed it.)

Here's an example:

"I guess what I'm saying is that this all feels very familiar. But it's not mine to be familiar about. I just knkow that another kid has felt this. This one time when it's peaceful outside, and you're seeing things move, and you don't want to, and everyone is asleep. And all the books you've read have been read by other people. And all the songs you've loved have been heard by other people. And that girl that's pretty to you is pretty to other people. And you know that if you looked at these facts when you were happy, you would feel great because you are describing "unity.""

I was on GoodReads the other day looking for reviews of this book and I found one that made me very mad. Some girl said that she just couldn't stand the main character because he was so stupid and hard to understand. He repeated everything and made everything so obvious. UGH this book blah blah blah.

I DISAGREE. Charlie writes how he speaks and feels and you need to understand and feel for him. He is writing these letters to a stranger for a reason. He is extraordinarily sensitive without being pathetic. He is adorable without being a child. Respect him and hear him and you will love him as I do. He has the best friends in the world and his ability to understand people is hard to find in other books, or in life.

"When I was done reading the poem, everyone was quiet. A very sad quiet. But the amazing thing was that it wasn't a bad sad at all. It was just something that made everyone look around at each other and know that they were there. Sam and Patrick looked at me. And I looked at them. And I think they knew. Not anything specific really. They just knew. And I think that's all you can ever ask from a friend."

"...I just sat between them . After the song finished, I said something.

I feel infinite.

And Sam and Patrick looked at me like I said the greatest thing they ever heard. Because the song was great and because we all really paid attention to it. Five minutes of a lifetime were truly spent, and we felt young in a good way. I have since bought the record, and I would tell you what it was, but truthfully, it's not the same unless you're driving to your first real party, and you're sitting in the middle seat of a pickup with two nice people when it starts to rain."

I could literally quote this entire book to you and still not be able to feel like I'd fully explained how amazing this book is. Seriously. Go pick this book up and truly spend your time with this book. You will feel infinite, just like Charlie.

Until next time, happy reading! Send me your book recommendations if you have them, I'd be happy to check them out and review them all! Leave any comments below; I'd love to hear them!

An Update and an Apology

So, one time I was finishing up my second year of college and someone I love is moving away from me. Needless to say, I've been rather busy and haven't had a lot of time for reading (CURSE YOU FINALS!). Because of that, I decided to stop reading Where Things Come Back, the book I posted last time because it's a rather deep book and I really want to be able to devote my quality time to it fully.

SO instead of reading a new book, I'm reading an old favorite. I'll still be posting a review of this book, but it will be easier with my hectic schedule as of now.

Here is the NEW Preview of Coming Distractions!

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

First, I have to warn you, this is going to be a very gushy blog. I hope this isn't typical of my blogs but I mean... this book. THIS BOOK.

Second, if you haven’t read this book, stop reading this blog immediately and go get a copy of this book and READ IT NOW! I’ll wait…

……….

………..

Got your copy? Read it? Good.

When the time came for me to read again, I chose an old favorite,The Book Thief. I’ve read the book twice before and loved it. Now, as weird as this sounds, I was in the mood for a Holocaust book. Actually, to be more specific, I was in the mood for this book. I've read it about 7 or 8 times now and it never ceases to amaze me. There is always more to love and I cry like a baby every time. 

This book is about a girl named Liesel Meminger. In 1939, her mother and brother are traveling with her to her new foster parent’s home. But her brother dies on the train ride there and in Nazi Germany, there is no time for stopping for long. They bury him and during the burial, Liesel picks up a book out of the snow, The Grave Digger’s Handbook. Thus begins a “love affair with books and words.” Through the book, Liesel clings to her books as she enters her new family, deals with her neighbor Rudy who is always looking for a kiss, and when her family chooses to hide a Jew in their basement. Oh, and did I mention that the narrator of this book is Death? Yeah, amazing. Kudos to Mr. Zusak, most brilliant idea ever. 

This book if 550 pages and on each page is a line that burns into your memory. While I was reading this book, I had a conversation with my mom about the importance of the first lines of books. Those first few words have so much power of your perception of the rest of the book. Here are the first few lines of this book:

“First the colors. Then the humans. That’s usually how I see things. Or at least, how I try.”

In an interview about this book, Zusak says that he struggled with letting Death narrate the book because for a while, Death was too evil. But in this final edition, Death is tired. The Second World War is bearing down on him just as it is on the rest of the world. 

In this book, Death explains how he sees the colors of the human soul. This is one of those books that cannot just be read once to fully appreciate it. Each time I read it, something new stuck out to me and this time it was the colors. Recently at my school, my theater class did a play called The Yellow Boat and color played a giant role in the show. So obviously, I was paying close attention to color in this story. It’s importance cannot be missed. 

Zusak is a masterful writer. The description he uses in this book is haunting and illuminating, captivating and enthralling. It’s pretty much every word you can think of and then some; it’s perfect. He bathes you in metaphor and color and this isn’t an overbearing bath, this is a perfect temperature bath with the right amount of bubbles and the perfect amount of water. He sees things down to the best and last detail. If something is yellow, it isn’t plain yellow or even sunny yellow, it’s the color of lemons. It’s details like that that make this book stick in your mind.

“As the crowd arrived in full, things, of course, had changed. The horizon was beginning to charcoal. What was left of the blackness above was nothing now but a scribble, and disappearing fast.

The man, in comparison, was the color of bone. Skeleton-colored skin. A ruffled uniform. His eyes were cold and brown- like coffee stains- and the last scrawl from above formed what, to me, appeared an odd, yet familiar, shape. A signature.”

…..

Take a second. Let that seep into your skin. His description is what makes this book so real, the characters so tangible. I know each and every character. I can see them perfectly and I love them dearly as if they were my own family.

Literally, I cannot even type about this book enough or fast enough or anything of the sort. I have too many thoughts about this book. And for now, I’m starting to cry again which is making typing unnecessarily hard. Just please trust me on this, DO NOT MISS THIS BOOK. I recommend this book above any other book I have ever read or will read. No book has ever touched me more or stayed with me longer. 

Just reread this blog. It's super sporadic but that's about all I can calmly say about this book. Just read it.

Until next time, happy reading! Send me your book recommendations if you have them, I’d be happy to check them out and review them all! Leave any comments below! I’d love to hear them!