Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Book Summery:
Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home. -goodreads.com

Book Review:
The title of this book really threw me off...it just seemed, you know, cheesy. However, this book is anything but. It didn't take long before I completely fell in love with this story. This is a character-driven story. They are flawed, beautiful, and full of personality and individuality. I found myself longing to be a part of their crew. The romance in this story is gradual and has a nice progression. Anna, the main character is realistic and downright lovable. I loved the character's individual traits and quirks, such as Anna's love of films. I couldn't wait to find out what movie she would watch next. I love that she blogs about them! As much as I loved the romantic aspects, this is ultimately a coming of age tale. You really get a sense of character growth and maturity. I can honestly tell you that my review doesn't do this story justice. If you are looking for a substantial and satisfying read, this is the book for you! I look forward to upcoming works by Stephanie Perkins! Make sure to swing by her site. :)

Favorite Quote:

"If this were a vacation, I'm sure I'd be charmed. I'd buy an Eiffel Tower key chain, take pictures of the cobblestones, and order a platter of escargot. But I'm not on vacation. I am here to live, and I feel small." (p. 19)

Cover Art Commentary:
Okay, I'll admit, the title and cover of this book threw me off a little. Now that I've read (and come to love) this novel, the cover seems perfect. I love that Anna and St. Cliare are sitting on a bench. ;) The colors are vivid and eye catching. There seems to be an overall sense of hope and anticipation, which is an underlying theme throughout the entire storyline. :)

Overall Rating:

Mistwood by Leah Cypess

Book Summery:

The Shifter is an immortal creature bound by an ancient spell to protect the kings of Samorna. When the realm is peaceful, she retreats to the Mistwood. But when she is needed she always comes. Isabel remembers nothing. Nothing before the prince rode into her forest to take her back to the castle. Nothing about who she is supposed to be, or the powers she is supposed to have.
Prince Rokan needs Isabel to be his Shifter. He needs her ability to shift to animal form, to wind, to mist. He needs her lethal speed and superhuman strength. And he needs her loyalty—because without it, she may be his greatest threat.
Isabel knows that her prince is lying to her, but she can't help wanting to protect him from the dangers and intrigues of the court . . . until a deadly truth shatters the bond between them. Now Isabel faces a choice that threatens her loyalty, her heart . . . and everything she thought she knew. -goodreads.com

Book Trailer:



Book Review:
I wanted to like this one more than I actually did. I read a raving review a while back and then had a difficult time finding the book. When I finally found a single copy at my bookstore, I jumped up and down with glee. I felt like I had struck gold. The premise sounded sooooo good...spells, dynasty, betrayal, supernatural beings, love, sorcerers...I mean who wouldn't want to read this book? I opened to the first page and eagerly began reading. It didn't take long for my eagerness and anticipation to fade. The characters were flat and difficult to identify with. I felt like I was constantly being told HOW I should be regarding the characters instead of watching them unfold within the pages themselves. I had the most difficulty with the shifter herself. She would think one thing, and then say or do another. Her character felt hollow and aimless. The one character I enjoyed the most got killed off rather quickly and unnecessarily. There were a few things that I did like....there are a few good twists in the plot that I didn't see coming. Also, I did enjoy learning about the royal family and the true identity of the shifter through the shifters' flashbacks, but I felt like they were to few and far in between. Perhaps if I hadn't had SUCH high hopes, I wouldn't had been AS disappointed. However, I don't think I'll be as eager to pick up the follow-up companion book Nightspell. You can read more about Mistwood and Nightspell at the author's website.

Favorite Quote:

"She knew every inch of the forest, every narrow path that twisted and wound its way beneath the silver branches. They never should have found her." (p. 1)

Cover Art Commentary:
The colors are beautiful. I would have liked to see more of the castle though. It seems to fade into the background.

Overall Rating:

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all! :)

Insight by Jamie Magee

Book Summery:
Before that fateful summer night, Willow had balanced the insight of emotion, and the vivid images. That night, the figure in her nightmare marked her wrist with a star, giving her father no choice but to tell Willow a family secret that would abruptly change life, as she knew it, forever. Before Willow had time to absorb the shock of her father's secret, her soul mate that had shared every stunning dream with her, found her, and darkness captured her closest friends. In order to save them, she must weave through broken myths and the undeniable power of the Zodiac. In the end, Willow discovers that at the moment of our birth we are all given a divine gift. -goodreads.com

Book Review:
I am going to to split this review into 2 categories; what I liked and what I didn't like. This has had positive responses in the past, but let me know what you think. I think it's format will work best for this review. On to the review.

What I liked:

*The premise of the story. The love-conquers-all theme is timeless and classic. And who doesn't like a big family secret?! The premise gave me high hopes for the overall story.
*The sense that family and friends are overly important. This is a big theme throughout the book.
*The relationship between Willow and her sister. I LOVE their connection.
*The prophecy. I wont elaborate on this too much, because I don't want to ruin the book if you haven't read it. However, I would have liked to see the prophecy fleshed out a bit more and learned more of Drake and his overall intentions. Perhaps in the next book?

What I didn't like:

*One of my main concerns with this book is information overload. Since this is a bigger category, I'll break it down:
**There are a LOT of characters. I honestly lost track of who was related to who, and what their "gift" was. Pairing the amount of characters down, especially when it came to the two major families might have been helpful. I can appreciate that family is important, but the large amount of characters who play somewhat of an active role was a bit much for me.
**The various dimensions. I feel like their purpose is never really explained. Why are there so many? What is the purpose of their existence?
**The "string" method of traveling. Overall, I just found this perplexing. I didn't quite fully grasp how they work, why only certain people can access them, and what exactly causes the storms? I did, however, grasp their purpose.
*Ok, big category aside, I still had a few issues. The next would be the overall love/soul-mate concept. It would be nice to know that everyone had a soul-mate, but I didn't like that their entire existence depended on it. I really had a hard time with the fact that Willow and Landon had to be close to one another all the time, or their bodies would start to decay. It just didn't settle well with me.
*Last issue is one I already mentioned. I really would have liked to see more fleshed out with Drake and the prophecies. I feel like this darker aspect would have balanced out the storyline a bit better.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Insight, and would recommend it to those who enjoy YA paranormal romance. For me, it was a mixture of A Wrinkle in Time and Twilight. :)

Favorite Quote:

"Being unacknowledged but he people in this place had become normal. They seemed lost in their own personal hell; lines gave definition to their faces, and the world around them was gray. In order to lift the weight from my chest and wake from this horrible hell, I would have to find the one who had called me here, the one I could feel - whom my touch could help." (p. 1)

Cover Art Commentary:
I like the dark setting of the cover. I found the multiple large images a bit overwhelming. There is a lot of symbolism displayed. All of it takes shape in the story.

Overall Rating:

See What I See by Gloria Whelan

Book Summery:

Kate Tapert sees her life in paintings. She makes sense of the world around her by relating it to what she adores—art. Armed with a suitcase, some canvases, and a scholarship to art school in Detroit, Kate is ready to leave home and fully immerse herself in painting. Sounds like heaven. All Kate needs is a place to stay.
That place is the home of her father, famous and reclusive artist Dalton Quinn, a father she hasn't seen or heard from in nearly ten years. When Kate knocks on his door out of the blue, little does she realize what a life-altering move that will turn out to be. But Kate has a dream, and she will work her way into Dalton's life, into his mind, into his heart . . . whether he likes it or not. -goodreads.com
Book Review:
I stumbled across a review of this a week or two ago, and the premise sounded really interesting. Unfortunately, none of the bookstores in my area carried it. The other day, Rich and I went to a local bookstore, and I found two copies sitting on the shelf. I literally squealed with joy and promptly snatched one off the shelf for myself. Needless to say, my preempted joy was not in vain! Rich went to scour the music section, and I quickly became enveloped in the story. I had not intended to purchase anything, but I couldn't set the book down. So I paid for my purchase and settled in for a powering story of a girl who has incredible inner strength, insight, and understands that sometimes there's a bigger picture other than ourselves.

There are several things that I loved about this book. First of all, the setting, Detroit, Michigan! Now, most of you know that I live in Michigan. It just isn't a common setting for a book, so when I find one, I get very, very excited! :) I'll admit, I've only been to Detroit twice, and only selected areas. Therefore, I've included some photos that I used as a guide to give me a better picture of the landscape. The city actually has quite a large part in the story. Secondly, I loved the main character, Kate. She had such inner strength, understanding, and patience that I NEVER would of had at her age. This story is really about her journey. Third, I adored that the main focus of the story was art. Now, some people will say it was Kate's relationship with her dad, but I think even that centered mostly around art. I just loved all the various artistic flair that was heavily peppered among the pages. Fourth, I love the use of medicine in this novel. I felt that the storyline of Kate's father and his illness enhanced the overall plot. I currently work as a nurse, but I was an aide for 5 years prior to nursing school, and took care of many patients just like Dalton. I felt that Whelan did a great job describing Dalton as his illness progressed. Very realistic and nicely incorporated into the story. *I will warn you, if you haven't known or taken care of someone who at their end of life, this might be a difficult concept of the story for you.*

Overall, I enjoyed this book very much. So much, that I read it all in one day. I had originally given it a 4 star rating, but while I was writing this review, I realized that I savored this book more than I initially thought. My only complaint is that I felt that the beginning of the story was a bit rushed. However, looking back, I can appreciate that it gave a foundation to story, but it wasn't the pivotal portion of the novel. Whelan focused more on the essential storyline, and that's what's important. I adored this book, and highly recommend it. Just remember, it covers some tough topics that aren't glossed over.

Favorite Quote:

"I guess I have death on my mind, because when I see an ancient cemetery in the middle of the city, I drive in. The marble angels wear coats of snow. There are big, old trees and a few containers with flowers that have wilted in the cold wind. I recognize the names of old Detroit families on the tombstones: Brush, Canfield, Cass. They're street names now. The cemetery is not sad. It's restful, as if death were a nap you steal in the middle of the afternoon." (p. 156-157)

Cover Art Commentary:
Love the contrasting colors. I also like that you can't see the character's face, leaving you to picture her however you like. The way I picture a character usually contrasts with the image of them on the cover. :P

Overall Rating:

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

Book Summery:
Sixteen-year-old Mattie Gokey has big dreams but little hope of seeing them come true. Desperate for money, she takes a job at the Glenmore, where hotel guest Grace Brown asks her to burn a bundle of secret letters. But when Grace's drowned body is fished from the lake, Mattie discovers the letters reveal the grim truth behind a murder.

Set in 1906 against a backdrop of the murder that inspired Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy, this astonishing novel weaves romance, history, and a murder mystery into something moving, real, and wholly original. -goodreads.com

Book Review:
Even though I have finished the last chapter, turned the last page, and set this book aside, I can not move it from my mind. This is a story that will stay with you forever. Set in 1906, this book has it all; mystery, love, tragedy, betrayal, romance, and revelations. Told through the voice of young Mattie, her own story intricately woven with the murder of equally young Grace Brown. The backdrop of the story takes place in two different settings. One at Mattie's home, on the farm, and the other at the Glenmore Hotel (pictured above, the way it would look in the early 1900's), where Mattie works for the summer. Donnelly describes the Glenmore vividly. I can see the bustling kitchen and the overlook of the lake. The characters are just as vivid and diverse as one can imagine. They seemed to jump out of the pages and take on a life their own. I also loved the touch of feminism that Donnelly provides. It's not as marked as Atwood's writing, but it's tangible, and I just loved the way Donnelly highlighted it. It was more of a feature, rather than the main focal point. I highly recommend this book to all readers who are looking for a good escape back into time.

Jennifer Donnelly may as well consider me a lifetime reader. She has renewed my thirst for historical fiction. Her prose is beautiful, honest, and will stir many emotions among readers. I highly anticipate her newest novel, Revolution, (pictured above, to the right) which is currently sitting on my shelf, begging to be read. Find out more about Donnelly, at her website (found here). You can also read more about Grace Brown's murder on the Glenmore's website here.

Favorite Quote:

"Now, as I wait for my train, Grace's words echo in my memory. I've been bidding my good-by to some places to-day. There are so many nooks, dear, and all of them so dear to me. I have lived here nearly all my life...Oh, dear, you don't realize what all of this is to me. I know I shall never see any of them again..." (p. 377-378)

Cover Art Commentary:
Just. gorgeous. I love how Mattie is the central focus, with the lake softly lying on the bottom. Very fitting for the overall story. I much prefer my paperback cover to the hardcover, which is pictured above, to the left.

Overall Rating:

Book Bundle

Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors

When you're the daughter of the bestselling Queen of Romance, life should be pretty good. But 16-year-old Alice Amorous has been living a lie ever since her mother was secretly hospitalized for mental illness. After putting on a brave front for months, time is running out. The next book is overdue, and the Queen can't write it. Alice needs a story for her mother—and she needs one fast.
That's when she meets Errol, a strange boy who claims to be Cupid, who insists that Alice write about the greatest love story in history: his tragic relationship with Psyche. As Alice begins to hear Errol's voice in her head and see things she can't explain, she must face the truth—that she's either inherited her mother's madness, or Errol is for real. -goodreads.com


See What I See by Gloria Whelan
Kate Tapert sees her life in paintings. She makes sense of the world around her by relating it to what she adores—art. Armed with a suitcase, some canvases, and a scholarship to art school in Detroit, Kate is ready to leave home and fully immerse herself in painting. Sounds like heaven. All Kate needs is a place to stay.
That place is the home of her father, famous and reclusive artist Dalton Quinn, a father she hasn't seen or heard from in nearly ten years. When Kate knocks on his door out of the blue, little does she realize what a life-altering move that will turn out to be. But Kate has a dream, and she will work her way into Dalton's life, into his mind, into his heart . . . whether he likes it or not. -goodreads.com



13 to Life by Shannon Delany

Everything about Jessie Gillmansen's life changed when her mother died. Now even her hometown of Junction is changing. Mysterious dark things are happening. All Jessie wants is to avoid more change. But showing a hot new guy around Junction High, she's about to discover a whole new type of change. Pietr Rusakova is more than good looks and a fascinating accent; he's a guy with a dangerous secret. And his very existence is sure to bring big trouble to Jessie-s small town. It seems change is the one thing Jessie can't avoid. -goodreads.com

Secrets and Shadows by Shannon Delany

Nothing's simple when you run with werewolves. Jess Gillmansen thinks she's seen it all but her eyes are about to be opened to even more danger and a reality far more paranormal than she's suspected. With Jess' realization that the Rusakovas' mother is still alive and imprisoned, the group's choices become harder and trust more important. Lines are drawn and relationships change as the broken Rusakova family struggles to reunite to free their mother - and those who Jess thought to be normal people show themselves to be much, much more...-goodreads.com

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
Sixteen-year-old Mattie Gokey has big dreams but little hope of seeing them come true. Desperate for money, she takes a job at the Glenmore, where hotel guest Grace Brown asks her to burn a bundle of secret letters. But when Grace's drowned body is fished from the lake, Mattie discovers the letters reveal the grim truth behind a murder.

Set in 1906 against a backdrop of the murder that inspired Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy, this astonishing novel weaves romance, history, and a murder mystery into something moving, real, and wholly original. -goodreads.com

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

Sydelle Mirabil is living proof that, with a single drop of rain, a life can be changed forever. Tucked away in the farthest reaches of the kingdom, her dusty village has suffered under the weight of a strangely persistent drought. That is, of course, until a wizard wanders into town and brings the rain with him.

In return for this gift, Wayland North is offered any reward he desires—and no one is more surprised than Sydelle when, without any explanation, he chooses her. Taken from her home, Sydelle hardly needs encouragement to find reasons to dislike North. He drinks too much and bathes too little, and if that isn’t enough to drive her to madness, North rarely even uses the magic he takes such pride in possessing. Yet, it’s not long before she realizes there’s something strange about the wizard, who is as fiercely protective of her as he is secretive about a curse that turns his limbs a sinister shade of black and leaves him breathless with agony. Unfortunately, there is never a chance for her to seek answers.

Along with the strangely powerful quakes and storms that trace their path across the kingdom, other wizards begin to take an inexplicable interest in her as well, resulting in a series of deadly duels. Against a backdrop of war and uncertainty, Sydelle is faced with the growing awareness that these events aren’t as random as she had believed—that no curse, not even that of Wayland North, is quite as terrible as the one she herself may carry. -goodreads.com

Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

The missing dead call to Violet. They want to be found.
Violet can sense the echoes of those who've been murdered—and the matching imprint that clings to their killers. Only those closest to her know what she is capable of, but when she discovers the body of a young boy she also draws the attention of the FBI, threatening her entire way of life.
As Violet works to keep her morbid ability a secret, she unwittingly becomes the object of a dangerous obsession. Normally she'd turn to her best friend, Jay, except now that they are officially a couple, the rules of their relationship seem to have changed. And with Jay spending more and more time with his new friend Mike, Violet is left with too much time on her hands as she wonders where things went wrong. But when she fills the void by digging into Mike's tragic family history, she stumbles upon a dark truth that could put everyone in danger.-goodreads.com
Timeless by Alexandra Monir
When tragedy strikes Michele Windsor’s world, she is forced to uproot her life and move across the country to New York City, to live with the wealthy, aristocratic grandparents she’s never met. In their old Fifth Avenue mansion filled with a century’s worth of family secrets, Michele discovers a diary that hurtles her back in time to the year 1910. There, in the midst of the glamorous Gilded Age, Michele meets the young man with striking blue eyes who has haunted her dreams all her life – a man she always wished was real, but never imagined could actually exist. And she finds herself falling for him, into an otherworldly, time-crossed romance.

Michele is soon leading a double life, struggling to balance her contemporary high school world with her escapes into the past. But when she stumbles upon a terrible discovery, she is propelled on a race through history to save the boy she loves – a quest that will determine the fate of both of their lives. -goodreads.com

Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst

What Lily Carter wants most in the world is to attend Princeton University just like her grandfather. When she finally visits the campus, Grandpa surprises her; She has been selected to take the top-secret Legacy Test. Passing means automatic acceptance to Princeton. Sweet! Lily's test is to find the Ivy Key. But what is she looking for? Where does she start? As she searches, Lily is joined by Tye, a cute college boy with orange and black hair who says he's her guard. That's weird. But things get seriously strange when a gargoyle talks to her. He tells her that there are two Princetons; the ordinary one and a magical one; and the Key opens the gate between them. But there are more secrets that surround Lily. Worse secrets.When Lily enters the magical Princeton, she uncovers old betrayals and new dangers, and a chance at her dream becomes a fight for her life. Soon Lily is caught in a power struggle between two worlds, with her family at its center. In a place where Knights slay monsters, boys are were-tigers, and dragons might be out for blood, Lily will need all of her ingenuity and courage; and a little magic; to unite the worlds and unlock the secrets of her past and her future. -goodreads.com

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

The community of Cryer’s Cross, Montana (population 212) is distraught when high school freshman Tiffany disappears without a trace. Already off-balance due to her OCD, 16-year-old Kendall is freaked out seeing Tiffany’s empty desk in the one-room school house, but somehow life goes on... until Kendall's boyfriend Nico also disappears, and also without a trace. Now the town is in a panic. Alone in her depression and with her OCD at an all-time high, Kendall notices something that connects Nico and Tiffany: they both sat at the same desk. She knows it's crazy, but Kendall finds herself drawn to the desk, dreaming of Nico and wondering if maybe she, too, will disappear...and whether that would be so bad. Then she begins receiving graffiti messages on the desk from someone who can only be Nico. Can he possibly be alive somewhere? Where is he? And how can Kendall help him? The only person who believes her is Jacian, the new guy she finds irritating...and attractive. As Kendall and Jacian grow closer, Kendall digs deeper into Nico's mysterious disappearance only to stumble upon some ugly—and deadly—local history. Kendall is about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried. -goodreads.com

The Thirteenth Chime by Emma Michaels
Destiny has finally found the life that she has always wanted. She is about to finish college, has a fiance that loves her, and a great summer on the West Coast planned with her friend, Stephanie. But her world is turned upside down when an antique clock mysteriously chimes thirteen times and someone attacks them, sending Stephanie and her mother to the hospital.p
Alone, and without any help from the police, Destiny has no choice but to turn to the one man she had left behind a year ago - her ex-boyfriend, David. Together, they must solve the riddle of the thirteenth chime before the clock strikes thirteen again. Yet as they face their own past and hearts, a trap over half a century old is waiting for them to become its prey.
For revenge, fifty years is never too long...-goodreads.com

Insight by Jamie Magee

Before that fateful summer night, Willow had balanced the insight of emotion, and the vivid images. That night, the figure in her nightmare marked her wrist with a star, giving her father no choice but to tell Willow a family secret that would abruptly change life, as she knew it, forever. Before Willow had time to absorb the shock of her father's secret, her soul mate that had shared every stunning dream with her, found her, and darkness captured her closest friends. In order to save them, she must weave through broken myths and the undeniable power of the Zodiac. In the end, Willow discovers that at the moment of our birth we are all given a divine gift. -goodreads.com
Source:
Half of these were bought at amazon.com and the other half at Barnes and Nobel with a membership card. The exception is Insight by Jamie MaGee, which I received for review. :)

Most Anticipated:
Honestly, these all look fantastic and I have high hopes for them! I am reading A Northern Light right now, which is just fabulous. I'm also -really- looking forward to Cryer's Cross, Brightly Woven, Desires of the Dead, and Enchanted Ivy. I'm also intrigued by Insight and Timeless. :)

Reading Reflections: February 2011

Books Read:

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Wake by Lisa McMann
Fade by Lisa McMann
Gone by Lisa McMann
Ice by Sarah Beth Durst

Total Number of Books Read This Month: 6

Total Number of Books Read This Year: 11

Most Anticipated: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Biggest Let Down: Ice by Sarah Beth Durst

Favorite Read: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Highest Rank: 5 Butterflies

Lowest Rank: 3 Butterflies

Overall Reflection:

It was truly a great month of reading! :)I TOTALLY fell in love with Dash and Lily's Book of Dares! The Dream Catcher series proved to be quick, action-filled reads. Very much looking forward to more of Lisa McMann's work! If I Stay was beautiful, tragic, and moving. Although Ice didn't totally live up to my preconceived exceptions, it was still a magical fairytale that proved worthwhile. All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better month! :)