Book Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Goodreads summary:

Can Anna find love in the City of Light?

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 not too pleased 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 friends, 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 been waiting for.

I wasn't in love with this book as many others did. It wasn't the best I've ever read, but I totally related to some of the characters and issues addressed in this -not your average-contemporary book. First of all, I love Paris! It has always been my dream honeymoon destination and it will be. (hopefully). I laughed out loud at some of the situtations that occurred and I loved all the characters. Except for Amanda and Rashmi's sister. Ugh.

Secondly, Stephanie Perkins shed some light on some serious topics, like peer pressure, bullying, betrayal and even family issues. The fact that these problems still followed Anna in France.. it lets you know that you're not alone if you're facing any of these things and someone somewhere out there in the world relates to you. Also, these problems followed Anna in a different country, in a different continent. No one's life is perfect, even the handsome Etienne St Clair. I must say that the portrayal of friendships, relationships and "familyships" made me love the book more than I would have if it was just your typical romance. 

All in all, Stephanie shows you that happy endings are not always a cliche and you should wait for your happy ending. THIS BOOK MADE ME HAPPY, read it if you're in a pick me up mood, it'll definitely do the job perfectly. 

One thing that I want though is a story in Etienne's POV and his background. I'm more interested in his story and his relationship with his parents more than Anna's. It would've been better if he was the narrator instead of Anna and if they were together earlier in the book! I was waiting for it to happen the whole time and that's why I lowered my rating for this one.

It was very fast paced, the writing is extremely easy and beautiful. I cannot wait to read more of Stephanie's books. I literally was smiling and happy because their relationship is adorable that when I flipped the page and was met with the stupid acknowledgments I was like.. what NOOOOOOO

Now onto the spoilers!

Spoilers 

(Highlight to view)

Dear Etienne, where can I find a guy like you? Although I hated that you couldn't get your shit straight with the Ellie situation. Like come on St Clair, it was freaking obvious that Anna liked you back! I get that it would've been a mess if they were together though.. Mer is in between them and this to me, was the biggest obstacle standing in their way. I love how she was cool with it in the end, because it's good for her as well. 

My favorite part was when Etienne called Anna beautiful and she tripped. The scene went pretty much as follows.. 

Etienne: "You're beautiful." 

*Anna trips and falls down on the sidewalk* .. OMG I'M A FREAK. 

Hahahaha I died.. 

I loved the "you don't get to choose who you fall in love with" aspect. I totally agree with that statement.. 

I hope you have a great day guys, and if you read Anna and the French Kiss (which I'm sure you did), make sure to comment down below what you thought of it! Did it live up to the hype surrounding it? :) 

10 Books I Procrastinate Reading

Hello bookworms! 

I know, I haven't been posting for the most of this month.. It was my birthday on the 21st (I turned eighteen), and I was at my grandma's, therefore no internet. Sorry about that lovies! 

I was inspired to write this post by Cait @ Paper Fury, check her out! She's one of my favorites <3 
These books I've been meaning to read for the longest time and I KNOW I'll love them, but I have been pushing them off .. I just get distracted, but it will happen soon. I promise. 

1. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this exhilarating and heart-wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.

Soon to be a major motion picture starring Elle Fanning!

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.

2. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (# 1) 

Mara Dyer believes life can't get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can. 

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her strangely unharmed. 
There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love. 
She's wrong.





3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (HP #6)

I won't write a synposis for this one so I don't spoil it since it isn't the first in the series, but I'm probably the only one who isn't done with this series yet. SOON though! 
















4. Cinder by Marissa Meyer 

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. 


Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. 





5. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson #1)

Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse-Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends -- one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena -- Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.


6. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. 

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. 

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. 


Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined. 

7. A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Grey

Every Day meets Cloud Atlas in this heart-racing, space- and time-bending, epic new trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray.

Marguerite Caine’s physicist parents are known for their radical scientific achievements. Their most astonishing invention: the Firebird, which allows users to jump into parallel universes, some vastly altered from our own. But when Marguerite’s father is murdered, the killer—her parent’s handsome and enigmatic assistant Paul—escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.

Marguerite can’t let the man who destroyed her family go free, and she races after Paul through different universes, where their lives entangle in increasingly familiar ways. With each encounter she begins to question Paul’s guilt—and her own heart. Soon she discovers the truth behind her father’s death is more sinister than she ever could have imagined.

A Thousand Pieces of You explores a reality where we witness the countless other lives we might lead in an amazingly intricate multiverse, and ask whether, amid infinite possibilities, one love can endure. 

8. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called "Le Cirque des Reves," and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway--a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love - a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per-formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead. 

9. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doehrr 

Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When Marie-Laure is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris, and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great-uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.


In a mining town in Germany, the orphan Werner grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments, a talent that wins him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler Youth, then a special assignment to track the resistance. More and more aware of the human cost of his intelligence, Werner travels through the heart of the war and, finally, into Saint-Malo, where his story and Marie-Laure’s converge. 

10. Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover 

When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.

Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.

Hearts get infiltrated.
Promises get broken.
Rules get shattered.

Love gets ugly. 


Those are all the books! If you have read any of them (I'm sure you have) leave your opinions down below, I'd love to read through them :) 

Update: I have read The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and currently reading Ugly Love. 

Have an amazing day everybody! 

TBR | March 2015

Hello lovelies! 

So March is actually my favorite month of the year, solely because it's my birthday month (March the 21st). These are the books I'll be reading for March.. I won't be putting my hopes up for reading because my finals are in a month and I need to get my crap together with studying and stuff so.. 

Books mentioned: 

1. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard (I've already read this one and be on the look out for a review so very soon)
2. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
3. Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
4. The Duff by Kody Keplinger

If you've read any of these books, please let me know :) 

Have a great day everyone!

WRAP UP | February 2015

Hey bookworms!


Today, I'm bringing you my February wrap up and I honestly didn't stick to my TBR, AT ALL. If you want to know what I'll be reading in March, tune in for my next post! :)

  


Books mentioned: 

1. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins -- Review coming soon
2. Falling into Place by Amy Zhang -- Click to check out my review
3. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins -- Review coming soon

I had a terrible reading month, but hey! I read good books right? Quality not quantity.. right? *Good luck on that #0by16 challenge, Jumana..*

What books have you guys read this month? Comment down below, I'm interested to know! 
or tweet me @BooksbyJayy


Have a great day everybody x

Book Review: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Goodreads:

A debut psychological thriller that will forever change the way you look at other people's lives.

Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

A compulsively readable, emotionally immersive, Hitchcockian thriller that draws comparisons to Gone Girl, The Silent Wife, or Before I Go to Sleep, this is an electrifying debut embraced by readers across markets and categories.

4.5 stars out of 5

 I received this eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 


I was super excited to get into this book, a lot of people resembled it to Gone Girl and don't get me wrong, I LOVED this book.. but Gone Girl cannot be topped. 

This follows Rachel, a woman with too many troubles of her own and discovers an escape everyday on the train. She watches a couple on the terrace of their house and fantasizes about their relationship - their names, their jobs and their personalities. One day, crisis strikes and disrupts her already messed up life. Rachel finds herself involved in stuff that she cannot get out of. She was an unreliable narrator, one of many characters that I strongly disliked. All of the characters in this one were faulty characters and they were just terrible. 

I must say that this book was kind of boring at the start, it took me some time to get into it. Once I did, I was trying to crack the mysteries and figure out where on earth did the missing person go. I was juggling possibilities and honestly, I didn't see the ending coming AT ALL. I didn't see ANYTHING coming and that's why my rating was that high. 

The writing was phenomenal. Paula Hawkins made me visualize everything so perfectly and she had this ability of incorporating random clues throughout the book that tie in perfectly in the end. A mystery/thriller genius, I must say. 

All in all, this book was a fantastic ride, it had me thinking to this very day and I feel like it did stick with me. I remember every detail vividly and I'm writing this review a month or so after reading the book, that's an indication of how good it was! 

On the other hand, this book was a bit graphic, I would NOT recommend it to young readers. 

SPOILERS

(highlight to view)

I HATED RACHEL TOO MUCH!!! Her clinging to Tom after clearly moving on bothered me to a huge extent. Her stalking and creeping as well, like come on Rachel!! Put your shit together. Her weakness to alcohol and her drinking problem bothered me as well, her recollections were extremely unreliable and no one was taking her seriously because of that. She put herself in terrible situations, but in the end, she made up for everything by killing Tom! I was rooting for her and Megan to end that motherfucker's life haha. Way to go!

I never suspected Tom except for when he took Rachel to "talk" and didn't tell Anna about it. I thought he was cornering her somewhere private so he can end her life without anyone noticing. Ironically enough, he did that to Megan. 

Okay, now with Anna's POV incorporation. I knew that something was bound to happen with her POV being thrown into the mix. I hated her nonetheless, the only character that was likable was her daughter haha

Scott, you have some serious anger management issues and that just fucked you over as a husband of a missing person/a dead woman. (Why did they say that she was dead in the synopsis? I just noticed that and hey, THAT'S A SPOILER. Thank God I didn't pay much attention to it while reading this.) - I suspected him all along, but I figured it'd be too cliche if he really was the killer. The husband is never the killer (thanks Gone Girl). 

Have you read The Girl on the Train?! What did you think? If not, are you excited? :) 

Have a great day! 

Infinity Dreams Award

Hey guys! 

(Sorry for the late post)

Yay I love awards, they're really cool haha

I've been nominated by the beautiful Giselle @ Perks of Being A Reader, thank you Giselle for the nomination. Go check out her blog! She's amazing <3 
I'm soooo late on this, but hey! Better Late then never right?

The Rules

1. Thank and Follow the blog that has nominated you. 
2. Tell us 11 facts about you. 
3. Answer the questions that were set up for you. 
4. Nominate 11 and make your questions for them.

11 Facts About Me

1. I get super anxious about almost everything
2. I have a phobia of mice/rats
3. I hate going out, in fact, most of my friends get frustrated with me for it. I get too excited for plans then whenever they're close to happening, I freak out and feel the urge to bail.
4. I haven't read anything by Cassandra Clare.. I know, shocker.
5. I barely watch TV anymore, I'm an avid YouTube watcher
6. Black is my absolute favorite color (it's a color to me, not a shade so yeah)
7. It's been a habit of mine to eat healthy, I barely eat any junk food anymore. It was a lengthy process, but I now seem to enjoy healthy food over junk food. Which is good! 
8. I'd rather be sick than swallow pills and take injections, especially injections. I have a minor phobia of injections.
9. I've recently chopped off my hair
10. Texting is not really my thing.. (I'm basically a grandma)
11. I get anxious thinking about going to uni and planning my future, I suck at planning and I hate it. I like going with the flow.

The Questions I received from Giselle

1. Strange reading habit?

I keep a copybook and a pen nearby whenever I'm reading so I can write in notes and character names (I tend to forget). Also, I hate writing in books so.. 

2. Who would be your book best friend and why? 

Rudy Steiner from The Book Thief, he's the most adorable little kid and he was so supportive and sweet to Liesel.

3. The perfect day would consist of...

Receiving an unexpected book package.

4. What's one embarrassing moment from school? 

I peed myself once, yup, I was 8. We don't need to remember that.. 

5. What's something that always makes you happy?

Indulging in a well-written book with amazing world-building.

6. If your life was a musical what would be a theme song?

Maroon 5 - She Will Be Loved. It has been my favorite song ever since I was in 7th grade.

7. What did you want want  when you were a kid.

I wanted to be a journalist, a doctor and a teacher. When I grew up, I realized that being a doctor would be a fail, also being a teacher and I'll hopefully take the right path to being a journalist.

8. 2015 goals?

Be more happy, be more open to experiences, say yes more.

9. What would be your patronus.

I'd love mine to be a Stag, I would be as cool and as awesome as James and Harry Potter.
10. What does your life look like in 20 years

Married with kids, successful, happy :)  

11. Who is your idol and why?

My father, he has always been a true inspiration of mine. He is very successful and loves his career besides, he is very talented; he can draw, sing, play the guitar/piano/drums. I'd love to be more like him! 

I Nominate


I cheated and nominated 12 instead of 11. Oops.

1. Izzy @ The Reading Izzy
2. Melissa @ In a Bookish World
3. Yvonne @ A World Between Folded Pages
4. Sara @ The Page Sage
5. Evie @ Prescription Fiction
6. Holly @ Lost in a Library
7. Morrighan @ Elysian Fields
8. Noelia @ A Day in Bookland
9. Agata @ Vanilla Reads
10. Filippa @ Countless Books
11. Sabrina M @ Sabrina's Stories
12. Fari @ My Little Corner for Books

My Questions for you

1. What is 5 books that are shameful to be on your TBR?
2. What is your reading goal for 2015?
3. Who is one book character that you love, but everybody else seems to hate?
4. What is your biggest fear?
5. Hardcovers or paperbacks? 
6. What is your favorite animal?
7. Do you have any hidden talents? 
8. Do you play any sports? (besides reading, duh)
9. Who is your ultimate celebrity crush? 
10. What kind of music is your favorite? 
11. What are 5 books that affected you deeply/ made you cry? (I'd love to know) 

Alright guys, this is what I have for you today. 

Have an amazing day or night! 

Book Review: Love Hurts by Malorie Blackman

Goodreads:

Malorie Blackman brings together the best teen writers of today in a stunningly romantic collection about love against the odds. Featuring short stories and extracts about modern star-crossed lovers from stars such as Gayle Forman, Markus Zusak and Patrick Ness, and with a brand-new story from Malorie Blackman herself, Love Hurts looks at every kind of relationship, from first kiss to final heartbreak. 

2.75 Stars 

I received this eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

I requested this book in hopes of it being a light contemporary that is a collection of short stories tied in together to form something beautiful in the end, and to my disappointment, it wasn't like that AT ALL.

This book is a collection of excerpts of previously published books like If I Stay, We Were Liars, More Than This et cetera..  I skipped most of the stories to avoid spoilers and the stories that I have read, I also skipped. 

To be honest, this book did have its perks. It added a ton of books to my TBR (Not sure whether this is a pro or a con, because my TBR pile is overflowing.), it was also so very refreshing to read a book by so many authors. The writing style of some of these authors captivated me and it pushed me into putting their books higher on my TBR list, it was beautiful how a 30 page excerpt totally lured me into the story and I needed more of it, especially that I didn't know the characters and I didn't connect to them on any level.

In theory, I disliked the fact that I was thrown into a part of the novel and having to be oblivious to who the characters are, but I'm guessing that is was a method of pushing the reader into buying and reading the whole book.

Some of my favorite "excerpts" that I remember I liked were: 

• The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle
• Naughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman
• You Against Me by Jenny Downham
• More Than This by Patrick Ness 
• If I Stay by Gayle Forman (I MUST read this book)

One of the things that I highly recommend is NOT reading anthologies back to back, it should be read over a long period of time. I also learned that anthologies is not my thing, but that's besides the point. 

I have to mention that I ADMIRED the diversity in this one, there are LGBT, characters of color and different ethnicities. 

I usually NEVER give books 2 stars, but this one really wasn't for me. That doesn't necessarily mean that it's not a good one, it just means that this isn't for me and maybe it is for YOU. I was simply just disappointed by it.

Have you read Love Hurts? I'm curious to know your thoughts, leave them in the comments down below! :) 

Have a great day everybody!

Book Haul: November and December 2014

 Hello readers! 

It's the first time I'm doing my a book haul, I went a little bit crazy ..
I may or may not be getting more books by the end of this month, so this may not be the last book haul of the year. 


Books that I got:

In December:

1. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken (The Darkest Minds #1)
2. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass #1)
3. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass #2)
4. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles #2)
5. Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling (Special edition box set)
6. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling

 


In November:

1. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
2. Looking for Alaska by John Green
3. It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
4. Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan (1-3 box set)

So this is it for my book haul, if you've read any of these books let me know in the comments down below! :)

Have a great day everyone!

-Jay