Feature and Follow Friday - I just love BOOKS!

Happy Friday everyone! Its Feature and Follow Friday hosted by Parajunkee. Check them out to see how to participate! This week's topic is:

Q: What is your preferred reading format? Hardcover, eBooks, paperback, etc?


This is a pretty great question. I generally prefer paperbacks, (1) because I prefer the feel of a book in my hand and (2) I prefer them over hardcovers because I can fit multiple books in my purse more easily when they are smaller. I do like buying hardcovers though. it think they are prettier and look nicer on my shelf.

However, I have taken to reading on my kindle as well. (Dont worry I didnt buy this kindle. I know you're thinking why would I buy one if I previously didnt use it. I got it through a special promotion at my bank - I know. Weird) I've read two books so far on it and I'm reading two more now. I mainly use it to buy books that I'm unsure of or know that I wont get through if I have to hold the gigantic thing in my hand and be intimidated by it (e.g. A Game of Thrones). It has actually become quite convenient for me because I dont have to wait until I get home to pick something up and read. I can read at work in my down time, I can read at my mom's house when my niece is ignoring me (8 month old babies can be extremely snobby!), I can read when my arms are too tired to hold up a book.

The fact still remains though, I will never fully convert to the kindle. Apparently most other people dont either. According to the image above, only about 15% of people who buy e-readers actually stop buying print books all together. I like having my books in my hand in all their beautiful wondrous glory, regardless.

How about you!? Do you like paperbacks, hardcovers or e-books? Or do you like something else entirely that I dont know exists!?

A.

Review: Anna and French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

ISBN: 9780142419403
Released: December, 2010
My copy: Purchased
Series: Yes, Anna and the French Kiss #1
Page Count: 372 pages

     GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

Anna can't wait for her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a good job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she's not too thrilled when her father unexpectedly ships her off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair, the perfect boy. The only problem? He's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her crush back home. Will a year of romantic near-misses end in the French kiss Anna awaits?

       REVIEW:

WHAT I LIKED:

• Well written, the writing flowed and kept me interested which made for a very easy, quick read.
• Anna is hysterical and so relatable. I found myself laughing out loud at her and several times crying - yes, crying - with her. Plus she's a blogger/reviewer! Maybe not of books, but how many of you cant love her just for that?
• The romance was  a believable high school romance and then some. I can honestly say I felt my heart flutter many times and I maybe, possibly, almost *coughswoonedcough*. Ahem.
• Etienne wasn't perfect. And neither was Anna. Etienne was short. Anna has a gap in her teeth. I like it when a character doesn't make me feel like a waste of space.
• The whole "love interest has a girlfriend" thing was a first in the bookish world for me. And  I loved it. Don't get me wrong, Etienne was definitely almost a scumbag, but it was handled decently well, but I liked that it was a premise that happens all the time. Hell, its happened to me, to friends of mine, to people I've heard about in passing.
• Anna didn't decide the day after she met Etienne that she was in love with him. Basically what I'm saying is that even though it killed me sometimes that Anna and Etienne weren't together when I wanted them to be, I thought the story was paced well. I just loved this book!

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

• The only thing I can honestly think of was that the ending was a little too tidy for me. It wrapped up nice and neat after not being so nice and neat pretty much the entire time. Otherwise, I cant think of anything I disliked in this book.

     RATING:

I know what you're all thinking - well those of you who haven't read this one yet.  Anna and the French Kiss? Really? Seriously? I know it sounds silly. Even my own non-reader fiancé made a face at the title and cover when I picked it up off of my shelf to read. But I saw the reviews, I'd been told I had to read it, and I did, and now I am wondering why the hell I took so long! I am also wondering: (1) why did I stop reading romance, when I clearly adore it?; and (2) why do I keep telling myself I'm not into contemporary YA? I mean, I really, really enjoyed this book. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't epic or life changing and it was definitely just a fun, quirky read, but it actually had some depth to it, and Stephanie Perkins crafts characters that I want to be friends with. Like - you-can have my friends, can I have Rashmi and Josh and Meredith and Etienne. I would date him but he has better hair than me.

And even though the ending kind of annoyed me, the fact that this book had me up until 2:30 a.m. at night when I had a 13-hour work day starting at 9:00 a.m. the next day kind of cements the 5-star rating. And let me tell you: I do not stay up late. Oh no. Not this girl, not on the week days. But Stephanie Perkins got me. And I'm exhausted, but it was worth it! I even woke up excited about this book, so I cant be mad at myself for how tired I am right now. Read it - please. You'll love it.

★★★★★

(5 stars)

Have you read Anna and the French Kiss? What did you think? Do you agree or disagree?

A.

Top Ten Tuesday - Best Books I've Read This Year

Yay! Happy Tuesday, everyone! How are you all? Enjoying this wonderful day, I hope. :) Well, lets get right to it!

This week's topic is:

Top Ten Five Books I've Read So Far In 2013

1.     Across the Universe by Beth Revis - LOVED this entire series. My favorite series this year thus far!

2.     Anna and the French Kiss  by Stephanie Perkins - Just finished reading this two days ago, and it is my only other 5 star rating this year. I loved this book!

3.     A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini - A breathtaking, eye opening read. I was so pleasantly surprised by this one and I'm so glad I read it.

4.     Cinder by Marissa Meyer - Another one I'm so glad I randomly picked up. I'll be suffering in silence until the next book comes out. :(

5.     The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter - Cant wait to read the next in the series! Definitely one of the best this year.


I didn't go ten this Tuesday because I've only read 22 books this year and it would be silly to list half of them as my favorite.

What are your top books so far this year?

A.

Harry Potter Read-Along/Discussion [2]

RECAP - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Chapters 5-10

When we last saw Harry at the end of chapter 4, he was leaving the hut on the rock without so much as a backward glance to his aunt, uncle and cousin. Hagrid whisked Harry a hidden wizarding shopping district (my own shoppers-heart flutters at the thought). He takes Harry to the wizarding bank called Gringotts that is run by Goblins and guarded by dragons, and after taking a small sack of coins from Harry's vault, they remove a grubby brown-paper-wrapped package from a vault that Hagrid wont say a word about.

Harry gets fitted for robes, his wands chooses him (which happens to be the brother wand to the one that chose Voldemort) and Hagrid gifts him with a snowy owl that Harry names Hedwig. A month later, Harry is off to Hogwarts via the Hogwarts Express which picks up at platform 9 3/4 (which is another hidden wizard thing). He ends up riding in a car with Ron Weasley, the youngest of the Weasley family that Harry meets on the platform, who is as fascinated by Harry as Harry is by him.

Upon arriving at Hogwarts, Hagrid takes all of the first years students across the lake to the front door of the school, where they are herded inside and are sorted into their House by the Sorting Hat! Harry is in Gryffindor along with all of the Weasleys and that annoying Hermione girl, though the Hat tells him he could do great things in Slytherin!

Harry begins his classes and realizes that the greasy Professor Snape really just does not like him, and Harry really does not like the snobby Draco Malfoy. A few days after Harry gets settled into his classes, the first year students begin their flying (broom) lessons, and Harry is beyond excited. There is just one little mishap with Malfoy, and Harry ends up breaking the rules and flying on his broom without supervision. Professor McGonagall catches him and Harry is sure he will be expelled, but they let him join the quidditch team as the seeker, being the youngest player at the school in 100 years!

Malfoy does not like this, challenges Harry and Ron to a midnight wizard's duel. Somehow Hermione and Neville get dragged into Harry's first adventure at Hogwarts, and when they find out that Malfoy tricked them and sent Filch the caretaker to catch them, they RUN, almost getting caught several times. While hiding from Filch, the four students accidentally go into the room in the third floor corridor that was forbidden by Dumbledore on their first day. It just so happens to be housing a giant three headed dog, and after they run for their lives and safely make it back to their dormitory, they realize that the dog was guarding a trap door in the floor.....

DISCUSSION

• From what Harry has heard about Slytherins, he is absolutely adamant that he not be sorted into that house, as several other students hope as well. Do you think some of the kids who are actually sorted into Slytherin have the same feelings as Harry did? I mean, their traits and potential all say that they should be in Slytherin, but maybe they still don't want to be there? Like Neville, maybe their traits and potential don't show themselves, and they don't know that they would do best in that house?

• Snape is beyond being tolerable even from the very beginning of the book. He is a snotball, point blank, but he is horrible to Harry. We all know why, but we also know Snape's big secret at the end of the series. What my thought process is, is how can adults treat children so awfully? The Dursleys, Snape, don't they have compassion!? I know they were written this way but, am I the only one who is really bothered by this?

• Do you think Dumbledore and McGonagall bent the rules for Harry having a broomstick because he deserved it and truly was going to be an asset to his quidditch team? Or do you think he was an asset, but he was also Harry Potter, the boy who lived, son of James Potter, and he sort of got some special treatment?

I keep finding myself speeding through this book because I love it and I just want to finish and get to the next books but I have to remind myself to take my time and use my head. Its so fun and lighthearted (even with the mean spirited grown-ups) and even sometimes downright silly and I just love the magic of this first novel. It literally just makes my heart happy every time I pick up this book.

I'm only about half way through the book and Harry and his three classmates have already had their first adventure, and it warms my heart to know that there will be many more to follow. I cant wait to finish reading this and move on to the next book. Have any of you re-read this one this year? What were your thoughts upon revisiting with Harry on his first trip to Hogwarts?

Cant wait to hear from you guys!

A.

Feature and Follow Friday

Yay, its Friday - thank God! How is everyone spending their weekend? Well I work tomorrow (booooo) but I'll be hanging out with the cutest baby ever on Sunday (my niece, yay)!

This week's Feature and Follow question is:

Q: What is your favorite literary quote?

I thought about this one all night last night and couldnt really decide because there are so many, especially all my faves from Harry Potter. However, I was reading one of my current books last night: A Game of Thrones and came across something I loved.

How many of you have friends or family who always ask you or tell you that you read too much? Well I get it all the time, sometimes teasing, sometimes genuine intrigue as to why I'm so involved in reading and blogging. The teasing gets to be annoying sometimes, dont you think? We're all adults here. You like TV - I like books, so back off. :)

Well anyhow, in A Game of Thrones, one scene has a character named Jon asking one of my favorite characters, Tyrion, why he reads so much. Tyrion goes on to explain:

and Tyrion adds "that is why I read so much, Jon Snow."

LOVE it. Its the truth of my life. To me, intelligence is the most attractive trait, knowledge is the most powerful weapon. So that, my dear friends, is why I read so much. :D

What is your favorite literary quote??

A.