The Summer Series by Jenny Han

 

"Belly has always lived for the summertime because it means all her favorite things: swimming, the beach and the Fischer boys, Conrad and Jeremiah. She has spent every summer with them at Cousins Beach for as long as she can remember. She has always been in love with Conrad and finally, one summer, it seems like he might have feelings for her too. But it turns out, so does Jeremiah. As the summers go on, Belly has to choose between two brothers who love her as she comes to the realization that she will have to break one of their hearts. For the first time, all three Summer novels are in one boxed set, including The Summer I Turned Pretty, It's Not Summer Without You and We'll Always Have Summer."

-GoodReads

896 pages (all three books) 

by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers 

This trilogy...oh my gosh. I laughed, cried, fell in love, and ended up feeling like an incredibly awkward teenager again when reading these books. From the very first chapter I felt connected to Belly and her life at the Cousin's beach house. Reading about her summers actually made me jealous. I started wishing I had a beach house to go to, and a best friend like Jeremiah (though I was completely Team Conrad, Jeremiah was a great best friend). Belly did not have a perfect life...far from it actually. But these stories felt real because of that. It wasn't just her laying on the beach staring at Conrad all summer. They were all fighting their own battles, and trying to grow up and figure out who they were and who they were going to be.

One of the best coming of age stories. Ever. No joke.

Jenny Han is amazing  I met her at the Austin Teen Book Festival last year and she was just so incredibly sweet. While I gushed about how much I loved Conrad and Belly and couldn't wait to see who Belly picked, she just smiled and kept saying thank you and signed my books. I'm so sad that I did not yet have the 3rd book when I met her...so now my set is incomplete. Guess that means that I will have to meet her again.

If you are in the process of making a summer reading list, add these three books to your list. I cannot wait for summer to be here because I plan on rereading these. I'm getting excited just thinking about it.

Also, after reading all three books, I think Conrad needs his own book. I want inside his head and know what he is really thinking in some situations. That would be a good book.

Have you read the Summer Trilogy? Link me your reviews, I would love to read them!

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

"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 Etienne St. Clair: 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.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?"-GoodReads.

Hardcover, 372 pages

Published December 2nd 2010 by Dutton

When I read Anna it was the first contemp that I had read in a while. Contemporary had never really been my cup of tea. I need action, adventure, and a knight in shining armor. Well, Anna and the French Kiss does not have a knight in shining armor, but it does have Etienne St. Clair who is perfectly Parisian and oh so very charming. Only problem is that he has a girlfriend. Anna knows it's a bad idea, but she starts to fall for him anyway.


I thought the book sounded cutesy and maybe a little cheesy, but I kept seeing great reviews. Actually, I don't think even now I have seen a bad review for this book. Surely everyone could not be wrong on how good this story was. So I finally caved and bought it. It is now one of my favorite books and I cannot wait to re-read it.


The characters in this book felt like people I might know in real life, and the problems they faced were problems that anyone could have. Who hasn't fallen for someone that is unavailable before? I know I have. Who hasn't thought that it would be neat to go to a boarding school in a different country? There are no ghosts, witches, or other supernatural beings, but Anna and the French Kiss really shows how real life can be just a grand adventure. 


I absolutely loved that it mostly takes place in Paris. So much so that I have started taking French lessons...I'm not even kidding. And it gave me ideas of where I want to go, should I ever be lucky enough to go there. Paris made the story come even more to life, especially when St. Clair takes Anna to different places in the city. It was almost like its own kind of character. Anna was out of her element but she made it seem exciting once she became okay with the fact that she was stuck there. It does have the adventure side of being in such an incredible city.


I could probably go on and on about how much I loved this book and how great it is, but instead of reading my fan girling just go and get the book and read it. It was cutesy at times, but definitely not cheesy.
It has romance, adventure, and feels real...and it has St. Clair...which should be enough of a selling point.
So go and get this book. Now. It is just absolutely wonderful.

Have you read Anna and the French Kiss? Did you love it or not so much? What was your favorite part?

In My Mailbox (#15)

 

In My Mailbox is a bookish meme created by the wonderful Kristi over at The Story Siren for bloggers to feature books we got over the past week, either bought, borrowed, or received in the mail. Make sure to go check out her main post.

I received one book for review this week:

 

Oracle Sunken Earth by C. W. Trisef

I'm excited to get to this one.

So, what did you get in your mailbox?

In My Mailbox (#14)- The "I'm Back From Vacay" Edition

In My Mailbox is a bookish meme created by the wonderful Kristi over at The Story Siren for bloggers to feature books we got over the past week, either bought, borrowed, or received in the mail. Make sure to go check out her main post.

Boo for vacation being over, but YAY for getting back to blogging!

Here's what I got the past 2 weeks.

For Review:

Revealing Eden by Victoria Foyt

Books I Made My Husband Take Me To Buy While He Was Here:

Looking for Alaska by John Green

(I will completely admit that I am a bit obsessed with John Green after reading TFioS. And I am not ashamed.)

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver 

(I have not been this nervous to read a book in so long. I'm scared of what might happen in this one since Lauren Oliver killed me with Delirium. That ending still rips my heart out.)

Half Price Books books:

Waiting for You by Susan Colasanti

The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

(I love finding gems at HPB)

The Book I Just Love To Stare At:

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

(I may be in love with this cover. Seriously. Can't wait to read it and see if the inside is just as amazing)

So that is what I got over the past couple of weeks.

What did you get in your mailbox?