Waiting on Wednesday (120)

Title: Isla and the Happily Ever After
Author: Stephanie Perkins Publisher: DuttonRelease Date: September 17, 2013

From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever.

Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new.

I loved Anna and The French Kiss and Lola and The Boy Next Door. I am really excited for this one and can't wait to read this one. Can it please be September?

Top Ten Tuesday (5)

Another Top Ten Tuesday, this one is: Top Ten Books When You Need Something Light & Fun.
1. Any book from Sarah Ockler. Her books are fun and usually deal with friendship, family, or romance. I really love them
3. Any book from Jennifer E. Smith. Her books are really fun and there is always traveling. I love travel.
4. Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard. This book is just wonderful. I have a desire to travel and this book captures it wonderfully.
5. Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins. Her books are so amazing and extremely relatable. I can't wait for the next one and the relationships in it was fun. 
6. Any book from Sarah Dessen. I love the relationships that she creates and just find these books to be so much
7. Anything by Ally Carter. It doesn't matter what she writes about, but Ally Carter's books are always fun and make me laugh.
8. Also Known As by Robin Benway. She makes really fun concepts that I just adore.
9. Georgia Nicolson series from Louise Rennington. This series is the most hilarious series that I have read. It makes me laugh so hard and I just love it. I have not read her new series, because I am afraid it will not be the same.
10 Awkward by  Marni Bates. This books is so hilarious and I adored it. 

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Source: Publisher

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.
When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Stephanie Perkins has a fantastic gift with words and stories. I loved Anna and the French Kiss and found Lola and the Boy Next Door to be just as amazing. Lola seems to be eccentric and over the top. At least she seems that way at the beginning, but really she is a down to earth girl that really cares about her dads and Lindsey and has amazing plans for her future. I could really relate to her and totally loved Lola. I wasn't a huge fan of Max. He seemed like a jerk at times and their relationship was hugely just psychical. Lindsey was a great friend to Lola and I liked that she supported Lola, even when she didn't agree with her decisions. Lola's dads, Nathan and Andy were such characters. I loved how protective they were and that they were such a huge part of her life. For example, Lola had to check in with them every hour when she was with her boyfriend. I could relate to this, because my mom did that with me until I was 18. They were amazing parents. I love Cricket. He was such a sweet and amazing guy. Cricket and Lola were great friends and I liked that it slowly developed into more. There was so much tension between both of them that helped sell their feelings for each other. I knew that Anna and St. Clair would be in Lola and the Boy Next Door, but I didn't realize how instrumental, they would be to the plot. I loved how sweet their romance was in the book and that it also showed some of the sacrifices that they made to be with each other. The plot is full of tension, romance, and heartbreak. Every part of the book excited and interested me. Like with Anna and the French Kiss, I didn't want this book to end. I loved how detailed San Francisco was and I felt like I was in that city. Stephanie Perkins creates complex characters with flaws of their own, a exciting story that engages you along the way, and amazing writing filled with love and humor. There is so much that I love about this book that it is hard to explain. I definitely recommend this book to fans of Anna and the French Kiss and Sarah Dessen. This book is a must read. I can't wait for Isla and the Happily Ever After and whatever else Stephanie Perkins writes next.

5 Reasons You Should be excited for Lola and the Boy Next Door...

This is like a pre-review, since it comes out in September, but I was luck enough to read it a little over a week ago and need a bit of fan girling. Don't read this, if you have not read Anna and the French Kiss...

1. Lola: She is such a fun character. I really liked her personality and how she treated clothes and her looks was amazing.

2. Cricket: He is so nerdy and amazing. He also likes Lola for who she really is. Can I marry him now?

3. San Francisco: I loved the setting. It was so rich and awesome. I want to visit there like now.

4. The Writing: Perkins is the master of YA Romance and I totally loved this book.

5 Anna and St. Clair Cameos: They are in the book in a few times and omg, it is so adorable.

My full review will be up in September, but I hope that you enjoyed this small post.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Rating:
Characters: 20/20
Plot: 19/20
Originality: 19/20
Writing: 20/20
Recommendation: 20/20
Overall: 98/100 or A
Source: Publisher
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. As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna—and readers—have long awaited?
I have not read a book that I have enjoyed as much as Anna and the French Kiss in a while. Anna is such a fantastic character. She reminds me of so many of my friends. She is uncertain of herself, but she is still able to find friends. I loved her interest in film. St. Claire is the type of guy that every girl wants. He is sweet, friendly, loyal, and sensitive. He also has a British accent and is cute, which just adds to his awesomeness. Like a girl with a crush, I loved every moment that he was in the book and wanted to know more about him. The relationship between Anna and St. Claire was realistic. It wasn't a sudden relationship, and started as a friendship and became a romance. The other friendships in the book were also a lot like what I have with my close friendships. The personal problems that St. Claire and Anna had, were explained enough that I understood the connection between them, but not enough that it overpowered the plot. The plot was stunning and I loved every moment that I was reading this book. It was very original in contemporary fiction. I haven't seen a lot book that are this realistic. The setting was also so intense and amazing. I really want to go to Paris and find the magic that St. Claire and Anna found. Perkins has become one of my favorite authors, since reading Anna and the French Kiss. I can't wait until her next books Lola and The Boy Next Door and Ilsa and the Happily Ever, which are companion books. This book was just what I wanted and I enjoyed the characters, plot, and setting. This book is a must for fans of contemporary young adult and I highly suggest that you buy this book now!