Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss

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 Ana 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?

Original Language: English
Publisher: Dutton
Country: USA
Publication Date: December 2010
ISBN: 0525423273
Page Count: 384

It's been a long time since I read a young adult romance. I've spent this semester reading dusty classics about dark heroes, short stories written by Australian immigrants and struggling through my media law text. So picking up Anna and the French Kiss gave me the opportunity to relax with some light, fun and irresistibly sweet reading.

Despite beginning with a whiny rant about being sent to boarding school in Paris (jealous much?), Anna becomes like a best friend. We see her excitement, her fears, her desires and her passion for movies, boys and everything Paris. She has her (repetitive) moments of teenage sullenness and stupidity, but who doesn't? I'd rather see a flawed Anna than a perfect one - it makes her easier to relate to. I love her anti-germ warfare (I can relate) and her determination to fight her feelings for St. Clair.

Speaking of which...he is funny, good looking, sweet and incredibly stupid. I agonised over his ridiculous dedication to Ellie, and his complete ignorance of Meredith, not to mention the way he keeps coming back for more Anna when we all know he shouldn't (but definitely want him to).

Perkins creates a very romantic image of Paris - from the Opera singer outside Anna's room each night, to the point zero star. It doesn't feature as heavily as I would like, but it makes a very romantic backdrop for a heart winning relationship.

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Judging by the cover: It has everything it needs! The romantic Parisian background (it's most iconic building) and a couple sitting together and leaning forward eagerly, but always keeping that distance between them.

May book of the Month: Anne of Green Gables

L.M Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables has been one of my favourite books (and series) since I was a little girl. When I had the option of studying it and writing an essay on it for my children's literature class, I took it immediately.
This of course lead to me reading the entire series; it's impossible to let Anne go once you get to know her.
Anne of Green Gables is the sweet story of an orphan, adopted by accidents by the elderly Cuthbert siblings who wanted a young boy to help on the farm. Her sweet, dreaming but vivacious personality bewitched them and they chose to keep her. Anne get into occasional scrapes, makes silly mistakes and flies into awful tempers but no one can help loving her.
I encourage everyone (boys included!) to take the time to go on adventures with Anne Shirley.

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The Glass Series by Maria V Snyder

#52-54 of 200

The Glass series follows Opal Cowan, a glass magician who can trap magic inside glass. She crafts glass messengers for Sitia and helps with a glass crisis. Until the Stormdance clans orbs shatter, killing Stormdancers and leaving the coastal residents in life-threatening danger. Opal must find the true recipe for the orbs and fix them - fast. But as one crisis ends another begins when Opal is kidnapped trying to rescue Kade, a handsome Stormdancers captured by evil warpers. Trapped on the northern ice sheet of Ixia, with a huge storm close behind them Opal comes to terms with her death. She is prepared to sacrifice herself to save Kade. The second in the Glass series, Sea Glass follows Opal as she defies the council and journeys to free her lover from a warper. With more warpers after her and a warrant for her arrest being made public, Opal has to fear for her life as she sacrifices more than she realises to save one she loves.

Synder strikes again with the reintroduction of Yelena's world, only this time the trilogy stars background character Opal Cowen and her amazing and powerful glass magic. Beginning with Storm Glass Opal learns the price of magic, power and trust are all tied together.