ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkis

August 4th, 2011 - Speak

Synopsis: Anna was 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. So she's less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris-until she meets Etienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Etienne has it all . . . including a serious girlfriend.

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?

Stephanie Perkins keeps the romantic tension crackling and the attraction high in a debut guaranteed to make toes tingle and hearts melt.

First, I'd like to apologize that there were no posts last week. That was because i didn't want to NOW MOVING ON.

So, like all of my book reviews, this is going to pretty short and sweet.

First off, I love romance. I love love. I love sweet things.

But I seriously thought I wasn't going to be able to get into this book. I thought it was going to be so sappy. And for the first few pages-just judging by the writing-I was convinced that I was right. I kept reading though, because the characters and PARIS!!!!!!!!!! were made so interesting.

Then I couldn't stop reading.

The up's! The down's! The wonderful ending that made me smile so hard that I couldn't stop!

This book was as delicious as a Parisian crescent filled with cream and as entertaining as watching a boy with an English accent trying to say "Fo shiz" in an American way. It was hilarious and it was beautifully written. My favorite character was Etienne. Everything he did was just so inviting. But best of all: BRITISH ACCENT!

It definitely wouldn't be as wonderful if it weren't set in such a wonderful city as Paris though. The backdrop for the romance was just wonderful. It made me want to tour the streets. The food was described in such great detail that I had to keep from drooling on the pages, and the cinemas that Anna liked to visit for her movie reviews were very enchanting, and the School of America was just so fantastic in itself.

But above all, it was the love story that won me over. It was like riding a roller coaster getting there, but it just made it more realistic, and the ending more sweet.

I definitely recommend this book, especially to anyone who likes British boys, Paris, or any type of romance.

See ya on Friday!

-Aaron :)

SHTUFF!

A ton of links!

J.K. ROWLING HAS ANNOUNCED A DEAL WITH HER PUBLISHER FOR A NEW ADULT NOVEL!!!!

• So, first off- SlashFilm.com posted the IMAX banner and more characters photos for THE HUNGER GAMES. Me likey.
• Next up. Another one from SlashFilm. THE SEA OF MONSTERS by Rick Riordan is going to be adapted, of course. It's projected release date is March 26th, 2013. Wowza. I'm actually kind of excited about this one. It has a different director, so maybe this time, it'll STAY CLOSE TO THE FREAKING BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
• Emma Thompson joins the cast of BEAUTIFUL CREATURES film adaption, being cast as Sarafine. So I didn't like the book (you can read my review here) but I'm excited for the adaption. I thought the book could have had three hundred pages cut from it, though luckily, in Hollywood, they typically do that with books, so yay! I might love it. :) Also, I love Emma Thompson. And it's also been written and directed by Richard LaGravanese, who wrote and directed P.S. I Love You, which I loved. <3
• More news for BEAUTIFUL CREATURES-The fourth book's title has been revealed as "BEAUTIFUL REDEMPTION".
• Even more B.C. news! Ethan and Lena's characters have been cast!
• In case you haven't heard, Entertainment Weekly has posted a ten-page sneak preview of INSURGENT by Veronica Roth, which is coming out this May. I read it, and although this sneak peak was a bit dull, I'm no less ECSTATIC for this book!
• You thought NaNoWriMo was hard? 50,000 words in a month is difficult. But try writing 60,000 words in a week-which is exactly what writer Kiersten White, author of the PARANORMALCY series (which I love! My review here) did.
• Nathan Bransford, ex-literary agent, and current author (who gives such wonderful advice on his wonderfully orange blog) posted the link of an article who's writer has some theories as to why people work best at coffee shops.
• ATTENTION GLEEKS! Chris Colfer, who plays Kurt Hummel is making some writing debuts. He has a new children's book coming out, which puts a twist on some popular fairy tales. Brandon Dorman, the book's illustrator, revealed the cover on his blog.
• The other thing Chris has going for him, is a movie called Struck by Lightning, which he stars in, and wrote the screenplay for. Here's the trailer, which I think looks pretty good:
  
  

Hope you get some eggrolls, hippy love, and good books this weekend,

See ya next Wednesday!

-Aaron!

TH1RTEEN R3ASONS WHY by Jay Asher

October 18th, 2007 - Razorbill

Synopsis: Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker - his classmate and crush - who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah's voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why. Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah's pain, and learns the truth about himself-a truth he never wanted to face.

Thirteen Reasons Why is the gripping, addictive international bestseller that has changed lives the world over. It's an unrelenting modern classic.

Instead of going on some mondo-tirade about why you should read it, with paragraphs and gushing, I'll list thirteen reasons why.

1. You will laugh.

2. You might cry. (I almost did.)

3. The writing is so beautiful, and so real.

4. The turns.

5. You're overcome with billions of different emotions as you read.

6. Even though you already know she's already gone through with suicide, you have hope in the end.

7. The characters: Love them. Hate them. Adore them. Want to bludgeon them.

8. That ENDING!

9. How it doesn't jump between scenes, but is one continual story being told, save for the first and last chapter.

10. You love Clay. He's such a sweetheart, and you feel his pain.

11. Although it's heartbreaking, it's such an amazing look into the mind of a spiraling teen.

12. You had to guess how the next story was going to get possibly worse.

13. Hannah.

See ya on Friday,

-Aaron

p.s. Tickets can now be pre-ordered for THE HUNGER GAMES movie. I love going to midnight showings, so I think I'm going to buy mine soon. Also, to piggyback onto the ticket sales opening, the music video for the Taylor Swift (feat. The Civil Wars) song, "Safe & Sound", which I adore and have listened to a ton of times. I think it's probably going to play in one of the cave scenes... The album has been released, and it's entitled "The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond".

Here's the line-up for the soundtrack, which has been taken from ReadingTeen.net (which is a fantastic review site!):

1. Arcade Fire “Abraham’s Daughter”

2. The Secret Sisters “Tomorrow Will Be Kinder”

3. Neko Case “Nothing To Remember”

4. Taylor Swift “Safe & Sound ft. The Civil Wars”

5. Kid Cudi “The Ruler and The Killer”

6. Punch Brothers “Dark Days”

7. The Decemberists “One Engine”

8. The Carolina Chocolate Drops “Daughter’s Lament”

9. The Civil Wars “Kingdom Come”

10. Glen Hansard “Take The Heartland”

11. Maroon 5 ft. Rozzi Crane “Come Away To The Water”

12. Miranda Lambert “Run Daddy Run ft. Pistol Annies”

13. Jayme Dee “Rules”

14. Taylor Swift “Eyes Open”

15. The Low Anthem “Lover Is Childlike”

16. Birdy “Just A Game”

LEGEND by Marie Lu

November 29th, 2011 - Putnam

Synopsis:

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths--until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

I had a B&N gift card from Christmas, and with much decision, I finally purchased this a little while back. It got pushed beneath other books in my TBR pile, and didn't come up until recently, but it finally did.

I've heard so much hype about this, and I was really excited, especially since the author is rep'd by the literary agent Kristin Nelson, whose blog I stalk obsessively, and you should too. So basically, I was happy. I sat down, took the jacket off (I do that because I'm OCD when it comes to books, and so I don't let "le precious" covers get dirty/scratched/pooped on by birds/burned by dragons/etc.), and prepared to read. At first I was like:

It was an off world, where America was a republic, and was severed between east and west. In the east, the good ol' Republic, and in the west, a rebel movement called "the Colonies". Immediately, I was caught by the author's political side to the story (a war torn America where rations of food, water, and electricity are at the bare minimum). But I also thought it was a little ridiculous that this was (yet again) another dystopian where there's a virus ravaging the nation. Now, I'm all for zombie-viruses. I mean, look at Carrie Ryan's THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH series. That's cool and all. But this isn't a zombie novel. It's supposed to be a realistic dystopian. So I was a little ticked with that. But I moved on, because I thought it was going to get better. Just one cliche, right?

Then the perspective moved from Day, the criminal, to this girl, June. I really liked her voice, but I felt that her situation was so cliche, as well. Her parents happened to be killed in a car crash years earlier, and she was getting in trouble at her school, and her uptight, who's super protective, comes to get her. What ensues is his taking her back home, during what seemed like a very forced conversation. It was also, again, cliche. It went something like this:

Older brother: "I was worried sick about you."

June: "It's fine. Come on."

Older brother: "I was at my job that I'm now going to give too much of a detailed name to, so the reader knows where I work and what I do, when I suddenly got a phone call from the school. Why do you keep on getting in trouble."

June: "I'm sorry. I love you. Don't be mad."

It was really annoying.

To give some backstory on how I read, I'll explain.... I swear I was born to be a tough literary agent or editor or something like that, because I'm a tough reader that don't take no crap. If a story/story's writing grabs me in 10 pages, I keep reading. If it doesn't, I put it down. I go until page 30, and if it lets go then, I put it down. I go until page 100, and if it lets go then, I put it down. After that, I don't stop until it's finished, unless it becomes like a STAB-MYSELF-THIS-BOOK-IS-SO-HORRENDOUS book. This book was an exception to my rule because I'd just heard so many good things. I was excited.

But I had to keep forcing myself to read. I read many books at a time, and the story just wasn't grabbing me, nor the writing, and so I went on to other books. I kept reading in short stunts, until I just stopped at around page 100, and realized.....

I really don't like saying bad things about books, especially when the book is a debut, but I really am kind of angry that this book has gotten so much praise. I don't understand it. Liked I said, it was full of cliches, the dialogue felt forced, but there were other things too. There was barely any description of the Republic. There was light grazing of the cityscape, and then there was some description of a school, but there was never any real gripping information about the world they lived in. One tiny tiny tiny thing that also annoyed me, was how June's brother Metias is killed. I think in the book, it says that a knife was thrown at his shoulder... Wait a second. He's supposed to be a BA lieutenant kind of guy for this war-monger society, and he dies from a shoulder wound?

Alright, well, my negative rant is over. Again, I don't like saying mean things about debut books, but I seriously do wonder how in the world it got so much acclaim.

Alright,
See ya on Friday!

-Aaron

New Capitol Pictures + Beautiful Creatures + Old Publishing News

Hey y'all! So, I saw this picture of the Capitol from THE HUNGER GAMES movie:

In other news, the book BEAUTIFUL CREATURES is being adapted into a film (you can read my review of it here). Well, the character Amma has been casted. Viola Davis, who played Aibileen in the movie adaption of THE HELP (my book review, here), was chosen. This kind of works because she's a maid in BEAUTIFUL CREATURES, and she's a maid in THE HELP. Weird.

Alright, so some news I saw on GalleyCat.com, old and new...

October, 2011 - Holly Black signs deal for a "single, fat stand-alone book" about vampires. Synop: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is set in the not-so-distant future, where the vampire population has surged, resulting in the establishment of Coldtowns, quarantined cities of vampires and humans where predator and prey coexist in a never-ending blood party of revelry. These isolated meccas of debauchery are the pillars of pop culture, with vlogs, live feeds, and YouTube videos constantly streaming from the endless parties at vampire mansions. Drawn into this bizarre and dangerous world is Tana, who willingly enters Coldtown with an infected ex-boyfriend on the brink of turning and a mysterious vampire with a tortured past intent on seeking revenge.

February, 2012 - (In case you hadn't already heard) Maggie Stiefvater has revealed the cover

and synop of her the first book in her new four books series called "THE RAVEN CYCLE". Synop: Filled with mystery, romance, and the supernatural, The Raven Boys introduces readers to Richard “Dick” Campbell Gansey, III and Blue Sargent. Gansey has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on the hunt to find Glendower, a vanished Welsh king. Legend has it that the first person to find him will be granted a wish—either by seeing him open his eyes, or by cutting out his heart.

Blue Sargent, the daughter of the town psychic in Henrietta, Virginia, has been told for as long as she can remember that if she ever kisses her true love, he will die. But she is too practical to believe in things like true love. Her policy is to stay away from the rich boys at the prestigious Aglionby Academy. The boys there—known as Raven Boys—can only mean trouble. When Gansey and his Raven Boy friends come into her life, Blue realizes how true this is. She never thought her fortune would be a problem. But she was wrong.

Maggie finished up her NYT bestselling series THE WOLVES OF MERCY FALLS series last year, and her standalone book, THE SCORPIO RACES, came out not long after. Also LOVE the cover.

February, 2012 - BEA may open to the public in 2013.

February, 2012 - Lemony Snicket is returning to the book world with a new 4-book series chronicling his odd childhood. Synop: Drawing on events that took place during a period of his youth spent in a fading town, far from anyone he knew or trusted, Snicket chronicles his experiences as an apprentice in an organization nobody knows about. While there, he began to ask a series of questions—wrong questions that should not have been on his mind. Who Could That Be at This Hour? is Snicket’s account of the first wrong question.

Alright, see ya on Friday!

-Aaron

WONDERSTRUCK by Brian Selznick

September 13th, 2011 - Scholastic

Synopsis: From Brian Selznick, the creator of the Caldecott Medal winner THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET, comes another breathtaking tour de force.

Playing with the form he created in his trailblazing debut novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Brian Selznick once again sails into uncharted territory and takes readers on an awe-inspiring journey.

Ben and Rose secretly wish their lives were different. Ben longs for the father he has never known. Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his mother's room and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out alone on desperate quests to find what they are missing.

Set fifty years apart, these two independent stories--Ben's told in words, Rose's in pictures--weave back and forth with mesmerizing symmetry. How they unfold and ultimately intertwine will surprise you, challenge you, and leave you breathless with wonder. Rich, complex, affecting, and beautiful--with over 460 pages of original artwork--Wonderstruck is a stunning achievement from a uniquely gifted artist and visionary.

I really, really, really enjoyed THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET (you can read my review here), because it was enthralling and it had twists and turns, and I just felt so wonderful being in a 1930's Paris train station. The magic of silent films, the clockwork in the walls, the automaton. *Sigh...* The movie was also fantastic, and so if you haven't seen it, I also suggest you do.

But the weird is.... I liked this more. It seemed to have so much, as we jumped from 1927, to 1977. Not only was it so cool that the 1977 part of the story was told in only words, and the 1927 part of the story was told in only pictures, but there was actually a big reason for it. There's something about these characters (I can't say what, lest it ruin a big chunk of the book) that makes it so that the medians that are used for each of their stories, the only kind that could be used. It'd make sense if you read it.

I loved seeing the 1920's story because it was so interesting, and the pictures were just so GORGEOUS!!!! But the 1970's story was so detailed because it was writing, so I loved that.

I can't say much, but I will say that the story is about 1920's talkie films, museums, city dioramas, and finding your place in the world. It was a really sweet and wonderful story. It's really good, and I definitely recommend it, even if you're not into middle grade, or even picture books, or 'finding your purpose books'. But I'm not really, either, but I still loved it.

Alright, see ya on Friday,

-Aaron

THE HUNGER GAMES Trailer Number Dos

Oh, wow. This new trailer really just affirms my thoughts that this is probably going to be the most accurate book-to-movie adaption everrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. LOOK AT EVERYTHING! WOULD YOU JUST LOOK AT IT!? Everything is exactly like the book! Number dos:

I love how you see more of the Reaping, more of Caesar, and more of the Capitol!

Happy Hunger Games,

See ya on Wednesday,

-Aaron