Anna and the French Kiss

by Stephanie Perkins
372 pages

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?

This books is so cute! I was hooked from the very beginning. Couldn't put it down, stayed up to finish it. Just to make sure that yes, they finally kiss.

However, Anna & Etienne each keep messing things up a bit in the end and that was a slightly annoying, but it all wraps up nicely. None of it was too far fetched and real life type events, so I guess I’m not that annoyed :) Because it was so just so dang cute.

Oh, and I'm totally adding this to my everyday language: pants. Instead of crap, shite, etc :) When Etienne says this Anna, she says, "Oh heavens, that's cute."  

Plus, I totally think the author is making fun of Nicholas Sparks. It was cracking me up.

Did I mention I thought it was cute?...Just kidding.

Revolution

by Jennifer Donnelly, 471 pages

I saw the print edition of Donnelly's book on the shelf and eventually got it on audio. Andi Alpers is an angry, grieving teen from a posh school in Brooklyn. Alexandrine Paradis is a young player who becomes involved in the lives of the royal family during the French Revolution. Andi lost her young brother Truman to a random act of violence, and Alexandrine must watch Louis-Charles suffer the brutality of the Terror. Their lives intertwine when Andi finds Alex's lost diary and she reads the gripping account of the attempts Alex makes to to save the doomed Dauphin, Louis Charles.

Why I picked it up: I thought it would be a time travel novel set during the turbulent era of the French Revolution.

Why I finished it: While I know a fair amount about the French Revolution, I was intrigued with the character sketches of real figures from the time. It is not really a time travel novel, but through Alex's eyes you get a level of detail about the lives of the royal family and their tragic ends.

Overall, I liked the book, though Andi's rebellious teen posture became a bit annoying by the end. It would appeal to people with musical interests since that is the main focus of Andi's character, especially when she talks about the history of rock music. The epilogue was a bit over the top, but given the fantastic elements of the story, it didn't seem that out of place.

by Cate K

Pierre in the Air!

by Andrea Beck 29p.

This book was a delight. The story was cute and the illustrations are delightful. The story is of a poodle who is a born adventurer, but unfortunately his owner insists on keeping him at home or in hotels and making him get constant grooming. He is a determined dog and takes his travels into his own paws when they go to Paris for a dog show. Nothing is stopping Pierre from seeing the Eiffel Tower! Apparently this is Pierre's third adventure, I hope they are as cute as this story book.

Kel

Anna and the French Kiss

                                                 

 by Stephanie Perkins, 372 p.

When Anna's pretentious novelist father ships her off to high school in faraway Paris, she thinks her life is over.  She's leaving behind her best friend, baby brother, and the guy she has been dreaming about all summer.  Despite the fact that she doesn't want to be there, Paris holds some pretty amazing surprises for Anna - some that she will definitely never forget!

This book was amazing.  When it first came out, I really didn't think I wanted to read it (I mean, have you seen the cheeziness that is the cover?) but I was sorely mistaken.  This is one of the best teen novels I've read in a long time.  Kudos, Stephanie Perkins!  I can't wait for more!

Parisian Chic : a style guide

by Ines de la Fressange, 239 p.

I'm still preparing for my trip this summer, and I'm feeling more and more like the travel books just aren't cutting it.  Don't get me wrong - I'd love nothing more than to spend my time cooped up on a tour bus checking out the sights.  But I'd really love to see the living, breathing Paris:  where people live, where they grab a baguette, what they do for fun.

Luckily, Ines de la Fressange's Parisian Chic covers just about everything.  There is, of course, the basics of the Parisian look.  But she also gives hotel and restaurant recommendations, a boutique guide, things to do with the family, and other ways to get l'experience française.  

Paris 2011

by Rick Steves, Steve Smith, and Gene Openshaw. 670 p.

Stacked precariously next to my bedside is a pile of dog-eared, be-sticky-noted, travel books, crowned by the wonderfulness of Rick Steves' Paris. His packing advice is phenomenal, his knowledge of public transit is fab, and his cultural insights are priceless. I know that my last two posts have crowed about the loveliness of his books, and for that I will never apologize.

And now, and Ode to Rick:

I love the way you help me travel,

So my brain does not unravel.

Oh how savvy you are, Rick Steves,

Your travel intellect makes my heart cleave.

Frommer's 24 Great Walks in Paris

176 p.

I'm gearing up for a short trip to Paris this summer, so I'm trying to do as much research as I possibly can before I leave. So far, this book is awesome. It has "themed walks," like the Da Vinci Code walk, and art museum and neighborhood walks. Plus, it tells how long/strenuous the walks are, where to eat, and a little history of the sites on the path. I'm super excited about the Pere Lachaise cemetery map - here's hoping I don't get lost there...

The Moon in the Mango Tree

by Pamela Binnings Ewen, 470 p.

Leaving her love of opera behind, Barbara travels to Siam as a mission doctor's wife in 1920. As Barbara struggles to find a place in her new community, she moves further from the ideals that brought her family there in the first place. She finds herself constantly at odds with the other missionaries, her surroundings, and even her own faith. A series of jolting events send Barbara back to Philadelphia, where she immerses herself in the modern flapper culture. When her husband is offered a teaching position at a Siamese medical university, she finds herself once again in Siam, although this time in the luxurious ex-pat community of Bangkok. But the riches and splendor still leave something empty deep in her heart. Barbara flees to Paris and Rome, leaving behind her husband in hopes of reigniting her opera career. As she finds herself further away from the life she fled, an old acquaintance shows her the way back to her family and happiness.

Based on her grandmother's diary and letters, Barbara Binnings Ewen tells a wonderful story that is hard to put down. I normally am not a fan of inspiration fiction, but this story is balanced and accessible.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Imagine Nicholas Sparks has a daughter and decides to send her off to a French boarding school to expand her horizons. Tough gig, right? Anna thinks so. She would much rather spend her senior year in Atlanta with her best friend the hot coworker she just kissed.  Slowly Anna adjusts to a new life and friends in Paris including Etienne, the really cute, funny and completely attached guy she finds herself spending more and more time with.

I admit it, I didn’t want to read this book. The reviews were always so peppy and excited and when our teen librarian gushed on about it I grew even more worried. I don’t do sappy.  (sorry Sarah)  What I found when I read the book was that while the starting premise was somewhat outrageous (don’t we all want to spend a year in Paris), it didn’t rule the plot.  The story was full of Parisian culture, the power of friendship and characters that felt like you’ve known them for years. The building of the story and the relationships was authentic and much less angsty than I’m used to in a young adult novel.  The allure of being on the cusp of adulthood with the freedom of a foreign city without parents will be intoxicating for many readers.  2010, 372 pages.