My Pick for the Top Read of 2010 - @naturallysteph

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars on GoodReads.com

ABSOLUTE PERFECTION!!!!
Shiver was my pick for best book of last year. I am thinking that Anna and the French Kiss is my 2010 pick. This story had everything. Really.
There were swoon-worthy moments. Sighing. Beautiful, not-perfect boys. Snarky, smart, sweet girls. Sighs. Stomach drops. Cheering. Yes... I cheered. I even squeed a little. I'm not ashamed.
My husband even mocked me for hugging the book after I wrote my note in it. Yeah, hugged it. That's how good it is.
This book had so many great moments and I can't think of anything I would change about it. It had me up and down and that's how I know it was good. It affected my emotions, for better and worse, it had me stuck to it; sneaking reads at my desk and in between teaching, dreaming of what would happen to Anna next, and it was just simply lovely.

Stephanie Perkins has a wonderful YA voice, but it's not immature. And thankfully, it's not contrived or condescending. Anna doesn't sound like a grown woman trying to sound like a teen girl. It's just Anna and her friends and her foes and Etienne'.
Ooooooh Etienne'. "He has an acute accent and a cute accent." *le sigh*

I HIGHLY encourage my book nerd girls to go get it. You can preorder it now. Etienne' awaits!!!

This book arrives on shelves this weekend and I am running out to buy it. Sadly I couldn't keep the book because it belongs to Forever YA Lit Blogger Jess, but man, I was tempted! I plan on buying a hard back and then a soft cover as well.

I recently started speaking to Stephanie via facebook and twitter and she is just as awesome in person as she is in her book. I even taught her a new word ;)

She's an awesome chick, this is a fantastic book, don't walk, run, to your local bookstore and pick up Anna and the French Kiss.

I <3 Etienne'

BnB

I am officially a weiner!!!

And as a weiner, I get to read books. Ten actually, to make my goal of 60 this year. Here is the TBR pile for the end of the year:

#1 Drawn Together by ZA Maxfield (A rec from my girl Kerry Freeman)

#2 Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (I lent it to a student cos I knew I wouldn't be able to finish it before NaNo, it's sitting on my shelf at home!)

#3 Linger by Maggie Stiefvater (SWOON SAM!)

#4 Clockwork Angel by Cassie Claire (A former student lent it to me)

#5 Crescendo by Becca Fitzgerald (YAY! PATCH!)

#6 Leaving Gee's Bend by Irene Latham (Anna this better not make me cry!

#7 Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Nanna THIS better not make me cry!)

#8 Dear sir, I'm yours by Joelly Sue Burkehart (I'm reviewing for her)

#9 Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater (I took a break from it, I have 40 pages left)

#10 On the Road by Jack Kerouac (this is to appease my hubbin and then I can go see the movie with him next year :))

Here's a link to my must-haves for this and next year- BOOKS I WANT SOON

Someday...

Someday I want to be as cool as Maggie Stiefvater...


Her books about werewolves and kissing and even the homicidal Fae are phenomenal... it takes a lot to write a fantastic, gut wrenching novel that speaks to kids, teens, and grown ups and she's done it beautifully and repeatedly. But beyond her being a kickass writer, she's also a kickass person it seems. Every time I read her blog or listen to one of her interviews or we get a sneak peek of her life through a vlog, she makes me laugh.
I feel like if I could, I'd wanna take her to dinner, buy her a drink and laugh my ass off with her.
If you've not yet read a Maggie book, what's the problem? Go and read Lament, then Ballad.

When you are done with those go get you Shiver and Linger and read them slowly because we still have seven months until the end of the series with the finale Forever.

I personally stopped midway through Linger when I realized how long I'd be waiting for Forever.

I decided to wait until after I finished with NaNo then I'll go back and finish it. It was so good but I'm a bit of a book masochist apparently since I have left off midway through both Linger and Catching Fire. And I only read the first two Harry Potter books. :P
If you are interested in more Maggie stuff, she uses livejournal and updates quite often- The World According to Maggie
It's also linked in my Nerdy People pile located to the right :)

So anyhoo... if you've not read anything from Maggie Stiefvater, get off the interwebz, get to a bookstore, and get a copy of each. Now.

Have a good one :)
BnB

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I just finished this book and up til about a minute ago, I was crying in my husband's lap. The story of Kyra is heartbreaking and terrifying and all to real and similar to the lives of those I knew when I was Mormon. The lies, the manipulations, the pain- all used to keep the innocent and ignorant sheep. It was so painful to read and the hope in your heart for young Kyra hurts.
Possible Spoilers
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
The ending broke my heart. I have just finished crying.


View all my reviews

My NaNoWriMo characters as I see them in my nerdy head :)

My NaNo is called Among the Thorns at the moment and here is who I picture in my head when the characters are talking to me :)

Henrik Engel


Isolde Hanke


Emmanuel Roth


Rivqah Roth


Yelena Basio


Josef, the soldier


Henrik's dad, Dr. Asa Engel


Henrik's mom, Nydia Engel


Zafi Grey, Isolde's Nursemaid


Isolde's father, Commandant Hanke

BOOK NERD ALERT!

 

Check out the sales over at BN!

 

I found the Hunger Games Trilogy for 15 bucks!

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!