KEEP CALM AND LOVE BOOKS: boarding school

Pages: 372 pages

Publication Date: December 2nd 2010

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

ISBN: 0525423273

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. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne 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?

Now, What I thought:

This book was a sweet and light read. It was really fun following Anna through her new journey in Paris. When she first arrives we are already introduced to some pretty bomb ass characters and the storyline is just so adorable. I will admit that Anna can be a bit thick headed sometimes. She really needed to sort out her priorities over guys and especially Etienne. Etienne was another one that I got annoyed with quickly. Sure, he's this hot, young, french speaking guy but come on.

So the whole big drama was that Anna really liked Etienne but there was no way he would ever see her as more than a friend because a. she's not that pretty and b. he has this beautiful mature girlfriend. Well let me tell you guys something, Anna is in fact gorgeous and many men make a point of looking at her in the streets. Also, Etienne's girlfriend is also a bitch. Everyone within 10 miles can see they're having problems with their relationship. The book was cute for what it was but just a little warning: don't read into it too much. I went in thinking it was going to be this deep story about finding yourself and love as well, in the depth of France but it really wasn't.

I am in no means saying I did not like this book, I am just pointing this out because I don't want people to become disappointed in this novel when in fact it was very well written and rather adorable and fun. Also, the cover is just impeccable. I am so having cover envy right now because I am definitely one of those people that will pick up a book if it's cover is beautiful.

All in all, I did enjoy it, but again, as a light, fun and summer read when you have nothing going on or are reading at the moment. Perkins did do a good job with it and I did like the love story ultimately because it was a very satisfying ending for the book.

adorable - 9:03:00 PM

Anna and the French Kiss (Anna and the French Kiss #1) by Stephanie Perkins | Review

Pages: 372 pages Publication Date: December 2nd 2010 Publisher: Dutton Juvenile ISBN: 0525423273 Anna is looking forward to ...

Pages: 401 pages

Publication Date: February 12th 2013 by Razorbill / Penguin Group

ISBN: 159514319X (ISBN13: 9781595143198)

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. Alchemists protect vampire secrets - and human lives.

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she struggles to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do.

Then she finally tracks down the elusive, enigmatic Marcus Finch - a former Alchemist who the organization denies exists, and who lives in shadows, on the run. With Marcus's help, Sydney realizes that the group she's been loyal to her whole life has been hiding the truth from her. Is it possible that her golden lily tattoo might have more power over her than she thinks?

As she struggles to come to terms with what that might mean, Sydney is compelled to use her magical powers to track down an evil magic user who is targeting powerful young witches. Using magic goes against everything she always thought she believed, but she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her special blood - or else she might be next.

Forging her own way is harder than Sydney ever dreamed. Maybe by turning off her brain - and following her heart - she'll be able to finally figure out where she belongs.

Now, What I Thought:

This book was hot hot hot! The connection between Sydney and Adrian is just inevitable. I do feel for Sydney though, she has to go against all of her instincts that have been drilled into her head since childhood. Besides the romance in this book, we get a lot of action! Sydney finally finds the infamous Marcus Finch who managed to escape the Alchemists and do something spectacular to his tattoo. I liked that we got to learn a lot about the golden lily tattoo's in this novel and their history, Mead really focused on the implications if the tattoo was to used on you. It's almost like brainwash in a way and I have a suspicious feeling that is what is going to happen to Sydney's sister, Zoe.

This book really is just about the struggle Sydney has mentally about whether to follow her instinct, that may be wrong, or her heart. The problem is that she has so much other crap to deal with, her newfound magic, protecting Jill, dealing with Angeline, and especially the lies that the Alchemists have been telling her. She doesn't know who to trust expect the Moroi, whom she had been brainwashed into not trusting... basically it's a huge mess in Sydney's life and she's close to exploding. I honestly wouldn't blame her if she did.

The big 'bad' in this book is some person tracking and killing young witches across the US. So, of course Sydney and Adrian go on little, adorable trips to all of these places to figure out who and why this is happening. Unfortunately, they do lose some witches but the culprit is revealed and Sydney finds herself fighting to the death with them. It's an amazing scene and an amazing way to end the book. I still have so many questions that need to be answered but I guess I can wait till the next book :(.

This was a pretty good novel and it seems to be going in the same direction as Vampire Academy, which is nice because that series was awesome!

alchemists - 5:04:00 PM

The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3) by Richelle Mead | Review

Pages: 401 pages Publication Date: February 12th 2013 by Razorbill / Penguin Group ISBN: 159514319X (ISBN13: 9781595143198 ) ...

Pages: 421 pages

Publication Date: August 23rd 2011 by Penguin Group

ISBN: 1595143173 (ISBN13: 9781595143174)

I wasn't free of my past, not yet.

Sydney's blood is special. That's because she's an alchemist - one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives. But the last encounter Sydney had with vampires got her in deep trouble with the other alchemists. And now with her allegiences in question, her future is on the line.

When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir - the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir - is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill's guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the unlikeliest of places: a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one.

The Moroi court believe Jill and Sydney will be safe at Amberwood Prep, but threats, distractions, and forbidden romance lurk both outside - and within - the school grounds. Now that they're in hiding, the drama is only just beginning.

Now, What I Thought:

Here we are, back again in the wonderful world Richelle Mead created. This book started off right on Sydney Sage at home being awakened by her alchemist bosses. Sydney's home life is a rough one, to say the least. Her father is horrible to her, he treats them like crap, and her sister is just so annoying. Zoe wants to do anything to make her dad proud, even if that means going on a mission that'll most likely get her killed, when she's only 15 years old. Of course, Sydney sees how obscure this is, and offers herself considering she knows more about the Moroi and Strigoi from her little escapade with Rose and Dimitri in Blood Promises and Last Sacrifice. Well, you can understand how upset Zoe was and accused Sydney of wanting all the glory to herself, yeah.. not really. What a brat.

Anyways, flip forward a couple chapters and Sydney is back with the gang!!! Sydney, along with an annoying 'supervisor/partner' Keith Darnell, the golden boy of the alchemists. She meets up with Rose, Dimitri, Adrian, Eddie, Jill, and weirdly enough, Abe Mazur, Rose's father and someone Sydney has clearly met and made a deal with before, -gasp- mystery. Sydney and Jill move to Amberwood Prep to protect the newly found royalty, Jill, after many suspicious attacks made on her life.

This novel was super juicy and totally fun to read. It never once got boring and I flew through it in one sitting. Adrian is a huge character in this series, which I'm glad for considering he didn't really get much in Vampire Academy. The others do make appearances once in a while but the book is solely about Sydney and her new life hiding out with Jill, Keith and Adrian. While, this book was pretty predictable, it did have its twists and surprises later on in the book and in the whole series. Adrian's lines were hilarious of course, so we still had the humour. Sydney's P.O.V was definitely different from Roses. Sydney's would be smarter, critical and more serious while Rose's was funny, witty, and sarcastic. Aside from that, this book was pretty darn great! I had fun reading it and definitely reading the rest of the series.

alchemists - 2:45:00 PM

Bloodlines (Bloodlines #1) by Richelle Mead | Review

Pages: 421 pages Publication Date: August 23rd 2011 by Penguin Group ISBN: 1595143173 (ISBN13: 9781595143174 ) I wasn't ...

amazing - 11:52:00 PM

United We Spy (Gallagher Girls #6) by Ally Carter | Review

Pages: 296 pages Publication Date: September 17th 2013 by Disney-Hyperion ISBN: 1423165993 (ISBN13: 9781423165996 ) Cammie M...

Type: ebook,

Pages: 60 pages

Publication Date: January 22nd 2013 by Disney Hyperion

ISBN: 1423187474 (ISBN13: 9781423187479)

Macey McHenry—Glamorous society girl or spy-in-training?

W.W. Hale V—Heir to an American dynasty or master thief?

There are two sides to every coin. Whether these two can work together is a tossup.

Born into privilege, Macey and Hale are experts at mingling with the upper class. But even if they’ve never raised an eyebrow at the glitz, neither teenager has ever felt at home with the glamour.

When Macey and Hale meet at a society gala, the party takes a dangerous turn. Suddenly they’re at the center of a hostage situation, and it’s up to them to stop the thugs from becoming hostile. Will Macey’s spy skills and Hale’s con-man ways be enough to outsmart a ruthless gang? Or will they have to seek out the ultimate inside girl to help?

The worlds of Heist Society and the Gallagher Girls collide in Ally Carter’s fast-paced, high-stakes and tantalizing new story. Get a behind the scenes glimpse as Ally delivers an irresistible thriller that is full of her signature style and savvy twists.

Now, What I Thought:

Can we all just take a minute to appreciate and FREAK OUT ABOUT HOW INCREDIBLE THIS SHORT BOOK/STORY WAS!!?!?!?!?

Holy--excuse my language-- shit! Out of all books in this Gallagher Girls/ Heist Society series, this was by far the best book yet! I mean sure, it only contains Macey and Abby but still! I am someone who, did indeed, read Heist Society and PHEWWW did i lovvveeeee Hale.. so you can understand my excitement towards Macey and Hale in this book!

In this book, I sorta hated the fact that Hale was with Kat and Macey with Preston because I wanted Hale and Macey to get together in this one! and yes I know that it would mess everything up in future books but it would've been nice. Ally Carter, you are a genius! this was probably the best idea you could've done ever! 5 FREAKNIG AMAZING stars!!!

amazing - 11:39:00 PM

Double Crossed: A Spies and Thieves Story (Heist Society #2.5) by Ally Carter | Review

Type: ebook , Pages: 60 pages Publication Date: January 22nd 2013 by Disney Hyperion ISBN: 1423187474 (ISBN13: 9781423187479 )...

acrobatics - 11:35:00 PM

Out of Sight, Out of Time (Gallagher Girls #5) by Ally Carter | Review

Pages: 294 pages Publication Date: March 13th 2012 by Hyperion Book CH ISBN: 1423147947 (ISBN13: 9781423147947 )\ The last t...

amazing - 11:30:00 PM

Only the Good Spy Young (Gallagher Girls #4) by Ally Carter | Review

Pages: 265 pages Publication Date: June 29th 2010 by Hyperion Book CH ISBN: 1423128206 (ISBN13: 9781423128205 ) When Cammie ...

amazing - 11:24:00 PM

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (Gallagher Girls #2) by Ally Carter | Review

Pages: 236 pages Publication Date: October 2nd 2007 by Disney-Hyperion ISBN: 1423100050 (ISBN13: 9781423100058 ) Cammie Morg...

assassin - 11:19:00 PM

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You (Gallagher Girls #1) by Ally Carter | Review

Pages: 284 pages Publication Date: April 25th 2006 by Disney-Hyperion ISBN: 1423100034 (ISBN13: 9781423100034 ) Cammie Morgan...

Pages: 308 pages

Publication Date: February 26th 2013 by Walker Books for Young Readers

ISBN: 0802733905 (ISBN13: 9780802733900)

Which is more dangerous: being an international spy... or surviving high school?

Maggie Silver has never minded her unusual life. Cracking safes for the world's premier spy organization and traveling the world with her insanely cool parents definitely beat high school and the accompanying cliques, bad lunches, and frustratingly simple locker combinations. (If it's three digits, why bother locking it at all?)

But when Maggie and her parents are sent to New York City for her first solo assignment, her world is transformed. Suddenly, she's attending a private school with hundreds of "mean girl" wannabes, trying to avoid the temptation to hack the school's elementary security system, and working to befriend the aggravatingly cute son of a potential national security threat... all while trying not to blow her cover.

Now, What I Thought:

This book was surprisingly well written! I didn't think I would ever like a book as much as Ally Carter's, Gallagher Girls. But this definitely shocked me at how much I enjoyed reading this. Just like in the summary, Maggie Silver is a 16 year old safe cracker. One of the bests actually. She's the daughter of 2 infamous spies, that being said, her parents suggest a mission to Maggie that their "boss" gave them. To be a normal 16 year old, attend high school and well.. Befriend a boy ;) This is where the 'romance' part of the story begins. I will admit, I didn't actually read this book because of the romantic part of it.

I love spy books ! Which nowadays is sooooo hard! Wanna know why? Cause I'v practically read all of them :(

Back to the storyline. Basically, she goes to high school for the first time and finally sees the boy she's supposed to befriend, Jessie Oliver. A lot of events that even surprised me happens and the end is a big shock! The one who surprised me the most would have to be Jessie. I expected him to be some hot, jerk that wouldn't give the time of day to Maggie. Which I was wrong! He was sweet and nice and actually connected with Maggie.

bad - 11:13:00 PM

Also Known As (Also Known As #1) by Robin Benway | Review

Pages: 308 pages Publication Date: February 26th 2013 by Walker Books for Young Readers ISBN: 0802733905 (ISBN13: 9780802733900 ...

Pages: 310 pages

Publication Date: July 30th 2013 by St. Martin's Griffin

ISBN: 1250017599 (ISBN13: 9781250017598)

In this breathtaking debut that reads like Gossip Girl crossed with Twin Peaks, a Queen Bee at a blue-blooded New England prep school stumbles into a murder mystery.

Anne Dowling practically runs her exclusive academy on New York’s Upper East Side—that is, until she accidentally burns part of it down and gets sent to a prestigious boarding school outside of Boston. Determined to make it back to New York, Anne couldn't care less about making friends at the preppy Wheatley School. That is, until her roommate Isabella’s body is found in the woods behind the school.

When everyone else is oddly silent, Anne becomes determined to uncover the truth no matter how many rules she has to break to do it. With the help of Isabella’s twin brother Anthony, and a cute classmate named Brent, Anne discovers that Isabella wasn’t quite the innocent nerdy girl she pretended to be. But someone will do anything to stop Anne’s snooping in this fast-paced, unputdownable read—even if it means framing her for Isabella’s murder.

Now, What I Thought:

What could I possibly say that can get you guys to understand how much I'm DYING for the next book? Like holy crap! I started this book at 11 pm and finished at 2 am... And I had to get up early the next morning.. This book was impossible to put down, I refused to go to sleep, though I also knew I wouldn't fall asleep because this book is kind of creepy and gets you thinking, you know? It's very much like Twin Peeks (a television show- on Netflix). Kara Taylor even says in the summary that its a crossover between Gossip Girl and Twin Peeks and I will be honest, the Twin Peeks reference is what got me to read the book hehe. During the book, Taylor makes it LOOK obvious who the killer is but then makes you double think it and starts introducing you to another possible suspect..

The story starts off with this sassy, kick ass girl who gets expelled for burning half of her school down. But its not even all her fault and the dumbo that contributed ran away when she called the police, totally unfair in my opinion. Seeing as her father is the biggest lawyer in New York, she's lucky enough to get accepted into this boarding school in Boston. Of course, she hates it and she wishes to go back home, I don't really blame her. I would hate that school too. Her roommate, Isabella, who looks shy and sweet turns up dead a week in. This is where the creepy mystery begins. Speaking about the school, everything in that school just spells trouble! HOLY CRAP!

You get shocked at how much crap this school is hiding, and not to mention how much of it will be revealed in the next book as well. There's STILL a mystery and it has to do with that school and the same old disappearance that happened years before and that everyone just HAPPEN to forget about. It's all so fishy. Like, knowing Taylor and her ways of writing, the "good" characters will probably end up bad and be psychos and the "bad" characters in this book will be portrayed as 'miss understood'. It definitely would not surprise me. Also I would like to say that there is a love triangle and if you have read this book, your probably going for the sweet and clean-cut guy, right? Well me? I prefer she went with the rougher, edgy guy because, HEY, who doesn't love a bad guy ;) I'm only telling you about the love triangle because you hear about these two boys quite a lot. Her mind is in typical teenage girl mode, where most of her thoughts include boys. But I like that! Now, the ending did shock me a bit. I expected the killer to be someone else entirely and what you find out is kind of disturbing to imagine. Be prepared to be shocked!

Anyways, I loved this book so much, I'm actually considering reading it again just for fun. I am definitely counting down the days for the second one!