Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I should hate this book. It has a plot based around relationships of a particularly fluffy and cutsey nature, it was predictable, cliched, over-dramatic BUT I LOVED IT!!!!! In fact even while reading, I was thinking to myself, 'I shouldn't like this. This is just the sort of book I try to stay away from' but there was just something so charming about the whole thing, that I just couldn't help myself. I freely admit it. Me, who usually hates anything overly sentimental and tacky (not that this was tacky in any way.)

This book reminds me of those girls you used to know in school. You know the ones. Not only were they popular, beautiful, intelligent, athletic, they had to be just so gosh darned nice. No matter how hard you tried, no matter how much you wanted to, you just couldn't hate them. Not that I wanted to hate this, but you know what I mean. It didn't matter that the revelations, betrayals and drama were glaringly obvious, Perkins managed through her approachable writing style and witty characters, to make it impossible to resist. I couldn't hate it even if I wanted to. Like a snuggly duvet, I dove in and let it wrap it's soft cuddleyness around me.

Even the constant to-ing and fro-ing, will they/won't they, Ross 'n' Rachelness of the relationship I enjoyed the most, that butterfly in the tummy feeling of waiting for the moment that you hope will come, that you hope will be amazing and worth it and be everything you wanted it to be.

The plot? well ok there wasn't much of one beyond the growing closeness between the two leads, but what there is in the way of distractions compliment the story. I found myself being drawn more to Anna and Etiene's backstories, how each had found themselves in a school for American kids that just happened to be in France, romance capital of the world. Speaking of France, the way the author described Paris actually made me want to pack my bags and leave immediately. In fact sod the bag. And I don't even really like France (too many trips as a child). Her Paris was quaint, charming, oozing in elegance but above all beautiful.

A few gripes remain though. Etiene's 'Briticisms' threatened to distract me from the story on a few occasions, but being written for an American audience, it is understandable that the author would play up the 'Englishness', but still, I know that pissed means drunk. I haven't read a lot of UK YA authors, but I'm not sure there would be quite so many 'buggers', 'sods' and 'wankers' and I honestly didn't realise that American girls loved Brit boys so much. Is that actually true? Other than that there was little to displease.

So, yeah it was girly and smulchy and romantic, but sometimes that's just what we need, to believe in fairytale romances, that relationships that seem to good to be true could really exist. Why? for the simple reason that they ignite that glowy place in our tummies that makes us feel happy and ok with the world. And we know that these kinds of stories aren't real, but where's the harm in a little day-dreaming? So the drama is heightened and the scenarios are unrealistic? This book made me feel all warm and fluffy in my cold stone heart that is allergic to romance of the gag-worthy kind. And there is a little part of me that hopes that maybe, somewhere out there, there are people experiencing something like this. I even might envy them a little bit...but not much XD

The only reason it got 4 stars instead of 5, was that though they didn't get in the way of my overall enjoyment, there really were a lot of cliches!!! But that's what made it so much fun!!

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The Pledge by Kimberly Derting
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I do so like being surprised. I have been buried under an abundance of sub par literature and books that can be summed up by one simple sound...meh!!! So imagine when my joy when I began reading this, when slowly and steadily it began drawing me in. It took a little while, but soon the well formed, fleshed out characters and intriguing story had me hooked.

I will admit, I wondered at the idea of this being a mix of both Fantasy and Dystopia. In all honesty this is more of the latter, the only hint of fantasy coming from a few brief displays of magic, and an antiquated culture missing the gleam, polish and advancement of many books boasting to be Dystopia. It was really rather refreshing. No futuristic pomp, just good old fashioned story telling.

The romance got dangerously close to tumbling off the edge and plunging into the realms of cheesiness, but thankfully kept it's balance and remained the right side of classy. There were characters you could believe in and get behind, with an all important strong female lead that carried the plot well.

All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable read >.

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Book Cover Reviews Part 1/ Always Judge A Book by It's Cover #2


So this is me pulling practically every book off my shelf and saying 'ooh look, isn't it pretty.'  Seriously I think I say pretty a gazillion times!!! Which isn't irriating at all and doesn't make me sound like a moron with the vocabulary of a squirrel...



Part 2 in my Book Cover Adenture (me trying to make it sound more interesting...and failing!!) will be up shortly!!

S'laters

Always Judge A Book By It's Cover

Hello, and welcome to the first edition of *see above for feature title*.  Yes I am actually posting something on my blog that hasn't been pilfered from Goodreads or Youtube. This is 100% original and is a celebration of my first follower, the dude that is Theta Sigma!!!

So, on to the thing that this feature is about...and stuff.  I have a cunning plan that every now and then I am going to highlight some of the best (in my opinion, which is usually correct >.<) and worst book covers floating about out there in the big bookish void.

Now, if we are all really, really, REALLY honest with ourselves, we will admit that no-one actually agrees with the expression 'never judge a book by it's cover', because quite frankly, it's stupid.  Here's why. If you walk into your local bookshop and are faced with two books.  One looks like it's been drawn by a blind two year old with no hands, and the other is a beautifully exquisite masterpiece that by rights, should be hanging in a snooty gallery somewhere as a work of ART...which one are you going to pick up?!!! If you chose the toddler fodder, then WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!!! I still don't get how publishers can shove some naff head shot of a person too ugly to be a proper model, on to a book and expect it to sell.  Glancing at my own bookcase *glances at bookcase* there is not one fugly cover present.  Therefore, I willing throw up my hands and say with pride, 'I like books with pretty covers!!!!' That doesn't make me a bad person...slightly superficial, but not bad.

Now I couldn't start and not begin with featuring the incredible and delectable 'Theatre Illuminata' series by Lisa Mantchev. I think I shall let the books speak for themselves...



Oooh yeah, that's the stuff!!! hmmmm, soooo pretty!!!!...Sorry, zoned out a bit there. When exposed to vast amounts of prettiness I go to my happy place, but I'm back now.

Now, if you fail to see the beauty in these incredible images then go away as there is no point in reading this blog if you cannot appreciate wonders such as these!!!! If however you see them for the sumptuously breathtaking marvels that they are, then you may stay >.< (I am of course joking, everyone is entitled to their opinions...even if they are wrong :-P )

The guy responsible for them is Jason Chan. And I hate him. Not in that 'I want to stamp on his foot, kick him the shin and throw books at him', kind of way.  More in the 'I want the superhero power of being able to suck the talent out of annoyingly talented people' kind of way. So yeah, it's basically a simple case of  jealously on an epic scale. I mean LOOK AT THEM!!! The amount of detail is insane and the levels of whimsy are through the roof.  I can't not look at the fairies and melt with pleasure. Then there's the lace-work on that dress? OMFG!!! And I would give my left arm for the ability to use light like he does. *wistful sigh* oh well, I shall just have to be content being able to upon them!! Go check his website (click his name above).

And the BESTEST part?  The books themselves are just as fantastic.  Here's a perfect example of when a book cover accurately represents the glories of the tale that lie within. Lisa Mantchev is a true master of her craft and can paint pictures with words just as well as Jason Chan can paint pictures with fake paints that live inside your computer.  Look out for a video review of The Theatre Illuminata series coming soon (hopefully!!!)

In conclusion, these are the covers to which I measure all others, so it seems only fitting that I give them 5 Bertie's out of 5!!!

 GO READ THEM NOW!!! >.< click the covers to go to Lisa Mantchev's website!!!