Sequels can be Disastrous: Lola and the Boy Next Door

I couldn't have asked for much from Stephanie Perkins. Whatever happened to all the legions of Etienne and Anna fans? Why? Why did Perkins have to break up with all of you fans to make that dull sequel. Today the Bookish life has returned after such along time to discuss, no, actually tear apart Lola and the Boy Next door. I read the book long time back. I still hated it to the core. Cricket, Lola, Max and everything in between. Before reading this post, if you haven’t read my review of the Anna and the French Kiss, you should. This is because Anna And the French Kiss was one of the best debut novels (that is after Graceling) I have ever read. It was pure perfection though sometimes clichéd but over all I still believe that it captured every single moment and made all the fiction seem so realistic.   

LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR  by Stephanie Perkins

Lola is a costume girl; she does not believe in fashion at all. Her new years resolution was not to repeat one costume more then twice in a year because life is too short to be the same person. She has a boyfriend who is five years older then her called Max who she thinks is really intelligent and smart. She has plans for the future and wants to be a designer. Lola’s believes her life is perfect until her old neighbor moves right next door. The person she dreaded the most, Cricket Bell.

My Opinion:

I practically worshiped Stephanie Perkins when I read the Anna and the French kiss. I had to give it the title of the best YA Chick-lit. Now, Lola was my next target. I mean obviously, to any person who has ever read any chick-lit, they will forget all of those trashy Meg Cabot’s and Sarrah Dessens and cry over the fact that why they hadn’t read Anna till now. This was like a betrayal. Everything about LOLA was a betrayal. Aren’t the sequels supposed to be even better then the first book? Look at Harry Potter, The Queens Thief series and even The Mortal Instruments. (Not Twilight, it get worse with every single word)

Things I hate about LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR:

Lola: I hate heroines that do two-timings or emotionally cheat with their boyfriends. I hated the fact that she was in a relationship with Max who was a “wrong” guy to be with and that she had to be with him till the last minute to break up with him. This was such a classic chick-lit. My definition before Anna and the French kiss was basically what Perkins wrote in Lola and the Boy Next Door. Lola annoys be to death with all her sparkly costume and her sense of dressing. Not to mention her superior air, lying to parents and her attitude. I felt that she was like those 12 years sisters that many people have. She was a completely un-relatable character, I don’t even see how people gave this 5 or 4 or even 3 stars on Goodreads. The point I will never ever get is: Why did she make such a huge fuss over a guy and still hasn't gotten over it after 2 years? Its pathetic the way she has over-reacted to the whole scenario with just one boy who happened to live next door. By the end of the book, I really don’t see much transformation in her character. Perkins writes that she had changed but where was it? I couldn't even feel so called “I have changed”.

Cricket: Doesn't it make you think of this? 

Lola has had a crush on Him (above) her entire life. What kind of a name is Cricket? Who would anyone want to name their child Cricket? Why?Why?Why? Oh, Perkins! You ruined our trust! Why did Cricket wear striped pants or too short shorts or pointed shoes? It was not cool. Do you hear me Perkins? Not cool at all. Even after reading Anna for the 7^th time I still kind-of believe that if I can go to Paris I will find Anna and Etienne standing in Point Zero in front of Notre Dame. The story seemed that realistic. If I think of Lola and the Boy Next Door I think of their abnormal Crickety names, costumes and pointed-shoes inventors and Moon talking. Yes, you read what I just wrote “Moon Talking”. They sit in their balconies and TALK TO THE MOON. I don’t want to describe it so don’t get me going. Cricket just seemed like a jerk sometimes, not because of what he had done because that wasn’t as bad as Lola made it seem but because of his emotions toward her during the entire book. It freaked me out. He knew that she had a boyfriend, still he stalked her. Ugh. Twilight. *Shudders* 

Max: Yet, another jerk who is even worse then the other. Come on Perkins! We are NOT two year olds. The books is called “Lola and the boy next door” Max is not her neighbor. Its annoys me to death knowing that Lola is with the wrong guy, a.k.a Max when she has to definitely end up with Cricket, the skinny insect! Max has tattoos, does pot, smokes and whatever not. We know that she is with the wrong guy yet still we have to wait until Lola get some sense in her to realize that Cricket is the one!

Anna and Etienne: I am sorry to say this, I really am, but I hated these two the most in the entire book. For those of you who don’t know, they made many appearances through out the book and I despised whenever each one of them was around. They were STUCK LIKE GLUE. Not the song, but literally stuck like India’s best selling glue, Fevicol Super Glue. It was that bad. Whatever magic they had created in Anna and the French Kiss died in an instance. Perkins, why did you suddenly get all so inspired by twilight? Why did you keep repeating Étienne as 'the guy who always followed Anna'?  

 ❤ ❤Me and my beloved copy of Anna
And The French Kiss ❤ ❤   

I had built up such huge expectations for this book after Anna that it just kind of ruined it for me. San Francisco was not like Paris and all the characters just fell apart. I feel bad writing about  Stephanie Perkins like this, I still consider her the best chick-lit writer I have read but that title only lies and will remain forever for Anna and the French kiss. Stephanie Perkins I am still your fan, please do not disappoint me with Ilsa and the Happily Ever After. Please, I am counting on you for the last time.

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The Nonsensical Babbles from Marvah Gorlorwulu: “Who knew you had some Indian in your blood.”

The Nonsensical Babbles from Marvah Gorlorwulu: “Who knew you had some Indian in your blood.”: At LCS, students have required CAS (Creativity Action Service) hours to fulfill every school year. The 10 th grade has to complete 15 hours...of Creativity, Action, and Service each, totaling 45 CAS hours. When I learned about this, I had no idea what I was going to do for Action. I like art and wanted to learn more about photography so I knew that would join one or both of those clubs for Creativity. The service trips would always be available to go on every Wednesday after school so I was good on Service; however, my biggest concern was the Action. Without a track team, I really can’t physically do any other sport. I was never good at basketball, soccer, and volleyball because of my poor hand-eye coordination (or I guess foot-eye coordination in the case of soccer), and I am a horrible swimmer. Not being in the Leadership PE class also would make it difficult to fulfill the fifteen hours of action.

While I was worrying about my dilemma, I became friends with a girl, Sanskriti, who was in a similar situation to my own. We talked about our shared lack of athletic skill many times, trying to think of ways to get our hours done. Then she told me that for her Personal Project, a large project every tenth grader has to do, she had created a Bollywood dance club, Bollywood Fridays, and only had one consistent member; since dancing is considered Action, of course I joined the club! I was a little hesitant at first about joining because I thought that people would find it hilarious that an African-American was doing a Bollywood dance, but everyone was really supportive and in fact found it impressive. Not only did I join the club for Action hours, but also because Sanskriti was and has been really good friend to me, and I thought – and now know – that Bollywood Dancing could be – and is – lots of fun.

We spent four Fridays after school and three extra days at Sanskriti’s house practicing a dance she partially choreographed. The song she chose, “Dheem Ta Dare”, was from a stiff, lifeless dance sequence from a movie, so Sanskriti changed some parts to make the dance feel less like an exercise video and also to make it easier for us less experienced (in my case, no experience) dancers. 

Dheem Ta Dare (the original dance from the motion Thakshak)

Sanskriti (front) trying to teach Anagha (back) and me (middle) a new move

With no background of Indian dance, it was really hard for me to pick up the moves in the beginning. I was stiff and robotic instead of graceful and free like Sanskriti and Anagha, the other member, but I practiced the moves at home for hours after our group practices until I felt more comfortable with them. 

Sanskriti (left) teaching me (right) part of the dance

My improvement from my extra practices even made the teacher whose classroom we used for practices jokingly considered the possibility of some Indian in my blood. Though, the practices were hard work, Sanskriti, Anagha, and I were always joking, laughing, and just generally keeping the mood lighthearted. Bollywood Fridays were the most fun days in Ghana for me so far.

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Sorry Folks...

 I haven’t had time to write anything since I have shifted to Ghana. My lame excuses are as follows:

• When I cam here two months ago, I didn’t have internet
• I got internet three weeks late
• Then I had homework
• Then I had personal project
• And then I had HOMEWORK.

Ah, yes undeniably these list of excuses must be the best ones. So now that we finally have October Break (YES!), I hope to continue writing. The good news is that I haven’t stopped reading at all. In fact I just robbed my school library yesterday and issued at least 6 books. I was hoping for more but I was afraid my bag would rip.

So instead of reviewing books today I thought I could share some really exciting news with you!

Bitterblue: I just got the news today because I didn’t have the time to actually read my favorite authors Kristin Cashore’s blog for a long time. So the cover has apparently just released last week, I feel severely guilty that I couldn’t manage to see it the day it was released. It is really pretty actually better then either its first book Graceling or Fire.

Keys? What do they symbolize, why do they look like weapons and why is one gold, silver and bronze? One year of waiting for the final book has been an a ginormous torture but Kristin Cashore gives the reason why in her blog, “A lot of people have asked me why it took so long for me to finish this book. The answer is simple. It's not because I was distracted; it's not because I wasn't working my ass off; it's simply because Bitterblue is longer and more complicated than the other books I've written, and some books require more time than others. The book decides.”

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The Amber Spyglass

Source:  E-Book

Publisher: Scholastic Point

Age Group: 10 Above

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy/Sci-fi

Pages: 399

In Series:Once upon a Time in The North (Prequel), The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass, Lyra's Oxford (not part of trilogy), The Book of Dust (not part of trilogy)

If you have been following my blog recently, you might have noticed that I have been talking about the His Materials Series a lot. Well, I just finished the third book. You don’t know how disappointed or a better word how depressed I am.

The Amber Spyglass:

Lyra has been kidnapped by her very own mother who has put her to sleep on the tip of the Himalayas in her Lyras own world. The Church is coming to kill her, the small men are coming to get her to her father Lord Azriel and her best friend Will and the faithful King bear Iorek are coming to save her. But while all this is happening Lyra is having dreams straight from the underworld where her dead friend Robert is communicating to her. Now that Will does rescue her, The Subtle Knife has been broken. She cannot break her promise to her dead friend but she has to find a way into the underworld to find some answers and to save all the ghosts residing in the fearful underworld.

Writing Style:

As I mentioned in my review of The Subtle Knife, the plot left us in a very tight positioned cliffhanger, The Amber Spyglass begins exactly where the second book ended. After that it followed different narrative, going from Lyra to Will to Serafina Pekkala to Father Gomez and so on. The Amber Spyglass continues the themes of Loyalty, Love and Good vs Evil. What I like the fact about Pullman is that he adds different mythologies together and scripts from the bible to provide knowledge to his readers. I like the way he makes me think of what I couldn’t possibly imagine before. Is there a god? If so has he died? Am I living in a world with no god? He makes us think out of the box, which is something different for all of us.

My Opinion:

I’ve read many Trilogy’s, but his one by far has to be the one with the worst ending. I am a sucker for happy endings. I hate it when something sad happens. I cant really tell you what happened because it would destroy all the climax. But I can tell you this, the ending is happy in its own way. The ending, just ruined it all for me, really. Each time I think about His dark Materials the ending pops into my mind and ruins all the effect that the author had created for me in the first two novels. Now that I have finally finished the entire Trilogy, I wonder if I will ever read it again. Maybe not because I would have to face this one too.

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The Subtle Knife

Source:  E-BookPublisher: Scholastic PointAge Group: 10 Above

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy/Sci-fi

Pages: 341

In Series:  Once upon a Time in The North (Prequel), The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass, Lyra's Oxford (not part of trilogy), The Book of Dust (not part of trilogy)

Having reviewed it’s The His dark Materials first book The Golden Compass, I waited no more than a few seconds to plunge into Phillip Pullmans widely controversial children’s novel. Having finished reading it just a few seconds ago, I found it even better and better built then the first one.

The Subtle Knife (Fortunately called so by everyone):

After Lyra follows Lord Azriel to another world, she looses track of him from the beginning and continues the journey own her own with her daemon, Pantalaimon and the a compass like object which tells the truth called the Aleithometer. It is not before long that she finds her self another human companion in a world similar to her own called Will Parry. Will Parry is a 12 year old murderer, his mother is instable and his father as been long lost. On his way to Oxford he meets Lyra and together they help each other to reach there quest. Will has to find his father and Lyra had to stop her own from destroying dust. On there journey they land up in a unknown world called Ci'gazze. A world where parasitic type of humans prey on adults but are invisible to children. A very important object lies within here, and they have to find it in order to get back what they have lost.    

Writing Style:

I finally got the entire fuss about the controversy. I had a some idea in the first one but I got the entire blow in this book. You want to know? The series are about killing god or as the book calls, Him “The Authority”. Ah, yes  obviously most people are enraged they blame his thoughts on the fact that he is a atheist, which undeniably he is. They also believe that such teachings should not be shelved in the children section.

I get all the commotion, I am certainly not against Pullman. I think he wonderfully weaves the story in filling it in with metaphors, enthralling sub-plots, cliffhangers, themes including trust- between Lyra and Will which emerged quite quickly enough, Courage- Lyra going into a new world all by her self. I also loved looking out for the symbols (I am not going to rant about religion this time) snakes and cats which were mysteriously placed in so many parts of the book.  Pullman’s superb use of writing and his deep knowledge on both of his created worlds makes him one of the best authors there is.

My Opinion: 

I really liked The Subtle Knife, though I didn’t like the ending at all. I am not a huge fan of cliffhangers; I absolutely loathe them. Evidently it became really clear in the second book that the main conflict was between Lord Azriel and God (along with the protagonist’s mother Mrs. Coulter) which was kind of bleak in the first book.

I really missed Iorek, the bear, who I was growing fond of in the Golden Compass. (From the spoilers I have read he is going to be there in the third book!) I loved the fact that there was a new character called Will Parry who was vividly described and too became one of my favorites. I have only one complaint about the characters and that is I missed the old Lyra entirely. I tried searching for glimpses of her old self but I couldn’t find any. Pullman has tried to make her more mature then she was before to such a extent that not only bothered me but her daemon Pantalaimon too.

I look forward to the third and final book: The Amber Spyglass!

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What Happened to Goodbye

Source:  E-Book

Publisher:  Penguin Young Readers Group

Age Group: 12 above

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary/ Stand Alone Novel

Pages: 402

It took me around three hours reading this book. In the end, was I satisfied? No, not really. I cant see the difference between Dessen’s older works and this.

What Happened to Goodbye By Sarah Dessen:

Each new city means a new persona for McLean. Ever since her mom left her dad for a basketball coach Mclean and her dad have been traveling as a restaurant consultant. When they stop at lakeview, everything around McLean seems to change. She becomes friends with Deb, Opal and Heather and most of all with her neighbor Dave. For the first time in her life, McClean becomes herself not some actress or a girl called Liz. She has a sudden desire to live in Lakeview forever and live a normal life.

Writing Style:

Girl is having problems either socially, in school or in her family. She has to solve it, and did well obviously its Sarrah Dessen so there has to be some hot guy with curly hair in it too.

What makes What Happened to Goodbye so different then Just Listen, The Truth about Forever, Along for the ride, Keeping the Moon? Truthfully the answer is nothing. In Just Listen, Annabel was having social issues with her friends, her sister was anorexic and she had a terrible secret she could tell not one. In Along for the ride, it was the same Auden didn’t make friends easily she was too mature and family wise her dad had left her mom for some other women called Heidi. Keeping The Moon was the same, mom is weird, the girl get even weirder and did I mention friendless?  I can go about describing all Sarrah’s novels, but you might have guessed already. So, all in all there is no point in my ranting.

Sarrah Dessen is not what we call a Maureen Johnson in the YA world. I can write like her if I try, though I believe writing is a skill only acquired when practiced. She has the skill, that everyone has within there inner secret self. She uses easy words, phrases and sentences rarely using literary devices so that teens will easily read and can relate easily. That is why I am not going to complain about her writing because Sarah Dessen doesnt write for the sake of writing, she writes so that teenagers can relate to her characters and learn something from them.

What Happened to Goodbye, we saw the usual. Important themes (that also occur frequently in Dessen novels) like dealing with loss, change, solving problems, maintaining friendship and family relationships are also present. McLean has enough problems with her mother who cheated on her dad, it is that loss that makes her vulnerable, she decides to change her self in every place she goes but when she finally does settle down she realizes that friendship is equally important to family and she cannot loose her new friends like the way she lost her family. Which leads us to another theme, rather the most important one self realization or self discovery.

My Opinion:

I was so anxious to read this book and it was my top priority to read it this year. If you follow my blogs regularly I think I have mentioned my distress in not getting it soon enough. I am making this review late, because I know if I had written it before I would have said it was good. But after waiting long enough, I realize (which I knew that I would) that it was not worth it, the wait, that is.

This book captured me from the start to the end even though I knew what was going to happen, the book was so predictable. I couldn’t let go of it. Besides the same type of writing and story I really enjoyed the fact that Dessen made McLean more realistic then her other characters though the situation in which McLean was quite unrealistic. Mclean had her set of friends and she also had Dave, who proved quite worthy of a companion and gave humor into the story. I read Sarah Dessen for the pure sake of fun but it will not disappoint her fans at all that I am sure of, but from my side I would like to read something of Sarrah Dessen that is original and not like her other nine best sellers that are pretty much more or a less the same.

Also, those who are willing to be first time Sarah Dessen readers should try to read The Truth about forever first. I wouldn't really recommend What happened to goodbye.

  

I would recommend it to a person who hasn’t read much of literature, is a girl, enjoys reading chick-lits and likes a fast read. 

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The Golden Compass

Source:  E-Book

Publisher: Scholastic Point

Age Group: 10 above

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy/Sci-fi

Pages: 399

In Series: Once upon a Time in The North (Prequel),The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass, Lyra's Oxford (not part of trilogy), The Book of Dust (not part of trilogy)

I haven’t seen the movie, though a few years back I do remember seeing the trailer in cartoon network several times. In elementary school I had the wits to pick up fat book (100 pages + at that time meant that you were pure genius) and I do so quite remember picking up “The Northern Lights” and again like I did to every classic smack it down and utter the word rubbish and move away I did the same to The Northern Lights.

Its been five years ever since. I’ve picked it up again but as time as a e-book and the title as The Golden Compass.  The Golden Compass is the books American version and the The Northern Lights is the English Version. The strange thing is that the protagonist, Lyra calls the compass like object an Alethiometer, so what’s the fuss about the different names?

Northern Lights or as the Americans say The Golden Compass:

The Golden Compass takes place in a world similar to our own except that in that world technology is limited to aircraft and the dressing style resembles our Victorian era.

Lyra Belacqua the main protagonist of the story and her daemon, Pantalaimon (A soul which takes shape of any animal in pre-adolescent years and the fixes its shape later on) live in the scholar world of Oxford. During her years in Oxford she secretly learns about Dust from her Uncle Asriel. Dust is a form of elementary particle discovered by her Uncle that  falls from the sky and gets attracted to people (especially adults). The Church or Magisterium  that holds maximum power in Lyra’s world, believes that it may be the physical form of Original Sin.

Children start to disappear in Oxford the word is that Gobblers are taking them. When Lyra senses that they have taken her best friend Rojer, The Master of Jordan College in Oxford is under pressure from the church and turns Lyra over to Mrs. Coulter. Mrs. Coulter is nice and gives Lyra her most attention. Lyra is having the time of her life going to parties and studying with Mrs. Coulter but she misses her friend and his afraid for him. But Lyra knows what is right and long after all she is the owner of the Alethiometer, a device which tells you answers to any questions you seek.

The movie was supposed to be the

'Next Harry Potter' but ultimately 

failed to do well in the box office.

Style of writing:

Reading the first book, I was kind of surprised. I didn’t expect a children’s book to challenge the church and God at all. After researching about it, I found that it had been banned from several countries and that the book had distressed many people. I haven’t found the book insulting in any manner, that may be because I am not that religious neither am I Christian and seriously don’t really think that Pullman is trying to make children anti- Christian. He is just trying to spread the knowledge.

The symbolism of religion or basically Christianity, in this book was so clearly spelled out you didn’t even have to find it. In the end of the book Lord Azriel says he is trying to free humans from sin which in the His Dark Materials Trilogy is caused by dust. In the end he also makes a pathway towards the sky (heaven) so he can seek dust and destroy it to free all mortals from sin. To make things really clear, Pullman also gives his facts through Lord Azriel by reading a passage from the Bible about Original Sin and Adam and Eve. The Magisterium (The Church in Lyra’s world) is the law which is the law that God made to make Humans aware of sin. Lord Azriel is getting rid of sin while Mrs. Coulter tries to the human race by cutting the daemons (souls) of children when they are still sinless so they will be safe from being sinful and they wont have to die because of sin.

My Opinion:

I liked the Golden Compass a lot. Though, it resembles a bit to the Harry Potter world. Harry like Lyra who is a mere child and already has a destiny to follow and complete the only difference is that Lyra is not so encumbered with the responsibilities of the world. The difference between Rowling and Pullman was that His Dark Materials Trilogy was easy to decipher, like we knew that Mrs. Coulter was up to something unlike Harry Potter the readers discover the facts at the same time Harry does. The book was filled with cliff hangers and questions which were left unresolved. I didn’t even wait a second to pick up the second book. So, you better pick up the first one too.

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The Godfather By Mario Puzo

Source: Bought for Rs 80, in Daryaganj, Delhi, India

Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons
Age Group: 14 above, according to maturity
Genre: Crime Novel 

Pages: 446

In series: The Sicilian (by Mario Puzo), The Godfather Returns (by Mike Winegardner), The Godfathers Revenge (by Mike Winegardner )

Well, I have been dying to actually read this book for years. Having seen the movie when I was very little I remember only a few griping scenes and besides that my memory fails me entirely. I bought this book recently on my Daryaganj expedition as you can see from above in only RS 80. Its really cheap for such a well known book, but since it’s fake, it has the right to miss four entire pages. Which is too bad for me because I’ve missed out one the most intense scenes ever.

The Godfather by Mario Puzo:

Don Vito Corleone, ‘The Godfather’, head of one of the most powerful Mafia family in New York is shot by a new contender ‘Solozzo’, for not agreeing to protect his people in drug trafficking. After the Don is shot,  the plot unfolds to the Corleone family and they soon realize its time to change and they have to adapt to the new circumstances and forget there old ways of mafia to protect the family. Sonny, the dons eldest son has too much temper to ever become the don when Sicilian beneath him, he will do anything to get what he wants and will do anything to protect his love ones. After Michael shoots Sollozo and a Police captain to death, the powerful mafia families break down and start a full fledged war.

Style of Writing:

The only person I remember in The Godfather
is Marlon Brandon, I do not even remember
 Al Pacino.

Providing depth to each character and the history of the event behind it The Godfather is written in third person narration with different point of views. The first page of the book starts with sub plots and slowly weaves it self to the main plot. Occasionally, after a few chapters, characters like Johnny Fontane the Godson of the Godfather plays a role of his ineptness to his stardom, Lucy Mancini the mistress of the Godfathers first son Sonny spies for the Corleone family in Vegas and the “unholy demon” Luca Brasi. I loved the fact Mario Puzo wasn’t an unreliable narrator he had such a neutral style of writing he didn’t have favourites he just kept on writing with a flow and left us to consider what was right or wrong. Mario Puzo also makes the Italian families authentic by adding words such as 'Consigliere’ and stories the Dons childhoods friends in Sicily. One of my most favourite parts starts right in the middle in which Mr. Mario Puzo describes the back story. The formation of the Corleone family and the struggles faced by Vito Corelone to reign over his neighbourhood by using his intelligence and having to murder. Though this back story wasn’t so relevant at the time of the situation at hand it was beautifully written to trace the origins of the Don Vito Corelone and how the events took place for him to become from a nobody to the Godfather.

My Opinion:

I am not going to brag about how much I loved it and how fantastic it was, like I do to the most books I like. The Godfather doesn't deserve such small bleak words. It’s a master piece, wonderfully crafted and its own sole individual legion. It’s a crime to compare it. The godfather is one of those books you cant let go till you have finished the ending. Its captivating and thrilling all the way to the end. It’s a book you can read over and over again and learn something new from the way of writing or other information about the characters that you missed out before. Its defiantly my favorite, its high time I re-read it again (although its almost been only two days since I finished it) and its about time you grabbed it too.

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Anna And The French Kiss

Source:  E-Book
Publisher: Dutton 
Age Group: Yong Adult – 12 Above
Pages: 372
Genre: Young Adult Romance
In Series: Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door (To-Be-Released), Isla and the Happily Ever After (TBR) 

Reading the title name, a primary school kid may go like, Eww! It had the word Kiss In IT!! A normal teenager boy doesn't pay a damn, a parent may ask her teenage already swooned daughter if the book is according to her age. 

When I came across it, I didn’t think much about it. All I knew was that this book was very much hyped about in the blogosphere world and that Mr. John Green, author of Looking for Alaska and Maureen Johnson, author of The 13 Little Blue Envelopes was fanatic over it. If Mr. John Green and Maureen Johnson liked it so much, it had to be good. Really Good.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna’s family isn’t perfect and she is severely flawed. But just as things are becoming better then before, her dad ships her off to a boarding school in Paris. Of course she doesn’t want to go, she’ll have let go of her life in Atlanta, her best friend, her almost-to-be-boyfriend, her seven year old brother and her mom. Anna doesn’t sulk in Paris for long, she quickly becomes friends with a popular group of teenagers and most importantly with an unavailable boy called Etienne St. Clair. 

Style of writing:

The thing that attracted me to Anna and the French kiss beside the two main characters was the writing.

Check this out: “I mean, really. Who sends their kid to boarding school? It's so Hogwarts. Only mine doesn't have cute boy wizards or magic candy or flying lessons.”

The writing is my favourite aspect towards the book. Its ridiculously funny, its written perfectly, the timings are great and WOW, for a debut author Stephanie Perkins can write, she surely does know her stuff.

Stephanie Perkins has a thing for colorful streaks,

anyone noticed? Anna with white, Lola with purple

and the writer herself with blue. I know this is irrelevant.

But I love it!

Stephanie Perkins writes in such manner that the characters make the book itself and not the author. Anna and Etienne scream out REAL!! because Perkins has written in such a detailed manner you just want to fall into them and do whatever fun they do in boarding school.

To say the truth, this book isn’t a ground breaking novel and the story really isn’t really original. I mean almost all love stories are as such aren’t they? A girl and a boy who is taken by another girls but eventually the two love birds come together. Then why do I love this book so much? The true fact is that, I can see so many imperfections in it but I don’t want to see them at all. The characters are heavily flawed and are showed in such a teenage way. Anna and her friends are so true and honest you believe in there story entirely because it can be real. This story can be my best friends story. Who knows?

My Opinion:

“WOW! Wow !WoW! Did I mention WOW? I can re-read it again and again and again. WOOWWW!!!!”

Its ridiculously funny to see my so giddy and so badly hyped about a book I read a month back. I had to wait an entire month before reviewing it to you so I wont sound like any other hysterical teenager. Well, the wait was quite wrong because while writing this I feel more then hysteria.

I am DYING! I need this book NOW!

One of the saddest things that crossed my mind was “I’ve lived in Paris (I was only 1 year old) and I haven’t enjoyed it like Anna! The city is so beautifully described I was equally swooned by Paris then I was by St. Etienne. Although, the city is described in a clichéd manner it’s some amazing description for a person (aka Perkins ) who hasn’t even been to France.

And now to the romantic bit, I loved the two characters Anna and Eitenne (I've mentioned it before, sorry but I cant help it). I adore the fact that Etienne wasn’t great amazing and perfect. He was even more flawed then Anna herself. He was scared about leaving the past and making new decisions, he was afraid to get hurt and was much more confused then anyone in the book maybe save Josh. Another thing was he was really short, even shorter then Anna (Where do you see that?!) and definitely not your average ‘6 foot above guy who think you smell in you biology class and follow you around obsessively 24/7’ types. Etienne relied on Anna because they were best friends.

Its romantic, yes of course but other very important themes like individuality, confrontations, family, loyalty as such. The book is about  leaving you home facing a new world, confronting things and most of all growing up. I really look forward to reading more of Perkins and her next book is coming out September 29 2011. I hear Anna and St. Clair are going to be in it too!     

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Sorry,The End and Pottermore

Now that I have finished writing about my friends and their favorite books. I would like to say sorry for taking so long (over then month). I have enjoyed writing about my friends who I dearly miss. I believe it was an excellent idea and it did help to reduce my pathetic non-reading state.

That brings The End to the My-Friends-And Their-Favorite-Books. Thank you for sticking up to me all these years, Aaryama Somayaji, Meetakshi Behal, Moumuksha Tyagi, Sneha Nanavati and Vidhi Sharma. And to my brother Cambodge Bist too :D 

Additional, news that I have for you is about Pottermore. I have been waiting for this website ever since it was officially announced. JK Rowling has made a computer gaming, social networking and as well as a online store.

Keep viewing The Bookish Life for more book reviews and news.

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Harry Potter Obsession

Harry Potter has been my life for so many years. To be accurate its been my secret second life. I have destroyed a basilisk, I have had detention with Ron Weasley, used Hermoine’s wand and have suffered Dolores Umbridges. I wish my famous second life was real. The truth is I waited an entire summer for That Letter. If you are a fan you know what I am talking about. Yes, the very same, application to enter Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Despite meeting, He-Who-Cannot-Be-Named several times, I still haven’t got that letter. If you ever read this Headmistress: I need time to show my magical abilities to you, if you agree can 15 year olds join Hogwarts too? I don’t think I can give the OWLS straight away so I’d like to start from scratch and line up with the first years.  Thanking you, your biggest fan, Sanskriti Bist

McGonagall won’t ever read this so my mind tells me but the heart says to give her time and to practice on my hidden magical skills. Accio would be so useful if only I could transform my pen into a wand.  

My Recent Self-Discovery: (or as Kung Foo Panda says it “Inner Peace”)

I realized HP inner peace- it took me 3
weeks, though it took Master Shifu
years!

Before writing this post I thought to write about all the Harry Potter Books, I am glad that I changed my mind.  Harry Potter does not need to reviewed upon such is its power. It took me three weeks to realize its potential (during the period you might have noted my absence). I was thinking. Thinking over and over again. Truthfully I also reviewed up till book three and even asked Vidhi Sharma her opinion about each book. I was serious, determined but a small part of me remained dubious. Therefore, I thought to write about most of my history and what Harry Potter means to me.

Timeline:

Our generation is called the Harry Potter Generation. We grew up with it. Ever since I was little I read about it in magazines, I remember my brother reading a really fat book I use to look at with terrifying eyes (100 pages was world record at that time), I also remember my first grade friend telling me some Danielle Radcliff gossip and watching the first movie in French because my brother was very excited about it he didn’t care about the language.   

I read the book with the very same cover
8 years ago.

Since I am me, I have to be opposite to what everyone thinks. You may as well throw tomatoes and eggs at me now for saying this (you would be sane too) but I hated Harry Potter.  Hate is not a word sufficient to illustrate my emotions at that time. I despised it as much as I despise Twilight now. (Though I know I will hate twilight forever unlike Harry Potter) But the least you can do is empathize with me; I was only Seven years old. Can you imagine that, a seven year old Sanskriti Bist reading Harry Potter because her brother was so eager to make her read it? Truthfully, you can’t because you weren’t there and you didn’t know my brother at that time. As stupid as any seven years old can be I left Harry Potter at its second last chapter and vowed to never read it again. In my mind, I shelved it has rubbish and never to be read pile and I-will-Personally-Kill-You-If-You-read-Harry-Potter-Ever-Again. I was much more mature at that time. I remember saying, how can you believe in such things, there aren’t such things as witches moreover a school filled with them!  You see I was sensible but I loathed things that didn’t resemble my world because I lacked imagination.

But then eventually my seven year old mind ceased to an exit and a new character was born. This character was nine years old, bright, full of imagination and a die heart Harry Potter fan. Yes that was me. Could that dull seven year old Saskriti see that her 12 year old self would be kicked out of a store for reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows the day it was released for secretly reading behind a bookshelf because she didn’t have enough pocket money to buy it? Could she ever imagine that her future 14 year self would go to see the seventh movie with the book (and if allowed with Harry Potter apparel)? No she couldn’t. She was a lousy bookworm who believed in facts. She didn’t know that that precise knowledge had some day came from what we call imagination.

The shop in Geneva, Switzerland that kicked me out. It is unfair because my brother read  the entire Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince from the same place and they didn't even kick him. 

Now Finally, Harry Potter…

Besides learning about how to produce a Patronous, Harry Potter has taught more then I could have learnt otherwise. First of all JK Rowling has given me magical characters and a beautiful world but most of all she has given me the magic of words. She’s shown me that I can express myself through my words magically. Did you know how many times she was rejected by major Publishers? 12. “Perseverance is the key.” These are the words that come into my mind every time I sit down and read any Harry Potter. You need to try hard to get what you want to achieve.

Pure-bloods, half bloods, mud bloods. All these are being discriminated along with bests such as Centaurs, Goblins and House- Elves. Looking at this issue carefully, Rowling uses these mythical creatures as her way of showing what is happening in today’s world. There is a constant racial, political and sexual difference among our people. She just shows, that it’s not what you are but it’s because what you do, that makes you so different and special.

There is a constant message of love and how important family is our lives. How much we try to deny it comes to us in the end when we need it the most.

How much I crave for a wand!

The power of the mind is also a valuable teaching I have received from Harry Potter. I know everyday I crave for a wand. With a flick I wouldn’t even have to wake up. I could get all my things while just lying around.  But doing that would take a mind, I would have to memorize the spell, see how it is pronounced and whether to wave the wand of jerk the wand. Its would take a brain to do that and most importantly my choice in the action. Without mind power we have no opinions and we wouldn’t even defend the things crave for.  

Harry Potter has changed lives of millions of children and teenagers all over the world. While researching I found a website called http://www.dearmrPotter.org/ it shows the account of children and how Harry became friends of the friendless, how two sisters became close and how it became a thing worth living for.

War on: Harry Potter and Twilight

I don’t get why there is even a war between them in the first place. Isn’t it obvious that JK Rowling is the better author and has a better story with a good plot. I am officially sick of dissing about twilight. Its about time you twilighters actually read Harry Potter, we’ll see where you stand then. The words below are placed wonderfully by Stephen King:

"Harry Potter teaches you how to face your fears, how to grow, how to become independent, how to accept who you are. Twilight teaches you how important it is to have a boyfriend."

In the end, I like to say thank you to JK Rowling who has changed my way of thinking. Shown me a life that says Imagine... Because it’s worth it in the end. To the boy who lived, you’re just not a book your much more then that. I’ve always believed in you and will for the rest of my life.

  

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