Wishing on this Wednesday…

Wishlist Wednesday is a book meme hosted by Pen to Paper Blog (a bookish blog you should totally check out) sharing books that you absolutely can’t wait to add to your shelf!
This month has been full of some really amazing releases so far. Like, there’s so many I’m completely lost on where to start on which one I want MOST. Curses!
But I think what I’m wishing on the most is . . .

ABOUT THIS BOOK: In his follow-up to the New York Times bestselling Every Day, David Levithan, co-author of bestsellers Will Grayson, Will Grayson and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, tells the based-on-true-events story of Harry and Craig, two 17-year-olds who are about to take part in a 32-hour marathon of kissing to set a new Guinness World Record—all of which is narrated by a Greek Chorus of the generation of gay men lost to AIDS. While the two increasingly dehydrated and sleep-deprived boys are locking lips, they become a focal point in the lives of other teen boys dealing with languishing long-term relationships, coming out, navigating gender identity, and falling deeper into the digital rabbit hole of gay hookup sites—all while the kissing former couple tries to figure out their own feelings for each other.

I actually won this early September courtesy of Random House’s Random Buzzers (though I have yet to receive it.) At first, while the story sounded absolutely adorable, I never really been interested in it. But somehow, I found myself navigating my way through a ton of David Levithan books lately (Nick and Nora’s Ultimate Playlist; Everyday; Will Grayson, Will Grayson etc. etc.) I didn’t really notice Two Boys Kissing was among them, and I somehow managed to completely brushed past it. I never actually read any direct LGBT books on my shelf, so I’m really ecstatic to add this on to my collection. Just the story itself and what it’s based on sounds inspiring and sweet-hearted, and I can’t wait to read either!

What’s on your wishlist this Wednesday? Love to here them. (: Share in comments? Thank you!

why not to get crazy about fanart (fan art features!)

Um. There absolutely NO reasons not to get crazy about fanart. It’s one thing to see a movie, it’s one thing to read a book, but it’s another seeing the thing you go bonkers over portrayed in a completely new light thanks to other’s mad artsy skills! So, here, I’m going to feature fanart of The Hunger Games and Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell! (A little warning: Some of the pieces featured are mildly spoilerish if you never read the book.)

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell!

*

The Hunger Games by Suzane Collins!

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

book review: lola and the boy next door by stephanie perkins!

I loved Anna the French Kiss. For me, lately, it has been the epitome of YA contemporaryish romances. There’s Paris, there’s love, a hot (dare I say British?) boy—okay, okay you get the point. I never wanted that story to end because there just seemed to be so much more to tell between St. Clair and Anna (it was too cute to deny its adorableness!) So in the bookstore, as luck would have it, I saw Lola and the Boy Next Door and grabbed it up IMMEDIATELY. YES.
Can I be honest and say I wasn’t expecting to like this? (Honest fact: I grabbed it because the fact it was a Perkins novel. That’s it.) I wasn’t at all appealed by the storyline. I knew I’d hate myself for this, but I knew I’d be bound to compare the ohmygosh amazingness of Anna and St. Clair’s story to Lola and Cricket (plus, with ‘Anna’ being set in Paris, I was kind of more veered on that one.) Like, most people came up to me to actually point out the predictableness of the storyline within its title. (“Really, Brianna? Lola and the Boy Next Door? LOLA. AND THE BOY. NEXT DOOR. Seriously.”) But it’s Stephanie Perkins! And who am I to deny the temptation of having more romances and fictional hot boys to go gaga over? Mmf, not at all…

************

ABOUT THIS BOOK: In ‘Lola’ we’re welcomed into a new setting, all new characters (and old), and even more boy drama. Seventeen year old Lola Nolan is completely content with her life in Los Angeles. Well, almost that is. She has a hot rocker boyfriend, an amazing best friend, actually loving parents, and a chic (or rather eccentric?) collection of clothes. Um, so why is this almost perfect? Ugh. The Bell Twins, Calliope and Cricket, are back and moving in next door (again!)—just when Lola finally thought she could escape them for good. But Cricket’s somehow trying—actually wanting—to get back into Lola’s life again which not only sets a lot of boy drama, but Lola must finally learn to reconcile her feelings for the boy next door.
Like Anna, Lola is trying to come to terms with growing up and learning how to handle situations, and LOVE. Here’s the amazing thing about Stephanie Perkins novels: the characters. All her books (or at least, the ones I read so far) have an amazing sense of theatricalness to them to make them honestly endearing. (Which, is also why I’m wondering why no one opted for Anna and the French Kiss’s film rights?! Seriously!! It totally should be a movie.) Writing wise, it’s good but it’s simply the characters that really hold everything together. The dialogue, their descriptions, the—everything. I. Love. And I’m really trying hard not to gush!

MY REVIEW: More often than not, yes, I found myself comparing Lola and the Boy Next Door to Anna and the French Kiss. I didn’t really like Lola’s character much because of my own struggle to identify with her. Her fashion style is crazy (too much to describe honestly) and the avante-gardeness of her just made me feel . . . turned off for some reason? That didn’t really discourage me from reading, but there’s something about her style that irks me. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m just content with a cardigan, t-shirt and jeans but—she’s overall good. Sometimes, she comes across as a tad self-centered and teenagery, her decisions are really ill-thought, and at some point in the novel I was actually beginning to think all her problems were self-centered around Cricket but it isn’t just that. When you inspect the pieces of the story as a whole, you realize there’s way more to the story than that—therefore, making Stephanie Perkins novels the not-so-typical teenage romance.
Suffice to say, Lola can be either an amazingohmygosh character or that character you love to hate, you know? I had moments where I was super uber annoyed with her, a feeling I never even had for Anna. My ‘bone to pick’ with Lola is probably one of the things that discouraged me from giving it five stars. But there’s enough drama to keep interest, and YES, Perkins give us even more hot, dreamy boys to swoon over. Which I LOVED.
Cricket, Lola’s ex-crush, is given his fair share of development. I honestly don’t understand why Lola could hold so much resentment for him, because he seemed so genuine. Surely he’s not Etienne, he doesn’t exactly have British boy charm and humor but he’s Cricket. Innovative and certainly still charming, I think Cricket will find it’s way into the hearts of romance-lovers. It definitely has for me!
So is Lola and the French Kiss worth reading? It’s smartly written for a YA contemporary romance book. Needless to say, it’s not the best romance out there (and comparatively to Anna and the French Kiss: MEH!) but it’s great enough to keep readers interested, and you’ll definitely be on the edge of your seat wondering if Lola will ever get to wrap up her feelings and if The Thing between Cricket and Lola ever really gets reconciled. It’s savvy, it’s funny, and I definitely recommend if you were a fan of Anna and the French Kiss, or if you generally love YA romances! Another winner from Stephanie Perkins.

About the Author Well, hello! I'm Stephanie Perkins, and I write novels for teens (and for adults who aren't afraid to admit that teen books are awesome). I was born in South Carolina, raised in Arizona, attended universities in San Francisco and Atlanta, and now I live in the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. My best friend is my husband Jarrod. Our house is almost a hundred years old, and every room is painted a different color of the rainbow. We share it with a cat named Mr. Tumnus. I've always worked with books—first as a bookseller, then as a librarian, and now as a novelist. On weekdays, you'll find me at my desk, typing away, downing cups of coffee and tea. On the weekend, you'll find me at the movies, waiting for the actors to kiss. I believe all novels and films should have more kissing. You can find Stephanie on her website here.

A fan-made trailer on “Anna and the French Kiss”

I also cannot wait for the last(?) book in the Anna and the French Kiss series! It’s sad to see the series finally coming to close. The last book, Isla and the Happily Ever After, following Isla (she made a little guest appearance in Anna and the French Kiss!) and Josh (Etienne’s best friend in the first book!) Are you excited for Isla and the Happily Ever After coming May 2014? Share your thoughts below!

Wanna add ‘Lola’ to your bookshelf? Amazon / Goodreads / Barnes and Nobles

Feature and Follow Friday!

I'm returning back with the fun meme Feature and Follow Friday hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkie! If you haven't checked out the meme, I strongly suggest you check it out here if you're a blogger here — it's a totally amazing way to connect with other awesome blogs, etc.

This week's question is:

Q: What book (or TV show or movie) have you not read that seemingly everyone else has?

SO MANY. I'm kind of slow on trends. But when it comes to TV shows, I don't really watch Pretty Little Liars (this is coming from a teen perspective). I know not everyone watches it, but majority of my friends have and all they do is fangirl about it. "WHO'S A?!"; "I WISH THEY'D JUST SAY WHO A IS?!" I never once touched the Pretty Little Liar series due to my own lack of interest, and I never really had much intent picking it up. 

Ugh, and don't get me started on Insurgent from the Divergent trilogy. With the third book coming out this month (less than 20 days, oh gosh; let's not forget the movie either) I really, seriously need to get my hands on the second book so I can get all caught up on the series — my friend is asking me to specifically read the series just so we could fangirl about it afterwards. And the last big one I've heard a ton talk about is things like Doctor Who, Supernatural . . . I have yet to get into any of those shows. I know I really need to, and not so much for the sake of getting into the trends, but those two shows always sort of grabbed my interest and I never gave myself the chance to watch it.

Actually, when I think about it, there are a lot of things I need to catch up on.

What about you? Link me to your post or comment below!

Waiting and Wishing On . . . Eleanor and Park!

Wishlist Wednesday is a meme hosted by Pen to Paper book blog, and Waiting on Wednesday is also another book meme hosted by Breaking the Spine! Both wonderful, fun memes you should totally check out—especially if you’re a blogger or if you’re looking to find a good book worth reading!

So this week, my pick is . . .

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell!

Eleanor and Park fanart on Simini Blocker's Tumblr!

I recently finished Fangirl, and added it to among my favorites. I. Love. That. Book. To death, seriously. Fangirl set me on some fangirlish kick (what’s worse? I actually started writing a fanfiction about it), and I knew just from reading it, there was no denying that Rainbow Rowell’s story touched my heart—and I need to read more of her stories. I’ve heard a lot of buzz about E&P prior to reading Fangirl (which, BTW, was a glimmering NY times bestseller and had a fanastical review written by JOHN GREEN!) And with it not being long after Banned Books Week, I stumbled upon the news that E&P was apparently labeled as “dangerously obscene” by parents at Minnesota Anoka-Hennepin High School. You can read the post here and The Toast provides reasons why a book like E&P demands to be read by teenagers.

That settles it. Okay, now I know I need to read it. And who am I to deny the charm of star-crossed misfitted romances? I love them, and E&P just sounds perfect.

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.

Find Eleanor and Park @

Goodreads / Barnes and Nobles / Amazon

So I’m seriously aching for this book, so keeping my fingers crossed I’ll be able to read it! What are you waiting on this week? Link me to your post below and I'll be sure to check out your blog!