Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Release Date: December 2nd 2010
Pages: 372
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
Publisher: Penguin
Buy It: Book Depository

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 Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home. 

I have a confession to make.

Sometimes, I let the hype deter me. Sometimes, the fact that everyone is raving about a book is actually an incentive for me to not pick it up. Because I'm sick of hearing about it, so the last thing I want to do is start reading it. But in those instances when I do finally dust off the dust jacket and pick up a copy, I want nothing more for all the hype to be completely, and utterly right.

When it comes to Stephanie Perkins, the hype is right.

I'm pretty sure I devoured her debut novel, Anna and the French Kiss, within moments of picking it up. Okay, actually I listened to it on audio book for awhile, put it down for a few months, and then picked up the hard copy and fell in love. But the whole thing could have happened in an instant–I was so transported to the French boarding school, the awkward but loveable Anna, and the absolutely swoon-worthy St. Clair (even if I have a hard time imaging what a French-Meets-English-Meets-American accent could possibly sound like). 

Perkins characters are incredible. They are funny and complicated and imperfect and authentic. I love that St. Clair was short and had crooked bottom teeth, and that Anna had the streak of blond in her hair. Nobody was straight-forward or one dimensional, even the characters that sometimes come across as the bad guys– and for quite a lot of the book, I felt that way about St. Clair, mainly because I have a huge issue with guys who keep other girls hanging on, while they're in a relationship. But even with St. Clair's complicated relationship status, he managed to win me over by the end.

And this book, I mean, the romantic tension was palpable. There may be the word "kiss" in its title, but you have to wait a desperately long time for any kissing. But after that wait when you didn't even know what you were missing, when it finally happens, it is even more amazing than you could have anticipated. It is totally worth it.

I think that's a pretty good summary for how I feel about Perkins.

Please Look After Mom by Kyung-Sook Shin

Please Look After Mom by Kyung-Sook Shin

Release Date: April 5th 2011
Pages: 237
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Publisher: Random House Canada
Buy It: Book Depository

The story of a family’s search for their mother, who goes missing one afternoon amid the crowds of the Seoul Station subway. Told through the piercing voices and urgent perspectives of a daughter, son, husband, and mother.

I'm pretty sure this book was just too experimental for me. In general, I loved Shin's writing, but what I didn't always love was her story-telling. There were often times when I had no idea what was going on, and while some readers might find that intriguing, it honestly just made me frustrated. I wanted to relax and fall into the world of Please Look After Mom, but instead I found myself stumbling around it.

There are several different points of view used in the novel, including "you", which didn't exactly work for me as a reader. It's a hard POV to use, and when compared to the portion told directly from the mother's perspective, I found it a lot less enjoyable to read. The mother's narrative was definitely my favourite, but it took until the final quarter of the novel to reach it, and by then I was already disappointed with the novel as a whole.

That said, Please Look After Mom is an emotional story about the moment that a child starts to see a mother as a real person, and not just a mom. It has some lovely passages, but as a whole it had difficulty keeping my attention. That doesn't mean it was a bad book, it just wasn't the right one for me.

You Against Me by Jenny Downham

You Against Me by Jenny Downham

Release Date: December 2nd 2010
Pages: 416
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Publisher: Random House Canada
Buy It: Book Depository

If someone hurts your sister and you're any kind of man, you seek revenge. If your brother's accused of a terrible crime but says he didn't do it, you defend him. When Mikey's sister claims a boy assaulted her, his world begins to fall apart. When Ellie's brother is charged with the offense, her world begins to unravel. When Mikey and Ellie meet, two worlds collide.

I found the setting and language of You Against Me really interesting and unique, even if I didn't totally connect with them. It takes place in England, but not in the transplanted American way that many YA books do, but instead filled with authentic slang and settings that were neat to read about. You Against Me also tackles some important and interesting issues, and it's compelling that way, but for me it was more of an intellectual interest than an emotional one. Mikey, despite the terrible nickname, is an incredibly strong and powerful main character, and I enjoyed his storyline more than Ellie's. I really felt like he underwent some genuine growth throughout the novel, and it's rare to read a story where a character's evolution is so dramatic, and yet still realistic.

I think where the disconnect came in, was Mikey's relationship with Ellie, and it was hard for me to believe they would suddenly connect so strongly and not really care about the consequences. I think the major problem was I didn't quite feel the spark between them. Mikey was a charming character, and Ellie was clearly conflicted but strong– though honestly a lot less interesting than Mikey– but together they didn't quite have the magic I was hoping for, the kind that would really make me believe in what followed.

What I loved a lot about You Against Me, is that like Exposed by Kimberly Marcus, it's a book about a horrible crime, but it's not about the people it happened to. This isn't the story of Mikey's sister, or Ellie's brother– it's the story of Mikey and Ellie. It is so easy to just focus on the victim or the criminal, but novels like these remind us that it's not so simple. That crimes, and actions, have far-reaching consequences, and those consequences can change lives. You Against Me is a book with a powerful message, and even if I wasn't interested in the star-crossed lovers storyline, I still think Downham tells an important story with eloquence and strength.

It's Monday, what are you reading? (18)

Hosted by The Book Journey

Last week I finished reading:
The Girl in the Park by Mariah Fredericks

Enjoyable mystery thriller. It's not terribly unique, but I liked the narrator, and it also dealt with some interesting issues.

Lies, Knives, and Girls in Red Dresses by Ron Koertge, illustrated by Andrea Dezso

Didn't seem like a full book to me. Plus the fairy-tale retelling in poetic form has been done so many times before, and if you're going to repeat it it seems like it should be something really special. There were some nice moments but I like Anne Sexton's Transformations much better. 

Torn by Stephanie Guerra

I really liked the bad girl in this book, Ruby, who reminds me an awful lot of Ruby from Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma. My major problem with this book is that the biggest revelation / change of heart happens off-stage. I felt like I was cheated.

Intentions by Deborah Heiligman

I had incredibly high hopes for this book, and while they were not met, there were some enjoyable moments and a hilarious scene where the main character is stoned.

Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard

Beautiful beautiful writing. I've had this one for awhile, and had been planning to read it even before it was released, as I was a follow of the author's blog for the past couple years. I'm not sure what took me so long, but I'm glad I finally made the time. It was worth it.

What I plan to read this week:
Eating Dirt by Charlotte Gill

I had pretty much abandoned this book in November when I needed a non-fiction break while writing my thesis. Going back to it, it's even better than I remember. I didn't quite finish it last week, so I definitely plan to in the next few days.

The Whole Story of Half A Girl by Veera Hiranandani

As was clear with Intentions I love reading books with Jewish aspects to them, and the fact that the main character is half Jewish, half Indian, is a really interesting combination I've definitely never encountered in literature before. I'm excited to see what the author has in store.

The Apothecary by Maile Meloy

Didn't manage to get to this novel last week, as I got distracted by a billion others, but I definitely plan to devour it in the next few days. The little bit I have read is gorgeous in writing and illustrations. 

The Book of Blood and Shadows by Robin Wasserman

From what I've heard, this one has a slow starts but turns amazing by around 100 pages. Hopefully I don't have to wait that long to enjoy it! But I'm excited to give it a try. Plus, that eye on the cover is so creepy.

What are you reading this Monday?

The Untamed Garden by Sonia Day

The Untamed Garden: A Revealing Look at Our Love Affair with Plants by Sonia Day

Release Date: November 8th 2011
Pages: 240
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Publisher: Random House
Buy It: Book Depository

Which suggestive plant caused a queen to faint when it was presented to her at court? What was the original French name for the Great Maiden's Blush rose that had the Victorians blushing? Why are figs and pomegranates thought to be the real forbidden fruit that led Adam and Eve into temptation?

I love plants, but almost from page three I was concerned I wouldn't love Sonia Day's The Untamed Garden. That's because it begins with vivid and erotic imagery:

"the plant world is drenched in sex," she writes "Passionate, urgent, unabashed sex. Buds swell suggestively. Phallic stalks thrust skywards. Enticing orifices and lolling tongues invite probing. [...] Pornographic couplings take place. And ah, those seductive scents, like the one wafting from my father's cereus."

She's writing about a flower her father grew, one that bloomed at night and only for a couple hours, but honestly, that kind of description not only made me want to giggle a bit, but seemed like it belonged more in a steamy romance novel than a non-fiction book about flowers. But according to Day, that's why she "wrote this book– to encourage people to start celebrating the wild, sexy side of Mother Nature as humans once did, because it's been shunted aside and forgotten for far too long."

Believe me, it's not that this kind of lusty, vivid imagery went away after page 3, but I kinda got used to it.  And somewhere amid the blushing and giggling that accompanied my reading of this book– I'm really a ten year old at heart, apparently– I started to enjoy it. What sets The Untamed Garden apart, besides for its beautiful design and images, is Day's wonderful conversational way of writing. Often, it sounds like listening to an old friend (or maybe a slightly cooky aunt). At one point, Day writes how clergy

"removed the stamens and pistils from white lily blooms displayed on church altars on the grounds that such "overt symbols of sexuality" might move the congregation to think impure thoughts. Tut-tut." 

Estella Rijnveld Tulip– I'm in love with this one!

Or talking about the Greek god Paeon, she writes, "His is a complication and confusing myth (like so many)."

Her language didn't always hit the mark for me, she seems to have a fondness for some strange vocabulary, often using phrases such as "hot-to-trot", "titillating", and "pooh-bahs", quite a few of which I had to Google. I actually really recommend having the Internet handy when you read The Untamed Garden, as there are so many references to erotic looking plants that even with the many photos I was constantly Googling. Also, I don't think they look sexual, but the book did lead me to discover Parrot Tulips, which I am now officially obsessed with. So gorgeous!

There's also humour to The Untamed Garden as well. A self-described "master gardener" Day doesn't take herself too seriously. Writing on Amorphophallus konjac, she says:

"The whole plant could be described as a knock-out, in fact, and a great way to impress the people gardeners always like to impress– other gardeners."

Ultimately, if you're looking for a sexually charged book on plants, I completely recommend The Untamed Garden. But even if you're not, it's definitely entertaining enough to be worth a try– you'll never look at plants the same way again.