GG 1 x 15: Christopher Returns

Posted in Season One, The Gilmore Girls Project by

Christopher Returns originally aired March 1, 2001.  It was written by Daniel Palladino and was directed by Michael Katleman.

In Christopher Returns, Chris visits the Gilmore Girls in Stars Hallow.

We open with Chris wanting to be more involved with Rory’s life, and Lorelei not having a lot of faith in him.

We see Rory giving Chris a tour of Stars Hollow.  This brings up a lot of questions for me.  It doesn’t seem like Chris is involved in Rory’s life, and I’m not sure if it’s Lorelei’s doing or if it was Chris or a combination of the two.

They go to the bookstore, where Chris tries to buy Rory an Oxford English Dictionary…only to have his card declined.  He promises to come back the next day for it, but apologizes to Rory for it outside.  He tells Rory to not tell Lorelei about it.

They come across Jackson, who’s talking about Chris to some of the other townspeople.  So, this has to mean Chris has never been to Stars Hollow, because otherwise they wouldn’t be making such a big deal out of it.  Jackson runs away after realizing they were right behind him.

And then…Friday night dinner.  We meet Rory’s other grandparents for the first and only time, and I can say with absolute certainty that I do not like them.  Strob starts going off about how Lorelei is just as out of control as she was when she was 16, how she ruined Chris’ life and future by getting pregnant, how she might have aspired to something more than a blue-collar university if she had attended a university like her parents planned for her…that Chris ended his family legacy at Princeton when Lorelei seduced him into ruining his life.  Emily tries to get everyone into going into the dining room for dinner, but Strob and Francine leave.

Okay, we need to talk about this scene.  I hate that Strob blames the entire thing on Lorelei.  Lorelei isn’t the only one at fault.  Some people are perfectly happy and successful, even if they haven’t gone to some prestigious school.

Then Rory goes to talk to Richard, and thanks him for defending her.  Richard, however, says that he would do it to anyone who attacked the Gilmore name.  He starts talking about how she put him and Emily through hell and that it was hard to tell his colleagues that his only daughter was pregnant at 16 and was leaving school.  He says they did nothing to deserve it, and that she treated him and Emily as though they were lepers.  Richard wasn’t happy about Lorelei getting pregnant, and wishes she followed “the proper procedure” like she was supposed to.  Chris was willing to get married, but Lorelei wasn’t.  She asks him if what she wanted mattered to him, and he tells her that things have to be sacrificed in order to do what is right.

We really need to talk about this scene too.  I get Richard’s point when he says that they did nothing to deserve how she treated them.  I mean, we only really get Lorelei’s perspective on what happened, and we don’t really get a lot on Emily and Richard’s version of what happened.  I get that marriage is one solution, but there’s also no point in getting married if it’s not right for you.

Rory and Emily talk in the kitchen, and tells Rory that it doesn’t mean anything.  She tells Rory that there’s been a lot of talk of disappointment over the years, but Rory and her existence have never been included in that list.  We go to the balcony, where Chris and Lorelei have drunken sex.

We also see Luke waiting in front of the diner for Lorelei.  Rory and Lorelei talk about how that night, and Lorelei makes sure Rory knows the horrible things said were directed at her.  Rory, however, says that they were directed at Lorelei because she had Rory.  Lorelei says that Strob and Francine’s anger and pride were getting in the way of them getting to know Rory, and that it’s a big loss on their part.  Lorelei wakes up and remembers that she was supposed to paint the diner with Luke.  She goes over to apologize, and comes home to talk to Luke.  Chris wants to marry Lorelei, and she, of course, still doesn’t want to.  She doesn’t think he’s responsible enough, and knows that he can’t buy a book without his card being declined.  He didn’t realize how much he missed Rory until he came to see her, but says it’s easier for him to stay away.  Lorelei says to come visit more, because Rory needs her dad.

Chris leaves, and promises to call Rory more.  Rory knows he asked Lorelei to marry him, but Lorelei says it wasn’t right and to trust her.  Rory’s hopeful he changed, because he did come to visit them this time.

We close with Lorelei in the diner after having painted it for Luke.

Favorite lines/Scenes: Chris meeting the townspeople; Emily, in reference to Strob: “Let’s face it, he’s an ass.”

Pop culture: Lipsmackers, I Love Lucy, The Offspring, Metallica

Final thoughts: I really liked seeing everyone’s relationship with Chris.  He’s not too involved in Rory’s life, and does seem really flaky, so maybe it’s for the best.  We get an idea of what all of Rory’s grandparents think of Lorelei’s pregnancy with Rory, and this episode does a great job with all the different relationships and how they have or have not changed over the last 16 years.  It’s a great episode, so it gets 5 mugs of coffee.

NaNo And Other Thoughts

Posted in General, NaNo by

So, NaNo has been interesting.

I got bored with my original idea, so I started over with a new one.  I have remembered the importance of backing up…because Sunday morning, when I started writing, the file I had wouldn’t open, because the file was corrupt.  Thankfully, I didn’t lose everything, because I had saved a copy to dropbox, but unfortunately, everything I had written Saturday (which was few thousand words) all disappeared.

This is why you back up, and why I will have multiple copies from now until the end of the month, which is coming up soon.  That was a setback, but I am determined to get to 50,000 words.  Catching up is fun, and I’m still sure I can catch up.  Partly because I am word padding, but also because I don’t want this to be the first year I don’t complete 50,000 words.  50k or bust!

I’m currently at 31,879 words, and I’m hoping to be around 40,000 by the end of today.  That’s a little bit less than where I really need to be, but that’s close enough that I’ll be able to catch up if I write like I maniac the rest of the week.

In other news, I finished my goal of 200 books.  It’s weird that it started out as 115, which I kept changing until I finally left it at 200.  That review will be coming this week.  It’s so weird that I’ve read so much.  Like, do I want to do something more next year?  Keep it the same?  Or do I want to make it low, and see what happens?  I’m not sure, so I’ll have to think about it over the next few weeks.  Maybe I should see where I end up at before deciding anything.  It was definitely a fun year reading, but it won’t stop just because I reached the goal that would not stop changing.

I think that’s it for now, because I really to start writing!  Those words aren’t going to write themselves.

Drowning Instinct

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Book: Drowning Instinct by Ilsa Bick|Narrated by Kathleen Mcinerney

Published February 2012|Published by Brilliance Audio|Run time: 9 hours, 46 minutes

Audiobook, via audible.com

Genre: YA/Contemporary

Check it out at: Goodreads|Barnes And Noble|Amazon|Ilsa Bick’s Website

Goodreads.com Summary: There are stories where the girl gets her prince, and they live happily ever after. (This is not one of those stories.)

Jenna Lord’s first sixteen years were not exactly a fairytale. Her father is a controlling psycho and her mother is a drunk. She used to count on her older brother—until he shipped off to Afghanistan. And then, of course, there was the time she almost died in a fire. 

There are stories where the monster gets the girl, and we all shed tears for his innocent victim. (This is not one of those stories either.)

Mitch Anderson is many things: A dedicated teacher and coach. A caring husband. A man with a certain… magnetism. 

And there are stories where it’s hard to be sure who’s a prince and who’s a monster, who is a victim and who should live happily ever after. (These are the most interesting stories of all.)

Drowning Instinct is a novel of pain, deception, desperation, and love against the odds—and the rules.

Holy shit.

That describes how I feel after finishing Drowning Instinct.  I just…I don’t even know where to start with this.

There is so much going on in Drowning Instinct- there are so many issues that each one could be their own novel.  But Bick handles all of them well, and weaves them together so well.

Jenna is so damaged, and such an unreliable character.  But it works, and I like that she’s talking about her truth.  She really is an interesting character, as are all of the other characters, who are all fucked up in their own way.  Jenna was so easy to relate to.  A lot of the characters were, and I liked that I could relate to so many of them.  I even liked Mitch..even if I’m not sure we were supposed to.

This is definitely a dark story, with alcoholism, cutting, a student-teacher relationship (with the teacher being married) and other issues.  Even though my heart broke for Jenna at times, I couldn’t cry for her.  Things are definitely shades of grey in this book, and I like that Drowning Instinct is about those shades of grey, instead of looking at things in black and white.

We really have to talk about Drowning Instinct as an audiobook.  It was fantastic as an audiobook, because of the way the book is written.  We first meet Jenna in the emergency, where she is given a recorder by a detective.  She uses the recorder to tell her story- namely, what lead her to this time in the emergency room.  Mcinerney did a wonderful job with narrating, and she really captured the essence of Jenna.  Drowning Instinct works so well as an audiobook, so I’d highly recommend going for the audiobook version if at all possible.

Because Jenna’s telling her story into the recorder, we only get one side- which is Jenna’s, and one that is unreliable and biased.  But I think that’s the beauty of this novel.  It’s definitely dark and it’s definitely twisted, so by having Jenna’s perspective, you see that everything is not what it seems.

I liked going in and not knowing what was going to happen- the summary doesn’t give a lot away, which is nice.  I did figure out pretty early on that she’d end up with her teacher, but other than that, you didn’t know how it was going to turn out.  I wasn’t expecting the plot twist with her brother at all, although it is something I probably should have expected.  Mostly because…why would her parents have a problem with a girl talking to her brother just because he’s in the military?

The only problem I have with the book?  Jenna’s parents.  How is that her parents don’t want her to have a cell phone, be able to drive, or having locks on her doors, yet they have no problem leaving her at home, alone, for a week?  And Jenna calling her dad “psycho dad?”  More back story on that would have been nice.  All we see is a guy who likes to be in control, so knowing why she calls him psycho dad would have been helpful.

And the ending!  Jenna ends up erasing the entire recording, so the reader has no idea how things work out for any of the characters.  It just seems to fit with the novel.

Final thought: I loved Drowning Instinct!  It’s wonderfully narrated, works well as an audiobook, and is a twisted novel that was interesting to listen to.  There are so many interesting characters, and life is full of shades of grey.  I give it a 5 out of 5.

Speechless

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Book: Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Published August 2012|Published by Harlequin Teen|Pages: 227

Purchased for my Nook

Genre: YA/Contemporary

Check it out at: Goodreads|Barnes And Noble|Amazon|Hannah Harrington’s Website

Goodreads.com Summary: Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can’t keep a secret

Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.

Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she’s ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.

But there’s strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she’s done. If only she can forgive herself.

I loved Speechless!

I thought Chelsea’s vow of silence was really interesting, and I do think she learned a lot from it.  Like the power of speech, and how to truly listen.  I think she truly realizes how damaging gossip can be, but also how doing the right thing is important, even when it’s not easy.

I also liked all of the different relationships in the book.  The ones with Kristen and her former friends to the ones with her friends at the diner.  She doesn’t become friends with Kristen again, and their relationship is pretty unresolved.  Not everything can be worked out, and some things can never be fixed.  I also liked seeing how her relationship with Andy changed throughout the book, as well as Noah forgiving her for what happened.

It’s not a book about a kid who was beaten to the point of unconsciousness being Hannah outed him.  It did propel her to change, but it really felt like it was more about her changing as a person after seeing the consequences of her actions.

There is a lot of bullying going on- it’s not just Noah, for being gay.  Chelsea gets her fair share for telling the police what happened- and for not speaking, because either way, people think she won’t fight back.  At the same time, all of the shit she got was a bit much at times.  And all of her former friends?  They didn’t have a lot of depth, but they did what they needed to do, so they didn’t need too much depth.  They really do show that some people are just stupid and horrible and don’t care if they hurt people.  She goes through a pretty dramatic change, going from being a gossip to standing up for a kid who’s being bullied.

Harrington did a great job at handling all of the issues in the book, with very real characters.  It was really well-paced, and I liked that you got a day-to-day account of her life after the party.  I liked that all of the characters had their own flaws, and they were all so unique and interesting.

I really need to talk about the cover for a moment, because it fits the book so well.  I love how plain and simple it is, and it just really stands out.  I love that you don’t have some random but pretty girl on the cover.

Final thoughts: I loved Speechless, and thought it was a great book.  I loved the characters and how much Hannah changed from beginning to end.  it gets a 5 out of 5.

In A Heartbeat

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Book: In A Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth

Published February 2010|Published by Walker Children’s|Pages: 224

Purchased for my Nook

Genre: YA/Contemporary

Check it out at: Goodreads|Barnes And Noble|Amazon|Loretta Ellsworth

Goodreads.com Summary: When a small mistake costs sixteen-year-old Eagan her life during a figure-skating competition, she leaves many things unreconciled, including her troubled relationship with her mother. From her vantage point in the afterlife, Eagan reflects back on her memories, and what she could have done differently, through her still-beating heart.When fourteen-year-old Amelia learns she will be getting a heart transplant, her fear and guilt battle with her joy at this new chance at life. And afterwards when she starts to feel different-dreaming about figure skating, craving grape candy-her need to learn about her donor leads her to discover and explore Eagan’s life, meeting her grieving loved ones and trying to bring the closure they all need to move on.Told in alternating viewpoints, “In a Heartbeat “tells the emotional and compelling story of two girls sharing one heart.

In A Heartbeat was an interesting read.  You see organ donation in a different way, and it’s because of the two (very different) narrators.  I really liked that you saw the girl who got the heart, but also the one who donated her heart.  It really added to the book, because you actually see the donor and what they were like.  It really shows that donated organs come from very real people who aren’t just made up of body parts.

I thought the idea of transplant recipients taking on characters of their donors really interesting.  You see Eagan and Amelia, and how Amelia takes on some of Eagan’s characteristics.  Of the two, I felt like Eagan was more developed as a character.  She was an ice-skater, she had friends, a boyfriend…all we know about Amelia is that she was sick and liked to draw horses- it was hard to connect with her because she spent so much time recovering.  I just felt like we didn’t get to know her as much.

I did like the alternating perspectives and seeing how two very different girls are now connected.  I thought the alternating perspective worked really well.

While I liked the book, I also have a few issues with it.  Other than 2 different personalities and different interestes, the two girls weren’t distinct nearly enough.  The only way I knew who was narrating was by where they were and what was going on- it just didn’t feel like two different girls were narrating.  There were also a lot of things that were mentioned and never explored.  Like, Eagan’s mom used to be an ice-skater.  It would have been interesting to explore their rocky relationship through ice-skating.  Or Eagan having a baby sister, and no one telling her.  Why was that kept a secret?  And how did she die?

There was just something off…I think it might be Amelia, who’s all about her heart issues.

Final thoughts: I liked In A Heartbeat, and thought it was an interesting concept, especially the idea of cellular memory.  It makes you think about organ donation, and how there are two different sides to it.  I give it a 3 out of 5.

Feast Of Fools

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Book: Feast Of Fools by Rachel Caine

Published January 2008 by Signet Book|256 pages|Purchased for my Nook

Genre: YA/Paranormal- Vampires

Check it out at: Goodreads|Barnes And Noble|Amazon|Rachel Caine’s Website

Goodreads.com Summary: The wait is over. dig into the feast…In the town of Morganville, vampires and humans live in relative peace. Student Claire Danvers has never been convinced, though-especially with the arrival of Mr. Bishop, an ancient, old-school vampire who cares nothing about harmony. What he wants from the town’s living and its dead is unthinkably sinister. It’s only at a formal ball, attended by vampires and their human dates, that Claire realizes the elaborately evil trap he’s set for Morganville.

Have I mentioned how much I love the Morganville Vampires?  Because I do, and I love it the more I read it.  Feast of Fools is a great book, and I just loved it!

I loved meeting Amelie’s dad, who turns out to be the cure for the disease that the Morganville vampires have.  It was hard to put down, and Caine really knows how to keep her readers interested in what’s going on.

I love that the characters are pretty consistent from book to book.  They’re not all over the place, and I love how loyal they are to each other.  It was also nice to see Shane slowly start to accept Michael.  But then the cliffhanger…now I need to know what happens next!

The book is really well-paced and I love how everything is unfolding pretty naturally.  It really feels like Caine knows where her series is going, and I like that everything that happens doesn’t feel forced.

I liked the characters…I really liked Oliver in this book, but I didn’t really like Amelie.  Considering what was going on, and what we learn towards the end of the book, I’m not surprised, but still.  But learning more about vampires, and seeing ones that aren’t from Morganville was pretty interesting.  There’s definitely something interesting about the world Caine is creating and I love her take on vampires.  I really like Richard Morrell, and he seems like a pretty decent guy.  If things don’t work out between her and Shane, I think I might want her to end up with Morrell.

I just love Myrnin, and he’s so fun to read.  Also fun?  Seeing Claire and Shane and their sexual tension.  I want them to just get together already, but at the same time, I like that the tension is continuing to build.  And speaking of both Claire and Myrnin, I like their relationship.  It’s too bad Myrnin doesn’t have more lucid moments, because they really could learn a lot from each other.

I think Feast Of Fools might be my favorite one (so far, because I’m only on book 4 and there are a total of 13 books out), and I have the feeling that it might be the turning point in the novel.  I mean, Bishop’s blood was tested, and he’s the cure, so everyone will get cured eventually.  The way things keep happening, it might be a while, because they just cannot get a break.  I like that something is always happening.  On the one hand, it’s nice that something always happens because it keeps things moving…but on the other hand, they really deserve a break from the craziness that is their life.

Final thoughts: It’s definitely my favorite book in the series, and it’s just so fun to read.  I love what Caine is doing with her characters and with Morganville as a whole.  It gets a 5 out of 5.

Top 10 Books And Authors I’m Thankful For

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Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, bloggers from all over share their own top 10 lists based on the topic of the week.  You can find all Top 10 Tuesdays here.

Top 10 Books And Authors I’m Thankful For

This is such an appropriate topic, considering Thanksgiving is this week.  There are a lot of books and authors I love, and there are even a few I’m thankful for.  Here are the 10 books and authors I’m thankful for this year.

  1. Harry Potter.  Of all the books I’m grateful for, Harry Potter would be at the top of my list.  The world of Harry Potter is so magical, and I love revisiting Hogwarts time and time again.  There are no words to fully express how much I love Harry Potter, but I am so glad Harry’s story is a part of my life.
  2. Jane Austen.  Her books are the first classics I read on my own and actually liked.  Reading her books sparked an interest in reading classics on my own (which I’ve been horrible at doing) but I’m definitely glad I’ve read her books.
  3. The Postsecret books.  I’ve only read a couple of them, but I like to flip through every once in a while, because they’re a good reminder that we all have our own secrets, no matter what they are.
  4. Laurie Halse Anderson.  I just love her books, and Speak and Wintergirls are two of my favorite books.  She has great characters, and deals with some tough issues in a great way.
  5. Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals and A Mighty Long Way by Carlotta Walls LaNier.  I’m putting these 2 together because they both deal with the same subject.  Both books are written by 2 of the Little Rock 9.  I loved both because you get a really interesting look at what it was like for them.  It really wasn’t that long ago that schools were still segregated, and their stories are a great look at history.
  6. Hate List by Jennifer Brown.  I read this book well over a year ago, and I still can’t get it out of my mind.  It’s a haunting look at a school shooting and I couldn’t help but think about how much they can affect everyone involved.
  7. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.  This is one circus I would love to go to, and it’s a book I can get lost in.
  8. Alison Weir.  I am a HUGE fan, and I am determined to read everything she’s written.  I’m really fascinated with Tudor England, and she’s my go-to author for anything about this time period.
  9. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer.  I love a good paranormal book (especially a paranormal romance) and I think it’s popularity is largely because of the success of Twilight.
  10. My grandpa.  Okay, my grandpa is not a book, and he’s never written one.  But my love of reading and my love of learning (especially history) are because I grew up in a household where he took me to the library every week since I really little, and because I saw how much he loved history.  I’m the reader I am today because of him, so it seems right to have him on this list!

GG 1 x 14: That Damn Donna Reed

Posted in Season One, The Gilmore Girls Project by

That Damn Donna Reed originally aired February 22, 2001.  It was written by Daniel Palladino and was directed by Amy Sherman-Palladino.

In That Damn Donna Reed, Dean expresses his approval of the 1950’s housewife, which leads Rory to dress up and surprise Dean with a 1950’s-styled evening.

We open with Dean coming over to spend the evening with Rory.  They watch the Donna Reed Show (which is an actual show, I googled it) and Dean says that he kinda likes the 1950’s housewife thing.  Rory and Lorelei just look at him when he says that.  I’m not surprised that Dean thinks the idea of a woman having dinner on the table is a nice idea.

At Luke’s, Taylor is trying to convince Luke to spruce up the diner.  Lorelei agrees, and Luke eventually decides to re-paint the diner. We go to Friday night dinner, in which Lorelei likes the wine and Richard and Emily aren’t going to Martha’s Vineyard.  Lorelei’s suggestion of going to Europe or flying coach doesn’t go over well with Richard and Emily.

Rory agrees to house-sit for Babette, who has a new kitten named Apricot.  Rory has a pet bird as an assignment for school- she has to observe it for a month.  She asks Dean to come over but he has to work.  He makes a comment about repressed housewives needing to shop for their husband’s dinner.  Rory doesn’t take it well, and doesn’t like the fact that Dean is kind of into the whole dinner on the table/’50’s housewife thing.  I kind of get why Rory doesn’t like it, but I have to agree with Dean when he says that there are 2 points of view.  Don’t get used to me agreeing with Dean, because I don’t think it’ll happen very often.  Rory doesn’t seem willing to listen to Dean’s side, and kind of dismisses it because he’s not agreeing with her.  In Dean’s defense, he did grow up in a home where his mom didn’t work for a long time, and even when she did go back to work, she still managed to cook on the weekends for her family.  It is what he knows, so it does make sense that he’d look for that in his own relationships.

Lorelei goes over to Luke’s to pick out paint colors, where they’re visited by Taylor and Kirk, who doesn’t believe Luke is re-painting the diner.  Andrew also stops by to take before-and-after pictures.  It is funny, because everyone’s so surprised that Luke is actually sprucing up the diner.

Rory cooks for Dean, and has a Donna Reed night for him.  She, in true Rory fashion, researches Donna Reed- and Dean tells her that he doesn’t expect to her be like Donna Reed.

Lorelei loses Stella (Rory’s bird) and calls Luke to come help her find Stella.  Meanwhile, Rory loses Apricot, and Lorelei says they’re not animal people.

We see another Friday night dinner, where Emily and Richard manage to rent a house in Martha’s Vineyard.  Lorelei admits to having having feelings for Luke, and Emily isn’t thrilled.

We close with Christopher- meaning, we finally meet Rory’s dad for the first time.

Favorite lines/scenes: Friday night dinner (both of them) and Lorelei singing a painting song

Pop culture: Donna Reed Show, the 1950’s housewife, A Streetcar Named Desire

Final thoughts: I really liked this episode, and it was interesting to see Rory and Dean disagree on the ’50’s housewife concept.  Also, I’m glad I don’t go to Rory’s school- a flour baby in health class for a week was bad enough, so I’m glad they never gave me an actual animal to take care of.  It gets 4 mugs of coffee.

Tempest Rising

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Book: Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs

Published May 2011 by Walker & Company|243 pages

Purchased for my Nook

Genre: YA/Paranormal- Mermaids

Find out more: Goodreads|Barnes And Noble|Amazon|Tracy Deebs

Goodreads.com Summary: Tempest Maguire wants nothing more than to surf the killer waves near her California home; continue her steady relationship with her boyfriend, Mark; and take care of her brothers and surfer dad. But Tempest is half mermaid, and as her seventeenth birthday approaches, she will have to decide whether to remain on land or give herself to the ocean like her mother. The pull of the water becomes as insistent as her attraction to Kai, a gorgeous surfer whose uncanny abilities hint at an otherworldly identity as well. And when Tempest does finally give in to the water’s temptation and enters a fantastical underwater world, she finds that a larger destiny awaits her-and that the entire ocean’s future hangs in the balance. 

I really liked Tempest Rising.  I have no idea why it took me so long to read about mermaids, but this one is a good one to start off with!

A lot of things in Tempest Rising are predictable.  There’s a prophecy that focuses on Tempest- a prophecy that says she’s the one who will either join forces with Tiamat, an evil sea witch, or defeat her.  She doesn’t want to be a mermaid at first, but realizes that it is what she wants by the end of the novel.  She has a boyfriend, but in the end, she ends up with a mysterious stranger that turns out to be Selkie prince.

And I didn’t mind that there were quite a few predictable elements in the book.  I loved what Deebs did with mermaids and other ocean beings.  I loved the underwater city Kona lived in, and I can’t wait to get a closer look at where the mermaids live.  As for the human setting, I love that the book is set in San Diego!  I do wish we saw more than the beach, but considering the fact that Tempest loves to surf and the fact that she’s half-mermaid, I totally get why the beach is pretty important.  Plus, Tempest being a surfer makes her becoming a mermaid really interesting.

I loved the characters, and thought Tempest was interesting.  I didn’t care for Mark as her (former) boyfriend or Kona as her current boyfriend.  I felt like the book was more about her choice between land and sea, and while her Mark and Kona do represent her choice, it was kind of distracting.  I liked the relationships Tempest had with her family, especially the one she didn’t have with her mom.

Final thoughts: I really am looking forward to reading the sequel, and learning more about the ocean culture!  It was was a fun read and it was nice to read about mermaids.  I loved the characters and the setting, and while I didn’t love Tempest Rising, I still really enjoyed it.  It gets a 4 out of 5.

Anna And The French Kiss

Posted in Audiobooks, Books by

Book: Anna And The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins, narrated by Kim Guest

Published December 2010 by Listening Library|Run Time: 10 hours, 29 minutes

How I Got It: audiobook via the library

Genre: YA/Contemporary

Find out more: Goodreads|Barnes And Noble|Amazon|Stephanie Perkins 

Goodreads.com Summary: Anna was 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. So she’s less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, perfect, 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?

I absolutely LOVED Anna And The French Kiss.

Etienne!  I wish he were real…I’ll totally admit to swooning over him.  He’s definitely my favorite character in the whole book.  The whole book, I was rooting for him and Anna to end up together, and I was so glad they did in the end!  They are such an adorable couple, and I liked seeing them go from friends to boyfriend/girlfriend.

Speaking of Anna, I liked seeing her grow.  She arrived in Paris not knowing any French and thinking she knew who she was, to leaving France understanding some French and knowing that her 9 months in Paris changed her for the better.  Plus, she explored France (a little) and while she didn’t stray too far from school, I liked her exploration of Paris and how she got more comfortable leaving her boarding school and going off to a city where she didn’t know the language.  I really liked that she loved movies, and visited different movie theaters in Paris.

It really is a cute, fun, feel-good read.  There was a lot of squee-ing at the end.  Actually, it happened a lot throughout the book.  I have to say that Anna’s dad kind of reminded me of Nicholas Sparks.  In the sense that Anna’s dad totally writes books that Nicholas Sparks would write.

The characters were great (except for the ones that were supposed to not-great), and they were all so distinct.  They definitely had their flaws and quirks and their own personalities.

Have I mentioned how much I love Etienne St. Clair?  Because I love him!  Please excuse me while I act like a fan-girl.

Anyway, Anna And The French Kiss was predictable and full of cliches…but in a good way.  I didn’t care that Anna and Etienne wouldn’t get together until the end.  I didn’t care if it took them the whole book to admit they liked each other.  I didn’t care if there were a ton of obstacles in their way.

It was predictable and it didn’t matter, because I could not listen to it fast enough.  And speaking of listening to it, I did enjoy it as an audiobook.  Guest did a great job narrating, and she did a pretty good job with making the characters distinct.  She also captured Anna really well.

Final thoughts: I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Anna And The French Kiss!  Great characters, great setting, and an all-around fun read.