Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jilly at Breaking The Spine.   It features each blogger's most anticipated books.  This week, my pick is Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins.

Summary:  From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever.

Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new.

  

Since the cover was released, I decided it was time for it to be a WoW pick.  I mean it goes without saying that I can't wait for this book.  I am sad that the cover has changed.  Please let my books all go together in a series when I get them all together.  It makes me sad when they are different.  Ah but anyways, this book is what I am looking forward to during the later months.  SO EXCITED!

Expected Publication:  September 17, 2013 by Dutton  

Simply Books.

For people who don't know her, Stephanie Perkins is a pretty awesome author.  Anna and the French Kiss is one of my favorite books of all time.  I realize though that she is not for everyone.  I handed it off to one of my besties, who is Hispanic, and she told me when she handed it back that it was "too White for her."  Which seriously made me laugh.

Top Ten Favorite Romances

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Romances

This meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  Go check them out. 

1.  Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

2.  Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

3.  Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

4.  Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

5.  Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

6.  Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

7.  The Princess Bride by William Goldman

8.  The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern 

9.  The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

10.  My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick 

That's my list.  Pure and simple.  I have not enough energy to defend myself with explanations.

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Authors I'd Like to See on Reality TV/Authors That Should Have Their Own Show

This meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  Go check them out.  

I confess that I don't watch a lot of reality TV, and what I do watch is musically inclined.  Either way, I really like this topic.

1.  John Green

I love watching his videos along with his brother Hank.  I think they would make a great team on pretty much anything.  I think it would be pretty awesome if they could team up on The Apprentice.  Trump wouldn't know what to do.  

2 and 3. Myra McEntire and Rachel Hawkins

I saw another blog had listed these two together as well.  I got so excited.  These two crack me up on Twitter all the time.  No existing show is probably good enough.  They need their own where they can just make observations all the time.  Both of them are SO funny.  I'm reading Myra's Hourglass right now and there is so much giggling!

4 and 5.  Michael Grant and Suzanne Collins

I'm more than certain that this man could totally take on anyone in a round of Survivor.  When I listened to him on a panel last month, he talked about being homeless and dealing with all kinds of crazy.  But look at him now.  Yep, he could take on anybody.. except maybe Ms. Collins.  I mean after writing the Hunger Games, surely she has some survivor skills herself?  I'd bet on her. (wink*wink*)

6.  Stephanie Perkins

Really, I had to include Stephanie.  I'm pretty sure she's standing on a diamond-encrusted pedestal in my head, and I will meet her one day.  I think she deserves her own show, and anything else that will increase that celebrity status of hers.  She's SO funny on Twitter.  And I love her hair.  Really America needs such an idol to look up to.  They are free to borrow the diamond-encrusted pedestal.  

7.  Maggie Stiefvater

So, though I realize she is perfectly and happily married, I would love to see Maggie on The Bachelor.  For one, she's hysterical, and you never know what she'll say.  Secondly, she loves to watch people cry.  She'd be in heaven with all these girls bawling over this and that.  Besides, if the show won't get them to cry, she could just hand them one of her books.  

8.  Maureen Johnson

I'm pretty sure she's going to pop up on a lot of people's list.  She's too funny not to.  I'm think Real World UK.  Her observations in England from Twitter were just too funny, and always made my day.  

9.  Jesse Andrews

Put him on any show where he can wear really zany socks and wave his arms about when he talks.  He's very funny, a little hard on himself, and incredibly attractive in that slightly nerdy way that a lot of girls around the world love.  Hence, perfect for reality TV, right?

10.  Michelle Zink

I think a mom-type reality show.  She's such a mom in the absolutely best way.  Sure she likes creepy things and listening to creepy things and writing creepy things, but I bet she would totally beat out anyone on the mom front along with her mad writing skills. 

Did you make a list this week?  Leave me and link and let me check it out!

Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door

Author: Stephanie Perkins
Release Date: September 29, 2011
Publisher: Dutton Books
Pages: 338
Source: Bought
[add on Goodreads]

Summary:  Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

My Favorite Line: 

"Just because something isn't practical doesn't mean it's not worth creating. Sometimes beauty and real-life magic are enough."

“Perfect is overrated. Perfect is boring."I smile. "You don't think I'm perfect?""No. You're delightfully screwy, and I wouldn't have you any other way.” 

What I Loved: I just, literally just, finished the book. It was incredible. I laughed. I cried. I laughed some more, and I felt like all my insides were mushing together in this incredible AWWWWW. Stephanie Perkins has a knack at creating these incredible love stories that every girl wants. I want a Cricket. I want a St. Clare. Just as with Anna and the French Kiss, after page 200, I didn’t want to put the book down. It took every fiber of strength and self-control to tell myself, “Ok Deidra, you have class in the morning. Go to sleep. “ And then I laid there for the next hour unable to stop thinking about the book. I found myself in a parking lot an hour and a half early for my appointment with the book in my hand, reading. There were moments I found that I had held my breath for a full page. I hadn't even noticed I had stopped until the scene ended in the book. Then I had to remind myself to breathe! Stephanie Perkins took over my mind, and I claim all action as involuntary….

Why You Should Read It: I’ll make this simple. If you want to be lost in a story, an incredible story, then you’ll read it. The book portrays those feelings of first love in such an honest and emotionally overwhelming way that you feel as if you are apart of the relationship. I admit that would make the story more creepy, but you get the idea!