Anna and the French Kiss

     Sometimes, school is just boring as all hell, especially when only taking ONE literature class (Gay and Lesbian Lit, love that class to death). Sad day for this English minor. Therefore, I take the opportunity to read when I can. Usually it's young adult fiction and trash, but, like I tell the students in the (high school English) class that I assist at, it doesn't matter what you read, as long as you love it.
     So yeah, I read Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. It was kinda beautiful, not gonna lie. The nice thing that separates the young adult genre from older books is its emphasis on the coming of age story, and this novel pulls this off with grace.
     The book takes place at a Parisian boarding school, aka the best setting ever. At first, Anna whines about going there, which is super annoying, but thankfully she overcomes that. It also deals with parent cancer and family issues in a realistic way (my dad had cancer, and I can definitely relate to the characters in this story).
     Oh, and did I mention that Etienne St. Clair, the book's resident hottie, is FRENCH, AMERICAN, and ENGLISH? Read it if you like young adult chick lit, it rarely comes off as cheesy (at least in my opinion), which is a rarity.

     In other reading news, my roommate has her 15 and 12 year old sisters over, and they are telling me about all of the books that they have read. It's probably the English teacher in me, but I think that is the coolest thing ever! It makes me so happy that kids still read.


Pick up a book dudes. Whip out your kindle. Skim a magazine. Read an online article. The back of a cereal box. A billboard. Graffiti on the side of a building. This blog (I am a little biased).