Waiting on Wednesday: Isla and The Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases!

This book has probably been over-featured but I feel like I've been waiting for its release since forever:

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.

ADD ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER TO YOUR WANT-TO-READ LIST

Anna and the French Kiss has spoiled me for life. I guess it was a combination of Etienne St. Clair, Paris and boarding school awesomeness that left me starry eyed and weak-in-the-knees. I didn't even like the second book, Lola, as much. It's so cool that Isla and the Happily Ever After takes place, once again, in Paris and is about Isla and Josh, both of whom I loved in Anna! And that the couples from the previous books make appearances.

The release year was pushed back to 2014 which is finally just.around.the.corner. so I cannot wait!

And um, this may not be a book release but it still has me psyched for 2014 so I could not help myself (again, FINALLY!):

Why I've been MIA and WoW #2

I'm down with chicken pox, so I'm off college for the next week. There is a bright side... I've been able to catch up with Modern Family and I've been on a book reading binge! It's about time that happened as there are way to many new and old books staring at me from my real and virtual bookshelf, waiting to be read! So far, I've managed to read The Starboard Sea by Amber Dermont (Thank you so much, Net-galley and St. Martin's Press for this one! I loved it!), The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (FINALLY) and Good Oil by Laura Buzo (oh my goodness. This was fabulous. There are no words to describe how much I needed to read this book!). 

In some ways, I've never had more fun! I'm looking forward to crossing more books off my TBR list and posting more reviews as soon as I can! Also, it's time for,

Hosted by Breaking The Spine

Wanderlove by Kristen Hubbard

Expected publication: 

March 13th 2012 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

It all begins with a stupid question:

Are you a Global Vagabond?  

No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.  

Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward. 

But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.

Wanderlove sounds like a lot of fun! And I adore the cover! What are you waiting on?

Fall for Anything by Courtney Summers

what it's about (goodreads.com)

When Eddie Reeves’s father commits suicide her life is consumed by the nagging question of why? Why when he was a legendary photographer and a brilliant teacher? Why when he seemed to find inspiration in everything he saw? And, most important, why when he had a daughter who loved him more than anyone else in the world? When she meets Culler Evans, a former student of her father’s and a photographer himself, an instant and dangerous attraction begins. Culler seems to know more about her father than she does and could possibly hold the key to the mystery surrounding his death. But Eddie’s vulnerability has weakened her and Culler Evans is getting too close. Her need for the truth keeps her hanging on… but are some questions better left unanswered?

review

I'd read Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers just before I picked up Fall for Anything and Fall For Anything was easily the better novel! The main character, Eddie, felt very real and her attempts to come to terms with her father's suicide was captured realistically. No part of this novel was cliched. The myriad of feelings, breakthroughs and the search- every part of it felt so interconnected and raw. This rawness, really, did it for me. The author makes sure you get under the main character's skin and the way the book ended left me stunned, in a good way.

The way Fall for Anything ended took me by surprise but it worked and added to the richness of the story. I loved this book and will definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a real, intense and well-written YA read.  

Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars