TOP TEN BOOKS TO READ IN ONE DAY!
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. When I opened this book, I literally could not stop reading. It demands reading in one sitting. IT’S THAT GOOD.
The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa. I understand that this is the last in the Iron Fey series, but it was my absolute favorite in an It-All-Leads-Up-to-This! way. I tore through this book. So good, and Ash is just so swoon-worthy.
Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan. This one gets overlooked a lot, but I consider it a treasure. It’s ridiculously cute, and ridiculously short, so there’s no way you CAN’T finish this in one sitting.
The Realm of Possibility by David Levithan. I’m sorry, but I love this man’s writing, and this is another overlooked gem of his. It was one of the first verse novels I ever tried and ended up falling in love with it.
Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty. Um, hello? Marcus Flutie. ‘Nuff said.
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. I’m sorry, but there’s just something so wonderful and magical and youthful that keeps me coming back to this tale!
Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund. You probably know her for her killer unicorn stories, like Rampant, but did you know she has this other incredible series? About people IN COLLEGE? I bet you didn’t, or haven’t given it a shot. It’s humorous and just makes me feel good all-around. It takes me to another school and makes me want to be in a secret society for a day, too.
All American Girl by Meg Cabot. This book completely won me over, way back when. It’s just full of good vibes and teen angst, and would be perfect for a day-long reading marathon.
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. It’s not a perfect day if you’re not at Hogwarts. Granted, this would be a more lengthy challenge for one day, if you’re also trying to tackle nine other books, but. Totally worth revisiting again and again.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares. This is just a wonderful, summery, day-brightening book. I would love to go traveling with these girls again, even if only for a day.
When the family returns and Cricket – a gifted inventor and engineer – 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 rating: 3 stars.
Lola herself is the biggest problem to me. Not only could I not relate to her in any way, I also wasn’t fond of her choices. I prefer stronger characters, especially concerning girls. The lovesick puppy routine gets old really quickly for me. Plus, she just didn’t add up to me – not in any aspect. It’s okay if your boyfriend smokes pot, but it’s a tragedy that your birth mother gets drunk? Sorry, but I don’t get it. To me, Lola seemed to be many things, but none of these things added up to a whole, to an entire being. Her personality is lost on me, and her immaturity acted as a death sentence.
That being said, the remaining characters aren’t any better. I actually dislike her fathers, despite loving the concept of two dads, since that’s rarely ever seen in YA novels. One’s bitter, the other’s a pushover – that’s all I know about them. However, I like that they are involved within the story. But Lola’s best friend, Lindsey? She may as well not exist, because all I got from her is she’s a little Nancy Drew obsessed. As for Cricket, well. I don’t dislike him. I just feel like there’s so much more that he could’ve been. A relentlessly happy, non-complex love interest gets to be boring after a while. Don’t get me wrong - he’s absolutely adorable and totally sweet. I just wish he hadn’t been as lackluster as Lola. I so badly wanted one of them to shine.
The true stars in all of this, for me, were Anna and Etienne. They were hilarious and genuine and true to themselves as we saw them in Anna. Every time they appeared, I wished a little of their realness would rub off on Lola and Cricket.
I know my ramblings make Lola seem like a terrible book, but that’s not at all the case. Lola is a good book – it’s got its good writing, love interests, solid plot, etc. It just wasn’t for me (for reasons stated above). I expected more depth, and it didn’t deliver.
The Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor.
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins.
You’re going to think I’m crazy for not having read Anna and the French Kiss, but oh well. Bloggers seem to be RAVING about this one almost as much as Anna, so I’m going read Anna now, and impatiently wait for Lola. (Assuming I’ll love it as much as everyone else!)
