Booklist: Books set in Paris

 

Earlier this week, I talked about a book set in Paris and realized it would be a great time to make a booklist.

There are so many more books set in Paris. It's a wonderful place to read about. Here are a few that I chose:

Two I'm excited to read and the others I have enjoyed

I had more fun creating some bookmarks:

 

 

All this makes me want to wander the streets of Paris.

Review: Summer Seekers

 

One summer changes everything for three women.

One woman (Kathleen) has an intruder enter the house. Instead of scaring her, it emboldens her. She's always wanted to take a trip - cruising down Route 66. She decides to go for it. She's not getting any younger. She doesn't connect well with her daughter. But maybe the can kind some common ground. 

One woman (Martha) volunteers to be her driver. She needs to get out of her house for the summer. She understands how to drive but isn't comfortable with it...yet. Plus, she's never been to American before. She might be running away...or she might just find herself. 

One woman, Kathleen's daughter, is raising teenage daughters, but she has no balance in her life. There is no time carved out for herself. Everything revolves around her children and her husband and their needs. Until one day, her anniversary, when she snaps. She packs up her things and drives to her mother's empty house where she takes time to recharge and figure out what she wants out of life. 

My Thoughts: Three females - three different perspectives. I really got sucked into the lives of these women. I hated ending a chapter and moving on to the next woman - but then I hate leaving her story too. Even though the stories were so connected, I always wanted more. I loved the different perspectives and the different ages - each female had her own issues to sort through. And each of them helped each other and supported each other. I loved learning more about each other - and their problems. But also how they grew and solved those problems. There was So much about family and friendship and self-worth. And the ending was great. 

Also I loved the moments with the rock star - especially those moment with the fans. It added humor and lightheartedness to the story.

Cover Thoughts: I love it - especially the car

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: A fantastic women's fiction story for your collection - highly recommended.

Top Ten Tuesday: Traveling

This week's topic is all about traveling. I love it when a book makes me want to travel. I'll share a few recent reads and some old favorites. I adore travel romances, so I could go on forever, but I'll stop after 10. 

Side note: I also love books that make me want to travel to the fictional town. Like Stars Hollow. (I know that's a TV town, but you all know what I mean...)

- meme from That Artsy Reader Girl

Recent Reads:

Go hiking (I'm doing this later this summer)

Go to a beach side town

Visit Alaska

Visit Scotland

Some old favorites

What books make you want to travel?

If You Like Pins (14)

I haven't done one of these in a long time. But I made a few recently and thought I'd share them. There's no theme to this one. But enjoy!

Travel Romances

Dragons

Girls rocking the fantastical worlds

Graphic novels

Review: Love and Gelato

Lina's mom died, leaving Lina alone in the world with one wish. She wants Lina to go to Italy - just like she did as a teen. She hopes that Lina will fall in love with the country.


When Lina arrives, she's staying with the father she's never known. He works in a cemetery. Lina can't wrap her head around living in a cemetery, especially so soon after losing her mother. Plus, she's curious as to why she's never known about her father.


When her mother's friend gives her a diary, Lina starts learning about the past and her mother's choices. What she learns will change Everything.

My Thoughts: I'd been wanting to read this book forever after hearing so many great things about it, but it's always checked out at my library. I went to check the shelf before I left for vacation, but it wasn't there. But luckily I checked the return cart and there it was!

And it didn't disappoint, I couldn't put this book down. I lost myself in the pages of Italy - the sights, the relationships, and of course the gelato. I loved Lina trying to navigate life after her mother's death, especially in a new country. I loved reading her mother's journals and discovering the truth about the past. I love how that changed everything and yet it didn't. 

Cover Thoughts: Perfection
Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: Grab this one for your library if you don't already have it.

Review: I See London, I See France

Sydney and her BFF talked about traveling to Europe, but Sydney doesn't want to leave her agoraphobic mother.When Leela's boyfriend kisses another girl, she begs Sydney to travel with her instead.

The two have them have four and a half weeks in Europe with a starting point (London), some plans for France, and leave from Rome. But the rest of the trip is open.

Where will they go? What will they do? And which boys might they kiss?

My Thoughts: God I loved this book. It reminded me of my traveling days  (I did a semester abroad in Bath, England in college). I liked how they had wiggle room in their travel plans. I loved reading about all the sights. 

I loved the romance. 

Leela's behavior annoyed me at times. But I'm glad they took this trip together and had time to readjust their friendship. 

I felt terrible for Sydney and how she took care of her mother, sometimes putting her life on hold. 

I also love how these girls are in college.

Cover Thoughts: Adorable
Source: Book sent for review

Library Recommendation: Grab this one for your YA section. It's a must have for public libraries. 

Reading this book made me want to travel, so I made a top ten list of places I'd like to go (or maybe go back to).

Back to:

Wales

Paris

Rome 

Florence

Never Been:

London

Scotland

Greece

Netherlands

Austria

Switzerland

Where would you travel to?

Review: Sophomore Year is Greek to Me

Zona and her father are close - each relying on each other. But Zona's dad changes the rules when he decides to go to Greece to write a book.

Zona has NO desire to leave school or her friends or the paper for six months. She has even less desire to meet the family who cut off contact with her mother.

After several conversation, it's clear that her dad isn't budging.  Resigned, Zona packs up and leaves New York behind for Greece - and maybe a a chance to uncover her heritage.

My Thoughts: I now want to go to Greece to explore and soak up the culture!

Some my favorite moments:
The bathroom scene with the ducks
Zona meeting her Greek family for the first time
Exploring Greece and taking chances
Her relationship with her father
The newspaper notes written between father and daughter
Her BFFs from New York (I wouldn't mind a book about either of them)
I like how she handled her concern about her friend's anorexia - she didn't sweep it under the rug and she didn't take the easy way out. It took guts. 
Experiencing new things (even if they're scary)
I love how Zona uncovered the meaning of family 

Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: Set for review

Final Thoughts: I hope there's a junior and senior book planned because Meredith Zeitlin rocks. Sophomore Year is Greek to Me is the perfect summer book with exploring a new country, testing your ideals, and trying new things. Zona's ambitious, smart, and someone I'd like to meet.

Mini Review: Disneyland Book of Lists

Lists of Disneyland history. 

The Good:
* From opening day issues to exhibits and rides that have closed to rides that were never opened to hidden Mickeys to in depth look at the rides to movie props used - this book is a treasure trove of information about the park.

* The lists make the information easy to take it.

* It's hard to put the book down.

The Bad:
* Nitpicking here, but I would have like a little more history of Walt Disney

My Two Favorite lists: 

And graves in the Haunted Mansion

Overall Thoughts: If you're planning a trip to Disneyland or if you like to read about history of places, read this book. It has everything you need to know to make your trip successful and memorable. 

* Book sent for Review.

SummerTime Review: Wish You Were Italian

Books perfect for the beach or to read by the pool

Pippa's annoyed with her family shipping her off to Italy for the summer - for an art history program. She's not even interested in art history. Her father feel guilty and slips her some extra cash, which she finds when she lands.

When she finds the money, Pippa decides to be a little reckless and stay in Rome for a few nights. Then, after meeting a girl in the bakery and a boy at a gelato stand, she decides to ditch the program all together.

The girl from the bakery takes her home to meet her family. The family invites her in, gives her a place to stay and offers to show her the sights.  When her new friend Chiara travels to her aunt's house, Pippa goes along too.

Pippa's happy to be seeing more of the countryside - and to meet some hot guys, especially Chiara's cousin. Before she left home, Pippa and her BFF made of list of things she wants to do while in Italy. And falling for for a hot Italian guy is on the list. Pippa knows it's just a matter of time before her family uncovers the truth, but until then, she's determined to have the time of her life.

My Thoughts: I loved this book - for the travel descriptions: the sights and the food. I loved the romance - even though there was a love triangle, I really liked the final result. I loved how Pippa met Chiara and how they fell into an easy friendship. I confess I would have liked going to the art history program (but that's just me.) I loved seeing all the art and architecture there and long to go back and explore more. I also really enjoyed the connection Pippa had with her grandmother: sweet, honest, and refreshing. A great summer book if you're longing for a vacation, but can't get away. You don't have to leave home to be transported to Italy.

Cover Thoughts: Love it
Fun Fact: I traveled to Italy several years ago, so I could easily place myself in Pippa's shoes. Here are a few photos from my trip.

Top Ten Tuesday

This week's topic: Top Ten Books Featuring Travel In Some Way (road trips, airplanes, travelogues, anything where there is traveling in the book!). I'm splitting this up into Road Trips and Travel.

- meme from The Broke and the Bookish

Traveling

1. Anna and the French Kiss
2. Statistically Probability of Love at First Sight
3. In Your Room
4. A Year in Europe
5. Great Call of China 

Road Trips

1. Amy and Roger's Epic Detour
2. Drive Me Crazy
3. Wherever Nina Lies
4. Ex-Mas
5. How to be Bad