December 2014 – JenniElyse

Title: Isla and the Happily Ever After
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Series: Anna and the French Kiss #3
Genre: Romance, Young Adult
Spice: 1 / 5
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 339
Reason Read: Just Because
Rating:

My Thoughts

I was a little worried that my expectations for ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER would overshadow the reality of the story. I had heard from so many friends that they didn’t like Isla as much as they liked Anna and Lola (both the character and the book itself). I enjoyed Isla a little bit more than Lola, but I didn’t like it quite as much as I loved Anna. (Anna and Étienne’s story was very hard to beat). I thought Isla was a great ending to a great series, and I loved seeing all three books come together in the end. It was also fun to say goodbye to all my favorite characters.

I loved being in Paris again. While, I enjoyed San Francisco in Lola, I missed roaming the streets of Paris and I was glad to be back in them for Isla. I also loved seeing characters still at the S.O.A.P. that didn’t graduate in the same year as Anna and her friends. I especially loved seeing and getting to know Josh better since he was part of Anna’s story. It was so fun to see Anna, Étienne, Lola, and Cricket in this story.

Josh was just as swoon-worthy as Étienne and Cricket. I loved reading about his art and tried to imagine it in my head. I almost wish Isla would be turned into a graphic novel, so I could get a visual of his art. It was nice to understand his motivations since Anna could only speculate. And, I loved seeing him happy since he seemed so unhappy in Anna’s story.

I really liked Isla. I related to her a lot. I almost felt like Isla’s story was mine, minus the boyfriend and the high school in Paris. I’m happy she gained confidence and became okay with herself.

Title: Pope Joan
Author: Donna Woolfolk Cross
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: Kindle
Pages: 434
Reason Read: Book Club
Rating:

My Thoughts

I didn’t love POPE JOAN, but I did like it. I really felt for Joan. I hated that no one would let her do things simply because she was a woman. I know that’s how life was in the 800s, but it still angered me. I also hated reading about the religious intolerance. Any person at any time could be accused of heresy or witchcraft simply because they acted, spoke, or believed differently than the church wanted them to.

The story’s premise was very interesting. I wonder if it’s true at all or if it is just a legend. It seems like it could be true because if there had been a female pope at that time, she would’ve been stricken from the records. But, how likely could any of this happen? I don’t know. All we can do is speculate and wonder.

I thought characters (or people) felt a bit shallow. Even though I really liked Joan and felt for the injustice she endured, I could’ve been more invested in her life as a character if the story hadn’t gone by so quickly. The ending felt rushed compared to the rest of the book, which is saying something.