tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62411702217288465092024-03-05T09:04:22.041-08:00Miss Fictional's BooksA Book BlogSummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09498679754364819700noreply@blogger.comBlogger220125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6241170221728846509.post-72345645572183517222016-12-28T00:12:00.002-08:002016-12-28T00:12:58.978-08:00review: ruin and rising, by leigh bardugo<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmhBizNGXC7XffV-OXUB3SIT1NTAi9anjOlRi1LiqOFxmiizU93R0XsM7XWOHKPzV5MQXgsMJIQyYs3Ff0YV7Cp6uG9I62M9EKbzGOMlYKiN377IsRyrmhn99QeOXelKu4ZnCy6u6H0jk/s1600/14061957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmhBizNGXC7XffV-OXUB3SIT1NTAi9anjOlRi1LiqOFxmiizU93R0XsM7XWOHKPzV5MQXgsMJIQyYs3Ff0YV7Cp6uG9I62M9EKbzGOMlYKiN377IsRyrmhn99QeOXelKu4ZnCy6u6H0jk/s320/14061957.jpg" width="216" /></a><i>Title: </i>Ruin and Rising (The Grisha, #3)<br />
<i>Author: </i>Leigh Bardugo<br />
<i>Publication Date: </i>June 17, 2014<br />
<i>Genre: </i>Fantasy<br />
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The capital has fallen.<br />
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The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne.<br />
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Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.<br />
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Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.<br />
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Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova's amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling's secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for. -<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14061957-ruin-and-rising" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">3 Stars</span></u></b></div>
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*Slight spoilers for books 1 and 2*</div>
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Upon completing <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22299763.Crooked_Kingdom__Six_of_Crows___2_" title="Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2) by Leigh Bardugo">Crooked Kingdom</a> and subsequently suffering from a Major Book Hangover, I scrambled to find a book that would not necessarily reach the grandeur of CK, but perhaps soothe my emotions, at least slightly. A perusal of my bookshelf brought me to my copy of <i>Ruin & Rising</i>, worn Darth Vader bookmark still marking the page I had left off. I'm not quite sure why I abandoned it in the first place, but knowing myself, it was probably due to the very slow, dreary pace the book starts off with. I had decided that I wanted to complete it following Sturmhond's appearance in <i>Crooked Kingdom</i> (and recalling how much I had adored him) but I hadn't anticipated missing a fictional universe to this extent. So, I dove into <i>Ruin and Rising</i> with much fervor.</div>
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I'd hate to say that this fervor was ill-founded, but I have to say it: it was extremely ill-founded. Everything about this book had me scratching my head thinking, <i>did a different Leigh Bardugo write this?</i> And was this entire series just as dissatisfying? While I do not remember much about the previous installments, I do know that I adored them--and my lack of enthusiasm for this one is possibly because my reading tastes have changed quite a bit in the past few years. <br />
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My first issue with the novel was the pacing. I don't know what is it with last installments and pacing (ahem, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13618440.Dreams_of_Gods___Monsters__Daughter_of_Smoke___Bone___3_" title="Dreams of Gods & Monsters (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, #3) by Laini Taylor">Dreams of Gods & Monsters</a>) but god did this book lag. There wasn't much that happened for the first third of the novel aside from never-ending treks (and who in their right mind would enjoy those). Heck, I'd even say that only the last few chapters had anything of substance. And whenever Nikolai made an appearance, but I'm kinda biased in that department.<br />
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Everything was just <i>bland</i>, especially the characters. I didn't care about any of the supporting characters aside from Nikolai and Zoya--both of whom, by the way, I love with all my heart. Mal grated on my nerves, not because he was "weak" or whatever; his cockiness just rubbed me the wrong way. His and Alina's relationship was gag-worthy, and while I know they were the best for each other given their circumstances and whatnot, that doesn't stop me from being bitter. <span class="spoilerContainer" style="display: none;">[The unrealistic voice in my head was rooting for Alina and Nikolai to get together, but that would've kind of been out of the blue, and even Bardugo isn't gutsy enough to pull a surprise like that. <a class="jsHideSpoiler spoilerAction" href="https://www.blogger.com/null">(hide spoiler)</a>]</span><br />
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Oh, Alina, I remember loving you so much. Thankfully, I still do. I loved you at the beginning of the book, what with your brewing resistance and irritation with your reality. You're a breath of fresh air in a slew of unnaturally confident and "spunky" fantasy YA heroines. You're awkward, you're unsure of yourself, you can be a bit harsh at times, but overall, you're a damn relatable character, and you feel <i>genuine</i>. <br />
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I did love the Grisha world in <i>Ruin and Rising</i>. But I wouldn't credit this for my newfound interest; <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23437156.Six_of_Crows__Six_of_Crows___1_" title="Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1) by Leigh Bardugo">Six of Crows</a> deserves that credit. The epilogue bordered on cheesy territory, and I'm still not convinced that it was a good ending to the trilogy.<br />
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Despite my complaints, <i>Ruin and Rising</i> did indeed cure my book hangover. And contrary to the technical problems I had with this, it felt good to revisit old characters that I had almost forgot about and gain some semblance of closure from a series that had been a favorite during my high school years.<br />
Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09498679754364819700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6241170221728846509.post-44707096753042902092016-10-31T23:33:00.005-07:002016-10-31T23:43:54.434-07:00dnf review: tell the truth, shame the devil, by melina marchetta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Title: Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil</div>
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Author: Melina Marchetta</div>
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Genre: Mystery</div>
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Publication date: October 11, 2016</div>
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Bashir “Bish” Ortley is a London desk cop. Almost over it. Still not dealing with the death of his son years ago, as well as the break-up of his marriage. Across the channel, a summer bus tour, carrying a group of English teenagers is subject to a deadly bomb attack, killing four of the passengers and injuring a handful of others. Bish’s daughter is one of those on board. <br />
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The suspect is 17 year old Violette LeBrac whose grandfather was responsible for a bombing that claimed the lives of dozens of people fourteen years ago; and whose mother, Noor, has been serving a life sentence for the part she was supposed to have played in the attack. As Bish is dragged into the search for the missing Violette, he finds himself reluctantly working with Noor LeBrac and her younger brother, Jimmy Sarraf.<br />
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And the more he delves into the lives of the family he helped put away, the more Bish realizes that they may have got it wrong all those years ago, and that truth wears many colours. Especially when it comes to the teenagers on board the recent bus bombing. Including his daughter. <br />
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Tell the truth. Shame the devil. Bish can’t get Violette LeBrac’s words out of his head. But what he may get is some sort of peace with his own past as the worlds of those involved in two bombings, years apart, collide into the journey of his life. -<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23566896-tell-the-truth-shame-the-devil" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">DNF at page 144</u> </span></div>
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Melina Marchetta is one of my favorite authors; this is no secret. I read and adored all of her contemporary young adult novels and have her fantasy series next on my to-read list. But, for many reasons, I simply could not get invested in <i>Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil</i>. It pains me to have to set the book aside, it really does, but I just cannot force myself to continue. It was good at first, promising, and the synopsis quite intriguing, but my interest was unfortunately suspended for a bulk of the 144 pages I read, due to a multitude of reasons that I shall go into. </div>
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Judging by the synopsis, the novel is clearly important, if not relevant, to our time and explores topics that take a certain amount of courage to write about. Terrorist attacks and bombings? Islamophobia? These are obviously extremely sensitive topics, and because of this, I think Marchetta was the perfect author to write about them. At least up until the point I read, she handled these issues exceptionally well, trudging through these grounds thoughtfully and introducing a point of view that many may not have ever been exposed to. Being a Muslim Arab myself, I very much appreciate the author's intentions.</div>
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Intentions aside, the book itself was... lackluster. Call me shallow if you will, but everything about the novel--the protagonist, the supporting characters, just the overall atmosphere was downright <i>boring</i> and so dreadfully adult-ish that I could not for the life of me muster up the motivation to pick this back up. <i>Dispiriting</i> is the perfect word to describe my impression of the novel. You might be saying, but Summer! The book is <i>meant</i> to be bleak because of its subject matter! To that I say, bah humbug, because why the hell would I willfully read a book if every aspect of it were depressing and colorless, without a single hint of some sort of comic relief or <i>anything </i>of the sort<i>?</i> And the writing! Perhaps the most disappointing part of the book. It's not <i>bad</i>, per se, it just... left a lot to be desired.</div>
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I realize I'm being incredibly presumptuous right now, seeing as I failed to finish the book, but I have a feeling that the rest of the book will be much like the first quarter was. It could be said that this is a case of "it's not you, it's me," and that I simply failed to connect to any of the characters and thus could not bring myself to care about the crime aspect of the book. I sincerely hope this is the case. Maybe one day I'll be able to regain my interest in the book, but for now, I'll stick to focusing on Marchetta's <i>Lumatere Chronicles</i>.</div>
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Take my criticisms and praise with a grain of salt if you'd like. Just know that if you are planning on reading <i>Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil</i> solely for the name of the author, most likely you will be disappointed. This is not young adult fiction by any means, and don't go in expecting something that is on the lines of <i>Jellicoe Road</i>, because <i>Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil</i> is a completely different ballgame. I just wish I had the interest to fully invest myself in it. </div>
Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09498679754364819700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6241170221728846509.post-89267895744284667112016-10-07T23:28:00.001-07:002016-10-07T23:28:39.962-07:00bookshelf video tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Today, I have a little video I made that gives you a tour of my bookshelf! Please excuse the low quality, as I used my iPhone. And this is my first time playing around with iMovie, so I probably made tons of rookie mistakes when editing. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it!</div>
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The song I used was Milk and Cookies, by Melanie Martinez.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6YrOMKX2VAM/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6YrOMKX2VAM?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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(<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YrOMKX2VAM&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">Click here if the video doesn't play.</a>)</div>
Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09498679754364819700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6241170221728846509.post-34205475896834343932016-10-04T00:22:00.003-07:002016-10-04T20:08:46.387-07:00mini mini reviews!Today, I have some mini mini-reviews on some books I've recently read from a colorful assortment of genres. These are for the books which I don't have enough to say to warrant an entire review, hence the extra <i>mini</i>, but I do have <i>something</i> to comment on (as should be expected from me, giving my opinion even when no one asks is one of my talents.) The three books I will be reviewing--if you can even call it that--are all unique in their own ways, and I highly recommend each and every one of them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6Xhk2FuwagEw1gaLpTEXXs8iOxVQLVQWKMRkT36CKFgRijPfuJBdWnwBPc_7kuYUlCXGwoHFLn9Gx0bRm8fusieiEhVgIsQvV8YyrR7UkY9YtPJ-kXzyCWTuC2EbVHUxpp5HZs-jH2M/s1600/22840421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6Xhk2FuwagEw1gaLpTEXXs8iOxVQLVQWKMRkT36CKFgRijPfuJBdWnwBPc_7kuYUlCXGwoHFLn9Gx0bRm8fusieiEhVgIsQvV8YyrR7UkY9YtPJ-kXzyCWTuC2EbVHUxpp5HZs-jH2M/s200/22840421.jpg" width="132" /></a><i><span style="color: #990000;">Title</span>: </i>My Lady Jane<br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Authors</span>: </i>Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows<br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Publication date</span>: </i>June 7, 2016<br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Genre</span>: </i>Historical fiction<br />
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The comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey. In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, featuring a reluctant king, an even more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to actual history—because sometimes history needs a little help.<br />
At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about. Jane is about to become the Queen of England. -<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22840421-my-lady-jane?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">4 Stars</span></u></b>.</span> <i>My Lady Jane</i> was everything it promised to be and more. While I do not consider myself a fan of any of the authors, their efforts combined resulted in a witty, splendid retake on one of my favorite eras in history. Its tongue-in-cheek humor had me chuckling every other page, and the nearly 500 pages breezed by. The only word I can think of to summarize this book would be peculiar--God I hate the way that word rolls off my tongue--and if you're into that kinda stuff, you should definitely check this one out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObEmLjRZWmns_P7bsAzQ4hAnhjHmfYzeAiBtorGE_dwP6OGUIX0nP2PoYsxyNR5hryjvFpn52G9c9Uh0VdQHUrOTKXvkzUzU-dLWl74zOqAM6dpQlKfYr0DoevvKEAxYh8fbveQwsggE/s1600/made+you+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObEmLjRZWmns_P7bsAzQ4hAnhjHmfYzeAiBtorGE_dwP6OGUIX0nP2PoYsxyNR5hryjvFpn52G9c9Uh0VdQHUrOTKXvkzUzU-dLWl74zOqAM6dpQlKfYr0DoevvKEAxYh8fbveQwsggE/s200/made+you+up.jpg" width="133" /></a><i><span style="color: #990000;">Title</span></i>: Made You Up</div>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><i>Author</i></span>: Francesca Zappia</div>
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Publication date</span></i>: May 19, 2015</div>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><i>Genre</i></span>: Contemporary</div>
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Reality, it turns out, is often not what you perceive it to be—sometimes, there really is someone out to get you. Made You Up tells the story of Alex, a high school senior unable to tell the difference between real life and delusion. This is a compelling and provoking literary debut that will appeal to fans of Wes Anderson, <i>Silver Linings Playbook</i>, and <i>Liar</i>.<br />
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Funny, provoking, and ultimately moving, this debut novel featuring the quintessential unreliable narrator will have readers turning the pages and trying to figure out what is real and what is made up. -<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17661416-made-you-up?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;"><br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><u>3 Stars.</u></span></b> I did not quite love this as much as the <i>My Lady Jane</i>, but nonetheless, I do recognize that <i>Made You Up</i> is an essential and valuable book in this genre, especially since it addresses many mental health issues in a way that does not romanticize it nor trivialize the impact it has on its victims. Like <i>My Lady Jane</i>, it was weird, not humorously but...fascinatingly weird. I know, objectively, that this is indeed a good book, but I cannot bring myself to give it more than a three because it was not as engaging as I had anticipated it to be.<br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Title</span></i>: A Thousand Nights </div>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><i>Author</i></span>: E.K. Johnston</div>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><i>Publication date</i></span>: October 6, 2015</div>
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Lo-Melkhiin killed three hundred girls before he came to her village, looking for a wife. When she sees the dust cloud on the horizon, she knows he has arrived. She knows he will want the loveliest girl: her sister. She vows she will not let her be next.<br />
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And so she is taken in her sister’s place, and she believes death will soon follow. Lo-Melkhiin’s court is a dangerous palace filled with pretty things: intricate statues with wretched eyes, exquisite threads to weave the most beautiful garments. She sees everything as if for the last time. But the first sun rises and sets, and she is not dead. Night after night, Lo-Melkhiin comes to her and listens to the stories she tells, and day after day she is awoken by the sunrise. Exploring the palace, she begins to unlock years of fear that have tormented and silenced a kingdom. Lo-Melkhiin was not always a cruel ruler. Something went wrong.<br />
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The words she speaks to Lo-Melkhiin every night are given a strange life of their own. Little things, at first: a dress from home, a vision of her sister. With each tale she spins, her power grows. Soon she dreams of bigger, more terrible magic: power enough to save a king, if she can put an end to the rule of a monster.</div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">3.5 Stars.</span></u></b> Up until about the 60% mark, I was, in short, bored. I appreciated the story itself, and applauded its individuality, but it was a bit tiresome to read some of the chapters. Despite my initial boredom, <i>A Thousand Nights</i> proved to be unexpectedly intriguing. For some reason or another, I wasn't the biggest fan of the writing, and I'm still not quite sure how I feel about the nameless characters, but overall, it was a very complex, innovative, and inspiring novel. It's an original take on a concept that several other authors have attempted to explore, and <i>A Thousand Nights</i> is arguably the most thought-provoking one I have come across. I'll most likely be picking up the next installment out of sheer curiosity. (Even weeks after finishing the novel, my thoughts on it are still a bit muddled, so if I seem to be swinging from one extreme to the other, forgive me.)</div>
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Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09498679754364819700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6241170221728846509.post-14179309513566081512016-09-05T17:37:00.001-07:002016-09-05T17:38:20.012-07:00review: six of crows, by leigh bardugo<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_aizUb-c0KpbjP1pxPZt0AcDLed1qM0wIAQXnUwhaHTJCz-ha2kEzlJBoLk_feO07zukIPkfFNwkf26iagiYzsMq0y0grp4GLv0gxcIaFu5qVJT9dPGuSYzbqfhM77fpL7XBlX9lToc/s1600/six+of+crows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_aizUb-c0KpbjP1pxPZt0AcDLed1qM0wIAQXnUwhaHTJCz-ha2kEzlJBoLk_feO07zukIPkfFNwkf26iagiYzsMq0y0grp4GLv0gxcIaFu5qVJT9dPGuSYzbqfhM77fpL7XBlX9lToc/s320/six+of+crows.jpg" width="211" /></a><i></i><br />
<i><i>Title: </i>Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1)</i><br />
<i>Author: </i>Leigh Bardugo<br />
<i>Publication Date: </i>September 29, 2015<br />
<i>Genre: </i>Fantasy<br />
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Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...<br />
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<i>A convict with a thirst for revenge.</i><br />
<i>A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.</i><br />
<i>A runaway with a privileged past.</i><br />
<i>A spy known as the Wraith.</i><br />
<i>A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.</i><br />
<i>A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes. </i><br />
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Kaz's crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first. </div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">5 Stars</span></u></b></div>
When my friend first recommended this book to me, I thought her ardor was a bit exaggerated. See, I read Bardugo's previous novels, the <i>Shadow and Bone</i> series, three years ago, but ended up dropping the final installment out of disinterest. Don't get me wrong, the first two books were relatively good, but to be blunt I don't have any feelings associated with them.<br />
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So despite my friend's extreme enthusiasm, and despite the unanimous positive reviews flooding the book's Goodreads page, I began <i>Six of Crows</i> with a critical attitude and low expectations. (Because if there's one thing you learn as a book reviewer, it's that you should never believe the hype.) I'd say within the first chapter, this attitude disappeared. I found myself savoring every page, every chapter of this compulsively readable novel.<br />
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The plot was so intelligently crafted. There were twists and turns in every chapter, and I didn't find myself zoning out once because I was just so engaged in the heist. Nine times of ten, I dread reading books with alternating POVs, <i>especially </i>not ones with five point of views, but I quite liked how it was handled in <i>Six of Crows. </i>I didn't once feel the urge to skim a character's chapter because I preferred another's POV over theirs. This probably lends itself to the fact that I loved each and every member of the Dregs; Kaz (insert gross teenage swooning here), Inej, Matthias, Jesper, Nina, and Wylan. Each had their own little charms and weaknesses and stories. You'd think it'd be a bit overbearing with such a large cast of main characters, but Bardugo juggled them exceptionally well.<br />
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My memory of the Grisha trilogy is a bit fuzzy, but I do recall not caring for the writing style. Not the case in this book. Bardugo has evidently matured as an author and has mastered the art of storytelling; and for that she has my utmost admiration.<br />
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<b>ALSO: CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE FEMALE CHARACTERS SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE I JUST ADORE THEM SO MUCH. PROPS TO THE AUTHOR FOR CREATING FEMALE PROTAGONISTS THAT AREN'T DEPENDENT ON A MAN, NOR ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO PROVE THEMSELVES TO OTHER MEN. </b>Sorry for the bold and capitalization, but I just feel so passionate about this. Writers tend to lean towards two extremes when writing female characters in fantasy novels; they either make them extremely badass and shove this badassery down the readers' throat, or make them pawn after a love interest for 90% of the narrative. <i>Six of Crows</i> does not fall into either category, and that elicits a hallelujah from me. Inej and Nina are two amazingly written heroines who are neither dependent on the male cast, nor are they so unrealistically "badass" that it is their only notable quality. They are individuals of Kaz's crew, treated as equals, with their own talents and roles. Nina is outspoken and feminine. Inej is reserved and extremely strong. Together, they have a friendship that is wholesome and one of mutual support. t must add that I do not love them merely because they do not fall prey to character tropes, but also because they are such talented and intelligent women that I cannot help but adore them. <br />
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As you can see, I cannot hold myself back from singing praises for this book. And all those five star reviews? Not exaggerating. Even if you aren't the biggest fan of fantasy (heh. Fan, FANtasy. No? Okay.) read this book; you won't regret it. It is a book with a permanent spot on my favorites shelf, and considering my mindset prior to reading <i>Six of Crows</i>, that's quite a feat. Overall, very well-deserving of the hype, and I'm itching to read the next installment.Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09498679754364819700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6241170221728846509.post-47781368340798259842016-08-20T14:01:00.002-07:002016-08-20T14:06:32.734-07:005 contemporary books I recommend to high schoolersNow that my "journey" of high school is over, <strike>I'm so glad it's over </strike> I decided to compile of list of contemporary books I recommend every high schooler to read. You know, books that teach you about life, books that are raw in emotion and don't shy away from the grotesque. Or the books that'll make you laugh or swoon or sigh in content.<br />
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But what all these books I'm going to list have in common is this; they are, above all, coming of age novels, and in my opinion, they accurately depict the journey that is adolescence. They helped me grow as a person and opened my eyes, if even by a fraction, but the effect on me was noticeable nonetheless.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUMt-YOzfQvtQiBcVOFKu1EEjsz0g0KjTVLGnjPa8QBj063F3_kwCjBoh6sld9vIlglbu2aOFPJoGxjCSujQt82eu7z4Nj7hRuxWjfFyJSwBwLKPO9nM1CCMdd160yMOdwaVz1iuW-Jm8/s1600/gabi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUMt-YOzfQvtQiBcVOFKu1EEjsz0g0KjTVLGnjPa8QBj063F3_kwCjBoh6sld9vIlglbu2aOFPJoGxjCSujQt82eu7z4Nj7hRuxWjfFyJSwBwLKPO9nM1CCMdd160yMOdwaVz1iuW-Jm8/s320/gabi.jpg" width="209" /></a><br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">1. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20702546-gabi-a-girl-in-pieces" target="_blank">Gabi, a Girl in Pieces</a>, by Isabel Quintero</span></b><br />
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<u>If you're not feeling comfortable in your own skin</u>, <i>Gabi, a Girl in Pieces</i> is the perfect book for you. For someone who's a little bit on the chubby side, this book really spoke to me and tackled the issue of body image quite well. Not only that, but the main character is also a Latina, and that is fresh to see. It tackles other issues as well; however, it does not force these issues down the reader's throat. It merely chronicles Gabriella's life in a very humorous, honest way.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yc3pcU1VFnvSueiNtZXAqe7egcKnwqvPHaxNCHC5n0APk7RW0EF4FBqPdE4eWXtNIy0iI7h_Sb-Mt9aRIr47BKpmfOAixxBHrTem3EeW6RHKVN6rko3lp9K9cjZ6LPZCpgCBbuWekiM/s1600/the+start+of+me+and+you.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yc3pcU1VFnvSueiNtZXAqe7egcKnwqvPHaxNCHC5n0APk7RW0EF4FBqPdE4eWXtNIy0iI7h_Sb-Mt9aRIr47BKpmfOAixxBHrTem3EeW6RHKVN6rko3lp9K9cjZ6LPZCpgCBbuWekiM/s320/the+start+of+me+and+you.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">2. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22429350-the-start-of-me-and-you?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">The Start of Me and You,</a> by Emery Lord</span></b><br />
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<u>If you're looking for a cute romance</u>, read <i>The Start of Me and You</i>. I normally hate romance-centric books, but this was so sweet and just so... <i>down to earth</i>. I included this particular book mostly because it portrays a healthy relationship while accurately depicting high school life. (If you're still not convinced, read <a href="http://missfictional.blogspot.com/2015/03/review-start-of-me-and-you-by-emery-lord.html" target="_blank">my review</a>.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBuusN-yg1gR7NGL2UFHphK-cGj2AATII0AO5ENMHst9UPbza3NMeKFXMbrgl-QOpXyctF-8anuVG8ty0VeEtNDaYJ7mrL6jC3-dw18vu1QMuesiqkcYG2Rqs7ljYMywEpx1M9tP1tJbU/s1600/alice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBuusN-yg1gR7NGL2UFHphK-cGj2AATII0AO5ENMHst9UPbza3NMeKFXMbrgl-QOpXyctF-8anuVG8ty0VeEtNDaYJ7mrL6jC3-dw18vu1QMuesiqkcYG2Rqs7ljYMywEpx1M9tP1tJbU/s320/alice.jpg" width="211" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>3. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16068341-the-truth-about-alice?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">The Truth About Alice</a>, by Jennifer Mathieu</b></span><br />
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<u>If you're looking for a novel that critiques the entire high school system</u>, read <i>The Truth About Alice</i>. It's a short read, but by no means forgettable. Powerful, blunt, and eye-opening. An amazing novel that does not shy away from modern-day issues, and will definitely teach teens to broaden their perspectives. Read it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1yCXlwxMt8IrFI0O61zmZAG-AT1QKdBfcFL7pRGnua019B1Hfy-0haS6qzdsxg2tQomIzcVHUFWId7cWmp8-XlcxI21_Yr1OZG-mDn5znoIY-EAllm6FsiUQ5lZv25AGdsMX0WKxFwgI/s1600/saving+francesca.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1yCXlwxMt8IrFI0O61zmZAG-AT1QKdBfcFL7pRGnua019B1Hfy-0haS6qzdsxg2tQomIzcVHUFWId7cWmp8-XlcxI21_Yr1OZG-mDn5znoIY-EAllm6FsiUQ5lZv25AGdsMX0WKxFwgI/s320/saving+francesca.jpg" width="206" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;"><b>4. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/82434.Saving_Francesca?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Saving Francesca</a>, by Melina Marchetta</b></span><br />
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<u>If you're looking for a novel about friendship and family</u>, read <i>Saving Francesca</i>. You didn't think I'd write an entire post about contemporary novels and not include Marchetta, did you? Everything about this novel is superb, the writing, the characters, the humor. It also brought up the topic of depression in an authentic manner, which I appreciated very much.</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipkNlwrAS1t6Czu_TFvYN7aZNYCb6ZmLwGmot9JW227jRlPrDpUCkgHXidBuCIdjGgzVqN4z6OfrOykZmqWuglLjeWuz6-wMJPoFbWkdZj_bVYL18CbPfyAlKsw6r3AOMMJuv7IYx_FhY/s1600/orange2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipkNlwrAS1t6Czu_TFvYN7aZNYCb6ZmLwGmot9JW227jRlPrDpUCkgHXidBuCIdjGgzVqN4z6OfrOykZmqWuglLjeWuz6-wMJPoFbWkdZj_bVYL18CbPfyAlKsw6r3AOMMJuv7IYx_FhY/s320/orange2.jpg" width="224" /></a><br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">5. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16126395-orange-1" target="_blank">Orange</a>, by Ichigo Takano</span></b><br />
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</span></b> <u>If you're looking for a novel about tragedy, depression, and friendships</u>, read <i>Orange</i>. (That first sentence makes the manga sound more bleak than it is. It really isn't all that depressing, but it'll definitely make you cry.) Even if you don't normally read manga, you won't regret reading this one bit, trust me. And you'll fall in love with each and every character.</div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">And that's my list! Feel free to add what you think should be on the list in the comments.</span></div>
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Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09498679754364819700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6241170221728846509.post-73036177526030548632016-08-19T00:48:00.005-07:002016-08-19T00:48:54.628-07:00what I've been up to (not much, to be honest)It's been *squints at computer screen* two months since I've posted on here--despite being on summer vacation since May, I <i>still </i>haven't gotten back the motivation to consistently post on here. Well, to all three of my blog viewers who are interested, I figured I'd do a "what I've been doing lately" blog post, because why the heck not.<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #990000;">School Stuff</span></u></b></div>
FIRSTLY, I'll be starting college in about two weeks (read in your best fake enthusiastic tone) so yay for that I guess? I'm not very excited in all honesty; I'm mostly dreading the end of summer vacation and my very ideal sleeping schedule. RIP to my late mornings.<br />
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As for what I'm majoring in? I registered as an English major but that's bound to change--to what, I'm not sure.<br />
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(As you can tell I am very optimistic for my first year of college.)<br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #990000;">What I've Been Reading</span></u></b></div>
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I actually read more than I thought I would this summer vacation, when taking my never-ending reading slump into consideration. Also, I'm two books ahead of schedule for my Goodreads challenge, and that is cause for celebration.</div>
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<img alt="Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo" src="https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1459349344m/23437156.jpg" /><img alt="My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand" src="https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1445097091m/26795352.jpg" /><img alt="Made You Up by Francesca Zappia" src="https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1413485149m/17661416.jpg" /><img alt="The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi" src="https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1446058438m/25203675.jpg" /><img alt="Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay" src="https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1389315985m/18782855.jpg" /><img alt="Orange 5 by Ichigo Takano" src="https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1448461474m/27824370.jpg" /><img alt="Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys" src="https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1437084512m/25614492.jpg" /></div>
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Reviews for these books to hopefully come soon. I'm glad to say that I've only read one book that I ended up hating this summer (if you're curious, it's Golden by Jessi Kirby, and because I love hating on stuff, I may just end up giving that mess a proper review.) I recently finished reading Six of Crows, and, unsurprisingly, it was <i>splendid</i>. Much better than I remember the Grisha trilogy being. <strike>Can Kaz please marry me</strike></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b><u>What I've Been Watching</u></b></span></div>
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<img height="200" src="http://www.anime-planet.com/images/anime/covers/naruto-22.jpg" width="143" /><img height="200" src="http://www.anime-planet.com/images/anime/covers/naruto-shippuden-1131.jpg" width="141" /><img height="200" src="http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/fma/images/e/e9/Fmab-poster.png/revision/latest?cb=20131124145205" width="142" /><img height="200" src="http://cdn.myanimelist.net/images/anime/3/79409.jpg" width="140" /><img height="200" src="http://img1.ak.crunchyroll.com/i/spire2/2b6b0a5fbe2ad47e51531a54600f0e1f1428538901_full.jpg" width="133" /></div>
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Most of my time this summer has been wasted watching anime. More specifically, watching one of the most famous animes of all time, Naruto. I'm currently in the middle of Shippuden, and boy, I don't regret binge-ing this series one bit, despite it being so dreadfully l o n g. I'm surprised I actually made it this far, considering my embarrassingly short attention span.<br />
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And that's how my summer vacation's been going. I really hope I'm on here more often now, because I miss posting my sometimes nonsensical ramblings. (Reading over this post I've realized that half of what I've said is in parenthesis. I'm not quite sure why, and if I've always had this rather annoying writing habit, why hasn't anyone pointed it out yet.)Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09498679754364819700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6241170221728846509.post-44948371191742726222016-06-19T17:14:00.001-07:002016-06-19T17:14:32.361-07:00Review: Prisoner of Night and Fog, by Anne Blankman<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1395470671l/17668473.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Prisoner of Night and Fog (Prisoner of Night and Fog, #1)" border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1395470671l/17668473.jpg" width="213" /></a><br />
<i>Title: </i>Prisoner of Night and Fog<br />
<i>Author: </i>Anne Blankman<br />
<i>Publication Date: </i>April 22, 2014<br />
<i>Genre: </i>Historical fiction<br />
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In 1930s Munich, danger lurks behind dark corners, and secrets are buried deep within the city. But Gretchen Müller, who grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her "uncle" Dolf, has been shielded from that side of society ever since her father traded his life for Dolf's, and Gretchen is his favorite, his pet.<br />
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Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler. And Gretchen follows his every command.<br />
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Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen. Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can't stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade. She also can't help the fierce attraction brewing between them, despite everything she's been taught to believe about Jews.<br />
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As Gretchen investigates the very people she's always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling, or will she dare to dig up the truth—even if it could get her and Daniel killed?<br />
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From debut author Anne Blankman comes this harrowing and evocative story about an ordinary girl faced with the extraordinary decision to give up everything she's ever believed . . . and to trust her own heart instead. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17668473-prisoner-of-night-and-fog" target="_blank">-Goodreads</a></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">2 Stars</span></u></b></div>
After thinking over <em>Prisoner of Night and Fog</em> for a bit, I think 2 stars is a far more fitting rating for this book. <br />
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I think it's fairly obvious that I tend to gravitate towards historical fiction novels, so it shouldn't be a surprise that I was lured in by the synopsis of this book. (Yes, it's been sitting on my bookshelf since I bought it two years ago, but my point still stands.) I should also make it clear that I am quite critical of historical fiction books, mainly because I have very high standards when it comes to this genre and have absolutely no patience for tropes, undeveloped characters, or run-of-the-mill romances--and guess what! <em>Prisoner of Night and Fog</em> had all of the above, and then some. It helped me discover that I really am a snob when it comes to this genre <s>or maybe this was just a terribly written novel.</s> <br />
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First off: kudos to the author for even attempting to write a novel set during WWII that neither antagonizes nor demonizes Hitler; in fact, it portrays him as a <em>fatherly</em> figure, which had to have been a difficult feat for anyone. Moreover, Gretchen, our main character, was in the inner circles of the Nazi party, and it was interesting to get a somewhat intimate look into the party. Blankman's characterization of Hitler was pretty believable and realistic--you can tell that the author knew her stuff when it came to painting his personality. <br />
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I'm afraid that that's about where my praise for the book ends. There are several glaring problems within this book, one of which is the lack of characterization of anyone aside from Hitler. Gretchen was so unnervingly undeveloped that I honestly don't even know what to say about her. She had no personality whatsoever, and maybe my memory is failing me but there wasn't much said about her hobbies, her likes, her dislikes, <em>anything</em> to give me some hint of who Gretchen is. She was as bland as stale bread and she's probably one of the most uninteresting characters I've read of, and I've come across some pretty damn boring characters. I truly would have rather had a developed, annoying protagonist than an undeveloped one like Gretchen. <br />
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Moving on to the main love interest, Daniel. I have to admit that he was far more intriguing that Gretchen, but to be fair I would have found a fly more intriguing than her. I found their romance unnecessary at best, but at the same time, I've read of far worse romances, especially in historical fiction, so I'm glad that that wasn't a main part of the plot. Speaking of, the plot was terrible. Like Gretchen, it was extremely bland and not very entertaining. I wasn't very invested in the mystery behind Gretchen's father's death, so I think that contributed to my overall disinterest in the plotline.<br />
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Most reviews I've read rave about the deep research that went into <em>Prisoner of Night and Fog,</em> but aside from the portrayal of Hitler, I don't think that the author did a good job of integrating history into this book. At some points it felt as if I was reading excerpts from a textbook, and that is definitely not a good presentation of historical info. <strong><em>Anyone</em> can do some research and throw it into a book; the key is to weave it into your story-line in a way that would neither bog down your readers nor distance them from the main plot.</strong> Blankman's uninspired writing left a lot to be desired, resulting in a poorly written attempt at a clever, unconventional novel. <br />
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The amount of potential this book had is saddening, and <strong>if put in more capable hands, I believe that this would have been a stellar novel</strong>, perhaps even a favorite. If you really want a good, emotionally-investing book about World War II, you're better off reading <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11925514.Code_Name_Verity__Code_Name_Verity___1_" title="Code Name Verity (Code Name Verity, #1) by Elizabeth Wein">Code Name Verity</a> or <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19063.The_Book_Thief" title="The Book Thief by Markus Zusak">The Book Thief</a>.Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09498679754364819700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6241170221728846509.post-89017647101531748122016-03-18T00:00:00.000-07:002016-06-19T17:14:53.875-07:00Blog Tour: Shimmer, by Paula Weston<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKvbabj3XJNExtDgcbDOV4KFGaSBE3QCM74Foc08mVv2Q96PjCXXPrfycB2x4wJ9k3Ea2VNaeLevtwEQIap8VQXevBvB1Ng7jTdxGlGxrr5Auo8urTPius3d5MXmLrMttw20jkoDXJWlU/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKvbabj3XJNExtDgcbDOV4KFGaSBE3QCM74Foc08mVv2Q96PjCXXPrfycB2x4wJ9k3Ea2VNaeLevtwEQIap8VQXevBvB1Ng7jTdxGlGxrr5Auo8urTPius3d5MXmLrMttw20jkoDXJWlU/s400/unnamed.jpg" width="400" /></a></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8NLaW8_A-Nsv371LmBl5igIWdMi5GOlwKQW2y9c1K2jTTdy8puHcz1WzsDHFkyG7vmgdhoV4vJRFt557OFEM1-sIP6B6qGo05ekcEQ_Y8OVpwXNCGC7pChEyt_JqTYOpPugFK7CR3tTE/s1600/unnamed+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8NLaW8_A-Nsv371LmBl5igIWdMi5GOlwKQW2y9c1K2jTTdy8puHcz1WzsDHFkyG7vmgdhoV4vJRFt557OFEM1-sIP6B6qGo05ekcEQ_Y8OVpwXNCGC7pChEyt_JqTYOpPugFK7CR3tTE/s320/unnamed+%25281%2529.jpg" width="213" /></a> <i>Title: </i>Shimmer (The Rephaim #3)<br />
<i>Author: </i>Paula Weston<br />
<i>Publication Date: </i>March 8, 2016<br />
<i>Genre: </i>Fantasy<br />
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Gaby thought her life couldn't get more complicated.<br />
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She's almost used to the idea that she's not the teenage backpacker she thought she was. She can just about cope with being one of the Rephaim--a 139-year-old half-angel--whose memories have been stolen. She's even coming to grips with the fact that Jude, the brother she's mourned for a year, didn't die at all.<br />
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But now Rafa--sexy, infuriating Rafa--is being held, and hurt, by Gatekeeper demons. And Gaby has to get the bitterly divided Rephaim to work together, or Rafa has no chance at all.</div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">4 Stars</span></u></b></div>
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<i>Thank you Tundra Books for sending me a copy of this book for review!</i></div>
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I've been completely smitten with The Rephaim series since I first read Shadows back in 2013. Mind you, I had been going through a very painful books-about-angels phase, so you'd think I wouldn't still like this series. Perhaps not unexpectedly, my love for this series has not dwindled one bit, and I found myself enjoying this book far more than others I've been reading as of late.<br />
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<i>Shimmer </i>starts off with our snarky, fierce protagonist Gaby, who is just as likable and just as admirable as ever. She has grown considerably from the first book, and her character development really has been very intriguing to follow. She has just enough cheekiness in her to make her interesting, and just enough logic to prevent me from pulling my hair out of frustration. And trust me, many characters have made me want to pull my hair out from their sheer stupidity.<br />
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At the beginning of the novel, there's a handy-dandy list of characters which divides them into their corresponding sides: the Rephaim and the Outcasts. Thank god for this list, because there are so many characters that I would have been confused for a majority of the novel. I think this can be considered one of the weaknesses of this series as a whole--the fact that there was just too many characters that were important to the plot that many of them came off as flat and undeveloped. I found it hard to care about many of them, to be frank. <br />
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Much like Gaby, I demanded answers, and although everything pertaining to the Rephaim is still a bit fuzzy, I can see the puzzle pieces slowly coming into place. I appreciate the subtle way in which Paula is detailing this world for us, as opposed to merely throwing all the answers at us. <br />
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While the pacing is more on the slow side compared to the other novels, I quite enjoyed the build up between fights, the heartbreak, and the tension and struggle and angst the characters were forced to endure. (Not that I'm a sadist or anything.) The writing vividly captures these sufferings succinctly, and illustrates the tone of the book very well.<br />
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I fairly enjoyed this well-anticipated thriller of a novel. I do not regret at all getting emotionally invested into the world of the Rephaim, and I don't think I will ever be able to abandon this series. Paula, I consider your third installment in this series to be a success.Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09498679754364819700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6241170221728846509.post-52445931490966714182016-01-05T21:45:00.003-08:002016-01-05T21:48:03.399-08:00Review: The Gathering Storm, by Robin Bridges<br />
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333578368l/11164732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Gathering Storm (Katerina, #1)" border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333578368l/11164732.jpg" width="210" /></a><i>Title: </i>The Gathering Storm<br />
<i>Author: </i>Robin Bridges<br />
<i>Publication Date: </i>January 10, 2012<br />
<i>Genre: </i>Historical Fiction<br />
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St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. No one knows. Not her family. Not the girls at her finishing school. Not the tsar or anyone in her aristocratic circle. Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.<br />
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An evil presence is growing within Europe's royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina's strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources . . . including two young men—George Alexandrovich, the tsar's standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina's help to safeguard Russia, even if he's repelled by her secret, and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn.<br />
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The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?</div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">2 Stars</span></u></b></div>
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Maybe I'm just a cynical old hag, but this was nothing near what I was expecting. And not in a good way. Political intrigue! Courtly drama! A compelling historical tale! These are all what I expected the book to contain; alas, while these were included, it was portrayed in a very immature, superficial manner.<br />
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And it's such a pity that I was so disappointed to by this. I'll admit it did entertain at the beginning, but after I got used to the characters and the setting and the story, my interest was halfhearted and frankly gone by the end of the story, so much so that I was reading just to get the novel over with. And when I say boring, I don't mean that it was packed with historical facts to the point of dryness; quite the opposite, actually. It was the <i>lack </i>of these historical details that really made the plot a bit run-of-the-mill and not any different than some mediocre book about magic.<br />
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I guess I was expecting something along the lines of Katherine Longshore's Tudor novels, but really all I read a novel that barely touched the surface of the magic, politics, and history that I had been anticipating. The romance was...awkward, like cringy-awkward. Usually in these kinds of books the romance is written relatively well alongside the terrible writing and conventional plot, but in this book....bleh. And I don't think any of the characters appealed to me--not one. Not only were they not properly developed, they were also a quite annoying to be completely honest.<br />
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Despite all these complaints, I can't really bring myself to give this one star due to the fact that I was slightly interested in the novel at first. Plus, I don't necessarily hate this book--I normally reserve a one star rating for books which have offended me in some way. <i>The Gathering Storm</i> simply did not trigger that much of an emotional response from me.Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09498679754364819700noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6241170221728846509.post-60756451579525044372015-12-19T00:00:00.000-08:002015-12-19T00:00:16.235-08:00What Kinds of Reviews Do You Write?<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pme-hm25RcKhDzrOB8h9j-dMpWlStxrvUwpnSz6JbDWu5yzWnuN8WaWM8AXLquX6f2VX4H6ilJKARDPs880JSdzmJUSvE8ZnAnlT641uGRGB71CIEtuq5yY_XHhWsJMarz4H2paL51Y/s1600/Contemporary.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pme-hm25RcKhDzrOB8h9j-dMpWlStxrvUwpnSz6JbDWu5yzWnuN8WaWM8AXLquX6f2VX4H6ilJKARDPs880JSdzmJUSvE8ZnAnlT641uGRGB71CIEtuq5yY_XHhWsJMarz4H2paL51Y/s400/Contemporary.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I haven't done a discussion post in a while, so I think I shall do one now!<br />
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The other day I was browsing through Goodreads, looking for some books to read and browsing tons of my friends' reviews. While in the midst of this browsing I noticed a pattern in types of reviews; some were more detailed than others, some more straightforward, and others more lighthearted. Many readers' reviews fall into a particular category and normally follow an overall format, and I mentally listed these categories that Goodreaders tended to follow.<br />
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I'm not saying that there won't be some overlapping in how people write their reviews and in which categories they're in, as most of you will probably be able to relate to several of these. Now, this is just my opinion, and you guys probably have a total different perception of the different types of reviews that exist.<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">~ Gif-filled ~</span></u></b></span></u></b></div>
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I'm almost positive that most of us have used gifs in at least one of our reviews, because sometimes words just /aren't/ enough to convey how a book has made us feel. But some reviewers have the tendency to use gifs in most of their reviews, which is great for those who are more visually-oriented and prefer pictures over big blocks of words. Reviews with lots of gifs are usually very enthusiastic and just generally enjoyable to read. Some people have a talent at finding the perfect gif for almost every situation/emotion, and for that you should be proud.</div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">~ Detailed ~</span></u></b></div>
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These are the kinds of reviews I usually go to when deciding whether I should read a book or not. Reviews like these are thorough and usually contain an in-depth overview of the plot itself, They typically have long paragraphs, which I don't really skim for the most part. Reviewers who write detailed reviews are good at noticing nuances in books they read. </div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">~ Organized ~</span></u></b></div>
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These are the pros-and-cons, likes and dislikes type of reviews. They're normally very concise and very straightforward, which I appreciate when I'm hurriedly scanning a book's Goodreads page. I like these reviews because the reviewers' ideas are easier to understand. </div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">~ Sporadic ~</span></u></b></div>
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These are the types of reviews I write when I have no filter; they have no particular structure and they're pretty all over the place. They include a rant about a character the reviewer hated, followed by a few sentences about the lovely writing, and back again to ranting about the aforementioned hated character. I'd say 80% of my reviews are like this, and this probably has to do with the fact that I can't organize my thoughts (or my life in general). And to be honest, I usually enjoy reading people's reviews who are like this as they have a sort of spice to them. </div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">~ Humorous ~</span></u></b></div>
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I'd like to <i>think </i>I write these types of reviews (when in reality I just fill reviews with my lame jokes and puns that usually aren't funny in the slightest). Those who write humorous reviews include the use of caps lock, smileys, and sarcasm if they're feeling particularly critical. These are the reviews I read for books I absolutely loathe; chances are, there's a reviewer who has hated the book just as much as me and their review is composed entirely of snark. If you've mastered the use of humor of your review, then you definitely deserve an award.</div>
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Each of these types of reviews have their own kind of charm, and I appreciate all of them for different reasons. You will probably be able to relate to a couple of these. Or you might feel as if the type of review depends on variables such as your mood, whether you liked the book or not, etc.<br />
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<span style="color: cyan; font-size: x-large;"><b>I, for one, relate to the sporadic review type the most. Which type(s) do you guys think adequately represent your reviewing style?</b></span></div>
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Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09498679754364819700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6241170221728846509.post-28150511569847349052015-12-02T00:00:00.000-08:002015-12-02T00:00:03.279-08:00Waiting on Wednesday: Salt to the Sea, by Ruta Sepetys<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Breaking The Spine</a>.</i><br />
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<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1437084512l/25614492.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Salt to the Sea" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1437084512l/25614492.jpg" /></a><i>Title: </i>Salt to the Sea<br />
<i>Author: </i>Ruta Sepetys<br />
<i>Publication Date: </i>February 2, 2015<br />
<i>Genre: </i>Historical fiction<br />
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<b>The author of Between Shades of Gray returns to WWII in this epic novel that shines a light on one of the war's most devastating—yet unknown—tragedies.</b><br />
In 1945, World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia, and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, almost all of them with something to hide. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer toward safety.<br />
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Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Not country, nor culture, nor status matter as all ten thousand people aboard must fight for the same thing: survival.</div>
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A visual representation of me when I saw this book:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCp7f3YoGrFKs7DYL_8-yV7KnUkBlrzyMwIKNfsOnlYBlM-4CrtIkkP8GUhelWP-pC3N0XFtG-k6lfbO7gIJOkdeJlyOqjJwqz9Vk9ciQdDm-3hJVw6bIcy47CyfD2qhSYbC7x0orTq3Y/s1600/jackson+nice.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCp7f3YoGrFKs7DYL_8-yV7KnUkBlrzyMwIKNfsOnlYBlM-4CrtIkkP8GUhelWP-pC3N0XFtG-k6lfbO7gIJOkdeJlyOqjJwqz9Vk9ciQdDm-3hJVw6bIcy47CyfD2qhSYbC7x0orTq3Y/s400/jackson+nice.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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Ok but seriously, <i>Between Shades of Gray</i> is <a href="http://missfictional.blogspot.com/2013/06/review-between-shades-of-gray-by-ruta.html" target="_blank">one of my all-time favorite books</a>, and <i>Out of the Easy</i> is also <a href="http://missfictional.blogspot.com/2013/11/review-out-of-easy-by-ruta-sepetys.html" target="_blank">a very beloved book</a> (gahh those reviews are so old), so when I saw this title on Goodreads, I was absolutely ecstatic. I'm hoping I could get an ARC of this book, but if not, I'll be so ready to buy this book the day it releases,<br />
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Yup, that's how much hope I have for Ruta Sepetys's book. I just <i>know </i>her book will not disappoint.Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09498679754364819700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6241170221728846509.post-85319737182435949492015-11-25T22:08:00.001-08:002015-11-25T22:09:32.994-08:00Review: The Raven Boys, by Maggie Stiefvater<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1415182016l/17675462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle, #1)" border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1415182016l/17675462.jpg" width="211" /></a><i>Title: </i>The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1)<br />
<i>Author: </i>Maggie Stiefvater<br />
<i>Publication Date: </i>September 18, 2012<br />
<i>Genre: </i>Fantasy<br />
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Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them--until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her.<br />
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His name is Gansey, a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.<br />
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But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher who notices many things but says very little.<br />
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For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn't believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore. </div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">4 Stars</span></u></b></div>
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My first impression of <i>The Raven Boys</i> was that it was a book about four rich white boys who screw around with magic because they have nothing better to do with their lives. I was so terribly wrong, and I'm glad I forced myself to get past the 100-page mark, because that's approximately where things began to get better. </div>
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<i>The Raven Boys</i> is a prime example of young adult fiction stereotypes done right. You have:</div>
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<li>a girl who is surrounded by four boys, some of whom are bathing in money</li>
<li>a girl with "special powers"</li>
<li>four boys with "troubled pasts"</li>
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As you can tell, those points are a recipe for disaster. However, don't let the synopsis or the first few chapters fool you. First off, there's a girl named Blue, and she has not really special powers but an ability to <i>amplify </i>said powers. She does give off that special snowflake vibe at the beginning of the story, but I grew to like her after I learned that she neither flaunts these magical tendencies nor uses them for dumb purposes. Blue is a smart, logical girl, and I appreciated the fact that she never allowed her emotions to cloud her line of thinking. Because of her sensibility, she did not let the fact that she was surrounded by four boys to distract her from her true goals. I wasn't forced to endure 400 pages of endless thirsting, and for that I am thankful.</div>
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Speaking of that, there wasn't much romance overall. Like her Shiver trilogy, I've noticed Stiefvater knows how to add just the right amount of romance so as to not overwhelm the reader. More emphasis is placed on character development than on romantic subplots, thankfully. </div>
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Going back to the "boys with troubled pasts" point, the novel did have a bit of a "woe-is-me" tone, but later on I realized that it was well-earned and that there was good reason for their moping, especially Ronan and Adam. Moreover, their troubled lives took a backseat for most of the novel, and weren't used to woo Blue (heh) to "heal" these struggling, "mysterious" boys. </div>
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I've never really liked Stiefvater's writing--when I read the Shiver trilogy a few years ago, I was forced to DNF the third book because her writing was just so irritatingly try-hardish and too reliant on metaphors. Although I recognized her writing when I first began The Raven Boys, it was far more mature and much more poetic due to its newfound simplicity. Stiefvater is undoubtedly a talented writer, and I'm looking forward to reading more of her books in the future.</div>
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I wasn't very crazy about the storyline itself at first; I was expecting a more fantasy-heavy novel. I'm hoping that as I read the next few books, I'll become more invested in the plot because my slight disinterest led me to set down the novel a few times. </div>
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Can I just devote a fraction of this review to an angel named Adam. Oh my god, he is just such a gentleman and such a quietly determined individual that I'm sure I would die if anything happened to him. He's such a beautiful person and deserves the world not only for his fierce ambition but for his ability to withstand almost anything. My luck that I ended up loving the character the author seems to hate, though. He is literally always going through some struggle of sorts, and I don't think he was genuinely happy once. </div>
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Despite not being very enthusiastic about the book at first, <i>The Raven Boys</i> proved to be an extremely well-written book with impeccable character development and inventive writing; and while the story didn't necessarily hook me, I will still be reading the next books if only for the characters that I've come to love. </div>
Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09498679754364819700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6241170221728846509.post-65912851932891516882015-10-31T16:49:00.004-07:002015-10-31T16:50:12.809-07:00Review: The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1390053681l/19063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Book Thief" border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1390053681l/19063.jpg" width="211" /></a><i>Title: </i>The Book Thief<br />
<i>Author: </i>Markus Zusak<br />
<i>Publication Date: </i>March 14, 2006<br />
<i>Genre: </i>Historical Fiction<br />
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It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .<br />
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Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.<br />
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This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19063.The_Book_Thief?ac=1">-Goodreads</a></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">5 Stars</span></u></b></div>
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<i>“I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.” </i></div>
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Warning: this will probably read less as a review and more as a love letter...of sorts.<br />
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I read this book three years ago, and to this day, The Book Thief still haunts me, silently but steadily remaining in the back of my mind. Three years ago, it was almost impossible for me to write a review for this novel, and it is unbearably difficult for me to muster up the words still.<br />
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It's college application season, and because of this, I have been reminiscing on the past few years; what I've accomplished, what has affected me to this day, and what I did that was notable. Well, as much as what a high schooler does that can be considered notable. Despite my recent inactivity, one of the things which I consider an extremely noteworthy feat was the start of this book blog. I talk about this quite a lot in my college applications, and it's not so much to brag as it is to have this indescribable <i>passion </i>for a hobby that you just want to gush on and on to every person you meet about it. <br />
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Why am I bringing this up? Well, upon reading <i>The Book Thief</i> in the beginning of freshman year, I realized something that upon introspection was pretty obvious for years prior: I freaking loved reading. And I didn't love it for the entertainment value, nor for the emotional aspect, but for the sheer reason of loving words and the way they are strung together to create sentences to chapters to full length novels and, if well-written, can leave varying depths of imprints on one's memory. <br />
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In short, <i>The Book Thief</i> was one of the main reasons I decided to start this book blog, and as hard as it is for me to maintain motivation (it's one of my main flaws) I still do not regret starting this book blog for the bloggers I've befriended and the experiences I've been through.<br />
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Honestly, I had completely forgotten how compelling Zusak's writing is until I had cracked open the first page. It's probably one of the most distinct writing styles I've encountered in all the books I have read, and that truly is saying something. Not only that, but the amount of emotion wrought into each word left me a step short of overwhelmed, and not in a bad way.<br />
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I'm not quite sure why I've waited so long to reread this favorite of mine. Perhaps I feared it would be a bit of a disappointment after reading it again, and I didn't want to shatter the pedastal I had put it on all these years. Even so, I can state with confidence that <i>The Book Thief</i> became better the second time around--if such a thing is even possible--and that I was able to appreciate the characters and the history and the worldbuilding more than the initial reading.<br />
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As you can probably tell, the ending shocked me just as much as reading it the first time around. I hate the emotional trance this book puts me under, but at the same time, isn't that the reason why it is at the top of my favorites list?Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09498679754364819700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6241170221728846509.post-4723253779952296962015-09-30T00:45:00.002-07:002015-09-30T00:45:56.190-07:00Movie-Book Covers That I LikeIt's a well-established opinion in the minds of readers that movie tie-in covers are a definite no-no. I don't think I've ever met someone who has preferred the movie book cover over the original, and for good reason. I mean, some of them are absolutely atrocious and while they're always telling us to not "judge a book by its cover," it's pretty hard to avoid when the cover looks like it was made by a second grader playing around on Paint.<br />
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This line of thinking brought up the question: are there <i>any </i>movie tie-in covers that I actually like? I couldn't think of any off the top of my head, so I had to do a bit of digging. I did in fact find a few that weren't a pain to look at, but up until this point I haven't found any that are better than the original.<br />
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<img alt="The Fault in Our Stars" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1394995335l/20821105.jpg" width="132" /><img alt="If I Stay (If I Stay, #1)" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403199426l/21911416.jpg" width="133" /><img alt="The Perks of Being a Wallflower" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407137888l/13573503.jpg" width="142" /></div>
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<img alt="The Book Thief" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1414276719l/17857648.jpg" width="134" /><img alt="The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1419183478l/23153016.jpg" width="133" /><img alt="The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1)" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388262641l/6676603.jpg" width="135" /></div>
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<li><b>The Fault In Our Stars</b>: I've never watched the movie, and while the original cover looks far neater than this one, compared to other movie tie-ins this one is alright.</li>
<li><b>If I Stay</b>: Out of all of these, this one is probably my favorite. It doesn't involve awkward photography and looks pretty natural.</li>
<li><b>The Perks of Being a Wallpaper</b>: Emma Watson. That is all.</li>
<li><b>The Book Thief</b>: I'm a bit biased because I really liked the movie adaptation, but I think this cover is cute, even if it's just a close-up of Liesel's face. </li>
<li><b>The DUFF</b>: For some reason the color scheme of this one is appealing to me, but I'm not the biggest fan of their awkward stances.</li>
<li><b>The Lightning Thief</b>: The bolt of lighting looks cool to me, ok? Also, Logan Lerman is great.</li>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">What do you guys think? Do you have any movie tie-in covers that you like or even absolutely abhor?</span></b></div>
Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09498679754364819700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6241170221728846509.post-32882067464457673332015-09-27T19:48:00.002-07:002015-09-27T20:51:10.251-07:00New Design ~ Hiatus Is (Hopefully) OverWell, I really do suck.<br />
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It's been about five months since I've last posted. (# of books read in this period: 2. What the actual hell) (I've practically forgotten how to read at this point). I'd like to call this sudden inactivity a hiatus, but I'd be lying if I said it was planned or it was to "take a break." In all honesty, I just lost my motivation to blog and read, and while I have been suspecting that it would happen sooner or later, I didn't think it would last <i>this </i>long.<br />
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I don't want to make any promises for fear I'd break them, but I think you'd see more activity on this blog from now on. How often I'll post and how many books I'll read I have no clue, but as long as I'm keeping up with the blogging world, I think I should be fine.<br />
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I will admit this: I truly did miss blogging and everything about it; ranting about books that angered me, gushing about books that pleased me, and just being an overall spaz on here. But, as always, my laziness overshadowed this.<br />
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Anyways, in a sudden burst of inspiration, I decided to redesign the blog! You know, to change things up a bit <strike>and maybe gain back my motivation </strike>(Bonus points if anyone can recognize what my design is from)<br />
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In other news, college apps are coming up so I'll probably start using that as an excuse for my lack of posts. What can I say, I'm the queen of making up excuses.<br />
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How's everyone? Has anything new/interesting/noteworthy happened in the book blogging community?Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09498679754364819700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6241170221728846509.post-36432119971964365552015-04-06T00:00:00.000-07:002015-04-06T00:00:00.358-07:00Twitter Accounts You Need to Follow<div style="text-align: left;">
I should be a complete troll and just leave my Twitter handle and be done with this post. HAHAHAHAHA. But don't worry, I'm not <i>that </i>self-centered. ;)</div>
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In the past few months or so these hilarious Twitter accounts have been popping up, and have been met with loads of popularity. They're snarky, sarcastic, and basically poke fun at all the good, bad, and the ugly trends in books, particularly in YA. All this while being surprisingly insightful. Here are some of them that you should follow asap:<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://twitter.com/TypicalYAHero" target="_blank">@TypicalYAHero</a></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://twitter.com/broodingYAhero" target="_blank">@broodingYAhero</a></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/GuyInYourMFA" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">@GuyInYourMFA</span></b></a></div>
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There are tons more--these are just a few of my favorites. Also check out: <a href="https://twitter.com/AverageYADad" target="_blank">@AverageYADad</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/YAFantasyHero" target="_blank">@YAFantasyHero</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/_YADudeFriend" target="_blank">@_YADudeFriend</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/AspireYAAuthor" target="_blank">@AspireYAAuthor</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/TheYABestFriend" target="_blank">@TheYABestFriend</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/TokenYASidekick" target="_blank">@TokenYASidekick</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/KngHnryVIII" target="_blank">@KngHnryVIII</a> (if you're a history nerd like moi). </div>
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Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09498679754364819700noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6241170221728846509.post-20981594293152512762015-03-31T12:38:00.002-07:002015-04-05T12:35:38.336-07:00Review: The Start of Me and You, by Emery Lord<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405440794l/22429350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Start of Me and You" border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405440794l/22429350.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<i>Title: </i>The Start of Me and You</div>
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<i>Author: </i>Emery Lord</div>
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<i>Publication Date: </i>March 31, 2015</div>
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<i>Genre: </i>Contemporary</div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Rating: 5 Stars</span></u></b></div>
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<i>Thank you Bloomsbury for a copy of this book, which did not influence my review in any way.</i></div>
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Everything I disliked about <i>Open Road Summer</i>--the girl-hating, the drama--was nonexistent in <i>The Start of Me and You</i> and everything I loved--the relationships, the writing--was improved tenfold.<br />
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Don't let the cover fool you, because this is <b><i>far </i></b>more than a love story. It's the story of four best friends: Paige, Tessa, Kayleigh, Morgan. By the end of the story, you'll love them so much, that you'll want to have friends like them. Also, Tessa? Can I be your best friend?<br />
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(Aside: This will probably sound really vain, but Tessa is exactly like me. She's short, outspoken, loves indie music, and is a nerd but is a complete slacker. Why I want to be best friends with someone that's apparently exactly like me is beyond me, but I digress.)<br />
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I think one of the reasons why this appealed to me so much was that it was reminiscent of <i>Saving Francesca</i> by Melina Marchetta--which, if you didn't know already, I LOVE. It was the heartbreak and loss dripping from the writing and the well-written characters that drew me to this comparison. Really, the fact that this is anything like a Marchetta book should force you to go running to the store to buy a copy of this. <br />
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ALSO I LOVE MAX AND HIS NERDINESS BEST LOVE INTEREST EVER IF I MET A GUY LIKE HIM I WOULD MARRY HIM IN AN INSTANT I DON'T CARE THERE WERE TOO MANY FLAILS WHILE READING THIS ASDFGHJKL;<br />
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Ahem. So yeah, as you can tell, I loved this book to bits. If you feel like you're missing something from your life, it's probably <i>The Start of Me and You</i>.Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09498679754364819700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6241170221728846509.post-83519362442707659262015-03-16T00:00:00.000-07:002015-03-16T00:00:09.470-07:00Emotional RatingsLet's get this out of the way: I've been guilty of emotional rating TONS of times. I try my utmost hardest to be a fair reviewer, but sometimes there is that one book that you can't help but feel passionately about, whether it be positive or negative passion.<br />
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What exactly <i>is</i> emotional rating? Well, according to <i>Summer's Very Important and Very Accurate Dictionary</i>, it's done by book reviewers when all reason is thrown to the wind and emotion is trusted to assign a book a rating.<br />
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There's two scenarios: one, a book that you know has bad writing, bad characterization, etc, but you follow what the book made you <i>feel </i>and bestow upon it a 5-star rating. Or, on the other hand, you know a book has a great plot and the writing is amazing but there's that one character that grinds your gears and makes you so <i>angry</i> that you had to give the book 1 star.<br />
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While I do do this (quite a lot, actually) in my defense I usually state in my review the goods and the bads regardless of my feelings about the book overall. With that said, I don't bother with reviews for a lot of the non-review books I read, so I wouldn't trust those if I were you. :3<br />
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I know that it's my blog and my reviews and there's really no need to justify my ratings, but I do try to be professional (to an extent) and I *try* to be as fair as possible most of the time, especially when I'm reviewing an ARC. Also, I'm not suggesting that if you're not "fair" then your opinions are invalid, I'm merely throwing around some food for thought. <br />
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As I think about this topic more I realize that emotional rating isn't necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes as a book reviewer I get tired of analyzing every little thing in a book and I just want to read to calm my brain. There's nothing wrong with giving a book 1 star just because a character is unlikable (but IMO this is pushing it and if a reviewer is doing that I probably won't trust their opinion.) <b><i>However</i></b>, <b>I have no right to say that their style of reviewing is "wrong" as if there is a "correct" way to review.</b><br />
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What do you guys think? Yay or nay for emotional rating?<br />
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And, because I feel like I'm way too serious in this discussion post, here's some breaking news if you were interested:<br />
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hehehehheheehe.</div>
Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09498679754364819700noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6241170221728846509.post-40718851928879568722015-03-05T10:00:00.000-08:002015-03-05T10:00:00.988-08:00[Blog Tour] Review & Giveaway: Dead To Me, by Mary McCoy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Title: Dead To Me<br />
Author: Mary McCoy<br />
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion<br />
Release Date: March 3rd 2015</div>
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<b>LA Confidential for the YA audience. This alluring noir YA mystery with a Golden Age Hollywood backdrop will keep you guessing until the last page.</b></div>
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<i>"Don't believe anything they say."</i></div>
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Those were the last words that Annie spoke to Alice before turning her back on their family and vanishing without a trace. Alice spent four years waiting and wondering when the impossibly glamorous sister she idolized would return to her--and what their Hollywood-insider parents had done to drive her away.</div>
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When Annie does turn up, the blond, broken stranger lying in a coma has no answers for her. But Alice isn't a kid anymore, and this time she won't let anything stand between her and the truth, no matter how ugly. The search for those who beat Annie and left her for dead leads Alice into a treacherous world of tough-talking private eyes, psychopathic movie stars, and troubled starlets--and onto the trail of a young runaway who is the sole witness to an unspeakable crime. What this girl knows could shut down a criminal syndicate and put Annie's attacker behind bars--if Alice can find her first. And she isn't the only one looking</div>
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Evoking classic film noir, debut novelist Mary McCoy brings the dangerous glamour of Hollywood's Golden Age to life, where the most decadent parties can be the deadliest, and no drive into the sunset can erase the crimes of past.</div>
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<b><u>Rating: 3.5 Stars</u></b></div>
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<b><i>"Ali, I need you to do one more thing for me."</i><i>"Anything," I said. </i><i>"Don't believe anything they say. Not about me, not about anything."</i></b></blockquote>
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<i>Dead To Me </i>first caught my eye because it was a) historical fiction and b) a story of two sisters. Of course, I went in expecting an emotional historical novel about sisters who finally find each other and have a tear-stained reunion. Boy, was I wrong.</div>
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This isn't a touching story of siblings--it's noir, through and through. It's a mystery/thriller book with a complex storyline that kept me on my toes. It was intriguing and unconventional, albeit a bit puzzling at times. There were tons of twists and turns and I couldn't seem to keep up--a sign of a very well-written mystery novel. Although, it did get a bit dry, but these instances were few and far between.</div>
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Alice, the main character, was developed quite well. The same cannot be said of the majority of the characters in this book. <i>Dead To Me</i>'s only weakness was in its character development. and I found myself mixing up the names of Annie's friends as I couldn't distinguish between their personalities. Annie herself was an extremely interesting character, and I'm sad to see that her relationship with her younger sister wasn't delved into as much as I'd hoped.</div>
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I loved the writing. It was to-the-point and really helped develop the setting of 1940s Hollywood. Indeed, nothing was sugarcoated, so don't expect a happy-go-lucky book. </div>
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The historical fiction wasn't focused on too much; just enough information and descriptions were given to help give us a feel of this time period. </div>
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Full of engaging mysteries and questionable crimes, <i>Dead To Me</i> was nothing short of spectacular. Its subject matter was evidently researched extensively, and while the historical fiction was not up in the reader's face, the author did succeed in subtly creating the atmosphere of 1940s LA. I truly enjoyed myself while reading <i>Dead To Me, </i>and it certainly has left an impact on me. </div>
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Follow the <a href="http://theunofficialaddictionbookfanclub.blogspot.com/2014/12/ffbc-blog-tour-dead-to-me-by-mary-mccoy.html">Dead To Me by Mary McCoy</a> Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0rrqCLl9NhSdzaivPHsWdf9_jV3IE-FmyH6VtxS6wFEyZ4dLOqiARrKomYiVXYJrzZuzoKSCPD6TZFWTIX78fexRqlkN9mVfjJy5TUjJl5hBTJWy06a5eYRwIEW_7AaFUjabtYUnWFk/s1600/7371757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0rrqCLl9NhSdzaivPHsWdf9_jV3IE-FmyH6VtxS6wFEyZ4dLOqiARrKomYiVXYJrzZuzoKSCPD6TZFWTIX78fexRqlkN9mVfjJy5TUjJl5hBTJWy06a5eYRwIEW_7AaFUjabtYUnWFk/s1600/7371757.jpg" /></a>Mary McCoy is a librarian at the Los Angeles Public Library. She has also been a contributor to On Bunker Hill and the 1947project, where she wrote stories about Los Angeles's notorious past. She grew up in western Pennsylvania and studied at Rhodes College and the University of Wisconsin. Mary now lives in Los Angeles with her husband. Her debut novel, Dead To Me, is a YA mystery set in the glamorous, treacherous world of 1940s Hollywood.<br />
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<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1422767180l/24784371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Ruby Airship (The Diamond Thief)" border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1422767180l/24784371.jpg" width="215" /></a><i>Title</i>: The Ruby Airship<br />
<i>Author</i>: Sharon Gosling<br />
<i>Publication Date</i>: February 2, 2015<br />
<i>Genre</i>: Historical fiction/Steampunk<br />
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In this action-packed sequel to <i>The Diamond Thief</i>, trapeze-artist Remy has left the circus and her life as a jewel thief behind, but doubts that young detective Thaddeus Rec will ever truly trust her. Torn between her new life and her old, her mind is made up when Yannick, a fellow circus-performer from Remy's past, arrives in London. Remy decides it's time to go with him to France, and rejoin her best friend Claudette and the circus. But Thaddeus is sure that Yannick is up to no good. He's determined to track them down and win Remy back, even if he has to embark on a perilous journey by airship to do so.</div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></u></b> <b><u><span style="font-size: large;">4 Stars</span></u></b></div>
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<i>Thank you Switch Press for this review copy!</i><br />
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With just as much action, adventure, and romance as the first book, <i>The Ruby Airship</i> is sure to please fans of the first installment. If you're not aware, <a href="http://missfictional.blogspot.com/2014/05/mini-reviews-if-you-find-me-and-diamond.html" target="_blank">I absolutely loved <i>The Diamond Thief</i></a>, and the mere fact that this was able to live up to my expectations is an indicator of this book's superb-ness.</div>
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<i>The Ruby Airship</i> starts off where <i>The Diamond</i> <i>Thief</i> left, and it starts off with a bang. At first it seemed as if it would be an angst-filled, dramatic book disguised as adventure, but this misconception was immediately smashed once Remy made her way to France.<br />
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The stakes are higher and the relationships are tested, with new characters added that make the book shine even brighter. Thaddeus and Remy are as <strike>awkward</strike> cute as ever, and J's new friend will have you giggling from their bickering.<br />
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At times, though, some seems were less... mature, I should say, than others. One particularly humorous scene was where the "bad guy" spilled all his plans to Thaddeus, which made him seem like less of a villain and more of a child playing the role of a bad guy. This, along with other instances, made the book seem a bit childish.<br />
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But really, this sequel was pure fun and all-around enjoyable. The mix of steampunk, adventure, historical fiction, and action catered to my diverse reading taste, and created a book that was both swashbuckling and emotionally engaging. Set against a rich setting and complemented by splendid writing, <i>The Ruby Airship</i> will surely be a crowd-pleaser. </div>
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<b><span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-size: large;">****GIVEAWAY TIME****</span></b></div>
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And now for a giveaway! Switch Press has generously sent me a hardcover of both The Diamond Thief and The Ruby Airship. They're stunning, aren't they?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69cbXUtItkVX3h0vXv2UM887YbFxRTGeTljXkiFiIZh-J8kB2v0xjBRlsRLjFqaCczN6NmAlW-pgIMKfCLIUd_w8LzqORJpyjCFOUbJEIm5_0eAnTpusrHhQ1rQOl43kDpGHbrrVsBb0/s1600/image+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69cbXUtItkVX3h0vXv2UM887YbFxRTGeTljXkiFiIZh-J8kB2v0xjBRlsRLjFqaCczN6NmAlW-pgIMKfCLIUd_w8LzqORJpyjCFOUbJEIm5_0eAnTpusrHhQ1rQOl43kDpGHbrrVsBb0/s1600/image+(2).jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIxhZhUwOZi3AzIfDnt45iTsUyvw50o91N2NqcOESqmcTJ7rpY4dOAiuVxflIA05LvtQOl7lR45smOlXhsBETpms8EN5K618K0avnVqExuQcYIMEXx9sRFV8CjQ26FqAC3bqY6TLUBcqQ/s1600/image+(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIxhZhUwOZi3AzIfDnt45iTsUyvw50o91N2NqcOESqmcTJ7rpY4dOAiuVxflIA05LvtQOl7lR45smOlXhsBETpms8EN5K618K0avnVqExuQcYIMEXx9sRFV8CjQ26FqAC3bqY6TLUBcqQ/s1600/image+(3).jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b><br />
</b> <b>The Rules:</b></div>
<ul>
<li>You must be at least 13 years old to enter.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">No cheating, please, I'm planning on going through every entry to make sure you did what you entered. If not, I'll eliminate all your entries.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">You must live in the US (sorry international folks)<br />
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<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="732287749" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/732287749/" id="rcwidget_gfgkrxzo" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a></div>
<script src="//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09498679754364819700noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6241170221728846509.post-46339458445230002062015-02-11T00:00:00.000-08:002015-02-11T00:00:12.129-08:00Favorite Interior Book DesignsMany thanks and chocolate for Amelia from <a href="http://ya-bookologists.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">YA Bookologists</a> for suggesting this topic! The blog has been dry lately and I've been sucked of my creative juices for the past week or so, and you saved it from dying! <3 you Amelia.<br />
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Going through the books on my non-existent bookshelf (it's actually a Leaning Tower of Books, but I'll save that for another day) I gathered books which I thought contained really pretty illustrations, title pages, chapter headings, etc. and took bad quality pictures while failing to keep my arm steady. Never said I was a photographer.<br />
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1. <u><b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11925514-code-name-verity?ac=1" style="color: #8e7cc3;" target="_blank">CODE NAME VERITY</a>,</i> by Elizabeth Wein</b></u><br />
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Everything about this book, from the cover to the freaking font, is absolutely adorable. Take a look:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7q2kpd7_H7wHGt8tKsA92YWpW4-LkV9ARo-oKOIYUwAW6Ogh9Y1Okintlo0Zbxgok2NbUpbZ7tar2Ndm9fUPbzUwXqnm9vzIsCqmquCnswC6XlJ9xy-cNPyOX4PYEzvSjg2ZsCTSyG_E/s1600/20150208_170315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7q2kpd7_H7wHGt8tKsA92YWpW4-LkV9ARo-oKOIYUwAW6Ogh9Y1Okintlo0Zbxgok2NbUpbZ7tar2Ndm9fUPbzUwXqnm9vzIsCqmquCnswC6XlJ9xy-cNPyOX4PYEzvSjg2ZsCTSyG_E/s1600/20150208_170315.jpg" height="224" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgujwp5VxXSMnz6fjloXyyEIiffWPWirMpTrdmz-ecAPuW_uwHrXtXpxKVlEr9WgMdwx1S1yAa4qEQ0XOQTjY2TMM36NV3JddiSxJGzv2pJQhoP-QRHIb-7Kn4Vs1EN1TNVJUXqevNhR60/s1600/20150208_170543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgujwp5VxXSMnz6fjloXyyEIiffWPWirMpTrdmz-ecAPuW_uwHrXtXpxKVlEr9WgMdwx1S1yAa4qEQ0XOQTjY2TMM36NV3JddiSxJGzv2pJQhoP-QRHIb-7Kn4Vs1EN1TNVJUXqevNhR60/s1600/20150208_170543.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is at the corner of the page and IDK I just love it</td></tr>
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2. <u><b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17841138-the-cure-for-dreaming?ac=1" style="color: #8e7cc3;" target="_blank">THE CURE FOR DREAMING</a>, </i>by Cat Winters</b></u></div>
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When I saw that my ARC copy had real images from the past scattered throughout, my inner nerd rejoiced. Look at dis:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwiqthWanla0LiPsvYZ8lx-wxdsseTVDN5zXtd_6NH9lZolAEpXiFqFKEAvD7EKHc0vC2Ujp557RMsyIBQGfjxB-WE4Vsdrp5kCUFRgWyJ05oQyoXdwxAEPemBX0us8csgr1AJGBRox4/s1600/20150208_170014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwiqthWanla0LiPsvYZ8lx-wxdsseTVDN5zXtd_6NH9lZolAEpXiFqFKEAvD7EKHc0vC2Ujp557RMsyIBQGfjxB-WE4Vsdrp5kCUFRgWyJ05oQyoXdwxAEPemBX0us8csgr1AJGBRox4/s1600/20150208_170014.jpg" height="216" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFRaQZG2etdma06p-DtFR2AfiiXycNzWfuyLfj3T_MaaFbNs1T5lZXmbx6pht2pD8xi3sUElHAjxiJuDebLybl4kYZkIwZhAiQJ_1g8P7QVAXKE_zDzUrd98aYXuO9j5vZN8YKolC26E/s1600/20150208_165642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFRaQZG2etdma06p-DtFR2AfiiXycNzWfuyLfj3T_MaaFbNs1T5lZXmbx6pht2pD8xi3sUElHAjxiJuDebLybl4kYZkIwZhAiQJ_1g8P7QVAXKE_zDzUrd98aYXuO9j5vZN8YKolC26E/s1600/20150208_165642.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWYXQT_hHjiMsz8KTDtXRc0CLeavjbpd5jACcsi97L3ei4i2s5otkSoAgRoxjJD4G8RyXKAOzfYxJzS2bak6133Xk2fwj2dPzh3M70qY1JF8xMhzsUriCFdwGwPAS8uEEi4yFZiVMm5ew/s1600/20150208_165947.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THE QUOTE ON THE SIDE</td></tr>
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3. <b><i><u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14061957-ruin-and-rising?ac=1" style="color: #8e7cc3;" target="_blank">RUIN AND RISING</a>, </u></i><u>by Leigh Bardugo</u></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2PFz_EWOYXONVmzRi1gdf9NzgxvbvJLcvOqyKzIZj5nvi4lyBbcVOOUJFV-OaH4kBDzVw4diGpvCn15EXLkJRK1gmS0Vjx3UHAddX3SN2J7XuyEjp7HakxR7CDhSN2BBA7QlKQkxJ5I/s1600/20150208_171305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2PFz_EWOYXONVmzRi1gdf9NzgxvbvJLcvOqyKzIZj5nvi4lyBbcVOOUJFV-OaH4kBDzVw4diGpvCn15EXLkJRK1gmS0Vjx3UHAddX3SN2J7XuyEjp7HakxR7CDhSN2BBA7QlKQkxJ5I/s1600/20150208_171305.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My inner nerd is pleased.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWyQoOkUswdtLRsHuRmNYxLzq2_A12WWGA9oqQdAYfJPM-NCsFKh2AecnKUaMsg2HKyNq_xa8amV9O1b4J3H1Nqg1CqZczhDAcEuLoSOBOQahOa-0z_q-OKlyqGcSdW52pxi8gWyOWvAU/s1600/20150208_171326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWyQoOkUswdtLRsHuRmNYxLzq2_A12WWGA9oqQdAYfJPM-NCsFKh2AecnKUaMsg2HKyNq_xa8amV9O1b4J3H1Nqg1CqZczhDAcEuLoSOBOQahOa-0z_q-OKlyqGcSdW52pxi8gWyOWvAU/s1600/20150208_171326.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
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4. <b><u><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2213661.The_Graveyard_Book?ac=1" target="_blank">THE GRAVEYARD BOOK</a></i>, </span>by Neil Gaiman</u></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpOe05Vo1yEahbNCegKyiFWJFNCE6qKzszw6zuRZs-O3C-DBPAJfb8fFOgnDNpnE6xfrbTZcVi-x5DaH4oFAqjchmWJc9TEUxqJgbh76ltv2hhh7IjILYN4bLcO6tqMp3YF6e7TRHjTNQ/s1600/20150208_170955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpOe05Vo1yEahbNCegKyiFWJFNCE6qKzszw6zuRZs-O3C-DBPAJfb8fFOgnDNpnE6xfrbTZcVi-x5DaH4oFAqjchmWJc9TEUxqJgbh76ltv2hhh7IjILYN4bLcO6tqMp3YF6e7TRHjTNQ/s1600/20150208_170955.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SILAS AND BOD. WHEE.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ290SUZ7n3QxBFBJwcAPlpIcA3bVrBqCasoLQKpDEi5CBQLwWDSqxmDXamJRMf7PqQj1P1klEeISzCh3kPVNXfFy59XfuBRCkiuH1zqieG0WsmOKmENO15-_k9H4IiR8xBTnL78cZrZY/s1600/20150208_171049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ290SUZ7n3QxBFBJwcAPlpIcA3bVrBqCasoLQKpDEi5CBQLwWDSqxmDXamJRMf7PqQj1P1klEeISzCh3kPVNXfFy59XfuBRCkiuH1zqieG0WsmOKmENO15-_k9H4IiR8xBTnL78cZrZY/s1600/20150208_171049.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">*heart eyes*</td></tr>
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5. <b><u><i style="color: #8e7cc3;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/693208.The_Absolutely_True_Diary_of_a_Part_Time_Indian?ac=1" target="_blank">THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN</a></i>, by Sherman Alexie</u></b><br />
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<u><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>And those are my favorite book interiors, at least out of the books I own. What are your faves?</b></span></u></div>
Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09498679754364819700noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6241170221728846509.post-46009930768026341072015-02-09T00:00:00.000-08:002015-02-09T10:53:00.395-08:00What I've Been Doing With My LifeBecause I feel like I rarely do personal posts on here, here I am updating everyone on the goings-on in my life at the moment. And hey, I'm totally copying Amelia from <a href="http://ya-bookologists.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">YA Bookologist</a>'s <a href="http://ya-bookologists.blogspot.com/2015/01/meet-book-bloggercheck-in.html?showComment=1423451369924#c4247925265589091354" target="_blank">post</a>, hehehe (with her permission of course.)<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Listening to</span></i></b>: As per Amber from <a href="https://yaindulgences.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">YA Indulgences</a>'s recommendations, I've been obsessing over these two amazing indie bands named Hurts and Kodaline. How have I not heard of them until now? They remind me a bit of Bastille, which I guess is why I'm liking them both so much.<br />
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<a href="http://www.informationhurts.com/media/gallery-images/masonry/47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Stay" border="0" src="http://www.informationhurts.com/media/gallery-images/masonry/47.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Watching</span></i></b>: MERLIN. IS. SUCH. A. PERFECT. SHOW. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Oh, and The Musketeers is really good too.</div>
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<img src="http://www.medievalists.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Merlin.jpg" height="200" width="320" /> <img src="http://i.jeded.com/i/the-musketeers-first-season.17179.jpg" height="200" width="136" /></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Reading</span></i></b>: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user_status/show/58974229" target="_blank">I'm re-reading Harry Potter</a>!!!!! The fourth one, to be exact. I'm not entirely sure what compelled me to pick The Goblet of Fire up first, as it isn't my favorite *shrugs* Cedric anyone?</div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Currently obsessing over</span></i></b>: There's this little thing called MBTI that I've been interested in for a few years, but recently began to take this interest to a new level. It's basically a personality quiz where you're typed by four letters and it's supposed to say a lot about your mind processes and interactions and just your actions overall. I used to be an ENFP (Extroverted Intuitive Feeling Perceiving) but recently realized I'm actually an ENTP (Extroverted Intuitive Thinking Perceiving). The latter complements my nerdy side very well.</div>
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ALSO ACCORDING TO THIS I AM SIRIUS DO YOU KNOW HOW FREAKING EXCITING THIS IS FOR ME???</div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #674ea7;">Stressing over</span></i></b>: There's this neat little thing called IB (International Baccalaureate, kind of like AP classes) which my school offers and which I'd advise you to never, ever take unless you a) are a genius or b) are a complete masochist. Gah.</div>
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That's my life so far these past few weeks! I know I haven't been posting much lately but I assure you it has nothing to do with laziness. (That is most definitely a lie.)</div>
Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09498679754364819700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6241170221728846509.post-86658253114109969082015-01-30T00:00:00.000-08:002015-01-30T20:20:50.871-08:00January Mini-Reviews<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1399595169l/21509074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Since You've Been Gone" border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1399595169l/21509074.jpg" width="200" /></a><i>Title: </i>Since You've Been Gone<br />
<i>Author: </i>Mary Jennifer Payne<br />
<i>Publication Date: </i>February 17, 2015<br />
<i>Genre: </i>Contemporary<br />
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<div style="border: 10px dotted rgb(249, 203, 156); padding: 5px;">Is it possible to outrun your past? Fifteen-year-old Edie Fraser and her mother, Sydney, have been trying to do just that for five years. Now, things have gone from bad to worse. Not only has Edie had to move to another new school she's in a different country.<br />
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Sydney promises her that this is their chance at a fresh start, and Edie does her best to adjust to life in London, England, despite being targeted by the school bully. But when Sydney goes out to work the night shift and doesn't come home, Edie is terrified that the past has finally caught up with them. <br />
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Alone in a strange country, Edie is afraid to call the police for fear that she ll be sent back to her abusive father. Determined to find her mother, but with no idea where to start, she must now face the most difficult decision of her life.<br />
<a name='more'></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">3 Stars</span></u></b></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Thank you Dundurn Press for granting me access to this review copy!</i></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Since You've Been Gone</i> was a bit of a disappointment, to be frank. I wasn't expecting a literary masterpiece, but I feel like this book that focuses on such a bleak topic could have brushed more than the surface. The romance was extremely off-kilter, the main character was irritating enough for me to want to set the book aside, and the writing needed work. I'll admit, the fact that I finished this book in one sitting is a good sign, and I'm grateful that the story was short else I would have DNFed the book. I understand what the author was trying to do here, but I feel like there was too little plot and minimal development for it to have had much of an impact on me. I'm giving it a solid three stars because, all in all, it wasn't a bad story.</div><br />
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405447334l/22318573.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tear You Apart" border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405447334l/22318573.jpg" width="215" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><i>Title</i>: Tear You Apart (Beau Rivage)<br />
<i>Author</i>: Sarah Cross<br />
<i>Publication Date</i>: January 27, 2015<br />
<i>Genre</i>: Fantasy<br />
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<div style="border: 10px dotted rgb(249, 203, 156); padding: 5px;">An edgy fairy tale retelling of "Snow White" set in the world of Kill Me Softly for fans of Once Upon a Time and Grimm.<br />
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Faced with a possible loophole to her "Snow White" curse, Viv goes underground, literally, to find the prince who's fated to rescue her. But is life safe in the Underworld worth the price of sacrficing the love that might kill her?</div></div></div><br />
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">2 Stars</span></u></b></div></div><div>I had to suppress the urge to roll my eyes multiple times throughout <i>Tear You Apart</i>. I didn't have a very good reading experience, and there's only so much drama and ridiculousness I can handle in a book before I lose it. Wayyyy too much girl-on-girl hatred, lots of selfishness, bad choices galore, and a retelling that isn't even that unique. Viv is an insufferable brat who constantly bathes in self-pity whilst I forced myself to endure her long-winded complaint sprees. Good lawd, if she is the "fairest in the land," imagine everyone else?<br />
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The only thing that's preventing me from one-starring this is that underneath the pointless drama and snobbery, there were some parts of the story that were done right. I can't exactly pinpoint what, but it's keeping me from full-on hating this. </div></div>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09498679754364819700noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6241170221728846509.post-56903015517510511872015-01-26T00:00:00.000-08:002015-01-26T00:38:40.255-08:00Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award<div>
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Finally, after a very long time of procrastinating, I've written my Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award post! I was tagged by five people, (<3 you guys!) but because I don't want to make this post too long I'll do the first two people who tagged me. Thanks to Holly from <a href="http://skizzles22hu.blogspot.com/2014/11/sisterhood-of-world-bloggers-tag.html" target="_blank">The Fox's Hideaway</a> and Nori from <a href="http://readwritelove28.com/2014/11/20/sisterhood-of-the-world-bloggers-award-1/" target="_blank">ReadWriteLove28</a> for tagging me!</div>
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<b><u>The Rules:</u></b></div>
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1. Thank the blogger that nominated you and link back to their website.</div>
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2. Post the award’s logo on your blog.</div>
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3. Answer the ten questions you have been asked.</div>
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4. Nominate ten other bloggers and ask them ten other questions.</div>
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<b><u>Holly's Questions:</u></b></div>
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<b><i>1. Why did you start blogging?</i></b></div>
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I started because I didn't have any one to talk with about books, and I'm a very opinionated girl so if I don't let my opinions out and keep them bottled in I'm bound to explode. ;) So, becoming a book blogger seemed like the perfect solution to this. </div>
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<b><i>2. Do you have any quirky reading habits?</i></b></div>
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Hm. Well, I have this phobia of ruining book jackets on hardcovers so I ALWAYS remove it before I start reading, and re-dress the book after I'm finished. Oh, and if I'm reading a book on my Nook and there's a character I really like I search their name to make sure they make regular appearances in the book. It's this weird habit I've had since forever.</div>
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<b><i>3. What book have you reread the most?</i></b></div>
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Confession: I RARELY re-read books. Either I'm too busy to re-read them, or I get distracted by the sight of shiny new books, but I usually reserve re-reading for books I hold extremely close to my heart. You probably saw this coming, but the <i>Harry Potter</i> series is what I've re-read the most. :3</div>
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<b><i>4. What do you do when you're in a reading slump?</i></b></div>
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Lurk on Goodreads. Watch YouTube videos. Stalk other book blogs. Try reading loads of different books at once to see which one would bring me out of my reading slump.</div>
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<b><i>5. Do you judge a book by its cover?</i></b></div>
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The answer to this is a big, fat, shameless YES. If there's a book I really want to read but the cover is ugly, I probably won't buy the book and instead opt for the library copy. (I'm horrible.)</div>
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<b><i>6. If you could live in one fictional world, what would it be?</i></b></div>
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Hogwarts. (You saw that coming.)</div>
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<b><i>7. What's one of your pet peeves in books?</i></b></div>
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This list can go on forever, but at the top of this list are love triangles, insta-love, and just overall shallowness.</div>
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<b><i>8. When thinking about reading a book, do you research it and ask friends about it, or do you like taking chances and going in blind?</i></b></div>
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I LOVE going in books blind. Sometimes without even reading the synopsis and knowing nothing more than the title, author, and genre. And when these books end up being really good? It's one of the best feelings in the world.</div>
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<b><i>9. Which fictional character would you love to spend the day with?</i></b></div>
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Meda from the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/111505-soul-eaters" target="_blank">Soul Eaters series</a>. She is too damn awesome. </div>
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<b><i>10. Who is your favorite OTP (one true pairing)?</i></b></div>
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KAI AND CINDER THEY ARE PERFECT I LOVE THEM BOTH SO MUCH *flails* Oh, and more recently Cecile and Tristan from <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17926775-stolen-songbird?ac=1" target="_blank">Stolen Songbird</a>.</div>
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<b><u>Nori's Questions:</u></b></div>
<b><i>1. What was your favorite book when you were a child?</i></b><br />
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When I was a toddler, I loved this book called <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/562482.Sleepy_Bears" target="_blank">Sleepy Bears</a>. And I adored <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/679535.ABC_and_1_2_3?ac=1" target="_blank">this Sesame Street ABC book</a>.</div>
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<b><i><br />2. Do you listen to audiobooks? If yes, what’s your favorite?</i></b></div>
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Sadly, I haven't made the jump into audiobooks just yet. I need to get on that soon, though.</div>
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<b><i><br />3. Are you a reader, writer, or both?</i></b></div>
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Both!</div>
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<b><i><br />4. Who was the first blogger that you followed?</i></b></div>
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Gah, I barely remember the day of my Blogoversary. It might've been <a href="http://www.annareads.com/" target="_blank">Anna Reads</a>, as it was the first book blog I discovered, but I'm not sure if I followed her or not. (ETA: I've just visited her blog and am sad to see that Anna is <a href="http://www.annareads.com/2015/01/adieu.html" target="_blank">no longer blogging</a>. Sad face.)</div>
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<b><i><br />5. What is your favorite book with a purple cover?</i></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Unhinged (Splintered, #2)" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1366994000l/17449197.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="135" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THIS ONE.</td></tr>
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<b><i>6. What is the last book that you received as a gift/from a giveaway?</i></b></div>
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I won an ARC of <i>In The Shadows</i> by Kierstan White and Jim Di Bartolo from Mary of <a href="http://knoxdiver.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mary Had A Little Blog</a>. :D</div>
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<b><i><br />7. Who is your favorite author?</i></b></div>
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SUCH A HARD QUESTION. Besides the obvious JK Rowling, it would have to be Markus Zusak. And Melina Marchetta.</div>
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<b><i><br />8. If you could become any character for one day, who would you pick?</i></b></div>
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Laini from <i>Daughter of Smoke and Bone</i> because I want wings.</div>
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<b><i><br />9. What was the last book that made you cry?</i></b></div>
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<i>Strange and Ever After</i> by Susan Dennard. Beautiful.</div>
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<b><i><br />10. What was the last 5 star book that you read?</i></b></div>
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<i>Love and Other Perishable Items.</i><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>Such a heartfelt book.<br />
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I can't find anyone who hasn't already been tagged, so I think I'll leave the tagging for the Part Two post (if I can find anyone by then).</div>
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Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09498679754364819700noreply@blogger.com8