tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61392442446914138472024-03-13T12:19:38.369-04:00Joie De Lire"The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid."Joiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03519493693585041549noreply@blogger.comBlogger396125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139244244691413847.post-34931848689837202922016-01-24T03:19:00.001-05:002016-01-24T03:19:37.114-05:00Review: This is Where it Ends <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1431358364l/24529123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1431358364l/24529123.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24529123-this-is-where-it-ends?ac=1&from_search=1">This is Where it Ends</a><br />
<b>Author:</b> Marieke Nijkamp<br />
<b>Publication Date:</b> January 5, 2016<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> Sourcebooks Fire<br />
<br />
<b>Rating: 4.5 stars</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24529123-this-is-where-it-ends?ac=1&from_search=1">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=joiedelire">Book Depository </a><br />
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<span style="background: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.5pt;">10:00 a.m.</span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">The principal of Opportunity, Alabama's high
school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester
and encouraging them to excel and achieve.</span><br />
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their next class.</span><br />
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This book gutted me in a quiet and unexpected way. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The actual
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confusing and I felt like I was not only able to get to know each character but
really connect with them. By the end of the book, felt regret, mournful, and
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I really enjoyed this story, not only because it was
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<div class="MsoNormal">
There are tough themes in the book like bullying, abuse, and
sexual assault and by the end there is so much regret and heartbreak. This book
is dark, diverse, maybe controversial, and hauntingly real. A powerful debut by
Marieke Nijkamp, and one that has me looking forward to her future works.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<br />Joiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03519493693585041549noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139244244691413847.post-33760207457857634292016-01-17T20:57:00.002-05:002016-01-17T20:57:55.673-05:002015.... So that happenedHello, blogosphere!<br />
<br />
Wow, looking back on old posts, it's actually been over a year since my last post. And to be honest, for a while, I really didn't think I would get back into blogging. I'm in my third year of university, and in the past two years, I just wasn't able to find the time to read as much for pleasure as I used to. Between my coursework and extracurriculars, blogging took a backseat for a while, but it was always there in the back of my mind, keeping track of ideas for posts that I never had time to write.<br />
<br />
Starting this year, I made a list of resolutions (bookishly-related, of course) to hopefully get me back into blogging. Not only do I miss the warm network of fellow book bloggers, I miss writing creatively. Along the way to getting an English major, I've started to feel like I'm only ever churning out critical responses and close-readings. In the span of this unfortunately long blogging slump, I've definitely had the luck of discovering some fantastic YA novels that I can't wait to finally write about.<br />
<br />
In addition to just getting back into blogging, I've also discovered some new platforms I'd like to further explore. No worries, I fully intend on still posting here, it is my original brainchild after all. But if any of you are so inclined, feel free to follow me at my tumblr as well: <a href="http://joyintranslation.tumblr.com/">Joy in Translation</a><br />
I've found that the tumblr layout really works for me, especially when it comes to doing short photo posts or mini-updates. I'll be posting pretty much the same content (reviews, musings, etc.) on both blogs, but I may have a little extra stuff on my tumblr!<br />
<br />
So, going into this new year, here are my <b>10 Resolutions: of 2016:</b> <br />
<div id="text" style="max-width: 720px;">
<br />
<ol>
<li>Read 50 books this year (aka my <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6224284-joie">Goodreads</a> challenge)</li>
<li>Start book blogging again! 2 reviews a month minimum </li>
<li>Finish a journal</li>
<li>Make better grades</li>
<li>Revive a piano piece that I can whip out at future dinner parties</li>
<li>Stop being such a procrastinator </li>
<li>Document my life</li>
<li>Work out regularly </li>
<li>Learn how to cook something fancy </li>
<li>Memorize a sonnet </li>
</ol>
<div>
</div>
</div>
I'll be using my blogs as a way to keep track of these goals and, hopefully, in the time that I was away, I learned to be a better writer hehe.<br />
<br />
Cheers!<br />
<br />
~Joie<br />
<br />Joiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03519493693585041549noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139244244691413847.post-15608163641207859222014-01-15T15:18:00.000-05:002014-01-15T15:18:33.705-05:00City of Heavenly Fire Cover Reveal!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1389748702l/8755785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1389748702l/8755785.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8755785-city-of-heavenly-fire?ac=1">City of Heavenly Fire</a> (<i>TMI #6</i>)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Cassandra Clare</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
May 27, 2014</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
"<strong style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">ΕRCHOMAI, SEBASTIAN HAD SAID.</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"> </span></div>
<em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<em>I am coming."</em></div>
</em><br />Joiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03519493693585041549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139244244691413847.post-28742019877005103762014-01-01T21:57:00.000-05:002014-01-01T21:57:05.038-05:00Scarlet Read-Along, Anyone?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5BpV7EAYtoDN0EPREdIs52rS4Pea-OT0lPnLiTaxiYvg-LCT4nc3eyrW-38NxpzuMobvE900MGo18V_1JaoYMNiFyFndYwhi4g0o8ACj5_3oqXhiOC0VkbcoC-3uHN3XCMqf2RO_L-SU/s640/Scarlet-Read-Along.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5BpV7EAYtoDN0EPREdIs52rS4Pea-OT0lPnLiTaxiYvg-LCT4nc3eyrW-38NxpzuMobvE900MGo18V_1JaoYMNiFyFndYwhi4g0o8ACj5_3oqXhiOC0VkbcoC-3uHN3XCMqf2RO_L-SU/s400/Scarlet-Read-Along.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Hello lovelies! I know I've been dreadfully absent from the blogosphere for the past couple of months. Unfortunate byproduct of college, I suppose. But I'm back for winter break and I'm partaking in the Scarlet Read-Along in anticipation for <i>Cress</i>! :)<br />
<br />
The read-along it hosted by Tt over at <a href="http://www.neverendingstoriesbookblog.com/">Never Ending Stories Book Blog</a>. Here's the info in case anyone else wants to join in!<br />
<br />
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #525252; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.1875px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Starting</span>:</b></span> <b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">January 1, we will read 2 chapters of Scarlet (or Cinder if you haven't read it yet!) by Marissa Meyer each day and discuss via your blog each day(not an entire post each day maybe just talk about what you read that day and your thoughts) or via twitter! If you tweet or talk about Cinder on your blog that will get you more entries into this awesome Giveaway!!!</b></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Prizes</b></span></span>: <b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">We have some awesome prizes for our participants! Macmillian will be Giving-away</b>:<span style="color: blue; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> <span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">5 winners will get Cinder, 5 other winners will get Scarlet, 5 other winners get Cress, and another 5 winners will get swag bags!!!!!!!!!!!!</span></b></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> <span style="font-size: medium; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Pace</span>:</b></span> <b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">There are no right or wrong ways to read with us. If you would like to do two chapters a night, that's great! If you would like to read Cinder in one night and post on your blog or tweet and discuss as we go, more power to you!! If you have not read Cinder you are allowed to read Cinder, tweet, and collect points as well. Beware of spoilers since this read-along is for the second book in the series!</b></li>
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<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Please Leave your</b>:</span> <b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Name,Blog URL,&Twitter in the comment box below to sign up! If you could spread the word and copy this post you can get more points in the rafflecopter below(You get ten points for signing up to read with us). Once you leave your comment in the comment box below enter in the rafflecopter for your points!) .</b></li>
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<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Start reading and posting</span> on your blog and twitter on January 1, 2014! You can chat about the book and post your favorite quotes from Cinder (If you haven't read it yet) or Scarlet!</b></li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Tweets</b></span></span>: Your tweets must include : @marissa_meyer @mackidsbooks . You can enter all your tweets into the raffle copter below for more entries to win! If you dont have a twitter, you can blog about Cinder everyday and put your links for the posts in the rafflecopter below for more entries as well!</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Be Creative</b></span></span>: For bonus points you can do a fun post about the Lunar Chronicles and if you need any ideas; here are a few:</li>
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-<b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Make a Lunar Chronicles playlist</b><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </b><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">-Fan Art!!!</b><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </b><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">- Make a movie/Book trailer for Cress.</b><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">-Make a fun post about the lunar chronicles.</b><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">- Lunar Chronicle Cast!</b><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">- Be Creative Put together clothes, purses,tea or anything that makes you think of the Lunar Chronicles.</b></div>
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<b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">-Make a Pinterest board filled with pictures reminiscent of the Lunar Chronicles.</b></div>
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<b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Here is the Schedule:</b></div>
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<b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/1- Read to Chapter 2</b></div>
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<b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/2- Read to Chapter 4</b></div>
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<b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/3- Read to Chapter 6</b></div>
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<b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/4- Read to Chapter 8</b></div>
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<b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/5- Read to Chapter 10</b></div>
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<b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/6- Read to Chapter 12</b></div>
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<b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/7- Read to Chapter 14</b></div>
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<b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/8- Read to Chapter 16</b></div>
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<b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/9- Read to Chapter 18</b></div>
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<b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/10- Read to Chapter 20</b></div>
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<b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/11- Read to Chapter 22</b></div>
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<b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/12- Read to Chapter 24</b></div>
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<b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/13- Read to Chapter 26</b></div>
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<b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/14- Read to Chapter 28</b></div>
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<b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/15- Read to Chapter 30</b></div>
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<b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/16- Read to Chapter 32</b></div>
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<b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/17- Read to Chapter 34</b></div>
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<b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/18- Read to Chapter 35</b></div>
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<b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/19- Read to Chapter 36</b></div>
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<b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/20- Read to Chapter 37</b></div>
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<b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/21- Read to Chapter 38</b></div>
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<b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/22- Read to Chapter 39</b><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/23- Read to Chapter 40</b><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/24- Read to Chapter 41</b><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/25- Read to Chapter 42</b><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/26-Done (Last day to tweet)</b></div>
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<b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1/27-Winner'sAnnounced on Twitter/Blog</b></div>
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<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="color: blue; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">5 winners will get Cinder, 5 other winners will get Scarlet, 5 other winners get Cress, and another 5 winners will get swag bags!!!!!!!!!!!! 20 winners in one Giveaway!!?? Wow!! </span><span style="font-size: xx-small; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></span></span></b></span></div>
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Joiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03519493693585041549noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139244244691413847.post-21914447003551328962013-09-23T00:16:00.001-04:002013-09-23T00:16:43.025-04:00Stacking the Shelves<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17347389-the-dream-thieves?ac=1">The Dream Thieves</a> (<i>The Raven Cycle #2</i>) by Maggie Stiefvater</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13580951-united-we-spy">United We Spy</a> (<i>Gallagher Girls #6)</i> by Ally Carter</div>
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Joiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03519493693585041549noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139244244691413847.post-44078026939740566152013-09-13T22:37:00.001-04:002013-09-13T22:37:07.680-04:00Newest book purchase....<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQHX8PfK4fmBP4aOCregwGqtNp0VB4BqKSHC5wAdmJMPrkmPAsIay6ucorJS1BpFlAfs6-5k6YWjWjfGrpuNUZSQcf3bEFb-MQBooLvnN1ljoKy7GAcEFIXzcc2dPz2FZ_HE7bf59zvW7Z/s640/blogger-image--766572137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQHX8PfK4fmBP4aOCregwGqtNp0VB4BqKSHC5wAdmJMPrkmPAsIay6ucorJS1BpFlAfs6-5k6YWjWjfGrpuNUZSQcf3bEFb-MQBooLvnN1ljoKy7GAcEFIXzcc2dPz2FZ_HE7bf59zvW7Z/s640/blogger-image--766572137.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">So far I have heard great things about this book, and I can't wait to get started...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">*sees pile of required English reading*</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">.... Eventually.</div>Joiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03519493693585041549noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139244244691413847.post-32800528538559178422013-09-07T15:21:00.004-04:002013-09-07T15:21:52.462-04:00Currently reading...<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/177335.Dreams_of_Trespass?ac=1">Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood</a> by Fatima Mernissi</div>
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(also an assigned reading for my Contemporary Women's Text class)</div>
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All I can say right now is that it's very interesting... Raises a lot of questions about not only physical harems (which is, in reality, very different from my perceptions) but also one's internal harems.</div>
Joiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03519493693585041549noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139244244691413847.post-16418300178711537292013-08-29T23:38:00.001-04:002013-08-29T23:38:23.543-04:00A quick break from college life...<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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Hello lovely readers!! </div>
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I've recently started my first year of college and let me apologize in advance because I won't be able to post as frequently as I would like. I have a TON of readings to do on a daily basis- I'm taking two English classes, History of Lit in English I and Contemporary Women's Texts. </div>
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But worry not, I WILL still be posting!</div>
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I'm really excited and I can't wait to tell you all about new books I'm reading in class. They probably won't be YA so don't be surprised if I start blabbering about Beowulf (though I really doubt that). Anyways, I'm currently reading <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15055.Oranges_are_Not_the_Only_Fruit">Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit </a></i>by Jeanette Winterson for my Contemporary Women's Texts class. I'm surprised by how much I like it so far! Very funny delivery. Can't wait to do a review when I finish. </div>
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Okay, that's my quick update for the night. And to everybody going back to school, good luck! :)</div>
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Joiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03519493693585041549noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139244244691413847.post-68779841166841296452013-08-27T21:57:00.000-04:002013-08-27T22:02:20.091-04:00Top Ten Favorite Secondary Characters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hosted over at <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/">The Broke and Bookish</a></div>
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<b>Tesadora and Perry from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4932435-finnikin-of-the-rock">The Lumatere Chronicles</a></b></div>
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There is so much back story for these two characters and SO much character development with regards to their relationship towards each other. Tesadora and Perry should definitely have their own book series.</div>
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<b>Dee from <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12842115-just-one-day?ac=1">Just One Day</a></i></b></div>
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He is just made from awesomesauce. I'd love to have someone like Dee as a BFF.</div>
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<b>Finnick and Annie from <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6148028-catching-fire">Catching Fire</a>/<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7260188-mockingjay">Mockingjay</a></i></b></div>
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I love these two not only for their heart-crushing romance, but also because of how these characters make readers rethink their initial impressions and look at them in a new light. </div>
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<b>Sonia from <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/111287.Crime_and_Punishment">Crime and Punishment</a></i></b></div>
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She is just such a wonderfully selfless character- a real angel figure. By far my favorite character in the book.</div>
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<b>Jackal from <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10215349-the-immortal-rules">The Immortal Rules</a></i></b></div>
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This guy is a sadistic, slightly crazy vamp. With an awesome sense of humor. And I kind of love him. Julie Kawaga, <i>what are you doing to me?!?</i></div>
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<b>Rose and Linden from <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8525590-wither">Wither</a></i></b></div>
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My God, what I wouldn't give for a prequel about these two.... Seriously! I'd give up chocolate! (Maybe for like a week, but it's the thought that counts.) I think the relationship between Linden and Rose is so complex and interesting... almost Stockholm-like. But I also think they're super cute and perfect for each other. So.</div>
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<b>Isabel and Cole from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/46586-the-wolves-of-mercy-falls">The Wolves of Mercy Falls </a>series</b></div>
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I definitely liked these two more than Grace and Sam. They were such broken characters, though undeniably tough in the face of what they were going through. </div>
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<b>Severus Snap from the <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/45175-harry-potter">Harry Potter</a> series</b></div>
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Admittedly, he is a rather large secondary character, but I'm going to include him on this list because REASONS. </div>
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Seriously. If you need me to explain why, then you need to go back and re-read the series.</div>
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<b>Noelle from the <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/40378-private">Private</a> series</b></div>
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Throughout the series, she's had so much development and, bitchy or not, I really love her as a character. </div>
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<b>Isabelle from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/44457-the-mortal-instruments">The Mortal Instruments</a> series</b></div>
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Izzy is a character who doesn't really start to shine until the later books. Sure, you see her sass and badassery in CoB and CoA, but its' afterwards you realize just how strong yet vulnerable she is. </div>
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To be honest, I like her SO much more than Clary. </div>
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<br />Joiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03519493693585041549noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139244244691413847.post-63841682867912642222013-08-23T23:38:00.002-04:002013-08-23T23:38:23.985-04:00Movie Review: City of Bones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Am I the only one who thinks it's surreal that just last year, we were freaking out over casting news and scouring the web for set pictures, and now the actual movie is actually <i>out...?</i> Like- <i>in theaters.</i></div>
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I apologize in advance for how unorganized this following review will be. The thing is, I just have way too many feels about this movie to try and organize it into a coherent, well-written review so this random list of thoughts and such is what you're going to get instead. :)</div>
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I didn't have time for a re-read prior to seeing the movie but I thought that the movie captured all the key scenes very well. If they had lost some of the small moments in between, it wasn't big enough to notice. The pacing was very fast and full of action. There was literally not a moment of down time and I loved that. </div>
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The cast was <i>wonderful</i>. Any other argument is invalid. Lily Collins played a great Clary- I'm normally not a huge Clary fan, but I really enjoyed her portrayal. To those who doubted Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace, eat your words now because he was absolutely fantastic! And the chemistry between the two.... Let's just say that I am not an adamant shipper of Clace in the books, but I was squealing and flailing like crazy every time they had a Moment in the movie </div>
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<b>Other character-related thoughts</b></div>
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<li>Really enjoyed seeing more Simon-Isabelle interaction. Give. Me. More.</li>
<li>I had my doubts about Kevin Zegers as Alec, but he nailed it!</li>
<li>"Godfrey Gao more like Godfrey WOW." Amiright? That being said, I feel like the movie took away some of Magnus's flair and humor. He was more intense and badass, which was nice, but I really missed his flippant side. Hopefully they can bring out more of that in the later movies.</li>
<li>Lena Headey totally kicked ass.... in the moments before she lost consciousness, yes, but still.</li>
<li>Hodge's story line was slightly altered. I liked it, and I'm really interested in seeing how it continues. </li>
<li>Jonathon Rhys Meyers.... Well. He definitely took his own spin on Valentine- slightly more madman-esque and creepy. Brilliant portrayal but. Please. Lose. The. Braids. Just. No. </li>
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Overall, though, I think the characters lost a lot of their normal humor and wit in the translation to movie form. There were a lot of great direct quotes from the book (which my inner fangirl greatly appreciated) but I really missed Isabelle's flippant sass and the ever-enjoyable Jace-Simon banter.</div>
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The special effects were great- especially in terms of how they portrayed the Institute. By far my favorite location in the movie- the Institute's library gave me a good idea of what I want my heaven to look like. The runes looked amazing and I could tell that a lot of detail went into incorporating the runes not only on the shadowhunters but on various artifacts. I personally thought the demons were pretty dang scary.... especially that little demon child. *shudder*</div>
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In terms of how well the movie followed the book, Harald Zwart did a <i>great</i> job. I'd say the movie nailed all the major plot points- and I understood the ones that they had to change. </div>
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BUT. THAT. ENDING. The movie differed greatly from the book in terms of the ending, and I am still left with a bunch of conflicting emotions about that. I understood some of the changes that were made, but others kind of disappointed me. </div>
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This is one of the better movie adaptations out there- pretty high up in my list of favorites- but it's not without its faults. I think it definitely helped to have read the book because the world-building was only briefly explained. The pacing was so fast that had I not had prior knowledge of this world, I would have been a little lost. That being said, I did really enjoy this movie and words cannot describe how excited I am for the next one.</div>
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<b>RATING: 4 STARS</b></div>
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<b>Last note:</b></div>
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To all the reviews out there calling City of Bones a Twilight wannabe.</div>
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Stop.</div>
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Just. Stop. </div>
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Joiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03519493693585041549noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139244244691413847.post-52014489257299727672013-08-06T14:06:00.004-04:002013-08-06T14:06:45.557-04:00Top Ten Books I Wish Could Have Had Sequels<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
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Hosted over at <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/" style="color: #f2425d; text-decoration: none;">The Broke and Bookish</a></div>
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Coming up with 10 books for this list was... surprisingly hard.</div>
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As I looked back on all the books I'd marked as read on goodreads, I realized just how many of those books were part of a series. Must go out and explore more stand-alone novels. </div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7664334-amy-and-roger-s-epic-detour">Amy & Roger's Epic Detour</a> by Morgan Matson</div>
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The whole book was about Amy and Roger coming together and I'd really like to see how they are as a couple.</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4031386-death-by-denim">Death by Denim</a> by Linda Gerber</div>
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The ending of this was good, but too open-ended for my liking!! I need to know what happens to my OTP!</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15745753-eleanor-park">Eleanor and Park</a> by Rainbow Rowell</div>
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DAT. ENDING.</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7042434-jellicoe-road">Jellicoe Road</a> by Melina Marchetta</div>
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First off, this book was <i>perfect</i> as a stand-alone. I wouldn't change a thing about it. But I love the characters so much that I definitely would not mind a sequel. </div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12680998-kill-me-softly">Kill Me Softly</a> by Sarah Cross</div>
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The fairy tale curse aspect is so cool and I definitely think it could be explored further in a sequel or spin-off. (*ahem* I'd particularly love a Beauty and the Beast retelling...)</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10710406-reckoning">Reckoning</a> by Lili St. Crow</div>
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What even was that ending?!?!?! Endless. Frustration. If ever there should be a sequel for a series that has already ended, it would be for this one.</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201114.Sold">Sold</a> by Patricia McCormick</div>
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I think this as a stand-alone was absolutely perfect. Flawless. But McCormick captured the protagonist's voice and the hell that she was going through so beautifully that I'm sure if she ever decided to write a sequel, it would be equally wonderful. Plus I really would like to know what happens to the protagonist after that ending.</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22205.This_Lullaby">This Lullaby</a> by Sarah Dessen</div>
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I loved Remy and Dexter! I'd love to have a whole book to see how these two fair after Remy's in college.</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/816953.Someone_Like_You?ac=1">Someone Like You</a> by Sarah Dessen</div>
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In my opinion, this is the only Dessen book that really <i>needs</i> a sequel. Hallie and Macon. I just- I WANT SOME ANSWERS, OKAY?</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7417780-the-piper-s-son?ac=1">The Piper's Son</a> by Melina Marchetta</div>
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I don't know if this one counts since Marchetta has said that she has an idea for a Jimmy Hailler book in mind, but I haven't heard definitive news about this would-be book yet. </div>
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But I want it. Really, really badly. </div>
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Joiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03519493693585041549noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139244244691413847.post-84766121432764516912013-08-05T22:52:00.001-04:002013-08-05T22:52:05.614-04:00Review: The Eternity Cure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title:</b> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13581990-the-eternity-cure?ac=1">The Eternity Cure</a> (<i>Blood of Eden #2</i>)<br />
<b>Author:</b> Julie Kagawa<br />
<b>Publication date: </b>April 30, 2013<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> Harlequin Teen<br />
<b>Source</b>:<b> </b>I recieved a copy by Netgalley in return for an honest review<br />
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<b>Rating:</b> <b>4.5 stars</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13581990-the-eternity-cure?ac=1">Goodreads</a> <b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">l</b> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-eternity-cure-julie-kagawa/1113515777">B&N</a> <b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">l</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eternity-Cure-Blood-Eden/dp/0373210698/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1365905522&sr=1-1&keywords=the+eternity+cure">Amazon</a> <b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">l</b> <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=joiedelire">Book Despository</a><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;">Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;">Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.</span></blockquote>
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As far as sequels go, I'm glad to say that <i>The Eternity Cure</i> did not disappoint- which was quite a feat considering how much I loved <i>The Immortal Rules</i>. This book made me feel so many things- from anxiety to anticipation to short-lived joy to heartache- that I'm going to have to break down this review piece by piece.<br />
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<b>The Characters</b><br />
<b>Allie.</b> Badass as ever. She is both fierce and fearsome, which makes for a great vampire, yet she also carries vulnerabilities and insecurities, which makes for a great, relatable protagonist. In this book, Allie is really starting to come into her own, accepting and embracing her new vampire life. I'm really excited to see where Kagawa takes this character in the next book. Especially with the way this one ended.....<br />
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<b>Zeke.</b> Bookish bad boys better watch out because Ezekial Cross is making the Nice Guy persona <i>very</i> swoon-worthy. My favorite thing about Zeke, aside from his innate <i>goodness</i> is his unwavering loyalty and faith. In that respect, I think he and Allie complement each other <i>very</i> well.<br />
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<b>Jackal.</b> Oh, Ms. Kawaga.... <i>what have you done?</i> I think Jackal just became my favorite character in the series!! I loved how I was constantly guessing whether he would end up a hero or a villain. There are little moments when he proves to be a good ally (and great comic relief) but there is always this understanding that he can't be trusted. I guess I'm just a total sucker for morally ambiguous characters with snark. I also enjoyed his twisted sibling relationship with Allie- it brought some much needed humor and lightness into an otherwise dark story.<br />
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<b>Kanin</b>...... is such and interesting character. After two books, I'm still not completely sure what to make of him. Kanin takes a bigger role in this book which was quite nice because I love his demeanor, especially in relation to all the other characters. For me, Kanin is definitely the most intriguing one to read about.<br />
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And, in case you were wondering, Sarren is still as twisted and sadistic as ever.<br />
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<b>The Plot</b><br />
As always, Kagawa's pacing was <i>perfect</i>. This book had me hooked from the very first chapter and kept me enraptured all the way up to that jaw-dropping ending. Literally, I openly gaped at the book when I got to the last page. But don't worry, no spoilers for you!<br />
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The most notable thing about this book was that there was a lot more gore than in <i>The Immortal Rules</i>. On one hand, this was nice because more action was happening throughout the book- and, really, who doesn't love awesome fight scenes? On the other hand, it did feel just a <i>tad</i> bit excessive. There are only so many pages I can stand of sword-slashing and vampiric dismemberment.<br />
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<b>The Romance</b><br />
This is pretty surprising for me to say, but I was a little unsatisfied with the romance. It's not that I didn't like the romantic development (because I totally support the Zeke/Allie ship) but the initial meeting between the two, namely Zeke explaining why he came after Allie, did not feel very natural to me. I may be in the minority here, but, following the events of book 1, it didn't seem like their relationship was at a point where it was realistic that Zeke did the things he did for her.<br />
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<b>All in all:</b><br />
<i>The Eternity Cure </i>was a very riveting read. Kagawa has hit the character-plot-setting trifecta once again.<br />
<b>Warning</b>: this book ends with one <i>heck</i> of cliffhanger. Unless it's 2014 and the third book is out, prepare junk food on hand to eat away the feelings.<br />
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<br />Joiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03519493693585041549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139244244691413847.post-18607712890103245712013-07-31T18:35:00.000-04:002013-07-31T18:35:51.038-04:00Cover Reveal: Cress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/0c9109c71ea0524d9fe840f91fabd67bb94a26a9/r=537&c=0-0-534-712/local/-/media/USATODAY/test/2013/07/31/1375299432000-Cress-final-726-1307311533_3_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/0c9109c71ea0524d9fe840f91fabd67bb94a26a9/r=537&c=0-0-534-712/local/-/media/USATODAY/test/2013/07/31/1375299432000-Cress-final-726-1307311533_3_4.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13206828-cress">Cress</a> (<i>Lunar Chronicles #3</i>)</div>
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By Marissa Meyer</div>
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To be published February 4, 2014</div>
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<b>My thoughts:</b></div>
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It's. So. BEAUTIFUL. *o*</div>
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Definitely my favorite cover in the series thus far.</div>
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Joiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03519493693585041549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139244244691413847.post-78446994151956172632013-07-30T15:19:00.001-04:002013-07-30T15:19:15.086-04:00Top Ten Beginnings & Endings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_jZ0mNvRtPiHyLQYGhiK9OH6VThhiZNFHr8I_GGOJEgjuKHvdUydI0lsqulIcjtzxiv19Ekb4A8_fWkrysa-35Qw3AMlWW4wvlb-PVATUE57nOlkdKU5rH2IUkz_aej08vXWObjlFyQLl/s320/toptentuesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_jZ0mNvRtPiHyLQYGhiK9OH6VThhiZNFHr8I_GGOJEgjuKHvdUydI0lsqulIcjtzxiv19Ekb4A8_fWkrysa-35Qw3AMlWW4wvlb-PVATUE57nOlkdKU5rH2IUkz_aej08vXWObjlFyQLl/s320/toptentuesday.jpg" /></a></div>
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Hosted over at <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/">The Broke and Bookish</a></div>
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<b><u>BEGINNINGS</u></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1885.Pride_and_Prejudice">Pride and Prejudice</a> <span style="color: #444444;">by Jane Austen</span></b><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444;">“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”</span><span style="color: #181818;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1162022.On_the_Jellicoe_Road?ac=1">Jellicoe Road</a> <span style="color: #444444;">by Melina Marchetta</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: 20.796875px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: 20.796875px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">"My father took one hundred and thirty-two minutes to die. I counted."</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9972882-juliet-immortal?ac=1">Juliet Immortal</a> <span style="color: #444444;">by Stacey Jay</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">“She will fight for light, and he for dark,<br />Battling through the ages for loves sweet spark.<br />Wherever two souls adore truly, you will find them, lo,<br />The brave Juliet and the wicked Romeo.” </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8490112-daughter-of-smoke-bone">Daughter of Smoke and Bone</a> <span style="color: #444444;">by Laini Taylor</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; line-height: 18px;">"Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #444444;">It did not end well."</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>ENDINGS</u></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3876.The_Sun_Also_Rises?ac=1">The Sun Also Rises<span style="color: #181818;"> </span></a><span style="color: #444444;">by Ernest Hemingway</span></b><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">"'Yes,' I said. 'Isn't it pretty to think so?'” </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11614718-delirium?ac=1">Delirium</a> <span style="color: #444444;">by Lauren Oliver</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">"I love you. Remember. They cannot take it."</span></span><br />
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<b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127459.The_Sweet_Far_Thing">The Sweet Far Thing</a> <span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">by Libba Bray</span></b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">“Instead, I try to adjust to the dawn, letting the tears fall where they may, because it is morning; it is morning and there is so much to see.” </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11870085-the-fault-in-our-stars?ac=1">The Fault in Our Stars</a><span style="color: #181818;"> </span><span style="color: #444444;">by John Green</span></b><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #444444;">This one's spoilery so I won't include the actual text but just- ALL. THE. FEELS. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2241059.Identical?ac=1">Identical<span style="color: #181818;"> </span></a><span style="color: #444444;">by Ellen Hopkins</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #444444;">No spoilers for you! Let me just say that my. Mind. Was. Blown.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #444444;">That is all. </span></span></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10165761-quintana-of-charyn?ac=1">Quintana of Charyn</a> <span style="color: #444444;">by Melina Marchetta</span></b><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #444444;">brb crying because of the beautifulness</span></span><br />
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Joiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03519493693585041549noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139244244691413847.post-30368042509828686882013-07-21T17:12:00.003-04:002013-07-24T11:05:46.271-04:00On the YA Crush Tourney and Comic ConSome of you may know that during the 2012 YA Crush Tourney, my boy, Will Herondale, made it all the way to the finals just to lose by 30-some votes in the last half hour to Adrian Ivashkov.<br />
It was traumatic and heart-breaking and just talking about it is giving me traumatic flashbacks so let's not.<br />
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And <i>as if that weren't bad enough</i>, the same thing basically happened this year as well!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">grrrrrrr.....</td></tr>
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Richelle Mead totally threw down the gauntlet and promised a Dimitri-POV scene from book 1 if he won. Cassie Clare followed up by promising the cave scene from CP2 in Will's POV if he won.<br />
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But. He. Didn't.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bitter? Who? Me? YES.</td></tr>
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Darn you, Richelle Mead and your tempting temptations. To all the people who didn't vote for Will: imagine me giving you the Look of Disappointment. Uh-huh. I hope you're happy with yourselves. *hisses*<br />
Dimitri had a constant lead of about 500 votes so it wasn't like the loss came out of nowhere and I didn't see it coming. BUT STILL.<br />
U G H<br />
My poor shadowhunter baby.<br />
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If it were any other fictional boy that Dimitri had been up against (and really, I mean <i>any other character at all</i>), I would not be this upset.<br />
But- Will Herondale. You guys know how protective I get of him.<br />
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So. Congratulations, Dimitri. I <i>guess</i>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">still bitter.... I am a bittermelon</td></tr>
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All I can say is that the extra POV scene better be good......<br />
I'm still holding out hope for next year, though! I WILL SEE WILL HERONDALE WIN THAT DARN CRUSH TOURNEY IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO.<br />
And they do say that the third time's the charm. *fingers and toes crossed*<br />
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<b>-End Part 1 Rant-</b></div>
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NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT COMIC CON.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AGAIN.</td></tr>
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This year's SDCC is probably the best one that I've never been to. Let's list the reasons why, shall we?<br />
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<li>X-Men Days of Future Past <i>entire cast</i></li>
<li>Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss (the trolls....) + A SHERLOCK PANEL</li>
<li><i>Benedict Cumberbatch's adorable video</i> (brb sobbing)</li>
<li>TMI PANEL (aksjdhflaksdjhf)- EVEN GODFREY GAO WAS THERE</li>
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<li>Robert Sheehan being his adorable geeky self and his camera</li>
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<li>Game of Thrones cast</li>
<li>New Catching Fire trailer!!!!</li>
<li>Colin O'Donaghue being his perfect Irish self</li>
<li>Veronica Roth + Divergent cast</li>
<li>Karen Gillan shaving her head! O__O</li>
<li>Avengers. <i>Avengers</i>. All things Avengers</li>
<li>Superman and Batman in a movie?!?!!?</li>
<li>HUGH DANCY IN A FLOWER CROWN (way to go, Tumblr! #fannibal)</li>
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If you have no idea what I'm talking about in the bullet points then chances are you haven't been shamelessly stalking the internet for Comic Con updates. Good for you. I don't recommend doing this because it is literally <i>painful</i> each time you see something awesome that you're missing out on.</div>
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But here's the thing: just as I was starting to accept the fact that I'm not at this super awesome event, THIS GUY SHOWS UP:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LOOOOOOKI!!!</td></tr>
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Tom Hiddleston shows up in full Loki attire to introduce new Thor 2 footage...</div>
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1. No</div>
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2. No</div>
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3. N o</div>
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4. NOPE</div>
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5. NOoOOOOOoO</div>
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I. Will. <i>Never</i>. Get. Over. This.</div>
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Goodbye, cruel world.</div>
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<a href="http://media.tumblr.com/459044a3d02777225a5735e26f9d055a/tumblr_inline_mq9oi38AIH1qz4rgp.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media.tumblr.com/459044a3d02777225a5735e26f9d055a/tumblr_inline_mq9oi38AIH1qz4rgp.gif" /></a></div>
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*crawls into a corner and sobs*</div>
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<b>-End Part 2 Rant-</b></div>
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Joiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03519493693585041549noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139244244691413847.post-15002253994260432922013-07-16T16:26:00.001-04:002013-07-16T16:26:29.607-04:00What I've been up to....I... have been a <i>very</i> bad blogger.<br />
<br />
Many apologies, my lovelies, for being so absent the past two months. A lot has been happening and I just wanted to give you all an update on my life. For one, I graduated high school!!<br />
<br />
<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="http://25.media.tumblr.com/8efcfccc87560a21ac340b8eef252626/tumblr_mpvg9oqPaO1ssioipo1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/8efcfccc87560a21ac340b8eef252626/tumblr_mpvg9oqPaO1ssioipo1_500.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aw yiss</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I graduated at the end of May and just recently got back from my college orientation. I've got a tentative schedule all set up, met my roomie, toured my future dorm, and I am just <i>super</i> excited!<br />
~Ahhhhh, college life, here I come!<br />
<br />
In the mean time, I've been busy with a summer job and when I'm not working, I'm usually binging on TV shows, ranging from angst-filled Chinese dramas to trashy reality TV to the emotionally crippling Game of Thrones and Supernatural.<br />
U G H<br />
I can't even talk about GoT yet because it's still too soon after the-event-that-must-not-be-spoken-of, also known as that-episode-when-George R.R. Martin-ripped-my-heart-out-and-ate-it.<br />
However, I <i>can</i> tell you this: Supernatural. Is. Ruining. My. Life.<br />
Stupid Winchesters with their stupid bromance and their stupid self sacrificing and I JUST CAN'T<br />
<br />
<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="http://media.tumblr.com/7afc3cb86cd19c4ff69f93a22a39123e/tumblr_inline_mpdbv1WfRw1qz4rgp.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://media.tumblr.com/7afc3cb86cd19c4ff69f93a22a39123e/tumblr_inline_mpdbv1WfRw1qz4rgp.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am obsessed.</td></tr>
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That being said, I have been in a <i>horrible</i> reading and blogging slump. I actually read a ton of books before I fell off the radar and I have rough outlines for reviews written, but I just never really got around to finishing them because those books were all spectacular and everyone knows those are the hardest reviews to write. So.... I just didn't. Yes, shame on me. </div>
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Anyways, the point of this post is to give you guys an update on what I've been up to and to be a jump start back into blogging. I'VE MISSED YOU ALL SO SUPER MUCH. And I can't wait to start catching up on what I've missed!</div>
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Alrighty then, dear readers, until my next post! </div>
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*Mwah!* <3</div>
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Joiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03519493693585041549noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139244244691413847.post-71208909891760866862013-06-17T12:47:00.000-04:002013-06-17T12:47:27.738-04:00Frigid Pre-Order Promo and Chapter Reveal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1364364323l/16122034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1364364323l/16122034.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today is an exciting day - we have FOUR HUGE SURPRISES for
you! Jennifer L. Armentrout's (writing as J. Lynn) FRIGID is set to release on
e-book at the end of July. If you're anything like us, you're probably on pins
and needles and just cannot wait to get your hands on a copy of this book. <span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">FRIGID has already been given the honor of being named a
Romantic Times Top Pick and we're super excited for you to be able to read it
as well! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, there's good news! Are you ready for those four
awesome surprises? Here we go! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1. Due to all the excitement
surrounding FRIGID, we have decided to run a special e-book pre-order
promotion. We have worked out a deal with the distributor to <b>release FRIGID a full two weeks early -- on
JULY 15th!!! -- if we meet our e-book pre-order goal.</b> EEEEP! That's right,
if you are like the rest of us and want to be able to read FRIGID in its
entirety before its original release date, all you have to do is PRE-ORDER THE
E-BOOK NOW! What are you waiting for? GO! Pre-order it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Pre-Order Links: <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/frigid-j-lynn/1114986686?ean=9781939392749"><b>Barnes
& Noble</b></a> / <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Frigid-ebook/dp/B00CONW5I6/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1371427009&sr=8-1"><b>Amazon</b></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">2. Need something to hold you over
until FRIGID releases? Well, starting right now, you can read the first three
chapters of FRIGID for free! Just read below! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/148100523/Frigid-Sneak-Peek?secret_password=ni8quzv2qoqtab51r02" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Frigid Sneak Peek on Scribd"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Frigid Sneak Peek</span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="undefined" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_14146" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/148100523/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&show_recommendations=true" width="100%"></iframe><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/148100523/Frigid-Sneak-Peek?secret_password=ni8quzv2qoqtab51r02">LINK</a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">3. Can’t get enough of the hot
FRIGID cover? Want to see some behind the scenes photos that are sure to make
you swoon? You’re in luck! Below you can watch a slideshow of all the behind
the scenes photos from the photo shoot! Go on and watch it. We’ll wait, because
there is still one more great surprise! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Je7Lo2wqAAg" width="420"></iframe>
</span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je7Lo2wqAAg&feature=youtu.be">LINK</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">4. And last but not least, if you
live near Philadelphia, PA, you're in for a very special treat -- Jennifer will
be in Philly in November signing not only FRIGID but also the last book in her
immensely popular COVENANT series, SENTINEL! But that's not all, Adam, the
super hot cover model from FRIGID will be there as well! So, yes, you'll get to
meet Jennifer and Adam! Plus, there will be other great prizes that you
seriously won't want to miss out on (dinner with the author and model,
perhaps?)! Stay tuned for more details to come! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We hope you're as excited as we are!
So now....Go pre-order FRIGID! Go read those chapters! Go watch that slideshow!
And Enjoy!</span></span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Joiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03519493693585041549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139244244691413847.post-77346242656217929172013-05-16T11:32:00.001-04:002013-05-16T11:32:05.435-04:00Review: Eleanor and Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1341952742l/15745753.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1341952742l/15745753.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15745753-eleanor-park?ac=1">Eleanor and Park</a><br />
<b>Author:</b> Rainbow Rowell<br />
<b>Publication date:</b> February 26, 2013<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> St. Martin's Press<br />
<br />
<b>Rating:</b> <b>5 stars</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15745753-eleanor-park?ac=1">Goodreads</a> <b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">l </span></b><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/eleanor-park-rainbow-rowell/1110274728?ean=9781250012579">B&N</a> <b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">l </span></b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eleanor-Park-Rainbow-Rowell/dp/1250012570/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363792409&sr=8-1&keywords=eleanor+and+park">Amazon</a> <b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">l </span></b><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=joiedelire">Book Depository</a><br />
<blockquote style="border: 2px solid rgb(102, 102, 102); padding: 10px;">
<div id="yui_3_8_1_1_1363792653177_1324" style="border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.796875px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><i id="yui_3_8_1_1_1363792653177_1343" style="border: 0px none; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Bono met his wife in high school</i>, Park says.</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_8_1_1_1363792653177_1318" style="border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.796875px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><i id="yui_3_8_1_1_1363792653177_1344" style="border: 0px none; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">So did Jerry Lee Lewis</i>, Eleanor answers.</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_8_1_1_1363792653177_1319" style="border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.796875px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><i id="yui_3_8_1_1_1363792653177_1411" style="border: 0px none; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">I’m not kidding</i>, he says.</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_8_1_1_1363792653177_1320" style="border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.796875px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><i id="yui_3_8_1_1_1363792653177_1412" style="border: 0px none; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">You should be</i>, she says, <i id="yui_3_8_1_1_1363792653177_1321" style="border: 0px none; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">we’re 16</i>.</span></div>
<div class="null1" id="yui_3_8_1_1_1363792653177_1322" style="border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.796875px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">What about Romeo and Juliet?</span></div>
<div class="null1" id="yui_3_8_1_1_1363792653177_1350" style="border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.796875px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Shallow, confused, then dead.</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_8_1_1_1363792653177_1349" style="border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.796875px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><i style="border: 0px none; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">I love you</i>, Park says.</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_8_1_1_1363792653177_1414" style="border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.796875px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><i id="yui_3_8_1_1_1363792653177_1413" style="border: 0px none; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Wherefore art thou, </i>Eleanor answers.</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_8_1_1_1363792653177_1415" style="border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.796875px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><i style="border: 0px none; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">I’m not kidding,</i> he says.</span></div>
<div class="null1" id="yui_3_8_1_1_1363792653177_1416" style="border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.796875px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">You should be.</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_8_1_1_1363792653177_1417" style="border: 0px none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.796875px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Set over the course of one school year in 1986, this is the story of two star-crossed misfits—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love—and just how hard it pulled you under.</span></div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<i>Eleanor and Park</i> is one of those books that took the blogging world by storm and it seemed that no matter where I went, someone was raving about how wonderful the story was. Once I read this book, I understood why.<br />
<br />
Eleanor is the new girl. Fiery red hair. Overweight. Mismatched second-hand clothes. She's impossible for the kids on her bus to ignore, and I don't mean that in a good way. That first day on the bus, everyone else looked at her with scorn and no one would offer her a seat. Except Park.<br />
<br />
He did it grudgingly, mind you, but he offered the strange, new girl his seat. And despite their initial apathy towards one other, through comic books and mix tapes, apathy becomes curiosity, curiosity becomes friendship, and friendship becomes something more. Their little daily interactions on the school bus set in motion a slow-building and beautiful love story between two very unlikely people.<br />
<br />
First off, I would just like to applaud the author for creating a heroine who's not the girl that everyone falls over themselves for. As much as I like reading about kickass female warriors, I also appreciate it when an author creates a girl who isn't perfect. Not personality-wise. I mean physically. In a world where 99.99% of literary heroines are either wiry and lithe, athletic and toned, or slim yet curvy, it was so refreshing to have a girl with weight issues that a lot of readers can empathize with.<br />
<br />
Eleanor and Park together... those two are like <i>my babies</i>. And I swear I do NOT mean that in a creepy way. I just feel protective of them. Like I want to carry them around in my pocket and hide them from all the bad things in their lives. Because there <i>are</i> bad things. While Park's life is considerably normal, blessed with relative popularity and parents who love him and are <i>in </i>love, Eleanor's is a broken mess. The disparity between their home lives was heart-breaking and it made me all the more protective of their budding relationship which was the one bright spot in their lives.<br />
<br />
This book was romantic, beautiful, and disarmingly <i>real</i>. There was nothing c<span style="font-family: inherit;">li<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16px;">chéd</span> or typical about Eleanor and Park's love story. There are some books that you read and you fall in love <i>with</i> the characters - meaning you fall in love <i>as they do</i>, you feel what they feel. This is one of those books. And that's what makes it so powerful. </span><br />
<br />
<b>All in all:</b><br />
I had a hard time writing this review because this is one of those stories that leave your heart a little tender and bruised. It was beautiful in a way that made me ache a little because I had fallen so deeply in love with the characters. <i>Eleanor and Park</i> is a book that demands to be remembered not only because of its gorgeous writing or poignant story but also because of how it brings attention to issues that will always be important.<br />
<br />Joiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03519493693585041549noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139244244691413847.post-48187334588839420632013-05-09T13:36:00.001-04:002013-05-09T13:36:21.164-04:00Cover Reveal: Allegiant<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1368111100l/10616322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1368111100l/10616322.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10616322-allegiant">Allegiant</a> (<i>Divergent #3</i>)</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>by Veronica Roth</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>To be published October 22, 2013</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">One choice will define you.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;" /><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">What if your whole world was a lie?<br />What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?<br />What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><br /></em></span></div>
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<b>My thoughts:</b></div>
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It's so weird to have months and months of fan-made covers and now be presented with the real one...</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
There were some fan-made ones that were <i>really</i> good. Like, ones I think I like more than the actual cover. Actually, to be honest, seeing the real cover has been a little anti-climactic for me. But nonetheless, I do think the cover is really pretty- the background colors are gorgeous!- and I'm super psyched for <strike>more Tobias scenes</strike> this book to come out.</div>
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Joiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03519493693585041549noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139244244691413847.post-82458820669949611292013-04-27T00:40:00.000-04:002013-07-18T12:35:34.232-04:00Review: Quintana of Charyn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title:</b> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15754483-quintana-of-charyn">Quintana of Charyn</a> (<i>Lumatere Chronicles #3</i>)<br />
<b>Author:</b> Melina Marchetta<br />
<b>Publication date:</b> April 23, 2013 (U.S. edition)<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> Candlewick Press<br />
<b>Source: </b>I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review<br />
<br />
<b>Rating: 5 stars</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15754483-quintana-of-charyn">Goodreads</a> <b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">l </b><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/quintana-of-charyn-melina-marchetta/1112126064?ean=9780763658359&r=1%2c+1&cm_mmc=AFFILIATES-_-Linkshare-_-GwEz7vxblVU-_-10%3a1&"><span style="font-family: inherit;">B&N</span></a><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> l </b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0763658359?ie=UTF8&tag=httpwwwgoodco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0763658359&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>l</b> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=joiedelire">Book Depository</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Separated from the girl he
loves and has sworn to protect, Froi and his companions travel through Charyn
searching for Quintana and building an army that will secure her unborn child’s
right to rule. While in the valley between two kingdoms, Quintana of Charyn and
Isaboe of Lumatere come face-to-face in a showdown that will result in
heartbreak for one and power for the other. The complex tangle of bloodlines,
politics, and love introduced in <em>Finnikin of the Rock</em> and <em>Froi of the Exiles </em>coalesce
into an engrossing climax in this final volume.</span></blockquote>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<b>Me before I read a Marchetta book:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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<b><br /></b>
<br />
<b>Me after reading a Marchetta book:</b><br />
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<br />
<br />
Melina Marchetta (authoress divine) is one of those rare authors whose writing is constantly improving, constantly pushing the limits of how much I think I can love a book. When I read <i>Finnikin</i>, I felt like I had found The Best Book Ever (aside from <i>Jellicoe Road</i>, of course). But then she wrote <i>Froi </i>and now <i>Quintana</i> and I just have no words. At least, none that I haven't said before.<br />
<br />
<i>Quintana</i> <i>of Charyn</i> is, undoubtedly, a conclusion. All the loose ends are tied up and the reader is left in a satisfied place. Actually, it's a rather heart-wrenching place because it's <b>The End</b>, but nevertheless it was a good stopping place. The characters' struggles have been resolved. You know that they're going to be okay, yet there's still an open-endedness that comes with knowing their lives will go on and they will continue to learn and grow.<br />
<br />
With most fantasy books, the authors focus on explaining the world-building. What was great about this series was that yes, Marchetta explained the ways of the Lumaterans, Charynites, and co. But she never took the focus away from the characters and their relationships. At the end of this series, you <i>know</i> these characters: their hopes, their fears, their love of country, and their love for each other. You know their hearts- their very essence. And being so close, so darn <i>attached</i> to these characters made me feel ALL of the feelings.<br />
<br />
While reading, I had the sudden and overwhelming urge to just take all these beloved characters and, I don't know, hide them in my pocket or something. Just snatch them from the pages and tuck them somewhere safe so that they could stop hurting. Maybe that's a little silly, but these characters have just gone through so much in just <i>Quintana </i>alone, let alone the entire series. There is pain, devastation, loss, grief, and heartbreak. Yet more powerful than all of that is the undercurrent of hope and love that has been there even in the darkest of times. That is Marchetta's true talent<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">—</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">besides the ability to make me want to curl up into a fetal position and sob</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">— </span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">she has the uncanny ability to craft these masterful stories of broken people and their broken relationships and somehow make it a story of redemption and love. </span></span><br />
<br />
The Lumatere Chronicles has given me more heartache than I thought possible, yet I always crawl back for more. And, to be honest, I would sooner swear off of chocolate than say goodbye to this series and its magnificent characters. I hate goodbyes. I hate the knowledge that once I finish a book, I will never get to know more about a character's life. But knowing that everyone I cared about in this book ended up okay made saying goodbye just a little bit easier<br />
<br />
<b>All in all:</b><br />
<br />
There's really only one thing to do now:<br />
<a href="http://data.whicdn.com/images/52696778/tumblr_micadprnrT1qaobbko1_500_large.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="142" src="http://data.whicdn.com/images/52696778/tumblr_micadprnrT1qaobbko1_500_large.gif" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
I'm just kidding. <strike>No. I'm really not.</strike><br />
<strike><br /></strike>
Good books give you a beautiful happily ever after. Great books pierce your hearts with sadness and linger on your mind long after you've finished. And then there are the rare, phenomenal books that manage to utterly shatter your heart, then somehow heal you at the end and claim an eternal place in your heart. <i>Quintana of Charyn</i> is one of those books.<br />
<b><br /></b>
Joiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03519493693585041549noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139244244691413847.post-2950899879851401022013-04-17T10:53:00.000-04:002013-07-18T21:51:40.723-04:00Waiting on Wednesday #40<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLlzxYTJjrzH2LeT3O28peeARaZqdCN3S2lt3RkaNhFXXPDVGxuPeG1re6C8oyAcHlqeR7TfxI4Ac8mTvqSVvU90KW2w96Dr3NJHsjGvQVLhOw-iTFL2VZTREiOKKgaoUYlc_t0RBSGPKr/s320/colors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLlzxYTJjrzH2LeT3O28peeARaZqdCN3S2lt3RkaNhFXXPDVGxuPeG1re6C8oyAcHlqeR7TfxI4Ac8mTvqSVvU90KW2w96Dr3NJHsjGvQVLhOw-iTFL2VZTREiOKKgaoUYlc_t0RBSGPKr/s320/colors.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">WoW is a weekly meme hosted at <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/">Breaking the Spine</a></span></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16135623-legend-unleashed">Legend Unleashed</a> </b></div>
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By M. Latimer-Ridley</div>
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Publication date: October 26, 2012</div>
<blockquote style="border: 2px solid rgb(102, 102, 102); padding: 10px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">When an infamous criminal is unleashed from his prison, it has consequences for everyone in Carwick. Temperance Levinthal in particular…</span><br style="background-color: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Temperance is satisfied with her ordinary life. Dealing with her eccentric, childlike parents is all the excitement she needs. That changes when Alastair Byron returns home.</span><br style="background-color: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">After a failed matchmaking attempt by her father, sparks fly between her and Alastair-just not the good kind.</span><br style="background-color: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">They are forced together though, when they are implicated in a grisly murder. Their search for the truth leads them to a secret world beneath Carwick, filled with werewolves, wizards and other magical faey.</span><br style="background-color: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">However, uncovering the truth is far more dangerous than they’d ever imagined.</span><br style="background-color: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">There are secrets within secrets.</span><br style="background-color: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Even Alastair may be more than he seems…</span></blockquote>
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<b>My thoughts:</b><br />
I know this book came out last year, but I just recently heard about it and I'm really intrigued. With paranormal creatures and murder mystery, how can I resist? Plus I've found that I really like stories where characters (potential love interests?) start out hating each other. </div>
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What are you waiting on this week? Feel free to leave me a link or just tell me in the comments! </div>
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<b><br /></b></div>Joiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03519493693585041549noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139244244691413847.post-85031632995017647862013-04-13T19:03:00.000-04:002013-07-18T12:37:33.250-04:00Review: Clockwork Princess<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title: </b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6131164-clockwork-princess">Clockwork Princess</a> (<i>The Infernal Devices #3)</i><br />
<b>Author:</b> Cassandra Clare<br />
<b>Publication date:</b> March 19, 2013<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> Margaret K. McElderry<br />
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<b>Rating:</b> <b>5 stars</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6131164-clockwork-princess">Goodreads</a><b> </b><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">l </b><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-clockwork-princess-cassandra-clare/1109163332"><span style="font-family: inherit;">B&N</span></a><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">l </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/141697590X?ie=UTF8&tag=httpwwwgoodco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=141697590X&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Amazon</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">l </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=joiedelire&a_bid=4064d519">Book Depository</a> </span><br />
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<strong style="background-color: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy</strong><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Tessa Gray should be happy - aren't all brides happy?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>*<b>WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS*</b></u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;">“You know that feeling,” she said, “when you are reading a book, and you know that it is going to be a tragedy; you can feel the cold and darkness coming, see the net drawing tight around the characters who live and breathe on the pages. But you are tied to the story as if being dragged behind a carriage and you cannot let go or turn the course aside.” </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What better way to start this review than with the above quote by Tessa? Her words exactly described my state of mind when I began reading <i>Clockwork Princess </i>because deep down, I knew that it was highly unlikely that each character would escape this last book unscathed, in the physical and especially the emotional sense. And that scared me.<br />
<br />This review has probably been one of the hardest ones I've ever had to write. God knows I have put it off long enough, hoping to try and find the write words. The story has left such a large emotional impact on me and I am at a loss as to how to convey that into words. This review is probably going to be a bit long so go ahead and get yourself some popcorn while you read. I'll wait.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Okay. I can basically sum up my reading experience with this gif:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
You will cry.<br />
You <i>will. </i>If you think that you can finish this entire book with dry eyes, then you are lying to yourself.<br />
<br />
This book is, by far, the best book that Cassandra Clare has written. As much as I loved the first three books of TMI, the writing in CP2 is just... <i>phenomenal. </i>I can't even describe the writing, but the story, though absolutely heart-breaking at times, is still shot through with Clare's signature wit, resulting in me vacillating between two states while reading:<br />
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<b>These characters. These <i>freaking </i>characters.</b></div>
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I think that TID will probably go down in history as having the greatest love triangle of our generation, and while that geometric shape of evil was central to the story, CP2 really placed more emphasis on the unbreakable <i>parabatai </i>bond between Will and Jem. Their relationship in this book broke my heart. Broke it into little miniscule pieces. Their <i>parabatai</i> bond is indescribably powerful, the love between the two equally so. I can honestly say that I enjoyed reading about their friendship and brotherhood much more than I did the love triangle. And by the Angel, when Will and Jem said their parting words at the Institute, I bawled like a baby. Messy, ugly sobbing.</div>
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Tessa is a wonderful heroine, as always. She's grown so much throughout these three books and, though I try not to compare TMI and TID, I like her so much more as a protagonist than I do Clary. I love how resourceful and smart Tessa is; she thinks things through and doesn't make reckless, rash decisions. And after everything she's been through in this series, this book especially, it is impossible to not realize how strong she is as a character. </div>
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One of the things I really enjoyed about CP2 was that all the side characters from the earlier books have a much larger role in this one. There are more chapter devoted to Charlotte and Henry, Gabriel and Cecily, and Gideon and Sophie- and speaking of Gideon and Sophie, THE SCONES. OH MY GOSH THOSE SCONES. That scene just had me cracking up. And who knew that hidden beneath Gideon's calm facade was a comical genius? His letters throughout this book cracked me up. </div>
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Now as much as I enjoyed the entire ensemble of characters, can we all just take a moment to appreciate the literary perfection that is William Herondale? Because good god, with this character, Cassandra Clare has forever ruined me for real-life boys. I adore Jem's character, I do, but like Will said, Jem is nothing but goodness. It is literally <i>impossible</i> to hate Jem. Will, on the other hand is beautifully flawed- he has had moments of being a complete jerk, seemingly irredeemable. But then he shows this side of being so incredibly selfless even when it caused him agony and I just- I JUST HAVE A LOT OF FEELS, OKAY? I've enjoyed the evolution of Will's character throughout this series even more than I have Tessa's. I can honestly say that I don't think I'll ever be able to love a character as much as I love Will Herondale. </div>
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*Rocks back and forth in fetal position, sobbing*</div>
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<b>The Plot:</b></div>
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As far as plot goes, CP2 had me on the edge of my seat. The situation for the shadowhunters seemed so desolate, their chances of triumphing so minuscule that I got seriously worried. However, the way in which Mortmain was defeated was <i>ingenious</i>. Totally unexpected and just plain brilliant. But even so, I felt like the big climactic fight scene was lacking; it didn't quite satisfy me. Perhaps it's because it was over too quickly or I wanted the actual triumph to be more grand than it actually was. Either way, though I did enjoy the climax, once it was over, I was left a little dumbfounded, as if I was waiting for more to happen.</div>
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<b>The Epilogue:</b></div>
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The epilogue has had a rather controversial response in the fandom, so here's my two cents:</div>
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As I neared completion, I had thought that I couldn't possibly withstand any more emotional trauma at the hands of this book. BUT I WAS WRONG. The epilogue pretty much shattered me, and then tried to put me back together again, though I'm not sure if it quite accomplished that. Reading about Will and Tessa's life together was.... everything I had hoped for since the very beginning. Reading about Will's death was everything that I never wanted. It was beautiful. And indescribably heart-breaking. Ultimately, he lived a great life, a long and happy one. But even so, my heart is <i>still</i> trying to cope with his death.</div>
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As for Wessa and Jessa both being "endgame," I have to admit... I wasn't crazy about it. It left me with lots of conflicting emotions that I don' know how to make sense of. On the one hand, the ending was the best thing that the fandom could have hoped for, regardless of which pairing you supported. Literally everyone got their happy ending and that was....unexpected. I <i>should</i> be happy because it was pretty much an ideal ending. However, I can't because it feels like everything wrapped up <i>too</i> perfectly. Like maybe it was a cop out. It's not that I hate the fact that Tessa is with Jem, it's not that at all. I'm happy for them- especially because Jem of all people deserved a happy ending. But at the same time, my heart is still despairing at the fact that Will is just <i>gone</i> and that makes me feel conflicted. I didn't expect Tessa to just be alone for the rest of her life, but I also didn't expect Jem to suddenly <i>not</i> be a Silent Brother anymore and ride of with Tessa into the sunset. </div>
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Some people adored the ending. Others, not so much. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm still trying to make sense of it. </div>
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<b>All in all:</b></div>
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An epic end to an epic series. This book made me laugh, made me <strike>weep uncontrollably</strike> cry, made me despair, and made me hope. All I can say is that my poor, poor heart was wholly unprepared for the emotional journey this series took me on, but I will never regret picking this series up.</div>
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<b>Title</b>: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16141658-luminaire?ac=1">Luminaire</a> (<i>Florence Waverly #2</i>)<br />
<b>Author:</b> Ciye Cho<br />
<b>Publication date:</b> November 28, 2012<br />
<b>Source:</b> author<br />
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<b>Rating:</b> <b>4.5 stars</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16141658-luminaire?ac=1">Goodreads</a> <b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">l</b> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/luminaire-ciye-cho/1114042921?ean=2940045121101">B&N</a> <b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">l </b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Luminaire-Florence-Waverley-Book-ebook/dp/B00AFBLT9K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363180435&sr=8-1&keywords=ciye+cho">Amazon</a> <b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">l </b><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=joiedelire&a_bid=4064d519"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Book Depository</span></a><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Being the only human in a world of merfolk... isn't easy. Florence Waverley chose to stay in Niemela, but things have gone awry. Secrets have risen and the prince she cares about has pulled away. All the while, dark dreams warn her of a tragedy that only she can stop. But in order to save the merman she loves, Florence will have to enter the Life Path tournament: a brutal test of fear and madness.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The tournament is a rite of passage--a maze where young mermaids and mermen battle to find their purpose. It is also a place where Florence will face grave danger: mermaids with evil magic, tunnels filled with sea fire, and guardians who wish to use her as a pawn in their secret plans. But will Florence be strong enough to survive the tournament... or will she perish inside it?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Everything hangs in the balance: her life, her world, and her love.</span></blockquote>
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The great thing about a sequel novel- <i>if done right</i>- is that all the basic introduction stuff is out of the way and you can get into the really good stuff: the action. This was the case with <i>Luminaire</i>.<br />
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I really really enjoyed <i>Florence</i>, the first book in the series. In fact, it may even be my favorite mermaid book. <i>Luminaire</i>, on the other hand, kind of blew me away with its sheer awesomeness. The story continues with Florence deciding to stay in Niemela and, in an effort to find her place in the mer society while simultaneously helping out Princess Yolee, she enters the Life Path tournament (read as "giant maze filled with lots of dangerous stuff"). This tournament is a big deal. <i>Huge</i>. Whether or not a Niemelan comes out of the maze determines their role in the kingdom. Oh, and there's also the possibility that they just don't make it out at all...<br />
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Anyways. <b>Loved</b> the maze. So much action and fighting and craftiness happens in the maze (and I suspect I'm just a total sucker for anything that's set in maze).Through the ordeal, Florence really grew as a character. She's no longer the awkward outsider in Niemela- she literally battles for a place in this world she has come to consider home. Florence is a pretty quiet character, a bit of a wallflower, but always with a silent strength hidden away in her. I thought I had seen the extent of that strength in the first book, but only after reading <i>Luminaire</i> did I realize that what I saw was only a fraction of what Florence had in her.<br />
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Rolan's character had me a bit peeved because he acted so standoff-ish and cold towards Florence in the beginning. But no worries, by the end of the book, he more than redeemed himself. I would tell you guys how but I wouldn't want to spoil any of the good stuff for you. ;)<br />
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In addition to Florence and Rolan, a few new characters are introduced in this book as allies and foes. I am usually picky about characters who make their grand debut later in a series, but I ended up loving them (not the bad guys, obviously). Marilenna and Wynn were my favorites; they made the character dynamics and plot much more interesting. Plus there's definitely some chemistry between the two of them and I'm dying to see more!<br />
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The plot was a tad slow at first, but once the tournament was set in motion, I was completely hooked. Yet even amidst a fast-moving plot, the author is able to interweave beautiful descriptions of another facet of the underwater world. The imagery is vivid and colorful and a bit magical.... while also managing to be somewhat creepy at times.<br />
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<b>All in all:</b><br />
If you loved <i>Florence</i> then I highly recommend reading <i>Luminaire </i>because everything that was wonderful about the first book has basically been elevated. The ending, which is a bit of a cliffhanger, promises much more intrigue to come in the next book and I cannot wait.<br />
<br />Joiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03519493693585041549noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139244244691413847.post-23348086018139511622013-03-27T02:12:00.000-04:002013-07-18T12:41:19.165-04:00Review: Greta and the Goblin King<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title:</b> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13260802-greta-and-the-goblin-king">Greta and the Goblin King</a><br />
<b>Author:</b> Chloe Jacobs<br />
<b>Publication date:</b> December 11, 2012<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> Entangled Teen<br />
<b>Source:</b> library<br />
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<b>Rating: 5 stars</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13260802-greta-and-the-goblin-king">Goodreads</a> <b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">l</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/greta-and-the-goblin-king-chloe-jacobs/1109952855?ean=9781620610022">B&N</a> </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">l </b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Greta-Goblin-King-Chloe-Jacobs/dp/1620610027/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362698398&sr=8-1&keywords=greta+and+the+goblin+king">Amazon</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>l</b> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=joiedelire">Book Depository</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">While trying to save her brother from a witch’s fire four years ago, Greta was thrown in herself, falling through a portal to Mylena, a dangerous world where humans are the enemy and every ogre, ghoul, and goblin has a dark side that comes out with the eclipse. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">To survive, Greta has hidden her humanity and taken the job of bounty hunter—and she’s good at what she does. So good, she’s caught the attention of Mylena’s young goblin king, the darkly enticing Isaac, who invades her dreams and undermines her will to escape. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">But Greta’s not the only one looking to get out of Mylena. An ancient evil knows she’s the key to opening the portal, and with the next eclipse mere days away, every bloodthirsty creature in the realm is after her—including Isaac. If Greta fails, she and the lost boys of Mylena will die. If she succeeds, no world will be safe from what follows her back..</span></blockquote>
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My first thought when I was reading this book was: "<b>This is.... a </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">debut novel?!</i>"<br />
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Because it was flipping fantastic.<br />
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You know how sometimes you read a book and you just love it so much and you want everyone to read it and fall in love with it? That's how I felt about <i>Greta and the Goblin King</i>.<br />
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<u><b>The characters:</b></u><br />
Greta is officially my new favorite heroine. She is a <i>badass </i>and I loved her for it.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>"<i>She needed to remember this moment. Not the fear or the loneliness- although those feelings were strong enough to tear her apart inside- but the anger. That was something she could use, it would give her strength.</i>"</b></div>
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Four years in the harsh world of Mylena has turned Greta into a tough-as-nails bounty hunter who can go head to head with just about any goblin/fairy/gnome. Greta reminded me a lot of Rose Hathaway from the Vampire Academy series in that she too was a wonderful mixture of strength and sarcasm. But, like Rose, Greta also had heart. She <i>cared</i> even when she didn't want to, when she knew better, and it was obvious that she was the type of person who would do anything and everything for the people she cared about.<br />
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Speaking of the people Greta cares about..... Isaac. The young goblin king.<br />
<i>Le swoooon</i>.<br />
In my mind, <i>goblin</i> is not synonymous with <i>hot</i>, but Chloe Jacobs has convinced me otherwise! Isaac and Greta have a fairly rocky history of lies and deception but their chemistry is off the charts. I loved that they kept pushing each others' buttons, challenging one another, and their occasional back-and-forth snark certainly doesn't hurt. ;) <br />
There's hint at a possible love triangle in the next book, which brings me to my next point....<br />
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The human boys. These are kids and teenagers stranded in a foreign and dangerous land and, against all odds, they have managed to survive. Led by Wyatt (the potential other love interest), these boys have become a family. I loved them. From adorable little Jacob to tough, angry Ray to responsible golden boy Wyatt, I loved each and every one of them.<br />
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I'm not worried about there being a love triangle--in fact, I'm kind of looking forward to it (<b>shocking words, I know!</b>) because all three characters are so well-developed and none of them are present just for the sake of creating romantic conflict. I think this story has the potential for a really well-written love triangle, albeit possibly heart-wrenching because I love both boys very much.<br />
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<u><b>The plot/setting:</b></u><br />
This is YA fantasy done right. The world-building was great, the pacing was impeccable, and the adventure was riveting. The action starts pretty much from the very first page and keeps my attention for the rest of the book. Background information about the world of Mylena and how Greta got there was given as the book progressed in a way that didn't disrupt the flow of the story which was something I really appreciated.<br />
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Oh, and did anyone else realize see the influences of the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale in this story?? I wouldn't necessarily classify this book as a direct fairy tale retelling, but Chloe Jacobs definitely took some of the basic elements of the Hansel and Gretel tale and spun it into a completely unique and captivating story. When I realized the connection, it was like:<br />
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<b>All in all:</b></div>
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<i>Sigh.</i> Guys. I really loved this book! I gobbled it up and I can't stop going back and re-reading bits of it over and over. I really need that second book. If you like fantasy, adventure, <i>general epicness</i>, and a seriously awesome heroine, then you really need to go pick this book up. </div>
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Oh, and the romance was great too... you know.... if you're into that kind of thing. ;)</div>
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Joiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03519493693585041549noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139244244691413847.post-91596976218413543452013-03-27T00:59:00.001-04:002013-03-27T00:59:22.644-04:00Cover Reveal: Frigid<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk5RUQF19ukpIeN7onzEEd79nx1ig9MggaCpa0kjXXzxegVHh8_Frlj0wPUZuxW3poR3dSJLvdzm049OGpS8njrW1pwucZiBSyW5HuoBKNa_9PhpoNZso8IPmHYPGLd7a9oiSWxWtiJ1_F/s1600/Frigid+Amazon+GR+Smash.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/AVvXsEhk5RUQF19ukpIeN7onzEEd79nx1ig9MggaCpa0kjXXzxegVHh8_Frlj0wPUZuxW3poR3dSJLvdzm049OGpS8njrW1pwucZiBSyW5HuoBKNa_9PhpoNZso8IPmHYPGLd7a9oiSWxWtiJ1_F/s320/Frigid+Amazon+GR+Smash.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16122034-frigid?ac=1">Frigid</a><br />
<b>Author:</b> Jennifer L. Armentrout (as J. Lynn)<br />
<b>Synopsis:</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For twenty-one-year-old Sydney, being in love with Kyler isn't anything new. They'd been best friends ever since he pushed her down on the playground and she made him eat a mud pie. Somewhere over the years, she fell for him and fell hard. The big problem with that? Kyler puts the 'man' in man-whore. He's never stayed with a girl longer than a few nights, and with it being their last year in college, Syd doesn't want to risk their friendship by declaring her love.<br /><br />Kyler has always put Syd on a pedestal that was too high for him to reach. To him, she's perfect and she's everything. But the feelings he has for her, he's always hidden away or focused on any other female. After all, Kyler will always be the poor boy from the wrong side of tracks, and Syd will always be the one girl he can never have.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But when they're stranded together at a posh ski resort due to a massive Nor'easter, there's nothing stopping their red-hot feelings for each other from coming to the surface. Can their friendship survive the attraction? Better yet, can they survive at all? Because as the snow falls, someone is stalking them, and this ski trip may be a life-changer in more ways than one.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Frigid will be available in digital formats on July 30<sup>th</sup>
2013<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Print release of Frigid will be November 5<sup>th</sup>
2012</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Add it on <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16122034-frigid?ac=1">goodreads</a>!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">My thoughts:</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm so excited for this!! JLA writes some of the swooniest characters and scenes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>About the author:</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin8mbqSTNjULTCWQt42Lx9k-1B4pkqNO5aQRPs_tSPrOdkKvy4ZShh5VYNtuRWgxMNQ9GJ5saDqBc5PtIjKwbJzkHZgRfGnNgIOqnZIJTIVQzt3P3jVImDI8ULLn9SQCbI1WYdhvCGNC0x/s320/Jennifer+Armentrout+Pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin8mbqSTNjULTCWQt42Lx9k-1B4pkqNO5aQRPs_tSPrOdkKvy4ZShh5VYNtuRWgxMNQ9GJ5saDqBc5PtIjKwbJzkHZgRfGnNgIOqnZIJTIVQzt3P3jVImDI8ULLn9SQCbI1WYdhvCGNC0x/s320/Jennifer+Armentrout+Pic.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">J. Lynn, also known as Jennifer L.
Armentrout, is a # <i>1 New York Times</i>
and <i>USA Today</i> Bestselling author. She
lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her
state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time
reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write,
and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russel Loki.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Her dreams of becoming an author started in
algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which
explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal,
science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with
Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin
Teen.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">She also writes adult and New Adult romance
under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Twitter:
<a href="https://twitter.com/JLArmentrout">https://twitter.com/JLArmentrout</a><br />
Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/JenniferLArmentrout">http://www.facebook.com/JenniferLArmentrout</a><br />
Website: <a href="http://www.jenniferarmentrout.com/">http://www.jenniferarmentrout.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<br />Joiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03519493693585041549noreply@blogger.com17