tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5597210151274274592024-03-24T19:32:24.897-04:00Realms of an Open MindA blog revolving around the extraordinary possibilities created by an open mind. An alternate world, unimaginable beasts, impossible circumstances, forbidden love... All incorporated into the beauty of the written word, which is praised and reviewed here, at Realms of an Open Mind.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164717220897142489noreply@blogger.comBlogger445125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-559721015127427459.post-1922507703817247342015-12-09T09:49:00.004-05:002015-12-09T10:07:15.140-05:00It's Been A While....Hi my fellow readers. How've ya been? It's been a crazy long time since I've stepped my virtual foot into the book blogging world, and I've missed it terribly.<br />
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You know how you always have the intention to get back into something that you love, but life and responsibility get in the way? All. The. Time. Not to say that I don't love the life that keeps me insanely busy, but it'd be nice to dive back into a world where I used to spend hours at a time.<br />
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Now, I've got a very active two year old, but I'm working from home as a freelance writer. How does that work, you ask? LOL. It doesn't on most days, but I do what I can.<br />
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I've thought about starting over. Creating a new blog, new title, new, new, new. Fresh, fresh, fresh. Maybe I will. I don't know yet.<br />
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I'm so out of the loop that I don't even know where to begin, so I'll just say hello.<br />
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Cheers!!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164717220897142489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-559721015127427459.post-43734648332042131912015-04-16T08:26:00.000-04:002015-04-16T08:26:36.522-04:00Need to be Reading... <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>The Casquette Girls</i> by Alys Arden. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After the Storm of the Century rips apart New Orleans, Adele Le Moyne and her father are among the first to return to the city following the mandatory evacuation. Adele wants nothing more than for life to return to normal, but with the silent city resembling a mold-infested war zone, a parish-wide curfew, and mysterious new faces lurking in the abandoned French Quarter, normal will have to be redefined.
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<span style="font-size: large;">Events too unnatural – even for New Orleans – lead Adele to an attic that has been sealed for three hundred years, and the chaos she unleashes threatens not only her life but everyone she knows. Mother Nature couldn’t drain the joie de vivre from the Big Easy, but someone or something is draining life from its residents.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Caught suddenly in a hurricane of eighteenth-century myths and monsters, Adele must quickly untangle a web of magic that links the climbing murder rate back to her own ancestors. But who can you trust in a city where everyone has a secret, and where keeping them can be a matter of life and death – unless, that is, you’re immortal.</span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18717360-the-casquette-girls?from_search=true" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitxQls4sI4C4PDp4-qNiOa7JrHtJegvJK0zUKDmv52Qqew8ppY0DaNpMQU_iea5OR1k-Z6urFYRg10hjMmVFlC2AUZDDqlXbn775Cprr3PHik6UopL0Xpg3YOSrve6cOz-WVzJsV8wnVo/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This book just flew to the top of my TBR list. I'm not promoting it because the author asked me to or because I'm participating in a book tour or because I'm a nice person.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I am <i>genuinely</i> excited about reading this book, and I wanted to pass it along, pay it forward, spread the news. So check it out, view the trailer, click the GoodReads link and add it to your shelf. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Enjoy!!!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164717220897142489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-559721015127427459.post-76901122200311772272015-03-31T06:50:00.000-04:002015-03-31T06:50:11.152-04:00Review: Opposition by Jennifer Armentrout<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: white;"><span id="freeText17845990884016071040" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Katy knows the world changed the night the Luxen came.<br /><br />She can't believe Daemon welcomed his race or stood by as his kind threatened to obliterate every last human and hybrid on Earth. But the lines between good and bad have blurred, and love has become an emotion that could destroy her—could destroy them all.<br /><br />Daemon will do anything to save those he loves, even if it means betrayal.<br /><br />They must team with an unlikely enemy if there is any chance of surviving the invasion. But when it quickly becomes impossible to tell friend from foe, and the world is crumbling around them, they may lose everything— even what they cherish most—to ensure the survival of their friends…and mankind.<br /><br />War has come to Earth. And no matter the outcome, the future will never be the same for those left standing.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Finishing the final book in a series that you've followed for <i>years</i> is always a bittersweet moment which may be why I took my sweet time in getting around to <i>Opposition</i>. I've loved Daemon and Katy from <i>Obsidian</i>, and it breaks my heart to have to let them go.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">That being said, I could only manage to pull three stars out for <i>Opposition</i>. I feel like the last book in a series can either make or break a series... And I can't quite put my finger on it, but I wasn't blown away by this last book like I was with its predecessors.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">To put it frankly, I felt bored sometimes. I always loved the banter between Katy and Daemon, but this time around, I wasn't feeling it. Sometimes it seemed that I was reading the same scene over and over again... They worship each other... They're desperate for each other's bodies... Daemon has a one-track mind... yada yada yada... I love romance, and there were a few fantastic and heartfelt moments between them, but for the most part, I just couldn't get as into it...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The dialogue also bugged me. Most of the characters have this immature and, honestly, almost annoying way of speaking. Even Lotho, the supposedly badass, sort of evil Arum talked like a stereotypical 14-year-old girl... No offense to 14-year-old girls... I can appreciate goofiness or lightening the mood, but it all felt a little stilted...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What I loved about the book was the sacrifices that the characters were willing to make for each other... And how the love and memories between them were stronger than any other power that tried to overcome them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Throw in a few unexpected surprises and a heart-attack-inducing ending, and you've got a solid finale.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Maybe my reluctance to say I loved the final Lux novel has more to do with me than the book. Maybe my preferences or tastes or whatever you want to call it are changing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you read and loved Jennifer Armentrout's Lux series from book one, I can say with a decent amount of confidence that you'll enjoy the finale. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">3.5/5 Stars</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Cheers!!</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164717220897142489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-559721015127427459.post-28844417749124880052015-03-12T12:25:00.000-04:002015-03-12T12:25:00.097-04:00Review: The Law of Moses by Amy Harmon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span id="freeText15623346898133872748" style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><em>If I tell you right up front, right in the beginning that I lost him, it will be easier for you to bear. You will know it’s coming, and it will hurt. But you’ll be able to prepare.</em><br /><br />Someone found him in a laundry basket at the Quick Wash, wrapped in a towel, a few hours old and close to death. They called him Baby Moses when they shared his story on the ten o’clock news – the little baby left in a basket at a dingy Laundromat, born to a crack addict and expected to have all sorts of problems. I imagined the crack baby, Moses, having a giant crack that ran down his body, like he’d been broken at birth. I knew that wasn’t what the term meant, but the image stuck in my mind. Maybe the fact that he was broken drew me to him from the start.<br /><br />It all happened before I was born, and by the time I met Moses and my mom told me all about him, the story was old news and nobody wanted anything to do with him. People love babies, even sick babies. Even crack babies. But babies grow up to be kids, and kids grow up to be teenagers. Nobody wants a messed up teenager.<br /><br />And Moses was messed up. Moses was a law unto himself. But he was also strange and exotic and beautiful. To be with him would change my life in ways I could never have imagined. Maybe I should have stayed away. Maybe I should have listened. My mother warned me. Even Moses warned me. But I didn’t stay away.<br /><br />And so begins a story of pain and promise, of heartache and healing, of life and death. A story of before and after, of new beginnings and never-endings. But most of all...a love story.</span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23252517-the-law-of-moses?from_search=true" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitxQls4sI4C4PDp4-qNiOa7JrHtJegvJK0zUKDmv52Qqew8ppY0DaNpMQU_iea5OR1k-Z6urFYRg10hjMmVFlC2AUZDDqlXbn775Cprr3PHik6UopL0Xpg3YOSrve6cOz-WVzJsV8wnVo/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">The first few words of every story are always the hardest to write. It's almost as if pulling them out, putting them on paper, commits you to seeing it all through. As if once you start, you are required to finish. And how do you finish when some things never end?</span></i></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This. Book. Just... You know when you love an author so much that you don't even read the excerpt to see what their next novel is about, you just read it? That's how I started <i>The Law of Moses</i>, and if I didn't love Amy Harmon before, I think I might be obsessed with her writing now. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">One thing I can say for certain is that Harmon isn't afraid to break your heart. And I don't mean a couple of tears here and there... I mean the full on sobbing and needing time to grieve and get over your pain kind of shattering. But after all that, she finds a way through her characters to allow you to come to terms with what's happened and even find happiness amidst a tragedy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Georgia and Moses come together in a way that most young people do. But Moses is different. He's hidden and mysterious and does things that make no sense, things that get him into serious trouble. But he's innocent, and I think Georgia sees that, and despite all the warnings, she can't help but want to break through to him, know him, and see what's beyond the sarcasm and harsh words he insists on using. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Whatever it was, when Moses came to Levan, he was like water - cold, deep, unpredictable, and, like the pond up the canyon, dangerous, because you could never see what was beneath the surface. And just like I'd done all my life, I jumped in head first, even though I'd been forbidden. But this time, I drowned.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Most of Amy Harmon's books seem to have a touch of paranormal to them, and it's an element at the core of <i>The Law of Moses</i>. It seems to be the reason for everything. Bad and good and all in-between. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">"You seeing things that other people can't doesn't make you the problem, Mo. It just means there are fewer secrets. And that can be dangerous."</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Moses has a gift or curse, depending on what moment you're seeing in his life. And while this novel is definitely a love story, I think it's mostly about Moses and what brings him to come to terms with who he is. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">From the moment that he and Georgia meet, her world revolves around him in some way or another. Even though she'd like to, she can't let him go, not completely, and it's not only this connection, but the incredible loss between them that, surprisingly, saves them both. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Nobody told me that resisting would feel like trying to breathe through a straw. Futile. Impossible. Unrealistic.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm going to stop there because I've been as vague as I can manage and honestly don't know what else to say without giving away vital details. I'll finish by saying that Amy Harmon is an incredible storyteller and her writing literally makes me have to stop and take a breath sometimes. It's just that beautiful. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Read this book. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">5/5 STARS</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Cheers!!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164717220897142489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-559721015127427459.post-8409895203256633612015-03-09T12:34:00.001-04:002015-03-09T12:34:43.817-04:00Review: Angelfall by Susan Ee<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">It's been six weeks since the angels of the apocalypse destroyed the world as we know it. Only pockets of humanity remain. </span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Savage street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. </span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">When angels fly away with a helpless girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back...</span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11500217-angelfall" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitxQls4sI4C4PDp4-qNiOa7JrHtJegvJK0zUKDmv52Qqew8ppY0DaNpMQU_iea5OR1k-Z6urFYRg10hjMmVFlC2AUZDDqlXbn775Cprr3PHik6UopL0Xpg3YOSrve6cOz-WVzJsV8wnVo/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have a soft spot for stories about angels, fallen or otherwise. Maybe it's because the topic of them can be somewhat controversial or heated. Or that the possibility of them truly existing is far greater (to me) than any other kind of supernatural being. Also, it could be that the term "angel" shouldn't exactly be synonymous with sweet and innocent. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Whatever the reason, I love the complexity that comes with angels. They are expected to be full of faith and duty, to follow the laws set before them without the leisure of free-will. But the possibilities of what would happen if they were to demand and take that free-will are endless and somewhat terrifying. Humanity could be completely obliterated, but...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Humanity has a way of surviving doesn't it? I think it has something to do with its ability to make those around it fall completely in love with it - the good, the bad... everything about it. It's endearing and addicting and it provokes a sense of protectiveness in those who come to know it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Maybe I'm going off the deep end with this review, but books that explore "what-ifs" tend to do that to me. Specifically dystopian novels that have a touch of the biblical.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What's my point? I love this book. There's so much unexpected that it seriously blows your mind.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The world of angels vs. humans... It's epic, and Penryn is the kick-ass character at the center of it all. She just wants to take care of her family, but finds herself, begrudgingly, playing the hero. She is courageous and determined, but has an attitude and a strong will. She has her priorities straight despite the difficulties she's faced with, and I admire her for that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Penryn's relationship with Raffe is hilarious and a bit tense. They build this gradual trust and bond that gets stronger with every situation they bail each other out of. It's awesome to watch these two undeniably different people become close in a way that is realistic and believable. Nothing about their relationship is forced or rushed, and with the epidemic of insta-connections, I found it refreshing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The world-building is incredible. From the intricate and political society of the angels to the rebellious and growing group of humans ready and willing to fight for their home... It's madness. Then there's the little things like Penryn's nearly broken family and Raffe's longing to be whole again. It's emotionally taxing... but fulfilling at the same time. It really is one of those stories that has it all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>5/5 STARS</b></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164717220897142489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-559721015127427459.post-30517954950177015642015-03-07T11:36:00.004-05:002015-03-07T11:36:59.518-05:00Review: The Selection by Kiera Cass<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1322103400l/10507293.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/1322103400l/10507293.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<span id="freeText10727622096067945303" style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.<br /><br />But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.<br /><br />Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself--and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.</span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10507293-the-selection" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitxQls4sI4C4PDp4-qNiOa7JrHtJegvJK0zUKDmv52Qqew8ppY0DaNpMQU_iea5OR1k-Z6urFYRg10hjMmVFlC2AUZDDqlXbn775Cprr3PHik6UopL0Xpg3YOSrve6cOz-WVzJsV8wnVo/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I know there is or was a certain amount of drama surrounding this book, and due to my recent ignorance of the goings-on in the book world, I'm happy to say that I was allowed a reaction based strictly on the content of the story.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Honestly, my impression is aligned with the majority. While <i>The Selection</i> was a quick and easy read, I can't say that offered a whole of inspiration or stimulation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What did I expect? I was looking for something along the lines of a dystopian version of the bachelor, with the addition of blood, rebellion, and maybe a few catfights. What did I actually get? A watered-down and obvious love triangle that left me emotionally empty - as in I didn't feel a thing. That's really all there was to it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Which really sucks, because this book has so much freaking potential. The concept is fantastic - a world full of castes and royalty and oppression. Alas, the world-building was less than stellar, so all in all, it felt forced and fell flat. The transition from the world's past to the present is less than streamlined, and when we do get some background, it's thrown at us via a history lesson. As in an <i>actual</i> history lesson that the girls attend. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Does the history lesson explain all that we need to know? Not really. So not only do we not get to feel and experience this world as it is, but the information we do receive doesn't exactly line up or answer all the questions of how and why. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I tried to get to know the characters in an effort to like them, but there was really nothing to them. America doesn't really have any substance of which to speak. She stuck up for her maids and took out her aggression on Maddox, which was kind of cool, but I couldn't really tell who she was. She'd label others shallow and stuck up, then turn around and act the same way towards them. This happened constantly, and her hypocrisy made it difficult to take her seriously.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And the love triangle! I don't mind a good love triangle, but I couldn't feel this one. When you can't connect to the characters, how do you pull for one side or the other? Maddox is all surface material and Ash... Well.. we don't really get to know him either. I guess what it all boils down to is that there is no depth to the characters, so I really couldn't care less what happens to them or who America ends up with. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There's a slew of other characters, but they aren't worth mentioning. Most of them get kicked out by the end of the novel anyway (I'm not spoiling anything, promise). I think it's supposed to be a monumental moment in the book, but I did little more than *shrug* and ponder the fact that the story had ended and nothing had really happened. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I may or may not read book two in hopes that things get better. Like I said, the concept is <i>there</i>, it's just poorly executed in this first book of the series. Maybe this was a foundation novel and the really juicy stuff comes later? Could be... </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But for <i>The Selection</i> itself, I'd have to rate:</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">2/5 STARS</span></span></h3>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164717220897142489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-559721015127427459.post-36958063845287592762015-03-05T12:28:00.002-05:002015-03-05T12:28:33.490-05:00Review: Normal by Danielle Pearl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">It's the kind of situation most people would dread. Starting at a new high school, in the middle of my senior year, in a new town, in a new state. I know no one. No one knows me. That's what I'm counting on.</span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">A year ago, Aurora "Rory" Pine was just a normal teenage girl - just as sweet and naive as the fairy tale princess she was named after.</span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">But this isn't a year ago.</span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Rory is broken, and now suffering from a debilitating anxiety disorder, wrought with precarious triggers, she moves across the country to escape the source of her troubles. Her plan is anonymity, but that's easier said than achieved for the new girl having a panic episode outside of calculus. The worst part? There's a witness - and a gorgeous one at that.</span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Sam is a walking trigger for Rory. Incredibly handsome, built like the star athlete he obviously is, and undoubtedly popular, Sam outwardly represents everything Rory despises about high school. But as the fates keep throwing them together, a connection sparks that neither ever expected, and certainly couldn't ignore.</span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">But Sam has issues too, and Rory's past won't just stay in the damned past. When friendship evolves into something deeper, can a girl utterly destroyed by the worst kind of betrayal and a boy battling demons of his own ever have a normal relationship? Is that even what they want? Find out in NORMAL, a gritty story of trust and abuse, heartbreak and salvation, and if they're lucky - love. This is not a flowery romance - not for the faint of heart.</span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22999641-normal?from_choice=false&from_home_module=false" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeokRC098zia97Rl_JZV4XbKMfQkIkFbmkOysFKTo7wICkfETK_I69w2PKnlq5L5jxfgGctY2o8LL6zd19zThXmgnBDlL7FjVQRPf53ZKOZwZKl1gVsENgVEsSeBkrgaEeJEAKaU8deKdT/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm a sucker for having my heart broken. Let's just start there. This book does that a thousand times over, but as it shatters you into a million infinitesimal pieces, it rebuilds your hope one small section at a time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Normal</i> dives into a subject matter that I usually try to avoid at any and all costs, as I'm sure most people do when it comes to rape. But while the author gives us what I can only assume is a realistic representation of what it's like to be a victim of emotional and physical abuse, she also gives us something to see beyond the horror. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Hope. Surviving. Friendship. Support. Love. Determination. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Rory is no doubt lacking in self-confidence, but she does cling to all the above mentioned, whether she always realizes it or not. But she doesn't have these things on her own - she has them because of the people around her. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm not going to lie... Rory frustrated me beyond measure sometimes. She kept seeing herself as the victim rather than the survivor that she most definitely was, and she constantly puts the blame on herself for the actions of others, drawing conclusions that are so completely blind to the reality that people make their own choices. On the other hand, I could also empathize with what she had been through. Who's to say I wouldn't make the same decisions as she did if I had been through a trauma like she experienced? She'd been through a world of shit, and not just at the hands of her attacker. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I love how this book focuses on the relationships that Rory forges. The forced ones, the real ones, and obvious differences between the two. I feel like a lot of books focus on the romance between two people, but <i>Normal</i> extends to the friendships, emphasizing the importance of those relationships as well, and it's amazingly refreshing. Up until the freakish cliffhanger, I felt like every character was significant to Rory's story of survival; not only that, but vital to the story's development. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is a long, long read - one that had me up way to late and up way to early to finish. I will admit, I felt that some of it repeated the same sentiments, making some of the reading long-winded, but I can honestly say that it doesn't take away from the emotional upheaval that you will, without a single doubt, experience. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Like I said, there's a cliffhanger and an annoying one at that. But LUCKY YOU, the second book was just released, so you don't have to go through the agony of waiting. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Beware</b>: This book, at its core, <i>is</i> about a survivor of emotional and physical abuse. I didn't know that when I started it, but once I did, I was in it with no way of escaping. I was slammed in the face with Rory's trauma, but while this book brought what are very real and abhorrent circumstances out in the open, it gave me hope, <i>"like a fucking cliche." </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">How could I not recommend this book? Please read it, but know that you're entire life outside the book will be put on hold as you do. </span></div>
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<b>4.5/5 STARS</b></h3>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164717220897142489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-559721015127427459.post-5637606642872650362014-03-29T09:49:00.000-04:002014-03-29T09:49:05.231-04:00Review: Black Box by Cassia Leo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From New York Times best selling author Cassia Leo, comes an epic love story about rewriting destiny.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Over the course of five years, Mikki and Crush cross paths on three separate occasions. Their first encounter changes Mikki's life forever, but their second meeting leaves them both buried beneath the emotional wreckage of a violent attack. Mikki is left with more questions and grief than she can handle, while Crush is forced to forget the girl who saved his life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now nineteen years old, Mikki Gladstone has decided she's tired of the mind-numbing meds. She books a flight to Los Angeles to end her life far away from her loving, though often distant, family.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Twenty-one-year-old Crush has always channeled his blackest thoughts into his music, but he's never had great aspirations. He decides to fly to Los Angeles to record a demo of the only song he's never performed in public; a song he wrote for a girl he doesn't even know: Black Box. He has no expectations of fame and he's never felt like his life had any purpose... until he meets Mikki in Terminal B.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When Mikki and Crush cross paths for the third time in Terminal B, neither has any idea who the other person is; until they slowly piece together their history and realize that fate has more in store for them than just another love story.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I bought <i>Black Box</i> on a whim. I saw a Facebook post that was raving about the emotional intensity of this book, and I just used my handy-dandy "One-Click" buy button via Amazon, and it was in my virtual library. Helps that it was only $0.99...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I really had no idea what <i>Black Box </i>was about. I was going for spontaneity by just diving into a book without any expectations... But I really didn't know what I was in for with this one...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'll start with what I liked. The writing style. The author can write - you can hear the voices she portrays and it flows... It's just.... everything else I had a problem with.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Mikki goes through a horrific experience. I just... can't... It's awful, and I can empathize with the pain she feels. But she was suicidal way before this tragedy. She's bipolar, which is a major contributing factor to her desire to end her life, but there's one problem. I didn't sense any bipolar-ish qualities in her personality. She was depressed, definitely - but she had zero highs or lows that I could tell. This claim of being mentally ill was not reflected anywhere in her character development. It was just that: a claim. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We get a glimpse of her first suicide note, before she was brutalized, and I really couldn't understand her reasoning. She wanted to kill herself because she didn't like Kim Kardashian or makeup? (I'm sorry, but who <i>really</i> likes Kim Kardashian?) Or because some immature highschoolers made up a rumor about her? It just didn't add up to me... Maybe I'm insensitive, but it just felt whiny and weak.. Honey, not everyone is interested in the same things, and bad shit happens to people, even when they don't deserve it. It's a part of life. Maybe if I was made to believe she really <i>was</i> bipolar, then I could empathize... Otherwise, it just sounded like a couple of really shallow reasons to <i>end your </i><b style="font-style: italic;">life</b> and leave your family. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">1.) She keeps saying she wants to die (over and over and over), but she's worried about her sensitive skin.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">2.) She still wants to die, but she's smiling and excited about a guy and what he's beginning to mean to her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">3.) She insists on watching <i>Pretty in Pink</i>, but still... you guessed it. She wants to die.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">4.) She asks Crush to brush the tangles out of her hair because she can't get to them, but she doesn't care about her life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The way I see it, if you don't care about your life, why would you care about your hair, sensitive skin, or watching any movie with Molly Ringwald?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This book is basically about suicide, through and through. Just about every single character has this overwhelming desire to end their own life. Far fetched? You betcha. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I wouldn't joke about suicide - it's on the list as one of the most serious subject matters an author could write about. But giving every one of your characters suicidal tendencies? It just isn't believable. And, in all honesty, it makes it seem like suicide is a normal thought for people. Like it happens all the time to almost everyone, that it's easy to feel this way, and <i>that</i> takes away the weight it carries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The one thing that saves Mikki is love. And just like everything else in this book, it's not believable. Enter the dreaded insta-love. Crush (wtf kind of name is that?) loves Mikki. He saves her, which saves him, and now he's head over heels in love with her. After twenty minutes. With zero conversation. I get being grateful, but <i>love</i>? Annnd the author takes away the importance of that emotion as well.... by making it seem easy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I did like Crush though, despite my inability to believe how he felt about Mikki. He was sensitive, patient, and had a good sense of humor. He doesn't push Mikki in any way, even when it comes to talking her off the ledge. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">But what is the point? Really? Because I don't get it. When I finished the last sentence, I couldn't believe that was <i>it</i>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I guess it's supposed to be about two people saving each other? But even in the end, Mikki doesn't believe they will grow old together. She still believes they will die young. WTF? - an expression which basically sums up the entirety of my feelings about this book....</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I don't even know....</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2/5 STARS</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Cheers!</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164717220897142489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-559721015127427459.post-8966888658955739232014-03-29T08:50:00.000-04:002014-03-29T08:50:10.013-04:00Review: Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A modern day thrill ride, where a teen girl and her animal companion must participate in a breathtaking race to save her brother's life—and her own. </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?</span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16069167-fire-flood?from_search=true" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitxQls4sI4C4PDp4-qNiOa7JrHtJegvJK0zUKDmv52Qqew8ppY0DaNpMQU_iea5OR1k-Z6urFYRg10hjMmVFlC2AUZDDqlXbn775Cprr3PHik6UopL0Xpg3YOSrve6cOz-WVzJsV8wnVo/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Fire & Flood </i>is nothing like Victoria Scott's <i>Dante Walker</i> novels. It's more like a cross between <i>The Hunger Games </i>and <i>The Amazing Race</i> with a little bit of <i>Pokemon</i> thrown in. It's good - there's excitement, adrenaline, and a little bit of unexpected shock value, but even with all that, I'm having a hard time rating this novel, and here's why:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">1.)<i> </i><b>The main character Tella. </b>She really, really, <i>really</i> got on my nerves. Her good intentions were admirable, but any moment that I felt like "Hey, this girl is finally growing up...," she ruins it with her ridiculous obsession with fashion, makeup, and massages. You're in the jungle/desert fighting for your life. People around you are dying. Your brother - who is also dying - is counting on you. Who gives a flying crap about Nordstrom and Chanel makeup? Tella takes away from the seriousness of the situation by basically being a complete vain idiot.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">2.) <b>World-building - or lack thereof.</b> There's nothing. <i>Nothing</i>. We are thrown into this story and BAM, there's a race, a love interest, a bad guy, and a screwed up authority. What time are we in? Why is the Brimstone Bleed <i>still</i> going on? </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">3.) <b>Character-development - or lack thereof.</b> I could <i>not</i> relate to Tella. She was too all over the place, so you could never really figure out who she was. Was she a survivor? A dependent? A girly girl who only cares about makeup and what clothes she's wearing? I couldn't tell - and as soon as I thought she might be evolving, she'd regress back to being a spoiled little city girl. The other characters were pretty bland and cliche. Guy was the strong, silent type - except, instead of opening up sometimes, he pretty much says nothing at all until the end. Titus was the typical bad guy - except he was <i>all </i>bad. A good bad guy (if that makes sense) should have some kind of quality or past that you can empathize with. This guy was just totally evil, and it didn't make sense given the situation. Everyone is there to save someone they love, but this guy didn't seem like he could love anyone, much less want to save them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">4.) <b>Writing style</b>. I love Victoria Scott - I really do. But I felt like the writing style in <i>Fire & Flood</i> was immature compared to the gravity of the content. It clashed, and as a result, I couldn't take any of it seriously. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">On the other hand, there were some pretty awesome, adrenaline-inducing scenes. Twists and unexpected moments. My numbered list above would be enough to add a book to my DNF list, but I couldn't stop turning the pages, and that counts for something. The story is there. It's exciting and has the potential to be an emotional roller coaster. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Key word: <i>potential</i>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Which is why I'll read the second novel. I'm really, <i>really</i> hoping that things shape up, and Tella grows the "F" up. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'll give <i>Fire & Flood </i>a hesitant three stars. It has it's issues, but like I said, I still didn't want to put it down. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3/5 STARS</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Odd combination of feelings about this book, but there you have it....</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Cheers!</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164717220897142489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-559721015127427459.post-81668620915298881052014-03-17T17:56:00.000-04:002014-03-17T17:56:20.911-04:00Raising a Reader<span style="font-size: large;">I'm all about raising a reader. I try to read to Sully every night for as long as he'll have it (sometimes he's just too tired). Maybe a four month old can't quite understand the story, but he definitely interacts by talking, getting excited over the colors and pictures, and by trying to reach toward the pages.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHl42LDv8GUwwhqTCdrgRK65ZjTD6z8I9EXuct8pcAFMOzpusE5vwiC_FW-FvIba7blkh1CkepBN7GAJW07guOzCkawHHHJT4kF4CT7rp-TdUfU_sN3hAMr9o-6vKChB-rzk4DWej_btX/s1600/1231600_10101385815616283_469233949_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHl42LDv8GUwwhqTCdrgRK65ZjTD6z8I9EXuct8pcAFMOzpusE5vwiC_FW-FvIba7blkh1CkepBN7GAJW07guOzCkawHHHJT4kF4CT7rp-TdUfU_sN3hAMr9o-6vKChB-rzk4DWej_btX/s1600/1231600_10101385815616283_469233949_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I do all the voices, add an accent here and there, and point things out to him. Like I said, he may not understand the story, but every time I crack open a book with him on my lap, I know he's learning something new.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Needless to say, we've read his entire library several times. He doesn't really seem to care, but I, on the other hand, can only read <i>Where the Wild Things Are</i> so many times before losing my mind. (<i>Love</i> it, but 27 times is my limit for a while.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Soooo we decided to take a hike down to the Limerick Library to get 1.) a library card and 2.) some new books! Limerick is teeny tiny, but the library is pretty nice. They're even with the times - you can get a Portland Library card there (getting access to lots of e-books) and set up an online account to renew, reserve, or request books. They even have story time for kids and book signings by authors. Pretty impressive for our hole in the wall (yet very quaint) little town.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The children's section is half the library (which is <i>amazing</i>), and I really didn't know where to start. That being the case, I stuck with the classics, grabbing a few books I've been eyeing to add to Sully's library permanently.</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/370493.The_Giving_Tree?from_search=true"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327881961l/370493.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/765148.Giraffes_Can_t_Dance?from_search=true"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1306505271l/765148.jpg" width="160" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7772.The_Sleep_Book?from_search=true"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1344371380l/7772.jpg" width="146" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Super cute, huh? </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivoPJ_ekEP0KpwJoyNzqGcRG48W8eR9ucORnPJwp-ZG708BaY7-_yDrSE_32-aLGsg10U0ZVidTNBhPHMiIiSRRlbbdDz14G6yNO5GAgQryZ_8EFANx3ZIv-jm4qVaeR_6EOEJlaCCAvkQ/s1600/1622124_10101385815536443_595268836_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivoPJ_ekEP0KpwJoyNzqGcRG48W8eR9ucORnPJwp-ZG708BaY7-_yDrSE_32-aLGsg10U0ZVidTNBhPHMiIiSRRlbbdDz14G6yNO5GAgQryZ_8EFANx3ZIv-jm4qVaeR_6EOEJlaCCAvkQ/s1600/1622124_10101385815536443_595268836_n.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Does he seem happy to you? I swear, the kid never stops smiling! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Cheers!!</span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164717220897142489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-559721015127427459.post-44720893236684560422014-03-16T07:49:00.001-04:002014-03-16T07:49:45.504-04:00Bookish Rants<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1384871012l/16069167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1384871012l/16069167.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I love Victoria Scott. I've followed her since before Dante Walker came stomping gloriously into my life with <i>The Collector</i>. She's got this great personality, and I always find myself interested in what she has to share with her readers.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I was surprised when I heard that she was coming out with a brand new novel - not related to Dante in any way. When did she have the time? Even with that question in the back of my mind, I was stoked. The cover rocks and the synopsis sounded like something I needed to get my hands on - especially if it was written by an author I already loved.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">You know when something becomes really popular and in high demand, then all of a sudden the person who created that something tries to capitalize on its fame? I'm about halfway through <i>Fire & Flood</i>, and that's all I can really feel about it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Granted, I haven't finished <i>Fire & Flood </i>yet, and there are some interesting twists... but it all feels very juvenile, rushed, and incomplete.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Why, oh, why? How could this happen? I feel like I've been duped. There's no groundwork, no real research, no depth. It feels like Scott just whipped this one out for the sake of having another "completed" novel to sell to the masses.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Not. Cool.</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164717220897142489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-559721015127427459.post-53656295781209983022014-03-06T12:07:00.004-05:002014-03-06T12:07:43.776-05:00Bookish Rants<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1386922856l/17899696.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1386922856l/17899696.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">**<i>Bookish Rants</i> is a post dedicated to just that: ranting related to anything bookish ;)**</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I just posted my <a href="http://realmsofanopenmind.blogspot.com/2014/03/review-edge-of-always-by-ja-redmerski.html" target="_blank">review</a> of <i>The Edge of Always</i>, and there was one aspect that I said irked me... How Camryn and Andrew keep saying that don't want to be like "<i>those people</i>," meaning people who settle down and work to pay the bills. They want to keep traveling, even when they have a child.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Having had a wonderful baby boy recently, I know that you don't stop being you just because you have a little one to care for. Your dreams are still there, and while life changes, it isn't over like so many people seem to think (I heard <i>that</i> a lot when I was pregnant and still don't believe it). But while your life and dreams don't end, priorities change, and keeping the heat on and your baby fed and safe is more important to a lot of people than traveling and holding on to their spontaneity.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I said in my review that Camryn and Andrew's outlook felt unrealistic and accusatory. I say that because, in the book, they have a six figure inheritance that Andrew received to fall back on. Of course they can just up and quit their jobs and ride off into the sunset! <i>Those People</i>, referring to most of the general population, simply don't have that luxury. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My husband and I talk all the time about all the places we'd like to see and things we'd love to do. Buy an RV and travel for a year. Living in Europe for a while. Moving just for the sake of living somewhere different (we've done it before, we wouldn't mind doing it again). But with a baby, security and stability seem more important, even if it does sound boring, and taking a risk that we'll run out of money or we'll end up somewhere unsafe with our little guy just doesn't seem worth it. Maybe we'll have the means to do all those things one day, but in the near future, it just isn't in the cards... </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Maybe I'm taking it too personally, but while I've settled down and my husband works his ass off to pay the bills (and I've recently started working part time to help), I don't feel like we're <i>those people</i>. I feel like we're doing what we have to to make sure Sully (my son) has everything he needs. Sure we plan on taking Sully places and showing him that the new or unknown doesn't have to be scary, but there's no way we can just up and quit our jobs because it's what we <i>want</i> to do. And I bet most readers can say the same thing - so while I can relate to and admire Camryn and Andrew's outlook on life (living in the moment, not getting sucked into living for work, etc), it sucks that they have to call everyone else <i>those people</i>. Kind of puts a damper on the admiration. Especially when they have the means to live life the way they want. What would they do if they didn't have that money in the bank? Hmmm... That's a story I'd like to hear... </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Cheers!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164717220897142489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-559721015127427459.post-39396637611612301192014-03-06T10:28:00.000-05:002014-03-06T10:28:14.652-05:00Review: The Edge of Always by J.A. Redmerski<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 19px;">Five months ago, Camryn and Andrew, both dealing with personal hardships, met on a Greyhound bus. They fell in love and proved that when two people are meant to be together, fate will find a way to make it happen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">Now, in the highly anticipated sequel to </span><em style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">The Edge of Never</em><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px;">, Camryn and Andrew are pursuing their love for music and living life to the fullest as they always swore to do. But when tragedy befalls them, their relationship is put to the ultimate test. As Camryn tries to numb her pain, Andrew makes a bold decision: To get their life back on track, they'll set out on another cross-country road trip. Together they find excitement, passion, adventure-and challenges they never could have anticipated.</span></span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17899696-the-edge-of-always?from_search=true" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitxQls4sI4C4PDp4-qNiOa7JrHtJegvJK0zUKDmv52Qqew8ppY0DaNpMQU_iea5OR1k-Z6urFYRg10hjMmVFlC2AUZDDqlXbn775Cprr3PHik6UopL0Xpg3YOSrve6cOz-WVzJsV8wnVo/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I think I've started writing this review ten times, only to delete, delete, and delete again. I really don't know how to start.... I fell in love with Camryn and Andrew, their relationship, their passion and spontaneity, and their fearlessness. <i>The Edge of Never</i> blew my mind, but I'm not sure I can say the same about its sequel. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">**There are minor spoilers in this review.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Camryn has a moment in <i>The Edge of Always</i> in which she decides she doesn't want to try to relive great times because it might ruin the initial memory. That's kind of how I feel right now. Like I wish I hadn't revisited Camryn and Andrew and had just held on to the memory of reading a truly amazing book.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“It’s like, you know, it doesn’t matter what you do, even if you try to replicate an experience down to every last detail, it’ll never be the way it was when it happened naturally the first time.”</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">That's not to say <i>The Edge of Always</i> wasn't worth my time; it just wasn't what I hoped for. I felt like it dragged on, and while the message the book gives is one I can admire and hope to aspire to, it seemed redundant. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The tragedy to which the blurb is referring was indeed that, but it didn't feel like it could have been the main event that put their relationship at risk. It was obvious what was going to happen, and the way it played out made this twist fall flat. I was pretty annoyed with Camryn for how she acted, and while everyone handles grief differently, I felt like Andrew's feelings were totally ignored. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In true Andrew fashion - where all his worries lie with Camryn - he decided to "fix" things on the road where everything began. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Because this is our life. We met on the road; we grew to know and to love each other on the road. It's where we were meant to be for however long, and it's what we're going to do until it becomes clear that we're meant to do something else.”</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">This is where I got excited, because it is what I loved so much about the first book. It reminds me of my husband and I and how we took a road trip from Texas to Maine where we settled down. Totally spontaneous, totally the most amazing thing we've ever done. Enter nostalgia again... </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We experience some more epic scenes with Camryn and Andrew, but like I said, a lot of it felt redundant. Some of it even irrelevant. There are some major time gaps in which we skip over months, even <i>years</i>, and it made everything feel rushed. Like the author just wanted to get it over with. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">One aspect that irked me was how Camryn and Andrew are always saying how they don't want to end up like "<i>those people</i>," meaning people who settle in one spot, work to pay bills, and raise a family in a single location. Yes we all have a choice, but when you have a child, it's not just about what <i>you</i> want to do anymore. Your life isn't over, but money is important if you want to keep the heat on and your baby fed. I'd love to just up and go on a whim when my little man got a little older, but not all of us have a six figure trust fund to fall back on... I guess it just seemed unrealistic and accusatory. (I have a separate post about this topic - Bookish Rants.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">All that being said, I still felt the electricity between Camryn and Andrew and J.A. Redmerski's writing style always gets me hooked, no matter what. I'll always remain a huge fan, but I'm kind of wishing that <i>The Edge of Never</i> was a standalone novel. <i>The Edge of Always</i> is still a great read - the emotion is very real and if you were hooked by the first novel, you won't be able to help yourself - but...it just didn't live up to its predecessor. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3/5 Stars.</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Cheers!!</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164717220897142489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-559721015127427459.post-82156106163024419292014-02-28T08:09:00.000-05:002014-02-28T08:09:15.825-05:00Review: Viola Doyle or an Unconventional Gift by Amy Lynn Spitzley<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Riding her bicycle at a speed no proper young woman would attempt, letting her hair fly free, conversing with statues of long-dead heroines—these are all par for the course for Viola Doyle, much to her mother's chagrin.<br /><br />Keeping her newfound magical pin safe from those who would use it to unsavory ends and dealing with a handsome young historian takes quite a bit more effort.<br /><br />And then, of course, there is the dragon...<br /><br />To save herself and those she loves, it is up to Viola to become her own heroine, or suffer a terrible fate...</i></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20703206-viola-doyle-or-an-unconventional-gift?ac=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitxQls4sI4C4PDp4-qNiOa7JrHtJegvJK0zUKDmv52Qqew8ppY0DaNpMQU_iea5OR1k-Z6urFYRg10hjMmVFlC2AUZDDqlXbn775Cprr3PHik6UopL0Xpg3YOSrve6cOz-WVzJsV8wnVo/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thank you to Curiosity Quills for providing me a copy to review in my honest opinion. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Viola Doyle or an Unconventional Gift</i> was an easy, cute read. This is a book I would have loved as a young teenager, what with rebellious girls, magical objects, dragons, and a geeky love interest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Viola, the main character, is strong and stubborn in her beliefs (as any young lady should be) and refuses to conform to the stuffy behaviors that society demands of her. I really liked Viola, and I think she sets a good example for young readers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The romantic interest in this book is sweet and innocent even if it is predictable. What I liked about it was that Viola, while her feelings for Mikhail grow stronger every time she sees him, won't compromise who she is or what she believes to be right for this new love.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I say the romance was predictable, but the truth is, a lot about this book was predictable. I knew who the villain was the moment he was introduced, who the love interest would be, and ultimately how things would play out. I don't mind predictability, but I would say that this aspect of the novel is what reminds me of something I would have read when I was a preteen. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Probably the only bit that bothered me about this book was the way the climax played out. It happened very quickly and felt rushed. Not only that, but I had a hard time believing all that craziness would play out so smoothly. This is the only part of the novel where I had a problem with the predictability. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The writing style flows and makes reading effortless. The characters are likable and well-developed. The story itself is interesting and brings you to the point that you want to dive a little deeper into the history behind the mythology. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is a really cute novel with a lot of history, adventure, and mystery. I can't describe it as mind-blowing or the like, but it is a nice, easy, fun read. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3/5 Stars</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Cheers!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164717220897142489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-559721015127427459.post-75183853938031521992014-02-22T15:22:00.000-05:002014-02-22T15:22:27.033-05:00My Baby's Library<span style="font-size: large;">Now that I'm a mom, I'm constantly worried about how what I'm doing now will affect my little one in the future. His development, motor skills, communication skills, and likes and dislikes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Every evening, I make it a point to read to Sully. Sometimes one story, but if he's really focused, I'll read as many as three. He's only three months old, but he loves it! He looks at the pictures and responds to my voice, and sometimes he feels the need to "tell" me his own story. It's really one of the only times of the day in which he'll sit still (unless he's sleeping, of course).</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm pretty excited that he loves it, because I want to raise a reader. I want him to learn to use his imagination and discover new worlds and enjoy getting lost in a good book as much as I do. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm adding to his library a little at a time, and here's a list of wonderful children's books that I remember as a kid, and hope to add soon!</span><br />
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<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/370493.The_Giving_Tree" target="_blank">The Giving Tree</a></i> by Shel Silverstein</div>
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<i>Harry Potter</i> (The <b>entire </b>series - he's a little young yet, but he'll get there!) by J.K. Rowling</div>
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<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327884731l/125507.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327884731l/125507.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/125507.The_True_Story_of_the_3_Little_Pigs" target="_blank">The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!</a> </i>by Jon Scieszka</div>
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<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1392434272l/407429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1392434272l/407429.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/407429.The_Stinky_Cheese_Man_and_Other_Fairly_Stupid_Tales" target="_blank">The Stinky Cheese Man & Other Fairly Stupid Tales</a></i> by Jon Scieszka</div>
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<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/789559.The_Three_Billy_Goats_Gruff" target="_blank">The Three Billy Goats Gruff</a></i> by Paul Galdone</div>
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<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/967494.The_Mitten" target="_blank">The Mitten</a></i> by Jan Brett</div>
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<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/99107.Winnie_the_Pooh?bf=500&from_search=true" target="_blank">Winnie the Pooh</a></i> by A.A. Milne</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What children's books do you remember growing up?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Cheers!!</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164717220897142489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-559721015127427459.post-26139060508411342922014-02-17T08:10:00.000-05:002014-02-17T08:10:11.969-05:00Musing Monday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Musing Mondays</a></b> asks you to muse about one of the following each week…<br /><br />• Describe one of your reading habits.<br />• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).<br />• What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it! <br />• Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.<br />• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!<br />• Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!</span><div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My Musing:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Right now I'm reading <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9496240-the-hangman-s-daughter?bf=500&from_search=true" target="_blank">The Hangman's Daughter</a></i>. It's going rather slowly. First, I was in a car accident and was the only one in the vehicle to achieve a concussion (go me!), so I haven't been able to read much :( (or post anything, as you can tell). And second, the book is... well, it's a little dry. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I enjoy the historical and completely human aspect of this book - how people would go into hysteria over things that they couldn't explain or solve. Science and forensics weren't exactly top of their game back then, so people had to find a way to channel their fear. "Let's just blame the easiest target, call her witch, burn her, and be done with it! Case closed!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It seems pretty ridiculous to us today, but in a time when science was basically considered blasphemous to most, witchcraft and associations with the devil were more logical.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So while it's interesting to see things from a totally different perspective and a different time, what bothers me about this book is the lack of emotion. It's completely dry. Children are dying or in danger; a seemingly innocent women is being called to the stake; a hangman deals with the baggage that comes with torturing and taking lives. This is all pretty heavy stuff, but while I understand that, I can't feel any of it. The author doesn't portray these emotions in a way that touches the reader. It's explained and described, but I don't feel the passion, pain, or fear behind the words. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm having a hard time getting into this book. The concept and the story itself is awesome - but without feeling what the characters are feeling, I can compare this experience to reading a history textbook so far. You can gather the information, but you can't relate to how people felt at the time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What are your literary musings today?</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164717220897142489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-559721015127427459.post-21899671595491903972014-02-08T08:04:00.000-05:002014-02-08T08:04:23.478-05:00Stacking the Shelves<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/STSmall_thumb2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/STSmall_thumb2.png" height="181" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Stacking the Shelves</i> - hosted by <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/frame?post=2321474817&group=0&frame_type=a&blog=3098009&link=aHR0cDovL3d3dy50eW5nYXNyZXZpZXdzLmNvbS8yMDE0LzAyL3N0YWNraW5nLXNoZWx2ZXMtOTQuaHRtbA&frame=1&click=0&user=0" target="_blank">Tynga's Reviews</a> - allows us to share the books that we've added to our shelves (physical or virtual) the past week.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here's my haul:</span><br />
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<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13449693-the-raven-boys" target="_blank">The Raven Boys</a></i> by Maggie Stiefvater</div>
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<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12812550-days-of-blood-starlight?bf=500&from_search=true" target="_blank">Daughter of Blood & Starlight</a></i> by Laini Taylor</div>
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<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9496240-the-hangman-s-daughter?bf=500&from_search=true" target="_blank">The Hangman's Daughter</a></i> by Oliver Potzsch</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What's weighing down your shelves this week?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Cheers!!</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164717220897142489noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-559721015127427459.post-32507614139832070252014-02-06T09:17:00.001-05:002014-02-06T09:17:02.512-05:00Review: Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1297755415l/10429067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1297755415l/10429067.jpg" width="211" /></a><br />
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Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.<br />
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Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.<br />
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Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they're triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.<br />
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These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful gorgon maligned by myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.</blockquote>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10429067-sweet-venom"><em><img alt="" src="http://www.nicoleabouttown.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/add-to-goodreads-button.jpg" height="45" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="134" /></em></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The cover. The synopsis. The raving reviews. All three came together and made <em>Sweet Venom</em> a book I <strong>had</strong> to read... and after reading...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm sorry, I just don't understand all the hype surrounding this book. I could barely get myself to finish it. A little after the halfway mark, I found myself skimming rather than immersing myself in the story. Not a good sign. But rather than go on an angry rant, let me bullet point it for you.</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-size: large;">The writing felt stilted. What should have been witty came across as weird, and what should have been serious or potentially romantic came across as cheesy. Everything about it felt forced.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-size: large;">I get talking to yourself, but the consistency with which these characters speak, out loud, to themselves makes me wonder if there isn't something seriously wrong with them.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-size: large;">The so-called romance was... anything but. The whole insta-love/insta-crush thing is in overkill mode. A few things bugged me, but nothing as much as the fact that Grace was willing to lie about herself in order to win the affections of Milo. That, and the guys acted completely unlike any guy in the history of men. Who immediately holds their friend's little sister's hand? What guy keeps going after a girl who has made it absolutely clear that she's not interested?</span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Not any guy I've ever heard of. Just another aspect of this book that felt forced.</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: large;">I love Greek mythology, but no one in their right mind believes it truly exists. So when Grace walks up to Greer (a sister she has never met) and tells her, straight up, that she's a descendent of Medusa, what do you think the response is going to be? That's right. A door slammed in the face. And Grace has the nerve to act surprised. Common sense is seriously lacking.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-size: large;">I couldn't stand Grace's character. It's one thing to have insecurities, but she takes it to a whole new level. The word "freak" got pretty redundant, and the fact that she constantly used it to describe herself (or how she thought others might describe her) was beyond annoying. </span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I can appreciate how the author was trying to take a well-known Greek myth and make it her own. The concept was interesting, I just can't get on board with the way it was executed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I saw a lot of great reviews for this book, but, for me, it left a lot to be desired.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">1.5/5 Stars.</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Cheers!</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164717220897142489noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-559721015127427459.post-30473102301014199252014-02-05T08:10:00.000-05:002014-02-05T08:10:13.957-05:00Excerpt: Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1384871012l/16069167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1384871012l/16069167.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
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<b>A modern day thrill ride, where a teen girl and her animal companion must participate in a breathtaking race to save her brother's life—and her own. </b><br /><br />Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.<br />
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<br />Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.<br /><br />The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16069167-fire-flood?bf=500&from_search=true" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitxQls4sI4C4PDp4-qNiOa7JrHtJegvJK0zUKDmv52Qqew8ppY0DaNpMQU_iea5OR1k-Z6urFYRg10hjMmVFlC2AUZDDqlXbn775Cprr3PHik6UopL0Xpg3YOSrve6cOz-WVzJsV8wnVo/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In 2013, <i>The Collector</i> was one of my most anticipated reads. Dante Walker rocked my world, and I absolutely adore Victoria Scott for creating him. This year, she's releasing <i>Fire & Flood</i>, and it sounds <b>nothing</b> like Dante's series. It sounds a lot like <i>The Hunger Games</i> meets <i>The Amazing Race</i>. *Intrigued.* I love it when authors surprise us with something completely different than what we know them for. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Fire & Flood</i> releases on February 25th, a mere three weeks from now and I, for one, am counting down the days. As a little treat, I received this little nugget to share - an excerpt from Victoria Scott's newest release. Enjoy!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>“If you are hearing this message, then you have successfully completed the Pandora Selection Process. It also means you are now at the official starting line.”</i>Around me, Contenders whoop with excitement. Seriously? They’re about to plunge into a wild jungle, and that brings them happiness? Once again, I realize how out of my league I am. I don’t even have a change of clothes, for crying out loud.<br /><i>“As you may have realized, you are on the outskirts of a rain forest. This will be the jungle part of the course. You will have two weeks to arrive at the jungle’s base camp. You will find this base camp by following the path of blue flags.”</i>Contestants glance around, immediately looking for the first blue flag. As for me, I’m watching the taillights of the semi and having a massive coronary.<br /><i>“If you are the first to encounter a blue flag, you may remove it, but you may not remove the stake it is attached to. Doing so will result in immediate disqualification.”</i>I wonder why anyone would want to remove the flag to begin with. No one else seems concerned by this.<br />“<i>While the Cure will be awarded to a single winner at the end of the last ecosystem, we will bestow a smaller prize for each leg of the race. The prize for the jungle portion will be monetary.” </i>The woman pauses dramatically<i>. “I’d like to officially welcome you to the Brimstone Bleed. May the bravest Contender win</i>.”<br />That’s it? That’s all she’s going to say? Because it seriously sounds like she’s wrapping up. So why aren’t I running after the trucks? Why am I not chasing after my only way out of this jungle like my life depends on it? I know the answer — though I wish I didn’t. Cody would do this for me. I am his only hope. I have to believe his cure exists. My only other option is to return home and watch my brother die. If I could even get back home.<br />I glance around frantically, looking for someone to tell me what to do. The Contenders have formed a long line, the kind you see at the start of a marathon. A few yards down from where I stand — I see him. My throat tightens when I realize his cold blue eyes are locked on me. It’s the guy from the Pandora Selection Process. The serial killer–looking dude who I thought was going to kidney punch me. He glares in my direction like he might take this opportunity to finish what he never started. I raise my hand in a small wave, hoping it says something like: <i>See? Look how friendly I am</i>!<br />He lifts his own enormous hand. For a moment, I brighten. I think maybe that — even though it looks like he hates every fiber of my being — he’s going to wave back. But he doesn’t. He holds up two fingers — his pointer and his middle — places them under his eyes, and then points in front of us.<br />Oh no, he didn’t. I think he basically just told me to pay attention. I’m still processing this when the woman’s voice rings in my ear.<br />“<i>Go</i>!”</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Find Victoria Scott via</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3251728.Victoria_Scott" target="_blank">GoodReads</a> ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorVictoriaScott" target="_blank">Facebook</a> ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/VictoriaScottYA" target="_blank">Twitter</a> ~ <a href="http://www.victoriascottya.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Pre-Order <i>Fire & Flood</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Flood-Victoria-Scott-ebook/dp/B00ESIVYLY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391605665&sr=8-1&keywords=fire+%26+flood" target="_blank">Amazon</a> ~ <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fire-flood-victoria-scott/1116157492?ean=9780545537469" target="_blank">B&N</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Cheers!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164717220897142489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-559721015127427459.post-44974101882612222842014-02-04T08:01:00.003-05:002014-02-04T08:01:56.427-05:00Review: Making Faces by Amy Harmon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1378983590l/18301124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1378983590l/18301124.jpg" width="221" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ambrose Young was beautiful. He was tall and muscular, with hair that touched his shoulders and eyes that burned right through you. The kind of beautiful that graced the covers of romance novels, and Fern Taylor would know. She'd been reading them since she was thirteen. But maybe because he was so beautiful he was never someone Fern thought she could have...until he wasn't beautiful anymore.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Making Faces</i> is the story of a small town where five young men go off to war, and only one comes back. It is the story of loss. Collective loss, individual loss, loss of beauty, loss of life, loss of identity. It is the tale of one girl's love for a broken boy, and a wounded warrior's love for an unremarkable girl. This is a story of friendship that overcomes heartache, heroism that defies the common definitions, and a modern tale of Beauty and the Beast, where we discover that there is a little beauty and a little beast in all of us.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18301124-making-faces?bf=500&from_search=true" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitxQls4sI4C4PDp4-qNiOa7JrHtJegvJK0zUKDmv52Qqew8ppY0DaNpMQU_iea5OR1k-Z6urFYRg10hjMmVFlC2AUZDDqlXbn775Cprr3PHik6UopL0Xpg3YOSrve6cOz-WVzJsV8wnVo/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Wow. Just. Wow. Two days later and I still am having issues finding anything else to say. You know that feeling... You're sad but at the same time you can't help but feel good about your heartbreak? That's <i>Making Faces</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. Weaknesses can be strengths and vice versa. Beauty is what you've come to know and not necessarily what's at eye level. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">True beauty, the kind that doesn't fade or wash off, takes time. It takes pressure. It takes incredible endurance. It is the slow drip that makes the stalactite, the shaking of the Earth that creates mountains, the constant pounding of the waves that breaks up the rocks and smooths the rough edges. And from the violence, the furor, the raging of the winds, the roaring of the waters, something better emerges, something that would otherwise never exist.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It's not only the lessons that makes this story, but the characters that are enveloped in those lessons. Bailey Sheen, for example (and my favorite). The kid was handed a shit hand in life, but he is probably the most inspirational character I've had the pleasure of meeting. He suffers from muscular dystrophy, so instead of legs, he has a sense of humor; instead of arms, he has snark; instead of that athletic skill he's always craved, he has brains and a big heart. I absolutely fell in love with Bailey - he saves so many, whether it be their lives or their drive and motivation. If anyone is a hero in this story, it's him. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">"I have no pride left, Ambrose!" Bailey said. "No pride. But it was my pride or my life. I had to choose. So do you. You can have your pride and sit here and make cupcakes and get old and fat and nobody will give a damn after a while. Or you can trade that pride in for a little humility and take your life back."</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I could really keep gushing about the heroism that is Bailey Sheen, but I should also mention Ambrose and Fern. Ambrose is lost and is having trouble holding on to who he thought he was. He lost his friends, his good looks, and, truly, his respect for himself. Fern knows exactly who she is but has trouble believing it is at all beautiful and deserving. I wouldn't say she's insecure, just resigned, and it is this acceptance of who she is that makes her unique. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The romance between these two takes its time, spreading itself out over the course of years, slowly building a history and a solidity that can't be broken. It's real and amazing, and although it may have seemed odd at one time for them to come together, two people could not be more perfect for each other. It is through each other that they find their way, each of them proving the other wrong.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This books takes tragedy and allows us to see the light that rises from the darkness. One of my favorite quotes sums it up nicely:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Maybe everyone represents a piece of the puzzle. We all fit together to create this experience we call life. None of us can see the part we play or the way it all turns out. Maybe the miracles that we see are just the tip of the iceberg. And maybe we just don't recognize the blessings that come as a result of terrible things."</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Everyone is connected in one way or another, and everything we do has an effect, whether we realize it or not. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I really could go on and on and ramble until you have no idea what I'm talking about. Just read the book. Seriously. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Amy Harmon is a beast when it comes to writing. The emotions I experienced while reading <i>Making Faces</i> is something I will remember for years to come, and I have no choice but to believe this will be one of my favorite books, not only of this year, but ever. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Highly recommend!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Or via <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Making-Faces-Amy-Harmon-ebook/dp/B00F0XL3B2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391518523&sr=8-1&keywords=making+faces" target="_blank">Amazon</a> or <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/making-faces-amy-harmon/1117181228?ean=9781492976424" target="_blank">B&N</a></span></center>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Visit Amy Harmon via</span></center>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5829056.Amy_Harmon?bf=500&from_search=true" target="_blank">GoodReads</a> ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/authoramyharmon" target="_blank">Facebook</a> ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/aharmon_author" target="_blank">Twitter</a> ~ <a href="http://www.authoramyharmon.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></span></center>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5/5 Stars</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Cheers!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164717220897142489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-559721015127427459.post-87859490886378225062014-01-30T08:10:00.004-05:002014-01-30T08:10:43.252-05:00Netflix for Books?<div style="background-color: white; color: #272727; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; outline: none; padding: 0px;">
Okay. I'm a firm believer in <em style="outline: none;">real </em>books. The ones you can touch, smell, and put on a physical shelf. But I also live in a place where the nearest bookstore is about, oh, an hour away, so e-books are pretty much necessary unless I use my free shipping via Amazon. </div>
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I know. I'm not being a very good bibliophile, but I just want to read! And as a new mom, I simply don't have the time (or the gas money) to trek it to the bookstore all the time - then I have to hope they are carrying what I'm looking for. Besides, what does it matter in what format we read so much as that we <em style="outline: none;">do</em> read. Right?</div>
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So, as a result, I'm probably a little too excited about this app by the name of <a href="https://www.oysterbooks.com/" target="_blank">Oyster</a>. Who has Netflix? Oyster is supposedly like the Netflix for books. What a concept. Pay a monthly fee and get access to hundreds of thousands of books. Read unlimited. Two words that fit wonderfully together.</div>
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I really want to support local bookstores, but in my neck of the woods (literally - <i>the woods</i>), there simply aren't any. So, I'm not going to feel guilty. Not really. I'm just going to enjoy reading in whatever form I can get. </div>
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But before I get off point, click <a href="https://www.oysterbooks.com/" target="_blank">here</a> to check out Oyster. They have some fabulous titles, and I love the idea of being able to read a book before I buy it in hardcover. (I guess I can't feel too guilty - if I really love a book, I have this obsessive need to display it like the work of art that it is on my bookshelf.) </div>
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Check it out! Enjoy!</div>
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Cheers!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164717220897142489noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-559721015127427459.post-49213982371020132522014-01-29T08:49:00.002-05:002014-01-29T10:10:38.614-05:00Waiting On Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">It's that time of week. Time to take a moment to share what books you are anxiously waiting to be released! <i>Waiting on Wednesday</i> is a weekly meme hosted by <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This week's WoW:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Annie grew up with a warped family who didn't shelter her from the horrors of the world. In fact, they threw it at her feet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">When she meets a boy who shows her affection she struggles with feelings she had never experienced before. But her family is not willing to let her go easily.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Even if Annie is able to escape their control, the damage done to her will haunt her for the rest of her life.</span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18045901-pretty-little-things" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitxQls4sI4C4PDp4-qNiOa7JrHtJegvJK0zUKDmv52Qqew8ppY0DaNpMQU_iea5OR1k-Z6urFYRg10hjMmVFlC2AUZDDqlXbn775Cprr3PHik6UopL0Xpg3YOSrve6cOz-WVzJsV8wnVo/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I've been following Teresa Mummert on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TeresaMummert" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, and I'm pretty excited to get my hands on this one on March 11th!</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.teresamummert.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/t31/1487925_690657317631977_1161543194_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What are you waiting for?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Cheers!</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164717220897142489noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-559721015127427459.post-81942342934381976952014-01-28T08:27:00.000-05:002014-01-28T08:27:48.341-05:00Teaser Tuesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQ1qL5iPNANyr7h6gEmQBm5K-BnlSnao7qVYKOE5dGEY-ohExskkrQNVTnZp4xBIx23jz2F4NKvq8rjrLX9Ui2Ocqqa7qX5BqfpzTA4p0h2Oxqyagncb4aJlrrVs-bwpDPjG3U6asDfK2/s1600/zig-time-free-blog-banner-584x264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQ1qL5iPNANyr7h6gEmQBm5K-BnlSnao7qVYKOE5dGEY-ohExskkrQNVTnZp4xBIx23jz2F4NKvq8rjrLX9Ui2Ocqqa7qX5BqfpzTA4p0h2Oxqyagncb4aJlrrVs-bwpDPjG3U6asDfK2/s1600/zig-time-free-blog-banner-584x264.jpg" height="180" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Teaser Tuesday </i>is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at <i><a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/2014/01/28/teaser-tuesdays-jan-28/" target="_blank">Should Be Reading</a></i>. Pretty simple really: just grab one of your current reads, crack it open, and pick a few lines in order to give other readers a glimpse into the book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This week, I'm choosing <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18301124-making-faces" target="_blank">Making Faces</a></i> by Amy Harmon. This book is consuming me - sleep be damned. </span><br />
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<span style="clear: left; display: inline !important; font-size: large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">One of my favorite scenes so far is when Fern and Bailey are driving around their sleepy little town discussing the shit hand that Bailey's been handed in life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">"'There are times like that, Bailey. Times you don't think you can take it anymore. But then you discover that you can. You always do. You're tough. You'll take a deep breath, swallow just a little bit more, endure just a little longer, and eventually you'll get your second wind.'"</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"'Accept the truth in it. Own it, wallow in it, become one with the shit.'"</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Swearing could be very therapeutic."</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There you have it. I've been in a reading slump lately, and this book is turning out to be my savior. Seriously. It's incredible so far, and even though I haven't finished it yet, I would take that leap and go so far as to highly recommend it.</span><br />
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<a href="http://affiliates.bookdepository.com/scripts/click.php?a_aid=RealmsofanOpenMind&a_bid=5be39ef5&desturl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bookdepository.com%2FMaking-Faces-Amy-Harmon%2F9781492976424" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Buy This Book from Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide" src="http://banners1.bookdepository.com/accounts/default1/banners/BuyFrom_Grey_160x30.gif" height="30" title="Buy This Book from Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide" width="160" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Download <i>Making Faces</i> via <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Making-Faces-Amy-Harmon-ebook/dp/B00F0XL3B2" target="_blank">Amazon</a> or <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/making-faces-amy-harmon/1117181228?ean=9781492976424" target="_blank">B&N</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Happy Tuesday!!!</span></center>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164717220897142489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-559721015127427459.post-87487017504044522992014-01-26T13:12:00.004-05:002014-01-28T07:40:05.169-05:00Review: Thorn Queen by Richelle Mead<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1307233069l/6093337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1307233069l/6093337.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Eugenie Markham is a shaman for hire, paid to bind and banish creatures from the Otherworld. But after her last battle, she's also become queen of the Thorn Land. It's hardly an envious life, not with her kingdom in tatters, her love life in chaos, and Eugenie eager to avoid the prophecy about her firstborn destroying mankind. And now young girls are disappearing from the Otherworld, and no one--except Eugenie--seems willing to find out why.<br /><br />
Eugenie has spilled plenty of fey blood in her time, but this enemy is shrewd, subtle, and nursing a very personal grudge. And the men in her life aren't making things any easier. Her boyfriend Kiyo is preoccupied with his pregnant ex, and sexy fey king Dorian always poses a dangerous distraction. With or without their help, Eugenie must venture deep into the Otherworld and trust in an unpredictable power she can barely control. Reluctant queen or not, Eugenie has sworn to do her duty--even if it means facing the darkest--and deadliest--side of her nature. . .</span>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6093337-thorn-queen" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitxQls4sI4C4PDp4-qNiOa7JrHtJegvJK0zUKDmv52Qqew8ppY0DaNpMQU_iea5OR1k-Z6urFYRg10hjMmVFlC2AUZDDqlXbn775Cprr3PHik6UopL0Xpg3YOSrve6cOz-WVzJsV8wnVo/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Let me start by saying that I wasn't sure how to rate this book. I really like the way Mead thinks, from her world-building to character development to the surprises she holds in store for Eugenie. But at the same time I'm just kinda like... eh...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Maybe it's because toward the middle of the story I found myself asking..."So what's really happened so far? Hmmm... Not much." It dragged a little, and while it picked up toward the end, getting to that point was a little monotonous. It's because of this monotony that I'm just getting kind of bored with the whole story. Relationships and characters have changed, but as for everything else that's going around them, I feel like Thorn Queen is one of those filler/stepping-stone novels. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I do have to say, though, that I love how Eugenie has evolved and transformed through her experiences. Comparing her to the way she was when we first met, the only thing that's remained unchanged is her strength and sass. Everything else has shifted, and Eugenie is anything but a stagnant and stuffy character.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Her relationship with Kiyo is - and here's that "word" again - eh. Honestly, the guy has never felt right for Eugenie and I could never sense that spark between them no matter how much she said she loved him. Sorry, Eugenie. I'm not convinced. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Dorian, on the other hand... The one guy that Eugenie thought she could never trust seems to be the only one who truly loves and understands her unconditionally. Go figure. You've made me a believer, Dorian, even if Eugenie is too pigheaded to see it herself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In the way of evil-doers, Mead surprised me with her knack for creating a truly sick and twisted villain - you know the kind who don't even know they are evil? The ones that think they are good and right? I relished at the idea of him getting his ass beat - or worse. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">To sum the rambling up, Mead's character development is amazing (even if the one relationship kinda flopped for me). You know these people - they are real within the pages - and you hurt and hope for them (even if you want to clobber them sometimes).</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The writing style, as always, is fluid and easy. Eugenie keeps things light even with shit hits the fan and the descriptions do well to build this solid little world that you can see and almost touch with your own two hands. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So while there's a lot of good that I have to say about what gives this book readability, it's just that - "good." Not great or mind-blowing or any of those other adjectives that you'd use with a 4+ star review. I don't really feel that I'll remember much about this story a few months down the road. It's worth reading - don't get me wrong - but, for me, it wasn't anything to glow about. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So, would I recommend? Yeah, sure. If you're looking for some easy reading that'll keep you entertained until your next read. Richelle Mead has definite talent and potential - no argument - I just don't think I'm in a huge hurry to finish the series. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3/5 Stars. </span></b><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164717220897142489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-559721015127427459.post-13079928590016035692014-01-19T15:07:00.002-05:002014-01-19T15:07:59.442-05:00I'm Back!Wow. Let's see if I remember how to do this. It's been about… oh, hell I don't know - it's been <i>forever</i> since I've immersed myself in the book world.<br />
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Lately, I've been up to my elbows in diapers, spit up, and bottles. Yup, that's right! I had my beautiful little boy, and he's already about to hit the two month mark. Needless to say, reading, blogging, and anything that has nothing to do with catching up on my sleep or sneaking a shower hasn't really been on my list of priorities. </div>
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But I'm hoping to change that now that I've gotten the hang of being a new mom. </div>
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I'm going to kick off 2014 as the year of all years. I had lots of goals for 2013, but when I found out I was pregnant (WOAH!), everything else came to a screeching halt and basically got put on the backburner behind the backburner. </div>
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So, this is my do-over. I'm hoping to participate in some challenges, maybe a few tours, NanoWriMo, and get back into the reading and writing I used to do.<br />
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Cheers :)<br />
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-Keely-<br />
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