tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66067792951182482002024-02-21T01:18:08.248-08:00Inhaling BooksLexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778031641898502847noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606779295118248200.post-10412122303494246152014-01-24T01:26:00.002-08:002014-01-24T01:43:59.040-08:00Review: Stolen by Lucy Christopher<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title:</b> Stolen<br />
<b>Author:</b> Lucy Christopher<br />
<b>Release Date: </b>May 4, 2009<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> Chicken House<br />
<b>Pages:</b> 299<br />
<b>My Rating:</b> 3.5 stars<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12426027-stolen" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b> | <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stolen-Lucy-Christopher/dp/054517094X" target="_blank">Amazon</a></b> | <b><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Stolen-Lucy-Christopher/9780545170932" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a></b> | <b><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stolen-lucy-christopher/1100295753?ean=9780545170932" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #; line-height: 19px;">A girl: Gemma, 16, at the airport, on her way to a family vacation.<br /><br /> A guy: Ty, rugged, tan, too old, oddly familiar, eyes blue as ice.<br /><br /> She steps away. For just a second. He pays for her drink. And drugs it. They talk. Their hands touch. And before Gemma knows what's happening, Ty takes her. Steals her away. To sand and heat. To emptiness and isolation. To nowhere. And expects her to love him.<br /><br /> Written as a letter from a victim to her captor, STOLEN is Gemma's desperate story of survival; of how she has to come to terms with her living nightmare-- or die trying to fight it. - <b>Goodreads</b></span></i></span></blockquote>
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To be absolutely honest, going into this book, I expected a classic cliche; girl meets boy, girl falls "in love" with boy, no exceptions. That's not exactly what happened, though. The tale that was told was one of something much more complex than that. Gemma found herself trapped, but soon started realizing that maybe she'd been trapped all along. Gemma discovered the beauty in things she hadn't paid any attention to in a long time. The tale that was told, well, it was definitely unlike anything I've ever read before.</div>
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The manner in which Stolen was told was mostly dark, but it couldn't help but be fascinating, since it's not the type of plot you come across very often. When I say this, I can't help thinking of Ty, the kidnapper. It's hard to understand why he would take Gemma, why he would care about her, or why he would be so desperate for her acceptance. Just when I would start to think, hey, maybe he's not such a bad guy, I would be reminded that he did kidnap Gemma, after all. And then I see that she has the same mindset, and is torn about <i>what </i>to think. He is sweet, but why would he do this, or that? THIS BOOK WILL CONFUSE YOUR FEELS.</div>
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UGHHHH. It was so hard to decide on the rating to give, because while I did appreciate the book as a whole, there was definitely times when I wanted to just stop reading because I felt like nothing was happening. There's a lot of in depth description of the new and tragically beautiful place that Gemma is taken to, and at first it was nice to hear about, but at a certain point, I just wanted it to end. Since it's hard for me to be patient and attentive, I usually stick with plot-driven books, so it wasn't easy for me to trudge through the middle part of the story. Obviously, not everyone is like me in this way so I can see how others would enjoy it more than I did.</div>
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<b>"No one seemed to have any clue about me, about what I was really thinking. It was like I existed in a kind of parallel universe, thinking thoughts and feeling emotions that no one else understood."</b></blockquote>
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What really redeemed the book for me was the ending. During the last quarter of the book, my heart was beating fast, and I felt it, slowly but surely, <i>breaking</i>. Up until the end, I don't think Gemma really acknowledged her feelings for Ty, or at least not directly, consciously. I actually quite liked that she was unsure; that even after writing out, in detail, everything that had happened, everything she had felt and experienced, she didn't really know what to make of it. Nothing was black or white. What she had felt was amazing, but yet seemed so <i>wrong</i>. When I think of this book, my mind instantly focuses on just the ending, and I can not stop thinking about it. I feel it was perfect in every way, and based on just the last 75 pages alone, I would have probably given it a 5 star rating.</div>
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Lexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778031641898502847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606779295118248200.post-91606017789121066492014-01-22T00:00:00.000-08:002014-01-22T00:00:12.060-08:00Waiting on Wednesday (3)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a> that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13206828-cress?ac=1" target="_blank"><b>Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer</b></a><br />
<b>Release Date: </b>February 4, 2014<br />
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<i>Rapunzel's tower is a satellite. She can't let down her hair- or her guard.</i><br />
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<i>In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they're plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.</i><br />
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<i>Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker- unfortunately, she's just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.</i><br />
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<i>When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.</i></blockquote>
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HOLY CRAP. TWO WEEKS UNTIL CRESS. IS THIS REAL LIFE. </div>
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So basically, I am unbelievably excited for this book to come out. Not to mention that those who are lucky enough to have ARCs have put up really great reviews! I really enjoyed reading Cinder, but then Scarlet was like *BAM* FABULOUS TIMES A MILLION. If Cress is (a lot of) people's favorite, then I can't even begin to imagine what kind of amazingness must go down in this sequel. I seriously love how each of the books is its own story, and then the characters intertwine flawlessly. </div>
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<b>What's your favorite thing about this series? Which did you like more; Cinder or Scarlet (or Cress???)? What book are YOU waiting for this week?</b></div>
Lexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778031641898502847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606779295118248200.post-47269878332902358322014-01-20T00:00:00.000-08:002014-01-23T23:07:53.649-08:00Review: A Really Awesome Mess by Trish Cook & Brendan Halpin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title:</b> A Really Awesome Mess<br />
<b>Author:</b> Trish Cook & Brendan Halpin<br />
<b>Release Date: </b>July 23, 2013<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> Egmont USA<br />
<b>Pages:</b> 288<br />
<b>My Rating:</b> 4 stars<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16238699-a-really-awesome-mess" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b> | <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Really-Awesome-Mess-Trish-Cook/dp/160684363X" target="_blank">Amazon</a></b> | <b><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Really-Awesome-Mess-Brendan-Halpin/9781606843635" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a></b> | <b><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-really-awesome-mess-trish-cook/1113886853?ean=9781606843635" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #; line-height: 19px;"> Two teenagers. Two very bumpy roads taken that lead to Heartland Academy.<br /><br /> Justin was just having fun, but when his dad walked in on him with a girl in a very compromising position, Justin's summer took a quick turn for the worse. His parents' divorce put Justin on rocky mental ground, and after a handful of Tylenol lands him in the hospital, he has really hit rock bottom. <br /><br />Emmy never felt like part of her family. She was adopted from China. Her parents and sister tower over her and look like they came out of a Ralph Lauren catalog-- and Emmy definitely doesn't. After a scandalous photo of Emmy leads to vicious rumors around school, she threatens the boy who started it all on Facebook. <br /><br />Justin and Emmy arrive at Heartland Academy, a reform school that will force them to deal with their issues, damaged souls with little patience for authority. But along the way they will find a ragtag group of teens who are just as broken, stubborn, and full of sarcasm, as themselves. In the end, they might even call each other friends. A funny, sad, and remarkable story, A Really Awesome Mess is a journey of friendship and self-discovery that teen readers will surely sign up for. - <b>Goodreads</b></span></i></span></blockquote>
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A Really Awesome Mess is written from the point of view's of Justin and Emmy, two newbies at Heartland Academy, a boarding-school type place where other people their age can go to get mental help. They don't go by choice, and as the story begins, neither of them has come to terms with the real reason that they have to be there. Justin struggles with depression, leaving him numb, and Emmy has an eating disorder that stems from constantly worrying about how people see her. It's a beautiful journey they make, dealing with their problems, and discovering that letting others into their lives might not be such a bad thing, and will keep them from having to to through this hard part of their lives alone.</div>
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At the beginning of this book, I kind of thought that everything was a bit too dramatic, portrayed in a way that seemed a bit too goofy, and I don't necessarily know if I just got used to it, but I ended up really getting into it. There's definitely TONS of humor involved, which I thought was a unique take on a topic that would otherwise be entirely serious. I adored every bit of it, and found it to be an appealing way to talk about deeper issues in a usually-lighthearted manner.</div>
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It was refreshing to read from the point of view of two teenagers that actually seemed like <i>real </i>people, which is sometimes hard to come by. They didn't sugar coat anything, but were honest in how they felt. Sometimes you just need to feel like you aren't alone in whatever battle you're fighting, and I think this book has the power to do just that for a lot of readers. I definitely found myself thinking, YES, that is exactly how I feel sometimes. </div>
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<b>"And this brittle feeling was really closely related to the anger. Because when you're in constant pain, people who aren't in pain were really annoying. And people asking you to do stuff you didn't want to do were even more annoying. Like, really, why the hell would you ask me to take out the garbage when it took every freaking ounce of energy just to feign normalcy while I was sitting here?" [Justin]</b></blockquote>
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The people they befriended also had distinctive ways of <i>being- </i>from their personalities, to speech and humor, that they honestly reminded me how different a group of friends in real life can be. I can't being to explain how extraordinary it was to see them all find people with whom they could just be themselves. To find themselves, to discover what being a happy teenager is really like, if even for just a single second. It seriously made me smile like crazy, and feel happy myself, just by reading all about their shenanigans. </div>
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When everyone in the little group started talking about why they were really at Heartland Academy, it was played off as not a big deal, but I kept thinking that it WAS pretty important. I guess there's different ways of thinking about it; they were just trying to brush it off that way like people so often do about things they're not comfortable talking about, and they weren't letting it define who they were. That got me to thinking that a lot of the stuff in this book is like that, in my opinion. How much you enjoy this book depends on how you much you can connect with and understand the characters' motivation, so you might end up really liking this book... or really not liking it. </div>
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Lexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778031641898502847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606779295118248200.post-34578636898915916802014-01-18T16:19:00.002-08:002014-01-23T23:07:58.396-08:00Review: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title:</b> The Scorpio Races<br />
<b>Author:</b> Maggie Stiefvater<br />
<b>Release Date:</b> October 8, 2011<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> Scholastic Press<br />
<b>Pages:</b> 404<br />
<b>My Rating:</b> 4.5 stars<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10626594-the-scorpio-races" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b> | <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Scorpio-Races-Maggie-Stiefvater/dp/0545224918" target="_blank">Amazon</a></b> | <b><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Scorpio-Races-Maggie-Stiefvater/9780545224901" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a></b> | <b><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/scorpio-races-maggie-stiefvater/1101119158?ean=9780545224918" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #; line-height: 19px;">It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die. <br /><br />At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them. <br /><br />Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition- the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen. - <b>Goodreads</b></span></i></span></blockquote>
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When I first started reading The Scorpio Races, I honestly didn't know what to expect. I have to admit, I had been a bit hesitant about reading another book by Maggie Stiefvater, since her Shiver series was just okay, and yet everybody had been saying such great things about this specific book. Let me tell you: I AM GLAD I DID. The book's blurb is pretty self explanatory and explains the basic plot of the book- Puck and Sean live on an island where the Scorpio Races are held. Except instead of land horses, there's the <i>capaill usce, </i>or water horses, being raced. They're giant, blood-thirsty (not in a vampire way) creatures, and they aren't always tame, making them incredibly dangerous to other living creatures. </div>
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I know this is going to make me sound<i> incredibly</i> dumb, but at the beginning of the book I was kind of lost in the concept of them. I thought, hmm, maybe it's just a different name for majestic horses who like water? Maybe they're really riding fabulous dolphin-ish creatures? Yeah, NO, maybe not. I couldn't quite focus on the beginning of the story because I was so confused. I seriously don't know why (I feel really ridiculous now), and I don't think it's the book/author's fault, but I'm wondering; am I alone on this? I'm just going to pretend that I'm not. <.<</div>
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My absolute <i>favorite</i> thing about this book is the little bits of history of the island included here and there. The background and description of people who live there gave me such a realistic image of it all. I can't even begin to explain it, but the narrations of both Puck and Sean just radiate how they feel about where they live, and that in turn made me feel the same way. Like I, myself, <i>knew</i> the island. Not only that, but all the description of the place gives it a seriously beautiful culture, which plays in a lot with the character's thoughts. Since they're growing up, they have to decide if the island is really home for them or if they want to have a future on the mainland, which I feel a lot of people, particularly teens, can relate to. </div>
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The book is written from both Sean and Puck's perspectives. Most of the time, I wasn't that big of a fan of Sean or his POV, since I found him to be quite dull and boring, but hey, maybe it's just the feminist in me that can't help but be all "YAY 4 FOR U PUCK U GO PUCK!!!" She is strong, sarcastic, and snarky, and I found myself actually laughing in those moments when most people would have kept their mouth shuts, but she just couldn't help herself. That's not all there is to her, of course, and Sean has way more going on in his head, as well.</div>
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This book is also pretty great if you're not a big fan of overbearing romance (that's not necessarily me though LOL), since there's way more to the book than that. There honestly isn't that much romance, but every little thing that happened between Sean and Puck made me fangirl. *FLAIL* BC THEY ARE SO CUTE OK *UNFLAIL* The way the entire book is written makes every little thing exquisite and important in its own way, their relationship included.</div>
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Lexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778031641898502847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606779295118248200.post-10334006901960401702014-01-12T19:04:00.001-08:002014-01-12T19:18:23.507-08:002014 Bookish Resolutions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I know, this post is kind of (okay, REALLY) late, since we are nearly two weeks into the New Year. Ahem, well, I <i>barely</i> decided to actually set some goals for myself and document them so I wouldn't just ignore them. SOOO, here they are!<br />
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<b>1. Read 125 books in total (and keep track of them).</b></div>
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As most of you already know, goodreads has a reading challenge every year, in which every member can set their own goal of books to read that year, so I've set mine to 125. I've never kept track of how many books I read before, and on goodreads I would never set a date for when I read my books, so I have no way of knowing how many I've read in the past. That is also part of my goal this year: to ACTUALLY keep track for once. I also made a 2014 Book Jar; every time I finish a book, I write the title and author on a piece of paper, fold it, and put it in my jar! I have 7 books in it so far. :)</div>
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<b>2. Read the sequels to at least 10 books I read last year.</b></div>
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If you know me at all, you know that I'm pretty much terrified of sequels. I'm scared they'll bore me or completely tear me apart. (I barely managed to read Allegiant last week) Some of the books I wish to read for this goal:</div>
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Unwholly (Unwind #2) by Neal Shusterman</div>
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Origin (Lux #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout</div>
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Goddess (Starcrossed #3) by Josephine Angelini</div>
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Monsters of Men (Chaos Walking #3) by Patrick Ness</div>
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Champion (Legend #3) by Marie Lu</div>
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<b>3. Read The Mortal Instruments series.</b></div>
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Although I have read City of Bones, I want to (probably) re-read it, then move onto the rest of the series. Part of the reason I want to get read up to at least City of Glass is so I can then read The Infernal Devices series. </div>
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<b>4. Read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.</b></div>
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I have read none of the books in this series, but after I do, I also want to read the Heroes of Olympus series. I've heard tons of great things about them and I'm always just like "I WANT TO FEEL THOSE FEELS".</div>
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<b>5. Obtain and start the A Song of Ice and Fire series.</b></div>
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I want to at least get through A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings by the end of the year. I'm a teen with no job or allowance (cries), so I usually get my books from the library, but since these will probably take a while, I want to actually get physical copies.</div>
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<b>6. Be better at sticking to the books I choose to read.</b></div>
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The wording on this one was kind of difficult to decide on, but here is what I mean: I am absolutely horrible about finishing my books because, long story short, my attention span is lacking. Sometimes I will just stop reading a book, and then end up feeling really bad afterwards. Not only do I feel like that's just a waste of time, but I start to think, what if that was a truly amazing book, but I was in such a rush, that I didn't get to find out? I really want to get the most out of books, so my goal is to try to finish all my books (with possible exceptions), because sometimes the most beautiful writing doesn't come with a fast pace from the very beginning. This could possibly mean that I'm also pickier about what books I pick up (which tbh will probably just end up being checking its rating beforehand), but it's something I've been thinking a lot about, so I definitely want to do it. </div>
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AND MY FINAL GOAL FOR 2014...</div>
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<b>7. Dive into the book blogging world.</b></div>
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I made this blog about 6 months ago, but honestly, I have BARELY used it. This makes me very sad. I absolutely love the community and I just want to be a part of it. There's so many feels about all the books, and I really need to let it out. This year I'm striving to not only write book reviews but also visit more book blogs and interact with other people with a love for books. </div>
Lexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778031641898502847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606779295118248200.post-86334678559215862052013-08-10T01:53:00.001-07:002013-08-10T06:34:45.977-07:00Stacking the Shelves (4) + UPDATE!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by <a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/" target="_blank">Tynga's Reviews</a> where you show off the books you're adding to your shelves; physical or virtual, bought or borrowed.</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8621462-a-monster-calls" target="_blank"></a>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8621462-a-monster-calls" target="_blank">A Monster Calls</a> by Patrick Ness</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12743472-slated" target="_blank">Slated (Slated #1)</a> by Teri Terry</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12680986-timepiece" target="_blank">Timepiece (Hourglass #2)</a> by Myra McEntire</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16059396-the-girl-who-was-supposed-to-die" target="_blank">The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die</a> by April Henry</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13575324-52-reasons-to-hate-my-father" target="_blank">52 Reasons to Hate My Father</a> by Jessica Brody</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10756656-under-the-never-sky" target="_blank">Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky #1)</a> by Veronica Rossi</div>
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A little update now: I start school on Wednesday, which I'm both dreading and looking forward to. I procrastinated all summer long, and now bam, I have half a week to do my summer homework. I SWEAR I tried to work on it last month and seriously, nothing got finished. *cough* I'm already hating my European History class* I have notes and mini essays to write.. which really shouldn't take that long, but I have the shortest attention span and it's making it super hard! I also have a test on the first day, but hopefully I'll be able to go the library and study with a few friends on Tuesday.</div>
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For my English homework we were given a list of books we could read, and The Book Thief was on there, so I'm currently half way through that! I've been wanting to read it anyways, since I've heard so much about it. I have to write quotes and then responses to them, which is easy and I can probably do it pretty fast. In class we're writing an essay on why the book should or shouldn't be on the summer reading list.. it's practically a review in essay form! YAY.</div>
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I haven't been reading much because I've been attempting (and failing horribly) to read my AP Euro textbook and things just aren't looking so hot, but hopefully after next Wednesday, I'll be able to establish a schedule for reading and posting reviews! I'm super excited for that because I have tons and tons of books I want to read. :)</div>
Lexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778031641898502847noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606779295118248200.post-81625521987937032742013-08-08T07:16:00.000-07:002014-01-23T23:12:02.100-08:00Review: Taken by Erin Bowman<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title:</b> Taken<br />
<b>Author:</b> Erin Bowman<br />
<b>Release Date:</b> April 16, 2013<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> Harper Teen<br />
<b>Pages:</b> 360<br />
<b>My Rating:</b> 3 stars<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11044367-taken" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b> | <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Taken-Erin-Bowman/dp/0062117262" target="_blank">Amazon</a></b> | <b><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Taken-Erin-Bowman/9780062117267" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a></b> | <b><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/taken-erin-bowman/1111397906?ean=9780062117267" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #; line-height: 19px;">There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.<br />
</span></i></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br style="color: #; line-height: 19px;" /></i></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #; line-height: 19px;">They call it the Heist.<br />
</span></i></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br style="color: #; line-height: 19px;" /></i></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #; line-height: 19px;">Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.<br />
</span></i></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br style="color: #; line-height: 19px;" /></i></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #; line-height: 19px;">Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side? - <b>Goodreads</b></span></i></span></blockquote>
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In a place called Claysoot, all the boy are taken at the age of 18. How or where... nobody knows. It's just something that happens, ready or not. The description only gives the tiniest bit of the plot away, which to me, was quite predictable. It was pretty interesting, and it kept my attention fairly well, though. There <i>were</i> some moments here and there when I was actually curious as to how things would go down and I liked a few of the ideas presented, too!</div>
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I was really looking forward to read from a guy's point of view, but holy cow, this dude really just rubbed me the wrong way. He seemed overly dramatic in a few situations and there were times when I really couldn't believe that he hadn't figured such obvious things out earlier. Eh, maybe I'm the only one who didn't like Gray, but SERIOUSLY.<br />
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Another thing I wanted to bring up is the whole "love" part of this story. I'm a big, BIG fan of romance, and although it's usually included in any YA book, that doesn't mean it's always written in a way that works.. and in this case, it didn't really impress me at all. I kind of think it would have been better if it were left out altogether because it just didn't seem very real at all due to how "out of nowhere" it seemed, and it kept popping up as if it were a huuuge deal. Plus there's a love triangle that infuriates me (I'm not someone who instantly hates all love triangles, by the way) because I don't think either "couple" really bonded or had any special moments, and Gray just acts like a total ass about the situation at the end.<br />
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Overall, Taken is one of many dystopian books with an intriguing concept, but I thought it was just 'okay'. Although, I would possibly recommend it, even if it's only to hear what others think about it. There is some action and world building, but for me it just wasn't enough to stand out. Are any of you guys going to read the sequel when it comes out next year?</div>
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Lexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778031641898502847noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606779295118248200.post-29899647481514696202013-08-07T14:34:00.001-07:002013-08-08T22:34:19.245-07:00Waiting on Wednesday (2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a> that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. I told myself I would try to avoid books that basically everyone is waiting for.. but I couldn't resist!</div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13644052-origin" target="_blank">Origin (Lux #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout</a></span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></em><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Release Date: </b>August 27, 2013</span></span><span style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><br>Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.<br></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.<br></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">All Katy can do is survive.<br></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?<br></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Together, they can face anything.</span><br /><span style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on? <br></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">And will they even be together?</span></span></i></blockquote>
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OH. MY. GOSH. *extreme fangirling* BARELY 3 WEEKS LEFT, AND THEN THIS BABY GOES OUT INTO THE WORLD. Woah. After much waiting, we will finally find out what happens after the serious cliff hanger from the last book and... wait for it.. BOTH DAEMON AND KATY'S POVS. I have about ten thousand books I need/want to read, so I probably won't get to this right away.. ): But still, I am so excited for it! If you haven't read the first three books in the Lux series, now would be an great time to get to it! They are amaaaaazing. *strokes books* What book are you waiting for?</div>
Lexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778031641898502847noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606779295118248200.post-68912457246500345642013-08-03T00:00:00.000-07:002013-08-08T22:33:42.490-07:00Stacking the Shelves (3)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: center;">Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by </span><a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/" target="_blank">Tynga's Reviews</a> where you show off the books you're adding to your shelves; physical or virtual, bought or borrowed.</center>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7842288-beautiful-darkness" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheeR2tnPKnMHHG9EiYYnAEPtRl7CxHbUOlfA7YIg_TcH9NV-yrAQl-VjV12k4hWqloqcrIGlh_nHOPk63QXE4oXnv8GnEwwD9P2l1CenOSb6QfFgE1PqFzXAg6PdRQ-ees0l4TObZHPes/s200/7842288.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9565548-grave-mercy" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqOirE-DvaY11ZaoOLr3ru57gNgE6lj40XpEFeJzK1MUQbdEUXLjBAp8sQXc7VtyiPv72klxIq8FVcWRqwx6SiYaDzRS1zLrhF1Llu3rcAksVDXl3Vgd-LMD1nOgRIwvgwJDkpiOfano/s200/9565548.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16135109-impostor" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXGUBZDStYpXp9pvIQcVjC5WyJ_fcLIgKkOFFmRenKgwOga1RCiC2WeLqr7jZN5t-Fh0-rhBI0i6Mq2YjneWN4Zo-iaz5PhjYwcwAkniL91iajGvWi7e8gUSZSeCzsQTSB2Wz5L5izyo/s200/16135109.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17982144-nomad" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGqApIGgveaIzLguyyFoVpTWWyDIO6H44G0ScdAZZ0K-76xRRr_3ACFKZvReTvEPKHPge4pfqaeVIYC3hj3m77ZzHhyphenhyphenAuxN4TzPeTnXK-ndITSBelgPzsJ5TUI4SRCnQFCvG196eu0Yi4/s200/17982144.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12842115-just-one-day" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rOYZmO8kejcbWlsYZ4pl48VTpYFJAxW51Iu54-nIrYYeusuRxBf5QWgJ2wjpExQ3aT7ENUlzG77oDEUIM95fmTjwWt6B8jQdS3tTQLPMmBedj9aEM9G2J0jUjvAOAccpqoO83u_SBJ0/s200/12842115.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16065592-you-look-different-in-real-life" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxhrgY3v1wIkFuUIjVAx-e01ADhU4qHE00NU1Wo0yrm3oPEqv_ryFznVlSk9SMCEiXoSRgFPpUkoBk_J11Gk1j4cQuctTiEncr8F0SfUGeuQZT6nx5etN5wjqqO921f0clpjPW2Eo4Bw/s200/16065592.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13018503-the-rules-for-disappearing" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvPDz3PU6Z-naKWH1cq3pxNAveDr7ovTq6PtLNCz_7s7iDw28eH0tLkNyNw9SqzeKdTNK6ZWqZH3_HwbHysAWAtH9ByN4Iu1xUKVi0jSuXal6dKnO4CfmaW8Ap-oqjlgkAA8H-nWhB4qo/s200/13018503.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11147422-invisibility" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0eXC0H8kyY-ABIFpvef07K4v8AKD46Y_6UHzW8tN6-w6fn7uZKsJg7f6ZNoYqwhAiEiprp4cNzdnh4ODqiAa2hhp0kE6gH-Bud2QscOgnFcp8_mFlDrWJ63MqLCLvnVrn4K2iHUzraUs/s200/11147422.jpg" /></a> </center>
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as you can see, I got LOTS of contemporary books! o:<br></center>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16074809-letting-ana-go" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibcHyFZOncaqptKQmHbTbGkynKmED4DrDONlh7bUOLZoeKJjZT-xKN46Wl7FdvqAtr78FuJfPZXayocdLxcvImpi6DL5EjNVy48bQ3KBJP2b4srSWO853usCmmGZcA54SNqUUaM2LK1ls/s200/16074809.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10798418-why-we-broke-up" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj68PNhh-3OBoolBGGxM8ACpKwJvA6cN5E33vlTkybTCNSK-fwy8IpJHLZQA13SaPvPPncvDZiCByUyPt388v6LgCepz_31HsYgN4AaJxAB9V_1vcgB7lXwL-5u9D80GiIhUFQsbteVO5g/s200/10798418.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7664334-amy-and-roger-s-epic-detour" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6CE3jdF68jVJbVsIjfqCENOafJ0s_ery1GUlBFV-gFeJ1qY5mh6xX2DFvZrFBVCZUKbMWWq552P2WVCmpKW7hJ8k7EHtXjzm04YP9goaKABbCykq-XjT1pVlrlqWZh8ZFBvF0ta97tk/s200/7664334.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12578313-golden" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRpw21ubbFl1ykq1Nd6X09CIjiW3UxHUHROXm9GUrPuQovAgQMSUuI68QPUb2wTnj9MpuQPMobkfHxXJYk5GI7hxt4PHf8b-WttGwv_8hKlor1gqx-RfaiXAFQ84HhLAEX8CkgCK6C5A/s200/12578313.jpg" /></a></center>
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<b>CLICK COVERS FOR GOODREADS LINKS :)</b></center>
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I won the e-book copy of Nomad from a giveaway hosted by <a href="http://wordspelunking.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Aeicha</a>, so thank you!</center>
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I tried to start reading Invisibility today, but the instalove really put me off (curse you instalove!) so I don't know if I'll continue. *sad face*I have tons of books I want to read, and I want to get to a good bunch of them before school starts (August 14), so if I start reading something and I'm not in the mood for it, I'll put it off for the time being instead of pushing through it like I normally would!<br></center>
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Have you read any of the books I got this week? What did you think of them? What should I read first?</center>
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I want to hear what you have to say! Also, I'd love to check out your STS posts, so leave your links below! :D</center>
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Lexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778031641898502847noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606779295118248200.post-73392317048512984832013-08-02T05:27:00.000-07:002014-01-23T23:12:32.732-08:00Review: Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title:</b> Hold Me Closer, Necromancer<br />
<b>Author:</b> Lish McBride<br />
<b>Release Date:</b> October 12, 2010<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> Henry Holt & Co.<br />
<b>Pages:</b> 343<br />
<b>My Rating:</b> 3.5 stars<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8041873-hold-me-closer-necromancer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> </b>| <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C0F9H4S" target="_blank">Amazon</a></b> | <b><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Hold-Me-Closer-Necromancer-Lish-McBride/9780312674373" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a></b> | <b><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hold-me-closer-necromancer-lish-mcbride/1100356231?ean=9780312674373" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #; line-height: 19px;">Sam leads a pretty normal life. He may not have the most exciting job in the world, but he’s doing all right—until a fast food prank brings him to the attention of Douglas, a creepy guy with an intense violent streak.<br></span></i></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br style="color: #; line-height: 19px;" /></i></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #; line-height: 19px;">Turns out Douglas is a necromancer who raises the dead for cash and sees potential in Sam. Then Sam discovers he’s a necromancer too, but with strangely latent powers. And his worst nightmare wants to join forces... or else. <br></span></i></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 19px;" /></i></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #; line-height: 19px;">With only a week to figure things out, Sam needs all the help he can get. Luckily he lives in Seattle, which has nearly as many paranormal types as it does coffee places. But even with newfound friends, will Sam be able to save his skin? - <b>Goodreads</b></span></i></span></blockquote>
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Hold Me Closer, Necromancer is the story of a boy, Sam, who starts to discover new things about the world he's lived in his whole life.. and about himself. One fateful day, he's playing a game of potato hockey, which is not unusual or anything, and a car's tail light gets broken. Oops, that sucks, but what's done is done, right? Unfortunately for Sam, the owner of the car, Douglas, isn't your average guy, but rather a total and complete creep who's eyes you do <i>not</i> want on you. Said creep is actually a necromancer, and apparently Sam is too. Douglas will do anything in his power (this is kind of punny.. because of his raising the dead power and.. okay, yeah, nevermind) to get Sam to come to the dark side. When I say anything, I mean <i>anything</i>. </div>
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This book was written in chapters alternating between Sam's first person narrative and a third person point of view of some of the other characters, Douglas included, so that was plenty refreshing from the usual completely first person writing style. There was also tons of humor to balance everything out, and for the most part the writing was very laid back and made the dialogue seem teenager-like. (Good thing!) And while there were some pretty dark descriptions here and there, it never got excessively freaky or anything. </div>
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That being said, I didn't enjoy reading it nearly as much as I was hoping. The plot simply seemed lacking to me, and I was constantly thinking that something more was bound to happen, because that just <i>couldn't</i> be it. There weren't really any plot twists, so that was definitely a bummer. For me, the story line just didn't stand out. That doesn't mean it wasn't interesting, though, but I guess the topic didn't entertain me like I thought it would.</div>
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Overall, Hold Me Closer, Necromancer is a pretty average read, in my eyes. It does have plenty of funny parts that might make you laugh out loud and it heavily revolves around supernatural and paranormal things, so if you're into that type of thing, and looking for a light read, you should think about checking it out!</div>
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Lexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778031641898502847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606779295118248200.post-20848879757062253482013-07-31T02:26:00.000-07:002014-01-23T23:16:08.731-08:00Waiting on Wednesday (1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a> that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. This is my first time posting! FUN TIMES.</div>
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<b style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15826648-where-the-stars-still-shine" target="_blank">Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller</a></b><br />
<b>Release Date:</b> September 24, 2013<br />
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<i><span style="color: #;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She's never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she’d like to forget completely. But when Callie’s mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie’s real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love--even with someone who seems an improbable choice--is more than just a possibility. </span></span><span style="color: #;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"></span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"> Trish Doller writes incredibly real teens, and this searing story of love, betrayal, and how not to lose your mind will resonate with readers who want their stories gritty and utterly true. </span></span>
<span style="color: #;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br />"Trish Doller writes strong, gutsy characters that you can't help caring for and Callie is no exception. Her journey is heartbreaking and powerful." —Melina Marchetta, Printz Award winning author of Jellicoe Road</span></span></i></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #505050; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">I've heard a few people say great things about this book, and I'm definitely looking forward to having some intense contemporary to read this fall. Plus, that Melina Marchetta quote? *dies* What book are you waiting on?</span></div>
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Lexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778031641898502847noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606779295118248200.post-74280775162560382232013-07-29T00:00:00.000-07:002014-01-23T23:13:41.315-08:00Review: A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Title: </b>A Great and Terrible Beauty</span></span><br /><b>Author: </b>Libba Bray</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>Release Date:</b> December 9, 2003</span><br /><b>Publisher: </b></span><span style="line-height: 17px;">Simon & Schuster</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>Pages: </b>403</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>My Rating:</b> 4 stars</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3682.A_Great_and_Terrible_Beauty" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b> | <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Great-Terrible-Beauty-Gemma-Trilogy/dp/0385732317" target="_blank">Amazon</a></b> | <b><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Great-Terrible-Beauty-Libba-Bray/9780689875359" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a></b> | <b><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/great-and-terrible-beauty-libba-bray/1100292394?ean=9780385732314" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></b><br></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="color: #; line-height: 19px;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">A Victorian boarding school story, a Gothic mansion mystery, a gossipy romp about a clique of girlfriends, and a dark other-worldly fantasy--jumble them all together and you have this complicated and unusual first novel.</span></i></span><i><div style="color: #; line-height: 17px;"><br />Sixteen-year-old Gemma has had an unconventional upbringing in India, until the day she foresees her mother's death in a black, swirling vision that turns out to be true. Sent back to England, she is enrolled at Spence, a girls' academy with a mysterious burned-out East Wing. There Gemma is snubbed by powerful Felicity, beautiful Pippa, and even her own dumpy roommate Ann, until she blackmails herself and Ann into the treacherous clique. Gemma is distressed to find that she has been followed from India by Kartik, a beautiful young man who warns her to fight off the visions. </span></i><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nevertheless, they continue, and one night she is led by a child-spirit to find a diary that reveals the secrets of a mystical Order. </span></i><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">The clique soon finds a way to accompany Gemma to the other-world realms of her visions "for a bit of fun" and to taste the power they will never have as Victorian wives, but they discover that the delights of the realms are overwhelmed by a menace they cannot control. Gemma is left with the knowledge that her role as the link between worlds leaves her with a mission to seek out the "others" and rebuild the Order. </span></i><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br />A Great and Terrible Beauty is an impressive first book in what should prove to be a fascinating trilogy. - </span></i><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Goodreads</b></span></i></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I've been very hesitant to read this book because I'm generally not very fond of historical fiction, but the description makes it apparent that the whole story doesn't only revolve around what the world was like in a different point in time, so the fact that there were other genres mixed in intrigued me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">To me, the historical fiction aspect was beautifully woven into the entire story. The difference between the time the book takes place and the way things are now was highlighted in a fascinating way. My problem with historical fiction is that often too many words are jumbled together in a way that I don't always understand or makes me bored, so it was nice that any older terms and sayings were explained in a way that was quick, but still flowed smoothly.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">"There's no one around to stifle us. No on to tell us that what we think and feel is wrong. It isn't that we do what we want. It's that we're allowed to want at all."</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">While I did enjoy the overall plot and characters, I feel that what tied it all together wonderfully was the beauty of the way it was written. The writing made it incredibly easy to imagine what Gemma and her friends must have been feeling while being forced to make their lives revolve around what society wanted them to be... which was nothing more than a pretty wife to look at.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">"We're all looking glasses, we girls, existing only to reflect their images back to them as they'd like to be seen. Hollow vessels of girls to be rinsed of our own ambitions, wants, and opinions, just waiting to be filled with the cool, tepid water of gracious compliance."</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Once the girls became friends, the new and magical world that Gemma could take them to was the only taste of freedom they had, and it was amazing to see what they were all willing to do in order to keep it in their lives. The desperation they felt practically bled out from the pages, and it only made the description of the the other world all the more breathtaking. I loved how their own experiences tied in with the "history" of that world.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Their sin was that they believed. Believed they could be different. Special. They believed they could change what they were- damaged, unloved. Cast-off things. They would be alive, adored, needed. Necessary. But it wasn't true. This is a ghost story, remember? A tragedy."</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Overall, I believe A Great and Terrible Beauty is a well written book blending in various topics with characters that really grew on me as the story went on. I liked it a lot more once I finished reading and had some time to process the it all. Due to the emotions expressed through these lovely words, the story got me really thinking about how life must have been for these girls. Beautiful images were created, but it also had a very creepy feeling to it- just as the title suggests.</span></div>
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</div>Lexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778031641898502847noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606779295118248200.post-19984006563667898212013-07-27T00:00:00.000-07:002013-07-31T02:31:59.710-07:00Stacking the Shelves (2)<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by <a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/" target="_blank">Tynga's Reviews</a> where you show off the books you're adding to your shelves; physical or virtual, bought or borrowed. In my case, I have tons of library books.</div>
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I have tons and tons of books checked out, so I'm going to be showing them on my STS posts in the order/groups that I got them. (so let's just pretend the other ones don't exist.. sssh!) I'm so excited to read all of these!</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12507214-girl-of-nightmares" target="_blank">Girl of Nightmares (Anna #2)</a></b> by Kendare Black.</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12400425-blood-red-road" target="_blank"><b>Blood Red Road (Dust Lands #1)</b></a> by Moira Young</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12387704-mirage" target="_blank"><b>Mirage (Winterhaven #2)</b></a> by Kristi Cook</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11115457-time-between-us" target="_blank"><b>Time Between Us (Time Between Us #1)</b></a> by Tamara Ireland Stone</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10586539-wake?ac=1" target="_blank"><b>Wake (Watersong #1)</b></a> by Amanda Hocking</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10763598-daughter-of-smoke-and-bone" target="_blank"><b>Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #1)</b></a> by Laini Taylor</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7896527-throne-of-glass?ac=1" target="_blank">Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1</a>)</b> by Sarah J. Maas</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11765920-the-calling" target="_blank"><b>The Calling (Darkness Rising #2)</b></a> by Kelley Armstrong</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12924253-once?ac=1" target="_blank"><b>Once (Eve #2)</b></a> by Anna Carey</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10215349-the-immortal-rules" target="_blank"><b>The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1)</b></a> by Julie Kagawa</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7011735-the-unidentified" target="_blank"><b>The Unidentified</b></a> by Rae Mariz (poor little book is the only stand alone LOL)</div>
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Last week I got a few free eBooks & eARCs but forgot to mention them. In addition to the ones shown, I also got some random ones that are always on the B&N site plus <b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12727768-open-minds" target="_blank">Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn</a></b>, which I read (months ago) and liked; I didn't have it for my nook, sooo.. ;D You can get it free for kindle on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Open-Minds-Mindjack-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B005Z1RRUU" target="_blank"><b>Amazon</b></a> or for nook on <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/open-minds-susan-quinn/1106795594?ean=9781466354265" target="_blank"><b>Barnes & Noble</b></a>.<br />
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<b>CLICK ON THE COVERS FOR GOODREADS LINKS!</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9542582-slide" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVeSVopy4273e7_XNqV0Ui8grk1jXqnAvuMYgfBHnZaUZeI0z3rmd8FEIWx7EEXVydslYSW6O7GWhCK84QPzO0pC5-rnHFnL-jd5vWPX85PKCJ61cW78TA5Vf5fre8O33Ufg7q2O-g7Q/s200/9542582.jpg" width="132" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15768498-pretty-dark-nothing" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc5c_oHEOTrLUhmUTZO_j2nXps9A3ZvRWbi2s0rzFBrpo-CIGjVDgOfmdvIgGceBY-9kFFcGY557Z7rfsPxXMVZNmgCCPDB-Po9elaJWFL1OVLxydsmZvzLPEjcEGUqMggd2h6U8V3i0A/s200/cover28835-medium.png" width="133" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15985355-viral-nation" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLiEyMJahG5aaMluuryIzBWNVORNHNFiQpKV0V7AOQ131VaOezxLabaeKcBBJQ8ydkxZiBizVl4JqtF4wiSux41wwepLootPB9jKhIhx6tj9OEk40JEGxwZCkg60ZR9v06-rQNaaaw9cE/s200/cover30905-medium.png" width="133" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16068927-since-you-asked" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiGGZwWvPbOAlS5JPwi4FHcEiwi14a0Ezb077TblseIz2we16npF6ZFdN5-qtC_T4mkwZUe1B7ruOVNF0i-IHl9hu39e_ZL0dVDZdgc0KNLkKKrUhZc6JwderJtcNPAeawkuLXHt6EpaA/s200/cover23660-medium.png" /></a><br />
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Have you read any of the books I got this week? What did you think of them? What should I read first? </div>
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I want to hear what you have to say! Also, I'd love to check out your STS posts, so leave your links below!</div>
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Lexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778031641898502847noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606779295118248200.post-65019329552947162172013-07-24T00:33:00.000-07:002014-01-23T23:14:05.032-08:00Review: In Too Deep by Amanda Grace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title:</b> In Too Deep<br />
<b>Author:</b> Amanda Grace<br />
<b>Release Date:</b> February 8, 2012<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> Flux<br />
<b>Pages:</b> 228<br />
<b>My Rating:</b> 2.5 stars<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11788433-in-too-deep" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><b> </b>| <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Deep-Junior-Library-Guild-Selection/dp/0738726001" target="_blank">Amazon</a></b> | <b><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Too-Deep-Amanda-Grace/9780738726007" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a></b> | <b><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-too-deep-amanda-grace/1103840037?ean=9780738726007" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></b><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #; line-height: 19px;">Carter didn't rape me. People at school think he did. Suddenly, new friends are rushing to my side, telling me that Carter hurt them, too. They say he's getting what he deserves.</span></span></i><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #; line-height: 19px;">Maybe I don't want to fix this.</span></span></i><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="color: #; line-height: 19px;" /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #; line-height: 19px;"><br />Sam is in love with her best friend Nick, but she can't seem to tell him. So she decides to flirt with golden-boy Carter Wellesley, hoping Nick will see it and finally realize his true feelings for her.</span></span></i><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #; line-height: 19px;">On Monday, everyone at school is saying that Carter raped Sam. He didn't, but Sam can't find the words to tell the truth. Worst of all, she's afraid she'll lose Nick if he finds out what really happened. </span></span></i><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></i><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #; line-height: 19px;"><br />As graduation approaches, Sam discovers that living the lie isn't as easy as her new friends make it sound--and telling the truth might be even worse. - <b>Goodreads</b></span></span></i></blockquote>
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In Too Deep starts off in a way that would make you expect a cute and light story about a girl who tries to get the boy she secretly likes to see her as more than a friend. (If you didn't read the description, that is) The main character, Sam, comes up with a plan to flirt with another guy who she doesn't really care about, just so she can get her her best friend's attention, and possibly make him jealous. Of course, things go terribly wrong, and one thing leads to another and everything spirals out of control, creating the main problem of the story: everybody thinks she was raped. At first she doesn't even understand why everybody is talking about her, but when she does figure out, she doesn't go right ahead and tell everybody that what they're saying isn't true. </div>
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I didn't particularly like this story because I didn't like or connect with any of the characters, and although it was a really short book, I honestly didn't think I would be able to get through it. Before I talk about why I disliked the story, I just want to acknowledge that her actions are semi-realistic, because everybody makes mistakes. We all screw up, and instead of immediately fixing the problem some of us just keep avoiding it, especially if the only way to fix it will draw unwanted attention to yourself. At one time or another you've probably messed something up and blamed somebody else; either by taking your anger out on them, or just mentally cursing them in your head. </div>
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However, it just wasn't translated in a way that made it seem realistic; it seemed purely childish and silly. I was practically pulling out my hair because even at first thought, you would think, <i>why wouldn't she just tell the truth about something as serious as rape?</i> Initially I just couldn't get over her decision to keep it quiet, and after that everything she did just annoyed me, and I couldn't stop finding fault in everything she did. (Which I'm not proud of, but it was annoying!) The way she kept putting it off again and again made me straight up anxious. Near the end of the book I liked the story a lot better, and even began to sympathize with the characters.</div>
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Overall, In Too Deep was not a book I enjoyed much, but I will admit that the way Sam acted at the beginning probably made me too bored to notice whatever redeeming qualities the book may have had, and I'm sorry for that. I do however think that some people might find her perspective interesting and story refreshing. Not everything about this book is horrible, and there were some goof parts, but for me it just didn't cut it. It just isn't for everyone, I guess, and on top of that I often have a hard time reading contemporary, too. </div>
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Lexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778031641898502847noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606779295118248200.post-14147941781682453332013-07-20T04:18:00.000-07:002013-07-31T02:32:08.223-07:00Stacking the Shelves (1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by <a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/" target="_blank">Tynga's Reviews</a> where you show off books you're adding to your shelves; physical or virtual, borrow or bought. I'm new to blogging, so this is the first meme I'm posting on here. :D<br />
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All of these books shown are ones I currently have checked out from the library and are due the soonest. I LOVE going to the library but I can't always go as often as I would like, so that's why I check out so many at a time. (I don't drive and honestly, just thinking about driving gives me anxiety) On the bright side, the last time I went to the library I saw Angelfall on the shelf, so I may or may not have shoved it into my friend's hands and told her she NEEDED to read it. I'm a book pusher, so don't mess with me.<b> *cough*</b> Although I sometimes do feel bad about possibly being too aggressive and/or pushy. <b>*cough*</b><br />
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If anyone has read any of these, <b>please let me know which ones I should hop on first!</b> Because seriously, every time I make a TBR jar or anything, I pretty much end up not even using it, FAIL. By the way, I'm already starting A Great and Terrible Beauty! :)<br />
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Lexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778031641898502847noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606779295118248200.post-18577449856594977192013-07-18T20:59:00.003-07:002014-01-23T23:14:31.282-08:00Review: The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRxG1pA0bktBpiTVsV-ZuPnbvMxwE3g7gpuyP0vBEIKUvki4_n-fFqmKi95rIHXJdoOZ7O7qzpmWTlHAE3K-ctY6GWPBw3xSfEx4yb-pNh1I0o3edfomwJItaV6R4TwLwtem7ManorIDE/s1600/The-Knife-of-Never-Letting-Go-Novel-Cover-e1317660600887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRxG1pA0bktBpiTVsV-ZuPnbvMxwE3g7gpuyP0vBEIKUvki4_n-fFqmKi95rIHXJdoOZ7O7qzpmWTlHAE3K-ctY6GWPBw3xSfEx4yb-pNh1I0o3edfomwJItaV6R4TwLwtem7ManorIDE/s320/The-Knife-of-Never-Letting-Go-Novel-Cover-e1317660600887.jpg" width="195" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="color: #505050; line-height: 17px;">Title: </b><span style="color: #505050; line-height: 17px;">The Knife of Never Letting Go</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>Author: </b>Patrick Ness</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>Release Date:</b> May 5, 2008</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>Publisher: </b>Walker</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>Pages: </b>478</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>My Rating:</b> 5 stars</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6514178-the-knife-of-never-letting-go" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> </b>| <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/0763645761" target="_blank">Amazon</a></b> | <b><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Knife-Never-Letting-Go-Patrick-Ness/9781406320756" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a></b> | <b><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/knife-of-never-letting-go-patrick-ness/1100306233?ean=9780763645762" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></b><br></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #; line-height: 19px;">Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in an overwhelming, never-ending stream of Noise. Just a month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd and his dog, Manchee -- whose thoughts Todd can hear too, whether he wants to or not -- stumble upon an area of complete silence. They find that in a town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden -- a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must run for their lives.</span></span></i><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #; line-height: 19px;"><i style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #;"></span></i></span></i></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #; line-height: 19px;"><i style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #;">But how do you escape when your pursuers can hear your every thought?</span></i></span></i></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #; line-height: 19px;"><i style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #;"> - <b>Goodreads</b></span></i></span></i></span></blockquote>
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First thing's first, I want to make one thing very, <i>very</i> clear. I don't think the description gives much justice to the book; it only gives the tiniest bit of intrigue to the reader. I'm not saying I don't like it, but there is just so much more to this story that can not possibly be told in the blurb, and there are just so many unexpected aspects of this story, so it ends up barely giving a sliver of a glimpse into the awesomeness that is this book. That is why I want to do anything and everything in my power to get however few people that haven't read it to pick it up, and reviews and ratings are the way to go. (Although I know this came out quite a while ago, that is, after all, what got me to finally read it! *cough*) And however contradicting this may seem.. I think that when giving the run down of this book, just giving the info about the world (like in the blurb) is enough, because the action starts from the very first page and therefore it's a great thing that not a single bit of it is spoiled or given away. Just know, <b>every second spent reading this book is worth it</b>.</div>
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Truthfully, I loved everything about this book; the writing, the world, the plot, the characters, <b>THE WHOLE ENCHILADA</b>. It's hard to come up with the right words to explain why this should be a must-read. From what I can remember, I've never read a book with this type of writing (with all the intentional grammar and spelling mistakes), and I was a little intimidated by it, but it actually turned out to really set a certain mood to the entire story that I thought was a good addition. </div>
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Another noticeably uncommon thing is the male narrator, Todd. Ness uses his writing in such a beautiful way to create an extremely vivid image of what is going on inside Todd's head and successfully <b>broadcasting all of his raw emotions</b>; his moments of panic, fear, sadness. I think the main characters develop in such a great way, always changing (just like real people do) and the connection you feel with them is unbelievable. Todd makes a great friend along the way, and their friendship is very give-take, which is also something that I LOVE. The relationships that blossom are only made more divine by the ugly, terrible circumstances that surround them.</div>
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Overall, The Knife of Never Letting Go is a book I would recommend to <b>absolutely anyone</b>, whether it be someone who isn't all that into reading, or someone who has read a million books and understands the beauty in words. Whether it be a guy or a girl, a young adult or not. It's action packed, full of twist and turns that you most likely won't seem coming, and moments that will have your heart shattering endlessly. Books like this remind me why it is I love to read so much, and only make me appreciate them more.</div>
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<b>WARNING:</b> There is a cliff hanger, so don't make the same mistake I just made, and have the second book ready to read unless you want all your emotions to erupt and splatter onto your bedroom walls. I shall go now, and scream into a pillow and/or slam my head into a wall.</div>
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Lexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778031641898502847noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606779295118248200.post-20396214449665385412013-07-16T05:36:00.000-07:002013-08-08T22:35:27.308-07:00Review: The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title: </b>The Lost Girl<br />
<b>Author: </b>Sangu Mandanna<br />
<b>Release Date:</b> August 28, 2012<br />
<b>Publisher: </b>Balzer + Bray<br />
<b>Pages: </b>432<br />
<b>My Rating:</b> 4 stars<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13062488-the-lost-girl" target="_blank"><b>Goodreads</b></a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Lost-Girl-Sangu-Mandanna/dp/0062082310/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373958351&sr=8-1&keywords=the+lost+girl" target="_blank"><b>Amazon</b></a> | <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Lost-Girl-Sangu-Mandanna/9780062082312" target="_blank"><b>The Book Depository</b></a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-lost-girl-sangu-mandanna/1108621152?ean=9780062082312" target="_blank"><b>Barnes & Noble</b></a><br />
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<i>Eva's life is not her own. She is a creation, an abomination—an echo. She was made by the Weavers as a copy of someone else, expected to replace a girl named Amarra, her "other," if she ever died. Eva spends every day studying that girl from far away, learning what Amarra does, what she eats, what it's like to kiss her boyfriend, Ray. So when Amarra is killed in a car crash, Eva should be ready.</i><i><br /></i><i><br />But sixteen years of studying never prepared her for this. Now she must abandon everything and everyone she's ever known—the guardians who raised her, the boy she's forbidden to love—to move to India and convince the world that Amarra is still alive.</i><i></i><i>What Eva finds is a grief-stricken family; parents unsure how to handle this echo they thought they wanted; and Ray, who knew every detail, every contour of Amarra. And when Eva is unexpectedly dealt a fatal blow that will change her existence forever, she is forced to choose: Stay and live out her years as a copy or leave and risk it all for the freedom to be an original. To be Eva.</i><i><br /></i><i><br />From debut novelist Sangu Mandanna comes the dazzling story of a girl who was always told what she had to be—until she found the strength to decide for herself. - <b>Goodreads</b></i></blockquote>
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At first glance, The Lost Girl appeared to have a very intriguing concept that I, personally, hadn't really come across before. That's saying A LOT, seeing as how in the YA genre there are numerous repeats of the practically the same story over and over again. (Which I don't think is necessarily a bad thing, since some are definitely better than others) That said, it wasn't a book I was absolutely dying to read, but I was still curious.. so of course, I read it.</div>
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There's some world building in the beginning of the book that sets up the certain circumstances that make the main character question whether the things that are going on in the dystopian-ish world she lives in are morally right or wrong. In turn, it brought me to think about those same things. I LOVE books that make you face a question so difficult that even you aren't sure if your beliefs are what's best. There's strong arguments for either side of the issue, so it gets you thinking very hard about what you would do if you lived in that world, or more specifically; in Eva's shoes. </div>
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This brings me into my next topic. THE CHARACTERS. For better or for worse, nearly every character was someone I came to be completely absorbed with. There are tiny little things here and there that truly make even the smallest of characters appear as a total gem in the story, which is one of the most beautiful things I loved in this book. I felt so connected to the characters, and I felt my heartbreaking for Eva through all of the struggles, both physical and emotional, that she had to go through. A little over halfway through the book, there were tears. Lots of 'em. (BEWARE: When I read, I can't control the tears! I am a complete cry baby) </div>
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Overall, I thought The Lost Girl was fantastic, and it's definitely a book that I would recommend! There were plenty of amazing elements to the story, even though I felt a little something missing; some sort of extra spark. Truthfully I don't know what more I could want, so I can't really put too much blame on the book. Filled with such intense internal struggles, the author truly puts words together wonderfully in a way that brings everything on the page to life and makes <i>you</i> actually feel everything that's going on. Also, this book IS a stand alone novel, which, with all the series nowadays, is something that many readers often crave. </div>
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Lexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778031641898502847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606779295118248200.post-28008113814533740512013-07-08T21:28:00.002-07:002013-07-24T02:12:59.930-07:00Once Upon A Readathon Updates & Mini Challenges<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.pureimaginationblog.com/2013/05/once-upon-a-read-a-thon-sign-up-2.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.pureimaginationblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/readathon.png" /></a></div>
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The Once Upon A Readathon started today, and I'm totally excited! I know I've been doing a lot of readathons lately, but they're fun, and I also love checking out everybody's blog posts and updates! Sadly, I've been having a really hard time sitting down and reading for long periods of time, and my sleep schedule is totally out of wack. (SERIOUSLY, I am officially a creature of the night! xD I go to sleep at a time when most people are already waking up) Just fyi, I end up taking naps during the day and do most of my reading at night, so my 'pages read' is usually not going to be the up-to-date number I have when I go to bed.</div>
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<b>MONDAY</b></div>
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<b>Pages Read: </b>~ 400</div>
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<b>Books Read: </b>Geek Magnet by Kieran Scott</div>
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<b>Now Reading: </b>The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong</div>
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One of today's challenges is hosted by <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.pureimaginationblog.com/2013/05/once-upon-a-read-a-thon-sign-up-2.html%22%20target=%22_blank%22%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.pureimaginationblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/readathon.png%22%20/%3E%3C/a%3E" target="_blank">Cover2CoverBlog</a>!</div>
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Also- sorry for giving LISTS as answers instead of just A book, but I couldn't just pick one. :P</div>
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<b>1. Which book are you most excited to read in the coming year? It can be already released or coming soon.</b></div>
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There's a TON of new books that I'm already dying to read, but at the end of the summer/this fall, tons of sequels are coming out that I need, like NOW- <b>Allegiant</b> by Veronica Roth (Divergent #3), <b>Champion</b> by by Marie Lu (Legend #3), <b>Origin</b> by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Lux #4), <b>World After</b> by Susan Ee (Penryn & the End of Days #2), and <b>Never Fade</b> by Alexandra Bracken (The Darkest Minds #2)! Also, I've heard some stuff about <b>All Our Yesterdays </b>by Cristin Terrill and now I'm realling excited for it to come out!</div>
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<b>2. Which book would you re-read if you weren't so busy reading ALL of the other good things?</b></div>
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There are some books I ALWAYS find myself mentioning; The Duff, Pushing the Limits, Obsidian, etc. So as much as I just adore those, I think I would enjoy looking back at my childhood and reading the entire <b>Series of Unfortunate Events</b> or some classic <b>Nancy Drew</b>. I also read the first several books from <b>The Princess Diaries</b> series, so I would want to read them now that they're all out.</div>
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<b>3. And lastly, if you could meet any fictional character, who would it be and why?</b></div>
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I would want to meet <b>Four</b> from <b>Divergent </b>because he's cute and bad ass.. and he could totally teach me some moves LOL. But really, how can you<i> not</i> love him?<br />
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<b>TUESDAY</b><br />
<b>Pages Read:</b> ~ 269<br />
<b>Books Read:</b> The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong<br />
<b>Now Reading:</b> Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson<br />
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Today's challenges are hosted by <a href="http://www.angelsdemonsandvampires.com/" target="_blank">Better Read Than Dead</a> and <a href="http://ibbookblogging.net/" target="_blank">IB Book Blogging</a>!<br />
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<b>You're in a bookstore and you've just purchased 5 books you've been dying to read, when the apocalypse hits. You've got one chance at survival, what 2 books and 3 other items do you take?</b><br />
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The first book would DEFINITELY be <b>Unravel Me</b> by Tahereh Mafi because I have been putting off reading it, but there is <i>no way</i> I'm (maybe?) dying before I read it. Same goes with book number two, which would be <b>The Knife of Never Letting Go</b> by Patrick Ness. As for the other 3 items.. I would take my lovely n<b>ook</b> with me, even if it is kind of cheating. The other two items would probably be a big container of water and I guess some sort of weapon for protection, even though I don't own or know how to use a weapon, so probably a gun? (Realistically, I would probably pull an Amy from In the After if the apocalypse happened)<br />
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<b> Make your dream guy using characteristics, personalities, looks, and anything else you can think of from your favorite book boyfriends.</b><br />
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Personality from <b>Augustus</b> (The Fault in Our Stars)<br />
Attitude from <b>Raffe</b> (Penryn & the End of Days Series)<br />
Badass Skills from <b>Day</b> (Legend Series)<br />
Overall Cuteness from <b>Lend</b> (Paranormalcy Series)<br />
Caring Trait from <b>Noah</b> (Pushing the Limits)<br />
*cough* Everything *cough* from <b>Daemon</b> (Lux Series)<br />
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I fell for EVERYTHING about each of these characters, so pinpointing specific things for them was really hard for me to do. Hope you enjoyed!<br />
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<b>WEDNESDAY</b></div>
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<b>Pages Read: </b>~ 274</div>
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<b>Books Read: </b>Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson</div>
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This challenges is hosted by <a href="http://dizneeeesworldofbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dizneeee's World of Books</a>!<br />
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<b>Favorite Genre:</b> Young Adult Paranormal<br />
<b>Favorite Book from Genre:</b> Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout<br />
<b>Favorite Character:</b> Daemon Black (sorry not sorry)<br />
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All of these mini-challenge questions and activities were super fun to do, so thank you to everybody who hosted them!</div>
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Lexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778031641898502847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606779295118248200.post-54534929849223848432013-07-06T20:43:00.000-07:002013-07-16T05:41:08.061-07:00Summer Lovin' RaT: Day 5 & 6 - Progress + Hound Dogs & Summer Flings<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>DAY 5 - PROGRESS</b></div>
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I read 60 pages of Let the Sky Fall, and finished the last 130 pages of She's So Money on the first day. </div>
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I read 194 pages of Second Chance Summer, too. Finished books; Where Things Come Back, Graffiti Moon, and Going Vintage. They're all pretty short books though! Seriously though, whenever I sign up for readathons I end up reading less than usual- IT'S A PROBLEM!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2pDojWNlVwoZjobfx4uAdp6GJlqmWDR8IkaV2RHf3n_4LidKHjdzard-ogz5lUz8XnHjwsui8Ck4oKm3uqFE52vV2SSp9BTJVaokGZNyk18rfCJaq_XHxnuoMLkiSixJfK7qUhHzNLK4/s1600/17667235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2pDojWNlVwoZjobfx4uAdp6GJlqmWDR8IkaV2RHf3n_4LidKHjdzard-ogz5lUz8XnHjwsui8Ck4oKm3uqFE52vV2SSp9BTJVaokGZNyk18rfCJaq_XHxnuoMLkiSixJfK7qUhHzNLK4/s1600/17667235.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>DAY 6 - HOUND DOGS & SUMMER FLINGS</b></div>
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Today's participation post is called "Hound Dogs", as in, what book bad boys do I love? I feel like this list pretty much goes with the "Summer Flings" challenge because, well, bad boys are <i>hot</i>. xD It's the truth and there's no denying it.</div>
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My #1 choice to fill both of these is.. Daemon from the Lux series. I bet you saw that coming, huh? If you've read the Lux series you know there is an insane amount of sexual tension in EVERY book. But you can't deny that even after all the sarcasm and attitude, Daemon is just SO sweet. I mean, sure, he acted like a jerk in the beginning, but he's just so adorable and I'm not even sorry for admitting it. In Origin (the fourth book, which comes out Fall 2013), the cover is all about Daemon, as you can probably already know.</div>
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<br />Lexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778031641898502847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606779295118248200.post-50304873462036788502013-07-04T23:57:00.000-07:002013-07-20T17:17:36.278-07:00Summer Lovin' RaT: Day 4 - Tears On My PillowFor the readathon today, we're supposed to <b>SHARE THE FEELS</b>! Let me tell you, I am <i>definitely</i> someone who cries when reading. I get super emotional at the smallest things, and I will admit I cry more often when I'm reading than when I'm watching movies. I'm hoping I'm not the only one who often has to put a book down, squeal, and scream into their pillow because they simply cannot handle whatever heart wrenching monstrosity is going on.<br />
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I'm currently reading <b>Graffiti Moon</b> by Cath Crowley and I'm near the end of the book and this quote totally got to me-<br />
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"<i>Let me tell him that I don't care if he doesn't have a job. Tell him he's still smart and funny. Tell him that some of my beautiful glass pieces have cracks running through them and I like them anyway because of the colors.</i>" (<b>p. 221</b>)<br />
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<b>OTHER BOOKS THAT TORE ME APART</b></div>
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<b>(and had cute moments I <i>could not</i> handle)</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWf7DtwKFJlMfJyQCwDbAQ-R2jAMbm5uMGxHLSgoKZeK9HGXTywzTGxTGXatIptb22Fy9AIfkrXrz8JqjPU2k51GgFKOeCAeAqckup4M5weh6ykx2QA7iaHNF4BbEZbzM2ReqxmnuLtk/s472/Untitled-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWf7DtwKFJlMfJyQCwDbAQ-R2jAMbm5uMGxHLSgoKZeK9HGXTywzTGxTGXatIptb22Fy9AIfkrXrz8JqjPU2k51GgFKOeCAeAqckup4M5weh6ykx2QA7iaHNF4BbEZbzM2ReqxmnuLtk/s1600/Untitled-1.png" /></a></div>
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Lexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778031641898502847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606779295118248200.post-10436773163146100312013-07-03T20:54:00.002-07:002013-07-16T05:40:51.134-07:00Summer Lovin' RaT: Day 3 - Look At Me I'm Sandra Dee + Page 99 Test<div style="text-align: center;">
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<b>MY FAVORITE FICTIONAL FEMALE</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRXznob6O612toZvVWY94BsbJgfB_TecuLIQ26R3ZBmFCWMQmMuyuXoX6b-RV2u0aAR6dvxgPl5hkCMVn_PrQ6Y6PdHGHtDucd_6g05ScYwhjWI3OaDKQEaLBO0oDNqExrXuqyIIcnQJ8/s575/large.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRXznob6O612toZvVWY94BsbJgfB_TecuLIQ26R3ZBmFCWMQmMuyuXoX6b-RV2u0aAR6dvxgPl5hkCMVn_PrQ6Y6PdHGHtDucd_6g05ScYwhjWI3OaDKQEaLBO0oDNqExrXuqyIIcnQJ8/s200/large.png" width="173" /></a><span style="text-align: left;">When faced with the question 'who is your favorite fictional female character?', I instantly panic. It's not a good idea to ask my what my favorite ANYTHING is, </span><i style="text-align: left;">ever</i><span style="text-align: left;">. I can never make up my mind or commit to just one answer; I'll end up listing just about every possibility</span><i style="text-align: left;">. </i><span style="text-align: left;">Alas; I finally decided to go with one of the many, MANY characters I enjoyed reading about: </span><b style="text-align: left;">Penryn Young</b><span style="text-align: left;"> from </span><b style="text-align: left;">Angelfall by Susan Ee</b><span style="text-align: left;">. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">I've chosen Crystal Reed to represent her, although in my head, they're way different. It's that kind of thing, where I would just KNOW <i>that's her, that's Penryn</i> if I were to ever see a picture that resembled what's in my mind.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">When I'm in the middle of reading a book, everything is fresh in my mind, and I can think of all the things I just adore about a character, how I imagine them being, and how close I feel to them by the way the story is written. Currently; </span><i style="text-align: left;">not </i><span style="text-align: left;">so fresh in my mind. </span><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Why do I love Penryn?</b> She's extremely caring about others. You can see that clearly in her thoughts and actions when it comes to her sister all throughout the story. </span><span style="text-align: left;">She's bad ass, as many of my favorite female characters often are. It's awesome to see a girl who isn't constantly acting like a damsel in distress, but is instead trying to do something for herself, whether it be physical fighting or actually using her head to keep herself alive. I also love how she's able to do all this even when she's not quite sure of herself.</span><br />
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<b>PAGE 99 TEST - </b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16250900-code-name-verity?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book">CODE NAME VERITY</a> BY ELIZABETH WEIN</div>
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Page 99 Summary: The narrator, who I believe is Verity, writes about the only times when Queenie and Maddie (I think?) saw each other. She also talks about trying to undo somebody's knots, asking for more time, and being worried about the material she is writing and giving to Linden, fearing it is not enough.<br />
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I would definitely continue reading based based only on this page because it seems like there's a lot of back story that Verity talks about, which I feel might either: 1) be irrelevant or 2) tie up the story in some unimaginable way. I really want to know what happens to her as well.</div>
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Lexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778031641898502847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606779295118248200.post-32665197460202596332013-07-02T19:42:00.002-07:002013-07-16T05:40:33.666-07:00Summer Lovin' RaT: Day 2 - You're the One That I Want + Cover Re-doToday's "participation discussion" is all about the summer-reads! During this time of year, it's so easy to get distracted, due to having no school and all, so light, fun reads are a MUST. Something that may be sort of cheesy, but will definitely keep my attention. I love to read contemporary romance during this time of year, and I've sort of made it my goal to only (or at least hopefully!) read contemporary during this readathon, since it's a genre that I'm usually.. intimated by (?), unless I've heard people say good things about a specific book.<br />
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<b>RE-READ/RECOMMENDATIONS</b></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Here are some of the contemporary books that I would re-read/recommend! Some of them are fluffy, silly, and cute, while others have a perfect balance of romance and more serious issues that will get all your feels hurting. (LOL)</span></div>
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<b>TO BE READ</b></div>
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Now as for the books I am wanting to check out before the summer is over.. well let's just say there's A </div>
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LOT. These, along with others such as Dare You To, The Book of Broken Hearts, and Unravel Me are just a few of the many books that I hope to read before the summer is over. Believe me, I've been slacking off on my reading (THE INTERNET IS SO DISTRACTING!!), but I have about a million books I just HAVE to read. Phew, getting a little anxious just thinking about them all. On the plus side, my lack of a social life might just make it possible to read all I want, as long as the internet doesn't tempt me too much and lure me into it's endless entertainment.</div>
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<b>COVER RE-DO</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7j4fA9kv2mtlNxEyyxwKeWloBcrGtWeAqCNatHNO31Jn03zvGxONhQ-YsE9f93dq7X7oXQBiNYdipiiUdpMfI7COYcOyEjADNkkcmh206mqaf647THkloyimpU7azCnok1yKaR_U5oAw/s275/fail.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7j4fA9kv2mtlNxEyyxwKeWloBcrGtWeAqCNatHNO31Jn03zvGxONhQ-YsE9f93dq7X7oXQBiNYdipiiUdpMfI7COYcOyEjADNkkcmh206mqaf647THkloyimpU7azCnok1yKaR_U5oAw/s200/fail.png" width="149" /></a>Aah, the cover re-do.. I wasn't quite sure if I was going to end up doing this or not, but I decided to open up PS and see if I could come up with anything. Nope, that didn't work. So I was like, oooh I could google a picture of a girl and start from there.. because every YA book has a girl on the cover, RIGHT? Yeah, uh, that soon turned into a disaster as well, seeing as I went kind of crazy.. As you can probably tell, it's entirely irrelevant to the actual book. In my head I though, <i>ooh yeah</i> clouds in the motion-blurred background, but I guess that just doesn't cut it. xD I tried though! I guess that's all that matters. :)</div>
Lexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778031641898502847noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606779295118248200.post-17947834477086606012013-07-01T18:51:00.000-07:002013-07-16T05:39:08.508-07:00Summer Lovin' RaT: Day 1 - Intro & Teaser Tidbits<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>INTRO</b></div>
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Hey everyone! My name is Lexi and I'm a new teen book blogger living in a big city in California. (By the way, it's extremely hot today, but since I currently don't have AC, I'm blogging from outside.. YUP, it's hotter in my house than it is outside. Feel my pain yet?) At this point in time I pretty much only read YA, but I'm definitely hoping to try new types of books sometime in the near future. Young adult books naturally appeal to me, due to my lacking attention span, and I don't have many recommendations of books in other genres, so what can I say? Bottom line: I'm addicted to YA. </div>
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I started getting really into reading when I picked up my first Nancy Drew (you know, the older, yellow, hardcover ones?) book in my elementary school library. It's pretty much been a struggle to not spend every waking moment reading since then, due to books being the main thing that's always there for me. *dramatic silence*</div>
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<b>GOALS</b></div>
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During this week I'm hoping to <i>mostly</i> read contemporary books, maybe even some revolving around summer. However, choosing which ones to read.. GAAAH.. that's a very real struggle, considering the seemingly-endless options I have. I'll probably end up picking something up and start reading it before I can have the opportunity to even THINK about changing my mind. I'm a very indecisive person; it's a very dangerous trait.</div>
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I have a ton of library books checked out right now, so I'm going to try to refrain from reading the e-books on my Nook and instead get through the physical books I have. Some of the ones I'm leaning towards:</div>
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<b>TEASER TIDBITS CHALLENGE</b></div>
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<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">Grab the book you're currently reading (or recently read) </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Open to a random page </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Share two (2) “tea</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">ser” sentences from somewhere on that page NO spoilers allowed! Choose passages void of spoilers. The goal is to entice, yet not ruin the book for others! </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Share the title & author, so that other participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers! </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Link up your post </span><a href="http://www.readathoncentral.com/summerlovin-day1/" style="font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;">here</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></li>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0VtzU4LWTwjyuTSdFavH76AHRqaTq19rsmetOPUl0XXW6HpRKQfHcvXO3Hx0ddSI2-drLv8jkUdyXzgoMEfIhb9nH9VJLSMpYnVPiArtV_9mhQO0SOSG1qzXWH-2ulBUXDFKcgznB4BI/s400/3430193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0VtzU4LWTwjyuTSdFavH76AHRqaTq19rsmetOPUl0XXW6HpRKQfHcvXO3Hx0ddSI2-drLv8jkUdyXzgoMEfIhb9nH9VJLSMpYnVPiArtV_9mhQO0SOSG1qzXWH-2ulBUXDFKcgznB4BI/s200/3430193.jpg" width="131" /></a></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2411390.She_s_So_Money?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book" style="font-family: inherit;">She's So Money</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> by Cherry Cheva</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I picked this up last week, not knowing a single thing about it, and I finished reading the second half of this today! (I only stopped reading it because I started other books for the debutathon last week) I thought it was a cute & humorous light read that I some of you may enjoy! :)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"They say when you're about to die, your entire life flashes before your eyes. Well, now I know when you're about to kill someone, the same thing happens." (p. 251)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">NOTE: This teaser is just silly; no deaths occur!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">BONUS TEASER:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"And these pictures you drew are weirdly hot."</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"I don't disagree," I said. "By the way, I'm charging you for the highlighters I bought."</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I think he might've said "I love you" as I walked out of the classroom, but the hallway was noisy, so I couldn't be sure. (p. 163)</span></span></div>
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</span>Lexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778031641898502847noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606779295118248200.post-67580904786231898822013-06-30T20:46:00.000-07:002013-06-30T20:46:33.749-07:00Summer Lovin' Read-a-thon<center>
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The Summer Lovin’ Readathon is a week-long readathon event hosted by seven independent bloggers! (<em><a href="http://www.ohchrys.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" title="Oh, Chrys!">Oh, Chrys!</a></em>, <a href="http://www.tumblingbooks.com/" target="_blank" title="Tumbling Books"><em>Tumbling Books</em></a>, <a href="http://effortlesslyreading.com/" target="_blank" title="Effortlessly Reading"><em>Effortlessly Reading</em></a>, <a href="http://www.loveliferead.com/" target="_blank" title="Love Life Read"><em>Love Life Read</em></a>, <a href="http://www.shelfaddiction.com/" target="_blank" title="Shelf Addiction"><em>Shelf Addiction</em></a>, <a href="http://www.readsleeprepeat.org/" target="_blank" title="Read Sleep Repeat"><em>Read Sleep Repeat</em></a>, and <em><a href="http://www.reviewingwonderland.com/" target="_blank" title="Reviewing Wonderland">Reviewing Wonderland</a></em>)</div>
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Spend the week reading at your own pace, when and how you want too. There will be daily challenges for awesome <a href="http://www.readathoncentral.com/prize-page/" target="_blank" title="Prize Page">prizes</a> and opportunities to get points toward the Grand Prize Packs.</div>
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As if that weren’t enough – the week will end with a 24-hr marathon readathon! Twitter parties, mini-challenges, games, prizes given EVERY HOUR, and more chances to get points toward the Grand Prize Packs.</div>
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<a href="http://www.readathoncentral.com/sign-ups/" target="_blank" title="Participants">Sign-ups </a>will be open through July 6th. I’m in, are you?!</div>
Lexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778031641898502847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606779295118248200.post-4062378659085051022013-06-30T17:28:00.001-07:002013-07-16T05:40:37.376-07:00Debut-a-Thon Day 4<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>CHALLENGE</b></div>
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Solve That Debut</div>
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Aaah this challenge.. let's just say it took a while for me to find all of these books and I was on the verge of giving up. I think the book that took me the longest to figure out is one I've already read.. meaning the first one.</div>
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But FINALLY, here are my answers! To see them you just highlight them.. yup. (I don't think I can handle it if they're wrong.. crossing my fingers) </div>
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1. <span style="color: white;">The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett</span></div>
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2. <span style="color: white;">City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Foster</span></div>
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3. <span style="color: white;">In the After by Demitria Lunetta</span></div>
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4. <span style="color: white;">The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston</span></div>
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5.<span style="color: white;"> Pretty Girl Thirteen by Liz Coley</span></div>
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Also, I've absolutely been sucking at keeping updates on my progress for the debut-a-thon, so instead I'm just going to do one big post on that tomorrow! </div>
Lexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04778031641898502847noreply@blogger.com1