tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1554397171200427782024-02-07T20:48:55.512-08:00A Fictional RealityKorinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08569351907746110971noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155439717120042778.post-91596439035469443622017-01-17T08:43:00.000-08:002017-01-17T08:43:02.308-08:00ARC Book Review: Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige<div style="text-align: left;">
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>My Rating: 4/5 Stars</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Author: Danielle Paige</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Genre: Fantasy</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Published: 2016</b></i><br />
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I loved Danielle Paige's Dorothy Must Die so when she offered to send me an ARC of her newest book Stealing Snow I was so excited. I love retellings and the snow queen is such a great fairy tale. This book is a whirlwind (snowstorm?) and I'm going to try and give it a good review. </div>
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<b>Goodreads Synopsis:</b><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Seventeen-year-old Snow has spent the majority of her life within the walls of the Whittaker Institute, a high security mental hospital in upstate New York. Deep down, she knows she's not crazy and doesn't belong there. When she meets a mysterious, handsome new orderly and dreams about a strange twisted tree she realizes she must escape and figure out who she really is.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Using her trusting friend Bale as a distraction, Snow breaks free and races into the nearby woods. Suddenly, everything isn't what it seems, the line between reality and fantasy begins to blur, and she finds herself in icy Algid--her true home--with witches, thieves, and a strangely alluring boy named Kai, none of whom she's sure she can trust. As secret after secret is revealed, Snow discovers that she is on the run from a royal lineage she's destined to inherit, a father more powerful and ruthless than she could have imagined, and choices of the heart that could change the fate of everything...including Snow's return to the world she once knew.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">This breathtaking first volume begins the story of how Snow becomes a villain, a queen, and ultimately a hero.</span></i><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>My Review:</b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">We start the story in the mental hospital. Whenever there's a scene in a book with that setting (A Madness So Discreet) I'm instantly intrigued. Our character is considered crazy. In this book Snow might actually believe that. Is she crazy or something else entirely? I loved Snow. She was such an amazing lead. She's independent, curious, and fiercely loyal to her friends. Her character development throughout the story was so fun to watch. Her power? If you're thinking Elsa stop now. Danielle got so creative with Snow's powers and I loved every minute of it. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">In this story we do get three guys. I didn't think of it as a love 'shape' though. They weren't love sick puppies we just had three guys. Actually there's a lot of side characters in this book. Instead of Snow being some crazy main character who doesn't need anyone we have lots of characters that give the story depth. Kai and his sister Gerde, Jagger and the band of robbers, Vern, Bale, Magpie, the River Witch, and so many others. One of my pet peeves with books is having shallow side characters but that's not the case in this story. Snow had such a big heart and that's something I loved about her.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Danielle Paige is an amazing writer. She takes fairy tales and creates a whole new world. We see The Snow Queen throughout the story but there's new twists and that's the best type of retelling. When you have a classic fairy tale in your head and this new story is full of brand new magic. I loved this story. The characters, the magic, the writing. Everything about it was perfect and I have no idea how I'm going to wait for the second book. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">If you love disguises, quirky guys, and fights with snow creatures I recommend this book. If you're not convinced you should read this story then here are some of my favorite quotes from it:</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">"It sounded like Vern was calling me brave.... Or crazy. Maybe they were the same thing. "</span></span></span></blockquote>
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"Mirrors reflect what we want to see, or sometimes they reveal what you really are or what you really want. You have to be careful with a mirror."</blockquote>
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"We breathe out the lies; we stutter the truth."</blockquote>
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"Sometimes words could be a sacrifice, too, I guessed."</blockquote>
Korinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08569351907746110971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155439717120042778.post-9730936752738961952017-01-06T16:39:00.000-08:002017-01-06T16:39:07.516-08:00Book Review: A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>My Rating: 4/5 Stars</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Author: Sabaa Tahir</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Genre: Fantasy</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Published: 2016</b></i><br />
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I loved An Ember In The Ashes so much. The world, the characters, and the magic. It was all so perfect. Needless to say I was anxious to get my hands on the sequel. I was afraid Sabaa Tahir was going to ruin it but she did a pretty decent job.<br />
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<b>Goodreads Synopsis:</b><br />
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<i><span id="freeText13517751836430025997" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">Elias and Laia are running for their lives. After the events of the Fourth Trial, Martial soldiers hunt the two fugitives as they flee the city of Serra and undertake a perilous journey through the heart of the Empire.<br /><br />Laia is determined to break into Kauf—the Empire’s most secure and dangerous prison—to save her brother, who is the key to the Scholars’ survival. And Elias is determined to help Laia succeed, even if it means giving up his last chance at freedom.<br /><br />But dark forces, human and otherworldly, work against Laia and Elias. The pair must fight every step of the way to outsmart their enemies: the bloodthirsty Emperor Marcus, the merciless Commandant, the sadistic Warden of Kauf, and, most heartbreaking of all, Helene—Elias’s former friend and the Empire’s newest Blood Shrike.<br /><br />Bound to Marcus’s will, Helene faces a torturous mission of her own—one that might destroy her: find the traitor Elias Veturius and the Scholar slave who helped him escape…and kill them both.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span></i><br />
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<b>My Review:</b><br />
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Laia is such a well developed character. At the beginning of the first book she was lost. At the beginning of this one she's found where she's going and nothing is going to get in her way. I've loved every minute of seeing her grow. Usually the female lead is already strong and just seems to grow stronger. In this story Laia starts at the bottom and we get to see her go all the way to the top. Her relationship with Elias is so satisfying. No insta love or anything like that.<br />
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I will admit that in the first book I had some hard feelings for Helene. She seemed so bitter and uncaring. But just like Laia and Elias we get to see her character grow and develop. By the end of ATATN she had earned my respect. She's brave and determined and loves her family more than herself. I'm eager to see where the next book takes her.<br />
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We get to see more of the world Sabaa Tahir has created in this story. We go outside of the Martial school and into lands that posses their own people and magic. One of my favorite things in this story is that you can feel the anger, or the fear, or the pride coming off the characters. The nation is at war and you can't tell who is a friend or an enemy. Most dystopian stories are already in full rebellion or on the edge of it. In this world we are feeling the need for war. Watching as brother turns on brother, and friend turns to enemy. Sabaa Tahir has woven a story full of pain, heartbreak, and betrayal and though it may crush your heart you will enjoy every second of it.<br />
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My only problem with his book is the lull right in the middle. We start out fast jumping in right where we left off in the first book and it doesn't seem to slow down. But then all of a sudden we seem to hit a few chapters where everyone is waiting. There's no action, or twists. It just seems to stop. And then BAM it all gets going again. That's not any reason to not read the book ( SERIOUSLY read them) it just seemed to be an unnecessary stand still.<br />
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All in all this series is amazing so far. I'm an obsessive fantasy reader so finding authors that write like this just makes me so happy. If you love fantasy then these books are for you.<br />
<br />Korinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08569351907746110971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155439717120042778.post-30992830335766545212017-01-05T13:35:00.000-08:002017-01-05T13:36:25.123-08:00Top Ten Books of 2016<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Though I didn't get to read as much this past year as previous years I still read some amazing books. Since I enjoyed so many I thought I'd share my top ten with you. Here goes. (P.S. They're in no particular order).</span><br />
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<b>Jane Steele</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction but Jane Steele was really, really good. I loved that it was a 'retelling'of Jane Eyre and though it has similarities it was still it's own story. And get this: the main characters favorite book is Jane Eyre and she's constantly comparing her life to Jane Eyre's life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <img alt="Image result for excited clapping gif" border="0" src="http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j370/Jezey/Applause%20Clappng%20Excited%20Gifs/tumblr_mi4dpfQICP1rjxfbno1_500-excited_zpse173c9b5.gif" height="200" width="400" /></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Great Gatsby</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I've heard lots of amazing things about this book but I always brushed it off. I finally picked it up at a thrift store and I'm so glad I did. I read the first page and I was gone. Fitzgerald's writing is swoon worthy. It was a beautiful read and Gatsby is my spirit animal. And that last line? Yeah, I cried.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <img alt="Image result for crying while clapping gif" src="http://popcrush.com/files/2015/02/T80aQU0t_nGx.gif" height="240" width="400" /></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A Darker Shade of Magic</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fantasy is my favorite genre and I consider myself an expert but this book blew all my expectations to pieces. IT WAS PERFECT. Every sentence, every chapter, and every word was full of magic. The world building was on point and Kell is my baby. Lila is also one of my favorite female characters. Like ever. Use one word to describe this book?</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">An Ember in the Ashes </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sabaa Tahir is pretty great. I met her at a signing and she's so down to earth. I started the book a few months after meeting her with high expectations and it surpassed all of them. Sabaa has a unique way of writing. She weaves a story full of details that are so real it's as if you've been transported to the world of Laia and Elias. Seriously her world building is SO good.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <img alt="james franco so good spider man 3" height="162" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/y9EayOkRK1WN2/giphy.gif" width="400" /></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Rose & The Dagger</span></b><br />
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I adore retellings and I loved The Wrath & The Dawn. I was terrified that she would ruin the sequel but IT WAS AMAZING. Shahrzad is a great female lead and seeing her fight for everything she loves made all the horribly sad feelings I had for the end of the first book go away. This is one of my favorite duologys so if you haven't read it then do it now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <img alt="Omaze now chris pratt dinosaurs right now" height="225" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/3o7WTxQ7RFErPLfOqk/giphy.gif" width="400" /></span><br />
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<b>Lady Jane</b></span><br />
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This was such a cute read. It's got a touch of magic and a little bit of romance. It's got a great plot and it's one to read if you're looking for something light and funny.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <img alt="Image result for all the cute feels gif" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiS6UWOEw-eFiHxoZ6osdNKsOagPOd7jcJLHvOJ2VAYzoBnzjxIVt7XQ1tfqZKbZYTXMiuzl0UMUNjz-TohGlbD9viNxTnDSmXPjKxXUMq08_rCdtnltqx5R9ixsXfpRvkEloTHtC7uk0/s400/PLL.gif" width="400" /></span><br />
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<b>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I watched all the movies before I read the books. Yes I know. I'm a horrible person. I put off reading the last couple books because I thought I knew what happened and I so regret that decision. When I finished book seven I was so happy with what I found out and it was probably my favorite of all seven books.</span><br />
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<b> </b><img alt="Image result for read it gif" src="https://michelladomenici.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/read-the-book.gif?w=760" /></span><br />
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<b> Six of Crows </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b>Six of Crows was astonishing, breathtaking, stunning, showstopping, astounding, surprising, staggering, shocking, stupefying, breathtaking, unbelievable, phenomenal, mind-boggling, wonderful, awe-inspiring, incredible, thrilling, perfection. So much yes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <img alt="Image result for so much yes gif" src="http://i.imgur.com/JHIT6UV.gif" height="220" width="320" /></span><br />
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<b>A Thousand Pieces of you</b></span><br />
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While working at the library I came upon this book and the cover was so pretty. I loved how this story shows that everyone is special. Whether you're a painter, rocket scientist, mom, pilot, or just an average kid. Everyone has their own talents. We're all unique in our own way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <img alt="Image result for crying while clapping gif" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FQaKLHT68NZrjXH1Mi1l68mAh1zZEGEGaDXjUDiUKW8fN6VdLVzpEq3ROzbCGaoYR_6_-MmCaSO1tFqH7-hulqUyKzM3DuFCZSd3DbDNRGB3jRD17lJiQtuCPIXnjhJ8Kt5rby-Z5Iw/s1600/applause.gif" /></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Heartless</span></b><br />
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Though I didn't enjoy this book as much as The Lunar Chronicles I felt like Marissa Meyer did such a good job with it. The characters are all so great and it's a unique take on the characters of Alice and Wonderland. Honestly I enjoyed it so much.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <img alt="Image result for heart eyes gif" height="300" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/GrB9uThYsoU3C/giphy.gif" width="400" /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So there are my top ten. It was a pretty good reading year and I'm looking forward to what 2017 brings. What were some of your favorite reads of 2017?</span>Korinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08569351907746110971noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155439717120042778.post-40769454469657861582017-01-04T13:49:00.000-08:002017-01-04T13:54:01.749-08:002016: The Good, The Bad, and The Not So Ugly<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2016 is generally accepted as the worst year ever. I agree. It's been a rough year for everyone. But I'm writing this post because I don't want to look back in my life and draw a blank for this past year. Here are some of the biggest things to happen to me in 2016. The good, the bad, and the not so ugly. Because my year has been full of ups and downs and I've learned so much.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My grandfather passing. </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The first thing that comes to mind when I think of the beginning of last year is my grandpa. In March my parents woke me up early in the morning and told me my grandpa was gone. I spent the next two hours packing and then the next seven in the car on my way to Ohio. My sister drove and I sat in the passenger seat listening to Gregory Alan Isakov, watching the sun rise as we drove through the mountains. I learned to grieve this past year. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I Quit Dance.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">After eight years of dancing off and on I quit ballet. There was something special about dancing for me. I'm quiet and shy and expressing myself through dance was an amazing experience. But as you get older dance becomes something else. It's competition. In class, in shows, against every girl at your school. The dressing rooms were full of who did this or that talk, and backstabbing friends. It became a really negative experience and I found myself hating to go to class every day. So I quit. It was a satisfying experience.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I Got An Internship.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This was one of the greatest things to happen to me. As most of you know finding a job without experience is HARD. The internship was a great way to gain experience and make some money at the same time. I grew a lot during those months and though it was bittersweet when it ended I'm excited to see what's next.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I Discovered A Love For Photography.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I don't consider myself good by any means but this year I picked up a camera and found out how amazing it felt to take fifty photos and have five turn out. I plan on working on this interest and exploring new angles, and ways of shooting. It's one of the things I look forward to the most in 2017.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Rest of it. </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I met some beautiful friends through my instagram, I got an A in my biology lab, I finished my Goodreads challenge, I discovered the show F.R.I.E.N.D.S, I started to control my vasovagal syncope after struggling with my triggers since I was twelve, I picked out a selection of colleges and majors, I discovered publicity in publishing and have started working towards that dream, I got crushed by two girls but came back from it, Stranger Things came out and it was amazing,I took the ACT and scored higher than the average student.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Things I Need To Remember In 2017:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>I don't need to change.</i> I read too many books, I spend a lot of time on netflix, I love my cat, chocolate, and my large family. And that's okay. I don't have to change. Not for anyone no matter how lame they may think I am.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Don't stress.</i> I stress over everything. Especially college. One of my goals for 2017 is to take it one step at a time and not worry about something that's a year down the road.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>It's okay to say no.</i> It's so hard for me to tell people no. But this year I'm determined to start saying it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Kindness, Love, and Generosity are three things the world needs more of. </i>This year I want to spread more love, treat everyone (even the meanest person) with kindness, and give more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So here's to 2017. May it treat you far better than 2016 ever did.</span></div>
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<br />Korinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08569351907746110971noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155439717120042778.post-23972241018348193582016-11-14T08:34:00.001-08:002016-11-14T08:34:31.553-08:00Book Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo <div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>My Rating: 5/5 Stars</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Author: Leigh Bardugo</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Genre: Fantasy</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Published: 2015</b></i></div>
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Yes! You guys have no idea how happy I was to finally be reading this duology. The Grisha trilogy is one of my favorites and Leigh Bardugo did not disappoint. Six of Crows was everything I was hoping for.<br />
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<b>Goodreads Synopsis:</b><b><br /></b><br />
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<i><span id="freeText8283777485378428968" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...<br /><br />A convict with a thirst for revenge<br />A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager<br />A runaway with a privileged past<br />A spy known as the Wraith<br />A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums<br />A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes<br /><br />Kaz's crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span></i><br />
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<b>My Review:</b><br />
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Usually I start of by talking about the main character but this book came from six (sometimes seven) POV. I usually hate when there's more than one person telling the story. I allow two or thee people but if it's more then that everything gets confused and all messed up. But Leigh Bardugo did such an amazing job handling this. I actually preferred the story that way. Each character had their own distinct voice. Even if you hadn't read which character was narrating you knew s who you were dealing with after a few sentences.<br />
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My favorite character had to be Inej. She just seems to have been though so much and I love that instead of breaking she became stronger. And seriously how can you not love someone who has knives hidden in her pants?!<br />
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I love (LOVED) the tension between Kaz and Inej. I love that their feelings creep out and grab them at a moments notice. I love the way Kaz denies himself because of his fears and how Inej is holding out hoping he'll change for her and not excepting anything else. That scene at the need of them on the boat? Yeah I died.<br />
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<i>"She'd laughed, and if he could have bottled the sound and gotten drunk on it every night, he would have. It terrified him" </i><br />
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I loved the Grisha world but in this book we get to see more. We get to see how certain people feel about the Grisha (something I was curious about). Just how far the hatred or envy for them goes. We get to see the different countries and spend a lot of time thinking about and in the Ice Court. I love it. The different races, languages, and countries. And I love how Ketterdam has a little bit of it all. Can I please visit Ketterdam?<br />
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The last thing I'm going to talk about is the skills of the crew. I mean we have one of the greatest groups in YA history here. A thief, a spy, a sharpshooter, a Heartrender, a convict, and well, Wylan. So it only makes sense that this book is packed with action. And Leigh has a talent for fight scenes. You're on your toes constantly and you can't seem to catch your breath. And on top of that you can't help but love every member of this sorry lot.<br />
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This book is a must read. It has something for everyone and it's so well written it just might bring tears to your eyes. Also side note you don't have to read The Grisha trilogy to be able to enjoy this one. This is a different story though there are some familiar places and names mentioned.<br />
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<br />Korinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08569351907746110971noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155439717120042778.post-55362440277438575412016-10-13T11:46:00.001-07:002016-10-13T15:11:21.404-07:00ARC Book Review: The Destined by E. J. Mellow<div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>My Rating: 5/5 Stars</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Author: E. J. Mellow</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Genre: Fantasy</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Published: 2016</b></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">**If you haven't read The Dreamer and/or The Divide this review may contain spoilers. Check out my review for The Dreamer <a href="http://booklover221b.blogspot.com/2016/07/book-review-dreamer-by-e-j-mellow.html" target="_blank">Here</a> and The Destined <a href="http://booklover221b.blogspot.com/2016/10/book-review-divide-by-e-j-mellow.html" target="_blank">Here</a>.</span></i></span></div>
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I'm not gonna lie. This is going to be a hard review to write. I got emotionally attached to both Molly and Dev. It was hard to let them go but E. J. Mellow did them justice. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><b>Goodreads Synopsis:</b></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">With the loss of Terra’s greatest weapon, the war against darkness escalates rapidly, and time is on no one’s side. While Dev struggles to keep his home and hope alive, Molly and Rae find themselves forced to confront a desperately kept secret and quickly learn that a life-altering sacrifice is the asking price to restore order. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">Nightmares, betrayal, the fate of two worlds, and one man’s hunger for vengeance lead Molly down a twisted and dark path she fears she might never come back from. Cornered into making a heart-wrenching decision, Molly teeters between deliverance and damnation. Who is worth saving most—a nation or the one she loves?</span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;"><b>My Review:</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">After I finished The Divide I immediately picked up The Destined. I needed more and I needed it right then. One of my favorite things about this series is how the next book picks up right where the last one ended. I was able to dive into the book and be completely immersed in minutes. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">The first part of the book ripped my heart out. Molly, Dev, and Rae are so close and it was hard seeing them like that. The letters between Dev and Molly didn't help. It was like putting a band-aid on a severed limb. In other words it hurt. My heart ached for them. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">This book is packed full of butt kicking action. Molly is fully in control of her powers and we get to see exactly what she can do. We also get to see a lot of Dev fighting and trust me that's pretty amazing too. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Molly and Dev are one of my favorite fictional couples. One of the reasons why is because of how their relationship developed. I hate insta love and avoid it at all cost. Molly and Dev's relationship grows throughout the entire series. It also doesn't overwhelm the rest of the story. So you get this amazing romance along with an awesome plot. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Side characters are so important to me. You can have a great main character but if you have pathetic, shallow side characters your story falls flat. E. J. Mellow gives us a wide selection of side characters that are just as great as the main ones. My favorite though was Rae (can he have his own book please?). He's funny, cute, and easy going but he knows when it's time to be serious. His relationship with Molly was so sweet. Seriously he had me crying at parts. I also grew to love Hector. He's prickly on the outside but once you get past that he's just a big softy with some issues to work through. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">This series has earned a special place in my heart and on my shelf. The characters are some of the best I have ever read. The writing is well developed, and flows easily. And the covers are something special. I can't thank E. J. Mellow enough for letting me be part of this journey. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>"Sometimes I wake up thinking</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;"><i> I finally dreamt of you,</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>but then I realize</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>my heart remains still."</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>- Part of a letter from Molly to Dev</i></span></div>
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Korinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08569351907746110971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155439717120042778.post-42861619454248092082016-10-12T15:36:00.001-07:002016-10-12T15:36:16.662-07:00Book Review: The Divide by E. J. Mellow <div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>My Rating: 5/5 Stars</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Author: E. J. Mellow</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Genre: Fantasy</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Published: 2015</b></i></div>
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The Dreamer was a lot like it's name. It was soft and lovely. Full of light romance and an intriguing new ability to travel through dreams to a new world. The Divide took all of that to a whole new level.<br />
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<b>Goodreads synopsis: </b><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">Molly finally uncovers the truth about the strange dreams that plagued her sanity for weeks. Now destined to accept a clandestine role, Molly must find the strength and courage buried deep to push forward and succeed.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">With the help of Dev, the roguish blue-eyed man of her dreams—whose dark past resurfaces to haunt him—Molly prepares to test the limits of her newly awakened powers and set right a world on the edge of being consumed by nightmares.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">But when an unknown shadow stalks her every step and a shocking revelation about her ancestry comes to light, Molly may find herself forced to make a decision that could leave her alone in the dark and standing on the wrong side of a divide.</span></i><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><b>My Review: </b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;">I was </span><span style="color: #181818;">anxious</span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"> that E. J. Mellow wouldn't be able to top The Dreamer but. oh. my. gosh. She blew me away. The book picks up right were we left off and doesn't stop. The action, romance, and new developments just keep coming. We discover more about Molly's powers and we find out about past dreamers. Basically a lot of holes are filled and a lot of questions answered. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I LOVE Molly so much you guys. She's so caring and determined o do what's right. In The Dreamer she's trying to figure out her new abilities and this new world. In The Divide she's done taking the back seat. She takes charge and wants answers. She doesn't let anything or anyone get in the way of what she thinks needs to be done.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;">Now it's time to dedicate an entire paragraph to the love of my life. Dev. I honestly can't get enough of him. And finally!! I have his story. My heart you guys. It broke for him. The </span><span style="color: #181818;">romance</span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"> between Molly and Dev went from we're just friends to I'm sorry but can you get a room?!? The first third of the book I was getting fed up and I just wanted to smash their faces together but the rest of the book I spent melting into a puddle. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;">Okay. Time to get serious. That ending?! I can't believe... I'm still in shock. What even was that?? Cruel that's what it was. It's like someone took a knife and stabbed me in the chest. Repeatedly. I need answers! Btw I've </span><span style="color: #181818;">already</span><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> started book three. My answers are within my grasp but I'm a sobbing mess of fear and </span>anxiety<span style="font-family: inherit;">. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;">I can't express to you guys how good this </span><span style="color: #181818;">series</span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"> is. The writing is superb, the plot keeps you on your toes, and the characters feel like you can reach out and touch them. Go grab The Dreamer and go ahead and get the rest of the series because once you start you won't be able to stop. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>Korinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08569351907746110971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155439717120042778.post-24866062967063491212016-08-29T10:17:00.000-07:002016-08-29T10:17:07.794-07:00Book Review: Unrivaled by Alyson Noel<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>My Rating: 1/5 Stars</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Author: Alyson Noel</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Genre: Contemporary, Mystery</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Published: 2016</b></i></div>
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How do I even go about giving this book a review. It's been awhile since I've read such a horrible book. Nothing about this story appealed to me. Not the characters, not the plot, nothing.<br />
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<b>Goodreads Review: </b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><i>Everyone wants to be someone.</i></span><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Layla Harrison wants to leave her beach-bum days for digs behind a reporter’s desk. Aster Amirpour wants to scream at the next casting director who tells her “we need ethnic but not your kind of ethnic.” Tommy Phillips dreams of buying a twelve-string guitar and using it to shred his way back into his famous absentee dad’s life.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">But Madison Brooks took destiny and made it her bitch a long time ago.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">She’s Hollywood’s hottest starlet, and the things she did to become the name on everyone’s lips are merely a stain on the pavement, ground beneath her Louboutin heel.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">That is, until Layla, Aster, and Tommy find themselves with a VIP invite to the glamorous and gritty world of Los Angeles’s nightlife and lured into a high-stakes competition where Madison Brooks is the target. Just as their hopes begin to gleam like stars through the California smog, Madison Brooks goes missing. . . . And all of their hopes are blacked out in the haze of their lies.</span></i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>My Review:</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Let's just start with the characters. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">The four main characters are Layla, Aster, Tommy, and Madison. None of the characters have any real depth. There's not much to them. Like if you really poked at them you'd go right through them. They all lie, cheat, and couldn't care a thing for anybody around them. I found it kind of hard that we had these four characters and there wasn't one redeeming quality about them. And it wasn't like a good thing either. No the characters were so annoying. Whinnying and moaning and very hard to read about. They all three had okay lives before the whole club thing and their need for money and fame so wrecked them that whatever few good qualities they had at the beginning of the story quickly disappeared. I found it hard to read about any of them. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">The actual story was terrible. We started at point A... Oh wait what was point A? We didn't seem to get anywhere. At all. There was no character growth, no build up, no real point to this story and that made it hard to read. Like here are three characters fighting over money. We get a few club scenes were nothing very exciting happens, we get a few scenes of them in their every day life and nothing to great happens. We see them at their meeting over their clubs and some random character that you know just showed up to get knocked out of the game came up. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">We get no side characters, no suspense. This is under the mystery genre on goodreads but I couldn't really see much of mystery. Madison had a bunch of vague stuff in her chapters were she met with this 'beige' man. How is a man beige?? And don't even get me started on the suspense. What suspense? Maybe like the last page something simi exciting happened but then again you could see everything coming from a mile away. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">This may sound harsh but this is my fourth book by Alyson Noel and I haven't enjoyed any of them. I was hoping that I'd at least like this one but pretty covers can be deceiving. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone but if you wanna try it be my guest. </span></span></span>Korinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08569351907746110971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155439717120042778.post-82344897614024950402016-08-26T17:09:00.000-07:002016-08-26T17:09:47.040-07:00ARC Book Review: The Female of The Species by Mindy McGinnis<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>My Rating: 3/5 Stars</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Author: Jennifer Gilmore</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Genre: Contemporary</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Published: 2016</b></i><br />
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This story knocked me over. I came into expecting a story about a feminist and got bombarded with rape, sexism, and just overall the issues in today's society. Mindy McGinnis wove a story of pain and redemption and once you've read it there's no going back.<br />
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<b>Goodreads Synopsis:</b><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Alex Craft knows how to kill someone. And she doesn’t feel bad about it. When her older sister, Anna, was murdered three years ago and the killer walked free, Alex uncaged the language she knows best. The language of violence.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">While her crime goes unpunished, Alex knows she can’t be trusted among other people, even in her small hometown. She relegates herself to the shadows, a girl who goes unseen in plain sight, unremarkable in the high school hallways.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">But Jack Fisher sees her. He’s the guy all other guys want to be: the star athlete gunning for valedictorian with the prom queen on his arm. Guilt over the role he played the night Anna’s body was discovered hasn’t let him forget Alex over the years, and now her green eyes amid a constellation of freckles have his attention. He doesn’t want to only see Alex Craft; he wants to know her.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">So does Peekay, the preacher’s kid, a girl whose identity is entangled with her dad’s job, though that does not stop her from knowing the taste of beer or missing the touch of her ex-boyfriend. When Peekay and Alex start working together at the animal shelter, a friendship forms and Alex’s protective nature extends to more than just the dogs and cats they care for.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Circumstances bring Alex, Jack, and Peekay together as their senior year unfolds. While partying one night, Alex’s darker nature breaks out, setting the teens on a collision course that will change their lives forever.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">I'm not going to say a lot about this book. In my opinion you have to read it to fully understand it and I feel like if I were to write too much about it you'll decide not to read it. So just a few quick things. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">This story points out a lot of issues. The biggest being rape. I applaud Mindy McGinnis for taking on such a sensitive subject. The word rape makes a lot of people uncomfortable. But in today's world it happens a lot more than you think. And it's something that people should be more aware of.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">In the story our main character, Alex, is very careful with her words. The way you talk about someone or to someone can do a lot of damage. If you call someone something enough times they start to believe it. Actions speak louder than words but words stick around a lot longer than a bruise. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">I loved the part of the story where Alex tells Peekay that imagining something is much different from actually dong it. Like you can think about yelling and cussing that person out or pointing out all their faults or hitting them till they black out but if you were too actually do that the damage would be irreversible.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">This is a short review because to fully experience this book you have to read it. Slowly. This book opens your eyes to a lot of things that are commonly accepted today so I'm going to recommend it to everyone. I feel like it has something for everyone. </span></span></span>Korinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08569351907746110971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155439717120042778.post-26738447500800854112016-08-25T10:16:00.000-07:002016-08-25T10:16:47.538-07:00Book Review: We Were Never Here by Jennifer Gilmore<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>My Rating: 2/5 Stars</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Author: Jennifer Gilmore</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Genre: Contemporary</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Published: 2016</b></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This book was okay. I mainly read fantasy and I'm not a huge contemporary fan so every time I read that genre it's like a bucket of ice water being dumped on me. The shock of the real life situations, no magic, or crazy solutions to problems. Despite this not being a fantasy, and the half baked writing there was enough to the story to leave me hoping for better books by this author. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Goodreads Synopsis: </b></span></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;">Did you know your entire life can change in an instant? </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;">For sixteen-year-old Lizzie Stoller that moment is when she collapses, out of the blue. The next thing she knows she’s in a hospital with an illness she’s never heard of. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;">But that isn’t the only life-changing moment for Lizzie. The other is when Connor and his dog, Verlaine, walk into her hospital room. Lizzie has never connected with anyone the way she does with the handsome, teenage volunteer. However, the more time she spends with him, and the deeper in love she falls, the more she realizes that Connor has secrets and a deep pain of his own . . . and that while being with him has the power to make Lizzie forget about her illness, being with her might tear Connor apart.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;"><b>My Review:</b></span></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Our main character is Lizzie. She's a normal girl with a normal sister, normal parents, a couple half-time friends, and a dog. She's all set to finish her summer with a bang when her life changing instant hits. All of a sudden she's in a hospital, her parents are giving her worried looks, and she can't move, start school, or see her friends. Lizzie was an odd character to me. She didn't seem to have much of a personality. When she got sick she had all these angry thoughts and feelings and instead of telling her parents she just let it sit there. It was sort of frustrating for me, the reader, to know she had all the issues with her friends, her parents, and her sister and never see them work out. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">Connor and his dog were sweet. Though just like Lizzie, Connnor lacked personality. I didn't notice anything off about his character until all of a sudden he was telling Lizzie this terrible thing that happened to him. It was like he'd either be consumed by this thing or have completely forgotten about it. He always seemed to leave Lizzie hanging and always expected her to share her thoughts and opinions but would never share his. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">I went to set this book down but something would always happen to keep me reading. The writing as I said earlier was half baked. I had to look up Lizzie's sickness because the author was so vague and I couldn't figure out what exactly it meant for the character. The whole 'life changing instant' didn't really seem to change her already crappy life. I didn't feel much sympathy for Connors's issue because he almost acted like 'oh poor me' instead of talking about it and trying to get help. Their relationship felt off. There was nothing there to make me think they actually loved each other. It was like they were two people throwing a pity party together. It was slightly depressing. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I felt like this book had a lot of potential. The story line itself was good. The characters just lacked personality. The story didn't jump at you and leave you wanting more. I'm keeping in mind that it's the author's debut. I'll probably pick up future books by this author and hope for better results. </span></div>
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Korinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08569351907746110971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155439717120042778.post-88365002565504938702016-08-09T13:53:00.000-07:002016-08-09T15:21:47.835-07:00Book Review: A Gathering of Shadows by Victoria Schwab<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>My Rating: 4/5 Stars</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Author: Victoria Schwab</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Genre: Fantasy</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Published: 2016</b></i><br />
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As soon as I finished A Darker Shade of Magic I grabbed this book and started it. I'm sorry but I think I'm just going to buy all of Victoria's books and read them and cry as I wait for book three of this series. This has go to be some of the best fantasy I have ever read.<br />
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<b>Goodreads Review:</b></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">It has been four months since a mysterious obsidian stone fell into Kell's possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Prince Rhy was wounded, and since the nefarious Dane twins of White London fell, and four months since the stone was cast with Holland's dying body through the rift – back into Black London.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Now, restless after having given up his smuggling habit, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks as she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games – an extravagant international competition of magic meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries – a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">And while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night will reappear in the morning. But the balance of magic is ever perilous, and for one city to flourish, another London must fall.</span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>My Review:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">In this book we get all our favorite characters back plus some. We get more of Rhy, a dashing sea captain, a charming guard, and a cat. Give or take some other characters. Lila still remains my favorite. She only managed to get better in this book. I loved seeing her without Kell. Her development since we first met her on he streets of Grey London is one of my favorite things. I love the way she presents herself, her obsession with daggers, and her mask. I love how she tries to act nonchalant over seeing new things but it but sometimes it shows through. Lila is just one of my favorite characters ever. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">I love Lila on her own but I may love Kell and her together just as much. In A Darker Shade of Magic we get a hint of romance but we get a little more to go on here. Though Lila is my favorite Kell is a close second. He's so loyal to his brother and seeing the way the royal family treats him hurts my heart so much. I hate that Kell feels he doesn't belong. I love seeing him open up with Lila though. Like he feels a little more like he belongs with the girl from a different world. I really want a short story of them on a pirate ship fighting against, ya know pirates, with magic and daggers and a coat with multiple sides and a dark mask.Can we get a graphic novel of this please?</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">The story started out a little slow for me but it didn't take long for it to pick up. We get so much more magic in this book! The tournament is absolutely brilliant and it kept me on my toes the entire book!!! I loved the parts where we got to see what was going on in white London. That place gives me that creeps. But like the first book everything flows together. Holes that were left open in the first story start to fill in this one, we get to see more of the characters every day lives, and lots of sword fights. The swords and daggers have got to be my favorite part of this series. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">I loved this book. If you haven't read this series than I suggest you go pick them up. Victoria Schwab's writing is amazing and the characters in this story are so lovable. Also did I mention sword fights and magic?</span></span></span><br />
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Korinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08569351907746110971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155439717120042778.post-83864342084402906942016-07-28T16:08:00.001-07:002016-07-28T16:08:36.278-07:00Book Review: The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson <div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>My Rating: 3/5 Stars</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Author: Morgan Matson</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Genre: Contemporary</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Published: 2016</b></i></div>
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This book came highly recommended and I ended up reading it with my book club - The Readers Guild. Though I enjoyed the characters I felt that there were parts of the story that were unnecessary. Like the author was just fulfilling a page count.<br />
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<b>Goodreads Synopsis: </b></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Andie had it all planned out. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">When you are a politician’s daughter who’s pretty much raised yourself, you learn everything can be planned or spun, or both. Especially your future.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Important internship? Check.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Amazing friends? Check.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Guys? Check (as long as we’re talking no more than three weeks).</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">But that was before the scandal. Before having to be in the same house with her dad. Before walking an insane number of dogs. That was before Clark and those few months that might change her whole life.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Because here’s the thing—if everything’s planned out, you can never find the unexpected. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">And where’s the fun in that?</span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>My Review:</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Our main character is Andie. She has everything planned down to the last minute. She kind of reminded me of me and my tendencies to worry about things four years in the future. I liked Andie. I liked her character development, the way she forgives her dad without holding a grudge, the way she loves her friends. I liked her. I didn't like her type A personality (sorry to all type A people out there). It ruined a lot of things for her that I felt were obvious mistakes. I struggled connecting with that part of her character. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Okay so Clark. First off THE NAME!! I don't know about you but my future child will be named Clark. Also HE WRITES FANTASY BOOKS!! I mean come on that has got to be the greatest things about this book. We see a writer with a main character that doesn't read with a boyfriend on the bestseller list. Andie's reactions to Clark's nerdy shirts, references, and movies. Her walking into a book signing. I thought it was hilarious because I 'm sure half the time that's how people see me. Clark was nerdy and sweet and definitely my favorite character in the story.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">I loved the character development throughout the story. How Andie started to mellow out and you got to see her discover a new part of herself. And Clark with his writers block and seeing him share that part of him with Andie. I love Tom, Bri, Toby, and Palmer. Their friendship throughout the story was awesome and made me slightly jealous. This book had a lot to give with it's characters and I really liked that. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Why I took away two stars</i><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> - As I said I loved the characters, but the story line not so much. This book started slow for me. It took me a good fifty pages (if not more) to get into Andie's story. It felt like there were parts of the story that were just fill ins like Morgan Matson had a beginning and an end planned and just winged it for the middle. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">I also didn't like the six chapters before the last two. I know that's confusing but I did like how it ended I just didn't like how we got there. I felt like you could see exactly how this was going to go before it got there. I didn't like seeing Andie grow so much through the book and then having a freak out right before the end. It just didn't seem to fit and I felt like it was just to make the story longer.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">This was my first Morgan Matson book and contemporary is my least favorite genre but I'd definitely read more of her books. If you enjoy contemporary than I recommend you try this one. </span></span></span><br />
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Korinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08569351907746110971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155439717120042778.post-10453219610481698512016-07-27T07:53:00.002-07:002016-07-27T07:53:38.100-07:00Book Review: A Darker Shade of Magic by Victoria Schwab<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>My Rating: 5/5 Stars</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Author: Victoria Schwab</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Genre: Fantasy</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Published: 2015</b></i></div>
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In the year and a half I've been on Instagram I've heard so many things about Victoria Schwab's writing. I never really thought to pick up the book or check out the synopsis. I just thought 'that's a nice cover'. I got an ARC of the second book last fall and it had been sitting on my shelf since. This summer I wanted to kill some of the books on my TBR shelf so I picked up the first book, A Darker Shade of Magic. My life will never be the same.<br />
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<b>Goodreads Synopsis:</b><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Kell is one of the last Antari, a rare magician who can travel between parallel worlds: hopping from Grey London — dirty, boring, lacking magic, and ruled by mad King George — to Red London — where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire — to White London — ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne, where people fight to control magic, and the magic fights back — and back, but never Black London, because traveling to Black London is forbidden and no one speaks of it now.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Officially, Kell is the personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see, and it is this dangerous hobby that sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to take her with him for her proper adventure.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save both his London and the others, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive — a feat trickier than they hoped.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>My Review:</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">First off the setting. I love London. I've never been but in every story I've ever read with London it has been perfect. In this story there are not one BUT three (technically four) London's. Grey, Red, White, (and black) London. I loved all of them. I loved how each London had it's own feel. It's own set of rules. You would think having Four London's in a story would be confusing but it worked so well. Each place was cutthroat and amazing in it's own way. Except grey London. It was just cutthroat. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">The magic. This story has got such a unique take on magic. In this book magic is not something that is in everyone. It's a living thing. There is no language for magic it is a give and take relationship. It's like a person and it must be commanded or you will be consumed by it. In red London magic is like breathing. In Grey it simply doesn't exist. In White the people fight it. In Black the magic has consumed everything. Now there's magic and then there's Antari. Kell is one of the last two Antari's to exist. Antari's can perform all the forms of magic including blood magic which allows you to travel between worlds. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Let me just take a moment to fangirl over my new favorite female character. OH MY GOSH! LILA WAS AMAZING! She was so tough and didn't need anyone but at the same time she could be vulnerable. Her character development throughout the story was perfect. She went from someone who felt nothing for anyone to someone who would fight for her friends. So in some stories your female dresses in pants and acts all weird and strong and it just feels so unnatural. Not this story. Lila may not wear a dress and she may be able to handle a knife like no one else but she's also got style. She's sleek and graceful, smart and quick on her feet. She knows when to give in and when it's time to push back. She's now one of my top five female characters. Victoria Schwab did an amazing job writing her. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Everything in this story just flowed together so well. Kell and Lila's friendship. The way the magic worked as more of a living thing than a spell you cast. The way the story builds up and leaves you with so much anticipation. Victoria Schwab writes so well. She can drop hints and clues like Marvel: you don't get it till after it happens. There's no holes in this story. No moments of utter confusion as you try to keep up with all the information and different worlds. Everything just works together so perfectly and *cries*</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">I LOVED this story. I was left with this perfect contentment and a craving for more (as contradictory as that sounds). I'm recommending this story to anyone who loves magic, quirky characters, and lots of sword fights. Now excuse me while I go start the second book. </span>Korinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08569351907746110971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155439717120042778.post-2596929038962600702016-07-20T06:57:00.000-07:002016-07-20T06:58:53.304-07:00A GIF Review: Stars Above by Marissa Meyer<span style="text-align: justify;">I've never tried to write a review for The Lunar Chronicles because all it would be is a very long post that was full of: OH MY GOSH THIS BOOK! YOU HAVE TO READ IT! IT'S SO GOOD!!!! But since this is the last book (brush away tears) I thought I'd do a post to say goodbye. So here is a few Gif's for every story in this 369 page goodbye to The Lunar Chronicles.</span><br />
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<b>The Keeper</b><br />
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A story about Michelle Benoit and all she did to save the Lunar princess.<br />
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A short story about Cinder as a child<br />
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<b>The Queen's Army</b><br />
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Little Wolf I'm sorry<br />
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<b>Carswell's Guide to Being Lucky </b></div>
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I mean seriously how could this part not make you feel so happy and proud and slightly sad. Yeah lots of sadness in this book</div>
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<b>After Sunshine Passes By</b></div>
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Little Cress with her anxiety and insecurities </div>
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<b>The Princess and The Guard</b></div>
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Winter is so strong and Jacin is always there for her</div>
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<b>The Little Android</b></div>
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A little Mermaid retelling?!? Bonus! And the writing was so beautiful </div>
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<b>The Mechanic </b></div>
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Cinder and Kai's meeting from the Prince's perspective? Yes please</div>
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<b>Something Old, Something New</b></div>
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I just... I'm sorry but on a scale of one to even I can't </div>
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And there you have it. </div>
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All my feels over the last book in The Lunar Chronicles. </div>
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I'm just gonna sit here and wait for the graphic novels now.</div>
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Korinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08569351907746110971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155439717120042778.post-91157978393780850442016-07-18T04:37:00.000-07:002016-07-19T08:24:34.816-07:00Book Review: The Dreamer by E. J. Mellow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>My Rating: 4/5 Stars</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Author: E. J. Mellow</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Genre: Fantasy</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Published: 2015</b></i></div>
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I have been wanting to read these books for so long. The synopsis is so intriguing, the covers are to die for, and the author seemed like such a nice person (her <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ejmellow/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> is to die for). I was so excited to receive the series and the first book did not disappoint.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30633674-the-dreamer?from_search=true" target="_blank">Goodreads Synopsis:</a></b><br />
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<em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">It’s night. Always night. Dreams guard against the evil forged by nightmares. Infinite shooting stars illuminate a moonless sky. A city stands alone, surrounded by a darkened field. On its fringes, a man watches one star separate from the masses and fall. What survives the crash will unveil a secret centuries long hidden.</em><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Molly hasn’t slept well since the night of her twenty-fourth birthday. Being struck by lightning might have something to do with it, but then again, her chicken </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">did</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> look a little undercooked at dinner. Whatever the culprit, her life quickly catapults from mundane to insane as, night after night, Molly is transported through her once dreamless sleep to a mysterious land illuminated by shooting stars.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">There she meets the captivating but frustrating Dev, and together they discover Molly possesses a power coveted by his people—the ability to conjure almost anything she desires into existence. Seduced by the possibilities of this gift, Molly shifts her attention from waking life toward the man, the magic, and the world found in her dreams.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">But Molly must ask herself—does something truly exist if you only see it when you close your eyes?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Faced with the threat of losing everything—her job, best friend, boyfriend, and most importantly, that little thing called her sanity—Molly will learn just how far she’ll go to uncover what is real and what is merely a figment of her imagination.</span></i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>My Review:</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Let me introduce you to our main character, Molly. Now Molly here is definitely not a pushover or a sweet, confused, dainty girl. No Molly is a sarcastic, take-charge type of person who isn't going to take being kept in the dark. In other words I LOVE MOLLY. Sarcasm is my first language and Molly spoke to me in a deep way. She goes through so much in this first book and keeps such an open mind (hahahaha) towards everything. She doesn't freak out or cower she takes it all in and gets the answers she needs. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">We spend a lot of the book in Molly's mind. After an unfortunate accident Molly starts having dreams that seem real. The world E. J. Mellow has created for this book is so original. It's been awhile since I've run into such a fun book world. Every night Molly wakes up under a tree... next to a city... that has hundreds of people dressed in black carrying these black sticks around (I want one). </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Side characters. As I've mentioned in some of my previous post I pay a lot of attention to side characters and the way they work in the story. The ones in this story -- namely Tim, Becca, Rae, Jared, and my personal favorite, Dev -- are AMAZING. Molly is already such a great main character so having all these side characters just brings the story together. The best friend, the boyfriend, the mysterious stranger, and so many others. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">The language </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> in this story is superb. I loved the way E. J. Mellow is so good at adding conversation, and providing information in a way that doesn't overwhelm you or leave you bored. The Dream world was so well put together and you were never left confused. All you wanted was more. T</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">he idea of the dream world, the thought that somewhere out there an entire race of people are watching over your dreams is just fantastic. I loved every minute of Molly's dreams and I really, really want to visit them.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">All in all this is a great fantasy series. E.J. Mellow put together a unique, fast-paced first book and I couldn't have loved it more. If you enjoy fantasy, cute guys (there's <strike>two</strike> three in this one), sleeping, eating take out, and rainstorms this book is for you. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span>Korinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08569351907746110971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155439717120042778.post-79836730453571964032016-07-15T12:28:00.001-07:002016-07-18T04:38:38.752-07:00A Sort of Book Review : The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>My Rating: 3/5 Stars</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Author: Roshani Chokshi</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Genre: YA, Fantasy</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Published: 2016</b></i></div>
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Yay! Another book down on my summer TBR *insert Party noises*. Earlier this year I met Renee Ahdieh and Roshani was there. I hadn't heard of her book but apparently everyone else had. I was a little disappointed in this story. I was expecting a lot more, but it still had some redeeming qualities.<br />
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<b>Goodreads Synopsis:</b><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Fate and fortune. Power and passion. What does it take to be the queen of a kingdom when you’re only seventeen?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of death and destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father’s kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran’s queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar’s wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire…</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">But Akaran has its own secrets—thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most…including herself.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></i>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>My Review:</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Lets make this simple. I'll give you three reasons why I didn't enjoy the story and then I'll give you three reasons why it's worth picking up.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><i>Three NO factors:</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">This book is SLOW. For me the story didn't pick up until halfway through.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">The descriptions carried on forever. I'm all about being able to use my five senses for a book but at times this one took it to far. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">I didn't feel the passion between Maya and Amar until the last couple chapters. For most of the story I feel like Maya is avoiding Amar so when all of a sudden she realizes she loves him I was like "Since when?!" </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><i>Three Okay That Works Factors:</i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">This book is slow BUT when it picks up we get going. Everything falls into place and you have these 'Of course, duh' moments. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">The descriptions do carry on BUT Roshani gave us an amazing setting for this story. The culture in this story is awesome. The way they speak, what they wear, where they live. It all came together in this completely amazing setting. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">The passion between Maya and Amar was lacking but in those few moments before the end of the story it kind of made up for it. Amar was so sweet and when Maya did that something (trying not to spoil the story!) I could have killed her. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">I know you guys! Really odd review but this story had me back and forth. Maya was an amazing female lead. Amar was sweet and caring. The setting and the mythology were on point.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">If you like mythology, or fantasy I think you should give this story a shot. I think it really depends on the reader. I'll probably reread it at some point and like it better. It's one of</span><i style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> those</i><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> stories. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span>Korinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08569351907746110971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155439717120042778.post-74616369026443141322016-07-11T04:56:00.001-07:002016-07-11T04:56:47.566-07:00Book Review: Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>My Rating: 5/5 Stars</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Author: Danielle Paige</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Genre: YA, Retelling</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Published: 2014</b></i></div>
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I honestly wasn't expecting much from this book. I've never been a big fan of Oz. It always seemed so weird. On my list it was up there with Willy Wanka and Alice in Wonderland. Bonkers. But a friend of mine said I should try it. So I did. And I LOVED it.<br />
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<b>Goodreads Synopsis:</b><br />
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<i><strong style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;">I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.</strong><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; line-height: 21px;">But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado - taking you with it - you have no choice but to go along, you know?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; line-height: 21px;">Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little bluebirds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still a yellow brick road - but even that's crumbling.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;" /><strong style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;">What happened? Dorothy.</strong><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; line-height: 21px;">They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;" /><strong style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;">My name is Amy Gumm - and I'm the other girl from Kansas.</strong><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; line-height: 21px;">I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; line-height: 21px;">I've been trained to fight.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;" /><strong style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;">And I have a mission.</strong></i><br />
<i><strong style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;"><br /></strong></i>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><b>My Review:</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">Our main character, Amy, was (in one word) tough. She's been through everything you could think of and all of a sudden she lands in Oz. She takes it in stride. I loved her sarcasm, her instinct to survive, the way she wasn't about to back down to anyone. In short shes become my YA female hero. But even though she's got it all she's still vulnerable. After being bullied for so long she worries about how people see her. She wants to grow better, and even though Oz isn't her home she wants to save it. She wants it to go back to the way it was. And that makes her lovable.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">The bluntness of this story shocked me. Not in a bad way. Most YA authors are discreet about everything but Danielle put it all out there. The difference between wicked and good was little to none. Killing was necessary to survive and it wasn't hidden.</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 21px;"> Most good guys hate killing people even when it's in self defense. Amy learns quick that it's do or die in this twisted version</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; line-height: 21px;"> of Oz. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; line-height: 21px;">I've never read the original Oz story but in my experience most fairy tales are dark. Danielle Paige takes us back to that and it creates such a unique story. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; line-height: 21px;">If you're going into this story for romance don't. This story is all abut Amy and her growth from the beginning of the book. We have some side guys (please give me more Nox) but it's kept a very small factor in the story. You probably think tat make this some sort of feminist book where Amy hates guys and can do it all herself, but that's far from the truth. As much as this story is about Amy we get just as much about the people of Oz and their fight against Dorothy. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">I'm recommending this story to readers who love a book with a good bit of magic, an amazing lead, and far away places. This book has everything so pick it up right now and go read it. Once you start it you won't be able too stop. Seriously I consumed it. 452 pages of awesomeness in twenty-four hours. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span>Korinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08569351907746110971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155439717120042778.post-73469445763487942602016-07-08T13:25:00.000-07:002016-07-08T13:25:00.903-07:00Book Review: Dreamology by Lucy Keating<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>My Rating: 4/5 Stars</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Author: Lucy Keating</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Genre: Contemporary Romance</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Published: 2016</b></i></div>
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I was hesitant to pick up this book. It seemed like it was going to be a cliche, romance book. It had mixed reviews and a synopsis that didn't really interest me. I'm so glad that against all this I picked it up. If I were to describe this book in one word it would be <i>sweet. </i>I loved the gentleness of this story. I'm a big lover of fantasy and a lot of times they're full of sadness and violence. This book was a breather and definitely does not disappoint.<br />
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<b>Goodreads Synopsis:</b><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">For as long as Alice can remember, she has dreamed of Max. Together they have traveled the world and fallen deliriously, hopelessly in love. Max is the boy of her dreams—and only her dreams. Because he doesn’t exist.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">But when Alice walks into class on her first day at a new school, there he is. It turns out, though, that Real Max is nothing like Dream Max, and getting to know each other in reality isn’t as perfect as Alice always hoped.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">When their dreams start to bleed dangerously into their waking hours, the pair realize that they might have to put an end to a lifetime of dreaming about each other. But when you fall in love in your dreams, can reality ever be enough?</span></i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>My Review:</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Alice is a girl with her head in the clouds. She prefers her dreams over reality and this is something I can SO relate to. I love my books more than I love most people (is that to harsh?). I probably loved this character because I an relate to her so much. But thats not all Alice was. She was bubbly and happy, but at the same time strong and ready to take on whatever she faced next. She loved her dreams but she was still able to surface. She loves her dog, Jerry, and her Dad. She had a big heart and a head full of dreams. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">The dreams in this book made you feel crazy colors and odd tastes. Is that weird? Does anyone else get this strange feeling when reading book? Maybe it's just me but with good books where writers describe it so well, I can see, hear, and taste some scenes. Like its all playing out in front of you on the T.V. but better. Lucy Keating did this for me. I fell in love with her writing style in every possible way. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Side characters. One of my greatest pet peeves in books is having lame side characters. If you are going to take the readers attention away from their main characters you sure as heck better have someone good to take their place. All the extras in this book kept my attention but the four I loved most were Oliver, Sophie, Alice's Dad, and her dog, Jerry. They were all so interesting and added depth to this dreamlike book. And though Alice loves her dreams she has some very deep relationships with these characters that are just so fun to see happen throughout the book.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Now for the moment you've all been waiting on... Max.... and... Alice. The romance in this book is so light and airy. You don't have anything heavy and surprisingly this is not an insta love story. Max and Alice had a relationship long before they met. They had been together in their dreams for so long. They were a part of each others lives that they didn't wan to let go. When they finally meet in real life they're both hesitant. They have their doubts about each other and they take time to get to know one another outside of their dreams. And its something that grows throughout the book and doesn't overwhelm your senses.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">I feel like this book is for all dreamers out there. That may seem cheesy but readers are dreamers. I feel like some people dislike reading (or fiction) because they don't have the imagination readers need to enjoy a book. Readers are people with strong imaginations and dreams. Most turn into writers, They just have the ability to construct whole worlds, and people in their heads. So I'm recommending this book to dreamers and readers alike.</span></span></span><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></i>Korinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08569351907746110971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155439717120042778.post-62808637184241722502016-07-05T08:29:00.001-07:002016-07-05T08:31:29.182-07:00Book Review: The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>My Rating: 4/5 Stars</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Author: Jessica Khoury </b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Genre: Retelling, Fantasy</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Published: 2016</b></i></div>
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I like to consider myself the queen of retellings. I really love them and if I see one I have to read it. It doesn't matter what story they're retelling I MUST read it. Funny enough I have never, ever, ever read a retelling (or even run into one) of Aladdin. Why? I'm not sure. Personally I love the disney version (*laughs hysterically cause disney is always so accurate*). This book was full of romance, magic, and endless twists and turns. I loved how unexpected everything in this story was.<br />
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<b>Goodreads Synopsis:</b><br />
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<i><strong style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">She is the most powerful Jinni of all. He is a boy from the streets. Their love will shake the world... </strong><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">When Aladdin discovers Zahra's jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn't seen in hundreds of years—a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra's very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity—only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">As time unravels and her enemies close in, Zahra finds herself suspended between danger and desire in this dazzling retelling of Aladdin from acclaimed author Jessica Khoury.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>My Review:</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Our main character, Zahra, is one of my new favorites. Even though she has spent thousands of years being a slave of the lamp and granting the wishes of everyone who has stumbled upon her, she has a strong personality and a will of her own. She's both kind and determined, and wants nothing more than to earn her freedom. She both quirky and fierce and I loved that she could be both.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">I haven't read a book with so much of a love factor in it in awhile. Everything I've read lately either hasn't had any romance or it's been on the back burner. Some YA romance leaves a bad taste in your mouth but this one was perfect. It wasn't forced or overpowering. It left you wanting more. Needless to say I SO ship Aladdin and Zahra. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Now don't get me wrong this book is not just a romance. It's so much more. With a kick butt group of female warriors, a violent king of the Jin, and more magic and wishes than you know what to do with this book has everything a person could want in a retelling. My biggest thing with retellings is it can't follow the original story to much. That takes away all the surprise in the story. This book surprised me with how many twists it took. I kept thinking I knew what was coming when all of a sudden Jessica Khoury threw a new factor into the story. It was horrible and amazing and I loved it. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Recommending this book to anyone who like retellings, romance, or magic. It's an amazing spin on Aladdin and it keeps you hooked till the very end. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>Korinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08569351907746110971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155439717120042778.post-1081940908382183242016-06-28T08:16:00.002-07:002016-06-28T08:16:49.271-07:00Book Review: The Killing Jar by R. S. McCoy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>My Rating: 3/5 Stars</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Author:R. S. McCoy</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Genre: Science Fiction, Romance</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Published: 2016</b></i></div>
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This was a fun, fast paced, science fiction book. With an amazing main character, fun side characters, and a beautiful setting. <br />
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<b>Goodreads Review:</b><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Earth is dying, circling the drain on life support. The future of the human race depends on space exploration, but they’re running out of time. Parasitic insects are systematically killing the best scientific minds but no one knows why. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Mable Wilkinson is the last hope to figure it out, she just doesn’t know it yet. For years, her resourcefulness, intelligence, and penchant for problem-solving have put her at the top of a very short list of researchers, only she doesn’t want to be part of it. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Cast out at sixteen, Mable wrote off the problems of the world long ago. Now, her focus is on Hadley, her adopted little sister, and teaching her to survive in the cut-throat underground. Instead, both Mable and Hadley fall into the hands of the program’s recruiter, Silas Arrenstein, and he’s determined to have one of them. Mable can join up with the man and program who killed her brother, or she can leave Hadley to the same fate.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">A new sci-fi romance from RS McCoy, author of The Sparks Saga and The Luminary Chronicles. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Book One of The Extraction Files</span></i><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">My favorite part of this story was our main character, Mabel. She was strong, independent, and willing to do whatever it takes to make sure her sister stays safe in a world falling apart. Mable was such a strong lead. Sometimes you get a lead who outshines everything else in the book but she was just enough. I loved how tough she could be but knew when to let go and show herself to the people around her. Her relationship with Hadley was sweet and honestly made me so happy. Sister relationships in stories hold a special place in my heart. </span></span></span><br />
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The world in this book is so well built! I loved the setting (earth dying, etc.) and I couldn't get enough of it. The domes over the cities, the underground colonies, the new species, the planet searching it was all just amazing and I loved the feel of it. The alien species especially.<br />
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So before I mention this next part I'd just like to say I have a terrible fear of bugs. Always have. It doesn't matter what kind of bug I hate them. So when these robotic <u style="font-style: italic;">bugs</u> came into the story I was horrified and slightly disturbed. But at the same time I liked seeing how the author brought these into play,<br />
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This story had a lot of good qualities but I gave it three stars for two reasons. (1. it was a little slow. (2. At times the story was hard to follow. Maybe these play into each other and the only issue was how it was a slow at times but I put it as two issues. I felt that at times we had a little to much information and/or the author went on about something that wasn't important for that part of the story. This didn't prevent me from enjoying the story though.<br />
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I'm going to recommend this story to science fiction lovers. This book leaves an otherworldly taste in your mouth that reminds you of far away places and keeps you wanting more.<br />
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<br />Korinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08569351907746110971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155439717120042778.post-89314000084421758232016-06-02T10:40:00.000-07:002016-07-28T16:15:09.685-07:00My Summer TBR With High School Musical<div style="text-align: center;">
When it gets closer to the end of the school year all I can think about is high school musical two </div>
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and all the books I want to read. Seriously the list gets longer and longer the closer summer gets. </div>
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I'm kind of odd when it comes to books and seasons. I read fantasy year round, contemporary and romance during the summer, and classics in the winter. I didn't make a plan or anything that's just what I'm in the mood for during those times. Odd but true.</div>
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I've narrowed the list down to nineteen books. I go back to school September fifth so I should be able to kill this... Hopefully.</div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">The Star- Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi. I met Roshani at a book event in Ashville and she was so sweet! And please it's a retelling we all know I was gonna read it eventually. RETELLINGS ARE EVERYTHING. UPDATE: Finished 3/5 STARS</li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson. It seems like the perfect summer read so it's going on the list. UPDATE; Finished 3/5 Stars</li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab. UPDATE: Finished 5/5 STARS</li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">A Gather of Shadows by V. E. Schwab. I'm reading this series with a friend this summer and the big theme of magic can't be ignored. UPDATE; Finished 4/5 Stars</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">Meet Me Here by Bryan Bliss. This seems like the perfect book for letting go of everyone's expectations and following your dreams. Excuse me while I read it.</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh. I started this but didn't finish it. Why? Because I don't want it to be over.</li>
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<li>An Ember in The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. Why have I waited so long to read this?!</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">Dreamology by Lucy Keating. Dream guy finding you in real life? Yes please. UPDATE: Finished 4/5 STARS</li>
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<li>My Lady Jane by three fabulous ladies. Because it turns Lady Jane Grey's story into a comedy and I want to know how.</li>
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<li>The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis. I'll need something dark to get me over all those lovey dovey feelings. UPDATE: Finished 3/5 Stars</li>
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<li>The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski. WHY?? Why does this series have to end??</li>
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<li>Down With the Shine by Kate Quinn. This book sounds so odd but I'm giving it a chance anyway</li>
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<li>Unrivaled by Alyson Noel. Glam life not so glam with missing people and famous actors. Alright then.</li>
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<li>Red Velvet Crush by Christina Meredith. Honestly this book sounds perfect for a quick read at the pool.</li>
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<li>Sing by Vivi Greene. This seems like such a Taylor Swift read! Seriously check out the synopsis <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27246877-sing?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank">here </a></li>
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<li>We Were Never Here by Jennifer Gilmore. I feel like I'm gonna cry but I'm gonna like it. UPDATE: Finished 3/5 STARS</li>
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<li>The Creswell Plot by Eliza Wass. Secrets? Buried deep? Give it to me</li>
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<li>Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. Am I the only one who hasn't read this? *Looks around* guess so</li>
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<li>Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige. I'm not a big fan of Oz but this sounds pretty good. UPDATE: Finished 4/5 STARS</li>
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And that's it! I hope you guys have enjoyed this and are planning your summer full of reading like I am. If you're reading any of these books this summer let me know! Or if you have suggestions send them to me. I probably won't be doing much this summer besides reading. And swimming. And maybe dancing. </div>
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If you liked this post let me know!</div>
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And one last gif because I can:</div>
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Oh Troy. My second grade crush. Still kind of crushing on him. I mean seriously SO CUTE.</div>
Korinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08569351907746110971noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155439717120042778.post-12892433385304369912016-05-31T08:40:00.001-07:002016-05-31T08:45:42.811-07:00ARC Book Review: Blossom and the Beast by R. S. McCoy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>My Rating: 4/5 Stars</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Author: R. S. McCoy</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Genre: YA Retelling</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Published: 2016</b></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am so happy to be working with R. S. McCoy to bring her book out into the world. Blossom and the Beast has </span>officially<span style="font-family: inherit;"> been released today! As a lover of all things </span>fairytale<span style="font-family: inherit;"> (especially </span>Beauty<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and the Beast) I was thrilled when McCoy contacted me and asked if I'd be </span>interested<span style="font-family: inherit;"> in reading and reviewing her paranormal retelling of Beauty and the Beast. This book is a very unique </span>retelling<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and I feel like it has a little something in it for every reader out there. </span><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29281411-blossom-and-the-beast?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Goodreads Synopsis: </a><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Blossom Frane is only weeks away from her transformation. On her eighteenth birthday, she’ll find out her future branch of society and her totem, the animal form she’ll be able to take at will for the rest of her life. Like her brothers, she’s expected to be a brown bear of the religious branch known as Terra. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">In the Alderwood forests, Blossom’s bear blood is a valuable asset. Any day now, a rival clan leader will step forward and offer her father a hefty bounty in exchange for her hand in marriage. Blossom can do nothing more than sit back and wait to be traded to the highest bidder.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Determined to spend her last weeks exploring the Alderwood, Blossom sneaks away and manages to find Kaide Landel, a rising political star of the Pyro branch. Known for his violence and disregard for the religious teachings of the Terra branch, he’s all wrong for the bear clan’s prized daughter. But when the politician uses his wealth and influence to secure her hand, Blossom has no choice but to leave her family and marry him—if she lives that long. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">The main character, Blossom, is a free spirited girl who wants nothing more than freedom. She is everything you want in a main character. Fierce, determined, and a big heart that is loyal to her family and friends. I loved Blossoms attitude. When Kaide comes along dragging her into marriage and a new life she takes it in stride. She continues to be an inquisitive pest. Seriously. The Alderwood is completely different from Pyro. Everything from clothes, to totems.But Blossom could care less. She's determined to make the best out of every situation. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">I loved the idea of the totems and world in this story! That the animal they are represents their strongest character traits. Finding out Kaides totem was something I was so excited for. And Blossoms totem? Yeah WOW. The different parts of their world and their strong suits was something I enjoyed seeing throughout the story. The portals and the mix of the natural world with the new ways of their wold was crazy to see. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Kaide and Blosom made my heart stutter. THEY ARE SO PERFECT!! Kaide was a quiet, strong type and Blossom is an inquisitive, vibrant girl. Though you would think she would't fit at all with Kaide's world she surprises everyone by thriving in it. Their relationship was so well developed. I was expecting a quick romance with instant love but it wasn't. Blossom isn't the type to give away her heart lightly and Kaide is patient enough to wait for her. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">My only problem with this story is how it slowed in the middle. We had a lot of tension in the beginning and the end was very fast paced but the middle it was like we were waiting for something. I would have preferred if we had gotten a bit more at the end. A little more of an explanation but it was like we just hit it and it was over. It didn't hinder my love for the story though.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Speaking of the end can I just say wow. The ending was nothing like I was expecting. I thought I had the whole story figured out but at the last minute I was swept off my feet by a whirlwind of new plot twists and anxiety. Yeah lots of anxiety. And anger. And tears. I need the second book NOW. Please and thank you.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">I usually end with a 'who I recommend this book to' but at the beginning I said it had something for every reader. And it does in fact have everything. This retelling of Beauty and the Beast is like none I've ever read. Go grab your copy and enjoy falling into a unique, paranormal world full of bears and peaches (odd but true:). </span><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></i>Korinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08569351907746110971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155439717120042778.post-49773816587371884002016-05-18T06:52:00.004-07:002016-05-18T06:55:37.350-07:00Book Review: The Shadow Queen by C. J. Redwine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>My Rating: 4/5 Stars</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Author: C. J. Redwine</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Genre: YA Retelling</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Published: 2016</b></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My two favorite books to read are Fantasy and retellings. Retellings hold a special place in my heart and when I find a good one I'm ecstatic. Retellings can be hard because, of course, they are a story based on another story. Sometimes the author can follow to closely and you know exactly where that story is headed. C. J. Redwine did a superb job with The Shadow Queen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Goodreads Synopsis:</b></span><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.</span></i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Our main character, Lorelai (I love that name btw), is a fierce girl determined to get her kingdom back. After the death of her father shes on the run with an exiled guard and her brother. I love lead females who are strong but don't come off as to much. Which in my opinion can be hard. We don't need a guy to save us but we also don't need to be the one saving the guy or worse scorning the whole male population simply because they are male. Lorelai was the perfect combination. She was strong and determined but also vulnerable and willing to accept help when she needed it. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">I Loved the magic in this book. In books we sometimes run into the same story line, or the same old trick but this book had a fresh feel to it. There was such a solid build. We had kingdoms, and history, and different types of magic for each one (I had so much fun with the map included in the book). Dark and light magic. Earth magic as well as air and earth. Shapeshifters and giant serpents. There was just so much this book had to give! But sometimes this became a little much. There were a few times whilst reading when I'd get overwhelmed with all the information, but it wasn't enough to make me stop reading. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">This story is based on Snow White. You can see similarities throughout the story but I think the author did a good job of putting her own twist on it. Of course we had our evil queen, runaway princess, and a huntsman. But our huntsman was a prince with the weight of an endangered kingdom on his shoulders. Our Queen was a lonely woman with a greedy heart. And our Princess was a grieving, magic wielding heir to a throne. All kinds of new things came in to play with this story and I had so much fun seeing what would come next.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">The ending of this story gave me so many feels. It just made me so happy. Just happy tears you guys.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">If you enjoy retellings, magic wielding girls, and dragons then I recommend this story to you. At times it may be a little slow and overwhelming but its definitely worth it.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span>Korinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08569351907746110971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155439717120042778.post-21840887174025500332016-05-12T14:01:00.000-07:002016-05-12T14:01:14.875-07:00Cover Reveal: The Killing Jar by R. S. McCoy<span id="docs-internal-guid-620e9359-a568-4785-5f23-786440133229"></span><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-620e9359-a568-4785-5f23-786440133229"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jHoz9xgQeNCZeUPjsf0cqKt25DKsaUQWjz-Zy2ipFjYbGF3Nich2_lhXNLlaHdCOTcLpyL25h0n7zvx8jZ_nQuTCaOzTH2DlK48p7y86r0VZFCiK8mPImdIp6QW7mFXKeC9l-6NhUTk/s1600/The+Killing+Jar+%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jHoz9xgQeNCZeUPjsf0cqKt25DKsaUQWjz-Zy2ipFjYbGF3Nich2_lhXNLlaHdCOTcLpyL25h0n7zvx8jZ_nQuTCaOzTH2DlK48p7y86r0VZFCiK8mPImdIp6QW7mFXKeC9l-6NhUTk/s640/The+Killing+Jar+%25285%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am so excited to be a part of R. S. McCoy's cover reveal for The Killing Jar! I've read the synopsis and personally, I can't wait to get my hands on a copy! Without further ado, I present the cover!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9tTFE_4BijKOJ5QVYTn-cSKdnA6V2c6ImkXo4ZA5JloL3JS8-FwPe1fTvlM_d3s7Nu00ZgPd8eJwBXiEbhGnevZuvy3pgq3ranKZZJgfApoRw0l_cdYh-UyyFcC5Sr0XbPcMDaWviPM/s1600/The+Killing+Jar+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9tTFE_4BijKOJ5QVYTn-cSKdnA6V2c6ImkXo4ZA5JloL3JS8-FwPe1fTvlM_d3s7Nu00ZgPd8eJwBXiEbhGnevZuvy3pgq3ranKZZJgfApoRw0l_cdYh-UyyFcC5Sr0XbPcMDaWviPM/s400/The+Killing+Jar+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="254" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Isn't it gorgeous?! I'm loving the design. Further details, quotes, and images below! Feel free to email me and squeal over the cover:)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Title: The Killing Jar</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: RS McCoy</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Genre: Science Fiction Romance</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cover Artist: Kit Foster Design</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Release Date: May 28, 2016</span></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-474c5ec6-a56b-6c57-d6f5-21e538498585" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Blurb: </span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Earth is dying, circling the drain on life support. The future of the human race depends on space exploration, but they’re running out of time. Parasitic insects are systematically killing the best scientific minds but no one knows why. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mable Wilkinson is the last hope to figure it out, she just doesn’t know it yet. For years, her resourcefulness, intelligence, and penchant for problem-solving have put her at the top of a very short list of researchers, only she doesn’t want to be part of it. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cast out at sixteen, Mable wrote off the problems of the world long ago. Now, her focus is on Hadley, her adopted little sister, and teaching her to survive in the cut-throat underground. Instead, both Mable and Hadley fall into the hands of the program’s recruiter, Silas Arrenstein, and he’s determined to have one of them. Mable can join up with the man and program who killed her brother, or she can leave Hadley to the same fate.</span></div>
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Links to keep up with news on The Killing Jar and all future books by R.S. McCoy:</div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Facebook: </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRSMcCoy" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0563c1; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRSMcCoy</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Twitter: </span><a href="https://twitter.com/RSMcCoy1" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0563c1; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://twitter.com/RSMcCoy1</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Instagram: </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/r.s.mccoy/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.instagram.com/r.s.mccoy/</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Newsletter Signup: </span><a href="http://eepurl.com/YItp1" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0563c1; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://eepurl.com/YItp1</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Website: </span><a href="http://rsmccoyauthor.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0563c1; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://rsmccoyauthor.com</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Amazon Page: </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/RS-McCoy/e/B00H6JRD4Y/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0563c1; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.amazon.com/RS-McCoy/e/B00H6JRD4Y/</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Goodreads: </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7429464.R_S_McCoy" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7429464.R_S_McCoy</span></a></div>
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The main character! I love stories that have strong sister bonds in them and it looks like we are going to see one:) I'm also getting Katniss vibes from the blurb. anyone else?<br />
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Our main guy! Does she really hate him? Is this a love intrest? Does he always look this fantastic? I really, really want to know. <br />
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This image and this quote make me swoon so I thought I'd share it with you guys. Is anyone getting really curious cause I know I am<br />
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Heres and image with the dates for new releases! I'm currently reading an ARC of Blossom and the Beast and it's so good! </div>
</span>Korinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08569351907746110971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155439717120042778.post-73554840831837467102016-05-05T09:05:00.000-07:002016-05-05T09:05:19.929-07:00Book Review: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>My Rating: 3/5 Stars</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Author: Mary Shelley </b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Genre: Horror, Science Fiction</b></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;"><b>Published: 1818</b></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have never been interested in this story. I'm not sure why I picked it up (curiosity?) but I'm glad I did. This story is one that appeals to our need for revenge. Our desire to put the blame on someone else. To take out our problems on someone else. I felt such an overwhelming pity and hatred for the monster of this story and at the end of the book it was a feeling of despair. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Goodreads Synopsis:</span></b><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;">Mary Shelley</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;"> began writing </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;">Frankenstein</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;"> when she was only eighteen. At once a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;">Frankenstein</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;"> tells the story of committed science student Victor Frankenstein. Obsessed with discovering the cause of generation and life and bestowing animation upon lifeless matter, Frankenstein assembles a human being from stolen body parts but; upon bringing it to life, he recoils in horror at the creature's hideousness. Tormented by isolation and loneliness, the once-innocent creature turns to evil and unleashes a campaign of murderous revenge against his creator, Frankenstein.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;">Frankenstein</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;">, an instant bestseller and an important ancestor of both the horror and science fiction genres, not only tells a terrifying story, but also raises profound, disturbing questions about the very nature of life and the place of humankind within the cosmos: What does it mean to be human? What responsibilities do we have to each other? How far can we go in tampering with Nature? In our age, filled with news of organ donation genetic engineering, and bio-terrorism, these questions are more relevant than ever.</span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></i>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">My dear Victor Frankenstein,</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">You are insane. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">Sincerely,</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">A mind blown reader.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Basically me the first third of the story. Why? Why do something as crazy as collect body parts and assemble a human? Or can it even be considered a human? Frankenstein's monster had the same parts as a human. He eventually learns to communicate as one. But there was something missing. What makes us human?Something throughout the story is telling you that this creature couldn't possibly be human. At every turn he is destroying something, or thinking something that had you recoiling in horror. But there are humans out there capable of such actions or thoughts. So what makes you human? This book explores that question and leaves you questioning everything you've ever thought about humanity. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">This book is considered a classic horror. A lot of people go for this book because of that and are disappointed. This isn't some Hollywood horror film with a spirit coming out of the walls or floating candles. This is something worse. Victor has created a living, thinking creature that is stronger than the average human being. He then leaves this abomination on its own and spends months waiting for it to show up. That, in my opinion, is a horror. The feelings of deep hatred and self loathing. The fear and anxiety as you wait for something so gruesome to make an appearance. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">(I did not, however, consider this a romance. So if you're reading this book for the romance don't. There is very little love and happiness in this book.)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">The monster. *start of long winded explanation* The monster is in fact not Frankenstein. He is Victor Frankenstein's monster. Hence Frankenstein's Monster. If you had no clue about what I just wrote don't worry about it. I didn't know up until a few years ago and in almost every retelling or movie the monster is called Frankenstein *end of long winded explanation*. As I said in the beginning of my review the Monster made me feel both pity and anger towards it. When Frankenstein first creates the monster it can't speak. It was almost like a baby and at times that is what made me pity it. It didn't understand what was happening or the difference between right and wrong. But eventually our monster becomes educated and uses his strength to push Victor around. All my feelings of pity flew out the window at the first murder. Our monster was smart. He was clever with his words and used just the right amount of intimidation to get what he wanted. But at the end of the book I felt depressed. I didn't feel pity or anger I was just depressed. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">This book is not something that can be pinned down. It's very much up to the reader how to perceive it. Mary Shelley created a master piece that, though at times can be boring, keeps you hooked and your mind working. I'd recommend this to a reader. If you're trying to get into classics -- leave this for later. But, if you enjoy books and have taken on some of the bigger classics-- read this one. Its something that I think you need to read to fully understand and appreciate it yourself. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>Korinnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08569351907746110971noreply@blogger.com0