tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61788158007933080162024-03-20T08:34:07.638-07:00Tara Belle TalkingAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596788226744642252noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178815800793308016.post-62763385995783241342015-09-24T08:19:00.002-07:002015-09-24T08:19:28.564-07:00Why do you DNF?Hello all! Since I'm in a soul crushing reading slump while starting classes for next semester, starting a new job and getting far into some dramas, I find myself not being able to post as much. So I'm posing a question to anybody that still reads this blog despite my ridiculous absence.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What is the kiss of death for a book for you?</span><br />
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I've always tried my best to finish all the books that I start. I was very proud of myself last semester for finishing a <b>text book</b> cover to cover which I have never done before. Sure, I've gone through most of the chapters before but I've never just read everything, including the Appendix which had the Constitution and other things in it. But anyways, I'm in the middle of another book at the moment and I'm really thinking about not finishing it. And I asked myself why.<br />
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<b>What makes a book so difficult or annoying or whatever to the point where you can't read a single more page?</b><br />
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For this one book, it's the main character. She's weak and has no real personality besides complaining. I understand her situation but in most other books, the main character has some backbone or something that drives her to be something. This girl has nothing. She's a limp noodle and so far has basically done what she has been told to do.<br />
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Another difficult thing for me to read is terrible dialogue. When authors try to do vernacular or their language is too stiff, it makes the book arduous and boring. I just want to scream that nobody really talks like that!<br />
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I'm struggling to remember other reasons why I quit reading books. Sometimes the main character or the supporting characters drive me crazy. I've quit a book before because it depicted abuse in a way that glorified it or there was excessive slut shaming, body shaming, or other types of ingrained behavior that denigrates women (or anybody for that matter. I hate bullies).<br />
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But I'm turning to y'all now. Is there anything that makes you want to hurl books across the room? I'm curious because everybody has different taste and different opinions about this.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596788226744642252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178815800793308016.post-91073421298675119062015-08-22T19:12:00.000-07:002015-08-22T19:12:27.442-07:00Book Review: Within A Dream by Tempest C. Avery<div>
I'm back from vacation so first things first! I gotta put up this review!</div>
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Book received in exchange for an honest review through Lovers of Paranormal</b><br /><br />I'm going to need some help with this review...<br /><br /><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1440295630r/15958579.gif?v=1440295656393" /><br /><br />Much better.<br /><br />I don't even know how to start with this one.<br /><br />On one hand, there's an interesting premise to the book. 4 teenagers are reincarnations of magical beings and have special powers. Bad people are after them and they have to try to protect themselves and learn more about their heritage and their powers.<br /><br />On the other hand, it was everything but the kitchen sink when it came to the magical/supernatural beings and I was wondering when it would stop. Shall I list them?<br /><br />You know it.<br /><b><br />1) Witches<br />2) Faeries/Fae<br />3) Werewolves<br />4) Aliens<br />5) Shapeshifters<br />6) Reincarnations<br />7) Voodoo/Hoodoo<br />8) Celtic Mythology<br />9) Viking Mythology<br />10) Some Wiccan incorporated</b><br /><br /><img src="https://d.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1434129456ra/15177649.gif" /><br /><br />Some bonus features:<br /><br /><b>A. Insta-love<br />B. Insta-love + love triangle<br />C. Insta-love for secondary characters<br />D. Hot guy on a motorcycle<br />E. Evil ex-lover type<br />F. Absentee Parental Units</b><br /><br /><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1440295630r/15958580.gif?v=1440295663922" /><br /><br />The characters and the story was interesting enough but there was just too much going on. Too many histories and stories getting mixed together with far too many magical beings. It works in something like <i>Harry Potter</i> because as far as the first book goes, there aren't major characters that are different beings from different planets. You cannot introduce all of these different creatures into a book without it looking like you are trying too hard.<br /><br />I liked Lily, the main character, fine though. She wasn't completely helpless and she liked to take charge which was nice. Her love interests both occupied the dark broody boy character which was a little typical but it wasn't a bad description of a relationship. It did feel like it was trying to pull on the <i>Shattered</i> series a bit with the old love interest coming to you in dreams but I was able to overlook that part of it.<br /><br />But there's one thing that doomed this book for me. <br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>PROOFREAD. NOW.</b></span><br /><br />There were typos or misspellings every ten pages if not more frequently. This book desperately needed some editing and a lot of love because there is absolutely no excuse for spelling "melodramatic" as two words. "Mellow dramatic".<br /><br /><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1440295630r/15958580.gif?v=1440295664061" /><br /><br />So yeah, real rating about a 1.8 so I'm rounding it up to 2 stars. The saving grace was the interesting idea behind the book but there was just too much going on with not enough editing.<div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596788226744642252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178815800793308016.post-78437606126284690302015-08-17T10:56:00.001-07:002015-08-17T10:56:27.995-07:00Book Review: Boost (A Haunted Addiction #1) by D.A. Paul<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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ARC received in exchange for an honest review</div>
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Blurb from Goodreads:</div>
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<i>They call it a boost.<br />It’s the buzz you get from absorbing the spiritual energy of the dead, and it absolutely terrifies Lidia Powell.<br /> <br />Shortly after meeting Ander at summer camp, Lidia is thrust into the world of psychic mediums and brought to a new school. At Mountain Heights Academy, even a casual pizza-date is accompanied by a ghost, and only a frightened uberdork would refuse the boost. To Lidia, the peer pressure to absorb phantom apparitions is horrifying, but to everyone else, it's the drug of choice.<br /> <br />However, when one of the students delves into dark energy, Lidia suspects that a boost isn’t as innocent as it seems. Soon, the boost becomes an addiction and Lidia must act fast before the changes become irreversible.</i></blockquote>
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<i>Boost</i> by D.A. Paul is probably best described as a mix of <i>Ghostbusters</i>, and <i>Vampire Academy</i>. The main character, Lidia, is a teenage girl (I'm assuming around 16? The age was never really given or I missed it somehow) who gets entangled into a world of ghosts, spirits, and demons. She never wanted this life in the first place, never knew about it to be honest, and she wants to go home and live a normal life with her dysfunctional family. It's all a bit too much for her, getting whisked off away from her charming, normal boyfriend to go live in the mountains with a bunch of other teenagers who add high school drama to her already messed up world.</div>
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Okay, so I don't do most high school drama type books. My high school was a bit weird, I only graduated with 55 people and we couldn't really have that much drama because it was impossible to have secrets in the first place. Whatever grudges we had (and there were some, no doubt) we kept them to ourselves. You were stuck with them anyways and how else were we going to get a senior prank together? That being said, sometimes I just can't relate to the mean girls and backstabbing that goes on in some YA books. My reference for normal high school life comes from old school Nickelodeon. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Odd note: if you google "high school drama gif" it's all Ouran High School Host Club and that makes me really happy</td></tr>
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But anyways, Lidia ends up moving away from her boyfriend Ethan and basically being stranded in the middle of nowhere in the weirdest private school ever with his best friend who is not only a flirt but also terribly attractive. Because that's going to go well. Lidia has to learn how to deal with being away from the stability in her life while trying to figure out how to deal with the ghosties that keep cropping up in her life.</div>
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My appreciation for Lidia sort of waxed and waned throughout the book. I enjoyed the fact that she didn't feel the need to dress up when Ethan came by and rejected her mother's pleas to "look a bit cuter". My mother, to this day, still does the same thing. I went to church without lipstick and blush a few weeks ago and you would think I walked out of the house naked. We all know those mothers and I liked that this girl actually stood up for herself a bit. I didn't like the body shaming or the trash talking though. I know it was a few isolated incidents but wanted a girl to be smothered with her "overly large breasts" just rubbed me the wrong way. It's not the girl's fault that she is well endowed.</div>
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Also, the vegan part. </div>
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Or semi-vegan. I get that some people do it for health, philosophical, and/or taste preference reasons and <b>I completely respect that.</b> What I don't like is when people call themselves vegan and then eat cheese and dairy saying that they couldn't resist the temptation. I don't care if an author makes a vegan character but <b>PLEASE</b> stop using it as a descriptor as if her diet dictates who she is as a person. I got it. She ate waffles for breakfast (which are made with <b>milk</b> by the way) and tried to avoid meat because it made her feel weird after something with her grandmother but it felt like it was every other sentence. Lidia was closer to a semi-vegetarian than a vegan and that really bothered me. It felt like it cheapened the point of her trying to be vegan.</div>
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Moving on from that, I actually really liked Ander for the most part. He's not a good boy and he's not a bad boy but somewhere in the middle. Lidia asked for him to leave her alone and he did so. He knew she was pissed off and he tried to protect her without being obvious about it. He respected the fact that Lidia was dating his best friend and respected her boundaries. He was flirty without being a jerk and there were no cringe inducing lines that you sometimes find in YA.</div>
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The idea of getting high off spirit energy is pretty unique and that was what held the book together for me. Getting a "boost" (hence the name) is literally like getting a tiny shot of adrenaline. It makes sense. Spirits = Energy. Energy = Endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people don't get into as much drama as angsty kids.</div>
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But despite all of the good, interesting things in this book, there were some major flaws that didn't work for me. </div>
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It felt like the stereotypical high school set up, that I'm starting to get really sick of seeing. We had the curvy sexy bitch girl. Check. We have the popular cool guy. Check. We have the awkward couple that everybody is slightly concerned about. Check. We have the guy with the lip rings. Check. It just seemed like there was a formula there and nobody really stood out. Lidia was beautiful and random guys developed crushes on her and she not only had a sort of boyfriend but also had Ander and every other guy that looked at her. Give me a girl main character who is confident in herself but doesn't have boys wandering around her like cows off their feed. I want strong girls who have insecurities but are honest with themselves.</div>
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Building on that was the sex. They are teenagers at boarding school. They're going to get it on. But it felt out of place if we're going to be honest. <b>There was very little sexual tension for me because it was treated so casually.</b> I think that if they weren't all having sex with each other, the relationships might have worked better. It went from zero to a hundred real quick. Lidia was thrilled about someone's pinky touching her thigh and then they were in bed together. It was rushed and there seemed to be little consideration for the stuff that happened between the first kiss and sex. That's not to say that it needed to be racy but it jumped around too much. There is awkwardness and deeper kisses between those things. There is more frustration and anxiety. The characters need to have more interaction with each other between those two settings other than just avoiding each other. It was a missed opportunity in that regard because there could have been more build up there.</div>
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The kids never actually seemed to be in class or at camp. They were supposed to be students and camp counselors but there was never any mention of them actually participating in any significant way. When I was at camp, the counselors were <b>always</b> busy and when I became in charge of 80 seven year olds for a few summers, I understood why. There is always something that needs to be done and you don't have a chance to go work on your tan. At school, there's always homework. Especially at a school that has high college acceptance rates and these kids barely seemed to go to class! I wanted a few classroom scenes but they were noticeably absent.</div>
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It just felt like parts of the book were missing. I was looking for tension. I was looking for teachers and kids getting caught out at night but it didn't seem to happen. This book could have been a hundred pages longer because it seemed like some of the descriptions and interactions had been pared down. Readers want to know what classroom life is like and what they do on their days off. Sometimes, it is good to see the characters lounging around talking shit and it just wasn't there for me.</div>
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But you know what? I probably would have really enjoyed this book in high school when I really think about it. It's a young adult book and I think it would be perfect for young adults. I wanted more from it but that might be because I like high tension and more crazy drama. I want high speed chases and hiding in the woods overnight with ghosts surrounding the main characters. The drama in this book was, I feel, suited for a particular age range and that worked well.</div>
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Big thank you to D.A. Paul for contacting me and providing me with this ARC!</div>
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Oh my goodness, am I getting old? Is that really happening to me?</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596788226744642252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178815800793308016.post-92215029726894638882015-08-05T10:46:00.000-07:002015-08-05T10:54:21.972-07:00Book Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I really need to read more these days. I feel like things have been turned on their head because Taylor is reading books and I'm watching TV. He's reading <i>Red Rising</i> and the rest of the books in the series after I basically told him to read them <b>or else</b> and he is loving them. I knew it. Such good books for guys and we've been having some lovely discussions about themes and characters.</div>
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<i>A Court of Thorns and Roses</i> is the first book in a new series by Sarah J. Maas of <i>Throne of Glass</i> fame. This one is definitely different though from that series though. This is another retelling of Beauty and the Beast but in a way that doesn't make me want to throw things and run through the streets screaming. I mean, I think we're all sick to death of the traditional story line and this book takes a different spin on it. </div>
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Alright, before I get distracted again, I want to talk about the cover. While it is a lovely idea, I'm sick to death of black and red covers. Sometimes, they work for me but those tend to be a bit more subtle. I get that black and red are supposed to be the dangerous scary sort of combination but I wish that authors and publishers would mix it up a bit. <b>It's all we see now! Please, I'm begging you. Some other color combination. Use orange. Use green. I'd die a happy woman if you used purple. CHANGE IT UP.</b></div>
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Feyre is a survivor and always has been. She doesn't remember much of the luxury her family used to live in but she does know how to aim a bow and take care of her kills. She knows that she has to work hard or her family will starve and knows equally as well that she will get neither help nor praise for her efforts. Her sisters were used to being taken care of and nothing has changed much there. Her father sees himself as a worthless cripple even though with a little effort, he could get a job. So that's why Feyre is out in the woods, alone, hunting a deer when the biggest wolf she has ever seen stalks into her life. She had heard stories of faeries turning into animals and kills the beast, not knowing what repercussions may follow. Feyre then finds herself spirited away to the land of Faeries and curses where danger not only comes in the form of her captors, but also what lurks in the woodland.</div>
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So in the beginning, we have a bit of a Cinderella situation going on. I mean, her sisters are pretty horrible. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you haven't seen this version of Cinderella, you're seriously missing out</td></tr>
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They used to be a well respected family with money and power but their father lost all of their money and these girls haven't quite gotten over that. They prance around their little town like they are the best thing that ever happened to it because they were brought up with silver spoons in their mouths. Feyre never really experienced all that so she has a bit more humility. You end up hoping that something horrible happens to her sisters because they are the bullies that you always hate in life and literature. <b>You want them to have to work and struggle when they don't seem to initially.</b></div>
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<i>"Nesta cocked her head. I'd seen predators use that movement before. I sometimes wondered if her unrelenting steel would have helped us better survive - thrive, even - if she hadn't been so preoccupied with out lost status."</i></blockquote>
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Moving on though to the actual fairy tale part of all of this. Feyre, in retribution for what she has done, is dragged off through the woods to live in an enchanted faerie castle with a terrifying male who seems to be lacking in the social skills department. Feyre has been told all her life to be scared of faeries. That they're wicked and they control the land and could unleash all sorts of hell on it. But this mysterious masked man isn't all thorns and snarling. And neither is his companion Lucien. </div>
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So Tamlin (big scary fae) and Lucien and everybody else in this particular faerie realm is under some sort of curse. Tamlin and Lucien are both High Fae which means while they are handsome and powerful, they are cursed to wear masks that they cannot remove. But beyond that, both are incredibly attractive. Feyre finds herself being drawn in more and more to Tamlin, her captor, and can no longer see him as the enemy. And then...everything goes to hell in a hand basket.</div>
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The fairy tale aspect of this works really well in my opinion. It is definitely Beauty and the Beast but the beast has more personality and charm than the one we always associate with. You get to see into his mind more and understand his pain. <b>And Feyre is more than just a Belle character. </b>She can't read but she is an artist. She paints and tries to make the world a more beautiful place than her reality. She is bitter and cynical and all of the things that would naturally happen if you were left to fend for yourself with nobody's help. The magic works. The curse works. It all is great for me. </div>
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And it's funny! I had some laugh out loud moments in it and the writing is actually pretty good. There's a nice balance between humor, dialogue, world building and introspection.</div>
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<i>"He also said that you like being brushed, and if I'm a clever girl, I might train you with treats"</i></blockquote>
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And it's sexy. It's so easy to try to tame fairy tales because it's what we grew up with as kids and we don't want to see them corrupted. But there's some definite tension going on here and Feyre is a mature woman. She is open and honest with herself and isn't some wilting violet. And Tamlin isn't either. He's possessive and dominant. <b>He is fully aware of his sex appeal but he doesn't use it as a weapon. </b>Once he gets over his supremely awkward stage, he is charming and the perfect gentleman most of the time. But when he gets pushed, he has this dark and alluring side that Feyre can't resist. </div>
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<i>"He took my hands. His callused fingers, strong and sturdy, were gentle as he lifted my bleeding hand to his mouth and kissed my palm. As if that were answer enough."</i></blockquote>
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The biggest issue I had with this book, besides the cover, is the ending. And I'm not going to spoil anything for you but it felt a bit rushed sometimes. It had a <i>Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire</i> feel to it and it left me wanting more. The rest of the book had been done so well with all of the world building and character development that the ending just didn't live up to it. It felt like the author was searching for a conclusion. I'm not saying it was terrible but it was just not as good as the rest of the book. </div>
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I will be reading the next one but I hope it builds more. The first book has established a wonderful world and an interesting plot. I desperately hope that the next one lives up to its legacy.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596788226744642252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178815800793308016.post-78397877347761609532015-07-28T10:11:00.000-07:002015-07-28T10:11:36.931-07:00Book Review: The Perilous Sea (Elemental Trilogy #2) by Sherry Thomas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's been a while but I'm here with a book review! </div>
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<i>The Perilous Sea</i> is the second book in the Elemental Trilogy by Sherry Thomas. The first book was <i>The Burning Sky</i> and while I enjoyed it, it was a bit lackluster in the actual follow through. This was similar which is such a disappointment to me. </div>
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This is another one of those books where you can never quite figure out what your feelings are about it. Think of it as a cross between Harry Potter, Aladdin, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and The Hunger Games. There are wands, flying carpets, bending, and all sorts of other craziness that goes on in this book.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />We meet back up with Iolanthe and Titus when they go back to Eton to take on the Bane and then everything starts going a little crazy. Does anybody else remember that season of LOST where they added the flash forwards and you could tell that it was important to the story line but weren't quite sure how and you were just struggling to keep things straight in your mind? It was a bit like that to me.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />This definitely had a bit of Second Book Syndrome going for it too, which was incredibly disappointing. Titus kind of turns into a royal jackass and he loses all faith in who he is and what he is supposed to be doing. I can understand having a bit of an existential crisis but to me, he basically threw his hands up and said "Fuck it, we're all gonna die anyways!" which felt weak to me. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />Truly, the strongest character in this series is Iolanthe because she not only is an incredibly powerful sorceress but also puts up with Titus' waffling and nonsense. She kind of felt like the sidekick that went along behind the steamrolling main character and cleaned up their messes and got them set back onto the right path. Titus seemed to miss the logic sometimes and she was there to tell him to slow down and think things through.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">BUT! Big But!</span></b><br />I did enjoy the book. Once the plot got rolling, it was a fun read despite Titus acting like an idiot for the majority of the book. I enjoyed the banter between him and Iolanthe and there was a healthy dose of romance and cuteness to go along with it. <br /><br />There was also a bit more <b>*actual*</b> action to this book. The first one seemed like there was a lot of planning going on but the flash forwards allowed for there to be more magic and fighting instead of just training and preparing. They weren't just running scared and trying to figure out what was going on. Once they had a plan, they attempted to execute it.<div>
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And the world building was so much better in this book! I love a well constructed world that a series can exist in. The first book, while it was there, it didn't really have any details about the actual space that all of this happened in. There was no real sense of oppression, despite having an apparent evil overlord and the bad guy was far enough away that it didn't really impact anything. The addition of more action helped and it gave the characters more space to inhabit. However, there was still a massive lack of enough bad things going on to the regular people to justify needing a rebellion. As I understood it, only the wealthy and royalty ever felt oppressed in any way and that was because they were dealing with the drama loudly and up close. The normal people never really had anything to do with it. They are free to move about and live how they want for the most part.<br /><br />The ending though...it is a cliffhanger and this doesn't need a spoiler tag since it is pretty obvious from the first book that there is going to be a battle.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />The author spends all of this time and effort building up to a battle and then just stops the book. I hope the next book isn't just about three or four days of the battle and right after because I will throw something. This book covered about 7 weeks of time. It wouldn't have killed the author to just add the battle at the end and then have the next book be the aftermath. But no. Just had to be a cliff hanger. <b>GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR</b><br /><br />But yeah...it's a good book but not one of my favorites. I'll pick up the last one when it comes out so that I can have some resolution but it felt a bit like a filler book and I wanted to punch Titus in the face more than once. It's a quick read and entertaining if you like magic and stupid boys.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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So three stars? Three and a half? It wasn't bad but it also wasn't fantastic, you know? I'd explain more but frankly, I have stitches in the tip of one of my fingers and this shit is starting to hurt.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596788226744642252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178815800793308016.post-35659633264940762052015-07-16T11:12:00.001-07:002015-07-16T11:17:06.652-07:00Book Review: Phantom by Susan Kay<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>HELLO ALL!</b></span></div>
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It's been a while. If we're going to be honest here, I've been crazy bogged down with school. It's online classes but holy shit there is a ton of reading and work and I haven't had time to read. Add that to an ever expanding obsession with KDramas and people that feed that obsession and I am just short on time for everything.</div>
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But I'm back! At least for now. And I have a book review!</div>
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<i>Phantom</i><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>by Susan Kay has been a favorite of mine for a really long time. I first got hooked on <i>Phantom of the Opera</i> stuff in high school. I watched the movie with Gerard Butler, I read the original novel by Gaston Leroux and I found this book. Then, in college among moving stuff from dorm to home and back again, I lost my copy of it! It's probably still floating around somewhere but I bought a new copy and I'm so thrilled that I was able to read it again.</div>
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<i>Phantom</i> really delves into the mind of the Phantom, Erik. He isn't just a mindless psychopath living in the basement, praying on young women. He has motivation. He has his arrogance. He is brilliant and so broken in this. Every aspect of his adolescence is so twisted, from his mother refusing to give him any warmth to his imprisonment in the gypsy camp to losing the one man who he could call a father figure. You begin to understand how he became the way that he did.</div>
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God, this book hit me so hard in the heart the first time I read it. It's so dark. It's so hopeless in many ways. You see someone suffering for how they look, despite their amazing mind and you wonder what would have happened if he had had love as a child instead of fear and scorn.</div>
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<i>“I am not forsaken! I'm no longer alone in the darkness! Before my eyes I see a thousand little devils lighting black candles along the path which leads toward the edge...the blindingly beautiful edge.”</i></blockquote>
The secondary characters are remarkably well built as well. I hated his mother, Madeleine but you can understand her fear. In that time, Erik would have been seen as an abomination. There would be no place for him in society because of his image and you desperately hope that wouldn't be the case now. She was scared of this child that had so much intelligence but was hampered by her revulsion towards him. She was a young mother whose husband just died and she saw Erik as a curse. I can't imagine.<br />
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And then the Daroga. And the architect in Italy. Where he had once had hope and friendship, he managed to lose it all. I feel like throughout the book, up until he meets Christine, Erik strives to be a better person but his situation in life turns him into the sadistic person that he is.</div>
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<i>“My mind has touched the farthest horizons of mortal imagination and reaches ever outward to embrace infinity. There is no knowledge beyond my comprehension, no art or skill upon this entire planet that lies beyond the mastery of my hand. And yet, like Faust, I look in vain, I learn in vain. . . . For as long as I live, no woman will ever look on me in love.”</i></blockquote>
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My biggest fault with this book is the last ten to fifteen percent. The last little bit where he finally meets Christine and succumbs to the madness that he has been fighting for so long.</div>
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<i>“She wanted an Angel of Music . . . an angel who would make her believe in herself at last. I'd been the Angel of Doom for the khanum. There was no reason in the world why I could not be the Angel of Music for Christine. I couldn't hope to be a man to her, I couldn't ever be a real, breathing, living man waking at her side and reaching out for her . . . But I could be her angel"</i></blockquote>
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I hated Christine. She follows blindly and doesn't question anything. Lamb to the slaughter. And I'm not saying that she was supposed to be more worldly since she was only 20 and had hardly experienced any of the world but I wanted her to have more doubt than she did. Erik loved the idea of her more than anything else and she knew it. She couldn't make decisions on her own except on the occasions of threats against her or others. She ruined Erik's character for me since he had been so resolute and strong for most of the book but finally crumbles under an obsession.</div>
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But I guess that's the point of it all. He is supposed to lose it. Erik finally relinquishes control of his mind and basically damns himself. It's all so sad and terrible and that's why I love this book.</div>
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If you haven't read this book, you need to. It is such a beautiful supplement to the story that most are familiar with and it only enhances the musical and the original book. Seriously, go get it. Now. Do it. It's wonderful.</div>
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I promise I will get back to regular posting and reading other blogs. I've just been so busy it's ridiculous! Take pity on me and don't forget about me! I'm still around. I'm just lurking.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596788226744642252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178815800793308016.post-64418471025515042332015-06-19T09:16:00.000-07:002015-06-19T09:16:09.575-07:00Discussion Post: Why We Love the Bad Boys<div style="text-align: justify;">
A good villain is hard to find. </div>
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Sometimes we want them so terrifically bad that we want their defeat to be over the top and glorious. We want them to go down in a spectacular way with dramatic ending lines and walking away from the explosion. Then there are the villains that you know, that you can relate to. They are the horrible bosses that make you work overtime on the holidays. They are the ones that torment you at school and love the fact that they have some sort of power over you and you can't do a damn thing about it. Those are the ones that you hope live a long miserable life just so they can remember that they could have been nice and this never would have happened.</div>
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And finally, there are the ones that we are attracted to. The bad boys with the sad past. The ones that act so cold and distant but are really just extraordinarily warped or broken. Their pain and anger isn't natural but developed. Their hatred is learned and we can all connect to it.</div>
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This is not going to be a Harry Potter post, I promise.</div>
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But I have always personally felt that the villains are often more compelling than the heroes. Heroes have one job and that's usually to save the world. Their "goodness" is based off of them being compassionate or brave, not based off of their past. Their history can either be rosy or horrible but they have hope and they want something better than the world that they are existing in. And while we have to have the good guy in the end, there has to be the bad guy to balance them out.</div>
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But characters are rarely evil for the sake of being evil. It's hard to hate that much without reason and I am obsessed with characters that play the villain role that slowly transform into something else. I think we all have a favorite bad boy. It started young for me, with <i>Beauty and the Beast</i> where the character that is supposed to be evil and terrifying turns out to be gentle and compassionate. Obviously, my favorite bad gone good character of all time is Draco Malfoy (and Dramione is my eternal OTP) because we get to see what he goes through.</div>
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That's the important thing about creating a bad character. You have to understand his pain because otherwise you just have a sociopath. There has to be a cause, whether it be physical or mental. And they have to be able to redeem themselves which doesn't necessarily mean that they will. This character must be capable of it when he/she is given the choice and they have to make that decision and it has to be believable. There's no redeeming quality to someone who has killed hundreds or thousands and won't repent but there is hope for those who carry the guilt around like a blanket draped over them. Compassion must be developed at some point.</div>
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As I stated earlier, I love me some Malfoy but I also really love Morpheus from <i>Shattered</i> and Warner from the <i>Shatter Me</i> series. I love it when characters can redeem themselves.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">So, the entire point of this post, is who is your favorite bad boy/girl? Do you have one and why do you like them as a character?</span></div>
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In other news, I have finally made it into graduate school so my posts may drop for a few weeks while I get used to my new schedule. I promise, I'll keep reading and I will catch up soon!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Everybody have a happy weekend!</b></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596788226744642252noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178815800793308016.post-78111285709869352772015-06-12T09:59:00.000-07:002015-08-05T10:46:29.208-07:00Book Review: Phantom (Dark Musicals #1) by Laura DeLuca<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I went through a stage of my life, right before college, where I was absolutely obsessed with <i>Phantom of the Opera</i>. It started with the movie that had Gerard Butler as the Phantom which led to reading the original novel, then <i>Phantom</i> by Susan Kay, and eventually having the pleasure of watching the musical on Broadway a couple of times.</div>
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I wanted a new interpretation of the novels with a high school twist, a character just as distorted and flawed as Erik but with more modern problems. I wanted the beauty of the prose of Susan Kay's <i>Phantom</i> with the wonderful storytelling of Gaston Leroux's <i>Phantom of the Opera</i> but in the end, I was more disappointed than a child opening a Cracker Jack box and there not being a toy inside. </div>
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First: the blurb from Goodreads since I'm not going to bother writing one</div>
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The “Phantom” was a musical phenomenon that Rebecca had always found enchanting. She had no idea that her life was about to mirror the play that was her obsession. When her high school drama club chooses “Phantom” as their annual production, Rebecca finds herself in the middle of an unlikely love triangle and the target of a sadistic stalker who uses the lines from the play as their calling card. </blockquote>
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Rebecca lands the lead role of Christine, the opera diva, and like her character, she is torn between her two co-stars—Tom the surfer and basketball star who plays the lovable hero, and Justyn, the strangely appealing Goth who is more than realistic in the role of the tortured artist. </blockquote>
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Almost immediately after casting, strange things start to happen both on and off the stage. Curtains fall. Mirrors are shattered. People are hurt in true phantom style. They all seem like accidents until Rebecca receives notes and phone calls that hint at something more sinister. Is Justyn bringing to life the twisted character of the phantom? Or in real life are the roles of the hero and the villain reversed? Rebecca doesn’t know who to trust, but she knows she’s running out of time as she gets closer and closer to opening night. Only when the mask is stripped away, will the twenty first century phantom finally be revealed.</blockquote>
Alright...I should have known better from the blurb.<br />
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I am pretty much over most high school drama, mostly because my experience was incredibly different from a lot of these characters' that you read these days. I went to a small school with a graduating class of 55. Most of us were in the same classes for 8 years together so you sort of learn to live in harmony. Are other high schools this horrible where kids are attacking each other in the hallway and there are catfights and challenges being thrown about like confetti?</div>
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Anyways, Rebecca is one of those girls who has never done anything special in her life and then suddenly decides to try out for the main role of her favorite musical. She (of course) lands the role of a lifetime with Christine and she thinks that she connects to the character in a special way. After all, she has spent her life in the high school equivalent of the chorus dancers, staying out of the way and trying not to do anything to gather attention but she can't pass up this opportunity.</div>
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So she gets the role, pisses off the popular girl, gets the popular boy Tom to <i>finallyOMG</i> notice her and then the creepy goth guy shows up and steals all of attention. Justyn has a beautiful voice but a tendency towards lurking in the corners and singing lines from the musical to her. Carmen and Debbie, her best friends, think that he's strange and urge Rebecca to stay away from him but she can't resist him and finds herself drawn to him.</div>
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Tom, who is supposed to be the basketball player who surfs with an awesome voice is the most over done character I've seen in my life. He's supposed to be perfect and blonde and pretty and oh wait...</div>
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I've seen this character before somewhere! I wonder where...<br />
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Moving onto Justyn. The goth boy with inconsistent character descriptions. He was originally described with facial piercings, eyeliner and black lipstick. He wears fishnet shirts and chains on his boots. Now, with my obsession over KPOP, I've gotten over most reservations about guyliner but the black lipstick is too much. There was some hazing at my college where the girls in sororities made the pledges wear black lipstick so if they made out with a guy at a party, everybody would know. Sorry, but black lipstick + making out + creepy character role = taking it too far. </div>
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And he loves his cape and takes every opportunity to hide in the corner and lurk. He takes himself too seriously and fucking calls himself <b>LORD JUSTYN I SHIT YOU NOT</b>. </div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Not only that, but randomly the author decides to insert that he is Wiccan into the plot. It does nothing to further the plot but seems to be there just to make him a little bit more different and make it so that his mother won't take him to the hospital when he breaks his ribs. I'm all for natural healing but I'm speaking from personal experience that when you break your ribs, it fucking hurts. It is difficult to sleep, especially if you break them on your side and a little bit of willow bark tea is not going to help much as far as pain scale goes. Take him to the hospital and get him some decent medication and treatment so the boy can sleep!</span></div>
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<b>THIS BOOK WAS TERRIBLE.</b><br />
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Want some quotes? Well, you're getting them anyways. Prepare yourself...<br />
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<i>"Why are you so nervous, Becca?" Carmen Webber asked. "You've got to be the only person in the school who's had the entire script memorized since kindergarten. Besides, you have an amazing voice. You're going to be fine. Really!"</i></blockquote>
I hate teenybopper pep talks, especially as an introduction. Off to a bad start.<br />
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<i>"He's the stagehand the Phantom kills right before the intermission. He gets hung."</i></blockquote>
Being hung is something completely different than being <b>hanged</b>. I get that they're in high school but the editor should have caught that.<br />
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<i>"I'm not the one who's been upstaged by some usurping loser from the geek squad."</i></blockquote>
Ahahahaha...I miss insults like these. It's like all the old teen movies are coming back to laugh at the modern world.<br />
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<i>"The phantom always used a noose to kill his victims."</i></blockquote>
No...he used a Punjab lasso that was utilized like a garrote. Educate yourself.<br />
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<i>"I can't believe you two would actually read that dribble on purpose."</i></blockquote>
This is dribbling. The word you are looking for is <b>drivel</b>.<br />
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<i>"I've put up with your crap for long enough, Wendy. The jibes. The looks. The nasty comments. Well, I've had it. It stops now. I got the role of Christine. I have the better voice. And you have been upstaged. Get over it and get on with your life. Being a bitch isn't going to change things."</i></blockquote>
Ugh, sassy standing up for yourself is soooooooo two thousand and late.<br />
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<i>"His one cataract eye was oblique and almost glowing"</i></blockquote>
Did you even try to edit this thing? Your eye can't be oblique. Cataracts can make your eyes <b>opaque </b>though.<br />
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<i>"Willow bark is just a plant."</i></blockquote>
No, it is the bark off of a willow tree which is where aspirin is derived from. As stated earlier, if you have fallen and broken your ribs, you are going to want a little bit more than some diluted aspirin tea.<br />
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<i>"I heard he hung himself in the bathroom stall."</i></blockquote>
<b>HANGED</b>. He hanged himself. You can't "hung" yourself. It is grammatically incorrect and therefore impossible.<br />
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All of this is before even considering the plot, which felt like it was *insert yourself here* fanfiction. Rebecca has no obvious flaws besides being so stupid that you wonder who ties her shoelaces every morning. Her friends are bitchy and have an opinion about everybody and everything. Debbie is described as the scary Amazon (which I personally take offense to) and doesn't stand up for herself through the entire book. Tom and Justyn fighting over her is the most played out plot line <b>ever</b> and the bitchy horrible Wendy is the most stereotypical mean girl I've ever seen.</div>
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I honestly cannot fathom how this thing is rated so high on Goodreads. A 4.05? Are you fucking kidding me? The author can't even call the musical by its proper name, doesn't credit the quotes that she used correctly and spells Andrew Lloyd Webber's name incorrectly at the start of the book. For a fan of <i>Phantom of the Opera</i>, it sucked at being a good tribute to the work.</div>
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There are two redeeming qualities from this book. The plot twist was unexpected (but not well written). I can honestly say it surprised me. The other is that it has made me want to find some good <i>Phantom of the Opera</i> literature and reread <i>Phantom</i> and the original novel.</div>
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So skip this one. Don't come near it. I've more than warned you. If you are an avid fan of <i>Phantom of the Opera</i> you will be excessively disappointed.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596788226744642252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178815800793308016.post-8842409856202625062015-06-05T11:20:00.002-07:002015-06-05T11:20:24.389-07:00The Friday 56 (6)<div class="tr_bq">
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Friday never seems to come quickly enough for me. Or anybody else in the world really. It's been a long week and I'm looking forward to the weekend since I'm going to go pick strawberries tomorrow morning and have some fun! Anyways...</div>
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This is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Freda at <a href="http://www.fredasvoice.com/">Freda's Voice</a>. This is a fun and simple meme, just follow the rules! It's a great way to connect with bloggers and share new or favorite books with them.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Rules:</span></b></div>
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*Grab a book, any book.</div>
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*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-book_reader" style="color: black;">eReader</a></div>
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(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)</div>
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*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)</div>
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*Add your name to the link up at <a href="http://www.fredasvoice.com/">Freda's Voice</a></div>
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Ok, this week, I'm going with <i>Unravel Me,</i> which is the second book in the <i>Shatter Me</i> series by Tahereh Mafi. This series is beyond excellent and if you haven't started it already, you're missing out. Look at that cover. I could stare at it for ages and still be blown away by it.</div>
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<strike>I'm going to tell you a secret.</strike></blockquote>
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<strike>I don't regret what I did. I'm not sorry at all.</strike><strike>In fact, if I had a chance to do it again I know this time I'd do it right. I'd shoot Anderson right through the heart.</strike></blockquote>
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<strike>And I would enjoy it.</strike></blockquote>
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You can't tell me that you aren't intrigued by that. I mean, come on. With the strike throughs and everything. Seriously, just go read this series.<br />
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Much love! Have a great weekend!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596788226744642252noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178815800793308016.post-25446467657248296392015-06-02T09:35:00.000-07:002015-06-02T09:35:14.078-07:00Book Review: The Fire Sermon by Francesca Haig<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I saw this cover in a book store a few months ago and simply stared at it for a few moments. Any book that doesn't have a title, author, or anything on the cover is either really flipping good or an attempt at being surreal and thoughtful without really accomplishing either. Either way, the publisher and author would have to be confident in both the cover art and the content to be able to put out a book like this.</div>
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And their gamble worked. It got my attention.</div>
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<i>The Fire Sermon</i> by Francesca Haig is a post-apocalyptic novel where everything has basically reset. Whole nations and societies were destroyed from a nuclear blast and due to fallout exposure, the world has changed in dramatic ways. Most species have died out, leaving the most plain or common to adapt and survive. Pigeons are the only birds. Cows and horses the only real large fauna out there. And children are only born as twins, an Alpha and an Omega, boy and girl. An Alpha is strong and whole and is given all of the best opportunities in life. They are fertile and run the government and everything left in the world. Omegas are deformed and infertile. They may be missing legs or an eye or be mute and are left ostracized on the outskirts of society to be forgotten by their Alpha twin. <b>But here's the catch.</b> Twins are connected in a way other than birth and blood. If one twin experiences extreme pain, illness, or death, the other does as well. There's no choice in that. If one dies, the other does as well.</div>
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Cass and Zach are twins but neither one has an obvious deformity. Unlike many other twins that are separated young, they grow up together, waiting for the other to expose their Omega trait. Cass is keeping a secret though and has become very clever at hiding it. She is a Seer, a rare brand of Omega and once Zach discovers it, everything goes to hell.</div>
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Cass has to scramble to survive alone and then imprisoned. She is strong and will not be conquered by the twisted brother she grew up loving and now has reasons to fear. </div>
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<b>This book is definitely a rollercoaster ride.</b> There is a lot going on and the characters are in constant movement. Time passes quickly in the first bit of the book, showing Cass and Zach growing up, and it allows for some excellent world building. The entire world is scared of machinery and electricity because it was seen as the downfall of the "Before" civilization. Everything from Before is considered taboo and people refuse to go near it. Life has been reduced to pre-industrial standards and civilizations are once again based on agriculture and trade instead of technology.</div>
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Cass was an interesting character to read. She is strong where she needed to be strong but also has her vulnerabilities. She loves her brother dearly and in many ways, cannot accept what he is doing to her. She struggles with reconciling her childhood sibling with the man that he has become and it holds her back throughout the book. It's easy to rely on impressions made as children for the rest of your life and never change them and I think that she does this too much. It's her major flaw. She cannot escape the memories of playing with her brother as a kid and those memories make her make stupid decisions.</div>
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Cass's companion, Kip, fills the role of helpless sidekick for me. He's missing his arm but plays the clever supporting character that doesn't do much on their own but helps the main character throughout the book. From the beginning, it was obvious that he was going to play the love interest but that part of the book was remarkably muted. There's very little passion which gives more time to the plot and action but it was a little disappointing to read. </div>
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<b>But there are some extreme noticeable flaws that are big drawbacks to this book.</b></div>
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One. If I had a twin and had to rely on them for survival, I would be a little bit nicer to them. I would not send them into the slums to scrape a living where they could get sick, get infections, fall off a cliff, or whatever. I would put them in a house with myself and take care of them. <i>Because there are always those people that would resent being abandoned and take revenge on a sibling by waiting until they were successful and then finding a way to torture them, or even more extreme, kill them.</i> It's a big plot hole. If I was ostracized by my family, you can bet that I would take it out on my perfect sibling. That's human nature and I'm surprised that wasn't considered in the book.</div>
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Two. The role of electricity isn't really fully explained. If they are trying to keep it under wraps, then having guards around swinging light bulbs seems rather short sighted. And where are the generators? How are they making the electricity?</div>
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Three. I'm convinced that if Kip hadn't been in the plot, it wouldn't have changed much at all. In fact, Cass might have been able to do more things in a more significant way by relying on herself. She leans on him a bit too much for my taste and it holds back her character growth. Throughout her life, she relied on others to support her and doesn't take full control over any of her actions. She is a passive person and it practically takes a cattle prod in order for her to make a decision on her own.</div>
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<b>The world building is awesome but the large plot holes make it a less enjoyable read.</b></div>
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It's really a unique concept and I wish that it had been developed more. It's different than all other YA dystopian/post-apocalyptic novels out there and it was held back by characters that were a little bit too cliche and plot devices that didn't really work in the end. I wish that the romance had been more developed. I wish that more had been explained throughout the novel. I wish that Kip was made into a stronger person in general.</div>
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But I will read the next one when it comes out. I think it has potential and I'm looking forward to it.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596788226744642252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178815800793308016.post-33406460530129990652015-05-27T09:42:00.002-07:002015-05-27T09:42:43.828-07:00Book Review: Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1392408196l/19367070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1392408196l/19367070.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
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Have you ever read a book and the desire to rip it to shreds grows the more you think about it? You want to nitpick every error, every grammatical mistake, every character inconsistency until there is nothing left but a neatly shredded hamster home of literature on the ground. I've already written a concise review of this book on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1064498580?book_show_action=false">Goodreads</a> but I'm not quite ready to leave this book alone and hopefully, I'm going to explore this in a little bit more depth.</div>
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<i>Illusions of Fate</i> was published in September, 2014. This is relevant because the book it seems to rip off was published in 1986 and the subsequent animated movie was released in 2004. Now it has been years since I read the book since it is a children's book but I absolutely adore the movie. The director is one of the best story tellers of all time and when I have children, they will be watching Studio Ghibli instead of Disney.</div>
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I am, of course, talking about <i>Howl's Moving Castle</i>.</div>
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<a href="http://www.gstatic.com/tv/thumb/dvdboxart/88481/p88481_d_v7_aa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gstatic.com/tv/thumb/dvdboxart/88481/p88481_d_v7_aa.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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It's my goal to present this review as a detailed analysis and not a rage filled rant but this honestly makes me so mad. I can always understand if it is one thing that is similar or the main themes resemble each other but there was a lot in this book that was excessively close to <i>Howl's</i>. </div>
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But first, let's start with a summary and move on from there. </div>
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<b>Downton Abbey meets Cassandra Clare in this lush, romantic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White</b>.</blockquote>
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<i>“I did my best to keep you from crossing paths with this world. And I shall do my best to protect you now that you have.” </i></blockquote>
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Jessamin has been an outcast since she moved from her island home of Melei to the dreary country of Albion. Everything changes when she meets Finn, a gorgeous, enigmatic young lord who introduces her to the secret world of Albion’s nobility, a world that has everything Jessamin doesn’t—power, money, status…and magic. But Finn has secrets of his own, dangerous secrets that the vicious Lord Downpike will do anything to possess. Unless Jessamin, armed only with her wits and her determination, can stop him. </blockquote>
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Kiersten White captured readers’ hearts with her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy and its effortless mix of magic and real-world teenage humor. She returns to that winning combination of wit, charm, and enchantment in Illusions of Fate, a sparkling and romantic new novel perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare, The Madman’s Daughter, and Libba Bray.</blockquote>
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It's a cute idea and it is executed with an appropriate amount of fluff. Jessamin is likable enough and is clever. She likes to make her own way in the world and stay on the fringes of the society that she loathes. She is dragged into the magical world by Finn and she doesn't really want to be there. </div>
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Their love story is cute. Finn wants to protect her and Jessamin is not the type to be protected. Her mother was seduced by an Albion man and she doesn't want to suffer the same fate but gets reeled in by his charm.</div>
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<b>Ok...I can't hold this in any longer. I'm getting mad.</b></div>
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<i>Illusions of Fate</i> is a cheap disgusting rip off of <i>Howl's Moving Castle</i>. This was not accidental in any way as the author has claimed this book is a cross between <i>Howl's</i> and <i>Pride and Prejudice</i>. <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyeverafter/2014/09/16/kiersten-white-interview-illusions-of-fate/15681165/">Link to Interview</a></div>
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<b>This isn't a cross. This isn't a creative new blend. It is taking ideas that have already been fleshed out and explored in not one, but two different mediums and passing them off as your own.</b></div>
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Jessamin is an over simplified Sophie. Sophie is a strong young woman who works in her family's hat shop in honor of her father and to support her vapid social climbing mother. She recognizes herself as plain, especially when compared to her flamboyant relatives and is okay with that. Jessamin works to support herself and her education but she is (obviously) beautiful and unique and exotic. She's always been pretty and always will be. Sophie gets turned into an old lady and has to come up with a way to disguise herself. Jessamin gets stalked by a man because he thinks that she is desirable. </div>
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Sir Bird is a mix of Turnip Head and Hime. And where Turnip Head is charming and Hime is adorable, Sir Bird is rather stagnant. Sure, he protects her from the other birds but he has no personality of his own. Where Hime is needy, Sir Bird just sits and watches. He can take care of himself and frequently gets forgotten. Sir Bird is loyal like Turnip Head but, besides being a book, he isn't helpful.</div>
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Finn as Howl. Once again, we see a watered down version of a fantastic character. Finn dyes his hair blonde, as does Howl, but he does it to make him look charming. Howl does it because he is intensely and deeply vain and has the most spectacular meltdown in the world when Sophie messes up his hair potions. He is a huge diva. Finn immediately falls in love with Jessamin where Howl has to gradually learn to let someone else into his life and not try to push them away. Howl has to grow to be brave and take action where Finn is already in the process of trying to prevent a war and is all noble and sacrificial from the beginning. He doesn't grow and he doesn't learn.</div>
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There's the house that has doors into different worlds where you can travel space without leaving your living room. </div>
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There's the bird motif (even on the cover) that is extremely similar to <i>Howl's</i>.</div>
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This book seriously puts me into a massive rage. I want to throw my computer. I want to scream. I want to tell everybody in the world to not buy this book and just read or watch the original. These characters have no depth in comparison to the wonderful world of <i>Howl's</i>. Yes, I adore the movie and I'm a bit of a fangirl when it comes down to it but this is ridiculous.</div>
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<b><i>This book is not a creative re-imagining of a story set in a different place and time where the characters are presented in new ways. This is not like taking Cinderella and setting it in modern Tokyo. This book is like taking Harry Potter, setting it in the USA and changing the names of the characters.</i></b></div>
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I've lost all respect for this author as soon as she said that she wanted to make it like <i>Howl's</i>. That's fine. But don't sell it as your own idea. Say it is a different take on the book instead of hoping that nobody notices. Because I noticed. And I'm pissed.</div>
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Don't buy this book. Seriously. Just watch the movie or read the book. I can't emphasize this enough.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596788226744642252noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178815800793308016.post-12323204402669665872015-05-21T09:17:00.000-07:002015-05-21T09:17:11.634-07:00Why I'm So Easily Distracted by Distractions<div style="text-align: justify;">
I'm going to be the first to admit that I am excessively easily distracted. I have a short attention span sometimes and it takes something really interesting to catch and hold me for any long period of time. So, last year when I read something like 115 books, I was hooked into reading constantly and could never pull myself away from my kindle or bookshelves. It was wonderful (expensive, but wonderful) and I think I burned myself out a little bit.</div>
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So instead of filling my time with constant reading, I've found some other distractions this year that I wanted to share with y'all and hopefully try to show why I'm so hooked onto random things.</div>
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/67/85/7f/67857f5769909bb2ab129b2e618737d4.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/67/85/7f/67857f5769909bb2ab129b2e618737d4.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">First of all, wedding planning.</span></b></div>
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It's stressful. I've given myself a year and a half to figure this out but there's so much going on with it. Whether it be picking out flowers, wedding colors, bridesmaids, catering, or whatever, someone always has an opinion and a better way of doing something. A word of wisdom to everybody who knows someone that is getting married: offer support, not advice. I don't need lectures about why I'm not getting married in a church or renting out a huge venue. Plan your wedding, not others.</div>
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/f6/43/56/f643564bf6a05cc54c58729637a0dd03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/f6/43/56/f643564bf6a05cc54c58729637a0dd03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Secondly, I've discovered Korean dramas.</span></b></div>
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There's a few big reasons that I'm completely in love with these things...</div>
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One of the biggest reasons is that they are clean to watch.</div>
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How many times are we watching a tv show or movie with someone and it turns to that sex scene that's so ingrained in Western culture and you can't help but blush and look away awkwardly? I hate that it's so predictable. That's not to say I don't appreciate Western shows but I've just gotten bored of them. In Korean shows, it will literally take a 16 episodes for a kiss sometimes. A single awkward eyes open kiss.</div>
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They're also pretty funny. There's a lot of silly misunderstandings, slapstick comedy and ridiculous dancing. One drama talked about having fangirls write fanfiction about the band members and I nearly lost it.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Heartstrings</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>You're Beautiful</i></td></tr>
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They do have a serious side and that's what really takes the cake for me. I have never cried so much in my life over anything. I sat one day and binge watched a show and went through an entire box of tissues. (That show was<i> Boys Over Flowers</i> and it broke my heart in so many ways. I wasn't emotionally stable for a week.)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>You're Beautiful</i> - favorite scene, favorite character</td></tr>
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<b>There's real life drama in them.</b> Parents dying, being introverted, the one you love leaving...it's all easy to relate to, despite the sometimes ridiculous situations that the characters are in. Sure, maybe you're cross dressing to cover for your absentee twin brother or your mother is the evil overlord of a multinational Fortune 500 company but watching the one you love be in love with a jerk is something that's universal.</div>
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So, if you're sick of the same plot lines of Western shows, want something different, or just want to cry an excessive amount, check out some dramas. </div>
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Look for some reviews of these dramas in the future. I absolutely love them right now. I want to get other people hooked so I have someone to fangirl with. Many are available on Netflix and Hulu and they're super fun to watch.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">So yeah...sorry about being distracted.</span></b> </div>
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I am getting back into my reading but I'm really enjoying these new shows and they are blocking out some of the stress of planning a wedding. Just bear with me. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596788226744642252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178815800793308016.post-63353702877082712512015-05-18T11:28:00.004-07:002015-05-18T11:28:55.617-07:00Musing Mondays (3)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sZ8WEJxXX4QEL4TN2aqMOdr6eJpJiMaGzvjHLXt4rVhk6YN9wWMryXmb9q7cJUKlP2SePMSub5IRE3wsdcoy1fM5xhyphenhyphendtNpWk5wUkq8ZWE-DGAInURmm01jIf4EPJrZNT8FZnXzg1GP9/s1600/Musing+Mondays+Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sZ8WEJxXX4QEL4TN2aqMOdr6eJpJiMaGzvjHLXt4rVhk6YN9wWMryXmb9q7cJUKlP2SePMSub5IRE3wsdcoy1fM5xhyphenhyphendtNpWk5wUkq8ZWE-DGAInURmm01jIf4EPJrZNT8FZnXzg1GP9/s1600/Musing+Mondays+Banner.png" /></a></div>
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You know, so much of the time I feel like I'm just trying to keep up with what is going on around me and I completely forget to post updates or reviews. This past week has been crazy and I'm so looking forward to Memorial Day and having a chance to really relax for once.<br />
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<b>Musing Mondays</b> is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jenn at <a href="http://adailyrhythm.com/">A Daily Rhythm</a>. Each week, there are a few prompts and you can pick which one to talk about!<br />
<ul>
<li>I’m currently reading…</li>
<li>Up next I think I’ll read…</li>
<li>I bought the following book(s) in the past week…</li>
<li>I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…</li>
<li>I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…</li>
<li>I can’t wait to get a copy of…</li>
<li>I wish I could read ___, but…</li>
<li>I blogged about ____ this past week...</li>
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<i>THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: What types of “special” books do you own? For example, do you have any really old books? Any collections based on your interests (eg. architecture, etc)?</i><div>
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So, right now I'm actually in the process of rereading a few books so I can finally finish a series. This morning, I finished <i>Shatter Me</i> which I've already written a review on and I started <i>Destroy Me </i>this afternoon, both by Taherah Mari. I loved the first book and the Warner novella that came after it but I just lost track of it somehow in the craziness.</div>
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Hopefully by this evening, I'll be moving onto the next book <i>Unravel Me</i> and apparently there is even more Warner goodness in the next one so I'm really looking forward to it. I can't believe I haven't read this entire series yet!</div>
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<b>Random Question Answer:</b></div>
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I have a lot of environmental books. In college, we read a fair amount of ethics books and essays about land preservation and they've kind of stuck with me. I love going through Aldo Leopold every once in a while and remembering why I am in the field that I'm in. </div>
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I also have all of my English anthologies and when I get bored or listless, I read through the poetry. I am trying to reestablish a relationship with certain authors that I used to hate but I'm now appreciating more. And I love reading my old notes and trying to learn more.</div>
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<b>I'd love to hear some responses from y'all!</b></div>
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<b>Much Love,</b></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596788226744642252noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178815800793308016.post-36689458268462806122015-05-14T15:15:00.002-07:002015-05-14T15:19:08.425-07:00Book Review: Red Rising by Pierce Brown<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Do you ever read a book and you aren't emotionally ready to talk about it for a while? The feelings, confusion, plot, characters, and twists all roll around in your head for days and you just can't figure out how to explain yourself without just going down the route of "Just go read this book. You won't regret it at all." I've been lingering over this book. Parts of it have me thoroughly confused and I am not quite sure how to attack it but I'm going to do my best.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me during this entire book</td></tr>
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Let's start with one part Science Fiction (since the book opens in Mars) and add a healthy dose of <i>The Hunger Games</i> and then blend on high, slowly adding a bit of <i>The Way of Kings</i> for military strategy and end with a dollop of dead puppy book and you have <i>Red Rising</i>.</div>
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I usually cannot stand science fiction books, especially the ones that are set in space. I never liked <i>Star Wars</i> or <i>Star Trek</i>. The only space movie I've ever liked it <i>Spaceballs</i> and that's because it made fun of everything. </div>
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So when I got into the first third of the book and they were talking about digging for Helium3 on Mars, I was skeptical and nearly DNF-ed it a few times. </div>
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<b>The first 35% is about rebellion.</b> It's about sticking it to the man and pushing back. Darrow is a young man, only 16, who works as a Helldiver in the underground caves of Mars. It's the most dangerous job on the planet and you have to be quick, brave, strong, and a little bit cocky to do it. Darrow is all of these things and he makes it home every night so he can be with his equally young wife, Eo. The Helium3 they are mining for is to restore the surface of Mars so that it is able to be inhabited by others. </div>
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<i>“Things are set in stone. Things are well ordered. Reds at the bottom, everyone else standing on our backs. Now you're looking at me and you're realizing that we don't bloodydamn like it down there. Red is rising, Mickey.”</i></blockquote>
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Darrow is a Red, the lowest on the totem pole and is told that he is doing a great service for future generations. But there is more happening on Mars than just digging and when Darrow finds out, he is thrust into the world of Golds in the hopes of being able to usurp power and start a rebellion.</div>
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<i>“Man cannot be freed by the same injustice that enslaved it.”</i></blockquote>
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<b>That's when things change in the book.</b></div>
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As I said, the first third is one book. The other two thirds are something completely different.</div>
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<i style="text-align: start;">“We come as princes and this school is supposed to teach us to become beasts. But you came a beast."</i></blockquote>
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Darrow sets out to infiltrate the commander training school of the Golds and establish himself in a position of power. This school is a huge battle simulation that is controlled by aristocrats where other kids his age are all set against each other in a fight to control the entire arena. It's huge. It's terrifying. There are dozens of other students and while it is meant to be a largely non-lethal affair, it doesn't turn out that way. There are pitched battles, back room plots, betrayals, starving students, and lessons of war.</div>
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See what I mean? <b>If it was two separate books, I'd throw out the first bit and go with the second. </b>It was too sharp of a turn for me to follow and I'm still confused about the differences of class and the distinctions between them. Does Darrow actually have wings and do they work? Is the biggest difference size or intellect? What happens if a Gold were to marry someone lower than them?</div>
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It's like two different worlds were constructed in this book and I understand the point of it, I just wish there was a better transition between them.</div>
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Darrow is a great character though. He clearly grows in more ways than one and fights the <strike>dark side of the Force</strike> his own demons in order to achieve his goals. Darrow takes some time to recognize his shortcomings which was an important step for his character. He was the top of the top on Mars and he was thrown into this completely different society where he is remarkably average as far as skills, size, and wits go. <b>But Darrow has his history and that makes him stronger and he has a goal and that makes him dangerous.</b></div>
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<i>“You do not follow me because I am the strongest. Pax is. You do not follow me because I am the brightest. Mustang is. You follow me because you do not know where you are going. I do.”</i></blockquote>
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The supporting characters play just as big of a role as Darrow does. Mustang and Sevro are wonderfully written and are made believable. I love that it isn't all about Darrow and the other characters show him up on a regular basis.<b> He isn't the smartest one there and he isn't the strongest but his alliances with others give him an advantage. </b>They aren't out for glory either and they understand the point of the game and don't let it get to their heads. I love it when a character has good friends.</div>
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Good gravy this book is hard to rate. It has awesome elements and is a great story line but it also has some flaws that hold it back. There is too big of a jump from the first third of the book to the last part and it felt like it was trying to do what <i>The Hunger Games</i> accomplished but simply didn't make it. The transition from oppression to fighting for your life was too rapid and it needed more development. A few more chapters in the middle would have bumped it up to a 5 star but it didn't quite reach for me.</div>
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<b>It's about survival and tenacity. It's about knowing who your friends are. This book rewards the bold but punishes everybody. Nobody comes out of this book unscathed and that's awesome. It's terrifying and disjointed. </b></div>
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Just go read it. You will either love it or hate it but it's definitely worth the experience.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596788226744642252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178815800793308016.post-81681913846632061902015-05-11T16:16:00.001-07:002015-05-11T16:16:21.489-07:00Musing Mondays (2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9Zwkpk8CbgEmwtmcXJQtbh_YicWVIci16xhFmMpAVQkofKjKhFxrknq9Y0lBGy-rGteBLH-V1WMGhaNu_5jGw6CFBg4GwZ291s-4j6brGZW8bSQ5Z7Y7Q9p3nQ1928m_P0IgcosP8ffB/s1600/Musing+Mondays+Banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9Zwkpk8CbgEmwtmcXJQtbh_YicWVIci16xhFmMpAVQkofKjKhFxrknq9Y0lBGy-rGteBLH-V1WMGhaNu_5jGw6CFBg4GwZ291s-4j6brGZW8bSQ5Z7Y7Q9p3nQ1928m_P0IgcosP8ffB/s1600/Musing+Mondays+Banner.png" /></a></div>
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I hope everybody had a wonderful weekend! I spent the weekend and Mother's day at the lake with my parents, planting flowers, sitting one the dock and reading. I got terribly sunburned but it was worth it to be able to swim for the first time this season. The water was finally warm enough and since it's before Memorial Day, there wasn't a whole lot of boat traffic.</div>
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<b>Musing Mondays</b> is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jenn at <a href="http://adailyrhythm.com/">A Daily Rhythm</a>. Each week, there are a few prompts and you can pick which one to talk about!<br />
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<li>I’m currently reading…</li>
<li>Up next I think I’ll read…</li>
<li>I bought the following book(s) in the past week…</li>
<li>I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…</li>
<li>I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…</li>
<li>I can’t wait to get a copy of…</li>
<li>I wish I could read ___, but…</li>
<li>I blogged about ____ this past week...</li>
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<i>THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: Do you have a “kindred” reading buddy — someone who very closely shares your taste in books? If not, do you wish you did?</i></div>
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I think, my next book will be <i>The Fire Sermon</i> by Francesca Haig. It just sounds too damn interesting and the cover is amazing.</div>
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<b>Blurb from Goodreads:</b></div>
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<i>When Zach and I were born our parents must have counted and recounted: limbs, fingers, toes. We were perfect. They would have been disbelieving: nobody dodged the split between Alpha and Omega.</i> </blockquote>
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<i>Nobody.</i> </blockquote>
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<i>They were born together and they will die together.</i> </blockquote>
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<i>One strong Alpha twin and one mutated Omega; the only thing they share is the moment of their death.</i> </blockquote>
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<i>The Omegas live in segregation, cast out by their families as soon as their mutation becomes clear. Forced to live apart, they are ruthlessly oppressed by their Alpha counterparts.</i> </blockquote>
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<i>The Alphas are the elite. Once their weaker twin has been cast aside, they're free to live in privilege and safety, their Omega twin far from their thoughts.</i> </blockquote>
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<i>Cass and Zach are both perfect on the outside: no missing limbs, no visible Omega mutation. But Cass has a secret: one that Zach will stop at nothing to expose.</i> </blockquote>
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<i>The potential to change the world lies in both their hands. One will have to defeat the other to see their vision of the future come to pass, but if they're not careful both will die in the struggle for power.</i></blockquote>
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I mean, how good does it look without even words on it? It doesn't even need a title on it and I'm drooling over it. It reminds me of the Harry Potter posters that came out before the 8th movie where there wasn't anything on them except the release date but everybody was going crazy over them. As soon as I finish the two books I'm actively reading right now, this one is getting downloaded onto my kindle. I've seen it in bookstores and I have resisted up until now but I don't think I can anymore.</div>
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<b>As for the random question,</b> I don't have any friends around me that have similar reading tastes because mostly, I'm the only one I know that reads extensively. Online, of course, I have friends that I can fangirl with as well as disagree with and we get along fine. I wish that there were more people I knew that were readers but I have a feeling that a lot of readers feel that way but we're all at home...reading. </div>
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Book groups are fine and all but it would be so nice to have a friend who would be happy coming over and splitting a bottle of wine and not talking for a few hours just to read something good that just came out. </div>
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What about y'all? Leave a link to your post or post in the comments!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596788226744642252noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178815800793308016.post-80374114448153346132015-05-08T16:19:00.003-07:002015-05-08T16:19:27.277-07:00The Friday 56 (5)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Thank God it's Friday! I never thought I would survive this week. It's been absolutely insane at work since everybody is about to go on maternity/paternity leave and it's only going to get more chaotic. Lucky for me, I have a nice weekend at the lake planned so hopefully, I get to swim and relax a bit.</div>
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This is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Freda at <a href="http://www.fredasvoice.com/">Freda's Voice</a>. This is a fun and simple meme, just follow the rules! It's a great way to connect with bloggers and share new or favorite books with them.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Rules:</span></b></div>
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*Grab a book, any book.</div>
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*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-book_reader" style="color: black;">eReader</a></div>
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(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)</div>
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*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)</div>
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*Add your name to the link up at <a href="http://www.fredasvoice.com/">Freda's Voice</a></div>
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This week, my 56 is coming from one of my all time favorite books, <i>Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil</i>. It's a classic. It's awesome and it has the most twisted plot lines ever. Set in Savannah, it takes the good will and charm of the South and intersects it with scandals, death and affairs. If you haven't read it, you need to. </div>
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Mr. Glover stopped and faced me. He opened his mouth wide and drew a deep breath. From the back of his throat came a high, croaking sound, "Aaaaa lay <i>loooo</i>-yah! A-<i>layyy</i>-loo yah!" He had abandoned his tenor and was singing in wavering falsetto. Forever in his mind, apparently, "Hallelujah" would be a soprano piece as sung by the in church so many years before.</blockquote>
Such a good book!<br />
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Everybody have a great weekend!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596788226744642252noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178815800793308016.post-66170647331595712732015-05-08T12:48:00.000-07:002015-05-08T12:48:16.503-07:00Book Review: Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>ARC received in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.</b></div>
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<b>If you know me, you know I love KPop.</b> And I was so flipping pumped when I got approved for this book. But then the negative reviews started and I got a little bit apprehensive about it. But I charged ahead and I read this book anyways. <b>Let's just say that the negative reviews are well deserved.</b></div>
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<b>Quick Summary:</b> Grace moves to South Korea to get away from the drama of her family. It's spontaneous and crazy but she can't handle life anymore with her mother and her past. She enrolls in an international boarding school and finds herself immediately taking a liking to her exuberant roommate, Sophie. But Sophie's twin brother is a music star and is cocky beyond belief. He has a right to be though. He's famous, gorgeous and obviously talented. </div>
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But Grace moved to Korea to get away from the music industry that her family is so entrenched in and she wants nothing to do with Jason. Being friends with Sophie means that she has to get along with her brother though and soon a grudging alliance forms. Grace realizes, after spending so much time with Jason, that not all is as it seems and not everything in his world is perfect. Their bonding sparks a romance that crosses language barriers and obvious fatal flaws in each other.</div>
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I'm just going to come out and say it: <b>Grace is a ridiculous spoiled brat of a bitch. </b>She's blonde, skinny, pretty, and is a princess in the music industry. She can't sing or play instruments but she's *awesome* at composing and is fantastic at everything.</div>
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She has trust and panic issues but it isn't really enough to make her relatable as a character. I wish someone in the book would have told her to lay off and actually be respectful of Korean culture and her friends but that never happens.</div>
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Grace repeatedly bashes Korean culture and shows such American elitism it made me want to gag.</div>
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<i>"So people do play Western music"</i></blockquote>
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She never really makes an attempt to dive in headfirst and opts to complain about everything that they do in Korea. Women wear skirts during winter? <b>*Judgement*</b> Girls are skinnier than her? <b>*Judgement*</b> They like to listen to bubbly pop music? <b>*EXCESSIVE JUDGEMENT*</b></div>
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<i>"I’m not sure what I expected--that they would be good? Pop is in the name of the genre. That never bodes well for the quality of the music. But I guess I’d hoped since they’re a big deal, they would be more than your average bubblegum band. After ten songs, my brain is ready to explode."</i></blockquote>
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Get off your high horse. You sound like a baby. And it's not that I don't like her music taste. It's actually pretty good stuff in my opinion. But there's no need to be that person that judges everybody based off of what they are playing and listening to.</div>
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I guess that out of everything about Grace that bothers me, the worst is her obvious disdain for everything that she hasn't been exposed to. She tries to flaunt her hipster cred at every opportunity and it made me want to punch her in the face. </div>
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<b>Moving on now to some other flagrant flaws in this book.</b></div>
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Jason flip flops. He doesn't have any real personality to me. One second, he is cold and removed and then he is apologizing. This author started with what could have been a strong character in him but seemed to sort of give up and try to make him nice. I like him mean and rude. I liked how he pushed Grace and made her lose her cool. Jason clearly just didn't care and that was part of his character and all of that changes very quickly. He turns from outwardly aggressive to making snide comments and trying to push everybody away.</div>
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Sophie is obnoxious as well. She's happy and bubbly (which is fine) but for being a "best friend" she abandons Grace for a guy. And then tries to hide it from everyone. I can understand hiding a relationship with your brother's best friend from him just so it doesn't get awkward, but don't sneak around and act like nothing is going on and lie to your roommate. <b>Everybody knows. Just be honest.</b></div>
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Honestly, out of all the characters, I liked Yoon Jae the most. He came closest to what I expected out of a book about KPop and he is thrown under the bus as far as character development goes. Yes, he's the drummer of the group but maybe he got roped into something he didn't want too. Everybody treated him like he was the one that caused the tension but really, he was just as unhappy as Tae Hwa and Jason in the band. <b>Doesn't anybody else consider his dreams too? </b>He wanted to be an Idol and he had to play backup to a sexy singer. Yoon Jae could have grown so much more and could have competed a bit more for Grace but he is one of the most passive characters I've ever encountered.</div>
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It's telling when your favorite character is a secondary character that has little to no personality. But hey, he danced and he sang and he was what I wanted when it came to a Korean star.</div>
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The plot was rather weak as well (now that I've raged about the characters). Grace helps Jason with a music project and somehow ends up being her Korean tutor despite not being able to read Korean. And then later, magically, he can write in Korean. It doesn't make sense. Sophie drags Grace around the country following the guys like a groupie and it came off as desperate. Yes, you're there to support your brother but it's borderline stalker for the guy in the group you like. It seemed awkward and forced.</div>
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Grace's mother and father are obviously a point of contention throughout the book and Grace has some baggage that she's carrying around but it never felt real to me. It felt like a plot device throughout and it was too dragged out. She focused on it too much while there was other stuff going on. What about the concern for your roommate? Does she not matter anymore?</div>
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Ugh...sorry for the rage filled review. <b>When I hate a book, I always find I have a lot more to say about it. I wanted sexy KPop. I got a little bit of drama and a whole lot of whining. Whatever, I'm over it. Crash and burn.</b></div>
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So this book definitely deserves the negative reviews. It portrays Americans as elitist and self centered. It barely shows any of the Korean culture. The main character is a complete bitch and her love interest is so contrived it's ridiculous.</div>
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All of that being said, if anybody has any suggestions for other books based on KPop, I'd love to hear them. I watch Korean dramas a lot and I love stuff like that so I would love some more input!</div>
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<b>One Star</b></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596788226744642252noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178815800793308016.post-89972153887910906292015-05-06T14:00:00.000-07:002015-05-06T14:00:02.103-07:00Book Review: The Other Side of Envy by C.L. Stone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is my shameful series. The one I don't talk about to my friends (except for the other fangirls). The books you hide under your mattress but you can't put away completely. This series is a guilty pleasure that I can't step away from because I <i>have to know what happens next ohmygod.</i> I admit that this isn't the finest of literature but if you want a fun and dramatic read with a fair amount of suspense, <i>The Ghost Bird</i> series may be worth a shot. Just don't blame me when you become obsessed with reverse harems. Usually, when I talk about these books, there is a long warning at the beginning of my post. </div>
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I sat and thought a lot about this book. It has taken me a few days to be ready to review it and <b>it slipped from a 5 star OMG fangirl book to a 3.5.</b> Trust me, I have my reasons.<br />
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Because let's be honest here. Nothing really happened in this book.<br />
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The best way to look at these books is as if you're watching a TV show. There are episodes that are action packed and you're constantly trying to keep up with what is going on throughout them. There are car chases and wild rescues and face to face conflicts. Then there are the episodes in between that support the craziness of the other episodes. They are quiet and are filled with the details of day-to-day life that you miss sometimes. There is character development but it isn't thrilling.<br />
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This was not an action packed book like the others. There is a fair amount of people spending time with each other and learning secrets and strategies. It wasn't boring by any means but it still makes you feel like you are missing something. <br />
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That being said...<br />
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There is a lot to fangirl about in this one.<br />
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<b>Gabriel...Just Gabriel.</b><br />
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He's a hard character to understand sometimes. I feel like a lot of the time, he comes off a bit as a sassy diva type character and he's hard to take seriously.<br />
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He's creative and wants everything in his world to be beautiful. That's why he paints his walls and dresses up Sang. It's why he shops for everyone and fusses like he does. The only beauty in his life is his team and they keep him sane. But it's hard to keep up with the guys and Gabriel definitely has his weaknesses.</div>
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<b>And I loved that this book exposed that in him.</b> He isn't all sunshine and rainbows. Like the rest of the guys, he has his scars and this book allows Sang to explore that and help him in some ways.</div>
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Victor and Sang's relationship gets the chance to grow stronger in this book since we didn't see a lot of him in the last one but also, <b>we get to see more of Dr. Sean Green</b>. Which is awesome since it is breaking down that barrier between student and teacher in a real way. I love that all of the guys are struggling to hold themselves back from her as if they are scared of what they will do and how she will react. But I honestly wish they would stop treating her like she will break at any second. Luke is the only one with that kind of confidence in her and that's a bit heartbreaking.</div>
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As far as the plot goes, not much happens in this book. Volto doesn't crop back up really and while the whole phone tag thing is going on, it takes a back seat to the relationships. There's a lot of playing hot potato with Sang and you get this feeling that she's getting a bit sick of it. <b>When will this girl get a driver's license? Seriously. This is ridiculous.</b> The girl obviously needs to learn how to drive but she doesn't have a valid birth certificate or social security number so who knows how they will accomplish that.</div>
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So since we all know where this is going for her, does anybody else wonder about how all of these guys are going to live together with her? I don't care who you are, fitting 10 people in a house with all separate rooms is going to be difficult. </div>
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I keep imagining this as their nightly routine:<br />
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Kiss one, kiss them all, say goodnight, retreat to rooms until one of the guys decides to make a move on her. When will this girl assert herself in a real way?<b> It's driving me crazy. </b><br />
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I've said it before and I'll say it again, these books are not about a strong female character. It reminds me of animes that have been created from otome games where the guys go through all of the action and the girl just follows along. The only difference is that in those animes, they try to develop the female character a bit better.<br />
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<b>Sang seems to have lost a lot of her personality in this book</b> so that's another reason why I downgraded it. Before, she was a little bit spunky and was developing an attitude but in this one, she just follows them around. If it weren't such a fun and ridiculous story line, Sang would make me one star these books. You read them for the guys, not her.<br />
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In conclusion, these books are a soap opera. Action happens in some episodes, in others it doesn't. This is one of those where you learn about all of the plotting and wait for the next book where everything comes to fruition. It's frustrating, but that's what this series is about.<br />
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I'm still a fangirl and I am still waiting on the next book. I obviously have problems.<br />
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I've warned people off these books before so I ask cautiously, had anybody else read them? Any other fangirls out there? Can somebody hear me?</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596788226744642252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178815800793308016.post-55829045980827037482015-05-04T09:18:00.000-07:002015-05-04T09:19:39.696-07:00Musing MondaysMusing Mondays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jenn at <a href="http://adailyrhythm.com/">A Daily Rhythm</a>. Each week, there are a few prompts and you can pick which one to talk about!<br />
<ul>
<li>I’m currently reading…</li>
<li>Up next I think I’ll read…</li>
<li>I bought the following book(s) in the past week…</li>
<li>I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…</li>
<li>I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…</li>
<li>I can’t wait to get a copy of…</li>
<li>I wish I could read ___, but…</li>
<li>I blogged about ____ this past week…</li>
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<i>THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: What would you do if you wanted to buy a book for someone, but didn’t know what they like to read? Would you ask them? Would you choose something you, yourself, like? How would you go about buying them something?</i></div>
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So right now, I'm reading <i>Red Rising</i> by Pierce Brown.</div>
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I'm not a big fan of sci-fi books but this one is done pretty well. It's a good mix of space adventure type stuff and fantasy and it works for me so far. The characters are diverse and interesting and the manin character, Darrow (love the name) is kind of a jackass so he isn't perfect. I will warn you though, this book is remarkably similar to <i>Red Queen</i> in some ways. They are almost two different side of the same coin but each one is unique and completely worth the read.</div>
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As for the random question...It definitely depends on the person. If it was a family member, it would be easy enough to search through their bookshelves and pick something that they like. But if it were for someone I wasn't close to, I would probably go with a book that I really enjoyed but isn't a niche book. I wouldn't pick high fantasy or sci-fi but something a little bit more down the middle of the road. Another option is a really nice copy of a classic book that they probably read in high school. It's nice to have hard covers of old favorites.</div>
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What do y'all think? What would you do?</div>
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<b>Hope everybody has an awesome week!</b></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596788226744642252noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178815800793308016.post-19227150256261243612015-04-29T09:23:00.003-07:002015-04-29T09:23:37.003-07:00Discussion Post: Books about Sports<div style="text-align: justify;">
First of all, I'd like to apologize for the lack of posts recently. As some of you know, I recently underwent my 6th or 7th back procedure and I've been sort of laying low for a few days. It takes a while to bounce back from them occasionally and I'm not recovering as well as I would have hoped. So, hopefully now that I'm feeling a bit better, I can get back to regularly posting and chatting with y'all!</div>
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<b>Today, I'm going with another discussion post.</b> I recently received a Netgalley book about soccer and I was beyond pumped. I grew up playing the game and even played in college so I'm a big fan. Soccer is somewhat a black horse in America still and every time I can get my hands on something that positively portrays the beautiful game,<b> I'm on it. </b>I don't discriminate. I love lots of sports and I'm just as eager to read something about basketball or hockey as I am about soccer. </div>
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But this one was a disappointment to say the least. The game writing was awkward and forced and it was boring in the style. I get that soccer is a back and forth game but this sort of killed it. "And they ran up the pitch, and back down, passing and crossing the ball." Congratulations, you've just described every game of soccer <b>ever. </b></div>
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Not every sports book is like that though and I do have some that I really enjoyed. <i>Tangerine</i> has always been one of my favorites, mostly because it deals with some pretty messed up stuff and a goalkeeper. </div>
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We're pretty interesting players and you think more would be written about goalies. We spend a lot of time standing in goal thinking and then we're asked to do stupidly crazy stuff for the sake of a game. I think it would be a good story. But we don't get any respect to begin with so maybe I'm deluding myself thinking that someone besides a keeper would want to write about a keeper.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Secretary of Defense, ladies and gentlemen</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Anyways, does anybody else read sports books? Do you know any good ones? </span></b></div>
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I find that a lot of them are filled with cliches and unrealistic expectations of what certain age groups are able to do. I hate it when I read a book about sports where nobody is trying to improve since they are already the best at what they do. I want to find the gems though. So if you have any recommendations, send them my way!</div>
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Until next time...</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596788226744642252noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178815800793308016.post-36497258370866109752015-04-23T09:42:00.001-07:002015-04-23T09:42:31.532-07:00Discussion Post: Bookstores and the Temptation Problem<div style="text-align: justify;">
I love bookstores. I absolutely do. The feeling you get when you walk in and you get the sensory overload of the smell of the books, the look of the cover designs, and the feel of new pristine books in your hands. I could spend hundreds of dollars in one trip, given the opportunity.</div>
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Which is why I don't go that often. I can't. I would have absolutely no money left. I am already out of room on the bookshelves. I have kept most of my school books with all of my notes in them from 5th grade on and people love to give me books as presents. Not that I'm complaining in any way.<br />
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I'm an impulse buyer and I can't be trusted with my own debit card. If it has a pretty cover, an interesting blurb and especially, if it is discounted, it is mine. This leads to a big problem though...<br />
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Last weekend, my fiance came to town and he wanted to go to the bookstore for some investing books. Knowing myself, I didn't even bring my purse. But there I was, browsing the discounted section and I found something with a pretty cover and a thick binding. Taylor bought it for me (what a good man) and it is now sitting on my bedside table waiting for me to tackle it.</div>
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Here's the problem: It's the fifth book in a series. So now I'm going to read all of the others just so I can read the one he bought me. Once again, not complaining.</div>
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<b>But does anybody else have this problem of low impulse control in bookstores? </b>This isn't the first time it has happened for me. I have so many second and third books in a series because I was drawn in by a cover. This has been at least partially mitigated for me by having a kindle and planning out my purchases in advance. </div>
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But I can't be trusted in bookstores. I'm not a responsible adult. I'm a little kid in a candy store with no real supervision.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">I'm sure a lot of you guys have this problem but what is your strategy for book stores? Do you have a plan and go in for one or two books or is it a free for all for what catches your eye?</span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596788226744642252noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178815800793308016.post-12370567192837985412015-04-20T11:09:00.001-07:002015-04-20T11:09:44.365-07:00Book Review: A Desperate Fortune by Susanna Kearsley<div style="text-align: justify;">
Susanna Kearsley has done it again. And it's beautiful and wonderful and all the good things about a book that makes you keep coming back to it over and over. </div>
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<br /><br />Susanna Kearsley is an auto-buy author for me. When a new book of hers comes out, I try to pick it up as quickly as possible and usually devour it in an afternoon. All of her books blend the past and the present in such a way that you feel like you are stepping into the shoes of the characters and experiencing everything that they do.</div>
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I'm going to go ahead and tell you...<b>I hate this cover. </b>I feel like it is a cop out. In the book, the outfits and settings are so perfectly described so at least the cover could have incorporated something like that. Instead, it is a generic woman looking at a generic bridge with a sepia tone over it. I understand that it can be difficult to get the right feel for a cover and get exactly what you want but I wanted something more than this.<br /><br /><i>A Desperate Fortune</i> follows the growth of two women: Sara, an English who struggles with the day to day challenges of living with Asperger's in a society that increasingly demands extroversion and conformity and Mary, a young woman who grew up in France during the Jacobite revolution and finds herself at the center of a covert operation that goes bad quickly.<br /><br />I absolutely adored Sara. She wants desperately to be normal and she goes with the "Fake it till you make it" mentality when dealing with others. She quit her most recent job because it forced her to work with others instead of working alone which she prefers. After she is given a cipher to crack, Sara is invited to work for an author who has found a very curious diary. The diary is that of Mary Dundas and is written entirely in code. It is supposed to depict the life of an ordinary girl in France but instead, it's the story of a great adventure.<br /><br />Mary Dundas starts her story by wanting to move back with her family after an invitation from her brother. But her brother has other plans and sends her to be a tool in trying to protect a fugitive from England that is a sympathizer to the Jacobite cause. Mary tries to play her role perfectly but things quickly go south and she finds herself traversing the country with a quiet and intimidating Scotsman, a charming Englishman, and a chaperon. Their journey is perilous and forces Mary to abandon her ideals of living a peaceful life with her brother's family and stand up for herself.<br /><br /><b>The romances are lovely in this book. </b><br /><br />Sara always pushes away her love interests and is content with being solitary for the rest of her life. She has accepted it and it's okay. Then she meets Luc Sabran who sneaks through the cracks in the walls she has built. He is patient and kind which is exactly what she needs in her life. Sara wants calm and steady and that is what he offers.<br /><br /><i>And Hugh MacPherson...</i><br /><br />I have to say that he is my favorite hero that Kearsley has written so far. <b>Yes, he bumped Rob off the top. </b>He is so wonderfully written, it is amazing. Hugh is cold, removed, strong, stubborn, and all of the things you want/don't want in a damaged man. He just wants to keep everybody safe and do his job but the close quarters between Hugh and Mary force them to try to get along and help each other. Mary is originally terrified of him but it grows to respect and admiration in such a natural way that it is perfectly believable.<br /><br />The historical aspects of this book are on point, as per usual. This author loves this particular period in French and Scottish history and has done a great job of tying in the history with the romance. The outfits are period appropriate, the manner of speaking, and she obviously does her research. I love well planned books. They make my heart soar.<br /><br />Characters from the author's other novels make cameos which is fun in many ways. I like seeing that all the stories are tied together in some way. However, it can get a bit tiring. You have to remember their stories and make those connections and sometimes it can be annoying.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<b>There are 3 reasons that this isn't a 5 star book for me:</b></div>
<br />1) The cover - not relevant to anything. Just a sepia tone of a pretty girl.<br /><br />2) The ending for Sara was too abrupt and I hated how it concluded way before Mary's story.<br /><br />3) The beginning was a bit slow. It was like the story had to gear up a bit before it got going. But if you're patient, it's entirely worth it.<br /><br />So yeah...another wonderful book from this author. It's such a fine and lovely thing that I couldn't even find gifs for it. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><u><span style="font-size: large;">I'm still basking in book afterglow here.</span></u></i></b></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596788226744642252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178815800793308016.post-60136232615209649052015-04-17T12:00:00.000-07:002015-04-17T12:00:03.559-07:00The Friday 56 (4)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Freda at <a href="http://www.fredasvoice.com/">Freda's Voice</a>. This is a fun and simple meme, just follow the rules! It's a great way to connect with bloggers and share new or favorite books with them.</div>
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*Grab a book, any book.</div>
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*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-book_reader" style="color: black;">eReader</a></div>
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(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)</div>
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*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)</div>
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*Add your name to the link up at <a href="http://www.fredasvoice.com/">Freda's Voice</a><br />
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In honor of Suzanne Johnson's new book coming out on the 21st, this week's Friday 56 comes from the first book in her Sentinels of New Orleans series, <i>Royal Street</i>. </div>
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DJ is a young wizard living in New Orleans with her mentor and protector, Gerry. When Hurricane Katrina storms through, everything is turned on its head and all hell breaks loose. It is up to DJ and her new sexy partner Alex to set things right and prevent a war between good and evil. They are out to protect both the magical world and the delicate reviving New Orleans that is still reeling from the destruction on the hurricane.</div>
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"I sat in the Pathfinder on Magazine Street after a junk-food run, drumming my fingers impatiently while stewing over my new position in the Elder's doghouse. After his phone call, Alex had told me Willem Zrakovi was furious at me for summoning Marie Laveau on my own. Then Elder Zrakovi called and told me himself. He was deeply disappointed in my insistence on taking things into my own hands. That stung. </div>
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You'd think the Elders would appreciate knowing a bigger conspiracy might be afoot, one that went beyond a missing sentinel, some voodoo symbols, and an angry pirate. But no. I had disappointed them. Deeply."</div>
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I really do love these books and <i>Pirate's Alley</i> (book #4) is looking like it will be really good. Suzanne Johnson is one of my auto-buy authors and I'm looking forward to this next installment. Her characters are sassy, snarky, tough and incredibly sarcastic.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Hopefully I have gotten someone interested in this! Has anybody else read this series? What did you think?</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596788226744642252noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178815800793308016.post-24481561505155685572015-04-15T10:52:00.001-07:002015-04-15T11:07:32.951-07:00Book Review: Here Be Sexist Vampires by Suzanne Wright<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Recommended to me by the lovely Melissa over at <a href="http://eversomela.blogspot.com/">Ever So Mela</a>.</div>
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I'm sorry Melissa, I tried. Vampire books are still not my thing. It was an enjoyable read but not one that I will be revisiting in the future. It's not that they give me the creeps but I guess part of my mind is screaming at me while I'm reading saying <b>"Vampires are dead! That limits their sex appeal!"</b></div>
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<i>Here Be Sexist Vampires</i> is about a young vampire named Sara who has extraordinary gifts. She has been basically enslaved since her "birth" and is given a chance to escape from that life and make a name for herself in the army of the Grand High Master Vampire. But she is a low ranking Sventé vampire and is looked down on by the beautiful Keja vamps and the strong Pagoris. Sara is out to prove herself in this world of sexist (but undeniably sexy) alpha males and show that everybody, no matter the station of their birth, can be a leader with enough determination and spunk.</div>
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I'm going to start off with the cover. It bothers me. So much. It looks like someone tried to render a girl and failed miserably. </div>
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It doesn't match the feel of the book and it looks plain to my eyes. I do like that the electric whip was included (which is one of Sara's powers) but it isn't enough to save it in my mind. It looks like it was done too quickly without enough thought put into it.</div>
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<b>I'm still struggling with what actually bothered me about this book. </b>Vampire books that don't depict them as creatures of the night with an unhealthy relationship with blood disappoint me. I feel like part of the reason why vampires could be so interesting as main characters is because of their moral struggle with relying on cognizant beings for their survival. The other option I really enjoy is the manipulative, cruel, but engaging vampire like the ones in <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18717360-the-casquette-girls?from_search=true">The Casquette Girls</a>. Vampires are something to be feared for me but that didn't really happen in this book.</div>
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This definitely followed the path of the sexy vampire. Sara is beautiful and attractive and from the very first moment she and Jarrod lay eyes on each other, they want to jump each others bones. Which is fine. <b>No insta-love here.</b></div>
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Jarrod is a Pagori vampire and that makes his strong beyond belief and gives him incredible powers. He doesn't think that Sara can handle all of these men and be a commander to them. He challenges her to take control of the group they are supposed to lead together and assumes that she will never be able to actually help them master their abilities. <b>But she does. And he can't handle it. </b>He likes to fight with Sara to annoy her but he also gets a thrill out of it. Jarrod knows he wants her but doesn't realize how bad for a long time.</div>
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<i>“Whether she realised it yet or not, this betting stuff and the constant conflict between us was foreplay.” </i></blockquote>
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Alright, so this is a bit of a girl power book, which is awesome. I love reading about strong women who can handle anything that is put in front of them. Sara is handling twice the derision and scorn because she is not only female but also a low ranking vampire that is considered too tame. But she is unique and pretty and perfect and already has a handle on every gift that she has been given.</div>
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I wish we had gotten to see her work harder to control her powers. She starts off perfect and the only character growth she exhibits during the entire book was learning to love again. <b>It's a big thing but when you're about to be attacked by an army of vampires, it shouldn't be a priority.</b></div>
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<b>But all of this being said, it's not a bad book.</b> The secondary characters are fun, engaging, and add a little bit of fun to the book. It's not all about sex and fighting. There isn't excessive amounts of blood and gore like some vampire books have where everybody is always attached to the neck of someone else and making horrendous gulping noises. </div>
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Fletcher is the secretary for both Jarrod and Sara and is the best friend that anybody could ask for. He's honest, straightforward, and amazingly sassy. </div>
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He was honestly one of my favorite characters in the book, simply because you know that all he does all day is put up with their sexual tension laden arguments and sit at his desk and plot ways to get them together. </div>
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Another supporting character that stole my heart is Evan, who is Jarrod's brother. He is all charm and smiles. I liked that he wasn't after Sara and was honest with himself throughout the book. Evan knows what he wants and nobody is going to distract him from it. He's still a good friend in the long run and adds a bit of tension between the brothers when Jarrod's caveman tendencies crop up.</div>
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The sexy scenes were entertaining at first but they got a little bit repetitive. <b>Both Sara and Jarrod are experienced so there is none of that wilting virgin stuff going on here and they have heat between them.</b> But every time they get together, it follows the same pattern. Sara is sexy. Jarrod is possessive. Jarrod has a thing for dirty talk and being the dominant one. It's fun and had some heat but I got bored with it rather quickly. <b>Jarrod only has one trick and he uses it constantly. </b>Jarrod needs to go read a couple of Cosmos because I would think electrocuting your partner's naughty bits would get a bit tiresome after a while. </div>
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Vampire sex scenes have bothered me for a long time because they don't make sense to me. In most books, vampires are dead. They don't have a heartbeat. Their blood is pretty much useless. So how are they able to get *ahem* excited? It doesn't work physiologically to me and maybe they explained it at some point during the book but I didn't catch it. In addition, if they are dead, then why do they have a thing for each other's blood? Wouldn't it be rotten? I keep imagining them drinking sludge out of each other and it isn't good. Rather gross actually. Even though their blood is clean and it seems that they do have a pulse in this book, it still just doesn't work for me.</div>
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This book is a romance at heart and the vampire stuff almost seems to be a secondary thing. <b>The author could have picked being wizards or shifters or werewolves and I feel like the plot wouldn't have changed all that much. </b>The powers made things interesting but it somewhat ignored the standard canon for vampires and strayed dangerously close to <i>Twilight</i>. </div>
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I want my vampires to be evil or at least fighting against being evil. They're dead already. They have nothing to lose. They can do whatever they want, right? Or maybe they should have problems with subsisting off of the blood of living cognizant humans. Even if they are willing and able, I feel like at least one vampire would have issues with it. </div>
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I guess in the end, I was expecting drama, danger, and conflict and while that's present in the book, it wasn't the way I like it. I love reading about personal struggles of right and wrong. <b>This book was mainly romance with a sprinkling of political and military drama.</b> So if you are reading it for that reason, it's a fun book. If you're looking for more than that, this is a bit of a disappointment.</div>
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So 2.5 stars from me. I don't like sexy vampire books and this was no exception. I'm trying to get over it but this one just didn't do it for me. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596788226744642252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6178815800793308016.post-55726905529539815942015-04-12T12:38:00.002-07:002015-04-12T12:38:21.988-07:00Book Review: The Deepest Cut by J.A. TempletonI really need to stop rating books right after I read them. I find that I am often too generous with the ones I truly disliked and later bump them down a star.<div>
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<br /><br /><i>The Deepest Cut</i> could have been great. It was an interesting idea that was held back by the writing style and the characterization of the leads. <b>It's not often in a book where you end up truly disliking the main characters but that happened for me with this one. </b>The characters, plot, setting, conflict, and conclusion were all remarkably lackluster.<br /><br /><img src="https://p.gr-assets.com/540x540/fit/hostedimages/1428866203/14488652.gif" /><br /><br />Riley Williams and her family have moved to Scotland to escape their past. Her mother died in a car accident and ever since then, Riley has been able to see spirits of those who have passed on.<b> So the obvious logical conclusion is to move to a place where history/bloodshed/ghosts/legends are thick on the ground and this poor girl will be tormented.</b> Her brother and father don't believe that she sees ghosts but still, that's a bit of a dick move.<br /><br /><img src="https://p.gr-assets.com/540x540/fit/hostedimages/1428866203/14488653.gif" /><br /><br />So they move into a haunted inn in the haunted countryside of Scotland where everybody is going to get along and stay out of trouble. This is where Riley encounters Ian McKinnon, a young Scottish lad that was killed around 200 years ago.<br /><br /><img src="https://p.gr-assets.com/540x540/fit/hostedimages/1416162796/11905221.gif" /><br /><br />Ian is the stereotypical Scottish man we see in every book written about the Highlands. He's tall, handsome with a stunning and sweet personality but the desire to protects his loved ones. As soon as he finds out that Riley can see him, he sticks close by her, desperate to talk to someone who can hear him. <br /><br /><img src="https://p.gr-assets.com/540x540/fit/hostedimages/1428866203/14488654.jpg" /><br /><br />Ian catches Riley cutting herself as a way of releasing the pent up anger, frustration, and hurt of being without her mother. She's sick of being medicated and treated but is still dealing with her past. And that's when everything goes downhill.<br /><br />Because Ian isn't the only spirit sticking around. <b>There is another ghost roaming around and this one isn't nearly as charming and has a thing for homicide.</b> Riley is determined to save Ian from his eternal wandering but that puts her in danger from being cursed or whatever herself.<br /><br /><b>The idea is good with this book. The execution is excessively awful.</b><br /><br />Riley learns everything about ghosts through Google, a couple of books, and the crazy old ladies in the neighborhood. None of which is actually effective. They really make things worse.<br /><br />There is little to no consistency about the ghosts, meaning that the author basically ignored all of the standards for ghostliness (non-tangible, mysterious, not able to talk, being tied to one place, creepy as fuck) and fits her ghosts to her standards. Ghosts are able to fly through walls but Riley is able to kiss and cuddle them? <br /><br />Riley is a whiner too.<br /><br /><img src="https://p.gr-assets.com/540x540/fit/hostedimages/1428866624/14488715.gif" /><br /><br />I get that you're working through your mother's death and it's difficult but stop acting like such a martyr and step up a little bit. The cutting felt like it was added on as a schtick and it never felt genuine. Her brother and her father lost someone too and it felt like they were just so incredibly done with her.<br /><br /><img src="https://p.gr-assets.com/540x540/fit/hostedimages/1428866624/14488716.gif" /><br /><br />The town they move into must be the Scottish version of Hollywood because everybody there is fucking gorgeous apparently.<br /><br /><img src="https://p.gr-assets.com/540x540/fit/hostedimages/1428866624/14488717.gif" /><br /><br />Except the bad guys. Because bad guys can't be pretty ever. (Except Hiddleston. Exception to every rule) The important people are pretty. It was just so over the top cliched that it made me want to throw something. <b>A bunch of teenagers running wild, drinking, partying, and being incredibly stupid with little parental supervision. Is this the YA Paranormal version of every high school teen movie made?</b><br /><br />And finally, the romance...<br /><br /><img src="https://p.gr-assets.com/540x540/fit/hostedimages/1428867100/14488789.gif" /><br /><br />It felt stupid and fake. There are better ways to do ghostly boyfriends and this was the worst rendition of it I've ever seen. <b>The whole point of falling in love with a ghost is that you can't fucking touch them or have any sort of physical relationship. It's supposed to torture you. </b>That never happened in this book. The only inconvenient part of him being a ghost is that he would lost energy. They nearly had ghostly sex which would have been awfully convenient since he couldn't get you pregnant. (OMG Ghost babies)<br /><br /><img src="https://p.gr-assets.com/540x540/fit/hostedimages/1428867228/14488800.jpg" /><br /><br />So yeah...don't waste your time or your money. I got the box set of the series but for the first time, I'm deleting something from my kindle library. It's not worth keeping.<br /><br /><img src="https://p.gr-assets.com/540x540/fit/hostedimages/1428867100/14488790.gif" /><div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596788226744642252noreply@blogger.com0