tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85417981537887625802024-03-12T19:19:53.367-07:00Devoured by BooksThe place to go for reliable ya reviews, book news, or to participate in contests/ giveaways. siriusyareaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864466206175157902noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541798153788762580.post-24900529618946187382013-06-15T16:00:00.001-07:002013-06-15T16:00:51.909-07:00Siege & Storm by Leigh Bardugo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<strong style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Title: Siege And Storm</strong></div>
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<strong style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Author: Leigh Bardugo</strong></div>
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<strong style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Publisher: Henry Colt</strong></div>
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<strong style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Genre: Fantasy</strong></div>
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<strong style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Pages: 435</strong></div>
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<strong style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Release Date: June 4, 2013</strong></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><strong>"Darkness never dies.</strong><br /><br />Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.<br /><br />The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm."- Goodreads Summary</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Guys... I honestly can't even begin to describe how I felt after I closed this book for the last time. I have three other books sitting on my shelf waiting to be read but I keep wondering "How am I going to enjoy these books after Siege And Storm?" Because Siege And Storm was <i>that</i> good. I have no idea how the books I'm going to read next will be able to live up to the standards Siege & Storm set. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">If you guys read <i>Shadow And Bone</i> and loved it, then you are in for a treat because <i>Siege</i> tops <i>Shadow</i> by a mile. Not only does it retain the best characters from <i>Shadow</i>, but it also introduces a couple new characters that are just as amazing. However, one in particular is a new favorite of mine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Sturmhond. Snarky but kind and just as ambitious as the Darkling, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Sturmhond is one heck of a character. He is very mysterious yet I still felt like I got to know him. He's the Darkling minus the whole evil factor. I need to see more of him in the next book.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">We get to know Mal a lot better in this book and I have to say, I am not at all disappointed. Despite the other potential romances, he and Alina are perfect together. Their history with each other is so cute and I know that, whatever's happens, they will always be on the same team. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The book starts out with a major plot twist and the twists just keep on coming. Everything was non-stop and I never got bored. Once. This book was read within a day. I even read it on my walking home, to </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Leigh Bardugo holds my heart in her hands. I read on her biography that she went to Yale, and it is evident to me that she is extremely gifted and talented throughout the story. The book was just so creative and unlike any fantasy I've ever read before. The world-building was unique- it was as if Leigh thought of everything! She deserves a standing ovation for sure!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Everything was done perfectly; I don't have one complaint. The characters were appealing, the writing was beautiful, the plot was entertaining times 10... I have only one thing to say- get this book or miss out!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>“I have loved you all my life, Mal," I whispered through my tears. "There is no end to our story.” </b></span><br />
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siriusyareaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864466206175157902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541798153788762580.post-88902413782798088142013-04-20T18:14:00.000-07:002013-04-20T18:14:28.738-07:00Stacking the Shelves<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted every Saturday at Tynga's Reviews. It's a blog post about the books you received the previous week. I will be doing my Stacking the Shelves Post every Saturday, too.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">This week I got six more beloved books at the library. I am salivating and cannot wait to tear into all of them.</span><br />
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<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1362408152l/10637766.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Silence (Hush, Hush, #3)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1362408152l/10637766.jpg" width="133" /></a><span style="font-family: Courier New;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10637766-silence">Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick:</a> I realize that the <em>Hush, Hush</em> saga is hit-or-miss with many people but that isn't the case fore me. They're simply OK and I don't have the heart to give up on them quite yet. Maybe Silence will step it up an be a truly enjoyable read for me.</span></div>
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<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1338729878l/10929432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Archived (The Archived, #1)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1338729878l/10929432.jpg" width="133" /></a><span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10929432-the-archived">The Archived by Victoria Schwab:</a> I'm not entirely certain about the plot of <em>The Archived</em> but a trusted blogger fell in love with it and I can't wait to read it now.</span></div>
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<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1342208984l/13049981.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Boundless (Unearthly, #3)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1342208984l/13049981.jpg" width="133" /></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13049981-boundless">Boundless by Cynthia Hand:</a> This is another series that I thought was simply OK. However, I am eager to see what happens in <em>Boundless</em> because it's the finale and hyped as the best book of the trilogy.</span></div>
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<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1306520962l/10677277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Article 5 (Article 5, #1)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1306520962l/10677277.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10677277-article-5"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Article 5 by Kristen Simons:</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> This is a dystopia packed with action, rebellion, betrayal, and a kick-ass heroine. I have to admit this is probably the book I'm most eager to read, mainly because of the heroine.</span></div>
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<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333623382l/13056868.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Vessel" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333623382l/13056868.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13056868-vessel"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Vessel by Sarah Durst:</span></a> <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I'm definitely psyched to read <em>Vessel </em>because it's a fantasy and fantasies are probably my favorite genre in ya. Also it's by an author I've never read before so I'm curious to read her style of writing.</span></div>
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<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1342210560l/12578294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mind Games (Mind Games, #1)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1342210560l/12578294.jpg" width="126" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12578294-mind-games">Mind Games by Kiersten White:</a> I fell in love with Kiersten White's writing with <em>Paranormalacy</em>. She creates characters that I can easily relate to which is why I'm starving for Fia and her adventures. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I also won this book in an arc trade at </span><a href="http://cuddlebuggery.com/"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Cuddlebuggery</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">. Thanks so much!</span></div>
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<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1346121755l/13455112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Origin" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1346121755l/13455112.jpg" width="124" /></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13455112-origin">Origin by Jessica Khoury:</a> It's a science fiction (which I don't read enough of) that takes place in the amazon (which I certainly don't read enough of). This book seems to be an excitingly unique read that I will be reviewing very soon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">So what did you get this week? Be sure to link up so I can check out your STS!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Have a nice weekend!</span></div>
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siriusyareaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864466206175157902noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541798153788762580.post-68205297768960050632013-04-17T18:34:00.001-07:002013-04-17T18:37:14.757-07:00Splintered by A.G. Howard<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<strong>Author: A. G. Howard</strong></div>
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<strong>Publisher: Amulet</strong></div>
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<strong>Genre: Fantasy</strong></div>
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<strong>Pages: 371</strong></div>
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<strong>Release Date: January 1, 2013</strong></div>
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"This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.</div>
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When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own."- <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12558285-splintered">Goodreads</a> <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Have you ever experienced a heart-stopping moment where you just stopped and stared at the Goodreads description to a book; where you felt as if that book was your dream book; where you felt as if the author had written that book just for you? Because that's how I felt when I read the description to <em>Splintered</em> back in October. I marked January 1 on my calender and started counting down the days. However, January 1st came and went and I didn't read it- I was apprehensive. In all my eagerness to read <em>Splintered</em> I was worried it wouldn't live up to my fantasies. I needn't have worried.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;"><em>Splintered</em> is about Alyssa, a 16 year old who's mother is locked up in a mental institution after inheriting the family curse from her ancestor Alice Liddel. Alyssa doesn't doubt the credibility of the curse because once she hit puberty she began hearing bugs and flowers talk. She ends up facing an ultimatum that leads to her traveling to Wonderland. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">The story started out on a creepy note and I was actually a bit weirded out. But the creepiness is explained and the story gets better from there. There's a lot of exposition going on at the beginning but, thankfully, not everything is given away. The plot then picks up the pace once Alyssa and her friend Jeb travel to Wonderland. <em>Splintered</em> held several shocking twists that I never could've seen coming.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Probably my favorite thing about this book was the characters. Not the characters themselves, although they were pretty awesome but the character interactions. Alyssa is smart and witty but she met her match with Morpheus, her guide in Wonderland, and it was hilarious reading about them. Morpheus acted tough as if nothing bothered him but once in a while his true self would leak through and those times touched me. Jeb was sweet and it was obvious he cared for Alyssa. Yet he had a girlfriend! That frustrated me to no end especially considering how protective he was of Alyssa. My favorite character (besides the scary yet sensitive Morpheus) was Alyssa's dad. He was such a good father and took extremely good care of Alyssa. I couldn't help but like him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Overall, this book met my expectations. Unfortunately it's a stand alone novel which saddens me because I want to read more about Alyssa, Jeb, and Morpheus. However, I'm hoping A. G. Howard has a new novel in the works because I will definitely be reading it. If you like fairytale retellings or fantasies than this is the book for you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: x-large;">4/5 Mugs of Hot Chocolate</span></div>
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siriusyareaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864466206175157902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541798153788762580.post-6022242322783228612013-04-16T07:17:00.000-07:002013-04-16T07:17:29.951-07:00Top Ten Tuesday<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted on The Broke and Bookish about the top ten of almost anything book related. I thought it was a great idea and decided to join in on the fun!</span></span><br />
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This week's topic is a Top Ten Tuesday Rewind. I chose to do <em>Top Ten Reasons Why I Read</em>, which I'm not sure was ever a topic but if it wasn't it should be.
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Top 10 Reasons Why I Read</h2>
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1) I'm a dreamer. I yearn for more adventure, more excitement, more connection in my life and books give that to me.</div>
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2) I love to imagine. Because of this I can easily relate to other characters and their problems and this is the reason why books are vortexes that suck me in.</div>
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3) Books are relaxing. After a hard, stressful day I need something to do that calms me down and I find that something in reading.</div>
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4) I need an escape. Somethimes real life gets to be too much and what better way to let go of it all than to read about the Quidditch World Cup?</div>
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5) Life can get boring. On long car rides or road trips or even when sick in bed with nothing to do, books are the perfet medicine.</div>
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6) Books teach me that I can survive. My domain genre is ya and the characters often deal with issues such as abuse or bullying. When I read ya and see that they can deal with and escape this I realize that it is possible. That people aren't worthless because others say they are; that everyone is deserving of a good life and a good friend; that, in the end, anything is possible.</div>
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7) I want become a published author. Reading published books is the perfect way for me to become a better writer.</div>
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8) Part of why I love reading so much can't be described. It's because of something inside me,some innate need a have, some void that is filled when I read. Reading makes me content and I can't exactly explain why. Reading is something I'm passionate about and everyone needs a little passion in their lives.</div>
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9) Book characters are the best! The books I read often have loyal, trustworthy best friends or supporting boyfriends. I read about heroines who are tough physically and save the day or even mentally and survive heartbreaking issues. I read because, honestly, who doesn't love a kick-ass heroine.</div>
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10) I want to travel. I would love to visit Alaska, Lonon, Paris, Egypt, Japan, New Zealand, or Brazil. With books I can journey all over the world. In fact, by reading I can visit nonexistent places too such as Hogwarts or underground resorts or parrellel realities.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">What do you guys think? Why do you read? Please feel free to leave the link to your TTT.</span></div>
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siriusyareaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864466206175157902noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541798153788762580.post-74690855230134227072013-04-15T17:23:00.000-07:002013-04-15T17:23:59.384-07:00Sever by Lauren DeStefano<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<strong>Title: Sever</strong>
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<strong>Author: Lauren DeStefano</strong><br />
<strong>Publisher: Simon & Schuster </strong><br />
<strong>Pages: 371</strong><br />
<strong>Genre: Dystopia</strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">"Time is running out for Rhine in this conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Chemical Garden Trilogy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">With the clock ticking until the virus takes its toll, Rhine is desperate for answers. After enduring Vaughn’s worst, Rhine finds an unlikely ally in his brother, an eccentric inventor named Reed. She takes refuge in his dilapidated house, though the people she left behind refuse to stay in the past. While Gabriel haunts Rhine’s memories, Cecily is determined to be at Rhine’s side, even if Linden’s feelings are still caught between them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Meanwhile, Rowan’s growing involvement in an underground resistance compels Rhine to reach him before he does something that cannot be undone. But what she discovers along the way has alarming implications for her future—and about the past her parents never had the chance to explain.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">In this breathtaking conclusion to Lauren DeStefano’s Chemical Garden trilogy, everything Rhine knows to be true will be irrevocably shattered."- Goodreads </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I almost didn't read this one. 2013 is, whether I like it or not, the end to many beloved series. That includes the <em>Chemical Garden Trilogy</em> by Lauren DeStefano. It is imperatve to me for a series conclusion to reach my standards, especially when I am so emotionally attached to a story and it's characters. <em>Sever</em> was a great book and just as good if not better than it's preceders but it just didn't do it for me.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">In this book Rhine is attempting to forget about the cure and the disease and simply reunite with her brother. She does end up sidetracked by occurances that affect both her and her loved ones. But she has something to live for and build her life around now that she nows her brother is alive. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Secrets are revealed from almost everyone's pasts including Rhine, Linden, and Vaughn's. The stakes in this book are higher because time is running out and Vaughn will do almost anything to get what he wants.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">We get to know Vaughn a lot better and I actually found myself... understanding him. It was a tough time for everyone and as they say when the going gets tough the tough get going. Vaughn did just that and disregarded all of the consequences. Even though Vaughn acted amoral to achieve his goal, his motives were pure. I might've done the same if my loved ones are at stake. That's just my take though and you may likely see it differently.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">I liked Rhine because, despite everything, she was compassionate and never gave up on her brother. She grew so much from the first book where she was lonely and afraid. Cecily was another of my favorites. Tragedy and time has also changed her and she became so tough she was almost unrecognizeable. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">The love story was pushed behind scenes. In all actuality, this didn't matter because the book didn't need it. Sever had enough going for it as it was as secret after secret was revealed. That isn't to say that I wouldn't have enjoyed reading more about Rhine's and Gabriel's relationship.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">The ending was rushed. The plot of the entire series was basically solved in a cople of pages. If this isn't proof of that, I picked up Sever to finish it before realizing that I'd already finished it. Don't get me wrong it was a good book in a good trilogy but I was emotionally attached to it and I feel the conclusion let me down. In the end, however, the book kept me reading (which is more than I can say for a couple other conclusions that I put away when they got too disapointing). It was exciting and eventful and packed with twists. If you enjoyed the first two books then this book is for you.</span>
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siriusyareaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864466206175157902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541798153788762580.post-10140110430633590172013-04-14T12:45:00.000-07:002013-04-14T14:44:28.159-07:00Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<strong>Author: Sarah Maas</strong></div>
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<strong>Publisher: Bloomsbury</strong></div>
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<strong>Pages: 404</strong></div>
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<strong>Genre: Fantasy</strong></div>
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"After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. </div>
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Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. </div>
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Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. </div>
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Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined."- Goodreads Summary <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I'm so glad I finally got the chance to read Throne of Glass. When I held this book in my hands I was so happy that I squealed and carried it like a baby to my room. Throne of Glass was certainly a good book with many elements to it that helped it live up to it's hype.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Throne of Glass takes place in a world where a monarch controls his kingdom with an iron fist. His people and other people are suffering at his hands, so Caelena pauses before making a deal that puts herself into an alliance with him. But she knows that if she doesn't agree to serve the King as his Champion, she will likely die at the camp where she's imprisoned. So she agrees and that is the catalyst for a whirlwind of events that land her at the castle she despises, fighting for something that she doesn't believe in.</span> <br />
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<em>“Celaena," Chaol said gently. And then she [Chaelena] heard the scraping noise as his hand came into view, sliding across the flagstones. His fingertips stopped just at the edge of the white line. "Celaena," he breathed, his voice laced with pain--and hope. This was all she had left--his outstretched hand, and the promise of hope, of something better waiting on the other side of the line.” </em><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">I loved the descriptions of the castle and the dresses Chaelena wore. Sure it's a story about an assassin but the assassin is a teenage girl and, like many other teenagers she longs to feel pretty and above all loved. Which is why she ditches her trainig and begins to trust people. She makes a new best friend, Nehemia, quickly, which I had some issues with at first but it actually makes sense eventually. Furthermore, Chaelena slowly begins to trust the Prince, Dorian, and the Captian of the Royal Guard, Chaol. All three of the characters added dimensions to the story and they were all truly admirable characters that I could relate with. Chaol puts up a tough front but his actions show that he has a soft side. Dorian has his heart on his sleeve and he's very sweet but he's tough when need be. Nehemia is a strong princess who wants what's best for her people. The addition of these three characters were what made Throne of Glass so exceptional.</span> <br />
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<em>"Here's a lesson for you, Weapons Master," she [Chaelena] said, stalking past him. "Give me real men to fight. Then maybe I'll bother trying."</em><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Chaelena herself was witty and it was always a pleasure listening to her comebacks. She had a smart-mouth and didn't think twice about using it. She was also fierce and smart. When the mystery began to wrap itself around the castle, she dove in and thoughtfully pondered over it. She, like Dorian, had a soft side and even though she was an assassin who could (and did) kick ass she respected the lives of innocents and loved puppies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">I had difficulty believing that the king would choose assassins and theives, people who had obvious problems with authority to become his champion. It seems to me that he logically would've chose loyal soldiers who would be faithful to him. Also, it bothered me that we were only given small chunks of Chaelena's past. I would really like to know more about her. She is the main character after all. Hopefully these issues are resolved inthe next book!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The writing was very good, better than many of the books I've been reading lately. Overall, the story was well put together. Characterstics such as the assassin heroine, witty banter, romantic entanglements, a deadly mystery, betrayal, and tragedy made up the story. This book would be perfect for fans of all those things and specifically fans of a fantasy with a stable foundation from world-building. It's no secret that I am counting the days until the next book.</span><br />
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siriusyareaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864466206175157902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541798153788762580.post-58331210383284053332013-04-13T11:48:00.002-07:002013-04-13T17:15:55.598-07:00Stacking the Shelves<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Stacking the Shelves is a meme posted every Saturday on Tynga's Reviews. It's a blog post about the books you received the previous week. I will be doing my Stacking the Shelves Post every Saturday, too.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I can barely describe my excitement for this week's books. I got them all on hold at the library and have already finished several of them.</span> <span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span> </div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9943270-dark-triumph" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin, #2)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1346852168l/9943270.jpg" width="135" /></a><span style="font-family: Courier New;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9943270-dark-triumph">Dark Triumph by RL LaFevers:</a> This is the sequel to Grave Mercy. It is on the dark side and action-packed. It is also my new favorite book from 2013. </span></div>
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<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1340134213l/12558285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Splintered (Splintered, #1)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1340134213l/12558285.jpg" width="135" /></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12558285-splintered">Splintered by AG Howard:</a> I have been waiting on Splintered for about 8 months now and am going to read it as soon as I can. It's about a descendent of Alice Liddel and her adventures in Wonderland. However, her adventures have a purpose to them- to fix Alice's mistakes, pass a series of tests, and hopefully bring an end to the madness wrapped around her mother.</span> </div>
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<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1343168408l/12383869.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sever (The Chemical Garden, #3)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1343168408l/12383869.jpg" width="132" /></a> <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12383869-sever">Sever by Lauren DeStefano:</a></span> <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Sever is the finale to a dystopia trilogy that I fell in love with a couple years ago. These books aren't perfect but I find them addicting and am eager to continue Rhine's adventure.</span> </div>
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<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344913129l/14760527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pulse (Pulse, #1)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344913129l/14760527.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14760527-pulse"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Pulse by Patrick Carman:</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> Pulse isn't a book I know too much about. It seems to have mixed reviews but maybe it'll be a hit with me. I basically know it's a dystopia about telekinesis although I don't know anything about the dystopian world. </span></div>
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<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1335819760l/7896527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1335819760l/7896527.jpg" width="132" /></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7896527-throne-of-glass">Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas:</a> Throne of Glass is about an assassin who was imprisoned for a year before being offered a trade- her freedom for becoming the King's Champion for four years. It was an overall enjoyable read and captivated my attention, although it had some flaws. Look forward to reading my review in the near future.</span></div>
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<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331952557l/10874177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School, #1)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331952557l/10874177.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10874177-etiquette-espionage"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Ettiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger:</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> This book entails a troublesome girl's attendance at a boarding school that teaches both how-tos such as proper behavior and murder. The summary is humorous so I predict it'll be an amusing read, even if it doesn't sound too unique.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hopefully you can see why I'm so satisfied with this week's collection of books. They all look amazing and I'm looking forward to getting sucked into each and every one of them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So what did you add to your shelves this week? Have you read any of my books? Please feel free to comment/ link up.</span><br />
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ps: just adding this so that bloglovin can verify me <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/5550917/?claim=s7n3pv6y9ea">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Have a nice weekend!</span></div>
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siriusyareaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864466206175157902noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541798153788762580.post-31665836996973303912013-04-12T15:24:00.001-07:002013-04-12T15:24:56.280-07:00Feature/ Follow Friday<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><em>Feature and Follow Friday is something hosted over at </em><a href="http://parajunkee.com/2013/01/feature-and-follow-130.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><em>Parajunkee's View</em></a><em> to help people to discover your blog and you to discover yours</em>. <em>It features a question every week for bloggers to answer. </em></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-size: large;">Q: We are about to see a lot of posts & tweets about reader conventions, RT, BEA, ALA and many more are starting soon. Which one would you love to attend? Where and why?</span></span></h2>
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Could my answer be all three? I guess I'd have to say BEA because I know so many great bloggers that are going and I'd love to meet them. Also, I have to admit the books there are tempting me. I hope to go not next year because it'll be at a stressful point during my senior year and likely not the year after that due to money issues but the year after.<br />
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What about you- which one (if any) do you want to attend? Feel free to comment/follow/leave your link<br />
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Have a nice day. </div>
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siriusyareaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864466206175157902noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541798153788762580.post-8638334612441194562013-04-12T10:41:00.000-07:002013-04-12T10:41:09.691-07:00Dark Triumph by R.L. LaFevers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<strong>Author: Robin LaFevers</strong></div>
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<strong>Publisher: </strong> <strong>Houghton Mifflin Books </strong></div>
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<strong>Pages: 385</strong></div>
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<strong>Genre: Historical Fiction</strong></div>
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"Sybella arrives at the convent’s doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. Naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, the convent views Sybella as one of their most dangerous weapons.</div>
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But those assassin’s skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. Her father’s rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother’s love is equally monstrous. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?</div>
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This heart-pounding sequel to Grave Mercy serves betrayal, treachery, and danger in equal measure, bringing readers back to fifteenth century Brittany and will keep them on the edge of their seats."- Goodreads Book Description
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">This book is pure bliss. With a cherry on top. I didn't think it possible but LaFevers has outdone herself.I knew from chapter one that I was going to love this book and I did a wiggly happy-dance in my seat while reading it.I have to say that this is my favorite book so far in 2013. It was that good.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Like I said, I was enraptured from the start and for a reason. Sybella has a dark past, a past so dark that Ismae might as well have grown up with Barney. And her past has come back to haunt her. After suffering through a childhood of abuse, her escape to the convent proves temporary when she heads back to her twisted abusers on an assignment. But she's not a scared little girl anymore. She's an assassin. And this time she's playing the game her way. The entire book enthralled me. There wasn't a bored moment even <u>once</u> in 385 pages which explains how I started and finished <em>Dark Triumph</em> in less than a day.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Years of torture left mental scars on Sybella, ones she was constantly attempting to cover and pretend they din't exist. Sybella was a dark character. She loved her job as an assassin because she excelled at it and it gave her control, after a childhood of being controlled. I bonded with Sybella from the start, mostly because I understood her pain. I recognize that being on the receiving end of terror leads to horrific results. If it hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to relate to Sybella in the slightest. Sybella is frequently on the verge of insanity and even near suicidal at timesbut that's what made me love her to such a great extent. I just wanted to give her a big hug because despite everything she suffered through, she kept standing.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Sybella's relationship with Beast fit into the story perfectly. It wasn't a main part of the story but it wasn't a small part either. With everything that was happening, their love for each other wasn't instant, it actually developed over time. Beast was charecterized as ugly because of his physical scars but Sybella had no qualms in loving him for who he was and neither did I. He was a really easy person to like. He was that person that always puts others first and helps others. He was also funny, witty, and, most importanly, accepted Sybella for who she was. In fact, he supported Sybella's career despite it's danger. He was truly a good person and his relatonship with Sybella certainly gave Ismae's and Duval's a run for their money.</span>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The writing literally blew me away. You know those moments during books where you just want to squeel in excitement because a sentence or a paragraph was that stunning? This book had moments like that several times <u>every</u> chapter. The writing described moments, feelings, and thoughts in such a way that it was almost like a sirens call. I couldn't tear myself away from this book and fortunately I didn't want to.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">This book is unique and managed to break through the unspoken ya checklist and ignore the entirety of it. And it worked for <u>Dark Triumph.</u> Hopefully future authors will take notice of this and write some terrific books <strike>for me to read</strike>. One complaint I do have is that the ending felt a tiny bit rushed but thankfully there's a sequel that I cannot wait to get my hands on. Robin is easily one of my favorite authors and I would recommend this trilogy to almost anyone. Just take notice that this book deals with some serious issues but if you don't mind that then this is the book for you.</span>
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siriusyareaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864466206175157902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541798153788762580.post-73239739560195659142013-04-10T11:54:00.003-07:002013-04-10T11:54:39.743-07:00Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margharet Stohl<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<strong>Title: Beautiful Creatures</strong></div>
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<strong>Author: Kami Garcia and Margharet Stohl</strong></div>
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<strong>Pages: 563</strong></div>
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<strong>Genre: Paranormal</strong></div>
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<strong>Release Date: December 1, 2009</strong></div>
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<strong>Publisher: Little Brown And Company</strong></div>
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<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327873282l/6304335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles, #1)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327873282l/6304335.jpg" width="132" /></a>"Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.</div>
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Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them."- Book Description</div>
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<strong>May contain very minor spoilers. I tried hard to keep them out though.</strong></div>
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Well, I finally read it. It only took me <u>six months</u>. I can't stand DNFing books and just couldn't give up on this one. Even if it meant taking a break for two months at a time. Honestly, I get why so many people love this book. I really do. But sadly, I hated it. Now before you guys scream at me until you're blue in the face, let me explain. <br />
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To start out with, the book was annoyingly cliche. It included a small town with jerk jocks and bullying cheerleaders (of course the main character was an exception),a misunderstood and brooding love interest, love at first sight (of course this is exscusable because Ethan had been having dreams about Lena (don't get me started on the dreams) and they had a <strong>connection, </strong>and everyone is keeping secrets (what a suprise). What bugged me the most was the way the South was portrayed. I know at least one of the author's has lived in the South but so have I. People don't act like that. Most people there aren't quite that ignorant and community-involved there. But the worst thing was the Civil War Reenactments. I've been to several and the town's behavior where almost everyone attended was very unrealistic. I could continue but unfortunately that would mean crossing the border into spoilersville. In conclusion, I feel that the authors should've taken 3 more weeks to plan out writing this book. Maybe then it would've been a little more unique.</div>
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Lena's behavior at times verged on rude and even abusive. The trantrums she threw were treated by Ethan as if they were no big deal. The damage she inflicted with her powers probably should've been treated as morally wrong. Imagine Lena and Ethan reversed. If Ethan had behaved that way I have a hunch he would've been consiered a bit psychopathic and even abusive at times. I just don't think their relationship would've been thought as romantic as it was.</div>
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It was also too long. It could've been 100 pages shorter. Quite frankly many of the books events were unnecessary and verged on boring. The plot wasn't defined enough. The issue I found was that certain parts of the story that should've been a bigger deal were little occurances. If they had been given definition the story would've been so much more interesting. The story was predictable more than a few times and I even think I've predicted a major part of the next book. Also, the writing was often on the brink of awkward. Some of the phrases needed to be given a thorough edit.</div>
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The reasoning above was basically why I didn't enjoy this book. Even though I didn't like it, the book definitely had it's good moments which can't be ignored. Some of the character interactions were well done. Although the writing could get awkward, there was times where it shined with brilliance. Finally there was scenes packed with action that were enjoyable.</div>
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Hopefully I don't seem to be trying to tear this book down. Because I wasn't. This is a book review and the point of reviewing something is to give an opinion. Keep in mind that this is just my opinion. This is a popular book and it might be of interest to you. Truthfully, I almost didn't post this because I felt guilty for posting such a deprecating review but I'd also feel guilty if I hid the truth. In the end Beautiful Creatures simply wasn't for me. It had it's moments but they were too few and too far between to cause me to like the book.</div>
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siriusyareaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864466206175157902noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541798153788762580.post-7337254090059012272013-04-08T12:33:00.000-07:002013-04-08T13:26:34.253-07:00Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<strong>Author: Tahereh Mafi</strong></div>
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<strong>Publisher: Harper Collins</strong></div>
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<strong>Release Date: February 5, 2013</strong></div>
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<strong>Pages: 461</strong></div>
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<strong>Genre: Dystopia</strong></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13104080-unravel-me"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Goodreads</span></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062085530?ie=UTF8&tag=httpwwwgoodco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0062085530&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a></span></div>
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<em><br /></em><em>it's almost</em></div>
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<em><br /></em><em>time for war.</em></div>
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<em>Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.</em><br />
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<em>She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.</em><br />
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<em>Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.</em><br />
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<em>In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.</em> <br />
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<strong>Warning: May contain spoilers to Shatter Me</strong> <strong></strong> <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">To my suprise, I discovered that a Team Warner had been created before I began this book. I was shocked and not in a good way. I didn't understand why another love triangle had been formed and why it now included a psychopathic murderer.<em> </em>Warner was vulgar, cruel, and obssessive in <em>Shatter Me. </em>It was unfathomable to me that Juliette could even consider loving him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span> <span style="font-family: Courier New;">Then I read Unravel Me.</span> <span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">And my shock turned to amazement and an almost deprecating desire to devour the next book. The love triangle made absolutely perfect sense. Certainly it wasn't a necessary addition but it's an addition that I can't imagine the book without. Warner did what he had to do in <em>Shatter Me</em> and his past contains secrets even Juliette couldn't imagine. </span><span style="font-family: Courier New;">Juliette had a past where loneliness was her best friend. She longed for human contact and the sensation of friendship. Warner may have made mistakes but he was a real person. He was flawed and, like Juliette, he was lonely. </span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">They were perfect for each other.</span> <span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Of course, the story held other issues as well. Juliette must learn to stand strong and face her fears. Adam makes a new discovery and his reactions to it... well they were childish at best. He becomes more vulnerable in this story and it shows. He won't stand by and let Warner steal Juliette's heart after their past together and Juliette evidently doesn't want him to.I want to see more of Adam in the next book for sure. Another issue was introduced in the from of Warners messed up father who's the truly psychopathic one and the reason Warner resembled crazy. I have an intense hatered for him and I want him to get what he deserves.</span> <span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Whenever the atmosphere became too serious, Kenji was there too save the day. He was hilarious and his laugh-out-loud comedy added an enire other aspect to the story. I couldn't help but love him and his jokes. Even better, it becomes apparent that there's a different side to Kenji that allows him to hold a position as leader.</span> <span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">The writing stunned me once again. People have compained about how ridiculous it is <strike>but that's utter nonsense</strike> but just because it was different doesn't mean it wasn't good. The words flowed together like a rain drops and then flows through a river. The writing was mouth-watering and I loved how the crossed out words displayed Juliettes occasional lack of stability. She is broken and can't be made whole in a short span of time. Scars still lingered and the writing style showcased that. I loved it.</span> <span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span> <span style="font-family: Courier New;">And the cliffhanger! Why Tahereh? Why? Why must you torture me? I feel like a toddler saying this but I need more! Now! I'm begging! Begging! Look how pitiful that puppy looks- it wants the next book. </span><span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;"><strike>Moving on now that I've managed to make myself sound insane.</strike> A couple things did annoy me. I wish I had gotten to delve a bit further into Warner's past. I wish Adam had been a bigger part of the book. I wish there was a bit more action and just a little bit less dwelling over Juliette's misfortunes. And I really want to meet Julieete's family so I can yell at them (and basically creep my family out by yelling at a book... hehe). But overall it was a book that soared above my expectations and reached my shelf of favorite dystopias. I have marked my calender for the next book and must download a countdown on my blog as soon as I know it's exact release date. </span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> “I want to be the friend you fall hopelessly in love with. The one you take into your arms and into your bed and into the private world you keep trapped in your head. I want to be that kind of friend. The one who will memorize the things you say as well as the shape of your lips when you say them. I want to know every curve, every freckle, every shiver of your body. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I want to know where to touch you, I want to know how to touch you. I want to know convince you to design a smile just for me. Yes, I do want to be your friend. I want to be your best friend in the entire world.” </span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Have you ever had a girlfriend, Kenji?"</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"What?" He looks mortally offended. "Do I LOOK like the kind of guy who's never had a girlfriend? Have you even MET me?” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">“Hope.</span><br />
It's like a drop of honey, a field of tulips blooming in the springtime. It's a fresh rain, a whispered promise, a cloudless sky, the perfect punctuation mark at the end of a sentence. And it's the only thing in the world keeping me afloat.” <br />
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siriusyareaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864466206175157902noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541798153788762580.post-26721235163630435912013-04-07T15:06:00.001-07:002013-04-07T15:06:40.135-07:00I'm Back!!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So I know what you guys are thinking. It's probably something along the lines of, "She's back... Lucky us?" I'm sorry but I was going through a time where I just couldn't write posts. However, I'm now back and here to stay. <br />
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So look forward to hearing more from me. A lot more. I have plans to start reviewing at least 3 books a week again along with discussions, memes, and fun bookish stuff.<br />
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Anyway I just wanted to let you all know about my new blogger status. So (hopefully) thanks for being so patient with me.</div>
siriusyareaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864466206175157902noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541798153788762580.post-43410783289958013902013-02-25T13:58:00.001-08:002013-02-25T13:58:17.739-08:00The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<strong>Author: Megan Shepherd</strong></div>
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<strong>Publisher: Balzer + Bray</strong></div>
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<strong>Release Date: January 29, 2013</strong></div>
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<strong>Pages: 420</strong></div>
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<strong>Genre: Historical Fiction</strong></div>
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"In the darkest places, even love is deadly.
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Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.</div>
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Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.</div>
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Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect."- Goodreads Summary</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><em>The Madman's Daughter</em> is not a book for the faint of heart. I hope I'm not spoiling anything by saying this but Ifeel like there should've been a warning packed with it. The warning should've said something along the lines of: 'Caution! Not for a fan of princesses and rainbows and unicorns!' Which, sadly enough, I am. Meaning I like a good character, struggling against evil and, in the end, winning. This is not that story.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">To be sure, there was plenty of struggling against evil. Although the lines between good and evil were blurry. After all, when Juliet was 10 her father disappeared after a scandal that shook the wealthy people of London. He was presumed dead and, scarily enough, people hoped he was dead. Because Juliet's father was, simply put, mad. As in the crazy, insane, delusional kind of mad. When Juliet loses her job she comes across a fork in the road. She can either travel across the ocean with her ex-best friend and find her delusional father or live on the streets and most likely become a prostitute. She chooses the former, setting in motion a chain of unlikely and dangerous events.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">The plot was exciting, stunning, and brilliant in a twisted way. It made the book unputtdownable and I ended up reading the entire thing in one sitting. It was both shocking and unpredictable and I ran the plot over in my head hours afterwards, wondering why I hadn't guessed what was going to happen. The twists kept the story alive but I did feel that some, at least one of them, was unnecessary and unrealistic. I will admit that they kept my interest but they weren't what I as the reader wanted- hence the warning. I don't know what I expected but it wasn't that. However, I realize that I should praise the author for her mind-blowing plot and story. This book was something new, something unlike what I've ever read.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Juliet was an interesting person. Having her father leave at age ten and watching her mother slowly die of consumption at age 14 was enough to leave scars on a girl. She hardened and perhaps the loss of her family caused Juliet to crave attention. In any case, the addition of a love triangle in her life seemed a little much considering what Juliet was dealing with. Don't misunderstannd me, Juliet was a strong heroine who made some tough decisions. They weren't always wise but she was going through a lot. Her trust in her dad was believeable because she remembered him as the man who read her bedtime stories. Not the monster. The two boys making up her love triangle were both deserving of her love. One had a history with her and was loyal, while the other was a caring individual who put his life on the line for her. They could get a bit possessive but they truly cared for her.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Although, like I said, The Madman's Daughter is not a book for the faint of heart, it is a book with a gothic element to it that many teens will find to their liking. It is something fresh and exciting and unusual. I am eagerly waiting the next book in the series.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12291438-the-madman-s-daughter">View on Goodreads</a></span></div>
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siriusyareaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864466206175157902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541798153788762580.post-45052850597372911072013-02-24T12:24:00.001-08:002013-02-24T12:24:07.945-08:00Ya Book News<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Stephanie Meyer has announced that she's finally writing a sequel to The Host, a ya romance novel that's vastly popular. I haven't read The Host in such a long time that I'm definitely going to have to brush up on it before reading it's sequel. Check out the article <a href="http://www.hypable.com/2013/02/21/stephenie-meyer-reveals-what-she-is-writing-next/">here.</a><br />
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Lauren DeStefano is interviewed <a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/interviews/article/56057-q-a-with-lauren-destefano.html#path/pw/by-topic/authors/interviews/article/56057-q-a-with-lauren-destefano.html">here</a> and claims to have written several previous novels for adults that were never published. She has no plans on revisiting them which I am grateful for because it means she has a utopian series for young adults in the works. Just in time too as her Chemical Gardens trilogy is wrapping up.<br />
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Finally, after a long and intense wait, The Mortal Instruments Series is coming to a conclusion and the last book now has a trailer, which can be viewed <a href="http://shelf-life.ew.com/2013/02/21/cassandra-clares-clockwork-princess-trailer-exclusive-video/">here.</a><br />
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If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that kick-ass heroines are my favorite thing in the world. Which is why I literally jumped for joy when I discovered that Sarah Larson, a debut author, is writing a novel called <a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/56058-rights-report-week-of-february-18-2013.html#path/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/56058-rights-report-week-of-february-18-2013.html">Defy</a> about a girl disguised as a boy to become a guard. Not only that but she's a member of a prince's elite guard.<br />
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As you most likely know, Delirium has been picked up by CW to become a tv series. Excitingly enough, Julien has been cast. Julien will be played by Gregg Sulkin, who I think is perfect for the part. Although that's probably because he plays the part of Ezra's brother in Pretty Little Liars and I associate him with wealth and prestige. Read the article <a href="http://www.hypable.com/2013/02/19/gregg-sulkin-joins-delirium-tv-pilot-as-julien/">here.</a><br />
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Before I write this, I just want to make it clear that I am a huge fan of the Hunger Games. It's an amazing series and it's fame is one of the reasons that more ya books are being translated to the screen. Anyway, the parody of The Hunger Games now has a trailer, which can be viewed <a href="http://shelf-life.ew.com/2012/01/31/hunger-pains-harvard-lampoon-trailer/">here</a>. I love a good laugh so you can count me in!<br />
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The Selection by Kierra Cass has found a lead for it's tv show! <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: -webkit-auto;">Yael Grobglas will now be playing America Singer. I don't know about you, but I am so glad that the Selection finally has a lead so they can start filming as soon as possible. I don't know much about Yael but I think she looks feminine which is a major factor of her character. Read the article <a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_563843760"></span>here<span id="goog_563843761"></span></a> to decide for yourself.</span><br />
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siriusyareaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864466206175157902noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541798153788762580.post-63910698502524306792013-02-23T17:10:00.001-08:002013-02-25T13:15:32.776-08:00The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<strong>Author: Rae Carson</strong></div>
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<strong>Publisher: Greenwillow Books</strong></div>
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<strong>Release Date: September 18, 2012</strong></div>
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<strong>Pages: 410</strong></div>
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<strong>Genre: Fantasy</strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">"In the sequel to the acclaimed The Girl of Fire and Thorns, a seventeen-year-old princess turned war queen faces sorcery, adventure, untold power, and romance as she fulfills her epic destiny.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. That is not all she finds. A breathtaking, romantic, and dangerous second volume in the Fire and Thorns trilogy."- Goodreads</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Over a year past from the time I read the previous book until reading <em>The Crown of Embers</em>. But I was pulled forcefully back into the world of Elisa as if no time had passed at all. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">From the enticing beginning to the wonderously filling ending, this is not a book to be overlooked or forgotten.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">After Elisa's glorious defeat of her kingdom's enemies, she recieves both worship from her people and suspicion form her court. Of course, with Hector by her side some of the suspicion is alleviated. However, there is more to worry about than court politics. Elisa's country is in trouble and they need as strong ruler to guide them. Despite this, Elisa must deal with her growing feelings for her guard, assaination attempts, and a struggle to grow with everything going on around her. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I have to come clean and say this: Crown of Embers did include an epic journey but the plot was missing something. It was like crossing a stream without a bridge. It needed more direction. Yet there was so much happening that this was almost unnoticeable. Elisa is dealing with her feelings for her guard while attempting to put her kingdom first. Danger is in the horizon and maybe even in the castle. There are many suprises along the ride an it was an expedition that ensnared me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Elisa had serious self-esteem issues in the first book and there are still scars left from them. She is courageous and she is kick-ass when facing danger but she is still coming into herself. She may be a Queen yet, at the same time, she is a teenage girl still getting used to a strange new land and people. However, she is starting to realize that perhaps she is fit to be ruler after all and it showed through her actions. Because of Elisa's Queenliness Hector is hesitant to interact with her and clings to his postition as Commander of the Royal Guard. He is on his toes when around Elisa which I understood. He is there for Elisa but often keeps a certain respectable distance between them. The rest of the court is wary of Elisa and her new position in the kingdom. I felt that made sense and made the story more believable. If they hadn't been wary of Elisa, the story wouldn't have obtained an element that made it more than fantasy. It felt real.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The authour's writing style created a believable world, even while I knew it was just fantasy. I was trapped throughout the duration of the story and it didn't upset me at all. The writing flowed pretty well, although, at times it felt a bit rough. It was written in such a way that I felt a connection to the characters and their hardships. The characters could be real because of all their strengths and flaws. This leads me to desire to get to know some of the characters better, which will hopefully happen in the next book. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Over all, this was an enjoyable read that I couldn't put down. It helped me escape the confines of real life and dwell in a new world full of possibilities. There were flaws but they were easily overlooked. As a matter of fact, the only reason I noticed most of them was because I write book reviews. I would recommend this book to anyone searching for a new fantasy series that will rock their world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">“A quarterstaff is not very subtle. Or handy. If an kidnapper comes at me, what am I supposed to do? Say, 'Excuse me, my lord, while I pull my enormous quarterstaff out of my bodice?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> “You made me cut and dye my hair.” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Surely he understands that we face greater problems? “I thought it would greatly improve your looks,” I snap.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">“Shorn hair is a sign of shame. You humiliate me greatly.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">“I’ll light a candle tonight in honor of your dead tresses.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">“Catch me if I fall?”</span> </div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">4/5 Mugs Of Piping Hot Chocolate</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">-Decadent and Delicous</span></div>
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siriusyareaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864466206175157902noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541798153788762580.post-86983496360363609842013-02-18T11:37:00.000-08:002013-02-18T11:40:07.710-08:00Beta by Rachel Cohn<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331120541l/10382215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Beta (Annex, #1)" border="0" height="320" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331120541l/10382215.jpg" width="212" /></a><strong>Title: BETA</strong></div>
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<strong>Author: Rachel Cohn</strong><br />
<strong>Publisher: Hyperion</strong><br />
<strong>Release Date: October 16, 2012<br />Pages: 331</strong><br />
<strong>Genre: Dystopia</strong><br />
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"Elysia is created in a laboratory, born as a sixteen-year-old girl, an empty vessel with no life experience to draw from. She is a Beta, an experimental model of a teenage clone. She was replicated from another teenage girl, who had to die in order for Elysia to exist. <br />
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Elysia's purpose is to serve the inhabitants of Demesne, an island paradise for the wealthiest people on earth. Everything about Demesne is bioengineered for perfection. Even the air induces a strange, euphoric high, which only the island's workers--soulless clones like Elysia--are immune to. <br />
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At first, Elysia's life is idyllic and pampered. But she soon sees that Demesne's human residents, who should want for nothing, yearn. But for what, exactly? She also comes to realize that beneath the island's flawless exterior, there is an under-current of discontent among Demesne's worker clones. She knows she is soulless and cannot feel and should not care--so why are overpowering sensations cloud-ing Elysia's mind? <br />
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If anyone discovers that Elysia isn't the unfeeling clone she must pretend to be, she will suffer a fate too terrible to imagine. When her one chance at happi-ness is ripped away with breathtaking cruelty, emotions she's always had but never understood are unleashed. As rage, terror, and desire threaten to overwhelm her, Elysia must find the will to survive. <br />
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The first in a dazzlingly original science fiction series from best-selling author Rachel Cohn, "Beta "is a haunting, unforgettable story of courage and love in a cor-rupted world. Praise for Beta "A terrific premise that is equally well executed...Readers can only hope [the sequel] will be as thrilling as this series kickoff."-Los Angles Times<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Beta started out promisingly enough. The writing drew me in and I soon became excited for the story. However, the story became something completely unexpected and although that's not necessarily a bad thing, I felt that it could've been better. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Beta was filled with jaw-dropping twists and, after starting with an exciting eye-opener of a beginning, continued with a roller-coaster of a ride before it ended at the top of a drop roller coaster (a roller coaster that drops straight down). Elysia is one of a select few of teenage clones. As a clone she has no emotions, needs, or wants and her only purpose is to serve. And serve she does. Because if anyone found out that she actually had these emotions, she would die. However, the family she serves quickly becomes people that she loves when they decide to treat her like a regular teenage girl. She begins to hang out with her new "brother" and his friends, including the secretive Tahir. She eventually discovers the island hides some shocking secrets and through it all must work hard to hide her feelings because if she doesn't, there will be hell to pay.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">Elysia was a strong character with enough weaknesses that made her relateable. She was like your average teenage girl- she wanted friends, had crushes, and was in love with chocolate. The only difference was she had to work hard to bury these feelings. I liked Elysia's new faimily. For people that were pretty much brain-washed, they were okay. Her "mother" was desperate for love and attention, as was her new "siblings". Although things were eventually revealed about the family, my first impression of them was positive. Tahir was a complicated character and I didn't understand Elysia's feelings for him. He wasn't easy to like and I found him annoying but I will admit that he added to the story. </span><span style="font-family: Courier New;">Adding to the mystery of the story, Elysia is having some memories of her past life, something that is unheard of. These memories include "her" first love and introduce a whole new character to the sory. He felt almost 2D but I'm assuming the reader will get to know him better in the next book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;">The end of the story introduced some new characters and ensured the plot of the next book would be wonderful. Although I felt that Elysia was left in the dark for too long in Beta, I think the next book will be great. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">The writing was alright. To be honest, I wasn't too impressed with it. The world that was created- a dystopian island filled with brain washed people and emotionless clones lacked something. The story seemed like it was missing a depth to it, as if it was a frosting without a cake. Delicious but missing something more solid to hold it together. All in all, though, the writing was nothing to cry over. It kept my interest which is imperative to a good story. In fact, the book contained a certain humor to it that kept me giggling throughout the story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Overall, Beta was a book that kept me reading. It had it's flaws but nothing too major. Although the plot appeared to lack a backbone, it definitely kept me guessing and was unpredictable. This is a series I'm definitely going to be sticking with, especially after the ending. </span><br />
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<span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4710841265096772&pid=1.7&w=163&h=155&c=7&rs=1" style="height: 155px;" /><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4710841265096772&pid=1.7&w=163&h=155&c=7&rs=1" style="height: 155px;" /><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4710841265096772&pid=1.7&w=163&h=155&c=7&rs=1" style="height: 155px;" /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">3/5 Mugs of Piping Hot Chocolate</span></span></span></span></div>
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siriusyareaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864466206175157902noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541798153788762580.post-82286902237237361722013-02-17T16:21:00.000-08:002013-02-17T16:21:02.541-08:00Cover Trends #1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">There are several cover trends that have striked my interest lately. I am in love with certain book covers and whenever I see them I want to squeel with hapiness. Although at times there have been covers that bug me. I know the rule says don't judge a book by it's cover and it's usually a good rule to follow. However, sometimes covers effect my opinion of a book. If a book looks like trash, it makes me think that the author just didn't care enough about selling their book. Of course, I'll still read the book but I'll be a little skittish about reading it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Trend # 1: Recycled Covers</span></h2>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Opal-Lux-Novel-Jennifer-Armentrout/dp/1620610094/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361142054&sr=8-1&keywords=opal+by+jennifer+l+armentrout" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Product Details" class="productImage" height="200" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51XKxRXL%2B4L._AA160_.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/ALLUSIVE-AFTERSHOCK-ebook/dp/B00AQ9LF72/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1361142067&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=allusive+aftershock" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Product Details" class="productImage" height="200" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51KrUkJhblL._AA160_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">What I don't understand is why people can't create their own covers... I feel that the lovely cover on Opal was seriously degraded the second it became recycled. </span></div>
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<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1264898635l/7157310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rot and Ruin (Benny Imura, #1)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1264898635l/7157310.jpg" width="135" /></a><img alt="Kissing Zombies (A Girl's Guide, #1-2)" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1329204205l/12800021.jpg" width="133" /><a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1288008556l/7864057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Handling the Undead" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1288008556l/7864057.jpg" width="132" /></a><img alt="Pretty Monsters (Josh of the Damned, #1)" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320081922l/12415198.jpg" width="130" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">This is one cover trend that I just don't like. Changing the colors of the models or zooming in doesn't make it unique.</span></div>
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<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1317063541l/3975774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Evermore (The Immortals, #1)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1317063541l/3975774.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333571867l/8395716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Simplicity" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333571867l/8395716.jpg" width="128" /></a><a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344265205l/3238153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="North of Beautiful" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344265205l/3238153.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">There are so many other covers out there with the same models. What do you think about this trend?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Trend #2: Kick- Ass Heroines</span></h2>
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<img alt="Soulbound (Legacy of Tril, #1)" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1341264983l/13049069.jpg" width="133" /><img alt="Terrier (Beka Cooper, #1)" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320532506l/13829.jpg" width="135" /><img alt="Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, #1)" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1337042881l/9565548.jpg" width="132" /><img alt="Scarlet (Scarlet #1)" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1326772588l/11983940.jpg" width="141" /><img alt="Stormdancer (The Lotus War, #1)" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1337359560l/10852343.jpg" width="129" /><img alt="Stormdancer (The Lotus War, #1)" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1345651276l/13538816.jpg" width="131" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">This is a trend that I'd love to see more of simply because my favorite type of book is the kind with tough heroines. Even seeing covers like this is enough to get my pulse pounding! The swords or weapons are an intelligent way to get the point across that these book aren't just about a pretty girl. This is literally my favorite cover trend and the books that I am most likely to pick up have covers like these.</span></div>
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Trend # 3: Mysterious Covers</h2>
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<img alt="Outside In (Insider, #2)" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327883245l/8901953.jpg" /><img alt="Shadowlands (Shadowlands, #1)" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1342128844l/14805480.jpg" width="133" /><img alt="Hysteria " height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1345213956l/14798443.jpg" width="132" /><img alt="Masque of the Red Death (Masque of the Red Death, #1)" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1341716702l/12924275.jpg" width="132" /><img alt="Perfect Cover (The Squad, #1)" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320457899l/1188294.jpg" width="121" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Mysterious covers are hard to categorize. They're the type of covers that make you want to look twice. They make you really wonder what's going on and they make me want to read the book. I think these are the drool-worthy covers of the ya genre because they just seem so unique and eye-catching.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Trend # 4: Summer Covers</span></h2>
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<img alt="The Story of Us" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327881683l/11886526.jpg" width="132" /><img alt="It's Not Summer Without You (Summer, #2)" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1257803831l/6584188.jpg" width="132" /><img alt="Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320479241l/6705824.jpg" width="132" /><img alt="Second Chance Summer" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1337189920l/11071466.jpg" width="132" /><img alt="Someone Like You" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1336001301l/816953.jpg" width="133" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I think books that scream summer are fantastic covers for several reasons. I love the summer and love delving into a summer book even more. Also, I'm a California girl so books with covers of the ocean are something I can relate to. And I like reading summer books, especially during the winter and early spring beacaue they help take my mind off </span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">of school and remind me that it'll be summer eventually.</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">There are sp many different cover trends out there and I only skimmed them. So look forward to more posts on cover trends from me. It's good to be back!</span></div>
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siriusyareaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864466206175157902noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541798153788762580.post-42193643727871412912013-02-03T16:26:00.002-08:002013-02-03T16:26:28.478-08:00My... Edgy Blog Status<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
You may have noticed that I haven't been able to post much this past week. And it's killing me. It really is. I hate not being able to post something everyday. I feel like I'm missing out on memes and discussions and I have several reviews I need to write.<br />
<br />
Now don't worry. I'm not going anywhere! I just don't know how often I'm going to be able to access a computer for the next week. I'm writing this on a mobile device right now but I can't post much until I can use a computer.<br />
<br />
So I just wanted to put a notice up here to explain my very temporary absence. I will be back and when I get back my blog will be better than ever. I have some fun stuff in store for you! So anyway don't forget me.<br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;"><i>BYE- For Now!</i></span></div>
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siriusyareaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864466206175157902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541798153788762580.post-68429218261663057822013-01-30T15:49:00.000-08:002013-01-30T15:49:31.702-08:00Waiting On Wednesday<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ORBTL9uYxJg/UHVlLPCyRmI/AAAAAAAAALA/AYc6Yyv3EWw/s1600/Waiting+on+Wednesday.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_uid_vm7wlr="2" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ORBTL9uYxJg/UHVlLPCyRmI/AAAAAAAAALA/AYc6Yyv3EWw/s1600/Waiting+on+Wednesday.JPG" /></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted at </span></em><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #4336fb; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Breaking the
Spine.</em></span></a><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It spotlights the book you're looking forward to the most.</span></em></div>
<em></em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I've been a terible blogger this past week and I missed like two days of posting (even though it wasn't my fault, I'm still sorry), which is why I decided to skip Top Ten Tuesday's post yesterday and catch up on my reviews. So I'm posting a Waiting on Wednesday <em>today</em>, even though I haven't posted one in over a month.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CY1UGxDkDJQ/UQiuT-ZRo2I/AAAAAAAAKco/OM0cU9Gfrrw/s1600/16158181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_uid_ccvsx2="3" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CY1UGxDkDJQ/UQiuT-ZRo2I/AAAAAAAAKco/OM0cU9Gfrrw/s320/16158181.jpg" width="211" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">In this heart-wrenching and
suspenseful teen thriller, sixteen-year-old Sarah Meadows longs for "normal."
Born with a port-wine stain covering half her face, all her life she’s been
plagued by stares, giggles, bullying, and disgust. But when she’s abducted on
the way home from school, Sarah is forced to uncover the courage she never knew
she had, become a hero rather than a victim, and learn to look beyond her face
to find the beauty and strength she has inside. It’s that—or succumb to a killer.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Courier New;"></span></span></span> </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Courier New;"></span></span></span> </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Courier New;"></span></span></span> </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Courier New;">This book sounds intense and heart-pounding. It sounds like the type of book that keeps you up all night and is impossible to put down. The main character seems vulnerable and afraid snd has to find courage within herself. That kind of character development is the type of thing I love reading about in a book because not everyone is a natural heroine. I like reading about how it's possible to change and become someone great. Having someone who's wimpy being put into a life-or-death situation and being forced to step up to the plate is exactly why I'm so excited for this book. I can't wait to read it!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Courier New;"></span></span></span> </div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Add to </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16158181-stained"><span style="color: #3778cd; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Goodreads</span></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong></strong></span></span> </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">So what book are you waiting on? And what do you think of the book I chose?</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Courier New;"></span></span></span> </div>
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siriusyareaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864466206175157902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541798153788762580.post-32555850637034874492013-01-29T16:47:00.000-08:002013-01-30T15:52:13.832-08:00The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1343178841l/10576365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds, #1)" border="0" height="320" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1343178841l/10576365.jpg" width="210" /></a><strong>Title: The Darkest Minds</strong><br />
<strong>Author: Alexandra Bracken</strong><br />
<strong>Publisher: Dysney Hyperion</strong><br />
<strong>Release Date: December 18 2012</strong><br />
<strong>Pages: 496</strong><br />
<strong>Genre: Dystopian</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<span id="freeText3783021050003764424"><em>When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.<br /><br />Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.<br /><br />When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.<br /><br />When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.</em></span><br />
<em></em><br />
<br />
When I first attained this book, I was a little emotionless about it. I
thought it sounded interesting but I wasn't sure I was going to like it. I was kind
of cautious about reading yet another dystopia. I found out within 50 pages of
the story that I had the wrong attitude about it. By that time I was enraptured
and I wished more than once that the story could've been longer. And it's
already a good 500 pages.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
To start out, the writing was superb. Especially compared with books that
have not-so-superb writing. That's incorrect actually. It can hold its own
against some of the best writing I've ever read. I think the best factor of the
writing was the way it got me to care about the main character Ruby. Besides
that I noticed something else, which is something I rarely see any more in a
story. There was almost no explaining! I was never bored with the story because
it was being built by events happening and not by explaining. The world was
built that way along with the plot and the characters. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The plot of the story is, honestly, the reason I stayed up until midnight. I
just couldn't put this book down. It was such a page-turner and always had
something going on. After most of the children of the world die of a mysterious
disease, adults are left with a shocking revelation: they have no time to
grieve over their lost children. Because the children let behind are dangerous.
And they need to be contained. Which is why Ruby ends up at Thurmond, a rehabilitation
center for other children. When shocking things are revealed Ruby knows she has
to escape or die. She's been through a lot, though, and ends up carrying
baggage with her along with a secret that could quite literally kill.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Ruby has spent the past six years of her life surviving. She's not brave and
she always puts herself first. But the time comes when Ruby has to choose
between herself and her friend and she makes a decision that will haunt her
forever. Which might be why she starts strengthening herself and, in the end,
becomes someone every reader wants to read about: a heroine. I related to Ruby
at first because not everyone is a heroine and I understood that. But I admired
her later on in the story and she may just be my new favorite character. She
was put into some tough spots and she came out on top. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
On the run, Ruby discovered three people that became like family: Liam, Zu,
and Chubs. Liam was a great guy and a natural leader but he could be a little
too nice. Sometimes I feared he would slip up and befriend the wrong person and
adding to that was how trusting he was. I found it annoying at first but near
the end of the story something huge happened and his instincts kicked in. He
became all bad boy on me and I realized that not only could he kick ass but he
was also the perfect person for Ruby. Zu was an adorable little girl who I
couldn’t help but like and Chubs was… Chubs. It was impossible for him not to
grow on me. He had strong opinions about things and always stood up for what he
believed in but was made more relatable because he could be sweet and shy. He
was basically the perfect sidekick. He added a lot to the story. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
But I did think some areas of the story could've been better done. Ruby's
power confused me. I didn’t really understand it at all until about the end.
Another thing I disliked was that I wasn’t' certain what the other types of
powers were. There were five types of powers and I don't know much about any of
them. Finally, the rehabilitation center bugged me. I wasn't entirely sure of its
purpose. I get what it was supposed to do but it wasn't doing any of that.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
It was the end of the story that actually ensured I was a new fan of this
series. The end was so good- it pulled everything together and set the premise
for the next story. I was going to give this book 4 stars but after the ending
I had to up that to five. The ending made the entire story worth it. It was
like the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Which is why I'm going to be
recommending this book to my family and friends and you guys too even if, like
me, the plot doesn't sound all that special to you. <o:p></o:p><br />
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My expression before starting After reading the book:</div>
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It was as if my birthday came early.</div>
The Darkest Minds. I thought It was such an epically exiting (is<br />
I might like it but the plot sounded epically a word?) ending and I can't<br />
a bit used. wait for more!<br />
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5/5 Mugs of Piping Hot Chocolate</div>
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siriusyareaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864466206175157902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541798153788762580.post-26633533400078909782013-01-26T18:39:00.001-08:002013-01-30T15:50:26.499-08:00The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1323357921l/10215349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden, #1)" border="0" height="320" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1323357921l/10215349.jpg" width="211" /></a>Title: The Immortal Rules<br />
Author: Julie Kagawa<br />
Publisher: Harlequin Teen<br />
Release Date: April 24 2012<br />
Pages: 485<br />
Genre:Dystopian/ Paranormal<br />
<br />
<span id="freeText2180345020892124500"><em>"In a future world, vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity."Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.<br /><br />Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of "them." The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked--and given the ultimate choice. Die...or become one of the monsters.<br /><br />Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.<br /><br />Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend--a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.<br /><br />But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what--and who--is worth dying for.</em></span><br />
<em></em><br />
Julie Kagawa's previous series, The Iron Fey series, was a series I enjoyed. But it didn't blow me away- not like this book did. I think that not only did Julie Kagawa's writing improve since her first book but her ability to formulate a plot did too. <br />
<br />
If the plot of this book brings to mind a typical vampire story, one that's been done 100 times before, throw that idea in the trash. This book was fully it's own. The vampire aspect of it was different from any other vampire story I've read before. It was set in a dystopian world where vampires have basically enslaved the population. Humans have no power and are forced to donate their blood. Allie's hate of vampires is overpowering. But she eventually finds that their is so much more to her world and maybe even vampires than it seems.<br />
<br />
The Immortal Rules was divided into several parts and they're each so different from each other. Allie starts out living on the fringe of a vampire- inhabited city and lives a life filled with a hatred of vampires, all while struggling not to starve and protect her friends. After becoming one of the dreaded vampires, Allie ends up on this epic yet dangerous journey with a bunch of humans. She begins to question everything she's ever known and worries that maybe she's her new friends biggest threat. Allie goes through so much in this story and judging by the cliffhanger, she is going to go through more.<br />
<br />
I loved watching Allie's character develop throughout the story. From an early age Allie learned not to trust anyone and to harden her heart against love. But she starts to discover that sometimes that's not possible and maybe she doesn't want it to be. She isn't afraid to be straight up with people and even kick some ass. She often leapt into battle without thinking, especially if it was in defense of a loved one. She's such a strong yet flawed character and I loved reading about her. Zeke appears to be innocent and trusting. He has a good heart and cares about anyone and everyone. He is just such a good guy and can't help but find the good in everyone. Seriously, he's one of the best guys I've ever had the pleasure of reading about. He was a realistic guy- vulnerable at times and perhaps slightly messed up from his past. But there was more to him than just a good guy. Because he hasn't lived years on the run from vampires for no reason. He's tough and would do anything for his make-shift family. Finally, there was Kanin, Allie's vampire mentor. He created her instead of letting her die so there <em>was</em> good in him. However, he has lived a long time and came to his conclusions a while ago about the location of humams on the totem pole. He had a dark side to him but it was kind of delicous. Also, at the same time, he's fair and did have a soft side to him. Kanin is a very intriguing and mysterious character and I would like to get to know him better.<br />
<br />
Julie Kagawa's writing got so much more scrumptious in this book. It was like a cake. But not just any cake- it was a 3 layered milk chocolate, dark chocolate and white chocolate cheesecake drizzled with fudge sauce and chocolate chips and layered withfudgy chocolate with cherries on top. The writing enchanted me and forced me to care for the story. The descriptions were beautiful and insured the world was well built. I feel like I only got to eat the first layer of the cake and am salivating for more. I hope Julie Kagawa hears that- I need more! More! More! More!<br />
<br />
I would definitely reccomend this book to people who crave a novel to get lost in. It's a paranormal dystopian with vampires but the vampires were the opposite of cliche. But if you get this book know that you will be left desperately yearning for the next one. It was that good. Consider yourself warned.<br />
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<strong>Memorable Quotes</strong></div>
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<em>“The mighty hunter,” I quipped as we snuck out the backdoor, escaping into the yard. “He can take down vicious rabids and rampaging boars, but one old lady can make him flee in terror.” </em>(Allie to Zeke)</div>
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<em>“You are a monster.” Kanin’s deep voice droned in my head again, as I forced myself to move, to walk away. “You will always be a monster, there is no turning back from it. But what type of monster you become is entirely up to you.”</em> ( Kanin to Allie)</div>
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<span style="color: purple;">5/5 Mugs of Piping Hot Chocolate (Yummy times 5!)</span></div>
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siriusyareaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864466206175157902noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541798153788762580.post-48089506550399807672013-01-25T15:43:00.001-08:002013-01-30T15:50:54.286-08:00Feature & Follow Friday<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="http://parajunkee.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/FF_2012.jpg"><img align="left" alt="FF 2012 Feature and Follow #131" class="alignleft wp-image-4465" closure_uid_dsyq55="19" height="175" src="http://parajunkee.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/FF_2012.jpg" title="FF 2012 paranormal" width="144" /></a><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><em>Feature and Follow Friday is something hosted over at </em><a href="http://parajunkee.com/2013/01/feature-and-follow-130.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><em>Parajunkee's View</em></a><em> to help people to discover your blog and you to discover yours</em>. <em>It features a question every week for bloggers to answer. </em></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Q: What is the last book that kept you up late into the night just to finish it?</span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">You might be thinking right now that of course it was Insurgent by Veronica Roth (if you alreayfollow my blog you know I raved about that book a few days ago) </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">that kept me up late at night but it wasn't. I had to be up early the next day so I forced myself to put the book down.</span><br />
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The truth is that even if books have kept me up late, they haven't kept me up too late. However, Storm by Brigid Kemmerer (read my review <a href="http://siriusyareader.blogspot.com/2013/01/storm.html">here</a>) entranced me until early morning. The plot just called out to me and the main character was relateable and courageous. It did have it's flaws but I still enjoyed the story a lot. Unfortunately I ended up stumbling around school like a zombie the next day but that's another story...<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;"><span id="freeText6446331285153959437"><em>Becca
Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys all the ones she doesn't want. Ever
since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her. Then she saves Chris Merrick
from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he
can control water just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth.
They're powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death.</em></span></span>
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<em>And now that she knows the truth, so is
Becca.</em></div>
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<em>Secrets are hard to keep when your life's at
stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent
for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him.
But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who's hiding the
most dangerous truth of all.</em></div>
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<em>The storm is coming.</em></div>
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What is the last book that kept <strong>you</strong> up late at night? Also, please leave links to you Feature and Follow.</div>
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siriusyareaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864466206175157902noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541798153788762580.post-39423521029444843122013-01-23T17:10:00.002-08:002013-01-30T15:51:09.678-08:00Summer of The Mariposas by Guadalope McCall<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<strong>Title: Summer of the Mariposas<br />Author: Guadalupe McCall<br />Publisher: Tu Books<br />Release Date: October 1, 2012<br /><span style="text-align: left;">Pages: 355</span><br /><span style="text-align: left;">Genre: Mexican- American Retelling of The Odyssey</span></strong><br />
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<span style="text-align: left;"><span id="freeTextContainer2771341246877094653">"Fifteen-year-old Odilia and her younger sisters embark on a journey to return a dead man to his family in Mexico, and must outwit monsters and witches to make it back home again.</span> "</span><br />
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The Summer of Mariposas is a Mexican-American Retelling of the Odyssey. It was about this insane quest that entailed returning the dead body of a middle-aged Mexican man to his family. This meant Odilia and her sisters had to cross the border to Mexica all while evading the police for running away and deling with mystical creatures. On top of that was the question on all the girls minds. Why did their dad leave them? And did they even want him back? <br />
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The Odyssey is such a good story, so when I heard there was a retelling of it for young adults I jumped at the chance to read it. Boosting my excitement was that it was a Mexican- American<br />
retelling of the Odyssey. I loved all the culture that added to the story. It also didn't hurt that that<br />
meant the setting took place in both America and Mexico. <br />
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Another thing that I felt added to the story was it's lack of romance. That might be suprising but the story didn't need it. The story had so much going for it and if a romantic relationship had been factored in it just would've affected it negatively. The relationships of the sisters and their mother was probably the most important part of the story.<br />
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The sisters thought of themselves as forever bonded. Their relationship was so deep. Their love for eachother meant everything. But things happened to cause that bond to falter and begin to break. The epic journey they went on helped to bring that sense of closeness back. It also helped them to recognize things about both their other and their father that they may have not wanted to recognize before. The journey ended up changing their lives as dramatically as it did for the hero in the Odyssey.<br />
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The writing style was very different to me. It was written so that Spanish words were thrown in here and there. They never confused me, they only drew me deeper into the story. However, if you might find that confusing ther's a glossary of Spanish words located conviently at the end of the book. Another thing I liked abou the story was the way it was narrated. It was never narrated too emotionaly but it was emotional enough to make certain that I cared about the characters and their quest.<br />
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There was one thing that bugged me about the story. It was divided into three parts and before each part it gave a summary of what happens. I fell for it every time so that I always knew what was going to happen. I just couldn't seem to stop myself from reading it. So if you want to read this book remember to skip over those parts.<br />
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The story definitely had a lot of action in it due to it's relations to the Odyssey. At the same time, it was also about about a journey which meant that it had many factors of a contemporary novel too. It consisted of drama, family ties, betrayals, mystical beings, and monsters (both human and paranormal). These characteristics made for a good read and I am on the look out for Guadalupe McCall's next books. Because of that I would recommend this story to fans of road trips, family relationships (not in the romantic way!), and, of course, the Odyssey.<br />
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4/5 mugs of pipimg hot chocolate</div>
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siriusyareaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864466206175157902noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541798153788762580.post-21713593883110614232013-01-22T17:15:00.002-08:002013-01-30T15:55:35.239-08:00Top Ten Tuesday<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<em>Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted on </em><a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #4336fb;"><em>The Broke and Bookish</em></span></a><em> about the
top ten of almost anything book related. I thought it was a great idea and
decided to join in on the fun!</em><br />
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Top Ten Settings I'd Like To See More Of</h2>
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<a href="http://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4975905138805302&pid=1.7&w=139&h=138&c=7&rs=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4975905138805302&pid=1.7&w=139&h=138&c=7&rs=1" /></a>Latin America: To me, Latin America can be a beautiful thing. The beaches, rainforests, villages... I would love to learn more. I find it an even more desirable setting because my sister is going to be an exchange student there next yeear and I get to visit her.<br />
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<a href="http://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4798308262151158&pid=1.7&w=182&h=144&c=7&rs=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4798308262151158&pid=1.7&w=182&h=144&c=7&rs=1" style="height: 144px;" /></a>Alaska: I've always wanted to visit Alaska. I just picture myself in a cabin in the woods by a fireplace with a book in hand and yes, a mug of hot chocolate. So cozy.<br />
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<a href="http://ts2.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4821664268222741&pid=1.7&w=195&h=138&c=7&rs=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ts2.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4821664268222741&pid=1.7&w=195&h=138&c=7&rs=1" style="height: 138px;" /></a>The desert: I would love to read about epic journeys across the desert. I think it could get interesting. Like a survivalistic type book.<br />
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<a href="http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4965738935747212&pid=1.7&w=216&h=145&c=7&rs=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4965738935747212&pid=1.7&w=216&h=145&c=7&rs=1" style="height: 145px;" /></a>The country/ farmland: I love books about little houses on farmland. They enchant me. Horsesand chickens and pigs, farm-cooked meals, fields of wheat, fresh air, and somehow I always imagine a river to jump in. <br />
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<a href="http://ts2.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4982665435416373&pid=1.7&w=210&h=144&c=7&rs=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ts2.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4982665435416373&pid=1.7&w=210&h=144&c=7&rs=1" style="height: 144px;" /></a>Historical: I love reading historical fiction. I hate history but reading about a novel that's set in the past adds to the story. I love the descriptions and reading about something that might as well be fiction but is a factual setting. <br />
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<a href="http://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4728772720067030&pid=1.7&w=172&h=138&c=7&rs=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4728772720067030&pid=1.7&w=172&h=138&c=7&rs=1" style="height: 138px;" /></a>A small island: I think it would be so fun to read about adventures on an island especially deserted islands.<br />
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<a href="http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4668604549824600&pid=1.7&w=208&h=152&c=7&rs=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4668604549824600&pid=1.7&w=208&h=152&c=7&rs=1" style="height: 152px;" /></a>Asia: Anywhere in Asia interests me. I find it to be a fascinating place with so much culture. <br />
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<a href="http://ts2.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4547718405031605&pid=1.7&w=209&h=152&c=7&rs=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ts2.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4547718405031605&pid=1.7&w=209&h=152&c=7&rs=1" style="height: 152px;" /></a>The beach: Personally, I love stories about the beach. They remind me of the summer. This is actually my favorite time for me to read summer stories because they take my mind off of the snow and school. It makes me feel free. Ahh... the care free days.<br />
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<a href="http://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4662166388998254&pid=1.7&w=214&h=143&c=7&rs=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4662166388998254&pid=1.7&w=214&h=143&c=7&rs=1" style="height: 143px;" /></a>Castles: The idea of the fairy tale castle with dragons and a moat has always tugged at my heart. Even if the setting is in modern day, if it's in a castle I'm hooked.<br />
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<a href="http://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4553808673113414&pid=1.7&w=135&h=144&c=7&rs=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4553808673113414&pid=1.7&w=135&h=144&c=7&rs=1" style="height: 144px;" /></a>Bakeries/ Restaurants: I love to bake and love it even more reading about someone with a passion for baking. the descriptions of the foods be it pastries or italian pastas make my mouth water in anticipation.<br />
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There are so many other settings I like. I like spaceships, alien countries, boats, airplanes, boading schools, the wilderness (I love adventures in the wilderness) and so much more. What are some of the settings you guys like? Leave your inks and I'll check them out.<br />
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siriusyareaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12864466206175157902noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541798153788762580.post-66064301843999444422013-01-21T14:05:00.001-08:002013-01-30T15:55:50.308-08:00Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<strong>Title: Goddess Interrupted (Goddess Test 2)<br />Author: Aimee Carter<br />Publisher: Harlequin Teen<br />Release Date: March 27, 2012<br /><span style="text-align: left;">Pages: 297</span><br /><span style="text-align: left;">Genre: Fantasy- Greek Mythology</span></strong><br />
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"<span id="freeText3409002417196723830"><em>Kate Winters has won immortality. But if she wants a life with Henry in the Underworld, she'll have to fight for it.</em>Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.<br /><br />As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future.<br /><br />Henry's first wife, Persephone."-<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12637490-goddess-interrupted"> Goodreads</a></span><br />
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The second book in the Goddess Test series bothered me. After a while, it became very tiresome to read. The characters acted like jerks and were constantly getting on my nerves. There was so much drama that was drawn out throughout the story. I also felt that certain parts of the story needed to be fleshed out more. However, the book did contain characteristics I liked. The plot was charmingly set. It was paced well and kept my interest. I loved the Greek Mythology, and I loved the setting. <br />
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The descriptions in the story kept me hanging. I was enchanted by the descriptions of the Underworld and loved learning more about it. The story flowed pretty well. There were a couple hiccups and I did think that some factors of the plot needed to be fleshed out a little more. I sometimes felt that the writing was moving too fast- it didn't leave enough time for details. Other than that, I enjoyed the writing. It kept me hooked.<br />
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I couldn't put the book down because I kept wondering what was coming next. The story starts off with Kate traveling to the Underworld after having spent six months in Greece with James. The story line skipped straight to the action and drama and never looked back. Because Immortality and the world may not be forever. The Titans are becoming a threat and it's up to Kate along with her friends and the other immortals to stop them. The story was a tornado- unpredictable and fast-paced.<br />
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It wasn't just the lack of communication between Henry and Kate that bothered me. Although I definitely did get sick of that. It was the character's behavior! Claiming you love someone only to act the exact opposite. It made no sense. There was no excuse for Henry to treat Kate like that! For goodness sake! Henry was being unreasonable and insufferable. And Kate! She put up with it. She practically begged Henry to love her, as if without his love she wasn't worthy.<br />
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James and Kate just spent six months together, which is why I wasn't surprised that they were closer. They were best friends. James was there for Kate, even if he did like annoying her. He could be a troublemaker but it only added some needed tension to the story. He cared about Kate and wanted to make sure that she made the right decision. Ava was pretty much the same as ever. She was light and often seemed carefree. Her personality was explained more because the storyline delved into her past. Cronus was the villain that was introduced. He was a Titan and evil but near the end of the story I began to discover that he had layers. Something about his character was off and I would like to see more of him and find out just what that is. Finally, we got to meet Persephone. Persephone's side of the story was revealed and I found myself pitying her. She was hard to like at first but I eventually warmed up to her character. <br />
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The end of the story left off with a terrible cliffhanger that left me gasping. I desperately desire finding out what happens. I ended up enjoying the book because of it's plot and setting but at the same time I can't get past how frustrating the story could get. Don't get me wrong I'll definitely be reading the next book. I just hope it leaves behind some of it's flaws. <br />
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<strong>Memorable Quotes</strong></div>
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“You can say you love me all you want, but if you only ever act like the opposite's true, then I can't trust your words anymore.” </div>
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“Being with Henry doesn't mean you have to give up who you are. Henry doesn't define you.” </div>
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"Because there is no power in the world that can take away the pain until it is ready to leave." said Theo” </div>
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"I'm not leaving you for him. I'm not leaving you for anybody, and I never would have gone looking for something better. You are my something better, and I wish- I wish I was yours, too."<br />
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Rating: 3/5 Mugs of Piping Hot Chocolate</div>
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