tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46577399443179148872024-02-21T20:14:27.159-08:00Elysian Fields Book ReviewsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657739944317914887.post-42354775218855830192019-02-04T22:58:00.000-08:002019-02-04T22:58:19.579-08:00The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Set at the end of World War II, in a crumbling Bavarian castle that once played host to all of German high society, a powerful and propulsive story of three widows whose lives and fates become intertwined—an affecting, shocking, and ultimately redemptive novel from the author of the </span><span style="background-color: white;">New York Times</span><span style="background-color: white;"> Notable Book </span><span style="background-color: white;">The Hazards of Good Breeding</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Amid the ashes of Nazi Germany’s defeat, Marianne von Lingenfels returns to the once grand castle of her husband’s ancestors, an imposing stone fortress now fallen into ruin following years of war. The widow of a resistor murdered in the failed July, 20, 1944, plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Marianne plans to uphold the promise she made to her husband’s brave conspirators: to find and protect their wives, her fellow resistance widows. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">First, Marianne rescues six-year-old Martin, the son of her dearest childhood friend, from a Nazi reeducation home. Together, they make their way across the smoldering wreckage of their homeland to Berlin, where Martin’s mother, the beautiful and naïve Benita, has fallen into the hands of occupying Red Army soldiers. Then she locates Ania, another resistor’s wife, and her two boys, now refugees languishing in one of the many camps that house the millions displaced by the war. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">As Marianne assembles this makeshift family from the ruins of her husband’s resistance movement, she is certain their shared pain and circumstances will hold them together. But she quickly discovers that the black-and-white, highly principled world of her privileged past has become infinitely more complicated, filled with secrets and dark passions that threaten to tear them apart. Eventually, all three women must come to terms with the choices that have defined their lives before, during, and after the war—each with their own unique share of challenges. </span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;">The Women in the Castle was an engrossing and thought provoking novel, and was unlike any World War II book I've ever read. Told in the point of view of three German Women, this book focuses on them during and after the war. It did give me insight into how something so horrible as the holocaust could be allowed to happen in an educated society. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">I would recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction. It's very well written and researched, I felt at times as if I was back in the 1940's and 50's. The only drawback is that this book is kind of tedious to read, but well worth it in the end. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;">Also, don't read this book if you like books to end in happily ever after. It's a war novel after all, so it is kind of depressing at times. After reading this book I needed something light to cleanse my mental palate. Thankfully I have plenty of cheap romances for that. haha. </span></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657739944317914887.post-45755963304461038012017-09-27T16:45:00.001-07:002017-09-27T16:45:21.740-07:00Skyscraper of a Man by Michael Bowe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>Skyscraper of a Man is a truly American story. Rooted in the homogenous suburbs of the 1970s, the novel explores the American propensity to pursue great ambitions, regardless of upbringing, that can result in lives that are larger than life. The four main characters meet at college and forge such lives, each achieving remarkable success in their chosen pursuits while condoning the choices that enable their success. The main character, Benjamin Franklin Matthews, the son of a printer and avid Revolutionary War buff, believes deeply in America, its founding principles, and “by the people, for the people” government. Inspired by the grand ideals of the Founding Fathers, Ben starts a newspaper and runs for political office, efforts aimed at righting a nation he perceives as falling short of its potential and promise. His three college friends, a writer who is also his business partner, a television news anchorwoman who was his lover, and a former college football star, play contributing roles in his rise to national prominence. In the end, Ben learns that grand ideals are elusive, difficult to maintain, and better left to the perfect among us. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">*</span>I received a free copy of this book courtesy of Goodreads and Michael Bowe in exchange of an honest review* </div>
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This book was amazing! I feel lucky to have won this book! By far the best book I've read in a long time, but I hate the synopsis blurb that describes this book. I really don't feel like this book is truthfully about Ben. He's a main character and it does follow his political rise, but I feel as if Pete is really the focus of this novel and the synopsis should reflect this. I don't feel like the synopsis really does justice to the amazing and intricate tale that this novel is.<br />
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This book truly is a journey, starting when the 4 main characters are just starting their Freshman year of college and spanning into their 30's. At times I wondered where this story was going, but there really was no useless information, because everything builds to the grand finale.<br />
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I didn't see the ending coming and would have never expected at the beginning of this book that it would end where it did. I feel like this is the type of book that can be re-read over and over again because I know there are details that I missed the first time that will make the story richer with each re-read.<br />
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I'm also so excited that I was lucky enough to get an autographed proof copy. This will be one that I will hold onto and cherish in my collection.<br />
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I think I could really feel for Pete in the end because of my own recent loss of a best friend. She made choices that I couldn't look the other way and remain her friend. Like Pete, I feel the loss of this friendship everyday and I'm still trying to find my identity and who I am without this person in my life. Sometimes I feel like it would be easier if I'd never met this person, but I think Pete would agree, that the good memories of how things used to be are worth it all ending in disaster.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657739944317914887.post-31312614387355828322015-08-02T20:39:00.001-07:002015-08-02T20:39:58.126-07:00Wednesday Riders (Island Trilogy # 2) by Tudor Robins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Meg can’t wait to get back. She’s excited to see her new mare kick up her heels in Salem’s old paddock. She’s impatient to run on country roads between breeze-blown hayfields.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Mostly, Meg longs to be back with Jared again.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">It’s going to be the perfect summer.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">But can real life live up to Meg’s huge expectations?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">When Jared makes a heart-wrenching confession, Meg has to re-evaluate everything. If perfection’s not possible, can Meg find a way to build happiness for herself? </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 13.8000001907349px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Fans of Appaloosa Summer will welcome the return to familiar places and characters, with the chance to be captivated by more of the beauty, romance, and dreaminess of Meg’s summer island life.</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've found a new favorite author in Tudur Robins. I love the way she writes and her knowledge of horses. I've spent my whole life around horses and it's refreshing to find a book that can even teach me a few things about horsemanship. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I really enjoyed the main character, Meg, more in this book rather than the first. She seemed more relatable to me. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don't want to give away too much, but there is a major twist in the beginning of this book, which I for one never saw coming, but ended up being an enjoyable read.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you like books about horses or even just young adult romance type genre, then I would definitely check this one out. Preferably after you read Appaloosa Summer. </span><br />
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<span id="freeText8684971404310774885" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>In this dazzling and long-awaited conclusion to the acclaimed Mortal Instruments series, Clary and her friends fight the greatest evil they have ever faced: Clary's own brother.<br /><br />Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, he transforms Shadowhunters into creatures out of nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell.<br /><br />The embattled Shadowhunters withdraw to Idris - but not even the famed demon towers of Alicante can keep Sebastian at bay. And with the Nephilim trapped in Idris, who will guard the world against demons?<br /><br />When one of the greatest betrayals the Nephilim have ever known is revealed, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon, and Alec must flee - even if their journey takes them deep into the demon realms, where no Shadowhunter has set foot before, and from which no human being has ever returned...<br /></i></span></span><div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span id="freeText8684971404310774885" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Love will be sacrificed and lives lost in the terrible battle for the fate of the word in the thrilling final installment of the classic urban fantasy series The Mortal Instruments!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"> </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, it's over. I'm actually glad that this series has finally ended. It was time. At first when Clare extended this series by 3 extra books, I didn't see how there was any story left. The Mortal Instruments had ended. I think she did a fairly good job of creating new issues, and I think I might have enjoyed the second half of this story more than the first. There was a lot more action, albeit it was a lot darker than the first 3. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In this book the loose ends are tied up, although, after I finished I was left with a feeling, of "That was it?" I expected more and was slightly disappointed, although I think the ending suited the story. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In reality, the Shadowhunter story isn't over though. Clare has a whole new series set to debut in March and who knows how many other books with this theme she'll go on to write. I'm not complaining, at the moment at least, because if she writes them, I'll gladly read them. </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657739944317914887.post-42723758703939074652014-08-20T14:30:00.000-07:002014-08-20T14:30:10.594-07:00Appaloosa Summer by Tudor Robins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Sixteen-year-old Meg Traherne has never known loss. Until the beautiful, talented horse she trained herself, drops dead underneath her in the show ring.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Jared Strickland has been living with loss ever since his father died in a tragic farming accident.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Meg escapes from her grief by changing everything about her life; moving away from home to spend her summer living on an island in the St. Lawrence River, scrubbing toilets and waiting on guests at a B&B.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Once there, she meets Jared; doing his best to keep anything else in his life from changing.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">When Jared offers Meg a scruffy appaloosa mare out of a friend’s back field, it’s the beginning of a journey that will change both of them by the end of the summer.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The start of this book really upset me (probably from being pregnant and over-emotional about EVERYTHING!) but I wasn't sure I wanted to even continue reading. I'm so glad I did though. This book turned out to be amazing and a perfect summer read for anyone who loves horses. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have an Appaloosa horse, Shadow, which I've had and loved for 13+ years, but he's getting old and coming to the end of his life. This book helped me realize that even when he is gone that doesn't mean I will never love another horse. Also another horse will never replace the memories and love I have for Shadow. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would completely recommend this to any of my horse loving, book reading friends! </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657739944317914887.post-13432104645327943272014-07-02T17:02:00.000-07:002014-07-02T17:02:24.882-07:00The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">In this timeless new trilogy about love and sacrifice, a princess must find her place in a reborn world.</span></i><br />
<i><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">In a society steeped in tradition, Princess Lia’s life follows a preordained course. As First Daughter, she is expected to have the revered gift of sight—but she doesn’t—and she knows her parents are perpetrating a sham when they arrange her marriage to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom—to a prince she has never met.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">On the morning of her wedding, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deception abounds, and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—even as she finds herself falling in love.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">*Big thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and Mary E. Pearson for giving me this book in exchange for an honest review.*</span></i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Wow this book really takes you all over! I loved the world building part of this more than anything, and A LOT of this literary world is shown. I wish I could move to and live the rest of my life in Terravin! That place sounds amazing!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">I really liked Lia. She made a great main character and wasn't afraid to work hard for what she wanted, which was just a normal life where she could choose her own path. I loved her friend/maid, Pauline, even more. She was fiercely loyal to Lia and overall just a great person and friend for Lia to have in her life.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">I'm not sure how I feel about the two main men in this book. They both have their moments, but it gets confusing in this love triangle that isn't really a love triangle, but I have a feeling might turn into a love triangle later on at some point. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">The only thing that I really hate about this book is that I have to wait a whole year now to find out what happens next!!! </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657739944317914887.post-55686875826508454372014-06-05T21:23:00.000-07:002014-06-05T21:23:19.259-07:00BabyI've been horrible at reading and and reviewing lately, but I have an excuse! I'm having a baby! Between morning sickness, that for me has been lasting ALL day, and wanting to sleep like a hibernating bear, I haven't been very interested in reading. Thankfully for my books I am almost done with the 1st Trimester and feeling human again. I'm excited about reading more often and I can't wait to meet our future book nerd!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657739944317914887.post-68416334711960865092014-05-31T11:29:00.000-07:002014-05-31T11:29:04.738-07:00Catch a Falling Star by Kim Culbertson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Nothing ever happens in Little, CA. Which is just the way Carter Moon likes it. But when Hollywood arrives to film a movie starring former child star turned PR mess Adam Jakes, everything changes. Carter's town becomes a giant glittery set and, much to her annoyance, everyone is starry-eyed for Adam. Carter seems to be the only girl not falling all over herself to get a glimpse of him. Which apparently makes her perfect for the secret offer of a lifetime: playing the role of Adam's girlfriend while he's in town, to improve his public image, in exchange for a hefty paycheck. Her family really needs the money and so Carter agrees. But it turns out Adam isn't at all who she thought he was. As they grow closer, their relationship walks a blurry line between what's real and what's fake, and Carter must open her eyes to the scariest of unexplored worlds - her future. Can Carter figure out what she wants out of life AND get the guy? Or are there no Hollywood endings in real life?</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">*A Big Thanks to Netgalley, Scholastic, and Kim Culbertson*</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">At first I was a little wary of this book. It took me a little bit to start to like the characters, but when I did, everything just clicked for me and I really enjoyed this book. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">I think what I was turned off by at first was the Adam Jakes character, and in my mind I automatically equated him to someone like Justin Bieber. And I was not thrilled to read a whole book that made me think of someone that I view as an entitled douche. As the story went on though he became his own persona in my mind, and I actually came to like his character, all flaws included. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">I really liked Carter though, and I liked reading a book where the girl didn't feel fake or like the only thing she cares about is finding a guy to love her. I love books where I feel completely different about the characters in the end. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657739944317914887.post-76363660972485169332014-05-26T10:56:00.000-07:002014-05-26T10:56:07.765-07:00Isn't She Lovely by Lauren Layne<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1369776091l/17883712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1369776091l/17883712.jpg" width="240" /></a><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Stephanie Kendrick gave up her whole summer to ace her NYU film school screenwriting course, so she's pissed to be stuck with a preppy, spoiled frat boy as her writing partner. Then again, with her piercings, black-rimmed eyes, and Goth wardrobe, Stephanie isn't exactly Ethan Price's type, either. He's probably got his eye on some leggy blonde with a trust fund... or does he?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">As the summer scene kicks off in the Hamptons, Ethan is desperate to make his snobbish mother forget the pedigreed girl who broke his heart. While Stephanie's a stretch as a decoy, the right makeover and a pastel cardigan just might do the trick. She may not love the idea of playing Ethan's brainless Barbie girlfriend, but the free rent and luxurious digs make a tempting offer. So does the promise of a ready-made screenplay idea inspired by their charade.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">But when Stephanie steps into Ethan's privileged world, the "acting" begins to feel all too real. The kissing and touching that were intended to fool the Hamptons crowd wind up manipulating "them." And Stephanie faces a question she's too afraid to ask: Is Ethan falling for the real her or for the dolled-up princess he wants to see?</span></span></i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I ended up liking this more than I thought I would and it surprised me by not being a typical smut filled romance novel. It was actually very sweet and funny and more times than I could count made me wish I could reach into the book and smack the characters. haha. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I would recommend this as a good book to read while relaxing on vacation. It's short, sweet, and if you're anything like me than the tension between the main characters will drive you at least a little bit crazy!</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657739944317914887.post-84478345545018877552014-05-17T12:26:00.001-07:002014-05-17T12:26:12.208-07:00Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Eight years have passed since the young Princess Bitterblue, and her country, were saved from the vicious King Leck. Now Bitterblue is the queen of Monsea, and her land is at peace.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisers, who have run the country on her behalf since Leck's death, believe in a forward-thinking plan: to pardon all of those who committed terrible acts during Leck's reign; and to forget every dark event that ever happened. Monsea's past has become shrouded in mystery, and it's only when Bitterblue begins sneaking out of her castle - curious, disguised and alone - to walk the streets of her own city, that she begins to realise the truth. Her kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year long spell of a madman, and now their only chance to move forward is to revisit the past.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Whatever that past holds.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Two thieves, who have sworn only to steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck's reign. And one of them, who possesses an unidentified Grace, may also hold a key to her heart </span></i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I really enjoyed this book, but I think that Graceling is still my favorite. I still have to read Fire though, so maybe that will change. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This book did take me a long time to read (I think I renewed it from the library 3 times, which is unheard of for me!). It took me so long, not because of the quality of this book, but because of other things going on and me just being too busy to read. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The story was really good and I LOVED the characters, I think Teddy and Saf are my favorite characters, although they are both completely different. I also loved Death, but he kind of grew on me haha. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm so glad I found Graceling last year and was introduced to this world, because I love it! I honestly think that these are books with the most well constructed world building that I've ever read! </span></span><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><br /></span></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657739944317914887.post-38689221274473181062014-04-24T11:36:00.000-07:002014-04-24T11:36:30.850-07:00BROKEN by Lauren Layne *Teaser Reveal and Cover Spotlight*<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGm8un9LjbP3QytTkraC-6GxZI-XSMBY4L02yDdqzvtjGnIvUsMM-B7nw6kIJgK2PvB_TDpm3O1paxBWmm9_fM7oMwKuPT2dlYVVkKXdQ97xIVXhl1bSAIOpC_Z7PqmmHbpf8HFOPXHtTs/s1600/978-0-553-39035-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGm8un9LjbP3QytTkraC-6GxZI-XSMBY4L02yDdqzvtjGnIvUsMM-B7nw6kIJgK2PvB_TDpm3O1paxBWmm9_fM7oMwKuPT2dlYVVkKXdQ97xIVXhl1bSAIOpC_Z7PqmmHbpf8HFOPXHtTs/s1600/978-0-553-39035-3.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>When Olivia Middleton abandons the glamour of Park Avenue for a remote, coastal town in Maine, everyone assumes she’s being the kind do-gooder she’s always been. But Olivia has a secret: helping an injured war veteran reenter society isn’t about charity—it’s about penance. Only, Olivia’s client isn’t the grateful elderly man she’s expecting. Instead, he’s a brooding twenty-four-year-old who has no intention of being Olivia’s path to redemption . . . and whose smoldering gaze and forbidden touch might be her undoing.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Paul Langdon doesn’t need a mirror to show him he’s no longer the hotshot quarterback he was before the war. He knows he’s ugly—inside and out. He’ll do anything to stay in self-imposed exile, even accept his father’s ultimatum that Paul tolerate the newest caretaker for three months or lose his inheritance. But Paul doesn’t count on the beautiful twenty-two-year-old who makes him long for things that he can never have. And the more she slips past his defenses, the more keeping his distance is impossible.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Now Paul and Olivia have to decide: Will they help each other heal? Or are they forever broken?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I'm really looking forward to reading this book. It will hit shelves later this year on Sept. 2nd, so mark your calendars!</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">** Teaser Reveal!**<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Olivia squirms. "Why are you looking at me like that?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"I've never known a female to acquiesce that easily without a
catch. How about you hit me with it now and get it over with?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Olivia shrugs. "Fine. I was going to say that I won't run alone,
if you promise to go with me."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"No," I say, almost before she's finished her sentence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Why not?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I rap my cane once against the ground. "Well, for starters,
despite the fact that there are tortoises that could surpass your sorry excuse
for a jog, I'm in no shape to accompany even the most pathetic of
runners."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"What a handy skill you have of overloading a sentence with
insults," she says as she reaches up to adjust her ponytail. "That
must be helpful what with your thriving social life and all."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I thump my cane against the ground again, studying her. "Must be
nice, picking on the cripple."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Olivia rolls her eyes. "Please. Your soul's more crippled than
your leg."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She has no idea how right she is, and I have no
intention of letting her anywhere close enough to find out. I've gotten good at
shutting people out by pushing them away . . . being as nasty as possible until
they reach their breaking point. But with her? It's different.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657739944317914887.post-28441438498998335582014-03-29T11:34:00.000-07:002014-03-29T11:34:49.685-07:00Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1386372561l/17228280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1386372561l/17228280.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">For Macallan and Levi, it was friends at first sight. Everyone says guys and girls can’t be just friends, but these two are. They hang out after school, share tons of inside jokes, their families are super close, and Levi even starts dating one of Macallan’s friends. They are platonic and happy that way.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Eventually they realize they’re best friends — which wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t keep getting in each other’s way. Guys won’t ask Macallan out because they think she’s with Levi, and Levi spends too much time joking around with Macallan, and maybe not enough time with his date. They can’t help but wonder . . . are they more than friends or are they better off without making it even more complicated?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">From romantic comedy superstar Elizabeth Eulberg comes a fresh, fun examination of a question for the ages: Can guys and girls ever really be just friends? Or are they always one fight away from not speaking again — and one kiss away from true love?- Goodreads</span></i></span><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">*</span></span><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Received</span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"> via NetGalley, Scholastic, and Elizabeth Eulberg for an honest review*</span></span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I enjoyed this book, but I have to admit that I'd been waiting so long to read this that I had my expectations really high. It didn't meet all of my expectations, but I liked it well enough and enjoyed it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is a simple read that starts out with the characters meeting for the first time in Middle School and follows them through High School. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I enjoyed "growing up" with the characters and watching as their relationship changed and evolved and new feelings began to emerge. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This does seem like it would be better for the younger YA audience, but if you're just looking for a simple read, then it's enjoyable. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The only part I didn't really like is that the point-of-view switches between the two main characters, Levi and Macallen. I'm really not a fan of that, although it did work for this book. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657739944317914887.post-7758351372324058812014-03-26T22:59:00.001-07:002014-03-26T22:59:56.083-07:00Rambling Daze of Memories by Rowena Patti Young<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1395892421l/21487904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1395892421l/21487904.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a book about memories, 70 years of them. Some people have similar memories, but others have never experienced such things and may learn from these. Some parts have sadness, depressiveness, obnoxiousness, and darkness, but this can disappear behind the clouds when the quirky, funny, descriptive, and sunny ones overpower them. I have included some of this in my poetry. My life has been full of challenges and I have written about most of them in this book. My hope is that those reading it will find something to help them in their lives and/or be entertained.</span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">My husband's Grandma Young wrote a book! How cool is that? Even better is that the book is really good! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">In this she tells of her life, and some of it was quite humorous, while other parts were really sad. She talks about her first marriage ending in her husband's suicide and her son's ongoing problems with mental illness. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">I loved reading this for several reasons. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">It was a fun way to learn more about my husband's side of the family. I mean this is ancestry tracking gold! haha I have a few small story collections written by a couple of my great-grandmas, but nothing as detailed and entertaining as this. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">I felt like I could relate to this, not only because of my family ties, but because this book reminded me of my own grand (and great) grandparents and the stories of their own childhoods. I always love hearing about how things used to be compared to now. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">This is a wonderful look into the past and what Grandma Young's life has been like and how she's gotten through it. She is a woman who is strong, kind, and quick to joke and I'm so happy to be lucky enough to marry into this family. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Here is a link if you would like to buy a copy and enjoy this book for yourself- </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rambling-Memories-Rowena-Patti-Young/dp/162901060X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395892610&sr=8-1&keywords=rambling+daze+of+memories">Rambling Daze of Memories by Rowena Patti Young</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657739944317914887.post-22865947779538432742014-03-22T11:58:00.000-07:002014-03-22T11:58:13.822-07:00Fort Stevens Camping Trip <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://scontent-a-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/983604_10200770379581382_1294735603_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://scontent-a-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/983604_10200770379581382_1294735603_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We just got back from a small camping trip down to the Oregon Coast @ Fort Stevens. It was our puppy Thor's first camping trip and we found out that he's a fair weather only type of dog. It rained while we were fishing and he wanted nothing to do with that. (Isn't he so cute with his sweater!)<br />
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<a href="https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/1613944_10200762253498235_366146384_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/1613944_10200762253498235_366146384_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/1460038_10200762253418233_1604395491_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/1460038_10200762253418233_1604395491_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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There is also an old shipwreck on the beach. I love going to see this every time we go to this part of the Oregon Coast. </div>
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<a href="https://scontent-a-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1.0-9/10014577_10200762253578237_1746499687_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://scontent-a-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1.0-9/10014577_10200762253578237_1746499687_n.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657739944317914887.post-33475976388208709932014-03-21T21:09:00.000-07:002014-03-21T21:09:13.965-07:00The Liebster Award<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSdpzRrzN6OywvTAviza-EOUwSOmQYObkW0obJoErSdUhQezA0Fgw" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSdpzRrzN6OywvTAviza-EOUwSOmQYObkW0obJoErSdUhQezA0Fgw" /></a></div>
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I'd like to shout out a big thank you to Emily @ <a href="http://followtheyellowbookrd.blogspot.ca/">Follow The Yellow Book Road</a> for nominating me for The Liebster Award! Thank you so much for thinking of me!<div>
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The Liebster Award was created to help bring attention to blogs with fewer than 200 followers, and now it is my chance to recognize some of the smaller blogs that I follow and enjoy. </div>
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<b>The Rules</b></div>
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<b>1. Make sure to link back and thank the person who nominated you</b></div>
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<b>2. List 11 facts about yourself</b></div>
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<b>3. Answer the 11 questions from the person who nominated you</b></div>
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<b>4. Ask 11 new questions to 9 new bloggers (with fewer than 200 followers, and you can't nominate the person that nominated you).</b></div>
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<b>5. Let them know they've been nominated by posting a link on their blog</b></div>
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<b>11 Facts About Myself</b></div>
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1. My middle name is Ann</div>
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2. I have a dog named Thor (Thunder-Buns is his nickname)</div>
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3. I got engaged to my husband after only 5 months of dating (Most people thought I was crazy, but I just knew what I wanted! haha).</div>
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4. My nickname growing up was Cookie Bear (apparently I named myself this when I was 2 and it's never left me, my family still calls me either Cookie Bear, Cookie, or just Cooks). </div>
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5. I have a 20 pound rabbit named Bear, and two cats, Bella and Zoe. </div>
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6. I've lived my whole life in Oregon and the farthest from home I've gone is to Yellowstone National Park. </div>
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7. I love the outdoors. Fishing and hunting are just as fun to me as reading a good book. </div>
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8. I have 2 brothers, an older brother who is 3 years old than me and a younger one who's almost exactly a year younger than me. </div>
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9. I had back surgery when I was 11. (This was a huge turning point in my life, especially for my falling in love with reading. For the year or so leading up to my surgery I couldn't do a lot, so I just read lots and lots of books to pass the time). </div>
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10. I didn't get my driver's license until I was 19. (Honestly, I was just too scared that I was going to fail the test, so I never took it. I did fail the first time I took the drive test, but it really motivated me to get better and pass it the next time cause it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be). </div>
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11. I'm a horrible artist. I can't even draw stick figures. </div>
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<b>Emily's Questions</b></div>
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<b>1.</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21.559999465942383px; text-align: justify;">If you could meet one book character who would it be and why?</span></div>
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Hagrid, besides the obvious fact that he's amazing. I'd like to meet him because I feel like he'd be a good friend to have, not only to help you out when times are bad, but to enjoy the good times swapping stories.</div>
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2. <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21.559999465942383px; text-align: justify;">How did you pick you blog's name?</span></div>
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The Elysian Fields, or Elysium, was the Ancient Greek's version of afterlife for the virtuous and heroic. I'm not really sure what I was thinking when I chose this as my blog name. I love Homer and Virgil and Greek and Roman mythology really interests me. If I had to find a deep meaning for it though, I cause it would be that The Elysian Fields were a paradise, and I want this blog to flourish and be enjoyed. </div>
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3. <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21.559999465942383px; text-align: justify;">What is your favorite social media website?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px; text-align: justify;">I am hopelessly addicted to Facebook. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px; text-align: justify;">4. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21.559999465942383px; text-align: justify;">What is the first book that you remember reading?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss. My dad taught me how to read using this book, so it's always meant a lot to me. As far as the first I read all by myself, that probably would have been one of the Frog and Toad books, cause I was in love with those as a kid, although to be honest, I could probably spend hours reading them today. haha</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">5. </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21.559999465942383px; text-align: justify;">Who is your favorite villain?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px; text-align: justify;">I'm not sure if he's really considered a villain but Draco Malfoy. I love his character because I feel like he was so conflicted and had so many different layers, and that his story could have been completely different if even a few aspects of his life were changed. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px; text-align: justify;">As far as super evil villains, Voldemort is going to win every time, cause he's just plain scary. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px; text-align: justify;">6. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21.559999465942383px; text-align: justify;">What language(s) do you speak? </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px; text-align: justify;">English and very horrible,and probably barely understandable French. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px; text-align: justify;">7. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21.559999465942383px; text-align: justify;">What language(s) do you wish you could speak?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">I've always been fascinated by dead languages, so I'd love to learn any of them, such as Sanskrit or Latin. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">8. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">How long have you been blogging for?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">This is my first blog and I started it about a year ago. I was horrible at updating at first and couldn't think of how I wanted to write, but it's gotten easier and funner as times gone on. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">9. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">How do you decide what to read next?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">I have a to-read stack of books, and I tend to put the books I want to read at the top of the stack. I try to read books in series or trilogy's close together. If I really can't make up my mind though, then my husband picks one for me. He's actually gotten very good at picking out the perfect book for the mood I'm in at that moment. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">10. </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">If you could only recommend one book to people for the rest of your life, which book would it be?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">This one's hard, because I recommend different books to different people based on what their likes and dislikes are. A book that I've been recommending a lot lately though is Windwalker by Natasha Mostert. I loved it so much and it's so deep and I just really really enjoyed reading it. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">11. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">If you were an animal, what would you be?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">A bear, because no one messes with a bear. haha. No, really I love bears, and to me I'd want to be one because they're so free and powerful, (and they get to sleep through the crappy months of the year!)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><b>My Questions:</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><b>1. Where is your favorite place to read?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><b>2. If you could meet any author who would it be and why?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><b>3. Besides reading, what do you like to do with your spare time?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><b>4. What is your favorite fictional world?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><b>5. What is your favorite animal? Why</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><b>6. What is your favorite season? Why?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><b>7. If you had a superpower, what would yours be?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><b>8. Is the book always better than that movie?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><b>9. How'd you first get into books and reading?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><b>10. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">11. Do you prefer ebook or physical book? </span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br /></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">My Nominations:</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;">Valerie @ <a href="http://innocentsmileyx3.blogspot.com/">Innocent Smiley's Reviews</a></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Ini @ <a href="http://inisravishingreads.blogspot.com/">Ini's Ravishing Reads</a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Aneta @ <a href="http://angelic-reviews.blogspot.com/">Angelic Book Reviews</a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><u>Emily @ <a href="http://mrsbbooks.blogspot.com/">Mrs B's Books</a></u></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Amber @ <a href="http://mybookshelfisneverfull.blogspot.com/">My Bookshelf is Hungry</a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Julie @ <a href="http://books-and-insomnia.blogspot.com/">Books and Insomnia </a></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Samantha @ <a href="http://beyondmybookshelf.blogspot.ca/">Beyond My Bookshelf</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Ashley @ <a href="http://ashlyhbooks.blogspot.com/">Book 'n' Go</a></div>
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Becca @ <a href="http://pivotbookreviews.blogspot.com/">Pivot Book Reviews </a></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br /></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.559999465942383px;"><br /></span></b></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657739944317914887.post-23712362820871342562014-03-11T14:35:00.002-07:002014-03-11T14:35:34.834-07:00Hidden like Anne Frank by Marcel Prins and Peter Henk Steenhuis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1389053621l/18371572.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1389053621l/18371572.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Fourteen unforgettable true stories of children hidden away during World War II</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Jaap Sitters was only eight years old when his mother cut the yellow stars off his clothes and sent him, alone, on a fifteen-mile walk to hide with relatives. It was a terrifying night, one he would never forget. Before the end of the war, Jaap would hide in secret rooms and behind walls. He would suffer from hunger, sickness, and the looming threat of Nazi raids. But he would live.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">This is just one of the incredible stories told in HIDDEN LIKE ANNE FRANK, a collection of eye-opening first-person accounts that share what it was like to go into hiding during World War II. Some children were only three or four years old when they were hidden; some were teenagers. Some hid with neighbors or family, while many were with complete strangers. But all know the pain of losing their homes, their families, even their own names. They describe the secret network of brave people who kept them safe. And they share the coincidences and close escapes that made all the difference.</span></span></i><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">*</span></span><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Received</span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"> for review via NetGalley, Scholastic, and Marcel Prins & Peter Henk Steenhuis*</span></span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><br /></span></span></i>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">This book was powerful, and definitely not for those looking for a light and carefree read. Each chapter starts out with a photo of the person before the war, most of them are small, happy children. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">It's hard to describe reading these true stories. I felt intrigued, because I wanted to know how the person survived. I also felt deeply saddened, because I know that so many people didn't survive. And it's clear in these accounts that many of these children and teenagers didn't have much of a family after the war. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">The Holocaust is hard for me to wrap my head around. I don't understand how any one person could be so cruel, let alone a group of people. I can understand why people wouldn't believe that it happened, because it's so horrific. I'm glad that there are books like this though, so that we can remember what really happened and make sure nothing like it ever happens again. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">I do recommend this book, but be warned about how heart-wrenching some of these stories are. </span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657739944317914887.post-885684405184053002014-03-09T07:13:00.000-07:002014-03-09T07:13:59.189-07:00Book I really need to finish/start reading!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Okay, I'm bored and wanted to do a blog post, but since I've been spending way too much time playing video games instead of reading, I haven't finished the book I'm working on. So that led me to thinking about what other books I haven't finished/haven't even started that I have no excuse for not reading!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7UxWUxRCUnc7Ag_xa4Elr4Z3hg1Y5yPnDDpSjKkFxDbUVX6K3yzIL6j0S_rTAOKvk_NwcGRIG3tZwm5F9-WCGrxfnBr1Wqef9Mhm1ubUlWwMzn_IclX-p0uZTco822Ddh0o8lJo641vY/s1600/The-Hunger-Games-Trilogy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7UxWUxRCUnc7Ag_xa4Elr4Z3hg1Y5yPnDDpSjKkFxDbUVX6K3yzIL6j0S_rTAOKvk_NwcGRIG3tZwm5F9-WCGrxfnBr1Wqef9Mhm1ubUlWwMzn_IclX-p0uZTco822Ddh0o8lJo641vY/s1600/The-Hunger-Games-Trilogy.jpg" height="215" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins-Catching Fire & Mockingjay- Everyone kept telling me how great and amazing The Hunger Games were, but I honestly didn't pick up the first book until after I saw the movie. Now I think I'm just being lazy, like why read it when I can just wait and watch it? haha which is completely the opposite of how I usually am with movies and books. </span><br />
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<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1368111284l/17383918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1368111284l/17383918.jpg" width="132" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. Allegiant by Veronica Roth- I read Divergent and Insurgent like crazy fast, but for some reason I keep picking up and putting back down Allegiant. It's not that the book isn't good, and I don't know why I can't focus on it, but I really do need to just finish it, otherwise I'm afraid I'll have to just restart it. </span><br />
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<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1358962036l/24770.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1358962036l/24770.jpg" width="129" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld- I'm so far behind the bandwagon on this one! I loved the author's other series, The Midnighter's, but when I tried reading Uglies years ago it just didn't hold my attention. I'm vowing to try again though cause it's always annoyed me that I didn't finish this one! haha Hopefully this time I'll have better luck....or maybe the book does just suck...idk?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4. The Anita Blake Series by Laurell K. Hamilton- I'm putting the whole series down, cause I am so far behind that I don't even know how many books behind I really am! Also, it's been so long since I've read this series that I feel like I need to re-read it to re-antiquate myself with the characters. There are SO many books though...</span><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657739944317914887.post-90704598733159536012014-03-07T20:12:00.002-08:002014-03-07T20:12:51.609-08:00Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1383148076l/18465577.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1383148076l/18465577.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">A twisty story about love, loss, and lies, this contemporary oceanside adventure is tinged with a touch of dark magic as it follows seventeen-year-old Wendy Darling on a search for her missing surfer brothers. Wendy’s journey leads her to a mysterious hidden cove inhabited by a tribe of young renegade surfers, most of them runaways like her brothers. Wendy is instantly drawn to the cove’s charismatic leader, Pete, but her search also points her toward Pete's nemesis, the drug-dealing Jas. Enigmatic, dangerous, and handsome, Jas pulls Wendy in even as she's falling hard for Pete. A radical reinvention of a classic, Second Star is an irresistible summer romance about two young men who have yet to grow up--and the troubled beauty trapped between them.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">*Received via NetGalley, Macmillian Children's Pub., and Alyssa B. Sheinmel*</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I didn't think it was possible to equally love and hate a book this much!!!!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the one hand, I loved this book, it was amazingly written and the characters were awesome. Pete and Jas are both cool and smokin hot, and have loads of drama, but so does Wendy. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This Peter Pan remix was nice, new, and fresh. It makes me really want to learn how to surf now, even though I'm sure I'd drown or get eaten by a shark on my first voyage out! </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">I hated the way this book ended. It left me feeling like, what's next? and that's it? I want more to this story, it doesn't feel finished! Or maybe it's just that it didn't end in any way like I wanted. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">I would highly recommend this book though! It was an amazing read, even if the story didn't go where I wanted it to. </span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657739944317914887.post-48091675008013395562014-03-06T17:53:00.000-08:002014-03-06T17:53:22.217-08:00The Here and Now by Ann Brashares<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1377012204l/18242896.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1377012204l/18242896.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Follow the rules. Remember what happened. Never fall in love.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">This is the story of seventeen-year-old Prenna James, who immigrated to New York when she was twelve. Except Prenna didn’t come from a different country. She came from a different time—a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules: never reveal where they’re from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. Prenna does as she’s told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">But everything changes when Prenna falls for Ethan Jarves. -Goodreads.com</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i><b>*Received via NetGalley, Random House Children's Pub., and Ann Brashares for review*</b></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">This book caught my attention from the very beginning. It's an interesting idea, fleeing a horrible future to live in the past because there is just no where else left to go. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">As far as the characters go, I really liked Ethan, he's like the perfect guy, sweet, funny, attractive, and smart! I liked Prenna too, although she had moments where I really just didn't understand her.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">I hated Prenna's mom though. She's a horrible mom, and yet Prenna is all forgiving and makes excuses for why she acts the way she does. Her mom and all the other adults are cowards in my opinion. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">There is so much tension between Prenna and Ethan. And it's sweet and sad at the same time. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">I really wonder if this is going to be a stand alone book or if there's another one? I would read a sequel to this, cause I feel there are still so many questions not answered. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">My only complaint is that I really don't like the cover. I find it kind of bland and not very eye-catching. Although, I know I should judge a book based on it's cover!</span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657739944317914887.post-9131198092573543782014-03-04T19:30:00.001-08:002014-03-04T19:30:35.422-08:00The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1391607111l/16068341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">*<img border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1391607111l/16068341.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<i style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Everyone has a lot to say about Alice Franklin, and it’s stopped mattering whether it’s true. The rumors started at a party when Alice supposedly had sex with two guys in one night. When school starts everyone almost forgets about Alice until one of those guys, super-popular Brandon, dies in a car wreck that was allegedly all Alice’s fault. Now the only friend she has is a boy who may be the only other person who knows the truth, but is too afraid to admit it. Told from the perspectives of popular girl Elaine, football star Josh, former outcast Kelsie, and shy genius Kurt, we see how everyone has a motive to bring – and keep – Alice down. -Goodreads</i><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">*Received via NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing, and Jennifer Mathieu for honest review*</i><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><br /></i>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This book was a little bit darker and more deep than what I expected, but it was a good read. It showed just how much and how quickly rumors can spread out of control. Also, that words do hurt, sometimes even more than something physical would have. This book was also a good reminder to me of how much I don't miss high school! haha Not that my high school experience was anything like this. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Throughout this book, in the perspective of these other four high schoolers, we learn who Alice Franklin is, the real Alice. I enjoyed switching between the characters, which I usually don't, but it just felt right with this book. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I especially loved Kurt, since I can't help but love nerds. haha He also is the only character that is honest, and someone who I would want to have as a friend. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">I was also really happy with how this book ended, it felt almost bitter sweet in the ending, and was just perfect for me, and the mood I'm in now. I would definitely recommend checking it out. </span></span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657739944317914887.post-75347862426077737352014-03-03T16:56:00.000-08:002014-03-03T16:56:52.926-08:00Windwalker by Natasha Mostert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1389548232l/20519436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1389548232l/20519436.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
<i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">*</span></span><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Received</span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"> via NetGalley, Portable Magic Ltd., and Natasha Mostert for review*</span></span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">From the award-winning author of Season of the Witch, comes a highly original story of murder, redemption, eternal love and destiny. WINDWALKER will keep you on the edge of your seat. And break your heart.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">When photographer, Justine Callaway, walks into the deserted English mansion, Paradine Park, she doesn’t suspect that she is opening the door to the greatest mystery–and magic–of her life.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Justine becomes obsessed by the family who used to live in the house, especially the oldest son, Adam Buchanan. But why is she so drawn to a man who had killed his brother nine years before? And why, as she photographs the house, does she discover ghostly images she knows she did not record?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Even more unsettling, she senses someone is stalking her, watching her...</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">- Goodreads</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">I loved this! It's beautiful, strange, exotic, and just plain addictive to read. I couldn't wait to pick this back up and immerse myself in these people's lives. It was so interesting and heartbreaking at the same time!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">This book focuses heavily on reincarnation and not only having a life path that is predestined for us, but also having a soul-mate that we're searching for throughout all our joined lives. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Adam and Justine are living a world apart from each other, but they still sense each other and it's only a matter of time before their paths must cross. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">The whole concept on this story intrigued me and I really enjoyed it, especially how it was written. I love the way Natasha Mostert writes, it's almost like poetry, it just speaks to me so deeply and makes me feel! </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">At first I really didn't understand what the point of having The Watcher, who likes to watch Justin and is pretty much stalking her, but I felt it added a good bit of suspense to the story. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">I loved the characters in this, and even though this isn't a romance in the traditional sense, I felt that overall this book was very romantic, especially toward the end. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">I think I would have liked this better without the </span><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">epilogue, but I'm not really complaining because I loved everything else so much. </span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657739944317914887.post-76045209873242287042014-03-02T11:18:00.000-08:002014-03-02T11:18:54.386-08:00The Shadowhunters Codex by Cassandra Clare and Joshua Lewis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1358696072l/13568619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1358696072l/13568619.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">The Clave is pleased to announce the newest edition of the Nephilim’s oldest and most famous training manual: the Shadowhunter’s Codex. Since the thirteenth century, the Codex has been the young Shadowhunter’s best friend. When you’re being swarmed by demons it can be easy to forget the finer points of obscure demon languages or the fastest way to stop an attack of Raum demons. With the Codex by your side, you never have to worry. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Now in its twenty-seventh edition, the Codex covers it all: the history and the laws of our world; how to identify, interact with, and if necessary, kill that world’s many colorful denizens; which end of the stele is the end you write with. No more will your attempt to fight off rogue vampires and warlocks be slowed by the need to answer endless questions from your new recruits: What is a Pyxis? Why don’t we use guns? If I can’t see a warlock’s mark, is there a polite way to ask him where it is? Where do we get all our holy water? Geography, History, Magic, and Zoology textbook all rolled into one, the Codex is here to help new Shadowhunters navigate the beautiful, often brutal world that we inhabit. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">- Goodreads.com</span></span></i><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">I was so disappointed by this companion book. I didn't expect it to be way better than Cassandra Clare's other books, but I did expect it to have more new information into The Mortal Instruments series. There was nothing new in this. If you've read the books, including The Infernal Devices trilogy, then none of this supposedly secret and heavily guarded information is new. </span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><br /></span></i></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">I absolutely hated the way this was written also. I was thinking that since it's an ancient codex that the writing would be different, more "smart" and textbook like maybe. This felt really rushed, stupid, and sloppy. I think the only way I would have enjoyed this is if I'd read it when I was way younger, and before I'd finished the majority of the books. (I only have the sixth TMI book left, City of Heavenly Fire, which won't be released until the end of this upcoming May). </span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><br /></span></i></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Overall, my vote is just to skip this book and read Clare's other works. This was just a waste of time for me. </span></i></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657739944317914887.post-72383656995567989472014-02-21T13:47:00.001-08:002014-02-21T13:47:54.183-08:00Beautiful Addictions by Season Vining<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1382758765l/18404284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1382758765l/18404284.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">*</span></span><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Received for review via NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Season Vining*</span></span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Josie Banks is a girl without a past. After being found unconscious with no memory, she was shuffled in and out of foster homes where she suffered years of abuse. An experience that left her broken, damaged, and clinging to drugs and meaningless hook-ups to numb her pain.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">When Josie disappeared years ago, she took a piece of Tristan with her. She’s the girl he thought he lost forever—the one he’s never been able to forget. Now a twist of fate has brought them back together, and he never wants to let her out of his inked arms again. But Tristan is haunted by a dark past of his own. On the run from ruthless criminals that shattered Josie’s world years ago, reentering her life puts them both in danger.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">As Josie and Tristan’s lives become tangled once again, they find themselves unwilling and unable to escape the relentless pull that draws them together. But will the past leave their love in ruins—or bind them together for a lifetime?</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">This book was definitely not for me. It was a little too dark and heavy for my tastes. That's not to say that this book isn't good, just not my cup of tea. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Josie and Tristan are both screwed up in their own ways. They're both stuck and unhappy in their lives. I never really felt connected to Josie or Tristan, but I think that might have more to do with me not being able to relate to what either one of them is going through. I guess I just didn't understand them. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">This book was written very well, but it did confuse me when the point-of-view would switch around, not only between Tristan and Josie, but between other characters that majorly factor into the story. I think I would have liked it better if these jumps between character POV were spaced out better, maybe even in separate chapters. Even if the chapter was small it would have helped me, cause I felt like there would be a HUGE change from one paragraph to the next. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a darker kind of romance story with lots of action, drugs, and murder, but be prepared to see the darker side of addiction and abuse. </span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657739944317914887.post-24931422392963688852014-02-19T22:11:00.000-08:002014-02-19T22:11:05.471-08:00College Boys (Men of Holsum College # 1) by Daisy Harris<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1368128113l/13569325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1368128113l/13569325.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*Big thanks to NetGalley, Siren Publishing, and Daisy Harris for the free copy to review*</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">When soccer star Chris Fischer moves next door to an openly gay classmate, he doesn't realize the wall between their rooms will be so thin he'll hear his neighbor's every move. But soon he and Peter become friends, and Chris is intrigued—imagining what happens on the other side of the wall.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Active on the Queer Student Council, Peter Cohen wishes he wasn't so damn hot for his straight neighbor. He can't tell if Chris is flirting or in denial or what, but Chris's innocent overtures lure Peter into flirtation that throws his world into chaos. Peter doesn't want to date a closet case, but he desperately, passionately wants Chris.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Soon Chris must choose whether to run away from his new feelings or embrace a relationship with the guy he loves. And Peter must decide if he can give his heart to a guy who hasn't yet figured it all out. -Goodreads.com</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I started reading this I planned on only reading a few chapters. I was busy and had chores I needed to get done, but I wanted a reading break. It was a bad idea to start reading this book cause I got no chores done and ended up reading the whole book in one sitting! (Although this book really isn't super long, only about 1,400 pages on my kindle). </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I loved the characters. Peter and Chris both came off and very sincere and real. They also are both nice people, and aren't jerks, which I liked a lot! The way it was written was really great too and very addictive. I was half way done with the book before I even knew I'd read that long. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">This book really got me thinking though about gay rights and how people are treated differently at times for loving the person they love. It just made me angry, even though this book doesn't delve that deep into all of those issues. This is a coming-of-age story, where both Chris and Peter find themselves and accept themselves for who they are. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My only complaint I guess would be that it kind of got a little smutty in some spots. It's a romance novel though, and I kind of expected that would happen at least once or twice, so it wasn't a huge shocker. haha</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4657739944317914887.post-28571744970839975312014-02-19T08:38:00.001-08:002014-02-19T08:38:53.485-08:00Blood Descent (Blood Hunters # 3) by Marie Treanor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">A child is born...into the final showdown of Vampire and Hunter</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">The face of a killer, the heart of a lost child… Konrad once led the legendary first team of Hungarian vampire hunters. Now, refusing to ally with the undead, he goes his own way, slaughtering vampires across the length and breadth of Europe.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">The dying thoughts of one such vampire send Konrad to Britain in search of a dangerous instrument that might be just what he needs in his obsessive war with undead overlord Saloman – a war he’s determined to win at any cost. The only being who can lead him to the instrument and its current, evil possessor, is sexy, mysterious, young Glaswegian vampire Maggie, who holds herself aloof from her own kind.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Maggie sees much more than Konrad’s anger and cruelty. She makes it her mission to reach beyond the horrors of his past and find the man he should have been. Difficult, when he threatens her heart as well as everything she believes in; and when her whole being clamors for his body and his blood.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">While journalists circle, about to break the news of vampire existence on mainstream television, Elizabeth Silk labors to give birth to Saloman’s daughter, and Maggie plays a dangerous game that risks everyone for her belief in one troubled man. - Goodreads.com</span></span></i><br />
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Okay, so I was planning on reading a few other books before I came back to this vampire romance series, but I just had to find out what happened next!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">I really didn't understand the whole part with the journalist, Lisa, and I don't really understand why Soloman wants vampires to be out in the open. They've kind of been living it up without the majority of humans knowing about them, so why rock the boat? </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">This book follows Konrad, who can be summed up in one simple word, DUMB. He's so hellbent on killing Soloman that he's throwing his whole life away, including his closest friends. Ironically, it's the vampire Maggie who wants to save him. He annoyed me so much in the other books, and at first I really wasn't very enthusiastic about spending a whole book with mainly just him. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">I did warm up to his character though after learning more of his back-story and how he came to hate all vampires. Also it helped in understanding that he wasn't always a crazy vampire slayer, that life had been thrust upon him. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">I loved Maggie. She was smart, compassionate, and strong. I felt like Maggie was just a girl that became a vampire, but she was still very much a person with values.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">This book was okay. I read these books really fast. I did enjoy that this book had a lot more plot behind it than book 2 did, which was pretty much just vampire smut. </span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0