tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79170973850147907842024-03-13T10:54:49.333-07:00Must Love BooksMust Love Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04356859350271160742noreply@blogger.comBlogger604125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917097385014790784.post-86758976507885428792014-06-12T21:32:00.000-07:002014-06-12T21:32:05.336-07:00Review: Out of Control by Sarah Alderson<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JHu79fWDzOw/U5p-oz9CQ7I/AAAAAAAAE0I/vQlRrTSoPzc/s1600/out+of+control.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JHu79fWDzOw/U5p-oz9CQ7I/AAAAAAAAE0I/vQlRrTSoPzc/s1600/out+of+control.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></div>
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<i>Out of Control </i>by Sarah Alderson</div>
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Genre: YA contemporary</div>
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Published May 22nd, 2014 Simon and Schuster (UK)</div>
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320 pages</div>
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What it's about:</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">When 17 year old Liva witnesses a brutal murder she’s taken into police custody for her own protection. But when the police station is attacked and bullets start flying it becomes clear that Liva is not just a witness, she’s a target.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">Together with a car thief called Jay, Liva manages to escape the massacre but now the two of them are alone in New York, trying to outrun and outwit two killers who will stop at nothing to find them.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">When you live on the edge, there’s a long way to fall</span></div>
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My thoughts:<br />
I've read a few (and own almost all) of Sarah Alderson's books, so when I saw her post on GRs asking if any bloggers would like to review her new book, I immediately replied with "Me! Me! Pick Me!!!!!!!" because I knew that Out of Control was going to be just as awesome as her other books.<br />
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And it was. Of course.<br />
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Alderson just throws you right into the book and the action doesn't stop till you hit the end. And wow, what a crazy ride it was.<br />
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While I can't relate to the characters too much because I've never been super rich or had a family involved in gangs, I can thoroughly enjoy them. They kept me guessing and I never knew quite what they would do. I love when characters can do that. Keep me on my toes.<br />
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If you want a quick, fun read that will keep you on the edge of your seat, I highly recommend this book.<br />
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My rating: 4/5 starsMust Love Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04356859350271160742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917097385014790784.post-40863186883539089052014-05-17T17:57:00.000-07:002014-05-17T17:57:00.132-07:00Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children </i>by Ransom Riggs</div>
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Series: book #1</div>
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Published June 7, 2011 by Quirk</div>
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Genre: YA fantasy/Historical</div>
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$9.99 (US Paperback)</div>
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348 pages</div>
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What it's about:</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.</span></div>
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My thoughts:<br />
I have been wanting to read this book since it first came out, but for some reason I wouldn't let myself buy it new, and I could never get a copy at the library (always checked out) so it took me a long time to read it. I finally found a copy (used) and scarfed down the book in a matter of days.<br />
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This book read sort of like a fairy tale. The stories you hear as children coming to life in a big way. I kinda dig those stories, and will always gravitate towards them, so this was my kind of book.<br />
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I've read a lot of reviews for this book, where the reader stated that the first part of the book was really good, and then just fizzled and died for them. I didn't find this the case at all. I will agree that the first half of the book is by far the better half, but I really enjoyed the second half as well, and the ending left me wanting the next book.<br />
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The characters were all pretty entertaining, but Jacob took me a while to get to like. He was down in the dumps for the first part of the book, which is always really painful to read (at least, to me it is). Depressed characters are hard to like, but this changed. And I loved learning all about the Peculiar children and how their life works.<br />
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And the pictures! Oh how those pictures are marvelous! The whole idea of finding old pictures and creating a story to make them come to life is fantastic. I thought Riggs did a pretty great job coming up with an interesting story to explain all the pictures. There were times when Riggs would describe something and I wished it had a picture to go along with it, but it wouldn't. That was disappointing, but oh well.<br />
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My rating: 4/5 starsMust Love Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04356859350271160742noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917097385014790784.post-70417507690740386782014-05-13T22:25:00.002-07:002014-05-13T22:25:49.164-07:00DNF review- I Hunt Killers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W9JJreobrng/U3L-TW50N9I/AAAAAAAAEzo/lAhUMU_J-po/s1600/I+hunt+killers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W9JJreobrng/U3L-TW50N9I/AAAAAAAAEzo/lAhUMU_J-po/s1600/I+hunt+killers.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
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<i>I Hunt Killers </i>by Barry Lyga</div>
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Published 4/3/2012 by Little Brown Company</div>
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Genre: YA contemp</div>
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359 pages</div>
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What it's about:</div>
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<em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">What if the world's worst serial killer...was your dad?</em><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">Jasper "Jazz" Dent is a likable teenager. A charmer, one might say.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">But he's also the son of the world's most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, Take Your Son to Work Day was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could—from the criminal's point of view.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">And now bodies are piling up in Lobo's Nod.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">In an effort to clear his name, Jazz joins the police in a hunt for a new serial killer. But Jazz has a secret—could he be more like his father than anyone knows?</span></div>
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My thoughts:<br />
I ended up DNFing this book about 100 pages into it. I think. I was actually listening to this audiobook and got through the first 4 discs of the audiobook, so I'm not sure on the page numbers.<br />
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I just check the Goodreads page for this book and am actually pretty surprised by it's rating. 3.99? Really? Most people I've talked to about this book have DNFed it, so I was surprised to see such high ratings for it.<br />
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The reason I had to stop with this book was all the details. Jazz would talk about all the small things his father would do to his victims and was a little too obsessed with the murdered girl. I did not enjoy being in the head of a killer (or a boy thinking like a killer, really). This book majorly had my anxiety rising while I was listening to it. I was curious as to who the killer was and had a friend read the end for me and tell me who it was (haha), but I just couldn't handle this book. It reminded me of the show Criminal Minds. Good show, well done, but I just couldn't handle it.Must Love Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04356859350271160742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917097385014790784.post-34668279881166291172014-04-27T09:31:00.002-07:002014-04-27T09:31:43.639-07:00Review: Dorothy Must Die<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fPDJUF2Gd_w/U10w3P0jkKI/AAAAAAAAEzI/WO-XGxLg7vs/s1600/Dorothy+Must+Die.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fPDJUF2Gd_w/U10w3P0jkKI/AAAAAAAAEzI/WO-XGxLg7vs/s1600/Dorothy+Must+Die.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
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<i>Dorothy Must Die </i>by Danielle Paige</div>
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Published April 1, 2014 by Harper Teen</div>
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Genre: YA Retelling</div>
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$17.99 (US hardback)</div>
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452 pages</div>
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What it's about:</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still the yellow brick road, though—but even that's crumbling.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">What happened?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">Dorothy. They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">I've been trained to fight.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">And I have a mission:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">Remove the Tin Woodman's heart.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">Steal the Scarecrow's brain.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">Take the Lion's courage.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">Then and only then—Dorothy must die!</span></div>
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My thoughts:<br />
I'm surprised by how much I actually really enjoyed this book. I read the first few pages while standing in the isle, trying to decide if I was going to spend the full price on this book. I didn't immediately fall in love with it, Amy is kind of complaining for the first few pages, but I decided to buy it anyways.<br />
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This book is a lot darker than I was expecting it to be. A lot. I don't know exactly what I was expecting, maybe sort of a retelling of Wizard of Oz. Amy would meet up with three odd strangers, travel down the road, go kill the evil lady. That's not exactly what happened. It had it's own ideas, plots, descriptions. I loved it. I loved seeing the messed up mutilated Scarecrow creatures, the perma-smile witches, and the scared people of Oz. Wow, that sounds bad, but it was dark and interesting.<br />
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I was hoping that this was going to be a stand alone, but it looks like it's going to be a series.<br />
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My rating: 4/5 stars<br />
<br />Must Love Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04356859350271160742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917097385014790784.post-14345905680567397052014-04-21T21:18:00.002-07:002014-04-21T21:18:23.586-07:00Top Ten Tuesday- Characters that pissed me off <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rwrv1yYcfM0/U1XtVcIdISI/AAAAAAAAEyQ/D3712pOfkks/s1600/Top+Ten+Tuesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rwrv1yYcfM0/U1XtVcIdISI/AAAAAAAAEyQ/D3712pOfkks/s1600/Top+Ten+Tuesday.jpg" /></a></div>
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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the ladies over at <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/">The Broke and the Bookish</a></div>
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This weeks topic, I'm going to go with <b>characters that pissed me off</b>. I'm going to try and go with non obvious ones, ones you aren't supposed to hate. Angry posts can always be fun to write and to be honest, they are a lot of fun to read most of the time. Everyone likes a good ol' rant every once in a while. That and I have a lovely little board on Goodreads called "someone needs to be punched" to help me remember which books pissed me off. haha. BTW, feel free to friend me on goodreads. Hopefully this link works <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3962568-ariel">clicky clicky to see my Goodreads</a><br />
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These are in no order. Just whatever popped into my head.<br />
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1. Mary from Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan:<br />
Okay, I lied, this one is in order for being #1. I HATE MARY. Talk about a selfish bitch. She is willing to sacrifice every single person she knows and loves so that she can see the beach. I mean, I love the beach as much as the next girl, but really? You are going to let everyone you know get attacked by zombies so you can live on the beach? No. No no no no no.<br />
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2. Lenah from Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel:<br />
I will never understand why anybody liked this book, honestly. It's been a few years since I've read this book, so my precise reasoning for hating her so much is escaping me. Something about murdering children, being completely selfish. I dunno. But when I think of this book, I just get angry.<br />
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3. Ever from Evermore by Alison Noel:<br />
How dumb can this girl get? I mean, really. My friend and I would call her "Ever Stupid" when talking about these books. I know, it's a very clever and sophisticated nickname. Haha.<br />
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4. Four in Allegiant by Veronica Roth:<br />
I feel I might get some smack for this one. But I did. I hated him in this book. Everything was his fault. Everything.<br />
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5. Nick from Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn:<br />
I'm actually in the middle of this book right now, but I Loath Nick. At one point, he says "this is the point where you will hate me, if you didn't before" and I actually said "well Nick, I did already hate you." He's just so... ugh. Too sneaky, too selfish.<br />
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Starting to see my theme of hates? I hate selfish characters.<br />
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6. Simon from the Mortal Instruments:<br />
Okay, this isn't a hate, he just annoyed me. I couldn't stand how he treated Clary. Which this one is funny cause I have a dog named after him... it just fit.<br />
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7. Nick from The Hollows series by Kim Harrison:<br />
Okay, you are supposed to end up hating him. But oh man, I hate this guy.<br />
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8. The Brotherhood in Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood:<br />
This book had me so angry while reading it, I had trouble getting through it.<br />
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9. Alcantara in the Isle of Night series by Veronica Wolff:<br />
Stupid vampire.<br />
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10. Wendy from Switched by Amanda Hocking:<br />
I couldn't even get through this book because Wendy was just so horrible. Life is too short for bad main characters.Must Love Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04356859350271160742noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917097385014790784.post-53570413512606147252014-04-20T15:58:00.000-07:002014-04-20T15:58:18.018-07:00Audiobook review: Shadowlands by Kate Brian<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8kuRYGQ-AGQ/U1RQkaEe-XI/AAAAAAAAExw/lvFujMbP-B0/s1600/shadowlands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8kuRYGQ-AGQ/U1RQkaEe-XI/AAAAAAAAExw/lvFujMbP-B0/s1600/shadowlands.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<i>Shadowlands </i>by Kate Brian</div>
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Series: Shadowlands #1</div>
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Published January 8, 2013 by Hyperion (book)</div>
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September 3, 2013 by Brilliance Audio (audiobook)</div>
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Format: Audiobook ($5.19 on Amazon)</div>
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Narrated by Amy Rubinate</div>
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What it's about:</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">Rory Miller had one chance to fight back and she took it. Rory survived and the serial killer who attacked her escaped. Now that the infamous Steven Nell is on the loose, Rory must enter the witness protection program. Entering the program alongside her, is her father and sister Darcy. The trio starts a new life and a new beginning leaving their friends and family behind without a goodbye. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">Starting over in a new town with only each other is unimaginable for Rory and Darcy. They were inseparable as children but now they can barely stand each other. As the sisters settle in to Juniper Landing, a picturesque vacation island, it seems like their new home may be just the fresh start they need. They fall in with a group of beautiful, carefree teens and spend their days surfing, partying on the beach, and hiking into endless sunsets. Just as they’re starting to feel safe again, one of their new friends goes missing. Is it a coincidence? Or is the nightmare beginning all over again?</span></div>
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My thoughts:<br />
This was a book I had been wanting to read before it was released, and never got around to it. Then I saw the audiobook at my local library and decided to listen to it.<br />
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I had to try three different times to get into it. The narrator (<a class="a-link-normal" href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_2?ie=UTF8&field-author=Amy+Rubinate&search-alias=books&text=Amy+Rubinate&sort=relevancerank" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066c0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-decoration: none;">Amy Rubinate</a>) sounds like she works for a 1-900 number, if you catch my drift. I couldn't take it seriously for about the first 40 minutes of the book. I finally had to stop thinking about it and really focus on the story. Even then, every once and a while it would catch me off guard, and her breathy voice seemed inappropriate.<br />
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Despite the narrators voice, I loved the book. There were certain scenes that had my heart racing so fast, I was tempted to fast forward so I could know how the scene ended. It's a good thing I was listening to this as opposed to reading it because I know I would have cheated and read ahead quite a few times. Same goes for the ending. I probably would have skipped to the end to see if my guess was correct for what was going on (it wasn't.)<br />
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I ended up listening to the whole audiobook in about two days (the book really dragged me in) and I bought the next one too. I finally got over the weird voice and really enjoyed the rest of it. I liked how Rubinate would change her voice for the different characters and the males didn't all sound like pre-pubescent boys.<br />
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Also, this audiobook is only $5.19 for the MP3 on Amazon right now. Super sweet deal. Totally worth it.<br />
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My rating: 4/5 starsMust Love Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04356859350271160742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917097385014790784.post-5139717331594604612014-04-14T21:30:00.001-07:002014-04-14T21:30:13.185-07:00Top Ten Tuesday-- Bookish things I want<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uHAmNIdDW7U/U0rpj6D6_jI/AAAAAAAAEww/6oMab06QgPU/s1600/Top+Ten+Tuesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uHAmNIdDW7U/U0rpj6D6_jI/AAAAAAAAEww/6oMab06QgPU/s1600/Top+Ten+Tuesday.jpg" /></a></div>
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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the ladies over at <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/">The Broke and the Bookish</a></div>
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This weeks topic is <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Top Ten Bookish Things (That Aren't Books) That I'd Like To Own</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">These are in no particular order. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. A home library. I want one of those ladders!</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G_rnqwqlsgo/U0rhUAWZRkI/AAAAAAAAEvM/D7AHy4n4Cz0/s1600/home+library.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G_rnqwqlsgo/U0rhUAWZRkI/AAAAAAAAEvM/D7AHy4n4Cz0/s1600/home+library.jpg" height="320" width="221" /></a></div>
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2. This <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/124667008/i-solemnly-swear-that-i-am-up-to-no-good?share_id=5518472&hmac=133f3ad738b29892525366aea2346a429fec510b&utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=PageTools&utm_campaign=Share">HP scarf</a>. I'm thinking I might buy it for myself for my bday next month :)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5DEzF3UoggE/U0riPGERQRI/AAAAAAAAEvY/w5STFTYXhxg/s1600/HP+scarf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5DEzF3UoggE/U0riPGERQRI/AAAAAAAAEvY/w5STFTYXhxg/s1600/HP+scarf.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
3. To make myself a sign like this one.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XUyQYFai6Jg/U0rispl0ZuI/AAAAAAAAEvg/oqFBuLCdRt0/s1600/Sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XUyQYFai6Jg/U0rispl0ZuI/AAAAAAAAEvg/oqFBuLCdRt0/s1600/Sign.jpg" height="320" width="203" /></a></div>
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4. This kindle case</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e83knvWroko/U0ri8pOUmuI/AAAAAAAAEvo/GmSPevGfuUY/s1600/Hogwarts+a+history.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e83knvWroko/U0ri8pOUmuI/AAAAAAAAEvo/GmSPevGfuUY/s1600/Hogwarts+a+history.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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5. The Fault In Our Stars movie poster. It's just so perfect! I want it on my wall.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K5dUgw4uZ6Q/U0rk5oosUDI/AAAAAAAAEv0/_boGJfxsnQk/s1600/Fault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K5dUgw4uZ6Q/U0rk5oosUDI/AAAAAAAAEv0/_boGJfxsnQk/s1600/Fault.jpg" /></a></div>
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6. And this TFIOS quote shirt<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pTaafh0ezQw/U0rlI3GJYII/AAAAAAAAEv8/RywFWXRsHiQ/s1600/Shirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pTaafh0ezQw/U0rlI3GJYII/AAAAAAAAEv8/RywFWXRsHiQ/s1600/Shirt.jpg" height="320" width="276" /></a></div>
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7. Infernal devices jewelry Tessa's angel .... <a href="http://hebeldesign.com/main.sc">This lady</a> has amazing bookish jewelry<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L8TJJiWBFVo/U0rm_h6MTrI/AAAAAAAAEwI/n9Mny1KD5EM/s1600/tessa.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L8TJJiWBFVo/U0rm_h6MTrI/AAAAAAAAEwI/n9Mny1KD5EM/s1600/tessa.jpeg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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8. Or Jessie's umbrella</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7WjQTRZXsEI/U0rnEHaH8sI/AAAAAAAAEwQ/QXURVEFbvI4/s1600/umbrella.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7WjQTRZXsEI/U0rnEHaH8sI/AAAAAAAAEwQ/QXURVEFbvI4/s1600/umbrella.jpeg" /></a></div>
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9. I plan on getting a literary tattoo. I'm thinking an HP one, because HP isn't a fandom, it's a lifestyle<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qp9lJM53mF0/U0rpYfGcG6I/AAAAAAAAEwo/eVI1VEUD3Gc/s1600/HP+Tattoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qp9lJM53mF0/U0rpYfGcG6I/AAAAAAAAEwo/eVI1VEUD3Gc/s1600/HP+Tattoo.jpg" height="320" width="216" /></a></div>
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10. And lastly, I want to date this guy...<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PL0NMuGqsP0/U0rofG_jspI/AAAAAAAAEwc/gRurmuXAlJQ/s1600/wowzers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PL0NMuGqsP0/U0rofG_jspI/AAAAAAAAEwc/gRurmuXAlJQ/s1600/wowzers.jpg" height="320" width="271" /></a></div>
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What??? He played Harry Potter, that makes him a bookish want.... ;)Must Love Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04356859350271160742noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917097385014790784.post-18412743140101756812014-04-12T20:55:00.000-07:002014-04-12T20:55:16.406-07:00Review: The Winner's Curse<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s9mAwIv9nbE/U0oKmFlr01I/AAAAAAAAEu8/G6Xvenp9n5Q/s1600/The+Winner's+Curse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s9mAwIv9nbE/U0oKmFlr01I/AAAAAAAAEu8/G6Xvenp9n5Q/s1600/The+Winner's+Curse.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<i>The Winner's Curse </i>by Marie Rutkoski</div>
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Published <span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">March 4th 2014 by Farrar Straus Giroux</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">$17.99 (US hardback)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">355 pages</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #555555;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">What it's about:</span></span></div>
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">Winning what you want may cost you everything you love</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">Set in a richly imagined new world, </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">The Winner’s Curse</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;"> by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.</span></div>
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My thoughts:<br />
I heard nothing but good things about this book, so when I found a copy of it for cheap, I made sure to buy it.<br />
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It seemed to me that most of the rave reviews were worth it. I was immediately drawn into this book, and managed to read it in two sittings, in two days. I think the pages were either smaller than normal, or the font bigger, because this seemed like a very fast read.<br />
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My biggest (and only problem, really) with this book was lack of descriptions. I would have liked to have known more details. For instance, we don't get a description of what Kestrel looks like until the end when Arin mentions her bright hair. Maybe I some how missed this (I've been known to do that) and it did say what she looked like, but I don't think it did. I also would have liked to have known a little more about the time period and location. Background information! I wanted it.<br />
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Other than that, I loved this book. I loved Kestrel. She is so sneaky! She blackmails, she manipulates, she's all around kind of an unpleasant girl. Yet I liked her, probably for all those reasons. I like my leading ladies a little darker. And Arin seemed like a pretty cool guy as well. Wish we could have heard more of his side.<br />
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I think my favorite part of the whole book, is the fact there there isn't a good side, or a bad side. It shows both sides of war and makes you feel for everyone. There is just the facts. It tore me up. I felt bad for everyone. Ah, well, some could say there is an actual "bad" side, so I guess that is up to you to decide. Actually, I would really love to know know if you have read the book, how you view that option.<br />
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My rating: 4/5 starsMust Love Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04356859350271160742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917097385014790784.post-85694390241282950792014-04-07T08:52:00.000-07:002014-04-07T08:52:10.199-07:00Review: Cruel Beauty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c4O2mV9lAfg/UzG5s1fwGaI/AAAAAAAAEtc/6hQMIGSJfNs/s1600/Cruel+Beauty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c4O2mV9lAfg/UzG5s1fwGaI/AAAAAAAAEtc/6hQMIGSJfNs/s1600/Cruel+Beauty.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
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<i>Cruel Beauty </i>by Rosamund Hodge</div>
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Published by Blazer + Bray</div>
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Genre: YA Fairy Tale</div>
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$17.99 (US Hardback)</div>
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342 pages</div>
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What it's about:</div>
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">Graceling meets Beauty and the Beast in this sweeping fantasy about one girl's journey to fulfill her destiny and the monster who gets in her way-by stealing her heart.</strong><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.</span></div>
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My thoughts:<br />
I've grown weary of fairy tale retellings. I have read so many bad ones but can't seem to help myself. Every time I hear there is a new fairy tale retelling, I will read it. Thankfully this one was actually pretty good. <br />
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Nyx is the heroin of the story, and she is pretty despicable. She's lived a hard life knowing that she isn't loved by her father, and will grow up to marry a demon. I don't blame her for being bitter. And that's what I loved about her. Because this is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, we all know that Nyx is going to fall in love with "the beast" in this case, Ignefix, the Demon Prince. I found it believable that a bitter, angry girl would fall in love with a charming demon. <br />
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Besides actually finding the love story believable, I also enjoyed the new twist to the classic story. There was still all the classic parts of the story, but a lot of new ones that were interesting. A little confusing at points, but still interesting. It kept me reading and entertained. <br />
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My rating: 4/5 starsMust Love Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04356859350271160742noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917097385014790784.post-59032436403807428072014-03-27T14:33:00.000-07:002014-03-27T14:33:21.959-07:00Review: Waking Up Pregnant<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-18R_hCgohns/UzHEVOKbnDI/AAAAAAAAEuM/3mHNfSoA9do/s1600/waking+up+pregnant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-18R_hCgohns/UzHEVOKbnDI/AAAAAAAAEuM/3mHNfSoA9do/s1600/waking+up+pregnant.jpg" height="320" width="201" /></a></div>
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<i>Waking Up Pregnant </i>by Mira Lyn Kelly</div>
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Published by Harlequin Kiss</div>
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Genre: Romance</div>
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Source: Netgalley</div>
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$1.99 (ebook)</div>
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224 pages</div>
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What it's about:</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">The night that changed everything!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">Waitress Darcy Penn is the smart, sensible type—flirting with the extremely cute guy in the bar just isn't her usual style. As for ending up in his hotel room? Definitely not! Sneaking out while he's in the bathroom to avoid the post-sex awkwardness? Much more like it .</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">If Darcy had stuck around, Jeff Norton could have told her about their "epic latex fail." So he shouldn't be quite so shocked when months later, Darcy turns up at his classy L.A. office and throws up in his wastepaper basket. She's got a bad case of morning sickness, and she's here to find out what he's going to do about it!</span></div>
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My thoughts:<br />
I don't tend to read romance books very often, but when I do, I want them to be the cheesy, too perfect kind. I want the happy ending. Waking Up Pregnant is definitely that kind of romance, it even tells you that in an author's note before the book.<br />
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Going into this book, all I wanted to read was something quick, happy, and nothing I needed to think too hard about or get connected too. I just wanted something fun. That is exactly what I got. From the very beginning, you can guess what is going to happen and how everything is going to go, and still be entertained along the way. Even though Darcy drove me a little crazy at times with her lack of communication, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book.<br />
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My rating: 3/5 starsMust Love Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04356859350271160742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917097385014790784.post-12376668733173522052014-03-25T10:27:00.002-07:002014-03-25T10:27:11.602-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3DbUjnhuebs/UzG8P26FcTI/AAAAAAAAEto/1S7iZTHZLnQ/s1600/Top+Ten+Tuesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3DbUjnhuebs/UzG8P26FcTI/AAAAAAAAEto/1S7iZTHZLnQ/s1600/Top+Ten+Tuesday.jpg" /></a></div>
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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the girls over at <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/">The Broke and the Bookish</a></div>
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This weeks topic is Bookish Bucket List<br />
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These are in no particular order:<br />
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1. Own and read all of Agatha Christie's works. So far I own all but 5 of her books. I'm way behind in the reading them.<br />
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2. Read all of the books I own. Seeing as how I add about 3 books to every 1 I read, this will take a long time.<br />
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3. Meet all my favorite authors. I'm doing a pretty good job of this one.<br />
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4. Own a house that has a library in it!!<br />
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5. Go to BEA. I WILL GET THERE ONE DAY!!!<br />
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6. Write a book. First I just need to come up with an idea. Haha.<br />
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7. Go on a giant book buying spree. Like spend $1,000 on books in one spot.<br />
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8. Go to the locations my favorite books take place. Given that they are real locations.<br />
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9. Have a empty "to buy" list. Even if it is just for a day, I would like to see that piece of paper I carry around everywhere be empty of books I want.<br />
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10. I can't really think of anything for this one. I used to really want to own a bookstore, and I still think that would be amazing, but my career choice has changed.Must Love Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04356859350271160742noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917097385014790784.post-9765862475617543692014-03-01T15:41:00.000-08:002014-03-01T15:41:17.958-08:00Review: Fire and Flood<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wWKus3r3R5k/Uw51DUvTWSI/AAAAAAAAErk/e6MKy_5TKnU/s1600/Fire+and+Flood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wWKus3r3R5k/Uw51DUvTWSI/AAAAAAAAErk/e6MKy_5TKnU/s1600/Fire+and+Flood.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a></div>
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<i>Fire and Flood </i>by Victoria Scott</div>
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Series: Fire and Floor #1</div>
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Published by Scholastic Press</div>
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Genre: YA </div>
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$17.99 (US Hardback)</div>
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320 pages</div>
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What it's about:</div>
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">A modern day thrill ride, where a teen girl and her animal companion must participate in a breathtaking race to save her brother's life—and her own.</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?</span></div>
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My thoughts:<br />
Hey, you guys, I ADORE THIS BOOK!!!!<br />
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I do, I really, truly do.<br />
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I have been having bad luck with the YA books I've been reading the last month or two, then this book came along and finally changed that. Tella was such a special character. She's funny, she's girly without being obnoxious about it, she's caring, and lastly, she is strong. Even while she is all of these, she is still relatable and believable. I didn't have a hard time believing that she cared so much for her ill brother that she would join a race that she knew nothing about. And she changed throughout the book at a good pace.<br />
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And then there are the Pandoras. I really, really want one. So bad. I don't even care which one. I liked how they added fantasy into the story in an interesting way. It also separates this book from other similar stories, like Hunger Games.<br />
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I'm trying to debate on how much to say without giving away too much. I think this will have to do. The writing was my favorite type of voice and I immediately connected with it. The story has a little bit of everything in it and was wonderful. I received a Galley of this book, but I have already bought two copies of it: one for me, and one for my sister.<br />
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My rating: 5/5 Must Love Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04356859350271160742noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917097385014790784.post-870102499079077712014-02-25T00:18:00.000-08:002014-02-25T00:18:13.280-08:00Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Covers of 2014<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8Xf6bdgPXQ/UwxRWu4AsPI/AAAAAAAAErU/4RLFh6Kqj_M/s1600/Top+Ten+Tuesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8Xf6bdgPXQ/UwxRWu4AsPI/AAAAAAAAErU/4RLFh6Kqj_M/s1600/Top+Ten+Tuesday.jpg" /></a></div>
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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the girls over at <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/">The Broke and the Bookish</a></div>
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Today is a rewind day, so I decided to make up my own (or is this being done/has been done? I don't know) and go with <strong>My favorite covers of 2014</strong>. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s8_QPkB3WsA/UwfjpGJOuLI/AAAAAAAAEpo/s0GsSHBISMA/s1600/Tigers+on+the+Beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s8_QPkB3WsA/UwfjpGJOuLI/AAAAAAAAEpo/s0GsSHBISMA/s1600/Tigers+on+the+Beach.jpg" height="320" width="216" /></a></div>
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I think this might be one of my all time favorite covers, ever. It's so different! If you go to a bookstore and ask "what is the book with a tiger and a girl sitting on the beach on the cover?" the clerk could tell you right away it's this one. It's beautiful. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-01w2Xra5Hqk/Uwf8iuu_3HI/AAAAAAAAEp0/auOTYRsRhuM/s1600/Fiendish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-01w2Xra5Hqk/Uwf8iuu_3HI/AAAAAAAAEp0/auOTYRsRhuM/s1600/Fiendish.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a></div>
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Brenna Yovanoff always gets amazing covers. So creepy yet stunningly beautiful. I adore the font and how it blends in, yet stands out and how the color of it matches perfectly. I love the details of the flowers growing in the roots, and the sagging of the house. It's just breathtaking, in a super creepy way.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UEn3J2NOEog/Uwf8q_FmGKI/AAAAAAAAEp8/abQ9aEXSn80/s1600/Mistwalker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UEn3J2NOEog/Uwf8q_FmGKI/AAAAAAAAEp8/abQ9aEXSn80/s1600/Mistwalker.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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I like how this one looks like a painting. Also how the girl is not in a dress. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2IKcQxH1VTQ/Uwf8vmoNfYI/AAAAAAAAEqE/WSz2AhofvWo/s1600/no+one+else+can+have+you.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2IKcQxH1VTQ/Uwf8vmoNfYI/AAAAAAAAEqE/WSz2AhofvWo/s1600/no+one+else+can+have+you.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
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Ugly Christmas sweater gone wrong! I love that.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WuicSEhR-Ak/Uwf817sltbI/AAAAAAAAEqM/owporV0m6gQ/s1600/Plus+One.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WuicSEhR-Ak/Uwf817sltbI/AAAAAAAAEqM/owporV0m6gQ/s1600/Plus+One.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
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Really, what isn't there to love about this one? </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RQDkA0lK08c/Uwf88ffgznI/AAAAAAAAEqU/AN9NclKE4yY/s1600/Trust+Me+I'm+Lying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RQDkA0lK08c/Uwf88ffgznI/AAAAAAAAEqU/AN9NclKE4yY/s1600/Trust+Me+I'm+Lying.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
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I like how you can tell exactly what this book is about just from the cover. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0A7_LsFacNE/Uwf9jbto_WI/AAAAAAAAEqc/W78Fe-5uz28/s1600/Illusions+of+fate.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0A7_LsFacNE/Uwf9jbto_WI/AAAAAAAAEqc/W78Fe-5uz28/s1600/Illusions+of+fate.png" /></a></div>
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Kiersten gets yet another stunning cover. Now if only the synopsis was out for this book...</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XuFkJh9Zw04/Uwf-DBX-SyI/AAAAAAAAEqk/1zgKHMSq6Eg/s1600/Camelot+Burning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XuFkJh9Zw04/Uwf-DBX-SyI/AAAAAAAAEqk/1zgKHMSq6Eg/s1600/Camelot+Burning.jpg" height="320" width="206" /></a></div>
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Look at that castle!! And the colors! It's so pretty!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ykSRJ_IUn8M/Uwf-J5HMM0I/AAAAAAAAEqs/TbyhBGPB6dY/s1600/Dorothy+Must+Die.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ykSRJ_IUn8M/Uwf-J5HMM0I/AAAAAAAAEqs/TbyhBGPB6dY/s1600/Dorothy+Must+Die.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
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It's simple yet awesome. But why aren't the shoes red? That is, unless they are going with the books silver shoes. Then it makes sense. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TJbmc297iN8/UwpCIZDwHoI/AAAAAAAAErE/sHkBdlhaif4/s1600/Undead+Pool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TJbmc297iN8/UwpCIZDwHoI/AAAAAAAAErE/sHkBdlhaif4/s1600/Undead+Pool.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
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WE GET TO SEE TRENT!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also, Happy release day Undead Pool!!!</div>
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<br />Must Love Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04356859350271160742noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917097385014790784.post-14002169500357098042014-02-19T13:22:00.002-08:002014-02-19T13:22:57.801-08:00Review: Insanity by Susan Vaught<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pi8jsj75dWc/UwUghjPTKlI/AAAAAAAAEok/9KbCYXfSMwE/s1600/Insanity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pi8jsj75dWc/UwUghjPTKlI/AAAAAAAAEok/9KbCYXfSMwE/s1600/Insanity.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
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<em>Insanity </em>by Susan Vaught</div>
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Published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens </div>
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Genre: YA Paranormal</div>
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Format: ebook from Netgalley</div>
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$17.99 (US Hardback)</div>
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384 pages</div>
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What it's about:</div>
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<span id="freeText4978770843466000589">Never, Kentucky is not your average scenic small town. It is a crossways, a place where the dead and the living can find no peace. Not that Forest, an 18-year-old foster kid who works the graveyard shift at Lincoln Hospital, knew this when she applied for the job. Lincoln is a huge state mental institution, a good place for Forest to make some money to pay for college. But along with hundreds of very unstable patients, it also has underground tunnels, bell towers that ring unexpectedly, and a closet that holds more than just donated clothing....When the dead husband of one of Forest's patients makes an appearance late one night, seemingly accompanied by an agent of the Devil, Forest loses all sense of reality and all sense of time. Terrified, she knows she has a part to play, and when she does so, she finds a heritage that she never expected. <br /><br />With her deep knowledge of mental illness and mental institutions, Susan Vaught brings readers a fascinating and completely creepy new book intertwining the stories of three young people who find themselves haunted beyond imagining in the depths of Lincoln Hospital.</span></div>
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My thoughts:<br />
I feel like I am having the worst luck with YA books lately. I can't seem to find one that keeps my attention all the way through the book. <br />
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When I read the synopsis for this book, I knew that something was off. It only talks about Forest and at the end says that four teens stories come together. So lets clear this up right now, Forest is not the MC; she is one of four. One fourth of the book is hers, then switches to someone else and so on. I wish that would have been clear in the synopsis before I started reading. It did throw me off a little because it was sort of a BAM! POV change. And it did that each time. No warning. :/<br />
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The next big problem I had with the book was there was a lot of telling and no showing. The character would go "okay, I need to learn how to do this" and then the POV would change and all the sudden we are learning the character did go learn what they needed but we are never privy to the lessons. I would have liked to see what all they learned and how they did it. Grow with the characters so I could stay connected to them. I never fully connected to anyone because you didn't get to stay with them for long enough. I would have liked this book better if it would have been in one, maybe two, characters POVs. <br />
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So those are my problems with the book. Besides those, I thought the ideas behind the plot were really interesting and liked the setting. For me, I just couldn't connect to the characters and that was the downfall, it was more personal on my part. If you are into creepy paranormal books, this might be a good one to look into. <br />
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My rating: 2.5/5 Must Love Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04356859350271160742noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917097385014790784.post-3684910621053697492014-02-15T17:56:00.002-08:002014-02-15T17:56:53.776-08:00Review: Fates by Lanie Bross<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hlEQ6rE6hAg/UwAamyPh6PI/AAAAAAAAEm8/5GIKsdlPgrE/s1600/Fates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hlEQ6rE6hAg/UwAamyPh6PI/AAAAAAAAEm8/5GIKsdlPgrE/s1600/Fates.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></div>
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<em>Fates </em>by Lanie Bross</div>
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Series: Fates #1</div>
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Published by Delacorte Press </div>
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Genre: YA Paranormal?</div>
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$17.99 (US Hardback)</div>
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336 pages</div>
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What it's about:</div>
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One moment. One foolish desire. One mistake. And Corinthe lost everything.<br /><br />She fell from her tranquil life in Pyralis Terra and found herself exiled to the human world. Her punishment? To make sure people's fates unfold according to plan. Now, years later, Corinthe has one last assignment: kill Lucas Kaller. His death will be her ticket home.<br /><br />But for the first time, Corinthe feels a tingle of doubt. It begins as a lump in her throat, then grows toward her heart, and suddenly she feels like she is falling all over again--this time for a boy she knows she can never have. Because it is written: one of them must live, and one of them must die. In a universe where every moment, every second, every fate has already been decided, where does love fit in?</div>
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My thoughts:<br />
What I really love about reading on my Kindle is that it will track how fast I read, and then it will tell me how much longer I have till I will finish the book. That's pretty awesome. <br />
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The time tracker was a problem with this book though. When I saw that it would only take 5 hours to read the book, I thought that was pretty cool because that is a lot shorter than it normally takes me to read a book. Yet when I was reading, time seemed to have slowed down. Maybe even stopped. I was having a hard time getting into this book. Fates was everywhere in both plot and location. The characters seemed to be jumping realms at an alarming rate. I don't think I have ever said that a book is "everywhere" before, but this story really was. It was a mess. <br />
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That was my big problem, that the story was everywhere. And Corinthe herself. I couldn't connect to her in the least. She was just so blah. <br />
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I think this could have been a pretty good story with a little more work to it. Fix some of the everywhere-ness. <br />
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My rating: 2/5Must Love Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04356859350271160742noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917097385014790784.post-63381816266486381532014-02-10T22:07:00.001-08:002014-02-11T08:42:20.073-08:00Top Ten Tuesday- Books that make you swoon<br />
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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the girls at <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/">The Broke and the Bookish</a></div>
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This weeks topic is books that make us swoon!</div>
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Some of the titles go to the links for the "my book boyfriend" posts I have done about the books. Pretty much all of those I did back in 2012 so hopefully all the pictures and everything are still there. And as always, these are in no particular order. <br />
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1. <strong>Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell:</strong><br />
I'm expecting this one to be on everyones lists this week. The second I heard the topic this week, this book popped into my head. How can you not love Levi???? <br />
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2. <a href="http://mustlovelabradors.blogspot.com/2012/01/my-book-boyfriend-augustus.html">The Fault In Our Stars by John Green</a><br />
Augustus. Waters. Yum. And because I love this so much, I'm posting the trailer so we can all swoon again. <br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/_Li8uojsfGc" width="400"></iframe><br />
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Does anyone else cry every time they get to the end of that trailer? Or is that just me? <br />
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3. <strong>These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner:</strong><br />
The end! Ack! I was swooning so hard for Tarver. <br />
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4. <a href="http://mustlovelabradors.blogspot.com/2011/11/my-book-boyfriend-peeta.html">Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins</a><br />
Oh Peeta. That boy is probably my all time favorite book boyfriend ever. He is just perfect <3 p=""><br />
5. <a href="http://mustlovelabradors.blogspot.com/2012/08/my-book-boyfriend-prince-dorian.html">Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas</a><br />
Team Dorian!!! This is one of those rare times that I'm not in the favorite team. But Dorian is dreamy. He's funny, he's hottie mchott hot, he loves to read, and he's a freaking Prince. Come on!<br />
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6. <strong>My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick:</strong><br />
I should really reread this book sometime soon. Jase is just great. <br />
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7. <a href="http://mustlovelabradors.blogspot.com/2012/08/my-book-boyfriend-brady.html">Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis</a><br />
This whole book is so stinking cute! Hott guys and animals. The best combo ever. <br />
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8. <strong>The Host by Stephenie Meyer:</strong><br />
This is one story of Meyer's that hasn't been ruined for me. Thankfully because I love it. Ian and Jared are such great guys (Ian better than Jared for sure.)<br />
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9. <strong>Backstage Pass by Olivia Cunning:</strong><br />
All the guys in Sinners are just so yummy. Can't help but swoon. <br />
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10. <a href="http://mustlovelabradors.blogspot.com/2011/04/my-book-boyfriend-wednesday.html">Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead</a><br />
I love the super nerdy Seth in this series. <br />
<!--3--></3>Must Love Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04356859350271160742noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917097385014790784.post-27455000983476835692014-02-08T19:02:00.002-08:002014-02-08T19:02:47.539-08:00Review: Written in Red<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nwewoWcXhd8/Uvbvx_2f6YI/AAAAAAAAEmc/LSNpNReA7kM/s1600/written+in+red.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nwewoWcXhd8/Uvbvx_2f6YI/AAAAAAAAEmc/LSNpNReA7kM/s1600/written+in+red.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
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<em>Written in Red </em>by Anne Bishop</div>
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Series: The Others #1</div>
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Published by NAL</div>
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Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy</div>
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433 pages</div>
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<br />What it's about:</div>
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As a <em>cassandra sangue</em>, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others.<br /><br /> Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.<a class="actionLinkLite" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15711341-written-in-red?from_search=true#"></a><br />
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My thoughts:<br />
This book and I are having a love affair. <br />
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This is the first book of Anne Bishop's that I have read, and it won't be my last. Now I am regretting that I had not read her books sooner so I could have had her sign some when I was able to meet her a few months ago. Ack!<br />
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This happened to be one of those books that I fell in love with right from the first page. I knew immediately that I was going to love it and could hardly put it down. I even considered calling into work the next day so I could stay up all night reading. I decided against that, but the second I could, I would pick this book back up and start reading again. <br />
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There is something about this world that is so captivating. It's unique and dangerous. Humans are not on the top of the food chain and the Others don't understand a thing about humans, just that they are stupid and taste good. There are lots of descriptions of the Others eating humans and yet, you end up really loving them. I don't know how, you just do. It's great. <br />
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I don't want to say too much about this book. I wouldn't want to ruin anything for anyone. All I can say is I finished this book about two weeks ago, and I'm already seriously considering rereading it. It's just that good. <br />
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My rating: 5/5!Must Love Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04356859350271160742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917097385014790784.post-61977179551796165562014-02-06T19:46:00.002-08:002014-02-06T19:50:46.183-08:00Review: The Queen's Choice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kenzoiCEq94/UvRXDNcQk1I/AAAAAAAAEl8/jDcd0Xo38sk/s1600/the+queens+choice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kenzoiCEq94/UvRXDNcQk1I/AAAAAAAAEl8/jDcd0Xo38sk/s1600/the+queens+choice.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a></div>
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<em>The Queen's Choice </em>by Cayla Kluver</div>
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Series: Heirs of Chroir #1</div>
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Published by Harlequin Teen</div>
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Genre: YA Fantasy</div>
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$17.99 (US hardback)</div>
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512 pages</div>
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What it's about:</div>
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<span id="freeText17777264825226130288">Magic was seeping out of me, black and agonizing. I could see it drifting away. The magic that would let me pass the Road to reach home again.<br /><br />When sixteen-year-old Anya learns that her aunt, Queen of the Faerie Kingdom of Chrior, will soon die, her grief is equalled only by her despair for the future of the kingdom. Her young cousin, Illumina, is unfit to rule, and Anya is determined not to take up the queen's mantle herself.<br /><br />Convinced that the only solution is to find Prince Zabriel, who long ago disappeared into the human realm of Warckum, and persuade him to take up his rightful crown, Anya journeys into the Warckum Territory to bring him home. But her journey is doomed to be more harrowing than she ever could have imagined.</span></div>
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My thoughts:<br />
This is the fourth book of Kluver's I have read, and unfortunately it wasn't a favorite of mine. <br />
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Kluver's writing is absolutely stunning. It flows beautifully while being descriptive and detailed. That also happens to be part of my problem with this book, it's detailed. Everything is written out which is why the book is over 500 pages long. The book could have been at least 100 pages shorter and still would have been enough. <br />
The length really was what I was having problems with. I'm no stranger to 500 (or even 900+) page books, but they really need to captivate me from the beginning with strong characters. Anya unfortunately wasn't a very exciting narrator. While I did feel for her and wanted to know how her story turned out, I didn't have any problem skimming the second half of the book to find out what goes down. <br />
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Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this book, or maybe it just wasn't my style. Either way it has to be said that the writing is beautiful, but I'd read the first chapter before buying the book to make sure that it works for you.<br />
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My rating: 3/5 <br />
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*Thanks to Harlequin Teen for sending me an advanced copy*Must Love Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04356859350271160742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917097385014790784.post-20639878230291878882014-01-29T17:37:00.001-08:002014-01-29T17:37:06.259-08:00Review: Doon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sghcMsJtSpM/UumsennSbsI/AAAAAAAAElw/zvzkv72jV2Q/s1600/Doon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sghcMsJtSpM/UumsennSbsI/AAAAAAAAElw/zvzkv72jV2Q/s1600/Doon.jpg" height="320" width="223" /></a></div>
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<em>Doon </em>by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon</div>
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Series: Doon #1</div>
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Published by Zondervan</div>
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Genre: YA Fantasy</div>
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$17.99 (US hardback)</div>
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368 pages</div>
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What it's about:</div>
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Veronica doesn't think she's going crazy. But why can't anyone else see the mysterious blond boy who keeps popping up wherever she goes? When her best friend, Mackenna, invites her to spend the summer in Scotland, Veronica jumps at the opportunity to leave her complicated life behind for a few months. <br /><br />But the Scottish countryside holds other plans. <br /><br />Not only has the imaginary kilted boy followed her to Alloway, she and Mackenna uncover a strange set of rings and a very unnerving letter from Mackenna's great aunt—and when the girls test the instructions Aunt Gracie left behind, they find themselves transported to a land that defies explanation. Doon seems like a real-life fairy tale, complete with one prince who has eyes for Mackenna and another who looks suspiciously like the boy from Veronica's daydreams. But Doon has a dark underbelly as well. The two girls could have everything they've longed for...or they could end up breaking an enchantment and find themselves trapped in a world that has become a nightmare.<br />
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My thoughts:<br />
This book..... sucks. There, I said it. It sucks. I knew from the very first chapter that this book and I were going to have a hard time. The beginning jumps around everywhere but then when it should really pick up, it just lingers. "Jamie gave me one of his cute smiles. Oh no! He just now glared at me? Why doesn't he like me?!?!?!?!" on every page (not a direct quote, but it felt like one).<br />
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I imagine after reading Twilight (I know it says it's based after the play <em>Brigadoon, </em>but there was a freaking meadow scene that read just like Twilight), the authors got together and had a conversation like this:<br />
Author 1: That was great! Let's write one for ourselves. <br />
Author 2: Good idea! Instead of vampires, let's make the guy a prince!<br />
Author 1: A hott prince!<br />
Author 2: And Scottish!<br />
Author 1: And live in a magical kingdom! And it will have evil witches in it!<br />
Both authors: yayayayayayyayayay!!!!! <br />
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And ugh, I completely fell for it too. My reactions to hearing about this book (and seeing the cover, it is gorgeous) was "it's about a hott prince! And he's Scottish but lives in a magical land! What could be more awesome than that?" Apparently a lot of things could be more awesome. This was twilight but with Scottish princes. Vee, one of two MC's, is just like Bella. Same exact looks, and she complains all the time and has no idea how hott she is even though all the guys are constantly tripping over her. But this book also has a BFF sidekick that constantly reminds you how beautiful <strike>Bella</strike> Vee is and how ugly she (the BFF) is, even though she is described as beautiful as well. <br />
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I told myself I was going to try and not rant about this book for the review, and I failed. I couldn't help it. I'm annoyed I have wasted my time (and money) on this book. <br />
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My rating: 5/10Must Love Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04356859350271160742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917097385014790784.post-9316030719774312312013-12-26T09:37:00.000-08:002013-12-26T09:38:17.761-08:00Blog Tour Review: Neverwas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JE_Y1n8FfZY/Urt8d2aud6I/AAAAAAAAEhE/_0vQt-2mgmI/s1600/blog+tour.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JE_Y1n8FfZY/Urt8d2aud6I/AAAAAAAAEhE/_0vQt-2mgmI/s320/blog+tour.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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To learn all information about this blog tour, go <a href="http://www.amberhouseblog.com/2013/12/amber-house-neverwas-blog-tour.html">Here</a></div>
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<em>Neverwas </em>by Kelly Moore, Tucker/Larkin Reed</div>
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Series: Amber House #2</div>
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Published by Arthur A. Levine Books / Scholastic Press</div>
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Genre: YA ? Not sure what to label it</div>
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Release date: Jan. 7, 2014</div>
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320 pages</div>
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What it's about:</div>
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<span id="freeText12484645063445741447">"I was sixteen the second time I had my first kiss...."<br /><br />At the end of AMBER HOUSE, Sarah made a choice that transformed everything--and now she must choose it all again.<br /><br />Things are very different--better--for Sarah and her family: her Aunt Maggie grew up; her parents are happily married; her grandmother died after a long, productive and respected life. But other things are different too, and not for the better.<br /><br />After growing up in the free country of the Pacific Northwest, Sarah Parsons has settled in at Amber House, the stately Maryland home that's been in her family for generations. But the world surrounding the House feels deeply wrong to Sarah. It's a place where the colonists lost the 1776 Insurrection, where the American Confederation of States still struggles with segregation, and where Sarah is haunted by echoes of a better world that she knows never existed.<br /><br />Her friend Jackson shares these visions of a different world--and together, they manage both to remember the way things ought to be, and to plan a daring mission that will reset the universe once again. Sarah must figure out what has changed, and why, and how she can fix it--how she can find her way to another otherwhen.<a class="actionLinkLite" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17264131-neverwas?from_search=true#"></a></span></div>
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My thoughts:<br />
This is the second book in the Amber House trilogy. For my review on Amber House, click <a href="http://mustlovelabradors.blogspot.com/2013/02/review-amber-house.html">Here.</a><br />
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It had been about 10 months since I had read Amber House, so smaller details were a little fuzzy for me going into Neverwas. Which is why I was a little confused for the first part of the book. And it took me longer than I care to admit to realize how much had chance in this new world of Sarah's. The history of the United States was a little bit baffling until I figured out what all had changed. When I had read the synopsis for this book, it was a little different than it is now, which is what lead me to be confused. <br />
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But once I got my head a little bit more into the book, I really enjoyed it. I always like to read about the House. I love how we got to know Sarah's aunt in this book, and of course Sam. I love Sam and how he has autism and how realistic his character is. I work with children with autism and love to see when books/movies actually have realistic portrayals of people with autism. <br />
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While I love the characters, I really adore the house the most. The descriptions, the decorating, the way that it is sort of magical. Which is why I have asked the authors to talk about the house some more and about their favorite rooms.<br />
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We are often asked whether Amber House is a real house, and, if not, where the idea for it came from. <br />
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TUCKER: There are houses in North America that have been standing since before the Revolution, and descriptions of some aspects of these were incorporated into the character of Amber House. The Fairbanks House in Dedham, Massachusetts — built in 1637 — was an influence. Pictures show how it has been haphazardly added on to over the centuries. Its mashing-together of different architectural styles is definitely present in Amber House — although, overall, Amber House is certainly more Federal in style. Other historic houses that lent some characteristics to Amber House include Bacon's Castle in Surry, Virginia, built in 1665, the oldest brick building in the North America; the eccentric Sleeper-McCann House of Gloucester, Massachusetts, built in 1907 (its "Tower Room" was the inspiration for Sarah's bedroom); Orchard House, the childhood home of Louisa May Alcott; and Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, built in 1772. </div>
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LARKIN: Sammy's nautical bedroom is based on my late grandfather's study, which included a captain's desk, a masthead, and a collection of scrimshaw. </div>
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KELLY: The largest influence, however, was Sarah Winchester's "mystery house." It was a supposedly-haunted mansion nearby the college I attended. Sarah Winchester was the widow of William Wirt Winchester, a gun magnate responsible for the Winchester rifle. Sarah believed she was haunted by the souls of those who had died due to the use of her husband's "terrible weapon." A psychic told Sarah that if she were to move West, she might escape the ghosts that haunted her — and perhaps even escape Death itself. But the psychic warned her to never stop building — if Sarah did, Sarah would die. So in 1886, carpenters began work on Sarah's house and this work continued day and night for over forty years.<br />
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Sarah was very superstitious, and was fixated with the symbolism of spider webs. In honor of the Winchester House's influence on the early stages of my story, we wove references to Sarah Winchester's webs throughout the book. The "Good Mother" spider was inspired by Sarah Winchester's fixation, for example. And Sarah was named in part for the late Mrs. Winchester. </div>
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In a nod to Sarah Winchester's use of web motifs, there are webs throughout Amber House. One of our favorite rooms is the entry, with spider-web-paned windows on either side of the front door.</div>
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The main wing of Amber House was built during the 1700s. This is an example of what one of the front parlors would look like.<br />
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KELLY: My favorite room to imagine and write about is Fiona's conservatory, built during the Art Deco era.<br />
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TUCKER: My favorite is Sarah's bedroom, a fantasy exaggeration of my own bedroom growing up.<br />
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LARKIN: For me it's a tie between Deirdre's haunted nursery on the third floor, and the hedge maze.</div>
<br />Must Love Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04356859350271160742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917097385014790784.post-33309870127470172202013-12-22T18:56:00.002-08:002013-12-22T18:56:54.709-08:00Review: The Night She Disappeared by April Henry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DhyCyevBhqg/UremX6hGRUI/AAAAAAAAEgk/cQxbdMhhggU/s1600/night+she+disappeared.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DhyCyevBhqg/UremX6hGRUI/AAAAAAAAEgk/cQxbdMhhggU/s320/night+she+disappeared.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15793871-the-night-she-disappeared">The Night She Disappeared</a> </em>by April Henry</div>
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Published by Square Fish</div>
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Genre: YA mystery thriller?</div>
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$9.99 (US paperback)</div>
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229 pages</div>
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What it's about:</div>
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What if You were the target of a kidnapper, but the kidnapper got the wrong girl?</div>
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Gabie drives a Mini Cooper. She also delivers pizzas part-time. One night, Kayla, another delivery girl at Pete's Pizza, goes out with an order and never comes back. To Gabie's horror, she learns that the man who called in the fake pizza order had asked if the girl in the Mini Cooper was working that night. Was Kayla's fate really meant for Gabie? Obsessed with finding Kayla, Gabie teams up with Drew, who also works at Pete's. Together they set out to prove Kayla isn't dead- AND to find her before she is. </div>
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My thoughts:<br />
Hmmm. This one I don't really know how I feel about it. It was good, but not great. <br />
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I was in the mood for a really quick, single read. And that's what I got. This book is only about 230 pages, in paperback, and with a big font. I could have easily read it in one sitting if I wouldn't have had to get up in the morning. <br />
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This book is about a girl who was kidnapped, but she ended up being the wrong girl. It was a really cool plot, but the characters were a little strange. Gabie, the girl who was supposed to be kidnapped, is just odd. I was never able to connect to her. Actually, I never connected to any of the characters. There wasn't a whole lot to them. That is my major issue with this book. I would have loved to have had more character depth. Gabie, Drew, and Kayla were the main characters and the ones that we get an inside view of. And after finishing the book, I still don't know much about them. <br />
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And all the unanswered questions!! Oh man, there are so many of them for me. The whole ending just seemed so rushed. If this book was about 70 pages longer and had more to the characters and the epilogue, it would have been a pretty fantastic book. <br />
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My rating: 7/10Must Love Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04356859350271160742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917097385014790784.post-54305487203246366912013-12-08T11:30:00.002-08:002013-12-08T11:30:31.029-08:00Book ListsSo I have this friend who has an even more severe book buying habit than I do. Didn't think it was possible, but apparently it is. This is the same friend who goes with me to all the book signings and we will just go to bookstores and spend lots of money. A few weeks ago, we were in Portland at a signing when she showed me that she had created an excel sheet of all the books she owns. <br />
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I couldn't get that out of my head. I was so jealous of it! What a brilliant idea. All the books you own in one list with all the info you could want on it, so you will always know which ones you own. No more duplicates or wondering which books in a series you own. <br />
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For the last week or so, I have been making my own. All my ebooks and bound books, if I have audiobooks for them, if they are signed, what series they are in, the genre, if I have them listed on Goodreads, if I've read them, what I rated them, and when they were released. All on one list. After about 30 hours of work (literally, and I'm still not finished filling out all the info) it turns out that I have 660 books. Not including duplicates. About half of which I haven't read yet. Yikes. <br />
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Anyone else keep lists of books that they own? How many do you own? Must Love Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04356859350271160742noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917097385014790784.post-39057091612220174482013-11-24T09:17:00.002-08:002013-11-24T09:17:23.201-08:00Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Af855j8G8lE/UpI0gYl6f_I/AAAAAAAAEf4/076DhPTUa_A/s1600/fangirl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Af855j8G8lE/UpI0gYl6f_I/AAAAAAAAEf4/076DhPTUa_A/s320/fangirl.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
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<em>Fangirl </em>by Rainbow Rowell</div>
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Published September 10th 2013 by St. Martin's Press </div>
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Genre: YA/New Adult contemporary</div>
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$18.99 (US Hardback)</div>
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433 pages</div>
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What it's about:</div>
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Cath is a Simon Snow fan.<br /><br />Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .<br /><br />But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.<br /><br />Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.<br /><br />Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.<br /><br />Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.<br /><br />For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?<br /><br />Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?<br /><br />And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?<a class="actionLinkLite" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16068905-fangirl?from_search=true#"></a></div>
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My thoughts:<br />
This is one of those books that even though it's been a few months since I've borrowed it from my local library and read it, every time I see it out in the wild, I get excited and go "I love that book!" I then have to talk myself out of buying it because I need to buy books that I haven't read before. This always takes a lot of will power on my part because I love this book just that much. <br />
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Contemporary books can always be hit or miss with me. I try to avoid the books which are all about a teen trying to gain popularity. I find those lacking imagination for the most part. It really takes a phenomenal plot and writing style for me to love contemporary and Rainbow Rowell has both. This book is right up there with John Green as my favorite YA contemporary books. Yes, to me, it's just that good. <br />
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While reading, I was pacing myself. I didn't want to read <em>Fangirl </em>in one sitting because then it would be over. I wouldn't have anymore of Cath and Wren and Simon Snow to read about. I was sucked into this world of college and fandom because I could relate so well. I too am a fangirl and have done all the things Cath has for her fandom, all but write fanfiction. All the characters were so believable. They had flaws, they didn't figure out all their problems, and everything happened over a long enough period of time. <br />
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I could easily keep talking about my love of this book, but I won't because I don't want to bore you. Or spoilers. I will end this review with saying that Rainbow Rowell has now earned her spot on my "automatic buy" list. I will now read whatever she is writing and I will definitely be rereading <em>Fangirl </em>some point in the future.<br />
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My rating: 10/10Must Love Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04356859350271160742noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917097385014790784.post-414615436429767452013-11-19T10:56:00.001-08:002013-11-19T10:56:45.306-08:00Been gone too long<br />
Today I had the sudden urge to write, which is something that hasn't happened all year. 2013 has been a crazy, amazing, hectic mess for me. I was able to go to Disneyland in January, a Western Caribbean cruise in March, and now I have three different jobs, all of which are working with special needs children. To say that I haven't had much time to read or write is an understatement. If I hit 100 books this year, that will be a miracle. <br />
But I miss my blog. I miss finding out about different books that are out or coming out soon, or just surfing random blogs. I'm hoping to find more time for my blog in the next couple of weeks. <br />
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Because I have been gone for so many months, I don't expect many to read this post. I am okay with that. I just wanted to write for myself. But I would like to know if anyone has any fun memes they do for their blog that have come about while I was away? I used to love Top Ten Tuesday but the topics are ones I have done so many times recently and just aren't catching my attention at the moment. If you could leave me a comment with the names of the memes, that would be fantastic. <br />
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--ArielMust Love Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04356859350271160742noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917097385014790784.post-74689535639643799612013-02-26T10:31:00.000-08:002013-02-26T10:31:22.851-08:00Top Ten Tuesday- Auto-buy authors<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fBCbun9Lt18/USvplw8swtI/AAAAAAAAEYU/XebOsw5T9EE/s1600/Top+Ten+Tuesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fBCbun9Lt18/USvplw8swtI/AAAAAAAAEYU/XebOsw5T9EE/s1600/Top+Ten+Tuesday.jpg" /></a></div>
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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that is hosted by the girls over at <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/">The Broke and the Bookish</a></div>
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This weeks topic is <strong>Top Ten Authors That I'd Put On My Auto-Buy List</strong> (basically an auto-buy list is
no questions asked..you love this author so much that no matter what they wrote
next you'd buy regardless of genre or subject matter)<br />
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I have a lot of these type authors and some authors I feel are given. Like JK Rowling, ext. so I will not put those authors on the list. Besides that, these are in no order. <br />
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1. Jodi Meadows:<br />
I absolutely adore Incarnate and Asunder, and will read anything this woman writes. <br />
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2. John Green:<br />
I have the biggest fan girl crush on John. Oh man. And if he ever writes anything like TFIOS again, I don't think my heart can take it. haha.<br />
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3. Jennifer L. Armentrout:<br />
So this one is new for me. I read the Lux series and adored it and since then I've bought all her other books. But I do have to admit, none of her other books come close to being as good as the Lux books.<br />
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4. Cassandra Clare:<br />
So help me Cassie, if you kill Jem... *shakes fist*<br />
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5. Stephanie Perkins:<br />
Who else is tired of waiting for Isla? <br />
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6. Veronica Roth:<br />
Come on Divergent #3! When are we at least going to get a title and a cover???<br />
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7. Stacey Kade:<br />
I really liked her Ghost and the Goth books and I'm definitely looking foward to The Rules when it comes out.<br />
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8. Isaac Marion:<br />
So far he just has the one book out, but my love of Warm Bodies (both book and movie) knows no end. I also keep up with his blog and find it hilarious most of the time. Whatever this guy writes, I will try and get my hands on it. <br />
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9. Kiersten White:<br />
Love love love Kiersten's books. Paranormalcy being the best by far. I'm really excited to meet her in two weeks :)<br />
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10. CC Hunter:<br />
The Shadow Falls books are so funny and yet they keep me guessing. I'm never possitive about what is going to happen and I love that. When books can keep me guessing, they automatically get higher ratings. Must Love Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04356859350271160742noreply@blogger.com4