tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26492647651012008732024-03-05T01:57:44.859-05:00Unforgettable Books"My candle burns at both ends/It will not last the night;/But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends/It gives a lovely light." -Edna St. Vincent MillayRachel http://www.blogger.com/profile/05123061163236150743noreply@blogger.comBlogger212125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649264765101200873.post-86805683121722328772013-12-02T14:18:00.002-05:002013-12-02T14:19:44.476-05:00What I am Thankful For<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Hi Everyone!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">My Thanksgiving holiday weekend ended yesterday and woah it was a joyful time. A time that included eating food, sharing conversations with my family, seeing a wonderful potential house to buy, watching the touching film adaption to <i>The Book Thief</i>, and lighting Hannukah candles. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">What I am thankful for...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ol>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Generous people, friendly people and funny people. Friends basically. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Laughing uncontrollably so many times the last few days and all the other times. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Opportunities. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Chocolate cover pretzels. They are my weakness. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">My family and my dog. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">The best group I could hope for as my group project team for my theater class this past semester. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">A exciting first college semester. I</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">f this morning is any consideration, I think the last two weeks will continue the trend.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">The four teachers I had this semester who all helped me become more confident while participating in class discussions. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Jennifer Armentrout's doing meet a blogger posts on Wednesday. She did mine last Wednesday!</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Excellent actors like Robbie Kay. (Need more of his facial expressions.) </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Excellent friends and actors I know from my theater class. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Finding a new book this year that, so far, I can read again and again. <i>Secret</i> by Brigid Kemmerer is what I'm talking about. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">The books I can re-read forever and ever. Top books include <i>Hidden Talents</i> by David Lubar, <i>Evernight</i> by Claudia Gray, <i>The Rites of Spring Break</i> by Diana Peterfreund and <i>Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire</i> by J.K. Rowling.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Lastly, the most important one of all. A</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">ll of you who still read and comment on my blog. </span></li>
</ol>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Thanks for reading!</span></div>
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Rachel http://www.blogger.com/profile/05123061163236150743noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649264765101200873.post-34974185559281965822013-11-20T13:58:00.003-05:002013-11-20T21:42:37.547-05:00Review: The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hi Everyone!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Suddenly, with a little warning, I wrote a whole review after a few struggles the past week. Turns out, I just need to find a different book to review while I still gather my emotions towards another. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today I am reviewing...</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1383243238l/9833184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1383243238l/9833184.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The Fiery Heart</i> by Richelle Mead</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Publication Date: November 19th, 2013</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Publisher: Razorbill</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Source: Bought!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4/5 WITHIN THE LIGHT STARS!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Fiery Heart</i> by
Richelle Mead lives true to its name. During this central book is the times
Adrian and Sydney walk within a lighted cavern both certain of their role as
candleholder. Neither letting the bounds over their romance to take hold and
pull them away. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">I both love and wanted more in this book. There are great
moments. There are bland. There are breathtaking lines and bothersome telling
points. There are predictable twists and a sweet, juicy romance. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">The two things I know for sure are one) I feel the Sydrian
gasp and two) I experiencing either bitter or love emotions for all other major
characters. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Adrian point of view was the best. I like the youthful
appearance he gives to Sydney during their time alone together. So many times
point of views bear similarities, yet Adrian brought his humor, insecurity, and
pensive valor. While reading <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Golden
Lily </i>I hoped others would come to admire Adrian, as much as Sydney and I,
when realizing his truth courage, and in this book it may come to fruition for
a moment or two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">After outgoing Rose, I was happy to gain my fellow inquisitive
introvert Sydney. Sydney was always hard working, wise and gentle. Now, she
finally reaches complete open-mindedness. There is no quality I desire more
from people. A hard gained attribute that Sydney implements to her advantage
while trying to pacify the one who needs to learn it too. And causes the best
line of the book. Too bad the line is too spoilery. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Eddie, Eddie, Eddie!!!!!!! Since <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shadow Kiss</i>, he has reigned among the characters that I miss when
absent. While reading Blood Promise and during the first part of this book, I
kept wondering, “Where’s Eddie?” I am mad that he was gone from a large part of this story. His resolve to help Rose after Mason’s death
and his continuing selfless journey created this selfless warrior. He’s a bright
torch that faces self-hate towards his inability to solve everything, raging
fire in his wake. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">I liked seeing the way Eddie influences Neil, a new dhampir,
to become selfless. (At least that’s inferred by my reading) I was a bit
worried that Neil would continue the whole book as an overzealous flatstone. And
then Neil drove home his surface of arrogance is actually because he wants to
acquire honor. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, he could
never replace Eddie. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">My bitter juices goes to Sydney's dad and a certain sister. My surprise giddiness goes to Trey. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">The story journeys to a unsurprising conclusion and a simple
realization to how to prevent Stirgoitism. Yet the former does not really
matter because I am enthralled by the glimpse of the new setting. I cannot wait
for the next book to explore more. The second gave me nerveless disappointment.
Yet, it leads to a great Eddie moment and certain cameos. Though I wish for
more from Christian’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">My hopes and predictions for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Silver Shadows</i>:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">The center will hold. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Eddie will redeem his failure.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Adrian will locate a lost.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Sydney will stay strong. </span></div>
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Thanks for reading!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" /></a></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Rachel http://www.blogger.com/profile/05123061163236150743noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649264765101200873.post-80349451161796249102013-11-10T17:34:00.001-05:002013-11-10T17:40:21.370-05:00A Quick Announcement! <div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Hi Everyone!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br />
</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">My sister and I recently created a </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/unforgettablebooks5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f1c232;">Facebook Page</span> </a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">for Unforgettable Books. I hope you check it out! You can see a picture of my bookshelf.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Thanks for reading!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br />
</span></div>
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<br />Rachel http://www.blogger.com/profile/05123061163236150743noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649264765101200873.post-37319818291174023072013-11-07T20:49:00.000-05:002013-11-08T17:30:16.234-05:00Diary Discussion Sort of Poem<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Hello. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><u>What to do When You're Finish Those Books</u></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><u><br /></u></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">My original plan was to review a book this week. But, I just can't. All weekend, I was consumed with anticipation. During this week, slowly late at night (after I finished my college work), I read this amazing book, experiencing giddy jitters the entire time. Now, I finished it and I am obsessed. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">What to do now I finished an unforgettable book? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Should I forget about it?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Do I want to? No.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Do I need to? Probably.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Ok. Yes. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">I live with responsibilities. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Schoolwork. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Being a good friend, sister, and daughter.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Preparing for my future</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">and many more. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">As do we all.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">We all have to live. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">But I also do not want it to disappear. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Yet, I need to stop thinking about it to concentrate on my life. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">If anyone else experiences this feeling, this post is for you. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">How I usually get over magnificent and mind-consuming books?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">I think of another book to wait for. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">This time I do not want to. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">I want to appreciate the grand book I have, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">as the others that leave the same feelings,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">and move forward. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">New catharsis ideas:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Talk to a friend. Already tried. Keep thinking about the book. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Write a blog post asking others opinions. Doing. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Write an email to the author about how much I loved the book. Hmm, I'll try that.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Find a person who read the book to chat about it with. Let the search begin. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Listening to music. Working a bit. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">What I really want is a potion that makes me forget only what happened in each unforgettable book and start them again with fresh eyes and with delightful surprises again. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">I want these books to continue to thrive without an ending. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Two impossibilities. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Two selfish desires.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">The truth.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">As usual, I want too much. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Love,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Rachel </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><br /></span></div>
Rachel http://www.blogger.com/profile/05123061163236150743noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649264765101200873.post-21445448962029307792013-11-01T01:30:00.000-04:002013-11-01T01:30:00.150-04:00Truth or Dare - Embarrassing review or Halloween Costume<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Hi!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Can you believe its November already? My first semester of college is certainly speeding by. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">The meme Truth or Dare was created by the blogger</span><a href="http://jennadoesbooks.com/"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Jenn Does Books</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Every week there will be a new Truth or Dare to answer. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">This week:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Truth</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Tell about the worst/most embarrassing review you ever written. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">or </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Dare</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Did you dress as a fictional character for Halloween? Share your photos with us.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Since I dislike wearing costumes, I chose Truth. I still cannot wait to see other people's creations.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">My most embarrassing review was my</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"> <i><a href="http://unforgetablebooks.blogspot.com/2012/05/redheads-are-soulless-by-heather-m.html">Redheads are Soulless</a></i><a href="http://unforgetablebooks.blogspot.com/2012/05/redheads-are-soulless-by-heather-m.html"><i> </i>by Heather White review</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">. Why? Because of this small part that I deleted from my review. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">I always was envious of redheads and the redheads in the
book <i>Redheads Are Soulless</i> are
definitely worth the emotion of jealousy. They have amazing powers. Sofia, the
main character, for example, can break objects with her mind. Robbie is an
awesome guitar player. Jason can heal bruises as quick as my dog can run around
my backyard. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">Sofia, Robbie and Jason are
all redheads with amazing powers! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">I later learned from someone that Robbie and Jason were actually not redheads. I am really embarrass to admit I made a mistake and did not read the book closely enough to recognize the characters appearance. I wish I checked the character's appearance instead of assuming they were red-heads. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">I just tend to ignore physical appearances of characters. When I read, I usually do not really care. I tend to consider characters personalities. In contradiction, sometimes when I do consider appearances I create my own. Before noting that Balthazar from my favorite series from ninth grade, <i>Evernight </i>by Claudia Gray, was a blond from a uncountable re-read, I always pictured Balthazar as brunette Cory Moneteith. Mostly because my song for Balthazar is <i>Can't Stop This Feeling Anymore</i> by REO Speedwagon, which Cory sang on Glee's pilot. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">I also find this review missed a heartfelt tone. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Thanks for reading!</span></div>
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Rachel http://www.blogger.com/profile/05123061163236150743noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649264765101200873.post-18682701239607395812013-11-01T00:30:00.001-04:002013-11-01T00:30:03.936-04:00Cover Reveal: Into the Storm by Melanie Moreland<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Hi Everyone!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">I hope you all had a wonderful, frightening and ghostfull Halloween last night. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Today I am participating in the cover reveal for <i>Into the Storm</i> by Melanie Moreland. This cover reveal is hosted by </span><a href="http://xpressobooktours.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Xpresso Book Tours</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Book Information:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyl2BKX9sopJapAIw4KUeqmyDzrcaaUUI-qykThT5VHItBnuay0jJ5g_dHXVQPuZ55gN5w553ZMmn3ns1_vq4rO4sam7bLe6pVdiFJ5ViQBHpk-qswxZEK7wHjW9Nn4ELipwh6Ads-q8w/s1600/Into+the+Storm+-+paperback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyl2BKX9sopJapAIw4KUeqmyDzrcaaUUI-qykThT5VHItBnuay0jJ5g_dHXVQPuZ55gN5w553ZMmn3ns1_vq4rO4sam7bLe6pVdiFJ5ViQBHpk-qswxZEK7wHjW9Nn4ELipwh6Ads-q8w/s320/Into+the+Storm+-+paperback.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Publication Date: Late 2013</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">An Adult Romance</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Synopsis:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">She is a woman on the run. Pain, loneliness and terror are what she is leaving. Where she is headed doesn’t matter as long as it’s away from the hell her life has become.<br /><br />Joshua Bennett is trapped in a prison of his own making by the memories of his past. Traumatized and isolated, he is a reclusive writer, living a quiet, lonely life, his only companion his dog, Bear. It is what he knows, what he has accepted to be his life.<br /><br />One dark night, one huge storm, and one ice patch brings them together. He finds himself with an unexpected houseguest with no memory. She wakes up a stranger to herself and the man watching her. Even more mysterious is the lack of any sort of identification with her or in her car. She is an enigma to both of them.<br /><br />Trapped by the storm and isolated from the outside world, they slowly open up, learning to trust and love, until the world once again shows up, threatening the fragile peace of their newly discovered world, and tearing them apart.<br /><br />There are many twists and turns as they struggle to find each other, overcoming both the mental and physical elements that keep them apart.<br /><br />A story about overcoming our fears, finding love and learning to live again.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Author's Bio: </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Melanie Moreland lives a happy and content life in a quiet area of Ontario with her husband and fur children. Nothing means more to her than her friends and family, and she cherishes every moment spent with them.<br /><br />Known as the quiet one with the big laugh, Melanie works at a local university and for its football team. Her (box) office job, while demanding, is rewarding as she cheers on her team to victory.<br /><br />While seriously addicted to coffee, and somewhat challenged with all things computer-related and technical, she relishes baking, cooking, and trying new recipes for people to sample. She loves to throw dinner parties and socialize, and also enjoys travelling, here and abroad, but finds coming home is always the best part of any trip. <br /><br />Melanie delights in a good romance story with some bumps along the way, but is a true believer in happily ever after. When her head isn’t buried in a book, it is bent over a keyboard, furiously typing away as her characters dictate their creative storylines, to let her share them with her readers.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="https://twitter.com/MorelandMelanie"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Twitter</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"> - </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/MelanieMoreland"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Goodreads</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"> - </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Melanie-L-Moreland/512254118848084"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Facebook</span></a></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">And the cover:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8cQznSmJSRDOxOWpd3Ky7hpzi6rt0eclcHzZJhSqqa7GTZjsGlajyjqgyP7NX4ZQlzPyj0NFQCJRZ2s6FcOVKs777csytVssbFirrJ5cwR887otU49_g_9vMQp-soGMec5Nk3v6u3aCw/s1600/Into+the+Storm-front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8cQznSmJSRDOxOWpd3Ky7hpzi6rt0eclcHzZJhSqqa7GTZjsGlajyjqgyP7NX4ZQlzPyj0NFQCJRZ2s6FcOVKs777csytVssbFirrJ5cwR887otU49_g_9vMQp-soGMec5Nk3v6u3aCw/s320/Into+the+Storm-front.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">My Thoughts:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">The white in the center glares at my eye a bit, but besides that, I love this cover. I find its landscape gorgeous with blue white and black. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Thanks for reading!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></div>
Rachel http://www.blogger.com/profile/05123061163236150743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649264765101200873.post-61711421570988542552013-10-28T20:52:00.002-04:002013-10-28T20:52:45.880-04:00ARC Review: Notable by Marnie Bates<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">Hi Everyone!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">Today I am reviewing:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1368420550l/17318450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1368420550l/17318450.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"><i>Notable</i> by Marni Bates</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">Publication Date: October 29th, 2013</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">Publisher: Kensington Publishing</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">Source: Netgalley</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">3/5 ENTERTAINING STARS</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">My review:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">I know I care about a book when I think about it. A lot. <i>Notable</i> by Marni Bates, sadly, has not
thrown itself in my mind till I started writing this review. I just wanted to
start with that statement to make sure you know that this is a good book, but
if your in a new books-to-obsessively-recommend slump, like I am, it will not
alleviate the empty pain. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">That being said, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Notable</i>
by Marni Bates is a fun-filled story of excitement and transfers from scene to
scene in a nice steady flow. I sped through this story in pretty much one
read-through. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">I love Marni’s idea to set this story in Cambodia. I am
thrilled that Chelsea and her group of college students and one teacher in
actual danger with a drug lord. Yep, I enjoyed their struggle. I was completely
scared for Neal, the trapped sweet and talkative teacher. The plot, in short,
was terrific, a bit of romance, a bit of thrills, and heroine with initiative.
The only segment I found unlikeable was a confusing piece near the end. The
climax was not clearly written.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Chelsea is an excellent combination of naivety, when it
comes to dealing with criminals, and stubbornness to stay true to her
bluntness; I could relate to both. She is he opposite of the stereotypical
popular girl. She is understanding, reasonably judges a bit, and never allows
others to influence her to change her personality. I am a bit sad, though, that
her two best friends fit the popular stereotype. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">The banter between Chelsea and Hudson was the typical entertaining
interactions I expect in an initially infuriating romance and opinionated duo. On
paper, I would have loved Hudson, the tough, thoughtful guy, but I really never
found myself attracted to him. I preferred when Chelsea was flirting with
Wesley, a lawyer with connection to finding the enemy who kidnapped Neal. Her
fake name was terrific! I love how it connects to Scott, Chelsea’s true friend
Jane’s boyfriend who dislikes Chelsea. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Notable</i> by Marni
Bates is a good book. It is perfectly fine to read it separate from the rest of
the Smith High series. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">I leave with saying, “Chelsea rules!” </span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;">Thanks for reading!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"><br /></span></div>
Rachel http://www.blogger.com/profile/05123061163236150743noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649264765101200873.post-90863988095411801002013-10-20T21:57:00.001-04:002013-10-20T21:59:55.301-04:00ARC Review: The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Hi People!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1365171128l/15811405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1365171128l/15811405.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><i>The Iron Traitor</i> by Julie Kagawa</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Publication Date: October 23rd, 2013</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Publisher: HarlequinTeen</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Source: Netgalley </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">4/5 TEARY STARS</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">
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</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Tears fell out of my eyes for minutes after finishing the
last page. Burning tears of and sorrow. I felt heartbroken. Tears spill while I
think about how every page moved closer and closer to this moment of suffering.
The ending contains a beautiful second-to-last line unmatched by any line. </span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">The book lives with splendid writing that lies in simple
narrative mixed with gorgeous images. Each passage is transitioned smoothly.
The dialogue is similar to what I hear everyday. </span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">I experience so much empathy for the three main characters.
Oh, Ethan, Kenzie and Kieran. Ethan has grown in many ways from his old live a
life of depravity self as he comes to risk everything for Kenzie and his
family. He extorts his true insecurities and gains a new confidence. I always
will like stubborn girls with creative ideas like Kenzie. Kenzie’s capacity to
forgive is unbreakable. Kieran may be a love struck wanna-be savior who
disregards everyone else, but I still like him because I long for his redemption
and admire this resolved half-fey who independently strives for his goal. He
lets no one tell him that love is not worth the grim consequences. </span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">What really caused me to be disappointing was the plot. Till
The Nevernever segment around 200 pages in I found the plot was a deflating
balloon and I was the helium whizzing away. I found the plot was mostly one
event after another without any significant occurrence. I mostly lacked drive to read. Especially when Ethan did an action similar to what I thought he learned from in the previous book. </span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">After, Nevernever I started finding the energy to read this
book. I adored the still lingering jacket moment and plenty of tension-filled
scenes. The last section left me experiencing plenty of sentimental emotions. </span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><i>The Iron Traitor</i> is,
in all, a pretty good book if you do not mind waiting for important events to
happen. The writing is beautiful and the main characters are strong. </span></div>
</div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Thanks for reading!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></div>
Rachel http://www.blogger.com/profile/05123061163236150743noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649264765101200873.post-67912270131547972502013-10-15T15:26:00.002-04:002013-10-15T15:26:26.259-04:00ARC Review: Seven Day Fiancé by Rachel Harris<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Hi Everyone!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">I have been busy with midterms and other college assignments. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">I hope and will try to comment on blogs this week. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The wonderful author of the book I am reviewing today has a party today that you can join! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Don't you love cupcakes and discussing books! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://scontent-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/p75x225/960020_10153368056830105_572500355_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://scontent-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/p75x225/960020_10153368056830105_572500355_n.jpg" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Today I am reviewing:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMq7Q565BErVTObhgRkVcvdIl8V4HTeezTyKXGEUybEx2HriN1_EYiTwMwKHY4DqIndsnDMvJk9rq0p8ZdDyS3ak3KiW6mm3Ig7XMsLE-3eVlyiQZuZOPVaRxOL8_YJSfs-i5jEet0M9Y/s1600/SevenDayFiance_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMq7Q565BErVTObhgRkVcvdIl8V4HTeezTyKXGEUybEx2HriN1_EYiTwMwKHY4DqIndsnDMvJk9rq0p8ZdDyS3ak3KiW6mm3Ig7XMsLE-3eVlyiQZuZOPVaRxOL8_YJSfs-i5jEet0M9Y/s320/SevenDayFiance_500.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><i>Seven Day Fianc</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><i>é </i>by Rachel Harris</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Publication Date: TODAY! October 14th, 2013</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Publisher: Entangled Bliss </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Source: Publisher </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Rating: 4/5 CULTURAL STARS</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">My Review:</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><br /></span></span>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;">
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</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">While reading <i>Seven Day Fiancé</i> by Rachel Harris, I continued my journey into
Cajun culture from Louisiana. I love these small town people who are proud of
their culture. I just love learning about the difference between Cane’s creole
and Angelle’s country Cajun lifestyles. Amusing and extravagant funny silent
auctions where everyone bids on guys, large family greetings for a long missed
relative, and a group-cooking contest. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Angelle and Cane hold the love
Brady, Angelle’s decent, memorable, once boyfriend/fiancé and best friend, and
I long for and hope to find someday. They understand each other, connecting in
ways beyond the surface. They try to honor each other’s independence and string
along a lie that is believable because of their own chemistry. Each interaction
between them leaves laughter and awe and headaches banging for them to admit
they want to be really together. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Angelle is amazing. A proud women
hoping to show her family that she can succeed in her life away from her
hometown. A non-athlete who still moves along battling fires, personal family
ones, love life ones, internal ones and literal ones. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The whole story has brilliant
lingering moments. The most unforgettable moment – the one after Cane gains approval.
His internal depravity is completely touching. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">“Cane looked at the woman beside
him, her green eyes still conflicted over this latest development. But
happiness was also there. Affection, too. And as her gaze slid across his face,
Cane thought he saw a glimmer of hope. Of wanting more than he could ever give.
That was enough to douse any sense of victory or satisfaction.” Pg. 122 of my
ARC<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">My criticism lies in wanting more
in terms of the side cast. I wish Angelle’s family was explored more indepth,
like Colby’s family in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Taste the Heat</i>.
There was a nice dose of Angelle’s family, but I ended the book still feeling
separated from their inside life. Additionally, much of Cane’s communication
with Angelle’s brothers was shared through Angelle’s faraway view. I know that
shows Cane’s outsider status, but I still would have loved to know more about Cane’s
growing relationship with Angelle’s family. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Anyways, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Seven Day Fiancé</i> by Rachel Harris breathes culture, joyful
predictability, and true love. I read this book straight through thanks to its
wonderful writing style that gently pictures this exciting story. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Thanks for reading!</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><br /></span></span></div>
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Rachel http://www.blogger.com/profile/05123061163236150743noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649264765101200873.post-60763296589598896412013-10-05T20:44:00.000-04:002013-10-05T20:44:54.429-04:00The Impersonator by Mary Miley Review<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Hi Everyone!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">How is your life going? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">I am in the mist of many essays and have my first college mid-term tomorrow. Today I am seeing a performance of the Picture of Dorian Gray for my theater class!!!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1377580079l/17286830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1377580079l/17286830.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">The Impersonator by Mary Miley</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Publication Date: September 17th, 2013</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Publisher: Minotaur Books</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Source: Netgalley</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Rating: 4/5 VALIANT STARS! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Ode de joy! <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Impersonator</i> by Mary Miley is such a fun book. Excitement, trickery,
sizzling close calls, unpleasant yet intriguing truths and danger fill its
pages.</span><br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">The most fascinating storyline for me is when a character
has to expertly pretend to be another person. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Impersonator</i> has a vaudeville actress named Leah faced with the
performance of long-missing heiress Jessie. I found the reason that Leah
appearance was similar to Jessie’s completely surprising. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">So often, every other character absent of the direct knowing
party, in this storyline, misses noting the inconsistencies of the fraud or
mentions discrepancies without looking deeper. In this story, not all, but many
realize the truth. This attribute shares that the author understand how unrealistic
that even an actress can fool everyone. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">All the characters brought something new to the story. I
love how Jessie’s cousin Ross may have been unlikeable to Jessie, but was more
than arrogant. Ross is a very sincere and intelligent fellow, along with being
scary. Henry, Jessie’s other male cousin, is frightening and gave this story so
many exciting moments. His selfishness may have been unlikeable but is
relatable. Though he wanders too far in his race to fill his desires. Jessie’s
naive female cousins were cute and humorous. Ah, I love every moment with them
watching Leah involve them in her acting culture. Leah was the best, sincere,
hopeful, independent and snarky. She valiantly jumped into torchy territory.
Even when she was scared, Leah still believed in her capability to withstand
the danger on her search for Jessie’s story. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">I love the authentic outlook of the 1920s. I never knew that
liquor was poured into teacups. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">One of my few negative feelings for the book was the beginning. I wish I could have felt Leah’s pain while she
lost her job and her search for a new legit one. The deep connection on that
section was bypassed mostly because I felt it was a list of loss jobs without
me feeling Leah’s profound angst that I know she felt. Thankfully, I was able
to relate to Leah and her story the rest of the story.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">I may have figured out the culprit and Jessie’s state of
life, but I had a delightful time exploring with Leah how it happened and why.
The way Miley portrayed the whereabouts of Jessie’s state was amazing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Anyone looking for a fun book that you will want to finish and
a valiant protagonist should explore <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Impersonator</i>. </span></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Thanks for reading!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
Rachel http://www.blogger.com/profile/05123061163236150743noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649264765101200873.post-67470537489531251372013-10-04T01:00:00.000-04:002013-10-04T01:00:08.529-04:00Truth or Dare<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Happy Friday Everyone!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Ever since my favorite meme, Blogspiration hosted by </span><a href="http://www.saz101.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;">Saz101</span></a> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">and </span><a href="http://growingupya.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;">Growing Up YA</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">, ended, I have been searching for a new meme. A new meme that is unique and wonderful. One to share love and bring the blogging community together. After all, occurrences like Goodread's new policies, are changing everything. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">The meme I am participating in today might be the one. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpEfC4g9s7dMa3-7aJkavXe2w-gd3QU3siZcpNsBBki1FsQwx25jjVTTDaro8gTvd-cOXZLSRH1LK3p2j0gfpFoJmGP_joNJNx6aUdEtAVrOi6aqYQOGAjWWdML4cH5XAe415C0pC9I7M/s1600/truth-or-dare-banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="80" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpEfC4g9s7dMa3-7aJkavXe2w-gd3QU3siZcpNsBBki1FsQwx25jjVTTDaro8gTvd-cOXZLSRH1LK3p2j0gfpFoJmGP_joNJNx6aUdEtAVrOi6aqYQOGAjWWdML4cH5XAe415C0pC9I7M/s320/truth-or-dare-banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">The meme Truth or Dare premiers today. The meme was created by the blogger</span><a href="http://jennadoesbooks.com/"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Jenn Does Books</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Every week there will be a new Truth or Dare to answer. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Truth</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">If you only had twenty-four hours to live, what book would you read and why??</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Or </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Dare</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Go to the bookstore and take photos of three books from the bookshelf- tell us about them?</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">This week I choose Truth mostly because the closest bookstore is a few metro stops away. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">The book I choose has my favorite line in the history of fiction. (Funny how this relates to my first Blogspiration post.) </span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">It contains a story that surprised me. I cheer the author for creating such a ingenious twist that related back to my favorite potion. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">During the book I finally became connected to the characters in ways beyond I though was possible. My connection to these characters last even today after four years of not reading this book.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">I want to read a book during my last day that I know I already adore and want to read one last time. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">I wish there would never be a last re-reading of this book. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">I know this is a common choice, but it will always be the book.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Thanks for reading!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Rachel http://www.blogger.com/profile/05123061163236150743noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649264765101200873.post-27560084862646079132013-09-30T01:53:00.000-04:002013-09-29T19:51:15.856-04:00ARC Review- Hero by Alethea Kontis <div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Hi Everyone!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1370305672l/17155787.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1370305672l/17155787.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><i>Hero</i> by Alethea Kontis </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Publication Date: October 1st, 2013</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Publisher: Harcourt Books </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Source:</span> <a href="http://thereadersden.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;">Rachel from the Reader's Den :0</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Rating: 4/5 EXQUISITE STARS</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">My Review:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;">I can become very attached to a
person, to a character. I am more than just ecstatic to find two, Saturday
Woodcutter and Peregrine Starburn, protagonists that I more than love. I cannot
describe this lovely emotion. I hooray and long for a new scene between them. I
am amazed that these characters still linger in my admiration. I only wish
Saturday fought harder during entrapped periods on a mountain. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14pt;">Hero</span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14pt;"> by Alethea Kontis is the second
book to a series set in a fairy tale land. The first situates on the youngest sister,
Sunday, and the classic frog prince. (While sharing the trials of being a man)
This second book continues sharing the trails of humanity, love and family. The
world carries magic, mirrors, mountains, families, witches who cause shape
shifting, and adventures. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;">This youthful book is addicting.
The story is bolstered with mysteries and romance. I love learning more about
Saturday’s brother Jack since the previous book talked about his past, but did
not reveal his current story. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;">The writing is exquisite! Every
line is admirably structured. Every moment makes a difference. I especially enjoyed
the detailed glimpse on mirrors. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;">I liked the conclusive of the
book's arc ending that still left room for a continuous plot for these
incredible characters.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #131313;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47;">
<span style="color: #131313; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Thanks for reading!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
Rachel http://www.blogger.com/profile/05123061163236150743noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649264765101200873.post-63707941985286507912013-09-24T01:13:00.000-04:002013-09-24T01:13:00.145-04:00ARC Review: Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">Hi Everyone!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">Today I am reviewing ...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1359648992l/16139598.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1359648992l/16139598.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><i>Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer </i>by Katie Alender </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">Publication Date: September 24th, 2013</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">Publisher: Scholastic Press</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">Source- Netgalley</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">Rating: 3/5 WHY STARS</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">I could not help but incorporate some enthusiasm for Alender's previous trilogy, <i>Bad Girls Don't Die</i>. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">I remember the joy and thrills I felt while reading Katie
Alender’s other series, <i>Bad Girls Don’t
Die</i>. I lost my time reading Lexi’s mind and emotions when it was over. Those
times were full of splendid scares. I remember the times were I disliked but
understood some of Lexi decisions, were I loved Carter, and admired Megan. I
will always remember Lexi, Carter and Megan as they were extraordinary, finely
flawed characters. </span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Sadly, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Marie-Antoinette,
Serial Killer</i> does not continue with an amazing and terrifying stories with
must cheer for characters. Colette is a popular girl in a group of a controlling
girl with no redeeming qualities and another submissive, yet very sweet, girl. While
Megan, from Alender’s previous series, challenges the popular teen stereotype,
Collette and her friends match it as tightly as a magnet sticks to a piece of
metal. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Collette and the cast of characters were not a complete mess.
I just wish I could find one character to love and want to live with while
vicariously reading this story. If only the characters were more authentic. Instead
I found a story with an interesting plot, engaging enough writing and a beautiful
setting, but without a deep connection with the characters. </span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">The plot was terrifying when it was placed during the occurring
murders. The secrets of why the murders occur were well planned. I was reading in
terror through the startling details brought with each death and moments of
suspense. Sadly, surprises were absent in this mystery. I imagine there was not
suppose to be much of a mystery to the reader, and instead the confusion was
for as the characters. </span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">In the end, “Why, why, why?” is chirping in my head as I am disappointed
with how simple this book turned out to be. I still recommend Alender because
her first trilogy was unforgettable, but I say this story is a miss. </span></div>
</div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;">Thanks for reading!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></div>
Rachel http://www.blogger.com/profile/05123061163236150743noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649264765101200873.post-11866067370495375132013-09-20T20:59:00.004-04:002013-09-20T20:59:38.512-04:00Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell Review <div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Hi Everyone!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">My current favorite TV Show is Once Upon A Time. I love how the show is formatted in a before and after of prior to the <i>curse</i>. I am shipping Emma and Hook. I find that they mesh together in every scene they are in together as two strong, independent people. Why does the first love have to be the one? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Now, for my review of ...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><i>Fangirl</i> by Rainbow Rowell</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Publication Date: September 10th, 2013</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Publisher: St. Martin's Press</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Source- Netgalley</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 4/5 LEVI STARS</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16068905-fangirl?from_search=true"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Add To Goodreads!</span></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">I began <i>Fangirl </i>suspecting
a light and sweet read exploring fandoms and college. Thankfully, that is what
I received and I gained even more. I am proud of Rowell’s realistic portrayal
of Cath’s dealings with her social anxiety. Our protagonist, Cath, is a shy
girl and fan-fiction writer who only desires a close relationship with her
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</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Since April my head has thought of many reasons for
recommending this book. I finally found the true five.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">1. Levi</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">I love him. I would love my own Levi. This character is as adorable as an alpaca. Levi
gleams a bright, witty, wise, daring, and tenacious personality. Reading
through Levi’s antics is a fantastic gift. If <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The True Meddling of Levi</i> was a book, I’ll read it straight
through. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">2. Levi Romance </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">I commonly prefer family relationships to romances during
books. In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fangirl</i>, it was the
inverse. I basically lived for more scenes between the two. I can imagine
nothing more romantic that reading aloud in my dorm room to someone I love. And
dance parties! . </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">3. Simon Snow and Baz</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">She has an amazing and popular Fanfiction story called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Carry On</i> featuring these two in her view
as them being a romantic duo. The original work has the two being stringent
enemies. I love these too together. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">4. Fanfiction’s relationship with writers </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">I find that the Fanficiton bits scattered through the story
added more depth to the story. Cath’s struggle to build her own story struck my
own fingers as I constantly face a foggy image when trying to build my own
story. The struggle for original work sections was magnificent through the energy
and passion emulated both by Cath and her brilliant professor. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">5. A brilliant conclusion</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">This book’s closure is creative, touching and the last line
is just spectacular, “Here I come, ready or not.” (Rowell 434) Everything ends the way that matters, the real
world, the Simon Snow series and the story as an aesthetic.</span></div>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Thanks for reading!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Rachel http://www.blogger.com/profile/05123061163236150743noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649264765101200873.post-77545622072886976832013-09-18T00:00:00.000-04:002013-09-18T00:00:05.441-04:00Waiting On Wednesday! Secret, Secret, Come Out Now! <div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Happy Wednesday Everyone!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">I decided to add a random fact about myself before everyone of my post, so you, my wonderful friends, can learn more about me. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Today's!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">My favorite food to buy at a sushi restaurant- pad thai! Yep, I do not like the taste of sushi. Yet, I do like the taste of peanuts, egg and delicious noodles. The best pad thai I ever had was at this restaurant called Raku in Dupont Circle, Washington D.C. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Now for Waiting on Wednesday!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5IdeqMgUM2WSqdnDUnz5vAXNlpPeXqbRNo88YO53M_taPPqHIrJWIm75bR6y7D8W5NKuTzp0D5fTrpSXo2fBAAFOMLF39jDTWIpssnle-T_ftasKXD0jwW24Q4DL7YVYWvs9R_t-inDk/s200/New+WoW.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5IdeqMgUM2WSqdnDUnz5vAXNlpPeXqbRNo88YO53M_taPPqHIrJWIm75bR6y7D8W5NKuTzp0D5fTrpSXo2fBAAFOMLF39jDTWIpssnle-T_ftasKXD0jwW24Q4DL7YVYWvs9R_t-inDk/s200/New+WoW.JPG" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted b</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">y</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"> </span><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Jill at Breaking the Spine</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">and is a wonderful way to share books you are waiting on and add books to your TBR list!</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">This week I'm waiting on...</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigl0O5BuGfmHgMZmpHKyskMsb3CrDTUZl2QawKWPBG4C_LnJ0h_uBqLwaLa6DtBaxtYapDrdPfuSSdznhPEMg_oIgj8ey8708ZJqkCFf-Lz9BqswH2JxHrdN4-Dd4sQ9g2x4PXf1SByqs/s1600/secret+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigl0O5BuGfmHgMZmpHKyskMsb3CrDTUZl2QawKWPBG4C_LnJ0h_uBqLwaLa6DtBaxtYapDrdPfuSSdznhPEMg_oIgj8ey8708ZJqkCFf-Lz9BqswH2JxHrdN4-Dd4sQ9g2x4PXf1SByqs/s320/secret+%25281%2529.jpg" width="217" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Synopsis:</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><strong>Nowhere is safe. Not even home…</strong><br /><br />Nick Merrick is stretched to the breaking point.<br /><br />Keep his grades sky-high or he’ll never escape his hometown.<br />Keep his brother’s business going or the Merricks will be out on the street.<br />Keep the secret of where he’s going in the evenings from his own twin—-or he’ll lose his family.<br /><br />Keep his mind off the hot, self-assured dancer who’s supposed to be his “girlfriend’s” partner.<br /><br />Of course there’s also the homicidal freak Quinn has taken to hanging around, and the Elemental Guide counting the hours until he can try again to kill the Merrick brothers.<br /><br />There’s a storm coming. From all sides. And then some.<br /><br />Nick Merrick, can you keep it together?</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Why Oh Why?</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">I was spinning on a ferris wheel while I was trying to think of another story. But none other books come to mind. Sure, their are plenty I am excited for, but this is the only book I am obsessively waiting for and wish I could read right now. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">This book has three main characters I already love (Nick, Quinn and Adam) and one I cannot wait to see him in a not vile way. Anti-heros are the best characters in my books, especially the ones who learn to break away from prior views.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Thanks for reading!</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" /></a></div>
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Rachel http://www.blogger.com/profile/05123061163236150743noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649264765101200873.post-12727998971588372492013-09-14T21:45:00.000-04:002013-09-14T21:45:57.088-04:00ARC Review: Invisible by Marni Bates <div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Happy September Everyone!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">On to the review...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1368428465l/16281004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1368428465l/16281004.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><i>Invisible</i> by Marni Bates </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Publication Date: August 1st, 2013</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Publisher: Kensington Publishing</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Source- E-ARC on Netgalley (Thanks!)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Rating: 3/5 STEADY STARS</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">My review:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Some books have characters I immediately love. Those are the
ones I prefer because I can genuinely care and root for a characters actions.
And there are ones like this one where I immediately see flaws I find horrible.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">There were so many times when I grew furious with Jane. Jane
is the protagonist of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Invisible</i> by
Marni Bates. She is weak. She never speaks out for herself. She judges others.
She is crazy jealous of her two closest friends, Kenzie and Corey. Still, I
admit expected her to be weak from the title. Still, I cannot root for her
passivity and a narrow-minded attitude. I could accept her while she grew
through her experiences. Just never forgot her shortcomings. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">There are some books, like Teen Idol by Meg Cabot, that are
about speaking out for others. And there are ones, like this one, that are
about speaking out for oneself. Both speaking out books are about realizing that
no one is a reflected image. That judging others without moving through the
image gives you a faulty view. I admire this message and I liked seeing it occurred
in this novel. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">I also liked how this book shared the different kinds of stamina
owned by journalists and creative writers. Some people can be both but some,
like Jane, can only be one. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">I enjoyed the funny moments in this dramatic story. I
regarded Scott as the best person in the story. The photographer, who admits
his reporter drive (that can be aggravating occasionally), accepts diverging
personalities and owns, the best characteristic, humor. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">In all, Invisible is book that moves steadily. I am impressed
by the message’s the author aimed to provide the reader and the chance she took
with an unlikable narrator. Its enjoyable enough and I definitely appreciated Bate’s
simple, engaging prose.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47;">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Thanks for reading!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
Rachel http://www.blogger.com/profile/05123061163236150743noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649264765101200873.post-38548819960405093102013-09-07T00:45:00.005-04:002013-09-07T01:02:43.932-04:00ARC Review: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater <div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Hi Lovely People! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">In the midst of my busy college life, I had the time to experience and review <i>The Dream Thieves</i> by Maggie Stiefvater. I want to thank Scholastic for allowing me to read an E-ARC on Netgalley. The following review is completely honest and a bit contradictory because my emotions towards this story are captured in a personally unfamiliar paradox. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1367060081l/17347389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1367060081l/17347389.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><i>The Dream Thieves </i>by Maggie Stiefvater</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Publication Date: September 17th, 2013</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Publisher: Scholastic </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Source- E-ARC on Netgalley</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Rating</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">: </span>THOUGHTS OF GRAY STARS</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">My review:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Immediately
after finishing review:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Dream Thieves</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> by Maggie Stiefvater is both excellent
and terrible. While reading, I felt both detached and impressed. The final
pages urge me to forget the rough start and just remember the beauty of what I
just read, the final surprise. To just remember the strong passion that erupted
inside me as I was rooting for the Grey Man and Ronan in their individual
quests. But I can't forget the many pages waiting for me to feel connected. The
reading time where I just want to stop reading because the writing, though
gorgeous and special, lack a sweet rhythm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Later in the day
review: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">If you were to
ask me, “Which author do I wish I could write like? “, I would immediately say,
“Maggie Stiefvater.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Maggie weaves
ordinary words in an mystical order that leaves behind a masterpiece. She is a master at the
intricate rule of creative writing- to show instead of simply stating events. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Two instances: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">“Was he unsaved?
Would he have ever ended up any other way?” pg. 225 of my E-ARC<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">These words lit
a fire within me that wanted to hug this character. A urge to do something,
anything, to alleviate his pain and wishing along with anything his present
state was unaffected by his past. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">“The past was
something that had happened to another version of himself, a version that could
be lit and hurled away.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">This is an
amazing metaphor that you will have to read this story to fully comprehend. The
comma is in the perfect place. This sweet rendition brilliantly reveals a
character reaching a euphoric state.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Both lines
lingered in my mind because of the words are in all the right places. How can
Maggie do this in every of her written lines?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">While every
sentence is a rich diamond, a connective rhythm did not carry between the story
and me throughout every page, every moment.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Some moments my
connection to the story drifted. I found myself just reading to see what’s
next, but not enjoying the process. The leaves of boredom did not stem from
which character was narrating. Instead, the leaves grew from the slow events, the
slow transgression to plot and confusion. These are the moments where I am
thinking, “When can this story be over?” and “Maybe I should give up?” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Then, moments
come where I am completely awake and aching. Moments where I am enthralled by
the story, feeling pity, rage, astonishment, love. Suddenly, everything makes
sense because I am thoroughly involved and understand what is inexplicably said
and just pictured. Oh, that character is now ... Ahhhhh. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">The characters
are all the life force that strengthens this story. Adam touches me with his
pain and longing for love. Gansey is gripping and strong, full of leadership
and courage. Ronan is a loving brother and forgiver. Blue is rich of life. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Noah and The
Gray Man are my favorite characters. They highlighted my reading journey. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Noah. I love the
quiet guys. I wish upon a star that he will be the main Raven Boy in the next
book. So much of him remains a mystery. I need his perspective. He possessed a
staring role in my favorite chapter of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dream
Thieves</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">When I first met
the Gray Man, it was during a part of the story where I was completely detached
from the story. I felt a rush of déjà vu, as heavy as water dripping from a
waterfall. The rush felt like a throbbing neck, an injury that could result
from strong pressure from water. A question emerged in my head, “Would he be a
second Whelk?” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Thankfully he
was not. He is more than he appears to be. He is neither good nor bad, neither
unforgivable nor forgivable, neither lifeless nor energetic. He is a man with a
thorn prickling inside him and above him. I desperately wished for the
disintegration of that thorn.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">This is a special read. It was a hard read. A read
I would not re-read. A book you need to read. Read when you are ready to stick inclusively to the story with strong concentration.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47;">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Thanks for reading!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Rachel http://www.blogger.com/profile/05123061163236150743noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649264765101200873.post-60095220785226475572013-09-02T16:13:00.003-04:002013-09-02T16:13:52.945-04:00ARC Review: Scorched by Mari Mancusi <div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Hi Everyone!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">The last few weeks have been exciting. I started my first semester of college and my first internship. After some awkward starts and a little stress over homework, I am now ready to blog again. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">I want to first thank my friend Rachel from </span><a href="http://thereadersden.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">The Reader's Den </span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">for providing me an ARC of</span><i style="color: #741b47;"> Scorched</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"> by Mari Mancusi. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1376841560l/16006945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1376841560l/16006945.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"> <i>Scorched</i> by Mari Mancusi </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Publication Date: September 3rd, 2013</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Source: Rachel from The Reader's Den</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Rating: 3/5 FRIZZLING STARS</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16006945-scorched?from_search=true"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;">Add To Goodreads!</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">My Review:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">
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</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">Dragons! I love these steaming animals. Manusi sure knew how
to create attraction to these creatures. They reminded me of sweet dogs. Manusi
excelled when it came to describing dragons and creating the world. </span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
I found the two brothers from the future, Caleb and Conner,
impressive. They were both were blinded by their own views of the world in the
beginning, but I found their perception grew throughout the story. I love
character growth in books and theirs was splendidly done while they stayed true
to their core identity. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
I wish more of the story existed in the two brother’s
perspective. During Caleb’s and Conner’s time, I became enthralled with their
dismal history and charisma. I hoped for their success even when they were
wrong. I liked Trinity’s sassy grandfather too who willfully did anything necessary
for his granddaughter’s safety. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
I found myself mentally tired during Trinity’s perspective.
I became unconnected in her mind waiting for the next moment for another person
to speak. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Scorched</i> was
exciting at points. At others it just ran along. I found it hard to want to
read this book in one sitting while the story’s direction was completely obvious.
It was full of good ideas. Its execution just <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lacks</i> the impressive zing marking the Unforgettable Factor. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Still, I am interested in continuing for more Caleb, Conner,
and most importantly, Trinity’s grandfather. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">Thanks for reading!</span></div>
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Rachel http://www.blogger.com/profile/05123061163236150743noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649264765101200873.post-58163891244367559932013-08-15T09:05:00.003-04:002013-08-15T11:17:03.379-04:00Blog Tour: Uninvited by Leah Spiegel and Meg Summers Review<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Hi Everyone!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Today I am happily participating in the book tour for <i>Uninvited</i> by Leah Spiegel and Meg Summers. Gosh, this book is completely hilarious! The blog tour is ran by Xpresso Book Tours.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Uninvited by Leah Spiegel and Meg Summers </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Publication Date: February 11th, 2012</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Source: Electronic Review Copy</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Rating: 4/5 LOVABLE STARS</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13485064-uninvited?ac=1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Add To Goodreads!</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.ca/South-Hills-Sidekicks-Uninvited-ebook/dp/B0078GITX4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367940742&sr=8-1&keywords=Uninvited+leah"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #7f6000;">Purchase on Amazon! (Only 99 cents on Kindle!)</span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Book Synopsis:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">When Alley started her senior year at Upper East High in the South Hills area, it was supposed to be the usual drag of hanging out with people who spent more on one outfit than Alley did on her entire wardrobe. That was until Kirsten, a girl in their clique, suddenly goes missing and the only people who seem to care are her friends. All evidence leads to the new comer Shane, a cocky and self-pretentious person in Alley’s opinion, but the police seem uninterested so she and the rest of the girls start a little investigation of their own. But they are nowhere closer to finding Kirsten than when they started and now they had the police’s attention; just not in the way they expected. The girls have to start over and discover that maybe it wasn’t an outsider who took Kirsten, but someone within their own clique who has something to hide; a secret that just might have gotten Kirsten killed.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">About the authors:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Although we moved down to North Carolina several years ago, we’re originally from the Pittsburgh area. (That’s why a lot of our characters either live in the Burgh or reference our hometown football team, The Pittsburgh Steelers.) And yes, we even have the Southern accents to show for it now. Although Megan’s is considerable thicker, Leah still can’t understand the locals.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">We are known as ‘the sisters’ among our neighborhood; when actually we’re probably really known as ‘the sisters with the Yorkies’. Our pups, Skippy Jon Jones and Captain Jack Sparrow, were given long names to compensate for their small size but not their large personalities.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">If Leah’s not glued to her electronic devices, AKA her Kindle Fire and various laptops, you can find her training ‘the attack dogs’, running on the treadmill while conceiving the next great book idea with the Dave Matthews Band, Muse, Florence and the Machine, The Lumineers, and Pink (just to name a few) blaring out of her earphones.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">If Megan’s not glued to her electronic devices AKA her iPad and Nook Color, you can find her teaching fourth graders, swimming marathon style at the pool, or cuddling with ‘the attack dogs’ as she watches Duck Dynasty, Gold Rush, Scandal, Person of Interest, Morning Joe, etc.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Leah graduated from Edinboro University with a BA in Art Education. Megan received her teaching degree from Edinboro University and Masters in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Technology from Grand Canyon University. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">My review:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Honestly, I
didn’t know what we were doing here as I jerked the jeep into the first
available space next to the stadium. What did they expect to find at a soccer
game; Kirsten tied up in the locker room?” pg. 176<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; text-align: left;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Uninvited</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> by Leah Spiegel and Meg Summers is the
first of a trilogy. In this book, the protagonist Alley, her best friend Val
and her friends Kayla and Libby search for their missing friend Kirsten. First
suspect? Shane. The mysterious new student who Libby saw having a mysterious
conversation with Kirsten. The new kid the police just do not both to consider
as a suspect at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The antics these
four amateur investigators encounter on their search for their friend’s
whereabouts are wonderful. At first, I did not like how Alley was so cynical
that she viewed her friends as Val friends and her own. But then, I realize she
was feeing like she did not belong, a feeling I sometimes felt as a teenager.
And as the book strolled along, Alley never was close to Kayla or Libby, but
they did have a good time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">I liked how all four
were fantastic people. Val is a cheerful klutz who is smart and tenacious.
Libby is a bit insecure in regards to her relationship with her boyfriend and
reluctant to independently search for Kristen kidnapper. Kayla is funny and
caring as she encourages Libby to help with the search. Alley may be
fashionably challenged and cynical at times, but she stays true to finding the
truth as she does anything for a girl she found unlikeable. All four of them
are brave. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Shane. Boy, he was clever. I give him lots of love. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Shane and
Alley’s interactions were delightful making their “not-a-romance-yet” the best
relationship in the book. I love how Shane’s feelings toward Alley transformed
from amused to annoyed to spiteful to caring to all those feelings at the same
time. And how Alley’s feelings towards Shane were annoyed to annoyed to
spiteful to liking to crushing all these feelings at the same time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">However, what
causes this book to rock is the humorous exchanges. The writers have a knack on
writing comedic lines. I tried to eat some raspberries while reading and ended
up giving up on ever eating (till the book was over). I just could not stop
laughing. What type of laughter did I own? The type where I laughed so hard it
hurts. The humor reigns in banter that is silly and loveable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">A Humorous Clip:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Ah,” he added
happily from somewhere in the living room, probably on the leather couch if I
had to guess. “This is cozy,” he said, causing me to narrow my eyes
suspiciously. Either he was nuts and liked to talk to himself, or he was
enjoying himself way, way too much. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I think I’ll
just watch some baseball. Yep.” He took a sip of his drink. “Sounds like an
plan.” pg 136<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I
had no trouble discovering why the police ignored the Shane posibility. They
mystery to who took Kirsten had the surprising results. I mean I did suspect the
culprit, but I also suspect many other characters. I am glad the mystery
diverges from the typical murder mystery. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">This
book is wonderful. A delightful experience I relived yesterday. Yes, this is a
rare mystery that can be re-read because the resolution is not what caused me
to love this book. Instead it was the humor, the writing and the characters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I
am eager to see what Alley, Val, Kayla, Libby and Shane do next in the second
two books of the trilogy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">To
conclude is a terrific exchange between Alley and my favorite boisterous cop. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">“I’m
doing surveillance,” he cleared his throat and explained.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">“Of
my house?” I tilted my head a fraction as if to say, why?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">“No.”
He pointed four houses down. “Of that house.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Turning
to look at a brick house with white shutters, I asked, “Mrs. Ollis’s house?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">“Yep.”
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">“The
kindergarten teacher?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">“No...umm,”
he continued, “the next house down.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">“Mr.
Rodgers, the preacher?” “<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">No,”
he said with an edge. “The next one.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">“Mrs.
Herman, the elderly lady?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">“What
do you live on, freaking fairy lane?” he grumbled and then typed something on
his laptop nearby. “Sorry, I mean the next house.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">“Mr. Nadler, the firefighter?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">“Yep, Mr. Nadler.” He suddenly
grinned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Crossing
my arms over my chest, I asked, “And why would you be watching his house?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">“Just
to make sure little boys aren’t going in and out,” he said with a wink. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">“Oh my god, he’s a perp?” Pg.
239-240</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Thanks for reading!</span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Rachel http://www.blogger.com/profile/05123061163236150743noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649264765101200873.post-2334024490578848032013-08-11T23:21:00.003-04:002013-08-11T23:24:06.043-04:00Reality Ends Here by Alison Gaylin Review<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Hi Everyone!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Today I am reviewing...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1368431245l/16130165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1368431245l/16130165.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><i>Reality Ends Here</i> by Alison Gaylin</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Publication Date: June 10th, 2013</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Publisher: Pocket Star</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Source: E-ARC from Netgalley</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Rating: 2.5/5 ALLRIGHT STARS</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16130165-reality-ends-here">Add to Goodreads!</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">My Review:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Well, I find <i>Reality
End Here</i> by Alison Gayin divides into two parts. One part wanders about
a reality show family hysteria and the second part beats a thriller mystery. </span></div>
</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">I found the first part the better of the two sections. The
distance and struggle for reconciliation between Estella and her mother.
Estella’s adorable younger siblings that each had their own issues that I wish
they did not have to experience yet. The story relates the scrutiny Estella has
to deal with as a reality star. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">The mystery runs in absurdity. I believed the story was
exciting and entertaining. I wished I everything came together though in a
sense of more related cause and effects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Basically, the mystery exploration existing in a less jumpy manner. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Estella is not among my list of touching characters. Her circumstances
are what interested me. But she never goes beyond her circumstances to become a
person I would root for or want to meet in reality. </span></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">This is an interesting story. The plot is imperfect yet I
found it amusing. The beginning’s is wonderful as it portrays of adorable young
children in a genuine manner. The mystery's results were a mixture of bothersome stretches and surprising movements. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">It is just not a story that lingers. I hardly remember many
of the characters of reaching beyond the surface. </span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">Thanks for reading!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s111/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s111/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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Rachel http://www.blogger.com/profile/05123061163236150743noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649264765101200873.post-30181453099699837952013-08-09T02:00:00.000-04:002013-08-09T02:00:05.758-04:00Blog Tour: Awakenings by J.E. Shannon- Review, Excerpt<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Hi Everyone!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpckEIfv-Tz4pw6fG8HFJ_KS0SrBVKERZ7JJIyKn9OUrBFelY4usDzjUxyx-pmG04F1R33moClEocCWA7WSyMkQ9O50xc1Bb3VLojPHBkg6PFmqQVwDlaWpCpaxxN7ZFbAHJJadOaOZ48/s1600/Awakenings.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpckEIfv-Tz4pw6fG8HFJ_KS0SrBVKERZ7JJIyKn9OUrBFelY4usDzjUxyx-pmG04F1R33moClEocCWA7WSyMkQ9O50xc1Bb3VLojPHBkg6PFmqQVwDlaWpCpaxxN7ZFbAHJJadOaOZ48/s320/Awakenings.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Today I am participating in the blog tour for <i>Awakenings</i> by J.E. Shannon organized by Emily Marquart of Entranced Publishing. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgta6aFVHcd10NI2NE1WmPTgVqUm1-MSmDfMxwMvcCxxrg0Lk5fVBk9-j6STFi8WykPIHVya1L2aEe8Voe3ryO_otT48W4FDD2AgZxlLlyrR25X9zMx9ykMrfee6TqSjhHsF8Q2u1umIcc/s1600/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgta6aFVHcd10NI2NE1WmPTgVqUm1-MSmDfMxwMvcCxxrg0Lk5fVBk9-j6STFi8WykPIHVya1L2aEe8Voe3ryO_otT48W4FDD2AgZxlLlyrR25X9zMx9ykMrfee6TqSjhHsF8Q2u1umIcc/s320/cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Awakenings by J.E Shannon</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Publication Date: July 29th 2013</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Publisher: Entranced Publishing</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Rating:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17786348-awakenings"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;">Add To Goodreads!</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Synopsis:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Evie
Shepard awakens to a nightmare. She's been buried alive and has no idea how or
why. As she struggles to remember what happened, she begins to notice changes
-- heightened senses, as well as increased speed, agility, and strength. And
her heart no longer beats. She soon makes a disturbing discovery: she wasn't
buried alive; she was murdered. Somehow, she has come back...and she wants
revenge.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">About the Author:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">J. E. Shannon
currently lives in Florida, but is a Missouri native. She spends most of her
time reading, writing, and taking care of her small child and two crazy dogs.
Visit her at <a href="http://www.jeshannonbooks.com/">www.jeshannonbooks.com</a>. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://jeshannonauthor.blogspot.com.au/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Blog </span></a><a href="https://twitter.com/JEShannonauthor" style="color: #bf9000;">Twitter</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/:%20https://www.facebook.com/pages/J-E-Shannon/433304970085317?fref=ts"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Facebook </span></a></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">My Review:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></span>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">My greatest fear is being buried alive. Actually, anything
dealing with dirt over my face irks me. My face twitches base on smell of dirt.
And dirt is itch enough when its on my skin. </span></span></div>
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">When it comes to buried alive, I’m fear losing the ability
to breath and becoming stuck in the narrow and tight space that is underground.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Awakenings</i> by
J.E. Simmon, the protagonist Evie finds herself buried. But she neither is
alive nor remains trapped. She is, in frank, a dead being bent on vengeance.
Revenge for her killer and the awful people who enslaved her sister and many
more people. These people had separated her family and many more families. Evie’s
realistic struggle she had against her new supernatural urges was cleverly
portrayed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">The dark subject matter explores a dangerous area of human
nature filled with frightening descriptions. I enjoyed this story that
highlights dangers of the world around us, but also the strength of good
people, dead or alive. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">This story has humor and good characters. It leans away from
absolute happiness. Hope remains while Evie and her companions go through a
story of great sorrow mixed with heroic action. The back-stories to ruthless Aime
and determined Ethan were wonderful surprises that helped me completely care
for them as I did for Evie. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">All in all, I found <i>Awakenings</i>
well worth reading.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75;">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Excerpt: </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<br />
<div class="BodyA" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Lightning strikes the
ground, leaving behind a thick, black scorch mark. Within seconds, it strikes a
second time, pausing briefly before giving a third earth-shattering blow. I
don’t see the actual bolts — all I see is a flash of light, followed by my sister
and me running, out of breath and terrified. Another flash, and we are huddled
together in a rusted, abandoned car. Another burst of light, and the car door
screeches open and we are being ripped away from each other by unfamiliar
hands. It’s with that final memory that I open my eyes. As soon as I do,
something grainy flows into them, so I shut them again. </span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">I can’t see, I can’t
hear; but I can feel that I’m lying on cold earth. The longer I’m awake, the
more I become aware of an unbelievable pressure on my chest. Slowly, I realize
that it’s not just my chest — my face and body also feel as if I’m being
crushed. Oily nausea roils through me, but I clench my teeth to stop myself
from panicking. Where am I? I try to move my hands and find they’re pinned to
my side. I try to open my eyes again and instantly get something in them. I
flex my fingers, and the grittiness that slips through them makes me aware of
the awful truth — I have been buried alive.</span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I let out a shriek, but have to close my
mouth as dirt begins to slip past my lips. Struggling frantically, I feel the
earth move under my hands. I realize I can’t be buried very deep, or the
pressure of the dirt would surely have suffocated me by now. I’m astounded it
hasn’t already, though I have no way of knowing how long I’ve been underground.
I force myself to be still, to stop and think about what I have to do. I need
to be very careful getting out, making sure not to cause a cave-in and possibly
crush myself. I need to remember to breathe shallowly or I will run out of oxy—
And that’s when I realize that I’m not breathing. Not at all.</span></div>
<div class="BodyA" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Thanks for reading!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></div>
Rachel http://www.blogger.com/profile/05123061163236150743noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649264765101200873.post-39076770728530054922013-08-07T23:01:00.004-04:002013-08-07T23:02:47.044-04:00ARC Review: A Tale of Two Centuries by Rachel Harris<div style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Hi Everyone!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Today I am reviewing:</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1375022137l/15714722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1375022137l/15714722.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><i>A Tale of Two Centuries</i> by Rachel Harris</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Publication Date: August 6th, 2013</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Publisher: Entangled Publishing </span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Source- E-ARC sent by Heather Riccio </span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 5/5 BABBLING STARS</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15714722-a-tale-of-two-centuries" style="color: #199900; text-decoration: none;">Add To Goodreads!</a></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">My Review:</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">This magnificent story leaves me metaphorically with a delighted
smile and eyes that are shaped like hearts. These hearts relate my love for
this beautiful story. </span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Less was my favorite character from the first book and
remains so. I enjoyed seeing her grow, not just in confidence, but also in
knowing what she really wants and becoming fully proud of her identity. I love
our connection becoming joyful and separate from the world while acting. </span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">“You will always have me. [ … ] It matters not whether I’m
here in body or merely in your heart. We are family, Cat.” Pg. 111 of my ARC. </span></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">My favorite relationship is the caring one between Less and
Cat. A friendship strong and true bonded by more then sharing time-travel
magic. Bonded by understanding and determination.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">The story was an exciting one. I never read a book featuring
a historical person visiting modern day before. Everyone I could hope for
resided in this book. There were relatable awkward experiences and enjoyable
water activities. The story graces two sweet growing love relationships. </span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">The writing is smooth. I relish every word and moment. I
holler with love this story where Less experiences a world anew. Really, her
ways of describing the contemporary world were genuine to what I believe would
be the view of a 1500’s girl. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">In the end, I say thank you Rachel Harris for writing this
unforgettable story. I am anticipating the next. Could, maybe, Less’s brother Cipanio
appear?</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #274e13;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Flirt Squad Challenge: Reasons Austin Makes Me Blush:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<ol>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Firm determination. "One way or another, Alessandra, I'm Yours until your get rid of me." pg. 284 of my E-ARC. </span></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Appreciates another. "And being with you this week, watching you and seeing how trusting and honest you are, how much you care about everyone ... Alessandra, it changed something in me." pg. 242 of my E-ARC</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Winks!</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Adventurous and has great ideas like Jet-Sking.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">His powerful hug. "Gathering me to his chest, he curls his shoulders around me as if he can protect me" pg. 282 of my E-ARC </span></span></li>
</ol>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Thanks for reading!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydkWav8N5rRe_ZpJEHDAihon9T13dcWRr1ym9bk3L2lAaTM12_Z50WH_Y5_PuQeeIdu1sQhoZBrxqkGEq58XHKcA5w8zWXOwaysC0V5FjwcwSqlAK5ebMoP-B0R1jPQBzr3s68UdTFbI/s1600/B36DF9D30A20DDBEDC02F64DFDFC41D5.png" /></a></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
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Rachel http://www.blogger.com/profile/05123061163236150743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649264765101200873.post-30374752193264038212013-08-06T00:00:00.000-04:002013-08-06T09:33:03.524-04:00Release Day Launch: A Tale of Two Centuries by Rachel Harris- Excerpt, Deleted Scene and Giveaway! <div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Hi Everyone! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQHeR1xr_LbltS_a6CubaEz3gS5XWh0QtxbuIKR4F90XH2RR6gA4znb5HTyOEq1jOCjaMCU7iahyphenhyphenJlZzUYx8ABuc5HFawHfIh-667-4vzIvdnMjALhTEh5c5dltoh7M4M4x7uwHWlJ8y0/s1600/ATOTC_RDL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQHeR1xr_LbltS_a6CubaEz3gS5XWh0QtxbuIKR4F90XH2RR6gA4znb5HTyOEq1jOCjaMCU7iahyphenhyphenJlZzUYx8ABuc5HFawHfIh-667-4vzIvdnMjALhTEh5c5dltoh7M4M4x7uwHWlJ8y0/s320/ATOTC_RDL.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Today I am a glad to be a participant of the Release Day Launch for <i>A Tale of Two Centuries</i> by Rachel Harris. The launch is ran by Kelly Simmon of InkSlingerPR.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">The sweet Rachel Harris has a treat for anyone who has ordered this book this week or before. All you have to do is send your order receipt to rachelharris1@gmail.com and you will receive an exclusive Austin trading card, a ticket to Less's play and a signed bookplate!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><i>A Tale of Two Centuries</i> by Rachel Harris</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Publication Date: August 6th, 2013</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Publisher: Entangled Publishing </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Source- E-ARC sent by Heather Riccio </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 5/5 BABBLING STARS</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15714722-a-tale-of-two-centuries"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Add To Goodreads!</span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Synopsis:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Alessandra D’Angeli is in need of an adventure. Tired of her sixteenth-century life in Italy and homesick for her time-traveling cousin, Cat, who visited her for a magical week and dazzled her with tales of the future, Alessandra is lost. Until the stars hear her plea.<br /><br />One mystical spell later, Alessandra appears on Cat’s Beverly Hills doorstep five hundred years in the future. Surrounded by confusing gadgets, scary transportation, and scandalous clothing, Less is hesitant to live the life of a twenty-first century teen…until she meets the infuriating—and infuriatingly handsome—surfer Austin Michaels. Austin challenges everything she believes in…and introduces her to a world filled with possibility.<br /><br />With the clock ticking, Less knows she must live every moment of her modern life while she still can. But how will she return to the drab life of her past when the future is what holds everything she’s come to love?</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">ATOTC Excerpt:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 26px;"><span style="line-height: 32px;">Without stopping or even slowing his stride, he grabs a map from a vendor and flips it open. “So Lethal Xperience</span><span class="Apple-style-span"><i style="line-height: 32px;"></i></span><span style="line-height: 32px;">is at the back of the park. We’ll hit that first and then make our way up to the front.”</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="line-height: 32px;">He seems unaware that the length of his legs far exceeds my own. As I frantically attempt to match his stride, I must pant or wheeze because he finally looks down at me, no doubt pink-faced and wide-eyed both from the sensory overload surrounding us and my huffing at a near jog to stay beside him. He grins. “Try to keep up, Short Stuff.”</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;">I grit my teeth with determination and somehow keep myself from muttering, <i>Yes, Master.</i> But the thought still makes me smile. Cat must be rubbing off.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;">We pass a circular ride filled with fake horses going up and down. Giggling and drooling children clap their adorable hands from their belted saddles while a spirited tune blares overhead. Just past that is a miniature roller coaster made to look like a giant, happy centipede. The child in the front seat waves to his mother as the cart dips, and his squeal of joy tails behind him. It’s too bad that not all roller coasters can be five feet tall.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;">Then I get a wicked idea.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;">Austin believes I am a child, naive and boring, and, it would seem, without any humor. This second challenge is supposed to be about fun, and nothing—not even the lead role in a prestigious play with a crowd of a thousand—will give me more joy than turning the tables on him, even if only for a moment.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;">Looking back at the children’s ride, I grab Austin’s elbow and say innocently, “Is this not the roller coaster you are looking for?”</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;">He stops rather abruptly and peers at me through squinted eyes. “You know, it’s like you <i>look</i> normal…” He trails off and shakes his head. He points a long tan finger at the centipede ride and in a tone dripping with condescension explains, “Less, Arthropod Picnic<i> </i>is a kiddie ride. It’s made for pint-size ankle-biters ages three and under.”</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;">I try my best to look disappointed. I do everything I can to contain my mounting delight. But after no more than a few brief moments, I let forth a victorious giggle.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;">Realization dawns on his face. “You think you’re funny, huh?”</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;">When I nod, he chuckles. He leans back on his heels and lets his gaze travel over my body. Humor dissipates as my skin prickles to life. On Austin’s slow ascent back up, he pauses to look me in the eye and an emotion crosses his face. It’s so fleeting—gone and there in an instant—that I cannot catch it.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;">“So, you think you’re ready to play at the big girl table now.” The left side of his mouth kicks up in a grin. “We’ll just have to see about that.”</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;">The apparent taunt and Austin’s added wink spur me on.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;">This is my chance to prove to him that I’m not the timid girl I once was. To prove to myself that I’m no longer the child of my youth but a <i>woman</i> ready for the future.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;">I sashay toward a person dressed as a shiny nugget of gold posing for pictures with children, feeling Austin watching me, his gaze on my every step like a physical touch. My legs feel wobbly under my skirt, but an energizing spark ignites in my blood. I glance over my shoulder, confirming I have his complete attention, and then with an outward shrug (and an inner dance), I reply with every ounce of confidence I can muster, “Yes. We <i>will</i>.”</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;">Austin’s smile widens. The sounds and patrons of the park fade away, and it is as if we are the only two around. I don’t know what is happening…I scarcely even recognize myself in this moment. Being with Austin does that. It turns me into someone else.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;">And I like who I become.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;">I watch his slow saunter, my body poised with tension. I don’t know what is going to happen next, but I wouldn’t trade the delicious expectation for anything. Austin doesn’t stop until he is right in front of me, close enough that I have to look up to meet his demanding blue gaze, and so close that warmth fans across my face as he says in a low voice, “Careful, girl. You’re playing with fire.”</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;">“I’ve been <i>careful </i>my whole life,” I tell him, surprising myself with the resentment ringing in my tone. But it’s the truth. “And you know, I think it’s about time for me to be a little…” I bite the corner of my bottom lip, searching for exactly the right word to describe the emotions and thoughts that have surfaced the last few days. When I find it, I smile and wiggle my eyebrows suggestively “<i>Wild</i>.”</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;">Austin sucks in a breath. He searches my eyes and I boldly stare back, praying that he cannot see my knees shaking. Then, obviously concluding that I meant every word, he flashes his devilish grin. “I can work with that.”</span></div>
</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
Flirt Squad Exclusive - A Splendid Deleted Scene! </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">“Anything with you is exciting, Princess.” He
moves his hand beneath my thick hair and plays with the wisps at the nape of my
neck. Brushing his lips against mine, just a tease, he then lifts his head and
grins. “And, it just so happens I like pizza”—another light brush—“and movies.”
His mouth presses more firmly this time for a prolonged, lingering touch, and
then he shrugs. “And I guess the company is decent enough.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">“Oh, is that right?” I ask, trying to feign
insult, but mostly succeeding in sounding breathless. “Only decent?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">He glides the tip of his nose against mine. “Mmm
hmm.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">I pinch the taut skin at his waist and he
chuckles. The sound does glorious things to my insides. Then, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">finally</i>, Austin strengthens his hold
around me, crushing me to his chest, and tilts his head, capturing my lips in a
long, searing kiss that has me clinging to his shoulders.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">“Oh yuck,” a disgusted voice says a little
later. “No offense, Alessandra, but I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really
</i>don’t want to see my brother doing that.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">With an abrupt laugh of embarrassment, I pull
away and bury my head in the crook between Austin’s neck and shoulder. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">He sighs. “Jamie, your timing is excellent as
always.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">“Hey, it’s a gift.” At the spirited tone in her
voice, I look up. Jamie scrunches her nose. “But seriously, it should be
illegal for big brothers to make out in public. It’s traumatizing.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">A ghost of a smile plays on Austin’s slightly
kiss-swollen lips. “Well, you know, next time you could just walk away and not
interrupt.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">“But where’s the fun in that?” she asks with a
mock-frown. Then she grabs my hand and tugs me away from Austin’s arms and into
her own—the enthusiasm of her hug nearly knocking me over. “And dude, why
didn’t you tell me the two of you were hooking up? You do realize we’re
practically sisters now. Sisters spill the deets.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">“Uh,” I say intelligently, more than a little
confused on how to proceed. I lean back and look at Austin. “Well—”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">“Because maybe some people have class?” Austin
softens his words by rubbing the top of his sister’s head. Jamie rolls her eyes
and slaps his hand away, but the apparent affection between them makes me smile
despite my previous mortification. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">“Whatever,” she says. “For real, I’m just glad
you finally wised up. You’re lucky my girl put up with you until you did. Are
you done with rehearsal?” This last part she directs at me, swinging her eyes
back to me as swiftly as the topic change.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">“Just finished,” I confirm. Though my head still
spins from her chaotic way of speaking, I can’t help feeling proud of my
ability to keep up. If I can navigate the muddy waters of Jamie’s conversation
with ease, there’s no doubt I’ve become fully acclimated to this world. “And my
driver is waiting outside, or else I’d stay for yours. I am sure you’ll be
wonderful.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">She licks her finger and makes a sizzling noise
as she touches her shoulder. “You know it.” She laughs again and gently shoves
my shoulder toward Austin. “I’m gonna let you two say your mushy good-byes in
private, ’cause seeing that once in a lifetime is more than enough.” Wiggling
her fingers in a wave she says, “Laters, bro.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">I watch Jamie walk away and turn to find Austin
doing the same with a tender smile on his face. Something in my chest squeezes
and I fall for him all the more. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">When the stage door closes shut behind her, he
turns and locks his hands around my waist. “My sister’s nuts, but she was right
about one thing.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">“And what is that?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">His forehead dips down to mine. “I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">am</i> lucky you hung around until I wised
up.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">“Well, it certainly took you long enough.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">I loop my arms around his neck with a grin, and
Austin laughs. “What can I say? Guys aren’t exactly known for being quick on
the uptake.” On the stage behind us, the shuffling sounds of the crew laying
out another scene hints at the busyness to come and I exhale a frustrated
breath, knowing it’s time to go. Austin rubs his hands up and down my arms,
almost as if he’s hesitant to let me. “I have to stay and bring Jamie home
after her scene, but I’ll come by your house after.” His eyes grow serious.
“And you better save me some pizza, woman.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">I shrug. “I shall try. But I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">am</i> feeling awfully hungry. Rehearsals
take a lot out of a girl.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">He gives me one of his devilish grins and kisses
me again, and a minute later I walk away with my own wide smile, backside
tingling from the playful swat he gave it for daring to tease him about
something as important as food. As my driver closes the door behind me and
takes off for home, I watch the theatre grow smaller through my back window and
decide that Jamie was wrong. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I</i> am the
one who is lucky. Thanks to Signore and a little gypsy magic, I’m experiencing
an opportunity of a lifetime. I have a cousin who is more like a sister to
share it with, a handful of caring friends, and a boy who makes me feel more
special and loved than I ever have before. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">Regardless of what the future holds for me, Fate
has been unbelievably kind.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Rachel Harris's Bio:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioHnJhgGzjm2vnP2ihNMcMGoCeRIH6Cmrn-WYlkQ0Yr8KhpdS4w-NFTHmi3jhkieJ1xR0D9UaJdN_2-vlyqKchP5JGn10vzNY0hLMmsp2VY8vIWB-cD4RDYWok_AbD5OmmCl6YkNZhcog/s1600/Rachel+Harris.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioHnJhgGzjm2vnP2ihNMcMGoCeRIH6Cmrn-WYlkQ0Yr8KhpdS4w-NFTHmi3jhkieJ1xR0D9UaJdN_2-vlyqKchP5JGn10vzNY0hLMmsp2VY8vIWB-cD4RDYWok_AbD5OmmCl6YkNZhcog/s200/Rachel+Harris.bmp" width="133" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Rachel Harris grew up in New Orleans, where she watched soap operas with her grandmother and stayed up late sneak reading her mama’s favorite romance novels. Now a Cajun cowgirl living in Houston, she still stays up way too late reading her favorite romances, only now, she can do so openly. She firmly believes life’s problems can be solved with a hot, powdered-sugar-coated beignet or a thick slice of king cake, and that screaming at strangers for cheap, plastic beads is acceptable behavior in certain situations.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><span lang="EN-CA">When not typing furiously or flipping pages in an enthralling romance, she homeschools her two beautiful girls and watches reality television with her amazing husband. <i>Taste The Heat </i>is her adult romance debut. She’s the author of <i>MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY</i> and <i>A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES</i>. She loves hearing from readers! Find her at </span><a href="http://www.rachelharriswrites.com/" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-CA">www.RachelHarrisWrites.com</span></a><span lang="EN-CA">.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Thanks for reading!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">I hope you return tomorrow to learn the top five reason's Austin makes me blush and to read my review!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>Rachel http://www.blogger.com/profile/05123061163236150743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649264765101200873.post-25784075754767902452013-08-05T17:35:00.001-04:002013-08-05T17:37:15.496-04:00Piece of my Heart by Lynn Maddalena Menna Mini-Review<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Hi Everyone!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Today I am reviewing ...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358135411l/16287785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358135411l/16287785.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><i>Piece of my Heart</i> by Lynn Maddalena Menna</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Publication Date: June 18th, 2013</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Publisher: Merit Books </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Source- E-ARC from Netgalley</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 3.5/5 AWED STARS</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16287785-piece-of-my-heart"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Add To Goodreads!</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">My review:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Peace of my Heart</i>
by Lynn Maddelena Mena is a wonderful surprise. I never expected to relish this
novel. I like how the dramatic and expressive writing style compares well with
Marisol’s personality. When she sings, the writing breezes with enthusiasm. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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Marisol lives in a world vastly different from my own in a
Latino community in New York. She is proud to be blessed with an amazing
signing voice. She is not the easiest character to love. But I grew to love
her. I liked her ambition, although it causes her to be brisk towards the
people who truly cared about her. She was running towards fame, living for
herself and not for others. Still she learns. And her actions lead her in
becoming an impressive human being. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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The ending contains a jewel that lies by lyrical emotion.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Thanks for reading!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Rachel http://www.blogger.com/profile/05123061163236150743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2649264765101200873.post-80272848740078569172013-07-26T09:00:00.000-04:002013-07-26T09:00:06.851-04:00Beautiful Cover Reveal: Secret by Brigid Kemmerer<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Hi Fellow Readers!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">A hard waiting period is occurring in my life. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">After becoming enchanted by the novella <i>Breathless</i> by Brigid Kemmerer that introduces the fierce but not the Gabriel-like-headstrong Adam and the first time of experiencing the minds of Quinn's and Nick, I know I am beyond eager to read this book. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Today is a happy day. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Since, finally everyone can see a beautiful cover for <i>Secret</i> by Brigid Kemmerer. I am thrilled that both of Nick's stories have my favorite covers. The one for Secret is absolutely unique and utterly lovely.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Book Info:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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Publisher: Kensington Books<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
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Publication Date: January 28, 2014</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17149088-secret"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;">Add To Goodreads!</span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">First <i>Secret</i>'s Synopsis:</span><br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">Nowhere is safe. Not
even home…</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">Nick Merrick is
stretched to the breaking point.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">Keep his grades
sky-high or he’ll never escape his hometown.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">Keep his brother’s
business going or the Merricks will be out on the street.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">Keep the secret of
where he’s going in the evenings from his own twin—or he’ll lose his family.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">Keep his mind off the
hot, self-assured dancer who’s supposed to be his “girlfriend’s” partner.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">Of course there’s also
the homicidal freak Quinn has taken to hanging around, and the Elemental Guide
counting the hours until he can try again to kill the Merrick brothers. There’s
a storm coming. From all sides. And then some.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">Nick Merrick, can you
keep it together?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">The Lovely Cover:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwibCwE0y34f8SZeUItR7flQAcP3ABSHv0tUXafKLz1rZ5i-JKCzdY33YQoh3yX7aC8WgEwYEHpAwVLc9Qo5UBkZR11I9sxl17gBWeLZnF59lmESHk3cBO4NoxhT45aa9KWq60KOVitU/s1600/secret+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwibCwE0y34f8SZeUItR7flQAcP3ABSHv0tUXafKLz1rZ5i-JKCzdY33YQoh3yX7aC8WgEwYEHpAwVLc9Qo5UBkZR11I9sxl17gBWeLZnF59lmESHk3cBO4NoxhT45aa9KWq60KOVitU/s400/secret+(1).jpg" width="271" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">My Thoughts:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I personally never cared for the previous three US covers for the series's books, which had four boys standing in front of a color background with a little cloudy movement. I did adore the<i> Breathless </i>cover because the shade of blue on it was gorgeous.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Now I am ecstatic with the choice to have <i>Secret'</i>s cover with both Nick and Quinn. Before a beautiful and majestic tree and stream no less. I like the small bit of red flowers near the left corner. The yellow color of "Secret" creates a sweet contrast to the blue. I just love looking at this cover; it is pleasant to my eyes. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">About the author: </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj4usVGWB9vvuwQ58LnJTlxDzamJnEhZpIC7S3Mt3Qu39KWD6ET6k_bA4WGl9oWinRFMOhZ8UH8_7ikzFBUQzKVGWRm8_0pbmF-m5el4rooe7xt1I_nlamUMoAdQSGEWk-fXsk-lL4hc0/s1600/Brigid+Kemmerer+Headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj4usVGWB9vvuwQ58LnJTlxDzamJnEhZpIC7S3Mt3Qu39KWD6ET6k_bA4WGl9oWinRFMOhZ8UH8_7ikzFBUQzKVGWRm8_0pbmF-m5el4rooe7xt1I_nlamUMoAdQSGEWk-fXsk-lL4hc0/s200/Brigid+Kemmerer+Headshot.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Brigid Kemmerer is the author of The Elemental Series, about a family of four brothers who control the elements, and their battle with those who want them dead. </span><i style="color: #741b47;">Storm, Spark, </i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">and </span><i style="color: #741b47;">Spirit </i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">are available now wherever books are sold. To read the novella introducing Nick’s story, be sure to check out </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Breathless </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;">(</span></i><a href="http://www.brigidkemmerer.com/books/elemental-novellas/breathless/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #7f6000;">http://www.brigidkemmerer.com/books/elemental-novellas/breathless/</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;">)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">available as an e-book only from major e-book ret<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2649264765101200873" name="_GoBack"></a>ailers. You can learn more about Brigid and the Elemental boys at </span><a href="http://www.brigidkemmerer.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #7f6000;">www.brigidkemmerer.com</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;">. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">Thanks for reading!</span></div>
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Rachel http://www.blogger.com/profile/05123061163236150743noreply@blogger.com8