tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890686396395372982024-03-05T01:33:51.307-08:00Bloggin 'Bout Books BlogUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger285125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789068639639537298.post-54507292494220884612019-05-17T19:47:00.002-07:002019-05-17T19:47:50.792-07:00Award Committees are HardHi friends...<br />
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It's been a long while since I've posted. I did my book reviews this last year on my facebook because it seemed easier at the time. I've been slacking on reviewing books. I think because I spend so much of my daily life recommending the books I've read to students. I love my job. I love that I get to talk to teens about what they're interested in and try to match that to a book that will make them eager to have a few minutes of class time to read their books.<br />
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Maybe that's why being on an award committee is hard for me.<br />
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Last year, I was a reader for a smaller, local award. I only had to read four books. I was asked not to talk about them until the award had been awarded. That was still kind of hard. I wanted to complain about the one I thought was too didactic, to bemoan the one that had such an incredible idea but had been pseudo-self-published and would have been so so much better in the hands of a professional editor and agent, I wanted to talk about how interesting the one was that brought in legends I was unfamiliar with.<br />
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This year I've been lucky enough to be on a national awards committee. I love reading for a purpose. When I'm reading for me, I get distracted. I ramble. I pick books up and put them down. I get excited about one so I desert another a scant few chapters in. But for this award, I have an obligation. I know that I'm looking for a book that will blow me away. A book that will express the pieces and parts that make up the human experience. I want to find a book that I immediately want to start reading again as soon as I finish it.<br />
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I like to give books a chance. One of my favorite books took me until chapter fifteen (Wuthering Heights in case you were wondering) to fall in love with it. And everytime the beginning of a book doesn't wow me, I think of Wuthering Heights. I like to give books room to breathe and to establish themselves. It's easy to immediately strike something. It's harder to give a book a chance. And I've been giving so many chances. I've read nearly 50 books for this committee already this year (more or less over the last 3 months, actually). I love reading across genres and from pictures books up through young adult novels.<br />
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I hate not being able to talk about what I'm reading.<br />
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"But, you can talk to the other committee members, right?"<br />
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Sure! I can! But it's a virtual committee. I barely feel like I'm getting to know a few of them from brief comments and reactions. I spend my day talking face-to-face. For me, talking isn't just words. It's body posture, it's energy, it's face journeys. I want to talk about these books like I do with my co-workers. Where we talk about the ways they've made us different people. A little over a year ago, I started watching kdramas because I read Maurene Goo's <u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31145133-i-believe-in-a-thing-called-love?from_search=true" target="_blank">I Believe in a Thing Called Love</a></u>. Now I primarily watch kdramas, I get a Korean snack box, I have two different kpop group's sweaters and I do all the kbeauty steps. Her book, weirdly, made me a healthier person--at the same time that it gave me an interest that no one in my friend group shares.<br />
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This might sound pathetic but books have created every inch of me. The fact that I sing my niece songs about food comes from Eric Carle's <u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/394771.Today_Is_Monday?from_search=true" target="_blank">Today is Monday</a></u> My environmental anxiety probably comes from my childhood obsession with Virginia Lee Burton's <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/153540.The_Little_House?from_search=true" style="text-decoration-line: underline;" target="_blank">The Little House.</a> My soul is littered with the remnants of books from my childhood. Some so strong in feeling but faint in remembrance that I can remember exact illustrations but not the name of the books. I got a master's degree in books because I don't know how to live without them. The worst time in my life is marked in my mind by the lack of books I read. Some days reading is what keeps pushing me forward.<br />
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Reading is how I make connections with other people. I will absolutely judge a person on their favorite book. I'm trying to make the shift away from "you haven't read that???" to "lucky you that you still get to read that for the first time." but it's still a shock to my heart when people tell me they haven't read something like Harry Potter (which created so much of me that I still sometimes am like, where did that come from?, oh yeah all roads lead back to Harry Potter...). I connect through the shared experience of stories.<br />
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And right now, I feel like I can't connect. It's killing me to sit on the wonderful stories I've read. Of course, not all of them are going to match what someone is looking for. Not every book is going to appeal to every person. And I can walk circles around my own feelings about a book and still recommend it : "oh, I've heard it's really good!" "oh, it's got x, y, and z that you said you liked!"<br />
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After all, I'm a librarian.<br />
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But it's hard to not be able to talk about what I'm reading. To not be able to say, yeah I read that book this weekend and it was really good, you should pick it up. Or to say, eh that book was hyped up so much and turned out to be just kind of meh. Or that book was really boring or terrible or confusing. I'm a person with a lot of opinions. And now I have to keep them to myself.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789068639639537298.post-56849323614598941482017-12-31T14:09:00.000-08:002017-12-31T14:09:16.689-08:00It's been a year<div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Gentium Basic", serif; font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">
<em>Note: The survey is for books you read throughout the year, no matter when they were published, and is not limited to just books that came out in 2017!!</em></div>
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Number Of Books You Read: 150 (!!! Met my personal goal!)<br />Number of Re-Reads: 4<br />Genre You Read The Most From: Manga and Graphic Novels probably</h3>
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<strong>1. Best Book You Read In 2017?</strong></h3>
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This is hard because I was lucky to read a lot of amazing books this year. Probably either <u>Long Way Down</u>, <u>My Friend Dahmer</u>, <u>Six of Crows</u>, or <u>A Court of Thorns and Roses</u>. </div>
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<strong>2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?</strong></h3>
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Probably <u>Asylum</u> or <u>Out of the Easy</u>. I was excited to read both of them, and they were both sort of let-downs for me.</div>
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<strong> 3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read? </strong></h3>
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Hmmm, maybe <u>The Female of the Species</u> by Mindy McGinnis.</div>
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<strong> 4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?</strong></h3>
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<u>A Court of Thorns and Roses </u> or <u>Six of Crows</u>.</div>
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<strong> 5. Best series you started in 2017? Best Sequel of 2017? Best Series Ender of 2017?</strong></h3>
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Series: <u>Six of Crows</u> or <u>A Court of Thorns and Roses</u> haha I really loved both of those</div>
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Sequel: I continued loving the Others series with <u>Etched in Bone</u> and <u>Before the Devil Breaks You</u> almost broke me.</div>
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Best Series Enders: V.E. Schwab killed it with <u>A Conjuring of Light</u> but I'm also obsessed with <u>Crooked Kingdom</u>.</div>
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<strong> 6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2017?</strong></h3>
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I really loved Mindy McGinnis's writing style. </div>
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<strong>7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?</strong></h3>
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I got really into Manga this year because I took over that section at my library job. I'm particularly into Kimi Ni Todoke.</div>
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<strong> 8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?</strong></h3>
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Hmmm probably <u>A Court of Mist and Fury</u> or <u>Crooked Kingdom</u>.</div>
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<strong> 9. Book You Read In 2017 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?</strong></h3>
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Oh my gosh, there are so many. Obviously <u>A Court of Thorns and Roses</u> and <u>Six of Crows</u> really stuck with me. I reread <u>Written in Red</u> and I'll probably reread that one again. </div>
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<strong>10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2017?</strong></h3>
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<img alt="Image result for we have always lived in the castle" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61UJ59drydL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" style="background-color: transparent;" width="213" /></div>
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<strong>11. Most memorable character of 2017?</strong></h3>
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I spend a lot of time thinking about Kaz Brekker from <u>Six of Crows</u>. Also weirdly, Dahmer from <u>My Friend Dahmer</u>.</div>
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<strong> 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2017?</strong></h3>
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I really liked <u>Uprooted</u> and <u>The Female of the Species</u>, but also <u>The Miseducation of Cameron Post</u> was the first book to really capture what Montana is like for me.</div>
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<strong>13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2017?</strong></h3>
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I'm not sure if it was life-changing but I spend a lot of time thinking about (and being unsettled by) <u>My Friend Dahmer</u>.</div>
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<strong> 14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2017 to finally read? </strong></h3>
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<u>A Court ofThorns and Roses</u> for sure! I'd been meaning to for awhile, and it was recommended to me by a friend, and it still took me forever to read it!</div>
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<strong> 15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2017?</strong></h3>
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I am literally the worst at writing down quotes, but I think a lot of the line by Kaz Brekker in <u>Six of Crows</u> "When everyone knows you're a monster, you needn't waste time doing every monstrous thing."</div>
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<strong>16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2017?</strong></h3>
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Longest: A Court of Wings and Ruin at 699 pages<br />
Shortest: Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire at 48 pages.</div>
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<strong> 17. Book That Shocked You The Most</strong></h3>
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Hmm. Either <u>Crooked Kingdom</u> or <u>The Female of the Species</u></div>
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<strong>18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)</strong></h3>
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(OTP = one true pairing if you aren’t familiar)</div>
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Kaz and Inej<br />
Feyre and Rhysand</div>
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19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year</h3>
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The whole Diviners crew</div>
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<strong>20. Favorite Book You Read in 2017 From An Author You’ve Read Previously</strong></h3>
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<u>Upside of Unrequited</u> or <u>A Court of Thorns and Roses</u></div>
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<strong>21. Best Book You Read In 2017 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:</strong></h3>
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Probably <u>Mistborn.</u></div>
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22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2017?</h3>
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Rhysand or Kaz probably</div>
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23. Best 2017 debut you read?</h3>
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<u>The Hate U Give</u> without a doubt.</div>
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24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?</h3>
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I feel like I read a lot of books with excellent settings, but since I've said <u>A Court of Thorns and Roses</u> and <u>Six of Crows</u> for everything else, probably <u>Mistborn.</u></div>
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25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?</h3>
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<u>Hilo: the Boy who Crashed to Earth</u> I could not stop laughing reading this book!</div>
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26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2017?</h3>
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<u>October Mourning</u>. I was bawling.</div>
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27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?</h3>
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I feel like <u>The Pearl Thief</u> isn't getting as much love as it deserves.</div>
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28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?</h3>
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Maybe <u>A Court of Mist and Fury</u> or <u>Strange the Dreamer</u></div>
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29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2017?</h3>
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Probably <u>Strange the Dreamer</u>.</div>
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30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?</h3>
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<u>The Female of the Species</u> without a doubt. I loved it. I was so angry when I finished it.</div>
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<strong>1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2017?</strong></h3>
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I didn't really look at many blogs this year! Goal for next year: have an answer to this question!</div>
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<strong>2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2017?</strong></h3>
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I let my blog languish this year and only wrote 6 reviews on it. On Goodreads I did a bit better, so maybe <u>The Upside of Unrequited</u>.</div>
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<strong>3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?</strong></h3>
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Literally none -ashamed-</div>
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<strong>4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?</strong></h3>
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I got to see V.E. Schwab and Madeline Roux in Bozeman, MT which was a surprise! It was a great talk too.</div>
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<strong>5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2017?</strong></h3>
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Probably seeing V.E. Schwab.</div>
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6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?</h3>
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I did not blog at all this year basically. I want to get back into it next year.</div>
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<strong>7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?</strong></h3>
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My review of <u>Exit, Pursued by a Bear</u> by views.</div>
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<strong>8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?</strong></h3>
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Any of them? Although if you don't give love, you don't get love, so I guess that's on me.</div>
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<strong>9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?</strong></h3>
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I didn't really discover much this year. Maybe manga in general? It wasn't a total discovery, but I reached a new level of appreciation for the genre.</div>
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<strong>10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?</strong></h3>
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Yes! 150 books!</div>
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</div>
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<strong>1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2017 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2018?</strong></h3>
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I mean, I always have a giant to-read list, but I have literally already started <u>Les Miserables, The Name of the Wind,</u> and <u>Year One</u>.</div>
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<strong>2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2018 (non-debut)?</strong></h3>
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<u>Lake Silence</u> sort of. </div>
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3. 2018 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?</h3>
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maybe <u>Miles Away From You</u> by A.B. Rutledge</div>
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4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2018?</h3>
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well <u>A Court of Frost and Starlight</u>, also the next Throne of Glass book. </div>
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<strong>5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2018?</strong></h3>
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Read 175 books!</div>
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6. A 2018 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone (if applicable):</h3>
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None yet!</div>
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If you could, I’d love you to leave some feedback for any questions you’d LIKE to see on this survey in the future that perhaps I don’t have on here!</h4>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789068639639537298.post-23055287939053984322017-01-14T14:39:00.000-08:002017-01-14T14:39:07.455-08:00Immortal Rules<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn2.teen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/julie-kagawa-immortal-rules-book-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn2.teen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/julie-kagawa-immortal-rules-book-cover.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<u>The Immortal Rules</u></div>
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by Julie Kagawa</div>
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Published 2013 by Harlequin Teen</div>
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Already owned</div>
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This book was ultimately very good, although it began a little bit slowly for me. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Allie is a Fringer, living Unregistered on the edge of the Vampire City. She has a small gang of three other people, but she is the only one brave enough to venture beyond the city for food and supplies and risk the danger of Rabids. Until she finds a massive stash of cans in a cellar. Then she needs the help of her gang, a choice which changes Allie's life entirely.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">I think what baffles me the most about this book is the cover changes. The one in this review is from the copy I owned. However, the original shows a girl who reads as white with a tear of blood rolling down her face. Allie is very consistently described as Asian. Thankfully, it looks like the sequel <u>The Eternity Cure</u> was released with a more accurate cover.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">While I will likely read the sequel, it's not high on my list. This does give at least a modicum of closure to the story.</span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789068639639537298.post-78238021813749754692017-01-09T16:50:00.000-08:002017-01-09T16:50:22.147-08:00Hilda and the Stone Forest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://nobrow.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/HildaAndTheStoneForest_cover_Print_RGB-e1468934446202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://nobrow.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/HildaAndTheStoneForest_cover_Print_RGB-e1468934446202.jpg" height="320" width="230" /></a></div>
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<u>Hilda and the Stone Forest</u></div>
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by Luke Pearson</div>
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Published 2016 by Flying Eye Books</div>
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Borrowed from the library</div>
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This is the fifth book in the Hilda series, but it is the first of the series I have read. I managed to jump right in with very little issues, although some of the characters were a bit unclear to me.</div>
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Hilda is a delight of a character. She's brave but also thoughtful and kind. She has a hard time listening to her mother and being careful because she is so focused on helping out others and going on adventures. Of course this gets her into trouble. The kind of trouble where she and her mom end up in a mysterious forest. </div>
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I would highly recommend this graphic novel series to anyone who enjoys books that are heavy on the fantastical with a small dash of realism.</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789068639639537298.post-44729409828133356872017-01-08T16:43:00.002-08:002017-01-08T16:43:31.933-08:00Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51bFQB5GhNL._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51bFQB5GhNL._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" /></a></div>
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<u>Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart</u></div>
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by Candace Fleming</div>
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Published 2011 by Schwartz and Wade</div>
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Borrowed from the library</div>
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While I knew that Amelia was lost at sea during a flight around the world, I had no idea she had another crewmate, and I had no idea all that led up to her flight. Fleming opens the book with a note about the complexity of researching a person who put forth intentional misinformation about themselves. This was an interesting bit to me. We don't think about how people can choose to represent themselves in any way, how the stories they tell may be nothing more than fiction. I don't read a lot of biographies, but I have enjoyed Fleming's <u>The Family Romanov</u>, a book where she didn't feel the need to make such a note. Now I'm wondering how often misinformation becomes fact because someone creates it as their own truth.</div>
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Back to Amelia. I enjoyed learning about Amelia's youth. How she worked as a nurse during World War I, how she went to college (briefly), and how she fell in love with the idea of becoming a pilot. I also love how Fleming works hard to paint Amelia honestly. Amelia was not infallible, and according to Fleming's sources, she was not even that good of a pilot. She was, however, an excellent press piece. And I enjoyed reading about the many ways Amelia and her friend-then-husband George made money off of America's desire to make a spectacle of a female pilot.</div>
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However, my favorite part of this book is the way Fleming presents Amelia's final day. She notes the many people in various places who claim to have heard Amelia calling on the radio. She notes where Amelia could have possibly been in order for the signal to travel that distance. She also explains why most of these people were not believed at the time. </div>
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I would highly recommend this book to people who love an unanswered mystery as well as to those who love learning about historical figures.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789068639639537298.post-69650691787938852722017-01-07T20:26:00.003-08:002017-01-07T20:26:51.649-08:00Sanctuary Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1351342765l/114141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1351342765l/114141.jpg" height="320" width="198" /></a></div>
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<u>Sanctuary</u></div>
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by Nora Roberts</div>
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Published: 1998 by Jove</div>
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Already owned</div>
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I found this book in a box of old books at my parent's house. I couldn't remember for sure if I had read it or not, so I decided to give it a read before donating it. </div>
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I realized about halfway through that I had, in fact read it before. But I could not remember exactly how the mystery panned out. I finished it and was satisfied with the resolution.</div>
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Jo Ellen is a photographer with a new book deal in the works. She's also being stalked. She decides to return to her home, an island named Desire and an inn named Sanctuary. There readers meet her sister, Lexy, and her brother, Brian. We get to follow the three of them as they are romanced, but also as two of the island's residents are murdered.</div>
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I would definitely recommend this book to fans of mystery and romance. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789068639639537298.post-81722645368047399712017-01-03T18:41:00.002-08:002017-01-03T18:41:56.909-08:00Exit, Pursued by a Bear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1459102915i/29630939._UY200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1459102915i/29630939._UY200_.jpg" /></a></div>
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<u>Exit, Pursued by a Bear</u></div>
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by E. K. Johnston</div>
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Published: 2016 by Dutton Books (Penguin Random House)</div>
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Bought</div>
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Hermione and Polly have one goal as cheerleading co-captains: avoid the second half of the curse of their small town. The first part of the curse is that each class has someone die. The second part is that each class has one teen pregnancy.</div>
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When Hermione is raped at cheerleading camp, the outcome is obvious. And the choice she makes fall in line with her desire to change the curse of their town. But making that choice has a different set of consequences.</div>
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I appreciated Johnston's optimistic outlook of a tragic event. She also approaches the subject with a honesty, not shying away from the trauma of surviving sexual assault or the choices that are rarely shown in teen literature. In fact, as far as I know, this is the only book where the choice hasn't already been made before the book begins.</div>
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So I appreciated this book for its new actions, and it read smoothly, but it wasn't quite a five star book for me. Highly recommend to readers who like "tough topic" reads.</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789068639639537298.post-58245342004789083392017-01-01T18:04:00.002-08:002017-01-01T18:04:55.885-08:00The Complete Brambly Hedge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61K4ttlD6yL._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61K4ttlD6yL._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
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<u>The Complete Brambly Hedge</u></div>
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by Jill Barklem</div>
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Published: 1980/2011</div>
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Bought</div>
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I love these beautiful and simple stories of the field mice (and voles!) living in the Brambly Hedge. The illustrations are lovely and intricate. I could pour over them for hours. I would have adored this as a kid, and I can see some of my students loving it. The stories are quaint, like the mice live in the 1700s or 1800s. I am a particular fan of the Winter Story with its gorgeous ice halls and winter feasts. </div>
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I would highly recommend this book to people who prefer "quiet" stories and intricate watercolor (I think?) illustrations. </div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789068639639537298.post-46414435197263195982016-12-31T19:18:00.000-08:002016-12-31T19:18:09.984-08:002016 Year in Review Survey<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">
<i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Gentium Basic, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5px;">Well friends. It's been 10 months since I blogged last. Sigh. But during that time, I moved back across the country, started a new job as an elementary school librarian, and tried not to get disheartened by the state of America. I also did read quite a bit. So I'm pumped to share my year in review with you. As with the last couple years, I'm using <a href="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/" target="_blank">Perpetual Page Turner</a>'s survey. Jamie is so incredible and amazing and she inspires me to keep blogging (even when I take an accidental 10 month vacation.)</span></span></i></div>
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<a href="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/reading-stats-2016-1024x278-768x209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/reading-stats-2016-1024x278-768x209.jpg" height="87" width="320" /></a></div>
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Number Of Books You Read: 132<br />Number of Re-Reads: 14<br />Genre You Read The Most From: Not entirely sure, but going to assume YA Fantasy</h3>
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<strong>1. Best Book You Read In 2016?</strong></h3>
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(If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2013 release vs. backlist)</div>
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Oh man, I read so many good books this year! But possibly Robert Cormier's <u>The Chocolate War</u> or Anne-Marie McLemore's <u>The Weight of Feathers</u> or Brian K. Vaughn's <u>Paper Girls</u>.</div>
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<strong>2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?</strong></h3>
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<u>All-American Boys</u> or <u>The Porcupine of Truth</u>. Like <u>Porcupine</u> made me legitimately angry, whereas <u>Boys</u> just let me down.</div>
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<strong> 3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read? </strong></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"> I feel like I read quite a few books with "twists" but none of them really surprised me. I think my love for <u>The Chocolate War</u> surprised me the most, although that's just me not knowing myself. </span></div>
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<strong> 4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?</strong></h3>
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I didn't really "push" very many books this year. Possibly <u>Dumplin'</u> or <u>Saga</u> or <u>Doll Bones</u>.</div>
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<strong> 5. Best series you started in 2016? Best Sequel of 2016? Best Series Ender of 2016?</strong></h3>
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Started: <u>Paper Girls</u> or <u>Saga</u> although I also really enjoyed <u>Not Your Sidekick</u> and <u>The School for Good and Evil</u>.</div>
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Sequel: <u>A Gathering of Shadows</u> or <u>Marked in Flesh</u></div>
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Ender: <u>The Raven King</u></div>
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<strong> 6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2016?</strong></h3>
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Anne-Marie McLemore or Stephanie Kuehn or Stacey Lee</div>
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<strong>7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?</strong></h3>
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<u>Under a Painted Sky</u> because I don't read much historical fiction and I really enjoyed that one.</div>
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<strong> 8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?</strong></h3>
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<u>Queen of Shadows</u> or <u>The Raven Cycle</u></div>
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<strong> 9. Book You Read In 2016 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?</strong></h3>
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Well, I already have reread Anne Bishop's <u>The Others</u> series twice this year, but I bet that will happen again next year. </div>
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<strong>10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2016?</strong></h3>
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Probably <u>A Gathering of Shadows</u></div>
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<strong>11. Most memorable character of 2016?</strong></h3>
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I think about Apollo from <u>Trials of Apollo</u> a lot and also Mark Watney from <u>The Martian</u> a lot.</div>
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<strong> 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2016?</strong></h3>
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<u>The Weight of Feathers</u>!! I was so into the writing that I literally missed my bus stop one morning.</div>
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<strong>13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2016?</strong></h3>
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While I read a lot of books that were intended to be thought-provoking or life-changing, I don't actually feel like any of them were. Maybe <u>The Others</u> series, but that was technically a re-read.</div>
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<strong> 14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2016 to finally read? </strong></h3>
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<u>The Chocolate War</u>! or <u>The Martian</u> even though it only came out in 2011.</div>
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<strong> 15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2016?</strong></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I did not keep track this year :(</span></div>
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<strong>16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2016?</strong></h3>
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Longest: Winter at 832p</div>
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Shortest: The Fantastic Mr. Fox at 96p</div>
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<strong> 17. Book That Shocked You The Most</strong></h3>
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Probably <u>Empire of Storms</u> although I wasn't actually surprised.</div>
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<strong>18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)</strong></h3>
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(OTP = one true pairing if you aren’t familiar)</div>
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MEG + SIMON = 5EVA (<u>The Others</u> series)</div>
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19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year</h3>
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The <u>Paper Girls</u> crew (<u>Paper Girls</u>) or Alvin and his family (<u>Alvin Ho</u>)</div>
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<strong>20. Favorite Book You Read in 2016 From An Author You’ve Read Previously</strong></h3>
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Probably <u>Dream Theives</u> (Maggie Stiefvater) or <u>Last Night I Sang to the Monster</u> (Benjamin Alire Saenz)</div>
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<strong>21. Best Book You Read In 2016 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:</strong></h3>
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Probably <u>The Raven Boys</u> or <u>Saga</u></div>
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22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2016?</h3>
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Marko from <u>Saga</u> or Ronan from <u>The Raven Boys</u></div>
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23. Best 2016 debut you read?</h3>
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<u>The Girl from Everywhere</u> by Heidi Hellig (also may have been only debut?? Whoops!)</div>
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24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?</h3>
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The worlds of <u>Saga</u>, <u>Sugar Skulls</u>, or <u>The Abyss Surrounds Us</u></div>
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25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?</h3>
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<u>Alvin Ho</u>!! I always laugh out loud at Alvin's misadventures, and he makes me feel so much better about my own anxiety.</div>
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26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2016?</h3>
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<u>All the Rage</u>, <u>Marked in Flesh</u>, and <u>Last Night I Sang to the Monster</u> -- straight up balling with all three of them.</div>
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27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?</h3>
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Either <u>Not Your Sidekick</u> or <u>The Abyss Surrounds Us</u>. Super underrated in blog community/real world, but both very deserving of praise.</div>
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28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?</h3>
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Probably <u>Last Night I Sang to the Monster</u></div>
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29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2016?</h3>
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Probably <u>Snow Crash</u> content wise, but <u>A + E 4ever</u> or <u>The Cursed Child</u> format wise (I hated both of those though so make of that what you will).</div>
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30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?</h3>
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<u>The Cursed Child</u> -- talk about not knowing your source material!!</div>
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<strong>1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2016? </strong></h3>
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I was super behind on blogging/blogs this year.</div>
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<strong>2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2016?</strong></h3>
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I didn't write a single review. Sigh.</div>
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<strong>3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?</strong></h3>
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n/a</div>
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<strong>4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?</strong></h3>
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ALA Midwinter!</div>
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<strong>5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2016?</strong></h3>
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<strong>ALA Midwinter!</strong></div>
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6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?</h3>
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Making time! As in that totally didn't happen. I will be better in 2017!</div>
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<strong>7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?</strong></h3>
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n/a</div>
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<strong>8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?</strong></h3>
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n/a</div>
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<strong>9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?</strong></h3>
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<strong>There have been so many awesome bookish shops on Etsy!</strong></div>
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<strong>10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?</strong></h3>
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<strong>I think the only ones I completed were my rereading goals (5 books) and my series finish goal (caught up to/finished 9 of the ones I had)</strong></div>
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<strong>1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2015 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2017?</strong></h3>
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I have too many. I can't choose.</div>
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<strong>2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2017 (non-debut)?</strong></h3>
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<u>Etched in Bone</u> by Anne Bishop. I'm obsessed with this series!!</div>
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3. 2017 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?</h3>
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Not sure! I have no idea what's even coming out.</div>
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4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2017?</h3>
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<u>A Conjuring of Light</u> by V.E. Schwab</div>
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<strong>5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2017?</strong></h3>
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Actually keep up with blogging!</div>
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6. A 2017 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:</h3>
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None!</div>
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So there's my survey for 2016. A little sparse in some areas. But hopefully it will all come together. Let me know if any of your favorites were in my favorites!!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789068639639537298.post-22361392704696916192016-02-12T18:48:00.002-08:002016-02-12T18:48:24.209-08:00Yet Another Book Review Round-Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello Lovelies!!</div>
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Once again, the semester has eaten my blog. I have read 17 books this year and haven't blogged about a single one. Sigh. So here's a quick review of what I've been reading lately.</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23449569-the-viscount-s-christmas-temptation" target="_blank">The Viscount's Christmas Temptation</a> by Erica Ridley</div>
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While this was an entertaining short story, it wasn't particularly thrilling or in depth. I finished it in about half an hour, and I think I would have enjoyed it more if it had a little more room to develop. I might be interested in reading Ridley's full length novels in the future.</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22501055-under-a-painted-sky" target="_blank">Under a Painted Sky</a> by Stacey Lee</div>
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Although this was mostly just marketed as an Oregon Trail historical fiction novel, there was so much more to this book. It has two non-white main characters: Chinese Samantha and Black Annamae. Both girls go undercover as boys while on the run for murder (and in Annamae's case as an escaped slave). The two of them join a group of cowboys heading the same direction. They have to learn how to survive the wilderness as well as the mess of their lives.</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25789738-sugar-skulls" target="_blank">Sugar Skulls</a> by Lisa Mantchev and Glenn Dallas</div>
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Micah is off-grid. Vee helps power the grid with her band and her voice. Cyrene is a city where people in their prime can live life as big as they want to. Micah tries his best to keep the darker side of the city moving, he's hunting for the darkest parts. But when he's at the club where Vee sings, he just wants to see her again. Vee sees Micah across the crowded club, and all she wants is to see him again. When she can't she tries a new drug, Applejack, but that's a mistake. I really enjoyed this book. Lisa Mantchev continues to surprise me in new and different ways. Mantchev's writing is thrilling and beautiful to read.</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20734002-the-weight-of-feathers" target="_blank">The Weight of Feathers</a> by Anna-Marie McLemore</div>
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The Palomas and the Corbeaus have nothing in common except their hatred of each other. And the fact that they're both traveling performance families. The Palomas are mermaids, or at least with the assistance of flashy, handsewn tales they are. And the Corbeaus are birds, with the help of huge and gorgeous handcrafted wings. But when Lace and Cluck meet, they don't know that they're member of rival families. This is the story of how two people can hate each other so much even as they're learning to love. This is the first book of 2016, I really loved. It's beautifully written and such a fantastic work of magical realism. I highly recommend it. </div>
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(I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley. This IN NO WAY affected my review.)</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13206900-winter" target="_blank">Winter</a> by Marissa Meyer</div>
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Winter is the fantastic conclusion to the Lunar Chronicles. Winter is keeping track of Scarlet. Especially after Jacin explains who Scarlet is. The rest of the team is coming for Scarlet. They just have to make a plan. And as with all plans, nothing goes according to the way they imagine it. This was an incredible series ender. Everything I wanted from such a magnificent series.</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/345450.The_Planet_of_Junior_Brown" target="_blank">The Planet of Junior Brown</a> by Virginia Hamilton</div>
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This is the story of two misfits. Both deemed unworthy because of the color of their skin and their socio-economic status. It's the story of Junior Brown and Buddy Clark. And Mr. Pool who built a solar system in a hidden janitorial closet. Hamilton tackles mental health, homelessness, loneliness, and family drama. </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50053.The_Contender" target="_blank">The Contender</a> by Robert Lipsyte</div>
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This story started out really strong for me. Alfred Brooks decides he wants to learn to fight after his friends are involved in a robbery gone awry. Brooks trains with a local trainer at a local gym. However, eventually drugs and alcohol become a part of the story. That's where my interest dropped off. It seemed an unnecessary addition to an already interesting story. </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23012565-gotham-city-sirens-book-two" target="_blank">Gotham City Sirens Book Two</a></div>
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Issues 14-26 are collected in this set about Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy and Catwoman. The issues which have a narrative thread are pretty decent, but the single issues seem lackluster at best. And the art for this series does not thrill me. It's a "traditional" comic style which basically just means super twisted poses for women. I mean look at Catwoman on the cover! </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5148.A_Separate_Peace" target="_blank">A Separate Peace</a> by John Knowles </div>
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Gene's roommate Phineas is a suave athlete. Gene just wants to excel at school. However, Gene's paranoia about what Phineas wants leads to a disaster. This is the story of friendship and not-quite-enemies. I rather enjoyed this book, but I didn't love it. It's got some interesting points about the human condition but it doesn't overwhelm me. </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18006496-queen-of-shadows" target="_blank">Queen of Shadows</a> by Sarah J. Maas</div>
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Queen of Shadows is the fourth in the Throne of Glass series. This is a series which continues to blow me away with each subsequent book. The plot gets more intricate. The stakes get higher. My ships are more or less sunken, but I just want to read more. I want to know what happens next! I fall more in love with the characters each book. If you haven't yet started this series, I cannot recommend it enough. </div>
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Alright there's 10 reviews. Here's to the other 8 tomorrow! Hope you lovelies have had a great month and some days into 2016! Let me know what you've been reading in the comments!!</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789068639639537298.post-79660794955909543322015-12-31T15:37:00.002-08:002015-12-31T15:37:32.110-08:00My Own Review of 2015 and goals for 2016<br />
Sorry for the flood of posts today, Lovelies! I just have so much I want to talk about with 2015!!!<br />
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Last year for goal setting, I used<a href="http://bookblogher.blogspot.com/2014/12/blogging-goals-for-2015.html" target="_blank"> a Top Ten Tuesday post</a>. I'll recap each goal and tell you if I met them or not!<br />
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1. Comment on 5 blogs a week. <b style="color: red;">Fail.</b> I did okay for the first six months or so, but I petered out. I still try to keep commenting or at least looking at 5 blogs a week! But this will definitely be a <span style="color: blue;"><b>2016 Redo.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span>
2. Get better at design. <b style="color: purple;">Ehhhhh. </b>I don't know if I really met this goal, but I worked on it! So another <span style="color: blue;"><b>2016 Redo. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span>
3. Write one review post and one discussion post a week. <b style="color: red;">Fail. </b>I definitely didn't come close to hitting this one. I think for 2016 I'm going to do <span style="color: blue;"><b>One Review Post a Week and One Discussion Post a Month. </b></span><br />
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4. Finish any Dangling Series left from this year. <b style="color: red;">Fail. </b>I basically went the wrong direction with this one. So for 2016 <b style="color: blue;">Finish half of the series I have on my current "seriesly-finish-the-series" shelf. </b>For those of you who are curious I have 28 on there and these are what they are<br />
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<ul>
<li>Mortal Instruments</li>
<li>Ten Tiny Breaths</li>
<li>The Diviners</li>
<li>Amulet</li>
<li>The Darkest Minds</li>
<li>Bone</li>
<li>Alvin Ho</li>
<li>Pretty Little Liars</li>
<li>Beautiful Disaster</li>
<li>Vampire Academy</li>
<li>If I Stay</li>
<li>Throne of Glass</li>
<li>The Giver</li>
<li>The Curse Workers</li>
<li>The Lunar Chronicles</li>
<li>Graceling</li>
<li>Octavian Nothing</li>
<li>Shades of London</li>
<li>Darker Shade of Magic</li>
<li>The Others</li>
<li>Akata Witch</li>
<li>Alex & Ada</li>
<li>Lumberjanes</li>
<li>Tir Alainn</li>
<li>Persepolis</li>
<li>Reboot</li>
<li>Enchanted Forest Chronicles</li>
<li>Micah Grey</li>
</ul>
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5. Read 150 books. <b style="color: red;">Fail. </b>I tried but I fell behind with classes. I got to 132. So...<span style="color: blue;"><b>2016 Redo.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span>
6. Read 1 book I own for every 1 new book. <b style="color: purple;">Ehhhh. </b>I read 24 books I owned and 29 books I bought new (and 63 I borrowed). The books I borrowed were almost all for class or I would count them as a new book. So I call this one pretty well done. <span style="color: blue;"><b> Read 1 for 1 in 2016. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span>
7. Actually participate in a readathon. <b style="color: red;">Fail. </b>What blog should I follow to do this one? I definitely want this as a <span style="color: blue;"><b>2016 Redo.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span>
8. Reread 15 books. <b style="color: lime;">SUCCESS!!!! </b>I actually reread 21 books this year. I think about half of them were for class, but I'm still really excited that I met this goal. I think I'm going to lower it to <span style="color: blue;"><b>Reread 5 books in 2016.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span>
9. Work on culling. <b style="color: purple;">Ehhhhh. </b>I'm trying to be good about it. But it's kind of hard to take used books to used bookstores in Boston. Gotta drag the bag on the subway and go out of my normal route to get here. I'm still keeping this on my list for a <span style="color: blue;"><b>2016 Redo. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span>
10. Start a weekly thing! <b style="color: purple;">Ehhhhh. </b>I actually started two new weekly things for my blog -- that aren't really that new or inventive (WCW and TBT) but I stopped actually doing them about half way through the year. I don't know that I loved them that much either. So <span style="color: blue;"><b>Think of a new monthly thing to do.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span>
What goals do you have for 2016?? Let me know in the comments! I don't think it's a bad thing to not meet a goal. It gives me a chance to try again. So here we go 2016, I'm coming for you.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789068639639537298.post-70005358930435249222015-12-31T15:14:00.000-08:002015-12-31T15:14:11.848-08:002015 Statistics Survey<img alt="book statstics stats survey" src="http://i0.wp.com/www.bookaddictsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/heading.png?resize=600%2C200" /><br />
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Yes, another survey. I love them so much! And last year <a href="http://www.andiabcs.com/" target="_blank">Andi</a> and <a href="http://www.bookaddictsguide.com/" target="_blank">Brittany</a> put this one together but I didn't participate. So this year, I'm giving it a shot!<br />
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<img alt="number of statistics survey" src="http://i1.wp.com/www.bookaddictsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/NumberOf.png?resize=498%2C166" /></div>
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<ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Arimo, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27.4286px; list-style-position: outside; margin: 0px 0px 1.71429rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Number of books read… 132</strong><ul style="border: 0px; line-height: 1.71429; list-style: disc outside; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Under 250 pages (not including novellas): 47</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Between 400-449 pages: 8</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Between 450-499 pages: 3</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Over 500 pages: 17</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Over 1000 pages: 0</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Number of…</strong><ul style="border: 0px; line-height: 1.71429; list-style: disc outside; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Audiobooks: 0</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Re-reads: 21</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">DNFs (did not finish): 2</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Number of books rated…</strong><ul style="border: 0px; line-height: 1.71429; list-style: disc outside; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Five Stars: 40</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">One/Two Stars: 22 </strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Number of authors met in 2015: 6</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Number of book events attended in 2015: 5</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Number of books you read in one day: 2</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Number of books that made you cry: 17</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Number of 2016 books you have on pre-order: 0 (But will eventually do 2 at least)</strong></li>
</ul>
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<img alt="by the books statistics survey" src="http://i0.wp.com/www.bookaddictsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/BytheBooks.png?resize=501%2C167" /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Arimo, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27.4286px; margin-bottom: 1.71429rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">
<a href="http://i0.wp.com/www.bookaddictsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/BytheBooks.png" style="border: 0px; color: rgb(32, 50, 98) !important; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;"><img alt="by the books statistics survey" class="wp-image-14109 aligncenter" height="167" sizes="(max-width: 501px) 100vw, 501px" src="http://i0.wp.com/www.bookaddictsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/BytheBooks.png?resize=501%2C167" srcset="http://i0.wp.com/www.bookaddictsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/BytheBooks.png?resize=300%2C100 300w, http://i0.wp.com/www.bookaddictsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/BytheBooks.png?w=600 600w" style="border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: none !important; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0.857143rem auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="501" /></a></div>
<ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Arimo, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27.4286px; list-style-position: outside; margin: 0px 0px 1.71429rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Book read furthest away from home (vacation reads?): (At my parent's house) The Amber Spyglass, The Viscount's Christmas Temptation</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Book that took you the longest to read: The Shadow Cabinet ( Sorry Maureen!)</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Book that you personally connected with the most: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Book that made you love the villain: Nimona (who's the villain???)</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Book you said you’d come back to but still haven’t picked up again: The fourth in the City of Bones books (since like a year and a half ago whoops)</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Book you read waaaay before it’s publication date: Apparently Bleeding Earth by Kaitlin Ward (it keeps getting pushed back!)</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Book you read on your birthday: Hunter by Mercedes Lackey or Spinning Starlight by R. C. Lewis</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Book with a character who shares your name: didn't read any (only know of The Impossible Knife of Memory)</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Book you weren’t entirely truthful about when rating (Fluff up any ratings? Rated even though you didn’t finish?): Proust and the Squid ( I don't think I read every chapter, we skipped around reading it for class)</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Book you read in 2015 but already want to re-read: The Daughter of Smoke & Bone series or Visions in Silver</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Book you borrowed from a friend a long time ago and still have: Cloud Atlas (still haven't read it whoops)</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Book you wish you could go back and read for the first time again: Any of my rereads from this year (including the one I don't like much).</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Most books read by one author this year: For rereads, J.K. Rowling. For new (to me) books, Sarah J. Maas</strong></li>
</ul>
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<img alt="this & that statistics survey" src="http://i0.wp.com/www.bookaddictsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/ThisThat.png?resize=499%2C166" /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Arimo, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27.4286px; margin-bottom: 1.71429rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">
<a href="http://i0.wp.com/www.bookaddictsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/ThisThat.png" style="border: 0px; color: rgb(32, 50, 98) !important; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;"><img alt="this & that statistics survey" class="wp-image-14112 aligncenter" height="166" sizes="(max-width: 499px) 100vw, 499px" src="http://i0.wp.com/www.bookaddictsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/ThisThat.png?resize=499%2C166" srcset="http://i0.wp.com/www.bookaddictsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/ThisThat.png?resize=300%2C100 300w, http://i0.wp.com/www.bookaddictsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/ThisThat.png?resize=1024%2C341 1024w, http://i0.wp.com/www.bookaddictsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/ThisThat.png?resize=624%2C208 624w, http://i0.wp.com/www.bookaddictsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/ThisThat.png?w=1536 1536w" style="border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: none !important; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0.857143rem auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="499" /></a></div>
<ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; line-height: 27.4286px; list-style-position: outside; margin: 0px 0px 1.71429rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: Arimo, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Happiest & saddest: Fortunately, the Milk and The Circus Fire</strong></li>
<li style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: Arimo, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Longest & shortest…</strong><ul style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; line-height: 1.71429; list-style: disc outside; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: Arimo, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">By page number: Friendship to the Max and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix</strong></li>
<li style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: Arimo, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">By title: Liar/Fade and Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia (not including subtitles) </strong></li>
<li style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: Arimo, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">From buying to reading: The Shadow Cabinet and The Wicked and the Divine</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: Arimo, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Best & worst…</strong><ul style="border: 0px; line-height: 1.71429; list-style: disc outside; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Average rating on Goodreads: 3.7</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Books you read/your rating: Nimona (5 stars) and A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn (1 star)</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Series enders: Days of Blood & Starlight and Mastiff</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: Arimo, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">First & last…</strong><ul style="border: 0px; line-height: 1.71429; list-style: disc outside; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Reads of 2015: Ticker by Lisa Mantchev and The Viscount's Christmas Temptation</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Books on your bookcase (1st book on the top left and last book on the bottom right): awww I'm not at home so I can't see this. Maybe I'll update when I get home.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: Arimo, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Most disappointing & biggest pleasant surprise: I'll Meet You There and Deerskin</strong></li>
<li style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: Arimo, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Fandom you joined & one you abandoned: Daughter of Smoke and Bone & (I was never in it but...)Fables?</strong></li>
<li style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: Arimo, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Series you picked up & series you quit: Throne of Glass & A Wizard of Earthsea</strong></li>
<li style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: Arimo, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Most lenient & harshest ratings: I can't tell. I feel like I rate according to how I feel so I can't be like oh that was lenient or oh that was harsh.</strong></li>
<li style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; font-family: Arimo, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Most hyped & furthest under the radar that you read: Throne of Glass & My Love, My Love by Rosa Guy</strong><strong style="border: 0px; line-height: 27.4286px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;"> </strong></li>
</ul>
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<img alt="grab bag statistics survey" src="http://i0.wp.com/www.bookaddictsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/GrabBag.png?resize=498%2C166" style="line-height: 27.4286px;" /></div>
<a href="http://i0.wp.com/www.bookaddictsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/GrabBag.png" style="border: 0px; color: rgb(32, 50, 98) !important; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;"><img alt="grab bag statistics survey" class="wp-image-14110 aligncenter" height="166" sizes="(max-width: 498px) 100vw, 498px" src="http://i0.wp.com/www.bookaddictsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/GrabBag.png?resize=498%2C166" srcset="http://i0.wp.com/www.bookaddictsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/GrabBag.png?resize=300%2C100 300w, http://i0.wp.com/www.bookaddictsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/GrabBag.png?w=600 600w" style="border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: none !important; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0.857143rem auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="498" /></a><br />
<ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Arimo, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27.4286px; list-style-position: outside; margin: 0px 0px 1.71429rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Book you read that is red: Fire by Kristin Cashore</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Starts with X, Y, or Z: None!</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Book you hugged when you finished it: Aristotle and Dante, Vision in Silver or El Deafo</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Book you wanted to throw across a room: Fade</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Food you craved while/after reading a certain book: Pizza and suckers (Saint Anything)</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Book that became an instant go-to recommendation: Nimona</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Furthest out of your comfort zone: The Radioactive Boy Scout</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Read on a recommendation (that you may not have picked up yourself): Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Forced yourself to finish: A Kiss in Time and Fairest of All (class books booo)</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Series or author’s works you binged (whether all at once or throughout the year): Daughter of Smoke & Bone and Throne of Glass</strong></li>
</ul>
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<img alt="Blogging_Life" src="http://i1.wp.com/www.bookaddictsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/BloggingLife.png?resize=498%2C166" style="line-height: 27.4286px;" /></div>
<a href="http://i1.wp.com/www.bookaddictsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/BloggingLife.png" style="border: 0px; color: rgb(32, 50, 98) !important; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;"><img alt="Blogging_Life" class="wp-image-14108 aligncenter" height="166" sizes="(max-width: 498px) 100vw, 498px" src="http://i1.wp.com/www.bookaddictsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/BloggingLife.png?resize=498%2C166" srcset="http://i1.wp.com/www.bookaddictsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/BloggingLife.png?resize=300%2C100 300w, http://i1.wp.com/www.bookaddictsguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/BloggingLife.png?w=600 600w" style="border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: none !important; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0.857143rem auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="498" /></a><br />
<ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Arimo, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 27.4286px; list-style-position: outside; margin: 0px 0px 1.71429rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">First… </strong><ul style="border: 0px; line-height: 1.71429; list-style: disc outside; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Post of 2015: <a href="http://bookblogher.blogspot.com/2015/01/2015-reading-challenge.html" target="_blank">2015 Reading Challenge</a></strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Review of 2015: <a href="http://bookblogher.blogspot.com/2015/01/makin-my-ventriculator-pound.html" target="_blank">Ticker by Lisa Mantchev</a></strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Last…</strong><ul style="border: 0px; line-height: 1.71429; list-style: disc outside; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Post of 2015: Going to try to post my own review of 2015 shortly</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Review of 2015: <a href="http://bookblogher.blogspot.com/2015/12/how-graduate-school-ate-my-life.html" target="_blank">Right now a massive round-up</a></strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Number of posts in 2015: 111</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Number of reviews posted this year: 55</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Least coherent review: Probably any of them to be honest</strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Post with the most views (posted in 2015): <a href="http://bookblogher.blogspot.com/2015/03/more-diversity-in-your-book-diet.html" target="_blank">More Diversity in Your Book Diet</a></strong></li>
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2.57143rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word;">Post you wish you could re-write: I try not to regret writing any or wish I could re-write them.</strong></li>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arimo, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 27.4286px;">That's it lovelies! Let me know if you did the Statistics Survey too! </span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789068639639537298.post-87058211376242430282015-12-31T14:06:00.001-08:002015-12-31T14:06:31.402-08:002015 End of the Year Survey<div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Gentium Basic', serif; font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 15px;">
<a href="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/2015-end-of-year-book-survey-1024x984.jpg" style="color: #acddd3;"><img alt="2015-end-of-year-book-survey-1024x984" height="307" src="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/2015-end-of-year-book-survey-1024x984-1024x984.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Jamie at <a href="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/" target="_blank">The Perpetual Page-Turner</a> is the absolute coolest and puts together this survey every year. It was one of the first major things I did back when I started this blog in 2013, so this is my 3rd time completing this survey this year!! I love taking the time to look back on all the amazing books I read and how they affected me and my perception of life. </div>
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So here's to another great year of reading in 2015 and to a great year of reading in 2016. </div>
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Also all the images are Jamie's as well -- she's seriously so cool. </div>
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<em>Note: The survey is for books you read throughout the year, no matter when they were published, and is not limited to just books that came out in 2015!!</em></div>
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<a href="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/reading-stats-2015-1024x278.jpg" style="color: #aa9400; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="reading-stats-2015-1024x278" height="86" src="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/reading-stats-2015-1024x278-1024x278.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Number Of Books You Read: 132<br />Number of Re-Reads: 21<br />Genre You Read The Most From: Fantasy/Science Fiction</h3>
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<a href="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/best-YA-books-2014.jpg" style="color: #aa9400; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="best-YA-books-2014" height="86" src="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/best-YA-books-2014-1024x278.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<strong>1. Best Book You Read In 2015?</strong></h3>
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(If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2015 release vs. backlist)</div>
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I read a lot of incredible books and series this year (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, The Lumatere Chronicles, The Throne of Glass series) and I reread a lot of my favorites this year (Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, Ella Enchanted), but I think my favorite book has to be... Nimona by Noelle Stevenson. </div>
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<strong>2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?</strong></h3>
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I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios. Everyone who I usually agree with in the book blogging world loved it!! I came close to completely hating it. </div>
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<strong> 3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read? </strong></h3>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Gentium Basic', serif; font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 22px;">In a bad way: Hunter by Mercedes Lackey or Mastiff by Tamora Pierce. Those were both authors who I adored and they let me down in major ways with those books. In a good way: Nova Ren Suma's The Walls Around Us. I hadn't read anything by her, and I loved The Walls Around Us; it was so incredible.</span></div>
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<strong> 4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?</strong></h3>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Gentium Basic', serif; font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 22px;">It might be Nimona or The Wicked and the Divine. I got several friends into graphic novels this year (or they were willing to be pushed into it finally). Which was exciting.</span></div>
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<strong> 5. Best series you started in 2015? Best Sequel of 2015? Best Series Ender of 2015?</strong></h3>
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I think the best series I started was Throne of Glass or A Darker Shade of Magic. The Best Sequel was probably Shadow Scale. I enjoyed Seraphina a lot, but Shadow Scale took the plot/world to a whole new level. Best Series Ender was either Quintana of Charyn or Days of Blood & Starlight.</div>
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<strong> 6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2015?</strong></h3>
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Hm...Laura Lam, Laini Taylor, V. E. Schwab or Sarah J. Maas. I read books from all of them this year and adored them all. I don't think I can pick until I read a second book (or a book outside the single series).</div>
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<strong>7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?</strong></h3>
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I don't typically read historical fiction but Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein was incredible. And I read four non-fiction books this year--The Circus Fire by Stewart O'Nan was particularly upsetting and amazing.</div>
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<strong> 8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?</strong></h3>
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Probably Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop, or else the entire Throne of Glass and Daughter of Smoke & Bone series.</div>
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<strong> 9. Book You Read In 2015 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?</strong></h3>
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Probably Vision in Silver. I cannot wait for the next book in that series. Or Nimona. Or Nightbird by Alice Hoffman.</div>
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<strong>10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2015?</strong></h3>
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Okay best four here (I'm terrible at picking things).</div>
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<img alt="18044277" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407168914l/18044277.jpg" width="133" /> <img alt="24565038" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1443367932l/24565038.jpg" style="background-color: transparent;" width="132" /> <img alt="20801166" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1396394307l/20801166.jpg" style="background-color: transparent;" width="133" /> <img alt="16043528" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358537405l/16043528.jpg" style="background-color: transparent;" width="133" /></div>
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<strong> 11. Most memorable character of 2015?</strong></h3>
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Hmmm. Probably Nimona.</div>
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<strong> 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2015?</strong></h3>
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Ohmygosh. I loved how Deerskin by Robin McKinley was written. Also Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz.</div>
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<strong>13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2015?</strong></h3>
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I've spent a lot of time thinking about Kaitlin Ward's Bleeding Earth. (Because it really freaked me out). Also Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorofor (can't wait for the sequel in 2016!!) and Melina Marchetta's Lumatere Chronicles. </div>
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<strong> 14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2015 to finally read? </strong></h3>
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Probably The Throne of Glass series, The Daughter of Smoke & Bone series or Aristotle and Dante.</div>
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<strong> 15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2015?</strong></h3>
<div style="clear: both; line-height: 18.2px; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">"What had she thought, that love was a toy, something easy and sweet, just to play with? Real love was dangerous, it got you from inside and held on tight, and if you didn't let go fast enough you might be willing to do anything for its sake."</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 18.2px;">"Misfortune never waits to be invited in. He comes to the door and takes off his hat, pretending he's welcome. He sits at your table and never leaves until he sees your bones."</span></div>
</span><span style="line-height: 18px; white-space: nowrap;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
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"I got to thinking that poems were like people. Some people you got right off the bat. Some people you just didn't get--and never would get."</div>
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<span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18.2px;">Dead souls dream only of death. Small dreams for small men. It is </span><i style="line-height: 18.2px;">life</i><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"> that expands to fill worlds. Life is your master, or death is. You are a lord of ashes, a lord of char. You are filthy with your victory. Enjoy it, Joram, for you will never know another. You are lord of a country of ghosts, and that is all you will ever be.</span></div>
</span></span></span><br />
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<strong>16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2015?</strong></h3>
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Shortest: Lumberjanes: Friendship to the Max by Noelle Stevenson</div>
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Longest: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling</div>
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How I did this: Went to my read books on Goodreads and sorted by page number and just looked for what I knew I read this year that was the shortest and longest.</div>
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<strong> 17. Book That Shocked You The Most</strong></h3>
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(Because of a plot twist, character death, left you hanging with your mouth wide open, etc.)</div>
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Probably The Wicked and the Divine.</div>
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<strong>18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)</strong></h3>
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(OTP = one true pairing if you aren’t familiar)</div>
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Karou and Akiva (Daughter of Smoke & Bone)</div>
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Celaena and Chaol (Throne of Glass)</div>
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Meg and Simon (The Others)</div>
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19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year</h3>
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Hm...I love Meg and Henry (from The Others). Also The Lumberjanes crew and Nimona and Sir Blackheart. The Rat Queens crew. Flora & Ulysses. So many good non-romantic relationships. </div>
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<strong>20. Favorite Book You Read in 2015 From An Author You’ve Read Previously</strong></h3>
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The Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta. Pillars of the World and Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop. Deerskin by Robin McKinley</div>
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<strong>21. Best Book You Read In 2015That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:</strong></h3>
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<a href="http://books-are-better.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Melissa</a> pressured me into reading The Lumatere Chronicles which I loved a lot. </div>
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22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2015?</h3>
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Hmmm probably Chaol. Or Akiva. I love them both so much but in different ways. Probably Chaol though.</div>
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23. Best 2015 debut you read?</h3>
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Nimona by Noelle Stevenson</div>
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24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?</h3>
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Daughter of Smoke & Bone series.</div>
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25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?</h3>
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Unfortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman. I could not stop smiling reading it!</div>
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26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2015?</h3>
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I'm a huge crier, so this could be a long list. But I think I'll stick to The Circus Fire cause it made me ugly sob like every paragraph for a solid 200 pages.</div>
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27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?</h3>
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There could be a lot of these, but I think Pantomime by Laura Lam hasn't gotten nearly as much love and attention as it deserves.</div>
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28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?</h3>
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Rose Under Fire, Quintana of Charyn or Crown of Midnight. Those were all really hard to read for various reasons. </div>
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29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2015?</h3>
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I would say A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall for format and Bleeding Earth by Kaitlin Ward for concept.</div>
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30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?</h3>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Gentium Basic, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 22px;">Mastiff by Tamora Pierce. I can't get over how much it betrayed me.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/book-blogging.jpg" style="color: #aa9400; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="book-blogging" height="86" src="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/book-blogging-1024x278.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<strong>1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2015?</strong></h3>
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I'm terrible at keeping track of new blogs, but I did start following a lot of Bookstagrams this year. So I think I'm going to go with that format as a whole. </div>
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<strong>2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2015?</strong></h3>
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I really enjoyed writing the review for <a href="http://bookblogher.blogspot.com/2015/05/growing-up-never-stops.html" target="_blank">Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe</a>. It inspired me to switch up my format and I loved the book so much.</div>
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<strong>3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?</strong></h3>
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I didn't do many non-review, non-event (like TTT) posts, but<a href="http://bookblogher.blogspot.com/2015/02/things-ive-loved-in-february.html" target="_blank"> I did one </a>which was by default the best haha.</div>
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<strong>4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?</strong></h3>
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I met Sarah Dessen at an event which was awesome. And I met Libba Bray at an event which was also super awesome. </div>
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<strong>5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2015?</strong></h3>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Gentium Basic, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 22px;">I tried to post to Twitter more which got author responses which made my life every time. I just get so excited.</span></span></div>
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6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?</h3>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Gentium Basic', serif; font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 22px;"> My school took over my life this year. It was hard to keep up with blogging (or reading books that weren't required for school) But I'm done in May and then I can redevote my time to my blog!</span></div>
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<strong>7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?</strong></h3>
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By both comments and views, my top ten Tuesday about <a href="http://bookblogher.blogspot.com/2015/03/more-diversity-in-your-book-diet.html" target="_blank">adding diverse reads </a>to your book diet!</div>
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<strong>8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?</strong></h3>
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I love when people comment. I'm happy to see my view count go up, but when I get a comment it makes my day. I try to always comment back and check out the commentor's blog.</div>
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<strong>9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?</strong></h3>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Gentium Basic, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 22px;">I guess technically this is where I should put Bookstagram. :D</span></span></div>
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<strong>10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?</strong></h3>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Gentium Basic, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 22px;">Uhhh one? I'm doing a review of my reading goals next! Keep your eyes out for it!</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/looking-ahead-books-2015.jpg" style="color: #aa9400; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="looking-ahead-books-2015" height="86" src="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/looking-ahead-books-2015-1024x278.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<strong>1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2015 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2016?</strong></h3>
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WINTER. And Queen of Shadows. I bought them both basically the day they came out but didn't have a chance to read either of them. </div>
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<strong>2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2016 (non-debut)?</strong></h3>
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Hmmm Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop? It's the next in The Others series. Or The Winner's Kiss?? </div>
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3. 2016 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?</h3>
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I haven't been in tune to what's debuting! I know a lot that are coming out from familiar authors, but can't think of any debuts. So if you know ones I should take a look at, leave it in the comments!</div>
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4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2016?</h3>
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Marked in Flesh and The Winner's Kiss!</div>
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<strong>5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2016?</strong></h3>
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Read 150 books!</div>
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6. A 2016 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:</h3>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Gentium Basic, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 22px;">I haven't really read any 2016 releases except for Bleeding Earth by Kaitlin Ward ( which keeps getting it's publication set back :( But it's good and creepy so I do recommend it!)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Gentium Basic, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 22px;">Let me know if you did Jamie's survey and I'll check it out!! Happy New Year's Book Bloggers!!</span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789068639639537298.post-26052597610229012572015-12-31T13:40:00.000-08:002015-12-31T13:40:01.637-08:00Popsugar Challenge Not Quite Completed<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">Hello Lovelies!! Perhaps you remember at the beginning of 2015 this little graphic going around the internet (or I posted about it here on my blog): </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span>
<img src="https://www.sjpl.org/sites/default/files/images/reading%20challenge.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Well I didn't quite finish the list, but here's what I read for each category. <br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">1. </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">A book with more than 500 pages</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">: The Diviners by Libba Bray</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">2. </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">A classic romance</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">: Persuasion by Jane Austen</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">3. </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">A book that became a movie</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (READ THE BOOK SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE MOVIE)</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">4. </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">A book published this year</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">: Fairest by Marissa Meyer</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">5. </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">A book with a number in the title</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">: Four Seconds to Lose by K.A. Tucker</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">6. </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">A book written by someone under 30</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">7. </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">A book with nonhuman characters</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">: Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">8. </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">A funny book</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">: Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">9. </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">A book by a female author</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">: The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">10. </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">A mystery or thrille</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">r: Charlie, Presumed Dead by Anne Hetzel</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">11. </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">A book with a one word title:</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"> </span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">Ticker by Lisa Mantchev </i><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">12. </span><b style="font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.8px;">A book with short stories</b><span style="font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">: </span></span><span style="color: red; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">(Started Slasher Girls & Monster Boys by April Genevieve Tulcholke but didn't finish it -- and I can't even finish it today because I left it 2500 miles away.)</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">13. </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">A book set in a different country</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">14. </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">A non-fiction book</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">: The Radioactive Boy Scout by Ken Silverstein</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">15. </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">A popular author's first book</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">: Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">16. </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">A book from an author you love that you haven't read yet</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">: Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">17. </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">A book a friend recommended:</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"> Hopeless by Colleen Hoover</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">18. </span><b style="font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.8px;">A Pulitzer Prize winning novel</b><span style="font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">: (I don't care about the Pulitzers so I never even found one for this category...oops.)</span></span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">19.</span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"> A book based on a true story</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">: The Circus Fire by Stewart O'Nan</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">20. </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">A book at the bottom of your TBR list</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">: Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">21. </span><b style="font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.8px;">A book your mom loves</b><span style="font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">: (Started Phantom by Susan Kay for this one, but I put it on-pause because I had to return it to the library.)</span></span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">22. </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">A book that scares you</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">23. </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">A book more than a 100 years old</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">: Five Children and It by E. Nesbit</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">24. </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">A book based entirely on its cover</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">: Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">25. </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">A book you were supposed to read in school and didn't</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">: (I never didn't read a book in school, so I used one that a lot of people read when they were younger but I somehow missed) Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">26. </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">A memoir</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">: Blankets by Craig Thompson</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">27. </span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">A book with antonyms in the title</b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">: Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span>
<span itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">28. <b>A book you can finish in a day</b>: Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">29. <b>A book set somewhere you've always wanted to go</b>: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab (London)</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">30. <b>A book published the year you were born</b>: Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">31. <b>A book with bad reviews</b>: Hunter by Mercedes Lackey</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">32. <b>A Trilogy</b>: The Hunt Trilogy by Tamora Pierce</span><br />
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<span itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">33. <b>A book from your childhood</b>: Harry Potter</span><br />
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<span itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">34. <b>A book with a love triangle</b>: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas</span><br />
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<span itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">35. <b>A book set in the future</b>: The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson</span><br />
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<span itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">36. <b>A book set in high school</b>: Liar by Justine Larbalestier</span><br />
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<span itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">37. <b>A book with a color in the title</b>: Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop</span><br />
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<span itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">38. <b>A book that made you cry</b>: Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor<br /> </span><br />
<span itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">39. <b>A book with magic</b>: Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor</span><br />
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<span itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">40. <b>A graphic novel</b>: The Wrenchies by Farel Dalrymple<br /> </span><br />
<span itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">41. <b>A book by an author you've never read before</b>: Gimme a Call by Sarah Mlynowski</span><br />
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<span itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">42. <b>A book you own but never read</b>: Graceling by Kristin Cashore</span><br />
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<span itemprop="name" style="color: red; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">43. <b>A book that takes place in your hometown</b>: (There are like 0 books that take place in my hometown, so I was going with the state as a whole--MT-- and started The Miseducation of Cameron Post, but my library ebook expired. 2016 Read for sure!!)</span><br />
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<span itemprop="name" style="color: red; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">44. <b>A book that was originally written in another language</b>: (While some of mine were originally published outside the US, I didn't read one that was originally non-English)</span><br />
<br style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;" />
<span itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">45. <b>A book set during Christmas</b>: The Viscount's Christmas Temptation by Erica Ridley</span><br />
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<span itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">46. <b>A book by an author who had your same initials</b>: White Cat by Holly Black</span><br />
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<span itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">47. <b>A play</b>: Poker, A Short Play by Zora Neale Hurston</span><br />
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<span itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">48. <b> A banned book</b>: Fade by Robert Cormier</span><br />
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<span itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">49. </span><span itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><b>A book based on or turned into a tv show</b>: The Wicked and the Divine</span><br />
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<span itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"> 50. <b>A book you started but never finished</b>: The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart</span><br />
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<span itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;">So close!! 45/50 isn't too shabby. If they do a 2016 one, I'll definitely be trying again! What about you, lovelies? Did you try the Popsugar 2015 Reading Challenge? Did you finish it? Did we read any of the same books? Let me know in the comments!!</span><br />
<span itemprop="name" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'century gothic', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789068639639537298.post-70993309351829401702015-12-28T21:26:00.002-08:002015-12-28T21:26:59.874-08:00How Graduate School Ate My LifeHello Lovelies!!<br />
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Sorry I've been MIA lately, This last semester of graduate school has been particularly challenging plus the added benefit (/time eater) of a part-time position at a high school library. I've still been reading a lot but I've been terrible at keeping up with my reviews! Because double-posting is very time-consuming, I'm going to post my review to Goodreads and just take a sentence to describe the book here. If you click on the title, it will link to my full review on Goodreads. So if you're interested, keep reading!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1390290025" target="_blank">A Wizard of Earthsea</a> by Ursula K. Le Guin: It's not a bad book per se.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1395946977" target="_blank">The Perilous Gard</a> by Elizabeth Marie Pope : Even though I was bored nearly to tears by the first 2/3rds or so of this book, I ended up rather enjoying it for some inexplicable reason.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1395981625" target="_blank">Dealing with Dragons</a> by Patricia C. Wrede: This is another favorite from my childhood which only gets better with subsequent rereads.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1402233969" target="_blank">Enchantress from the Stars</a> by Sylvia Engdahl: While I can appreciate what Engdahl was attempting to do with the text, I couldn't get beyond the shifts in perspective and overwhelmingly cheesy narrative.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1402494099" target="_blank">Once Upon a Time: A Short History of Fairy Tale</a> by Marina Warner: I think in many ways it would be an excellent book for a beginner because it explains so much of what is basic knowledge for someone interested in fairy tales or story telling.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1404111355" target="_blank">Have Space Suit -- Will Travel</a> by Robert A. Heinlein: I enjoyed reading it immensely, and I would recommend it to those who are looking for a fun science fiction novel.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1404711194" target="_blank">Pantomime</a> by Laura Lam: I am so excited that Lam's books are being rereleased (although in the UK -- get on it USA!) because I cannot wait to finish this series.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1406540265" target="_blank">The Marbury Lens</a> by Andrew Smith: A second reread made me feel slightly more sure about my feelings about this book, but I still spend a lot of time thinking about it.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1375325172" target="_blank">The White Mountains</a> by John Christopher: For a book with a decent premise, Christopher completely failed to follow through.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1408469676" target="_blank">Hawkeye vs Deadpool</a> by Gerry Duggan: Although it wasn't my favorite, I would recommend it to fans of graphic novels or superheroes.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1408562226" target="_blank">Ms Marvel Vol 3: Crushed</a> by G. Willow Wilson: Wilson manages to tackle real issues in the world of superheroes all the while building a fantastic plot.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1408605380" target="_blank">Phonogram Vol 2: The Singles Club</a> by Kieron Gillen: I loved that it was in color (I know it shouldn't really matter but it does), and I loved the variety in stories this time around.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1413531870" target="_blank">The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents</a> by Terry Pratchett: I would recommend it to people who enjoy animal narrators and sarcastic protagonists.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1414096373" target="_blank">Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien</a>: Although I read voraciously as a child, I somehow managed to miss this middle grade novel about a devoted mouse mother and her journey to help her sick child.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1131594931" target="_blank">Carry On</a> by Rainbow Rowell: It was everything a great fanfic would be-- except the rather tame love story.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1414912946" target="_blank">Lumberjanes: Friendship to the Max </a>by Noelle Stevenson: The camp developed even more, the plot line picked up, and the character development became even better.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1202474912" target="_blank">The Rest of Us Just Live Here</a> by Patrick Ness: I would recommend it to people who have said things like "What about the other Sunnydale students" or "How much would it suck to be in the grades around Harry Potter?"<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1416564360" target="_blank">Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush</a> by Virginia Hamilton: This is one of those books that I really really wanted to like, but I just couldn't.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1422055148" target="_blank">Love in the Time of Global Warming </a>by Francesca Lia Block: This is a tricky book to get through because it's a subtle modern day retelling of Homer's Odyssey<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1422939863" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1422939863" target="_blank">Fade by Robert Cormier</a>: It's intriguing to think about one ability over three generations and how it affects each of them.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1424991539" target="_blank">Coraline by Neil Gaiman</a>: It was unsettling and creepy, although for chunks of it I didn't have a reason as to why it was so unnerving.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1429221364" target="_blank">Deerskin by Robin McKinley</a>: McKinley's writing is flawless, and while the story is tragic, I felt like McKinley gave every bit of it purpose in her retelling.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1440168249" target="_blank">I'll Meet You There</a> by Heather Demetrios: I'm apparently one of the very few people who didn't adore this book.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/943549325" target="_blank">The Golden Compass</a> by Philip Pullman: When I talk about formative books of my childhood, this book ties with Harry Potter.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1451995037" target="_blank">Rat Queens Vol 1: Sass and Sorcery</a> by Kurtis J. Wiebe: Rat Queens is everything I want from my comics.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1452530304" target="_blank">Rat Queens Vol 2: The Far Reaching Tentacles of N'yrgoth</a> by Kurtis J. Wiebe: This second set of Rat Queen comics is even better than the first!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/963875620" target="_blank">Akata Witch</a> by Nnedi Okorofor: I loved every bit of Akata Witch and I cannot wait for the sequel to be released.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1418997762" target="_blank">Gotham Academy Vol 1: Welcome to Gotham Academy</a> by Becky Cloonan: I think it would appeal to middle grade readers and it's certainly appropriate for their age group.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1456080176" target="_blank">The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson</a>: This is a book where even though I was pretty sure I knew what was going to happen, I still enjoyed reading every moment of it.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/552285687" target="_blank">Adaptation by Malinda Lo</a>: Do you ever read a book and wonder if the author wrote it during National Novel Writing Month?<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1461587048" target="_blank">The Secret of Platform 13</a> by Eva Ibbotson: Each piece of this short middle grade adventure is a delight.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/953558580" target="_blank">Otherbound</a> by Corinne Duyvis: Duyvis truly manages to create two realistic worlds inhabited by a plethora of fascinating characters.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1241310355" target="_blank">The Subtle Knife</a> by Philip Pullman: But as an adult, I could appreciate this second part of Lyra's story more than when I was a kid.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1021671831" target="_blank">The Shadow Cabinet</a> by Maureen Johnson: I think Johnson's humor is excellent and she pairs it nicely with adventure and tension in this series.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1138907370" target="_blank">The Circus Fire: A True Story of an American Tragedy</a> by Stewart O'Nan: For the middle chunk of this book, I would cry every paragraph.<br />
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Whew!! Hopefully I won't let myself get that far behind again. Hope you are all wrapping up 2015 nicely! Expect to see my End of the Year Survey in the next couple of days!!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789068639639537298.post-72676859381955841772015-10-30T14:52:00.004-07:002015-10-30T14:52:49.294-07:00Reviews, Reviews<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello Lovelies!!</div>
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As I mentioned in my last post, I have a billion reviews to catch up on. I probably should be doing homework, but I'm at that midsemester slump where everything sounds terrible. So I want to do anything besides homework.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxymNpBelF2R5VL-MJanF55pXNQe_VZQtDaBENWFVbcxhRE_3RgFeWmqOkd4Kq3TDxC-QlMXLQZY-983FiN4nR5uM7a07tgst-to6q3oRrIYExmzIDgSNw9JxQWCPlSS0KExcHerUwrJ0h/s1600/yes.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxymNpBelF2R5VL-MJanF55pXNQe_VZQtDaBENWFVbcxhRE_3RgFeWmqOkd4Kq3TDxC-QlMXLQZY-983FiN4nR5uM7a07tgst-to6q3oRrIYExmzIDgSNw9JxQWCPlSS0KExcHerUwrJ0h/s1600/yes.gif" /></a></div>
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So here's more of what I've been reading lately.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqpv3cyEpbtFdmS-5c1GNG_-LHtS3-l0pfwlTf8hQy5qSSNVG6K1RQ6F-hnNwhVUqWwOyJluhEM2JI7wSs4oOGEc2_CA_2eKPJ0pW3qdMAaOgrlZ1aABkVDMCwGllfPHDH41OKaFsTGxfE/s1600/charlie+chocolate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqpv3cyEpbtFdmS-5c1GNG_-LHtS3-l0pfwlTf8hQy5qSSNVG6K1RQ6F-hnNwhVUqWwOyJluhEM2JI7wSs4oOGEc2_CA_2eKPJ0pW3qdMAaOgrlZ1aABkVDMCwGllfPHDH41OKaFsTGxfE/s1600/charlie+chocolate.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6310.Charlie_and_the_Chocolate_Factory" target="_blank">Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl</a></div>
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Published: 1964</div>
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Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf</div>
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Received: Bought a kindle edition!</div>
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I remember doing a unit on this book in the 6th grade. It was so much fun, and I loved it, even though I hated the old movie. And when the newer film came out, I still wasn't a huge fan. There's something about putting this story into a visual tale that changes it. </div>
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Charlie Buckett wins a chance to visit Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory -- a place which no one has entered in years. He brings along his grandfather. Together the two of them see amazing things and watch misadventure after misadventure occur. </div>
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I still really enjoy this book. It's imaginative and funny. Now that I'm older, I can see how didactic Roald becomes about television -- I can only imagine what he might say about the internet and smart phones. I would recommend this book to every one who enjoys a little humor, particularly on the darker side. </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6087756-white-cat" target="_blank">White Cat by Holly Black</a></div>
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Published: January 1, 2010</div>
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Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books</div>
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Received: Borrowed from the library!</div>
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Cassel's brothers are curse workers. His whole family is, actually. Everyone but him. And he's not allowed to tell anyone because curse workers are illegal. So he brushes off incidences as coincidences, and he keeps running his gambling ring. But at night he dreams of a white cat who reminds him of a girl he killed years ago. The only girl he ever loved. So when Cassel starts to question his life, he has to follow the questions to answers he might not want to know.</div>
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I really enjoyed this book! It's my first venture into a Holly Black novel (although I've read a few of her short stories). While I found this book to be largely predictable, I liked watching it unfold. The ending surprised me! I'm excited to see what happens next in the series. Black really excels at world-building. I totally believed that magic was a somewhat normal aspect of the world, and that magic would of course lead to mobs. </div>
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I would suggest this book to fans of fantasy books with magic and good characterization. </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/225038.Half_Magic" target="_blank">Half Magic by Edward Eager</a></div>
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Published: 1954</div>
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Publisher: Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc.</div>
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Received: Bought a copy for class!</div>
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Half Magic is one of those books for young readers that is at turns witty and amusing but because of its dated publication can also be a little bit problematic.</div>
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When the eldest of four siblings realizes a coin she had picked up causes wishes to come true--or at least half true--the siblings have a series of misadventures featuring knights, aliens, gold, ghosts, and a half-talking cat. This book delights in figuring out how to twist wishes to be half fulfilled and equally revels in the kids figuring out how to double wish for what they want. Like <i>Phantom Tollbooth</i>, <i>Half Magic</i> tries--and mostly succeeds--at making learning fun and natural. I was disappointed in the few instances of casual racism involving an Arab man and some "Indians". Overall, the book is worth reading, and worth reading to children, it just also involves a bit of mediation.</div>
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I would recommend for fans of <i>The Phantom Tollbooth</i> and <i>Five Children and It</i>. </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24565038-spinning-starlight" target="_blank">Spinning Starlight by R.C. Lewis</a></div>
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Published: October 6, 2015</div>
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Publisher: Disney-Hyperion</div>
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Received: E-galley at Netgalley. Thanks Disney-Hyperion!</div>
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Liddi Jantzen is the only daughter of the Jantzen family and surrounded by papparazzi. Her family members are leaders in the tech-world, and Liddi is expected to follow in their footsteps. But one night her brothers go missing. And when she asks the manager of their company to look into it, Liddi ends up on the run for her life, unable to say a single word.</div>
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Lewis' retelling of the <i>The Wild Swans</i> had me entranced. I loved the sci-fi world building. I loved how problems of today's society were neatly integrated, creating a feeling of familiarity and current-ness, even though the book was feasibly set in the future. Lewis does a fantastic job of focusing and maintaining priority of the sibling relationship. While there is a bit of a love story, it's unobtrusive and seems natural. </div>
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I really enjoyed this book. I have been recommending it, and I can't wait to pick up Lewis' other novel, Stitching Snow. I would recommend this book to fans of retellings, readers who want a little (easily-accessible) science fiction, and people who want relateable female characters.</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37743.Forever" target="_blank">Forever... by Judy Blume</a></div>
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Published: 1975</div>
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Publisher: Bradbury Books</div>
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Received: Borrowed from the library</div>
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Katharine meets Michael at a New Year's Eve party, and within a short while they are dating. Katharine is so serious that she picks up birth control from Planned Parenthood. Michael invites her over to his sister's empty apartment. And well...you know what happens next. But even though they are devoted to each other and plan to go to college together, their parents insist they spend the summer apart. </div>
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I thought I might have read this book about six years ago, but I wasn't entirely sure. So I picked it up to reread it for class. It wasn't until I got to the very last chapter that I realized, I had in fact read it. While this book is fairly descriptive in its sexual scenes, I don't feel like there's much else to it. I don't think it's particularly interesting--in fact, I find it very boring. It's also obviously dated. It's forty years old! I know it was ground-breaking, and in many ways, other novels have not been as clinically descriptive. However, it just doesn't do much for me anymore.</div>
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I would recommend it to teens who want to know more about sex and romance as part of a broad spectrum of books.</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/99561.Looking_for_Alaska" target="_blank">Looking for Alaska by John Green</a></div>
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Published: 2005</div>
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Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers</div>
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Received: Own a copy!</div>
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Miles Halter is finally going to have an adventure. He's memorized the last words of famous people, but he's ready to actually experience life. He's switching to a boarding school. At Culver Creek, he finds himself becoming friends with a group of people who aren't afraid to break rules, to pull pranks, and to get disgustingly drunk on disgusting alcohol. One of these people is Alaska Young, a girl who Miles has fallen head over heels in love with. But she has a boyfriend, and as their year moves forward, life changes everything.</div>
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I first read Looking for Alaska about six years ago. It had been out, and my friend loved it. So I gave it a shot, and I wasn't entirely sold. This read-through, I loved it. I think for some people the format and context can be startling. This time I knew what was going to happen, and I was prepared. I wasn't trying to guess the twists and turns (it's not a mystery novel, calm down Sherlock [I say to myself]). I know many people find fault in the book because they come to it after reading Green's other novels. However, this book has some really lovely prose and a lot of heart. </div>
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I would recommend this to fans of Green's other works, as well as contemporary fiction fans. </div>
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Okay, that's all for now, Lovelies! I have to do real life things like make dinner and write a paper. Let me know if you've read any of these in the comments! Is anyone horribly offended that I'm not a Forever fan?</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789068639639537298.post-57941585672861070582015-10-22T17:53:00.004-07:002015-10-22T17:53:45.180-07:00Now I'm BACK from OUTER SPACE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello Lovelies!!</div>
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Whoa nelly it's been ages since I've written a post (almost two months exactly...oops). But my guilt from not writing finally overcame the minimal free time I have to do anything that isn't directly school related. So here I am. </div>
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I'm in my second to last semester of grad school, and the courses that I have this semester (plus my part time job at a high school library) have made this blog slide to a back burner for a little bit. But I haven't forgotten you!! Also I've been stacking up all my books to review. Let me tell you guys, there's a million. This is going to be another set of mini-reviews broken down over several posts. And at least for the next seven weeks or so I can about guarantee that's all you'll be getting. So without further ado, let me catch you up on just a couple of the books I've read lately...</div>
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As you might remember, I was doing a Harry Potter reread this summer. And I did manage to wrap that up before my semester started and killed me again.</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2.Harry_Potter_and_the_Order_of_the_Phoenix" target="_blank">Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (#5)</a></div>
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by J. K. Rowling</div>
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Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books</div>
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Published: June 21, 2003</div>
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Received: Library copy (but I own it 2000 miles away)</div>
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Order of the Phoenix sees Harry at his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry now has several things on his mind: the death of Cedric Diggory which he witnessed at the end of Goblet of Fire, plus the fact that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named as been brought back to life. And then he gets attacked by Dementors over the summer which causes him to be brought before a committee which wants to kick him out of school. Basically, life's rough. </div>
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And then when he does get to Hogwarts, he must deal with the most truly evil person in the whole entire series: Dolores Umbridge. This book shows how those who want to remain in denial are more dangerous than anyone else in society. </div>
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Many people feel like Harry gets too angsty in this book. I don't feel that way at all. He is traumatized. He's reacting in a totally reasonable manner to a situation that is so far out of his control and comfort zone. People forget that Harry was literally locked in a closet for most of his youth. He might have been dealing with attempts on his life for the last four years, but he cares less about himself than anyone else. This book also shows how Harry's heroic tendencies can be fatal. Harry is such an intensely good person at heart, and his enemies aren't afraid to use that against him.</div>
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This book gets increasingly dark. And death becomes an even more prominent part of the narrative.</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1.Harry_Potter_and_the_Half_Blood_Prince" target="_blank">Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (#6)</a></div>
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by J. K. Rowling</div>
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Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books</div>
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Published: July 16, 2005</div>
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Received: Library Copy (but I own it too)</div>
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In Half-Blood Prince, Harry returns to Hogwarts for his sixth year. Times are a-changing. The Death Eaters are back. Harry's dealing with the loss at end of book 5. Dumbledore has convinced one Professor Slughorn to return to Hogwarts to teach Potions which means Snape has taken over Defense Against the Dark Arts. This year, Harry discovers He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's goal of creating a mythical object known as a Horcrux. Dumbledore takes Harry with him to track down significant objects. Meanwhile Draco has Harry on edge. He's acting suspicious and Harry wants to know why.</div>
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Of course, the ending of this book astonished everyone. I still can't type it out. And I cry every time. This book just gets me right through the feels (actually this whole series does). </div>
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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (#7)</div>
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by J. K. Rowling</div>
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Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books</div>
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Published: July 21, 2007</div>
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Received: Library copy but I own it too.</div>
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In the final book of the series, Harry does not return to Hogwarts for his final year of school. He's been left a mission bigger than education. He needs to track down the Horcruxes in order to kill He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named once and for all. Hermione and Ron accompany him through the trials of trying to look for something that they don't even know what they're looking for. In the meantime, Death Eaters are taking over the Ministry and Muggle-sympathizers are on the run. </div>
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This book really digs into the adventure side for me. There's a lot of downtime, but it's all very high tension. And so much happens that it doesn't seem like it's moving slow. I love the end of this series so much (except the Epilogue which I refuse to acknowledge). </div>
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This series formed who I am as a human being, and I can't explain how much it means to me. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOlaKpfRH1ACXpjqgLxYNisdaQAkHp4JMxntcixfUuZOxY6K2xIPdbve80b1-1cP85e-4LTiXEFWCrKc5SaRxtMMUq6ysMFeeziftk-5FhYT7BGq06C9EjqF5FSExhZ1VfRYmxOl4JA68/s1600/cupcake+rating.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOlaKpfRH1ACXpjqgLxYNisdaQAkHp4JMxntcixfUuZOxY6K2xIPdbve80b1-1cP85e-4LTiXEFWCrKc5SaRxtMMUq6ysMFeeziftk-5FhYT7BGq06C9EjqF5FSExhZ1VfRYmxOl4JA68/s1600/cupcake+rating.png" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOlaKpfRH1ACXpjqgLxYNisdaQAkHp4JMxntcixfUuZOxY6K2xIPdbve80b1-1cP85e-4LTiXEFWCrKc5SaRxtMMUq6ysMFeeziftk-5FhYT7BGq06C9EjqF5FSExhZ1VfRYmxOl4JA68/s1600/cupcake+rating.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOlaKpfRH1ACXpjqgLxYNisdaQAkHp4JMxntcixfUuZOxY6K2xIPdbve80b1-1cP85e-4LTiXEFWCrKc5SaRxtMMUq6ysMFeeziftk-5FhYT7BGq06C9EjqF5FSExhZ1VfRYmxOl4JA68/s1600/cupcake+rating.png" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOlaKpfRH1ACXpjqgLxYNisdaQAkHp4JMxntcixfUuZOxY6K2xIPdbve80b1-1cP85e-4LTiXEFWCrKc5SaRxtMMUq6ysMFeeziftk-5FhYT7BGq06C9EjqF5FSExhZ1VfRYmxOl4JA68/s1600/cupcake+rating.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOlaKpfRH1ACXpjqgLxYNisdaQAkHp4JMxntcixfUuZOxY6K2xIPdbve80b1-1cP85e-4LTiXEFWCrKc5SaRxtMMUq6ysMFeeziftk-5FhYT7BGq06C9EjqF5FSExhZ1VfRYmxOl4JA68/s1600/cupcake+rating.png" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOlaKpfRH1ACXpjqgLxYNisdaQAkHp4JMxntcixfUuZOxY6K2xIPdbve80b1-1cP85e-4LTiXEFWCrKc5SaRxtMMUq6ysMFeeziftk-5FhYT7BGq06C9EjqF5FSExhZ1VfRYmxOl4JA68/s1600/cupcake+rating.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOlaKpfRH1ACXpjqgLxYNisdaQAkHp4JMxntcixfUuZOxY6K2xIPdbve80b1-1cP85e-4LTiXEFWCrKc5SaRxtMMUq6ysMFeeziftk-5FhYT7BGq06C9EjqF5FSExhZ1VfRYmxOl4JA68/s1600/cupcake+rating.png" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOlaKpfRH1ACXpjqgLxYNisdaQAkHp4JMxntcixfUuZOxY6K2xIPdbve80b1-1cP85e-4LTiXEFWCrKc5SaRxtMMUq6ysMFeeziftk-5FhYT7BGq06C9EjqF5FSExhZ1VfRYmxOl4JA68/s1600/cupcake+rating.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOlaKpfRH1ACXpjqgLxYNisdaQAkHp4JMxntcixfUuZOxY6K2xIPdbve80b1-1cP85e-4LTiXEFWCrKc5SaRxtMMUq6ysMFeeziftk-5FhYT7BGq06C9EjqF5FSExhZ1VfRYmxOl4JA68/s1600/cupcake+rating.png" /></a></div>
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Nimona by Noelle Stevenson</div>
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Publisher: HarperTeen</div>
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Published: May 12, 2015</div>
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Received: Borrowed from library then bought</div>
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I love everything about this graphic novel. From the dedication ("To all the monster girls"), I knew I was going to adore this book. I've followed Stevenson on my Tumblr for years, and I've watched this publication process as Nimona moved from a self-published online comic to a graphic novel published by one of the top five publishing houses. Even though I don't know her personally, I'm so proud of her success. </div>
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Nimona is the story of Nimona, a young shapeshifting girl who wants to be sidekick to the evil Lord Ballister Blackheart. Blackheart, however, does not want a sidekick. And he certainly doesn't want one who is so young and meddlesome. But Nimona is stubborn and she'll help Blackheart take down the saintly Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin if it's the last thing she does.</div>
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Nimona is hilarious and delightful and every page made me fall more in love. I have been constantly recommending it ever since I finished it. If you like stories about finding yourself and the ambiguity of good and evil, then you will love Nimona. </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25179.Blankets" target="_blank">Blankets by Craig Thompson</a></div>
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Publisher: IDW</div>
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Published: July 1, 2003</div>
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Received: Borrowed from Library</div>
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This book was one of the summer reading choices for the high school I work at. I was trying to read all the books over the summer (that didn't actually happen), but this one was at my local library when I stopped it so I picked it up. </div>
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I didn't feel it.</div>
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This book mostly left me feeling bored and a little bit floundering. The romance felt contrived and false. Maybe because religion played a different role in my life growing up, I didn't feel that connection to the story. I don't need to see myself reflected in a story to like it, but with this style of quiet narrative it just didn't draw me in.</div>
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Lumberjanes Vol 1: Beware the Kitten Holy</div>
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by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis and Brooke A. Allen</div>
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Publisher: BOOM! Box</div>
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Published: April 7, 2015</div>
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Received: Purchased!</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Things that I love: ensembles and girls. Things that Lumberjanes is: ensembles and girls. It makes complete sense that I would love Lumberjanes. Lumberjanes is a fun, Girl Scout-esque group for girls. Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley are five friend surviving Miss <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.32px;">Qiunzilla Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's camp for hard-core lady-types. They're figuring out themselves and how to be friends to each other along the way.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/363777.The_Pillars_of_the_World" target="_blank">The Pillars of the World (Tir Alainn #1)</a></div>
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by Anne Bishop</div>
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Publisher: Roc</div>
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Published: October 1, 2001</div>
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Received: Borrowed from a friend</div>
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Some of you might recall that Anne Bishop is one of the few adult authors who I read immediately. This was one of her series that I had missed out on, so I went back and read the first book. </div>
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It was a bit tougher to get involved in than other Bishop novels. However, once I got a decent way through, I could hardly put it down. I love the way Bishop interweaves stories, not telling one narration straight through but switching between by chapters. I also love books with witches and magic (which Bishop's books have plenty of!).</div>
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Ari is one of the last few witches. She protects her family's plot of land, an Old Place, and helps out the village with small magics. Ari accidentally takes a Fae lover to whom she becomes bound for a certain amount of time. This makes her the target of not only the human village but the fairy royalty who she has unwittingly angered. But bigger things are happening. </div>
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I loved this book a lot. I would definitely recommend it to fans of the slightly historical witchery like Tamora Pierce's Tortall series and Mercedes Lackey's Heralds series.</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20170404-station-eleven" target="_blank">Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel</a></div>
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Publisher: Knopf</div>
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Published: September 9, 2014</div>
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Received: Borrowed from the library</div>
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I have recently realized that I have a distinct problem reading books that deal with the end of society. I have no problem with books set after the apocalypse. But ones that look at diseases or outbreaks or anything like that just freak me out. </div>
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Station Eleven follows different story line at different points in time. One of an EMT the night the pandemic strikes. One of a young woman in an acting troupe after the pandemic has swept through. The thing that I loved about this book was how the stories were interwoven. It's a narrative technique I really admire, and Mandel does it almost flawlessly. I wished the connections would have been explicitly stated earlier on, however. Part of what I enjoy is watching characters after their connections have been revealed. We don't see much of that here. </div>
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Overall, I enjoyed the story, but there were also bits that bored me. Part of that, I think, comes from it being an adult book. I just usually don't care that much about adult books. Another part comes from the end of the world aspect which just had me squirming every time that part came up. If it had just followed the story after the world had ended, I would have been more comfortable. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOlaKpfRH1ACXpjqgLxYNisdaQAkHp4JMxntcixfUuZOxY6K2xIPdbve80b1-1cP85e-4LTiXEFWCrKc5SaRxtMMUq6ysMFeeziftk-5FhYT7BGq06C9EjqF5FSExhZ1VfRYmxOl4JA68/s1600/cupcake+rating.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOlaKpfRH1ACXpjqgLxYNisdaQAkHp4JMxntcixfUuZOxY6K2xIPdbve80b1-1cP85e-4LTiXEFWCrKc5SaRxtMMUq6ysMFeeziftk-5FhYT7BGq06C9EjqF5FSExhZ1VfRYmxOl4JA68/s1600/cupcake+rating.png" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOlaKpfRH1ACXpjqgLxYNisdaQAkHp4JMxntcixfUuZOxY6K2xIPdbve80b1-1cP85e-4LTiXEFWCrKc5SaRxtMMUq6ysMFeeziftk-5FhYT7BGq06C9EjqF5FSExhZ1VfRYmxOl4JA68/s1600/cupcake+rating.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOlaKpfRH1ACXpjqgLxYNisdaQAkHp4JMxntcixfUuZOxY6K2xIPdbve80b1-1cP85e-4LTiXEFWCrKc5SaRxtMMUq6ysMFeeziftk-5FhYT7BGq06C9EjqF5FSExhZ1VfRYmxOl4JA68/s1600/cupcake+rating.png" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOlaKpfRH1ACXpjqgLxYNisdaQAkHp4JMxntcixfUuZOxY6K2xIPdbve80b1-1cP85e-4LTiXEFWCrKc5SaRxtMMUq6ysMFeeziftk-5FhYT7BGq06C9EjqF5FSExhZ1VfRYmxOl4JA68/s1600/cupcake+rating.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOlaKpfRH1ACXpjqgLxYNisdaQAkHp4JMxntcixfUuZOxY6K2xIPdbve80b1-1cP85e-4LTiXEFWCrKc5SaRxtMMUq6ysMFeeziftk-5FhYT7BGq06C9EjqF5FSExhZ1VfRYmxOl4JA68/s1600/cupcake+rating.png" /></a></div>
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The Radioactive Boy Scout by Ken Silverstein</div>
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Publisher: Fourth Estate</div>
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Published: June 21, 2004</div>
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Received: Borrowed from the library</div>
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This nonfiction text tells the story of David Hahn, a young boy who was fascinated by nuclear energy. Hahn decided to build a nuclear reactor in his backyard shed. Something he spent years and endless bits of money attempting to achieve. Of course, building a nuclear reactor is a difficult venture, and eventually the EPA found out and stepped in to take out the unsolicited project.</div>
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Silverstein writes in a compelling way. He makes the difficult science easier to follow and comprehend. This was another text I read from my high school's summer reading list, and I can see how it would be compelling for teens. It doesn't talk down, but it does simplify. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOlaKpfRH1ACXpjqgLxYNisdaQAkHp4JMxntcixfUuZOxY6K2xIPdbve80b1-1cP85e-4LTiXEFWCrKc5SaRxtMMUq6ysMFeeziftk-5FhYT7BGq06C9EjqF5FSExhZ1VfRYmxOl4JA68/s1600/cupcake+rating.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOlaKpfRH1ACXpjqgLxYNisdaQAkHp4JMxntcixfUuZOxY6K2xIPdbve80b1-1cP85e-4LTiXEFWCrKc5SaRxtMMUq6ysMFeeziftk-5FhYT7BGq06C9EjqF5FSExhZ1VfRYmxOl4JA68/s1600/cupcake+rating.png" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOlaKpfRH1ACXpjqgLxYNisdaQAkHp4JMxntcixfUuZOxY6K2xIPdbve80b1-1cP85e-4LTiXEFWCrKc5SaRxtMMUq6ysMFeeziftk-5FhYT7BGq06C9EjqF5FSExhZ1VfRYmxOl4JA68/s1600/cupcake+rating.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOlaKpfRH1ACXpjqgLxYNisdaQAkHp4JMxntcixfUuZOxY6K2xIPdbve80b1-1cP85e-4LTiXEFWCrKc5SaRxtMMUq6ysMFeeziftk-5FhYT7BGq06C9EjqF5FSExhZ1VfRYmxOl4JA68/s1600/cupcake+rating.png" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOlaKpfRH1ACXpjqgLxYNisdaQAkHp4JMxntcixfUuZOxY6K2xIPdbve80b1-1cP85e-4LTiXEFWCrKc5SaRxtMMUq6ysMFeeziftk-5FhYT7BGq06C9EjqF5FSExhZ1VfRYmxOl4JA68/s1600/cupcake+rating.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOlaKpfRH1ACXpjqgLxYNisdaQAkHp4JMxntcixfUuZOxY6K2xIPdbve80b1-1cP85e-4LTiXEFWCrKc5SaRxtMMUq6ysMFeeziftk-5FhYT7BGq06C9EjqF5FSExhZ1VfRYmxOl4JA68/s1600/cupcake+rating.png" /></a></div>
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Never Fade (Darkest Minds #2)</div>
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by Alexandra Bracken</div>
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Publisher: Disney-Hyperion</div>
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Published: October 15, 2013</div>
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Received: Borrowed from the library</div>
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Ruby is now a leader of dangerous children. She's working to take down the government by allowing another group to direct their dangerous powers. But when she's given the directive to track down a flashdrive that appears to be with Liam Stewart, Ruby isn't sure what to do. She can't take facing the boy she left behind, the boy she memory-wiped to forget her. </div>
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I read Darkest Minds many, many moons ago. So it took me a moment to recenter myself in the universe. Especially because Bracken doesn't do the typical thing of recapping the entire previous book in the first chapter of the book. However, within a few chapters, the world started coming back to me. </div>
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This book ended on a massive cliffhanger, and I don't know why I didn't immediately go for the third. Someday I'll finish this series. It's not that I don't like it, I do enjoy it an awful lot. I just don't adore it. </div>
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Would definitely recommend to fans of dystopian novels and novels with superpowers.</div>
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Five Children and It by E. Nesbit</div>
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Published: 1902</div>
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Received: Bought a Kindle copy</div>
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I read this book when I was young (eight or nine), and I reread it for my Science-Fiction and Fantasy course at school. This book is such an interesting look at what children will wish for and how wishes can backfire. The sammyead is an interesting creature. I don't necessarily think it's malevolent, but it could be.</div>
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Five Children and It follows five siblings (well, really only four) and their wishes with a sand fairy. There's adventure and mayhem. Each wish gets thwarted in some way or another. </div>
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Well worth the read, and an excellent choice for fans of Edward Eager or P.L. Travers. </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/321578.Pobby_and_Dingan" target="_blank">Pobby and Dingan by Ben Rice</a></div>
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Publisher: Knopf</div>
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Published: January 16, 2001</div>
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Received: eBook from the library</div>
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Pobby and Dingan is the story of Kellyanne Williamson's imaginary best friends who go missing. With their disappearance Kellyanne becomes more and more ill. Told through the eyes of Kellyanne's brother, Ashmol, Pobby and Dingan becomes a question of who and what are real and who and what gets privileged in our lives. </div>
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I read this book for a Science Fiction and Fantasy course, so I think that made me like the book less than I otherwise might have. I did not read it as a fantasy text, so I had a hard time reading it in that mind set. </div>
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I'm also not sure who the intended audience is. I suspect it's actually more geared for adults than young people, which is another issue I had reading it. </div>
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So there you go. An even dozen reviews to help catch up my blog. I might have to post another dozen tomorrow (and the day after and the day after), but I promise I'm not deserting this blog. I'm just a little busy. What have you all been reading?? I promise to make time for comments!</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789068639639537298.post-24801790452073177232015-08-22T07:50:00.000-07:002015-08-22T07:50:01.728-07:00Not the Dragon Book I Was Looking For<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24397041-hunter" target="_blank">Hunter by Mercedes Lackey</a></div>
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Published: September 1, 2015</div>
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Publisher: Disney-Hyperion</div>
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Received: Egalley from Netgalley (Thanks Disney-Hyperion!)</div>
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I was so excited for this book. I loved Lackey's Elemental Masters books and her Valdemar books, plus dragon (!!) on the cover of this one. What could go wrong?? </div>
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Apparently a whole lot. </div>
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This seriously felt like a first novel of an untrained writer. I kept thinking to myself, maybe this is her first book written with a ghost writer? It did not read like a Lackey novel at all. Even the world-building was incredibly subpar compared to her other novels. It felt like she had the barest bones of an idea, and she figured since she was writing for a younger audience that she didn't need to put in as much as effort. I was so disappointed. </div>
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The premise is great: Hunter Joy has been secretly training in her mountain village for years, but has now been called to the big city (Apex) to join her Uncle and pick up training there. Typically any hunter goes to Apex to train from the beginning, so Joy must keep the Masters and Hunters of her home village a secret. With her pack of "dogs" (creatures from the Otherside who work with Joy), Joy must keep Apex safe from the variety of dangerous Othersiders that crossed the barrier years before and have been slowly creeping past the supposedly safe zone of the city. </div>
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However, Lackey also failed a bit at executing the premise. She combines a lot of different cultures to create this "futuristic" society. Basically she says that no culture was entirely right, but each of them seemed to get a little bit of it right. However, this comes across as really insensitive to cultures and traditions. I kept having to ask myself, "Is this racist? This feels a little bit racist." And I've gotten to a point in my life where if I have to ask myself that question, it probably is. Although, I'd really like the input from someone of a culture that was included to read it and talk about how they feel. </div>
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This is entirely exposition. It's set-up for the series. It has the barest of plots to keep the book moving forward and feeling slightly more than entirely character introduction, but I feel like 80% of this book could have been cut out. I was also frustrated with Lackey's method of writing for this book which was entirely "tell-don't-show". Sure, this book is written in first-person, but I don't think that's the problem. The problem was that instead of showing (through character actions or sensory input or descriptions), Lackey spent most of the book having her character tell us what was happening or what had happened or what she felt. I felt like the successes of the book were few and far between but they came when Lackey remembered to show. </div>
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Overall, this would not be a book I would recommend to fans of Lackey's or fans of dragons or fans of fantasy dystopians. Perhaps after the sequel comes out, I will be more of a fan. I mean, I spent 354 pages reading about the characters, I do kind of want to see what happens to them.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789068639639537298.post-78109967297022748172015-08-18T07:08:00.000-07:002015-08-18T07:08:18.205-07:00When you publish, I'll be there<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello Lovelies!</div>
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As usual Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the wonderful people over at <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a>. This week's topic is 10 Authors I would Auto-Buy meaning if these authors were to publish anything, I would be at the bookstore that week, money in hand. </div>
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Anne Bishop: I'm currently finishing up the only series of hers I haven't read, and she's one of the few adult authors who I seriously adore. I would (and will) buy anything she writes.</div>
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Jandy Nelson: Omg, I'm obsessed with <i>I'll Give You the Sun </i>and I really enjoyed <i>The Sky is Everywhere</i>. I can't wait for her next book release!</div>
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John Green: I mean, I've read almost everything he's written (still missing a couple short stories, dang it!), and I'll continue to do so.</div>
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Kate DiCamillo: She won me over completely with <i>The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane</i>, but I've really enjoyed her other titles too. Can't wait to see what she publishes next!</div>
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Patrick Ness: I'm obsessed with his books! Once I get my latest book order, I'll only be missing his collection of short stories. I'll definitely be picking up <i>The Rest of Us Just Live Here</i> when it's finally released in the U.S.</div>
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Rainbow Rowell: To be completely honest, if this was arranged by priority, Rowell would be #1. I cannot wait for <i>Carry On, Simon Snow </i>to come out. Rowell has changed my life so much in the last couple years. If her books had midnight releases, I would be at every one of them.</div>
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Stephanie Perkins: I feel like I don't have a lot of contemporary author favorites (although looking at this list, maybe I just don't know myself that well), but I love her books so much. I will always buy stuff she writes.</div>
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Marissa Meyer: I love the Lunar Chronicles! I cannot wait for <i>Winter </i>to come out. And I would be just as excited to see what she did with another world. </div>
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Gene Luen Yang: He got me into graphic novels. Like I had read the occasional one before his, but his style completely drew me in. I will definitely buy anything he does.</div>
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Leslye Walton: She might only have one book out, but I think about it constantly. I can't wait to see what she does next. </div>
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Those are my top 10 auto-buy authors!! Who's on your list? Let me know in the comments!!</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789068639639537298.post-85667103074853392032015-08-13T20:41:00.000-07:002015-08-13T20:41:16.245-07:00The Fate of a City in a Monkey's Hands<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23615684-chasing-secrets" target="_blank">Chasing Secrets by Gennifer Choldenko</a></div>
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Published: August 4, 2015</div>
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Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books</div>
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Received: E-galley for review through Netgalley (Thanks Wendy Lamb Books!)</div>
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Lizzie doesn't have friends at school--Miss Barstow's, a school for young ladies to learn how to become perfect wives. Lizzie would rather read books or accompany her doctor father on visits to patients. That's why Lizzie can recognize the problems with the quarantine of Chinatown. Nobody is wearing protective gear, for one thing. But nobody will admit that the plague is in San Francisco. What lengths will adults go to in order to keep the news of plague quiet?</div>
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I remember reading <i>Al Capone Does My Shirts</i> when I was younger, and I enjoyed it. This book left me feeling a little unfulfilled. It was good, but I also felt like Choldenko tried to encompass too many threads without deeply exploring any. I thought the book was about the plague, but really that's tangential. It only becomes necessary to the plot when Choldenko wants it to. I also felt like Choldenko tried to include a love triangle without making it a love triangle? I know a lot of people have crushes at 13 (I was definitely one of them!), but I think that the way in which Choldenko writes Lizzie and the crushes it comes off as false. </div>
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Overall, I would probably recommend this to middle grade readers looking for historical fiction set during this time period. I think it's unique in subject matter and setting.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789068639639537298.post-21742613102685300662015-08-06T07:28:00.000-07:002015-08-06T07:28:16.317-07:00A Twist of Lies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22749846-charlie-presumed-dead" target="_blank">Charlie, Presumed Dead by Anne Heltzel</a></div>
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Published: June 2, 2015</div>
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Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers</div>
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Received: An Egalley from the publisher on Netgalley! Thanks HMH!!</div>
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Charlie Price just died in a fiery plane explosion, Except all that's been recovered is his bloody jacket. So technically he's missing, presumed dead. But Lena doesn't care about technicalities or improbabilities. As Charlie's girlfriend, she's certain he's still alive, still out there somewhere, waiting for her to find him. </div>
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Aubrey had to find out about her boyfriend's death through the internet. He wasn't answering her texts or calls. But he'd encouraged her to sign up for his campus newspaper. And the paper announces the missing student. When she finds out about his funeral service, she heads to Paris. Where she meets Lena, Charlie's other girlfriend who is convinced he's still alive. Aubrey agrees to chase after Charlie. But Aubrey's just looking for something Charlie took, something Aubrey's willing to do just about anything to get back.</div>
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The first couple pages of this book really through me off. I'm not sure whether it was the setting or the voice or the situation, but I had to put it down and come back to it (like three months later, oops, sorry HMH!). However, I started reading it again yesterday, and I finished it in one day. I'm not sure that I can actively say I liked it, but I can say that it's a thriller and it had me on the edge of my seat. I needed to know what happened. I needed to know whether Charlie was alive or dead. I needed to know what was going to happen to Aubrey and Lena. </div>
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Possible spoilers in this section so skip ahead if you avoid those. What the hell was up with that ending?!? When we got to the last few chapters, I was like whoa! No! What! I definitely did not see that part coming. I'm not sure how much I buy into it either. Like I can tentatively see a spoiled rich boy at 21 coming up with a fake suicide and leaving a trail for his ex-girlfriends, or at least I'm willing to suspend my disbelief there. But somewhere around the middle I started to feel a little sensitive about the culture clashing happening and how much it reinforced certain stereotypes about those cultures. And then I got really annoyed with the last part of the book and then the criminal justice aspect. I know there are real world equivalents to this last part of the story, but I don't buy into this outcome with this story and these characters. </div>
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Overall, I would recommend this to fans of thrillers and almost murder mysteries. Well a murder isn't the driving force, I think the set-up is similar, and the did-he-did-he-not aspect is similar to trying to figure out a murderer. </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789068639639537298.post-73477972572514893742015-08-04T08:06:00.000-07:002015-08-04T08:06:54.178-07:00Tell Me a Story I Don't Know<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello Lovelies!! As usual Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the wonderful bloggers at <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish.</a> Today the theme is Fairy Tale Retellings I Want to Read. I went a little loose with the definition of fairy tale (a.k.a. I have books that are just retellings of famous stories). So without further ado:</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21524446-a-thousand-nights?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank">A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston</a> (A Thousand and One Nights)</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11300302-alice-in-zombieland?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank">Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter</a> (Alice in Wonderland)</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21570318-crimson-bound?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank">Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge</a> (Little Red Riding Hood)</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24565038-spinning-starlight?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank">Spinning Starlight by R.C. Lewis</a> (The Wild Swans)</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16248113-the-school-for-good-and-evil?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank">The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani</a> (Various)</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13206900-winter?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank">Winter by Marissa Meyer</a> (Cinderella)</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18392476-valiant?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank">Valiant by Sarah McGuire</a> (The Brave Little Tailor)</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8306761-for-darkness-shows-the-stars?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank">For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund </a>(Persuasion)</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7826117-jane?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank">Jane by April Lindner</a> (Jane Eyre)</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77368.Spindle_s_End?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank">Spindle's End by Robin McKinley</a> (Sleeping Beauty)</div>
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Those are all the retellings I am dying to read! What about you lovelies? Anything I should add to my list? Let me know in the comments!!</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789068639639537298.post-43957782278748683682015-07-31T08:59:00.002-07:002015-07-31T08:59:58.102-07:00A Dash of Magical Realism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22896.Practical_Magic" target="_blank">Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman</a></div>
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Published: June 13, 1995</div>
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Publisher: Putnam Adult</div>
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Received: Borrowed from my best friend</div>
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"What had she thought, that love was a toy, something easy and sweet, just to play with? Real love was dangerous, it got you from inside and held on tight, and if you didn't let go fast enough you might be willing to do anything for its sake."</div>
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Sally and Gillian Owens are orphaned at a young age. They are sent to live with their aunts: two older women who are known throughout their small Massachusetts town as witches. Both girls grow up resentful of their aunts and their aunts' practice, but the girls take this resentment out in different ways. Sally doesn't believe in the aunts' power, but she's always a good girl. She takes care of Gillian, the house, and ultimately her own family. After her husband's untimely death, Sally takes her two girls and moves away from the aunts. Gillian had left years earlier. She sought escape through boys--taking enough time to make them fall in love and then breaking their hearts when she couldn't feel the same. </div>
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"Some people cannot be warned away from disaster. You can try, you can put up every alert, but they'll still go their own way."</div>
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Gillian needs Sally's help. Sally's girls are on the cusp of adulthood, but still young enough to be swayed by Gillian's antics. Sally doesn't want her sister being a bad influence, but she still loves her sister. So Sally helps Gillian bury her abusive dead ex in their backyard. But that's only the beginning of the end.</div>
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I loved this book. I'm obsessed with the movie. I think I saw it shortly after it came out, when I was young. I loved everything about it. I still love to watch it frequently. The book is really different than the movie. This is one time where I'm glad I read the book after the movie. Because reading the book, I could easily see a movie, but it wouldn't have been the one that was made. The movie took some liberties in basically every area to make the story more cinematic. </div>
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This book really tackles the idea of love in every form. Is love still love if it can wane with devotion? Is it love if you have to take it from someone else? Is it love if it comes with pain? Is it love to want to protect people regardless of age or personal wishes? It looks at relationships from every angle: friendship, romantic love, familial ties. And Hoffman's writing is beautiful. It weaves the illusion of magic in the pages themselves. </div>
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I would recommend this book to fans of magical realism and fans of intricate relationships.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789068639639537298.post-9860789722619700382015-07-16T14:02:00.000-07:002015-07-16T14:02:00.257-07:00Flowers Survive<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17262236-rose-under-fire" target="_blank">Rose Under Fire</a> by Elizabeth Wein</div>
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Published: Sept. 10, 2013</div>
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Publisher: Disney Hyperion</div>
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Received: Borrowed a copy from the library</div>
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Rose Justice is piloting for America during World War II when she's captured by Nazis. They send her to Ravensbruck--the women's concentration camp known for performing atrocious surgeries on their prisoners.<br />
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Books set during World War II and the Holocaust are horrifying. I cry every time I read one. But I think it's important to remind ourselves of the atrocities human people can commit against one another. Rose Under Fire tells a unique story in that most of the characters are not Jewish. These are prisoners of war, these are Polish women and Russian women and French women and an American. Obviously the genocide of Jewish people was a major portion of the Holocaust, but there were other people who had to endure the horrors of concentration camps. I appreciated this look into that side of the story too.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789068639639537298.post-81404814325855295902015-07-15T13:37:00.000-07:002015-07-15T13:37:00.649-07:00Fantasy Round-Up<br />
Hello Lovelies!!<br />
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Since I fell so behind in my reviews over the last month and a half or so, I decided to group some reviews up by genre. Here's the books I've read with a fantasy twist.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10637959-breadcrumbs" target="_blank">Breadcrumbs</a> by Anne Ursu</div>
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Published: Sept 27, 2011</div>
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Publisher: Walden Pond Press</div>
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Received: Borrowed a copy from the library!</div>
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In this retelling of The Snow Queen, Hazel and Jack have been next-door neighbors and best friends forever. But after an accident on the playground, Jack changes. He doesn't want to hang out with Hazel anymore. But Hazel knows that this is the normal growth her mom keeps saying it is. So when Jack goes missing, Hazel goes into the forest to find him.</div>
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I loved that this retelling keeps the characters young (like my other favorite retelling of The Snow Queen by Mary Engelbreit) and the relationship platonic. The thing I love about The Snow Queen is that Gerda loves Kay because they're friends. It isn't about romance. It's about friendship. Ursu keeps that heart, and I was so so glad. Ursu also mixes in a couple different stories to the core which I found really interesting. </div>
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I would definitely recommend this book to people who enjoy fantasy narratives about friendship.</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6137154-fire" target="_blank">Fire</a> by Kristin Cashore</div>
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Published: Oct. 5, 2009</div>
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Publisher: Dial Books</div>
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Received: Borrowed a copy from the library!</div>
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Fire's bright red hair marks her as other, as a monster. It also draws other non-human monsters to her. She's the daughter of an evil man, and she wants to atone for her actions. Her monstrousness gives her power over others. But she doesn't want to use it. Until Prince Brigan comes to take her to the royal city and his brother, King Nash. Fire might have to compromise her morals in order to save her kingdom. </div>
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Fire starts out tough. Graceling eases readers into the tale. Fire drops you in: a reading trial by fire. Fire is a lot more intense of a read than Graceling. It considers the monster side of human nature and the human side of monsters. I would recommend Fire to fans of the first book, fans of fantasy novels, and fans of character driven narratives.</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20312462-jackaby" target="_blank">Jackaby</a> by William Ritter</div>
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Published: Sept. 16, 2014</div>
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Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers</div>
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Received: Borrowed a copy from the library!</div>
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Abigail Rook just moved to the continent from England. And in her search for a place to stay and a job, she meets R. F. Jackaby. Basically Ritter's take on Doctor Who + Sherlock, Jackaby is a detective who can see all the things others can't, including fairies and trolls and banshees. </div>
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I was so disappointed in Jackaby. It reads exactly like Ritter is a fan of Doctor Who and Sherlock and thought, oh what if I just smushed them? Abigail is also supposed to be a "strong female character" who sets off on her own in 1892. However, besides how unrealistic that set-up is, Abigail frequently seems at a loss as to how to even be a 3-dimensional character. Ritter seems to have wanted to write about Jackaby without actually making him the main character. However neither Jackaby nor Abigail are fully developed. In fact, the whole thing was completely predictable. The only enjoyable part was a third character who showed up every so often. </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12154330-froi-of-the-exiles" target="_blank">Froi of the Exiles</a> by Melina Marchetta</div>
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Published: Mar. 13, 2012</div>
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Publisher: Candlewick Press</div>
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Received: Borrowed </div>
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Froi has spent the last three years building a home in Lumatere. He's been trained by the guard and the High Priest, and he's created a family for himself. When Queen Isaboe asks him to go to Charyn to find the king and kill him, Froi agrees. But when he goes to Charyn, he finds himself in a situation he never expected.</div>
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This series just gets better. Every book adds more layers to the characters and creates a bigger entanglement of the plot. Froi's a morally grey character, but he grows and he learns. I would highly recommend this series to fantasy lovers.</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10165761-quintana-of-charyn" target="_blank">Quintana of Charyn</a> by Melina Marchetta</div>
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Published: Apr. 23, 2013</div>
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Publisher: Candlewick Press</div>
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Received: Borrowed</div>
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This is everything a final book should be. It's got its own plot and its own heartbreak. It wraps up story lines, but it also lets the world exist on its own. I couldn't wait to finish it, but I wanted to read and feel each moment. </div>
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I love how everything works out. It's not perfect in the traditional sense, but it makes sense for the universe and the characters. Stellar finale. </div>
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Have you read any of these? Any books you think I should read based on these? Let me know in the comments!!</div>
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