tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19178663108720197162024-03-14T01:30:08.759-04:00YA NoveltiesBook Bloggers: Jenny, Angie, Rosie, ~MYA Noveltieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13748802912341911980noreply@blogger.comBlogger343125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917866310872019716.post-10160360715225841792014-07-02T05:00:00.000-04:002014-07-02T05:00:07.619-04:00Review: The One by Kiera Cass<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rxpI_ycyDyw/U7NaQEj0GnI/AAAAAAAALh8/E3vg3hxk_7M/s1600/13508069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rxpI_ycyDyw/U7NaQEj0GnI/AAAAAAAALh8/E3vg3hxk_7M/s1600/13508069.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15844362-the-one" style="font-family: serif;">The One</a> (The Selection #3)<br />By Kiera Cass<br />Released: May 6, 2014<br />Publisher: HarperTeen<br />eBook, 323 pages </h2>
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The highly anticipated conclusion to Kiera Cass's #1 New York Timesbestselling Selection series, The One will captivate readers who love dystopian YA fiction and fairy tales. The One is the perfect finale for fans who have followed America's whirlwind romance since it began--and a swoon-worthy read for teens who have devoured Veronica Roth'sDivergent, Ally Condie's Matched, or Lauren Oliver's Delirium.<br />
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The Selection changed America Singer's life in ways she never could have imagined. Since she entered the competition to become the next princess of Illéa, America has struggled with her feelings for her first love, Aspen--and her growing attraction to Prince Maxon. Now she's made her choice . . . and she's prepared to fight for the future she wants.<br />
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Find out who America will choose in The One, the enchanting, beautifully romantic third book in the Selection series! --Goodreads</blockquote>
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3 Stars</div>
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After sludging through the soap operas called <i>The Selection </i>and <i>The Elite</i>, I could not believe that I had the audacity to read the conclusion to the mess. Unfortunately, Kiera Cass has some magical powers that forced me to read this book. How awful, right?</div>
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In all honesty, this series taught me to never take anyone or anything seriously. If you do, you end up more miserable than otherwise. As long as you go with the flow and just take things with a grain of salt, anything remotely similar to <i>The Selection </i>series (ahem The Bachelor or dating shows) can be palatable. </div>
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So we are down to 4 girls squabbling over Maxon. Normally, this would be the moment where America and the other girls would start doing the most outlandish things to win. Actually, America does continue with her irrational antics as usual. Getting shot, sneaking rebels into the castle, and sleeping with men, America is truly a migraine-inducing protagonist. Yet somehow, the four finalists actually bond together and form some strong relationships. How this happens is beyond me.... The only possible answer is puberty.... probably. Anyway, it's really adorable to read about.</div>
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There are many of these incredible moments that seem so unbelievable. Not only do America, Celeste, Kriss, and Elise seem to interact somewhat amiably, but many characters seem to swap personalities. We see Celeste treating people nicely and Elise whining like a toddler. Celeste's personality switch seems to be very popular among the YA community, but honestly it was very inorganic because it was so sudden and instantaneous. Also, America manages to sneak a rebel into the castle as a guest and the king never bothered double checking the rebel's identity? I thought the king had brains, but apparently not. Oh well, remember to just accept it all as logical.</div>
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In spite of these bewilderingly confusing moments, <i>The One</i> does serve as a wonderful conclusion to <i>The Selection </i>series. Kiera Cass has succeeded where many authors have failed when it comes to properly ending a love triangle. I was so relieved to see the end of this miserable love triangle. America continues to hurt both Aspen and Maxon, who follow her like little puppies. Seeing these puppies kicked around is painful, but America has shown tremendous growth in that she actually admits that she made at least one mistake toward both of these men. That is such a grand accomplishment, especially for America, so let's give her a little slack. </div>
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Even now, I still do not understand how this series became so popular. There are so many flaws, including America as a protagonist and the randomly rushed details included in <i>The One'</i>s<i> </i>last pages. I guess there is some magic in cat fights and finding a true love within a dystopian world. </div>
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Purchase <i>The One </i>here: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-One-Selection-Kiera-Cass-ebook/dp/B00FJ2YTLK">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-one-kiera-cass/1116996460?ean=9780062059994">Barnes & Nobles</a> | <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/One-Kiera-Cass/9780062325471">The Book Depository</a></div>
YA Noveltieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13748802912341911980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917866310872019716.post-64838138009045144642014-07-02T00:00:00.000-04:002014-07-02T00:00:06.763-04:00Waiting on Wednesday 7/2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event that features the books that we (the bloggers) are highly anticipating. "Waiting on Wednesday" was started by Jill at <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/">Breaking the Spine</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17182499-illusive?ac=1"></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17182499-illusive?ac=1">Illusive</a> (Illusive #1)</div>
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By: Emily Lloyd-Jones</div>
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Release Date: July 15, 2014</div>
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Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers</div>
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Hardcover, 416 pages</div>
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<b><i>The X-Men meets Ocean's Eleven in this edge-of-your-seat sci-fi adventure about a band of "super" criminals.</i></b></div>
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<i>When the MK virus swept across the planet, a vaccine was created to stop the epidemic, but it came with some unexpected side effects. A small percentage of the population developed superhero-like powers. Seventeen-year-old Ciere Giba has the handy ability to change her appearance at will. She's what's known as an illusionist...She's also a thief.</i></div>
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<i>After a robbery goes awry, Ciere must team up with a group of fellow super-powered criminals on another job that most would consider too reckless. The formula for the vaccine that gave them their abilities was supposedly destroyed years ago. But what if it wasn't?</i></div>
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<i>The lines between good and bad, us and them, and freedom and entrapment are blurred as Ciere and the rest of her crew become embroiled in a deadly race against the government that could cost them their lives. -- Goodreads</i></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Can I just say that people who can change their appearance are the coolest? But also X-Men and Ocean's Eleven? Count me in! The cover doesn't really do anyone favors because it is so bland compared to the YA's always dazzling covers. Still, the cover cannot deter me from swooning at the idea of a heist, especially while fighting the government. Thankfully, </span><i style="color: #38761d;">Illusive</i><span style="color: #38761d;"> comes out in only 2 weeks!</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SDhS5XRpZD0/U7N1OEmd1rI/AAAAAAAALiY/Sr2RulJ8c4k/s1600/the+revelation+of+gabriel+adam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SDhS5XRpZD0/U7N1OEmd1rI/AAAAAAAALiY/Sr2RulJ8c4k/s1600/the+revelation+of+gabriel+adam.jpg" height="400" width="250" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18397323-the-revelation-of-gabriel-adam">The Revelation of Gabriel Adam </a>(Revelation Saga #1)</div>
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By: S.L. Duncan</div>
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Publish Date: August 12, 2014</div>
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Publisher: Medallion Press</div>
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Paperback, 384 pages</div>
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<span style=" color: #181818; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Seventeen-year-old Gabriel Adam is used to relocating a lot. When a mysterious assassin burns his home to the ground, Gabriel’s father reveals the truth of why they are always on the move: Gabriel is one of four archangels, born human and sent to stop Armageddon. Now Gabe must set aside dreams of attending NYU to try to fulfill his newly discovered role.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Racing against time, Gabe and his father travel to the English university town of Durham, hoping the last surviving member of an ancient religious sect can guide them. With the assassin in pursuit, Gabe must shoulder the weight of his new life and an impossible destiny as protector of the entire human race. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">--GoodReads</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Hiya folks! Haven't done a WoW in a while! I've read that this is some hardcore-thriller angel stuff. I'm interested to see how Gabe- a mere high school senior - grows as a character in order to fulfill the role of archangel Gabriel. One more thing: I'm gonna geek out like Angie and tell you how much I love this cover! The watercolor combination of darker blues mixed with lighter teals and whites is just so pretty! It's as if you carved out a stensil using a wood block and dipped it into a watercolor mix of those pure blueish hues! :D Simple covers are sometimes the best option; I'm so sick of those covers with girls in dresses....</span></span></div>
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</span>YA Noveltieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13748802912341911980noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917866310872019716.post-14644874855925395292014-07-01T00:00:00.000-04:002014-07-01T20:57:34.235-04:00Review: The Falconer by Elizabeth May<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15791085-the-falconer?from_search=true">The Falconer </a>(The Falconer #1)</div>
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By Elizabeth May </div>
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Released: May 6, 2014</div>
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Chronicle Books</div>
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Hardcover, 378 pages</div>
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<b>Heiress. Debutant. Murderer. A new generation of heroines has arrived.</b><br />
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<i>Edinburgh, Scotland, 1844</i><br />
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Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, was destined for a life carefully planned around Edinburgh’s social events – right up until a faery killed her mother.<br />
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Now it’s the 1844 winter season and Aileana slaughters faeries in secret, in between the endless round of parties, tea and balls. Armed with modified percussion pistols and explosives, she sheds her aristocratic facade every night to go hunting. She’s determined to track down the faery who murdered her mother, and to destroy any who prey on humans in the city’s many dark alleyways.<br />
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But the balance between high society and her private war is a delicate one, and as the fae infiltrate the ballroom and Aileana’s father returns home, she has decisions to make. How much is she willing to lose – and just how far will Aileana go for revenge? --Goodreads</blockquote>
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3.5 Stars</div>
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After taking an unofficial YA book hiatus, I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by <i>The Falconer</i>, my first step back into the YA world. Daring, fierce, and ridiculously hardcore, Elizabeth May's debut sends its readers on a delightful whirlwind. </div>
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From the getgo, we are introduced to Aileana, a grieving daughter who lashes out against psycho faeries. One of these faeries murdered Aileana's mother, so Aileana makes sure nearly each faery pays the price for her mother's death. Risking her life every night, Aileana lives by day as the prim and proper daughter of a marquess and by night the vicious faery-killer.</div>
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However, Aileana's moral code is befuddling. She literally kills every single faery that she sees on sight. If Aileana has two faery friends that she refuses to kill, then what gives her the reason to murder each faery that she meets for the first time. Understandably, most of the faeries she meets are evil, but that just leads to more questions.</div>
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For example, what makes these faeries so antagonistic toward humans? If there are at least two decent faeries out there, then why are the rest so evil? Are they are brainwashed by the main antagonists, the really really evil faeries? If these faeries just hate humans for hogging up all of the space, then why aren't they joining together seriously to exterminate the filthy humans? Also, when are the falcons coming back? Those were a few of the many questions that have still yet to be answered by <i>The Falconer.</i></div>
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Despite my many questions, I truly did enjoy <i>The Falconer</i>. Aileana and her gang are so much fun, even the two "good" faeries. Derrick, the pixie obsessed with honey, and Kiaran, Aileana's bada** faery teacher, are so lovable, especially because of their mutual hatred of one another. It wouldn't be too much of a wish to hope for friends like them, right?</div>
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<i>The Falconer</i> is a gritty novel full of epic battles, witty dialogue, and spellbinding interactions between characters. The world-building is pretty spectacular, even though there are many questions. Since this is the beginning of a trilogy, I'm crossing my fingers in hopes that these mysteries will be answered in the following installments!</div>
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<i> </i>Purchase <i>The Falconer </i>here: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Falconer-Book-Elizabeth-May/dp/1452114234">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-falconer-elizabeth-may/1116829501?ean=9781452114231">Barnes & Nobles</a> | <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Falconer-Elizabeth-May/9780575130401">The Book Depository</a></div>
<br />YA Noveltieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13748802912341911980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917866310872019716.post-87824605826128491842014-06-25T21:20:00.000-04:002014-07-01T21:04:17.720-04:00Review: Sekret by Lindsay Smith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sekret (Sekret #1)<br />By: Lindsay Smith<br />Published: April 1, 2014<br />Roaring Book Press / Macmillan Children's<br />Hardcover, 341 pages</h3>
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<b>An empty mind is a safe mind</b>. Yulia knows she must hide her thoughts and control her emotions to survive in Communist Russia. But if she sometimes manipulates the black market traders by reading their thoughts when she touches their skin, so what? Anything to help her survive.<br />
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Russia's powerful spy agency, the KGB, is recruiting young people with mind-reading capabilities for their psychic espionage program. Their mission: protect the Soviet space program from American CIA spies. Why shouldn't the KGB use any means necessary to make the young psychic cooperate? Anything to beat the American capitalist scum to the moon. Yulia is a survivor. She won't be controlled by the KGB, who want to harness her abilities for the State with no regard for her own hopes and dreams. She won't let handsome Sergei plan her life as a member of elite Soviet society, or allow brooding Valentin to consume her with his dangerous mind and even more dangerous ideas. And she certainly won't become the next victim of the powerful American spy who can scrub a brain raw—and seems to be targeting Yulia. --GoodReads</blockquote>
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3.5 Stars<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><b>Plot</b></u>: Yulia Andreevna Chernina is not your average Russian girl; she can read the minds of those around her, and even pick up past memories with just a touch. Having lived luxuriously for most of her childhood, Yulia has now been in hiding with her mother and brother for several years. Set in 1963 Communist Russia, Yulia is recruited by the KGB and forced to participate in their espionage psychic program. If she doesn't cooperate, they threaten to harm her mother and young autistic brother. There, she meets several other teens who share similar psychic abilities but all specialize in something different. Together, they must work to fulfill their mission to protect the Soviet space program from the Americans. Yulia chooses not to succumb to the corrupt government's ways -- she works to find a way to escape her psychic prison and save her family.</span></div>
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When reading this book, I admit that I didn't really keep track of events as much as I should have. There's so many tiny events that go on, it just gets a little overwhelming. It's like - "Who's doing what now?", "Who is that?", "What does this have to do with the plot!?" and "I'm so confused..." [This happened to me several times. I had to flip back and reread some stuff] Basically, all that really matters is the relationships between characters... <br />
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It's been maybe a week since I finished reading it, and to be honest, I can't really remember much of what happened. I just know that there were a helluva lotta characters and events.... all I remember was that she had to work as a psychic spy to order set her family free and along the way she meets these 2 guys, Sergei and Valentin, both vying for her attention...</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Yulia</u>: Yulia quickly hardens in the few years she's lived as a street rat. She learns to not trust anyone and to use everything she's got to her advantage -- even her mysterious psychic powers. <span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">She's got her head on straight as well as her top priorities - first</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">her </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">safety, and then her family's. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yulia is no fluffy princess; she is quite the opposite (even if she gets swept up in a complicated love triangle...but let's face it: what YA heroine hasn't?). Even when presented the luxurious life she had once lived, Yulia yearns for something more -- freedom from the oppressed life she's been leading. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I really admired Yulia's strength, intelligence, and persistence to seek freedom. Despite all the horrible things she experiences, she always clings to the hope of a better life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Sergei</u>: Bad boy hockey player Sergei accepts his life as a KGB spy. He'll do anything to stay on the ice, even if that means turning against his friends. After all, who needs friends when you've got a rich life? It's much better to know work towards a goal than to live day by day. He doesn't understand why Yulia doesn't love her newly enriched life at the psychic school. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Valentin</u>: At first a seemingly distant musician with very dangerous powers, Yulia has a hard time opening up to Valentin. With time, she comes to understand his true self, and not just by his abilities as a psychic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><b>Overall</b></u>: The whole idea of a psychic program within the government itself is just really cool. Yulia is a strong female lead -- that's also cool! A complicated love triangle is ehhh, but understandable -- it's one of the requirements of a YA novel, I suppose. However, the delivery and just number of events and people and places these spy kids needed to accomplish/meet/be at were just very overwhelming and rather... forgettable? I'm not saying this book wasn't an enjoyable read - it certainly was - but was it really worth remembering for the long run? Probably not.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">BTW - a pretty generic background knowledge of the relationship between Russia and the USA after WW2 would be really helpful.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Let's end with an awesome song that has no relation to the review I have just written. He talks a bit in the beginning, so I suggest scrubbing the video and skipping to about 40 seconds in.</span><br />
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</span>YA Noveltieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13748802912341911980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917866310872019716.post-36052781047399448272014-05-28T21:28:00.000-04:002014-06-30T21:29:09.645-04:00Updates<br />
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So if you haven't discovered yet, this blog has been under a tragic lull for the past few weeks. Don't worry, we've all been reading hopefully. However, the whole blogging and connecting thing that comes with blogging has been a struggle for all of us this year. You see, this coming school year is senior year.<br />
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We're all sort of like:<br />
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With all of these pressures, we've been so overwhelmed. Unfortunately, or fortunately, we can't help but continue to be drawn back into this lovely world with so many amazing people out there.<br />
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We are very sorry for our inability to be faithful to those who deserve it the most. I apologize on behalf of every single one of us. We cannot promise to be the most frequent updaters, but we just are so glad that there are people who continue to follow us in spite of everything.<br />
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YA Noveltieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13748802912341911980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917866310872019716.post-52309586870916438242014-05-14T12:31:00.000-04:002014-06-29T21:30:30.419-04:00Review: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Cruel Beauty<br />Rosamund Hodge<br />Published: January 28, 2014<br />Balzer + Bray<br />Hardcover, 342 pages</h2>
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<i><strong style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">Graceling meets Beauty and the Beast in this sweeping fantasy about one girl's journey to fulfill her destiny and the monster who gets in her way-by stealing her heart.</strong></i><i>Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny. Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him. With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love</i>. --GoodReads</blockquote>
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OK, so I read this about a month ago, and I've been meaning to get to a review of this... jeez, it has been a while, hasn't it? So therefore, my review isn't going to be so much of a review, but rather some kind of rant thing.... I'm just going off the bits and pieces I remember, so bear with me, folks. </div>
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<u><b>Summary Rosie-style</b></u>- From what I remember, a father makes a deal with a demon prince, and it all goes horribly wrong. With demons, you gotta remember to choose your words very carefully. At the time, his wife, pregnant, was very sick, and he wished that his twin girls would come out healthy and happy. However, he forgot to wish for his wife's health, and she ends up dying. There's a catch, though. The father sealed away the fate for one of his daughters, Nyx, who is fated to marry this demon prince, Ignifex. She's super bitter about this and tries not to hate her twin sister, who got the better part of the bargain. Her sister, on the other hand, receives all the love and attention from daddy, while Nix receives the "heroic" speech stuff. She gets the "Oh it's your duty to kill the demon prince and blah blah" and is reminded everyday of her terrible fate.</div>
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So she goes and marries the demon prince, right? Except he's not exactly what she expects. No matter how many times she [pathetically] tries to kill him, she never succeeds, and every time he brushes her off like a bug. He's very compliant and has quite a humorous approach to his situation. Apparently, being a supreme ruler with awesome powers becomes very boring, so much to the point of marrying a woman who YOU KNOW wants to kill you. The demon prince, master of all deals, makes Nyx a bargain. If she can guess his true identity, she will be set free, no questions asked. BUT, if she guesses wrong, he will turn her into stone, and she will forever reside in his haunted castle unable to do anything but be aware of her surroundings. So as a living result of a bargain gone wrong, she opts for the other route and explores his castle for ways to kill him and escape. </div>
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So the whole book is about her relationship with her sister (Nyx struggles especially with her feelings about her sister. Her feelings of love and hatred battle throughout the book) , her father (who she yearns to receive approval from), her aunt (who shacks up with Nyx's father), and Ignifex (to whom she can't resist her carnal attraction!!! ooOOOoo ♥♥♥) Oh, and did I mention his Shadow? She falls in love with his Shadow, a mirror image of Ignifiex, a seemingly more human side of him, but possibly another trapped man?</div>
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<u><b>Characters</b></u>: Alright, now that the summary stuff is done, lemme tell you MY impressions of the characters. </div>
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<u>Nyx</u>- So she lives there for a coupla years and cannot do jack****. She stinks as an assassin, and for a majority of the book (she narrates it, she's the POV) she just complains about her situation and ponders what she can do to <i>possibly</i> escape it. She worries over things she can't control, and she hates herself for being attracted to Ignifex. Also, she is so <i><b><u>indecisive</u></b></i>!!! Her feelings about her family change from chapter to chapter - I swear - and her love from Shadow to Ignifex changes every time one of them kisses her. Or maybe from page to page. At least it feels like that...you try to root for her, but she changes her mind <i>way too much.</i></div>
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<u>Ignifex</u>- Ok, so he's super badass, and pretty funny when needs to be. He puts up with a failure of an assassin wife. He's a thumbs-up in my book.</div>
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<u>Shadow</u>- Um, is it just me, or is cheating on your demon husband with his shadow kinda WRONG??</div>
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<u>Father</u>- 5 Star jerk. Has sex with his dead wife's sister. Feels no remorse for what he's done, inadvertently killing his sick pregnant wife while selling the soul of his oldest daughter to the demon lord, all the while telling her its her duty to save the city, AND giving all his affection to his other clueless daughter. </div>
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<u>Astraia</u>- Nyx's twin sister who gets the better part of the deal. Nyx says some pretty crappy things to her before going off to marry the prince...It's not really Astraia's fault - in fact, it's her father's fault for it all happening, yet Nyx despises her sister for a good part of the novel. But then loves her sister. But then hates her. She actually is pretty badass though...</div>
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<u><b>Plot</b></u>- Sooo, the city they all live in is taken over by some sort of dark force/demons, and is plucked away from the normal world. Um. The demon prince controls the demons, which everybody fears because once you see a demon, you're pretty much down for the count, aka DEAD. They live in a world where it's similar to Earth, but no really. They have a fake sun and such... it's like they're all living inside the pages of a book. Or at least that's how I imagined it. It really gets quite confusing how everything is explained.</div>
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The author tries to make a mish-mash between Beauty and the Beast and Greek Mythology, but it's just kind of a warble between the two. I can see how some aspects of Beauty and the Beast play into it - the living house - and how Greek Mythology plays into it, since Nyx's family worships Greek Gods... but that's pretty much it. Hodge kind of just goes on her own path and creates a story that hits you from out of nowhere. This book will not be what you will expect....but in a semi-good way I guess?</div>
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BTW - the pace is kind of slow, but it really doesn't feel that way. Unless you hate reading about indecisive POVs - now that could go <i>really </i>slowly. Not to spoil it, but it does end kind of weirdly. It takes a turn that you really don't expect... deus ex machina?</div>
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<u><b>Overall</b></u>- OK..... uh. If you like mish-mashing of stories you already know and don't mind indecisive MCs, then this is the book for you! One thing I really liked was the emotional progression of the relationship between Ignifex and Nyx. It wasn't supahfast like some YA novels, but was instead very realistic. The way the background info explained was a little shakey and a bit confusing. SO DON'T SKIM.</div>
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YA Noveltieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13748802912341911980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917866310872019716.post-42760933900278150172014-04-23T17:53:00.000-04:002014-06-30T22:49:24.280-04:00Review: The Sentinel Mage by Emily Gee<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Sentinel Mage (The Cursed Kingdoms #1)</div>
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Published: January 25, 2011</div>
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eBook, 509 pages </div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-dc492f27-d500-832f-3b93-80233052df96">In a distant corner of the Seven Kingdoms, an ancient curse festers and grows, consuming everything in its path. Only one man can break it: Harkeld of Osgaard, a prince with mage’s blood in his veins. But Prince Harkeld has a bounty on his head—and assassins at his heels.</span><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-dc492f27-d500-832f-3b93-80233052df96">Innis is a gifted shapeshifter. Now she must do the forbidden: become a man. She must stand at Prince Harkeld’s side as his armsman, protecting and deceiving him. -- Goodreads</span><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-dc492f27-d500-832f-3b93-80233052df96">But the deserts of Masse are more dangerous than the assassins hunting the prince. The curse has woken deadly creatures, and the magic Prince Harkeld loathes may be the only thing standing between him and death.</span></blockquote>
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3.5 Stars<br />
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<br />With an awesome premise of gender bending shape shifting, The Sentinel Mage stands out among other fantasies. However, its somewhat repetitive dialogue and predictable plot bog the novel, which should have been so much more.<br />
<br />Prince Harkeld of Osgaard has been raised with the notion that mages are vile creatures that eat humans and destroy everything good in this world. So when it’s revealed that he possesses mage blood himself, he is ready to say adios in fear of his “cannibalistic” inner nature. Too bad he has far more important things to do because his blood and hands are the only things that will save the world from a centuries old curse.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Since Harkeld is going bananas about his mage blood and mages in general, the mages protecting Harkeld have to find a guardsman to protect the prince because Harkeld’s evil daddy wants his son’s blood for far more nefarious plans. The only option is Innis, a powerful shapeshifter, to shapeshift into a man to protect him. As they journey together, both Harkeld and Innis will have to trust each other in order to survive.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Although my beautiful recap of the novel is perfect, the actual book is a slightly more draggy and dull. Many fantasy novels are basically the protagonists traveling through the woods toward a goal while beating up the bad guys. The Sentinel Mage does not deviate from this common theme for the most part. Even though there were three interwoven storylines, the main story of Harkeld and Innis kept dragging down the far more intriguing storyline about Harkeld’s sister, Princess Brigitta, who is forced to marry a malicious nobleman and her guardsman. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Furthermore, the third storyline should not count as a plotline because all that happens is Jaumé walks to toward the action. He does not meet the action yet, so his chapters were basically restatements of “He walked more today” with different words. I wish there was more about Jaumé than just him walking because he most likely will play a major role in the future books of this trilogy.<br /><br />Despite these few setbacks, The Sentinel Mage is a truly enjoyable fantasy. Emily Gee is a wonderful writer who knows how to create a horrifically beautiful settings and how to write characters with dimension. Brigitta’s dilemma between drugging herself or experiencing her husband raping her totally grabbed my heart. She probably is my favorite character in the series for her strength and perseverance. Hopefully the future books in the series focus more on her because she is such an awesome heroine.<br />
<br />All in all, The Sentinel Mage could and definitely should have been more than it was. Harkeld and Innis are really the more important plotline, but Brigitta’s conflict was far more intriguing than several people journeying to three rocks. However, if you enjoy the fantasy genre, you’re guaranteed that this will be an exciting, yet forgettable read.<br />
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Purchase <i>The Sentinel Mage </i>here: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sentinel-Mage-Cursed-Kingdoms-Trilogy/dp/1907519505">Amazon </a>| <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sentinel-mage-emily-gee/1100261506?ean=9781907519505">Barnes & Nobles</a> | <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Sentinel-Mage-Curator-Emily-Gee/9781907519505">The Book Depository</a></div>
</span>YA Noveltieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13748802912341911980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917866310872019716.post-14728624942561028492014-03-25T00:00:00.000-04:002014-03-27T18:08:53.719-04:00Review: Indelible by Dawn Metcalf<div class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dr2S7Q1eD3o/UzCl5nD4zII/AAAAAAAALeg/0875OSwlaOw/s1600/12924253+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dr2S7Q1eD3o/UzCl5nD4zII/AAAAAAAALeg/0875OSwlaOw/s1600/12924253+(1).jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12411687-indelible?from_search=true">Indelible</a> (The Twixt #1)</div>
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By Dawn Metcalf</div>
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Publisher: Harlequin TEEN</div>
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Released: July 30, 2013</div>
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Paperback, 384 pages</div>
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Source: NetGalley </div>
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Some things are permanent.<br />
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Indelible.<br />
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And they cannot be changed back.<br />
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Joy Malone learns this the night she sees a stranger with all-black eyes across a crowded room—right before the mystery boy tries to cut out her eye. Instead, the wound accidentally marks her as property of Indelible Ink, and this dangerous mistake thrusts Joy into an incomprehensible world—a world of monsters at the window, glowing girls on the doorstep, and a life that will never be the same.<br />
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Now, Joy must pretend to be Ink’s chosen one—his helper, his love, his something for the foreseeable future...and failure to be convincing means a painful death for them both. Swept into a world of monsters, illusion, immortal honor and revenge, Joy discovers that sometimes, there are no mistakes.<br />
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Somewhere between reality and myth lies…<br />
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THE TWIXT -- Goodreads</blockquote>
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Purchase <i>Indelible</i> here: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Indelible-Twixt-Dawn-Metcalf/dp/0373210736">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/indelible-dawn-metcalf/1114146213?ean=9780373210732">Barnes & Nobles</a> | <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Indelible-Dawn-Metcalf/9780373210732">The Book Depository </a><br />
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3 Stars</div>
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Paranormal has almost become a washed out genre within the YA world due to the inundation of them post-Twilight years. Now, it is probably impossible to find one in the midst of the new dystopian-fantasy rage. However, in spite of all of these drawbacks, <i>Indelible</i> has reminded us of the fun in paranormals: the budding cross-species love (this sounds so inappropriate >_<), the ever adorable family of paranormal creatures, and the adorkable mishaps.</div>
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<i>Indelible</i> follows the adventures of Joy and Ink, who are brought together by the most unfortunate of circumstances. When Ink discovers Joy has the power to see him and his sister, he idiotically decides the "best" method of dealing with Joy: blinding her with his knife. In a somewhat cynical happening of events, Joy and Ink end up faking boyfriend and girlfriend to prevent Ink from being punished for inadvertently marking Joy with his little signature when he assaulted her.</div>
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Honestly, these events are hard to decipher. On one hand, I found this book hilarious because of the ridiculousness of it all. Faking girlfriend and boyfriend? Almost killing someone, but ending up having her follow you everywhere? Ha. Too bad, this book seemed to take itself incredibly seriously, to the point where it was difficult to be sure whether this was a comedy or a grand scale adventure. In reality, <i>Indelible</i> is most likely one of those more serious novels out there.</div>
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The only major problem that was aggravating was the flow of the novel. For some reason, <i>Indelible</i> never followed an explicit plot. Rather than a cumulation of events, <i>Indelible</i> was more of a series of events that felt disjointed when put together. There are villains and battles throughout the story, but the book does not truly follow the blurb given to us. The book claims that the main focus is Joy helping Ink out while faking being in love with him, but the book mainly consisted of Ink teleporting Joy around the world. Only until the last fifty pages does the book begin seriously focusing on the main villain, causing the climax and ending to feel rushed and rather incomplete. </div>
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The characters of <i>Indelible</i> are undeniably the most entertaining of all paranormals. From the snarky protector Ink to the flamboyant party-goer Inq, there is always a character that will please the crowd. Joy was a strong female heroine, but did not have any extraordinary characteristics. Yet this fact let her stand out among the crazy magical creatures of <i>Indelible</i>. If only more paranormals had this many fun characters to hang out with...</div>
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<i>Indelible</i> was probably one of only a handful paranormals released for good reason. With a unique concept of tattoos marking you, the world was intriguing and fascinating to visit. There could have been some more world-developing because some details are still a little fuzzy. Regardless, <i>Indelible </i>is a cute read if you want to revisit the old paranormal days.</div>
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YA Noveltieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13748802912341911980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917866310872019716.post-35597195256526585622014-03-01T00:00:00.000-05:002014-03-01T00:00:10.731-05:00Review: Killer Frost by Jennifer Estep<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17448097-killer-frost">Killer Frost</a> (Mythos Academy #6)</div>
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By Jennifer Estep</div>
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Published: February 25, 2014</div>
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Publisher: Kensington Teen</div>
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ebook, 384 pages</div>
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Source: Online Library </div>
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I’ve battled the Reapers of Chaos before–and survived. But this time I have a Bad, Bad Feeling it’s going to be a fight to the death … most likely mine.<br />
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Yeah, I’ve got my psychometry magic, my talking sword, Vic–and even the most dangerous Spartan on campus at my side, in Logan freaking Quinn, but I’m no match for Loki, the evil Norse god of chaos. I may be Nike’s Champion, but at heart, I’m still just Gwen Frost, that weird Gypsy girl everyone at school loves to gossip about.<br />
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Then someone I love is put in more danger than ever before, and something inside me snaps. This time, Loki and his Reapers are going down for good … or I am. --Goodreads</blockquote>
Purchase <i>Killer Frost </i>here: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Killer-Frost-Mythos-Academy-Novels/dp/0758281528">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/killer-frost-jennifer-estep/1115633590?ean=9780758281524">Barnes & Nobles</a> | <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Killer-Frost-Jennifer-Estep/9780758281524">The Book Depository </a><br />
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4 Stars</div>
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All wonderful things must sadly come to an end, including the fantastic <i>Mythos Academy</i> series. Despite my initial disappointments, Gwen and her gang have easily become part of my book-loving heart. Facing high expectations as the final book, <i>Killer Frost</i> defies these expectations and delivers an epic climatic finale.</div>
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After facing the Reapers in five books, it's wonderful to finally see the good guys fighting back at the Reapers, rather than just responding to their catcalls. This time, we see Gwen and the rest working to ultimately bring an end to Loki and his nefarious gang, instead of just holding off the next Reaper plan. Then again, we should feel pity for Loki. He's a poor god whose face is half burned off and just can't get the plastic surgery to fix his face. Loki just can never catch a break, can he?<br />
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Plot twists have become a staple in the book industry. Jennifer Estep is a master at surprising her readers. Continually, time and time again the <i>Mythos Academy</i> series has shocked me with its unpredictable, yet believable stories. <i>Killer Frost</i> has continued this legacy with its impressive intricacy of the plot. The realistic unexpected is always a plus in a world soaked with "been there, done that".<br />
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Although <i>Killer Frost</i> does have a reasonably decent conclusion for the major characters (Gwen, Logan, Vic, Daphne, etc.), there should have been more closure to some other minor characters. The happily ever afters are sweet, but I wish there was more time spent developing Rory and her aunt. Rory and her aunt were both pivotal figures in the previous book, <i>Midnight Frost.</i> If there are characters introduced later in the series, these characters should be given more important roles to justify their late introduction. Besides, Rory is a kickbutt heroine, who really should have a spin-off series based on her. *crossing my fingers*<br />
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Overall, the <i>Mythos Academy</i> series has blossomed into a magnificent series. Even though it is bitter to say goodbye to Gwen and the gang, concluding the fight against Loki is definitely helping my heart. If you haven't picked up this series yet, this series is totally recommended!<br />
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YA Noveltieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13748802912341911980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917866310872019716.post-3855690145844959702014-02-25T00:00:00.000-05:002014-02-25T18:32:36.244-05:00Review: The Avery Shaw Experiment by Kelly Oram<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17660979-the-avery-shaw-experiment">The Avery Shaw Experiment</a></div>
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By Kelly Oram</div>
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Published: May 4, 2013</div>
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Publisher: Blue Fields</div>
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eBook, 278 pages </div>
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When Avery Shaw’s heart is shattered by her life-long best friend, she chooses to deal with it the only way she knows how—scientifically. <br />
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The state science fair is coming up and Avery decides to use her broken heart as the topic of her experiment. She’s going to find the cure. By forcing herself to experience the seven stages of grief through a series of social tests, she believes she will be able to get over Aiden Kennedy and make herself ready to love again. But she can’t do this experiment alone, and her partner (ex partner!) is the one who broke her heart.<br />
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Avery finds the solution to her troubles in the form of Aiden’s older brother Grayson. The gorgeous womanizer is about to be kicked off the school basketball team for failing physics. He’s in need of a good tutor and some serious extra credit. But when Avery recruits the lovable Grayson to be her “objective outside observer,” she gets a whole lot more than she bargained for, because Grayson has a theory of his own: Avery doesn’t need to grieve. She needs to live. And if there’s one thing Grayson Kennedy is good at, it’s living life to the fullest. --Goodreads </blockquote>
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4.5 Stars</div>
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Contemporaries are always hits or misses. There are always those contemporaries that make us want to swear to never read another contemporary, but then there are the awesome romances that make us scream for more. <i>The Avery Shaw Experiment</i> is an adorably hilarious contemporary that totally belongs in the latter category.</div>
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Avery Shaw is the average nerd. Science club president, straight A student, she's a nerd through and through. When her best friend decides to push her away, Avery decides to use her anguish for her upcoming science fair experiment. Roping in her ex-bestfriend's playboy brother, Grayson, Avery is determined to deal with her inner pain scientifically. Too bad Grayson has far more daring ideas...</div>
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At first glance, <i>The Avery Shaw Experiment</i> is one of those nerd to popular books. We see Avery receiving a makeover and turning from a nerd into one in the popular crowd. However, Avery's transformation is more than physical; Avery gains confidence and develops stronger relationships with those around her. There isn't any of the cheesy scenes where the girl screams/attacks her bullies to show her strength. Avery does not need any of that crap to showcase her inner strength, making her transformation all the more compelling.</div>
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Grayson is so lovable! I'm so glad that Kelly Oram had the genius to write half of the book from his point of view, so the readers could fall deeper in love with him. He isn't perfect, in fact he has tons of flaws including his shame toward joining the science club. However, his reluctant acceptance makes his little gifts to Avery so much more romantic. His actions aren't really as heroic as fighting dragons or witches, but their total worth is so much more by helping Avery break out of her shell. If only there were more Graysons out in the world...</div>
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If there were a list of the must-read contemporaries, this book would have to top this list. With its hilarious adorkable side characters, such as Avery's best friend, Libby, to the wonderful parents who support their children all the way, <i>The Avery Shaw Experiment</i> is a witty coming-to-age story that leaves the rest behind by a long shot.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Your loss. I happen to have the spirit of a wildcat. I could take you places sexually you never knew existed."</span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">This time even the nerds gasped.</span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Libby!" Avery cried."What? When a girl knows what she wants, she should go for it." Libby waved a hand at Owen. "Look at those abs! Libby definitely wants." She glanced up at Owen. "Can I feel them?"</span></span></blockquote>
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<br />YA Noveltieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13748802912341911980noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917866310872019716.post-67594137090145180382014-02-17T00:00:00.000-05:002014-02-23T18:30:49.483-05:00Review: Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund<div class="tr_bq">
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16102412-across-a-star-swept-sea">Across a Star-Swept Sea</a> (For Darkness Shows the Stars #2)</div>
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By Diana Peterfreund</div>
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Published: October 15, 2013</div>
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Publisher: Baltzar + Bray</div>
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Hardcover, 464 pages</div>
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Centuries after wars nearly destroyed civilization, the two islands of New Pacifica stand alone, a terraformed paradise where even the Reduction—the devastating brain disorder that sparked the wars—is a distant memory. Yet on the isle of Galatea, an uprising against the ruling aristocrats has turned deadly. The revolutionaries’ weapon is a drug that damages their enemies’ brains, and the only hope is rescue by a mysterious spy known as the Wild Poppy.<br />
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On the neighboring island of Albion, no one suspects that the Wild Poppy is actually famously frivolous aristocrat Persis Blake. The teenager uses her shallow, socialite trappings to hide her true purpose: her gossipy flutternotes are encrypted plans, her pampered sea mink is genetically engineered for spying, and her well-publicized new romance with handsome Galatean medic Justen Helo… is her most dangerous mission ever.<br />
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Though Persis is falling for Justen, she can’t risk showing him her true self, especially once she learns he’s hiding far more than simply his disenchantment with his country’s revolution and his undeniable attraction to the silly socialite he’s pretending to love. His darkest secret could plunge both islands into a new dark age, and Persis realizes that when it comes to Justen Helo, she’s not only risking her heart, she’s risking the world she’s sworn to protect.<br />
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In this thrilling adventure inspired by The Scarlet Pimpernel, Diana Peterfreund creates an exquisitely rendered world where nothing is as it seems and two teens with very different pasts fight for a future only they dare to imagine. --Goodreads</blockquote>
Purchase <i>Across a Star-Swept Sea</i> here: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Across-Star-Swept-Sea-Diana-Peterfreund/dp/0062006169">Amazon</a>/ <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/across-a-star-swept-sea-diana-peterfreund/1114298581?ean=9780062006165">Barnes & Nobles</a>/ <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Across-Star-Swept-Sea-Diana-Peterfreund/9780062006165">The Book Depository</a><br />
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Across a Star Swept Sea is a beautiful gem among the masses of dystopians, which I fondly refer to as the “world sucks, so let’s blow it up” stories. However, this novel succeeds not only as a dystopian, but also as a compelling retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel. </div>
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Honestly, I had never even heard of The Scarlet Pimpernel until I came upon the blurb of this book. In preparation for the amazingness of Across a Star Swept Sea, I read The Scarlet Pimpernel, which was a fantastic read (great recommendation if you’re into the classics). The funny thing was after I read The Scarlet Pimpernel, I was prepared to dismiss any retelling because of the complexity of the plot. Classics like Pride & Prejudice are easily translatable into the modern world, but The Scarlet Pimpernel seemed to be impossible to retell properly. Thankfully, Across a Star Swept Sea dismissed any of my initial skepticism easily after one chapter.</div>
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Persis Blake stars as the Superman of her world: pretending to be a ditz during the day, while rescuing Galatean nobles at night. Unlike most dystopian heroines who are portrayed as fierce but usually are whiny brats, Persis is ferocious and intimidating. There is no stopping this girl from doing as she pleases, as she runs around saving people at the cost of her own health. </div>
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Sometimes though, Persis is a flat character because she doesn’t seem to have any faults. Even her weaknesses aren’t really weaknesses because Persis’ suicidal nature is implied to be part of her unselfish nature. Admittedly, most people, including myself hate selfish characters but I wish Persis had some flaw to make her more human.</div>
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The writing style is spectacular with its vivid descriptions and witty dialogue. The alternating points of views between Persis and Justen were great because we could see the romance developing, which would have been impossible if there was only one POV. After all, when both people in a budding relationship are lying to each other, it’s impossible to witness the awkwardly hilarious inner turmoil. </div>
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For any For Darkness Shows the Stars fans, no fear for Elliot, Kai, and Ro make special appearances in this companion novel. They’re not the primary characters evidently, but they do play a major role. Their appearance was exciting to read, but I wish that there were more interactions between Elliot and Persis because they would make an awesome duo as two fierce ladies.</div>
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There have been very few books published in the past year that are as spellbinding and beautifully written as Across a Star Swept Sea. With a beautifully woven world (not to mention cover) along with romance fluttering off the pages, this book stands out as one of the best dystopians of the YA world.<br />
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YA Noveltieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13748802912341911980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917866310872019716.post-79910149479513973372014-02-16T00:00:00.000-05:002014-02-18T17:19:39.427-05:00We're Back!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So we've been kind of slacking on the blog, as you most likely know. We offer no excuses whatsoever because honestly, we've been sort of lazy. Then again, my fellow blogmates will force me to list excuses, so here they are:<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>1. Junior Year of High School -- Self explanatory, isn't it? </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>2. Break from YA book world -- We love reading, but during these past months there hasn't really been a book that has won our hearts. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>3. Our parents are torturing us with the college/career lectures.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perhaps not to this extent...</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>4. Angie (me) watches too many Korean dramas -- The pretty people are too pretty.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>5. Rosie has found a new love....in mochi and <i>real chocopies. </i></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>6. Jenny is sick. She's sort of like this...</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>7. ~M's life is frightening. Too frightening to even start describing....</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">However, we now plan to update more often! We probably won't update as frequently as we used to, but hey it's better than never, right? Riiiiight?</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Hey there! Rosie speaking. Just wanted to let you all know that we've decided to tweak the blog a little bit. In the past, we were heavily focused on Waiting on Wednesdays / Giveaways / Bookish Goodies and basically a bunch of stuff that wasn't really about READING A GOSHDARN BOOK. So we took a step back (our huge "break" that ended up being practically a year) and just stopped blogging for a while. We realized that the most respectable thing about a really good book blog isn't the number of giveaways, friends, authors requesting us to review books, or even the amount of people that visit our site. </span><br />
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We decided that we were going to become an honest-to-goodness <i>book blog</i>. One solely focused on sharing our opinions on the <b>books</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i><span style="font-weight: bold;">that we love to read. </span>That's why we chose to stop doing weekly/daily "Givaway" this or "WoW" that. It just became too much for us to handle, and, well, you see where that led us? We planning on taking things slowly, really just enjoying the process of reading/ranting/reviewing. We hope you all understand! I'm not saying we'll NEVER EVER do a giveaway or WoW EVER AGAIN EVER. <i>It's just that we think a true book blog should build a community basked on our love for reading books, not to gain more viewers by attracting giveaway-stalkers.</i><br />
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Freebie Highlights</h2>
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Hey Guys! Long time no post, huh?<br />
Author Danielle Stewart graciously asked us to share her two books, <i>Chasing Justice </i>and <i>Cutting Ties</i>. Chasing Justice is available <u>FOR FREE</u>, Kindle Edition. Yes, folks if you've got a Kindle, then there's no excuse! Click the link and read the book people! Reading is a great pastime not just in the winter!<br />
And so, here they are!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17844769-chasing-justice">Chasing Justice</a> by Danielle Stewart</span></div>
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<b>Publish Date:</b> April 11, 2013</div>
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<b>Format:</b> Kindle Edition<br />
<b>Where in Series:</b> Piper Anderson Series Book 1</div>
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<b>Pre-Order ebook: </b><u>FREE</u>!! through<b> </b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Justice-Anderson-Series-ebook/dp/B00CC19MS6/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top">Amazon</a><br />
<b>Pre-Order Paperback: </b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Justice-Piper-Anderson-1/dp/148413933X/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374802659&sr=1-1">Amazon</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Piper Anderson has been given a fresh start in the picturesque town of Edenville, North Carolina. But her plans of settling into a normal life are derailed when she witnesses a prominent judge in her community committing a violent assault. Running from her own past and fueled by a passion to make the judge answer for his crimes, Piper is forced to decide if she’ll play by the rules or achieve justice in her own way.Complicating things further, Piper finds herself fighting a powerful attraction to rookie cop, Bobby Wright. Although she’s increasingly enamored with Bobby, his staunch belief in the justice system is in stark contrast to her own. She may not share his opinions about the effectiveness of the law, but she certainly can’t deny how safe she feels when she’s in his arms or how every kiss leaves her desperate for more.For Piper, the idea of finally living an ordinary life with a man to love is tempting.However, fate keeps placing the judge, quite literally, in her path. Will she decide the only way to win is to be as wicked as the judge, but with righteous intentions? And more importantly, will Bobby choose to let her go, or follow her as she crosses the line and takes justice into her own hands?--Goodreads</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18220019-cutting-ties">Cutting Ties</a> by Danielle Stewart</span><br />
<b>Publish Date:</b> July 22, 2013<br />
<b>Format:</b> Kindle Edition<br />
<b>Where in Series:</b> Piper Anderson Book 2<br />
<b>Pre-Order ebook: </b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cutting-Piper-Anderson-Series-ebook/dp/B00E2US7VS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1374451399&sr=1-1&keywords=cutting+ties+danielle+stewart">Amazon</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Against all odds, Piper Anderson has managed to pick up the pieces of her life. She's holding tight to her budding romance with Officer Bobby Wright, anxious to have her moment with him.</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Now encircled by fiercely loyal friends, she finally feels like she's standing at the edge of a normal life. That is until reports of a brutal attack at the local college campus turn her dream of happily ever after into a nightmare. The unmistakably familiar details of the attack are an instant reminder of the chains tying her to people and places she so badly wants to escape.</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">With her life and friends in danger, Piper must confront her past in order to fight for her future. To make matters worse, Piper and Bobby once again find their moral compasses pointing them in opposite directions. But what Piper doesn't know is that Bobby has secrets of his own. How can their love survive when their pasts have shaped them so differently? Piper's choices could bring her the freedom she yearns for, but will cutting ties with the past sever her relationship with Bobby? --Amazon</span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">Danielle Stewart's third book, <i>Changing Fate</i>, will be available Fall 2013! Enjoy your summer and Happy Reading!</span><br />
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YA Noveltieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13748802912341911980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917866310872019716.post-17450249896173217582013-07-17T00:00:00.000-04:002013-07-17T00:00:08.030-04:00Waiting on Wednesday 7/17<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--iJxEsUxuhU/UdzG7EDyQ7I/AAAAAAAALZ4/yIl8-z4lhzg/s1600/elite.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--iJxEsUxuhU/UdzG7EDyQ7I/AAAAAAAALZ4/yIl8-z4lhzg/s1600/elite.jpeg" /></a></div>
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"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event that features the books that we (the bloggers) are highly anticipating. "Waiting on Wednesday" was started by Jill at <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/">Breaking the Spine</a>.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Angie </span>is Impatiently Dying For:</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12578305-the-chaos-of-stars?a=5&origin=related_works">The Chaos of Stars</a> by Kiersten White</div>
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Expected Publication: September 10, 2013 by HarperTeen</div>
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Isadora’s family is seriously screwed up.<br /><br />Of course, as the human daughter of Egyptian gods, that pretty much comes with the territory. She’s also stuck with parents who barely notice her, and a house full of relatives who can’t be bothered to remember her name. After all, they are going to be around forever—and she’s a mere mortal.<br /><br />Isadora’s sick of living a life where she’s only worthy of a passing glance, and when she has the chance to move to San Diego with her brother, she jumps on it. But Isadora’s quickly finding that a “normal” life comes with plenty of its own epic complications—and that there’s no such thing as a clean break when it comes to family. Much as she wants to leave her past behind, she can’t shake the ominous dreams that foretell destruction for her entire family. When it turns out there may be truth in her nightmares, Isadora has to decide whether she can abandon her divine heritage after all. --Goodreads</blockquote>
Pre-order <i>The Chaos of Stars</i> here: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0062135929">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-chaos-of-stars-kiersten-white/1113613180?ean=9780062135926">Barnes & Nobles</a> | <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Chaos-Stars-Kiersten-White/9780062135926">Book Depository</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What are you WoW-ing for?</span></div>
YA Noveltieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13748802912341911980noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917866310872019716.post-90878138964649164372013-07-15T07:42:00.001-04:002013-07-15T18:16:56.985-04:00Oracle of the Delphi Blog Tour: Prophecy of Solstice's End by Diantha Jones<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16181270-prophecy-of-solstice-s-end">Prophecy of the Solstice's End</a> (Oracle of the Delphi #3)</div>
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By Diantha Jones</div>
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Release Date: July 15, 2013</div>
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Summer Solstice is here. Let the games begin.<br />
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Nothing but lies (some of them her own) and deceit have brought Chloe to Olympus for the Solstice Olympic Games. As the Oracle and the special guest of the King of Myth, Chloe becomes immersed in a life of unfathomable luxury, taunting history, and overwhelming excitement. Though scheming and untrustworthy, the gods remain on their best behavior as the tension and anticipation builds around the outcome of the Quest of the Twelve Labors, the deadliest competition of the Games. All seems well on the celestial front...until athletes start turning up dead and a philosopher missing for months returns with a most terrifying story...<br />
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But that’s not all.<br />
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As Strafford confronts his troubled past and more is learned about the Great Unknown Prophecy, Chloe grows close to another, setting off a chain of events that will bring her face-to-face with a truth that will rock both of her worlds to their core.<br />
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And it’ll all happen before Solstice’s end... --Goodreads</blockquote>
Purchase <i>Prophecy of the Solstice's End</i> here: <a href="http://amzn.com/B00DXO6IZ6">Amazon (Kindle)</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/prophecy-of-solstices-end-diantha-jones/1116050182?ean=2940148440819">Barnes & Nobles (Nook) </a><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Na9Q9xHowZo/UePgCcxS_BI/AAAAAAAALbI/ipPvv4tqD0E/s1600/four+and+a+half+stars+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="106" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Na9Q9xHowZo/UePgCcxS_BI/AAAAAAAALbI/ipPvv4tqD0E/s320/four+and+a+half+stars+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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4.5 Stars</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Review:</span></div>
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Wow... This was a seriously epic roller coaster...</div>
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Let's just say a ton of stuff happens in this book. It's massive! Everything is ginormous and ridiculously insane, but this book rocks. So many secrets are revealed and so many more clues are given for future secrets. Clearly, Diantha knows what to give her readers, but unfortunately rations her servings. There was so much that I wanted and received, but just felt needed more by the end. It has been some time since a book has consumed my soul like this. I NEED MORE!!!</div>
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We begin with Chloe attending the Solstice's Olympic Games with many of the gods and demigods in attendance. With parades, parties, chariot races, and bonanzas, the Solstice's Olympic Games is an event that is rivaled by no other. However, underneath all of the fanfare that comes with this event, there are secrets lurking awaiting discovery. Each god has a hidden agenda just ready to send the world into oblivion. Cheery, isn't it? </div>
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Plot-wise and action-wise, this book rocks the world. There are so many conflicts and plot twists that occur that make <i>Prophecy of the Solstice's End</i> like no other. Chloe is constantly tested by the gods, who are the most irritating and beautiful people to ever exist. Constantly, the gods come in as the pretty and the soap opera characters. It's quite humorous, but also quite irritating. We get it, they have sex appeal. No need to keep repeating how magnificent they are. My new goal is to find one ugly thing in Olympus.</div>
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But really, the best aspect of this book would have to be the character relationships. Constantly, so many characters, whom we have deemed as the best buds that could never be torn apart, are forced to question their bonds with one another. Ace, who is extremely close to Strafford and Swindle, starts to question them when they start hiding secrets from him. Additionally, Chloe finds herself becoming best buds with Strafford's sworn enemy, further testing the bonds between Strafford and her. It's crazy, but so emotionally investing as a reader.</div>
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This book would probably have to be my favorite book yet of the <i>Oracle of the Delphi </i>series. Although this book received a lower rating than <i>Prophecy of the Setting Sunrise</i>, <i>Prophecy of the Solstice's End</i> was a fantastic book that is so unbelievably exciting and enjoyable to read. There definitely could have been less pretty descriptions, but thankfully they did not take away from the primary focus of the book: the impending doom of the world.... Dun dun dun...</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qe-YinPfOBo/UePfgMyIHAI/AAAAAAAALbA/N7GzYKPRaI0/s1600/Angie+Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="114" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qe-YinPfOBo/UePfgMyIHAI/AAAAAAAALbA/N7GzYKPRaI0/s320/Angie+Banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Giveaways:</span></div>
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ff6a4f6/" id="rc-ff6a4f6" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>YA Noveltieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13748802912341911980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917866310872019716.post-81708845656865945662013-07-12T00:00:00.000-04:002013-07-12T00:00:10.679-04:00Cover Reveal: Off Course by Sawyer Bennett<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Gk_ZjVzCzc/Ud92L-79pOI/AAAAAAAALaM/TrqPb6AS6oA/s1600/12924253+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Gk_ZjVzCzc/Ud92L-79pOI/AAAAAAAALaM/TrqPb6AS6oA/s640/12924253+%25281%2529.jpg" width="423" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18136455-off-course">Off Course</a></div>
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By Sawyer Bennett </div>
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Expected release date: August 4, 2013 </div>
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Genre: Contemporary </div>
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Age Group: New Adult</div>
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Cover designed by : <a href="http://www.vitalinkweb.com/">Vitalink</a> Renner </div>
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Caldwell has her life perfectly mapped out. She has the ideal relationship, the perfect job and all is right in her world. When a shameful turn of events happens, she boards the first plane bound for Ireland to lick her wounds and get her head back on straight.<br />
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Cillian O’Braidagh is the sexy, front man to the Irish rock band, Over The Edge. His rising fame and sultry voice make him every woman’s fantasy come true. Not to mention his single-minded determination. To put it simply: what Cillian wants, Cillian always gets. And he wants Renner, because there’s just something about the flame-haired beauty he has to possess.<br />
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If their relationship was just about sex and rock n’ roll, it would be easy for them to get lost in their desires. Only their relationship is anything but a hook-up. Will lies, deceit and hidden tragedy get in the way, making the path to true love uncertain? Or will the girl whose been knocked Off Course, find her footing with the man who is teaching her it’s okay to lose control? --Goodreads</blockquote>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-size: large;">About the Author:</span></div>
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USA Today Best-Selling author, Sawyer Bennett, is a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. She is married to a mobster (well, a market researcher) and they have two big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn't have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate.<br />
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<a href="http://www.sawyerbennett.com/">Website</a> | <a href="http://www.facebook.com/bennettbooks.com">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/bennettbooks">Twitter</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/bennettbooks.com"> </a> YA Noveltieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13748802912341911980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917866310872019716.post-21693670103344041642013-07-09T00:00:00.000-04:002013-07-09T00:00:09.809-04:00Review: The Girl with the Iron Touch by Kady Cross<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GC4OVkJnuag/UdtKrt3hrvI/AAAAAAAALZQ/CtcNxY0GJlo/s1600/the-girl-with-the-iron-touch-kady-cross.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GC4OVkJnuag/UdtKrt3hrvI/AAAAAAAALZQ/CtcNxY0GJlo/s320/the-girl-with-the-iron-touch-kady-cross.jpg" width="231" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15822336-the-girl-with-the-iron-touch">The Girl with the Iron Touch (Steampunk Chronicles #3)</a></div>
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By Kady Cross</div>
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Published May 28th, 2013</div>
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Publisher: Harlequin Teen</div>
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<span itemprop="numberOfPages"><span id="freeText2313319287381076223"><b>In 1897 London, something not quite human is about to awaken</b> <br /><br />When
mechanical genius Emily is kidnapped by rogue automatons, Finley Jayne
and her fellow misfits fear the worst. What's left of their archenemy,
The Machinist, hungers to be resurrected, and Emily must transplant his
consciousness into one of his automatons—or forfeit her friends' lives. <br /><br />With
Griffin being mysteriously tormented by the Aether, the young duke's
sanity is close to the breaking point. Seeking help, Finley turns to
Jack Dandy, but trusting the master criminal is as dangerous as controlling her dark side. When Jack kisses her,
Finley must finally confront her true feelings for him...and for
Griffin. <br /><br />Meanwhile, Sam is searching everywhere for Emily, from
Whitechapel's desolate alleyways to Mayfair's elegant mansions. He would
walk into hell for her, but the choice she must make will test them more than they could imagine. <br /><br />To
save those she cares about, Emily must confront The Machinist's
ultimate creation—an automaton more human than machine. And if she's to
have any chance at triumphing, she must summon a strength even she
doesn't know she has.... -Goodreads</span></span></div>
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<span itemprop="numberOfPages"><span id="freeText2313319287381076223"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Warning. This is the 3rd book in the series, so it is highly recommended to read the first two. It can be read by itself, but to fully understand everything the first two must be read.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span itemprop="numberOfPages"><span id="freeText2313319287381076223"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">All in all this installment in the Steampunk Chronicles was great, but not an amazing but not an oh-my-god-I'm screaming-my-head-off 5 star read. So a few months have passed since the last book, and not everything is the same. Griffin is having problems with the Aether and refuses to tell anyone, making all of his friends worried sick. Meanwhile, Sam and Emily are doing great as they both pretty much know how the other feels, except right when they were actually going to confess to each other Emily is abducted by the Machinist who isn't dead (kind of). Then begins the main part of the story of the hunt for Emily and her time as a captive (Jack Dandy becomes involved at this point). </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span itemprop="numberOfPages"><span id="freeText2313319287381076223"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> In The Girl with the Iron Touch, there is definitely more of a focus on the romance. Sam and Emily are officially together, but Finley and Griffin are a bit more complicated. However, they do get together by the end of the book and the semi-love triangle between Finley, Griffin, and Jack is resolved, but not in the best way. With all of the loose ends, there is so much more room for the story to continue. I have heard rumors that this is the last book in the series, but I don't believe it. </span></span></span></span><span itemprop="numberOfPages"><span id="freeText2313319287381076223"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Girl with the Iron Touch ends with too many unresolved questions that there has to be a following book. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span itemprop="numberOfPages"><span id="freeText2313319287381076223"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">One of my favorite aspects of this read is that the focus is on Emily this time. The first one was about Finley, the second starred Jasper, and now this one focuses on Emily. I really think that the changing focus on all of the different characters gives the reader a deeper understanding and involvement with that character. It's great for character development. Maybe the next one (which there has to be) could be Sam's back story?</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span itemprop="numberOfPages"><span id="freeText2313319287381076223"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Another one of my favorite parts of this series is the whole technology in Victorian times aspect. I have to say, the Steampunk Chronicles are one of the best series in the steampunk category with a great balance of romance, action, mystery, and gadgets. I find how Cross adds a twist to modern inventions and makes them fit in with the story fascinating.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span itemprop="numberOfPages"><span id="freeText2313319287381076223"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">All in all, </span></span></span></span><span itemprop="numberOfPages"><span id="freeText2313319287381076223"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Girl with the Iron Touch is a good continuation of the series with a deeper inside into some of the characters and the haunting possibility of the resurrection of the Machinist, everyone's worst nightmare. Romantic entanglements also come to play when everything is threatened by the Machinist and his robotic creations. It wasn't 5 stars, but it is still a must read for the series. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span itemprop="numberOfPages"><span id="freeText2313319287381076223"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Purchase this book at: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Iron-Touch-Steampunk-Chronicles/dp/037321085X">Amazon</a> / <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-girl-with-the-iron-touch-kady-cross/1113824144?ean=9780373210855">Barnes and Noble</a> / <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Girl-with-Iron-Touch-Kady-Cross/9780373210855">The Book Depository</a></span></span></span></span></div>
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YA Noveltieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13748802912341911980noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917866310872019716.post-13661213047059895392013-07-08T00:00:00.000-04:002013-07-08T00:00:05.407-04:00Review: Midnight Frost by Jennifer Estep<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15714133-midnight-frost">Midnight Frost</a> (Mythos Academy #5)</div>
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By Jennifer Estep</div>
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Release Date: July 30, 2013</div>
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Publisher: Kensington Teen</div>
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Paperback, 400 pages<br />
Source: Netgalley</div>
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Here we go again …<br />
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Just when it seems life at Mythos Academy can’t get any more dangerous, the Reapers of Chaos manage to prove me wrong. It was just a typical night at the Library of Antiquities — until a Reaper tried to poison me. The good news is I’m still alive and kicking. The bad news is the Reaper poisoned someone else instead.<br />
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As Nike’s Champion, everyone expects me to lead the charge against the Reapers, even though I’m still hurting over what happened with Spartan warrior Logan Quinn. I’ve got to get my hands on the antidote fast — otherwise, an innocent person will die. But the only known cure is hidden in some creepy ruins — and the Reapers are sure to be waiting for me there … --Goodreads</blockquote>
Pre-order <i>Midnight Frost </i>here: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Frost-The-Mythos-Academy/dp/0758281498/ref=tmm_pap_title_0">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/midnight-frost-jennifer-estep/1113946197?ean=9780758281494">Barnes & Nobles</a> | <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Midnight-Frost-Jennifer-Estep/9780758281494">The Book Depository</a><br />
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3.5 Stars</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Review:</span></div>
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If there was one song that <i>Midnight Frost </i>could be compared to, it have to be that classic marching band song "Pomp and Circumstance". It's a fantastic arrangement that is enjoyable to hear, but is overplayed and used too often at graduations. Similarly, <i>Midnight Frost </i>is an exciting continuation of the <i>Mythos Academy </i>series, but is also disappointment with its surprisingly clichéd plot and pathetic caricatures of once spectacular characters.</div>
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We begin the fifth installment of the <i>Mythos Academy </i>series with Gwen and the academy affected by the betrayal of several characters and the attack from the Reapers. Gwen is still suffering from her fight against Logan and Logan's inner battle against Loki. When Nickamedes is poisoned by the Reapers who intended to poison Gwen, Gwen and the gang race against time to find the antidote. Despite knowing that it is a Reaper trap, Gwen can't back down and takes on this daunting task that comes with even more secrets revealed.</div>
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Honestly, <i>Midnight Frost</i> is a solid read. The action moments are great, the emotional moments are bittersweet, and the story isn't terrible. However, there is nothing that really sets the story apart from any other fantasy or paranormal book out there. Every possible stereotype out there is being used in this installment, such as the <i>New Moon</i> Edward-less plot device and the helping animals for help in the future plot device. This caused the book to be less melodramatic and heart-pumping. This series is amazing for having some plot twists that I never saw coming, but <i>Midnight Frost</i> was so predictable and bland.</div>
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When compared to the rest of the series, this book also had some pitfalls when it came to continuing to flesh out the characters. Gwen is all mopey over Logan's departure from <i>Mythos Academy</i>, which is completely understandable but still kind of annoying. We don't see the real Gwen appear until the book is almost over. </div>
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Although it does make more sense according to the conventional rules of book writing to have a noble idiot character (character who abandons lover for some dumb reason) come back in the end. It is much easier to sort things out that way. If you haven't figured out, it's because Logan doesn't come around until the end. Annoyingly, his reappearance is supposedly all dramatic, but it's really lame. Haven't we already seen this kind of stuff before?</div>
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Other than the disappointing plot and characters, <i>Mythos Academy </i>is a decent sequel to <i>Crimson Frost</i>. It was enjoyable and I flipped through the pages (or tapped my Kindle really quickly) extremely fast. Still, there was that voice in my head going "BEEN THERE, DONE THAT!" throughout the book. Hopefully the next book in the series will be able to surpass <i>Midnight Frost</i> and the rest of <i>Mythos Academy</i> series. </div>
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<br />YA Noveltieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13748802912341911980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917866310872019716.post-15280692095630988232013-07-05T00:18:00.004-04:002014-02-16T20:46:31.541-05:00Review: The Elite by Kiera Cass<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16248068-the-elite">The Elite</a> (The Selection #2)</div>
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By Kiera Cass</div>
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Released: April 23, 2013</div>
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Publisher: HarperTeen</div>
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Hardcover, 323 pages</div>
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Source: Library</div>
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<b>The hotly-anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller The Selection.</b><br />
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Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.<br />
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America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.<br />
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Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending. --Goodreads</blockquote>
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Purchase <i>The Elite </i>here: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Elite-Selection-Kiera-Cass/dp/0062059963">Amazon</a>/ <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-elite-kiera-cass/1113200519?ean=9780062059963">Barnes & Nobles</a>/ <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Elite-Kiera-Cass/9780062059963">The Book Depository</a><br />
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1.5 Stars</div>
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<span style="color: red;">There may be spoilers, but nothing too excessive. </span></div>
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There are books, then there are books that you start to regret reading after finishing them; <i>The Elite</i> is one of those sorts of books. Knowing that this book, or series as a whole, has no merit plot-wise or writing-wise just makes it even more depressing. My only reason for giving this a rating slightly more than 1 star is because this book is like a drug. It is dumb and idiotic to read it, yet everyone is reading and loving it. The question is really why this series is a New York Times Bestseller?</div>
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After reading <i>The Elite</i>, it has come to my conclusion that America Singer is either suffering from severe hormonal imbalance or is a psycho. This book consists of an extremely distorted love triangle, unfortunately. While America goes all mooney-eyed over Maxon and promises to marry him, she makes out with Aspen in her spare time. I don't buy the whole 'I'm so conflicted over whom I love' excuse because America totally told Maxon that she likes him. In conclusion, the only reason that explains why America is such a yucky cheater is that Aspen is secretly an alien who releases pheromones that makes people with low IQs even dumber. And that just makes no sense, but it's the only thing that is somewhat logical...</div>
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America definitely sucked and was puke-worthy, but the worst thing about <i>The Elite </i>is the repetitiveness of the plot. </div>
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Here's a list of the top 6 scenes (paraphrased) that are supposedly noteworthy (not in any particular order):</div>
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<li>WTH was I thinking? Maxon was the wrong guy for me. He doesn't shave enough! (OK, fine, get rid of the shaving part). I ran to Aspen, kissing him and hugging him we fell to the ground. Aspen was my home. <span style="color: red;">This happens at least 3 or 4 times. Now, I just pity Maxon and hope that America ends up dead.</span></li>
<li>I heard gunshots. The rebels from Oz (way more creative than the "realistic" terms given for the rebels) were attacking the castle again. I ran toward the underground shelter below the castle, but then something got in the way, so I decided letting the rebels capture me was a better idea. <span style="color: red;">OK, maybe this exact moment happened once. Still, rebels attacking the castle happened at least 4 or 5 times, but nothing really happens. Poor rebels are being taken out of the picture in favor of love spats. Once again, THE BLURB WAS ALL A LIE!!!</span></li>
<li>Major argument between America and Maxon. Imagine a grand debate over whether Maxon is in the wrong for flirting or America is in wrong for pushing and pulling Maxon back and forth. Then comes America's favorite question: You're going to send me home now, right? <span style="color: red;">Spoiler: Still waiting for her to go home... </span></li>
<li>You must prepare to be queen. Then you're going to have tons of princess lessons in politics and diplomacy... When I heard this, I looked at Celeste who smirked and Kriss who looked like she knew exactly what she was doing. Then I knew that I would fight tooth and nail to be better than Celeste<span style="color: red;">. I'm sorry, if these are your priorities, then clearly you have no purpose in life... Yeah Celeste is a mean girl, but shouldn't you try to be better than all of the other girls, than just one? I thought you wanted to be queen, girl!</span></li>
<li>You haven't changed America. In spite of all of the fancy stuff they stuff you with, you haven't turned into a zombie yet. <span style="color: red;">Well, yeah! The stuff they've been poisoning her with has been turning her into an unstable person who lacks any brains. Not just her, everyone in the castle is a moron.</span></li>
<li>I don't want to be in the spotlight! The crown isn't right for me. ______ would be way more qualified than me! She totally can handle the press better than me! <span style="color: red;">Well, I don't know about you, but if you were a performer wouldn't you enjoy the spotlight? After all, America's mom did say that she loved performing in front of people.... America, you need a better excuse than spotlight. It doesn't add up. Anyway, you suck at talking to the press because you have no filter. Maybe that should be fixed too, in addition to your brain.</span></li>
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In conclusion, there isn't much substance in the plot. Well, that was already pretty obvious, but reading the same scenes repeat over and over again with slightly different details sucks for a reader. Now, I don't have much faith for the last book in this trilogy, <i>The One. </i>Kiera Cass is treating her readers like fools which isn't right. Readers deserve books that are fun to read, yes, but also make sense. I won't say any character deserves better than what they were left with at the end of <i>The Elite</i>, but I definitely hope that Cass ends this series with a bang. This bang should probably include the rebels doing something, as a word of advice.<br />
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Although <i>The Elite</i> was a cute, fluffy read, there were just way too many issues with the characters and plot for it to be an enjoyable read. Hopefully the romance can settled with some blood involved because that would just rock the reality dating show world.</div>
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YA Noveltieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13748802912341911980noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917866310872019716.post-28180159505522930652013-07-04T00:01:00.000-04:002013-07-04T00:01:00.844-04:00Happy 4th of July!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: red;">Happy </span><span style="color: blue;">Fourth </span><span style="color: red;">of </span><span style="color: blue;">July</span><span style="color: red;">!</span><span style="color: blue;">!</span><span style="color: red;">!</span><span style="color: blue;">!</span></b></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of Commons Wikipedia</td></tr>
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<b style="font-size: x-large;"> ♥ Eat ♥</b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">♥ </span><span style="font-size: large;">Party </span><span style="font-size: large;">♥</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">♥ </span><span style="font-size: large;">Eat some more </span><span style="font-size: large;">♥</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">♥ Read </span><span style="font-size: large;">♥</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">♥ </span><span style="font-size: large;">And Have FUN </span><span style="font-size: large;">♥</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Gals @ YAN wish you all <b>The Best Independence Day Ever</b>.</span></div>
YA Noveltieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13748802912341911980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917866310872019716.post-22540432447824693742013-07-04T00:00:00.001-04:002013-07-04T00:00:04.453-04:00Cover Reveal and Giveaway: Reap by Christina Channelle<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18048218-reap">Reap</a> by Christina Channelle</div>
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Release Date: October 11, 2013</div>
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<i>Foreign, or rather unfamiliar, would be the word I would use to describe how I felt.<br /><br />Faintly, I could hear the glimmer of voices surrounding me in this dark haze, caressing my ears like skin against silk. I felt like I was in a cocoon of sorts, protectively enveloped, quietly drifting in some far-off place.<br /> I wanted to stay that way forever.<br /><br />But we all know that what you want never really seems to happen in the real world.</i><br />
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Something’s not right in Mia’s head.<br />
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The first thing is that her name isn’t Mia. In fact, she has no clue what her name is—who she is. All that she knows is that she’s not like the ones who found her: Dante with his kind blue eyes, Amy with her child-like demeanor, James with his questioning gaze.<br />
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And Briggs.<br />
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The one she cannot decipher no matter how hard she tries.<br />
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As Mia tries to fit in with these people, a strange occurrence is amidst outside. And as she finally remembers who she is …<br />
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Well, let’s just say that things get a little more complicated.</blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Giveaway for Bookmarks!</span></div>
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/742d350/" id="rc-742d350" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>
YA Noveltieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13748802912341911980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917866310872019716.post-91650842114885759452013-07-03T00:00:00.001-04:002013-07-03T08:34:43.670-04:00Cover Reveal: Creators by Tiffany Truitt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bLt61ye50p0/UdOVbYjt59I/AAAAAAAALWY/Oyj0vnNHI-0/s750/12924253+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bLt61ye50p0/UdOVbYjt59I/AAAAAAAALWY/Oyj0vnNHI-0/s640/12924253+(1).jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18050018-creators">Creators</a> (The Lost Souls #3)</div>
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By Tiffany Truitt</div>
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Release Date: April 1, 2014</div>
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Publisher: Entangled Teen</div>
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Paperback, 400 pages</div>
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Pre-order: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Creators-Lost-Souls-Book-3/dp/1622661524/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1372730746&sr=8-4&keywords=Tiffany+Truitt" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 32px;">Amazon</a></div>
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Heartbroken but more determined than ever after a tense showdown in the woods, sixteen-year-old Tess once again returns to the safety of her community of Isolationists. Bolstered by new alliances and desperate to protect those she loves, this time she knows she can return stronger and more powerful than ever to take back what is hers.<br />
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As she trains in combat and grows more confident, Tess receives beautiful letters penned by her forbidden love, the chosen one James, from his prison in Templeton. He is now serving as a bodyguard to the creators—the team of scientists who created artificial life in the first place. And what he has discovered about the true origin of the illness that halted natural life could change everything.<br />
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Enemy will become ally and death will bring new hope in this stunning conclusion to Tiffany Truitt’s epic Lost Souls trilogy.</blockquote>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">Also Tiffany has a Pre-Order Contest going on over at her blog </span><a href="http://tiffanytruitt.wordpress.com/" style="line-height: normal;">http://tiffanytruitt.wordpress.com/</a><span style="line-height: normal;">. Three lucky people that pre-order CREATORS will win a signed Cassandra Clare poster!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Exclusive Excerpt!</span></div>
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Somewhere, James was just as trapped as I was.<br />
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I thought of the morning when we lay with each other, curled against one another, never beginning and never ending. How we’d stayed like that till the sun began to rise.<br />
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James had reached down and pulled me off the ground. He wore a satisfied grin on his face. “Someone is mighty proud of himself,” I teased.<br />
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He laughed. It bounced through the forest, calling it awake. Readying it for the day. “I’m just insanely happy.”<br />
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I stood on the tips of my toes and kissed him gently on his scar. “I’m insanely happy too,” I whispered.<br />
James looked down at me, and I was lost all over again. I would never tire of looking into those mismatched eyes. They didn’t make him different. They made him him. He chuckled as he reached over and pulled a leaf from my tangled hair. “They’ll know just by looking at you that we’ve been up to no good.”<br />
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“No good?” I purred. “I thought it was very, very good.”<br />
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James growled and lifted me into the air. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he pressed his lips hungrily against mine. I moved my hands to his hair, curling my fingers into it, attaching myself to him. I never wanted to let go. Every part of me ached to be touched by him, and every part of me ached to touch him right back.<br />
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“Do you know how much I love you?” he breathed into the base of my neck. His lips fluttered against my s<br />
skin.<br />
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I nodded, kissing the top of his head. “As much as I love you.”<br />
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James slowly put my feet back on the ground. He cradled my face in his hands. “That will never change. No matter what.”<br />
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I looked deep into his eyes. “I know.” Because I did. It was one of life’s few assurances. I would always love James.<br />
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I pressed my lips once again to his scar. “I adore this scar,” I whispered, unable to hide the smile that seemed etched on my face all morning.<br />
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“You’re enough to drive a man crazy,” he said The tremble of his voice caused my toes to curl. I wanted him again. And again. And again.<br />
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My fingers traced the waist of his pants. “Tonight?” I said, knowing full well it was a promise that I probably wouldn’t be able to keep.<br />
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James grabbed my hand and brought it to his lips. “Tonight,” he echoed.<br />
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As the sun climb higher into the sky, I knew our moment was coming to an end. James reached down and placed his hand over my heart. “Thank you,” he said.<br />
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“For what?” I asked, my voice choked with emotion.<br />
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“For everything.”<br />
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As the memory slipped away, I looked back up at the night sky. Praying and hoping that James knew how much I wanted to thank him too.<br />
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For everything.</blockquote>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;">About
Tiffany:</span><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C4ed5YYybpw/UdMemnlWg-I/AAAAAAAAICA/w_Zp5TtDMtk/s258/Tiffany.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C4ed5YYybpw/UdMemnlWg-I/
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Tiffany Truitt was born in Peoria, Illinois. A self-proclaimed Navy brat, Tiffany spent most of her childhood living in Virginia, but don’t call her a Southerner. She also spent a few years living in Cuba. Since her time on the island of one McDonalds and Banana Rats (don’t ask), she has been obsessed with traveling. Tiffany recently added China to her list of travels (hello inspiration for a new book).<br />
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Besides traveling, Tiffany has always been an avid reader. The earliest books she remembers reading belong to The Little House on the Prairie Series. First book she read in one day? Little Woman(5th grade). First author she fell in love with? Jane Austen in middle school. Tiffany spent most of her high school and college career as a literary snob. She refused to read anything considered “low brow” or outside the “classics.”<br />
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Tiffany began teaching middle school in 2006. Her students introduced her to the wide, wonderful world of Young Adult literature. Today, Tiffany embraces popular Young Adult literature and uses it in her classroom. She currently teaches the following novels: The Outsiders</ i>, Speak, Night, Dystopian Literature Circles: The Hunger Games, The Giver, The Uglies, and Matched.<br />
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Tiffany is proud to call herself an educator and Young Adult author. Her first book will be published by Entangled Publishing.<br />
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<a href="http://tiffanytruitt.wordpress.com/">Website</a>/ <a href="https://twitter.com/tiffanytruitt">Twitter</a>/<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tiffany-Truitt/205025266243934?fref=ts">Facebook</a>/<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5252348.Tiffany_Truitt">Goodreads</a></div>
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YA Noveltieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13748802912341911980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917866310872019716.post-82248381988971409802013-07-03T00:00:00.000-04:002013-07-03T00:00:00.343-04:00Waiting on Wednesday 7/3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A2_QisRINgg/UdJB-jc8PLI/AAAAAAAALV4/G4w2So2zFBk/s320/elite.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A2_QisRINgg/UdJB-jc8PLI/AAAAAAAALV4/G4w2So2zFBk/s320/elite.jpeg" /></a></div>
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"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event that features the books that we (the bloggers) are highly anticipating. "Waiting on Wednesday" was started by Jill at <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/">Breaking the Spine</a>.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">ROSIE</span>....Is Breaking The Rules....</span><br />
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It's true. I must confess. I haven't been reading lately, BUT! I do have a legitimate excuse. It's for.... food. </div>
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Yes. I've been blog hopping - not book blogs mind you, but for *le gasp* food blogs. </div>
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Yes.</div>
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Hi, my name is Rosie. And I am a food addict. </div>
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Sooooo, I've returned from my travels to present to you all my findings.</div>
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Now, I'm so-so with cooking, but I absolutely love baking. Some like cooking because of it's lack of rules. I, however, like baking because of it's rules! I mean, there's still room to experiment and have fun, but jeez. Cooking is WAY more stressful to me than baking. Plus, I've always grown up with baking - noooot so much with the former.</div>
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OK. So, I've compiled my list of amazing blogs that, if you also love food like me, should check them out. Each blogger is an amazing person. Their seemingly endless creativity results in drool-worthy recipes and pictures. Click the linky links if you dare! *WARNING* Do not visit if your stomach is empty. Have something at hand to fulfill the oncoming hunger. Trust me, you'll lose about 2 lbs. from drooling, but gain 10 lbs. just staring at the pictures...</div>
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<b>Love and Olive Oil</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">♥ </span>-2 Necessary Things For The Survival Of Mankind- <span style="font-size: xx-small;">♥</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.loveandoliveoil.com/">http://www.loveandoliveoil.com/</a></div>
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<b>Desserts for Breakfast</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">♥ </span>-Why not?- <span style="font-size: xx-small;">♥</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.dessertsforbreakfast.com/">http://www.dessertsforbreakfast.com/</a></div>
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<b>Brown Eyed Baker</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">♥ </span>-All Things Rich, Flavorful, And Yummy- <span style="font-size: xx-small;">♥</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.browneyedbaker.com/">http://www.browneyedbaker.com/</a></div>
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<b>Sprouted Kitchen</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">♥ </span>-Farm Fresh Organic Healthy Cooking- <span style="font-size: xx-small;">♥</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.sproutedkitchen.com/">http://www.sproutedkitchen.com/</a></div>
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<b>Chasing Delicious</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">♥ </span>-It's Not Easy, But It's So Worth It- <span style="font-size: xx-small;">♥</span></div>
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<a href="http://chasingdelicious.com/">http://chasingdelicious.com/</a></div>
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Did I mention my obsession with Asian cooking? I stumbled upon some really interesting YouTube accounts.</div>
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<b>RunnyRunny999</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">♥ </span>-Japanese Cooking- <span style="font-size: xx-small;">♥</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/runnyrunny999">http://www.youtube.com/user/runnyrunny999</a></div>
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<b>CookingWithDog</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> ♥</span> -Japanese Cooking- <span style="font-size: xx-small;">♥</span></div>
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<b>Aeri's Kitchen</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">♥ </span>-Korean and Western Cooking- <span style="font-size: xx-small;">♥</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/aeriskitchen">http://www.youtube.com/user/aeriskitchen</a></div>
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Angie here to make a comment. Rosie's strange, so just flow with this. Thankfully, I have a normal WoW part in this post. Oh well... They do look yummy!!! Great job Rosie! I'm hungry... But I need to establish <i>some</i> normalcy for this post!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Angie</span> is Impatiently Dying for:</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17305421-my-date-from-hell">My Date from Hell</a> by Tellulah Darling</div>
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Expected Publication: October 31, 2013 by Te Da Media</div>
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Sophie Bloom’s junior year has been a bit of a train wreck. After the world’s greatest kiss re-awakened Sophie’s true identity as Persephone (Goddess of Spring and Savior of Humanity), she fought her dragon-lady guidance counselor to the death, navigated mean girl Bethany’s bitchy troublemaking, and dealt with the betrayal of her backstabbing ex, Kai (sexy Prince of Darkness). You’d think a girl could catch a break.</div>
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Yeah, right.</div>
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With Zeus stepping things up, it’s vital that Sophie retrieve Persephone’s memories and discover the location of the ritual to stop Zeus and Hades. So when Aphrodite strikes a deal that can unlock Sophie’s pre-mortal past, what choice does the teen goddess have but to accept?</div>
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The mission: stop media mogul Hermes from turning Bethany into a global mega-celebrity. The catch? Aphrodite partners Sophie and Kai to work together … and treat this suicide mission as a date. Which could work out for Sophie’s plan to force Kai to admit his feelings for her–if she doesn’t kill him first.</div>
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Add to that the fact that BFF Theo’s love life and other BFF Hannah’s actual life are in Sophie’s hands, and suddenly being a teenager—even a godlike one—seems a bit like … well, hell. Whatever happened to dinner and a movie?</div>
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The YA romantic comedy/Greek mythology fireworks continue to fly in My Date From Hell. Breaking up is easy; dating is deadly. --Goodreads</div>
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Pre-ordering <i>My Date from Hell </i>is not available yet :(</div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;">So? What do you think? Do you love Rosie's yummy food recommendations or do you prefer Angie's mundane WOW post?</span></div>
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YA Noveltieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13748802912341911980noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917866310872019716.post-68692524424162196182013-07-02T00:00:00.000-04:002013-07-02T00:00:06.978-04:00Cover and Book Trailer Reveal: Apollo Academy by Kimberly P. Chase<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WaHbLw2nfp0/UdJD6oC11oI/AAAAAAAALWI/8IPTvS-XyqA/s1600/12924253+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WaHbLw2nfp0/UdJD6oC11oI/AAAAAAAALWI/8IPTvS-XyqA/s320/12924253+(1).jpg" width="222" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17928444-the-apollo-academy">Apollo Academy</a></div>
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By Kimberly P. Chase</div>
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Release Date: August 6, 2013</div>
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eBook, 340 pages</div>
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Cover Art by Cliff Nielsen</div>
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As the heiress to Titon Technologies, eighteen-year-old Aurora Titon can have whatever she wants—clothes, expensive gadgets, anything money can buy. All she really wants is to escape her pampered, paparazzi-prone life for the stars. Becoming the first female pilot to train as an astronaut for the Apollo Academy is exactly the chance for which she has been waiting. Everything would be perfect if it weren't for her unreciprocated crush on a fellow student, the sexy astronaut bent on making her life hell, and the fact that someone keeps trying to kill her. </blockquote>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Early praise for The Apollo Academy:</span></div>
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"I am obsessed with this book! Suspenseful, sexy, and just a great read!" -Cora Carmack, New York Times Bestselling author of LOSING IT.</blockquote>
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“Exquisite worldbuilding, thrilling suspense, and a sexy flight instructor! Chase’s exciting debut novel is one you don’t want to miss.” - K.A.Tucker, Author of Ten Tiny Breaths and One Tiny Lie</blockquote>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Book Trailer Reveal:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">About the Author:</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x8cSk4eLd7I/Uc2Z6MDWF7I/AAAAAAAAAhk/cGu6r_zt3d4/s300/Kim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x8cSk4eLd7I/Uc2Z6MDWF7I/AAAAAAAAAhk/cGu6r_zt3d4/s200/Kim.jpg" width="152" /></span></a></span></b></div>
Kimberly P. Chase holds a Bachelor's Degree in Aeronautical Science from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, which basically means she's kind of a geek and loves flying airplanes. Naturally, her books tend to include aviation, hot flight instructors, aviator glasses, and—let's not forget—kissing! When Kimberly's not writing or reading, she's hanging out with her husband, four-year-old son, and two dogs.</div>
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<a href="http://www.kimberlypchase.com/">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KimberlyPChase">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/kpchase817">Twitter</a><br />
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YA Noveltieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13748802912341911980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1917866310872019716.post-72323315460008666972013-06-30T00:28:00.000-04:002014-02-15T22:39:31.021-05:00Review: The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back by Sariah Wilson<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15833614-the-ugly-stepsister-strikes-back?ac=1">The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back</a></div>
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By Sariah Wilson</div>
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Released: August 15, 2012</div>
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Publisher: Fire & Ice Books</div>
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eBook, 224 pages</div>
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Source: Free eBook</div>
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<blockquote>
Everyone knows how all those fairy tales go. The princess gets beautiful, nabs her prince, falls instantly in love, lives happily ever after and leaves her evil stepsisters in the dust.<br />
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But what happens when you’re the ugly stepsister and your obnoxiously perfect—read pretty, smart, and, worst of all, sickeningly nice—stepsister is dating the charming, tall, devastatingly handsome guy you’ve had a thing for since you were nine years old?<br />
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Quirky, artistic and snarky Mattie Lowe does not lead a charmed life. Her mother is constantly belittling her on Skype. Mercedes, the school mean girl, has made it her personal mission to torment Mattie. But worst of all? Her stepsister Ella is the most beautiful, popular girl in school and is dating Mattie’s secret longtime crush, Jake Kingston.<br />
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Tired of being left out and done with waiting for her own stupid fairy godmother to show up, Mattie decides to change her life. She’ll start by running for senior class president against wildly popular Jake.<br />
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Ella can keep her Prince Annoying. Mattie’s going to rule the school.<br />
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And no one, not even a cute and suddenly flirty Jake, is going to stop her. --Goodreads</blockquote>
Purchase <i>The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back </i>here for <span style="color: red;">FREE</span> for limited time: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ugly-Stepsister-Strikes-Back-ebook/dp/B008YIE740">Amazon (Kindle)</a><br />
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3.5 Stars</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Review:</b></span></div>
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Sometimes, you just want an adorable, sweet read to balance out your reading depression. Nothing too depressing like cancer or tragic pasts, but not too cheesy and fluffy. Thankfully, there are books like <i>The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back</i> here to fulfill this purpose. With a lot of heart and laughs, this book made me smile at every turn.</div>
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Mattie is the average girl that is continually being traumatized by her stepsister's perfectness. Not to mention, Mattie is having to deal with a sociopathic mother, a bully who knows how to press all of the right buttons, and an arrogant Jake Kingston. Life sucks, right? Even though Mattie is facing way too many issues for someone her own age, these problems are so relatable and similar to the stuff we face in real life. Initially, Mattie faces these issues cynically and does nothing to put a stop to them. It doesn't happen until Mattie is utterly humiliated when she decides to fight back. However, she receives help from the person she least expects: Ella. With Ella, Mattie goes to prove to the world that even an average person can defeat the extraordinary through the student council elections.</div>
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If you can't tell already, this is an underdog story. It's a story that brightens our day when we read about the underdog defeating everything standing in her way. Mattie is definitely a flawed heroine. She makes so many mistakes and assumptions throughout her journey to discover herself. But this makes her so likable because she actually learns from her mistakes and admits to them. </div>
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I admit, I really enjoyed this book. So many of the characters, not just Mattie, were so enjoyable to read about. We meet Ella, Mattie's perfect stepsister, who is so ridiculously nice and kind. Initially, Ella seems like a flat character because we only really see how perfect she is. Little by little, the history behind Ella's actions and personality unveil, soon making her my favorite character after Mattie. Jake himself wasn't too bad either. After piercing through his arrogance, we see the stereotypical male lead who is mean because he is pressured to get into a good college, so he vents out at others behind everyone's back. I mean seriously, there probably are more original reasons for why Jake was such an arrogant *beep*, but I guess this reason was believable, so kudos to the author for that. Additionally, many of the other characters were cute to read about, such as Mattie's dad, Trent (Mattie's best friend whose a guy), and Mattie's sociopathic mother (Yeah, she was really mean and nasty, but my mom is like that too. Therefore, I probably don't see Mattie's mom's verbal abuse as something completely wrong).</div>
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As a light, summer read, <i>The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back</i> is a perfect relaxing read. Snarky, adorable, and emotionally riveting, this book is a book that will bring a smile for it's dorky, but sweet ending. Despite a few clichés and extremely childish moments that were unsuited for the age of the characters, <i>The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back</i> is a fun, fast-paced read that will have you laughing, crying, and smiling with Mattie during her journey for identity.</div>
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YA Noveltieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13748802912341911980noreply@blogger.com0