tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18714456802360623182024-03-13T15:55:26.048-04:00Reading, Writing, and anything but ArithmeticAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11469931351791279659noreply@blogger.comBlogger393125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871445680236062318.post-38397901539693568022014-02-14T12:45:00.003-05:002014-02-14T12:45:59.477-05:00For When I'm Feeling: HungryI really think I should have saved my first topic for this feature (<a href="http://thethreersalmost.blogspot.com/2014/01/for-when-im-feeling-cold.html" target="_blank">Cold</a>) for this week, since yesterday, my town got 2 feet of snow dumped on it. Shoveling that was just awful. And then I thought I'd do something like "Romantic" for Valentine's Day, but this week's Top Ten Tuesday was too close to that. So I thought about my typical V-Days and how I spend every February 14th treating myself to an awesome & delicious meal. Which led me to today's topic for my new feature.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">Hungry!</span></div>
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I am an unashamed food-lover. And there are so many books and movies that are centered on food, or have food as a big part of it.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mQw7DCOVOPA/Uv5QfBhPYtI/AAAAAAAABwM/QIRPivTe6Nc/s1600/forwhenhungry1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mQw7DCOVOPA/Uv5QfBhPYtI/AAAAAAAABwM/QIRPivTe6Nc/s1600/forwhenhungry1.png" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><u>Books</u></b></div>
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<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/87474.A_Thousand_Days_in_Tuscany?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>A Thousand Days in Tuscany</i> by Marlena de Blasi</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/281954.Redwall" target="_blank"><i>Redwall</i> by Brian Jacques</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/232187.Charlie_and_the_Chocolate_Factory" target="_blank"><i>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</i> by Roald Dahl</a></b></li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7893113-always-the-baker-never-the-bride?ac=1" target="_blank"><b><i>Always the Baker, Never the Bride</i> by Sandra D. Bricker</b></a></li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/80642.Garlic_and_Sapphires?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Garlic & Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise</i> by Ruth Reichl</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25460.Animal_Vegetable_Miracle?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Animal, Vegetable, Miracle</i> by Barbara Kingsolver</a></b></li>
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<b><u>Movies</u></b></div>
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<ul>
<li><b>Eat, Pray, Love</b></li>
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<li>Favorite quote: "I'm in love. I am having a relationship with my pizza."</li>
</ul>
<li><b>Under the Tuscan Sun</b></li>
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<li>"Ice cream changed my fate."</li>
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<li><b>Chocolat</b></li>
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<li>(About chocolate seashells) "And it *melts*, God forgive me, it melts every so slowly on your tongue, it tortures you with pleasure."</li>
</ul>
<li><b>No Reservations</b></li>
<ul>
<li>"I wish there was a cookbook for life, you know? Recipes telling us exactly what to do."</li>
</ul>
</ul>
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And those are the movies and books that I turn to when hungry. Which then of course only make me more hungry. Any suggestions for other yummy books or movies I should check out?</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11469931351791279659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871445680236062318.post-32279804483070262092014-02-11T12:48:00.001-05:002014-02-11T12:48:33.792-05:00Top Ten Tuesday: Swoon-Worthy Books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kQG93uED_lc/UJktfl5eTbI/AAAAAAAAAfE/Ya4BTJaZfBM/s1600/TOPTENTUESDAY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kQG93uED_lc/UJktfl5eTbI/AAAAAAAAAfE/Ya4BTJaZfBM/s1600/TOPTENTUESDAY.jpg" height="153" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Top Ten Tuesday</b> is a weekly meme hosted by <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a>. This week's topic is books that make you swoon. I love swoon-worthy books, and for me personally, I tend to swoon over books with a dark, brooding, and/or flawed love interest. There are always exceptions to the rule (Peeta!), but I definitely have a type.<br />
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<b><u>Top Ten Books That Made Me Swoon</u></b><br />
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<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11594257-under-the-never-sky?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Under the Never Sky</i> by Veronica Ross</a>i</b></li>
<ul>
<li>I love Perry, and his romance with Aria gave me goosebumps.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10816908-the-crown-of-embers?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>The Crown of Embers</i> by Rae Carson</a></b></li>
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<li>Hector! Hector! Hector! He's so amazing. I'm actually jealous of Elisa.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9424367-prized?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Prized</i> by Caragh M. O'Brien</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>And for this book, it was all about Leon - the epitome of dark, brooding, and flawed. I wanted to smack Gaea sometimes for not seeing how awesome Leon was.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12127750-the-mark-of-athena?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>The Mark of Athena</i> by Rick Riordan</a></b></li>
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<li>The whole book is great, but it's at the very end that the real swoon-worthy moment happens between Percy & Annabeth. Percibeth forever!</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13335037-divergent?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Divergent</i> by Veronica Roth</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>Once again, it's all about the dark, brooding, & flawed love interest - Four/Tobias.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16240988-daughter-of-the-earth-and-sky?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Daughter of the Earth and Sky</i> by Kaitlin Bevis</a></b></li>
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<li>I love almost all Hades/Persephone retellings, but this one is one of the most passionate and swoon-worthy to me.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13206760-scarlet?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Scarlet</i> by Marissa Meyer</a></b></li>
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<li>I think I must be a sucker for characters named Wolf. Both Wolf from <i>Scarlet</i> and Wolf from <i>The 10th Kingdom</i> are incredibly swoon-worthy.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1379212.The_Scarlet_Pimpernel" target="_blank"><i>The Scarlet Pimpernel</i> by Baroness Emmuska Orczy</a></b></li>
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<li>Sir Percy Blakeny is the most passionate hero ever. The part when he kisses the ground where his wife just walked because his passion for her is that strong? Bring on the swoon!</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/248483.Austenland?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Austenland</i> by Shannon Hale</a></b></li>
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<li>For me, the swooning came at the very end of this book. The final conversation between Jane and her "Mr. Darcy" is so sweet and romantic and funny.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37546.Persuasion" target="_blank"><i>Persuasion</i> by Jane Austen</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>I've already seen a lot of people have <i>Pride & Prejudice</i> on their lists, and while I agree that it's definitely a swoony book (that Mr. Darcy and his smolder), I think <i>Persuasion</i> is seriously swoon-worthy. That letter from Captain Wentworth... so perfect. And Anne almost did actually swoon over it.</li>
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And those are my top ten swoon-worthy books. How about you? Have you ever "swooned" over a book?</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11469931351791279659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871445680236062318.post-71484674195650598672014-02-07T11:40:00.002-05:002014-02-07T11:40:15.758-05:00Book Review: Arranged by Catherine McKenzie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TjkHPM6N4rk/UvT8m8dkiTI/AAAAAAAABvo/1APkRF5wwuE/s1600/Arranged_pb_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TjkHPM6N4rk/UvT8m8dkiTI/AAAAAAAABvo/1APkRF5wwuE/s1600/Arranged_pb_c.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12935956-arranged" target="_blank">Arranged</a><br />
<b>Author:</b> Catherine McKenzie<br />
<b>Genre:</b> Chick-lit/Romance<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> William Morrow Paperbacks<br />
<b>Pages:</b> 416<br />
<b>Acquired via:</b> Purchased from Amazon<br />
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<b>Rating: </b> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mUn1x1Sz88o/UcxHfSQpTEI/AAAAAAAABhI/cexiTAWmhoM/s1600/3Cupcake2SF.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mUn1x1Sz88o/UcxHfSQpTEI/AAAAAAAABhI/cexiTAWmhoM/s1600/3Cupcake2SF.JPG" /></a><br />
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<b>Synopsis from goodreads:</b> <span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>Anne Blythe has a great life: a good job, good friends, and a potential book deal for her first novel. When it comes to finding someone to share it with, however, she just can't seem to get it right.</i></span><br />
<i><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">After yet another relationship ends, Anne comes across a business card for what she thinks is a dating service, and she pockets it just in case. When her best friend, Sarah, announces she's engaged, Anne can't help feeling envious. On an impulse, she decides to give the service a try because maybe she could use a little assistance in finding the right man. But Anne soon discovers the company isn't a dating service; it's an exclusive, and pricey, arranged marriage service. She initially rejects the idea, but the more she thinks about it-and the company's success rate-the more it appeals to her. After all, arranged marriages are the norm for millions of women around the world, so why wouldn't it work for her?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>A few months later, Anne is travelling to a Mexican resort, where in one short weekend she will meet and marry Jack. And against all odds, it seems to be working out-until Anne learns that Jack, and the company that arranged their marriage, are not what they seem at all</i>.</span><br />
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<b><i>~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~</i></b></div>
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I rarely give chick-lit and/or contemporary romance a shot, because most of the times that I do, I've been disappointed. In this case, I wouldn't say I was disappointed, but I certainly wasn't blown away.</div>
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<i>Arranged</i> is a novel about a woman who decides she's finished with the dating game and uses an arranged marriage service to find herself a husband. Obviously there's a lot of inner monologue about her misgivings and doubts. The whole first third of the book is about the process leading up to finding Anne the perfect person. So it's mostly character development and background. The second third is about her meeting her husband and their initial sparks and tension and getting-to-know-each-other phase. And the last third is about when they start to adjust to life together and obviously face a huge conflict that must be resolved by the end of the book.</div>
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For the most part, the book is cute. The characters are good; the story is fun; and the ending is mostly satisfying. I just wish the book had been more about their life after their arranged marriage. Mostly the book deals with everything leading up to it and the "honeymoon." I think a book about what an actual arranged marriage is like would have been a bit more interesting. Also, personal preference - please lay off the F-word. I just get so uncomfortable when I feel like every other word is an F-bomb.</div>
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My biggest problem with the book was the huge conflict and resolution. I kept having this feeling of deja vu. And then I realized why. I had seen this same exact story before, in the form of a romantic comedy movie. I won't say which one, or it will give away EVERYTHING, but it was definitely the same exact plot and resolution.</div>
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Overall, <i>Arranged</i> is a cute but unoriginal story. I think that about sums it up.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11469931351791279659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871445680236062318.post-51423395800265346332014-02-04T13:25:00.000-05:002014-02-04T13:25:52.281-05:00Top Ten Tuesday: Books that Make Me Cry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kQG93uED_lc/UJktfl5eTbI/AAAAAAAAAfE/Ya4BTJaZfBM/s1600/TOPTENTUESDAY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kQG93uED_lc/UJktfl5eTbI/AAAAAAAAAfE/Ya4BTJaZfBM/s1600/TOPTENTUESDAY.jpg" height="153" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Top Ten Tuesday</b> is a weekly meme hosted by <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a>. This week's topic is books that make us cry. This is a hard one for me because I'm a very emotional person. I cry when I'm sad; I cry when I'm really happy. I even cry at touching commercials (the most recent Super Bowl Budweiser commercial about the soldier coming home made me a teary mess). So I decided to pick the books that didn't just make me cry; they made me an emotional wreck.<br />
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<b><u>Top Ten <i>I-Need-a-Tissue-and-a-Hug</i> Books That Made Me Cry</u></b><br />
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<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11870085-the-fault-in-our-stars?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>The Fault in Our Stars</i> by John Green</a></b></li>
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<li>I think John Green loves to make his readers cry. So beautiful but so sad. This book just wrecked me.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7260188-mockingjay?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Mockingjay</i> by Suzanne Collins</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>I really don't know how I'm going to make it through watching the movie version of this because the book was so incredibly intense.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18512.The_Return_of_the_King" target="_blank"><i>The Return of the King</i> by J.R.R. Tolkien</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>When I read this book out loud to my little sister, we couldn't even make it through the final chapter. The two of us were just sitting there, crying together.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14358.A_Ring_of_Endless_Light?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>A Ring of Endless Light</i> by Madeleine L'Engle</a></b></li>
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<li>This book deals primarily with coping with death, and it's real and heartbreaking.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/136251.Harry_Potter_and_the_Deathly_Hallows?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows</i> by JK Rowling</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>Why must you kill off all the best characters, including my favorite!? It wasn't enough to have already killed off so many people in the previous books???</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1934.Little_Women?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Little Women</i> by Louisa May Alcott</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>I read this when I was about 10 or 11, and I just sat in bed and cried during the chapter about Beth. And then I saw the many movie adaptations and cried some more.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10929.For_One_More_Day?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>For One More Day</i> by Mitch Albom</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>Mitch Albom, like John Green, seems to like writing books to make you cry. This book is about a man whose life is going downhill, and one night, he has a car accident and wakes up in his little hometown with his mom... who died years ago. He gets to have just one more day with her.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/228301.A_Night_to_Remember" target="_blank"><i>A Night to Remember</i> by Walter Lord</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>A non-fiction account of what occurred on the Titanic. Walter Lord interviewed the survivors and wrote down the story of the ship sinking based on their firsthand experiences. It would have been powerful as fiction, but it was twice as powerful because it all actually happened.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48834.I_Have_Lived_A_Thousand_Years?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>I Have Lived a Thousand Years</i> by Livia Bitton-Jackson</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>A graphic autobiography of a young Jewish girl and what she suffered in the Holocaust. I don't really think I need to explain this one.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7739862-i-shall-wear-midnight" target="_blank"><i>I Shall Wear Midnight</i> by Terry Pratchett</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>This book is here because of the second chapter. The rest of the book isn't quite as emotional or intense, but that second chapter left me a blubbering mess. It's so intense that my brother couldn't get past it, and I'm not sure if he's tried picking up the book since he first started it.</li>
</ul>
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And those are the books that left me desperately searching for tissues after reading them. How about you? Did you read any of these and have the same reaction? What books make you cry?</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11469931351791279659noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871445680236062318.post-89048407545762944102014-01-31T16:22:00.002-05:002014-01-31T16:22:25.394-05:00Book Review: The 10th Kingdom by Kathryn Wesley<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f6imta26f4s/UuwPHvXb6DI/AAAAAAAABvI/_4aVaWGQW74/s1600/10thkingdom+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f6imta26f4s/UuwPHvXb6DI/AAAAAAAABvI/_4aVaWGQW74/s1600/10thkingdom+book.jpg" height="200" width="116" /></a></div>
<b>Title: </b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/237012.The_10th_Kingdom?ac=1" target="_blank">The 10th Kingdom</a><br />
<b>Author:</b> Kathryn Wesley<br />
<b>Genre: </b> Fantasy/fairytale retelling<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> Kensington<br />
<b>Pages:</b> 479<br />
<b>Acquired via: </b> PaperbackSwap<br />
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<b>Rating:</b> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mUn1x1Sz88o/UcxHfSQpTEI/AAAAAAAABhI/cexiTAWmhoM/s1600/3Cupcake2SF.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mUn1x1Sz88o/UcxHfSQpTEI/AAAAAAAABhI/cexiTAWmhoM/s1600/3Cupcake2SF.JPG" /></a><br />
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<b>Synopsis (from goodreads):</b> <span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>The novel of the BkyB and Hallmark co-venture 'The 10th Kingdom' is a contemporary drama set in a fantasy world where magic and fairy tale characters come to life. This is an Alice in Wonderland for grown-ups and children alike, a witty and satirical reflection of contemporary society told as an epic tale of good versus evil. Follow the thrilling adventures of Virginia and Tony, a father and daughter from New York, who unwittingly find themselves in a parallel universe known as The Nine Kingdoms. Virginia and Tony join forces with a schizophrenic man-wolf, and Prince, a handsome golden retriever formally known as Prince Wendell, grandson of Snow White until his wicked stepmother turned him into a dog. The unlikely heroes then embark on an epic quest to save Prince from the evil Queen and restore him to the throne</i>.</span><br />
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I've wanted to read this book ever since I saw the miniseries in college. It's actually a novelization of the miniseries <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0207275/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">The 10th Kingdom</a>. Which I love. I definitely recommend it. (You will fall in love with Wolf; you just will.)</div>
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Mostly, I wanted to see if the author would expand certain parts or change things or add more details to the book version. And she did... a little. But for the most part, the book really is a straight-up copy of the miniseries. The biggest difference is that the author gave the reader insight into what the different characters were supposedly thinking during all of those situations. So while the dialogue is almost word-for-word from the show, the characters all get way more depth and development.</div>
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It's a fun, mostly fast-paced read, and there are lots of recognizable fairy-tale characters throughout. But the characters and stories are closer to their original versions - darker and more violent. There's also plenty of humor and a sweet romance.</div>
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My biggest problem with the book though is that the ending is incredibly rushed. As I was reading, I was really enjoying the details and descriptions, the inner thoughts of the characters, the steady pace of the story, but I got about two-thirds of the way through the book and realized that there was still <b>A LOT </b>of story to be covered and not a lot of pages left. Which meant that final third of the book crammed a ton of action and events in, while sacrificing all those details & descriptions & character development that had made the beginning so good.</div>
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If you haven't seen the miniseries, then you might not love <i>The 10th Kingdom</i> novelization and its crazy, rushed ending. But if you have seen the show, then you'd probably enjoy the book.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11469931351791279659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871445680236062318.post-12475706875504922842014-01-27T16:31:00.001-05:002014-01-27T16:31:15.299-05:00Some Fun Finds - BuzzfeedI feel like I am so behind the times. I only recently discovered the site <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/" target="_blank"><b>Buzzfeed</b></a>, and it is addicting. I'm on that site every day. And I especially love the book-related and the food-related posts. Here are some of my favorites:<br />
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<b><u>Book-Related</u></b><br />
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<li><a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/ariannarebolini/the-23-best-parts-of-being-a-book-lover-fw9t" target="_blank"><b>The 23 Best Parts of Being a Book Lover</b></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/kmallikarjuna/proper-ways-to-read-a-book" target="_blank"><b>25 Proper Ways to Read a Book</b></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/kmallikarjuna/perfect-spots-to-curl-up-with-a-book" target="_blank"><b>27 Perfect Spots to Curl Up with a Book</b></a></li>
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<li>Such serious envy!</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/tabirakhter/epic-literary-love-tattoos" target="_blank"><b>23 Epic Literary Love Tattoos</b></a></li>
<ul>
<li>If I was ever going to get a tattoo, I'd get one of these.</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/openroadmedia/17-signs-youare-an-english-major-dgyw" target="_blank"><b>16 Signs You Were an English Major</b></a></li>
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<li>I relate to most of these.</li>
</ul>
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<b><u>Food-Related</u></b></div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/christinebyrne/truly-magnificent-peanut-butter-desserts" target="_blank"><b>27 Truly Magnificent Peanut Butter Desserts</b></a></li>
<ul>
<li>I want to spend a month making all of these. I'd probably gain 100 pounds, but it would be the happiest 100 pounds ever.</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/40-amazing-grilled-cheese-sandwich-recipes" target="_blank"><b>40 Amazing Grilled Cheese Sandwiches</b></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/notmonroe/16-glorious-ways-to-make-mac-and-cheese-gg32" target="_blank"><b>16 Glorious Ways to Make Mac'N'Cheese</b></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/emofly/streusel-recipes" target="_blank"><b>33 Ways to Fill Your Life with Streusel</b></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/emofly/fancy-nutella-recipes" target="_blank"><b>33 Super-Fancy Ways to Eat More Nutella</b></a></li>
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<li>Not that there's anything wrong with just eating right off a spoon. :)</li>
</ul>
</ul>
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<b><u>And Just for Fun</u></b></div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/mattbellassai/the-most-important-bunny-gifs-on-the-internet" target="_blank"><b>The 33 Most Important Bunny GIFs on the Internet</b></a></li>
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<li>Cuteness overload!!</li>
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<li><a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/thebumblekee/what-25-normal-things-look-like-to-clumsy-people-f750" target="_blank"><b>What 25 Normal Things Look Like to Clumsy People</b></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/taskme/17-must-have-studio-ghibli-gifts-g02m" target="_blank"><b>17 Must-Have Studio Ghibli Gifts</b></a></li>
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<li>I love these, especially 11, 12 & 17.</li>
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<b><u>And my most <i>favorite</i> of all</u></b></div>
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<li><a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/ellievhall/15-convincing-reasons-tom-hiddleston-is-an-actual-disney-pri" target="_blank"><b>15 Convincing Reasons Tom Hiddleston is an Actual Disney Prince</b></a></li>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: cyan;">COLD</span></b></span>. <br />
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I don't know about where you live, but when I left the house for work this morning, it was 4 degrees outside. <b>4!!! </b> I have never wanted to work from home so badly in all my life. So what's the perfect solution to a day as cold as this? A big mug of hot chocolate with whipped cream & marshmallows, lots of comfy throw blankets, a seat in front of the fireplace, and the following books:<br />
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<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10429092-the-girl-of-fire-and-thorns?ac=1" target="_blank"><b><i>The Girl of Fire and Thorns</i> by Rae Carson</b></a></li>
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<li>Besides being an extremely exciting book that gets your heart racing, the book takes place in a hot, desert country. At one point, Elisa has to travel across the desert, and the descriptions of the heat and the sun are so vivid. </li>
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<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/883314.Dealing_with_Dragons" target="_blank"><b><i>Dealing with Dragons</i> by Patricia C. Wrede</b></a></li>
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<li>Pretty much anything with dragons could apply. There's plenty of fire-breathing and arid landscapes.</li>
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<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/248483.Austenland?ac=1" target="_blank"><b><i>Austenland</i> by Shannon Hale</b></a></li>
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<li>This is a great read for when it's cold, but not because it's about warm places. It's perfect because it leaves you with a nice warm & fuzzy feeling when it's done.</li>
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<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/87474.A_Thousand_Days_in_Tuscany?ac=1" target="_blank"><b><i>A Thousand Days in Tuscany</i> by Marlena de Blasi</b></a></li>
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<li>Every time I read this, I want to hop on the first plane to Italy. Part of the book does take place during the winter months, but for the most part, you get to hear about beautiful (warm) countrysides, yummy (warm) food, and the friendly (warm) people.</li>
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<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62111.The_Swiss_Family_Robinson?ac=1" target="_blank"><b><i>The Swiss Family Robinson</i> by Johann David Wyss</b></a></li>
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<li>Tropical islands are always a dream when you're suffering through snow. Of course I wouldn't want to be shipwrecked on one like the Robinsons, but I'd love to explore one and see all of the amazing animals.</li>
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<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11843.Many_Waters" target="_blank"><b><i>Many Waters</i> by Madeleine L'Engle</b></a></li>
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<li>This book made me so thirsty. It's a really interesting time-travel take on the story of Noah, and the setting is a hot, dry desert where the sun practically destroys your skin super fast if you're not used to it.</li>
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And those are my go-to books when I'm feeling the chill of winter. I hope you enjoy this new feature, and I'd love to hear which books you read to warm up.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11469931351791279659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871445680236062318.post-53018486447273391012014-01-19T18:28:00.001-05:002014-01-19T18:28:19.650-05:00Book Review: The House of Hades by Rick Riordan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title:</b> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12127810-the-house-of-hades" target="_blank">The House of Hades</a><br />
<b>Author:</b> Rick Riordan<br />
<b>Genre: </b> YA mythology retelling<br />
<b>Series:</b> The Heroes of Olympus #4<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> Hyperion<br />
<b>Pages:</b> 597, hardcover<br />
<b>Acquired via:</b> Bought on Amazon<br />
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<b>Rating:</b> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wbBg0_yfk7Q/UcxHfhHzVFI/AAAAAAAABhU/QeHnur8-wQM/s1600/4Cupcake2SF.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wbBg0_yfk7Q/UcxHfhHzVFI/AAAAAAAABhU/QeHnur8-wQM/s1600/4Cupcake2SF.JPG" /></a><br />
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<b>Synopsis from goodreads:</b> <span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy’s instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through the Gaea’s forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape?</i></span><br />
<i><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>They have no choice. If the demigods don’t succeed, Gaea’s armies will never die. They have no time. In about a month, the Romans will march on Camp Half-Blood. The stakes are higher than ever in this adventure that dives into the depths of Tartarus</i>.</span><br />
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I love Rick Riordan's series, and this book was a great addition. It was mainly focused on Percy and Annabeth's adventures, with the other characters taking smaller roles. It had romance, drama, lots of action and suspense, and plenty of new mythological people and creatures.</div>
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I was so happy with the entire Percibeth storyline. It was awesome for these two to finally get back together and share an adventure. Their relationship develops and grows so much throughout the book as they suffer crazy torture in Tartarus.</div>
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The other characters have their own adventures, but some of them seemed to get very little attention in this book. Piper and Jason both had very minimal storylines, while Leo, Hazel, Frank, and Nico had a lot of focus on them. I especially loved the way Frank's character developed. He really got a chance to shine.</div>
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There was one part that I wasn't too thrilled with, which is a first for me with Riordan's books. I won't give away what exactly it was, for those of you who have yet to read the book, but there is one part of the book, a big "character revelation", that seemed forced and preachy and not really well-written. I personally think Riordan could have written it a lot better, but that's just my opinion. It was the only thing in the whole book that bothered me, and it didn't bother me enough to keep me from loving the book.</div>
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Fortunately, Riordan did not leave us with a literal cliffhanger like he did with the previous book (which he poked fun at in the dedication; you must read it!). Instead, the book had a satisfying ending, while hinting at the big climactic finish to come in <i>The Blood of Olympus</i>. I cannot wait to read the next book, and hope it is an epic finish worthy of this series.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11469931351791279659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871445680236062318.post-39373126068720117202014-01-14T09:36:00.001-05:002014-01-14T09:37:45.050-05:00Top Ten Tuesday: 2014 Debuts To Read<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Top Ten Tuesday</b> is a weekly meme hosted by <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a>. This week's topic is 2014 debuts that we're excited for. At first, I wasn't sure if I knew more than three debuts coming out this year, and then discovered that there are actually 19 that I'm pretty psyched about. And here are the top twelve of those 19.</div>
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<b><u>Top <strike>Ten</strike> Twelve 2014 Debuts I Want To Read</u></b></div>
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<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17566814-midnight-thief?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Midnight Thief</i> by Livia Blackburne</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17926775-stolen-songbird?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Stolen Songbird</i> by Danielle L. Jensen</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15839984-cruel-beauty?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Cruel Beauty</i> by Rosamund Hodge</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17997591-camelot-burning?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Camelot Burning </i>by Kathryn Rose</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18053060-dorothy-must-die?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Dorothy Must Die</i> by Danielle Paige</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15791085-the-falconer?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>The Falconer</i> by Elizabeth May</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17938370-the-nethergrim?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>The Nethergrim</i> by Matthew Jobin</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18801345-the-looking-glass?from_search=true" target="_blank"><i>The Looking Glass</i> by Jessica Arnold</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17339959-talker-25?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Talker 25</i> by Joshua McCune</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17341550-trust-me-i-m-lying?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Trust Me, I'm Lying</i> by Mary Elizabeth Summer</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17225463-nil?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Nil </i>by Lynne Matson</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16173250-gilded?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Gilded</i> by Christina L. Farley</a></b></li>
</ul>
<div>
Honorable Mentions: <i>Defy</i> by Sara B. Larson, <i>Alienated</i> by Melissa Landers, <i>Queen of Hearts</i> by Colleen Oakes, <i>Library Jumpers</i> by Brenda Drake, <i>Under the Egg</i> by Laura Marx Fitzgerald, <i>Salvage</i> by Alexandra Duncan, and <i>My Faire Lady</i> by Laura Wettersten.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11469931351791279659noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871445680236062318.post-71226883072571830392014-01-10T10:09:00.001-05:002014-01-10T10:09:49.988-05:00Book Review: Taken by Erin Bowman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11044367-taken?ac=1" target="_blank">Taken</a><br />
<b>Author:</b> Erin Bowman<br />
<b>Genre:</b> YA dystopian<br />
<b>Series:</b> Taken #1<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> HarperTeen<br />
<b>Pages:</b> 360, hardcover<br />
<b>Acquired via:</b> BEA 2013<br />
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<b>Rating: </b> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tuRJWROmKIc/UcxHetcpexI/AAAAAAAABg4/dMO743RpTJM/s1600/2Cupcake2SF.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tuRJWROmKIc/UcxHetcpexI/AAAAAAAABg4/dMO743RpTJM/s1600/2Cupcake2SF.JPG" /></a><br />
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<b>Synopsis from goodreads.com: </b> <span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone. </i></span><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">They call it the Heist.</span></i><br />
<i><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side</i>?</span><br />
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<b><i>~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~</i></b></div>
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I really, really wanted to love <i>Taken</i>. There had been so much hype surrounding it before it actually came out, and then when I got it at BEA, I was so psyched to finally read it. I didn't actually end up reading it until December, and I'm sorry to say I just didn't love it.</div>
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That doesn't mean I hated it. It had a great premise. I thought the characters were well-developed, and the descriptions of the settings were beautiful and realistic. And it was a fast-paced, action-filled read. Overall though, it was just okay.</div>
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One of my big problems with this book was the melodrama. It felt like every two seconds something new and big was happening to Gray, each one more dramatic and shocking than the last. The whole book came across as very soap-opera-ish. And then there was Gray himself. He's a stubborn, reckless jerk most of the time. It was kind of hard to sympathize with him.</div>
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But worst of all was the stupid romance. I don't mind love triangles, when they're written well. The one in this book (sorry if this is a spoiler) just stinks. First of all, the original girl Gray's into, Emma, is really not that great. I couldn't understand why he was so into her. They get separated, and the first girl Gray meets afterwards, he's suddenly totally lusting over while still adamantly saying he's in love with Emma. I mean, I like the second girl better, but the way everything comes together in the end seemed ridiculous.</div>
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I may still pick up the second book because I honestly liked some of the secondary characters way more than Gray, but it won't be a disappointment if I don't.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11469931351791279659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871445680236062318.post-7494924023492599792014-01-07T08:44:00.000-05:002014-01-07T08:44:09.860-05:00Top Ten Tuesday: 2014 Resolutions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<b>Top Ten Tuesday</b> is a weekly meme hosted by <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/p/top-ten-tuesday-other-features.html" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a>. It's the first one of the new year, so the topic is all about resolutions - bookish, non-bookish, or both.<br />
<br />
<b><u>My 2014 Bookish & Bloggish Resolutions</u></b><br />
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<ul>
<li><b>Stop pressuring myself so much.</b> I have a big problem with this. I'm constantly putting all this unnecessary pressure on myself to blog more or to blog better, and it needs to stop. It just takes all the fun out of blogging and even reading. I need to stop thinking that a good blog has so many posts per week or looks a certain way. I created my blog to have fun, and that's what I want to get back to.</li>
<li><b>Do something fun for my five-year blogiversary.</b> In May this year, I will have been a book blogger for five years, and I want to do something special to celebrate. I don't know what yet, but I don't want May to pass by without doing anything.</li>
<li><b>Move the blog to Wordpress.</b> I've loved Blogger, but I really want to do more with my blog. I feel like there is more freedom with Wordpress, as well as more features. It kind of scares me to switch to something new, but I think it's also going to be fun.</li>
<li><b>Finish a series before buying a new one.</b> In order to save some money and not feel so overwhelmed with the piles of unread books, I need to stop buying so many new series when I still haven't even finished the old ones. <i>Divergent</i>, <i>Legend</i>, <i>Eve</i>, <i>Girl of Fire & Thorns</i>... I still haven't read the last books from any of these series. As much as I want to pick up new series, like <i>Shatter Me</i>, I need to finish the ones I already own.</li>
<li><b>Get a new feature for my blog up & running.</b> I've been working on a new feature to include this year, and now I just need to actually put things together. I'm the queen of unfinished projects, and I don't want this to turn into another one.</li>
<li><b>Give my blog some much needed TLC.</b> My poor blog needs to be updated. I haven't bothered to clean up and bring my TBR list or review index up-to-date. There are links that needed to be removed or included. Just lots of little things here and there that have been bugging me, and I hope to take care of this year.</li>
<li><b>Possibly get a co-blogger.</b> Part of my solution for taking some of the pressure off of me is to get someone to share in the blogging. I'd really like it if I could get my sister to join me, but if not, there are a few other people I'll be reaching out to.</li>
<li><b>Put down more books.</b> I always thought I didn't have a problem with putting down books I don't like, until I looked at the books I read this year and realized there were several that I forced myself to finish. I have too many unread books to be wasting my time reading books I'm not enjoying. So this year, I will be setting up a cut-off point for my books. If I'm not enjoying a book, I'll give it to a certain chapter, percentage, or page count to get better, and if/when it doesn't, I'll put it down.</li>
<li><b>De-clutter the bookshelves.</b> I am a great believer in never getting rid of books. It seems almost wrong to get rid of them, even if they're being donated, because I love books so much. But even I have to admit that the amount of books I have is starting to get ridiculous. Especially since quite a few of those books are books that I didn't really love. Some of them are even those books that I didn't want to finish, but I've kept them anyway. And since I know myself and I know I'm never going to stop getting books, I have to start clearing out ones I already own to make way for the new ones.</li>
</ul>
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<b><u>My 2014 Personal Resolutions</u></b></div>
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<ul>
<li><b>Read my Bible. </b> I'm always reading new books or watching TV, but I rarely take the time to read my Bible. I go to a retreat with my friends every year, and afterwards I'm so pumped to read my Bible every day. But after a month or two, I eventually stop and go back to almost never reading it on my own. This year I want to change that, even if it's only a couple of verses a day.</li>
<li><b>Start networking. </b> I really want to start a new career, and possibly one of the most un-fun parts of doing so is the networking. I'm not a shy person; I'm actually very extroverted, but for some reason, the whole idea of meeting people just for the sake of selling yourself and your company never feels comfortable to me. But it's something I need to do, whether I like it or not.</li>
<li><b>Find a second/different job.</b> It's probably not the best idea to write in a public blog like this that I want a new job, but it's the truth. This new career/business I want to start is going to cost a lot of money. Part of it would come from the bank as a business loan, but most banks want you to be able to cover 20% of the start-up costs. Right now, I can't even afford to move out to my own place. And I need to use a huge chunk of my savings to buy my leased car in April. So a job that pays better or even a second job would definitely help me reach my goal.</li>
<li><b>Finish all the unfinished projects.</b> Like I said earlier, I'm the queen of unfinished projects. Look around my room, and you will see so many. Just look at the room itself with only two of the walls repainted, the new bookshelves still not put up, and the new carpet still rolled up in the closet. Before I can start new projects like a brand new career, I need to be able to finish the old ones in my personal life. Otherwise, that new business could just end up being another unfinished project to add to the list.</li>
<li><b>Get back to being healthy again.</b> So in 2012, I learned that I had a thyroid condition, started taking medication for it, and joined Weight Watchers. Over the course of a year-and-a-half, my life got a whole lot healthier. I was eating better, I had more energy, and my sister even had me working out (which I hate). I lost a total of 55 pounds and felt really great about myself. Well lately, I've been pretty bad. With the holidays and a vacation to Disney, I definitely let myself go a bit, and while I haven't gained a lot back, I've gained enough to make me realize that it's time to get back to being healthy again. This year, I'd like to start exercising. Maybe join a yoga class. I don't just want to lose weight. I actually want to be fit.</li>
</ul>
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And those are my goals for this year. I'm hoping I'll do a better job with them than I did with last year's goals. I totally failed on most of those. So here's hoping 2014 is the year of met goals, a new career, and finished projects.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11469931351791279659noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871445680236062318.post-23888504240004098362014-01-06T12:36:00.001-05:002014-01-06T12:36:26.827-05:00A Week at the Movies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
So this past week I saw three movies, and loved 2 out of 3. All three movies I saw - <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2294629/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Frozen</a></i>, <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1951264/?ref_=nv_sr_3" target="_blank">Hunger Games: Catching Fire</a></i>, and <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1170358/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug</a></i> - are all based on books/stories, but each one handled the retelling of book-to-movie very differently.<br />
<br />
Let's start with <i><b>Frozen</b></i>. I love this movie so much that I've already seen it twice in the theater, with only a week between each showing. It's a funny and sweet adventure with great songs and lots of laughs. I just felt so good after seeing this movie because it's such a happy and fun story. It was even better seeing it the second time, because it was great listening to other people enjoying the movie or getting surprised by the plot twists.<br />
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Of course, the story it's inspired by - <i>The Snow Queen</i> by Hans Christian Anderson - is nowhere near as happy as this adaptation. But honestly, no one ever expects Disney to stick to the original fairy tales. Their movies would be a whole lot darker if they did. And we wouldn't come away with awesome songs like "Fixer Upper" and "In Summer."<br />
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The next movie I saw was <b><i>The Hunger Games: Catching Fire</i></b>. This was such a great movie. It's got romance and action and adventure and intrigue. The script and the acting are both really good. And the new characters are great additions to the story. I originally didn't think I'd like Sam Claflin in the role of Finnick, but he was perfect. Second movies in a trilogy/series can suffer sometimes, because it feels like a filler or stepping stone, but this one was just as good as the first movie.<br />
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And as for how well it stuck to the book... these <i>Hunger Games</i> movies are the perfect example of how to adapt a book into a movie. The plot stays close to the book, and the changes made are minor. Most of the changes were made for the sake of time, and I believe that since Suzanne Collins is involved with the making of the movies that she's helped keep the movies on track with her books. I left the theater excited for the next movie and satisfied with how well the movie did justice to the book.<br />
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Which leaves us with the last movie I saw and the one I did not love - <b><i>The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug</i></b>. Let me start with what I did like, because that's a considerably shorter list. Smaug was amazing. He's the absolute best part of the whole movie. Also the part where Gandalf leaves to face the Necromancer is really cool as well. And that's it for what I liked. Even my fan-girl love for Richard Armitage and Lee Pace could not make me love this movie.<br />
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Now I saw this movie with my brother and sister who each had different reactions to the movie. My sister who hasn't read the book and doesn't really care about changes from book to movie did not like the movie. She thought it just wasn't a well-made movie. One of the biggest problems (that bothered my brother too) is the 3D effects issue. When you see a movie that has a 3D version, you always hope that there aren't going to be a lot of 3D gimmicks that don't work when seen in 2D. <i>The Hobbit: DoS</i> has plenty. I mean, they're not gimmicky per say, like bouncy balls flying at your face (bad call, <i>Journey to the Center of the Earth</i>), but there were lots of moments in fight scenes (especially the scene with the spiders) where it was obvious that stuff was supposed to be popping out at our faces. Which looks stupid when you're watching it in 2D.<br />
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Another big problem is that there just isn't enough to fill a whole three movies so this movie felt like it had a lot of filler. The battles went on forever; whenever you thought they were over, they'd just keep going. They jumped from one thing to another in such rapid succession, and it was so overly melodramatic. I think the biggest problem is that they're just trying to get from the first movie (which set the stage) to the third movie (which has all the big final battles) so this movie is simply a stepping stone, and like most middle books & movies, suffers for it.<br />
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And then there were my pet peeves - the huge major changes and additions to the story. I seriously tried to separate this movie from the book, to tell myself not to compare the two, but I have such an emotional attachment to that story that it just killed me watching how they mangled everything. I don't want to give anything away, in case you still haven't seen it and want to, but there were just so many differences, so many drastic changes that I wondered if I was even watching <i>The Hobbit</i> anymore.<br />
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So that was my past week at the movies. Feel free to comment if you agree or disagree with anything. I know plenty of people who would completely disagree with me about some things, and plenty of others that share my opinions. I'd love to hear where you stand.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11469931351791279659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871445680236062318.post-56597543937139569082013-12-31T11:39:00.001-05:002013-12-31T11:39:47.431-05:00Top Ten Tuesday: The Best of 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
It's the end of 2013, and to celebrate it, <b><a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/2013/12/top-ten-books-we-read-in-2013.html" target="_blank">Top Ten Tuesday</a></b> is all about the best books read this year. I read so many good books, but there were some that were so much better than all the rest.<br />
<br />
<b><u>The Top Ten Books I Read in 2013</u></b><br />
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<ul>
<li><b><a href="http://thethreersalmost.blogspot.com/2013/03/book-review-crown-of-embers-by-rae.html" target="_blank"><i>The Crown of Embers</i> by Rae Carson</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>I read both this and <i>Girl of Fire and Thorns</i> this year, and they were amazing. (I still haven't gotten to the third book; what's wrong with me?) I love the characters (especially Hector), the vivid descriptions, and the storyline.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="http://thethreersalmost.blogspot.com/2013/12/book-review-throne-of-glass-by-sarah-j.html" target="_blank"><i>Throne of Glass</i> by Sarah J. Maas</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>This is one of those books that I can't believe I didn't read until this month. It was so good! I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="http://thethreersalmost.blogspot.com/2013/03/book-review-scorpio-races-by-maggie.html" target="_blank"><i>The Scorpio Races</i> by Maggie Stiefvater</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>This book is beautifully written. Stiefvater's writing is so good that the story could have been terrible, and I still would have liked it. Fortunately the story was also great, so this book was a gem.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="http://thethreersalmost.blogspot.com/2013/02/book-review-divergent-by-veronica-roth.html" target="_blank"><i>Divergent</i> by Veronica Roth</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>Another book I cannot believe I didn't read til this year. I'm still not too sure about the movie version coming out in March though.</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://thethreersalmost.blogspot.com/2013/04/book-review-scarlet-by-marissa-meyer.html" target="_blank"><b><i>Scarlet</i> by Marissa Meyer</b></a></li>
<ul>
<li>I loved <i>Cinder</i>, but <i>Scarlet</i> is even better than the first book. And people keep saying that <i>Cress</i> is even better than that. I'm so jealous of all you people who've read it already. February 4th can't get here soon enough.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="http://thethreersalmost.blogspot.com/2013/01/book-review-splintered-by-aghoward.html" target="_blank"><i>Splintered</i> by A.G. Howard</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li><i>Alice in Wonderland</i> retellings are always so much fun, and this one is one of my favorites. The writing, the descriptions - Wonderland came to life in this book.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="http://thethreersalmost.blogspot.com/2013/06/book-review-under-never-sky-by-veronica.html" target="_blank"><i>Under the Never Sky</i> by Veronica Rossi</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>One of the most romantic books I read this year for sure. I'm totally in love with Perry. I just got swept away into this book. And it was so awesome meeting Veronica Rossi, who is such a cool person.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="http://thethreersalmost.blogspot.com/2013/01/book-review-talisman-ring-by-georgette.html" target="_blank"><i>The Talisman Ring</i> by Georgette Heyer</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>And now for the funniest, laugh-out-loud book of the year. I really was literally laughing out loud while reading this book. I love Heyer's regency romances because they're usually witty and sarcastic and fun, but this one is probably the absolute best when it comes to witty banter.</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://thethreersalmost.blogspot.com/2013/05/book-review-amber-house-by-kelly-moore.html" target="_blank"><b><i>Amber House</i> by Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed & Larkin Reed</b></a></li>
<ul>
<li>I loved how different this book was. I don't usually read paranormal books, so I didn't really think I'd like this. But I loved it!</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="http://thethreersalmost.blogspot.com/2013/01/book-review-legend-by-marie-lu.html" target="_blank"><i>Legend</i> by Marie Lu</a></b> (and <i><a href="http://thethreersalmost.blogspot.com/2013/02/book-review-prodigy-by-marie-lu.html" target="_blank">Prodigy</a></i> too)</li>
<ul>
<li>And last but certainly not least,<i> Legend</i> and <i>Prodigy</i> were such great books. Great characters, lots of action and adventure, and a heart-wrenching cliffhanger. I seriously need to pick up <i>Champion</i> to see what happens to Day and June.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div>
And those are my personal favorite reads from this year. How about you? Have you read any of these? Did you like them too? I'd love to know!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11469931351791279659noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871445680236062318.post-60766681318261774682013-12-12T17:58:00.001-05:002013-12-12T17:58:07.859-05:00Book Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NIgagmIpibg/Uqo41FHFJyI/AAAAAAAABtA/j86BoR9RLZk/s1600/throneofglass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NIgagmIpibg/Uqo41FHFJyI/AAAAAAAABtA/j86BoR9RLZk/s1600/throneofglass.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16034235-throne-of-glass" target="_blank">Throne of Glass</a><br />
<b>Author:</b> Sarah J. Maas<br />
<b>Genre:</b> YA fantasy<br />
<b>Series:</b> Throne of Glass #1<br />
<b>Publisher: </b> Bloomsbury USA<br />
<b>Pages:</b> 404, paperback<br />
<b>Acquired via:</b> BEA giveaway<br />
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<b>Rating: </b> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Iq2Qqr47zaY/UcxHguUmbPI/AAAAAAAABhk/tu7w-jyLrGk/s1600/5Cupcake2SF.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Iq2Qqr47zaY/UcxHguUmbPI/AAAAAAAABhk/tu7w-jyLrGk/s1600/5Cupcake2SF.JPG" /></a><br />
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<b>Synopsis (from goodreads):</b> <i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> </span></i><br />
<i><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass--and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world</i>.</span><b><i><br /></i></b>
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<b><i>~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~</i></b></div>
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Why did it take me so long to read this?! I had to go to jury duty the past two days, so I figured I'd bring a book for all the time you spend waiting. I grabbed the first book in my TBR pile that caught my eye, and it was this one. As soon as I started reading it, I was hooked. I didn't want to put it down, even when they called me to be possibly selected for a jury (I wasn't).</div>
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<i>Throne of Glass</i> is an amazing fantasy novel with great characters, good world-building, and a fast-paced & exciting plot. I'm practically hitting myself for not picking up <i>Crown of Midnight</i> at BEA too, because then I could be reading that right now.</div>
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I love the characters in this book so much. They're three-dimensional and interesting, and Maas does a good job with character development. As more details about each of the characters were revealed throughout the story, I got more and more attached to them. Celaena is a kick-ass heroine with more depth to her than simply just being a killing machine. And I was so worried that Prince Dorian was going to be one of those typical handsome and smug ("sexy-and-I-know-it") princes that would annoy me. But then his personality turned out to be so much better than that. Mostly though, I love Chaol Westfall - the strong, silent Captain of the Guard. Definitely my favorite character thus far.</div>
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The writing and the world-building are also fantastic. The way Maas describes Celaena's world just made me feel like I was there. I also enjoyed the way she builds up the history throughout the book, rather than having a long introductory prologue or chapter that goes on and on. It kept the book from losing its fast pace. The story's constant movement made the book "unputdownable".</div>
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And of course the romance. How can I talk about this book without bringing up that romantic tension? It's built up slowly and realistically (hooray for no insta-love), and while it is definitely a love triangle, it's a really well-written one, one you could actually see happening. Especially since both of the men in the triangle are great characters, and you could see Celaena with either one of them.</div>
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I cannot wait until I can get my hands on the next book, because this one was so awesome!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11469931351791279659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871445680236062318.post-40539779074635422702013-12-09T12:53:00.005-05:002013-12-09T12:53:17.439-05:002013 End of Year SurveyWe're coming to the end of 2013, which means it's time for an End of Year Survey!! The survey comes from Jamie over at the <b>Perpetual Page-Turner</b>. If you want to participate and/or read her answers, please visit her blog<b> <a href="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/2013/12/4th-annual-end-of-year-book-survey-2013-edition.html" style="text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">here</a></b>.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">2013 End of Year Book Survey</span></u></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin-bottom: 3.55pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;">1. Best Book You Read
In 2013?<span style="font-weight: normal;"> (I had a 3-way tie)</span></span></span></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13206760-scarlet" target="_blank">Scarlet</a></i> by Marissa Meyer</li>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13335037-divergent" target="_blank">Divergent</a></i> by Veronica Roth</li>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10626594-the-scorpio-races" target="_blank">The Scorpio Races</a></i> by Maggie Stiefvater</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin-bottom: 3.55pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">2. Book You Were
Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?</span></strong><span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13721341-strands-of-bronze-and-gold" target="_blank">Strands of Bronze and Gold</a></i> by Jane Nickerson. I had such high hopes for this book and ended up being disappointed.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 15.55pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="color: blue;">3. Most surprising (in a
good way!) book of 2013? </span><span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 20.71875px;"><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1656001.The_Host" target="_blank">The Host</a></i> by Stephenie Meyer. I didn't expect to like this book, since it was by Stephenie Meyer, and I'm not a fan of what she did with the Twilight series. But this ended up being so good.</span></li>
</ul>
<strong style="line-height: 15.55pt;"><span style="color: blue;">4. Book you read in
2013 that you recommended to people most in 2013?</span></strong><br />
<div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13206760-scarlet" target="_blank">Scarlet</a></i> by Marissa Meyer</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin-bottom: 3.55pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">5. Best series you
discovered in 2013?</span></strong><span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10429092-the-girl-of-fire-and-thorns" target="_blank">Fire & Thorns</a> trilogy by Rae Carson</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin-bottom: 3.55pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">6. Favorite new author
you discovered in 2013?</span></strong><span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Rae Carson or Veronica Roth</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">7. Best book that
was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?</span></strong><span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18004239-stonefly" target="_blank">Stonefly</a></i> by Scott J. Holliday</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin-bottom: 3.55pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">8. Most thrilling,
unputdownable book in 2013?</span></strong><span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18004239-stonefly" target="_blank">Stonefly</a></i> by Scott J. Holliday and <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10816908-the-crown-of-embers" target="_blank">The Crown of Embers</a></i> by Rae Carson</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin-bottom: 3.55pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">9. Book You Read In
2013 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?</span></strong><span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1656001.The_Host" target="_blank">The Host</a></i> by Stephenie Meyer</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin-bottom: 3.55pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">10. Favorite cover of
a book you read in 2013?</span></strong><span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12558285-splintered" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QjFU73iD36o/UPrqsbg2u2I/AAAAAAAAA0o/FwqmdnLmBWw/s1600/splintered+book+cover2.png" height="200" width="135" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin-bottom: 3.55pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">11. Most memorable
character in 2013? </span></strong><span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Wolf from <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13206760-scarlet" target="_blank">Scarlet</a></i> by Marissa Meyer</li>
<li>Four/Tobias from <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13335037-divergent" target="_blank">Divergent</a></i> by Veronica Roth</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin-bottom: 3.55pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">12. Most beautifully
written book read in 2013?</span></strong><span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10626594-the-scorpio-races" target="_blank"><i>The Scorpio Races</i></a> by Maggie Stiefvater. I love Stiefvater's style of writing in this book. The prose is so beautiful and descriptive.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin-bottom: 3.55pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">13. Book that had the
greatest impact on you in 2013? </span></strong><span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2057775.Animal_Vegetable_Miracle_" target="_blank">Animal, Vegetable, Miracle</a></i> by Barbara Kingsolver. After reading this book, I've made more of an effort to eat less processed foods, to try to shop more at the local farmers' markets, and to buy certain foods organic.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin-bottom: 3.55pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">14. Book you can’t
believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to finally read? </span></strong><span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13335037-divergent" target="_blank">Divergent</a></i>! I'm still shocked that I put off this book for so long.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin-bottom: 3.55pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">15. Favorite
Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2013?</span></strong><span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li>The opening to <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12558285-splintered" target="_blank"><i>Splintered</i></a> by A.G. Howard - <span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">"I've been collecting bugs since I was ten; it's the only way I can stop their whispers. Sticking a pin through the gut of an insect shuts it up pretty quick... Crickets, beetles, spiders...bees and butterflies. I'm not picky. Once they get chatty; they're fair game."</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin-bottom: 3.55pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">16. Shortest &
Longest Book You Read In 2013?</span></strong><span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Longest - <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1656001.The_Host" target="_blank">The Host</a></i> by Stephenie Meyer at 619 pages</li>
<li>Shortest - <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17312201-the-son-of-sobek" target="_blank">The Son of Sobek</a></i> by Rick Riordan at 40 pages (I know it's technically a story, and not a book, but it's the shortest thing I read this year.)</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 15.55pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="color: blue;">17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk
To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc.
etc.) Be careful of spoilers!</span><span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 20.71875px;">The twist at the end of <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11735983-insurgent" target="_blank">Insurgent</a></i> by Veronica Roth! Even though my mom's never read the books, I had to tell her all about it, just so I could tell SOMEONE.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin-bottom: 3.55pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">18. Favorite
Relationship From A Book You Read In 2013 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).</span></strong></span></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li>There were just too many great romantic relationships in the books I read this year, but my absolute favorite was Sarah Thane and Tristram Shield from <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6122644-the-talisman-ring" target="_blank">The Talisman Ring</a></i> by Georgette Heyer. They're sarcastic and witty, which means they have the best dialogue ever, and they complement each other perfectly.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin-bottom: 3.55pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">19. Favorite Book You
Read in 2013 From An Author You’ve Read Previously</span></strong><span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6122644-the-talisman-ring" target="_blank">The Talisman Ring</a></i> by Georgette Heyer. I've read so many of her books, but this one was spectacular. Her books are usually fun and witty , but this book surpassed them all as far as amazing dialogue is concerned.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin-bottom: 3.55pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">20. Best Book You Read
In 2013 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:</span></strong><span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18004239-stonefly" target="_blank">Stonefly</a></i> by Scott J. Holliday</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin-bottom: 3.55pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: small;">21. Genre You Read The Most From in 2013?<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li>It's a toss-up between fantasy and dystopian.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin-bottom: 3.55pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: small;">22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read
in 2013?<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li>SO MANY!</li>
<li>Perry from <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13068776-under-the-never-sky" target="_blank">Under the Never Sky</a></i></li>
<li>Four/Tobias from <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13335037-divergent" target="_blank">Divergent</a></i></li>
<li>Hector from <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10816908-the-crown-of-embers" target="_blank">The Crown of Embers</a></i></li>
<li>I could keep going, but I'll be good and limit it.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin-bottom: 3.55pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: small;">23. Best 2013 debut you read?<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13549523-the-cadet-of-tildor" target="_blank">The Cadet of Tildor</a></i> by Alex Lidell</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin-bottom: 3.55pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: small;">24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read
in 2013?<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12558285-splintered" target="_blank">Splintered</a></i> by A.G. Howard</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin-bottom: 3.55pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: small;">25. Book That Was The Most Fun To Read in 2013?<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13575506-midnight-in-austenland" target="_blank">Midnight in Austenland</a></i> by Shannon Hale</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin-bottom: 3.55pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: small;">26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in
2013?<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13414446-prodigy" target="_blank">Prodigy</a></i> by Marie Lu. The ending of this book just killed me. I'm scared to read the final book, because I just know it's going to be emotional.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin-bottom: 3.55pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: small;">27. Book You Read in 2013 That You Think Got
Overlooked This Year Or When It Came Out?<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10859509-altered" target="_blank">Altered</a></i> by Jennifer Rush. Every time I saw the title Altered on someone's blog, I'd get excited because I thought they were talking about Rush's book, but it was always a review or mention of Gennifer Albin's book instead.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><u>Looking Ahead to 2014</u></b></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 15.55pt; margin: 0in 0in 3.55pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2013 But
Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2014?</span></strong><span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12127810-the-house-of-hades?ac=1" target="_blank">The House of Hades</a></i> by Rick Riordan. I'm still so ashamed that I haven't gotten to this yet.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin-bottom: 3.55pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">2. Book You Are Most
Anticipating For 2014 (non-debut)?</span></strong><span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Again, there are so many, but <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13206828-cress?ac=1" target="_blank">Cress</a></i> by Marissa Meyer is probably #1.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin-bottom: 3.55pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: small;">3. 2014 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15839984-cruel-beauty" target="_blank">Cruel Beauty</a></i> by Rosamund Hodge</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin-bottom: 3.55pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: small;">4. Series Ending You Are Most Anticipating in
2014?<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Veronica Rossi's trilogy! I can't wait for <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14288998-into-the-still-blue?ac=1" target="_blank">Into the Still Blue</a></i>!</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="background: white; line-height: 15.55pt; margin-bottom: 3.55pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<strong><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: small;">5. One Thing You Hope
To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2014?</span></span></strong><span style="color: blue; font-size: 14.0pt; font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></h3>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Posting more regularly would be nice. Getting this new feature I've been working on up and running would be great too.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Please feel free to let me know what your answers would be, and if there's any here you agree with!</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11469931351791279659noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871445680236062318.post-42230456583001436572013-12-03T09:00:00.002-05:002013-12-03T09:00:28.117-05:00Top Ten Tuesday: 2014 Must Reads<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kQG93uED_lc/UJktfl5eTbI/AAAAAAAAAfE/Ya4BTJaZfBM/s1600/TOPTENTUESDAY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kQG93uED_lc/UJktfl5eTbI/AAAAAAAAAfE/Ya4BTJaZfBM/s1600/TOPTENTUESDAY.jpg" height="153" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Top Ten Tuesday</b> is a weekly meme hosted by <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/p/top-ten-tuesday-other-features.html" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a>. This week's topic is 2014 releases that I'm dying to read.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Top <strike>Ten</strike> Nine 2014 Must Reads</u></b><br />
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13206828-cress?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Cress</i> by Marissa Meyer</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>The Lunar Chronicles is such a great series, and I'm really looking forward to the next book.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12127857-the-blood-of-olympus?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>The Blood of Olympus</i> by Rick Riordan</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>Cannot wait!!! Rick Riordan is one of my favorite authors, and this series has been so incredible.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15844362-the-one?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>The One</i> by Kiera Cass</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>I think all of the books on my list are in series. I'm hoping Cass ends this series really well.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14288998-into-the-still-blue?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Into the Still Blue</i> by Veronica Rossi</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>Perry! I'm seriously in love with him, and I'm so excited for the next book.</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17449197-unhinged?ac=1" target="_blank"><i><b>Unhinged</b></i><b> by A.G. Howard</b></a></li>
<ul>
<li>I really enjoyed <i>Splintered</i>, and hopefully this book will be just as unique and fun.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6138606-the-seeker?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>The Seeker</i> by Stephenie Meyer</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>So it's not definite that this book is actually coming out in 2014, but I'm including it anyway. My feelings on this book are mixed. I loved <i>The Host</i> and would love to read more about those characters, but at the same time, it ended perfectly and I don't want Meyer to mess with that.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17264131-neverwas?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Neverwas</i> by Kelly Moore</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>I had no idea what to expect from <i>The Amber House</i>, and it turned out to be so good. Please let this book be as spooky and surprising and awesome!</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16085457-shadow-scale?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Shadow Scale</i> by Rachel Hartman</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>Anything with dragons, and I'm hooked. Looking forward to this sequel, which will hopefully have way more dragons in the story. (Technically they pushed the publishing date to 2015, but maybe they'll come to their senses and go back to the original 2014 date).</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17899846-erased?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Erased</i> by Jennifer Rush</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>Another sequel that I can't wait to read. I need to know what's going to happen to Sam, Cass, Nick, and Anna.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div>
And that's my list. What do you think? What are you looking forward to reading in 2014?</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11469931351791279659noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871445680236062318.post-72998984230615846112013-11-04T16:26:00.004-05:002013-11-04T16:26:54.559-05:00On Official HiatusSo it's been a while since I last updated, and it's going to be a while before I update again. This past month of non-blogging started out as a reading slump. Then my life got crazy busy with my business classes and events and whatnot that's been happening. Which explains last month.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This month my non-blogging/non-reading can be explained with one "word" -</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>NANOWRIMO!</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That's right. I'm actually going to attempt it for real this year. This November I'm going to be sitting down and finally getting my ideas and imagination written on paper. Yes, I will be handwriting my novel since my laptop's still broken. And yes, I'm already a few days behind. But I'm going to give it my best this year and not let myself get distracted with other things. Which includes reading and blogging.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So technically I've already been on hiatus, but now it's actually legitimate and official.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
See you all in December!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://nanowrimo.org/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="147" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8tXdJRbmnTw/UngQpsxEfBI/AAAAAAAABss/e3K5sMQY4Eo/s400/2013-Participant-Facebook-Cover.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11469931351791279659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871445680236062318.post-43244136599854258202013-09-26T12:47:00.001-04:002013-09-26T12:59:10.443-04:00Guest Post: Sean F - Fiction PredictionsThis guest post is by Sean F (<i>aspiring writer, sporadic blogger, and Ashling's younger brother</i>).<br />
<br />
<b>Fiction Predictions</b><br />
<br />
<div dir="ltr">
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">In the
interest of maintaining the momentum which my sister has achieved with this
blog, she has asked me to provide a guest post. Therefore, I have </span>endeavoured<span lang="EN-US"> to dig my writing cap out of mothballs
and have a go at putting pen to paper again. It was at this point that I
</span>realised<span lang="EN-US"> that I had neither pen nor
paper (</span>which is irrelevant,
really, as I have a laptop) but, more importantly, I hadn’t the<i> faintest idea
what to write about</i>. You see, not only was my writing cap getting dusty, but my
reading cap was as well. With few exceptions, I have not picked up a book with
the intent to read it in some months now, and as this is a reading/writing blog,
this seems to me to be a bit of a detriment.</span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">However, let it not be
said that I’m not willing to take suggestions and so, thanks to the help of a
friend, I have a list. You see, the thing I have noticed about this and other
reading/writing blogs is that the focus tends to be on the past - that is, books
that are already written. Therefore, what follows is a list of books that
should exist and hopefully someday will (if they do not already). It’s only
three books long but then, nobody said it has to be <i>long</i> to be a
list.</span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">#1. Captain Hook’s
Story</span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The worlds of parallel
and revisionist fiction have seen some successful ventures of late, from the
smash hit <i>Wicked </i>to Terry Pratchett’s <i>Dodger</i>, which raises the question of why
hasn’t anyone done anything with Captain Hook yet? The charismatic corsair
extraordinaire plays the perfect foil to Peter Pan, a colourful villain for a
children’s tale… and yet, he is decidedly one-dimensional, though I suppose most
villains in children’s stories are. There is certainly room to expand upon J.M.
Barrie’s character and, dare I say it, even room to cast Peter Pan in a darker
light, drawing upon his similarities (and, some argue, his predecessor) the
Green Man, a creature akin to Fairies, from back when fairies were believed to
steal children.</span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Certainly would put the
Lost Boys in a different light, wouldn’t it?</span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">#2. Dummies for
Dummies</span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As I do not know the
geographical makeup of the people who will be reading this, there is a book
series available on this side of the pond called “__________ <i>For Dummies</i>”. I
hope that was self-explanatory, and also that my research indicating that these
books are not available outside of the United States was factual. Otherwise,
this entire paragraph was pointless and somewhat embarrassing to claim as my
own.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Anyway, rather than a
guide to some subject with which you are having difficulty, what I propose
instead is a story about a fictional family – one that is shallow, vapid, inept,
grotesquely overconfident concerning their own value, and sadly rich enough to
make it seem that they actually are important. In a sense, it would be a book
that illuminates what is best about our culture by condensing all of what’s
worst about it into one, easy to read book. Essentially, a modern <i>Great
Gatsby</i>…</span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">…Or an episode of that
program with the Kardashian’s, only you can assign it for English
class.</span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Further, there aren’t
any commercials.</span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">#3. Your Book</span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Having gone with the
light-hearted and somewhat cynical options already, I decided to finish this off
with something sincere.</span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It would only be a
slight exaggeration to say that everyone I know who is an avid reader also
aspires to write something. I myself have several novels that I pick up every
now and then, work on feverishly, and then put them away for a few months.
Someday, I might get one or two of them published, maybe not. Maybe yours will
get printed instead.</span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But then, the ultimate
goal of writing isn’t – or, I should say, <i>shouldn’t be</i> – to get it published.
Granted, that would be an excellent outcome, but if artists only painted
pictures they knew they would sell, Van Gogh would’ve only finished one
painting. The goal of writing is to tell a story so that we can share that
story with others… and the only stories that get told are the ones that get
written. So I encourage you to work on writing your story. It could be
anything – it could be about a peach growing up on a farm. Actually, don’t
write about that, I borrowed that example from Elf, and a cease and desist
letter from Will Ferrell’s attorneys would be a bit of a bother…</span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">…but if you do finish
something, I jolly well want to read it.</span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Unless it’s some sort of
romance novel, then you can send it to my sister.</span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is <i>her</i> blog, after
all.</span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11469931351791279659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871445680236062318.post-9401631823894770412013-09-23T21:16:00.002-04:002013-09-23T21:16:50.801-04:00Guest Post: Siobhan F on LOTRThis guest post is by Siobhan F (<i>Ashling's youngest sister</i>).<br />
<br />
<u><b>The Ten Symptoms of LOTR-Ob</b> (Lord of the Rings Obsession)</u><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>You find yourself leaning into a speaker to get the full experience of your favorite LOTR song.</li>
<li>The top of your Christmas list is all LOTR-related.</li>
<li>You find yourself at a loss on what to read next after that last chapter.</li>
<li>You can't think of one possible reason why someone wouldn't absolutely love LOTR.</li>
<li>You wonder what people are talking about when they say that it's 'too long.'</li>
<li>You can think of no better way to spend the day than reading, watching, or talking about LOTR (or even all three).</li>
<li>You contemplate on whether you would like to live in 'Bag End' or 'Crick Hollow.'</li>
<li>You find yourself quoting LOTR at least once a day.</li>
<li>You have at least 3 copies of each movie and book in your house.</li>
<li>You go to sleep thinking about how awesome LOTR is.</li>
</ul>
<br />
If you agreed with:<br />
<br />
<b>1-3 items</b>: Your LOTR-Ob is hardly even on the scale. You're a minor LOTR fan. (What on earth is wrong with you?!)<br />
<br />
<b>4-6 items</b>: Iffy. Your LOTR-Ob is there, but it's kind of low.<br />
<br />
<b>7-8 items</b>: Better. Your LOTR-Ob is close to extreme, but not up there...yet.<br />
<br />
<b>9-10 items</b>: You have Extreme LOTR-Ob! (Not that that's a bad thing...)<br />
<br />
<br />
P.S: Most of these symptoms were discovered by my own self-diagnosis.<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11469931351791279659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871445680236062318.post-90224183230137971242013-09-20T17:09:00.002-04:002013-09-20T17:09:50.115-04:00Down in the SlumpsSo in case you haven't noticed, there hasn't been much activity here on the blog, and that's because...<br />
<br />
I'm in a slump.<br />
<br />
Lately, I just haven't felt motivated to read anything. And blogging feels like a chore, like I'm obligated to do it. I'm sure there are reasons, good ones, for why I feel so blah about all this. Some of the ones I can think of are:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Too many books</b> - I never thought I'd ever say this. It evens feels kind of blasphemous to write it here, but in this case, it's true. I have so many books from BEA, and books I've gotten since then, literally stacked on my floor because there's no room for them, and it's overwhelming. I feel like there's no way I can ever get through them, and it makes me not even want to try.</li>
<li><b>Disappointing books</b> - Reading a disappointing book is always a guaranteed way to put me off reading for a while. Unfortunately, the past couple of books I've started (but not finished) have all been kind of on the blah side. And not finishing any books means not having anything to review.</li>
<li><b>Lack of content</b> - On the blogging side, I don't currently have anything to review so I haven't been posting anything. And I don't want to post only memes. So I end up feeling obligated to come up with something creative to fill posts, which makes this feel like a chore. And honestly, who likes chores?</li>
<li><b>Laziness</b> - I'm being completely honest here, so I'll admit that part of this is simple laziness. These past few weeks have been crazy at work, and then it was my sister's birthday, and then it was my birthday, so I didn't feel like doing anything. I decided to relax and be a couch potato, and getting back into the swing of things (including exercising & eating healthy, not just reading) is hard. So yeah, part of this whole slump is my own fault.</li>
<li><b>Stress</b> - Starting next week, I'll be back in college. I'm going back to school for a small business certificate program. And even though I'm one of those crazy people who LOVES being in class and learning things, I'm also really nervous. I'm nervous about the classes themselves, but I'm also nervous because the whole reason I'm going for this certificate is because I want to start my own business. And that's not just nerve-wracking - it's also really scary!</li>
</ul>
<div>
So yeah, these are my excuses... I mean, perfectly good reasons for why I'm in this slump. Hopefully it doesn't last too long, but until then, I'm going to try to put together a few guest posts for now, to keep my poor blog from suffering. And while I'm getting those lined up, I'm hoping that some tried-and-true solutions that have worked in the past will help pull me out of my slump. I'm going to be re-reading some old favorites, putting together a schedule (I crave structure!), and working on creating a unique feature for my blog. Cross your fingers that one or all of those work.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11469931351791279659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871445680236062318.post-37076177552048491092013-09-17T14:35:00.001-04:002013-09-17T14:35:49.061-04:00Top Ten Tuesday (40) - My Fall TBR List<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kQG93uED_lc/UJktfl5eTbI/AAAAAAAAAfE/Ya4BTJaZfBM/s1600/TOPTENTUESDAY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kQG93uED_lc/UJktfl5eTbI/AAAAAAAAAfE/Ya4BTJaZfBM/s200/TOPTENTUESDAY.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Top Ten Tuesday</b> is a weekly meme hosted by <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a>. This week, it's all about what you're planning to read this Fall.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I love autumn. It's my favorite season of the year, and even though it technically doesn't start till the 22nd, I'm pretty much saying it's already here. The weather's starting to get chilly, the leaves are changing color, and Dunkin Donuts is selling it's pumpkin and apple products. The only downside of Fall is that it also means it's time for the seasonal TBR list post for Top Ten Tuesday. I have a love-hate relationship with these TTTs. I love them because I discover lots of new, interesting books while reading everyone's blogs. And I hate them because my TBR list is already crazy and overwhelming, and these posts just add on to it. The simplest solution would be to not read anyone else's blog, but I'm a glutton for punishment apparently, because there's no way I'm not finding new books to read someday.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b><u>My Top Ten Books to Read This Fall</u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p2TRJnMoJgo/Ujig4FEWdtI/AAAAAAAABsc/_aLwRN_j3L0/s1600/Top+Ten+9.17.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p2TRJnMoJgo/Ujig4FEWdtI/AAAAAAAABsc/_aLwRN_j3L0/s400/Top+Ten+9.17.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10616322-allegiant?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Allegiant</i> by Veronica Roth</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17347389-the-dream-thieves?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>The Dream Thieves</i> by Maggie Stiefvater</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12127810-the-house-of-hades?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>The House of Hades</i> by Rick Riordan</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17654683-the-preservationist?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>The Preservationist</i> by Justin Kramon</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14290364-champion?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Champion</i> by Marie Lu</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14811943-rise?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Rise</i> by Anna Carey</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17456328-the-paris-architect?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>The Paris Architect</i> by Charles Belfoure</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15704458-steelheart?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Steelheart</i> by Brandon Sanderson</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9409614-the-enchanter-heir?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>The Enchanter Heir</i> by Cinda Williams Chima</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16139598-marie-antoinette-serial-killer?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer</i> by Katie Alender</a></b></li>
</ul>
<div>
And those are the top books I'm looking forward to reading this Fall. Are you excited for any of these too?</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11469931351791279659noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871445680236062318.post-49063967034536521112013-09-12T17:16:00.000-04:002013-09-12T17:16:08.527-04:00Upcoming Books-to-Screen AdaptationsThis past Top Ten Tuesday was all about what books we'd like to see made into movies or TV shows, and it got me thinking about all of the screen adaptations that are already in progress or just released. The big craze right now seems to be making YA books into movies, and while in some ways I love this, in other ways I'm dreading it. There's no denying that Hollywood doesn't always get it right when it comes to adapting books. Things get left or cut out, storylines are completely changed, or terrible actors are hired to play our favorite characters. But sometimes they do actually get it right, which is why I'm always on pins and needles when I hear about the next book-to-screen adaptation.<br />
<br />
This year and next are going to see a lot of adaptations, both in the movies and on TV. And I thought I'd share some of them, and let you know which ones I'm psyched about and which ones have me biting my nails with nervousness.<br />
<br />
<b><u>The I-Cannot-Wait-to-See-These Movies</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1itppjLMD8Y/UjIqvAIVGJI/AAAAAAAABsA/VTk5cjPs4_0/s1600/btm+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1itppjLMD8Y/UjIqvAIVGJI/AAAAAAAABsA/VTk5cjPs4_0/s400/btm+1.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><b style="text-align: center;">Ender's Game</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Based on <i>Ender's Game</i> by Orson Scott Card</li>
<li>Release Date: November 1st (USA)</li>
</ul>
<li><b>The Book Thief</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Based on <i>The Book Thief</i> by Markus Zusak</li>
<li>Release Date: November 15th (USA)</li>
</ul>
<li><b>The Maze Runner</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Based on <i>The Maze Runner</i> by James Dashner</li>
<li>Release Date: 2014</li>
</ul>
<li><b>The Hunger Games: Catching Fire</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Based on <i>Catching Fire</i> by Suzanne Collins</li>
<li>Release Date: November 22nd (USA)</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div>
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div>
<b><u>The I'm-Really-Not-Sure-About-These Movies</u></b></div>
<div>
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HAlJe7eLKj8/UjIsGhPDnrI/AAAAAAAABsM/jXx2EE-gLrs/s1600/btm+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HAlJe7eLKj8/UjIsGhPDnrI/AAAAAAAABsM/jXx2EE-gLrs/s400/btm+2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b>Austenland</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Based on <i>Austenland</i> by Shannon Hale</li>
<li>Release Date: August 30th, 2013</li>
<li>Why I'm nervous: Because I watched the trailer, and I'm just not sure if the movie's really going to stay true to the book. I love Keri Russell and JJ Feild, and I know Shannon Hale was one of the screenwriters, but I'm still really nervous that it's going to be over-the-top cheesy.</li>
</ul>
<li><b>Divergent</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Based on <i>Divergent</i> by Veronica Roth</li>
<li>Release Date: March 20, 2014 (?)</li>
<li>Why I'm nervous: One reason I'm nervous is because I'm scared of what parts of the story will be cut or changed for time's sake. And the other reason is that I don't love the casting for the movie. Everyone's in love with Theo James, but even though I think he's great-looking, I just think he looks too old to play Four. And I don't think Shailene Woodley's that good of an actress, at all.</li>
</ul>
<li><b>The Fault in Our Stars</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Based on <i>The Fault in Our Stars</i> by John Green</li>
<li>Release Date: 2014</li>
<li>Why I'm nervous: Because I LOVE this book and I will be SO upset if they screw it up. And once again, I'm not a fan of Shailene Woodley, but I did hear from a friend that John Green felt the same way. Then he saw her audition and changed his mind, so maybe I'll be surprised.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11469931351791279659noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871445680236062318.post-31106900245384524032013-09-10T16:05:00.001-04:002013-09-10T16:05:57.648-04:00Top Ten Tuesday (39) - Books that I Wish Could Watch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kQG93uED_lc/UJktfl5eTbI/AAAAAAAAAfE/Ya4BTJaZfBM/s1600/TOPTENTUESDAY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kQG93uED_lc/UJktfl5eTbI/AAAAAAAAAfE/Ya4BTJaZfBM/s200/TOPTENTUESDAY.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Top Ten Tuesday</b> is a weekly meme hosted by <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a>. This week, the topic is about books we wish they'd make into movies or TV shows, but <b>only</b> if we lived in an ideal world where they didn't cut stuff out or change the plotlines. I really do enjoy movie/TV adaptations of books... when they get them right (BBC is one of the best at this). So these are my picks for books I'd love to watch, just so long as they don't screw it up.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Top <strike>Ten</strike> Twelve Books I'd Love to See on the Screen</u></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kGy2mL7m4ss/Ui96Ebu3kYI/AAAAAAAABro/cTA8TlziS0Q/s1600/Top+Ten+9-10+movie.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kGy2mL7m4ss/Ui96Ebu3kYI/AAAAAAAABro/cTA8TlziS0Q/s400/Top+Ten+9-10+movie.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>The Movies</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10626594-the-scorpio-races" target="_blank"><b><i>The Scorpio Races</i> by Maggie Stiefvater</b></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22232.Stargirl?ac=1" target="_blank"><b><i>Stargirl</i> by Jerry Spinelli</b></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/95693.The_Blue_Castle?ac=1" target="_blank"><b><i>The Blue Castle</i> by L.M. Montgomery</b></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13423346-ink?ac=1" target="_blank"><b><i>Ink</i> by Amanda Sun</b></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18148267-stonefly?ac=1" target="_blank"><b><i>Stonefly</i> by Scott J. Holliday</b></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/311150.Arabella?ac=1" target="_blank"><b><i>Arabella</i> by Georgette Heyer</b></a></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QyvzwpyI-xY/Ui96KDztbkI/AAAAAAAABrw/oBG42HWPWJ8/s1600/Top+Ten+9-10+TV.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QyvzwpyI-xY/Ui96KDztbkI/AAAAAAAABrw/oBG42HWPWJ8/s400/Top+Ten+9-10+TV.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>The TV Series</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/57151-fire-and-thorns" target="_blank"><b><i>The Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy</i> by Rae Carson</b></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/list/15872.Rick_Riordan" target="_blank"><b>Any and all series by Rick Riordan</b></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/45321-the-looking-glass-wars" target="_blank"><b><i>The Looking Glass Wars trilogy</i> by Frank Beddor</b></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/62018-lunar-chronicles" target="_blank"><b><i>The Lunar Chronicles</i> by Marissa Meyer</b></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/57530-divergent" target="_blank"><b><i>The Divergent trilogy</i> by Veronica Roth</b></a></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/42742-artemis-fowl" target="_blank"><i>The Artemis Fowl series</i> by Eoin Colfer</a></b></li>
</ul>
<div>
And those are my picks - if we lived in a perfect world. Anything you agree with? Anything you want to add? Any adaptations that <i>are</i> coming out that you're excited about? Let me know!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11469931351791279659noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871445680236062318.post-26493741326140490642013-09-09T17:14:00.000-04:002013-09-09T17:14:46.458-04:00Update & Reading List- September 9th<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So I kind of disappeared from the blogosphere for about a week, but this picture sums up what each day at work was like this past week:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qt7vGiff9rs/Ui40fblEYSI/AAAAAAAABrM/QFyXWR4W3-M/s1600/stressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qt7vGiff9rs/Ui40fblEYSI/AAAAAAAABrM/QFyXWR4W3-M/s320/stressed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
And this is what it was like each night when I got home and tried to read:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2Td90eDxrHM/Ui416s12BxI/AAAAAAAABrY/8-ym6jyLgVU/s1600/sleeping+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2Td90eDxrHM/Ui416s12BxI/AAAAAAAABrY/8-ym6jyLgVU/s320/sleeping+book.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I pretty much accomplished zero reading this past week. I did get the house cleaned and my sister off to college, but when it was all done, I had neither the energy nor the enthusiasm to read or update my blog. However, I'm hoping that this week I will get back on track with updates and reviews (which means actually reading something so I can do reviews). My reading list for this week is currently:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17343.Till_We_Have_Faces?ac=1" target="_blank"><b><i>Till We Have Faces</i> by C.S. Lewis</b></a></li>
<ul>
<li>There are three reasons I'm going to read this book. First, my sister's reading the book for college, so I thought I'd read it too, and we could discuss it. Second, it's C.S. Lewis, and I love him. But I've read very little of his books beyond Narnia and the Space trilogy. Third, it's a mythology retelling, and I am ALWAYS excited for that genre. Cannot wait!</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17219052-the-lost-kingdom" target="_blank"><b><i>The Lost Kingdom</i> by Matthew J. Kirby</b></a></li>
<ul>
<li>I've been meaning to read this for a while. It's the book I kept trying to read this past week but kept falling asleep. Not because of the book though; just because I was burned out from work.</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12294541-paris-my-sweet?ac=1" target="_blank"><b><i>Paris, My Sweet</i> by Amy Thomas</b></a></li>
<ul>
<li>I'm actually about halfway done with this book. I started it last month, got distracted by other books, and never finished it.</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13051956-when-in-doubt-add-butter?ac=1" target="_blank"><b><i>When In Doubt, Add Butter</i> by Beth Harbison</b></a></li>
<ul>
<li>I don't usually love chick-lit, but this one is focused on food and cooking, which I love. So I'm giving this book a chance, and I'm hoping it turns out great.</li>
</ul>
<li><b>A Re-read.</b> </li>
<ul>
<li>Not sure which book I will be re-reading yet, but I always find that when coming out of a reading slump or when just needing to find an energy boost, re-reading an old favorite is the perfect solution.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11469931351791279659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1871445680236062318.post-87643928442761159552013-09-03T15:41:00.000-04:002013-09-03T15:41:18.268-04:00Top Ten Tuesday (38) - Books That Should Be Taught in Schools<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kQG93uED_lc/UJktfl5eTbI/AAAAAAAAAfE/Ya4BTJaZfBM/s1600/TOPTENTUESDAY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kQG93uED_lc/UJktfl5eTbI/AAAAAAAAAfE/Ya4BTJaZfBM/s200/TOPTENTUESDAY.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Top Ten Tuesday</b> is a weekly meme hosted by <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a>. This week's topic is about books that we think should be taught in schools, or contemporary books we'd pair with classics for required reading. I personally don't love this topic since I dislike the idea of "required" reading. I think it ruins the enjoyment of a book when you're being forced to read it in order to do homework on it. But I also understand that for some kids, especially in today's screen-obsessed society, the books they read for school may be the <i>only</i> books they ever read (if they actually read them and don't use sites like Sparknotes to cheat). The way I set up my list was by choosing books (contemporary or classic) I think would be good to teach in school, and including books (contemporary or classic) that they would pair with well.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Top Ten Books that Should Be Taught in Schools (with Possible Pairings)</u></b><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5129.Brave_New_World?ac=1" target="_blank"><b><i>Brave New World</i> by Aldous Huxley</b></a></li>
<ul>
<li>Dystopian novels are all the rage right now, but they tend to be more about the action or the romance, rather than about the society. <i>Brave New World</i> primarily focuses on its depiction of society as a self-serving, instant-gratification-obsessed population that's had all the "negative" emotions removed, and no one thinks for themselves anymore. It's simply about getting what you want when you want it, and never having any sort of real emotions or critical thinking. It sounds great at first, but then you get to see the flaws in this kind of amoral, hedonistic system.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5470.1984?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>1984</i> by George Orwell</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3636.The_Giver?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>The Giver</i> by Lois Lowry</a></li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4381.Fahrenheit_451?ac=1" target="_blank"><b><i>Fahrenheit 451</i> by Ray Bradbury</b></a></li>
<ul>
<li>I personally think this book is a great read for today's screen-obsessed society. People are getting more and more gadgets for games and movies and web-surfing. Yes, some people use them for reading too, but when I'm walking through the mall, all these kids (and adults) are using them to play games, not read.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7735333-matched?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Matched</i> by Ally Condie</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7082.Do_Androids_Dream_of_Electric_Sheep_?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?</i> by Philip K. Dick</a></li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48834.I_Have_Lived_a_Thousand_Years?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>I Have Lived a Thousand Years</i> by Livia Bitton-Jackson</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>Sad but true, the holocaust has simply become a blurb in history textbooks for some kids (probably the same kids who didn't realize that the Titanic was real, not just a movie). This book is the autobiography of a Jewish girl who describes how she went from an aspiring student to living in a ghetto to trying to survive a concentration camp. It's gritty and real and painful, but it's something we shouldn't forget.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48855.The_Diary_of_a_Young_Girl?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>The Diary of a Young Girl</i> by Anne Frank</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/561909.The_Hiding_Place?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>The Hiding Place</i> by Corrie Ten Boom</a></li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2914097-paper-towns?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Paper Towns</i> by John Green</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>I just feel that <i>Paper Towns</i> is a great coming-of-age story. It showcases the hierarchies that exist in high school, and it includes the all-important road trip. I think some of the best coming-of-age books I've read all have a road trip in there at one point.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49750.An_Abundance_of_Katherines?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>An Abundance of Katherines</i> by John Green</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7741325-dash-lily-s-book-of-dares?from_search=true" target="_blank"><i>Dash & Lily's Book of Dares</i> by Rachel Cohn</a></li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31122.I_Capture_the_Castle?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>I Capture the Castle</i> by Dodie Smith</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>This book is so underrated. Besides giving insight into the imbalance between classes in the 1920s & 1930s, it's just a beautifully written story. The prose is amazing; it's one of the books I credit with inspiring me to be a writer. It could be taught simply as an example of really good writing.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/95693.The_Blue_Castle?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>The Blue Castle</i> by L.M. Montgomery</a> (for the romance/money elements)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10626594-the-scorpio-races?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>The Scorpio Races</i> by Maggie Stiefvater</a> (for the prose)</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18308581-looking-backward?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Looking Backward</i> by Edward Bellamy</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>There's so much of a focus on dystopian novels right now that I think it would be interesting to also read utopian novels as well. What do people see as their ideal society? How do they achieve it? What sacrifices had to be made to reach utopia, and were they worth it?</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18414.Utopia?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Utopia</i> by Thomas More</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5130.Island?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Island</i> by Aldous Huxley</a></li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7826117-jane?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Jane</i> by April Lindner</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>Sometimes the best way to get someone interested in the classics is to have them check out a modern adaptation first. While I will always prefer reading the original first, I also know that adaptations are great teaching tools. This adaptation of <i>Jane Eyre</i> is incredibly similar to the original book and would be great paired with another classic.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10210.Jane_Eyre?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Jane Eyre</i> by Charlotte Bronte</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11266086-catherine?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Catherine</i> by April Lindner</a></li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11870085-the-fault-in-our-stars?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>The Fault in Our Stars</i> by John Green</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>I push this book so much I'm sure people are sick of hearing about it, but it's so good, I can't help it. I'd use this book as a lesson in coping with death or illnesses, whether it be our own or a loved one's.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14358.A_Ring_of_Endless_Light?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>A Ring of Endless Light</i> by Madeleine L'Engle</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10929.For_One_More_Day?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>For One More Day</i> by Mitch Albom</a></li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4667024-the-help?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>The Help</i> by Kathryn Stockett</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>I think it's incredibly important to continue to teach about this era of our country's history and to discuss how we should treat others. I think people want to gloss over it and pretend like it didn't happen, or that it doesn't still happen, but unfortunately, racism still exists. But books like <i>The Help</i> are great for reminding us of how far we've come and how far we still have to go.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2657.To_Kill_a_Mockingbird?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>To Kill a Mockingbird</i> by Harper Lee</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/895163.To_Sir_With_Love" target="_blank"><i>To Sir, With Love</i> by E.R. Braithwaite</a></li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28194.Inkheart?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Inkheart</i> by Cornelia Funke</a></b></li>
<ul>
<li>Because every book you read shouldn't be an object lesson, because sometimes you need to read a book simply for the fun of it, and because books about books (or the love of books) are inspiring and enjoyable.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27003.The_Eyre_Affair?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>The Eyre Affair</i> by Jasper Fforde</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39988.Matilda?ac=1" target="_blank"><i>Matilda</i> by Roald Dahl</a></li>
</ul>
</ul>
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So those are my picks. Sorry if I got a little serious with this list, but I think the topic is a more serious one anyway. Do you agree with any of these? What would you add? What other books would you pair with together?</div>
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