tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1666310116892678902024-03-05T21:16:13.841-06:00Abbie Reads BooksAbbie Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181355348801645468noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-166631011689267890.post-34730941629634608272020-02-12T17:49:00.002-06:002020-02-12T17:49:29.532-06:00Guess who's back...back again...Hi friends!<br />
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Guess who's getting back in the saddle and writing reviews again! After a long hiatus due to an awesome but stressful promotion at work, I have been gobbling up books left and right and am super excited to start sharing my recommendations with you all again.<br />
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In addition to posting here, I'll be reviewing books for a good friend who is starting up an indie book store. You can find those at <a href="https://www.blue-house-books.com/blue-house-blog">https://www.blue-house-books.com/blue-house-blog</a>. If you're a fan of comedy and true crime, definitely check out my recent review there of <i><a href="https://www.blue-house-books.com/post/learn-how-to-stay-sexy-and-stay-alive" target="_blank">Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered</a> </i>by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark!<br />
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Lately, I have been loving contemporary romances (recent reads: Well Met by Jen DeLuca, The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams, Matchmaking for Beginners by Maddie Dawson, Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, anything by Jasmine Guillory), so be prepared to see more of that content in addition to all of my other favorite genres.<br />
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I'm excited to get back in the swing of things, so keep an eye out here for a new review soon!Abbie Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181355348801645468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-166631011689267890.post-57261049736647490602018-08-19T18:57:00.002-05:002018-08-19T18:57:35.219-05:00Learning to Love Book to Movie Adaptations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbuI2cBR6L-6iMQm1eUePemc-W5ouFwPQRdp9iPNyV_KX-Z7xD_n1J1-yVKdZuyyBOYdXGSjL4WqELOJ5cMDtwT-2QIFvXgxdSszOuRuBTC4I4wWqu_eA2o2Cs3r8Y0r1owSx_kkcZvbk/s1600/Movie+Adaptation+Image.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Compilation of movie posters for To All The Boys I've Loved Before, Crazy Rich Asians, and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="841" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbuI2cBR6L-6iMQm1eUePemc-W5ouFwPQRdp9iPNyV_KX-Z7xD_n1J1-yVKdZuyyBOYdXGSjL4WqELOJ5cMDtwT-2QIFvXgxdSszOuRuBTC4I4wWqu_eA2o2Cs3r8Y0r1owSx_kkcZvbk/s400/Movie+Adaptation+Image.png" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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I've challenged myself to a monumental task for the end of the summer: learn how to appreciate book-to-movie adaptations for what they are.<br />
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I used to be the person who felt personally betrayed when a movie adaptation of a book I loved deviated even the tiniest bit from the original plot. I went on a rage-filled tweet storm after leaving the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II, because I could not comprehend how J.K. Rowling could allow someone to destroy her precious, iconic book. It got so bad that I couldn't enjoy the movie adaptation of any book I loved, because no matter how close it got to the original story, nothing was ever perfect.<br />
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This summer, one of my favorite books (The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows) was adapted for Netflix, and I decided I was going to put aside all of my expectations and enjoy it, dammit!<br />
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When you're seeing someone else's interpretation of a thing you love, it's so easy to get caught up in what they do wrong. A character isn't as funny as they were in the book, or they don't look the way you imagined, or they cut out one of your favorite story lines. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking the director doesn't care about the story or didn't do their research or just wants to capitalize on the popularity of the thing and doesn't care about what fans truly want.<br />
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It's easy to forget that film adaptations have to work within different constraints. They don't get convenient chapter breaks to switch character perspectives. They typically don't have the luxury of sharing a characters entire internal monologue. They have to fit the entire story into a two-hour window. Each second of film, each actor portraying a character, each set location costs them money. All of this impacts how accurately the movie portrays the book.<br />
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This summer, there are a ton of new book that have come out: the Guernsey Literary movie, a movie adaptation of To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han, the movie version of Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan, the second season of Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale, the HBO miniseries of Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn...the list goes on and on.<br />
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Keep an eye on the blog over the next few weeks to hear my take on some of these adaptations and discover what I learn on my quest to enjoy movies based on books. In the meantime, check out my Instagram (@abbiereadsbooks) for a sneak peek at some of the things I've already watched!<br />
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Do you have any tips for keeping an open mind with book-to-movie adaptations? Or do you prefer your movie adaptations as close to the original story as possible? Let me know in the comments!Abbie Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181355348801645468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-166631011689267890.post-64380820120110027072017-12-05T19:09:00.000-06:002017-12-05T19:11:06.512-06:00Abbie Reads Books in The New York Times<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You guys! You guys! AHHH! My book recommendation is featured in The New York Times (or, at least in an online article for The New York Times)! <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/05/books/favorite-books-readers.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur" target="_blank">Check out this awesome roundup of Best Books of 2017 from NYT readers (including yours truly!).</a><br />
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What were your favorite books that you read this year? Besides "Turtles All the Way Down", I absolutely LOVED "The Hate U Give", and I read The Kingkiller Chronicles for the first time. I'll do a comprehensive round-up of my favorite books of the year soon!Abbie Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181355348801645468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-166631011689267890.post-88909968187708126652017-11-11T12:30:00.000-06:002017-11-13T15:10:58.306-06:00Reading is Not a Competitive Sport<div class="MsoNormal">
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Ok, we need to talk about something. I spend a lot of time
on the internet, and I’ve been seeing a ton of content from a ton of book fans
out there about what counts or doesn’t count as cheating when you’re reading a
book.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The very idea that some people believe there’s cheating
in reading is baffling to me, but I’ve seen a lot of articles about how audiobooks or graphic novels or short stories or rereading a book or reading
middle grade as an adult somehow count as “cheating.” Apparently something about these
choices makes them less literary or less important or just “less” than an
800-page hardcover classic novel for the first time? <o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m here with a groundbreaking announcement: Reading is not
a competitive sport. </div>
<a name='more'></a>Even if your entire TBR list is built with your <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/show/5493-2017-reading-challenge" target="_blank">GoodreadsReading Challenge</a> goal in mind, the only person you’re competing against is
yourself. If you want to make your own rules, that’s cool, but don’t try to make
other people adhere to them. The world does enough to make reading seem like a
chore or like something only “nerds” do, and adding this competitive atmosphere
to it is just going to turn more people off.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Everyone has different reading preferences, and that’s
totally cool. You don’t have to like graphic novels, and I promise I’ll never
force you to listen to an audiobook. I personally have never been able to get
through a short story collection. But just because we might not like something
or it might seem like it’s easier to read than other types of books doesn’t
make it less of a book. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ve honestly written four or five drafts of this blog post
because this topic is so important to me. I happen to LOVE audiobooks and
graphic novels, and it feels really condescending or belittling when I see
articles from book sites I love trying to rationalize that some people somehow
think that me reading a comic or listening to an audiobook isn’t the same as
them reading a novel.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So please, let’s do our best to backtrack on turning reading
into something competitive. You and me and the person who reads this post after
you are all going to prefer different genres and formats and that’s a good
thing. It doesn’t mean that one person’s preferences are inherently better than
the others.</div>
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I know people have a lot of feelings about this, so please
leave your thoughts in the comments! If you aren’t a fan of competitive
reading, what do you think could be done to change the atmosphere? If you think competitive reading is a good thing, I’d love to hear your side. <o:p></o:p></div>
Abbie Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181355348801645468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-166631011689267890.post-65313710468364422132017-11-04T12:16:00.000-05:002017-11-07T06:31:54.894-06:00I Saw Myself in “Turtles All the Way Down” by John Green<center>
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Last night I did something I haven’t done in months – I read
for three hours straight. I was consumed by a book and couldn’t put it down
until I’d finished. The book was <b><i>Turtles All the Way Down</i></b> by John
Green, and I couldn’t stop turning the pages (and crying) because I’d never
seen a book character with mental health issues that felt so real and so
relatable.</div>
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<b><i>Turtles All the Way Down</i></b> is about a girl named Aza who has
severe anxiety and obsessive/compulsive disorder. There’s more to the book – the
action is driven by Aza’s friend Daisy and a quest to find a missing
billionaire so they can collect the reward money – but at its heart, it’s a
look inside Aza’s mind and what it’s like to live trapped inside your own
thoughts.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When I was 18, I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. I missed almost a quarter of my senior year of high school due to constant panic attacks and overwhelming anxiety. Now, my anxiety is nothing as severe as Aza’s is in the book, and fortunately I don’t have
any obsessive/compulsive behaviors, but Green’s descriptions of Aza’s “thought
spirals” and anxieties were possibly the most relatable thing I’ve ever read.</div>
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For Aza (and for myself), much of her life is lived “normally”
(for lack of a better word). But one thought triggers her anxiety. “If you do
that, what if [something terrible] happens?” And, rationally, you <i>know</i> something terrible is very
unlikely, but once you think it, you fixate on it. What if it DOES happen? It
probably won’t, but you have no way to know it <i>won’t</i> happen. Is it worth the risk? You probably should avoid
anything that could lead to something terrible. You should just stay home or take other steps, and
that way you know you’ll be safe.</div>
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The big thing about anxiety is, a lot of the time, you know
you’re not thinking rationally. You know it’s unrealistic to be so afraid and
that whatever you’re fixating on (like contracting a disease or being a victim
of a terrorist attack or your plane crashing) is highly unlikely, but your
brain won’t turn off. Even though your way-down-deep you is whispering that there’s
no reason to be so worried, a much louder voice is shouting that this danger is
imminent and being afraid is the most logical course of action.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m a huge believer that teens (well, all people, really) need
to see themselves represented in the things they read, and books like this are
a huge benefit for all of the teens coping with mental illness because Aza is a
great representation. Seeing a character you can relate to for something as stigmatized
as mental health issues makes it feel like your less alone. It can also help people
who <i>don’t</i> have mental health issues
understand what it’s like to live with them. The more we can do to remove the
stigma and bring more attention mental health issues, the more likely our
society is to take steps toward making treatment more accessible.</div>
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Overall, I really enjoyed <b><i>Turtles All the Way Down</i></b>.
It was heartrending and gripping and dealt with some huge and very important
issues. It started out strong and kept me hooked right through to the very end.
I’d highly recommend it to anyone who deals with mental illness or who wants to
understand what life can be like for people who have mental illness.Abbie Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181355348801645468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-166631011689267890.post-70377058958460644772017-09-26T20:44:00.000-05:002017-11-07T06:35:17.646-06:00Outlander Fan Theories<div class="MsoNormal">
Ok, so, I’m a huge fan of the Outlander books. I’ve listened
to the audiobooks probably four times each (which I personally think is
impressive – I only started listening to them about two years ago, and they’re
each 30+ hours long). Davina Porter is the most delightful narrator, and her
character voices and accents totally make the story.</div>
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Anyway, I consider myself somewhat of an Outlander expert,
and I’ve developed some theories about what we can expect in the last few
books. Check out my top three below (I have done absolutely no research on
these theories beyond reading the books, so I’m not sure if these are already
widely accepted or already disproven, but hopefully you enjoy them anyway)!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>*Spoiler Alert* - If you’re not caught up with the current
Outlander books, you may encounter spoilers below!</i></b></div>
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<b>1. Jamie Fraser is a
time traveler.</b> He just doesn’t know it yet. Why do I think this? So, it’s a
well-established fact that time travelers (like Claire, Bri and Roger) can hear
the noise the standing stones make during the fire and sun feasts. They can
also (to an extent) hear gemstones. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s also a well-established fact that Jamie Fraser is
entirely tone deaf thanks to a blow to the head he sustained from his uncle
Dougal. Not only can he not sing himself, he can’t really hear or appreciate
music other people are performing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Do you see where this is going? I think if Jamie had never
lost his ability to hear music, he’d be able to hear the stones as well. We
know at some point he will travel (or somehow appear) in 1942 to stare
wistfully at Claire as she combs her hair at the boarding house in Inverness.
How else would he get there if he couldn’t travel through the stones?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>2. One of Claire’s
parents was a time traveler.</b> So, we know that the ability to travel through
the stones is hereditary. Rodger’s dad could travel and his ancestor, Gillian
Edgars/Geillis Duncan/Geillis Abernathy, could obviously travel as well. Bri got
the ability to travel from Claire, and Mandy and Jem got the ability from Roger
and Bri. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So it stands to reason that at least one of Claire’s parents
could travel, too! We’ll probably never know for sure since both of her parents
allegedly perished in a tragic car accident when she was a child (I say
“allegedly” because we all thought Roger’s dad was dead, too, until <b><i>Written
In My Own Heart’s Blood</i></b>), but I’d be really surprised if it weren’t the
case.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>3. We haven’t seen
the last of Master Raymond or the Comte St. Germain.</b> In <b><i>Dragonfly
in Amber</i></b>, the Comte St. Germain and Master Raymond were made to drink
from a cup of poison when they were on trial for sorcery. Master Raymond was
unaffected, but the Comte died. Or did he?<o:p></o:p></div>
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In the novella <b><i>The Space Between</i></b>, both men are
alive and well. The poison knocked the Comte into a deep state of
unconsciousness, but he recovered and went on to jump around time all
willy-nilly. He’s still a major creep, and he kidnaps Jamie’s stepdaughter Joan
(who he mistakes for Claire’s daughter) when she moves to France to join a
convent in an attempt to quiet the voices she hears. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Comte may also have been an RAF pilot with Roger’s dad
(a pilot with the same name - Paul Rakoczy - is definitely mentioned in the
novella <b><i>A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows</i></b>). <o:p></o:p></div>
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We know Claire suspects that Master Raymond may have been
helped the Montauk Five come back in time, but as far as she knows, the Comte
is dead. When <b><i>Written in My Own Heart’s Blood</i></b> ends, our folks are back on
Fraser’s Ridge and likely out of the way of the rest of the Revolutionary War.
We need a villain for the last few books, and who better than the Comte?<o:p></o:p></div>
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What do you think? Do you have any theories of your own?
Share them in the comments!<o:p></o:p></div>
Abbie Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181355348801645468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-166631011689267890.post-42331906134740540252017-09-16T14:34:00.000-05:002017-11-07T06:32:27.952-06:00Review: When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon<center>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BXTzEhPnc2f/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Abbie Ford (@abbiereadsbooks)</a> on <time datetime="2017-08-02T23:10:09+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Aug 2, 2017 at 4:10pm PDT</time></div>
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What happens if you take a typical boy-meets-girl YA plot structure and give it a cultural twist? That’s exactly what we get in <b><i>When Dimple Met Rishi</i></b> by Sandhya Menon, and it is absolutely delightful. When Indian-American teen Dimple Shah convinces her uber-traditional parents to send her to a co-ed computer coding camp for six weeks before she leaves for college, she can’t believe her luck. But when Rishi Patel approaches her at the camp and introduces himself as her future husband, she discovers that luck wasn’t the only force behind her good fortune.<br />
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I was in a months-long reading rut when I picked up this book. I was immediately gripped by Dimple’s cynical worldview and witty sense of humor. As a modern young feminist, she struggles with her parents’ traditional expectations. She wants to go to college and pursue a career in web development, but her mother considers college a mere stepping stone to finding Dimple the “Ideal Indian Husband”. When her parents agree to allow her to attend Insomnia Con (a coding camp that could give her the chance to meet her idol, developer Jenny Lindt), Dimple thinks her mother is finally accepting her career aspirations. What she doesn’t know is that Rishi Patel, the boy her parents have secretly arranged for her to marry, will also be in attendance.<br />
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Rishi is the yin to Dimple’s yang. He’s well-aware of his parents’ plan to set him up with Dimple, and he can’t wait for their future together. He loves his heritage and embraces his parents’ expectations. His younger brother doesn’t care about their family’s culture or traditions, so Rishi feels pressure to be the perfect eldest son. He’s a passionate artist, and while his true love is his art, he suppresses it in favor of what he considers more “realistic” opportunities. Where Dimple is impulsive and sarcastic and wants to buck tradition, Rishi is patient and polite and wants to make his parents happy.<br />
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While the general premise of the book – boy meets girl, girl hates boy, boy and girl form grudging friendship, etc. – isn’t anything groundbreaking in the world of YA, the specific circumstances of our lead characters make it special. I loved the diversity of the characters and thought Dimple and Rishi’s individual struggles to balance tradition and the expectations of their families with their own personal desires provided a refreshing new take on what could be an otherwise stale plot.<br />
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I really enjoyed this book, but, like all novels, it did have a few issues. In the latter half of the story, it felt a little like someone had hit fast forward to skip to the next major plot point, and I felt that there was some crucial character and relationship development that got skipped in the process.<br />
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Beyond Dimple and Rishi, many of the characters felt fairly one-dimensional. The “villains” of the story (for lack of a better word) are some rich kids who really didn’t seem to have any motivation for being bad guys. They’re rude frat-boy types who really only exist to move the plot along and provide a bit of extra conflict. There’s also a minor romance subplot between two of the secondary characters that felt really random and a little out of place.<br />
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All of those issues were pretty minor, though, and they didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book. <b><i>When Dimple Met Rishi </i></b>was 150% worth the read. If you’re looking for something cute and light, or if you want to add some more diverse material to your TBR list, you should definitely check it out.Abbie Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181355348801645468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-166631011689267890.post-85027285100556110172016-05-06T06:25:00.000-05:002017-11-07T06:36:04.540-06:00Feature & Follow Friday: Favorite book genres<div style="text-align: center;">
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This week's prompt is "What are your favorite genres of books?"</div>
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Is "All of them" a good answer? I guess I don't really love true romance books that are all heaving bosoms, etc. But I do love a good book with romantic elements. I'm a huge fan of historical fiction, YA, sci-fi/fantasy and mysteries. Just as I was typing that, I realized there is one genre that kind of encompasses all of that: steampunk.</div>
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I haven't read much steampunk lit, but what I have read has been awesome. If you want to see what it's like (or you just want to read a hilarious series with a strong female lead) check out <a href="http://www.gailcarriger.com/" target="_blank">Gail Garriger's</a> Parasol Protectorate series or her YA Finishing School series. Both are super witty and great, have intriguing mysteries, a little bit of romance and some unique paranormal elements.</div>
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What are your favorite genres? Let me know in the comments!</div>
Abbie Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181355348801645468noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-166631011689267890.post-65244042962043911002016-05-04T18:56:00.001-05:002017-11-07T06:34:45.640-06:00Q&A: Litsy Co-Founder Todd Lawson<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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Recently I started using this app called Litsy, and it is now the main app I use on my phone. It's like Instagram, Twitter and Goodreads had a baby - you can track the books you're reading and have read, rate and review them, share pictures and write posts up to 300 characters. You earn "Litfluence" points based on how other users interact with your posts. Basically, it's essential if you're a book lover.<br />
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The awesome folks at Litsy were kind enough to answer a few questions I sent them to learn more about the app. Check out the Q&A with co-founder Todd Lawson below!<br />
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<b>Abbie: </b><i>Tell me a little bit about yourself and your role at Litsy. </i></div>
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<b>Todd:</b> I'm Todd Lawton, one of the co-founders of Litsy. Before Litsy, I helped start Out of Print (a literary lifestyle brand that sells bookish apparel and accessories). I'm charged with helping to get the word out about Litsy and listen to what our users have to say.</div>
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<b>A:</b> <i>What's your favorite book?</i></div>
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<b>T:</b> Always a tough question. I read <b><i>A Fine Balance</i></b> by Rohinton Mistry a few years ago and still think back to it often. I'm currently reading <b><i>Slade House</i></b> by David Mitchell and love it. I very much enjoyed <b><i>The Art of Fielding</i></b> recently. In terms of classics, <b><i>Catch-22</i></b> and <b><i>The Handmaid's Tale</i></b> are high on my list. <b><i>Treasure Island</i></b> is the first book I can say I fell in love with. Just too many good books!</div>
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<b>A: </b><i>Where did the inspiration for Litsy come from?</i></div>
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<b>T: </b>Shelf talkers in the staff picks sections at our favorite bookstores. They are short, fun, personal and do an awesome job promoting books we'd otherwise not think about picking up. We wanted to use the best of what is offered to us through digital social communities and our mobile devices to create a book-specific experience that is as fun, simple and rewarding.</div>
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<b>A:</b> <i>What sets Litsy apart from other book tracking apps?</i></div>
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<b>T:</b> We found that readers were using several different places to track many elements of reading – quotes, photos, reviews, announcements – and we wanted to create a central space for this. With Litsy, you don’t need a lengthy review to make a worthwhile post. Instead, you can record any bookish moment—a passage that thrills you, a funny scribble of marginalia, a photo of a gorgeous cover, a quick book question—it’s a more casual dialogue than what we’ve seen on other platforms. </div>
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<b>A: </b><i>What kind of response have you seen from users so far?</i></div>
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<b>T:</b> The response has exceeded our expectations. We currently have users in 96 countries, and we’re having conversations with new users every day. It’s amazing to hear from readers around the world—to see what’s in their stacks. The original vision is a reality! </div>
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<b>A:</b> <i>How did you come up with the idea of "Litfluence", and how does it work?</i></div>
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<b>T:</b> An essential element of Litsy is the recommendations. How many people are stacking the books you love? We thought Litfluence would be a fun and useful tool to track this. A Litfluence score comprises a combination of likes on a post, the number of comments received, and how many books other users have stacked from a post. This page also shows users fun stats like how many books and pages they’ve read.</div>
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<b>A:</b> <i>Any recommendations on users to follow?</i></div>
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<b>T: </b>We currently have a rotating list of Suggested Users available on Litsy. These users include authors, publishers, editors, bookstores, organizations we believe in, and exciting Litsy users. You could be next! </div>
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<b>A:</b> <i>What tips would you give users for getting the most from the app? </i></div>
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<b>T: </b>We suggest following the users who make posts you enjoy, and inviting your fellow bookworms to join. Litsy is much more fun when you have friends with whom to share. Love a book? Hate it? Want to discuss the surprise ending using our Spoiler function? Use Litsy to have the conversation! </div>
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<b>A:</b> <i>Can you tell me a little bit about any exciting plans for the future?</i></div>
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<b>T: </b>We have so many plans and new features in the queue—we want to continue improving with every update. We’re currently working on an Android model, more Discover options, Hashtag capabilities, tools to share out to other platforms, and other ways in which users can easily connect with like-minded Litsy readers. </div>
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You can download Litsy from the iTunes App Store <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/litsy/id1037017919?mt=8" target="_blank">here</a>. If you're an Android user, keep an eye out for an Android-friendly version in the coming months!</div>
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Abbie Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181355348801645468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-166631011689267890.post-80050409919194740862016-04-29T05:00:00.001-05:002017-11-07T06:36:18.648-06:00Feature & Follow Friday: 3 Favorite Heroines<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.alisoncanread.com/2016/04/feature-and-follow-friday_28.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Feature & Follow Friday Hosted by AlisonCanRead & Parajunkee" src="http://i0.wp.com/www.parajunkee.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/feature-and-follow.png?zoom=3&w=1080" height="187" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; padding: 4px;" title="Feature & Follow Friday Hosted by AlisonCanRead & Parajunkee" width="400" /></a></div>
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The prompt this time around is your three favorite heroines, what books they're in, and why you love them. I'm going to avoid picking a few of the more obvious answers (like Hermione from Harry Potter, because in what world would she not make everyone's list for this?) and go with a few of my favorite less-known ladies.<br />
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1. Alexa from the <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.abbiereadsbooks.com/2014/04/defy-by-sara-b-larson.html" target="_blank">Defy</a></i> series by Sara B. Larson. Alexa is a total badass. When her village is ravaged by the bad guys, she has to pretend she's a guy so she can join the army instead of getting sent to the breeding houses (*shudder*). She ends up being an incredible fighter and soon ends up as one of the prince's main bodyguards. She's super strong and goes through a lot of really terrible stuff throughout the series, but her strength and humor always help her pull through. I've yet to read the final installment in this series, but it's at the top of my TBR pile and you can bet I'll have a review for it the moment I'm done!</div>
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2. Fiona from <b><i><a href="http://www.abbiereadsbooks.com/2013/01/the-tea-rose-by-jennifer-donnelly.html" target="_blank">The Tea Rose</a></i> </b>by Jennifer Donnelly. First of all, if you love historical fiction and have not read <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Tea Rose</i>, you should drop whatever you're doing and go pick it up right now. Fiona is the leading lady in this amazing book, and her presence is what ranks it as one of my all-time favorites. She's whip-smart, which is good, because she's faced with a lot of situations where making the wrong decision in a split second could cost her big time. Like Alexa, Fiona's life takes a downward tumble and she has to deal with some pretty terrible things, but she comes out all the stronger for it. Her story is all about the strength of women and how we can pull through the tough times to come out on top in the end.</div>
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3. Kamala Kahn from <i style="font-weight: bold;">Ms. Marvel</i> by Sana Amanat and G. Willow Wilson. If you're looking at getting into comics but don't know where to start, pick up <i style="font-weight: bold;">Ms. Marvel</i>. Kamala Kahn got some unexpected superpowers from a mysterious fog, and now she's one of the heroes she's always idolized. Following her as she adjusts to her powers and the responsibility that comes with them is a lot of fun - she's a hilarious lady (and also both racially and religiously diverse, which is refreshing). Not to mention, she's only 16 years old, so she has a lot of that teenage sass that's super entertaining to read. She faces some struggles (like having parents that <i>just don't understand</i> and also, you know, having to save the world), and her journey is incredibly engaging. I'd highly recommend it!</div>
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Who are a few of your favorite fictional ladies? I'd love to hear in the comments!</div>
Abbie Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181355348801645468noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-166631011689267890.post-59825789542332721712016-04-14T21:07:00.003-05:002016-04-19T17:45:35.771-05:00Delilah Dirk and the King's Shilling by Tony Cliff
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Delilah Dirk & the King's Shilling by Tony Cliff, pub. March 2016, 272 pg.</b></td></tr>
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<b>Rating: 5 of 5 stars</b><br />
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I've been on a huge graphic novel kick lately, and the <i style="font-weight: bold;">Delilah Dirk </i>series by Tony Cliff is one of my favorite finds. The series follows the eponymous Delilah (a lady adventurer of great renown) and her friend Selim (a Turkish man who makes the world's best cup of tea) as they trek through Europe during the Peninsular War.<br />
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In <i style="font-weight: bold;">Delilah Dirk and the King's Shilling, </i>Delilah and Selim run afoul of a traitor who tries to frame Delilah as a spy. To avoid any spoilers, I'll leave it at that, but as you can imagine, much adventure ensues!<br />
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There are a lot of things I love about this series.<br />
<a name='more'></a>Delilah is a total badass. She can fend for herself in just about any situation, she's constantly doing good deeds for others and she has a hilarious (and biting) wit. She's like a sarcastic Robin Hood in a dress, and she's just as amazing as that sounds.<br />
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While she and Selim are close friends, there's no hint of a romantic subtext in their relationship. It's nearly impossible to find a book where a man and a woman are just friends, and it's incredibly refreshing to read a story where two great characters care for each other and have each other's backs in a totally platonic way.<br />
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This could easily have been a series where the female lead starts out insisting she's not the marrying type but then falls for her dashing male counterpart and spends a lot of time pining after him, but the author sidesteps that trope neatly. Instead, Delilah makes sure Selim doesn't die on any of their adventures, and Selim always ensures they've got a good restorative cup of tea at the end of the day. It's a perfect friendship.<br />
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Whether you want to start reading graphic novels but don't know where to start or are a long-standing fan of the medium, the <i style="font-weight: bold;">Delilah Dirk </i>series is worth a read. The story is phenomenal, the illustrations are gorgeous, and you'll be finished reading before you know it.Abbie Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181355348801645468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-166631011689267890.post-26461040492654957632015-12-02T21:08:00.000-06:002016-04-17T12:53:12.855-05:00The Remedy by Suzanne Young<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The Remedy by Suzanne Young, pub. April 2015, 416 pg.</b></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 20.72px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Rating: 4 of 5 stars</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.72px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most recent dystopian novels occur in a future so distant it is almost unrecognizable. That’s not the case with Suzanne Young’s latest novel, <b><i>The Remedy</i></b>. This novel is a prequel to <b><i>The Program</i></b> and <b><i>The Treatment</i></b> and is set in a world that could be just months in our own future.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.72px; white-space: pre-wrap;">For those who like a bit of a love story, this book will not disappoint. In fact, this book has something for everyone. From mystery to romance and everything in between, <b><i>The Remedy</i></b> is one of the best new dystopian novels you will read this year. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.72px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Quinlan McKee is seventeen years old, and she works as a closer – someone who is hired to provide closure for grieving families by impersonating their loved one who has passed away. In Quin’s world, mental health is extremely important, and if someone appears unstable, they are mandated to have therapy. Closers exist to help prevent depression and other issues that people face when a loved one dies. Shortly after finishing one assignment, Quin is assigned to an urgent case that changes her forever. </span><span style="line-height: 20.72px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.72px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I found this book so fascinating for a number of reasons.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.72px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Quin’s job is to help others preserve their mental health, but she faces problems of her own from the very beginning. As a closer, she adopts the personality, habits, and style of a deceased person, sometimes for days at a time. She began working as a closer at the age of seven, and as a side effect, she has a hard time distinguishing her past from those of the people she’s pretended to be. Throughout the book, she faces problems keeping her own identity separate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.72px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I really enjoyed that the world was so familiar, but so different at the same time. The technology doesn’t seem outlandish, the landscape is familiar, and the characters seem like any person you might pass on the street. It’s almost like a parallel universe where the government has recognized the importance of mental health and taken things to extremes. There are systems in place to help people maintain peak mental and emotional health, but if people are depressed or have other problems, it seems like they are given consequences instead of help. </span><span style="line-height: 20.72px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20.72px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fans of Young’s other books won’t find any familiar characters in the pages of <b><i>The Remedy</i></b>, but they will find a very similar tone and feeling of suspense. Young does a great job of keeping you on the hook by revealing little bits of information about Quin’s latest case without giving it all away at once.</span>
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Abbie Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181355348801645468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-166631011689267890.post-87611621104167639642015-10-10T21:03:00.000-05:002017-10-28T16:25:03.982-05:00The Lodger by Louisa Treger<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zKkUuKjyTDSI94jrB0FgGc_YScjRM3K_YiQ-BdzH1s3WdNIzWX-uw16SxSR9D7UqPlr6JauJAKsCpmsvg-vx6KIXNkss36SoByPn3_hOlMOKI0bY7mNfZo3SkRkGmOrsPnsObIxXyeQK/s1600/the+lodger+by+louisa+treger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Cover art for The Lodger by Louisa Treger" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zKkUuKjyTDSI94jrB0FgGc_YScjRM3K_YiQ-BdzH1s3WdNIzWX-uw16SxSR9D7UqPlr6JauJAKsCpmsvg-vx6KIXNkss36SoByPn3_hOlMOKI0bY7mNfZo3SkRkGmOrsPnsObIxXyeQK/s320/the+lodger+by+louisa+treger.jpg" title="The Lodger by Louisa Treger" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The Lodger by Louisa Treger, pub. Oct. 2014, 272 pg.</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It takes a lot of courage to base a novel on a true story. While creating a work of fiction gives an author a degree of creative license, the writer also holds a certain degree of responsibility to tell the story of a person or event without deviating too much from the facts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Louisa Treger has proven herself more than a match for these challenges in her debut novel, The Lodger. In her novel, Ms. Treger explores the story of Dorothy Richardson, author of the autobiographical 13-book series Pilgrimage and contemporary of authors including Virginia Woolf.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As a young woman in London at the turn of the century, Dorothy’s life is full of hardships modern readers can instantly relate to. After Dorothy’s mother commits suicide, she visits her friend Jane, the wife of H.G. Wells (fondly known as Bertie), in the country. Over time, Dorothy and Bertie are consumed by a mutual attraction. Their tempestuous relationship inspires Dorothy to begin writing and raises questions within her about her sexuality.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ms. Treger brings the Dorothy’s story to life in an engaging and interesting way. As someone who had never heard of Dorothy Richardson before reading this novel, I very quickly became caught up in her tale. Dorothy’s life, while full of tragedy many of us will never experience, was entirely relatable. She struggles to balance her work life with her social life. She strives to be an independent woman in a time when society still believed men ruled. She falls in and out of love and struggles with the complicated feeling that she is equal parts feminine and masculine. She fights for equality between men and women. She is constantly questioning what is best for her future.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Dorothy’s relationship with famed author H.G. Wells is the driving force behind this novel. When she meets Bertie, he is the scandalous new husband of a childhood friend. While Bertie adores his wife and relies on her, they have an open relationship that allows him to pursue other women – including Dorothy. What begins as a complicated relationship only grows more tangled over time.</span><br />
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I’m a huge fan of historical fiction, and I love when true events are incorporated into novels. With that in mind, it’s no wonder I enjoyed The Lodger as much as I did. Even if you aren’t previously familiar with Dorothy Richardson’s story, her life is incredibly easy to relate to. Over 100 years after this novel ends, many of Dorothy’s struggles are still common among women around the world. If you’re a history buff, a fan of biographies, or simply someone who wants to read a very well-written book, The Lodger should definitely be added to your “To Read” list.Abbie Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181355348801645468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-166631011689267890.post-82741432894508364752014-06-25T20:57:00.000-05:002016-04-17T12:52:43.362-05:00Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Cover art for Deep Blue (Waterfire Saga #1) by Jennifer Donnelly" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTjKxM_pao_4N7uK3MAzTdOceZArG2Lny_V3Cxea2gW3gTqJLch47GjxU5Yn2TPoGxC7LjhkddiERsTLNlNamGZlr7Jqbgl0Qj9xCQ2ytRtVIxnDuRKHrRrnNs09VgW1ejmCVHCydHZ84C/s320/deep+blue+by+jennifer+donnelly.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Deep Blue (Waterfire Saga #1) by Jennifer Donnelly" width="212" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Deep Blue (Waterfire Saga #1) by Jennifer Donnelly, pub. May 2014, 340 pg.</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Rating: 5 of 5 stars</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Jennifer Donnelly has been one of my favorite authors for a very long time. I was beyond excited when I was presented with the opportunity to review her upcoming YA novel, Deep Blue. Not only is it a magical and action-packed story brimming with Donnelly’s characteristic wit and voice, it is also about mermaids. Really, you can’t lose.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Deep Blue is the story of Serafina, the principessa of Miromara. On the day of her Dokimi (the ceremony where she proves her lineage, demonstrates her ability to rule and exchanges betrothal vows with her future husband), she dreams of a prophecy is made predicting a nightmarish future unless Sera can find five others who can help save the merfolk.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I personally haven’t encountered many mermaid books, so this was a really interesting concept to me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Donnelly does a great job of incorporating the history of the mer people and introducing their culture, politics and lifestyle. While it did take a bit for me to adjust to the necessary changes between mermaid and human stories (i.e., everyone is swimming everywhere, everyone’s bottom half is some type of sea-creature, etc.), once I got used to it, the story was engrossing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">One of my favorite things is the way the merfolk speak. Their use of language incorporates so many ocean-related puns that I was basically beside myself with joy. Money is called “currensea.” Young mer-ladies are called “merls” instead of “girls.” When someone is being a smart aleck, their friends call them a “wise wrasse.” The way the characters speak is incredibly colorful and entertaining, and it adds a lot to the story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Themes of magic are constantly present in the book. The mer all have at least a little magical ability. Some have intense power that can bend water and create illusions. They cast spells through singing and music, and they can share “bloodsongs” – memories that they physically draw from their bodies.</span><br />
Not only is Deep Blue full of magic and adventure, it also confronts problems that real-life teenagers face daily. At the beginning of the novel, Sera is harassed by one of her courtiers and has to learn how to deal with others’ opinions of her. She also deals with boy issues, friendship issues and hard family relationships.<br />
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Even if you’re not a fan of fantasy, Deep Blue is definitely worth the read. Donnelly’s signature style of writing and fast-paced plot development will appeal to readers of all ages and interests.Abbie Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181355348801645468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-166631011689267890.post-18421134155665251492014-06-02T20:59:00.000-05:002016-04-17T12:53:48.342-05:00The Fallen by Charlie Higson<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Cover art for The Fallen (The Enemy #5) by Charlie Higson" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4xjN5Tr818h0DhV_QbyJgznNZrsXxEME0BXGA8CYabCWN7PC2lGYitM3fLAKnxnF01Q1syK1ULlWv5Wq4ekVV5RtfSYOSuMDt_ggcFi_95EFuFwp62LSapxrmwfxf1FPmRbTgayRH94Z/s320/The+Fallen+by+Charlie+Higson.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="The Fallen (The Enemy #5) by Charlie Higson" width="208" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The Fallen (The Enemy #5) by Charlie Higson, pub. April 2014, 502 pg.</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Zombie lovers everywhere should be cheering – or, um, groaning? – for Charlie Higson’s YA horror series The Enemy. The fifth and latest installment in the series, The Fallen, hit shelves in the U.S. on June 10. Zombie fans won’t want to miss the latest and greatest addition to this scary series.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The events of The Fallen pick up where the first book in the series, The Enemy, ended. A year after the world has been infected with a mysterious disease that turns everyone over the age of 16 into flesh-hungry zombies, the Holloway gang – Blue, Maxie and all their friends – are headed for London’s Natural History Museum. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When they get there, they find the kids who had taken refuge at the museum are under siege by the infected grownups. After helping battle the bloodthirsty adults, the “geeks” from the museum tell the gang that they are working on a cure, and a nearby pharmaceutical warehouse might have just what they need to end the disease. A harrowing trip and some haunting discoveries follow setting up for some pretty big bombshells in the upcoming final two books of the series.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Most horror novels are aimed at adults, so it was refreshing to read one specifically meant for younger readers. The characters are all in their mid to young teen years, so the pages are packed full of all the tender, angry and idiotic moments all teenagers have. It’s easy to root for the characters, but there are times where you cringe because you know how horribly a plan will backfire or you just want to give them a hug and help them out of their terrible situation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I absolutely loved the characters in this story. Maxie is amazing – she takes on a larger leadership role in The Fallen, and it’s clear that she cares about all the members of her gang, even the ones who drive her crazy. She’s tough, but she also has tender moments. I love that, while they’re dealing with horrible situations that adults would struggle with, these kids somehow hang on to the scraps of their childhood. They don’t become numb, heartless beings like you could expect. They know what they have to do to survive and they do it, but they still have strong emotions and they still act like kids in the rare moments that they aren’t in immediate danger.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you’re looking for a YA series that’s packed with action and adventure, this is it. These books are chock full of huge battles, small brawls, narrow escapes and daring missions. Charlie Higson has taken a page out of George R. R. Martin’s book, meaning that absolutely no character is safe. I would personally advise readers to not get overly attached to any character – you never know who will survive to the next page.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Anyone who is a fan of the big zombie craze or who likes to read about dystopian societies should definitely check The Fallen out. Even if you don’t want to pick up the whole series, this book stands pretty well on its own and provides plenty of background so you know what’s happening. The Enemy series is definitely one those who love horror stories will want to pick up.</span>Abbie Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181355348801645468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-166631011689267890.post-14482861720615961812014-04-13T20:54:00.000-05:002016-04-17T12:54:25.918-05:00Defy by Sara B. Larson<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Cover art for Defy by Sara B. Larson" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGoPT9IAb0NZDR7J93ttHEgFgkzBAlyhK5lWBhu3hk6nVrHp53gAvVlacTrJgAQWh07QJ7fZlt4hMo8n-FFV_crRum-Bnv4-JSyENUyadkW9Ug5K_AcuAZTTLNfPlXse8_FY5KgBJ_Oe4v/s320/Defy+by+Sara+B.+Larson.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Defy by Sara B. Larson" width="212" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Defy by Sara B. Larson, pub. January 2014, 336 pg.</b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.295; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s pretty early in the year, but I can confidently say that I’ll have a hard time finding a new release in the upcoming months that I enjoy as much as I enjoyed </span><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; line-height: 1.295; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Defy</span><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.295; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Sara B. Larson. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; line-height: 1.295; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Defy</span><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.295; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is Larson’s debut novel, and it’s an incredible story full of wit, magic and romance.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When evil sorcerers destroy her village and kill her parents, Alexa Hollen must pretend to be a boy to avoid a life in the breeding houses – brothels where underprivileged girls are forced to get pregnant for the sole purpose of expanding the king’s army. Years later, she is the best fighter in Prince Damian’s personal guard. She has guarded the secret of her true identity, but after she, the prince and one of her fellow guards are kidnapped, she learns some people know the truth about her. </span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After years of suppressing any type of romantic feelings for fear of being discovered, Alex suddenly finds herself in the middle of an unexpected love triangle. She must learn how to navigate the world of romance while doing everything in her power to save her country from evil.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Alex is one of my favorite female characters of all time. She is extremely strong, both physically and emotionally. She lives her whole life with the burden of a gigantic secret that could get her killed, but she’s still a friendly and entertaining person. While she struggles to admit when she’s wrong and ask for help when she needs it, she knows what her weaknesses are and isn’t afraid to address them. Basically, she’s the type of girl we all want to become.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The romantic subplots in </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Defy</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> are extraordinarily well done, and it’s especially great because Alex all of a sudden has to deal with two suitors after a lifetime of thinking she’d never be able to be openly in love with anyone because everyone thought she was a man. Most people start honing their flirting skills as young teenagers, but she never had that chance which leads to a number of mixed signals and uncomfortable encounters. She also struggles with her feelings for the two men who are romantically interested in her. She is forced to figure out what she wants from her life and if either of them would even be a good match for her.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of my favorite aspects of this book was the way Larson incorporated action and magic. This is very much a fast-paced fantasy novel, but Larson deftly avoids making either of these important elements feel heavy-handed. I’ve found in other books that authors can sometimes over-do the action sequences or use magic as an easy way out when they’ve written themselves into a corner. In </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Defy</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, however, neither of these elements feel like plot devices. The action and battle scenes are flawlessly incorporated into the story, and magic is more of an ever-present threat than a useful tool Alex or her friends use to get themselves out of sticky situations.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a novel that will sweep them up and hold them captive until it’s done. If you’re anything like me, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Defy</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> will make you lose all track of time and priorities because you won’t want to stop reading. Luckily, a sequel is in the works for 2015. It can’t come soon enough!</span></span></div>
Abbie Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181355348801645468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-166631011689267890.post-15905556494813447992014-03-08T20:51:00.000-06:002016-04-17T12:54:38.171-05:00Safe With Me by Amy Hatvany<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Cover art for Safe With Me by Amy Hatvany" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7Pu7roPWdzyin8pvkC-49SxkeMAQgClh3xjScBjO269566dp6jThyphenhyphenYILoJCEtcAmelQ_CHSpat6_ZLngyJQwPm2qe3OGHAHBF8No5UfR6HmDWw0LjWhgn10gOAMRT33qqALbQJjIYma7/s320/safe+with+me+by+amy+hatvany.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Safe With Me by Amy Hatvany" width="204" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Safe With Me by Amy Hatvany, pub. March 2014, 352 pg.</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you’re looking for a book that will pull you in, make you fall in love, break your heart and somehow still leave you full of hope, look no further than Safe With Me, the latest release from Amy Hatvany.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This gripping and gut-wrenchingly emotional story follows the lives of three women who don’t know that they share an amazing connection. Hannah is the co-owner of a popular Seattle hair salon and the single mother of 12-year-old Emily. When Emily is hit by a car while riding her bike, Hannah has to make the difficult decision to donate her daughter’s organs to save the lives of other children.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Olivia was on the verge of leaving her abusive husband when their daughter, Maddie, was diagnosed with type 2 autoimmune hepatitis. Eight years later, Maddie has received a liver transplant and her health is greatly improving, but Olivia is struggling to figure out what the next step should be for their family.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Fifteen year old Maddie hasn’t had many opportunities to interact with other kids her age since she was diagnosed with her disease. Now that she is recovering, she must learn how to survive high school while also coming to terms with her transplant and her chronically tense family life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Their stories are told in chapters alternating between the perspectives of the three different women. Because of this, readers get an inside look at the challenges each character is facing. As their lives intertwine, we get to see relationships develop from all sides and see the lasting impact each woman has on the others.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I could not put this book down. From page one, Hatvany grabs your attention and doesn’t let it go until the final sentence has ended. I was instantly swept up in the lives of Hannah, Olivia and Maddie. They are fantastically created characters, and the situations they face are so well written they felt real. It was hard to not imagine them as people I really know, because they all had qualities of women I’m close to.</span><br />
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No book has ever made me cry as hard as this one did. While reading the final few chapters, I could barely see the words because of the tears in my eyes (not to mention the fact that I was also sobbing and shaking – not an effect any other book has ever had on me). The sad and scary details of Olivia and Maddie’s life with an abusive and power-hungry man, not to mention the absolutely unthinkable struggle Hannah faces while coping with her daughter’s death, are enough to break even the stoniest of hearts.<br />
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Safe With Me is a definite must-read. Fans of Jodi Picoult and similar authors will love Hatvany’s style of alternating perspectives and the tension and suspense that last throughout the entire book. Hatvany is phenomenal at creating characters you care about, and once you pick this book up, you won’t want to set it back down.Abbie Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181355348801645468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-166631011689267890.post-18913102351901442622014-02-18T20:46:00.000-06:002016-04-17T12:35:09.476-05:00Soy Sauce for Beginners by Kirstin Chen<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Cover art for Soy Sauce for Beginners by Kirstin Chen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1vRs2FRsZ2BEBUUMtw9R8rAKcfxDz8imUUSkt0T0L6WHxjJWccNhzLnXA4eVJZqv5OcdDuk3f0UQpVJjS2dsCiFOiENoBEQIB88hYRJekaWYXsPAmgc6LHWjWRyznOIhbJKjqvmaPcPj/s1600/Soy+Sauce+for+Beginners+by+Kristin+Chen.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Soy Sauce for Beginners by Kirstin Chen" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Soy Sauce for Beginners by Kirstin Chen, pub. Januar 2014, 256 pg.</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s not often that a book comes along and completely sweeps me off my feet, but that’s exactly what Kristen Chen’s debut novel, Soy Sauce for Beginners, does. With extremely elegant writing and a story that is relatable on many levels, this book kept me turning pages until there were no more left to turn.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When Gretchen Lin finds out her husband is cheating on her, she packs her bags and leaves their home in California. She returns to her family’s home in Singapore where she takes a temporary job at the family artisanal soy sauce company, Lin’s Soy Sauce. As she struggles to figure out how to cope with her husband’s betrayal, Gretchen must also navigate the trials of reconnecting with old friends, her mother’s illness and alcohol addiction, and figuring out what, exactly, she wants to do with her life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There were many things I loved about this book, but the biggest one is right in the title. Gretchen’s family’s soy sauce company produces artisanal sauces. Unlike the dark brown, watery sauce many of us are familiar with, they use natural fermentation processes and no chemicals to produce a light, complex sauce. Little facts about artisanal soy sauce are scattered throughout the book, and it was absolutely fascinating to learn about. I never expected to find something as mundane as soy sauce so interesting!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The soy sauce company is the crux of this story. When Gretchen returns to Singapore, Lin’s is recovering from a scandal caused by her cousin’s poor business decisions. Her father wants her to step up and take on more responsibility at the company, but Gretchen is determined to go back to California to finish the music degree she is pursuing at the start of the next semester.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I really enjoyed that, unlike so many books published recently, romantic love wasn’t a driving force in this novel (although there is a nice, semi-romantic sub-plot). Instead, the focus is very much on family and friendship. Gretchen’s relationship with her parents is rocky. She sees her father as too passive, and she can’t understand how her mother continues to drink in spite of her kidney failure.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Her friendships are equally as rocky. Her coworkers see her only as the boss’s daughter. Her childhood friends have lives that she doesn’t feel she fits into, even though they try to include her. Instead of embracing opportunities to reconnect and make new friendships, Gretchen shuts everyone out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Overall, Chen paints a beautiful picture of life in Singapore. Gretchen’s problems and life are extremely realistic, and you get really involved in her decisions and their consequences. Like every person, Gretchen makes mistakes and less-than-wise decisions, and I frequently wanted to either shake her by the shoulders or hug her. It’s easy to get emotionally invested in her story and her struggles.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Soy Sauce for Beginners is an extremely well-written tale of family, friendship, and the struggles of deciding what you want for your life. Fans of relatable realistic fiction should definitely check this one out. It is definitely a book that has something for all readers.</span>Abbie Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181355348801645468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-166631011689267890.post-28074412310279337592014-01-22T20:43:00.000-06:002016-04-17T12:36:36.728-05:00Ink Is Thicker Than Water by Amy Spalding<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Cover art for Ink is Thicker Than Water by Amy Spalding" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikz_TdAM1lQh9UGqwdWpD-eJXKJrYTcJACRTIwsLl92ZvzyyMiRC82nWa86UO9SOW37H6_uzp_viZEeRj8L6F7droNTFn8LhZd1BUJ8F_xoczQHbx-hL7XugyTVfFqQrjNp7w12R-yYXfq/s320/Ink+is+Thicker+Than+Water+by+Amy+Spalding.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Ink is Thicker Than Water by Amy Spalding" width="208" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Ink Is Thicker Than Water by Kirstin Chen, pub. December 2013, 285 pg.</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For me, one of the biggest signs that you’re reading a great book is being able to relate to the characters and situations even though you’ve never been in their shoes yourself. By that standard, Ink is Thicker Than Water by Amy Spalding definitely qualifies as a great book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Kellie is your average high school junior. She’s trying to skate through high school without putting in too much effort (that is, until she gets a position as her school paper’s humor columnist), stresses out about her new relationship with the boy she almost had sex with the previous summer and struggles to maintain old friendships while growing up and growing apart. When her adopted older sister, Sara, is contacted by Camille, her biological mother, Kellie watches as Sara’s decisions about her relationship with Camille impact their family.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Kellie’s relationship with her family really made this book for me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Where Sara is extremely smart and relatively popular, Kellie has a fantastic sense of humor and one or two close friends. She definitely feels inadequate compared to her sister, and these feelings are really reflected in the family’s dynamic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Their mom is a free spirit and encourages the girls to make and learn from their own decisions. After divorcing their father, their mom married Russel, a vegan tattoo artist, and had their little brother, Finn. Their mom went from being a paralegal to a tattoo artist at the shop she co-owns with Russel, The Family Ink. Kellie takes after her mom – they’re both creative and joke constantly about having “useless” talents. Family is extremely important to their mother, and they have a policy of being open and honest with each other.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Their relationship with their dad, on the other hand, is a bit more strained. It’s easy to see that he’s never quite sure what to do with the two teenage girls when they stay with him. He’s much more private than their mother, and he isn’t the greatest at demonstrating affection. He praises Sara constantly for her great grades and academic success and often suggests if Kellie applied herself, she could be more like Sara.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Because you get to know Kellie and Sara’s family so well, it’s easy to see the strain Sara’s new relationship with her biological mother puts them under. Having this new, important person introduced into their lives is hard on all of them, but Kellie especially takes it to heart. She struggles to deal with her sister’s decisions and can’t come to terms with the fact that Sara could potentially choose her birth mother over their shared family.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In addition to her family situation, I think Kellie’s problems with friends, relationships and school make this story easy to relate to for anyone who has gone through or is currently in high school. Her best friend from childhood suddenly becomes focused on popularity and leaves Kellie in the dust. At the same time, Kellie is moving in her own direction and forming bonds with her friends at the school newspaper, particularly genius-activist-editor-in-chief Adelaide.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Her relationship with Oliver, a college boy she came close to losing her virginity to at a party several months earlier, is both adorable and realistic. He’s really sweet to her, although sometimes his intensity is a bit off-putting. One of Kellie’s biggest struggles outside of her family life is deciding whether or not she is ready to have sex with him, which I think many teens can relate to. I really enjoyed how maturely she handled decisions like this throughout the book. She never just rushes into major choices without thinking, and I think that sets a really good example for teens who might read this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ink is Thicker Than Blood is full of Kellie’s hilarious sense of humor. Although the book is full of serious and often dramatic situations, the drama is tempered by Kellie’s witty personality and knack for snappy comebacks and one-liners. She is entirely likeable, and she now holds a place among my top characters of the year. Without the humor that is so deeply ingrained in her character, this book would have been incredibly different.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It can’t be easy to write a novel about a unique situation and make it universally relatable, but I think Spalding was able to make that happen. Even though I haven’t experienced many of the things that happen in Ink is Thicker Than Blood, I easily understood the emotions and experiences of the characters. If you’re looking for a quick, easy read with strong family themes and an overall great storyline, I would strongly recommend you check this one out.</span>Abbie Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181355348801645468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-166631011689267890.post-87118580575907654482014-01-11T15:00:00.000-06:002016-04-17T12:37:39.658-05:00The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY7eRPH7kO8zyTDR_LSp9d4DcseggbL_rHummYNpKaXNjY11uyuJJx00VOeUbL-NETAuxSIAHsL0XYLbFjpEgc2hMfxCyTU_JQVNL-EKRR9bm_2etKW2lLD7BTPIoMHJcsVAENNtUhYJ9o/s1600/The_Bone_Season_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Cover art for The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY7eRPH7kO8zyTDR_LSp9d4DcseggbL_rHummYNpKaXNjY11uyuJJx00VOeUbL-NETAuxSIAHsL0XYLbFjpEgc2hMfxCyTU_JQVNL-EKRR9bm_2etKW2lLD7BTPIoMHJcsVAENNtUhYJ9o/s320/The_Bone_Season_cover.jpg" title="The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon" width="210" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon, pub. August 2013, 452 pg.</b></td></tr>
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When I began reading <b><i>The Bone Season</i></b><i> </i>by Samantha Shannon, I entered the process with extremely high
standards. Shannon was heralded as “the next J.K. Rowling” by The Telegraph,
The Daily Mail. USA Today, Forbes and many other high-profile media outlets. In
my eyes, there is no higher literary compliment.<o:p></o:p></div>
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While I didn’t think the book quite lived up to all the
hype, it was still a very good novel and I look forward to reading more of the
series, which is expected to be seven books long.</div>
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<b><i>The Bone Season</i> </b>is really hard to sum up without giving too
much away, so bear with me while I attempt to generalize. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Paige Mahoney is a clairvoyant in 2059 London – she can
throw herself out of her body and travel the astral plane. Scion, the entity
that runs England’s government, sees clairvoyance as a disease and known
voyants are constantly at risk of being arrested and never seen again. It isn’t
long before Paige discovers the real reason so many voyants have disappeared,<br />
<a name='more'></a>and she has to decide if it’s better to live as a slave to the mysterious
supernatural beings behind Scion or to risk her life and rebel.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Paige is an extremely serious and complex character. She has
lots of secrets, and her life is constantly at risk throughout most of the
book. She has a prickly personality and doesn’t let people get close or trust
anyone. I liked how strong she was, especially because she faces adversity left
and right in many different ways. Her resolve to fight never wavers, and she’s
constantly embroiled in emotional, physical, mental and spiritual battles. <o:p></o:p></div>
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While I really liked Paige, I found myself getting more
attached to the secondary characters. Where Paige’s strength comes from her
willpower and the barriers she uses to keep others away, her friends’ strength
comes from how much they care about her and how far they would go to keep her
safe. Paige’s courage is inspiring because it never fails, but her friends’
courage impresses me even more, because they are brave in spite of their fears
and weaknesses. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Shannon created an extremely complicated world within this
book. There is a great deal of slang specific to this version of London, and
the intricate details she uses really make the story come alive. However,
sometimes the amount of detail made it difficult to keep things straight. I
didn’t discover until I’d finished the book that there was a glossary at the
end, and I think if I’d realized that earlier, I would have had an even better
reading experience.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The stand-out aspect of this book, though, was the intense
action sequences. Shannon created fantastic, fast-moving fight scenes and
battles. I usually have a hard time keeping action sequences straight while I’m
reading them, but the ones in this book were phenomenal. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>The Bone Season</i> </b>is an exemplary work of fantasy writing. While
I wouldn’t go quite as far as other reviewers and make comparisons to J.K.
Rowling or the Harry Potter series, I do think this book display’s the author’s
talent and is a must-read for anyone looking for what is sure to be an epic
series. <o:p></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-166631011689267890.post-234978952143570672013-11-10T20:39:00.000-06:002016-04-17T12:39:15.986-05:00Sometimes Never, Sometimes Always by Elissa Janine Hoole<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQ0-tP9jwlLOnKOXC6chiHQTrGaGiuk0cCXQakL7ax6EDoTtoBU6o415R8JzOeWWvVa9rHF3xIrXTJvfZsqk0wIN4aaBxz89JVoG-hI_F-lZZOVLHRi9JJAMSJU2ZovS1KoUmB1Xh0htS/s1600/Sometimes+Always+Sometimes+Never+by+Elissa+Janine+Hoole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="Cover art for Sometimes Never, Sometimes Always by Elissa Janine Hoole" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQ0-tP9jwlLOnKOXC6chiHQTrGaGiuk0cCXQakL7ax6EDoTtoBU6o415R8JzOeWWvVa9rHF3xIrXTJvfZsqk0wIN4aaBxz89JVoG-hI_F-lZZOVLHRi9JJAMSJU2ZovS1KoUmB1Xh0htS/s1600/Sometimes+Always+Sometimes+Never+by+Elissa+Janine+Hoole.jpg" title="Sometimes Never, Sometimes Always by Elissa Janine Hoole" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sometimes Never, Sometimes Always by Elissa Janine Hoole, pub. November 2013, 349 pg.</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 18.9933px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Rating: 4 of 5 stars</b></span></span><br />
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When I read YA books that primarily take place at a high school, I’m usually a little disappointed. Many of them just aren’t realistic, and my biggest issue is when the author just glosses over all of the problems so many high school students face. Luckily, I was happily surprised when Sometimes Never, Sometimes Always by Elissa Janine Hoole turned out to be one of the most realistic depictions of a high school setting that I’ve ever read. </span></span></div>
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Cass Randall is pretty sure she is the most boring person alive. All of her friends have filled out an online survey, and each one seems to have more interesting stories than the last. Cass, however, comes from a fundamentalist Christian family and, besides struggling to figure out what her own beliefs are and keeping her brother’s secret sexual orientation a secret, she thinks she might be the least-exciting person in existence. On a quest to make herself more interesting and simultaneously figure out who she is, Cass has to decide if popularity, notoriety, or her friends and family are most important. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 18.9933px; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of my favorite things about this book is that it isn’t perfectly smooth or flawless. Cass faces challenges everywhere she turns. She’s not sure she believes in God even though her family is devoutly religious. She wants to be popular and well-known at school, but she’s also the only friend of her school’s least-popular girl. When her brother is bullied for being gay, she wants to stand up for him, but she isn’t sure how to because her parents don’t know.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 18.9933px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sometimes Never, Sometimes Always is a very realistic representation of what it’s like to be in high school. Kids struggle to maintain friendships and build new connections and figure out who they are. It’s hard to know what you want when you’re constantly being pressures by peers and parents, and that is exactly what this book shows. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 18.9933px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cass battles throughout the book with wanting to do the right thing, but also wanting to maintain her reputation and appearance at school. Common challenges like friendship problems, cyberbullying, religion, sexual orientation, and popularity are threaded throughout the book, and each one is examined through the Cass’s eyes as she struggles to balance what she knows is right with what she wants for herself. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 18.9933px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
The framing of this story was really clever. Each chapter title is a different question from the survey Cass is struggling to complete. It reminded me a lot of the many, many MySpace surveys my friends and I would fill out in junior high school. The questions posed at the beginning of each chapter often foreshadowed events or realizations Cass would have in the following pages.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 18.9933px; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is a subtle little love story threaded throughout the book as well. I really enjoyed that this wasn’t one of the many YA books that focus primarily on the romantic relationships of the main character. Instead, the love story aspect played second fiddle to the more serious issues high school students face (and was still completely adorable at the same time). </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 18.9933px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I think Sometimes Never, Sometimes Always teaches some really crucial lessons about the importance of accepting those who are different, treating people how they deserve to be treated and how every action has a consequence. I’d definitely suggest it to anyone who has endured the high school experience – everyone can relate to it.</span></span></div>
Abbie Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181355348801645468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-166631011689267890.post-50768308741481406452013-10-23T20:29:00.000-05:002016-04-17T12:40:19.221-05:00The Pentrals by Crystal Mack<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL64QjqE9z0egThZLwJRZcfysYRjGAyEtqf9pinQDQe09_orKXVDqvKnfghMYq9Zh-EBeONpFgM_oDvAn5lJ_3YvT5Y87A9THLQl0m-jHvNtlgzxM1F7I9JuWA2aAxAobA7GAXFguyMk71/s1600/The+Pentrals+by+Crystal+Mack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Cover art for The Pentrals by Crystal Mack" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL64QjqE9z0egThZLwJRZcfysYRjGAyEtqf9pinQDQe09_orKXVDqvKnfghMYq9Zh-EBeONpFgM_oDvAn5lJ_3YvT5Y87A9THLQl0m-jHvNtlgzxM1F7I9JuWA2aAxAobA7GAXFguyMk71/s320/The+Pentrals+by+Crystal+Mack.jpg" title="The Pentrals by Crystal Mack" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The Pentrals by Crystal Mack, pub. November 2013, 246 pg.</b></td></tr>
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<b><span id="goog_2018894318"></span><span id="goog_2018894319"></span>Rating: 4 of 5 stars</b><br />
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Antares follows people for a living. Her job is to track one person’s movements. She has to monitor them as closely as possible, and there are drastic consequences if she strays from her job.<br />
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No, Antares is not a spy or secret operative of some government organization. Instead, the main character of The Pentrals by Crystal Mack is something much more common – a shadow.<br />
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Antares is the Shadow assigned to Violet, a teenage girl living in the opulent, mirrored city of Talline. She is a Class Two Pentral, or a Shadow or Reflection assigned to mirror the movements of a living creature. She doesn’t feel emotions, and her only form of interaction is the brief moments she crosses paths with other Shadows and can exchange thoughts.<br />
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After tragedy strikes Violet’s group of friends, Antares begins to notice drastic changes in her Person. Violet becomes withdrawn and starts taking Lift! – a drug that makes it impossible for Antares to remember anything that happens afterwards.<br />
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Eventually, Antares has enough of Violet’s changed attitude and suddenly is filled with a blinding rage and tries to rip away from her Person. Violet falls and collides with the Shadow, and, after briefly losing consciousness, Antares wakes up in Violet’s body. Suddenly able to openly communicate, emote, and move freely for the first time, Antares comes face to face with a city-wide conspiracy and has to expose the truth before it is too late.<br />
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To say this book is unique would be an understatement. As soon as I realized the story was told from the point of view of a Shadow, I realized it was going to be unlike anything else I’d ever read. And I was right.<br />
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The futuristic setting is just one of the many appealing aspects of this book. In Talline, paper and ink are almost never used. Instead, everyone has Holopanes – tablet-like devices that are used to communicate, record events, browse databases, and do pretty much anything anyone could ever need. Instead of cars, citizens of Talline travel in self-driven carpods. Their technology is incredibly advanced, and it progresses even more throughout the course of the book.<br />
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The Pentrals handles a lot of topics that we all see daily. Body image and trying to understand what real love is are just two of the recurring themes. When Antares wakes up in Violet’s body, she realizes that her Reflection is hideous and monster-like, and, even though it looks nothing like Violet’s true appearance, she begins to believe that she really is ugly and unworthy of attention.<br />
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This book has a very unique love triangle. Because Antares spends some time inhabiting Violet’s body, everyone thinks she is Violet, including Violet’s boyfriend. However, Antares starts to have feelings for another boy and has to figure out how to cope with them without ruining Violet’s life.<br />
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One of Antares’s main struggles throughout the book is balancing what she thinks is right with what she thinks the real Violet would do in many of the situations. She occasionally communicates with Shadow Violet, but often she has to decide what the best course of action is on her own. Antares truly cares about Violet and doesn’t want to change her relationships, so she faces the challenge of weighing what she feels is right against what Violet would actually do.<br />
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Although it took me a little while to get into this book, once Antares’s complicated background was explained and the plot began picking up pace, I couldn’t put it down. As the story progresses, author Mack throws more and more balls into the air for her characters which makes the story even more gripping. As more challenges are placed in front of Antares, Violet, and their friends, it becomes even more interesting to see how things will turn out.<br />
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This book really brought out my inner sci-fi nerd. The Pentrals in their many forms are almost-but-not-quite-human creatures with unique personalities. Seeing how their lives intertwined with those of the people they are assigned to was one of my favorite aspects of this book. Even though it took a bit for the story to really get going, I think The Pentrals should definitely be on the must-read list of anyone who enjoys the sci-fi and fantasy genres.<br />
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Abbie Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181355348801645468noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-166631011689267890.post-69900354210457872992013-10-09T08:53:00.000-05:002016-04-17T12:41:25.818-05:00Goodbye, Rebel Blue by Shelley Coriell<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMlCN5av6ZiyQuHtYq0pM2IxlfOLTXxTUf5dwv01Yk71uEjbdTEwNCS5Q8pqmqjsG2tCbdHuruy63QOTMu9dYz6yPF_hSDdMP37RRzDvuR29ym1p8Wc1IM0gziMCSxjBBk6FZH_XJWjyg/s1600/GoodbyeRebelBlue.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Cover art for Goodbye, Rebel Blue by Shelley Coriell" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMlCN5av6ZiyQuHtYq0pM2IxlfOLTXxTUf5dwv01Yk71uEjbdTEwNCS5Q8pqmqjsG2tCbdHuruy63QOTMu9dYz6yPF_hSDdMP37RRzDvuR29ym1p8Wc1IM0gziMCSxjBBk6FZH_XJWjyg/s320/GoodbyeRebelBlue.JPG" title="Goodbye, Rebel Blue by Shelley Coriell" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Goodbye, Rebel Blue by Shelley Coriell, pub. October 2013, 320 pg.</b></td></tr>
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<b>Goodbye, Rebel Blue by Shelley Coriell, pub. Oct. 2013, 320 pg.</b></div>
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<b>Rating: 4/5 stars</b></div>
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If your classmate died and you had her bucket list, what would you do? That’s the question the title character in <b style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Goodbye, Rebel Blue </i></b>by Shelley Coriell has to answer when a girl at her school dies and leaves behind a list of things she wanted to do with her life.</div>
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Rebecca “Rebel” Blue is a misfit at her high school. She grew up running barefoot and wild while she and her mother, a photographer, traveled the world. When her mother died, Rebel went to live with her aunt, uncle and cousin Penelope, in a much more regimented household.<span id="more-26623" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
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When the book begins, Rebel is constantly in and out of detention and has a reputation for causing trouble. When one of her classmates suddenly dies, Rebel is the only one who knows <br />
<a name='more'></a>where to find the girl’s bucket list. After trying to get rid of the list only to have it continuously come back to her, Rebel decides there is only one way to get the list – and the memory of her classmate – to stop haunting her: she has to do everything the other girl wanted to do before she died.</div>
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This book paints a really touching and genuine picture of what it feels like to not fit in. Readers get a behind-the-scenes look at the thoughts behind Rebel’s often prickly actions. She constantly pushes friends and family members away when she really wants and needs their support. Because she feels like she doesn’t fit in, it’s hard for her to believe when people really do have her back and want to stand up for her. She constantly suspects other people of having ulterior motives, even when it’s clear they are just trying to help her.</div>
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I read this book in one day. I couldn’t put it down because I wanted to see how Rebel was going to tackle the next bucket list item. Her classmate’s list is full of good deeds, and Rebel isn’t exactly known for being the helpful type. The items on the list send her to places and set her to tasks she never would have done on her own. Taking on goals that force her to interact with people outside of her comfort zone really changes Rebel, and it’s amazing to see the metamorphosis she goes through over the course of the book.</div>
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One of the biggest challenges Rebel faces is learning how to trust others and believe in them. <b>READ THE FULL REVIEW AT <a href="http://thedailyquirk.com/2013/09/25/book-review-goodbye-rebel-blue-by-shelley-coriell/" target="_blank">THE DAILY QUIRK!</a></b></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-166631011689267890.post-32936166014366898632013-10-06T17:12:00.000-05:002013-10-06T17:12:07.883-05:00Feature & Follow Friday (um...or...Sunday....)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.alisoncanread.com/2013/10/feature-and-follow-friday-169.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8366/8474595901_873f4993f4_n.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fefff5; color: #3d3a3a; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;">What book (or TV show or movie) have you not read that seemingly everyone else has?</span></h3>
<span style="background-color: #fefff5; color: #3d3a3a; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;">Fifty Shades of Grey. But not for lack of trying! I put the first book on hold through Overdrive to read on my Nook and waited months and months for it to become available for me. I figured I should see for myself what all the fuss was about, even though I knew I wasn't really that into the subject matter.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fefff5; color: #3d3a3a; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;">When I finally got it, I read the first few pages and had to put it down. I didn't even get into the plot at all. It was just so terribly written that I couldn't stand reading it. I actually really wanted to go out and buy a paper copy so I could edit it as I read. I'm pretty sure that's the only way I will ever tackle that series.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fefff5; color: #3d3a3a; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #fefff5; color: #3d3a3a; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;">What book (or TV show or movie) trends have you missed out on? Is it by choice, or have you just not gotten around to it yet? Let me know in the comments!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-166631011689267890.post-55553253482727256322013-09-26T09:32:00.000-05:002016-04-17T12:42:50.866-05:00This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales, pub September 2013, 228 pg.</b></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rating: 5/5 stars</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Being a teenager in this day and age is tough. Modern teens face pressure from parents to think or behave a certain way. They’re under pressure from teachers to achieve particular grades or complete particular goals. They also face pressure from their peers to conform to certain ideals and are often teased for being different. Understanding and being proud of his or her unique talents can be hard for a teenager, and that’s exactly the issue that author Leila Sales takes on in her latest novel, <b style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This Song Will Save Your Life</i></b>.<span id="more-26303" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Elise Dembowski loves projects and often dedicates her summers to learning a particular skill. The summer before she starts her sophomore year of high school, she devotes herself to learning how to be cool. After years of being teased for acting and thinking differently than the other kids at her school, she is determined to make friends and be “normal.” On her first day back at school, her plan backfires, and Elise gives up. When she happens across an underground dance club called Start, she finally</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> finds a place where she fits in and begins to learn that what makes her different might not be such a bad thing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This Song Will Save Your Life</i></b> is an amazing and poignant novel about feeling like you don’t fit. It deals with many issues teens are faced with today, including bullying, divorce, and depressive or suicidal issues. Elise has always been an outcast at school, and the other kids remind her of it daily. Through her experiences, you really get to see the horrors of being bullied and how it can drive someone to take drastic action.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">On the other side of things, this book is extremely uplifting. Everyone can relate to the feeling of being alone or not having anyone to count on or share your secrets with, and Elise is the perfect example of how terrible that feeling is. So, even though her story is full of ups and downs, when things are going right for her, you can’t help but smile and feel happy. Because even though she’s just a fictional character, she’s someone you can relate to and really feel for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Many literature critics rant about YA lit because many times, the characters’ parents aren’t present. That’s not the case in <b style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This Song Will Save Your Life</i></b>. Elise’s parents are a constant throughout the story. Instead of being shadows in the background like many YA parents, Elise’s mom and dad are there to support her when she’s struggling, show her that they care about her and punish her when she’s done something wrong.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Some of the most entertaining scenes in the book take place at Start, an underground night club. READ THE FULL REVIEW AT <a href="http://thedailyquirk.com/2013/09/11/book-review-this-song-will-save-your-life-by-leila-sales/" target="_blank">THE DAILY QUIRK</a>!</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0