tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24424317241819191092024-03-18T19:58:41.044-07:00Into the MysticA book is like a garden carried in the pocket. ~Chinese ProverbTammy Cordeirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892735481777855921noreply@blogger.comBlogger425125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442431724181919109.post-45167802751031599532015-04-12T01:30:00.000-07:002015-04-12T01:30:00.848-07:00From What I Remember, this book is phenomenal!<b id="docs-internal-guid-fbbc12f7-a970-515a-f683-7f94a58d6906" style="font-weight: normal;"></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-fbbc12f7-a970-515a-f683-7f94a58d6906" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Authors</b>: Stacy Kramer & Valerie Thomas</span></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-fbbc12f7-a970-515a-f683-7f94a58d6906" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Publisher</b>: Disney-Hyperion (Hey Disney! This book has movie adaptation written all over it! And you already have the screenplay writers, so get on that!)</span></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-fbbc12f7-a970-515a-f683-7f94a58d6906" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Source</b>: My library</span></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-fbbc12f7-a970-515a-f683-7f94a58d6906" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>My grade</b>: A+</span></span></b></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-fbbc12f7-a970-515a-f683-7f94a58d6906" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i>KYLIE: Mexico? What a nightmare! I should be putting the finishing touches on my valedictorian speech. Graduation is TODAY! Wait! Is this a wedding band on my finger??<br /><br />MAX: It started with Kylie's laptop and a truck full of stolen electronics and it ended in Ensenada. It was hot, the way she broke us out like some chick in an action movie. But now we're stranded here, with less than twenty-four hours before graduation.<br /><br />WILL: Saving Kylie Flores from herself is kind of a full-time occupation. Luckily, I, Will Bixby, was born for the job. And when I found out she was stuck in Mexico with dreamy Max Langston, sure, I agreed to bring their passports across the border but there's no reason to rush back home right away. This party is just getting started.<br /><br />LILY: This cannot be happening. It's like some cruel joke. Or a bad dream. I close my eyes and when I reopen them, they're still there. Max and Kylie Flores, freak of the century. In bed together. If Kylie thinks I'm giving him up without a fight, she's dead wrong. </i></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-fbbc12f7-a970-515a-f683-7f94a58d6906" style="font-weight: normal;"><u><b>Initial reaction</b></u><br />What a SWEET kick-off to my summer reading season! I really did not expect this book to be THIS good! Why did I wait this long to read it?<br /><br /><br /><u><b>Cover story</b></u>Ok, this cover is a little too cutesy for me, but at least it matches the story. This is the paperback cover. I like the hardback cover a little better, but not much. <br /><br /><br /><u><b>What’s the story?</b></u><br />I don’t even know where to start since everything about this book rocked! So, let me start by saying that I loved Kylie! Girlfriend has got it going on! In fact, I would say that the characters are one of the great strengths of this book. They could have easily been flat, one-dimensional cliches, but somehow they weren’t. I mean, I’m not saying that they didn’t at times delve into that territory, but they always bounce back as MORE. I loved being able to see this story from so many of their points of view and I think that’s actually what helped them be more than just “the school hottie”, “the valedictorian”, “the gay best friend” and “the mean girl”. <br /><br /><br />One caveat on the characters--Jake’s point of view was interesting, but a little jarring. I have to say that it was the only thing that I found to be anywhere close to a flaw in the novel. While it was interesting to see what the little brother with Asperger’s was like, sometimes it messed with the flow. But not enough to keep me from ripping through this book as fast as humanly possible.<br /><br /><br />The story was fantastic. It was non-stop, over the top action that was pure entertainment! After reading the book, I read the author bios and I was not surprised to see that they both write for film and TV. This book has “awesome movie” written all over it! I also enjoyed the movie quotes at the beginning of each chapter--it was a total bonus and a really nice touch.<br /><br /><br />Obviously, this is a happy book with a lot of fluff, but sort of like a Snickers bar, there is some substance hidden in with the sweet. In fact, I am finding it hard to tear myself away from this world and this story. I just love these characters so much! I kept waiting to reach a point where my brain said “Ok, enough is enough! This is too unrealistic/cliched/sweet/predictable/etc., etc.”, but that moment never arrived. Every time, there was an interesting twist or turn or one of the characters said something or did something I wasn’t expecting. Sometimes it was crazy and sometimes it was downright normal, but it always seemed to just fit.<br /><br /><br />I could sit and wax poetic about this book all day. Just suffice it to say that this was one of the most enjoyable and entertaining books I’ve read in a while. Do yourself a favor and read it too!<br /><br /><br /><u><b>Soundtrack</b></u><br /><br />Don’t judge me for this soundtrack, ‘kay?<br /><br />Livin’ La Vida Loca by Ricky Martin</b><br /><br />Sorry about this one, but this book is about a straight-laced girl who gets her crazy on during a trip to Mexico with the resident school hottie. Couldn’t be helped!<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p47fEXGabaY" width="420"></iframe><br /><br /><br />Last Friday Night by Katy Perry<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KlyXNRrsk4A" width="420"></iframe><br /><br /><br />Roar by Katy Perry<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CevxZvSJLk8" width="420"></iframe><br /><br /><br />Good girls by 5SOS<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0FfG_5JBVBQ" width="420"></iframe><br /><br /><br />Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lp-EO5I60KA" width="420"></iframe><br /><br /><br />Glitter in the Air by Pink<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kQ0zhsvhynw" width="420"></iframe><br /><br /><br />Loca by Shakira<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KewfYKJy8YU" width="420"></iframe></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Brave by Sara Bareilles</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />The Words by Christina Perry<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B9tc9R_Y3FY" width="420"></iframe></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>The Final Grade</b></u></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">My final grade is an A+. This book shocked the hell out of me and completely knocked my socks off! I would LOVE to see this one as a film adaptation, but regardless, I'm pretty sure I'll not only read it again, but I'll start handing it out like candy in my library!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><b id="docs-internal-guid-fbbc12f7-a970-515a-f683-7f94a58d6906" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>Tammy Cordeirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892735481777855921noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442431724181919109.post-29605126932727478842015-04-10T22:44:00.002-07:002015-04-10T22:44:11.726-07:00I'm positively glowing In the Afterlight of this book!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Book</b>: In the Afterlight</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Author</b>: Alexandra Bracken</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Publisher</b>: Disney-Hyperion (Hey Disney, since you own this book, why don’t you get busy turning this series into a movie??)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Source</b>: Purchased then borrowed from my library</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>My grade</b>: A+++++</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Ruby can't look back. Fractured by an unbearable loss, she and the kids who survived the government's attack on Los Angeles travel north to regroup. With them is a prisoner: Clancy Gray, son of the president, and one of the few people Ruby has encountered with abilities like hers. Only Ruby has any power over him, and just one slip could lead to Clancy wreaking havoc on their minds. </i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>They are armed only with a volatile secret: proof of a government conspiracy to cover up the real cause of IAAN, the disease that has killed most of America's children and left Ruby and others like her with powers the government will kill to keep contained. But internal strife may destroy their only chance to free the "rehabilitation camps" housing thousands of other Psi kids. </i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Meanwhile, reunited with Liam, the boy she would-and did-sacrifice everything for to keep alive, Ruby must face the painful repercussions of having tampered with his memories of her. She turns to Cole, his older brother, to provide the intense training she knows she will need to take down Gray and the government. But Cole has demons of his own, and one fatal mistake may be the spark that sets the world on fire. </i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Initial Reaction</b></u></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Oh book, how I love and hate you at the same time! I love you for being so wonderful and I hate you for ending! Why hasn’t everyone in the world read this series????!!!!!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Cover Story</b></u></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">I love the covers in this series. They’re attractive and they don’t scream paranormal teen romance or anything like that. I can happily read this book in public and proudly display the cover…….as I wax poetic to random strangers about how freaking good this series is!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">I do need to add, however, that I’m not crazy about the titles. It’s a little cheesy how you can put them all together. But that’s just a thing…… </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>What’s the Story?</b></u></span></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">I don't know whether I should leap for joy because this book was so good or weep tears of sadness because the journey is over.........this book was a perfect end to what has turned into one of my favorite series ever. No lie. I try to make every kid that walks in to my library check this series out. I don’t know what I need to do to make them understand! The ones that take my advice come back just as excited as I am! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">There are so many things that I loved about this book, but it’s going to be hard to get them here without spoilers, so I may not be able to adequately express the greatness of this book. Alexandra Bracken is a genius. This book has a kick-ass plot with tons of action, but it also has fantastic characters. Ruby and Liam are incredible, but the supporting characters are just as great! The characters were still wonderful in this book and the action was non-stop! I was sitting on the edge of my seat for most of this book. And I loved it! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">I don’t really know what else to say here, people. If you have not read this series, run right now to get the first book. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Soundtrack </b></u></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hurt by Johnny Cash </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Breathe Me by Sia </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">I Will Remember You by Sarah McLaughlin </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">You and Me by Lifehouse </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">We Are Pilots by Shiny Toy Guns </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>The Final Grade</b></u> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">My final grade for this book is an A+. I loved this ending and I loved the whole series. I’m serious about Disney getting this thing made as a movie. And I can’t wait to see what Alexandra Bracken has in store next. Although I must say that I wouldn’t cry if she decided to write more about Liam……..I mean, The Darkest Minds world. Just sayin’......</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: century gothic, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"></span></span><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: century gothic, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by</span><a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank"> The Broke and the Bookish.</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: century gothic, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"></span></span><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: century gothic, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This week's topic is:</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak This one is really embarrassing. Don’t tell the English department at my school. They won’t be my BFFs any more.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson Thank goodness book club is reading this one next, so this little problem will be rectified!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Steven Chbosky I know it’s not an excuse, but I did see the movie……..::hides face in shame::</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Paper Towns by John Green At least this is the only John Green novel I haven’t read. Sorry John, I realize this probably dashes any hope I had of being able to marry you some day.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. Almost all of Sarah Dessen’s novels It’s a good thing they didn’t ask this question on the Library Science Praxis. Otherwise, I would never have received by School Librarian certification</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">6. Monster by Walter Dean Myers There is no excuse I can offer for this one. I have got to get it read this year, just sayin'.......</span><br />
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7. Eragon by Christopher Paolini This one makes my students gasp aloud when I admit that I haven’t read it.<br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">8. Crank by Ellen Hopkins All the kids that I give this book to absolutely adore it, but the thought of tackling that much poetry makes me almost break out in hives.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">9. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher There is one word that will explain why I have not read this book-- suicide. Although I avoided The Fault in Our Stars forever because of one word and I regretted that decision…..</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">10. Maximum Ride series by James Patterson I really have to tackle this series. I know it’s supposed to be great. I just wonder how I will find the time to read the whole thing since there are sooooo many of them!</span><br />
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Tammy Cordeirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892735481777855921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442431724181919109.post-4504766235212637282015-01-27T00:00:00.000-08:002015-01-27T00:00:03.423-08:00Top Ten Tuesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: century gothic, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This week's topic is:</span></span></span><br />
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As a high school librarian, I actually DO run a book club. When we choose books, I make a list of 12-15 books in a particular genre and then all the kids vote on the top 3 they want to read. The book with the most votes is the one we read. Sometimes, though, I really wish they would choose something different from what they do, so here are some that I would love to read with them. I'm dividing it into 2 sections: book I've already read and I want to talk to someone about them and books I'm dying to read so book club would give me the nudge to read them.</div>
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<b><u>Books I've Already Read</u></b></div>
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1. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken</div>
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I love this series so much and even though I have read all 3 books, I really want to fangirl about it with a large group of people, so I wish they would choose it!</div>
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2. Unwind by Neal Shusterman</div>
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Love, love, love this book! I think this book would be fabulous for an "academic" style discussion with students.</div>
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3. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie</div>
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This is one of the best books I've ever read. I recommend it to perfect strangers. I wish they could teach this book at my school, but since they can't, book club would be the next best thing.</div>
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4. This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith</div>
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I really want to read this book with the girls in my book club so that I can squeal like a 14 year old girl at a Justin Bieber concert. Without being completely embarrassed about it. An alternate to this one would be Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill.</div>
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5. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray</div>
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This would best be read and discussed with an Honors English class actually because I think it's such a great example of satire. I would love to compare this novel to Jonathan Swift and discuss it with a group of kids who can understand the brilliance of this book.</div>
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6. Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan</div>
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At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I really want to share the awesomeness of this book with lots of people.</div>
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7. Anything by Gayle Forman</div>
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I would re-read any of her books with great joy and then fangirl in ways that a 45 year old woman probably shouldn't in public. Just sayin'...........</div>
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<b><u>Books I Really Want to Read</u></b></div>
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1. Wither by Lauren DeStefano<br />
I have been wanting to read this book forever, so doing this book with my book club would give me a chance to read it. Also, I'd like to discuss the whole thing with teen girls to get their perspective on it.<br />
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2. The Counterfeit Family Tree of Vee Crawford Wong by L. Tam Holland<br />
I hope t his book is very funny yet deep in the way of Sherman Alexie. I mean, I know it won't be as wonderful as Alexie's book, but I want to read it and find out.<br />
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3. The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson<br />
This book has been on my TBR list for a while. I don't tend to read lots of mysteries and thrillers, so I think a book club choice would get me to read this one sooner.<br />
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4. I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga<br />
I hand this book to kids all the time, so it never seems to be checked in! If I had to read it for book club, I could justify buying a copy of it for myself!<br />
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5. Paper Towns by John Green<br />
I am dying to read a John Green book with my book club and since this is the only one I haven't read AND it's in movie production, it seems like the perfect choice.<br />
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So, my slightly more than ten Top Ten Tuesday list! What do you think?<br />
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<br />Tammy Cordeirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892735481777855921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442431724181919109.post-57315665926522478942015-01-26T05:00:00.000-08:002015-01-26T05:00:07.331-08:00It's Monday! What Are You Reading?<br />
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<b>It's Monday! What Are You Reading?</b> is hosted by Sheila at <a href="http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/category/its-monday-what-are-you-reading/" target="_blank">Book Journey</a>. It's designed to let readers know what books you have just finished reading and what books are next on your TBR pile.<br />
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As part of my great catch-up attempt of 2015, I am going to really try to get these regular features up and going again in my blog. So here goes nothing!<br />
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Currently reading:<br />
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<b>Dreams of Gods and Monsters</b> by Laini Taylor<br />
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I love this series! It's so different! So far, I'm enjoying this one, but I really need a big chunk of uninterrupted time to sit down with it. It weighs in at a whopping 624 pages, which is great, but it also means I need a whole day to really get somewhere with it. If only I could get a snow day.......</div>
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Just finished:</div>
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<b>In the Afterlight</b> by Alexandra Bracken</div>
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THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST SERIES EVER!!!!! I fangirl over this series so much and I try to send it out with every kid in my library. I loved this book and I will post my review soon!</div>
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Up next:</div>
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I love both of these series, so I can't believe I've waited this long to finish them. I'm looking forward to reading both of them!</div>
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What are you currently reading? Any thoughts on the books I have here?</div>
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<br />Tammy Cordeirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892735481777855921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442431724181919109.post-34710947928724339462015-01-26T00:00:00.000-08:002015-01-26T00:00:03.861-08:00This whole Marie Lu series is a Champion!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Book: Champion</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Marie Lu</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Publisher: Putnam Juvenile</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Date: November 2013</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Source: My library</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My grade: A+</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>He is a Legend.</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>She is a Prodigy.</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Who will be Champion? </b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps-Elect, while Day has been assigned a high-level military position. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them: just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;"><u>Initial reaction</u></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">::sits down to calm heartbeat:: The feels, people, the feels!! At my age, the angst at the end of this series could have caused a heart attack! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><u>Cover story</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is the only part of this book that doesn’t just bowl me over. I mean, the cover is ok. It’s not horrible, but it’s not anything special either. It certainly doesn’t reflect the awesomeness of the story held within its covers.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><u>What’s the story?</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Not exactly. Of course, all those things happen, but the complexity of these characters and the nuances of this story make this series so much more than your average dystopian fare. I love the characters in this series. Marie Lu has done such a great job of making everyone so believable. Also, I love that there are no absolutes in this story. No one was purely evil and no one was wholly good. At times, I sort of wanted to everyone to win. Except for Captain Jameson. She was actually evil. But it turns out that the Republic, the Colonies, Day, June and even Thomas are more gray than black and white and I really liked that.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The story had me sitting on the edge of my seat throughout the entire novel. There was a ton of action and plenty of heart fail to be had. I just sat in my reading chair and raced to the end in about a day. I couldn’t put it down because I had to know what was going to happen.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I love the world that Marie Lu created in this series. It was fun to see Antarctica and Africa as major world powers. I think that Lu has a lot of timely warnings for us in this book as well, without being preachy and in your face. The fact that empires rise and fall is a nice warning to those folks who think that western civilization is invincible. Of course, the environmental cautions are there and I love the way she works in some cautions about powerful corporations with the Colonies. All in all, she does a great job of working in some very timely issues without being preachy.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><u>The Soundtrack</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/1lyu1KKwC74" width="420"></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">unforgettable</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The next 2 songs come from Marie Lu’s playlist. You can find the whole thing <a href="http://marielubooks.tumblr.com/post/66210184737/my-champion-playlist">here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><u>The Final Grade</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My final grade for this novel and this series is an A+. In a sea of dystopians, I think this series really stands out. It’s a fast-paced, thrilling story with a host of complex characters and a great ending that doesn’t feel forced by isn’t completely tragic either. It also serves as a pretty decent cautionary tale dealing with some timely issues. I highly recommend it.</span></div>
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Tammy Cordeirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892735481777855921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442431724181919109.post-16003362268075402702015-01-25T08:04:00.000-08:002015-01-25T08:06:18.352-08:00Series Enders Challenge 2015<br />
I am soooooooooooooooooo behind in blogging and series reading, so I have decided to try and catch up in both areas! How, you might ask? By signing up for a challenge, of course! Here it is:<br />
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<a border="0" href="http://sandyfarmer.blogspot.com/2014/11/2015-series-enders-reading-challenge.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQPoSFD3k7A-AcKF9pVQQd4cgq8nF2a-03WHms2Wv49WhyC0Y-RKEw8g0cSdnDeMtrULIhypB26pBmFsP_JMUHbVDsuRSaD85fr5OO7O1SAHzyAlO66kDuMpbg9qcl8KF4FcesyYiXhxU/s1600/2015SeriesEnders.jpg" height="225" width="225" /></a><br />
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This wonderful little challenge showed up on my Bloglovin' page as a suggestion, so I clicked on it and discovered the goodness! This is hosted by <a href="http://sandyfarmer.blogspot.com/">Somewhere Only We Know</a> and <a href="http://wordsfueledbylove.blogspot.com/">Words Fueled by Love</a>. Go check out their blogs! Interested in signing up yourself? Here's the<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/frame?post=4137508453&group=0&frame_type=a&context=&context_ids=&blog=3790419&frame=1&click=0&user=0"> sign-up page</a>! You don't have to have a blog, you just have to link to books you review on Goodreads, Barnes and Noble, Amazon or wherever....<br />
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I'm going for the Level 4 challenge which is 15+ series enders!!! Here's my list:<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Champion by Marie Lu</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Boundless by Cynthia Hand</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Unmade by Sarah Rees Brennan</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sisters’ Fate by Jessica Spotswood</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Of Neptune by Anna Banks</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Infinite by Jodi Meadows</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lament by Maggie Stiefvater</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Specials by Scott Westerfeld</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Unhinged and Ensnared by A.G. Howard</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Heir by Kiera Cass</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A Cold Legacy by Megan Shepherd</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Opal, Origin, Opposition by Jennifer Armentrout</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Siege and Storm, Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Beat the Band, Call the Shots by Don Calame</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Awkwardly Ever After by Marni Bates</span></span></div>
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</ol>
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<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17.25px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Only the last book in the series counts, so on a couple of them, I have to read the previous books to get to the ender, but that's cool. I have already completed the first two on the list and I'm working on the third! Go me!!!!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17.25px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'll post reviews soon for the first two and I'll try to make them as spoiler-free as possible. I'm really excited about this. I had already decided that I wasn't starting anything new until I caught up with all these series. So the only new books I will be reading will be the ones that my book club chooses. Otherwise, I'm tackling this massive list of books!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17.25px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Leave me a comment and tell me what you think about any of these. Also let me know if any of you decide to join the challenge!</span></span></div>
Tammy Cordeirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892735481777855921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442431724181919109.post-50426144367309669352014-12-06T12:36:00.002-08:002014-12-06T12:36:25.562-08:00Who R U Really? blog tour<br />
Welcome to my stop on the Who R U Really? Blog Tour! Read my review first and then keep scrolling for a chance to win a free copy of this book!<br />
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<a href="http://www.iamareader.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/who-are-you.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="who are you" class="alignleft wp-image-27270" src="http://www.iamareader.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/who-are-you-195x300.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a><b> </b><b id="docs-internal-guid-1daa47e3-2140-1c5e-ff89-feaea6092de9" style="font-weight: normal;"></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-1daa47e3-2140-1c5e-ff89-feaea6092de9" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Book: Who R U Really?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-1daa47e3-2140-1c5e-ff89-feaea6092de9" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author: Margo Kelly</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-1daa47e3-2140-1c5e-ff89-feaea6092de9" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Publication Date: September 18, 2014</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-1daa47e3-2140-1c5e-ff89-feaea6092de9" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Publisher: Merit Press</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-1daa47e3-2140-1c5e-ff89-feaea6092de9" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Source: Blog tour</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-1daa47e3-2140-1c5e-ff89-feaea6092de9" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My rating: A</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-1daa47e3-2140-1c5e-ff89-feaea6092de9" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Status in my library: On order!!!</span></b></span><br />
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Thea’s overprotective parents are driving her insane. They invade her
privacy, ask too many questions, and restrict her online time so
severely that Thea feels she has no life at all. When she discovers a
new role-playing game online, Thea breaks the rules by staying up late
to play. She’s living a double life: on one hand, the obedient daughter;
on the other, a girl slipping deeper into darkness. In the world of the
game, Thea falls under the spell of Kit, an older boy whose smarts and
savvy can’t defeat his loneliness and near-suicidal despair. As Kit
draws soft-hearted Thea into his drama, she creates a full plate of
cover stories for her parents and then even her friends.<br />
Soon, Thea is all alone in the dark world with Kit, who worries her
more and more, but also seems to be the only person who really “gets”
her. Is he frightening, the way he seems sometimes, or only terribly
sad? Should Thea fear Kit, or pity him? And now, Kit wants to come out
of the screen and bring Thea into his real-life world. As much as she
suspects that this is wrong, Thea is powerless to resist Kit’s allure,
and hurtles toward the same dark fate her parents feared most. Ripped
from a true-life story of Internet stalking, Who R U Really? will excite
you and scare you, as Thea’s life spins out of control.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Who-R-Really-Margo-Kelly/dp/1440572763?tag=blasttours-20" target="_blank">Amazon</a> * <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/who-r-u-really-margo-kelly/1118847853?ean=9781440572760" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> * <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/who-r-u-really" target="_blank">Kobo</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Who-R-U-Really-Margo-Kelly/9781440572760" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a> * <a href="http://www.adamsmediastore.com/who-r-u-really" target="_blank">Merit Press</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYRFr_B7J2g6qBUvriSTKD1Neh3-8yqIE39LJqfc1RSCC2eQKdq8hrWvPBwDA4sh1iqKDuqgTC5Qe9QFwxAlueWgQjg5r7y4CV9QHmxwy7rvlnt8_CkKFfwDthQJ1anm0UV9gyWiAB2CS/s1600/black.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYRFr_B7J2g6qBUvriSTKD1Neh3-8yqIE39LJqfc1RSCC2eQKdq8hrWvPBwDA4sh1iqKDuqgTC5Qe9QFwxAlueWgQjg5r7y4CV9QHmxwy7rvlnt8_CkKFfwDthQJ1anm0UV9gyWiAB2CS/s1600/black.png" /></a></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First impression</span></span></u></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-1daa47e3-2140-1c5e-ff89-feaea6092de9" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">OMG! I have to start monitoring my 16 year old on social media a LOT more! No, nix that. I need to cancel all her use of social media.</span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-1daa47e3-2140-1c5e-ff89-feaea6092de9" style="font-weight: normal;"><b><u><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What’s the Story?</span></u></b></b></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-1daa47e3-2140-1c5e-ff89-feaea6092de9" style="font-weight: normal;">
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This book is a major cautionary tale that should hit it’s target group right in the gut! At times, it was a little pedantic, which is what cost it the + on the A, but as I got further into the book, I found myself so engrossed in the plot and all the red herrings about who the perpetrator was that I completely ignored that and just turned the pages as fast as possible.</span></div>
<br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a parent, this book scared me. A lot. Because even though as an adult I could see all the times that Thea was giving out too much information, I don’t know one high school girl who couldn’t be talked into giving out this same kind of information. The 16 year old in my home thinks that EVERY SINGLE RELATIONSHIP is the real deal and has a “special, MTB connection”. She would definitely give out this kind of information. In a heartbeat.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The only thing I didn’t like about this novel is that Thea was sooooooo stupid! I just wanted to shake her and smack some sense into her, but see the paragraph above. She had to be written that way because that is the reality of a teenager now. It didn’t keep me from wanting to strangle her though. I was just so glad that she had such good friends..</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I closed this book, I felt both relieved and scared to death. We have become so used to using all forms of social media that I think we all forget just how dangerous it can be, especially when it’s being used by teenagers who have such limited experience with life and bad people. I think this is a very timely novel that could give readers just the wakeup call they need.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This book is on my book order for my library and I plan to start handing it out to kids as much as possible when it comes in.</span></div>
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<b><u><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Soundtrack: The Stalker version</span></u></b></div>
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</u></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Death Cab for Cutie “I Will Possess Your Heart”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/pq-yP7mb8UE" width="420"></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Denmark + Winter “Every Breath You Take” (cover of The Police)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/1NDSP9dzk7g" width="420"></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Beatles “Run for Your Life”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/WfktSTXlku0" width="420"></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Alpha Rev “I Will Come”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/JZicbQygdDk" width="420"></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kylie Minogue “Can’t Get You Out of My Head”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Na-rQy9PRlA" width="420"></iframe></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The final grade</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My final grade for this book is an A. It was a real page-turner that definitely scared the crap out of me as a mom and an educator. Hopefully, it will scare the crap out of its intended audience as well.</span></div>
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<b>Praise for the book:</b><br />
“Kelly’s first novel is a suspenseful page-turner with multiple
suspects, a little bit of romance, and a strong but not overbearing
message.” –Kirkus Reviews<br />
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“Suspenseful novel that’s guaranteed to give readers
goosebumps–particularly as events heat up toward the end. A good choice
for families to read together.” –School Library Journal<br />
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“Who R U Really? is a fantastically creepy book that is surprisingly
realistic and totally engrossing…. Once I opened it, I couldn’t close
it. Who R U Really is a satisfyingly unique YA thriller that left me
guessing up until almost the very last page…. This book is very
realistic and I really enjoyed the writing style.” –Tempest Books<br />
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“Based on actual events, the story should be required reading for all teens.” –VOYA Magazine<br />
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<a href="http://www.iamareader.com/2014/10/r-u-really-blog-tour-sign-ups.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="who are you (1)" class="aligncenter wp-image-27273 size-full" src="http://www.iamareader.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/who-are-you-1.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.iamareader.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Margo-Kelly.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Margo Kelly" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-27272" src="http://www.iamareader.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Margo-Kelly-200x300.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a><b>Author Margo Kelly</b><br />
Margo Kelly is a native of the Northwest and currently resides in
Idaho. A veteran public speaker, she is now actively pursuing her love
of writing. Who R U Really? is her first novel. Margo welcomes the
opportunities to speak to youth groups, library groups, and book clubs.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.margokelly.net/" target="_blank">Website</a> * <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MargoKelly.author" target="_blank">Facebook</a> * <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoWKelly" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br />
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<br />
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0a0096831455/" id="rc-0a0096831455" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
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<b>Blog Tour Giveaway</b><br />
1 print copy of Who R U Really?<br />
Open to US only<br />
Ends 1/12/15<br />
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<b>Blog Tour Schedule</b><br />
<br />
December 3rd<br />
<a href="http://www.iamareader.com/2014/12/r-u-really-margo-kelly-blog-tour-25-giveaway.html">I Am A Reader – Spotlight</a><br />
<a href="http://bibliosmiles.com/2014/12/03/spotlight-who-r-u-really/" target="_blank">BiblioSmiles – Spotlight</a><br />
<a href="http://sarityahalomi.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Coffee Books & Art</a> – Spotlight<br />
<a href="http://abwhelan.blogspot.com/2014/12/interview-margo-kelly-author-of-who-r-u.html" target="_blank">Author A.B. Whelan – Interview</a><br />
<a href="http://www.katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com/2014/12/who-r-u-really-by-margo-kelly-tens-list.html" target="_blank">Katie’s Clean Book Collection – Tens List</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mythicalbooks.blogspot.ro/2014/12/ripped-from-true-life-story-of-internet.html" target="_blank">Mythical Books – Spotlight</a><br />
<a href="http://www.becomingbooks.org/2014/12/blog-tour-giveaways-who-r-u-really-by.html" target="_blank">Becoming Books – Spotlight</a><br />
<a href="http://choco-lattereader.blogspot.com/2014/10/who-r-u-really-by-margo-kelly-review.html" target="_blank">Chocolatte Reader – Review</a><br />
<br />
December 4th<br />
<a href="http://kellyatx.blogspot.com/2014/12/blog-tour-excerpt-giveaway-who-r-u.html#.VICDUDHF-So" target="_blank">Kelly P’s Blog – Spotlight</a><br />
<a href="http://flyhigh-by-learnonline.blogspot.it/2014/12/who-r-u-blog-tour-author-guest-post.html" target="_blank">FLY HIGH! – Guest Post</a><br />
<a href="http://mullenarmyfamily.blogspot.com/2014/12/w-r-u-really-excerpt.html" target="_blank">My Life Loves and Passion – Interview</a><br />
<a href="http://www.shelfofimagination.com/who-r-u-really-margo-kelly/" target="_blank">Shelf of Imagination – Review</a><br />
<br />
December 5th<br />
<a href="http://addictreaders.blogspot.com/2014/12/who-r-u-really-by-margo-kelly-blog-tour.html" target="_blank">Addicted Readers – Spotlight</a><br />
<a href="http://www.auggietalk.com/2014/12/who-r-u-really-by-margo-kelly.html" target="_blank">Auggie-Talk – Interview</a><br />
<a href="http://spicedlatte.blogspot.com/2014/12/giveaway-who-r-u-really-by-margo-kelly.html" target="_blank">Spiced Latte Reads – Interview</a><br />
<a href="http://abookaholicread.blogspot.com/2014/12/blog-tour-who-r-u-really-by-margo-kelly.html" target="_blank">In This World of Books.. – Review</a><br />
<a href="http://www.lexielaser.com/" target="_blank">LexieLäser – LexieReads</a> – Review<br />
<br />
December 6th<br />
<a href="http://www.mysticbooklover.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Into the Mystic</a> – Review<br />
<br />
December 7th<br />
<a href="http://www.blueeyebooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blue Eye Books</a> – Review<br />
<br />
December 8th<br />
<a href="http://blog.juliereece.com/" target="_blank">Julie Antonovich Reece</a> – Spotlight<br />
<a href="http://ashjellison.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Word at My Fingertips</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://verbositybookreviews.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Verbosity Book Reviews</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://homeiswherethewineis.com/" target="_blank">Home Is Where the Wine Is Book Blog</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">deal sharing aunt</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://justjeanae.com/" target="_blank">Just Jeanae</a> – Review<br />
<br />
December 9th<br />
<a href="http://xoxobookblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">XoXo Book Blog</a> – Spotlight<br />
<a href="http://www.lorisreadingcorner.com/" target="_blank">Lori’s Reading Corner</a> – Interview<br />
<a href="http://adreamerreviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Reviews from a Dreamer</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://mycreativelyrandomlife.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">My Creatively Random Life</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://www.momloves2read.com/" target="_blank">Mom Loves 2 Read</a> – Review<br />
<br />
December 10th<br />
<a href="http://www.bookhoundsya.net/" target="_blank">BookHounds YA</a> – Interview<br />
<a href="http://www.cover2coverblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Cover2CoverBlog</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://raelori.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Writer’s Dream</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://herbookthoughts.reads-it.com/" target="_blank">Her Book Thoughts</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://carolineclemmons.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Writer’s Life</a> – Review<br />
<br />
December 11th<br />
<a href="http://catchthelune.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Catch the Lune</a> – Review<br />
<br />
December 15th<br />
<a href="http://momwithakindle.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mom With A Kindle</a> – Interview<br />
<a href="http://wordtodreams.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Word to Dreams</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://3partnersinshopping.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, Sissy, Too!</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://memesandfiction.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Book Babble</a> – Review<br />
<a href="https://confessionsofabookgeek.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Confessions of a Book Geek</a> – Review<br />
<br />
January 5th<br />
<a href="http://kathrynsshelffullofbooks.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Shelf Full of Books</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://cbybookclub.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">CBY Book Club</a> – Interview<br />
<a href="http://readmore-sleepless.blogspot.gr/" target="_blank">Read more-sleep less</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://www.sarahaisling.com/" target="_blank">Sarah Aisling</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://www.christyscozycorners.com/" target="_blank">Christy’s Cozy Corners</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://booksdirectonline.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank">Books Direct</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://www.melsshelves.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mel’s Shelves</a> – Review<br />
<br />
January 6th<br />
<a href="http://wall-to-wall-books.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Wall-to-wall books</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://www.romancewithabook.com/" target="_blank">Romance With A Book</a> – Review<br />
<br />
January 7th<br />
<a href="http://storeybookreviews.com/" target="_blank">StoreyBook Reviews</a> – Review<br />
<br />
January 8th<br />
<a href="http://www.blog.kybunnies.com/" target="_blank">Bunny’s Review</a> – Spotlight<br />
<a href="http://vvb32reads.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">vvb32 reads</a> – Review<br />
<br />
January 10th<br />
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://reviewsbynadine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">ReviewsbyNadine</a> – Review<br />
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Tammy Cordeirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892735481777855921noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442431724181919109.post-20937451636433620262014-04-27T13:35:00.001-07:002014-04-27T13:35:35.192-07:00It's Not The Fault in Our Stars, the Fault is in My Stupidity<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1360206420l/11870085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1360206420l/11870085.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
Book: The Fault in
Our Stars</div>
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Author: John Green</div>
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Publisher: Dutton
Books</div>
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Source: Purchased on
my Nook</div>
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My grade: Can you
really grade a novel like this? An A+
seems so trite and meaningless.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>Despite the
tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has
never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis.
But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer
Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.<o:p></o:p></i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYRFr_B7J2g6qBUvriSTKD1Neh3-8yqIE39LJqfc1RSCC2eQKdq8hrWvPBwDA4sh1iqKDuqgTC5Qe9QFwxAlueWgQjg5r7y4CV9QHmxwy7rvlnt8_CkKFfwDthQJ1anm0UV9gyWiAB2CS/s1600/black.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYRFr_B7J2g6qBUvriSTKD1Neh3-8yqIE39LJqfc1RSCC2eQKdq8hrWvPBwDA4sh1iqKDuqgTC5Qe9QFwxAlueWgQjg5r7y4CV9QHmxwy7rvlnt8_CkKFfwDthQJ1anm0UV9gyWiAB2CS/s1600/black.png" /></a></div>
<u>Initial reaction</u></div>
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::wiping tears and snot off my face from ugly crying::</div>
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<br /></div>
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<u>Cover story<o:p></o:p></u></div>
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This cover is perfection.
As is the book that lies within.
You really can judge the book by it’s cover this time. And why don’t all books have covers this
great???</div>
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<br /></div>
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<u>What’s the Story?<o:p></o:p></u></div>
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By now, everyone out there knows about this book and you’re
probably wondering what took me so long to get around to it. I’ll tell you in one word:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>CANCER<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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I don’t do cancer books.
Why? See my initial
reaction. But the girls at school have
all been horrified by my refusal to read this book, so I caved. Also, I knew I’d want to see the movie and I
had to prepare myself.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This book was amazing and if you haven’t read it, don’t wait
any longer. In other words, don’t be
dumb and stubborn like me. Will you ugly
cry too? Probably. But some stories are just worth it.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I don’t need to continue to wax poetic about this book. I’ll just say that this is the book that John
Green was born to write. And now I’ll
move on to my soundtrack.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<u>Soundtrack<o:p></o:p></u></div>
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<br /></div>
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I stole some of these from the actual movie soundtrack, but
just a couple. You will notice that the
Swedish rap song is decidedly missing.
This is a good thing.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Keep Breathing by Ingrid Michaelson</div>
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<br /></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/fORAPkfVV_A" width="420"></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
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Unfold by Jason Mraz</div>
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<br /></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ubXGzRUyx9Q" width="560"></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
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Heaven by Moonlight & Caterpillars</div>
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<br /></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Wr-HRfvQXuw" width="420"></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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Not About Angels by Birdy</div>
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<br /></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/J62cMSVndZQ" width="560"></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
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A Thousand Years by Christina Perry</div>
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<br /></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/rtOvBOTyX00" width="560"></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>The Final Grade<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<br />
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Just go read this.
And then go see the movie on June 6<sup>th</sup>. And buy a case of Kleenex before you start.</div>
Tammy Cordeirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892735481777855921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442431724181919109.post-31214604302485387742014-02-14T08:30:00.000-08:002014-02-14T08:30:01.856-08:00Giant catch-up post #1<div class="MsoNormal">
I think that everyone knows by now that I am really, really behind on reviews for this blog. I have been reading, I'm just having a hard time sitting down to write reviews. Mostly because my 6 year old has decided to re-grow her umbilical cord. But anyway........</div>
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<br /></div>
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What I want to do for a couple of days is give you some very short reviews of some of the books I've been reading that I really enjoyed. So, without further ado, here is the first one:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Books that you should
read right away</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1355886270l/16068905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1355886270l/16068905.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
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Book: <u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16068905-fangirl?from_search=true">Fangirl byRainbow Rowell</a></u></div>
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<br /></div>
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It’s Rainbow Rowell. I don’t really need to say anything else, but
if you have not read this book, drop everything that you’re doing, feed your
kids cereal for dinner and sit down and read this book. I really liked Eleanor and Park, but I ADORED
Fangirl. One of my favorite reads of
2013, this book needs to go on your bucket list, people!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1368420550l/17318450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1368420550l/17318450.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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Book: <u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17318450-notable?from_search=true">Notable byMarni Bates</a></u></div>
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<br /></div>
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Marni Bates has won me over!
This little set of novels, the Smith High series, was just great! You can read one without reading the others,
but it’s nice to read them all in order. I didn’t really think I would like Notable
because it was about Chelsea, the mean girl. But this may have been my favorite one! It had this crazy story line that reminded me a lot of Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. Plus, this light-hearted fun novel is what
saved me from my Allegiant depression. Just
sayin’………</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1338529086l/8306761.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1338529086l/8306761.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
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Book: <u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8306761-for-darkness-shows-the-stars?ac=1">For DarknessShows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund</a></u></div>
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<br /></div>
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This is one of the loveliest books I’ve ever read. Ever.
It is a re-telling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, and I love the way the author
was able to capture the feeling of an Austen novel while still making the story
her own. I could not put this book
down. It was a beautiful, heart-wrenching
story that made me smile and cry and it dealt with all those topics Austen
addresses so well like class and prejudice. Just go read it, ‘kay?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1372785234l/17290266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1372785234l/17290266.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
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Book: <u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17290266-the-infinite-moment-of-us?from_search=true">The InfiniteMoment of Us by Lauren Myracle</a></u></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
This book did not have some grand plot, but what it did have
is a truthful and sometimes heart-wrenching look at growing up and first love. There were some bad reviews for this one, but
personally, I think that Lauren Myracle beautifully captured that rush and naiveté
of first love. I felt the butterflies in
my stomach with Wren! The characters
were immature at times, but that’s what 18 year olds are like, right? I sure was.
I just thought this book was very touching.</div>
Tammy Cordeirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892735481777855921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442431724181919109.post-70841234822071242802014-02-13T15:47:00.000-08:002014-02-13T15:47:37.615-08:00Wild Cards are now my favorite type......<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1368194466l/13065327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1368194466l/13065327.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
Book: Wild Cards</div>
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Author: Simone
Elkeles</div>
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Publisher: Walker
Books for Young Readers (Bloomsbury)</div>
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Source: Publisher via
Netgalley</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Date: Now available</div>
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My grade: A+ with
extra credit for swoon</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>After getting kicked
out of boarding school, bad boy Derek Fitzpatrick has no choice but to live
with his ditzy stepmother while his military dad is deployed. Things quickly go
from bad to worse when he finds out she plans to move them back to her childhood
home in Illinois. Derek’s counting the days before he can be on his own, and
the last thing he needs is to get involved with someone else’s family drama.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Ashtyn Parker knows
one thing for certain--people you care about leave without a backward glance. A
football scholarship would finally give her the chance to leave. So she pours
everything into winning a state championship, until her boyfriend and star
quarterback betrays them all by joining their rival team. Ashtyn needs a new
game plan, but it requires trusting Derek—someone she barely knows, someone
born to break the rules. Is she willing to put her heart on the line to try and
win it all?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYRFr_B7J2g6qBUvriSTKD1Neh3-8yqIE39LJqfc1RSCC2eQKdq8hrWvPBwDA4sh1iqKDuqgTC5Qe9QFwxAlueWgQjg5r7y4CV9QHmxwy7rvlnt8_CkKFfwDthQJ1anm0UV9gyWiAB2CS/s1600/black.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYRFr_B7J2g6qBUvriSTKD1Neh3-8yqIE39LJqfc1RSCC2eQKdq8hrWvPBwDA4sh1iqKDuqgTC5Qe9QFwxAlueWgQjg5r7y4CV9QHmxwy7rvlnt8_CkKFfwDthQJ1anm0UV9gyWiAB2CS/s1600/black.png" /></a></div>
<b><u>Initial reaction</u></b></div>
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I am now and forever a Simone Elkeles believer!!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><u>Cover story<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Everyone who reads this blog knows how I feel about kissing
covers. Blech! I like the colors and I like the models, but
I hate the kissing pose. If I were
reading a real copy of this book, I would have to put War and Peace or
something on the outside of it. Just
sayin’……</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>What’s the Story?<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, Derek is sort of a bad boy sort and gets kicked out of
his private school. His dad is in the
Navy and is currently on a submarine. So
Derek is stuck with his very ditzy, very young and apparently newly pregnant
stepmom. Who has decided to go back home
to Chicago. What she fails to tell Derek
is that she has been estranged from her father for about 10 years and she left
behind a younger sister who is now Derek’s age.
See where this is going?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m not sure how she did it, but Simone Elkeles made me feel
something for every damn character in this book. I even felt some pain for the distant father
and the snooty grandmother. For
reals. Any author that can make you
sympathize with every character in the book is gooooooood. And believe me when I tell you that Simone
Elkeles is good!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At first I was afraid that this was going to be a Catching
Jordan 2.0, but it wasn’t like that at all.
For one thing, there are many more issues being dealt with in this
novel. Deaths of parents, people running
away, broken relationships. This book
was a lot more serious. Yet, I never
felt bogged down in angst or anything.
It was just enough serious stuff to make for good tension in the novel
without feeling like I was reading a tragedy.
Or a Nicholas Sparks novel.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, let’s face it.
One of the reasons people love Simone Elkeles is because girlfriend knows
how to write steamy. Holy cold
showers! This one was steamy. I think I could actually see steam rising
from my Nook as I read it! It wasn’t as
explicit as an adult romance novel, but I would definitely steer older teens to
this one. I’m pretty sure this is one of
the reasons that Perfect Chemistry and Rules of Attraction have become hot
items in my library since they first came in to my library a few weeks
ago. Yeah, Simone Elkeles has it going
on in the romance department.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But this story was so multi-faceted with all the different
family and relationship dynamics going on that it would have been fabulous even
without the hottie bad boy. (But don’t ever take out the hottie bad boy please,
Simone, kay?) It’s always wonderful to
see families heal and reconnect and I was in love with the whole family by the
time this was finished.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There was also a really cool twist at the end that I loved
and even though the ending seemed a little far-fetched, it wasn’t nearly as
much of a stretch as say, a half-vampire mutant baby, so I was ok with it. By that point, I just wanted to see some
happily ever afters, ya know?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I loved this book and I think I’m going to have to follow
the advice of the girls who come into my library and check out Elkeles’ first
series of books. But I should probably
go buy a small fire extinguisher first.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>The Soundtrack<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Poison and Wine by The Civil Wars</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/WfzRlcnq_c0" width="420"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Beautiful Disaster by Jon McLaughlin</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/_eWDZqc7lCc" width="420"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Better Man by James Morrison</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/YmO6ho6evKM" width="420"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Come Home by One Republic ft. Sara Bareilles</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/8unFeXlvx-k" width="420"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/kFfKb_WEkCE" width="420"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>The Final Grade<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My final grade for this book is an A+. I’m going to go all fangirl now whenever I see
a new Simone Elkeles novel!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEu0S9AXONYTvD6YQfOia4U8KF-CRVPRXFgxdwn_IwKEXOLVJYWOskm7i-0CDKvLvVWDXNs6nDlJl8MNgKx5FJAdmfvq2-On7tvMVoPanGtp3bFpNMeqVJJsLqtK4QpuaUc-dqkXBmc7Zv/s1600/A%252B.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEu0S9AXONYTvD6YQfOia4U8KF-CRVPRXFgxdwn_IwKEXOLVJYWOskm7i-0CDKvLvVWDXNs6nDlJl8MNgKx5FJAdmfvq2-On7tvMVoPanGtp3bFpNMeqVJJsLqtK4QpuaUc-dqkXBmc7Zv/s1600/A%252B.gif" height="200" width="192" /></a></div>
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Tammy Cordeirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892735481777855921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442431724181919109.post-18407351180545403962014-02-05T09:18:00.001-08:002014-02-06T08:17:15.540-08:00This Book Stole Another Little Piece of My Heart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1378996387l/18336825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1378996387l/18336825.jpg" width="125" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Book: Another Little
Piece of My Heart</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Author: Tracey Martin</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Publisher: Harlequin
Teen</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Source: Publisher via
Netgalley</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Date: Available now</div>
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My grade: A+</div>
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<br /></div>
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<em><b><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #181818;">What if your devastating break-up became
this summer’s hit single? In this </span><span style="color: #181818;">rock-and-roll retelling of Jane Austen’s
Persuasion, music can either bring </span></span><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #181818;">you together or tear you apart.</span></b></em><b><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #181818;"><br />
<br />
</span></b><i><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #181818;">At her dying mother’s request, Claire dumps Jared, the only
boy she’s ever loved. Left with a broken family and a broken heart, Claire is
furious when she discovers that her biggest regret became Jared’s big break.
While Jared is catapulted into rock-star status, another piece of Claire’s
heart crumbles every time his song plays on the radio.</span><span style="color: #181818;"><br />
<br />
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">The summer after her senior year, it’s been
months since the big break-up, and Claire is just trying to keep her head down
and make it through a tense trip to the beach with her family. But when Jared
shows up, and old feelings reignite, can Claire and Jared let go of the past?
Or will they be stuck singing the same old refrain?</span></span></span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background: white;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYRFr_B7J2g6qBUvriSTKD1Neh3-8yqIE39LJqfc1RSCC2eQKdq8hrWvPBwDA4sh1iqKDuqgTC5Qe9QFwxAlueWgQjg5r7y4CV9QHmxwy7rvlnt8_CkKFfwDthQJ1anm0UV9gyWiAB2CS/s1600/black.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYRFr_B7J2g6qBUvriSTKD1Neh3-8yqIE39LJqfc1RSCC2eQKdq8hrWvPBwDA4sh1iqKDuqgTC5Qe9QFwxAlueWgQjg5r7y4CV9QHmxwy7rvlnt8_CkKFfwDthQJ1anm0UV9gyWiAB2CS/s1600/black.png" /></a></div>
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<b><u>Initial reaction</u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Can I just pretend I haven’t read this so I can start all
over from the beginning and experience it again for the first time????</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>Cover story<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s ok. I don’t love
it or hate it. I DID however, like the
title! In fact, this Janis Joplin song
is what caught my eye on this one. I
love Janis and I like the way the author used the title from a sixties musician
when it was a story about kids who are musicians that like sixties music…..wow. Talk about your run-on sentence. But still.
The title worked in so many ways for this one. I think a nice psychedelic cover would have
been cool also, but what do I know? I
don’t get paid the big bucks to make these covers……</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>What’s the story?<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first thing that attracted me to this book was the Janis
Joplin title. But when I read the
description and saw that it was a Jane Austen retelling, I was sold! This is loosely based on Persuasion, Jane
Austen’s final completed novel.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I loved this book. I
seriously loved it. I read it over a
week ago and I still keep thinking about it.
So here’s the story: Claire is
sort of the black sheep of her family. (Totally identified with that one!) Her parents are very wealthy and they run in
some high class society circles. Claire,
however, does not buy into all of that.
She makes friends with Jared, whose mom is divorced and they live in a
small house and they are not wealthy.
Eventually, Claire and Jared start dating. They bond over music (The Beatles!!!) and he
teaches her how to play guitar. But
Claire’s parents keep pressuring her.
And when Claire’s mother is dying of cancer, Claire gives in and breaks
up with Jared to make her dying mother happy.
He takes off for the summer and the next time she hears from him, it is
through a hit song on the radio. One
that he wrote. About a rich girl who
broke his heart because she thought she was better than him.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Great setup, right?
And it was well-executed. I felt
Claire’s pain acutely in the beginning of the novel. And when she runs into him unexpectedly in New
Hampshire after graduation, things really start to get fun! Now the tables have turned and Claire’s
family is in financial trouble while Jared is making tons of money on his
heartbreak song. What follows is a
hilarious, if sometimes frustrating, comedy of manners with lots of near-misses
and dumb decisions until everything comes together at the end.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, I know that there are going to be people who will give
this a negative review because they will be upset that Claire and Jared didn’t
just come right out and talk to each other.
Do you remember when you were a teenager? Or not even just a teenager? When you had been hurt by someone you love? Did you open yourself up and spill all the
truth or did you play around the edges?
Because that’s what a lot of us do.
It’s easy to stand on the sidelines and give advice, but I can remember
well doing exactly what Claire and Jared do.
And it must be pretty commonplace or else there wouldn’t be so, so many
stories that make use of this trope.
Even the Bard uses it. Just think
of all the misconceptions and issues that arise in Much Ado About Nothing
because of people not being straightforward!
So to the naysayers, I just want to point out that if it was okay with
Shakespeare, I think it’s ok with me. : )</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On a side note, I have not been able to find this book as an actual book, only as an e-book. Am I missing something here? Because that is very disappointing! I want this book for my library, dammit!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In spite of my occasional frustration with the characters, I
loved this book. It was a cute, sweet
little story that was so much fun to read!
The characters reminded me a lot of myself and my friends in high
school, so that made it even better. If
you like music and you like Jane Austen and you like comedies of manners, you
can’t go wrong with Another Little Piece of My Heart. Just be prepared because
this book left me with a raging book hangover and it was hard to extract myself
from the story!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>The Soundtrack<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, Janis Joplin, duh!
What’s really cool is that Tracey Martin put her own soundtrack at the
end of the book! I’m only taking a
couple of her songs though.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me and Bobby McGee by Janis Joplin</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/OTHRg_iSWzM" width="420"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Piece of My Heart by Erma Franklin (Aretha’s sister who
actually performed the original of this song!)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/w5fqWugnIhk" width="420"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thinking of You by Katy Perry</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/wdGZBRAwW74" width="560"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You’re the First, the Last, My Everything by Joshua Radin</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/UaMDcq5FlQU" width="560"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1234 by The Plain White T’s</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/m6pW_q1PvH0" width="560"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Love Comes Tumbling Down by Matt Nathanson</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/VXV67koZCwE" width="560"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here, There and Everywhere by The Beatles</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/gsnqh2s4E8U" width="420"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>The Final Grade<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
My final grade for this one is an A+. I loved this book. I can’t stop thinking
about the story and I think this may be one of my favorites for the year. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Tammy Cordeirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892735481777855921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442431724181919109.post-66332936735314050852014-01-06T21:05:00.000-08:002014-01-06T21:05:02.883-08:00The Offering Blog Tour<div class="MsoNormal">
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Kimberly Derting’s
fabulous book, The Offering! I will be
posting my review of the book later this week, but for today, I have a playlist
for you! Created by none other than
Kimberly Derting! Woo hoo!! Enjoy the playlist and make sure you read this
series! I <b><u>LOVE</u></b> it!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1. <i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y10gI-PL5Zo">Let The Rain</a></i> by Sara
Bareilles <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This
line says it all: “And if I were fearless, then I'd speak my truth.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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2. <i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov8uT8DTvlw">The Lion The Beast The Beat</a></i>
by Grace Potter & The Nocturnals<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I
love the overall feel of this song, and the lyrics: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“It's
time to meet your maker; <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Make
the road your undertaker.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3. <i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sjf0igrY9zs">Don’t Lose Yourself</a></i>
by Laura Veirs and The Saltbreakers<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This
song reminds me of Charlie’s struggle with Sabara. The opening lines are: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I
felt my vocal chords weakening;</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I felt my concave thoughts;</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I felt my voluntary blindness;</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For staring straight into the sun.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
4. <i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2oZXMdHTZY">The Divide</a></i> by Grace
Potter & The Nocturnals<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
To me this just gives an overall feel of Charlie’s journey in THE OFFERING.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5. <i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNaM-N1NdGo">Whispers in the Dark</a></i>
by Mumford & Sons<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I
can’t help thinking of Aron and Brooklynn when I hear this song. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6. <i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zcps2fJKuAI">This is War</a></i> by Thirty
Seconds To Mars<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This
song was a pretty obvious fit for a book about a war brewing:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“To
the edge of the earth;<br />
It's a brave new world;<br />
From the last to the first.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
7. <i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTb6MoMLvcY">Devil’s Backbone</a></i> by
The Civil Wars<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There’s
a pretty gruesome scene in the aftermath of a village’s slaughter, and this
song captures the feel I was going for. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
8. <i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTMrlHHVx8A">Kings and Queens</a></i> by
Thirty Seconds To Mars<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another
song that fits the overall feel of the battle scenes. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“We
were the kings and queens of promise. We were the victims of ourselves.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
9. <i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3xQyW-46G8">Save My Life</a></i> by ZZ
Ward<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This
is totally meant to be a love song, but I hear it as Charlie’s anthem to Sabara
in the final act:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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“Save
my life, set me free,<br />
These lonely nights are haunting me,<br />
Cut me out from the cold,<br />
This young heart is getting old”<o:p></o:p></div>
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10. <i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBmMU_iwe6U">Run the World (Girls)</a></i>
by Beyonce <o:p></o:p></div>
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And
then, of course, Beyonce reminding us that, yes, girls indeed do run the world
;)<o:p></o:p></div>
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You
can listen to the entire Spotify playlist on playlist.net: <a href="http://playlists.net/the-offering">http://playlists.net/the-offering</a> <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.bookblasttours.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/offering.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.bookblasttours.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/offering.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Lora, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;">
<strong>The Offering by Kimberly Derting</strong></div>
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True love—and world war—is at stake in the conclusion to The Pledge trilogy, a dark and romantic blend of dystopia and fantasy.</div>
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Charlie, otherwise known as Queen Charlaina of Ludania, has become comfortable as a leader and a ruler. She’s done admirable work to restore Ludania’s broken communications systems with other Queendoms, and she’s mastered the art of ignoring Sabara, the evil former queen whose Essence is alive within Charlie. Or so she thinks.</div>
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When the negotiation of a peace agreement with the Queendom of Astonia goes awry, Charlie receives a brutal message that threatens Ludania, and it seems her only option is to sacrifice herself in exchange for Ludanian freedom.</div>
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But things aren’t always as they seem. Charlie is walking into a trap—one set by Sabara, who is determined to reclaim the Queendoms at any cost.</div>
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<br /><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-offering-kimberly-derting/1115553203?ean=9781442445628" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Barnes and Noble" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-877" src="http://www.bookblasttours.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Barnes-and-Noble.png" height="50" style="border: none; display: inline; height: auto; margin: 0px 0px 20px; max-width: 100%;" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Offering-Kimberly-Derting/dp/1442445629?tag=blasttours-20" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="amazon blog" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-876" src="http://www.bookblasttours.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/amazon-blog.png" height="50" style="border: none; display: inline; height: auto; margin: 0px 0px 20px; max-width: 100%;" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Offering-Kimberly-Derting/9781442445628" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Book Depository blog" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-899" src="http://www.bookblasttours.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Book-Depository-blog.png" height="50" style="border: none; display: inline; height: auto; margin: 0px 0px 20px; max-width: 100%;" width="50" /></a></center>
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<strong>Praise for The Offering</strong></div>
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“This was a truly epic ending to the series.” –Crystal Perkins, Goodreads Review</div>
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“The final book in Kimberly Derting’s Pledge trilogy is a thrilling conclusion. I was immediately swept up into it and powered right through. It was pretty much what I wanted with a few surprises along the way.” –Krys at Bibliopunkk Reads</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12631527-the-offering" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="add to goodreads" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-913" src="http://www.bookblasttours.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/add-to-goodreads.png" height="50" style="border: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto 20px; max-width: 100%;" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.bookblasttours.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Pledge-Trilogy.jpg" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Pledge Trilogy" class="aligncenter wp-image-937" src="http://www.bookblasttours.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Pledge-Trilogy-1024x515.jpg" height="289" style="border: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto 20px; max-width: 100%;" width="574" /></a></div>
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<strong><a href="http://www.bookblasttours.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/kimberly-derting.jpg" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="kimberly derting" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-936" src="http://www.bookblasttours.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/kimberly-derting.jpg" height="300" style="border: none; display: inline; float: left; height: auto; margin: 0px 20px 10px 0px; max-width: 100%;" width="200" /></a>Author Kimberly Derting</strong></div>
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Kimberly Derting is the author of the BODY FINDER series, THE PLEDGE trilogy, and THE TAKING (coming April 2014 from HarperTeen). She lives in the Seattle area, with her husband and three children, who often find the outrageous things they say either in the pages of her books or posted on Twitter or Facebook for the entire world to see.</div>
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<a href="http://www.kimberlyderting.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Social Media Website" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-21438" src="http://www.iamareader.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Social-Media-Website.png" height="40" style="border: none; display: inline; height: auto; margin: 0px 0px 20px; max-width: 100%;" width="40" /></a> <a href="http://www.kimberlyderting.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Social Media Blog" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-21432" src="http://www.iamareader.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Social-Media-Blog.png" height="40" style="border: none; display: inline; height: auto; margin: 0px 0px 20px; max-width: 100%;" width="40" /></a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kimberly-Derting/195909643784427" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Social Media Facebook" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-21433" src="http://www.iamareader.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Social-Media-Facebook.png" height="40" style="border: none; display: inline; height: auto; margin: 0px 0px 20px; max-width: 100%;" width="40" /></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/kimberlyderting" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Social Media Twitter" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-21437" src="http://www.iamareader.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Social-Media-Twitter.png" height="40" style="border: none; display: inline; height: auto; margin: 0px 0px 20px; max-width: 100%;" width="40" /></a> <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/kderting/boards/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Social Media Pinterest" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-21436" src="http://www.iamareader.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Social-Media-Pinterest.png" height="40" style="border: none; display: inline; height: auto; margin: 0px 0px 20px; max-width: 100%;" width="40" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2755160.Kimberly_Derting" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Social Media Goodreads" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-21434" src="http://www.iamareader.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Social-Media-Goodreads.png" height="40" style="border: none; display: inline; height: auto; margin: 0px 0px 20px; max-width: 100%;" width="40" /></a> <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/106679754652421116886/posts" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Social Media Google +" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-21435" src="http://www.iamareader.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Social-Media-Google-+.png" height="40" style="border: none; display: inline; height: auto; margin: 0px 0px 20px; max-width: 100%;" width="40" /></a></center>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Lora, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Lora, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">Tour Giveaway</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Lora, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;">
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash<br />
Ends 1/21/14</div>
<div>
<div>
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0a00961146/" id="rc-0a00961146" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a></div>
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<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script></div>
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<strong>Tour Schedule</strong></div>
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January 2nd</div>
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<a href="http://www.iamareader.com/2014/01/the-offering-by-kimberly-derting-blog-tour-this-or-that-giveaway.html" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">I Am A Reader, Not A Writer – Guest Post</a><br />
<a href="http://curseofthebibliophile.blogspot.in/2014/01/blog-tour-offering-by-kimberly-derting.html" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Curse of the Bibliophile – Interview</a><br />
<a href="http://www.talkingsupe.com/2014/01/tour-stop-giveaway-offering-by-kimberly.html" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">talk supe – Spotlight</a><br />
<a href="http://noriscloset.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-offering-by-kimberly-derting.html" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Nori’s Closet – Spotlight</a><br />
<a href="http://www.terrisbookaddiction.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Terri’s Book Addiction</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://fluttersandflails.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-offering-by-kimberly-derting-review.html" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Flutters and Flails – Review</a></div>
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January 3rd</div>
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<a href="http://much-ado-about-books.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-offering-spotlight.html" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Much Ado About Books - Spotlight</a><br />
<a href="http://kitkat1242.blogspot.com/2014/01/blog-tour-offering-by-kimberly-derting.html" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Katies Books - Interview</a><br />
<a href="http://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2014/01/blog-tour-review-the-offering-kimberly-derting.html" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Lili Lost in a Book – Review</a><br />
<a href="http://kimberlyfayereads.wordpress.com/2014/01/03/blog-tour-excerpt-giveaway-the-offering-the-pledge-3-by-kimberly-derting/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">kimberlyfaye reads – Spotlight</a></div>
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January 4th</div>
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<a href="http://cuzinlogic.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Cuzinlogic</a> – Interview<br />
<a href="http://paranormal-bookclub.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">paranormal book club</a> – Spotlight<br />
<a href="http://www.littlebookwormreviews.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Little Bookworm Reviews</a> – Review</div>
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January 6th</div>
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<a href="http://www.frankiesbookshelf.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Frankie’s Bookshelf</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://www.lovinglit.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Loving Lit</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://adreamwithindream.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A Dream Within A Dream</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://dearrestlessreader.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Dear, Restless Reader</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://abackwardsstory.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A Backwards Story</a> – Spotlight<br />
<a href="http://onceuponayabook.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Once Upon a YA Book</a> – Spotlight</div>
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January 7th</div>
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<a href="http://alisbooks.wordpress.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Ali’s Books</a> – Spotlight<br />
<a href="http://exlibriskate.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Ex Libris</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://justabooklover.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Just a Booklover</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://www.mysticbooklover.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Into the Mystic</a> – Playlist<br />
<a href="http://www.theyoungfolks.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Young Folks</a> – Review</div>
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January 8th</div>
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<a href="http://www.readergirlsblog.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Reader Girls</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://www.lenasledgeblog.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Lena Sledge’s Blog</a> – Character Interview<br />
<a href="http://www.writersally.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Writer’s Alley</a> – Spotlight<br />
<a href="http://www.walkingonbookshelves.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Walking on Bookshelves</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://proudbooknerd.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Proud Book Nerd</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://diamondlovestoread.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Dee’s Reads</a> – Interview</div>
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January 9th</div>
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<a href="http://www.manda-rae-reads.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">manda-rae reads a lot</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://tressaswishfulendings.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Tressa’s Wishful Endings</a> – Interview<br />
<a href="http://www.bookjems.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Book Jems</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://spicedlatte.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Spiced Latte Reads</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://foreveryoungadult.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">BookHounds YA</a> – Interview</div>
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January 10th</div>
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<a href="http://www.bonnieharris.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Bonnie Gets A Say</a> – Interview<br />
<a href="http://addictreaders.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Addicted Readers</a> - Review<br />
<a href="http://www.thecovercontessa.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Cover Contessa</a> – Interview<br />
<a href="http://fictionfare.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Fic Fare</a> – Review</div>
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January 11th</div>
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<a href="http://www.townsend-house.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Townsend House</a> – Review</div>
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January 13th</div>
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<a href="http://www.booklovewitch.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Library of a Book Witch</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://mythicalbooks.blogspot.ro/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Mythical Books</a> – Interview<br />
<a href="http://whateveryoucanstillbetray.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Whatever You Can Still Betray</a> – Spotilght<br />
<a href="http://www.terrirochenski.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Scribbler’s Sojourn</a> - Spotlight</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Lora, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;">
January 14th</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Lora, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.burgandyice.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Colorimetry</a> – Review + Interview<br />
<a href="http://www.blogginboutbooks.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Bloggin’ ’bout Books</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://onceuponamoonlightreview.blogspot.co.uk/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Once Upon a Moonlight Review…</a> – Spotlight<br />
<a href="http://pikapages.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Pika Pages</a> – Spotlight</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Lora, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;">
January 15th</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Lora, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://readingintwilight.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;">Reading In Twilight</a> – Interview<br />
<a href="http://howlingbooksanddesign.blogspot.ca/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Howling Books and Design</a> – Spotlight<br />
<a href="http://www.daniellecromero.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Coffee and Characters</a> – Review</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Lora, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;">
January 16th</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Lora, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://crossroadreaders.wordpress.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Crossroad Readers</a> – Interview<br />
<a href="http://betweenprintedpages.wordpress.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Between Printed Pages</a> – Spotlight<br />
<a href="http://www.crossroadreviews.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Crossroad Reviews</a> – Review<br />
<a href="http://amethystdaydreams.blogspot.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Amethyst Daydreams</a> – Spotlight</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Lora, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;">
January 17th</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Lora, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.christyscozycorners.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Christy’s Cozy Corners</a> – Spotlight<br />
<a href="http://www.rexrobotreviews.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Rex Robot Reviews</a> – Spotlight<br />
<a href="http://www.goodchoicereading.com/" style="color: #a3b460; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Good Choice Reading</a> – Review<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Tammy Cordeirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892735481777855921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442431724181919109.post-63426704924454572242013-11-09T12:45:00.000-08:002013-11-09T12:45:42.300-08:00Bite-sized Reviews<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes, this is a new blog post! I hope no one has a heart attack when they see it!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m trying desperately to catch up with my reviews, so I’m
going to group together some books that I enjoyed, but I’m just not fangirling
over. I would rate all of these books as
a solid B. They were good reads, but
they didn’t make me want to run around telling random strangers in the
bookstore to read them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1351529318m/16065498.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1351529318m/16065498.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Book: <b><u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16065498-undercurrent">Undercurrent</a><o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Author: Paul
Blackwell</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Publisher: Harper
Teen</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Date: Available now</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Source: Publisher via
Edelweiss</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>In this suspenseful
teen thriller with a touch of the otherworldly, a boy goes over a waterfall and
wakes up to find himself in a twisted version of the life he knew. Why did his
best friend try to kill him? Why are his parents acting like he’s a sports star
all of a sudden? Worst of all, what happened to his older brother? Filled with
mind-bending suspense and unsettling thrills, Undercurrent is a grippingly
paced teen debut that will pull you under and never let go. In this suspenseful
teen thriller with a touch of the otherworldly, a boy goes over a waterfall and
wakes up to find himself in a twisted version of the life he knew. Why did his
best friend try to kill him? Why are his parents acting like he’s a sports star
all of a sudden? Worst of all, what happened to his older brother? Filled with
mind-bending suspense and unsettling thrills, Undercurrent is a grippingly
paced teen debut that will pull you under and never let go.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This book started out very strong with the whole parallel
universe theme, but after a while, it started to wear on me that Callum
couldn’t figure out that he was in a parallel universe. The ending made me want to throw the book
across the room because NOTHING got explained or sorted out. Rumor has it that there is a sequel, so if
that is the case, the ending is forgivable, but if this is a stand alone, that
ending made me furious.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This book had lots of good ideas, but sometimes the
execution seemed poor. Ok, really, it
was the fact that Callum was so damn clueless that made this novel lose
momentum in places. This is the 3<sup>rd</sup>
parallel universe book that I’ve read this year and this one falls right in the
middle. The Theory of Everything was by
far the worst, but I think Parallel did a better job. Still, this was a decent read, just not a spectacular
one.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1328313595m/11723911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1328313595m/11723911.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Book:<b><u> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11723911-viii?from_search=true">VIII</a><o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Author: H.M. Castor</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Publisher: Templar</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Date: Now available</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Source: Publisher via
Edelweiss</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>Destined for greatness... tormented by demons.<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>VIII is the story of
Hal: a young, handsome, gifted warrior, who believes he has been chosen to lead
his people. But he is plagued by the ghosts of his family's violent past and
once he rises to power, he turns to murder and rapacious cruelty. He is Henry
VIII.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t normally like historical fiction that much and this
book didn’t really change my mind about it.
I think that this book would probably be well received by historical
fiction fans, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea.
I found myself being angry with Henry for most of the novel. I liked him at first, but then he just turned
into a big jerk, which is what happened in real life as well, right?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Still, it was sort of interesting to see how everything
could have played out in the court of Henry VIII, so that was fun. I think the real problem here is that the
second half of the book was rushed. I
felt that I started to understand young Henry, but then the second half of the
book crammed in 7 of his wives.
Whoa! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think this book started out solid, but in the end, it just
didn’t do a lot for me. But on a side note, it does have a cool cover!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1371592419m/13454648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1371592419m/13454648.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Book:<b><u> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13454648-false-sight?from_search=true">False
Sight</a><o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Author: Dan Krokos</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Publisher: Hyperion</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Date: Available now</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Source: Publisher via
Netgalley</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>All Miranda wants is a
normal life. She's determined to move past the horrible truth of her origin as
a clone so she can enjoy time with her boyfriend, Peter, and the rest of her
friends at school. But Miranda quickly learns that there's no such thing as
normal - not for a girl who was raised to be a weapon. When one of her teammates
turns rogue, it begins a war that puts the world in jeopardy. Now Miranda must
follow her instincts - not her heart - in order to save everything she's fought
so hard to keep. with the image of a terrible future seared into her mind, what
will she have to sacrifice to protect the people she loves?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Dan Krokos's sequel to
the tour de force False Memory is a mind-blowing thriller with high-octane
action that will leave readers begging for the final book in this bold and
powerful trilogy.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I really enjoyed the first book and I really enjoyed this
sequel as well. This whole idea of the
kids being clones who are trained warriors is pretty cool and it’s pretty
unique as far as what I read goes. The
book was fairly action-packed and there were some really interesting elements
added into this one that I never saw coming.
I’m looking forward to the next installment.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The reason that this book remains a B for me and not an A is
that I am having a hard time really caring about the characters. This book is more like one of those big
action films that everyone likes.
There’s a lot of stuff going on and people shooting at each other and
things blowing up, but there’s not a lot of depth to the characters. Still, it’s an entertaining book to read and
who doesn’t like blowing stuff up?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1354985818m/16075949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1354985818m/16075949.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Book: <b><u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16075949-second-impact?from_search=true">Second
Impact</a><o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Author: David Klass
and Perri Klass</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Publisher: Farrar,
Strauss & Giroux</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Date: Available now</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Source: Publisher via
Netgalley</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>About a boy who
sustains serious head injuries while playing football, told in alternating
voices by a brother-sister writing team.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are parts of this book that I liked and parts that I
didn’t. Actually, that’s not true. I pretty much enjoyed this book until the
very end. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here’s what I liked:
1. The alternating points of view
from a boy and a girl 2. The blog style of telling the story. It felt fresh and different. 3. The
issue, head injuries in football, was very timely and very serious.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think the book did a good job of addressing the read
difficulties of the issues surrounding high school football. I liked the voices of both of the characters
and I think the story felt real. So what
did I not like?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The ending. I can’t
tell you, obviously, but the ending was so anti-climactic that when I shut the
book, I wondered what the point of the book even was. It pretty much deflated the whole read for
me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
** Well, that's it for my bite-sized reviews. I will be back soon with a full review complete with soundtrack, because I've read a few that DESERVE soundtracks. Hope you enjoyed these short and sweet reviews. I'd love to hear from some of you. **</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Tammy Cordeirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892735481777855921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442431724181919109.post-12769178689819533722013-10-15T07:33:00.001-07:002013-10-15T07:33:49.594-07:00Spooktacular Giveaway Hop!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<br />
Welcome to my stop on the Spooktacular Giveaway Hop! I am giving away a copy of 2 scary books to the winner! You can win a copy of The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson and a copy of Crossing Over by Anna Kendall. Just enter the rafflecopter below and then go check out the other blogs on the hop!<br />
<br />
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/452bb79/" id="rc-452bb79" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
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<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>Tammy Cordeirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892735481777855921noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442431724181919109.post-77697550484943579502013-09-26T02:30:00.000-07:002013-09-26T02:30:02.152-07:00I smiled and I cried at The Beginning of Everything<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1366395005l/13522285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1366395005l/13522285.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
Book: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13522285-the-beginning-of-everything?from_search=true">The Beginningof Everything</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Author: Robyn
Schneider</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Publisher: Katherine
Tegan</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Date: Now available</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Source: Publisher via
Edelweiss</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My grade: A+</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Golden boy Ezra
Faulkner believes everyone has a tragedy waiting for them—a single encounter
after which everything that really matters will happen. His particular tragedy
waited until he was primed to lose it all: in one spectacular night, a reckless
driver shatters Ezra’s knee, his athletic career, and his social life.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>No longer a
front-runner for Homecoming King, Ezra finds himself at the table of misfits,
where he encounters new girl Cassidy Thorpe. Cassidy is unlike anyone Ezra’s
ever met, achingly effortless, fiercely intelligent, and determined to bring
Ezra along on her endless adventures.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>But as Ezra dives into
his new studies, new friendships, and new love, he learns that some people,
like books, are easy to misread. And now he must consider: if one’s singular
tragedy has already hit and everything after it has mattered quite a bit, what
happens when more misfortune strikes? <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Robyn Schneider’s The
Beginning of Everything is a lyrical, witty, and heart-wrenching novel about
how difficult it is to play the part that people expect, and how new beginnings
can stem from abrupt and tragic endings.<o:p></o:p></i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYRFr_B7J2g6qBUvriSTKD1Neh3-8yqIE39LJqfc1RSCC2eQKdq8hrWvPBwDA4sh1iqKDuqgTC5Qe9QFwxAlueWgQjg5r7y4CV9QHmxwy7rvlnt8_CkKFfwDthQJ1anm0UV9gyWiAB2CS/s1600/black.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYRFr_B7J2g6qBUvriSTKD1Neh3-8yqIE39LJqfc1RSCC2eQKdq8hrWvPBwDA4sh1iqKDuqgTC5Qe9QFwxAlueWgQjg5r7y4CV9QHmxwy7rvlnt8_CkKFfwDthQJ1anm0UV9gyWiAB2CS/s1600/black.png" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>Initial Reaction<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
::wipes eyes::
Remember the very first time you ever fell in love? Like, real love??? And how it broke your heart?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>Cover Story<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thank God they changed the title and cover on this one. When I first got this review copy it was
called “Severed Heads and Broken Hearts” and had the most butt-ugly cover
ever! Who came up with that title? I hope they got fired! But “The Beginning of Everything” is a GORGEOUS
title and I like the cover. It’s bright
and eye-catching without being cheesy or too teen girl. I would proudly read this book in the
doctor’s office with no fear of judgement.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>What’s the Story?<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ezra was the popular jock boy on campus. Then he did something dumb. Really dumb.
He drove drunk one night and had a wreck. One girl was hurt pretty badly and he completely
smashed his knee. Now, he can’t walk
without a cane and his sports career is over.
He basically spends all summer in his house along, ignoring all the
phone calls and only leaving to go to physical therapy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fast forward to the first day of school. Ezra arrives late and is offered a seat by
the kid he used to be friends with in middle school, but who is not really his
friend now. So he and Toby reconnect and
Ezra finds himself avoiding the jock table at lunch in favor of the Misfit
table. And he discovers that he actually
“speaks geek” really well and he completely fits in with this little group of
high school misfits.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Enter Cassidy, the free spirit girl who seems to be the
antithesis of the popular girls that Ezra has dated. She’s mysterious, she’s philosophical and she
seems to get Ezra. He is totally taken
by her and she becomes part of the group.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the things that made this novel so remarkable is the
really likeable cast of characters. I
really liked Ezra, even though at times he was a total, well, dumbass. He was such a typical teenaged boy and I
think that Robyn Schneider did a fabulous job of capturing the teen boy
voice. I never once found myself thinking
that a man would have written his voice differently, so bravo Robyn! I also found myself wanting to sit down at
the lunch table with the rest of the characters and just hang out with
them. Toby was especially fun!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is such a beautiful coming-of-age story. I loved watching Ezra trying to find
himself. He struggled in many ways and
he sometimes made the wrong choices, but I feel like he had such a strong
character by the end of the novel. And
even though it wasn’t exactly a happy ending, I closed the book knowing that
Ezra would grow up to be a wonderful man.
He really did find his true voice, or at least he began the process very
well.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This story didn’t really have a lot of action. It was much more character driven than
plot-driven, but it totally worked. The
plot was Ezra’s search for who he is and where he fits in and how he decides
what sort of man he wants to be. I
laughed with him and cried with him and in the end, I was just so damn proud of
him.</div>
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I loved this book. I
loved Ezra. I loved Toby. I can’t wait to recommend this book and see
how many of my students love it too.</div>
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<b><u>The Soundtrack<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Keep Breathing by Ingrid Michaelson</div>
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Life Is Beautiful by The Icarus Project</div>
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A Beautiful Mess by Jason Mraz</div>
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We Belong Together by Gavin DeGraw</div>
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Skinny Love by Bon Iver</div>
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Can’t Make You Love Me by Bon Iver</div>
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The Final Grade</div>
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My final grade for this book is an A+. This is a poignant, bittersweet coming-of-age
novel that will both break your heart and make you smile. It doesn’t get much better than that!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEu0S9AXONYTvD6YQfOia4U8KF-CRVPRXFgxdwn_IwKEXOLVJYWOskm7i-0CDKvLvVWDXNs6nDlJl8MNgKx5FJAdmfvq2-On7tvMVoPanGtp3bFpNMeqVJJsLqtK4QpuaUc-dqkXBmc7Zv/s1600/A%252B.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEu0S9AXONYTvD6YQfOia4U8KF-CRVPRXFgxdwn_IwKEXOLVJYWOskm7i-0CDKvLvVWDXNs6nDlJl8MNgKx5FJAdmfvq2-On7tvMVoPanGtp3bFpNMeqVJJsLqtK4QpuaUc-dqkXBmc7Zv/s1600/A%252B.gif" /></a></div>
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<i>I received a copy of this book from the publisher in
exchange for my honest review. I was
given no compensation, financial or otherwise, for this review, especially not
a hot geeky guy.</i></div>
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Tammy Cordeirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892735481777855921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442431724181919109.post-6050079439544988882013-09-25T07:00:00.000-07:002013-09-25T07:00:09.235-07:00The book may be Of Beast and Beauty, but the story is beauty through and through!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1370661183l/16113606.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1370661183l/16113606.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
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Book: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16113606-of-beast-and-beauty">Of Beast andBeauty</a></div>
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Author: Stacey Jay</div>
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Publisher: Delacorte</div>
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Date: Now available</div>
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Source: Publisher via
Edelweiss</div>
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My grade: A+</div>
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<b><i>In the beginning was the darkness, and in the darkness was a girl, and
in the girl was a secret...<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<i>In the domed city of
Yuan, the blind Princess Isra, a Smooth Skin, is raised to be a human sacrifice
whose death will ensure her city’s vitality. In the desert outside Yuan, Gem, a
mutant beast, fights to save his people, the Monstrous, from starvation.
Neither dreams that together, they could return balance to both their worlds.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Isra wants to help the
city’s Banished people, second-class citizens despised for possessing Monstrous
traits. But after she enlists the aid of her prisoner, Gem, who has been
captured while trying to steal Yuan’s enchanted roses, she begins to care for
him, and to question everything she has been brought up to believe.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>As secrets are
revealed and Isra’s sight, which vanished during her childhood, returned, Isra
will have to choose between duty to her people and the beast she has come to
love.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<b><u>Initial Reaction<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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BEST. FREAKING. RETELLING.
EVER!!!</div>
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<b><u>Cover story<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Love, love, love….::hums the Beatles:: This cover is stupendous. In one picture, it completely captures the
juxtaposition of the traditional with the alternate/sci fi universe of the
novel setting. It is pure brilliance.</div>
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<b><u>What’s the Story?<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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At first, I was skeptical.
I mean, a fairy tale re-telling taking place on another planet that is
sort of futuristic/dystopian but not really?
And are these people human or what?
If you find yourself shying away from this book because these things
don’t seem to appeal to you or make sense to you, STOP THINKING ABOUT THEM AND
READ THE BOOK ALREADY!</div>
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This book took what I thought was a far-fetched premise and
made it beautiful. I read Stacey Jay’s
Romeo and Juliet books, but this book so surpasses those 2 that I can hardly
believe it’s written by the same author.
It is easy to see that Stacey Jay has grown into her own as an author.</div>
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This book’s writing lends an almost dreamlike and poetic
quality to the entire novel. It feels
like an ancient myth and if I had to draw it as a picture, it would be
surrounded by a cover of mist. And that
world just sucked me right into the story.
I grew to love and to hate so many of these characters. It truly was a story of Beauty and a Beast,
although at times, I wondered just who was supposed to be the beauty and who
was the beast.</div>
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One of the most magnificent things about this book was the
way that Stacey Jay managed to take so many of the elements from the original
tale but twist them into something that was so entirely new. It’s like she created her own mythology with
this tale. She didn’t shy away from the
very dark elements of fairy tales, either.
This is not your Disney version, for sure. But it is achingly beautiful. It made me weep in places and often it was
not because of the sadness of the tale but because it reached inside me and
touched my very soul.</div>
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This is a standalone novel, but I have to say that I would
not object to another book in this world because I was simply loath to leave
it.</div>
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If you are a person who only likes traditional re-tellings,
this one may not work for you, but if you love to read beautifully told tales
full of magic and have them touch your heart, then this is definitely a book
for you.</div>
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<b><u>Soundtrack<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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A Sorta Fairytale by Tori Amos</div>
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I’m on Fire by Bat for Lashes</div>
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Collide by Howie Day</div>
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Distance by Christina Perry with Jason Mraz</div>
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Always You by Ingrid Michaelson</div>
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<b><u>The Final Grade<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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My final grade for this book is an A+. I cannot fully express how beautiful this
story was and just how much I loved it, so just go read it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEu0S9AXONYTvD6YQfOia4U8KF-CRVPRXFgxdwn_IwKEXOLVJYWOskm7i-0CDKvLvVWDXNs6nDlJl8MNgKx5FJAdmfvq2-On7tvMVoPanGtp3bFpNMeqVJJsLqtK4QpuaUc-dqkXBmc7Zv/s1600/A%252B.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEu0S9AXONYTvD6YQfOia4U8KF-CRVPRXFgxdwn_IwKEXOLVJYWOskm7i-0CDKvLvVWDXNs6nDlJl8MNgKx5FJAdmfvq2-On7tvMVoPanGtp3bFpNMeqVJJsLqtK4QpuaUc-dqkXBmc7Zv/s200/A%252B.gif" width="192" /></a></div>
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I received this copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. I did not receive any compensation, financial or otherwise, for this review, and especially not my own loveable beast.</div>
Tammy Cordeirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892735481777855921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442431724181919109.post-80266704074641011412013-09-24T20:47:00.002-07:002013-09-24T20:47:40.197-07:00Yes, I'm Back!::hangs head in shame::<br />
<br />
Yes, I've been gone from my blog for a bit. School started back on August 25th and I had the school opening from hell, basically. Then I sort of hit a reviewing slump. Not a reading slump, mind you. I've been reading and I've read some really AWESOME books, but I just couldn't make myself sit down and write reviews after long, long days at work that were exhausting. But I'm catching up now, so I'm going to try to get back on track with the blog. If you're still reading this blog, I humbly thank you for your patience. : )Tammy Cordeirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892735481777855921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442431724181919109.post-82642091142570391662013-08-18T03:00:00.000-07:002013-08-18T03:00:06.945-07:00Authors Are Rock Stars Tour with Kelly Keaton<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVe9cjpJMfF06DajcttxKwtukPUrC3z84l7Aq8dW0DuBR6wwWyv7xSd1ayLE62I3KsYibikafdyau7C4Mi_c6AbdY71xXkEsQ5fIpm4D3Je-pOe5pqshhOVs7p3BVQr0_oNDwODPlzsui/s1600/tour_stop2+(2).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVe9cjpJMfF06DajcttxKwtukPUrC3z84l7Aq8dW0DuBR6wwWyv7xSd1ayLE62I3KsYibikafdyau7C4Mi_c6AbdY71xXkEsQ5fIpm4D3Je-pOe5pqshhOVs7p3BVQr0_oNDwODPlzsui/s400/tour_stop2+(2).png" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'm sure that many of you can hear my fangirling wherever you may be. Why? Because today, I have KELLY KEATON, yes, KELLY KEATON stopping by my blog!!</div>
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First, let me explain why Kelly is a rock star. You guys, here heroine in the Gods and Monsters series is totally <u><b>kick-ass</b></u>! She is not one of those whiny girl characters who has to wait for a boy to come save her. And she fights Greeks goddesses! And she's a Gorgon!!</div>
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Second, her books are ah-mazing! They have tons of supernatural creatures, lots of action, interesting characters and a plot that doesn't stop. I can't put them down.</div>
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Third, she can write a totally swoon-worthy love interest. I mean, I am totally in love with Sebastian even though that makes me the world's worst cougar, but he's just so HOT!</div>
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Finally, Kelly is a fellow North Carolinian. It's like we're neighbors! Now, if I could only convince her that we need to have a sleepover and be BFFs!</div>
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I probably can't convince her of that, but I did convince her to give us a playlist to go along with The Wicked Within! So keep reading to hear from Kelly Keaton herself.</div>
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<b><u>Random Ten Playlist for THE WICKED WITHIN: </u></b></div>
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<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
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Hey guys! Very glad to be here for the Authors Are Rock
Stars Tour. One thing you might not know
about me is that I cannot listen to music when I write. Absolutely cannot. I
have tried many times—after all, music is so inspiring; it brings out so much
emotion and can set the mood like nothing else. Yet, when I try to write the
words in my head while an entirely different set of words (lyrics) are playing,
my brain seems to short circuit. I end up focusing on lyrics and my fingers
freeze over the keyboard. </div>
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That being said, I use music to set the mood before I write,
as I plot, and to help me work out any issues when I feel stuck. THE WICKED
WITHIN was written in a very short amount of time—actually, the story simmered
in my head way longer than it took to write the first draft, and during this
time I had some terrific go-to songs for the story itself and just to get me in
the writing mood:</div>
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1. F*CKIN’ PERFECT by P!NK -- the queen of kickass anthems.
Love her, and the way her lyrics combine grit and truth and vulnerability. Several
of her songs are always on my playlist.</div>
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2. STAY by RIHANNA and MIKKY EKKO – This was my ‘go to’ song
for Ari and Sebastian’s relationship. In THE WICKED WITHIN, they’re dealing with
the aftermath of events in A BEAUTIFUL EVIL and they have a lot of obstacles to
overcome. But there is something between them, despite all the issues… </div>
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3. UNTITLED by SIMPLE PLAN – from the very beginning of the
series, this song put me right in the middle of all the angst and hurt that shaped
Ari before we meet her in DARKNESS BECOMES HER. </div>
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4. RADIOACTIVE by IMAGINE DRAGONS – Sebastian’s bad ass
song. Makes me see him, how he feels about the changes that happened to him,
and how pissed off he is... He’s waking up, people. Welcome to the new
age. </div>
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5. DON’T TAKE AWAY MY HEAVEN by AARON NEVILLE – just one of
his songs I listen to that always puts me in a New Orleans frame of mind. </div>
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6. GIRL ON FIRE by ALICIA KEYS – Every time I listen to
this, I can see Ari walking down the battle-scarred French Quarter streets with
a bloody blade in her hand. Retribution, baby. This girl is on fire. :D</div>
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7. SO WHAT by P!NK – Perfect for when Ari is feeling like she
wants to start a fight.. ;-)</div>
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8. BABYLON by DAVID GRAY – Always reminds me of New Orleans
because I listened to his album, White Ladder, during one of my long driving
trip to and from the city. </div>
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9. LASERS by LUPE FIASCO – gets me in the mood to start work
and get the writing show on the road… :)</div>
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10. MY SONGS KNOW WHAT YOU DID IN THE DARK by FALL OUT BOY –
St. Louis Cathedral. Major show down. Ari and crew light ‘em up in a big, <i>big</i> way. :D </div>
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Thank you so much, Kelly, for stopping by and sharing your playlist with my readers! If you haven't read Darkness Becomes Her or A Beautiful Evil yet, what are you waiting for? You can find my reviews of them below:</div>
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<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1328030739l/8109130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1328030739l/8109130.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://mysticbooklover.blogspot.com/2011/07/darkness-becomes-her-by-kelly-keaton.html" style="text-align: center;">Darkness Becomes Her</a></div>
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<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1328028788l/8109141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1328028788l/8109141.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://mysticbooklover.blogspot.com/2012/07/a-beautiful-evil-by-kelly-keaton.html">A Beautiful Evil </a></div>
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You can also check out <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16650652-the-wicked-within">The Wicked Within</a> on Goodreads and go buy it on September 17.</div>
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<br />Tammy Cordeirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892735481777855921noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442431724181919109.post-46821958438206139022013-08-11T16:18:00.001-07:002013-08-13T17:51:43.272-07:0045 Pounds (More or Less) but with a message worth its weight in gold!<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1354040415l/13424250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1354040415l/13424250.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
Book: 45 Pounds (More
or Less)</div>
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Author: K.A. Barson</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Publisher: Viking
Juvenile</div>
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Date: Available now</div>
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Source: Publisher via
Netgalley</div>
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My grade: A+</div>
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<i><span style="background-color: #ead1dc; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10.5pt;">Here
are the numbers of Ann Galardi’s life:</span></i><i><span style="background-color: #b4a7d6; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br />
<br />
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">She is 16.</span><br />
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">And a size 17.</span><br />
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Her perfect mother is a size 6.</span><br />
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Her Aunt Jackie is getting married in 10 weeks,
and wants Ann to be her bridesmaid.</span><br />
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">So Ann makes up her mind: Time to lose 45 pounds
(more or less) in 2 1/2 months.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Welcome to the world of infomercial diet plans,
wedding dance lessons, embarrassing run-ins with the cutest guy Ann’s ever
seen—-and some surprises about her NOT-so-perfect mother.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">And there’s one more thing. It’s all about
feeling comfortable in your own skin-—no matter how you add it up!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">"Deliciously relatable with a lot of
laughter on the side." -- Rita Williams-Garcia, New York Times
best-selling author (cover and description from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13424250-45-pounds">www.goodreads.com</a>)</span></span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYRFr_B7J2g6qBUvriSTKD1Neh3-8yqIE39LJqfc1RSCC2eQKdq8hrWvPBwDA4sh1iqKDuqgTC5Qe9QFwxAlueWgQjg5r7y4CV9QHmxwy7rvlnt8_CkKFfwDthQJ1anm0UV9gyWiAB2CS/s1600/black.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYRFr_B7J2g6qBUvriSTKD1Neh3-8yqIE39LJqfc1RSCC2eQKdq8hrWvPBwDA4sh1iqKDuqgTC5Qe9QFwxAlueWgQjg5r7y4CV9QHmxwy7rvlnt8_CkKFfwDthQJ1anm0UV9gyWiAB2CS/s1600/black.png" /></a></div>
<b><u>Initial Reaction</u></b></div>
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What a delightful book!!!</div>
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<b><u>Cover Story<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Love this cover! It
pretty much nails it. And the title does
too. Why aren’t there more book covers
like this one???</div>
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<b><u>What’s the Story?<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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What a refreshing book!
This book looked at body and self-image issues without taking itself too
seriously. But it still delivered a
fantastic message in the end. How did
you do that, K.A. Barson?? You are a
freaking genius!</div>
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First, let me start by saying that the real success of this
book lies with Ann, the main character.
She is just so…..likeable! Yes,
she sometimes falls into the “Woe is me!” routine, but seriously, what girl
doesn’t from time to time? I know I
still do! But she pretty much keeps
right on plowing through. She’s not a
popular girl, but she’s not the school pariah either. She seems to be pretty well-liked by most
everyone, even though she’s not really close to anyone.</div>
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I think this book really nails it when it comes to weight
struggles and body image issues. What
made this book great though, is that it managed to look at weight issues in
society while still maintaining a good sense of humor. It was an uplifting story, even though Ann
never did lose that full 45 pounds. And
I was more than ok with that!</div>
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I think this book did a great job of addressing America’s
unhealthy obsession with weight. From
the whole diet infomercial fiasco, to the revelation of an eating disorder to
Ann’s epiphany about how weight obsession is affecting her little sister, this
novel cuts to the quick of pretty much every weight issue in modern day
America. And it was inspiring to see how
well it addressed all of those!</div>
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<br /></div>
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I loved watching Ann come to terms with her weight and her
family and her friendship situation and find a balance that worked for
HER. Her growth emotionally mixed with
her physical weight loss had me cheering for her the whole time! Not to mention the cute boy who liked her no
matter what size dress she was wearing.</div>
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I was so happy when Ann started to realize that she didn’t
have to take scraps of love and friendship from people any longer and that she
could start to assert herself and make people treat her the way she wanted to
be treated. This book was such a
wonderful statement of standing up for yourself and demanding respect. It was also a wonderful look at the problems
of body image and how our obsession with thinness is hurting girls in our
society.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I loved this book and I can’t wait to start recommending it
to my students! If you are looking for a
book that deals with some pretty heavy issues (no pun intended!) but manages to
leave you laughing and feeling good, pick this book up as soon as possible!</div>
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<b><u>The Soundtrack<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) by Mika</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/yDSK91mUNLU" width="420"></iframe></div>
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So Beautiful by Superchick</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/XuZzjEgUfTA" width="420"></iframe></div>
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Video by India Arie</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Mq86e4Fhja0" width="420"></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
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Unpretty by TLC</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/g2gy1Evb1Kg" width="420"></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
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Beautiful by Christina Aguilera</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/eAfyFTzZDMM" width="420"></iframe></div>
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Born This Way by Lady Gaga</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/45aRMPsOrKM" width="420"></iframe></div>
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<b><u>The Final Grade<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My final grade for this book is an A+. This is a very timely book that approaches a
serious issue in a way that makes you think but doesn’t leave you completely
depressed and despairing. A fun book
about a serious issue might sound like an oxymoron, but this book delivers on
both counts!<br />
<br />
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Tammy Cordeirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892735481777855921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442431724181919109.post-63860168987004365582013-08-10T15:47:00.000-07:002013-08-10T15:47:36.734-07:00It may be The Theory of Everything, but it just doesn't explain this book....<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1355621380l/15927691.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1355621380l/15927691.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
Book: The Theory of
Everything</div>
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Author: Kari Luna</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Publisher: Philomel</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Date: Now Available</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Source: Publisher via
Negalley</div>
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My grade: C-???</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>One part Libba Bray's GOING BOVINE, two parts String Theory, and three
parts love story equals a whimsical novel that will change the way you think
about the world.<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Sophie Sophia is
obsessed with music from the late eighties. She also has an eccentric physicist
father who sometimes vanishes for days and sees things other people don’t see.
But when he disappears for good and Sophie’s mom moves them from Brooklyn, New
York, to Havencrest, Illinois, for a fresh start, things take a turn for the
weird. Sophie starts seeing things, like marching band pandas, just like her
dad. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>Guided by Walt, her
shaman panda, and her new (human) friend named Finny, Sophie is determined to
find her father and figure out her visions, once and for all. So she travels
back to where it began—New York City and NYU’s physics department. As she
discovers more about her dad’s research on M-theory and her father himself,
Sophie opens her eyes to the world’s infinite possibilities—and her heart to
love.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>Perfect for fans of Going Bovine, The Perks of Being a Wallflower,
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and The Probability of Miracles. (</i></b><i>Description
and cover from www.goodreads.com)<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYRFr_B7J2g6qBUvriSTKD1Neh3-8yqIE39LJqfc1RSCC2eQKdq8hrWvPBwDA4sh1iqKDuqgTC5Qe9QFwxAlueWgQjg5r7y4CV9QHmxwy7rvlnt8_CkKFfwDthQJ1anm0UV9gyWiAB2CS/s1600/black.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYRFr_B7J2g6qBUvriSTKD1Neh3-8yqIE39LJqfc1RSCC2eQKdq8hrWvPBwDA4sh1iqKDuqgTC5Qe9QFwxAlueWgQjg5r7y4CV9QHmxwy7rvlnt8_CkKFfwDthQJ1anm0UV9gyWiAB2CS/s1600/black.png" /></a></div>
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<b><u>Initial reaction<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is the most bizarre book I can remember reading.</div>
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<b><u>Cover Story<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rather like the book, this is a bizarre cover, but it
definitely fits what’s inside. So, I’m
going to say that this one works.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><u>What’s the Story?<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To be honest, I’m still not sure what the story is on this
one. I mean, I read the whole thing, and
I understood all the words, but I DIDN’T UNDERSTAND!!!!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is what I think the deal is. Sophie Sophia is the daughter of a brilliant
physicist. Who has disappeared. Her mom thought that he was crazy, but he
believed in string theory, which apparently is a theory in physics that would
allow for parallel universes that at times intersect with our own.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here is where I had problems with this theory. I’m ok with the idea of a parallel
universe. However, why would that
parallel universe have pandas that could talk, walk and participate in marching
band??? Shouldn’t a parallel universe
have to follow all of the rules of our own universe?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another problem I had was that the novel never explained why
only certain people were allowed to travel into this parallel universe. What made Sophie and her dad so special that
they could suddenly find themselves in the midst of one of these parallel
realities but the rest of us plain joe schmoes can’t do that???</div>
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<br /></div>
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For that reason, I had a hard time buying the whole
storyline. It felt like the end was
going to be some big reveal about mental illness instead. And what happened to bring everything to an
end was even more bizarre and unbelievable than the rest of the book. I don’t know.
I was left totally confused and in complete denial of any of the
explanations. </div>
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To me, this felt like one of those paranormal books that
doesn’t allow for the suspension of disbelief.
It felt as if the author wasn’t following her own rules, you know?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The writing was great and I enjoyed the characters to a
certain extent, I just never was able to buy into the explanations for the
dancing pandas. Honestly, I think that
Parallel by Lauren Miller is a better novel exploring string theory. (Read my review <a href="http://mysticbooklover.blogspot.com/2013/06/parallel.html">here</a>.) The explanation for why only one person was
experiencing the parallel universe made more sense in that one because there
actually WAS an explanation.</div>
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<b><u>The Soundtrack<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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She’s Lost Control by Joy Division</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/xd0bH8EmdlQ" width="420"></iframe></div>
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Brain Damage/Eclipse by Pink Floyd</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/HZL0sNxP_28" width="420"></iframe></div>
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Day Dream by Smashing Pumpkins</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/2mBfg60P6Io" width="420"></iframe></div>
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A Quiet Mind by Blue October</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/JMfpYbpLteY" width="420"></iframe></div>
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Parallel Universe by Red Hot Chili Peppers</div>
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<b><u>The Final Grade<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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My final grade for this book is C-. This book just didn’t work for me. There are a lot of people who like it on <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15927691-the-theory-of-everything">Goodreads</a>,
so you might want to read some more reviews of it, but it just fell flat for
me.</div>
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<i>I received a copy of
this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I received no compensation, financial or
otherwise, for this review. And
certainly not a talking panda.<o:p></o:p></i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3ObtUvJdfLtO4RbsEr1oB8fDjFox5q5zz-Q1IlYV3VDjQF1rQsR2UhVGyU8iI8tz28E7JlV5mDGVCPamPFy_Pi8k6c7BN3K-Yv1kHDtYG5eUf0s4BG2bixt4VMkV7833vSS0CAg861r2/s1600/C-.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3ObtUvJdfLtO4RbsEr1oB8fDjFox5q5zz-Q1IlYV3VDjQF1rQsR2UhVGyU8iI8tz28E7JlV5mDGVCPamPFy_Pi8k6c7BN3K-Yv1kHDtYG5eUf0s4BG2bixt4VMkV7833vSS0CAg861r2/s1600/C-.gif" /></a></div>
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Tammy Cordeirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892735481777855921noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442431724181919109.post-61379505424238547052013-08-08T06:38:00.000-07:002013-08-08T06:38:02.381-07:00They may be Still Star-crossed, but at least they're still alive.<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1356130209l/16085488.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1356130209l/16085488.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
Book: Still
Star-Crossed</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Author: Melinda Taub</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Publisher: Delacorte
Press</div>
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Date: Now available</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Source: Publisher via
Edelweiss</div>
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My grade: A+</div>
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<i>Romeo and Juliet are
gone. Will love live on? Despite the glooming peace that's settled on Verona
after the recent tragedy, Montagues and Capulets are brawling in the streets.
Faced with more bloody battles, Prince Escalus concludes that the only way to
truly marry the fortunes of these two families is to literally marry them
together. Everyone is skeptical, but none more so than the pair selected, for
the most eligible Montague bachelor is Benvolio, Romeo's best friend, still
anguished by the loss of his companions, and the chosen Capulet maid is
Juliet's older cousin Rosaline, the girl Romeo first loved and whose refusal of
Romeo's affection paved the way for bloodshed. Contrary to their late cousins,
there's no love lost between Benvolio and Rosaline, yet they forge a bond to
end the renewed feud not only to escape their forced betrothal, but to save
their lives and the city of Verona itself.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYRFr_B7J2g6qBUvriSTKD1Neh3-8yqIE39LJqfc1RSCC2eQKdq8hrWvPBwDA4sh1iqKDuqgTC5Qe9QFwxAlueWgQjg5r7y4CV9QHmxwy7rvlnt8_CkKFfwDthQJ1anm0UV9gyWiAB2CS/s1600/black.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYRFr_B7J2g6qBUvriSTKD1Neh3-8yqIE39LJqfc1RSCC2eQKdq8hrWvPBwDA4sh1iqKDuqgTC5Qe9QFwxAlueWgQjg5r7y4CV9QHmxwy7rvlnt8_CkKFfwDthQJ1anm0UV9gyWiAB2CS/s1600/black.png" /></a></div>
<b><u>Initial Reaction</u></b></div>
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I will never look at Rosaline the same way again.</div>
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<b><u>Cover Story<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Yes, it has the clichéd girl in the dress, but this is a
book that continues the Romeo and Juliet story, so I’m pretty sure the dress is
time period appropriate. The title, of
course, is a nod to the bard and ties in to the whole Romeo and Juliet
continuing saga. So, it’s good!</div>
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<b><u>What’s the Story?<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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This is like a sequel to <i>Romeo
and Juliet</i>. Now, I have read some
pretty bad sequels to <i>Pride and Prejudice,
</i>but since I’m a sucker for anything that has to do with Shakespeare, I had
to get my hands on this one. This book
was no cheesy novel that was just an excuse to write hot sex scenes involving
Mr. Darcy! Oh no! This book was fabulous!</div>
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I really felt like Melinda Taub stayed true to the spirit of
Shakespeare in this book. Not only did
she write main characters that were reminiscent of some of Shakespeare’s own,
but she showed off her Shakespearean knowledge base by including many nods to
characters in other plays. In fact, this
book is probably better suited to fans of <i>Much
Ado About Nothing</i> rather than fans of <i>Romeo
and Juliet</i>, because Rosaline and Benvolio reminded me very much of Beatrice
and Benedick. Which was just fine by me
because I love those 2 way better than I love stupid and whiny Romeo and
Juliet. She also included nods to Don
Pedro and even to the grave digger from Hamlet.
There were probably more than that but I’ve either forgotten them or was
too ignorant to know that they existed!</div>
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The language of this book is quite lovely. Taub chose to continue dialogue in
Shakespeare’s style, but with the rest of the prose in the book, I think this
makes Shakespeare’s language a little more accessible to teens. In fact, I think this would be an excellent
book to use as a follow-up to Romeo and Juliet in an English class. It would be fun to speculate on the after
math of the tragedy and would help students who struggled with Shakespeare’s
language.</div>
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The characters in this book were so much fun!! The bad ones were really bad and most of them
were very multi-dimensional. It was fun
to get to know some of the characters better that showed up in Romeo and Juliet
but never made it to the forefront. It
was interesting to see just which characters Taub chose to make good or evil or
simply complacent. In fact, I’d love to
sit down with her over a cup of tea and discuss why she made those choices.</div>
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The action in this novel was non-stop! It was very fast-paced and there was enough
intrigue going on that I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I raced through this book and honestly, if I
had the time, I would probably go right back to the beginning and read it
again. </div>
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I was very pleased with everything about this book. I’m so excited to get a copy for my own
library and I can’t wait to share it with my English department. It’s even inspired me to create a book
display of Shakespearean related novels!
It shall be as merry as the day is long!</div>
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<b><u>The Soundtrack<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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I Hate Everything About You by Three Days Grace</div>
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I Hate Myself for Loving You by Joan Jett</div>
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Wash It All Away by Evanescence</div>
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Half of My Heart by John Mayer</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/aojTGWAqUIQ" width="420"></iframe></div>
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The Space Between by Dave Matthews Band</div>
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<br /></div>
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King and Lionheart by Of Monsters and Men</div>
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Live to Tell by Madonna</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/IzAO9A9GjgI" width="420"></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
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A Thousand Years by Christina Perri</div>
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<b><u>The Final Grade<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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My final grade for this book is an A+. It was a Shakespeare related novel that was
worthy of the Bard…..and luckily had a much happier ending than the work that
inspired it! I can’t wait to start
dealing this one out at school in the fall!</div>
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<i>I received a copy of
this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I received no compensation, financial or
otherwise, for this review. Not even a
hot Montague.<o:p></o:p></i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
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Tammy Cordeirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892735481777855921noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442431724181919109.post-43732640346629388962013-08-05T07:15:00.000-07:002013-08-06T12:10:45.742-07:00Summer Road Trip Giveaway Hop!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_35-2cRg-GSbv4UNimSHMOQV-a6uMyMphqFB6Z6jtwo8xNq2R4SG1e-B4i2C3g4LCGJ-h8yeuKFyg0_cih9KEgbdi9lGMidbJCGmmS8I9Io478jRcySSox4yEeQyhxQa2faGnMbThyphenhyphen2VM/s1600/summerroadtriphop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_35-2cRg-GSbv4UNimSHMOQV-a6uMyMphqFB6Z6jtwo8xNq2R4SG1e-B4i2C3g4LCGJ-h8yeuKFyg0_cih9KEgbdi9lGMidbJCGmmS8I9Io478jRcySSox4yEeQyhxQa2faGnMbThyphenhyphen2VM/s320/summerroadtriphop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Welcome to my stop on the Summer Road Trip Giveaway Hop!</div>
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I LOVE road trips. Possibly they are my favorite thing in the world to do. The excitement of going somewhere new but also the discoveries you make while on the road. ::sighs:: I'm ready to go on one now.....</div>
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But, since that can't happen, I'm going to give a copy of my favorite road trip book to one lucky winner! As long as The Book Depository will ship to your country, you can even be international. So here are your choices:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGotQJyFEyjzYpgo47xWUra1KTh1aU-61bFqvk-LNMhaALxR-LsTALdGHDF5XBStmCr4h5P1iCbDQHrIt4QRlRnogZWKQbcFK1tfL1MZp1nYxSNgUe4ZXlgcmotbmJi1JdNRV6Qa-aTuoz/s1600/road+trip+giveaway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGotQJyFEyjzYpgo47xWUra1KTh1aU-61bFqvk-LNMhaALxR-LsTALdGHDF5XBStmCr4h5P1iCbDQHrIt4QRlRnogZWKQbcFK1tfL1MZp1nYxSNgUe4ZXlgcmotbmJi1JdNRV6Qa-aTuoz/s320/road+trip+giveaway.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/70401.On_the_Road">On the Road by Jack Kerouac</a></b></div>
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This was my very first road trip novel. I read it my junior year of high school and it literally changed my life. A classic!</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/136251.Harry_Potter_and_the_Deathly_Hallows">Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling</a></b></div>
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Not sure if trips by disapparation count, but I'm going to go for it. A magical road trip is a road trip nonetheless, and what other book has part of the journey take place on a dragon???</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7664334-amy-and-roger-s-epic-detour">Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson</a></b> (<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2442431724181919109#editor/target=post;postID=287859592294988790;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=10;src=postname">my review</a>)</div>
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I read this one a couple of summers ago and I loved it. It even has a playlist at the beginning of each chapter and you guys know how I love book soundtracks!</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13018503-the-rules-for-disappearing">The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston</a> </b>(<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2442431724181919109#editor/target=post;postID=7594824514756952432;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=1;src=postname">my review</a>)</div>
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I'm not sure if Witness Protection Plan counts as a road trip per se, but how about a road trip to try and discover why you are in said WPP to begin with? And it has car chases and hotel nights with a hot boy!</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13449858-the-lives-we-lost" style="font-weight: bold;">The Lives We Lost by Megan Crewe</a> (<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2442431724181919109#editor/target=post;postID=3901216493484935720;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=2;src=postname">my review</a>)</div>
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A road trip during the zombie apocalypse is still a road trip, right?</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15802883-how-my-summer-went-up-in-flames">How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski</a> </b>(<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2442431724181919109#editor/target=post;postID=8632083065625730706;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=1;src=postname">my review</a>)</div>
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What do you get when you put one Jersey girl with ex-boyfriend issues in a car with 3 other boys and send them on the road to Colorado? You get this book! But beware--hilariousness ensues!</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13260742-right-of-way">Right of Way by Lauren Barnholdt</a> </b>(<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2442431724181919109#editor/target=post;postID=705453110184405221;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=1;src=postname">my review</a>)<br />
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Running away from home with a dog and a cute boy is still a road trip, right?</div>
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So, enter away! And make sure you check out the other blogs on the hop as well! It will be like a virtual road trip! You can find the links under my Rafflecopter. Good luck and happy traveling!</div>
<br />
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/452bb78/" id="rc-452bb78" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
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</script><!-- end InLinkz script -->Tammy Cordeirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892735481777855921noreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442431724181919109.post-7054531101844052212013-08-04T21:13:00.001-07:002013-08-04T21:13:39.632-07:00I'll Give You the Right of Way, But Can I Just Smack You First?<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1357593893l/13260742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1357593893l/13260742.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
Book: Right of Way</div>
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Author: Lauren
Barnholdt</div>
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Publisher: Simon Pulse</div>
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Date: Now Available</div>
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Source: Publisher via
Edelweiss</div>
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My grade: B+</div>
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<b><i>Can a road trip repair a romance gone wrong? Find out in this
standalone companion to Lauren Barnholdt’s Two-way Street.<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<i>Here are Peyton and
Jace, meeting on vacation. Click! It’s awesome, it’s easy, it’s romantic. This
is the real deal.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Unless it isn’t.
Because when you’re in love, you don’t just stop calling one day. And you don’t
keep secrets. Or lie. And when your life starts falling apart, you’re supposed
to have the other person to lean on.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Here are Peyton and
Jace again, broken up but thrown together on a road trip. One of them is lying
about the destination. One of them is pretending not to be leaving something
behind. And neither of them is prepared for what’s coming on the road ahead…<o:p></o:p></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYRFr_B7J2g6qBUvriSTKD1Neh3-8yqIE39LJqfc1RSCC2eQKdq8hrWvPBwDA4sh1iqKDuqgTC5Qe9QFwxAlueWgQjg5r7y4CV9QHmxwy7rvlnt8_CkKFfwDthQJ1anm0UV9gyWiAB2CS/s1600/black.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYRFr_B7J2g6qBUvriSTKD1Neh3-8yqIE39LJqfc1RSCC2eQKdq8hrWvPBwDA4sh1iqKDuqgTC5Qe9QFwxAlueWgQjg5r7y4CV9QHmxwy7rvlnt8_CkKFfwDthQJ1anm0UV9gyWiAB2CS/s1600/black.png" /></a></div>
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<b><u>Initial Reaction<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Is it possible to love characters and still want to slap them
silly???</div>
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<b><u>Cover Story<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Why the hell is there a truck on this cover? There’s no truck in this book. There’s a sedan. And no one goes to the beach. I get that they’re trying to portray the road
trip, but don’t these cover designers even read the freaking books???? I like the title though.</div>
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<b><u>What’s the Story?<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Apparently this is a companion novel to another one written
by Lauren Barnholdt called Two-Way Street.
There are two characters that make quite a few appearances in this
novel, Jordan and Courtney, and the first novel is about them. It’s not necessary to read this first novel,
though. I enjoyed this one and understood
it, although now I’m curious about the first one.</div>
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This book would have been an A book for me except for 2
things: 1. The angst factor just killed me. I am a happily ever after kind of girl and
the angst of never knowing if I would get there just about did me in. 2.
These characters were at times so immature and non-communicative that I
just wanted to shake some sense into both of them.</div>
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Now, having said that, I realize that the reason I could see
that they were overreacting to stuff is because I’m 43 instead of 16. However, I do inhabit space with a 15 year
old girl, and let me tell you that Lauren Barnholdt has hit the nail on the
head with the teen stupid. God, these
kids do some really stupid things. Like
running away from home. Like not talking
to each other. Like not talking to
anyone about problems. Like leaving home
with no money and no real plan. Yes,
some of us know that these are stupid things, but when you’re 16 and hurt and
upset, they don’t seem like such bad options.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
The structure of this book was very interesting, although I
could see how it might not work well for some readers. It moves back and forward in time and from
Peyton’s to Jace’s points of view. I had
no trouble following it and honestly, I’m pretty impressed that Lauren
Barnholdt could pull that off without missing some major plot point. I have no doubt that I would have missed
something major and messed the whole thing up.
But she pulled it off beautifully.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I liked the 2 characters.
Now, it took me a while to get there, mind you, but that was part of the
fun. I had to unravel all the
circumstances that led these 2 exes to be riding together in a car from Florida
to either Connecticut or North Carolina.
And why one of them was leaving home and the other was willing to miss
his high school graduation to do this.
Seeing everything slowly revealed was both a treat and a torture. Of course, once I got to the end, all the
angst was worth it but boy, did it ever hurt so good while I was reading it!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the end, I loved both the story and the characters and I
was glad to see both Peyton and Jace grow more mature as the story
progressed. And thank goodness there was
a real sort of ending. I’m so tired of
these books that almost drop off in mid-sentence! This one wrapped up nicely without making
everything too tidy, but wrapping up just well enough to give me a sense of
closure.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>The Soundtrack<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She by Elvis Costello</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/FjQvxUIDigc" width="420"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Say Anything by Tristan Prettyman</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/0fa8BFCZLqQ" width="420"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A Beautiful Mess by Jason Mraz</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/vIj42LYUOO4" width="420"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Reason by Hoobastank</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/fV4DiAyExN0" width="420"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Runaway by 3 Doors Down</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/EXQBwKLsk_A" width="420"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She’s Leaving Home by The Beatles</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/V4PFC6bIexo" width="420"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>The Final Grade<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
My final grade for this book is a B+. If you can wade through the angst and control
your urge to murder the two main characters, this book really pays off in the
end.<br />
<br />
I received a copy of this book fro the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise, for this review. Not even a great road trip dog.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsPfIVrAmRCUbOY4qVoqQC2oLO0qpV0ZJMcNiVmuyVKQ2kvmQzDltQ3yXSeQEzC-DOJUZnFqhDjz0o1GHkohcp-bbS8sQERnyeq_fOsAGD2ChJkzagG5fkn-wtBF1H7YgTSEQag3Jeyuo/s1600/B.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsPfIVrAmRCUbOY4qVoqQC2oLO0qpV0ZJMcNiVmuyVKQ2kvmQzDltQ3yXSeQEzC-DOJUZnFqhDjz0o1GHkohcp-bbS8sQERnyeq_fOsAGD2ChJkzagG5fkn-wtBF1H7YgTSEQag3Jeyuo/s1600/B.gif" /></a></div>
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Tammy Cordeirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892735481777855921noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442431724181919109.post-91897506976005171072013-07-30T09:00:00.000-07:002013-07-31T18:51:07.648-07:00I'm hoping to find The Lost Sun......under Thor's breastplate!<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1362068810l/13021366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1362068810l/13021366.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
Book: The Lost Sun
(The United States of Asgard #1)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Author: Tessa Gratton</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Publisher: Random
House Books for Young Readers</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Date: Available now</div>
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Source: Publisher via
Edelweiss</div>
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My grade: B</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Fans of Neil Gaiman's <u>American
Gods</u> and Holly Black's <u>The Curse Workers</u> will embrace this richly
drawn, Norse-mythology-infused alternate world: the United States of Asgard. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Seventeen-year-old
Soren Bearskin is trying to escape the past. His father, a famed warrior, lost
himself to the battle-frenzy and killed thirteen innocent people. Soren cannot
deny that berserking is in his blood--the fevers, insomnia, and occasional
feelings of uncontrollable rage haunt him. So he tries to remain calm and
detached from everyone at Sanctus Sigurd's Academy. But that's hard to do when
a popular, beautiful girl like Astrid Glyn tells Soren she dreams of him.
That's not all Astrid dreams of--the daughter of a renowned prophetess, Astrid
is coming into her own inherited abilities.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>When Baldur, son of
Odin and one of the most popular gods in the country, goes missing, Astrid sees
where he is and convinces Soren to join her on a road trip that will take them
to find not only a lost god, but also who they are beyond the legacy of their
parents and everything they've been told they have to be.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYRFr_B7J2g6qBUvriSTKD1Neh3-8yqIE39LJqfc1RSCC2eQKdq8hrWvPBwDA4sh1iqKDuqgTC5Qe9QFwxAlueWgQjg5r7y4CV9QHmxwy7rvlnt8_CkKFfwDthQJ1anm0UV9gyWiAB2CS/s1600/black.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYRFr_B7J2g6qBUvriSTKD1Neh3-8yqIE39LJqfc1RSCC2eQKdq8hrWvPBwDA4sh1iqKDuqgTC5Qe9QFwxAlueWgQjg5r7y4CV9QHmxwy7rvlnt8_CkKFfwDthQJ1anm0UV9gyWiAB2CS/s1600/black.png" /></a></div>
<b><u>Initial Reaction</u></b></div>
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Hmmmm. That was
different. Not bad different, just
different.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><u>Cover Story<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t like it. No,
I take that back. I don’t like the giant
face on it. It makes the cover
ugly. And the title was ok until I saw
what the original title was. New Songs
of Asgard? Hello, awesome title. Oh well…..::sighs::</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>What’s the Story?<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, this book has given me work to do. In the form of research. About Norse mythology. I mean, I know a smidgen about it, but now I
want to know a LOT about it. I’m
seriously going to get some books on it.
I’m inspired!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At first, I wasn’t sure that I would like this book. I mean, the description was awesome and a
book about a teen berserker? Yes,
please! But when I started reading, it
felt….disjointed at first. The names
seemed weird and out of place and it didn’t feel organic. And then, suddenly, it did. I guess I needed some time to get used to the
new names and references in the book, because after a while, it all felt
natural.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The premise for this book is that the U.S. is modern, but
it’s part of the ancient Viking culture.
The Norse gods are real and they live in the U.S. and people sort of
interact with them. Soren Bearskin is
the main character and narrator. Is that
a great name or what?? He is a
berserker, like his dad, but he doesn’t want to be one. His dad went crazy and berserked in the
middle of a shopping mall, causing the SWAT team to come gun him down, all in
front of Soren. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A berserker, if you are not familiar with the term, is a Viking
warrior who worked himself into a complete frenzy and rage to go into battle,
so it seemed as if they were going crazy and leaping into the fight. Because of their rage, they were difficult to
defeat. They are often described in the
Germanic epics and sagas. Now, in modern
times, if you start displaying the signs of a berserker, you have to get this
thing tattooed on your face so that people will know to steer clear of
you. For this reason, Soren is a bit of
a loner and people really don’t want to have anything to do with him.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Until he meets the girl, of course. Astrid shows no fear of Soren, and suddenly
he finds himself on this quest with her across the country in search of the
god, Baldur. It’s a pretty typical
adventure/quest, but all the elements of Norse mythology are what really gave
it that extra something. In spite of the
bad case of insta-love between Soren and Astrid, I found myself rooting for
them. I mean, who doesn’t like a couple
named Soren and Astrid??</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I enjoyed all the references to Norse gods and to the ideas
of Valhalla and the threat of the start of Ragnarok. (Just go look that crap up on Wikipedia if
you don’t know what it is!) Of course,
the image of Soren as a young Chris Helmsworth (Thor!!) seriously helped my
enjoyment of this book, but by the end of the book, I found that I really
wanted to see what would happen next.
So, in spite of a slow beginning and some jarring use of anachronistic
vocabulary, this book gave me enough cool Norse references and interesting adventure
to keep me reading into the second book.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>The Soundtrack<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ok, I had a lot of fun with this soundtrack and did
something completely different. So, here
for your listening pleasure is a mix of Nordic music, both ancient and
modern. Yeah, I don’t understand any of
the words either, but it sounds awesome, right?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Dreaming ‘Ere the World Ends by Helene Bøksle</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ex_nVDL5g-k" width="420"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Trøllabundin by Eivør</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/LpiFmZLICgM" width="420"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ólafur Liljurós an Icelandic
Folk Song</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/pf8Drp9JntM" width="420"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I Riden Så by Gjallarhorn</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/MPR56PXiLqY" width="420"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Secret Path by The Moon and the Nightspirit</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/g2uUYAaXkEk" width="420"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sólstafir by Fjara</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/XmGdSOhBx8E" width="420"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ólavar Riddararós by Valravn</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/WMlUhLRaV5o" width="420"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Final Grade</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My final grade for this book is a B. It started out a little rocky, but eventually
smoothed out into a fun and interesting adventure…..with visions of Thor in my
head! I’m interested to see what will
happen next.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>I received a copy of
this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. I received no compensation, financial or
otherwise, for this review. Not even a
giant poster of Chris Helmsworth.
::sobs::<o:p></o:p></i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsPfIVrAmRCUbOY4qVoqQC2oLO0qpV0ZJMcNiVmuyVKQ2kvmQzDltQ3yXSeQEzC-DOJUZnFqhDjz0o1GHkohcp-bbS8sQERnyeq_fOsAGD2ChJkzagG5fkn-wtBF1H7YgTSEQag3Jeyuo/s1600/B.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsPfIVrAmRCUbOY4qVoqQC2oLO0qpV0ZJMcNiVmuyVKQ2kvmQzDltQ3yXSeQEzC-DOJUZnFqhDjz0o1GHkohcp-bbS8sQERnyeq_fOsAGD2ChJkzagG5fkn-wtBF1H7YgTSEQag3Jeyuo/s1600/B.gif" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i></div>
Tammy Cordeirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892735481777855921noreply@blogger.com3