tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64619555194695473302024-03-18T23:10:14.021-04:00BoundbyWordsReekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904057237029522710noreply@blogger.comBlogger403125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461955519469547330.post-51887845127962560482020-11-25T13:31:00.003-05:002021-07-16T12:34:10.531-04:00REVIEW: Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo<p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52516332-clap-when-you-land" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoSe4sgRKy5ie01WpHOJIbyO0crdeKwuGAI_NLvms9r6GB5yyqHucuXUFvKQjn3xp7ZBABbZ_ffxYXQAgG4syYJH6Fmli-KpaWDsaovaqYFNXH4tYLjOyiSCZ9F8Ur0We8GGAqEOiNPfu4/s320/IMG_20200709_130310_882.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f; font-weight: bold;"><br />Title:</span><b> </b></span></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">Clap When You Land<br /></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;"><b 25px=""><span style="color: #661d6f;">Author:</span> </b></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://www.acevedowrites.com/" target="_blank">Elizabeth Acevedo</a><br /></span><b style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Genre:</span> </b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;">YA Contemporary<br /></span><b style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Publisher:</span> </b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><a href="https://www.harpercollins.ca/" target="_blank">Quill Tree Books</a><br /></span><span style="color: #661d6f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Release Date:</b></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span><span>May 5, 2020<br /></span></span><span style="color: #661d6f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Acquired:</b></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>Purchased (hardcover)<br /></span><span style="color: #661d6f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;"><b>Goodreads: </b></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52516332-clap-when-you-land" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;" target="_blank">ADD</a><br /><span style="color: #661d6f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;"><b>Purchase:</b><span style="color: black;"><b> </b></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Clap-When-Land-Elizabeth-Acevedo/dp/0062882767" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;" target="_blank">Amazon</a><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;">/</span><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/clap-when-you-land/9780062882769-item.html" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;" target="_blank">Indigo</a><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;">/</span><a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Clap-When-You-Land-Elizabeth-Acevedo/9781471409127" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;" target="_blank">Book Depository</a><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 19px;">In a novel-in-verse that brims with grief and love, National Book Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo writes about the devastation of loss, the difficulty of forgiveness, and the bittersweet bonds that shape our lives.<br /><br />
Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people…<br /><br />
In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal’s office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash.<br /><br />
Separated by distance—and Papi’s secrets—the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered.<br /><br />
And then, when it seems like they’ve lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.</span></blockquote></div><span face="verdana, sans-serif"></span><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_p7IFgLs_lkgKwMVpL5oSzp9Y8gcAtDMRxCsefxPjPj5JlQkIxBi_1EHLZ0P7Bns-y7X7xSeSThILyZYCdlw7chErpW2gYvqlsMXQH4lGk6PMudumGGU3rZtZ5oSeoUxYICvasupLs4eQ/s1600/review_divider2.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: -1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="44" data-original-width="785" height="35" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_p7IFgLs_lkgKwMVpL5oSzp9Y8gcAtDMRxCsefxPjPj5JlQkIxBi_1EHLZ0P7Bns-y7X7xSeSThILyZYCdlw7chErpW2gYvqlsMXQH4lGk6PMudumGGU3rZtZ5oSeoUxYICvasupLs4eQ/s640/review_divider2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #661d6f;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><div style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I'll admit, I was weary as hell going into my first book written in verse. I don't read poetry (not as a rule, I just don't seek it out), so </span><i><span style="font-family: georgia;">Clap When You Land</span></i><span style="font-family: verdana;"> felt </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: verdana;">like a mountainous feat. If you're feeling the same way about this one, DON'T. My God, don't. THIS BOOK WAS EVERYTHING.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: verdana;">Told from alternating perspectives, Yahaira in New York, and Camino in the Dominican Republic, the sisters explore the depths of their individual fears, loves and aspirations, until they are finally made aware of each other and begin to share a single pain: the loss of their father.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">My copy of this book is overrun with a rainbow of tabs; lines highlighted with no regard to my anxiety about writing on pages. Acevedo created something with this narrative that spoke so unbelievably loud to my heart, that I had to pause in moments, put the book down and sit in my awe of some seriously powerful lines. The characters were so distinct, their emotions so appropriate to their circumstances. This was a reading experience that I will never forget, and I urge you to experience it too!</span></span></div><div></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXbh5Xtz5QhL8DSNzP2e-D6-VRy45C21wMNDZJpOR5Ok2nA93o3kbbTHT7EeAY-sigrAu-4MXJD5A2xoMYKGuX_LQwetaupWrIBwzceX233utGveTZ6P3FSIlGNN3n7bMCpNbcXentzd8a/s206/5stars.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="43" data-original-width="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXbh5Xtz5QhL8DSNzP2e-D6-VRy45C21wMNDZJpOR5Ok2nA93o3kbbTHT7EeAY-sigrAu-4MXJD5A2xoMYKGuX_LQwetaupWrIBwzceX233utGveTZ6P3FSIlGNN3n7bMCpNbcXentzd8a/" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b>Read if you like:</b></span><br /><i>Pride </i><font>by Ibi Zoboi</font><br /><font face=""><i><font>You Should See Me in a Crown</font></i><font face=""> <font>by Leah Johnson</font></font></font><br /><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><i>The Black Flamingo</i> by Dean Atta</span><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b>Key themes:</b> </span><br /><font>family, loss, coming-of-age, pain, familial connections, long lost family </font></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><font></font><br /></span><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Challenges:</b></span></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://goodreads.com/challenges/11621-2020-reading-challenge" target="_blank">Goodreads 2020 Reading Challenge</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/popsugar-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank"><br /></a></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><span face="verdana, sans-serif"></span></div></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3x3XwXnaq273fgmfZbmTGx3yKdJmEo0CXjBR-7cgnlpPl13lhtovpDiDljtxXBRxtbOGjYU5npcZ7yQUwYE7jE4hzUlC5xi8TML6t5Chad6EMxokq3lBjhnv53Xs2lIHymkkop_RfZRa/s1600/abouttheauthor_divider2.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: -1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="44" data-original-width="785" height="34" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3x3XwXnaq273fgmfZbmTGx3yKdJmEo0CXjBR-7cgnlpPl13lhtovpDiDljtxXBRxtbOGjYU5npcZ7yQUwYE7jE4hzUlC5xi8TML6t5Chad6EMxokq3lBjhnv53Xs2lIHymkkop_RfZRa/s640/abouttheauthor_divider2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-left: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.acevedowrites.com/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1598302475p8/15253645.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(103, 29, 112);" width="274" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrctfa9qkhVY6OtHFXNZ1kP39AevcXNXaUcbSpokkZDGSzMmDrALeurwBUjq6X2yYsjALHBP408SBh9D0Zf3YeTYEtwQXEIAm_56-lIS77okyJ1bug37ruKt6lvn6YH_0Cw_c1q3-AluyD/s1600/abttheathr_purple.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;">credit: goodreads author page</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">ELIZABETH ACEVEDO is the New York Times-bestselling author of The Poet X, which won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, the Pura Belpré Award, the Carnegie medal, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, and the Walter Award. She is also the author of With the Fire on High—which was named a best book of the year by the New York Public Library, NPR, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal—and Clap When You Land, which was a Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor book and a Kirkus finalist.<br /><br />
She holds a BA in Performing Arts from The George Washington University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Maryland. Acevedo has been a fellow of Cave Canem, Cantomundo, and a participant in the Callaloo Writer’s Workshops. She is a National Poetry Slam Champion, and resides in Washington, DC with her love.</span></blockquote></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b><u><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b><u>CONTACT LINKS</u></b></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif"> </span></span></div></u></b></span></span><b><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.acevedowrites.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | </span></b><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/AcevedoWrites/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> | </span></b><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.twitter.com/AcevedoWrites" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | </span></b><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/AcevedoWrites" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></b></span></div></b><div><br /></div>Reekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904057237029522710noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461955519469547330.post-37570999265793626452020-07-22T23:29:00.000-04:002022-01-15T23:29:47.371-05:00REVIEW: Home Before Dark by Riley Sager<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimvma9mlWqKqTCDZcXz0ogPjg0_WzHtPCZBuGmT5w-yrSn_7L2iY_XNN0z7ZaphwBo_ma56WYnIwtM5fgbPpdyJ2cO1ofe1sD6pRH1tiQSnOewRCDie0KSQDZH0YShhCud1sJg7ECKppsO/s1080/HomeBeforeDark_RileySager.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimvma9mlWqKqTCDZcXz0ogPjg0_WzHtPCZBuGmT5w-yrSn_7L2iY_XNN0z7ZaphwBo_ma56WYnIwtM5fgbPpdyJ2cO1ofe1sD6pRH1tiQSnOewRCDie0KSQDZH0YShhCud1sJg7ECKppsO/s320/HomeBeforeDark_RileySager.jpg" /></a></div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f; font-weight: bold;">Title:</span><b> </b></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;">Home Before Dark<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;"><b 25px=""><span style="color: #661d6f;">Author:</span> </b></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://www.rileysagerbooks.com/" target="_blank">Riley Sager</a><br /></span><b style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Genre:</span> </b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;">Thriller/Paranormal<br /></span><b style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Publisher:</span> </b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><a href="https://www.harpercollins.ca/" target="_blank">Quill Tree Books</a><br /></span><span style="color: #661d6f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Release Date:</b></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span><span>May 5, 2020<br /></span></span><span style="color: #661d6f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Acquired:</b></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>Purchased (hardcover)<br /></span><span style="color: #661d6f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;"><b>Goodreads: </b></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52516332-clap-when-you-land" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;" target="_blank">ADD</a><br /><span style="color: #661d6f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;"><b>Purchase:</b><span style="color: black;"><b> </b></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Clap-When-Land-Elizabeth-Acevedo/dp/0062882767" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;" target="_blank">Amazon</a><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;">/</span><a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/clap-when-you-land/9780062882769-item.html" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;" target="_blank">Indigo</a><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;">/</span><a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Clap-When-You-Land-Elizabeth-Acevedo/9781471409127" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;" target="_blank">Book Depository</a><p></p><div><span><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">What was it like? Living in that house.<br /><br /><span>Maggie Holt is used to such questions. Twenty-five years ago, she and her parents, Ewan and Jess, moved into Baneberry Hall, a rambling Victorian estate in the Vermont woods. They spent three weeks there before fleeing in the dead of night, an ordeal Ewan later recounted in a nonfiction book called </span>House of Horrors. His tale of ghostly happenings and encounters with malevolent spirits became a worldwide phenomenon, rivaling The Amityville Horror in popularity—and skepticism.<br /><br />Today, Maggie is a restorer of old homes and too young to remember any of the events mentioned in her father’s book. But she also doesn’t believe a word of it. Ghosts, after all, don’t exist. When Maggie inherits Baneberry Hall after her father’s death, she returns to renovate the place to prepare it for sale. But her homecoming is anything but warm. People from the past, chronicled in House of Horrors, lurk in the shadows. And locals aren’t thrilled that their small town has been made infamous thanks to Maggie’s father. Even more unnerving is Baneberry Hall itself—a place filled with relics from another era that hint at a history of dark deeds. As Maggie experiences strange occurrences straight out of her father’s book, she starts to believe that what he wrote was more fact than fiction.<br /><br /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><b>In the latest thriller from <em>New York Times</em> bestseller Riley Sager, a woman returns to the house made famous by her father’s bestselling horror memoir. Is the place really haunted by evil forces, as her father claimed? Or are there more earthbound—and dangerous—secrets hidden within its walls?</b></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_p7IFgLs_lkgKwMVpL5oSzp9Y8gcAtDMRxCsefxPjPj5JlQkIxBi_1EHLZ0P7Bns-y7X7xSeSThILyZYCdlw7chErpW2gYvqlsMXQH4lGk6PMudumGGU3rZtZ5oSeoUxYICvasupLs4eQ/s1600/review_divider2.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: -1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="44" data-original-width="785" height="35" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_p7IFgLs_lkgKwMVpL5oSzp9Y8gcAtDMRxCsefxPjPj5JlQkIxBi_1EHLZ0P7Bns-y7X7xSeSThILyZYCdlw7chErpW2gYvqlsMXQH4lGk6PMudumGGU3rZtZ5oSeoUxYICvasupLs4eQ/s640/review_divider2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #661d6f;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><div style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">There were definitely </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">𝑯𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝑯𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> vibes throughout this one, but it was also dissimilar in ways that I wish it wasn't. I'd say I enjoyed 90% of the narrative, right up until an ending that left small holes still unpatched. Though I can completely understand Sager's appeal, his writing is immersive; his setting is almost tangible. I'd rate it a 4 on that alone, but his character development was lacking for me. Maggie was still too far from my reach to connect with, and her quest for the truth didn't have me cheering her on. However, this was a great one to pass a rainy afternoon with, I'd just suggest not reading it alone at night.</span></div><div></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0bEIjXm-nxhJrfX4JqrJ_TGx9siJ2ijdNrctf3IgdqXcmT6v7sJCA-MEPnEdlI76jkNMTEsCQ3wG0yJuivpQYGiZzAOBl8F5uVKgJzLTIicx3wQRqKv8kxUY8hlODRizASJtQ5yMgNbdl/s158/4stars.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="54" data-original-width="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0bEIjXm-nxhJrfX4JqrJ_TGx9siJ2ijdNrctf3IgdqXcmT6v7sJCA-MEPnEdlI76jkNMTEsCQ3wG0yJuivpQYGiZzAOBl8F5uVKgJzLTIicx3wQRqKv8kxUY8hlODRizASJtQ5yMgNbdl/s0/4stars.png" /></a><br /></div></div></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b>Read if you like:</b></span><br /><i>The Haunting of Hill House </i><font>by Shirley Jackson</font><br /><font face=""><font face=""><i>White Smoke</i> <font>by Tiffany D. Jackson</font></font></font><br /><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><i>Rebecca</i> by Daphne Du Maurier</span><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b>Key themes:<br /></b></span>loss, family, childhood trauma, supernatural occurrences, family secrets<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/popsugar-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank"><br /></a></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><span face="verdana, sans-serif"></span></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3x3XwXnaq273fgmfZbmTGx3yKdJmEo0CXjBR-7cgnlpPl13lhtovpDiDljtxXBRxtbOGjYU5npcZ7yQUwYE7jE4hzUlC5xi8TML6t5Chad6EMxokq3lBjhnv53Xs2lIHymkkop_RfZRa/s1600/abouttheauthor_divider2.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: -1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="44" data-original-width="785" height="34" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3x3XwXnaq273fgmfZbmTGx3yKdJmEo0CXjBR-7cgnlpPl13lhtovpDiDljtxXBRxtbOGjYU5npcZ7yQUwYE7jE4hzUlC5xi8TML6t5Chad6EMxokq3lBjhnv53Xs2lIHymkkop_RfZRa/s640/abouttheauthor_divider2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMp1woTE1fneD0Z4PywH9ceBpp0HiOQhDdyGIkmbMi6rPxYLavlwpxgUtObR764GVDDbe3BkBBWaChSH54BjuUWIw2eOBQ3je-nwy6BNkqjUoSl2sSjxYn5ylzZFYSxuEpidH7VPMphHD3/s700/RileySager.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMp1woTE1fneD0Z4PywH9ceBpp0HiOQhDdyGIkmbMi6rPxYLavlwpxgUtObR764GVDDbe3BkBBWaChSH54BjuUWIw2eOBQ3je-nwy6BNkqjUoSl2sSjxYn5ylzZFYSxuEpidH7VPMphHD3/s320/RileySager.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">Riley Sager is the pseudonym of a former journalist, editor and graphic designer.<br /><br />
Now a full-time writer, Riley is the author of FINAL GIRLS, an international bestseller that's been published in 25 languages, and the instant New York Times bestsellers THE LAST TIME I LIED, LOCK EVERY DOOR and HOME BEFORE DARK. His latest book, SURVIVE THE NIGHT, will be available June 29 from Dutton Books.<br /><br />
A native of Pennsylvania, he now lives in Princeton, New Jersey.</span></blockquote></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b><u><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b><u>CONTACT LINKS</u></b></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif"> </span></span></div></u></b></span></span><b><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.rileysagerbooks.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | </span></b><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/riley.sager" target="_blank">Instagram</a> | </span></b><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://twitter.com/riley_sager" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | </span></b><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/rileysagerbooks" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></b></span></div></b><div><br /></div></div><br /></span></div>Reekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904057237029522710noreply@blogger.com57tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461955519469547330.post-31779642041373288022020-06-26T17:14:00.002-04:002020-11-19T15:39:52.786-05:00REVIEW: If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36076595-if-you-come-softly" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1528393868l/36076595._SY475_.jpg" width="265" /></a></div></div><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f; font-weight: bold;">Title:</span><b> </b></span></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">If You Come Softly</span><br /><div><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><b 25px=""><span style="color: #661d6f;">Author:</span> </b></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://www.jacquelinewoodson.com/" target="_blank">Jacqueline Woodson</a></span><br /><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Genre:</span> </b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">YA Contemporary</span><br /><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Publisher:</span> </b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><a href="https://www.penguin.com/publishers/nancypaulsenbooks/" target="_blank">Nancy Paulsen Books</a></span></div><div><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Release Date:</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>September 28, 1998</span></span></div><div><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Acquired:</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>Purchased for my collection</span></span></div><div><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Goodreads: </b></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36076595-if-you-come-softly" target="_blank">ADD</a></span></span></div><div><span face=""trebuchet ms", trebuchet, verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Purchase:</b><span style="color: black;"><b> </b></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/You-Come-Softly-Twentieth-Anniversary/dp/0525515488" target="_blank">Amazon</a>/<a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/if-you-come-softly-twentieth/9780525515487-item.html" target="_blank">Indigo</a>/<a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/If-You-Come-Softly-Jacqueline-Woodson/9780525515487" target="_blank">Book Depository</a></span></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b>A lyrical story of star-crossed love perfect for readers of The Hate U Give, by National Ambassador for Children's Literature Jacqueline Woodson—now celebrating its twentieth anniversary, and including a new preface by the author<br /><br /></b>
Jeremiah feels good inside his own skin. That is, when he's in his own Brooklyn neighborhood. But now he's going to be attending a fancy prep school in Manhattan, and black teenage boys don't exactly fit in there. So it's a surprise when he meets Ellie the first week of school. In one frozen moment their eyes lock, and after that they know they fit together—even though she's Jewish and he's black. Their worlds are so different, but to them that's not what matters. Too bad the rest of the world has to get in their way.</span></span></blockquote></div><span face="verdana, sans-serif"></span><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_p7IFgLs_lkgKwMVpL5oSzp9Y8gcAtDMRxCsefxPjPj5JlQkIxBi_1EHLZ0P7Bns-y7X7xSeSThILyZYCdlw7chErpW2gYvqlsMXQH4lGk6PMudumGGU3rZtZ5oSeoUxYICvasupLs4eQ/s1600/review_divider2.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: -1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="44" data-original-width="785" height="35" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_p7IFgLs_lkgKwMVpL5oSzp9Y8gcAtDMRxCsefxPjPj5JlQkIxBi_1EHLZ0P7Bns-y7X7xSeSThILyZYCdlw7chErpW2gYvqlsMXQH4lGk6PMudumGGU3rZtZ5oSeoUxYICvasupLs4eQ/s640/review_divider2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #661d6f;"><br /></span><br /><div style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Without even meaning to, </span><font face="verdana">I read this book in one sitting on my library floor. So many of you who have read this narrative can understand exactly why I couldn't stop. The fact that I picked this up in June of 2020 is extremely important to note, simply because of the unfortunate relevance it's contents has more than 20 years later. I hate that I can draw parallels to our current state of the world, I HATE that that it's not even a current state, that it's BEEN a state for over 400 years. My heart is so heavy, but I am so happy I discovered this book.</font></div><div><font face="verdana"><br /></font></div><div><font face="verdana">Jeremiah (Miah) has just started at Percy, a private school that his famous producer father insisted that he attend. As one of the only few Black students in the body, he can't help but feel different and separate from his peers. When he (literally) bumps into Ellie, </font><span style="font-family: verdana;">a white Jewish girl,</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> in the hall one day, his entire world is changed; his outlook on life brightened. The two quickly fall in love, and the days become a blur; their time spent together never enough. They see the stares, and acknowledge the disapproval of an ignorant world, but that doesn't stop them, and it doesn't deter Ellie from wanting to introduce Miah to her parents. The universe however, seems to have other plans.</span></div><div><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #262626; line-height: 17.12px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background: white; color: #262626; line-height: 107%;"><font face="verdana">I
am destroyed. Both by the extreme relevance of this narrative so many years later, and
by the words that Woodson has now seared forever on my heart. This was a love
story, yes, but it was also a story of acceptance, and questioning, and the
constant battle between the two. It was about a girl, who's connection to a boy
helped her see the world for what it was. And that boy, who had been taught
that the world would always see him that way. Woodson didn't need to write
anything longer than the 181 pages she wrote here, this book was powerful in it's
message, and poignant in it's heartbreak. I can't wait to read the follow-up!</font></span></div><div></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXbh5Xtz5QhL8DSNzP2e-D6-VRy45C21wMNDZJpOR5Ok2nA93o3kbbTHT7EeAY-sigrAu-4MXJD5A2xoMYKGuX_LQwetaupWrIBwzceX233utGveTZ6P3FSIlGNN3n7bMCpNbcXentzd8a/s206/5stars.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="43" data-original-width="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXbh5Xtz5QhL8DSNzP2e-D6-VRy45C21wMNDZJpOR5Ok2nA93o3kbbTHT7EeAY-sigrAu-4MXJD5A2xoMYKGuX_LQwetaupWrIBwzceX233utGveTZ6P3FSIlGNN3n7bMCpNbcXentzd8a/" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b>Read if you like:</b></span><br /><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">The Hate You Give </i><font face="verdana">by Angie Thomas</font><br /><font face=""><i><font face="georgia">Dear Martin</font></i><font face=""> <font face="verdana">by Nic Stone</font></font></font><br /><i><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">A Good Neighborhood</span></i><span face="verdana, sans-serif"> by Anne Therese Fowler</span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b>Key themes:</b> </span><br /><font face="verdana">love, family, racial profiling, coming-of-age, acceptance, interracial relationship </font></div><font face="verdana"></font><br /><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b>Challenges:</b></span></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><a href="http://goodreads.com/challenges/11621-2020-reading-challenge" target="_blank">Goodreads 2020 Reading Challenge</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/popsugar-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank"><br /></a></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><span face="verdana, sans-serif"></span></div></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3x3XwXnaq273fgmfZbmTGx3yKdJmEo0CXjBR-7cgnlpPl13lhtovpDiDljtxXBRxtbOGjYU5npcZ7yQUwYE7jE4hzUlC5xi8TML6t5Chad6EMxokq3lBjhnv53Xs2lIHymkkop_RfZRa/s1600/abouttheauthor_divider2.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: -1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="44" data-original-width="785" height="34" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3x3XwXnaq273fgmfZbmTGx3yKdJmEo0CXjBR-7cgnlpPl13lhtovpDiDljtxXBRxtbOGjYU5npcZ7yQUwYE7jE4hzUlC5xi8TML6t5Chad6EMxokq3lBjhnv53Xs2lIHymkkop_RfZRa/s640/abouttheauthor_divider2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.kalynnbayron.com/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1327352477p5/74640.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(103, 29, 112);" width="274" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrctfa9qkhVY6OtHFXNZ1kP39AevcXNXaUcbSpokkZDGSzMmDrALeurwBUjq6X2yYsjALHBP408SBh9D0Zf3YeTYEtwQXEIAm_56-lIS77okyJ1bug37ruKt6lvn6YH_0Cw_c1q3-AluyD/s1600/abttheathr_purple.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: xx-small;">credit: goodreads author page</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><blockquote><font face="verdana" size="5"><a href="https://www.jacquelinewoodson.com/all-about-me/my-biography/">CLICK HERE</a> to read more about Jacqueline on her website's Biography page. There's also an amazing Ted Talk!</font></blockquote></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b><u><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div>CONTACT LINKS</u></b></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif"> </span></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.jacquelinewoodson.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></span></b><div><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.instagram.com/jacqueline_woodson" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span></b></div><div><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/JackieWoodson" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></b></div><div><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/Jacqueline.Woodson" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></b></div><div><br /></div>Reekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904057237029522710noreply@blogger.com80tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461955519469547330.post-90764828251248072482020-06-25T16:30:00.003-04:002020-11-19T15:41:43.066-05:00REVIEW: Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43900612-cinderella-is-dead" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574698353l/43900612._SY475_.jpg" width="265" /></a></div></div><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f; font-weight: bold;">Title:</span><b> </b></span></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">Cinderella is Dead</span><br /><div><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><b 25px=""><span style="color: #661d6f;">Author:</span> </b></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://www.kalynnbayron.com/" target="_blank">Kalynn Bayron</a></span><br /><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Genre:</span> </b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">YA Fairytale Retelling/Continuation</span><br /><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Publisher:</span> </b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/childrens-teens/teens/" target="_blank">Bloomsbury YA</a></span></div><div><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Release Date:</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>July 7, 2020</span></span></div><div><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Acquired:</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>Earc approved via Netgalley</span></span></div><div><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Goodreads: </b></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43900612-cinderella-is-dead" target="_blank">ADD</a></span></span></div><div><span face=""trebuchet ms", trebuchet, verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Purchase:</b><span style="color: black;"><b> </b></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Cinderella-Dead-Kalynn-Bayron/dp/1547603879" target="_blank">Amazon</a>/<a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/cinderella-is-dead/9781547603879-item.html" target="_blank">Indigo</a>/<a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Cinderella-Is-Dead-Kalynn-Bayron/9781547603879" target="_blank">Book Depository</a></span></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif">It’s 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men of the kingdom select wives based on a girl’s display of finery. If a suitable match is not found, the girls not chosen are never heard from again.<br /><br />
Sixteen-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. At the ball, Sophia makes the desperate decision to flee, and finds herself hiding in Cinderella’s mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her step sisters. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all–and in the process, they learn that there’s more to Cinderella’s story than they ever knew...<br /><br />
This fresh take on a classic story will make readers question the tales they’ve been told, and root for girls to break down the constructs of the world around them. </span></span></blockquote></div><span face="verdana, sans-serif"></span><div><br /></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_p7IFgLs_lkgKwMVpL5oSzp9Y8gcAtDMRxCsefxPjPj5JlQkIxBi_1EHLZ0P7Bns-y7X7xSeSThILyZYCdlw7chErpW2gYvqlsMXQH4lGk6PMudumGGU3rZtZ5oSeoUxYICvasupLs4eQ/s1600/review_divider2.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: -1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="44" data-original-width="785" height="35" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_p7IFgLs_lkgKwMVpL5oSzp9Y8gcAtDMRxCsefxPjPj5JlQkIxBi_1EHLZ0P7Bns-y7X7xSeSThILyZYCdlw7chErpW2gYvqlsMXQH4lGk6PMudumGGU3rZtZ5oSeoUxYICvasupLs4eQ/s640/review_divider2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #661d6f;"><br /></span><br /><div style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><font face="verdana">Can we first just take one whole minute to admire the incredible cover art by Manzi Jackson? It is so incredibly stunning, and personally I would have read this book based on that cover alone! But the synopsis is pretty awesome too, and definitely the main reason why </font><i><font face="georgia">Cinderella is Dead</font></i><font face="verdana"> deserves your attention.</font></div><div><font face="verdana"><br /></font></div><div><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #262626; line-height: 107%;">It's
been 200 years since Cinderella's death. It's also been 200 years of the town
of Lille being run by a strict and dehumanizing patriarchal hand. 16-year-old
Sophia Grimmins (I see what you did there Kalynn Bayron!</span><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #262626; line-height: 107%;">), is getting ready to attend the annual ball
held by the King, where the town's young women are matched with suitors in true
"Happily Ever After" fashion, just like Cinderella. Except there's
nothing happy about the ball for Sophia, who is in love with her best friend
Erin, and is hell-bent on escaping a fate that seems set in stone. And while
she's at it, why not take the whole thing down!?</span></div><div><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #262626; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #262626; line-height: 107%;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 107%;">I.
WANT. TO. SHOUT. FROM. MOUNTAINS about how this book pierced my heart. I was
transported from the very first page; Bayron crafted a fairytale world that
felt so intricately real and so purposefully disheartening. It wasn't just
another angsty teen trope where the character is melodramatically angry about
her life and her future, this narrative delved into the very real, and very
prevalent issue of male dominance. My heart hung heavy the entire time, but was
picked up by moments of genuine and heartfelt emotion; each character was
written with such care and detail. And OMG THAT SAPPHIC REP, it made my whole
being sing, I swear. Sophia is easily one of my new favorite characters, and I
cannot WAIT to read whatever Bayron puts out next!</span></span></div><div></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybjzQEbwPspBSr8t_x7JFCgPxchMqDNQCZ-VOyysBPatWupFt-sIeBolStTGhWWz1i2PUxRfihMNJoWRPofi54X84Pis5k5Pj0v2esIY4coog4nkxV6csYuB6pgNz7V6ay4AMOKsdeX4b/s192/4_%2526half_stars.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="39" data-original-width="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybjzQEbwPspBSr8t_x7JFCgPxchMqDNQCZ-VOyysBPatWupFt-sIeBolStTGhWWz1i2PUxRfihMNJoWRPofi54X84Pis5k5Pj0v2esIY4coog4nkxV6csYuB6pgNz7V6ay4AMOKsdeX4b/" /></a></div></div></div><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b><br /></b><b>Read if you like:</b></span><br /><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">The Grace Year </i><font face="verdana">by Kim Ligget</font><br /><span><font face=""><i><font face="georgia">Girls of Paper and Fire</font></i><font face=""> by Natasha Ngan</font></font></span><br /><i><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">The Weight of the Stars</span></i><span face="verdana, sans-serif"> by K. Ancrum</span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b>Key themes:</b> </span><br /><font face="">patriarchal rule, friendship, romance, queer love, family, oppression of women, magic </font></div><font face="verdana"><span></span></font><br /><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b>Challenges:</b></span></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><a href="http://goodreads.com/challenges/11621-2020-reading-challenge" target="_blank">Goodreads 2020 Reading Challenge</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/popsugar-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank">Popsugar Reading Challenge<br /></a></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><span face="verdana, sans-serif"></span></div></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3x3XwXnaq273fgmfZbmTGx3yKdJmEo0CXjBR-7cgnlpPl13lhtovpDiDljtxXBRxtbOGjYU5npcZ7yQUwYE7jE4hzUlC5xi8TML6t5Chad6EMxokq3lBjhnv53Xs2lIHymkkop_RfZRa/s1600/abouttheauthor_divider2.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: -1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="44" data-original-width="785" height="34" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3x3XwXnaq273fgmfZbmTGx3yKdJmEo0CXjBR-7cgnlpPl13lhtovpDiDljtxXBRxtbOGjYU5npcZ7yQUwYE7jE4hzUlC5xi8TML6t5Chad6EMxokq3lBjhnv53Xs2lIHymkkop_RfZRa/s640/abouttheauthor_divider2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.kalynnbayron.com/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img height="320" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/ecd61d_99508003f3094c4c8dedd2cd6cb3eb4c.jpg/v1/fill/w_499,h_750,al_c,q_85/Author%20Photo.webp" style="border: 2px solid rgb(103, 29, 112);" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrctfa9qkhVY6OtHFXNZ1kP39AevcXNXaUcbSpokkZDGSzMmDrALeurwBUjq6X2yYsjALHBP408SBh9D0Zf3YeTYEtwQXEIAm_56-lIS77okyJ1bug37ruKt6lvn6YH_0Cw_c1q3-AluyD/s1600/abttheathr_purple.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: xx-small;">credit: <a href="https://www.kalynnbayron.com/bio">https://www.kalynnbayron.com/bio</a> </span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><blockquote><font face="verdana">Kalynn Bayron is an author and classically trained vocalist. She grew up in Anchorage, Alaska. When she’s not writing you can find her listening to Ella Fitzgerald on loop, attending the theater, watching scary movies, and spending time with her kids. She currently lives in San Antonio, Texas with her family.</font></blockquote></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><span><b><span><u></u></span></b></span></span><b><u></u></b></span><b><u><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><span><span><span><b><span><u><br /></u></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></div>CONTACT LINKS</u></b><span face="verdana, sans-serif"> </span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://kalynnbayron.com" target="_blank">Website</a></span></b><div><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://instagram.com/kalynnbayron/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span></b></div><div><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/kalynnbayron" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></b></div><div><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/kalynnbayron" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></b></div>Reekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904057237029522710noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461955519469547330.post-58114323858926475932020-06-23T16:23:00.015-04:002020-11-17T16:57:41.248-05:00BLOG TOUR: Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth<a href="https://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2020/05/tour-schedule-falling-in-love-montage.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: -1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="783" data-original-width="1639" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIaA_HN0gk6aone5qJJJ3EDf6Jiw-miXkoEzr7nOUPV9FtR1Rbfd-W2mmw7mhyphenhyphenq_hko5944MZzyu6PySOeoXavxZiDOAzMXlZavLkqSIPIN4i8cle7wLgwVljZkuVCcrq7zDWzVqprgNyE/w640-h306/BANNER.png" width="640" /></a><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2020/05/tour-schedule-falling-in-love-montage.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: -1em;"></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53066661-the-falling-in-love-montage" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570034111l/53066661._SX318_SY475_.jpg" width="265" /></a></div></div><span face="" style="color: #666666;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f; font-weight: bold;"><div><span face="" style="color: #666666;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">Title:</b></span></span><b><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></b></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="" style="color: black; font-size: medium;">The Falling in Love Montage</span><br style="color: black;" /></span><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""><b 25px=""><span style="color: #661d6f;">Author:</span> </b></span><span face=""><a href="https://twitter.com/ciaranicg?lang=en" target="_blank">Ciara Smyth</a></span><br /><b style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Genre:</span> </b><span face="">YA LGBT+ Contemporary/Romance</span><br /><b style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Publisher:</span> </b><span face="" style="line-height: 25px;"><a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/search-results/?imprint=harperteen" target="_blank">Harper Teen</a></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Release Date:</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>June 9, 2020</span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Acq</b></span></span><span face="" style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">uired:</b></span><span face="" style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>Earc sent via Netgalley</span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="" style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Goodreads: </b></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53066661-the-falling-in-love-montage" target="_blank">ADD</a></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face=""><span face=""><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Purchase:</b><span style="color: black;"><b> </b></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Falling-Love-Montage-Ciara-Smyth/dp/0062957112" target="_blank">Amazon</a>/<a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-falling-in-love-montage/9780062957115-item.html" target="_blank">Indigo</a>/<a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Falling-in-Love-Montage/9781783449668" target="_blank">Book Depository</a></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><br /></div><div style="color: black;"><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><span face="">Saoirse doesn’t believe in love at first sight or happy endings. If they were real, her mother would still be able to remember her name and not in a care home with early onset dementia. A condition that Saoirse may one day turn out to have inherited. So she’s not looking for a relationship. She doesn’t see the point in igniting any romantic sparks if she’s bound to burn out.<br /><br />
But after a chance encounter at an end-of-term house party, Saoirse is about to break her own rules. For a girl with one blue freckle, an irresistible sense of mischief, and a passion for rom-coms.<br /><br />
Unbothered by Saoirse’s no-relationships rulebook, Ruby proposes a loophole: They don’t need true love to have one summer of fun, complete with every cliché, rom-com montage-worthy date they can dream up—and a binding agreement to end their romance come fall. It would be the perfect plan, if they weren’t forgetting one thing about the Falling in Love Montage: when it’s over, the characters actually fall in love… for real.</span></span><span face=""> best friend, forever.</span></span></blockquote></div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana;"></span><span></span><div><br /></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div style="color: black;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2dppxrASbBNHorHWp2UL-XH6amG7UAfOjm-OwEKLcVjjpWgWcRMBrFGeoH7PFgteHVqaHkZZdsYHrFdvJxTPFwHMrsWN3p-SR8xXt_uZjlktrgSVtQm8oQcXRc5W5gUwTzDViH8PlpPr/s785/toptenlist_divider.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: -1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="44" data-original-width="785" height="36" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2dppxrASbBNHorHWp2UL-XH6amG7UAfOjm-OwEKLcVjjpWgWcRMBrFGeoH7PFgteHVqaHkZZdsYHrFdvJxTPFwHMrsWN3p-SR8xXt_uZjlktrgSVtQm8oQcXRc5W5gUwTzDViH8PlpPr/w640-h36/toptenlist_divider.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font face="verdana">Happy Pride! Not just for the month of June, but every single day, every moment, until the very end of time! I am so happy to be featuring Ciara Smyth's debut YA LGBTQIA young adult contemporary romance </font><i><font face="georgia">The Falling in Love Montage</font></i><font face="verdana"> for my tour stop today, but I also wanted to feature some other recent, and older, titles that feature queer characters/narratives.</font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font face="verdana"><br /></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font face="verdana">Here are [10] other great YA titles to check out! <b>(Clicking on the cover will bring you to the book's Goodreads page)</b>:<br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18667779-everything-leads-to-you" style="font-size: medium;"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389744233l/18667779.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25062038-little-lion" style="font-size: medium;"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1494949090l/25062038._SY475_.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26156987-if-i-was-your-girl" style="font-size: medium;"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1462088577l/26156987._SY475_.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35140599-all-out" style="font-size: medium;"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1514494195l/35140599.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36142487-anger-is-a-gift" style="font-size: medium;"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1519335416l/36142487.jpg" width="126" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44286258-the-henna-wars" style="font-size: medium;"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1573648325l/44286258._SY475_.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50160953-where-we-go-from-here" style="font-size: medium;"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1567754291l/50160953.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53098416-i-ll-be-the-one" style="font-size: medium;"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575913396l/53098416.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50160619-you-should-see-me-in-a-crown" style="font-size: medium;"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1568912283l/50160619._SX318_SY475_.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43900612-cinderella-is-dead" style="font-size: medium;"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574698353l/43900612._SY475_.jpg" width="133" /></a></font></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"></div><br /><div style="clear: both; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span face=""></span><span face=""><br /></span></div><span face=""></span></div></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3x3XwXnaq273fgmfZbmTGx3yKdJmEo0CXjBR-7cgnlpPl13lhtovpDiDljtxXBRxtbOGjYU5npcZ7yQUwYE7jE4hzUlC5xi8TML6t5Chad6EMxokq3lBjhnv53Xs2lIHymkkop_RfZRa/s1600/abouttheauthor_divider2.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: -1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="44" data-original-width="785" height="34" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3x3XwXnaq273fgmfZbmTGx3yKdJmEo0CXjBR-7cgnlpPl13lhtovpDiDljtxXBRxtbOGjYU5npcZ7yQUwYE7jE4hzUlC5xi8TML6t5Chad6EMxokq3lBjhnv53Xs2lIHymkkop_RfZRa/s640/abouttheauthor_divider2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><br style="color: black; font-size: medium;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; font-size: medium;"></div><br style="color: black; font-size: medium;" /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/ciaranicg?lang=en" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1571741138p5/6910324.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(103, 29, 112);" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrctfa9qkhVY6OtHFXNZ1kP39AevcXNXaUcbSpokkZDGSzMmDrALeurwBUjq6X2yYsjALHBP408SBh9D0Zf3YeTYEtwQXEIAm_56-lIS77okyJ1bug37ruKt6lvn6YH_0Cw_c1q3-AluyD/s1600/abttheathr_purple.png" style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: 12.8px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">credit: goodreads author page </span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><blockquote><font face="verdana">Ciara Smyth is a social work student by day,writer by night and cat enthusiast 24/7.<br /><br />Her first YA novel-about memory, rom-coms and girls who like girls-will be published in Summer 2020 by Andersen Press in the UK and Harper Collins in the US.<br /><br />She previously worked as a teacher and mental health trainer. She enjoys jigging (verb: to complete a jigsaw) and claims to enjoy yoga in order to cultivate a zen persona that is shattered approximately ten minutes after you meet her.<br /><br />She is from the south of Ireland but has lived in Belfast for so long that her parents make fun of her Northern accent.</font></blockquote></div><span><span face=""><span><b><span face=""><u><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face=""><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span face=""><u><br /></u></span></b></span></span></span></div><div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><span><span><b><span><u>CONTACT LINKS</u></span></b></span></span><span> </span></div></u></span></b></span></span></span><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span face="" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://twitter.com/ciaranicg" target="_blank">Twitter</a> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6910324.Ciara_Smyth" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></b></div></b>Reekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904057237029522710noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461955519469547330.post-32950124187419115982020-05-28T18:06:00.001-04:002020-11-17T16:56:18.467-05:00REVIEW: My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren<div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38357345-my-favorite-half-night-stand" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1533058458l/38357345.jpg" width="265" /></a></div></div><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f; font-weight: bold;">Title:</span><b> </b></span></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 16px;">My Favorite Half-Night Stand</span><br style="color: black; font-size: medium;" /><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><b 25px=""><span style="color: #661d6f;">Author:</span> </b></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://christinalaurenbooks.com/" target="_blank">Christina Lauren</a></span><br /><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Genre:</span> </b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">Contemporary Romance</span><br /><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Publisher:</span> </b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><a href="https://www.hanoversqpress.com/" target="_blank">Gallery/Scout Press</a></span></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Release Date:</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>Dec 4, 2018 </span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Acquired:</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>Purchased for collection</span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Goodreads: </b></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38357345-my-favorite-half-night-stand" target="_blank">ADD</a></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face=""trebuchet ms", trebuchet, verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Purchase:</b><span style="color: black;"><b> </b></span></span><a href="chttps://www.amazon.com/Favorite-Half-Night-Stand-Christina-Lauren-ebook/dp/B07CLFYBCT" target="_blank">Amazon</a>/<a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/my-favorite-half-night-stand/9781501197406-item.html" target="_blank">Indigo</a>/<a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/My-Favourite-Half-Night-Stand-Christina-Lauren/9780349422732" target="_blank">Book Depository</a></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif">Millie Morris has always been one of the guys. A UC Santa Barbara professor, she’s a female-serial-killer expert who’s quick with a deflection joke and terrible at getting personal. And she, just like her four best guy friends and fellow professors, is perma-single.<br /><br />
So when a routine university function turns into a black tie gala, Mille and her circle make a pact that they’ll join an online dating service to find plus-ones for the event. There’s only one hitch: after making the pact, Millie and one of the guys, Reid Campbell, secretly spend the sexiest half-night of their lives together, but mutually decide the friendship would be better off strictly platonic.<br /><br />
But online dating isn’t for the faint of heart. While the guys are inundated with quality matches and potential dates, Millie’s first profile attempt garners nothing but dick pics and creepers. Enter “Catherine”—Millie’s fictional profile persona, in whose make-believe shoes she can be more vulnerable than she’s ever been in person. Soon “Catherine” and Reid strike up a digital pen-pal-ship...but Millie can’t resist temptation in real life, either. Soon, Millie will have to face her worst fear—intimacy—or risk losing her best friend, forever.</span></span></blockquote></div><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: medium;"></span><br style="color: black; font-size: medium;" /><span><a name='more'></a></span><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_p7IFgLs_lkgKwMVpL5oSzp9Y8gcAtDMRxCsefxPjPj5JlQkIxBi_1EHLZ0P7Bns-y7X7xSeSThILyZYCdlw7chErpW2gYvqlsMXQH4lGk6PMudumGGU3rZtZ5oSeoUxYICvasupLs4eQ/s1600/review_divider2.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: -1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="44" data-original-width="785" height="35" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_p7IFgLs_lkgKwMVpL5oSzp9Y8gcAtDMRxCsefxPjPj5JlQkIxBi_1EHLZ0P7Bns-y7X7xSeSThILyZYCdlw7chErpW2gYvqlsMXQH4lGk6PMudumGGU3rZtZ5oSeoUxYICvasupLs4eQ/s640/review_divider2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #661d6f;"><br /></span><br /><div style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="verdana">This was my first read by this infamous contemporary romance duo-</font><font face="georgia"><i>shocked gasps abound!</i></font><font face="verdana"> I know, I've been slacking. I want to assure myself, and all of you, that I WAS enjoying it right up until things got too perfect and my belief grew tired of being suspended (I'd say this was around the 3/4 mark). There was no doubting the writing prowess of these two authors, because I can also assure you that the dialogue in here slots in comfortably and justifiably beside some of my all-time favourite dialogue writers (Rainbow Rowell, Marian Keyes). It was witty, wholesome and full of 'aww'-worthy moments, but you can only take so much cute until your eyes want to roll all the way to the back of your head.<br /><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="verdana, sans-serif">Millie Morris, in an unofficial homage to Penny from Big Bang, is the only woman in a friend group of five. Ed, Alex, Chris and Reid round out these best friends, who all work together in different departments at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). Millie adores her friends, but adores Reid just a little bit more than the rest. In a physical admission of this secret, the two hook up for a steamy, you guessed it, 'Half-Night Stand, at the beginning of the book, and things get understandably messy from there. In true rom-com form, it's made even messier when the friend group decides to dabble in online dating to find a plus-one for an upcoming black-tie gala at the University. Millie, uncomfortable with baring her soul to the masses to snag a match, creates an alter-ego profile where she can feel free to let her guard down. She (surprise, surprise) ends up matching with Reid, but doesn't let on that it's her, because..why would she !? It's a rom-com people, keep up! How long is she willing to keep up the charade? And if she does, is possibly losing her best friend in the world worth the risk?</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font color="#262626"><font face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">This book left me...</font><i><font face="georgia">wanting</font></i><font face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">. It delivered hilarious dialogue and some of my favourite side-characters in a contemporary romance (I'm looking at you, Ed!), but the main characters were one-dimensional enough for me to stop caring about what happened with them. Due to a troubled past, Millie was reserved, and closed-off, but she was also quick-witted, and extremely goofy. It was a confusing contrast that elicited more annoyance than sympathy. You're also trying to tell me, that two people who have been friends for 15 YEARS, can't recognize an (albeit) slightly head turned to the left profile picture and their way of typing/text speaking?! No, no sir. I am NOT here for your lies and deceit. I came here for a good time, not a take-me-for-a-fool time.</font></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font color="#262626" face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><font color="#262626" face="verdana, sans-serif">I will definitely be continuing on his Christina Lauren journey though, I am now <b><u>determined</u></b> to find a winner in their catalogue.</font></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font color="#262626" face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></font><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9I33e4-cuB9VDQzmG81Zknhf1l2SrY6UZW5a4GCYK2A9QMjdS9Iuf9Gv6E9qc412-OJ5_dQ6-GpJlCVf-i4Jmnxk7tKs2OGcr8m4bs4fNcOWnm4iQOezO2Qfwa273s5kTCz8S-Qd8a9_-/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="43" data-original-width="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9I33e4-cuB9VDQzmG81Zknhf1l2SrY6UZW5a4GCYK2A9QMjdS9Iuf9Gv6E9qc412-OJ5_dQ6-GpJlCVf-i4Jmnxk7tKs2OGcr8m4bs4fNcOWnm4iQOezO2Qfwa273s5kTCz8S-Qd8a9_-/" /></a></div></div><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></b><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Read if you like:</b></span><br /><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><i>Attachments </i></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif">by Rainbow Rowell</span></span><br /><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><font face="georgia, times new roman, serif"><i>Meet Cute</i></font><font face="verdana, sans-serif"> by Helena Hunting</font></span></span><br /><i><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">The Flat Share</span></i><span face="verdana, sans-serif"> by Beth O'Leary</span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b>Key themes:</b> </span><br /><font face="verdana, sans-serif">friendship, romance, family, love, friends to lovers</font></div><span face="verdana, sans-serif"></span><br /><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Challenges:</b></span></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><a href="http://goodreads.com/challenges/11621-2020-reading-challenge" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Goodreads 2020 Reading Challenge</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/popsugar-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank">Popsugar Reading Challenge<br /></a></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><span face="verdana, sans-serif"></span></div></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3x3XwXnaq273fgmfZbmTGx3yKdJmEo0CXjBR-7cgnlpPl13lhtovpDiDljtxXBRxtbOGjYU5npcZ7yQUwYE7jE4hzUlC5xi8TML6t5Chad6EMxokq3lBjhnv53Xs2lIHymkkop_RfZRa/s1600/abouttheauthor_divider2.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: -1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="44" data-original-width="785" height="34" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3x3XwXnaq273fgmfZbmTGx3yKdJmEo0CXjBR-7cgnlpPl13lhtovpDiDljtxXBRxtbOGjYU5npcZ7yQUwYE7jE4hzUlC5xi8TML6t5Chad6EMxokq3lBjhnv53Xs2lIHymkkop_RfZRa/s640/abouttheauthor_divider2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><br style="color: black; font-size: medium;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; font-size: medium;"></div><br style="color: black; font-size: medium;" /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://christinalaurenbooks.com" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img height="305" src="https://christinalaurenbooks.com//wp-content/uploads/2013/12/clo-.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(103, 29, 112);" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrctfa9qkhVY6OtHFXNZ1kP39AevcXNXaUcbSpokkZDGSzMmDrALeurwBUjq6X2yYsjALHBP408SBh9D0Zf3YeTYEtwQXEIAm_56-lIS77okyJ1bug37ruKt6lvn6YH_0Cw_c1q3-AluyD/s1600/abttheathr_purple.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: xx-small;">credit: https://christinalaurenbooks.com/bio </span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><blockquote><font face="verdana" size="4"><a href="https://christinalaurenbooks.com/bio/" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to read more about the author duo on their website. </font></blockquote></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><u><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><u><br /></u></span></b></span></span></span></div>CONTACT LINKS</u></span></b></span></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif"> </span></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://christinalaurenbooks.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></span></b><div><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/christinalauren/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span></b></div><div><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://twitter.com/christinalauren" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></b></div><div><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaLaurenBooks" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></b></div><div><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://christinalaurenbooks.tumblr.com/cle_color/Tumblr.png" target="_blank">Tumblr</a></span></b></div><div><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/christina-lauren/" target="_blank">Bookbub<br /></a></span></b><div><br /><div></div></div></div>Reekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904057237029522710noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461955519469547330.post-59943162248769500652020-05-27T12:42:00.005-04:002021-07-16T13:23:18.206-04:00REVIEW: With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo<div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38739562-with-the-fire-on-high" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1537991887l/38739562.jpg" width="265" /></a></div></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f; font-weight: bold;">Title:</span><b> </b></span></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 16px;">With the Fire on High</span><br style="color: black; font-size: medium;" /></span><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><b 25px=""><span style="color: #661d6f;">Author:</span> </b></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://www.acevedowrites.com/" target="_blank">Elizabeth Acevedo</a></span><br /><b style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Genre:</span> </b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">Young Adult Contemporary</span><br /><b style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Publisher:</span> </b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/" target="_blank">Harpercollins (Teen)</a></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Release Date:</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>May 7, 2019</span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Acquired:</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>Library Borrow</span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Goodreads: </b></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38739562-with-the-fire-on-high" target="_blank">ADD</a></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face=""trebuchet ms", trebuchet, verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Purchase:</b><span style="color: black;"><b> </b></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fire-High-Elizabeth-Acevedo/dp/006266283X" target="_blank">Amazon</a>/<a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/with-the-fire-on-high/9780062662835-item.html" target="_blank">Indigo</a>/<a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/With-Fire-on-High-Elizabeth-Acevedo/9781471409004" target="_blank">Book Depository</a></span></span></span></div><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="color: black; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">With her daughter to care for and her abuela to help support, high school senior Emoni Santiago has to make the tough decisions, and do what must be done. The one place she can let her responsibilities go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness.<br /><br />Still, she knows she doesn’t have enough time for her school’s new culinary arts class, doesn’t have the money for the class’s trip to Spain—and shouldn’t still be dreaming of someday working in a real kitchen. But even with all the rules she has for her life—and all the rules everyone expects her to play by—once Emoni starts cooking, her only real choice is to let her talent break free. </span></span></blockquote></div><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span><br style="color: black; font-size: medium;" /><div style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_p7IFgLs_lkgKwMVpL5oSzp9Y8gcAtDMRxCsefxPjPj5JlQkIxBi_1EHLZ0P7Bns-y7X7xSeSThILyZYCdlw7chErpW2gYvqlsMXQH4lGk6PMudumGGU3rZtZ5oSeoUxYICvasupLs4eQ/s1600/review_divider2.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: -1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="44" data-original-width="785" height="35" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_p7IFgLs_lkgKwMVpL5oSzp9Y8gcAtDMRxCsefxPjPj5JlQkIxBi_1EHLZ0P7Bns-y7X7xSeSThILyZYCdlw7chErpW2gYvqlsMXQH4lGk6PMudumGGU3rZtZ5oSeoUxYICvasupLs4eQ/s640/review_divider2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #661d6f;"><br /></span><br /><div style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="verdana">Word of advice before you start reading this book: make sure you've eaten. The food prepared in here made me hungry on a whole other level; Acevado can describe a meal like no one else.<br /><br />
Emoni Santiago is a teen mom in her senior year of high school, she also has an effortless penchant for creating incredibly delicious and memory-provoking dishes. College applications are on the horizon, but with a full plate at home taking care of her daughter and working a part time job, she's had little time to think about what her future might look like. After being encouraged to take a new culinary course offered at school, Emoni soon realizes that her dreams are bigger than she initially thought, but is raw talent enough to help her impress the right people? Or will she finally learn where a little focus and discipline can get her?<br /><br />
If you asked me to define 'wholesome' with a novel, With the Fire on High would be my response. The stakes were low, the conflict was non-existent and the food descriptions were mouthwatering. I found a lot of the aspects in here to be a little too well explained; ends too neatly tied up, and would have really liked to see the characters placed in some deeper waters, however the family dynamic warmed my heart, and the romance was innocent and cute (even though it felt a little forced at time). If you're looking for a breezy, thoughtless narrative, you should consider reading this one!</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9I33e4-cuB9VDQzmG81Zknhf1l2SrY6UZW5a4GCYK2A9QMjdS9Iuf9Gv6E9qc412-OJ5_dQ6-GpJlCVf-i4Jmnxk7tKs2OGcr8m4bs4fNcOWnm4iQOezO2Qfwa273s5kTCz8S-Qd8a9_-/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="43" data-original-width="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9I33e4-cuB9VDQzmG81Zknhf1l2SrY6UZW5a4GCYK2A9QMjdS9Iuf9Gv6E9qc412-OJ5_dQ6-GpJlCVf-i4Jmnxk7tKs2OGcr8m4bs4fNcOWnm4iQOezO2Qfwa273s5kTCz8S-Qd8a9_-/" /></a></div></div><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></b><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Read if you like:</span></b></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><span><i>Felix Ever After </i></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif">by Kacen Callender</span></span><br /><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><font><i>Grown</i></font><font face="verdana, sans-serif"> by Tiffany D. Jackson</font></span></span><br /><i><span>You Should See Me in a Crown</span></i><span face="verdana, sans-serif"> by Leah Johnson</span><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b>Key themes:</b> </span><br /><font face="verdana, sans-serif">friendship, romance, family, love, cooking</font></span></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><span face="verdana, sans-serif"></span></div></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3x3XwXnaq273fgmfZbmTGx3yKdJmEo0CXjBR-7cgnlpPl13lhtovpDiDljtxXBRxtbOGjYU5npcZ7yQUwYE7jE4hzUlC5xi8TML6t5Chad6EMxokq3lBjhnv53Xs2lIHymkkop_RfZRa/s1600/abouttheauthor_divider2.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: -1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="44" data-original-width="785" height="34" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3x3XwXnaq273fgmfZbmTGx3yKdJmEo0CXjBR-7cgnlpPl13lhtovpDiDljtxXBRxtbOGjYU5npcZ7yQUwYE7jE4hzUlC5xi8TML6t5Chad6EMxokq3lBjhnv53Xs2lIHymkkop_RfZRa/s640/abouttheauthor_divider2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><br style="color: black; font-size: medium;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; font-size: medium;"></div><br style="color: black; font-size: medium;" /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://christinalaurenbooks.com" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1598302475p5/15253645.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(103, 29, 112);" width="269" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrctfa9qkhVY6OtHFXNZ1kP39AevcXNXaUcbSpokkZDGSzMmDrALeurwBUjq6X2yYsjALHBP408SBh9D0Zf3YeTYEtwQXEIAm_56-lIS77okyJ1bug37ruKt6lvn6YH_0Cw_c1q3-AluyD/s1600/abttheathr_purple.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: xx-small;">credit: https://christinalaurenbooks.com/bio </span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><blockquote><font face="verdana">ELIZABETH ACEVEDO is a New York Times bestselling author of The Poet X, With the Fire on High, and Clap When You Land. Her critically-acclaimed debut novel, The Poet X, won the 2018 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. She is also the recipient of the Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Fiction, the CILIP Carnegie Medal, and the Boston Globe-Hornbook Award. Additionally, she was honored with the 2019 Pure Belpré Author Award for celebrating, affirming, and portraying Latinx culture and experience.<br /><br />
Her books include, Beastgirl & Other Origin Myths (YesYes 2016), The Poet X (HarperCollins, 2018), & With The Fire On High (HarperCollins, 2019), and Clap When You Land (HarperCollins, 2020).<br /><br />
She holds a BA in Performing Arts from The George Washington University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Maryland. Acevedo has been a fellow of Cave Canem, Cantomundo, and a participant in the Callaloo Writer’s Workshops. She is a National Poetry Slam Champion, and resides in Washington, DC with her love. </font></blockquote></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><u><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><u><br /></u></span></b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><u>CONTACT LINKS</u></span></b></span></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif"> </span></div></u></span></b></span></span></span><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://christinalaurenbooks.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | </span></b><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/christinalauren/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> | </span></b><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://twitter.com/christinalauren" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></b></div></b><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaLaurenBooks" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | </span></b><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://christinalaurenbooks.tumblr.com/cle_color/Tumblr.png" target="_blank">Tumblr</a> | </span></b><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/christina-lauren/" target="_blank">Bookbub</a></span></b></div><div><div><br /></div></div>Reekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904057237029522710noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461955519469547330.post-53961144849500486772020-05-17T15:28:00.006-04:002020-11-17T16:55:25.192-05:00BLOG TOUR: Kingdom Above the Cloud by Maggie Platt (SPOTLIGHT)<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7KD9suDaTDUuRrt_ZXFxp0a_O8q6OluregDBH9_SXKURXjkAxcIz5UC3S02eloik_DsqMjd98GjPnHbvcb-45nMn2YqoDPpfZwVs_EwGk5__h5yL4-BcT6cjB94pPnK-PU8qAso-IhyXB/" style="margin-left: -1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="651" data-original-width="1355" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7KD9suDaTDUuRrt_ZXFxp0a_O8q6OluregDBH9_SXKURXjkAxcIz5UC3S02eloik_DsqMjd98GjPnHbvcb-45nMn2YqoDPpfZwVs_EwGk5__h5yL4-BcT6cjB94pPnK-PU8qAso-IhyXB/w640-h307/TOUR+BANNER.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51699438-kingdom-above-the-cloud" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1582663609l/51699438._SY475_.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f; font-weight: bold;">Title:</span><b> </b></span></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">Kingdom Above the Cloud</span><br /><div><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><b 25px=""><span style="color: #661d6f;">Author:</span> </b></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://maggieplatt.com/" target="_blank">Maggie Platt</a></span><br /><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Genre:</span> </b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">Young Adult - Christian Fantasy</span><br /><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Publisher:</span> </b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><a href="https://ambassador-international.com/" target="_blank">Ambassador International</a></span></div><div><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Release Date:</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>April 17, 2020</span></span></div><div><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Goodreads: </b></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51699438-kingdom-above-the-cloud" target="_blank">ADD</a></span></span></div><div><span face=""trebuchet ms", trebuchet, verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Purchase:</b><span style="color: black;"><b> </b></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Above-Cloud-Tales-Adia/dp/1620205882" target="_blank">Amazon</a>/<a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Kingdom_Above_the_Cloud.html?id=tPmUzAEACAAJ&redir_esc=y" target="_blank">Google</a>/<a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Kingdom-Above-the-Cloud-Maggie-Platt/9781620205884" target="_blank">Book Depository</a></span></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b>What if the nine Fruit of the Spirit and the Seven Deadly Sins were locked in a
battle for control?</b><br /><br />
Abandoned as infants, Tovi and her twin brother were raised by an eclectic tribe of
warm, kind people in a treehouse village in the va
lley. After her brother’s sudden
disappearance Tovi questions her life and her faith in an invisible King. Ignoring her
best friend Silas’ advice, she decides to search for her brother in the kingdom on top
of the mountain.<br /><br />
Above the cloud, the Council of
Masters receives their orders. Tovi and her brother
are the objectives. King Damien has a plan and Tovi is the key. The Council of
Masters want her, but will she remain unscathed?<br /><br />
Amidst the glamour of the kingdom above the cloud Tovi is torn between her
own
dark desires and unanswered questions. It starts with a snake and a crown. When the
ring is complete, will her life be over?</span></span></blockquote><br /><a name='more'></a><p></p></div><div><div style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><span face="verdana, sans-serif"></span></div></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3x3XwXnaq273fgmfZbmTGx3yKdJmEo0CXjBR-7cgnlpPl13lhtovpDiDljtxXBRxtbOGjYU5npcZ7yQUwYE7jE4hzUlC5xi8TML6t5Chad6EMxokq3lBjhnv53Xs2lIHymkkop_RfZRa/s1600/abouttheauthor_divider2.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: -1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="44" data-original-width="785" height="34" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3x3XwXnaq273fgmfZbmTGx3yKdJmEo0CXjBR-7cgnlpPl13lhtovpDiDljtxXBRxtbOGjYU5npcZ7yQUwYE7jE4hzUlC5xi8TML6t5Chad6EMxokq3lBjhnv53Xs2lIHymkkop_RfZRa/s640/abouttheauthor_divider2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://maggieplatt.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1582663626p5/20053285.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(103, 29, 112);" width="214" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">
Maggie Platt is a writer, traveler, cancer survivor, and dreamer. Her greatest joys are being Auntie M
to her amazing nieces and nephew and sitting with students and friends over cups of coffee and
deep conversations. She works at her alma mater, Anderson University in Indiana, and she lives in a
cozy little cottage nearby where students come to sit on her couch just to laugh, cry, and talk about
life.</span></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><u><br /></u></span></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><u></u></span></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><u><br /></u></span></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><u></u></span></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><u><br /></u></span></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><u></u></span></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><u>CONTACT LINKS</u></span></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif"> </span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><a href="https://maggieplatt.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | </span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20053285.Maggie_Platt" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> | </span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><a href="https://twitter.com/_maggie_Platt_" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/_maggie_platt_/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> | </span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMaggiePlatt/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | </span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><a href="https://www.pinterest.es/maggie_platt_/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></span></span></b> </div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #661d6f; font-family: times; font-size: small; font-weight: 400;">------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></b><br /><b style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #661d6f; font-family: times; font-size: small; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></b></div><b><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2020/03/tour-schedule-they-went-left-by-monica.html" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW THE REST OF THE TOUR</a></span></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Reekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904057237029522710noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461955519469547330.post-29242334071253765162020-05-01T00:00:00.002-04:002020-11-17T16:53:35.178-05:00May 2020: To Be Read<br /><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><span style="color: purple; font-size: x-large;">-MAY TO BE READ-</span></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif">Let it be known that this was the month I decided to take on more buddy and group-reads than I can possibly handle *sigh. But I am determined! I will read like my life depends on it, and my MAKE MYSELF PROUD.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif">I also want to attempt to not buy 1000 books from Bookoutlet, but who are we kidding!? I buy books in my sleep now.</span></div></div><br /><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b>As always, keep an eye on my Instagram at the end of the month for the 'May Giveaway' announcement. It's going to be an EXTRA special one because I hit 1k on my Bookstragram recently!</b></span><br /><br /><span face="verdana, sans-serif">Here are the <b>13 books (+ blog tour read)</b> I have planned for May: </span><br /><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36193958-the-one"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1552273907l/36193958._SY475_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31706495-this-savage-song"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1475191492l/31706495._SY475_.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27190613-and-i-darken"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1449153532l/27190613.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39863498-the-gilded-wolves"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1525714353l/39863498.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38357345-my-favorite-half-night-stand"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1533058458l/38357345.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4602032-dead-until-dark"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1266308969l/4602032.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36475759-the-city-of-brass"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1508954337l/36475759.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25667118-a-darker-shade-of-magic"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1435799135l/25667118.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href=" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24726526-the-witches-of-new-york"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1460907623l/24726526.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34567499-heartless"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1524034411l/34567499._SY475_.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40976643-the-hunting-party"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1551035521l/40976643._SY475_.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45046726-the-woman-in-the-mirror"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1577255581l/45046726.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17347384-harry-potter-and-the-chamber-of-secrets"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1372252953l/17347384.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51699438-kingdom-above-the-cloud"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1582663609l/51699438._SY475_.jpg" width="132" /></a></div><div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span face="verdana, sans-serif">Here are my picks categorized by relevant reading challenges (</span><a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/p/2020-reading-challenges.html" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">read my 2020 goals here!</a><span face="verdana, sans-serif">):</span></div><span></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b>The Nerd Daily Reading Challenge (<a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/the-nerd-daily-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank">link here</a>):</b></span><br /><ul><li><span face="verdana, sans-serif">(#11) Green cover: The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi</span></li><li><span face="verdana, sans-serif">(#12) Recommended by a friend: City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty</span></li><li><span face="verdana, sans-serif">(15) A book you never finished: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab</span></li><li><span face="verdana, sans-serif">(#20) Part of a duology: This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab</span></li><li><span face="verdana, sans-serif">(#27) A number in the title: The One by John Marrs</span></li><li><span face="verdana, sans-serif">(#30) Inspired by mythology/folklore: And I Darken by Kiersten White</span></li><li><span face="verdana, sans-serif">(#34) Author starting with 'M': Heartless by Marissa Meyer</span></li><li><span face="verdana, sans-serif">(#46) Romance or thriller: The Woman in the Mirror by Rebecca James</span></li></ul><div><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b><br /></b></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b>PopSugar Reading Challenge (<a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/popsugar-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank">link here</a>):</b></span></div><div><ul><li><span face="verdana, sans-serif">"A book with a bird on the cover": The Witches of New York by Ami McKay</span></li><li><span face="verdana, sans-serif">"A book with more than 20 letters in its title": My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren</span></li><li><span face="verdana, sans-serif">"A book with a main character in their 20s": Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris</span></li></ul><div><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b><br /></b></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b>Beat the Backlist Challenge (<a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/beat-the-backlist-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank">link here</a>):</b></span></div><div><ul><li><font face="verdana, sans-serif">A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab</font></li></ul><div><br /><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b>Save My Sanity Book Club</b></span></div></div></div><div><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b>Unnamed Book Club</b></span></div><div><ul><li><span face="verdana, sans-serif">The Gilded Wolves by Roshini Chokshi</span></li><li><span face="verdana, sans-serif">My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren</span></li></ul><div><br /><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Blog Tour (Fantastic Flying Book Club):</b></div><div><ul><li><span face="verdana, sans-serif">The Kingdom Above the Cloud by Maggie Platt</span></li></ul></div><div><span style="color: #661d6f;">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #661d6f; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #661d6f; font-size: large;"><b>What are you all reading for May?</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #661d6f; font-size: large;"><b>Send me the links to your posts below!</b></span></div>Reekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904057237029522710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461955519469547330.post-82265262630807014082020-04-30T17:42:00.003-04:002020-11-17T16:52:47.905-05:00APRIL 2020: Wrap-Up<div style="text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: purple; font-size: x-large;">-APRIL WRAP UP: (6) BOOKS-</span></div><span face="verdana, sans-serif"></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif">I had such high hopes for April, and it really did start off strong. Good head space, strong will to read, and then the the quarantine demons reared their ugly heads in MY head again and I was back to only feeling relieved after watching copious amounts of Youtube and scrolling Instagram *sigh.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif">I did read some GREAT ones despite that though. Two of them are books that will stick with me for a long time, and will probably recommend until the end of my days: The Southern Bookclub's Guide to Slaying Vampires (Grady Hendrix's BEST so far, in my opinion, and The Went Left by Monica Hesse.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif">With those included, my total for this month was (6):</span></div></div>
<div><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div><span face="verdana, sans-serif"></span></div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43615993-the-sleeper-and-the-spindle"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1569043687l/43615993._SX318_.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51535175-all-the-stars-and-teeth"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1582824693l/51535175._SY475_.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44074800-the-southern-book-club-s-guide-to-slaying-vampires"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1584222716l/44074800._SY475_.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17372039-harry-potter-and-the-sorcerer-s-stone"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1548755071l/17372039._SY475_.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52701968-they-went-left"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1565616572l/52701968._SX318_SY475_.jpg" width="125" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51174395-the-half-sister"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574333741l/51174395.jpg" width="132" /></a><div><br /></div><div><span><a name='more'></a></span><br />
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<span face="verdana, sans-serif">The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman | April 5 | ★★★★ </span></li><li><span face="verdana, sans-serif">All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace | April 1-6 | ★★★</span></li><li><span face="verdana, sans-serif">The Southern Bookclubs Guide for Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix | April 8-9 | ★★★★</span></li><li><span face="verdana, sans-serif">Harry Potter's & the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling | April 3-11 | ★★★★</span></li><li><span face="verdana, sans-serif">The Went Left by Monica Hesse | April 11-14 | ★★★<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">★★</span> | <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/6461955519469547330/1166097910889515682" target="_blank">REVIEW</a></span> </li><li><span face="verdana, sans-serif">The Half Sister by Sandie Jones | April 27 | ★★ | <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/6461955519469547330/4946118997330686943" target="_blank">REVIEW</a><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> </span></span></li><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="font-family: times; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: times;"><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="color: #661d6f;">--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><br /></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><b>READING CHALLENGES FULFILLED</b></span><br /><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><b>The Nerd Daily (<a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/the-nerd-daily-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank">link here</a>)</b></span><br /><ul><li><span face="verdana, sans-serif">(#1) Author starting with an "A": All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace</span></li><li><span face="verdana, sans-serif">(#16) Protagonist starting with "H": Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling</span></li></ul><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /><b>Popsugar </b></span><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">(<a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/popsugar-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank">link here</a>)</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul><li><span face="verdana, sans-serif">'A book about a book club': The Southern Bookclub's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix</span></li><li><span face="verdana, sans-serif">'A book rec. by your fav blog, vlog, pc or online bc': They Went Left by Monica Hesse</span></li><li><span face="verdana, sans-serif">''A book by or about a journalist': The Half Sister by Sandie Jones</span></li></ul><div><ul></ul><div><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /><b>Blog Tour (<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/6461955519469547330/8226526263080701408#" target="_blank">read review here</a>)</b></span></div><ul><li><span face="verdana, sans-serif">They Went Left by Monica Hesse</span></li></ul></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><b>What did you all read in April?</b></span></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><b>Let me know down below!</b></span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Reekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904057237029522710noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461955519469547330.post-49461189973306869432020-04-27T12:29:00.003-04:002020-11-17T16:51:16.830-05:00REVIEW: The Half Sister by Sandie Jones<div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51174395-the-half-sister" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574333741l/51174395.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f; font-weight: bold;">Title:</span><b> </b></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">The Half Sister</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><b 25px=""><span style="color: #661d6f;">Author:</span> </b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://www.sandiejones.co.uk/" target="_blank">Sandie Jones</a></span><br />
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Genre:</span> </b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">Adult Fiction - Drama/Thriller</span><br />
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Publisher:</span> </b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><a href="https://us.macmillan.com/minotaurbooks/" target="_blank">Minotaur Books</a></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Release Date:</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>June 16th, 2020</span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Acquired:</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>Egalley approved via Netgalley</span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Goodreads: </b></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51174395-the-half-sister" target="_blank">ADD</a></span></span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Purchase:</b><span style="color: black;"><b> </b></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Half-Sister-Sandie-Jones/dp/1250265517" target="_blank">Amazon</a>/<a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-half-sister/9781250774996-item.html" target="_blank">Indigo</a>/<a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Half-Sister-Sandie-Jones/9781529033014" target="_blank">Book Depository</a></span></span></span></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="line-height: 19px;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>From the New York Times bestselling author of the Hello Sunshine Book Club pick The Other Woman, comes a compelling new domestic suspense novel about a family who is forever changed when a stranger arrives at their door.</b><br /><br /><b>
THE TRUTH: </b>Sisters Kate and Lauren meet for Sunday lunch every week without fail, especially after the loss of their father.<br /><br /><b>
THE LIE:</b> But a knock at the door is about to change everything. A young woman by the name of Jess holds a note with the results of a DNA test, claiming to be their half sister.<br /><br /><b>
THE UNTHINKABLE:</b> As the fallout starts, it's clear that they are all hiding secrets, and perhaps this family isn't as perfect as it appears.</span></span></span></blockquote></div><div><br /></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">This is my second book by this author, the initial being </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The First Mistake</span></i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">, and while I enjoyed the suspenseful moments and cliff-hanger chapter ends in that one, </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Half Sister</span></i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> fell short in both in it's promoted genre (thriller), and in the execution of it's synopsis.</span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">More aptly described as a family drama, this narrative begins with an interrupted dinner to beat all others, as sisters Kate and Lauren and their mother Rose are visited by Jess, a woman claiming to be their half-sister and deceased father's third child. Dual perspectives are given to the sisters, as we follow a paranoid and disbelieving Kate, and an elated and sympathetic Lauren. Family secrets are brought to light, while long-held assumptions are put to rest. And inbetween it all, we follow a pair of woman who are struggling with the things that are all too (unfortunately) common: infertility and domestic abuse. The mystery behind Jess's appearance is just that, mysterious, and never quite ventures into the thrilling.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #262626;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I want to say that I might have appreciated </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Half Sister</span></i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> more if it had a contemporary cover, and simply promised a saga of sorts; a hidden family past that those involved wanted to keep hidden, but alas, the genre wasn't the only issue. Jones can write a book, that is not a debatable fact. Many individual moments in this narrative were fraught with the right amount of tension; with dialogue fitting to it's cause. The entire book, as a whole, was compulsively readable, but broken down there were holes too big to ignore, and </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">repetition that had me skimming instead of reading. </span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #262626;">The biggest qualms came in the way the triggers were handled, and the slippery way the final twist was revealed. Lauren spent the entirety of the book in a domestic abuse situation, one in which was handled too loosely and distractedly in my opinion. There was a scene in which she has chance to explain to her mother exactly what's been happening, but never fully does. I found this to be a reoccurring theme in the book as well: characters hiding things for no logical reason. By the time the big reveal arrived, there were more questions than answers, and I closed the book feeling like I missed something that I was supposed to understand 5-6 chapters prior.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #262626;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">With all of that said, I'll round out the trio of Jones' work by reading </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Other Woman</span></i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> next, and will continue picking up whatever she puts out. This one just didn't work as well for me, sadly.</span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></b><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Read if you like:</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>A Good Neighborhood </i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">by Therese Anne Fowler</span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Read if you like these authors:</b></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Kate White, Chevy Stevens, Alafair Burke </span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Key themes:</b> </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">family, infertility, domestic abuse, relationships, secrets, lies, betrayal</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Challenges:</b></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><a href="http://goodreads.com/challenges/11621-2020-reading-challenge" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Goodreads 2020 Reading Challenge</a></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Sandie Jones has worked as a freelance journalist for over twenty years, and has written for publications including the Sunday Times, Woman’s Weekly and the Daily Mail. She lives in London with her husband and three children. The Other Woman is her debut novel and a Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club pick.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">A huge thank-you to </span><a href="https://us.macmillan.com/minotaurbooks/" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Minotaur Books</a><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> for approving a copy via Netgalley for review!</span></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Reekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904057237029522710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461955519469547330.post-11660979108895156822020-04-14T17:25:00.003-04:002020-11-17T16:50:26.458-05:00BLOG TOUR: They Went Left by Monica Hesse<div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52701968-they-went-left" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1565616572l/52701968._SX318_SY475_.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f; font-weight: bold;">Title:</span><b> </b></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">They Went Left</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><b 25px=""><span style="color: #661d6f;">Author:</span> </b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://www.monicahesse.com/" target="_blank">Monica Hesse</a></span><br />
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Genre:</span> </b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">Young Adult - Historical Fiction</span><br />
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Publisher:</span> </b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><a href="https://www.lbyr.com/" target="_blank">Little, Brown Books for Young Readers</a></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Release Date:</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>April 7, 2020</span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Acquired:</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>Sent by publisher via Netgalley</span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Goodreads: </b></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47539277-they-went-left" target="_blank">ADD</a></span></span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Purchase:</b><span style="color: black;"><b> </b></span></span><a href="https://amzn.to/2UBy7kn" target="_blank">Amazon</a>/<a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/they-went-left/9780316490573-item.html" target="_blank">Indigo</a>/<a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/They-Went-Left-Monica-Hesse/9781549131714?ref=grid-view&qid=1584711908355&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Book Depository</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19px;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Germany, 1945. The soldiers who liberated the Gross-Rosen concentration camp said the war was over, but nothing feels over to eighteen-year-old Zofia Lederman. Her body has barely begun to heal; her mind feels broken. And her life is completely shattered: Three years ago, she and her younger brother, Abek, were the only members of their family to be sent to the right, away from the gas chambers of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Everyone else--her parents, her grandmother, radiant Aunt Maja--they went left.<br /><br />
Zofia's last words to her brother were a promise: Abek to Zofia, A to Z. When I find you again, we will fill our alphabet. Now her journey to fulfill that vow takes her through Poland and Germany, and into a displaced persons camp where everyone she meets is trying to piece together a future from a painful past: Miriam, desperately searching for the twin she was separated from after they survived medical experimentation. Breine, a former heiress, who now longs only for a simple wedding with her new fiancé. And Josef, who guards his past behind a wall of secrets, and is beautiful and strange and magnetic all at once.<br /><br />
But the deeper Zofia digs, the more impossible her search seems. How can she find one boy in a sea of the missing? In the rubble of a broken continent, Zofia must delve into a mystery whose answers could break her--or help her rebuild her world.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It used to be that I sought out gut-wrenching narratives about WWII, fervently combed through shelves at bookstores or libraries for the trendy covers and titles that meant I'd find a specific type of loss within. It started with the horrors depicted in </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Night</span></i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> by Eli Wiesel, and continued with fictional 'imaginings' like </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sarah's Key</span></i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> by Tatiana de Rosnay, </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Storyteller </span></i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">by Jodi Picoult and most recently, </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The Huntress</i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> by Kate Quinn. Every single one left me gutted, so much so that I needed a break, I needed to move on to happier occurrences. I decided that </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">They Went Left</span></i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> would be my cautious return to the sub-genre; I would let it quietly guide me back into a space that had previously annihilated my heart. What a fool I was. To think that stories like this could be anything but loud, and all-consuming, and unimaginably important. </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">They Went Left</span></i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> was all of those things, it was all of those things written in one of the most absolutely beautiful ways that I have EVER seen it written.</span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It begins with a family torn apart. Zofia recalls the moment she loses her family to Nazi control in her small Polish town. Her parents, aunt and grandmother are sent to their deaths, and she's separated from her brother as they continue, alive, on to the </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps. Now it's 1945, Zofia's camp has been liberated by the allies, and there's nothing else she wants more than to be reunited with her brother. Unlike hundreds of others searching for loved ones, Zofia refuses to stay put and write letters to various organizations and camps, and instead follows a blind lead to Germany. Propelled by faulty memories and a fierce love, her search leads to an unlikely place, and some unexpected truths.</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Every single word in this book held purpose. Every moment was one torn straight from the desperate and irreparably damaged hearts of real-life survivors, from the very souls of the those who found luck on their side but also permanent pain as it's consequence. Hesse's characters were, without a doubt, some of the most real and well-depicted characters I've ever read. Not just in a WWII narrative, but ever. She touched on the harsh realities of the camps, but They Went Left focused mainly on the few months following liberation, and what it meant to search for normalcy in the midst of a still-lingering chaos. Zofia's character never felt forced, or sensationalized. Her thoughts, her feelings, her actions, it was raw and honest to the point of feeling unbearable, to where I literally felt transported to her place of urgency, her desperation. Even the conclusion, with all of the possible ways for it to feel gimmicky, and contrived, was executed with a hand that sought only to shed light on very likely realities. It was done with grace and with care. </span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I don't think I'll stop thinking about this book for a very long time, and I'll be hard-pressed to find anything that comes close to it.</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></b><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Read if you like:</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Sarah's Key </i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">by </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: left;">Tatiana de Rosnay</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The Storyteller</i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> by Jodi Picoult</span></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Book Thief</span></i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> by Markus Zusak</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Key themes:</b> </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">WWII, the Holocaust, family, love, desperation, journey, healing </span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Challenges:</b></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><a href="http://goodreads.com/challenges/11621-2020-reading-challenge" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Goodreads 2020 Reading Challenge</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNL1lYZBsSVCGI6ZBKJGzFH5qoISVMUxWIwrvqiEgbqYD7SOrAI7BQMqMsbP3t0K1J6gRE0ItKSFa2ZrKHZ4bfFopNMh1Xt6G7_gWWihTswDonb8oKQmT4S_lsO7Dc-LpexGVn3TxnUdMT/s1600/Monica+Hesse+by+Cassidy+DuHon.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNL1lYZBsSVCGI6ZBKJGzFH5qoISVMUxWIwrvqiEgbqYD7SOrAI7BQMqMsbP3t0K1J6gRE0ItKSFa2ZrKHZ4bfFopNMh1Xt6G7_gWWihTswDonb8oKQmT4S_lsO7Dc-LpexGVn3TxnUdMT/s320/Monica+Hesse+by+Cassidy+DuHon.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(103, 29, 112);" width="320" /></a></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;">Monica Hesse is the New
York Times bestselling author of Girl in the Blue Coat,
American Fire, and The War Outside, as well as a columnist at The Washington Post
writing about gender and its impact on society. She lives outside Washington, D.C.
with her husband and their dog.</span></blockquote>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><u>CONTACT LINKS</u></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><a href="https://www.monicahesse.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/monica.hesse.7" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><a href="https://twitter.com/MonicaHesse" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5768028.Monica_Hesse" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></span></b>
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<b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2020/03/tour-schedule-they-went-left-by-monica.html" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW THE REST OF THE TOUR</a></span></b></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Reekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904057237029522710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461955519469547330.post-53463254685335485832020-04-08T16:18:00.002-04:002020-11-17T10:30:55.981-05:00April 2020: To Be Read<br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="color: purple; font-size: x-large;">-APRIL TO BE READ-</span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I tried with all of my might (a whole 8 days obviously) to avoid creating a TBR for this month. I told myself that I would strictly mood read, or even stick to the one blog tour book I have to read this month as my only "for-sure" read. But alas, the call to go through familiar motions was a comfort too loud to ignore. </span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>As always, keep an eye on my Instagram at the end of the month for the 'April Giveaway' announcement! (You will have your choice of any book, or books, worth up to $25 on Book Depository).</b></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Here are the <b>8 books (+ blog tour read)</b> I have planned for April: </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51535175-all-the-stars-and-teeth"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1582824693l/51535175._SY475_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17372039-harry-potter-and-the-sorcerer-s-stone"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1548755071l/17372039._SY475_.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51276051-a-spark-of-light"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562572515l/51276051._SX318_SY475_.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38739562-with-the-fire-on-high"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1537991887l/38739562.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30075662-aurora-rising"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1560056657l/30075662._SY475_.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5499874-the-graveyard-book"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1377580912l/5499874.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20898019-ms-marvel-vol-1"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1413031883l/20898019.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30628062-radio-silence"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1466016038l/30628062._SY475_.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52701968-they-went-left"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1565616572l/52701968._SX318_SY475_.jpg" width="133" /></a><br />
<br /><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span><a name='more'></a></span>Here are my picks categorized by relevant reading challenges (</span><a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/p/2020-reading-challenges.html" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">read my 2020 goals here!</a><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">):</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>The Nerd Daily Reading Challenge (<a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/the-nerd-daily-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank">link here</a>):</b></span><br />
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<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">(#1) Author starting with "A": All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">(#6) Recommended by us: Radio Silence by Alice Oseman</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">(#9) Written by two authors: Aurora Rising by J. Kristoff and A. Kaufman</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">(#16) Protagonist starting with "H": Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">(#24) An award-winning book: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">(#51) Written by your favourite author: Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult</span></li>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><br /></b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>PopSugar Reading Challenge (<a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/popsugar-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank">link here</a>):</b></span></div>
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<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"A book about with a pink cover": Ms. Marvel - No Normal by G. Willow Wilson</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"A book recommended by your favorite blog, vlog, podcast, or online book club": The Went Left by Monica Hesse</span></li>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><br /></b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Beat the Backlist Challenge (<a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/beat-the-backlist-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank">link here</a>):</b></span></div>
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<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman</span></li>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Contemporary Book Club </b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Save My Sanity Book Club</b></span></div>
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<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Radio Silence by Alice Oseman</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo</span></li>
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<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Blog Tour (Fantastic Flying Book Club):</b></div>
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<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">They Went Left by Monica Hasse</span></li>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #661d6f; font-size: large;"><b>What are you all reading for April?</b></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #661d6f; font-size: large;"><b>Send me the links to your posts below!</b></span></div>Reekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904057237029522710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461955519469547330.post-78491377774862304842020-04-07T11:37:00.002-04:002020-11-17T10:24:28.896-05:00March 2020: Wrap-Up<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: purple; font-size: x-large;">-MARCH WRAP UP: (6) BOOKS-</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The fact that I even read anything at all this month is wonder, truly. My mind has been so anxiety-riddled with everything that's going on in the world that I can't seem to focus on anything for longer than 2.5 min. I'm sure it's been the same for a lot of you out there, but I truly hope you were able to find solace and comfort in some great books!</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I miraculously, and through sheer force to be honest, read (6) books this month:</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19163509-the-fifth-season"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1438742672l/19163509._SY475_.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42950245-coraline"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1543151747l/42950245._SY475_.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44084930-a-good-neighborhood"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1555810442l/44084930.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46158562-the-deep"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1561125441l/46158562._SY475_.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52992179-the-family-upstairs"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1564517337l/43822820.jpg" width="125" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46221964-the-tenant"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575586978l/46221964._SY475_.jpg" width="132" /></a><div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><br />
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin | Mar 3-10 | ★★★ </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Coraline by Neil Gaiman | Mar 9-11 | ★★★</span>★★</li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler | Mar 11-14 | ★★ | <a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/03/a-good-neighborhood-therese-anne-fowler-review.html" target="_blank">REVIEW</a></span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The Deep by Alma Katsu | Mar 13-15 | ★★★★ | <a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/03/the-deep-alma-katsu-blog-tour-review.html" target="_blank">REVIEW</a></span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell | Mar 14-18 | ★★★</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The Tenant by Katrine Engberg | Feb 21-24 | ★★</span>★★</li>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><b>READING CHALLENGES FULFILLED</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>The Nerd Daily (<a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/the-nerd-daily-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank">link here</a>)</b></span><br />
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<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">(#39) A book gift to you: Coraline by Neil Gaiman</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">(#43) A standalone: A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">(#49) Set in a foreign country: The Tenant by Katrine Engberg</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">(#52) Based on or inspired by a true story: The Deep by Alma Katsu</span></li>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Popsugar </b></span><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">(<a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/popsugar-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank">link here</a>)</b></div>
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<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">'A book with a made-up language': The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">'Your favourite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge' (2019 - 'A book about a family'): The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell</span></li>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Blog Tour (<a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/03/the-deep-alma-katsu-blog-tour-review.html" target="_blank">read review here</a>)</b></span></div>
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<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The Deep by Alma Katsu</span></li>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><b>What did you all read in March?</b></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><b>Let me know down below!</b></span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Reekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904057237029522710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461955519469547330.post-109986947086209092020-03-27T17:22:00.002-04:002020-11-17T10:30:19.753-05:00REVIEW: A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler<div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44084930-a-good-neighborhood" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1555810442l/44084930.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f; font-weight: bold;">Title:</span><b> </b></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">A Good Neighborhood</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><b 25px=""><span style="color: #661d6f;">Author:</span> </b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://thereseannefowler.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Therese Anne Fowler</a></span><br />
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Genre:</span> </b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">Adult Contemporary Fiction</span><br />
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Publisher:</span> </b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><a href="https://us.macmillan.com/smp#" target="_blank">Margaret K. McElderberry</a></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Release Date:</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>March 10, 2020</span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Acquired:</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>Hardcopy sent via publisher</span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Goodreads: </b></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44084930-a-good-neighborhood" target="_blank">ADD</a></span></span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Purchase:</b><span style="color: black;"><b> </b></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Good-Neighborhood-Therese-Anne-Fowler/dp/1250237270" target="_blank">Amazon</a>/<a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/a-good-neighborhood/9781250270535-item.html" target="_blank">Indigo</a>/<a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Good-Neighborhood-Therese-Anne-Fowler/9781250270535" target="_blank">Book Depository</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19px;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">In Oak Knoll, a verdant, tight-knit North Carolina neighborhood, professor of forestry and ecology Valerie Alston-Holt is raising her bright and talented biracial son. Xavier is headed to college in the fall, and after years of single parenting, Valerie is facing the prospect of an empty nest. All is well until the Whitmans move in next door―an apparently traditional family with new money, ambition, and a secretly troubled teenaged daughter.</span><br /><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">
Thanks to his thriving local business, Brad Whitman is something of a celebrity around town, and he's made a small fortune on his customer service and charm, while his wife, Julia, escaped her trailer park upbringing for the security of marriage and homemaking. Their new house is more than she ever imagined for herself, and who wouldn't want to live in Oak Knoll? With little in common except a property line, these two very different families quickly find themselves at odds: first, over an historic oak tree in Valerie's yard, and soon after, the blossoming romance between their two teenagers.</span><br /><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">
Told from multiple points of view, </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A Good Neighborhood</span></i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> asks big questions about life in America today―What does it mean to be a good neighbor? How do we live alongside each other when we don't see eye to eye?―as it explores the effects of class, race, and heartrending star-crossed love in a story that’s as provocative as it is powerful.</span></span></span></blockquote><p><br /></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a> <p></p></div><div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_p7IFgLs_lkgKwMVpL5oSzp9Y8gcAtDMRxCsefxPjPj5JlQkIxBi_1EHLZ0P7Bns-y7X7xSeSThILyZYCdlw7chErpW2gYvqlsMXQH4lGk6PMudumGGU3rZtZ5oSeoUxYICvasupLs4eQ/s1600/review_divider2.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: -1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="44" data-original-width="785" height="35" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_p7IFgLs_lkgKwMVpL5oSzp9Y8gcAtDMRxCsefxPjPj5JlQkIxBi_1EHLZ0P7Bns-y7X7xSeSThILyZYCdlw7chErpW2gYvqlsMXQH4lGk6PMudumGGU3rZtZ5oSeoUxYICvasupLs4eQ/s640/review_divider2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It's never easy to review a book that had good intentions; a book that set out to cast a huge spotlight on a still largely ignored social injustice. Fowler attempted that with </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>A Good Neighborhood</i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">, and while her writing was purposeful, it lacked so much of what was needed for such a heavy topic.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The Whitman family has recently moved into their rebuilt home in the sprawling and coveted neighborhood of Oak Knoll, North Carolina, much to the annoyance and frustration of next-door neighbor, and professor of ecology, Valerie Alston-Holt, but to the extreme pleasure of her 18-year-old son, Xavier. Pleasure because the Whitman family includes 18-year-old Juniper, who Xavier immediately falls for. As their romance blooms innocently in the background, the forefront is filled with the legal clashing of Valerie and Brad Whitman, after Valerie opens a civil case against Brad for the destruction of some beloved greenery in her backyard. Disturbing secrets are leaked and relationships are tested in this narrative that strives to go beyond surface-level issues, and straight into those that are begging for more awareness.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The author took the time to add a disclaimer at the start of the book, letting her readers know that she, a white woman, would be writing about black characters within, and assured us that she took the appropriate measures to ensure accuracy regarding their experiences. I appreciated her efforts, but I sadly found that she missed the mark with this novel. The writing was great, and her message, an extremely important one. Overall, I just felt like she lacked realistic emotion and subtleties during moments, and dialogue, where her black characters were suffering the most unspeakable injustices. It was a quick and addictive read nonetheless, I just wish more care was taken with the subject matter and those involved.</span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></b><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Read if you like:</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>American Dirt </i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">by Jeanine Cummins</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Othello</i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> by William Shakespeare</span></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Little Fires Everywhere</span></i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> by Celeste Ng</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Key themes:</b> </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">racism, prejudice, family, relationships, power struggle, young love</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Challenges:</b></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><a href="http://goodreads.com/challenges/11621-2020-reading-challenge" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Goodreads 2020 Reading Challenge</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3x3XwXnaq273fgmfZbmTGx3yKdJmEo0CXjBR-7cgnlpPl13lhtovpDiDljtxXBRxtbOGjYU5npcZ7yQUwYE7jE4hzUlC5xi8TML6t5Chad6EMxokq3lBjhnv53Xs2lIHymkkop_RfZRa/s1600/abouttheauthor_divider2.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: -1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="44" data-original-width="785" height="34" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3x3XwXnaq273fgmfZbmTGx3yKdJmEo0CXjBR-7cgnlpPl13lhtovpDiDljtxXBRxtbOGjYU5npcZ7yQUwYE7jE4hzUlC5xi8TML6t5Chad6EMxokq3lBjhnv53Xs2lIHymkkop_RfZRa/s640/abouttheauthor_divider2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thereseannefowler.com/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img d6f="" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1552058369p5/6521646.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(103, 29, 112);" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrctfa9qkhVY6OtHFXNZ1kP39AevcXNXaUcbSpokkZDGSzMmDrALeurwBUjq6X2yYsjALHBP408SBh9D0Zf3YeTYEtwQXEIAm_56-lIS77okyJ1bug37ruKt6lvn6YH_0Cw_c1q3-AluyD/s1600/abttheathr_purple.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: xx-small;">credit: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6521646.Therese_Anne_Fowler" target="_blank">Goodreads author page</a></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.thereseannefowler.com/" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to read about Therese on her author page.</span></blockquote>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><u>CONTACT LINKS</u></span></b></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><a href="http://www.thereseannefowler.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/thereseannefowler.books" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><a href="https://twitter.com/ThereseFowler" target="_blank">Twitter</a> </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/thereseannefowler" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span></b></span></div>
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<span><!--more--></span><span><!--more--></span><span><!--more--></span><span><!--more--></span>Reekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904057237029522710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461955519469547330.post-71520534406886826912020-03-18T16:15:00.007-04:002020-11-17T10:29:39.761-05:00REVIEW: Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson<div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42201395-sorcery-of-thorns" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1541621322l/42201395.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f; font-weight: bold;">Title:</span><b> </b></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">Sorcery of Thorns</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><b 25px=""><span style="color: #661d6f;">Author:</span> </b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://www.margaretrogerson.com/" target="_blank">Margaret Rogerson</a></span><br />
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Genre:</span> </b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">Young Adult Fantasy</span><br />
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Publisher:</span> </b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><a href="https://simonandschusterpublishing.com/margaret-k-mcelderry-books/" target="_blank">Margaret K. McElderberry</a></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Release Date:</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>June 4, 2019</span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Acquired:</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>Purchased for my collection</span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Goodreads: </b></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42201395-sorcery-of-thorns" target="_blank">ADD</a></span></span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Purchase:</b><span style="color: black;"><b> </b></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sorcery-Thorns-Margaret-Rogerson/dp/1481497626" target="_blank">Amazon</a>/<a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/sorcery-of-thorns/9781481497626" target="_blank">Indigo</a>/<a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Sorcery-Thorns-Margaret-Rogerson/9781481497626" target="_blank">Book Depository</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19px;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.<br /><br />
Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.<br /><br />
As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.</span></span></span> </blockquote></div><div><br /></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I will never deny you, book about books. Come to me in all of your forms and genres, and I will read you until the end of my days. </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sorcery of Thorns</span></i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> was a book about books that weren't quite books, and that's where the disastrous adventure begins. In the vein of </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A Curse So Dark and Lonely</span></i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">, it was a narrative that handed us a heroine who at first seemed unlikely, but quickly became the embodiment of strength and resilience.</span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Elisabeth is a Great Library apprentice, which holds responsibilities that she has prepped almost her entire life for, and, after recent events, one that she definitely didn't: saving her entire kingdom from complete destruction. When one of the more dangerous "books" (or grimoires) escapes from the library, transforming into the living embodiment of the books' contents, Elisabeth is the only one to notice. A</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">fter discovering her director murdered, she is then </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">the one who destroys it. Her act of extreme bravery backfires when she is accused of the murder, and sent away to face trial by the 'Magisterium'. Her escort turns out to be Nathanial, a witty sorcerer she had a chance encounter with previously, and his mysterious and sly servant, Silas. With more attacks on the rise, can she trust this pair to help clear her name and expose the real culprit, or is she being led to her ultimate end?</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I read this on the heels of another kingdom-saving narrative, so it was impossible not to initially compare the two. Though </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-style: italic;">Sorcery of Thorns</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> was quick to</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> set itself apart with it's darker atmosphere, and complex characters. As a rogue standalone fantasy, it was dense in some areas, but rightly so, as to ensure a fully-fleshed story; a story that needed to end where, and how, it ended. Nathaniel was appropriately troubled, and Silas, magnificently flawed yet so compulsively likable—I could read an entire book about him, to be honest. I would have loved to read more of a backstory on Elisabeth, more moments from her youth and growing up as a 'true child of the library,' subsequently lending more belief to what we eventually discover about her.</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">My brain literally couldn't comprehend that there wasn't a book two, I was in spectacular awe of Rogerson's ability to write such an emotionally charged last chapter, and just leave it to simmer in our hearts; ignore the pressures of turning fantastic into a drawn out 3-5 book ordeal (not that I would have been against that, just saying). Regardless, </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sorcery of Thorns</span></i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> is a book that is easily imagined, filled with cavernous castles, well-explained magic, and characters that are incredibly easy to become obsessed with. </span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></b><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></b><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Read if you like:</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>A Curse So Dark and Lonely </i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">by Brigid Kemmerer</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The Bone Houses</i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> by Emily Lloyd-Jones</span></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Serpent & Dove</span></i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> by Shelby Mahurin</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Key themes:</b> </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">magic, sorcery, betrayal, romance, friendship, heroism</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><a href="http://goodreads.com/challenges/11621-2020-reading-challenge" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Goodreads 2020 Reading Challenge</a></span><br />
<a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/the-nerd-daily-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">The Nerd Daily Reading Challenge</span></a></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.margaretrogerson.com/about/" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to read about Margaret on her author page.</span></blockquote>
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Reekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904057237029522710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461955519469547330.post-70974908504058566542020-03-16T12:20:00.003-04:002020-11-17T10:25:21.862-05:00BLOG TOUR: The Deep by Alma Katsu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f; font-weight: bold;">Title:</span><b> </b></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">The Deep</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><b 25px=""><span style="color: #661d6f;">Author:</span> </b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://www.almakatsubooks.com/" target="_blank">Alma Katsu</a></span><br />
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Genre:</span> </b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">Historical Fiction-Horror</span><br />
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Publisher:</span> </b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><a href="https://www.penguin.com/publishers/gpputnamssons/" target="_blank">G.P. Putnam's Sons</a></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Release Date:</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>March 10, 2020</span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Acquired:</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>Egalley approved via Netgalley</span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Goodreads: </b></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52186666-the-deep" target="_blank">ADD</a></span></span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Purchase:</b><span style="color: black;"><b> </b></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Alma-Katsu/dp/0525537902/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+deep&qid=1584369367&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a>/<a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-deep/9780525537908-item.html?ikwid=the+deep+alma&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=9299f939e43bd7b0af1b57d5a75e3b23" target="_blank">Indigo</a>/<a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Deep-Alma-Katsu/9781787631359" target="_blank">Book Depository</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19px;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">From the acclaimed and award-winning author of The Hunger comes an eerie, psychological twist on one of the world's most renowned tragedies, the sinking of the Titanic and the ill-fated sail of its sister ship, the </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Britannic</i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">.</span></b><br /><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">
Someone, or something, is haunting the ship. That is the only way to explain the series of misfortunes that have plagued the passengers of the Titanic from the moment they set sail. The Titanic's passengers expected to enjoy an experience befitting the much-heralded ship's maiden voyage, but instead, amid mysterious disappearances and sudden deaths, find themselves in an eerie, unsettling twilight zone. While some of the guests and crew shrug off strange occurrences, several--including maid Annie Hebbley, guest Mark Fletcher, and millionaires Madeleine Astor and Benjamin Guggenheim--are convinced there's something more sinister going on. And then disaster strikes.</span><br /><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">
Years later, Annie, having survived that fateful night, has attempted to put her life back together by going to work as a nurse on the sixth sailing of the Britannic, newly refitted as a hospital ship to support British forces fighting World War I. When she happens across an unconscious Mark, now a soldier, she is at first thrilled and relieved to learn that he too survived the tragic night four years earlier. But soon his presence awakens deep-buried feelings and secrets, forcing her to reckon with the demons of her past--as they both discover that the terror may not yet be over.</span><br /><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">
Featuring an ensemble cast of characters and effortlessly combining the supernatural with the height of historical disaster, The Deep is an exploration of love and destiny, desire and innocence, and, above all, a quest to understand how our choices can lead us inexorably toward our doom.</span></span></span></blockquote><p> <span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p></div><div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What an incredibly brilliant idea for a narrative. The titanic, on it's own, was such an incredible feat of modern engineering, and it's ultimate demise, such a timeless tragedy. Katsu created with </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Deep</span></i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">, something that can also be considered timeless, in it's melding of history with horror; factual, and non-factual character depictions with the added allure of the paranormal.</span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Annie Hebbley survived the infamous sinking of the Titanic in 1912, and after a brief stint in an asylum, where she attempted to ignore it's grip on her mind, she registers for a nurse aid position aboard the newly minted Brittanic (a sister ship to the Titanic, and an ocean-bound hospital liner for those injured in the first world war). Simultaneously, we experience both Annie's timeline on the Titanic, and her present-day on the Britannic in 1916. Annie's time spent on the first ship was defined by more than just it's tragic end, as a specific group of guests convince her that mysterious instances aboard are the work of paranormal entities. Years later, on her second sailing, Annie comes face to face with one those guests, one that she had thought she'd lost forever, both physically and emotionally. The impossibility of it brings back both dark memories, and a sinister threat that they thought they left behind.</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Even while I was reading </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Deep</span></i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">, my mind strayed to the author's backlist titles that I would have the pleasure of reading once I was done. Katsu's writing, for me, was true storytelling. It was immersive, and deliciously mysterious, it brought to mind the narratives of the greats like Christie, and Conan Doyle. I'll admit that, alike the aforementioned authors, the joy was in the writing itself, and not so much the genre it was promising. The 'horror' aspect was minimal, and served mostly as a decorative background for the in-depth character explorations that took the forefront. I became so heartrendingly attached to so many of the backstories, and present stories, in this narrative—I could read an entire book on Caroline Fletcher or Madelaine Astor. </span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I can't wait to become completely entranced by Katsu's future work!</span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><u>Favourite Quotes</u></b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"His fingers dart around the edges of a cigarette he twirls in his hand, and she can think is ease. She has never felt that. She is more like the cigarette itself, passed from hand to mouth to earth, sucked dry and then forgotten. Or perhaps she is the smoke, blown into the air, made invisible at the meeting of the lips."</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"The living are often anchors for the dead. The old newspaperman Stead's words come back to him, how the dead want to lay down their troubles and escape to the next world but it's the living, unable to let go, who keep them here. Love and desperation like heavy chains lash them to the earth."</i></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Read if you like:</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Into the Drowning Deep</i></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-style: italic;"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">by Mira Grant</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The Widows of Braxton County</i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> by Jess McConkey</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Practical Magic</i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> by Alice Hoffman</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Key themes:</b> </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">occultism, spiritualism, death, trauma, tragedy, love, destiny</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><a href="http://goodreads.com/challenges/11621-2020-reading-challenge" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Goodreads 2020 Reading Challenge</a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/the-nerd-daily-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank">The Nerd Daily Reading Challenge</a></span></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">A huge thank-you to <a href="http://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">FFBC Tours</a> for allowing me to participate in the tour, and for <a href="https://www.penguin.com/publishers/gpputnamssons/" target="_blank">G.P. Putnam's Sons</a> for approving an egalley via Netgalley to review!</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2020/01/tour-schedule-deep-by-alma-katsu.html" target="_blank">Click here</a> to view the tour schedule, and enter for your chance to win a copy of the book!</span></div></div>Reekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904057237029522710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461955519469547330.post-47551508566713500002020-03-05T23:12:00.000-05:002020-03-19T16:00:31.611-04:00REVIEW: My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44890081-my-dark-vanessa" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1558030283l/44890081.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f; font-weight: bold;">Title:</span><b> </b></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">My Dark Vanessa</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b 25px=""><span style="color: #661d6f;">Author:</span> </b></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://kateelizabethrussell.com/" target="_blank">Kate Elizabeth Russell</a></span><br />
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Genre:</span> </b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Adult Contemporary </span><br />
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Publisher:</span> </b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/search-results/?imprint=william-morrow" target="_blank">William Morrow</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Release Date:</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>March 10, 2020</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Acquired:</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>Egalley approved via Edelweiss</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Goodreads: </b></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44890081-my-dark-vanessa" target="_blank">ADD</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Purchase:</b><span style="color: black;"><b> </b></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Vanessa-Kate-Elizabeth-Russell/dp/006294150X" target="_blank">Amazon</a>/<a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/my-dark-vanessa-a-novel/9780062976802-item.html?ikwid=my+dark+vaness&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=fb32790a249ddfd9239c4f6d49cb2933" target="_blank">Indigo</a>/<a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/My-Dark-Vanessa-Kate-Elizabeth-Russell/9780008342258" target="_blank">Book Depository</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Exploring the psychological dynamics of the relationship between a precocious yet naive teenage girl and her magnetic and manipulative teacher, a brilliant, all-consuming read that marks the explosive debut of an extraordinary new writer.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
2000. Bright, ambitious, and yearning for adulthood, fifteen-year-old Vanessa Wye becomes entangled in an affair with Jacob Strane, her magnetic and guileful forty-two-year-old English teacher.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
2017. Amid the rising wave of allegations against powerful men, a reckoning is coming due. Strane has been accused of sexual abuse by a former student, who reaches out to Vanessa, and now Vanessa suddenly finds herself facing an impossible choice: remain silent, firm in the belief that her teenage self willingly engaged in this relationship, or redefine herself and the events of her past. But how can Vanessa reject her first love, the man who fundamentally transformed her and has been a persistent presence in her life? Is it possible that the man she loved as a teenager—and who professed to worship only her—may be far different from what she has always believed?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
Alternating between Vanessa’s present and her past, </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My Dark Vanessa</span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> juxtaposes memory and trauma with the breathless excitement of a teenage girl discovering the power her own body can wield. Thought-provoking and impossible to put down, this is a masterful portrayal of troubled adolescence and its repercussions that raises vital questions about agency, consent, complicity, and victim hood. Written with the haunting intimacy of </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Girls</span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> and the creeping intensity of </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Room</span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">, </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My Dark Vanessa</span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> is an era-defining novel that brilliantly captures and reflects the shifting cultural mores transforming our relationships and society itself.</span></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">God this was uncomfortable to read, but when I was done, I kept going back to the last page, willing more words to appear</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">. I didn't want to be done with Vanessa's story; call me a sadist but I was addicted to her troubled mind. If that's not the mark of an extraordinary book, then clearly I'm not cut out for this reader life. I feel ill-equipped to review a book as intentionally controversial as this, but I will try my most intellectual best.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's 2000: 15-year-old Vanessa begged her parents to be enrolled at Browick boarding school. Intelligent past her years, and self-admittedly dark of mind and tortured of soul, Vanessa spends her days separate from her peers and generally withdrawn from the outside world. Timidly at first, and then all at once, she begins attracting attention from her 42-year-old English teacher Jacob Strane (Mr. Strane). What unfolds from this point forth is hard is digest, and even harder to write about.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's 2017: 32-year-old Vanessa is in denial, convinced that the 'love story' she shared with Strane is so far removed from the accusations that have surfaced about him. A number of women are claiming that Strane sexually abused them during their own years at Browick, and one in particular, Taylor Birch, is using social media as her megaphone and has asked Vanessa to join her. Out of misplaced loyalty, and her own rose-coloured memories, Vanessa is adamant on avoiding the media frenzy, and the requests to speak out about a moment in her life where she felt like anything but the 'victim'.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I've never read </span><i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Lolita</span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">, I'm not certain that I'm at a place in my life where I can appreciate that book for its art and ignore my repulsion for its subject matter. </span><i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My Dark Vanessa</span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> was its safe reverse, in the sense that it was from the perspective of a seemingly consenting "nymphet", and while I was still wholly taken aback at times, I read it with a compulsion that not many books before it has elicited. I was propelled forward by a desperate need to watch Vanessa untangle what was surely repressed trauma; acts she performed out of fear or intense pressure. What instead took place was a deep dive into what it means to be a victim, and all of the expected and unexpected reactions that come with that label. There are so many prompts in this narrative for important discussions surrounding abuse, consent and an imbalance of power. It's wild to know that Russell began writing this book decades before the #metoo movement, years before so many voices found strength in shared injustices. I keep thinking about how </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My Dark Vanessa</span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> might have been received, had it been published back then. I am even more excited to read the conversations that it will spark now.</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></b><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></b><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Trigger warning:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">sexual content between a minor and an adult</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Read if you like:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Lolita</i></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">by Vladimir Nabokov</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Putney</span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> by Sofka Zinovieff</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Notes on a Scandal</i></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> by Zoe Heller</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Key themes:</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">sexual abuse, grooming, manipulation</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">delusion, mental health, abuse of power</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Challenges:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://goodreads.com/challenges/11621-2020-reading-challenge" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Goodreads 2020 Reading Challenge</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/the-nerd-daily-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank">The Nerd Daily Reading Challenge</a></span></div>
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Reekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904057237029522710noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461955519469547330.post-59017075504032050282020-03-01T00:00:00.000-05:002020-04-08T16:01:36.348-04:00March 2020: To Be Read<br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: x-large;">-MARCH TO BE READ-</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Behold! The month of buddy-reads and readathons! a.k.a the month I spend reading literally 5+ books at once and hoping against hope that I don't mix up storylines or the more guaranteed scenario: I burn myself out. I also really want to work on knocking out a solid number of backlist titles, and review the egalleys I downloaded in Edelweiss that seem to all be releasing in March.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>As always, keep an eye on my Instagram at the end of the month for the 'March New Release Giveaway' announcement!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here are the <b>14 books (+ blog tour read)</b> I have planned for March: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19161852-the-fifth-season"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386803701l/19161852.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43575115-the-starless-sea"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554996038l/43575115._SY475_.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21853621-the-nightingale"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1451446316l/21853621.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42950245-coraline"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1543151747l/42950245._SY475_.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37534696-letters-to-the-lost"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1523464947l/37534696._SY475_.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43822820-the-family-upstairs"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1564517337l/43822820.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51535175-all-the-stars-and-teeth"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1582824693l/51535175._SY475_.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35941068-anna-undreaming"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1513107537l/35941068._SX318_.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29868610-scrappy-little-nobody"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1469410391l/29868610.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46221964-the-tenant"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575586978l/46221964._SY475_.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20898019-ms-marvel-vol-1"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1413031883l/20898019.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15926211-sushi-for-beginners"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1356455068l/15926211.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43801483-skyward"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1549279689l/43801483.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46158562-the-deep"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1561125441l/46158562._SY475_.jpg" width="133" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here are my picks categorized by relevant reading challenges (</span><a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/p/2020-reading-challenges.html" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">read my 2020 goals here!</a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">):</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The Nerd Daily Reading Challenge (<a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/the-nerd-daily-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank">link here</a>):</b></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(#1) Author starting with "A": All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(#18) Non-fiction: Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(#20) Part of a Duology: Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(#32) One word title: Skyward by Brandon Sanderson</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(#35) Start a new series: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(#36) A book released in 2019: The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(#37) Male author: Anna Undreaming by Thomas Welsh</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(#39) A book gifted to you: Coraline by Neil Gaiman</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(#52) Based or inspired by a true story: The Deep by Alma Katsu</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>PopSugar Reading Challenge (<a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/popsugar-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank">link here</a>):</b></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"A book with a bird on the cover": The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"A book with a made-up language": The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"A book with a pink cover": </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ms. Marvel: No Normal</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Your favourite prompt from a past Popsugar reading challenge: "The Family Upstairs" by Lisa Jewell</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"A book published in the 20th century": Sushi for Beginners by Marian Keyes</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Beat the Backlist Challenge (<a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/beat-the-backlist-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank">link here</a>):</b></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Contemporary Book Club (March Pick):</b></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Love Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer</span></li>
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<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Blog Tour (Fantastic Flying Book Club):</b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Deep by Alma Katsu</span></li>
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<span style="color: #661d6f; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>What are you all reading for March?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #661d6f; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Send me the links to your posts below!</b></span></div>
Reekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904057237029522710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461955519469547330.post-88211558140817343342020-02-29T12:35:00.000-05:002020-03-31T12:22:01.618-04:00February 2020: Wrap-Up<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">-FEBRUARY WRAP UP: (8) BOOKS-</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I swear to God, I blinked, and February was over. Did anyone else feel like this? The days felt like they slipped right through my fingers, and because of this, reading time felt scarce, precious, extremely important. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I managed to squeeze 8 books into this month, and among those, I read a total of (4) that came close to seriously blowing me away:</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36509935-the-kind-worth-killing"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1509464218l/36509935._SY475_.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34311672-my-not-so-perfect-life"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1491157111l/34311672._SY475_.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42201395-sorcery-of-thorns"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1541621322l/42201395.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45046649-the-borgia-confessions"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1572995485l/45046649.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35887181-the-poppy-war"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1515692316l/35887181.jpg" width="125" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43969445-a-good-girl-s-guide-to-murder"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1549950074l/43969445._SY475_.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44890081-my-dark-vanessa"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1558030283l/44890081.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42952728-a-heart-so-fierce-and-broken"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1559126810l/42952728.jpg" width="132" /></a><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson | Feb 4-8 | ★★★ </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My (Not So) Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella | Feb 10-13 | ★★★</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson | Feb 1-17 | ★★★</span>★</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Borgia Confessions by Alyssa Palombo | Feb 19 | ★★★ | <a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/02/the-borgia-confessions-alyssa-palombo-review.html" target="_blank">REVIEW</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang | Feb 3-20 | ★★★★</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson | Feb 21-24 | ★★</span>★★</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell | Feb 26-28 | ★★★★ | <a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/03/my-dark-vanessa-kate-elizabeth-russell-review.html" target="_blank">REVIEW</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer | Feb 9-29 | ★★★★</span></li>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>READING CHALLENGES FULFILLED</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The Nerd Daily (<a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/the-nerd-daily-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank">link here</a>)</b></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(#2) Female author: Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(#8) Six-word title: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(#13) Set in the past: The Borgia Confessions by Alyssa Palombo</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(#29) Debut author: My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Popsugar </b></span><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">(<a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/popsugar-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank">link here</a>)</b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'A book with at least a 4-star rating on Goodreads: The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'A book by an author who has written more than 20 books': My (Not So) Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'A book with a map': The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'A book published in 2020': A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Contemporary Book Club Pick (February)</b></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My (Not So) Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Blog Tour</b></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Borgia Confessions by Alyssa Palombo</span></li>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>What did you all read in February?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Let me know down below!</b></span></div>
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Reekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904057237029522710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461955519469547330.post-18043819899792361252020-02-20T01:11:00.001-05:002020-03-19T16:00:04.690-04:00BLOG TOUR: The Borgia Confessions by Alyssa Palombo (+Giveaway)<div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45046649-the-borgia-confessions" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1572995485l/45046649.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f; font-weight: bold;">Title:</span><b> </b></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">The Borgia Confessions</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b 25px=""><span style="color: #661d6f;">Author:</span> </b></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://alyssapalombo.com/" target="_blank">Alyssa Palombo</a></span><br />
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Genre:</span> </b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Adult Historical Fiction</span><br />
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Publisher:</span> </b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><a href="https://us.macmillan.com/smp" target="_blank">St. Martin's Griffin</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Release Date:</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>Feb 11, 2020</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Acquired:</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>Egalley approved via NetGalley</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Goodreads: </b></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45046649-the-borgia-confessions" target="_blank">ADD</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Purchase:</b><span style="color: black;"><b> </b></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Borgia-Confessions-Novel-Alyssa-Palombo-ebook/dp/B07S9MJD6X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=5G7SMS5PCOKV&keywords=the+borgia+confessions&qid=1582177438&sprefix=the+borgia+%2Caps%2C183&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a>/<a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-borgia-confessions-a-novel/9781250191205" target="_blank">Indigo</a>/<a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Borgia-Confessions/9781250191205" target="_blank">Book Depository</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">During the sweltering Roman summer of 1492, Rodrigo Borgia has risen to power as pope. Rodrigo’s eldest son Cesare, forced to follow his father into the church and newly made the Archbishop of Valencia, chafes at his ecclesiastical role and fumes with jealousy and resentment at the way that his foolish brother has been chosen for the military greatness he desired.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
Maddalena Moretti comes from the countryside, where she has seen how the whims of powerful men wreak havoc on the lives of ordinary people. But now, employed as a servant in the Vatican Palace, she cannot help but be entranced by Cesare Borgia’s handsome face and manner and finds her faith and conviction crumbling in her want of him.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
As war rages and shifting alliances challenge the pope’s authority, Maddalena and Cesare's lives grow inexplicably entwined. Maddalena becomes a keeper of dangerous Borgia secrets and must decide if she is willing to be a pawn in the power games of the man she loves. And as jealousy and betrayal threaten to tear apart the Borgia family from within, Cesare is forced to reckon with his seemingly limitless ambition.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
Alyssa Palombo's captivating new novel, </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Borgia Confessions</span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">, is a story of passion, politics, and class, set against the rise and fall of one of Italy's most infamous families--the Borgias.</span></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Officially the first book I've read that's set before the 1800s, </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Borgia Confessions</span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> was an extraordinarily well-researched depiction of the infamous Borgia family during Rodrigo Borgia's reign as Pope in the 1490s. Fictional storylines weaved with factual events, characters were pulled from their place in history and reanimated at Palombos hand; made flesh again to relive their sordid tales and commit their heinous crimes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm not the first to admit that I knew absolutely nothing of Cesare Borgia (the eldest son), his siblings, or his parents before I began reading Palombo's detailing of Rodrigo Borgia's rise to the prestigious and powerful title. I researched whilst reading, and found that it really added to the experience, and filled in the very minimal blanks in the plot. As the author took some scandalous liberties with the storyline, I wanted to make sure I knew the basic and general lay of the land (character and scandal-wise). I liked that once I did that, I found that I cared very little for the strategic scenes about war, invasions and attempts to overthrow existing rulers (though my brain would have melted regardless), and instead enjoyed the power and lust-fueled relationships that Palombo handed to me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I found it the most excellent choice to use Cesare, and a fictional lady servant Maddalena, as the two perspectives throughout the narrative. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As a reader, I was able to glimpse both sides of the political turmoil, one view coming from the comforts and false sense of security on the inside, and the second, from the general public during some significant changes to their lives. It's when these worlds collide that things get interesting, more dangerous (and to much a readers' dismay, lustier--though I thoroughly enjoyed these bits). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I can only write this review as a lover of fiction, and an appreciative student of accidental learning through said fiction. I don't seek out the historical fiction genre, but I know a book deserving of praise when I see one, and </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Borgia Confessions</span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> is definitely not to be missed by those who are truly fans of both historical fiction and the lives, and misdeeds, of the Borgia family.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Trigger Warnings:</b></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">attempted rape, sexual scenes, violence</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Read if you like:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The Vatican Princess</i></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">by C.W. Gortner</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Serpent and the Pearl</span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> by Kate Quinn</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">historical fiction</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Key themes:</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">deceit, betrayal, political gain, scandal, religion </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Challenges:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://goodreads.com/challenges/11621-2020-reading-challenge" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Goodreads 2020 Reading Challenge</a></span><br />
<a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/the-nerd-daily-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Nerd Daily Reading Challenge</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://alyssapalombo.com/about/" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to read about Alyssa on her author page.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>CONTACT LINKS</u></span></b></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://alyssapalombo.com/about/" target="_blank">Website</a></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AlyssinWnderlnd" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A huge thank-you to <a href="https://us.macmillan.com/smp" target="_blank">St. Martin Griffin</a> contacting me for the tour, and for sending me an egalley of the book via Netgalley for review!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Visit my Instagram page to win a copy of The Borgia Confessions! (Canada Only)</span></div>
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Reekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904057237029522710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461955519469547330.post-74741114253787501612020-02-19T11:32:00.000-05:002020-03-19T15:59:27.663-04:00REVIEW: Bunny by Mona Awad<div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42815544-bunny" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1544742360l/42815544.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f; font-weight: bold;">Title:</span><b> </b></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Bunny</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b 25px=""><span style="color: #661d6f;">Author:</span> </b></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://mona-awad-grou.squarespace.com/" target="_blank">Mona Awad</a></span><br />
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Genre:</span> </b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Adult Contemporary/Horror</span><br />
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Publisher:</span> </b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><a href="https://www.harpercollins.ca/" target="_blank">Harpercollins</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Release Date:</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>June 11, 2019</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Acquired:</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>Library borrow</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Goodreads: </b></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42815544-bunny" target="_blank">ADD</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Purchase:</b><span style="color: black;"><b> </b></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bunny-Novel-Mona-Awad/dp/1984878735" target="_blank">Amazon</a>/<a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/bunny/9780735235885" target="_blank">Indigo</a>/<a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Bunny-Mona-Awad/9781788545440" target="_blank">Book Depository</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Samantha Heather Mackey couldn't be more of an outsider in her small, highly selective MFA program at New England's Warren University. A scholarship student who prefers the company of her dark imagination to that of most people, she is utterly repelled by the rest of her fiction writing cohort--a clique of unbearably twee rich girls who call each other "Bunny," and seem to move and speak as one.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
But everything changes when Samantha receives an invitation to the Bunnies' fabled "Smut Salon," and finds herself inexplicably drawn to their front door--ditching her only friend, Ava, in the process. As Samantha plunges deeper and deeper into the Bunnies' sinister yet saccharine world, beginning to take part in the ritualistic off-campus "Workshop" where they conjure their monstrous creations, the edges of reality begin to blur. Soon, her friendships with Ava and the Bunnies will be brought into deadly collision.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
The spellbinding new novel from one of our most fearless chroniclers of the female experience, </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bunny</span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> is a down-the-rabbit-hole tale of loneliness and belonging, friendship and desire, and the fantastic and terrible power of the imagination.</span></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What, in the floppy-eared hell, did I just read?! This book was an entirely different breed of weird, and I mean that in the most complimentary and fascinating way. It was a sub-genre mash-up of dark academia and fantastical horror, combined with metaphorical and self-reflective bits that damn near blew my whole mind. Without question, </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bunny</span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> is one of the most oddly satisfying books I have ever read.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Samantha Mackey is a grad school student at Warren University. Perpetually intimidated by her peers, and making little to no progress on her work, she spends most of her days in self-sabotaging conversation with her best, and equally as dark-minded friend, Ava. Their most favoured target for mockery is a group of women on Samantha's campus who call themselves the "Bunnies". Perfectly groomed, sickeningly sweet, and irritatingly cliqué-y, the Bunnies are both a wonder and a source of frustration for Samantha, so when they extend an invitation to join them for a weekly writing session (dubbed the 'Smut Salon) at their home, she decides to feed her curiosity. The further into the Bunny hole she falls, the further away she gets from reality, and the once-cherished friendship she held with Ava. Escaping their clutches comes with a price, one that Samantha could not have seen coming.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bunny</span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> is one of those books that can be so many different things depending on its reader. For me, it was a social commentary on the dangers of a hive-mind, especially on those who are more mentally susceptible to its mechanisms. Awad was brilliant in her choice to use fantastically horrible elements to symbolize influence and desperation. I found myself in Samantha during so many moments that I literally had to stop reading at those points. I think the best word I saw used to describe this book was "bonkers" because it was, it was absolutely insane, all while being incredibly purposeful in its madness. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Dialogue is among the most important checkboxes for me as a reader, and unfortunately, not many authors have checked it. Awad checked it. She checked it with a gigantic, perfectly inked, checkmark. It's no easy feat to be metaphorical, symbolic, dark, AND witty. </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bunny</span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> was successful in being all 4 of those things. I'd be hard-pressed to read another book like it this year.</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></b><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></b><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Read if you like:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The Vegetarian</i></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">by Han Kang</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Her Body and Other Parties</span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> by Carmen Maria Machado</span></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Eileen</span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> by Ottessa Moshfegh</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Key themes:</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">friendship, inclusion, jealousy, hive mentality, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">loneliness, mental health </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Challenges:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://goodreads.com/challenges/11621-2020-reading-challenge" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Goodreads 2020 Reading Challenge</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/the-nerd-daily-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank">The Nerd Daily Reading Challenge</a></span></div>
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Reekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904057237029522710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461955519469547330.post-35123214664228775982020-02-07T00:00:00.000-05:002020-03-05T23:15:27.634-05:00REVIEW: Be Not Far From Me by Mindy McGinnis<div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34604348-be-not-far-from-me" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1560522113l/34604348._SY475_.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f; font-weight: bold;">Title:</span><b> </b></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Be Not Far From Me</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b 25px=""><span style="color: #661d6f;">Author:</span> </b></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://www.mindymcginnis.com/" target="_blank">Mindy McGinnis</a></span><br />
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Genre:</span> </b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Young Adult - Contemporary</span><br />
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;">Publisher:</span> </b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/KatherineTegenBooks/" target="_blank">Katherine Tegan Books</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Release Date:</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>March 3, 2020</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b style="line-height: 25px;">Acquired:</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b> </b></span>E-galley approved via Edelweiss</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Goodreads: </b></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34604348-be-not-far-from-me" target="_blank">ADD</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #661d6f;"><b>Purchase:</b><span style="color: black;"><b> </b></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Be-Not-Far-Mindy-McGinnis/dp/0062561626" target="_blank">Amazon</a>/<a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/be-not-far-from-me/9780062561626" target="_blank">Indigo</a>/<a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Be-Not-Far-from-Me-Mindy-Mcginnis/9780062561626" target="_blank">Book Depository</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Hatchet meets Wild in this harrowing survival story from Edgar Award-winning author Mindy McGinnis.</b><br /><br />
The world is not tame.<br /><br />
Ashley knows this truth deep in her bones, more at home with trees overhead than a roof. So when she goes hiking in the Smokies with her friends for a night of partying, the falling dark and creaking trees are second nature to her. But people are not tame either. And when Ashley catches her boyfriend with another girl, drunken rage sends her running into the night, stopped only by a nasty fall into a ravine. Morning brings the realization that she's alone - and far off trail. Lost in undisturbed forest and with nothing but the clothes on her back, Ashley must figure out how to survive despite the red streak of infection creeping up her leg.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's a learned skill, as an avid reader of 400+ page books, to begin to appreciate the shorter reads in life, especially when they're as intensely descriptive and gripping as </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Be Not Far From Me</span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> was. At a mere 240 pages, this survival story was a (very) graphic depiction of a heartache-fueled decision gone horribly wrong.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">After catching her boyfriend 'reintroducing' himself to his ex-girlfriend on a night of drunken merriment with friends, an intoxicated (and barefoot) Ashley hightails it deep into the woods, picking up a pretty nasty injury along the way. She awakes the next morning to an infected left-foot that's skinned down to the exposed bone, and clouded confidence in her survival skills to get her out of a never-ending maze of trees. "No time" ends up being the length of the novel, and it is here that we find our story, and some truly cringe-worthy choices.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This was my first Mcginnis book to date, a fact that both upset and thrilled me. Upset, because I hadn't picked up her works sooner, and thrilled, because YAY! a new author whose novels I can binge. Mindy's writing is atmospheric and blunt in it's specificity, which worked so well in combination. I felt the density of wilderness, the moments of torrential rain and the unforgiving sun. And when Ashley was faced with literal life or death situations, there were no words wasted on build-up or time spend considering options, it was do or die, now or NEVER. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I removed a star for the conclusion. There wasn't enough animosity towards deserving parties, and I felt like it was lacking genuine reactions to events that warranted more than just a few shocked words.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you're looking a quick, gut-punching read, </span><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Be Not Far from Me</span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> will quench that reading thirst.</span></span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></b><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></b><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Read if you like:</b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Hatchet</i></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> by Gary Paulsen</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If You Find Me</span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> by Emily Murdoch</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Key themes:</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">loss, betrayal, survival, self-reflection</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Challenges:</b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/14855514" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Goodreads 2019 Reading Challenge</a></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.mindymcginnis.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img d6f="" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1379437958p5/5351825.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(103, 29, 112);" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrctfa9qkhVY6OtHFXNZ1kP39AevcXNXaUcbSpokkZDGSzMmDrALeurwBUjq6X2yYsjALHBP408SBh9D0Zf3YeTYEtwQXEIAm_56-lIS77okyJ1bug37ruKt6lvn6YH_0Cw_c1q3-AluyD/s1600/abttheathr_purple.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">credit: goodreads.com (author page)</span></td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mindy McGinnis is the author of multiple novels that span many genres. From historical to fantasy, contemporary to gothic thriller, you can always count on Mindy’s books to deliver grit, truth, and an unflinching look at humanity and the world around us.<br /><br />
A ninth-generation farmer, Mindy attributes much of her character to growing up on an Ohio farm, learning the value of physical labor, and the harshness of the natural world early in life. Much of her writing reflects small-town living and aspects of rural poverty. A former school librarian, Mindy still lives and works in her hometown, and is dedicated to making herself available to financially disadvantaged school districts and communities. <a href="https://www.mindymcginnis.com/contact">Click here to contact Mindy about a visit.</a><br /><br />
Mindy has done multiple interviews and guest posts over the years, and has been featured on such outlets as NPR and PBS. She’s also been a guest on a myriad of podcasts, blogs, and websites, many of which can be viewed below. </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>CONTACT LINKS</u></span></b></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/MindyMcGinnis" target="_blank">Twitter</a> -</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://instagram.com/mindymcginnisauthor/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> - <a href="https://www.catharineriggs.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5351825.Mindy_McGinnis" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A huge thank-you to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KatherineTegenBooks/" target="_blank">Katherine Tegan Books</a> and Edelwiess for approving an e-galley </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">for review</span></div>
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Reekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904057237029522710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461955519469547330.post-28197787275039730292020-02-01T00:00:00.000-05:002020-03-18T12:22:46.564-04:00February 2020: To Be Read<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: x-large;">-FEBRUARY TO BE READ-</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Because I've opted to stay positive about this reading year, and not be super hard on myself about 1. not posting on time, and 2. not reading fast enough, I will not start this off by apologizing for how late this February TBR post is.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This month I completely ignored the fact that I have fewer days to read, and went right on ahead and added an exorbitant amount of books to my TBR. Lessons are best learned the hard way I say. See, look at me being positive!.....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Again, keep an eye on my Instagram at the end of the month for the February giveaway announcement!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here are the <b>13 books (+ blog tour read)</b> I have planned for February: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42201395-sorcery-of-thorns"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1541621322l/42201395.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35887181-the-poppy-war"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1515692316l/35887181.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36509935-the-kind-worth-killing"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1509464218l/36509935._SY475_.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42952728-a-heart-so-fierce-and-broken"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1559126810l/42952728.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15749186-to-all-the-boys-i-ve-loved-before"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1372086100l/15749186.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20698530-p-s-i-still-love-you"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1422881430l/20698530.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39996142-little-women"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1525051265l/39996142._SX318_.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15818308-the-selection"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1355910424l/15818308.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39280535-foolish-hearts"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1523743199l/39280535.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43263552-the-long-call"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1551047656l/43263552.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36206545-love-and-other-words"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1519633651l/36206545._SY475_.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21853621-the-nightingale"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1451446316l/21853621.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34311672-my-not-so-perfect-life"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1491157111l/34311672._SY475_.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45046649-the-borgia-confessions"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1572995485l/45046649.jpg" width="133" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here are my picks categorized by relevant reading challenges (</span><a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/p/2020-reading-challenges.html" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">read my 2020 goals here!</a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">):</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The Nerd Daily Reading Challenge (<a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/the-nerd-daily-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank">link here</a>):</b></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(#2) Female author: Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(#9) Written by two authors: Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(#13) Set in the past: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(#35) Start a new series: The Selection by Kiera Cass</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(#43) A standalone: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>PopSugar Reading Challenge (<a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/popsugar-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank">link here</a>):</b></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A book with a map: The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A book with at least 4-stars on Goodreads: The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A book that's published in 2020: A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Beat the Backlist Challenge (<a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/beat-the-backlist-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank">link here</a>):</b></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Long Call by Ann Cleeves</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Contemporary Book Club (February Pick):</b></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella</span></li>
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<span style="color: #661d6f; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>What are you all reading for February?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #661d6f; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Send me the links to your posts below!</b></span></div>
Reekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904057237029522710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461955519469547330.post-48126512193319697952020-01-31T23:07:00.000-05:002020-03-18T12:26:48.289-04:00January 2020: Wrap-Up<br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">-JANUARY WRAP UP: (7) BOOKS-</span></div>
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A follower on my Instagram recently chided me (gently) for complaining about the small number of books I seemed to be finishing, and being disappointed in myself about it. I had intended to start this January wrap-up post on a much more negative note, but since that interaction, I've truly come to realize (and excuse my cliché here) that it's the journey that counts. It's the books I DO manage to finish, and the experiences I had while reading them. Reading 2 truly meaningful books should matter just as much as getting through 10 mediocre ones. What I mean to say is, every book matters, and I should immediately stop seeing quantity as the one true accomplishment, and start focusing on the great content I'm consuming. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">With that said, I read <b>7 out the 10 books</b> I intended to read in January AND THAT'S OKAY. Here they are in the order that I read them:</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43092891-get-a-life-chloe-brown"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1553318154l/43092891.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44322610-lucky-caller"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1564559292l/44322610._SY475_.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43204703-a-curse-so-dark-and-lonely"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574179523l/43204703._SY475_.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41150483-the-first-mistake"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1553767105l/41150483.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44804083-come-tumbling-down"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1556543251l/44804083.jpg" width="125" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42815544-bunny"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1544742360l/42815544.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41719140-the-better-liar"><img height="200" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1558973711l/41719140._SY475_.jpg" width="131" /></a><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert | Jan 2-6 | ★★★</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Lucky Caller by Emma Mills | Jan 6-9 | ★★★ | <a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/lucky-caller-emma-mills-review.html" target="_blank">REVIEW</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer | Jan 6-12 | ★★★★★ | <a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/a-curse-so-dark-and-lonely-brigid-kemmerer-review.html" target="_blank">REVIEW</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The First Mistake by Sandie Jones | Jan 19 | ★★★ | <a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/the-first-mistake-sandie-jones-review.html" target="_blank">REVIEW</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire | Jan 14-20 | ★★★★</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Bunny by Mona Awad | Jan 9-22 | ★★★★ | <a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/02/bunny-mona-awad-review.html" target="_blank">REVIEW</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Better Liar by Tanen Jones | Jan 23-31 | ★★</span>★</li>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>READING CHALLENGES FULFILLED</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The Nerd Daily (<a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/the-nerd-daily-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank">link here</a>)</b></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(#48) Two-Word Title: Lucky Caller by Emma Mills</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(#31) A retelling: A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(#5) Fantasy or sci-fi: Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(#50) Animal featured on cover: Bunny by Mona Awad </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Popsugar </b></span><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">(<a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/popsugar-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank">link here</a>)</b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'A book by a WOC': Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'Book with a 3-word title': The Better Liar by Tanen Jones</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Beat the Backlist </b></span><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">(<a href="http://www.boundbywords.org/2020/01/beat-the-backlist-reading-challenge-2020.html" target="_blank">link here</a>)</b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The First Mistake by Sandie Jones</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Contemporary Book Club (January Pick)</b></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Get a Life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert</span></li>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>What did you all read in January?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Let me know down below!</b></span></div>
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Reekahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11904057237029522710noreply@blogger.com0