tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53749330514892498262024-02-07T11:51:43.125-08:00Lost In A BookIt is a truth universally acknowledged, that a woman in possesion of a good bookshelf, must be in want of a book.Shelbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06781240808866389200noreply@blogger.comBlogger212125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374933051489249826.post-12613976047482184612013-10-02T05:54:00.000-07:002013-10-02T05:54:41.643-07:00Entwined by Heather Dixon (College Review)<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
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<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1279037245l/8428195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Entwined" border="0" id="coverImage" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1279037245l/8428195.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: #ea9999; color: black;">For my first college paper a few weeks ago, we wrote a review, and seeing as I chose Entwined, I decided I'd share it with you guys. It is, of course, very long - over 1,000 words. Also, I have </span><a href="http://imlostinabook.blogspot.com/2011/08/entwined-by-heather-dixon.html" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #ea9999; color: black;">previously written a review of Entwined</span></a><span style="background-color: #ea9999; color: black;">, however it was a really long time ago and I think has about ten words in all in it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even before <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Entwined</i> was released, I was already looking forward to reading it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cover art was beautiful and the summary drew
me in with its mentions of my favorite genre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I admittedly had very high hopes for this book before even picking it up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suffice to say, the novel entertained me from
start to finish, and left me with a happy memory of my experience long after
finishing the book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Entwined</i> is and entertaining story for all readers, whether they
are fans of the fairy tale genre or not.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The book, which is an adaption of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Worn Out Dancing Slippers</i> or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Twelve Dancing Princesses</i>, follows
the twelve sisters of the fairy tale after the death of their mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With their already distant father distancing
himself even further from the girls, and the traditional mourning period revoking
their ability to dance, the sisters turn to a secret passageway for escape. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The passageway</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">leads
to a beautiful place filled with dancing and joy, and lets them be away from
the worries their impoverished kingdom and saddening home life leaves them
with. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, all is not what it
appears, and soon enough secrets are unearthed about the hidden passageway that
has the characters caught up in an evil thought to be a legend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the story has a romantic plot along
with a villain to be defeated, the main focus is on the sisters themselves, and
their dealing with their mothers passing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It also largely focuses on the sister’s withdrawn father, and how their
relationship grows with him over time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story closely follows the tale it is
based on, but is diverse enough from the tale that it is not a carbon copy of
the original fairy tale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It takes the
fairy tales limited content and expands upon it, providing details that
solidify the stories more unusual aspects, such as the father locking his
daughters in their room and the kingdom filled with a forest of gold and silver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While readers will no doubt recognize the
familiar childhood tale in the books content, they will also find new depths to
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The novel expands upon the fairy
tale, adding emotions to the actions of the characters, allowing the reader to
experience a new found love for the well-known fairy tale.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The book is entertaining and fast paced,
and though it mainly focuses on the eldest princess, Azalea, several of the
other sisters are given their own sub-story, and all twelve of them get a
decent amount of time to become familiar to the reader.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The girl’s father, though at first coming off
as abrasive and cruel, becomes a more likeable character as the book goes
on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The villain, a charming yet
frightening character, will send shivers down the reader’s spine and will shock
them with a surprising reveal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
soldier of the story, along with the other princes who come to solve the
mystery of the worn out dancing slippers, are all very likeable – or so
unlikeable the reader will enjoy hating them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With such a large assortment of personalities, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Entwined</i> has many intriguing characters that will keep readers invested
in their stories and emotions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, the many characters not only
make the read more enjoyable, but also pose as one of the biggest issues with
this novel, as they usually do with other novels based on the same fairy
tale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It makes sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most books only have three or less main
characters, a few secondary characters, and background characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And while this story does limit itself to one
main character and a small amount of secondary characters, there are an
enormous amount of background characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With twelve sisters, a villain, family, and love interests, at times it
seems as though the book is too full with their stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the author does a good job of
keeping the cast independent of themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>By giving each character, from the princesses to the background
characters, specific details about their background or personalities to
remember, when a name is produced you can usually link it to the right
character.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As with the characters, the excess of plot
does make the novel seem a bit packed at times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Though there is only one main character, there are many sub-plots
involved in the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is at times
tough to remember each detail of these plots, and some transitions between each
plot can be a little rough or sudden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However,
each plot is captivating and enjoyable, both on its own and in the entire
scheme of things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mysteries laced in
the narrative will make the reader intrigued in the novel while the twists to
the story that tie into what you have already read will give the reader a
surprise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reader will be entertained
with each sub-plot, and will be left on the edge of their seats to see how each
comes to its conclusion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another issue the novel faces is that of
originality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most popular fairy tales
have already had adaptions written of them before, leaving the author with no
choice but to use some already used ideas or points. With a building block
already set in place – every night twelve sisters dance until their shoes are
worn out, the king decrees whoever finds out where they go can marry one of the
sisters, and a soldier is the one who follows them to an underground palace where
they dance with princes – it is very hard to vary from the original story while
still being in the quota of a fairy tale retelling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Entwined</i>
is no exception, with similar villains and story plots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, the read is fun, and many aspects of
the story put itself apart from most retellings of the common fairy tale and
leave the reader surprised with the outcome.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The writing of the story is one of its
major strong suits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though at times the
author loses her consistent tone and the writing becomes a little weak, most of
the book is beautifully and eloquently written.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Phrases such as “how daintily the butterfly flits to the spider's lace,
entranced by glimm'ring silver strings, entwined with glist'ning grace” will
leave the readers with a thrill of excitement at the lyrical tone the writer
often uses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only once or twice in the
book does the writing grow weak and subsequently pull the reader out of the
story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, for the most part, the
reader will be so absorbed with the story that the slips in writing will not
affect them strongly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though this book has its faults, the
overall impression the reader will be left with is one of satisfaction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went into the book with high hopes, and
left it satisfied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a book I did
not wish to set down until its completion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The novel is charming and entertaining, with lovely writing, an
entrancing story, and unforgettable characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Heather Dixon’s debut novel is undoubtedly one of the best books I have
read in the fairy-tale retelling genre, and the poignant story and captivating
writing will leave the readers with a fond memory of this enchanting book long
after they finish it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Shelbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06781240808866389200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374933051489249826.post-42447387259415942652013-08-23T17:31:00.001-07:002013-08-23T17:31:35.195-07:00The Wells Bequest by Polly Schulman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1366561839l/16101024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Wells Bequest (The Grimm Legacy, #2)" border="0" id="coverImage" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1366561839l/16101024.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #ea9999; clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">Leo never imagined that time travel might really be possible, or that the objects in H. G. Wells’ science fiction novels might actually exist. And when a miniature time machine appears in Leo’s bedroom, he has no idea who the tiny, beautiful girl is riding it. But in the few moments before it vanishes, returning to wherever—and whenever—it came from, he recognizes the other tiny rider: himself!<br /><br /> His search for the time machine, the girl, and his fate leads him to the New-York Circulating Material Repository, a magical library that lends out objects instead of books. Hidden away in the Repository basement is the Wells Bequest, a secret collection of powerful objects straight out of classic science fiction novels: robots, rockets, submarines, a shrink ray—and one very famous time machine. And when Leo’s adventure of a lifetime suddenly turns deadly, he must attempt a journey to 1895 to warn real-life scientist Nikola Tesla about a dangerous invention. A race for time is on!<br /><br /> In this grand time-travel adventure full of paradoxes and humor, Polly Shulman gives readers a taste of how fascinating science can be, deftly blending classic science fiction elements with the contemporary fantasy world readers fell in love with in <em>The Grimm Legacy</em></span><span id="freeText10253158965925839702"><span style="color: black;">Now, I would be lying if I said I went into this book unbiased. Seeing as when I reviewed it's companion novel, <a href="http://imlostinabook.blogspot.com/2011/08/grimm-legacy-by-polly-schulman.html" target="_blank">The Grimm Legacy,</a> ages ago, and I gave it five stars and a great review. So honestly, it was a little surprising that I had never even heard of this book (even with all the hoping I did for a sequel after I finished the first) until lo and behold, I caught the authors name at the library and nearly jumped for joy.</span></span><br />
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<span>Unfortunately, the book follows a new set of pages at the repository. I was obviously disappointed to let go of the pages I loved in the first book, and was also a little sad to see very little mention of them, beyond one quick story, a reference to the first book made by one of the main characters sister, and a quick one-lined cameo by my least favorite of the original characters. Still, those who loved Jaya in the original book (like me!) will not be disappointed!</span><br />
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<span>The plot was pretty good, though not amazing. Still, it was fluid and, though a little slow at times, pretty fast-paced, which allowed for a larger feel of the universe the book takes place in.</span><br />
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<span>Really, my biggest complaint about the book, beyond the fact that there were not many mentions of <em>Grimm Legacy's</em> pages, was the main character, Leo. While by the end of the book I liked him a ton, it took me far to many chapters to get a feel for his character and begin to develop an interest in him. </span><br />
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<span>While this review makes this book seem full of flaws, I can assure you that it was a fast, fun, and good read! Especially for fans of the first book! I feel like a lot of what I loved was the nostalgia for a book I haven't read in a while, but the writing was amazing and I didn't want to put this book down.</span><br />
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<span>Rating: 5/5<br />
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<span style="background-color: #ea9999;">Market: YA<br />Language: None</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #ea9999;">Violence: Mild</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #ea9999;">Sensuality: Mild</span></span>Shelbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06781240808866389200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374933051489249826.post-38201264851903045422013-03-31T08:27:00.002-07:002013-03-31T08:27:47.731-07:00Happy Easter!Hope everybody has a great weekend!Shelbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06781240808866389200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374933051489249826.post-64054356376473995312013-03-20T06:37:00.002-07:002013-03-20T06:37:39.962-07:00Hey guys,Sorry about the lack of posts! I had OGT's last week, and have just been lazy/busy this week. I'll try to at least do the Follow Friday this week!Shelbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06781240808866389200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374933051489249826.post-36293850622773131352013-03-01T09:51:00.003-08:002013-03-01T09:51:34.716-08:00Follow Friday (34)<span style="color: #a64d79;">Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by</span> <a href="http://www.alisoncanread.com/">Alison Can Read</a><span style="color: black;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #a64d79;">and</span> </span><a href="http://www.parajunkee.com/">Parajunkee</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.alisoncanread.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Alison Can Read Feature & Follow" border="0" height="320" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8366/8474595901_873f4993f4_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Q: Confess your blogger sins! Is there anything as a newbie blogger that you've done, that as you gained more experience you were like -- oops?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;"></span> </div>
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<span style="color: black;">My biggest oops was probably updating this blog everyday for a few weeks and then taking a few month break...</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">What about you? Leave links!</span></div>
Shelbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06781240808866389200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374933051489249826.post-84090292447178854032013-02-22T15:17:00.002-08:002013-02-22T15:17:58.925-08:00Follow Friday (33)<span style="color: #a64d79;">Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by</span> <a href="http://www.alisoncanread.com/">Alison Can Read</a><span style="color: black;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #a64d79;">and</span> </span><a href="http://www.parajunkee.com/">Parajunkee</a><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Q: We always talk about books that WE want. Let's turn it on its head. What books have you given other people lately?</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Sadly, not many people I know love to read. I got my dad The Hobbit for Christmas. Does that count?</span></div>
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Shelbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06781240808866389200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374933051489249826.post-74143899517071707962013-02-17T15:12:00.003-08:002013-02-17T15:12:56.789-08:00Scarlet by Marissa Meyer<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img alt="Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles, #2)" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1342485529l/13206760.jpg" /></div>
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<span id="freeText9769274132412657662"><span style="background-color: #ea9999;">Cinder returns in the second thrilling installment of the <em>New York Times</em>-bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.<br /><br />Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own.<br /><br />As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner.</span></span><br />
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<span><span style="background-color: white;">Marissa Meyer proved how amazing of an author she was with her debut of <em>Cinder</em> last year, and she proves herself yet again in <em>Scarle</em><em>t</em>. </span></span><br />
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<span>If there was anyone worried that <em>Scarlet</em> wouldn't live up to <em>Cinder</em>, then let me just tell you now: You have nothing to worry about. With <em>Cinder</em>'s characters and a cast of new ones, plus the amazing plot, it would be hard to leave disappointed.</span><br />
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<span>On the point of characters, the old favorites make a comeback, including Emperor Kai, Iko, Queen Levana, and of course, Cinder. Along with them, new characters make their debut, the most notable being Wolf, Thorne, and the main character of the book, Scarlet.</span><br />
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<span>At first, I will admit I didn't like Scarlet, due to her temper. However, it didn't take long to warm up to her, and once I did, I really appreciated her character. She was a nice balance of Cinder, who, while still being my favorite of the characters, is admittedly quiet. It also took a little time for Thorne to grow on me, but he supplied a nice comedic character without being annoying or over comedic. And Wolf was, out of the three new characters, the one I took the most liking to in the beginning. However, even though I still liked him throughout the entire book, Scarlet soon took first place as the best of the new characters.</span><br />
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<span>Cinder, who I mentioned above as my favorite character, definitely had less time in the book that Scarlet, but what time she did have supplied just the right amount of character growth and a nice look into what she was feeling. I was very glad to see that Iko was making a re-appearance, as she, just like Thorne, lightens up the book without ruining the feel of it. Emperor Kai and Queen Levana both each had just enough time in the book to make them still feel like an essential part of the story.</span><br />
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<span>I was very pleased with the way Marissa Meyer handled the multiple POV changes. You were never left wondering who was narrating the chapter, and she switched the narrator at just the right moments.</span><br />
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<span>The plot still has many traces of <em>Cinder</em> in it, but also introduces new plot points, including Wolf's mysterious old gang, Cinder's escape from prison and her dealing with her new found Lunar abilities, and of course, Scarlet's grand mothers capture and the secrets that led to it.</span><br />
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<span>The fairy tale the book was based around, Little Red Riding Hood, is definitely shown in subtle ways that I realized after the scene took place. The best of these scene's would have to be the iconic scene with the Big Bad Wolf dressed up like the grandmother.</span><br />
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<span>All in all, <em>Scarlet </em>lived up to my expectations and left me desperately waiting for the next book in the series, <em>Cress</em>. Definitely get this book if you are a fan of fairy tales, Dystopians, and of course, if you enjoyed the first book in the series<em>, Cinder</em>.</span><br />
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<span>Rating: 5/5</span><br />
<span></span><br />
<span><span style="background-color: #ea9999;">Market: YA<br />Language: Mild/None</span></span><br />
<span><span style="background-color: #ea9999;">Violence: Moderate</span></span><br />
<span><span style="background-color: #ea9999;">Sensuality: Moderate</span></span><br />
<span></span>Shelbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06781240808866389200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374933051489249826.post-13931088141518028782013-02-16T20:29:00.000-08:002013-02-16T20:29:03.860-08:00In My Mailbox (27): ScarletUnfortunantly I haven't done one of these in a while (seriously- I got a boatload of books for Christmas and a few in between then and now) but today I got a book I've been waiting for for forever, so:<br />
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In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted at <a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">The Story Siren</span></a>.</div>
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<img alt="Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles, #2)" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1342485529l/13206760.jpg" /></div>
<span id="freeText9222260565987551034"><span style="background-color: #ea9999;">Cinder returns in the second thrilling installment of the <em>New York Times</em>-bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.<br /><br />Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own.<br /><br />As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner.</span><a class="actionLinkLite" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13206760-scarlet#"></a></span></div>
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In My Mailbox I have:</div>
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Shelbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06781240808866389200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374933051489249826.post-74887282461238593762013-02-16T07:21:00.000-08:002013-02-16T07:21:06.370-08:00Comment ChangeAlright guys - I had to take off Anonymous comments. I really am sorry, but I was getting a <em>ton</em> of spam comments, most of which didn't even show up on my blog but were flooding my email and comment section here. You can still leave comments with OpenID and Google, just no more Anonymous.<br />
Have a great weekend, and to the people lucky enough to get Monday off, President's Day!Shelbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06781240808866389200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374933051489249826.post-84220183938219140402013-02-08T06:32:00.001-08:002013-02-08T06:32:21.200-08:00Follow Friday (32)<span style="color: #e69138;">Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by</span> <a href="http://www.alisoncanread.com/">Alison Can Read</a><span style="color: black;"> <span style="color: #e69138;">and</span> </span><a href="http://www.parajunkee.com/">Parajunkee</a> <br />
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<a href="http://parajunkee.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/FF_2012.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Gain New Blog Followers" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4465" height="291" src="http://parajunkee.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/FF_2012.jpg" title="FF_2012" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><strong>Q<span style="color: #e69138;">:</span></strong></span><span style="color: #e69138;"> Happy Mardi Gras! If they were throwing the HOTTEST books off of a Mardi Gras float -- what would you do to have them throw to you…? </span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Hottest like popular...? Then a few would be <em>Scarlet</em> (Marissa Meyer), <em>The Fault in Our Stars</em>, <em>Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus</em>, <em>Elite </em>(Kiera Cass), and a lot of others I can't think of right now.</span><br />
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What about you? Leave links!Shelbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06781240808866389200noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374933051489249826.post-5604165138020412382013-02-07T07:55:00.001-08:002013-02-07T07:57:43.821-08:00I was Nominated for the Liebster Award!Thank you to <a href="http://booksaremagical.blogspot.com/2013/01/liebster-blog-award.html" target="_blank">Magic</a> for the nomination!<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;">Rules</span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Coming Soon"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">-
Tell 11 things about yourself.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Coming Soon"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">-
Answer 11 questions from the blogger who nominated you.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Coming Soon"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">-
Post 11 questions for those who will be nominated by you.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Coming Soon"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">-
Nominate 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Coming Soon"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">-
Get in contact with those 11 bloggers in order to inform them that you nominated
them</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"></span> </div>
<h2>
11 things about me:</h2>
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<div>
-My favorite of the Harry potter books in Harry potter and the Prisoner of Azkhaban.</div>
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-I'm 5'11 (and apparently I'm supposed to grow another inch).<br />
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-Around Christmas all my grades changed from A's to F's. Turns out my gradebook was tampered with. I ended up getting (mainly) B's (with a couple A's) even though that's not really the grades I earned, since they couldn't find my original grades.<br />
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-Because of this I am majorly behind on my Goodreads Challenge.<br />
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-I'd like to be a published author at someday.<br />
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-I will be doing PSEO next year, which means I will be taking some college classes.<br />
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-As of this month I can get my Temps and learn how to drive.<br />
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-I recently changed schools.<br />
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-My favorite subject is Literature, but I also like History and Science.<br />
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-I love animals, especially dogs, owls, and otters.<br />
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-My dogs are all named after Batman characters.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<h2>
Questions I Answer:</h2>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Coming Soon"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Coming Soon"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">-Favorite
book made into a movie.</span><br />
<em>Harry Potter</em> is my favorite book made into a movie, but <em>The Hunger Games</em> is my favorite movie made from a book.<br />
<div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Coming Soon;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Coming Soon"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">-Favorite
book that SHOULD be made into a movie</span></div>
SO MANY GOOD BOOKS. Um...I love every book by Jessica Day George, and <em>Seraphina</em> by Rachel Hartman is AMAZING.<br />
<div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Coming Soon;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Coming Soon"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">-What's
your Favorite place to go?</span></div>
The Library, and I also love the beach.<br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Coming Soon;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Coming Soon"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">-Favorite
food to eat</span></div>
Apples, and dessert in general.<br />
<div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Coming Soon;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Coming Soon"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">-If
you could eat one food for the rest of your life; what would it be?</span></div>
Apples? Oreos? I don't know!<br />
<div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Coming Soon;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Coming Soon"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">-What
do you do when your not reading?</span></div>
School...Play with my brothers...Horse back riding...Skiing...<br />
<div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Coming Soon"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><br /></div>
<br />
<div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Coming Soon"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">-If
you could meet a character from a book who would it be?</span></div>
Probably Hermione Granger.<br />
<div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Coming Soon"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><br /></div>
<br />
<div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Coming Soon"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">-if
you could live in a book which one would it be?</span></div>
I swear all my book answers have to do with <em>Harry Potter</em>.<br />
<br />
<div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Coming Soon"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">-Were
there any books that you couldn't stop thinking about weeks after you read
it?</span></div>
<em>Seraphina</em>, the book I mentioned above, and many other that weren't so recent.<br />
<div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Coming Soon"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><br /></div>
<br />
<div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Coming Soon"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">-Favorite
book Genres</span></div>
Fantasy and Historical Fiction. Added bonus if it's a Historical fantasy.<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Coming Soon"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><br />
<br />
<div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Coming Soon;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">-favorite movie.</span></span></div>
This one I honestly can't answer because there are just to many good movies out there.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Questions Nominees Answer</h2>
-What's the best book you've read in the past month?<br />
<br />
-What character do you think you are the most like? <br />
<br />
-What are you reading right now?<br />
<br />
-What book that comes out in 2013 are you most looking forward to?<br />
<br />
-What is your favorite genre(s)?<br />
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-Do you have any pets?<br />
<br />
-If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?<br />
<br />
-What is your favorite type of Heroine/Hero in a book?<br />
<br />
-What is a type of book you wish could be found more (i.e. fantasy, superhero, etc)?<br />
<br />
-Have you ever been nominated for/gotten an award before (through blogging)?<br />
<br />
-Do you have a book that you can read over and over again without it getting old?<br />
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;">My Nominees</span></h2>
<a href="http://lulu-bookaddict.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Bookworm Is Here!</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://inkandteareviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ink and Tea Reviews</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://miss-check-out.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Miss Check Out</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://shaylenelostinthepages.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Lost In The Pages</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://lovelifeandreading.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Love Life and Reading</a><br />
<br />
(Unfortunately for me, it appears that most of the blogs I follow have over 200 followers. Good for them!)<br />
<br />Shelbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06781240808866389200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374933051489249826.post-55620262178664414222013-01-02T09:08:00.000-08:002013-01-02T09:08:02.618-08:002012 Challenges - How'd I do? AAnd 2013 Goodreads Challenge.Let's start off with the big one:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCyNS5VlMsEB1Jhyr4d41TZVHoWEBIgL_MgCr1tC_t5XtK8z5UkMNhh_inrCTzFLP22jsWOYq6FzloFbr4sW3eaMKf2-kwobe4WmjU4PSre5x3B3Tk8q3oczFcoFg7mL_5jgAcJNj30Y/s1600/2012rc.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCyNS5VlMsEB1Jhyr4d41TZVHoWEBIgL_MgCr1tC_t5XtK8z5UkMNhh_inrCTzFLP22jsWOYq6FzloFbr4sW3eaMKf2-kwobe4WmjU4PSre5x3B3Tk8q3oczFcoFg7mL_5jgAcJNj30Y/s640/2012rc.png" width="640" /></a></div>
So I did well! As for my other challenges, I honestly didn't keep track of them. However, the ones I can think of off the top of my head I know I completed.<br />
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As for this year, my goal for the Goodreads challenge is 220. Shelbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06781240808866389200noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374933051489249826.post-34568642522113527992012-12-31T20:38:00.002-08:002012-12-31T20:38:38.817-08:00Happy New Years!Happy New Years everyone! Hope 2012 was great and 2013 is even better.Shelbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06781240808866389200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374933051489249826.post-19330815371847017552012-12-28T19:21:00.002-08:002012-12-28T19:21:35.820-08:00Follow Friday (31)<span style="color: #e69138;">Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by</span> <a href="http://www.alisoncanread.com/">Alison Can Read</a><span style="color: black;"> <span style="color: #e69138;">and</span> </span><a href="http://www.parajunkee.com/">Parajunkee</a> <br />
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<a href="http://parajunkee.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/FF_2012.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Gain New Blog Followers" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4465" height="291" src="http://parajunkee.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/FF_2012.jpg" title="FF_2012" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><strong>Q: </strong>What book do you think everyone should read? If you could gift the entire population with one book? </span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">So far I've read three FF's and all have agreed with me: The <em> Harry Potter Series</em>. Now, my personal favorite of the series is <em>The Prisoner of Azkhaban</em>, but if I could only give one book to the world I wuld give the first, so that they can start at the amazing beginning. </span><br />
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Still, there are so many amazing books out there. <br />
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What about you? Leave links.Shelbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06781240808866389200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374933051489249826.post-35266278045468624292012-12-25T20:03:00.001-08:002012-12-25T20:08:43.785-08:00Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<img alt="Princess of the Silver Woods (Princess, #3)" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1334172042l/12873027.jpg" /></div>
<span style="background-color: #ea9999;">When Petunia, the youngest of King Gregor's twelve dancing daughters, is invited to visit an elderly friend in the neighboring country of Westfalin, she welcomes the change of scenery. But in order to reach Westfalin, Petunia must pass through a forest where strange two-legged wolves are rumored to exist. Wolves intent on redistributing the wealth of the noble citizens who have entered their territory. But the bandit-wolves prove more rakishly handsome than truly dangerous, and it's not until Petunia reaches her destination that she realizes the kindly grandmother she has been summoned to visit is really an enemy bent on restoring an age-old curse. <strong><strong>The stories of Red Riding Hood and Robin Hood get a twist as Petunia and her many sisters take on bandits, grannies, and the new King Under Stone to end their family curse once and for all.</strong></strong></span><br />
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<br />
The first book I ever read by Jessica Day George was <em>Princess of the Midnight Ball</em>, which I received for Christmas many years ago. From that moment on I loved her books. From the <em>Dragon</em> Series to <em>East of the Sun, West of the Moon</em>, I couldn't put her books down. Still, the <em>Princess</em> series, of which <em>Princess of the Silver Woods</em> is the final, have always been my favorite. And the last installment in the trilogy is no disappointment. <br />
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<em>Princess of the Silver Woods</em> follows Princess Petunia, the youngest of twelve princesses once cursed to dance every night for the evil King Under Stone. Nine years later, and six years after Poppy's story in <em>Princess of Glass</em> (my personal favorite of the installments), the new King Under Stone, Rionin, and his brothers are once again after "their" brides.<br />
<br />
The story starts off with the accidental kidnapping of Petunia by Oliver, the forgotten Earl of a torn apart estate. When he returns Petunia to her destination - A Grand Duchesses estate that just happened to be the one that once belonged to Oliver's family - he sees shadows on the estates grounds. Shadows with substance.<br />
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The story launches into a tale filled with old fables and red cloaks.<br />
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One of my favorite things about the book was the continuity. The book had all of the princesses in it, including major appearances of Galen, Heinrich, and minor ones by Christian and other of the Princesses present and future husbands. They also continued the mythologies of King Under Stone and the Nine Princesses who fathered his sons. <br />
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However, I did have a few complaints, ones I've seen talked about in other reviews also. One of those being the fact that the princes and the new King Under Stone fell for many of the same tricks as they did in the first book. Another being the rushed and short scene that was the only thing besides Petunia's red cloak that linked the story to Little Red Riding Hood. The last being the fact that many things were repeated beyond necessary amounts of time.<br />
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Still, even with those faults, the book was amazing, and definitely a worthy end to one of my favorite trilogies. You should definitely read this book, but I would recommend at least reading <em>Princess of the Midnight Ball</em> first.<br />
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Rating: 5/5<br />
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<span style="background-color: #ea9999;">Language: Mild</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #ea9999;">Violence: Mild</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #ea9999;">Sensuality: Mild</span><br />
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<br />Shelbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06781240808866389200noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374933051489249826.post-38417071992438882872012-12-25T15:49:00.001-08:002012-12-25T15:49:34.698-08:00Merry Christmas!Sorry I haven't posted in a while, but now that I have a whole new armada of books you should see some reviews!Shelbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06781240808866389200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374933051489249826.post-73663118691022423032012-12-12T08:05:00.001-08:002012-12-14T21:54:46.262-08:00The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater<span id="freeText17203683007205580802" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Raven Boys (Raven Cycle, #1)" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1346601744l/13449693.jpg" /></span><span id="freeText17203683007205580802"><em><span style="background-color: #ea9999;">“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”</span></em><br /><br /><span style="background-color: #ea9999;">It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.<br /><br />Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.<br /><br />His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.<br /><br />But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.<br /><br />For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.<br /><br />From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the <em>Shiver</em> trilogy and <em>The Scorpio Races</em>, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.</span></span><br />
<span><span style="background-color: #ea9999;"></span></span><br />
I picked up this book not expecting much. Of course, I knew that Maggie Stiefvater was an acclaimed author, but I have picked up several of her other books many times, and never likes them enough to read past the first page. This book though - this book was amazing. Beautiful, and creepy, and lyrical, I could hardly put it down. <br />
<br />
The book follows a wide cast of characters, the main being Blue and the Raven Boys, Gansey, Ronan, Adam, and Noah. Every person in the book, from the major to the minor, was amazing, my favorite being Gansey. Each character had their own story that perfectly weaved itself in to the main story. <br />
<br />
Blue has always been told that when she kisses her true love, he will die. So when she sees, for the first time, the spirit of a soon-to-be-dead on the corpse road, and her Aunt tells her that she has killed the boy, or that she was his true love, or both, she knows that her life has changed. <br />
<br />
That boy is Gansey - that's all there is - and when she unknowingly meets him a few days later, she immediately doesn't like him - but she does like his friend Adam, a scholarship student at the prestigious, and snobby, boarding school that marks the boys as Ravens, Aglionby. <br />
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The story unfolds along over time as the five friends quest to unlock the secrets of the ley lines - the Corpse Road, the Spirit Road - that run through the world, and awake the legend Glendower. <br />
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The romance plot is subtle and barely there, but there were many hints towards Blue and both Gansey and Adam. I admire the way the romance took a backseat to the story but also was very substantial to it. <br />
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The story is full if deceit, mystery, murder, romance, and magic, and held me in the beautifully written world Mrs. Stiefvater crafted. The lyrical writing style was entirely unique and wonderful and only added to the story. <br />
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I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for an amazing read. I am waiting impatiently for the next installment of this series!<br />
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Rating: 5/5<br />
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<span style="background-color: #ea9999;">Market: YA</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #ea9999;">Sensuality: mild</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #ea9999;">Violence: moderate</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #ea9999;">Language: not a lot, but when there pretty bad words</span>Shelbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06781240808866389200noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374933051489249826.post-14522814123223089232012-11-30T07:56:00.000-08:002012-11-30T07:56:02.721-08:00In My Mailbox (26): Crewel<div>
In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted at <a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">The Story Siren</span></a>.</div>
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<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331907810l/11556960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Crewel (Crewel World, #1)" border="0" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331907810l/11556960.jpg" /></a><span id="freeText10093605422545025547"><span style="background-color: #ea9999;">Enter a tangled world of secrets and intrigue where a girl is in charge of other’s destinies, but not her own.<br /> <br />Sixteen-year-old Adelice Lewys has always been special. When her parents discover her gift—the ability to weave the very fabric of reality—they train her to hide it. For good reason, they don’t want her to become a Spinster — one of the elite, beautiful, and deadly women who determine what people eat, where they live, how many children they have, and even when they die.<br /> <br />Thrust into the opulent Western Coventry, Adelice will be tried, tested and tempted as she navigates the deadly politics at play behind its walls. Now caught in a web of lies and forbidden romance, she must unravel the sinister truth behind her own unspeakable power. Her world is hanging by a thread, and Adelice, alone, can decide to save it — or destroy it.</span></span></div>
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<span><span style="background-color: white;">Thank you to <a href="http://foreveryoungadult.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">BookHounds</a> for the giveaway!</span></span></div>
Shelbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06781240808866389200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374933051489249826.post-69515324182626275822012-11-27T20:44:00.000-08:002012-11-27T20:46:11.834-08:00Starflower by Anne Elisabeth Stengl<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
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<span style="background-color: #ea9999;">When a cursed dragon-witch kidnaps the lovely Lady Gleamdren, Eanrin sets boldly forth on a rescue mission...and a race against his rival for Gleamdren's favor. Intent upon his quest, the last thing the immortal Faerie needs is to become mixed up with the troubles of an insignificant mortal. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #ea9999;">But when he stumbles upon a maiden trapped in an enchanted sleep, he cannot leave her alone in the dangerous Wood Between. One waking kiss later, Eanrin suddenly finds his story entangled with that of young Starflower. A strange link exists between this mortal girl and the dragon-witch. Will Starflower prove the key to Lady Gleamdren's rescue? Or will the dark power from which she flees destroy both her and her rescuer</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">I have to say, I can't decide what part of this book I like the best. It's a three-way tie between the plot, the characters, or the character development! But whichever of the three does eventually win, this book was an amazing read I'd definitely recommend to any lover of fantasy.</span><br />
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The book starts off meeting Eanrin, the conceited and imminently dislike able fae. Through a series of events - caused by Eanrin's ego - Lady Gleamdren, off whom Eanrin and Glomar the Guard are both pining after, is (intentionally) kidnapped by a dewinged dragon-witch, Hri Sora. Eanrin and Glomar set out to rescue the Lady Gleamdren, but cashing personalities lead them to split ways. Along his journey, Eanrin finds a woman, whom he calls Imraldera, but whose name is truly Starflower, asleep and being dragged into the river, causing his first truly empathetic act of the book: saving her.<br />
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Surprisingly, the plot on the back actually takes a lesser role in the actual book. Half-way through, the perspective of the book is switched and you start to learn of Starflower's mysterious past. The amazingly written story makes the book many times better.<br />
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Eanrin was an amazing character, prior to my first impression. His character growth was one of the main enjoyments of this book for myself. Looking at him on the first chapter of the book compared to the last, the character development is astounding. However, when reading the book, his change is gradual. plus, his moments with Starflower were to cute.<br />
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And then there was Starflower, the mute girl with a mysterious past, and whose back story was tear worthy. This amazing character captured my heart even before she had a chance to speak. And her amazing choices and sacrifices had me crying. Hard.<br />
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The other amazing characters in this book, including Lady Gleamdren, Glomar, and most importantly, Hri Sora, were all also so amazing, from the bitter Dragon-witch, to the goodhearted guard, and finally to the vain Lady.<br />
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I do not know how this author is in continuity in her books, seeing as I have not had the chance to read her other books, but I very much hope that Eanrin and Imraldera's story is revisited in her future books. The ending of Starflower left me wanting to know so much more!<br />
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All in all, this was an amazing book, full of action, romance, and amazing character growth. I would recommend this to any fantasy lover looking for a good read.<br />
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Rating: 5/5<br />
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<span class="readable reviewText"><span style="background-color: #ea9999;">Market: YA</span></span><br />
<span class="readable reviewText"><span style="background-color: #ea9999;">Language: None</span></span><br />
<span class="readable reviewText"><span style="background-color: #ea9999;">Sensuality: None</span></span><br />
<span class="readable reviewText"><span style="background-color: #ea9999;">Violence: Mild.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">I recieved a copy to review from the <a href="http://anneelisabethstengl.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">amazing author</a> and her <a href="http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/bethanyhouse" target="_blank">publisher.</a></span><br />
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Shelbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06781240808866389200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374933051489249826.post-30208167516918140342012-11-05T20:11:00.003-08:002012-11-05T20:11:54.883-08:00In My Mailbox (25): Sapphire Blue<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
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In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted at <a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">The Story Siren</span></a>.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #ea9999;">Gwen’s life has been a rollercoaster since she discovered she was the Ruby, the final member of the secret time-traveling Circle of Twelve. In between searching through history for the other time-travelers and asking for a bit of their blood (gross!), she’s been trying to figure out what all the mysteries and prophecies surrounding the Circle really mean.</span><div>
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<span style="background-color: #ea9999;">At least Gwen has plenty of help. Her best friend Lesley follows every lead diligently on the Internet. James the ghost teaches Gwen how to fit in at an eighteenth century party. And Xemerius, the gargoyle demon who has been following Gwen since he caught her kissing Gideon in a church, offers advice on <em>everything</em>. Oh, yes. And of course there is Gideon, the Diamond. One minute he’s very warm indeed; the next he’s freezing cold. Gwen’s not sure what’s going on there, but she’s pretty much destined to find out.</span></div>
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Shelbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06781240808866389200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374933051489249826.post-35254691540642171862012-11-02T09:07:00.003-07:002012-11-02T09:07:51.890-07:00Follow Friday (30)<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #e69138;">Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by</span> <a href="http://www.alisoncanread.com/">Alison Can Read</a><span style="color: black;"> <span style="color: #e69138;">and</span> </span><a href="http://www.parajunkee.com/">Parajunkee</a> </h3>
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><strong>Q:</strong>What is a deal breaker for you in a book? For example, do you abhor love triangles? Or can’t deal with bad editing?</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">I'd say that the biggest deal-breaker for me is if the book is, besides of course just general dislike of a book, language or sensuality. If their is too much of either I won't read the book. Also, bad editing does come into affect on the rare chance I pick up a book with bad editing.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">What about you? leave links!</span>Shelbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06781240808866389200noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374933051489249826.post-48799072925449909122012-11-01T07:35:00.000-07:002012-11-01T07:35:17.162-07:00Amber House by Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed, and Larkin Reed<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1339096285l/13436345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Amber House (The Amber House Trilogy, #1)" border="0" id="coverImage" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1339096285l/13436345.jpg" /></a><span id="freeText5236933076331034009"><span style="background-color: #ea9999;">"I was sixteen the first time my grandmother died . . ."<br /><br />Sarah Parsons has never seen Amber House, the grand Maryland estate that's been in her family for three centuries. She's never walked its hedge maze nor found its secret chambers; she's never glimpsed the shades that haunt it, nor hunted for lost diamonds in its walls.<br /><br />But all of that is about to change. After her grandmother passes away, Sarah and her friend Jackson decide to search for the diamonds--and the house comes alive. She discovers that she can see visions of the house's past, like the eighteenth-century sea captain who hid the jewels, or the glamorous great-grandmother driven mad by grief. She grows closer to both Jackson and a young man named Richard Hathaway, whose family histories are each deeply entwined with her own. But when the visions start to threaten the person she holds most dear, Sarah must do everything she can to get to the bottom of the house's secrets, and stop the course of history before it is cemented forever.</span></span><br />
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<tr><th valign="top"></th><td colspan="1"><span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextContainerreview445094148" style="display: none;">This book officially marks my 200 book goal in the Goodreads challenge. And what a great book for that! Dark and lyrical, <em>Amber House</em> is a book I'll remember for a long time.<br /><br />The main character of this story is Sarah, a girl who is visiting her family's home for the first time, because of her Grandmothers sudden death, along with her is her mother, a cold woman who doesn't seem to ever open up, and her younger brother, Sam, and autistic kid who sees things as they should be, not as they are.<br /><br />At Am<a class="actionLinkLite" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13436345-amber-house#">...more</a></span><span id="freeTextreview445094148">This book officially marks my 200 book goal in the Goodreads challenge. And what a great book for that! Dark and lyrical, <em>Amber House</em> is a book I'll remember for a long time.<br /><br />The main character of this story is Sarah, a girl who is visiting her family's home for the first time, because of her Grandmothers sudden death, along with her is her mother, a cold woman who doesn't seem to ever open up, and her younger brother, Sam, and autistic kid who sees things as they should be, not as they are.<br /><br />At Amber house she meets Jackson, a boy who seems to know to much about her to be possible, and who tells her of a treasure supposedly buried in the grounds of the house by her Great-something Grandfather, an evil man. As the story progresses it becomes less about the treasure and more about Sarah's mysterious new powers that lead her into unraveling some dark mysteries the house holds.<br /><br />The characters are amazing, and the writing style pulls you in. The twists and turns of this book will leave you wanting more, and the ending is heart-wrenchingly sad, leaving you feeling good for the characters brighter future, but still longing for their past adventures.<br /><br />I will certainly be picking up the next book, <em>Neverwas</em>, when it comes out, and would recomend this haunting tale to anyone who loves a good mystery.</span></span><br />
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<span class="readable reviewText">Rating: 5/5</span><br />
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<span class="readable reviewText"><span style="background-color: #ea9999;">Market: YA</span></span><br />
<span class="readable reviewText"><span style="background-color: #ea9999;">Language: So little I can't even remember if there was any.</span></span><br />
<span class="readable reviewText"><span style="background-color: #ea9999;">Sensuality: Kissing, mentions of (past) rape.</span></span><br />
<span class="readable reviewText"><span style="background-color: #ea9999;">Violence: Mild.</span></span></td></tr>
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Shelbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06781240808866389200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374933051489249826.post-5421229223325874462012-10-31T11:02:00.001-07:002012-10-31T11:02:23.426-07:00In My Mailbox (24): Starflower<br />
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In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted at <a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">The Story Siren</span></a>.</div>
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In My Mailbox I have:<br />
<img alt="Starflower (Tales of Goldstone Wood #4)" id="coverImage" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1329958408l/13496575.jpg" /><br />
I recieved a copy of this book for review, and will be starting it shortly!</div>
Shelbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06781240808866389200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374933051489249826.post-26667937105636989602012-10-31T10:58:00.000-07:002012-10-31T10:58:05.305-07:00Happy Halloween!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Shelbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06781240808866389200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5374933051489249826.post-72402388946670773162012-10-30T17:48:00.001-07:002012-10-30T17:54:43.616-07:00I reached my Goodreads Goal!<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
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Whoo-hoo! <br />
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So, I reached <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/challenges/207-2012-reading-challenge" target="_blank">my goal</a> with this book:<br />
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<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1339096285l/13436345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Amber House (The Amber House Trilogy, #1)" border="0" id="coverImage" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1339096285l/13436345.jpg" /></a>Which was AMAZING, by the way.</div>
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Also, I'd like to apologize for my lack-of-updating. The new blogger layout had been giving me troubles, and I hadn't tried to write a post for <em>so long</em> because of that. However, I came to write this post and was surprised (and happy!) to see they've made some adjustments! I actually wrote a review of the book above over on Goodreads, so I will be posting that soon. </div>
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Hopefully I'll be getting back into the routine of updating.</div>
Shelbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06781240808866389200noreply@blogger.com1