tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42581697607955718772024-03-05T02:40:53.528-08:00The Literary ForestUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger124125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258169760795571877.post-40816438156242230742014-03-26T12:22:00.002-07:002014-03-26T12:23:35.371-07:00"The Autobiography of Malcolm X" - Book Review<br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<b><u><i>Synopsis:</i></u></b></div>
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<i><span style="text-align: left;">If there was any one man who articulated the anger, the struggle, and the beliefs of African Americans in the 1960s, that man was Malcolm X. His autobiography is now an established classic of modern America, a book that expresses like none other the crucial truth about our times.</span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><span style="text-align: left;">"Extraordinary. A brilliant, painful, important book."</span></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kj4-vUQw0hoQErC959Gd4CiBFwwdxp8PQzdY15Zh5flfqMYMQs517hea0ObHpnsW2U8aL3DU6FK5BmjN_hcDyOqxz3HWD7ZwzkpOEn3ArQJfUpFijalS-0yCsyIN99pAvrFsDFzKCUI/s1600/five+stars.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kj4-vUQw0hoQErC959Gd4CiBFwwdxp8PQzdY15Zh5flfqMYMQs517hea0ObHpnsW2U8aL3DU6FK5BmjN_hcDyOqxz3HWD7ZwzkpOEn3ArQJfUpFijalS-0yCsyIN99pAvrFsDFzKCUI/s1600/five+stars.gif" /></a></div>
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<b><u>Back story</u></b>:</div>
For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated by history, both the good and the ugly. I first heard the name Malcolm X in elementary school when we were learning "This day in history" and it was February 21st; the day Malcolm X was murdered.<br />
Throughout my educational career history was the class that I felt most inclined to learn, for those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it. One thing that angers me to this day is that every year our history teachers would gladly teach us all about "American" history, by that I mean that they went into depth about white immigrant struggles, the industrial revolution and the like yet quickly skimmed over Native American history and African American history within a week, sometimes in a time frame even shorter than that.<br />
In the sixth grade during our week of learning a summarized, dumbed-down version of African American history I asked my teacher after class if we were going to learn about Malcolm X. With unmasked disgust she said, "He was a bad man". That greatly confused me because I remembered a moment on the first episode of one of my favorite shows <i>The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air</i> when Uncle Phil and Will were having a disagreement about how Will thought his uncle forgot his roots since he lived in an upper class neighborhood:<br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> <i>"You have a nice poster of Malcolm X on your wall. I heard the brother speak," he replies. "I know where I came from." </i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i>(<b>The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air</b>, </i>pilot episode<i>)</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Malcolm X was always celebrated on <i>The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air</i> and I was confused as to why they would say such good things about him if my teacher stated he was a 'bad man'. Later on I came to learn a couple of history teachers I've had over the years were prejudiced and sometimes manipulated history in favor of white people as they taught us. Because Malcolm had been racist during a portion of his life they condemn him. They don't give him credit for becoming a better man and changing his views. However, how many of my teachers told us we should have such love and adoration for our founding fathers and be grateful to them. How many of our founding fathers owned slaves and were openly racist? How many of our founding fathers allowed the terrible act of enslaving human beings, genocide, the stealing of land from the Native Americans, and segregation and discrimination to occur during their presidencies? And yet, we were taught to believe that they were such good men almost to the point of being superhuman. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I have never been one to let people tell me how or what to think. Just as Malcolm so eloquently stated; <i>"Despite my firm convictions, I have been always a man who tries to face facts, and to accept the reality of life as new experience and new knowledge unfolds it. I have always kept an open mind, which is necessary to the flexibility that must go hand in hand with every form of intelligent search for truth."</i> I too always research for the truth. Once in a college level history class - <i>imagine!</i> - my teacher denied the genocide against the Native Americans that was done on our very soil and said that Christopher Columbus never did anything wrong and was one of the greatest men to ever live. I'm very slow to anger but that day I was red in the face and my fists were clenched as I and a few of my fellow classmates strongly disagreed with her ignorance in front of the rest of the class. I wanted to rip the textbook she assigned apart, for there are very few things I despise more than people trying to cover up the truth. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> I've wanted to read <i>The Autobiography of Malcolm X</i> for so many years but every time I searched for it in shops or at the library I was always short in money or the book had been checked out or destroyed. I just wish I would have read this book sooner, preferably in middle school when I faced a lot of racism being a minority of mixed race as well as being an American Muslim in post 9/11 America. Reading about Malcolm's struggles and his undying determination to fight ignorance would have been great for me to read knowing that I could relate to someone who understood fully what it's like to face racism, bigotry, and blind seething hatred on a daily basis. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b><i><u>My Review:</u></i></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Upon recommendation by a human rights and environmental protection blogger that I have grown to respect and adore I decided to read <i>The Autobiography of Malcolm X</i>. He's always going on and on about how wonderful Malcolm was and I wanted to see for myself what all of the hullabaloo was about. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">As Malcolm says halfway through his autobiography you cannot truly understand someone and why they may be the way they are unless you know their entire life's story. Malcolm has been considered a very controversial historical figure in both American and world history. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">His life story is one of suffering, recklessness, anger, hatred, self-discovery, awakening, and ultimately enlightenment. He went from dealing drugs and hustling prostitutes to prison to becoming one of the most influential black leaders in African American history. Having only gone up to the 8th grade he explains how he had a "homemade" education in his prison cell and worked hard to become the highly intelligent man that he was before his untimely death. He tells his story with a strong voice and poignant speech. Malcolm always spoke with great passion fueled by his anger at the barbaric conditions of a society controlled by racism. He was known for his shock-factor way of speaking. Reading just how powerful his writing was I wish I could have heard the brother speak in real life. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">From the very first sentence I knew that Malcolm's life was worth being documented because as he mentions numerous times throughout the autobiography his life is an example of what the ghetto can do to someone. Malcolm X was a great man and is such a misunderstood historical figure. He made mistakes, trusted the wrong people, and at times in his life had really closed-minded and hateful mentalities. However, Malcolm changed his hateful perspective and was not too proud of a man to admit when he was wrong and apologize sincerely. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">This book brought to light so many issues with American society that most like to brush beneath the rug. Things have come so far from where they were in 1950 America, but there are still remnant race issues today. <i>The Autobiography of Malcolm X</i> is now one of my top 5 favorite books, it has inspired me and given me courage. It wasn't mandatory for us to read in school, we were always obligated to read books about white immigrant suffering but any books regarding African American history were "optional" or most often, not even available. I think <i>The Autobiography of Malcolm X </i>should be a mandatory book to read because it perfectly explains the African American struggle that must never be forgotten. </span><br />
I now understand why the aforementioned human rights blogger always talked so highly of Malcolm, who now I consider one of my role models. Not just because he was a minority, or an American Muslim, but because he was an amazing human being that worked hard to fight the oppression of people, and never stopped bettering himself as a person. His life ended way too soon just as his philosophy was achieving wondrous heights, and it's sad knowing he could have accomplished so much more greatness. But his legacy and words will live on and continue to be an inspiration to all humans who strive for equality for all mankind.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">HAPPY READING EVERYONE! :)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258169760795571877.post-73281435147736312412014-03-26T06:25:00.000-07:002014-03-26T06:25:44.100-07:00"Safekeeping" - Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><b><u>Synopsis:</u></b></i><br />
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<i>Radley just wants to get home to her parents in Vermont. While she was volunteering abroad, the American People's Party took power; the new president was assassinated; and the government cracked down on citizens. Travel restrictions are worse than ever, and when her plane finally lands in New Hampshire, Radley’s parents aren’t there.</i></div>
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<i>Exhausted; her phone dead; her credit cards worthless: Radley starts walking.</i></div>
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<b><u>My Review:</u></b></div>
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With the peak of the dystopian young adult book genre in full swing a lot of authors have followed a trend to appeal to the masses. Many of the stories have a young female protagonist going against some form of societal oppression whilst dealing with the overly-cliche love triangle-riddled plot-line. <i>Safekeeping</i> is not like that. Karen Hesse did a wonderful job going against the current and writing her own original dystopian novel.</div>
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<i>Safekeeping</i> is a story about taking initiative among uncertainty, survival, and the selflessness of taking care of your loved ones amid tragedy by putting their needs before your own. Radley was a character conjured with depth. Her thoughts and behaviors were ideal for a teenager being put into the situation she was put into, and not once did I feel like the author -an adult- was trying too hard to sound like a teenager. Hesse succeeded in making Radley real, flawed, and like-able.</div>
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This novel was definitely thought-provoking in making you wonder what you would do if you were put into the same situation. Personally, I probably would have done the exact same things as Radley. Compared to other dystopian novels out there, <i>Safekeeping</i> was the most plausible- in the way that it's much more likely for the United States president to be assassinated than for a zombie apocalypse or an invasion of cyborg mummies to occur. I enjoyed this book and would gladly recommend it to anyone looking for a light read. The beautiful photographs dispersed throughout the novel really brought the vivid journey to life. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">HAPPY READING EVERYONE! :)</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258169760795571877.post-10752276462117636242013-12-24T09:05:00.003-08:002013-12-24T09:05:41.591-08:00Feeling UnaccomplishedNearing the end of the year it is apparent that I have not met my reading goal for 2013. I had planned on reading 40 books this year but so far I've only been able to read 25 and there are only seven days left until it's 2014.<br />
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I know that I haven't been slacking off and have a very good reason for why I was unable to read my desired number of books, but still I feel so unaccomplished. Medical school is hard and it takes up almost all of your time and steals away your life. Next year, now knowing that my time isn't as plentiful as I'd like it to be, I will only set a goal for 20 books. Hopefully, I'll be able to manage enough time throughout the 365 days of 2014 to read 20 literary works.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">HAPPY READING EVERYONE! :)</span></div>
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and to all a good night! </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258169760795571877.post-55017889266580371882013-12-24T08:38:00.002-08:002013-12-24T08:38:33.140-08:00"The Dangerous Days of Daniel X" - Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><b><u>Synopsis:</u></b></i></div>
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<i>HE WAS BORN WITH GREAT POWER</i></div>
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<i>The greatest superpower of all isn't to be part spider, part man, or to cast magic spells–the greatest power is the power to create.</i></div>
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<i>Daniel X has that power.</i></div>
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<i>AND A DEADLY SECRET</i></div>
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<i>Daniel's secret abilities–like being able to manipulate objects and animals with his mind or to re-create himself in any shape he chooses–have helped him survive. But Daniel doesn't have a normal life. He is the protector of Earth, the Alien Hunter, with a mission beyond anyone's imagining.</i></div>
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<i>NOW THE FATE OF THE WORLD RESTS ON DANIEL X</i></div>
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<i>From the day that his parents were brutally murdered before his very eyes, Daniel has used his unique gifts to hunt down their assassin. Finally, with the help of The List, bequeathed to him in his parents' dying breath, he is closing in on the killer.</i></div>
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<i>Now, on his own, he vows to carry out his father's mission–and to take vengeance in the process.</i></div>
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<u><b>My Review:</b></u></div>
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After the first two weeks of Vet school I realized that I wasn't able to read as much as I wanted to. Reading is very important to me so I decided that since I had an hour of commute time to and from school every day I'd get an audiobook to listen to on the way to school and on the way home. It was such a good idea!</div>
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James Patterson has a really cute way of writing that has such a nostalgic feeling to it, not to mention his sense of humor, though some may consider corny, is pretty funny. Daniel X was no exception.</div>
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I really liked Michael Ledwidge's narration of the book. He had really cool accents and voices he made to differenctiate between characters. </div>
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Daniel X is a story about survival, humanity, and fighting with all you have to defeat evil. A few things about Daniel X are very cliche (but I enjoy some cliches hence why I like Patterson's writing) and fun. This book was definitely written for kids around the 6-8th grade level. It was a cute story and defintely made me laugh a few times. Maybe one day I might read the next book in the series.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">HAPPY READING EVERYONE! :)</span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258169760795571877.post-2148216055343376532013-07-14T19:15:00.001-07:002013-12-24T08:36:58.551-08:00"The Perks Of Being A Wallflower" - Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><b><u>Synopsis:</u></b></i></div>
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<i>Charlie is a freshman.</i></div>
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<i>And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it.</i></div>
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<i>Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But he can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.</i></div>
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<i>The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.</i></div>
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<b><i><u>My Review:</u></i></b><br />
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I'm not even entirely sure where to begin with this book. Though this book was only 213 pages it took me over a week to read it. That's not a good thing. I was really looking forward to reading this book because of everyone raving about it so much. I'm an avid tumblr user and for the longest time you could not scroll down your dashboard without encountering a quote or picture from <i>The Perks Of Being A Wallflower</i> movie. When movie adaptations are made from books I try to read the book first before watching the movie. This was a case where I actually saw the movie first but I'm glad I did because if I had read the book first I would not have even thought about watching the movie afterwards.<br />
It was like Chbosky was trying to squeeze as much heavy subject material as possible into this little book. Like he was trying to make <i>The Perks Of Being A Wallflower</i> really heavy but in the end it just turned the book into a drag to read. Drugs, sex, rape, child molestation, underage drinking, homosexuality, and pretty much anything else considered as 'heavy subject material' will most likely be found within the covers of this tiny novel. Normally, I don't mind reading books with heavy subject material but this book ...to be quite frank, was ridiculous to me because of the fact that it was touching all of these subjects all at once and not concentrating very long on any of them for a long enough period of time. Basically the best metaphor I can think of for this book would be this; <i>The Perks Of Being A Wallflower</i> is much like a glass of water with a drop put in it of a bunch of different colors of dye, there are so many different dye colors going on it just turns a slightly murky color.<br />
The only things about Charlie that I could relate to were the feeling of not belonging anywhere and the depression/anxiety. Back in my freshman year of high school, much like Charlie, my depression and anxiety were at an all time high due to a number of things. Chbosky did a good job capturing depression like an ever-present darkness that follows you and consumes you at any given moment, and how it's so hard to try and escape it because it disables you to see the light at the end of the tunnel.<br />I can count on my hand the number of moments in the book that I actually did like. Another thing that really annoyed me about this book was the fact that someone, some character, was crying on almost every page. You can't flip a page without seeing '<i>he cried</i>' or '<i>she cried</i>' or '<i>I cried</i>'. It's somewhat understandable that Charlie cries a lot due to certain aspects of the novel that I won't disclose to prevent spoilers, but even then this book gives Charlie the emotional range of a cucumber. He's either feeling a bittersweet kind of happy or he's crying. Most of the time in this book he's crying.<br />
Even though I don't have very many good things to say about this book I will say that the movie was really good and I really enjoyed it. As both a movie and book lover I think it's really sad when a movie adaptation is either way better than the book or is so terrible it's a disgrace to the book. In the case of <i>The Perks Of Being A Wallflower</i> it's the first case. All I know is that I didn't enjoy this book enough to not read another one of Stephen Chbosky's books, that's for sure.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">HAPPY READING EVERYONE! :)</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258169760795571877.post-25744159513659461422013-07-13T10:17:00.003-07:002013-07-13T10:17:33.306-07:00New Novel by Kimberly Krey!Hey everyone!<br />
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I hope you're all doing good and having a wonderful summer vacation if unlike me you don't have to go to school ;). I came back on <em>The Literary Forest</em> to share some super awesome news with you all! Kimberly Krey the author of <em>Evie's Knight</em> (one of my favorite books EVER) has written another novel!! Without further ado I'm pleased to present <em>Cassie's Cowboy</em>!<br />
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<em><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Cassie's Cowboy Crave: Witness Protection - Rancher Style </span></strong></em></div>
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<em><strong><span style="font-size: large;">(Sweet Montana Bride Series #1)</span></strong></em></div>
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<em><strong><u>Synopsis:</u></strong></em></div>
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<em>Twenty-four-year-old Cassie Lovell has a great job, good friends, and an apartment with a killer view. That is, until life is turned upside down. Without the chance to say goodbye, Cassie is forced into a witness protection program on Emerson Ranch. Just when she fears life is doomed, Cassie meets Shane Emerson, the stunningly handsome cowboy who’ll be posing as her newlywed groom.</em></div>
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<em>Shane Emerson is determined not to fall for the woman he’s agreed to harbor. Especially since the whole thing was his family’s way of trying to get him hitched. So why is it when he takes Cassie into his home, Shane wants nothing more than to turn their make-believe marriage into more than just a sham?</em></div>
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<em>In a moment of weakness, Shane steals a kiss. </em></div>
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<em>In return, Cassie steals his heart.</em></div>
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<em>Yet before they confess their undying love, </em></div>
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<em>a hidden danger threatens to tear them apart.</em></div>
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Guess What?! Kimberly was super nice and gave me a little excerpt to post for you guys ;)</div>
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<em><u><strong>Excerpt:</strong></u></em></div>
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<span><em>Cassie’s words dangled in the air like an invitation, warm and welcome. He couldn’t likely bring her home without a simple kiss, now, could he? When their eyes met, Shane tilted his head, asking for permission with the lift of his brow. She nodded slightly – a silent response – yet the best thing he’d heard in weeks – Yes.</em></span></div>
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<span>Kimberly Krey has a gift for writing clean, beautiful, suspenseful romances that are still oh so steamy. I'm super excited for Cassie's Cowboy and can't wait to get my hands on it!</span></div>
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<span>Available on Amazon</span></div>
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<span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cassies-Cowboy-Crave-Witness-Protection/dp/1482710455/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373607198&sr=1-2&keywords=cassie%27s+cowboy+crave">Paperback</a></span></div>
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<span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cassies-Cowboy-Crave-Protection-ebook/dp/B00DTH840O/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373607103&sr=1-1&keywords=cassie%27s+cowboy+crave">Ebook</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">HAPPY READING EVERYONE! :)</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258169760795571877.post-77102175248620015232013-06-19T20:13:00.001-07:002013-06-19T20:13:49.480-07:00Mourning Period and HiatusHey everyone,<br />
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This past week I experienced a great loss. A woman that I loved very much, whom was like a second mother to me, passed away. It was very unexpected even though she had several health complications. It's always tough to hear that a loved one has passed on, but she's no longer suffering. I took her death pretty hard and was really depressed last week even with the excitement of my novel's release. As a result I've been in quite a reading slump and have been unable to get into a lot of books. People say that death gets easier as you get older..but I have to disagree I think it's just the opposite.<br />
School will be starting in a week and I'd have to put <i>The Literary Forest</i> on hiatus to focus on school. This first term is going to be brutal and intense because it's a concentrated course-study. I don't want to disappoint you all but I need to take time to heal, move on, and work hard in school. I hope to return to blog after this semester in October. I know it's far away, but school is my priority now. :) I'll still be reading but I won't be posting up any reviews until I start my blog back up again.<br />
Thank you all for being you. :) Life is precious and sometimes seemingly short so don't take it for granted. I hope you all have a wonderful summer and find tons of books to read that you'll love and make wonderful memories to last a lifetime.<br />
Love,<br />
Noellie<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">HAPPY READING EVERYONE! :)</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258169760795571877.post-56072258811333744352013-06-16T12:17:00.002-07:002013-06-19T20:14:11.306-07:00"Soul What?!" is now available!Hey everyone!<br />
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Super duper exciting news! :D <i>Soul What?!</i> is now officially available to the public. I cannot believe it, it all feels so surreal. It has always been a dream of mine ever since I was a little girl to write a story and share it with the world and now that day has come years later. I'm so excited to share the Val's story and the world of <i>Soul What?!</i> with you all today. I hope that you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.<br />
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<i>Soul What?! </i>available;</div>
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For Kindle: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Soul-What-ebook/dp/B00DE5E3OW/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1371237153&sr=1-2&keywords=noel+ali" target="_blank">Amazon</a></div>
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Paperback: <a href="https://www.createspace.com/3915926">Createspace</a> - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Soul-What-Noel-Ali/dp/1478106255/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1371410051&sr=1-3&keywords=noel+ali">Amazon</a></div>
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It's not available for nook yet, but I'm working on it :)</div>
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Don't forget to enter the goodreads giveaway for your chance to win a free copy of my debut novel. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">HAPPY READING EVERYONE! :)</span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258169760795571877.post-77413705784528782462013-06-14T12:32:00.003-07:002013-06-14T12:32:49.924-07:00Soul What?! PlaylistHey everyone!<br />
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To get everyone excited about the release of <i>Soul What?!</i> on June 16 (only 2 days away!) I'm going to do <i>Soul What?!</i> related posts on my blog to help you get a better feel of what the book is all about. When it comes to writing books I really like creating a playlist for a book that captures the essence of of the story. <i>Soul What?!</i> sort of takes place in the 90s, it's not mentioned anywhere in the book, but when I wrote <i>Soul What?!</i> the world was in the 90s. :) As a result a majority of these songs are 90s themed; boy and girl bands, bubblegum pop, and more! So without further ado;<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/wyOZW7GOCuk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<b>Hey Juliet</b> by LMNT</div>
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<b>Mirror Mirror</b> by M2M</div>
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<b>The One</b> by The Backstreet Boys</div>
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<b>Only in the Movies</b> by Diffuser</div>
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<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://img.youtube.com/vi/vrS6mLgIE_M/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/vrS6mLgIE_M&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/vrS6mLgIE_M&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
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<b>The Tide is High</b> by Atomic Kitten</div>
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<b>Can't Help Falling In Love</b> by A*Teens</div>
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<b>I'm Ready</b> by Cherie</div>
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<b>What's Good For Me</b> by Lucy Woodward</div>
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<b>(You Drive Me) Crazy</b> by Britney Spears</div>
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<b>I'll Never Break Your Heart</b> by The Backstreet Boys</div>
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<b>How Long</b> by Dream</div>
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<b>All Star</b> by Smash Mouth</div>
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<b>Crush</b> by Mandy Moore</div>
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<b>Us Against the World</b> by Play</div>
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<b>So Contagious</b> by Acceptance</div>
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Each one of these songs plays some significance in the story <i>Soul What?! </i>Some of them describe a few of the characters, their relationships and struggles, the situations in the book, and so many different things about <i>Soul What?!</i> I cannot put it into words. Ignore some of the music videos, these were the videos that worked on the blog so hopefully they'll still work once this post is published. If Soul What?! was a movie (I'm just speaking hypothetically, don't worry I'm not getting way too ahead of myself here) then these songs would each represent different scenes within the novel. But the two main songs out of all of the ones mentioned above that I feel best represent <i>Soul What?!</i> are <b>Hey Juliet </b>by LMNT and<b> So Contagious</b> by Acceptance, and I had no idea I made them first and last in this list, that was unintentional. </div>
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Only two more days!</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258169760795571877.post-62391699466508881652013-06-12T17:02:00.002-07:002013-06-12T17:02:22.775-07:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258169760795571877.post-676948102153805992013-06-05T09:47:00.002-07:002013-06-05T09:47:23.837-07:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258169760795571877.post-69869470380329206002013-06-03T15:13:00.001-07:002013-06-03T15:14:50.607-07:00Soul What?! Goodreads Giveaway!Hey everyone!<br />
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I've got some super exciting news to share with you. Since Soul What?! will be released this month I thought, "Why not do a giveaway?" Be sure to click the link below to win your very own copy of Soul What?! my debut novel. :) It hasn't been approved by the GoodReads staff yet, but keep checking back within the next day or so. The giveaway ends June 25 :) Good luck!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSmKhwCQkx9UpaQtey-DPwT5C3wfewZmBfVcM1bgInWJWCYLDqhzBgaS7MUUqA-iwJ864UNRRw17JHgNZr26XOBYPBBA5xMt2DRkOfFxoeLUv7n1_9hEzRDdVCg5HyGE4vLFxzIvtTbA/s1600/goodreads.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSmKhwCQkx9UpaQtey-DPwT5C3wfewZmBfVcM1bgInWJWCYLDqhzBgaS7MUUqA-iwJ864UNRRw17JHgNZr26XOBYPBBA5xMt2DRkOfFxoeLUv7n1_9hEzRDdVCg5HyGE4vLFxzIvtTbA/s400/goodreads.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
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<b><u><i>Synopsis:</i></u></b></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Val’s officially a junior. It’s a new school year, and another chance to try and be invisible. Being in the spotlight with the popular crowd wasn’t as glamorous as she had once thought, and Val had to learn the hard way. But her plan for invisibility shatters when the school’s most feared bad boy Nathan Alexander steps into the picture. Any sane person would’ve been afraid of him, but having daily conversations with Lucian, a talking cat Val fatefully rescued, doesn’t help prove she hasn’t lost her marbles. Forced to tolerate each other’s presences during after school detention every day Val learns there’s more to Nathan and his motorcycle than meets the eye. In a sea of rumors and quick wildfire-spreading gossip it’s difficult to tell truth from fiction. Val begins to question if Nathan’s really the cold-hearted delinquent that the student body is convinced he is. Just when Val thinks everything is almost normal again Lucian lets her in on a little secret; he knows who her soul mate is. All Val wanted was to lay low, but she can’t help that her heart beats like a drum whenever she’s around Nathan.</span></span></div>
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by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7106593.Noel_Ali" style="text-decoration: none;">Noel Ali</a><br />
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Giveaway ends June 25, 2013.<br />
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<script charset="utf-8" src="http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/widget/55031" type="text/javascript"></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258169760795571877.post-53442402083096938032013-05-31T10:30:00.005-07:002013-05-31T10:30:52.432-07:00Fabulous Finds FridayHey everyone!<br />
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Check out this beautiful fountain in Cincinnati! I love fountains and I love books so this is super awesome-sauce.<br />
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<a href="http://citybeat.com/cincinnati/imgs/media.images/4575/17.widea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://citybeat.com/cincinnati/imgs/media.images/4575/17.widea.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I think it's something any book lover can appreciate. :)</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">HAPPY READING EVERYONE! :)</span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258169760795571877.post-42237312897309999142013-05-29T14:42:00.001-07:002013-05-31T10:31:51.122-07:00"The Kindness of Strangers" - Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.harpercollins.com/harperimages/isbn/large/0/9780060564780.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://www.harpercollins.com/harperimages/isbn/large/0/9780060564780.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i style="background-color: black;">A young widow raising two boys, Sarah Laden is struggling to keep her family together. But when a shocking revelation rips apart the family of her closest friend, Sarah finds herself welcoming yet another troubled young boy into her already tumultuous life.</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>Jordan, a quiet, reclusive elementary school classmate of Sarah's son Danny, has survived a terrible ordeal. By agreeing to become Jordan's foster mother, Sarah will be forced to question the things she has long believed. And as the delicate threads that bind their family begin to unravel, all the Ladens will have to face difficult truths about themselves and one another--and discover the power of love necessary to forgive and to heal.</i></span></span></span></span></div>
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<b><i><u>My Review:</u></i></b></div>
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Every year I try to read books that make me grow by teaching me, enlightening me, and opening my eyes to things I have never thought about before. That includes reading books that make me uncomfortable. I try to read one book a year that makes me uncomfortable because if we don't step out of our comfort zones how can we ever grow? <i>The Kindness of Strangers</i> makes all of the uncomfortable books I have ever read seem like child's play compared to it.</div>
Right off the bat you need to know that <i>The Kindness of Strangers</i> deals with really heavy subject-material including sexual abuse, incest, and child pornography. The synopsis of the book doesn't hint about what the 'big secret' Sarah discovers is and I had no idea what I was in for when I began to read the book. I had been under the impression that this book may have dealt with abuse and drug use but that wasn't what I discovered.<br />
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There were times when reading this book that I felt sick and disturbed by the content and had to put the book down. In the beginning it was hard for me to pick the book up again but I felt like I owed it to poor Jordan to read his story. It sounds weird; owing a fictional character something, but Katrina Kittle has an amazing gift for storytelling and her characterization was impeccable. Jordan felt as real to me as a friend. The book was told in third-person perspective of three of the characters; Sarah, Jordan, and Nate. She did a fantastic job voicing each of the characters you never would have known that they were all written by one person. </div>
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This book brought tears to my eyes numerous times and broke my heart. Though this book deals with really bad things it's a really good book written with compassion and poise. </div>
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If I would have known that <i>The Kindness of Strangers </i>was about sexual abuse, child pornography, and incest I probably would not have picked it up off of the shelf and given it a second thought. But I am glad I did. Kittle brought to light that there are so many false stereotypes regarding sexual abuse and pedophiles that most of us have it entirely all wrong. We usually think of a 40-something year old white male with a creepy mustache when we think of pedophiles, but they can be 'normal' people too and often are. I never would have imagined that there are parents that sexually assault their children, but tragically that is the case for some children all across the globe. But it isn't an issue we should turn a blind eye toward just because it's hard subject-material. Silence is the heaviest form of oppression for children that are sexually abused and we as adults should look out for children and be the voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.</div>
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This book will teach you that tragedy can tear one family apart and pull another together. </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258169760795571877.post-60270969776831230092013-05-29T10:58:00.001-07:002013-05-29T10:58:15.716-07:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2011/193/5/d/enough_responsibility_by_burdge_bug-d3nm1ns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="488" src="http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2011/193/5/d/enough_responsibility_by_burdge_bug-d3nm1ns.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I know this is supposed to be a wordless Wednesday where I don't yap and blab along but I just needed to explain the picture. Some of you are probably wondering 'what does that have to do with books?' Well, this is fanart for Harry Potter done by the wonderful Brigid Vaughn, also known as Burdge, <a href="http://burdge-bug.deviantart.com/" target="_blank">(Check out her art website)</a> . I really love fanart and I absolutely love Harry Potter. This is a scene from the fifth book in the series <i>Harry Potter and The Order of The Pheonix </i>(Which is actually my favorite book in the series)<i>.</i> It's simple and intricate all at once and that's why I love it so much. Check out her website, she does loads of different fanart for books, movies, and TV shows. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">HAPPY READING EVERYONE! :)</span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258169760795571877.post-77815100561387722942013-05-27T11:24:00.003-07:002013-06-14T12:39:13.111-07:00Super Exciting Fantastical News!Hey everyone!<br />
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I am just bouncing off the walls in excitement right now! Just last week the editing of my debut novel <i>Soul What?! </i>was completed. The cover is done and everything is good to go. The publishers are going to be sending me a proof copy in the mail that I should be receiving sometime this week. I am just way too excited. I'm going to be going over the book to make sure that the printing goes smoothly and there aren't any typos that may have been missed during the editing process...because most of the time there are.<br />
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I'm just so happy, relieved, excited, proud that I actually followed through with a novel and finished it, and feeling a whole bunch of things all at once. The release date for <i>Soul What?!</i> has been picked and it will be available to the public on June 16! :D I can't express how happy I am, I'm probably just rambling on and being redundant about my emotions, but I just really wanted to share this with you guys since you've been with me the entire journey of <i>Soul What?!</i></div>
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<i>Soul What?!</i> now has its own GoodReads page too!</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17982690-soul-what" target="_blank">Soul What?! GoodReads</a></div>
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Don't forget to add <i>Soul What?!</i> to your 'to-read' list.</div>
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Thank you for all of your support, I truly appreciate it. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">HAPPY READING EVERYONE! :)</span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258169760795571877.post-80869051814469145542013-05-24T17:59:00.003-07:002013-05-24T17:59:56.117-07:00Fabulous Finds FridayHey everyone!<br />
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So considering we're all book lovers I think it's safe to assume we all own bookshelves. Some people may not because they don't have enough books to put on a bookshelf, and others may prefer ebooks. But if you're into real books and love your bookshelf you're in for a really cool treat. I found a really cool article that lists 18 cool bookshelves that were found all over the internet.<br />
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<a href="http://sobadsogood.com/2013/01/20/18-insanely-cool-creative-bookshelves-youll-wish-you-had/" target="_blank">18 Insanely Cool Bookshelves Article</a></div>
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Inspired by the article linked above I wanted to list some of the coolest bookshelves I've found online. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">3. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">4. </span></div>
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<a href="http://cf.gzimg.com/t/8/a/c/3/www.neatorama.com-8ac34a81fc292875ccce3cc8ce2cd40969b1f466.jpg" target="_blank">(Source)</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">5.</span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Pphe_ok8ZGyS0Tsrmz6MCM1u81A2TixT6_UxcDAuyeLm4LYZ8Ct3Hxi7XtsUpU-tJ7yZmA2cBTLwyrWlOFYaca4dPqwrGCFuhsCcD0dvjU2UxlR80TGxYxGdERZ8PfiUAX-aJOqVy88/s1600/15+Cool+and+Unusual+Bookshelves+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="569" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Pphe_ok8ZGyS0Tsrmz6MCM1u81A2TixT6_UxcDAuyeLm4LYZ8Ct3Hxi7XtsUpU-tJ7yZmA2cBTLwyrWlOFYaca4dPqwrGCFuhsCcD0dvjU2UxlR80TGxYxGdERZ8PfiUAX-aJOqVy88/s640/15+Cool+and+Unusual+Bookshelves+15.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Pphe_ok8ZGyS0Tsrmz6MCM1u81A2TixT6_UxcDAuyeLm4LYZ8Ct3Hxi7XtsUpU-tJ7yZmA2cBTLwyrWlOFYaca4dPqwrGCFuhsCcD0dvjU2UxlR80TGxYxGdERZ8PfiUAX-aJOqVy88/s1600/15+Cool+and+Unusual+Bookshelves+15.jpg" target="_blank">(Source)</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">6. </span></div>
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<a href="http://designhomedesignview.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Bookshelf-With-Creative-Design-05-view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://designhomedesignview.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Bookshelf-With-Creative-Design-05-view.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://designhomedesignview.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Bookshelf-With-Creative-Design-05-view.jpg" target="_blank">(Source)</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">7. </span></div>
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<a href="http://bookriot.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/metamorphosis_bookshelf2_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="http://bookriot.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/metamorphosis_bookshelf2_12.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">8. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwyBoHwMgZq7KB5gq7lH35UsrocgcDhX8_yTu7XdaY9RuqTPz9x7toJemvcXgrOeVZ37xQwqBavtvb85ZSwUVBD3UuOBdLnFgHNvpli2_kTONs-Tvx5UH10xPs-fKQUTPs4Y_7AWU6Rv5/s1600/IKEA+Create+World+Longest+Outdoor+Bookcase+Ntfd0Lwj-UTl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwyBoHwMgZq7KB5gq7lH35UsrocgcDhX8_yTu7XdaY9RuqTPz9x7toJemvcXgrOeVZ37xQwqBavtvb85ZSwUVBD3UuOBdLnFgHNvpli2_kTONs-Tvx5UH10xPs-fKQUTPs4Y_7AWU6Rv5/s640/IKEA+Create+World+Longest+Outdoor+Bookcase+Ntfd0Lwj-UTl.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwyBoHwMgZq7KB5gq7lH35UsrocgcDhX8_yTu7XdaY9RuqTPz9x7toJemvcXgrOeVZ37xQwqBavtvb85ZSwUVBD3UuOBdLnFgHNvpli2_kTONs-Tvx5UH10xPs-fKQUTPs4Y_7AWU6Rv5/s1600/IKEA+Create+World+Longest+Outdoor+Bookcase+Ntfd0Lwj-UTl.jpg" target="_blank">(Source)</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">9. </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.mobilyalar.pro/images/evtasarimi.com/wp-content/uploads/twin-kitapl%C4%B1k-tasar%C4%B1m%C4%B1-430x276.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="410" src="http://www.mobilyalar.pro/images/evtasarimi.com/wp-content/uploads/twin-kitapl%C4%B1k-tasar%C4%B1m%C4%B1-430x276.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.mobilyalar.pro/images/evtasarimi.com/wp-content/uploads/twin-kitapl%C4%B1k-tasar%C4%B1m%C4%B1-430x276.jpg" target="_blank">(Source)</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">10.</span> </div>
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<a href="http://www.droold.com/postImages/batman_bookshelf1-normal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="448" src="http://www.droold.com/postImages/batman_bookshelf1-normal.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.droold.com/postImages/batman_bookshelf1-normal.jpg" target="_blank">(Source)</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">HAPPY READING EVERYONE! :)</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258169760795571877.post-68221284996010414492013-05-22T08:38:00.004-07:002013-05-22T08:38:51.277-07:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m07psxcnO81qdkew5o1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m07psxcnO81qdkew5o1_500.gif" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">HAPPY READING EVERYONE! :)</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258169760795571877.post-51057830474316664662013-05-21T11:29:00.000-07:002013-05-21T11:29:38.757-07:00"City of Ashes" - Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/49/City_of_Ashes.jpg/200px-City_of_Ashes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/49/City_of_Ashes.jpg/200px-City_of_Ashes.jpg" width="264" /></a></div>
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<i><b><u>Synopsis:</u></b></i></div>
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<i>Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.</i></div>
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<i>To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?</i></div>
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<i>In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXV3CX7fsi2cn0QFD_ZIPCAI9k7_7tB0Rt_9HrwfQ3i2yQrBogH5yCsz6JWZTk3mdM_et4WPmNxKEUv9IFMdLXDeHUBIl2jjXiYp233b3njErpOkXGTsd6ylU6yqtcQ84RMYDO0DqTEQ/s1600/five+stars.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXV3CX7fsi2cn0QFD_ZIPCAI9k7_7tB0Rt_9HrwfQ3i2yQrBogH5yCsz6JWZTk3mdM_et4WPmNxKEUv9IFMdLXDeHUBIl2jjXiYp233b3njErpOkXGTsd6ylU6yqtcQ84RMYDO0DqTEQ/s1600/five+stars.gif" /></a></div>
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<i><u><b>My Review:</b></u></i></div>
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<i>Engrossing</i>. I am seriously hooked on the Mortal Instruments series. Cassandra Clare's <i>City of Ashes</i> is a masterpiece, I'm in love with her writing style. The sequel to the Mortal Instruments series was no disappointment. I enjoyed reading more of Clary and the gang's story unfolding, and about Valentine's impending uprising. </div>
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After the first book I was pretty shell-shocked from a major plot-twist (though between you and me, I don't believe it <i>at all</i>) but <i>City of Ashes</i> helped me get over that drastic turn of events (well, sort of). This is one of those book series that gets you wanting more and the books don't get worse as you continue on through the series, actually it's just the opposite. The Mortal Instruments series has easily become one of my favorite book series.</div>
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<i>City of Ashes</i> was packed with action from cover-to-cover and filled with a hefty dose of suspenseful drama, just the way I like it. Jace is as charming as ever; his sarcastic mouth is something you could never get bored of. This book was filled with a couple of plot-twists that made me put the book down in shock, it's <i>that</i> good. After being left with a huge cliffhanger I'm excited to see what Clare has in store in <i>City of Glass</i>. If you haven't started reading the Mortal Instruments series, what are you waiting for?</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">HAPPY READING EVERYONE! :)</span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258169760795571877.post-85457202468084641872013-05-16T08:40:00.001-07:002013-05-16T08:46:17.256-07:00"City of Bones" - Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/0f/City_of_Bones.jpg/200px-City_of_Bones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/0f/City_of_Bones.jpg/200px-City_of_Bones.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<i><b><u><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">Synopsis:</span></u></b></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i style="background-color: black;">When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i style="background-color: black;">This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . . </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i style="background-color: black;">Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2CNOy9d5ChsDJSZcSZBXBobm70fDXJqM_yDgxYgZh7GVyQCZpJc7f8gTTqdeiRUDd339rl7KVGYdmInirEmd7Nk0TJSD_V2rhuHrOhNQp0Uy1qOXzvs99Ob_crfTpSo7sFiCi9NIIK2I/s1600/five+stars.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2CNOy9d5ChsDJSZcSZBXBobm70fDXJqM_yDgxYgZh7GVyQCZpJc7f8gTTqdeiRUDd339rl7KVGYdmInirEmd7Nk0TJSD_V2rhuHrOhNQp0Uy1qOXzvs99Ob_crfTpSo7sFiCi9NIIK2I/s1600/five+stars.gif" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i><b><u style="background-color: black;">My Review:</u></b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Awesome!<i> City of Bones</i> is a great start to the Mortal Instruments series. It's jam-packed with action, demon-fighting, sarcasm, romance, suspense, drama, and everything else you could want in a paranormal YA book. Cassandra Clare has a unique writing style that's very different from other young adult writers, but different in a good way. Eloquent is the word that comes to mind when I think of her writing style. Clare's writing is so vivid and descriptive I didn't get lost once during any of the fight scenes. Some of the fight scenes I've read in other books had me lost in the middle of it because of the authors' writing styles. Cassandra, however, managed to write out the fight scenes perfectly.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">I liked Jace right from the get-go. He's a smart-mouth and has endearing qualities I won't mention to prevent spoilers. You know how sometimes you read a novel and you really like a character? Maybe you and that character wouldn't get along very well in real life because your personalities would clash but you still enjoy reading scenes they're in. I smiled whenever Jace made an entrance because regardless of what was going on you could always rely on his smart-mouth to lighten up a situation a bit. He actually really reminded me of the character Loki from Amanda Hocking's <i>Trylle</i> trilogy.<br />At the beginning of the book I already knew what team I was rooting for in the little love triangle going on in <i>City of Bones</i>. However, as the plot progressed...things happened. I won't tell you what things happened, if you want to know you'll have to read the book yourself. The falling action leading to the conclusion of the book left me so confused. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about what happened, I think I'm still in shock and processing all of the information. I'm angry and sad for sure.<br />I'm still on the same team I was on at the beginning but I need to read more of the series to make sure my theories are true. I recommend <i>City of Bones</i> to anyone looking for a good summer read now that schools are coming to an end in time for summer fun. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">I cannot wait until the <i>City of Bones</i> movie adaptation comes out this summer! :D It looks really promising and I think the guy they cast to play Jace suits him perfectly. </span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258169760795571877.post-66452574005304396962013-05-15T08:04:00.000-07:002013-05-15T08:04:29.715-07:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://ak9.picdn.net/shutterstock/videos/2249116/preview/stock-footage-young-happy-girl-reading-book-in-the-park-dolly-shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://ak9.picdn.net/shutterstock/videos/2249116/preview/stock-footage-young-happy-girl-reading-book-in-the-park-dolly-shot.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://ak9.picdn.net/shutterstock/videos/2249116/preview/stock-footage-young-happy-girl-reading-book-in-the-park-dolly-shot.jpg" target="_blank">(Source)</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258169760795571877.post-50252504447338424072013-05-09T12:28:00.001-07:002013-06-14T12:38:45.925-07:00Things, things, and well....thingsHey everyone!<br />
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This post is kind of going to be an explanation of a few things, an update of things, and an explanation of things to come. For starters, it's finals week. I'm almost done with my second year of college! Just one more final to go!<br />
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I also wanted to apologize for having missed <i>Wordless Wednesday</i> and <i>Fabulous Finds Friday</i> about three or four times within the last couple of weeks. The impending finals had me all stressed out and I couldn't focus on anything else, and well...life happened. Today I got my hardest final, Calculus, out of the way and I feel so relieved even though there's a chance I could have flunked the test entirely. I'm just glad it's over.<br />
As some of you may well know, or may not, I'm studying to be a veterinary technician. I recently got accepted into the school of my dreams!! :D *happy dance* and I will be starting in the summer. That means while I'm in that school most likely <i>The Literary Forest</i> will be on hiatus.<br />
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I'm sorry, but medical school is tough and I'll have to give my undivided attention to school in order to do the best that I can. However, that's about two months from now so don't worry! After my last final coming up next week I will be more active on this blog and have far more time to read, which means more reviews.<br />
Speaking of reading, that's a good segue to get onto the next topic I wanted to talk about. Since my last post regarding the book ban I have borrowed and purchased books. I know, I know, go ahead and throw your tomatoes at me. I'm weak and can't resist books, though, having met so many people in the book community, I know I'm not the only one. I am reading a book off of my shelf right now (well not at this moment since I'm typing up this blog post) so that's got to count for something? I'll be doing an <i>In My Mailbox</i> post here soon to show you all the goodies I couldn't resist getting.<br />
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Next on the things to talk about would be the progress of <i>Soul What?!</i> my novel. <i>Soul What?!</i> is in the process of being edited, quite rigorously I might add, and is close to 80% done. If everything goes swimmingly I hope to have <i>Soul What?!</i> released this summer! I'm super excited, and cannot wait to share my debut novel with you all.<br />
I think that's pretty much all I wanted to talk about today. It's currently raining here and I'm so very happy about that. Also, I've recently gotten into Doctor Who....and I'm kind of obsessed.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">HAPPY READING EVERYONE! :)</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258169760795571877.post-76026477491235019602013-05-03T06:37:00.003-07:002013-05-03T06:37:50.833-07:00Fabulous Finds FridayHey everyone!<br />
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I know I missed last week's Fabulous Finds Friday (FFF), I'm really sorry. It's the end of the semester and so much has been going on it's hard for me to keep up with what I'm forgetting to do. On Friday I had a feeling that something was off and that I was forgetting to do something. It wasn't until Saturday that I realized what I had forgotten. Unfortunately, I also forgot this week's Wordless Wednesday because of a huge exam I was studying for.<br />
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Today's Fabulous Finds Friday is about the funniest, saddest, and scariest books people in LA that were randomly interviewed on the street have read. I really liked this video, being the obsessed reader that I am, because you can see how one book can have different effects on different people.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/RzPGAvPe26s?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzPGAvPe26s" target="_blank">(Source)</a></div>
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<li>The funniest book I ever read would probably have to be <i>Touch of Frost (Mythos Academy #1)</i> by Jennifer Estep. Her sense of humor is so dry and quirky and her books always have me laughing out loud.</li>
<li>The book that made me bawl my eyes out was <i>A Walk To Remember</i> by Nicholas Sparks, that man knows how to tug at your heart strings.</li>
<li>The scariest book I've ever read would probably have to be <i>Uninvited</i> by Amanda Marrone. It wasn't a really scary book, I just don't really read scary books. But the boyfriend in the book was a creep. It kind of reminded me of the movie <i>Fear</i>.</li>
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What is the funniest, saddest, or scariest book you've ever read? Leave a comment down below. If you want to watch more videos like this Barnes & Noble have a 'Why I read' series on their YouTube channel.<br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/BNStudio/videos?query=why+i+read" target="_blank">Check it out here!</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">HAPPY READING EVERYONE! :)</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258169760795571877.post-4298651159424071572013-04-30T19:09:00.001-07:002013-05-03T06:45:44.512-07:00"Don't Breathe a Word" - Book Review<br />
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<b><i><u>Synopsis:</u></i></b><br />
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<i>Joy Delamere is suffocating.</i></div>
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<i>From asthma, from her parents, and from her boyfriend, Asher, who is smothering her from the inside out. She can take his cruel words, his tender words . . . until the night they go too far.</i></div>
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<i>To escape, Joy sacrifices her suburban life to find the one who offered his help, a homeless boy called Creed. He introduces her to a world of fierce loyalty, to its rules of survival, and to love--a world she won't easily let go.</i></div>
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<i>Set against the backdrop of the streets of Seattle, Holly Cupala's powerful new novel explores the subtleties of abuse, the secrets we keep, and the ways to redemption. But above all, it is an unflinching story about the extraordinary lengths one girl will go to discover her own strength.</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b><i><u style="background-color: black;">My Review:</u></i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">I actually really liked this book. When I first began reading <i>Don't Breathe a Word</i> I wanted to stop reading it after a few chapters because the main character Joy seemed to whine a lot. Though she kind of was entitled to considering what she was going through, however, it did get on my nerves after a while. I didn't really know that this book was about abuse until halfway through the book. If you are wary of books with abuse or just don't like reading them period then this book may not be for you.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The characterization of this book was spot-on. Cupala did a fabulous job making the characters so real and the emotions so raw. There were moments that I was so into the book I felt just as helpless as the characters or just as relieved as they felt when things got better.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Creed was by far my favorite character in the whole book, he was charming, funny, sweet, selfless, and flawed enough to be real. <i>Don't Breathe a Word</i> was such an in-depth view into the lives of homeless teens in Seattle. The emotions were raw and it really opened my eyes to a few things. I try to be immensely grateful for everything that I've been blessed with in my life, but this book reminded me that there are even smaller simple things that we take for granted. When it comes to food I analyze it (It's a very bad habit) because I'm kind of a germ-a-phobe, but this book made me realize I'm so lucky to eat off of a plate and not out of a gross dumpster. I really liked this book and I'd recommend it to anyone that likes reading from perspectives different from your average young adult fiction characters, or if you like reading unusual love stories. It's the little things that matter the most, don't take them for granted because they could be gone in a heartbeat.</span></span><br />
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</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258169760795571877.post-47785643808492105402013-04-26T04:42:00.001-07:002013-04-26T04:42:28.153-07:00Fabulous Finds FridayHey everyone!<br />
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I found this video and thought that I'd share it with you. If you read my blog chances are you read books too, and if you read and have kids chances are they read to or you read to them. Reading time with my mom before bed was my favorite time ever when I was little, it was what sparked a little flame within me that later on in life grew and engulfed me with a passion to read the written word.<br />
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Read to a kid today if you can, and for those who don't have any kinds there are always volunteer opportunities to read to kids at your local library.<br />
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