tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19249530775442239062024-02-02T15:22:32.230-06:00The Tree of BooksJuliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12865603361609161446noreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924953077544223906.post-91134481017371766032019-01-07T19:50:00.002-06:002019-01-07T19:50:37.819-06:00Newwww Blog!Hi friends!<br />
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Long time, no see.<br />
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I'm sure the majority of you have picked up on this, but I have officially closed the book on book blogging. As much fun as it was, and as necessary as it was for me at that time in my life, I no longer find it to be a positive addition to my life. Reading became a burden-- something I had to do. I fell into a year-long reading slump that consequently ended my book blog. While I've found myself falling back into my old reading patterns, book blogging no longer seems like something I should be continuing. I did find myself missing the blogging world though, which is why I've created a new lifestyle blog!<br />
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My new blog is called Clean Sheets + Potted Plants and includes posts about all areas of my life, from journaling to running to existential thinking and even to reading. It's still a young blog with not a ton of content, but I'm working on growing it. As I become more familiar with the type of blogging I'm doing, it becomes easier to write.<br />
<br />I'm very excited to see where my new blog goes, and if it's something that interests you at all, I'd really appreciate if you gave it some love. <3<br />
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It's still in the works as I find my footing and my new place in the blogosphere, but I'm happy with it so far and figured now would be a good time to announce it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.sheetsandplants.com/">Click here to visit Clean Sheets + Potted Plants</a><br />
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Finally, I'd like to extend my sincerest gratitude for the joy and love you all gave me during my few years here at the Tree of Books. I wouldn't trade it for the world, and I'm so happy it was something I got to experience.<br />
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From the bottom of my heart, thank you.<br />
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- Julia<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYaN5t5lJ5U2SM6SAREsoiU4LVtFDv976BtPwe_mKt-X5j4AJsS2vbe2I8KvIyKnG4eRtHV-Flr_wEgBC4d3tyj97_lPzIuGUoYIYUx1p_ksnrQwdryjj_YIo9ENknyLMJRIJGlFbVnQq9/s1600/running+essentials+title.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYaN5t5lJ5U2SM6SAREsoiU4LVtFDv976BtPwe_mKt-X5j4AJsS2vbe2I8KvIyKnG4eRtHV-Flr_wEgBC4d3tyj97_lPzIuGUoYIYUx1p_ksnrQwdryjj_YIo9ENknyLMJRIJGlFbVnQq9/s320/running+essentials+title.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8ghV97-oYZiIzFvX_wK4XxLb_FBuEjUeFAun49H128JY_EkTeHXIEpZFzn0tmmIfjg78hpdXMJNWahFVgFcv36jwQEa3PzUw5FXim5YMzO-eKqwDkbsoIBNaXi1lF1uZxmqgDGZ8K8kN/s1600/good+school+year.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8ghV97-oYZiIzFvX_wK4XxLb_FBuEjUeFAun49H128JY_EkTeHXIEpZFzn0tmmIfjg78hpdXMJNWahFVgFcv36jwQEa3PzUw5FXim5YMzO-eKqwDkbsoIBNaXi1lF1uZxmqgDGZ8K8kN/s320/good+school+year.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHnnf3VrrJXT8g88r7NbcaMUEpnwMEKTlhnm2PjN3RKCxLl0fCQqH_WBtsMxkYHg4YY64052TWKJzO82iT-GH7syQ0nRN5qn9JbI13hXxmRbQmtu9NnqLzOwvJoT4JtOUTYaXXPCBEAPkR/s1600/midyear+again.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHnnf3VrrJXT8g88r7NbcaMUEpnwMEKTlhnm2PjN3RKCxLl0fCQqH_WBtsMxkYHg4YY64052TWKJzO82iT-GH7syQ0nRN5qn9JbI13hXxmRbQmtu9NnqLzOwvJoT4JtOUTYaXXPCBEAPkR/s320/midyear+again.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGa6lS8rH3fiF8n5b_mN57YPEQFpU05NUKacyqjKfdaLDdcyRcd7s-1VP90J8QHU5Phfw0qnK8hwFfIl82P3KREvIHO2dqJ1Y-BFF7fNBiPvmkY4Z6p8wHgT19DVYYQDndTnaHSJW9bSI5/s1600/real+plans+for+the+future.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGa6lS8rH3fiF8n5b_mN57YPEQFpU05NUKacyqjKfdaLDdcyRcd7s-1VP90J8QHU5Phfw0qnK8hwFfIl82P3KREvIHO2dqJ1Y-BFF7fNBiPvmkY4Z6p8wHgT19DVYYQDndTnaHSJW9bSI5/s320/real+plans+for+the+future.jpg" width="320" /></a>Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12865603361609161446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924953077544223906.post-47057851225573388142017-02-02T20:55:00.000-06:002017-02-02T20:55:45.627-06:00Unravel Me<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibhFLvMMomoYAg8FQUhh907mjO8JPfWHThyphenhyphenQwAz9l-xx4vhvkzYpWjxINShtFPoq2RGlqSkS5UH1JCkddB5sJed36P6uxSU7p5lpJTq2fC10jnz0pdAj18KKHcsdhbeB10B0zARWbf0jaO/s1600/13104080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibhFLvMMomoYAg8FQUhh907mjO8JPfWHThyphenhyphenQwAz9l-xx4vhvkzYpWjxINShtFPoq2RGlqSkS5UH1JCkddB5sJed36P6uxSU7p5lpJTq2fC10jnz0pdAj18KKHcsdhbeB10B0zARWbf0jaO/s400/13104080.jpg" width="262" /></a>Title: Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2)<br />
Author: Tahereh Mafi<br />
Genre: YA Science Fiction/ Dystopia<br />
Pages: 461<br />
Rating: 3/5 Stars<br />
Purchase this book:<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062085530/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0062085530&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a> • <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unravel-me-tahereh-mafi/1111397856?ean=9780062085535&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000004">Barnes & Noble</a> • <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Unravel-Me-Tahereh-Mafi/9780062085535">Book Depository</a><br />
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In the continuation of Shatter Me, Juliette finds herself at the hideout of the rebel group, Omega Point. Desperate to overthrow the Reestablishment, she's faced with the confusion that comes with deciphering who's really good, and who's actually bad.<br />
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I don't know... this was kind of a let down for me. <i>Shatter Me</i> didn't have much going for it in my opinion, but this one was definitely worse. I struggled to get through the first half of the book, because nothing was happening! I found Juliette to be insufferably annoying, and sort of wanted her to just get captured or something again because literally nothing was happening in the plot. Basically, it wasn't until Warner was reintroduced that I found the book interesting at all.<br />
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I do love Tahereh Mafi's writing, she's very poetic and has a beautiful way of weaving words to create just the most gorgeous lines, but I find that she can be a little overdramatic. All the chapters are very short (like, one or two pages short) and she seemed to feel the need to end <i>every single one </i>with some dramatic <i>bang. </i>I mean, she was making things like walking through a door seem like the single most dramatic thing to ever occur. Of course, a dramatic flair is great every once and awhile, but when it's every two pages, it starts to lose its affect on me. When things were actually supposed to be a super dramatic reveal, I wasn't as shocked, or it just didn't seem so amazing, because two pages ago she made walking through a door seem just as important. I don't know if this is making any sense to you, but oh well... </div>
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However, as I mentioned previously, things really started picking up for me towards the second half, and especially near the end. Warner is by far the best, most developed and complex character in the series, so him being involved made the content of the plot so much more substantial, and I started to actually enjoy myself as I read (which is sort of the point here). </div>
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All in all, this one was a half star below <i>Shatter Me, </i>but I never give up on a series because of the second book. It's a rule I have for myself- especially with trilogies. 2nd book blues <i>is </i>a real thing, and having finished <i>Ignite Me </i>yesterday (shhhh I know I procrastinated this review) I can confirm this book has it. </div>
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If you read <i>Shatter Me </i>and maybe somewhat enjoyed it, I would say you should give this book a go. I really did enjoy the ending, which is why I didn't go down into the two star range. </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13104080-unravel-me?ac=1&from_search=true">Click here to view <i>Unravel Me </i>on Goodreads</a></div>
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Other books in this series:</div>
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<a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2015/12/shatter-me.html">Shatter Me</a></div>
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Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12865603361609161446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924953077544223906.post-19444657064965255332017-01-26T17:23:00.001-06:002017-01-26T17:23:11.994-06:00Unread Books January 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Soooo almost exactly a year ago I made a post listing the top ten books I was most ashamed of having not read. Essentially, it was a condensed version of my TBR, featuring the books I really, <i>really </i>needed to get to during the year. I was having so much fun reading through it that I decided to make it an annual tradition here so that each year I can look back on all the books I didn't read, and make promises to read new ones. (<a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/01/books-i-havent-read.html">Check out my unread books of January 2016 here!</a>)<br />
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These aren't in any particular order, but with no further ado, here they are. (I'm sorry don't hate me I'll get to them eventually.)<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">1. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven</span><br />
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Initially, I'd had no desire to read this novel given what I'd heard from people whose opinions I trust, but then I bought Holding Up the Universe, and I wanted to read her other novel as well. I ended up getting it for five dollars over Black Friday, so now I own the book with every intention of reading it.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">2. A Court of Thorns and Roses + by Sarah J. Maas</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTjgkl8Zd7tjsyJTgGqb02bqoJ9QtmJbC0Rv8cX0rnMqLmHxOeswi0iTlAFkGXn9MxAGeWEQ9dauxHrgsZKaEa_hxwi8fg8be40e381eP9xR8gDRyfy2NP0jqNIVxm-kR1umtZVIZbVSLW/s1600/51RYmROoH%252BL._AC_UL320_SR212%252C320_.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQB7hiTHWCFR7TLUu5WISiGSjR7DTwmf0mT6cgXec_wwzGbidDPUWapo3sPwXYsmvbFhQM8VYSVbTaVCcAYIUnAO9T5iwujdFb3ciDZAasjZpEBAKU3P65kPk2uJOwUSRJGwAK1FDn8O30/s1600/77493_original.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQB7hiTHWCFR7TLUu5WISiGSjR7DTwmf0mT6cgXec_wwzGbidDPUWapo3sPwXYsmvbFhQM8VYSVbTaVCcAYIUnAO9T5iwujdFb3ciDZAasjZpEBAKU3P65kPk2uJOwUSRJGwAK1FDn8O30/s400/77493_original.jpg" width="260" /></a><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTjgkl8Zd7tjsyJTgGqb02bqoJ9QtmJbC0Rv8cX0rnMqLmHxOeswi0iTlAFkGXn9MxAGeWEQ9dauxHrgsZKaEa_hxwi8fg8be40e381eP9xR8gDRyfy2NP0jqNIVxm-kR1umtZVIZbVSLW/s400/51RYmROoH%252BL._AC_UL320_SR212%252C320_.jpg" width="265" /></div>
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I got both of these for Christmas, so now I literally have no excuse not to read them. I <i>should </i>have gotten on ACOTAR back when it first came out but.... ahahahaha sob. (ACOTAR was on my list last year so I literally am a #failure.)<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">3. </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Heir of Fire + by Sarah J. Maas </span><br />
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Another one that's on my list from last year.... I've owned Heir of Fire for over a year, and I'm so upset with myself, because I <i>loved </i>Crown of Midnight, so I really, really should've gotten a move on with these.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">4. Daughter of Smoke and Bone + Laini Taylor</span><br />
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I'm an awful person, this is the second time I'm including this trilogy. I feel like so many people have read and enjoyed this trilogy, so I don't know why I've yet to start the first novel.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">5. The Diviners + by Libba Bray</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr9S8fQM-en6o9K5HwrcuthLOkYgXZo8D3HwBrlf5MWVokFi6NKyw2c6x5gGXWcHF75cfj5M6xdrxnZb6j0UCMkS-SeOaeSgp7Vx-kgyxo8V-mlP2Jx0qJJDrbAeMxfDgD8h9DhwNUVMDV/s1600/7728889.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr9S8fQM-en6o9K5HwrcuthLOkYgXZo8D3HwBrlf5MWVokFi6NKyw2c6x5gGXWcHF75cfj5M6xdrxnZb6j0UCMkS-SeOaeSgp7Vx-kgyxo8V-mlP2Jx0qJJDrbAeMxfDgD8h9DhwNUVMDV/s400/7728889.jpg" width="266" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWXo48yCEVeKVjma5wRWk1LpAtuopHsQn-2c2ijGgjE__cjqPJWUnK-agpmcOUbM-2ybUhyphenhyphenoT8NwytWZ3NyTSGHAguxKZnozKuT5nxg2nUidGlu2g5dcn1Ha4wOFynspFzQIU_YDhfmsWi/s1600/16060716.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWXo48yCEVeKVjma5wRWk1LpAtuopHsQn-2c2ijGgjE__cjqPJWUnK-agpmcOUbM-2ybUhyphenhyphenoT8NwytWZ3NyTSGHAguxKZnozKuT5nxg2nUidGlu2g5dcn1Ha4wOFynspFzQIU_YDhfmsWi/s400/16060716.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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Ahahahahah guess which duology I said I'd read a year ago? This one! The 20s is one of my favorite eras so I'm ashamed to say I haven't completed or even started <i>The Diviners</i> :(<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">6. Through the Dark by Alexandra Bracken </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirvd71p0dhZIoKvRNBjZArw_MR1-5h1enGQ7yGXy2818_oaY80mG8m_3VtQX72G60WyJsCTYzl3Fz1TWUs8mcnBRQIpkgZZvZYgBq7mmehAO93vJ64BbZz8nsiAAL1kSuzi0DkxZK0QB_2/s1600/25453426.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirvd71p0dhZIoKvRNBjZArw_MR1-5h1enGQ7yGXy2818_oaY80mG8m_3VtQX72G60WyJsCTYzl3Fz1TWUs8mcnBRQIpkgZZvZYgBq7mmehAO93vJ64BbZz8nsiAAL1kSuzi0DkxZK0QB_2/s400/25453426.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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The Darkest Minds is my all time favorite YA series, so the fact that I haven't read this bind up is horrible. 2017 is the year. (I said the same thing about 2016... but it's fine.)<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">7. The Young Elites + by Marie Lu</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgUN5B-oCJ6QwgGmnW1Q7H8PTucCo0YZiq18hqktCeGGAQjmvAKqJUjL8zaePJTejBmvIm8CSIIkA3NmZM9Dk2kvzVtGt363fJ6yabqzicIhZD7A4Yr84Qskibe04-Ei0f20c5EWrB9xi8/s1600/20821111.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgUN5B-oCJ6QwgGmnW1Q7H8PTucCo0YZiq18hqktCeGGAQjmvAKqJUjL8zaePJTejBmvIm8CSIIkA3NmZM9Dk2kvzVtGt363fJ6yabqzicIhZD7A4Yr84Qskibe04-Ei0f20c5EWrB9xi8/s320/20821111.jpg" width="211" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwNp9h2tOEZGDvXIJIghSWwke-auSw6i9vgBeVIs3aRLUOCxQF-CsA1rLBAoEEnkRkEmz9uluJSQ-lPoaVwr4OPg9SbUqO08bVQKUZ_a7rNO3yrhg8vPpH4kNCxG4j814GHZ9U76htVuw/s1600/Book2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwNp9h2tOEZGDvXIJIghSWwke-auSw6i9vgBeVIs3aRLUOCxQF-CsA1rLBAoEEnkRkEmz9uluJSQ-lPoaVwr4OPg9SbUqO08bVQKUZ_a7rNO3yrhg8vPpH4kNCxG4j814GHZ9U76htVuw/s320/Book2.jpg" width="212" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHSD-kpN1pec0EjOxVXhgFTfCGCZJGznZkSIynoGDDpWsdxMskrzH551wBpGve2GhGDRvXHrryzueHZTR5WeFgn0G2w1FYa9Eaj4VLx2OYWQDolF81W-D-HzCbsbQOolQPBw0FmGsRnCUu/s1600/28588345.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHSD-kpN1pec0EjOxVXhgFTfCGCZJGznZkSIynoGDDpWsdxMskrzH551wBpGve2GhGDRvXHrryzueHZTR5WeFgn0G2w1FYa9Eaj4VLx2OYWQDolF81W-D-HzCbsbQOolQPBw0FmGsRnCUu/s320/28588345.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgUN5B-oCJ6QwgGmnW1Q7H8PTucCo0YZiq18hqktCeGGAQjmvAKqJUjL8zaePJTejBmvIm8CSIIkA3NmZM9Dk2kvzVtGt363fJ6yabqzicIhZD7A4Yr84Qskibe04-Ei0f20c5EWrB9xi8/s1600/20821111.jpg" imageanchor="1"><br /></a>
I really enjoyed the Legend trilogy, so I can't believe I haven't gotten around to her newest works.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">8. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUs5tt0MNQ_E8s1L2IMxZcrRyep_nvq6ZNXlOjITb5Gsv7N6Wqb53siEIp_n1bd69hogTiSpmbfZ6AlcEs0hmlBL1tXSPrHdJDVZ7WcaB_-vOHu0J47oGLzGBJWADrpQqv-shckH9ZwiK6/s1600/Perksofbeingwallflower1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUs5tt0MNQ_E8s1L2IMxZcrRyep_nvq6ZNXlOjITb5Gsv7N6Wqb53siEIp_n1bd69hogTiSpmbfZ6AlcEs0hmlBL1tXSPrHdJDVZ7WcaB_-vOHu0J47oGLzGBJWADrpQqv-shckH9ZwiK6/s400/Perksofbeingwallflower1.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
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Literally everyone loves this book so why have I not read it? Excellent question. This year it's happening.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">9. Shades of Magic Series by V.E Schwab</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqqmkotbaRQfw7v-RtmJYY58xXN2odCP4IcXUlebhEbE9HUxcQiW44P1Og-sSYhaESJpwCElOI5nhTGSm27PMDhvUCuIiU6EE9tHiQiB07eAmteP3dTMmLmK7Te6-TOA5_as5Rd6lBOTZ/s1600/22055262.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqqmkotbaRQfw7v-RtmJYY58xXN2odCP4IcXUlebhEbE9HUxcQiW44P1Og-sSYhaESJpwCElOI5nhTGSm27PMDhvUCuIiU6EE9tHiQiB07eAmteP3dTMmLmK7Te6-TOA5_as5Rd6lBOTZ/s400/22055262.jpg" width="265" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2O7cAtZtbKYG3rN4hBm_5u8VQDPTq_udi4oB_TKbdkNX0gzxb0byoOcjffp0jCUdvj7MObQXgzxyOQZzRd3_IjHj1HGFmsqwYQMxO4138yhfQnt0CfwrRuDBzZ1eWCNgqBkS0-mOFykY/s1600/20764879.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2O7cAtZtbKYG3rN4hBm_5u8VQDPTq_udi4oB_TKbdkNX0gzxb0byoOcjffp0jCUdvj7MObQXgzxyOQZzRd3_IjHj1HGFmsqwYQMxO4138yhfQnt0CfwrRuDBzZ1eWCNgqBkS0-mOFykY/s400/20764879.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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I've yet to hear a negative review for both of these books, which has convinced me that I need to read them. I can't believe I haven't yet, and I have no valid excuse here.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">10. New Moon + by Stephenie Meyer</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjronXDqiB5SsIOl5zfG3g_WlfMuxZ6g1Aw4J7O_6ZNVai4QXOUyb5ncfrnkfZ0k_bZE3ytj1SfL1Uf-iN9v79qOkAAX9QJACr4B-uXMMLrFRfgZfwkk9RXn4NCPAcmOsm85hZq4HKOoYoi/s1600/Newmooncover.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK0__Vcnfk0PUygpQkG9rBmUDWPhr_dMvlxlc7J_1pox8lhHeoRqgg8LVubCsUVi6gR7anfdDPVx2PHFRvT27eK-D5dYDS7zXd0AbQ38Mk4Of1n2sapTN34mBu2UBjOFoYyuVvxSRDf5HU/s1600/Eclipsecover-1.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHxcSK4XQ0Dg53OchpsD3nvEAJuZyZafeku3tGMXSNfFIla31DCK-J_woLpqlOBl6DPVwz3ypphqGnxWyNwj0z81yXDo6u9GBa5_6Z2X9jnEGcYuz2EZvTcZkO0lI4xUDJr_3gTl0Xy9P9/s1600/new-moon-book-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHxcSK4XQ0Dg53OchpsD3nvEAJuZyZafeku3tGMXSNfFIla31DCK-J_woLpqlOBl6DPVwz3ypphqGnxWyNwj0z81yXDo6u9GBa5_6Z2X9jnEGcYuz2EZvTcZkO0lI4xUDJr_3gTl0Xy9P9/s320/new-moon-book-cover.jpg" width="213" /></a><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK0__Vcnfk0PUygpQkG9rBmUDWPhr_dMvlxlc7J_1pox8lhHeoRqgg8LVubCsUVi6gR7anfdDPVx2PHFRvT27eK-D5dYDS7zXd0AbQ38Mk4Of1n2sapTN34mBu2UBjOFoYyuVvxSRDf5HU/s320/Eclipsecover-1.jpg" width="212" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgj47xL4TvzO3li7IeN9W-acNMbyk1dl9K23BuSRalroVG3FIeKn8DdDn-H_4uWUBiQ26kLe7UOFYRoOz3NjRnRtf140kqIi_5z6O9qQpXPj6W8Pen84XJ0mEtTkfmgKB5JE1ReAV0i4PX/s1600/Breaking_Dawn_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgj47xL4TvzO3li7IeN9W-acNMbyk1dl9K23BuSRalroVG3FIeKn8DdDn-H_4uWUBiQ26kLe7UOFYRoOz3NjRnRtf140kqIi_5z6O9qQpXPj6W8Pen84XJ0mEtTkfmgKB5JE1ReAV0i4PX/s320/Breaking_Dawn_cover.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjronXDqiB5SsIOl5zfG3g_WlfMuxZ6g1Aw4J7O_6ZNVai4QXOUyb5ncfrnkfZ0k_bZE3ytj1SfL1Uf-iN9v79qOkAAX9QJACr4B-uXMMLrFRfgZfwkk9RXn4NCPAcmOsm85hZq4HKOoYoi/s1600/Newmooncover.jpg" imageanchor="1"><br /></a>
I read <a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/11/twilight.html">Twilight<i> </i>by Stephenie Meyer</a> over the summer of 2016, and while I wasn't the biggest fan, I now feel odd not having completed the series. I'll definitely need to get on with that.<br />
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And that concludes the ten books I'm quite embarrassed to admit I haven't read them. Of the ten I listed last year, I actually followed through with four of them, and while that doesn't sound like a lot, three of them were actually series. (So ha!) Let me know what books you're behind on, and I wish you all luck with the 2017 reading year!<br />
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<br />Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12865603361609161446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924953077544223906.post-25567813963380239112017-01-10T16:24:00.000-06:002017-01-10T16:24:52.030-06:00Between Shades of Gray<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsw5b_IyL9-2Gi5U52A3ZShcqCkTgTsW34PBvGfpy3ppvx4nlbwCfL3seaXNAu_xnll56ZeE7QkSxLFqFoKn-XdKYGw-Aw24mwTLbsKXtpe-HzKee0kiAGgc3s6aaG_QXcoksupQRQ7zpm/s1600/7824322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsw5b_IyL9-2Gi5U52A3ZShcqCkTgTsW34PBvGfpy3ppvx4nlbwCfL3seaXNAu_xnll56ZeE7QkSxLFqFoKn-XdKYGw-Aw24mwTLbsKXtpe-HzKee0kiAGgc3s6aaG_QXcoksupQRQ7zpm/s400/7824322.jpg" width="276" /></a>Title: Between Shades of Gray<br />
Author: Ruta Sepetys<br />
Genre: YA Historical Fiction<br />
Pages: 344<br />
Rating: 4/5 Stars<br />
Purchase this book:<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399254129/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0399254129&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a> • <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/between-shades-of-gray-ruta-sepetys/1020011284?ean=9780399254123&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000004">Barnes & Noble</a> • <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Between-Shades-of-Gray-Rut-Sepetys/9780399254123">Book Depository</a><br />
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Lina led a normal, teenage life in Lithuania, when one day Soviet officers marched into her home and threw her whole family on board cramped train cars where they traveled over 6,000 miles to the Arctic Circle. As Lina is forced to pay the price for crimes she never committed, she struggles to stay alive.<br />
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When you hear about the Holocaust, you probably instantly think of Hitler, and all the people he killed. What most people don't know is that Joseph Stalin was responsible for just as many ruined lives. In an attempt to get Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania off the map, he rounded up anybody who was linked to anti-soviet beliefs, and sent them to labor camps in Siberia and other remote places. This novel tells the untold story of the many, many people who suffered under Stalin's rule.<br />
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This was an amazing, powerful novel about a will to live, a will to survive, and a will to spread the word. Ruta Sepetys herself has Lithuanian heritage, and that's what inspired her to write this novel. Most of the people imprisoned didn't get to share their story in fear of being arrested, and I think it's really great that Ruta wants to show the world just how awful things were for those Latvians, Lithuanians, and Estonians.<br />
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But besides the fact that this book has a very emotional origin, let's discuss how great the plot is. It's full of dark, dark detail. Death and sickness is around every corner. But between all the despair, there is hope and a will to survive. While this book seems quite dismal at first glance, it has a hidden ray of happiness and warmth. I enjoyed how complex many of the characters were. There were many angels in disguise, and it was really heartwarming.</div>
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Something I've always liked about historical fiction novels that take place during WWII is how we get to put real people next to the statistics. Yes, we know lots of people died in the Holocaust, but until you read a book about an individual who experienced it all, you don't realize that those people actually had lives. Suddenly, it makes the whole thing a lot more personal. </div>
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So I would greatly suggest you read this novel if you'd like to learn about the unknown heroes of World War II. </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7824322-between-shades-of-gray?ac=1&from_search=true"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7824322-between-shades-of-gray?ac=1&from_search=true">Click here to view <i>Between Shades of Gray</i> on Goodreads</a><br />
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Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12865603361609161446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924953077544223906.post-54540958890149551742017-01-04T19:08:00.000-06:002017-01-04T19:08:40.586-06:00TBR Jar Challenge 2017! <div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2R3p-d9AKogDDAgrdjNN3dnZc36Kj-P2dhgrkl6akTAnr4W2evb7F1rxZFJWqsvfkooDBNcGgMRcJhgVg5cqE_UICmsKHUgvJQxegv9yDW0a-vNAFtmCYwZXAAmQnMqFGWEIKrxFCNUf/s1600/tbr+jar+challenge+2017+3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2R3p-d9AKogDDAgrdjNN3dnZc36Kj-P2dhgrkl6akTAnr4W2evb7F1rxZFJWqsvfkooDBNcGgMRcJhgVg5cqE_UICmsKHUgvJQxegv9yDW0a-vNAFtmCYwZXAAmQnMqFGWEIKrxFCNUf/s400/tbr+jar+challenge+2017+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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As I mentioned in my <a href="https://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/12/2017-goals.html">2017 Goals</a> post earlier in December, I've been very interested in creating my own TBR Jar challenge for 2017. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept of the TBR Jar Challenge, you create 12 different challenges related to books on your TBR, and then each month you select a challenge at random from a jar to complete. I believe <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsOUDYZWyeI7u6rzZCexkw">Katytastic</a> on YouTube started this in 2015, and you can see the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsxx9UYM5x0">video in which she introduces it here</a>.<br />
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I actually did get around to making a TBR Jar for myself, so in this post I'll just sort of walk you through what I did?<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Step 1: Obtain a jar (or mug or cup or bowl or whatever works best for you)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgna_rWEk7nUK-KMt5axhahAetxCEjP6UW4e_7Ovoy0REZZ0pWmVeImzBsM7dqCrQs07CjJ51AQTPUdXluUo2oEq4X4_aNgoo7Qybj84i1q6mlcj_CqG-uirkJcXXIPV4siW9hU747k4OEz/s1600/VSCO+Cam-1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgna_rWEk7nUK-KMt5axhahAetxCEjP6UW4e_7Ovoy0REZZ0pWmVeImzBsM7dqCrQs07CjJ51AQTPUdXluUo2oEq4X4_aNgoo7Qybj84i1q6mlcj_CqG-uirkJcXXIPV4siW9hU747k4OEz/s400/VSCO+Cam-1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Target had Mason jars on sale in their dollar section, so a picked a couple up, but you could certainly use any mug or cup you have laying around.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Step 2: Gather your others supplies</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbdfq69xQxeGQzVp6Evtx-s6lHACNjoXixS40JUNOTXgagKztLUOni4yZVRyD8KGN9lA7Pp7dtv1pW4j6ccODoipsqCouVB52f_76xCeH2YI5AbsDKKriBucu1Fo2VnXMpTdr64Ul1C59/s1600/VSCO+Cam-1-2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbdfq69xQxeGQzVp6Evtx-s6lHACNjoXixS40JUNOTXgagKztLUOni4yZVRyD8KGN9lA7Pp7dtv1pW4j6ccODoipsqCouVB52f_76xCeH2YI5AbsDKKriBucu1Fo2VnXMpTdr64Ul1C59/s400/VSCO+Cam-1-2.jpg" width="300" /></a> </div>
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While I just needed a silver sharpie and some cardstock, some people I've seen have a lot of fun decorating their jar's exterior with things like paint pens and washi tape, so you do you!<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Step 3: Decide on challenges</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxhlfzZJg2iQtDq8Grjua4ccVBVYqwBqJOg-zKEY2EBAXIydHzPK81siOLs5r8I_uFQp_re-pzRNtzMTNI4f7eb2UeBnHlqv6kAnEl0Bn45cqUV8xjQcnfCuCNB5QpuabomzhdX7VhJjIu/s1600/VSCO+Cam-1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxhlfzZJg2iQtDq8Grjua4ccVBVYqwBqJOg-zKEY2EBAXIydHzPK81siOLs5r8I_uFQp_re-pzRNtzMTNI4f7eb2UeBnHlqv6kAnEl0Bn45cqUV8xjQcnfCuCNB5QpuabomzhdX7VhJjIu/s400/VSCO+Cam-1-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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After a long google session, I was able to come up with 12 challenge ideas that'll work best for me. They are as follows:<br />
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<li>Read a book with 500+ pages</li>
<li>Read a "new to me" author </li>
<li>Read a 2017 release</li>
<li>Read a classic (ahhh scary- and no, school books don't count.) </li>
<li>Read a book with a number or color in the title</li>
<li>Read a book with a one word title</li>
<li>Read a book with a blue cover</li>
<li>Read a book "everyone" but you has read</li>
<li>Read a book by a male author</li>
<li>Read a book by a female author</li>
<li>Read a book with less than 300 pages</li>
<li>Read a sequel </li>
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Those are the challenges I selected, but I'd make sure you create challenges that'll suit you as a reader, while still prompting you to read things you might not normally gravitate towards. </div>
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And once you've selected your challenges, write them out on slips of paper. I used pastel cardstock because #aesthetic, but the thick paper is a little challenging when it comes to folding and stuffing inside of the jar. (Although it does a nice job of preventing me from seeing through the other side.) </div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Step 4: Put the slips of paper inside the jar (plot twist ikr) </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuIag0nGcODyEdzbBnN-9gGzdhxzFc_4b3yaL1GUpGFiwPuEZ3zCJsg4LZyoLQR9SYRA1fQhIBOzcwWoSWdmvM8rglgPef_3itUtB_A3DwDB-TINSN1I-tigdeAnO9uP9gkLGHANpwy2S/s1600/VSCO+Cam-1-3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuIag0nGcODyEdzbBnN-9gGzdhxzFc_4b3yaL1GUpGFiwPuEZ3zCJsg4LZyoLQR9SYRA1fQhIBOzcwWoSWdmvM8rglgPef_3itUtB_A3DwDB-TINSN1I-tigdeAnO9uP9gkLGHANpwy2S/s400/VSCO+Cam-1-3.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
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And now you've got your TBR Jar! And it's January, so you can go ahead and select your first challenge. Mine was to read a book with a one word title, and I chose <i>Truthwitch </i>by Susan Dennard. (Which ended up being a good thing because book two comes out on the 10th!) </div>
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Let me know if you've ever wanted to do a TBR jar, or if you 've done one before. I hope you join me this year with this super fun challenge! (Here's to a great 2017.) </div>
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Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12865603361609161446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924953077544223906.post-73504287128726765032016-12-31T14:03:00.000-06:002016-12-31T14:03:56.496-06:00Me and Earl and the Dying Girl<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipjzLOmkgkxY7cHmL8t2zg8STmBLxXSRtZDNLeFCjbExPhO0Va88yTIKbNGVbyzbFx4MSijyIdk8ziBNKjC2r73JonPPSajhNLBDczFvVZDXqW_aUaSkViYzg5D5NrnHNA3shR0RMwjpUx/s1600/12700353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipjzLOmkgkxY7cHmL8t2zg8STmBLxXSRtZDNLeFCjbExPhO0Va88yTIKbNGVbyzbFx4MSijyIdk8ziBNKjC2r73JonPPSajhNLBDczFvVZDXqW_aUaSkViYzg5D5NrnHNA3shR0RMwjpUx/s400/12700353.jpg" width="266" /></a>Title: Me and Earth and the Dying Girl<br />
Author: Jesse Andrews<br />
Genre: YA Contemporary<br />
Pages: 295<br />
Rating: 4/5 Stars<br />
Purchase this book:<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Earl-Dying-Girl-Jesse-Andrews/dp/1419701762?ie=UTF8&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1419701762&linkCode=as2&redirect=true&ref_=x_gr_w_bb&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20">Amazon</a> • <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/me-and-earl-and-the-dying-girl-jesse-andrews/1105802919?ean=9781419701764&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000004">Barnes & Noble</a> • <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/search?searchTerm=1419701762&search=Find+book&a_aid=goodreads">Book Depository</a><br />
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Greg Gaines, senior, had everything down. He knew just how to slip into the world of high school with no enemies, no friends, and no commitment. Of course the only way for his set up to be ruined would be the result of intervention from his mother. When childhood friend Rachel was diagnosed with cancer, Greg's mother forced him to rekindle their friendship in an attempt to give the girl something happy in the last moments of her life. And also, there's an Earl involved.<br />
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This is not a sad book. I don't think it was ever meant to be a sad book either. From the beginning it's made clear that this is not supposed to be your typical YA contemporary. So if you're expecting a tearjerker, Fault in our Stars lookalike, look again. This isn't it. In fact, this book is anything but sad- it's funny. Part of that may be due to the title putting everything out there in the open. You're aware Rachel is a dying girl from the get go. But truthfully, this was a really funny, lighthearted book.<br />
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I feel the need to introduce Greg's friend Earl, as he does have a spot in the title. Earl is hilarious. His raw humor and grim outlook on life always left me laughing, and his default mood is grumpy, which makes for a snarky and sarcastic character. So he's a huge part of the comedy in this novel. </div>
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I actually listened to this book via audiobook, and I highly recommend you do to. I don't think I'd have liked it as much if I had read it instead of listened to it, because the narrator is so talented. He gets each voice so <i>perfect, </i>and it really contributed to the overall quality of the book. I don't think I would have read Earl's dialect in his accent if I'd been reading it physically, so hearing the narrator mimic his accent pulled his humor and dialogue together completely, allowing me to truly appreciate his comedic taste. </div>
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I found Greg to be a somewhat relatable main character in the sense that I do strive to have no quarrels with people in school. However, that's where my ability to relate to him stops. I would much rather have friends and a couple people I didn't get along with than have no friends and no enemies. Greg's strategy to having no enemies is to have no close friends, and I don't think I could go through life like that. And Greg and Earl are not much of overachievers when it comes to school. In Greg's defense, he was a bit of an achiever before he began devoting all his spare time to visiting Rachel, but we don't really get to see pre-Rachel-Greg. I just find it difficult to relate to people who just don't <i>care. </i>Whether that be about school or just things in general. </div>
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But I did find this book extremely funny, touching, and fun, and I'd recommend it to everyone, because it's truly an exciting book to read. </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12700353-me-and-earl-and-the-dying-girl"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12700353-me-and-earl-and-the-dying-girl">Click here to view <i>Me and Earl and the Dying Girl </i>on Goodreads </a></div>
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Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12865603361609161446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924953077544223906.post-80011111978425325142016-12-28T14:31:00.000-06:002016-12-28T14:31:39.215-06:00Top 16 of 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's that time of year again in which I highlight some of the best books I read this year. Today, I bring you my top 16 of 2016! <a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2015/12/top-15-of-2015.html">(Check out my top 15 of 2015!)</a> Please note that these are not in order of preference, (I'm too indecisive for that lol) but ordered by when I read them.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">1. <a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/01/winter.html">Winter by Marissa Meyer</a></span></div>
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Okay fun fact- Cinder was the first book on my Top 15 of 2015 list. Anyway, it's no shock that this amazing conclusion novel won a spot here. I gave this one five, well deserved stars. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQBV13VVcpUHvQtQAvGiEU6tkSSesc-6H7t7j2peflnLzepgzxzmw5unRGOLplxW7FNXZ3s2kshkN35Ub3PpbSRKFc8U7l83qZCZJTOj3g234kjyEkKYwlLQFS3t6abWtFDleJG3q998-/s1600/890.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQBV13VVcpUHvQtQAvGiEU6tkSSesc-6H7t7j2peflnLzepgzxzmw5unRGOLplxW7FNXZ3s2kshkN35Ub3PpbSRKFc8U7l83qZCZJTOj3g234kjyEkKYwlLQFS3t6abWtFDleJG3q998-/s400/890.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
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Gosh dangit this book left me emotionally wrecked. I've always had a daunting fear of classics, given the awful ones I've been forced to read for school, but I truly enjoyed <i>Of Mice and Men. </i>If you haven't read this one, I would highly recommend it. It's super short (was the shortest book I read all year) and it's plot is so gorgeous I just want to as;dkjaiad. Caution- tears will fall. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/01/passenger.html">3. Passenger by Alexandra Bracken</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGd6ef9Obn-_vaL7Qduh38Ra-Ts_YsyWfLlQq2dQgx1ErVPue1f-n_jvXaV4puMH7lD_P6OiOCTErvp-qTWfkKKBSOiZsx0GsB0KXpW_QvJDcklqx5_6igdz-xtSDj8CKqd3FUcF0R2fH/s1600/20983362.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGd6ef9Obn-_vaL7Qduh38Ra-Ts_YsyWfLlQq2dQgx1ErVPue1f-n_jvXaV4puMH7lD_P6OiOCTErvp-qTWfkKKBSOiZsx0GsB0KXpW_QvJDcklqx5_6igdz-xtSDj8CKqd3FUcF0R2fH/s400/20983362.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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So I don't think I've kept it a secret that Alexandra Bracken is literally my favorite YA author, like, ever, and I will endlessly spend my money on anything and everything that she produces. I loved her novel, <i>Passenger, </i>and gave it a 5 star review (which she retweeted!!!). I also had the pleasure of meeting her at <a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/05/event-recap-bookcon-2016.html">BookCo</a>n this year! </div>
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<a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/01/illuminae.html"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/01/illuminae.html"><span style="font-size: large;">4. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff</span></a></div>
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This book was so overwhelming that I literally couldn't even think about picking up another book after I finished this one. It was <i>so good. </i>If you haven't read this, you need to. Right now. I gave it five stars. I also had the honor of meeting this duo at BookCon, so that was pretty cool! (Understatement of the year- it was absolutely awesome.) </div>
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<a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/02/carry-on.html"><span style="font-size: large;">5. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell</span></a></div>
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Yoooo if you haven't read this one you're doing yourself a disfavor. I gave this one 4.5 stars, so I know what I'm talking about. Honestly. Read it. Love it. Reread it. Even if you hated the inserts in Fangirl, READ IT I PROMISE YOU'LL LIKE IT. </div>
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<a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-siren.html"><span style="font-size: large;">6. The Siren by Kiera Cass</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBULlcT05nutmtckgOOZJzzUJCa1lEDt02IZ0AJw5nn8x3W1SOEDitJdYghRDyhBTJ-IUMfoa9cHm33okymB_2Wu31826U_mez-YU_vRVhiXoszVG7UYTaePo5mx7BDE77K9764jyOehr5/s1600/25817407.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBULlcT05nutmtckgOOZJzzUJCa1lEDt02IZ0AJw5nn8x3W1SOEDitJdYghRDyhBTJ-IUMfoa9cHm33okymB_2Wu31826U_mez-YU_vRVhiXoszVG7UYTaePo5mx7BDE77K9764jyOehr5/s400/25817407.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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So Kiera Cass rewrote this novel that she wrote a while ago, and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. Not only is this a YA standalone- it's a YA, fantasy standalone. We don't get many of those. This was such a sweet, refreshing romance, and I hope you pick it up! (4.5 stars)</div>
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<a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/03/lady-midnight.html"><span style="font-size: large;">7. Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYmJXuWVrrY_kdi3_QgISxbnF9iaEdmJkE0iEHOHFx_zwb5e2cn1LsKXjhNrUu6pK_YGJSbZEQAsIrAc3mzWixvb6p91hwos-PF_zNWygL5n2i9p1ujDKhKRTJt_UDG5sQ_N_ljYO9ZU69/s1600/25494343.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYmJXuWVrrY_kdi3_QgISxbnF9iaEdmJkE0iEHOHFx_zwb5e2cn1LsKXjhNrUu6pK_YGJSbZEQAsIrAc3mzWixvb6p91hwos-PF_zNWygL5n2i9p1ujDKhKRTJt_UDG5sQ_N_ljYO9ZU69/s400/25494343.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>
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You can hate on Cassie all you want, but I adored <i>Lady Midnight. </i>It was one long, awesome, epic ride, and I can't wait for Lord of Shadows. It got five well earned stars! </div>
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<a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/04/ready-player-one.html"><span style="font-size: large;">8. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Q14FTTDuXnumd41ighxVfP8S9jWbEdHmo268qamonooIzAt4Nywm06DG7pyNUk-_-Gd4f1PBay4-9v5ZLi6k8wcEYW-bGnXisx2V6HLFe4T89cV-oR7JXifjGz3TZG5OjUtG-DaoATqk/s1600/12600138.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Q14FTTDuXnumd41ighxVfP8S9jWbEdHmo268qamonooIzAt4Nywm06DG7pyNUk-_-Gd4f1PBay4-9v5ZLi6k8wcEYW-bGnXisx2V6HLFe4T89cV-oR7JXifjGz3TZG5OjUtG-DaoATqk/s400/12600138.jpg" width="258" /></a></div>
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This is a crazy book. Honestly, it left me feeling so many different things. It's a book that makes you think. It got 4.5 stars from me, so I definitely recommend it. My brother recently finished it, and he loved it too. (So obviously it's good- he said so.) </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26252859-the-hidden-oracle"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-hidden-oracle.html"><span style="font-size: large;">9. The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan</span></a></div>
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SOS please someone help me it's not healthy for me to feel so strongly in love with this book. For those of you who have begun to feel burned out by all the Riordan books, never fear, The Trials of Apollo are here. This new five book series got off to a really good start with me, and I gave it five shining stars because <i>dang </i>this book. </div>
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<a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/08/six-of-crows.html"><span style="font-size: large;">10. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo</span></a></div>
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I wasn't the biggest fan of The Grisha trilogy that Bardugo put out, but <i>Six of Crows </i>was phenomenal. It got 4.5 stars from me. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">11. <a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/07/the-summer-that-melted-everything.html">The Summer That Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6-9-hV1SEk5m3lrIcBC7pLRSevAin3vTIyjVcPV_BvK3oNPXgMG4-KKbfS_vkIpZrPsCksJKcoNmmwOK7E-nhdUnvyZjtcM6d6gexVtHx06mLR6zAiXT2pCT7DCNIPW93OT_uTyVKuTbJ/s1600/26114523.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6-9-hV1SEk5m3lrIcBC7pLRSevAin3vTIyjVcPV_BvK3oNPXgMG4-KKbfS_vkIpZrPsCksJKcoNmmwOK7E-nhdUnvyZjtcM6d6gexVtHx06mLR6zAiXT2pCT7DCNIPW93OT_uTyVKuTbJ/s400/26114523.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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I sort of want to force McDaniel to spill her author secrets to me because THIS BOOK IS LIFE CHANGING. I literally want to go around throwing this book at people's heads until they finally read this book because it is so, so, sooooo amazing and I really wish I could convey the feelings I have for this book accurately. (Honestly just go read my review- it's so much more coherent.) But yeah, this was possibly the best book I read all year, and I gave it five stars. <a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/08/interview-with-author-tiffany-mcdaniel.html">Also, check out my interview with the amazing Tiffany McDaniel!</a></div>
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<a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/09/we-were-liars.html"><span style="font-size: large;">12. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart </span></a></div>
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Wow all I can say here is that this book really messed with my mind. Low key thought I was going crazy. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">13. I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY9OcgMOd5T32uDzAJa1SOuVu8Ed3ew06T-YxA4TWXv7yqqyhUNQbBkKTjy9aW1NcRbrYNwo_OucT2F22X-ee0Gyt0H7olDHmAmJ-IhFGdybuX1ky8LMXH64cSVvYA1L5L1kp9Tp5FBNJ2/s1600/20820994.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY9OcgMOd5T32uDzAJa1SOuVu8Ed3ew06T-YxA4TWXv7yqqyhUNQbBkKTjy9aW1NcRbrYNwo_OucT2F22X-ee0Gyt0H7olDHmAmJ-IhFGdybuX1ky8LMXH64cSVvYA1L5L1kp9Tp5FBNJ2/s400/20820994.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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I'm super sad because I just realized I never finished writing my review for this book, and I think it's too late for me to recollect my thoughts. However! I can tell you that this is definitely one of my new favorite books, and you need to read it because Jandy Nelson has <i>the</i> most beautiful writing humankind has ever seen. </div>
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14. Kill the Boy Band by Goldy Moldavksy</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJu3pXnbUFm7i-g2nxvbElTU_MuyDVB-HDkHc_Tz3ECFA1b7-bj_V9ZnInR8S-9w0fdfdXkn4t13-1nc5UnFKRFKK2RyJJdIOmWzow0PpaiMVfVhIC-Bt9lvh9U1nGIQ2rcwypiBH1Yu7/s1600/25184383.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJu3pXnbUFm7i-g2nxvbElTU_MuyDVB-HDkHc_Tz3ECFA1b7-bj_V9ZnInR8S-9w0fdfdXkn4t13-1nc5UnFKRFKK2RyJJdIOmWzow0PpaiMVfVhIC-Bt9lvh9U1nGIQ2rcwypiBH1Yu7/s400/25184383.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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Another great read I didn't review (not sure why this is a trend all of a sudden...) but this novel was bizarre in all the ways you don't even realize. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">15. </span><a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/12/crooked-kingdom.html"><span style="font-size: large;">Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo</span> </a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA6zidFWk5giN6HGgdewHF8GdbIXp_enfWxNZH3n85FCNdHcL_uFLbBAhlDQ0e3ZGgV5_e22Lgok-8EXJKURzUvFSZh-dfNhcFM8jb8l6wMHtteVJXyIsmyTliTn4j0Iz-lrBZlJY421v5/s1600/22299763-1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA6zidFWk5giN6HGgdewHF8GdbIXp_enfWxNZH3n85FCNdHcL_uFLbBAhlDQ0e3ZGgV5_e22Lgok-8EXJKURzUvFSZh-dfNhcFM8jb8l6wMHtteVJXyIsmyTliTn4j0Iz-lrBZlJY421v5/s400/22299763-1.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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Aha Bardugo strikes again. I liked the sequel to <i>Six of Crows </i>even more, and gave it 5 stars. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">16. <a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/12/gemina.html">Gemina by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTxNCV2VWL5lt_vGV2TzMQknqv33ocbwn8SGOak13UN7IzY28yzjKuqMhthK7R1zqNR8yvqG0n78hvBdq0lg2vR33-K-BRPuzEBdn56oMtUGJXZJOKgwmzvKbC2jCooxVHKq2kMOexbzV2/s1600/29236299-2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTxNCV2VWL5lt_vGV2TzMQknqv33ocbwn8SGOak13UN7IzY28yzjKuqMhthK7R1zqNR8yvqG0n78hvBdq0lg2vR33-K-BRPuzEBdn56oMtUGJXZJOKgwmzvKbC2jCooxVHKq2kMOexbzV2/s400/29236299-2.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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Honestly, are we even surprised here? The next book in the Illuminae Files did not disappoint- I loved every page of it. Crossing my fingers in hope that we'll get a cover and/or title release for book three soon! </div>
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Aaaaand that concludes my Top 16 of 2016 list. I had a year full of some amazing 5 star and 4.5 star reads, and I hope that these are all books you've read or plan on reading in the future! Let me know some of your favorite reads this year! </div>
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Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12865603361609161446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924953077544223906.post-87324821204687728262016-12-23T20:48:00.000-06:002016-12-30T01:03:51.217-06:00Gemina<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEen2qwrQAq9aE6h_yDXhTfW8r1xma2FbCVtLmyR247Ee9v2DNxPvN6iU1NPHMS3kRw81i6654avA1rBSv1YTg5Xn7p4t-r0bm2CxVjcWzKUCAhDnMBu_HsDPgjsDeLzlze2t4t14Jv-p/s1600/29236299-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEen2qwrQAq9aE6h_yDXhTfW8r1xma2FbCVtLmyR247Ee9v2DNxPvN6iU1NPHMS3kRw81i6654avA1rBSv1YTg5Xn7p4t-r0bm2CxVjcWzKUCAhDnMBu_HsDPgjsDeLzlze2t4t14Jv-p/s400/29236299-1.jpg" width="265" /></a>Title: Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2)<br />
Authors: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff<br />
Genre: YA Science Fiction<br />
Pages: 659<br />
Rating: 5 Stars<br />
Purchase this book:<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553499165/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0553499165&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a> • <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gemina-amie-kaufman/1123454747?ean=9780553499162&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000004">Barnes & Noble</a> • <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Gemin-Arnie-Kaufman/9780553499162">Book Depository</a><br />
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Hanna and Nik are celebrating Terra Day on the space station they live on,<i> Heimdall, </i>when it is attacked by terrorists from BeiTech. Fortunately, (or unfortunately- depending on how you look at it) the two were separate from the rest of the civilians when BeiTech locked everyone in. The two are pressed to find help in escaping their attackers as they're hunted down.<br />
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Of course this book was phenomenal. I gave Illuminae five stars, and Gemina was just as good. For those of you who have read <i>Illuminae</i>, be prepared for a new set of main characters. Hanna is the daughter of the station captain, and lives a life of luxury. Nik is part of a notorious crime family and does not. I was somewhat worried that I wouldn't like having new characters, but I instantly fell in love with them and became invested in the story. Plus, their story still connects to the characters in <i>Illuminae</i>, and we get to see a little bit of them here and there.<br />
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Like with <i>Illuminae, Gemina </i>is told through IMs, transcripts, journal entries and more. In fact, the lovely Marie Lu did the sketches inside Hanna's journal, and they are absolutely fantastic. The typography, graphics, and images found in <i>Gemina</i> are so gorgeous and <i>powerful. </i>It really adds much more feeling to the story. True, it was a little awkward having to turn the book upside down and sideways to read some pages, but it was worth it. (Mini arm workout am I right?) </div>
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Also! On the pages with "random" names, (lists of casualties and whatnot) I highly recommend you actually read through the names. You'll recognize many beloved YA authors scattered here and there!</div>
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If there's anything negative I have to say, it would be that I find the dialect of the characters a little too similar to ours. This book takes place five centuries into the future, and I feel like some of the things they say would be different. Like, the references they make are so... earthly. I don't know if the characters actually understand their references, or if they've just become old sayings at this point in the future. I'm not sure. Also, I'd love a little more worldbuilding. I understand that wouldn't really work with the story and format, but I really, really want to know more about what life is like in this world. What is Terra Day? What happened to Earth? How far into space have we colonized? However, these are so insignificant that I can't even dock down any stars for it. </div>
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Gemina was an incredible book. The plot had my mind whirling- I couldn't believe the roller coaster it had me on. If you're even debating not picking this series up, please do. It's such a great read. And don't be intimidated by the size- the format allows you to read it quickly. </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29236299-gemina?ac=1&from_search=true">Click here to view <i>Gemina </i>on Goodreads</a></div>
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Other books in this series: </div>
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<a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/01/illuminae.html">Illuminae</a></div>
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Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12865603361609161446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924953077544223906.post-7089431956862366922016-12-21T16:43:00.000-06:002016-12-21T16:43:05.940-06:002017 Goals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Woah woah WOAH where has the time gone? I feel like December 2015 was just yesterday. Regardless of my inability to measure time, it is in fact the end of 2016, and I figured, "what better time to make plans and goals I probably won't accomplish than right now?"<br />
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1. Stay consistent<br />
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Okay, okay, so I went MIA there towards the beginning of the school year, and it was really hard to get back into blogging. This time, I want to consistently blog throughout the entire year. I don't necessarily want to keep to a strict schedule, but I also don't want to take months at a time off either.<br />
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2. Network more<br />
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I need to embrace the fact that I can't be totally immersed in the book blogging community if I don't go out and explore other people's blogs. I've been getting better at it, but I could still be doing more commenting, reading, and networking with other people.<br />
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3. Meet my Goodreads reading challenge<br />
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I'm going to tell you a secret, I changed my Goodreads reading challenge this year. *gasp* I know. What a scandal. But shhhhh I had a three month streak in which I did not pick up a book, so I think it's justified that I lowered my goal from 75 to 50. I did, in fact, reach my goal of 50, so.... yay? I think I'm going to set it at 50 again, but in my mind I'll shoot for 75. I just didn't like feeling so pressured to read <i>as many </i>books as I possibly could. I'd rather have some extra room to reread books and things like that. (Speaking of, Goodreads really needs to come up with a reread feature.)<br />
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4. Make my own TBR Jar Challenge<br />
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I haven't picked out the topics for this one yet, but I looooove the whole concept behind the TBR Jar Challenges. I think I'll write a post about it when I make mine, but I need to come up with some challenges that'll work for me first.<br />
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5. Start bullet journaling again<br />
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I bullet journaled all of the 2015-2016 school year, and I really loved it. When this year came around, however, I used a standard planner instead. I miss all the creativity I got to put into bullet journaling, and I recently flipped through my old one, and now I really want to get back into it.<br />
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6. Reread Harry Potter<br />
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I like to do a Harry Potter reread at least every other year, and I think that 2017 would mark another Potter year. (I'm not entirely sure, as some of my rereads have gone from, like, October to February, happening in the span of two years.) Regardless, I want to reread Harry Potter in its entirety this year!<br />
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7. Be happy :)<br />
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In the end, the only thing I can ask for out of 2017 is happiness. I started this blog because I figured it'd bring some amount of joy, and that's most certainly proved to be true. Whether it's within or outside of blogging, I'd like to get through 2017 happy and healthy!<br />
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What goals to you all have this coming up year? And does anyone have any challenges they're participating in? I really want to join some, but I have no idea where to start!<br />
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Wishing you all a happy new year,<br />
<br />
Julia<br />
<br />Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12865603361609161446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924953077544223906.post-69059611344194540702016-12-19T16:11:00.000-06:002016-12-19T16:11:29.884-06:00Crooked Kingdom<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMr0O4ofxl6S3F8PT0mmAJZ2y_k4bp6ksIsWmgacSRmHMshXAN8IR3itRjE6KM5-Uu3-gbu5ibDnlhKkntFq_zLadxwx1YA072Hjqy7gvWxUFr6BvIQBMD9-U7-b7a50fUxwn-IAgIgBz6/s1600/22299763.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMr0O4ofxl6S3F8PT0mmAJZ2y_k4bp6ksIsWmgacSRmHMshXAN8IR3itRjE6KM5-Uu3-gbu5ibDnlhKkntFq_zLadxwx1YA072Hjqy7gvWxUFr6BvIQBMD9-U7-b7a50fUxwn-IAgIgBz6/s400/22299763.jpg" width="263" /></a>Title: Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2)<br />
Author: Leigh Bardugo<br />
Genre: YA High Fantasy<br />
Pages: 536<br />
Rating: 5 stars<br />
Purchase this book:<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0117K9N3Q/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0117K9N3Q&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a> • <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Crooked%20Kingdom?st=AFF&SID=BNB_DRS_Evergreen_20150928&2sid=Goodreads%2C+Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads%2C+IncM000004">Barnes & Noble</a> • <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/search?searchTerm=B0117K9N3Q&search=Find+book&a_aid=goodreads">Book Depository</a><br />
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In this conclusion to the Six of Crows Duology, the team has escaped the Ice Court and now has to deal with Jan Van Eck. With Inej being held hostage, and the young Kuwbei wanted by multiple parties, the team has to work swiftly and quietly to finish the job.<br />
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Oh. My. Gosh. Can I direct your attention to that little word up there that says "rating". Do you see what's next to it? FIVE STARS PEOPLE. I'm so happy I dove into this book. I read <i>Six of Crows</i> back during finals earlier this year, so it took me a solid month and a half to get through the book. Because of that, I was concerned this one would take me forever, too. But nope! I finished it in a week, and <i>dang </i>was it a good week.<br />
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I rated this book a half star higher than <i>Six of Crows</i>, and I think I did honestly like it a little better. Mostly, though, this is because you get to skip the heavy world building and jump right into the story. I had a hard time getting into <i>Six of Crows</i> at first, mostly because it does take a lot to set the plot up, but with <i>Crooked Kingdom, </i>I instantly fell into the world and the story. </div>
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Speaking of the story... I really, really appreciate the complexity of this plot. I feel like a lot of books (especially YA) have this standard form of -conflict- make a plan- act out plan- plan succeeds- story ends. However, in <i>Crooked Kingdom, </i>it's so much more complex than that. Bits and pieces of the scheme are revealed to you as it happens. You think you know what's going to happen and then <i>bam! </i>you realize you never knew the full picture. It's just so great.</div>
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Another amaaaazing part of the story, as I mentioned last time, is the characters. Typically speaking, I don't like a story having multiple perspectives, but I love how it's done in here- and there's <i>six </i>perspectives! Each character truly has their own, unique voice, and you get to know them all on a deeper level. </div>
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For my Hamiltrash out there who've read this one- did any of you see a handful of Hamilton lines scattered throughout the story? I definitely saw the thing about "guns and ships", the "outgunned- outmanned" thing, and the "see you on the other side" thing. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9GS0RbSI8fXJ6icpKVh2MBSSdCmyCAv2CV_6LEshrCadEWI6-DdR6eOcLV4KWjTkh5o4oWW0ILugeUZFvf73Ld4BM-EmO0Ryo1FWLuXOO1Z7-R_aWFMz-49-FL5xNgy326R9eNL0Z-W96/s1600/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9GS0RbSI8fXJ6icpKVh2MBSSdCmyCAv2CV_6LEshrCadEWI6-DdR6eOcLV4KWjTkh5o4oWW0ILugeUZFvf73Ld4BM-EmO0Ryo1FWLuXOO1Z7-R_aWFMz-49-FL5xNgy326R9eNL0Z-W96/s400/giphy.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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So anyway, I loved this book on such a deep level, it's really not okay. I'm so angry this is only a duology. I'm not ready to say goodbye to these characters! And after goodreads-stalking Leigh Bardugo, I can confirm her next project is totally unrelated to the Grisha. It's not even high-fantasy! :(</div>
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That said, please, please pick this duology up! I wouldn't say it's necessary to read the Grisha Trilogy beforehand, but there are some references and things you won't entirely understand if you don't. (Nothing essential to the plot though.) So go! Read away! And if you've already read Crooked Kingdom, let me know your thoughts! </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22299763-crooked-kingdom">Click here to view <i>Crooked Kingdom </i>on Goodreads</a></div>
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Other books in this series: </div>
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<a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/08/six-of-crows.html">Six of Crows</a></div>
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Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12865603361609161446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924953077544223906.post-90898052362030995652016-12-16T20:21:00.000-06:002016-12-16T20:21:19.719-06:00Banning Books and Why I'm Angry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, recently I came across a story involving the censorship of books, and the typical stupidity of some people.<br />
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Parents in Illinois are pushing to have eight books banned from the school, including:<br />
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<li>The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold</li>
<li>The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy </li>
<li><a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2015/11/thirteen-reasons-why.html">Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher</a></li>
<li>A Separate Peace by John Knowles</li>
<li>After the First Death by Robert Cormier</li>
<li>All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven</li>
<li>Go Tell it on the Mountain by James Baldwin</li>
<li>I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou </li>
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I'm sure you, too, have read -or at least recognize- some of these books, and I think it's absolutely ridiculous that parents are pushing to have these banned from that school. </div>
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I'm no stranger to the Anti-Banned Books movement, but this particular story has really sparked my flame of hatred for this type of censorship. </div>
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<a href="https://www.bookstr.com/article/illinois-parents-want-these-8-books-banned/2834?utm_campaign=609468_newsletter_161212&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Book%20Str&dm_i=2P56,D29O,2RNCI5,1AVF4,1">The first article I read can be viewed by clicking here</a> (Bookstr.com)</div>
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<a href="https://www.bookstr.com/article/illinois-parents-want-these-8-books-banned/2834?utm_campaign=609468_newsletter_161212&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Book%20Str&dm_i=2P56,D29O,2RNCI5,1AVF4,1">The second article I read can be viewed by clicking here</a> (Cook County Chronicle)</div>
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In the second article, we get plenty of interviews from parents and teachers involved, and honestly, I don't know what bubble they're all living in. I highly recommend you go read at least the second article, but I'll pull a couple quotes out to show you what I mean. </div>
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“I’ve read some excerpts of [‘I know Why the Caged Bird Sings’] that include an 8-year-old getting raped; it’s very explicit,” said Mary Kay Fessler. “The sexual content is too much for their young minds to process. As an adult, yes, we can process that, but as a 14-, 15-,16-year-old, I don’t’ think they have the neurological [power] to process that.”</blockquote>
First of all. Is that not offensive? Fun fact- teenagers have the "neurological power" to process the seriousness of rape, thank you <i>very </i>much Mrs. Fessler. And secondly, if you're particular child <i>doesn't </i>have the "neurological power" to "process that", then I think you have some parenting to do.<br />
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'“We can’t have 18-year-olds reading about masturbation or sexual issues, regardless of the literature. I don’t care if it’s from Dickens or who else,” Rick Ligthart said, in summary."</blockquote>
Okay, I mean, that makes sense. We can send 18-year-olds off to fight and defend our country, but God forbid they read about "sexual issues". I'm sorry, but you can't shelter students forever, and maybe it's better that they read about things inside of literature, as opposed to online.<br />
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"Reigle called “The God of Small Things” “smut” and “porn”."</blockquote>
Right, right. Let's take a work that's been crafted with a plot of complexity and a deeper message hidden within the layers of the story, and plop a label on it. Has this "Reigle" even read more than the controversial bits before stating this offensive overgeneralization?<br />
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Okay my point here is that CENSORSHIP ISN'T OKAY. And it's hypocritical to try to censor literature, and then turn around and allow even worse content to be taken in through the internet and TV. Instead of censoring books, parents, why don't we allow students to enjoy reading, and learn about <i>all </i>aspects of life- including the ones you'd rather them not know about. Because the truth of the matter here is that teenagers need to be exposed to things that they will have to deal with later on in life without someone coaching them through it. The opinions you get from other people won't always line up with your own, and if you never have to seen possibly offensive, contradicting opinions, how will you know how to deal with those?<br />
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As always, you can protest book banning and censorship by reading a banned or challenged book, <i>and letting people know</i>. <br />
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<br />Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12865603361609161446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924953077544223906.post-52658401908879677822016-12-11T17:51:00.000-06:002016-12-11T17:51:12.293-06:00The Hammer of Thor<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFW8R4caCi0CJk2ZeK3tdGWZ4eDms-CIuJgKySVNhCrkJ68xgJUJp8t4wMxRpr3il08pttzfxa4bEN-7-8NE7I4spwYLpkCKNXukCBc4Q47TXIkdaOYzYWWgtKbx6ZU5iRDzE2uVF0Ium8/s1600/27904311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFW8R4caCi0CJk2ZeK3tdGWZ4eDms-CIuJgKySVNhCrkJ68xgJUJp8t4wMxRpr3il08pttzfxa4bEN-7-8NE7I4spwYLpkCKNXukCBc4Q47TXIkdaOYzYWWgtKbx6ZU5iRDzE2uVF0Ium8/s400/27904311.jpg" width="263" /></a>Title: The Hammer of Thor (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #2)<br />
Author: Rick Riordan<br />
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary Fantasy<br />
Pages: 471<br />
Rating: 4.5 stars<br />
Purchase this book:<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1423160924/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1423160924&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a> • <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-hammer-of-thor-rick-riordan/1122934753;jsessionid=82E46F98C632D0138DEE1B927551C7C1.prodny_store02-atgap10?ean=9781423160922&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000004">Barnes & Noble</a> • <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Magnus-Chase-and-the-Gods-of-Asgard-Book-2-The-Hammer-of-Thor-Rick-Riordan/9781423160922">Book Depository</a><br />
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Thor's hammer is missing (again), and of course the only people able to retrieve it are Magnus and his companions. However, there's more to this mission than originally meets the eye. With a deadline fast approaching that, if missed, would result in the wedding of Sam, and possibly the end of the world, it's a mad race to the hammer.<br />
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Ahhhhh okay emotions. If you read the first book, <a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2015/10/magnus-chase-and-gods-of-asgard-sword.html">The Sword of Summer</a>, this book was EVEN better. Yes, you did hear me correctly. <i>Even better. </i>Of course, I wasn't the <i>biggest </i>fan of the first book to begin with. I mean, it was good, but it wasn't anything mind blowing. However, this book? This book was amazing. <div>
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Firstly, it was really funny. I was laughing. Out loud. Possibly at 1:00 in the morning. But drowsiness aside- the book was really humorous! As I said in my earlier review, I enjoyed Rick's writing style before Heroes of Olympus better, and this book really does mirror that style. </div>
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I'm also going to mention the chapter titles. Because these chapter titles give me life. </div>
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Another noteworthy aspect of the book was the characters. Actually, the characters might be my favorite part of the book. Rick Riordan has successfully shattered the norms of middle grade- and fiction in general- by supplying <i>the most </i>diverse cast of characters I've ever seen in one story. Carrying over from the first book, we have a deaf character speaking with ASL, a Muslim girl, and new to this book, a genderfluid character! I think it's fantastic that Rick has introduced a genderfluid character, especially since younger kids will get to see that through the eyes of Magnus, who is super accepting and has a good way of looking at things. It'll help kids understand the gender spectrum a bit more, helping it become something not so alienated. </div>
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Mooooving on to the. freaking. plot. which. has. left. me. dying. for. book. three. </div>
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I need it now. </div>
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We go through the nine worlds with Magnus on this epic quest for Thor's hammer, and then all of a sudden there's this tiny sliver of a crossover between the Norse world and the Greek world. But of course. Rick has saved this for the third book, which doesn't come out until <i>next year. </i>I won't survive. Also, I believe this is going to be a trilogy, which makes me very sad. Partially because I want more of these beautiful covers on my shelf. </div>
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Can I also add that I <i>loved </i>the pop culture references? They just add to the light-heartedness of the story. I think it'll be funny in the future when those references aren't as relevant, but adult-me will understand them all as she re-reads everything. (Possibly in my personal library with my three cats?) </div>
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Anyway, I really hope you decide to pick this series up. I very much so enjoyed it, and I can't wait for the third book! </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27904311-the-hammer-of-thor?ac=1&from_search=true">Click here to view <i>The Hammer of Thor</i> on Goodreads</a></div>
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Other books in this series: </div>
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<a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2015/10/magnus-chase-and-gods-of-asgard-sword.html">The Sword of Summer</a></div>
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Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12865603361609161446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924953077544223906.post-10294510500751409172016-12-05T15:54:00.000-06:002016-12-05T15:54:31.077-06:00Climbing Out of a Reading Slump (a.k.a climbing Mt. Everest)<br />
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So we've established that I took a little abrupt break for a few months, and while there's a large negative side to that, it sort of prompted this post, so yay!<br />
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Essentially, for me, my reading life and blogging life are closely knit. When I'm not in the mood to read, I'm not in the mood to blog. And that's sort of what happened. I fell into a slump, and I pulled out of the bookish community, in turn pulling me out of my blog. So today's post is going to be all about <u>beating (and avoiding) that reading slump.</u><b> </b><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">The first thing to address here is how to avoid getting into that slump in the first place. </span><br />
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Rule number one,<u> don't push yourself to read more than you can.</u> I know one mistake I made was forcing myself to read wayyyy more on a daily basis than I really wanted to. I was heavily invested in hitting a daily page goal, and would spend a lot of time mathematically figuring out how many pages I'd read, and needed to read, instead of focusing on the book I was actually reading. Everyone wants to read more, but instead of focusing on page count,<u> try and hit a certain amount of time</u>. That's right, set a goal of, say, reading for an hour each day, and every time you pick up that book, hit a stopwatch or something. That way you can focus on how much genuine reading time you get instead of how many pages you read. (OR you can just live in the moment and not track your reading at all!)<br />
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Rule number two,<u> don't set unrealistic goals</u>. That time of year is coming up again. You know which one. The Goodreads Reading Challenge time of year. As December winds up, you'll be faced with setting your 2017 read books goal. Please, please, please, make it realistic. Don't push yourself to read 200 books if you know you'll be stressed out reading that 200 books. There's nothing wrong with a little challenge, but forcing yourself to speed read will only throw you into a slump. Instead, <u>try setting a realistic goal</u> that will challenge you, but still be achievable. (Or set an easy goal if you really don't care about how many books you read, so long as you're enjoying it.)<br />
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And rule number 3, <u>don't compare yourself to other readers. </u>Yes, sometimes we look at those crazy people who can read billions of books every year, and compare ourselves just a teeny bit. I know it's hard, but just accept that the amount of books you can read is good enough, if you're happy reading! There's no point in striving to be someone you're not. Your schedule only allows for so many books each month, so instead of feeling down about yourself, <u>be happy</u>, because as long as you love to read, you're just as much of a reader as everyone else!<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Now that we've established how to avoid said slump, we will go into how to get out of one. </span><br />
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First thing's first- acknowledge that you are in a slump. Acceptance is the first step to healing. Once we're aware that this is indeed a reading slump, proceed to the following steps.<br />
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- Go book shopping! Nothing gets those reading juices flowing like purchasing all those new releases you were excited for. Do you need more books? Probably not. Does that actually matter to you in the slightest? Nope. So go, purchase some new books, spice up your TBR pile, and see if that doesn't kick you back into reading gear!<br />
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- Watch some BookTube. I find that watching people hold up pretty, pretty books while they passionately talk about the um, plot and stuff, is quite motivating. Let them remind you of the joy that comes with reading, and perhaps that'll get you back into motion.<br />
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- Reread a well-beloved book. I would suggest a Harry Potter reread, to be specific. Other books I've enjoyed rereading are Percy Jackson, the Mortal Instruments, and any Rainbow Rowell book.<br />
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- In the words of Eliza, <i>"take a break". </i>Taking a step back from the reading world for a week may be what you need to reset your reading juices. In the meantime, feel free to listen to the Hamilton CR on repeat.<br />
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- Re-arrange your bookshelves. I've never actually tried this before, but reorganizing bookshelves is fun. Plus, sprucing things up always makes my room look nicer, and then I spend a lot of time just staring at my shelves. That's pretty motivational, right?<br />
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- Buddy read with a friend. Pick a book you and a fellow reader friend have both been wanting to read, and read it! Try and agree on a certain place to be at the end of a certain period of time, and then discuss! Having someone counting on you to read might be what you need to start your routine up again. (And if you don't have a fellow reader friend, hit up any of us blogger people!)<br />
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- Change the time of day you read. Have you always been a night time reader, climbing into bed and cracking open that novel before you drift off to sleep? Carve off some time in the morning to read a couple chapters before you start your day! Changing up the time you read might make you more willing to read. (I find once you've found a routine, your brain has a tendency to reject it. ;) )<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">And that concludes this episode of Julia (tries to) Help 101. Let me know what you do to climb out of a reading slump, and when the last time you had a slump was! </span><br />
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<br />Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12865603361609161446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924953077544223906.post-38151495371818971512016-11-27T18:45:00.000-06:002016-11-27T18:45:38.526-06:00Twilight<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAYaqXWdlIwdxJT_STfcgbDJMu9qn3nIxZBw9x7S6-zXCGdwup6m1SGByofSGk8PRBqNXQFf8ddOOdBEcZ86oiWLyJRMYEI-aZOk8ZJVcGoHTgHWxQveGxZD-FdUyvSzUJdVdvn4XSwNV/s1600/41865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAYaqXWdlIwdxJT_STfcgbDJMu9qn3nIxZBw9x7S6-zXCGdwup6m1SGByofSGk8PRBqNXQFf8ddOOdBEcZ86oiWLyJRMYEI-aZOk8ZJVcGoHTgHWxQveGxZD-FdUyvSzUJdVdvn4XSwNV/s400/41865.jpg" width="265" /></a>Title: Twilight (Twilight #1)<br />
Author: Stephenie Meyer<br />
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance/ Urban Fantasy<br />
Pages: 498<br />
Rating: 3/5 Stars<br />
Purchase this book:<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Twilight-Saga-Book-1/dp/0316015849?ie=UTF8&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316015849&linkCode=as2&redirect=true&ref_=x_gr_w_bb&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20">Amazon</a> • <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/twilight-stephenie-meyer/1100269742?ean=9780316015844&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000004">Barnes & Noble</a> • <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/search?searchTerm=0316015849&search=Find+book&a_aid=goodreads">Book Depository</a><br />
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Upon arriving in the rainy, small town of Forks, Washington, Bella sparks the interest of the mysterious, secluded boy, Edward Cullen. However, Bella doesn't know the half of what Edward really is. Because if she did, she wouldn't be so intrigued- she'd be appalled.<br />
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I think I know what you're probably thinking. It's something among the lines of, "<i>What?! You haven't read </i>Twilight <i>yet?!" </i>Okay, I confess, I haven't felt the need to even touch this book until I decided I wanted a genuine opinion on this novel. So many people love it, and I felt like I was missing out on something. Plus, I mean, I love Urban Fantasy, I should love this, right?<br />
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I mean, yes and no. I have mixed feelings about this one. It was better than I expected it to be. Of course, I think I pictured it to be two people, sitting in a room staring at each other, so I'm not sure how much that says. But I did enjoy reading it. However, I have a couple problems with it. </div>
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Firstly, there's Bella. I can't decide if she's a good role model or not. She's really studious, she takes all honors classes, gets good grades, and never intentionally is late for class. In the beginning, I couldn't figure out why so many people considered her to be a bad literary influence. But then Edward. I get that this is supposed to be a romance novel, so of course it's going to center around two people in love. Who wants a romance story where the main character isn't interested in the love interest? But I was hoping that the independent, strong, and powerful Bella that's introduced would remain the same. She doesn't. As soon as Edward shows up, she's at his beck and call. She literally does anything he asks of her, and she ignores everybody else. Plus her relationship with Edward isn't even all that healthy. I would feel violated if someone staked out in my room all night to watch me sleep- with or without my knowledge. </div>
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And the romance is pretty artificial. It's definitely instalove if I've ever seen it. I think within the first day of meeting Edward Bella is confessing her love in her sleep. And I hated how irrational she was being. This guy was literally telling her that if she got a paper cut he'd probably eat her, yet she wasn't afraid- she didn't want to leave him. I mean, I suppose love wins all, but <i>still</i>! I don't think Twilight accurately represents a healthy relationship.</div>
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I'm taking off quite a bit from my rating simply for the horrendous writing. I don't care how you look at it, the writing is not good. And Edward chuckled and smirked <i>way too much. </i>I was severely annoyed by the fifteenth chuckle-smirk. </div>
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Okay so now I'm going to defend Twilight. </div>
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Near the climax, when Edward was away, it got infinitely better. I was honestly actually invested in the plot at that point, I was actually concerned about Bella's safety. </div>
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And I don't think it's fair to compare Twilight to big franchise competitors such as Harry Potter. They're just completely different. As my dad would say, it's like comparing apples to oranges. Twilight isn't supposed to be better or worse than Harry Potter, it's supposed to be different. And Bella isn't supposed to be a heroine like Hermione. She's supposed to be a girl in love.<br />
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However, I could really relate to Bella. She faints at the sight of blood, and as someone who does that as well, it was nice seeing a character who isn't invincible. You get used to these fantasy characters who can literally do anything, but Bella's not like that. She <i>faints at the sight of blood. </i>And I appreciate that. </div>
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I'll be continuing this series. I want to see how this creates a four part series, and if Meyer can maybe write a little better, but I can only award Twilight three stars. </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41865.Twilight">Click here to view <i>Twilight </i>on Goodreads</a></div>
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Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12865603361609161446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924953077544223906.post-32472300378893049162016-11-15T17:50:00.000-06:002016-11-15T17:50:00.262-06:00The "Perfect" Fall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Fall is, without a doubt, the best time of year. And I don't know about you, but I live my life in anticipation for fall. This autumnal time of year can come and go, but to make it <i>just so, </i>there are a couple things that have to happen. Today I'm talking all about the little things in my life that create the perfect fall. <br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">1. Fall Fashion</span><br />
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I always get excited to ditch my summer shorts and tank tops for army green jackets, jeans, cozy socks, flannel button downs, and fashion boots. Dressing for fall is basically the time of year that everyone gets to see your clothes before you become buried in winter coats, scarves, hats, and gloves.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">2. Fall Tea </span><br />
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I'm not much of a coffee drinker, but offer me a cup of tea and I can't physically bring myself to say no. During the summer months, I'm typically going for colder beverages, such as iced tea or infused water, but as soon as the fall months hit, my electric kettle is running double time. Right now I am <i>obsessed </i>with the Pumpkin Spice Brûlée tea leaves from Teavana. It's actually the best thing ever.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">3. High Fantasy </span><br />
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When the days get shorter, the nights get longer, the wind gets bitter, and the temperature drops, I begin to crave the high fantasy genre. Right now, I'm eyeing <i>Three Dark Crowns, Crooked Kingdom, and Heir of Fire. </i><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">4. Acoustic, Fall Music</span><br />
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In all honesty, my music taste doesn't change all that much as the seasons change, but I do love turning on a calming, acoustic, soft playlist on Spotify to be the background music to my life these few months. I'd like to recommend the "<a href="https://open.spotify.com/user/kalynnicholsonn/playlist/5exaPqk3YOLShW11OPN30r">crisp leaves & lattes" playlist by Kalyn Nicholson</a> on Spotify if you're interested in 5 hours of awesome, fall music.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">5. Fall Pinterest Boards </span><br />
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As my friends will tell you, I'm a pinterest addict. As the summer season turns to autumn, my <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/rhapsodic_color/autumn/">fall pinterest board</a> sprang to life. (Because fall IS my aesthetic.)<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">6. Did I mention Pumpkin Spice Brûlée? </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">7. Two Words: Flannel Sheets</span><br />
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Does anyone else switch their bedding over from linen to fleece or flannel in the fall time? Because I do, and it is heavenly.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">8. Celestial Viewing </span><br />
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There's something about fall and the nighttime sky that just go together. Take the Supermoon for example! I love gazing at the night sky in the fall time, perhaps because I see so much of it!<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">9. Fall Food </span><br />
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One of my cooking enthusiast friends and I cooked a dinner for some of our friends, and it was completely fall themed. From pumpkin snicker doodles to harvest quinoa salads, it was amazing in an autumn kind of way.<br />
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So that concludes this post! As you can tell, I absolutely love fall, and right now where I live, it's in the 50s (F) which is like the perfect temperature. So. Yay fall!<br />
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Thanks for reading, let me know what your favorite part of fall is below!<br />
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<br />Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12865603361609161446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924953077544223906.post-607796352047993102016-11-13T13:34:00.001-06:002016-11-13T13:34:23.575-06:00The Next Year of BloggingHello! <div>
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It's been a couple months since the last time I posted, and I'm sorry for that, but I needed time off. So much in my life has changed, so much is different, and I needed time to adjust to everything, and keeping up with my blog schedule was too much. </div>
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I am genuinely upset I had to miss these specific months. I had things planned around Banned Book Week, and my blog turned 1 year old on October 19th. I wish I'd been actively blogging at these times, but it simply wasn't realistic. </div>
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I'm also sorry to all the authors and publicists that tried to get a hold of me. I've got a <i>massive </i>buildup of emails that I'm actually scared to sift through. </div>
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On a brighter side, I do feel ready to start easing back into blogging. I miss it, and I want to come back. So I do hope you can forgive me for my disappearance, and get excited for what this new year will bring! </div>
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- Julia </div>
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Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12865603361609161446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924953077544223906.post-26570506914496396982016-09-18T12:44:00.000-05:002016-09-18T12:44:37.791-05:00We Were Liars<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYXtouPee0Pv_J57hmxI-TxDcQYLesgoff2k6DJDI_IDFdG3sf6xhNCg2_aF4m_akwsx19ixoUVYUNiVo3m7UUYlXTtxn23MLZH9pe0Ew3ND0k48zxElkJWrfxqemo50HisZigW_yAHZB/s1600/16143347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYXtouPee0Pv_J57hmxI-TxDcQYLesgoff2k6DJDI_IDFdG3sf6xhNCg2_aF4m_akwsx19ixoUVYUNiVo3m7UUYlXTtxn23MLZH9pe0Ew3ND0k48zxElkJWrfxqemo50HisZigW_yAHZB/s400/16143347.jpg" width="263" /></a>Title: We Were Liars<br />
Author: E. Lockhart<br />
Genre: YA Contemporary<br />
Pages: 242<br />
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars<br />
Purchase this book:<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/We-Were-Liars-Lockhart-ebook/dp/B00FPOSDGY?ie=UTF8&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00FPOSDGY&linkCode=as2&redirect=true&ref_=x_gr_w_glide_bb&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20#navbar">Amazon</a> • <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/We%20Were%20Liars?st=AFF&SID=BNB_DRS_Evergreen_20150928&2sid=Goodreads%2C+Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads%2C+IncM000004">Barnes & Noble</a> • <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/search?searchTerm=We+Were+Liars&search=Find+book">Book Depository</a><br />
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Cadence spends the summers on a private island owned by her family with her three closest friends who also happen to be her cousins. Summer after summer things go smoothly, Cadence spending her days lounging on the beach, sleeping in her mom's mansion, and eating food prepared for her by the kitchen staff. But everything changes one summer when... well, Cadence doesn't exactly remember <i>what </i>happened, but she knows something did.<br />
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This book was something completely crazy. In a good way. I was truthfully left trying to figure out what to do with myself after finishing this novel.<br />
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As you know, it takes place on a luxury island that Cadence's rich Grandfather owns. Being someone who does not, in fact, own an island, I thought it was fun to read about this lifestyle. This lifestyle where you can sleep in until noon, go to bed as late as you want, never have to do the dishes or cook your own meals. A lifestyle where you sleep in one of <i>three </i>mansions on the island. A lifestyle where you can spend your days with your closest companions, on the beach, in the sun. </div>
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Honestly, Cadence has it pretty good. </div>
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But besides me loving the summer vibes I got from this book, I really did enjoy reading it. It's the type of book that you go into thinking the book's going to be a nice, easy summer read, and then BOOM, it's not. </div>
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Of course, I don't want to tell you too much, but I will say that there is a mysterious atmosphere, and you're not quite sure what's going on, but you are sure that you want to know exactly what left Cadence's memory. </div>
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I'm giving <i>We Were Liars </i>four and a half stars for being a suspenseful, heart breaking story that was also somehow fun to read? Anyway, please go and read <i>We Were Liars. </i>I put it off for so long, and I wish I'd picked it up sooner. It truly is an amazing read. </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16143347-we-were-liars">Click here to view <i>We Were Liars </i>on Goodreads</a></div>
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Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12865603361609161446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924953077544223906.post-58770142434954550282016-09-13T06:08:00.000-05:002016-09-13T06:08:04.417-05:00November 9<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUYWAFaq9mUSU8JhIbqeJNYoXMeFzU0JPs0e_Fv0tWZvFN-jNekMcb9m4H8UM2RXlf081Y83uEdwGKUaM9nVhqlXf8zMqxojMI2-0HLt4eVvMQG1SauSsXg_ym3c6X1qRMM1S0iGh55CN/s1600/25111004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUYWAFaq9mUSU8JhIbqeJNYoXMeFzU0JPs0e_Fv0tWZvFN-jNekMcb9m4H8UM2RXlf081Y83uEdwGKUaM9nVhqlXf8zMqxojMI2-0HLt4eVvMQG1SauSsXg_ym3c6X1qRMM1S0iGh55CN/s400/25111004.jpg" width="256" /></a>Title: November 9<br />
Author: Colleen Hoover<br />
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance<br />
Pages: 310<br />
Rating: 5/5 Stars<br />
Purchase this books:<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/November-9-Novel-Colleen-Hoover-ebook/dp/B00UDCI1S8#navbar">Amazon</a> • <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/november-9-colleen-hoover/1122403183">Barnes & Noble</a> • <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/search?searchTerm=november%209&search=Find+book">Book Depository</a><br />
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The day is November 9, and mere hours away from moving all the way from LA to NYC, Fallon sits down at a table in a restaurant to talk to her self-obsessed father. However, things take a turn when 18 year old Ben slips into the booth next to her, completely altering her life.<br />
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Despite how enamoured the two are with each other, they agree that it'd be best if they both only meet each other once a year, on November 9th, allowing each to live a full life, distraction free, until Fallon has reached the age of 23. Because she'll have her life figured out by the time she's turned 23 according to her mother, and 23 is the only safe age to fall in love.
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You ever open a book, just kind of reading it to tick something else off your TBR, and it ends up <i>blowing your mind. </i>That's <i>November 9 </i>for me. This book was absolutely heart stopping. I've never read any Colleen Hoover before, but this novel has definitely convinced me to try out some more of her works. (Any suggestions?) </div>
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We start off with 18 year old Fallon, explaining to her movie star father that she's moving all the way across the country to start up a career in Broadway. Fallon was an actress for film/TV before she got seriously injured in a fire while sleeping at her dad's house exactly two years prior. The fire scorched her skin, giving her long scars that marred her left side. At the time, she'd been staring in a big TV show, jumpstarting her career as an actress. However, after the fire, the company broke her contract and she found herself unable to land a role. </div>
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So she's talking to her father about how she wants to take up theatre, and he has the audacity to tell her she's no longer pretty enough to act professionally. Infuriated from the nearby booth, Ben slips into their table and goes off on Fallon's dad. Afterwards, they sort of fall for each other. With the prospect of Fallon moving away looming ahead, they agree to meet every year on that same day- November 9. </div>
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I thought it was such a unique idea. I literally knew nothing about this novel going into it, but my interest was immediately grasped- right from the start. From Fallon's interesting condition to the crazy agreement the two set up, this book is a completely new and unique storyline. </div>
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And it was just completely addicting, I couldn't stop reading. It wasn't your typical, straightforward romance novel- it was something completely new and completely original. Nothing was predictable. Plus it was kind of cool reading about Fallon trying to cope with having her self confidence stolen away, as a subplot to the actual story. And watching her relationship develop with her movie star father was another subplot I enjoyed.<br />
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I highly, highly recommend you read <i>November 9 </i>by Colleen Hoover. It was an absolutely amazing read, and it fully deserves the five stars I'm giving it.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25111004-november-9?ac=1&from_search=true">Click here to view <i>November 9 </i>on Goodreads</a></div>
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Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12865603361609161446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924953077544223906.post-19901505569950919582016-08-26T06:10:00.000-05:002016-08-26T06:10:44.082-05:00Harry Potter and the Cursed Child<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrDhfln09hwhyl-BTyde96Sh7AFLODl-X7lH-INUuL7Q-u56lPkjYrdm_kGIKk_ikr8ROjPo4jdfGb08FAiq7JVNRM5Eo0BCiZPJ9dlJxSV2uwUXr5Cqy0s80XH-ijYuNuckDESRUGnAuD/s1600/29069989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrDhfln09hwhyl-BTyde96Sh7AFLODl-X7lH-INUuL7Q-u56lPkjYrdm_kGIKk_ikr8ROjPo4jdfGb08FAiq7JVNRM5Eo0BCiZPJ9dlJxSV2uwUXr5Cqy0s80XH-ijYuNuckDESRUGnAuD/s400/29069989.jpg" width="265" /></a>Title: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child<br />
Authors: J.K Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne<br />
Genre: Fantasy<br />
Pages: 308<br />
Rating: 5/5 Stars<br />
Purchase this book:<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1338099132/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1338099132&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a> • <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/harry-potter-and-the-cursed-child-parts-i-ii-j-k-rowling/1123463689?ean=9781338099133&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000004">Barnes & Noble</a> • <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Harry-Potter-and-the-Cursed-Child---Parts-One--Two-Special-Rehearsal-Edition-Script-J-K-Rowling-John-Tiffany-Jack-Thorne/9781338099133">Book Depository</a><br />
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Nineteen years later, the story of Harry Potter continues. This time though, it's told by the next generation. On Platform 9 3/4, both Albus Potter and Rose Granger-Weasley are preparing themselves for the beginning of their Hogwarts careers. Neither of them knows just how crazy their lives will get the moment they board the Hogwarts Express.<br />
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Can I just begin this review by saying that the authors of this novel sound like they could be in, like, a band or something.<br />
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"Introducing.... the Jays!<span style="color: #38761d;"> J</span>.K Rowling, <span style="color: #38761d;">J</span>ohn Tiffany, and <span style="color: #38761d;">J</span>aaaack Thorne!" </div>
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Okay now that that's been said...</div>
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This novel/script thing was amazing. I read in in, like, 3 hours or something. I couldn't put it down. I was reading a mile a minute, and it was all very emotional. I mean, it's been years since any of us have cracked open a Harry Potter book for the first time, and I know that I thought it was all over when I read the last page of the last book. It was almost like Deja Vu, opening up this book. Of course, there are a few major differences. </div>
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Firstly, this is a new gang. Yes, our original characters are featured, but for the most part, this story follows Albus Severus Potter, and his best friend Scorpius Malfoy. And then, of course, there's the fact that this isn't told in novel format. It's told through mostly dialogue, because it's in script format. </div>
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I was originally worried that the whole script thing would be difficult to read, but I found that it actually flowed really well. It goes pretty fast given that you don't have to read a "he said" followed by a description every time someone talks. Are there a few holes in the story that are only filled through visually seeing the play? Yes. Did it completely ruin my reading experience? No. </div>
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I can see why some people don't like this book. Some crazy, unbelievable stuff happens. We just got a lot of new canon information. And yes, some things do seem a little too fanfiction-y. However, I still gave this one five stars, because when you brush all the technicalities and analytical stuff aside, you're left with a suspenseful, emotional, gripping story that left me in a state of complete disarray. </div>
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The characters are fantastic. The dynamic between the characters is perfect. The dialogue is full of witty, clever, humorous lines, and the book brought back so many different emotions. This is something for fans that never really finished the last book. This is something for people that have wanted the world of Harry Potter to live on and on and on. Always. </div>
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So just go into this one with an open mind, and don't try to attach it to the series. It's its own thing. Five stars. </div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29069989-harry-potter-and-the-cursed-child?ac=1&from_search=true">Click here to view <i>Harry Potter and the Cursed Child </i>on Goodreads</a><br />
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Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12865603361609161446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924953077544223906.post-8348810457777331082016-08-23T19:36:00.001-05:002016-08-23T19:36:30.963-05:00The Versatile Blogger Award<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkSjukxbNsnwrY3hSyYlsQxpVk433J_iCpsvnv31boK5QWP9ZtXXqt8xfWz_G2JIl6BBTulP9yiNU5FoGEltMPv41ya5eL5U1EvDABjZZyz0Jfe7iw0oWdae1IM2YjkfNvcFFA9PgyyAhx/s1600/versatile-blogger-award.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkSjukxbNsnwrY3hSyYlsQxpVk433J_iCpsvnv31boK5QWP9ZtXXqt8xfWz_G2JIl6BBTulP9yiNU5FoGEltMPv41ya5eL5U1EvDABjZZyz0Jfe7iw0oWdae1IM2YjkfNvcFFA9PgyyAhx/s320/versatile-blogger-award.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's my pleasure to announced that I was nominated for the "Versatile Blogger" Award over on the blog <a href="http://hp20508.blogspot.ca/">LiveLove&Laugh:)</a>. This is a great blog full of positive, happy messages, so go check it out! Before I get into this post, I'll list out the rules.<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">R u l e s </span><br />
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- Thank and link back to the blogger that nominated you<br />
- Share the award on your blog<br />
- Nominate around 10 other bloggers<br />
- Share seven facts about yourself<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">S e v e n F a c t s</span><br />
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- I love falling asleep to the sound of a rainstorm. It's very soothing. In fact, I just love the sound of rainstorms in general<br />
- I'm <strike>low</strike> high key obsessed with Hamilton<br />
- I love doing Yoga, and I typically do it twice a day<br />
- <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTreeOfBooks/status/766702064625852416">I have a newfound love of bagels</a><br />
- I have an aloe vera plant that I've yet to name (ideas??)<br />
- My favorite fruit is a peach. I love chopping them up and putting them in my vanilla yogurt substitute<br />
- I'm lactose intolerant<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">N o m i n e e s </span><br />
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- Lara Liz @ <a href="https://anotherteenreader.blogspot.com/">Another Teen Reader</a><br />
- Eve @ <a href="http://eveofnight.blogspot.com/">Edge of Night</a><br />
- Annika @ <a href="http://hidingbooks.com/">Hiding Books</a><br />
- Cilla @ <a href="http://pavedwithbookss.blogspot.com/">Paved with Books</a><br />
- A.S Damea @ <a href="http://reviewingdreamer.blogspot.co.uk/">Reviewing Dreamer</a><br />
- Eve @ <a href="http://corrallingbooks.blogspot.com/">Twist in the Taile</a><br />
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Those are all my nominees. They're all awesome bloggers, and everything they post is just fantastic, so go check them out! Don't feel pressured to post if I nominated you. It's completely voluntary. If you do, make sure to let me know! On the flip side, feel free to join in even if I didn't nominate you.<br />
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That's all I've got for you today. Thanks for stopping by!<br />
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<br />Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12865603361609161446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924953077544223906.post-54501845211951564552016-08-20T12:19:00.000-05:002016-08-20T12:19:44.451-05:00Six of Crows<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyphenhyphenReKxRoRCIRx4HPd5yHHIg_cuOyV8DbjemKi19fgM4DQJwcuHXNTsS7BIB1RC9wVzQZGke1yjJ97pRYl3XSREOhus8zsRs-jto9MKeRLj8m4SxoDH40HqC69dqBbRPrzXr8hqroRY5b_/s1600/51iSWw2rpOL._SY344_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyphenhyphenReKxRoRCIRx4HPd5yHHIg_cuOyV8DbjemKi19fgM4DQJwcuHXNTsS7BIB1RC9wVzQZGke1yjJ97pRYl3XSREOhus8zsRs-jto9MKeRLj8m4SxoDH40HqC69dqBbRPrzXr8hqroRY5b_/s400/51iSWw2rpOL._SY344_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="265" /></a>Title: Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1)<br />
Author: Leigh Bardugo<br />
Genre: YA Fantasy<br />
Pages: 465<br />
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars<br />
Purchase this book:<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Six-Crows-Leigh-Bardugo/dp/1627792120">Amazon</a> • <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/six-of-crows-leigh-bardugo/1120964159">Barnes & Noble</a> • <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/search?searchTerm=Six+of+Crows&search=Find+book">Book Depository</a><br />
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In the dirtiest, grimiest depths of Ketterdam, Kaz Brekker makes a deal. Or perhaps a death wish is a better word.<br />
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In the dirtiest, grimiest depths of Ketterdam, Kaz Brekker makes a death wish. And he brings a handful of companions with him.<br />
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For 4 million <i>krunge </i>apiece, Kaz agrees to break into the Ice Court, the most heavily fortified court in the world, and find the man responsible for creating a drug that's killing Grisha. Of course, there's the matter that the Ice Court has <i>never </i>been successfully broken into.<br />
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I. Love. Six of Crows. Oh my gosh. I mean, I was expecting to be let down given how long it took me to get through it (a month), but I LOVED it. It was beautifully written, beautifully executed, and beautifully done. But where do I start?<br />
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Characters. My favorite part of this book was the characters. For the most part, our main characters are Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Wylan, Nina, and Matthias. They're the team breaking into the Ice Court. And I know, usually 6 characters is quite a bit to keep track of, but each one is truly different and special. Each character is developed, complex, and flawed. We have Kaz, the head of the Dregs, which is the thievery group the six come from. Kaz is the brains of the group. Inej is Kaz's right hand, and she's an acrobat. There's nothing she can't scale. Jesper's the one who'll crack a joke whenever he deems appropriate (or inappropriate), and he's a good shot. Wylan's super smart, and I'm high-key shipping him with Jesper. We have Nina, the Grisha Heartrender who's sassy, saucy, and sarcastic. And then there's Matthias, stone cold, stiff hearted, and grudgingly in love with Nina. Who's my favorite? I'm still unable to decide between Jesper, Wylan, and Inej. </div>
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So the characters do make up a great bit of my love for this book, but something else I appreciated was how Leigh Bardugo didn't make having LGBT+ characters that big of a deal. I feel like some authors tend to make it seem like having said characters is an enormous thing, and they act like they need to be hugely recognized for being so "forward" and "out there". But Leigh Bardugo didn't even make it seem like anything was different from any of the (start of any) heterosexual relationships. And I don't know, I liked how she made it just another part of the story, just another part of life. </div>
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Moving onto the actual <i>plot, </i>I loved the twists and turns. It was completely unpredictable. And while I did take a half star off for being a little slow moving at parts, I feel that's often inevitable in high fantasy. But especially at the end, I was on the edge of my seat, clutching the book in terror as we ran through the storyline. </div>
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I would highly recommend you read <i>Six of Crows. </i>It's not necessary that you read Leigh Bardugo <a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/05/shadow-and-bone.html">Grisha Trilogy</a> beforehand. They're completely unrelated, and I would've been fine skipping over the trilogy and jumping right into this amazing story. </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23437156-six-of-crows?ac=1&from_search=true">Click here to view <i>Six of Crows </i>on Goodreads</a></div>
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Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12865603361609161446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924953077544223906.post-5918485566109349012016-08-17T13:56:00.000-05:002016-08-17T13:56:29.024-05:00Weird Things in Fantasy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When you hear the word "fantasy", the first things that come to mind are among the lines of, "magic" or "impossible". And while things like potions, dragons, and spells certainly fall under the list of things I love about fantasy, there are just some oddities that occur in practically every YA fantasy, and I just have difficulty believing them. In today's post I'll be talking all about those peculiarities.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">1. Nobody has to use the bathroom. Like... ever. </span><br />
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This is true for a lot of books, not just fantasy, but it's just so annoying! We read all about the fantastic 14 course feasts the characters enjoy, but where does it all go? I mean, I wouldn't mind living in a world where I never have to use the bathroom, but it just doesn't seem likely that such a world would ever exist. Unless, I suppose, it's also a world where nobody has to eat or drink.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">2. Relig-ion? More like Relig-one!</span><br />
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Okay, I apologize for that pitiful attempt at humor. But (shout out to my friend for pointing this out) it seems like most fantasy worlds only have one religion, and all the people in that world practice that one religion. I mean seriously, if you can think of a book series that includes multiple religions, please let me know!<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">3. Prununcyatshun (Pronounced: '<i>pronunciation'</i>) </span><br />
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What is everything so dang hard to pronounce in fantasy? I don't mind tweaking spellings or creating new words, so long as I can still read it, but must it be hard to sound it out? Not to point fingers, Leigh Bardugo, but we can't read your mind!<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">4. I don't 'technology' </span><br />
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It would appear that as smart as people can be in fantasy worlds, technology and computers are not a thing. Why? Does it suddenly become Science Fiction if rooms have light bulbs instead of candlelight?<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">5. Love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love</span><br />
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So I don't know if anyone else picked up on this, but I feel like the lines between different sexualities are pretty blurred in fantasy. Meaning that society tends to be more accepting, or not even acknowledge a difference between sexualities. (Which is awesome!)<br />
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Okay so these are my five fantasy oddities. Thanks for reading!<br />
<br />Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12865603361609161446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924953077544223906.post-78652931125485677932016-08-12T14:31:00.000-05:002016-08-12T14:31:10.408-05:00Things Are Not What They Seem<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH37H0haNtXFkQfQ57TuTMw_zD1af1-rI3-0BSlH-7LH2iJWijFrjk-jH75MlWZRIhY59bmGsd_kCk2x8kymq6Z8k_c34kqhxPJ8PoTzJfGTQFPUx8is9Xz1yEPzDrBgpmM4-ji9X11oDS/s1600/22237725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH37H0haNtXFkQfQ57TuTMw_zD1af1-rI3-0BSlH-7LH2iJWijFrjk-jH75MlWZRIhY59bmGsd_kCk2x8kymq6Z8k_c34kqhxPJ8PoTzJfGTQFPUx8is9Xz1yEPzDrBgpmM4-ji9X11oDS/s400/22237725.jpg" width="265" /></a>Title: Things Are Not What They Seem<br />
Authors: Anne Rothman-Hicks and Kenneth Hicks<br />
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary Fantasy<br />
Pages: 268<br />
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars<br />
Source: Received from the authors in exchange for an honest review<br />
Purchase this book:<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Things-Are-What-They-Seem-ebook/dp/B00JLPGNX8?ie=UTF8&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00JLPGNX8&linkCode=as2&redirect=true&ref_=x_gr_w_glide_bb&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20#navbar">Amazon</a> • <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/things-are-not-what-they-seem-anne-rothman-hicks/1119173905?ean=2940149459322">Barnes & Noble</a><br />
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It's just your typical, hot summer day in Central Park when a strange pigeon lands next to Jennifer as she sat watching her younger brother. To her complete bewilderment, the pigeon spoke to her (in nothing less than a posh British accent). Moments later, a hawk threatens Jennifer and the pigeon. And so begins a mad chase across the city as Jennifer tries to help the pigeon regain his human body and escape the evil, talking hawk.<br />
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This book had its ups and downs for me. Let's start with the ups.<br />
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The story was hilarious, engaging, and fun. The characters were unique, and each had an individual personality. The character of the speaking pigeon was a humorous little bird, leaving me laughing upon multiple occasions. And the other characters involved in the story: Jenny's brother James, James' friend Sleepy, and Jenny's friend Kaytlyn all brought interesting things to the story. </div>
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And I thought the story itself was an interesting one. The plot wasn't completely predictable, and I did feel emotionally connected to the characters and what happened to them. Something else I really enjoyed was Jenny's passion for Latin. A now extinct language, it's not exactly a normal hobby for a young middle school girl. Recently, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8gDEyc3PkBcyPhdOiZlWXA">Emma @emmmabooks</a> on YouTube uploaded her <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxDfa4BO7Qw">#WENEEDDIVERSEHOBBIES</a> video. In this creative video she talks about how the majority of main characters in stories don't have interesting, diverse hobbies. It's all the same stuff, and usually plays an enormous role in the plot. Seeing someone so passionate about something so unique was really refreshing, and reminded me of Emma's video. (So check it out if you haven't!) </div>
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However, I must say that a few things annoyed me. Firstly, parts of the story seemed way too easy. I hated how some things just came together out of pure luck. I'd be more okay with it if it had only been a couple times that events were a little too convenient, but it seemed like every potential challenge was evaded because the characters lucked out. </div>
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Another small annoyance was how everybody was convinced the talking pigeon was a ventriloquism act! I'm sorry, but there's no way for it to be ventriloquism if the pigeon is 12 feet away and nobody's lips are parted. I get that the authors were trying to make people disbelieving of something that shouldn't exist, but literally <i>every single person </i>was assuming it was ventriloquism when it's honestly more likely that the pigeon is actually talking. It just got so annoying how nobody would accept that the pigeon was talking. </div>
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Other than the stated problems with the novel, I did enjoy it. I thought it was funny, fast moving, and unique, and I'd recommend it to anyone seeking a fun, light, middle grade fantasy! </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22237725-things-are-not-what-they-seem?ac=1&from_search=true">Click here to view <i>Things Are Not What They Seem </i>on Goodreads</a></div>
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Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12865603361609161446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924953077544223906.post-90368648411684049512016-08-09T12:58:00.000-05:002016-08-09T12:59:08.451-05:00July Wrap Up [2016]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This month was a much better reading and blogging month for me, so I can proudly present a full, complete wrap up for July. </div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/07/landline.html">Landline</a> by Rainbow Rowell</li>
<li><a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/07/gifted.html">Gifted</a> by J.A George</li>
<li><a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/07/the-summer-that-melted-everything.html">The Summer That Melted Everything</a> by Tiffany McDaniel</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">I discussed the <a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/07/conversations.html">dos and don'ts of borrowing books</a></li>
<li style="text-align: left;">I <a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/07/interview-with-author-ja-george.html">interviewed J.A George</a>, author of <i>Gifted</i></li>
<li style="text-align: left;">I talked about my thoughts on <a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/07/conversations-reading-series.html">reading book series</a></li>
<li style="text-align: left;">I weighed <a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/07/all-about-ebooks.html">the pros and cons of different forms of ereaders</a>, and gave you my preferred option</li>
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I picked up a copy of <i>Isla and the Happily Ever After</i>, the final book in the <i>Anna and the French Kiss </i>trilogy (despite the fact that I've yet to read <i>Lola and the Boy Next Door</i>... oops!) Then, I went book shopping with a friend and finally got my hands on a hardcover of <i>Insurgent. </i>I've had every book in that trilogy, including the short story collection <i>except </i>for <i>Insurgent </i>for the past two years- it was time. On that outing, I also bought <i>The Square Root of Summer, </i>and was gifted <i>I'll Give You the Sun. </i>Then, me having no self control, bought <i>Alexander Hamilton, </i>a biography about- you guessed it- Alexander Hamilton, and also <i>Hamilton: the Revolution</i>. I've started both of the aforementioned books and am enjoying them greatly. </div>
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<li>This month started off with a bridal shower in which I ran into a bunch of relatives who all seemed to know me, despite me not knowing them. (#awkward)</li>
<li>I celebrated the 4th of July at home with my family, and then travelled back to my hometown to visit friends of mine. (Que Hamilton, insane heat, late nights, and sleeping in.) </li>
<li>At home, I've continued to run with my cross country team, preparing for our season to begin, and <span style="background-color: white;">ended up going to cross country camp for a week, which was a BLAST. </span></li>
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<ul>
<li>Lara Liz over at <a href="http://anotherteenreader.blogspot.com/">Another Teen Reader</a> shared her <span style="color: #6aa84f;">t</span><a href="http://anotherteenreader.blogspot.com/2016/07/ten-twitter-tricks-blog-promotion.html">ricks and tips to promote your blog on Twitter</a></li>
<li>Geraldine from <a href="http://corrallingbooks.blogspot.com/">Corralling Books</a> discussed her opinion on <a href="http://corrallingbooks.blogspot.com/2016/07/potterhead-july-accepting-new-canon-in.html">accepting the new content entering the Harry Potter world</a></li>
<li>Hannah at <a href="https://ninjasreadtoo.wordpress.com/">Ninjas Read Too</a> wrote her controversial opinion on <a href="https://ninjasreadtoo.wordpress.com/2016/07/09/my-thoughts-on-selling-arcs/">selling ARCs</a></li>
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Shout out to me for getting done with THREE review requests this month! </div>
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I'm catching up on my <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/45419051-julia">Goodreads Reading Challenge</a>! I'm 52% of the way through, having read 39/75 books. </div>
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Here's a sneak peek of some of the things you'll see next month:</div>
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Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12865603361609161446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924953077544223906.post-30478860650527211362016-08-06T21:42:00.000-05:002016-08-06T21:42:39.782-05:00Interview with Author Tiffany McDaniel<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBEirYNqMmhA8vckVmkt82kt_tY0ilcab64Y6HgLroUUzfmlokqQd2raWhNe5msxPmvLzYRLh5auIrs_-WIZQSoyeOwf9anqmstGSXQ5CUirSDsJMp1elRY_wulg_iTR_MewbMFcqtOfc/s1600/static1.squarespace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBEirYNqMmhA8vckVmkt82kt_tY0ilcab64Y6HgLroUUzfmlokqQd2raWhNe5msxPmvLzYRLh5auIrs_-WIZQSoyeOwf9anqmstGSXQ5CUirSDsJMp1elRY_wulg_iTR_MewbMFcqtOfc/s400/static1.squarespace.jpg" width="266" /></a>Hello! I was lucky enough to interview Tiffany McDaniel, the author of the amazing novel, <i><a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/07/the-summer-that-melted-everything.html">The Summer That Melted Everything</a>. </i>I gave this book five stars- so be sure to check out <a href="http://the-tree-of-books.blogspot.com/2016/07/the-summer-that-melted-everything.html">my review</a>! I hope you enjoy getting to know Tiffany McDaniel.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">Hello and welcome to The Tree of Books! Could you introduce yourself? </span><br />
I’m an Ohio poet and novelist who gets really excited (too excited really) by a hot fudge sundae and a good Saturday night movie. <br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">Your novel, <i>The Summer That Melted Everything</i>,</span><span style="background-color: #d9ead3;"> is about to be published. What is it about?</span><br />
The Summer that Melted Everything is about an eighty-four-year-old man named Fielding Bliss, who is looking back on his life during one summer in 1984 when he was thirteen-years-old and his father, Autopsy Bliss, invited the devil to their small town called Breathed, Ohio. Who answers the invitation ends up being a boy in overalls and bruises. This boy’s arrival comes the first day of a hell-hot heat-wave that carries through the entire course of the summer. This is not just a story about the heat, but a story of everything that melted in that heat. Family, friendships, innocence, and even lives. Puddles of all of these things melted down. That is what this story is. A man trying to survive ferrying these puddles, which to him have become oceans he must cross to once again find the bliss of his name. <br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">What inspired you to write this novel?</span><br />
I always say what inspires me are the characters themselves. To me, my characters feel as real as any of us, so I’m inspired by my characters. To do right by them. I only hope I tell their truths as honestly as I can. That I’ve given them their authentic life and the legs to stand on their own two feet. <br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">What genre(s) do you typically write/read. </span><br />
I typically write literary fiction. But I read all kinds of genres from literary fiction to mystery, horror, short stories, poetry, non-fiction, YA, picture books. I like my books like wildflowers. Of all colors and mix. <br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">Why do you like this/these genre(s)? </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-UIy9RfN-1pdSbT9Tfvfz9lz4VkwyXjw3-Bh7CI7oWFAbpkI4p5hbwrf7JAGh3rIHR7ObVdkC0zmNfq260Ps2phNRTziO28c-L0fpB6FvTV0ii05C10FKyEKpFYbsi07lFp3w_keOtjx/s1600/26114523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-UIy9RfN-1pdSbT9Tfvfz9lz4VkwyXjw3-Bh7CI7oWFAbpkI4p5hbwrf7JAGh3rIHR7ObVdkC0zmNfq260Ps2phNRTziO28c-L0fpB6FvTV0ii05C10FKyEKpFYbsi07lFp3w_keOtjx/s400/26114523.jpg" width="263" /></a>For literary fiction I love that the story is more about the characters. You get to dive deep into the ocean with the characters and really uncover who they are and what lies on the sea-bed floor. As far as other genres, they all have something special to offer. Whether it’s a murder mystery or the brief flicker of a short story. To me a book is beautiful on its own. Its genre doesn’t matter to me, as long as the story and the writing is something I want to hoard in my soul. <br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">Why do you write? </span><br />
Writing is the first thing I remember doing as a child outside of any external influence or direction. As a child I was driven by that internal gear, and as I got older I realized I was writing story. I wouldn’t realize writing was a profession I could have until much older, when I was in middle school and the guidance counselor came to my class to talk to us about what we wanted to be when we got older. Writing was just so wonderful to me that I didn’t think I could make a life out of it. My parents had jobs, very hard jobs that made them tired and not a lot of money. So I thought that’s what I would have to do. Have a job I didn’t like. Though it took me eleven long, hard years to get a publishing contract, realizing I could have writing as a career, was like being told I could pocket all the stars in the night sky and have light with me forever. Writing is my compass. My lighthouse safely guiding my ship to shore. I’m lost without it. <br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">What do you do when you get writer's block? </span><br />
I’m pretty superstitious, so I don’t even mention it. It feels like ‘Bloody Mary’ to me, as if you call its name it’ll appear. It’s my boogeyman, so I just avoid saying its name. <br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">What authors/books have impacted you as both a reader and a writer?</span><br />
I came around to the literary heavyweights late in life, having spent my childhood and adolescent glued to R.L. Stine books. So I can’t say any one author inspired me, but I will say my favorite authors include Ray Bradbury, Donna Tartt, Toni Morrison, Shirley Jackson, Poet James Wright, Agatha Christie, and Kazuo Ishiguro. They all write magic. <br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">What’s your favorite things about being an author?</span><br />
Being introduced to the characters and falling in love with them.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">Do you have any writing quirks?</span><br />
I have one quirk, but it’s just too weird to say. <br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">What are some things you wish you’d known when you first started writing seriously? </span><br />
That the journey to publication is long and difficult. I wrote my first novel when I was eighteen. I wouldn’t get a publishing contract until I was twenty-nine. So it was eleven years of rejection and fear I’d never be published. It’s a hard journey to get a foot in the publishing door. Especially when you write literary fiction, like I do. Publishers don’t want to take risks on literary fiction because it could be a financial loss as it’s not as lucrative as say genre or commercial fiction. I really believed I’d never get published.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">What are some of the most interesting things you’ve learned through writing?</span><br />
I’d say the process of getting a book published itself. Writing the book is the easy part. Getting it published is the hard part. That to me is interesting. Unfortunate, but interesting. <br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">What advice can you offer aspiring authors?</span><br />
I feel for those writers still on the journey to publication. To them I say never, ever give up. Never turn your back on your dreams. You owe it to yourself to stay the course. It will happen for you. You will get that rocket ship ride into the stars one day. Believe it. <br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">Describe your routine to get in the writing mood. </span><br />
I don’t really have a routine. I’m pretty boring in that I just sit there and type. As long as I have story, I’m in the mood to tell it. <br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">Do you listen to music as you write? </span><br />
Sometimes. Never anything upbeat. It’s usually sad instrumental music. Rarely do I listen to anything with lyrics because I find them distracting. Unless they’re lyrics that would make me want to paint my walls black. <br />
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<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">What did you want to be when you were younger? </span><br />
A writer. A witch most definitely, like one of the Sanderson sisters from Hocus Pocus or the cartoon witch from the Bugs Bunny cartoon. I’m still waiting on my flying broom. And yes, I still very much want to be a witch. At least Halloween lets me pretend I can be. Perhaps one day I’ll write a spell book… <br />
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It was such a pleasure getting to talk to Tiffany McDaniel, and I hope you pick up her new novel, <i>The Summer That Melted Everything</i>, when it's released on July 26th! </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26114523-the-summer-that-melted-everything"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26114523-the-summer-that-melted-everything">Click here to add <i>The Summer That Melted Everything </i>to your Goodreads TBR</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLV9AEHvORA">Click here to watch the book trailer</a></div>
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Juliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12865603361609161446noreply@blogger.com0