tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11934382555598801832024-03-13T23:37:45.127-07:00Bücher für Freunde"All in all, though, I feel I've been at my best as a friend - it's a natural state of being for me." - Robert Gottlieb Booksmartiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16456206950595069973noreply@blogger.comBlogger531125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193438255559880183.post-20842077616438611322018-01-01T11:46:00.002-08:002018-01-01T11:46:21.233-08:00Avid Reader - Robert Gottlieb <div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28116836-avid-reader"><img alt="Avid Reader: A Life" border="0" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1463563823l/28116836.jpg" /></a></div>
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Robert Gottlieb war Lektor und Verleger für Simon & Schuster und Alfred A. Knopf, sowie Chefredakteur des New Yorker. In seinen Memoiren "Avid Reader" vermittelt Gottlieb - wie der Titel vermuten lässt - seine Leidenschaft für Literatur sowie einen detaillierten Überblick des nordamerikanischen und englischsprachigen Literaturbetriebs. <div>
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<i>Ich empfehle sie deshalb dieser einen Freundin, die eigentlich schon immer in der Kulturbranche arbeiten wollte, aber sich zu einem Karrierewechsel noch nicht durchringen konnte. </i><div>
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Die Kulturbranche deshalb, weil Gottliebs Lebens- und Arbeitsweise wohl nicht nur für Angehörige des Verlagswesens typisch ist. Schon als Junge liest er viel, begeistert sich aber auch für Ballett, sowie klassische Musik und Popmusik. Als Student schert er sich wenig um starre Curricula und mehr um die eifrige Erarbeitung des klassischen Literaturkanons (er liest zum Beispiel "Auf der Suche nach der verlorenen Zeit" von Marcel Proust in sieben Tagen, ein Band pro Tag). Er bildet seine Identität, seinen Geschmack anhand von Literatur. </div>
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<i>"There's a need, when you're young, to announce your standards, your preferences; to identify yourself through your choices (...) In our case, they were cultural. Shakespeare, yes; Milton, no. Bach and Mozart, yes; Tchaikovsky, no (that would change) (...)" </i></div>
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Auf den ersten Blick erscheinen der beschriebene junge und der ältere Gottlieb zwei unterschiedliche Persönlichkeiten. Ersterer ist einsam, in der Schule gelangweilt, in der Uni rebellisch, im Leben ziellos. Letzterer verbringt Wochenenden im Büro, erklärt die Arbeit für seinen Hauptlebensinhalt und teilt seine Lebensabschnitte ein nach den Büchern, denen er zur Veröffentlichung verholfen hat. Dieser Widerspruch erklärt sich - Gottlieb erklärt ihn selbst - daran, dass der erfolgreiche Verleger von Beginn seiner Karriere einer Arbeit nachging, die ihm am Besten lag und die ihm am Besten gefiel. Wie er selbst sagt: </div>
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<i>"My luck was that just about all my work depended on reading, which was the thing I most liked doing, and something I knew I was good at." </i></div>
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Gottliebs lebhafte Beschreibungen seines Arbeitsalltags machen Lust, selbst direkt einen Karrierewechsel vorzunehmen. Bei der Lektüre dieses Buches ist Begeisterung - auch für die englischsprachige Literaturszene - aber beinahe unabdinglich! Gottliebs Schilderungen seiner Freunde und Geschäftspartner im Literaturbetrieb sind detailreich und langanhaltend. </div>
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Wer sich für den englischsprachigen Buchmarkt der letzten Jahrzehnte interessiert - oder sich trotz Desinteresses zur Lektüre dieses Buchs entschließt - wird aber auch anderweitig belohnt. Gottliebs Interesse für Ballett und seiner Tätigkeit als Vorstandsmitglied des New York City Ballet wird ein - wenn auch kurzes - Kapitel gewidmet. Darüber hinaus schreibt Gottlieb über Freundschaften, Ehe und Familie, Reisen und Musik. Wenn Memoiren eine Aufgabe haben, dann wohl, ihren Lesern und Leserinnen Ideen für ihr eigenes Leben zu geben. Wenn wir auch nicht alle Verleger*Innen werden können, so gibt Robert Gottlieb doch auch den ein oder anderen Tipp in die Hand, zumindest in der Freizeit, der Leseleidenschaft bedingungslos zu frönen! </div>
Booksmartiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16456206950595069973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193438255559880183.post-88923235890577875762017-08-14T12:59:00.001-07:002017-08-14T12:59:51.588-07:00Checked Out from the Library I went to the library last Sunday and look what I got:<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6425404-changing-my-mind?ac=1&from_search=true"><img alt="Changing My Mind: Occasional Essays" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442179177l/6425404.jpg" width="131" /></a><br />
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<b>Changing My Mind by Zadie Smith </b><br />
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Her only published essay collection. I love Zadie Smith and I've recently once again been obsessed with her work, so knowing the brain behind the greatness is a must.<br />
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<b>How to be Alone by Jonathan Franzen </b><br />
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Another essay collection, because - why not?<br />
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<b>The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion </b><br />
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Okay. Yet another essay collection. I know, I know. But I loved - and really recommend! - "Slouching Towards Bethlehem". So this was a natural follow-up.<br />
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<b>Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler </b><br />
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NOT an essay collection! It's a book about a young woman finding herself in the city and it's probably really cheesy and reminds me a great deal of Someday, someday, maybe by Lauren Graham, which I've chewed on for several MONTHS only to then give up on it, because it was - despite the wonderful narrator and author - so boring. But I won't stop believing in cheesy fiction to solve all my problems. Not yet.Booksmartiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16456206950595069973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193438255559880183.post-40960008197613263662016-07-31T09:30:00.001-07:002016-07-31T09:30:28.529-07:00Ich packe meinen Koffer: Athen, Griechenland <i>Für Menschen wie mich, die zwar gerne reisen, aber angesichts der Aussicht, eine gute Woche außerhalb ihrer gewohnten vier Wände zu verbringen, gerne ein bisschen in Panik geraten, ist es - wie ich finde - das Beste, einen großen Brocken Heimat einfach mit in die Fremde zu nehmen. </i><br />
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<i>Dank moderner Elektronik geht das ja auch bei Gepäckbegrenzungen ganz gut. </i><br />
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Folglich hier eine Liste der Dinge, die ich mit auf meine einwöchige Athen - Reise mitzunehmen gedenke:<br />
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<b>Literatur: </b><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.google.de/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=7&ved=0ahUKEwj1uoqvj57OAhUkBcAKHZK_BgoQFghCMAY&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diogenes.de%2Fleser%2Fkatalog%2Fnach_autoren%2Fa-z%2Fm%2F9783257232820%2Fbuch&usg=AFQjCNHlXz3-KUpXn7h30asn7uMQQQkjCg&sig2=L2XffnyrCAX7K1uHcPTBNg">Petros Markaris: Hellas Channel </a></u><br />
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Der hochgelobte Auftakt einer Serie von Kriminalromanen, die in der griechischen Hauptstadt spielen und sich auch immer wieder aktuellen politischen und gesellschaftlichen Phänomenen annehmen.<br />
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<u><a href="http://www.suhrkamp.de/buecher/outline-rachel_cusk_42528.html">Rachel Cusk: Outline </a></u><br />
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Felicitas von Lovenberg hat diesen Roman im lesenswert Quartett empfohlen: es geht um eine Schriftstellerin, die für einige Tage nach Athen reist, um dort Schreibkurse anzubieten. Die zunächst langweilig klingende Prämisse ist schnell vergessen, weil man schon auf den ersten paar Seiten der Leseprobe ein gutes Gefühl - und einiges an Sympathie - für die Protagonistin entwickelt!<br />
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<u><a href="http://www.fischerverlage.de/buch/odyssee/9783104012438">Homer: Odyssee </a></u><br />
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Genau der richtige Augenblick, um sich diesem Klassiker anzunehmen! Gerne hätte ich gleich alles gekauft und eingepackt, was irgendwie zum antiken Literaturkanon dazugehört - aber wahrscheinlich wird dieser Schinken schon Anstrengung genug!<br />
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<u><a href="http://www.chbeck.de/Ikonomou-Warte-nur-passiert/productview.aspx?product=11513448">Christos Ikonomou: Warte nur, es passiert schon was </a></u><br />
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Ein Erzählband mit Fokus auf die Einzelschicksale einiger Griechen in Athen. Wahrscheinlich werde ich zu diesem Band gar nicht mehr kommen, bis ich wieder in der Heimat bin - aber es spricht ja nichts dagegen, eine (hoffentlich!) gelungene Reise nachzuarbeiten ;)<br />
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<u><a href="http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/216156/someday-someday-maybe-by-lauren-graham/9780345532763/">Lauren Graham: Someday Someday Maybe </a></u><br />
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Ein -wie ich hoffe! - spritzig, oberflächlicher Roman über eine junge Frau, die versucht, sich ihren eigenen (Lebens-) weg durch New York zu bahnen. Insbesondere: von Gilmore Girls "Lorelei" geschrieben und in der Hörbuch - Version - die ich besitze! - eingelesen. Falls mir die griechische Klassik zu schwer oder die Temperaturen zu heiß werden!<br />
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<u><a href="http://www.randomhouse.de/ebook/Philosophische-Temperamente/Peter-Sloterdijk/e359008.rhd">Peter Sloterdijk: Philosophische Temperamente </a></u><br />
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Einer unserer Fernsehphilosophen erzählt eine personenbezogene Geschichte der Philosophie. Es wirkte wie die logische Fortsetzung, nachdem ich mich im letzten halben Jahr (!) schon durch Richard David Rechts Philosophiegeschichte gehört habe. Außerdem fehlte bei der Auswahl bis jetzt ein Sachbuch.<br />
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<b>Musik: </b><br />
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Patti Smith<br />
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U2<br />
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Blondie<br />
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Die Gilmore Girls haben mich angefixt! Jetzt gehts darum, so viele Alben wie möglich zu verschlingen!<br />
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<br />Booksmartiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16456206950595069973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193438255559880183.post-68788853433742557202015-07-23T13:59:00.001-07:002015-07-23T13:59:34.386-07:00We were Liars by E. Lockhart<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16143347-we-were-liars"><img alt="We Were Liars" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402749479l/16143347.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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Delacorte Press</div>
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We were Liars is a book almost noone really reviewed and I totally get why. </div>
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So, I won't review it, either. </div>
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I will not talk about the story at all. </div>
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I will say that it's a good book, but - based on the hype around it - did not meet my expectations. </div>
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Yes, there was a very unexpected turn. </div>
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But after finding out about it, it didn't blow me away. </div>
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Okay, let's make this a real review, after all: </div>
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I loved the language, the metaphors especially and - despite my earlier disappointment with "The Boyfriend List" - now have a very high opinion of E.Lockhart as a writer. </div>
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One other thing I reallly loved was the beautiful setting, the family dynamics and the almost political take on the poor and rich, right and wrong questions. </div>
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There you have it. Said something without saying anything. This is probably the shortest review I've ever written. </div>
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<i>PS: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley, but that doesn't affect my opinion at all.</i></div>
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<br />Booksmartiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16456206950595069973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193438255559880183.post-55705494709075016582015-07-21T12:20:00.000-07:002015-07-21T12:20:31.176-07:00Book Review: Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen <div>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #181818; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #181818; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #181818; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">In her signature pitch-perfect style, Sarah Dessen explores the hearts of two lonely people learning to connect.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Published June 16th 2009 by Viking Books for Young Readers (first published 2004)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">I have a conspiracy to reveal. Sarah Dessen had us all fooled. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Throughout our (younger) teenage years, we all thought she had peeked into our dreams, into our wishes and worries when we were asleep at night and then put them down in paper, along with a few phrases of really good advice. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">We thought that, with every one of her books, she just hit the nerve! She just understood!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">And in a way, we were right. Sarah Dessen does understand. But reading Along for the Ride, I realized that it may not be my head she peeked into. Maybe neither of our heads. Maybe it is just her own and her memory and experience of growing up and growing apart and growing together. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Now, this is not necessarily a bad thing. I understand most authors write what they know. And Sarah Dessen certainly does it in an enjoyable way. Her style is subtle, easy. She uses her words to tell a story, nothing more. Her language does not translate the feelings, the emotions. That's - surprisingly - what the plot does. And what her words and sentences do. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Often times this ends in her telling instead of showing - but not in a bad way! Throughout most of the book, there are no lectures, just subtle hints of advice, of guidance, of thoughts that may be right or may be wrong, but that are definitely worth thinking about. </span></span></div>
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Her main character, Auden, is certainly likeable, not too average, not too perfect and not too imperfect, either. But just like language, Auden seems to be a device to bring the message across. And neither of the other character serve any other purpose. Outgoing, indecisive and adventurous Hollis, girly - but - smart Maggie, girly - but - tough Heidi, cowardly - Dad and Icequeen - Mom - each of these characters, eventually, only portrayed one way to live and delivered the message that living life - in the end - is accepting that there's always more ways than one, that you don't always have to decide and that you will feel the fullest, the most you, if you let them all in and put them all out there. </div>
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So, Along for the Ride has an important message that will make every reader feel a lot better about them and their lives. This message - and the feeling of being understood - is the main reason I would recommend the novel. The simple language, character and plot make it an easy and quick read. However, this simplicity also takes some things from the book that I think could have been there: a little bit more depth in the characters, a little bit more confrontation between them, certainly a more varied and unpredictable plot, less cliché metaphors. </div>
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Two last points: The love story in this book left me completely unattached, BUT Auden's mother is hilarious and the humour that is thrown into this story from time to time definitely makes it a good Spring and Summer read!!!</div>
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Booksmartiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16456206950595069973noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193438255559880183.post-6885843725072670582015-07-18T08:58:00.000-07:002015-07-18T08:58:02.605-07:00The Lunar Chronicles Read - A - Long<div style="text-align: center;">
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Guys!</div>
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I'm so excited, you can't even imagine!</div>
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One of the worst thing about pausing blogging when I did was that I hadn't read Cress! And when I tried reading it now, I couldn't remember anything from the first two books. And rereading them just didn't feel right. <i>But</i> rereading them with a bunch of people who are slowly getting excited for the next installment...YES, please! </div>
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So, 'nough said. This is happening. </div>
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Oh, and it's hosted by <a href="http://www.bookaddictsguide.com/2015/07/15/the-lunar-chronicles-reread-along-intro-sign-ups/">The Book Addict's Guide</a>, so go ahead and check her blog to maybe sign up, as well ;) </div>
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Hope everyone has a good Saturday! </div>
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Greetings, </div>
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Laura</div>
Booksmartiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16456206950595069973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193438255559880183.post-6792738834855218462015-07-17T08:29:00.001-07:002015-07-17T08:29:32.320-07:00Review: Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg <div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20587901-lean-in-for-graduates"><img alt="Lean In for Graduates" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1392589556l/20587901.jpg" /></a></div>
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Summary: </div>
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<i>Lean In For Graduates is Sheryl Sandberg's account of why women struggle to succeed in business and how we can change that, structured by ten rules like "Sit at the Table", "Don't Leave Before You Leave" or "Seek and Speak your Truth". The Graduates edition also contains a "Letter to Graduates" as well as additional material in the back, stories of how Lean In changed other peoples' lives and advice from other successful women in business, ranging from emotional support to find your own path to very practical tips on applying for jobs - from the cover letter to negotiating a salary. </i></div>
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REVIEW: </div>
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Believe me, my liking - even loving! - this book was by no means a given thing. </div>
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After reading Laurie Penny's "Unspeakble Things" where she states that the problem was not how to get more women into boardrooms but why there are not more boardrooms on fire, you could call my expectations towards "Lean In" at least...let's say...limited. </div>
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But the point Sandberg makes, not too obviously, but convincingly, is that to change the situation of women in the world everywhere, we need to start somewhere. And it is no mystery that the greatest power to actually change things cannot be found in not - for - profit organisations and voluntary work at the library (although I do that and think it's amazing) but the big institutions in politcs and economy. Whether we like that or not. </div>
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And even if we don't like that or don't ever want to work there, Lean In is a strong contribution to the struggle for womens' rights today that I believe every woman should own a copy of (and read it - several times!). That's because Sheryl Sandberg is an intelligent woman that worked hard to provide an interesting and inspiring account of giving women the recognition they deserve in the workforce in general. </div>
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Instead of offering a very long letter to women everywhere encouraging them to "live their dream", "make no compromises" etc. etc., Sandberg mixes valuable (although often - heard) advice with backup in the form of statistics and numbers as well as personal experience that is educational, funny and inspiring. </div>
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For example, Sandberg addresses the issue of women not speaking up for themselves. But instead of just telling us to "raise our voices" and "make a difference", she acknowledges the fact that, statistically, women are perceived more negatively if they are successful career - wise than men are. And that, when negotiating for themselves, women come across as less sympathtic in contrast to men who are perceived as competent when doing the exact same thing. </div>
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Thus, her advice - based on the statistics and the experiences she made herself - is, just one example, to reflect your sense of teamwork and community when negotiating for yourself as a woman, i.e. by stressing how a higher salary for yourself will benefit the entire team by creating a highly motivated team. </div>
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This advice, just like pretty much everything else she says, can be scrutinized by the question of why women should obey the rules that oppress them in the workforce in the first place. The reason is, and she addresses this argument head on several times, that women almost never make up 50% of the powerful institutions of our world. Thus, we do not have the power to change all the rules at once. We must get there first. </div>
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No matter whether you're trying to become the next CEO of Google or Facebook or want to be a stay -at - home mom or are a successful - male - young professional in business: This book is for all of us. If we want to live in a world where as many people as possible actually recieve equal treatment and equal opportunities, there are a couple of suggestions in this book that, if enough people follow it, could really make a difference. </div>
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I should mention, though, that - depending on what you want from the book - you might want to skip some chapters. For example, Sandberg discusses the role of man and woman in the home and family care to a great extent. For a 20 - year - old single student like me, who takes her rule of "Don't Leave Before You Leave" very seriously, that got a bit boring and even repetitive. However, some parts of the "Graduates" edition that I read might apply to students and - well - graduates more. I especially enjoyed Mellody Hobson's essay on owning who you are - and maybe changing the rules of the game a bit to fit you - and Rachel Simmon's account of listenning to your inner voice and breaking the rules of everybodies' expectations. These essays again show how this book is not "just for women", but for everyone. The men, the successful and the not-so-successful, the blacks, the whites, the straights, the gays. </div>
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I'll finish this up with saying this book gave me confidence and a positive outlook on life and work and whatever comes next. And it didn't do that by striking like a bomb with a lot of inspiring quotes, but by carefully analysing what - statistically - is wrong with our world, how others have experienced and changed that - and how we can do that, too! </div>
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I hope you have a good day! </div>
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Greeting, </div>
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Laura </div>
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<br />Booksmartiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16456206950595069973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193438255559880183.post-57875226629906492482015-07-16T07:48:00.001-07:002015-07-16T08:06:39.771-07:00(Yet Another) Reading List For July this time. It might surprise you that yes, I have actually managed to get through a bit of my reading list for June. I just haven't posted any reviews yet and even that is for a reason, as well: Just as I am re-starting this blog, I decided to work on a German version, as well & all of that together is taking a bit of a chunk of my time ;D<br />
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ANYWAY.<br />
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This is what I read in June:<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11988046-pivot-point"><img alt="Pivot Point (Pivot Point, #1)" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1356020486l/11988046.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15704307-saga-volume-1"><img alt="Saga, Volume 1" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1428350405l/15704307.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16143347-we-were-liars"><img alt="We Were Liars" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402749479l/16143347.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21423525-us"><img alt="Us" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1406116779l/21423525.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5587960-the-thing-around-your-neck"><img alt="The Thing Around Your Neck" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320413162l/5587960.jpg" width="134" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13537891-nw"><img alt="NW" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331596117l/13537891.jpg" width="132" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14061795-zur-verfassung-europas"><img alt="Zur Verfassung Europas: Ein Essay" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1341748403l/14061795.jpg" width="120" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11322420-die-schatzinsel"><img alt="Die Schatzinsel: mit der "Hispaniola" auf der Suche nach dem Schatz des Piratenkapitäns Flint" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1413411753l/11322420.jpg" width="125" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22594449-kruso"><img alt="Kruso" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403861163l/22594449.jpg" width="119" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24817854-was-hei-t-denken"><img alt="Was heißt Denken?: Vorlesung Wintersemester 1951/52. [Was bedeutet das alles?] (Reclams Universal-Bibliothek)" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1422980086l/24817854.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21403221-das-pubertier"><img alt="Das Pubertier" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1394280600l/21403221.jpg" width="130" /></a><br />
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Eleven books in total - good, but not great, regarding the endless amount of time I had in June. There were some reading slumps and a LOT of wasted time on the Internet. Details and reviews will follow suit ;)<br />
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July is halfway over (can you even imagine?) & my reading to this point was...well not too successfull now:<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25068881-was-ich-noch-sagen-wollte"><img alt="Was ich noch sagen wollte" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1425479937l/25068881.jpg" width="119" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19184198-blackbox-urheberrecht"><img alt="Blackbox Urheberrecht (German Edition)" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386186758l/19184198.jpg" width="147" /></a><br />
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These are both German non-fiction books. The first is autobiographical (author: the former German chancellor Helmut Schmidt) and the second one a collection of essays and blog entries regarding German copyright law. I know, terrific stuff! ;D<br />
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For the rest of the month, there's some more law stuff for me to get through. Apart from that, I'm trying to work on the books already on my shelves instead of buying new ones.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1490737.Kleiner_Mann_was_nun_?ac=1"><img alt="Kleiner Mann - was nun?" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1184186690l/1490737.jpg" width="119" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17830123-we-are-not-ourselves"><img alt="We Are Not Ourselves" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1418103690l/17830123.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17406279-the-coldest-girl-in-coldtown"><img alt="The Coldest Girl in Coldtown" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1367312709l/17406279.jpg" width="128" /></a><br />
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I've dipped into all of these, they're all lovely, but the spark hasn't really jumped over yet...<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18214414-the-silkworm?ac=1"><img alt="The Silkworm (Cormoran Strike, #2)" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1392577290l/18214414.jpg" width="128" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20439328-how-to-be-both?ac=1"><img alt="How to Be Both" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405890478l/20439328.jpg" width="124" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21965107-the-children-act?ac=1"><img alt="The Children Act" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405290619l/21965107.jpg" width="135" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19401773-nachrichtenzeit"><img alt="Nachrichtenzeit: Meine unfertigen Erinnerungen (German Edition)" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386884902l/19401773.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16071764-lean-in?ac=1"><img alt="Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1364250803l/16071764.jpg" width="120" /></a><br />
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These are in no particular order and of no theme other than: I need to work on my TBR pile. So, I hope enthusiasm will come around anyway - there's a reason, after all, I bought this books months and years ago!<br />
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I hope y'all have a wonderful summer day and promise some reviews for the next couple of days!<br />
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<br />Booksmartiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16456206950595069973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193438255559880183.post-10984564708389881332015-06-02T09:28:00.000-07:002015-06-02T09:28:25.271-07:00May Wrap Up and June TBR <div style="text-align: center;">
Hello, Hello! </div>
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Long time no see. I hope you are all well - and reading! </div>
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For this first post, I thought I'd share with you what I read in the month of May and what I plan on reading during June. Some of these books are German (my first language), but I linked all of them to Goodreads, so if you want to go see if there's an English translation - there you go! </div>
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The German Ones (none of them translated into English, sadly, but if you can read German and have read them, let me know what you thought of them!) </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21243500-mir-fehlt-ein-tag-zwischen-sonntag-und-montag"><img alt="Mir fehlt ein Tag zwischen Sonntag und Montag" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1395962484l/21243500.jpg" width="122" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10452269-das-k-nguru-manifest"><img alt="Das Känguru-Manifest" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327948550l/10452269.jpg" width="126" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22905354-die-juristische-unsch-rfe-einer-ehe"><img alt="Die juristische Unschärfe einer Ehe" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407788491l/22905354.jpg" width="122" /></a></div>
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The English Ones: </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/567610.How_to_Read_a_Book"><img alt="How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1310993739l/567610.jpg" width="129" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17727276-hard-choices"><img alt="Hard Choices" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402198745l/17727276.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20613624-unspeakable-things"><img alt="Unspeakable Things: Sex, Lies and Revolution" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405924555l/20613624.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/159826.Running_and_Being"><img alt="Running and Being: The Total Experience" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1310484917l/159826.jpg" width="128" /></a></div>
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Just realized pretty much all the books I finished this month were non - fiction books. Thankfully, these were all really good. How to Read a Book will probably change my University experience forever, Laurie Penny may not have changed my views on feminism radically, but definitely everything I ever knew about youth culture and protests of the (young) masses. Finally, Hard Choices took an incredibly long time to finish and got a bit repetitive at the end and I had my biggest (though not very big) problems with Running & Being. </div>
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JUNE TBR </div>
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June! The link from spring to summer, my birthday month, endless days without school or work to worry about! </div>
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To begin with, these are the books I have already read in June: </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11988046-pivot-point"><img alt="Pivot Point (Pivot Point, #1)" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1356020486l/11988046.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15704307-saga-volume-1"><img alt="Saga, Volume 1 (Saga #1-6)" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1428350405l/15704307.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14061795-zur-verfassung-europas"><img alt="Zur Verfassung Europas: Ein Essay" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1341748403l/14061795.jpg" width="120" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16143347-we-were-liars"><img alt="We Were Liars" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402749479l/16143347.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21423525-us"><img alt="Us" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1406116779l/21423525.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
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And now the books I'm still planning to read: </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17830123-we-are-not-ourselves"><img alt="We Are Not Ourselves" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1418103690l/17830123.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23888226-geschichte-des-westens"><img alt="Geschichte des Westens: Vom Kalten Krieg zum Mauerfall" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1419094601l/23888226.jpg" width="128" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18588998-5-to-1"><img alt="5 to 1" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1401202632l/18588998.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5587960-the-thing-around-your-neck?ac=1"><img alt="The Thing Around Your Neck" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320413162l/5587960.jpg" width="134" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12842134-just-one-year?ac=1"><img alt="Just One Year (Just One Day, #2)" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1375129683l/12842134.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10947600-saving-june?ac=1"><img alt="Saving June" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1349156138l/10947600.jpg" width="126" /></a></div>
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The Author I want to read this month: Zadie Smith! </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3711.White_Teeth"><img alt="White Teeth" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1374739885l/3711.jpg" width="128" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3679.On_Beauty"><img alt="On Beauty" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1341993915l/3679.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13537891-nw"><img alt="NW" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331596117l/13537891.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3710.The_Autograph_Man"><img alt="The Autograph Man" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388292766l/3710.jpg" width="128" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6425404-changing-my-mind"><img alt="Changing My Mind: Occasional Essays" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1433171205l/6425404.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/316195.Martha_and_Hanwell"><img alt="Martha and Hanwell (Pocket Penguin 70s #45)" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1387668691l/316195.jpg" width="122" /></a></div>
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I should probably add that this is a selection. I would really like to get through all of these books and I should have the time for it, too, but I might have to make compromises here and there. </div>
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So, what are you reading this month? Do you ever set focus on a single author and try to read all their works? This is a completely new experience for me, but I would like to try!<br />
<br />Booksmartiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16456206950595069973noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193438255559880183.post-69731382262779382062014-01-28T10:19:00.002-08:002014-01-28T10:19:38.988-08:00Top Ten Worlds I'd Never Want To Live In<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/2014/01/top-ten-worlds-wed-never-want-to-live-in.html" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA7AAL145j5v_VdvTh8jlPlIGQJqdVmta_TmaT2YnE34JvGsoyZmsQ0YGnOmX73ISfNug9O_-AFJlPnh9WyKzcpGyaAm9itsgHbcd9f6NsXs2eIWC2PeykFzb7f7F0g9FwGVfjgEFaO0de/s320/toptentuesday2.jpg" /></a></div>
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I would honestly consider this topic a bit longer, but I've already spent 30 minutes staring at a blinking cursor, so I will just switch things up a bit to make it easier: </div>
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Top Ten Worlds No One But Me Would Ever Want To Live In </div>
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<b>1) Divergent </b></div>
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Actually, I wouldn't even care in which fraction I'd live. I think that's what mostly draws me to it...knowing where I'd most belong (although I have a slight feeling it'd be Erudite...). The war and stuff is, of course, unfortunate, but the world itself seems so much more interesting! </div>
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<b>2) The Shadowhunter World </b></div>
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Okay, I'm pretty sure everyone would be perfectly happy in a Shadowhunter New York or London or Alicante or wherever it is you'd live - just for the Shadowhunter powers and the cool missions you and your friends get on. </div>
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<b>3) The Born Wicked Trilogy </b></div>
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Everyone already knows that I love these books, but I thought I'd mention it again. And, wow, their world is terrifying!! These people are all evil!! But I'd still love to live there :) </div>
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<b>4) The Wonderland in Splintered </b></div>
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I'm probably not alone with this one, either, but it is quite terrifying from what I've read so far! However, I love everything magical, so this had to be on the list! </div>
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<b>5)1950s New Orleans from Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys</b></div>
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Just love. Just love. If you told me I could switch times right now, I would. I wouldn't even put shoes on. </div>
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<b>6) Ravka from Shadow and Bones</b></div>
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This is actually the first world that I maybe don't want to live in after all. I never realized that until now, but it's the only fictional world I know that doesn't make everything better through its magical elements. It's dark, cold and terrifying and ...no, not even I would want to live there. </div>
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<b>7) The Caster World from Beautiful Creature </b></div>
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But I demand that I can be a caster. Being human in a paranormal world like that just sucks. Sorry, Ethan. </div>
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<b>8) The Dystopian World from the Birthright Trilogy</b> </div>
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But only if I can be part of the mafia and still have chocolate from time to time!! </div>
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<b>9) The Dystopian World in Ilsa J. Bick's novels </b></div>
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No. Just no. I wouldn't set foot in there. Ever. And neither should you. </div>
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10) Of course I can't think of a number ten. I NEVER HAVE A NUMBER TEN!!!</div>
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PS: Guys! I have been terrible at replying to comments this past week! I am sorry! You should know, though, that I always follow them up! I do look at all your blogs and comment on most of them. But because of Uni and applications for summer, I'm a bit stressed out and it might take a day or two :( </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193438255559880183.post-91357716386449762322014-01-27T14:58:00.003-08:002014-01-27T14:58:35.587-08:00Review: This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales <div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15777621-this-song-will-save-your-life" target="_blank"><img alt="This Song Will Save Your Life" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1362753915l/15777621.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0000ee;"><u>Hard</u></span><u style="color: #0000ee;">cover, 288 pages</u></div>
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<span style="color: #0000ee;"><u>Published September 17th 2013 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)</u></span></div>
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<i>Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski’s strong suit. All throughout her life, she’s been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing.Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together.</i></div>
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Other Books By the Author:</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10637697-past-perfect" target="_blank"><img alt="Past Perfect" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1303087619l/10637697.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7775824-mostly-good-girls" target="_blank"><img alt="Mostly Good Girls" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348587776l/7775824.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
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<b>Long Story Short:</b></div>
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While this book was not the most entertaining I've read, it certainly contains a strong message that is worth waiting for. Leila Sales crawls into the skin of a desperate teenage girl and her dealings with bullying and feeling left out. At the same time she shows what lies beyond the more dreadful parts of life. At some points, I found the plot rather dragging, the never-changing routine of school lunch tables and homework didn't keep me at the edge of my seat. However, if you want a book that will make you think and that delivers an important lesson everyone has to learn in life, this novel is for you.</div>
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<b>Review:</b></div>
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What turns This Song Will Save Your Life from good to great is the aspect of identification. Everyone has felt left out at some point, especially in Highschool it seems obligatory.</div>
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With that in mind, it is still so easy for authors to mess it up. Way too often have I put down a book, feeling laughed at or misunderstood by authors who tried to picture how life really is for those who don't belong to the group. Leila Sales does not tap into that trap once - she displays Elise's situation realistically, with an outlook that was surprisingly honest.</div>
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Sales did not focus too much on what other people do to Elise, there are no incidents of stolen journals, or mean gossip or physical violence. This Song Will Save Your Life is about what this feeling out of place does to Elise, how she questions everything she's ever done, how she tries so hard to learn the "rules" of fitting in. How she knows what others do is "not her thing", but still tries to mirror them because she thinks something is wrong with her. This Song Will Save Your Life, frankly, shows what it means to lose all confidence in youself, because everything that makes you you, apparently, is what puts other people off from liking you.</div>
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As the story progresses, Elise does something that will change her life. It might be the song, although I am not so sure about that. What she finds is a group of people she clicks with. And that message, in my opinion, is a very important one. It doesn't matter how hard you try to change yourself - if the people you change for don't click with you naturally, they never, ever will.</div>
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The message in the novel is a strong one, and an important one and this alone is why I would recommend the book to as many people as possible. Additionally, Sales goes out of her way to picture the life and emotions of a teenage girl, some heartbreaking moments and thoughts included just like sarcastic commentary that chimes along with her environment and all those people who just don't get her.</div>
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So, all in all, This Song Will Save Your Life is worth a read for the story and the message that it carries.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193438255559880183.post-85610138544372136262014-01-25T11:04:00.002-08:002014-01-25T11:04:51.414-08:00Stacking the Shelves #3 - The Audiobook Edition <div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/2014/01/stacking-shelves-92.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Stacking the Shelves" src="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/STSmall_thumb2.png" /></a></div>
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I'm really bad at listening to audiobooks - it takes me forever! I really like them, though, which is why I pay my monthly Audible fee :) </div>
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In today's Stacking the Shelves, I thought I'd show you all the audiobooks I accumulated in the past couple of months! </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12558285-splintered?from_search=true" target="_blank"><img alt="Splintered (Splintered, #1)" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1340134213l/12558285.jpg" width="135" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12425532-of-poseidon?from_search=true" target="_blank"><img alt="Of Poseidon (The Syrena Legacy, #1)" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327879889l/12425532.jpg" width="133" /></a><img alt="Enchanted (Woodcutter Sisters #1)" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1354716929l/12180248.jpg" width="133" /><img alt="The Scorpio Races" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1330964654l/10626594.jpg" width="132" /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193438255559880183.post-81809091201972971652014-01-23T00:58:00.000-08:002014-01-23T00:58:31.789-08:00Review: The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13326831-the-testing" target="_blank"><img alt="The Testing (The Testing, #1)" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1363452191l/13326831.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<i>Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one in the same? </i></div>
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<i>The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career. </i></div>
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<i>Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies--trust no one. </i></div>
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<i>But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.</i></div>
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<i>Hardcover, 336 pages</i></div>
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<i>Published June 4th 2013 by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (first published 2013)</i></div>
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<i>Other books in the series </i></div>
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<img alt="Independent Study (The Testing, #2)" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1380034496l/17165932.jpg" width="133" /><img alt="Graduation Day (The Testing, #3)" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1384363227l/18222699.jpg" width="133" /></div>
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<i>Other books by the author</i></div>
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<img alt="Skating Around the Law (Rebecca Robbins Mystery, #1)" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1317063999l/8266070.jpg" width="132" /></div>
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Review: </div>
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I shall warn you beforehand. It is almost impossible for me to review this book, because I have no idea how to feel about it. Some voices inside of me scream a big huge FAKE, and, along with that a big huge FAIL and then I remind myself that there's nothing new on the book market anyway and there never will be and as long as you enjoy the story, does it really matter that you've read it before?</div>
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But writing just that and leaving you with it is too easy. </div>
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I'm pretty sure that you've heard about the discussion around The Testing. About how it doesn't just look and sound like The Hunger Games, but actually IS the Hunger Games. Just. Different. </div>
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I don't really understand why people would be this idiotic: </div>
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<img alt="The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1358275334l/2767052.jpg" width="129" /><img alt="The Testing (The Testing, #1)" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1363452191l/13326831.jpg" width="132" /></div>
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But apparently, they are. </div>
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Also, The Testing is a book where a female heroine is one of the few people who enter a Testing, a series of tests (duh!) that are supposed to qualify only a handful of students to go to the University. </div>
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During those tests, things get dangerous. </div>
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Replace tests with games and you have a huuuge identity problem! </div>
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Anyway, apart from the whole it sounds and looks like The Hunger Games thing - The Testing wasn't a bad story. At all. </div>
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It created a MUCH higher level of suspense throughout - at least in my opinion - and the different tests people had to go through certainly were creative. The world building was lacking a bit, in my opinion. It was all very easy, a big war, a new governmental system, you know the gist. </div>
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But the story had potential. The romance developed at a really nice pace. Not endlessly slow, not insta-love. </div>
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And the ending certainly had me on the edge of my seat, turning every page, hungry for more and to see who would make it and who wouldn't. </div>
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I think, looking at all the different aspects of the novel, the suspense is the most remarkable one. I'm not too easy to scare, but I preferred not reading The Testing at night - because it was so mysterious and dangerous at times. </div>
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So, I am still not sure if it is worth a read. If you haven't read The Hunger Games, it surely is. Because the story itself might not be the most amazing one of all times, but ...welll...entertaining. However, if you have read The Hunger Games, beware! Not only is the synopsis too similar to feel comfortable, there are also many elements that I personally felt were - if not copied -then at least too similar to feel unique. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193438255559880183.post-62833512301100450772014-01-20T22:53:00.001-08:002014-01-20T22:53:46.385-08:00 Top Ten Things On My Reading Wishlist<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/p/top-ten-tuesday-other-features.html" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2mDffO_GxDZiNsglM09NEaZhyvIE-TCl5IfSa5VD7rhDMewfMFzrHZrrUqoTaL5GETdmhw3JW-e5skD4Ffz6KY1NY8HYqWgJ23Gc8vhy7_wKTwMU5tJ0vxEAKPZtdLGGy4x_hq8g9W2P/s320/toptentuesday.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>1) More New Adult</b></div>
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By this I mean more than just the average NA stories we have. More variety. I want New Adult to grow as big as Young Adult, because I see SO much potential there!!<br />
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<b>2) Mental Illnesses </b></div>
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I know there are some. Okay, many. But I find it super hard to find them. And to find books about these topics that do not get ruined by superficial and flat writing. Basically, I want more books about these serious topics. </div>
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<b>3) More Rainbow Rowell novels</b></div>
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Seriously. There are only three. How am I supposed to live when I finished all of them?</div>
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<b>4) More Katie McGarry Novels</b></div>
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see above</div>
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<b>5) More serious relationships</b></div>
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I am so sick of reading about people becoming a couple. I want to see people overcome struggles in their already existing relationships. No, insta-love, no 300 pages worth of tiptoeing around each other. </div>
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<b>6) More sturdy relationships</b></div>
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You know, books where the relationship is not the main focus. Where the relationship actually works and is the supporting, not the struggling point in a characters' life (see Allegiant). </div>
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<b>7) Boarding schools</b></div>
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And not just paranormal ones!!!</div>
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<b>8) Books with City Flair</b></div>
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I know small towns are probably more relatable for the bored-to-death suburban teen. I know they are/wer for me. But I'd really like to read about Gossip Girl style books again, middle of New York, London, Paris, ...</div>
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<b>9) More Asia</b></div>
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There is just no Asia in YA. I want China and Japan and Shanghai and Hong Kong and Singapour. Just please!</div>
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<b>10) More family issues</b></div>
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Family is so important for most young adults! I want more big families, more family issues, more family stories. It's not <i>always </i>about boys!!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193438255559880183.post-54198486190410667542014-01-20T11:01:00.001-08:002014-01-20T11:01:52.544-08:00Review: Crash Into You by Katie McGarry <div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17233800-crash-into-you" target="_blank"><img alt="Crash into You (Pushing the Limits, #3)" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1370532247l/17233800.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<i>From acclaimed author Katie McGarry comes an explosive new tale of a good girl with a reckless streak, a street-smart guy with nothing to lose, and a romance forged in the fast lane </i></div>
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<i>The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind. </i></div>
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<i>Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look. </i></div>
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<i>But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.</i></div>
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Right from the start I realised that Crash Into You would be my favorite one of the three Katie McGarry novels I have read. And that's not even because all our old favorite characters have major reappearances in this one - although it was awesome to see Noah and Echo and how their relationship was going, and Beth and Ryan and their relationship with Isaiah. </div>
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The most surprising thing about Crash Into You for me was that I thought I would hate it. Or, at least, Isaiah. </div>
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Because I had hated him in not one, but two previous books. However, McGarry threw her magic wand and I started loving him from like...page 3? It was amazing. </div>
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It didn't took much at all to love Rachel. Even though she had major issues and insecurities she did not, for one second, come about as weak or whiny or annoying in any way. She was just really good company. </div>
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So, here we go, two absolutely loveable main characters who, within the first couple of chapters, throw themselves not only into a hot mess of trouble, but also a fierce, heart wrenching relationship that I was rooting for from the first time there were sparks between them. </div>
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The rest of the book was just a fast paced, crazy ride through the difficulties both Rachel and Isaiah faced on their own, with their families and friends and themselves - and the issues they had to go through together as a couple. </div>
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The wonderful part about this book was also getting to know Rachel's family so well. I loved the dynamics between her brothers and her parents. It was a family portrait that left me wanting more, but also hoping for the best of all of them. </div>
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The ending was SO action packed and suspenseful that I actually skipped a lecture to finish. I know. I'm so bad. But I couldn't stop. I, at least, was incredibly mislead by a plot twist that almost brought me to tears. </div>
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Overall, this novel was better than I ever expected it to be. It was brilliant. It teared my heart out. It made me cry. The feels!!!</div>
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I strongly recommend you read all of Katie McGarry's books - but this one last!!! Because it is so good I would save it for a while...</div>
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Also: I absolutely cannot wait to read her next novel, which will apparently focus on one of Rachel's brothers :)<br />
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<i>Have you read any of Katie McGarry's novels? What do you think? And did you like Isaiah in the first two books?</i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193438255559880183.post-59737740579702812332014-01-19T13:18:00.002-08:002014-01-19T13:18:42.153-08:00Weekly Recap<div style="text-align: center;">
Happy Sunday, everyone!</div>
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They say that one of the most important things about goals is to stick to them! And in order to do that, you should be checking on them as much as possible! So that's where this new feature comes in! To keep up with my progress in 2014, I'll let you guys know what has been going on reading and un-reading wise in my week so far :) </div>
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Goals for this week were: </div>
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Read at least 3 books. </div>
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Post every day. </div>
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<img alt="Incarnate (Newsoul, #1)" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1358271343l/8573642.jpg" width="129" /><img alt="Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1310649047l/10429045.jpg" width="133" /></div>
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Well...this didn't work out quite as I had planned it. First week of term got in the way and it was SO stressful! I managed to finish Incarnate Saturday night and am now happily reading Shatter Me which - so far - has blown my mind! </div>
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When it comes to posting, I've been better :) As soon as this post is published, it'll be officially a post-a-day and I hope to keep this up for a little longer! </div>
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My goals for next week, therefore is to <i>stick to reading 3 books a week because I can totally do it and I've done it before so what's the problem!!! </i></div>
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Also: </div>
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<b>Post every day next week. </b></div>
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<b>Complete all the runs on my training plan. </b></div>
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<b>Strength train for at least 2 hours next week. </b></div>
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<b>Stretch!!</b></div>
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<b>Write at least 3 reviews. </b></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193438255559880183.post-56716806175030853052014-01-18T01:40:00.002-08:002014-01-18T01:40:34.472-08:00Stacking the Shelves #2<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/2014/01/stacking-shelves-91.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Stacking the Shelves" src="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/STSmall_thumb2.png" /></a></div>
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Hello Lovelies!! </div>
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It is Saturday and that means it's basically my favorite day of the week, so everyone can be really happy about that! </div>
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In other news, I decided to share with you the books I got this week which I am super excited about!! </div>
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<img alt="Incarnate (Newsoul, #1)" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1358271343l/8573642.jpg" width="129" /><img alt="Asunder (Newsoul, #2)" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1336406778l/13043180.jpg" width="133" /><img alt="Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1338924054l/13455782.jpg" width="133" /></div>
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These are both trilogies I've wanted to start forever ago AND they're both wrapping up soon, so I better get to them! I already started Incarnate and must say that I'm a bit disappointed...I'm finding it pretty slow ...does it get better in the end? What's Asunder like?</div>
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<i>And which books did you get this week?</i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193438255559880183.post-81035296377548409232014-01-16T05:11:00.001-08:002014-01-16T05:11:55.927-08:00Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell <div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16068905-fangirl" target="_blank"><img alt="Fangirl" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1355886270l/16068905.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
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<i>A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love. </i></div>
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<i>Cath is a Simon Snow fan.</i></div>
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<i>Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .</i></div>
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<i>But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.</i></div>
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<i>Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.</i></div>
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<i>Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.</i></div>
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<i>Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.</i></div>
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<i>For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?</i></div>
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<i>Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?</i></div>
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<i>And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?</i></div>
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I feel like I have been talking about Fangirl so much I don't even have any words left for the review. </div>
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Aside from maybe every positive adjective I could ever think of like...amazing, heart wrenching, inspiring, cute, quirky, lovely, funny, overwhelming...you get the picture, I hope. </div>
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Fangirl is one of those hyped up books I knew I would hate. It sounded to me like a too quirky and not serious enough novel about a topic that is very near and dear to my heart - too much so as that I could enjoy reading about it in a flat, superficial way. </div>
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Thank God, Rainbow Rowell made this one of my favorite novels of last year. Thank God for Cath and Wren, their Dad, Reagan and Levi and all the wonderful lessons they taught me about life and myself and about being a Fangirl and writing and growing up. </div>
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This quickly became one of the novels that changed my outlook on life. I realized (again) that it is okay to like something and then completely and entirely devote yourself to it. I realized that if I like something there is nothing wrong with admitting it. And I realized that a real, true friend will accept me and like me the way I am - no matter how weird and quirky that might be. </div>
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If this is the kind of lesson you think you need a little refresher on, then please read Fangirl. And even if you don't, just read it for the benefit of a beautiful story of friendship and growing of age - and apart and of first love and college. </div>
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I could go on about characters, plot and writing now and analyse everything in great detail, but I think it suffices to say those aspects were all perfect. </div>
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Just for the people among you who know me very well and who also know I cannot possibly say something without complaining in some way, I will say this: I didn't like the Fanfiction.</div>
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I guess it was a nice added detail and definitely very creative. Just didn't appeal to me personally. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193438255559880183.post-43739495645897636502014-01-15T05:31:00.003-08:002014-01-15T05:31:51.809-08:00Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin <div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8591107-the-unbecoming-of-mara-dyer" target="_blank"><img alt="The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, #1)" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1364084849l/8591107.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<i>Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.</i></div>
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<i>It can.</i></div>
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<i>She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.</i></div>
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<i>There is.</i></div>
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<i>She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.</i></div>
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<i>She’s wrong.</i></div>
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It was - once again - that feeling you get when you are overly excited for a novel, one that has been praised and recommended and suggested all over the internet. Then you start reading it. You might also finish it. But you put it down in a state of major disappointment and ask yourself what on earth all the hype was about. </div>
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Oh, well, or you are one of the people who love this book to pieces, but if you are, you might want to tune out now, because I don't have much praise for it. </div>
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The beginning of the novel was quite promissing. Hodkin's writing style is easy to follow and nice to read, with the exact right amount of detail and pace, guiding you through the first few chapters like you are watching the beginning of a really good movie. </div>
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When the excitement of the first few pages let off, something else kicked in and grabbed my attention: Noah Shaw. The book crush of the book crushes. From the very first time he appeared on the pages I wanted Mara to be with him and I never wanted him to leave her life and this story anymore. </div>
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So, just to recap: writing great, love interest perfect. </div>
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What was it, then, that put me off this novel so much?</div>
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Well, the plot was a major disappointment. I didn't like the twists at all. Sure, there were many. Sure, they were surprising. </div>
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But they didn't hit me like that. They didn't feel real. They felt like something the author had just come up with and thrown it into the story like that. The twists felt fake to me and that is the one thing I disliked most. </div>
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In addition to that, I found Mara's mental state rather confusing and irritating. I get that she was highly insecure and didn't understand her new abilities or her life and herself at all and I guess her reactions were sort of normal. </div>
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But that weird state of depression she was in left me as a reader unsatisfied, because she seemed completely out of it one second, and back in the game the next. </div>
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Lastly, I think one big contribution to my disappointment was that I expected too much. I thought this would be an unputdownable (don't even dare to tell me this is not a word!!!) thriller and all I got was a love story with confusing plot twists thrown in. </div>
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Again: I get why people would like it, really! I might even read the second book - and go at it with a new set of expectations. And if you like novels that are mysterious and unrelatable, read Mara Dyer's story despite my bad review. Looking at how many people enjoyed this book, it might just be a personal thing...<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193438255559880183.post-13519179007948286332014-01-14T11:16:00.000-08:002014-01-14T11:16:39.328-08:00Top Ten 2014 Debuts I'm Excited For<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/p/top-ten-tuesday-other-features.html" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2mDffO_GxDZiNsglM09NEaZhyvIE-TCl5IfSa5VD7rhDMewfMFzrHZrrUqoTaL5GETdmhw3JW-e5skD4Ffz6KY1NY8HYqWgJ23Gc8vhy7_wKTwMU5tJ0vxEAKPZtdLGGy4x_hq8g9W2P/s320/toptentuesday.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18079804-half-bad" target="_blank"><img alt="Half Bad (Half Life, #1)" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1378660484l/18079804.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17668473-prisoner-of-night-and-fog" target="_blank"><img alt="Prisoner of Night and Fog (Prisoner of Night and Fog, #1)" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1381254945l/17668473.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16081202-open-road-summer" target="_blank"><img alt="Open Road Summer" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1375745533l/16081202.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17869397-behind-the-scenes" target="_blank"><img alt="Behind the Scenes" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1386695394l/17869397.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18599820-tease" target="_blank"><img alt="Tease" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1381254003l/18599820.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18077961-liv-forever" target="_blank"><img alt="Liv, Forever" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1376933913l/18077961.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15728577-side-effects-may-vary" target="_blank"><img alt="Side Effects May Vary" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1371749688l/15728577.jpg" width="135" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17159009-never-have-i-ever" target="_blank"><img alt="Never Have I Ever" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1369819083l/17159009.jpg" width="129" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15789443-something-real" target="_blank"><img alt="Something Real" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1385144446l/15789443.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
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And Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley (which does not have a cover yet...)</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193438255559880183.post-53409184576319011302014-01-13T13:33:00.001-08:002014-01-13T13:33:40.139-08:00Bout of Books 9.0 - Done, Done and ... Almost Done! <div style="text-align: center;">
This was an amazing Read-a-Thon, that's for sure!! Not only reading - wise, but also blogging and fun-wise, I had a really good time and it was an awesome start for the New Year!!</div>
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If you can recall, my goals were...this: </div>
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<i style="background-color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Cuprum; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"><br /></i></div>
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<ul>
<li style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Cuprum; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;"> comment on at least 10 blogs a day, start following a lot of them and just in general be very active in the community (includes Twitter, Goodreads, ...)</i></li>
</ul>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Cuprum;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">--> I did actually do this until about Friday. Then I switched over to just commenting more on the new blogs I discovered. These are the new ones I've "found" and that I'm super excited to follow: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cuprum;"><span style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cuprum;"><span style="line-height: 22px;"><a href="http://spicedlatte.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Spiced Latte Reads</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cuprum;"><a href="http://shesgotbooksonhermind.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">She's Got Books on her Mind</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://gonepecanla.wordpress.com/wp-comments-post.php" target="_blank">Gone Pecan </a></div>
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<a href="http://amie-corner.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Magic of Words </a></div>
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<a href="http://www.mandikayereads.com/" target="_blank">Never Too Fond of Books</a></div>
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<a href="http://lauraplusbooks.com/" target="_blank">Laura Plus Books</a></div>
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<a href="http://thesecretlifeofabookworm-x.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Secret Life of a Bookworm </a></div>
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<a href="http://musicbooksandtea.com/" target="_blank">Music, Books and Tea</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cuprum;"><span style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cuprum;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">I think Bout of Books is such a great way to find new blogs to follow and bloggers to talk to, so that was - like always - my favorite part! </span></span></div>
<ul style="background-color: #d5a6bd; font-family: Cuprum; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px; text-align: center;"><i>participate in two out of three Twitter Chats</i></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Cuprum;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">Only managed to participate in one!! I really, really needed to study that one day :( </span></span></div>
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<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px; text-align: center;"><i>participate in every Challenge, every day </i></li>
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Managed to keep this up until Friday (I think). Then, I stopped because term started again (today!) and there is SO much work to do! </div>
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Read at least 5 books: </div>
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<img alt="Splintered (Splintered, #1)" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1340134213l/12558285.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: #d5a6bd; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; font-family: Cuprum; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 8px;" width="135" /><img alt="Enders (Starters, #2)" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1374509070l/13412377.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: #d5a6bd; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; font-family: Cuprum; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 8px;" width="132" /><img alt="Wild Cards (Wild Cards, #1)" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1368194466l/13065327.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; background-color: #d5a6bd; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 0px; border-top-right-radius: 0px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 0px; font-family: Cuprum; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; padding: 8px;" width="133" /></div>
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It went really well! I started into the week with a book a day which is a goal I ALWAYS tried to achieve in past Read-a-Thons. I started An Abundance of Katherines by John Green - and that is where my a book a day mania stopped. I couldn't get into it at all and had to rethink my strategy :) </div>
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In the end, I read 5 books,1521 pages and listened about 4 hours into Splintered (which is huuuge for me!!) </div>
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<i>Let me know how your Bout of Books went! Which new blogs did you find? How many books did you read? Did you find yourself slacking throughout the middle?</i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193438255559880183.post-76698792501493632962014-01-12T10:07:00.001-08:002014-01-12T10:08:58.641-08:00Stacking the Shelves<br />
<a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/2014/01/stacking-shelves-90.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Stacking the Shelves" src="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/STSmall_thumb2.png" /></a><br />
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Hello lovelies!!<br />
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I have been playing to do a StS for weeks now and the time has finally come! And yes, I know those are a lot of books. I'd love to say I've accumulated them all over the past weeks, but...none of these have been on my shelf in 2013 (I think).<br />
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HOWEVER, I feel not guilty at all. I have been on a bookbuying ban since June and I'm pretty sure I haven't bought more than five books since then.<br />
Anyway, skip over my rambling and look at these beauties!<br />
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Ebooks:<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16101128-the-5th-wave?ac=1" target="_blank"><img alt="The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave, #1)" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1359853842l/16101128.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13163011-because-it-is-my-blood?ac=1" target="_blank"><img alt="Because It Is My Blood (Birthright, #2)" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1333038441l/13163011.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12788061-dance-of-shadows?ac=1" target="_blank"><img alt="Dance of Shadows (Dance of Shadows, #1)" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1344716136l/12788061.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16122034-frigid?ac=1" target="_blank"><img alt="Frigid (Frigid, #1)" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1364364323l/16122034.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7747064-the-iron-daughter?ac=1" target="_blank"><img alt="The Iron Daughter (The Iron Fey, #2)" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1271790654l/7747064.jpg" width="128" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10222362-mila-2-0?ac=1" target="_blank"><img alt="Mila 2.0 (MILA 2.0, #1)" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1341031998l/10222362.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12578077-obsidian?ac=1" target="_blank"><img alt="Obsidian (Lux, #1)" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1328275091l/12578077.jpg" width="128" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11988046-pivot-point?from_search=true" target="_blank"><img alt="Pivot Point (Pivot Point, #1)" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1356020486l/11988046.jpg" width="132" /></a><br />
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E-Galleys:<br />
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<img alt="And We Stay" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1375373842l/17797364.jpg" width="132" /><img alt="We Were Liars" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1384302412l/16143347.jpg" width="131" /><img alt="Don't Even Think About It" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1379610329l/17560541.jpg" width="133" /><img alt="Just One Year (Just One Day, #2)" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1375129683l/12842134.jpg" width="132" /><img alt="Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion, #1)" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1374097236l/10838787.jpg" width="125" /><br />
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I'm pretty sure I've got some more ebooks somewhere in a corner, but this...should be enough :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvXljfF3aucOptPebetS_3ghTKHx8txk5QTV7LbXHQshJH02Hi0UkIFsw5JUvhIijhWs0Nj0pmXFA-MKHERAoQ4oWbdpqX0ZQU5bQuKW-ERaKktzE-UO1NVqRHbiJwrG4QTiQZW-jbx26w/s1600/WP_20140105_001%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvXljfF3aucOptPebetS_3ghTKHx8txk5QTV7LbXHQshJH02Hi0UkIFsw5JUvhIijhWs0Nj0pmXFA-MKHERAoQ4oWbdpqX0ZQU5bQuKW-ERaKktzE-UO1NVqRHbiJwrG4QTiQZW-jbx26w/s1600/WP_20140105_001%255B1%255D.jpg" height="320" width="179" /></a></div>
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These are from my Post-Christmas - Book Haul last Sunday ! </div>
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<i>Which of these have you read? And which do I have to read immediately because it is so good??? Tell me in the comments!</i> </div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193438255559880183.post-90846031510407918852014-01-11T13:06:00.001-08:002014-01-11T13:06:10.746-08:00Incarnate - Read-A-Thon<br />
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<a href="http://abackwardsstory.blogspot.sg/2013/11/Incarnate-Read-A-Thon-2014.html" target="_blank"><img height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafnni0sw15Ia2E1oHqfKAYM9mLqPqUFbIrnRpFvLrdRhpFTIij87XTGqsuXClTl77nhalAZBNFZDHLgzqQ2JyOVo1750yufISnTi7O4c6L3BYjJyYItrkrQwXvjQI9ijIN7T6H9INMDQt/s400/incarnatetest.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Guys!!! </div>
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I've always wanted to read this book. I swear. From the day Incarnate came out I WANTED it. </div>
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But never got to it. </div>
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So now I - and you - and everyone on the internet (!!) gets the opportunity to read the Incarnate series back to back with a ton of other people!!! And I'm feeling it's gonna be the best time!! </div>
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I don't know about you, but I'm totally joining! </div>
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And yes, that's the end of this post. </div>
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Because...I don't have anything else to say. Other than: I am super excited to finally start reading this series!</div>
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Join if you can! </div>
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<i>Have you read Incarnate and Asunder? Are you excited for the trilogy ending next month???</i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193438255559880183.post-80836848561851279512014-01-10T11:31:00.002-08:002014-01-10T11:31:56.085-08:00An Abundance of Poetry<div style="text-align: center;">
Hello lovelies!! </div>
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For those of you who don't know what Bout of Books is - I got some questions in the comments: it is a one-week-Read-a-Thon to be found <a href="http://boutofbooks.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<img alt="Bout of Books" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FY7lYzVjvIL1kzUfb6UV1AoWc8F2BJ4NuuD4l9rqqVNgWSyb0zJZFa6VFf3h1gcLm2DXUkgAjS4JINz9-l1drsnuxUHTBhF3Poa7jg-ysnBMxYjlhhNpNfBYOSUvZobzpMt8WZCALKw2/s200-no/BoB9.0-200x200.jpg" /></div>
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Usually, there are two challenges a day to participate in and in my goal post I said I wanted to do them all - which I have accomplished until today! </div>
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Today's challenges both focus around fun "poetry" projects, so I thought I'd post them on the blog for you and not leave my entries in the comments like I normally do. I hope you enjoy! </div>
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The firsts challenge is hosted by <a href="http://thebookspines.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/bout-of-books-90-book-spine-poetry.html" target="_blank">TheBookSpines:</a></div>
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<i>For this challenge, use books you currently have available, and arrange the spines to make a poem. Then take a picture, and share it with the web! For example, here is a simple poem that I used last year when I participated in this challenge. While I'm awful at poetry, I tried to make everything revolve around criminals and punishment! </i></div>
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<img height="400" src="https://www.evernote.com/shard/s79/res/e95a608e-a5ca-47bb-ad04-78fa62a556f2/IMG_1401101858561.jpeg?resizeSmall&width=786" width="224" /></div>
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(sorry about the blurry picture. I tried 32 times. No really, there are now 32 pictures of this stack on my phone. And I'm giving up)</div>
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Basically the poem goes like this: </div>
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<u>Last Sacrifice</u> </div>
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Just One Day</div>
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Before I fall</div>
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The Diviners </div>
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Star Cursed</div>
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An Abundance of Katherines </div>
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The second challenge is hosted by <a href="http://www.mandikayereads.com/bout-books-9-0-create-story-challenge-giveaway/" target="_blank">Never Too Fond of Books</a></div>
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<i>The rules are simple:</i></div>
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<i>Open your current book to the last page you read.</i></div>
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<i>Using the last word of every line, create a poem or story. You must use every word (but they do not have to be in order), and you may add punctuation as necessary. If a word is split between the end of the line and the beginning of the next one, you may choose whether or not to use it.</i></div>
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<i>Create a post (or tweet or video) that showcases your masterpiece. If you don’t have anywhere else to post it, you can add it as a comment here and use the comment link as your entry.</i></div>
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<i>Add it to the linky on this post.</i></div>
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<i>The book I chose was Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys: </i></div>
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<img alt="Out of the Easy" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1339784547l/11178225.jpg" width="133" /></div>
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<u>the, was, adjust, a</u>,<u> restaurant, jukebox, bar</u>,<u> bartender</u>,<u> eyes, back, the, view, as, i, right, side, arms</u>, an, <u>willie, </u>proud,<u> vendin</u>g<u>, it, hole,</u> out, napkin<u>, the</u>, counting </div>
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Haha, great selection of words, eh? That's what you get when you read a book set in the 1950s! </div>
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Back in the days, Daily Joe's was my restaurant. </div>
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I loved the bar and knowing every shady creature entering on silent soles, hiding behind their hoods. </div>
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Knowing what their faces look like when no one else does. </div>
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The jukebox is playing, old songs, so often and so long until I can sing along and</div>
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turn from hating to loving them. </div>
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You adjust to the music and the music adjusts to you. </div>
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Sometimes I stare longingly at the vending machine. </div>
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Hoping that it works. </div>
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Knowing that it never has. And never will. </div>
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And when the view out the windows has nothing more</div>
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to offer</div>
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than the blackness of the night. </div>
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And when there is a hole in my stomach </div>
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and everything in me yearns to leave this place behind. </div>
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A pair of eyes is glued on my shoulders, </div>
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as I turn around </div>
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the bartender (Willie) takes my arm</div>
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and I walk right by his side, </div>
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out the door,</div>
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the musty Daily Joe's </div>
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And we walk and we walk and he walks me home. </div>
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And as we walk, we are counting the stars. </div>
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Okay, that's it for today! I hope you all have a faboulous weekend!! </div>
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<i>Have you ever done book spine poetry? Do you like it? </i></div>
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<i>I personally LOVE having random words and making a random story out of them!!! </i></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1193438255559880183.post-10797496853467693392014-01-09T11:25:00.000-08:002014-01-09T11:25:28.539-08:00Review: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver <div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6482837-before-i-fall" target="_blank"><img alt="Before I Fall" height="320" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1361044695l/6482837.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.265625px;"><i>What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.265625px;"><i>Samantha Kingston has it all: looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it turns out to be her last.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.265625px;"><i>The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. Living the last day of her life seven times during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing</i></span></span></div>
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Frankly, Before I Fall felt like a waste of time for me. It was long, it was boring, it was repetitive and I did not get the meaning at all. </div>
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Oliver usually saves the day with her beautiful, poetic writing style - but there was no one moment I stumbled upon that in Before I Fall. I found the writing rather plain without much character or personal touch - other than in Delirium. </div>
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That, however, is a big problem in Before I Fall, because literally everything else fell flat for me, too. </div>
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The characters were your general, stereotypical highschool girls, the Queen Bees in a small town, focused only on parties and boys and alcohol. </div>
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The development of main character, Samantha, was visible, but not enough -absolutely not enough - to make me like her or keep me entertained by the story. </div>
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The plot made this book a fail for me. </div>
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I understand why some people would like it and that is why I want to stress that this is a very personal opinion - and maybe one bookbloggers will share more than occasional readers. </div>
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In the book, we follow Samantha reliving the same day over and over again. This is something you will either love or hate. I think if there had been only three or four repititions and the book had been shorter then yes, maybe, I would have liked it more. </div>
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But we relived the same day about 7 or 8 times and it just got on my nerves. I get that each time was entirely different, but the fact that no event or action would ever have consequences in the next chapter just made me...furious! </div>
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I honestly think this book was supposed to tell me something, it did contain a message, I'm sure. It's just that I never got it and I got annoyed and I didn't like the book. There were some emotional moments, some interesting scenes, but overall I just didn't get the book at all and thought it was a waste of time. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5