tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38900078159387156732024-03-12T21:37:05.421-04:00A Reader's RamblingsKate E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18027865239228220755noreply@blogger.comBlogger387125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-84741560134061999592014-08-23T16:08:00.001-04:002014-08-23T16:09:23.246-04:00My Ramblings on A Sadness Within by Sara Fiorenzo<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";">A few weeks ago I did a <a href="http://www.areadersramblings.blogspot.com/2014/05/cover-reveal-sadness-within-by-sara.html" target="_blank">cover reveal</a> for this book and I've been waiting until the book was officially released- and I could give it one more good read- before putting up a review. Well, the book is out and I've read it again and it was every bit as good as I remember. Check out my ramblings and then go check out the book, and Sara Fiorenzo for yourself!</span></div>
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<b>A Sadness Within</b></div>
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<b>By </b>Sara Fiorenzo</div>
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<b>Release Date: </b>August 7th, 2014</div>
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<b>Author <a href="http://sarafiorenzobooks.weebly.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></b></div>
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<b>Summary</b>:</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">After losing her entire family in a few short years, Julia Cavallo finds herself disconnected and tired of everyone's sympathy. Unable to move on, she feels that she is simply broken. A gifted pianist, Julia uses music to express herself where words fail.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Will Bradley is destined for an eternal life thanks to a hopeless disease. Believing he is soulless and empty, he returns to his hometown where he happens upon Julia playing the piano. Pieces of himself that he thought were lost begin to resurface making him truly feel alive. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Part fantasy and part science-fiction, A Sadness Within is about the restorative power of love and its ability to heal and shows that no matter what, it is never too late to change.</span></div>
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<b>My Ramblings:</b> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";">The
short review is that I love this book and everyone should give it a read. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";">The
long version is that I love when authors take a known quantity- in this case
the idea of vampirism and flip it on its head. When you start the boom you have
an idea in your head about what's about to happen. Vampire boy meets mortal
girl and the fall in love. Danger ensues and then it's happily ever after....
But here, the authors takes that story and adds so much more. In fact, without
giving too much away, even just assuming that we are dealing with vampires here
is assuming too much. Not only do you a new twist, but you also get a whole new
reason that those who need blood to survive exist. Personally I found it all
kind of fascinating. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";">Beyond
that twist of storytelling, the author has created some wonderful characters.
They've experienced some heavy losses in their lives and have hit a place where
they are just kind of stuck. Which happens amidst tragedy, you simply stop
moving forward, you get stuck in your sadness and sometimes you need an outside
force to get you moving forward again. In that way A Sadness Within is more
then just a love story. When Will and Julia meet, it's more about finding that
spark, that jolt of something new and surprising that rattles your world just
enough to break you out of your stupor. It's not simple, it can be messy and
dangerous, but in this story both Will and Julia need to go through it in order
realize that having a life that difficult can be worth it in he end. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";">The
other character that I love is Will's sister Celia- she's kind of the voice of
reason throughout and provides some much needed honesty to everyone involved.
Fiorenzo hints at Celia's past and her hopes for the future, and in giving
Celia the last word in the book she left me really wanting more of Celia's story. So
here's hoping that we get more of this series in the future! </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Kate E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09088348548609858248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-89900207885314859652014-07-29T00:00:00.003-04:002014-07-29T00:00:31.710-04:00My Ramblings on my Vacation Reads! Every summer we head out on vacation and I always grab a stack of books to read in the car, on the plane, at night in the cabin or pretty much whenever there is a down moment. This year was no different. I managed to snag several books, in multiple genres and they were all great! So here's a look at what I read!<br />
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<b>Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater</b><br />
There was no way this book was not going to be amazing. Stiefvater is one of my favorite authors of all time and her books never fail to be great. This one is no different. Focusing on the lives of two of the secondary players from The Wolves of Mercy Falls Series, we find some of our favorite characters making their way in LA and trying to figure out who and what they want to really be. I loved both Cole and Isabel in the Shiver series, so when I grabbed this one off the shelf I knew it was going to be my first read. I plowed through the whole thing on the plane ride and immediately handed it off to my sister in law and told her to read up. Hopefully we haven't seen the last of either Cole or Isabel.<br />
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<b>More about Sinner:</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Sinner follows Cole St. Clair, a pivotal character from the #1 New York Times bestselling Shiver Trilogy. Everybody thinks they know Cole's story. Stardom. Addiction. Downfall. Disappearance. But only a few people know Cole's darkest secret -- his ability to shift into a wolf. One of these people is Isabel. At one point, they may have even loved each other. But that feels like a lifetime ago. Now Cole is back. Back in the spotlight. Back in the danger zone. Back in Isabel's life. Can this sinner be saved? (from <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18406862-sinner?from_search=true">goodreads.com</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><b>Maggie Stiefvater's <a href="http://maggiestiefvater.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></b></span><br />
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<b>The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu</b><br />
This one kind of surprised me. The cover caught my attention and the jacket summary sounded great, but I wasn't 100% sure what I was going to find when I started reading. This was a really well organized book- it's not a ground breaking story, but the way in which it's told is really powerful. You know from the get go that Alice was once popular and that in one night, with seemingly one decision her social standing plummeted. By using the perspective of several characters the author slowly unravels the story about what really happened and more importantly why each person has a reason to act the way they do. The reasons aren't always good, and sometimes the people who you are following are downright despicable, but at all times they seem real. Every time someone tells a lie, or starts a rumor, or calls someone a name... or offers a smile, a helping hand or a look at the truth, you get the sense that this is pretty much the way it works every day in schools and neighborhoods all over the place. It's at once really sad and kind of uplifting. As Alice's world falls apart, there are other, perhaps better things that are ready to happen, so long as she's willing to take another chance. I loved this one!<br />
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<b>More about The Truth About Alice</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Everyone has a lot to say about Alice Franklin, and it’s stopped mattering whether it’s true. The rumors started at a party when Alice supposedly had sex with two guys in one night. When school starts everyone almost forgets about Alice until one of those guys, super-popular Brandon, dies in a car wreck that was allegedly all Alice’s fault. Now the only friend she has is a boy who may be the only other person who knows the truth, but is too afraid to admit it. Told from the perspectives of popular girl Elaine, football star Josh, former outcast Kelsie, and shy genius Kurt, we see how everyone has a motive to bring – and keep – Alice down. (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16068341-the-truth-about-alice?from_search=true" target="_blank">from goodreads.com)</a></span><br />
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<b>Jennifer Matheiu's <a href="http://www.jennifermathieu.com/" target="_blank">Website</a><a href="http://www.jennifermathieu.com/" target="_blank"></a></b><br />
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<b>The Apostle by Brad Thor</b><br />
This one I bought at the grocery store in Colter Bay- let's just say the selection wasn't exactly large. So this is not a book that I would normally pick up, but I figured why not and gave it a try. It was really good! Like I mentioned the story isn't normally my cup of tea, but I really enjoyed the way that Thor laid it out. Centering around a kidnapping in Afghanistan we follow several threads that eventually come together to give us a complete picture of all the players and how their lives and their decisions intertwine. We see a president get taken down, how the Secret Service agents are often privy to information that weighs on their conscious, and how politics works in the middle east. I liked that right up tot he end I wasn't 100% sure how the story would tie up, and I was pleasantly surprised by the choices that Thor made. I'm really glad I stumbled across this one and seeing as this is actually the 8th book in a set- I'll be checking the others out as well!<br />
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<b>More about The Apostle</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Every politician has a secret. And when the daughter of a politically connected family is kidnapped abroad, America's new president will agree to anything, even a deadly and ill-advised rescue plan in order to keep his secret hidden. But when covert counter-terrorism operative Scot Harvath is assigned to infiltrate one of the world's most notorious prisons and free the man the kidnappers demand as ransom, he quickly learns that there is much more to the operation than anyone dares to admit. As the subterfuge is laid bare, Harvath must examine his own career of ruthlessly hunting down and killing terrorists and decide if he has what it takes to help one of the world's worst go free. (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6076768-the-apostle?from_search=true" target="_blank">from goodreads.com</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><b>Brad Thor's <a href="http://www.bradthor.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></b></span><br />
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<b>Game by Barry Lyga</b><br />
Have you read I Hunt Killers? If you haven't, you should go do so, right now. I won't even be offended if you click off the page to do it and don't come back. It's that good. Just don't read it at night, or while you are alone. It's is one of the most terrifying books I've ever read. Amazing, but terrifying. Game is the second book in the series and I was really wondering how Lyga would be able to follow up on the story and make it still seem fresh. Part of the draw to I Hunt Killers was that you really weren't sure who was the killer, but now we know. We have a decent sense of who plays for which team and can sort of tell who the good guys are. I worried that Game wouldn't be able to keep up the suspense, and for part of the book, it didn't. But that really doesn't matter, because once the game really begins to be played the tension is drawn out and once again Lyga managed to scare the shit out of me. With Billy out there somewhere, and Jasper is trying to decide who he will be- will he join with the FBI to try and bring down another serial killer? Will he chase after Billy and try to end it once and for all? Will he attempt to live a normal life (if that's even possible)?<br />
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Game ends on an epic cliffhanger and I actually closed the book and reopened it a few times to make sure I wasn't missing something. I can not wait for book 3 to come out so I can see how it all ends!<br />
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<b>More about Game</b>:<br />
<em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Billy grinned. “Oh, New York,” he whispered. “We’re gonna have so much fun.”</em><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">I Hunt Killers introduced the world to Jazz, the son of history’s most infamous serial killer, Billy Dent.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">In an effort to prove murder didn’t run in the family, Jazz teamed with the police in the small town of Lobo’s Nod to solve a deadly case. And now, when a determined New York City detective comes knocking on Jazz’s door asking for help, he can’t say no. The Hat-Dog Killer has the Big Apple–and its police force–running scared. So Jazz and his girlfriend, Connie, hop on a plane to the big city and get swept up in a killer’s murderous game (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15790833-game?from_search=true" target="_blank">from goodreads.com</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Barry Lyga's <a href="http://barrylyga.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D3UCGQe0fgM/U9cYQh8ZkYI/AAAAAAAAAU8/2Futo5VeV7w/s1600/those+who+wish+me+dea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D3UCGQe0fgM/U9cYQh8ZkYI/AAAAAAAAAU8/2Futo5VeV7w/s1600/those+who+wish+me+dea.jpg" height="320" width="206" /></a></div>
<b>Those Who Wish Me Dead by Michael Koryta</b><br />
I grabbed this one from a very small store in Silver Gate, MT. The selection was extremely slim, in fact this was my only choice. Lucky for me it was an awesome one. The story is actually set in the area around Silver Gate and I love reading about places that I've been, so that was an instant draw. The story revolves around a boy named Jace who witnesses a brutal murder and is now being pursued by two hired killers. His family sends him to a remote wilderness camp for troubled teens, only the leader, Ethan and his wife Allison know that he is there, and they aren't even sure which boy it is, only that this will hopefully keep him safe. When the killers turn up and bodies start piling up Jace runs and must try to survive on his own. He faces killers, the wilderness and eventually a wildfire with minimal help from the camp leader and a fire tower ranger. There is ton's of action and suspense in this one and I really liked the twists and turns the story took as we raced towards the inevitable confrontation between good and evil.<br />
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<b>More about Those Who Wish Me Dead</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">When 13-year-old Jace Wilson witnesses a brutal murder, he's plunged into a new life, issued a false identity and hidden in a wilderness skills program for troubled teens. The plan is to get Jace off the grid while police find the two killers. The result is the start of a nightmare.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">The killers, known as the Blackwell Brothers, are slaughtering anyone who gets in their way in a methodical quest to reach him. Now all that remains between them and the boy are Ethan and Allison Serbin, who run the wilderness survival program; Hannah Faber, who occupies a lonely fire lookout tower; and endless miles of desolate Montana mountains.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">The clock is ticking, the mountains are burning, and those who wish Jace Wilson dead are no longer far behind. (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18587089-those-who-wish-me-dead?from_search=true" target="_blank">from goodreads.com</a>)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><b>Michael Kortya's <a href="http://www.michaelkoryta.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></b></span><br />
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<b>Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott</b><br />
This was my most pleasant surprise of the trip. I grabbed this one on a whim, and I loved it. It has a bit of a Hunger Games flavor to it- in that these people, old and young are plucked from their lives and thrown into a deadly game The Brimstone Bleed and for the bulk of the book we have no idea why. We don't know who runs the game or how it will end- we do know that the winner wins the cure for a disease for a loved one, in the case of the main character Tella, she could save her brother who is slowly dying at home. As the game plays out and Tella begins to make alliances and discover her enemies we also begin to learn about what exactly is going on behind the scenes and who might know more than they are letting on. I'm not going to give anything away on this one because I had so much fun unraveling story, so I'm not going to chance ruining for anyone else. Suffice it to say, go grab this one and then we can wait until the next book comes out in 2015!<br />
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<b>More about Fire and Flood</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place? (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16069167-fire-flood?from_search=true" target="_blank">from goodreads.com</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><b>Victoria Scott's <a href="http://www.victoriascottya.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">So those are all my vacation reads- they were all pretty awesome and I can't wait to read more from several of these authors! </span>Kate E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09088348548609858248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-86706275774134327872014-06-08T08:17:00.001-04:002014-06-08T08:17:54.929-04:00My Ramblings on Rain Check by Gypsy Rae Choszer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fke0-0HoQ-E/U5RRTDqoiXI/AAAAAAAAAT4/4wzaXGIp7Tk/s1600/Rain+check.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fke0-0HoQ-E/U5RRTDqoiXI/AAAAAAAAAT4/4wzaXGIp7Tk/s1600/Rain+check.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<b>Rain Check</b><br />
<b>By</b>: Gypsy Rae Choszer<br />
<b>Release Date</b>: May 28th 2014<br />
<b>Author <a href="http://www.gypsyrae.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></b><br />
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<b>Summary:</b><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">For Avery Montgomery, the devastation of losing her parents in a tragic accident has left her completely shattered. As she begins to pick up the pieces of her once perfect life, she uncovers a secret that will forever change her—she’s adopted!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">In a search for answers, Avery ventures to Portland where she rents a room from Jonah, a quirky artist who quickly becomes her best friend. His house puts her in close proximity to the metaphysical shop run by her birth mother, the free-spirited Marianna Hutchins. Avery enters The Crystal Moon fully intending to confront Marianna, but instead she chickens out and inquires about a job. She's hired; yet remains leery about confessing her secret.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">As Avery settles into town, she has an embarrassing encounter with Gabe, the incredibly attractive man who works a few doors down. Despite the awkward introduction, there is undeniable chemistry, but after a recent heartbreak all he’s looking for is friendship. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>Everyone deserves a second chance. Will Avery get hers with a new family? Will Gabe allow himself a second chance at love? Will they embrace their new relationships, or will they simply decide to take a rain check? </i>(from Goodreads)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><b>My Ramblings</b>:</span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">I've known Gypsy for several years and when I started reading this book I was a little worried. What if I didn't like it? Then what would I do? I should have known that I didn't have to worry. All the things that make Gypsy and awesome person come through in her writing and reading Rain Check felt like I was listening to Gypsy tell a story. She managed to take a story that could have taken a turn towards sadness and filled it with humor and hope. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Avery is an awesome lead character. She's been hurt and left alone, but she's not falling victim to her circumstances. Instead she's going out and trying to create her own future by making some tough choices. Not always successfully, but always with a good attitude. Gabe comes across as a bit of an asshole for some of the book- when he's with Avery he's great, but then there's that other girl that just won't let him go, and you kind of want to reach into the book and smack him at least once since he isn't getting it all on his own. Even though Gabe is the love interest, as far as I'm concerned the leading man is Jonah, and he's fabulous. Everyone should have a Jonah as a best friend to remind you that you aren't alone and that the world can be made better with a few hours with the Winchester brothers and some snarky comments. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">These characters felt real to me. They weren't perfect and they weren't so tragic that it seemed their problems were insurmountable. They existed in the middle somewhere, taking their knocks and coming out of them scarred, but okay. I felt like these characters could be my neighbors, or my friends, or me and that made reading the story really great. I can't wait to see what Gypsy does next! </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><br /></span>Kate E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09088348548609858248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-60670741721653850122014-05-27T08:00:00.000-04:002014-05-27T08:00:01.597-04:00Cover Reveal! A Sadness Within by Sara Fiorenzo<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
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Today I get to share the cover of a book that I've had the pleasure of already reading, <b>A Sadness Within</b> by Sara Fiorenzo. I was lucky enough to beta read this book and I loved it on the first draft and I love it even more now that it's done! But before the reveal, first a little about the book...</div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><b>Summary</b>: </span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">After losing her entire family in a few short years, Julia Cavallo finds herself disconnected and tired of everyone's sympathy. Unable to move on, she feels that she is simply broken. A gifted pianist, Julia uses music to express herself where words fail.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Will Bradley is destined for an eternal life thanks to a hopeless disease. Believing he is soulless and empty, he returns to his hometown where he happens upon Julia playing the piano. Pieces of himself that he thought were lost begin to resurface making him truly feel alive. </span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Part fantasy and part science-fiction, A Sadness Within is about the restorative power of love and its ability to heal and shows that no matter what, it is never too late to change. (goodreads.com)</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><b>And now for the reveal...</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kpxps3djafY/U4Pl3MbZanI/AAAAAAAAATk/xv4ButAxzNs/s1600/A+Sadness+Within.Cover+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kpxps3djafY/U4Pl3MbZanI/AAAAAAAAATk/xv4ButAxzNs/s1600/A+Sadness+Within.Cover+(1).jpg" height="400" width="267" /></a></div>
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Awesome right? To find out more about Sara and <b>A Sadness Within</b> check out the links below!</div>
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<br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21976781-a-sadness-within" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> (Book Page) </div>
Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/sarafiorenzo" target="_blank">@sarafiorenzo</a></div>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/sarafiorenzobooks" target="_blank">Facebook</a> </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://sarafiorenzobooks.weebly.com/" target="_blank">Website </a></span><br />
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Kate E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09088348548609858248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-25218914517066568982014-03-30T23:00:00.000-04:002014-03-30T23:00:11.518-04:00My Ramblings on Go Big or Go Home by Will Hobbs<span id="freeText7861610188148349943"></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dLJpI3eKwg0/UzG2HbVdEGI/AAAAAAAAATA/1ENnaaE2QEA/s1600/Go+Big.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dLJpI3eKwg0/UzG2HbVdEGI/AAAAAAAAATA/1ENnaaE2QEA/s1600/Go+Big.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<b>Go Big or Go Home</b><br />
<b>By: </b>Will Hobbs<br />
<b>Release Date</b>: October 13, 2009<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: Harper Collins<br />
<b>Author <a href="http://www.willhobbsauthor.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></b><br />
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<b>Summary</b>:</blockquote>
<i>A meteorite is hurtling toward the Black Hills of South Dakota...</i><br />
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<i>During a wild week of extreme bicycling, fishing,
and caving, Brady and Quinn battle their rivals, the notorious Carver
boys, for possession of the meteorite. With each new day, Brady is
discovering he's able to do strange and wonderful feats that shouldn't
be possible. At the same time, he's developing some frightening
symptoms. Could he be infected with long-dormant microbes from space? Is
Fred a prize or a menace?</i><br />
<i>Brady Steele watches in awe as a fireball comes crashing
through the roof of his house. Brady immediately calls up his cousin,
Quinn. They both love all things extreme, and this is the most extreme
thing ever!</i><i><br /><br />Fred, as Brady names his space rock, turns out to be
one of the rarest meteorites ever found. Professor Rip Ripley from the
museum in Hill City wants to study a sliver of it in search of
extraterrestrial bacteria. He's hoping to discover the first proof of
life beyond Earth, a momentous breakthrough for the new science of
astrobiology. (from goodreads.com)</i><br />
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<span id="freeText7861610188148349943"><i> </i><b>My Ramblings:</b></span><br />
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<span id="freeText7861610188148349943">Last week I hosted my first ever Book Fair at my school's library. Anyone who knows me will understand that spending 5 days with carts and carts of books is way too hard for me to resist, so right before I closed up shop I went on a little shopping spree. And by little I mean that I picked up 8 books... which really isn't that many! (right?)</span><br />
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<span id="freeText7861610188148349943">At any rate, this book jumped out at me right away. First of all the cover is awesome, if you are an adrenaline junkie it definitely pulls you right in. Once I read the jacket and saw that it was set in the Black Hills I knew I was reading this one ASAP. In news that should surprise no one, I love the west. More specifically I love the area between the Black Hills and the Teton's and Yellowstone. I used to want to live out there, but I was afraid that if I lived there all the time it would lose it's magic. That the hills wouldn't seem so ancient, the mountains so exciting and the wildlife so wild if I was seeing them everyday, so I just visit. But my heart picks up a beat when I even think about being there, so anytime I can grab a book set in that area and live in it's pages for a bit, I'm all over it. So that's where this book found me, itching for a trip to my favorite spots, and it didn't disappoint! </span><br />
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<span id="freeText7861610188148349943">The book centers on Brady and his cousin Quinn as they embark on a pretty epic adventure. At the start Brady witnesses a meteor shower and what he finds in the his room afterwards is life changing. An actual meteor, named Fred has crashed landed in his bed. From there on Brady and Quinn have to figure out what the deal is with this meteorite, how to deal with the side effects of having it (and possibly being infected by it!!) and how to get rid of it. I really enjoyed how Hobbs tied together the regular lives of these boys, riding bikes, fishing, dealing with the neighborhood bullies and the science end of it. You get a great feel for how meteorite's work and also the possibilities that come with coming in contact with a meteorite. </span><br />
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I really liked how it all ended, and more excitingly for me, I've found a new author that I want to read more titles from. Hobbs is not a new author, and this book isn't even a new one, but I really love discovering books and authors that were off my radar. I can't wait to pick up more Hobbs titles for myself and to order some for the library!<br />
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<span id="freeText7861610188148349943"><br /></span>Kate E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09088348548609858248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-38600532078768440192014-03-28T08:00:00.000-04:002014-03-28T08:00:00.571-04:00Interview with Aurora Zahni, author of Ellie Stanton<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="Default">
<span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Today I'm excited to be following up yesterday's review with an author interview with Aurora Zahni! The questions below come from both myself and a student at my middle school. This interview will be cross posted to our library blog. </span><b><span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> </span></b></div>
<div class="Default">
<br /></div>
<div class="Default">
<b><span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">What inspired you to
become a writer?</span></b><span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Lucida Grande";"></span></div>
<div class="Default">
<span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">I</span><span lang="FR" style="color: #323232; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica;">’</span><span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">ve always loved language and characters and writing is such a
wonderful way to express yourself. When a person reads a story it becomes a
shared human experience where they get to walk into someone else</span><span lang="FR" style="color: #323232; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica;">’</span><span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s world for a while. I wanted to be a part of
that.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">How do you choose a
topic to write about? </span></b><span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Lucida Grande";"></span></div>
<div class="Default">
<span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">I always pick a
character and a journey first. Whatever themes I try to get across need to be
told through their story. Ellie</span><span lang="FR" style="color: #323232; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica;">’</span><span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s story is about awareness and acceptance, so the plot followed
suit.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="Default">
<span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><b>Do you have a favorite
book and/or author?</b> </span><span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Lucida Grande";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Too many to name, but
the biggest influences while writing Ellie were The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
and Are You There God It</span><span lang="FR" style="color: #323232; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica;">’</span><span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s Me, Margaret? By Judy Blume. And some people may notice a lot
of similarities with the Wizard of Oz and Pee Wee</span><span lang="FR" style="color: #323232; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica;">’</span><span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s Big Adventure as well.</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Ellie seems like a
little bit of a lost soul at points, do you see yourself at all in her?</span></b><span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Lucida Grande";"></span></div>
<div class="Default">
<span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Ha! Ellie is me. All of
the unfounded confidence and confusion of my adolescence manifested into a
better, braver version of me.</span></div>
<div class="Default">
<br /></div>
<div class="Default">
<b><span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Did you have to do any
research while writing Ellie Stanton? </span></b><span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Lucida Grande";"></span></div>
<div class="Default">
<span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Other than checking bus
schedules and fares all I did is watch tons of TV shows and movies Ellie would
love. That</span><span lang="FR" style="color: #323232; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica;">’</span><span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s how I discovered that Kim Possible is the
greatest cartoon ever.</span></div>
<div class="Default">
<br /></div>
<div class="Default">
<b><span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Who is your favorite
character in Ellie Stanton? </span></b><span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Lucida Grande";"></span></div>
<div class="Default">
<span lang="DA" style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: DA; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">I
love Ellie</span><span lang="FR" style="color: #323232; font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-ascii-font-family: Helvetica;">’</span><span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">s point of view and the way she processes
things, but Hilary Palmer is my hero. She was so captivating to me that I had
to run off and write her a novel of her own.</span></div>
<div class="Default">
<br /></div>
<div class="Default">
<b><i><span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">And one last one since
this interview will be cross posted to my schools library website:</span></i><span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Lucida Grande";"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="Default">
<b><span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Do you have advice for
students who want to be writers?</span></b><span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Lucida Grande";"></span></div>
<div class="Default">
<span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Lucida Grande","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Read as much as
possible. You can learn so much from stories that inspire passion in you. With
practice and work you will become a better technical writer, but reading
amazing books will teach you how to build a world and tell a story.</span></div>
Kate E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09088348548609858248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-27365619691736378902014-03-27T12:26:00.001-04:002014-03-27T12:37:49.096-04:00My Ramblings on Ellie Stanton by Aurora Zhani<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xqnsImd2qPE/UzRLNvZ8X4I/AAAAAAAAATQ/bPVy4C6XXQo/s1600/Ellie+Stanton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xqnsImd2qPE/UzRLNvZ8X4I/AAAAAAAAATQ/bPVy4C6XXQo/s1600/Ellie+Stanton.jpg" height="320" width="227" /></a></div>
<b>Ellie Stanton </b><br />
<b>By</b>: Aurora Zahni<br />
<b>Release Date</b>: February 20th, 2014<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Summary</b>:<br />
<span id="freeText1995975123093182246">A<i>n imperfect,
unremarkable girl makes a hero's journey. Ellie Stanton needed to have a
good day. The universe had something else in store. Getting caught
shoplifting. Check. Dumping her lame boyfriend. Check. Expulsion from
school. Check. Getting kicked out of her house and then stealing her
mother's car while she's in a New Jersey turnpike rest stop Cinnabon?
Check. The only sensible option is to run as fast as she can and never
look back. Now Ellie is running going cross country to raise a little
hell and maybe along the way learn everything she needs to know about
life.</i></span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeText1995975123093182246"><b>Excerpt</b>: </span><br />
<span id="freeText1995975123093182246">"Why, oh why do you have to turn everyu confrontation with an authority figure into World War Four?</span><br />
<span id="freeText1995975123093182246">"Wait, you want to know, essentially, why I can't deal?" Hillary nodded emphatically, and Ellie continued. "Oh, that's easy peezy. We can all thankMrs. Richards."</span><br />
<span id="freeText1995975123093182246">"Who the hell is Mrs. Richards? Hilary asked.</span><br />
<span id="freeText1995975123093182246">"My Kindergarden teacher, I will never forgive or forget that bitch."</span><br />
<span id="freeText1995975123093182246">"Why? What did she do?"</span><br />
<span id="freeText1995975123093182246">"I'm glad you asked. See, the first day of school, Mrs. Richard gave us a note to give to our parents, letting them know that they were responsible for their own kids snacks and drinks." A security guard and two Chickentown employees joined the audience. " So, Tammy, that's my mom's name for those of you who are new to the show here, she reads the first part of the notebut not the second. That would be the part which gives examples of what appropriate healthy snacks and drinks are recommended. The word 'healthy' was underlined and in bold print. You can see where this is going, right? She motioned toward Hilary, who smiled and nodded. "So, Mommy dearest stops off at the Quick Chek on the way to school and grabs me a Mountain Dew and Twinkies." There was a collective groan from the peanut gallery. Hilary used the pause in the story to take some orders before allowing Elli to go on. "Anyway, snakc time rolls around, I open my Lion King Lunch box and start digging in. Bitch Richards sees my Twinkies and comes flying at me like a hawk. She screams at me, throws away my twinkies and then walks me around the room pointing out examples of healthy snacks."</span><br />
<span id="freeText1995975123093182246">"You're kidding me" Hilary laughed, picturing little Ellie being tortured by this teacher.</span><br />
<span id="freeText1995975123093182246">"I would not kid you about snacks. It was like five fill minutes of 'See, Ellie, that's a banana. Banana's are an example of a healthy snack' Finally I snapped."</span><br />
<span id="freeText1995975123093182246">"What did you do?"</span><br />
<span id="freeText1995975123093182246">"I cried and smashed my lunch box against the chalk board. When Mrs. Richard said she was calling my mom, I called her a big green bitch." the entire congregation in the restaurant giggled at once. </span><br />
<span id="freeText1995975123093182246">"Why is that so funny? What the hell does that even mean?"</span><br />
<span id="freeText1995975123093182246">"I dunno. She was standing next to a Statue of Liberty poster. It didn't make sense, but it was a very effective insult. That was the first class I was ever kicked out of, and I've been an pain in the collective ass of the world ever since." </span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeText1995975123093182246"><b>My Ramblings</b>:</span><br />
<span id="freeText1995975123093182246">I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a bit slow at the beginning and I struggled to figure out who was who and what all the relationships were, but after a few chapters it really started to flow and I got into the adventure of what Ellie was doing. </span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeText1995975123093182246">I think Ellie is incredibly easy to relate to, in that at some point everyone hates their parents and thinks about just getting in the car and making a run for it. Most of us just fume and think about doing it. Ellie grabs the keys and actually does it. That was kind of the moment in the book where I realized that this was going to get really good. </span><span id="freeText1995975123093182246"> There are a lot of curse words in this book (as evidenced in the excerpt above) and that would give me pause in terms of who I would recommend this book to, however, I thought it was very realistic. I work in a middle school and the things I hear kids say fall right in line with Ellie and her vocabulary. Is it ideally the way we want kids to talk? No. Is it how they do talk? Yes. Heck, it's pretty much how I talked too when I was in school! </span><br />
<span id="freeText1995975123093182246"><br /></span>
<span id="freeText1995975123093182246">Since this is a newer release I'm going to refrain from posting anything spoilery, but suffice it to say that this is a really good story about one girl who is taking her life in her own hands and having a huge adventure along the way. </span><br />
<span id="freeText1995975123093182246"><br /></span>
<span id="freeText1995975123093182246"><i><b>Stay tuned tomorrow for an interview with author Aurora Zahni!</b></i></span>Kate E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09088348548609858248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-90268000305169296532014-02-28T09:28:00.000-05:002014-02-28T09:28:13.199-05:00My Ramblings on The Homesman by Glendon Swarthout<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VDTl-LcfcJA/UxCX71gbjlI/AAAAAAAAASk/Wj2HIJJihKg/s1600/Homesman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VDTl-LcfcJA/UxCX71gbjlI/AAAAAAAAASk/Wj2HIJJihKg/s1600/Homesman.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a></div>
<b>The Homesman</b> by Glendon Swarthout<br />
<b>Author <a href="http://www.glendonswarthout.com/" target="_blank">Website </a></b><br />
<br />
<b>Summary</b>:<br />
<i>Soon to be a major motion picture directed by Tommy Lee Jones, The Homesman
is a devastating story of early pioneers in 1850s American West. It
celebrates the ones we hear nothing of: the brave women whose hearts and
minds were broken by a life of bitter hardship. A “homesman” must be
found to escort a handful of them back East to a sanitarium. When none
of the county’s men steps up, the job falls to Mary Bee
Cuddy—ex-teacher, spinster, indomitable and resourceful. Brave as she
is, Mary Bee knows she cannot succeed alone. The only companion she can
find is the low-life claim jumper George Briggs. Thus begins a trek
east, against the tide of colonization, against hardship, Indian
attacks, ice storms, and loneliness—a timeless classic told in a series
of tough, fast-paced adventures.</i> (from Amazon.com)<br />
<br />
<b>My Ramblings:</b><br />
I grabbed this book at the airport on my way home from vacation. I liked the cover and I really liked the idea that this was going to be a movie coming out soon. I was also surprised when I saw the books that Swarthout had written, some have become great movies (like The Shootist) and I hadn't read any of his books. <br />
<br />
This was a great book. I really enjoyed the characters and it was a story I hadn't really heard before. The book focuses on women who have come west with their husbands and families and for one reason or another have fallen onto hard times and gone insane. No longer able to take are of themselves or stay with their families they are shipped back east with a Homesman. In this case a woman, Mary Bee Cuddy, steps up and volunteers to bring the women east. She soon picks up a claim jumper named Briggs and essentially strong arms him into accompanying her.<br />
<br />
What I liked about this book is that it covers a lot of ground without a lot extras, but the story keeps moving forward and stays interesting. In little vignettes we learn about all the trouble that can befall the people who settled the west. By looking at why the 4 women went crazy we see that the homesteaders dealt with weather, with wolves, with disease and with poverty. Out on the plains and prairie without neighbors and friends nearby, these women retreated into themselves. By meeting Cuddy and Briggs we see how a woman can survive alone (but only to an extent), how finding a husband was a necessity, how the war effected the men who served and those who stayed at home and how vigilante justice was commonplace. All of these things were woven into a story about a journey and how two people could cope with the seemingly impossible; transporting 4 insane women back east. <br />
<br />
I really enjoyed this book and I'm really looking forward to the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2398231/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">movie</a>, which will star Tommy Lee Jones as Briggs and Hilary Swank as Cuddy. The rest of the cast is equally impressive with Grace Gummer, Miranda Otto, James Spader, John Lithgow, Hailee Steinfeld and Meryl Streep rounding out the cast. Kate E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09088348548609858248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-6030290675785867112014-02-25T22:26:00.005-05:002014-02-25T22:26:55.191-05:00My Ramblings on Returning to Shore by Corinne Demas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wWeoaXfHUJo/Uw1a5gPFSJI/AAAAAAAAASU/M40TGdJ2iR4/s1600/Returning+to+Shore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wWeoaXfHUJo/Uw1a5gPFSJI/AAAAAAAAASU/M40TGdJ2iR4/s1600/Returning+to+Shore.jpg" height="320" width="221" /></a></div>
<b>Returning to Shore </b><br />
<b>By</b>: Corinne Demas<br />
<b>Release Date</b>: March 14th, 2014<br />
<b>Author <a href="http://www.corinnedemas.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></b><br />
<br />
<b>Summary</b>:<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>Her mother's third marriage is only hours old when all hope for Clare's fifteenth summer fades. Before she knows it, Clare is whisked away to some ancient cottage on a tiny marsh island on Cape Cod to spend the summer with her father - a man she hasn't seen since she was three. Clare's biological father barely talks, and when he does, he obsesses about endangered turtles. The first teenager Clare meets on the Cape confirms that her father is known as the town crazy person. But there's something undeniably magical about the marsh and the islanda connection to Clares past that runs deeper than memory. Even her father's beloved turtles hold unexpected surprises. As Clare's father begins to reveal more about himself and his own struggle, Clare's summer becomes less of an exile and more of a return home. (from goodreads)</i></span><br />
<br />
<b>My Ramblings</b>:<br />
<br />
I was very excited to get a chance to read and review this book. I read Everything I Was a while back and really enjoyed it, so I jumped at the chance to get my hands on this one as well. I had mixed thoughts on this one. I really, really loved it for approximately 99% of the story. The characters are great, the main character Clare is just the perfect mix of stubborn independence and wanting to still be a kid. I hearing her thoughts on her mom and new husband, as well as her first reactions to moving to a really tiny town in Cape Cod and her father, a man she hasn't seen in years.<br />
<br />
I really liked some of the little turns that the story took. Since this book isn't out yet I hesitate to give anything away, but suffice it to say that everything Clare believe's about her father and why he left (and stayed away) is up for reconsideration. He's not the man Clare thought he was, and she finally as a chance to both get to know him and find a little bit of herself away from her mother.<br />
<br />
Beyond being a coming of age story for Clare, we also get some local issues sprinkled in as we learn about the terrapins who nest on the beaches. Clare's father works tirelessly to save the terrapins and their habitat, which is being encroached on by the people who are building up the land attached to the beach. While living with her Father Clare is introduced to a whole different way of life, and finds herself caring about more then just herself.<br />
<br />
And here's the 1% of the book that I didn't like. The ending was very abrupt. The writing was great and I was invested in Clare and her father and even in the terrapins, but then the story seemed to just end, and I'll admit I was disappointed. I wanted to know more. Did Clare end up staying with her father? Did Eleanor (the terrapin Clare saw and named) survive? Did her eggs hatch and make it back to the ocean? Did Clare find the inner strength to stand up to some of the rude kids in town? In essence, what happened next?? I found myself scrolling back and forth to make sure that I really was at the end of the book and that I didn't miss anything. I just wasn't ready to be done with this story yet. Which, on one hand isn't a horrible problem, you want readers to be attached and to want more. However, on the other hand, I don't like closing a book feeling disappointed.<br />
<br />
Overall this book was great. I loved the story and the characters, but at the end of the day I wanted more resolution to the story lines. I'm kind of hoping that there is more to come about Clare and her father and their work with the terrapins! This was a lovely story about family and finding yourself, and I think many people will be able to see themselves in the pages of the book. So while I'm hoping for more, I am able to set this book down satisfied that Clare is okay and that she has many great adventures in front of her!Kate E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09088348548609858248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-53699118420943033472014-02-06T09:39:00.000-05:002014-02-06T09:43:25.070-05:00My Ramblings on Copper Sun by Sharon Draper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C3i95v-EN6Q/UvOabjQpTqI/AAAAAAAAARs/4AIww8os4bI/s1600/Copper+Sun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C3i95v-EN6Q/UvOabjQpTqI/AAAAAAAAARs/4AIww8os4bI/s1600/Copper+Sun.jpg" height="320" width="226" /></a></div>
<b>Copper Sun</b> by Sharon Draper<br />
<b>Release Date: </b>June 19th, 2012<br />
<b>Author <a href="http://sharondraper.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></b><br />
<b>Book <a href="http://sharondraper.com/bookdetail.asp?id=20" target="_blank">Website</a></b><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Summary</b>:<br />
<i>When pale strangers enter fifteen-year-old Amari's village, her entire
tribe welcomes them; for in her remote part of Africa, visitors are
always a cause for celebration. But these strangers are not here to
celebrate. They are here to capture the strongest, healthiest villagers
and to murder the rest. They are slave traders. And in the time it takes
a gun to fire, Amari's life as she knows it is destroyed, along with
her family and village.<br /><br />
Beaten, branded, and dragged onto a slave ship, Amari is forced to
witness horrors worse than any nightmare and endure humiliations she had
never thought possible--including being sold to a plantation owner in
the Carolinas who gives her to his sixteen-year-old son, Clay, as his
birthday present. <br /><br />
Now, survival and escape are all Amari dreams about. As she struggles to
hold on to her memories in the face of backbreaking plantation work and
daily degradation at the hands of Clay, she finds friendship in
unexpected places. Polly, an outspoken indentured white girl, proves not
to be as hateful as she'd first seemed upon Amari's arrival, and the
plantation owner's wife, despite her trappings of luxury and demons of
her own, is kind to Amari. <br /><br />
But these small comforts can't relieve Amari's feelings of hopelessness
and despair. With strength and dignity, Amari first learns to survive,
then yearns to escape to a most unlikely destination. When the
opportunity to escape presents itself, Amari and Polly decide to work
together to find the thing they both want most--freedom. <br /><br />
Decorated with vibrant characters--Teenie, the tiny slave woman who
cooks much more than food, her son Tidbit and his dog Hushpuppy who
become victims of vicious cruelty, the mysterious and kindly Mrs. Derby,
and many others--the complicated inter-relationships of those who live
together on the plantation are explored with sometimes shocking
developments. <br /><br />
Grand and sweeping in scope, detailed and penetrating, Copper Sun's
unflinching and unforgettable look at the African slave trade and
slavery in America will have the impact on young readers that Alex
Haley's Roots had on the previous generation.</i> (from Sharon Draper's Website)<br />
<br />
<b>My Ramblings</b>:<br />
<br />
This is another one of those books that I've been circling around for years. Literally. I remember picking it up when the Borders book store shut down at the mall. I grabbed about 25 books that day because they were all closeouts, and I lack the ability to pass up a book on sale. And Sharon Draper is an author I know of, and whose books I've read, so I knew that this would be good. Difficult to read, since I know that Draper doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of the world, but good nonetheless. I can't really say why it took me so long to actually read, but I'm really glad I finally did.<br />
<br />
The summary above does an excellent job at giving you all you need to know about what you are getting into when you read this book. But beyond all those things, this is a story about hope and survival and how you can find the will to live even in the most dire of circumstances. What I most appreciated is that Copper Sun looks at an issue that, while we all know about, can sometimes feel distant and clinical. We all know what happened, we've read about it in books and learned about it in school, but at some point it can almost become just another part of history we learn about. What Copper Sun does is take the things we know, and let us know how they felt. It puts the reader in Amari's shoes as she loses her entire village, as she loses her own identity and becomes someones property to use as they want. It shows us how it felt to to not only be a slave, but what it felt to be an indentured servant and how the cruelty of the time was not limited in it's reach and devastation. It also shows us that in the midst of all the bad stuff, there were pockets of hope and people who were willing to help. Copper Sun gives a really detailed account of the time and it's a book that everyone should read. Especially middle schoolers, who I think would really relate to Amari and Polly and would be able to see what life for them may have been like.<br />
<br />
Draper has a really great <a href="http://sharondraper.com/bookdetail.asp?id=20" target="_blank">website </a>as well, that has amazing information about her research, why she wrote the book, as well as a study guide and general questions and answers. Her research for this book is great, and as a history nerd, I can say that I really appreciate her attention to detail and the fact that she brings to light things that you don't necessarily learn about anywhere else. I was really interested in the Fort that the girls head to when they make their escape, and will admit to loosing several hours falling into a research back hole as I went looking for more.<br />
<br />
All in all this was a fabulous book that I would recommend to everyone!Kate E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09088348548609858248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-40608434498388995782014-01-30T08:00:00.000-05:002014-01-30T08:00:00.986-05:00My Ramblings on Runner by Carl Deuker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QgvFZs_AKIc/UuQB8KNciWI/AAAAAAAAARE/jNgL9YW9Bds/s1600/runner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QgvFZs_AKIc/UuQB8KNciWI/AAAAAAAAARE/jNgL9YW9Bds/s1600/runner.jpg" height="320" width="222" /></a></div>
<b>Runner </b>by Carl Deuker<br />
<b><a href="http://members.authorsguild.net/carldeuker/" target="_blank">Author Website</a></b><br />
<br />
<b>Summary</b>:<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><i>But the weather-beaten sailboat Chance Taylor and his father call home is thirty years old and hasn’t sailed in years. One step from both homelessness and hunger, Chance worries about things other kids his age never give a thought: Where will the money come for the electricity bill, grocery bill, and moorage fees? So when a new job falls his way, he jumps at the opportunity. He knows how much he will earn; what he doesn’t know is how much he will pay.</i> (from goodreads)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><b>My Ramblings</b>:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">I'm slowly workign my way through my TBR pile. In part because I'm trying to save money (why buy new books when you have at least 50 unread on the shelf??!) and in part because I know I picked these books up for a reason, and I want to know what it is. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">This one is pretty easy to get into. Chance is a bit of an outcast, his mother left, his father is a drunk who has issues keeping a job and their home is a 30 foot sailboat that hasn't sailed in forever. Chance and his father have no money and no prospects, so when Chance is approached with an offer that would solve all their problems it's easy to see why he says yes. Chance loves to run, and there are people who need things picked up and delivered and doing so would make Chance some quick money. So he says yes, and basically becomes a drug carrier and worse, he begins to pick up packages that aren't drugs, but are much, much worse. I'm not going to say what they are, you'll have to read the book to find out. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">For the most part this one moves along well, there were a few moments where I thought the foreshadowing was a little too obvious, like when the girl Chance likes keeps suggesting he research how easy it would be for people, drug smugglers in particular, but even illegal aliens and terrorists, to come in by way of the coast. However, keeping her interested in the issue as well as with what was up with Chance gave Chance an outlet that he needed when he was ready to get out of the game. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">The ending of the book moved a little too fast for me, but I liked how it ended. It was sad on several fronts, but at the same time you really were able to see how Chance was going to make it. He had made some incredibly stupid and dangerous mistakes and people were hurt, but he also made the right choice when it counted and was able to come out of it in a way that made you feel like in the end he would be alright. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;">Overall this was a good, quick read that I think a lot of people would really enjoy. I think that it would draw in any reluctant readers (especially boys) and I plan on adding it to my library collection with my next book order. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px;"><br /></span>Kate E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09088348548609858248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-90193555545921955282014-01-27T08:34:00.000-05:002014-01-27T08:34:40.877-05:00My Ramblings on And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YrkMdFTFiVE/UuZfSblSk3I/AAAAAAAAARc/ENQk1NnAcOU/s1600/And+we+stay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YrkMdFTFiVE/UuZfSblSk3I/AAAAAAAAARc/ENQk1NnAcOU/s1600/And+we+stay.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
<b>And We Stay </b>by Jenny Hubbard<br />
<b>Release Date:</b> January 28th, 2014<br />
<b>Author <a href="http://www.jennyhubbard.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></b><br />
<b>Book Provided by</b>: NetGalley<br />
<br />
<b> Summary: </b><br />
<i>When high school senior Paul Wagoner walks into his school
library with a stolen gun, he threatens his girlfriend Emily Beam, then
takes his own life. In the wake of the tragedy, an angry and
guilt-ridden Emily is shipped off to boarding school in Amherst,
Massachusetts, where she encounters a ghostly presence who shares her
name. The spirit of Emily Dickinson and two quirky girls offer helping
hands, but it is up to Emily to heal her own damaged self.</i><br />
<i>
</i><i><br /></i>
<i>
</i><i> This inventive story, told in verse and in prose, paints the
aftermath of tragedy as a landscape where there is good behind the bad,
hope inside the despair, and springtime under the snow. </i>(from NetGalley)<i><br /></i><br />
<br />
<b>My Ramblings: </b><br />
This is an odd one for me. For the bulk of the book I really enjoyed it. I liked how Hubbard spun the story, alternating back and forth between Emily's life now, at boarding school, and the events that led up to her boyfriend Paul committing suicide in the school library a few month before. It was a great way to piece the story together, since you for more and more information about why Emily was the way she was and what secrets she was hiding.<br />
<br />
The other story thread, which dealt with Emily Dickinson and how her poetry and presence helps Emily heal was also really interesting. As Emily begins to heal, she connects to Dickinson and also begins to write her own poetry. I loved that Hubbard included Emily's poetry in the pages, it was one more way to connect Emily's feelings with what she going through. Which was a lot, and none of it was something that should be easy to deal with, so having her find an outlet though poetry was wonderful. <br />
<br />
Which brings me to some of the things I struggled with. Without giving too much away, her boyfriend committing suicide is only one bit of the puzzle. Emily is dealing with her role in leading him to that point, and the fall out of what happens after. The secondary characters, Paul, Emily's parents, her Aunt Cindy and even to a lesser extent her new room mate aren't fully formed, and there are some behaviors that are alluded too and thrown away that really could have been explored more.<br />
<br />
<i>SPOILERS BELOW</i><br />
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Stop reading now if you don't want any spoilers on this book. One thing that bothered me greatly was the story line that Emily was pregnant. Her boyfriend is supportive, happy even, and willing to do whatever it takes. Emily is torn on what she wants to do, but she isn't immediately looking for an out. Then her parents choose for her. She is to break up with Paul, they will travel to her Aunt's house in Boston and Emily will have an abortion. And that's it. Decision made. Emily breaks up with Paul and he begins to crack. He self injures, he gets desperate, and he begins to fall apart. This happens over a matter of days, and suddenly Paul is in the library with a gun, desperate for Emily to listen to him, to keep the baby and stay together. This is told in flashback style, and we aren't given a lot, except for everyone thinks that Paul never intended to hurt anyone, but when his back was against the wall he chooses to shoot himself. On her way to the abortion clinic Emily changes her mind, she doesn't want to go through with it, but her mother and Aunt don't let her back out. Prior to this point in the story I felt for Emily and Paul, they were caught in a tough spot and the consequences of their actions were difficult. After this point I didn't feel sympathetic to anyone. Everyone seemed to be behaving pretty badly, and it seemed like everyone was moving on in a pretty quick manner. In a matter of months everyone is going on as if everything that happened is okay, that it's something they can get by, but the reality is that it should have really long lasting ramifications. Emily's parents are controlling and make decisions that don't even remotely take into consideration the feelings of their daughter, they just need to get rid of the baby before people know. Paul is desperate and uses self-harm to try and make Emily feel guilty and to make her stay with him. I think that we are supposed to see this as a reason that Emily needed to get out, a reason that breaking up with him is for the best, but instead it made me feel like Emily was cold and uncaring. Emily's room mate, while supportive, also seems to take all the things that happened in stride, as if it's no big thing.<br />
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And then... the book just ends. Emily tosses a flippant comment to some of the mean girls at school and it's over. We don't really see that Emily ends up okay. We don't see her really dealing with any of the issues. I found it really abrupt. I'd love for someone else who has read this one to give me their take.<br />
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In the end this was a good book. The first half was excellent, and then for me started to unravel. Still, I think it's worth giving a read, it deals with some hefty issues that should be looked at and talked about. I just wish that it had dug a little deeper. <br />
<br />Kate E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09088348548609858248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-62773021348207519572014-01-23T10:28:00.002-05:002014-01-23T10:28:58.913-05:00My Ramblings on Bull Rider by Suzanne Morgan Williams<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Bull Rider</b> by Suzanne Morgan Williams<br />
<a href="http://www.suzannemorganwilliams.com/" target="_blank"><b>Author Website </b></a><br />
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<b>Summary</b>:<br />
<i>All it takes is eight seconds . . . </i><br /><br /><i>Cam O'Mara, grandson
and younger brother of bull-riding champions, is not interested in
partaking in the family sport. Cam is a skateboarder, and perfecting his
tricks—frontside flips, 360s—means everything until his older brother,
Ben, comes home from Iraq, paralyzed from a brain injury. What would
make a skateboarder take a different kind of ride? And what would get
him on a monstrosity of a bull named Ugly? If Cam can stay on for the
requisite eight seconds, could the $15,000 prize bring hope and a future
for his big brother?</i><br />
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<b>My Ramblings:</b><br />
Lately I've been trying to work my way through my TBR pile. I have books on there that I picked up at NCTE 3 years ago and that, for one reason or another, I just never picked up. This is one of those books. If you know me at all you would know that this book should have been picked up and read immediately. A book about bull riders? Totally up my alley. Still, it sat, just waiting to be read for years. I finally picked it up this weekend and read the whole thing in one sitting. It is such a great book. <br />
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At the center of the story is Cam, a kid who is a bit of on outcast in his own family. he lives and works on his family ranch and he comes from a long line of championship bull riders, but riding bulls has never been Cam's thing. It was really his brother Ben who shone in the arena. Cam preferred to spend his time riding his skateboard. Until Cam's world falls apart. Ben is injured in Iraq and suddenly Cam's life is spiraling out of control. Ben can no longer take care of himself and he definitely can't ride bulls anymore. On a whim Cam decides to ride a bull and he discovers that he has some of that innate talent as well. He's hooked on riding not only for the adrenaline rush, but for how it makes him feel connected to his brother. So he takes on a challenge to ride the baddest bull around, Ugly. If he can do it he'll be able to show Ben that anything is possible, and also win enough money to get Ben back in game, this time as a breeder instead of a rider.<br />
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Watching Cam navigate the massive changes in his life is really interesting. You can see the struggle as he deals with being the one left behind. First when Ben goes to war and then again when everyone has to take care of Ben once he's home. Seeing him come into his own and help Ben find his way as well was great.<br />
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This is a great book, especially for kids who are dealing with family members who are deployed or who have returned and are injured. This is a very honest look at how life changes and how you can get through it. I'm very glad that I finally picked this one up!<br />
<i> </i>Kate E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09088348548609858248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-65297622836110130482013-12-20T09:30:00.002-05:002013-12-20T09:30:37.600-05:00BIR 2013: The Fourth Stall III by Chris Rylander<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Best I've Read 2013 is coming to an end, and for the last day I'm featuring the third book in one of my favorite series. The Fourth Stall III by Chris Rylander. What I love about these books is that they are written for Middle Schoolers, but the humor and storytelling is just as fitting for an adult. Who doesn't want to read about the life and times of a middle school bookie doing business out of an abandoned bathroom at school. That sentence alone should be enough to get you to pick them up!<br />
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Back in April when I reviewed the book I said that <i>I missed these characters. Like really missed them! With everything else I read it's sometimes hard to remember how fun and easy reading can be. This book, this whole series is just fun to read. I read it and I nod along and giggle and wink back when the story winks- I love that Rylander has his characters acknowledge the Godfather connections, the silliness that is Scarface and the undying love that fans have for the Cubs <i></i></i>and it's true. These books make you feel like you know the characters and you miss them when you aren't reading about them and the minute you dive into one of the books it feel a little bit like saying hello to old friends. That's really how all the best books should make you feel! <br />
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For more about Chris Rylander and the Fourth Stall check out his awesome <a href="http://www.chrisrylander.com/">website</a>. <br />
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I hope everyone enjoyed BIR 2013. Check out all the other blogs at the Best I've Read <a href="http://bestiveread.blogspot.com/">website</a>. Kate E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09088348548609858248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-13441065957014321822013-12-19T08:51:00.001-05:002013-12-19T08:51:05.483-05:00BIR 2013: Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality by Elizabeth Eulberg<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We are getting close to the end of Best I've Read 2013 and today I'm excited to be sharing a great book from one of my all time favorite authors, Elizabeth Eulberg. This book is so much fun and, as with all of Eulberg's books, is full of humor and heart. What I alwasy love about Eulberg's books is that the main characters are believable. They are girls struggling with who they are and who they want to be and over the course of the book you see them make mistakes, get stronger and become amazing young women. Plus, the books are just plain fun! <br />
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<i>Don't mess with a girl with a Great Personality. Everybody loves Lexi. She's popular, smart, funny...but she's never been one of those girls, the pretty ones who get all the attention from guys. And on top of that, her seven-year-old sister, Mackenzie, is a terror in a tiara, and part of a pageant scene where she gets praised for her beauty (with the help of fake hair and tons of makeup). Lexi's sick of it. She's sick of being the girl who hears about kisses instead of getting them. She's sick of being ignored by her longtime crush, Logan. She's sick of being taken for granted by her pageant-obsessed mom. And she's sick of having all her family's money wasted on a phony pursuit of perfection. The time has come for Lexi to step out from the sidelines. Girls without great personalities aren't going to know what hit them. Because Lexi's going to play the beauty game - and she's in it to win it. <i></i></i>(from goodreads.com) <br />
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For more about Eulberg check out her <a href="http://elizabetheulberg.com/">website </a>Kate E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09088348548609858248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-42503089880786874872013-12-18T08:00:00.000-05:002013-12-18T08:00:00.404-05:00BIR 2013: Monsters by Ilsa J. Bick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's day three of Best I've Read 2013 and it's only fitting that this book is the last in a trilogy. I initially reviewed this book for <a href="http://evesfangarden.com/blog/2013/10/28/climbing-the-pile-monster-by-ilsa-j-bick/" target="_blank">Eve's Fan Garden</a> in October, and because I hadn't read the first 2 books the publisher was nice enough to send me hard copies of all three books in the Ashes Trilogy. It was an amazing and difficult trilogy to plow through. I had to take several breaks because there was just so much happening and it was hard to take all of it in. In fact when I first reviewed <b>Monsters </b>I said: </div>
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"<i>There is so much emotion packed into these books that I needed a mental break. I was hurting for the characters by the end of Shadows and while I wanted to know how it would all turn out, I was afraid to move forward. This is mostly because Bick does the one think that I appreciate in a good book for then anything. She doesn't sugar coat or hide the bad things in life. And when the world is falling apart there are a lot of bad people and bad things are happening. Good people are left with choices that may lead them to do things they otherwise wouldn't, to turn a blind eye when others are in pain and to choose their own life over the good of many others. Bick shows us all of that, and it's painful and hearth breaking and in the very end it's finally hopeful</i>."</div>
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I still feel that way about this entire series. Bick is an extremely honest writer, and in this books, as in her others I would squirm in my seat and mutter to myself as I read because the story was so real and at times uncomfortable that is was hard NOT to have a physical reaction! And the characters were so easy to love, which made it very easy to get drawn into the story. </div>
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This is a really fantastic trilogy and I'm glad I was able to read them all!</div>
Kate E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09088348548609858248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-29453309858612261302013-12-17T08:00:00.000-05:002013-12-17T08:00:00.034-05:00BIR 2013: Reality Boy by A.S. King<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yesterday I featured Hysteria by Megan Miranda, which was one of the first books I read in 2013. Today I'm featuring and reviewing the last book I read, Reality Boy by A.S. King. I read a lot of books on my iPad, but there are a few authors that I buy their books hardbound. They simply demand to be on shelf. A lot of those authors are the first YA authors I discovered a few year ago when I started reading a lot, and A.S. King is one of those authors. So when Reality Boy came out I had to grab it up and dive in.<br />
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<b>My Ramblings</b>:<br />
This story centers around a teenager named Gerald, who when he was 5, was thrust into the spot light on a Super Nanny style show. King does an amazing job weaving the story in a way that you see Gerald's entire life unfolding- from his time on the show to the present day as he tries to escape his past. All the while we find out more and more about why Gerald is the way he is, and that what you see in front of the camera isn't the whole truth, or even the truth at all. We see Gerald at his absolute worst as he tries to come to terms with who he is and who he wants to be. He struggles mightily and doubts that he has it in him to become more then the little boy in front of the camera. Yet, through it all King manages to keep a clear thread of hope, that there is more out there for Gerald if he can just figure out how to get it.<br />
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I kept wavering on how I wanted this story to end, what I wanted for Gerald and what I wanted to happen to the people who made him who he is. In the end King tied it all up in a satisfying ending. Gerald isn't perfect, his life isn't perfect, but as you close the book you get the sense that he will be okay.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>Summary</b>: </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>Gerald Faust knows exactly when he started feeling angry: the day his mother invited a reality television crew into his five-year-old life. Twelve years later, he’s still haunted by his rage-filled youth—which the entire world got to watch from every imaginable angle—and his anger issues have resulted in violent outbursts, zero friends, and clueless adults dumping him in the special education room at school.</i></span><br />
<i><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Nothing is ever going to change. No one cares that he’s tried to learn to control himself, and the girl he likes has no idea who he really is. Everyone’s just waiting for him to snap…and he’s starting to feel dangerously close to doing just that.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>In this fearless portrayal of a boy on the edge, highly acclaimed Printz Honor author A.S. King explores the desperate reality of a former child “star” who finally breaks free of his anger by creating possibilities he never knew he deserved</i>. (from goodreads.com)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">For more on A.S. King and her books check out her <a href="http://www.as-king.com/" target="_blank">website</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">And don't forget to visit the <a href="http://bestiveread.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Best I've Read</a> website to see what all the other participating blogs are up to this week. </span>Kate E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09088348548609858248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-46842627784280888932013-12-16T09:26:00.000-05:002013-12-16T09:27:23.239-05:00BIR 2013: Hysteria by Megan Miranda<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's that time of year again! <a href="http://bestiveread.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Best I've Read 2013</a> is in full swing. It's a little smaller this year, but the participating blogs are still featuring the best of the best from this year. When I thought back to the books that stuck with the most, one of the first ones that came to mind was Hysteria by Megan Miranda. I actually read this book almost a full year ago, and it's stuck with me since then.<br />
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This book has some amazing twists and turns, and every time I thought I had it figured out or I felt the story line playing out, Miranda would mix it up and send her characters a new way. I loved that not everyone was what they seemed in this one. To see my full review check <a href="http://areadersramblings.blogspot.com/2013/04/my-ramblings-on-hysteria-by-megan.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/letL41n_zVU" width="560"></iframe>Kate E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09088348548609858248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-76900345064242678692013-10-18T08:00:00.000-04:002013-10-18T08:00:02.512-04:00My Ramblings on Annihilation of Foreverland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>The Annihilation of Foreverland</b><br />
<b>By</b>: Tony Bertauski<br />
<b>Release Date</b>: December 21, 2011<br />
<a href="http://bertauski.com/" target="_blank"><b>Author Website</b></a><br />
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<b>Summary</b>: </div>
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<span id="freeText885749436676886258"><i>When kids awake on an
island, they’re told there was an accident. Before they can go home,
they will visit Foreverland, an alternate reality that will heal their
minds.<br /><br />Reed dreams of a girl that tells him to resist
Foreverland. He doesn’t remember her name, but knows he once loved her.
He’ll have to endure great suffering and trust his dream. And trust he’s
not insane.<br /><br />Danny Boy, the new arrival, meets Reed’s dream girl
inside Foreverland. She’s stuck in the fantasy land that no kid can
resist. Where every heart’s desire is satisfied. Why should anyone care
how Foreverland works?</i> (from goodreads)</span></div>
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<b>My Ramblings: </b></div>
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The summary of this book is what really caught my eye, but the book is much,
much better. Where the summary hints at what you'll find in Foreverland, but what really lurks on the island is much more intoxicating and terrifying. What I loved is that the author didn’t shy away from the
horrible things that were happening on the island and the effects they
have on the people who are trying to resist, as well as how they affect
the people that try to just go with the flow. It left me really wondering how much I would endure before giving in and just letting go. Is it better to have fun but possible lose yourself completely or to suffer in pain, but at least stay you? </div>
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While Danny Boy was the main character for the story, and we see Foreverland collapsing around him and his actions, it's really Reed who I was drawn to. He was the lone man standing alone, holding onto a past that he couldn't quite remember but he wasn't willing to part with yet. Where Danny Boy was on a path of self discovery and will ultimately make the choices that change Foreverland, it's Reed who provides a sad moral compass for him. He's a a counterpoint to the other boys who are giving into the self indulgent things in Foreverland and he allows Danny Boy to see that everything isn't as perfect as it seems. </div>
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Admittedly, some of the plot was a tad bit far fetched and left me rolling my eyes a
little, but there wasn't enough there to undo all the excellent stuff
that surrounded it.</div>
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There is a sequel to this book called <b>Foreverland is Dead</b>
that came out at the beginning of the year that I’m looking to get my
hands on soon. Unlike other series where you finish one and just want to
devour all the others, this is one I think I want to take a break from.
There’s enough food for thought woven into the story that I think to go
right to the next book would be a little bit of an overload. That said,
I definitely want to know what happens now that Foreverland is dead, so
the break won’t be for too long!</div>
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Kate E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09088348548609858248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-13007545108637104742013-10-11T08:00:00.000-04:002013-10-11T08:00:01.589-04:00My Ramblings on Wolf Sirens by Tina Smith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v1OuMSv05FM/UlQy4y9rywI/AAAAAAAAAO8/Wsi-RCYROrU/s1600/Wolf+Sirens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v1OuMSv05FM/UlQy4y9rywI/AAAAAAAAAO8/Wsi-RCYROrU/s320/Wolf+Sirens.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<b>Wolf Sirens- Forbidden: Discover the Legend </b><br />
<b>By: </b>Tina Smith<br />
<b>Release Date: </b>July 20, 2012<b><br /></b><br />
<a href="http://outskirtspress.com/WolfSirens/" target="_blank"><b>Author Website</b></a><br />
<br />
<b>Summary: </b> <br />
<span id="freeText14325289912892001993"><i>When Lila unwillingly
moves to the country town of Shade, she can’t imagine the life-altering
events that lie in wait for her. Shade has a curfew and has always been
surrounded by myths. A central feature of the town is its famous statue
of Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, whose spirit is said to protect the
innocent.<br /><br />Lila falls in with a group of intriguing teenagers with
luminescent eyes and soon she is drawn into the shadowlands of fantasy
and reality, where destiny collides.<br /><br />A mysterious local girl, Cresida, warns her to stay away, but Lila is drawn to them like a moth to a flame.<br /><br />Cresida
knows their fatal secret and she is honour-bound to protect those who
are endangered. But she underestimates Lila’s passion for the mysterious
and charismatic clan of youths. Lila begins to feel a call she cannot
ignore. Yet her heart is filled with vulnerable desires that begin to
turn the underworld upside down, for both hunter and hunted, as she
learns they have been waiting for her…<br /><br />Inspired by the legend of
the mythical femme fatale, Wolf Sirens is an intimate tale of unrequited
and forbidden love in the underworld, a masterpiece of romance fantasy.</i> (from goodreads)</span><br />
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<b>My Ramblings</b>: </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So did it live up to the summary? Yes and
no. I loved Smith’s version of the werewolf and how she tied in some
ancient mythology to the origin story. I also really liked the main
characters, especially Lila and Cressida. Both are trying to figure out
who they really are and how they fit into the world of Shade. Shade
itself is a pretty interesting little town, and I liked how Smith wove
in the history of the other wolves and how and why they came to Shade.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The story was fast paced and for the most part flowed really well. However, there were a few things that felt almost too rushed for my
liking. The ending, for me, was too abrupt. I had pretty much figured
out what Lila was before it was revealed in the story, but I thought her
transition into her new role was too easy. There wasn’t quite enough
push back from her and there also wasn’t enough time spent on what her
new role would do to the relationships she had built. And then the book
just kind of ended. It also fell trap to my most hated type of ending.
The epilogue. This was actually a really well written epilogue, but why
was it an epilogue? Why wasn’t it just the last chapter? It really
through me off and made the book end on kind of a down note.</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
There are two more books in the series that are out, and while I enjoyed the story, I'm not really drawn to see what will happen next. They, to me are a plan b type of book. In other words, I'm likely to buy them for the iPad and then when I find myself in a lull I'll read them, but I'm not rushing out to grab them and devour them right away. </div>
Kate E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09088348548609858248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-44744436590962914422013-10-08T12:23:00.001-04:002013-10-08T12:23:07.740-04:00September ReadsSo school has started back up and I'm slowly but surely getting back into the swing of things... which means finding time to read, even if I'm not finding tons of time to blog. That's okay though- because at least once a month I'll recap what I've read! So here it is, my September reads!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nGCL1hg9LHI/UlQty_ygszI/AAAAAAAAAOk/N1BJD5LfuJA/s1600/Waking+Dark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nGCL1hg9LHI/UlQty_ygszI/AAAAAAAAAOk/N1BJD5LfuJA/s200/Waking+Dark.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
<b>The Waking Dark</b> by Robin Wasserman<br />
<b>Release Date</b>: 9-10-13<br />
<a href="http://www.robinwasserman.com/" target="_blank"><b>Author Website</b></a><br />
<br />
<b>Summary</b>:<br />
<span id="freeText11945703960595588925"><i>They called it the
killing day. Twelve people dead, all in the space of a few hours. Five
murderers: neighbors, relatives, friends. All of them so normal. All of
them seemingly harmless. All of them now dead by their own hand . . .
except one. And that one has no answers to offer the shattered town. She
doesn't even know why she killed—or whether she'll do it again.<br /><br />Something
is waking in the sleepy town of Oleander's, Kansas—something dark and
hungry that lives in the flat earth and the open sky, in the vengeful
hearts of upstanding citizens. As the town begins its descent into blood
and madness, five survivors of the killing day are the only ones who
can stop Oleander from destroying itself. Jule, the outsider at war with
the world; West, the golden boy at war with himself; Daniel, desperate
for a different life; Cass, who's not sure she deserves a life at all;
and Ellie, who believes in sacrifice, fate, and in evil. Ellie, who
always goes too far. They have nothing in common. They have nothing left
to lose. And they have no way out. Which means they have no choice but
to stand and fight, to face the darkness in their town—and in
themselves.</i> (from Goodreads)</span><br />
<span id="freeText11945703960595588925"><br /></span>
<span id="freeText11945703960595588925"><b>Ramblings</b>: </span><br />
<span id="freeText11945703960595588925">Wasserman is one of my absolute favorite authors and I was super excited to see that she had another book coming out. I bought it on release day and plowed through it in just about a day. </span>In this book Wasserman pays homage to Stephen King by entering the world of suspense and she does it really, really well.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
The book took me a chapter or two to get
into, simply because there were so many characters and intersecting
stories that are woven together. It takes a minute to figure out who is
who, who is helping who and who to root for. Once you get an idea of the
landscape of the town of Oleander, KS and it’s residents the story
really starts to flow, twisting and turning until the very end.</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
What I particularly liked what that for the
bulk of the book I wasn’t sure what the heck was happening. Even when I
was done, it was left open ended enough that I wondered who and what
was the real cause of all the blood on the hands of the people who live
in Oleander. Was it really just a matter of time before the inevitable
would have happened? Was all orchestrated by outside forces? Or was it
truly a perfect storm of circumstances that left a town in ruins?</div>
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This is one of those books that I didn’t
just want to read. I want someone else to read it. Then I want to
discuss it, pull it apart and try to figure it all out. It’s a book that
makes you really think and that really is the best kind of book!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JvcHepLaMT0/UlQvMMaYT5I/AAAAAAAAAOw/wawCriVmSWk/s1600/Origami+Yoda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JvcHepLaMT0/UlQvMMaYT5I/AAAAAAAAAOw/wawCriVmSWk/s200/Origami+Yoda.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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<b>The Strange Case of Origami Yoda</b> by Tom Angleberger</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Release Date</b>: </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.robinwasserman.com/" target="_blank"><b>Author Website</b></a></div>
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<b>Summary</b>:<strong> </strong></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: left;" style="text-align: left;">
<span id="freeText3218838597981784671"><i>Meet Dwight, a
sixth-grade oddball. Dwight does a lot of weird things, like wearing the
same T-shirt for a month or telling people to call him "Captain
Dwight." This is embarrassing, particularly for Tommy, who sits with him
at lunch every day. <br /><br />But Dwight does one cool thing. He makes
origami. One day he makes an origami finger puppet of Yoda. And that's
when things get mysterious. Origami Yoda can predict the future and
suggest the best way to deal with a tricky situation. His advice
actually works, and soon most of the sixth grade is lining up with
questions.<br /><br />Tommy wants to know how Origami Yoda can be so smart
when Dwight himself is so clueless. Is Yoda tapping into the Force? It's
crucial that Tommy figure out the mystery before he takes Yoda's advice
about something VERY IMPORTANT that has to do with a girl.<br /><br />This is Tommy's case file of his investigation into "The Strange Case of Origami Yoda." </i>(from goodreads.com)</span></div>
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<b>My Ramblings:</b></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: left;" style="text-align: left;">
Yes.
I know I am WAY behind the game with this book. Years behind. I've been
hearing about this whole Origami Yoda business for years, but never
picked the books up. I don't even have a good excuse. I love YA books,
I'm a middle school librarian and I'm a Star Wars geek. This really
should have been in my hot little hands back when it first came out.</div>
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I'm
so glad I grabbed this book last week when I went to Barnes and Nobles.
It's so good and it will be an awesome addition to the library (along
with the other books in the series).</div>
<br /><div data-mce-style="text-align: left;" style="text-align: left;">
This
book couldn't be more entertaining. I loved how you were never quite
sure whether Dwight was insane or a genius, whether he was flying by the
seat of his pants or whether he had a very specific plan all along. I
especially loved how the story was told from multiple perspectives, each
with their own opinion of both Dwight and Yoda. I can't wait to see
what happens in the next book.</div>
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<b>NOTE</b>: I also blog at Eve's Fan Garden. Some recaps and ramblings will be cross-posted to both sites since there is a different audience for both blogs. If you'd like to check out what's going on over at <a href="http://evesfangarden.com/blog/" target="_blank">Eve's Fan Garden</a> please visit our site! </div>
Kate E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09088348548609858248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-70229016667161752042013-09-09T14:02:00.001-04:002013-09-09T14:02:16.787-04:00My Ramblings on Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TUBQCigCaJw/Ui4LY9mnOtI/AAAAAAAAAOM/CICIun0EQDI/s1600/Dash+&+Lily.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TUBQCigCaJw/Ui4LY9mnOtI/AAAAAAAAAOM/CICIun0EQDI/s320/Dash+&+Lily.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>
<b>Dash & Lily's Book of Dares</b><br />
<b>By</b>: Rachel Cohn and David Levithan<br />
<b>Release Date</b>: Oct. 26, 2010<br />
<br />
<b>Summary</b>:<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="freeText11860040870570540987"><em>“I’ve left some clues for you.<br />If you want them, turn the page.<br />If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”<br /><br />So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist.
Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore
shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its
dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to
trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and
forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves
possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a
comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?<br /><br />Rachel Cohn and David
Levithan have written a love story that will have readers perusing
bookstore shelves, looking and longing for a love (and a red notebook)
of their own.</em> (from goodreads.com)</span></div>
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<b><span id="freeText11860040870570540987">My Ramblings:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="freeText11860040870570540987">The last line of the summary pretty much sums it up. This book does leave you wanting to peruse the bookstore shelves looking for a little magic. I bought this book a long time ago and for one reason or another is just kind of sat on the shelves until one day I just decided to pick it up... not totally unlike how Dash decided to pick up that red notebook. Sometimes it's just the right time for the right book. </span></div>
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<span id="freeText11860040870570540987"><br /></span></div>
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<span id="freeText11860040870570540987">This is a fun read, and I loved trying to unwind the story right a long with Dash and Lily. Initially I thought it was going to be a long drawn out process before Dash and Lily discovered each other in person. Instead I found a story that was so much more then just passing notes and making dares. Not only do they have to figure each other out, but they spend a lot of time figuring out themselves too. They also deal with family and friends who alternately cheer them on and think they are a little bit crazy for continuing on with the dares. </span></div>
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<span id="freeText11860040870570540987"><br /></span></div>
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<span id="freeText11860040870570540987">This one is definitely worth picking up- you'll have fun reading along as Dash and Lily try to outdo each other, smile as they start to break down each others barriers, and yes, you'll wish you had a red notebook of your own to dare with. </span></div>
Kate E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09088348548609858248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-40280579184190971902013-08-27T12:24:00.001-04:002013-08-27T13:17:21.776-04:00Summer Reading!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dCq3YBjKIWo/UhzDAbFivMI/AAAAAAAAAMs/b82Xnx9B0H8/s1600/summer+reading.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dCq3YBjKIWo/UhzDAbFivMI/AAAAAAAAAMs/b82Xnx9B0H8/s200/summer+reading.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
This summer has seemed to fly by. All those things I thought I was going to get done over summer break mostly stayed not done. I had grand plans of reading a ton of books, and while that didn't happen, I did read some good ones. I even read a few, that while they weren't exactly my cup of tea, are at least worth a mention. So here goes nothing, the Great Summer Rundown!<br />
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<b>Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles</b><br />
<b>Book Supplied by NetGalley</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aUd_SctLLZA/UhzDmO7LHKI/AAAAAAAAAM0/Quu-OLOQOdg/s1600/Wild+Cards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aUd_SctLLZA/UhzDmO7LHKI/AAAAAAAAAM0/Quu-OLOQOdg/s200/Wild+Cards.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b>Summary</b>:<br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">After getting kicked out of boarding school, bad boy Derek Fitzpatrick has no choice but to live with his ditzy stepmother while his military dad is deployed. Things quickly go from bad to worse when he finds out she plans to move them back to her childhood home in Illinois. Derek’s counting the days before he can be on his own, and the last thing he needs is to get involved with someone else’s family drama.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Ashtyn Parker knows one thing for certain--people you care about leave without a backward glance. A football scholarship would finally give her the chance to leave. So she pours everything into winning a state championship, until her boyfriend and star quarterback betrays them all by joining their rival team. Ashtyn needs a new game plan, but it requires trusting Derek—someone she barely knows, someone born to break the rules. Is she willing to put her heart on the line to try and win it all?</span></i><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>My Ramblings: </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">I'm holding my full review until closer to release date (per the publisher's request), but I will say this much here, I LOVE THIS BOOK. Frankly, Elkeles can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned. This book is no exception. What I love about Elkeles is that she manages to both stick to a formula, and keep it fresh and interesting. I knew before I even started reading how the story would end. If you've read any of Elkeles other books, then you can probably figure it out as well. One would think that it would get boring, knowing the ending, but it never does. Elkeles books are much more about the journey then the destination, and finding out how the characters, in this case Ashtyn and Derek, get there is the best part. Another great one for Elkeles and I can't wait to see what comes next in this series! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>Secrets of a Mayan Moon and Secrets of an Aztec Temple by Paty Jager </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>Book Provided by NetGalley</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xC8MOeVdecA/UhzF8koiA5I/AAAAAAAAANA/IevFhJ92ajY/s1600/Mayan+Moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xC8MOeVdecA/UhzF8koiA5I/AAAAAAAAANA/IevFhJ92ajY/s200/Mayan+Moon.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>Summary </b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>Secrets of a Mayan Moon</b></span></span><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Child prodigy and now Doctor of Anthropology, Isabella Mumphrey, is about to lose her job at the university. In the world of publish or perish, her mentor’s request for her assistance on a dig is just the opportunity she’s been seeking. If she can decipher an ancient stone table—and she can—she’ll keep her department. She heads to Guatemala, but drug trafficking bad guys, artifact thieves, and her infatuation for her handsome guide wreak havoc on her scholarly intentions.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">DEA agent Tino Kosta, is out to avenge the deaths of his family. He’s deep undercover as a jaguar tracker and sometimes jungle guide, but the appearance of a beautiful, brainy anthropologist heats his Latin blood taking him on a dangerous detour that could leave them both casualties of the jungle</span></i><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d8pXYugjOQA/UhzGDzUCOmI/AAAAAAAAANI/QYC3db49Iz8/s1600/Aztec+Temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d8pXYugjOQA/UhzGDzUCOmI/AAAAAAAAANI/QYC3db49Iz8/s200/Aztec+Temple.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>Secrets of an Aztec Temple</b></span><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Revenge is not always sweet…</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Isabella Mumphrey can’t leave a puzzle alone. This time she attempts to use her anthropology knowledge to uncover who is stealing priceless artifacts from an Aztec Temple in Mexico City. She believes the discovery will prove her worth to the World Intelligence Agency. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Tino Constantine is also in Mexico City. He has infiltrated a drug lord’s organization to find enough evidence to not only prove the man’s illegal activities, but to bring him down for numerous deaths. Namely those of Tino’s family.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">But when the love of his life, Isabella, strolls into his enemy’s home, Tino is challenged with the choice of saving her or fulfilling his revenge.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></i>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>My Ramblings:</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">So I have to be in just the right mood for romance novels. Sometimes I'll get on a kick and read an authors entire catalog of titles- it's a bit obsessive really- and then I might not pick up another one for months. When I saw the first book, Secrets of a Mayan Moon, on NetGalley I figured I'd give it a go. Why not? It not only had some romance, but it delved into some other topics that I dig. Specifically tribal history and archeology. As soon as I finished I went back and got the second book. They were great! Jager had lain out a tough task for herself with these stories. She was combining a bunch of topics and styles and it really could have gone either way. However, Jager managed to pretty seemlessly weave together history, archeology, romance and mystery into two really fabulous books. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">I liked both of the main characters, both Tino and Isabella read as real people who just happen to get caught up in some seriously insane situations. I also appreciated that neither character got trapped into a stereotype. Tino falls into the latin lover stereotype a bit and he struggles with Isabella's independence and need for adventure. Struggles with it being the important part. He's not an oaf or a womanizer, although those tendencies are seen here or there, and he tries too hard to protect her sometimes, but in the end he knows that if he wants her, he's going to have to let her be herself. Which, to me, is a real path that some guys have to travel. If you want a girl like Isabella you have to get over your hero complex and let her be the superhero sometimes. As for Isabella, she walks a fine line between being super prepared and strong, and forgetting that all the preparation in the world can't save you if you keep making stupid decisions. Basically they are perfect for each other, even as they keep getting each other in trouble. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">All in all this is a fun set of books that are easy to read and keep you guessing as you fallow Tino and Isabella into crazy situations. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>Eat and Run by Scott Jurek</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>Summary</b>:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">For nearly two decades, Scott Jurek has been a dominant force—and darling—in the grueling and growing sport of ultrarunning. In 1999, as a complete unknown, he took the lead of the Western States Endurance Run, a 100-mile traverse over the old Gold Rush trails of the California Sierra Nevada. He won that race seven years in a row, setting a course record along the way. Twice he won the Badwater Ultramarathon, a 135-mile “jaunt” through Death Valley. Recently he set an American record of 165.7 miles in 24 hours—6 1/2 marathons in one day. And he was one of the elite runners who traveled to Mexico to run with the Tarahumara Indians, as profiled in the bestseller </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Born to Run</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">. His accomplishments are nothing short of extraordinary, but that he has achieved all of this on a plant-based diet makes his story all the more so.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">In </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Eat and Run</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">, Scott Jurek opens up about his life and career—as an elite athlete and a vegan—and inspires runners at every level. From his Midwestern childhood hunting, fishing, and cooking for his meat-and-potatoes family, to his early beginnings in running (he hated it), to his slow transition to ultrarunning and veganism, to his world-spanning, record-breaking races, Scott’s story shows the power of an iron will and blows apart all the stereotypes of what athletes should eat to fuel optimal performance. Chock-full of incredible, on-the-brink stories of endurance and competition, fascinating science, and accessible practical advice—including his own favorite plant-based recipes—</span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Eat and Run</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> will motivate everyone to “go the distance,” whether that means getting out for that first run, expanding your food horizons, or simply exploring the limits of your own potential.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>My Ramblings:</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Last year I started to take my running serious, and one of my turning points came when I read the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. In the pages of his book I had my "aha" moment and I found what running is supposed to be for me. Also within those pages I was introduced to a cast of characters who were out there doing awesome things, and fortunately for me some of them have written their own books. Using those books to continue my running education I've been able to change not only the way I run, but the way I think about running. The latest book on the list is Jurek's, which not only gives a great rundown of his running history, but it also talks about how he got there as well as sharing some tasty recipes! My full review of the book is over at the running blog I'm a part of (<a href="http://fromthepagetotheprincess.weebly.com/1/post/2013/08/book-review-eat-and-runmy-unlikely-journey-to-ultramarathon-greatness-by-scott-jurek.html" target="_blank">From the Page to the Princess</a>), but the long and the short of it is that if you run, or if you've even wondered about those crazy people that run 50 to 100 miles (fun fun!), the this books is a great read. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KenxK1ue0d8/UhzLHKyS4hI/AAAAAAAAANg/j8M3fz2XRD4/s1600/Revolution+19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KenxK1ue0d8/UhzLHKyS4hI/AAAAAAAAANg/j8M3fz2XRD4/s200/Revolution+19.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>Summary:</b></span><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Twenty years ago, the robots designed to fight our wars abandoned the battlefields. Then they turned their weapons on us.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Only a few escaped the robot revolution of 2071. Kevin, Nick, and Cass are lucky —they live with their parents in a secret human community in the woods. Then their village is detected and wiped out. Hopeful that other survivors have been captured by bots, the teens risk everything to save the only people they have left in the world—by infiltrating a city controlled by their greatest enemies.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Revolution 19 is a cinematic thriller unlike anything else. With a dynamic cast of characters, this surefire blockbuster has everything teen readers want—action, drama, mystery, and romance.</span></i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>My Ramblings:</b><i> </i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">So this is a weird one for me to recap. I picked this book up at my absolutely favorite bookstore in the world, <a href="http://www.booksco.com/" target="_blank">Books & Company</a> in Oconomowoc, WI. I only get there once a year and when I do I stock up on books. It's just about the only place I by real books anymore (read as non- e-book) and I when I saw this book on the shelf it immediately caught my eye. I plowed through it in one sitting. It has a ton going for it- the rise of the machines, an overthrow by the robots that mankind created, a band of survivors who are constantly on the look out for the robots who destroyed the world as they knew it. It's a plot that I've seen before (most recently in Keary Taylor's Bane series and the entire Terminator franchise), but Rosenblum manages to keep his series feeling fresh while still feeling familiar. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">I loved the whole concept that somewhere there is a power that is pulling strings, as of know I'm not sure if it's a human, a robot or some combination of the two, but there is someone or something that is making the big decisions. I also like that when Kevin, Nick and Cass enter the city and see first hand what life is like under the power of the robots they are confused at whether or not it's a good thing or a bad thing. It isn't as horrid as they imagined it, but they soon find out that it isn't as peaceful as it seems on the surface either. When they start getting deeper into how the City is run, you really start to see the dark underbelly. And this is where I started to lose focus. Like I said I blew through the book in one sitting and really liked it, but I wanted more. Much, much more. Without giving too much away, Rosenblum delves into mind control, torture, using technology to control the masses and some other very real things that are not far fetched at all. In fact they are happening all the time. It's not so far fetched to see how they could become the norm. Which is what makes it so freaky, and yet, Rosenblum brought me right to the edge without really giving me all I wanted. It's all horrible, but I felt like it was glossed over a bit in the book. The scenes of torture didn't feel as bad as they should have. He talks about the after effects of the long term mind control, but I didn't feel like I saw those effects playing out. Granted this is the first book in a series, so the long term effects may come into play later, but when I closed the last page I just felt like it could have been much more then it was. However, this could all be my point of view on it. I watch a ridiculous amount of news, and I spend a fair bit of time reading books by George RR Martin, who doesn't sugar coat anything, so while I was expecting more, someone else might be absolutely horrified by what happens in the book. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">In other words- I'd recommend giving this one a go. It's a good book that might just be perfect for someone else! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>Lake Thirteen by Gregg Herron</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>Summary</b>:</span></span><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">It seemed like a good idea at the time </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Every summer three families take a trip together—this year it’s to a remote resort in the mountains of upstate New York. Scotty, a teenager who’s just come out, is nervous about how his friends will react to him. A late night visit to an old nearby cemetery seems like a great idea to the bored teens, but the old cemetery holds dark secrets hidden for almost a century—secrets that might have been better left undisturbed.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">And what originally seemed like a boring week in the mountains gradually becomes a nightmare of terror for the teens and their families </span></i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>My Ramblings:</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Here's a review that isn't really a review, because I din't even finish this book. I tried a few times, but just couldn't do it. So instead of really recapping this one, I'll just tell you why I didn't read it. It has nothing to do with the story itself, which, from the part I read was really great. It's a great plot, with some really cool characters. However, Herron lost me right at the beginning and no matter how many times I returned to the book I just couldn't get into it. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">So here's the deal. Some authors let their personal biases seep into their story. As well they should. The story is theirs to tell and there's no reason they should try to write to please every person on the planet. Everyone has a different perspective on the world and the other people who live it, that is exactly what makes life interesting. Sometimes when you read a book you come across a sentence or two that just rubs you the wrong way, and that's the case with this one. Early on in the book the main character, Scotty, is talking about coming out to his family as well as reminiscing about his awesome boyfriend. So far so good, we've got a character who is gay, but this fact isn't his defining character. I love that. Then he starts talking about the boyfriends evil father and how this has forced the relationship to be hush, hush. I'm still with them. This happens all the time and sucks. Big time. No one should have to hide who they are and who they love because of other people's ignorance. Then we get to why his father is an asshole. It's because he watches Fox News and only knows how to regurgitate the hate that the anchors tell him to buy into . Chances are the father is a jerk no matter what, and maybe some of that hate is fed into by a news station, but I was rubbed the wrong way by how the father hating all gays was tied to the being told to hate people by Fox News. Why? Because I watch Fox News. A lot. And yes, some of the talking heads are idiots, much like other stations have people who are idiots on them, but I can say I never once have felt like they were preaching hate or telling me that I should be an asshole to people who are different. Occasionally someone has gone on a tirade and said things that suck, but this happens on TV all the time, and not just on one station. Fox News doesn't hold the monopoly on idiot anchors. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">In the grand scheme of things this is a very minor issue in what appears to be a great book. So I gave it the old college try, but eventually realized not every book is for everyone, and it's better to move on then force it. So what does this mean- why even include it in my wrap up. Well, first of all, because my bias shouldn't effect someone else's enjoyment of the book! Also, I thought it was an important issue to highlight. The idea that everyone has their own reading path to follow and that you aren't going to love and agree with everything you read. So if you are all about some YA mystery, or if you are looking for really well written gay characters, then go snatch this one up and give it a go. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">So ends my summer wrap up. Next week it's back to the grind. Hopefully I will manage to find time to still enjoy some awesome books! I'd love to hear what everyone else read this summer- my TBR pile could always use a few more titles on the stack! </span></span>Kate E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09088348548609858248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-10324530378809943732013-08-20T08:00:00.000-04:002013-08-20T08:00:03.404-04:00Blog Tour! Rogue by Gina Damico<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have to admit that I've been a bit behind the eight ball on the blogging this summer- who knew summer break would be so busy? However, an opportunity presented itself that I simply couldn't pass by, one of my favorite book series, the Croak Trilogy, is coming to to an end soon and today I'm happy to share a post from author Gina Damico! If you haven't had a chance to read these books you should absolutely get on it. Not only do I love this series, but I can't keep in on the shelf in the Middle School Library I work at- Damico manages to combine mystery and wit in a pretty tight package that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I for one can't wait to get my hands on book three, Rogue.<br />
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So, without further ado, Gina Damico!<br />
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Hey hey Croak fans! Welcome to my blog tour / photo hunt
/ <i>Rogue</i>stravaganza! <o:p></o:p></div>
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From now until ROGUE's release on September 10th, each stop
on the tour will reveal an image that represents a chapter in the book - could
refer to setting, plot, an important object, mood, or whatever other diabolical
visualizations with which I feel like tormenting my dear readers. Each image
also contains a hidden letter...though really, they're not <i>that</i> well
hidden. (If you have eyes, you should be able to spot them.) Collect the
letters every day, and at the end of the tour I'll hold a contest, the winner
of which will receive signed and annotated copies of the complete trilogy. (For
a complete description of the contest, tour schedule, and links to the stops
you might have missed, check out the blog tour page on my <a href="http://ginadami.co/blog-tour" target="_blank">website</a>.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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This photo is for Chapter 6. I will let the image do the
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_abWLWqc0Ro/UhLAjBb6o5I/AAAAAAAAAMU/qQCRZ3ETdXk/s1600/6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_abWLWqc0Ro/UhLAjBb6o5I/AAAAAAAAAMU/qQCRZ3ETdXk/s320/6.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Thanks for having me! Good luck everyone!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Plot Summary: </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-axZT4lzTfbw/UhLAqak3UYI/AAAAAAAAAMc/t4PG8yiNdcM/s1600/9780544108844_hres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-axZT4lzTfbw/UhLAqak3UYI/AAAAAAAAAMc/t4PG8yiNdcM/s200/9780544108844_hres.jpg" width="135" /></a>Teenage Grim Reaper Lex’s power to Damn souls is getting out
of control. She's a fugitive, on the run from the maniacal new mayor of Croak
and the townspeople who want to see her pay the price for her misdeeds. Uncle
Mort rounds up the Junior Grims to flee Croak once again, but this time they're
joined by Grotton, the most powerful Grim of all time. Their new mission is clear:
fix his mistakes, or the Afterlife will cease to exist, along with all the
souls in it.<br />
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The gang heads for Necropolis, the labyrinth-like capital city of the
Grimsphere. There, they discover that the Grimsphere needs a reboot. To do
that, the portals to the Afterlife must be destroyed...but even that may not be
enough to fix the damage. Things go from bad to worse, and when at last the
fate of the Afterlife and all the souls of the Damned hang in the balance, it
falls to Lex and her friends to make one final, impossible choice.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Trailer:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Links: </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.ginadami.co/" target="_blank">Website</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://facebook.com/ginadamicobooks" target="_blank">Facebook</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://twitter.com/ginadamico" target="_blank">Twitter</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4983109.Gina_Damico" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rogue-Croak-Gina-Damico/dp/0544108841/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376058896&sr=1-3" target="_blank">Amazon</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rogue-gina-damico/1114057266?ean=9780544108844" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780544108844" target="_blank">IndieBound</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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If all of this isn't enough Gina has offered up a pretty awesome prize pack to give away here at A Reader's Ramblings. Want to know what you can snag?<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>3
signed bookmarks </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>3 signed bookplates</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>3 magnets </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>a scythe pendant</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">So you get a little something for yourself and something to share! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Entering is easy- simply fill out the form the below! Contest runs until Friday at midnight and all normal contest rules apply. <span style="color: #990000;">For those of you not in the US, good news, this one is open internationally! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Good luck and happy reading!</span></div>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="300" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1BfzZBbVDdF5WGXjW7OhfNDg0you0L65wfzEuPAFcsO0/viewform?embedded=true" width="600">Loading...</iframe>Kate E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09088348548609858248noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890007815938715673.post-3760517355021308682013-07-02T21:15:00.001-04:002013-07-02T21:15:25.945-04:00First Year of Teaching Done... and a few short ramblings!Well, I can officially say that my first year of teaching has come to a close. At times this blog has taken a back seat to work as I tried to navigate the land of teaching, but I'm always thinking in the back of my mind about books I want to read and the thoughts I want to share on those books. The end of this year was especially busy. Who knew that getting ready for summer break could be so hectic?! I didn't read as much in the last month, but for the few books I did read I don't want them to get lost in the void. So without further ado, here are my ramblings on the books I read in June!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mt6G0U0e6ZU/UdN1KJBRVMI/AAAAAAAAALU/bt3RAE1egco/s475/The+Human.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mt6G0U0e6ZU/UdN1KJBRVMI/AAAAAAAAALU/bt3RAE1egco/s200/The+Human.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
<b>The Human</b> by Keary Taylor<br />
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I happened to get an copy of this book which came out on June 18th and couldn't find enough time to really get into it. I LOVED the first book in this series, The Bane and I was a little worried that The Human wouldn't live up to it. As a matter of fact I kind of loved how The Bane ended, and while I wanted the story to continue, I also wanted to just kind of be happy with where Eve, Avion and West ended. I even struggled through the first few chapters of The Human, it started down the love triangle path and I really didn't want that for any of the characters. Thank goodness I kept going. Taylor expertly weaves the emotions of all the characters into a story, that while there are elements of split allegiances and broken hearts, never truly falls into the trap of love triangle story. Even, Avion and West all have a part to play, and while there are relationships there that factor in to the greater story, those relationships aren't the entire story.<br />
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Taylor took the story to the next logical place. Now that our friends in New Eden are relatively safe (for the time being), what will happen next? It's a wild ride as we see Eve continue to come to grips with who and what she is, and the twist at the end is spot on. Providing both a resolution and a perfect set up for the next book. This was a great sequel and I can't wait for more!<br />
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More about the <a href="http://www.kearytaylor.com/" target="_blank">author</a><br />
More about the <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17379615-the-human" target="_blank">book</a><br />
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<b>Insomnia </b>by J. R. Johansson<br />
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This book was like a roller coaster for my emotions. At the heart of the story is Parker, who has the unique ability to step into other peoples dreams. The last person who he makes eye contact with is the person who's dreams he will enter, and since he is experiencing someone else's dreams, he's not actually sleeping. when we first meet Parker he is physically exhausted and he is tired of dealing with the good and the bad that he sees in other people's dreams. His mother thinks he's on drugs and there is really no one he can turn to. Then he meets Mia, a foster child who has moved into his town. Her dreams are different and Parker can actually get some peace, but at what cost? What follows Parker's revelation about Mia and her particular brand of dreams is what makes this story brilliant. As Parker begins to lose his mind, as I reader you begin to go crazy too. I was never quite sure if Parker was the good guy or the bad guy, and that's the point. It wasn't until the end, as it all started coming together for Parker, that I, as the reader, began to figure it out too. Which is rare in a book. I was walking around in Parker's head, even as he was walking around in everyone else's. It was creepy and uncomfortable and at times I wanted to put the book down... but my desire to know how it would all turn out was much stronger then anything else.<br />
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This was a fabulous book and I'm really looking forward to the sequel which can't come soon enough!<br />
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More about the <a href="http://jennjohansson.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">author</a><br />
More about the <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12260608-insomnia" target="_blank">book</a><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"><b>Imposter </b>by Jill Hathaway</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">First of all, this is a sequel, and I did not read the first book, Slide. Why didn't I read the first book? Because I got this book as an ARC and I was already half way through and WAY too invested to stop and get Slide. Which is a testament to Hathaway's writing. Even without knowing the first part of this story, I never felt like I was missing anything. Things that I assume were part of the first book were referenced, but in such a way that I felt like I had all the information I needed. I didn't know I was missing anything until I looked Hathaway up. Now that I'm done with Imposter I've borrowed Slide from the library and am going back. Still, this book stands on it's own, which I love! </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">So, about this book. It's a doosy. Vee has what she sees as a curse, she can slide into other people, momentarily taking control of their actions. It's something she struggles with, but does on occasion use to her advantage. Throughout the story we see her dealing with two separate issues. First, she is reconnecting with an old friend who has been taken advantage of by the same boy who also took advantage of Vee. So there is a history there and the girls, along with Vee's sister and friend hatch a plot which backfires horribly. The fallout from that is at the center of the story. The second issue that Vee is dealing with is that she can tell that she is being "slid-into" she doesn't know anyone else who has the ability, so suddenly everyone is a suspect. Is someone out to get her or is it coincidence? Her long-absent Aunt is back in town and there is a mysterious woman who keeps turning up and Vee is wary of almost everyone around her. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">What I like in this book is that Hathaway blended the more supernatural elements of her story into the very common experiences of high school pretty seamlessly. I believed that what happens to Vee could happen to anyone. The way it was written made sense and the way Vee (and those around her) handle the information also seemed real. I was drawn into the story and really connected with the characters and I loved how at the end of the book there was a promise of a happy ending for everyone involved. I hope that we get to see what happens next! </span><br />
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More about the <a href="http://www.jillhathaway.com/index2.php" target="_blank">author</a></div>
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More about the <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13423265-impostor" target="_blank">book</a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">So those are the 3 books I read in June. All three were great and left me wanting more! Now it's time for July and some great summer reads. :) </span></div>
Kate E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09088348548609858248noreply@blogger.com1