tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17638208350869726502024-03-05T04:38:25.478-08:00A Girl in BooklandJust a girl getting lost in a wonderland of her own imaginationAMF_Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07312141744409635593noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1763820835086972650.post-74024484680134307822014-04-03T06:00:00.002-07:002014-04-03T06:00:23.197-07:00I've moved<a href="http://ashleymay89.blogspot.co.uk/">http://ashleymay89.blogspot.co.uk/</a>AMF_Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07312141744409635593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1763820835086972650.post-33715371338277377952014-01-15T01:33:00.000-08:002014-01-15T01:33:51.188-08:00City of Heavenly Fire Cover RevealAHHHHH Its finally here.<br />
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The City of Heavenly Fire cover was revealed last night, its the sixth and final book in the Mortal Instrument series.<br />
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I don't think I can express how excited I am for this book to be released May can not come quick enough, even though it will be sad to say goodbye to Clary, Jace and all the gang and I know that we are in for some shocking surprises, I still can't wait to see what happens, espcically after the cliff-hanger in book 5. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5A_VreejQ88FJuVirwmxoo6djXGqOnumvRM3sSZL-diPrs0frx1ZvX-vthffIwmUtHjBZLnehQpXUWUnwfq5V0M3HN4TzB5mme7Lo7p08-9UHzSXOjeNfDuFooCfSj09r68cOamXCLKG/s1600/city-of-heavenly-fire-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5A_VreejQ88FJuVirwmxoo6djXGqOnumvRM3sSZL-diPrs0frx1ZvX-vthffIwmUtHjBZLnehQpXUWUnwfq5V0M3HN4TzB5mme7Lo7p08-9UHzSXOjeNfDuFooCfSj09r68cOamXCLKG/s400/city-of-heavenly-fire-cover.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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The cover is awesome it shows Clary holding a sword dressed in white while Sebastian stands in the background with black wings. We all know that someone (or maybe more) are going to die in this book and I am guessing the Clary wearing white is a reflection of this.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><em>What do you think of the cover? Do you have any predictions for the final book?</em></span></h3>
<br />AMF_Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07312141744409635593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1763820835086972650.post-23293775352499647032014-01-14T12:14:00.000-08:002014-01-14T14:01:46.490-08:00Fictional Crush (January)Okay, so we all have to admit we occasionally (maybe more than occasionally) wish that some of our favourite fictional characters were real. I know I do and I can even admit to having a tiny incy wincy crush on some of them too. <br />
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Now instead of hiding our feelings away I think that this is something we should embrace, something we shouldn't be afraid to announce to the world. Well maybe not the entire world but you know lets not hide the fact that we sometimes crush on people who aren't real.<br />
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Once a month (maybe twice) I'm going to talk about my fictional crushes and why I think they are completely crush worthy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA9sodxyd27HD0RbWPqULUrpaWc0ZG9Y-7N9l676PFeOBq-sclautP6HsNnSaexELYixroi9gXAPdPkRqsFpJ7_-3OfJxAa4vJ4BoMubef9pSvdQXz3kJfgVSrJDixYB5Gdi4Qy3usfpPU/s1600/bookboyfriend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA9sodxyd27HD0RbWPqULUrpaWc0ZG9Y-7N9l676PFeOBq-sclautP6HsNnSaexELYixroi9gXAPdPkRqsFpJ7_-3OfJxAa4vJ4BoMubef9pSvdQXz3kJfgVSrJDixYB5Gdi4Qy3usfpPU/s320/bookboyfriend.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This months pick has to be my first ever book crush <strong><em><span style="color: purple;">Ned Nickerson</span></em></strong> from the Nancy Drew series.<br />
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I'll be honest when I was younger I wanted to grow up and be Nancy Drew, I wanted to solve mysterious, I wanted to be as quirky and witty as she was. Basically everything about her life I wanted including her boyfriend Ned. Thinking back he was the first every character that I had a crush on, the Nancy Drew series was one of the first series where I started to imagine what I would do if I was one of the characters.<br />
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<em>“Ned said "Nancy Drew is the best girl detective in the whole world!"<br />"Don't you believe him," Nancy said quickly. "I have solved some mysteries, I'll admit, and I enjoy it, but I'm sure there are many other girls who could do the same.”</em> <br />
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As I've gotten older I've realised that Ned isn't the greatest guy on earth and that he is a little bit of a bore. But when I was younger all I knew was that he was kind and considerate, he worried about Nancy's safety and all round he seemed like a good guy. He was completely devoted to Nancy and let her shine when it came to solving cases and yet was there to rescue her if he needed to, plus he was the hottest guy in River Heights.<br />
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<em><span style="color: purple;">Who was your first fictional crush?</span></em></h3>
AMF_Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07312141744409635593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1763820835086972650.post-27469514497074475712014-01-14T05:57:00.000-08:002014-01-14T07:35:12.751-08:00Top Ten 2014 debuts I'm excited for<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the </em><a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/" target="_blank"><em>Broke and the Bookish.</em></a></div>
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This weeks theme is top ten 2014 debuts that we are looking forward too. I always love reading an authors for the first time, I love hunting down new authors to read. Every year more and more amazing authors are getting published and this year is no exception.</div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Nearly Gone by Elle Cosimano</span></h3>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13409664-nearly-gone" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13409664-nearly-gone" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizEjcphpmg-Zq_07ZMxdNS-NAZZV-fO_GFI27D0tCOeg_QT63JMOWdD8_XgPUrM_4-1qn4TjhL0caZZRGTgu8-451Q0Z9ryi5Cq9_KoLGjU4hppJVPI_0_NBvXmH3NpNaMHycBZ4pfz6Mc/s320/nearly+gone.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Page</span></h3>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18053060-dorothy-must-die?ac=1" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18053060-dorothy-must-die?ac=1" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiELYkmDKnAWNGipmDZK6pA6GofpWUduvFfTPeo6RFwXQ_uredtKWUcQTq5njOQm_ZDEdXg7KKXQlUmL_cjk46QnvWogng2RkdKN0z0BW1HKyCP9xiR4PpNTnzjSYQj2u-JIOUoIdG4vZXI/s320/must+die.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Love Letter to the Dead</span></h3>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18140047-love-letters-to-the-dead" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18140047-love-letters-to-the-dead" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7oSdAj6k6sYz7IKHAQXAPxlaUZzCV2xQ4eVfbUBTQubiT234mpOxWa0NhUydnIMzQqg4dZ9sc2kcfcbZyIemeXZOdbH_1mZF_zNUqbMnIbsFdAxEAfBJfNLVr5RjQKbTs1LMOF6d-nGya/s320/love+lettters.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">The Murder Complex</span></h3>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13576132-the-murder-complex" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13576132-the-murder-complex" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFbEqRQ9h29O60WgsrpufzInM-zgkawFgbWpT-nXHi_ang_JmRVsoV-_lSL4BOjlfXFDitfVMcxWAiYUP-PZGjW4nGRfMD2lhGq5oithrQv6J0F9DtWCebsl4HUJOa-au9YSCgUvwji576/s320/murder.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Side Effects May Vary</span></h3>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15728577-side-effects-may-vary?from_search=true" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15728577-side-effects-may-vary?from_search=true" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJJElZryYv9SxIXOvjs4VwGARy8THyAh0rxMiu6Azpk3rnWUs5bg9UuWL-oCJK531Nv32fP658CmtcNqD1dbeqEyY3zCZXMFf8ji5NLl-wjS3P-VVLsmEWlQ28MYoiUulMC2Zeg6FTnXZ/s320/side+effects.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">The Winners Curse by Marie Rutkoski</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAj-ziPgQu2olca-hHIBz3OmNNQN4HHkkdxuyJ5HofsN5m2FcnZjNMewk3qTsYMn04ejrOsgBFGZgYh2DuGTY2l24VMX1aS6JTu4p7AL_-O_qrLM3QX79dap_9fYgV4tt2BoZeLA4B9gXT/s1600/winners.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAj-ziPgQu2olca-hHIBz3OmNNQN4HHkkdxuyJ5HofsN5m2FcnZjNMewk3qTsYMn04ejrOsgBFGZgYh2DuGTY2l24VMX1aS6JTu4p7AL_-O_qrLM3QX79dap_9fYgV4tt2BoZeLA4B9gXT/s320/winners.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<em><span style="color: purple;">Are there any other 2014 debuts that I should be looking out for?</span></em></h3>
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AMF_Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07312141744409635593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1763820835086972650.post-41166649681811992932014-01-13T12:45:00.000-08:002014-03-19T09:12:14.678-07:00Angelfall by Susan Ee<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsDd2V76duV1Uz_poOq1TsGGxDGSqLh8icKpKoinqSZOeYt-cvdlOjCVZjBK92Z98cJS8gUZUnqFnk_Xm-EHalXxM7mFJ7bqwIwQVP1J2LMK635yCWyGGeRg4seQWjrIjtUqehDeXd1cUe/s1600/angelfall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsDd2V76duV1Uz_poOq1TsGGxDGSqLh8icKpKoinqSZOeYt-cvdlOjCVZjBK92Z98cJS8gUZUnqFnk_Xm-EHalXxM7mFJ7bqwIwQVP1J2LMK635yCWyGGeRg4seQWjrIjtUqehDeXd1cUe/s1600/angelfall.jpg" height="400" width="262" /></a></div>
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<strong><span style="color: purple;">Angelfall by Susan Ee</span></strong> <br />
<em>Penryn End of Days Book 1</em><br />
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<strong>Release Date:</strong> 23rd May 2013<br />
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<strong>Pages: </strong>325<br />
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<strong>Publisher:</strong> Hodder & Stoughton <br />
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<strong>Genre:</strong> Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Dystopia<br />
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<strong>Star Rating:</strong> 4.5<br />
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<span id="freeText17470281140034665480"><span id="freeText17470281140034665480"><span style="background-color: white;">It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.<br /><br />Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.<br /><br />Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.<br /><br />Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.</span></span></span></div>
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<img height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsDd2V76duV1Uz_poOq1TsGGxDGSqLh8icKpKoinqSZOeYt-cvdlOjCVZjBK92Z98cJS8gUZUnqFnk_Xm-EHalXxM7mFJ7bqwIwQVP1J2LMK635yCWyGGeRg4seQWjrIjtUqehDeXd1cUe/s1600/angelfall.jpg" style="left: 148.42px; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 131.57px;" width="63" />
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A dark and captivating story set in a post apocalyptic world that has been devastated by Angels, cities lie in ruins, most of the population has been wiped out and only a handful of survivors are left doing what they must to get by in a world gone mad. Angels rule and you hope you never have to meet one.<br />
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17 year old Penryn lives and breathes this world everyday and with a Mother suffering with Schizophrenia and a sister who is wheelchair bound, she must fight harder than others to keep her family together. The story starts with Penryn and her sister having to flee the apartment they've been living in as its no longer safe. When a fight between a group of Angels breaks out and Penryn watches in horror as one Angel has his wings ripped from his body and her little sister is kidnapped by the same group. Knowing the only way to get her sister back is to work with the broken and battered Angel she must overcome her fears and help him.<br />
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Penryn is a strong and beautiful selfless heroine, who will do whatever she has to in order to look after her family. She is the personification of what a protagonist in this genre should be like, it doesn't matter the situation Penryn will use her wits to figure out a way out of it, she is fierce and loyal to a fault and has a strength that is hard to comprehend and yet she comes across as being a normal 17 year old girl, who is so easy to relate too. Susan Ee has done an amazing job at creating a character that is believable in a world that is so far from our own.<br />
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Now Raffe, apart from the name which had a few problems initially when trying to pronounce, I absolutely loved him. He was dark, mysterious and a typical bad guy with a twist. Initially he was arrogant and was clearly amused by Penryn's acts of bravado but as the story progresses we get to see a softer and funnier side to him. At first him and Penryn come to and uneasy truce in order to get his wings back and Penryn her sister but as their journey progresses so does their relationship. Whilst not overly romantic, they both start to learn that maybe the other isn't the 'enemy', their banter is witty and funny and was definitely one of my favourite parts about the book. Actually I completely loved everything about this book.<br />
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A book that is anything but ordinary, with a plot that never gives up and plenty of twists and turns. The character and wind building is fantastic, Susan Ee creates a vivid and captivating world that I could completely imagine existing with characters that manage to balance each out. A book about doing whatever its takes to look after those you love, about learning to overcome prejudices and a book about finding love in even the bleakest of circumstances.<br />
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This is one book that you just have to read to understand just how good it is.<br />
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Each month I'll list the books I'm most looking forward to reading this month, the ones I'll be rushing out to buy on release day.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"> Hollow City by Ransom Riggs</span></h3>
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<span id="freeTextContainer45256291514674334">In 1940 after the first book ends, Jacob and his new Welsh island friends flee to London, the Peculiar capital of the world. Caul, a dangerous madman, is Miss Peregrine’s brother, and can steal Peculiar abilities for himself. The Peculiars must fight for survival, again.</span> </div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Taste of Power by Maria V. Snyder</span></h3>
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Avry knows hardship and trouble. She fought the plague and survived. She took on King Tohon and defeated him. But now her heart-mate, Kerrick, is missing, and Avry fears he's gone forever.<br /><br />But there's a more immediate threat. The Skeleton King plots to claim the Fifteen Realms for his own. With armies in disarray and the dead not staying down, Avry's healing powers are needed now more than ever.Torn between love and loyalty, Avry must choose her path carefully. For the future of her world depends on her decision.</div>
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<span style="color: purple;">The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson</span></h3>
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<span id="freeText16305028223366077788">For the past five years, Hayley Kincaid and her father, Andy, have been on the road, never staying long in one place as he struggles to escape the demons that have tortured him since his return from Iraq. Now they are back in the town where he grew up so Hayley can attend school. Perhaps, for the first time, Hayley can have a normal life, put aside her own painful memories, even have a relationship with Finn, the hot guy who obviously likes her but is hiding secrets of his own.<br /><br /> Will being back home help Andy’s PTSD, or will his terrible memories drag him to the edge of hell, and drugs push him over? </span></div>
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<span><span style="color: purple;">Up From the Grave by Jeaniene Frost</span></span></h3>
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<span>Lately, life has been unnaturally calm for vampires Cat Crawfield and her husband Bones. They should have known better than to relax their guard, because a shocking revelation sends them back into action to stop an all-out war…<br /><br />A rogue CIA agent is involved in horrifying secret activities that threaten to raise tensions between humans and the undead to dangerous heights. Now Cat and Bones are in a race against time to save their friends from a fate worse than death…because the more secrets they unravel, the deadlier the consequences. And if they fail, their lives—and those of everyone they hold dear— will be hovering on the edge of the grave.</span></div>
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<span><span style="color: purple;">Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi</span></span></h3>
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<span><span id="freeText9375829566616585667"><br />Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it's time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world.The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe-haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do-and they are just as determined to stay together.<br /><br />Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry that he won't even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have already lost.Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to mount an impossible rescue mission-because Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.</span></span></div>
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<span><span style="color: purple;">Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge</span></span></h3>
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Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.<br /><br />With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.<br />But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.<br /><br />As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.</div>
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<em><span style="color: purple;">What are you looking forward to reading this month?</span></em></h3>
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AMF_Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07312141744409635593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1763820835086972650.post-44264374619766564422014-01-09T11:52:00.001-08:002014-01-13T13:39:31.026-08:00Graphic NovelsI've never been a big graphic novel fan, there isn't a particular reason behind this I've just never had the urge to pick one up before.<br />
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However recently this has all changed, my boyfriend is a big comic book fan and he loves exploring our local comic stores for hours on end, looking at all the new releases and well whilst I'm there with him, I end up looking too and I have to say I think I may have a new love, they are quick and easy to read and yet at the same time some are so thought-provoking and create intense emotional reactions from me, the same reactions I get from reading books, I can't believe I've never given them a try before and can we talk about the illustrations. Just wow! I wish I could draw as well as some of these artist, honestly I would love to see some of my favourite books turned into graphic novel form.<br />
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Now I am still a complete novice but these are some of the graphic novels that I've read and really enjoyed.<br />
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<strong><span style="color: purple;">Locke and Key (Welcome to Lovecraft) by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez</span></strong></div>
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<span id="freeTextContainer2824502351863211542">"The Eisner-nominated Locke & Key tells of Keyhouse, an unlikely New England mansion, with fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them, and home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all!"</span> </div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><strong>Chew (Tasters Choice) by John Layman and Rob Guillory</strong></span></div>
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<span id="freeText4639445881603885750">Tony Chu is a detective with a secret. A weird secret. Tony Chu is Cibopathic, which means he gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. It also means he's a hell of a detective, as long as he doesn't mind nibbling on the corpse of a murder victim to figure out whodunit, and why. He's been brought on by the Special Crimes Division of the FDA, the most powerful law enforcement agency on the planet, to investigate their strangest, sickest, and most bizarre cases.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><strong>The Sandman (Preludes and Nocturnes) by Neil Gaiman, Sam Keith and Mike Dringenberg</strong></span></div>
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In PRELUDES & NOCTURNES, an occultist attempting to capture Death to bargain
for eternal life traps her younger brother Dream instead. After his seventy-year
imprisonment and eventual escape, Dream, also known as Morpheus, goes on a quest
for his lost objects of power. On his arduous journey Morpheus encounters
Lucifer, John Constantine, and an all-powerful madman.</div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><strong>Maus (My Fathers Bleeds History) by Art Spiegelman</strong></span></div>
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<span id="freeTextContainer10543790235105926694">A story of a Jewish survivor of Hitler's Europe and his son, a cartoonist who tries to come to terms with his father's story and history itself.</span> </div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><strong>Fables (Legends in Exile) by Bill Willington, Lan Medina, Steve Leialoha and Craig Hamilton</strong></span> </div>
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<span id="freeText10911112242444366344">When a savage creature known only as the Adversary conquered the fabled lands of legends and fairy tales, all of the infamous inhabitants of folklore were forced into exile. Disguised among the normal citizens of modern-day New York, these magical characters have created their own peaceful and secret society within an exclusive luxury apartment building called Fabletown. But when Snow White's party-girl sister, Rose Red, is apparently murdered, it is up to Fabletown's sheriff, a reformed and pardoned Big Bad Wolf (Bigby Wolf), to determine if the killer is Bluebeard, Rose's ex-lover and notorious wife killer, or Jack, her current live-in boyfriend and former beanstalk-climber.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><em>Can you recommend any Graphic Novels I should read?</em></span></h3>
AMF_Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07312141744409635593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1763820835086972650.post-25315626284568050172014-01-07T04:15:00.002-08:002014-01-13T13:41:31.204-08:00Top Ten Bookish Resolutions<br />
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Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by the <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/" target="_blank">Broke and the Bookish</a><br />
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This weeks topic on Top Ten Tuesday are 'bookish resolutions' for the new year, whilst I don't have ten I do have a few things I would like to change about my reading habits.<br />
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1. Read More Classics - I used to say that Classics were my favourite genre to read and yet in the past year or so I don't think I've picked up a single one and so this year I want to try and read at least one a month.<br />
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2. Read More Non-Fiction - I never read non-fiction and yet when I am browsing bookstores it always a section I find myself looking at, especially the popular science books and so this year I want to try and read at least 7 non-fiction titles. <br />
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3. Stop giving up on books - I'm not referring to books I'm not enjoying reading this is for those times in a book when something is going wrong for a character, when the world around them is falling apart. Sometimes I don't want to read about bad things happening to them and so I just stop reading. I really do need to stop this because its part of the experience of reading a book, to experience those emotional highs and lows with a character.<br />
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4. Read at least 10 books from my TBR pile before I buy anymore books.<br />
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5. Try new things - This goes along with reading more non-fiction but I also want to read new authors and new genres, try something within fiction that I wouldn't normally think of picking up. <br />
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6. Finish Series - This is something I've been meaning to do for a while now, I've started tons of series and then neglected to pick up the rest, as I've always found something new and shiny to read instead but this year I want to try and finish some so I can finally put them to bed. <br />
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<em>I think is this the year that I try to branch out with my reading, explore new avenues and get lost in brand new and exiting adventures.</em><br />
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<em><span style="color: purple;">What are your bookish resolutions?</span></em></h3>
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<br />AMF_Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07312141744409635593noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1763820835086972650.post-6772028385459737242014-01-06T11:49:00.001-08:002014-01-06T11:51:03.363-08:00Home <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />AMF_Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07312141744409635593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1763820835086972650.post-50440576426365206022014-01-06T10:05:00.003-08:002014-01-06T10:28:05.527-08:00Wanderlust<em>Wanderlust</em><br />
<em>-n</em><br />
<em>a great desire to travel or rove about</em><br />
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I love to travel, who doesn't. The chance to explore a new place, delving into new experiences and new cultures. I love it all.<br />
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A couple of years ago I spent two and half months travelling around America, it was one of the best experiences of my life and now in six weeks time and going back again, this time not for as long, just three short weeks but I can't wait. <br />
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I'm starting off in New York, then flying to Vancouver, then off to Seattle, then onto Portland and finally to Chicago. I've been to both Chicago an New York before, I loved both cities so much that I am really eager to return. But Vancouver, Seattle and Portland will be a whole new adventure for me. I've never been to Canada before, but its one place I've always wanted to go and I've only ever heard great things about it. I've spent weeks reading through travel blogs and books trying to find the best places to visit to make the most of my short time. I'm going with a couple of friends from work, and considering we are all book crazy we want to try and visit as many bookstores as we can, from the big mega bookstores to the small independent ones, I want to see as many as I can. I want to experience the American and Canadian nightlife, I want live music and local bars. I want to see the local markets, the parks and museums. I especially want to visit the museums, I love going to museums, (side note: I would love to travel around Europe one day on tour of museums). There is just so much to see and do and I don't want to miss a moment.<br />
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<em>"Travel as much as you can. As far as you can. As long as you can. Life's not meant to be lived in one place."</em><br />
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<em><span style="color: purple;">Are there any places you think I should visit whilst I'm there?</span></em></h3>
AMF_Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07312141744409635593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1763820835086972650.post-41026567059966492132014-01-03T10:16:00.000-08:002014-01-03T12:09:14.577-08:00Top Ten Books of 20132013 was actually a good year in terms of books read for me I beat my goal of 100 by 4 books and I know if I hadn't of slacked of in December and actually finished some books then that number would have been a lot bigger which is why I have set myself a target of 150 for 2014, if I meet this goal then it will be the most books I have ever read in one year, its going to be quite a feat for me but I think will a little perseverance, I am more than capable to doing it.<br />
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Now onto last year, as I said I read 104 books last year, some of them I liked, others I loved and some I actually obsessed over. It was really hard for me to pick just 10 books that I loved and would encourage you to read but here are the ones I would recommend you drop everything you're doing and read right away because I loved them that much.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;">1. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell</span></h3>
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Rainbow Rowell was defiantly my discovery of the year in terms of new authors, I fell head over heels with both of her books and the characters and worlds she creates. Fangirl spoke directly to my inner book nerd, I loved Caths obsessive behaviour with the world of Simon Snow, she reminded me of my younger self and my love of Harry Potter fanfiction. Rowell created a wonderful world in which Cath learns to grow and enters the 'real world', a world full of magic of its own kind.</div>
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<span style="color: purple;">2. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Lani Taylor</span></h3>
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I remember when I found this book, I don't think I shut up about it for weeks and I think I may have actually have fallen in love with Laini Taylor and her words when I read it. From the minute I read the first page, I wanted, no needed to know more. Taylor created a magical and beautiful world and merged it with our own, her words left me speechless and her characters were beautifully flawed, I don't know if I would recommend another book as much as I would this one. I promise you wont be disappointed.</div>
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<span style="color: purple;">3. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephaine Perkins</span></h3>
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<span style="color: purple;"></span> This book was a breath of fresh air, it was beautiful and heart-breaking and made me want to go back to Paris and have the same experiences as Anna. I wish I could express how much I loved this book, it was beautiful and mesmerizing, Stephanie just has a way with words that creates a world and characters that I would love to experience and to know.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;">4. Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas</span></h3>
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This book is filled to the brim with action, tension, murder, mystery, romance and with a sprinkling of magic. Loyalty is questioned, battle lines are drawn and it is just the start to what is sure to be an epic series. Celaena is such a refreshing chance from the stereotypical characters we often see in books, she is good looking, smart and extremely skilled in combat and boy does she know it. </div>
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<span style="color: purple;">5. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo</span></h3>
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I hadn't heard much about this book before it appeared in work one day and after finishing Daughter of Smoke and Bone I was eager to read something in a similar vain and let me tell you I was not disappointed. Shadow and Bone was an epic fantasy, the characters, the world building all blew me away, from the prologue to the end I was hooked, the writing was beautiful and kept me captivated throughout. </div>
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I had been eager to read Eleanor and Park since I had first heard about Rainbow Rowell and I think this book is a contender for being my absolute favourite of the year. Eleanor has to be one of the best female characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading about, she individual and quirky. This book gave me those butterflies in my stomach, it made my heart clench and it sent me on a roller-coaster of emotions and the ending, I think I screamed in frustration when I read it, I kept turning the page hoping for something more.</div>
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More than this is an utterly compelling and wonderfully bizarre book, that will keep you hooked from the opening chapter, when our main protagonist dies whilst swimming on the beach and wakes up back in his childhood home. The events that occur throughout the rest of the book will have you second guessing everything you thought you knew. Ness keeps us on the edge of our seats and has created a diverse set of characters that you'll learn to love. More than this challenges the human nature and the fact that we are always searching for<strong><em> 'more than this'</em></strong>.</div>
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I think this was one of the shortest books I read this year and it was recommended to me by a lot of the people I work with and I loved it. It was funny and quirky, I loved all the little descriptions of the different types of superheroes that exist. It was a romantic comedy in a small little package and will leave you feeling warm inside. </div>
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This book was an interesting look and compelling story about a depressed teenager and what he perceives to be his last day on earth, the book jumps between different times in Leonards life and those life changing moments, as Leonard starts to say goodbye to all the people who have changed his life in some way, whether they realise it or not. It was a surprisingly sweet story and made me think about how people effect may our lives in the smallest of ways.</div>
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<span style="color: purple;">10. Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder</span></h3>
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This was the last book I read in 2013 and from the moment I picked it up I couldn't put it down. Touch of Power is the first book in the Avery of Kazan series and if you like high fantasy then you should defiantly give it a try. Snyder has created a magical world, full of mayhem and danger, her characters are funny and loyal. Every chapter brings a new threat to Avery so its never boring. I ran out and bought the sequel as soon as I had finished it.</div>
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In other news, as I'm writing this post I am actually watching or should I say catching up on some NHL, I haven't watched that many games before but one of my close friends is a major Chicago Blackhawks fan and considering we are heading over to America in a couple of weeks and we are actually going to watch a game I figured I should get to grips with it.<br />
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Now if you didn't know I am more an NFL girl myself but I have to say once I got my head around the speed of the sport I am really enjoying watching it, I'm not sure I fully understand all the rules yet but I am sure that that will come with time. It's definitely more of an aggressive sport, its strange that fighting is actually acceptable but boy do these guys have some skill on the ice, I'm more of a grip the sides of a rink girl myself.<br />
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<em><span style="color: purple;">What were your favourite books of 2013? </span></em><em><span style="color: purple;">Do you agree with any of mine?<a name='more'></a></span></em></h3>
AMF_Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07312141744409635593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1763820835086972650.post-30152282219602795972014-01-02T08:25:00.001-08:002014-01-02T08:26:20.833-08:00Book Club<div style="text-align: center;">
I think I may have mentioned it in a previous post but I actually run a teen book club in which we discuss, yes you guessed it, teen books. I've been running it since September and I thought it might be an idea to merge my book club and my blog together a little bit.</div>
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Now just in case anyone reading this is in the area and would like to join along in person are next meeting is <strong><em>14th January at Waterstones in Liverpool One</em></strong> but if not don't worry because I have decided to post a little round-up of our discussion here on my blog for everyone else to join in on. I want to hear <em><strong>your</strong> </em>opinions about the books were reading. Do you love them or loathe them?</div>
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Now this months books are two dystopian picks, Gone by Michael Grant and The Maze Runner by James Dashner.</div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><em>Happy Reading</em></span></h3>
<img height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUpMxBRZo-QgbR2kf3PCpVy9Ze16nqyyN5Ryt96YOzxKJUjts_EpjFqEVL9nYnLFDOy_0Z7_sQndIQW9UE28q1JT4A3MNrN-MCs54kVZDAl9bJeoCEmonlFSbpbFyJCfZU7Crs_U_gvhNU/s1600/maze+runner.jpg" style="left: 497.14px; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 309.66px;" width="62" />AMF_Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07312141744409635593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1763820835086972650.post-74243963711038929012014-01-02T03:03:00.000-08:002014-01-02T03:05:22.082-08:00Let's talk: Reading HabitsOkay so I've got a little confession to make, recently I've been starting books but not actually finishing them now this isn't one or two books its a lot, 11 to be exact. <br />
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I don't know why I keep doing this, sometimes is simply because I just am in the mood to read a different genre of book and sometimes its because the story itself isn't keeping me entertained and then other times its because I can tell something bad is about to happen in the story and I don't want to read about it just yet, I just want to keep envisioning everything being perfectly happy for my characters for a little while longer and then in one case its because the subject nature of the story hit a little close to home and I couldn't quiet bring myself to carry on reading it just yet. <br />
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Now I will get round to finishing them, that's actually going to be my goal for this month is to finish what I've started to read and this shouldn't be too hard to complete considering I'm over half way through most of these books.<br />
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AMF_Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07312141744409635593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1763820835086972650.post-25648053958666309872014-01-01T11:48:00.000-08:002014-01-02T03:03:43.978-08:00A New Year, A New Blogger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://data2.whicdn.com/images/93853792/thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Happy new year <3" border="0" class="entry_thumbnail" hearted="false" height="266" src="http://data2.whicdn.com/images/93853792/thumb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I hope you all had a wonderful time bringing in the new year last night, whatever it was you choose to do.</div>
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Welcome to 2014, its a new year, time to forget about all the bad things that may have happened last year and a chance for a fresh start (even though I am a firm believer that it doesn't have to be a new year for you to have a fresh start). A time to make those new years resolutions and to try and stick to them.</div>
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So in keeping with the theme of a 'fresh start' and 'resolutions', I have decided to do this with my blog, I haven't posted a review since September and even though this was mainly due to my laptop dying a very slow and painful death it was also because I just wasn't putting any effort in, I would get so bogged down with real life that I never took the time to do anything with my blog and even though some may think that this was because I didn't like blogging, I can honestly say nothing is further from the truth, I love blogging, I love talking about books and sharing my passion with other passionate readers, I love discovering new authors, I've found hundreds of new books through reading peoples blogs, books I would have never dreamt of picking up before and you know what some of them have become my favourite books and now I recommend others to read them too. That is the point of blogging for me, to be able to share and express my love of reading. So no more slacking off, instead of filling notebooks with ideas for my blog I actually need to put them into practise, this is the time for me to get back into blogging and this time to do so seriously.</div>
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Write more reviews: This is one of my biggest downfalls in regards to blogging, I enjoy writing reviews I like that feeling of satisfaction I get when I've particularly loved a book and I get a chance to tell the world about it and I want to do this more. I need to write my posts in advance and schedule them so that I don't stress about finding the time to write one.</div>
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Be more active: This is one of my biggest downfalls I don't tend to interact with many other people in the blogging community, consider I struggle sometimes to find time to write my own posts I never seem to have any time to look at other people's but this is going to change, even if its just a select few I keep updated with it will be an improvement on what I do now.</div>
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Branch out: As much as I love books and my blog will never change to being solely centred around books, I do want to try and make this blog a little more personal, so this year you'll probably see more posts about me and what I've been up to. Plus I want to try and make everything more conversational, make posts that get people interacting and chatting.</div>
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I've got lots of ideas in my head at the moment as to what I want to do with my blog and now its just making sure I implement them. I've already got a few reviews written and ready to be posted. Sometimes starting anew is exactly what you need and that's what I feel like I am currently doing with my blog, I gave it a mini facelift yesterday and got rid of a lot of clutter and now I feel like it looks a lot cleaner and fresher.</div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><em>Now onto the most important decision of the year so far what book should I read first?</em></span></h3>
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AMF_Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07312141744409635593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1763820835086972650.post-10738512686045824512013-12-31T06:05:00.000-08:002014-01-02T03:04:06.376-08:00A New Start<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<strong>Today is December 31st or as its better known New Years Eve. This is the day we reflect on what the past year has brought us.</strong> </div>
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The past 12 months I've gone by in a blur, I graduated from university with a 2:1 and I couldn't be more proud of myself, after battling with depression throughout university and having to take time out to recover, going back and finishing felt amazing, I put everything I had into graduating and making sure I got a good grade and stepping up to get my diploma made everything I've been through these past 5 years seem worth it. I became a stronger person. I still have my moments of self doubt but these are far and few between, I finally learnt to look in the mirror and be happy with who is staring back at me, I rediscovered my passion for music and now life isn't so quiet anymore.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvErtKTN6dCjdjr-G3pKCXWnEspE8RQJSPIbSl1162NUwIFUE0Cn9X1Uo7Aky7Wnrm-GKrw7r-oVI85bEYYJ7qpEZYDnicfE8Sjiyas5uabq3tD_haiHEq7GrEQur3PTRlSdO1LvK_Gl3b/s1600/IMG_0632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvErtKTN6dCjdjr-G3pKCXWnEspE8RQJSPIbSl1162NUwIFUE0Cn9X1Uo7Aky7Wnrm-GKrw7r-oVI85bEYYJ7qpEZYDnicfE8Sjiyas5uabq3tD_haiHEq7GrEQur3PTRlSdO1LvK_Gl3b/s320/IMG_0632.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I met some wonderful people through my teen book club, we converse for hours on end about books and I love being able to share my passion with other people. I went to Wembley to watch my first ever NFL game and even though it wasn't the Packers the experience was amazing. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJt2JGj5PxGFuFVNnVPlOObmf0oGDoyDiEIURUisgLRYtff2XykY7efQFcqy3zDqTJTTGVhJSGVwJ643_oNuXwL9yU4-t9gQl9xTpbqJaZ11UoemZtp21WOckjkOqNAuWXlCcdi-kogWL/s1600/IMG_1071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJt2JGj5PxGFuFVNnVPlOObmf0oGDoyDiEIURUisgLRYtff2XykY7efQFcqy3zDqTJTTGVhJSGVwJ643_oNuXwL9yU4-t9gQl9xTpbqJaZ11UoemZtp21WOckjkOqNAuWXlCcdi-kogWL/s320/IMG_1071.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And most of all I got to spend the year with my boyfriend Ben, I couldn't be more proud of what he has achieved this year and what he has managed to overcome. Overall this year was pretty great, it had plenty of ups and downs but I wouldn't change it for the world.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1sQDhTAor9ifOYhV2Zgq_sA1cYjLfzKQ4kQekkMwdtjU9E2GRT7q42u7U6kZIB1sQDjybD8bJzAvakcKyrmNOESp62gMV-tTVrcw3aQBAV2qluxqRX2GmPwxjdnxMz2Pu83b-hJrZ20ye/s1600/IMG_0709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1sQDhTAor9ifOYhV2Zgq_sA1cYjLfzKQ4kQekkMwdtjU9E2GRT7q42u7U6kZIB1sQDjybD8bJzAvakcKyrmNOESp62gMV-tTVrcw3aQBAV2qluxqRX2GmPwxjdnxMz2Pu83b-hJrZ20ye/s320/IMG_0709.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Now onto next year, I see big changes in my future but that's for another post!AMF_Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07312141744409635593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1763820835086972650.post-51032626389898842892013-09-08T08:16:00.003-07:002013-09-08T08:16:55.762-07:00Anna and the French Kiss by Stephine Perkins <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3pNErFUFPA5fJo37xl1RoTswxqjKK665E7WUeXV4GGT7KWurC5UuopGwfc234oVc69xLbzC6TjZDURva-g8rEV4zVr2QyBTVCwVC9cQ09Thfwj4K2II6zDxhXFl_QRgfmSPg0TBJ8m_Q3/s1600/17453983.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3pNErFUFPA5fJo37xl1RoTswxqjKK665E7WUeXV4GGT7KWurC5UuopGwfc234oVc69xLbzC6TjZDURva-g8rEV4zVr2QyBTVCwVC9cQ09Thfwj4K2II6zDxhXFl_QRgfmSPg0TBJ8m_Q3/s320/17453983.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><i>“I mean, really. Who sends their kid to boarding school? It's so Hogwarts. Only mine doesn't have cute boy wizards or magic candy or flying lessons.”</i></span><br />
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Anna and the French Kiss has become one of my all time favourite YA books. I started and finished it all in one day, I haven't been so captivated and entranced by a book in such a long time. The romance is beautiful and the story line is sweet and endearing. I could harp on and on about this book all day and believe me I have been to my friends. It made my happy, I think I actually read this book with a huge grin on my face it was that good.<br />
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Anna is shipped off to boarding school by her father and she hates it, she is homesick and lonely.Anna is upset that her father has pulled her away from her best friend and a possible love interest, and the fact that she can't speak any French has left her feeling isolated and insecure. And then she meets a great host of characters, including the charming St Clair, who drag her out of her dorm room to experience the wonders that the city of Paris has. As the story progresses Anna and St Clair develop a beautiful friendship that starts to turn into more, with plenty of obstacles to overcome are Anna and St Clair brave enough to take the leap into something more?<br />
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I absolutely adored Anna, she was the type of female protagonist that I could find myself relating too, the girl with the raisin sized gap in her teeth and a stripe in her hair, she was imperfectly perfect. She is shy but has a witty and sarcastic side to her as well. I loved how well Stephanie balanced Anna's homesickness with her excitement to explore a new city, she is the type of character that I find myself becoming connected too, when she is embarrassed I feel embarrassed right along with her and that is a credit to Stephanie to create that type of connection. Anna is sweet and adorable, she over thinks everything down to the tiniest moment and sometimes I wished she would have been a little more perceptive to St Clairs feelings but I think that's one of the things that made the story so special watching there relationship grow throughout the course of the book was beautiful.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><i>“I wish for the thing that is best for me.” </i></span><br />
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St Clair was definitely swoon worthy, unlike a lot of other reviewers I didn't get the whole English accent thing, well that being because I am English and its nothing special to me but I do get what makes everyone give him the title of hottest male character. Unusually for a male lead he is actually a sweet, kind and caring guy, at first you can tell he honestly just wants to be a friend to Anna but as they become closer, especially over thanksgiving when they are running through Paris together having the time of there lives you can see the relationship switch but he never makes a move. Yes he has a girlfriend but he does try to do right by her, he tries to work on their relationship but this connection with Anna is always at the back of his mind.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><i>“Why is it that the right people never wind up together? Why are people so afraid to leave a relationship, even if they know it's a bad one?” </i></span><br />
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Like Anna St Clair is imperfectly perfect, he has a rubbish relationship with his father and even though he is definitely attractive he does has his imperfections, Stephanie has created two leading characters that are human, they aren't perfect, they both make mistakes but they learn from them and that's what makes them perfect.<br />
Stephanie has created a whole bunch of characters that are just wonderful, you really feel a connection to all of them, they each bring something to the story.<br />
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Its not only the characters that makes this book it is also the writing, Stephanie has an amazing way with words, she creates breath taking images of Paris, that you can feel coming alive through the pages. She has turned such a simple plot into something extraordinary, you can feel the tension and the emotions of the characters as they all struggle to come to terms with there feelings, the story is dramatic in its simplicity and yet its so realistic, I could actually imagine this happening. Its Stephanie's writing that creates such an emotional response in her readers, she creates a connection between her characters and her readers unlike other authors.<br />
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This book was a breath of fresh air, it was beautiful and heartbreaking and made me want to go back to Paris and have the same experiences as Anna. I wish I could express how much I loved this book, it was beautiful and mesmerizing, Stephanie just has a way with words that creates a world and characters that I would love to experience and to know. Anna is a real character, she sees the world in such a realistic way and honestly she has a rather negative view of it that I can relate too, she suffers from anxiety and stresses about such small things. I feel like I've known Anna a lot longer than a few hundred pages. Considering I'm not normally one for what would be considered romantic fiction I think you can tell that I thoroughly enjoyed this book and maybe in the future I wont be so quick to judge a genre if it contains books like this one. Whatever you do read this book, I promise you wont regret it.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><i>“The more you know who you are, and what you want, the less you let things upset you.” </i></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>My rating: 5</b></span><br />
<br />AMF_Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07312141744409635593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1763820835086972650.post-75816151600596168752013-09-05T12:47:00.001-07:002013-09-06T05:54:09.927-07:00Legend by Maire Lu<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNi0MqhyphenhyphenmzNKLsExgBkRPsCVEpfF0TYrtJbKp2zdCYe_IBP3KHHchGtfbIHdzYHa-HzQAKWdGsmRkdpw4r9vZp9BuIb-hEWoyzglcsD0bbvjb4Wr8dwjy6Mcrb8WYZLHrAT3Yf977XfR5t/s1600/9275658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNi0MqhyphenhyphenmzNKLsExgBkRPsCVEpfF0TYrtJbKp2zdCYe_IBP3KHHchGtfbIHdzYHa-HzQAKWdGsmRkdpw4r9vZp9BuIb-hEWoyzglcsD0bbvjb4Wr8dwjy6Mcrb8WYZLHrAT3Yf977XfR5t/s320/9275658.jpg" width="211" /></a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>“Each day means a new twenty-four hours. Each day means everything's possible again. You live in the moment, you die in the moment, you take it all one day at a time.”</i></span><br />
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I was a little bit apprehensive about starting this book, I have read both amazing reviews about this story and not so great ones. However when it was selected to be our book group read I knew I finally had an excuse to read it and while not perfect I have to say I really enjoyed reading Legend. It was a fast paced and thrilling read that had me turning page after page.<br />
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Legend is set in a dystopian world known as the Republic that was once the United States, 15 year old June is a prodigy who scored a perfect score in her trails, this has placed her on the fast track to a high ranking position within the army, she is the perfect solider with her keen observation skills and quick reflexes. However one day her older brother Metias is murdered and the suspect is notorious criminal known as Day. June vows to get revenge for her brothers murder and to bring Day to justice, she will do anything to track him down and as she begins her hunt she soon starts to unravel the dark and disturbing truth about the society she has put all of her faith in.<br />
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Day was by far my favourite character, known as the most wanted criminal in the Republic, he is not the person society thinks he is. He was sweet and nurturing with Tess, he makes sure she is protected at all times and he even though his family think him dead he still does all he can to protect them, even breaking in to a government hospital to steal plague cures for them, which is the cause of all his future problems, he is a modern day Robin Hood, he steals from the rich (the republic) to help the poor (the lower society). Yet Day is also cocky and smart, he knows he is good at what he does and he has a way about himself that comes across as charming, even when he is getting beaten up, he'll come out with a snarky response which will make me laugh yet I know its just a mask to cover up how lonely and hurt he is by the horrors the republic inflicted on him. Sometimes I just wanted to hug him and tell him it would all be okay.<br />
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What to say about June? I suppose out of the two leading characters June is the one who grows more than anyone during this book. At the beginning she is a little insufferable and honestly I was rushing through her parts just to get back to Day. She is the republics prodigy and a little naive to the world around her, she trusts far too easily and never questions anything until Day comes into her life. Saying that she is definitely a kick ass heroine, she is just as good if not better then most of the male characters in this story and when she starts to question society, she becomes a lot more likeable. It is a real testament to Lu's writing that she is able to change my mind on how I feel about June, she becomes vulnerable and lost in a world she thought she knew. My favourite parts with June are when she is remembering her brother, it breaks my heart and I can feel her loneliness pouring out of the pages.<br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">“The memory fades, and I’m left hanging on to the ghosts of his </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">words.” </span></i><br />
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I know I've seen a lot of complaints about the romance in this story but I actually liked how it wasn't at the forefront of the story, I'm a little fed up with every story having to be overly romantic. So it was nice to see that even though these characters feel a connection that isn't why they risk everything for each other. June acts because she knows its the right thing to do, she wants justice for her brothers murder but she wont let just anyone pay.<br />
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Legend is a really great book, Lu has created an action packed thriller that doesn't let up. The interactions between Day and June really made this book what it is. The chapters alternate between the two characters pov and so you get a real insight into each mind. Day and June both have unique voices and it made the book even more intense as you got a great perspective of what each character is going through even when they are together. Both characters have similar qualities, they are smart and strong-willed and yet both are so troubled, they learn a lot from each other and it helped me appreciate more what a different lives they have lead, As well as being full of suspense it is also an emotional story both Day and June have a lot of baggage that they are trying to work through.<br />
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So onto the negatives, the world building in this book isn't great, the thing will dystopian fiction is that we as the reader need to have a real feel for the world, we need to understand the world in which the characters are interacting and the world in which they have grown up in to really get a feel for them and I didn't really get that with this story. I was left a little lost at the beginning as to how this world came to be and a little bit of the political back story, as the book progresses we do start to get a little more of an insight about the world before the republic and little clues sand hints start to be dropped which I'm hoping will develop more in the second book. The other thing I didn't like was how quickly characters were able to solve the mysteries in the book, they seemed to be able jump to amazingly accurate conclusions with very little evidence and I just couldn't believe that that would actually happen, even if you are a prodigy, it just didn't seem believable to me.<br />
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If you like dystopian fiction then definitely pick this up, its a fun and fast read that will have you turning the page in search for answers.<br />
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<b><span style="color: purple;">My Rating: 3.5</span></b><br />
<br />AMF_Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07312141744409635593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1763820835086972650.post-58049107117771810522013-09-05T11:37:00.002-07:002013-09-05T12:52:07.318-07:00Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKTyjzIbN3bQgwjXktqTUEyaAeu44vP7eg2geDwg25zIrPOduPnCnDyr2MqUj_ztvoAESjnv2FGXVFCk8IPlrEu73_3hBvRJK_xjHQTJTC1J63HFRIsjgJ2wS9gfx9DJmJe3kdsWFs-ukA/s1600/9378297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKTyjzIbN3bQgwjXktqTUEyaAeu44vP7eg2geDwg25zIrPOduPnCnDyr2MqUj_ztvoAESjnv2FGXVFCk8IPlrEu73_3hBvRJK_xjHQTJTC1J63HFRIsjgJ2wS9gfx9DJmJe3kdsWFs-ukA/s320/9378297.jpg" width="220" /></a><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">“I’ve seen most of what</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">there is to be afraid of in this world, and to tell you the truth,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">the worst of them are the ones that make you afraid in the</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">light. The things that your eyes see plainly and can’t forget</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">are worse than huddled black figures left to the imagination.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Imagination has a poor memory; it slinks away and goes</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">blurry. Eyes remember for much longer.” </span></i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Have you ever heard a strange sound or seen a cat hissing at something that isn't there, your hair stands up on the back of your neck and yet you tell yourself there isn't anything there, that your being silly. Well Cas Lowood would tell you different, those noises, that creepy feeling you get, that my friend is a ghost. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Cassius Theseus Lowood has had a somewhat unconventional upbringing, he never stays in one place for very long, his mother is a white witch and his father, well his father hunted the dead for a living a job that is now Cas' after his father is brutally murdered by one of the ghosts he was trying to kill. You see if a person is murdered in a particularly gruesome way they tend to not move on from the place they died and they have a tendency to recreate their deaths with the living and so Cas using his powerful atheame sends them on to some unknown place. Cas' next 'ghost' is Anna, known locally as 'Anna dressed in Blood', Anna was killed nearly 60 years ago and has killed anyone who has ever entered her home, she is one of the most powerful ghosts Cas has ever encountered and there is also something else unusual about her, something that Cas needs to unravel.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">I didn't know what to expect when I started reading Anna dressed in Blood and yet I was thoroughly surprised, it is spooky and atmospheric, everything you want from a horror novel. Blake's descriptive writing makes the book what it is, the scenes describing Anna killing are horrific and I was thoroughly freaked out when Cas was in the basement and Anna was making him see the bodies of those she has killed. And yet its more than just Blake's ability to be vividly descriptive, yes she can make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck and I could envision Anna in all her bloody glory but it was also beautiful and elegant in a way that made it hard to put down. Blake created such a dark and gothic novel and yet it is has these light moments that were funny and sweet. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Rather unusually for a YA book and especially one that has a little bit of romance in it, this book is narrated by a male character. Usually I struggle with male protagonists in this genre because more often then not they aren't written in a way I find relatable. However Cas does not have this problem, he is charming and funny and it seemed like Blake really has a great insight into the mind of boys that made this book exciting and readable.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Another thing I really appreciated about this novel was the fact that Blake created a haunting character in Anna, she has suffered through such terrible things and in turn done horrific things to other people and yet like Cas we learn to grow to actually like Anna. She is broken and lonely, she breaks you heart and yet Anna is responsible for a lot of the creepy scenes in this story. Once again its Blake's writing that can paint Anna as a monster, a vengeful and furious spirit capable of ripping a boy limb from limb and then in the second half can have us feeling such a great amount of pity for Anna when we find out the circumstances surrounding her death. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Even though this story is all about Anna, Cas is still a great protagonist, he is egotistical and confident in a way that isn't necessarily annoying, he kills ghosts for a living, wouldn't you have a little bit of a confidence problem if that's what you did but he is also a nice guy, he treats those around him with respect and I really loved the scenes with him and Anna as he was trying to get to know her, he was sweet and kind and Blake made Cas a realistic character, he wasn't invincible he is just a boy trying to carry on his fathers legacy. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Full of twists and turns, </span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Anna Dressed in Blood is a gripping paranormal story, it is not only a dark and sinister story full of blood and gore but it is also a beautiful love story.This is a true horror story, that will have you leaving the lights on when your sleeping and terrified to turn the page, It is a spine tingling and will have to enraptured from start to finish.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><i>“She’s standing above me the goddess of death, black lips and cold hands.”</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Don't say I didn't warn you.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>My Rating: 4.5</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span>AMF_Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07312141744409635593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1763820835086972650.post-37975019359486339132013-09-03T12:31:00.001-07:002013-09-05T12:51:39.999-07:00Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJAbYMwZQcUn7Q9_iVCugQ9vXrGPZ5JNChS839YxA1ZoKlUp0jlNoI9xKcFR6amZK5xFCsBFbwMEiaYYR8sfma3m1OLk8PJyic8i6VwG1iahcMYp3_ZR5ifbQuaFmtrh1ThDnZs8nXiBFr/s1600/12578077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJAbYMwZQcUn7Q9_iVCugQ9vXrGPZ5JNChS839YxA1ZoKlUp0jlNoI9xKcFR6amZK5xFCsBFbwMEiaYYR8sfma3m1OLk8PJyic8i6VwG1iahcMYp3_ZR5ifbQuaFmtrh1ThDnZs8nXiBFr/s320/12578077.jpg" width="206" /></a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><i>“Will you show me what you really look like? You don't sparkle, do you?”</i></span><br />
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Having seen so many rave reviews about Obsidian I was a little unsure about reading, I'd seen the synopsis and I worried that it was going to be another Twilight but after seeing one of my favourite booktubers absolutely rave about this book I knew I had to give it a try and I am really happy that I did. Yes there are a few similarities between that and Twilight but believe me its so much more and eventually the similarities end and it becomes a story all of its own. Jennifer Armentrout is definitely becoming a major player in the world of paranormal fiction, with her adult and young adult series she is not to be missed out.<br />
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Obsidian is the story of 17 year old Katy who moves with her mother to a small town in the middle of nowhere for her senior year of high school, after her father passed away from cancer. The last thing Katy wanted to do was move away but here she is. As a new comer to town Katy is in for the adventure of her lifetime, she gets off to a bad start when meeting bad boy Daemon (her dark and brooding neighbour), its instant dislike between the two of them but she instantly becomes best of friends with his twin sister Dee. Katy and Daemon have a rocky relationship, he is rude and opinionated and Katy can't stand to spend any time with him yet she is unable to deny the burning attraction between them and when Katy finds herself in trouble its Daemon who comes to her rescue, however Katy soon realises that not all is at it appears with her neighbours, they aren't normal......in fact they aren't human.......their Aliens.<br />
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From the very first page I was sucked in to the world of Obsidian and I was hooked. It had that addictive quality to it that make paranormal books such a treat to read. Katy was a great leading lady, she is smart, beautiful, strong and determined. She doesn't let Daemon walk all over her, he treats her like dirt and yet she doesn't back down, she doesn't take anything from anyone. She is brave and funny and we see her grow so much in this book, the Katy at the start is definitely not the same Katy at the end. I can I just say I loved how she was a blogger, it was great to see a character who is in love with books as much as I am and to hear her talk about the blogging community from in my mail box to waiting on Wednesday and to see her get all shy and defensive about the books she loves. She reminded me of me when I talk about books to other people, I really do have defend why I read so much to people sometimes.<br />
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And I can't not talk about Daemon, Daemon, Daemon, Daemon. Oh how I love you and hate you all at the same time. He is definitely attractive, the type of book boyfriend girls swoon over all the time and yet he has such an ugly personality especially at the beginning of the book that it makes him really unattractive.<br />
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<i><span class="readable" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4;">“Beautiful face. Beautiful body. Horrible attitude. It was the holy trinity of hot boys.”</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> </span></i><br />
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The chemistry between him and Katy is hot and heavy from the start and their is no denying that there is something between them as much as Daemon tries to. As the story progresses and we learn more about Daemon and Dee we get to learn about why he acts the way he does. He is loyal and protective of this family and he wont let anyone hurt those he loves and so I do learn to understand why he treats Katy a certain way in the beginning (I still don't like it though). Plus Daemon doesn't really change that much, he loves to wind Katy up and I love the back and forth banter between the two of them.<br />
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And finally Dee, I would love to have Dee as my best friend, the friendship between Dee and Katy was great, Dee was so sweet and funny. I loved when she had a fit about someone eating all her ice cream because who doesn't get mad when someone eats our favourite junk food. At the beginning she is just a lonely girl, the only friends she has are those deemed safe enough by Daemon aka other Aliens and so when Daemon tries to push Katy away from her sister, Dee fights for their friendship, she is just as loyal to those she loves as Daemon or Katy are.<br />
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The storyline was great, it was well paced and well written. Jennifer can has a real talent for writing witty banter between characters and she definitely knows how to create some hot and steamy sexual tension. The books flows with an ease that a lot of writers struggle with, it seems so natural and effortless, she made me understand Katy and I laughed and became frustrated right along side her. The Luxens and the Arum are great enemies (light vs dark) and I can't wait to learn more about them as the books continue. I also really enjoyed the lack of insta-love between Katy and Daemon, yes there is a mutual attraction but Katy refuses to give in to Daemon after how mean he was to her in the beginning and it was refreshing to see this from an author. Katy is a great heroine, she faces danger to protect those she cares about and is willing to face death for them. Loyalty was actually a big theme throughout this book, all the characters act a certain way because of a sense of loyalty they have to one another.<br />
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And the extra bonus chapters in Daemons pov was excellent, I loved, it was great to see how he noticed Katy before she even knew he existed and that he does actually care about her before all the weird Alien stuff. I'm hoping that we get to hear more from Daemon in future books<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><i>“If she was mine, I'd cherish every inch of her. And I wanted to. Now” </i></span><br />
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This book is more than what I could have ever expected, exciting twists, a unique plot, kick ass action, hot romance and such beautiful friendships. Read this book now, you wont regret it.<br />
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<b><span style="color: purple;">My Rating: 5</span></b><br />
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<br />AMF_Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07312141744409635593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1763820835086972650.post-33401365733318540452013-09-02T07:17:00.003-07:002013-09-05T12:51:12.895-07:00Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVcURl1MkG0a-ktiUo43kayhWbc44xwbGaXr7VWdHXfgb-lxHxBO-fj11mOSow5tslWsaoA1A71TNp4dFYe4Olbcsium6RRFj8fTJxGXS4OTYpIGFe8ZkLm6ot4BmPp3NbvRPi6NVTVfg/s1600/13519397.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVcURl1MkG0a-ktiUo43kayhWbc44xwbGaXr7VWdHXfgb-lxHxBO-fj11mOSow5tslWsaoA1A71TNp4dFYe4Olbcsium6RRFj8fTJxGXS4OTYpIGFe8ZkLm6ot4BmPp3NbvRPi6NVTVfg/s320/13519397.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<i><span class="readable" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4;">“Libraries were full of ideas–perhaps the most dangerous and powerful of all weapons.”</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> </span></i><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">I had seen Throne of Glass constantly in work and I knew it was nominated for the Waterstones children's book prize so I was expecting it to be good. I went into this book with high expectations and boy did it deliver. It wasn't without its flaws but it was exciting and full of action and was a great fantasy read. It kept me entertained and engaged throughout and was a wonderful mix of action, romance, mystery and magic set in a fantastical world, full of interesting characters and a fantastic plot.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">18 year old Celaena Sardothien is serving out a hard labour sentence in the mines of Endovier after being betrayed by those close to her. Having trained since a young age to be an assassin she was known as 'Adarlan's most feared assassin', she was a cold blooded killer and after being captured she was sent to the mines (mines that no one survives longer than three months) to die. However the guards soon realise she is not easy to kill, she wont be beaten down into submission. Celaena knows she wont survive much longer and so when the Crown Prince offers her the chance to become the Kings Champion which would gaurente her freedom after 4 years service, all she has to do is survive against 23 others in a set of tests that will test their abilities, she gladly accepts. However there is more going on behind the castle walls that first appears, when competitors start mysteriously dying and Celaena starts seeing the ghost of the first Queen of Adarlan she finds herself caught up in a dark evil lurking in the castle. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Celaena is such a change from the stereotypical characters we often see in books, she is good looking, smart and extremely skilled in combat and she knows it. At first her arrogance can be slightly annoying but Celaena doesn't boast to be able to do anything or know something unless she actually does. As the story progressed I started to like Celaena even more and I liked how the opposing views of her by Dorian and Chaol actually portrayed her in a complete way. One saw her sensitivity and vulnerability where as the other saw her skill, strength and killer instincts the two opposing views actually make Celaena who she is. </span></span><br />
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<i style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">“We all bear scars,... Mine just happen to be more visible than most.” </i><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">One of my favourite aspects of this story was how feminine Celaena was, she was/is an assassin and yet she still loves the girly things like clothes and her appearance she is smart and loves to spend her spare time reading, there is more to Celaena then just being an assassin and I liked how Maas showed that girls can kick butt just as good as any guy and still look good doing it. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">And what can I say about the two leading men in this story, I'm not usually a fan of love triangles, in fact most of the time they tend to infuriate me, unless they are done well a lot of them appear to be there if for no other reason then to bring some sort of angst into the story. But Maas actually makes this one work, as I said before the two men, Dorian and Chaol both see Celaena in their own way. Dorian the Prince, who needs Celaena to win a contest that his father the King has made, has had Celaena dragged out of the mines where she was sent to die in order to fight for him, he sees a vulnerable and lonely girl, someone in need of saving, that's not to say he thinks she is weak, he knows she isn't but he sees some of the same vulnerability and the sense of being misunderstood in her that he himself is suffering. I suppose in a way he is looking for someone to connect with, someone he can relate to and I liked the scenes with them bonding over books, they were fun and flirty together and it was a nice contrast to her interactions with Chaol. Chaol the Commander sees her as a warrior he sees her strength and passion and knows that she has endured</span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> so much darkness in her life, Chaol pushes in and has faith in her own abilities that she will be able to survive the trails, at first they are constantly butting heads, Celaena loathes authority</span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> figures and Chaol who wont stand against his cruel King is everything she despises and yet as they grow closer both their feelings grow, it is a slow burn but they once again they see something of each other in themselves. He is a little shy and awkward but not afraid to speak his mind, I love how open and honest he becomes with Celaena. I personally favour Chaol as he is able to love Celaena knowing the darkness that she suffers from, he knows what she is capable of and yet loves her all the same. They have some beautiful moments together and the scene where he is looking up at her from the Castle gardens after the Ball really breaks my heart.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">The writing whilst not great was good, it was captivating and engaging and the overall story did keep me hooked. I like the combination of mystery and magic and whilst I kind of figured a few things out it was still very well written and I did end up surprised a few times. The entire cast of characters is great and you get the feeling throughout that they are all still hiding more secrets, I can't wait for the next book to see what's revealed. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">So the negatives, whilst few there is a reason this book isn't five stars for me, the writing was a little bit disorientating at times, the dialogue was sometimes confusing as to who was talking and at times it took me a minute to understand who's pov it was in. And as much as I enjoyed the world there was some bit of it that were a little unclear, I didn't fully understand the magic that supposedly once exsisted or how the world could have changed so much in Celaena's life time but I guess that is something that is probaly going to be explored more fully in future books.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">This book is filled to the brim with action, tension, murder, mystery, romance and with a sprinkling of magic. Loyalty is questioned, battle lines are drawn and it is just the start to what is sure to be an epic series.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>AMF_Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07312141744409635593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1763820835086972650.post-14998788611146234732013-09-01T13:04:00.000-07:002013-09-05T12:52:31.958-07:00Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i> <span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">“She absorbed the terror and beauty of him and his world. Of every moment over the past days. All of it, filling her up like the first breath she'd ever taken. And never had she loved life more.”</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> </span> </i> <br />
Rossi dives right in to the story from the very first page and uses the show rather then tell technique to develop her world. She drops the reader in right at the beginning of the action with little background information or real explanation as to what is occurring. Instead of being confused and frustrated, it actually made me want to continue on reading to understand more of this strange new world I had found myself in. Rossi managed to pique my interest within the first chapter and kept me intrigued to continue, a trait which many authors fail at. She has managed to take what is now a well developed genre in the YA field and put her own unique slant on it.<br />
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In Under the Never Sky the population have been forced into living in 'pods' these are bland structures that separate people from the outside world which has now become near inhabitable due to Aether storms, which are basically very severe electrical storms that consist of lightening and fire raining down from the sky (its all very biblical). These storms have destroyed the landscape and left the world a desolate and dangerous place. The people within in the pods have very limited 'real' interactions with each other, they never truly touch another person instead they communicate and live their lives through eye pieces known as smart-eyes which allow them to alter their realities, they can be partying in Ancient Greece one minute and the next they can be flying, they feel no pain but neither to they know what anything truly feels like. But one day Aria's mother (who has been sent to another pod known as 'bliss') fails to communicate with her, which leaves Aria panicked and she knows Bliss has been hit by one of the Aether storms and so when she hears of her chance to find out more information about her mother she takes it, which is how the story opens. The events that happen that night outside the pod will change Aria's life forever and she will be left questioning everything she thought she knew about herself and the life she leads inside the pods.<br />
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Rossi has done a superb job at creating a believable dystopian world, at first it was a world I wanted to live in the smart-eyes sounded like such a cool idea, the idea that you could experience such amazing feats intrigued me but as the story developed and I saw how Aria felt discovering touch and really being able to feel for the first time I realised how deprived the world inside the dome is and as it progresses Aria becomes more human and you see how the people inside the pods lack emotion and empathy, they are unable to connect emotion and killing and it ultimately results in a madness descending upon them. Rossi created a memorable and exciting world and I know that there is still more to uncover in the next instalment. I also really liked the differences between the dwellers and the outsiders or the moles and savages as they refer to each other as. Both groups of people are fearful of each other, they misunderstand each other. It was an intriguing twist that the outsiders developed enhanced senses due to being exposed to the Aether storms, some have better sight/hearing or smell which helps them in their survival on the outside.<br />
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Perry and Aria have spilt narration in this book, I liked being able to hear from both of their perspectives, normally I don't think this can work, as either the voices are not distinct enough or I end up not liking one of the characters but Rossi actually made it work here and it helped the story develop and the characters are actually more likeable because of this. I felt like I got to understand their backgrounds more which in turn helped in world development.<br />
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Perry and Aria are great leading characters but I don't think either of them could carry the story alone, Rossi has managed to create two strong leading characters that have their own reasons for needing to carry on through extreme circumstances, I could feel their pain and struggles. Aria has to struggle to life outside the dome, she struggles to adjust to her surroundings and Perry's indifference to her, all the while trying to find out what has happened to her mother whilst Perry has to struggle with the guilt he feels over loosing his nephew and the infuriating presence in his life that is Aria. The romance here wasn't insta-love, it was slow building but this made in more believable, at first they couldn't stand each other but as they spent more time together they soon started to realise they aren't as different as they first thought.<br />
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This book wasn't non-stop action, it was a slow build at the beginning but it does pick up speed and the plot starts to develop at a faster pace. It was funny and light hearted at some moments with Perry having to tell Aria about her 'Aunt Irma'. This wasn't just a dystopain read, it was a story about family and loyalty and above all trying to survive and keep going in the most pressing of times.<br />
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<b><span style="color: purple;">My rating: 4</span></b><br />
<br />AMF_Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07312141744409635593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1763820835086972650.post-8866957174439529802013-09-01T09:27:00.002-07:002013-09-05T12:52:53.369-07:00Soulless by Gail Carriger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">The story unfolds with Alexia (our heroine) trying to escape another tedious party she has been forced to attend when a vampire, who fails to introduce himself decides she looks like a tasty snack and what's a girl to do if not to defend herself, which ultimately results in the poor vampires demise and the introduction of Lord Maccon a rather rude and temperamental werewolf who is to investigate the vampires death. Alexia is rather perplexed by the vampires behaviour as well, as they are usually well mannered members of society and decides to investigate this unusual behaviour herself. Will she be able to do all this without running into the deliciously tempting and infuriating Lord Maccon.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">This book is charming and witty and wonderfully funny. Alexia is a great heroine, she is smart and feisty and has a wicked mouth on her, she can out-wit the most distinguished members of society. I love the interactions between her and her mother and sisters, they are complete opposites and play off each other perfectly. Alexia is a spinster in the eyes of society, too old to be considered marriage material but she is also what is known as soulless, she has no soul a trait she inherited from her father as well as her Italian looks, Alexia has the ability to turn vampires and werewolves into their human form, an ability that a lot of society is interested in. Some may consider being a spinster a bad thing however Alexia doesn't she loves the freedom it allows her, the chance to be able to do and learn as much as she wants.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Lord Maccon is exactly how I imagined a Scottish Lord of that time to act. He is gruff and irritable but utterly charming, for me he is a wonderful example of both an alpha werewolf and a period gentleman. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><i>“These feelings you engender in me, my lord, are most indelicate. You should stop causing them immediately.” </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">He is demanding and him an Alexia have a great chemistry, its definitely a love/hate relationship between the two of them, they are constantly fighting their attraction towards each other and their witty banter is charming and I was aching for them to hurry up and get on with it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Gail Carriger created a great setting for these books, it's an alternative reality set in the Victorian era, its the perfect blend of steampunk and fantasy. Even though there are a few historical inaccuracies, with it being a steampunk book that can easily be forgiven. Werewolves and vampires being a common occurrence at dinner parties, people are more concerned with being a perfect hostess then what they are. It was a nice change to the usual vampire/werewolf stories. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Carriger bought to life the Victorian era for me and even though it was an alternative setting I really felt like it was a wonderful representation of that era, the wit and sophistication created a light and humorous story that was such a joy to read. It had a perfect blend of gothic atmosphere mixed with a very eccentric British behaviour</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">A funny and scintillating story that doesn't take its self too seriously. If you're looking for an urban fantasy with something a little different then this is the perfect book for you. </span></span></div>
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AMF_Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07312141744409635593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1763820835086972650.post-4284673993470908132013-08-24T03:42:00.002-07:002013-08-24T03:42:22.381-07:00The Book Thief by Markus Zusak<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoRMKE9dNxV5MwGGAFRQk9UYlpYa_cBfFEEWByceI61mR-7wBd_na-s74O0dfITQn-eP4XU-UggrN1Qo0T9hJ4rFI3lUyBh1ad9y4xJBHYFoqlIHjfeJo-_99hPniT61Kxz0zS6iTduxfF/s1600/893136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoRMKE9dNxV5MwGGAFRQk9UYlpYa_cBfFEEWByceI61mR-7wBd_na-s74O0dfITQn-eP4XU-UggrN1Qo0T9hJ4rFI3lUyBh1ad9y4xJBHYFoqlIHjfeJo-_99hPniT61Kxz0zS6iTduxfF/s320/893136.jpg" width="203" /></a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><i>“Usually we walk around constantly believing ourselves. "I'm okay" we say. "I'm alright". But sometimes the truth arrives on you and you can't get it off. That's when you realize that sometimes it isn't even an answer--it's a question. Even now, I wonder how much of my life is convinced.” </i></span><br />
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The Book Thief is one of those books that has sat on my shelf for years, I kept meaning to pick it up and read it but I always found a reason not to (the reason always being another book). Everyone I know who had read it absolutely loved it and I suppose a part of me didn't want to be let down and another bigger part of me really dislikes reading books about wars, I've read a few of them and while I did enjoy them the subject matter always saddens me and so I have always tried to avoid it.<br />
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Not knowing much about the book accept it was set in Germany during World War Two, I was pleasantly surprised. The book thief is narrated by death and tells the story of a young girl named Liesel who he becomes fascinated with, Liesel is adopted by the Hubermanns after her mother can no longer look after her. The beginning of the book follows death's first meeting with Liesel after her brother has died in her arms on the way to her foster home and he watches her steal her first book, The Gravediggers Handbook'. This book is the start of Liesel's life on Himmel street with the Hubermanns, its the book that she learns to read from and the book that creates the connection between her and her stepfather Hans. This book tells the story of one family, their lives during a horrific time, it tells the pain and horror seen during WWII and shows us how even during the darkest times people continue living.<br />
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Liesel was a wonderful character, her love affair with books fascinated me, from a girl who couldn't read a single word to someone who is starving for more words. She is fierce and gentle, she is brave and a coward, Leisel is a girl trying to find her self in a world where nothing makes sense. Leisel is real, she is you and she is me.<br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">"She was the book thief without the words.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Trust me, though, the words were on their way, and when they arrived, Liesel would hold them in her hands like the clouds, and she would wring them out like rain.” </span></i><br />
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Death narrates the book throughout and beware he does give a lot of spoilers away. At first it was hard to get used to and I know a lot of people may give up because of this but please don't, once I got used to it I started to really like hearing from Death. He sees humanity in such a wonderful way, we are glorious and yet we are so ugly.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><i>“I wanted to tell the book thief many things, about beauty and brutality. But what could I tell her about those things that she didn't already know? I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race-that rarely do I ever simply estimate it. I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant.” </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">This book will stay with you long after you finish reading it, it will inspire and leave you awed and yes it will make you cry. No matter how much Death tries and prepare you for the ending, it will leave you feeling profoundly sad and at the same time shows how people can continue to live on after suffering such profound tragedy. Liesel is a character that will stay with me for a long time.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>My rating: 4</b></span><br />
<br />AMF_Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07312141744409635593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1763820835086972650.post-16515618603426476642013-08-22T04:24:00.000-07:002013-08-22T04:25:49.688-07:00Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><i>“Hope can be a powerful force. Maybe there's no actual magic in it, but when you know what you hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen, almost like magic.</i></span><br />
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I remember when this book first came out, I saw the book in work and read the synopsis and I thought it sounded okay but I just wasn't tempted enough to pay for it in hardback and boy was I wrong. The daughter of smoke and bone lives up to its hype and more. From start to finish I was completely transfixed, this book has it all, amazing best friends, hot guys, heart ache inducing forbidden love, paranormal creatures (that are seriously freaky but so cool at the same time) and a lot of angst, seriously this story is brimming with angst but that's one of the reasons its so captivating.<br />
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In my opinion Laini Taylor has crafted a beautiful and endearing masterpiece with her story of Karou, this book will emotionally drain you and in the end will leave you speechless, from start to finish Taylor takes you on a journey with Karou, discovering her life and who she really is. It's majestic and its magical.<br />
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Karou is a seventeen year old art student in Peru, she had bright blue hair, hangs out in a wonderfully gothic cafe with her best friend and tries her best to avoid her ex-boyfriend who can't take the hint. At first glance Karou appears to be a normal seventeen year old, but alas she is hiding a secret, for Karou has no normal family, she has been bought up by the Chimera, specifically those who grant wishes and she must frequently run errands for them collecting teeth from all over the world. Karou has spent her life in between worlds and she feels like she doesn't fit in either, until one day when she runs into beautiful Akiva and everything she knows shatters.<br />
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As you've probably already guessed I adored this book, in particularly the wonderful mix of characters, Karou is feisty and funny and makes mistakes in her life. She regretted loosing her virginity to her ex-boyfriend after he turned out to be nothing but a nightmare, she is inquisitive and is both fearless and vulnerable. Karou appears lost in the world, not knowing who she is or where she belongs.<br />
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And Akiva, Madrigal Brimstone, Kaz, Issa, I could go on, every character in this book has a purpose, they are wonderful and charming and I can't wait to learn more about their back stories.<br />
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I think one of my favourite aspects of this book was Taylors writing, its is beautiful, emotional and poetic and completely swept me away. It is a wonderful mix of fantasy and <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">seraphim/chimaera</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> </span> mythology and whirlwind romance. I've read a lot of Angel and forbidden love stories in the past but this one by far surpassed them all. The mystery and suspense throughout this book is crafted amazingly, I never would have guessed the true reason behind Brimstone needing all those teeth or who Karou really is and for that Taylor I thank you, I loved being able to be surprised by a book as that very rarely happens.<br />
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This is a must read book, Taylor has created a world that will stretch the limits of your imagination she paints a picture with her words. This story left me speechless and stayed with me long after I had finished reading.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><i>“Wishes are false. Hope is true. Hope makes its own magic.” </i></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: purple;"> My rating: 5 </span></b><br />
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<br />AMF_Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07312141744409635593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1763820835086972650.post-45800084311394950962013-08-20T01:59:00.000-07:002013-08-22T04:26:59.864-07:00Looking For Alaska by John Green<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZg_4FB98CA4gjIGMvioEt6V7xxi9ymKf2lH9kmXkLHGaWShQlX6lf2An85AEXh4yuDxO-RkFaMPPgZ6Rtg4S36Vv74xmjhkMXyUpsEAVJ9eOj0d8MzmEu-nvuxa_tz7hKxE2GYVn2t-ld/s1600/10518900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZg_4FB98CA4gjIGMvioEt6V7xxi9ymKf2lH9kmXkLHGaWShQlX6lf2An85AEXh4yuDxO-RkFaMPPgZ6Rtg4S36Vv74xmjhkMXyUpsEAVJ9eOj0d8MzmEu-nvuxa_tz7hKxE2GYVn2t-ld/s320/10518900.jpg" width="204" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><i></i></span><br />
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<i>“Thomas Edison's last words were 'It's very beautiful over there'. I don't know where there is, but I believe it's somewhere, and I hope it's beautiful.”</i><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Can I just say I was never a big fan of contemporary fiction before I read John Green but he has lead me to reassess my reading habits and try more books outside of my comfort zone. Anyway on to the review.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Looking for Alaska tells the story of Miles Halter or 'pudge' as he becomes known. Miles is a friendless high-school student who loves learning famous historical peoples last words. He begs his parents to send him to a boarding school in Alabama were he sees it as his chance to start again and break out of his shell. </span></span>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Miles goes to boarding school looking for his 'great perhaps', he wants a life of adventure and honestly I think he is trying to find something to live for and boy does he find it. Alaska Young is Miles idea of perfection from the moment he meets her, she is outgoing, reckless and doesn't care what anyone thinks, the type of person Miles wants to be. Looking for Alaska is spilt into two parts, the first counts down the days to a big event and the second counts the days afterwards. Miles was always looking for the 'Great Perhaps' but I don't think he ever thought it would turn out quite like this.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">One of my favourite aspects of this book is how John Green deals with depression, I know some may not agree with me but I think Green shows how people dealing with depression are not as easy to spot as some may think, they don't mop around and lie in bed all day, some walk out the house with a smile on their face and you wouldn't ever know anything was wrong. Both Miles and Alaska show how depression can affect different people, Miles is an introvert, back home he had no friends and spent most of his time alone but he is determined to overcome this and forces himself to be someone new whereas Alaska is an extrovert, she masks her vulnerability by being loud and exuberant until its too late and before anyone can help.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Once again Green shows how he is a master with his words and his characters, even though I'm a little older than they are I found myself being able to relate to them and for those few short hours I was able to become Miles and see the world from his eyes, a scared teenager just trying to find himself. Green always has a way of creating relatable characters and once again I was able to see parts of myself in them, Alaska the care-free, book loving girl, who finds herself a little bit lost at times and Miles the shy, caring, sweet boy who is looking for something better, trying to find some meaning to his life.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Green's characters are flawed but they are honest and realistic, they deal with situations in a way any teenager might. Overall I thought that Miles found his 'Great Perhaps' he found it in his courage to move to boarding school, in his love (or infatuation) for Alaska and in dealing with the 'after'. At the end of this book Miles has questioned everything about himself but in the process of doing this he has managed to find himself and perhaps now he is ready for another adventure. I don't believe the 'Great Perhaps' is a destination rather a journey Miles takes to find himself. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Looking for Alaska is a story about finding yourself and loosing yourself, its about love and longing, pain and suffering and not being afraid of searching for your own 'Great Perhaps'. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><b>My rating: 4.5</b></span></span></span>AMF_Homehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07312141744409635593noreply@blogger.com1