tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46190190890604647712024-02-24T23:48:14.252-07:00Recovering Potter AddictAyleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07639250102446794830noreply@blogger.comBlogger521125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619019089060464771.post-9963121478475967462017-11-02T14:22:00.000-06:002017-11-02T14:22:53.677-06:00Just to make it officialThis is something that's been on my mind for a few months. And originally, I thought maybe I would just end it by never posting again. But in a strange way, I do feel like I owe it to anyone who might still be following me to make it official: this is the end of blogging for me.<br />
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This hasn't been an easy decision to make. It's hard to just give up on something that has been a major hobby of mine for 7 years. But ultimately I'm just not feeling it anymore. I still love to read and to discuss reading. I just haven't been feeling up to blogging for about a year now.<br />
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When I look back at seven years of book blogging and think about the comments I've received, the experiences I've had, and the friends I've made as a result of it, I feel extremely happy and fortunate. And I'm very sad to be ending my blog now... but also satisfied in knowing I have made great memories and connections that I will hold on to for a long time to come.<br />
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And to everyone who has ever followed me, read or commented on my blog: THANK YOU. It's been a truly amazing 7 years of blogging.Ayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07639250102446794830noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619019089060464771.post-59946118866562276572017-06-09T07:00:00.000-06:002017-06-09T07:00:06.433-06:00Rest in Peace, MüMy dear Mü,<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPeziuprF5WhAmPQQ7ceDJrqaWM_C7BBhvA58ZKOiOZ9JOaD-PvcCz9dJs9Vx41VoUXfp1DjF1j8SlNp1Cw2ScmkxcIps8MU8xnxRwfqgGfJE8RlPNzkeT3stWhm9m9wBZymp_2HygXNg/s1600/2014-01-17+11.10.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPeziuprF5WhAmPQQ7ceDJrqaWM_C7BBhvA58ZKOiOZ9JOaD-PvcCz9dJs9Vx41VoUXfp1DjF1j8SlNp1Cw2ScmkxcIps8MU8xnxRwfqgGfJE8RlPNzkeT3stWhm9m9wBZymp_2HygXNg/s400/2014-01-17+11.10.03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Three and a half years together is not nearly enough. But I can honestly say that you made me smile every single day you were apart of my life, and that is worth everything to me. I can only hope that I enriched your life as much as you enriched mine.<br />
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I'll always remember how adventurous you were, how excited you were to try new things, and how you often got yourself into tricky predicaments.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgluO75UxMdcyR46p5PtKuMR0JL4wAUFbXN0a5gaPYDmfCtqU2lDLqcxKAIIs77dQuq80mhL-t6vQjWEtmGpX70KDtew3QPJ5Mb9HIbI_TuH1FFq8mfCzNGwD9mETXqGYbevdolkZ73zcE/s1600/2014-04-18+18.56.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgluO75UxMdcyR46p5PtKuMR0JL4wAUFbXN0a5gaPYDmfCtqU2lDLqcxKAIIs77dQuq80mhL-t6vQjWEtmGpX70KDtew3QPJ5Mb9HIbI_TuH1FFq8mfCzNGwD9mETXqGYbevdolkZ73zcE/s400/2014-04-18+18.56.46.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adventurous Mü</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRHG6Z-YFGk8kMHCduVfQCpWK4gNyzzp4nwsKdSu_ipNMp5lb3aEMC7sedo8sA7AKdBS_4vPw7pKUzOM2xFRQ5XKrcCSxR-3QrpANDb9CMZIeGDYJB4_TWPXxp0K5AL_0UL34R-BBbcDY/s1600/P1020143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRHG6Z-YFGk8kMHCduVfQCpWK4gNyzzp4nwsKdSu_ipNMp5lb3aEMC7sedo8sA7AKdBS_4vPw7pKUzOM2xFRQ5XKrcCSxR-3QrpANDb9CMZIeGDYJB4_TWPXxp0K5AL_0UL34R-BBbcDY/s400/P1020143.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In a predicament</td></tr>
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But most of all, I'll remember our evening/weekend cuddles. Curled up with a book and a ferret was my happy place. I am convinced you were the sweetest ferret there ever was.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6qoKSAa8HVGAQyQNIb6cc4Q0Wa4mnCwJnuAeGenSlFlHx4B1Iq3WedG6A9WX3-QYEc7l9po4A5twNqSbWEhuR6v740GWA3nNdf9m5QHwHdBalrR-IEXd6FBfw6HqoZjNajoXPmthESM/s1600/20140825_173924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6qoKSAa8HVGAQyQNIb6cc4Q0Wa4mnCwJnuAeGenSlFlHx4B1Iq3WedG6A9WX3-QYEc7l9po4A5twNqSbWEhuR6v740GWA3nNdf9m5QHwHdBalrR-IEXd6FBfw6HqoZjNajoXPmthESM/s400/20140825_173924.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cuddles with Mü</td></tr>
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Rest in peace, Mü.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZkJoNlNp4i15PPXNA60CWAcYckwp_8iUHZaKSVeiIcwFQ8FH9Og1BKI9Q-Psvao4S_MITu08FbCGbKUEmorwc9_MnwHc5NPdRvJc3FSZ4NwlmUb7WxGNcTaXQfr7JgNuSLnjq_fGa2Y0/s1600/P1020036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZkJoNlNp4i15PPXNA60CWAcYckwp_8iUHZaKSVeiIcwFQ8FH9Og1BKI9Q-Psvao4S_MITu08FbCGbKUEmorwc9_MnwHc5NPdRvJc3FSZ4NwlmUb7WxGNcTaXQfr7JgNuSLnjq_fGa2Y0/s400/P1020036.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RIP, my girls, Stela and Mü</td></tr>
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Ayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07639250102446794830noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619019089060464771.post-48145159843141983622017-05-17T07:00:00.000-06:002017-05-17T07:00:35.933-06:00Waiting On Wednesday: Penguin Summer 2017 Catalog<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" none="none" text-decoration:="">Breaking The Spine</a> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">in which upcoming, eagerly anticipated releases are highlighted on the blog.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This week, I've chosen to feature a few picks from the <b>Penguin Summer 2017 Catalog</b>:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The Library of Fates by Aditi Khorana</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Date: July 18, 2017</span></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32766747-the-library-of-fates">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>No one is entirely certain what brings the Emperor Sikander to Shalingar. Until now, the idyllic kingdom has been immune to his many violent conquests. To keep the visit friendly, Princess Amrita has offered herself as his bride, sacrificing everything—family, her childhood love, and her freedom—to save her people. But her offer isn't enough.
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The unthinkable happens, and Amrita finds herself a fugitive, utterly alone but for an oracle named Thala, who was kept by Sikander as a slave and managed to escape amid the chaos of a palace under siege. With nothing and no one else to turn to, Amrita and Thala are forced to rely on each other. But while Amrita feels responsible for her kingdom and sets out to warn her people, the newly free Thala has no such ties. She encourages Amrita to go on a quest to find the fabled Library of All Things, where it is possible for each of them to reverse their fates. To go back to before Sikander took everything from them.
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Stripped of all that she loves, caught between her rosy past and an unknown future, will Amrita be able to restore what was lost, or does another life—and another love—await?</i></span></div>
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Indian folklore + a master library + beautiful cover = consider me intrigued! <i>The Library of Fates</i> seems to have a great mix of familiar storytelling elements that I know and love and completely new-to-me elements, as well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQ741DcR355PlwVGr_C2iC-qW2ZlDgoTYAhvnUo5PBXkLSrjRIdKkI-O_iigth4ayrpcV8E_HZuC0Jp3bxWXBPwDUsgn610JpHBuJvJfi4X56viGbjIezDwwNtHLY-3lVdxUDvRr5mDQ/s1600/29385546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQ741DcR355PlwVGr_C2iC-qW2ZlDgoTYAhvnUo5PBXkLSrjRIdKkI-O_iigth4ayrpcV8E_HZuC0Jp3bxWXBPwDUsgn610JpHBuJvJfi4X56viGbjIezDwwNtHLY-3lVdxUDvRr5mDQ/s320/29385546.jpg" width="209" /></a><b style="color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Warcross by Marie Lu</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Date: September 12, 2017</span></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29385546-warcross">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.
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Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.
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The synopsis of <i>Warcross</i> is SO similar to <a href="http://recoveringpotteraddict.blogspot.ca/2016/10/review-ready-player-one-by-ernest-cline.html"><span style="color: #990000;"><i>Ready Player One</i> (a book I loved)</span></a>. But I do hope it'll have enough added originality to stand on its own right because it could be really great!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Date: September 19, 2017</span></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32991569-jane-unlimited">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Jane has lived an ordinary life, raised by her aunt Magnolia—an adjunct professor and deep sea photographer. Jane counted on Magnolia to make the world feel expansive and to turn life into an adventure. But Aunt Magnolia was lost a few months ago in Antarctica on one of her expeditions.
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Now, with no direction, a year out of high school, and obsessed with making umbrellas that look like her own dreams (but mostly just mourning her aunt), she is easily swept away by Kiran Thrash—a glamorous, capricious acquaintance who shows up and asks Jane to accompany her to a gala at her family's island mansion called Tu Reviens.
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Jane remembers her aunt telling her: "If anyone ever invites to you to Tu Reviens, promise me that you'll go." With nothing but a trunkful of umbrella parts to her name, Jane ventures out to the Thrash estate. Then her story takes a turn, or rather, five turns. What Jane doesn't know is that Tu Reviens will offer her choices that can ultimately determine the course of her untethered life. But at Tu Reviens, every choice comes with a reward, or a price.</i></span></div>
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Kind of a cryptic synopsis here, but I am curious nonetheless. Admittedly, I have not read <i>Graceling</i> yet (please don't hate me), but I am fully aware of how much people love Kristin Cashore's books - so perhaps <i>Jane, Unlimited </i>will become my first of hers.<br />
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How about you? Are you waiting on any of these <b>Penguin Summer 2017 reads</b>? Are there any upcoming books from the <b>Penguin Summer 2017 Catalog</b> that I didn't include here that you feel I should add to my list?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumkVHi2Bu2xBC-5ZJtwZWBpV80sccHM4d7sKfXaq4hpONUytaKUAkuWFMOQZcstLPFPsBAHtc_-yUcvFcBMLchmsB_04QEQdR426TE2yJD9fTjM4ed4yVfZBSi8AGVyAQs1rsO7y5q8Q/s1600/Aylee.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumkVHi2Bu2xBC-5ZJtwZWBpV80sccHM4d7sKfXaq4hpONUytaKUAkuWFMOQZcstLPFPsBAHtc_-yUcvFcBMLchmsB_04QEQdR426TE2yJD9fTjM4ed4yVfZBSi8AGVyAQs1rsO7y5q8Q/s1600/Aylee.png" /></a>Ayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07639250102446794830noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619019089060464771.post-71108514853699828002017-05-01T22:00:00.000-06:002017-05-02T07:29:36.155-06:00Top Ten Weird A.F. Book Covers<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.ca/p/top-ten-tuesday-other-features.html" style="color: #0e6d88; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">Top Ten Tuesday</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">is a meme hosted by</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.ca/" style="color: #0e6d88; text-decoration: none;">The Broke and the Bookish</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">.</span></div>
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Cover Theme Freebie this week for Top Ten Tuesday, so I'm going for <b>Top Ten Weird A.F. Book Covers</b>. Enjoy.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. Strange Relations</span></b><br />
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Ummmm, those are some mighty strange relations there indeed.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. Catflexing: A Catlover's Guide to Weight Training, Aerobics & Stretching</b></span><br />
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You know, my work out routine has been getting a bit stale lately. Anyone have a cat they can loan me?<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. The Second Experiment</span></b><br />
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I can't say I've read the synopsis for this one, but I CAN say I would give this a read nonetheless, just to figure out WTF is going on here.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4. Dinosaur Erotica</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-PnI7kFL3pf4JYFk_RpYe5VS7smE4gmtCfFO9DgeDXKfrsQp05gHLyp4IHs0uFvfdAWhXoMJvRPlzXjgrw3p26Ki4Rps2xyI6NFwk3xrK3yiZRLm3vXWV7D7VE39uflwYNsyzpKO0Vzc/s1600/dinosaurerotica.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-PnI7kFL3pf4JYFk_RpYe5VS7smE4gmtCfFO9DgeDXKfrsQp05gHLyp4IHs0uFvfdAWhXoMJvRPlzXjgrw3p26Ki4Rps2xyI6NFwk3xrK3yiZRLm3vXWV7D7VE39uflwYNsyzpKO0Vzc/s400/dinosaurerotica.jpg" width="90%" /></a></div>
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Now, those who know me know I love dinosaurs in a BIG way, always have. But these dinosaur erotica novels? HELL NO. AND WHY.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. Liberace: Your Personal Fashion Consultant</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQmw7vrXV_51un_CXto5snUw4LllYEAcTOWnIZQSrGBOK62n2AK15e5ZXW31BOfk4lta6p7jFVqDKGvEnXNXPh2IH0TaEqgN3tjCx-V4Xk8u2q_w7955wJHBIe04cAAh9BlLzWJoUPo0/s1600/liberace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQmw7vrXV_51un_CXto5snUw4LllYEAcTOWnIZQSrGBOK62n2AK15e5ZXW31BOfk4lta6p7jFVqDKGvEnXNXPh2IH0TaEqgN3tjCx-V4Xk8u2q_w7955wJHBIe04cAAh9BlLzWJoUPo0/s640/liberace.jpg" width="408" /></a></div>
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Because who wouldn't want to pair knee-high argyle socks with short shorts and a fringed, sequinned jacket?<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">6. Knitting With Dog Hair: Better a sweater from a dog you know and love than from a sheep you'll never meet</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9q9EVwwsiBd1QoOGafu7Qi5Zbvt5Cp5Dep-M3RZMhKDnWg5PTISzP1gtkvwx9n3UJ5gkRVu-LHoVZ4o0zUDbr7QmZ_oPOCghz6AhssXaGj9rZKeu1fGYKEMWGMqHD5vpdQeeTkMRbDw/s1600/knittingwithdoghair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9q9EVwwsiBd1QoOGafu7Qi5Zbvt5Cp5Dep-M3RZMhKDnWg5PTISzP1gtkvwx9n3UJ5gkRVu-LHoVZ4o0zUDbr7QmZ_oPOCghz6AhssXaGj9rZKeu1fGYKEMWGMqHD5vpdQeeTkMRbDw/s640/knittingwithdoghair.jpg" width="496" /></a></div>
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You know, now that they mention it, wearing knitwear from an anonymous random sheep IS rather impersonal.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">7. The Finnish Harry Potter Covers</span></b><br />
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Oh Finland, WHY? I do actually like that this artist has their own consistent artistic style for these books, but I just don't get the noses.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">8. The Rifleman</span></b><br />
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I mean... how unfortunate. But the cover designer here is completely clueless.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">9. Hail Hibbler</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9a7avgvorG5mNiT-oeMyF5Jz4ckg84AdOlg6R9QzT01UKblJXQOnHpcbXZniHGeYPotXYkPbI9lcAnn3EsGrHpGOlxlh5lUYIGSH5RrtBvwj17mVT7VPBHNyM3OIlhw3Vn3aNQEoK2g/s1600/hailhibbler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9a7avgvorG5mNiT-oeMyF5Jz4ckg84AdOlg6R9QzT01UKblJXQOnHpcbXZniHGeYPotXYkPbI9lcAnn3EsGrHpGOlxlh5lUYIGSH5RrtBvwj17mVT7VPBHNyM3OIlhw3Vn3aNQEoK2g/s640/hailhibbler.jpg" width="382" /></a></div>
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WHY??!???!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">10. But... You're A Horse</span></b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqpEobvIBd0CKyflgTiAPG7_otEEvkdeYt9_Uqzfj3tqRD0cuR6x-1B3dPmdA9ReeM5Hdca49DxgjCm4eWpC5Z8HKvojheyoYVXeT4nVmeM85oVM-rvDGtJrsJWOZnMWxq54co5LqkMYk/s1600/butyou%2527reahorse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqpEobvIBd0CKyflgTiAPG7_otEEvkdeYt9_Uqzfj3tqRD0cuR6x-1B3dPmdA9ReeM5Hdca49DxgjCm4eWpC5Z8HKvojheyoYVXeT4nVmeM85oVM-rvDGtJrsJWOZnMWxq54co5LqkMYk/s640/butyou%2527reahorse.jpg" width="450" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">*notice human hands on horse*</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
... I think I'll just leave it at that.<br />
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Ayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07639250102446794830noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619019089060464771.post-89666548380156829302017-04-26T07:00:00.000-06:002017-04-26T07:00:15.362-06:00Waiting On Wednesday: Random House Summer 2017 Catalog<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" none="none" text-decoration:="">Breaking The Spine</a> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">in which upcoming, eagerly anticipated releases are highlighted on the blog.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This week, I've chosen to feature a few picks from the <b>Random House Summer 2017 Catalog</b>:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1nn1bnCQyHE5gi3wH6NTwcqNhT3h4vEO7r-nBKS4JUG366EMG_hercvwk08q6YqlL08gktPJ2Lg91IQMk8vwL3e3oXX3WUX87z8hrsSlhUDFHehL-epXQ-AV3IYYC005AbxfVlRIKFOE/s1600/32766757.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/AVvXsEh1nn1bnCQyHE5gi3wH6NTwcqNhT3h4vEO7r-nBKS4JUG366EMG_hercvwk08q6YqlL08gktPJ2Lg91IQMk8vwL3e3oXX3WUX87z8hrsSlhUDFHehL-epXQ-AV3IYYC005AbxfVlRIKFOE/s320/32766757.jpg" width="212" /></a><b style="color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">No Good Deed by Kara Connolly</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Date: July 18, 2017</span></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32766757-no-good-deed">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Ellie Hudson is the front-runner on the road to gold for the U.S. Olympic archery team. All she has to do is qualify at the trials in jolly old England. When Ellie makes some kind of crazy wrong turn in the caverns under Nottingham Castle—yes, that Nottingham—she ends up in medieval England.
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Ellie doesn’t care how she got to the Middle Ages; she just wants to go home before she gets the plague. But people are suffering in Nottingham, and Ellie has the skills to make it better. What’s an ace archer to do while she’s stuck in Sherwood Forest but make like Robin Hood?
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Pulled into a past life as an outlaw, Ellie feels her present fading away next to daring do-gooding and a devilishly handsome knight. Only, Ellie is on the brink of rewriting history, and when she picks up her bow and arrow, her next shot could save her past—or doom civilization’s future.</i></span></div>
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<i>No Good Deed</i> has kind of a silly premise - an Olympic archer ends up back in time in the Middle Ages and assumes the role of Robin Hood - but honestly, I'm into it! I haven't seen any early reviews for it yet though, so I will wait and see how it is received before choosing whether to read it myself.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Date: August 29, 2017</span></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29749085-wonder-woman">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>She will become one of the world’s greatest heroes: WONDER WOMAN. But first she is Diana, Princess of the Amazons. And her fight is just beginning. . . .
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Diana longs to prove herself to her legendary warrior sisters. But when the opportunity finally comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law—risking exile—to save a mere mortal. Even worse, Alia Keralis is no ordinary girl and with this single brave act, Diana may have doomed the world.
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Alia just wanted to escape her overprotective brother with a semester at sea. She doesn’t know she is being hunted. When a bomb detonates aboard her ship, Alia is rescued by a mysterious girl of extraordinary strength and forced to confront a horrible truth: Alia is a Warbringer—a direct descendant of the infamous Helen of Troy, fated to bring about an age of bloodshed and misery.
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Together, Diana and Alia will face an army of enemies—mortal and divine—determined to either destroy or possess the Warbringer. If they have any hope of saving both their worlds, they will have to stand side by side against the tide of war.</i></span></div>
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OMG YES!! Everyone who's read Leigh Bardugo's books knows she's a tremendously talented writer. I really cannot wait to see her try her hand at some superhero lore in <i>Wonder Woman: Warbringer</i>!<br />
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How about you? Are you waiting on any of these <b>Random House Summer 2017 reads</b>? Are there any upcoming books from the <b>Random House Summer 2017 Catalog</b> that I didn't include here that you feel I should add to my list?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumkVHi2Bu2xBC-5ZJtwZWBpV80sccHM4d7sKfXaq4hpONUytaKUAkuWFMOQZcstLPFPsBAHtc_-yUcvFcBMLchmsB_04QEQdR426TE2yJD9fTjM4ed4yVfZBSi8AGVyAQs1rsO7y5q8Q/s1600/Aylee.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumkVHi2Bu2xBC-5ZJtwZWBpV80sccHM4d7sKfXaq4hpONUytaKUAkuWFMOQZcstLPFPsBAHtc_-yUcvFcBMLchmsB_04QEQdR426TE2yJD9fTjM4ed4yVfZBSi8AGVyAQs1rsO7y5q8Q/s1600/Aylee.png" /></a>Ayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07639250102446794830noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619019089060464771.post-8041087515550442532017-04-24T07:00:00.000-06:002017-04-24T07:00:00.176-06:00Muggle Monday: Fantastic Beasts Audiobook Review<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">It's time for Muggle Monday, in which I highlight a significant piece of news from the Harry Potter franchise. This is somewhat inspired by the </span><a href="http://mundiemoms.blogspot.ca/search/label/Mundane%20Monday" style="color: #5c0812; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-decoration: none;">Mundane Monday</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> posts by </span><a href="http://mundiemoms.blogspot.ca/" style="color: #5c0812; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-decoration: none;">The Mundie Moms</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">But let's be real as to why I made up this feature: I just want the opportunity to post something about Harry Potter.</span><br />
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This week, my thoughts on the updated <i>Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them</i> audiobook:</div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Publisher:</b> Pottermore</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Published:</b> March 14, 2017</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Pages:</b> 128</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A set textbook at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry since publication, Newt Scamander's masterpiece has entertained wizarding families through the generations.
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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is an indispensable introduction to the magical beasts of the wizarding world. Scamander's years of travel and research have created a tome of unparalleled importance. Some of the beasts will be familiar to readers of the Harry Potter books - the Hippogriff, the Basilisk, the Hungarian Horntail ... Others will surprise even the most ardent amateur magizoologist. Dip in to discover the curious habits of magical beasts across five continents …</span></i>
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When it was announced that Newt Scamander actor Eddie Redmayne was going to record the audiobook of the updated<i> Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them</i> novella, I knew that was something I needed to experience. I absolutely loved Eddie as Newt in the <i>Fantastic Beasts</i> movie and so he has very much become the voice of Newt for me. It was fun to have him narrate this while in character - every mumbling, beast-passionate bit of him. Extra sound effects are added into this audio (beast noises and the like), which, while unnecessary, are nevertheless fun.<br />
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In this updated version of the classic Wizarding World novella, an intro from Newt himself has been <br />
added (providing some curious tidbits about his backstory), as well as a handful of new creature descriptions not included in the original book (primarily the <a href="http://recoveringpotteraddict.blogspot.ca/2016/10/muggle-monday-fantastic-beasts-news.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Ilvermorny House Beasts</span></a>). Sadly, gone are the original scribblings by the Trio throughout the novella (the original book was presented as though it was Harry's actual textbook), which were brilliantly in character and SO fun.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_ML56R2PY-yoWN45_ZaA_ACTKxy_SjMfLROAr2KylDqX0jcQQPmgEJDwNrT7JiSP9t6G-eEWo6iyP30Nio4BEhtz26x3FBAg3AxCywBm0xha1g-KAWhGVaJti3icNKeGBKCKhFJolIU/s1600/16704563._SY540_.png.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_ML56R2PY-yoWN45_ZaA_ACTKxy_SjMfLROAr2KylDqX0jcQQPmgEJDwNrT7JiSP9t6G-eEWo6iyP30Nio4BEhtz26x3FBAg3AxCywBm0xha1g-KAWhGVaJti3icNKeGBKCKhFJolIU/s640/16704563._SY540_.png.jpeg" width="531" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sample of the Trio's scribblings from the original Fantastic Beasts novella (2001)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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If you already own the original book that was released in 2001, then I can't say it's entirely worth it to buy this new edition as it is almost entirely the same (and also, I suspect that this won't be the absolute final edition of this novella... Newt himself reveals that there may be more beasts to be revealed later), but I would still recommend checking it out from the library to read the new bits. And if you do wish to purchase this edition, then at least you'll be supporting <a href="https://wearelumos.org/"><span style="color: #990000;">Jo's human rights charity Lumos</span></a><b> </b>as 15% of the proceeds will go to the foundation.<br />
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Ayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07639250102446794830noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619019089060464771.post-39710054372754457962017-04-05T07:00:00.000-06:002017-04-05T07:00:13.563-06:00Waiting On Wednesday: HarperCollins Summer 2017 Catalog<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" none="none" text-decoration:="">Breaking The Spine</a> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">in which upcoming, eagerly anticipated releases are highlighted on the blog.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This week, I've chosen to feature a few picks from the <b>HarperCollins Summer 2017 Catalog</b>:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Wicked Like A Wildfire by Lana Popovic</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Date: August 15, 2017</span></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32051569-wicked-like-a-wildfire">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>All the women in Iris and Malina’s family have the unique magical ability or “gleam” to manipulate beauty. Iris sees flowers as fractals and turns her kaleidoscope visions into glasswork, while Malina interprets moods as music. But their mother has strict rules to keep their gifts a secret, even in their secluded sea-side town. Iris and Malina are not allowed to share their magic with anyone, and above all, they are forbidden from falling in love.
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But when their mother is mysteriously attacked, the sisters will have to unearth the truth behind the quiet lives their mother has built for them. They will discover a wicked curse that haunts their family line—but will they find that the very magic that bonds them together is destined to tear them apart forever?</i></span></div>
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Would you LOOK at that insanely gorgeous cover?! I know I can't stop looking at it anyways. The one time I was able to draw my attention away from the cover to read the synopsis for <i>Wicked Like A Wildfire</i> revealed a pretty intriguing premise too!<br />
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<b style="color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">All Rights Reserved by Gregory Scott Katsoulis</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Date: August 29, 2017</span></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33257478-all-rights-reserved">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Speth Jime is anxious to deliver her Last Day speech and celebrate her transition into adulthood. The moment she turns fifteen, Speth must pay for every word she speaks ("Sorry" is a flat ten dollars and a legal admission of guilt), for every nod ($0.99/sec), for every scream ($0.99/sec) and even every gesture of affection. She's been raised to know the consequences of falling into debt, and can't begin to imagine the pain of having her eyes shocked for speaking words that she's unable to afford.
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But when Speth's friend Beecher commits suicide rather than work off his family's crippling debt, she can't express her shock and dismay without breaking her Last Day contract and sending her family into Collection. Backed into a corner, Speth finds a loophole: rather than read her speech, rather than say anything at all, she closes her mouth and vows never to speak again. Speth's unexpected defiance of tradition sparks a media frenzy, inspiring others to follow in her footsteps, and threatens to destroy her, her family and the entire city around them.</i></span></div>
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<i>All Rights Reserved</i> takes place in a world where every word and gesture is copyrighted and costs money (and where people have first names like "Speth"). Sounds bizarre and nonsensical - but colour me curious nonetheless!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Even the Darkest Stars by Heather Fawcett</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Date: September 5, 2017</span></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26958226-even-the-darkest-stars">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Kamzin has always dreamed of becoming one of the emperor’s royal explorers, the elite climbers tasked with mapping the wintry, mountainous Empire and spying on its enemies. She knows she could be the best in the world, if only someone would give her a chance.
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But everything changes when the mysterious and eccentric River Shara, the greatest explorer every known, arrives in her village and demands to hire Kamzin—not her older sister, Lusha, as everyone had expected—for his next expedition. This is Kamzin’s chance to prove herself—even though River’s mission to retrieve a rare talisman for the emperor means cimbing Raksha, the tallest and deadliest mountain in the Aryas. Then, Lusha sets off on her own mission to Raksha with a rival explorer, and Kamzin must decide what’s most important to her: protecting her sister from the countless perils of the climb or beating her to the summit.
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The challenges of climbing Raksha are unlike anything Kamzin expected—or prepared for—with avalanches, ice chasms, ghosts, and other dangers at every turn. And as dark secrets are revealed, Kamzin must unravel the truth about their mission and her companions—while surviving the deadliest climb she has ever faced.</i></span></div>
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This one is set in a fictional Himalayan kingdom - a setting I can honestly say I've never come anywhere close to reading about. I've also been interested in the area since my dad climbed Mount Everest a few years back. So I can't help but be intrigued by <i>Even the Darkest Stars</i>!<br />
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How about you? Are you waiting on any of these <b>HarperCollins Summer 2017 reads</b>? Are there any upcoming books from the <b>HarperCollins Summer 2017 Catalog</b> that I didn't include here that you feel I should add to my list?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumkVHi2Bu2xBC-5ZJtwZWBpV80sccHM4d7sKfXaq4hpONUytaKUAkuWFMOQZcstLPFPsBAHtc_-yUcvFcBMLchmsB_04QEQdR426TE2yJD9fTjM4ed4yVfZBSi8AGVyAQs1rsO7y5q8Q/s1600/Aylee.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumkVHi2Bu2xBC-5ZJtwZWBpV80sccHM4d7sKfXaq4hpONUytaKUAkuWFMOQZcstLPFPsBAHtc_-yUcvFcBMLchmsB_04QEQdR426TE2yJD9fTjM4ed4yVfZBSi8AGVyAQs1rsO7y5q8Q/s1600/Aylee.png" /></a>Ayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07639250102446794830noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619019089060464771.post-77503312612203950272017-03-27T07:00:00.000-06:002017-03-27T07:00:05.969-06:00Review: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor<div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(121,4,4); padding: 5px 8px;">
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Publisher:</b> Little, Brown Books for Young Readers</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Published:</b> March 28, 2017</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Pages:</b> 544</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Source:</b> For Review from Hachette Book Group Canada</span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rating: 4.5 Stars</span></b></div>
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<i><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around— and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he's been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance to lose his dream forever.
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What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?
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The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries—including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo's dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? and if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?</span></i>
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<b>In short:</b> <i>Strange the Dreamer</i> by Laini Taylor is a feast for the imagination.<br />
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In some ways <i>Strange the Dreamer</i> is similar to Laini Taylor's previous trilogy, <i>Daughter of Smoke and Bone</i>: there's an epic and bloody war between two races, with star-crossed lovers at its centre. But that's where the similarities end. <i>Strange the Dreamer</i> is as original as it gets in the world of high fantasy fiction. Of course, we could expect no less from the Queen of Imagination, Laini Taylor. <i>Strange the Dreamer</i> is indescribably, beautifully BIZARRE, in the best way possible.<br />
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The set-up of the premise of <i>Strange the Dreamer</i> is complex and slow going, and less persistent readers may lose interest. But the payoff of patience is worth it as the story gets truly underway. And once underway the story is, in short, unexpected. Just when you think you know exactly where the story is going, a turning point hits and you're sent spinning off in another direction, again and again, right up until the novel's very unexpected cliffhanger ending.<br />
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At the story's heart is affable librarian, Lazlo Strange. He is not the usual hero type, more like the friendly bookish wallflower type (and all the more likeable for it). The old tale of the orphan underdog who dreams and wants more out of life is given new legs by Laini Taylor's adept prose and development. A story with a premise so indescribably strange can really only be done justice by an author whose writing is as lyrical and dream-like as Laini Taylor's. And I eagerly await what she comes up with next in the sequel, <i>The Muse of Nightmares</i>!<br />
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<b>Author Links:</b><br />
<a href="http://www.lainitaylor.com/">Website</a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/lainitaylor">Twitter</a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/324620.Laini_Taylor">Goodreads</a><br />
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<br />Ayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07639250102446794830noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619019089060464771.post-89592009684467452012017-03-15T07:00:00.000-06:002017-03-15T07:00:32.924-06:00Waiting On Wednesday: Penguin Spring 2017 Catalog<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" none="none" text-decoration:="">Breaking The Spine</a> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">in which upcoming, eagerly anticipated releases are highlighted on the blog.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This week, I've chosen to feature a few picks from the <b>Penguin Spring 2017 Catalog</b>:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Given to the Sea by Mindy McGinnis</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Date: April 11, 2017</span></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25314447-given-to-the-sea">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Khosa is Given to the Sea, a girl born to be fed to the water, her flesh preventing a wave like the one that destroyed the Kingdom of Stille in days of old. But before she’s allowed to dance – an uncontrollable twitching of the limbs that will carry her to the shore in a frenzy – she must produce an heir. Yet the thought of human touch sends shudders down her spine that not even the sound of the tide can match.
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Vincent is third in line to inherit his throne, royalty in a kingdom where the old linger and the young inherit only boredom. When Khosa arrives without an heir he knows his father will ensure she fulfills her duty, at whatever cost. Torn between protecting the throne he will someday fill, and the girl whose fate is tied to its very existence, Vincent’s loyalty is at odds with his heart.
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Dara and Donil are the last of the Indiri, a native race whose dwindling magic grows weaker as the island country fades. Animals cease to bear young, creatures of the sea take to the land, and the Pietra – fierce fighters who destroyed the Indiri a generation before – are now marching from their stony shores for the twin’s adopted homeland, Stille.
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Witt leads the Pietra, their army the only family he has ever known. The stone shores harbor a secret, a growing threat that will envelop the entire land – and he will conquer every speck of soil to ensure the survival of his people.
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The tides are turning in Stille, where royals scheme, Pietrans march, and the rising sea calls for its Given.</i></span></div>
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I kind of don't know what to make of the premise of <i>Given to the Sea</i>... but I am undeniably intrigued by Khosa's strange affliction. I'll have to keep an eye out for early reviews to see how <i>Given to the Sea</i> is being received!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9TQyoNIyz6vAIFYoGfizYp2l3frTKDVSnzj-7FKp48zxCArFLVkgZh5KdjWN6smvBVloKL3m-jsDrgdmaf25XNdl99MupXmkQS4QT-ResxlpG83mEyOdccA9oCbtuwCRv1pv57i6KjF0/s1600/32860355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9TQyoNIyz6vAIFYoGfizYp2l3frTKDVSnzj-7FKp48zxCArFLVkgZh5KdjWN6smvBVloKL3m-jsDrgdmaf25XNdl99MupXmkQS4QT-ResxlpG83mEyOdccA9oCbtuwCRv1pv57i6KjF0/s320/32860355.jpg" width="211" /></a><b style="color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Alex & Eliza by Melissa de la Cruz</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Date: April 11, 2017</span></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32860355-alex-and-eliza">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>1777. Albany, New York.
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As battle cries of the American Revolution echo in the distance, servants flutter about preparing for one of New York society’s biggest events: the Schuylers’ grand ball. Descended from two of the oldest and most distinguished bloodlines in New York, the Schuylers are proud to be one of their fledgling country’s founding families, and even prouder still of their three daughters—Angelica, with her razor-sharp wit; Peggy, with her dazzling looks; and Eliza, whose beauty and charm rival that of both her sisters, though she’d rather be aiding the colonists’ cause than dressing up for some silly ball.
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Still, she can barely contain her excitement when she hears of the arrival of one Alexander Hamilton, a mysterious, rakish young colonel and General George Washington’s right-hand man. Though Alex has arrived as the bearer of bad news for the Schuylers, he can’t believe his luck—as an orphan, and a bastard one at that—to be in such esteemed company. And when Alex and Eliza meet that fateful night, so begins an epic love story that would forever change the course of American history. </i></span></div>
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Sadly, I have not yet had the fortune of witnessing the wildly popular musical <i>Hamilton</i>. However, I can't help but be curious about the upcoming <i>Alex & Eliza</i>, which is hoping no doubt to capitalize on <i>Hamilton</i>'s popularity. Again, I'll be on the lookout for early reviews!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Date: May 16, 2017</span></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23308087-flame-in-the-mist">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>The daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has long known her place—she may be an accomplished alchemist, whose cunning rivals that of her brother Kenshin, but because she is not a boy, her future has always been out of her hands. At just seventeen years old, Mariko is promised to Minamoto Raiden, the son of the emperor's favorite consort—a political marriage that will elevate her family's standing. But en route to the imperial city of Inako, Mariko narrowly escapes a bloody ambush by a dangerous gang of bandits known as the Black Clan, who she learns has been hired to kill her before she reaches the palace.
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Dressed as a peasant boy, Mariko sets out to infiltrate the ranks of the Black Clan, determined to track down the person responsible for the target on her back. But she's quickly captured and taken to the Black Clan’s secret hideout, where she meets their leader, the rebel ronin Takeda Ranmaru, and his second-in-command, his best friend Okami. Still believing her to be a boy, Ranmaru and Okami eventually warm to Mariko, impressed by her intellect and ingenuity. As Mariko gets closer to the Black Clan, she uncovers a dark history of secrets, of betrayal and murder, which will force her to question everything she's ever known.</i></span></div>
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Beautiful cover + inspired by <i>Mulan</i> = GIMME!! And it helps that I've heard good things about Renee Ahdieh's prior series, <i>The Wrath and the Dawn</i>. So surely <i>Flame in the Mist</i> is bound to be amazing, right?!<br />
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How about you? Are you waiting on any of these <b>Penguin Spring 2017 reads</b>? Are there any upcoming books from the <b>Penguin Spring 2017 Catalog</b> that I didn't include here that you feel I should add to my list?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumkVHi2Bu2xBC-5ZJtwZWBpV80sccHM4d7sKfXaq4hpONUytaKUAkuWFMOQZcstLPFPsBAHtc_-yUcvFcBMLchmsB_04QEQdR426TE2yJD9fTjM4ed4yVfZBSi8AGVyAQs1rsO7y5q8Q/s1600/Aylee.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumkVHi2Bu2xBC-5ZJtwZWBpV80sccHM4d7sKfXaq4hpONUytaKUAkuWFMOQZcstLPFPsBAHtc_-yUcvFcBMLchmsB_04QEQdR426TE2yJD9fTjM4ed4yVfZBSi8AGVyAQs1rsO7y5q8Q/s1600/Aylee.png" /></a>Ayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07639250102446794830noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619019089060464771.post-45926813435176445402017-03-13T07:00:00.000-06:002017-03-13T07:00:10.751-06:00Muggle Monday: Prisoner of Azkaban Illustrated Edition<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">It's time for Muggle Monday, in which I highlight a significant piece of news from the Harry Potter franchise. This is somewhat inspired by the </span><a href="http://mundiemoms.blogspot.ca/search/label/Mundane%20Monday" style="color: #5c0812; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-decoration: none;">Mundane Monday</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> posts by </span><a href="http://mundiemoms.blogspot.ca/" style="color: #5c0812; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-decoration: none;">The Mundie Moms</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">But let's be real as to why I made up this feature: I just want the opportunity to post something about Harry Potter.</span><br />
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This past week, the artwork for the cover of the illustrated edition of <i>Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban</i> was <a href="https://www.pottermore.com/news/exclusive-first-look-inside-the-prisoner-of-azkaban-illustrated-edition"><span style="color: #990000;">revealed</span></a>:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz07mPZTJwIeVlZiEmsNiOah_hV4U-d1BbQmIxAhLHHKstIx9YATMWOZvhk6ILp-FDHLGwZ2Q6dNYs7jEQj_oLk8cAmeE-o-gWvPUl6ZDtJEfPEtE9iHuKJah07VnstUlz1eUSnKztZZE/s1600/xharry-potter-and-the-prisoner-of-azkaban-illustrated-edition.jpg.pagespeed.ic_.Av-LWvwqJk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="587" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz07mPZTJwIeVlZiEmsNiOah_hV4U-d1BbQmIxAhLHHKstIx9YATMWOZvhk6ILp-FDHLGwZ2Q6dNYs7jEQj_oLk8cAmeE-o-gWvPUl6ZDtJEfPEtE9iHuKJah07VnstUlz1eUSnKztZZE/s640/xharry-potter-and-the-prisoner-of-azkaban-illustrated-edition.jpg.pagespeed.ic_.Av-LWvwqJk.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
And it is yet another gorgeous cover to add to the previous illustrated edition releases from artist Jim Kay (see: <a href="http://recoveringpotteraddict.blogspot.ca/2015/04/muggle-monday-harry-potter-fully.html"><i>Philosopher's Stone</i> Illustrated Edition</a> and <a href="http://recoveringpotteraddict.blogspot.ca/2016/04/muggle-monday-chamber-of-secrets.html"><i>Chamber of Secrets</i> Illustrated Edition</a>). Each book has been coming out roughly one year apart (the latest will be out October 3, 2017), but I wonder if they can keep that trend going with the lengthier books in the latter half of the series. It would be a shame if they had to keep the illustrations to a minimum despite the longer lengths.<br />
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Here's a taste of the artwork we have to look forward to in the upcoming illustrated edition of <i>Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban</i> (click to embiggen):<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjovCFe-MPxsIv4bIPM4Oe2h2H6ksAXG2uWbWkZZrAOLLWHNaf2XhITpQVlRsH9OVuE28y06zzVHDjyEQoxmfhyL3n2dZp6RqFi5LcvkhnOo_JWuzWjbmZ2IyATZP0w1tZIkJY-9f-ARyg/s1600/KnightBusslide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjovCFe-MPxsIv4bIPM4Oe2h2H6ksAXG2uWbWkZZrAOLLWHNaf2XhITpQVlRsH9OVuE28y06zzVHDjyEQoxmfhyL3n2dZp6RqFi5LcvkhnOo_JWuzWjbmZ2IyATZP0w1tZIkJY-9f-ARyg/s640/KnightBusslide.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Knight Bus</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZdgtlfI_61nIFTTkC82Oeq6wagd64EOOAQhhypGqgRiWn-qcwQCib_KivhK7VVPSBsnBSYYWm9cDb1OpjEZkkRx-mKPHXwStojTzFl1udbK5NmXOd47XCtQ9Rq61MrGLosqIuMiL4HRI/s1600/azkabanslide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZdgtlfI_61nIFTTkC82Oeq6wagd64EOOAQhhypGqgRiWn-qcwQCib_KivhK7VVPSBsnBSYYWm9cDb1OpjEZkkRx-mKPHXwStojTzFl1udbK5NmXOd47XCtQ9Rq61MrGLosqIuMiL4HRI/s640/azkabanslide.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Azkaban</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRDxsA8upiI4Q0KKHCVopMevu9LfPLujVy4cgt04IcATfvAS_OPcbdHiNMenxtxtjE36XeZV7j2Vnmz-LgWuNzbWMeo5bEct0r-oFB8PaXAKOQsPcL46uYc3HQgUpzPMld1fujUvjj2kA/s1600/gardenwall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRDxsA8upiI4Q0KKHCVopMevu9LfPLujVy4cgt04IcATfvAS_OPcbdHiNMenxtxtjE36XeZV7j2Vnmz-LgWuNzbWMeo5bEct0r-oFB8PaXAKOQsPcL46uYc3HQgUpzPMld1fujUvjj2kA/s640/gardenwall.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hogwarts</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-0q8ew2PVxF_75mQ0VS2CS2H0k4_mBgZyEK1fkXxMIJ6sqxOzi-wGdKu_TK_pXZwmWUlQMwFGQzAz5MyX1A-pWMVNqOXOmNvjlBV4xzmjUyiTd7Xlxfgd1q4XQXyjBe1Iz1vMASlWQM/s1600/snapeslide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-0q8ew2PVxF_75mQ0VS2CS2H0k4_mBgZyEK1fkXxMIJ6sqxOzi-wGdKu_TK_pXZwmWUlQMwFGQzAz5MyX1A-pWMVNqOXOmNvjlBV4xzmjUyiTd7Xlxfgd1q4XQXyjBe1Iz1vMASlWQM/s640/snapeslide.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portrait of Snape (with a Niffler stuffed into a jar?!)</td></tr>
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Sadly, I have yet to have the full experience when it comes to these illustrated editions. The prices for each book are steep! And it's hard to justify shelling out the cash willy-nilly when I already own the series. But positive acclaim from fans has convinced me that I must own and experience these for myself someday - just need to save up for them or wait until my birthday comes around.<br />
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For those who have read the illustrated editions of <i>Philosopher's Stone/Sorcerer's Stone</i> and <i>Chamber of Secrets</i>, what did you think? Is the rest of the artwork as gorgeous as the little teases that Bloomsbury/Scholastic releases?<br />
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<br />Ayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07639250102446794830noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619019089060464771.post-55278365703028448352017-03-08T07:00:00.000-07:002017-03-08T07:00:19.165-07:00Waiting On Wednesday: Random House Spring 2017 Catalog<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" none="none" text-decoration:="">Breaking The Spine</a> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">in which upcoming, eagerly anticipated releases are highlighted on the blog.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This week, I've chosen to feature a few picks from the <b>Random House Spring 2017 Catalog</b>:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Shadow Run by Adrianne Strickland and Michael Miller</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Date: March 21, 2017</span></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25669098-shadow-run">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Nev has just joined the crew of the starship Kaitan Heritage as the cargo loader. His captain, Qole, is the youngest-ever person to command her own ship, but she brooks no argument from her crew of orphans, fugitives, and con men. Nev can’t resist her, even if her ship is an antique.
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As for Nev, he’s a prince, in hiding on the ship. He believes Qole holds the key to changing galactic civilization, and when her cooperation proves difficult to obtain, Nev resolves to get her to his home planet by any means necessary.
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But before they know it, a rival royal family is after Qole too, and they’re more interested in stealing her abilities than in keeping her alive.
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Nev’s mission to manipulate Qole becomes one to save her, and to survive, she’ll have to trust her would-be kidnapper. He may be royalty, but Qole is discovering a deep reservoir of power—and stars have mercy on whoever tries to hurt her ship or her crew.</i></span></div>
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The synopsis for <i>Shadow Run</i> reminds me a lot of the short-lived TV show <i>Firefly</i>, which I loved. So if <i>Shadow Run</i> is indeed along the same vein, I could see myself very much enjoying it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLIGcseKyUaslbgvzgjDmGiAV7wmJJxTQlVtBNGCnS3plerFQYQYbfnDUIBKXs_poEuyghtpmPBDFVJU0_dt5e172PhXXWmpDjd9135euoUebGtFY1Tt3oUq_ni4MjBzZr13SyQv1rnc8/s1600/31020402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLIGcseKyUaslbgvzgjDmGiAV7wmJJxTQlVtBNGCnS3plerFQYQYbfnDUIBKXs_poEuyghtpmPBDFVJU0_dt5e172PhXXWmpDjd9135euoUebGtFY1Tt3oUq_ni4MjBzZr13SyQv1rnc8/s320/31020402.jpg" width="212" /></a><b style="color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Date: March 28, 2017</span></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31020402-blood-rose-rebellion">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Sixteen-year-old Anna Arden is barred from society by a defect of blood. Though her family is part of the Luminate, powerful users of magic, she is Barren, unable to perform the simplest spells. Anna would do anything to belong. But her fate takes another course when, after inadvertently breaking her sister’s debutante spell—an important chance for a highborn young woman to show her prowess with magic—Anna finds herself exiled to her family’s once powerful but now crumbling native Hungary.
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Her life might well be over.
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In Hungary, Anna discovers that nothing is quite as it seems. Not the people around her, from her aloof cousin Noémi to the fierce and handsome Romani Gábor. Not the society she’s known all her life, for discontent with the Luminate is sweeping the land. And not her lack of magic. Isolated from the only world she cares about, Anna still can’t seem to stop herself from breaking spells.
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As rebellion spreads across the region, Anna’s unique ability becomes the catalyst everyone is seeking. In the company of nobles, revolutionaries, and Romanies, Anna must choose: deny her unique power and cling to the life she’s always wanted, or embrace her ability and change that world forever.</i></span></div>
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<i>Blood Rose Rebellion</i> sounds like the standard historical fantasy with court politics that I love. But instead of being set in a fictional world it is set in Hungary, which I find interesting. I haven't heard anything about <i>Blood Rose Rebellion</i> yet, so here's hoping it is well received!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Date: May 30, 2017</span></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32571395-one-of-us-is-lying">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Pay close attention and you might solve this.<br />
On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.<br />
Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule. <br />
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess. <br />
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.<br />
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.<br />
And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.<br />
Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose?
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Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.</i></span></div>
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Five students walk into detention, but only four come out alive... it's like a <i>Breakfast Club</i> murder mystery! I would be lying if I said I wasn't super curious about <i>One of Us is Lying</i>!<br />
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How about you? Are you waiting on any of these <b>Random House Spring 2017 reads</b>? Are there any upcoming books from the <b>Random House Spring 2017 Catalog</b> that I didn't include here that you feel I should add to my list?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumkVHi2Bu2xBC-5ZJtwZWBpV80sccHM4d7sKfXaq4hpONUytaKUAkuWFMOQZcstLPFPsBAHtc_-yUcvFcBMLchmsB_04QEQdR426TE2yJD9fTjM4ed4yVfZBSi8AGVyAQs1rsO7y5q8Q/s1600/Aylee.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumkVHi2Bu2xBC-5ZJtwZWBpV80sccHM4d7sKfXaq4hpONUytaKUAkuWFMOQZcstLPFPsBAHtc_-yUcvFcBMLchmsB_04QEQdR426TE2yJD9fTjM4ed4yVfZBSi8AGVyAQs1rsO7y5q8Q/s1600/Aylee.png" /></a>Ayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07639250102446794830noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619019089060464771.post-10786066581558498792017-03-06T07:00:00.000-07:002017-03-06T07:00:05.883-07:00Series Review: A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket<div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(121,4,4); padding: 5px 8px;">
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Publisher: </b>HarperCollins</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Published:</b> 1999-2006</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Pages:</b> 3,436</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Source:</b> Borrowed</span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rating: 4 Stars</span></b></div>
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<i><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dear Reader, </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune.
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In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.
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It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing.
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With all due respect,
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Lemony Snicket</span></i>
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Never has such a miserable tale of the depressing disasters that follow the lives of three unfortunate orphans been so charmingly absurd and enjoyable to read. Though the books are intended for an MG audience, the satirical humour spouted by narrator Lemony Snicket and more mature themes of moral complexity in the later books can be appreciated by an older audience. The books are incredibly formulaic and repetitive (essentially the orphans are passed off to a new guardian each book, Count Olaf shows up in a new disguise and attempts to steal the Baudelaire fortune, and the orphans use their smarts and talents to get away from him), but the repetitiveness had a more familial and calming effect on me rather than boring me.<br />
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I read the series in its entirety via audiobook, narrated by inimitable Tim Curry (except for books 3-5 which are narrated by Lemony Snicket himself). And I can't think of two people more suited to the narration of the gothic tones combined with the general absurdity of the stories presented in A Series of Unfortunate Events. If you're looking to try out the series for yourself or want to do a reread but don't feel like you have the time to fit all 13 books into your reading lineup, I would highly recommend checking out the series on audio.<br />
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Finally, let's talk about the Netflix TV Show. I can't speak about the movie adaptation starring Jim Carrey that was released in 2004 as I never saw it, but I understand it was not at all well received. However, I have seen the first season of the Netflix adaptation, starring Neil Patrick Harris and covering the first four books, and I am happy to report that it is most excellently done. It took me a few episodes to get into the rhythm of the story and characters, but once it hits its stride the show captures the gothic tone and absurdist themes of the books perfectly and is pretty faithful. Once again, this is proof positive that having the original author of the books (Lemony Snicket/Daniel Handler) handle the script of the movie/TV show is the best way of ensuring that the adaptation is a good one.<br />
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<b>Author Links:</b><br />
<a href="http://www.lemonysnicket.com/">Website</a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/lemonysnicket">Twitter</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/whoislemonysnicket/">Facebook</a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/36746.Lemony_Snicket">Goodreads</a><br />
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<br />Ayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07639250102446794830noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619019089060464771.post-24538214980293847492017-03-01T07:00:00.000-07:002017-03-01T07:00:08.493-07:00Waiting On Wednesday: Macmillan Spring 2017 Catalog<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" none="none" text-decoration:="">Breaking The Spine</a> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">in which upcoming, eagerly anticipated releases are highlighted on the blog.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This week, I've chosen to feature a few picks from the <b>Macmillan Spring 2017 Catalog</b>:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The Traitor's Kiss by Erin Beaty</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Date: May 9, 2017</span></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29346870-the-traitor-s-kiss">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>An obstinate girl who will not be married.<br />
A soldier desperate to prove himself. <br />
A kingdom on the brink of war.<br />
With a sharp tongue and an unruly temper, Sage Fowler is not what they’d call a lady―which is perfectly fine with her. Deemed unfit for marriage, Sage is apprenticed to a matchmaker and tasked with wrangling other young ladies to be married off for political alliances. She spies on the girls―and on the soldiers escorting them.
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As the girls' military escort senses a political uprising, Sage is recruited by a handsome soldier to infiltrate the enemy ranks. The more she discovers as a spy, the less certain she becomes about whom to trust―and Sage becomes caught in a dangerous balancing act that will determine the fate of her kingdom.</i></span></div>
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Sage sounds like a girl after my own heart! I can't help but root for the tomboy in a period when it was considered improper to be unladylike. I haven't heard much about <i>The Traitor's Kiss </i>yet and so I eagerly await early (hopefully positive) reviews!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxp4K69JuM1Sv8helozad7OReTQbKKQJFvzEXAffMHc6oQawfUDiTUArR40sVJwEdJSGX5RysLFOD3aW3qA2oXGqXm5Me9ip10kYQZNIk9JfRoGhTCmbgCbOVjDnTxVKJRb8LOjfSF2DY/s1600/29939048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxp4K69JuM1Sv8helozad7OReTQbKKQJFvzEXAffMHc6oQawfUDiTUArR40sVJwEdJSGX5RysLFOD3aW3qA2oXGqXm5Me9ip10kYQZNIk9JfRoGhTCmbgCbOVjDnTxVKJRb8LOjfSF2DY/s320/29939048.jpg" width="212" /></a><b style="color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Roar by Cora Carmack</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Date: June 13, 2017</span></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29939048-roar">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>In a land ruled and shaped by violent magical storms, power lies with those who control them.
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Aurora Pavan comes from one of the oldest Stormling families in existence. Long ago, the ungifted pledged fealty and service to her family in exchange for safe haven, and a kingdom was carved out from the wildlands and sustained by magic capable of repelling the world’s deadliest foes. As the sole heir of Pavan, Aurora’s been groomed to be the perfect queen. She’s intelligent and brave and honorable. But she’s yet to show any trace of the magic she’ll need to protect her people.
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To keep her secret and save her crown, Aurora’s mother arranges for her to marry a dark and brooding Stormling prince from another kingdom. At first, the prince seems like the perfect solution to all her problems. He’ll guarantee her spot as the next queen and be the champion her people need to remain safe. But the more secrets Aurora uncovers about him, the more a future with him frightens her. When she dons a disguise and sneaks out of the palace one night to spy on him, she stumbles upon a black market dealing in the very thing she lacks—storm magic. And the people selling it? They’re not Stormlings. They’re storm hunters.
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Legend says that her ancestors first gained their magic by facing a storm and stealing part of its essence. And when a handsome young storm hunter reveals he was born without magic, but possesses it now, Aurora realizes there’s a third option for her future besides ruin or marriage.
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She might not have magic now, but she can steal it if she’s brave enough.
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Challenge a tempest. Survive it. And you become its master.</i></span></div>
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Well now, that's a lengthy synopsis that tells you a whole lot about what <i>Roar</i> will be about - I don't know about you, but I often feel like the less revealed in synopses, the better. But anyways, I won't deny that I am mighty intrigued by the premise anyway. Bring on <i>Roar</i>!<br />
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How about you? Are you waiting on any of these <b>Macmillan Spring 2017 reads</b>? Are there any upcoming books from the <b>Macmillan Spring 2017 Catalog</b> that I didn't include here that you feel I should add to my list?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumkVHi2Bu2xBC-5ZJtwZWBpV80sccHM4d7sKfXaq4hpONUytaKUAkuWFMOQZcstLPFPsBAHtc_-yUcvFcBMLchmsB_04QEQdR426TE2yJD9fTjM4ed4yVfZBSi8AGVyAQs1rsO7y5q8Q/s1600/Aylee.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumkVHi2Bu2xBC-5ZJtwZWBpV80sccHM4d7sKfXaq4hpONUytaKUAkuWFMOQZcstLPFPsBAHtc_-yUcvFcBMLchmsB_04QEQdR426TE2yJD9fTjM4ed4yVfZBSi8AGVyAQs1rsO7y5q8Q/s1600/Aylee.png" /></a>Ayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07639250102446794830noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619019089060464771.post-34045810960270096232017-02-27T07:00:00.000-07:002017-02-27T07:00:29.592-07:00Series Review: The Mediator by Meg Cabot<div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(121,4,4); padding: 5px 8px;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-PWsrM2etaJofnnocMdlbB7rvHbHLOG8wGXXQZhTc_fUE51LiYib1qFLWD91jQJfwUGvM3Vy6p-XtIYMRP6SOF-R-3AE2QjV8U_XOJk8giyFo3HietmZQInWwRuQvGOTt3JboIKlwp8/s1600/tumblr_me8qbfDUGc1qhzrag.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/AVvXsEjv-PWsrM2etaJofnnocMdlbB7rvHbHLOG8wGXXQZhTc_fUE51LiYib1qFLWD91jQJfwUGvM3Vy6p-XtIYMRP6SOF-R-3AE2QjV8U_XOJk8giyFo3HietmZQInWwRuQvGOTt3JboIKlwp8/s320/tumblr_me8qbfDUGc1qhzrag.jpg" width="307" /></a></div>
<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Publisher:</b> Avon Books</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Published:</b> 2000-2016</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Pages:</b> 2,286</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Source:</b> Gifted</span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rating: 4 Stars</span></b></div>
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<i><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There's a hot guy in Susannah Simon's bedroom. Too bad he's a ghost.
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Suze is a mediator - a liaison between the living and the dead. In other words, she sees dead people. And they won't leave her alone until she helps them resolve their unfinished business with the living. But Jesse, the hot ghost haunting her bedroom, doesn't seem to need her help. Which is a relief, because Suze has just moved to sunny California and plans to start fresh, with trips to the mall instead of the cemetery, and surfing instead of spectral visitations.
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But the very first day at her new school, Suze realizes it's not that easy. There's a ghost with revenge on her mind... and Suze happens to be in the way. </span></i>
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The Mediator Series was my first series read of the year and let me tell you, it was a fantastically FUN way to start off my reading year. The series follows Suze Simon who has the ability to see, to talk to, and to beat up - whatever the occasion warrants - ghosts in order to send them on their way to the afterworld. The series was completed after six books in 2005, with an added novella and seventh novel set a decade later in 2016.<br />
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Suze Simon is definitely the best part of the series for me. I would want to be BFFs with her if not for the fact that I am convinced that she is WAY too cool for me. This girl has more personality in her pinkie finger than most protagonists have developed over the course of an entire book. Suze's singular sass, nerve, and fashion sense put her right up there with The Greats Buffy Summers and Veronica Mars, in my mind. In fact, the Mediator Series reads a lot like those teen serialized TV shows set in small town California that follow a new story each episode, in addition to being easy entertainment to take in.<br />
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This is my first Meg Cabot read - can you believe it? And if all of her protagonists are as fun as Suze Simon, then I am looking forward to reading more from her. I'm curious, which are the Meg Cabot books that I absolutely must read next? I would love recommendations!<br />
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<b>Author Links:</b><br />
<a href="http://www.megcabot.com/">Website</a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/megcabot">Twitter</a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/11654.Meg_Cabot">Goodreads</a><br />
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<br />Ayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07639250102446794830noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619019089060464771.post-23203688798846903202017-02-08T07:00:00.000-07:002017-02-08T07:00:19.955-07:00Waiting On Wednesday: Hachette Spring 2017 Catalog<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" none="none" text-decoration:="">Breaking The Spine</a> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">in which upcoming, eagerly anticipated releases are highlighted on the blog.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This week, I've chosen to feature a few picks from the <b>Hachette Spring 2017 Catalog</b>:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Date: March 28, 2017</span></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28145767-strange-the-dreamer">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around— and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he's been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance to lose his dream forever.
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What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?
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The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries—including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo's dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?</i></span></div>
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The Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy by Laini Taylor is one of my fave series EVER. Laini is such a talented writer with some really fantastic ideas so you know I'm crazy excited about her new book <i>Strange the Dreamer</i>!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYclWXWYoetWI3x-nUuRl6pZMd3rSb48zfXsVRKjyG0itS4guqPUNDNXURv5lGrntBkhxIYCWUcGFfRGXumP9k2S_IsoGX5AncR6tflZGW9nYojquYP61Tf_KuonYO3VBFqqrEv9eBdH4/s1600/28525380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYclWXWYoetWI3x-nUuRl6pZMd3rSb48zfXsVRKjyG0itS4guqPUNDNXURv5lGrntBkhxIYCWUcGFfRGXumP9k2S_IsoGX5AncR6tflZGW9nYojquYP61Tf_KuonYO3VBFqqrEv9eBdH4/s320/28525380.jpg" width="219" /></a><b style="color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The Star Thief by Lindsey Becker</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Date: April 11, 2017</span></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28525380-the-star-thief">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Honorine's life as as maid at the Vidalia mansion is rather dull, dusting treasures from faraway places and daydreaming in front of maps of the world. But everything changes when she catches two brutish sailors ransacking Lord Vidalia's study, and then follows a mysterious girl with wings out into the night....
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Suddenly, Honorine is whisked into the middle of a battle between the crew of a spectacular steamship and a band of mythical constellations. The stars in the sky have come to life to defend themselves against those who want to harness their powers. Much to her surprise, Honorine is the crux of it all, the center of an epic clash between magic and science, the old ways and the new. But can this spirited young girl bring both sides of a larger-than-life fight together before they unleash an evil power even older than the stars?</i></span></div>
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I haven't heard a lot about this one yet, but <i>The Star Thief</i> initially caught my eye when I read its enigmatic synopsis. I mean, "<i>whisked into the middle of a battle between the crew of a spectacular steamship and a band of mythical constellations</i>"?! That sounds crazy awesome!<br />
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How about you? Are you waiting on any of these <b>Hachette Spring 2017 reads</b>? Are there any upcoming books from the <b>Hachette Spring 2017 Catalog</b> that I didn't include here that you feel I should add to my list?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumkVHi2Bu2xBC-5ZJtwZWBpV80sccHM4d7sKfXaq4hpONUytaKUAkuWFMOQZcstLPFPsBAHtc_-yUcvFcBMLchmsB_04QEQdR426TE2yJD9fTjM4ed4yVfZBSi8AGVyAQs1rsO7y5q8Q/s1600/Aylee.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumkVHi2Bu2xBC-5ZJtwZWBpV80sccHM4d7sKfXaq4hpONUytaKUAkuWFMOQZcstLPFPsBAHtc_-yUcvFcBMLchmsB_04QEQdR426TE2yJD9fTjM4ed4yVfZBSi8AGVyAQs1rsO7y5q8Q/s1600/Aylee.png" /></a>Ayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07639250102446794830noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619019089060464771.post-27450824173622417642017-01-30T07:00:00.000-07:002017-01-30T07:00:14.595-07:00My 2017 Bullet JournalWell, since everyone and their grandmother is bullet journalling these days, it was only a matter of time that I started it too as I am nothing if not a complete lemming. I test drove bullet journalling at the end of last year to see if it was right for me and it was immediately apparent to my list-maker, planning-obsessed sensibilities that it was.<br />
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I like bullet journalling because, a) it combines a planner and a notebook into one cohesive unit, b) you can individualize the planner to your liking, and c) it is in analog rather than in digital, and I find that putting pen to paper helps me organize my life in a way that computers never quite could.<br />
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Because I always love seeing other people's pictures of their bullet journals (I am so nosy) and because a few people have asked me to share some spreads from my journal, I will post some pics below from my Leuchtturm1917 Dotted Hardcover Notebook (A5), in royal blue, for anyone interested.<br />
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Full disclaimer though: <b>none of these ideas are my own</b>; they are all taken from other people's posts on pinterest, instagram, etc. I am not particularly artistic or creative like a lot of people in the bullet journal community, so I often look to others for inspiration. Wherever possible, I've tried to find the source of my inspiration and post them here.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu7PhCAIEDPxV5FWimP8T1XTZ-CXvJrihM4s01UAcHwKAtcadHuImoql8qnUCC0LUP00YxVGwO0YIihInUa2V_UobBJ4rCcGkmaeNJn3ynNGAnTL4ohh7LknnDUcA_VCFJSd3FppPEutM/s1600/AyleeBulletJournalKey.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu7PhCAIEDPxV5FWimP8T1XTZ-CXvJrihM4s01UAcHwKAtcadHuImoql8qnUCC0LUP00YxVGwO0YIihInUa2V_UobBJ4rCcGkmaeNJn3ynNGAnTL4ohh7LknnDUcA_VCFJSd3FppPEutM/s640/AyleeBulletJournalKey.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical Bullet Journal key. Design blatantly stolen from <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BApyezsgegL/"><span style="color: #990000;">@thevintagewren</span></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgizxvxX9zbC6dhS80Aa4EpH3y3u3af8CdNxVZYW-fFlLLJEzcFUPTNC-ZuAWdmApkctzw_zKysev7YX-5Tpk__Gh_hBTbHKMGMhf4jZzIuDflIk8IzRiCwqJRyn4gAi-cnODLZehQRZQI/s1600/AyleeBulletJournalYearly.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgizxvxX9zbC6dhS80Aa4EpH3y3u3af8CdNxVZYW-fFlLLJEzcFUPTNC-ZuAWdmApkctzw_zKysev7YX-5Tpk__Gh_hBTbHKMGMhf4jZzIuDflIk8IzRiCwqJRyn4gAi-cnODLZehQRZQI/s640/AyleeBulletJournalYearly.JPG" width="90%" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2017 Year at a Glance. So I can keep track of important events coming up.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfE7biLxp8-1hxaHKWltZWFJQJg11uDv-I_Kv2lr7z7ixU9mrBKn3aAdqNLg5Qs0PmRzK7_wo7agAvSyPAiHMwD7uGVyqwQzldFaQ5Exr9jocMcgXf-vxIbzwql7RLDbQfDptAgsoBgig/s1600/AyleeBulletJournalWeightLossGoals.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfE7biLxp8-1hxaHKWltZWFJQJg11uDv-I_Kv2lr7z7ixU9mrBKn3aAdqNLg5Qs0PmRzK7_wo7agAvSyPAiHMwD7uGVyqwQzldFaQ5Exr9jocMcgXf-vxIbzwql7RLDbQfDptAgsoBgig/s640/AyleeBulletJournalWeightLossGoals.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weight Loss Goals. Gone are the days when I can just eat whatever I want... thankfully I am (pathetically) motivated by colouring in little boxes so this works for me. Based off <a href="http://www.imgrum.net/media/1278986039192247489_3428803894"><span style="color: #990000;">@bulletjournalweightloss</span></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqryCMlyCvHTxePhz1-nwnijVn0_cm2-3VA_7xG-LBtx2LdBAhlFAh-TUXuFobUmFcx97fbEaS0d60s7A4q-ULboO4xHzt7pfnxhsvdqg9gP7J2jpjsEXBFTBo1Dwb1x-POAOStAilWI/s1600/AyleeBulletJournalBudgetGoals.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqryCMlyCvHTxePhz1-nwnijVn0_cm2-3VA_7xG-LBtx2LdBAhlFAh-TUXuFobUmFcx97fbEaS0d60s7A4q-ULboO4xHzt7pfnxhsvdqg9gP7J2jpjsEXBFTBo1Dwb1x-POAOStAilWI/s640/AyleeBulletJournalBudgetGoals.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Budget Goals (again colouring in boxes). I would like to save at least $1,000 a month... Kind of easier said than done at the moment as work has dried up for me so we're living off one income for two people. But I am a firm believer that the best goals in life are the most challenging ones. Based off <a href="https://finspi.com/photo/mason-jar-savings-goals-by-s-warrington-bullet-j-2319361"><span style="color: #990000;">S. Warrington</span></a>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANe2OFPHgSuw1zCi8g8C7wxoth7lE3IHZo_507qrLXarXW5simr6ORsI5-u3AKD2q0DZg8NfX2ysI91jh_gXZw9AH4m_WIwCfMBExfwrgISDm_nRSnYj1tMs2_oRExodWa4xxTZbnBwk/s1600/AyleeBulletJournalChoreSchedule.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANe2OFPHgSuw1zCi8g8C7wxoth7lE3IHZo_507qrLXarXW5simr6ORsI5-u3AKD2q0DZg8NfX2ysI91jh_gXZw9AH4m_WIwCfMBExfwrgISDm_nRSnYj1tMs2_oRExodWa4xxTZbnBwk/s640/AyleeBulletJournalChoreSchedule.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chore Schedule. I am a recent new homeowner and I am more motivated than ever to take good care of my living space, so I'm giving this chore schedule a try and it seems to be working pretty well for me so far. I'm not much of a doodler, but when I put together this page, I ended up with three big blank spaces so I randomly scribbled in some cleaning items. Based off <a href="https://tinkerteachermakermom.com/2016/01/02/bullet-journal-overview-2016/"><span style="color: #990000;">TinkerTeacherMakerMom</span></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYu8NYisjc_Omqgy8TEzOkUH54TRfHPcswBJqa30q6cDjRf7bMXEsEdLsuvjPxGZ6K5w-lr41gvBSa-FmhjhgwhGFGdlx2FbdTXrvM1JuAZzfUT4Z-_O20m5UZvhvU3cBkhVLYxEQaD0o/s1600/AyleeBulletJournalGraphicNovelTBR.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYu8NYisjc_Omqgy8TEzOkUH54TRfHPcswBJqa30q6cDjRf7bMXEsEdLsuvjPxGZ6K5w-lr41gvBSa-FmhjhgwhGFGdlx2FbdTXrvM1JuAZzfUT4Z-_O20m5UZvhvU3cBkhVLYxEQaD0o/s640/AyleeBulletJournalGraphicNovelTBR.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graphic Novels TBR. I have quite a few regular (boring) list pages (movies to see, wish list items to buy, home improvement projects to do, etc.), and the above is just an example of that. This list of graphic novels to read is based off of <a href="http://recoveringpotteraddict.blogspot.ca/2016/02/february-recap-blogilates-sleepovers.html"><span style="color: #990000;">the recommendations that people gave me when I asked for some last year</span></a>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_9dpQjx5J8gtM75OyYGQfd0EwPoluWVQzsebtrSyHzX5QTZQBlHHfxdwDQ0_UvjO1wR1QtQbkMxj_MA22Hs3sVmh8C-xtXqvadeCKzJfsl650eCAaSykRkjjal1MgafqzsyjDsQTxrQ/s1600/AyleeBulletJournalMonthly.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_9dpQjx5J8gtM75OyYGQfd0EwPoluWVQzsebtrSyHzX5QTZQBlHHfxdwDQ0_UvjO1wR1QtQbkMxj_MA22Hs3sVmh8C-xtXqvadeCKzJfsl650eCAaSykRkjjal1MgafqzsyjDsQTxrQ/s400/AyleeBulletJournalMonthly.JPG" width="80%" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monthly Spread. I prefer a boxed monthly spread to the standard list monthly spread that the bullet journal founder recommends, with a list of the major tasks that I want to get done on the right.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QzR-Ks88Yn482m0ya4UiFO5P1huHCht9Bejq27DRfFEAwDhpT3szPP4r4Ga4Toa9wN1gL-abOLVBZhFDR012dtKuBq3NDOkd_dK5bGt6VaWomnqe3SBFbU27_zwoNkLyK7fw5sElvU4/s1600/AyleeBulletJournalTrackerGratitude.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QzR-Ks88Yn482m0ya4UiFO5P1huHCht9Bejq27DRfFEAwDhpT3szPP4r4Ga4Toa9wN1gL-abOLVBZhFDR012dtKuBq3NDOkd_dK5bGt6VaWomnqe3SBFbU27_zwoNkLyK7fw5sElvU4/s400/AyleeBulletJournalTrackerGratitude.JPG" width="80%" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monthly Tracker and Gratitude Log. Trackers are a good way to keep track of habits you are trying to maintain. And because one of my new year's resolutions was to be more thankful, I have decided to write down one thing I am grateful for every day this year. Based off <a href="http://www.bohoberry.com/"><span style="color: #990000;">BohoBerry</span></a>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weekly Spread. Because I'm not working at the moment, my days aren't very structured so I don't feel as though I have a need for bullet journal dailies. Instead, I just do weeklies. I like to plan out general and home tasks I want to get done during the week (based off my main monthly task list), plan out my meals (so I know what to buy at the grocery store and what and when to defrost), and to list my chores for the week (based off my chore schedule above).</td></tr>
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Et voila: a peak into my 2017 bullet journal featuring no original spreads of my own, but still great ideas to keep organized. I hope this post has given you the semblance that I've got my sh*t together in life, even if that is certainly not the case.</div>
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Do you bullet journal? If you do, I'd love to see some pics of your spreads so link me up!</div>
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Ayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07639250102446794830noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619019089060464771.post-81033632113670862902017-01-25T07:00:00.000-07:002017-01-25T07:00:07.695-07:00Waiting On Wednesday: HarperCollins Spring 2017 Catalog<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" none="none" text-decoration:="">Breaking The Spine</a> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">in which upcoming, eagerly anticipated releases are highlighted on the blog.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This week, I've chosen to feature a few picks from the <b>HarperCollins Spring 2017 Catalog</b>:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Miss Ellicott's School for the Magically Minded by Sage Blackwood</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Date: March 21, 2017</span></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30653902-miss-ellicott-s-school-for-the-magically-minded">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Chantel would much rather focus on her magic than on curtsying, which is why she often finds herself in trouble at Miss Ellicott’s School for Magical Maidens. But when Miss Ellicott mysteriously disappears along with all the other sorceresses in the city, Chantel’s behavior becomes the least of her problems. </i></span><br />
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Without any magic protecting the city, it is up to Chantel and her friends to save the Kingdom. On a dangerous mission, Chantel will discover a crossbow-wielding boy, a dragon, and a new, fiery magic that burns inside her—but can she find the sorceresses and transform Lightning Pass into the city it was meant to be?</i></span></div>
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I mean, how cute does this look/sound?? You know I love a story about a magical school, and there are a lot of other elements that I love that are mentioned in the synopsis for <i>Miss Ellicott's School for the Magically Minded</i> besides.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpoxGHVD4Er49596dKo3r4PUzwQhZCTco5jhiZg6GexXR9-Ydxk7asj4wfp2pHqKbPMKA9tnxdPSvFPMS2BSi5uoV5qg0tlhQFGxAUCNO92A-1KjY-15yhTdf-VjCl9PXikY4-QNIkXw/s1600/25740412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpoxGHVD4Er49596dKo3r4PUzwQhZCTco5jhiZg6GexXR9-Ydxk7asj4wfp2pHqKbPMKA9tnxdPSvFPMS2BSi5uoV5qg0tlhQFGxAUCNO92A-1KjY-15yhTdf-VjCl9PXikY4-QNIkXw/s320/25740412.jpg" width="210" /></a><b style="color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The Black Witch by Laurie Forest</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Date: May 2, 2017</span></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25740412-the-black-witch">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>A Great Winged One will soon arise and cast his fearsome shadow upon the land. And just as Night slays Day, and Day slays Night, so also shall another Black Witch rise to meet him, her powers vast beyond imagining.
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So foretells the greatest prophecy of the Gardnerian mages. Carnissa Gardner, the last prophesied Black Witch, drove back the enemy forces and saved her people during the Realm War. Now a new evil is on the horizon, and her granddaughter, Elloren, is believed to be Carnissa’s heir—but while she is the absolute image of her famous grandmother, Elloren is utterly devoid of power in a society that prizes magical ability above nearly all else.
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When she is granted the opportunity to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming an apothecary, Elloren is eager to join her brothers at the prestigious Verpax University and finally embrace a destiny of her own, free from the shadow of her grandmother’s legacy. But she soon realizes that the University, which admits all manner of peoples—including the fire-wielding, winged Icarals, the sworn enemies of her people—is an even more treacherous place for the granddaughter of the Black Witch.</i></span></div>
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Manon's chapters in the Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas are some of my favourites, and I thought instantly of that when <i>The Black Witch</i> came on my radar. I really hope this is as good as it sounds!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Date: May 30, 2017</span></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31931941-eliza-and-her-monsters">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, and friendless. Online, Eliza is LadyConstellation, anonymous creator of the wildly popular webcomic Monstrous Sea. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves her digital community, and has no desire to try.
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Then Wallace Warland, Monstrous Sea's biggest fanfiction writer, transfers to her school. Wallace thinks Eliza is just another fan, and Eliza begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile. But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity—begins to fall apart.</i></span></div>
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And finally, <i>Eliza and Her Monsters</i> has been drawing a lot of comparisons to <i>Fangirl</i> by Rainbow Rowell for obvious reasons. So seeing how much I loved and identified with <i>Fangirl</i>, I'm definitely curious about this one!<br />
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How about you? Are you waiting on any of these <b>HarperCollins Spring 2017 reads</b>? Are there any upcoming books from the <b>HarperCollins Spring 2017 Catalog</b> that I didn't include here that you feel I should add to my list?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumkVHi2Bu2xBC-5ZJtwZWBpV80sccHM4d7sKfXaq4hpONUytaKUAkuWFMOQZcstLPFPsBAHtc_-yUcvFcBMLchmsB_04QEQdR426TE2yJD9fTjM4ed4yVfZBSi8AGVyAQs1rsO7y5q8Q/s1600/Aylee.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumkVHi2Bu2xBC-5ZJtwZWBpV80sccHM4d7sKfXaq4hpONUytaKUAkuWFMOQZcstLPFPsBAHtc_-yUcvFcBMLchmsB_04QEQdR426TE2yJD9fTjM4ed4yVfZBSi8AGVyAQs1rsO7y5q8Q/s1600/Aylee.png" /></a>Ayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07639250102446794830noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619019089060464771.post-10952513762214729382017-01-23T07:00:00.000-07:002017-01-23T07:00:01.735-07:00Review: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Spark Joy by Marie Kondo<div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(121,4,4); padding: 5px 8px;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxmn7NttrQgHkCCpDpePRIZzo19ocxkbSMsm9HP8-pnwBeAKwoD4vPuwYFx-R8aD9wxH65Inv1yR_MFxLZybYptTadst7FCIIKw91VLp-he6Hu77teq96SmdaJOws802PRfTNlrxt7OH4/s1600/22318578.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxmn7NttrQgHkCCpDpePRIZzo19ocxkbSMsm9HP8-pnwBeAKwoD4vPuwYFx-R8aD9wxH65Inv1yR_MFxLZybYptTadst7FCIIKw91VLp-he6Hu77teq96SmdaJOws802PRfTNlrxt7OH4/s200/22318578.jpg" width="139" /></a></div>
<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Publisher:</b> Ten Speed Press</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Published:</b> October 14, 2014 / January 5, 2016</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Pages:</b> 213 / 291</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Source:</b> Borrowed</span><br />
<b><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rating: 4 Stars</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5EDKoFzpBwT5fpGenWmdtHM-rab66MpdojzlnYzl-Coys-Lzqeg96VQtMTbye9NxMp5Po3AXq5Fk_93AmmVfivqKJghFIqrXDPfnY6uViL5-mwdbthGWGsYmPK5ZaSYYfUOuxyErcli8/s1600/25614984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5EDKoFzpBwT5fpGenWmdtHM-rab66MpdojzlnYzl-Coys-Lzqeg96VQtMTbye9NxMp5Po3AXq5Fk_93AmmVfivqKJghFIqrXDPfnY6uViL5-mwdbthGWGsYmPK5ZaSYYfUOuxyErcli8/s200/25614984.jpg" width="138" /></a><i><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Despite constant efforts to declutter your home, do papers still accumulate like snowdrifts and clothes pile up like a tangled mess of noodles?</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you'll never have to do it again. Most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. In fact, none of Kondo's clients have lapsed (and she still has a three-month waiting list). </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
With detailed guidance for determining which items in your house "spark joy" (and which don't), this international best seller featuring Tokyo's newest lifestyle phenomenon will help you clear your clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home - and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire.</span></i>
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The KonMari Method of tidying up: keep only the items that bring you joy in your life. Seems like obvious common sense in a way, doesn't it? And yet I'm sure I'm not alone in owning many more items than necessary in my home - objects that are extras, or are kept around "just in case", or else are kept despite the fact that they are in varied amounts of disrepair. Well, Marie Kondo advocates getting rid of all of that stuff and keeping only the few items that are either a) used regularly or b) "spark joy" in order to keep your home tidy and your life de-cluttered and happy.<br />
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There are two issues I have when it comes to this method though. First, I really don't feel as though I have the money at the moment to take on what Marie Kondo is recommending. I mean sure, I would love to throw out/donate and replace all items of clothing that have holes and all the old objects in my home that are used second-hand, but unfortunately I am not working at this time and don't have much in the way of spending money. Kondo recommends tidying up all in one go instead of in little bits at a time, but this is just not a reality for me at the moment unless I was willing to get rid of almost everything I own all at once and not be able to replace it.<br />
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And secondly, I think I'm just too left-brained for some of Kondo's practices. Kondo believes that all inanimate objects are imbued with energy. And she advocates talking to all the objects in our lives, thanking them for the jobs they perform for us. It's just... a little too "out there" for me personally. It's not something I would be able to take seriously, and I know I certainly would not be able to feel such energies coming from objects to determine whether they "spark joy" in me.<br />
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Still, Marie Kondo makes a lot of other good points that I could see myself benefitting from. I know that lots of clutter in my home often makes me feel stressed. And it just seems like obvious good advice: if you don't love it or use it regularly, then don't keep it. I hope to start employing some of the practices that she talks about in her books (like de-cluttering by category instead of place and designating a "home" for all objects) and I anticipate seeing good results in the overall happiness and efficiency of my life. Though I will have to do it at my own pace (because of money issues) and in my own way (because I don't think any inanimate object has energy that could spark joy in me exactly as Kondo describes).<br />
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Anyways, I would be curious if anyone reading this has tried the KonMari Method - did it work for you?<br />
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<b>Author Links:</b><br />
<a href="https://konmari.com//">Website</a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/mariekondo">Twitter</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/konmarimethod/">Facebook</a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5589647.Marie_Kond_">Goodreads</a><br />
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<br />Ayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07639250102446794830noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619019089060464771.post-48329143425456815772017-01-17T07:00:00.000-07:002017-01-17T07:00:08.273-07:00My 2016 Bookish Stats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
For three years now, I have been keeping track of my bookish stats in an extensive spreadsheet so that I can compile the data at the end of the year, make some graphs, and keep track of the trends in my reading (see <a href="http://recoveringpotteraddict.blogspot.ca/2015/01/my-2014-bookish-stats.html"><span style="color: #990000;">my 2014 bookish stats</span></a> and <a href="http://recoveringpotteraddict.blogspot.ca/2016/01/my-2015-bookish-stats.html"><span style="color: #990000;">my 2015 bookish stats</span></a>). Yes, I am a nerd. But I will not deny my unabashed love for Microsoft Excel and all its many uses... </div>
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So. In 2016 I read 175 books. I am proud not only of this number, but of the fact that I have been steadily increasing my number of books read every year by 25 books since 2011. So of course now that I am so close to *200 books* read in a year, I feel like I just have to challenge myself to do it, you know? Of course, I will need to read a bunch of shorter books this year to have a shot at meeting such a goal... We'll see what happens.</div>
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I consider it a good reading year when the majority of books I read are 4 stars and above. So I am happy to say that 2016 was a very good year for me in books as roughly 75% of books I read were 4 (or 3.5 rounded up) stars to 5 stars, with only a few duds.</div>
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Here is a breakdown of books read by genre from 2014 to 2016. Fantasy reading is back on top for me after that weird anomaly in 2015 when contemporary reads actually surpassed fantasy reads. I also read a lot more dystopians in 2016 (I read a few backlist series that I've had on my TBR forever, like the Uglies Series by Scott Westerfeld and the Shatter Me Trilogy by Tahereh Mafi). And I've really been embracing and enjoying non-fiction a whole lot this past year.</div>
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I read zero review books in 2016, nor did I purchase any books. All the books I read in 2016 were either borrowed from the library or gifted to me (i.e.. FREE). Now this might be the stat I'm most proud of, and my wallet thanks me! Occasionally I do miss the days of receiving advanced books for review from publishers and all the excitement that went along with that, but overall I find I'm happiest not reading and reviewing on anyone's schedule but my own.<br />
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Only three data points here, but I'm pleased that I've managed to meet my goal to read more diverse books: in 2016, almost 25% of the books I read had a MC who was a person of colour.</div>
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I've also managed to read more books with an LGBT representation, with over 15% of books read in 2016 featuring a LGBT MC.</div>
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And finally, I've managed to increase the percentage of standalones I read in 2016 to almost 50% (probably all those non-fiction reads I read). I still love me a good series read, but I was getting a bit overwhelmed with the number of series I was taking on so I am happy I decided to do less series-reading in 2016.<br />
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So there you have it (if anyone did indeed read this post to the end...)! In 2017, I would like to continue to read more non-fiction as I really enjoyed it in 2016. I would also like to read more diversely and limit the number of series I have on the go. I am considering taking up e-galley reading for publishers again (though not in any major capacity), and I plan on maintaining my book buying ban for 2017. Here's to a good year in reading!<br />
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<br />Ayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07639250102446794830noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619019089060464771.post-73332028132386798912017-01-06T12:00:00.000-07:002017-01-06T12:00:14.381-07:00Stacking the Shelves: Holiday 2016 Edition<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/search/label/Stacking%20The%20Shelves" style="color: #0e6d88; text-decoration: none;">Stacking the Shelves</a> is a weekly meme hosted by <a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/" style="color: #178181; text-decoration: none;">Tynga's Reviews</a></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> to showcase books that I have received for review, bought, borrowed, been gifted, or won to read.</span><br />
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Happy New Year! It's been a year since I participated in the Stacking the Shelves meme to show off <a href="http://recoveringpotteraddict.blogspot.ca/2016/01/stacking-shelves-holiday-edition.html"><span style="color: #990000;">my 2015 holiday book haul</span></a>. I'm super excited and grateful for the books I got over the 2016 holiday season so I thought I would show them off as well:<br />
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To start off, a few books I received pre-holidays from the work I do as a bookkeeper for my dad's company:<br />
<b><i>Empire of Storms</i> by Sarah J. Maas</b> - I ordered this shortly after completing <i>Queen of Shadows</i>, which I loved. I will hopefully get to reading this soon - certainly before the final Throne of Glass book comes out this year!<br />
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<b>Leuchtturm1917 Dotted Hardcover Notebook (A5), Royal Blue</b> - In the tail end of 2016, I decided to try my hand at bullet journalling and quickly fell in love. I've always been a planner and list-maker, but have always done so digitally - to varied success. With bullet journalling, there's something about planning in analog that just works for me and has been keeping me on track and motivated to be productive. So I decided to treat myself to a pretty new journal for the new year!<br />
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Holiday Gifts:<br />
<b><i>The Piper's Son</i> by Melina Marchetta</b> - from <a href="http://burningximpossiblyxbright.blogspot.ca/"><span style="color: #990000;">Ambur of Burning Impossibly Bright</span></a><br />
I've only read one Melina Marchetta book before - <i>Jellicoe Road</i> - and I found it to be so beautiful and impactful. So I'm looking forward to my next Marchetta read!<br />
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<b><i>I'll Give You The Sun</i> by Jandy Nelson</b> - from <a href="http://jstanotherstory.blogspot.ca/"><span style="color: #990000;">Sara of Just Another Story</span></a><br />
I have heard nothing but the most amazing things about this author and this book and so I am stoked to read this!<br />
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<b><i>Uprooted </i>by Naomi Novik</b> - from <a href="http://www.lunar-rainbows.com/"><span style="color: #990000;">Micheline of Lunar Rainbows</span></a><br />
Here's another one that seemingly everyone loved. I just KNOW that this one will end up being a favourite fantasy of mine!<br />
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<b><i>The Goldfinch</i> by Donna Tartt</b> - from in-laws<br />
My in-laws both loved this book a lot and thoughtfully thought I would like it as well.<br />
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As with last year, I can't help but feel SO lucky to have so many people in my life who are so thoughtful and know my reading tastes so well! I expect 2017 will be a good year in books for me :)<br />
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<br />Ayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07639250102446794830noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619019089060464771.post-81132607142826035492016-12-13T07:00:00.000-07:002016-12-17T21:24:48.267-07:002016 End of Year Survey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGAhpVcNAs6x-nRvGtU6ZNL_wKot2EcJBjB1whYnju5pTZdrnAaWRvRIYMmNLwI9_5SlF5hR5bg4Uey2Ft9F2kbdQ5d8XvqJSQQbVAbYN6k6tnXNoS2ntC0GcSYgskHYB4NBZOVxNwc_E/s1600/2016-end-of-year-book-survey-1024x984-768x738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGAhpVcNAs6x-nRvGtU6ZNL_wKot2EcJBjB1whYnju5pTZdrnAaWRvRIYMmNLwI9_5SlF5hR5bg4Uey2Ft9F2kbdQ5d8XvqJSQQbVAbYN6k6tnXNoS2ntC0GcSYgskHYB4NBZOVxNwc_E/s400/2016-end-of-year-book-survey-1024x984-768x738.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Annual End of Year Book Survey is hosted by <a href="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/" style="color: #990000;">The Perpetual Page-Turner</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq0HwBGTETt0u2nZ6kglcf9udBWWi21aV9uVLVTA7dcCqJerNiSbKb8nqLIWC1QKlhmH-kd_tsWZc-17reKWV-tkrD8lATbT38HDNUzrisXf_-MUdNOQcrzw2Wz_ACOgYvtj6WGOiKvbg/s1600/Queen-of-shadows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq0HwBGTETt0u2nZ6kglcf9udBWWi21aV9uVLVTA7dcCqJerNiSbKb8nqLIWC1QKlhmH-kd_tsWZc-17reKWV-tkrD8lATbT38HDNUzrisXf_-MUdNOQcrzw2Wz_ACOgYvtj6WGOiKvbg/s320/Queen-of-shadows.jpg" width="210" /></a><b>1. Best Book You Read In 2016?
</b><br />
In chronological order read: The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater, <i>Illuminae</i> by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, Fire and Thorns Trilogy by Rae Carson, <i>Queen of Shadows</i> by Sarah J. Maas, and <i>Vicious</i> by V.E. Schwab. I read lots of great books this year, but these are the ones that ended up sticking with me weeks, months later.<br />
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<b>2. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read? </b><br />
<i>Harry Potter and the Cursed Child</i> had a ton of bizarre surprises in store and I'm still not really sure what to think of them...<br />
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<b>3. Best series you started in 2016? Best Sequel of 2016? Best Series Ender of 2016?
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Definitely The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater.<br />
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<b>4. Favorite new author you discovered in 2016?
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Rae Carson! I was blown away by her Fire and Thorns Trilogy.<br />
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<b>5. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
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I usually avoid depressing contemporary books like the plague, but I must admit that <i>Me Before You</i> by Jojo Moyes was a great reading experience.<br />
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<b>6. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
</b><br />
The Fire and Thorns Trilogy by Rae Carson - these books are so fast-paced, they accomplish more plot-wise in a few chapters than the average book, which takes thrice as long.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtUGIt4FUF1aK2VdORjfpqmqxwHHPjBmed4QV8Dw4jwGxUvcuOFF6YV5ejq2gmxxjs0wo2_5-aFa0UJKE9yjTUrvbkFUgzxs8AvX59kh0F88zAc4BtVZatY-TteQiF1UpW0NlXnjv69hw/s1600/fire-and-thorns-trilogy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtUGIt4FUF1aK2VdORjfpqmqxwHHPjBmed4QV8Dw4jwGxUvcuOFF6YV5ejq2gmxxjs0wo2_5-aFa0UJKE9yjTUrvbkFUgzxs8AvX59kh0F88zAc4BtVZatY-TteQiF1UpW0NlXnjv69hw/s400/fire-and-thorns-trilogy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>7. Book You Read In 2016 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
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I would love to do a series reread of The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater, probably via audiobook.<br />
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<b>8. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2016?
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoCt5aSrWY4jYz8z-ahjpLLjA3-G8GGcPKALaUJtDk25A_aSCkbnw336rgr_6fUgPnDQk7UEzoXByezcDpO7fljdd3VdqIsDFZwyT7np_hWgJyC0z1jkiaJfJfqZ-K437tMuhZOe4zWro/s1600/RavenCycle-complete.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoCt5aSrWY4jYz8z-ahjpLLjA3-G8GGcPKALaUJtDk25A_aSCkbnw336rgr_6fUgPnDQk7UEzoXByezcDpO7fljdd3VdqIsDFZwyT7np_hWgJyC0z1jkiaJfJfqZ-K437tMuhZOe4zWro/s640/RavenCycle-complete.jpg" width="90%" /></a></div>
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<b>9. Most memorable character of 2016?
</b><br />
Laura Ingalls from the Little House Series quickly won me over with her spunky tomboy spirit and I loved reading about her journey growing up as a pioneer in the Northwest US. Also: Marvin, the chronically depressed robot, from <i>The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy</i>.<br />
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<b>10. Most beautifully written book read in 2016?
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The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrGK_hSM7YaRcFldnMMsK29hutNlUOYjW_vAEn3c8xeY5o5anVE55MPCpesnFP_AqqM9S-NF-lUYWxFIMkBH1O-wRR2F169Qg8b94GXr0Y6M0bBPVeWZ7e1TLJ8S6Im94a4gHS_k6COt8/s1600/Me-Before-You-book-cover-Jan-12-p122.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/AVvXsEgrGK_hSM7YaRcFldnMMsK29hutNlUOYjW_vAEn3c8xeY5o5anVE55MPCpesnFP_AqqM9S-NF-lUYWxFIMkBH1O-wRR2F169Qg8b94GXr0Y6M0bBPVeWZ7e1TLJ8S6Im94a4gHS_k6COt8/s320/Me-Before-You-book-cover-Jan-12-p122.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<b>11. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2016?
</b><br />
<i>Me Before You</i> by Jojo Moyes. I wouldn't say this book was life-changing, but it definitely gave me a ton to think about.<br />
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<b>13. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2016 to finally read?
</b><br />
<i>The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy</i> by Douglas Adams! That book was originally published in 1979, is a classic, and is right up my alley so I don't know what took me so long.<br />
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<b>14. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2016?
</b><br />
<b>Longest: </b><i>Queen of Shadows</i> by Sarah J. Maas - 648 pages<br />
<b>Shortest: </b>one of the numerous children's picture books I read to kids during my summer job<br />
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<b>15. Book That Shocked You The Most
</b><br />
<i>Illuminae</i> by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff had some insanely fun shocking moments!<br />
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<b>16. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)
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Yorick and Agent 355 from <i>Y: The Last Man</i> by Brian Vaughan.<br />
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<b>17. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
</b><br />
The Raven Boys + Blue, from the The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater.<br />
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<b>18. Favorite Book You Read in 2016 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
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The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater. I had previously read <i>The Scorpio Races</i> - an all-time favourite of mine - so it is no wonder The Raven Cycle was a WIN for me in 2016.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzrCVcgMZFTcN4yy5bYsp_HAPMjebMmZh2tf6CYwb2SU8ErIJMWjIWv6hcT4V3skgsTkstfB9VzeMT3yDetyJJVEPanG5NSKe93zyCsz-uayVma_BpRGujUChiJcvJRNgN0ATGk6Tgmw/s1600/51BxlBTSLyL._SX304_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzrCVcgMZFTcN4yy5bYsp_HAPMjebMmZh2tf6CYwb2SU8ErIJMWjIWv6hcT4V3skgsTkstfB9VzeMT3yDetyJJVEPanG5NSKe93zyCsz-uayVma_BpRGujUChiJcvJRNgN0ATGk6Tgmw/s320/51BxlBTSLyL._SX304_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="196" /></a><b>19. Best Book You Read In 2016 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:
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When I heard from Micheline of <a href="http://www.lunar-rainbows.com/"><span style="color: #990000;">Lunar Rainbows</span></a> that the audiobook of <i>The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy</i> was read by the inimitable Stephen Fry, I KNEW I had to have it!<br />
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<b>20. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
</b><br />
<i>Ready Player One </i>by Ernest Cline.<br />
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<b>21. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
</b><br />
For sure <i>The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy</i> by Douglas Adams!<br />
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<b>22. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2016?
</b><br />
<i>Me Before You</i> by Jojo Moyes.<br />
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<b>23. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
</b><br />
The final volume of <i>Y: The Last Man</i> by Brian Vaughan.<br />
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<b>24. Most Unique Book You Read In 2016?
</b><br />
<i>Saga </i>by Brian Vaughan and <i>The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making</i> by Catherynne M. Valente. HELLO creativity!!<br />
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<b>25. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2016 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2017?
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<i>Empire of Storms</i> (Throne of Glass #5) by Sarah J. Maas<br />
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<b>26. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2017 (non-debut)?
</b><br />
Throne of Glass #6 by Sarah J. Maas - the series ender!!<br />
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<br />Ayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07639250102446794830noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619019089060464771.post-51502848855019404062016-12-05T22:00:00.000-07:002016-12-05T22:00:02.706-07:00Top Ten Authors I Read For The First Time In 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.ca/p/top-ten-tuesday-other-features.html" style="color: #0e6d88; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">Top Ten Tuesday</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">is a meme hosted by</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.ca/" style="color: #0e6d88; text-decoration: none;">The Broke and the Bookish</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Top Ten Authors I Read For The First Time In 2016</span></b></div>
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<b>1. Jojo Moyes (<i>Me Before You</i>):</b> This year I finally read the much hyped <i>Me Before You</i> (still have to see the movie adaptation though), and it was every bit as depressing as I was told it would be. Heh. It was a good story though and I would like to read more from Jojo Moyes.<br />
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<b>2. Charles Darwin (<i>Voyage of the Beagle, Origin of Species</i>):</b> Of course I studied Darwin's ideas <i>ad nauseam</i> in school, but I'd never actually read his books until this year. <i>Origin of Species</i> was a bit dry, but <i>Voyage of the Beagle</i> - in which Darwin recounts his thoughts from his 5 year trip exploring the Southern Hemisphere and developing his theory of evolution - was honestly FASCINATING.<br />
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<b>3. Barack Obama (<i>Dreams From My Father</i>):</b> Turns out this guy can WRITE! I listened to the audiobook of <i>Dreams From My Father</i> - narrated by Obama himself - and it was interesting to learn so much about his backstory. Slightly off topic: PLEASE DON'T LEAVE US BARACK!<br />
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<b>4. Colleen Hoover (<i>Confess</i>):</b> I finally read my first Colleen Hoover book this year and experienced the full extent of her trademark emotional drama in <i>Confess</i>. I would definitely like to read more from Colleen!<br />
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<b>5. Rae Carson (<i>Fire and Thorns Trilogy</i>):</b> I was blown away by Rae Carson's Fire and Thorns Trilogy this year (<a href="http://recoveringpotteraddict.blogspot.ca/2016/10/series-review-fire-and-thorns-by-rae.html"><span style="color: #990000;">read my full review here</span></a>). Queen Elisa is for sure one of my all-time favourite fictional rulers!<br />
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<b>6. Laura Ingalls Wilder (<i>Little House Series</i>):</b> Looooved this autobiographical telling of tomboy Laura Ingalls growing up as a pioneer of the northern midwest US in the 1800s!<br />
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<b>7. Brian K. Vaughan (<i>Y: The Last Man, Saga</i>):</b> 2016 was also the year that I started to explore graphic novels and Brian Vaughan was easily my favourite graphic novel author I read this year. Completed series <i>Y: The Last Man</i> and ongoing series <i>Saga</i> are both excellent!<br />
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<b>8. Catherynne M. Valente (<i>Fairyland Series</i>):</b> Catherynne M. Valente is an author unlike no other... though it initially took a while to get into her writing in her Fairyland Series, I came to really love it for its uniqueness!<br />
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<b>9. Douglas Adams (<i>Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Series</i>):</b> I was inspired by <a href="http://www.lunar-rainbows.com/"><span style="color: #990000;">Micheline</span></a> to finally dig into the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Series by Douglas Adams on audiobook this year and while my interest definitely waned as the series went on, I loved my hilarious Douglas Adams experience!<br />
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<b>10. Roald Dahl (<i>The BFG, Esio Trot, Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox</i>):</b> Okay, okay, Roald Dahl isn't a new author for me. BUT in some ways it felt like a new experience as I haven't read any of his books since devouring most of them as a wee child many, many years ago. I am about halfway through my Roald Dahl boxset that I got for Christmas last year and thoroughly enjoying every whimsical moment!<br />
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<br />Ayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07639250102446794830noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619019089060464771.post-11898922018177105872016-12-02T07:00:00.000-07:002016-12-02T07:00:12.728-07:00November Recap: Rest in Peace, StelaNovember was a bit rough for me and as a result I wasn't up for much blogging. At the beginning of the month, I lost my dear ferret, Stela:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7GY9g78RiARtIefMWrEzi8jyVu9d6zXt2t2r3_O9mBUQwP35O8YwJWhsq2CJzJ9RiR0RXf6OlQbmV1OUVXkpKp1_JYMzhOStnZlZasL50CSTl1BcJU5z67cPlsUzDPjPDceyAa4Dvio/s1600/2014-08-28+16.16.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7GY9g78RiARtIefMWrEzi8jyVu9d6zXt2t2r3_O9mBUQwP35O8YwJWhsq2CJzJ9RiR0RXf6OlQbmV1OUVXkpKp1_JYMzhOStnZlZasL50CSTl1BcJU5z67cPlsUzDPjPDceyAa4Dvio/s400/2014-08-28+16.16.44.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Super Stela</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It was about 3 years ago that I adopted my ferret girls, Mü and Stela (whose names together create <i>Mustela</i>, their scientific genus) and they quickly became a big part of my life and my heart.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mü and Stela</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Stela is maybe about 2 years older than Mü and has had a number of health problems over the past few years. And yet despite that, her passing still felt very abrupt. Just that day she was scampering about as per usual and hiding her toys around the house as always. She was totally fine, and then all of a sudden she wasn't.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAVevCFqqS2yS_UfSSgMnGZyBSSsr7BPK_ktDV-5tZyEbxUOhtzegAkT6JOVIe5O2QPYBjg86RdqvmiEfNtVwGybiv3EjnNg6TE8DMnjlyMkYj2C4US0wCbO4JVk-Mq6K_ITckyLM62fM/s1600/photo+3-6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAVevCFqqS2yS_UfSSgMnGZyBSSsr7BPK_ktDV-5tZyEbxUOhtzegAkT6JOVIe5O2QPYBjg86RdqvmiEfNtVwGybiv3EjnNg6TE8DMnjlyMkYj2C4US0wCbO4JVk-Mq6K_ITckyLM62fM/s400/photo+3-6.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many nests Stela found for herself to sleep: my sock drawer</td></tr>
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Mü for her part is doing okay. They were a bonded pair so I was quite concerned how Mü would handle Stela's passing considering they were always together. We brought the body home from the vet to show to Mü and she seemed to sort of process things in her own way. It was very sad.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdgPdm9f7fMVH2e4priBLVom-iI0ytpHODIjyik-mT-4Px8-5JHfcWyJ3ZBZ1VznwOsioydt5LwbtdbhRLe3ZI1zOll4wP7yQs1AG6t3fIc72MHrW9g7emH6ZfshfUffzKHCggxuLbWcY/s1600/2014-05-27+23.19.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdgPdm9f7fMVH2e4priBLVom-iI0ytpHODIjyik-mT-4Px8-5JHfcWyJ3ZBZ1VznwOsioydt5LwbtdbhRLe3ZI1zOll4wP7yQs1AG6t3fIc72MHrW9g7emH6ZfshfUffzKHCggxuLbWcY/s400/2014-05-27+23.19.02.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mü and Stela</td></tr>
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I've had a few weeks to mourn and adjust now, but damn I miss her. She was such a sweetheart, such a character. She brought a smile to my face every single day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLhjNf-7O4ApVcCuDLvlQr7UFwDjLN5uqyY80uV7LVSB-r6Xp6yEt1zIJmCgQuMkOC4b9Kj_tYERuLO8sE-nzxRQ9kQQSNlFNNNNjlhh8h_spUKP9Kvo5GrtdTTZqZOlWXNxKk8Z9ifE/s1600/2014-08-26+12.35.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLhjNf-7O4ApVcCuDLvlQr7UFwDjLN5uqyY80uV7LVSB-r6Xp6yEt1zIJmCgQuMkOC4b9Kj_tYERuLO8sE-nzxRQ9kQQSNlFNNNNjlhh8h_spUKP9Kvo5GrtdTTZqZOlWXNxKk8Z9ifE/s320/2014-08-26+12.35.41.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silly Stela</td></tr>
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It was actually the day before the US Election that Stela passed away and I like to think her little heart was so pure, so virtuous, that she knew she couldn't live in such a world with such a repulsive world leader. Heh.<br />
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Rest in peace, dearest Stela.<br />
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<b>Favourite TV Show of November:</b></div>
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Now here is a definite bright spot of the month: <i>Gravity Falls</i>. I couldn't help it, when I was watching this show, it just made me feel happy! I can't remember the last time I so thoroughly enjoyed a TV show by Disney, but whenever it was I don't think I was an adult. <i>Gravity Falls</i> is just one of those shows that transcends age though. It's super silly and light hearted and yet it has a great mystery as well. Highly recommended to all!<br />
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<b>Favourite Book of November: </b></div>
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I technically started this one in October, but I wasn't up to reading for a good while there... Thank goodness that this chapter in the Throne of Glass series was able to save me from a potential reading slump! Sarah Maas never fails to impress and <i>Queen of Shadows</i> was another superb instalment. I am so impressed at the growth of all the characters since book one and I am both excited and terrified to see what is yet to come for them in books five and six. I should hopefully get to <i>Empire of Storms</i> soon!<br />
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<br />Ayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07639250102446794830noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619019089060464771.post-51233334239491787352016-11-28T07:00:00.000-07:002016-11-28T07:00:16.195-07:00Muggle Monday: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Review<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">It's time for Muggle Monday, in which I highlight something from the Harry Potter world. This is somewhat inspired by the </span><a href="http://mundiemoms.blogspot.ca/search/label/Mundane%20Monday" style="color: #5c0812; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-decoration: none;">Mundane Monday</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> posts by </span><a href="http://mundiemoms.blogspot.ca/" style="color: #5c0812; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-decoration: none;">The Mundie Moms</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">But let's be real as to why I made up this feature: I just want the opportunity to post something about Harry Potter.</span><br />
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This week, my thoughts on the movie adaptation of <i>Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them</i>:<br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Directed by: </b>David Yates</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Screenplay by: </b>J.K. Rowling</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Produced by: </b>Heyday Films, Warner Brothers</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>In Theatres: </b>November 18, 2016</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Length: </b>2 hrs. 13 min.</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Rated: </b>PG</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The adventures of writer Newt Scamander in New York's secret community of witches and wizards seventy years before Harry Potter reads his book in school.</span></i>
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I'm sure I wasn't the only one who was both very excited to get another story set in J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World and kind of nervous that this movie adaptation (based on the textbook <i>Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them</i> by Newt Scamander that was written for Comic Relief 15 years ago) wouldn't live up to expectations after the success of the Harry Potter franchise.<br />
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But there was no need to worry after all. I am happy to report that I (and it seems like the vast majority of people) thoroughly enjoyed this latest Wizarding World addition - no doubt thanks to the fact that the screenplay was written by J.K. Rowling herself (and not just written by another person and signed off by Jo...). It helps too to have David Heyman and David Yates (and heaps more crew members) return from the Harry Potter films.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGy3qPl9RL8B2WjfBoM6Y3RXqYKiF2ujgePubgGyydLhFVll8lTk8DH01C0DgMsHwKNotphoDRqcYTV5fdLgx4ZBK5lqm27Y_cFceJbDg92WjWN2MD_9FYx-DIHHbJWeZ4HsgrOXCZ9DA/s1600/Niffler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGy3qPl9RL8B2WjfBoM6Y3RXqYKiF2ujgePubgGyydLhFVll8lTk8DH01C0DgMsHwKNotphoDRqcYTV5fdLgx4ZBK5lqm27Y_cFceJbDg92WjWN2MD_9FYx-DIHHbJWeZ4HsgrOXCZ9DA/s1600/Niffler.jpg" /></a>What kind of plot can really come out of a little 42-page textbook listing magical creatures that J.K. Rowling wrote for charity? Turns out quite a lot, which should be no surprise for those acquainted with Jo's bountiful imagination. <i>Fantastic Beasts</i> follows a young Newt Scamander who has been travelling the world studying magical beasts, only to run into trouble upon landing in 1920s New York City as some magical entity has been terrorizing people, both magic and non-magic alike.<br />
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I know there was a lot of muttering about how the initial trilogy of <i>Fantastic Beasts</i> that is now expanded to five movies is all a ploy on Warner Brothers' part to get more money. But I truly believe J.K. Rowling needed to expand the movie series for legit reasons. The five movies will cover the rise and defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald and begins in 1926 and will end in 1945. So. This first movie is really only the tip of the iceberg of loads more story to uncover.<br />
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For me, the highlights of <i>Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them</i> was the myriad of magical creatures we were introduced to (and excellent CG effects), as well as the new characters we meet <br />
(and the actors that play them). There is a new "trio" in these movies that is actually a quartet (pictured in the movie poster above) and I quickly became attached to them and their friendship.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrgT0lw33U6hy-PlD39rfQS8_S1292CE2R-WL4C4xWYkRuIPxDOVc8nsfdbFIvgfLTLmpwRrtvznW9fGG-CYRpxoZ3ZDspUWosv6hyJqRRI1IksuKA_e284KVRarT5Wmx7nbgc_kiL-8/s1600/bowtruckle-newt-fantastic-beasts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrgT0lw33U6hy-PlD39rfQS8_S1292CE2R-WL4C4xWYkRuIPxDOVc8nsfdbFIvgfLTLmpwRrtvznW9fGG-CYRpxoZ3ZDspUWosv6hyJqRRI1IksuKA_e284KVRarT5Wmx7nbgc_kiL-8/s400/bowtruckle-newt-fantastic-beasts.jpg" width="400" /></a>I love Newt especially. He is essentially the wizarding world equivalent of Charles Darwin: just as a young Darwin travelled the world discovering new creatures and developing ideas to write his book <i>Origin of Species</i>, so is Newt planning to apply all that he has learned into the book that becomes <i>Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them</i>. I find Newt/Darwin's curiosity for animals and nature, as well as their preference for beasts over humans, so dang charming and relatable. Eddie Redmayne plays the perfect Newt: very shy and unassuming around most human beings, very open-hearted and generous with all magical creatures.<br />
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The only - ONLY - negative that I have to say about this movie is simply this: I would have rather have had a book first. I'm not talking about the movie script that was published alongside the movie, I mean a proper descriptive book written by J.K. Rowling. There were many moments while I was watching the movie in which I wished I could get more insight into a magical creature or into the mind of what a particular character was thinking, like we were able to with Jo's written books. I realize that is a selfish wish to have considering we were lucky to receive any tidbit of wizarding world lore after Harry Potter ended, but that's just how I feel.<br />
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Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed <i>Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them</i> and I can't wait for the following four movies to come! If you have seen the movie, I would love to know your thoughts!<br />
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<br />Ayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07639250102446794830noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619019089060464771.post-90518080049549616282016-11-16T07:00:00.000-07:002016-11-16T07:00:25.038-07:00Waiting On Wednesday: HarperCollins Winter 2017 Catalog<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" none="none" text-decoration:="">Breaking The Spine</a> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">in which upcoming, eagerly anticipated releases are highlighted on the blog.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This week, I've chosen to feature a few picks from the <b>HarperCollins Winter 2017 Catalog</b>. And also, one from <b>HarperCollins' Fall 2016 Catalog</b> because I haven't gotten to feature it yet:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Date: November 29, 2016</span></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22698569-the-fate-of-the-tearling">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>In less than a year, Kelsea Glynn has transformed from a gawky teenager into a powerful monarch. As she has come into her own as the Queen of the Tearling, the headstrong, visionary leader has also transformed her realm. In her quest to end corruption and restore justice, she has made many enemies—including the evil Red Queen, her fiercest rival, who has set her armies against the Tear.
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To protect her people from a devastating invasion, Kelsea did the unthinkable—she gave herself and her magical sapphires to her enemy—and named the Mace, the trusted head of her personal guards, Regent in her place. But the Mace will not rest until he and his men rescue their sovereign, imprisoned in Mortmesne.
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Now, as the suspenseful endgame begins, the fate of Queen Kelsea—and the Tearling itself—will finally be revealed.</i></span></div>
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<i>The Fate of the Tearling</i> is the third and final book in The Queen of the Tearling trilogy - a trilogy that I have for the most part enjoyed for its headstrong protagonist and intriguing alternate world. I'm interested in seeing how this finale pans out...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3Nw7MMfLOqAXbvznEpgduP31U4RWz6XdPvqeKzuMrXbhOxzFX9QszfmfOCKIocepyXN0rZzhrzntrAqWXepfwHRV5iIUKEplySQWFNIaae_VbYeEozDaP2xFf1fUz5DdaTYneUkpPG0/s1600/30233110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3Nw7MMfLOqAXbvznEpgduP31U4RWz6XdPvqeKzuMrXbhOxzFX9QszfmfOCKIocepyXN0rZzhrzntrAqWXepfwHRV5iIUKEplySQWFNIaae_VbYeEozDaP2xFf1fUz5DdaTYneUkpPG0/s320/30233110.jpg" width="211" /></a><b style="color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Date: January 17, 2017</span></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30233110-carve-the-mark">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>On a planet where violence and vengeance rule, in a galaxy where some are favored by fate, everyone develops a currentgift, a unique power meant to shape the future. While most benefit from their currentgifts, Akos and Cyra do not — their gifts make them vulnerable to others’ control. Can they reclaim their gifts, their fates, and their lives, and reset the balance of power in this world?
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Cyra is the sister of the brutal tyrant who rules the Shotet people. Cyra’s currentgift gives her pain and power — something her brother exploits, using her to torture his enemies. But Cyra is much more than just a blade in her brother’s hand: she is resilient, quick on her feet, and smarter than he knows.
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Akos is from the peace-loving nation of Thuve, and his loyalty to his family is limitless. Though protected by his unusual currentgift, once Akos and his brother are captured by enemy Shotet soldiers, Akos is desperate to get his brother out alive — no matter what the cost. When Akos is thrust into Cyra’s world, the enmity between their countries and families seems insurmountable. They must decide to help each other to survive — or to destroy one another.</i></span></div>
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At times I have loved the Divergent series and at times I have... less than loved the Divergent series. But I do think Veronica Roth is a talented writer with great ideas so I'm excited to see what she has planned for us next with <i>Carve the Mark</i>!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Hunted by Meagan Spooner</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Date: March 14, 2017</span></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30653719-hunted">Add to Goodreads</a><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. Though she grew up with the city’s highest aristocrats, far from her father’s old lodge, she knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering them.
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So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas…or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance.
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Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange Beast back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?</i></span></div>
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Bring on the Beauty and the Beast retellings! Beauty and the Beast is one of my all-time favourite classics, a story that never gets old for me. And in <i>Hunted</i>, it sounds like Meagan Spooner has added a bit of a twist to it that should be interesting!<br />
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How about you? Are you waiting on any of these <b>HarperCollins Winter 2017 reads</b>? Are there any upcoming books from the <b>HarperCollins Winter 2017 Catalog</b> that I didn't include here that you feel I should add to my list?<br />
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