tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45493632187503796412024-03-19T05:45:52.482-04:00What's Your Story ReviewsAshley Delgadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241011799780389342noreply@blogger.comBlogger603125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4549363218750379641.post-84040172077093454172018-09-29T23:34:00.001-04:002018-09-29T23:34:08.417-04:00September Book of the Month Unboxing ASMRHello guys! It's been a little while since I posted, a lot of crazy things happened to me in the last few months--unfortunately, they weren't good. My boyfriend got into a motorcycle accident, and I had to spend a month caring for him while he healed. Luckily, he's all right now, but I had no time for anything while I was taking care of him and everything fell to the wayside.<br />
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In big news, I started an ASMR book channel! I realized that there was a severe lack of bookish ASMR on Youtube, and decided to fill that void. The channel is still very young, and my set up is very amateur, but I'm working on bringing high quality content very soon. I'm working on incorporating this blog and the channel together, so I thought I'd share with you my very first video.<br />
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I signed up for <a href="https://www.mybotm.com/1wy44yd5abe">Book of the Month</a>, which is a cool book subscription service that allows you to choose from a preselected choice of books of each month, and they mail them to you for $14.99. Not too shabby, I think!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZiUixuirUQdBo5bPGpLyDqP_64VxoZZH8UVnUwGYXW1wkOo5C0tRNGn_ptlpQ4tL-febQ8K7n-xzKrXZKQyAgt8p79aAhrz3GBMpsX320WqZ0jeEzX_E7FAWdmfFg8G4e7uyIpgo3RIw/s1600/IMG_1812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1201" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZiUixuirUQdBo5bPGpLyDqP_64VxoZZH8UVnUwGYXW1wkOo5C0tRNGn_ptlpQ4tL-febQ8K7n-xzKrXZKQyAgt8p79aAhrz3GBMpsX320WqZ0jeEzX_E7FAWdmfFg8G4e7uyIpgo3RIw/s640/IMG_1812.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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This month, I chose:</div>
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<li><a href="https://amzn.to/2IpjPfS">The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock</a> by Imogen Hermes Gowar</li>
<li><a href="https://amzn.to/2Ir9XlL">Circe</a> by Madeline Miller</li>
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You can check out my ASMR unboxing below!<br />
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1vMj0vmCggg" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />Ashley Delgadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241011799780389342noreply@blogger.com92tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4549363218750379641.post-14581008460587391432018-08-03T00:30:00.000-04:002018-08-03T00:30:05.112-04:00Down the TBR Hole #1<br />
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<a href="https://bostonbookreader.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/8ec67942-3c69-4ea9-846b-fe98722a9f8b-8265-0000043274a1d9df.jpg?w=663" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="221" data-original-width="663" src="https://bostonbookreader.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/8ec67942-3c69-4ea9-846b-fe98722a9f8b-8265-0000043274a1d9df.jpg?w=663" /></a></div>
Down the TBR Hole is a feature started by <a href="https://lostinastory.blog/2016/11/11/down-the-tbr-hole-1-conquer-your-tbr/">Lost in a Story</a>. It's a fun meme where we take a look at our Goodreads TBR pile and decide whether we still want to read the books on the list, or if they'll be deleted to make room for others!<br />
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It works like this:<br />
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<li style="text-align: left;">Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Order on ascending date added.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Read the synopses of the books</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Decide: keep it or should it go?</li>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> The Books</span></b> <br />
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<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="305" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442967937l/8299165.jpg" width="205" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1360175970l/9182478.jpg" width="207" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388458635l/7159016.jpg" width="211" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327881907l/9366996.jpg" width="211" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="311" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1460477747l/10025305.jpg" width="209" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1316730539l/9583227.jpg" width="212" /><br />
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<b>• Chime by Franny Billingsly •</b></div>
I had to re-read the summary for this, because I had no clue what this was even about. It's about witches and romance, and ehhhh, I'm just not feeling it honestly.<br />
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<i>Decision</i>:</div>
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<b>• Hourglass by Myra McEntire •</b></div>
I remember there was a lot of hype when this book came out. It looks like there's a lot of good reviews on Goodreads, with only a few bad ones, so that makes me kinda want to keep it. Buut, there is a very compelling bad review that's top of the page, and has a decent amount of likes, so perhaps that person spoke for a lot of people who felt the same. At the end of the day, it's from 2011 and I think I can make room for more recent books.<br />
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<i>Decision</i>: </div>
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<b>• The Haunted by Jessica Verday •</b></div>
This is the sequel to <i>The Hollow</i>, which I own but haven't read yet. Because I haven't read it, but plan to, I'm going to keep The Haunted on my TBR just because I don't know whether I like the series yet or not.<br />
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<i>Decision</i>:</div>
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<b>• Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey •</b></div>
Honestly, truly, I'm keeping this on my TBR pile because the cover is so freaking pretty! I haven't even looked at the summary again, I just want this on my shelf.<br />
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<i>Decision</i>: </div>
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<b>• Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare • </b></div>
I already own it, just haven't read it, so it's definitely going to stay. I'll read it eventually!<br />
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<i>Decision</i>: </div>
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<a href="https://media1.tenor.com/images/aca8d407c7a68b7bf9a8feb9a8dfe391/tenor.gif?itemid=5156866" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="318" src="https://media1.tenor.com/images/aca8d407c7a68b7bf9a8feb9a8dfe391/tenor.gif?itemid=5156866" /></a></div>
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<b>• Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs •</b></div>
Ahh, this one is tricky. I love love <i>love</i> mermaid stories, and I love the cover for this one. But, after reading some reviews and the summary, I just don't think this one will make the cut :(<br />
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<i>Decision</i>:</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Do you agree with me? Do you think I should have kept certain books, and removed others? Let me know!</span>Ashley Delgadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241011799780389342noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4549363218750379641.post-32156679035360908502018-08-01T00:30:00.000-04:002018-08-01T00:30:13.898-04:00Let's RE-Discuss: Sex in YA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wbV1FC9zhyphenhyphenByJBP8aEgrxV1G2dGhNEP8P9E_Ybzpenk0NzU2Oz5OZYBByOs2sYAjBmpgNhyphenhyphenkJYLLCK3aUlKk5U6ikpsy0tw_ECsg8qM244zD9MAC50bpj8477ACtYYMy9rcuTRt125I/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-23+at+10.05.36+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="520" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wbV1FC9zhyphenhyphenByJBP8aEgrxV1G2dGhNEP8P9E_Ybzpenk0NzU2Oz5OZYBByOs2sYAjBmpgNhyphenhyphenkJYLLCK3aUlKk5U6ikpsy0tw_ECsg8qM244zD9MAC50bpj8477ACtYYMy9rcuTRt125I/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-07-23+at+10.05.36+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Let's RE-Discuss is a post series in which I will revive old discussion posts from the archives of my blog and see if I still agree with myself. </i></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Spoilers–why so taboo?</span></b><br />
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I wrote in a post in 2011 on sex in YA, and whether I thought it was appropriate. At the time, I was 16 and far less knowledgable about the ways of the world, <i>if ya know what I mean</i>.<br />
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So, let's see what 16 year old Ashley said:<br />
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<i>To me, sex in YA isn't bad or taboo at all. On the contrary, I think there could even be a bit more of it. Sex in YA isn't crude or inappropriate, it's realistic. As a high school attending teenager myself, I can honestly say that sex plays a very major role in every single teenager's life. It doesn't mean that every teen is having sex, but a good number of them are. As a parent, there is no possible way to shield your teen from it. Sure, you can monitor what your teen does on the Internet, and what they read, and the movies they watch, but the moment they go to school, guess what? Teens talk. If one has sex, it gets around, and your teen is exposed to it anyway, only now it's worse, because now your teen has the added pressure of looking "cool" when talking about sex. Or maybe you're one of those parents thinking, "Well, my child goes to a Catholic/Christian/private school, so there is less of all that going on." I'm sorry, but all I can do is snort at that. I've been going to Catholic school for 8 years now, and trust me, there is just as much of 'that' going on in a private school as there is anywhere else.</i></blockquote>
Aaaalll right, let's unpack that, hm? I still agree that sex is realistic and normal for teenagers. I'd go even further to say that, now as a responsible adult that more fully understands cause and effect, if sex is portrayed in YA it should be represented responsibly. There's nothing wrong with safe, consensual sex. And I feel as though in general, the media doesn't expose us to versions of that and we're given this warped view of sensuality and intimacy. We're shown the hot and heavy, <i>rip my clothes off and take me now </i>scenes, and usually those make me cringe. I can't help but yelling at the characters--"but what about STD's?? And YOU'LL GET PREGNANT!" I've been reading a lot more New Adult romance lately, and one thing I've noticed is that most of the first intimate scenes feature a moment in which one of the characters brings up safe sex practices--yes! That's a win! It could just be the authors that I happen to pick, not sure, but I can always get way more immersed into the story with that peace of mind.<br />
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I do still agree that teenagers, now more than ever with social media, are absolutely inundated with sex in all its forms. I'm not sure why, but I seem to have targeted that paragraph to parents, as though some were reading my blog <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">¯\_(ツ)_/¯ </span> I'm going to assume that readers of my blog fall into my own age range, so I'll edit that paragraph and just say that we all know that reading a book with a brief sex mention when we were teens wasn't the most provocative thing we'd ever seen.<br />
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<i>Of course, there is a huge difference in how a 13 year old understands sex, compared to how a 17 year old understands it. Just as there is a huge difference between a 17 year old's understanding of it, and a 25 year old's, and so on. I guess that's where the tricky part comes in, because what's to stop a 13 or 14 year old from picking up a novel that is, ideally, meant for older teens? Nothing. Well, there is one way. In Ramona's article, she writes about having a friend who read every novel before she let her daughter's read them, and that worked for her. That is probably the only way, but really, up to what age can you baby your children like that? 15? 16? I guess it's up to the parents to decide, based on the maturity level of their child.</i><br />
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</i> <i>I was always allowed free pick of what I wanted to read, because I've always been very mature for my age. When I was a bit younger, I could always tell what was appropriate for me and what wasn't, so my mom never worried about me. Now I'm at the point where, even if she wanted to, my mom couldn't monitor what I read and what I don't. I'm old enough to make my own decisions, and mature enough to understand what I'm reading and the context that it's in.</i></blockquote>
Now that I'm older, I see even less reason for a parent to need to screen the books that their kids read. Honestly, if it's a YA book, it's not going to cross any crazy lines. And it's pretty easy to tell the difference between actual erotica, and a YA book. I know there are some very strict parents who wouldn't like that, but I think kids should be exposed to different things. But, I do think that perhaps reading some reviews about the books beforehand could be a good alternative to reading <i>every single book</i> before your kid does.<br />
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<i>I will finish off this discussion post with this last piece from Ramona's article:</i><br />
<i>Sex should be part of YA books, because it’s a part of every young adult’s life, one way or the other. But I think it should be portrayed exactly as it is. A BIG DEAL. Messy. Wonderful. Confusing. Occasionally bearing STDs or unwanted pregnancies. LIFE-CHANGING. True to life.</i><br />
<i>YES. I agree with this a million times over. I guess my whole point with this long post was to say that YA author's shouldn't be afraid to include sex in their novels. Not pointless, slutty sex, just for the sake of it. That kind if just irritating and makes me instantly hate the book. But include it in there because it adds to the story. It adds to the realness of it. Sex isn't going anywhere--not unless you really want the world to end. So don't hide it because "teens can't handle it." We can, trust me. </i></blockquote>
Hm. I'd like to unpack some of the slight internalized misogyny my younger self fell into there--"slutty" sex. As I've gotten older and learned the ways of the world, I've realized that "sex for the sake of sex" is perfectly okay. And there's nothing wrong with experiencing that in a safe, consensual way as a teenager. So, I rescind that statement made by my younger self. But, I do truly enjoy when a scene of intimacy gives us deeper understanding into the characters, and by extension, the story.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>What do you think? Share your comments below!</b></span>Ashley Delgadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241011799780389342noreply@blogger.com179tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4549363218750379641.post-18104478211857339812018-07-11T09:32:00.003-04:002018-07-11T09:32:25.165-04:00BLOG TOUR + #GIVEAWAY: The Archivist by Christy Sloat @christysloat @GCReading<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodchoicereading.com/2018/05/the-archivist-by-christy-sloat-upper-ya.html"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="500" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXfv8VhCW2Nv4oqV8oepvu7kn21BLCFC_f2GsZiTGmWC3w4z-DTwwoebQxUbuNjH04KTthvayB5-TRHU93QNoW9LF6hrtgBLFrIHNallURdjAGyKTlreCgshkAR9bxpQUvnL76ktkXwUI/s400/The+Archivist+Blog+Tour+Banner.png" width="400" /></a><span id="goog_546132762"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_546132763"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">The Archivist by Christy Sloat</span></div>
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<u>Genre</u>: Upper YA</div>
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<u>Series</u>: The Librarian Chronicles #2 (companion novels)</div>
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"With the whimsy of Alice in Wonderland and the romance of Outlander dive back into the next installment in the Librarian Chronicles."<br />
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Savannah Preston has a rare and precious gift: The ability to time travel through books. She, and others who share this unique ability, are faced with the insurmountable task of preserving history. They are known collectively as The Librarians.<br />
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While researching infamous Scottish outlaw Sir Malcolm Wash during the raging conflicts of the 14th Century, Savannah loses the only thing that tethers her to her own time. She must rely on her knowledge of both the present and the past to survive long enough to find a way home. Along the way, she enlists the help of a misfit named Eoin. With his guidance, she might just get home. It’s a risky and dangerous adventure, but then, so is Eoin…</blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38929498-the-archivist?from_search=true"><img border="0" data-original-height="41" data-original-width="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpB9woJLdSFwAwBkk8-PKO7VdfRgF-rkCHsXt3MvKdhDjc0eXaUx_VljsXD2W18fKde9TPh_omvuEbrePXT1XFBIZK1VIL6K4YJAjNaZXy1eTOntc6QNBm5Yx4NnfbsRydWa6cl61qnwo/s1600/AddtoGoodreads.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Purchase</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2uhV3J5">Amazon</a></span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Review</span></b> <br />
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I greatly enjoyed reading <i>The Archivist</i>, and was intrigued enough to buy the first book in the series and put it on my TBR list for the coming future. <i>The Archivist </i>is actually the second book in The Librarian Chronicles, but it can be read as a stand-alone just fine. I can attest to that, as I had no context coming into this book and understood it just fine.<br />
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Savannah gets to travel to other times through books in order to properly record what happened in history--as we know, historians aren't always right. Savannah loves her job, even though it's caused a lot of tension between her and her mother--tension that may be irreparable, unfortunately. This book did deal with a very rocky mother-daughter relationship, with some abusive words being thrown Savannah's way. Just mentioning that for anyone who may be uncomfortable with that situation.<br />
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One day, Savannah gets forcibly thrust back in time to 14th century Scotland, and ends up stranded without a way to get back. This leads her to meet Eoin, who at first is rude and gruff. But, Savannah needs Eoin's help to find something very important that was lost, and is the key to getting back to her time. I loved reading about Savannah and Eoin's budding romance! I have to say, even though my experience with Scottish love interests has been very few, I realize I have a total <i>thing</i> for Scottish guys in books?? Hell yes! Especially when the author is able to make the Scottish accent shine through the text and for it to feel super natural--Christy Sloat was able to do just that, and Eoin was all better for it. *dreamy sigh* Is the romance quick to ignite? Yes, it is. Did it feel forced? Not at all! Savannah and Eoin fall for each other in what feels like a totally natural and necessary way.<br />
<br />
In terms of plot, it's not action packed, but the stakes were high enough to keep me interested the whole time and to wonder how it would all resolve. I have to say I'm pretty happy how it turned out, and I'll be eagerly following this series--and Christy Sloat's future work--for more!<br />
<br />
<b>4 stars</b>.<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">About the Author</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1354948667p8/5445209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1354948667p8/5445209.jpg" width="133" /></a>Christy Sloat resides in New Jersey with her husband, two daughters and her Chihuahua, Sophie. Christy has embraced the love of reading and writing since her youth and was inspired by her grandmother's loving support. She loves adventurous journeys with her friends and can be known to get lost inside a bookstore. She is the bestselling author of fourteen novels including, The Librarian, The Visitors Series, The Past Lives Series and the award-winning Slumber Duology.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Christy-Sloat/e/B0071MMCU6">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/christy%20sloat">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5445209.Christy_Sloat">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/christysloatauthor">Facebook</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.christysloat.blogspot.com/">Website</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/ChristySloat">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://instagram.com/christysloat_writes">Instagram</a></div>
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<i>This review copy was provided for free in exchange for an honest review. All views expressed above are solely my own. Affiliate links for Amazon included.</i></div>
Ashley Delgadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241011799780389342noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4549363218750379641.post-1831757957616256582018-07-08T21:34:00.000-04:002018-07-08T21:34:00.194-04:00Clearing My Shelves #Giveaway: Memento Nora ARC by Angie Smibert @amsmibert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0yySiX3W6GSfCBUJlP8hOOX4pyHgdfBGpN_GRWpgfgsSBqPFHM7PPh8XPzcqwJ89_cDqHS3i38q6D4_dDBvNy7DRIMCR0QDwceQkBttfcKSuye5Ro2-hjg_7tv5Cz1zBWd8S_m413908/s1600/ClearingmyBookshelves.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0yySiX3W6GSfCBUJlP8hOOX4pyHgdfBGpN_GRWpgfgsSBqPFHM7PPh8XPzcqwJ89_cDqHS3i38q6D4_dDBvNy7DRIMCR0QDwceQkBttfcKSuye5Ro2-hjg_7tv5Cz1zBWd8S_m413908/s400/ClearingmyBookshelves.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Clearing My Bookshelves is a feature I'm doing to move books I've read to new and loving homes. I don't want them to be sitting on my shelves gathering dust, so I'm going through all my books and giving them away! Lucky for you guys ;)<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote style="border: 2px dotted rgb(148,0,211); padding: 10px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1286151957l/9370766.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1286151957l/9370766.jpg" width="231" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9370766-memento-nora?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">GOODREADS</a></b></div><i>On an otherwise glossy day, a blast goes off and a body thuds to the ground at Nora's feet. There are terrorist attacks in the city all the time, but Nora can't forget.<br />
<br />
In Nora's world you don't have to put up with nightmares. Nora goes with her mother to TFC--a Therapeutic Forgetting Clinic. There, she can describe her horrible memory and take a pill to erase it so she can go on like nothing ever happened. But at TFC a chance encounter with a mysterious guy changes Nora's life. She doesn't take the pill. And when Nora learns the memory her mother has chosen to forget, she realizes that someone needs to remember.<br />
<br />
With newfound friends Micah and Winter, Nora makes a comic book of their memories called Memento. Memento is an instant hit, but it sets off a dangerous chain of events. Will Nora, Micah, and Winter be forced to take the Big Pill that will erase their memories forever?<br />
<br />
Angie Smibert's remarkable debut novel takes readers on a thrilling ride through a shadowy world where corporations secretly rule and consumerism is praised above all.</i></div></blockquote><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Giveaway Rules</span></b><br />
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Ashley Delgadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241011799780389342noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4549363218750379641.post-74050101193829862722018-07-06T00:30:00.000-04:002018-07-06T00:30:05.384-04:00Clearing My Bookshelves #Giveaway: Wither ARC by @LaurenDeStefano<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0yySiX3W6GSfCBUJlP8hOOX4pyHgdfBGpN_GRWpgfgsSBqPFHM7PPh8XPzcqwJ89_cDqHS3i38q6D4_dDBvNy7DRIMCR0QDwceQkBttfcKSuye5Ro2-hjg_7tv5Cz1zBWd8S_m413908/s1600/ClearingmyBookshelves.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0yySiX3W6GSfCBUJlP8hOOX4pyHgdfBGpN_GRWpgfgsSBqPFHM7PPh8XPzcqwJ89_cDqHS3i38q6D4_dDBvNy7DRIMCR0QDwceQkBttfcKSuye5Ro2-hjg_7tv5Cz1zBWd8S_m413908/s400/ClearingmyBookshelves.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Clearing My Bookshelves is a feature I'm doing to move books I've read to new and loving homes. I don't want them to be sitting on my shelves gathering dust, so I'm going through all my books and giving them away! Lucky for you guys ;)<br />
<br />
Today's bounty is the ARC I received of Wither by Lauren DeStefano<br />
<blockquote style="border: 2px dotted rgb(148,0,211); padding: 10px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1341532430l/8525590.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1341532430l/8525590.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8525590-wither?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">GOODREADS</a></b></div><i>By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children. <br />
<br />
When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can't bring herself to hate him as much as she'd like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband's strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out?<br />
<br />
Together with one of Linden's servants, Gabriel, Rhine attempts to escape just before her seventeenth birthday. But in a world that continues to spiral into anarchy, is there any hope for freedom?</i></blockquote><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Giveaway Rules</span></b> <br />
<hr color="FF1493" width="100%" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrHSjKVmtqK7l_BC6h6bzCca9-iDMsghTyENH9p2-pNpTuv2c60mSutjkmi4-OUHnzxBpvxmgIqBjpU5cE2HRjRfFbcXawBOTbm0hK4q_y3XzGoRFG8ER9ITmtEdrFDoZtng-T6xTsqI/s1600/IMG_1313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrHSjKVmtqK7l_BC6h6bzCca9-iDMsghTyENH9p2-pNpTuv2c60mSutjkmi4-OUHnzxBpvxmgIqBjpU5cE2HRjRfFbcXawBOTbm0hK4q_y3XzGoRFG8ER9ITmtEdrFDoZtng-T6xTsqI/s640/IMG_1313.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br />
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</div>Ashley Delgadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241011799780389342noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4549363218750379641.post-59034979699908575502018-07-05T00:30:00.000-04:002018-07-05T00:30:22.448-04:00Review: Miss Mabel's School for Girls by Katie Cross <blockquote style="border: 2px dotted rgb(148,0,211); padding: 10px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1428501279l/25321022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1428501279l/25321022.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<b>Miss Mabel's School for Girls</b></div>
<b>Pages</b>: 316<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: Antebellum Publishing<br />
<b>Genre</b>: YA Fantasy<br />
<b>#1 in Series</b> <br />
<b>Source</b>: Purchased<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25321022-miss-mabel-s-school-for-girls" target="_blank">GOODREADS</a></b></div>
<i>Never underestimate the power of a determined witch.<br />
<br />
Letum Wood is a forest of fog and deadfall, home to the quietly famous Miss Mabel’s School for Girls, a place where young witches learn the art of magic.<br />
<br />
Sixteen-year-old Bianca Monroe has inherited a deadly curse. Determined to break free before it kills her, she enrolls in the respected school to confront the cunning witch who cast the curse: Miss Mabel.<br />
<br />
Bianca finds herself faced with dark magic she didn’t expect, with lessons more dangerous than she could have ever imagined. Will Bianca have the courage to save herself from the curse, or will Miss Mabel’s sinister plan be too powerful?<br />
<br />
Miss Mabel’s School for Girls is the first novel in The Network Series, an exciting new fantasy collection. A gripping tale about the struggle to survive, it will take you to a new place and time, one you’ll never want to leave.</i></blockquote>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Review</span></b> <br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>“Your first job in every confrontation is to establish your opponent’s weakness. Strategy starts with weak spots.” </i></blockquote>
<i>Miss Mabel's School for Girls</i> could have been a real MVP among YA witch novels. All girls' magical school? Awesome, I'm with it. Main character who is strong and smart? Give it to me. No pesky insta-love to derail our MC from her objective? <i>Fantastic!</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> I regret to report that <i>Miss Mabel's School for Girls</i> did not meet my expectations. It actually took me quite awhile to finish MMSFG. According to Goodreads, I started in on August 11, 2017 and finished it on June 8th, 2018. Almost a year. Yikes.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnVVqbKEL4hZ1vgjlAIVBCLj_4abECekMVZemLpp7pmnHW40Wr_hAsgYQFHjZGjio2oQjGMTb3QdbNmWmUCdNWknUuMxvqbyCW_Brn4aLWfbhqPm7cqSEuxanscQLqF-hhsR_FNOdqog/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-01+at+8.55.51+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="116" data-original-width="497" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnVVqbKEL4hZ1vgjlAIVBCLj_4abECekMVZemLpp7pmnHW40Wr_hAsgYQFHjZGjio2oQjGMTb3QdbNmWmUCdNWknUuMxvqbyCW_Brn4aLWfbhqPm7cqSEuxanscQLqF-hhsR_FNOdqog/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-07-01+at+8.55.51+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
What I think put me off the most was how slow going the book was. This was the epitome of a "character driven" book, in that we spent so much time in Bianca's head because that's all she did--she thought about everything. She never just <i>did</i> things. Because of that, I felt the book lulled and never pulled me in enough. As you can see from my GR comments, it was around two-thirds of the book that I felt the plot finally started to be compelling enough to warrant me to finish it in one sitting.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather"; font-size: 16px;"><i>"Pressure and responsibility are driving forces, but only knowledge creates power."</i></span></blockquote>
Honestly, I don't have much to say about MMSFG other than I wanted more from it. It's Katie Cross's first book and lately I've been making a point to not rag on debut novels so harshly because I understand that novels are tough to write and putting them out there is like putting a piece of your soul on display. So, my best constructive criticism would be to level out the world-building with the character-building. A lot of people seem to be comparing this to Harry Potter, which I didn't see at all, but one point I want to make about HP is that it was so successfully because JK Rowling struck that sweet spot between making a wonderful magical world so believable, <i>as well as</i> a well rounded cast of characters that we got to know very intimately. When writing fantasy and magic stories, there's so much opportunity to really go ham with the surroundings and invent things to delight us readers. I wanted to see more of that, is all.<br />
<br />
Bianca has a tough road ahead of her, having bound herself to Miss Mabel in order to break the curse on her. I think I would be interested to see where the story goes, but I'll be honest that it's not a priority.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Miss Mabel's School for Girls is available for purchase<a href="https://amzn.to/2KFuxzc" target="_blank"> on Kindle</a>, as <a href="https://amzn.to/2ME9opD" target="_blank">a paperback</a>, or as<a href="https://amzn.to/2KD0WGR" target="_blank"> an audiobook</a>. </span><br />
<hr color="000000" width="75%" />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>About the Author</b></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1394145347p5/7940084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1394145347p5/7940084.jpg" /></a></div>
My world revolves around my husband (who is a major hottie), my Vizsla’s, and the mountains.<br />
<br />
I wear hiking boots instead of heels when I need to feel powerful, and on a bad day, I love a weightlifting workout. Actually, I love it on a good day.<br />
<br />
I don’t eat bread because my thyroid doesn’t like it, although there are days I miss it. Especially ciabatta. Sweet potatoes are kind of my thing. Cookies too.<br />
<br />
I write because I never stopped.<br />
<br />
Miss Mabel's School for Girls is my first novel. More to follow. <br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://kcrosswriting.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/kcrosswriting" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/katiecrosswriting" target="_blank">Facebook</a></div>
</blockquote>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">You Might Also Like...</span></b> <br />
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Ashley Delgadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241011799780389342noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4549363218750379641.post-43862584863351061922018-07-04T00:30:00.000-04:002018-07-04T00:30:00.222-04:00Review: Breakwater by Catherine Jones Payne @cjonespayne<blockquote style="border: 2px dotted rgb(148,0,211); padding: 10px;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487798291l/34371907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="307" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487798291l/34371907.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<b>Breakwater </b></div>
<b>Pages</b>: 240<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: Fathom Ink Press<br />
<b>Genre</b>: YA Fantasy<br />
<b>#1 in Series</b> <br />
<b>Source</b>: Kindle Unlimited<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34371907-breakwater?from_search=true" target="_blank">GOODREADS</a></b></div>
<i>Mermaids. Murder. Mayhem.<br />
<br />
A red tide is rising.<br />
<br />
As the daughter of one of the mer-king’s trusted advisors, seventeen-year-old Jade has great responsibilities. When her fiancé murders a naiad, plunging the underwater city of Thessalonike into uproar, tensions surge between the mer and the naiads. Jade learns too late that the choices she makes ripple further than she'd ever imagined. And as she fights against the tide of anger in a city that lives for scandal, she discovers danger lurking in every canal, imperiling her family and shattering the ocean's fragile peace.<br />
<br />
Can the city's divisions be mended before the upwelling of hate rips apart everything Jade loves?</i></blockquote>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Review</span></b> <br />
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I will begin by stating the absolute obvious, which is <b>that this cover is one of the most beautiful covers I've ever seen in my life.</b> Bra-freaking-<i>vo</i> to the illustrator that made that magic flow through their fingertips.<br />
<br />
This book surprised me. The subject matter is especially pertinent in our current socio-political climate. It centers around Jade, who becomes embroiled in political conflict after she finds the corpse of a naiad in the arms of her betrothed. Jade does the right thing and reports the murder to the police, which throws her life into chaos as the upper echelons of mer society view her as a traitor and political tensions between the mers and the naiads rise.<br />
<br />
One thing I want to highlight that I greatly enjoyed was the worldbuilding. Not just of Thessalonike itself, but of the full underwater experience. The way they dressed, the way they ate, even the way they spoke. It felt truly immersive, not like someone took regular earth culture and stuck it underwater. Catherine Jones Payne did a great job of creating the world and the unique behaviors of an underwater society.<br />
<br />
When the story first began, Jade was your typical rich daughter of a noble. She wasn't stuck up or snooty, but she was happy to play the part and get engaged to another high ranking noble. As a character, she had a definable arc throughout the story in that we see her evolve from that, to someone who is aware of the glaring inequality that exists between the mer and the naiad and does what she can to help the divide. In prosecuting Tor (her former fiance), Jade sets a precedent that naiads are not second class citizens and deserve the same justice that a mermaid would.<br />
<br />
The story does revolve heavily around that plot point, however. I'd call this a plot-driven story, rather an a character-driven story. What I mean by that is we never get to see any of the characters in a context other than how they're reacting to the scandal. Most stories have moments where they'll remove the characters from the plot for a few scenes so we as the reader can get a more fleshed out idea of them. We get to see brief flashbacks or conversations about the past, but we never really get the richness of character that I usually like to see. If I had one critique of this book, it would be that I wanted more character development. While Jade did get a full emotional arc, none of the other characters saw any growth.<br />
<br />
Overall, this story turned out to be very different from what I expected. Perhaps it's just genre bias, but I expected romance, of which there wasn't much. Instead, this turned out to be a novel about politics and racial inequality--which is cooler!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Breakwater</i> is available for purchase <a href="https://amzn.to/2IHUJHX" target="_blank">for Kindle</a>, and as <a href="https://amzn.to/2KnlN4M" target="_blank">a paperback</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>About the Author</b></span></div>
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Catherine Jones Payne is a Seattle native who loves the written word, international travel, crashing waves, and good coffee. Her earliest memory involves pulling up a rolling chair to her parents’ old DOS computer—while wearing a tiara, naturally—and tapping out a story of kidnapped princesses. By day she’s the managing editor of Quill Pen Editorial and the editor of Splickety Magazine. She lives in Waco, TX with her historian husband and their cats, Mildred and Minerva. <br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://catherinejonespayne.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/cjonespayne" target="_blank">Twitter</a> </div>
</blockquote>
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Ashley Delgadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241011799780389342noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4549363218750379641.post-82903956310605693652018-07-03T00:30:00.000-04:002018-07-03T00:30:09.114-04:00#GIVEAWAY + Review: Pearl by Deirdre Riordan Hall @DeirdreSpark @AmazonPub<blockquote style="border: 2px dotted rgb(148,0,211); padding: 10px;">
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<b>Pearl </b></div>
<b>Pages</b>: 342<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: Skyscape<br />
<b>Genre</b>: YA Contemprary<br />
<b>Source</b>: Publisher<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26209338-pearl" target="_blank">GOODREADS</a></b></div>
<i>Run fast and run far, unless you’re fearless. Unless you’re courageous. I’m not, but I’d like to be.<br />
<br />
Pearl Jaeger is seventeen and homeless after drugs, poverty, and addiction unraveled the life she shared with JJ, her formerly glamorous rock star mother.<br />
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This moment of happiness is fleeting; someone will take it from me. <br />
<br />
When tragedy brings a chance to start over at an elite boarding school, she doesn’t hesitate. Yet the only salvation comes from an art teacher as troubled as Pearl, and she faces the stark reality that what she thought she wanted isn’t straightforward.<br />
<br />
I trace the outline of my reflection in a window. I am no more than a replica of my mother. This is not the self-portrait I want to paint.<br />
<br />
Through the friendships she forms at school—especially with Grant, a boy who shows Pearl what it means to trust and forgive—she begins to see a path not defined by her past. But when confronted with the decision to be courageous or to take the easy way forged by her mother’s failures, which direction will Pearl choose?</i></blockquote>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Review</span></b> <br />
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<i>“The only enemy you have is yourself. Stay there, with her, until you aren’t enemies anymore.”</i></div>
<br />
<i>Pearl</i> was a novel I didn't think I'd enjoy that ended up completely surprising me. It's a very in depth look at what trauma, abuse, and growing up around addiction will do to someone, especially a teenage girl.<br />
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Pearl is the daughter of washed up former rock star Janet Jaeger--or JJ, as others call her. JJ used to have it all--fame, money, designer clothes, an ardent fanbase. But, slowly and surely, all of that fell away as JJ blew her money on drugs and made a series of poor choices that ended up with Pearl taking on the responsibility of taking care of her mother. For Pearl's whole life, JJ has put her addiction before everything... even Pearl.<br />
<br />
Trauma and addiction are tricky things to write about, and even tricker as a reader to be able to digest. Even if you've never had experience with the subject matter, being in a character's head and having those emotions dredged up in you can be off-putting. It can go horribly wrong, or in this case, pristinely <i>right</i>. This book was long, and a little slow to get through, but it's because we got such deep and poignant insight into who Pearl was and exactly what went on in her head. I see some reviews that list this as a negative, but I see it as an absolute positive. Someone who's been through what Pearl has would always be <i>thinking</i> <i>thinking</i> <i>thinking</i> because that's what trauma does to you. Your brain cannot rest. I thought the way Hall wrote the story, with such beautiful prose that evoked vivid imagery and intense emotion, was what <b>made</b> this story. I'm a stickler for "clear and concise" more than anyone I know, but Pearl just worked.<br />
<br />
Pearl was just trying to find who she was. After spending her whole life worrying about her mom, getting them out of bad situations like JJ's abusive and cracked out boyfriends, and basically being the adult in the relationship, Pearl doesn't know who she is without her mother. She's never had the chance to explore herself, aside from the times she stole away from reality to sketch in her notebook and admire the pages of <i>Vogue </i>that she would purchase by scrounging up loose change she could find. At it's core, <i>Pearl</i> was about Pearl becoming herself. Discovering what it meant to be PJ, the nickname she gives herself and the girl who is in charge of her own life, instead of Pearl Jaeger, daughter of the infamous drug addict.<br />
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At the boarding school Pearl is sent to, she meets a whole host of interesting people. She creates an unlikely friendship with her goody goody roommate Charmindy, and a not so unlikely friendship with "bad girl" Sorel. Interestingly, Pearl's friendship with Sorel allowed her to explore some of the dynamics Pearl had with her mother, but on a less personal and toxic level. The friendships Pearl makes are <b>invaluable</b> to her finding her way through life. Through Sorel, Pearl meets Grant and they have an instant connection. The romance in this novel was not the central aspect, and honestly it didn't capture me the way it should have. But, Pearl's relationship with Grant was yet another facet of herself she had to eek out and discover, and while it brought its fair share of heartbreak, it also brought her mountains of personal growth and discovery.<br />
<br />
Pearl falls into a similar spiral that her mother does, and ends up "self-medicating" her emotions with drugs and alcohol. While away at summer school, she gets swept up by a glitzy and glimmering group of friends who introduce her to the party life and Pearl seems to lose the progress she's made so far. It's so frustrating to be rooting her on, knowing she's so much better than this, but to see her make the same mistakes her mother made anyway. But, hitting her own version of rock bottom, even when she thought she couldn't go any lower, allows Pearl to climb her way out and find equilibrium again.<br />
<br />
Overall, I greatly enjoyed <i>Pearl</i>. Not an actual visceral enjoyment, because the book itself is very emotional and oftentimes painful. But, the fact that it elicited such a response from me is important. I do recommend it, as long as you don't have any issues with reading about drug use.<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b> <b><span style="font-size: large;">Pearl is available as a <a href="https://amzn.to/2tsnTpr" target="_blank">Kindle download</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/2Mn0m02" target="_blank">hardcover</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/2MnZkkO" target="_blank">paperback</a>, and <a href="https://amzn.to/2trHt5m" target="_blank">audiobook</a>. </span></b><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>About the Author</b></span></div>
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Deirdre studied at George Washington University. She enjoys writing, reading, surfing, and yoga. One of the best things about those activities is they're all done barefoot. Although she loves shoes, she doesn't like to wear them.<br />
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Deirdre writes upper young adult and new adult fiction. She spends her days with her family, at the custom-made desk her husband crafted—writing (what else?) or seaside, pretending she's a mermaid. <br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.deirdreriordanhall.com/p/home.html" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/deirdrespark" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DeirdreRiordanHall/" target="_blank">Facebook</a></div>
</blockquote>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">GIVEAWAY</span></b></div>
I'll be giving away my paperback copy of Pearl! US only, must be 18 or older to enter!<br />
<br />
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<i>This review copy was provided for free in exchange for an honest review. All views expressed above are solely my own. Amazon affiliate links included.</i></div>
Ashley Delgadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241011799780389342noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4549363218750379641.post-85415135627276225522018-07-02T00:30:00.000-04:002018-07-02T00:30:02.387-04:00Clearing My Bookshelves #Giveaway: Sirenz and Sirenz Back in Fashion by @charbennardo and Natalie Zaman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Clearing My Bookshelves is a feature I'm doing to move books I've read to new and loving homes. I don't want them to be sitting on my shelves gathering dust, so I'm going through all my books and giving them away! Lucky for you guys ;)<br />
<br />
Today, I'm giving away not one, but TWO books! One lucky winner will have a chance to win <i>Sirenz</i> and it's sequel <i>Sirenz Back in Fashion</i>.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22402603-sirenz" target="_blank">GOODREADS</a></b></div>
<i>Bickering frenemies Meg and Shar are doing some serious damage at a midnight sample sale when the fashionistas find themselves arguing over a pair of shoes - with fatal consequences. One innocent bystander later, the girls are suddenly at the mercy of Hades, Lord of the Underworld himself. To make them atone for what they've done, Hades forces the teens to become special-assignment Sirens, luring to the Underworld an individual whose unholy contract is up.<br />
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Finding that delicate balance between their fashion addiction and their new part-time job in the eternal hellfire biz turns out to be harder than Meg and Shar expected, especially when an entire pantheon of Greek deities decides to get involved. Then there's the matter of the fine print in their own contracts…</i></div>
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<i>It’s Hell on heels—again! When Shar tries on a Tiffany’s diamond ring from Hades, the annoyingly hot Lord of the Underworld, it activates an obscure contractual clause that puts Shar and former-frenemy-turned-friend Meg in Hades’ service once more. Shar is whisked away to prepare a ball, while Meg is sent to help a spoiled rich girl. Just when it appears the girls will be doomed to serve Hades for eternity, two gorgeous demigods show up. But can the girls finally ditch Hades forever?</i></div>
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Giveaway is US only! Must be 18 or older to enter. </div>
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<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script><br />Ashley Delgadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241011799780389342noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4549363218750379641.post-55148168525811741802018-07-01T00:30:00.000-04:002018-07-01T00:30:20.620-04:00June 2018 Wrap-Up<br />
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June was a pretty good month for me! I did lots of reading, and had managed to schedule the entire month in advance so I had a post up almost every day of the month!<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Books Read</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Breakwater-Broken-Tides-Book-1-ebook/dp/B0719DZZB4/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1529943552&sr=8-2&keywords=breakwater&linkCode=li2&tag=ashleymd0b-20&linkId=b4f46dd66a41566e61fd068ff44c4bd0" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0719DZZB4&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=ashleymd0b-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=ashleymd0b-20&l=li2&o=1&a=B0719DZZB4" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Pearl-Deirdre-Riordan-Hall/dp/1503948587/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1529943499&sr=8-1&linkCode=li2&tag=ashleymd0b-20&linkId=6242c02ae2451a1acb6a235626ee853b" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1503948587&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=ashleymd0b-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=ashleymd0b-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1503948587" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Mabels-School-Girls-Network-ebook/dp/B00J6AF12C/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1529943590&sr=1-1&keywords=miss+mabels+school+for+girls&linkCode=li2&tag=ashleymd0b-20&linkId=f15347bc38b4204c5ff8d38311164cef" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00J6AF12C&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=ashleymd0b-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=ashleymd0b-20&l=li2&o=1&a=B00J6AF12C" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Mage-Magical-Mayhem-Book-ebook/dp/B0798WQTN3/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1529943616&sr=1-2&keywords=natural+mage&linkCode=li2&tag=ashleymd0b-20&linkId=e00a708f8bfee4f03ef0d8d4d5fc2e06" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0798WQTN3&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=ashleymd0b-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=ashleymd0b-20&l=li2&o=1&a=B0798WQTN3" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Red-Queens-Daughter-Jacqueline-Kolosov/dp/1423107977/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1529943645&sr=1-1&keywords=the+red+queen%27s+daughter&linkCode=li2&tag=ashleymd0b-20&linkId=afc426d57bad96ce8029906bb773fa0a" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1423107977&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=ashleymd0b-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=ashleymd0b-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1423107977" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/My-Lullaby-You-Alia-Rose-ebook/dp/B07D8P4T2M/ref=as_li_ss_il?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1529943702&sr=1-1&keywords=my+lullaby+of+you&linkCode=li2&tag=ashleymd0b-20&linkId=afefd451e4517c49f2f24a7977a4c955" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B07D8P4T2M&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=ashleymd0b-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=ashleymd0b-20&l=li2&o=1&a=B07D8P4T2M" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Archivist-Librarian-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B07DBSJ4N3/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1529943730&sr=8-3&keywords=the+archivist&linkCode=li2&tag=ashleymd0b-20&linkId=0e704229f3714686c38415c5f100376f" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B07DBSJ4N3&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=ashleymd0b-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=ashleymd0b-20&l=li2&o=1&a=B07DBSJ4N3" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Elixir-Hilary-Duff/dp/1442408545/ref=as_li_ss_il?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1530063253&sr=8-1&linkCode=li2&tag=ashleymd0b-20&linkId=8ff6bda21bacddce2473079d8637a733" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1442408545&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=ashleymd0b-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=ashleymd0b-20&l=li2&o=1&a=1442408545" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
• <b>Breakwater by Catherine Jones Payne</b> • <a href="https://amzn.to/2MpBeWE" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34371907-breakwater" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
• <b>Pearl by Deirdre Riordan Hall</b> • <a href="https://amzn.to/2tHTPWf" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26209338-pearl?from_search=true" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
• <b>Miss Mabel's School for Girls by Katie Cross</b> • <a href="https://amzn.to/2Ksb84D" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25321022-miss-mabel-s-school-for-girls" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
• <b>Natural Mage by K.F. Breene</b> • <a href="https://amzn.to/2IvaYrI" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38205917-natural-mage" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
• <b>The Red Queen's Daughter by Jacqueline Kolosov</b> • <a href="https://amzn.to/2KmNcmF" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/675093.The_Red_Queen_s_Daughter" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
• <b>My Lullaby of Your by Alia Rose</b> • <a href="https://amzn.to/2MWNhvP" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37881247-my-lullaby-of-you" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
• <b>The Archivist by Christy Sloat</b> • <a href="https://amzn.to/2yO1wzY" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40223007-the-archivist" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
• <b>Elixir by Hillary Duff</b> • <a href="https://amzn.to/2KoyuZb" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7844725-elixir" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
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The two stand outs from the bunch are <i>Pearl</i> and <i>The Archivist</i>. Both vastly different stories, but I loved them. My reviews for all of these are coming soon! A book that pleasantly surprised me with how much I enjoyed it was <i>Elixir. </i><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Reviews Posted</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.whatsyourstoryreviews.com/2018/06/review-to-stir-faes-passion-by-nadine.html" target="_blank">To Stir a Fae's Passion by Nadine Mutas</a> <b>5 stars</b><br />
<a href="http://www.whatsyourstoryreviews.com/2018/06/giveaway-review-rift-walker-by-clay.html" target="_blank">The Rift Walker by Clay and Susan Griffith</a> <b>5 stars</b><br />
<a href="http://www.whatsyourstoryreviews.com/2018/06/review-goblins-of-bellwater-by-molly.html" target="_blank">The Goblins of Bellwater by Molly Ringle</a> <b>4 stars</b><br />
<a href="http://www.whatsyourstoryreviews.com/2018/06/review-covert-fae-by-cn-crawford.html" target="_blank">Covert Fae by C.N Crawford</a> <b>3 stars</b><br />
<a href="http://www.whatsyourstoryreviews.com/2018/06/review-celestial-magic-by-emma-l-adams.html" target="_blank">Celestial Magic by Emma L. Adams</a> <b>4 stars</b><br />
<a href="http://www.whatsyourstoryreviews.com/2018/06/review-to-enthrall-demon-lord-by-nadine.html" target="_blank">To Enthrall the Demon Lord by Nadine Mutas</a> <b>5 Stars</b><br />
<a href="http://www.whatsyourstoryreviews.com/2018/06/giveaway-review-lament-by-maggie.html" target="_blank">Lament by Maggie Steifvater</a> <b>4 stars</b><br />
<a href="http://www.whatsyourstoryreviews.com/2018/06/review-black-ops-fae-by-cn-crawford.html" target="_blank">Black Ops Fae by C.N. Crawford</a> <b>4 stars</b><br />
<a href="http://www.whatsyourstoryreviews.com/2018/06/review-beyond-veil-by-pippa-dacosta.html" target="_blank">Beyond the Veil by Pippa DaCosta</a> <b>4 stars</b><br />
<a href="http://www.whatsyourstoryreviews.com/2018/06/review-blood-oath-by-raye-wagner-kelly.html" target="_blank">Blood Oath by Raye Wagner and Kelly St. Clare</a> <b>4.5 stars</b><br />
<a href="http://www.whatsyourstoryreviews.com/2018/06/giveaway-review-way-i-used-to-be-by.html" target="_blank">The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith</a> <b>5 stars</b><br />
<a href="http://www.whatsyourstoryreviews.com/2018/06/review-natural-witch-by-kfbreene.html" target="_blank">Natural Witch by K.F. Breene </a><b>4.5 stars</b><br />
<a href="http://www.whatsyourstoryreviews.com/2018/06/review-eighth-house-by-eris-adderly.html" target="_blank">The Eighth House by Eris Adderly</a> <b>2 stars</b><br />
<a href="http://www.whatsyourstoryreviews.com/2018/06/review-pestilence-by-laura-thalassa.html" target="_blank">Pestilence by Laura Thalassa</a> <b>3 stars</b><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Discussion Posts</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.whatsyourstoryreviews.com/2018/06/cover-trends-hot-girl-with-weapon.html" target="_blank">Cover Trends: The Hot Girl with a Weapon</a><br />
<a href="http://www.whatsyourstoryreviews.com/2018/06/the-great-book-giveaway-mission.html" target="_blank">The Great Book Giveaway Missio</a>n<br />
<a href="http://www.whatsyourstoryreviews.com/2018/06/3-ways-to-read-more-during-day-when.html" target="_blank">3 Ways to Read More When You Have a Bunch of Stuff to Do</a><br />
<a href="http://www.whatsyourstoryreviews.com/2018/06/3-ways-book-blogging-world-has.html" target="_blank">3 ways the book blogging world has completely changed: notes from an OG book blogger</a><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Personal Life</span></b><br />
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This month was BIG for me. I paid off all of my student loans. ALL OF THEM. Almost $40k, all gone and out of my life forever. I plan on buying a home with my boyfriend in a few years, so until that time when I apply for a mortgage, I will have absolutely no debt. That's crazy. Insanity.<br />
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<br />Ashley Delgadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241011799780389342noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4549363218750379641.post-72993976216514806322018-06-28T00:30:00.000-04:002018-06-28T00:30:04.821-04:00Let's RE-Discuss: Why don't you like spoilers?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Let's RE-Discuss is a post series in which I will revive old discussion posts from the archives of my blog and see if I still agree with myself. </i></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Spoilers–why so taboo?</span></b><br />
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In 2014, I wrote a blog post about spoilers explaining that I actually <i>prefer</i> to be spoiled a lot of the time, and I didn't quite understand why people got so up in arms about them.<br />
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I re-read this article and I realized nothing has changed except now I'm even <i>more</i> on board for spoilers being a common place thing!<br />
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I wrote:<br />
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Just because I know that something does in fact happen, that doesn't mean know how or even why it happens. The "who what when where how and why" are what make things interesting for me, not the facts. So you can tell me "[insert character name here] dies" and that tells me absolutely nothing other than said character is in fact dead. How did they die? Who killed them? Why were they killed? What were the events in their life leading up to their death? All these are questions that can only be fully and completely answered by reading the book.</blockquote>
I couldn't agree more with myself! This was especially pertinent during the <i>Avengers: Infinity War</i> craze and people were getting <b>pissed</b> at spoilers being posted so soon after the movie first came out. Here's my thing: knowing that someone died does not equate to watching an entire 2 hour movie. Same for a novel, knowing one plot point doesn't equate to reading a <i>whole entire book</i>.<br />
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Maybe I'm crazy. I totally could be. But I enjoy spoilers, and I think they shouldn't be so hated.<br />
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What do you think?Ashley Delgadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241011799780389342noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4549363218750379641.post-26975335271362089282018-06-27T00:30:00.000-04:002018-06-27T00:30:01.868-04:00BLOG TOUR & GIVEAWAY- Review: My Lullaby of You by Alia Rose @aliarosewrites @RockstarBkTours<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>My Lullaby of You</b></div>
<b>Author: </b>Alia Rose<br />
<b>Pub. Date: </b>June 16, 2018<br />
<b>Publisher: </b>Plum Anchor Pres<b>s</b><br />
<b>Formats: </b>Paperback, eBook<br />
<b>Pages: </b>287<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37881247-my-lullaby-of-you" target="_blank">GOODREADS</a></b></div>
<i>For fans of Jenny Han and Sarah Dessen, My Lullaby of You is a Young Adult Contemporary Romance about guarded love, complicated families, and the summer that changes everything. <br />
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AMY<br />
It’s the summer after high school. Amy can’t wait to leave her small hometown in North Carolina for the vibrant city of Chicago, where she plans to go to her dream college and hopes to build a stronger relationship with her father.<br />
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But as she deals with her mother’s resentment over her leaving and an intriguing yet provoking college student, Amy’s reminded of things she’s tried to forget and forced to face emotions she never expected.<br />
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SETH<br />
It’s the summer before the last year of music school. Seth would rather be anywhere else than a small beach town in North Carolina, reopening wounds he thought he’d patched long ago and facing the father he hasn’t seen since his mother’s death.<br />
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While on his mission for answers, Seth is drawn to an observant and driven local he can’t seem to figure out.</i></blockquote>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Review</span></b> <br />
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<i>My Lullaby of You</i> was a sweet and quick read about two people at a crossroads in their own lives who meet and fall in love. It deals heavily with intricate and oftentimes unhealthy family dynamics, and how to find your own way in spite of those failed familial relationships.<br />
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This book was an incredibly quick read, I read it in just a day. So, if you're looking for a quick summer read to bring with you to the beach or on a road trip, this could be a winner for you! It starts off by introducing us to our main characters, Amy and Seth. We see the story told from their alternating perspectives and get to spend a lot of time following them through their day to day lives. Because of this, it was very easy to feel at home viewing the world through their eyes.<br />
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Amy's father left her mom a few years ago, and that of course caused tension between her parents. Now that Amy graduated high school, she made the decision to go to college in Chicago--far away from her mother, and closer to her father. It didn't have anything to do with leaving her mom behind, but her mom took the news the wrong way and it created a rift in their relationship in which her mother doesn't speak to Amy for quite awhile. Parents ignoring/abandoning their children was a running theme in this book, and reading how downright abusive Amy's mom behaved towards her gave me some apprehension (at one point, Amy's mom literally leaves her stranded inside of a store and just drives away without her because she got so upset at Amy). I don't think this was a fault for the book, but I did want to highlight that kind of behavior for potential readers who may feel uncomfortable or triggered reading interactions like that. It's a a dynamic that is all too real for some people, and I really think <i>My Lullaby of You</i> handled the topic well. Amy was a strong girl and she had a support group around her that she relied on to keep her going steady. That's important for people to see portrayed.<br />
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Seth's mother passed away recently and he's on a search for some answers. He's come to find his dad, whom he hasn't had contact with for several years (as I mentioned, a running theme). Seth was a vibrant character, despite the fact that he'd been through so much hardship and pain. When he and Amy found each other, they instantly connected and a very cute and genuine relationship flourished. They started spending every day together, and we the reader get to see some very deep moments between the two of them. I felt that Alia Rose did a good job portraying the thoughts and feelings of young adults falling in love, but also trying to navigate their own complicated lives.<br />
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What I truly enjoyed, though, was that the ending wasn't your typical "happy ending." We got to see Amy and Seth grow as people and the plot resolved in a very satisfying way, but it didn't quite work out the way it does in romance movies. Seth and Amy had to find their way back to each other through the ups and downs, all while keeping true to themselves.<br />
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This is Alia Rose's first novel, and I commend her enormously for all the work she put into it. If I have one constructive criticism, it's that a lot of the novel was exposition. We as the reader are told a lot, but not quite shown what we need to see. The writing style could also use a little refinement, as it fell into the formula of "I did this, then I did that, then I went and did this." Lots of passive "I" narration, when more active action based narration could have made the story pop that much more.<br />
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Overall, I'd give this novel 4 stars.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>My Lullaby of You</i> is available for <a href="https://amzn.to/2Mmgi2O" target="_blank">download on Kindle</a>, and as a <a href="https://amzn.to/2MXePRB" target="_blank">Paperback on Amazo</a><a href="https://amzn.to/2MXePRB" target="_blank">n</a>. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>About the Author</b></span></div>
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I've been writing since I fell in love with reading and now the characters in my head refuse to leave me alone. My debut novel, My Lullaby of You comes out in June 2018!<br />
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When I'm not writing, I work full time as an architectural designer and enjoy drinking too much coffee, making to-do lists, and traveling.<br />
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You can find me rambling about all of the above on Instagram and Twitter. <br />
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<span class="s1"><a href="http://www.aliarosewrites.com/">Website</a></span><span class="s2"> | <a href="http://twitter.com/aliarosewrites"><span class="s3">Twitter</span></a> | <a href="http://instagram.com/aliarosewrites"><span class="s3">Instagram</span></a> | <a href="http://pinterest.com/aliasafa43"><span class="s3">Pinterest</span></a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17587176.Alia_Rose"><span class="s3">Goodreads</span></a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Alia-Rose/e/B07DG9MPT6/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1"><span class="s3">Amazon Author Page</span></a></span></div>
</blockquote>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">GIVEAWAY</span></b> <br />
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1 winner will win a signed finished paperback copy of MY LULLABY OF YOU a bookmark, a bookish beach towel, a beach inspired candle and annotation cards, US Only.<br />
<br />
<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="e2389ba2769" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba2769/" id="rcwidget_hdzbtabr" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
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<span class="s1"><b>Tour Schedule:</b></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b>Week One:</b></span></div>
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<span class="s2">6/25/2018- <a href="http://instagram.com/mamareadsblog"><span class="s3">Mama Reads Blog</span></a>- <i>Blogger Made Playlist</i></span></div>
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<span class="s4">6/26/2018- <a href="http://www.herestohappyendings.com/"><span class="s3">Here's to Happy Endings</span></a>- <i>Review</i></span></div>
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<span class="s4">6/27/2018- <a href="http://www.whatsyourstoryreviews.com/"><span class="s3">What's Your Story Reviews</span></a>- <i>Review</i></span></div>
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<span class="s4">6/28/2018- <a href="https://booksandotherpursuits.wordpress.com/"><span class="s3">Books & Other Pursuits</span></a>- <i>Review</i></span></div>
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<span class="s2">6/29/2018- <a href="http://www.bookhoundsya.net/"><span class="s3">BookHounds YA</span></a>- <i>Interview</i></span></div>
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<span class="s2"></span><br /></div>
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<span class="s1"><b>Week Two:</b></span></div>
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<span class="s2">7/2/2018- <a href="https://simplykelina.blogspot.com/"><span class="s3">Simply Kelina</span></a>- <i>Review</i></span></div>
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<span class="s2">7/3/2018- <a href="https://agingerlyreview.wordpress.com/"><span class="s3">A Gingerly Review</span></a>- <i>Excerpt</i></span></div>
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<span class="s2">7/4/2018- <a href="http://sheisadude.blogspot.com/"><span class="s3">the bookdragon</span></a>- <i>Review</i></span></div>
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<span class="s2">7/5/2018- <a href="https://sincerelykarenjo.wordpress.com/"><span class="s3">Sincerely Karen Jo</span></a>- <i>Review</i></span></div>
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<span class="s2">7/6/2018- <a href="http://bookbriefs.net/"><span class="s3">Book Briefs</span></a>- <i>Review</i></span></div>
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<i>This review copy was provided for free in exchange for an honest review. All views expressed above are solely my own. Affiliate links for Amazon included.</i></div>
Ashley Delgadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241011799780389342noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4549363218750379641.post-55114517624957476852018-06-26T00:30:00.000-04:002018-06-26T00:30:02.595-04:00#GIVEAWAY + Review: The Flip Side by Shawn Johnson @ShawnJohnson<blockquote style="border: 2px dotted rgb(148,0,211); padding: 10px;">
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<b>The Flip Side </b></div>
<b>Pages</b>: 309<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers<br />
<b>Genre</b>: Contemporary<br />
<b>Source</b>: Publisher<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27206534-the-flip-side" target="_blank">GOODREADS</a></b></div>
<i>She may seem like your average high school sophomore—but she’s just really good at pretending.<br />
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Because outside of school Charlie spends all her waking hours training to become one of the best gymnasts in the world. And it’s not easy flying under the radar when you’re aiming for Olympic gold…especially when an irresistible guy comes along and threatens to throw your whole world off balance.</i></blockquote>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Quick Thoughts</span></b> <br />
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Super quick read, very juvenile, and very basic writing style.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Review</span></b> <br />
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I truly commend anyone that wants to take the deep dive into fiction writing, because it's <i>hard</i>. But Shawn Johnson had a co-author, A.L. Shonnichsen, so I was expecting something a little more polished than what <i>The Flip Side</i> offered. It wasn't horrible, but it was an incredibly basic book that didn't bring much to the table in terms of entertainment value or story line.<br />
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Essentially, this is the gymnastics version of <i>Hannah Montana</i>. Charlie keeps her gymnastics career a secret from everyone in school because she doesn't want to be treated differently. Gymnastics is Charlie's life, she has lofty goals of being part of the USA Olympic gymnastics team. That's an awesome concept, I love reading stories about girls working hard to make their dreams come true. So here for it!!<br />
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But the story really fell flat. It was a regular ol' high school book about regular ol' high school drama with the mean girl and the hot jock and all the other things that come to mind when you think of "high school setting." The characters felt bland and basic, and the stakes just never felt high enough for me to be interested.<br />
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One aspect of the book that did intrigue me quite a bit was the gymnastics and the description of all the training Charlie went through. As I read, I googled the moves that Charlie was describing so I could have some context as to what I was reading and could visualize it. I felt the gymnastics part of the book was totally cohesive, and really the crux of the plot.<br />
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Don't get me wrong, it wasn't horrible and honestly it was a pretty quick read, so if you're a fan of Shawn Johnson I think you'll enjoy it. It just wasn't my cup of tea. Perhaps it's because I'm not the target audience, which I'll totally grant.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>About the Author</b></span></div>
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My first book, Shawn Johnson, Olympic Champion-Stories Behind the Smile, was published in January 2009. In June of 2012, my second book Winning Balance: What I’ve Learned So Far About Love, Faith and Living Your Dreams, was published and quickly became a New York Times Best Seller. I had a blast writing this and sharing some trials and tribulations with the amazing community that supports me. <br />
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In June of 2016 I was inspired to write a young adult fiction novel called "The Flipside" about a young woman who struggled with the same identity issues that I did as I tried to simultaneously pursue elite level athletics while also trying to be a normal kid. <br />
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<a href="https://www.shawnjohnson.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/shawnjohnson" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ShawnJohnson/" target="_blank">Facebook</a></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">You Might Also Like...</span></b> <br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Winning-Balance-Learned-Living-Dreams-ebook/dp/B0082CXO0Q/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1527701817&sr=8-1&keywords=shawn+johnson&linkCode=li3&tag=ashleymd0b-20&linkId=456d978e0bb1979ad8e20474e9cf7072" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0082CXO0Q&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=ashleymd0b-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=ashleymd0b-20&l=li3&o=1&a=B0082CXO0Q" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">GIVEAWAY</span></b></div>
I'm giving away my hardcover copy of The Flip Side to someone who will hopefully enjoy it and give it some love! Must be 18 or older. US only.<br />
<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="abb9d5b7108" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/abb9d5b7108/" id="rcwidget_63jgr52z" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
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<i>This review copy was provided for free in exchange for an honest review. All views expressed above are solely my own.</i>Ashley Delgadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241011799780389342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4549363218750379641.post-29287975567584064252018-06-25T00:30:00.000-04:002018-06-25T00:30:02.428-04:00Review: Pestilence by Laura Thalassa @LauraThalassa<blockquote style="border: 2px dotted rgb(148,0,211); padding: 10px;">
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<b>Pestilence</b></div>
<b>Pages</b>: 382<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: Amazon Digital Services<br />
<b>Genre</b>: Paranormal Romance<br />
<b>#1 in Series</b> <br />
<b>Source</b>: Kindle Unlimited<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37769929-pestilence" target="_blank">GOODREADS</a></b></div>
<i>They came to earth—Pestilence, War, Famine, Death—four horsemen riding their screaming steeds, racing to the corners of the world. Four horsemen with the power to destroy all of humanity. They came to earth, and they came to end us all. <br />
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When Pestilence comes for Sara Burn’s town, one thing is certain: everyone she knows and loves is marked for death. Unless, of course, the angelic-looking horseman is stopped, which is exactly what Sara has in mind when she shoots the unholy beast off his steed.<br />
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Too bad no one told her Pestilence can’t be killed. <br />
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Now the horseman, very much alive and very pissed off, has taken her prisoner, and he’s eager to make her suffer. Only, the longer she’s with him, the more uncertain she is about his true feelings towards her … and hers towards him. <br />
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And now, well, Sara might still be able to save the world, but in order to do so, she'll have to sacrifice her heart in the process.</i></blockquote>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Quick Thoughts</span></b> <br />
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There are two different versions of me who read this book and had two opposing feelings at the same time. The Ashley who <i>hated it</i>, and the Ashley who<i> loved it.</i> I'm not sure which one is right.<br />
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Maybe I'm crazy.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Review</span></b> <br />
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I'm going to write this review from the perspectives of both aforementioned Ashleys. I'll start with the one who loved the book.<br />
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<b>Fangirl Ashley's Review</b></div>
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To give you some context, my fav book in the whole world is <i>The Phantom of the Opera</i><b style="font-style: italic;">. </b>Why do I bring this up, you ask? Because it tells you that I'm an absolute sucker for the "heroine teaches main male anti-hero what love means even though he's a dick" trope. If that wasn't a trope yet, it is now. It's the archetype that makes <i>Beauty and the Beast</i> work. </div>
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I am <i>fascinated</i> by watching those kind of relationships grow. Where one side is all but clueless as to how love and attraction work, but those feelings start blossoming and so they need to be figured out. As Sara travels with Pestilence, the transition from cold Horseman of the Apocalypse to Dude Who Kinda Has A Boner but Doesn't Know What To Do With It is so entertaining, and Laura Thalassa had a way of writing it so the tension between Sara and Pestilence was always high. </div>
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Normally, I don't like covers that show you how the characters look but <i>holy sweet Jesus</i> is this cover beautiful, and I pictured Pestilence exactly the way he's drawn on the cover. So, that's always nice to have some eye candy. </div>
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Honestly, as crazy as it was, I was rooting the couple on and hoping they'd be able to get over their issues at the end. The sex was fun to read about, especially since Pestilence was a virgin and had that virgin moment of like <i>oh wow this is the best thing ever!!!</i> But this wasn't an erotica novel, so it wasn't at the forefront :(<br />
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<b>Hater Ashley's Review</b></div>
Where do I begin? Oh, let's begin with the fact that Pestilence <b>literally tortured Sara</b>. Like actually tortured. Can we say "Stockholm Syndrome"?? Whether or not the romance was cute as it continued on and Pestilence stopped being a psychopath, it still doesn't erase all the shit he did?<br />
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Honestly, based on the description, I was expecting something world-shattering in terms of plot. But, as some other reviewers have mentioned, the entire plot consisted of the exact same actions over and over again. Pestilence and Sara riding through a town and stealing someone's house as the inhabitants of the house died horrible, painful deaths. Someone would try to kill Pestilence, and Sara would freak out against her own better nature. Wash, rinse, repeat.<br />
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I'm not sure how the other books will play out, but I'm just concerned there's going to be more of this torture you and then stop because I fell in love with you kind of thing going on.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Pestilence can be purchased on Amazon as a <a href="https://amzn.to/2L60NeV" target="_blank">paperback</a> or <a href="https://amzn.to/2IYhlbV" target="_blank">Kindle copy (Kindle Unlimited)</a>.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>About the Author</b></span></div>
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Found in the forest when she was young, Laura Thalassa was raised by fairies, kidnapped by werewolves, and given over to vampires as repayment for a hundred year debt. She’s been brought back to life twice, and, with a single kiss, she woke her true love from eternal sleep. She now lives happily ever after with her undead prince in a castle in the woods.<br />
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… or something like that anyway.<br />
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When not writing, Laura can be found scarfing down guacamole, hoarding chocolate for the apocalypse, or curled up on the couch with a good book. <br />
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<a href="http://www.laurathalassa.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/LauraThalassa" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LauraThalassa" target="_blank">Facebook</a></div>
</blockquote>
<br />Ashley Delgadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241011799780389342noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4549363218750379641.post-24689595991381120712018-06-24T00:30:00.000-04:002018-06-24T00:30:06.827-04:003 ways the book blogging world has completely changed: notes from an OG book blogger<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh_9Sy0Ulp6C9yielSB-O-uGEXJxxEXhc7ZrtzVEozpxykyYrA-FHDqOuH38Ey3kOcsc8JSiraAhMb_0rznsuY6_c9lJwYEVSUZyZQA8CCsNrN7uGC3fgH-oBDiwN4JRnHlZJntDYC4ic/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-05-15+at+5.38.15+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="711" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh_9Sy0Ulp6C9yielSB-O-uGEXJxxEXhc7ZrtzVEozpxykyYrA-FHDqOuH38Ey3kOcsc8JSiraAhMb_0rznsuY6_c9lJwYEVSUZyZQA8CCsNrN7uGC3fgH-oBDiwN4JRnHlZJntDYC4ic/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-05-15+at+5.38.15+PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">100 followers was A Big Deal in 2010</td></tr>
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I started this blog in 2009--almost 10 years ago (holy crap I feel so <b style="font-style: italic;">old</b>). That was around the time that book blogging first emerged, and it was a much different universe than what we see today. It was an era of bad fonts, clashing color schemes, and default templates with no customization. All of us were just figuring out how to work a blockquote into our posts, so that was the extent of the formatting you'd see. And, we were all content with our meager followings of 100-200, which was slowly grown and hard won.<br />
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The community was small and tight-knit, and completely wide-eyed. We were all just figuring out what we even wanted this to be. Reviews were definitely the main focus, but back then people would write a lot of stream of consciousness posts about their thoughts and Case in point: if you go through my archives to the first couple of months of this blog, you'll see some very <i>questionable</i> posts.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQESxBHdmhvm8q1WJz0GPsE113CFuhEJhFVVgMkpU4-YoACLIuPREYwJBU43_K3apuszEifNRubpJ59mjGhOPfuj74dMNLnv_dXYhjLDn3ltBYoUCkacHXhFgTCsnrwNkXzrFlg0YeyI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-05-15+at+5.42.41+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="711" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQESxBHdmhvm8q1WJz0GPsE113CFuhEJhFVVgMkpU4-YoACLIuPREYwJBU43_K3apuszEifNRubpJ59mjGhOPfuj74dMNLnv_dXYhjLDn3ltBYoUCkacHXhFgTCsnrwNkXzrFlg0YeyI/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-05-15+at+5.42.41+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I... just... I don't know. I was a different person back then.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Very Big Deal 2.0</td></tr>
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This was before the time of Google Adsense ads, or Amazon affiliate links. Back then, our biggest and loftiest goal was to an ARC from a publisher. Contacts for publicists were <i>elusive</i>, <i>slippery</i> things and a lot of times, people had to wait for publishers to contact them first. On occasion, if you searched around a publisher's website hard enough, you could find a general PR contact email and send out an ARC request into the aether, hoping someone would read it and think you were worthy of one. I so distinctly remember when I got my first ARC, it was quite an accomplishment!<br />
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Without further ado, here are 5 things I've noticed that have changed in the years I've been witnessing this community grow.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> 1. Blogging today is more streamlined–there's a vague formula for success</span></b><br />
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Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that there is a specific blue print that bloggers can follow to ensure they'll be successful. What I mean is that <span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>there's a lot less ambiguity</b></span> around what works and what doesn't. Back in the day, people didn't usually post on a schedule, and there wasn't a format for how posts like reviews should generally look. Sometimes you'd be lucky if you got the cover in a post! Basically, the content of the blog was way more freeform.<br />
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We didn't have too many popular memes or challenges, so creating reliable content on a daily or weekly basis was solely up to whatever the blogger wanted to post about. It still is, but today there are a lot of pre-set ideas to choose from if you're running on empty. Do you want to do a book tag? There's plenty of those floating around! Or pick a specific day of the week and you can consistently have an idea for a post that day--i.e. Top Ten Tuesday, Waiting on Wednesday, In My Mailbox Sunday (is that still a thing? Or did that disappear with The Story Siren?)<br />
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10 years ago it was <i>unheard of</i> to have thousands of followers, especially only a year or two into your blogging journey. The thousand+ follower blogs were A-list celebrities, basically. The Story Siren used to be the reigning queen of all things book blogging. I believe she had about 9,000 at her height, although it could have been more as I stopped frequenting her blog after I fell out of blogging myself. Kristi, who ran The Story Siren, was like this golden goddess who got boxes upon boxes of ARCs and swag and press kits back before it was totally normal to be on a publisher's PR list. She always had the inside scoop with publicists and authors.<br />
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Now, I've noticed a lot of bloggers able to crash through the 1000 follower barrier well within their first year and get on those PR lists with ease. Which is awesome! I'm glad the blogging community has grown!<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Things are all about social media</span></b><br />
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When I first started out, I had nothing but this blog. No Facebook, no Twitter, no Goodreads. I did have a Shelfari account, which I just recently learned was merged into Goodreads. The community was much smaller back then, so it didn't take as much marketing to get your content seen. Although Twitter became a big thing for the book blogging community even then, in the beginning I remember not even needing to do anything but hit "Publish" to get comments on my posts. Of course, I'd go out and look for other blogs and create some traffic back to me that way, but I swear it wasn't even that much.<br />
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Now, it seems that blogs have to be promoted on multiple platforms to have the exposure they deserve. It makes sense, since social media is how we as consumers derive a lot of our knowledge and even learn to curate our tastes and what media we consume. It's effective and practical to have a Twitter, Facebook page, Instagram, and active Goodreads account to get your blog some exposure.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Cool graphics and Buzzfeed style lists are the rage</span></b><br />
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Believe me, the title of this point and the irony of this post is not lost on me. Keep in mind, I'm not saying any of these things are bad, I think it's a testament to the adaptation of the blogging community to make relevant content. One of the first things I did a month ago when I decided to start blogging again was to find some new blogs to follow and read. Almost every blog I found was using square graphics as part of their post titles, and a lot of the posts were Buzzfeed style lists or discussions. It's certainly genius, because those kinds of posts usually garner a lot of engagement and help the blogger build a following of close readers who will comment on other posts in the future.<br />
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Some examples of blogs I began following who use this style of posting:<br />
<a href="https://foreverandeverly.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Forever and Everly </a><br />
<a href="https://awhisperofink.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">A Whisper of Ink</a><br />
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These are just the main things I've noticed so far, although I'm certain I'll notice a few more as I start to dive deeper back into this world that I've known and loved for so long.<br />
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What do you think?<br />
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Ashley Delgadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241011799780389342noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4549363218750379641.post-77833620609880454252018-06-23T00:30:00.000-04:002018-06-23T00:30:00.577-04:00Review: The Eighth House by Eris Adderly @ErisAdderly<blockquote style="border: 2px dotted rgb(148,0,211); padding: 10px;">
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<b>Book Title </b></div>
<b>Pages</b>: 278<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: Amazon Digital Services<br />
<b>Genre</b>: Greek Mythology/ Erotica<br />
<b>#1 in Series</b> <br />
<b>Source</b>: Kindle Unlimited<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36173898-the-eighth-house" target="_blank">GOODREADS</a></b></div>
<i>Catch me, Darkness. Again and again. The life of a virgin goddess might suit Artemis or Athena, but Persephone, daughter of Zeus, wants no part of it. While the rest of the immortals cavort, she grows restless in the shadow of Olympos. <br />
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Rules, rules. Always the rules. Her mother’s edict forbids her the company of any male god. She can’t speak to them, can’t look at them. Can’t even attend the Olympian feasts. As far as Demeter knows, her daughter remains a maiden. <br />
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But Persephone leads a double life. She finds her affection elsewhere, and in plentiful supply. If only the sons of Man made her happy. If only she could put a name to this need she feels. It grows by the day, dark and unfulfilled. An eternity of enforced loneliness looms, and Persephone contemplates a drastic choice to escape it. <br />
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Only one thing stands in her way. <br />
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Hades. <br />
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Where earthquakes rend hill and vale asunder, and the abyss yawns to devour falling screams, the black halls of the Underworld await. The Lord of the Dead follows only one set of rules: his own. <br />
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And he expects Persephone to obey. </i></blockquote>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Quick Thoughts</span></b> <br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Review</span></b> <br />
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So here's the thing. I am without a doubt in my mind, honestly, truly, I am the biggest fan of the Hades and Persephone myth/pairing. I've read every kind of book, every kind of fanfic, even read the actual Greek myths at least a dozen times. I do a regular search of the word "Persephone" on Goodreads to see what pops up, and Google has my "books about hades and persephone" search already pinned to the top because I keep checking in.<br />
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Hades and Persephone is <i>my shiznit.</i><br />
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<i>So</i> when The Eighth House popped up on my Goodreads search <b>and</b> it was available on Kindle Unlimited I was as hyped as a mento in a bottle of soda. I was so ready to dive into some hot ass Hades and Persephone <i>lovin' and sexy times</i>. Heck yeah.<br />
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By the end.... I was disappointed. Blargh. <i>Believe me</i>, no one is more upset than I am! But, let me explain what was going on in my head.<br />
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<b>What I Liked</b>:<br />
I <i>loved</i> the writing style. It was a little unorthodox in that it was like a mash up of poetry and prose. But I felt it suited the story well--this is, after all, mythology. We're talking about <i>gods</i> here. So, that's not a complaint for me at all. The story itself was vibrant and I could easily see everything in my mind's eye.<br />
<br />
Adderly's rendition of Greek mythology and the gods involved was exactly the kind of thing I love from mythology retellings. It was historically accurate, and innovative in the creation of the Underworld. We actually got to see the Underworld in its complexity, which a lot of times mythology retellings skip over the surroundings and just assume the reader will piece together some semblance of a background.<br />
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<b>What I Didn't Like:</b><br />
In general, I've never been a fan of H&P retellings that actually do go the "he kidnapped her and made her fall in love with him" route. While I get this is a romance novel and there's def a market for that, I just can't personally be comfortable with that idea. Even though Persephone is always willing and happy about the kidnapping later on, it rubs me the wrong way. We have a whole entire mental illness for these kinds of situations, it's called Stockholm Syndrome. And no amount of "but he wooed her and she fell in love with him of her own accord" will change the fact that my homie Hades still <i>kidnapped her</i>. So, that gets a point knocked off for me.<br />
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As for the actual sex, it was good but still not up my alley. I guess this one could be more a "me" issue instead of the book's issue, but I'd like to clarify that I have no issue with BDSM in novels so I'm not sure. It almost feels like the obvious choice to have Hades be a hardcore dom. It was borderline uncomfortable at certain parts, where Hades literally was not listening or respecting Persephone's decision and was ordering her around without regard to what she actually wanted. A healthy dom/sub relationship technically puts all the power in the sub's hands, since the sub gets to decide when to say the safe word and stop everything. The fact that Hades thought he could overrule Persephone's decision was a big no from me.<br />
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As you can see, I had a lot of feelings about this book both good and bad. It is what it is, but based on other reviews there are people who have really loved this book. I'm very sad I wasn't one of them, but it's not a total regret.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The Eighth House is available for purchase on Amazon as a <a href="https://amzn.to/2ISPKJr" target="_blank">paperback</a> or <a href="https://amzn.to/2kt6Ezu" target="_blank">kindle copy (Kindle Unlimited).</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>About the Author</b></span></div>
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Eris writes subversive romance for people who hate romance novels. She writes fiction in whatever genre suits the tale that needs telling: historical, fantasy, sci-fi, paranormal, or anything that bends a little askew from expectations. Her stories are the stomping grounds for bada** heroines, untamable alphas, a spectrum of sexuality and a serious disregard for convention. Sometimes light and humorous, often dark and intense, if you're looking for a break from reality, Eris writes for you. Much like her namesake, Eris likes to make trouble. <br />
<a href="http://erisadderly.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ErisAdderly" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ErisAdderly" target="_blank">Facebook</a></div>
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<br />Ashley Delgadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241011799780389342noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4549363218750379641.post-2656300281131163712018-06-22T00:30:00.000-04:002018-06-22T00:30:09.711-04:003 ways to read more during the day when you've got a bunch of stuff to doIt always feels there are <b>never enough hours in the day</b>! I know I have all these things I'd like to do, and I tell myself I'm going to get them done that day, but by the time I'm done with work and back home, I tend to only have enough time to make dinner for me and my man-love, shower up, and snuggle in bed for some anime. I've become such a tired old lady! Gone are the days up staying up all night to read a book--I become a truly cranky wench without my sleep!<br />
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I think back to when I was in middle school and high school, and by some freaking miracle back then I was able to read a book in almost a day or two flat. I don't even know how I did it, because I had more work back then between homework and the multiple plays I was in after school every semester. Then I realized that I was way more resourceful back then. As a teenager, I had amazing reading habits that <b>I didn't even realize were habits</b>--I just did them because I couldn't stand to put the books I was reading down. For example, after I finished taking tests or doing classwork, I'd immediately whip out my current book and read for the remainder of the class while everyone else finished up. That was easily a good 15-20 minutes of reading. Sometimes I'd get to school early and none of my friends would be there yet--I'd read until the bell rang for class or I saw someone I knew. Another 10 mins. Even during lunch, if my best friend was out sick that day, I'd kind of find a table off to myself and read. <i>Boom, another 30 minutes</i>.<br />
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All those extra minutes a day add up! In a single day, with those little moments, I could easily read an extra 50-80 pages of my book.<br />
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Based on my ingenious teenage self, here are 4 tips to read just a little more throughout the day.<br />
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<b>1. Always have a book with you</b><br />
This is kinda obvious, since you need a book with you to be able to read. I try to bring my current book along with me in my purse, or my Kindle if I happen to be reading that. But, sometimes it's not practical to take a whole entire book with you especially if you happen to be reading a big brick of a novel, and other times I don't want a purse at all so even the Kindle stays home. What I did is downloaded the Kindle app onto my phone, and I always keep a selection of books in my library so I can have something to read. Even if they're not the main book I'm reading, I know I'll finish them at some point so I figure it's just one more book I can check off as read.<br />
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2. <b>Read during your commute!</b><br />
This is a <b>BIGGIE</b>! I live in NYC so I end up taking the subway everywhere. Even if I only take it to work and back, that's an aggregate hour that I would otherwise spend with my headphones in trying not to make eye contact with anyone else. So, I decided to dedicate that time <i>entirely</i> to reading. The moment my butt hits that subway bench, my book is out. This also works if you walk or drive a lot--you can download some audiobooks and listen to those! I know some people don't like audio books, but I figure that it's worth a try to fill in some time you have to spend driving anyway.<br />
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<b>3. Read every day for a set amount of time before bed.</b><br />
I know there will be days when you come home late and all you want is to fall into bed and knock out. There's nothing wrong with that. But, getting into the habit of putting your phone away and spending even just 5-10 minutes before bed reading will make a big difference in the long run. It's also a really nice way to calm down after a long day. Studies have shown that looking at your phone before bed negatively affects your sleep, so this is a good way to slow down your brain and still get some good reading time in.<br />
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There you have it, just some tips and tricks to get in extra pages here and there. I guarantee if you start incorporating these habits into your life you'll see your reading progress accelerate!<br />
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Do you have any other tips for reading a little more during the day? Let me know!Ashley Delgadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241011799780389342noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4549363218750379641.post-27023195221592178002018-06-21T00:30:00.000-04:002018-06-21T00:30:05.947-04:00Review: Natural Witch by K.F.Breene @KFBreene<blockquote style="border: 2px dotted rgb(148,0,211); padding: 10px;">
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<b>Natural Witch</b></div>
<b>Pages</b>: 353<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: Amazon Digital Services<br />
<b>Genre</b>: Urban Fantasy<br />
<b>#1 in Series</b> <br />
<b>Source</b>: Kindle Unlimited<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37846442-natural-witch" target="_blank">GOODREADS</a></b></div>
<i>Something has always been missing from my life. A hole that I could never seem to fill. <br />
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When I accidentally turn a coven of witches into nightmares, I find out what that something is. <br />
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Magic. <br />
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And it turns out, I have a crap load of it. <br />
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As a latent power awakens deep inside of me, I’m exposed to one of the most powerful and corrupt organizations in the magical world—the Mages’ Guild. <br />
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Barely knowing a spell from a few swear words and luck, I won’t be able to evade them alone. <br />
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And that’s when I meet him. <br />
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The Rogue Natural. The best and most feared mage in the world. <br />
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He’s dangerous, mysterious, and has a vendetta of his own. He is now the only thing between me and magical enslavement.</i></blockquote>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Review</span></b> <br />
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I haven't read any of K. F. Breene's other books, so I came into <i>Natural Witch</i> with absolutely no context. Apparently this is a spin-off of another series of hers so maybe I'll check that out to get some more idea of this world she's created. Either way, I didn't feel out of place in story so it seems it can certainly stand on its own.<br />
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Full disclosure: I hated the first several chapters of the book. I felt they were totally unnecessary and added nothing to the story besides telling us that Penny, our MC, had a natural affinity for magic (*winks at book title*). Basically, Penny decides to travel all the way to New Orleans to attend a magic retreat (???? keep in mind that magic is not public knowledge) and ends up jumping into an experienced coven of witches and turning them all into zombies.<br />
<br />
Yeah.<br />
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After that, the book transports back to Penny at home, living her quaint life and it kinda meanders there for awhile. It's not until Emery and Penny meet that things get interesting, and the story starts developing nicely. Emery is a Natural, which means that he can create spells using the elements around him and he doesn't have to think about it--he can just <i>do </i>it. Whereas other mages need to carry around encapsulated spells, he can just weave what we needs on the go.<br />
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Emery has a lot of baggage--his brother was murdered, and he's spent the subsequent years on the run from the Guild (think: the Ministry of Magic, but, like, tinier and eviler) and has had nothing but revenge for his brother's death on his mind. He's taken his fair share of lives, and when he meets Penny he feels that there's nothing more to his life than to get revenge--he thinks he'll die trying, and that's fine with him. But, Penny throws a wrench in that plan, and as they work together and get to know each other, his feelings on wanting to die young start to change.<br />
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Penny as a main character was entertaining, if not a bit frustrating at times. She had a very young and naive personality, but even then that doesn't explain her absolute carelessness for some of the things she did. No self-preserving person would do the above mentioned zombie coven thing, nor would they blindly trust a man they've <i>just</i> met. She grew up very sheltered, with an overbearing mother that didn't even allow her to curse (hence why Penny has a habit of making up innocuous curses like turdswallop when she's startled). She knows she's meant for something more than what her current life has to offer.<br />
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Full disclosure: Penny as a character is the literal archetype for "The One" syndrome. Like, almost up there with Harry (of the Potter variety). Through her journey with Emery, Penny uncovers a deep and seemingly endless power within herself and since she didn't grow up with training like other mages, it tends to run wild. Because of this, Penny is massively OP (overpowered). I'm not really complaining about that, because I'm the kind of kid that grew up watching Dragon Ball Z where a bunch of men stood around screaming until they leveled up. OP female characters are awesome and I'm always here for it, I'm just highlighting it.<br />
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For one thing, I just want to say that I'm very interested in this magical world K. F. Breene has created. It was a world embroiled in politics and subversion, not just about magic but about <i>power</i> and what that does to someone. Power is usually at the crux of these kind of stories, but something about the world in <i>Natural Witch</i> feels dirty and gritty with how every one is battling for more. Mages are constantly measuring each other up, making sure they're on the top of the totem poll in whatever group they're in.<br />
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As I kept reading and the story unfolded, I found myself incredibly drawn in. Penny's relationship with Emery did feel genuine and like a necessary natural progression of the story. They had an easy going chemistry, and that's integral to how their magic works together as well. I like Emery specifically, because he's a respectful young hero. He doesn't hold Penny back, or treat her like a damsel in distress. He want to help her achieve her greatest power--something most men would feel emasculated by. I really appreciate reading a male lead who has no qualms with a lady love who just may be more powerful than him, given the right experience. It's refreshing. As usual, the romance is one of my biggest drivers to see where the story will go next.<br />
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Overall, I'd recommend it! As I said, the beginning is a bit to slog through, but after that it's great!<br />
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You can purchase Natural Witch on Amazon as a <a href="https://amzn.to/2KY5Ais" target="_blank">paperback</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/2sbUZt6" target="_blank">Kindle copy (Kindle Unlimited)</a>, or <a href="https://amzn.to/2LBO8RS" target="_blank">audio book!</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>About the Author</b></span></div>
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K.F. Breene is a USA Today Bestselling and Top 10 Kindle All-Star author of paranormal romance, urban fantasy and fantasy novels. With two million books sold, when she’s not penning stories about magic and what goes bump in the night, she’s sipping wine and planning shenanigans. She lives in Northern California with her husband, two children and out of work treadmill. <br />
<a href="http://www.kfbreene.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/kfbreene" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKF/" target="_blank">Facebook</a></div>
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Ashley Delgadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241011799780389342noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4549363218750379641.post-1334347515219210742018-06-19T00:30:00.000-04:002018-06-19T00:30:20.588-04:00GIVEAWAY + Review: The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith @ASmithAuthor<blockquote style="border: 2px dotted rgb(148,0,211); padding: 10px;">
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<b>The Way I Used to Be</b></div>
<b>Pages</b>: 385<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: Margaret K. McElderry Books<br />
<b>Genre</b>: Contemporary<br />
<b>Source</b>: Publisher<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23546634-the-way-i-used-to-be" target="_blank">GOODREADS</a></b></div>
<i>In the tradition of Speak, this extraordinary debut novel shares the unforgettable story of a young woman as she struggles to find strength in the aftermath of an assault.<br />
<br />
Eden was always good at being good. Starting high school didn’t change who she was. But the night her brother’s best friend rapes her, Eden’s world capsizes.<br />
<br />
What was once simple, is now complex. What Eden once loved—who she once loved—she now hates. What she thought she knew to be true, is now lies. Nothing makes sense anymore, and she knows she’s supposed to tell someone what happened but she can’t. So she buries it instead. And she buries the way she used to be.<br />
<br />
Told in four parts—freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior year—this provocative debut reveals the deep cuts of trauma. But it also demonstrates one young woman’s strength as she navigates the disappointment and unbearable pains of adolescence, of first love and first heartbreak, of friendships broken and rebuilt, and while learning to embrace a power of survival she never knew she had hidden within her heart.</i></blockquote>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Quick Thoughts</span></b> <br />
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An <i>incredibly</i> moving story, one that had my stomach curled in knots while reading about Eden's life after such a traumatic event. This should be obvious, but <b>trigger warning</b> for descriptions of rape in this novel.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Review</span></b> <br />
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I never read <i>Speak</i>, on purpose. As a woman in today's world, the fear of sexual assault is all to real and as a resident of a big city I am always looking over my shoulder. It's a sad reality. Reading stories of sexual assault, whether real or fictional, always fill me with such dread and emotion that I try to stay away from the fictional ones–ignoring the real life stories is impossible, and no matter how much it scares me, I make sure to listen to the stories of my fellow women when they speak out about their experiences. We have to support each other, and push culture and the media to listen to our voices when something is wrong.<br />
<br />
Despite my general reluctance to consume fiction about this topic, I have set myself a personal goal of reading every book on my TBR pile and this happened to be one of them. So I set about reading. Be prepared, the actual sexual assault description happens in the very beginning. From there, it's about Eden learning to cope with her trauma--or rather, not really coping at all and trying her best to numb the pain. This one event permeates every single part of her life, and yet no one else knows because Eden is convinced that no one would believe her if she told them. That was one of the more heartbreaking parts to read, the moment when she rationalized to herself that she wouldn't tell anyone because she thought they'd think she was lying.<br />
<br />
While this is a work of fiction, I think it's important to have books like this that portray some facets of the trauma that women and girls endure. Eden wasn't able to have a healthy romance because of it. She became alienated from her family, her self destructive behavior pushed away all of her friends. This is the reality for some people, although everyone processes trauma differently.<br />
<br />
Overall, this was a very powerful book and one I'd recommend.<br />
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<i>“Maybe He'll get what he deserves. Maybe Not. Maybe I'll never find it in my heart to forgive him. And maybe there's nothing wrong with that,either. All those maybes swimming around my head make me think that "maybe" could just be another word for hope.” </i></blockquote>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>About the Author</b></span></div>
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Amber Smith grew up in Buffalo, New York and now lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her two dogs. Fueled by a lifelong passion for the arts, story, and creative expression, Amber graduated from art school with a BFA in Painting and went on to earn her master’s degree in Art History. Her debut novel, The Way I Used to Be was a New York Times bestseller. Look out for her next book, The Last to Let Go in February, 2018. Visit her online at AmberSmithAuthor.com <br />
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<a href="http://ambersmithauthor.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ASmithAuthor" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AmberSmithAuthor" target="_blank">Facebook</a></div>
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<i>This review copy was provided for free in exchange for an honest review. All views expressed above are solely my own.</i></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">GIVEAWAY</span></b></div>
I'm giving away a hardcover copy of The Way I Used to Be!<br />
US only. 18 or older to enter. <br />
<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="abb9d5b7106" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/abb9d5b7106/" id="rcwidget_vl8owbxq" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script><br />Ashley Delgadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241011799780389342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4549363218750379641.post-395672245138242562018-06-18T00:30:00.000-04:002018-06-18T00:30:00.141-04:00Review: Blood Oath by Raye Wagner & Kelly St. Clare @RayeWagner @KellyStClare<blockquote style="border: 2px dotted rgb(148,0,211); padding: 10px;">
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<b>Blood Oath </b></div>
<b>Pages</b>: 322<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: Amazon Digital Services<br />
<b>Genre</b>: Fantasy<br />
<b>#1 in Series</b> <br />
<b>Source</b>: Kindle Unlimited<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36431876-blood-oath" target="_blank">GOODREADS</a></b></div>
<i>More than anything, I crave adventure. But in the disease ridden land of Verald, life is mapped out much like the well-established rings of our kingdom. <br />
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At the very heart reigns our vicious king and Lord Irrik, an invincible dragon shifter, at his side. Their power poisons the land and the people, leading to a steadily mounting number of enemies. <br />
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But change is coming. <br />
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When the rebellion surges, the king strikes back. Captured by Lord Irrik, I'm suddenly embroiled in a deadly game. One where I'm desperate to understand the rules.<br />
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Because I'm not only fighting for my life... but also a love that could be the very key to my freedom.</i></blockquote>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Quick Thoughts</span></b> <br />
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It started off slow, lots of repetitiveness. But, the plot did pick up I'm intrigued to see what happens in book 2.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Review</span></b> <br />
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<i>Blood Oath</i> centers around a 17 year old girl named Ryn whose life is about to get flipped and turned upside down.<br />
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She works at a tavern serving ale and stew, since that's pretty much all there is to offer in Verald due to the widespread famine and poverty. One night, she stays a little later than she should and ends up getting caught by the king's personal servant, Lord Irrik--who happens to be a <b><i>freaking dragon shifter</i></b>.<br />
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Admittedly, getting to this point in the story does take some lead up and if I'm honest I wasn't too sure what was going on until Ryn finally ended up being locked away in the king's dungeon to be tortured. (Tbh I found it a little unbelievable that the king would even keep her as a prisoner, since at that time he really had no reason to believe she was useful other a very tenuous assumption that she was linked to the insurgents.)<br />
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The middle section of the book is Ryn being tortured. This is the part that gets repetitive, as it's literally just Ryn being carted to and from her cell for various torture sessions. It's not until a very impossible thing happens to Ryn--or rather, Ryn makes a very impossible thing happen--that things change and the story really starts picking up momentum.<br />
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I see a lot of reviewers complaining about how childish Ryn sounds. That didn't bother me, I thought Ryn had a really great personality! Reading in her specific voice was fun but I can understand how it could be jarring given the setting.<br />
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Lastly, there's a surprise romance and that's really all I cared about after I finished reading. I'm hoping we see much more development in the romance, since this book left on such a cliffhanger!<br />
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</span> <span style="font-size: large;">Blood Oath is available on Amazon as a <a href="https://amzn.to/2xj1zTE" target="_blank">paperback</a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/2KXkwx3" target="_blank">Kindle copy (Kindle Unlimited)</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>About the Authors</b></span></div>
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Raye Wagner is the USA Today Bestselling author of young adult fantasy books. She's a big fan of both the Percy Jackson series (shocker) and the Twilight saga (gasp), and those two series *might* have led her to pursue her dream of writing teen fiction. <br />
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Raye loves realistic characters who are believably flawed and act rationally. And kissing. Ooo, and fighting - the martial arts kind that makes you want to slay dragons or beat up the bad guy. <br />
Heroes should be heroic, and anyone can be a hero. And the feels... Raye likes all the feels.<br />
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<a href="http://rayewagner.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/RayeWagner" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Raye-Wagner-173068689524889" target="_blank">Facebook</a></div>
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Kelly St. Clare is the USA Today Bestselling author of young adult fantasy and science fiction books.<br />
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When Kelly is not reading or writing, she is lost in her latest reverie. <br />
Books have always been magical and mysterious to her. One day she decided to start unravelling this mystery and began writing.<br />
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A New Zealander in origin and in heart, Kelly currently resides in Australia with her husband, a great group of friends, and some huntsman spiders who love to come inside when it rains. Their love is not returned.<br />
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<a href="https://www.kellystclare.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/KellyStClare" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kellystclare/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel" target="_blank">Facebook</a></div>
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<br />Ashley Delgadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241011799780389342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4549363218750379641.post-18948188454817956302018-06-17T00:30:00.000-04:002018-06-17T00:30:03.600-04:00Review: Beyond the Veil by Pippa DaCosta @PippaDaCosta<blockquote style="border: 2px dotted rgb(148,0,211); padding: 10px;">
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<b>Beyond the Veil </b></div>
<b>Pages</b>: 244<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: Crazy Ace Publishing<br />
<b>Genre</b>: Urban Fantasy<br />
<b>#1 in Series</b> <br />
<b>Source</b>: Kindle Unlimited<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26130854-beyond-the-veil" target="_blank">GOODREADS</a></b></div>
<i>If your ex is the Prince of Greed, you’d better be ready to raise Hell.<br />
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Charlie Henderson is living a lie. Her real name is Muse, she's half demon, and her attempt at a normal life is about to go up in smoke. <br />
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When an assassin walks into her life, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake, Muse must return to the one man she hoped never to see again and ask for help. The Prince of Greed isn’t known for his charity. The price is high, and the cost could tear her apart. <br />
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Trapped between the malevolent intentions of a Prince of Hell and an assassin with ulterior motives, Muse must embrace the lure of chaos at her core—the demon inside her—in order to survive.</i></blockquote>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Quick Thoughts</span></b> <br />
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A short and enjoyable read. Nothing ground-breaking and genre-defying, but a great read nonetheless. I totally recommend it to UF fans!<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Review</span></b> <br />
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<i>“You’d best teach me how to raise hell because we’re going to need it.”</i></blockquote>
Muse, our main character, is a half-demon. She's seen as an abomination to demonkind, and has a horrible past of slavery and abuse after being owned by a demon in the netherworld. What I liked about her is that she wasn't passive. A lot of times, when there's a love triangle set-up in the story, the main female character gets very passive and becomes someone who is acted upon by the men. Her convictions are incredibly strong, because she has that horrible past to stay away from. She's started a normal life in Boston, with a cute boyfriend and a cute cat. Everyone deserves normalcy, right?<br />
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<i>Buuuuuuuut</i> then someone tries to kill her. Whoops, there goes normal.<br />
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This story is a non-stop rollercoaster. There's not a single chapter that doesn't have a big moment in it for Muse. I love that I wasn't able to sit back and relax, but rather was always wanting to turn the page to know what happened next. After Muse is attacked, she goes back to her ex Akil... who just happens to be a Demon Prince?? Cool cool.<br />
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<i>“The demon inside his male exterior burned with primal needs. It devoured, it stole, it consumed. He was all greed and desire, always hungry.”</i></blockquote>
In terms of the steamy, make your panties wet action of the book, Akil provided all that and a bag of chips. Although, I wasn't interested in him as the romantic lead, I was def interested in him as the sexual tension lead. Stefan took the cake for being the romantic lead, as I felt he connected with Muse much deeper and more personally than Akil did. Being a Prince of Greed, all Akil did was <i>want </i>and <i>take</i>. But he didn't give anything to Muse.<br />
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Stefan and Muse are essentially two sides of the same coin. She's half fire demon, he's half ice demon. We <i>allll</i> see where that's going right? They're going to have a crazy hybrid baby who's going to rule the world! No, I'm just kidding. But, I felt their connection was genuine, and I'm super duper excited to see where it goes from there!<br />
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All in all, I absolutely enjoyed reading <i>Beyond the Veil</i>, and felt it was a solid book. I'll be picking up the rest in the series, and other things Pippa DaCosta writes as well!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">You can purchase Beyond the Veil on Amazon, as a <a href="https://amzn.to/2IMNrDy" target="_blank">Paperback</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/2IL63Yl" target="_blank">audiobook</a>, and a <a href="https://amzn.to/2IMNrDy" target="_blank">Kindle copy</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>About the Author</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/667ff7_b7b9c9d446768ebdfe81b74dbb0e6fdf.jpg/v1/fill/w_253,h_283,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/667ff7_b7b9c9d446768ebdfe81b74dbb0e6fdf.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="283" data-original-width="253" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/667ff7_b7b9c9d446768ebdfe81b74dbb0e6fdf.jpg/v1/fill/w_253,h_283,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/667ff7_b7b9c9d446768ebdfe81b74dbb0e6fdf.webp" /></a></div>
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Pippa DaCosta is a USATODAY bestselling & DragonCon award Finalist hybrid author. Before securing a traditional publisher, she published the Veil Series (a x5 book urban fantasy series) independently in 2014. Pippa is traditionally published with Bloomsbury and Random House Germany. Her work has been featured in the Galaxy Chronicles anthology, part of the Future Chronicles series. Pippa continues to independently and traditionally publish fantasy and science fiction. Her books have been downloaded, bought and listened to over 1,000,000 times. <br />
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She lives in Cornwall, UK. <br />
<a href="https://www.pippadacosta.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/PippaDaCosta" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pippadacosta" target="_blank">Facebook</a></div>
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Ashley Delgadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241011799780389342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4549363218750379641.post-30468612973764291032018-06-15T00:30:00.000-04:002018-06-15T00:30:09.673-04:00The Great Book Giveaway Mission<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFv3tdRvjLi9mr1rvUuSDVg9hAU8CJ0b1nM0q-vklZrr9ktp82sr1f1Gue4fmaORHj4PDfeNmLklyycpI0zRwbaB5JZfCm7W5Il1LhgnBcIGmIyHX8TsO76SxYc6aO1Q9QRoMfFl8u6Q/s1600/reading.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="230" data-original-width="500" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFv3tdRvjLi9mr1rvUuSDVg9hAU8CJ0b1nM0q-vklZrr9ktp82sr1f1Gue4fmaORHj4PDfeNmLklyycpI0zRwbaB5JZfCm7W5Il1LhgnBcIGmIyHX8TsO76SxYc6aO1Q9QRoMfFl8u6Q/s320/reading.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
Being that this blog has existed for almost 10 years, I've accumulated a LOT of books. Hundreds and hundreds. Currently, they're sitting at my mom's house in Florida, 2000 miles away from me :( But, fear not because I am making frequent trips home to see the fam, and as part of those trips I will be carting books back with me to NYC by the backpack-ful.<br />
<br />
My desire is to read the ones that have been sitting on my TBR pile for these long years and give them away to you all. I also would like to go through the books I have already read and clear our the ones I may not want to keep anymore, also to be given away to you guys.<br />
<br />
What does that mean? It means I will be giving away roughly 400 books this year. I doubt I'll be able to finish the endeavor by the end of 2018, but my goal is to make a sizeable dent both in the TBR pile, and in the amount of books total that are given away. I'll be giving away entire series, as well as some older ARCs and some other cool stuff.<br />
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So, make sure to keep checking back! For now, I'll be having 1 giveaway a week, but as I bring more books with me to NYC that will increase in frequency pretty quickly.<br />
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<br />Ashley Delgadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241011799780389342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4549363218750379641.post-78130739473438718452018-06-14T00:30:00.000-04:002018-06-14T00:30:03.619-04:00Review: Black Ops Fae by C.N. Crawford @CN_Crawford<blockquote style="border: 2px dotted rgb(148,0,211); padding: 10px;">
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<b>Black Ops Fae</b></div>
<b>Pages</b>: 266<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: Amazon Digital Services<br />
<b>Genre</b>: Urban Fantasy<br />
<b>#2 in Series</b> <br />
<b>Source</b>: Kindle Unlimited<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38608153-black-ops-fae" target="_blank">GOODREADS</a></b></div>
<i>Disguises are second nature at this point, and I'm used to keeping my powers concealed. But when a lethal angel starts coming after me, my cover is blown. <br />
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In my escape, I’ve found an unlikely ally in Adonis—the dangerously seductive angel of death. With him by my side, I’m going undercover again. I just have to pretend to be his simpering, idiot lover--while secretly collecting intelligence from a psychotic god of war. One I have to pretend to actually admire. <br />
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If I don’t find the info I need, I’m dead at the hands of a whole horde of angels—and the apocalypse really begins. </i></blockquote>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Quick Thoughts</span></b> <br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Review</span></b> <br />
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This is the sequel to <i>Covert Fae</i>, and I will start off by saying that at this point, one thing that bugs me is the titles of these books. "Black ops fae" just sounds awkward to me, and honestly doesn't fit the theme of the book. She's not working for the CIA, she's literally just disguising herself to not die.<br />
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Anyhoo, titles aside, I really enjoyed reading <i>Black Ops Fae. </i>Much more so than the first, and I chalk that up to the world-building and characterization being done in the first book, so this book had much more of a focus on action which is always a plus for me.<br />
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In terms of plot, I did feel that the ending was predictable <i>but</i> I enjoyed the lead up to it. Ruby is now teaming up with Adonis, who is pretty smokin' tbh, to figure out a solution to this whole mess. Ruby's finding out that the people she thought she could trust really don't have her back, and the ones she thought she should hate were the ones who would give their lives for her safety.<br />
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The romance was simmering and steamy, and always left me wanting just a <i>bit</i> more of it. That's the aspect of this book that really made it stand out more than the first one, because let's be honest I'm a sucker for romance.<br />
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What I'll say is that this is a good series. It's not great, but overall I enjoyed the ride. I'm not sure whether the authors plan on continuing it as the ending seemed to be pretty wrapped up, but we'll see!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">You can purchase Black Ops Fae on Amazon as a <a href="https://amzn.to/2IOKrdJ" target="_blank">paperback</a>, or <a href="https://amzn.to/2xdaS7v" target="_blank">Kindle (available on Kindle Unlimited!)</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>About the Author</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54aa97ffe4b011420275b074/t/567022655a5668192a2004b1/1450189415878/?format=500w" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="500" height="212" src="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54aa97ffe4b011420275b074/t/567022655a5668192a2004b1/1450189415878/?format=500w" width="320" /></a></div>
C. N. Crawford is not one person but two. We write our novels collaboratively, passing our laptops back and forth to edit each other's words.<br />
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Christine (C) has a lifelong interest in New England folklore - with a particular fondness for creepy old cemeteries. Nick (N) spent his childhood reading fantasy and science fiction which may partly explain why he is also a scientist.<br />
<a href="http://www.cncrawford.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/CN_Crawford" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cncrawfordauthor" target="_blank">Facebook</a></blockquote>
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margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Ashley Delgadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241011799780389342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4549363218750379641.post-79909972966702138782018-06-12T00:30:00.000-04:002018-06-12T00:30:10.009-04:00GIVEAWAY + Review: Lament by Maggie Stiefvater @mstiefvater<blockquote style="border: 2px dotted rgb(148,0,211); padding: 10px;">
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<b>Book Title </b></div>
<b>Pages</b>: 325<br />
<b>Publisher</b>: Flux<br />
<b>Genre</b>: Fantasy<br />
<b>#1 in Series</b> <br />
<b>Source</b>: Purchased<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3112850-lament" target="_blank">GOODREADS</a></b></div>
<i>Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a painfully shy but prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand—one who can see faeries. Deirdre finds herself infatuated with a mysterious boy who enters her ordinary suburban life, seemingly out of thin air. Trouble is, the enigmatic and gorgeous Luke turns out to be a gallowglass—a soulless faerie assassin. An equally hunky—and equally dangerous—dark faerie soldier named Aodhan is also stalking Deirdre. Sworn enemies, Luke and Aodhan each have a deadly assignment from the Faerie Queen. Namely, kill Deirdre before her music captures the attention of the Fae and threatens the Queen's sovereignty. Caught in the crossfire with Deirdre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend. Deirdre had been wishing her life weren't so dull, but getting trapped in the middle of a centuries-old faerie war isn't exactly what she had in mind . . .</i></blockquote>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Quick Thoughts</span></b> <br />
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Full disclosure, this book took me a year to finish reading. I kept picking it up and putting it down, picking it up, putting it down. It wasn't <i>bad, </i>just didn't hold my attention the way Maggie's other books do. That being said, I did enjoy the story and am glad I (finally) finished it!<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Review</span></b> <br />
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<i>Lament </i>is actually Maggie Stiefvater's first book, and one of her lesser known ones. She's best know for her Shiver series, which is exactly how I found out about her. Admittedly, I bought <i>Lament</i> a very long time ago, and only just last year started reading it.<br />
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<b>What I liked:</b><br />
Fae stories have completely saturated the market, although at this point, what hasn't? But I did like the idea that incredibly talented humans could unknowingly call the fae to them, and how there was power in their humanity even up against the power of the fae. Faerie lore is so rich and lush as it is, and I love it when authors take those threads and weave something even more interesting out of it.<br />
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As always, Maggie Stiefvater creates an incredibly fleshed out set of characters. My favorite character was Deidre's best friend James who brought the most amazing sense of humor to the story and really helped to anchor Deidre. Luke as a love interest was sensual and I certainly bought the romance aspect, although I didn't feel the deep intensity that the characters themselves did.<br />
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<i>“When did you get so smart?"</i><br />
<i>He tapped his forehead. "Brain transplant. They put in a whale's. I'm passing all my classes with my eyes closed now, but I just can't get over this craving for krill." He shrugged. "And I feel sorry for the whale that got my brain. Probably swimming around Florida now trying to catch glimpses of girls in bikinis.”</i></blockquote>
Maggie Stiefvater is known for her writing style that I don't quite know how to describe. But, if you've ever read one of her books, you know exactly what I'm talking about. It's like someone took the essence of poetry and turned it into regular prose. It's not poetic per se, but it's got a certain cadence that isn't just regular narrative. That is hands down one of the reasons why I enjoy reading her work.<br />
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<i>“You're like a song that I heard when I was a little kid but forgot I knew until I heard it again.” </i></blockquote>
<b>What I Didn't Quite Like:</b><br />
I want to clarify, I didn't hate anything about this book. I didn't even truly <i>dis</i>like anything. There were just some aspects I liked less than I probably should have to have a full enjoyment of this book.<br />
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The romance didn't come across as ground breaking as I had hoped. For example, the romance in the <i>Shiver</i> series was... wow. But, I could overlook that because it was nice enough to read and explore with the characters.<br />
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The plot also felt as though it meandered for awhile without a clear direction. I understand that some of the characters were purposely vague and veiled because they needed to be, but that left me as the reader wondering exactly where the plot would go for a good part of the first half of the book.<br />
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Overall, I felt <i>Lament</i> was a good read, and it was actually a decently short novel. In hindsight, I'm kicking myself in the butt for taking so freaking long to finish it, but alas, we can't change the past.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>About the Author</b></span></div>
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New York Times bestselling author of The Shiver Trilogy, The Raven Cycle, and The Scorpio Races. Artist. Driver of things with wheels. Avid reader.<br />
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All of Maggie Stiefvater's life decisions have been based around her inability to be gainfully employed. Talking to yourself, staring into space, and coming to work in your pajamas are frowned upon when you're a waitress, calligraphy instructor, or technical editor (all of which she's tried), but are highly prized traits in novelists and artists. She's made her living as one or the other since she was 22. She now lives an eccentric life in the middle of nowhere, Virginia with her charmingly straight-laced husband, two kids, two neurotic dogs, and a 1973 Camaro named Loki.<br />
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<a href="http://www.maggiestiefvater.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/mstiefvater" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MaggieStiefvaterAuthorPage" target="_blank">Facebook</a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>GIVEAWAY</b></div>
I'm giving away my paperback copy of Lament to a lucky reader!<br />
<br />
US only. Must be 18 or older.<br />
<br />
<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="abb9d5b7105" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/abb9d5b7105/" id="rcwidget_2l4vmrl7" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>Ashley Delgadohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241011799780389342noreply@blogger.com2