tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41893868176225977462024-03-05T18:20:25.505+10:00Obsessions of a BookaholicYA Book Reviews!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040686763414955043noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189386817622597746.post-82086351435728614322015-01-21T14:48:00.001+10:002015-01-21T14:48:50.344+10:00Waiting on Wednesday 17: Shadow Study by Maria V. Snyder<div style="text-align: left;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span">Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: purple;">Breaking the Spine</span></a> and is meant to showcase upcoming releases that we're eagerly awaiting or just books which we are dying to read...</span></div>
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My Waiting on Wednesday this week is Shadow Study by Maria V. Snyder, the next book in the Poison Study series.</div>
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<strong>Synopsis:</strong></div>
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<span id="freeText10794258449950638340">Once, only her own life hung in the balance.<br /><br />Oddly enough, when Yelena was a poison taster, her life was simpler. But she'd survived to become a vital part of the balance of power between rival countries Ixia and Sitia. Now she uses her magic to keep the peace in both lands and protect her relationship with Valek.<br /><br />Suddenly, though, they are beset on all sides by those vying for power through politics and intrigue. Valek's job - and his life - are in danger. As Yelena tries to uncover the scope of these plots, she faces a new challenge: her magic is blocked. She must keep that a secret - or her enemies will discover just how vulnerable she really is - while searching for who or what is responsible for neutralizing her powers.<br /><br />Yes, the days of tasting poisons were much simpler. And certainly not as dangerous.</span></div>
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<strong>Why Can't I Wait?</strong></div>
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When Maria V. Snyder announced that she was writing another book about the characters from the Study Series I was grinning like a Cheshire cat! Poison Study, Magic Study and Fire Study are some of my favourite books of all time. I have also read the Healer, Insiders and Glass series by Maria and absolutely loved them! However, the Study series has always remained my favourite. I cannot wait for Yelena and Valek's journey to continue in Shadow Study when it comes out around February 24th, 2015.</div>
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<strong>What Book Are You Waiting For? </strong></div>
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<span style="color: #8eb4e3; font-family: "Kunstler Script"; font-size: 40pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong>Amy</strong><u1:p></u1:p></span><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a></div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040686763414955043noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189386817622597746.post-39711800782928062022015-01-20T16:28:00.000+10:002015-01-20T16:28:41.400+10:00Top Ten Book Series I Feel Everyone Has Read But Me<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by </span><a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: red; font-family: inherit;">The Broke and the Bookish</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> where you design top ten lists which have a connection with books. This week is a freebie week. For this week, I have chosen to write about the top ten book series that I feel everyone has read except me. In no particular order, they are:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling: </strong>As one of the most talked about childrens/ young adult series, Harry Potter has taken the world by storm. Whilst I have watched all of the movies, I have not yet read any of the books (Gasp!). They are definitely a high priority in my TBR pile for 2015.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Heroes of Olympus Series by Rick Riordan: </strong>Rick Riordan novels have always appealed to me, so I'm not sure why I still haven't read them. Gods, demigods, mythology and heroes. Yet, here I am having not read a single one of his books. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series by Rick Riordan:</strong> Again, I have no idea why I haven't read these books yet!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer: </strong>Since the release of Cinder, there has been a lot of hype surrounding this series by book bloggers and vloggers. I've always been interested in fairy tales, but I think the fact that the books have cyborgs has just never appealed to me. Is this a series that I should definitely consider?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Across the Universe Series by Beth Revis: </strong>Space and I have never done well together. Just the thought that there is so much yet to be discovered makes me feel so tiny. I mean, there could be creatures on planets in other galaxies that know we are here but we have never found them. It just freaks me out!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>The Maze Runner Series by James Dashner:</strong> I loved the movie adaptation of The Maze Runner! After leaving the cinemas, I really wanted to read the novel. But, I always do some research about each book that I want to read to find out what other people think. Whilst a lot of people have read this series, I don't feel like everyone enjoyed it as much as I had hopes. I suppose it depends on the individual, but I don't know if I will ever get around to reading this series.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas: </strong>The Throne of Glass series is high up on my TBR series for this year. The books sound fantastic, and I have heard so many good things about this them!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Daughter of Smoke and Bone Series by Laini Taylor:</strong> I must admit, I don't know much about this series. Just that I haven't read it and a whole bunch of people have raved about it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>The Raven Cycle Series by Maggie Stiefvater: </strong>I struggled to get through the Shiver series by Maggie Stiefvater. Whilst I have heard that these books are fantastic once you get into them, I'm still not convinced. Are these books really as good as people say?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>The Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout: </strong>Aliens. Space. We've already talked about this. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #8eb4e3; font-family: "Kunstler Script"; font-size: 40pt; line-height: 115%;">Amy</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a><br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040686763414955043noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189386817622597746.post-67983382339555532952015-01-15T14:38:00.001+10:002015-01-16T11:46:03.982+10:00Life and Blog Update<div style="text-align: left;">
Hello Everyone!</div>
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Long time no write! To be honest, when I stopped blogging at the end of 2013, I had no idea that the break I took was going to be so long. But alas, here we are in 2015. Happy New Year! When I stopped writing blog posts in 2013, school and other commitments were making life too hectic and I couldn't find the time to write posts. In 2014, I was a senior in high school. My life became what seemed like a never ending cycle of schoolwork, sport, work and college and university applications. But now, everything has finally slowed down (thank goodness!). </div>
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For years I have chopped and changed what I wanted to become and what I wanted to study once I left school. At the end of the year, however, it all seemed so clear to me what I want to do with my life. I thought about the things that I loved to do and that I seemed to be good at - reading books and studying English. My life plan now is to have a gap year and then go to university in Brisbane to study a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Creative and Professional Writing) to one day work in the publishing industry. Because I have finally figured out what to do with my life, my passion for reading books and some time freed up because I no longer have school, I have decided to resume blogging! </div>
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Now I'm not going to promise to post every day of the week. Instead, I can tell you what you can look forward to me writing about. I will be doing reviews, Waiting on Wednesdays, Top Ten Tuesdays, some In My Mailbox posts, as well as any other topics relating to books that I find interesting. I am also re-vamping pretty much everything about the layout, colour, etc about my blog, so please be patient until this is done! I hope you are all as excited as I am about the year ahead and fulfil all of your goals!</div>
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<span style="color: #8eb4e3; font-family: "Kunstler Script"; font-size: 40pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong>Amy</strong><u1:p></u1:p></span><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a></div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040686763414955043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189386817622597746.post-85641769410381983732013-01-09T13:24:00.002+10:002015-01-16T11:46:57.134+10:00Waiting on Wednesday 16: Fuse by Julianna Baggott <div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span">Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: purple;">Breaking the Spine</span></a> and is meant to showcase upcoming releases that we're eagerly awaiting or just books which we are dying to read...</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9752754-fuse"><img alt="Fuse (Pure, #2)" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1335885075l/9752754.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15788618-fuse"><img alt="Fuse (Pure, #2)" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355275903l/15788618.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a></div>
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My Waiting on Wednesday this week is <em>Fuse</em> by Julianna Baggott which is the second book in the <em>Pure </em>series.</div>
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<strong>Synopsis:</strong></div>
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<span id="freeText10794258449950638340">After a young Wretch is abducted by the Dome and ‘cleansed’ of her fusings and imperfections, she is only able to repeat the Dome’s latest message: ‘We want our son returned. This girl is proof that we can save you all. If you ignore our plea, we will kill our hostages one at a time.’ Willux will go to any lengths to get his son Partridge back, including murder. Partridge sacrifices himself and returns, in the hope of taking over the Dome from within, only to uncover more of his father’s chilling, dark secrets.<br /><br />Outside the Dome, Pressia, Bradwell, and El Capitan are decoding the secrets from the past – tucked away in one of the Black Boxes – to uncover the truth that might set the wretches free of their fusings forever. Those fighting Willux will be pushed over boundaries, both land and sea, heart and mind, in their quest – further than they ever imagined.</span></div>
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<strong>Why Can't I Wait?</strong></div>
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<em>Pure</em> by Julianna Baggott was an amazing book! It was a little bit creepy at times, but the plot and the world which the author created was just so different from anything I have ever read that I was hooked by the first chapter! I can't wait to read the next book in the series! <em>Fuse</em> comes out on February 14, 2013.</div>
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<strong>What Book Are You Waiting For? </strong></div>
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<span style="color: #8eb4e3; font-family: "Kunstler Script"; font-size: 40pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong>Amy</strong><u1:p></u1:p></span><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a></div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040686763414955043noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189386817622597746.post-45088639826156604502012-12-23T15:50:00.001+10:002015-01-19T19:06:18.261+10:00A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6421982-a-game-of-thrones"><img alt="A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327957410l/6421982.jpg" height="320" width="194" /></a></div>
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<strong>Title:</strong> A Game of Thrones</div>
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<strong>Author:</strong> George R. R. Martin</div>
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<strong>Pages:</strong> 819</div>
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<strong>Publication Date:</strong> Aug. 1st, 1996</div>
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<strong>Back Cover: </strong><span id="freeText7896469992818749902"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kings and queens, knights and renegades, liars, lords and honest men. All will play the Game of Thrones<br /><br />Summers span decades.Winter can last a lifetime.And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun.It will stretch from the south where heat breeds plot,lusts and intrigues to the vast frozen north,where a 700-foot wall of ice protects the kingdom from the dark forces that lie beyond. The Game of Thrones. You win,or you die.<br /><br />Book One of A Song of Ice and Fire begins the greatest fantasy epic of the modern age.</span></span></div>
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<strong>First Lines:</strong> "We should start back," Gared urged as the woods began to grow dark around them. "The wildlings are dead."</div>
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"Do the dead frighten you?" Ser Waymar Royce asked with just the hint of a smile.</div>
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<strong>My Thoughts: </strong>If you're looking for a book chock-a-block full of characters, schemes, romance, action and adventure which has a medieval setting, then this is the book for you!</div>
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If you thought some books had a wide range of complex characters, you know nothing until you have read <em>A Game of Thrones</em>. The amount of characters itself is astounding, but what is even more outstanding is that each character has a completely unique and complex personality. Martin positions the readers to feel the same way about the characters that he did when he wrote the book. Some of the characters are annoying, some you hate with a passion and some are ridiculously hilarious! Some of my favourite characters in the book were Tyrion, Arya and Danearys.</div>
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The intricate plot is extremely interesting and made me not want to put the book down. I even ran out and grabbed the second book in the series before I finished reading <em>A Game of Thrones</em> so that when I finished reading it I would be able to continue the story straight away! What I liked the most about the plot is that you nearly always didn't have a clue about what was going to happen.</div>
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Another thing which I particularly liked about this book is that Martin wrote it using amazing punctuation and the book was thoroughly edited to minimise even the most minute mistakes which could have occurred.</div>
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If you have nothing to do and have quite a bit of time to read a big book, you won't be disappointed if you pick up <em>A Game of Thrones</em>. The intricate plot, characters, history and humour makes this book a compelling read.</div>
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<strong>Rating:</strong> 4/5</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13496.A_Game_of_Thrones" target="_blank"><em><span style="color: #00cc66;">Goodreads Reviews and Rating</span></em></a><em></em></div>
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<span style="color: #8eb4e3; font-family: "Kunstler Script"; font-size: 40pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong>Amy</strong><u1:p></u1:p></span><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a></div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040686763414955043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189386817622597746.post-31593448351851299622012-12-19T10:30:00.000+10:002015-01-16T11:47:46.143+10:00Waiting on Wednesday 15: The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span">Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: purple;">Breaking the Spine</span></a> and is meant to showcase upcoming releases that we're eagerly awaiting or just books which we are dying to read...</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8709526-the-indigo-spell"><img alt="The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines, #3)" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1342146669l/8709526.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
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My Waiting on Wednesday this week is <em>The Indigo Spell</em> by Richelle mead. <em>The Indigo Spell</em> is the third book in the <em>Bloodlines</em> series.</div>
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<span id="freeText10857560004176168431">In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realises that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.</span></div>
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<strong>Why Can't I Wait?</strong></div>
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I LOVE all of Richelle Mead's young adult books. The ending of <em>The Golden Lily</em> which is the second book in the <em>Bloodlines</em> series left me dying with questions which hadn't been answered. I can't wait for <em>The Indigo Spell</em> to come out!!</div>
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<span style="color: #8eb4e3; font-family: "Kunstler Script"; font-size: 40pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong>Amy</strong><u1:p></u1:p></span><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a></div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040686763414955043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189386817622597746.post-90411950148583794542012-12-12T17:57:00.001+10:002015-01-16T11:47:55.137+10:00Waiting on Wednesday 14: The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span">Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: purple;">Breaking the Spine</span></a> and is meant to showcase upcoming releases that we're eagerly awaiting or just books which we are dying to read...</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12950372-the-evolution-of-mara-dyer"><img alt="The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, #2)" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344590049l/12950372.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></div>
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My Waiting on Wednesday this week is The Evolution of Mara Dyer which is the second book in the 'Mara Dyer' series by Michelle Hodkin.</div>
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<strong>Synopsis: </strong></div>
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<span id="freeText5552513963488375231"><em>Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.<br /><br />She can’t.<br /><br />She used to think her problems were all in her head.<br /><br />They aren’t.<br /><br />She couldn’t imagine that after everything she’s been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets.<br /><br />She’s wrong.<br /><br />In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?</em></span></div>
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<strong>Why Can't I Wait?</strong></div>
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I absolutely loved The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer which is the first book in the series. There were a lot of intense scenes and there was something new happening all the time. The book was just so gripping, so of course I can't wait to get my hands on this book!</div>
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<span style="color: #8eb4e3; font-family: "Kunstler Script"; font-size: 40pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong>Amy</strong><u1:p></u1:p></span><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a></div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040686763414955043noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189386817622597746.post-58510917670175436132012-12-09T13:19:00.000+10:002015-01-16T11:48:19.665+10:00In My Mailbox (3)<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi over at <a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/"><span style="color: blue;">The Story Siren</span></a> which features books which a blogger has either received, bought or borrowed.</span></div>
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The book which I bought this week is:</div>
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<li>A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin (<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10572.A_Clash_of_Kings" target="_blank">Goodreds</a>)</li>
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<span style="color: #8eb4e3; font-family: "Kunstler Script"; font-size: 40pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong>Amy</strong><u1:p></u1:p></span><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a></div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040686763414955043noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189386817622597746.post-51399465724065832312012-12-05T19:52:00.002+10:002015-01-16T11:48:31.636+10:00Waiting on Wednesday 13: A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span">Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: purple;">Breaking the Spine</span></a> and is meant to showcase upcoming releases that we're eagerly awaiting or just books which we are dying to read...</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/822995.A_Clash_of_Kings"><img alt="A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, #2)" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344992087l/822995.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a></div>
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My Waiting on Wednesday this week is George R. R. Martin's "<em>A Clash of Kings,"</em> which is the second book in the <em>A Song of Ice and Fire</em> series. </div>
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<strong>Synopsis:</strong></div>
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<span id="freeText12445534084107847079"><em>A comet the colour of blood and flame cuts across the sky. And from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns. Six factions struggle for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, preparing to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war. It is a tale in which brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel...and the coldest hearts. For when kings clash, the whole land trembles. (<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10572.A_Clash_of_Kings" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>)</em></span></div>
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<strong>Why can't I wait?</strong></div>
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I know that Waiting on Wednesday is supposed to be generally about books which are yet to be published which we are dying in anticipation to read but today I just couldn't follow that rule. I am so close to finishing the first book in the series <em>A Game of Thrones</em>, which has also been turned into a popular TV show by HBO, and am in love with the story already. The attention to detail, characters and the plot line is amazing! I cannot wait to read <em>A Clash of Kings</em>!</div>
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<strong>What book are you waiting for?</strong></div>
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<span style="color: #8eb4e3; font-family: "Kunstler Script"; font-size: 40pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong>Amy</strong><u1:p></u1:p></span><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a></div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040686763414955043noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189386817622597746.post-41971803876841106372012-12-02T12:13:00.002+10:002015-01-16T11:48:47.587+10:00In My Mailbox (2)<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi over at <a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/"><span style="color: blue;">The Story Siren</span></a> which features books which a blogger has either received, bought or borrowed.</span></div>
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The books which I bought over the past couple of weeks are:</div>
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The Diviners by Libba Bray (<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15780558-the-diviners" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>)</div>
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A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin (<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6421982-a-game-of-thrones" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>)</div>
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<span style="color: #8eb4e3; font-family: "Kunstler Script"; font-size: 40pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong>Amy</strong><u1:p></u1:p></span><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a></div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040686763414955043noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189386817622597746.post-5867644873641180952012-12-02T12:00:00.003+10:002015-01-16T11:49:07.751+10:00Back in Business! :)<div style="text-align: left;">
Hi everyone, </div>
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As you may have noticed I haven't updated this blog for a long while. I am happy to announce that now that exams are over and the holidays are here that I will be posting on this blog again! I will be posting at least twice a week and will hopefully be reviewing books every week or every second week. :)</div>
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Have a fantastic week filled with books,</div>
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- Amy (Obsessions of a Bookaholic)</div>
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<span style="color: #8eb4e3; font-family: "Kunstler Script"; font-size: 40pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong>Amy</strong><u1:p></u1:p></span><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a></div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040686763414955043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189386817622597746.post-79102361153818778932012-05-27T11:43:00.000+10:002015-01-19T19:05:53.495+10:00Silver Knight by Caron Rider<div style="text-align: center;">
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<strong>Title: </strong>Silver Knight</div>
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<strong>Author:</strong> Caron Rider</div>
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<strong>Pages: </strong>278</div>
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<strong>Publication Date: </strong>Feb. 24th, 2012</div>
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<strong>Back Cover:</strong> <span id="freeText12238632835082013195">When seventeen-year-old Diana recognises an elderly priest in a video on YouTube, she realises that reincarnation is real and that she’s been alive before! Every night in her dreams, she relives her past learning that it’s kill or be killed. Now a bishop at the Vatican whom she saved in another life calls on her once more. She is needed to help defeat evil within the catacombs of Rome. But when she arrives in Rome, she meets Alexander – the man of her dreams! Through the centuries she has loved him…betrayed him...been killed by him. Will she give him another chance or this time will she strike first?</span></div>
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<strong>First Lines:</strong> In the milky duskiness of the early morning light filtering in through tall, narrow windows in the outer wall, I paused holding very still. I held my breath, listening, waiting.</div>
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<strong>My Thoughts: </strong><em>Silver Knight </em>is pact-full of romance, history, myths, demons and a strong heroine. What more could anyone ask for in a book? </div>
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First of all, the characters' emotions in this book make the reader feel like they are really there going on the journey with the person. When Diana is having visions of her past lives, her fear, anticipation and sometimes even joy are just palpable. I felt myself smiling and frowning and even on the verge of tears. Then there's Alex who is emotionally torn. He doesn't know what to do, and I felt like he doesn't know what his purpose on Earth is anymore.</div>
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There was one point in the book about halfway through where the pieces and mysteries just started to add up in my brain and I had this whole elaborate theory about what was going to happen. But then the end turned out to be a complete surprise. There are still some thoughts running though my head about what might happen in the next book that weren't answered in <em>Silver Knight,</em> but that always has to happen if there is a sequel.</div>
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There are some books where the grammar and punctuation is not appealing and even where sentences just cut off halfway through. However, Caron Rider's writing style and use of grammar is phenomenal. It was one of those books which I couldn't put down. The use of research for the history in this book was evident. It just added a whole new perspective to myths and legends.</div>
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"Silver Knight takes you on an adventure where demons and heroes from the past blend with history, action, and just a hint of romance." This statement could not be more true. This story captures the reader's attention like a roller coaster; right from the start and does not let go until the very last page.</div>
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<strong>Rating:</strong> 4/5</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13489872-silver-knight" target="_blank"><em><span style="color: #00cc66;">Goodreads Reviews and Rating</span></em></a><em></em></div>
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<span style="color: #8eb4e3; font-family: "Kunstler Script"; font-size: 40pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong>Amy</strong><u1:p></u1:p></span><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a></div>
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<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040686763414955043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189386817622597746.post-2782303271401807142012-05-09T18:14:00.002+10:002015-01-16T11:49:39.911+10:00Waiting on Wednesday 12: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9378297-anna-dressed-in-blood"><img alt="Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna, #1)" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1317793801l/9378297.jpg" height="320" width="220" /></a></div>
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<span id="freeText9446354481118856050"><em>Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story...<br /><br />Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead. <br /><br />So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.<br /><br />When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.<br /><br />And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.</em></span></div>
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<strong>Why can't I wait?</strong></div>
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I know that this book has already been out for quite a long time and that all of the hype surrounding it has died down. But, I still haven't read it, and it has been on my TBR list for a long time for many reasons: the book sounds amazing, the reviews have been positive, the title is mysterious and the cover is GORGEOUS! Need I say more?</div>
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<strong>What book are you waiting for?</strong></div>
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<span style="color: #8eb4e3; font-family: "Kunstler Script"; font-size: 40pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong>Amy</strong><u1:p></u1:p></span></div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040686763414955043noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189386817622597746.post-43647636629845635422012-05-08T17:17:00.000+10:002015-01-19T19:05:23.930+10:00Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10429045-shatter-me"><img alt="Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1310649047l/10429045.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Title: </strong>Shatter Me</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Author: </strong>Tahereh Mafi</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Pages: </strong>352</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Publication Date: </strong>Nov. 15, 2011</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">Back Cover: </span></strong><span id="freeText1467965369674897356" style="font-family: inherit;">Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.<br /><br />The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong colour. <br /><br />The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.<br />Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>First Lines:</strong> I've been locked up for 264 days. I have nothing but a small notebook and a broken pen to keep me company. 1 window. 4 walls. 144 square feet of space. 26 letters in an alphabet I haven't spoken in 264 days of isolation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>My Thoughts: </strong>Honestly, it took me a while to really get into this book, and even at the end, I was still unsure about some of the characters and their motives. The writing style was also different, but that just added to the personality of the protagonist.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Juliette is the leading character in <em>Shatter Me</em>. Her emotions in the book really let the reader to feel connected to what she is feeling; how she has to live knowing she won't be able to touch anyone without severely injuring or even killing them. When her love interest appears, although she seems happier, she is always confused about why he is there and why he is around. This makes the reader suspicious of that character, which I believe is not the direction the author wanted to take. In saying this, there are also some characters which people can really connect with and feel pity for them without thinking that they are hiding something.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The lines crossing out some of the sentences took a while to get used to, and even by the end of the book, I never really liked them. The author still could have written the smae story and shown the characters' emotions without slashing out sentences. The only positive thing about this, is that it goes with the theme and title '<em>Shatter Me</em>'.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Shock, shock, shock! Although some of the twists were predictable, the ending leaves the reader hanging in suspense. It leaves them wondering about what will happen next, how this could possibly happen? This is one world which has never been imagined before.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This debut novel by Tahereh Mafi is a quick and easy read for someone looking to get their fix of dystopian, young adult romance. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Rating: </strong>3/5</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12360447-shatter-me" target="_blank">Goodreads Reviews and Rating</a></div>
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<span style="color: #8eb4e3; font-family: "Kunstler Script"; font-size: 40pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong>Amy</strong><u1:p></u1:p></span><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a></div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040686763414955043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189386817622597746.post-6464165117691407742012-04-10T15:58:00.001+10:002015-01-19T19:05:03.420+10:00Between by Jessica Warman<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u><img alt="Between" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312049408l/10397655.jpg" height="320" id="coverImage" width="212" /></u></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u>Title:</u></strong> Between</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u>Author:</u></strong> Jessica Warman</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u>Pages:</u></strong> 437 (Paperback)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u>Publication Date:</u></strong> Aug. 2nd, 2011</span></div>
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<strong><u>Back Cover: </u></strong><span id="freeText1118655882289501985"><span id="freeText8097093503007403763"> <span id="freeTextContainer11210667886179241770"><span id="freeText878998523743833002"><span id="freeText128555155619024622"><span id="freeText14869312324896844632"><span id="freeText10079238785523513894">Elizabeth Valchar—pretty, popular, and perfect—wakes up the morning after her eighteenth birthday party on her family’s yacht, where she’d been celebrating with her six closest friends. A persistent thumping noise has roused her. When she goes to investigate, what she finds will change everything she thought she knew about her life, her friends, and what lies in between. As Liz begins to unravel the circumstances surrounding her birthday night, she will find that no one around her, least of all Liz herself, was perfect—or innocent. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<strong><u>First Lines/Paragraph:</u></strong> Its a little after 2 a.m. Outside the <em>Elizabeth</em>, things are relatively quiet. Boats- yachts, really- are tied to the docks, clean white bouys protecting their fibreglass and porcelain exteriors from the wood. The <em>slosh</em> of the Long Island Sound, water beating against boats and shore, is a constant in the background. In most other boats- with names like the <em>Well Deserved,</em> the<em> Privacy,</em>the<em> Goodlife-</em> there is peace. But inside the <em>Elizabeth</em>, there is persistent unrest.</div>
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<strong><u>My Thoughts:</u></strong> <em>Between </em>is a book which has many aspects which are comparable to<em> The Lovely Bones</em>. There is a girl who died who looks onto the life of her loved ones after she dies and she reminisces about the past to find out what happened to her; how she died, why she got stuck in the middle of nowhere, where everything is cold.</div>
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This coldness seems to recede every time the main character Elizabeth is around her boyfriend (or past boyfriend) Richie. he seems to sense her presence and is one of the characters who tries to find out what really happened the night Liz died. Elizabeth, or Liz Valchar really grows as a person in <em>Between.</em> Jessica Warman has done an amazing job in her character development. Liz grows from being a material, self-centred girly-girl, into a sensitive, down-to-earth young woman.Alex is a character whom many people, especially teenagers, can relate to. He is a person who is dubbed a "loner" or "loser" at school. Whilst he might not be verbally or physically bullied, he is excluded. However, the way he dealt with this exclusion was very mature and shows that life isn't about your social status in high school.</div>
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The grammar in this book is amazing. There are no incomplete sentences or spelling errors, which is a huge plus. The twists in this book are amazing also. One minute there's a person in the book who appears to be the killer, and then the focus shifts to another person. The reader is always kept guessing.</div>
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Gritty, honest and emotional. This was one book I will never forget. The emotive language used throughout the book was very impressive. It was one of those books where the reader is grinning like a Cheshire cat in one scene and then crying in the next. <em>Between</em> is a story which will stay with me forever.</div>
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<strong><u>Rating:</u></strong> 4/5</div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10397655-between"><span style="color: #61abb4;">Goodreads Reviews and Rating</span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #8eb4e3; font-family: "Kunstler Script"; font-size: 40pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong>Amy</strong><u1:p></u1:p></span><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a></div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040686763414955043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189386817622597746.post-76168496918291166672012-04-08T17:27:00.002+10:002015-01-16T11:50:54.911+10:00In My Mailbox (1)Hey Everyone. Happy Easter! This will be my first IMM and I will try and do one every week, however, I may not have the time which means I might have to do them every fortnight or monthly. Anyway, here are the books which I received/bought this week.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSL_pnWzKGzJHXX234-2vkAJDLzhtZiO_hxQUsrY6hTw0oFBMjSTMigbFuOF3OQrIVTUyFLwWN3-oiA4K0pvq5v5rZ_EWh8PBZcfk8kYpDAaUVj8wkCD0t_K8c_yMT0XzP9fos1cfPR_cS/s1600/IMM+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSL_pnWzKGzJHXX234-2vkAJDLzhtZiO_hxQUsrY6hTw0oFBMjSTMigbFuOF3OQrIVTUyFLwWN3-oiA4K0pvq5v5rZ_EWh8PBZcfk8kYpDAaUVj8wkCD0t_K8c_yMT0XzP9fos1cfPR_cS/s320/IMM+1.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10429045-shatter-me">Goodreads</a>)</div>
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Between by Jessica Warman (<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10397655-between">Goodreads)</a></div>
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Virals by Kathy Reichs (<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7800188-virals">Goodreads)</a></div>
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Seizure by Kathy Reichs (<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8709640-seizure">Goodreads)</a></div>
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Happy Easter to all who celebrate it! Keep on reading :)</div>
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<span style="color: #8eb4e3; font-family: "Kunstler Script"; font-size: 40pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong>Amy</strong><u1:p></u1:p></span><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a></div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040686763414955043noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189386817622597746.post-80944812120177715782012-02-20T11:25:00.001+10:002015-01-16T11:53:54.971+10:00Let's Play Tag!<div style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="http://obsessionsofabookaholic.blogspot.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank" title=" Obsessions of a Bookaholic "><img alt="Obsessions of a Bookaholic" src="http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee509/JudeHnd/b1-1-1-1.png" height="175" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Since
I was tagged by </span><a href="http://geekchicbooks.blogspot.com.au/" target=""><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: inherit;">Mag @ Geek Chick</span></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">, it's now my turn to tag some other bloggers!
This is going to be so fun!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">THE
RULES</span></span></span></h5>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="background-color: white;">You
must post the rules.</span></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="background-color: white;">Answer
the questions the tagger set for you in their post and then create eleven new
questions to ask the people you’ve tagged.</span></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="background-color: white;">Tag
eleven people and link to them on your post.</span></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="background-color: white;">Let
them know you’ve tagged them!</span></span></b> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 19px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Here are the questions Mag gave me:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; line-height: 19px;"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>1</strong>.<strong>
Who is the author you own the most books by?</strong></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">The author I own the most books by would have to be Cassandra Clare. I own all of her Infernal Devices and Mortal Instrument books that are out so far. I cannot wait for the rest to come out!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><strong>2.
If you meet ANY author, who would you pick?</strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Hmm, that's a hard one. There are many authors I would like to meet, but the author that I would like to meet the most would have to be Richelle Mead.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><strong>3.
What book have you reread the most times?</strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. That's my go-to book that I reread whenever I have no new books at home.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><strong>4.
What is your favourite book genre?</strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">My favourite book genre is anything YA, but preferably, mysteries, paranormal romance and dystopian.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><strong>5.
Do you ever listen to music while you're reading?</strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">I never listen to music when I read a novel. The only time I listen to music is when I am studying and looking through a textbook.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><strong>6.
Who is your favourite character from any book?</strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">My favourite character of all time would have to be Rose Hathaway from the vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><strong>7.
If you could meet (and be friends with!) any character from any book in real
life, who would you choose?</strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Again, it would have to be Rose Hathaway from Vampire Academy.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><strong>8.
Five books that made you laugh?</strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Five books that make me laugh would have to be, the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead, the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, the Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare, Bloodlines by Richelle Mead and last but not least, the Study series by Maria. V Snyder.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><strong>9.
Five books with the hottest guys?</strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare (Jace), the Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare (Will), the Vampire Academy Series by Richelle (Adrian, Dimitri, Eddie, etc), Divergent by Veronica Roth (Tobias) and Heist Society by Ally Carter (Hale).</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><strong>10.
How many books do you read in the average week?</strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">On average, I read about 2 books per week. Sometimes it is less and sometimes it is more. It depends how much time I get to read.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><strong>11.
And now for the most impossible question ever: If you had to pick ONE BOOK, what
would you say your favourite is (at least, as of right now)?</strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Right now my favourite book of the moment is Virals by Kathy Reichs. It's just so interesting, and when you think you figured out the twist, your wrong, it turns out to be someone else.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now it's time for me to tag some other bloggers!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Natalia Belikov @ </span><a href="http://dazzlingreads.blogspot.com.au/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dazzling Reads</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Krys @ </span><a href="http://www.bibliopunkk.net/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Bibliopunkk</span></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ree @</span><a href="http://www.literaryobsession.com/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Literary Obsession</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tawni @ </span><a href="http://thebookworms.org/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Book Worms</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://abeautifulmadness.blogspot.com.au/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A Beautiful Madness</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Gina and Katie @ </span><a href="http://fantasia-books.blogspot.com.au/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fantasia Books</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I know I was supposed to tag 11 people, but anyway, onto the questions for them to answer if they play!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #8eb4e3; font-family: "Kunstler Script"; font-size: 40pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong>Amy</strong><u1:p></u1:p></span><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a></div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040686763414955043noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189386817622597746.post-84974751886455056632012-01-27T15:32:00.003+10:002015-01-16T11:56:34.858+10:00Guest Post: Mary Pauline Lowry<div style="text-align: left;">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">MOST INFLUENTIAL MOVIE I’VE EVER SEEN<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The summer I was 15, the movie THELMA AND LOUISE came out. In the film actors SUSAN SARANDON and GINA DAVIS star as two best friends going on a weekend trip to a cabin. But before they make it to the cabin, they stop at a honky tonk for a couple of drinks and dancing. When a man from the bar tries to sexually assault THELMA, LOUISE shoots the man dead. The two women then go on the run from the law, and in the process learn a lot about being truly wild and enjoying life. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I went to see the film about five times at the theatre, and then promptly climbed out my bedroom window and ran away from home. I left a note for my parents with a quote from the JOHN IRVING novel THE HOTEL NEW HAMPSHIRE. The note said, “Life is serious, but art is fun!” I went first to South Padre Island on the Gulf of Mexico, and finally crossed into Matamoros, Mexico for a bit. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Running away is incredibly dangerous and most runaways become crime victims in a very short time. (This was certainly true for THELMA & LOUISE, even though they were grown women and only “running away” for the weekend). But for me, it was a fun and liberating experience. The memory of it stuck with me, and ultimately inspired me to write my novel THE EARTHQUAKE MACHINE about a girl named RHONDA who runs away from home and swims across the Rio Grande river. She then cuts her hair and dies it black so she can “pass” as a Mexican boy named ANGEL and travel safely deep into the interior of Mexico. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The novel is about a girl grappling with what it means to grow up female and who decides to step out of the confines of her life as she knows it by crossing into another country, another language, another gender, another life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a true adventure story and is meant to be both beautiful and fun. I hope it inspires other women and girls to take risks, enjoy life, and support one another. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Book synopsis:<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Earthquake Machine<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The book every girl should read, <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">and every girl’s parents hope she’ll never read.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">The Earthquake Machine </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #000505; font-family: Futura; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">tells the story of 14 year-old Rhonda. On the outside, everything looks perfect in Rhonda’s world, but at home Rhonda has to deal with a manipulative father who keeps her mentally ill mother hooked on pharmaceuticals. The only reliable person in Rhonda’s life is her family’s Mexican yardman, Jesús. But when the INS deports Jesús back to his home state of Oaxaca, Rhonda is left alone with her increasingly painful family situation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #000505; font-family: Futura; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Determined to find her friend Jésus, Rhonda seizes an opportunity to run away during a camping trip with friends to Big Bend National Park. She swims to the Mexican side of the Rio Grande and makes her way to the border town of Milagros, Mexico. There a peyote- addled bartender convinces her she won’t be safe traveling alone into the country’s interior. So with the bartender’s help, Rhonda cuts her hair and assumes the identity of a Mexican boy named Angel. She then sets off on a burro across the desert to look for Jesús. Thus begins a wild adventure that fulfills the longing of readers eager for a brave and brazen female protagonist.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #000505; font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Author bio:</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Mary Pauline Lowry has worked as a forest firefighter, screenwriter, open water lifeguard, construction worker, and advocate in the movement to end violence against women. Due to no fault of her sweet parents, at 15 she ran away from home and made it all the way to Matamoros, Mexico. She believes girls should make art, have adventures, and read books that show them the way.</span></div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040686763414955043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189386817622597746.post-67555337437073695032012-01-22T11:25:00.001+10:002015-01-16T11:57:21.242+10:00eBook Giveaway: The Earthquake Machine by Mary Pauline Lowry<div style="text-align: center;">
<span id="freeText11132386913601135296"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13375285-the-earthquake-machine"><img alt="The Earthquake Machine" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41dnsqPXFCL.jpg" height="320" width="199" /></a></span></div>
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The Earthquake Machine tells the story of 14 year-old Rhonda. On the outside, everything looks perfect in Rhonda's world but at home Rhonda has to deal with a manipulative father who keeps her mentally ill mother hooked on pharmaceuticals. The only reliable person in Rhonda's life is her family's Mexican yardman, Jesús. But when the INS deports Jesús back to his home state of Oaxaca, Rhonda is left alone with her increasingly painful family situation. Determined to find her friend Jesús, Rhonda seizes an opportunity to run away during a camping trip with friends. She swims to the Mexican side of the Rio Grande and makes her way to the border town of Boquillas, Mexico. There a peyote-addled bartender convinces her she won't be safe traveling alone into the country's interior. So with the bartender's help, Rhonda cuts her hair and assumes the identity of a Mexican boy named Angel. She then sets off on a burro across the desert to look for Jesús. Thus begins a wild adventure that explores the borders between the United States and Mexico, adolescence and adulthood, male and female, English and Spanish, and adult coming-of-age and Young Adult novels.</div>
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</script><a class="rafl-powered" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/" id="rpow-8a04b819" style="color: #999999; display: block; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 10px/normal sans-serif; text-align: center; width: 100%;" target="_blank">a <i>Rafflecopter</i> giveaway</a> <noscript></noscript>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040686763414955043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189386817622597746.post-83991862205027104272012-01-21T13:38:00.000+10:002015-01-19T19:04:36.191+10:00Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8428064-demonglass"><img alt="Demonglass (Hex Hall, #2)" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1287692542l/8428064.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></u></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u>Title:</u></strong> Demonglass</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u>Author:</u></strong> Rachel Hawkins</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u>Pages:</u></strong> 359</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u>Publication Date:</u></strong> Mar. 22nd, 2011</span><br />
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<strong><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Back Cover: </span></u></strong><span id="freeText1118655882289501985"><span id="freeText8097093503007403763"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span id="freeTextContainer11210667886179241770"><span id="freeText878998523743833002"><span id="freeText128555155619024622"><span id="freeText14869312324896844632" style="font-family: inherit;">Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch. <br /><br />That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth. <br /><br />Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers. <br /><br />But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u>First Lines:</u></strong> At a normal high school, having a class outside on a gorgeous May day is usually pretty awesome. It means sitting in the sunshine, maybe reading some poetry, letting the breeze blow through your hair... At Hecate Hall, a.k.a. Juvie for Monsters, it meant I was getting thrown in the pond.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u>My Thoughts:</u></strong> <span style="background-color: white;">Again, just like with Hex Hall, this book does not lack in the comedy department. There was one joke from the first book which was in this one, which I think will never get old. But there was one thing that let this book down, just like in Hex Hall...</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Most of the twists in this book were predictable. I mean some of the twists were quite alright, but the majority of them are done to death in YA books. The rest of the plot was good and the book ended up being a quite enjoyable story. The whole situation with The Eye and all of the other groups hunting down the witches was quite interesting. Although,we don't quite get to the bottom of the reasons for them hunting the witches in the first place, which has been left for the third book in the series.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Like in the Hex Hall, the characters are extremely likeable and relatable. We get to see different sides to some of the original characters from the first book, along with some new "people" from the second novel.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">This book was a quick and easy read and I really enjoyed Rachel Hawkins' writing style. The lines are hilarious and the characters are easy to relate to. I highly recommend this book for people who have read Hex Hall to find out some more of the drama surrounding Sophie Mercer's life. If you haven't read Hex Hall then I highly recommend that book as well, and once you have finished reading that book, then read Demonglass.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u>Rating:</u></strong> 3/5</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8428064-demonglass"><span style="color: #61abb4; font-family: inherit;">Goodreads Reviews and Rating</span></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #8eb4e3; font-family: "Kunstler Script"; font-size: 40pt; line-height: 115%;">Amy</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Kunstler Script"; font-size: 40pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"></a><br /></div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040686763414955043noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189386817622597746.post-61145619977417596072012-01-20T14:00:00.001+10:002015-01-19T19:04:19.344+10:00Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5287473-hex-hall"><img alt="Hex Hall (Hex Hall, #1)" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1259686913l/5287473.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></u></strong></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u>Title:</u></strong> Hex Hall</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u>Author:</u></strong> Rachel Hawkins</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u>Pages:</u></strong> 323 </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u>Publication Date:</u></strong> Mar. 2nd, 2010</span></div>
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<strong><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Back Cover: </span></u></strong><span id="freeText1118655882289501985"><span id="freeText8097093503007403763"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span id="freeTextContainer11210667886179241770"><span id="freeText878998523743833002"><span id="freeText128555155619024622" style="font-family: inherit;">Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters. <br />
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By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect. <br />
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As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u>First Lines:</u></strong> Felicia Miller was crying in the bathroom again. I knew it was her because in the three months I'd been going to Green Mountain High, I'd already seen her crying in the bathroom twice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u>My Thoughts:</u></strong> <span style="background-color: white;">First of all, I have got to comment on the humour in this book. It is so dry and the sarcasm is just hilarious. I was laughing out loud so many times during this book, which earned me some really weird looks from my family.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Basically the book is about a girl named Sophie Mercer who is a witch. When a spell of hers goes wrong and she is noticed by humans as being "different", she is sent to Hecate Hall, aka "Hex Hall". Here she makes some friends and enemies, and falls for the boy everyone has a crush on. As the book progresses, there are twists and turns which lead to danger and finding out about a gruesome family history.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Rachel Hawkins has created characters which people can connect to. These stereotypes may not be very good in real life, but in books it helps people to relate to the characters in a more personal way. Such as, being the person without many friends, and the popular people who just seem to have everything.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Some of the twists in the plot were predictable and have been overdone in YA books. This was probably the only thing I could mark this book down for. But, some of the twists I didn't see coming at all.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Rachel Hawkins' writing style is very to easy to read. This book was a fast read and always had something interesting going on, whether it was spells gone wrong, misbehaving werewolves, or a vampire who has an unusual colour taste, to say the least.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">If you're looking for a quick and easy read, then you cannot go wrong with this book. The sarcasm is hilarious and the book is just really interesting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u>Rating:</u></strong> 3/5</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5287473-hex-hall"><span style="color: #61abb4; font-family: inherit;">Goodreads Reviews and Rating</span></a></div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040686763414955043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189386817622597746.post-27467028838037602382012-01-18T09:17:00.001+10:002015-01-16T12:01:47.053+10:00Waiting on Wednesday 11: The Selection by Kiera Cass<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10507293-the-selection"><img alt="The Selection (The Selection, #1)" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1322103400l/10507293.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
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<span id="freeText13668072517029122301"><em>For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon. <br /><br />But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks. <br /><br />Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realises that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.</em></span></div>
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<strong>Why I can't wait?</strong><br />
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I have heard great things about this book by reading reviews by bloggers who have an ARC of this book. I have to admit that the cover was the first thing that pulled me in. It is absolutely gorgeous! The blurb has also intrigued me to read this book, it sounds so unique and a bit like the Hunger Games (the choosing and selection without the people getting a say). Come faster, April 24th. I'm just glad it comes out this year instead of next year!<br />
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<strong>What book are you waiting for?</strong></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #8eb4e3; font-family: "Kunstler Script"; font-size: 40pt; line-height: 115%;">Amy</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Kunstler Script"; font-size: 40pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040686763414955043noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189386817622597746.post-79320524650766970112012-01-17T12:35:00.000+10:002015-01-16T12:02:45.502+10:00Top Ten Books I'd Recommend To Someone Who Doesn't Read YA<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by </span><a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: red; font-family: inherit;">The Broke and the Bookish</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> where you design top ten lists which have a connection with books (e.g. Top Ten Books I Feel Everyone Has Read But Me/ Top Ten Of My Favourite Cover At Designs)... This week it is The Top Ten Books I'd Recommend To Someone Who Doesn't Read (the genre of books that I read). For example, if you are a YA blogger you might pick 10 YA books for people who don't read YA or if you read classics maybe 10 classics that those who don't typically read classics might read! Or you could get more specific). So, I am doing this list for people who don't read YA books.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins:</strong> I think this is a must read for all people who read YA or want to start reading YA books. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Divergent by Veronica Roth:</strong> Like the Hunger Games this is a dystopian novel which I think most people would love. The story is full of suspense and drama. I love it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins:</strong> I recently finished reading this book and I am in love with it. I then read Demon Glass after that and cannot wait for Spell Bound to come out. This is a definite must read.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead:</strong> I am obsessed with Richelle Mead books. They are just excellent. They have excellent plots, twists and characters... I think you get what I mean.I had to make number 6 the 'Vampire Academy Series' otherwise nearly the whole list would be Richelle Mead books.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Bloodlines by Richelle Mead:</strong> Ah, what do you know? Another Richelle Mead Book. This is a spin-off series to the Vampire Academy series, so I would read the Vampire Academy Series first. But it is totally worth it. I love Richelle Mead books! And this book did not let me down.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>City of Bones (or whole Mortal Instruments series) by Cassandra Clare:</strong> Ditto to number 4!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Clockwork Angel (or whole Infernal Devices series) by Cassandra Clare:</strong> This is a prequel series to City of Bone by Cassandra Clare, but it doesn't matter which series you read first. I personally read Clockwork Angel before I read the Mortal Instruments series. All of Cassandra Clare's books are fantastic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Poison Study (or whole Study series) by Maria. V Snyder:</strong> Again, another author who's books I love.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>The Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter:</strong> Ditto to the above!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin:</strong> Another book I recently finished. I think its different to a lot of YA books out there and the story line is completely original, albeit creepy story.</span></div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040686763414955043noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189386817622597746.post-37565027823390351052012-01-15T12:46:00.001+10:002015-01-19T19:03:59.397+10:00Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10025305-clockwork-prince"><img alt="Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices, #2)" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1323546379l/10025305.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></u></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u>Title:</u></strong> Clockwork Prince</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u>Author:</u></strong> Cassandra Clare</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u>Pages:</u></strong> 502</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u>Publication Date:</u></strong> Dec. 6th, 2011</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u>Back Cover: </u></strong><span id="freeText1118655882289501985"><span id="freeText8097093503007403763"> <span id="freeTextContainer11210667886179241770"><span id="freeText878998523743833002">In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u>First Lines:</u></strong> The fog was thick, muffling sound and sight. Where it parted, Will Herondale could see the street rising ahead of him, slick and wet and black with rain, and he could hear the voices of the dead.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u>My Thoughts:</u></strong> <span style="background-color: white;">Suspense, thrill, mystery, romance and humour. This book has it all. Clockwork Prince did not disappoint me. After the cliffhanger at the end of <em>Clockwork Angel</em>, I was so excited to find out what happens in this book, only to be rewarded with another cliffhanger at the end, which was one of the only frustrating parts of the book. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Another frustrating part of the book was the love triangle. If you have read <em>Clockwork Angel </em>you will know what I am talking about. The feelings in the triangle between Tessa, Jem and Will didn't come up near as much as in <em>Clockwork Angel</em> as they did in the sequel. When you think about it, most of Clockwork Prince is focused on the Tessa-Will-Jem situation.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">One thing I loved about this book was the whole story surrounding Will and his family. I was so shocked to find out the truth about what happened to make him so closed and why he would push people away. I think it was bad parenting (If you've read the book, you will know what I am talking about). And then with the twist and what happens when he tells Tessa, I was so upset.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Will did some selfish things in this book that Jem was upset about, but I believe Will needed to do this to just spend some time not caring about anything. I don't know why, but I didn't really like Jem in this book. I didn't trust his motives and I believe he betrayed Will, in a way. Then there are the whole stories with Nate and Jessamine, Henry and Charlotte, and Sophie and Gideon. There is a lot of drama in this book.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Cassandra Clare's books are hilarious, and this one didn't break that chain. There was plenty of comedy and sarcasm in this book, which contradicts the dark and mysterious plot.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">This is a book I highly recommend for anyone who has read <em>Clockwork Angel</em>. And if you haven't read that book, then go and read it and then read this book. With all of the drama, mystery and humour, this book is well balanced and I recommend it for anyone who loves Paranormal Romance and books which take place in the 18th and 19th centuries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><u>Rating:</u></strong> 4/5</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10025305-clockwork-prince"><span style="color: #61abb4; font-family: inherit;">Goodreads Reviews and Rating</span></a></div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040686763414955043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189386817622597746.post-67839143224211456752011-12-21T10:59:00.000+10:002015-01-16T12:05:17.930+10:00Waiting on Wednesday 10: The Golden Lilly by Richelle Mead<div style="text-align: center;">
<span id="freeText6786317388304508419"><em><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8709523-the-golden-lily"><img alt="The Golden Lily (Bloodlines, #2)" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1310178517l/8709523.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></em></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: inherit;">The second thrilling instalment in Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy spinoff series. <br /><br />Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students—children of the wealthy and powerful—carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought. <br /><br />Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Richelle Mead’s breathtaking Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive. In this second book, the drama is hotter, the romances are steamier, and the stakes are even higher.</span></em></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">Why I Can't Wait?</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I just finished reading Bloodlines by Richelle Mead. It was an enjoyable book but I was a bit disappointed. Sydney was so blind for most of it and appeared really weak as a main character because she was so frustrating. But then the cliffhanger at the end was like, ohmigosh this will be intense. Adrian in Bloodlines was really good and a fun character. I liked the fact that he and Eddie were in the book so much. Okay, I hope that was spoiler free. I'm sorry if it wasn't, but I am so keen to read The Golden Lilly and see what becomes of the characters and what they encounter!</span></div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14040686763414955043noreply@blogger.com2