tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9473390608607467572024-03-12T22:35:58.860-07:00The Book LifeI read because it draws me into someone else's life. Miranda Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10585326335329594688noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947339060860746757.post-19397882417705106652014-11-30T13:46:00.002-08:002014-11-30T13:47:11.198-08:00Review: Girl Online by Zoe Sugg AKA Zoella<div style="text-align: left;">
Unless you've been living in the deepest climbs of Outer Mongolia these past four years, then you've probably probably heard of her. But if you haven't, Zoe Sugg, better known as Zoella is a popular Youtuber and Internet personality who has scooped up masses of awards during her years on YouTube, coupled with the 6 million subscribers and subsequent book deal. Add to that, the beauty collection Zoe is really making waves in the beauty and media world. With her easy-to-follow tutorials and often humourous follow-me-rounds (commonly referred to as Vlogs in the Youtube world), it's easy to see why Zoe has gained all the media attention, Zoella is a role model for many of the younger generation and this shows in her easy-going videos and yet like any Internet personality, she faces backlash on an almost daily basis. Mostly from people who don't even think before posting their comments. She's very open about her struggles with panic disorder and anxiety, and it's this more than anything that gives me the utmost respect for her, having had panic attacks and anxiety since I was too young to even use the Internet. Expanding on this, Zoe has just been announced as an ambassador for the Mental Health charity Mind to raise awareness on Anxiety and Panic Attacks, a subject which still very much has a stigma attached to it. </div>
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But now, to why we came here in the first time. Her book!</div>
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<b>Review</b></div>
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Having discovered Zoe through Youtube and not through her blog, I hadn't really had a feel for her writing. So I was going in quite blind. And even though her book is aimed at a younger audience (12-18?), It was the cute sort of contemporary romance that I just devour in one sitting.</div>
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Girl Online revolves around Penny, who is suffering from panic attacks after a car accident. She blogs about this in her blog (Girl Online) which at first has a small but dedicated following. Her best friend Elliot is the only person who knows of her blog, so it's something of a secret. What I love about Penny is that she's so relatable. I actually thought I was reading a pen and paper version of me. What I love about her, is she's real. She's not too fierce or sassy, but she's clumsy, awkward and just completely kind-hearted. She's so relatable and unique in that she's actually the first character that I've read of that suffers from anxiety. I found myself getting attached to her immensely.</div>
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Zoe's writing itself is cute and simple. There were so many times that I just laughed out loud at certain lines, and then in other parts, I was a blubbering mess (No spoilers, that's naughty!). The whole story had me hanging onto every word, wanting to read more and more. By the end of the book, I felt a little hollow, which is rare for me. In all, this is probably one of my favourite books I've read this year, and even though the target audience is quite a lot younger than me -because you know, I'm an old fart apparently - I couldn't recommend this book highly enough. Loved. Every. Single. Freaking. Second. Of. It.</div>
Miranda Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10585326335329594688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947339060860746757.post-39131062997523773892014-08-12T13:14:00.003-07:002014-08-12T13:22:23.048-07:00Interview: Beth Reekles<br />
If you're in with the times then you're probably heard of her.<br />
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Beth Reekles is the author, who at only 17 obtained a three book deal with Random House for her book The Kissing Booth which obtained an amazing 19 million reads on the writing site Wattpad. When she isn't at university studying for her physics course, she enjoys reading, blogging and hanging out with her friends. In many ways, Beth is an ordinary teenager, but her story is extraordinary.<br />
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In this interview, Beth will talk about her writing journey, how she managed to get a deal with Random House and about what inspired her to write The Kissing Booth.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">It's been quite
widely publicised (for those of Wattpad at least) that you got a three book
deal from Random House while you were still in school. How did you feel when
your agent/editor got into contact with you to tell you that they wanted to
publish your book?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 15.95pt;">I remember sitting looking through some private
messages on Wattpad one evening and then seeing one that didn’t start ‘OMG I
love your book!’ – and as it turned out, it was from a commissioning editor at
Random House wanting to publish The Kissing Booth. I skimmed the message a
dozen times before letting out a weird shriek and running to my parents to tell
them. I </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.266666412353516px;">couldn't</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 15.95pt;"> believe it. It was like a wild dream, only it was real!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">What lead you to
start writing the Kissing Booth and uploading it to Wattpad?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzn2jHDZGdoABJ87UpoOgs7K64BkHhT_RZ-CwSyHe-q-bQYSLm-k-3SWwPeb5eZ56mD-JvTbcHIJ64i98PjTvceobwhS98wSTyxF8LhRJsxl2MjiX3j1l6bgWmbytL92oQt4_yabmx1zA/s1600/profile+picture_10+August.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzn2jHDZGdoABJ87UpoOgs7K64BkHhT_RZ-CwSyHe-q-bQYSLm-k-3SWwPeb5eZ56mD-JvTbcHIJ64i98PjTvceobwhS98wSTyxF8LhRJsxl2MjiX3j1l6bgWmbytL92oQt4_yabmx1zA/s1600/profile+picture_10+August.jpg" height="200" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Beth: pictured above, probably<br />didn't expect to open that message<br />telling her they wanted to publish<br />The Kissing Booth</i>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 15.95pt;">I’d been looking for a regular high school romance
to read, but every YA romance had vampires or werewolves or something, or the
protagonist fell for her (possibly gay?) guy best friend. It </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.266666412353516px;">wasn't</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 15.95pt;"> what I
wanted to read so I thought, ‘I’ll write my own’ – and I did. That’s how I came
up with The Kissing Booth, and figured I may as well upload it to Wattpad,
since I </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.266666412353516px;">didn't</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 15.95pt;"> have anything to lose by it. I’d never expected it to become as
popular as it did!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">After being offered
the initial deal. Was there a time frame for editing the novel before actual
publication?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I’d already edited the book ruthlessly a few months
after finishing it, and Random House were hoping for a Boxing Day ebook release
(it actually came out December 13<sup>th</sup>) so it would have to be a quick
turnaround since I’d signed the contract at the start of November. The editing
was actually minimal and done within about three weeks, with a proof-edit done
about a week later. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">If you could give
an aspiring author any advice, say if perhaps they're struggling with
confidence issues, particularly after being knocked back by publishers or
receiving harsh criticism. What advice would you give them?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Write because you want to. Write a book you feel
passionate about and write because it makes you happy. Remember that. If you
can get published, then it may well be the best feeling in the world, but try
not to be to put-down by rejections. Try publishing online – I never had
confidence in my work until Wattpad. Even just seeing people read my stories
was a huge encouragement, and rejuvenated my enthusiasm for writing, so I’d
definitely recommend putting your work up online!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">You're also taking
a physics degree at university. How do you juggle this with writing?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 15.95pt;">It can get quite difficult at times, but </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.266666412353516px;">I've</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 15.95pt;"> been
lucky that my university have been supportive in letting me take days out for
book events (like awards ceremonies) and </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.266666412353516px;">I've</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 15.95pt;"> had to work hard to catch up on
anything </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.266666412353516px;">I've</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 15.95pt;"> missed. Sometimes I have to tell my friends I can’t go meet up
with them, tell my flatmates I can’t go out, and put off watching the latest episode
of </span></span><i style="color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 15.95pt;">I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!</i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 15.95pt;">
when everyone else is watching it. It’s a lot of self-discipline and to-do
lists and time management, but since I love writing so much and enjoy
interacting with my fans online, it </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.266666412353516px;">doesn't</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 15.95pt;"> always feel too much like hard
work!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">You talk a lot
about Wattpad when you speak of your novels being published. Do you think that
Wattpad has played a big part in gaining confidence in, and improving your
writing ability?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 15.95pt;">Definitely! I had zero confidence in my writing but
when I found Wattpad, I thought, ‘why not?’ Everyone else seemed to be posting
their work, and it was the first time I’d found a community where writing at a
young age, instead of being on Facebook or something, was accepted and
celebrated. Without the support of my fans, I likely </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.266666412353516px;">wouldn't</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 15.95pt;"> have had the
opportunity to be published so young.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNchXfR1vN3xwpw0o1hAAz-FkuOlnOYcFsXaIr796DzdM8ycfJVA2-a7mvUwyBGkxu-nro1cqOKImydaJMjvukCDHd66ANNY7KL2QwdCajgscV-4IV1DF7B48Z4lDmTV8c74HfD-YS4qM/s1600/TKB+and+RD.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNchXfR1vN3xwpw0o1hAAz-FkuOlnOYcFsXaIr796DzdM8ycfJVA2-a7mvUwyBGkxu-nro1cqOKImydaJMjvukCDHd66ANNY7KL2QwdCajgscV-4IV1DF7B48Z4lDmTV8c74HfD-YS4qM/s1600/TKB+and+RD.jpeg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Beth with her first two books</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The Kissing Booth
has just got a script writer (Am I correct), which actors/actresses would you
prefer to see play your characters?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 15.95pt;">Yes that’s right, we have a scriptwriter for the
movie now (which is really exciting!) – but </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.266666412353516px;">I'm</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 15.95pt;"> really not sure which actors
I’d pick. It’s really difficult, and I only have one actor in mind - maybe
Dylan O’Brien for Lee!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">What was your
reaction when you saw that you'd made it onto the Times most influential teens
list alongside Justin Bieber and Malala?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 15.95pt;">I was in total disbelief for a minute, before
sending out a Tweet, texting my parents, and running to wake up some of my
flatmates to tell them. I was so excited to be on a list with so many
well-known teenagers and to be </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.266666412353516px;">recognised</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 15.95pt;"> for my writing!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">How long have you
been writing?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">It might sound cheesy, but for as long as I can
remember. When I was little, if we wrote short stories in school, I’d often go
home and carry on writing them. Then when I started comprehensive school at 12
my parents gave me an old laptop to do homework on, but I used it mostly to
write – and I haven’t stopped!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Can you remember
the very first thing that you wrote?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I remember waiting for the fifth Harry Potter book
to come out, and wondering what might happen next, and how Harry would leave
the Dursleys this next time. I remember writing the start of that story (Fred
and George stopped by Privet Drive with a Portkey) – but at the time, I had no
idea that fanfiction was really a thing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Do you think
writing talent is a natural ability, or can anyone learn it?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 15.95pt;">I think writing is mostly the perseverance and the
effort </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.266666412353516px;">you're</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 15.95pt;"> willing to put in. </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.266666412353516px;">I've</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 15.95pt;"> had messages from people who say their
spelling and grammar </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.266666412353516px;">isn't</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 15.95pt;"> great, but they really love to write – so they
write. It’s something I think anyone can do, as long as they have the drive,
passion and imagination for it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Ebooks or Paper
books?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Paper books!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Finally, do you
have any websites that you'd wish to share?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I do my best to reply to all my fans on Twitter (I’m @Reekles) but I
mostly use my blog (</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://authorbethreekles.tumblr.com/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">http://authorbethreekles.tumblr.com</span></a></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">) to share info about </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span>
So there you have it! As you can tell, Beth is an all round amazing person, I'm sure we can agree and an inspiration to writers everywhere. Below are her three books and the purchase links if you're interested in reading her works, all of which have been released<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Kissing-Booth-Beth-Reekles/dp/0552568813/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407874404&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Kissing+Booth" target="_blank">The Kissing Booth</a></b></div>
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<br />
Meet Rochelle Evans: pretty, popular - and never been kissed.</div>
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Meet Noah Flynn: badass, volatile - and a total player.</div>
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When Elle decides to run a kissing booth at the school's Spring Carnival, she locks lips with Noah and her life is turned upside down. Her head says to keep away, but her heart wants to draw closer - this romance seems far from fairy tale and headed for heartbreak. But will Elle get her happily ever after?<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rolling-Dice-Beth-Reekles-ebook/dp/B00COMWJH4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1407874404&sr=8-3&keywords=The+Kissing+Booth" target="_blank">Rolling Dice</a><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: normal; text-align: start;">They say that the higher you climb, the harder you fall - and Madison Clarke will do anything to keep her new life from crumbling to pieces. Moving from a small town in Maine to Florida, Madison grasps the opportunity to reinvent herself, to forget about those days of being a lonely, loser outcast, and jumps at the chance when the popular kids decide to take her under their wing. A hot boyfriend, parties, friends... If only there wasn't the slight problem by the name of Dwight, a cute, funny and totally nerdy guy in Madison's physics class who she can't help but enjoy spending time with. Running from her past and stumbling through the present, who knows what lies ahead in this new life in Florida?</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Out-Tune-Beth-Reekles/dp/055256883X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1407874404&sr=8-2&keywords=The+Kissing+Booth" target="_blank">Out of Tune</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 14px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
Ashley Bennett is a straight-A student in her junior year of high school, and life is looking good: she's got a boyfriend whom she loves, a group of friends who love to party... But really, Ashley loves to curl up at home with a good book, and she can't wait to go to college. When junior year starts, the life Ashley's settled into is turned upside down - the empty house next door has finally been sold, and moving in is Todd O'Connor...</div>
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When Ashley first meets Todd, he seems aloof and cocky, and she's reluctant to share a ride to school with him as her mom tells her to. As the two get to know each other, though, Ashley comes to realise that the mysterious, brooding Todd O'Connor, who all the girls are swooning over, is actually bookish and shy, and a little bit lonely. His parents split up and he has moved away from his mother to live with his father, and since then Todd has mostly kept to himself, his books, and his guitar.</div>
<div style="margin-top: -4px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
And as Todd gets to know Ashley, he forces her to realise that her relationship with her boyfriend, Josh, isn't really making her happy - Josh is selfish, arrogant, and domineering. Will Ashley find the courage to forge her own path?</div>
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Miranda Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10585326335329594688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947339060860746757.post-79120413625484538642014-08-06T11:40:00.001-07:002014-08-06T11:43:58.437-07:00Second Guessing Your Writing Ability?<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: justify;">
We've all been there. If you're a writer, there will come a time when you will trawl through the piles of words that you've written and think: "What is this rubbish? My writing sucks."</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<span class="mceItemHidden">I could tell you not to think like this, but that would be pointless. Because you're going to think like this anyway. I can tell you that everyone feels like that: Published authors, indie authors, <span class="mceItemHiddenSpellWord" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url(http://www.wattpad.com/js/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/spellchecker/img/wline.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: initial; cursor: default;">Wattpad</span> authors, hell I would guess that even J.K. Rowling has doubts over her writing, and she's one of the best writers out there. My point is if you're sitting in front of your computer screen (or notebook) and doubting your ability, then the chances are that you have talent . </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<span class="mceItemHidden">I'll admit. I was 19 when I first started writing but I used to write little stories and magazine articles when I was younger. But I really only got into the writing bug when I was 19. I was craving more Harry Potter related stuff. And after a lot of hesitance I made a <span class="mceItemHiddenSpellWord" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url(http://www.wattpad.com/js/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/spellchecker/img/wline.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: initial; cursor: default;">Fanfiction</span>.Net account and started reading there. The longer I read, the more I wanted to write. And when I finally got an idea, I started to write and posted it to the site (Excuse the rhyme). I got a lot of feedback, most of it along the lines of: "Please write more!" or "This is the best <span class="mceItemHiddenSpellWord" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url(http://www.wattpad.com/js/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/spellchecker/img/wline.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: initial; cursor: default;">fic</span> ever!". I could have let all of this go to my head and not take any constructive criticism. But I realised suddenly, just how serious and important writing was to me. So I took the criticism and the flames and worked it to my writing ability until I felt confident to start my own original works with my own world.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: justify;">
<span class="mceItemHidden">I still doubt my ability every day. Even when I've got a hundred people telling me I'm a good writer. I'm always seeking to improve, to be the best at what I do. But I quickly <span class="mceItemHiddenSpellWord" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url(http://www.wattpad.com/js/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/spellchecker/img/wline.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: initial; cursor: default;">realised</span> that this is impossible. You could be an amazing writer, but there's always going to be someone better. You shouldn't compare yourself to other writers, because this is your style. There's no need for big words and fancy prose. If you have awesome characters and decent sentence structure, then you're already halfway there.</span></div>
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<span class="mceItemHidden">Remember, there is no such thing as a perfect writer. We each have our own quirks and idiosyncrasies that set us apart from other writers. Think you use a phrase or sentence too much? Don't worry, because a lot of it will get cut out during publication anyway. You should never let your doubts get in the way of doing what you love. Chances are, if you're reading this right now, if you sit there and write every day then you're a writer.</span></div>
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And just remember. All stories, big or small. They all started with a good idea.</div>
Miranda Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10585326335329594688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947339060860746757.post-58694790893956674872014-07-05T12:44:00.000-07:002014-07-05T12:44:07.648-07:00100 Character Quirks to Give Your Character the "Oomph" factor!All good writers know, that when it comes down to perfecting your art, your story is nothing without a real, meaningful character. Sure, you might have a kickass plot and poetic prose, but it will all fall flat if your character is a cardboard or just a flatter version of yourself. So how do we remedy this situation? By adding quirks and habits of course. Now I'm not saying that this is the only thing you should consider when writing a kickass character, but it can really help to know your character once you give them these idiosyncrasies. I have compiled a list of traits and quirks that I have borrowed from my nearest and dearest, workmates and complete strangers. I highly recommend people watching (Without venturing into creeper territory of course!), it's a pretty tight way of being able to compile your own list and giving your character endless depth.<br />
<br />
Note: Some of these are physical distinguishing features so they may focus on appearence somewhere along the line.<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Smacking
lips while speaking.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Saying
“Like” after every few words.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Rubbing
elbow.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Playing
with fringe</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Tossing
head to get hair out of eyes</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Playing
with hair.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Clasping
hands together and rubbing right thumb over left thumb or vice versa</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Jogging
legs</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Saying
“Um” a lot.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Humming
when trying to think of something.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Gesticulating
heavily while speaking.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Laughing
when nervous/uncomfortable.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Pulling
sleeves/hem down on shirt.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Pulling
trousers with feet</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Sticking
nose up in the air when up to no good.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Pursing
lips when embarrassed</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Placing
hand on arm whenever you talk to someone.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Pulling
ponytail over shoulder and then back again</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Crossing
and uncrossing legs</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Exhaling
heavily through nose</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Constantly
clearing throat</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Sucking
teeth.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Constantly
checking and re-checking the time</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Walks
fast, head down. Can walk three miles in under an hour.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Corrects
grammar/pronunciation</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Doesn't
cover mouth/nose when sneezing or coughing.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Gets
irrationally angry at noisy eaters/breathers/clicking buttons</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Never
gives change to homeless people.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Constantly
complains about the weather. Even when the weather is good.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Cracks
all joints in body.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Bends
body backwards to stretch muscles in back.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Puts
hands on hips when surveying a room.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Gets
jealous of people they think is a threat to their “perfect”
world.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Wipes
forehead and licks lips constantly.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Has a
hairy chest.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Indecently
proportioned feet/hands for height.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Always
carries an odour of B.O.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Is very
jumpy.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Always
asks people to repeat themselves when asked a question with “What?”</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Shuffles
feet when walking.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Gets
irrationally angry when hungry or tired.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Stands
with their feet wide apart, rocks hips back and forth unconsciously.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Left
eye twitches.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Has
uneven stubble.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Constantly
plucking upper lip/eyebrows.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Distinct
accent, not related to region they are in.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Always
speaks about his/herself.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Uses
words in the wrong context.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Interrupts
people during conversation.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Slowly
trails off when they believe no one is listening.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Digs
nails into palms when angry.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Cries
when angry.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Swears
when startled.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Punctuates
every sentence with a vulgarity.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Compulsively
sniffs.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Clears
throat obnoxiously.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Spits.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Ends
each sentence, so that it sounds like a question, even if it's not.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Softly
spoken.
</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Doesn't
speak unless spoken to.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Has no
sense of personal space.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Tells
cheesy jokes.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Speaks
rapidly when happy/excited.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Over
uses <span style="color: #141414;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">malapropisms</span></span>
(e.g. My sciences are blocked - <i>My sinuses are blocked)</i></div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Laughs at random intervals. Even if no one is around at the time.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Stutters when nervous.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Voice goes low/quiet on the verge of tears.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Has a dirty laugh.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Calls all women “Love”, calls men “Mate”</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Struggles to start a conversation.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Always under the impression that they are hated/disliked.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Has little or no modesty.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Sings under breath when they think no one is looking.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Stares off into space when they fall into a daydream.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Taps feet against the floor when sitting down.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Taps fingers on the table.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Blows upwards on fringe.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Holds an obsession with famous people/people of power.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Social Media addict.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Pulls on bottom lip when trying to think.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Taps coins on the counter, when waiting to pay for something.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Cries at sad movies.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Listens to music obsessively.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Rubs thumb on inside of wrists.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Restless. Can't stay still for more than five minutes.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Taps wrist when asking for time.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Tilts hand in drinking gesture when offering a drink.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Constantly taking glasses off and cleaning them.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Tears up pieces of paper and scatters them.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Pulls grass up from its roots, every time they sit on it.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Ums and ah's before answering a question.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Gets irrationally angry when waiting in long queue.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Gets flustered when confronted with attention from the opposite sex.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Serial farter. Makes no attempt to hide this.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Swings arms and claps hands. May also kick legs when feeling out of
place.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Starts their sentences with “So...”</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Twists a swatch of fabric around their fingers.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Pings an elastic band on their wrist.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Bobs head to music.</div>
</li>
<li><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Stops and looks into every mirror they pass.</div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
</li>
</ol>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So there you have it. Please feel free to use these for your own characters!</div>
Miranda Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10585326335329594688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947339060860746757.post-17724671937683076072014-06-08T14:51:00.000-07:002014-06-08T14:51:34.365-07:00Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicgyeiiyivKiMxusq35-7LFaEmOJTPBA6ErvNfrKfcotkpwHFkZP19PEjLXi-31uu38ivD0B2EvUR-q_yoVrU9OSKWQk6CYr7i2GfYRKk5l6bm8if9nOSw_hTFT_6hyPtAC6TORsL8Bfg/s1600/9460487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicgyeiiyivKiMxusq35-7LFaEmOJTPBA6ErvNfrKfcotkpwHFkZP19PEjLXi-31uu38ivD0B2EvUR-q_yoVrU9OSKWQk6CYr7i2GfYRKk5l6bm8if9nOSw_hTFT_6hyPtAC6TORsL8Bfg/s1600/9460487.jpg" height="320" width="197" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.31999969482422px; text-align: left;">It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.</span></i></div>
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Very rarely now, do I come across a story that manages to capture my utmost attention the whole way through. For me, a novel needs to have mystery, awe-inspiring prose and a sparkling kind of magic that enchants and entrances the whole way through. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar is one of those rare gems, sparkling amidst the blackened coals.</div>
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This book has it all. It's mysterious, original, slightly twisted in its own intense way, thought provoking, flawless, fantastic, magical to name a few! With the startling imagery and creepy photos that seem so unreal that they have to be manipulated, mixed with the realistic prose and dialogue, makes for a very startling, very visual story. One which can redefine not just fantasy, but storytelling as a whole.</div>
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I loved everything about this book. I loved how the author used poetry and letters and photographs to tell the story. I loved the characters, who in themselves were enigmas of the finest. I loved the scenes that he depicted that provided some very startling pictures in my head. Which seemed to unfurl before me by the pictures also provided. All which aided in telling the story.</div>
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For those of you who don't know, Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children centres around our protagonist Jacob, a young boy who had a very close bond with his grandfather. As a young child, Jacob's grandfather used to regale him with stories of fantastical beasts, of peculiar children with spectacular abilities: children that could levitate, a scrawny boy that could lift boulders probably ten times his weight, a man with a mouth in the back of his head to name a few. Naturally, as he grew older, these tales became fairy stories, and were soon lost to his grandfather's mind. When tragedy strikes, and Jacob sees something unexplainable, something that he had heard of only in his grandfather's stories, his mind is thrown into jeopardy which ultimately ends up with him deciding to visit this island, Cairnhorn, where Miss Peregrine's Home is based. </div>
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This book had it all. It had creepy houses and it had children with superpowers, it had time travel and a woman who can turn into a falcon, because why the hell not? Each sentence was both moving and haunting, each sentence delivered a blow and touched somewhere inside of me. I really grew to know Jacob's character and his close relationship with his grandfather, I grew to understand his father's own relationship with his father and learnt some surprising discoveries that should have been obvious but they weren't. Because they were delivered in such a way that you were left wide eyed when things were finally revealed!</div>
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I can't say I had a favourite character. I loved them all! They each had their own quirks and idiosyncrasies. Traits that made them unique, though I did have a bit of a soft spot for Bronwyn, the girl with gargantuan strength. For me, she was exactly what her power represented. Strength, and definitely some courage thrown in there.</div>
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Much like Harry Potter, to which this had been compared, this story has some dark undertones but they are done so flawlessly, so subtly that you wonder if it was ever intentional. If you want a beautiful gem of a story, one that will inspire and awe you, then pick this up. It may just be the best thing you read this year!</div>
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Miranda Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10585326335329594688noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947339060860746757.post-32702310210490386762014-06-06T14:38:00.002-07:002014-06-06T14:39:22.600-07:00My Summer TBROkay, hands up. I admit it. I'm a terrible person. Unless a novel is absolutely fantastic, then chances are I'll find one I want to read more, and read that one instead. And thus, the book takes the back burner on the dustiest, most unexplored plains of my bookshelves. And over time, these books piled up. So in lieu with my recent book-buying ban. I've come to the realisation that I need to read the books I started before buying anymore. No matter how much they call out to me on their shelves.<br />
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<b>If You Find Me</b></div>
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<i>Emily Murdoch</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybspqVFksRv2z5MRhLWcULvi3bkmayFROhzdtey_dMNAxx2ky_GqbF2u99nOL2945FGYlJ8-O1-XYrMO1M_a8uPpDT0ERftnAqXLvSJJolh2KlcL6YSLPL01TtEDB6qrojf30nRcNvww/s1600/if-you-find-me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybspqVFksRv2z5MRhLWcULvi3bkmayFROhzdtey_dMNAxx2ky_GqbF2u99nOL2945FGYlJ8-O1-XYrMO1M_a8uPpDT0ERftnAqXLvSJJolh2KlcL6YSLPL01TtEDB6qrojf30nRcNvww/s1600/if-you-find-me.jpg" /></a></div>
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Carey is keeping a terrible secret. If she tells. It could destroy her future. If she doesn't, will she ever be free?<br />
<br />
For almost as long as she can remember, Carey has lived in the heart of the woods with her drug-addicted mother and her six year old sister Jenessa.<br />
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Their mother routinely disappear for weeks at a time, leaving the girls to cope alone. Survival is Carey's only priority - until strangers arrive and everything changes . . .<br />
<i><br /></i>
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<i>I think I bought this one on the summary. For me, it was perfect. It gave that sense of mystery that enticed deep shivers within me. The sort that promised a riveting read. But unfortunately, I set it aside and moved onto other projects. I'm hoping to get it finished by the end of Summer. </i><br />
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<b>The Book Thief</b><br />
<i>Marcus Zusak</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAFT_JjQT7dQy1IVg03FCPLGNH7AR7Hvnok6dBXKXBh38jOELx-r8LBlGhKI5kpnTzHiM_5aQjFLbsIZXItT1VhFdvf-FvS4AqbNJQErpBvdku80qtF0RFmGJkC77s6mshJ5lo9ZrgUvE/s1600/download+(5).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAFT_JjQT7dQy1IVg03FCPLGNH7AR7Hvnok6dBXKXBh38jOELx-r8LBlGhKI5kpnTzHiM_5aQjFLbsIZXItT1VhFdvf-FvS4AqbNJQErpBvdku80qtF0RFmGJkC77s6mshJ5lo9ZrgUvE/s1600/download+(5).jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>This is the tale of the book thief. As narrated by death. And when death tells a story, you really have to listen</b>.</div>
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It's just a small story really, about amongst other things:</div>
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A girl</div>
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An accordionist</div>
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Some fanatical Germans</div>
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A Jewish fist fighter</div>
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And quite a lot of thievery.</div>
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<i>I know. I know! I'm terrible. You don't need to tell me. Everyone and their dog has read this book. Everyone except me that is . . . I bought this book during the massive hype over it but never really got started. This will go towards the top of my TBR list!</i></div>
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<b>Anna and the French Kiss</b></div>
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<i>Stephanie Perkins</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtlxkuxBFb2pZzPyMufqf10U4IBZszbk-viGrZhID0A_v52gDbqsS5ZSn5fMxxYV1firqIkvfEwH3rg5_XlzE6WmN-tH7U1YpDovQScwjSYvBrGyOnzDXYnVHjNUtrh4GX6JjUKPVqhIQ/s1600/download+(6).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtlxkuxBFb2pZzPyMufqf10U4IBZszbk-viGrZhID0A_v52gDbqsS5ZSn5fMxxYV1firqIkvfEwH3rg5_XlzE6WmN-tH7U1YpDovQScwjSYvBrGyOnzDXYnVHjNUtrh4GX6JjUKPVqhIQ/s1600/download+(6).jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">Anna is less than thrilled to be shipped off to boarding school in Paris, leaving a fledgling romance behind - until she meets Etienne St Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Etienne has it all... including a girlfriend. But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with a longed-for French Kiss?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>I'm actually still reading this one. So far, I've been eh about it if I'm completely honest. Having bought it together with Eleanor and Park and My Life Next Door, I thought that I would love this book just as much. But to be honest, I haven't felt any sparks with this novel yet. But I'm nothing, if not persistent. So I will finish it. And I will give a fair, but honest review.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>The Ocean at the End of the Lane</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>Neil Gaiman</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxcWHzQcDvLeCg5JX3KQ_rch7tPLqj2B7aMMB5jWCzPBx-pGwr71zgSSciGof6PgypWJjkvDC1wprOWuFVr9-HzWTCEr3k9LI8MaCME4gnEs4KW88nNaQfZ4kLcmlcbcD807K9qvJmUzo/s1600/download+(7).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxcWHzQcDvLeCg5JX3KQ_rch7tPLqj2B7aMMB5jWCzPBx-pGwr71zgSSciGof6PgypWJjkvDC1wprOWuFVr9-HzWTCEr3k9LI8MaCME4gnEs4KW88nNaQfZ4kLcmlcbcD807K9qvJmUzo/s1600/download+(7).jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">It began for our narrator forty years ago when the family lodger stole their car and committed suicide in it, stirring up ancient powers best left undisturbed. Dark creatures from beyond the world are on the loose, and it will take everything our narrator has just to stay alive: there is primal horror here, and menace unleashed - within his family and from the forces that have gathered to destroy it. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">His only defense is three women, on a farm at the end of the lane. The youngest of them claims that her duckpond is an ocean. The oldest can remember the Big Bang. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE is a fable that reshapes modern fantasy: moving, terrifying and elegiac - as pure as a dream, as delicate as a butterfly's wing, as dangerous as a knife in the dark.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>I haven't even started on this one yet. I got it in Tescos on a 2 for £7 deal alongside another book. But I've heard so much good stuff about it. And everyone I hear talk about it, raves about its amazingness. (Yes, that's a word now!)</i></span></span></div>
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<b>Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief</b><br />
<i>Rick Riordan</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGnNC7G_3wkf2TTafS_jZd5SN1PZwYdBaGiRmdMzFOlGrZALueOYEJzpFkcap1DZHiB4TQD3nDNM4G8vrdP1O8W-dEEGQymaerbCS743REgFEkXjt_FTxzlmF87w5QQwSKzQ6yzgbJEio/s1600/percy+jackson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGnNC7G_3wkf2TTafS_jZd5SN1PZwYdBaGiRmdMzFOlGrZALueOYEJzpFkcap1DZHiB4TQD3nDNM4G8vrdP1O8W-dEEGQymaerbCS743REgFEkXjt_FTxzlmF87w5QQwSKzQ6yzgbJEio/s1600/percy+jackson.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a></div>
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Half <b>boy</b>. Half <b>God</b>. ALL <b>Hero</b>.</div>
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<b><i></i></b></div>
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<i><b>Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood. I never asked to be the son of a Greek God.</b></i></div>
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<i><b></b></i></div>
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I was just a normal kid, going to school, playing basketball, skateboarding. The usual. Until I accidentally vaporized my maths teacher. Now I spend my time battling monsters and generally trying to stay alive.</div>
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This is the one where Zeus, God of the Sky, thinks I've stolen his lightning bolt - and making Zeus angry is <i>a very bad idea.</i></div>
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<i>So. Kind of ashamed that I still haven't read this. But be fair here, I was still shivering uncontrollably from Harry Potter feels. Let's hope this book doesn't entice the same!</i></div>
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<b>Why We Broke Up</b><br />
<i>Daniel Handler</i><br />
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"I'm telling you why we broke up, Ed. I'm writing it in this letter, the whole truth of why it happened." Min Green and Ed Slaterton are breaking up, so Min is writing Ed a letter and giving him a box. Inside the box is why they broke up. Two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a folded note, a box of matches, a protractor, books, a toy truck, a pair of ugly earrings, a comb from a motel room, and every other item collected over the course of a giddy, intimate, heartbreaking relationship.</div>
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Item after item is illustrated and accounted for, and then the box, like a girlfriend, will be dumped. In Why We Broke Up, international best-selling author of A Series of Unfortunate Events – made into a Hollywood film starring Jim Carrey – writes about romance and breaking up in his first book for young adults with every bit as much skill as he does gothic humour.</div>
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<i>I am rather ashamed to say that I bought this book over a year ago and still haven't gotten round to reading it. I will definitely read it this Summer. Promise!</i></div>
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Well. That's all for now. I'm sure that many other books will pop up on my TBR list over the coming months, and I'll be sure to note them all down. But for now, happy reading! </div>
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Miranda Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10585326335329594688noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947339060860746757.post-70767994689550902472014-05-12T08:42:00.001-07:002014-05-12T08:42:40.098-07:00Review: Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor</h2>
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Publish date: February 18th 2014</div>
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Published by: HarperCollins Australia</div>
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Page numbers: 386</div>
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Goodreads Summary: </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px; text-align: left;"><i>Zoe and Olivia have always been best friends. And becoming professional ballerinas has always been their goal. But when they turn sixteen the unthinkable happens as Olivia is diagnosed with leukaemia. Falling in love, coping with school and falling out with each other - everything is thrown into a whole new light. A heartbreakingly bittersweet tragedy that reveals profound truths about loss, love and the friends who mean the world to you</i></span></div>
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I bought this book almost as soon as I saw it on the shelves in Smith's. And honestly, I read it all in two days. But if I'm going to be brutally honest here, I didn't enjoy it as much as other books of this composition such as The Fault in Our Stars, or Before I Die by Jenny Downham. And even though these are all completely different books, and it would be unfair to compare them, I feel like it has to be said. </div>
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I did enjoy this book. Don't get me wrong. I liked the characters and the setting and the adorable relationship between Zoe and Olivia. They have the sort of relationship that I share with my best friend, and it managed to stimulate a fond, nostalgic smile. This book has to have the best friendship there ever was. Not many friends would make so many sacrifices or drop everything at the first hint of trouble for their best friend. They say "I love you" to each other every time they say goodbye, and just generally know how the other is feeling without having to ask.</div>
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But for me. Things got a bit predictable. It was quite obvious who the love interest was to be. And what the fate of Zoe's friend would be. But it also dealt with raw emotions that seemed to overshadow its flaws. I think I cried before I was even halfway through the book. just by their adorable relationship, and perhaps because I knew what was going to happen. Their fate sealed before they had anything to do about it. I also think that there wasn't enough emphasis on the whole ballet side of things. I'd have liked to have heard some more on that. It's something that hasn't been done before in fiction.</div>
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And though it was cute and the relationships were wonderful. It seemed to be lacking something. That single something that would make it spectacular. That one book that would keep you up at night thinking about it. </div>
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Maybe One Day is about Zoe, whose best friend gets diagnosed with Leukaemia, which (yes you guessed it), quickly becomes terminal. I'm not giving away spoilers here, that's just what it says on the blurb.We all have that one friend that we would do absolutely anything for. And if we lost them. It would kill us too. For me, the end came too quickly. So quickly, that I wasn't prepared and the buckets of tears that were brewing exploded out of me at insane force.</div>
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In all, I was quite disappointed with this book. I expected a lot more. But I need to give credit where credit is due. It's well written, with real relationships and many layered characters. It was just missing the spark that would have made it a gem. </div>
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Amazon/Goodreads rating: 3 stars </div>
Miranda Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10585326335329594688noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947339060860746757.post-9989891327735339132014-05-08T09:38:00.000-07:002014-05-08T09:39:17.589-07:00Review: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b>My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick</b></h2>
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Published By: Speak Publishing</div>
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Publish Date: June 13th 2013</div>
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Page Numbers: 394</div>
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I'm quickly falling completely and hopelessly in love with Contemporary Romance. Or Contemporary Fiction as a whole. And it's all thanks to novels such as Eleanor and Park and My Life Next Door. Both books, that have taken up my spare time where I could be doing something productive. Isn't reading productive? I saw this book a lot of Booktube. Something I'm something of an avid watcher, fangirl, stalker. But it took me ages to buy it, and then when I did, it sat on my shelves for weeks,waiting in line for me to finish with my (very long) TBR list.</div>
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My Life Next Door Next Door is a summer romance with depth. It centers around the protagonist Samantha who used to sit on her roof and watch the large, raucous family the Garretts and (subconsciously) maybe wish that she was a part of it all. Samantha is from a well off family that consists of her Mum Grace and her sister Tracy. Whereas Jase is from a family than can struggle for money, yet they are so full of fun and love that it doesn't matter. Samantha feels slightly stifled by her prim and proper mother, who seems to dislike the Garrets and wishes that she were part of a family like that. </div>
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Then Jase comes along and gives her a taste of what it's like to be free and happy and wild. she falls in love with Jase's massive family, just as much as she falls in love with Jase himself (and honestly, who can blame her?)</div>
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But her happy bubble is burst when she "witnesses" something she wishes she didn't. She becomes torn by doing what is right, which will inadvertently affect her mother, or what is wrong, which will come to affect Samantha herself. This story gives a taste of what it's like to be young. To be stifled under your parents law. As this story develops, Sam slowly learns the true meaning of love, family, life and that she should always, always stick up for herself when people aim to bring her down.</div>
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So here's a breakdown of <b>everything</b> I loved about this book in a neat little list.</div>
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1. Jase and Samantha's relationship is adorable.</div>
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2. It's family focussed. It really highlights the good sides of a good family!</div>
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3. It has depth while still being hopelessly adorable.</div>
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4. The little conflict. I know that a story needs some conflict, but this story. God it just worked, okay?</div>
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And I'm being cliche here. But this gave me such a feeling of happiness reading this. It was like this big, wobbling bubble right in my chest. It was almost as if I myself had fallen in love. And in a way, I have, I've fallen in love with a book. And no matter how many times I read this, whether it's twice or ten times. I will always read it with the same fond smile that I did the first time.</div>
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Amazon/Goodreads Rating: 5*</div>
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Miranda Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10585326335329594688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947339060860746757.post-63190620914091513452014-04-29T11:23:00.000-07:002014-04-29T11:23:08.084-07:00Wonder by R.J. Palacio Review<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Wonder by R.J. Palacio</h2>
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<i><strong style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px; text-align: left;">I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.</strong><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px; text-align: left;">August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px; text-align: left;">R. J. Palacio has written a spare, warm, uplifting story that will have readers laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. With wonderfully realistic family interactions (flawed, but loving), lively school scenes, and short chapters, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px; text-align: left;">Wonder</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px; text-align: left;"> is accessible to readers of all levels</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px; text-align: left;">Publisher: Corgi Children's</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px; text-align: left;">Pages: 315</span></i></div>
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Wonder is one of those books that you stay up late into the night just to finish, then stay up the rest of the night thinking about. I have read a lot of books about real situations. Heck, if it came down to it, I could recite them by heart. But Wonder, is quite honestly one of the most beautiful, heartbreaking, life-affirming books that I have ever had the pleasure to read. From page onwards, I have laughed, cried, gasped and rooted for Auggie, who is possibly one of my favourite fictional characters. Ever.</div>
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If you don't know what Wonder is about. It's about August Pullman, who was born with a birth defect that causes facial abnormalities (or facial anomalies). Auggie is just a normal kid. He has an Xbox, he wants friends, and he argues with his sister, Via, who he shares a very close bond with. Auggie has spent his whole life trying to blend into the background, but some people are just made to stand out, stars amongst rocks. And August is a shining example of this.</div>
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<b>"You can't blend in when you were born to stand out."</b></div>
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I love this quote, so so so much. It just seems to set the tone for the whole book. Wonder is one of those rare books that make you sit back and reevaluate yourself as a person. It makes you think: have I ever stared like this? Do I do or say unkind things without realising? August's personality seems to just shine through perfectly. He's just a normal kid, really. One who happens to have facial deformities. Though he doesn't like to call them that.</div>
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Auggie has lived a pretty sheltered life. Being home-schooled by his Mum, until he reaches middle school ages and his Mum decides he might want to go to school. August is reluctant at first. He knows kids will stare, and say horrible things. And they do, at first. In that way kids do. Wonder is a brutally honest story about fitting in when you're different, bullying, and the effects of being the friends and relatives of a child with a genetic condition.</div>
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This book has touched on areas I didn't even know I possess. It sparked emotions in me, and made me want to become a better person. Auggies story, and all the people involved has touched me deeply, and it is one who will stay with me forever.</div>
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Amazon/Goodreads rating: 5*</div>
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Miranda Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10585326335329594688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947339060860746757.post-24574435851388004692014-04-28T06:44:00.000-07:002014-04-28T06:44:53.706-07:00Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell Review<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell</h2>
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<i><strong style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;">Eleanor</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;"> is the new girl in town, and with her chaotic family life, her mismatched clothes and unruly red hair, she couldn't stick out more if she tried.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><i>Publish date: February 28th 2013</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><i>Published by: Orion Publishing</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><i>Pages: 324</i></span></div>
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No matter where you are. No matter where you come from. You will find yourself really identifying with this book, the characters. Everything. Eleanor and Park . . . Okay, I'll admit I was a bit reluctant to read it. There was so much buzz around it, and it was hugely popular. I haven't really had a lot of good experience with popular books. But this one, this one. . . Can we just stop for a moment and just appreciate the beauty of this novel? Seriously, I feel like I am killing off any writing skills I may possess just writing this review, but it has to be said. Eleanor and Park wa beautiful, amazing, flawless. It completely epitomises what it is to be a teenager, a misfit and to be in love with someone for the first time.</div>
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Not only does it perfectly capture the essence of youth. It also perfectly captures the hardships of being a misfit, an outcast. The characters aren't perfect. Not by any standards. In fact, they're so flawed, so real that you feel as if you could reach right into the pages and pluck them out, fully formed.</div>
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Eleanor and Park is written from the point of view of both interests. In this way, she manages to weave a very real and very beautiful picture of their relationship. I have never fell in love with characters, or a book so much since Harry potter. Eleanor and Park has that rare ability to worm its way into your heart and capture your soul perfectly. And the whole time, you're just reading it and you can easily find yourself in their shoes, or even remember situations much the same.</div>
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But can we just talk about that ending? I've read so many heartbroken reviews talking about the ending. And yes, I wanted them to have a happily ever after. Of course I did. But the ending was so wholly real, so bittersweet that I couldn't think of a better way that the book could have ended. Please, I implore you, if you want to remember what it was like to be young, to be in love for the first time, then this really is the novel for you!</div>
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Miranda Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10585326335329594688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947339060860746757.post-40976750470835595452014-04-21T11:22:00.002-07:002014-04-21T11:22:49.500-07:00Review: Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith</h2>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px; text-align: left;">Sixteen-year-old Austin Szerba interweaves the story of his Polish legacy with the story of how he and his best friend , Robby, brought about the end of humanity and the rise of an army of unstoppable, six-foot tall praying mantises in small-town Iowa.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px; text-align: left;">To make matters worse, Austin's hormones are totally oblivious; they don't care that the world is in utter chaos: Austin is in love with his girlfriend, Shann, but remains confused about his sexual orientation. He's stewing in a self-professed constant state of maximum horniness, directed at both Robby and Shann. Ultimately, it's up to Austin to save the world and propagate the species in this sci-fright journey of survival, sex, and the complex realities of the human condition</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px; text-align: left;">Publication Date: 11th February 2014 </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px; text-align: left;">Published by: Electric Monkey Publishing</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px; text-align: left;">Number of pages: 394 </span></div>
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Normally when reading a book, there is one recurring theme running through my head the entire time. This time was no different. However, unlike other times I have read books, the thoughts that were running through my heads were somewhere along the lines of: "What the heck am I reading?, "This is so weird!" or "Ew, that's gross!"</div>
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Grasshopper Jungle, if you haven't read it is quite possibly the strangest, most original and hauntingly compelling piece of end-of-the-world-fiction that I have ever laid eyes on. While most apocalypse fiction adheres to the same set of strict morals and gore fests, Grasshopper Jungle swerves completely away from that, creating a whole new era of Armageddon storytelling. Most novels, for me are now completely predictable, I can easily spot overused element or subtle cues that tell me that something is about to happen.</div>
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However with Grasshopper Jungle, I was taken completely and utterly by surprise. It starts with a killer of a hook and draws you in to the weird, gruesome and very horny world of sexually confused Austin, his gay best friend Robby Brees and his girlfriend Shann as they navigate a scary new apocalyptic world, slowly being overrun by giant praying mantises. </div>
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Andrew Smith has created a horrifying, yet oddly satisfying world of two headed babies, penises in a jar, giant grasshoppers, germs that turn people into hungry/horny/murderous insects, sexual confusion, horny teenagers, horny adults, strange psychopathic men that grow weird things in jars using their own semen, underground silos and just a general sense of complete, unmitigated bat poop craziness!</div>
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In the nicest possible way, I found myself pausing several times throughout and pondering the much pondered question: What the hell am I reading? Never has a character been so intriguing, horny or sexually confused in all the masses of fiction I have ever laid my grubby pincers (See what I did there) on.</div>
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I honestly think Andrew Smith must have been high or drunk, or extremely horny when he decided to write Grasshopper Jungle, because surely something as deliciously strange of this could have been created from the byproduct of an acid trip. To be honest, if you like this book or not is purely a question of taste.</div>
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Some people may find it too rude or vulgar for them. Some may find it too strange or too gross. I found it all four, and yet I enjoyed it immensely. It isn't often that something has the power to voice my thoughts out loud, and Grasshopper Jungle did just that. There were plots, inside plots, inside plots and yet Andrew Smith managed to weave them seamlessly together, so that somehow, it all seemed to make sense.</div>
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No holds are barred with this book. There is sex. There is drugs and violence and homosexuality. There is blood and gore and a slight bit of religion all thrown in there. The writing is shocking, abrupt and witty. Short and to the point. No need for pretty words or fancy prose. It is so utterly bizarre that you actually start to question your own sanity. At some points, there are moments that you just laugh out loud and others where you seriously begin to worry for the author's sanity.</div>
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If you want a unique, crazy, original, blunt, unblushing book to read this summer. Something that has sparked an entire generation of storytelling as a whole, then I would highly recommend Grasshopper Jungle. I for a fact, will never look at fiction in the same way again.</div>
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Goodreads/Amazon Rating: 5 *****</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0525426035/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=goodreads_uk-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0525426035&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" target="_blank">Amazon</a></div>
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Miranda Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10585326335329594688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947339060860746757.post-84099918843061293862014-04-14T08:35:00.001-07:002014-04-14T08:38:05.530-07:00Get Noticed with Bloglovin'<br />
So I recently came across the most amazing discovery: Bloglovin'. For those of you who are not aware, <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/" target="_blank">Bloglovin</a>' is a genius way to follow all of your favourite blogs without having to individually type their search addresses each time you want to check their address. Instead, if they have the button installed, you can follow them through Bloglovin' and gain notifications every time an update is posted.<br />
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It's also a genius way for bloggers to start out and build up a readership. I only recently discovered it after searching for ways to get my Blog noticed. And what pops up; but<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/" target="_blank"> Bloglovin'</a>? It can show you the traffic and follower stats for your blog, in a weekly and monthly breakdown. This is the must have website for anyone who wants to get noticed in the Blogging World.<br />
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Don't allow my rambling to deter you. Why don't you go check it out yourself? Even if you're not a blogger yourself, you can still gain something out of this (free) service!<br />
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<br />Miranda Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10585326335329594688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947339060860746757.post-21412908343879768512014-04-14T05:44:00.001-07:002014-04-14T08:21:01.987-07:00Massive Giveaway (International) - RayKayBooks. 250 BOOKS!<br />
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There's nothing better than free books, right? Right. So to be in with a chance to win, why don't you go on ahead and enter? You can find Rachel's Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyR1lWw_xmc. She is giving away 80 books, that's right, 80, that's 40 books each for two winners! plus other awesome stuff. There are also 70 authors who are getting in on this.<br />
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Honestly. You want to get in on this, it is a<b> 250 book giveaway</b>. Not to mention the fact that you can win other stuff such as T-shirts and mousepads. Also head on over to http://livetoread-krystal.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/250-book-giveaway-introduction.html for further details. The giveaway ends 13th May, so get in there before it's too late! She will also be giving 40 books each to two lucky winners.<br />
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You do have to sign up for a rafflecopter, but as has been mentioned, they don't spam you, and it's the only way you can enter.<br />
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Rafflecopter is posted below. Check out all links for further information.<br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Rafflecopter: </span><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/21bd26160/</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">RayKayBooks (Youtube): https://www.youtube.com/user/RayKayBooks</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;">Krystal's Blog: http://livetoread-krystal.blogspot.co.uk/ </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 20.799999237060547px;"><br /></span></span>Miranda Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10585326335329594688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947339060860746757.post-56022798567200963072014-03-29T14:10:00.002-07:002014-03-29T14:11:11.723-07:00Review: Half Bad by Sally Green <h3 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Half Bad by Sally Green</b></h3>
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<b>This was actually a cover buy. That is, I fell in love with the beautiful cover. And yet,as I started to read the book, I fell in love with the beautiful writing.</b></div>
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Half Bad follows the protagonist, Nathan. Who is a Half Code (Half White, Half Black Witch). His mother is a white witch, whereas his father Marcus is the most feared and most hunted black witch of all time. The story starts off in second person, and then moves onto first which is interesting in and of itself. In a world where black witches are persecuted and half bloods are held under stifling law by the Council, who no doubt wish for nothing more than to rid the world of black witches and half bloods.</div>
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At the start of the story, Nathan lives with his gran, half brother Arran and two half sisters Jessica and Deborah, all of whom are white witches, and whom Nathan's father killed. Nathan is held under the councils thumb by the notices they send to his thumb and every year on his birthday, is sent to the council for interrogation and to attempt to designate his code. </div>
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Being a Half Code isn't easy. Nathan can't read or write, nor can he sleep inside at night. He's treated like scum. And yet, he can heal rapidly and can tell of someone's witch status (White, black, fain) just by their eyes. A rare ability, even in this world.</div>
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I think the sole motive for this character is to get his three gifts and the blood of a relative, which will result in him receiving his main gift. As a character, it took me a while to care for or even identify with Nathan. He was quite a confusing character, didn't really seem that likeable, or strong in any way. But his character seemed to bloom as the book progressed and by the end of it, I really wanted him to be okay. And Gabriel, <spoiler>his friend who he met towards the end</spoiler>. </div>
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This is no Harry Potter. I shall warn you now. It is dark, it is violent. It is not a light read, and you will actually be shocked at the violence that it features. And yet, it seems so hopelessly realistic that you actually feel anger at the council, and the Hunters, who despite being White Witches, are probably just as evil as some black witches.</div>
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For me, the recurring theme is that there is a thin line between good and evil. In fact, the author actually says in her acknowledgements that the following quote by Shakespeare's Hamlet is an inspiration for the whole story.</div>
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"There is nothing neither good or bad, but thinking makes it so."</div>
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Before being introduced to other character's, I was under no illusions that all black witches were evil. Perhaps by only being introduced to bad ones at that point. But then, as Nathan's mind slowly changed, and we were introduced to another black witch, one whom didn't seem evil. (He had killed, yes), but he seemed less bad than most white witches.</div>
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Now. Onto the book itself. The writing, I found was clear, crisp and beautiful. The author found no need for big, confusing words and instead used impact to keep the reader going. I will admit, though. The book does start off slow and can get boring in places. But for its genre, I think it's a good way to introduce the setting, characters, feel before bouncing right into the action. Which is exciting, heart pounding and exhilarating. You really get a feel for the characters in these scenes, and I could almost imagine myself beside them. Smell the blood, taste the sweat in the air.</div>
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Despite this being a cover buy, I fell completely in love with Half Bad, and will await anxiously, the sequel which is due out next Spring.</div>
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Miranda Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10585326335329594688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947339060860746757.post-80826289964297352042014-03-24T14:57:00.000-07:002014-03-24T14:57:46.994-07:00Ten Fabulous Gift Ideas for Book LoversIf - like me - you have many people in your life who love to read. Who spend their time curled up with a good book and often eschew social events in favour of their favourite literary hero, then you might spend many hours, despairing over what gifts to buy for your bookish friends. But never fear! I have compiled a list of gift ideas at reasonable prices that are perfect for the book lover in your life.<br />
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Books to Check Out Reading Journal</h2>
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source: <a href="http://www.theliterarygiftcompany.com/" target="_blank">The Literary Gift Company</a></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">This is the perfect gift for the book lover in your life. If they have a TBR (to be read) list as long as their arms, this book will have them squealing in delight. Quite literally in most cases. It contains books to read and favourite extracts from books to keep the bibliophile in your life extremely happy.</span></h3>
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Personalised Bookaholic Mug</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYYrUmh1fQBvbpqh-0lSWlA6ZVfgRRdddjd0LN4L5wvCnZrOEH-hS5q41IifF3GzJDF_NzOF66XT74X8C6_yU50tzeiQp0z530XLf-rb5uRHx6aZ2c36VfggBXhcwrJrpjX4UUOYaLPGA/s1600/original_Bookaholic_mug_blue-green_RIGHT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYYrUmh1fQBvbpqh-0lSWlA6ZVfgRRdddjd0LN4L5wvCnZrOEH-hS5q41IifF3GzJDF_NzOF66XT74X8C6_yU50tzeiQp0z530XLf-rb5uRHx6aZ2c36VfggBXhcwrJrpjX4UUOYaLPGA/s1600/original_Bookaholic_mug_blue-green_RIGHT.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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source: <a href="http://www.theliterarygiftcompany.com/" target="_blank">The Literary Gift Company</a></div>
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What's better for a book lover than receiving book related stuff? Receiving book related stuff with their names on it of course! These cute little mugs are sure to delight your loved one. And you may find them clutching this very mug as they sob over the latest novel.<br />
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Magnetic Poetry</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ40A8PdYcy260yZ5uCngZ2wzDwIxj9OZXHweDi-yrpEFXzSTscwHzp-ltyKRy_CPHqRC-WrlkNGF3um-gHfXegSuvFtHsoQsxLs-9rv-QIaUk0YozTwfhAN4x9UvC_FLwg7VMHWOdNhU/s1600/magnetic-poetry-shakespeare-edition-15659-p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ40A8PdYcy260yZ5uCngZ2wzDwIxj9OZXHweDi-yrpEFXzSTscwHzp-ltyKRy_CPHqRC-WrlkNGF3um-gHfXegSuvFtHsoQsxLs-9rv-QIaUk0YozTwfhAN4x9UvC_FLwg7VMHWOdNhU/s1600/magnetic-poetry-shakespeare-edition-15659-p.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Source<a href="https://www.blogger.com/:http://www.theliterarygiftcompany.com/" target="_blank">The Literary Gift Company</a></div>
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If we're not reading, we're engaged in literary type activities. (In my case this isn't even an exaggeration). Put a smile on someone's face with this magnetic poetry set, inspired from the beautiful words of one William Shakespeare.</div>
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Classic Book Cover for Kindle</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihSKggu_c2S_yX9XOObCoSn0153lhf5KkOtHAwc4yWo_67FuN40FVr0ocPcX_r1jILeSkxSm5NlYotxbAdapWqbaRqXr9vHN8J-cOedz-WZNLwlsTd5ANvTyMzAy294SYuPS4I7819m4/s1600/normal_classic-book-case-for-kindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihSKggu_c2S_yX9XOObCoSn0153lhf5KkOtHAwc4yWo_67FuN40FVr0ocPcX_r1jILeSkxSm5NlYotxbAdapWqbaRqXr9vHN8J-cOedz-WZNLwlsTd5ANvTyMzAy294SYuPS4I7819m4/s1600/normal_classic-book-case-for-kindle.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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source: <a href="http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/klevercase/product/classic-book-case-for-kindle" target="_blank">Notonthehighstreet</a></div>
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A lot of us have moved with the times and snapped up one of these amazing pieces of technology. to be able to hold a world of books in our pockets without receiving muscle strain is fantastic indeed. So what better way to protect our E-reader with these snazzy little cases. One things for sure, this is one thing I will be hinting at by the time my birthday rolls around!</div>
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Leather Book Cufflinks</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8NwSatirnqUbOWRF42w5R76g3d-tCULWOwAnCdwMCPhRSSl7R1f8ghcqH4AXMPBS91y2YGaM1q3p3DU53Oe6O98PHewMELbSYcH2aMQ5Vu0nTjuniEgXJWtne64klA7Wb2yQWz_zLcRk/s1600/normal_leather-book-cufflinks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8NwSatirnqUbOWRF42w5R76g3d-tCULWOwAnCdwMCPhRSSl7R1f8ghcqH4AXMPBS91y2YGaM1q3p3DU53Oe6O98PHewMELbSYcH2aMQ5Vu0nTjuniEgXJWtne64klA7Wb2yQWz_zLcRk/s1600/normal_leather-book-cufflinks.jpg" height="320" width="319" /></a></h2>
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source: <a href="http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/littlesewingsociety/product/leather-book-cufflinks" target="_blank">Notonthehighstreet</a></div>
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Allow your book lover to make a bold statement with these beautiful book cufflinks. They are sure to be the envy of their fellow bibliophiles as they proudly parade them. Honestly, if I had a man in my life (and he would love books as much as I, trust me), I would buy him these in a heartbeat. I wouldn't even need an excuse.</div>
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Gift Cards for any book retailer</h3>
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A lot of the time. If I have any spare money, I will use it to expand my collection of books. Nothing is better in my opinion than receiving a pre-loaded card in order to buy cards without losing money. If you think that this is a naff gift, think again. They will be sure to be ecstatic at getting to choose their own books without worrying of the financial repercussions. <a href="http://www.nationalbooktokens.com/" target="_blank">This</a> site seems like a place to start if you're stuck.</div>
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<b>Classic Book Posters</b></h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX47Jf09OP9BaitHcdyyQ6HLftFkODezPzyt7gFHqG1IWl86Y_LUvnG7TOuedkSjyYq7PYHJVSsTbbzaD4PIkEzuUyTzHR6KuMvrqWik-qL04sssTFgpeuU2Gwiy5NPejY5KVhKgyorJM/s1600/download+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX47Jf09OP9BaitHcdyyQ6HLftFkODezPzyt7gFHqG1IWl86Y_LUvnG7TOuedkSjyYq7PYHJVSsTbbzaD4PIkEzuUyTzHR6KuMvrqWik-qL04sssTFgpeuU2Gwiy5NPejY5KVhKgyorJM/s1600/download+(1).jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Not only are they stylish, but they are also undeniably book-savvy. Spice up your friends home with these beautiful replicas of old book covers. The <span id="goog_820864837"></span><span id="goog_820864838"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><a href="http://www.theliterarygiftcompany.com/the-great-gatsby-poster-674-p.asp" target="_blank">Literary Gift Company</a> is the best place to find these posters.</b></div>
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Classic Book Cover T-shirts</h2>
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Your book savvy friends will be sure to make a statement with these t-shirts and jumpers dedicated to our favourite classics. Can be found on <a href="http://shop.outofprintclothing.com/The_Hound_of_the_Baskervilles_book_cover_t_shirt_p/l-1004.htm" target="_blank">OutofPrint</a></div>
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Leaf Sticky Notes</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2MvykL6IqxYiL7oLnQ603dLOV6pwyt2VYgp-pS-HvszosJcE001cwb8hQTAHqlHKi-qlbOMlcdd365HFp9rfg08wsJEJ-2MitOX521KwCJkrDdBmTG29RE-PuEHkNeh4eQZ8sBeVJvk/s1600/red-maple-leaf-it-sticky-notes-large-8384-p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2MvykL6IqxYiL7oLnQ603dLOV6pwyt2VYgp-pS-HvszosJcE001cwb8hQTAHqlHKi-qlbOMlcdd365HFp9rfg08wsJEJ-2MitOX521KwCJkrDdBmTG29RE-PuEHkNeh4eQZ8sBeVJvk/s1600/red-maple-leaf-it-sticky-notes-large-8384-p.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Nothing is more frustrating than losing a page or forgetting the presence of your favourite passage. So these leaf shaped sticky notes are sure to go down a treat. Can be found on <a href="http://www.theliterarygiftcompany.com/gingko-leaf-it-sticky-notes-large-3324-p.asp" target="_blank">The Literary Gift Company</a>. (I'm beginning to sense a pattern here!)</div>
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Finger Bookmarks</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqM8dv_Tti9Yg3wj8piAy5yB956bIW1vCxC6M9HP5g4NHdgECHyXxji3FbZPk3wgHZ8dUeIA7bKI3ymp65oltbkEVo0LKG4gQzHEE2pckERxln4PnuMg9yTx0Iwq8I3WCLOmtkGLww6PY/s1600/811VonaI9IL._SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqM8dv_Tti9Yg3wj8piAy5yB956bIW1vCxC6M9HP5g4NHdgECHyXxji3FbZPk3wgHZ8dUeIA7bKI3ymp65oltbkEVo0LKG4gQzHEE2pckERxln4PnuMg9yTx0Iwq8I3WCLOmtkGLww6PY/s1600/811VonaI9IL._SL1500_.jpg" height="320" width="110" /></a></div>
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These cute little bookmarks are a necessity for any reader. It is wholeheartedly frustrating when you fall asleep halfway through reading a book. So how do you counter this? By marking your exact position of course! This is literally the most perfect gift ever! Can be found on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003NTIMVO/?tag=buzz0f-20" target="_blank">Amazon</a>.</div>
Miranda Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10585326335329594688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947339060860746757.post-58214694480858818872014-03-09T16:20:00.000-07:002014-03-22T02:50:32.086-07:00My 'Must Read' Young Adult Books of 2014I am an avid writer. If it appeals to me, I will be sucked into the pages for hours on end, perhaps only pausing to take a tea break. So to honour my bookishness, I have compiled a list of all the books that I want to get round to reading this year.<br />
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#1 Half Bad by Sally Green</h3>
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Bought purely on impulse and an ardent desire to devour good literature, I snapped up this book the moment I saw it. I fell in love with its beautiful cover and a quick look at the summary on Goodreads only reaffirmed my desire to read this beautiful novel. I can't wait to read it! Review to be posted soon.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8u0IBXahIXkMNpMB4WNH5Eu77SsiIAalBxsIbfxRqgI8Gb3Mt35mmFv-xS0qaHxgVMGaaEB2HS2FxzpxAhcYWOjmxqYnGJTaP6nKrQuYao4RO_LV90gAEOHGUKzHc1OZC0B2Gsb2fhgU/s1600/18079804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8u0IBXahIXkMNpMB4WNH5Eu77SsiIAalBxsIbfxRqgI8Gb3Mt35mmFv-xS0qaHxgVMGaaEB2HS2FxzpxAhcYWOjmxqYnGJTaP6nKrQuYao4RO_LV90gAEOHGUKzHc1OZC0B2Gsb2fhgU/s1600/18079804.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a><i></i><br />
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<i><i>In modern-day England, witches live alongside humans: White witches, who are good; Black witches, who are evil; and fifteen-year-old Nathan, who is both. Nathan’s father is the world’s most powerful and cruel Black witch, and his mother is dead. He is hunted from all sides. Trapped in a cage, beaten and handcuffed, Nathan must escape before his sixteenth birthday, at which point he will receive three gifts from his father and come into his own as a witch—or else he will die. But how can Nathan find his father when his every action is tracked, when there is no one safe to trust—not even family, not even the girl he loves?</i></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px; text-align: left;"><i>In the tradition of Patrick Ness and Markus Zusak, Half Bad is a gripping tale of alienation and the indomitable will to survive, a story that will grab hold of you and not let go until the very last page</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px; text-align: left;"><b># 2 Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith </b></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px; text-align: left;">Another impulse buy, bought together with Half Bad. (Darn those deals!), the bright cover and good reviews spurred me to buy this highly original and strange plot. Working along the lines of Michael Grant, this novel is bound to be as addictive as it is weird.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;"><i>Sixteen-year-old Austin Szerba interweaves the story of his Polish legacy with the storyof how he and his best friend , Robby, brought about the end of humanity and the rise of an army of unstoppable, six-foot tall praying mantises in small-town Iowa.</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;"><i>To make matters worse, Austin's hormones are totally oblivious; they don't care that the world is in utter chaos: Austin is in love with his girlfriend, Shann, but remains confused about his sexual orientation. He's stewing in a self-professed constant state of maximum horniness, directed at both Robby and Shann. Ultimately, it's up to Austin to save the world and propagate the species in this sci-fright journey of survival, sex, and the complex realities of the human condition.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;"><i> #3 The Mortal Instruments </i></span></span></h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIL-F6UFLXVq_Z5gU6qzHlrhJAb-mBbN7IUsnhoAVAWwvSuMUxClOCtxs7T5r4o7zJeVPWXVXm08OIktP_v7I5MT8yQs8F6vVGsRruHTAy0SUHa2voHs8psBUTXl9t4tO3l0-SpN6cG4w/s1600/256683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIL-F6UFLXVq_Z5gU6qzHlrhJAb-mBbN7IUsnhoAVAWwvSuMUxClOCtxs7T5r4o7zJeVPWXVXm08OIktP_v7I5MT8yQs8F6vVGsRruHTAy0SUHa2voHs8psBUTXl9t4tO3l0-SpN6cG4w/s1600/256683.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;"><i>When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;"><i><span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know...</span><span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"> </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><i>Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><i>#4 Divergent by Veronica Roth</i></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Another hugely popular book by an insanely talented author. This book, which I think centers around a dystopian future, has actually just been made into a major motion picture. Something I am highly excited to read; along with its two sequels and the shorts that accompany it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><i>In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;"><span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><i>During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><b># 5 My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent</b></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">As I was leisurely strolling through Waterstones, idly noting down books that I wanted to read, I came across a book with a beautiful cover and a stellar plot. In a world dominated by angels, vampires, werewolves and demons, when I saw a book that centered around banshees, I was hooked and thirsty to read it. Here's to reading it in 2014.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;"><i>Something is wrong with Kaylee Cavanaugh...</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;"><i>She can sense when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;"><span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><i>Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest boy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about the dark forces behind Kaylee's power than she does.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><i>And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason and only Kaylee knows who'll be next, she realises that finding a boyfriend is the least of her worries!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><i>#6 Hush Hush Becca Fitzpatrick</i></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">So I feel like I am posting a lot of fantasy/dystopian books in this list, but I couldn't NOT include it in this list. This book has been hyped up massively since its release in 2009. Besides, the plot intrigued me from the summary and I am keen to read more to see if it lives up to the hype that surrounds it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Romance was not part of Nora Grey's plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch comes along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgment.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;"><span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is and seems to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">For she is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost Nora her life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"># 7 The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">In a fiction world so dominated by the fantasy genre, it's always refreshing when something outside of it comes along. So this is why I want to read this book. That and the beautiful, original and slightly bittersweet sounding plot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">SUTTER KEELY. HE’S the guy you want at your party. He’ll get everyone dancing. He’ ll get everyone in your parents’ pool. Okay, so he’s not exactly a shining academic star. He has no plans for college and will probably end up folding men’s shirts for a living. But there are plenty of ladies in town, and with the help of Dean Martin and Seagram’s V.O., life’s pretty fabuloso, actually.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Until the morning he wakes up on a random front lawn, and he meets Aimee. Aimee’s clueless. Aimee is a social disaster. Aimee needs help, and it’s up to the Sutterman to show Aimee a splendiferous time and then let her go forth and prosper. But Aimee’s not like other girls, and before long he’s in way over his head. For the first time in his life, he has the power to make a difference in someone else’s life—or ruin it forever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><b># 8 How to Fall by Jane Casey </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Being quite interested in the whole mystery genre of young adult, this book appealed greatly to me. Can't wait to read it! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><i>The first unputdownable YA crime thriller from bestselling author Jane Casey</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;"><span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><i>Freya is found drowned - but was it suicide or murder? Her cousin, Jess Tennant, is determined to uncover the truth. But asking questions may prove deadly - anyone could be a suspect and everyone is hiding something...</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><i>Can Jess unravel a mystery involving secret love, seething jealousy and a cliff-top in the pitch black of night?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><i>#9 Just Listen Sarah Dessen</i></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">I know a lot of people who loved this novel, or just Sarah's work in general. So I decided to have a quick gander at it in Waterstones. The plot seemed quite interesting and appealed to my preferences, so that is why it sits on this list now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Last year, Annabel was "the girl who has everything" — at least that's the part she played in the television commercial for Kopf's Department Store.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;"><span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">This year, she's the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;">Tall, dark, and music-obsessed, Owen is a reformed bad boy with a commitment to truth-telling. With Owen's help, maybe Annabel can face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><b>#10 Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 21.46666717529297px;">Another massive book franchise, with legions of faithful fans all over the world, who will gladly recommend this book. From the sneaky glances at the first chapters that I have taken in Waterstones, this book will be quite enjoyable.</span></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 21.46666717529297px;">St. Vladimir’s Academy isn't just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger...</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;"><span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><i>Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.</i></span></span></div>
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So that's it. My (not so) extensive list of my must reads of 2014. This is not a complete list, moreso a shortened version of the hundreds books that I am desperate to get my hands on. Links for the books will be found below.</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Half-Bad-Sally-Green/dp/0141350865/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394406582&sr=8-1&keywords=Half+Bad" target="_blank">Half Bad</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Grasshopper-Jungle-Andrew-Smith/dp/1405273410/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394406648&sr=8-1&keywords=Grasshopper+Jungle" target="_blank">Grasshopper Jungle </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bones-Mortal-Instruments-Cassandra-Clare/dp/1406307629/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394406722&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Mortal+Instruments" target="_blank">The Mortal Instruments </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Divergent-Book-1-Veronica-Roth/dp/0007538065/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394406761&sr=8-1&keywords=Divergent" target="_blank">Divergent </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Soul-Take-Screamers-Book/dp/0778303551/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394406805&sr=8-1&keywords=My+Soul+to+Take" target="_blank">My Soul to Take</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hush-Becca-Fitzpatrick/dp/1847386962/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394406851&sr=8-1&keywords=Hush%2C+Hush" target="_blank">Hush, Hush</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spectacular-Now-Tim-Tharp/dp/1407146459/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1394406923&sr=1-1&keywords=the+spectacular+now" target="_blank">The Spectacular Now</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Fall-Jane-Casey/dp/0552566039/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1394406975&sr=1-1&keywords=how+to+fall" target="_blank">How to Fall</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Just-Listen-Sarah-Dessen/dp/0141322918/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1394407037&sr=1-1&keywords=Just+Listen" target="_blank">Just Listen</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vampire-Academy-book-Richelle-Mead/dp/0141328525/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1394407072&sr=1-1&keywords=vampire+academy" target="_blank">Vampire Academy</a></div>
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</span>Miranda Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10585326335329594688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947339060860746757.post-70012598814034093072014-03-04T12:00:00.003-08:002014-03-04T12:00:43.529-08:00The Fault in Our Stars by John Green<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The Fault in Our Stars by John Green</b><b><br /></b></div>
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" 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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"><i>Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now. Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means) Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault. Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly, to her interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.</i></span></div>
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Words cannot even begin to describe how this novel made me feel. Never has the written word imbibed such deep emotions within me. Indeed, never has a novel made me think so much. About the sanctity life, of my own morality, and on other notes, of how unjustifiably unfair life really is.</div>
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The Fault in Our Stars follows the prose of Hazel Grace Lancaster, the protagonist, who is suffering from late stage thyroid cancer, and has to walk around with an oxygen tank in order to breathe properly. She meets Augustus, sufferer of Osteosarcoma, who fears oblivion, and Isaac, who has eye cancer, at a support group for cancer sufferers. Aptly nicknamed the Literal Heart of Jesus. Augustus, we find out from the start, is highly intelligent and passionate and just a generally beautiful human being. He holds an unlit cigarette in his mouth as a symbol of defiance, a way of winning against the cancer. He says it's holding the cancer causing object in his mouth, without giving it the power to give him, by lighting it. (Please excuse my inadequate response of a beautiful, beautiful character). What makes Gus so loveable, so amazing is that he is human. he's brave and intelligent and beautiful, yes, but he's also scared, scared of Oblivion, as he tells Hazel Grace. As most stories go, they fall in love. But their love is so pure, so untainted.</div>
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Death surprisingly, was not the main objective of this book. As one would think when reading novels that deal so heavily with sickness and morality. The book centers around the romance between Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters, a character to whom many have fallen in love with. John Greens flawless prose and philosophical speech help you to really get a feel for the characters, to fall in love with them, cry for them. I root for them, and just want them to get better, to fight the disease that slowly kills them. But John is pretty clear from the start, their fate is sealed from the first turn of the page.</div>
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Although this is aimed at teenagers/young adults. The strong writing and delicate prose, is ideal for an older audience too. Anyone can enjoy the beauty of Johns writing and fall in love with his characters. This is a piece of literary masterpiece that will stay with you forever. Whether you like it or not. So many times I cried, I laughed and I turned the pages feverishly, inspired to get to the last page. To find out the fates of his characters. And yet as the fate became grimmer, more darker, I was spurred to read on. I could say so many things, so many empty words. But they all pale into significance, along with that blinking cursor as I try to form an appropriate diatribe. Because, never, in such a long time have I cared so deeply for characters. or a book in my life. And this is one novel that I will carry with me forever.</div>
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<b><br /></b>Miranda Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10585326335329594688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947339060860746757.post-34681357422545904092014-02-28T13:15:00.001-08:002014-02-28T13:15:35.737-08:00The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPGg7MknXt2TNJOnefUcZFa6p0EZsVa0vTrNELu5fys8W308jopQUBIclwMlAdONG2trZJnbzbjyqmsesCAtrtt-kbrzE48ywMlhXTLlOHkI9rZuH9E07GAeX0e3e9i4qVcvtbdQXh8g/s1600/16120760.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPGg7MknXt2TNJOnefUcZFa6p0EZsVa0vTrNELu5fys8W308jopQUBIclwMlAdONG2trZJnbzbjyqmsesCAtrtt-kbrzE48ywMlhXTLlOHkI9rZuH9E07GAeX0e3e9i4qVcvtbdQXh8g/s1600/16120760.jpg" height="320" width="226" /></a></div>
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<a class="award" href="https://www.goodreads.com/award/show/17502-winner-of-the-costa-first-novel-award" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11.111111640930176px; line-height: 20.266666412353516px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">Winner of the Costa First Novel Award (2013)</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11.111111640930176px; line-height: 20.266666412353516px; text-align: left;">, </span><a class="award" href="https://www.goodreads.com/award/show/17796-winner-of-the-costa-book-of-the-year" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11.111111640930176px; line-height: 20.266666412353516px; text-align: left;">Winner of the Costa Book of the Year (2013)</a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;">‘I’ll tell you what happened because it will be a good way to introduce my brother. His name’s Simon. I think you’re going to like him. I really do. But in a couple of pages he’ll be dead. And he was never the same after that.’</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Shock-Fall-Nathan-Filer/dp/000749145X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393621050&sr=8-1&keywords=the+shock+of+the+fall" target="_blank">Amazon</a>/<a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-shock-of-the-fall-special-edition" target="_blank">Kobo</a>/<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/where-the-moon-isnt-nathan-filer/1114258532?ean=9781466867208" target="_blank">Nook</a></div>
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Publication date: April 25th 2013</div>
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Published by: Harper Collins</div>
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Pages: 314 (UK Edition)</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px;">It's so hard for me to form an accurate response to this book. To how it made me feel, and how it made me think. I can't even begin to describe the importance of this book to me, and his wonderful characters. Nathan Filer has done a superb job of getting into the mind of a mentally ill person. Words just aren't enough to tell you how much I loved this book.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px;">At first, it can be a little confusing. But the flawless prose and real characters make you grip onto the pages of the book, desperate to read on. And the whole time, your brain is ticking over, making your own conclusions and then doing an inward happy dance when you discover that you were indeed correct in your assumptions.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px;">It is one of those books that you have to read for yourself to believe how amazing it actually really is. I fear that if I tell you the basic outline, it will give everything away. And trust me, with this book, the best feeling is to guess and to anxiously read on to see if you are correct.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px;">Nathan Filer really gets into his characters mindset and all of the idiosyncrasies of mental illness. He does so without being judgemental, or for one minute harsh. The books is well researched and woven expertly within the pages, in such a way that you really care about the character. You cry, gasp and laugh with them. You just want them to get better, to have the normal life that you think they deserve.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px;">Please, I implore you. Read this book. In a lot of ways, it might change your life, or at least change your opinion on mental illness.</span><br />
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<br />Miranda Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10585326335329594688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947339060860746757.post-63356329360884453282014-02-28T12:54:00.000-08:002014-02-28T12:54:15.064-08:00Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0k04fOo2FSHc4Ejl8sweVrEPQf9t86ITrIMSzGZHuhLdvrt-QeJb3rKK6QPgRcSEAgmOpLcQhNWEMd6Zd7rdkcf9Mvge1oH0g2PphdOCBgEvtEctr6oMV7wTwVzoNe8M7yCtHR2Jdwk/s1600/images+(5).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0k04fOo2FSHc4Ejl8sweVrEPQf9t86ITrIMSzGZHuhLdvrt-QeJb3rKK6QPgRcSEAgmOpLcQhNWEMd6Zd7rdkcf9Mvge1oH0g2PphdOCBgEvtEctr6oMV7wTwVzoNe8M7yCtHR2Jdwk/s1600/images+(5).jpg" /></a></div>
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;">Cath is a Simon Snow fan.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;">Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan.... But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she's really good at it. She and her twin, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it's what got them through their mother leaving.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;">Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fanfiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;">Cath's sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can't let go. She doesn't want to.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;">Now that they're going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn't want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She's got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend; a fiction-writing professor who thinks fanfiction is the end of the civilized world; a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words...and she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;">For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?</span></i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fangirl-Rainbow-Rowell/dp/1447263227/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393620414&sr=8-1&keywords=fangirl" target="_blank">Amazon</a>/ <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/fangirl-4" target="_blank">Kobo</a>/<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fangirl-rainbow-rowell/1114258557?ean=9781250030955" target="_blank">Nook</a></span></div>
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Publication date: <span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11.111111640930176px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11.111111640930176px; line-height: 18px;">September 10th 2013</span></div>
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Published by: St Martins Griffin (Macmillan)</div>
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Pages: 459 (UK Edition)</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">I have a lot to say about this book, really I do.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">From start to finish, the author managed to weave her characters, world and emotions into the pages perfectly, in a way that had me wanting to read on and on and on. Fangirl follows the life of Cath, an 18(?) year old girl, and her twin sister Wren, as well as the love interest (Levi), the roommate (Reagan) among other people.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Cath writes fanfiction. Like many fangirls do. But in Fangirl, Caths fanfiction is probably one of the most popular fanfictions out there, said to be the real eighth book, in the Simon Snow series, a fictional book series, similar to Harry Potter, by the made up author Gemma T. Leslie.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Throughout the book, Rainbow Rowell manages to paint a vivid picture of what it's like to be socially awkward and in college, a scary first life experience for many. She really manages to portray the characters feelings and emotions in an unique way, purely original to the authors beautiful voice.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">With its simple, but effective prose and quick, almost no nonsense happenings, Rainbow has really painted a beautiful definition of what it means to be a true fangirl, and also to the worries of being a young girl in modern times. She also manages to crop up real issues such as problems with her sister, her dads mental health, an AWOL mother who suddenly decides to pop back into their lives, and her confusion surrounding the two boys in her life.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">And while Cath seems quite vulnerable, painfully shy and almost pedantic in some senses, the character development is sublime, a real indicator of Rainbow Rowells immense talent.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Not being an avid reader of Contemporary fiction, I was not expecting to enjoy this book. But I was pleasantly surprised, and as I closed the last chapter, I felt a great sense of loss, as one often does after finishing a great book.</span></div>
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Miranda Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10585326335329594688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947339060860746757.post-7286422894767262632014-01-28T12:39:00.001-08:002014-01-28T12:39:43.244-08:00Looking For Alaska by John Green<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Looking For Alaska by John Green</b></div>
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px; text-align: left;">Before.</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px; text-align: left;"> Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. Then he heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px; text-align: left;" /><strong style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px; text-align: left;">After.</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px; text-align: left;"> Nothing is ever the same.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px; text-align: left;">Where you can buy </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Looking-For-Alaska-John-Green/dp/0007424833">Amazon</a> / <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/looking-for-alaska">Kobo</a> / <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/looking-for-alaska-john-green/1100255278?ean=9781101434208">Nook </a></div>
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<u>Title:</u> Looking For Alaska</div>
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<u>Publication Date: December 28th 2006</u></div>
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<u>Published by: Speak</u></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">I will be honest here, and say at first, I struggled to get into it. John Green has a unique voice when it comes to writing, and I guess, it takes some getting used to. I persevered, and after the first few pages, I was hooked!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Looking for Alaska is focused on the POV of the protagonist, Miles Halter, who has an obsession with finding the Great Perhaps, and famous last words. The story starts, when Miles is about to head off to a boarding school, Culver Creek and then he meets Alaska Young, and quite predictably, he falls head over heels for her.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Now, as far as plot goes, there isn't a lot. But to be honest, you can push past that, because this book was probably the most emotional two days of my life. I laughed and I cried many times throughout. I found myself highly identifying with the characters. I always hear people say The Fault in Our Stars made them cry, more than this one, but if I'm totally honest, this book made me cry a lot more!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14.44444465637207px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">I could not recommend this book highly enough! Just grab the tissues.</span></div>
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Miranda Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10585326335329594688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947339060860746757.post-53373272394084560732014-01-27T06:02:00.006-08:002014-01-27T06:02:57.863-08:00Butter by Erin Jade Lange<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>Butter by Erin Jade Lange</u></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;">A lonely obese boy everyone calls "Butter" is about to make history. He is going to eat himself to death-live on the Internet-and everyone is invited to watch. When he first makes the announcement online to his classmates, Butter expects pity, insults, and possibly sheer indifference. What he gets are morbid cheerleaders rallying around his deadly plan. Yet as their dark encouragement grows, it begins to feel a lot like popularity. And that feels good. But what happens when Butter reaches his suicide deadline? Can he live with the fallout if he doesn't go through with his plans? </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 21.46666717529297px;">With a deft hand, E.J. Lange allows readers to identify with both the bullies and the bullied in this all-consuming look at one teen's battle with himself.</span></div>
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I will start off by saying that I had mixed feelings about this book. Butter, the overweight and ostracised protagonist really managed to pull at my heartstrings. The first paragraph, in which we find out that he will eat himself to death live on camera drew me in straight away and made me want to breeze through the book in order to see the end result as quickly as possible.</div>
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Butter is overweight and he knows it. He doesn't seem to care about what people think, more rather continues to indulge in his dangerous lifestyle. Perhaps the most interesting thing about Butter is his talent with the Saxophone and the pure passion the writer manages to convey in him every time he plays. Lonely and desperate, perhaps sick of being an outcast, Butter posts to the Internet that he is to kill himself live on air, by eating himself to death. now this alone, is enough to cause shock and slight revulsion that a 16 year old boy would hold such low regard over his own life and do something to this magnitude, purely to get the attention he so desires.</div>
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As Butters blog grows in popularity, and so does Butter himself, he finds himself ensconced in a "friendship" circle with the popular crowd, who even go so far as to make suggestions on what he can eat, create a bucket list for the poor guy to follow before his final meal and to actively post a password on the site so that concerned people cannot report him.</div>
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Now there were a few issues that I think needed to be addressed. First being the fact that surely some adult would have come across this site/blog and reported it? Or surely enough, had the blog spread about the school like wildfire, a teacher, counselor or even the Professor to whom Butter holds an affinity would have gotten involved. After all we are talking about a kid killing himself live on air. Surely there are deep psychological issues involved here that needed to be addressed.</div>
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I liked the majority of the characters, though I knew straight away that the popular crowd that Butter had become a part of were see through and fake, only caught up in the excitement of Butters pact. His longtime crush, to whom he also talks to on the Internet under a fake alias, seemed to me, a bit up herself. She wasn't the kind hearted person that Butter made her out to be, in fact, to me she seemed quite selfish and judgemental.</div>
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I think the book itself was an original piece of literature, a masterpiece in its own right. It's background message was the difficulty of being a teenager within todays society and just trying to fit in. I found myself really getting involved in the story, despite the dark theme. As Butter hurtled towards his final deadline, I found myself, crying, laughing and actually gasping out loud at moments. I could really feel Butters pain and just wanted to reach through the page and give him a hug. Other times I wanted to scream at him, to tell him that he was naive to think that these people weren't really his friends, and were just interested in the sick deadline and whether he would actually do it.</div>
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I guess reading this book is much like watching a car crash, you're repulsed by what you see, but you can't help but to slow down and watch the scene unfold. This is how the book felt to me. By the end, I was gripping the book, waiting to see if Butter would really die. The only thing I would say is that towards the end, when Butter is in the hospital, I felt that it ended too quickly.</div>
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He is in hospital after an attempted suicide, which in itself would hold serious psychological consequence. For me, things were tied up too easily, there was no real talk of any help for Butter and I felt loosely, that some ends were left untied.</div>
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All in all, I found this book a greatly enjoyable read. Its originality shone through and the beautiful prose of the author only added to the sheer qualiity of the book as a whole. Couldn't recommend it highly enough!</div>
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Miranda Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10585326335329594688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947339060860746757.post-86018119851863400022014-01-23T11:05:00.001-08:002014-01-23T11:05:33.346-08:00Gone by Michael Grant<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>Gone - Michael Grant</u></b></div>
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"Suddenly it’s a world without adults and normal has crashed and burned. When life as you know it ends at 15, everything changes.<br />
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In the blink of an eye all the adults disappear in a small town in southern California and no one knows why. Cut off from the outside world, those that are left are trapped, and there’s no help on the way. They must do all they can to survive. Chaos rules the streets. Gangs begin to form. Sides are chosen – strong or weak. Cruel or humane. And then there are those who begin to develop powers . . . It’s Lord of the Flies for the Heroes generation.<br />
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A tour-de-force from global sensation, Michael Grant, Gone is the first book in the series. If there’s one sci-fi/fantasy book for teens you read this year, make it Gone.<br />
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“I love this book” – Stephen King<br />
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<b>Good but not spectacular </b></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">I actually saw this in my local bookshop a number of times, but it never really caught my fancy. But then I decided to give it a go, and I honestly have mixed opinions. </span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Gone is a sci fi Dystopian Novel in which any adult over the age of fifteen disappears. During the course of the book, the characters have to deal with the rich kids up at Coates, mutated animals, talking coyotes and the mysterious darkness amongst other things such as learning to live in a world without adults.</span></div>
<br style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">I will admit that I found this book to be quite enjoyable, if not a little boring at times. And though it is not great such as other books in it genre, it has its own style that lends itself. To be honest, I didn't really feel like a lot happened. A lot of the book was spent talking about the FAYZ, The Barrier and what the characters were doing. </span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Which brings me onto my next topic - the characters. I didn't really make a connection with any of the characters. They all felt a little underdeveloped and one dimensional to me, but that is not to say that I didn't like them. I just feel that they could have been developed better.</span><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><br style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">I wasn't wowed by this book, I didn't get the same sense of excitement for the sequels as I have done for other books, but that is not to say that I will not read the sequels.</span></div>
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Miranda Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10585326335329594688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947339060860746757.post-62703421136310372002013-12-15T13:04:00.001-08:002013-12-15T13:04:22.709-08:00Camilla by ZoeCopeman<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Camilla by ZoeCopeman (Wattpad)</h2>
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<i><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">Camilla
Waters has fought knights, tricked trolls, and saved dragons, well in
her head at least, but she never once thought she would be doing it
in reality. All Camilla knows is a dull suburban life with her
parents she barely sees and her neighbor, ok, somewhat best friend
Josh. </span></span>
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<i><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">Cam
is just your run-of-the-mill 10-year-old with an unhealthy thirst for
adventure. But all that changes when the crack in her living room
wall starts to expand and out pops a strange old elf with a habit of
cursing after every word she says. </span></span>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><i>Without
much regard for her safety, Cam jumps into a magical world she hoped
to see in her dreams. There she must face not only her fears, but
also her past as a great destiny unfolds before her…of course, that
is if she can survive the Darkness that is brewing underneath.</i> </span></span></div>
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Okay, so this book is aimed at a younger audience. But I found myself enjoying it immensely. The characters are well developed and the plot is quite funny and original. The whole fantasy aspect of this book, appeals greatly to me, being a huge fan of Harry Potter. Now this is different from Harry Potter, but just as good in my opinion. It takes all mythical beings such as elves, trolls, dragons and faeries and places them seamlessly into the plot.</div>
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The book starts off with an elf, who has sent to sit an old cupboard for all of eternity, to look through a crack, though he doesn't know what. As I got through this book, I found myself really sinking into the plot. Even though it is for younger readers, it is a book that can be read by anyone. I could actually imagine families gathering round to read it, even the adults hanging on to see what happens next. It is witty, engaging and uses the right language for the authors target audience. I could easily see this book on shelves one day.</div>
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I couldn't recommend it highly enough!</div>
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Rating: 8/10</div>
Miranda Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10585326335329594688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947339060860746757.post-19997761531509191882013-12-15T12:34:00.001-08:002013-12-15T12:34:13.401-08:00Everlasting Life by AlyssaVienesseTan<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Everlasting Life by <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">AlyssaVienesseTan</span></span></h2>
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<i>Summary: <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px; white-space: pre-wrap;">"</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">You
don't know what you've started," Avellana snarled, holding the
man in a tight grip. "Or do you know what you've done?"</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">"Oh,
I know what I've started, girl." The man smirked, grabbing the
stone out of his pocket. The stone was beautiful, it reflected the
light, turning the stone into different shades of blue. </span></span>
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<i><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">He
threw the stone in a valley of depths with a victorious smirk on his
face. "I've started a war." </span></span>
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<i><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">***
Trouble is rising in the Potestatem Clan: deaths are pursued, sides
are taken, quests are received, and a war will ensue. Avellana Rivers
isn't ready for the problems that will be coming her way; she never
thought that life as the clan leader would be so difficult. </span></span>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><i>Now,
a missing item must be returned to its rightful place, a vampire will
rise from its sleep, and a mystery needs to be solved. Will Avellana
Rivers discover the clues and secrets coming her way? Or will she
fail?</i></span></span>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">When I first started reading this, I was highly sceptical about it. Considering it was vampire, and that is usually a genre I steer well clear off, I expected to hate it, but I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that I didn't hate it. I was hooked straight from the first page, even the summary - to me - was enticing and interesting.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">The book actually starts with the death of a vampire (Literally, that's how it starts). The book depicts extreme attention to detail and does something that many books fail to do, it humanises vampires, giving them fears and emotions, which is quite an interesting take on vampires. The book starts off pretty quickly but doesn't give away too much information about the plot itself, a feat that many autours fall short off.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">There are a few awkward sentences and grammar mistakes in some places. But it is a well written and engaging piece and I couldn't congratulate the author enough for writing such a good story.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">Rating: 7/10</span></div>
Miranda Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10585326335329594688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-947339060860746757.post-19791645631027457412013-09-18T11:18:00.001-07:002013-09-18T11:18:18.534-07:00Behind The Glass Eye by DelaneyWillow (Wattpad)<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Behind The Glass Eye by DelaneyWillow</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnHdZ7tW6151nM9VEHXqPIXkkfYYiEs4m8lneVuxlzId3S6UUP_Bv8O8Nh9VqmRp_x-lT8APxBXfmOUmKOPMRHZE6hhJUKuJX20owsRnoo9XfvBJezgCgex_J_oBbqRDszRmN1LYoIKc/s1600/Bc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnHdZ7tW6151nM9VEHXqPIXkkfYYiEs4m8lneVuxlzId3S6UUP_Bv8O8Nh9VqmRp_x-lT8APxBXfmOUmKOPMRHZE6hhJUKuJX20owsRnoo9XfvBJezgCgex_J_oBbqRDszRmN1LYoIKc/s320/Bc.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">Two
lives. One body. Zero control. With multiple personalities and no
memory of her alternate identity's actions, Anny Day is left chasing
her own shadow. </span></span>
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<i><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">Anny's
mental disorder flares under stress rendering the results horrifying.
Within seconds, she turns from a depressed law enforcement agent to a
vengeful serial killer. </span></span>
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<i><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">When
the people closest to Anny suspiciously die, she wrathfully holds her
adopted parents responsible. She swears to avenge her loved ones...no
matter the costs. </span></span>
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<i><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">Her
only chance of regaining sanity lies within the hands of one person.
The glass-eyed man. </span></span>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><i>"Those
who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."</i></span></span>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">I always find it quite difficult to read books in the POV of a serial killer, or someone with a multiple personality, for the sole fact that it is notoriously difficult to get into someone who is possibly insane's mind, and really understand how they tick. A lot of author's just use it as an albeit good plot device.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 0.64cm;">In this book, </span><span style="line-height: 24.1875px;">however</span><span style="line-height: 0.64cm;"> I think the author manages to pull it off. From my personal opinion, I think the author has done her research, or is just </span><span style="line-height: 24.1875px;">particularly</span><span style="line-height: 0.64cm;"> good at getting into the mind of someone maddened by grief. I read this all the way through in one sitting; and not at one single point, did I feel my attention waver, or boredom setting in.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 0.64cm;">It kept me interested from page one. It was a combination of the myriad action scenes and the beautiful way the sentences seemed to flow, fitting in with the next chapters perfectly. There was a point at the start, where the speech was a bit unrealistic, but towards the end of it (it's not finished), it got better and reads like a published book.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 0.64cm;">I even found myself crying on some pages. Especially (and I won't give away spoilers), towards the end. A lot happens in this book, but I really think that the author manages to make it work. It is a fast paced, action packed piece of literature, and I couldn't recommend it enough.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 0.64cm;"><b>Book Rating: 9./10</b></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.wattpad.com/story/2505437-behind-the-glass-eye">http://www.wattpad.com/story/2505437-behind-the-glass-eye</a></div>
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Miranda Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10585326335329594688noreply@blogger.com1