tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10716515349150782572024-03-27T02:38:19.017-04:00A Thousand Lives LivedA book review blog with crazy discussions and fangirlized opinions.Michelle (A Thousand Lives Lived) http://www.blogger.com/profile/07028045386032178941noreply@blogger.comBlogger1332125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071651534915078257.post-28787362752873925722019-07-19T19:12:00.002-04:002019-07-19T19:12:38.212-04:00Night by Elie Wiesel // A Heartbreaking Holocaust Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1617.Night" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1473495285l/1617._SY475_.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1617.Night">Night (The Night Trilogy #1),</a> </b>by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1049.Elie_Wiesel">Elie Wiesel</a><br />
<b>Publication: </b>January 16, 2006, by Hill and Wang<br />
<b>Genre: </b>Nonfiction, Memoir<br />
<b>Pages: </b>115<br />
<b>Format: </b>Paperback<br />
<b>Source: </b>Gifted<br />
<b>Rating: </b><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;" /><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Born in the town of Sighet, Transylvania, Elie Wiesel was a teenager when he and his family were taken from their home in 1944 to Auschwitz concentration camp, and then to Buchenwald. Night is the terrifying record of Elie Wiesel's memories of the death of his family, the death of his own innocence, and his despair as a deeply observant Jew confronting the absolute evil of man. This new translation by his wife and most frequent translator, Marion Wiesel, corrects important details and presents the most accurate rendering in English of Elie Wiesel's testimony to what happened in the camps and of his unforgettable message that this horror must never be allowed to happen again.</blockquote>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
My Thoughts:</h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Night </i>was a beautiful read. It was heartbreaking, of course, but Elie Wiesel's writing was <i>beautiful. </i>It made me emotional, depressed, and experience such a broad variety of emotions that I can't simply comprehend it. After visiting Auschwitz and seeing it in person, imagining the suffering that was held within its walls, reading this book <b>was even more emotional. </b>I shed some tears, and left my heart with this story. It's a special one, and what I love about reading Holocaust stories is that each is different. You can't possibly ever get tired of reading these kinds of books.<br />
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I read this book a while ago, so I cannot really summarize it (and it's too emotional to do so), but let's just say that it's a must-read. I honestly feel like like it's a book that everyone should be required to read.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgFAOvcrd3cgkJKAKFOhNRssJemcadQoke2wQpoD6nyDVv3ZH4o-jH99QQ1Mc4LihxIZNwAopYl6-pWVEsLriTTWsQok4gWBsY8LHOzrsyE50L0bi1vksl0jRgcnXmIfH4LIkS7wQ0OE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.39.34+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="67" data-original-width="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgFAOvcrd3cgkJKAKFOhNRssJemcadQoke2wQpoD6nyDVv3ZH4o-jH99QQ1Mc4LihxIZNwAopYl6-pWVEsLriTTWsQok4gWBsY8LHOzrsyE50L0bi1vksl0jRgcnXmIfH4LIkS7wQ0OE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.39.34+PM.png" /></a></div>
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<i>Night </i>was stunning and a special read that should be implemented in more schools (preferably high schools). I am so happy that Elie was honoured with so many prizes for his work, including a Nobel Peace Prize.<br />
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<img border="0" data-original-height="81" data-original-width="545" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdrtYAfyF6cK7QUTJDEZuACE1phyphenhyphenaGo4fv7-_Cl30qmW-G-Yz1y-1Yhsap1Vec6Pkhm1IOcfFIshPvfQFOF2XCXRcy7aaJKYaBVyogJoQ9-z3JN6-sxOYG7BwdBVh1Gjscc_Fpb1hLjY/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-08-25+at+11.13.15+AM.png" width="640" /></div>
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Michelle (A Thousand Lives Lived) http://www.blogger.com/profile/07028045386032178941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071651534915078257.post-89097062661954658052019-07-18T10:00:00.000-04:002019-07-18T10:00:02.340-04:00I, Witness by Niki Mackay // Not My Kind of Mystery Tale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35478193-i-witness" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="312" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1510051994l/35478193.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35478193-i-witness">I, Witness (Madison Attallee #1),</a> </b>by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16963791.Niki_Mackay">Niki Mackay</a><br />
<b>Publication: </b>April 19, 2018, by Orion<br />
<b>Genre: </b>Adult Fiction, Mystery<br />
<b>Pages: </b>352<br />
<b>Format: </b>Paperback<br />
<b>Source: </b>Publisher<br />
<b>Rating: </b><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;" />½<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
They say I'm a murderer.<br />
Six years ago, Kate Reynolds was found holding the body of her best friend; covered in blood, and clutching the knife that killed her.<br />
I plead guilty.<br />
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Kate has been in prison ever since, but now her sentence is up. She is being released.<br />
But the truth is, I didn't do it.<br />
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There's only one person who can help: Private Investigator Madison Attalee, the first officer on the scene all those years ago.<br />
But there's someone out there who doesn't want Kate digging up the past. Someone who is willing to keep the truth buried at any cost.</blockquote>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
My Thoughts:</h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I personally was <b>not a fan of </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">I, Witness. </i>This was a boring, slow novel that took a lot of willpower to plow through. I found it quite predictable and uninteresting; I wasn't able to form a connection with the characters and novel to the extent that I hoped for and often do when I read mystery novels. I can't really comprehend or explain why, but this book was not my cup of tea.<br />
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I did not despise it; I found myself really liking the characters, but there was a lack of <i>realness </i>to them. I didn't see them as real characters who I could imagine walking in this world at this moment. You see, I probably initially imagined this book to be a psychological thriller, which is why I was intrigued with its premise, as psychological thrillers are my favourite. I put this book down about seven months ago, and have yet to write a review until now, so you can only imagine that I have a spotty memory of what the book was about and what the plot included.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fwR3v2QN18myMX7w9tDbIW9gtdpQYT5SpRAMF_6m0PYdYgmg66UpSn2xlnBw8Fwi25mkK_vCxCMJmdUqvqNx0txJ2ii0M8FTjnbXSsZ5nPTYqWggATP3-n7ShOHbCH_i_3MbIhV7g_I/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.39.34+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="67" data-original-width="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fwR3v2QN18myMX7w9tDbIW9gtdpQYT5SpRAMF_6m0PYdYgmg66UpSn2xlnBw8Fwi25mkK_vCxCMJmdUqvqNx0txJ2ii0M8FTjnbXSsZ5nPTYqWggATP3-n7ShOHbCH_i_3MbIhV7g_I/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.39.34+PM.png" /></a></div>
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<i>I, Witness </i>was lacking. I wish I enjoyed it more and found a reason to enjoy it. It might be a good read for you if you're the type of person who enjoys reading adult mysteries.<br />
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<b><i>*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*</i></b><br />
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Michelle (A Thousand Lives Lived) http://www.blogger.com/profile/07028045386032178941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071651534915078257.post-61335682834975879052019-07-17T10:00:00.000-04:002019-07-17T10:00:14.949-04:00The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur // Simply Gorgeous.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35606560-the-sun-and-her-flowers" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="307" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1499791446l/35606560._SY475_.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35606560-the-sun-and-her-flowers">The Sun and Her Flowers,</a> </b>by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8075577.Rupi_Kaur">Rupi Kaur</a><br />
<b>Publication: </b>October 3, 2017, by Andrews McMeel Publishing<br />
<b>Genre: </b>Poetry<br />
<b>Pages: </b>256<br />
<b>Format: </b>Paperback<br />
<b>Source: </b>Purchased<br />
<b>Rating: </b><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;" /><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
From Rupi Kaur, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of milk and honey, comes her long-awaited second collection of poetry. A vibrant and transcendent journey about growth and healing. Ancestry and honoring one’s roots. Expatriation and rising up to find a home within yourself.<br />
Divided into five chapters and illustrated by Kaur, the sun and her flowers is a journey of wilting, falling, rooting, rising, and blooming. A celebration of love in all its forms.</blockquote>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
My Thoughts</h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>The Sun and Her Flowers </i>was absolutely <b>gorgeous. </b>If I could use any word to describe this book as a whole, I would choose gorgeous. I never really understood the hype surrounding Rupi Kaur and her writing, but that suddenly changed once I read this story. Her poems are stunning, and cover so many precious, interesting topics, including feminism, love, family and self-love. I have so many favourite poems, and I found myself constantly bookmarking pages to save and to come back to when I need a refresher. This is a compilation of poems that will make you second-guess your entire existence, and will cause you to think about life a little more deeply.<br />
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Rupi Kaur writes about really <i>sensitive topics. </i>It's something you have to prepare yourself for when you pick this one up. These sensitive topics often are sad topics, and it might cause you to shed a tear or two. I picked this up while I spent time in Hawaii, in the midst of a tropical road trip through the mountains, and let me say: there was no better setting to read this book in. I definitely feel like this is the type of collection that you can constantly go back to; it contains poems that can treat different moods of yours and make a difference in your life/days.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fwR3v2QN18myMX7w9tDbIW9gtdpQYT5SpRAMF_6m0PYdYgmg66UpSn2xlnBw8Fwi25mkK_vCxCMJmdUqvqNx0txJ2ii0M8FTjnbXSsZ5nPTYqWggATP3-n7ShOHbCH_i_3MbIhV7g_I/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.39.34+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="67" data-original-width="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fwR3v2QN18myMX7w9tDbIW9gtdpQYT5SpRAMF_6m0PYdYgmg66UpSn2xlnBw8Fwi25mkK_vCxCMJmdUqvqNx0txJ2ii0M8FTjnbXSsZ5nPTYqWggATP3-n7ShOHbCH_i_3MbIhV7g_I/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.39.34+PM.png" /></a></div>
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<i>The Sun and Her Flowers </i>is stunning and so memorable that I know that I'll remember its impact on me for years to come. I cannot wait to see what else Rupi Kaur has in store for her readers.<br />
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<img border="0" data-original-height="81" data-original-width="545" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdrtYAfyF6cK7QUTJDEZuACE1phyphenhyphenaGo4fv7-_Cl30qmW-G-Yz1y-1Yhsap1Vec6Pkhm1IOcfFIshPvfQFOF2XCXRcy7aaJKYaBVyogJoQ9-z3JN6-sxOYG7BwdBVh1Gjscc_Fpb1hLjY/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-08-25+at+11.13.15+AM.png" width="640" /></div>
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Michelle (A Thousand Lives Lived) http://www.blogger.com/profile/07028045386032178941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071651534915078257.post-88660115738999776632019-07-16T10:00:00.000-04:002019-07-16T10:00:05.357-04:00Bird Box by Josh Malerman // Not As Good As the Movie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18498558-bird-box" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1383949470l/18498558.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18498558-bird-box">Bird Box (Bird Box #1),</a> </b>by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7271073.Josh_Malerman">Josh Malerman</a><br />
<b>Publication: </b>May 13, 2014, by Ecco<br />
<b>Genre: </b>Adult Fiction, Thriller, Dystopian<br />
<b>Pages: </b>262<br />
<b>Format: </b>Paperback<br />
<b>Source: </b>Purchased<br />
<b>Rating: </b><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;" /><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Something is out there, something terrifying that must not be seen. One glimpse of it, and a person is driven to deadly violence. No one knows what it is or where it came from.<br />
Five years after it began, a handful of scattered survivors remains, including Malorie and her two young children. Living in an abandoned house near the river, she has dreamed of fleeing to a place where they might be safe. Now that the boy and girl are four, it's time to go, but the journey ahead will be terrifying: twenty miles downriver in a rowboat—blindfolded—with nothing to rely on but her wits and the children's trained ears. One wrong choice and they will die. Something is following them all the while, but is it man, animal, or monster?<br />
Interweaving past and present, Bird Box is a snapshot of a world unraveled that will have you racing to the final page.</blockquote>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
My Thoughts:</h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I've owned <i>Bird Box </i>for years, probably since the book was initially released, however, from my eyes, it didn't gain any hype until the Netflix movie was about to be released. And for one of the first times in history (for me), <b>the book was not as good as the movie. </b>This could be because of the mistake I made of watching the movie first, but nevertheless, this was a little more disappointing. Some chapters/moments dragged on a little too long, and I felt like Malorie's character was really different from Sandra Bullock's take on her in the film.<br />
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You see, in the movie, Malorie was an <i>angry, definitely not light-hearted </i>character. In the book, she didn't quite have the same attitude. Instead, she was more kind and it was more easy to read her. But I honestly appreciate when characters have their own complexities and aren't too easy to crack. The story was told from her perspective at times, however, I still feel like I didn't to get to know her and her <i>struggles </i>that well. Additionally, I must admit that this book did not frighten me as much as the movie did. This lacked a sort of <i>eerie </i>feel that I would have appreciated much more.<br />
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In general, thrillers tend to have a different kind of writing that keeps me interested and going for the whole time. With <i>Bird Box, </i>I felt the constant ability to put the book down and return to it in a few days; it did not keep me interested. For the most part, I was just not able to form connections to the characters. Oh well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kJRFY735zVv0N6tazEiCRn6Hfv-wY0IeMvnDu86GSoNZjGy_SJizVUbLiHtANoLVYeGT1UWbebF_tVKAP8fUCfIH5WEihxgnNimn50Whr0TlBY5Nee1psF96lnjSu96p_JmruDa6hP4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.39.34+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="67" data-original-width="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kJRFY735zVv0N6tazEiCRn6Hfv-wY0IeMvnDu86GSoNZjGy_SJizVUbLiHtANoLVYeGT1UWbebF_tVKAP8fUCfIH5WEihxgnNimn50Whr0TlBY5Nee1psF96lnjSu96p_JmruDa6hP4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.39.34+PM.png" /></a></div>
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<i>Bird Box </i>was lacking, but not terrible, as I have always been in love with the concept and what the story has to share. Maybe if you haven't seen the movie yet, you'll fall in love with this. But as someone who went crazy over the film and the connections I formed to the characters, this became underwhelming.<br />
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Michelle (A Thousand Lives Lived) http://www.blogger.com/profile/07028045386032178941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071651534915078257.post-17866544796944674622019-07-15T16:25:00.000-04:002019-07-15T16:25:46.942-04:00Before I Die by Jenny Downham // A Little Overhyped<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5573136-before-i-die" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="304" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442709897l/5573136._SY475_.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5573136-before-i-die">Before I Die,</a> </b>by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/628636.Jenny_Downham">Jenny Downham</a><br />
<b>Publication: </b>May 26, 2009, by Ember<br />
<b>Genre: </b>Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance<br />
<b>Pages: </b>327<br />
<b>Format: </b>Paperback<br />
<b>Source: </b>Purchased<br />
<b>Rating: </b><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;" /><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Tessa has just months to live. Fighting back against hospital visits, endless tests, and drugs with excruciating side-effects, Tessa compiles a list. It’s her To Do Before I Die list. And number one is Sex.<br />
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Released from the constraints of “normal” life, Tessa tastes new experiences to make her feel alive while her failing body struggles to keep up. Tessa’s feelings, her relationships with her father and brother, her estranged mother, her best friend, and her new boyfriend, are all painfully crystallized in the precious weeks before Tessa’s time runs out.</blockquote>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
My Thoughts:</h2>
<div>
<i>Before I Die </i>was kind of a bummer. I waited <b>YEARS </b>to pick this book up, mainly because I've been lazy and going to read my advanced readers copies instead of books that I've actually purchased and have been excited to read. Maybe my fourteen/fifteen year-old self would have enjoyed this book, but I can surely say that my eighteen year-old self was not a fan of this boring story with a severe lack of depth. </div>
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I read this book at the end of last year, and I can hardly remember what it was about, but let's just say that the plot is not promising, and it only might appeal to some teenagers who are obsessed with the idea of <i>being desperate to find love. </i>Unlike other stories featuring characters with an illness, which tend to feature some sort of learning experience for readers and an actual nice tale, <i>Before I Die </i>was underwhelming. I found myself really despising our main character, Tessa, who, obviously, is in a state of depression and isolation as she realizes that she does not have much time to live. </div>
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Don't get me wrong: <b>I didn't hate reading this story. </b>I got my way through it without DNFing it, however, it wasn't promising and really memorable. You could definitely be better off reading some other contemporary romances with less-annoying protagonists. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kJRFY735zVv0N6tazEiCRn6Hfv-wY0IeMvnDu86GSoNZjGy_SJizVUbLiHtANoLVYeGT1UWbebF_tVKAP8fUCfIH5WEihxgnNimn50Whr0TlBY5Nee1psF96lnjSu96p_JmruDa6hP4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.39.34+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="67" data-original-width="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kJRFY735zVv0N6tazEiCRn6Hfv-wY0IeMvnDu86GSoNZjGy_SJizVUbLiHtANoLVYeGT1UWbebF_tVKAP8fUCfIH5WEihxgnNimn50Whr0TlBY5Nee1psF96lnjSu96p_JmruDa6hP4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.39.34+PM.png" /></a></div>
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Go ahead and pick up another book, but just know that <i>Before I Die </i>is an underwhelming book that could easily be forgotten about. If you're in a desperate need of a contemporary romance story, you might as well pick this up, but otherwise, just walk on by it at your bookstore.</div>
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Michelle (A Thousand Lives Lived) http://www.blogger.com/profile/07028045386032178941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071651534915078257.post-70251968442929000212019-02-26T12:30:00.000-05:002019-03-15T14:38:15.494-04:00Love and Luck by Jenna Evans Welch // I Now WANT to Go to Ireland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32333026-love-luck" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1519640543l/32333026.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32333026-love-luck">Love and Luck,</a> </b>by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14115788.Jenna_Evans_Welch">Jenna Evans Welch</a><br />
<b>Publication: </b>May 8, 2018, by Simon Pulse<br />
<b>Genre: </b>Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance<br />
<b>Pages: </b>303<br />
<b>Format: </b>Hardcover<br />
<b>Source: </b>Purchased<br />
<b>Rating: </b><b style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" /></b><b style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" /></b><b style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" /></b><b style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" /></b><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Addie is visiting Ireland for her aunt’s over-the-top destination wedding, and hoping she can stop thinking about the one horrible thing she did that left her miserable and heartbroken—and threatens her future. But her brother, Ian, isn’t about to let her forget, and his constant needling leads to arguments and even a fistfight between the two once inseparable siblings. Miserable, Addie can’t wait to visit her friend in Italy and leave her brother—and her problems—behind.<br />
So when Addie discovers an unusual guidebook, Ireland for the Heartbroken, hidden in the dusty shelves of the hotel library, she’s able to finally escape her anxious mind and Ian’s criticism.<br />
And then their travel plans change. Suddenly Addie finds herself on a whirlwind tour of the Emerald Isle, trapped in the world’s smallest vehicle with Ian and his admittedly cute, Irish-accented friend Rowan. As the trio journeys over breathtaking green hills, past countless castles, and through a number of fairy-tale forests, Addie hopes her guidebook will heal not only her broken heart, but also her shattered relationship with her brother.<br />
That is if they don’t get completely lost along the way.</blockquote>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
My Thoughts:</h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Love and Luck </i>is a book I have been anticipating <b>for over a year. </b>After practically devouring <i>Love and Gelato, </i>I instantly sought more from Jenna Evans Welch, queen and master of writing chick-lit books that stem away from the rest and just leave readers feeling all giddy inside. This was such an entertaining read that I cannot stop thinking about to this day. The author's choice of writing this book in the setting of Ireland was honestly so smart; I do not know much about the country and its culture aside from pubs, greenery and four-leaf clovers, however, this book just opened my wanderlust and made me discover that I want to head on a similar road-trip that the characters went on. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What made this book so special is the fact that it was not about the romance. </b>It was more than that; it was about family and forming relationships that will last a lifetime, and learning about who we are, instead of kissing and making the 'most of the summer' in that way. <i>Love and Luck </i>was beautiful, and the best part was the relationship between Addie, our protagonist, and her brother, Ian, and the fact that the two of them had severe issues with each other, but spent the summer attempting to work it out in the best way possible: a good old-fashioned road trip across a foreign country, not knowing anything about the path that they are on. And of course, this was also a book about dealing with heartbreak and moving on after someone you once trusted broke that trust.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I also loved seeing an appearance by Leena and Ren, and the fact that this book did not take place during the same time as the first book. This was just a burst of entertainment and happiness for me. I am praying deep down inside that this series will continue; imagine if Addie's brothers will have their own stories coming up really soon!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fwR3v2QN18myMX7w9tDbIW9gtdpQYT5SpRAMF_6m0PYdYgmg66UpSn2xlnBw8Fwi25mkK_vCxCMJmdUqvqNx0txJ2ii0M8FTjnbXSsZ5nPTYqWggATP3-n7ShOHbCH_i_3MbIhV7g_I/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.39.34+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="67" data-original-width="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fwR3v2QN18myMX7w9tDbIW9gtdpQYT5SpRAMF_6m0PYdYgmg66UpSn2xlnBw8Fwi25mkK_vCxCMJmdUqvqNx0txJ2ii0M8FTjnbXSsZ5nPTYqWggATP3-n7ShOHbCH_i_3MbIhV7g_I/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.39.34+PM.png" /></a></div>
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<i>Love and Luck </i>was such a lovely read. There was just the right amount of drama, bits of romance, and moments that created a lovely story that every teen should pick up.<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
What books have the best settings around the world?</h4>
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Michelle (A Thousand Lives Lived) http://www.blogger.com/profile/07028045386032178941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071651534915078257.post-38898665024401495482019-02-14T21:28:00.000-05:002019-03-15T14:38:28.952-04:00Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian // The BEST Summer Read<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32333296-stay-sweet" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1521640270l/32333296.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32333296-stay-sweet">Stay Sweet,</a> </b>by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/800187.Siobhan_Vivian">Siobhan Vivian</a><br />
<b>Publication: </b>April 24, 2018, by Simon Schuster Books FYR<br />
<b>Genre: </b>Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance<br />
<b>Pages: </b>368<br />
<b>Format: </b>Hardcover<br />
<b>Source: </b>Purchased<br />
<b>Rating: </b><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><br />
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Summer in Sand Lake isn’t complete without a trip to Meade Creamery—the local ice cream stand founded in 1944 by Molly Meade who started making ice cream to cheer up her lovesick girlfriends while all the boys were away at war. Since then, the stand has been owned and managed exclusively by local girls, who inevitably become the best of friends. Seventeen-year-old Amelia and her best friend Cate have worked at the stand every summer for the past three years, and Amelia is “Head Girl” at the stand this summer. When Molly passes away before Amelia even has her first day in charge, Amelia isn’t sure that the stand can go on. That is, until Molly’s grandnephew Grady arrives and asks Amelia to stay on to help continue the business…but Grady’s got some changes in mind…</blockquote>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
My Thoughts:</h2>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Stay Sweet </i>was adorable, beautiful, scrumptious and practically everything <b>I could've ever wanted in a summer read. </b>For the entire summer, I have been reading contemporary book after contemporary book, searching for <i>that perfect read </i>that I will never forget about and make my summer, however, prior to reading this newbie by Siobhan Vivian, I had not found it. In the midst of springtime, the cover for this book was released and I fell in love instantly, knowing that there's no better book to describe summer than one about ice cream and falling in love. Additionally, it's about friendship and family, and a mix of all of those topics that are sure to leave you shedding some tears.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What is extra special about this story is the fact that it includes a historical aspect; the founder of Meade Creamery, Molly Meade, lived during the WWII era, and we readers get to take a look into her life and discover her greatest secrets through her diary entries (which, not to be picky about, but were difficult to read due to the font choice) which were a delight nevertheless. I saw many relations between Amelia, our protagonist, and Molly, showing that one's passions and ambitions can carry from one generation to another. *dabs at the tears streaming down my face*</span></div>
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<a href="https://im.indiatimes.in/content/2014/Oct/icecreamq_1414049951.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="197" data-original-width="350" height="180" src="https://im.indiatimes.in/content/2014/Oct/icecreamq_1414049951.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Essentially, this novel is about Amelia, who is spending her last summer in her small town, Sand Lake, before she heads out to university far away. As she has done every summer in high school, Amelia is working as a scooper for Meade Creamery, an ice cream stand set up by Molly Meade, a woman who decided to make ice cream for her and her friends to forget about the fact that their boyfriends and fiancees were fighting in the Second World War. This year, Amelia has gotten promoted to Head Girl, giving her all of the major responsibilities it takes to work in the stand. Before the stand even opens for the summer, Molly passes away and Amelia is left unsure if the stand will continue, until Molly's grandnephew, Grady, comes into their lives, wanting to use the stand as a business investment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>This book just screamed out 'feminism,' and it's a perfect time and age to show it. </b>I loved the fact that Vivian used such a clever idea and job for the girls in the book: ice cream scooping, to show a message: that everyone has the capability to do anything, even girls. In the novel, we get to see our protagonist, Amelia, managing a business and earning respect from Molly's grandnephew. And the romance was A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E. I cannot digress how much I adored Grady and Amelia. It was one of the most respected relationships ever.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fwR3v2QN18myMX7w9tDbIW9gtdpQYT5SpRAMF_6m0PYdYgmg66UpSn2xlnBw8Fwi25mkK_vCxCMJmdUqvqNx0txJ2ii0M8FTjnbXSsZ5nPTYqWggATP3-n7ShOHbCH_i_3MbIhV7g_I/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.39.34+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="67" data-original-width="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fwR3v2QN18myMX7w9tDbIW9gtdpQYT5SpRAMF_6m0PYdYgmg66UpSn2xlnBw8Fwi25mkK_vCxCMJmdUqvqNx0txJ2ii0M8FTjnbXSsZ5nPTYqWggATP3-n7ShOHbCH_i_3MbIhV7g_I/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.39.34+PM.png" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Stay Sweet </i>was gorgeous. I certainly will never forget about it due to its memorable characters, setting, and ending. I have never read anything like it; it truly changed my life. This was certainly Siobhan Vivian's best.</span></div>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What is the best summer book you've read this year?</span></h4>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="81" data-original-width="545" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPm4-z-xk58GKsqn9aSLL0pHOkZ0xtfjMLbHyguKrkMozKfz7BabQfe4oh3Q9JNh-WMneB9kOblnJu-cGU6CZKCk6IVom06H0ZKdcjJPP-0KWzCZSD21LQ1VBSTqo7utlf6-7lSI-gxXI/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-08-25+at+11.13.15+AM.png" width="640" /></div>
Michelle (A Thousand Lives Lived) http://www.blogger.com/profile/07028045386032178941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071651534915078257.post-48676814974452397122019-01-24T15:18:00.000-05:002019-03-15T14:38:43.566-04:00Lucky in Love by Kasie West // I Can't Get Enough of This!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30285562-lucky-in-love" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1496161642l/30285562.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30285562-lucky-in-love">Lucky in Love,</a> </b>by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5027236.Kasie_West">Kasie West</a><br />
<b>Publication: </b>July 25, 2017, by Scholastic<br />
<b>Genre: </b>Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance<br />
<b>Pages: </b>337<br />
<b>Format: </b>Hardcover<br />
<b>Source: </b>Purchased<br />
<b>Rating: </b><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Maddie’s not impulsive. She’s all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment—<br />
She wins!<br />
In a flash, Maddie’s life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she’s talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun…until rumors start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now Maddie isn’t sure who she can trust.<br />
Except for Seth Nguyen, her funny, charming coworker at the local zoo. Seth doesn’t seem aware of Maddie’s big news. And, for some reason, she doesn’t want to tell him. But what will happen if he learns her secret?</blockquote>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
My Thoughts:</h2>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>I AM IN LOVE. </b>Kasie West keeps making me so obsessed with her books each time around, and <i>Lucky in Love </i>was no different. This was an unbelievable story with the most interesting premise and plot ever. I now feel inclined to buy lottery tickets with hesitance, because West has showed that there are downsides to every single decision we make in our lives, whether we like it or not. It was interesting to read about a teenage protagonist who becomes 'lucky' and wins a lot of money without expecting it, and seeing that we must be careful for what we wish for. In essence, the author attempted to showcase that it is best to be careful for what we wish for. I seriously cannot enough of this entire story; it was written beautifully and with a lovely set of characters and romance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">GAH. The romance between Seth and Maddie was such <b>a dream. </b>Why? Because I'm a sucker for romance and, more specifically, lovely relationships that I will never forget about. The pacing of the story was especially memorable, in the way that this was not instalove; Maddie and Seth previously knew each other. I cannot even tell you the number of times I freaked out whilst reading; this is a story to make readers feel all good and gooey inside.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kJRFY735zVv0N6tazEiCRn6Hfv-wY0IeMvnDu86GSoNZjGy_SJizVUbLiHtANoLVYeGT1UWbebF_tVKAP8fUCfIH5WEihxgnNimn50Whr0TlBY5Nee1psF96lnjSu96p_JmruDa6hP4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.39.34+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="67" data-original-width="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kJRFY735zVv0N6tazEiCRn6Hfv-wY0IeMvnDu86GSoNZjGy_SJizVUbLiHtANoLVYeGT1UWbebF_tVKAP8fUCfIH5WEihxgnNimn50Whr0TlBY5Nee1psF96lnjSu96p_JmruDa6hP4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.39.34+PM.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Lucky in Love </i>was entertaining and everything I could've asked for in a contemporary-romance. I am <i>psyched </i>to see what else Kasie West has in store for readers in the future.</span><br />
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Are there any other YA books about lotteries?</span></h4>
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Michelle (A Thousand Lives Lived) http://www.blogger.com/profile/07028045386032178941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071651534915078257.post-37021404163131985612018-12-19T09:00:00.000-05:002019-03-15T14:39:03.638-04:00The Merciless IV: Last Rites by Danielle Vega // This Series Is Just SO Good<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36536878-the-merciless-iv" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1509843795l/36536878.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36536878-the-merciless-iv">The Merciless IV: Last Rites,</a> </b>by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7341041.Danielle_Vega">Danielle Vega</a><br />
<b>Publication: </b>June 12, 2018, by Razorbill<br />
<b>Genre: </b>Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Horror<br />
<b>Pages: </b>290<br />
<b>Format: </b>Hardcover<br />
<b>Source: </b>Purchased<br />
<b>Rating: </b><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" />½<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The ropes tighten on Berkley Hubbard's wrists. Blood drips down her fingers and lands with a smack on the cold floor of the church basement. She's trapped, bound, and petrified by fear. A knife punctures her fragile skin as Berkley's captors search for the mark of the devil on her body. They say they want to save her--drive the devil away and cleanse her soul--but will she make it out alive?<br />
When Berkley arrived in Italy a week ago, the last thing she expected was that she'd end up fighting for her life. After spending six months at the Institute, confined to a room with the dangerous-yet-alluring Sofia Flores, Berkley was certain that a vacation in Italy with her two best friends would be the perfect getaway. But Berkley is hiding a terrible secret, one that threatens to undo everything. As she's forced to face her wicked past, she learns that the devil is always watching, and no one is coming to save her.</blockquote>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
My Thoughts:</h2>
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<i>The Merciless </i>series is my absolute love and treasure; each book keeps impressing me and <i>scaring me </i>to the point that I silently tell myself that I will never turn my lights off at night and will never watch a horror movie again. Let's just say that I never fulfill those promises I made for myself and I keep being addicted to the horror genre. As each of the other books, I was completely obsessed and terrified both at the same time. I was unable to stop reading once I flipped to the first page; Italy is the best setting ever for these kinds of books.</div>
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<i>Last Rites </i>introduces us to a new character in this saga: Berkley, a NYU student visiting Italy while her two friends attend a summer art program in a small town. Prior to her entering Italy, she had a major panic attack leaving her in an Institute, rooming with Sofia Flores. Once Berkley heads to Italy, she suspects that everything is good and no one remembers her dark past where she betrayed her best friend, however, strangers see her as a devil and will do whatever it takes to prove so. These 'strangers' capture Berkley and search for the devil's mark on her body, seeking the spot where Berkley is unable to bleed from. </div>
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<b>As you can already tell from the summary, </b><u style="font-weight: bold;">this is messed up.</u> There are points during the reading experience where you suspect that the story is a normal, YA contemporary novel, however, things always suddenly take a turn and leave you guessing. That's the best way to describe Danielle Vega's writing; she makes readers think that she is weaving an innocent story set in an innocent setting (such as Italy - who would suspect that an exorcism is on the agenda?) </div>
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This book left me in shock, as the ending was unbelievable. It had both closure and opening, leaving the possibility for this series to continue (which I hope it will), but closure in the sense that if Danielle Vega feels that this must come to an end, it can. I just want to pray to the book gods that it doesn't end here. I feel that there's so much more that can happen. More chances for readers to be terrified and more chances to see our favourite character, Sofia Flores.</div>
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What are some enjoyable horror books?</h4>
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Michelle (A Thousand Lives Lived) http://www.blogger.com/profile/07028045386032178941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071651534915078257.post-37508362847836151602018-12-05T09:00:00.000-05:002019-03-15T14:39:21.918-04:00The Unlikelies by Carrie Firestone // SO Cute<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31078124-the-unlikelies" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1489647845l/31078124.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31078124-the-unlikelies">The Unlikelies,</a> </b>by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8303828.Carrie_Firestone">Carrie Firestone</a><br />
<b>Publication: </b>June 6, 2017, by Little Brown and Company<br />
<b>Genre: </b>Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance<br />
<b>Pages: </b>336<br />
<b>Format: </b>ARC<br />
<b>Source: </b>Publisher<br />
<b>Rating: </b><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><br />
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Sadie is not excited for the summer before her senior year. It will be her first without her college-bound best friend and (now ex-)boyfriend by her side, so Sadie braces herself for a long, lonely, and boring season working at a farm stand in the Hamptons. But things take an unexpected turn when Sadie steps in to help rescue a baby in peril and footage of her impromptu good deed goes viral.<br />
As she’s recovering from “the incident” and adjusting to her Internet fame, Sadie receives an invitation to a lunch honoring teem homegrown heroes. The five honorees instantly connect and soon decide to spend their time together righting local wrongs. Sadie and her new friends embark on escalating acts of vigilante Good Samaritanism, but might be in over her heads when they try to help a heroin-addicted friend. Are good intentions enough to hold unlikely friendships—and an even unlikelier new romance—together?</blockquote>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
My Thoughts:</h2>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Unlikelies </i>was such a lovely surprise. After reading Carrie Firestone's debut story, <i>The Loose Ends List, </i>I was pretty impressed, but not to the fullest extent possible. I was truly <b>hesitant to pick this book up, </b>but I had a feeling I would enjoy it because it seemed to be not all about romance, which is what I was seeking. Too many books these days focus on cheesy, impossible romances that make me feel sad and hopeless. Carrie Firestone knows how to mix a gorgeous plot with a group of unforgettable characters who actually remind me of a less reckless version of the characters in The Breakfast Club. Each character had their own memorable twang which I really appreciated reading about. Instead of having rebellious characters who spend the book learning about their wrongs, this was about <i>good </i>characters. Characters I will never forget about. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The book's main character is Sadie, who becomes an Internet sensation by doing a good deed and stopping a man from drunk driving with his baby daughter in the backseat. Afterwards, she gets invited to a lunch celebrating the Hamptons' 'homegrown heroes,' which Sadie feels that she doesn't belong in. Little does she know that the four honourees will become her new friends, especially during the time that she tries to live life after her other friends are going off to college while Sadie will be a senior.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>I honestly was obsessed with this book from this start. </b>I completed it in a span of two or three sittings, and adored the overall message that it presented, which was that each individual should be surrounded by others who do good. We should all take chances to do good to benefit others. This story just made me feel so happy, from the miniature piece of romance to the lovely characters. It surely was one of the best books I've read this year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Unlikelies </i>truly made me smile and feel all good inside; more authors should look into creating genuinely good characters like the five 'unlikelies.' I'm in love!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*</i></b></span><br />
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">What is a book you've read about genuinely good characters?</span></h4>
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Michelle (A Thousand Lives Lived) http://www.blogger.com/profile/07028045386032178941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071651534915078257.post-41328929537467789312018-11-20T09:00:00.000-05:002019-03-15T14:39:38.550-04:00Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris // THE BEST BOOK I'VE EVER READ<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35857495-bring-me-back" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="303" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1508201081l/35857495.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35857495-bring-me-back">Bring Me Back,</a> </b>by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14425604.B_A_Paris">B.A. Paris</a><br />
<b>Publication: </b>June 19, 2018, by HQ<br />
<b>Genre: </b>Adult Fiction, Thriller, Mystery<br />
<b>Pages: </b>384<br />
<b>Format: </b>Hardcover<br />
<b>Source: </b>Purchased<br />
<b>Rating: </b><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><br />
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Finn and Layla are young, in love, and on vacation. They’re driving along the highway when Finn decides to stop at a service station to use the restroom. He hops out of the car, locks the doors behind him, and goes inside. When he returns Layla is gone—never to be seen again. That is the story Finn told to the police. But it is not the whole story.<br />
Ten years later Finn is engaged to Layla’s sister, Ellen. Their shared grief over what happened to Layla drew them close and now they intend to remain together. Still, there’s something about Ellen that Finn has never fully understood. His heart wants to believe that she is the one for him...even though a sixth sense tells him not to trust her.<br />
Then, not long before he and Ellen are to be married, Finn gets a phone call. Someone from his past has seen Layla—hiding in plain sight. There are other odd occurrences: Long-lost items from Layla’s past that keep turning up around Finn and Ellen’s house. Emails from strangers who seem to know too much. Secret messages, clues, warnings. If Layla is alive—and on Finn’s trail—what does she want? And how much does she know?<br />
A tour de force of psychological suspense, Bring Me Back will have you questioning everything and everyone until its stunning climax.</blockquote>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
My Thoughts:</h2>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Bring Me Back </i>was <i>honestly </i>the best book I've <b>ever read. </b>Before picking this up, I classified B.A. Paris' other two books, <i>Behind Closed Doors </i>and <i>The Breakdown </i>as my ultimate favourites, but this time around, this has stolen the prize. This was a book that kept me guessing and intrigued for the entire ride. It's the type of the book that leaves you making hundreds of predictions to find that <b>you were completely wrong. </b>Whatever I thought would occur <i>did not. </i>If it did, then I definitely would not be raving this much about the novel. I instantly fell in love with the book after the twentieth page or so, and felt that I wouldn't be able to put it down. I read this in a few sittings, but in the same day, from morning to night.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This isn't your <i>typical missing persons case story. </i>In fact, there's <b>nothing typical </b>about B.A. Paris' ideas and books; everything is as original as it can be. The story revolves around Finn, Layla, and Ellen, our three protagonists. Finn and Layla were together, in love, and on vacation skiing in France, and as they were returning back to England, they made a rest stop. Layla stayed in the car, and when Finn returned, she was gone. Ten years later, Finn is engaged to Ellen, Layla's sister, and Finn still struggles to let go of the past and the love he had for Layla. Suddenly, Finn gets a phone call from someone in his past saying that they saw Layla, and weird occurrences begin to escalate. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Basically, the main questions surrounding this story were: <b>is Layla alive? Is she back? Will Finn choose her over Ellen? </b>Forget about that; there were millions of questions surrounding this complex story. I cannot even imagine how much work was put into deriving this story; there are so many clues and hints that all make sense in the end when everything is cleared up. Well, actually, the magic of B.A. Paris' stories is that everything is <i>never perfectly cleared up. </i>She always leaves readers off wanting more from the last few pages of suspense. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Although I mentioned that there are <i>three main protagonists, </i>Finn is the most prevalent in the story. We constantly learn <i>almost everything </i>from his perspective, and we as readers get to see what he was like ten years prior with Layla and in the present with Ellen. It sounds impossible, but even he, <b>the character telling everything from his perspective, </b>is hiding secrets. I was so shocked in how everything was revealed at the perfect moment. He was both a likeable and unlikeable character, depending on the moment and decision he made. But this was not a flaw whatsoever; it's important for thrillers to have characters who are the best of both worlds, if you know what I mean.</span><br />
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<a href="https://media1.tenor.com/images/9962fb199b0ca12f92d635ef2830e74c/tenor.gif?itemid=9040471" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="498" height="178" src="https://media1.tenor.com/images/9962fb199b0ca12f92d635ef2830e74c/tenor.gif?itemid=9040471" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>This was just such a </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">complex story. </i>The most complex I've ever read. There's a grand importance to every hint, secret and symbol laid out by Paris; when you read about some scenes or moments in the story, you may view them as unimportant, but surely they hold a great importance; every single word, sentence and moment in this story is important, which really shows that <b>B.A. Paris is the master of psychological thriller writing. </b>In fact, she is the master of modern day literature and entertainment. I really am eager to see films sprout from her fantastic story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If I could possibly rate books with a ten-thousand star rating, this would <b>be the only book to deserve all of those stars. </b><i>Bring Me Back </i>shocked me, especially with that UNBELIEVABLE ENDING I will never forget about, and with all of those mini shocks and revelations shown throughout the story. Every psychological thriller writer should look at these stories and see how it's done. And every single psychological thriller reader and lover such as myself should grab this instantly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What is the SINGLE best book you've ever read?</span></h4>
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Michelle (A Thousand Lives Lived) http://www.blogger.com/profile/07028045386032178941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071651534915078257.post-58543384108629773642018-10-25T09:00:00.000-04:002019-03-15T14:39:55.626-04:00Mini Review: The Queen of Hearts by Kimmery Martin // Unimpressed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35142025-the-queen-of-hearts" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1503422857l/35142025.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35142025-the-queen-of-hearts">The Queen of Hearts,</a> </b>by Kimmery Martin<br />
<b>Publication: </b>February 13, 2018, by Berkley<br />
<b>Genre: </b>Adult Fiction, Contemporary<br />
<b>Pages: </b>348<br />
<b>Format: </b>Hardcover<br />
<b>Source: </b>Publisher<br />
<b>Rating: </b><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><br />
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Zadie Anson and Emma Colley have been best friends since their early twenties, when they first began navigating serious romantic relationships amid the intensity of medical school. Now they're happily married wives and mothers with successful careers--Zadie as a pediatric cardiologist and Emma as a trauma surgeon. Their lives in Charlotte, North Carolina are chaotic but fulfilling, until the return of a former colleague unearths a secret one of them has been harboring for years.<br />
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As chief resident, Nick Xenokostas was the center of Zadie's life--both professionally and personally--throughout a tragic chain of events in her third year of medical school that she has long since put behind her. Nick's unexpected reappearance during a time of new professional crisis shocks both women into a deeper look at the difficult choices they made at the beginning of their careers. As it becomes evident that Emma must have known more than she revealed about circumstances that nearly derailed both their lives, Zadie starts to question everything she thought she knew about her closest friend.</blockquote>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
My Thoughts:</h2>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>DNF @ 75 pages</i></b></span></div>
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I absolutely hate DNFing books, but I've learned that I must put down a book when I am struggling to continue reading it. And that's what unfortunately happened with <i>The Queen of Hearts </i>by Kimmery Martin. While the premise interested me, as I do plan to study medicine one day, I became so bored and felt that the story was lacking. It seemed as if the author wanted to turn this into a Grey's Anatomy-type drama. I expected it to be <i>more </i>about living the life of a doctor/surgeon and the friendship that the two main characters, Zadie and Emma, have. Instead, I just kept imagining that a huge fight would draw out between the characters and create drama. I honestly just wanted a nice, entertaining story that would keep me going for its 348 pages. Instead, this was less about the doctors and more about some 'beef' brewing. Eek.</div>
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Unfortunately, this story turned out <b>worse than expected, </b>but maybe you, reader, will enjoy it more than I did. If you like those medical dramas, this will surely be for you.</div>
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<b><i>*A review copy was provided by the author in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*</i></b></div>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">What was the last book you DNFed?</span></h4>
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Michelle (A Thousand Lives Lived) http://www.blogger.com/profile/07028045386032178941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071651534915078257.post-4755606074306627652018-10-14T09:00:00.000-04:002019-03-15T14:40:12.337-04:00A Million Miles Away by Lara Avery // A Truly Special and Touching Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18484795-a-million-miles-away" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1410801979l/18484795.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18484795-a-million-miles-away">A Million Miles Away,</a> </b>by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5626114.Lara_Avery">Lara Avery</a><br />
<b>Publication: </b>July 7, 2015, by Poppy<br />
<b>Genre: </b>Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance<br />
<b>Pages: </b>320<br />
<b>Format: </b>ARC<br />
<b>Source: </b>BEA/Publisher<br />
<b>Rating: </b><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><br />
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When high school senior Kelsey's identical twin sister, Michelle, dies in a car crash, Kelsey is left without her other half. The only person who doesn't know about the tragedy is Michelle's boyfriend, Peter, recently deployed to Afghanistan. But when Kelsey finally connects with Peter online, she can't bear to tell him the truth. Active duty has taken its toll, and Peter, thinking that Kelsey is Michelle, says that seeing her is the one thing keeping him alive. Caught up in the moment, Kelsey has no choice: She lets Peter believe that she is her sister.<br />
As Kelsey keeps up the act, she crosses the line from pretend to real. Soon, Kelsey can't deny that she's falling, hard, for the one boy she shouldn't want.</blockquote>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
My Thoughts:</h2>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>A Million Miles Away </i>was a raw, realistic, gorgeous story I will <b>never </b>forget about. That's the honest and wholesome truth in one sentence. After reading Lara Avery's other novel, <i>The Memory Book, </i>I had this urge inside of me to pick this one up as well and read it and bawl as I read it and feel like I'm connecting to the story, you know? Let's just say that this book was <b>a gorgeous masterpiece I recommend to everyone. </b>If you enjoy chick-lit romances, this book is for you. If you usually enjoy mysteries and thrillers, this book is for you. If you enjoy fantasy, this book is for you. This book is literally for everyone. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This time around, Lara Avery focuses on a main character named Kelsey, who has an identical twin sister, Michelle, who tragically dies in a car crash. She is finding it extremely difficult to move on, and the worst part is the fact that Michelle's boyfriend, Peter, is in Afghanistan for the military. He doesn't know that Michelle passed away, and Kelsey doesn't want to tell him the truth... yet. So in the meantime, she pretends that she is Michelle, though as she begins to form a relationship with Peter, she realizes that she has feelings for him, too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>I love the way Lara Avery had this story progress. </b>You see, it wasn't cheesy or generic; this was one of the most raw and emotional books I've ever read. From the beginning, we immediately form an emotional connection with the characters in the way that we briefly meet Michelle, Kelsey's twin, before she passes away. We can immediately tell that they didn't always get along; Michelle is more artistic while Kelsey focuses on popularity and cheerleading. However, when times are rough, Michelle did tend to fall to Kelsey to solve her problems. Already from the first few chapters I was able to tell that this book wasn't one of those cliché chick-lit stories with characters whose lives are perfect. It was the complete opposite of that. Both sisters had their own problems, with each other and with others, and that just made the book so much more believable. I kept imagining a girl in Kansas struggling to move on after grief has succumbed her. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What I especially adored about this story is the fact that <b>it was easy to understand why Kelsey pretended to be Michelle. </b>That's where the emotions that correspond to this story come in. I loved Peter as a character, and it seemed that from the start, Kelsey loved him too for keeping her sister happy. Kelsey is a character who didn't want to disappoint others, and by interacting with Peter, she was given the chance to learn more about the person her sister really was, instead of Michelle just being Kelsey's twin. This just exemplifies the fact that each individual is different, no matter what family or group you come from.</span><br />
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<i>A Million Miles Away </i>is a memorable story that I recommend to everyone. I truly imagine this becoming a movie, and it can be compared to the stories of Nicholas Sparks, but more mature in the sense that it's not <i>just about the romance. </i>It's about the emotions generated in both the characters and readers that make this story so special. I feel that Lara Avery's writing is really <i>underhyped </i>and more people should become aware of this fantastic author.<br />
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<b><i>*A review copy was provided by the publisher via BookExpo America in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*</i></b><br />
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">What is the most emotional book you've ever read?</span></h4>
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Michelle (A Thousand Lives Lived) http://www.blogger.com/profile/07028045386032178941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071651534915078257.post-57029904606722183762018-09-19T09:00:00.000-04:002019-03-15T14:40:29.499-04:00You Will Be Mine by Natasha Preston // Disappointing In Comparison to Preston's Other Books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35023972-you-will-be-mine" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1510151059l/35023972.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35023972-you-will-be-mine">You Will Be Mine,</a> </b>by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6548349.Natasha_Preston">Natasha Preston</a><br />
<b>Publication: </b>February 6, 2018, by Sourcebooks Fire<br />
<b>Genre: </b>Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Thriller<br />
<b>Pages: </b>292<br />
<b>Format: </b>ARC<br />
<b>Source: </b>Publisher<br />
<b>Rating: </b><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" />½<br />
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Lylah and her friends can't wait to spend a night out together. Partying is the perfect way to let loose from the stress of life and school, and Lylah hopes that hitting the dance floor with Chace, her best friend, will bring them closer together. She's been crushing on him since they met. If only he thought of her the same way...<br />
The girls are touching up their makeup and the guys are sliding on their coats when the doorbell rings. No one is there. An envelope sits on the doormat. It's an anonymous note addressed to their friend Sonny. A secret admirer? Maybe. They all laugh it off.<br />
Except Sonny never comes home. And a new note arrives:<br />
YOUR TURN</blockquote>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
My Thoughts:</h2>
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I <i><b>really expected </b>You Will Be Mine </i>to be stunningly fabulous. After reading <i>all </i>of Natasha Preston's other books, I made the assumption that <u>this book would be just as fabulous.</u> Well, as you can see based on my rating of the story, I didn't think it was as enjoyable. To me, this was a really childish, teenager version of a psychological thriller or mystery story. There was no depth to the story for the most part, and if the ending wasn't as shocking or entertaining as it was, I surely would've given this a lower rating.<br />
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This story of Preston's features a group of university students living together in a home. There's Lylah, our protagonist, Chace, her crush, Sienna, her best friend, Sonny, Isaac, and Charlotte. Lylah has been dreading Valentine's Day approaching, and this is causing her to remember the past when her parents died on that day. When the group prepares for a party, the doorbell rings and a note sits on the doormat, addressed to Sonny. He never comes home after that, and eventually, more people become targets of this mysterious individual.<br />
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I guess <b>what disinterested me </b>in terms of this novel is the fact that this story seemed too good to be true.The police in this British imaginary world had no large role whatsoever until the end of the story where we discover the culprit, and it seemed as if the 'killer' was unstoppable. No traces were found. No one was suspicious. And our protagonist did all of the dirty work by tracking them down and doing dangerous things; I certainly do not think that attempting to solve the mystery in this manner would actually happen in reality. The mystery is obviously believable, but the way it was solved? Not so much. In fact, Lylah's attempt to go all <i>Nancy Drew </i>to find who the killer is was what made the book lack of any sort of entertainment. I felt a struggle to read the book from about the halfway mark towards the end. But let's just say that the ending made up for a lot of the negativity.<br />
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From all of the characters introduced, I believe that Natasha Preston made a great decision to choose Lylah to be the protagonist of her story. Lylah was the most flawed character from the group living in the home, which allowed me to see her as a realistic character, minus the sleuthing skills she somehow acquired. I appreciate the author writing about Lylah's struggles with anxiety and grief that she experienced in the past; it made the book so much better.<br />
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<i>You Will Be Mine </i>disappointed me, but then it redeemed itself to be a pretty good read. I am psyched to see what else Preston has in store for us thriller fanatics.<br />
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<b><i>*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*</i></b><br />
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Have you ever read a book with a Nancy Drew-like protagonist?</span></h4>
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Michelle (A Thousand Lives Lived) http://www.blogger.com/profile/07028045386032178941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071651534915078257.post-88967950033225549192018-08-21T09:00:00.000-04:002018-08-21T09:00:14.365-04:00Emancipated by M.G. Reyes // An Interesting Take on a YA Mystery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22999141-emancipated" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1414609860l/22999141.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22999141-emancipated">Emancipated (Emancipated #1),</a> </b>by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8470822.M_G_Reyes">M.G. Reyes</a><br />
<b>Publication: </b>May 26, 2015, by Katherine Tegen Books<br />
<b>Genre: </b>Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery<br />
<b>Pages: </b>400<br />
<b>Format: </b>Paperback<br />
<b>Source: </b>Purchased<br />
<b>Rating: </b><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The good girl, the bad boy, the diva, the hustler, the rock star, and the nerd. Six teens legally liberated from parental control for six different reasons, all with one thing in common: something to hide.<br />
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Now they’re sharing a house in Venice Beach, acting like a family, and living their lies. No parents. No limits. No alibis. One witnessed a crime, another might be a murderer—and one’s been spying on them all.<br />
As they cling to a fantasy of freedom and slowly let down their guards, the past creeps up on them. And when one of them gets arrested, everyone’s carefully constructed facade comes crumbling down.<br />
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In this steamy, drama-filled series, relationships are tested and secrets revealed as lies threaten to destroy their perfect setup.</blockquote>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
My Thoughts:</h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Emancipated </i>was such a surprise to me as prior to reading it, <b>I had no idea what it was about. </b>Surely I must have read the summary when I purchased the book (years ago), but when I packed it up for my summer vacation, I just judged it by the cover and decided that it must be a good summer read. I honestly enjoy these kinds of experiences where I head into a book not knowing what to expect. That way, I cannot be biased or affected by anyone else's thoughts. This story was literally about what the title suggested: emancipation, <i>or </i>when someone is under the age of eighteen and are legally liberated from their parents, or living under their parents' control. I didn't know much about the topic prior to picking up this book, so this was a nice introduction into the 'possible lives' of those living emancipated.<br />
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The ultimate reason <b>I gave this book a four star rating </b>is because for the first half of the book, <i>nothing was happening, </i>and I was unsure of the purpose of the story. Sure, this is about six teenagers randomly living together, but what else? I wish that M.G. Reyes had implemented more of the mystery in the beginning of the story, as this would've caught my attention span sooner. For the first half of the story, not much was happening, and I questioned what made this book so interesting. Eventually, everything came together and I became <i>very </i>shocked with the outcome of the story.<br />
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You see, this focuses on six teenagers, with most of them not knowing each other prior to the emancipation. They all live together in a house on Venice Beach, California, for different reasons. What the highlight of the story was that <b>each character had their own secrets and their own flaws. </b>This just made the story a hundred times more realistic and believable. Although these teens were fortunate to be living on their own (and were wealthy, because who would be able to afford living in a SoCal mansion on the beach?) and threw parties and lived that 'stereotypical YA character life,' they each seemed like they were real people, you know?<br />
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What also really made me addicted was the fact that this book <b>ended in a major cliffhanger. </b>This sets the stage perfectly for the sequel, which I need to purchase as soon as possible. Hopefully the next book will be super addicting and full of mystery, since the first one ended in a <i>whirl.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fwR3v2QN18myMX7w9tDbIW9gtdpQYT5SpRAMF_6m0PYdYgmg66UpSn2xlnBw8Fwi25mkK_vCxCMJmdUqvqNx0txJ2ii0M8FTjnbXSsZ5nPTYqWggATP3-n7ShOHbCH_i_3MbIhV7g_I/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.39.34+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="67" data-original-width="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fwR3v2QN18myMX7w9tDbIW9gtdpQYT5SpRAMF_6m0PYdYgmg66UpSn2xlnBw8Fwi25mkK_vCxCMJmdUqvqNx0txJ2ii0M8FTjnbXSsZ5nPTYqWggATP3-n7ShOHbCH_i_3MbIhV7g_I/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.39.34+PM.png" /></a></div>
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<i>Emancipated </i>was a lovely take on a YA contemporary story. While this did contain some aspects of romance, it wasn't completely focused on it, which I appreciated. I am really looking forward to reading the sequel.<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
What are some UNIQUE YA reads?</h4>
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Michelle (A Thousand Lives Lived) http://www.blogger.com/profile/07028045386032178941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071651534915078257.post-39665485133360349332018-08-20T12:56:00.000-04:002018-08-20T12:56:22.913-04:00I Have Lost My Way by Gayle Forman // Gayle Forman Has Done It Again!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36470842-i-have-lost-my-way" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1511820386l/36470842.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36470842-i-have-lost-my-way">I Have Lost My Way,</a> </b>by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/295178.Gayle_Forman">Gayle Forman</a><br />
<b>Publication: </b>April 1, 2018, by Penguin Teen<br />
<b>Genre: </b>Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance<br />
<b>Pages: </b>368<br />
<b>Format: </b>Hardcover<br />
<b>Source: </b>Publisher<br />
<b>Rating: </b><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
A powerful display of empathy and friendship from the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of If I Stay. Around the time that Freya loses her voice while recording her debut album, Harun is making plans to run away from home to find the boy that he loves, and Nathaniel is arriving in New York City after a family tragedy leaves him isolated on the outskirts of Washington state. After the three of them collide in Central Park, they slowly reveal the parts of their past that they haven't been able to confront, and together, they find their way back to who they're supposed to be. Told over the course of a single day from three different perspectives, Gayle Forman's newest novel about the power of friendship and being true to who you are is filled with the elegant prose that her fans have come to know and love.</blockquote>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
My Thoughts:</h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>I Have Lost My Way </i>was surprisingly <b>such an emotional read. </b>Unlike most YA contemporary-romances, which usually focus on the perks and positives of romance in characters' lives, this book left me as an <i>emotional wreck. </i>Gayle Forman's newest novel focuses on the struggles each of us face, and how it is okay and acceptable for each of us to <b>lose our ways. </b>This is a story of hope and friendship and it provides us with a sense of reassurance that everything will be okay, even if we encounter a bad day or two. As long as we have people in our lives who are there to support us, everything will be just fine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am a GIGANTIC fan of Gayle Forman's work. After reading and falling in love with her <i>If I Stay </i>duology, I knew that her writing truly interests me and has a way to my heart. This book absolutely did as well. It focuses on <b>three teenage characters who are all struggling, but in different ways. </b>And somehow, Forman moulded these characters into figures who each reader will form a connection with. The characters seemed so real that I was ready to pick up my phone at times and give them a call to reassure them that I was there for them. That's how <i>realistic </i>this story is. I don't think there's a single person in this world who wouldn't want to read a realistic story about realistic characters. It's truly a major highlight.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Gayle's recent story focuses on the lives of three main characters: Freya, a singer who is becoming more popular, but hides a major secret about losing her voice, Harun, a boy wanting to run away from home to hide his secret of being gay, and Nathaniel, a boy who flew to New York City to escape the trauma he left behind in Washington state. Somehow, the three meet each other and find that they each have lost their ways. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And here comes the main message of the story which I feel that many contemporary stories these days (especially for teens) lack: <b>it is okay to be imperfect and to be sad. </b>I find that all chick-lit stories are fluffy and cute and showcase the perfect lives of characters. But, here, Gayle Forman shows, especially through Freya's character, that your dreams can come true and that you can have what you've always wanted, but that doesn't mean that your life is perfect or that you're <i>always </i>happy. This book was a literal <b>shock </b>to me especially because of that message. Each character seemed to have what they always wanted most: Freya: her singing career, Harun: a boyfriend, and Nathaniel: the best relationship possible with his father, however, that doesn't mean that they were always happy. This story highlights how life is unpredictable, and how things may instantly change, altering your opinion on the things that have always made you happy. This <b>story really hit home. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">While I can admit that the story did include some romantic aspects, it wasn't the main focus. I loved the raw writing and burst of emotions that this book gave me. It really was a special one; I rarely form this kind of connection with characters, so this shows you that this one is a keeper.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>I Have Lost My Way </i>was one of the most realistic books I've read in a while; I finished it in a sitting and it left me feeling happy and sad and all of the possible emotions out there. It's rare for a book to do that to me; I guess that is why I love Gayle Forman's writing so much. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*</i></b></span><br />
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">What are some emotional YA books you've read?</span></h4>
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Michelle (A Thousand Lives Lived) http://www.blogger.com/profile/07028045386032178941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071651534915078257.post-80523445265381407882018-08-19T19:16:00.000-04:002018-08-19T19:41:10.467-04:00The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware // Ms. Ware Does Not Disappoint!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36373481-the-death-of-mrs-westaway" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1518710953l/36373481.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36373481-the-death-of-mrs-westaway">The Death of Mrs. Westaway,</a> </b>by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9013543.Ruth_Ware">Ruth Ware</a><br />
<b>Publication: </b>May 29, 2018, by Gallery/Scout Press<br />
<b>Genre: </b>Adult Fiction, Mystery, Thriller<br />
<b>Pages: </b>368<br />
<b>Format: </b>ARC<br />
<b>Source: </b>Publisher<br />
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On a day that begins like any other, Hal receives a mysterious letter bequeathing her a substantial inheritance. She realizes very quickly that the letter was sent to the wrong person—but also that the cold-reading skills she’s honed as a tarot card reader might help her claim the money.<br />
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Soon, Hal finds herself at the funeral of the deceased…where it dawns on her that there is something very, very wrong about this strange situation and the inheritance at the centre of it.</div>
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My Thoughts:</h2>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="-webkit-text-stroke: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Death of Mrs. Westaway </i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke: rgb(0, 0, 0);">was an absolute </span><b style="-webkit-text-stroke: rgb(0, 0, 0);">shock. </b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Why a shock, you ask? Because it was completely different from anything Ruth Ware has previously written. This is a twist on your regular old psychological thriller. In fact, I wouldn't really call this a thriller, but a </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke: rgb(0, 0, 0);">mystery. </i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke: rgb(0, 0, 0);">And I actually loved it, even though it’s not the type of book I usually enjoy. This was a book about a mystery that has run in a family for years, without our protagonist, Hal, even knowing it. As I’m writing this, I’m debating whether I should give this book a 4 or 4.5 star rating, as I am truly </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke: rgb(0, 0, 0);">confused with the ending. </i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I don’t know if it’s just me, but I felt that the conclusion to the story wasn't properly explained.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="-webkit-text-stroke: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ruth Ware’s fourth and newest story revolves around the life of Hal, a young woman living in Brighton, England, surviving based on a small salary she makes through tarot card reading and fortune telling on the beach’s pier. She struggles to make payments and live her life normally until one day, she surprisingly receives a letter in the mail, explaining that her grandmother has passed away and Hal is entitled to a large inheritance. Hal feels like it’s too good to be true, as she knows nothing about her relatives and her own mother’s past, but decides to take the chance and lie. She soon arrives at her “grandmother’s” mansion, where she meets her long-lost “family members,” and things get insane from there. She feels as if someone is watching her, setting up traps for her, forcing her to doubt her mother’s past and everything she thought she knew about herself.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>I really liked Hal’s character and her personality as a protagonist. </b>Usually, authors of mystery books generate protagonists who are <i>too </i>smart and <i>too </i>knowledgable about everything, making it look like it was easy to solve the mystery. However, Hal had her own flaws, and this just made her seem more human and made the book as a whole seem more real. I totally could imagine this story happening in reality. Those are the kinds of stories I like to read; the ones that I can picture occurring in real life.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When I began reading the novel, I must admit that it was very slow paced, however, it eventually picked up around the hundredth page when we reached the point where Hal enters Trespassen, Mrs. Westaway’s mansion. The mansion definitely gave off some creepy vibes.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: inherit;">The Death of Mrs. Westaway </i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: inherit;">was a really entertaining read, and I definitely recommend to lovers of Ruth Ware’s writing or people interested in mysteries/thrillers. It was very suspenseful and came with many twists and turns that left me shocked. Aside from the confusing ending and slow pace of the beginning, </span><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: inherit;">it was an excellent read </b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: inherit;">that I was able to practically complete during a long road trip. It definitely caught my attention for the whole time.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: inherit;"><b><i>*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*</i></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: inherit;">Do you prefer psychological thrillers or mysteries?</span></h4>
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</style>Michelle (A Thousand Lives Lived) http://www.blogger.com/profile/07028045386032178941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071651534915078257.post-6332966027636246002018-08-01T14:31:00.000-04:002018-08-01T14:31:59.853-04:00To Catch a Killer by Sheryl Scarborough // A Large Disappointment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29939266-to-catch-a-killer" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1465659211l/29939266.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29939266-to-catch-a-killer">To Catch a Killer (Erin Blake #1),</a> </b>by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/148975.Sheryl_Scarborough">Sheryl Scarborough</a><br />
<b>Publication: </b>February 7, 2017, by Tor Teen<br />
<b>Genre: </b>Young Adult Fiction, Mystery, Contemporary<br />
<b>Pages: </b>320<br />
<b>Format: </b>Hardcover<br />
<b>Source: </b>Publisher<br />
<b>Rating: </b><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Erin Blake has one of those names. A name that, like Natalee Holloway or Elizabeth Smart, is inextricably linked to a grisly crime. As a toddler, Erin survived for three days alongside the corpse of her murdered mother, and the case—which remains unsolved—fascinated a nation. Her father's identity unknown, Erin was taken in by her mother's best friend and has become a relatively normal teen in spite of the looming questions about her past.<br />
Fourteen years later, Erin is once again at the center of a brutal homicide when she finds the body of her biology teacher. When questioned by the police, Erin tells almost the whole truth, but never voices her suspicions that her mother's killer has struck again in order to protect the casework she's secretly doing on her own.<br />
Inspired by her uncle, an FBI agent, Erin has ramped up her forensic hobby into a full-blown cold-case investigation. This new murder makes her certain she's close to the truth, but when all the evidence starts to point the authorities straight to Erin, she turns to her longtime crush (and fellow suspect) Journey Michaels to help her crack the case before it's too late.</blockquote>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
My Thoughts:</h2>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>DNF @ 100 pages</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">UGH. I really wanted to like this one — there has been a lot of raving involved with this book (and the entire series) so I expected that I would like this one. However, with the mix of (A) weird names (B) a weird mystery and (C) an unlikeable protagonist, I quickly came to realize that this book wasn't for me. <b>It was just so boring, and unrealistic. </b>I have only read a few books where I felt that the main character was so unlikeable, and this was the case with Erin. I felt that everything about her was too good to be true, including her forensics knowledge and the fact that her teachers and adults around her liked her so much. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>To Catch a Killer </i>bored the heck out of me, and by the hundredth page, I realized that I didn't care about solving the mystery. I was struggling to get through the book, let alone care about the ending.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgFAOvcrd3cgkJKAKFOhNRssJemcadQoke2wQpoD6nyDVv3ZH4o-jH99QQ1Mc4LihxIZNwAopYl6-pWVEsLriTTWsQok4gWBsY8LHOzrsyE50L0bi1vksl0jRgcnXmIfH4LIkS7wQ0OE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.39.34+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="67" data-original-width="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgFAOvcrd3cgkJKAKFOhNRssJemcadQoke2wQpoD6nyDVv3ZH4o-jH99QQ1Mc4LihxIZNwAopYl6-pWVEsLriTTWsQok4gWBsY8LHOzrsyE50L0bi1vksl0jRgcnXmIfH4LIkS7wQ0OE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.39.34+PM.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>This was a huge disappointment; I really wanted more, and I didn't get that. </b>I really tried to enjoy it, as I usually love YA mysteries, but this seemed to be a rip-off of a Nancy Drew book. I'm over those kinds of know-it-all main characters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*</i></b></span><br />
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Michelle (A Thousand Lives Lived) http://www.blogger.com/profile/07028045386032178941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071651534915078257.post-33964170841006872552018-07-31T19:00:00.000-04:002018-07-31T19:00:23.549-04:00Summer of Sloane by Erin L. Schneider // A Lovely, Chill Read<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22537367-summer-of-sloane" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1438372060l/22537367.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22537367-summer-of-sloane" style="font-weight: bold;">Summer of Sloane,</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8324619.Erin_L_Schneider">Erin L. Schneider</a><br />
<b>Publication: </b>May 3, 2016, by Disney-Hyperion<br />
<b>Genre: </b>Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance<br />
<b>Pages: </b>304<br />
<b>Format: </b>Hardcover<br />
<b>Source: </b>BEA/Publisher<br />
<b>Rating: </b><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><br />
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Warm Hawaiian sun. Lazy beach days. Flirty texts with her boyfriend back in Seattle.<br />
These are the things seventeen-year-old Sloane McIntyre pictured when she imagined the summer she’d be spending at her mom’s home in Hawaii with her twin brother, Penn. Instead, after learning an unthinkable secret about her boyfriend, Tyler, and best friend, Mick, all she has is a fractured hand and a completely shattered heart.<br />
Once she arrives in Honolulu, though, Sloane hopes that Hawaii might just be the escape she needs. With beach bonfires, old friends, exotic food, and the wonders of a waterproof cast, there’s no reason Sloane shouldn’t enjoy her summer. And when she meets Finn McAllister, the handsome son of a hotel magnate who doesn’t always play by the rules, she knows he’s the perfect distraction from everything that’s so wrong back home.<br />
But it turns out a measly ocean isn’t nearly enough to stop all the emails, texts, and voicemails from her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend, desperate to explain away their betrayal. And as her casual connection with Finn grows deeper, Sloane’s carefree summer might not be as easy to find as she’d hoped. Weighing years of history with Mick and Tyler against their deception, and the delicate possibility of new love, Sloane must decide when to forgive, and when to live for herself.</blockquote>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
My Thoughts:</h2>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Summer of Sloane </i>especially intrigued me due to the fact that <b>it takes place in Hawaii. </b>Which, in case you haven't noticed, is paradise. Paradise to me and paradise to everyone else. Contemporary-romance is probably my favourite YA genre at the moment, so mixing a story that I love with a setting I adore is a dream come true. Erin L. Schneider did a <i>beautiful job </i>writing a story that will mess with your emotions and make you question your friendships and relationships, to be quite honest. It's a book that every teenager should take a whack at, and the best part is its setting, showing readers a great summer story that will make your heart happy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">From the first page, we readers are introduced to the story's main issue, which is what the entire plot basically revolves around. Sloane, our protagonist, lives in Seattle with her divorced father and twin brother, Penn, and one day discovers that her boyfriend cheated on her with her best friend, and got her <i>pregnant. </i>OOOF. If you think ordinary cheating is bad, this <b>takes it to another level. </b>Obviously, Sloane freaks out, and the next thing she knows is that she's taking a plane to Hawaii to spend the summer with her mother and her stepdad. This is a perfect way for Sloane to get away from all of the stress and frustration that she is reminded of when she thinks of home. And of course, Sloane meets another guy and the entire story is created.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What this story lacked is a better focus on family relationships. </b>The author spent a lot of time talking about the cheating 'incident' and how Sloane really feels about it, and I felt that this got a little tiring after 100 pages. I felt that there was more to the story's purpose than just the cheating incident, and this fell short. I wish that the author spent more 'book time' creating a better relationship between Sloane and her mother, who she only really sees once a year. The whole explanation of the divorce and all that seemed really rushed, and for a teenage audience, I felt that it is important to explain these kinds of topics. This would have especially helped us see that everything is not just about <i>romance.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Summer of Sloane </i>was a really quick read (took me two sittings to complete), and a very summery one. I loved the extra touch of this meaningful setting, and how the author really made readers feel as if they were in Hawaii. I recognized all of the Hawaiian/Honolulu references, having visited there myself twice, and I loved the island vibes. Agh—I wish more books explored this setting; I would read them all.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgFAOvcrd3cgkJKAKFOhNRssJemcadQoke2wQpoD6nyDVv3ZH4o-jH99QQ1Mc4LihxIZNwAopYl6-pWVEsLriTTWsQok4gWBsY8LHOzrsyE50L0bi1vksl0jRgcnXmIfH4LIkS7wQ0OE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.39.34+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="67" data-original-width="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgFAOvcrd3cgkJKAKFOhNRssJemcadQoke2wQpoD6nyDVv3ZH4o-jH99QQ1Mc4LihxIZNwAopYl6-pWVEsLriTTWsQok4gWBsY8LHOzrsyE50L0bi1vksl0jRgcnXmIfH4LIkS7wQ0OE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.39.34+PM.png" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I love these kinds of books where I can just enjoy summer and have an enjoyable experience. Erin L. Schneider's is one of them. Read this as soon as possible. </span></div>
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Are there any books that have taken place in Hawaii?</h4>
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Michelle (A Thousand Lives Lived) http://www.blogger.com/profile/07028045386032178941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071651534915078257.post-3671512143995273452018-07-28T16:16:00.000-04:002018-07-28T16:16:47.638-04:00The Summer of Us by Cecilia Vinesse // A Lovely But Lacking Travel Read<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35833029-the-summer-of-us" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1506662649l/35833029.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35833029-the-summer-of-us">The Summer of Us,</a> </b>by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13978873.Cecilia_Vinesse">Cecilia Vinesse</a><br />
<b>Publication: </b>June 14, 2018, by Poppy<br />
<b>Genre: </b>Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance<br />
<b>Pages: </b>311<br />
<b>Format: </b>ARC<br />
<b>Source: </b>Publisher<br />
<b>Rating: </b><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><br />
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Aubrey and Rae have been planning their trip around Europe practically from the moment they became BFFs in primary school. And, now, it ought to be the perfect way to spend their last summer together before university.<br />But things are more complicated at eighteen than they were at ten. There's Jonah, Aubrey's seemingly perfect boyfriend, and his best friend Gabe, the boy Aubrey may have accidentally kissed. And there's Clara, the friend Rae is crushing on, hard, even though there's no hope because Clara is definitely into guys, not girls.<br />Five friends. Ten days. Paris, Amsterdam, Prague, Florence, Barcelona. And a messy, complicated, can-this-really-be happening love story, or two ... because how could there not be?</blockquote>
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My Thoughts:</h2>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After previously reading Cecilia Vinesse's writing in her debut novel, <i>Seven Days With You, </i>a book that *actually* made me cry and develop wanderlust to jet off to Tokyo and explore all of Japan, <b>I knew I wanted more. </b>Receiving word about a new book by this author, a book that features characters travelling throughout Europe and visiting one of my favourite cities in particular, Prague, really <i>excited me. </i>I had a HUGE feeling that this would be one of the best books of the summer, and while it wasn't a 5-star read like the author's debut was, it certainly was an enjoyable read filled with so much romance and drama that will make your head hurt. Readers who enjoyed Sarah Mlynowski's <i>I See London, I See France </i>will especially fall in love with this story, as I noticed many similarities (even though Mlynowski's story was better as a whole).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Summer of Us </i>is a story that is set during the summer before college begins, and the characters head off to their freshman year. Funnily enough, <b>that is the exact state I am in right now, </b>and this book as a whole made me really jealous that I did not plan some kind of Eurotrip like this around the continent (although it has always been at the back of my mind... maybe next summer?). We have five main characters: Aubrey, a worrier and English literature obsessed, Jonah, her boyfriend, Rae, her best friend, Clara, an artsy friend of theirs, and Gabe, the boy who Aubrey feels awkward around. I cannot go into the inner details of each of these characters or else I'll be spoiling some surprises that arise in the middle of the story.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So I must admit that I liked each of the characters, and <i>grew to like them. </i>Each of them had their own flaws, and this was the nice part of it all; no one is perfect and through this trip, readers and the characters themselves got to see that some of their intended relationships may not work out after all as they grow apart and see what they themselves are like on their own, taking full responsibility for all of their actions. I guess it was also interesting to see what kinds of lives these characters will have in the future since they are all <i>privileged. </i>They all attend some kind of British American school, and they all are from America. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">However, what <b>bothered me </b>was the lack of description in terms of the cities visited by the characters. This Eurotrip included travelling from London to Paris to Amsterdam to Prague to Florence and to Barcelona... all in a matter of ten days. That felt rushed to me, and it felt as if the author was just trying to rush her characters from one destination to another so that she wouldn't have to describe the cities in detail and talk about attractions. But that's not what I like; I adore travelling and seeing characters travel in books makes me want to do so even more. This was a major <i>low </i>of the story and it affected the way I enjoyed reading this. I needed more detail.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Summer of Us </i>was a great, quick read that I finished in one sitting in a few hours. I always love the concept of travelling when it is mended with a contemporary-romance, and this was a successful read. I just wish that there was more description in terms of the cities and destinations the characters visited, but this was a overall enjoyable summer read.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What are some other wanderlust-inducing YA reads?</span></h4>
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Michelle (A Thousand Lives Lived) http://www.blogger.com/profile/07028045386032178941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071651534915078257.post-51738609345696907802018-07-27T09:00:00.000-04:002018-07-27T09:00:10.226-04:00Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds // An Important Read For All of Society<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22552026-long-way-down" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1520008013l/22552026.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22552026-long-way-down">Long Way Down,</a> </b>by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1229281.Jason_Reynolds">Jason Reynolds</a><br />
<b>Publication: </b>October 24, 2017, by Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books<br />
<b>Genre: </b>Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Poetry<br />
<b>Pages: </b>320<br />
<b>Format: </b>ARC<br />
<b>Source: </b>Publisher<br />
<b>Rating: </b><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" />½<br />
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Or, you can call it a gun. That’s what fifteen-year-old Will has shoved in the back waistband of his jeans. See, his brother Shawn was just murdered. And Will knows the rules. No crying. No snitching. Revenge. That’s where Will’s now heading, with that gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, the gun that was his brother’s gun. He gets on the elevator, seventh floor, stoked. He knows who he’s after. Or does he?<br />
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As the elevator stops on the sixth floor, on comes Buck. Buck, Will finds out, is who gave Shawn the gun before Will took the gun. Buck tells Will to check that the gun is even loaded. And that’s when Will sees that one bullet is missing. And the only one who could have fired Shawn’s gun was Shawn. Huh. Will didn’t know that Shawn had ever actually used his gun. Bigger huh. BUCK IS DEAD. But Buck’s in the elevator?<br />
Just as Will’s trying to think this through, the door to the next floor opens. A teenage girl gets on, waves away the smoke from Dead Buck’s cigarette. Will doesn’t know her, but she knew him. Knew. When they were eight. And stray bullets had cut through the playground, and Will had tried to cover her, but she was hit anyway, and so what she wants to know, on that fifth floor elevator stop, is, what if Will, Will with the gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, MISSES.<br />
And so it goes, the whole long way down, as the elevator stops on each floor, and at each stop someone connected to his brother gets on to give Will a piece to a bigger story than the one he thinks he knows. A story that might never know an END…if WILL gets off that elevator.</blockquote>
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My Thoughts:</h2>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Long Way Down </i>by Jason Reynolds was an exhilarating, <b>emotional read that really left a mark on me. </b>It left a huge mark on me; it triggered sadness and emotions that I never knew existed. What must be also kept in mind is that it's written in verse, with miniature poems used as the form of writing and presenting the story of Shawn's. What I loved best about this story is its pacing, and the fact that I was able to finish reading it in about an hour and twenty minutes or so. Don't believe me? Go pick it up for yourself; it's unbelievable how quick its pacing is and how fast the entire story comes and ends.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The book focuses on a fifteen-year-old named Shawn and the aftermath of the shooting where his brother was killed. </b>His character then spends the rest of the novel in an elevator, slowly making it towards the lobby/bottom floor as he meets people from his past, who have also died due to gun violence. It's really moving and touching, and a kind of story I will never forget. Especially in this time and age when these topics are popping up more and more in the media, it is important to read this kind of book. Even more importantly, it is necessary for <i>teenagers </i>to read these kinds of books.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kJRFY735zVv0N6tazEiCRn6Hfv-wY0IeMvnDu86GSoNZjGy_SJizVUbLiHtANoLVYeGT1UWbebF_tVKAP8fUCfIH5WEihxgnNimn50Whr0TlBY5Nee1psF96lnjSu96p_JmruDa6hP4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.39.34+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="67" data-original-width="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kJRFY735zVv0N6tazEiCRn6Hfv-wY0IeMvnDu86GSoNZjGy_SJizVUbLiHtANoLVYeGT1UWbebF_tVKAP8fUCfIH5WEihxgnNimn50Whr0TlBY5Nee1psF96lnjSu96p_JmruDa6hP4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.39.34+PM.png" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Long Way Down </i>was enjoyable, but that's simply it. It wasn't amazing, but it was a really special, unique read everyone should pick up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*</i></b></span></div>
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Michelle (A Thousand Lives Lived) http://www.blogger.com/profile/07028045386032178941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071651534915078257.post-56532996297682492982018-07-26T11:15:00.000-04:002018-07-26T11:15:20.530-04:00Ugly by Robert Hoge // Quick Memoir Read<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28186305-ugly" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="268" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1472736683l/28186305.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28186305-ugly">Ugly,</a> </b>by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1230738.Robert_Hoge">Robert Hoge</a><br />
<b>Publication: </b>September 6, 2016, by Viking Books for Young Readers<br />
<b>Genre: </b>Non-Fiction, Memoir<br />
<b>Pages: </b>208<br />
<b>Format: </b>ARC<br />
<b>Source: </b>Publisher<br />
<b>Rating: </b><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><br />
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When Robert Hoge was born, he had a tumor the size of a tennis ball in the middle of his face and short, twisted legs. Surgeons removed the tumor and made him a new nose from one of his toes. Amazingly, he survived with a face that would never be the same.<br /> Strangers stared at him. Kids called him names, and adults could be cruel, too. Everybody seemed to agree that he was ugly. But Robert refused to let his face define him. He played pranks, got into trouble, had adventures with his big family, and finally found a sport that was perfect for him to play. AndRobert came face to face with the biggest decision of his life, he followed his heart.</blockquote>
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My Thoughts:</h2>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Ugly </i>is a book <b>I should have read a long time ago. </b>A LONG LONG TIME AGO. I really feel that my middle-grade self would've been obsessed with this kind of book, as it is a real story and a memoir where we readers get to read about Robert Hoge's life as an individual with a disability. I loved Hoge's narrating skills and the way he described his struggles; I can definitely say that I felt my heart break a few times while reading this, making me wish that I was there to comfort him when he was a little boy. This was just an overall great, <i>quick </i>(the best part of the experience) read that I will never forget.</span></div>
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<a href="https://media1.tenor.com/images/8b493f1f22debeaa5007b6b399913c28/tenor.gif?itemid=4444861" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="498" height="179" src="https://media1.tenor.com/images/8b493f1f22debeaa5007b6b399913c28/tenor.gif?itemid=4444861" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you can, recommend this story to any tweens (seventh or eighth graders) if you can. Robert Hoge's story is an important one, showing readers how he struggled with his identity as a child and how he tried to understand his limitations. I would say that the seventh/eighth grade audience is the perfect age group for this story; I do wish that it was intended for YA readers, however, because this lacked the emotional aspect of these kinds of stories. Hoge told his story and some of the feelings he had as a kid, but not all of my questions were answered, especially about how he handled his issues as an adult. The story, towards the end, also felt a bit <b>rushed, </b>but I really did enjoy reading this fresh story that should be more publicized. More people should really give this one a go; if you enjoyed <i>Wonder, </i>this will surely be a form of enjoyment for you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">You see, I'm not much of a <b>middle grade reader. </b>I obviously used to adore that genre, however, I normally do not pick up those books these days as I find that they don't usually fit my interests. Nevertheless, to re-emphasize, this book was different. I highly recommend grabbing it and spending two hours and one sitting reading it.</span></div>
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I'd like to applaud Robert Hoge and the publisher of this book for creating such a <b>great read. </b>It's always refreshing to hear about authors' perspectives on their own personal struggles, and <i>Ugly </i>was a success. </div>
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<b><i>*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*</i></b></div>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">What are some other memoirs similar to this and Wonder?</span></h4>
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Michelle (A Thousand Lives Lived) http://www.blogger.com/profile/07028045386032178941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071651534915078257.post-79448178176750647132018-07-22T22:44:00.000-04:002018-07-22T22:44:14.654-04:00Blood Will Out by Jo Treggiari // NOT For the Faint-Hearted<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35390436-blood-will-out" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1508567026l/35390436.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35390436-blood-will-out">Blood Will Out,</a> </b>by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1463911.Jo_Treggiari">Jo Treggiari</a><br />
<b>Publication: </b>June 5, 2018, by Penguin Teen<br />
<b>Genre: </b>Young Adult Fiction, Horror, Contemporary<br />
<b>Pages: </b>256<br />
<b>Format: </b>Hardcover<br />
<b>Source: </b>Publisher<br />
<b>Rating: </b><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><br />
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Ari Sullivan is alive—for now.<br />She wakes at the bottom of a cistern, confused, injured and alone, with only the shadowy recollection of a low-pitched voice and a gloved hand. No one can hear her screams. And the person who put her there is coming back. The killer is planning a gruesome masterpiece, a fairytale tableau of innocence and blood, meticulously designed.<br />Until now, Ari was happy to spend her days pining for handsome, recent-arrival Stroud Bellows, fantasizing about their two-point-four-kids-future together. Safe in her small hometown of Dempsey Hollow. But now her community has turned very dangerous—and Ari may not be the only intended victim.</blockquote>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
My Thoughts:</h2>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Like many of the reviews are suggesting, <b>this book is not for the light-hearted. </b>This is one of the most gory and <i>detailed </i>stories I've ever read in my entire life. I normally would've given this award to Danielle Vega and her <i>Merciless </i>series, however, this book is certainly up there. If you cannot handle (I almost didn't) details about the abuse of both humans <i>and </i>animals, do not go for this, even though it was an interesting, suspenseful read full of plot twists I didn't see coming. I only really had one problem with the entire story, and that was the <b>writing. </b>But we'll get into that in a bit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Blood Will Out </i>is about our main character, Ari, whose story is told in the third-person perspective. She is living a relatively normal life until she wakes up, trapped, underground. She does not recall what has happened, nor why she is stuck, and she tries to do whatever it takes to escape and try to save herself. No one hears her screams and pleads for help, however, and she believes that the killer is coming back for her to receive what they originally wanted. We readers get to read about her past, and the present, in addition to a <b>mysterious first-person perspective, </b>technically that of the killer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What entertained me the most in this novel was that first-person perspective. It obviously was the gory perspective, but it was interesting to get in the mind of the killer in this story. I've never read a book which showcases this kind of perspective before, so this was completely new and refreshing. <b>Keep in mind that what you think you know about all the characters in this book is not the truth at all. </b>At. All. Treggiari did an excellent job at convincing readers that they know the truth, keeping them interested to see if their predictions are correct. My predictions were so wrong.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What I don't get is <b>why there's so much negativity. </b>I understand that the writing was kind of gross in some parts; the author attempted to use some descriptive writing that just didn't work. It really made me laugh out loud at some points. But aside from that (only a minor flaw), the book was fast-paced and full of suspense, allowing this to be categorized as a thriller and horror story. I've heard people say that this is like a Silence of the Lambs kind of read, and now I feel compelled to watch it to see if it's like this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Blood Will Out </i>was such an interesting read and one of the most unique I've recently read. I cannot wait to see what else Jo Treggiari has in store for readers in the future.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">What are some horror YA reads?</span></h4>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="81" data-original-width="545" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdrtYAfyF6cK7QUTJDEZuACE1phyphenhyphenaGo4fv7-_Cl30qmW-G-Yz1y-1Yhsap1Vec6Pkhm1IOcfFIshPvfQFOF2XCXRcy7aaJKYaBVyogJoQ9-z3JN6-sxOYG7BwdBVh1Gjscc_Fpb1hLjY/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-08-25+at+11.13.15+AM.png" width="640" /></div>
Michelle (A Thousand Lives Lived) http://www.blogger.com/profile/07028045386032178941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071651534915078257.post-37315091452169429502018-07-20T20:46:00.000-04:002018-07-20T20:46:34.783-04:00The Cabin by Natasha Preston // What a Shocking Ending!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28755320-the-cabin" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1472553002l/28755320.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28755320-the-cabin">The Cabin,</a> </b>by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6548349.Natasha_Preston">Natasha Preston</a><br />
<b>Publication: </b>September 6, 2016, by Sourcebooks Fire<br />
<b>Genre: </b>Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Thriller<br />
<b>Pages: </b>327<br />
<b>Format: </b>Paperback<br />
<b>Source: </b>Purchased<br />
<b>Rating: </b><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
There may only be one killer, but no one is innocent in this new thriller from Natasha Preston, author of The Cellar and Awake.<br />When Mackenzie treks to a secluded cabin in the woods with six friends, she expects a fun weekend of partying, drinking, and hookups. But when they wake to find two of their own dead and covered in blood, it's clear there's a killer among them.<br />As the police try to unravel the case, Mackenzie launches her own investigation. Before long secrets start to emerge, revealing a sinister web of sins among the original seven friends. The killer is still free. Every one of them is a suspect. And Mackenzie starts to realize that no one is innocent… </blockquote>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
My Thoughts:</h2>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Cabin </i>was highly anticipated by me, as I really wanted to read <b>another good psychological thriller </b>by Natasha Preston. I have previously read two of the authors' books: <i>Awake </i>and <i>The Cellar, </i>and reading about the summary of this one really impressed me and made me excited. It's rare to find psychological thrillers for YA readers, and this one was a pure success. It kept me guessing, sitting in suspense, and left me wondering about who in my life I should trust, and who I should not. While it was not written in the fastest pace possible and in the writing style I prefer as a reader, it was an excellent read that I recommend to all of you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The story unfolds when a group of six friends head off to a cabin to spend the weekend partying and celebrating their summer. Mackenzie, our protagonist, is not too excited about the idea, as she will be forced to spend time with Josh, a guy who deceived her and who she does not approve her best friend of dating. While there, she meets Josh's brother, Blake, and all goes well until everyone wakes up the next morning to find two of them dead. Murdered. The police suggest that there is a certain chance that the murderer is one of the four left, causing Mackenzie to question all she's ever known and who to trust.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>This book certainly started in a whirl. </b>It began as fast-paced, and I kept waiting for the murder to happen; I was so intrigued. After it happened, my expectations fell as the book's plot began to slow down as we readers tried to find murder suspects and try to see who is innocent or not. Eventually, the pace picked up as another person was <b>murdered, </b>and the book became entertaining once more. The ending was super shocking, and left me wanting more, though only because it fell short in the last few sentences. I wish we had another chapter or epilogue to really close it. Once you feel like the story is closing, it actually isn't, and more suspense is left. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The author really succeeded at capturing a nice romance: the one between Blake and Mackenzie. While readers may suspect that it was rushed, I really enjoyed it and supported it. </span></div>
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<i>The Cabin </i>initiated as a boring read that *seemed* predictable. It really wasn't, and I was wrong. Although it was lacking through the middle, the story eventually picked up once again and totally impressed me. <b>I can't wait for more of Natasha Preston's work.</b></div>
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<b>What are some GOOD YA thrillers?</b></h4>
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Michelle (A Thousand Lives Lived) http://www.blogger.com/profile/07028045386032178941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1071651534915078257.post-45749842178234119392018-07-17T20:37:00.000-04:002018-07-17T20:37:09.545-04:00A Million Worlds With You by Claudia Gray // Not As Good As the First Two<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28960100-a-million-worlds-with-you">A Million Worlds With You (Firebird #3),</a> </b>by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1192311.Claudia_Gray">Claudia Gray</a><br />
<b>Publication: </b>November 1, 2016, by HarperTeen<br />
<b>Genre: </b>Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Romance<br />
<b>Pages: </b>419<br />
<b>Format: </b>Paperback<br />
<b>Source: </b>Purchased<br />
<b>Rating: </b><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><img border="0" data-original-height="16" data-original-width="15" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTCN-Z8Az2GsI7Il5C7nMqDdVGWFQdZUxexjjGsRTUicA8CU6MQgZnhmP48IGxqFpsqq6_sO1QFX5U8rA6N-gaLMWxXuzp2KRu9uqFaGBuM9vjLBsWBlL2n-qkf9D2qWMsTJLQbaXUwo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-15+at+8.53.42+PM.png" style="text-align: center;" /><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The fate of the multiverse rests in Marguerite Caine’s hands. Marguerite has been at the center of a cross-dimensional feud since she first traveled to another universe using her parents’ invention, the Firebird. Only now has she learned the true plans of the evil Triad Corporation—and that those plans could spell doom for dozens or hundreds of universes, each facing total annihilation.<br />Paul Markov has always been at Marguerite’s side, but Triad’s last attack has left him a changed man—angry and shadowed by tragedy. He struggles to overcome the damage done to him, but despite Marguerite’s efforts to help, Paul may never be the same again.<br />So it’s up to Marguerite alone to stop the destruction of the multiverse. Billions of lives are at stake. The risks have never been higher. And Triad has unleashed its ultimate weapon: another dimension’s Marguerite—wicked, psychologically twisted, and always one step ahead.<br />In the conclusion to Claudia Gray’s Firebird trilogy, fate and family will be questioned, loves will be won and lost, and the multiverse will be forever changed. It’s a battle of the Marguerites…and only one can win.</blockquote>
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My Thoughts:</h2>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>A Million Worlds With You </i>has been marked as currently-reading on my Goodreads account <b>forEVER. </b>Why, you ask? Because I began reading it <i>months </i>ago and found that it was boring, and so much was happening at once that I needed to slow down and wait to read it during a time where I would be able to concentrate. Whenever I kept peeking at its (gorgeous) cover, I would shiver, reminding myself of the boredom it provided me. However, I recently produced the guts to read it (and remove it from my currently-reading list), and I was thoroughly disappointed. <b>This was supposed to be amazing, just as the first two books in this trilogy were. </b>Unfortunately, it was not amazing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Don't get me wrong: I love this series and still would recommend it to all interested readers. This book just proved itself to be unpromising. While reading, I felt like too much was happening at once, and our main character, Marguerite, was switching between too many worlds (or 'verses') too quickly. I wasn't able to determine what her role in this story was. Apparently it was to save the other versions of herself, but too much was happening and I was unable to really feel that. Instead, I just felt Claudia Gray attempting to ramble on and on, taking up 'space' in the book, instead of entertaining readers in a slow, blissful manner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>This series is really all about its gorgeous romance between Marguerite and Paul. </b>In this novel, their romance felt very flawed (which is normal), but to the point that I stopped being interested because they faced TOO many problems. It seemed as if the characters were getting tired of each other (even though Marguerite attempted to tell herself that she is in love with Paul), and I myself got tired. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There were pros and positives in this story; I really liked the conclusion, and it really made me feel sad, knowing that this was the last time I would be able to read about these characters. I liked how we were able to see a relationship boost amongst Marguerite and her parents, especially in the other verses. I will truly miss this series, despite the lows of this finale.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>A Million Worlds With You </i>was disappointing in comparison to the other two novels in this series. It lacked depth and a faster pace that would keep me entertained for my entire reading experience. I constantly longed for more. Goodbye, Firebird series, I loved you.</span></div>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
Have you read a series with a disappointing ending?</h4>
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Michelle (A Thousand Lives Lived) http://www.blogger.com/profile/07028045386032178941noreply@blogger.com0