tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-487720034527487412024-02-20T02:56:00.972-06:00Going for Goldilocks Looking for Just Right -
Books, Movies, DIY, and Travel.Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187151242970223764noreply@blogger.comBlogger252125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48772003452748741.post-74699746534418819322018-05-03T07:00:00.000-05:002018-05-03T07:00:11.815-05:00Seeing the Movie FirstLike many readers, I've always had a book before movie policy. As most of you are aware, this makes us incredibly popular. Phrases like, "We can't go to that movie yet, maybe if it's still in theaters in a month" are always crowd pleasers. Then the <a href="https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/Reading-Challenge-2018-44138581" target="_blank">2018 the PopSugar Reading Challenge</a> included this prompt - Read a Book Made into a Movie You've Already Seen.<br />
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ABSOLUTELY NOT. That is against the RULES of being a reader. and is completely wrong for a reading challenge. The book is ALWAYS better (okay 99% of the time).<br />
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But wait. The book is usually better - or at least a more complete story. Anytime I see a movie based on a book I spend most of the time noticing all the discrepancies between the book and movie. I notice all the elements of the book that the movie left out or neglected. One notable example of this for me is <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=The+hunger+games" target="_blank"><b>The Hunger Games</b></a>. I objectively think those movies are very well executed adaptions. Unfortunately, all the things I imagined differently would jar me out of the watching experience. I'm rarely able to fully immerse myself in a movie based on a book because of the constant cataloging going on in my brain.<br />
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Maybe I have this whole thing backward. Maybe if I see the movie first I can just enjoy it for what it is. I tend to find books more immersive then movies in the first place so maybe reading the book second will allow me more enjoyment of both.<br />
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Another factor that occurred to me. There have been a few instances where I did see the movie first. I'm not a huge classic reader. The only reason I made it through <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1885.Pride_and_Prejudice?from_search=true" target="_blank"><b>Pride and Prejudice</b></a> by Jane Austen was because I saw and loved the movie first. I had attempted to read it on couple occasions but found the <a href="http://goingforgoldilocks.blogspot.com/2013/01/pride-and-prejudice-by-jane-austen.html" target="_blank">writing style</a> tedious and repetitive. Knowing my favorite moments were coming up helped me get through the parts of the book I found exhausting.<br />
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Does this mean I have a new "Movies First" policy? No. But it does mean the next time someone asks me to go see a movie that looks good I can say yes.<br />
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Side note - I recently saw <b>A Wrinkle in Time</b> without reading it first and I really liked the movie. I'm looking forward to tackling the book soon.<br />
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<br />Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187151242970223764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48772003452748741.post-72303553592969086192018-04-24T08:00:00.000-05:002018-04-24T08:00:04.539-05:00One Month Down - a shopping ban check-inWithin the first 2 days of starting my shopping ban I really noticed how many of the sites I visit daily are recommending purchases for me. And I think that's on me. I enjoy online shopping and over time have gravitated to blogs that recommend clothes and decor and books that are up my alley. But it did represent the first question to how my online shopping ban was going to work. Do I allow myself to "virtual" shop without purchasing?<div>
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So far I haven't set a hard fast rule on that. I've tried to really notice when blog reading turns into shopping and I haven't been checking flash sale sites daily like I did pre-ban, but I have followed a few links to cute clothes and I did view the entire Target Opalhouse collection online. Oops. But no purchases so I'm calling it a win. It did inspire a trip to Target because I really liked a quilt I saw online, but I didn't like it in person. No damage done.</div>
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So far in the first month I had 2 fails, both Kindle books that I read immediately - not impulse purchases because of sales. I've also downloaded the nine free Kindle books for <a href="https://www.amazon.com/article/read-the-world" target="_blank">World Book Day</a> so my unread Kindle book number isn't going down anytime soon.</div>
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Overall, I'm calling month one a win. I have gone actual shopping a bit more, but it hasn't lead to purchases just higher daily step counts and I'm definitely feeling much more aware of my spending. Onto month two!</div>
Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187151242970223764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48772003452748741.post-27192677189475506372018-03-27T07:00:00.000-05:002018-03-27T07:00:20.591-05:00Three Month Shopping BanLast week I was listening to <a href="https://www.younghouselove.com/2018/03/podcast-89/" target="_blank">Young House Love has a Podcast</a> and they referenced <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Year-Less-Shopping-Belongings-Discovered-ebook/dp/B0767XNB47/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1522118194&sr=1-1&keywords=the+year+of+less" target="_blank">The Year of Less</a> by <a href="https://caitflanders.com/" target="_blank">Cait Flanders</a>. Among other things in the book Cait outlines a year of not purchasing things that aren't NEEDS. Listening to this podcast episode made me realize March was almost over and I'm still in Christmas spending mode. I'd also just made a major purchase (27 inch iMac) and that had me in a online furniture shopping frenzy. New desk, new nightstands, bedding, etc. I haven't made any of those purchases, just spending an inordinate amount of time looking for them.<br />
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I mulled several options for instituting my own shopping ban. One month doesn't feel long enough. I'm more than capable of filling up my online shopping carts for a month without purchase and then clicking "Buy" once the month is up. That doesn't seem like it would really force any changes to my habits. I also hate the idea of passing up the "perfect" desk if it came into HomeGoods or something during the ban.</div>
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After really evaluating my spending habits, I ended up settling on a three month online shopping ban. If I really need/want something enough to go to the store to buy it, fine, but no mindless internet shopping. No purchasing just because it's on sale. At last count I had over 100 unread kindle books from purchasing them on sale. Officially from March 27th through June 27th I won't do any online shopping with two exceptions:</div>
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1) I'll still order my groceries online and have them delivered once or twice a month because that is just a time saver on something I need anyway. Food/paper goods only.</div>
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2) Bathing suit - I have one swimsuit I love, but I've lost 30lbs and it's dangerously close to being too big. If I lose anymore weight, I'll attempt to find a suit locally, but I prefer one piece suits and I have a long torso so I generally have to find them online.</div>
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If it turns out that I do go out to shop more with this ban in place I may make it more stringent, but I think a three month online ban is a good place to start changing habits or at the very least, identifying my shopping triggers.</div>
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Has anyone else done a shopping ban online or full on? Tips?</div>
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Random PS - I have to go through every post after I write them and delete my double spaces after sentences. Please tell me this isn't still taught in schools because it's a habit I'm never going to shake.</div>
Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187151242970223764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48772003452748741.post-91025554342922996462018-01-02T16:49:00.000-06:002018-01-02T22:13:26.641-06:002018 Goals<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Last year was a decent reading year for me, but as always I feel there are a few things I could do to make it better. These all seem doable, but would have significant impact.</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Read Books I Own</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I know a lot of reader identify with this one. My Owned and Unread Bookshelf is approaching the 3 year mark (how long it would take me to read them all if I read nothing else). I have cut back on book purchases over the last few years and become a much better library user, but I haven’t cut out all book buying. Since library books have a due date and I always have library books around, my owned books keep getting pushed back. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This year I’m going to make it a priority to read books I own. If I don’t like them at 25% - DNF and donate!</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Quit Buying Books!</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Between Kindle sales, BookOutlet and thrift stores, I still accumulate a fair number of new books annually because I have a hard time passing up a deal on a book I have on my (very long) TBR list. I think I’m going to cap my Kindle sale books at one a month MAX and just stay off BookOutlet and out of thrift stores.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Read (at least attempt) longer/harder books</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I read <u><i>Gone With the Wind</i></u> at twelve. I read <u><i>The Power of One</i></u> and <i><u>Tandia</u></i> in high school and loved them all. If I look though books I’ve read, even 4-5 years ago I was reading a few chunksters annually and they are books I thoroughly enjoyed and am glad I read: <i><u>The Stand</u></i> and <i><u>11/22/63</u></i>, <i><u>Poisonwood Bible</u></i>, and <i><u>The Passage</u></i> to name a few. But in the last two or three years, the only times I’ve finished a book over 500 pages were later books in YA series. This goal ties in with my first one because I do own quite a few longer books that I just never seem to get to. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My top three priorities (subject to change): </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2199.Team_of_Rivals">Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln</a> by Doris Kearns Goodwin </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/546018.Roots">Roots: the Saga of an American Family</a> by Alex Haley </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/256008.Lonesome_Dove">Lonesome Dove</a> by Larry McMurtry </span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Find new ways to use Audiobooks</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I went through a ton of audiobooks when I was traveling for work 2014-2016, but now that my commute is down to 20-30 mins (45 on a bad traffic day) I’ve inadvertently cut back on audiobooks and I miss them. My commute is just so short that I feel like I can’t “get into” a book before the ride is over and I don’t always start them up again. I’ve tried listening when cleaning and that doesn’t work for me. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Other possibilities:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">During exercise – works for walking outside, but not anything on a machine indoors. Not enough of a distraction. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">During other hobbies that don’t engage all of my brain – puzzles, cross-stitch, etc. I’ve had a little success with this. Just need to make it a habit instead of iPad and TV. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Less Mindless Internet browsing/More Reading</b></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I’d like to better use small amounts of downtime to read 5-10 pages instead of always waiting until I have at least an hour of reading time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Read Diversely</b></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I hate that this still takes planning and effort, but if I don’t make it a priority (and many other readers like me) than neither do publishers.</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Less Decision Paralysis</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have a very first world problem in that I have so many book choices sometimes I struggle to pick my next book. This year I'm going to try having a <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7946743?shelf=priority-tbr" target="_blank">Priority TBR</a> of 10-20 books. I'll update it weekly after every library trip so it will only be books I currently have access too, but then when it's time to pick a book I'll only chose from those titles. Maybe it won't work, but I think narrowing my choices in a given moment will help with decision paralysis.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What about you? Any goals you really want to achieve this year? Any tips for me on accomplishing mine?</span>Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187151242970223764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48772003452748741.post-33530362178896515192017-08-15T08:18:00.000-05:002017-10-30T08:44:07.152-05:00What I’ve been reading lately<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Summer has just flown by and as much as I'm ready for some lovely Fall weather, I'm trying to avoid thinking about Winter following close behind. Summer doesn't tend to be a great reading season for me, but all of these are definitely worth a read.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwYelNvDHfhfnyHdXmHRoPUVFIaKhnkGHgeASRRDd_2kusVwiG_k7GD_Ald5fOd9RE7yXErc6PHK8PFHM3W6ocAcju4XrcKLTtGEkUMEymUf847W9M_PHcuQY520Q9QN3_dag-OwRXw/s1600/We+Are+Okay.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Royal We[2]" border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwYelNvDHfhfnyHdXmHRoPUVFIaKhnkGHgeASRRDd_2kusVwiG_k7GD_Ald5fOd9RE7yXErc6PHK8PFHM3W6ocAcju4XrcKLTtGEkUMEymUf847W9M_PHcuQY520Q9QN3_dag-OwRXw/s1600/We+Are+Okay.jpg?imgmax=700" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="We Are Okay" width="128" /></a><br />
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<pre><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 15px;">
Title: We Are Okay
Author: Nina LaCour
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This is a very strong book that didn’t fully connect for me. That may be partly by design. Marin, the MC, is dealing with a heavy dose of grief (and several other emotions that aren’t revealed to the reader until much later in the book). I felt the portrayal of grief was accurate, but it made it hard for me to connect with Marin. This is still a book I would recommend depending on the reader.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWqZvBHqUc0cREPmjlQEk-AHm8pR6b9JUjC1ZwZfdc7DbnjR-uLo1BkALl7d41F2AnhK47Ds22nTr6mKbWqiH3q8qBYyg7SZKLqNheQDH5ioo2CwQwzDjOAix-i2_643iFh_uFi1whQ/s1600/Where%2527d+You+Go+Bernadette.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Dry" border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWqZvBHqUc0cREPmjlQEk-AHm8pR6b9JUjC1ZwZfdc7DbnjR-uLo1BkALl7d41F2AnhK47Ds22nTr6mKbWqiH3q8qBYyg7SZKLqNheQDH5ioo2CwQwzDjOAix-i2_643iFh_uFi1whQ/s1600/Where%2527d+You+Go+Bernadette.jpg?imgmax=700" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="We Are Okay" width="128" /></a><br />
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<pre><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 15px;">
Title: Where'd You Go Bernadette
Author: Maria Semple
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LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! I started this on audio read by Kathleen Wilhoitte (Luke’s sister Liz on Gilmore Girls) and was immediately drawn into the story. It’s part eccentric, suburban mom drama / part disappearance mystery, but mostly it’s funny. I switched from listening to reading about 90 minutes in because I had to finish that day. There was no way I was going to sleep until I knew what happened.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXmGSsMdB6eCDoC5lQlrf0sY03NMLqJzWsnGlrjREBTDvpOER46vR6TMOgc4F1pnMlj5UPdp1MwC9k_Qn2WE24x-qB_McvcMKcBjUQ-y6OjYrEkeRRE3jkX4043SIPgyS4lFi8GU7Ew/s1600/The+Dry.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Dry" border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXmGSsMdB6eCDoC5lQlrf0sY03NMLqJzWsnGlrjREBTDvpOER46vR6TMOgc4F1pnMlj5UPdp1MwC9k_Qn2WE24x-qB_McvcMKcBjUQ-y6OjYrEkeRRE3jkX4043SIPgyS4lFi8GU7Ew/s1600/The+Dry.jpg?imgmax=700" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="We Are Okay" width="128" /></a><br />
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<pre><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 15px;">
Title: The Dry
Author: Jane Harper</span></strong></span></pre>
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Reese Witherspoon acquired the movie rights to this book in October 2016. The book wasn’t released until March 2017. I really enjoyed the book and for what it’s worth think it will make an excellent movie. Excellent mystery, good characters, and probably the strongest sense of place I can remember feeling when reading. The setting felt tangible</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf4_FskfVq8f_F3MwxIJjrzm2C0I_9yx7WPGvsF0KG017Z2q6JWwd_1tGywIpNdmDobl7_8_EKYVseQ0M_RGtkdrGv1m7JfqQK9FZa0huhjxAMz9ajPwj7p6SzMOQYKSTeGS_Nc4zS2w/s1600/Mortal+Heart.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Dry" border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf4_FskfVq8f_F3MwxIJjrzm2C0I_9yx7WPGvsF0KG017Z2q6JWwd_1tGywIpNdmDobl7_8_EKYVseQ0M_RGtkdrGv1m7JfqQK9FZa0huhjxAMz9ajPwj7p6SzMOQYKSTeGS_Nc4zS2w/s1600/Mortal+Heart.jpg?imgmax=700" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="We Are Okay" width="128" /></a><br />
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<pre><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 15px;">
Title: Mortal Heart
Author: Robin LaFevers
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I read Grave Mercy several years ago and really like it, so it’s surprising that it took so long for me to return for Dark Triumph and Mortal Heart. Both of these books held up to my expectations from Grave Mercy. I would say that Grave Mercy and Dark Triumph felt like YA Historical fiction with just a touch of Fantasy Mythology. Mortal Heart was much heavier on the Fantasy Mythology element.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGQh2e-C9M7z38BqkdioIJZB1FniaDRTzghJcmrccAwJysVsmhmMFmosGJeZCrcQeTYJ8p_fUFU-t9U9Ppf3b-6WgUCwDKt0T-Bvvxy9uu8CWuevofcQehiatjFJ_RiUkW6J9q7WCBQ/s1600/American+War.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Dry" border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGQh2e-C9M7z38BqkdioIJZB1FniaDRTzghJcmrccAwJysVsmhmMFmosGJeZCrcQeTYJ8p_fUFU-t9U9Ppf3b-6WgUCwDKt0T-Bvvxy9uu8CWuevofcQehiatjFJ_RiUkW6J9q7WCBQ/s1600/American+War.jpg?imgmax=700" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="We Are Okay" width="128" /></a><br />
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<pre><span style="font-family: "georgia";"><strong><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 15px;">
Title: American War
Author: Omar El Akkao
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Very dark novel set 50-75 years into the future. Global Warming caused the oceans to rise and the fallout resulted in a second US civil war. This book mostly follows Sarat Chestnut as her family is displaced by conflict to a refugee camp. As dark as this novel and concept are, the tone wasn't grim and it didn't overuse foreshadowing. The author doesn't care if you know the end - what's important is the journey and I found it interesting and thought provoking.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">What have you been reading lately? Answer in comments or if you have a blog post you can link up at <a href="http://modernmrsdarcy.com/quick-lit-august-2017/" target="_blank">Modern Mrs Darcy</a>.</span></div>
Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187151242970223764noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48772003452748741.post-32942180948719213312017-08-10T07:00:00.000-05:002017-08-10T07:00:13.578-05:00Clever Title About Closets Here<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As I mentioned before, I live with my mom now. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the awesome things about the house Mom
bought is that all the bedrooms are good sized.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m not in the master and my room is 12 ft by 17 ft.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The bad news is that it does not have a walk
in closet.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m not saying the wall
closet isn’t a good size, but about 2 feet of it is behind the wall and not
very useable.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Also, can we all agree that bifold doors are a non-functional eyesore?</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65SYd9NRUD_Us_QJ284141k53Y9BG8fw2EHlZbZGli-PaOR8sIBOdtYUNAXIq99x49XakDOY6J4tuxfXHIHUpvsyrVWMiva-PvaaKDAcztHhO-r7HL-RnBXlwlTUUCaUDsuPQNVv1Iw/s1600/DSC_0402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1060" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65SYd9NRUD_Us_QJ284141k53Y9BG8fw2EHlZbZGli-PaOR8sIBOdtYUNAXIq99x49XakDOY6J4tuxfXHIHUpvsyrVWMiva-PvaaKDAcztHhO-r7HL-RnBXlwlTUUCaUDsuPQNVv1Iw/s400/DSC_0402.JPG" width="263" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The end result is that I only use about 4 ft of my closet. You can see the mess in the area I can't reach. That's where clothes, etc go to die.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZc40mr47cjniVt4FSJ6XnxFNg4d9nvvJh5x4L9lV5RWykc9qFQxmo9md0kU98eNQJuPW9wm1dpB2Y9WWqwttqn9-RkbZsNWQzLuq8ChBtrFiDFVTqDJcrxaBkcK_MEd3xNoqGEHatSQ/s1600/DSC_0398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZc40mr47cjniVt4FSJ6XnxFNg4d9nvvJh5x4L9lV5RWykc9qFQxmo9md0kU98eNQJuPW9wm1dpB2Y9WWqwttqn9-RkbZsNWQzLuq8ChBtrFiDFVTqDJcrxaBkcK_MEd3xNoqGEHatSQ/s320/DSC_0398.JPG" width="211" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Due to a reduction in closet space, I now have two dressers
in my room instead of one.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The room is
big enough for them, but it feels like too much wood on that wall with both of
them and I’d love to be able to go back to a single dresser.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPRLKK8Tc90Rk9eqfz3ryJYyFIl0o1VAIuAnyHCfcHyRK_oN4JZH-SvZucaCDb5Z_W0bSaUv69j6KtY5aBpjjgztk1mUZxZ6k2eImXSuuCRGtBMv80txhgGD_yOXkwhecCpy5yBwFMg/s1600/DSC_0425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPRLKK8Tc90Rk9eqfz3ryJYyFIl0o1VAIuAnyHCfcHyRK_oN4JZH-SvZucaCDb5Z_W0bSaUv69j6KtY5aBpjjgztk1mUZxZ6k2eImXSuuCRGtBMv80txhgGD_yOXkwhecCpy5yBwFMg/s320/DSC_0425.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Did anyone notice this lovely panel in the closet
pics?</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That’s right, behind my closet is
ATTIC space!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUJe2pB_QTZFf-nYrIOcavHZ1kaPY7xKxtzaqEnMY7CNk4paSBkYuIUWOHVATBjPbwVyCs-pyLBo2DEOklbn5KR6LTXI5OPYLijnCPwCMZ5rYoBzkUtwCet31Oyg7wQTbC_m2uGUR_OQ/s1600/Closet+attice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="686" data-original-width="1146" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUJe2pB_QTZFf-nYrIOcavHZ1kaPY7xKxtzaqEnMY7CNk4paSBkYuIUWOHVATBjPbwVyCs-pyLBo2DEOklbn5KR6LTXI5OPYLijnCPwCMZ5rYoBzkUtwCet31Oyg7wQTbC_m2uGUR_OQ/s640/Closet+attice.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpt3z1uZyfptsPDGUMbLRZM2lv-aezmc3BupKblemXA1REKebuuO-d_W03cpkTmXWMtCu8-X4KmEzS1SKCElfe1wqiWwoufVZrcpp-rBVtak6dWHSbbtkhRLzopOyIyAhfZsm-T-aMqA/s1600/DSC_0389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now the roof line does start to
slant down right where my closet ends, but I don’t need the whole closet to
have 8 ft ceilings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since my Mom is
planning to hire a contractor to redo one of the bathrooms and the kitchen anyway,
I figure it can’t hurt to ask how much it would cost to expand my closet into
currently unfinished space.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpt3z1uZyfptsPDGUMbLRZM2lv-aezmc3BupKblemXA1REKebuuO-d_W03cpkTmXWMtCu8-X4KmEzS1SKCElfe1wqiWwoufVZrcpp-rBVtak6dWHSbbtkhRLzopOyIyAhfZsm-T-aMqA/s1600/DSC_0389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpt3z1uZyfptsPDGUMbLRZM2lv-aezmc3BupKblemXA1REKebuuO-d_W03cpkTmXWMtCu8-X4KmEzS1SKCElfe1wqiWwoufVZrcpp-rBVtak6dWHSbbtkhRLzopOyIyAhfZsm-T-aMqA/s400/DSC_0389.JPG" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is a picture from the hall (loft?) towards my bedroom. Straight into my room is the closet and you can see how the roofline starts sloping down right where the closet ends. From my rough measurements I believe I can go back at least 4 more feet and have the back wall still be at least 5 ft high.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Quick key to the following floor plan ideas: I have a million minor iterations for layout within the closet once the exterior structure is done, but what is shown in these is just a rough idea. Clothing racks in gray scale are single hung at 5 ft. Clothing racks in color are double hung at 6 ft.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Current Closet floor plan (2 ft by 9 ft - 18 sq ft) </b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ5XsDUU8MZYrREC8Hh2M4Ex4V9538bICX5O3VKAJB9JFY5qnGhiyFc2TN4HP60I-58dB_c_uz8ekvi9gOcmWIIViQkAaUJKdpHH3IL-DJlxgZ2rlmBVvs9ephoWnPcRm1ya3q9JbdPQ/s1600/Closet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="323" data-original-width="785" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ5XsDUU8MZYrREC8Hh2M4Ex4V9538bICX5O3VKAJB9JFY5qnGhiyFc2TN4HP60I-58dB_c_uz8ekvi9gOcmWIIViQkAaUJKdpHH3IL-DJlxgZ2rlmBVvs9ephoWnPcRm1ya3q9JbdPQ/s640/Closet.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Option 1 – The bare minimum (36 sq ft)</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpSH4uTANGeXLg1Yis2RbpqzWB9Lrea_Zy_hShj2n-3XUGuAvpObk1MjPH8MTKE_Rq10yK7RDC5aiVYM8494SOGPJJE15ZKa8IJYUXxf99JhKlXE7PCmshmVgC1K8ZwP02oarqseKxFg/s1600/Bigger+closet+color.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="787" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpSH4uTANGeXLg1Yis2RbpqzWB9Lrea_Zy_hShj2n-3XUGuAvpObk1MjPH8MTKE_Rq10yK7RDC5aiVYM8494SOGPJJE15ZKa8IJYUXxf99JhKlXE7PCmshmVgC1K8ZwP02oarqseKxFg/s640/Bigger+closet+color.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Move the back wall back 2 ft and leave the existing bifold
doors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would make about two more feet
of hanging space usable and I could add a section of drawers/shelves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There would be no disruption to the wall of
my room and I’d leave the pull light alone. Technically, this doubles the size
of the closet, but in terms of added storage space it doesn’t add that much. It just means it would all be useable.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Option 2 – True Walk in with Pocket Door (72 sq ft)</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zL1iCzlxaS7GOBzMKHN3J4w1c8aWb6_88k0ZLlHpLm2i1bImGDFt1SYh1sjNbuUj17K11R_QBRY90iDDnwgw_J2yeI-wcrJArGoDmZEvXwH9ZhBzdA3XVrRsHRpnS9tQqy5_nPQ3QQ/s1600/Biggest+Closet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="787" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zL1iCzlxaS7GOBzMKHN3J4w1c8aWb6_88k0ZLlHpLm2i1bImGDFt1SYh1sjNbuUj17K11R_QBRY90iDDnwgw_J2yeI-wcrJArGoDmZEvXwH9ZhBzdA3XVrRsHRpnS9tQqy5_nPQ3QQ/s640/Biggest+Closet.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Move the back wall back 4 ft.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take out bifold doors, rebuild
wall with pocket door to save space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
this scenario, the back wall would be 5 ft high.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Allowing for 2 ft for hanging clothes at that
height.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This puts that ceiling height
right in front of the clothes at least six and a half feet which is plenty for me and
should work for most of the population. In this scenario I would also add the electrical switch and
change out the light fixture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d also
try to add an outlet to either the East or South wall (luckily the room is oriented so top is North - happy coincidence).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Option 3 – Fully maximize available space (84 sq ft)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So I'd been looking at the unused space to the left of the closet thinking, "Man, I want to use that!". I just didn't see myself storing much in a dark corner. Last night I had an epiphany, "Move the door!". Epiphany might not be the right word because I'm not 100% sure that this door position would work with the sloping ceiling. As you can see in the picture below, that section of wall doesn't allow for a pocket door so the door would need to swing into the closet. I *think* a 80 in high by 30 wide door would clear, but it would be super close.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I definitely want to run it by someone who knows things.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBaV_xtSeFhBeWNlnFymmDVK367ObJsT2lFLcNz7BGJHvuh5H-QQVqjhYJmB0Rqq8TgYyiDqst0M_xmop29TzA2E-tVB_wSrzBoRwhXGzgheSHZ0fSJvU3uJeGI0uhpoc7iWC_V-8GGA/s1600/too+big+closet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="476" data-original-width="767" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBaV_xtSeFhBeWNlnFymmDVK367ObJsT2lFLcNz7BGJHvuh5H-QQVqjhYJmB0Rqq8TgYyiDqst0M_xmop29TzA2E-tVB_wSrzBoRwhXGzgheSHZ0fSJvU3uJeGI0uhpoc7iWC_V-8GGA/s640/too+big+closet.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">If I did this option I could store all my clothes/shoes in the closet and still have empty space. I mean 84 sq ft is overkill (it's like half a tiny house), but I feel like if I'm going to do it, I should go all out:) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm sure that it will cost more than I'd like and I wish I was brave/skilled enough to DIY it. But, alas, I haven't even looked behind the panel into the attic to see what's going on back there so I think I'll have to leave this one to the professionals. Has anyone ever finished an attic space with slanted roof lines? Anything I should be prepared for?</span></div>
Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187151242970223764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48772003452748741.post-81004562240299455132017-08-07T11:00:00.002-05:002017-08-07T11:00:31.391-05:00Favorite Books I Read in 2016It's almost August of 2017, but I'm doing a quick catch-up post of the best books I read last year. As I mentioned last week, 2016 wasn't a banner year in books for me, but there were still several winners.<br /><br /><br /> <b>Do you like Celebrity Memoirs? I do.</b><br /><br /> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30253864-talking-as-fast-as-i-can"><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492797634m/30253864.jpg" /></a><br /> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30253864-talking-as-fast-as-i-can">Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between</a><br /> <br /> Lauren Graham's memoir was everything I expected and more. She'd proven to me that should could write with her foray into fiction with <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16071745-someday-someday-maybe?from_search=true">Someday, Someday, Maybe</a>. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30253864-talking-as-fast-as-i-can">Talking as Fast as I Can</a> was a fun insider's view of two of my favorite shows.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29868610-scrappy-little-nobody"><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1469410391m/29868610.jpg" /></a> <br /> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29868610-scrappy-little-nobody">Scrappy Little Nobody</a><br /> So funny and surprisingly insightful. I've now read it three times and every time I finish I go look for more of her movies to watch.<br /> <br /> <b>Have you ever heard of a Space Opera? </b><br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23395680-illuminae"><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1443433956m/23395680.jpg" /></a> <br /> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23395680-illuminae">Illuminae (The Illuminae Files, #1)</a><br /> <br /> I think I've seen movies that would be considered Space Opera's, but it's a sub-genre I wasn't really aware of until I read these two books. These are told in emails, journals, etc during a series of disasters in space in the future. I cannot overstate how much I love these and how bummed I am that <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24909347-obsidio?ac=1&from_search=true">Obsidio</a>, the third and final book, was delayed until March of 2018. <br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29236299-gemina"><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1480097137m/29236299.jpg" /></a> <br /> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29236299-gemina">Gemina (The Illuminae Files, #2)</a><br /> <br /> <b>Do you need a new favorite OTP (one true pair)?</b><br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25883848-the-hating-game"><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1467138679m/25883848.jpg" /></a> <br /> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25883848-the-hating-game">The Hating Game</a><br /> <br /> Far and away the best hate-to-love romance I've ever read. It's believable, adorable and funny. Biggest criticism is a lack of a sense of place. I have no idea what country this takes place in, let alone city. <br /> <br /> <b>Think you don't "get" literary fiction? </b><br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24612118-fates-and-furies"><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1434750235m/24612118.jpg" /></a> <br /> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24612118-fates-and-furies">Fates and Furies</a><br /> <br /> I don't have great luck with literary fiction, but I try to read one a year. I enjoyed this even thought it turns out I didn't "get" most of the references. This stands as a great story even if you aren't up on literary mythology.<br /> <br /> Side note: After reading, I listened to Slate's Book Club Podcast where they discussed this book and found out I understood roughly 3-5% of the subtext. There was a lot going on I wasn't aware of.<br /> <br /> There were other books I liked, but these were the biggest winners.<br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
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</span></span>Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187151242970223764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48772003452748741.post-26431825328734167592017-07-31T08:00:00.000-05:002017-07-31T08:00:08.788-05:00Second Bedroom (aka Mine)Pretty much the only downside of living with my Mom is that it reduces the amount of square footage that is "mine" to decorate. Luckily, we have similar taste so when she renovates the kitchen and bathroom I'm sure I'll get to consult. She also confirmed today that I can include posts about those renovations on the blog as long as she is not in any of the pictures:)<br />
<br />
I am quite possibly the worst at remembering to take "before" pictures. So this post is pretty much a "here is my bedroom mostly done" post. The room is 17" by 12" which is really generous for a second bedroom. My king size bed only looks slightly too big for the room. With one exception, I already had all of the furniture. <br />
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I decided to look for new bedding and decorate the room around that. I ended up falling in love with this comforter when I found it on Zulilly. You can still find it <a href="https://www.wayfair.com/Tracy-Porter-Astrid-Comforter-Set-CS1144-1500-L1221-K~TACY1094.html?refid=GX155677905988-TACY1094&device=c&ptid=265339602855&targetid=pla-265339602855&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4paQquiv1QIVBJNpCh1DEwnnEAQYASABEgLRWPD_BwE" target="_blank">here</a> in Twin or Full/Queen, but I can't find it in King size anymore. I loved that it was a pattern, but sort of a "loose" pattern. I also liked the large scale. After finding the bedding I originally thought I would go with a light blue/teal on the walls, but decided I needed some contrast. What can I say, I'm a color addict. On my Mom's suggestion I went with blush (<a href="https://www.thecut.com/2016/07/non-pink-pink-color-trend-fashion-design.html">Millennial Pink</a>). Official color - Valspar <a href="http://m.valsparpaint.com/color-detail.php?id=2639&g=1016">Adobe Blush</a>.<br />
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Both of the dressers are Henredon from the 50's that I found on Craigslist several years ago. I'd rather only have one in the room, but I'm feeling a closet space pinch at the moment so both are necessary (and my work uniforms are still in a different bedroom).<br />
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The only new furniture in the room is the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_(chair)">Egg Chair</a>. As much as I would love the <a href="https://hivemodern.com/pages/product1644/fritz-hansen-arne-jacobsen-egg-chair-ottoman?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6rSI8Oav1QIVAgRpCh1wxgpVEAYYAyABEgJ8xPD_BwE">real deal</a>, I just couldn't swing the cost. Plus, I was pretty sure I would find it comfortable, but I couldn't find one locally to sit in and try out and shelling out a lot of money for a chair that might be uncomfortable seemed crazy. I found the lovely teal knockoff (feel free to flay me in the comments) on <a href="https://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Christopher-Knight-Home-Gordon-Velvet-Mid-Century-Swivel-Chair/12983598/product.html">Overstock</a>. Sorry the picture is so dark:(.<br />
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I haven't decided if I'm going to hang the print that is currently on the floor. I had it frame in my last apartment (so at least a decade ago). I still love it, but I'm afraid it's to big for the wall with the chair. Still mulling. <br />
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There's the official introduction to my room. If there are any other pieces you'd like sources for let me know in the comments. Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187151242970223764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48772003452748741.post-29614985821123683682017-07-24T08:00:00.000-05:002017-07-24T08:00:00.293-05:00Quite Possibly the Most Personal Post I'll Ever Write<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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I've been mostly MIA this past year and a half. I made a renewed
commitment to blogging in 2015 and had a great time with it; that year was by
far my best reading year. I finally crossed the three digit read goal
(108!). I read <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13928.Daughter_of_the_Forest?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Daughter of the Forest</a> </b>by Juliet Mariller, and
discovered that I love <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16160797-the-cuckoo-s-calling?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">Cormoran Strike</a> just as much as Harry Potter. I
hit a great groove on audiobooks and re-read/listened to the first three books
in <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11235712-cinder?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank">The Lunar Chronicles</a> by Marissa Meyer in preparation for <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13206900-winter?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank"><b>Winter</b></a>'s release. Rebecca Soler is an amazing narrator who brought something new to the
experience.<br />
<br />
In September of 2015, my Dad underwent an outpatient surgery. Two days
after the surgery he was hospitalized for severe pancreatitis. He died December
29, 2015 after 103 days in the hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was 62.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were many ups
and downs over those three months and while I remember highlights, most of the
medical stuff has become pretty fuzzy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>
As I've mention before my job gets incredibly busy during the Christmas
season. Work and Dad’s hospitalization didn’t leave much time for
blogging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I fully intended to pick up
the blog again in January when things settled down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I even wrote some 2015 wrap-up posts from the
hospital in December; they were easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’d read so many great books in 2015 that I had tons of material.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
I think there were two factors that killed my blogging motivation as I got
into 2016.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First - MAJOR book slump.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t loving anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be fair I wasn’t HATING anything either –
they were all just…fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s hard to
get excited about fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Second, I was
still processing my Dad’s death and I’m a very private person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m never going to publish an in depth post
on those months or how I dealt after the fact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In 2015, I’d started doing more personal posts related to reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2016, I wasn’t ready to post anything
personal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried a few times, but got
stuck after a sentence or two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even
reviews can get personal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How I feel
about a book is intrinsically tied to my life experiences. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first book I read in January of 2016 was <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15507958-me-before-you?from_search=true" target="_blank">Me Before You</a></b> by Jojo Moyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was
no way to write a review of that without being personal.<br />
<br />
The rest of 2016 didn’t get any better from a “free time/head space for
blogging” perspective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
March: My dog, Gizmo, died suddenly at six and a half.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
May: I decided to fix my house up to get it ready to sell in August.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
July: I broke my foot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
August: I got a puppy (Boston McDoodle).<br />
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<br />
<br />
I finally got my house on the market in early October (and sold).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My Mom bought a new house in November and I
moved in with her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The original plan for me
to stay there for a year to save money, but I like living there, she likes
having me and it really makes no sense for us to maintain two separate households
for one person each, when we get along well.<br />
<br />
Hopefully getting this out there will free some headspace for me to write
reviews again.<br />
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
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<![endif]-->Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187151242970223764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48772003452748741.post-38959908892196642342016-09-20T11:00:00.000-05:002016-09-20T11:00:10.918-05:00Top 10 Tuesday - AudiobooksEvery Tuesday the ladies over at<b> </b><a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-size: small;">The Broke and the Bookish</span></b></a><span style="font-size: small;"> host a book related Top 10.</span><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-P3AXSRpkCro/VexwoFayLiI/AAAAAAAAHiM/giptBSFreWg/s1600-h/Top%25252010%252520Tuesday%25255B27%25255D.png"><img alt="Top 10 Tuesday" border="0" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-N41bgE6aaPA/VexwpVn-lsI/AAAAAAAAHXE/xGGh3gV9iuA/Top%25252010%252520Tuesday_thumb%25255B28%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Top 10 Tuesday" width="388" /></a><br />
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When I saw that this week's Top Ten Tuesday was an audiobook freebie I had to drop everything and put together a post. Fair warning, there will be formatting errors. I'm just praying it's readable.<br />
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I started listening to a few audiobook memoirs a few years ago, but I didn't become an audiobook junky until early 2015. I was traveling weekly for work and they were long road trips. I can only listen to about an hour of music before time drags. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL3Fuv0bOma2WCmamRIDh71veQ2mWOtF_bk7mFOifg8iEQFDeGnTwSuoPCRsHWFPQYTw69DvyMnMLKgib5Yzsb38_Pn6gkqnbPMqjDzgzCvgOJrgb7b-kyuJzWLZVlyMorM_Hx4rz7ZQ/s1600/me+talk+pretty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL3Fuv0bOma2WCmamRIDh71veQ2mWOtF_bk7mFOifg8iEQFDeGnTwSuoPCRsHWFPQYTw69DvyMnMLKgib5Yzsb38_Pn6gkqnbPMqjDzgzCvgOJrgb7b-kyuJzWLZVlyMorM_Hx4rz7ZQ/s200/me+talk+pretty.jpg" width="96" /></a><br />
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<strong>My audio listening timeline</strong><br />
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2010 - Listened to my first audiobook on a road trip with my family. It was <strong>Me Talk Pretty One Day</strong> by David Sedaris and we laughed so hard I remember thinking that it was probably dangerous to be driving.<br />
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2013 - Rainbow Rowell raved about the narrators of <strong>Eleanor & Park</strong>. It had been a year since my first read and I decided to give the audio a shot for re-read. Loved it. Rebecca Lowman and Sunil Malhotra were both phenomenal and really added to the experience. After that I read all of Rainbow's books once and then listened to the audio for my re-read. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQkNemCgnxzSBy_YfuZasSW9p_QlubFOy-5Cj054YHfa2xo0bFQ0oJqKd0Hfkh-RvAzqHUMDRtlvoVOkcAgg7bsFn0ssmestBt-H7v3AqbAHDLh1gYFzOb56dmcf1txEBlDdh_KX1tDg/s1600/Serial.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQkNemCgnxzSBy_YfuZasSW9p_QlubFOy-5Cj054YHfa2xo0bFQ0oJqKd0Hfkh-RvAzqHUMDRtlvoVOkcAgg7bsFn0ssmestBt-H7v3AqbAHDLh1gYFzOb56dmcf1txEBlDdh_KX1tDg/s1600/Serial.PNG" /></a>January 2015 - When I started my road travel for work I was still a little gun shy about listening to fiction before first reading the book. I was afraid my mind would wander too often so instead I started the first season of the <a href="https://serialpodcast.org/season-one" target="_blank">Serial Podcast</a> by Sarah Koenig. It was amazing and I don't think I realized it at the time, but it also eased my fears about staying focused.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFZFbKV885cfFnqemhlrUwmLMwXmVPMgnCQasxAUA0oSIXZToVKimik40HP8kJfXu6Hzp8oZExpuvRvje-FLhuiqyTLZn4hyM7qJ4NSfERknCUsrdsNV0y5VXqAISzj9H-IEQbnv89w/s1600/The+Cuckoo%2527s+Calling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFZFbKV885cfFnqemhlrUwmLMwXmVPMgnCQasxAUA0oSIXZToVKimik40HP8kJfXu6Hzp8oZExpuvRvje-FLhuiqyTLZn4hyM7qJ4NSfERknCUsrdsNV0y5VXqAISzj9H-IEQbnv89w/s200/The+Cuckoo%2527s+Calling.jpg" width="96" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaXWxZzsopHf_jZozOMaX7suD0yVX4l3B8nVHDzWsG9fN9f_mqNUj9PDFhQNzKeXxhvlM_3EJzKQD9md7PYXjNVXH1yXZA1VvnkO-W22n2sW8BhWm_pjGDtmyvs-JFiYflsKHgRQitwg/s1600/The+Silkworm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaXWxZzsopHf_jZozOMaX7suD0yVX4l3B8nVHDzWsG9fN9f_mqNUj9PDFhQNzKeXxhvlM_3EJzKQD9md7PYXjNVXH1yXZA1VvnkO-W22n2sW8BhWm_pjGDtmyvs-JFiYflsKHgRQitwg/s200/The+Silkworm.jpg" width="96" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtauxcuZhccRqm9kMHJqmtDLIEvyHLAV2TveqnLh3g9jmRku3d-9rOEX9qmAxyrz2gN3HPgQsQLTHdnDX19LSglgM8cjEBVb2edI_7-PWg5PWz4QGK_GUngUqHnxcoYuO2QclAXbqVCw/s1600/Career+Evil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtauxcuZhccRqm9kMHJqmtDLIEvyHLAV2TveqnLh3g9jmRku3d-9rOEX9qmAxyrz2gN3HPgQsQLTHdnDX19LSglgM8cjEBVb2edI_7-PWg5PWz4QGK_GUngUqHnxcoYuO2QclAXbqVCw/s200/Career+Evil.jpg" width="96" /></a></div>
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I next attempted my first fiction new book listen of <strong>The Cuckoo's Calling</strong> by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling). It's narrated by Robert Glenister and I want that man to read to me all the time.</div>
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From here I just went to town. My strongest recommendations listened to from Feb 2016 til now.</div>
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<strong>The Lunar Chronicles</strong> by Marissa Meyer and read by Rebecca Soler<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDBRmmd1dkmt110LpPeCGvC0aRSMLZEGoq93u7qYHf4zRvhwd9gFaN8numTC_Cg1OtRR7GqP0_iL_jHeM9g-j_LT2kwRvpnzrmBg__D7zT1t6msdELFkD8TdElbD7qUJ-hWIrOUInE4A/s1600/Cinder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: .5em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDBRmmd1dkmt110LpPeCGvC0aRSMLZEGoq93u7qYHf4zRvhwd9gFaN8numTC_Cg1OtRR7GqP0_iL_jHeM9g-j_LT2kwRvpnzrmBg__D7zT1t6msdELFkD8TdElbD7qUJ-hWIrOUInE4A/s200/Cinder.jpg" width="96" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipG6lColSD7MZ6jczBLdQBk7FN7i7neoiNXTPXVLwztZIfG0MOn5e2fza3s_J1k9JWKkVQUeVc1_7S7RTaitLLqTat1RP0Ruhlx4YElha2TXGcvXPUoNYm-_pEGUlfgyuE43ukTaHqag/s1600/Scarlett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: .5em; margin-right: .5em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipG6lColSD7MZ6jczBLdQBk7FN7i7neoiNXTPXVLwztZIfG0MOn5e2fza3s_J1k9JWKkVQUeVc1_7S7RTaitLLqTat1RP0Ruhlx4YElha2TXGcvXPUoNYm-_pEGUlfgyuE43ukTaHqag/s200/Scarlett.jpg" width="96" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM874XQV1Y_DozYS2ciZcOW_giEYbqzS7elJnfdX_576JptnPrzDa2doP-KH5kJ-rKUTwXXbKGJZWY0n3JNx7fKf5mCFNdr6iVq16ARh5b1MDT0RkZ8G_bukRS6Pz9ZWeDYN6veDN8xQ/s1600/Cress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: .5em; margin-right: .5em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM874XQV1Y_DozYS2ciZcOW_giEYbqzS7elJnfdX_576JptnPrzDa2doP-KH5kJ-rKUTwXXbKGJZWY0n3JNx7fKf5mCFNdr6iVq16ARh5b1MDT0RkZ8G_bukRS6Pz9ZWeDYN6veDN8xQ/s200/Cress.jpg" width="96" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjP_4irKdVhWMuAMEDndNAUldecjVpo8FEWBjEY6A53bVrsTpsE2WthdC7-u8qDB_g-BtZNp48r2tit0O99HMd5OsJJiXmA_l-PyQsTnaKZgWxaaQGmyB1DVpnl30KyQu-tB60C0A5Q/s1600/Winter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: .5em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjP_4irKdVhWMuAMEDndNAUldecjVpo8FEWBjEY6A53bVrsTpsE2WthdC7-u8qDB_g-BtZNp48r2tit0O99HMd5OsJJiXmA_l-PyQsTnaKZgWxaaQGmyB1DVpnl30KyQu-tB60C0A5Q/s200/Winter.jpg" width="96" /></a></div>
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Rebecca Soler is truly a remarkable narrator. Each book introduces another main female character and she gives them each a distinct believable voice. Every character in these books is easily distinguished from each other and there are a lot of characters. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-CGbkjWHTTnbDCee8S1g369X6s47mkXWoj3z9kw3bfffcHeKdNSiyR2ZunOUDTZf_XXvlFDteSPMOfRlmUnVxWxwHiQh17ym38IbmbfH7p3H3E-E1UNBPh1mjo2FPoKNXW_mV6A6tPQ/s1600/Jane+Eyre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-CGbkjWHTTnbDCee8S1g369X6s47mkXWoj3z9kw3bfffcHeKdNSiyR2ZunOUDTZf_XXvlFDteSPMOfRlmUnVxWxwHiQh17ym38IbmbfH7p3H3E-E1UNBPh1mjo2FPoKNXW_mV6A6tPQ/s200/Jane+Eyre.jpg" width="96" /></a><strong>Jane Eyre</strong> by Charlotte Bronte and read by Susan Ericksen</div>
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I know there are a lot of audio versions of this book, many read by famous actors, but I really enjoyed this version. Its rare I make it through a classic and I loved this.<br />
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<strong>Yes Please</strong> by Amy Poehler, read by the author</div>
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I still read a lot of celebrity memoirs (because they are generally very entertaining audiobooks), but Amy's stands out as one I didn't want to end. I can't imagine reading this book and not wanting to be her friend.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkGCyXrhm553clqaDGxh2PuDd37P8CL-ZoOezxsscwFEJ92UcKbwlDiPKDnUKJRWrCANze2P8I-95KYxLT-gYpRyaWyVQYC1epLSKTr5p5C7L-1UNbd7vRZL_WOR70C6cx7Exy16erVg/s1600/Illuminae.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkGCyXrhm553clqaDGxh2PuDd37P8CL-ZoOezxsscwFEJ92UcKbwlDiPKDnUKJRWrCANze2P8I-95KYxLT-gYpRyaWyVQYC1epLSKTr5p5C7L-1UNbd7vRZL_WOR70C6cx7Exy16erVg/s200/Illuminae.jpg" width="96" /></a><strong><br />
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<strong>Illumine</strong> by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff read by a full cast</div>
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This is my new standard by audiobooks are measured. This was a performance and I cannot wait for the sequel. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ELO_4SbLzTHGQzbG5GfueNhT8d-mrr8o9xW1-gk-eo_8AbaXX6Gpzj4uyyReEuiqYx1rEMgUXt3we7ZpIEGCaqMYEvPxSbz7vYytdDsPWtEzZVlLO2TzoDheJvngA6kh8d2jNnHSAQ/s1600/wsirn.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ELO_4SbLzTHGQzbG5GfueNhT8d-mrr8o9xW1-gk-eo_8AbaXX6Gpzj4uyyReEuiqYx1rEMgUXt3we7ZpIEGCaqMYEvPxSbz7vYytdDsPWtEzZVlLO2TzoDheJvngA6kh8d2jNnHSAQ/s1600/wsirn.PNG" /></a></div>
Final recommendation - the <a href="http://modernmrsdarcy.com/what-should-i-read-next/" target="_blank">What Should I Read Next</a> podcast from Anne Bogel aka <a href="http://modernmrsdarcy.com/" target="_blank">Modern Mrs. Darcy</a>. It comes out every Tuesday (new episode today!) and I usually drop my current audio book to listen on my way home from work. Only con - my TBR list grows every episode.<br />
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<br />Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187151242970223764noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48772003452748741.post-75628421266211239962016-02-11T08:00:00.000-06:002016-02-11T08:00:01.451-06:00Drowning in Books<p><font size="3">In 2015 I read more books then I ever have before. I set a goal to read 100 books and also made it a goal to buy fewer books and use the library more. Final tally for 2015 was 106 books – I was thrilled. Totally rocked that goal. And for eight months I successfully reduced my book purchases to ten books from January through August.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Then I discovered BookOutlet and the flood gates opened. From Sept through the end of the year I bought 91 books. I obviously didn’t notice that at the time, but it’s so easy to go overboard at BookOutlet. </font></p> <p><font size="3">This year I’m struggling with quite the slump. I read four books in January. Not horrible, but a tiny number for me. I’ve started seven other books and just not picked them up again once I’ve put them down. I’ve started to wonder if I’m dealing with “Decision Fatigue”.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Is everyone familiar with the phrase “Decision Fatigue”? I started reading about it a couple years ago. Basically as you make more and more decisions your brain gets tired and doesn’t think everything through. Numerous studies have shown the affect of decision fatigue on everything from </font><a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-personal-uniform-0531-biz-20150529-story.html" target="_blank"><font size="3">what to wear</font></a><font size="3"> to the </font><a href="http://jamesclear.com/willpower-decision-fatigue" target="_blank"><font size="3">decision of judges</font></a><font size="3"> to how it </font><a href="http://www.citylab.com/work/2013/08/how-poverty-taxes-brain/6716/" target="_blank"><font size="3">disproportionately affects the poor</font></a><font size="3">.</font></p> <p><font size="3">I’m starting to wonder if having too many book options is making it harder for me to choose what to read next AND making it more difficult to commit and focus on a book once I’m reading it. I seriously bought an entire years worth of reading material last year when I probably already had that on my selves. Not to mention ebooks from the library I can borrow with the push of a button. There’s just always another option for reading material and I’m starting to think my brain is refusing to choose.</font></p> <p><font size="3">I think another issue for me is that my go-to genre is Women’s Fiction followed closely by Contemporary YA. These fly off my shelves almost immediately and what’s left are genres I enjoy but don’t gravitate too. There’s also a fair amount of books outside my comfort zone to stretch my reading experience. Once I’ve read my Women’s Fiction and Contemp YA, I spend a lot of time staring at my book asking, “What am I in the mood for?”. All of the books on my shelves sound amazing, but whether I love them or not depends on if I’m in the right mood when I pick them up.</font></p> <p><font size="3">I did break my slump a little this weekend (by reading a ton of Women’s fiction books on Kindle). I’m just trying to come up with a strategy to tackle the analysis paralysis when it comes to choosing my next ‘out of the box’ read.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Anyone else dealing with this? I definitely welcome any ideas to move on.</font></p>Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187151242970223764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48772003452748741.post-69945528868618659102016-01-25T23:00:00.000-06:002016-01-25T23:00:13.704-06:00Top 9 New Years Resolutions<p>Every Tuesday the ladies over at <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/">The Broke and the Bookish</a> host a book related Top 10. <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-acqc9b7n9X8/Vp7hGZmmqZI/AAAAAAAAH0k/wWfsqWviF7s/s1600-h/Top%25252010%252520Tuesday%25255B6%25255D.png"><img title="Top 10 Tuesday" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Top 10 Tuesday" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JHS3h3JUN2I/Vp7hHDRXQcI/AAAAAAAAH0o/0tWhehUC46w/Top%25252010%252520Tuesday_thumb%25255B4%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="504" height="304"></a> <p>This week is a freebie and since I missed Resolutions a few weeks ago I figured I’d go ahead and do it now. <p><strong>Reading Goals</strong></p> <blockquote> <p>1. Complete the BookRiot 2016 Read Harder Challenge</p></blockquote> <blockquote> <p>2. Complete My Big Fat Book Challenge</p></blockquote> <blockquote> <p>3. At least 1 classic (probably Jane Eyre) <p>4. Read more books I already own than books I purchase.</p></blockquote> <p><strong>Blogging Goals</strong> <blockquote> <p>5. Write at least one post a month that is not a meme or review</p></blockquote> <blockquote> <p>6. Comment more on other blogs/be more active on Twitter</p></blockquote> <p><strong>Other Goals</strong> <blockquote> <p>7. Make more of an effort in social situations – I’m an introvert and sometimes I just don’t feel like being social, but last year I felt like I didn’t make ANY effort to be social and I was missing out. I’d like to find a balance.</p></blockquote> <blockquote> <p>8. Learn Audacity</p></blockquote> <blockquote> <p>9. Keep my house picked up</p></blockquote>Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187151242970223764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48772003452748741.post-28615953244771466362016-01-18T23:00:00.000-06:002016-01-18T23:00:08.510-06:00Top Ten (12) Books I've Recently Added To My TBR<font size="3">Every Tuesday the ladies over at<b> </b></font><a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/"><b><font size="3">The Broke and the Bookish</font></b></a><font size="3"> host a book related Top 10.<br></font><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-P3AXSRpkCro/VexwoFayLiI/AAAAAAAAHiM/giptBSFreWg/s1600-h/Top%25252010%252520Tuesday%25255B27%25255D.png"><img title="Top 10 Tuesday" style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Top 10 Tuesday" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-N41bgE6aaPA/VexwpVn-lsI/AAAAAAAAHXE/xGGh3gV9iuA/Top%25252010%252520Tuesday_thumb%25255B28%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="388" height="240"></a> THis week is Top 10 Books I’ve Recently Added to My TBR. I did a first draft of this topic about two weeks ago thinking a book or two might change for the final version. Then this <a href="http://bookriot.com/2016/01/15/175-ya-books-hitting-shelves-january-march-2016/" target="_blank">post</a> showed up on Bookriot. So rather than just my last ten books added to my TBR this is my Top Twelve I’ve added in the last two months. <p> <a style="margin-bottom: 0em; float: left; clear: left; margin-right: 1em" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-m-W9TBWR38I/Vp2sy0AlUBI/AAAAAAAAHxc/zorR5huW3kU/s1600-h/Outrun%252520the%252520Moon%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="9780399175411_OutrunTheMoon_BOM.indd" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="9780399175411_OutrunTheMoon_BOM.indd" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KhC0Ds-ES_c/Vp2szaiF2SI/AAAAAAAAHxg/WPO_ARjmclM/Outrun%252520the%252520Moon_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="160" height="240" ? max="800"></a> </p> <div style="padding-bottom: 2px; padding-top: 2px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #fd7378; margin-right: 20px"><pre><span style="font-family: diplomata"><strong><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: calibri">Title: Outrun the Moon
Author: Stacey Lee
</span></strong></span></pre>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #fd7378; margin-right: 20px"><em>On April 18, an historic earthquake rocks San</em> <em>Francisco, destroying Mercy’s home and school.</em> <em>With martial law in effect, she is forced to wait</em> <em>with her classmates for their families in a</em> <em>temporary park encampment. Mercy can't sit</em> <em>by</em> <em>while they wait for the Army to bring help. Fires</em> <em>might rage, and the city may be in shambles, yet Mercy still has the 'bossy' cheeks that mark her as someone who gets things done. But what can one teenaged girl do to heal so many suffering in her broken city?</em></div>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #fd7378; margin-right: 20px"><strong>I happened to catch part of a documentary about the earthquake of 1906 and immediately searched for any fiction set there. Discovering that Stacey Lee has one coming out this year felt like kismet.</strong></div></div>
<p> <a style="margin-bottom: 0em; float: left; clear: left; margin-right: 1em" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2c-fPisRzls/Vp2sz8YRaoI/AAAAAAAAHxo/0EYlfGNS1Ek/s1600-h/Exit%252520bear%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="Exit bear" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Exit bear" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Y-xR7PFduW8/Vp2s0QVE1TI/AAAAAAAAHxw/FqTIrsONuq0/Exit%252520bear_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="160" height="240" ? max="800"></a> </p>
<div style="padding-bottom: 2px; padding-top: 2px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #fff18b; margin-right: 20px"><pre><span style="font-family: diplomata"><strong><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: calibri">Title: Exit, Pursued by a Bear
Author: E.K. Johnston
</span></strong></span></pre>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #fff18b; margin-right: 20px"><em>In every class, there’s a star cheerleader and pariah</em> <em>pregnant girl. They’re never supposed to be the</em> <em>same person. Hermione struggles to regain the</em> <em>control she’s always had and faces a wrenching</em> <em>decision about how to move on. The assault wasn’t</em> <em>the beginning of Hermione Winter’s story and she’s not going to let it be the end. She won’t be anyone’s cautionary tale.</em></div>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #fff18b; margin-right: 20px"><strong>I’ll admit I’m in on this one for the cover. Obviously, I think the summary sounds intriguing and I’m also curious about the title.</strong></div></div>
<p> <a style="margin-bottom: 0em; float: left; clear: left; margin-right: 1em" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-24I9tqXI5e0/Vp2s0mDl6FI/AAAAAAAAHx4/4jpYym-dT1s/s1600-h/Bitch%252520Planet%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="Bitch Planet" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Bitch Planet" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcAVGRA-Clj4AC14n5Hi30WrRJjiPPMlRYCy6pRn7ypjTHmpmgR8ot5j_6n2QoLjx79KuFPP3l6qOoKRrsrpJ7zmKHCS0qtFugfdBz3kkCD2FUPyS34YY6l-tT2HNMLbkYpPCA-UGfMQ/?imgmax=800" width="160" height="240" ? max="800"></a> </p>
<div style="padding-bottom: 2px; padding-top: 2px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #facc74; margin-right: 20px"><pre><span style="font-family: diplomata"><strong><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: calibri">Title: After You Bitch Planet
Author: Kelly Sue DeConnick, Valentine De Landro
</span></strong></span></pre>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #facc74; margin-right: 20px"><em>In a future just a few years down the road in the</em> <em>wrong direction, a woman's failure to comply with</em> <em>her patriarchal overlords will result in exile to the</em> <em>meanest penal planet in the galaxy. When the</em> <em>newest</em> <em>crop of fresh femmes arrive, can they work</em> <em>together</em> <em>to stay alive or will hidden agendas, crooked guards, and the deadliest sport on (or off!) Earth take them to their maker?</em></div>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #facc74; margin-right: 20px"><strong>This is for the comic book category in this years Read Harder Challenge, but I’m super excited about it.</strong></div></div>
<p> <a style="margin-bottom: 0em; float: left; clear: left; margin-right: 1em" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7ctuDnHBkTH743VvmoXvvcns1Njkl1gQ7BYNl4odsyoyMdPfDTpR7LvMokdQx6Boi0ETy_X5mMZPpANfbnRyyz8hQTCj_akVzzC43PoO7iTswfcxbJ3BWJT49UDl8DNHkLcVNwpKLQ/s1600-h/The%252520Way%252520I%252520used%252520to%252520Be%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="The Way I used to Be" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="The Way I used to Be" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Yn7_8eVm04Q/Vp2s11adGOI/AAAAAAAAHyQ/iKdfdcYlB-Q/The%252520Way%252520I%252520used%252520to%252520Be_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="160" height="240" ? max="800"></a> </p>
<div style="padding-bottom: 2px; padding-top: 2px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #fdf671; margin-right: 20px"><pre><span style="font-family: diplomata"><strong><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: calibri">Title: The Way I Used to Be
Author: Amber Smith
</span></strong></span></pre>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #fdf671; margin-right: 20px"><em>Eden was always good at being good. Starting high</em> <em>school didn’t change who she was. But the night</em> <em>her brother’s best friend rapes her, Eden’s world</em> capsizes.</div>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #fdf671; margin-right: 20px"><em>Told in four parts—freshman, sophomore, junior,</em> and <em>senior year—this provocative debut reveals the deep cuts of trauma. But it also demonstrates one young woman’s strength as she navigates the disappointment and unbearable pains of adolescence, of first love and first heartbreak, of friendships broken and rebuilt, and while learning to embrace a power of survival she never knew she had hidden within her heart.</em></div>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #fdf671; margin-right: 20px"><strong>This is well reviewed and sounds like something that will move me (I probably won’t LIKE it).</strong></div></div>
<p> <a style="margin-bottom: 0em; float: left; clear: left; margin-right: 1em" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2NbmqXZrS4VyYk8oZy_wge42BDmZbz5ZlfNjckdkM6G39GJdZehzelPUnrepBTsWhyphenhyphenZ_4jWYw1BgoT1uLTWH58rJgw51uOG0-2QeJzd5tCgH0VD6HnBT0MwMmGsFaH_jnjeGrSknRw/s1600-h/Firsts%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="Firsts" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Firsts" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbKxcq7n7pORcLx3d3vul8uYwq-qvjzr_3KjUVOMH1RxYhMcF25D8i3KXm6RqTtX1Gf7ZCCBGA53xcWTqO-eCGejJ-0xYwEwyfmB5HohYU2Zur_hcit9rDOr3GHtd-HJ4AflBtpOTC5Q/?imgmax=800" width="160" height="240" ? max="800"></a> </p>
<div style="padding-bottom: 2px; padding-top: 2px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #e0b9fc; margin-right: 20px"><pre><span style="font-family: diplomata"><strong><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: calibri">Title: Firsts
Author: Laurie Elizabeth Flynn
</span></strong></span></pre>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #e0b9fc; margin-right: 20px"><em>Seventeen-year-old Mercedes Ayres has an open</em>-<em>door policy when it comes to her bedroom, but</em> <em>only</em> <em>if the guy fulfills a specific criteria: he has to be a</em> <em>virgin. Mercedes lets the boys get their awkward,</em> <em>fumbling first times over with, and all she asks in</em> <em>return is that they give their girlfriends the</em> <em>perfect</em> <em>first time- the kind Mercedes never had herself.</em></div>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #e0b9fc; margin-right: 20px"><em>When Mercedes’ perfect system falls apart, she has to find a way to salvage her reputation and figure out where her heart really belongs in the process. Funny, smart, and true-to-life, FIRSTS is a one-of-a-kind young adult novel about growing up.</em></div>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #e0b9fc; margin-right: 20px"><strong>This totally depends on execution, but it seems like it has potention to tell the sex-shaming story from a different angle.</strong></div></div>
<p> <a style="margin-bottom: 0em; float: left; clear: left; margin-right: 1em" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-azvAXrhb3RE/Vp2s3wUmKBI/AAAAAAAAHyo/MB-an8pd1pM/s1600-h/The%252520nest%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="The nest" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="The nest" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-I_jvA6RbOJc/Vp2s4I3VNrI/AAAAAAAAHyw/5YhUbyfQNB8/The%252520nest_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="160" height="240" ? max="800"></a> </p>
<div style="padding-bottom: 2px; padding-top: 2px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #ffcc99; margin-right: 20px"><pre><span style="font-family: diplomata"><strong><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: calibri">Title: The Nest
Author: Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney
</span></strong></span></pre>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #ffcc99; margin-right: 20px"><em>Every family has its problems. But even among the</em> <em>most troubled, the Plumb family stands out as</em> <em>spectacularly dysfunctional. Years of simmering</em> <em>tensions finally reach a breaking point on an</em> <em>unseasonably cold afternoon in New York City as</em> <em>Melody, Beatrice, and Jack Plumb gather to confront</em> <em>their charismatic and reckless older brother, Leo, freshly released from rehab. Months earlier, an inebriated Leo got behind the wheel of a car with a nineteen-year-old waitress as his passenger. The ensuing accident has endangered the Plumbs joint trust fund, “The Nest” which they are months away from finally receiving. Meant by their deceased father to be a modest mid-life supplement, the Plumb siblings have watched The Nest’s value soar along with the stock market and have been counting on the money to solve a number of self-inflicted problems.</em></div>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #ffcc99; margin-right: 20px"><strong>Hearing that Amy Poehler recommends this one made it an auto-add for me. Sounds like what I read more of pre-blog and I’m pretty excited about that.</strong></div></div>
<p> <a style="margin-bottom: 0em; float: left; clear: left; margin-right: 1em" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cUEnRp1yn9c/Vp2s442k3jI/AAAAAAAAHy4/cjf6PhiS4kA/s1600-h/Your%252520heart%252520is%252520a%252520muscle%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="Your heart is a muscle" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Your heart is a muscle" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SkSxjc4oaN4/Vp2s5GkIQxI/AAAAAAAAHzA/eq5thMMemco/Your%252520heart%252520is%252520a%252520muscle_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="160" height="240" ? max="800"></a> </p>
<div style="padding-bottom: 2px; padding-top: 2px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #e5684b; margin-right: 20px"><pre><span style="font-family: diplomata"><strong><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: calibri">Title: Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist
Author: Sunil Yapa
</span></strong></span></pre>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #e5684b; margin-right: 20px"><em>The Flamethrowers meets Let the Great World Spin</em> <em>in this debut novel set amid the heated conflict of</em> <em>Seattle's 1999 WTO protests.</em> </div>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #e5684b; margin-right: 20px"><strong>I was drawn to this by the title and simplicity of the cover. I added it to my list because it sounds interesting and it will probably fit the political category for the Read Harder Challenge. </strong></div></div>
<p> <a style="margin-bottom: 0em; float: left; clear: left; margin-right: 1em" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0s7CBVZJZsQ/Vp2s5pXW6dI/AAAAAAAAHzM/zqRM4oUtHcw/s1600-h/station%252520eleven%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="station eleven" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="station eleven" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9lefTpNVRRw/Vp2s6IVnUdI/AAAAAAAAHzQ/j3KxJi0eCTE/station%252520eleven_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="160" height="240" ? max="800"></a> </p>
<div style="padding-bottom: 2px; padding-top: 2px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #c1cd6e; margin-right: 20px"><pre><span style="font-family: diplomata"><strong><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: calibri">Title: Station Eleven
Author: Emily St. John Mandel
</span></strong></span></pre>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #c1cd6e; margin-right: 20px"><em>Spanning decades, moving back and forth in time,</em> <em>and vividly depicting life before and after the</em> <em>pandemic, this suspenseful, elegiac novel is rife</em> <em>with beauty. As Arthur falls in and out of love, as</em> <em>Jeevan watches the newscasters say their final</em> <em>good-byes, and as Kirsten finds herself caught in</em> <em>the</em> crosshairs <em>of the prophet, we see the strange twists of fate that connect them all. A novel of art, memory, and ambition, Station Eleven tells a story about the relationships that sustain us, the ephemeral nature of fame, and the beauty of the world as we know it.</em></div>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #c1cd6e; margin-right: 20px"><strong>Somehow I hadn’t heard of this until my secret santee requested it for Christmas. Once I read the synopisis I had to add it to my list, just waiting for the library.</strong></div></div>
<p> <a style="margin-bottom: 0em; float: left; clear: left; margin-right: 1em" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ma6ieiIfqTQ/Vp2s6kqq1hI/AAAAAAAAHzY/4aZQSGw4hm0/s1600-h/Fates%252520and%252520Furies%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="Fates and Furies" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Fates and Furies" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1lm5kDcEzE0/Vp2s7OvbE5I/AAAAAAAAHzk/kyMJEioO6YE/Fates%252520and%252520Furies_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="160" height="240" ? max="800"></a></p>
<div style="padding-bottom: 2px; padding-top: 2px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #c8e4e8; margin-right: 20px"><pre><span style="font-family: diplomata"><strong><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: calibri">Title: Fates and Furies
Author: Lauren Groff
</span></strong></span></pre>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #c8e4e8; margin-right: 20px"><em>Every story has two sides.</em> <em>Every relationship has</em> <em>two perspectives. And sometimes, it turns out,</em> <em>the</em> <em>key to a great marriage is not its truths but its</em> <em>secrets. At the core of this rich, expansive,</em> <em>layered</em> <em>novel, Lauren Groff presents the story of one such</em> <em>marriage</em> <em>over the course of twenty-four years.</em></div>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #c8e4e8; margin-right: 20px"><em>At age twenty-two, Lotto and Mathilde are tall, glamorous, madly in love, and destined for greatness. A decade later, their marriage is still the envy of their friends, but with an electric thrill we understand that things are even more complicated and remarkable than they have seemed.</em> </div>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #c8e4e8; margin-right: 20px"><strong>After seeing this on lists for awhile I finally decided I should give it a shot.</strong></div></div>
<p> </p>
<p> <a style="margin-bottom: 0em; float: left; clear: left; margin-right: 1em" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-P0pDFRrRBpY/Vp2s7TEqqLI/AAAAAAAAHzo/AWfphRUXwBU/s1600-h/All%252520the%252520birds%252520in%252520the%252520sky%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="All the birds in the sky" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="All the birds in the sky" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dxG6kOz-7Zs/Vp2s75KmedI/AAAAAAAAHzw/Eng9ioHllsU/All%252520the%252520birds%252520in%252520the%252520sky_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="160" height="240" ? max="800"></a></p>
<div style="padding-bottom: 2px; padding-top: 2px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #ffcc99; margin-right: 20px"><pre><span style="font-family: diplomata"><strong><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: calibri">Title: All the Birds in the Sky
Author: Charlie Jane Anders</span></strong></span></pre>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #ffcc99; margin-right: 20px"><em>Childhood friends Patricia Delfine and Laurence</em> <em>Armstead didn't expect to see each other again,</em> <em>after parting ways under mysterious</em> <em>circumstances</em> <em>during high school. After all, the development of</em> <em>magical powers and the invention of a two-second</em> <em>time machine could hardly fail to alarm one's peers</em> <em>and families.</em></div>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #ffcc99; margin-right: 20px"><em>But now they're both adults, living in the hipster mecca San Francisco, and the planet is falling apart around them. Laurence is an engineering genius who's working with a group that aims to avert catastrophic breakdown through technological intervention into the changing global climate. Patricia is a graduate of Eltisley Maze, the hidden academy for the world's magically gifted, and works with a small band of other magicians to secretly repair the world's ever-growing ailments. Little do they realize that something bigger than either of them, something begun years ago in their youth, is determined to bring them together--to either save the world, or plunge it into a new dark ages.</em></div>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #ffcc99; margin-right: 20px"><strong>Magic and apocalypse. Nuff said. Added bonus it fills a hard to fill category in the challenge.</strong></div></div>
<p> <a style="margin-bottom: 0em; float: left; clear: left; margin-right: 1em" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--65u91rEb4w/Vp2s8ehGfPI/AAAAAAAAHz4/ep-1ywDm_nU/s1600-h/Me%252520earl%252520dying%252520girl%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="Me earl dying girl" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Me earl dying girl" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7w7Y4H18jz8/Vp2s9AKhS_I/AAAAAAAAH0A/gZDR5QkIqDQ/Me%252520earl%252520dying%252520girl_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="160" height="240" ? max="800"></a> </p>
<div style="padding-bottom: 2px; padding-top: 2px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #fff46e; margin-right: 20px"><pre><span style="font-family: diplomata"><strong><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: calibri">Title: Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl
Author: Jesse Andrews
</span></strong></span></pre>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #fff46e; margin-right: 20px"><em>Greg Gaines is the last master of high school</em> <em>espionage, able to disappear at will into any social</em> <em>environment. He has only one friend, Earl, and</em> <em>together they spend their time making movies,</em> <em>their own incomprehensible versions of Coppola</em> <em>and</em> <em>Herzog cult classics.</em></div>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #fff46e; margin-right: 20px"><em>Until Greg’s mother forces him to rekindle his childhood friendship with Rachel. Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia—-cue extreme adolescent awkwardness—-but a parental mandate has been issued and must be obeyed. When Rachel stops treatment, Greg and Earl decide the thing to do is to make a film for her, which turns into the Worst Film Ever Made and becomes a turning point in each of their lives.</em></div>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #fff46e; margin-right: 20px"><strong>After <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1456152484?book_show_action=false" target="_blank">Elizabeth</a>’s stellar year of recommending books to me this one definitely makes my list. </strong></div></div>
<p> <a style="margin-bottom: 0em; float: left; clear: left; margin-right: 1em" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HSwrgqAnmfw/Vp2s9mJ-wFI/AAAAAAAAH0I/ffZ-UvfmMCk/s1600-h/After%252520you%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="9780525426592_AfterYou_JKF.indd" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="$After you_thumb[1].jpg" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3Ys-n-P2FAM/Vp2s95ABdaI/AAAAAAAAH0Q/I64Y_5D44tM/After%252520you_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="160" height="240" ? max="800"></a> </p>
<div style="padding-bottom: 2px; padding-top: 2px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #ec3b35; margin-right: 20px"><pre><span style="font-family: diplomata"><strong><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: calibri">Title: After You
Author: Jojo Moyes
</span></strong></span></pre>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #ec3b35; margin-right: 20px"><em>Louisa Clark is no longer just an ordinary girl living</em> <em>an ordinary life. After the transformative six</em> <em>months spent with Will Traynor, she is struggling</em> <em>without him. When an extraordinary accident</em> <em>forces Lou to return home to her family, she</em> <em>can’t</em> <em>help but feel she’s right back where she started.</em> </div>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #ec3b35; margin-right: 20px"><em>Her body heals, but Lou herself knows that she needs to be kick-started back to life. Which is how she ends up in a church basement with the members of the Moving On support group, who share insights, laughter, frustrations, and terrible cookies. They will also lead her to the strong, capable Sam Fielding—the paramedic, whose business is life and death, and the one man who might be able to understand her. Then a figure from Will’s past appears and hijacks all her plans, propelling her into a very different future. . . .</em></div>
<div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #ec3b35; margin-right: 20px"><strong>I finally read <u><em>Me Before You</em></u> a couple weeks ago and it’s been all I can do to wait for a library copy of the sequel and not purchase.</strong></div></div>Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187151242970223764noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48772003452748741.post-80272619062081857622016-01-12T00:00:00.000-06:002016-01-12T00:00:06.625-06:00Top Ten 2015 Releases I Meant To Get To But Didn't<p><font size="3">Every Tuesday the ladies over at<b> </b></font><a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/"><b><font size="3">The Broke and the Bookish</font></b></a><font size="3"> host a book related Top 10.<br></font><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-P3AXSRpkCro/VexwoFayLiI/AAAAAAAAHiM/giptBSFreWg/s1600-h/Top%25252010%252520Tuesday%25255B27%25255D.png"><img title="Top 10 Tuesday" style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Top 10 Tuesday" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-N41bgE6aaPA/VexwpVn-lsI/AAAAAAAAHXE/xGGh3gV9iuA/Top%25252010%252520Tuesday_thumb%25255B28%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="388" height="240"></a> <p><font size="3">2015 was an amazing reading year for me. I hit triple digits in books read for the first time every and so many of them were just stellar. I got in a good mix of debuts and established authors. Plus I felt like I stayed fairly up to date on what was new. Unfortunately, I want to read ALL. THE. BOOKS. and there just isn’t enough time. Here are the Top Ten 2015 Releases I just couldn’t squeeze in (this list could have been much longer).</font></p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-buD_5LSJWxo/VpR0jZL1OiI/AAAAAAAAHus/afY3UyybFv0/s1600-h/The%252520Hunted%25255B63%25255D.jpg"><font size="3"><img title="The Hunted" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 102px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="The Hunted" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDi7hpYYfE7viHJhL1gnoBApCw0iKKzcHUY6GkEWfd6y-VbKnKQez-Ntu7Iu-Yx67m41yJEoqU-u47-5PYNlmdFN_dsw_G61ifNZKRXL6oVuxaj8N8NiKQTckR4q5-DVA2H97VC1Tjyw/?imgmax=800" width="124" align="left" height="184"></font></a></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>10) </strong></font><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21529626-the-hunted" target="_blank"><font size="3"><strong>The Hunted</strong></font></a><font size="3"> by Matt de la Pena – I loved <strong>The Living</strong> and can’t wait to find out what happens next…but evidently I can wait. I was just never quite in the mood for it when I had it checked out from the library.</font></p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-157PJFvI2mE/VpR0kT2nk_I/AAAAAAAAHu4/FI2UetmOGw0/s1600-h/Precious%252520Ones%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font size="3"><img title="Precious Ones" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 102px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Precious Ones" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_pZcuWUX3-8/VpR0khDafCI/AAAAAAAAHvA/ov_nCJY1zDo/Precious%252520Ones_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="124" align="left" height="184"></font></a></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>9) </strong></font><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23215482-the-precious-one" target="_blank"><font size="3"><strong>The Precious One</strong></font></a><font size="3"> by Marisa de los Santos – I adore her writing. It’s gorgeous, but this is another library book I just didn’t get to while it was checked out. Soon.</font></p> <p><font size="3"><font size="4"><font size="5"></font> </p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p></font></font> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPnvI7zovzOBPA5mjHUPVCN8XgPNbAxcc6i3bZWemFKYtaKfSQ2TXMrkzIDhKQtIWyJA6iISLd3COmeDUVPpwRYrlXdPYuzyBd8RrgKjuaUYYRRiWSA5_CHAB6eMt9OBSHT5EfYXnAA/s1600-h/Under%252520painted%252520sky%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font size="3"><img title="Under painted sky" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 102px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Under painted sky" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfRtjlq-F1FeyvOSbcG_aGmRsVnZdUoFzZ4WNs1bE_m5JSuQVRly4cKIVJ5qRKA_TNU7Gl_xZpi67C8Pj66tm8ZilA1InA-Kj603raKp6LsZTQZbpIV9jo_CTf5pdGNhndPOybRGoAQ/?imgmax=800" width="124" align="left" height="184"></font></a></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>8) </strong></font><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22501055-under-a-painted-sky" target="_blank"><font size="3"><strong>Under a Painted Sky</strong></font></a><font size="3"> by Stacey Lee – Love the cover and all the bloggers I follow who’ve read it highly recommend it. I had it checked out from the library last year, but I have a tendency to end up with 20-30 books check out at once. Too many choices can actually make it really hard to pick up a book.</font></p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-G7P5RQAFFec/VpR0m9uTZ3I/AAAAAAAAHvY/bAYLbDSRtbs/s1600-h/A%252520madness%252520so%252520discreet%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><font size="3"><img title="A madness so discreet" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 102px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="A madness so discreet" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdzDKtOmi0sHGmSHgBTk5m7PCR1AnHdrSVE4RNFbzCZMZ0QEjqC6zzIMunnqR0HUIPvoCF8p69_7Vtm2C_Io9V-WEXGohuazxSSgwFc6uT27xz8KBYU5At845OvHqGdUlcMKEqF9Uig/?imgmax=800" width="123" align="left" height="184"></font></a></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>7) </strong></font><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24376529-a-madness-so-discreet" target="_blank"><font size="3"><strong>A Madness so Discreet</strong></font></a><font size="3"> by Mindy McGinnis – The book cover is amazing and the premised sounds fascinating.</font></p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhozkhNxxpexQRJtPhrHYGqX7ncwiPiwv9fm5EWEiion5V1SFt9G7ogd5q4AkUaae2byqhvJ-eH93wocyiU17rsAXFdSoGtTeFnKzLrid0AE-jEGtFdkjw2h90xXP7fDAiyXyMQKL-CBQ/s1600-h/P.S.%252520I%252520Still%252520Love%252520You%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font size="3"><strong><img title="P.S. I Still Love You" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 102px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="P.S. I Still Love You" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IYOXTPh3yjY/VpR0oXCBVgI/AAAAAAAAHv0/Wa8OT9ry-vw/P.S.%252520I%252520Still%252520Love%252520You_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="124" align="left" height="184"></strong></font></a><font size="3"><strong>6) </strong></font><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20698530-p-s-i-still-love-you" target="_blank"><font size="3"><strong>P.S. I Still Love You</strong></font></a><font size="3"> by Jenny Han – If this had been out when I finished <strong>To All the Boys I Loved Before</strong> in December 2014 I’d have read it immediately. Still bought it on release day, but just haven’t gotten to it yet.</font></p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3JCrONWOzQs/VpR0sr5YzqI/AAAAAAAAHv8/6HMOOC1AyQE/s1600-h/Saturn%252520Run%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><font size="3"><strong><img title="Saturn Run" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 102px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Saturn Run" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkj9cMdHfup-QtwsMhCYMYC-4XHr_4XYwgGFDRGBc_m-DQeASvf5IbUwRae8XNVXO1yAH0eZ35CH-tb797K6TLKD1zrXSAgV8OntZlIGUnoVkJdiTlEp45G33WdEG-2R_Np2ECtALDrg/?imgmax=800" width="123" align="left" height="184"></strong></font></a><font size="3"><strong>5) </strong></font><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24611668-saturn-run" target="_blank"><font size="3"><strong>Saturn Run</strong></font></a><font size="3"> by John Sandford – I read ALL Sandford novels on release day. Seriously, HOW have I not read this yet?</font></p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NLlQIfPkh2o/VpR0tpMoZJI/AAAAAAAAHwI/yseGUrHmJIU/s1600-h/Accidental%252520Saints%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><font size="3"><strong><img title="Accidental Saints" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 102px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Accidental Saints" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ8PGV8tvYh6cvKPZZ5mjzrWGUNScCA31VSVs7ihcWia9BShXYoaQDT3QkjZ2x0ZYYE8tLePCLjPhh2carCbUZNZkT5IGmATBfYZBXvcxb32nItnpiJc6rtXigY0EI86yYAoKOddBdiQ/?imgmax=800" width="124" align="left" height="184"></strong></font></a><font size="3"><strong>4)</strong> </font><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25549287-accidental-saints" target="_blank"><strong><font size="3">Accidental Saints: Finding God in All the Wrong People</font></strong></a><font size="3"> by Nadia Bolz-Weber – I think this was another victim of “too many choices”. It came out in October – so many books I wanted to read came out that month and I struggled to choose.</font></p> <p><font size="5"> </font></p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vCS2etF2sDw/VpR0uiP7XCI/AAAAAAAAHwY/HzBRMqhNcrU/s1600-h/Mr%252520Kiss%252520and%252520Tell%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><font size="3"><img title="Mr Kiss and Tell" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 102px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Mr Kiss and Tell" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--OtXbvWFIEg/VpR0vHuup0I/AAAAAAAAHwg/P_pTCSHfQVo/Mr%252520Kiss%252520and%252520Tell_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="121" align="left" height="184"></font></a><font size="3"><strong>3)</strong> </font><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21437200-mr-kiss-and-tell" target="_blank"><strong><font size="3">Mr. Kiss and Tell</font></strong></a><font size="3"> by Rob Thomas – I think I’ve waited on this because I was disappointed Kristen Bell didn’t narrate the audio book like she did for the first one. But I got it from my Secret Santa this year so I should read it soon<img class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-smile" style="border-top-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-left-style: none" alt="Smile" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z1bprtUp5Ng/VpR0vn0rYQI/AAAAAAAAHwo/SygcgqVKBQA/wlEmoticon-smile%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800"></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font><font size="5"> </font></p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TtEe1YWYF94/VpR0wGfwjDI/AAAAAAAAHww/0uN5gCtzX5k/s1600-h/Tonight%252520the%252520streets%252520are%252520outs%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font size="3"><img title="Tonight the streets are outs" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 102px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Tonight the streets are outs" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vTzi6nFP-NQ/VpR0wc7VJQI/AAAAAAAAHw4/Pv-5fYuncjA/Tonight%252520the%252520streets%252520are%252520outs_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="124" align="left" height="184"></font></a><font size="3"><strong>2)</strong> </font><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23310761-tonight-the-streets-are-ours" target="_blank"><strong><font size="3">Tonight the Streets are Ours</font></strong></a><font size="3"> by Leila Sales – October curse strikes again. I’ve reread <strong>This Song Will Save Your Life</strong> at least three times and am totally excited to read this book…just haven’t yet. </font></p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2yhQ4A95BGA/VpR0xKmo5kI/AAAAAAAAHxA/3iVAoEnxS0o/s1600-h/Queen%252520of%252520Shadows%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font size="3"><img title="Queen of Shadows" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 102px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Queen of Shadows" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9DFxhH66Bfjsji_54F59tTnxe8WGEKbDEB-i_FfUyn3UNMbRxzyPFtYbo-_cx1rVp-pDVz4UzS_x0FAmBTzpwCxLL5tSpWp4i-x1w-MnP1y9o4UO9Jh0bV8CshYVsMOE-thjeBiVWqw/?imgmax=800" width="124" align="left" height="184"></font></a><font size="3"><strong>1)</strong> </font><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18006496-queen-of-shadows" target="_blank"><strong><font size="3">Queen of Shadows</font></strong></a><font size="3"> by Sarah J Maas – Yep that’s right, I haven’t read it yet. My only excuse is that it’s a long one and I work for UPS. November-December are crazy for me.</font></p>Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187151242970223764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48772003452748741.post-57749722272553457182016-01-07T13:00:00.001-06:002016-01-09T13:22:56.074-06:002015 End of Year Survey<p>Once again it's time for Jamie's <a href="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/2015/12/6th-annual-end-of-year-survey-2015-edition.html">annual survey</a>. I love filling these out - I always learn something about my own reading habits. <p><a href="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/reading-stats-2015-1024x278.jpg"><img alt="reading-stats-2015-1024x278" src="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/reading-stats-2015-1024x278-1024x278.jpg" width="600" height="163"></a> <h5><font size="3"><font style="font-weight: normal"><font style="font-weight: bold">Number Of Books You Read:</font> 110</font><br><font style="font-weight: normal"><font style="font-weight: bold">Number of Re-Reads:</font> 8 - I only officially counted the books that I reread in a different format in this case all books I listened to on audio for the first time.</font></font></h5> <h5><font size="3"><font style="font-weight: normal">I do a ton of re-reading, but it’s too hard to keep track of. I frequently return to my favorite parts of books, but I don’t always read again from start to finish.</font></font></h5> <h5><font size="3"><font style="font-weight: normal"><font style="font-weight: bold">Genre You Read The Most From:</font> Contemporary Romance</font></font></h5> <p><a href="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/best-YA-books-2014.jpg"><font size="3"><img alt="best-YA-books-2014" src="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/best-YA-books-2014-1024x278.jpg" width="600" height="163"></font></a><font size="3"> </font> <h5><font size="3">1. Best Book You Read In 2015?</font></h5> <p><font color="#000000" size="3"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2yZ5oUubTDtr1BQas7xwIoh9D1pNHnLI3e_fw7w3V23BIGn8Mouki1qxRAt-6VRLfB3w1Yh1t988-43EVmGH4zfH4_rp_28p6omcEjOMGn7bbWeStEV76pGLJGWfBAdGbdwBV2ZZlg/s1600-h/winter10.jpg"><img title="winter" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="winter" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_MFc-Rq0UlM/Vo3X9V_uxAI/AAAAAAAAHqQ/DLAgpCdh2Bk/winter_thumb7.jpg?imgmax=800" width="120" align="left" height="180"></a>Young Adult Fiction – <strong>Winter</strong> by Marissa Meyer </font></p> <p><font color="#000000" size="3"></font> </p> <p><font color="#000000" size="3"> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cZ6LthF67bU/Vo3X9-uruZI/AAAAAAAAHqY/_SgVaCdgLds/s1600-h/Career-of-Evil5.jpg"><img title="Career of Evil" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 5px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Career of Evil" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FKbIe2fiklw/Vo3X-nl_izI/AAAAAAAAHqg/bd9ZWSH41FI/Career-of-Evil_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="120" align="right" height="180"></a></font></p> <p><font color="#000000" size="3"></font> <p><font color="#000000" size="3"></font> <p align="right"><font color="#000000" size="3">Adult Fiction - <strong>Career of Evil</strong> by Robert Galbraith </font> <p><font size="3"><font color="#000000"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lqQ1GlwTu2E/Vo3X-5xcsWI/AAAAAAAAHqo/kY_uXlD9JVk/s1600-h/Come-as-you-are4.jpg"><img title="Come as you are" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Come as you are" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ju8lwisKc74/Vo3X_XKAb_I/AAAAAAAAHqw/pAn0-0uVNUg/Come-as-you-are_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="120" align="left" height="180"></a></font></font></p> <p><font size="3"><font color="#000000"></font></font> </p> <p><font size="3"><font color="#000000"></font></font> </p> <p><font size="3"><font color="#000000">Nonfiction - <strong>Come as You Are</strong> by Emily Nagoski</font> </font></p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <h5><font size="3">2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?</font></h5> <p><font color="#0000ff" size="3"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3ga5--ufRbc/Vo3X_3p87kI/AAAAAAAAHq4/pkoZsstEzcQ/s1600-h/An-Ember-in-the-Ashes5.jpg"><img title="An Ember in the Ashes" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="An Ember in the Ashes" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1R0x4SvobRKo_XKhj_cbudoIk2Af0mLRzU-6c40on-bwGB12i0D6wupvVHGP02ffV8MkKRlOK-4tbsIM5Ee9dtJo8yv4EHTnqDPJWOOQBMzttvKbDXygjufjPy06mVccb9ooT8lGZA/?imgmax=800" width="120" align="left" height="180"></a></font></p> <p><font color="#0000ff" size="3"></font> </p> <p><font color="#0000ff" size="3"><font color="#000000"><strong>An Ember in the Ashes</strong> by Sabaa Tahir– This was just REALLY heavy so while the story was good I just didn’t love it. I’m still planning to read the sequel.</font></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p> </p> <h5><font size="3">3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read? </font></h5> <p><font color="#000000" size="3"><strong><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-sasrjFq0Alk/Vo3YBYCaVRI/AAAAAAAAHrI/y5BrSfoQp9Y/s1600-h/The-Royal-We4.jpg"><img title="The Royal We" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 6px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="The Royal We" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Xr2X69tX640/Vo3YB7vWVmI/AAAAAAAAHrU/LMRcRRdWYnA/The-Royal-We_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="119" align="left" height="180"></a></strong></font></p> <p><font color="#000000" size="3"><strong></strong></font> </p> <p><font color="#000000" size="3"><strong>The Royal We</strong> by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan. I was really expecting this to be cheesy, but there was a lot of depth to the story.</font></p> <p><font color="#000000" size="3"></font> </p> <p> </p> <p><font color="#000000" size="3"></font> </p> <p><font size="3"><font style="font-weight: normal"><strong>4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?</strong></font></font></p> <h5 align="center"><font size="3"><font style="font-weight: normal" color="#000000"><font style="font-weight: bold">The Lunar Chronicles</font> by Marissa Meyer</font></font></h5> <p align="center"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mpi-dt_U9XQ/Vo3YCc5KBjI/AAAAAAAAHrY/qpW5f59AD7k/s1600-h/cinder5.jpg"><img title="cinder" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="cinder" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3EoceyMFMxI/Vo3YCwefRrI/AAAAAAAAHrk/3redJY05vK8/cinder_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="120" height="180"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBYk-nHvFgGcM2T0CEOfXpndg9MbYUQbPJ-i3_qA6IX8VNAfW2vsu895VMjPjmfcQl7643Dv-aEm99gFgjqskMvogU6MlNe0fl9Sg-AtWLcgSA2ok-qqLefGSISE7pHttxH6OQ5e4hkw/s1600-h/Scarlet5.jpg"><img title="Scarlet" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Scarlet" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ua8-0hOs9Xk/Vo3YD73ITzI/AAAAAAAAHrw/2LZKXCT9A_s/Scarlet_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="120" height="180"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zsRawF6kI1g/Vo3YEKmAljI/AAAAAAAAHr4/Jw2vp6LJuP8/s1600-h/cress5.jpg"><img title="cress" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="cress" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-k914vA5V3Yg/Vo3YEvngHHI/AAAAAAAAHsA/bykK_rsO1FM/cress_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="120" height="180"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IXyNpCjvFqo/Vo3YFNcImpI/AAAAAAAAHsI/4AggSmpF670/s1600-h/winter16.jpg"><img title="winter" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="winter" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9eKlnEcwI3Y/Vo3YFjIWiQI/AAAAAAAAHsQ/8j0_s7yTKVU/winter_thumb10.jpg?imgmax=800" width="120" height="180"></a></p> <h5 align="center"><font size="3"><font style="font-weight: normal" color="#000000"><font style="font-weight: bold">When Books Went to War</font> by Molly Guptill Manning</font></font></h5> <p align="center"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-97ZsstRebCQ/Vo3YF_fg3qI/AAAAAAAAHsY/-zqOKqXMc7c/s1600-h/Books-went-to-War11.jpg"><img title="Books went to War" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Books went to War" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dMJfpGhA4Cw/Vo3YGeNeYzI/AAAAAAAAHsk/bf0uHbB_2eY/Books-went-to-War_thumb5.jpg?imgmax=800" width="120" height="180"></a></p><font size="3"> <h5><br></font><font size="3">5a. Best series you started in 2015? <font size="3"><font style="font-weight: normal" color="#000000"><font style="font-weight: bold">Cormoran Strike </font>novels by Robert Galbraith</font></font></font></h5> <h5><font size="3">b. Best Sequel of 2015? Career of Evil <font style="font-weight: normal">also by Robert Galbraith</font></font></h5> <h5><font size="3">c. Best Series Ender of 2015? <font style="font-weight: normal">No surprise here, <font style="font-weight: bold">Winter</font> by Marissa Meyer was the perfect conclusion to <font style="font-weight: bold">The Lunar Chronicles.</font></font></font></h5> <h5><font size="3">6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2015? <font style="font-weight: normal">This is the hardest question for me. I read quite a few freshman novels, but I’m hesitant to add them to favorites until the sophomore book lives up. I’m going with </font><font style="font-weight: normal">Juliette Mariller and honorable mentions to Becky Albertalli and Celeste Ng in anticipation of book 2.</font></font></h5> <p><font size="3"><font style="font-weight: normal"><strong>7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?</strong></font></font></p> <p><font size="3"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-i_Dv69LZGH8/Vo3YGzdAZ2I/AAAAAAAAHso/wLUGhz1E2Ww/s1600-h/Books-went-to-War10.jpg"><img title="Books went to War" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Books went to War" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-E9yvLlQPXWo/Vo3YHRfn6AI/AAAAAAAAHsw/ueQp3LHExe4/Books-went-to-War_thumb4.jpg?imgmax=800" width="120" align="left" height="180"></a></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><font size="3">When I read nonfiction it tends to be somewhat in story form. I rarely read history nonfiction and I LOVED </font><font size="3"><strong>When Books Went to War</strong> by Molly Guptil Manning.</font></p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><font size="3"> </p> <p></font><font size="3"><font style="font-weight: normal"><strong>8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?</strong></font></font></p> <h5><font size="3"><font style="font-weight: normal"><font style="font-weight: bold">Career of Evil </font>by Robert Galbraith and <font style="font-weight: bold">Winter</font> by Marissa Meyer</font></font></h5> <p><font color="#000000" size="3"> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pKzZ12qiMEI/Vo3YH1h518I/AAAAAAAAHs4/wg1ortk_MUo/s1600-h/Career-of-Evil9.jpg"><img title="Career of Evil" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 120px 0px 52px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Career of Evil" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NlUWI84QRvE/Vo3YIOdPFgI/AAAAAAAAHtA/YiWtENUy7ZY/Career-of-Evil_thumb3.jpg?imgmax=800" width="120" height="180"></a></font><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJFNs33ltcDpRgeB4Gtlxeqc5t9eFO4Bfx46a5Hj4v3xA8ZdCg11_DxhRI25Fgobmh6tPRkAeN4Ir8IonrVQH0-DieaRPOCsQ0NTruPYmCaTIFO1kPCd_bbA4UDvctuCXXBRVoyj_hg/s1600-h/winter20.jpg"><img title="winter" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="winter" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-l28DaNkYspU/Vo3YJGg5dLI/AAAAAAAAHtQ/IoNrOjfXFKs/winter_thumb11.jpg?imgmax=800" width="120" height="180"></a></p> <h5><font size="3">9. Book You Read In 2015 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?</font></h5> <h5> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JulZuj5sqyY/Vo3YJp8IaGI/AAAAAAAAHtY/PpEjdtsRFcQ/s1600-h/Happiness-for-Beginners4.jpg"><img title="Happiness for Beginners" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Happiness for Beginners" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_U1gWHyyNpU/Vo3YJ2J4HdI/AAAAAAAAHtk/xLSy6V1at_Q/Happiness-for-Beginners_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="120" align="left" height="180"></a></h5> <h5><font size="3"><font style="font-weight: normal"><font style="font-weight: bold">Happiness for Beginners </font>by Katherine Center - This is SUCH a Brandy book. I love flawed main characters who give me all the feels. Definitely a reread for 2016. Thanks to <a href="https://donttakemybooksaway.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Elizabeth</a> for the recommendation.</font></font></h5> <h5><font size="3"><font style="font-weight: normal"></font></font> </h5> <h5><font size="3"><font style="font-weight: normal"></font></font> </h5> <h5><font size="3"><font style="font-weight: normal">10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2015?</font></font></h5> <p><font size="3"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kYfjoC0IcfM/Vo3YKY02ujI/AAAAAAAAHto/dNpza1hx814/s1600-h/A-court-of-thorns-and-roses5.jpg"><img title="A court of thorns and roses" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="A court of thorns and roses" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-w8yuMyafjAA/Vo3YK7-OgpI/AAAAAAAAHtw/RxBB2bsPKo8/A-court-of-thorns-and-roses_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="120" align="left" height="180"></a></font></p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><font size="3"><strong>A Court of Thorns and Roses</strong> by Sarah J Maas</font></p> <p><font size="3">I also love the <strong>Winter</strong> cover, but it’s already been in this post at least three times.</font></p> <h5><font size="3"><font style="font-weight: normal"></font></font> </h5> <h5><font size="3"><font style="font-weight: normal"></font></font> </h5> <h5><font size="3">11. Most memorable character of 2015?</font></h5> <h5><font size="3"><font style="font-weight: normal">Winter is a crazy memorable character. Catch the double meaning? She’s crazy memorable, but also just a little crazy. </font></font></h5> <h5><font size="3"><font style="font-weight: normal">I also adore Sorcha/Jenny from Daughter of the Forest.</font></font></h5> <h5><font size="3">12. Most beautifully written book read in 2015?<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PAz09ML27Yg/Vo3YLe7PLWI/AAAAAAAAHt8/sy-UgSD0Wu0/s1600-h/Daughter-of-the-forest5.jpg"><img title="Daughter of the forest" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 5px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Daughter of the forest" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6eiQLUSMlWQ/Vo3YL6YnyJI/AAAAAAAAHuA/8PFIdQugFY4/Daughter-of-the-forest_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="120" align="right" height="180"></a></font></h5> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p align="right"><font size="3">I tend to notice the writing in books if it’s super basic or just bad, but beyond that I just read. That said, <strong>Daughter of the Forest</strong> by Juliet Mariller is beautifully written and I NOTICED.</font></p> <h5><font size="3"><font style="font-weight: normal"></font></font> </h5> <h5><font size="3">13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2015?</font></h5> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cNtaKWoPdyg/Vo3YMIz2yeI/AAAAAAAAHuI/qVTtGbzNOKM/s1600-h/Come-as-you-are8.jpg"><img title="Come as you are" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Come as you are" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-I9LJYDMtJnw/Vo3YMiPFMmI/AAAAAAAAHuQ/_WuxGxrJEdk/Come-as-you-are_thumb3.jpg?imgmax=800" width="120" align="left" height="180"></a><font size="3"><font color="#000000"></font></font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong></strong></font> </p> <p><font size="3"><strong>Come as You Are</strong> by Emily Nagoski. I can’t remember the last book that challenged so many things I thought I knew. So imformative and interesting. I just recommended it to a friend of my mom’s. Kinda weird, but cool. Side note: The author narrates the audio book and it’s really good.</font> </p> <p> </p> <h5><font size="3">14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2015 to finally read? </font></h5> <p><font size="3"><strong>Jane Eyre</strong> by Charlotte Bronte. I mean I can totally believe I haven’t read it cause I’m just not a classics person, but since the end result was LOVED IT…Why didn’t I read this years ago?</font></p> <h5><font size="3">15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2015?</font></h5> <h5><font size="3">16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2015?</font></h5> <p><font size="3">Shortest: <strong>Gingerbread</strong> by Rachel Cohn 205 pgs </font> <p><font size="3">Longest: <strong>Winter</strong> by Marissa Meyer 827 pgs </font> <h5><font size="3">17. Book That Shocked You The Most<br></font></h5> <p><font size="3"><strong>The Royal We</strong> by Jessica Morgan and Heather Cocks</font> <h5><font size="3"><strong>18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)<br></strong></font></h5> <p><font size="3">Jane/Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre</font> <p><font size="3">Helen/Jake from Happiness for Beginners</font> <p><font size="3">Sorcha/Red from Daughter of the Forest</font><font size="3"> </font> <h5><font size="3">19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year</font></h5> <p><font size="3">Scarlett/Winter, Cinder/Thorn, Cinder/Iko all from Winter by Marissa Meyer. </font></p> <p><font size="3"><font style="font-weight: normal"><strong>20. Favorite Book You Read in 2015 From An Author You’ve Read Previously</strong></font></font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>Winter</strong> by Marissa Meyer, <strong>A Court of Thorns and Roses</strong> by Sarah J Maas, <strong>The Cuckoo’s Call</strong> by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling)</font></p> <h5><font size="3">21. Best Book You Read In 2015 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure</font></h5> <p><font size="3"><strong>Daughter of the Forest/Jane Eyre</strong></font></p> <p><font size="3">I think these are the two of Elizabeth’s recommendations that she had to PUSH the hardest to get me to read. </font></p> <h5><font size="3">22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2015?</font></h5> <p><font size="3">Jake from <strong>Happiness for Beginners</strong></font></p> <h5><font size="3">23. Best 2015 debut you read?</font></h5> <p><font size="3"><strong>Simon vs the Homosapien’s Agenda</strong> by Becky Albertalli</font></p> <h5><font size="3">24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?</font></h5> <p><font size="3"><strong>Winter</strong> by Marissa Meyer</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>A Court of Thorns and Roses</strong> by Sarah J Maas</font></p> <h5><font size="3">25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?</font></h5> <p><font size="3"><strong>Simon vs the Homosapien’s Agenda</strong> by Becky Albertalli</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>Top Ten Clues You’re Clueless</strong> by Liz Czukas</font></p> <h5><font size="3">26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2015?</font></h5> <p><font size="3">Lots of them. Probaby 60% of them. But “Cried the Most”? <strong>The Royal We</strong>.</font></p> <h5><font size="3">27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?</font></h5> <p><font size="3"><strong>My Heart and Other Black Holes</strong> by Jasmine Warga</font></p> <h5><font size="3">28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?</font></h5> <p><strong>Daughter of the Forest</strong> by Juliet Mariller. It also put everything back together again<img class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-smile" style="border-top-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-left-style: none" alt="Smile" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-u1JaRih4cS4/Vo3YNPw0PZI/AAAAAAAAHuY/1YwYp0Doxaw/wlEmoticon-smile%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800"></p> <h5><font size="3">29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2015?</font></h5> <p><font size="3"><strong>Winter</strong> by Marissa Meyer</font></p> <h5><font size="3">30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?</font></h5> <p><font size="3"><strong>Dating Husbands</strong> by Lindy Zart – I thought the writing was bad. The author did a find and replace every time the main character said fuck and changed it to flip. SUPER distracting.</font></p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/book-blogging.jpg"><font size="3"><img alt="book-blogging" src="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/book-blogging-1024x278.jpg" width="480" height="130"></font></a><font size="3"> </font> <h5><font size="3">1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2015?</font></h5> <p><a href="https://scribblesandwanderlust.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Scribbles & Wanderlust</a></p> <h5><font size="3">2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2015?</font></h5> <p><a href="http://goingforgoldilocks.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-royal-we-by-heather-cocks-and.html" target="_blank">The Royal We</a> by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan – for two reasons – first of all I felt like I was able to clearly articulate my feelings for the books without giving away key details. Also I’d been attempting to get the “picture partially in the color box” HTML effect FOREVER and finally got it. Unfortunately, I hit a blogging rough patch shortly after that so I’m going to have to figure it out again.</p> <h5><font size="3">3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?</font></h5> <p><a href="http://goingforgoldilocks.blogspot.com/2015/05/writing-insecurities.html" target="_blank">Writing Insecurities</a></p> <h5><font size="3">4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?</font></h5> <p>I’m really happy I did the <a href="http://bookriot.com/2014/12/15/book-riot-2015-read-harder-challenge/" target="_blank">BookRiot</a> Read Harder <a href="http://goingforgoldilocks.blogspot.com/p/read-harder-challenge.html" target="_blank">Challenge</a>. </p> <h5><font size="3">5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2015?</font></h5> <p>It was pretty quite this year… probably Rainbow and David’s signing at the Bookworm in Omaha.</p> <h5><font size="3">6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?</font></h5> <p>I’ve had pretty major family issues since September and my blog has been my last priority. That’s really disappointing because I was having a fairly consistent year until then.</p> <h5><font size="3">7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?</font></h5> <h5><font size="3"><a href="http://goingforgoldilocks.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-trouble-with-ratings.html" target="_blank">The Trouble with Ratings</a></font></h5> <p>I was shocked by this one. I figured my most viewed post would be a Top 10 Tuesday.</p> <h5><font size="3">8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?</font></h5> <p>In general my blog did better on traffic this year. I wouldn’t mind a little more comment love in general, but no biggie and no specific posts.</p> <h5><font size="3">9. Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?</font></h5> <p><font size="3"><a href="http://referral.bookoutlet.com/165914784238149632" target="_blank">Book Outlet</a> – this might be the worst actually. I was doing SO much better NOT buying books this year and using the library instead, but I purchased an embarrassing about from Book Outlet starting in September.</font></p> <p><font size="3"><a href="http://bookriot.com/" target="_blank">Bookriot</a> – They have a great mix of bloggers and I get an interesting mix of recommendations across genres. This is where I heard about <strong>Come as You are</strong> by Emily Nagoski.</font></p> <h5><font size="3">10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?</font></h5> <p>I read more than 100 books, but did not complete the Read Harder Challenge.</p> <p><a href="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/looking-ahead-books-2015.jpg"><font size="3"><img alt="looking-ahead-books-2015" src="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/looking-ahead-books-2015-1024x278.jpg" width="480" height="130"></font></a><font size="3"> </font> <h5><font size="3">1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2015 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2016?</font></h5> <p>I don’t have one specific book. My number 1 priority in 2016 is going to be completing my <a href="http://goingforgoldilocks.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-big-fat-book-challenge.html" target="_blank">Big Fat Book Challenge</a>.</p> <h5><font size="3">2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2016 (non-debut)?</font></h5> <p>Is the fourth Cormoran Strike coming out in 2016? </p> <h5><font size="3">3. 2016 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?</font></h5> <h5><font size="3"><font style="font-weight: normal">No idea – I have no idea what’s coming out this year. Suggestions?</font></font></h5> <h5><font size="3">4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2016?</font></h5> <p><font size="3"><strong>City of Mirrors</strong> by Justin Cronin!!!!!!! Finally!!!!</font></p> <h5><font size="3">5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2016?</font></h5> <p>Continue to challenge myself by reading diversely – I’ll be participating in the <a href="http://bookriot.com/2015/12/15/2016-book-riot-read-harder-challenge/" target="_blank">2016 Read Harder Challenge</a>.</p> <h5><font size="3">6. A 2016 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone: <font style="font-weight: normal">NA</font></font></h5>Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187151242970223764noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48772003452748741.post-56176540073451741422016-01-01T13:00:00.000-06:002016-01-01T13:00:12.326-06:00The Big Fat Book Challenge<p><font size="3">My TBR list is overflowing with big books that I REALLY want to read, but fail to make time for in favor of new releases that can be read in a sitting or two. In 2016 I really want to make time for some of the chunkers sitting on my shelves.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Obviously, what counts as a “Big Book” is somewhat arbitrary – not only because you have to set a number of pages that count, plus different editions of books can vary in terms of pages. That said I’m counting anything over 500 pages as a “Big Book” and I’m going to use the number of pages from the first edition printed. </font></p> <p><font size="3">My goal is to read 6000 pages of Big Books. That could be twelve 500 page books or that could be six 1000 page books.</font></p> <p><strong><font size="4">Planned Big, Fat Books</font></strong></p> <p><font size="3">This is my plan with some alternates, but I could end up with completely different final choices if I end up DNFing some (life is too short to waste time on a bad/boring book).</font></p> <p><font size="3">1. <font size="3"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6759.Infinite_Jest" target="_blank"><strong><font color="#000084">Infinite Jest</font></strong></a> by David Foster Wallace (1079 pgs)</font> </font></p> <p><font size="3">2. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/402093.Sh_gun" target="_blank"><font color="#000084"><strong>Shogun</strong></font></a> by James Clavell (808 pgs)</font></p> <p><font size="3">3. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12468.The_Executioner_s_Song" target="_blank"><strong><font color="#000084">The Executioner’s Song</font></strong></a> by Norman Mailer (1056 pgs)</font></p> <p><font size="3">4.<strong><font color="#000084"> </font></strong><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14201.Jonathan_Strange_Mr_Norrell" target="_blank"><strong><font color="#000084">Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell</font></strong></a> by Susanna Clarke (782 pgs)</font></p> <p><font size="3">5. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17333223-the-goldfinch" target="_blank"><strong><font color="#000084">The Goldfinch</font></strong></a> by Donna Tartt (771 pgs)</font></p> <p><font size="3">6.<strong><font color="#000084"> </font></strong><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11127.The_Chronicles_of_Narnia" target="_blank"><strong><font color="#000084">The Chronicles of Narnia</font></strong></a> by C.S. Lewis (767 pgs)</font></p> <p><font size="3">7. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12379094-the-city-of-mirrors" target="_blank"><strong><font color="#000084">The City of Mirrors</font></strong></a> by Justin Cronin (688 pgs)</font></p> <p><font size="3">8. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21484.The_Winds_of_War" target="_blank"><strong><font color="#000084">The Winds of War</font></strong></a> by Herman Wouk (896 pgs)</font></p> <p><font size="3">9. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/246840.Antarctic_Navigation" target="_blank"><strong><font color="#000084">Antarctic Navigation</font></strong></a> by Elizabeth Arthur (798 pgs)</font></p> <p><font size="3">10. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13927.Son_of_the_Shadows" target="_blank"><strong><font color="#000084">Son of Shadows</font></strong></a> by Juliet Marillier (608 pgs)</font></p> <p><font size="3">Alternate Options</font></p> <p><font size="3"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/256008.Lonesome_Dove" target="_blank">Lonesome Dove</a> by Larry McMurtry (843 pgs)</font></p> <p><font size="3"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24189224-city-on-fire" target="_blank">City on Fire</a> by Garth Risk Hallberg (944 pgs)</font></p> <p><font size="3"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227711.I_Know_This_Much_Is_True" target="_blank">I Know this Much is True</a> by Wally Lamb (897 pgs)</font></p> <p><font size="3"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5043.The_Pillars_of_the_Earth" target="_blank">The Pillars of the Earth</a> by Ken Follett (973 pgs)</font></p> <p><font size="3"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52385.Almanac_of_the_Dead" target="_blank">Almanac of the Dead</a> by Leslie Marmon Silko (768 pgs)</font></p> <p><font size="3"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/546018.Roots" target="_blank">Roots</a> by Alex Haley (729 pgs)</font></p> <p><font size="3"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/153008.Kushiel_s_Dart" target="_blank">Kushiel’s Dart</a> by Jacqueline Carey (701 pgs)</font></p> <p><font size="3"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/137808.The_Potato_Factory" target="_blank">The Potato Factory</a> by Bryce Courtenay (739 pgs)</font></p> <p><font size="3"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3591262-cutting-for-stone" target="_blank">Cutting for Stone</a> by Abraham Verghese (560 pgs)</font></p> <p>Anyone else feel like they never tackle the bigger books on their TBRs? I’d love company on this challenge if anyone else wants to join.</p> <p><font size="3"></font></p>Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187151242970223764noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48772003452748741.post-58671306174692355642015-12-31T13:00:00.000-06:002015-12-31T13:00:06.579-06:00Read Harder Challenge–the Results<p><font size="3">This is the first year I’ve done an official challenge (beyond the Goodreads book count). I was drawn to the </font><a href="http://bookriot.com/2014/12/15/book-riot-2015-read-harder-challenge/" target="_blank"><font size="3">Bookriot Read Harder Challenge</font></a><font size="3"> because it had very diverse categories, several that wouldn’t be too hard, and a few that would be a really big stretch for me. Twenty four categories is exactly 2 a month and since my goal for the year was 100 books read that didn’t seem bad at all.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Well 2015 is over and I did not complete all </font><a href="http://goingforgoldilocks.blogspot.com/p/read-harder-challenge.html" target="_blank"><font size="3">24 categories</font></a><font size="3">. I did complete 19 total and four out of the five categories I was most concerned about when the year started. Even though I didn’t finish, I’m so glad I participated and I would never call this a failure because I read so many books outside my comfort zone that I never would have otherwise. I read several books I’d never have heard of without the challenge.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Pre-challenge I’d never even heard of a microhistory, but I read <strong><u>When Books Went to War</u></strong> by Molly Guptill Manning in January and its one of my most recommended books of the year. <u><strong>Jane Eyre</strong></u> has been on my TBR for a long time, but I don’t gravitate towards books written a long time ago. On Elizabeth’s strong recommendation, I finally read it in August to complete the “Book written 150 years ago” and fell in love with Jane and Mr. Rochester. </font></p> <p><font size="3">Even categories I wasn’t concerned about resulted in some great reads. I’d always planned to read <strong><u>The DUFF</u></strong>, but just never felt compelled to pick it up. Since the author wrote it before she was 25 it fit in a category I was struggling with. I went in with average expectations and <strong><u>The DUFF</u></strong> was awesome. There was so much more to this book than I expected going in.</font></p> <p><font size="3">As for the unfinished categories, I attempted at least one book in each of them – I just have very little luck forcing myself to read things I’m not enjoying. I’m keeping those categories in the back of my head to try and complete someday. I’m definitely planning to participate in the </font><a href="http://bookriot.com/2015/12/15/2016-book-riot-read-harder-challenge/" target="_blank"><font size="3">2016 Read Harder Challenge</font></a><font size="3">.</font></p>Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187151242970223764noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48772003452748741.post-75943026322198922742015-10-05T07:00:00.000-05:002015-10-05T07:00:03.044-05:00What am I Missing?<p><font size="3">I’m having a great reading year. Truly read – I’ve read 90 books easily on track for my goal of 100. I’m participating in the </font><a href="http://goingforgoldilocks.blogspot.com/p/read-harder-challenge.html" target="_blank"><font size="3">BookRiot Read Harder Challenge</font></a><font size="3">, and I’ve completed 19/24. I’m not certain I’ll complete the final categories (I’ve attempted at least one book in each), but I’ve definitely stretched my reading comfort zone this year.</font></p> <p><font size="3">I struggled at the midyear point to limit myself to my favorite 10 books read over 6 months. Seriously, I have read some awesome books this year and across so many genres that I have books to recommend to anyone who asks for one. Some years I struggle to come up with 10 books at the end of the year.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Over the past month I’ve been feeling like I was missing something in my reading and yesterday I think I figured out what it was. Every other year I read 1-3 books that grip me to the point that I IMMEDIATELY reread them. I finish the last page and then start over (or read books 2 and 3 and then start the series over). The books that do this for me aren’t always the quote/unquote BEST books, but I emotional invest so completely that I’m not ready to leave them behind. I read the first three books of Twilight through three times in a row before coming up for air (the final books wasn’t out yet). </font></p> <p><font size="3">Here are the books that have been immediate rereads for me since 2011 (when I started tracking my reading).</font></p> <p><strong><font size="5">2011</font></strong></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xiJp6ho92gg/VhHM8Y6LaxI/AAAAAAAAHmU/nu8NSOVAf7E/s1600-h/Attachments%25255B45%25255D.jpg"><img title="Attachments" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Attachments" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fF619Za9SmA/VhHM8hPAUCI/AAAAAAAAHmY/jWEUwt1oxb8/Attachments_thumb%25255B42%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="147" align="left" height="220"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HMR10zoqh4s/VhHM9UANYGI/AAAAAAAAHmk/En2xfjerFy4/s1600-h/Summer%252520pretty%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="Summer pretty" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Summer pretty" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9_CSoDJnTYA/VhHM-A7v-_I/AAAAAAAAHms/Ju5w6vvoxQs/Summer%252520pretty_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="147" height="220"></a><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DlBLtX6xYS8/VhHM-r8Rj5I/AAAAAAAAHm0/1vzpyRSaL1k/s1600-h/Always%252520have%252520summer%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="Always have summer" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Always have summer" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-t8uG1kbYNds/VhHM_eXx0OI/AAAAAAAAHm8/Mhpx5hdggwQ/Always%252520have%252520summer_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="147" height="220"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2MB-J1swkeWF80yocDBoac9xW-ph1f42KKa217FyUNXBiZCFXXL1exIYgCxsIz8J45a9_-eZj3AAVlHuelXT2eRL1vm7XA59YTbhu0XnBUUZ07Kuq828VPAmXd9I_66lUMEk_b-kJhw/s1600-h/Summer%252520without%252520you%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="Summer without you" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Summer without you" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oVJVeMv69iw/VhHNAC9XcFI/AAAAAAAAHnI/inh9Y_fidSk/Summer%252520without%252520you_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="147" height="220"></a></p> <p><strong><font size="5">2012</font></strong></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OC3jkA7hMQs/VhHNApWDVWI/AAAAAAAAHnU/_iz6grCq14g/s1600-h/The%252520Fault%252520in%252520Our%252520Stars%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="The Fault in Our Stars" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 147px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="The Fault in Our Stars" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KE0ultG1UxA/VhHNBRsAAQI/AAAAAAAAHnY/jNoEk3rsU9c/The%252520Fault%252520in%252520Our%252520Stars_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="147" height="220"></a><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-li7wD8vqsYg/VhHNBh6nxzI/AAAAAAAAHnk/41nT182EcEA/s1600-h/Lola%252520and%252520the%252520boy%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="Lola and the boy" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Lola and the boy" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3PmjLjucvQQ/VhHNCflAdkI/AAAAAAAAHno/F08SYke34Tc/Lola%252520and%252520the%252520boy_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="147" height="220"></a></p> <p><strong><font size="5">2013</font></strong></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8juTqMcf1L3fUPEakThAaGswO-wd_xd_rl2cWdUneBfBXJ6LUTfdPg36V6WAG3MrfkArv0fB9rBmgIJiTs1F61uMW2lkq5BlgYiMQMmDwhD_R9_3Q4OwX6shY390AByajDqe0fq1t2Q/s1600-h/this%252520song%252520will%252520save%252520your%252520life%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="this song will save your life" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 73px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="this song will save your life" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJr8E2z-EKcjqaLo_cC8gGa_eQiu9eN5hmRvUWc38yL5EVQlTK9IRL8XcyCgnwJysLJBS1wEzX3EA9yLj_wXaZ-rjYo0dgY_wV0X9mp7oCf43hA5oM7hfxY4utdTScNso1ConkOzolw/?imgmax=800" width="147" height="220"></a><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jUUJ2GRWKsg/VhHND7bp5VI/AAAAAAAAHoA/zbSXMBufn8M/s1600-h/Fangirl%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="Fangirl" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Fangirl" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pcJlYlamWxcEfeB53QPCX0MdYPV40xjTamw8_5d7YsEgR0pEAEziOQ0He4p68ITYq8rzKJwnmH6Q9jGQVWTnq9y3lroNErD2R7UW8RXT6vBsHW1z9JUBk48kI0s7YaIv69AKhU4jxA/?imgmax=800" width="147" height="220"></a><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mrhRujfZzjo/VhHNEzSVpmI/AAAAAAAAHoQ/iVLmAu568JI/s1600-h/Going%252520too%252520far%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="Going too far" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Going too far" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_-8Mw2PIJPc/VhHNFcpLkEI/AAAAAAAAHoY/7g-fJhRHA1U/Going%252520too%252520far_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="147" height="220"></a></p> <p><strong><font size="5">2014</font></strong></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SNEGG3E7r10/VhHNFtMdmjI/AAAAAAAAHog/rsLUl3XMrEQ/s1600-h/unsticky%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="unsticky" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 147px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="unsticky" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Cj-LAzoX1Fc/VhHNGDBnsKI/AAAAAAAAHoo/9sm3kf_LCLs/unsticky_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="147" height="220"></a><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hBYaOJDHsBw/VhHNGrvZShI/AAAAAAAAHo0/ufqyRuZX-9s/s1600-h/stars%252520still%252520shine%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="stars still shine" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="stars still shine" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJUj4reSnqiilHOi0d7dBOjhiea0zIkN33OMc0UxNz8IMVI1mMT9pblO6Jv_xqD34yJ4C28lOZbVBk7nyJj7NrmwEBNzEDRrYvsX13z8gkuu75opOPMzRbk-XyTJnGv0EEJEmAOcG2hw/?imgmax=800" width="147" height="220"></a></p> <p><font size="3">I’ve had a few books come really close to that this year. I read Daughter of the Forest earlier this year and just now reread it. And I read/listened to Jane Eyre about a month ago. I went back and listened to some of the parts I read. But nothing has made me immediately restart the same book in it’s entirety, and I’m missing that feeling.</font></p> <p><font size="3">Any suggestions?</font></p> Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187151242970223764noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48772003452748741.post-15760272943823172752015-09-21T23:00:00.000-05:002015-09-21T23:00:07.516-05:00Top Ten Books on My Fall TBR<span style="font-size: 12 pt;">Every Tuesday the ladies over at<b> </b></span><a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 12 pt;"><b>The Broke and the Bookish</b></span></a><span style="font-size: 12 pt;"> host a book related Top 10. </span> <br />
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</span> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-P3AXSRpkCro/VexwoFayLiI/AAAAAAAAHiA/AmvcKg2_cuE/s1600-h/Top%25252010%252520Tuesday%25255B5%25255D.png"><span style="font-size: 12 pt;"></span></a><span style="font-size: 12 pt;"><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-P3AXSRpkCro/VexwoFayLiI/AAAAAAAAHiM/giptBSFreWg/s1600-h/Top%25252010%252520Tuesday%25255B27%25255D.png"><img alt="Top 10 Tuesday" border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-N41bgE6aaPA/VexwpVn-lsI/AAAAAAAAHXE/xGGh3gV9iuA/Top%25252010%252520Tuesday_thumb%25255B28%25255D.png?imgmax=800" height="240" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Top 10 Tuesday" width="388" /></a></span> <br />
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</span> <span style="font-size: 12 pt;">This week is “Top Ten Books on My Fall TBR”. Ignoring the fact that I only read 4 books from my <a href="http://goingforgoldilocks.blogspot.com/2015/03/top-ten-books-on-my-spring-tbr.html" target="_blank">Spring List</a> and 2 from my <a href="http://goingforgoldilocks.blogspot.com/2015/05/ten-books-i-plan-to-have-in-my-beach.html" target="_blank">Summer list</a>, it’s still fun to make a plan. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-size: 12 pt;">Late Fall is the <a href="http://goingforgoldilocks.blogspot.com/2015/08/seasonal-reading-habits.html" target="_blank">season</a> I enjoy the most fantasy so I’ve stacked my fall plan with a lot of fantasy.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLySU66CmAIPv7wzmuMEjsTlI_ntBK6zp6dIlaPQIVmJnGkxT-SI7myxhBPqzjSQ8HGEV-z4prLdqdOddue7_k8gMojF8pdYZPd2i_rW93oCXXyLkKXWqXHcAgaIsJTNH_CR3RXxLVsw/s1600-h/Carry%252520On%25255B84%25255D.png"><img alt="Carry On" border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ImqRWlFYBpk/Vexwqm6ZLyI/AAAAAAAAHhc/4XBO8GMiCLs/Carry%252520On_thumb%25255B82%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Carry On" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RzYtPEe0uuimPg94ALIuuFtzZoMV89I-wt4yODmRXD53wXR1SJY2uFkNgUHzYw5SrvKd2iDYWTpRKvOBW6EUfN13bjdQOKSgPNamgM-JTzo7-1dZ-SFaMMSDuINXqzCUXZFb0YYO8w/s1600-h/Career%252520of%252520Evil%25255B62%25255D.png"><img alt="Career of Evil" border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DVdy-3FgSs0/VexwsUI68-I/AAAAAAAAHh0/JTWk_DLoFqU/Career%252520of%252520Evil_thumb%25255B61%25255D.png?imgmax=800" height="211" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Career of Evil" width="340" /></a><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nxI_zy7P5DE/VexwtGbETTI/AAAAAAAAHiY/VUT3KX_0m3I/s1600-h/Queen%252520of%252520Shadows%25255B13%25255D.png"><img alt="Queen of Shadows" border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xrLyZyjJJPE/Vexwt10P6PI/AAAAAAAAHik/ZJVgLPIeSPQ/Queen%252520of%252520Shadows_thumb%25255B14%25255D.png?imgmax=800" height="211" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Queen of Shadows" width="340" /></a><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_nHK4ZE2OlQ/VexwuzCzXWI/AAAAAAAAHiw/8kYOOzO2IrM/s1600-h/Ash%252520Bramble%25255B10%25255D.png"><img alt="Ash Bramble" border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mXdxW8JhAdM/Vexwv3VhchI/AAAAAAAAHi8/Xcx4TVt8Eio/Ash%252520Bramble_thumb%25255B8%25255D.png?imgmax=800" height="211" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Ash Bramble" width="340" /></a><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-d3ACPdBNOo8/VexwwnHw-5I/AAAAAAAAHjI/ELi6sJVl0oc/s1600-h/Seige%252520and%252520Storm%25255B14%25255D.png"><img alt="Seige and Storm" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYS8mySB44WtrRtKtk9WqW3q-K7OhER3dM2Df4lGD7Mex-DN9RQTihiphqN3Fvfz_zVlGHYY-ilaHSPLC1ZDsMhCuavUBqR2zweBf8L3PMD5qOY64VhX6AH6gEamAavhdk47CNYer4dQ/?imgmax=800" height="211" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Seige and Storm" width="512" /></a><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Bg8z2Dd3zl0/Vexwx-LFlsI/AAAAAAAAHjg/izTGsMBONFQ/s1600-h/Walk%252520on%252520Earth%25255B11%25255D.png"><img alt="Walk on Earth" border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-i_tu9syIzKA/VexwyT6yhDI/AAAAAAAAHjs/XnLvXrXGrRE/Walk%252520on%252520Earth_thumb%25255B9%25255D.png?imgmax=800" height="211" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Walk on Earth" width="340" /></a><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-91jxnqE7A6w/Vexwy9PEnJI/AAAAAAAAHj4/eY06Wq2_1aE/s1600-h/Winter%25255B6%25255D.png"><img alt="Winter" border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wKI9LkIdTAc/VexwzqSSAYI/AAAAAAAAHkE/H89vVpvfNA4/Winter_thumb%25255B4%25255D.png?imgmax=800" height="211" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Winter" width="340" /></a><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9RroiVmnWdc/Vexw0CHrVmI/AAAAAAAAHkQ/2rU4ROF5ovE/s1600-h/Dark%252520Triumph%25255B8%25255D.png"><img alt="Dark Triumph" border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HD5xPTqt2Gk/Vexw0yj_yLI/AAAAAAAAHkY/NiC32WphW2U/Dark%252520Triumph_thumb%25255B6%25255D.png?imgmax=800" height="211" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Dark Triumph" width="517" /></a><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NXJoq58avBo/Vexw1ckjUSI/AAAAAAAAHko/fPW3e7-1W00/s1600-h/Tonight%252520the%252520Streets%252520are%252520Ours%25255B6%25255D.png"><img alt="Tonight the Streets are Ours" border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Y_On0B9c_RI/Vexw2FfbJ4I/AAAAAAAAHk0/vN_U3eAn-PI/Tonight%252520the%252520Streets%252520are%252520Ours_thumb%25255B4%25255D.png?imgmax=800" height="211" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Tonight the Streets are Ours" width="340" /></a><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Fj-49bB_uMg/Vexw20M_x2I/AAAAAAAAHlA/rOL-JCaKbFs/s1600-h/Saturn%252520Run%25255B6%25255D.png"><img alt="Saturn Run" border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D6XYwsoTJQk/Vexw3kc1-kI/AAAAAAAAHlM/84CbnolheNk/Saturn%252520Run_thumb%25255B4%25255D.png?imgmax=800" height="211" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Saturn Run" width="340" /></a></span><br />
<strong><span style="color: #000084; font-size: medium;">What’s on your list for Fall? Anyone else love to read fantasy this time of year?</span></strong><br />
<br />Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187151242970223764noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48772003452748741.post-21193676515825246332015-09-17T07:00:00.000-05:002015-09-17T07:00:12.474-05:00Top Ten Clues You’re Clueless by Liz Czukas<p><strong><u><font size="3"><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lyzH4rCgpxE/VfYlm8ZmK_I/AAAAAAAAHlg/YS9DpFtKvQ8/s1600-h/Image.jpg"><img title="Top Ten Clues You’re Clueless" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Top Ten Clues You’re Clueless" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Y3W7V4TckVc/VfYlnnE0ASI/AAAAAAAAHlo/VMdhFwYVhjc/Image.jpg?imgmax=800" width="158" align="left" height="240"></a>Very Brief Summary</font></u></strong> <p><font size="3">Chloe drew the short straw to work on Christmas Eve at GoodFoods Market. The presence of her crush, Tyson, is a slight silver lining, but considering she can barely speak coherent sentences to him it’s not enough. All her co-workers are very different so she doesn’t have any friends at work. To add insult to injury, when the charity money the store has been collecting for a month is stolen, Chloe and her co-workers are accused of the crime.</font> <p><strong><u><font size="3">The Good</font></u></strong> <p><font size="3"><strong>Top 10 lists – </strong>Chloe writes top 10 lists for everything – Top 10 things she likes about Tyson, Top 10 Worst Mom Phrases, etc. I’m a sucker for Top 10 lists.</font> <p><font size="3"><strong>Diverse Cast</strong> – The characters are diverse and amazing. Liz Czukas found the perfect way to give each character depth and a backstory in a pretty standard length novel. At the beginning of the book, none of the characters interact much. Several of them dislike each other based on stereotypes and misunderstandings. By the end of the book you can see genuine friendships <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hlem5cO8NJ8/VfYmSIqlNlI/AAAAAAAAHlw/IdA2zFBqPgw/s1600-h/Thermometer%252520liked%252520it%25255B5%25255D.png"><img title="Thermometer liked it" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Thermometer liked it" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OIO8xV81770/VfYmSlwoz8I/AAAAAAAAHl4/45KNLMvjb1E/Thermometer%252520liked%252520it_thumb%25255B7%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="221" align="right" height="480"></a>between Chloe, Tyson, Gabe, Zaina, Micah, and Sammi. Possibly even a romance down the line.</font> <p><font size="3"><strong>Minimal Angst / Not Romance focused – </strong>Chloe isn’t overwrought. She’s self conscious like most teenagers, but doesn’t take it overboard and that makes reading this a pleasant experience. I also loved that while we know right away that Chloe has a crush on Tyson, that relationship is not a focus of the book. She gets to know him just like she gets to know the rest of her coworkers. </font> <p><u><strong><font size="3">The Bad</font></strong></u> <p><font size="3"><strong>Not so Mysterious – </strong>I was fairly certain almost immediately who stole the charity money and absolutely certain by the midpoint of the book. It wasn’t that big of a deal for me, because the mystery wasn’t the focal point of the novel for me. I cared way more about the interaction between Chloe, Tyson, Gabe, Zaina, Micah, and Sammi than the mystery.</font> <p><strong><u><font size="3">The Results</font></u></strong> <p><font size="3">A really fun book that made me immediately add Czukas’ other book to my TBR.</font> I can see myself re-reading this down the line. Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187151242970223764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48772003452748741.post-64730860482207453032015-09-14T23:00:00.000-05:002015-09-14T23:00:04.362-05:00Top Ten Book Cover Trends<p><font size="4">Every Tuesday the ladies over at </font><a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/"><font size="4">The Broke and the Bookish</font></a><font size="4"> host a book related Top 10. </font> <p><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MbCvejOP3rc/VZH0vtPZasI/AAAAAAAAGYc/cJ4Y_8fu8U8/s1600-h/Top-10-tuesday-main_thumb1_thumb_thu%25255B1%25255D%25255B2%25255D.png"><font size="4"><img title="Top-10-tuesday-main_thumb1_thumb_thu[1]" style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Top-10-tuesday-main_thumb1_thumb_thu[1]" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3b4DJDdFYMs/VZH0wYgkacI/AAAAAAAAGYk/PTJ-7n-qKbY/Top-10-tuesday-main_thumb1_thumb_thu%25255B1%25255D_thumb.png?imgmax=800" width="240" height="206"></font></a><font size="4"> </font> <p><font size="4">This week is a Freebie. I was going to do top 10 Book covers, but I couldn’t narrow it down to anything close to 10. So here’s my “Top 10 Book Cover Trends”. See what I did there? </font></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MNU6oY1Cq9U/Vej01SqUcEI/AAAAAAAAHQU/FDXDrNPHcpY/s1600-h/Title-Focused-5-books3.png"><font size="4"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzIx30g4kJCmR0j-UVLaYLJXKscxPvPCv9z9c2bJt3jImjZzZjVLSFOOg2MWdQc5p5rVk2wTdzOEdkClhbhXVtWPyipXRoKpy2OO6kEAr8y4IRXyZY_DOZt-5bsaFonL0Or2Xya37Kw/s1600-h/Title%252520Focused%2525205%252520books.png"><img title="Title Focused 5 books" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Title Focused 5 books" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7ZGD0c0mxLQ/VeNXRAaJtsI/AAAAAAAAHQo/S5JAKIx7yDY/Title%252520Focused%2525205%252520books_thumb.png?imgmax=800" width="600" height="600"></a></font></a><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EusGaMwIO78/VeNXRww6VXI/AAAAAAAAHQ0/Kty40fi_wA0/s1600-h/Eyes-Front-3-books3.png"><font size="4"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfqglL-5uP2gw0rGFStNjo_EZTKJGwCgeHdVSL9iepjElUJso_dPJvKUxVMxz3ztnfOvLRgrpDvYWI6QU0ntxfYy49gxHL6e_HNNFS2JnVLQC4hZofHZixulGgnSFxlMYPaLARI8aPfQ/s1600-h/Eyes%252520Front%2525203%252520books.png"><img title="Eyes Front 3 books" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Eyes Front 3 books" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ud9bK8IyeDs/VeNXSrNzpBI/AAAAAAAAHRM/kJs-YZEmBXY/Eyes%252520Front%2525203%252520books_thumb.png?imgmax=800" width="600" height="369"></a></font></a><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8rCGDUXqDpc/VeNXTJcm8DI/AAAAAAAAHRY/o3S8Imp3T-E/s1600-h/One-bold-Color-5-books3.png"><font size="4"><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8rCGDUXqDpc/VeNXTJcm8DI/AAAAAAAAHRk/VHDZbQVtui0/s1600-h/One%252520bold%252520Color%2525205%252520books.png"><img title="One bold Color 5 books" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="One bold Color 5 books" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-foPyzrM5A50/VeNXUDTAnbI/AAAAAAAAHRw/ihDbABOuJHY/One%252520bold%252520Color%2525205%252520books_thumb.png?imgmax=800" width="600" height="600"></a></font></a><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ll5ma0lZZ7M/VeNXU_PKTfI/AAAAAAAAHR8/VWSb3R5ojjs/s1600-h/Face-in-Profile-5-books3.png"><font size="4"><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ll5ma0lZZ7M/VeNXU_PKTfI/AAAAAAAAHSI/k1__xbAjVvM/s1600-h/Face%252520in%252520Profile%2525205%252520books.png"><img title="Face in Profile 5 books" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Face in Profile 5 books" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hyazAl2mnUI/VeNXVtvWwGI/AAAAAAAAHSU/laD6b6GUnPU/Face%252520in%252520Profile%2525205%252520books_thumb.png?imgmax=800" width="600" height="600"></a></font></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMFM9vG_tbmI44G5gSvpNO_3R8HYO5CphpA4ewIwZOOajq3EF8_nNet8ACP40tiHu2OTkpizEBrMRXc-efGBoleXymY54wluh5x0cAv-W4z-0G858LtiHXYxP8UDphw3tyTfr80RNkBA/s1600-h/Pretty-Dress-3-books3.png"><font size="4"><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dEZMcN_lX2Y/VeNXWH4AyPI/AAAAAAAAHSs/UmKXiXk99hU/s1600-h/Pretty%252520Dress%2525203%252520books.png"><img title="Pretty Dress 3 books" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Pretty Dress 3 books" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-sEzdFHyxNS8/VeNXW88hi3I/AAAAAAAAHS4/u5mgEgy1JJs/Pretty%252520Dress%2525203%252520books_thumb.png?imgmax=800" width="600" height="342"></a></font></a><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-A3ZY3BY3YOM/VeNXXups4LI/AAAAAAAAHTE/nZqz9hPWnaw/s1600-h/Sarah-J-Maas-6-books3.png"><font size="4"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECehUj9Wm6XXPvHRCg0K5nyOE7SsJIr9FKbvV963WyGwjLIgeA5w-uPxbZMmkSHHuL_pYYP_hfFjRFwMxlnz1Ttz600qY6r8VTcAlLBZAfp6RTOwAczNwyD70_HjiLISnUYRjupbnrA/s1600-h/Sarah%252520J%252520Maas%2525206%252520books.png"><img title="Sarah J Maas 6 books" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Sarah J Maas 6 books" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-17bQX_MYeUM/VeNXYfzZmKI/AAAAAAAAHTc/AjSwau7VfuE/Sarah%252520J%252520Maas%2525206%252520books_thumb.png?imgmax=800" width="600" height="600"></a></font></a><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QMV4s9sq71Y/VeNXZJaBCgI/AAAAAAAAHTo/Nr1qywd95Vo/s1600-h/Post-its-torn-paper-43.png"><font size="4"><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QMV4s9sq71Y/VeNXZJaBCgI/AAAAAAAAHT0/hkftDad3Be0/s1600-h/Post%252520its%252520torn%252520paper%2525204%25255B1%25255D.png"><img title="Post its torn paper 4" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Post its torn paper 4" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LNtm731kFvM/VeNXZlfoS_I/AAAAAAAAHUA/spaORji0240/Post%252520its%252520torn%252520paper%2525204_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="600" height="402"></a></font></a><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ekF6NjHkFD4/VeNXaU7PxPI/AAAAAAAAHUM/Yvy5-8N78_Y/s1600-h/Facing-away-5-books3.png"><font size="4"><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ekF6NjHkFD4/VeNXaU7PxPI/AAAAAAAAHUY/ovlJ-RnW6JA/s1600-h/Facing%252520away%2525205%252520books.png"><img title="Facing away 5 books" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Facing away 5 books" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UZB1lCZRnBk/VeNXbMvc8sI/AAAAAAAAHUk/0yk8sm65jm0/Facing%252520away%2525205%252520books_thumb.png?imgmax=800" width="600" height="574"></a></font></a><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eI-LjWa1afk/VeNXbyyv54I/AAAAAAAAHUw/ybJ0CryowWI/s1600-h/Blue-Green-3-books3.png"><font size="4"><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eI-LjWa1afk/VeNXbyyv54I/AAAAAAAAHU8/Fkd-gFZW_pw/s1600-h/Blue%252520Green%2525203%252520books.png"><img title="Blue Green 3 books" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Blue Green 3 books" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4a8U63dxj5sXvYbaEtJy8CVC4XFYui4cNOhjp6t_ZqmksyVvMfZHWGAHdiLoiBm-V46LmpvifD5th_BqFgrP-7M7GkaMaeS5m662Q-bMrrI9rs3ZlAbau4ecGPkMUapRLR5r5DjDRYw/?imgmax=800" width="600" height="342"></a></font></a><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gtRA3AQthzQ/VeNXdPfQqnI/AAAAAAAAHVU/9AA5Cj9O_FQ/s1600-h/No-Trend3.png"><font size="4"><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gtRA3AQthzQ/VeNXdPfQqnI/AAAAAAAAHVg/48cOnHNHjLw/s1600-h/No%252520Trend.png"><img title="No Trend" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="No Trend" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJmFfwnf9Zh_uqFcr7ByDuh-ulHUfhAxb26t7ds73-tAUuaPnc1tRG7NcI4kd-xDALcR0zHa5Cyj-DSVRs4hfrfpB1jPLyGhhc1kLUmYXFjts0ciKNz-gtOJ2IRknHBZC3pNJlR6-_bQ/?imgmax=800" width="600" height="420"></a></font></a></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font size="4"></font></p> <p><font color="#000084" size="4"><strong>In case you were wondering, I just squeezed 44 books into this Top 10 list. What cover trends are you drawn too?</strong></font></p> Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187151242970223764noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48772003452748741.post-33367947553673117882015-09-07T23:00:00.000-05:002015-09-07T23:00:06.152-05:00Top Ten Series I Have Yet to Finish<p><font size="3">Every Tuesday the ladies over at </font><a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/"><font size="3">The Broke and the Bookish</font></a><font size="3"> host a book related Top 10. </font> <p><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MbCvejOP3rc/VZH0vtPZasI/AAAAAAAAGYc/cJ4Y_8fu8U8/s1600-h/Top-10-tuesday-main_thumb1_thumb_thu%25255B1%25255D%25255B2%25255D.png"><font size="3"><img title="Top-10-tuesday-main_thumb1_thumb_thu[1]" style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Top-10-tuesday-main_thumb1_thumb_thu[1]" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3b4DJDdFYMs/VZH0wYgkacI/AAAAAAAAGYk/PTJ-7n-qKbY/Top-10-tuesday-main_thumb1_thumb_thu%25255B1%25255D_thumb.png?imgmax=800" width="240" height="206"></font></a><font size="3"> </font> <p><font size="3">This week is “Top Ten Series I Have Yet to Finish”. This topic was done three years ago – here’s my </font><a href="http://goingforgoldilocks.blogspot.com/2012/09/top-10-series-i-havent-finished.html" target="_blank"><font size="3">2012 post</font></a><font size="3">. I thought I’d have trouble coming up with another ten, but it actually wasn’t that difficult although some of these are series that haven’t been completely written yet and I just haven’t read book two.</font></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-W1vrlLrC48k/VeN3tus55EI/AAAAAAAAHGo/fgfjbcw8wC4/s1600-h/Ruin%252520and%252520Rising%25255B13%25255D.jpg"><font size="3"><img title="Ruin and Rising" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Ruin and Rising" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mvaxHHIp_74/VeN3uLHnKqI/AAAAAAAAHGs/Q1IFptM9X4c/Ruin%252520and%252520Rising_thumb%25255B11%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="119" align="left" height="174"></font></a><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-m-9dEDXWZN8/VeN3ujDSVtI/AAAAAAAAHG0/pJhm-VrQwU0/s1600-h/Siege%252520and%252520Storm%25255B14%25255D.jpg"><font size="3"><img title="Siege and Storm" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Siege and Storm" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9LrNeM06W_A/VeN3vIvupfI/AAAAAAAAHHA/nHf6gm5E8OM/Siege%252520and%252520Storm_thumb%25255B11%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="117" align="left" height="174"></font></a><font size="3">1. <strong>The Grisha Series</strong> by Leigh Bardulo</font></p> <p><font size="3">I read Shadow & Bone last year and immediately ordered the second and third books from Amazon. I thought I’d read them right away, but they’ve just gotten away from me. Maybe Winter this year since that’s my </font><a href="http://goingforgoldilocks.blogspot.com/2015/08/seasonal-reading-habits.html" target="_blank"><font size="3">preferred season</font></a><font size="3"> to read fantasy.</font></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tTboYg1EyJo/VeN3vrnVKWI/AAAAAAAAHOU/D4s6QFf7c5w/s1600-h/bounce%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font size="3"><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tTboYg1EyJo/VeN3vrnVKWI/AAAAAAAAHOc/EwhRPnDaORY/s1600-h/bounce%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img title="bounce" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="bounce" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DccJerwDwmU/VeN3woG5MYI/AAAAAAAAHHY/IwL7aj7nLy0/bounce_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="117" align="right" height="174"></a></font></a></p> <p> </p> <p><font size="3">2. <strong>Bounce</strong> by Noelle August</font></p> <p><font size="3">I know it’s only been out for a week, but it’s right up my comfort alley and I loved <strong>Boomerang</strong> so it’s shocking and I didn’t jump on it right away.</font></p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UC3h55ndtzY/VeN3wwshlQI/AAAAAAAAHHg/64_YrYsJVAQ/s1600-h/P.S.%252520I%252520Still%252520Love%252520You%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><font size="3"><img title="P.S. I Still Love You" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="P.S. I Still Love You" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TaS3fSnZa8I/VeN3xdfZtJI/AAAAAAAAHHo/CJFuzPSCQJc/P.S.%252520I%252520Still%252520Love%252520You_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="117" align="left" height="174"></font></a><font size="3">3. <strong>P.S. I Still Love You</strong> by Jenny Han</font></p> <p><font size="3">I love Jenny Han and I was so anxious for the next book after finishing <strong>To all the Boys I’ve Loved Before</strong>. I think this book is a victim of my library usage this year. Library books are taking priority over books I own.</font></p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HGIY3Y82IMU/VeN3x2Zr3HI/AAAAAAAAHHw/PSf_Slv9q6s/s1600-h/Shattered%252520World%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font size="3"><img title="Shattered World" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Shattered World" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3A7058HZoWA/VeN3ylieUBI/AAAAAAAAHH4/2FRMV57j51g/Shattered%252520World_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="117" align="right" height="174"></font></a><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-f6F40BUfpSc/VeN3y2LyoAI/AAAAAAAAHIA/Nl0Htaea1xc/s1600-h/Their%252520Fractured%252520Light%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font size="3"><img title="Their Fractured Light" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Their Fractured Light" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMnKSXcYXkgVbTLYbt5QkdZtdfcaAf5M4ritDZZpc0CeRdtEjL20qdEBHtaxMHVjAORMg17rdxgB2tdwO-yXpB3L-2P4K3J7mFPWgmPQg4VV7LEgQt4-b7E9N7R4qmVIGHKlU1eLfOoQ/?imgmax=800" width="117" align="right" height="174"></font></a><font size="3">4. <strong>This Shattered World</strong> by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>These Broken Stars</strong> was great, but somehow when I had <strong>This Shattered World</strong> checked out from the library I was never in the mood. I fully intent to finish the series, but I’ll probably binge books 2 & 3.</font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskIk42z9WTUJ9soRTwjBPUKkjC7QU5SpwTYoLlLlvYS44Pk6sqvYIM-JI5STmwn3rriFhIcjpp33sJgVNgXXCe8zWL58alyRNKDFznUa9Z_R_JxifqaE_cmTA26vOzKlIdXK7J2VjQg/s1600-h/Evertrue%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font size="3"><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rKmsLvaIYrQ/VeN3z-OjqOI/AAAAAAAAHO0/GoXWAbEYMT8/s1600-h/Evertrue%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="Evertrue" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Evertrue" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-H-IXEYIwuZM/VeN30voD8fI/AAAAAAAAHIk/6hQAoQ1TEA4/Evertrue_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="124" align="left" height="184"></a></font></a></p> <p> </p> <p><font size="3">5. <strong>Evertrue</strong> by Brodi Ashton</font></p> <p><font size="3">I blew through <strong>Everneath</strong> and <strong>Everbound</strong>, but have lost my enthusiasm for the series for unknown reasons. I still think I’ll finish it eventually.</font></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CWtbHuK-_GM/VeN31Hy9SMI/AAAAAAAAHPA/dkmf9y_TTqM/s1600-h/The%252520Hunted%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font size="3"><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CWtbHuK-_GM/VeN31Hy9SMI/AAAAAAAAHPI/Gfp847ZQ53U/s1600-h/The%252520Hunted%25255B58%25255D.jpg"><img title="The Hunted" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="The Hunted" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdrZXVe7Jego3-XfBlJekXy1cw2ipQ58iiYQReQcOqEi6aKJUWCkDPbZ1AX1AAnNtedTrvK3JkC4aNcsXEDU-baXDcpw1GSod8qNOaSLYAOEw6TFoEsIdFYg-0dBD-UFtma3SI1yj0aQ/?imgmax=800" width="124" align="right" height="184"></a></font></a></p> <p> </p> <p><font size="3">6. <strong>The Hunted</strong> by Matt De La Pena</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>The Living</strong> was an amazing thriller. The premise is so believably possible that it added a scary element. I just haven’t gotten to <strong>The Hunted</strong> yet.</font></p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vhyQeFKxxv4/VeN32eCjpyI/AAAAAAAAHJM/N0WzouU4M4I/s1600-h/Dark%252520Triumph%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font size="3"><img title="Dark Triumph" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Dark Triumph" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-a3QE61Fx7z8/VeN32zjgwUI/AAAAAAAAHJQ/HlvGHG-LM5E/Dark%252520Triumph_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="117" align="left" height="174"></font></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggI6cFPamGtYX-11sY39dQ5JbPh_Ale7AMzw98Km_A9bNAWdajZ1LXgD_ijAL6PrP1fox8FmhfeZxpAyt5HKOtKHEr97HBNOKUXWnwDFgz80kKEH513Mad_9RHtqRBzSIjkr8drac8ig/s1600-h/Mortal%252520Heart%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font size="3"><img title="Mortal Heart" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Mortal Heart" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AHFGKEzmWtw/VeN33g5BRyI/AAAAAAAAHJk/lgkFT4EL0iE/Mortal%252520Heart_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="117" align="left" height="174"></font></a><font size="3">7. <strong>His Fair Assassin Series</strong> by Robin LaFevers</font></p> <p><font size="3">I really enjoyed <strong>Grave Mercy</strong>. I didn’t feel the need to rush out and read the next two, but was excited to have them as options the next time I was in the mood for historical fantasy.</font></p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JktZRC0JDBI/VeN34BkDbOI/AAAAAAAAHPY/xzN7kk4JyEI/s1600-h/Rose%252520under%252520fire%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><font size="3"><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JktZRC0JDBI/VeN34BkDbOI/AAAAAAAAHPg/bZBiGUUjQBk/s1600-h/Rose%252520under%252520fire%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img title="Rose under fire" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Rose under fire" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TcoxSDF8nHg/VeN35DBOsyI/AAAAAAAAHJ8/X-CmhKdH8ms/Rose%252520under%252520fire_thumb%25255B10%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="115" align="right" height="174"></a></font></a></p> <p> </p> <p><font size="3">8. <strong>Rose Under Fire</strong> by Elizabeth Wein</font></p> <p><font size="3">Companion book, not series but I’m counting it anyway. I got this from the Secret Santa last year and still haven’t read it. </font></p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZf8OT00qeQGT7x2DlJa5ABshLW475xzeFrNQ5l1yW5VWQlzRRlBPaMl7kLTgMxsPsoixDAQ4HlZIiYgb-ZPeiBV5vOmw_S80JNFZWEMbxrHW33lL-DFuBxnBc525sZQL5aapbENObhA/s1600-h/Endlessly%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font size="3"><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0jNovW_9tUM/VeN35bQUpiI/AAAAAAAAHP0/RVe_iRX8Dt4/s1600-h/Endlessly%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="Endlessly" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Endlessly" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jRmOq98AnIw/VeN36vlTxvI/AAAAAAAAHKY/8oWurRIdTZI/Endlessly_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="115" align="left" height="172"></a></font></a></p> <p> </p> <p><font size="3">9. <strong>Endlessly</strong> by Kiersten White</font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong>Paranormalcy </strong>and <strong>Supernaturally</strong> were so much FUN. I can’t remember what distracted me from finishing the series, but I will.</font></p> <p><font size="3"></font> </p> <p><font size="3">10. <strong>City of Mirrors</strong> by Justin Cronin</font></p> <p><font size="3">Totally cheating here. This book isn’t out yet, but the last book in the series came out three years ago and the release on <strong>City of Mirrors</strong> keeps getting pushed back. It was suppose to come out last year and now it’s projected for 2016 and there’s still not even a cover. I need to know what happens.</font></p> Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187151242970223764noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48772003452748741.post-58179383518928389292015-09-03T20:29:00.001-05:002015-09-03T20:29:31.524-05:00August Recap<p><font size="3">I had a very solid reading month after a disappointing July. I read 13 books. I posted one review and I’m really proud of it…Not the review exactly, but I’ve been trying to achieve that formatting in HTML for awhile and finally got it. </font><font size="3"><br></font><strong><u><br></u></strong><font size="3"><strong><u><font color="#000084" size="4">Books Read</font></u></strong><br></font><strong><u><br></u></strong><strong>Since You’ve Been Gone </strong>by Morgan Matson<br><font size="3"><strong>Made You Up</strong> by Francesca Zappia<br><strong>Everything Leads to You </strong>by Nina LaCour<br><strong>Girl, Stolen </strong>by April Henry</font><font size="3"><br><strong>What You Left Behind </strong>by Jessica Verdi</font><br><font size="3"><strong>The Devil You Know </strong>by Trish Doller</font></font><br><font size="3"><strong>Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking </strong>by Susan Cain<br><strong>Counting by 7s </strong>by Holly Goldberg Sloan</font><br><strong>An Ember in the Ashes </strong>by Sabaa Tahir</font><br><strong>The Royal We </strong>by Jessica Morgan and Heather Cocks</font><br><strong>Crazy for Love </strong>by Victoria Dahl</font><br><strong>Jane Eyre </strong>by Charlotte Bronte</font><br><strong>Wonder </strong>by R. J. Palacio</font></font></font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong><u><font color="#000084" size="4">Challenge Update</font></u></strong><br></font><u><br></u><font size="3"><strong>I finished two more books </strong>for the </font><a href="http://bookriot.com/2014/12/15/book-riot-2015-read-harder-challenge/"><font size="3">Read Harder Challenge</font></a><font size="3"> from Book Riot this month. Ironically, neither of them are the books I mentioned as in progress in my July Recap. In total I have 19 complete out of 24, and hoping to finish <strong>All the Light You Cannot See</strong> by Anthony Doerr for sure in September. </font></p> <p><font size="3"><strong><u><font color="#000084" size="4">On My Blog Roll</font></u></strong></font></p> <p><font color="#000000" size="3">Gotta love unique book storage even if some of it isn’t practical. I WANT the checkmarks!</font></p> <blockquote> <h4><strong><font color="#408080" size="3"><a href="http://bookriot.com/2015/09/01/19-rad-bookshelves-home-dream-home/" target="_blank">19 Rad Bookshelves For Your Home (Or Dream Home)</a></font></strong></h4></blockquote> <p><font color="#000000" size="3">I want self-driving cars ASAP so I can read on my commute.</font></p> <blockquote> <h4><font color="#408080" size="3" face="Trebuchet MS"><a href="http://www.vox.com/2015/8/31/9222959/google-car-self-driving" target="_blank">Why Google's self-driving cars will be great for cyclists and pedestrians</a></font></h4></blockquote> <h4><font color="#000000" size="3" face="Trebuchet MS"><font style="font-weight: normal">And this one gave me an idea for a post.</font></font></h4> <blockquote> <p><a href="https://scribblesandwanderlust.wordpress.com/2015/08/28/an-odd-dnf-scenario/" target="_blank"><strong><font color="#408080" size="3">An Odd DNF Scenario</font></strong></a></p></blockquote> <p><font size="3"><strong><u><font color="#000084" size="4">In Other News</font></u></strong><br></font><strong><u><br></u></strong><font size="3">I picked up two bookcases and a hutch on Craigslist to turn my basement into a library of sorts so you can probably anticipate a post on book organization in the future. </font></p> <p><font size="3">I helped my parents move a couple weeks ago (with only a few weeks left to use the pool) and we’re still waiting for Cox Communication to visit the apartment to install. The original schedule for install was 8/16.</font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187151242970223764noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48772003452748741.post-80088704241921824132015-08-31T23:00:00.000-05:002015-08-31T23:00:09.071-05:00Top Ten Characters I didn’t Click with<p><font size="3">Every Tuesday the ladies over at </font><a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/"><font size="3">The Broke and the Bookish</font></a><font size="3"> host a book related Top 10. </font> <p><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MbCvejOP3rc/VZH0vtPZasI/AAAAAAAAGYc/cJ4Y_8fu8U8/s1600-h/Top-10-tuesday-main_thumb1_thumb_thu%25255B1%25255D%25255B2%25255D.png"><font size="3"><img title="Top-10-tuesday-main_thumb1_thumb_thu[1]" style="float: none; margin-left: auto; display: block; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Top-10-tuesday-main_thumb1_thumb_thu[1]" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3b4DJDdFYMs/VZH0wYgkacI/AAAAAAAAGYk/PTJ-7n-qKbY/Top-10-tuesday-main_thumb1_thumb_thu%25255B1%25255D_thumb.png?imgmax=800" width="240" height="206"></font></a><font size="3"> </font> <p><font size="3">This week is “Top Ten Characters I didn’t Click with”.</font></p> <p><font size="3">This is a topic I want to TALK about, because sometimes it’s really a mystery as to why I click with some characters and not others. I’ve connected to some wonderfully brave heroic characters and some terribly unlikeable characters so why didn’t these characters that MANY others readers love click with me?</font></p> <p><font size="3">These are characters I didn’t connect with emotionally. If they annoyed me or made me angry they aren’t on the list.</font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKmQT9A7-iBvBEBo912lD-iC0h_0ojAEW07V-IvXLx3QNpIGCGs7NFuhmCNZ1y7OuDWgvSBShzGhwZuBxsjzeQn2RLP1IA2ymSlAvoCT6-BmBosgpz9nu-M9-92W3mtaub-9OygB3ug/s1600-h/Mia%252520If%252520I%252520stay%25255B7%25255D.png"><font size="3"><img title="Mia If I stay" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Mia If I stay" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nEV_dc25C_c/VeJ7fSw9NtI/AAAAAAAAG9s/BRtO2yyXo1k/Mia%252520If%252520I%252520stay_thumb%25255B5%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="565" height="200"></font></a><strong></strong></p> <p><font size="3">I have never been able to figure out why I didn’t connect with Mia. I could relate to her relationship with her family, but I just didn’t get emotionally involved like I would have expected, ESPECIALLY because I have a younger brother with almost the exact same age difference and our relationship was very similar to theirs.</font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-r0TqQxhB6axR9Ip9RMt4USlFynNu9e2G692kl5RsmIZ35LLRhuKf0qxmmHOKNZHfoUgfECec1JDZ2l3gIXeCLX6mj6e-DqwVoIUjY6SNlBNVtDAZuVLefE0alSbiGuuwMNldYnkFw/s1600-h/Liesel%252520book%252520thief%25255B5%25255D.png"><font size="3"><img title="Liesel book thief" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Liesel book thief" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8FVCAs5W4wg/VeJ7gDlH9HI/AAAAAAAAG98/i6Xw5KxJzsY/Liesel%252520book%252520thief_thumb%25255B8%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="649" height="215"></font></a></p> <p><font size="3">I liked the book, but when the narrator is Death it’s natural to feel a distance from the characters. The ‘voice’ of the book is just so neutral.</font></p> <p><font size="3"></font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO1DbcG98xszwWMmq5O_LA1505l97JydPfthH6C0byfXHWsIa3mMDaI5Nt4X7IG2CUu99zLqPCVU0P9nHxyxkxwvUCZPWuiVvWjsfmdLgO-efqH4CYvHavsRrg6qdONZElzmC8dC4rZA/s1600-h/Anna%252520Moonglass%25255B5%25255D.png"><font size="3"><img title="Anna Moonglass" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Anna Moonglass" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fGKLOi0xtDU3sxHdd0-EXGPMFyxhTt1V3fw6roNxdJ7q6yBXpseZRq3u7yerN37mrvmcGvgjsSwlzqrSkVbHHaR6aZlUC4kZIuyWQ6FNyMFyN-50Jkq7GDnQ7TKqiaon9HWEfzsZKA/?imgmax=800" width="571" height="200"></font></a></p> <p><font size="3">I know a lot of people love Jessi Kirby, but so far I haven’t connected with her characters.</font></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-c5NGXQPz3ZI/VeJ7h_I4HcI/AAAAAAAAG-U/rdKNdwo8ysQ/s1600-h/Frances%252520More%252520like%252520Her%25255B4%25255D.png"><font size="3"><img title="Frances More like Her" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Frances More like Her" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KRaJUjIOZDA/VeJ7iYa3qyI/AAAAAAAAG-g/Jck7wgN_OVs/Frances%252520More%252520like%252520Her_thumb%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="565" height="200"></font></a></p> <p><font size="3">I loved Liza Palmer’s first two books and really identified with both heroines so needless to say I was anxiously awaiting <strong>More Like Her</strong> but the book just didn’t do anything for me and I didn’t really care about Frances.</font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgndn9vFt8HGn1Br_J87Tcanngr1Uz4OxOoTjDYllX1257oStoFINuHR-ulZfshhhltafFkbQtBnofAibd1djHe1z-gPEP6jGxM1Khbl4n6kP6lyaKp4G6t8cRkE4LRUuevvrhcbjCqqw/s1600-h/Victoria%252520mad%252520wicked%252520folly%25255B4%25255D.png"><font size="3"><img title="Victoria mad wicked folly" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Victoria mad wicked folly" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Owix4eVGzGU/VeJ7jaLcIjI/AAAAAAAAG-w/_6fLWzsQab4/Victoria%252520mad%252520wicked%252520folly_thumb%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="696" height="200"></font></a></p> <p><font size="3">Feminist fighting for suffrage in England. This SO should have been right up my alley, but it was a fight to finish the book.</font></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MmCahZVi2A0/VeJ7jpQbyxI/AAAAAAAAG-0/WqSoYC76UZQ/s1600-h/Francesca%252520Saving%25255B5%25255D.png"><font size="3"><img title="Francesca Saving" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Francesca Saving" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvDd5oBljHEtesIoi3FUvA13g-VkTeH4AhBkqt_2J32kFY1FC6yKmAKYcLl2GtR7CuQ8wPNiHSV8dW-DcLfzkxc0eYuE3jg5iG4FMtFpM4Gub2b2lotD3aMWAZ0rDaDtG3MsZtejUXw/?imgmax=800" width="586" height="200"></font></a></p> <p><font size="3">I’m the one person who doesn’t really get Marchetta. I liked this book, but didn’t click with Francesca. </font></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-sk35PdjMOdk/VeJ7kvXXMaI/AAAAAAAAG_I/M2BSyp4qG7U/s1600-h/Lina%252520Between%252520Shades%252520of%252520Gray%25255B4%25255D.png"><font size="3"><img title="Lina Between Shades of Gray" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Lina Between Shades of Gray" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1K5MSpI4lLs/VeJ7lOtVPlI/AAAAAAAAG_M/ty9vLd_Kfnk/Lina%252520Between%252520Shades%252520of%252520Gray_thumb%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="649" height="200"></font></a><strong></strong></p> <p><font size="3">I’m a crier and this is such a heartbreaking topic/book, but without fully investing in the MC it ended up missing something for me and I don’t think I shed a tear.</font></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-g81Ble5vssE/VeJ7lkiGiqI/AAAAAAAAG_Y/9oorC1KCXb0/s1600-h/Laureth%252520She%252520not%252520invisible%25255B5%25255D.png"><font size="3"><img title="Laureth She not invisible" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Laureth She not invisible" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqpTz0CGnRpoEsvcGHHJwH2ezjj0La0s274-0aqKof2UBLABTxNQjtyolsWsJtPloZSwP2_TNmQQzGtRt2_rpZZYbJDXcF7GccS8m3-PZj92KyDCLGel6XY2HGlQ3orFsmAsWf4xWGFA/?imgmax=800" width="675" height="206"></font></a></p> <p><font size="3">I liked Laureth but never fully connected. Again she had a younger brother that she was close to. I almost wonder if the obsession with coincidence cause the disconnect.</font></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HtsEiH_YoF4/VeJ7mm-i_bI/AAAAAAAAG_k/LfALxP8Qeg8/s1600-h/Brie%252520Catastrophic%252520History%25255B4%25255D.png"><font size="3"><img title="Brie Catastrophic History" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Brie Catastrophic History" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-sX3evKHN1Yk/VeJ7nFhCMMI/AAAAAAAAG_s/kCBECx3AaWI/Brie%252520Catastrophic%252520History_thumb%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="649" height="200"></font></a><font size="3"></font></p> <p><font size="3">I think when the main character is already dead it takes some of the tension out of the story.</font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-Th7F6X5xv16wqzds95mz0xrkGm1b6V-GB9LhDybh8t8qW90YzJ8zD35auzFGr4HRPOQnwK94DH1xCpGcD5-zrXi3gZlmSrCxNXzIkTjj1X_IfrTEerSJ1UrI4qpnae3hc06YDzgtA/s1600-h/Cinder%25255B5%25255D.png"><font size="3"><img title="Cinder" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Cinder" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LhEkFa5KBRI/VeJ7oHZPVFI/AAAAAAAAHAA/Jh5aFnC2QTs/Cinder_thumb%25255B7%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="645" height="216"></font></a></p> <p><font size="3">Another book I liked with an main character I didn’t really connect with. Luckily I liked the plot enough to continue the series because I have loves every new book in the series more and more.</font></p> Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187151242970223764noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48772003452748741.post-55041263566424422802015-08-27T07:00:00.000-05:002015-08-27T07:00:07.663-05:00The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan <a style="margin-bottom: 0em; float: left; clear: left; margin-right: 1em" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAylVQfvhlp5gP3s1xilTiKwz8gkLGi544N_Gftsd512o59rTCvCLXOYoyHtjs-lbHRcnaJEzCmLDgO8HQE-Yu5hpOdpQ2a6p8q0UpzXpxbaqK_h-t3XPu-MSP__gnCQrGEgptvgnkuQ/s1600-h/The%252520Royal%252520We%25255B2%25255D%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="The Royal We[2]" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="The Royal We[2]" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fqHX43M3a9FkFMpLW2ywshkj4IpwM-uMOFo7ScT2RdbiIPosQ4Q52C318UpaVCcizdaU-aFPThO0Ith-7lDPjlIy2dvmc_WGTPMzmzqDhzkFRij1E3-aXeLIAKvqmsqnyhsRkJxvDA/?imgmax=800" width="160" height="240"></a><br><br> <div style="padding-bottom: 2px; padding-top: 2px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #ffcc99; margin-right: 20px"><pre><font face="Diplomata"><strong><font size="4" face="Calibri">Title: The Royal We<br />Author: Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan<br />Publisher: Grand Central Publishing<br />Pages: 454<br />Publication: April 2015<br />Book Source: Library <br />Recommend: Yes</font></strong><br /></font></pre><br /><div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #ffcc99; margin-right: 20px">American Rebecca Porter was never one for fairy tales. Her twin sister, Lacey, has always been the romantic who fantasized about glamour and royalty, fame and fortune. Yet it's Bex who seeks adventure at Oxford and finds herself living down the hall from Prince Nicholas, Great Britain's future king. And when Bex can't resist falling for Nick, the person behind the prince, it propels her into a world she did not expect to inhabit, under a spotlight she is not prepared to face. </div><br /><div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #ffcc99; margin-right: 20px">Dating Nick immerses Bex in ritzy society, dazzling ski trips, and dinners at Kensington Palace with him and his charming, troublesome brother, Freddie. But the relationship also comes with unimaginable baggage: hysterical tabloids, Nick's sparkling and far more suitable ex-girlfriends, and a royal family whose private life is much thornier and more tragic than anyone on the outside knows. The pressures are almost too much to bear, as Bex struggles to reconcile the man she loves with the monarch he's fated to become. Which is how she gets into trouble. </div><br /><div style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 4px; padding-left: 8px; margin-left: 20px; padding-right: 8px; background-color: #ffcc99; margin-right: 20px">Now, on the eve of the wedding of the century, Bex is faced with whether everything she's sacrificed for love-her career, her home, her family, maybe even herself-will have been for nothing. <br /><div> </div></div></div><br /><div>For the first time in her life Bex makes a decision that separates her from her twin sister Lacey - a year studying abroad at Oxford. Lacey has always been the academic overachiever, but Bex’s primary motivation is the opportunity to draw European architecture. The first student Bex meets when she arrives is Nick. He helps her with her bags, she makes an inappropriate joke about royalty. Then her roommate informs her that Nick is royalty. Specifically second in line to the throne after his father.</div><br /><div>There are obviously similarities to Prince William and Kate, but <strong>The Royal We</strong> definitely stands as it’s own story. I was definitely skeptical about this novel when I first heard about it – it just seemed a little too cheesy, but I was pleasantly surprised. I laughed a LOT and cried. Nothing about the story was easy; no instalove, the relationship built <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-I_0Hdcdy4pk/VdpjfBbygqI/AAAAAAAAG9I/6RuH96voOJQ/s1600-h/Thermometer%252520loved%252520it%25255B6%25255D.png"><img title="Thermometer loved it" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Thermometer loved it" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xhGZ2n3hcc4/Vdpjf51btZI/AAAAAAAAG9Q/kldCxvtCxtQ/Thermometer%252520loved%252520it_thumb%25255B8%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="184" align="right" height="400"></a>naturally and had all the challenges you would expect (and some you could possibly predict) in this situation. Nick and Bex were both likeable enough, but realistically flawed – they didn’t always make the best decisions, but I always felt like they loved each other. </div><br /><div>The secondary characters all get plenty of depth and character traits. As absolutely frustrating as I found Lacey, looking at the situation from her side I could understand where she was coming from – not that excuses her behavior. Nick’s younger brother, Freddie, is great comedic relief, but you get to see glimpses of vulnerability and insecurity stemming from his role as “the spare”. I adored Bex’s dad, he was so genuine and supportive. </div><br /><div>I’m a little torn over the end of the novel – it didn’t end fully happily ever after and while I liked the relationship challenges mid book I think I would have enjoyed a cleaner ending, but I think the way it ended absolutely fit the story.</div> Brandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14187151242970223764noreply@blogger.com1