tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622452416201361332024-03-05T21:02:12.471-08:00Typing TiaraTyping Tiara is where I'm able to fully convey my love books without continuously driving my friends and family up the wall. I post reviews, discussion posts, posts about books I'm crazy eager to get my hands on, and do occasional vlogs. Here I'll be doing much of the same PLUS posting links to awesome giveaways I find, great bookish websites and just generally showing off my fangirl self. :]Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger678125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-862245241620136133.post-38678804493443433352015-08-02T00:00:00.000-07:002015-08-02T00:00:06.957-07:00August 2015 TBR<div style="text-align: center;">
So I totally disregarded my July TBR considering I only read two books off of it...which means, technically, going by my rules that I shouldn't be doing a TBR for this month. (My rule for TBRs is that in order for me to keep posting them I need to read at least half of the books off of the TBR for the previous month). But since I hit a really bad reading slump last month, and it was just a crazy month anyway, I'm going to keep doing TBRs. Well, that and I love coming up with TBRs.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
So let's just hope that this month goes better!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
What I Hope To Read:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Danse Macabre" id="cover_review_1335897078" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1436901588m/7652593.jpg" /><img alt="A Summer Like No Other" id="cover_review_1345847672" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1436432818m/25786920.jpg" /><img alt="Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art" id="cover_review_1267575949" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328408101m/102920.jpg" /><img alt="Wonder Woman Vol. 6: Bones" id="cover_review_1267574066" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1409602783m/23012564.jpg" /><img alt="Superman/Wonder Woman, Vol. 2" id="cover_review_1267574675" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1410804592m/23012562.jpg" /><img alt="Golden Fool (Tawny Man, #2)" id="cover_review_1349185023" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388182007m/45109.jpg" /><img alt="Fight Club" id="cover_review_1269897137" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1357128997m/5759.jpg" /><img alt="The Shining" id="cover_review_1335896252" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333576785m/12977531.jpg" /><img alt="Fool's Fate (The Tawny Man, #3)" id="cover_review_1351976464" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1408205196m/6662436.jpg" /><img alt="Too Much Happiness" id="cover_review_136451349" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320459874m/6464937.jpg" /> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(1) <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7652593-danse-macabre">Danse Macabre</a> </i>by Stephen King</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(2) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25786920-a-summer-like-no-other"><i>A Summer Like No Other</i></a> by Elodie Nowodazkij</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(3) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/102920.Understanding_Comics">Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art </a>by Scott McCloud</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(4) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23012564-wonder-woman-vol-6"><i>New 52 Wonder Woman, Volume 6: Bones</i></a> by Brian Azzarello</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(5) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23012562-superman-wonder-woman-vol-2"><i>New 52 Superman / Wonder Woman, Volume 2</i></a> by Charles Soule</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(6) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45109.Golden_Fool"><i>Golden Fool (The Tawny Man #2)</i></a> by Robin Hobb<br />
(7) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5759.Fight_Club"><i>Fight Club</i></a> by Chuck Palahniuck <br />
(8) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12977531-the-shining"><i>The Shining</i></a> by Stephen King<br />
(9) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6662436-fool-s-fate"><i>Fool's Fate (The Tawny Man #3)</i></a> by Robin Hobb<br />
(10) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6464937-too-much-happiness"><i>Too Much Happiness</i></a> by Alice Munro<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I think this may be my weirdest TBR yet simply because my reading mood has been all over the place for the past month and I'm trying to compensate for that AND get at least some of the reading done for my thesis.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-862245241620136133.post-10813735465325076712015-08-01T00:00:00.000-07:002015-08-01T00:00:08.801-07:00July 2015 Wrap-Up<div style="text-align: center;">
Months like this honestly make me wonder why I even bother making a TBR...but I don't often have the urge to completely stray from them so hopefully I got it all out of my system this month. Maybe. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But I also had a lot of personally stuff going on, a lot of changes to my lifestyle/life/existence, and that kind of threw me off and ultimately had me briefly spiraling into a hell of a reading slump. Which, thanks to Sarah Dessen and Robin Hobb, I think I'm completely over now.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
What I Managed to Read:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Undone (Outcast Season, #1)" id="cover_review_1130447935" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331242067m/3596225.jpg" /><img alt="Unknown by Rachel Caine" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331242137m/6582703.jpg" title="Unknown by Rachel Caine" /><img alt="Chasing Impossible by Katie McGarry" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1432035449m/25263399.jpg" title="Chasing Impossible by Katie McGarry" /><img alt="Half a King (Shattered Sea, #1)" id="cover_review_1298313876" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389378321m/18666047.jpg" /><img alt="First Lord's Fury (Codex Alera, #6)" id="cover_review_1291302009" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327903582m/6316821.jpg" /><img alt="The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344267797m/7901864.jpg" title="The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin" /><img alt="Mary Jane, Vol. 1 by Sean McKeever" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1365251886m/304975.jpg" title="Mary Jane, Vol. 1 by Sean McKeever" /><img alt="Marvel Divas by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347615811m/7071143.jpg" title="Marvel Divas by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa" /><img alt="Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1 by G. Willow Wilson" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1413031883m/20898019.jpg" title="Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1 by G. Willow Wilson" /><img alt="Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1414680105m/23009402.jpg" title="Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen" /><img alt="Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm by Philip Pullman" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1339554952m/13554713.jpg" title="Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm by Philip Pullman" /><img alt="Winds of Fate by Mercedes Lackey" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388378663m/13995.jpg" title="Winds of Fate by Mercedes Lackey" /><img alt="Fool's Errand (Tawny Man, #1)" id="cover_review_529127351" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403180943m/515814.jpg" /><img alt="When Beauty Tamed the Beast (Fairy Tales, #2)" id="cover_review_1107166550" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1282320694m/8449698.jpg" /><img alt="The MacGregors: Robert & Cybil" id="cover_review_1350773492" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1390710716m/114154.jpg" /> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(1) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3596225-undone"><i>Undone (Outcast Season #1)</i></a> by Rachel Caine [4/5]*</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(2) <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6582703-unknown">Unknown (Outcast Season #2)</a> </i>by Rachel Caine [4/5]*</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(3) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25263399-chasing-impossible"><i>Chasing Impossible (Pushing the Limits #5)</i></a> by Katie McGarry [4/5]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(4) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18666047-half-a-king"><i>Half a King (Shattered Sea #1)</i></a> by Joe Abercrombie [3/5]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(5) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6316821-first-lord-s-fury"><i>First Lord's Fury (Codex Alera #6)</i></a> by Jim Butcher [3/5]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(6) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7901864-the-hundred-thousand-kingdoms"><i>The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (Inheritance #1)</i></a> by N.K. Jemisin [3/5]*</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(7) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/304975.Mary_Jane_Vol_1"><i>Mary Jane, Volume 1: Circle of Friendship</i></a> by Sean McKeever [2.5/5]*</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(8) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7071143-marvel-divas"><i>Marvel Divas</i></a> by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa [2.5/5]*</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(9) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20898019-ms-marvel-vol-1"><i>Ms. Marvel, Volume 1: No Normal</i></a> by G. Willow Wilson [3/5]*</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(10) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23009402-saint-anything"><i>Saint Anything</i></a> by Sarah Dessen [4.75/5]*<br />
(11) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13554713-fairy-tales-from-the-brothers-grimm"><i>Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm: A New English Version</i></a> by Philip Pullman [3/5]*<br />
(12) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13995.Winds_of_Fate"><i>Winds of Fate (Mage Winds #1)</i></a> by Mercedes Lackey [3/5]*<br />
(13) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/515814.Fool_s_Errand"><i>Fool's Errand (The Tawny Man #1)</i></a> by Robin Hobb [5/5]*<br />
(14) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8449698-when-beauty-tamed-the-beast"><i>When Beauty Tamed the Beast (Fairy Tale #2)</i></a> by Eloisa James [3/5]*<br />
(15) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/114154.The_MacGregors"><i>The MacGregors: Robert &Cybil</i></a> by Nora Roberts [3.5/5]* <br />
<br />
Oh! And in case you were curious what the asteriks after certain books meant, they're there to help me keep track of the books that I read off of my physical TBR shelves. As you can see, I did a pretty good job of keeping to reading only books that I physically own this month. ^.^<br />
<br />
Anyway.<br />
<br />
My favorite book in the month of July was without a single doubt in my mind, <i>Fool's Errand</i> by Robin Hobb. If you haven't picked up her Farseer Trilogy yet YOU JUST HAVE TO DO IT. What was your favorite read this month?</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-862245241620136133.post-2033571544775717432015-07-03T00:00:00.000-07:002015-07-03T00:00:03.458-07:00June 2015 Wrap-Up<div style="text-align: center;">
I managed to even surprise myself with how well I stuck to my TBR pile this month. And so many of the titles came straight off of my physical TBR which is always a plus...and I think I'm finally starting to calm down on the library requests which can only mean good things. It was nice to get some variety in there though.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
Unfortunately I think I managed to, at least temporarily, burn myself out on the fantasy genre in the process. Which is unusual for me at this time of year...normally I marathon all of the chunky fantasy novels that I can get my hands on over the course of the summer.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
What I Read:<br />
<br />
<img alt="Academ's Fury by Jim Butcher" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1381026981m/16117070.jpg" title="Academ's Fury by Jim Butcher" /><img alt="Windfall by Rachel Caine" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1297552449m/157569.jpg" title="Windfall by Rachel Caine" /><img alt="Firestorm by Rachel Caine" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388370662m/157572.jpg" title="Firestorm by Rachel Caine" /><img alt="Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1377702326m/18189606.jpg" title="Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson" /><img alt="Cursor's Fury by Jim Butcher" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1329104570m/504430.jpg" title="Cursor's Fury by Jim Butcher" /><img alt="Captain's Fury by Jim Butcher" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1329104599m/3503318.jpg" title="Captain's Fury by Jim Butcher" /><img alt="Succubus Dreams by Richelle Mead" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1315977451m/2977487.jpg" title="Succubus Dreams by Richelle Mead" /><img alt="Succubus Heat by Richelle Mead" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1269136501m/6006373.jpg" title="Succubus Heat by Richelle Mead" /><img alt="My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1354826606m/16101144.jpg" title="My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick" /><img alt="Princeps' Fury by Jim Butcher" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1329104627m/6303648.jpg" title="Princeps' Fury by Jim Butcher" /><img alt="Batgirl Vol. 1 by Cameron Stewart" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1426301030m/25138266.jpg" title="Batgirl Vol. 1 by Cameron Stewart" /><img alt="Thin Air by Rachel Caine" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388716987m/28650.jpg" title="Thin Air by Rachel Caine" /><img alt="Gale Force by Rachel Caine" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388281520m/2295830.jpg" title="Gale Force by Rachel Caine" /><img alt="Catwoman, Vol. 1 by Judd Winick" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1338261049m/13227873.jpg" title="Catwoman, Vol. 1 by Judd Winick" /><img alt="Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman Vol. 1" id="cover_review_1254149998" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1429103964m/23012559.jpg" /><img alt="The Winner's Crime (The Winner's Trilogy, #2)" id="cover_review_1189482957" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1411679515m/21469060.jpg" /><img alt="Cape Storm by Rachel Caine" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388370663m/5088467.jpg" title="Cape Storm by Rachel Caine" /><img alt="Total Eclipse by Rachel Caine" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1265266930m/7048787.jpg" title="Total Eclipse by Rachel Caine" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(1) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16117070-academ-s-fury"><i>Academ's Fury (Codex Alera #2)</i></a> by Jim Butcher [4/5]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(2) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/157569.Windfall"><i>Windfall (Weather Warden #4)</i></a> by Rachel Caine [3/5]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(3) <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/157572.Firestorm">Firestorm (Weather Warden #5)</a> </i>by Rachel Caine [3/5]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(4) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18189606-since-you-ve-been-gone"><i>Since You've Been Gone</i></a> by Morgan Matson [3/5]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(5) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18189606-since-you-ve-been-gone"><i>Cursor's Fury (Codex Alera #3)</i></a> by Jim Butcher [4/5]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(6) <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3503318-captain-s-fury">Captain's Fury (Codex Alera #4)</a> </i>by Jim Butcher [3.5/5]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(7) <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2977487-succubus-dreams">Succubus Dreams (Georgina Kincaid #3)</a> </i>by Richelle Mead [3/5]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(8) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6006373-succubus-heat"><i>Succubus Heat (Georgina Kincaid #4)</i></a> by Richelle Mead [1.5/2]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(9)<i> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16101144-my-life-next-door">My Life Next Door (My Life Next Door #1)</a></i> by Huntley Fitzpatrick [2/5]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(10) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6303648-princeps-fury"><i>Princeps' Fury (Codex Alera #5)</i></a> by Jim Butcher [4/5]<br />
(11) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25138266-batgirl-vol-1"><i>Batgirl Volume One: The Batgirl of Burnside</i></a> by Cameron Stewart, Brenden Fletcher, and Babs Tarr [4/5]<br />
(12) <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28650.Thin_Air">Thin Air (Weather Warden #6)</a> </i>by Rachel Caine [4/5]<br />
(13) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2295830.Gale_Force"><i>Gale Force (Weather Warden #</i>7)</a> by Rachel Caine [3/5]<br />
(14) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13227873-catwoman-vol-1"><i>New 52 Catwoman, Volume One: The Game</i></a> by Judd Winick [4/5]<br />
(15) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23012559-sensation-comics-featuring-wonder-woman-vol-1"><i>Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman: Volume One</i></a> by Assorted Authors [3/5]<br />
(16) <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21469060-the-winner-s-crime">The Winner's Crime (The Winner's Trilogy #2)</a> </i>by Marie Rutkoski [4/5]<br />
(17)<i> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5088467-cape-storm">Cape Storm (Weather Warden #8)</a></i> by Rachel Caine [3/5]<br />
(18) <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7048787-total-eclipse">Total Eclipse (Weather Warden #9)</a> </i>by Rachel Caine [4/5]<br />
<br />
I think my favorite read of the month, surprising even me, was <i>The Batgirl of Burnside</i>. Definitely worth checking out!<br />
<br />
What were your favorite reads of June? </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-862245241620136133.post-4703603246710823602015-06-28T19:21:00.000-07:002015-06-28T19:21:00.699-07:00July 2015 TBR<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm not going to give out the exact numbers yet (I'm hoping to sneak some more reading in before the end of the month) but I did pretty damn well on my TBR this month and I'm pretty proud of that. And hoping for a repeat performance...especially since I'm really needing to get back on track with my thesis research.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And there's a lot of it...plus some buddy reads that have been a long time in coming.<br />
<br />
So...</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
What I'd Like to Read:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1)" id="cover_review_997733575" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1349590163m/13356706.jpg" /><img alt="Marvel Divas" id="cover_review_1275057883" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347615811m/7071143.jpg" /><img alt="Batgirl/Robin: Year One" id="cover_review_1267576569" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1391572230m/17137623.jpg" /><img alt="Saint Anything" id="cover_review_1092970535" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1414680105m/23009402.jpg" /><img alt="Wonder Woman Vol. 6: Bones" id="cover_review_1267574066" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1409602783m/23012564.jpg" /><img alt="Superman/Wonder Woman, Vol. 2" id="cover_review_1267574675" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1410804592m/23012562.jpg" /><img alt="Chicks Dig Comics: A Celebration of Comic Books by the Women Who Love Them" id="cover_review_1254150552" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1336432460m/12891730.jpg" /><img alt="The Secret History of Wonder Woman" id="cover_review_1123140677" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1408310844m/21855259.jpg" /><img alt="Ink-Stained Amazons and Cinematic Warriors: Superwomen in Modern Mythology" id="cover_review_1267575532" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312071894m/6619112.jpg" /><img alt="Wonder Women: Feminisms and Superheroes" id="cover_review_1165787119" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348516030m/1425847.jpg" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(1) <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13356706-the-fellowship-of-the-ring">The Fellowship of the Ring (Lord of the Rings #1)</a> </i>by J.R.R. Tolkien</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(2) <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7071143-marvel-divas">Marvel Divas</a> </i>by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(3) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17137623-batgirl-robin"><i>Batgirl / Robin Year One</i> </a>by Chuck Dixon and Scott Beatty</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(4) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23009402-saint-anything"><i>Saint Anything</i></a> by Sarah Dessen </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(5) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23012564-wonder-woman-vol-6"><i>New 52 Wonder Woman, Volume Six: Bones</i></a> by Brian Azzarello</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(6) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23012562-superman-wonder-woman-vol-2"><i>New 52 Superman / Wonder Woman, Volume Two</i></a> by Charles Soule</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(7) <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12891730-chicks-dig-comics">Chicks Dig Comics: A Celebration of Comics by the Women Who Love Them</a> </i>by Lynne M. Thomas</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(8) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21855259-the-secret-history-of-wonder-woman"><i>The Secret History of Wonder Woman</i></a> by Jill Lepore</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(9) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6619112-ink-stained-amazons-and-cinematic-warriors"><i>Ink-Stained Amazons and Cinematic Warriors: Superwomen in Modern Mythology</i></a> by Jennifer K. Stuller</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(10) <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1425847.Wonder_Women">Wonder Women: Feminisms and Superheroes</a> </i>by Lillian Robinson<br />
<br />
What are you hoping to read this month?</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-862245241620136133.post-72184628555927557372015-06-02T00:00:00.000-07:002015-06-02T00:00:00.511-07:00May 2015 Wrap-Up<div style="text-align: center;">
How I love thee, Summer Break, let me count the ways...or should I say books read?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
As predicted I'm a reading machine (in between marathoning <i>Once Upon a Time</i> because my best friend told me to!). I've been switching off between things on my own vast physical TBR shelves, books lent to me by some pretty amazing friends, and my old friend the library to fill in the gaps. IT HAS BEEN AMAZING. I think I might really be able to make a dent in my physical TBR over the next few months, which would be amazing, though eliminating it entirely would be asking way too much. (Some day I will show you guys my TBR shelves! Promise.)<br />
<br />
I totally went off the beaten path AKA my May TBR though but I'm pretty okay with that because it has been such an awesome reading month. I've found so many awesome new things, finished series, and just really enjoyed everything that I've read. (With only a few exceptions.)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
What I Managed to Read:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Under the Knife (Witch Doctor, #1)" id="cover_review_1269514382" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333290560m/12981097.jpg" /><img alt="Joust (Dragon Jousters, #1)" id="cover_review_134655786" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388335864m/13993.jpg" /><img alt="Alta (Dragon Jousters, #2)" id="cover_review_239862610" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388335863m/13996.jpg" /><img alt="What A Lady Wants by Victoria Alexander" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388444372m/37069.jpg" title="What A Lady Wants by Victoria Alexander" /><img alt="Kiss Me, Annabel by Eloisa James" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347672790m/715787.jpg" title="Kiss Me, Annabel by Eloisa James" /><img alt="The Snow Child" id="cover_review_708424825" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1338944917m/13528343.jpg" /><img alt="Emily of New Moon (Emily of New Moon, #1)" id="cover_review_185026910" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327883976m/3562.jpg" /><img alt="Emily Climbs (Emily, #2)" id="cover_review_185027036" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403189071m/773514.jpg" /><img alt="Emily's Quest (Emily, #3)" id="cover_review_185027216" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388191272m/773507.jpg" /><img alt="Stormy Persuasion by Johanna Lindsey" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1424053649m/22609476.jpg" title="Stormy Persuasion by Johanna Lindsey" /><img alt="Opening Up (Ink and Chrome, #1)" id="cover_review_1268711307" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1417512833m/23119319.jpg" /><img alt="Dead Poets Society " id="cover_review_163587639" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1359814692m/67238.jpg" /><img alt="Mal Practice (Witch Doctor, #2)" id="cover_review_1285457716" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1360032693m/17131870.jpg" /><img alt="One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1373857981m/2168860.jpg" title="One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost" /><img alt="At Grave's End by Jeaniene Frost" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1330786048m/3570231.jpg" title="At Grave's End by Jeaniene Frost" /><img alt="Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1315175949m/5604848.jpg" title="Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost" /><img alt="One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1315175727m/7954556.jpg" title="One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost" /><img alt="This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1282659107m/6871617.jpg" title="This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost" /><img alt="Up From the Grave by Jeaniene Frost" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1367085937m/10357792.jpg" title="Up From the Grave by Jeaniene Frost" /><img alt="Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road, #1)" id="cover_review_1268280499" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1422584378m/23492282.jpg" /> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(1) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12981097-under-the-knife"><i>Witch Doctor, Volume One: Under the Knife</i></a> by Brandon Seifert and Lucas Ketner [4.5/5] </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(2) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13993.Joust"><i>Joust (Dragon Jousters #1)</i> </a>by Mercedes Lackey [4/5]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(3) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13996.Alta"><i>Alta (Dragon Jousters #2)</i></a> by Mercedes Lackey [3.5/5]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(4) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37069.What_A_Lady_Wants"><i>What a Lady Wants</i></a> by Victoria Alexander [3.5/5]<br />
(5) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/715787.Kiss_Me_Annabel"><i>Kiss Me, Annabel</i> </a>by Eloisa James [1.5/5]<br />
(6) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13528343-the-snow-child"><i>The Snow Child</i></a> by Eowyn Ivey [4/5]<br />
(7) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3562.Emily_of_New_Moon"><i>Emily of New Moon</i></a> by L. M. Montgomery [3.5/5]<br />
(8) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/773514.Emily_Climbs"><i>Emily Climbs</i></a> by L.M. Montgomery [3/5]<br />
(9) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/773507.Emily_s_Quest"><i>Emily's Quest</i></a> by L.M. Montgomery [3/5]<br />
(10) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22609476-stormy-persuasion"><i>Stormy Persuasion</i></a> by Johanna Lindsey [3.5/5]<br />
(11) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23119319-opening-up"><i>Opening Up (Ink & Chrome #1) </i></a>by Lauren Dane [3/5]<br />
(12) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/67238.Dead_Poets_Society"><i>Dead Poets Society</i></a> by N.H. Kleinbaum [2/5]<br />
(13) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17131870-mal-practice"><i>Witch Doctor, Volume Two: Mal Practice</i></a> by Brandon Seifert and Lucas Ketner [5/5]<br />
(14) <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2168860.One_Foot_in_the_Grave">One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress #2)</a> </i>by Jeaniene Frost [4/5]<br />
(15) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3570231-at-grave-s-end"><i>At Grave's End (Night Huntress #3)</i></a> by Jeaniene Frost [3.5/5]<br />
(16) <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5604848-destined-for-an-early-grave">Destined for an Early Grave (Night Huntress #4)</a> </i>by Jeaniene Frost [4/5]<br />
(17)<i> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7954556-one-grave-at-a-time">One Grave at a Time (Night Huntress #6)</a> </i>by Jeaniene Frost [4/5]<br />
(18) <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6871617-this-side-of-the-grave">This Side of the Grave (Night Huntress #5)</a> </i>by Jeaniene Frost [4.5/5]<br />
(19) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10357792-up-from-the-grave"><i>Up From the Grave (Night Huntress #7)</i></a> by Jeaniene Frost [4/5]<br />
(20) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23492282-nowhere-but-here"><i>Nowhere But Here</i> <i>(Thunder Road #1)</i></a> by Katie McGarry [4/5] <br />
<br />
My favorites of the month would have to be both the <i>Witch Doctor</i> series AND the <i>Night Huntress </i>series for vastly different reasons. The first is an amazing supernatural graphic novel series that I just cannot recommend enough. I was told that it was kind of like a twisted <i>Doctor Who</i> type thing and I initially really fought the description but after having read both volumes I have to say that it isn't completely off base. But it is darker. And grittier. And a little gross at times. But the guy who recommended it to me knows me well and I LOVE IT. Can't wait for the third volume to release. Someday. As for the <i>Night Huntress</i> series, it was just fly through it fun. I love Cat and Bones. (And Vlad and Spade!) Easily in my top three Adult Urban Fantasy / Paranormal series.<br />
<br />
What was/were your favorite(s) read(s) of the month? </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-862245241620136133.post-40564902286712911372015-05-31T00:00:00.000-07:002015-05-31T00:00:02.387-07:00June 2015 TBR<div style="text-align: center;">
I didn't do so good on my May TBR, as you guys will be seeing once my wrap-up goes live, but despite that I decided that I would go ahead and do a TBR anyway simply because I like doing them.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You'll probably guess, extremely quickly, that I'm binging on fantasy right now and that has a lot to do with the fact that I'm on summer break. (1) I always start craving fantasy at this time of year and (2) it's the perfect time to read it because I actually have the time to devote to it!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
What I'd Like to Read:<br />
<br />
<img alt="Academ's Fury (Codex Alera, #2)" id="cover_review_1291302083" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1381026900m/133664.jpg" /><img alt="Cursor's Fury (Codex Alera, #3)" id="cover_review_1183509287" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1329104570m/504430.jpg" /><img alt="Captain's Fury (Codex Alera, #4)" id="cover_review_1291301934" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1315083292m/346087.jpg" /><img alt="Princeps' Fury (Codex Alera, #5)" id="cover_review_1183508863" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1329104627m/6303648.jpg" /><img alt="First Lord's Fury (Codex Alera, #6)" id="cover_review_1291302009" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327903582m/6316821.jpg" /><img alt="Catwoman, Vol. 1: The Game" id="cover_review_1275059486" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1338261049m/13227873.jpg" /><img alt="The Outstretched Shadow (Obsidian Mountain, #1)" id="cover_review_1192312926" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1431567665m/176843.jpg" /><img alt="Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art" id="cover_review_1267575949" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328408101m/102920.jpg" /><img alt="Windfall (Weather Warden, #4)" id="cover_review_1133297269" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1297552449m/157569.jpg" /><img alt="Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal" id="cover_review_1275058706" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1413031883m/20898019.jpg" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(1) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/133664.Academ_s_Fury"><i>Academ's Fury (Codex Alera #2)</i></a> by Jim Butcher</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(2) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/504430.Cursor_s_Fury"><i>Cursor's Fury (Codex Alera #3)</i></a> by Jim Butcher</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(3) <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/346087.Captain_s_Fury">Captain's Fury (Codex Alera #4)</a> </i>by Jim Butcher</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(4) <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6303648-princeps-fury">Princeps' Fury (Codex Alera #5)</a> </i>by Jim Butcher</div>
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(5) <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6316821-first-lord-s-fury">First Lord's Fury (Codex Alera #6)</a> </i>by Jim Butcher</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(6) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13227873-catwoman-vol-1"><i>Catwoman, Volume One: The Game</i></a> by Judd Winick</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(7) <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/176843.The_Outstretched_Shadow">The Outstretched Shadow (Obsidian Mountain #1)</a> </i>by Mercedes Lackey</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(8) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/102920.Understanding_Comics"><i>Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art</i></a> by Scott McCloud</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(9) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/157569.Windfall"><i>Windfall (Weather Warden #4)</i></a> by Rachel Caine<br />
(10) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20898019-ms-marvel-vol-1"><i>Ms. Marvel, Volume One: No Normal</i></a> by G. Willow Wilson<br />
<br />
What will you guys be reading this month?</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-862245241620136133.post-20922488738145852472015-05-05T00:00:00.000-07:002015-05-05T00:00:06.756-07:00May 2015 TBR<div style="text-align: center;">
SUMMER FREAKING BREAK!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Okay, okay, as I'm writing this it isn't officially summer yet...nor am I on my break but by the end of the second week of May I will be and you would not believe how much I'm looking forward to it.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Unless you're in school too in which case you have my sympathies and also definitely understand what I'm going through.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This past semester has been one of severe burn-out for me but I've also made some incredible strides school-wise...it's all kind of wibbly-wobbly if I'm being honest and I have been looking forward to this semester being over since the second month of classes. If not sooner.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
ANYWAY.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
My TBR pile has been calling to me for ages now, likely because I'm really missing having the freedom of reading whatever I want whenever I want at this point in time, so I have a bad case of wanting to READ ALL THE THINGS. Which we all know isn't going to happen. But I've got an idea of the books that I want to try tackling first and we'll see how things go.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
What I Would Like to Read in May:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Ship of Magic (Liveship Traders, #1)" id="cover_review_708422849" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320509175m/618211.jpg" /><img alt="Chicks Dig Comics: A Celebration of Comic Books by the Women Who Love Them" id="cover_review_1254150552" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1336432460m/12891730.jpg" /><img alt="Jurassic Park" id="cover_review_729817757" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1411243037m/526270.jpg" /><img alt="Wonder Woman Vol. 6: Bones" id="cover_review_1267574066" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1409602783m/23012564.jpg" /><img alt="Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman Vol. 1" id="cover_review_1254149998" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1429103964m/23012559.jpg" /><img alt="Superman/Wonder Woman, Vol. 2" id="cover_review_1267574675" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1410804592m/23012562.jpg" /><img alt="Joust (Dragon Jousters, #1)" id="cover_review_134655786" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388335864m/13993.jpg" /><img alt="Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road, #1)" id="cover_review_1268280499" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1422584378m/23492282.jpg" /><img alt="After the Golden Age (Golden Age, #1)" id="cover_review_1268659288" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1428323791m/8665134.jpg" /><img alt="Home: A Memoir of My Early Years" id="cover_review_1269891711" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348381669m/2511690.jpg" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(1) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/618211.Ship_of_Magic"><i>Ship of Magic (Liveship Traders #1)</i></a> by Robin Hobb</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(2) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12891730-chicks-dig-comics"><i>Chicks Dig Comics</i></a> by Lynne M. Thomas</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(3) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/526270.Jurassic_Park"><i>Jurassic Park</i></a> by Michael Crichton<br />
(4) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23012564-wonder-woman-vol-6"><i>New 52 Wonder Woman, Volume Six: Bones</i></a><br />
(5) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23012559-sensation-comics-featuring-wonder-woman-vol-1"><i>Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman Volume One</i></a><br />
(6) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23012562-superman-wonder-woman-vol-2"><i>Superman / Wonder Woman Volume Two: War and Peace</i></a><br />
(7) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13993.Joust"><i>Joust (Dragon Jousters #1)</i></a> by Mercedes Lackey<br />
(8)<i> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23492282-nowhere-but-here">Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1)</a></i> by Katie McGarry<br />
(9)<i> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8665134-after-the-golden-age">After the Golden Age (Golden Age #1)</a> </i>by Carrie Vaughn<br />
(10) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2511690.Home"><i>Home</i></a> by Julie Andrews <br />
<br />
Have you read any of these books? What did you think? What should I read first?<br />
<br />
And of course, what will you be reading in May? </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-862245241620136133.post-81760553676456012182015-05-03T00:00:00.000-07:002015-05-03T00:00:08.808-07:00April 2015 Wrap-Up<div style="text-align: center;">
I know, I know, I went and disappeared again after saying I wouldn't. But I did warn you at the end of last month that things were crazy hectic and just when I thought they couldn't get any crazier, they went and got the craziest yet. I wish I could give a definite date as to when I'll be back, probably expect me towards mid to late May, but I'm honestly not sure as of right now. I miss blogging so of course I want to get back to it as soon as I can set the rest of my world to rights. Just keep your fingers crossed that I can do that sooner rather than later!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And now for what you guys are actually here for, my wrap-up!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
What I Read in April:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Daggerspell by Katharine Kerr" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1326401538m/498214.jpg" title="Daggerspell by Katharine Kerr" /><img alt="Multicultural Comics by Frederick Luis Aldama" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348684829m/13699136.jpg" title="Multicultural Comics by Frederick Luis Aldama" /><img alt="Saga, Volume 4 by Brian K. Vaughan" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1410890998m/23093367.jpg" title="Saga, Volume 4 by Brian K. Vaughan" /><img alt="More Than Comics by Elizabeth Briggs" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1428196616m/24367326.jpg" title="More Than Comics by Elizabeth Briggs" /><img alt="Monstress by Lysley Tenorio" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1349038710m/12345883.jpg" title="Monstress by Lysley Tenorio" /><img alt="Brightly Burning by Mercedes Lackey" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388272190m/774855.jpg" title="Brightly Burning by Mercedes Lackey" /><img alt="The Last Final Girl by Stephen Graham Jones" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348280820m/16039485.jpg" title="The Last Final Girl by Stephen Graham Jones" /><img alt="Cress (The Lunar Chronicles, #3)" id="cover_review_1172065619" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388183809m/18896874.jpg" /><img alt="Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles, #3.5)" id="cover_review_1264797327" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1417605447m/22561347.jpg" /><img alt="The Wonder Woman Chronicles, Vol. 1" id="cover_review_1110721685" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328808132m/6803039.jpg" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(1) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/498214.Daggerspell"><i>Daggerspell</i></a> by Katharine Kerr [3/5]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(2) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13699136-multicultural-comics"><i>Multicultural Comics: From Zap to Blue Beetle</i></a> by Frederick Luis Aldama [3/5]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(3) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23093367-saga-volume-4"><i>Saga Volume Four</i></a> by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples [5/5]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(4) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24367326-more-than-comics"><i>More than Comics</i></a> by Elizabeth Briggs [4/5]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(5) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12345883-monstress"><i>Monstress</i></a> by Lysley Tenorio [4/5]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(6) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/774855.Brightly_Burning"><i>Brightly Burning</i></a> by Mercedes Lackey [4/5]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(7) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16039485-the-last-final-girl"><i>The Last Final Girl</i></a> by Stephen Graham Jones [4/5]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(8) <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18896874-cress">Cress</a> </i>by Marissa Meyer [4/5]<br />
(9) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22561347-fairest"><i>Fairest</i></a> by Marissa Meyer [4.5/5]<br />
(10) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6803039-the-wonder-woman-chronicles-vol-1"><i>The Wonder Woman Chronicles, Volume One</i></a> by William Moulton Marston [3/5]</div>
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My favorite book of the month was easily <i>Saga Volume Four</i>, which for those of you who have heard me gush about the series as a whole shouldn't come as too big of surprise. But <i>Brightly Burning</i> by Mercedes Lackey was a fantastic addition to the Heralds of Valdemar series, which if you haven't checked out yet you definitely should. And if you're a fan of horror, particularly slasher films, then <i>The Last Final Girl</i> has your name written in blood all over it.</div>
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Oh! And for all of you who went ahead and recommended that I check out <i>Cress</i> despite my disappointment with <i>Scarlet</i>, THANK YOU. You guys were so right. It totally restored my love for the series. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-862245241620136133.post-36783368211201305522015-05-01T07:27:00.000-07:002015-05-01T07:27:00.689-07:00Review: Wild Hearts by Jessica Burkhart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNNpI3GGNPolfaRKum2XJnnB7SI2Clz6SCDaVCYMv0DmFf9056UoTj3FLW1IA8q7hSKEErY3isKtkZjGCyxQO_b5yGLlJYcY2U9ECUJCno7leciZiaf5JegzPUhV3AkXai9ecZuOr0Gqs/s1600/22929523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNNpI3GGNPolfaRKum2XJnnB7SI2Clz6SCDaVCYMv0DmFf9056UoTj3FLW1IA8q7hSKEErY3isKtkZjGCyxQO_b5yGLlJYcY2U9ECUJCno7leciZiaf5JegzPUhV3AkXai9ecZuOr0Gqs/s1600/22929523.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span id="freeText7742065559997467247"><b>Enjoy <i>Wild Hearts </i>and the other standalone titles in Bloomsbury's contemporary If Only romance line centered around an impossible problem: <i>you always want what you can't have</i>!</b></span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span id="freeText7742065559997467247">Brie Carter's father's land development business has taken her family all over the world, but
as soon as they arrive at their new home in Lost Spring, Wyoming, the
town turns out to protest. They don't want a new hotel if the resident
mustang population will be displaced or hurt as part of the deal. Then
Brie meets Logan, a gorgeous local who has a special connection to the
mustangs, and she is immediately drawn to him . . . and the horses.
However, with Logan's father leading the protests and Brie's father
refusing to budge, it's clear that their parents are heading towards an
all-out war. Can Brie and Logan find a way to save the mustangs and be
together? Or is their love doomed from the start? <br /><br />This new title in the If Only line is the perfect summer read and proves that love flourishes in the wildest places!</span></span></blockquote>
<span id="freeText7742065559997467247"> </span>I was really feeling the contemporary romance mood, and I am a huge horse lover, so when I came across this on Netgalley I thought I had discovered the perfect answer to my craving. I expected something cute, sweet, and that would leave me with a smile.<br />
<br />
The first half definitely delivered for me. At times it felt a little young, but I'm a twenty-six year old reading young adult novels so it happens and it's not something that I actually hold against a book, and for the most part I did think it was sweet. I liked the characters and there was a lot of potential for development both with the storyline for the wild mustangs as well as Brie's actual character development. I was set.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately the second half didn't deliver for me. <i>Wild Hearts</i> went from being a cutesy romance novel to a story of lies. The entire plot seemed to be revolving around all of these lies that the characters were not only telling themselves but everyone around them. For me it was cringe-worthy. I'm not a fan of excess secrets and lies and that's what this story had suddenly turned into. Gone was that adorable romance from the beginning, and that was promised to me from the blurb, and I'll admit I was disappointed. <br />
<br />
Like I said though, it wasn't all like that for me. I did really enjoy the first half of the novel. And one of the things that I truly found myself enjoying throughout the story were the little cowboy sayings that were included at the beginning of every chapter; I never knew what would come up next. They were a great touch and definitely added to the overall western atmosphere of the novel. Overall though this just wasn't the right novel for me. But if you like your romances on the clean and sweet side, with doses of drama and a hint of western flair, this might be for you. <br />
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2/5</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*I received this novel as an E-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a fair/honest review.*</span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-862245241620136133.post-26392078749745106952015-04-14T00:00:00.000-07:002015-04-14T00:00:02.941-07:00Tiara Talk: Negative Reviews<div style="text-align: center;">
You might recognize this topic from a mini rant from my Twitter feed awhile back but it was too fascinating a topic to just limit it to 140 characters.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You see, I had won this book from Goodreads, read it, and ultimately found myself not liking it but I felt obligated to write a review for it since that is the whole point of winning books from the website.</div>
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<br /></div>
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So I tried. I really did. I wrote out several different drafts trying to communicate why I just didn't care for the book without coming across harsh. But as a person not fond of negativity everything I wrote seemed unbearably harsh to me. Even more so when I was thinking of how many author versus blogger battles that have taken place on the internet over negative reviews. The pressure was unbearable.</div>
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How on earth do I write this thing without stirring up any unwanted drama/negativity?</div>
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The answer for me? I don't. </div>
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I thought about it long and hard after I had written several drafts and mentioned briefly on Twitter how much I hated writing negative reviews. Hated it. And that was when I decided, I blog for me and blogging is supposed to be my fun hobby. Why should I waste time on a post I hate? </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
So I've decided that for me, personally, writing negative reviews just isn't my thing. But after so many interesting responses on Twitter I decided I wanted to reach out to a larger majority, and give you more space in which to explain your thoughts, and ask how you feel about negative reviews. Do you write them? If you do, why and how? </div>
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And for you readers, do you read these negative reviews? What do you think of them?</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-862245241620136133.post-82281703449275173312015-03-31T00:00:00.000-07:002015-03-31T18:53:31.268-07:00March 2015 Wrap-Up<div style="text-align: center;">
Life has been insane. I literally do not feel like I've had the opportunity to take a deep breath in between catastrophes...but the show must go on (same with school and research) so I've managed to sneak some reading in. </div>
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It only seems impressive, trust me, the majority of it is made up of comics and graphic novels.</div>
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What I Read:</div>
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<img alt="Winter in the Blood by James Welch" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1311279431m/1688838.jpg" title="Winter in the Blood by James Welch" /><img alt="Ready Player One by Ernest Cline" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1424543578m/24987978.jpg" title="Ready Player One by Ernest Cline" /><img alt="Supergirl, Vol. 2 by Michael Green" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1356127655m/17137653.jpg" title="Supergirl, Vol. 2 by Michael Green" /><img alt="Supergirl, Vol. 3 by Mike Johnson" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389989117m/17934766.jpg" title="Supergirl, Vol. 3 by Mike Johnson" /><img alt="Supergirl, Vol. 4 by Michael Alan Nelson" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400624684m/18764192.jpg" title="Supergirl, Vol. 4 by Michael Alan Nelson" /><img alt="Supergirl, Vol. 5 by Michael Alan Nelson" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1419179465m/22055264.jpg" title="Supergirl, Vol. 5 by Michael Alan Nelson" /><img alt="Super Indian Volume One by Arigon Starr" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1387720596m/19912160.jpg" title="Super Indian Volume One by Arigon Starr" /><img alt="La Perdida" id="cover_review_1165779891" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320548957m/3525721.jpg" /><img alt="Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1377579834m/17286849.jpg" title="Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell" /><img alt="The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388488473m/643750.jpg" title="The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch" /><img alt="Three Weeks With Lady X by Eloisa James" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1382507520m/18052956.jpg" title="Three Weeks With Lady X by Eloisa James" /><img alt="Wonder Woman, Vol. 2 by Brian Azzarello" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397585585m/17671925.jpg" title="Wonder Woman, Vol. 2 by Brian Azzarello" /><img alt="Wonder Woman, Vol. 3 by Brian Azzarello" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397592410m/18373312.jpg" title="Wonder Woman, Vol. 3 by Brian Azzarello" /><img alt="Wonder Woman, Vol. 4 by Brian Azzarello" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1395255110m/21519431.jpg" title="Wonder Woman, Vol. 4 by Brian Azzarello" /><img alt="Wonder Woman, Vol. 5 by Brian Azzarello" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405858737m/21519443.jpg" title="Wonder Woman, Vol. 5 by Brian Azzarello" /><img alt="Superman/Wonder Woman, Vol. 1 by Charles Soule" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403363771m/21524921.jpg" title="Superman/Wonder Woman, Vol. 1 by Charles Soule" /><img alt="Batman by Alan Moore" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348569467m/2233549.jpg" title="Batman by Alan Moore" /> </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(1) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1688838.Winter_in_the_Blood"><i>Winter in the Blood</i></a> by James Welch [1/5]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(2) <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24987978-ready-player-one">Ready Player One</a></i> by Ernest Cline [4.5/5]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(3) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17137653-supergirl-vol-2"><i>Supergirl Volume Two: Girl in the World</i></a> [4/5]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(4) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17934766-supergirl-vol-3"><i>Supergirl Volume Three: Sanctuary </i></a>[4/5]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(5) <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18764192-supergirl-vol-4">Supergirl Volume Four: Out of the Past</a> </i>[3/5]<br />
(6) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22055264-supergirl-vol-5"><i>Supergirl Volume Five: Red Daughter of Krypton</i></a> [4/5]<i></i><br />
(7) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19912160-super-indian-volume-one"><i>Super Indian Volume One</i></a> by Arigon Starr [3/5]<br />
(8) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3525721-la-perdida"><i>La Perdida</i></a> by Jessica Abel [3/5]<br />
(9) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17286849-fangirl"><i>Fangirl</i> </a>by Rainbow Rowell [5/5] -Reread<br />
(10) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/643750.The_Lies_of_Locke_Lamora"><i>The Lies of Locke Lamora</i></a> by Scott Lynch [4/5]<br />
(11) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18052956-three-weeks-with-lady-x"><i>Three Weeks With Lady X</i></a> by Eloisa James [4/5] <br />
(12) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17671925-wonder-woman-vol-2"><i>New 52 Wonder Woman, Volume Two: Guts</i></a> [3/5]<br />
(13) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18373312-wonder-woman-vol-3"><i>New 52 Wonder Woman, Volume Three: Iron</i></a> [3/5]<br />
(14) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21519431-wonder-woman-vol-4"><i>New 52 Wonder Woman, Volume Four: War</i></a> [3/5]<br />
(15) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21519443-wonder-woman-vol-5"><i>New 52 Wonder Woman, Volume Five: Flesh</i></a> [4/5]<i> </i><br />
(16) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21524921-superman-wonder-woman-vol-1"><i>Superman / Wonder Woman, Volume One: Power Couple</i></a> [4/5]<i> </i><br />
(17) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2233549.Batman"><i>The Killing Joke</i></a> [5/5]<i> </i> </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-862245241620136133.post-61117343497237415722015-03-10T00:00:00.000-07:002015-03-10T00:00:09.097-07:00Tiara Talk: Posting Schedules<div style="text-align: center;">
You may have noticed that the current posting schedule on Typing Tiara is a little all over the place. I originally said that I was going to post twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, and for the last few months of 2014 as well as January of 2015 I kept to that posting schedule. And then things got a little wonky in February as I started producing more reviews than normal so I started adding in a post almost every Sunday. In fact I think I actually have consistently had a post up on all three days every week so far.</div>
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As of right now, where I'm reading so much and actually wanting to discuss the vast majority of the books that I read, that posting schedule hasn't been too much trouble to keep up with. In fact, I'm scheduled out pretty far as of right now. Which is awesome because not only am I keeping up with what I originally wanted to do, but I'm exceeding it. When it comes to blogging this is totally fresh territory for me. I'm usually that girl who is flat out scrambling to make sure that my posts are in order and I'm up to date. (I think we can thank my handy dandy binder filled with calendars, scheduling, and post ideas for this one!)</div>
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<br /></div>
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But I'm not sure how this is going to go as the semester gets harder. (For those of you who are unaware, I'm in my second semester of graduate school which is crazy intense.) I want to keep it up because I like having the fresh content but I don't want to put more pressure on myself either.</div>
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So I'm coming to you guys for some advice. (These kinds of Tiara Talks are my absolute favorite!) </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
For Bloggers: How do you guys decide on a posting schedule that works for you? How often do you feel it is necessary to post? And, how do you deal with the guilt that comes around when you don't stick to your posting schedule? I mean, I hate it when I realize that I should have had a post up and then I don't. Or when I post a review later than I should, etc.</div>
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For Readers: How often do you like to see new posts up on your favorite blogs? Do you count it against those blogs when a post isn't up when it normally is? </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-862245241620136133.post-52394575435920633722015-03-06T00:00:00.000-08:002015-03-06T00:00:04.714-08:00Review: Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPjeYBxsPWhqx2AawBVZv82I4Em6y8ovGSyWSjKhJgSoiYeseY7q1V4nKYRys6aVqdz7Vq6X3RGsrBstLpMM5v48gUi7UT_3mXA4zLlnr9VGKMT9HFDqykrxsAJCpDv9_C1dpiZ89FPGY/s1600/7879278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPjeYBxsPWhqx2AawBVZv82I4Em6y8ovGSyWSjKhJgSoiYeseY7q1V4nKYRys6aVqdz7Vq6X3RGsrBstLpMM5v48gUi7UT_3mXA4zLlnr9VGKMT9HFDqykrxsAJCpDv9_C1dpiZ89FPGY/s1600/7879278.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span id="freeText9527910983441364956"><b>What do you do when your knight in shining armor lives, literally, in a different world?</b><br /><br />Most
American teenagers want a vacation in Italy, but the Betarrini sisters
have spent every summer of their lives among the romantic hills with
their archaelogist parents. Stuck among the rubble of the medieval
castles in rural Tuscany, on yet another hot, dusty archaeological site,
Gabi and Lia are bored out of their minds...until Gabi places her hand
atop a handprint in an ancient tomb and finds herself in
fourteenth-century Italy. And worse yet, in the middle of a fierce
battle between knights of two opposing forces.<br /><br />Suddenly Gabi's summer in Italy is much, much more interesting.</span></span></blockquote>
<span id="freeText9527910983441364956">I cannot believe how long I've put off reading this book. It feels as if it has been on my TBR pile since the beginning of time. Okay, maybe not that long but almost as long as I've had an actual TBR pile. (Three or four years if we're going from the time that I first added it to my Goodreads shelf). But every time I've gone to pick it up I just haven't been sucked in; I've skimmed the first page then moved on to something else. But recently while looking through my unread books my best friend pointed it out and said it sounded amazing thereby putting it back on my radar and on a whim I found myself picking it up one night before bed.</span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeText9527910983441364956">I got sucked into the world as fast as Gabi found herself sucked into fourteenth-century Italy. I read that night until my eyes blurred and promptly picked it back up the next morning. Before I knew it I was halfway through and already working out the logistics of missing my class later that night so that I could finish it.</span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeText9527910983441364956">The writing makes for a fast-paced read where you're constantly flipping pages to see what insanity Gabi finds herself in next. Gabi herself is a great lead character that feels so easy to relate to; she muddles through the cultural contexts of the past, being slightly knowledgeable because of her parent's lessons but for the most part remembering just enough that she ends up getting herself into some kind of trouble. And that's half the fun! And the secondary characters are just as enjoyable. It's filled with interesting characters, and some steamy knights, that would make any girl have a swoon-worthy summer.</span><br />
<span id="freeText9527910983441364956"><br /></span>
<span id="freeText9527910983441364956">I think <i>Waterfall</i> would make for an amazing spring break or summer break read; it comes off, at least to me, just like those fun, easy, and super flirty movies that I love spending those long lazy days watching. And I'm definitely looking forward to seeing where the next few books go. </span><br />
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<span id="freeText9527910983441364956">4/5</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-862245241620136133.post-1487683302949066882015-03-03T00:00:00.000-08:002015-03-03T00:00:12.963-08:00Top Ten Tuesday: All Time Favorites<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn_azC1r5yNZ3KVGaZSRPy8MgjqzUeX8r-dgp3qtVj2gNG8oVRCvMCuwX3iQgKgF391nDEIZnA5QGCwXgXlS6JAhkaKSWvhcpftkMaX6IIF8SZgpXuZ8QN_Fi8VxATdUOP2YDyg-NFZJM/s1600/toptentuesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn_azC1r5yNZ3KVGaZSRPy8MgjqzUeX8r-dgp3qtVj2gNG8oVRCvMCuwX3iQgKgF391nDEIZnA5QGCwXgXlS6JAhkaKSWvhcpftkMaX6IIF8SZgpXuZ8QN_Fi8VxATdUOP2YDyg-NFZJM/s1600/toptentuesday.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a> where a new topic is given each week by the host blog and participants
write up a corresponding list of ten things. Simple, fun, and great for
those obsessed with lists. This week's topic is: Top Ten Books You Would Classify As ALL TIME FAVORITE BOOKS from the past 3 years (you can extend it to 5 if you need to).</div>
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So these are in no particular order as I just scanned through my Goodreads lists for the past three years and picked out titles that fit the bill. Also, these are just books that I've read in the past three years not necessarily books that were released in that time frame. But still, FAVORITES.</div>
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<img alt="Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1391297776m/77197.jpg" title="Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb" /></div>
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(1) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77197.Assassin_s_Apprentice"><i>Assassin's Apprentice</i></a> by Robin Hobb - SO GOOD. I liked the whole trilogy but this book was just reading magic for me. I was sucked in from word one and it just didn't let go. A go to fantasy recommendation for me, though it isn't my number one recommendation.</div>
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</div>
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<img alt="Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355886270m/16068905.jpg" title="Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell" /></div>
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(2) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16068905-fangirl"><i>Fangirl</i></a> by Rainbow Rowell - Pretty sure everyone saw this title coming. I've officially lost count of how many times I've reread this.</div>
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<img alt="Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389938575m/243272.jpg" title="Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson" /></div>
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(3) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/243272.Mistborn"><i>Mistborn: The Final Empire</i></a> by Brandon Sanderson - Pretty much my go to fantasy recommendation, and in some cases just plain book recommendation, when anyone asks me.</div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Queen's Own by Mercedes Lackey" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1330972456m/14015.jpg" title="Queen's Own by Mercedes Lackey" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(4) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14015.Queen_s_Own"><i>Queen's Own</i></a> by Mercedes Lackey - This book made me fall in love with the world. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Saga, Volume 1 (Saga #1-6)" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1351259514m/15704307.jpg" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(5) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15704307-saga-volume-1"><i>Saga, Volume One</i></a> by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples - I don't think I'll ever fall out of love with this series. I can't believe I still haven't read the fourth volume!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Batgirl, Vol. 1: The Darkest Reflection" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388613515m/15798403.jpg" /> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(6) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15798403-batgirl-vol-1"><i>Batgirl, Volume One: The Darkest Reflection</i></a> by Gail Simone - My favorite superhero. My favorite comic writer. And just an amazing story that gives you strength. Brilliant. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits, #1)" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1322770025m/10194514.jpg" title="Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits, #1)" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(7) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10194514-pushing-the-limits"><i>Pushing the Limits</i></a> by Katie McGarry - Another book that I've lost track of how many times I've read it. I seem to pick it back up, at least to read a chapter or two if not the entire book, every few months. I just really relate to these characters and love their story and it gets me every time.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Where She Went (If I Stay, #2)" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347810457m/8492825.jpg" title="Where She Went (If I Stay, #2)" /><br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(8) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8492825-where-she-went"><i>Where She Went</i></a> by Gayle Forman - <i>If I Stay</i> didn't do a thing for me, looking back I only recall the basics. But this book just destroyed me. And I will always love it for that.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1417383241m/409207.jpg" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(9) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/409207.A_Game_of_Thrones"><i>A Game of Thrones</i></a> by George R. R. Martin - My first real introduction to adult epic fantasy. And the series that almost was my undoing during midterms. (Yes, I was brilliant, I started devouring these books during exam time.)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Poison Study (Study #1)" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1305148675m/237721.jpg" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(10) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/237721.Poison_Study"><i>Poison Study</i></a> by Maria V. Snyder - I don't even have words for this one. It's a flawless fantasy story for me. Just...sigh.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-862245241620136133.post-23602771179845339612015-03-01T10:44:00.000-08:002015-03-01T16:42:36.408-08:00Review: The Best Everything by Sarah Tomp<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAqRyX3JmaKvvU6hcfmRhb4OMc8UMFwU5IFq6q7X8eY95Q-59UOuBPL_cmXjDdSwWbC3yBTs4HZ3ksTOdxaHjWFXqkMeiifAwUQd2OlOs0sxe0aDr1KRP-a6pNIt3bJS-un8cj6_-ECg/s1600/24407657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAqRyX3JmaKvvU6hcfmRhb4OMc8UMFwU5IFq6q7X8eY95Q-59UOuBPL_cmXjDdSwWbC3yBTs4HZ3ksTOdxaHjWFXqkMeiifAwUQd2OlOs0sxe0aDr1KRP-a6pNIt3bJS-un8cj6_-ECg/s1600/24407657.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span id="freeText16557577924636724383"><b>An Appalachian
summer walks the line between toxic and intoxicating in this debut novel
about first loves, broken hearts, and moonshine.</b></span></span><br />
<div>
</div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span id="freeText16557577924636724383">
</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span id="freeText16557577924636724383"></span></span><br />
<div>
</div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span id="freeText16557577924636724383">
<div>
Luisa "Lulu" Mendez has just finished her final year of high
school in a small Virginia town, determined to move on and leave her job
at the local junkyard behind. So when her father loses her college
tuition money, Lulu needs a new ticket out.</div>
<div>
</div>
</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span id="freeText16557577924636724383"><div>
</div>
<div>
Desperate for funds, she cooks up the (illegal) plan to make
and sell moonshine with her friends. Quickly realizing they're out of
their depth, they turn to Mason, a local boy who's always seemed like a
dead end. As Mason guides Lulu through the secret world of moonshine, it
looks like her plan might actually work. But can she leave town before
she loses everything?</div>
<div>
</div>
</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span id="freeText16557577924636724383"><div>
</div>
<div>
<i>My Best Everything</i> is Lulu's letter to Mason--but it a love letter, an apology, or a good-bye</div>
</span></span></blockquote>
<span id="freeText16557577924636724383"></span><br />
<div>
I'm not one for epistolary novels. I don't care much for reading letters or e-mails as the novels are often written now so I'll admit to being a little hesitant to pick this one up when I saw it in the Netgalley newsletter but something made me click the "Read Now" button and I'm so glad for that little meant-to-be.<br />
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
As a graduate student I spend a lot of time highlighting for academic reasons but I almost never flag books that I read for pleasure; unless I'm marking it for an article I might want to write on it in the future. If it wasn't such a pain in the butt for me to highlight things on my Kindle than this book would be a plethora of rainbow text. As it is I'm probably going to have to buy it, reread and flag the heck out of it. I cannot stress how much I loved the writing. It was beautiful. It was poignant. It was rich. It was everything I didn't even know I wanted. And the fact that it was a letter from Lu to Mason? I just loved the way that she looked at things then, narrated from the perspective of what she knows now.<br />
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
And what the reader doesn't. That's right, as the last line of the synopsis leads you to believe, we don't know why Lulu is writing this letter to Mason. But it doesn't feel like a letter, it isn't one of those old epistolary novels where each chapter is a new letter. We never see Lulu write the words "Dear Mason", but we know she's writing to him because she mentions him by name. She tells him everything, no holds barred. She's writing to him with her eyes wide open and there's a raw honesty there that makes the reader connect with her; whether or not they've made moonshine themselves or suffered through what she's dealing with, we've all felt that we've come to the end of our rope like Lulu at some point in our life. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And that's where this novel shines, because it isn't about the experience so much as the emotion. I read the last chapter with blurred eyes. I didn't have any idea how attached I was to these characters, how invested I was in there story until I came to the end and was about to discover the answers to all of the questions the first chapter had opened up for me. My love for this novel was of the slow-burning kind and it's definitely one that I'll pick up again in the future; revisiting it the beautiful style as well as the troubled characters.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
4.5/5 </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*I received this e-ARC on Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.*</span></div>
</div>
<span id="freeText16557577924636724383"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-862245241620136133.post-3248648020288737452015-02-27T00:00:00.000-08:002015-02-27T11:34:52.454-08:00February 2015 Wrap-Up<div style="text-align: center;">
Despite the fact that February started getting pretty insane, complete with stacks of homework that could squish a cartoon character better than an ACME anvil and appointments that kept getting switched around all over the place, I was pretty much a reading machine. I think what really helped me out was the fact that I had cleared out so many of the books that were intimidating me on my TBR pile because I was just no longer interested in reading them and as a result treated myself to some new-to-me titles. Having the fresh variety, as well as having gone through my TBR recently and refreshed my interest on certain titles, gave me the GOT TO READ THEM ALL bug. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(If only that bug applied itself better to required school reading!)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Continuing on that happy note I was able to knock a lot of the requirements off of my PopSugar 2015 Reading Challenge (you can check out which on the handy dandy checklist located <a href="http://typingtiara.blogspot.com/p/popsugar-2015-reading-challenge.html">HERE</a>) and that makes me a super happy girl. Going off of what I've accomplished so far I don't think I'm going to have any problems kicking that challenge's butt, along with the other smaller goals that I've set for myself.<br />
<br />
So without further ado...</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
What I Read:<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348257287m/10335072.jpg" title="Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning" /><img alt="The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy, #1)" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1391102886m/17756559.jpg" title="The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy, #1)" /><img alt="Video Game Storytelling: What Every Developer Needs to Know about Narrative Techniques" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1411940289m/21480733.jpg" title="Video Game Storytelling: What Every Developer Needs to Know about Narrative Techniques" /><img alt="The Magicians' Guild (Black Magician Trilogy, #1)" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1308381327m/670394.jpg" title="The Magicians' Guild (Black Magician Trilogy, #1)" /><img alt="The Novice (Black Magician Trilogy, #2)" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403435274m/806040.jpg" title="The Novice (Black Magician Trilogy, #2)" /><img alt="The High Lord (Black Magician Trilogy, #3)" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1410136800m/806009.jpg" title="The High Lord (Black Magician Trilogy, #3)" /><img alt="Where She Went (If I Stay, #2)" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347810457m/8492825.jpg" title="Where She Went (If I Stay, #2)" /><img alt="Batgirl, Vol. 5: Deadline" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1419182061m/21556001.jpg" title="Batgirl, Vol. 5: Deadline" /><img alt="Waterfall (River of Time, #1)" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1421813229m/7879278.jpg" title="Waterfall (River of Time, #1)" /><img alt="The Ruby Circle (Bloodlines, #6)" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1409815340m/8709528.jpg" title="The Ruby Circle (Bloodlines, #6)" /><img alt="Dark Hollow (Hidden Heritage #1)" id="cover_review_1093604223" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1420684030m/23218619.jpg" /><img alt="Crewel (Crewel World, #1)" id="cover_review_452407908" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1376228331m/11556960.jpg" /><img alt="My Best Everything" id="cover_review_1193566034" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1420858100m/24407657.jpg" /><img alt="The Trouble with Flying (The Trouble Series #1)" id="cover_review_1201573409" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1423406265m/21873786.jpg" /><img alt="Furies of Calderon (Codex Alera, #1)" id="cover_review_1183509699" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1329104514m/29396.jpg" /><img alt="Wild Hearts (If Only . . ., #4)" id="cover_review_1203314342" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1412548023m/22929523.jpg" /><img alt="More Than Exes (Chasing The Dream)" id="cover_review_1209201165" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1423564336m/23295833.jpg" /><img alt="More Than Music by Elizabeth Briggs" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402770923m/22469320.jpg" title="More Than Music by Elizabeth Briggs" /><img alt="To All the Boys I've Loved Before (To All the Boys I've Loved Before, #1)" id="cover_review_1211248474" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1372086100m/15749186.jpg" /><img alt="Of One Blood by Pauline Elizabeth Hopkins" class="bookCover" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1420938202m/964680.jpg" title="Of One Blood by Pauline Elizabeth Hopkins" /><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(1) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10335072-bloodfever"><i>Bloodfever</i></a> by Karen Marie Moning [3/5]<br />
(2) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17756559-the-winner-s-curse"><i>The Winner's Curse</i></a> by Marie Rutkoski [4/5] </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(3) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21480733-video-game-storytelling"><i>Video Game Storytelling</i></a> by Evan Skolnick [3/5]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(4) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/670394.The_Magicians_Guild"><i>The Magician's Guild (The Black Magician Trilogy #1)</i></a> by Trudi Canavan [4/5]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(5) <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/806040.The_Novice">The Novice (The Black Magician Trilogy #2)</a> </i>by Trudi Canavan [4/5]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(6) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/806009.The_High_Lord"><i>The High Lord (The Black Magician Trilogy #3)</i></a> by Trudi Canavan [4.5/5]<br />
(7) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8492825-where-she-went">Where She Went (If I Stay #2)</a> by Gayle Forman [5/5]<br />
(8) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21556001-batgirl-vol-5"><i>Batgirl, Volume Five: Deadline</i></a> by Gail Simone [3.5/5]<br />
(9) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7879278-waterfall"><i>Waterfall (The River of Time Series #1)</i></a> by Lisa T. Bergren [4/5]<br />
(10) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8709528-the-ruby-circle"><i>The Ruby Circle</i> </a><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8709528-the-ruby-circle">(Bloodlines #6)</a> </i>by Richelle Mead [4/5]<br />
(11) <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23218619-dark-hollow">Dark Hollow (Hidden Heritage Series #1)</a> </i>by Tara Winters [2/5]<br />
(12) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11556960-crewel"><i>Crewel (Crewel World #1)</i></a> by Gennifer Albin [3/5]<br />
(13)<i> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24407657-my-best-everything">My Best Everything</a></i> by Sarah Tomp [4.5/5]<br />
(14) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21873786-the-trouble-with-flying"><i>The Trouble With Flying (The Trouble Series #1)</i></a> by Rachel Morgan [2/5]<br />
(15)<i> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29396.Furies_of_Calderon">Furies of Calderon (Codex Alera #1)</a> </i>by Jim Butcher [3.5/5]<br />
(16) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22929523-wild-hearts"><i>Wild Hearts (If Only...#4)</i></a> by Jessica Burkhart [2/5]<br />
(17) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23295833-more-than-exes"><i>More Than Exes</i></a> by Elizabeth Briggs [4/5]<br />
(18) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22469320-more-than-music"><i>More Than Music</i></a> by Elizabeth Briggs [3/5]<br />
(19) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15749186-to-all-the-boys-i-ve-loved-before"><i>To All the Boys I've Loved Before</i></a> by Jenny Han [3/5]<br />
(20) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/964680.Of_One_Blood"><i>Of One Blood</i></a> by Pauline Hopkins [2/5] <br />
<br />
<i>Where She Went</i> by Gayle Forman turned out to be my favorite book of the month which definitely surprised me after my fuzzy recollections of the first book. And to think I was on the verge of turning it in to a used bookstore! Thankfully you guys intervened on its' behalf.<br />
<br />
What were your favorite books of the month?</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-862245241620136133.post-1304404016311911212015-02-24T00:00:00.000-08:002015-02-24T00:00:11.095-08:00March 2015 TBR<div style="text-align: center;">
Let me just start by saying that I am so very jealous of all of you who have <i>The Winner's Crime</i> on your March TBRs. I adored the first book and that last line had me dying for more. But ultimately I decided that I needed to focus on the series I already own and just the books that I already own in general. Besides, I have a birthday AND Christmas coming up towards the end of the year (HINT HINT FRIENDS AND FAMILY) and that'll be closer to the third book in the trilogy anyway, right? Agree for the sake of my sanity, please. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Anyway. March is more of the same in regards to the majority of my TBR being built up of school books...mostly because I have at least four full novels that I have to read each month and no telling how many chapters out of various other books so it just doesn't seem fair to myself to load up my already full TBR with more books that I'm deeming have to be read in a single month. Basically, I get enough assigned books that I know I have to read so I want more freedom in my pleasure reads. That's fair, right? RIGHT. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
So it's not too surprising that I've only got a couple fun reads here...but let's be honest, we know that come wrap-up time that's number is gonna be straight up cray. And that's just the way I like it. (You know you feel the same way!)<br />
<br />
So let's hope I can continue kicking my TBR's BUTT.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
What I'd Like [Or Have] To Read:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Winter in the Blood" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1311279431m/1688838.jpg" title="Winter in the Blood" /><img alt="Green Grass, Running Water" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1417407487m/46277.jpg" title="Green Grass, Running Water" /><img alt="Mean Spirit" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320474715m/530878.jpg" title="Mean Spirit" /><img alt="The Round House" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1352999408m/13602426.jpg" title="The Round House" /><img alt="Cress (The Lunar Chronicles, #3)" id="cover_review_1172065619" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388183809m/18896874.jpg" /><img alt="Batgirl: The Greatest Stories Ever Told" id="cover_review_1175402779" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1342393113m/9510649.jpg" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(1) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1688838.Winter_in_the_Blood"><i>Winter in the Blood</i></a> by James Welch [For School]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(2) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46277.Green_Grass_Running_Water"><i>Green Grass, Running Water</i></a> by Thomas King [Reread AND For School]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(3) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/530878.Mean_Spirit"><i>Mean Spirit</i></a> by Linda Hogan [For School]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(4) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13602426-the-round-house"><i>The Round House</i></a> by Louise Erdrich [For School]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(5) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18896874-cress"><i>Cress</i></a> by Marissa Meyer <br />
(6) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9510649-batgirl"><i>Batgirl: The Greatest Stories Ever Told</i></a> by Various Authors<br />
<br />
As of right now I'm probably most looking forward to reading <i>Cress</i> simply because everyone raves about it and I have it on good authority that it will have me loving the series all over again. What's the number one book on your TBR this month?</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-862245241620136133.post-81916052017086115412015-02-22T00:00:00.000-08:002015-02-22T00:00:08.255-08:00Review: Where She Went by Gayle Forman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKRq9A0skc7hX0992cszxAOiD9-7Z50v5LG1CMBf5LnhFBEbl_g3OOgKCFm8Q4g0wnOjMhTH5UjfAxGbsPTHv0KpsyhvtewQ1wxk8rT0rfgzvm3LxKcOGW5OygYiiwkTAlXLf7PA0lED0/s1600/8492825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKRq9A0skc7hX0992cszxAOiD9-7Z50v5LG1CMBf5LnhFBEbl_g3OOgKCFm8Q4g0wnOjMhTH5UjfAxGbsPTHv0KpsyhvtewQ1wxk8rT0rfgzvm3LxKcOGW5OygYiiwkTAlXLf7PA0lED0/s1600/8492825.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span id="freeText11112547499950667839">It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.</span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span id="freeText11112547499950667839"></span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span id="freeText11112547499950667839">Now
living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is
LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity
girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings
the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city
that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their
hearts to the future - and each other.</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span id="freeText11112547499950667839"></span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span id="freeText11112547499950667839">Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined <i>If I Stay</i>, <i>Where She Went</i> explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.</span></span></blockquote>
Sometimes a book just really means something. It tears open something inside of you and gives you answers to questions you thought you had buried a long time ago. We talk about feels a lot as fangirls (and boys) but this is something more. This rips something in you apart. A wound that while it had healed, hadn't healed correctly. It rebreaks that bone, so to speak, so that it can be set. That's what <i>Where She Went</i> did for me.<br />
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Ironically I almost didn't read it. I had picked it up used awhile back and had no urge to actually read it. <i>If I Stay</i> hadn't left much of an impact on me, I teared up more watching the one minute trailer than I did reading the book. It just didn't really do anything for me. There was no real connection. It was just a book I happened to pick up and read. There was no lasting after-effects. Then the real irony comes in, but only if you've read the book. I featured it on a "Should I Stay Or Should I Go?" post on my blog. Only one person commented but it was enough for me to crack open the spine. I read the first line, the second, and before I knew it I was Adam, I was reading those lines through blurry tear-filled eyes and it was almost over. <br />
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For me <i>Where She Went</i> was everything, and more, than what <i>If I Stay</i> was for the masses. It was more than just a case of the right book at the right time. It was more than needing a contemporary, or craving something quick. It was an experience. And even while it broke me I loved every moment of it. I'm not saying that it's for everyone. I'm not guaranteeing that connection. That's part of what makes reading such a magical thing, it's a different experience for everyone who picks up the book because their own personal experiences are different. Books, especially books like this, aren't like a pair of magical traveling pants that fit everyone; but, I would recommend at least trying it on for size because maybe you'll find your perfect fit too. </span><br />
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<span id="freeText11112547499950667839">5/5 </span><span id="freeText11112547499950667839"></span><span id="freeText11112547499950667839"></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-862245241620136133.post-23971065960833032015-02-20T00:00:00.000-08:002015-02-20T00:00:07.284-08:00Exploring the Kingdom (2): Craft'ed<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Exploring the Kingdom</i> is a feature on Typing Tiara where I
explore other bookish pursuits, cool websites that I've discovered, or
geeky things that don't otherwise fit in with my "normal" posts.</div>
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Today's lovely find is a special favorite for me as a collector of bookmarks, an adorable little Etsy Shop called <a href="http://www.craftedvan.com/">Craft'ed</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7JpKuD6VOmVa621D3Lhu8zgN9k2lRMQYl6HtRfQowgaUFgWhnCS_qwayoh34uoZCdFTNv7Un4OMNWWOCX9E-P1bl8ZPCIw1tZx6XZqBy_Qq3qHtp7ogaPd2GTjaQmWN7HPCSKBA4cu4/s1600/crafted.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7JpKuD6VOmVa621D3Lhu8zgN9k2lRMQYl6HtRfQowgaUFgWhnCS_qwayoh34uoZCdFTNv7Un4OMNWWOCX9E-P1bl8ZPCIw1tZx6XZqBy_Qq3qHtp7ogaPd2GTjaQmWN7HPCSKBA4cu4/s1600/crafted.png" height="111" width="400" /></a></div>
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They have bookmarks for all of my favorite fandoms such as <i>Doctor Who</i>, <i>Sherlock</i>, <i>Game of Thrones</i>, <i>Disney</i>, <i>Harry Potter</i>, AND <i>Sailor Moon</i>. Which, since they're combining two of my favorite things, makes me a very happy fangirl!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJvNneoYMlUlDOrVdt7Xe_yWSso4zXY4fn8ruo1uVevEVRTZOvlgwjKNbVKhyphenhyphen1uii-Z4kjA6AgIBQ5GH8DpAzB1thOnGfyqHqgAGefRXUZ6qK4aWmObkLHJzuO_rxgvo28d0Cwk5Ee8GY/s1600/bookmarks.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJvNneoYMlUlDOrVdt7Xe_yWSso4zXY4fn8ruo1uVevEVRTZOvlgwjKNbVKhyphenhyphen1uii-Z4kjA6AgIBQ5GH8DpAzB1thOnGfyqHqgAGefRXUZ6qK4aWmObkLHJzuO_rxgvo28d0Cwk5Ee8GY/s1600/bookmarks.png" height="159" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz7GLthxnuB2HyfJhcT_WdNgFi7Dh3ZMY5eH1r8O86U0scZC1Fql-3ZhQ4T5CKUdOvUV36_FsCTuWcqCUbALpDuh66H9Grq__SAHq1aJsdN57BVqphblvUCN4qQmD4NFbKJK6oPcNJVEA/s1600/bookmarks+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz7GLthxnuB2HyfJhcT_WdNgFi7Dh3ZMY5eH1r8O86U0scZC1Fql-3ZhQ4T5CKUdOvUV36_FsCTuWcqCUbALpDuh66H9Grq__SAHq1aJsdN57BVqphblvUCN4qQmD4NFbKJK6oPcNJVEA/s1600/bookmarks+2.png" height="235" width="320" /></a></div>
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I was lucky enough to receive one of their magnetic Batman bookmarks for Christmas from one of my friends, after she had seen me repeatedly posting the link to the shop on Facebook to squeal over how cute they were, and I absolutely love it. I had never used a magnetic bookmark prior to that, but I've definitely fallen in love with them since using my Batman. They're perfect for someone like me who is continuously clumsy enough to have bookmarks slipping out from between the pages of whatever book I'm currently reading. And did I mention they're insanely cute?! And they're continuously updating their story with adorable designs? I absolutely love mine and can pretty much guarantee that I'll be placing an order of my own as soon as I possibly can.<br />
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If you haven't already you should definitely check them out. ^.^<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*All pictures come from their store on Etsy.*</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-862245241620136133.post-41409885932406764022015-02-17T00:00:00.000-08:002015-02-17T00:00:04.294-08:00Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Issues<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxhWhk3BbwQm7oa8g3xo9fhoM2OZUm2Xd52aB8weuRFxsTM8xupy_kDWamw1c7Opm10i7uxNv58m68NVfyAoxFZQyQm1soHI7XoJLlWH3k3oCtCRI41qB3d48KU6vsp5VJAHF69Mlc720/s1600/toptentuesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxhWhk3BbwQm7oa8g3xo9fhoM2OZUm2Xd52aB8weuRFxsTM8xupy_kDWamw1c7Opm10i7uxNv58m68NVfyAoxFZQyQm1soHI7XoJLlWH3k3oCtCRI41qB3d48KU6vsp5VJAHF69Mlc720/s1600/toptentuesday.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a> where a new topic is given each week by the host blog and participants
write up a corresponding list of ten things. Simple, fun, and great for
those obsessed with lists. This week's topic is: Ten Book Related Problems I Have (could be serious or fun!)</div>
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(1) I am absolutely terrible about going into a bookstore, usually one of the used bookstores that I frequently haunt, and buying books simply because I recognize the title or cover...and then I usually end up donating them later because they aren't something that I would really be interested in.</div>
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(2) I am the queen of picking up a book, setting it aside, and then not getting back to it for months (sometimes years). </div>
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(3) If I love a book (such as <i>Little Women</i> or <i>Gone With the Wind</i> or <i>Alice in Wonderland</i>) I tend to want every cover available. That's right...I collect multiple editions.</div>
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(4) If I buy a book new chances are I won't break the spine. Even if it's a super tight mass market paperback and it's a gigantic fantasy novel. UNLESS I own the rest of the series used and the spines are cracked on those. Hello hand cramps!</div>
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(5) If a book is a tearjerker I'll avoid it like the plague. Usually.</div>
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(6) I'm positive that, like me, everyone around me wants books for every holiday...they just don't know it yet.</div>
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(7) I HATE owning books in the same series that don't match. ESPECIALLY if they are different sizes. My Maria V. Snyder books are an excellent example of this because I own mass market editions of two of the first books in her series and then the rest are all trade paperbacks which makes them way awkward to try and display on my shelves.</div>
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(8) My TBR pile. Enough said.</div>
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(9) Kindle sales. Really Amazon, really? You have to send me those e-mails and have those sales everywhere and just tempt me to buy even more books.</div>
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(10) The cost of shipping when ordering from Book Outlet. Hands down the biggest bookish issue I have in the universe. I love their book prices but shipping...ugh their shipping costs.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-862245241620136133.post-21138489047881780302015-02-15T00:00:00.000-08:002015-02-15T00:00:00.064-08:00Used Book Haul<div style="text-align: center;">
If you follow me on Twitter than you already know I've been going on HUGE purging sprees in the last month or so when it comes to my physical TBR. I'm determined to make it manageable, probably not by the end of this year like I know so many are doing (it is tempting however!), and make sure that the books I have are books that I actually want to read. <br />
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However, I also know that I'm going to want new books and I'm going to need books that are continuations of series that I'm already in the middle of or that are the sequels to books on my TBR that I haven't yet read but will want to marathon once I've gotten around to them. If that makes any sense. So I'm not on a full-fledged book buying ban. Because, for me right now, that would be insane.<br />
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So since I recently got rid of about five bags of books I thought it was high time that I rewarded myself with some books that I'm REALLY excited to read. So of course I hit up my favorite used bookstore...and I had originally planned on coming home with a variety but it's me versus the fantasy section and I'm pretty sure once you see the pictures below you'll know exactly who won that bout. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzsDHHEEPlqE1EIllvE8qop-Daffv4ruGu4kIbtPJYns-_ePZ_zZn6q57tnF_W56D3I_Nf0F7WbvHMy6IwSzsUJhEdu8PNoKFiyBhnzRIVlLZ2V7YtpBzlHlGPxdTtQ0lRh9X9pt3ZEk/s1600/image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzsDHHEEPlqE1EIllvE8qop-Daffv4ruGu4kIbtPJYns-_ePZ_zZn6q57tnF_W56D3I_Nf0F7WbvHMy6IwSzsUJhEdu8PNoKFiyBhnzRIVlLZ2V7YtpBzlHlGPxdTtQ0lRh9X9pt3ZEk/s1600/image.jpeg" height="149" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqiDb2AjIxkdawlmwJNNByIH173NL5Z-5NkzxOaLAHoOMit1EMD74PJKo5JDltAuMlV5KCufG_KFCd_22B9jB0yeRqnL7WHrIRtzfyvAZRSsxrXwV2iUA_ryvjIGQ9yWHMjuLTwn4AjqM/s1600/pic+2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqiDb2AjIxkdawlmwJNNByIH173NL5Z-5NkzxOaLAHoOMit1EMD74PJKo5JDltAuMlV5KCufG_KFCd_22B9jB0yeRqnL7WHrIRtzfyvAZRSsxrXwV2iUA_ryvjIGQ9yWHMjuLTwn4AjqM/s1600/pic+2.jpeg" height="149" width="200" /></a></div>
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(1) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/618241.Wizard_s_First_Rule">Wizard's First Rule(Sword of Truth #1)</a> by Terry Goodkind</div>
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(2) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/806040.The_Novice">The Novice (The Black Magician Trilogy #2)</a> by Trudi Canavan</div>
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(3) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/558681.The_Bristling_Wood">The Bristling Wood (Deverry Series #3)</a> by Katharine Kerr</div>
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(4) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/89552.The_Dragon_Revenant">The Dragon Revenant(Deverry Series #4)</a> by Katharine Kerr</div>
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(5) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/226163.A_Time_of_Omens">A Time of Omens (The Westlands #2)</a> by Katharine Kerr</div>
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(6) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/177434.A_Time_of_Exile">A Time of Exile (The Westlands #1)</a> by Katharine Kerr</div>
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(7) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/806040.The_Novice">Fool's Errand (Tawny Man #1)</a> by Robin Hobb</div>
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(8) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/643750.The_Lies_of_Locke_Lamora">The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman Bastard #1)</a> by Scott Lynch</div>
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(9) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29396.Furies_of_Calderon">Furies of Calderon (Codex Alera #1)</a> by Jim Butcher</div>
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(10) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29394.Cursor_s_Fury">Cursor's Fury (Codex Alera #3)</a> by Jim Butcher</div>
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(11) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2903736-princeps-fury">Princep's Fury (Codex Alera #5)</a> by Jim Butcher</div>
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(12) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10335072-bloodfever">Bloodfever (Fever #2)</a> by Karie Marie Moning<br />
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Have you read any of these? Which should I read first? Lemme know!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-862245241620136133.post-51668690911257272152015-02-13T00:00:00.001-08:002015-02-13T00:00:12.561-08:00Review: The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQ9-pNCALu5ZApgjc4tuu8lg0BNhyN22EeOAVyZX8HZ3l5Uhtj6uv_o9WSD32C-pbVFoT-xpobd2eHY2hzwb4V2jFbnCIZsi2rW0o5CfnxViAD67LloLhG-53lZ_zqsVD25_rU4tpTvo/s1600/17756559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQ9-pNCALu5ZApgjc4tuu8lg0BNhyN22EeOAVyZX8HZ3l5Uhtj6uv_o9WSD32C-pbVFoT-xpobd2eHY2hzwb4V2jFbnCIZsi2rW0o5CfnxViAD67LloLhG-53lZ_zqsVD25_rU4tpTvo/s1600/17756559.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span id="freeText4563455607202800619"><b>Winning what you want may cost you everything you love.</b><br /><br />As
a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves
those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can
join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One
day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for
auction. <br /><br />Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone.
Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences.
It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he,
too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid
for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined. <br /><br />Set in a richly imagined new world, <i>The Winner’s Curse</i>
by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at
stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your
heart.</span></span></blockquote>
<span id="freeText4563455607202800619"> </span><span id="freeText4563455607202800619">I will flat out admit that this was a cover buy. I wasn't particularly sold by the synopsis but I was absolutely in love with the cover to the point where I had to had it. Thankfully it popped up on Book Outlet when it did. So I snagged it. And despite many glowing reviews I mostly had it sitting on my TBR as decoration. And then I had a hair appointment switched around, minimal time to get ready, so I just grabbed the first book that stood out to me on my TBR shelf and ran out the door.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText4563455607202800619">I got lucky here, you guys. So lucky. I was sucked in from the first page. If I didn't know any better I would say that I legitimately got sucked into the story. It was SO VIVID. From the first line I felt that I was inside the covers of the book, literally! It was written so beautifully, I just loved the way that the lines flowed from one to another. But better yet, it gave me that amazing feeling, the one that the best books always do, that I could just see everything so clearly. I was never really reading a book, I was watching a glorious movie unfold in my mind. </span><br />
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<span id="freeText4563455607202800619">Kestrel was an ideal main character. What stands out to me the most when I think of her is her brilliant mind. And this is why I think she's ideal. I'm a total bookworm in case the huge monthly wrap-ups and book blog haven't clued you in and while I appreciate kick-butt heroines who routinely do kick butt I know that I'll never be one. But a kick-butt heroine who is kick-butt because she can think? Because she's well-read, well-versed in history, and can strategize? Now that is something that I can not only relate to, because I LOVE out-figuring people, but I can also admire because she does it so well. And all of these things make the book so fascinating to read because you're constantly trying to out-figure her and everyone else. </span><br />
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<span id="freeText4563455607202800619">And because I have to touch on the romance, because HELLO MAJOR PLOTLINE HERE, let me just say it was a slow burn. You know it's coming, you know it isn't going to be easy, but it just simmers perfectly. It leaves you wanting so much more. And that ending? I just love the last line. Marie Rutkoski definitely has a way with words. JUST WOW. Want to know what I'm talking about? READ THE BOOK. Just do it. <i>The Winner's Curse</i> was wonderful, I DEVOURED it, and I definitely think it's worth checking out.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText4563455607202800619">4/5</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-862245241620136133.post-57028366985840476492015-02-10T00:00:00.000-08:002015-02-10T00:00:21.059-08:00Tiara Talk: Mark My Words<div style="text-align: center;">
One of the most interesting aspects of my literature classes in college (okay, maybe not the most interesting because HELLO LITERATURE CLASSES, but still really fascinating) is the fact that there is a great divide between the students. Over what you ask? </div>
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Writing in books.</div>
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There are some students, like myself, who do it because we lose papers all the time and it is WAY more convenient to have all of those notes in one place and be able to reflect back on them at any point in time. There are others, however, who think it is the greatest sin on earth.</div>
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And then there are some who have rules for it, I can technically be included in this category as well.</div>
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One of my biggest rules is that I refuse to write in hardcovers. I will flag the heck out of them but I won't write in them. (How do I get around this? I buy an extra copy in paperback of course!) </div>
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For me it is convenience, I like having my notes all in one place when I go back and have to write on the book. (If I reread it, for another class, I'll write in a different colored ink then I did the first time in order to tell the difference because different classes pull different things from books). HOWEVER, I do admit that sometimes when I want to go back and read a book just for pleasure, or lend it out, I really dislike having the notes in the margins. I often find myself having to buy duplicates for those very reasons. It just feels so awkward having someone else read those "private" thoughts that I penned. Also, it dawned on me late and life that for certain books for class people often wanted to borrow my books FOR those notes. Sneaky, sneaky.</div>
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So...</div>
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Do you write in your books? Does it frustrate you to no end when others do? What about if you order a book used and there is writing in it? (I'm so divided on that last one. Sometimes I'm totally okay with it, other times I want a clean edition. There is no real rhyme or reason to it.)</div>
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How do you get around it? What do you do instead of writing in the book? Or, if you do write in your books, what kind of notes do you usually take? Do you highlight too?</div>
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Discuss! </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-862245241620136133.post-2024670036852116652015-02-08T00:00:00.001-08:002015-02-08T00:00:02.583-08:00Review: Video Game Storytelling: What Every Developer Needs to Know About Narrative Techniques<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5eyY2rT9HEScA9MC4_joTZ1yGJCL9x8Wo2_-ox0M75H2ibBjo_5HDzOntFOGJkHYHwuswCeFUZzD_pCa0cC2EOQDc1yUTSgCziSmQQSLP7nAz34oWa7msZfIEv3MccEdS5wWv6JvFaY/s1600/21480733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5eyY2rT9HEScA9MC4_joTZ1yGJCL9x8Wo2_-ox0M75H2ibBjo_5HDzOntFOGJkHYHwuswCeFUZzD_pCa0cC2EOQDc1yUTSgCziSmQQSLP7nAz34oWa7msZfIEv3MccEdS5wWv6JvFaY/s1600/21480733.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span id="freeText15004695447486803636"><b>UNLOCK YOUR GAME'S NARRATIVE POTENTIAL!</b><br />With
increasingly sophisticated video games being consumed by an
enthusiastic and expanding audience, the pressure is on game developers
like never before to deliver exciting stories and engaging characters.
With <i>Video Game Storytelling</i>, game writer and producer Evan
Skolnick provides a comprehensive yet easy-to-follow guide to
storytelling basics and how they can be applied at every stage of the
development process—by all members of the team. This clear, concise
reference pairs relevant examples from top games and other media with a
breakdown of the key roles in game development, showing how a team’s
shared understanding and application of core storytelling principles can
deepen the player experience. Understanding story and why it matters is
no longer just for writers or narrative designers. From team leadership
to game design and beyond, Skolnick reveals how each member of the
development team can do his or her part to help produce gripping, truly
memorable narratives that will enhance gameplay and bring today’s savvy
gamers back time and time again.</span></span></blockquote>
Little known fact about me, only if you haven't read my About Me page, I'm a gamer. It's been awhile so I can't remember which games I've got listed there as being some of my favorites (there always changing based on my mood, same as my favorite books!) but there's usually a trend of fighting games. I've been playing those, and kicking major butt, since I was a kid. But, here's a really little known fact for you, a lot of the time I actually prefer to watch people play rather than to actually play myself. A combination of not having enough time to really immerse myself into the big epic games that can take awhile, hint of laziness, and just a short attention span for actually playing RPGs in general makes it so that I'm often the perfect audience. So basically, I LOVE the narratives of these games but I just don't have the patience for my own play through. So while I do play them on occasion myself (and sometimes even conquer them entirely) I'm usually content to lounge on a friend's couch and watch them or check out play-throughs online. <br />
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<span id="freeText15004695447486803636">That was a mouthful...Okay, basically that was just a really in-depth way of saying that I just really like video game narratives. I think the way that they tell stories are fascinating. It's an interactive book that actually plays on the screen in front of you rather than in your head! I don't think it really gets better than that and that's why I was interested in this book. I'm a writer, a gamer, and a reader so OF COURSE I want to know how it's done. </span><br />
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However, I went into the book a little wary of it being too technical for someone like me who was interested in the how but not actually in the field itself but after a quick flip through I saw that my worries were completely ungrounded. Evan Skolnick did an excellent job of writing this book so that it would be beneficial for the actual audience, those people who were actually going to be working with narratives in game to create something amazing, while making it equally interesting for someone on the outside looking in.<br />
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The breakdown was good, the writing style something that was engaging and never felt like it was talking down to the reader, and I enjoyed seeing some of my favorite video game titles (such as <i>Bioshock</i> and <i>Red Dead Redemption</i>) included as some of the best examples of narrative in game (as they should be). As a whole I think it really did well at breaking down what each department did for a video game when it came to narrative, some of which was common sense but there were other connections made that I never would have even though of on my own. It was great seeing the framework for how a truly fantastic game could/would come together from start to finish.<br />
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While I would have liked more in-depth, varied examples of actual video games as there were toward the end (rather than just mentions and as opposed to the often included movies) I understand why he felt it was easier to stick to basics that were more likely to have been played all the way through so that the audience would have a base understanding of what he was referring to and it is kind of hard to pinpoint games with amazing narratives that everyone would have played so that the playing field would be even. Over all I liked the book, picked up some nifty knowledge about one of my favorite hobbies, and even learned a few tips that I could apply to my own writing.<br />
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<span id="freeText15004695447486803636">3/5</span></div>
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<span id="freeText15004695447486803636">Check it out on Goodreads <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21480733-video-game-storytelling">here</a>.</span></div>
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<span id="freeText15004695447486803636">Or buy it on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Video-Game-Storytelling-Developer-Techniques/dp/0385345828/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420965132&sr=8-1&keywords=9780385345828">Amazon</a> or <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Video-Game-Storytelling-Evan-Skolnick/9780385345828">Book Depository</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span id="freeText15004695447486803636">*</span></span><span id="freeText15004695447486803636"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I received this book from the<a href="http://www.bloggingforbooks.com/"> Blogging for Books</a> program in exchange for this review.*</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-862245241620136133.post-37991570915108587752015-02-06T00:00:00.000-08:002015-02-06T00:00:20.209-08:00Should I Stay Or Should I Go? [#2]<div style="text-align: center;">
"Should I Stay Or Should I Go?" is a feature on Typing Tiara where I reach out to you, my awesome readers,
to talk about series that I'm just not sure if I want to continue on
with or series in which I have the first book on my TBR and I'm not
longer sure if I even want to start any more. Your mission, should you chose to accept it, is to tell me whether I should stay with the series or if I should go and leave it far behind. Sound good? Awesome, let's do this!</div>
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Up today we have a duology which I'm sure you've all heard about...</div>
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<img alt="If I Stay (If I Stay, #1)" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1311702290m/6990472.jpg" title="If I Stay (If I Stay, #1)" /> <img alt="Where She Went (If I Stay, #2)" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347810457m/8492825.jpg" title="Where She Went (If I Stay, #2)" /></div>
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I read <i>If I Stay</i> by Gayle Forman ages ago for a young adult course that I took, I think my sophomore year of college, so many moons ago. I liked the book. I thought it was interesting and if I remember correctly, again many moons ago, I read it in a single sitting the same afternoon that I bought it. [I distinctly remember getting it at Sam's Club...though that's honestly neither here nor there.] </div>
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Fast forward a bit and I knew a sequel was out, it was on my radar, automatically added to my wishlist and honestly I don't remember ever considering actually buying it. It was just there. I had read the first one so I added the second...we all do this, right? I'm not alone?</div>
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Anyway. Then the movie came out. I saw the trailers. Honestly, I think I teared up far more during the trailer than I did actually reading the book but I could be wrong on that...I may have mentioned that the reading of this book took place many moons ago? Either way, suddenly I was interested again. I mean, come on, those trailers packed an emotional punch. And my Mom, who also saw the emotional punch that was the trailer for that movie, was interested now. [I actually bought her <i>If I Stay</i> for Christmas, just a little side note.] And then I found the sequel, <i>Where She Went</i>, at a used bookstore where I was able to get it [in hardcover none the less!] for about a quarter. And it's sat on my shelf ever since.</div>
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I remember bits and pieces of the first book, but like I said I felt that the trailer for the movie [which I haven't seen yet] hit me harder in the feels. <b>So I can't decide...should I stay or should I go?</b></div>
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[And, sidenote, if you vote for me staying with the duology, should I reread <i>If I Stay</i> first or can I just jump right in?]</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2