tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80492415618523190052024-02-19T17:51:48.218-08:00Book by Book SummerMy Vacation Triphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01884906933658768880noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049241561852319005.post-55903862797304733352017-07-17T23:30:00.000-07:002017-07-18T05:38:26.374-07:00#SRC2017 Book Review: Eden by Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg (audio)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghzx7apJriG7m6ZaJaUwEu9u1-hO6HSkXlkDGKQAnM39GeYfNbxBsuGE9GPLX7aDLRQHpBnvDw1LdT6Mn7-yz6UocFZZqpmyCFJ9eu-bIdqhyvPsx8-r9CH36cPLA5pzxRnioibvnGTuM/s1600/booksparks+SRC+2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="750" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghzx7apJriG7m6ZaJaUwEu9u1-hO6HSkXlkDGKQAnM39GeYfNbxBsuGE9GPLX7aDLRQHpBnvDw1LdT6Mn7-yz6UocFZZqpmyCFJ9eu-bIdqhyvPsx8-r9CH36cPLA5pzxRnioibvnGTuM/s400/booksparks+SRC+2017.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiK8FQT6a5P73WINPmkGdAEdY0jSF8KzEcWe-Qxi7oUfYOj3ps2mhz5nmVmAO71t6I2wVG5wMTXfaPdaafQ8zxD9xw1rAEOIAgJUr3unOjE-L_a6Lg7z_57OegPGtptNgjpmKnLdQ-DiYp/s1600/eden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiK8FQT6a5P73WINPmkGdAEdY0jSF8KzEcWe-Qxi7oUfYOj3ps2mhz5nmVmAO71t6I2wVG5wMTXfaPdaafQ8zxD9xw1rAEOIAgJUr3unOjE-L_a6Lg7z_57OegPGtptNgjpmKnLdQ-DiYp/s320/eden.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Title: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Eden</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Author: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Narrator: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Marnye Young</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Published: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">May 2017, Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg / She Writes Press</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Length: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">9 hours 56 minutes / 336 pages</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Source: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Personal copy via Audible / Netgalley via Publisher</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><blockquote style="background-color: #b1edec; border: 2px solid rgb(102, 102, 102); padding: 10px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText7328384024270631559">Becca Meister Fitzpatrick—wife, mother, grandmother, and pillar of the community—is the dutiful steward of her family’s iconic summer tradition . . . until she discovers her recently deceased husband squandered their nest egg. As she struggles to accept that this is likely her last season in Long Harbor, Becca is inspired by her granddaughter’s boldness in the face of impending single-motherhood, and summons the courage to reveal a secret she was forced to bury long ago: the existence of a daughter she gave up fifty years ago. The question now is how her other daughter, Rachel—with whom Becca has always had a strained relationship—will react. <br /><br /><em>Eden</em> is the account of the days leading up to the Fourth of July weekend, as Becca prepares to disclose her secret and her son and brothers conspire to put the estate on the market, interwoven with the century-old history of Becca’s family—her parents’ beginnings and ascent into affluence, and her mother’s own secret struggles in the grand home her father named “Eden.”</span></span></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My thoughts: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg's debut novel and I found myself totally invested in this family saga from start to finish. And the way the author skillfully used the house, Eden, as an anchor, was just brilliant. Oh how I would love to live at Eden - or at least visit it for a while!</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The book moves back and forth in time, introducing us to a cast of characters, a group of women who are equally strong and complex. They all have their issues and it was interesting how the author used the issues of the day to help tell her story. This book spans so many decades that there are so many issues relevant to each of the pertinent time periods. Hiding diagnoses of epilepsy, sending single pregnant young girls away, keeping diagnoses of depression hidden - these were all dealt with very differently than they are today and JMB kept true to the standards of the time period she was writing in.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The book pulls you in to this multigenerational family saga, weaving back and forth with a thread that connects the two. Just as we start to find out something in the present, the story moves back to the past. There are definitely secrets here - almost everyone is hiding something - and ever so slowly these secrets come to light. This just goes to show that all families - no matter the status or the wealth - has secrets! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This book will make you think and feel. It's emotional and as you read about what these women go through...it will make you think what choices you would make were you in that position. You will also find yourself thinking about these characters when you are not reading this book - I haven't stopped thinking about them since I finished the book...these are memorable characters! The relationships that JMB has created between them are authentic and relatable. </span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to see what comes next from Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg!</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Audio thoughts: </span></b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is the first time I've listened to Marnye Young and I thought she did a great job! There were so many characters and Marnye was able to give each one their own unique voice and personality. Her inflections and pacing were great and I will definitely be looking to see what else she has narrated.</span></span><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgThkZfRXlTnrI8ayqLswFiykYuTRA2HdqzCW2qQcG_GdyuMEy20MZn_FPLdCueFetWXKaqdkZAX-VTBnEQki4FULyYcmtjmB_6F_0HKfqH8avHo9FexvFnCTleYbrku05MZQIDzD54kxmi/s1600/booksparks+july+books+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="750" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgThkZfRXlTnrI8ayqLswFiykYuTRA2HdqzCW2qQcG_GdyuMEy20MZn_FPLdCueFetWXKaqdkZAX-VTBnEQki4FULyYcmtjmB_6F_0HKfqH8avHo9FexvFnCTleYbrku05MZQIDzD54kxmi/s400/booksparks+july+books+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="color: #20124d;"><i><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">Eden</span> </span></i><span style="color: #351c75;">by <span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg</span> </span></span></b><span style="color: #351c75;">is one of <a href="http://gobooksparks.com/category/summer-reading-challenge-2017/" target="_blank">BookSparks</a> "Summer Reads" reading selection picks. </span></span></span></span></span></b></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span></span></span></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span> </span> </span></span></span></span></span></b></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"> </span></span></span></span></span></b></span></b><span><span><span><span><span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Follow the #SRC2017 hashtag on twitter to read reviews on this book as well as reviews on the other summer books! Also, be sure to check out the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BookSparks/" target="_blank">BookSparks Facebook page</a> for the<a href="http://gvwy.io/yfeg4zo" target="_blank"> #SRC2017 </a> and other fun links. You can participate in weekly secret missions for chances to win signed copies of selected books and more! There's a new secret mission each week :)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><br /><br />My Vacation Triphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01884906933658768880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049241561852319005.post-12645700488062312962017-07-17T06:00:00.000-07:002017-07-18T05:38:26.406-07:00Review: The Breakdown by B.A. Paris<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrulxpXNJYSsA7Kai6BYiQiNYE39Ho8AolC3-O9Ymw-L2N57-BHvAD10RogrLA_lz-wsxnpAnl2K3PZWDlunBHbWmQWhFKd8P7ikAE9XuxdhS3k6WwwgyGjGsG6ZPq3IhlgR4C3qn_yoxq/s1600/the+breakdown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrulxpXNJYSsA7Kai6BYiQiNYE39Ho8AolC3-O9Ymw-L2N57-BHvAD10RogrLA_lz-wsxnpAnl2K3PZWDlunBHbWmQWhFKd8P7ikAE9XuxdhS3k6WwwgyGjGsG6ZPq3IhlgR4C3qn_yoxq/s320/the+breakdown.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Title: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The Breakdown</i></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Author: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">B.A. Paris</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Published: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">July 2017, St. Martin's Press </span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Format: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ARC Paperback, 336 pages</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Source: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Publisher</span></span><br /><br /><blockquote style="background-color: #b1edec; border: 2px solid rgb(102, 102, 102); padding: 10px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span id="freeText9900771784800320453" style="font-size: small;"><i>If you can’t trust yourself, who can you trust?</i><br /><br />Cass is having a hard time since the night she saw the car in the woods, on the winding rural road, in the middle of a downpour, with the woman sitting inside―the woman who was killed. She’s been trying to put the crime out of her mind; what could she have done, really? It’s a dangerous road to be on in the middle of a storm. Her husband would be furious if he knew she’d broken her promise not to take that shortcut home. And she probably would only have been hurt herself if she’d stopped.<br /><br />But since then, she’s been forgetting every little thing: where she left the car, if she took her pills, the alarm code, why she ordered a pram when she doesn’t have a baby.<br /><br />The only thing she can’t forget is that woman, the woman she might have saved, and the terrible nagging guilt.<br /><br />Or the silent calls she’s receiving, or the feeling that someone’s watching her…</span></span></blockquote><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My thoughts:</span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Last year, one of my most favorite and anticipated reads was B.A. Paris's debut novel, <i>Behind Closed Doors</i>. So of course I was ecstatic when I got an early copy of her second book, <i>The Breakdown</i>, and even had the opportunity to meet her in person during BookExpo this year at a luncheon for bloggers. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This is another psychological thriller that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. It just gets under your skin. But, I think it really is one of those books where the less you know about it going into it, the better. So, forgive me for being a bit vague in my review - I definitely don't want to give anything away for anyone and ruin their reading experience!</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The pacing of this book is fast...it will have you flipping the pages as you try to figure out what is going on. There are a lot of factors at play here - anticipation of what you think might be going on, mistrust of just about everyone you meet, and the coming apart of our protagonist. It's exhausting - not only for her, but for you as you try to put the pieces together. You feel as if you are on a rollercoaster with all that is going on.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This book is so good - it's addictive and while you might put some of the pieces together, it's still worth the read. I loved it from start to finish and I cannot wait to see what comes next from B.A. Paris...she is definitely an author on my must-read list now!!!</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>My Vacation Triphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01884906933658768880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049241561852319005.post-90148353650228406252017-07-16T23:30:00.000-07:002017-07-18T05:38:26.437-07:00Review: Last Breath by Robert Bryndza (audio)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD59hLYCYzBr-t2pSYpcXIg4v2_GfRRkQYNBDuSOTKht_CT7m3c76LCGz0RjQiO7TpFWsbgC5jUZUvgw7hjZNl-azw7vtlibqlH6Ad6gXsu7JWqrC_CYCbtwKjTihq1ia92c3P-LTffv63/s1600/last+breath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD59hLYCYzBr-t2pSYpcXIg4v2_GfRRkQYNBDuSOTKht_CT7m3c76LCGz0RjQiO7TpFWsbgC5jUZUvgw7hjZNl-azw7vtlibqlH6Ad6gXsu7JWqrC_CYCbtwKjTihq1ia92c3P-LTffv63/s320/last+breath.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Title: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Last Breath</i></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Author: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Robert Bryndza</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Series: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Detective Erika Foster, #4</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Narrator: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jan Cramer</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Published: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">April 2017, Bookouture</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Length: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">9 hours 5 minutes</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Source: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Personal copy via Audible</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span><blockquote style="background-color: #b1edec; border: 2px solid rgb(102, 102, 102); padding: 10px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText15314873923545874863">He’s your perfect date. You’re his next victim.<br /><br />When the tortured body of a young woman is found in a dumpster, her eyes swollen shut and her clothes soaked with blood, Detective Erika Foster is one of the first at the crime scene. The trouble is, this time, it’s not her case. <br /><br />While she fights to secure her place on the investigation team, Erika can’t help but get involved and quickly finds a link to the unsolved murder of a woman four months earlier. Dumped in a similar location, both women have identical wounds – a fatal incision to their femoral artery. <br /><br />Stalking his victims online, the killer is preying on young pretty women using a fake identity. How will Erika catch a murderer who doesn’t seem to exist? <br /><br />Then another girl is abducted while waiting for a date. Erika and her team must get to her before she becomes another dead victim, and, come face to face with a terrifyingly sadistic individual.<br /><br />Gripping, tense and impossible to put down, Last Breath will have you on the edge of your seat, racing to the final dramatic page.</span></span></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My thoughts: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is the 4th book in Robert Bryndza's Detective Erika Foster series and I absolutely love this series...it's dark and twisted and each book keeps me on my toes the entire time! Each book leaves me breathless and desperately wanting to get my hands on the next one.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">One of my favorite parts of this series is the character development we get throughout, which is why I think it is so important to read this series in order! You really get to know not only Erika, but her team as well. I think Robert really shines in this area - he has gone to great lengths to build up these characters and continues to do so with each book. </span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">In this latest book, Erika who has been removed from the Murder Investigation Team, manages to finagle things so that she is Senior Investigating Officer on the latest murder case and is able to hand-pick her team...and obviously picks Moss, Peterson, Crane and McGorry - the usual gang! I love this - this is such an Erika move!!! </span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Early on in the book, we find out who the killer is, so most of the book is actually spent watching Erika and her crazy tactics in trying to catch said killer. She is sometimes upstoppable - willing to go to any means necessary at times for results. By knowing who the killer is, we the reader are able to get inside his head - which is quite frightening.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This book is nonstop full of action and will leave you breathless so many times, especially the last quarter of the book! There are quite a few twists and turns and the tension is high throughout. It's one of my favorite series and now I am counting the days til the next book comes out...</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Audio thoughts: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jan Cramer is just brilliant with this narration - she does such a great job with these voices, making these characters come alive. I love listening to her and love listening to this series! Please, please, please continue to narrate this series for as long as it goes on - to me, you are Erika Foster and the rest of the gang!!!</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">Bo<span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">oks in this series<span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">:</span></span></span></b></span></b></span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span><br /><ol><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span><a href="http://alwayswithabook.blogspot.com/2016/08/review-girl-in-ice-by-robert-bryndza.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">The Girl in the Ic<span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">e</span></span></span></span></a></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span><a href="http://alwayswithabook.blogspot.com/2016/09/review-night-stalker-by-robert-bryndza.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">T</span>he N<span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">ight Stalker</span></span></span></span></a></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><a href="http://alwayswithabook.blogspot.com/2016/11/review-dark-water-by-robert-bryndza.html" target="_blank">Dark Water</a> </span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">Last Breath </span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">???</span></span></span></span></span></span></li></ol><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>My Vacation Triphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01884906933658768880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049241561852319005.post-17921030670579480172017-07-16T09:58:00.000-07:002017-07-18T05:38:26.457-07:00#FitReaders: Weekly Check-in Jul 14<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUuIE6zIY-AO7TbzQGqX47ocizrJV8S-QTyANVv-oIF95IQCSuM72zvpkJYUpv3tM3zTMBkB6oY59ou_RbJL2KD4280wJmRLZN2bS0c_fxaKpmBfdXJSUcrn38a1JVYdREVDA0zRg0UyNG/s1600/FitReaders-2017-1-200x200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUuIE6zIY-AO7TbzQGqX47ocizrJV8S-QTyANVv-oIF95IQCSuM72zvpkJYUpv3tM3zTMBkB6oY59ou_RbJL2KD4280wJmRLZN2bS0c_fxaKpmBfdXJSUcrn38a1JVYdREVDA0zRg0UyNG/s1600/FitReaders-2017-1-200x200.jpg" /></a></div></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">#FitReaders is hosted by <a href="http://www.geekybloggersbookblog.com/" target="_blank">Geeky Bloggers Book Blog </a> and <a href="http://twimom227.com/" target="_blank">That’s What I’m Talking About</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">I seem to have found a good routine and it is working...good workouts, good meals, and I'm feeling good - so I must be doing something right!!! We leave for our beach vacation in 3 weeks and I am really looking forward to it. I just hope the weather cooperates :)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"> </span></span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><b> </b></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><b>July Goals:</b></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"> </span></span><span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></span></span></span></span></span><ul><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">10K steps M-F, at least 7,500 steps on the weekend -<b><span style="color: #351c75;"> 5/5, 2/2</span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">30 minutes of active walking every day, M-F - <b><span style="color: #351c75;">5/5 </span></b><span style="color: #351c75;">(thank goodness for having to walk the dogs everyday!)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span><span><span><span style="color: #444444;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">Strength training (3/5 days) - <b>Met</b><span style="color: #351c75;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">Eat mindfully/eat enough - <span style="color: #351c75;"><b>Yes</b></span><span style="color: #20124d;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"> </span></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li></ul><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b></b><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><b>Here's how last week went:</b> </span></span> <span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> </span></span></span></span> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;">Jul 8: 11,373 steps</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;">Jul 9: 10,234 steps </span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;">Jul 10: 18,808 steps (5K+ - 5 Charity Miles for Girls on the Run) </span></span></span></span><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> </span></span><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> </span></span><br /><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;">Jul 11: 12,193 steps</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;">Jul 12: 16,713 steps (5K+ - 5 Charity Miles for Girls on the Run)</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;">Jul 13: 17</span></span></span></span><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;">,749 steps </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;">(5K+ - 5 Charity Miles for Girls on the Run)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> </span></span><br /><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;">Jul 14: 14</span></span></span></span><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;">,970 steps (5K+ - 5 Charity Miles for Girls on the Run)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> </span></span><br /><b>Total Steps: 102,040 steps</b></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </b></span></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><br /><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> </span></span></span><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;">Audiobooks listened to last week (since I'm not much of a music fan, I listen to books while I walk):</span></span></span></b><span style="color: #444444;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><ul><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">Started and finished <i>The Sleepwalker</i> by Chris Bohjalian, narrated by Cady McClain & Grace Experience</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">Started and finished <i>The Almost Sisters</i> by Joshilyn Jackson, narrated by Joshilyn Jackson</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">Started <i>The Good Widow</i> by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke, narrated Dara Rosenberg</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li></ul><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><b> </b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><b>How did your week go?</b> You can find this week's link-up <a href="http://www.geekybloggersbookblog.com/fitreaders-weekly-check-in-july-14-2017/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></span></span></span></span><span><br /><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span> <span></span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span><b><span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;">Virtual 5K /10K Tally:</span></span></b><br /><span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> January: <span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><span style="color: #20124d;">May:</span> September: </span> </span> </span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> 5K - 4 <span style="color: #8e7cc3;"> <span style="color: #20124d;">5K - 5</span></span></span><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"> 5K -</span> </span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> 10K - 7 10K</span><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><span style="color: #20124d;"> - 6</span> 10K -</span> </span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><span style="color: #20124d;">February:</span> <span style="color: #20124d;">June:</span> October:</span></span></span><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: #20124d;">5K - 4</span> <span style="color: #20124d;"> 5K - 10</span> 5K - </span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: #20124d;">10K - 9 </span> <span style="color: #20124d;">10K - 2 </span> 10K - </span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: #20124d;">March:</span> <span style="color: #20124d;">July:</span> November:</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: #20124d;">5K - </span> <span style="color: #20124d;">3</span> <span style="color: #20124d;"> 5K - 8 </span> 5K - </span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: #20124d;">10K -</span> <span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">7</span> </span> <span style="color: #20124d;">10K - 0 </span> 10K</span> - <br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: #20124d;">April:</span> August: December:</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: #20124d;"> 5K - 9</span> 5K - 5K - </span><br /></span></span><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span> <span style="color: #20124d;">10K - 1 </span> 10K - 10K -</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><br />My Vacation Triphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01884906933658768880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049241561852319005.post-91496442654114366802017-07-16T01:13:00.000-07:002017-07-18T05:30:18.862-07:00[Review] Ivory and Bone (#1) - Julie Eshbaugh: Prehistoric Times and Romance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjps_hBwWdXcLl7cwc65D0OuB5YtcNQU2q0oY6NpxX3qXJL0Owcczy5cY-R-B0uvcY5nyRNiRugDPEbRWv-0-gGrC4rFSeM76LNR0c_u9If84QURgjHD6Pr34Ux9Yqk9GHJ185oNCz8Ao/s1600/27064385.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjps_hBwWdXcLl7cwc65D0OuB5YtcNQU2q0oY6NpxX3qXJL0Owcczy5cY-R-B0uvcY5nyRNiRugDPEbRWv-0-gGrC4rFSeM76LNR0c_u9If84QURgjHD6Pr34Ux9Yqk9GHJ185oNCz8Ao/s320/27064385.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><blockquote class="tr_bq">In IVORY AND BONE, Kol's clan is running out of women to marry when a new clan arrives and brings lots of eligible teenage girls with them.</blockquote><b><br /></b><b><i>What intrigued me</i>:</b> I've read very few novels set in prehistoric times.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u>A regular romance story</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">IVORY AND BONE has an incredibly sad tone. The story is told from protagonist Kol's point of view as he tells the story of how they met to his injured lover Mya to soothe her. The second person narration is actually quite pleasant and works absolutely in favor of the story. Eshbaugh writes in lush flowery prose, a little too much so for my personal taste.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>While IVORY AND BONE is trying to be extremely authentic when it comes to descriptions and things the characters use to survive, it's lacking authenticity in the parts that actually matter to make it a compelling narrative.</b> IVORY AND BONE is a deeply romanticized story of two prehistoric teens falling in love. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The setting is great, the concept could be nice, it's certainly original but IVORY AND BONE relies too much on that.</b> This is neither historical fantasy as it says in the blurb, nor any different than any other romance in a different setting. Even more so because I feel like the setting doesn't do the story any favors, if there were actual fantasy elements and things beyond the premise of a clan of people living in the middle of nowhere meeting another clan of people - it could be epic. </div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Strives for authenticity instead of entertainment</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><b>Ultimately it's not only the lack of world building and innovation that goes beyond a cool setting that made this a disappointment. It's also the lack of action and urgency. </b>The romance itself isn't nearly captivating enough to carry a 400-page-novel, at least it isn't for me. What makes even is worse it that the writing tries to make up for that with lengthy, unnecessary scenery descriptions, which I'm just really not a fan of.<br /><br />You'll find lots of passages passively narrating how the characters walk up mountains and descriptions of the tools they use. <b>This very much showcases what immense research Eshbaugh put into this but at the end of the day the story just doesn't entertain and I couldn't imagine picking up more books in this series.</b> I easily and quickly lost interest in the story, which is a shame because the writing is excellent and the premise, as I said, absolutely unique and fantastic.</div><br /><br /><h3></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;"></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;"></h3><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Rating:</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 80px;">★★</span><span style="font-size: 80px;">☆</span><span style="font-size: 80px;">☆☆</span></h3><h3> </h3><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;">Overall: Do I Recommend?</h3>IVORY AND BONE has a very unique premise and is incredibly well-researched but absolutely loses itself in striving for authenticity in the prehistoric setting instead of narrating a compelling story. If you're a romance reader I think you might still enjoy this but I found myself too easily bored by the lack of action.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u><b>Additional Info</b></u></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjps_hBwWdXcLl7cwc65D0OuB5YtcNQU2q0oY6NpxX3qXJL0Owcczy5cY-R-B0uvcY5nyRNiRugDPEbRWv-0-gGrC4rFSeM76LNR0c_u9If84QURgjHD6Pr34Ux9Yqk9GHJ185oNCz8Ao/s1600/27064385.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjps_hBwWdXcLl7cwc65D0OuB5YtcNQU2q0oY6NpxX3qXJL0Owcczy5cY-R-B0uvcY5nyRNiRugDPEbRWv-0-gGrC4rFSeM76LNR0c_u9If84QURgjHD6Pr34Ux9Yqk9GHJ185oNCz8Ao/s320/27064385.jpg" width="212" /></a><b>Published:</b> June 7th 2016</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Pages: </b>371</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Publisher: </b>Harper Teen</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Genre: </b>Historical Fiction</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>ISBN: </b>9780062399250<br /><br /><b>Synopsis:</b><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">"<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;">A prehistoric fantasy—with allusions to Pride and Prejudice.</span><br /><span id="freeText5104732065293767529" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;"><br />Hunting, gathering, and keeping his family safe—that’s the life seventeen-year-old Kol knows. Then bold, enigmatic Mya arrives from the south with her family, and Kol is captivated. He wants her to like and trust him, but any hopes of impressing her are ruined when he makes a careless—and nearly grave—mistake. However, there’s something more to Mya’s cool disdain…a history wrought with loss that comes to light when another clan arrives. With them is Lo, an enemy from Mya’s past who Mya swears has ulterior motives.<br /><br />As Kol gets to know Lo, tensions between Mya and Lo escalate until violence erupts. Faced with shattering losses, Kol is forced to question every person he’s trusted. One thing is for sure: this was a war that Mya or Lo—Kol doesn’t know which—had been planning all along.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span>"<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Source: Goodreads)</span></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><h2><b style="font-size: xx-large;">Have you read novels set in prehistoric times before?</b></h2></div></div>My Vacation Triphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01884906933658768880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049241561852319005.post-28588806591609580392017-07-14T03:20:00.000-07:002017-07-18T05:38:26.478-07:00#SRC2017 Book Spotlight: A Work of Art by Micayla Lally<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYvEy5j6HanetIRKAHoXypeCcz8HAtsoLSGtYRh4cAvwjD_Pmyh-3wCrNw6v1ltfVMLzw0eOmQyfCmHeyC1Z0A4gsGnOnUXVswd-aD7MOEUgIxtxHcSwhDDj3hMWDbqXkNJOVfFDJcpH3l/s1600/booksparks+SRC+2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="750" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYvEy5j6HanetIRKAHoXypeCcz8HAtsoLSGtYRh4cAvwjD_Pmyh-3wCrNw6v1ltfVMLzw0eOmQyfCmHeyC1Z0A4gsGnOnUXVswd-aD7MOEUgIxtxHcSwhDDj3hMWDbqXkNJOVfFDJcpH3l/s400/booksparks+SRC+2017.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdbcBz48TnhdPCUSFgRkslncyaBaVX_QLaqITzmLoUgQEBGqFbE-uKXS3hpm06glKL-348FJwyyE4WxApqE3ec8XDT31BUPokmCA95rYOO5dfJYF0EY4w7sieKYCcr94uZ_ueJ0gangD6P/s1600/a+work+of+art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdbcBz48TnhdPCUSFgRkslncyaBaVX_QLaqITzmLoUgQEBGqFbE-uKXS3hpm06glKL-348FJwyyE4WxApqE3ec8XDT31BUPokmCA95rYOO5dfJYF0EY4w7sieKYCcr94uZ_ueJ0gangD6P/s320/a+work+of+art.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Title: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>A Work of Art</i></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Author: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Micayla Lally</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Published: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">May 2017, She Writes Press</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Format: </span></b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Paperback, 256 pages</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br /><blockquote style="background-color: #b1edec; border: 2px solid #666; padding: 10px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span id="freeText7341471104569800650">Letting go after her abrupt break-up with Samson is harder than Julene thought it would be, especially since her ex has wasted no time in burying himself in the local dating scene. But during an extended visit to her parents overseas, Julene rediscovers her love of art, and a burgeoning career develops. Samson, on the other hand, after trying valiantly--and unsuccessfully--to forget Julene, has settled instead on his own new career. </span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span id="freeText7341471104569800650"><br /> When Julene returns home to Australia, a coincidental meeting leads to an emotional reunion--but her love and patience will be tested when she finds out just how busy Samson has been in her absence. Yes, they have both made mistakes they can work through and move past--but when a specter from Samson's past looms, Julene wonders: Can she trust him again?</span></span></span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></b></blockquote><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What readers are saying: </span></b></span><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Romantics should enjoy watching this feisty couple rediscover their love for each other, work through their differences, and start over again with their new baby.” <b>—Kirkus Reviews</b><br /><br />“A darling celebration of forgiving and the intricacies of communication, this stunning adventure is the chick lit event of the year.” <b>—PopSugar</b><br /><br />“An endlessly charming story about second chances, A Work of Art explores the question we’ve all asked ourselves: is true love worth a second chance?” <b>—Redbook</b><br /><br />" A Work of Art by Micayla Lally takes the unusual tack of beginning the story at the end of a relationship. As she paints a renewed love that rises from the ashes of the old, Lally draws two imperfect characters who are growing into the people they need to be. The question is whether their new love is strong enough to survive the mistakes of their past." <b>—Maren Anderson, author of Fuzzy Logic and Closing the Store</b><br /><br />"Forget Samson and Delilah, take a romp with Samson and Julene in Lally's witty, whimsical debut. A great escapist pleasure, Lally's sassy, Aussie voice shines, drawing readers in to this gem of a romance that keeps you guessing until the very end." <b>—Jennifer Hillman-Magnuson, author of the award winning travel memoir Peanut Butter & Naan: Stories of an American Mom in the Far East</b><br /><br />"A Work of Art is a sweet and sassy look at what happens when couples don’t communicate." <b>—Valerie Ihsan, author of The Scent of Apple Tea</b><br /><br />Micayla Lally’s A Work of Art is a delightful romp through modern-day Adelaide’s art world. Samson and Julene are a sexy, funny, quirky couple who struggle to discover who they are and what they really mean to each other, especially when they discover that another little person is on the way. A perfect book-club selection, it is Chick Lit at its best! Highly entertaining! <b>—Michelle Cox, author of The Henrietta and Inspector Howard series</b><br /><br />“A fresh and literary spin on traditional chick lit. Micayla Lally has written an engaging, thoughtful story that gives hope to anyone who has ever wished for a second chance.” <b>—Katie Oliver, author of the Jane Austen Factor series</b><br /><br />"Micayla’s book is a lighthearted journey that follows the intricacies of a relationship…[A Work of Art] is a playful, easy to read romance story.” <b>—Jann Hill, watercolour and collage artist, Australia</b><br /><br />"I was hopeful when A Work of Art appeared in the post. The cover is gorgeous and the blurb intriguing so expectations were high. In short, I wasn't disappointed. Lally makes you like her characters with her frank, engaging style, then runs you through the wringer along with them before leaving you satisfied. I can't say too much without giving away the plot but I will say that I read this book in one sitting and will definitely be revisiting it again. Fans of Liane Moriarty should love this one. I certainly did." <b>—Georgina Penney, author of The Barbershop Girl</b><br /><br />"Sexy and a pleasure to read, this is not your typical chick lit. A Work Of Art demonstrates how relationships can get complicated fast. This story of modern love adeptly shows us how the quirky and sympathetic characters of Samson, Julene and the triangulated Victoria navigate pregnancy, career, love, sex and family dynamics all within the vibrancy of Adelaide, Australia. Ms. Lally’s writing lends itself to our understanding of their stories – we feel deeply for each of them. The perfect book club read. I look forward to more from Ms. Lally." <b>—Dr. Kat Van Kirk, licensed sex and marriage therapist</b><br /><br />"An emotional, hearty debut and perfect spring read, A Work of Art will hopelessly charm every soul-searcher." <b>—Brit + Co </b></span></span></i><br /><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>*****************************************************************************</b></span></span></i><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHWbGTW5a8VsIpS7zjIyg6kBYTd2FBEZkEF7drkPxkbBGJ0vH5L_xz990inVKPQKJXzE7Tq5j1HnVa-cbgtCLbXDf1aANjKovkZoJPRRYyNuxvfrjL8rNWf8hjgd33ALtUMPVrdQopDms/s1600/booksparks+july+books+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="750" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHWbGTW5a8VsIpS7zjIyg6kBYTd2FBEZkEF7drkPxkbBGJ0vH5L_xz990inVKPQKJXzE7Tq5j1HnVa-cbgtCLbXDf1aANjKovkZoJPRRYyNuxvfrjL8rNWf8hjgd33ALtUMPVrdQopDms/s400/booksparks+july+books+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="color: #20124d;"><i><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">A Work of Art</span> </span></i><span style="color: #351c75;">by <span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">Micayla Lally</span> </span></span></b><span style="color: #351c75;">is one of <a href="http://gobooksparks.com/category/summer-reading-challenge-2017/" target="_blank">BookSparks</a> "Summer Reads" reading selection picks. </span></span></span></span></span></b></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span></span></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span> </span> </span></span></span></span></span></b></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"> </span></span></span></span></span></b></span></b><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span><span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Follow the #SRC2017 hashtag on twitter to read reviews on this book as well as reviews on the other summer books! Also, be sure to check out the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BookSparks/" target="_blank">BookSparks Facebook page</a> for the<a href="http://gvwy.io/yfeg4zo" target="_blank"> #SRC2017 </a> and other fun links. You can participate in weekly secret missions for chances to win signed copies of selected books and more! There's a new secret mission each week :)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span><span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span><span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>My Vacation Triphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01884906933658768880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049241561852319005.post-61701470504092468652017-07-14T01:10:00.000-07:002017-07-18T05:30:18.879-07:00Best Books, Sequels, Releases, Most Anticipated, EVERYTHING about My 2017 Reads | Mid-Year Book Freakout TAG<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiigecP4tzo-EUGdxmVEjrBczgZ3GYdXtG5opaHJr-NDn4gbHL7To26U_l-kfKeZIWCAP8KPdP3IgcYKbbSTweyDVHndNfu2VuVNyHb_6CMVppVuhV3fiU_gMKydMnc-W9NSX89cxNwaOM/s1600/angela%2527s.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiigecP4tzo-EUGdxmVEjrBczgZ3GYdXtG5opaHJr-NDn4gbHL7To26U_l-kfKeZIWCAP8KPdP3IgcYKbbSTweyDVHndNfu2VuVNyHb_6CMVppVuhV3fiU_gMKydMnc-W9NSX89cxNwaOM/s320/angela%2527s.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I saw this over on <a href="https://ajsterkel.blogspot.de/2017/06/mid-year-book-freak-out-tag.html">AJ's </a>blog and liked it so much that I decided to do it as well! I'm definitely having a mid-year book freakout at the moment because I've barely read 50 books this year so far! </b></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>All time low! Don't know what's happening. I gotta catch up.</b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">#1.</span> Best book read this year</b></span><br />This is very hard to say, I guess <a href="http://thebookavid.blogspot.com/2017/01/recommendation-women-in-walls-amy.html">THE WOMEN IN THE WALLS</a> by Amy Lukavics. I loved this so much that I can't stop talking about it!<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">#2.</span> Best sequel this year</b></span><br />You guys probably know I don't do sequels, I've actually only read one so far this year and wasn't very impressed with it, <a href="http://thebookavid.blogspot.com/2017/05/review-waking-gods-themis-files-2.html">WAKING GODS</a> by Sylvain Neuvel. Ancient space robots though, yeahhhh<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKU8RQ7x3tTY-sFn10vlO_rLI36WIh5yKRUGMmpHibkZkJmgcZBtRfFHDss7iRQkPuRYZOegtg0uQ7elTuqhvKxW8hoXi1HR2jSfUj4nW_VRuznxieVl48MMdrI5FwR1nTjlkzL5V94ss/s1600/24974996.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKU8RQ7x3tTY-sFn10vlO_rLI36WIh5yKRUGMmpHibkZkJmgcZBtRfFHDss7iRQkPuRYZOegtg0uQ7elTuqhvKxW8hoXi1HR2jSfUj4nW_VRuznxieVl48MMdrI5FwR1nTjlkzL5V94ss/s320/24974996.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">#3.</span> New release I haven't read yet, but want to</b></span><br />DEAR MARTIN by Nic Stone. I am working on it! I'm waiting for the perfect time because this book will break my heart and I want to give it the fairest shot possible. Can't afford to not love this!<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">#4.</span> Most anticipated release for second half of year</b></span><br />WICKED LIKE A WILDFIRE by Lana Popovic. *eye emoji* I'm waiting. I love witchy books.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">#5.</span> Biggest disappointment</b></span><br /><a href="http://thebookavid.blogspot.com/2017/06/review-across-universe-1-beth-revis.html">ACROSS THE UNIVERSE</a> by Beth Revis. What happened there? I love space and I was really looking forward to loving this, but I really, really did not.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">#6.</span> Biggest Surprise</b></span><br />THE HOLLOW GIRL by Hillary Monahan. I am so impressed with this book. It really shouldn't have suprised me that I ended up loving this to be honest because I have such a long history of adoring witchy books, haha.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #351c75;">#7.</span> Favorite new author (Debut or new to me)</b></span><br />Thea de Salle! I'm neckdeep in her NOLA nights series and I need more people to talk about this with, I'm dying here! If you love intersectional romance, pleaseeeeeeee<br /><br /><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mZI8uUT07OM/WUvPuvVeSgI/AAAAAAAAFsg/Q8IOno1Xt6Acp3HJHkSZuWFvlM5ZBkzNQCLcBGAs/s1600/26626118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mZI8uUT07OM/WUvPuvVeSgI/AAAAAAAAFsg/Q8IOno1Xt6Acp3HJHkSZuWFvlM5ZBkzNQCLcBGAs/s320/26626118.jpg" width="212" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #741b47;">#8.</span> Newest fictional crush</b></span><br />Sol DuMont from <a href="http://thebookavid.blogspot.de/2017/06/recommendation-king-of-bourbon-street.html">THE KING OF BOURBON STREET</a> by Thea de Salle. Duh. My flamboyant bisexual boyfriend is everything.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">#9.</span> Newest favorite character</b></span><br />*looks to the floor* Sol DuMont...<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">#10.</span> Book that made me cry</b></span><br />Mh, I don't think there was one. Still waiting on a tear-jerker.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #bf9000;">#11. </span>Book that made me happy</b></span><br /><a href="http://thebookavid.blogspot.com/2017/03/recommendation-how-to-make-wish-ashley.html">HOW TO MAKE A WISH</a> by Ashley Herring Blake. Love me some black biracial bisexual representation.<br /><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">#12. </span>Favorite book to film adaptation</b></span><br />I HAVEN'T SEEN A SINGLE ONE THIS YEAR! At least none of a book that I actually read. I'm terrible at this tag.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">#13.</span> Favorite post I've done this year</b></span><br />I've had the honor of hosting a Q&A with an author I admire, Hannah Moskowitz, after lovingggggg her Deaf bisexual romance <a href="http://thebookavid.blogspot.com/2017/05/recommendation-wild-hannah-moskowitz.html">WILD</a>.<br /><ul><li><a href="https://www.blogger.com/See%20more%20at:%20http://thebookavid.blogspot.de/2017/05/q-with-hannah-moskowitz-writing-deaf.html#sthash.q8OMeS0D.dpuf">Q&A with Hannah Moskowitz: Writing Deaf Characters, Catfishing, #Ownvoices, and Wild</a></li></ul><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #351c75;">#14.</span> Most beautiful book I've bought or received this year</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP55VnVnPGxbYtX87eHW7_CMCeY8CqrkoH1_HchxGpkvLeoWd0va0rffzmdCveip76YbxoovIf931lBzypdToGasglFK0AXhelufLSzG2l6rcleh-V65PquR0mCmFAaBwj_aC35aIaISk/s1600/Untitled+design+%25283%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP55VnVnPGxbYtX87eHW7_CMCeY8CqrkoH1_HchxGpkvLeoWd0va0rffzmdCveip76YbxoovIf931lBzypdToGasglFK0AXhelufLSzG2l6rcleh-V65PquR0mCmFAaBwj_aC35aIaISk/s1600/Untitled+design+%25283%2529.png" /></a></div><ul><li><b>Physically?</b> The German edition of LAST SEEN by Lucy Clarke is the prettiest book I've ever seen. </li><li><b>Content-wise?</b> <a href="http://thebookavid.blogspot.com/2017/03/recommendation-how-to-make-wish-ashley.html">HOW TO MAKE A WISH</a> by Ashley Herring Blake</li></ul><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">#15.</span> Book I need to read by end of the year</b></span><br />More like bookS.<br /><ul><li>TASH HEARTS TOLSTOY by Kathryn Ormsbee</li><li>THE LADY OF ROYALE STREET by Thea de Salle</li><li>THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN by Paula Hawkins</li><li>THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY by Douglas Adams</li><li>THE DIVINERS by Libba Bray</li><li>DARK VISIONS by L.J. Smith</li></ul><div>... so many and that's only like the top six. I'm working on it.</div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><h2><span style="font-size: x-large;">If you decide to do the tag, please link it in the comments so I can stop by and read!</span></h2><br /><br /><div style="text-align: start;"><b>Connect with me!</b></div><div style="text-align: start;"><a href="http://twitter.com/bookavid">Twitter </a>| <a href="http://patreon.com/bookavid">Diverse Reading/Writing Advice on Patreon</a> | <a href="http://ko-fi.com/bookavid">Buy me a coffee?</a> | <a href="http://bookavid.tumblr.com/">Tumblr </a>| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/32981040-jen">Goodreads</a></div></div><h2><span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-weight: normal; text-align: start;"></div></div></span></h2></div>My Vacation Triphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01884906933658768880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049241561852319005.post-38827144509060448642017-07-13T09:29:00.000-07:002017-07-18T05:38:26.499-07:00Review: The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis (audio)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_l-P7hs3knScNaU-MgGP-5ZwdCKJ5Ao2qv25CCxMJsmD-qtAwTTEbRWvDMM1Oj1lHYcyKltcl7NVAthTseyJ6Okf3XL4zuKlnyDy95GTuhsBoxVfbyGfgG6eTaO3fACmJEfrdHxVFs_3L/s1600/the+dollhouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_l-P7hs3knScNaU-MgGP-5ZwdCKJ5Ao2qv25CCxMJsmD-qtAwTTEbRWvDMM1Oj1lHYcyKltcl7NVAthTseyJ6Okf3XL4zuKlnyDy95GTuhsBoxVfbyGfgG6eTaO3fACmJEfrdHxVFs_3L/s320/the+dollhouse.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Title: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The Dollhouse</i></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Author: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Fiona Davis</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Narrator: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Tavia Gilbert</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Published: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">August 2016, Penguin Audio</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Length: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">9 hours 53 minutes</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Source: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Library</span></span><br /><br /><blockquote style="background-color: #b1edec; border: 2px solid rgb(102, 102, 102); padding: 10px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span id="freeText15040801961469126701" style="font-size: small;"><b>Fiona Davis's stunning debut novel pulls readers into the lush world of New York City's glamorous Barbizon Hotel for Women, where a generation of aspiring models, secretaries, and editors lived side-by-side while attempting to claw their way to fairy-tale success in the 1950s, and where a present-day journalist becomes consumed with uncovering a dark secret buried deep within the Barbizon's glitzy past.</b><br /> <br /> When she arrives at the famed Barbizon Hotel in 1952, secretarial school enrollment in hand, Darby McLaughlin is everything her modeling agency hall mates aren't: plain, self-conscious, homesick, and utterly convinced she doesn't belong—a notion the models do nothing to disabuse. Yet when Darby befriends Esme, a Barbizon maid, she's introduced to an entirely new side of New York City: seedy downtown jazz clubs where the music is as addictive as the heroin that's used there, the startling sounds of bebop, and even the possibility of romance.<br /> <br /> Over half a century later, the Barbizon's gone condo and most of its long-ago guests are forgotten. But rumors of Darby's involvement in a deadly skirmish with a hotel maid back in 1952 haunt the halls of the building as surely as the melancholy music that floats from the elderly woman's rent-controlled apartment. It's a combination too intoxicating for journalist Rose Lewin, Darby's upstairs neighbor, to resist—not to mention the perfect distraction from her own imploding personal life. Yet as Rose's obsession deepens, the ethics of her investigation become increasingly murky, and neither woman will remain unchanged when the shocking truth is finally revealed.</span></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My thoughts: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is Fiona Davis's debut novel and I just adored it. I absolutely love stories about living in NYC, especially ones that have to do with its rich history and this one hit on that and a whole lot more! </span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">I love dual narratives and felt that this one was done so well. Having the story move back and forth between the present and the 1950's was so seemlessly done - it never once felt jilted or choppy. I loved how Fiona gives life to the famous Barbizon Hotel and wraps her fictional story around it. I fully admit to not knowing much about this hotel, so I was totally captivated by this story. </span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">There </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">is such attention to detail in this book - from the social mores of the time in the 1950s to the clothing and all the accessories - this is what made the book for me. I loved learning what was socially acceptable for young girls at this time and what was not. That is starkly contrasted with what is acceptable in the present - for Rose who has no restrictions placed on her. I cannot imagine living somewhat on my own and having so many rules put upon me - no young men allowed in the building after a certain time, must wear a hat and gloves, etc. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This was such a great story - from the characters and the mystery and the setting - I loved it! Such a great book for a debut novel and I have no doubt that her next book, which comes out later this summer, will be equally as delightful!</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Audio thoughts: </span></b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This was a great book to listen to and Tavia Gilbert really did a great job with the narration. She made the characters come to life, giving each woman unique voices so as to make them distinguishable, as well as giving everyone else their own voice, too. Her accents were good and so was her pacing and tone. I've listened to her before and know that I am in for a listening treat when I see her name on the audio book. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span>My Vacation Triphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01884906933658768880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049241561852319005.post-19217088980810093552017-07-12T09:03:00.000-07:002017-07-18T05:38:26.523-07:00Review: The Child by Fiona Barton<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3axNRD6gkXssaXO_fOIZM3IGXphFuEWLyUHEkEnQpr1En29IiIdhV4Fgi9279gqbb-C9zsXLiTzYfTURgocU4IUI3Aj2NNnW-RrHY8ZABhXTccN9G-FC0BpgueKONQioLcTa5CCLiXeE_/s1600/the+child.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3axNRD6gkXssaXO_fOIZM3IGXphFuEWLyUHEkEnQpr1En29IiIdhV4Fgi9279gqbb-C9zsXLiTzYfTURgocU4IUI3Aj2NNnW-RrHY8ZABhXTccN9G-FC0BpgueKONQioLcTa5CCLiXeE_/s320/the+child.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Title: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The Child</i></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Author: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Fiona Barton</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Published: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">June 2017, Berkley Books</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Format: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ARC E-copy, 36 pages</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Source: </span></b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Netgalley via Publisher</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br /><blockquote style="background-color: #b1edec; border: 2px solid rgb(102, 102, 102); padding: 10px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText8740140470570011589"><b>The author of the stunning <i>New York Times </i>bestseller <i>The Widow </i>returns with a brand-new novel of twisting psychological suspense. </b><br /><br />As an old house is demolished in a gentrifying section of London, a workman discovers a tiny skeleton, buried for years. For journalist Kate Waters, it s a story that deserves attention. She cobbles together a piece for her newspaper, but at a loss for answers, she can only pose a question: <i>Who is the Building Site Baby?</i> <br /><br />As Kate investigates, she unearths connections to a crime that rocked the city decades earlier: A newborn baby was stolen from the maternity ward in a local hospital and was never found. Her heartbroken parents were left devastated by the loss. <br /><br />But there is more to the story, and Kate is drawn house by house into the pasts of the people who once lived in this neighborhood that has given up its greatest mystery. And she soon finds herself the keeper of unexpected secrets that erupt in the lives of three women and torn between what she can and cannot tell.</span></span></span></blockquote><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My thoughts:</span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> I was a big fan of Fiona Barton's debut novel, <a href="http://alwayswithabook.blogspot.com/2016/03/review-widow-by-fiona-barton.html" target="_blank"><i>The Widow</i></a>, and so I was ecstatic to see that not only did she have a second book coming out, but that it contained a beloved character, the journalist Kate. But not to worry - this is not a series or a continuation of the prior book. These are separate stories that just happen to have one re-occurring character.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This book is so good - it's an intricately written, character-driven story. It's narrated by four women and I loved that it was told this way. This allows us to get inside all four women's heads, giving us that emotional attachment, if you will, to each of them, letting us understand their thinking and motivations. All these women's lives are upended by the discovery of the tiny skeletal remains and I loved trying to figure out just how these women were going to all intersect. </span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">I was so excited to see that Fiona Barton decided to write another story with Kate Waters, the newspaper reporter from <i>The Widow</i>. I really like her character, especially given that Fiona herself was a journalist. Is it possible that Kate is a mirror image of herself? I'm not sure, but I really hope she continues to keep writing stories with Kate as a character - she is so intriguing and while I feel this book, in particular, delves a little more into her background, there is still more to her than we know.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This is not a fast-paced mystery by any means, but rather a slow-burning one. Slowly, pieces of the puzzle are revealed. As we learn more and more about each of the women, secrets start to come to light, revealing what happened so long ago. And I loved that the ending is not rushed. It was just perfect for the entire story...heartfelt and satisfying, yet still filled with some good twists and turns. This is a great psychological thriller, make no mistake. It's just not the crazy page-turner that some of the other books are...this one is a slower, take it all in, kind of book. </span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This is an addictive, emotional read and I really enjoyed it. I am a big fan of Fiona Barton's work and I just hope that this isn't the last we've seen of Kate Waters...will she be appearing in book 3? I guess time will tell. But either way, Fiona Barton is definitely a must-read author for me!</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>My Vacation Triphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01884906933658768880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049241561852319005.post-55014138629130301792017-07-11T23:00:00.000-07:002017-07-18T05:30:18.901-07:00If You Loved That, You'll Love This - Korean Edition with Axie Oh + GIVEAWAY: Win 5 Copies of Rebel Seoul!<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1YxlsDMPCf0sBxUOe9Y6qnT-_36eNxK8jWA58NpkzUplWmzGOOt7dOYb65guJdH5mJ6SJOph0RTAKQkoKMh0u7FTDB5hW4l4cDaGg4HD7-yeZLO3lffxH7HgwmZPWKSYISHBAafNHyf4/s1600/f%25252Ff+recommendations.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1YxlsDMPCf0sBxUOe9Y6qnT-_36eNxK8jWA58NpkzUplWmzGOOt7dOYb65guJdH5mJ6SJOph0RTAKQkoKMh0u7FTDB5hW4l4cDaGg4HD7-yeZLO3lffxH7HgwmZPWKSYISHBAafNHyf4/s320/f%25252Ff+recommendations.png" width="320" /></a></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Another round of recommendations! This time I had the pleasure of hosting Axie Oh, author of the upcoming YA Sci-Fi REBEL SEOUL, pitched as Pacific Rim meets Korean drama. </span></b><br /><b><br /></b>Hi everyone! Excited to share some of my favorite Korean American and Korean authors with you in this awesome Bookavid feature. I really enjoyed “<a href="http://thebookavid.blogspot.de/2017/05/if-you-loved-that-youll-love-this-ff.html">f/f recommendations with Julia Ember</a>”, so very thrilled to be invited! Here we go:<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2-5YvkZUiMlBYy1z-Dl7woj5K7vIBaYbVFQ_wLVp4aGnCCRSVveUGkYdfX9P2jNaBJT72RqeyRR6otNArhY4J8Vs8BcUM8uMrY8UT-_2oap6ybrEPE4j1xhvaP31Z75ofoRFfOhaJdA/s1600/22295304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2-5YvkZUiMlBYy1z-Dl7woj5K7vIBaYbVFQ_wLVp4aGnCCRSVveUGkYdfX9P2jNaBJT72RqeyRR6otNArhY4J8Vs8BcUM8uMrY8UT-_2oap6ybrEPE4j1xhvaP31Z75ofoRFfOhaJdA/s200/22295304.jpg" width="137" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DjPcsh5Xq6abgSMSP9TNwDPhcIiSUcPrvxpnf5lV89ryBDNpTA_YJctqAuH1QVzHH30aXABJFdkEO1pIe6GNM57b6cZoE42rsaMrUvyAPGUN35CwJ0Dv8g5IZlqSP3C_-BXVkpoA_O8/s1600/10129062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DjPcsh5Xq6abgSMSP9TNwDPhcIiSUcPrvxpnf5lV89ryBDNpTA_YJctqAuH1QVzHH30aXABJFdkEO1pIe6GNM57b6cZoE42rsaMrUvyAPGUN35CwJ0Dv8g5IZlqSP3C_-BXVkpoA_O8/s200/10129062.jpg" width="131" /></a><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">If you love</span></b> Daniel José Older's SHADOWSHAPER<br /><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Then you'll love</b></span> Ellen Oh's PROPHECY<br /><br />Both of these books are fast-paced adventures with courageous heroines chasing after their destinies. They're rooted strongly in their settings—modern Brooklyn in SHADOWSHAPER and ancient Korea in PROPHECY. And each integrates culture into their world building in both a macro- and micro- level. For example, with PROPHECY, on a macro-level, it’s set in a fantasy Korea and has Korean names and places. But on a micro-level the details are distinct and specific. The rhythm of the language, the interactions between the characters, who the characters are—their desires and fears—all contribute to building a world that feels like ancient Korea (but with magic)!<br /><br /><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aTdAyUPsE5A/WSx59LoDMAI/AAAAAAAAFm4/Wz12G8FqYfM3WkBSVphunzWtJs9FIYkSgCLcB/s1600/31145133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aTdAyUPsE5A/WSx59LoDMAI/AAAAAAAAFm4/Wz12G8FqYfM3WkBSVphunzWtJs9FIYkSgCLcB/s200/31145133.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfnYY6KcsC_kkj_JmqZT_uypkW0kGPBeaGxQD2wNfNlNJ3-hbCjBLLBogdlikjzXBsdVNyWUFtzKt6FtR2XhnHgWPs6uSkJRlCxjTyqqRH-n6cGHfNJLbVGx7_pD89yz58MfOdecphcg/s1600/15749186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfnYY6KcsC_kkj_JmqZT_uypkW0kGPBeaGxQD2wNfNlNJ3-hbCjBLLBogdlikjzXBsdVNyWUFtzKt6FtR2XhnHgWPs6uSkJRlCxjTyqqRH-n6cGHfNJLbVGx7_pD89yz58MfOdecphcg/s200/15749186.jpg" width="132" /></a><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">If you love</span></b> Jenny Han's TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE<br /><b style="color: #741b47;">Then you'll love </b>Maurene Goo's I BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOVE<br /><br />This pairing might be a little obvious, but I can't help myself! Other than having very long (adorable) titles, both of these books are feel good contemporaries with realistic high school experiences and just the right amount of K-drama flair to give it that extra *<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gochujang">gochujang </a>(this was a really bad joke, sorry). Both books were featured on the popular Korean drama blog DRAMABEANS, <a href="http://www.dramabeans.com/2014/04/book-giveaway-to-all-the-boys-ive-loved-before-by-jenny-han/">here</a> and <a href="http://www.dramabeans.com/2017/05/book-ost-giveaway-i-believe-in-a-thing-called-love/">here</a>, because of their fun homage to K-dramas. Definitely two books close to my heart.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieenEdMe3AIk_XRhU5rztwQ3SJ2vqosSykiW1wgNQ_ubh693yCHwG-Kswf7w6giPrXwPq1zxws3gt0ah40owlC3PFLf0SKD3cYNgqPqPYH_wajTbsfYlnqwV2gDCgPFBx213OG38ma2Cg/s1600/17131859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieenEdMe3AIk_XRhU5rztwQ3SJ2vqosSykiW1wgNQ_ubh693yCHwG-Kswf7w6giPrXwPq1zxws3gt0ah40owlC3PFLf0SKD3cYNgqPqPYH_wajTbsfYlnqwV2gDCgPFBx213OG38ma2Cg/s200/17131859.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfRy0K9l2y89tmY-fkVoBZyRvXxS0AKL-MEHNYdaQS2BUWdCVqX6DR8fu7qbjzEpfrX4Laqoq2woOwXcEwmjPhFFCPI9uuX-Z3S_XRSJdBfQy0kBWEqMIGHROenSkrK7ecDfrtAiKs6Q/s1600/22522808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfRy0K9l2y89tmY-fkVoBZyRvXxS0AKL-MEHNYdaQS2BUWdCVqX6DR8fu7qbjzEpfrX4Laqoq2woOwXcEwmjPhFFCPI9uuX-Z3S_XRSJdBfQy0kBWEqMIGHROenSkrK7ecDfrtAiKs6Q/s200/22522808.jpg" width="132" /></a><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">If you love</span></b> Neil Gaiman’s TRIGGER WARNING<br /><b style="color: #741b47;">Then you'll love </b>Yoon Ha Lee’s CONSERVATION OF SHADOWS<br /><br />CONSERVATION OF SHADOWS may very well be my favorite short story collection. Like Gaiman, Lee's writing is literary, weird, gorgeous and imaginative. My favorite short story in this collection, “Effigy Nights,” was a 2014 nominee for the World Fantasy Award for Best Short Story. The story itself is…indescribable, but in short, it’s about a city of artisans under attack by enemy starships. The only way for them to repel the attack is by summoning soldiers from books of legend by cutting them out from paper with scissors. Amazing, right? Other elements in his short stories include: mecha, necromancy, Korean history, mathematics and black holes.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwSJPjlcpzjOEE1wW5c1SusfFovgp4xz2jhROqfj2EzDk3bl8ALjRMpvHFh9-wm-ZvPC9i0KQZBt2hxm31EvsKsglXjJFw1uPDZ1IAxSw_KJNFSvVOsbl4ADQ176Q-kEgrLqyzgPEgm8/s1600/9858517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwSJPjlcpzjOEE1wW5c1SusfFovgp4xz2jhROqfj2EzDk3bl8ALjRMpvHFh9-wm-ZvPC9i0KQZBt2hxm31EvsKsglXjJFw1uPDZ1IAxSw_KJNFSvVOsbl4ADQ176Q-kEgrLqyzgPEgm8/s200/9858517.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BqxpwIMi63w/WSx58IpceUI/AAAAAAAAFmc/9Rgs76Ii5Ucuna-HT9wku80DRTBNfoxbgCLcB/s1600/11614718.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BqxpwIMi63w/WSx58IpceUI/AAAAAAAAFmc/9Rgs76Ii5Ucuna-HT9wku80DRTBNfoxbgCLcB/s200/11614718.jpg" width="135" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">If you love</span></b><b> </b>Lauren Oliver’s DELIRIUM</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="color: #741b47;">Then you'll love</b> Gabrielle Zevin’s ALL THESE THINGS I'VE DONE</div><br />Both of these books are literary dystopias with great characters and writing. Like DELIRIUM, the world in ALL THESE THINGS I’VE DONE is similar to our own but for one disparate element i.e. love is outlawed in the world of DELIRIUM and chocolate is outlawed in the world of ATTID. Both books are written like contemporaries, but that added element gives them a fantasy-edge to keep things interesting. I've been a fan of Zevin's work since high school, but ATTID is a personal favorite. It’s set in a run-down New York where chocolate (the drug of choice) is outlawed. The heroine of the novel, Anya Balanchine, is the heiress to New York’s most notorious crime family. At the same time, she’s juggling Catholic school and nursing a flirtation with the new assistant DA’s son.<br /><br /><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JlEAcj8a7Kg/WSx58c4CorI/AAAAAAAAFmk/yzZ8bUPvFYkv79S1-gwFpfXQPFCCAI-qgCLcB/s1600/16110909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="231" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JlEAcj8a7Kg/WSx58c4CorI/AAAAAAAAFmk/yzZ8bUPvFYkv79S1-gwFpfXQPFCCAI-qgCLcB/s200/16110909.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1xOM5hTU7SU/WSx59TVm4fI/AAAAAAAAFm8/uSei3BzlfLEyxh8UduWJZSVYETps0ONaQCLcB/s1600/9361589.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1xOM5hTU7SU/WSx59TVm4fI/AAAAAAAAFm8/uSei3BzlfLEyxh8UduWJZSVYETps0ONaQCLcB/s200/9361589.jpg" width="131" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">If you love</span></b><b> </b>Erin Morgenstern’s THE NIGHT CIRCUS </div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="color: #741b47;">Then you'll love </b>Ha Il-Kwon’s ANNARASUMANARA</div><br />ANNARASUMANARA is a webtoon set in Korea about Yun Ai, an 11th grade student whose hardships have left her embittered. Still, as a young girl, she used to want to be a magician. When she stumbles upon an abandoned circus, a mysterious magician appears before her and asks, “Do you believe in magic?” The story goes from there and it’s enchanting.<br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Both THE NIGHT CIRCUS and ANNARASUMANARA follow a loose plot with gorgeous imagery (visual and textual images in the case of ANNARASUMANARA). They both center in and around a circus and are told in vignette-like chapters. The main difference is that THE NIGHT CIRCUS is fantasy, while ANNARASUMANARA is magical realism.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIBjkihpVTdFt0PcmGaWj827VBk8N6MwDvLMkfJJNIcHCdvXp-AzXU2pETnFyFt3VphkKANmj3_J9c_8a0Z1J6dlLTCHMRwE60RrCCudXQ_iBbOhz4-Ew06i1AyVENTQRsi6yz1P2ZSNw/s1600/AxieOh_Headshot+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="386" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIBjkihpVTdFt0PcmGaWj827VBk8N6MwDvLMkfJJNIcHCdvXp-AzXU2pETnFyFt3VphkKANmj3_J9c_8a0Z1J6dlLTCHMRwE60RrCCudXQ_iBbOhz4-Ew06i1AyVENTQRsi6yz1P2ZSNw/s200/AxieOh_Headshot+copy.jpg" width="194" /></a><br />Axie Oh is a first generation Korean American, born in NYC and raised in New Jersey. She studied Korean history and creative writing as an undergrad at the University of California – San Diego and is currently pursuing an MFA at Lesley University in Writing for Young People. Her passions include K-pop, anime, stationery supplies, and milk tea. She currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada with her puppy, Toro.<br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://axieoh.com/">Website </a>| <a href="http://twitter.com/axieoh">Twitter </a>| <a href="https://axieoh.wordpress.com/">Blog</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/axieoh/">Instagram</a> | <a href="http://axieoh.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><b>REBEL SEOUL, out on September 15th 2017 with Tu Books</b><br /><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wejivlbo-ds/WSx1zd_WBVI/AAAAAAAAFmI/7g62v86GaucKaBnFLPxbP2Mp4fGXFPPmQCLcB/s1600/34931621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wejivlbo-ds/WSx1zd_WBVI/AAAAAAAAFmI/7g62v86GaucKaBnFLPxbP2Mp4fGXFPPmQCLcB/s320/34931621.jpg" width="216" /></a><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">"After a great war, the East Pacific is in ruins. In brutal Neo Seoul, where status comes from success in combat, ex-gang member Lee Jaewon is a talented pilot rising in the ranks of the academy. Abandoned as a kid in the slums of Old Seoul by his rebel father, Jaewon desires only to escape his past and prove himself a loyal soldier of the Neo State.<br /><br />When Jaewon is recruited into the most lucrative weapons development division in Neo Seoul, he is eager to claim his best shot at military glory. But the mission becomes more complicated when he meets Tera, a test subject in the government’s supersoldier project. Tera was trained for one purpose: to pilot one of the lethal God Machines, massive robots for a never-ending war.<br /><br />With secret orders to report on Tera, Jaewon becomes Tera’s partner, earning her reluctant respect. But as respect turns to love, Jaewon begins to question his loyalty to an oppressive regime that creates weapons out of humans. As the project prepares to go public amidst rumors of a rebellion, Jaewon must decide where he stands—as a soldier of the Neo State, or a rebel of the people.<br /><br />Pacific Rim meets Korean action dramas in this mind-blowing, New Visions Award-winning science fiction debut."</blockquote><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34931621-rebel-seoul">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rebel-Seoul-Axie-Oh/dp/1620142996/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491591691&sr=8-1&keywords=rebel+seoul">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rebel-seoul-axie-oh/1126459279?ean=9781620142998">B&N</a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><h2> <a class="rcptr" data-raflid="6f2af9fd3" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/6f2af9fd3/" id="rcwidget_2hzyd0cl" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script> <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">What's your favorite read by a Korean author OR with Korean characters?</span></h2><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Connect with The Bookavid!</span></b></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://twitter.com/bookavid">Twitter </a>| <a href="http://patreon.com/bookavid">Diverse Reading/Writing Advice on Patreon</a> | <a href="http://ko-fi.com/bookavid">Buy me a coffee?</a> | <a href="http://bookavid.tumblr.com/">Tumblr </a>| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/32981040-jen">Goodreads</a></span></div></div><h2><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-weight: normal; text-align: start;"></div></div></span></h2></div>My Vacation Triphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01884906933658768880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049241561852319005.post-37529311035693622902017-07-11T14:27:00.000-07:002017-07-18T05:38:26.539-07:00#SRC2017 Book Review: Hello, Sunshine by Laura Dave<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVmvsAj0vwdspkWEo00v9dwV10rHpif51_pL7pp1ldIlVNYo5Ot1lgDtUCsApy1VwIHXrzjoli_re0pOnXn-Xg0puZwHQEtIpk_kbBF-_RYLMJa5FGWe3862fd0vS398_VLwMN1Vwl3T7R/s1600/booksparks+SRC+2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="750" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVmvsAj0vwdspkWEo00v9dwV10rHpif51_pL7pp1ldIlVNYo5Ot1lgDtUCsApy1VwIHXrzjoli_re0pOnXn-Xg0puZwHQEtIpk_kbBF-_RYLMJa5FGWe3862fd0vS398_VLwMN1Vwl3T7R/s400/booksparks+SRC+2017.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9Q5UIGkS1-fBltrxs_DQRQrHnBaHyX0y6rANcYkS2rsy8XZZT2XbZaITSu5zU2hu7Fgody_4fIPFkklW9EsP4npSgroI2XHnx9x7hf4aFDqPN4jST0ZIaflD1aK-7RCNrb-VmfprPUMb/s1600/hello%252C+sunshine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9Q5UIGkS1-fBltrxs_DQRQrHnBaHyX0y6rANcYkS2rsy8XZZT2XbZaITSu5zU2hu7Fgody_4fIPFkklW9EsP4npSgroI2XHnx9x7hf4aFDqPN4jST0ZIaflD1aK-7RCNrb-VmfprPUMb/s320/hello%252C+sunshine.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Title:</span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> <i>Hello, Sunshine</i></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Author: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Laura Dave</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Published: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">July 2017, Simon & Schuster</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Format: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ARC E-book, 256 pages</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Source: </span></b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Netgalley via Publisher</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br /><blockquote style="background-color: #b1edec; border: 2px solid rgb(102, 102, 102); padding: 10px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText8382443860226639890">From Laura Dave—the author of the “addictive” (<i>Us Weekly</i>), “winning” (<i>Publishers Weekly</i>) and critically acclaimed bestseller <i>Eight Hundred Grapes</i>—comes a new novel about the secrets we keep…even from ourselves.<br /><br /><b>Sunshine Mackenzie has it all…until her secrets come to light.</b><br /><br />Sunshine Mackenzie is living the dream—she’s a culinary star with millions of fans, a line of #1 bestselling cookbooks, and a devoted husband happy to support her every endeavor.<br /><br />And then she gets hacked.<br /><br />When Sunshine’s secrets are revealed, her fall from grace is catastrophic. She loses the husband, her show, the fans, and her apartment. She’s forced to return to the childhood home—and the estranged sister—she’s tried hard to forget. But what Sunshine does amid the ashes of her own destruction may well save her life.<br /><br />In a world where celebrity is a careful construct, <i>Hello, Sunshine </i>is a compelling, funny, and evocative novel about what it means to live an authentic life in an inauthentic age.</span></span></span></blockquote><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My thoughts:</span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> I adored Laura Dave's last book, <a href="http://alwayswithabook.blogspot.com/2016/01/review-eight-hundred-grapes-by-laura.html" target="_blank"><i>Eight Hundred Grapes</i></a>, so I was excited to see that her newest book was going to be part of BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge...I knew it was a book I would want to read anyway! And it was such a fun, relatable and highly relevant book!</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">What I found to be most compelling about this book is the central question that it seems to ask: Are you living your life authentically or are you cultivating it? In a world where most of us spend lots of time on social media - are we putting our true selves out there or are we trying to craft a better life thru posts and pictures? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This book takes us on a journey through one person's downfall after her carefully crafted life on social media came crashing down...though not in a head-bashing, in your face type of way. It's a light-hearted, sometimes humorous, and very insightful look at how easy it is to become obsessed with social media. It's a quick, fun read that just might have you thinking about your own social media use!</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">I really enjoy Laura Dave's books and this one was no exception. I love the characters she creates and the food - oh my! I was hungry the entire time I was reading this book...I wanted to make/eat all the food she mentioned. This is definitely a great summer read - pack it in your beach bag and be prepared to have a fun reading experience - with a little food for thought!</span><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmA2p3N_DCrlobkA_-f_Ve4dDK06jkeQdLAWSmjRIQOKxwkwFQfwqg36GVXqMB6g-JXyAnuvF8kA4smXSf5oQBn9-oLMZxHuzd707w7_nrPMIf8tlpoS1LPvTFIUI74ImZ2aA-qBMVZEQs/s1600/booksparks+july+books+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="750" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmA2p3N_DCrlobkA_-f_Ve4dDK06jkeQdLAWSmjRIQOKxwkwFQfwqg36GVXqMB6g-JXyAnuvF8kA4smXSf5oQBn9-oLMZxHuzd707w7_nrPMIf8tlpoS1LPvTFIUI74ImZ2aA-qBMVZEQs/s400/booksparks+july+books+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="color: #20124d;"><i><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">Hello, Sunshine</span> </span></i><span style="color: #351c75;">by <span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">Laura Dave</span> </span></span></b><span style="color: #351c75;">is one of <a href="http://gobooksparks.com/category/summer-reading-challenge-2017/" target="_blank">BookSparks</a> "Summer Reads" reading selection picks. </span></span></span></span></span></b></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><span></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><span><span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span> </span> </span></span></span></span></span></b></span></b></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"> </span></span></span></span></span></b></span></b><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Follow the #SRC2017 hashtag on twitter to read reviews on this book as well as reviews on the other summer books! Also, be sure to check out the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BookSparks/" target="_blank">BookSparks Facebook page</a> for the<a href="http://gvwy.io/yfeg4zo" target="_blank"> #SRC2017 </a> and other fun links. You can participate in weekly secret missions for chances to win signed copies of selected books and more! There's a new secret mission each week :)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>My Vacation Triphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01884906933658768880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049241561852319005.post-74807833107926053942017-07-10T07:11:00.000-07:002017-07-18T05:38:26.558-07:00Review: Final Girls by Riley Sager<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV_g4yGHgplh8ZX6VRvksCBAMPEASh_FQK_n4aPRjLQQ2IKX54MapN_kOQqzLgBseA3qYzE4ZYbVmIQENP3HAdW0L_mah0cIi3Dz-oXpTChgVb1FF16GXQ6HarZbC6ukvnDFuzk8idJzem/s1600/final+girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV_g4yGHgplh8ZX6VRvksCBAMPEASh_FQK_n4aPRjLQQ2IKX54MapN_kOQqzLgBseA3qYzE4ZYbVmIQENP3HAdW0L_mah0cIi3Dz-oXpTChgVb1FF16GXQ6HarZbC6ukvnDFuzk8idJzem/s320/final+girls.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Title: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Final Girls</i></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Author: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Riley Sager</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Published: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">July 2017, Dutton Books</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Format: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hardcover, 352 pages</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Source: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Publisher</span></span><br /><br /><blockquote style="background-color: #b1edec; border: 2px solid rgb(102, 102, 102); padding: 10px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span id="freeText4471723622135626767" style="font-size: small;">Ten years ago, college student Quincy Carpenter went on vacation with five friends and came back alone, the only survivor of a horror movie–scale massacre. In an instant, she became a member of a club no one wants to belong to—a group of similar survivors known in the press as the Final Girls. Lisa, who lost nine sorority sisters to a college dropout's knife; Sam, who went up against the Sack Man during her shift at the Nightlight Inn; and now Quincy, who ran bleeding through the woods to escape Pine Cottage and the man she refers to only as Him. The three girls are all attempting to put their nightmares behind them, and, with that, one another. Despite the media's attempts, they never meet.<br /><br />Now, Quincy is doing well—maybe even great, thanks to her Xanax prescription. She has a caring almost-fiancé, Jeff; a popular baking blog; a beautiful apartment; and a therapeutic presence in Coop, the police officer who saved her life all those years ago. Her memory won’t even allow her to recall the events of that night; the past is in the past. <br /><br />That is, until Lisa, the first Final Girl, is found dead in her bathtub, wrists slit, and Sam, the second, appears on Quincy's doorstep. Blowing through Quincy's life like a whirlwind, Sam seems intent on making Quincy relive the past, with increasingly dire consequences, all of which makes Quincy question why Sam is really seeking her out. And when new details about Lisa's death come to light, Quincy's life becomes a race against time as she tries to unravel Sam's truths from her lies, evade the police and hungry reporters, and, most crucially, remember what really happened at Pine Cottage, before what was started ten years ago is finished.</span></span></blockquote><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My thoughts:</span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> This book...this book is one twisted, dark, crazy book! It's an unsettling psychological thriller that borders on the horror genre - a genre I typically do not read. I don't even watch horror movies - definitely not! But...I loved this book...I devoured this book...and I will definitely read this book again!</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This is such an intense, edge-of-your-seat type of read. I read it in two sittings - something I rarely do, but I was so captivated by it, I couldn't do anything other than think about it. I had to know where it was going and who was behind what was going on. It is an addictive read - and the way it's told...mostly all from Quincy's point of view - in present time and then the flashbacks to the night back when Quincy was at Pine Cottage and all the horror happened to her. It's quite chilling.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This is one of the more suspenseful and thrilling novels I've read in a long time. There are so many twists and turns and it never goes where you think it's going to go. Every time I thought I had things figured out, something would happen to throw me off and have me scrambling to put the pieces back in some type of order again. I loved that it kept me guessing and still managed to completely shock me at the end! And the pacing is so crazy - this is not a slow book at all - it moves and moves!</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">I loved that there were times when all the characters we are introduced to give you motive to question their reliability, Quincy included. I guess because I read so many thrillers/mystery books, I tend to be suspicious of everyone, but in this case, I think I was justified. But boy oh boy, I did not see the guilty one coming. This one is a whooper! But I loved the way all the pieces fit together just so. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This is a gripping, addictive read that will take you all over the place - much like a roller coaster and has some of the most thrilling characters you've met in a while. I cannot wait to see what comes next from this author - Riley Sager this was one twisted, crazy book and I cannot recommend it enough!!! </span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>My Vacation Triphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01884906933658768880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049241561852319005.post-59281855728017475632017-07-10T06:49:00.000-07:002017-07-18T05:30:18.933-07:00[Review] Last Seen - Lucy Clarke: Seaside Towns and Disappearances<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKRJKbDWjVQUu916A82jCyzS7fP1IUaOWNG12pSDX2anrIQ1Hwdn0H_si3IK91OqoQFPM75258Km1dtFBzdL-ktQQWMAD_OrWXkwnVh15lMe8Jv2rlXrdHQ_Non36hCTIqDVMsroLTZz4/s1600/33260180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="311" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKRJKbDWjVQUu916A82jCyzS7fP1IUaOWNG12pSDX2anrIQ1Hwdn0H_si3IK91OqoQFPM75258Km1dtFBzdL-ktQQWMAD_OrWXkwnVh15lMe8Jv2rlXrdHQ_Non36hCTIqDVMsroLTZz4/s320/33260180.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><blockquote class="tr_bq">In LAST SEEN, seven years ago the sons of best friends Sarah and Isla disappeared, only one of them returned, and on the anniversary of the tragedy, the other one disappears.</blockquote><b><br /></b><b><i>What intrigued me</i>:</b> Was in the mood for a thriller.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Beautiful Writing</u></b></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">LAST SEEN is a very character-driven, super slow book. It's essentially a psychological, a little dark drama involving family secrets. Clarke's writing is beautiful and lyrical, reminds me a lot of Brunonia Barry's actually, which is definitely a compliment. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>There is something dreamy and magical about the way she paints this seaside town and the prose absolutely creates an uncanny atmosphere that makes LAST SEEN very unique.</b> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I struggled a lot with LAST SEEN, a lot of the plot is reliant on you listening carefully when backstories get unravelled one by one, and I just couldn't bring up enough of an attention span for the dozens of flashbacks and monologues. Unfortunately, this is one of those subjective things that inevitably always make me lose interest in books. I was looking for something more fast-paced, and this is absolutely not what LAST SEEN is. Regardless, the mystery at the core of the story surely is interesting and I do see a lot of people enjoying this, but subjectively, it wasn't my thing.</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Very Character-Driven</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I guess you have to have a knick for Adult fiction that's more on the women's fiction side than the thriller side to enjoy this, which is certainly not a bad thing. Especially because of the multiple POVs I struggled to establish the very essential connection to the protagonists that you inevitably need to even remotely care for the story. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I just wasn't invested in Isla's or Sarah's struggles. I really, really deeply struggled to empathize with their friendship and their worries. <b>A lot of the story is spent establishing how their friendship developed in the wake of the tragedies and you have to truly care about that in order to like LAST SEEN. It's more family drama and women's fiction than thriller. </b>Maybe I was in the wrong mood when I picked this up, maybe it's just not my thing. </div><br /><br /><h3></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;"></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;"></h3><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Rating:</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 80px;">★★★</span><span style="font-size: 80px;">☆☆</span></h3><h3> </h3><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;">Overall: Do I Recommend?</h3>LAST SEEN is a beautifully written character-driven mystery set in a dreamy seaside town and I'm sure a lot of people will love this. This had a lot of things that I subjectively don't like in my thrillers, so this wasn't really for me.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u><b>Additional Info</b></u></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wo18JTeDJzY/WU--H4rbD8I/AAAAAAAAFtA/K5qwLvM5HAMD_A79c287JgzIrDy-kioLACLcBGAs/s1600/csm_produkt-13607_4c3b0ec575.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wo18JTeDJzY/WU--H4rbD8I/AAAAAAAAFtA/K5qwLvM5HAMD_A79c287JgzIrDy-kioLACLcBGAs/s320/csm_produkt-13607_4c3b0ec575.jpg" width="211" /></a><b>Published:</b> June 2017</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Pages: </b>416</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Publisher: </b><a href="http://www.piper.de/buecher/die-bucht-die-im-mondlicht-versank-isbn-978-3-492-06027-1">Piper</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Genre: </b>Adult / Thriller</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>ISBN:</b> 978-3-492-06027-1<br /><br /><b>Synopsis:</b><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">"<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8px;">In a small seaside community, there’s always somebody watching…</span></span><br /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8px;">Twisty, pacy, and superbly plotted, Last Seen is the perfect psychological page-turner for fans of Clare Mackintosh and Sabine Durrant.</span></span><br /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8px;">Seven years ago, two boys went missing at sea – and only one was brought to shore. The Sandbank, a remote stretch of coast dotted with beach huts, was scarred forever.</span></span><br /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8px;">Sarah’s son survived, but on the anniversary of the accident, he disappears without trace. As new secrets begin to surface, The Sandbank hums with tension and unanswered questions. Sarah’s search grows more desperate and she starts to mistrust everyone she knows – and she’s right to.</span></span><br /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8px;">Someone saw everything on that fateful day seven years ago. And they’ll do anything to keep the truth buried.</span></span>"<br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Source: Goodreads)</span></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><h2><span style="font-size: x-large;">What's your favorite thriller?</span></h2><br /><br /><div style="text-align: start;"><b>Connect with me!</b></div><div style="text-align: start;"><a href="http://twitter.com/bookavid">Twitter </a>| <a href="http://patreon.com/bookavid">Diverse Reading/Writing Advice on Patreon</a> | <a href="http://ko-fi.com/bookavid">Buy me a coffee?</a> | <a href="http://bookavid.tumblr.com/">Tumblr </a>| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/32981040-jen">Goodreads</a></div></div><h2><span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-weight: normal; text-align: start;"></div></div></span></h2></div>My Vacation Triphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01884906933658768880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049241561852319005.post-37300784640330963032017-07-09T16:21:00.000-07:002017-07-18T05:38:26.642-07:00Short & Sweet Review: The Drowning by Camilla Lackberg (audio)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5L2rTCX6Lj8dI0uv7faCrawhEIQPNmGRD6QGaKtxZBVtg1j9eMaB_uozm9k9po4_ivICyzxpAAfMmZH3pvY376Ee_2hL1X8f4wBn0kLaVgTJbGGT9dIlAumCyvGvdP-M8nHq5xeufz41c/s1600/the+drowning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5L2rTCX6Lj8dI0uv7faCrawhEIQPNmGRD6QGaKtxZBVtg1j9eMaB_uozm9k9po4_ivICyzxpAAfMmZH3pvY376Ee_2hL1X8f4wBn0kLaVgTJbGGT9dIlAumCyvGvdP-M8nHq5xeufz41c/s320/the+drowning.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Title: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The Drowning</i></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Author: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Camilla Lackberg</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Series: </span></b><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">Patrik Hedstrom/Fjallbacka, #5</span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Narrator: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Simon Vance</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Published: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">September 2015, Blackstone Audio</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Length: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">13 hours 13 hours</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Source: </span></b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Personal copy via Audible</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br /><blockquote style="background-color: #b1edec; border: 2px solid #666; padding: 10px;"><span id="freeText2751502310349452626"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Christian Thydell’s dream has come true: his debut novel, <em>The Mermaid</em>, is published to rave reviews. So why is he as distant and unhappy as ever?<br /><br />When crime writer Erica Falck, who discovered Christian’s talents, learns he has been receiving anonymous threats, she investigates not just the messages but also the author’s mysterious past…<br /><br />Meanwhile, one of Christian’s closest friends is missing. Erica’s husband, Detective Patrik Hedström, has his worst suspicions confirmed as the mind-games aimed at Christian and those around him become a disturbing reality.<br /><br />But, with the victims themselves concealing evidence, the investigation is going nowhere. Is their silence driven by fear or guilt? And what is the secret they would rather die to protect than live to see revealed?<br /><br />International bestseller Camilla Läckberg delivers a chilling and suspenseful mystery that will grip the reader right until its staggering final twist…</span></span></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">***</span><b style="font-size: small;">Short & Sweet Reviews</b><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">are short, quick reviews. These will mainly be used for series books where I have already done full reviews on some of the earlier books or for books that I feel will suffice with a quick review. These will not be used for review requests or blog tours.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My thoughts: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is the 6th book in Camilla Lackberg's Fjallbacka/Patrik Hedstrom series and </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I just have to say - I really love this series! It seems to get better and better with each book. This one was so intricately plotted and I loved the clever way this one was told. I in no way saw the way things were tied up...and let's just talk about that cliffhanger of an ending! I cannot wait to pick up the next book...</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">One thing I found to be interesting is that this book had a little bit of a different feel in that it starts off a little slow - really setting the scene, and then it takes off. I loved how the chapters are interspersed with snippets of the past to really give us the full picture - though you don't really know at the time how it is connected. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">And of course, I loved how despite being heavily pregnant with twins, Erica let nothing stop her from doing her own investigating. In fact, I believe without her, this case might not have gotten as far as it did...she truly is a force to be reckoned with and a good balance for Patrik! </span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Audio thoughts: </span></b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, Simon Vance is starting to win me over with his narration of this series. Though I still prefer David Thorn (nothing again Simon Vance - just got attached to David Thorn) I am adjusting and finding that Simon Vance is consistent with his voices from book to book - which I find refreshing. He sticks with the voices he gives - each character having their own unique one, and his tone and pacing is good. I just hope there will not be another narrator change in this series - one is enough!</span></span><br /><br /><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">Books in this series<span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">:</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></span></span></b><br /><ol><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span><a href="http://alwayswithabook.blogspot.com/2016/08/review-ice-princess-by-camilla-lackberg.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">The Ice Princess</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></a></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span><a href="http://alwayswithabook.blogspot.com/2016/10/short-sweet-review-preacher-by-camilla.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">The P<span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">re<span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">acher</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></a></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span><a href="http://alwayswithabook.blogspot.com/2016/10/short-sweet-review-stonecutter-by.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">The Stonecutter</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></a></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://alwayswithabook.blogspot.com/2016/11/short-sweet-review-stranger-by-camilla.html" target="_blank"><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">The Stranger</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></a></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://alwayswithabook.blogspot.com/2017/01/review-hidden-child-by-camilla-lackberg.html" target="_blank"><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">The Hidden Child</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></a></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">The Drowning</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">The Lost Boy</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">Buried Angels</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">The Ice Child</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li></ol><span class="PIN_1499640767163_button_pin" data-pin-href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/" data-pin-log="button_pinit_bookmarklet"></span>My Vacation Triphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01884906933658768880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049241561852319005.post-63824635567161435912017-07-09T15:36:00.000-07:002017-07-18T05:38:26.662-07:00#FitReaders: Weekly Check-in Jul 7<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnnDjs3AC0QZC5auXcRBpAv4LFck6Fbhf31WOa-62sjlPW6r4F0aBCv3yo4sp27ujGCjL7zhxxgzEmJjJmL_bBmnDbhkKk-j4nTeTAEvGe5sBzIJpGqM7C4f12hg0yxbo6IRDe7BoiHG9d/s1600/FitReaders-2017-1-200x200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnnDjs3AC0QZC5auXcRBpAv4LFck6Fbhf31WOa-62sjlPW6r4F0aBCv3yo4sp27ujGCjL7zhxxgzEmJjJmL_bBmnDbhkKk-j4nTeTAEvGe5sBzIJpGqM7C4f12hg0yxbo6IRDe7BoiHG9d/s1600/FitReaders-2017-1-200x200.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">#FitReaders is hosted by <a href="http://www.geekybloggersbookblog.com/" target="_blank">Geeky Bloggers Book Blog </a> and <a href="http://twimom227.com/" target="_blank">That’s What I’m Talking About</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">It was a good week, exercise-wise. My cold is gone - though my allergies have been awful! I've been playing around with my food intake - I'm really trying to eat as clean as I can. I don't eat a lot of processed food and I no longer drink any soda, so that's good. I'm just trying to watch my sugar intake and make sure I am getting enough of the good stuff!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"> </span></span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><b> </b></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><b>July Goals:</b></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"> </span></span><span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></span></span></span></span><ul><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">10K steps M-F, at least 7,500 steps on the weekend -<b><span style="color: #351c75;"> 5/5, 1/2</span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">30 minutes of active walking every day, M-F - <b><span style="color: #351c75;">5/5 </span></b><span style="color: #351c75;">(thank goodness for having to walk the dogs everyday!)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span><span><span style="color: #444444;"><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">Strength training (3/5 days) - <b>Met</b><span style="color: #351c75;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">Eat mindfully/eat enough - <span style="color: #351c75;"><b>Yes</b></span><span style="color: #20124d;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"> </span></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li></ul><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b></b><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><b>Here's how last week went:</b> </span></span> <span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> </span></span></span></span> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;">Jul 1: 7,330 steps</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;">Jul 2: 6,806 steps </span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;">Jul 3: 19,261 steps (5K+ - 5 Charity Miles for Girls on the Run) </span></span></span></span><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> </span></span><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> </span></span><br /><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;">Jul 4: 12,438 steps</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;">Jul 5: 17,367 steps (5K+ - 5 Charity Miles for Girls on the Run)</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;">Jul 6: 17</span></span></span></span><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;">,069 steps </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;">(5K+ - 5 Charity Miles for Girls on the Run)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> </span></span><br /><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;">Jul 7: 14</span></span></span></span><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;">,178 steps (5K+ - 5 Charity Miles for Girls on the Run)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> </span></span><br /><b>Total Steps: 94,449 steps</b></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </b></span></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><br /><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> </span></span></span><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;">Audiobooks listened to last week (since I'm not much of a music fan, I listen to books while I walk):</span></span></span></b><span style="color: #444444;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></span></span><ul><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span></span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">Finished <i>Come Sundown</i> by Nora Roberts, narrated by Elisabeth Rodgers</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">Started and finished <i>Ginny Moon</i> by Benjamin Ludwig, narrated by Em Eldridge </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li></ul><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><b> </b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><b>How did your week go?</b> You can find this week's link-up <a href="http://www.geekybloggersbookblog.com/june-fitreaders-weekly-check-in-june-7-2017/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></span></span></span></span><span><br /><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span> <span></span><span><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span><b><span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;">Virtual 5K /10K Tally:</span></span></b><br /><span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> January: <span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><span style="color: #20124d;">May:</span> September: </span> </span> </span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> 5K - 4 <span style="color: #8e7cc3;"> <span style="color: #20124d;">5K - 5</span></span></span><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"> 5K -</span> </span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> 10K - 7 10K</span><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><span style="color: #20124d;"> - 6</span> 10K -</span> </span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><span style="color: #20124d;">February:</span> <span style="color: #20124d;">June:</span> October:</span></span></span><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: #20124d;">5K - 4</span> <span style="color: #20124d;"> 5K - 10</span> 5K - </span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: #20124d;">10K - 9 </span> <span style="color: #20124d;">10K - 2 </span> 10K - </span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: #20124d;">March:</span> <span style="color: #20124d;">July:</span> November:</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: #20124d;">5K - </span> <span style="color: #20124d;">3</span> <span style="color: #20124d;"> 5K - 4 </span> 5K - </span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: #20124d;">10K -</span> <span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">7</span> </span> <span style="color: #20124d;">10K - 0 </span> 10K</span> - <br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: #20124d;">April:</span> August: December:</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: #20124d;"> 5K - 9</span> 5K - 5K - </span><br /></span></span><span style="color: #b4a7d6;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;"><span> <span style="color: #20124d;">10K - 1 </span> 10K - 10K -</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><br />My Vacation Triphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01884906933658768880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049241561852319005.post-64816092874633693772017-07-08T05:00:00.000-07:002017-07-18T05:30:18.971-07:007 Tips for Organizing Your Review Index | Book Blogging Tips (#64)<div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXcb3BwWMdE8EwVlXtf6xbYy4Iv9FnFFQrKWqYnQxzwv-Fix1405F22bKC7KwetdEl2f-Jh9j0zA0vTcZDymrgOSExeS0i7iBPNUgtVxsKwmP3K-M1xCe8P35MKUFe7bCyTCNBWcl4kY/s1600/Organizing.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXcb3BwWMdE8EwVlXtf6xbYy4Iv9FnFFQrKWqYnQxzwv-Fix1405F22bKC7KwetdEl2f-Jh9j0zA0vTcZDymrgOSExeS0i7iBPNUgtVxsKwmP3K-M1xCe8P35MKUFe7bCyTCNBWcl4kY/s320/Organizing.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">As a book blogger it's essential to have a review index. If you don't have a page dedicated to all your reviews, you should definitely look into getting one. <span style="font-weight: normal;">Here are all the ways to organize them and some tips.</span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #990000;">#1:</span> Don't just link to your tagged reviews page.</span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">Nobody likes this and nobody will actually seek out more reviews you posted when you do this. There is no way of finding what you're looking for if you have one of these so PLEASE just make a review index.</span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">#2:</span> There are five (and more) ways to organize your review index.</span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Alphabetically - </span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">By Author - </span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">By Genre - </span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">By Rating - </span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">By Publisher</span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">At the end of the day it comes down to personal preference which one you pick, but I suggest making at least(!) two different ones. </span><span style="font-size: small;">My most viewed one is the one by genre and I tend to go for that usually when I'm looking at a new blog so if you only want to do one, that's a safe bet.</span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #bf9000;">#3:</span> Link back to your other pages if you have any.</span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">For example, if you have an index for reviews by genre and reviews by authors, it's nice if you have a backlink at the top of the page that links to the respective other one. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Your viewers will love you for having an index that's easy to navigate and nested page tabs at the top of your site sometimes don't work as well on all browsers (unless you've checked that!)</span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #38761d;">#4:</span> Don't decorate.</span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Usually I always say you have to decorate your posts with something, whether it's pictures, graphics, or simply using italic, bold, and different font sizes. Your review index isn't the place for this. <span style="font-weight: normal;">It has to be a very plain page that simply does the job when someone is looking for a specific review. I'd even say be careful with using bigger fonts. </span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">Sometimes it's nice when you want to distinguish the individual letters, but please don't put every single review in a giant font so that your index will lose the classic list look that absolutely works best for your viewers.</span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #134f5c;">#5:</span> Periodically check if the links work.</span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">Sometimes I go back to randomly click on some of my reviews in my index and see if they link correctly. It happens a lot that you'll end up changing the date of a scheduled review and forget changing the link on your index page. </span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">#6:</span> Don't sort by date!!!!</span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">This is super unhelpful for anyone who's looking for something specific. You can't have a review index only listed by date published - this tells the average reader who's never been on your blog exactly zilch about where to find that specific review you did that they've been looking for. </span>Nothing's more frustrating than having to click ctrl+f on a blog and manually search for a review because the blogger did a crappy job with their index. </span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #351c75;">#7:</span> Link to your index.</span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">I can't believe I have to say this, but why do all the work if you don't have it in a tab at the top of your page? This isn't negotiable, it HAS to be in a tab that every reader immediately sees. Putting in a sidebar makes it difficult to find and most people don't even look at sidebars in general. So please. </span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">At the end of the day it's your own decision how you want to organize your index and as I always say - my suggestions are nothing more than tips and by no means a "do it my way or don't do it at all" guide. </span></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Do you have some more tips for organizing your review index? How is yours organized?</span></h2><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Elec8S6kPeU/Vmi7a3OZduI/AAAAAAAABb0/ONjCGrNw-1EOnFr8EPuaJBdrpDP50CC2wCPcB/s1600/NO%2BFEARGEARS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Elec8S6kPeU/Vmi7a3OZduI/AAAAAAAABb0/ONjCGrNw-1EOnFr8EPuaJBdrpDP50CC2wCPcB/s200/NO%2BFEARGEARS.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">More Book Blogging Tips:</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://thebookavid.blogspot.de/2016/01/when-to-post-arc-reviews-pros-and-cons.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When to Post ARC Reviews</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://thebookavid.blogspot.de/2016/02/youre-terrible-blogger-because-you-dont.html">You're A Terrible Blogger Because You Don't Post Every Day</a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://thebookavid.blogspot.de/2016/02/do-you-actually-review-unsolicited-arcs.html">Do You Actually Review Unsolicited ARCs?</a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;"><a href="http://thebookavid.blogspot.de/2016/02/how-i-pick-which-books-i-request-for.html">How I Pick Which Books I Request for Review</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://thebookavid.blogspot.de/2016/02/review-copies-are-not-free-books-dont.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Review Copies Are Not Free Books</span></a></div></div>My Vacation Triphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01884906933658768880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049241561852319005.post-85564770162923857842017-07-08T04:53:00.000-07:002017-07-18T05:38:26.683-07:00Review: Blood Always Tells by Hilary Davidson (audio)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimwQzqY2ZbHiW8U9oRtcLNuAkeTQShNvTdIeI77J3fvxpSNSvh4u1pIDkiWDF6A0vbgAHFELmyDr2VA4IoMqs7SU3crOzcakiwaoRZE0LL0RDKBTMZsL6vDAmF9s2ZJZBpaYkbMYGZCwY6/s1600/blood+always+tells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="312" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimwQzqY2ZbHiW8U9oRtcLNuAkeTQShNvTdIeI77J3fvxpSNSvh4u1pIDkiWDF6A0vbgAHFELmyDr2VA4IoMqs7SU3crOzcakiwaoRZE0LL0RDKBTMZsL6vDAmF9s2ZJZBpaYkbMYGZCwY6/s320/blood+always+tells.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Title: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Blood Always Tells</i></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Author: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hilary Davidson</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Narrator: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Kirsten Potter</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Published: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">April 2014, Dreamscape Media, LLC / Forge Books</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Length: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">9 hours 6 minutes / 320 pages</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Source: </span></b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Library / Publisher</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br /><blockquote style="background-color: #b1edec; border: 2px solid rgb(102, 102, 102); padding: 10px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText3630658209652122352">Dominique Monaghan just wanted to get even with her two-timing, married boyfriend, a washed-up boxer stuck in a toxic marriage to a dangerously spoiled socialite. However, an elaborate blackmail scheme soon lands her in the middle of an unexpected kidnapping... and attempted murder. But who is actually out to kill whom?<br /><br />Desmond Edgars, Dominique’s big brother, has looked out for his wayward sister ever since their mother was convicted of murdering many years ago, so when he receives a frantic phone call from Dominique in the middle of the night, he drops everything to rush to the rescue. But to find out what has really happened to his sister, the stoic ex-military man must navigate a tangled web of murder and deception, involving a family fortune, a couple of shifty lawyers, and a missing child, while wrestling with his own bloody secrets...<br /><br />Hilary Davidson's <i>Blood Always Tells</i> is a twisted tale of love, crime, and family gone wrong, by the multiple award–winning author of <i>The Damage Done</i> and <i>Evil in All Its Disguises.</i></span></span></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My thoughts: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is the first book I've read by Hilary Davidson and it was quite the twisted tale of murder and revenge! It kept me engaged and hooked from start to finish and I really enjoyed it.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This book really kept me on my toes as to what was going on...it was completely unpredictable and full of action. Told from three points of views, I really found it compelling. It was almost as if the story was told in three parts. I will say, though, I was a bit thrown off at first when the last section started. But, once it got going, I understood the significance of it. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This is a multi-layered, dark, twisted story. It pulls you in, is full of complex characters, secrets, and murder. I really liked this book and will definitely be looking into what else this author has written! </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Audio thoughts: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I've listened to Kirsten Potter narrate before, so I was excited to see she was narrating this audio book. I enjoy listening to her and thought she did a great job with this audio book. She gave each character their own unique voice and her pacing and intonation was good. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>My Vacation Triphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01884906933658768880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049241561852319005.post-29474251038482377712017-07-07T04:33:00.000-07:002017-07-18T05:38:26.704-07:00#SRC2017 Book Spotlight: A Game of Ghosts by John Connolly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNafDvn7k8nXh-WYfZ0PUI9lyeBLgLFyY2hlbKRnyRcOfBwyPc-FkG5oKnFiyLNbhIkeRz88nOwqV7QdZfwzK-yK4A2xhMo_tHEIqZdcff2asw5hxKJlFbw1U_simRcHn3eFX-PR0M8ck/s1600/booksparks+SRC+2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="750" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNafDvn7k8nXh-WYfZ0PUI9lyeBLgLFyY2hlbKRnyRcOfBwyPc-FkG5oKnFiyLNbhIkeRz88nOwqV7QdZfwzK-yK4A2xhMo_tHEIqZdcff2asw5hxKJlFbw1U_simRcHn3eFX-PR0M8ck/s400/booksparks+SRC+2017.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZKhkh1Q5674J0LqKljqvhYikfgaGG_HttYcGYtQF6_QIfONfofbsdyl_h6auhzMb8tTtLk2J1LzpoWCKuDBuxB9U-eR15EckWiPVDMM1QCXCMbsUG02YdT6cHT1X16SU-e837fvQtJsm/s1600/a+game+of+ghosts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZKhkh1Q5674J0LqKljqvhYikfgaGG_HttYcGYtQF6_QIfONfofbsdyl_h6auhzMb8tTtLk2J1LzpoWCKuDBuxB9U-eR15EckWiPVDMM1QCXCMbsUG02YdT6cHT1X16SU-e837fvQtJsm/s320/a+game+of+ghosts.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Title: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>A Game of Ghosts</i></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Author: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">John Connolly</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Series: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Charlie Parker, #15</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Published: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">July 2017, Atria/Emily Bestler Books</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Format: </span></b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hardcover, 464 books</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br /><blockquote style="background-color: #b1edec; border: 2px solid #666; padding: 10px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText10676654555070201868">Internationally bestselling author John Connolly returns with another “superb fusion of noir and the supernatural” (My Bookish Ways) in this latest thriller in his gripping Charlie Parker series.<br /><br />It is deep winter and the darkness is unending. A private detective named Jaycob Eklund has vanished and Charlie Parker is assigned to track him down. Parker’s employer, Edgar Ross, an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has his own reasons for wanting Eklund found. Eklund is no ordinary investigator—he is obsessively tracking a series of homicides and disappearances, each linked to reports of hauntings. Now Parker is drawn into Eklund’s world: a realm in which the monstrous Mother rules a crumbling criminal empire, in which men strike bargains with angels, and in which the innocent and guilty alike are pawns in a game of ghosts...</span></span></span> </blockquote><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What readers are saying: </span></b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Connolly creates complicated plots that never unravel. He's just that good."<b>--Kirkus Reviews</b><br /><br />"Terrifying."<b>--Publishers Weekly</b><br /><br />"Leave it to No. 1 internationally bestselling author John Connolly to deliver a flawless and highly suspenseful cocktail of FBI investigations, mysterious disappearances, and a dark ghost-ridden empire."<b>--Popsugar</b><br /><br />“There are a few authors whose novels are my own personal equivalent to comfort food. Stephen King is one; John Connolly is another.”<b>--Michael Patrick Hicks Reviews</b><br /><br />"The beauty of John Connolly's Charlie Parker novels is how the characters continue to evolve."<b>--The Jacksonville Times</b><br /><br />"The Charlie Parker series is my favorite series of all time. In any genre. Perhaps because it doesn't fit neatly into any one genre. It's gritty crime novels with supernatural elements and a mystery that spans across the entire series."<b>--Cynthia's On Pens and Needles </b></span></i><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></b></span><br /><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">***********************************************************************************</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4WDSA8-QXd9cjfEG9eIhX8WN82qDA1cyfvfUqfwD0afyh6S_8WpGqH3fyDhXuYMqQVM2hwjpQ0D01L2CDaRLo766dN8QMfpd-g3A5ejeccajcc5On95rO_kNH3c1CzlqkG6LjxiyohqMB/s1600/booksparks+july+books+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="750" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4WDSA8-QXd9cjfEG9eIhX8WN82qDA1cyfvfUqfwD0afyh6S_8WpGqH3fyDhXuYMqQVM2hwjpQ0D01L2CDaRLo766dN8QMfpd-g3A5ejeccajcc5On95rO_kNH3c1CzlqkG6LjxiyohqMB/s400/booksparks+july+books+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="color: #20124d;"><i><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">A Game of Ghosts</span> </span></i><span style="color: #351c75;">by <span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;">John Connolly</span> </span></span></b><span style="color: #351c75;">is one of <a href="http://gobooksparks.com/category/summer-reading-challenge-2017/" target="_blank">BookSparks</a> "Summer Reads" reading selection picks. </span></span></span></span></span></b></span></b></span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span> </span> </span></span></span></span></span></b></span></b></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"> </span></span></span></span></span></b></span></b><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Follow the #SRC2017 hashtag on twitter to read reviews on this book as well as reviews on the other summer books! Also, be sure to check out the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BookSparks/" target="_blank">BookSparks Facebook page</a> for the<a href="http://gvwy.io/yfeg4zo" target="_blank"> #SRC2017 </a> and other fun links. You can participate in weekly secret missions for chances to win signed copies of selected books and more! There's a new secret mission each week :)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: "georgia","times new roman",serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></div>My Vacation Triphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01884906933658768880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049241561852319005.post-50148744178358673522017-07-06T11:01:00.000-07:002017-07-18T05:38:26.723-07:00Review: Girl Last Seen by Nina Laurin (audio)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZUYerhSgffazTNuox7G6v5lojeQRxwV1-njsG8_U8ofXfgEP21IOhRbc-0sjH83r5TAxr8_luEN7FHziMBb0xLY0xb_Bbqc4XSAMX5B1cNnkrs7rVTBbagz1gX1gt0V2yDRPu0WHI9Gc/s1600/girl+last+seen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="311" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZUYerhSgffazTNuox7G6v5lojeQRxwV1-njsG8_U8ofXfgEP21IOhRbc-0sjH83r5TAxr8_luEN7FHziMBb0xLY0xb_Bbqc4XSAMX5B1cNnkrs7rVTBbagz1gX1gt0V2yDRPu0WHI9Gc/s320/girl+last+seen.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Title: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Girl Last Seen</i></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Author: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Nina Laurin</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Narrator: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Vanessa Johansson</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Published: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">June 2017, Hachette Audio</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Length: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">8 hours 11 minutes</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Source: </span></b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Publisher</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br /><blockquote style="background-color: #b1edec; border: 2px solid rgb(102, 102, 102); padding: 10px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText3810498433381796462"><b>Two missing girls. Thirteen years apart.<br /></b><i>Olivia Shaw has been missing since last Tuesday. She was last seen outside the entrance of her elementary school in Hunts Point wearing a white spring jacket, blue jeans, and pink boots.</i><br /><br />I force myself to look at the face in the photo, into her slightly smudged features, and I can't bring myself to move. Olivia Shaw could be my mirror image, rewound to thirteen years ago.<br /><br /><i>If you have any knowledge of Olivia Shaw's whereabouts or any relevant information, please contact...</i><br /><br />I've spent a long time peering into the faces of girls on missing posters, wondering which one replaced me in that basement. But they were never quite the right age, the right look, the right circumstances. Until Olivia Shaw, missing for one week tomorrow.<br /><br />Whoever stole me was never found. But since I was taken, there hasn't been another girl.<br /><br />And now there is.</span></span></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My thoughts: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sometimes when you read debut novels, you know it - they are good, but you can feel the newness of the author. And then, there are times when you are completely gobsmacked that a book is a debut - that's how I felt when I finished this one. This book is so utterly powerful and addicting from the very first sentence and stays that way throughout. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This book is crazy twisty and I loved it! It's raw and powerful, even uncomfortable at times, and I loved the way it was told, from the perspective of Lainey/Ella's eyes. You feel her vulnerability throughout, yet there are times when you question her reliability. I really feel that this is what makes the book what it is. If it was told by anyone else, it just wouldn't be as powerful or have the same effect.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">There were so many times when I was sure I had figured out what was going on. Everytime someone new came on the scene, I thought - Yes, that's who took Olivia...but oh no. Nina Laurin is a master of twists and turns. She does give clues, but I definitely did not put them together in time for the big reveal. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">I also enjoyed the pacing of this book. I felt there was a good balance of character development with action. At what felt like just the right time, there would be a twist to the story that would jar everything you were thinking. This really keeps you on your toes throughout the story and as secrets come out, you realize this isn't what you expected at all!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This is one of the best debut novels I've read/listened to in a long time. I cannot wait to see what comes next from Nina Lauren - she is definitely an author I will be keeping an eye out for!!!</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Audio thoughts: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is the first time I've listened to Vanessa Johansson and I thought she did such a great job with this audio. She didn't sugar-coat the voices, and I felt that she did Lane/Ella's voice justice - giving it that raw/vulnerable voice it needed. Her pacing was good as was her intonation. I will definitely be checking out what else she has narrated!</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>My Vacation Triphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01884906933658768880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049241561852319005.post-49406087150457390362017-07-06T00:43:00.000-07:002017-07-18T05:30:18.992-07:00Recommendation: The Queen of Dauphine Street - Thea de Salle: Pet Tigers and Pansexuality<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZbMGmKgkDGAVqlPCjY_hgMKcKiuhUiENcJkB7SFqG8OF2Enly645pZVKp-PInZuDzQlCLzHo2UVwcq_DeUuv4Ripkck_rjsDw7mLHL4jpp2nhaIXhokgoHAhdjOUQiiLEsv-342Z5go/s1600/31302860.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="306" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZbMGmKgkDGAVqlPCjY_hgMKcKiuhUiENcJkB7SFqG8OF2Enly645pZVKp-PInZuDzQlCLzHo2UVwcq_DeUuv4Ripkck_rjsDw7mLHL4jpp2nhaIXhokgoHAhdjOUQiiLEsv-342Z5go/s320/31302860.jpg" width="205" /></a></div><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">In THE QUEEN OF DAUPHINE STREET, filthy rich socialite Maddy invites stripper-turned-construction-worker Darren to stay on her cruise ship for protection after his abusive ex makes an attempt to kill him.</blockquote><b><br /></b><b><i>What intrigued me</i>:</b> I am obsessed with the book this is a companion novel to, <a href="http://thebookavid.blogspot.de/2017/06/recommendation-king-of-bourbon-street.html">THE KING OF BOURBON STREET</a>.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Eccentricism and PTSD</u></b></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Maddy is the most eccentric character I have ever read about. She has a pet tiger, a gigantic cruise ship, is openly pansexual, and has a room full of penis art. Having met her as Sol's ex-wife in <a href="http://thebookavid.blogspot.de/2017/06/recommendation-king-of-bourbon-street.html">THE KING OF BOURBON STREET</a>, I was expecting a lot of kink and a lot of weirdness from her, and boy, I got it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Surprisingly, THE QUEEN OF DAUPHINE STREET is a lot tamer than the first book in this series. <b>Despite Maddy being vocal about her sex life and being a dom (though for Darren, she becomes the sub!), this book doesn't capitalize on the sex and the kink. There are very few sex scenes and this is very slow burn, a lot of time passes for Maddy and Darren to get acquainted and be comfortable with physical contact. </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Here's the thing: I actually am really happy that De Salle took this approach. Both Maddy and Darren have PTSD. It makes sense for THE QUEEN OF DAUPHINE STREET to have these two take their time, especially because this book goes to such dark places, exploring both protagonists' PTSD, anxiety, panic attacks, and their stories in detail. De Salle again manages to have me glued to the pages, totally obsessed with watching her characters' relationship evolve and learning more about their past. And because this needs saying: none of the mental illnesses are cured when Darren and Maddy fall in love. This is <i><b><u>not</u> </b></i>a love-cures-all narrative. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Maddy and Darren develop their relationship at a slow pace that feels right and that will actually force you to binge this one. You'll have to keep on reading if you want to get to the smutty parts, and trust me, once they come, they are as kinky as you'd expect them to be.</b></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Dad Jokes and All the Feels</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Darren is honestly such a surprise. I'm completely #TeamSol and forever will be, but Darren found his way into my heart silently, he snuck up on me with his terrible dad jokes (there are so many...) and his Texan charm. He's a major dork and I dearly grew fond of him. Even if you were a little skeptical in the beginning (like I was!) because he's this straighter-than-straight hunk of a guy (no shade, just isn't for me!). <b>I was surprised that De Salle made me like a guy like that, by putting her own spin on the trope. I love Darren precisely because he doesn't take himself seriously and isn't a Grade A superman without flaws.</b> I actually found myself liking him more and more the more time he spends with Maddy, which just speaks for De Salle's flawless ability to develop relationships that read organically and realistically.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>All NOLA Nights books are so fantastically well-written and you'll grow so attached to the characters, all side characters really, and you'll need to read all other companion novels if you want more content featuring your favorites!</b> Almost all characters from the previous companion novel make an appearance here and I suspect it'll be the same in the next one. I clung to the pages every time Sol and Rain appeared, the protagonists from <b><a href="http://thebookavid.blogspot.de/2017/06/recommendation-king-of-bourbon-street.html">THE KING OF BOURBON STREET</a></b>, and I am sure any further appearances Maddy and Darren make in this series will have me gently sobbing, hoping there will be some more books starring them. Ah. I just love this series. If you want intersectional, a little kinky romance that has marginalized people in both main and side roles, this is a must-read.</div><br /><br /><h3></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;"></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;"></h3><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmrdhD_6ekCMZVefWK6ZAOCQ5Y-2H0jsVqy_4QpJmBBNTpY1m48XMZifxWFdYv9ETFdO6zgx9BDOHhD2G2sjh_huCs1yCHjO82_ZJ4q-Le50kdNSK-XNhfTXNalJPC8WQolof5qiNTuo/s1600/Untitled+design+%25285%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmrdhD_6ekCMZVefWK6ZAOCQ5Y-2H0jsVqy_4QpJmBBNTpY1m48XMZifxWFdYv9ETFdO6zgx9BDOHhD2G2sjh_huCs1yCHjO82_ZJ4q-Le50kdNSK-XNhfTXNalJPC8WQolof5qiNTuo/s320/Untitled+design+%25285%2529.png" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Rating:</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 80px;">★★★★★</span></h3><h3> </h3><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;">Overall: Do I Recommend?</h3>THE QUEEN OF DAUPHINE STREET mixes light BDSM with a really really nuanced portayal of a gentle romance betweeen two characters with PTSD. You don't have to read any of the other books to try out this one.<br /><br />More romances about characters with mental illnesses, please. More slow burn. More Thea de Salle, please.<br /><br /><i><u><b>Trigger warnings:</b></u></i> suicide, guns, shooting, PTSD, stalking, harassment, BDSM, panic attacks, anxiety, attempted murder<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u><b>Additional Info</b></u></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZbMGmKgkDGAVqlPCjY_hgMKcKiuhUiENcJkB7SFqG8OF2Enly645pZVKp-PInZuDzQlCLzHo2UVwcq_DeUuv4Ripkck_rjsDw7mLHL4jpp2nhaIXhokgoHAhdjOUQiiLEsv-342Z5go/s1600/31302860.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="306" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZbMGmKgkDGAVqlPCjY_hgMKcKiuhUiENcJkB7SFqG8OF2Enly645pZVKp-PInZuDzQlCLzHo2UVwcq_DeUuv4Ripkck_rjsDw7mLHL4jpp2nhaIXhokgoHAhdjOUQiiLEsv-342Z5go/s320/31302860.jpg" width="205" /></a><b>Published:</b> May 15th 2017</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Pages: </b>236</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Publisher: </b>Pocket Star</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Genre: </b>Adult / Romance</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>ISBN: </b>9781501156090<br /><br /><b>Synopsis:</b><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">"<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8px;">When one of the world’s wildest socialites is paired with a handsome Texan, neither has any idea that their lives are about to change forever in this sexy, sultry romance in the NOLA Night series from New York Times bestselling author Thea de Salle.</span></span><br /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8px;">Madeline Roussoux has it all: money, a dozen houses, a private jet, a cruise ship, even a tiger. Everyone knows her name. Her every move is watched, absorbed, adored, and abhorred by the public. She’s a dazzling spectacle on the society scene—a beautiful, flamboyant poster child for American privilege and Hollywood celebrity.</span></span><br /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8px;">And she’s broken.</span></span><br /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8px;">All the wealth in the world can’t make up for Maddy’s losses. Her father’s suicide and her mother’s ensuing breakdown left her orphaned as a teenager. She survived, but barely. From stints in rehab to a string of failed marriages, her dazzling smile hides deep scars. Finally, losing Sol DuMont, the one person she ever truly loved, has her wondering what is the point of being surrounded by people when you’re perpetually alone?</span></span><br /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8px;">Enter Darren Sanders. He’s a beautiful Texas boy with a big heart and a bigger smile; the type of man women go crazy for. Literally. When Darren’s ex stalks him and then makes an attempt on his life, circumstances find him off to New Orleans with none other than Maddy Roussoux. He thought he knew everything there was to know about her, but there’s more to the woman whose image graces the covers of magazines worldwide, and Darren finds himself drawn into a world of excess he never imagined possible. </span></span>"<br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Source: Goodreads)</span></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><h2><span style="font-size: x-large;">What's your favorite Adult Romance?</span></h2><br /><br /><div style="text-align: start;"><b>Connect with me!</b></div><div style="text-align: start;"><a href="http://twitter.com/bookavid">Twitter </a>| <a href="http://patreon.com/bookavid">Diverse Reading/Writing Advice on Patreon</a> | <a href="http://ko-fi.com/bookavid">Buy me a coffee?</a> | <a href="http://bookavid.tumblr.com/">Tumblr </a>| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/32981040-jen">Goodreads</a></div></div><h2><span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-weight: normal; text-align: start;"></div></div></span></h2></div>My Vacation Triphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01884906933658768880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049241561852319005.post-50116248109278169282017-07-04T05:30:00.000-07:002017-07-18T05:38:26.740-07:00Blog Tour & Review: The Light in Summer by Mary McNear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtRHzhhEYXFfGGvXfEktL-zKxXrnWZSIvd_KX7pCifGVM32JYg9jCLbgXcmTlnrXtafJxY-vkucBXB-8PVoVARmPEPWOru4MX2-8G-YC9R3IEbKgNHaAfLGW2a-d0yluBelnHg82lT2tBr/s1600/the+light+in+summer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtRHzhhEYXFfGGvXfEktL-zKxXrnWZSIvd_KX7pCifGVM32JYg9jCLbgXcmTlnrXtafJxY-vkucBXB-8PVoVARmPEPWOru4MX2-8G-YC9R3IEbKgNHaAfLGW2a-d0yluBelnHg82lT2tBr/s320/the+light+in+summer.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Title: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The Light in Summer</i></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Author: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mary McNear</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Series: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Butternut Lake, #5</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Published: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">June 2017, William Morrow Paperbacks</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Format: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ARC Paperback, 366 pages</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Source: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Publisher via <a href="http://tlcbooktours.com/" target="_blank">TLC Book Tours</a></span></span><br /><br /><blockquote style="background-color: #b1edec; border: 2px solid rgb(102, 102, 102); padding: 10px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText4300762579361935512"><b><i>New York Times </i>and <i>USA Today </i>bestselling author Mary McNear brings you home to Butternut Lake and a novel filled with irresistible characters who you will want to call your friends.</b><br /><br /><i>It’s summertime on Butternut Lake, where the heat of noon is soothed by the cool breezes of the evening, where the pace grows slower, and sometimes, just sometimes, the summer light makes everything clearer...</i><br /><br />For the lovely Billy Harper, Butternut Lake is the place she feels most at home, even though lately she feels the only one listening to her is Murphy...her faithful Labrador Retriever. Her teenage son, Luke, has gone from precious to precocious practically overnight. Her friends are wrapped up in their own lives, and Luke’s father, Wesley, disappeared before his son was even born. No wonder she prefers to spend time with a good book, especially ones where everything ends in perfection.<br /><br />But Billy is about to learn that anything is possible during the heady days of summer. Coming to terms with her past—the death of her father, the arrival of Cal Cooper, a complicated man with a definite interest in Billy, even the return of Wesley, will force her to have a little bit of faith in herself and others...and realize that happiness doesn’t always mean perfection.<br /><br /><b>“Butternut Lake is so beautifully rendered, you’ll wish it was real.”—Susan Wiggs, #1 <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author </b><br /><br /><b>“This triumphant story had me reading until the wee hours of the morning.”—#1 <i>New York Times </i>bestselling author Debbie Macomber on <i>The Space Between Sisters</i></b></span></span></span></blockquote><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My thoughts: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I just adore Mary McNear's Butternut Lake series...it's such an enjoyable, light series to read. I know when I pick up one of these books, not only am I going to read about a fun romance or two, but I'm going to read about characters that have real, life-like problems. It's not all fluff and fairy-tale like, but at the same time, it's not all weighed-down heaviness either.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This book was great - it's sort of a mix of book-nerdiess with a touch a romance and a good dose of real-life thrown in. Billy, the female main character - which takes a bit of getting used to the fact that this is a she! - is a librarian and has a thing for her Jane Austen books. I loved this!!! I loved that she would sit with her Jane Austen collection at night to decompress. She's a single parent raising a boy on the cusp of the teen years - who is just on the verge of going down the wrong path...and suddenly wants to know who his father is right this second!</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">I loved that not only do we get Billy's perspective in this book, but we also get Luke's, Billy's son. Hearing his take on things really helped to see where his head was in all this. And boy were there some tender moments at times - my heart really did break for him! And we also get Cal's perpective - who naturally is the guy who comes into Billy's life. I loved the way Billy and Cal's romance took it's time developing. It wasn't fast by any means and had quite a few obstacles to overcome, but it was one of the sweetest journeys I've read in a while.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">One of my favorite relationships, though, in this book was that between Billy and a patron in the library - little Mara. She is a bookworm for sure - a girl after my own heart! She would come into the library and check out a ton of books each time - but my favorite was right before she was headed to go see her grandparents - she was checking out quite a few books, afraid that she wouldn't have enough to get her through the week. Oh how I loved this and could totally see me doing this!!!</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This book was such a great installment in an already good series and I hope there are more to come. What I love about this series is that you really don't have to read these books in order - the stories really do stand on their own. So, do yourself a favor and pick one up today - you won't regret it!!!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Books in this series:</b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /> </span></span></b></span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. <a href="http://www.alwayswithabook.blogspot.com/2014/05/blog-tour-review-giveaway-up-at.html" target="_blank">Up at Butternut Lake</a><br /> 2. <a href="http://www.alwayswithabook.blogspot.com/2014/08/review-butternut-summer-by-mary-mcnear.html" target="_blank">Butternut Summer</a><br /> 2.5 <a href="http://www.alwayswithabook.blogspot.com/2014/12/review-butternut-lake-night-before.html" target="_blank">Butternut Lake: The Night Before Christmas</a><br /> 3. <a href="http://alwayswithabook.blogspot.com/2015/05/blog-tour-review-moonlight-on-butternut.html" target="_blank">Moonlight on Butternut Lake</a></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> 4. <a href="http://alwayswithabook.blogspot.com/2017/07/review-space-between-sisters-by-mary.html" target="_blank">The Space Between Sisters</a></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> 5. The Light in Summer </span></span></span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPs_CFCTdI7u1Bgss5mQ-1h2CBKwxAxn3ywUMLx5Dywvz2oRJUvkX5wdFR_ln16kd1ypXs3gl6aoKNxEvFp64KVbOONLACigNuwYao5VOGSZwT8HUcPC7jZoGSfqRBe6BABRM5C48d0_9b/s1600/mary+mcnear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="160" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPs_CFCTdI7u1Bgss5mQ-1h2CBKwxAxn3ywUMLx5Dywvz2oRJUvkX5wdFR_ln16kd1ypXs3gl6aoKNxEvFp64KVbOONLACigNuwYao5VOGSZwT8HUcPC7jZoGSfqRBe6BABRM5C48d0_9b/s200/mary+mcnear.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>About the Author:</b></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mary McNear, <i>New York Times</i> and <i>USA Today</i> bestselling author of the Butternut Lake series, writes in a local doughnut shop, where she sips Diet Pepsi, observes the hubbub of neighborhood life, and tries to resist the constant temptation of freshly made doughnuts. Mary bases her novels on a lifetime of summers spent in a small town on a lake in the northern Midwest.</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Author Links:</b> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MaryMcNearAuthor" target="_blank">Facebook</a> </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span></span> </span><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Purchase Links:</b> <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062690470/the-light-in-summer" target="_blank">HarperCollins</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Light-Summer-Butternut-Lake-Novel/dp/0062690477/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1497576814&sr=8-1&linkCode=sl1&tag=tlboto-20&linkId=18c932cbbcc00d4f1135e2da1b8e45bf" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-light-in-summer-mary-mcnear/1124807503?ean=9780062690470" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></span></span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: #351c75;">Be sure to check out all the other stops on the <a href="http://tlcbooktours.com/2017/06/mary-mcnear-author-of-the-light-in-summer-on-tour-junejuly-2017/" target="_blank">blog tour</a> and follow the tour on Twitter (hashtags: </span></b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: #351c75;"></span></b></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: #351c75;">#TLCBookTours & #TheLightInSummer).</span></b></span></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIGdNdC1isguuv9bIw0gQnhRBOnWKCIP-bUe7i9rkiVOXW9-35gxVahrmdALMAazfpxydCWoxwd4lUGK5-eZjbNwebh6v5eMGCaBoR95dS7JVDyayV_Z5KGNhAQPQGIrIJsJnxjoKlR-7Z/s1600/tlc+book+tours.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIGdNdC1isguuv9bIw0gQnhRBOnWKCIP-bUe7i9rkiVOXW9-35gxVahrmdALMAazfpxydCWoxwd4lUGK5-eZjbNwebh6v5eMGCaBoR95dS7JVDyayV_Z5KGNhAQPQGIrIJsJnxjoKlR-7Z/s1600/tlc+book+tours.png" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: #351c75;"> </span></b></span></span> </span></span></span>My Vacation Triphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01884906933658768880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049241561852319005.post-33774902547691826732017-07-04T04:53:00.000-07:002017-07-18T05:30:19.012-07:00Should You Separate Bookish and Personal Social Media Accounts? | Book Blogging Tips (#63)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMszCuDGe2tx73DgWcbfXrq4GNfdCdygaN1RoMSwsQX1a7AuV2JdCivxQzFy4TZx9P_KierNgEwL1RVD8N_zsTmnqdd45BTZQbE8xCXpcp3qCqSKa1FewMZLuxHVuw2eHWiFM6b4gE5Y/s1600/Reasons+to+do+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMszCuDGe2tx73DgWcbfXrq4GNfdCdygaN1RoMSwsQX1a7AuV2JdCivxQzFy4TZx9P_KierNgEwL1RVD8N_zsTmnqdd45BTZQbE8xCXpcp3qCqSKa1FewMZLuxHVuw2eHWiFM6b4gE5Y/s320/Reasons+to+do+%25281%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>We all have social media accounts that may or may not go with our blogs. We all know social media is important to grow your blog, but should you separate the two?</b></span><br /><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I very often see bloggers who have one account for their blog and one that's personal. In order to determine which one works best for you, you first have to assess what kind of blog you have.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">First check if you have a personal blog or a general blog. </span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Personal blogs</b> are blogs that just focus on your own reading habits, maybe ocassionally featuring guest posts, but generally just feature what you think and what you're reading. </li><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>A more general book blog</b> would be a blog with multiple regular contributors that doesn't just feature reviews but has lots of cover reveals, guest posts, rec lists, etc.</li></ul></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A social media account for a personal blog would feel oddly empty, considering that most of us personal bloggers don't put out more than maybe 3-5 posts per week. <b>What would you be posting the other days then? Social media very much relies on regular content and if you have the content to fill it up with, by all means. </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The reason why you're making a social media account for your blog is typically to make the whole thing seem less like "this is the blog of XY" and more like "this is a blog about X". <b>Ask yourself - do you really need to dissociate yourself from your blog if it's a personal one?</b> Another thing to consider is that people on social media tend to follow for the unique, constant content. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Examples and questions to ask if you have a personal blog:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Let's say you'll make a special account for your blog only on...</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Twitter: </b></span>You'll use it to crosspost your posts there every time they go live. What else would you do during the times your blog doesn't have any content? Twitter is a medium that relies on constant (opinionated) content. Keeping your account neutral would make it look oddly empty. You'll have to constantly retweet other accounts or interact with other accounts to add some more content. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Verdict:<span style="color: #38761d;"> </span><span style="color: #b45f06;">Maybe</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Instagram: </b></span>If you have the motivation and patience to set up a blog-only instagram featuring pictures of your current reads and all, sure! You can certainly do both in one account though. Your call.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Verdict: <span style="color: #bf9000;">Sure, if you like</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tumblr: </b></span>Again, same as with twitter. You'll have to add third-party content to your account to make it worth it. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Verdict: <span style="color: #b45f06;">Maybe</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Facebook:</b></span> Plenty of blogs have a facebook site. I think it's actually a very good idea to separate your blog from your personal facebook. It would only make things messy to combine the two.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Verdict: <span style="color: #38761d;">Yes!</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>At the end of the day you decide what works best and maybe it's a little bit trial and error. Go ahead and make that social media page specifically for your blog if you like, delete it if you dislike it. Easy like that.</div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Do you have separate accounts for social media?</b></span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl-XIcrtdR4V2DFsgBSfDU3uKbA8FLSimlQeTRBCS123RESKaef88rg5WlUnqfxf6s6nHoF_9-vFCE5IbtOUNq4zIGp6nXETM5ONpdiSRr1lOGJmRHyLYbejO7gCKl_q_fZNnIa3Fb46I/s1600/NO+FEARGEARS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl-XIcrtdR4V2DFsgBSfDU3uKbA8FLSimlQeTRBCS123RESKaef88rg5WlUnqfxf6s6nHoF_9-vFCE5IbtOUNq4zIGp6nXETM5ONpdiSRr1lOGJmRHyLYbejO7gCKl_q_fZNnIa3Fb46I/s200/NO+FEARGEARS.jpg" width="200" /></a>More Book Blogging Tips:</h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal; text-align: start;"><a href="http://thebookavid.blogspot.de/2015/06/book-blogging-tips-5-do-you-need-to.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do You Need to Post Every Day to be Successful?</span></a></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal; text-align: start;"><a href="http://thebookavid.blogspot.com/2015/06/should-you-be-commenting-back-book.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Should You Be Commenting Back?</span></a></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal; text-align: start;"><a href="http://thebookavid.blogspot.de/2015/07/book-blogging-tips-7-how-not-to.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">How NOT to Advertise for Your Blog</span></a></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal; text-align: start;"><a href="http://thebookavid.blogspot.de/2015/07/book-blogging-tips-8-6-things-your-blog.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">6 Things Your Blog Design Has To Have</span></a></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal; text-align: start;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;"><a href="http://thebookavid.blogspot.de/2015/07/book-blogging-tips-9-6-commenting.html">6 Commenting Systems and What Sucks About Them </a></span></span><br /><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://thebookavid.blogspot.de/p/original-features.html">all book blogging tips</a></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b></b></span></h2>My Vacation Triphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01884906933658768880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049241561852319005.post-25919773732219404412017-07-04T04:13:00.000-07:002017-07-18T05:38:26.757-07:00Review: The Space Between Sisters by Mary McNear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiro62aOx6Ps5vR0nCv5EfFAo7QkArPEyqv1GaXewV9S5xY4smMoXVYJFkFS_J0XZOmny-6pqOh7L2YW8uM_F9Dl4OmCT6I2QlSVICn_NYjVLusPALI3yM0xXhnAVIU769s41F2vZ9g-P2p/s1600/the+space+between+sisters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiro62aOx6Ps5vR0nCv5EfFAo7QkArPEyqv1GaXewV9S5xY4smMoXVYJFkFS_J0XZOmny-6pqOh7L2YW8uM_F9Dl4OmCT6I2QlSVICn_NYjVLusPALI3yM0xXhnAVIU769s41F2vZ9g-P2p/s320/the+space+between+sisters.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Title: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The Space Between Sisters</i></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Author: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mary McNear</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Series: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Butternut Lake, #4</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Published: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">June 2016, William Morrow Paperbacks</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Format: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ARC Paperback, 336 pages</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Source: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Publisher</span></span><br /><br /><blockquote style="background-color: #b1edec; border: 2px solid rgb(102, 102, 102); padding: 10px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span id="freeText13177370456980720190" style="font-size: small;"><b>Return to Butternut Lake with the newest from Mary McNear, whose heartfelt and powerful stories have made her a <i>New York Times</i> and <i>USA Today</i> bestselling author. Here, the complicated bonds of sisterhood are tested, long-kept secrets are revealed, and love is discovered…all during one unforgettable summer at the lake.</b><br /><br />Two sisters couldn’t be more different. Win organized and responsible; Poppy impulsive and undependable. Win treads cautiously and plans her life with care; Poppy bounces from job to job and apartment to apartment, leaving others to pick up the pieces. But despite their differences, they share memories of the idyllic childhood summers they spent together on the shores of Butternut Lake. Now, 13 years later, Win, recovering from a personal tragedy, has returned to Butternut Lake, settling into a predictable and quiet life. <br /><br />Then, one night, Poppy unexpectedly shows up on Win’s doorstep with all her worldly possessions and a mysterious man in tow. And although Win loves her beautiful sister, she wasn’t expecting her to move in for the summer. Still, at first, they relive the joys of Butternut Lake. But their blissful nostalgia soon gives way to conflict, and painful memories and buried secrets threaten to tear the sisters apart. <br /><br />As the waning days of summer get shorter, past secrets are revealed, new love is found, and the ties between the sisters are tested like never before…all on the serene shores of Butternut Lake.</span></span></blockquote><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My thoughts:</span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> When I read the previous book in this series, <i>Moonlight on Butternut Lake</i>, I thought it was the final book - I thought it was a trilogy and I was so bummed! I really enjoy these books, so I was ecstatic to see that Mary McNear was still writing this series and this latest installment was just perfect!</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">One of the best things about this series is that you really don't need to read it in order. Each book really does stand on it's on, especially this one where there are brand new characters and while a few of the characters from past books do pop up, they really are in the periphery.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">I loved this story - the story of two sisters. Their relationship and all the angst that came with it was so real and relatable. Having two sisters myself, I could totally sympathize with both Win and Poppy - I understand both of them, having been on both sides at one time or the other. I loved watching their relationship grow during this summer - oh it was tested time and time again, as these sisters are complete opposites, but that was half the fun!</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">There are so many endearing things to this book, as there usually are in Mary McNear stories, from the charming cat to the adorable little girl Poppy gives twirling lessons to and then there are the men that each women find themselves falling for. This book has a little bit of everything - love in all its many forms and is a great summer read.</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Books in this series:</b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. <a href="http://www.alwayswithabook.blogspot.com/2014/05/blog-tour-review-giveaway-up-at.html" target="_blank">Up at Butternut Lake</a><br /> 2. <a href="http://www.alwayswithabook.blogspot.com/2014/08/review-butternut-summer-by-mary-mcnear.html" target="_blank">Butternut Summer</a><br /> 2.5 <a href="http://www.alwayswithabook.blogspot.com/2014/12/review-butternut-lake-night-before.html" target="_blank">Butternut Lake: The Night Before Christmas</a><br /> 3. <a href="http://alwayswithabook.blogspot.com/2015/05/blog-tour-review-moonlight-on-butternut.html" target="_blank">Moonlight on Butternut Lake</a></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> 4. The Space Between Sisters</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> 5. The Light in Summer </span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></b></span>My Vacation Triphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01884906933658768880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049241561852319005.post-56196372281778075432017-07-03T07:53:00.000-07:002017-07-18T05:38:26.774-07:00Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Everything We Left Behind by Kerry Lonsdale<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><b><span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Tomorrow</span>, <span style="color: #351c75;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Everything We Left Behind</span></i></span>, the latest book by Kerry Lonsdale comes out and I'm super excited about this one. This is the <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">sequel to her book, <a href="http://alwayswithabook.blogspot.com/2016/09/frc2016-review-everything-we-keep-by.html" target="_blank"><i>Everything We Keep</i></a> - which I loved!!!</span> I'll be listening to this book - I'm just waiting for my copy of the audio book to arrive and then once it does, and I have time to listen to it, I'll be posting my review. </span></b></b></span></span></b></span></b></span><br /><br /><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><b><span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-size: small;">Because this book is sequel, and you really need to read the first book, and because I was fortunate to have been sent both books, I am going to give them away to 1 lucky reader. See giveaway details below!!! </span> </span></b></b></span></span></span></b></span></b><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpXOqCEPeHv-LWyuSMtPNJv7L8HSI0dBOpihB4YJyxvLHlg4MR6cTnUnLemNXLKV2iWLuWKTgx6CLjgHgq-2lY4uTzH5hLrVBY5H5OsDledpdY5D0R-EP1uxhZTm26jXcuOYTtqdr2jKqX/s1600/everything+we+left+behind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpXOqCEPeHv-LWyuSMtPNJv7L8HSI0dBOpihB4YJyxvLHlg4MR6cTnUnLemNXLKV2iWLuWKTgx6CLjgHgq-2lY4uTzH5hLrVBY5H5OsDledpdY5D0R-EP1uxhZTm26jXcuOYTtqdr2jKqX/s320/everything+we+left+behind.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Title: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Everything We Left Behind</i></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Author: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Kerry Lonsdale</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Series: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Everything We Keep, #2</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Published: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">July 2017, Lake Union Publishing</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Format: </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Paperback, 348 pages</span></span><br /><br /><blockquote style="background-color: #b1edec; border: 2px solid rgb(102, 102, 102); padding: 10px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText2393231489821388355"><b>From the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Everything We Keep comes the highly anticipated sequel. Told from one man’s two perspectives, Everything We Left Behind effortlessly blends suspense, mystery, and romance in an exploration of loss, resilience, and the compelling need to protect the ones we love at all cost.</b><br /><br />Two months before his wedding, financial executive James Donato chased his trade-laundering brother Phil to Mexico, only to be lost at sea and presumed dead. Six and a half years later, he emerges from a dissociative fugue state to find he’s been living in Oaxaca as artist Carlos Dominguez, widower and father of two sons, with his sister-in-law Natalya Hayes, a retired professional surfer, helping to keep his life afloat. But his fiancée, Aimee Tierney, the love of his life, has moved on. She’s married and has a child of her own.<br /><br />Devastated, James and his sons return to California. But Phil is scheduled for release from prison, and he’s determined to find James, who witnessed something in Mexico that could land Phil back in confinement. Under mounting family pressure, James flees with his sons to Kauai, seeking refuge with Natalya. As James begins to unravel the mystery of his fractured identity, danger is never far behind, and Natalya may be the only person he can trust.<br /><br />(This book is the sequel to <i>Everything We Keep</i>.)</span></span></span></blockquote><br /><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What readers are saying: </span></b><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“In this suspenseful sequel to <i>Everything We Keep</i>…readers will be captivated as the truth unravels, hanging on every word.” <b>–<i>RT Book Reviews</i></b></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“A stunning fusion of suspense, family drama, and redemption, <i>Everything We Left Behind</i> will hold the reader spellbound to the last sentence.” <b>—A. J. Banner, #1 Kindle and <i>USA Today</i> bestselling author of <i>The Twilight Wife</i> and <i>The Good Neighbor</i></b></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Love, loss, and secrets drive Kerry Lonsdale’s twisty follow-up to the bestselling <i>Everything We Keep</i>. <i>Everything We Left Behind</i> is an enthralling and entertaining read. You’ll be turning the pages as fast as you can to see how it ends.” <b>—Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke, authors of <i>The Good Widow</i></b></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“While <i>Everything We Left Behind</i>, the long-anticipated sequel to <i>Everything We Keep</i>, is page-turning and suspenseful, at its center it is the story of a man struggling to discover the truth of his own identity. A man who is determined above all else to protect his family, a man who is willing to risk everything to find out the truth and to ultimately uncover the secrets of his own heart. For everyone who has read <i>Everything We Keep</i> (if you haven’t go do that now!), this is your novel, answering every question, tying up every thread to an oh-so-satisfying conclusion.” <b>—Barbara Taylor Sissel, author of <i>The Truth We Bury</i></b></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“With one smart, unexpected twist after another, this page-turner is as surprising as it is emotionally insightful. <i>Everything We Left Behind</i> showcases Kerry Lonsdale at the top of her game.” <b>—Camille Pagán, bestselling author of <i>Life and Other Near-Death Experiences</i></b></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Told through a unique perspective, <i>Everything We Left Behind</i> is a compelling story about one man’s journey to find himself in the wake of trauma, dark secrets, and loss. As past and present merge, he struggles to confront fear and find trust, but two constants remain: his love for his young sons and his need to protect them from danger. This novel has everything—romance, suspense, mystery, family drama. What a page-turner!” <b>—Barbara Claypole White, bestselling author of <i>Echoes of Family</i></b></span></span><br /><br /><br /><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">********************************************************************************** </span></b><br /><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>GIVEAWAY DETAILS</b> <span style="font-size: small;">-</span></span> (US only)</span></span></span></span> </b></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Thanks to the folks at Lake Union Publishing</b></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>, I have <span style="color: #351c75;">one</span> copy each of <span style="color: #20124d;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Everything We Keep & Everything We Left Behind</span></i></span> to give away to one of my readers. To enter the giveaway, please fill out the rafflecopter below by July10th<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span>.</b></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><a class="rcptr" data-raflid="732bcaf517" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/732bcaf517/" id="rcwidget_4p7v78h8" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>This giveaway is open to US residents only and ends July 1<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">0th</span>.</b></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Good Luck!!!</span> </b></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div> <script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>My Vacation Triphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01884906933658768880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049241561852319005.post-46625831111224503182017-07-02T03:59:00.000-07:002017-07-18T05:30:19.031-07:00[Review] Last Seen Leaving - Caleb Roehrig: Sexuality and Missing Girlfriends<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rEwH1bb6oLQ/WUuhGLl-KgI/AAAAAAAAFrU/86eDc5GftYsZnWlFuI3aAezGfPvJ4Ty2wCLcBGAs/s1600/25036310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rEwH1bb6oLQ/WUuhGLl-KgI/AAAAAAAAFrU/86eDc5GftYsZnWlFuI3aAezGfPvJ4Ty2wCLcBGAs/s320/25036310.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><blockquote class="tr_bq">In LAST SEEN LEAVING, the police start investigating when Flynn's ex-girlfriend mysteriously disappears.</blockquote><b><br /></b><b><i>What intrigued me</i>:</b> Exclusively the hype.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Coming-Of-Age Rather Than Thriller</u></b></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">LAST SEEN LEAVING is a poster child for<i> it's not you, it's me</i>. It's undoubtedly a very skillfully written book, the prose is on point, the characterizations are great - but it's just not my thing.<b> I found myself struggling a lot to get into this and pretty much immediately lost interest when I realized that this is a very character-driven coming-of-age story with a side of mystery instead of a fast-paced thriller. </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">LAST SEEN LEAVING isn't really about January or her disappearance, it's pretty much simply an incentive to get the story started and fill some pages on the side so Flynn's self discovery won't be the only thing that this book is about. I definitely welcome this, I like that Roehrig wrapped a second story into this instead of just making this a regular thriller. We do need more #ownvoices stories that aren't solely about characters discovering their sexuality. However, the coming-of-age aspect is ultimately also why I didn't care much for it. I'm not really a fan of calm contemporary books that center around characters and their self-discovery, so LAST SEEN LEAVING didn't grip me at all.</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Miscommunication and Slow Burn</u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Besides the very subjective aspects, LAST SEEN LEAVING is a very slowly paced book, which doesn't really work in the story's favor, considering the genre. I was hoping for a page turner, but I really only got a slow burn story about a small town mystery and a small town boy who got too caught up in heteronormativity to realize that he isn't heterosexual at all. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>A lot of the story relies on misunderstandings and miscommunication to preserve the mystery, which is probably my least favorite trope in the entire universe and also influenced my reading experience negatively. </b>LAST SEEN LEAVING isn't quite as sharp and clean cut and to the point as I like my thrillers to be, which is highly, highly subjective, and therefore just wasn't my thing. Add flashbacks on top, which I also despise, and you pretty much got a perfect mixture of all the subjective things I don't like that are in no way an indicator about the quality of this book.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">LAST SEEN LEAVING is definitely an important story regardless, and if you generally don't mind slow and character-driven books, you'll probably love this.</div><br /><br /><h3></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;"></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;"></h3><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Rating:</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 80px;">★★★</span><span style="font-size: 80px;">☆☆</span></h3><h3> </h3><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;">Overall: Do I Recommend?</h3>If you're looking for a coming-of-age thriller narrative starring a gay protagonist that discovers their sexuality while investigating a disappearance, I guess this is perfect for you! LAST SEEN LEAVING is definitely well-written and unique, but just wasn't my thing, unfortunately.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u><b>Additional Info </b></u></span><br /><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipisBH98srTHbHRKteCMQFwr-BdHwDiNEwujV-zgC5VDQEgiT7r0Yt8i576ckOSNGnb2RfuiWbfB9bPpAsFsvS8kfAazdytXt9PTfHaSGpyYYaCef7RzcaD8uD5Zo_rE2JmyQdUJTXvV0/s1600/33280333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipisBH98srTHbHRKteCMQFwr-BdHwDiNEwujV-zgC5VDQEgiT7r0Yt8i576ckOSNGnb2RfuiWbfB9bPpAsFsvS8kfAazdytXt9PTfHaSGpyYYaCef7RzcaD8uD5Zo_rE2JmyQdUJTXvV0/s320/33280333.jpg" width="202" /></a><b>Published:</b> May 22nd 2017</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Pages: </b>416</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Publisher: </b><a href="https://www.randomhouse.de/Paperback/Niemand-wird-sie-finden/Caleb-Roehrig/cbj/e493620.rhd">cbj</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Genre: </b>YA / Thriller</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>ISBN: </b>9783570173343<br /><br /><b>Synopsis:</b><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">"<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8px;">Flynn's girlfriend has disappeared. How can he uncover her secrets without revealing his own?</span></span><br /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8px;">Flynn's girlfriend, January, is missing. The cops are asking questions he can't answer, and her friends are telling stories that don't add up. All eyes are on Flynn—as January's boyfriend, he must know something.</span></span><br /><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.8px;">But Flynn has a secret of his own. And as he struggles to uncover the truth about January's disappearance, he must also face the truth about himself. </span></span>"<br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Source: Goodreads)</span></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><h2><span style="font-size: x-large;">What's your favorite thriller?</span></h2><br /><br /><div style="text-align: start;"><b>Connect with me!</b></div><div style="text-align: start;"><a href="http://twitter.com/bookavid">Twitter </a>| <a href="http://patreon.com/bookavid">Diverse Reading/Writing Advice on Patreon</a> | <a href="http://ko-fi.com/bookavid">Buy me a coffee?</a> | <a href="http://bookavid.tumblr.com/">Tumblr </a>| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/32981040-jen">Goodreads</a></div></div><h2><span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-weight: normal; text-align: start;"></div></div></span></h2></div>My Vacation Triphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01884906933658768880noreply@blogger.com0