tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39509795149401311822024-03-04T12:23:18.899-08:00Ageless Pages ReviewsBecause <b>Good</b> Books <i>Never</i> Get OldJessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996840003306047763noreply@blogger.comBlogger1549125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950979514940131182.post-41126356583397115822019-04-04T00:00:00.000-07:002019-04-04T00:00:13.351-07:00Blog Tour Review: Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today is my stop on the Wicked Saints blog tour! </div>
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<b>Title: </b><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wicked-saints-emily-duncan/1129285381?ean=9781250195661#/"><i>Wicked Saints</i></a><br />
<b>Author: </b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15600590.Emily_A_Duncan">Emily A. Duncan</a><br />
<b>Genre:</b> fantasy<br />
<b>Series:</b> Something Dark and Holy #1<br />
<b>Pages:</b> 385<br />
<b>Published: </b>April 2 2019<br />
<b>Source:</b> publishers for review<br />
<b>Rating:</b> 4.5/5<br />
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<span id="freeText9416610354175685993">A girl who can speak to gods must save her people without destroying herself.<br /><br />A prince in danger must decide who to trust.<br /><br />A boy with a monstrous secret waits in the wings. <br /><br />Together, they must assassinate the king and stop the war.<br /><br />In
a centuries-long war where beauty and brutality meet, their three paths
entwine in a shadowy world of spilled blood and mysterious saints,
where a forbidden romance threatens to tip the scales between dark and
light. <i>Wicked Saints</i> is the thrilling start to Emily A. Duncan’s devastatingly Gothic Something Dark and Holy trilogy.</span></blockquote>
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<span id="freeText9416610354175685993">Without doubt, <i>Wicked Saints</i> marks the arrival of a new talent on the fantasy scene. With her debut and the launch of a series, Emily A. Duncan ably crafts a tactile and immersive world, full of monsters and magic, gods and girls. From atmosphere to characterization, <i>Wicked Saints</i> is a finely-tuned work of fantasy/horror. The author clearly illustrates a keen eye for detail and a dab hand at plotting; this novel proves a good harbinger of things to come for fans of intricate, morally grey stories.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText9416610354175685993">The slowly revealed world and central conflict at the root of Nadya's story is loosely based on the Hundred Years' War and is also vaguely Slavic in nature and tone. Despite these real-world influences, Duncan's countries of Kalyazin and Tranavia come across with a unique sense of place and history; their ongoing and escalating conflict is rooted in recognizable territory and feels as senseless as any real war. There's a solidity to the world that Duncan has fashioned for her characters to live within and it anchors not only Nadya but Serefin and Malachiasz as well. The verisimilitude of each of these countries is slowly built, by Nadya's stories and experiences and by Serefin's journey across both in pursuit of her. It's a world worth exploring and bursting with potential.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText9416610354175685993">The characters in <i>Wicked Saints </i>live up to the high expectations wrought by comparisons to Bardugo. Duncan's characters are complicated and conflicted -- they may not always be likeable but they are always interesting and hard to predict. </span><span id="freeText9416610354175685993">Nadya, Serefin, and Malachiasz are more than they appear to be and are more connected than it might seem. Their slowly revealed relationships make for another layer to the interactions between them. This author has shown herself to be quite adept at uncovering and exploring the hidden facets
of people.Even the secondary characters feel three-dimensional and real, though I could have done with more time spent with Parji in particular.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText9416610354175685993"><i>Wicked Saints</i> stands out. It's unapologetic and angry; Nadya's emotions bleed out from the page and so does Serefin's. It leaves a mark when you're finished because it's memorable and harsh. </span><span id="freeText9416610354175685993"><span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextContainerreview2472310272">A dark
fantasy filled with blood magic, power, and an endless struggle. The magic systems could stand to be fleshed out some more but signs indicate that more on the front will be present in the sequels. Emily A. Duncan knows to leave her audience hungry for more and this brutal,
reckless read does exactly that. </span></span></span><br />
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<br />Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996840003306047763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950979514940131182.post-43639288301227919342018-10-17T00:00:00.000-07:002018-10-17T00:00:01.496-07:00Book Tour Review: Lady of a Thousand Treasures by Sandra Byrd<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVXKIjDYHkDUDqB65j1qFx2JeiRNt8KCH6Hh55-8NmivjI1sU0Xk8lMWD8QA1kEYNJj2KOQCiWx6mi8mGTPypzrwAyraSCrQ1M8vAx7_feWQrdpJBclFazH8jK7CxPxC_RqCJIsoYVRKj8/s1600/ladyofathousand.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="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVXKIjDYHkDUDqB65j1qFx2JeiRNt8KCH6Hh55-8NmivjI1sU0Xk8lMWD8QA1kEYNJj2KOQCiWx6mi8mGTPypzrwAyraSCrQ1M8vAx7_feWQrdpJBclFazH8jK7CxPxC_RqCJIsoYVRKj8/s400/ladyofathousand.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lady-of-a-thousand-treasures-sandra-byrd/1128198740?ean=9781496426833"><i>Lady of a Thousand Treasures</i></a><br />
<b>Author:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/72439.Sandra_Byrd">Sandra Byrd</a><br />
<b>Genre:</b> historical fiction<br />
<b>Series:</b> Victorian Ladies #1<br />
<b>Pages:</b> 480<br />
<b>Published: </b>October 9 2018<br />
<b>Source:</b> Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for review<br />
<b>Rating:</b> 3.5/5<br />
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<span id="freeText10967642811924613703">Miss Eleanor Sheffield
is a talented evaluator of antiquities, trained to know the difference
between a genuine artifact and a fraud. But with her father’s passing
and her uncle’s decline into dementia, the family business is at risk.
In the Victorian era, unmarried Eleanor cannot run Sheffield Brothers
alone.<br /><br />The death of a longtime client, Baron Lydney, offers an
unexpected complication when Eleanor is appointed the temporary trustee
of the baron’s legendary collection. She must choose whether to donate
the priceless treasures to a museum or allow them to pass to the baron’s
only living son, Harry—the man who broke Eleanor’s heart.<br /><br />Eleanor
distrusts the baron’s motives and her own ability to be unbiased
regarding Harry’s future. Harry claims to still love her and Eleanor
yearns to believe him, but his mysterious comments and actions fuel her
doubts. When she learns an Italian beauty accompanied him on his return
to England, her lingering hope for a future with Harry dims.<br /><br />With
the threat of debtor’s prison closing in, Eleanor knows that donating
the baron’s collection would win her favor among potential clients,
saving Sheffield Brothers. But the more time she spends with Harry, the
more her faith in him grows. Might Harry be worthy of his inheritance,
and her heart, after all? As pressures mount and time runs out, Eleanor
must decide whom she can trust—who in her life is false or true, brass
or gold—and what is meant to be treasured.</span></blockquote>
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<span id="freeText10967642811924613703">With her keen eye for time, detail, and scenery and a talent for crafting realistic and likeable characters, reading a Sandra Byrd book has yet to disappoint me. Her historical novels are well-drawn forays into the past, using the lives of disparate people during interesting times. Her latest, <i>Lady of a Thousand Treasures</i>, is a slowly spooled-out historical mystery; one that also has a strong romantic plotline to complement the meticulously built series of questions that surround middle-class Miss Eleanor Sheffield and her work in antiquities. </span><br />
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Eleanor is a deceptively mild, self-effacing woman; outwardly demure but possessing a keen mind, self-confidence, and abundant personal drive. She's relatable without being anachronistic for the time within which she lives. Her need to protect her family is pivotal but it's also refreshing that she likes her job, she likes to work and use her brain to provide. Always, she takes time to consider, think, and decide before taking action-- a benefit to her profession but one that leads to romantic complications when her longtime love acts rashly. The circumstances that keep Harry and Eleanor apart can feel a bit contrived -- one real, substantial conversation could have cleared things up -- but the author makes their interactions shine. There's chemistry and an easy camaraderie between them. His charm and her carefulness work well together.<br />
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The story in <i>Lady of a Thousand Treasures</i> is an involved one, tying together antiquities theft, murder, the Italian Wars for unity, a vengeful father, debtors' prisons, and a thwarted engagement. There's a lot of plot fodder and for the most part, the story covers it all and then moves along well and quickly. Eleanor is sorely tested from a wide array of antagonistic forces but she's stalwart and resourceful from start to finish. <br />
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There is also a slight religious element to the story in <i>Lady of a Thousand Treasures</i>. I rarely reach for anything in that realm of fiction but with Sandra Byrd, the more religious moments aren't heavy-handed and nor do they detract from the real plot being set up. They are incidental to what is happening; faith is part of Eleanor's life but the book isn't preachy. It can be bypassed or have the reader's attention; it is not necessary. The real focus of the novel is Eleanor and her internal decisions -- first about the collection and then about how to save Sheffield Brothers.<br />
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First in a new series, <i>Lady of a Thousand Treasures</i> is an auspicious beginning.<br />
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<span id="freeText10967642811924613703"> </span> Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996840003306047763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950979514940131182.post-82421056399757851132018-09-04T00:00:00.000-07:002018-09-04T00:00:03.460-07:00Book Blast: The Jinni's Last Wish by Zenobia Neil<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40898922-the-jinni-s-last-wish"><i><br /></i></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40898922-the-jinni-s-last-wish"><i><span style="font-size: large;">The Jinni's Last Wish </span></i></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">by Zenobia Neil</span></div>
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<span id="freeText7801666399641073257">As a eunuch in the
Ottoman Imperial Harem, Olin has already lost his home, his freedom, and
his manhood. Olin’s only wish is for a painless death, until he meets
Dark Star, a beautiful odalisque who promises to give him his deepest
desire. He scoffs at her offer, not believing her claim to possess a
jinni in a bottle. But when Dark Star is accused of witchcraft, Olin
rubs the bottle in desperation and is astonished to find she’s told the
truth. <br /><br />Olin becomes the jinni’s master to save Dark Star, but
it's not enough. In the complex world of the Topkapi Palace, where silk
pillows conceal knives, sherbets contain poison, and jewels buy loyalty,
no one is safe. As each wish brings unintended consequences, Olin must
risk his life, his body, and his sanity to break the bonds that tie them
all.</span></blockquote>
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Published: September 2018</h3>
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Genre: historical fantasy</h3>
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Pages: 283</h3>
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<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://amzn.to/2v2P3nU&source=gmail&ust=1536112620224000&usg=AFQjCNHlSgcrWcjdyGRWPgvpp2qhkHgO9w" href="https://amzn.to/2v2P3nU" rel="noopener" style="background: transparent; color: #0d4a49; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">AMAZON</a> | <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-jinnis-last-wish-zenobia-neil/1129099934&source=gmail&ust=1536112620224000&usg=AFQjCNFuRRgNABF0Hl45Gmep3BlZG3h3Pg" href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-jinnis-last-wish-zenobia-neil/1129099934" rel="noopener" style="background: transparent; color: #0d4a49; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">BARNES AND NOBLE</a> | <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-jinnis-last-wish/9781386058052-item.html?ikwid%3Djinni%2527s%2Blast%2Bwish%26ikwsec%3DHome%26ikwidx%3D0&source=gmail&ust=1536112620224000&usg=AFQjCNEDMoVHMQ-6NxNw134GQ96PIH792g" href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-jinnis-last-wish/9781386058052-item.html?ikwid=jinni%27s+last+wish&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0" rel="noopener" style="background: transparent; color: #0d4a49; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">CHAPTERS</a></h3>
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About the Author</h2>
<div style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3c2313; font-family: helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.35em; margin: 0px 0px 1.35em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="il">Zenobia</span>
Neil was named after an ancient warrior queen who fought against the
Romans. She writes about the mythic past and Greek and Roman gods having
too much fun. <span class="il">Zenobia</span> spends her free time imagining interesting people and putting them in terrible situations.</div>
<div style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3c2313; font-family: helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.35em; margin: 0px 0px 1.35em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
She lives with her husband, two children, and dog in an overpriced hipster neighborhood of Los Angeles. Visit her at <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://t.co/WYPVLgXJDU&source=gmail&ust=1536112620224000&usg=AFQjCNGzj9W2cmZ1L6UvZZ9nY9ROcYmpDg" href="https://t.co/WYPVLgXJDU" rel="noopener" style="background: transparent; color: #0d4a49; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">ZenobiaNeil.com</a>.</div>
<h3 style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3c2313; font-family: georgia,"times new roman",serif; font-size: 19px; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.facebook.com/zenobianeilauthor/&source=gmail&ust=1536112620224000&usg=AFQjCNFq4nfBTn7QxTyVZpWgwOZEzw9fUg" href="https://www.facebook.com/zenobianeilauthor/" rel="noopener" style="background: transparent; color: #0d4a49; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">FACEBOOK</a> | <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/ZenobiaNeil&source=gmail&ust=1536112620224000&usg=AFQjCNGhL8bD5KWYGlXSBpIpPCfl13xKnw" href="https://twitter.com/ZenobiaNeil" rel="noopener" style="background: transparent; color: #0d4a49; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">TWITTER</a> | <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15661007.Zenobia_Neil&source=gmail&ust=1536112620224000&usg=AFQjCNFlcQnwwyJAcBJuMfnSLpOwvlhF9w" href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15661007.Zenobia_Neil" rel="noopener" style="background: transparent; color: #0d4a49; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">GOODREADS</a></h3>
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<h2 style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d4a49; font-family: "EB Garamond", garamond, georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: 24px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px; outline: currentcolor none 0px; padding: 4px 0px 6px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
Book Blast Schedule</h2>
<div style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3c2313; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.35em; margin: 0px 0px 1.35em; outline: currentcolor none 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Monday, August 27</strong></span><br /><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://passagestothepast.com/&source=gmail&ust=1536112620224000&usg=AFQjCNFQCAlcPAkAVaFkivJL7dkjIJWAJQ" href="http://passagestothepast.com/" rel="noopener" style="background: transparent; color: #0d4a49; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a></div>
<div style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3c2313; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.35em; margin: 0px 0px 1.35em; outline: currentcolor none 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Tuesday, August 28</strong></span><br /><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.creatingherstory.wordpress.com/&source=gmail&ust=1536112620224000&usg=AFQjCNEMFsj_7Oqa91BT24C5FY6J5pJsEw" href="http://www.creatingherstory.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener" style="background: transparent; color: #0d4a49; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Creating Herstory</a></div>
<div style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3c2313; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.35em; margin: 0px 0px 1.35em; outline: currentcolor none 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Wednesday, August 29</strong></span><br /><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://bookfever11.blogspot.com/&source=gmail&ust=1536112620224000&usg=AFQjCNE7abXMTjw3KyiIAsgr67d3EZgncg" href="http://bookfever11.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" style="background: transparent; color: #0d4a49; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Bookfever</a></div>
<div style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3c2313; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.35em; margin: 0px 0px 1.35em; outline: currentcolor none 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Thursday, August 30</strong></span><br /><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://stephaniesbookreviews.weebly.com/&source=gmail&ust=1536112620224000&usg=AFQjCNFf8b0Kqep8LGpegKpyEOSQSgW-2w" href="http://stephaniesbookreviews.weebly.com/" rel="noopener" style="background: transparent; color: #0d4a49; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">100 Pages a Day</a><br /><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://thebookjunkiereadspromos.blogspot.com/&source=gmail&ust=1536112620224000&usg=AFQjCNGKPjYs6pHAd4Z2_akoPsqndi4JPA" href="https://thebookjunkiereadspromos.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" style="background: transparent; color: #0d4a49; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">The Book Junkie Reads</a></div>
<div style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3c2313; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.35em; margin: 0px 0px 1.35em; outline: currentcolor none 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Friday, August 31</strong></span><br /><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://achickwhoreads.blogspot.com/&source=gmail&ust=1536112620224000&usg=AFQjCNEsP5PfBR_tPqRW0fgm4Q6rpAxyzA" href="http://achickwhoreads.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" style="background: transparent; color: #0d4a49; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">A Chick Who Reads</a></div>
<div style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3c2313; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.35em; margin: 0px 0px 1.35em; outline: currentcolor none 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sunday, September 2</strong></span><br /><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://thequirkyladybookworm.wordpress.com/blog/&source=gmail&ust=1536112620224000&usg=AFQjCNF_M6EdcZkOvddS3XXk4_xLq1mYVg" href="https://thequirkyladybookworm.wordpress.com/blog/" rel="noopener" style="background: transparent; color: #0d4a49; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Clarissa Reads it All</a></div>
<div style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3c2313; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.35em; margin: 0px 0px 1.35em; outline: currentcolor none 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Monday, September 3</strong></span><br /><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://jennifercwilsonwriter.wordpress.com/&source=gmail&ust=1536112620224000&usg=AFQjCNEjQv0rd2aPOKfsFZiJkC5tqN2fqw" href="https://jennifercwilsonwriter.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener" style="background: transparent; color: #0d4a49; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Historical Fiction with Spirit</a></div>
<div style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3c2313; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.35em; margin: 0px 0px 1.35em; outline: currentcolor none 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Tuesday, September 4</strong></span><br /><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://agelesspagesreviews.blogspot.com/&source=gmail&ust=1536112620224000&usg=AFQjCNF83RRf3J5hqb9uVPcZWAi5asZLYw" href="http://agelesspagesreviews.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" style="background: transparent; color: #0d4a49; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Ageless Pages Reviews</a></div>
<div style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3c2313; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.35em; margin: 0px 0px 1.35em; outline: currentcolor none 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Wednesday, September 5</strong></span><br /><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pursuingstacie.wordpress.com/&source=gmail&ust=1536112620224000&usg=AFQjCNEJ4dwVM12Pm1h1ieh4rc3zw1GI5Q" href="https://pursuingstacie.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener" style="background: transparent; color: #0d4a49; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Pursuing Stacie</a></div>
<div style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3c2313; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.35em; margin: 0px 0px 1.35em; outline: currentcolor none 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Thursday, September 6</strong></span><br /><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/&source=gmail&ust=1536112620224000&usg=AFQjCNGGxljUT6hHKOS2hjeZXmtuz7Ct8g" href="http://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" style="background: transparent; color: #0d4a49; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">CelticLady’s Reviews</a><br /><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://justonemorechapter.com/&source=gmail&ust=1536112620224000&usg=AFQjCNFWwz05GS7lVdHN9J_F9vrraggZtw" href="http://justonemorechapter.com/" rel="noopener" style="background: transparent; color: #0d4a49; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Just One More Chapter</a></div>
<div style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3c2313; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.35em; margin: 0px 0px 1.35em; outline: currentcolor none 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Friday, September 7</span></strong><br /><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/&source=gmail&ust=1536112620224000&usg=AFQjCNF53Tt4zLvKHqItU8j55DMESbSkkg" href="https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener" style="background: transparent; color: #0d4a49; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Donna’s Book Blog</a></div>
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<br />Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996840003306047763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950979514940131182.post-62158731106524377312018-08-25T00:00:00.000-07:002018-08-25T00:00:00.825-07:00Cover Reveal: War King by Eric Schumacher<h3 style="background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3c2313; font-family: georgia,"times new roman",serif; font-size: 19px; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41181410-war-king"><i>WAR KING</i></a><div class="gmail_default" style="display: inline; font-family: tahoma,sans-serif;">
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BY ERIC SCHUMACHER</h3>
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<b><br />Publication Date: </b>October 15, 2018 <br /><b>Publisher:</b> Creativia Publishing<br /><b>Series:</b> Hakon’s Saga #3<br /><b>Genre: </b>Historical Fiction</div>
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<span id="freeText5966696626458455409">It is 954 A.D. and a
tempest is brewing in the North. Twenty summers before, Hakon Haraldsson
wrested Norway’s throne from his murderous brother, Erik Bloodaxe, but
he failed to rid himself of Erik’s family. Now the sons of Erik have
come to reclaim Erik’s former throne and avenge the wrong done to their
father and their kin. But they do not come alone. With them marches an
army of sword-Danes sent by the Danish King, Harald Bluetooth, whose
desire to expand his realm is as powerful as the lust for vengeance that
pulses in the veins of Erik’s brood. Like storm-driven waves, the
opposing forces collide in the thrilling finale of Hakon’s Saga, War
King; and when they do, Hakon is left with no choice but to face the
tempest and resist.</span></div>
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Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996840003306047763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950979514940131182.post-67819837095354189472018-08-19T00:00:00.000-07:002018-08-19T00:00:04.114-07:00Review: The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Gs7ihnP1-oDgYNiTr1c_GHu6yFLi7o08YTM-hFSHnhk7WiMFFNsGPyEtwklUub00Ry9IkOTI01idkbg3VCZXN2JNfxyDgiC5ohWxwoGbKKoCVwhGca1w-LQE4vTZ38-4UY7OxA-q2jaq/s1600/theclockmakers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="260" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Gs7ihnP1-oDgYNiTr1c_GHu6yFLi7o08YTM-hFSHnhk7WiMFFNsGPyEtwklUub00Ry9IkOTI01idkbg3VCZXN2JNfxyDgiC5ohWxwoGbKKoCVwhGca1w-LQE4vTZ38-4UY7OxA-q2jaq/s400/theclockmakers.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-clockmakers-daughter-kate-morton/1128249250?ean=9781451649390#/"><i>The Clockmaker's Daughter</i></a><br />
<b>Author:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/615274.Kate_Morton">Kate Morton</a><br />
<b>Genre:</b> historical<br />
<b>Series:</b> N/A<br />
<b>Pages: </b>608<br />
<b>Published:</b> expected September 2018<br />
<b>Source:</b> publishers via NetGalley<br />
<b>Rating: </b>4.25/5<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="freeText1647728558550063933"><i>My real name, no one remembers.<br />The truth about that summer, no one else knows.</i><br /><br />In
the summer of 1862, a group of young artists led by the passionate and
talented Edward Radcliffe descends upon Birchwood Manor on the banks of
the Upper Thames. Their plan: to spend a secluded summer month in a haze
of inspiration and creativity. But by the time their stay is over, one
woman has been shot dead while another has disappeared; a priceless
heirloom is missing; and Edward Radcliffe's life is in ruins. <br /><br />Over
one hundred and fifty years later, Elodie Winslow, a young archivist in
London, uncovers a leather satchel containing two seemingly unrelated
items: a sepia photograph of an arresting-looking woman in Victorian
clothing, and an artist's sketchbook containing the drawing of a
twin-gabled house on the bend of a river. <br /><br />Why does Birchwood
Manor feel so familiar to Elodie? And who is the beautiful woman in the
photograph? Will she ever give up her secrets?<br /><br />Told by multiple voices across time, <i>The Clockmaker's Daughter</i>
is a story of murder, mystery and thievery, of art, love and loss. And
flowing through its pages like a river, is the voice of a woman who
stands outside time, whose name has been forgotten by history, but who
has watched it all unfold: Birdie Bell, the clockmaker's daughter.</span></blockquote>
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Kate Morton has long been a favorite, even amongst my top authors. As I have said before, her novels are masterpieces of narrative fiction. They are intricate and executed with aplomb. I know an author is highly-prized to me when my reaction to their work is anything less than five-stars because it feels like both a surprise and just intrinsically wrong, somehow. But I have to admit that while <i>The Clockmaker's Daughter</i> contains nearly all the classic Morton hallmarks of a great read, this particular set of interwoven stories didn't resonate with me as much as almost all of her previous novels did. I still fell into her intricate style of storytelling eventually, but it wasn't as complete of an immersion; for once, this is a Morton that could stand to use a bit of editing down. In a six hundred page book, especially one so dependent on the slow reveal of authorial sleight of hand, the underdeveloped aspects of the story stand out in retrospect.<br />
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The tale of Birdie and Leonard and Elodie and Tip and all the others connected to the manor at Birchwood is by no means a "bad" book -- Morton isn't even capable of that with her weakest effort to date, 2015's <i>The Lake House</i> -- but the beginning of this lags, one of the POVs is rather dull and underdeveloped each time it's visited, and the addition of the supernatural elements detracted from the novel's other various strongpoints. Dense and slow-moving as is the author's usual style, the plot to <i>The Clockmaker's Daughter</i> takes a long time to engage the reader and even Kate's undeniable and present talents for atmosphere and mystery can't entirely compensate for it.<br />
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The cast is a myriad of characters with tangential connections to one another across time and distance. Their slowly revealed relationships make the pages spent interesting for the most part; Morton's quite adept at uncovering the hidden facets of people, this time those related to the mysterious photograph whose discovery incited all the ensuing revelations. Leonard is the exception to the rule; his chapters have emotional resonance but his voice is dull and the events he narrated aren't the most pivotal. Despite his relevance to both plot and other characters, he is a charisma void on the page. The supernatural additions of <spoiler><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">the 'Night of the Following' (maybe??) and even Birdie herself, charming as she was</span></span></spoiler> didn't work and also felt unnecessary. One could have been excised completely and the other could have featured in a more mundane sense. They felt like a rare misfire from an experienced author. <br />
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<i>The Clockmaker's Daughter</i> is the author's sixth to be so centered
on dual timelines across history and connected to a mysterious
house/manor/castle and each is unique gothic tale of secrets, family,
and how the past lives on in the present.Though not the complete Morton experience possible and not without a few missteps in its hundreds of pages and several rotating POVs, <i>The Clockmaker's Daughter</i> is still a solidly good novel and with well-rendered characters, an enveloping atmosphere, a intriguing set of mysteries, and creative plotting tying it all together. It's a decent idea of what this author is capable of doing even if it left me craving a reread for the more polished <i>The Distant Hours</i> and <i>The House at Riverton</i>.<br />
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<br />Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996840003306047763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950979514940131182.post-72394328920443346362018-08-16T00:00:00.000-07:002018-08-16T13:59:07.736-07:00Review: The Storyteller's Secret by Sejal Badani<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzRBas956-l5KOykwRZQtI_5UEb1TrEW7qqfayrxFnN19pYIUVN-LtYbpSRLX_Tc7t4NAYQrVgwyENaNsmESKqis1Luz1b4FaGEz9IyeC98mqxrCasPcJU-DY-US3YjS_Ze_bWkwH6dyMx/s1600/thestorytellersecret.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="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzRBas956-l5KOykwRZQtI_5UEb1TrEW7qqfayrxFnN19pYIUVN-LtYbpSRLX_Tc7t4NAYQrVgwyENaNsmESKqis1Luz1b4FaGEz9IyeC98mqxrCasPcJU-DY-US3YjS_Ze_bWkwH6dyMx/s400/thestorytellersecret.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<b>Title: </b><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-storytellers-secret-sejal-badani/1126912698?ean=9781503949089"><i>The Storyteller's Secret</i></a><br />
<b>Author:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9585077.Sejal_Badani">Sejal Badani</a><br />
<b>Genre:</b> historical fiction<br />
<b>Series:</b> N/A<br />
<b>Pages: </b>411<br />
<b>Published:</b> expected September 2018<br />
<b>Source:</b> ARC received for review<br />
<b>Rating:</b> 3.5/5<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="freeText9621006636499535258">
<b>From the bestselling author of <i>Trail of Broken Wings</i> comes an epic story of the unrelenting force of love, the power of healing, and the invincible desire to dream.</b><br />
<b> </b>
<br />
Nothing prepares Jaya, a New York journalist, for the heartbreak
of her third miscarriage and the slow unraveling of her marriage in its
wake. Desperate to assuage her deep anguish, she decides to go to India
to uncover answers to her family’s past.<br />
<br />
Intoxicated by the
sights, smells, and sounds she experiences, Jaya becomes an eager
student of the culture. But it is Ravi—her grandmother’s former servant
and trusted confidant—who reveals the resilience, struggles, secret
love, and tragic fall of Jaya’s pioneering grandmother during the
British occupation. Through her courageous grandmother’s arrestingly
romantic and heart-wrenching story, Jaya discovers the legacy bequeathed
to her and a strength that, until now, she never knew was possible.</span></blockquote>
<span id="freeText9621006636499535258"></span><br />
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A finely-tuned dual timeline novel centered on memorable women, both modernish America and India in the 1930s -
1940s. A rather dense book and one that can move the plot rather slowly, <i>The Storyteller's Secret </i>is very much character-driven in both its past and the present timelines. The two seemingly-disparate plots are intricately linked to one another, and though the reveal of how that is so is easily guessed, Badani's talent for characterization compensates for any lost surprise later on. She is able to evince genuine interest in the people involved, from Jaya and her "modern" problems, to Amisha's quiet determination in the rigid culture of the past, and that makes reading this historical fiction a satisfying experience.<br />
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The characters and world of her novels are where this author truly shines. Some of the novel's plotting is a bit blunt and predictable for anyone paying attention, but her characters are well-wrought and realistic and her settings are vibrantly realized. It's easy to envision both sets of plotlines but especially so when set in the lively, colorfully described India of Badani's pen. Likewise, the American Jaya is a character easy to understand and care for but it is Amisha that truly captures the heart of the novel. She lives a far different life than her modern counterpart but it's easy to see the echoes of one another across the decades that divide them.<br />
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There is perhaps just a shade too much perspective changing in <i>The Storyteller's Secret</i>. Each plotline has its merits and its problems, but jumping between first-person to third, so rapidly can highlight the artificiality of fiction. That, combined with the easily-predicted reveal, detract slightly from the story's conclusion. <i>The Storyteller's Secret</i> is a comprehensive, detailed novel, that does a lot right when it comes to character and setting. But though the good points outnumber the negative by a fair margin, it must be noted that overall, it was weighed down by a few too many chapters and a rather overt plot resolution.<br />
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<br />Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996840003306047763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950979514940131182.post-24706635928062300512018-08-13T00:00:00.000-07:002018-08-13T00:00:03.425-07:00Blog Tour Review: Star-Touched Stories by Roshani Chokshi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_Se894C97CaxH38zgmlxo7cWzUdhQQEgsYJj7pOIdh-gaElNUr8sDdWx8Z1xG1VRUY7_kfDO6KGk0HWjQ2_w1wuSwn1xvEkhMQgFRmPEoxof5HSKs8fFpzmMaQJkR4bPHZqDNSGyyP99/s1600/startouchedstories.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="310" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_Se894C97CaxH38zgmlxo7cWzUdhQQEgsYJj7pOIdh-gaElNUr8sDdWx8Z1xG1VRUY7_kfDO6KGk0HWjQ2_w1wuSwn1xvEkhMQgFRmPEoxof5HSKs8fFpzmMaQJkR4bPHZqDNSGyyP99/s400/startouchedstories.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/star-touched-stories-roshani-chokshi/1126974577?ean=9781250180797#/"><i>Star-Touched Stories</i></a><br />
<b>Author:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13695109.Roshani_Chokshi">Roshani Chokshi</a><br />
<b>Genre:</b> fantasy<br />
<b>Series:</b> The Star-Touched Queen #2.5<br />
<b>Pages:</b> 304<br />
<b>Published:</b> August 7 2018<br />
<b>Source: </b>ARC via publishers for review<br />
<b>Rating:</b> 4/5<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="freeText11864197997922555624">Three lush and adventurous stories in the Star-Touched world.<br /><br /><b>Death and Night</b><br /><br />He
was Lord of Death, cursed never to love. She was Night incarnate,
destined to stay alone. After a chance meeting, they wonder if, perhaps,
they could be meant for more. But danger crouches in their paths, and
the choices they make will set them on a journey that will span
lifetimes. <br /><br /><b>Poison and Gold</b><br /><br />Now that her wish for a
choice has come true, Aasha struggles to control her powers. But when
an opportunity to help Queen Gauri and King Vikram's new reign presents
itself, she is thrown into the path of the fearsome yet enchanting Spy
Mistress. To help her friends, Aasha will have to battle her
insecurities and perhaps, along the way, find love. <br /><br /><b>Rose and Sword</b><br /><br />There
is a tale whispered in the dark of the Empire of Bharat-Jain. A tale of
a bride who loses her bridegroom on the eve of her wedding. But is it a
tale or a truth?</span> </blockquote>
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These three short stories, set in the same magical and dangerous world as the author's full-length novels <i>The Star-Touched Queen</i> and its successor<i> A Court of Wishes</i>, are another window into the fertile imagination of Roshani Chokshi. Each is replete with the vibrant imagery
and vivid writing that readers have come to appreciate in Chokshi’s verbose style. The writing itself can approach purple prose at times, but without ever crossing over; this is a flowery book full of ornate writing and Chokshi has the talent to pull it off with aplomb.<br />
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Though all the additions to <i>Star-Touched Stories</i> are creative, well-written and plotted, it is the first,‘Death
and Night’, that is the best, and the sole one rated at a full five stars. All three make for a solid
selection but Chokshi's clever, and often darkly humorous or just plain silly, look at the courtship between the god of death and goddess of night is the standout. A familiar story, and a prequel for the first novel, played out in fresh hands and with fresh eyes, there's inventiveness from start to finish as Chokshi weaves her unlikely but impossible to resist love story. It doesn't follow the expected path or fall into overdone tropes; watching Amar and Maya is still genuinely fun and seeing them meet is satisfying.<br />
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The second, 'Poison and Gold', is another strong offering; one a bit shorter but focused on flawed and yet likeable characters, relatable despite their less-than-mundane situations and abilities. The writing itself remains a standout throughout the pages, but Aasha's struggle to control her gift, control her fate is vividly rendered and easily empathized. 'Rose and Sword' is a another good short story, but even with the talents of varied Roshani Chokshi, felt a bit shortchanged in comparison to the sweeping romance of the first and the heartfelt emotion of the second. It was too short, too rushed of an ending. The unexpected glimmers of humor, usually unexpected, were another highlight of the entire collection.<br />
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An anthology that further explores the world that Maya introduced us to and Gauri further expanded on her own adventures, <i>Star-Touched Stories</i> is a glimpse at smaller lives within a large world. Key figures are shown and feature into the plots, but even the newcomers and side characters make an impression. The author's vivid storytelling, which is often so descriptive it verges on tangible, is ably suited to short-form as well as full-length novels. It was fun to revisit such a fantastical and unique world, even for a short time.<br />
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<br />Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996840003306047763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950979514940131182.post-8403431768447107192018-07-30T00:00:00.000-07:002018-07-30T00:00:15.913-07:00Book Tour Review: The Romanov Empress by C.W. Gortner<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNr-cfskWUmXe3I5f7yWRR-lGdPk6bzGmbt-e_pWBxyevD0SivS2JAimB4lrHVZi6JEgoQuempk89wJO1L0BzGKJD9-fwzv3mxGm9caKSqTT16cBhUkamClzz2iMW6IhYKFbD7KC4u7wj_/s1600/romaovempress.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="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNr-cfskWUmXe3I5f7yWRR-lGdPk6bzGmbt-e_pWBxyevD0SivS2JAimB4lrHVZi6JEgoQuempk89wJO1L0BzGKJD9-fwzv3mxGm9caKSqTT16cBhUkamClzz2iMW6IhYKFbD7KC4u7wj_/s400/romaovempress.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
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<b>Title: </b><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-romanov-empress-c-w-gortner/1127236795?ean=9780425286166"><i>The Romanov Empress</i></a><br />
<b>Author: </b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/169656.C_W_Gortner">C.W. Gortner</a><br />
<b>Genre:</b> historical fiction<br />
<b>Series: </b>N/A<br />
<b>Pages:</b> 448<br />
<b>Published: </b>July 2018<br />
<b>Source:</b> <a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/theromanovempressblogtour/">Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours</a> for review<br />
<b>Rating: </b> 4/5<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="freeText11017903482195522803"><i>Even from behind the throne, a woman can rule.</i><br /><br />Narrated
by the mother of Russia's last tsar, this vivid, historically authentic
novel brings to life the courageous story of Maria Feodorovna, one of
Imperial Russia's most compelling women who witnessed the splendor and
tragic downfall of the Romanovs as she fought to save her dynasty in the
final years of its long reign.<br /><br />Barely nineteen, Minnie knows
that her station in life as a Danish princess is to leave her family and
enter into a royal marriage--as her older sister Alix has done, moving
to England to wed Queen Victoria's eldest son. The winds of fortune
bring Minnie to Russia, where she marries the Romanov heir and becomes
empress once he ascends the throne. When resistance to his reign strikes
at the heart of her family and the tsar sets out to crush all who
oppose him, Minnie--now called Maria--must tread a perilous path of
compromise in a country she has come to love.<br /><br />Her husband's death
leaves their son Nicholas as the inexperienced ruler of a deeply
divided and crumbling empire. Determined to guide him to reforms that
will bring Russia into the modern age, Maria faces implacable opposition
from Nicholas's strong-willed wife, Alexandra, whose fervor has lead
her into a disturbing relationship with a mystic named Rasputin. As the
unstoppable wave of revolution rises anew to engulf Russia, Maria will
face her most dangerous challenge and her greatest heartache.<br /><br />From
the opulent palaces of St. Petersburg and the intrigue-laced salons of
the aristocracy to the World War I battlefields and the bloodied
countryside occupied by the Bolsheviks, C. W. Gortner sweeps us into the
anarchic fall of an empire and the complex, bold heart of the woman who
tried to save it.</span> </blockquote>
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Covering decades in the doomed Romanov Court, veteran author C.W. Gortner uses his many strengths as a historical fiction writer to illuminate the life of Dagmar of Denmark, who became known to history by her adopted name of Empress Maria Feodorovna. Mother to the last Tsar of Russia, this kind and clever woman left an impact all her own both on her family and on the country she adopted as her own.<br />
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Dagmar, who usually answered to the name Minnie though she had a plethora of nicknames, led a fascinating life. The second daughter of an impoverished and unexpected king of Denmark, her story is full of both heartbreak and quiet determination. Fiancee first to Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich, but the eventual wife of his brother Emperor Alexander III, her romantic life was unpredictable and tangled. Her many allegiances -- to her beloved home country, then to Nixa, then her autocratic husband, and finally to her children and grandchildren -- made the intersections of her identity relatable and recognizable to modern readers. She was a woman pulled in many directions who did the best she could for her country and for her descendants.<br />
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Life in the Romanov court is brought to vibrant reality under Gortner's pen, albeit with a few improvisations on the factual. Minnie's introduction to Russian culture and perspective is fresh and atmospheric; seeing Russia through the eyes of the tsars and their family is memorable. Some details and events have been adjusted, moved, or ignored to streamline the narrative and the authorial decisions make sense; Minnie's life was long and convoluted but the gist of her story is contained within <i>The Romanov Empress</i>. She's presented as a whole person; fallible and flawed, but one who no doubt tried to stave off the inevitable decline of her 400-year-old dynasty.<br />
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Large in scope but without sacrificing the finer details, <i>The Romanov Empress</i> paints a realistic and researched version of Dagmar. Her personality and opinions shine through, even when overruled by her more despotic spouse; a figure in the Russian court for most of her life, it's easy to get lost in the romanticized version of this period in history. But Maria was a real woman, who loved, lost and then tried to find her grand-daughter after the worst horror befell her extended family. Through all the stages of her public life -- impoverished princess to wary tsarevna to strong-willed tsarina -- Minnie never lost her quiet strength or her deeply-held beliefs. She was an impressive woman and Gortner shows her in all her imperfect humanity.<br />
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<br />Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996840003306047763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950979514940131182.post-76743075883108725632018-07-04T00:00:00.000-07:002018-07-04T00:00:18.135-07:00Waiting on Wednesday: The Ruin of Kings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZMQwhPWaS4-VTVkTEa4e_ku1Vv50yIPO8_HyCvRB3AGOVtj3mEy1evO85jRo8PJuv6u5d5gPNn_vhbzrTJ2hOp29IIOq7wQdvDsRvGiOJDIXHs9Mb494fx2qq-mSkz86IlPXSFSPf0jdS/s1600/waitingonwednesday.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZMQwhPWaS4-VTVkTEa4e_ku1Vv50yIPO8_HyCvRB3AGOVtj3mEy1evO85jRo8PJuv6u5d5gPNn_vhbzrTJ2hOp29IIOq7wQdvDsRvGiOJDIXHs9Mb494fx2qq-mSkz86IlPXSFSPf0jdS/s1600/waitingonwednesday.png" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Title: <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39863237-the-ruin-of-kings">The Ruin of Kings</a> </i>(The Godslayer Cycle #1)<i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Author: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7336269.Jenn_Lyons">Jenn Lyons</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Expected Publication: Feb 2019</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ruin-of-kings-jenn-lyons/1128511028?ean=9781250175489">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250175488/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1250175488&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Ruin-Kings-Jenn-Lyons/9781250175489">Book Depository</a></span></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span id="freeText11439672798596283312"><b>There are the old stories. And then there’s what actually happens.</b><br /><br />Kihrin
is a bastard orphan who grew upon storybook tales of long-lost princes
and grand quests. When he is claimed against his will as the long-lost
son of a treasonous prince, Kihrin finds that being a long-lost prince
isn't what the storybooks promised.<br /><br />Far from living the dream,
Kihrin finds himself practically a prisoner, at the mercy of his new
family's power plays and ambitions. He also discovers that the
storybooks have lied about a lot of other things things, too: dragons,
demons, gods, prophecies, true love, and how the hero always wins.<br /><br />Then again, maybe he’s not the hero, for Kihrin isn’t destined to save the empire.<br /><br />He’s destined to destroy it . . .<br /><br /><b>Uniting
the worldbuilding of a Brandon Sanderson with the storytelling verve of
a Patrick Rothfuss, debut author Jenn Lyons delivers an entirely new
and captivating fantasy epic. Prepare to meet the genre’s next star.</b></span></div>
</blockquote>
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I am excited about this. The first few chapters were released and while I am not normally one for a serving before the meal, I am v anxious to get my hands on a copy. <span id="freeText11439672798596283312"><b><br /></b></span><br />
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<br />Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996840003306047763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950979514940131182.post-88899198515822562342018-07-03T00:00:00.000-07:002018-07-03T20:00:41.266-07:00Review: Hullmetal Girls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFqeZ9GzNHT5tguQM7XHfkMzzEnRSJuY8Ah_Ezp_dxYwbVbWB6pVdPAkNSvSb_rEENKlWzOywwKArI2vQ0fRrOF5cV_EzaPQAvyd3kJvKwyAkcLgr0xcIK-BUKIC41eAZrl1BndhOfo3N0/s1600/hullmetalgirls.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="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFqeZ9GzNHT5tguQM7XHfkMzzEnRSJuY8Ah_Ezp_dxYwbVbWB6pVdPAkNSvSb_rEENKlWzOywwKArI2vQ0fRrOF5cV_EzaPQAvyd3kJvKwyAkcLgr0xcIK-BUKIC41eAZrl1BndhOfo3N0/s400/hullmetalgirls.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hullmetal-girls-emily-skrutskie/1127274069?ean=9781524770198#/"><i>Hullmetal Girls</i></a><br />
<b>Author:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13435165.Emily_Skrutskie">Emily Skrutskie</a><br />
<b>Genre:</b> science fiction<br />
<b>Series:</b> N/A<br />
<b>Pages:</b> 320<br />
<b>Published:</b> 2018<br />
<b>Source:</b> publishers via NetGalley<br />
<b>Rating: </b>2.5/5<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="freeText11448161650402529543">Aisha Un-Haad would do
anything for her family. When her brother contracts a plague, she knows
her janitor's salary isn't enough to fund his treatment. So she
volunteers to become a Scela, a mechanically enhanced soldier sworn to
protect and serve the governing body of the Fleet, the collective of
starships they call home. If Aisha can survive the harrowing
modifications and earn an elite place in the Scela ranks, she may be
able to save her brother.<br /><br />Key Tanaka awakens in a Scela body with
only hazy memories of her life before. She knows she's from the
privileged end of the Fleet, but she has no recollection of why she
chose to give up a life of luxury to become a hulking cyborg soldier. If
she can make it through the training, she might have a shot at
recovering her missing past.<br /><br />In a unit of new recruits vying for
top placement, Aisha's and Key's paths collide, and the two must learn
to work together--a tall order for girls from opposite ends of the
Fleet. But a rebellion is stirring, pitting those who yearn for
independence from the Fleet against a government struggling to maintain
unity.<br /><br />With violence brewing and dark secrets surfacing, Aisha
and Key find themselves questioning their loyalties. They will have to
put aside their differences, though, if they want to keep humanity from
tearing itself apart.</span></blockquote>
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<span id="freeText11448161650402529543"><span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextContainerreview1868084397">While I remain a big fan of this author and her apparently boundless and horrific imagination (that's a compliment, trust me) I found <i>Hullmetal Girls</i> to be maybe 2.5 stars out of 5 if I am being lenient. Maybe. I have to admit that I
am disappointed by the lackluster effort that is her third novel. I expect big things from the mind behind <i>The Abyss Surrounds Us</i> and while this book has more than a few good ideas and a few clever science fiction angles, the messy execution of them makes it hard to stick around, much less
immerse myself in Key and Aisha's POVs. </span></span></span><br />
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<span id="freeText11448161650402529543"><span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextContainerreview1868084397">This is a standalone so I understand the author didn't have the time of say her earlier duology to frame and fill her imagined world/starships, but there are many questions left about how the districts work; some subplots are woven into the gaps of the information but overall it's a patchy framework from which to hang a story. The setup of this space-dystopia is also unfailingly familiar to anyone whose read even just the Hunger Games. Skrutskie is usually brimming with originality and flair -- and while the second talent is on display with things like the Scela system, the "rich and poor numbered district' left much to be desired.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeText11448161650402529543"><span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextContainerreview1868084397"></span></span></span><span id="freeText11448161650402529543"><span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextContainerreview1868084397">The worldbuilding is sink or
swim when it comes to the hard scifi (and then comes the body horror, be prepared), but without enough information provided and the POVs felt
indistinguishable. There is a definite uptick after about 65% in -- the
story makes up somewhat for lost time by the end but it's not enough to
entirely compensate. It takes a long time for basic details of Key and Aisha's life to be understood -- how the Scela work, what their function is within the ships, what the General Body means and how it ties into the story. It's clumsily rendered and often too late; I finished the novel because I was intrigued in one of the plots, but not due to any attachment to the characters themselves.</span></span></span><br />
<span id="freeText11448161650402529543"><span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextContainerreview1868084397"><br /></span></span></span>
<span id="freeText11448161650402529543"><span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextContainerreview1868084397">A swing and a miss for Skrutskie's third at bat, but I'll definitely be checking out her fourth.</span></span></span><br />
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<span id="freeText11448161650402529543"><span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextContainerreview1868084397"> </span></span> </span>Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996840003306047763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950979514940131182.post-381281601709532212018-07-01T00:00:00.000-07:002018-07-03T20:14:49.099-07:00TBR Plans<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIRPL-F9_4XAMdATDwrPHSLui24rieklbEwsnjnanrniJClK3s8aW-DhdLViuZbsg2KGdzCQllvXY0xLZGcjJRaf_XO7YtewjRzseHcbpT0c4WvgNmCgkthAioamilH8jOdmdQx7QQiaq/s1600/tbrplanning.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIRPL-F9_4XAMdATDwrPHSLui24rieklbEwsnjnanrniJClK3s8aW-DhdLViuZbsg2KGdzCQllvXY0xLZGcjJRaf_XO7YtewjRzseHcbpT0c4WvgNmCgkthAioamilH8jOdmdQx7QQiaq/s1600/tbrplanning.png" /></a></div>
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A new month and I am brimming with reading plans.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32802595-record-of-a-spaceborn-few?from_search=true"><i>Record of a Spaceborn Few</i></a> by Becky Chambers (Wayfarers #3)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw728VdLJmtoeenl_DJ-NOIJnDcosmH_em4Dlz93LX6VkBNlmbkmQqHWp0aF-klSMx8GInjTfni5Lhyq1_4t2F6gukRMo9gvxniyy0__iqmQkw0hhODXzgdzbzY4OoFfqYXhckxoHx9mpS/s1600/recordofaspaceborn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="309" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw728VdLJmtoeenl_DJ-NOIJnDcosmH_em4Dlz93LX6VkBNlmbkmQqHWp0aF-klSMx8GInjTfni5Lhyq1_4t2F6gukRMo9gvxniyy0__iqmQkw0hhODXzgdzbzY4OoFfqYXhckxoHx9mpS/s320/recordofaspaceborn.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="freeText8649166483780474080"><b>From the ground, we stand. From our ship, we live. By the stars, we hope</b><br /><br /><em>The incredible new novel by Becky Chambers, author of the beloved </em> The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet.<br /><br />Centuries
after the last humans left Earth, the Exodus Fleet is a living relic, a
place many are from but few outsiders have seen. Humanity has finally
been accepted into the galactic community, but while this has opened
doors for many, those who have not yet left for alien cities fear that
their carefully cultivated way of life is under threat.<br /><br />Tessa
chose to stay home when her brother Ashby left for the stars, but has to
question that decision when her position in the Fleet is threatened.<br /><br />Kip, a reluctant young apprentice, itches for change but doesn't know where to find it.<br /><br />Sawyer, a lost and lonely newcomer, is just looking for a place to belong.<br /><br />When
a disaster rocks this already fragile community, those Exodans who
still call the Fleet their home can no longer avoid the inescapable
question:<br /><br /><b>What is the purpose of a ship that has reached its destination?</b></span></blockquote>
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Becky writes such warm, creative scifi. I fall in love with characters and her words. This sounds weirdly excellent, aka her brand.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36817117-kill-the-farm-boy"><i>Kill the Farm Boy</i></a> by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne -- two fantasy authors take on fantasy tropes and expectations with crude humor, puns, and cheese. Here for it.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35068560-sea-witch"><i>Sea Witch</i></a> by Sarah Henning -- The Little Mermaid but centered on Ursurla's version of events? Sign me all the way up.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36260411-temper"><i>Temper</i></a> by Nicky Drayden -- brothers, vices, possession -- what could go wrong? I know this author can go super weird but this sounds intriguing.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35796008-dance-of-thieves"><i>Dance of Thieves</i></a> by Mary E. Pearson<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcAvXSWrjX2MBK-bSfEQgdRKY-Z-81lRBqZv2df9p0bC6uVO-W3gu4EqR-JBaWxKR73CCNVU9PDG5RMk6eXqJFXjRYfhY5vmouMgR1gmL2YZ2ZE7LolnN_Sgm92VY0nF8bAB7LrW_u-Kf3/s1600/danceofthieves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="312" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcAvXSWrjX2MBK-bSfEQgdRKY-Z-81lRBqZv2df9p0bC6uVO-W3gu4EqR-JBaWxKR73CCNVU9PDG5RMk6eXqJFXjRYfhY5vmouMgR1gmL2YZ2ZE7LolnN_Sgm92VY0nF8bAB7LrW_u-Kf3/s320/danceofthieves.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<span id="freeText8984257104428014276">A new novel in the New
York Times–bestselling Remnant Chronicles universe, in which a reformed
thief and the young leader of an outlaw dynasty lock wits in a battle
that may cost them their lives—and their hearts.<br /><br />When the
patriarch of the Ballenger empire dies, his son, Jase, becomes its new
leader. Even nearby kingdoms bow to the strength of this outlaw family,
who have always governed by their own rules. But a new era looms on the
horizon, set in motion by a young queen, which makes her the target of
the dynasty's resentment and anger.<br /><br />At the same time, Kazi, a
legendary former street thief, is sent by the queen to investigate
transgressions against the new settlements. When Kazi arrives in the
forbidding land of the Ballengers, she learns that there is more to Jase
than she thought. As unexpected events spiral out of their control,
bringing them intimately together, they continue to play a cat and mouse
game of false moves and motives in order to fulfill their own secret
missions.</span></blockquote>
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I really enjoyed Pearson's first series and my friend Gaby loved this spin-off. So. Signs are pointing to good things ahead!<br />
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<br />Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996840003306047763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950979514940131182.post-67284675772830847942018-06-20T20:06:00.000-07:002018-07-03T21:17:15.783-07:00Waiting on Wednesday: Record of a Spaceborn Few<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKZ0PZaUpn9lH665RL2jOBKLm7-yBzYArB_W2CUzmot3ooN64cmYiN-GfWIkp2Pvu7DU65MStFSoYEyaJr9fzjFt9Qfnhip0SZYqGpPWiY5rAJn7MB3x0I5zRfDzDqQU6tCPwFT9ijz7k/s1600/waitingonwednesday.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKZ0PZaUpn9lH665RL2jOBKLm7-yBzYArB_W2CUzmot3ooN64cmYiN-GfWIkp2Pvu7DU65MStFSoYEyaJr9fzjFt9Qfnhip0SZYqGpPWiY5rAJn7MB3x0I5zRfDzDqQU6tCPwFT9ijz7k/s1600/waitingonwednesday.png" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Title: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32802595-record-of-a-spaceborn-few?ac=1&from_search=true"><i>Record of a Spaceborn Few</i></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Author: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8389735.Becky_Chambers">Becky Chambers</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Published: expected July 24 2018</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/record-of-a-spaceborn-few-becky-chambers/1127088154?ean=9780062699220">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Record-Spaceborn-Wayfarers-Becky-Chambers-ebook/dp/B072BFJCB9/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1530674753&sr=1-1&keywords=becky+chambers">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Record-Spaceborn-Few-Becky-Chambers/9781473647619">Book Depository</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDnuXv4y7Lw2dRuMd9YqYQuhQ8nFAPYicO-p2wm8p9uDUrxMQJnvaJNRAB9leZ_NVyIXBpDywPQb1OFBwXzXFeMZqML1EGzAB1BnsZWNQTy2IpjpgLQuCi0CKOSqPHhaYPiuluKE823gAs/s1600/recordofaspaceborn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDnuXv4y7Lw2dRuMd9YqYQuhQ8nFAPYicO-p2wm8p9uDUrxMQJnvaJNRAB9leZ_NVyIXBpDywPQb1OFBwXzXFeMZqML1EGzAB1BnsZWNQTy2IpjpgLQuCi0CKOSqPHhaYPiuluKE823gAs/s1600/recordofaspaceborn.jpg" /></a></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="freeText8649166483780474080"><b>From the ground, we stand. From our ship, we live. By the stars, we hope</b><br /><br /><i>The incredible new novel by Becky Chambers, author of the beloved </i> The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet.<br /><br />Centuries
after the last humans left Earth, the Exodus Fleet is a living relic, a
place many are from but few outsiders have seen. Humanity has finally
been accepted into the galactic community, but while this has opened
doors for many, those who have not yet left for alien cities fear that
their carefully cultivated way of life is under threat.<br /><br />Tessa
chose to stay home when her brother Ashby left for the stars, but has to
question that decision when her position in the Fleet is threatened.<br /><br />Kip, a reluctant young apprentice, itches for change but doesn't know where to find it.<br /><br />Sawyer, a lost and lonely newcomer, is just looking for a place to belong.<br /><br />When
a disaster rocks this already fragile community, those Exodans who
still call the Fleet their home can no longer avoid the inescapable
question:<br /><br /><b>What is the purpose of a ship that has reached its destination?</b></span></blockquote>
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Finally!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbW6W14mjDf1T_XL-mx7G29UFs-jXiDA3y6uUjTf-oODzF9iJZei4FUg_YS7pZCkbXuB_GCvHqOxbmhIEBV1ZPNVGmNgp897Qj2RN34qme4HCXFPvhPub6exdC12uLpbNGgp-dfeq_7Vc/s1600/alsobytheauthor.png" 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/AVvXsEhQbW6W14mjDf1T_XL-mx7G29UFs-jXiDA3y6uUjTf-oODzF9iJZei4FUg_YS7pZCkbXuB_GCvHqOxbmhIEBV1ZPNVGmNgp897Qj2RN34qme4HCXFPvhPub6exdC12uLpbNGgp-dfeq_7Vc/s1600/alsobytheauthor.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24956528-the-long-way-to-a-small-angry-planet"><i>A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet</i></a> (Wayfarer's #1)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29475447-a-closed-and-common-orbit"><i>A Closed and Common Orbit</i></a> (Wayfarers #2) </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXPFjhuVK9XRR8N2BBTN-WHO53xuTKEJyCdxsWXGtqnFP6Q2UF7Z8529BT5NAS44eeynDfsNawUnMD2eZU_LeLjZOimmhPwh-ibtn64_UyWMKFKiAEQzOEYM3u1InjI7LqO9wNaAcf-m84/s1600/thelongwaytoasmallangryplanet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="309" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXPFjhuVK9XRR8N2BBTN-WHO53xuTKEJyCdxsWXGtqnFP6Q2UF7Z8529BT5NAS44eeynDfsNawUnMD2eZU_LeLjZOimmhPwh-ibtn64_UyWMKFKiAEQzOEYM3u1InjI7LqO9wNaAcf-m84/s320/thelongwaytoasmallangryplanet.jpg" width="208" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4u7lWgZFp5z_OrSkoS14aVlFHR29zTv_a1TE_K-kIABn-THghfILL01bjYFPsTRjmgeAtggmAKw3L0LdTt3r6dP-9bzEDbsKdYRqyDrqiQxTg_AvGtRiYx06fUWMJSf0pRa0jkqjDJmr-/s1600/aclosedandcommonorbit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="309" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4u7lWgZFp5z_OrSkoS14aVlFHR29zTv_a1TE_K-kIABn-THghfILL01bjYFPsTRjmgeAtggmAKw3L0LdTt3r6dP-9bzEDbsKdYRqyDrqiQxTg_AvGtRiYx06fUWMJSf0pRa0jkqjDJmr-/s320/aclosedandcommonorbit.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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Obviously I am a fan of the UK covers moreso than the US version :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDWWN5wKo-PTmhosjYHthd2Q3nOEt_AmRYRmTgddRU9qMWELBnW1phgFp6MrbpGLoC8nbnRfiaE8_FbEnTpcdCuZwCEH6iuROGhZ2FiTew32eEUQoVlltw-wcbOUf85cV5pio11vyr40q/s1600/jessiesig.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="120" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDWWN5wKo-PTmhosjYHthd2Q3nOEt_AmRYRmTgddRU9qMWELBnW1phgFp6MrbpGLoC8nbnRfiaE8_FbEnTpcdCuZwCEH6iuROGhZ2FiTew32eEUQoVlltw-wcbOUf85cV5pio11vyr40q/s1600/jessiesig.png" /></a></div>
<br />Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996840003306047763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950979514940131182.post-10152468844783422222018-06-08T00:00:00.000-07:002018-07-03T21:22:18.304-07:00Two Minute Review: The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZinBWbVCBJph9Dkv_Gkz51rRr6QD5OscUdGAD7GDJqWKVNtvLCErL86ccyQ68FlJS1LB7S19Y98JMTDkHqkRtLt1RJb-dVaosY7gGbhT1hd6rsXb7QlRuiITmzoBkfqpxNEOH5MaBNWMS/s1600/thekissquotient.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="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZinBWbVCBJph9Dkv_Gkz51rRr6QD5OscUdGAD7GDJqWKVNtvLCErL86ccyQ68FlJS1LB7S19Y98JMTDkHqkRtLt1RJb-dVaosY7gGbhT1hd6rsXb7QlRuiITmzoBkfqpxNEOH5MaBNWMS/s400/thekissquotient.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<b>Title</b>: <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-kiss-quotient-helen-hoang/1127085542?ean=9780451490803#/"><i>The Kiss Quotient</i></a><br />
<b>Author:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17147855.Helen_Hoang">Helen Hoang</a><br />
<b>Genre:</b> romance<br />
<b>Series:</b> N/A<br />
<b>Pages:</b> 336<br />
<b>Published: </b>June 5 2018<br />
<b>Source:</b> publishers via NetGalley<br />
<b>Rating:</b> 5/5<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="freeText1561914405688380968"><b>A heartwarming and
refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there's not enough data in
the world to predict what will make your heart tick.</b><br /><br />Stella
Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes
up with algorithms to predict customer purchases--a job that has given
her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience
in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.<br /><br />It
doesn't help that Stella has Asperger's and French kissing reminds her
of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she
needs lots of practice--with a professional. Which is why she hires
escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can't afford to
turn down Stella's offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes
on her lesson plan--from foreplay to more-than-missionary position...<br /><br />Before
long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but to crave all
the other things he's making her feel. Soon, their no-nonsense
partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that
emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic...</span></blockquote>
<br />
<span id="freeText1561914405688380968">Wow -- a strong debut and a thoroughly wonderful surprise. </span><span id="freeText1561914405688380968"><span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextContainerreview2393736787">This
was just absolutely fun and one I didn't want to end though I gobbled it up in two great marathons of utter concentration. Nothing could divert me from Stella and Michael's slow-but-also-not courtship. From the start, it's authentic and engaging
and focused on several often ignored perspectives with both sensitivity and
care. <i> </i></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeText1561914405688380968"><span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextContainerreview2393736787"><i>The Kiss Quotient</i> is romance done really well -- it's warm,
funny, and the plot is driven by more than just superficial conflict. It's an impressive effort for a debut because the story hardly misses a step. The author may be new but she knows her way around a trope; how to use them, invert them (reverse Pretty Woman!) and how to create sexual tension. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeText1561914405688380968"><span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextContainerreview2393736787"><i>The Kiss Quotient</i> makes for a memorable and heartwarming read; one full of well-drawn characters in an
engaging love story that brings the feels and the shipping. A promising debut and easily a full five-star read. It's just plain fun to read. This is
one that will be visited again in the near future when I need a guaranteed winner.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzlK2QWaom1D8jaIdsSDwRK2khH2_y4xbRpqRj2kIW-avGJNl9BMOUgkPymJkp3dtNZHhMGcTRYTujxUFANISY4s6VCY2mabzygxWglZRYjXZfzl5wTfuGq77TS6p4yTSBuoosjRB40p2/s1600/jessiesig.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="120" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzlK2QWaom1D8jaIdsSDwRK2khH2_y4xbRpqRj2kIW-avGJNl9BMOUgkPymJkp3dtNZHhMGcTRYTujxUFANISY4s6VCY2mabzygxWglZRYjXZfzl5wTfuGq77TS6p4yTSBuoosjRB40p2/s1600/jessiesig.png" /></a></div>
<br />Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996840003306047763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950979514940131182.post-53101638346054311702018-06-06T00:00:00.000-07:002018-07-03T21:21:43.885-07:00Waiting on Wednesday: Dark of the West<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2VFGFOJsHgzegoxj62QtlTbDQeoTYXi3fKXfR4LiK2Q9mM0vgZy0Q8IDctb8MbSe9D4cH392v4mV4yD6jEPyDXvhowfM94fU5mPuIZm7KIIAxaMBuQZjYd_GEMQTeH3axgJysG622Qe_/s1600/waitingonwednesday.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2VFGFOJsHgzegoxj62QtlTbDQeoTYXi3fKXfR4LiK2Q9mM0vgZy0Q8IDctb8MbSe9D4cH392v4mV4yD6jEPyDXvhowfM94fU5mPuIZm7KIIAxaMBuQZjYd_GEMQTeH3axgJysG622Qe_/s1600/waitingonwednesday.png" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Title: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32949202-dark-of-the-west?from_search=true"><i>Dark of the West</i></a> (The Glass Alliance #1)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Author: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16071792.Joanna_Hathaway">Joanna Hathaway</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Expected Publication: Fen 5 2019</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-of-the-west-joanna-hathaway/1127026418?ean=9780765396419#/">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Glass-Alliance-Joanna-Hathaway-ebook/dp/B0756FQYLL/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1530678003&sr=1-1">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Dark-West-Joanna-Hathaway/9780765396419">Book Depository</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPV1dCfIwo92Xx7-9Wedl-CoxSWvjKNFXcTuDIvpo-XG_cEv0u4si9MDopnk2oBl0hLxu0eNk6UCtepDeShz_9ARwq-GHhb0C_B1EDxzd-XQkHs0CBYrKYBPb41Dd-7oFX2tgd5zsd7lOr/s1600/darkofthewest1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPV1dCfIwo92Xx7-9Wedl-CoxSWvjKNFXcTuDIvpo-XG_cEv0u4si9MDopnk2oBl0hLxu0eNk6UCtepDeShz_9ARwq-GHhb0C_B1EDxzd-XQkHs0CBYrKYBPb41Dd-7oFX2tgd5zsd7lOr/s1600/darkofthewest1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span id="freeText5905189529523693962"><strong>He was raised in revolution. She was raised in a palace. Can their love stop a war? <em>Code Name Verity</em> meets <em>The Winner's Curse</em> in Joanna Hathaway's <em>Dark of the West</em>, a breathtaking YA fantasy debut.</strong><br /><br />Aurelia
Isendare is a princess of a small kingdom in the North, raised in
privilege but shielded from politics as her brother prepares to step up
to the throne. Halfway around the world, Athan Dakar, the youngest son
of a ruthless general, is a fighter pilot longing for a life away from
the front lines. When Athan’s mother is shot and killed, his father is
convinced it’s the work of his old rival, the Queen of Etania—Aurelia’s
mother. Determined to avenge his wife’s murder, he devises a plot to
overthrow the Queen, a plot which sends Athan undercover to Etania to
gain intel from her children.<br /><br />Athan’s mission becomes complicated
when he finds himself falling for the girl he’s been tasked with spying
upon. Aurelia feels the same attraction, all the while desperately
seeking to stop the war threatening to break between the Southern
territory and the old Northern kingdoms that control it—a war in which
Athan’s father is determined to play a role. As diplomatic ties manage
to just barely hold, the two teens struggle to remain loyal to their
families and each other as they learn that war is not as black and white
as they’ve been raised to believe.</span></div>
</blockquote>
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<span id="freeText5905189529523693962">We actually did a cover reveal for this and while it wasn't bad this is such a lovely cover -- that blue! I am even more eager to get it in my hands. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcZcGdVex-hTOf88UCl9Sj7OQ5cZlmFLElf4cFcjimsWWpvJJX1Y4B-VfoFslQcD5-bpC_4qz926Umm6vXttqTNsGse40vw_0Yz3i6bRckh71XH4ncSSe2RuFRMLvf3tECBN3VoYr4hWD/s1600/jessiesig.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="120" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcZcGdVex-hTOf88UCl9Sj7OQ5cZlmFLElf4cFcjimsWWpvJJX1Y4B-VfoFslQcD5-bpC_4qz926Umm6vXttqTNsGse40vw_0Yz3i6bRckh71XH4ncSSe2RuFRMLvf3tECBN3VoYr4hWD/s1600/jessiesig.png" /></a></div>
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<br />Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996840003306047763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950979514940131182.post-5955737308623021022018-05-30T00:00:00.000-07:002018-06-04T16:54:54.495-07:00Waiting on Wednesday: The Kiss Quotient<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheVL3xpJxMmfcPDA4BQmQi4Y8bXC889h4mTD1OZO7h-SPEAY7XDeLelaWKDRnk5Natkd_mfFglFMgoMMe119XDtrSs0ZjOZC4rPI3bJchASt7nIIwt7s2C9wF-xtWhVm0kWgcWV8S56gv4/s1600/waitingonwednesday.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheVL3xpJxMmfcPDA4BQmQi4Y8bXC889h4mTD1OZO7h-SPEAY7XDeLelaWKDRnk5Natkd_mfFglFMgoMMe119XDtrSs0ZjOZC4rPI3bJchASt7nIIwt7s2C9wF-xtWhVm0kWgcWV8S56gv4/s1600/waitingonwednesday.png" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Title: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36199084-the-kiss-quotient">The Kiss Quotient</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Author: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17147855.Helen_Hoang">Helen Hoang</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Published: expected June 2018</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-kiss-quotient-helen-hoang/1127085542?ean=9780451490803#/">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kiss-Quotient-Helen-Hoang/dp/0451490800/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Kiss-Quotient-Helen-Hoang/9781786496768?ref=grid-view&qid=1528156449052&sr=1-2">The Book Depository</a></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXfzsxADba3lH307SelnsbxwT4yMp1ePP-98e88Jk4xT7gl1koRdJTH-X4pQyK93MzOfjA9Hrdvs2EHS925olohVfdJ4JSgFdBCF9ZesRST8gPddyCUIASOiBuMCduuDLoJLyTKdf_yOAw/s1600/thekissquotient.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXfzsxADba3lH307SelnsbxwT4yMp1ePP-98e88Jk4xT7gl1koRdJTH-X4pQyK93MzOfjA9Hrdvs2EHS925olohVfdJ4JSgFdBCF9ZesRST8gPddyCUIASOiBuMCduuDLoJLyTKdf_yOAw/s400/thekissquotient.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="freeText1561914405688380968"><b>A heartwarming and
refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there's not enough data in
the world to predict what will make your heart tick.</b><br /><br />Stella
Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes
up with algorithms to predict customer purchases--a job that has given
her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience
in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.<br /><br />It
doesn't help that Stella has Asperger's and French kissing reminds her
of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she
needs lots of practice--with a professional. Which is why she hires
escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can't afford to
turn down Stella's offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes
on her lesson plan--from foreplay to more-than-missionary position...<br /><br />Before
long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but to crave all
the other things he's making her feel. Soon, their no-nonsense
partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that
emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic...</span> </blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgba7UoqV_nyztjz4_KejUF7JuSOLaljnTT0NYsWUhzbeoWu4KpOaRft60-iiI-RF_gGR17He79czyinE93mh0oOFr9NgB5QyS6clXGFgVQVqa4quahFtROH2B0an6-MnshLhXnLI-kKfaA/s1600/alsobytheauthor.png" 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/AVvXsEgba7UoqV_nyztjz4_KejUF7JuSOLaljnTT0NYsWUhzbeoWu4KpOaRft60-iiI-RF_gGR17He79czyinE93mh0oOFr9NgB5QyS6clXGFgVQVqa4quahFtROH2B0an6-MnshLhXnLI-kKfaA/s1600/alsobytheauthor.png" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>(to be published in 2019)</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92tw3e-L1dlVgJuutSbq0bCWUGxUboDQtrnBjz74GcDV6ZKEBhafMRWLcEX8G7pWOMgGJoChMHF72RYQomhYYxXsq3rfAfHKpdl0U8fhAz7_7G6CUGgcgX69qdU-76c-IOmBeeewJzFj8/s1600/thebridetest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 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/AVvXsEj92tw3e-L1dlVgJuutSbq0bCWUGxUboDQtrnBjz74GcDV6ZKEBhafMRWLcEX8G7pWOMgGJoChMHF72RYQomhYYxXsq3rfAfHKpdl0U8fhAz7_7G6CUGgcgX69qdU-76c-IOmBeeewJzFj8/s320/thebridetest.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<br />
<br />
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39338454-the-bride-test"><i>The Bride Test</i></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxM8l-Pwf4ooEMjNjXB9leVCflIPQQVv5o3F56zOdk7gDAoxVmipT2jymy4MT-E4eI0hwX0l71aEzDra0uhqZm9degvxDzRTfxPCwZAOXT5RY_-FwrhcLcdR41yJurj0ZMXUfnTHDKMG1/s1600/jessiesig.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="120" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxM8l-Pwf4ooEMjNjXB9leVCflIPQQVv5o3F56zOdk7gDAoxVmipT2jymy4MT-E4eI0hwX0l71aEzDra0uhqZm9degvxDzRTfxPCwZAOXT5RY_-FwrhcLcdR41yJurj0ZMXUfnTHDKMG1/s1600/jessiesig.png" /></a></div>
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<br />Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996840003306047763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950979514940131182.post-12464735750924722892018-05-22T00:00:00.000-07:002018-05-22T17:15:49.972-07:00Top Ten Tuesday: Best Character Names <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7J6IWIyhxXeSDsLX6imCoZYvz74D8Ns1XTh__rUudrQAc6yk32UdbpDzQbWwbsDzOuZv38hV6RCVmKs84OW_SaA8VZ8S6YXb-Io3xKsbdTyPPriMwMZam4OTer7ZnWDLkwQCPXSErlKrF/s1600/ttt.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7J6IWIyhxXeSDsLX6imCoZYvz74D8Ns1XTh__rUudrQAc6yk32UdbpDzQbWwbsDzOuZv38hV6RCVmKs84OW_SaA8VZ8S6YXb-Io3xKsbdTyPPriMwMZam4OTer7ZnWDLkwQCPXSErlKrF/s320/ttt.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Naming a character isn't easy. Fortunately, I never have to do the thing because I just review the books. Today we're going to look at some of those great, classic names. Strong in meaning. Subtle.<br />
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<h4>
8. Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkein </h4>
The man <i>invented</i> a language just to call his hidden king, "King".<br />
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Gandalf means "Wand Elf" in Norse, btw.<br />
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<h4>
7. Egwene al'Vere from The Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan</h4>
She's Gwenevere.<br />
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I was 30 before I got that.<br />
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<h4>
6. Mort from Discworld by Terry Pratchett </h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn3Ou2Q_y-eD3bMne4YBn7bYVcr0e0gpoP_yyiZA_fIgfzSMOIl-iaCSsINZS0c0VIBtku0XkSucaI05SHxyXIhgRgtM6rReCuU0htQejP9Fwdl0j1PxcFClZCPcXSQ6dTSmhgL89A4BQq/s1600/b50f2065e09093735cbc4989b70c6ac9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="396" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn3Ou2Q_y-eD3bMne4YBn7bYVcr0e0gpoP_yyiZA_fIgfzSMOIl-iaCSsINZS0c0VIBtku0XkSucaI05SHxyXIhgRgtM6rReCuU0htQejP9Fwdl0j1PxcFClZCPcXSQ6dTSmhgL89A4BQq/s320/b50f2065e09093735cbc4989b70c6ac9.jpg" width="194" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Much subtle. Very latin. Wow.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h4>
5. Smite from Unraveled by Courtney Milan </h4>
He's a judge. Named <i>Smite.</i><br />
<br />
Actually he's named 'The Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake, for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every living thing, as I have done.", from Genesis where God promises to never again bring the Flood which, like number four, belies a hidden depth to the character.<br />
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<h4>
4. Rock from The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson</h4>
Because he's big and dumb you see. That is until you get to know him and you realize he's insightful and sensitive. Then his full name, Nuhumukumakiaki'aialunamor, a full poem in his language about a rock his father found suddenly makes sense.<br />
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<h4>
3. Georgette "Buffy" Meissonier from Feed by Mira Grant </h4>
It was a toss-up between Georgette and Georgia as tributes to George Romero in this zombified poli-horror, but Buffy edges the heroine out as her nickname of the famous teen monster slayer is a double whammy.<br />
<br />
<h4>
2. Trebor Jordayne of House Tor from ASoIaF by George R.R. Martin </h4>
Trebor is Robert spelled backwards. Robert Jordan also published at Tor and there was a bit of a rivarly between the two fan camps.<br />
<br />
Martin also named a giant Wun Wun (the number of the NY Giant's quarterback at the time) and had him crush a knight with the Dallas Cowboy's logo on his arms. And he had a whole family of muppets. And knights named Lharys, Mohor, and Kurleket. I kind of love Martin.<br />
<br />
<h4>
1. Remus (raised by wolves) Lupin (wolf-like) from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling </h4>
Can we also discuss his father Lyall (Norse for WOLF)?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3XtMPrXp4TcVhfDvAqAoNkEhb_GVqjvfIfJBEZpgz-f5xemlLrYEY0L5KQ8j4DpQjR_P55S0knQnqMhKY30A84K78r1H-qXmGZCUrFzvv9bkebWMclvpb90aIkL8REYx3H3qG68KLgEBW/s1600/Marauders1950s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="476" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3XtMPrXp4TcVhfDvAqAoNkEhb_GVqjvfIfJBEZpgz-f5xemlLrYEY0L5KQ8j4DpQjR_P55S0knQnqMhKY30A84K78r1H-qXmGZCUrFzvv9bkebWMclvpb90aIkL8REYx3H3qG68KLgEBW/s320/Marauders1950s.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"We will call him 'Moony'," a bunch of wizards who somehow passed the OWLs.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Yes there are only 8 because I ran out of jokes and also what's going to top Wolf McWolf born on the full moon with his wolf patronus?
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Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174997031845874289noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950979514940131182.post-34934117542550131562018-05-14T16:00:00.000-07:002018-05-21T14:06:21.745-07:00Life Update + GiveawayHey kittens, long time no see. This post has been a long time coming and I'm really sorry for the past year. Updates have been sporadic, I haven't been great at responding to comments, and I just haven't been able to make APR my priority. I have an explanation; I've mentioned parts of this on Twitter, but I've never put it all out there on the blog. So, to give you all the dirty bits I've tried to keep off the internet, let's go back, back, back. If you stick with me through all of this, I have a present at the end.<br />
<br />
On June 14, 2008, aka my 21st birthday, I gave notice at my first big-girl job to go into business with my mom. She'd managed a heart surgery practice for many years and with the help of the retiring partner, set out to open her own boutique-style billing and coding service. The last ten years have been incredibly hard. We started with one doctor. Some days we would be so dead we'd spend hours just stamping return addresses on boxes of envelopes to say we accomplished <i>something. </i>But we grew. In 2013 we suffered a devastating blow. Our business partner, more grandfather to me than my actual bio relatives, passed away. We almost closed - his estate forcing us up for sale as the majority partner. After months of uncertainty, no offers were made and we soldiered on. In the last five years, we've hired significantly more staff, rented more office space. I went to trade school and earned two sets of credentials to better market myself. My baby company was growing up.<br />
<br />
And it took control of our lives.<br />
<br />
In the last year, my mother's health has declined with a rapidity that's terrifying to see. She's lost 75 pounds in eight months. We've been through every test imaginable, and some I hadn't heard of despite 10 years in the medical industry. The final diagnosis? Stress. Stress so severe it has caused her stomach lining to spasm and rip and, due to constant reflux, she's developed the early signs of throat cancer. In the last year, I've had my anxiety medication increased <i>four </i>times. I work 65 hours a week, sometimes in the office as late as 2 o'clock in the morning. Obviously, my blogging has suffered and though I've made a few "I think work's under control, I should be back on a schedule!" posts, I can't stick to them on top of my work hours.<br />
<br />
As of today, I can announce we have sold our company. It's bittersweet. It's giving up our connection to Bob and his family, (though if he were alive to see what this has done to our health, I suspect he would have sold us back in 2013.) I am walking away with nothing tangible from the sale. In a lot of ways, it feels like the sacrifices of the last decade were wasted.<br />
<br />
I'm also <i>incredibly </i>happy. I've taken a similar position with one doctor. My employment contract guarantees only 40 hours of work a week. I'm using my certifications; at the company, I was spending far more time on HR and client relations than actually coding. The position is (currently) work from home, which allows me greater freedom during the actual sunlight hours of the day. As some of you know, my husband manages a bar which has made it very difficult to see him when I was working 10a - 7p and he works 6p-2a.<br />
<br />
So it's a good thing and a sad thing and a long overdue thing. But what does it mean for <i>APR</i>? Well, I can't speak for Jessie who has her own life issues going on, but as for me, I will be posting twice a week to start. One post will be a bookish meme, TTT or Waiting on Wednesday, and one will be a review or discussion. I'm also committing to replying more to comments and talking to y'all more on Twitter instead of just retweeting every meme I see.<br />
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So that takes us to the end of this post and what you've been waiting for: the giveaway! To thank you all for sticking with me and believing APR could come back, I'm not choosing one winner, I'm choosing <i style="font-weight: bold;">FIVE</i>. Giveaway is open internationally as long as TBD ships to your country. All you have to do to be entered? Tell me what one book of the last year you think I should have read.<br />
<br />
<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="277fb9093" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/277fb9093/" id="rcwidget_7i2jlyea" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
<br />
<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script> Again guys, thank you so much for following me through all of this. My inability to balance work and life cost me my girlfriend, my health, and a lot of contacts in the book community. It means to world to know I've still got you on my side (or if you're new, that some people want to check me out anyway!) I love you all.<br />
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Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174997031845874289noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950979514940131182.post-48251067405664767152018-05-03T00:00:00.000-07:002018-06-04T17:09:59.869-07:00Two Minute Review: Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Fn8oWJrtQVJL00Z0wrUgWCP4G3LmN6Hh2uqrXjzF8HPL3pL_L-DytOrWXCSifnhJy6GDXCPYzq_j92mHWHFPE5wxKkb_8Juh7PXOaNjWNyOgllReoDdC-KJwqj-bqJatsFhNPrGGXY5S/s1600/onlyhuman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="309" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Fn8oWJrtQVJL00Z0wrUgWCP4G3LmN6Hh2uqrXjzF8HPL3pL_L-DytOrWXCSifnhJy6GDXCPYzq_j92mHWHFPE5wxKkb_8Juh7PXOaNjWNyOgllReoDdC-KJwqj-bqJatsFhNPrGGXY5S/s400/onlyhuman.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/only-human-sylvain-neuvel/1126941285?ean=9780399180118"><i>Only Human</i></a><br />
<b>Author: </b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8534434.Sylvain_Neuvel">Sylvain Neuvel</a><br />
<b>Genre:</b> science fiction<br />
<b>Series:</b> Themis Files #3<br />
<b>Pages: </b>352<br />
<b>Published: </b>May 2018<br />
<b>Source:</b> publishers via NetGalley<br />
<b>Rating:</b> 3/5<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="freeText17720710439452621367"><b>We always thought the biggest threat to humanity would come from the outside.</b><br /><br /><b>We were wrong.</b><br /><br />As
the human race picks up the pieces of destruction left behind, a new
world order emerges. New alliances are formed. Old divisions are
strengthened. And, with a power struggle fuelled by the threat of
mutually assured destruction, nothing is certain.<br /><br />At a time when the world's nations should have been coming together, they have never been more divided.<br /><br />With
the human race teetering on the brink of total war, Rose, Vincent and
Eva must choose sides. But doing the right thing might mean making the
ultimate sacrifice.</span>
</blockquote>
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<br />
<br />
Hmmm... I hate to damn with fain praise but this is a very lukewarm three stars. This is one novel that needed to sit and sink in before I was entirely sure how I felt about it. It's obvious that Sylvain Neuvel never does what you think he is going to -- or even what he might <i>possibly</i> do. He heads in entirely new directions with each successive novel, but I can't say that it worked very well for me in this last of his humans-meet-aliens trilogy. The first novel was an unparalleled success but neither of the followups matched that original level of imagination meets execution.<br /><br />For a finale, specially for a series like this -- one that has been so creative and unpredictable... this was kind of underwhelming, I am not going to lie. This series started out so strongly and then.. kinda petered out more and more with both sequels. They each weren't bad taken on their own merit, but both <i>Waking Gods</i> a year ago and <i>Only Human</i> now definitely didn't have the vision and creativity of Sleeping Giants.<br />
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<br />Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996840003306047763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950979514940131182.post-35969716570950787352018-04-27T00:00:00.000-07:002018-04-27T00:00:22.352-07:00Book Tour Review: Ecstasy by Mary Sharratt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcuh-tdvldI2H20tstTfBWO4HMT8CFp_8ogSxHKu4u990IhyphenhyphenXFay0vSacEmxK40gzajVSUb5LTmXIou3FavC5hs-3Ke_Iex_E1eTgWID5ApZDYY6szBeRtSQLxX7SnxdcUjhE_XTcJXmql/s1600/ecstasy.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="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcuh-tdvldI2H20tstTfBWO4HMT8CFp_8ogSxHKu4u990IhyphenhyphenXFay0vSacEmxK40gzajVSUb5LTmXIou3FavC5hs-3Ke_Iex_E1eTgWID5ApZDYY6szBeRtSQLxX7SnxdcUjhE_XTcJXmql/s400/ecstasy.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ecstasy-mary-sharratt/1126762473?ean=9780544800892"><i>Ecstasy</i></a><br />
<b>Author:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/45115.Mary_Sharratt">Mary Sharratt</a><br />
<b>Genre:</b> historical fiction<br />
<b>Series:</b> N/A<br />
<b>Pages:</b> 400<br />
<b>Published: </b>April 10 2018<br />
<b>Source:</b> <a href="http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/">Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours</a> for review<br />
<b>Rating:</b> 4/5<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span id="freeText9739855204581126805">In the glittering hotbed of turn-of-the-twentieth-century Vienna, one woman’s life would define and defy an era<br /><br />Gustav
Klimt gave Alma her first kiss. Gustav Mahler fell in love with her at
first sight and proposed only a few weeks later. Bauhaus founder Walter
Gropius abandoned all reason to pursue her. Poet and novelist Franz
Werfel described her as “one of the very few magical women that exist.”
But who was this woman who brought these most eminent of men to their
knees? In Ecstasy, Mary Sharratt finally gives one of the most
controversial and complex women of her time the center stage. <br /><br />Coming
of age in the midst of a creative and cultural whirlwind, young,
beautiful Alma Schindler yearns to make her mark as a composer. A
brand-new era of possibility for women is dawning and she is determined
to make the most of it. But Alma loses her heart to the great composer
Gustav Mahler, nearly twenty years her senior. He demands that she give
up her music as a condition for their marriage. Torn by her love and in
awe of his genius, how will she remain true to herself and her artistic
passion?<br /><br />Part cautionary tale, part triumph of the feminist
spirit, Ecstasy reveals the true Alma Mahler: composer, author,
daughter, sister, mother, wife, lover, and muse.</span></blockquote>
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<br />
Mary Sharratt is a vivid writer with an eye for both detail and atmosphere and a knack for re-framing familiar historical events in new light. She highlights and humanizes women from history; those who are often ignored, stifled, or vilified and those that are rarely given a voice in the official narrative. With <i>Ecstasy</i>, Sharratt illuminates the life of the talented and tempestuous Alma Schindler, a formidable musician in her own right as well as a muse and inspiration to many well-known male musicians and artists in turn-of-the-century Vienna.<br />
<br />
A strong personality with a noticeable talent for both composing and performing, Alma's presence is unique and memorable. She's faced by constraints of her time and society, as well as in her eventual husband's expectations but her talent and wit shine through. And even through facing her personal demons, Alma remains uniquely herself. Her point-of-view is refreshingly relate-able without being anachronistic for the times in which she lived. Sharratt does an admirable job of adapting Alma's voice and feelings and her narration feels natural.<br />
<br />
Creation, especially of the musical variety, are main themes for both <i>Ecstasy</i> and for Alma herself in all stages of her story. Her life revolved around art for its entirety with a famous painter for a father and Sharratt makes music omnipresent here in her fictional life. Alma's need to create more than just human life, to be defined as more than only a wife or a mother -- to make her own art known -- is a core element to who she is and how she develops as a single woman and later as the 'proper' wife to an Opera Director. Her life and goals may shift and ebb, but her love of music is a constant, believable, and unchanging facet of her characterization.<br />
<br />
An authentic and vivid recreation of a fascinating and flawed woman, <i>Ecstasy</i> is a look at mental health and love, music and motherhood. Mary Sharratt ably renders a nuanced version of a complicated woman and adapts her unconventional life with ease. Her version of the acclaimed and beloved fixture of culture and society in Europe and in America is engaging, forthright, and unique. <i>Ecstasy</i> is a window to a vibrant Viennese society and a memorable main character.<br />
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<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Blog Tour Schedule</h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Tuesday, April 10</span></strong><br />
Review at <a href="http://brokenteepee.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Broken Teepee</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, April 11</strong></span><br />
Feature at <a href="http://passagestothepast.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Passages to the Past</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, April 12</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://bookfever11.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Bookfever</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://unabridged-expression.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Unabridged Chick</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, April 13</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://unabridged-expression.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Unabridged Chick</a><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.birdhouse-books.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">View From the Birdhouse</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Saturday, April 14</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://thequirkyladybookworm.wordpress.com/blog/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Clarissa Reads it All</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, April 16</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://cupofsensibility.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Cup of Sensibility</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, April 17</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://spiritblog.net/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Based on a True Story</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, April 18</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.hookofabook.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Oh, for the Hook of a Book!</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Thursday, April 19</span></strong><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.historywomanperspective.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">History From a Woman’s Perspective</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, April 20</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://lindasbookobsession.blog/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Linda’s Book Obsession</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Sunday, April 22</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.caroleraesrandomramblings.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Carole Rae’s Random Ramblings</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, April 23</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://bookaholicswede.blogspot.se/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">A Bookaholic Swede</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, April 24</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://www.hookofabook.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Oh, for the Hook of a Book!</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, April 25</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://aliteraryvacation.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">A Literary Vacation</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, April 26</strong></span><br />
Guest Post at <a href="http://abookishaffair.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">A Bookish Affair</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, April 27</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://agelesspagesreviews.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Ageless Pages Reviews</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, April 30</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://www.thebookwhisperer.org/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Caryn, the Book Whisperer</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Tuesday, May 1</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://abookishaffair.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">A Bookish Affair</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, May 3</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://tonyriches.blogspot.co.uk/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Writing Desk</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Monday, May 7</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="https://whatcathyreadnext.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">What Cathy Read Next</a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, May 9</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://sveta-randomblog.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Svetlana’s Reads and Views</a></div>
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<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Thursday, May 10</span></strong><br />
Review at <a href="http://writingren.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Writing the Renaissance</a></div>
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, May 11</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://writingren.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Writing the Renaissance</a></div>
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<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Monday, May 14</span></strong><br />
Interview at <a href="http://letthemreadbooks.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Let Them Read Books</a></div>
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Wednesday, May 16</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://jorielovesastory.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Jorie Loves a Story</a></div>
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Thursday, May 17</strong></span><br />
Review at <a href="http://nicoleevelina.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Nicole Evelina</a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Friday, May 18</strong></span><br />
Interview at <a href="http://nicoleevelina.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Nicole Evelina</a></div>
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<span id="freeText9739855204581126805"> </span> Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996840003306047763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950979514940131182.post-46708885845718091602018-04-18T23:52:00.000-07:002018-04-19T13:14:39.725-07:00ATTASU: The Last Viking by Sandra Hill<center>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">As <u>ATTASU </u>is a more in-depth feature than my standard reviews, this entire post has a spoiler warning for plot details, including the ending, of <i>The Last Viking.</i></span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Truly, women think they want a weak-sapped man, but what they really crave is a real man, like Tim Taylor, and me.</blockquote>
<br />
Sandra Hill's been the victim of a mean prank. You've probably seen it, a post on social media that features the cover of her 2006 novel, <i>Rough and Ready </i>followed by some outlandish and terrible passages. A few of them, the screenshots of "dick heaven" and "dick attack", are real. "Dick Parkinson's", "galloping abs", and the whole "wet boobs still wet from the shower water" are not. Still, despite knowing this was (mostly) a troll, a reader requested I feature Ms. Hill on <u>ATTASU</u>. As delightful as a squadron of time traveling Navy SEALS sounds, you can find quite a few reviews of <i>Rough and Ready.</i> Instead, I went back to the start of the series for a time travel plot I haven't read before: the ancient man and the modern woman set in the glorious age of 1997.<br />
<br />
1997. In terms of the romance genre, it might as well be 997, right? Certainly, this is what those who think I judge the book too harshly will opine.<br />
<br />
In 1997, Julia Quinn was writing her second series, (<i>Brighter Than the Sun </i>is a four-star book that I will vouch stands up to twenty-teen scrutiny). We're not even going to count how many books Nora Roberts had released at this point, though <i>Montana Sky,</i> published the previous year, remains one of the most beloved in the romance genre. Romancelandia's titan, Beverly Jackson also gave us <i>Indigo</i> in 1996 and followed it up with <i>Topaz</i> in '97. And if we can go back another year, Loretta Chase's <i>Lord of Scoundrels </i>is still topping AAR's top 100 romance list, twenty years later. Kleypas, Brockway, Susan E. Phillips, all award-winning authors who released novels in the mid-late 90s and none of them are...this.<br />
<br />
<i>The Last Viking</i> is terrible. It's poorly written, badly paced, and rarely have I seen a book that so hates its target audience. The last book I read that was this misogynistic was Fabio's <i>Pirate</i> if we all recall how much I hated that review. We're introduced to Rolf with him licking the nipples of his boat's figurehead in "salty appreciation", ostensibly to show the reader what a lusty male our love interest will be, and it only gets worse from there.<br />
<br />
"A DISTANT LAND, A.D. 997<br />
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<br />
<i>Row, row, row your boat . .</i>"<br />
<br />
The weird italicized sentences are a reoccurring device. They start most scenes, but not all. Sometimes they're song lyrics or puns, but frequently they're just bits that might be the main characters' thoughts. So why not have them <i>be</i> their thoughts and dispense with this weird formatting decision? (Speaking of weird formatting decisions, let's revisit this in a few minutes when we get to Rolf and his grasp on the English language.)<br />
<br />
Rolf is sailing during the Devil's Moon when his ship is struck by lightning and he and Ingrid, the saltily appreciated figurehead, are swept through a whirlpool and into Professor Meredith Foster's front yard. Meredith is obviously a professor of medieval studies, specializing in Norse history, with a half-built Viking longboat in her yard. Because for all my defense of the genre, romance is built on its coincidences and misunderstandings. Meredith arrives home to find an invader in her house. She's held at knifepoint by what she assumes is a historical reenactor hired by her brother to help her finish her boat. Because every SCA member I've come across says hello with a knife to the throat. But maybe, are you wondering what Rolf looks like? I bet you are.<br />
<br />
"In fact, he looked a lot like a Viking Age version of that actor, Kevin Sorbo, from the old Hercules program on television."<br />
<br />
(<i>Hercules</i> was smack in the middle of its six-season run in 1997. It makes absolutely no sense to refer to a currently airing show as an old program, though if these are the editing details that I'm getting hung up on, spoiler: the rest of the book is a trip.)<br />
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Fortunately for Meredith and us as readers, Rolf has a magic belt that allows him to speak and understand English and also seems to ease his transition into modern life. By the end of his first full day in Maine, Rolf is obsessed with indoor plumbing, some sort of shampoo called drek, (which has a very different connotation here in 2018,) and can even use a computer. The hilarious "adapting to future technology" scenes teased in the synopsis are over before they even begin.<br />
<br />
Instead, what <i>The Last Viking</i> truly is is <i>Home Improvement </i>fan-fiction mixed with an MRA wet dream. Rolf is the kind of alphahole asshole I can't stand. His machismo is supposed to highlight the time travel and differences in his world and ours, but (spoiler) because he ends up being completely right and validated, what the book is actually saying is "wasn't it better when we could kidnap women and marry them at knifepoint?"<br />
<br />
As covered, Rolf enjoys a lot of the modern world's comforts, but none more so than Mike the TA and his trip to Home Depot.<br />
<br />
"[T]hey’d entered Am-eric-hah’s version of Valhalla, a real man’s paradise—the power-tool section of the hardware store."<br />
<br />
You know what, it's not even the power tools. They were a big thing in the 90s, a status symbol for a certain kind of men. Rolf's choice of tv: Bob Vila's <i>This Old House </i>and<i> Home Improvement</i> show a segment of the American population was certainly charmed by the idea of working with your hands. I'll even allow that power tools would seem like a magic luxury, unimaginable to a shipbuilder who made his own wooden nails. No, my two biggest problems with this sentence are the hackneyed phonetic spelling and the phrase "real men".<br />
<br />
Rolf speaks perfect English by the end of his first scene, thanks to his magic belt, (which features a holy relic in a hidden compartment that Rolf was on his way to return to an English abbey to stop a famine in Norway for reasons.) That is, Rolf speaks perfect English except for the occasional word that is spelled phonetically for...humor? We're first on the receiving end of this writing quirk when Rolf learns Meredith's name. He calls her Merry-Death and will do so for the remainder of the book, even after they're married and he's given up returning to his own time. But even that and Am-eric-hah are ok. They're not <i>funny</i>, but they seem consistent enough with the book's internal logic. The belt seemingly can't translate words that don't have a similar, corresponding meaning in Old Norse. Electrice-city and come-pewter thus do make sense that he'd struggle with them. But he first calls his hero, Tim Allen, Timalley. That doesn't fit, nor does the fact that he evolves to call Tim by his correct name, but never does with Meredith.<br />
<br />
But I wouldn't be upset and calling this one of my "biggest problems" in a book I've already admitted is terrible if it wasn't for Meredith's job title.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Half of your words have no meaning to me. What language is this that you . . . we are speaking?" He rubbed the clasp of his belt while he spoke, as if for luck or answers.<br />
<br />
[ . . . ]<br />
<br />
"Like profess-whore. I can hardly credit you as a whore.”</blockquote>
<br />
Oh boy. There's a lot to unpack here. First, "professor" is not remotely pronounced "profess-whore", so the structure of our joke and our worldbuilding are already unsound. Secondly, while professor does only date back to the 14th century, so does profess. The belt should have no more knowledge of one than the other. Teacher, however, does have roots in Old English, a sister language to Old Norse and one Rolf claims to speak. His belt should easily have substituted<i> tæcan</i> long before making a crude and unfunny joke that Meredith is too plain to be a prostitute.<br />
<br />
The book hates Meredith and this loops back around to problem the second, the "real man".<br />
<br />
Meredith has problems. She's a doormat for her overbearing scholar parents, her flighty sister, even her dead grandfather, as she's taken a sabbatical from Columbia to teach at his small college in Maine and complete his dream of a longship. She has no friends, she's divorced, and as we find out in a tear-filled, (and rage-inducing,) confession, <i>infertile</i>. So when Rolf shows up and starts barking orders, despite her resistance, her life magically becomes better. Her parents are cowed, her sister gives her custody of her daughter so she's not lonely, she makes friends with her TA and some of the SCA reenactors who show up, and of course, she learns the sexual fulfillment of being with a "real man", which seemingly involves a lot of hair and also semen that can cure infertility. You knew it was going there.<br />
<br />
Some of this attitude is the time period in which the book was published. Of the award-winners I listed back at the beginning, I actually didn't like<i> Lord of Scoundrels </i>for a similar reason. I found the hero too domineering. I find female submission to be one of the most popular tropes in mainstream romance, (though research into sexual preferences shows male submission is actually more popular in real life.) because there is something enjoyable in the thought of laying back and letting someone else take all your cares away. I also find these stories come in waves; we just had a big one in 2012 after the success of <i>Fifty Shades</i>. We're not here to shame people who are into femsub fic or alpha tropes. The problem is the female character has to be <i>into it</i>. Meredith is not. From the first page to the last, she fights Rolf to keep her independence. He marries her bound, against her will, because she refuses to commit herself to him when he's going to try to return to the Middle Ages. That goes well beyond the "I know best so let me sort out the building arrangements" thing they have going. Instead, Rolf thinks of Meredith's talking as "lackwit female prattle" and asks, "If she loved him, she would want to please him, wouldn’t she?" That's not love. Meredith, you should run like your tampon string is on fire.<br />
<br />
Instead, blinded by lust for Kevin Sorbo, Meredith runs straight to Rolf's bed after the wedding. Because he'll sleep with whores, but he'll only make love to his wife. So after he realizes he's in love with her, he has to force her to marry him so they can finally get it on. Because that makes sense and betrays zero unhealthy ideas about sex work and intercourse. This is what we're here for, right? You want to know if anyone's going to have a dick attack.<br />
<br />
Well, no. Dick attack was clearly the author's attempt at writing modern, male internal dialogue. Since here she's writing<i> ancient</i>, male internal dialogue, what we get is some of the purplest prose this side of the gothic.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Drops of moisture from our first mating linger here,” he pointed out huskily, “like morning mist on seaside grass.”<br />
<br />
[. . .]<br />
<br />
“You feel like velvet fire licking at my staff,” he gasped as he pulled out, then drove in again, long and slow and sinfully pleasurable. “And you feel like hot marble,”<br />
<br />
[. . . ]<br />
<br />
“Your woman dew anoints me like molten lava,”</blockquote>
<br />
This same scene also features everyone's favorite euphemism, manroot, as well as "womanly nest", which I'm not even sure I know what that is? These all seem very silly now, but again part of this is the time period and the style. God knows I'm not defending these passages, they're awful, but I think even more offensive is when Hill tries to make sex <i>fun</i>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glad <i>someone's</i> getting wet around here.</td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Best you fortify your ramparts, my lady of the running tongue. This warrior is about to lay siege to your every portal.</blockquote>
<br />
This <b>warrior </b>is about to <i>lay siege</i> to your eVERY PORTAL. I need a lie-down. (Also he only even seizes one portal. Promises promises, Rolf.)<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Especially since I shared with you the secret of the famous Viking S-spot, which even you agreed was far superior to your modern G-spot.”</blockquote>
<br />
This is a reoccurring joke. It's never explained. Not where it is, how it provides pleasure, or why a Viking erogenous zone would follow the naming conventions of Gräfenberg. But Rolf tells every man he meets about the S-spot and sends them home to please their female partners. Another example of how a return to the age of raping and pillaging would actually benefit the 90s. Right.<br />
<br />
But wait, I hear you all say. This review is wrapping up and we didn't get to the bottom of "<i>Home Improvement</i> fanfiction"? About that. So a third of the way through the book, Meredith's TA, Mike is reintroduced. He's here to serve as an eventual friend to Mer after Rolf leaves, but also to give Rolf the male bonding scenes we were all clamoring for. Mike has one defining personality trait. Despite being a graduate student in medieval studies, chosen for a prestigious assistant position, all we know of Mike is that he's a horndog. A horndog in love with one Pamela Anderson. He makes this known loudly and frequently. The <i>Baywatch</i> (and <i>Home Improvement</i>) actress is mentioned sixteen times in twenty chapters. When Mike and Rolf meet, Mike immediately starts waxing poetic about how hot Pam is. Because the author's definitely met a man before. Definitely. So Rolf, being an alpha and a fixer takes it upon himself to call Pam's agent. How does he get that information? No idea. But here's the worst part:<i> it works</i>. We start getting needy phone messages from NINETEEN NINETY-SEVEN, PLAYBOY COVERGIRL PAMELA ANDERSON.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Will you pursue this Pamela creature till you gain the bedding? I heard that she phoned you repeatedly this past week."</td></tr>
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In fact, this works so well that Rolf takes it upon himself to make another series of wildly expensive long distance calls to LA and track down Tim Allen. He loves Tim Allen. He references Tim, actor and character, repeatedly and the author even goes so far as to insert their like-minded philosophies into the background of scenes.<br />
<br />
" [. . .] Tim Taylor was explaining to his wife Jill why big breasts were God- given male magnets."<br />
<br />
So Rolf wants Tim to come help him build his longboat. Unsurprisingly, considering he got one of the hottest women in the world's phone number, he speaks to a long line of agents and producers who all agree it is a great idea for Tim and the actors to fly to Maine and use the longboat in an episode. This doesn't actually happen and you think the plot line has been dropped until! *deep breath*<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Meredith finally accepts both that Rolf is a time traveler and she's in love with him.She has nothing holding her to the twentieth century, so she asks him to take her back to 997 with him.Rolf refuses because he's already had one wife die.Meredith won't marry him if he won't take her, he won't leave without marrying her.The aforementioned kidnap wedding occurs, our heroes finally sleep together, and they spend two blissful weeks waiting for Rolf to finish his boat and the Devil's Moon to rise again.On the day of the moon, there's a tearful sending off.We get a flash-forward to the next day where we're told that Rolf's boat was once again struck by lightning, sunk, and he and his figurehead, Ingrid, are once again sucked into a whirlpool.Except it leaves him in 1997 instead of returning to the past.Rolf's picked up by two fishermen who take him to shore in exchange for knowledge of where the S-spot is.Rolf checks into a hotel and sees a news report of his "death", featuring Meredith crying. He realizes he'd be a real douche to do this to her again and again since he can't stop trying to get back to his time as long as he has this saint's relic.So he flys to Norway to do some research and finds out the famine actually broke the day he went through the whirlpool so his destiny isn't to take the relic back, it's to keep it in the future where it can't affect the weather?So then he travels to England and where the abbey was in his time, but it's just ruins.Then a ghost of the saint burried at the abbey shows up, takes the relic, tells Rolf to follow his destiny and points to a single rose, which somehow signifies Meredith even though by now we know she's pregnant so it should be two roses.Rolf then goes to London or Paris or something to auction off all his Viking jewelry and then finally after six weeks returns to Maine to tell Mer he's not dead.Initially their reunion is a happy one and they bang on her desk,but then he lets it slip that he got his new clothes in London and Meredith is rightly pissed that Rolf faked his death, didn't tell her his research had proved he didn't have to go back to the past, galavanted across Europe without so much as a postcard, and then showed up like nothing happened.They have their big Big Mis, Mer kicks him out of the cabin, and we get a couple chapters of angst until Meredith's niece tells her to turn on <i>Home Improvement.</i></span><br />
<br />
PHEW!<br />
<br />
Upon turning on <i>Home Improvement</i>, what is Meredith, and by proxy the audience, treated to? Rolf of course! Tim Taylor has decided to soup up his speedboat and hires Rolf to teach him how to construct a longboat, which are famous for their ability to go fast and be manned by one person, obviously. Al and Wilson are also there, trying vainly to make jokes as Rolf flubs his lines, curses, and speaks directly to Meredith through the camera in one of the strangest scenes I have come across. I'm forced to believe Ms. Hill believes television shows are actually plays performed by very small men living in her tv? Even more bizarre is the fact that Rolf is <i>invited back.</i> Anyway, the next day Meredith goes home, secure in her knowledge that Rolf is still in LA where the show is filmed, but surprise! He's in her house and takes her at knifepoint again until she agrees to kiss and make up.<br />
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While I try to keep <u>ATTASU</u> a funny but enlightening look at books that go off the beaten path, unfortunately, this time around, I'm just sad. Hill has written eleven books in the series, so obviously they're resonating with someone out there. I've liked a lot of romance novels that I didn't find erotic, but I liked the plot. I've read some that the plot was shit, but something in the love scenes spoke to me. But I'll never understand books that seem to actively hate and harm their female readership. Yes, there's a certain delight in reading a really bad scene, laughing at a truly outlandish description, but it's not worth risking supporting problematic content like this. I can give you a hundred books with a dominating love interest without the near-rape and kidnapping. And that's not a plot point you can blame on the 90s.<br />
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Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174997031845874289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950979514940131182.post-71932759290885609822018-04-17T00:00:00.000-07:002018-04-17T00:00:17.606-07:00TTT: Books I Loved but Will Never Re-Read<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For this week's TTT freebie, I'm going back to the list I started <i>last </i>week but didn't finish. Sorry Jana, I'm a mess!<br />
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Top Ten Books I Loved but Will <i>Never </i>Re-Read</h2>
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1. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21469068-i-ll-meet-you-there">I'll Meet You There</a> </i>by Heather Demetrios</h4>
Humans need water in their bodies to live. Crying all mine out once was E-NOUGH.<br />
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2. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/47104.Melina_Marchetta">All Melina Marchettas</a></h4>
See above. This author <i>wrecks</i> me. I can't go through <i>Saving Francesca </i>or <i>Jellicoe Road </i>again. I just can't.<br />
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3. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13481748-code-name-verity">Code Name Verity</a> </i>by Elizabeth Wein</h4>
"Kiss me, Hardy. Kiss me, QUICK!". And then shoot me out of a cannon into the sun.<br />
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4.<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10352973-skylark"> </a><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10352973-skylark">Skylark</a> </i>by Meagan Spooner</h4>
Sometimes a series should have stopped at one. I can't taint how much I love this book with how much I hated the series conclusion.<br />
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5. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9188338-the-way-of-kings">The Way of Kings</a></i> by Brandon Sanderson</h4>
ONE THOUSAND AND SEVEN PAGES. Sorry BSand, we're lucky I got though this once.<br />
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6. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/187905-the-plantagenet-and-tudor-novels">Philippa Gregor's Tudor series</a></h4>
Has one ever outgrown a series quite so rapidly? Let me keep my fond memories of <i>The Constant Princess </i>and <i>The Boleyn Inheritance</i> without marring them with the implicit knowledge that they're actually badly written and researched.<br />
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7. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10931746-the-stepford-wives">The Stepford Wives</a> </i>by Ira Levin</h4>
I am so glad I read this horror-satire and <i>so</i> glad I'm never required to do so again.<br />
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8. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12541349-mariana">Mariana</a> </i>by Susanna Kearley</h4>
That's a twist that only works once.<br />
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9. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11983940-scarlet">Scarlet </a></i>by A.C. Gaughen</h4>
For a 4.5 star book, the thought of reading this again just makes me want to take a nap? Probably why I never actually finished the series, huh?<br />
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10. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13537029-the-song-of-achilles"><i>The Song of Achilles</i> </a>by Madeline Miller</h4>
MY TRAGIC DEAD BI BABIES ARE ALL OVER THIS LIST AND I HATE IT.<br />
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So there we go loves, ten books I really did love and also ten books you couldn't pay me to put back in front of my eyeballs. What about you? Did you do this list last week when you were supposed to? Link up in the comments.<br />
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Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174997031845874289noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950979514940131182.post-34302197285765989592018-04-03T00:00:00.000-07:002018-04-03T00:00:31.176-07:00TTT: Top Ten Characters I Love in Books I Don't<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When you read 900 books in six years, they don't always hit. But sometimes, even in those less than shining stars, you find a bright spot. Here are ten characters I loved in books I didn't.<div>
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1. Marlee (<i>The Selection </i>series)</div>
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None of the girls in the eponymous contest were particularly likable or well developed, but America's friend who risks everything to leave the contest and marry a guard certainly came closest. Marlee is cloyingly sweet but considering America's self absorbed bitchfest that was <i>The Elite</i>, her side plot was a welcome one.</div>
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2. Odile (<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6669436-the-black-swan">The Black Swan</a>) </i><i><br /></i></div>
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I'm generally a huge Lackey fan, but this early fairy tale is a rare miss and it has nothing to do with the main character. Rothbart's motivations are tissue paper thin, Odette has no characterization, and the "hero" is an <i>on-page rapist.</i> Let's go with the original ballet ending, shall we? </div>
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But Odile's struggle to impress her abusive father while staying true to her good nature is actually compelling. She's smart, a sorceress in her own right. She's merciful, propping up the littler girls when Rothbart runs them ragged. And in the end, she genuinely tries to earn redemption when she could easily have said Rothbart's influence made her do everything. </div>
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3. Gemma (<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18525657-broken-hearts-fences-and-other-things-to-mend">Broken Heart, Fences, and Other Things to Mend</a></i>)</div>
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Another character who really tries to earn her redemption. My problem with this book was the fact that Gemma shouldn't have needed to earn anything, so the whole premise was bullshit to start with. So even if the story didn't make me want to keep reading the series, Gemma's sweet naivete did. </div>
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4. Eric Northman (<i>The Southern Vampire Chronicles </i>series)</div>
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Justice for my ship. Justice for my Viking vampire king.</div>
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5. Scrap (<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17831753-a-history-of-glitter-and-blood">A History of Glitter and Blood</a></i>)</div>
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This book was so confusing and hard to like, very similar to its characters and their layers of unreliability. Despite that, Scrap, the leader of the little gang, the one writing the story, burrowed his way into my heart. In this story of love and grief and mourning and war, he's the one holding it up and yet apart. Beckan may be the character on the cover, but Scrap's the one I want to hear about.</div>
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6. Ekeeta (<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21800302-princess-of-thorns">Princess of Thorns</a>)</i></div>
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Every great villain is a hero in his own mind and the Ogress Queen from this Cinderella retelling is a <i>fantastic </i>illustration of the principle. While the main story is marred by a truly god-awful romance, here's Ekeeta, trying to bring about the end of the world not so she can rule over the ashes or whatever evil queens are usually trying for, but because she believes in a religious prophecy that life on earth must end so that the Ogres can guide the humans to paradise underground. She's just trying to save them...by ending their mortal lives. Is that so wrong?</div>
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7. Kahlid (<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23654535-the-wrath-the-dawn">The Wrath & the Dawn</a></i>)</div>
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Tariq is terrible and this book is much better if Shazi just marries Kahlid for keeps and they rule quietly without all the murdering.</div>
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8. Sir Gorrann (<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22457109-the-wonder">The Wonder/Blood of Wonderland</a></i>)</div>
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I'm a sucker for a gruff mentor, especially one who puts a character who's too cocky or entitled in their place so they can eventually learn to be the leader they'll need to be by the end of the trilogy. Enter Sir Gorrann, a former Spade who is here entirely for the purpose of putting Dinah in touch with the common folk. He'll snark about her lack of supplies and wilderness training. He'll tell sad stories of his friends and family killed by the tyranny of the royal family. He'll give weapons training and serve as counsel and eventually marry your mother-in-law...wait sorry, got him mixed with the Coram Smythesson from the Alanna series for a second.</div>
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9. Zosia (<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23752395-a-crown-for-cold-silver">A Crown for Cold Silver</a></i>)</div>
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GODDAMN IT WHY WASN'T THIS THE FIVE STAR BOOK IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN, INSTEAD OF THE 3 STAR BOOK IT WAS?</div>
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An epic fantasy about a 50+ bisexual badass, a former leader who overthrew a king and lived to see that saying about generals not being necessary in peacetime. Plus she warns a girl who hero worships her not to wear chainmail panties because they'll rip out your pubes. Fuck, I'm mad again.</div>
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10. Katharine Sheffield (<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/861326.The_Viscount_Who_Loved_Me">The Viscount Who Loved Me</a></i>)<div>
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Why did Anthony and his nasty, stern daddy attitude earn the best heroine in the Bridgerton books? Even in the second epilogue Anthony was still the wooooooooorst. Poor Kate, go live with Lucy and never play croquet with this bore ever again.</div>
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Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174997031845874289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950979514940131182.post-63236068806736298852018-03-05T00:00:00.000-08:002018-03-05T12:01:53.945-08:00Review: Geek Ink by Emanuele Pagani<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Title:</b> <i><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/geek-ink-inkstinct/1127092691?ean=9781631064586&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20Inc">Geek Ink: The World's Smartest Tattoos for Rebels, Nerds, Scientists, and Intellectuals</a></i><br />
<b>Author:</b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6470937.Tom_Taylor" style="font-weight: bold;"> </a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6536864.Emanuele_Pagani">Emanuele Pagani</a><br />
<b>Genre:</b> Art and Photography<br />
<b>Series:</b><br />
<b>Pages:</b> 224<br />
<b>Published: </b>Expected<b> </b>March 20, 2018<br />
<b>Source:</b> publisher<br />
<b>Rating:</b> 3.5/5<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Exhibiting cutting-edge designs from the most sought-after and acclaimed contemporary tattoo artists worldwide, Geek Ink presents magnificent ideas for tattoos on themes from science fiction and fantasy, as well as a wide range of topics across science, mathematics, literature, and philosophy.<br />
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With commentary from creators of the Inkstinct project--which connects people with the finest tattoo art from 380,000 studios worldwide and has an Instagram fan base of more than 1 million--as well as interviews with world-renowned masters like Eva Krbdk (460K followers), David Cote (232K followers), and Thomas Eckeard (169K followers), this is the definitive tattoo inspiration sourcebook for hipsters, bookworms, scientists, academics, engineers, and, of course, geeks!</blockquote>
I've never reviewed an art book on APR before, but when I was offered an ARC of <i>Geek Ink</i>, I was over the moon. Geek tattoos are something very close to me and mine. The artist of my Bradbury piece also did a full geek sleeve for my sister, featuring Warhammer 40k, Psychonauts, Phantom of the Opera, Legend of Zelda, and Supernatual. (She also has separate Repo the Genetic Opera and a Fatal Frame pieces.) The seventh wedding anniversary gift is traditionally copper, so I sent my husband to a very nice sadist to stab a Terry Pratchett inspired "copper" badge into his arm.<br />
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The book is set up in two sections. The first is a brief profile of 25 artists from around the globe. These feature a one paragraph bio, links to their instagram and inkstinct pages, a quote from them about their art, and 8-10 samples from their portfolios. The layout and photography are high quality and do a wonderful job framing the tattoos as art. The only problem with the samples chosen is many of the pieces are featured in the book twice, both here and either in one of collages at the beginning and end of each section or in the gallery itself.<br />
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Standouts for me were Frank Carrilho's Nikola Telsa, David Cote's Neon Vader, (the color work to make something actually appear made of neon tubing, I'm in awe,) literally every single piece by Inez Janiak, Andrea Morales' Killer Robot and The Golden Snitch and Hogwarts, PisSaro's Bejeweled Elephant, and Hugo Tatooer's entire aesthetic.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I have good taste. Morales and Carrilho appear on the cover and Cote appeared on the previous version.</span></div>
<br />
The gallery was less successful. Its table of contents consists of animals, anime, astronomy, biology, botany, conceptual, cult classics, fantasy, geography, geometry, literature, psychology, science fiction, surrealism, technology, and television. Large sections like animals and botany are further divided, though not in the table of contents so you have to flip to the first page and then scan through. Animals are split into vertebrates and invertebrates, and then vertebrates are split into classes: aves, cetacea, proboscidae, reptilia, mammalia, then order: carnivora, and finally family: canidae, felidae. All this seems like an artificial way to make animal tattoos, the most popular tattoo type, seem geeky. All sciences, zoology included, are pretty geeky, but a lot of the included tattoos look like someone's pet.<br />
<br />
The classifications are arbitrary and made it harder to look up the subjects. For example, Rob Carvalho's Fox and Rose (inspired by <i>The Little Prince</i>) is on page 170, Cult Classics. Meanwhile, Nora Lyasko's <i>The Little Prince </i>piece, The Fox and the Prince is on page 190, Literature. (Page numbers from the PDF ARC and may be changed in the final printing, of course.) A replica of <i>Starry Night</i> is in Surrealism, of all places. Wolverine's in Cult Classics, but Darth Vader's in Sci-Fi.<br />
<br />
It also feels like a lot of geek culture is missing. There are only six TV tattoos, none of which are the big hitters I'd expect. No Doctor Who or Star Trek. There is an X Files, but again it's back in Cult Classics. There are no games, video, board, or tabletop represented. Not even anything that really says hard sciences, except one representation of a caffeine molecule, (in biology, next to a skull and two stylized hearts.) There are a few under the featured artists, but if you're using the gallery to browse for ideas, you're going to have a hard time.<br />
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It's a beautiful coffee table book, but I don't know if you'll find your new ink in it.<br />
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Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174997031845874289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950979514940131182.post-33907487835839007772018-03-01T08:10:00.000-08:002018-05-13T20:29:44.607-07:00Winter Bingo Wrap UpIt's time to say goodbye to winter and I, for one, welcome our groundhog overlords to end this madness.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIst5Xh8oe8l_vGJJ-BRpqVrRoHsbMpVtRT2kR2xr8T-gtk84SSdHqb85KK_MKghiiNQsozbD0-6Le7iWaZKW5TmdfbkT3FfQ_yQBf5_VzkTncBI6s8P8rCZpD9Zy-W1GsPsIY5ikqlkpG/s1600/winter-bingo-2018dani.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1225" height="626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIst5Xh8oe8l_vGJJ-BRpqVrRoHsbMpVtRT2kR2xr8T-gtk84SSdHqb85KK_MKghiiNQsozbD0-6Le7iWaZKW5TmdfbkT3FfQ_yQBf5_VzkTncBI6s8P8rCZpD9Zy-W1GsPsIY5ikqlkpG/s640/winter-bingo-2018dani.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Black Author: </b><i>Long Way Down </i>by Jason Reynolds (12/3)</div>
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<b>Wintry Title: </b><i>Once Upon a Christmas Eve </i>by Elizabeth Hoyt (12/12)</div>
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<b>Trees on Cover: </b><i>Love You Like Christmas </i>by Keri F Sweet (12/21)</div>
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<b>Holiday Theme: </b><i>A Scottish Lord for Christmas </i>by Lauren Smith (12/23)</div>
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<b>Romance: </b><i>The Christmas Cowboy Hero </i>by Donna Grant (12/25) </div>
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<b>Sci-Fi: </b><i>Binti </i>by Nnedi Okorafor (12/26)</div>
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<b>Green Cover: </b><i>Rolling in the Deep </i>by Mira Grant (12/27)</div>
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<b>Buddy Read: </b><i>The Wicked + The Divine: The Faust Act</i> by Kieron Gillen (12/30)</div>
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<b>Snow or Ice on Cover: </b><i>Girls Made of Snow and Glass </i>by Melissa Bashardoust (12/30)</div>
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<b>Romance: </b><i>The Christmas Cowboy Hero </i>by Donna Grant (12/26) </div>
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<b>Villainous: </b><i>War of the Cards </i>by Colleen Oakes (1/5)</div>
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<b>Death</b>: <i>A Tangled Web</i> by Mercedes Lackey (1/17)</div>
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<b>Winter Release</b>: <i>Three Sides of a Heart</i> ed Natalie C. Parker (1/18)</div>
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<b>Numbers in Title</b>: <i>The Five Brothers Next Door</i> by Nikki Chase (1/18)</div>
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<b>Light Blue Cover</b>: <i>Imaginary Girls</i> by Nova Ren Suma (1/27)</div>
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<b>2018 Debut: </b><i>Everless </i>by Sara Holland (1/31)</div>
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<b>2017 Release Missed</b>: <i>The Language of Thorns </i>by Leigh Bardugo (1/31)</div>
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<b>Friend's Fave</b>: <i>Check Please! Year One</i> by Ngozi Ukazu (2/2)</div>
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<b>Red Cover: </b><i>The Wedding Date </i>by Jasmine Guillory (2/2)</div>
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<b>Fae, Faeries, Fair Folk</b>: <i>Chimes at Midnight</i> by Seanan McGuire (2/9)</div>
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<b>LGBT+:</b> <i>Ringside: Kayfabe</i> by Joe Keatinge (2/20)</div>
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<b>Cold Setting: </b><i>The Colors of Cold</i> by J.M. Sidorova (2/27)</div>
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<b>Red Cover:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25566671-reign-the-earth"><i>Reign the Earth</i></a> by A.C. Gaughen (Untitled #1)</div>
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<b>Spinoff:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29772863-wires-and-nerve-volume-1"><i>Wires and Nerve Vol. 1</i></a> by Marissa Meyer</div>
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<b>Black Author: </b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34570037-a-hope-divided"><i>A Hope Divided</i></a> by Alyssa Cole (The Loyal League #2)</div>
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<b>Buddy Read: </b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23093359-the-wicked-the-divine-vol-1"><i>The Wicked and the Divine: the Faust Act</i></a> by Kieron Gillen</div>
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<b>2018 Debut: </b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34916111-blood-and-sand"><i>Blood and Sand</i></a> by C.V. Wyk</div>
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<b>Scifi:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27833741-new-pompeii"><i>New Pompeii</i></a> by Daniel Godfrey (New Pompeii #1)</div>
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<b>Light Blue Cover:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15792859-marco-impossible"><i>Marco Impossible</i></a> by Hannah Moskowitz</div>
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<b>LGBT:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34523174-into-the-drowning-deep"><i>Into the Drowning Deep</i></a> by Seanan McGuire</div>
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<b>Wintry Title: </b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34964901-the-lost-season-of-love-and-snow"><i>The Lost Season of Love and Snow</i></a> by Jennifer Laam</div>
Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11174997031845874289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950979514940131182.post-90753505934693113142018-02-14T00:00:00.000-08:002018-05-13T20:39:12.986-07:00Waiting on Wednesday: The Forbidden City<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBqWLlcGOk2FDYIDIl9dukyqVf4zrLYKZwJOxevOrmzMYP74bJ7H7cb3vfyDdj4Blhx4PsHcPJUBZqjC_RbXVv4NmQT4h84EwAYJtbMa909hG4yR5FhpZUP0oyPaUFJIIGzThhyphenhyphenrwrnv78/s1600/waitingonwednesday.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBqWLlcGOk2FDYIDIl9dukyqVf4zrLYKZwJOxevOrmzMYP74bJ7H7cb3vfyDdj4Blhx4PsHcPJUBZqjC_RbXVv4NmQT4h84EwAYJtbMa909hG4yR5FhpZUP0oyPaUFJIIGzThhyphenhyphenrwrnv78/s1600/waitingonwednesday.png" /></a></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Title: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35787272-the-forbidden-city"><i>The Forbidden City</i></a> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Author: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15061078.Deborah_A_Wolf">Deborah A. Wolfe</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Series: The Dragon's Legacy #2</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Expected Publication: May 15 2018</span></div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-forbidden-city-deborah-a-wolf/1126718090?ean=9781785651106#/"><br /></a></h4>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-forbidden-city-deborah-a-wolf/1126718090?ean=9781785651106#/">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Forbidden-City-Deborah-Wolf/dp/1785651102/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1526268913&sr=1-2">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Forbidden-City-Deborah-Wolf/9781785651106?ref=grid-view&qid=1526268911086&sr=1-6">Book Depository</a></span></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
Sulema Ja'Akari is an elite warrior, one of the desert people known
as the Zeeranim. She is also the daughter of the Dragon King of Atualon,
whose magic is the only thing that prevents the earth dragon from
waking. Should the dragon end her sleep, their world will be destroyed.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The
Dragon King is dying. As heir to his throne Sulema must be trained to
take his place, yet the more she learns, the less she trusts the
sinister agendas that surround her. Knowing that her life hangs in the
balance, Sulema seeks to return to the Zeera.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Salvation may lie
with her mother, Hafsa Azeina, who walks the dark and deadly pathways of
the Dreaming Lands. To save her daughter, the dreamshifter will be
forced to strike a pact with her greatest enemy, a huntress who would
rather kill her than assist her.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Upheaval stretches far beyond
Atualon—to the forbidden city of Khanbul where the emperor rules with an
iron hand. An elite cadre of rebel conspirators chafes beneath his rule
and plots to overthrow him.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Among them is Jian de Allyr, the
half-dae prince born of a human mother and a twilight lord. If they are
to challenge the emperor in his stronghold, however, Jian and his
co-conspirators must secretly raise an army...</div>
</blockquote>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29429675-the-dragon-s-legacy"><i><br /></i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29429675-the-dragon-s-legacy"><i>The Dragon's Legacy</i></a> (The Dragon's Legacy #1)</div>
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<br />Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08996840003306047763noreply@blogger.com0