tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53468085724939980572024-03-05T22:16:20.312-05:00The Babbling BookwormAlyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13609279609715882850noreply@blogger.comBlogger129125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346808572493998057.post-64871791913875299092014-04-13T16:19:00.000-04:002014-04-13T16:19:02.370-04:00Pandemonium (Delirium Trilogy #2) by Lauren Oliver<br />
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<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71WtwcVhTzL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71WtwcVhTzL.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></span></a><i style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><b>Title: </b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061978078/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061978078&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">Pandemonium</a> (Delirium Trilogy #2)</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><b>Author: </b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-size: small; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">Lauren Oliver</span></span></span></span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The old life is dead.<br />But the old Lena is dead too.<br />I buried her.<br />I left her beyond a fence, behind a wall of smoke and flame.<br /> In this electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed <em style="font-style: italic;">New York Times</em> bestseller <em style="font-style: italic;">Delirium</em>, Lauren Oliver sets Lena on a dangerous course that hurtles through the unregulated Wilds and into the heart of a growing resistance movement. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.</span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>My Rating: </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">3.5 stars <span style="color: #e69138;">★</span><span style="color: #e69138;">★</span><span style="color: #e69138;">★1/2</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>My Thoughts: </b>(This review is spoiler-free)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The over-arching plot of this book was <i><b>extremely</b></i> (I don't think I can emphasize that word enough) similar to that of other dystopian series, such as The Hunger Games and Matched. Thus, I found the majority of the book to be unexciting and, at least for me, most of the big "twists" were <i>highly</i> predictable.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That being said, I did manage to enjoy the book. As I've mentioned, the main plot lines are nothing to write home about, but the smaller, finer details are where the fresh ideas come in, and they are what really make this book worth reading. Subplots like the development of Blue's character and backstory, as well as the scene when Raven and Lena are hunting a rabbit, were extremely touching and complex. Other details, like Lena's inner dialogue while running, added a level of familiarity which helped me relate to Lena and kept me wanting to read more.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />In this book Lena really comes into her own as a person. Delirium showed Lena opening her eyes to the world of the WIlds beyond her perfect structured walls; Pandemonium shows her deciding how she wants to go about it. She emerges as a strong female lead with a moral compass, not as much of a "follower" as she may have been before.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The book is narrated entirely from Lena's point of view as she alternates between the present and the past (with chapters titled "then" and "now") <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #232323;">until the backstory catches up to the present time. At first I found this a little bit annoying and confusing, but overall it worked for the story; the story might not have been as successful if narrated straight through or in larger flashback chunks. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #232323;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In short, the main "skeleton" or basis of the book is a predictable second installment of a dystopian series; however, there are many interesting details or "redeeming qualities" that make this book worth reading. I plan to continue on to the third installment to see how everything resolves itself. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Warnings: </b>violence, death </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Other books you might like: </b>Matched by Ally Condie; The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins</span></div>
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Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13609279609715882850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346808572493998057.post-4823640630522272032013-08-25T11:15:00.000-04:002013-08-25T11:15:00.259-04:00Audiobooks: Pros and Cons<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://Audible.com/">Audible.com</a>, a sub-branch of <a href="http://Amazon.com/">Amazon</a>, is currently offering a free one-month trial and two credits (typically one audiobook = one credit) to all new users of the site. I had nothing to lose, so I decided to try it out. This was my first foray into audiobooks, so I also compiled a pro/con list of my experience:</div>
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<b>Positives</b><br />
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<li>I listen on my iPhone, so I have a book(s) with me everywhere I go without having to carry anything extra!</li>
<li>Great while doing mindless tasks that keep my hands busy: washing dishes, folding laundry, cleaning, knitting, etc. (This is a <i>huge </i>plus for me!!)</li>
<li>Celebrity readers, such as Tina Fey narrating her book Bossypants, often read the story with their own natural inflection. I get to hear things they way they imagined it sounding when they wrote it. </li>
<li>Good during long commutes, especially on crowded subway trains where I wouldn't have space to hold open a book or eReader.</li>
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<b>Negatives</b><br />
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<li>I don't always like the narrator's voice. I much prefer the imagined voice(s) I create in my head while reading. (this is something I got used to with time, as I got more engulfed in the plot of the book)</li>
<li>Sometimes it's hard to create a strong mental pictures because my eyes are distracted by what is *actually* in front of me, whereas when I'm reading a book, the only thing I'm looking at are the pages, so it's easy to imagine the scene I'm reading about.</li>
<li>Audiobooks can be expensive. </li>
<li>I can probably read faster than the narrator speaks ...it's also much easier to skim parts of a book than it would be to 'skim' through the audio.</li>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Positive<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Helps with
pronunciation<o:p></o:p></div>
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Doesn’t help with
spelling<o:p></o:p></div>
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Saves shelf space<o:p></o:p></div>
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No pretty book to
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Overall, I like audiobooks depending on circumstances. I would definitely prefer to hold and read a physical book or my eReader, but audiobooks seem like a nice options when I'm tired or don't have my hands free. </div>
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I encourage anyone who hasn't tried audiobooks before to look into <a href="http://audible.com/">audible.com</a>'s free one-month trial, it's a great no-strings attached way to try out audiobooks without spending any money .... and for those of you who are already audiobook listeners, why not take advantage of the two free credits? Everyone loves free books, right? </div>
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I'm also curious to know: <i>what do you like/dislike about audiobooks?</i></div>
Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13609279609715882850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346808572493998057.post-70186452310928843292013-08-24T00:15:00.000-04:002013-08-24T00:15:01.273-04:00Stacking the Shelves (2)<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by <a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/2012/05/staking-shelves-official-launch.html" style="color: #993366; text-decoration: none;">Tynga's Reviews</a> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">that features new books we've acquired </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><u><b>This week I got four new books:</b></u></span></span></div>
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<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008W4A2J0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008W4A2J0&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">Teeth: Vampire Tales</a> by Various Authors</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B55913Q/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00B55913Q&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">Forgive My Fins</a> by Tera Lynn Childs</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1595142509/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1595142509&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">Spirit Bound</a> (Vampire Academy #5) by Richelle Mead</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061450545/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061450545&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">The Summoning</a> (Darkest Powers #1) by Kelley Armstrong</li>
</ul>
Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13609279609715882850noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346808572493998057.post-6739212101627110562013-08-22T12:50:00.000-04:002013-08-22T15:13:44.608-04:00Rachel Vincent Announces New Project!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://darkfaerietales.com/wp-content/uploads/Rachel-Vincent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://darkfaerietales.com/wp-content/uploads/Rachel-Vincent.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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One of my most favorite-est authors, <a href="http://www.rachelvincent.com/blog/">Rachel Vincent</a>, has just <a href="http://www.rachelvincent.com/blog/2013/08/20/at-long-last/">recently announced</a> her newest adult project, <i>Menagerie</i>, a carnival themed paranormal series and I am SO UBER EXCITED that I cannot contain myself. You should all click that link and read the blurb she came up with, because really, it sounds super awesome and I can't wait! She never fails to come up with a fresh new paranormal world for each project. </div>
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Not gonna lie, I usually cry and go into a mini book hangover/depression whenever I finish the last book in a series or really good standalone because I just don't want it to end *ever*, but then each new project announcement fills me with so much joyful anticipation that I become like this: </div>
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and<i> *almost*</i> forget about that I was like <i><b>this</b></i> just a few months ago when I finished her last book:</div>
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And so the emotional roller coaster continues. </div>
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<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13609279609715882850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346808572493998057.post-78284100006459368072013-08-21T00:05:00.000-04:002013-08-21T00:05:00.415-04:00The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.wellingtoncssb.edu.on.ca/school/bishopmacdonell/Library/bookclub/Book%20Club%20Pictures/forest.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.wellingtoncssb.edu.on.ca/school/bishopmacdonell/Library/bookclub/Book%20Club%20Pictures/forest.JPG" width="132"></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>Title: </b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385736827/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0385736827&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">The Forest of Hands and Teeth</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>Authors: </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Carrie Ryan</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>Format: </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Paperback, 336 pages.</span><br>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">
In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?</blockquote>
<b>My Rating: </b>4 stars <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: 'Menlo Regular'; font-size: 20pt;">★</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: 'Menlo Regular'; font-size: 20pt;">★</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138; font-family: 'Menlo Regular'; font-size: 27px; line-height: 20px;">★</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138; font-family: 'Menlo Regular'; font-size: 27px; line-height: 20px;">★</span><br>
<b>My Thoughts: </b>Reading this book was a strange experience for me. This was really the first zombie-themed book that has ever caught my eye, and I had seen a lot of positive reviews for it, so I was excited to give it a try. Then as I started reading, I felt so bored and depressed by the dystopian world that the protagonist, Mary, finds herself trapped in... yet, next thing I know, I was staying up all night to finish the book!<br>
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After finishing the book, I initially told myself that I didn' really like it and was overall disappointed. Then, in the following days, I keep randomly thinking about the book and the events in it, until I came to realize that I actually quite enjoyed the book after all! In fact, I even wound up choosing this novel for a recent poem-writing challenge hosted by The Happy Booker, which you can read <a href="http://babblingbookworm.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-forest-of-hands-and-teeth-acrostic.html">HERE</a>.<br>
</div><a href="http://babblingbookworm.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-forest-of-hands-and-teeth-by-carrie.html#more">Read more »</a>Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13609279609715882850noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346808572493998057.post-13477376150535638612013-08-20T00:05:00.000-04:002013-08-20T00:05:00.249-04:00Top Ten Tuesday <div style="text-align: center;">
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/">The Broke and The Bookish</a></div>
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Want to join in? Check out all the rules/details <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/p/top-ten-tuesday-other-features.html">HERE</a></div>
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<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Top Ten Things </span></u></div>
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<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">that make my life as a reader/blogger easier</span></u></div>
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<li style="display: inline !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Paperback Swap</b></span></li>
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<li style="display: inline !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Even if I wanted to keep *every* physical book I've read, I would not have the space to accommodate it. <a href="http://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php">PBS</a> makes it easier to get rid of books I've finished, and get new books in return!</span></li>
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<li style="display: inline !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Shelfari</b></span></li>
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<li style="display: inline !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">I know most bloggers like Goodreads, but I prefer keeping my TBR/Read piles organized on <a href="http://www.shelfari.com/">Shelfari</a>. Visually, I think the layout/format of the site is really nice... I like the feel of seeing an actual bookshelf. Also, it's a sub-branch of Amazon, so I only have to remember one username/password combo for both sites. </span></li>
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<li style="display: inline !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>The New York Public Library</b></span></li>
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<li style="display: inline !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">I feel so very lucky to live in a city that has such an extensive library system. I've saved so much money over the years borrowing books, and it's always fun to browse the shelves without pulling on the purse strings.... no guilt in trying a book you were hesitant to read when it doesn't cost a dime!</span></li>
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<li style="display: inline !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Amazon Prime's free 2 day shipping</b></span></li>
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<li style="display: inline !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">For those times when I want to splurge and purchase a brand new book, I don't have to feel the pang of guilt that comes with paying for shipping instead of going to the bookstore AND it gets to my house within two business days!!</span></li>
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<li style="display: inline !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Rafflecopter</b></span></li>
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<li style="display: inline !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">It seriously makes <a href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/">hosting giveaways</a> so much easier than before! </span></li>
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</b></ul>
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<li style="display: inline !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Twitter</b></span></li>
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<li style="display: inline !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">A great way to network with other bloggers, advertise new posts on your blog, or hear about giveaways going on in the blogosphere. </span></li>
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<ul><b>
</b></ul>
<b>
<li style="display: inline !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Strand Bookstore</b></span></li>
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<li style="display: inline !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">This <a href="http://www.strandbooks.com/">store</a> always has shelves (many many shelves!) of sale books outside with prices as low as a dollar a book! I've found some gems there, whether it be a book from my wish list or an unexpected good read. </span></li>
</b><br /><b></b><br />
<ul><b>
</b></ul>
<b>
<li style="display: inline !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>My Nook eReader</b></span></li>
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<b>
<li style="display: inline !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">There have been many a time when I've finished an *amazing* book and literally </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>cannot </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">wait to get the sequel, so I ordered it online, downloaded it to my </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/Compare-NOOKs/379003181">Nook</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">, and started reading immediately. </span></li>
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<li style="display: inline !important;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></li>
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<li style="display: inline !important;">Bookshelves!</li>
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This <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">may seem like a silly one, but I'm serious! There was a period of my college years when I didn't have a bookshelf because one lovely </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><i>frenemy</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"> of mine broke it and let me tell you, you really don't know what you have until it's gone. I had books everywhere - cluttering my desk, my floor, etc - and it was so hard to find the one I was looking for when I needed it. </span></div>
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Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13609279609715882850noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346808572493998057.post-35914959664609294002013-08-18T21:35:00.001-04:002013-08-19T00:16:16.512-04:00The Forest of Hands and Teeth Acrostic Poem<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://www.wellingtoncssb.edu.on.ca/school/bishopmacdonell/Library/bookclub/Book%20Club%20Pictures/forest.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.wellingtoncssb.edu.on.ca/school/bishopmacdonell/Library/bookclub/Book%20Club%20Pictures/forest.JPG" width="131" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://happy-booker.blogspot.com/">The Happy Booker</a> is currently hosting a <a href="http://happy-booker.blogspot.com/2013/08/vamps-vs-zombies-acrostics-challenge-25.html">giveaway</a> challenging participants to come up with an acrostic poem (acrostic poem: fancy terminology for a poem in which the first letters of each line put together spell a word or words) featuring their favorite vampire or zombie book. </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">
For my poem I chose <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385736827/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0385736827&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">The Forest of Hands and Teeth</a> by Carrie Ryan, writing the poem from the point of view of the protagonist, Mary. In the novel, Mary keeps a photograph of a girl at the beach during pre-apocalyptic times, dreaming that one day she might also see the beach - I took inspiration from this :)</blockquote>
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Trapped.</div>
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Here in this sad small town, until</div>
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Everything changed.</div>
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Find me a way</div>
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Out of this maze.</div>
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Running and running.</div>
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Endlessly</div>
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Searching.</div>
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Twists and turns, lead me to the</div>
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Ocean.</div>
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Foamy waters and salty air.</div>
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Only a bit farther til<br />
Freedom.<br />
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Hoping.</div>
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Abandoning all that I know.</div>
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No turning back.</div>
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Driven by the image of a clear blue sea,</div>
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Searching.</div>
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Another day passes,</div>
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No more paths to follow.</div>
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Do I dare to open the gate?</div>
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Tearing through the forest,</div>
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Exposed.</div>
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Everything around me a vivid blur:</div>
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Thrashing and tumbling,</div>
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Hastening towards the sandy shore. </div>
<!--EndFragment-->Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13609279609715882850noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346808572493998057.post-16294031636336458952013-08-18T20:10:00.000-04:002013-08-18T20:10:14.645-04:00A to Z Bookish Survey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/AtoZsurvey-1017x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/AtoZsurvey-1017x1024.jpg" width="317" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Jamie at <a href="http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/2013/08/some-friday-fun.html">The Perpetual Page Turner</a> has come up with this fun A-Z survey </div>
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& I thought I'd give it a shot :)</div>
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<b>Author you’ve read the most books from</b></div>
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I'm actually pretty loyal to authors I love, so in answering this question I noticed I've read 6+ books by several different authors, but <a href="http://babblingbookworm.blogspot.com/2011/09/blood-bound-by-rachel-vincent.html">Rachel Vincent</a> came out on top with 14 <a href="http://babblingbookworm.blogspot.com/2011/01/shifters-series-by-rachel-vincent.html">full length books</a> + 3 novellas read<br />
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<b>Best Sequel</b><br />
Eeeee I don't know!<br />
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<b>Currently Reading?</b><br />
The Omnivore's Dilemma - young readers edition by Michael Pollan </div>
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& <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BQ9MJQW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BQ9MJQW&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">A Need So Beautiful</a> by Suzanne Young</div>
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<b>Drink of Choice While Reading?</b><br />
Snapple iced tea!<br />
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<b>E-Reader or Physical Book?</b><br />
Physical books! I like displaying my favorites on my bookshelf when I'm finished, I feel like it showcases my personality :)<br />
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<b>Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated in High School</b><br />
*swoon* Adrian from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/159514174X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=159514174X&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">Vampire Academy</a> series<br />
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<b>Glad You Gave This Book A Chance</b><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062024035/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0062024035&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">Divergent</a> by Veronica Roth<br />
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<b>Hidden Gem Book</b><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BQ9MJQW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BQ9MJQW&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">A Need So Beautiful</a> by Suzanne Young - It had me crying and feeling ALL the feels. Definitely didn't expect it to be that emotional.<br />
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<b>Important Moment in Your Reading Life</b><br />
Discovering <a href="http://babblingbookworm.paperbackswap.com/profile/">PaperbackSwap</a>!! Yet another way to enable my ridiculous reading/book acquiring habits!<br />
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<b>Just Finished</b><br />
<a href="http://babblingbookworm.blogspot.com/2013/08/kisses-from-hell-anthology.html">Kisses From Hell</a> paranormal anthology<br />
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<b>Kind of Books You Won’t Read</b><br />
I tend to stray away from historical fiction books because I tend to not enjoy them so much, seeing as history has always been my worst/most hated subject. I <b>much</b> prefer futuristic books!<br />
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<b>Longest Book You’ve Read</b><br />
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (896 pages)<br />
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<b>Major Book Hangover Because of…</b><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385736827/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0385736827&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">The Forest of Hands and Teeth</a> by Carrie Ryan... this book haunted me for days after I had finished it.<br />
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<b>Number of Book Cases You Own</b><br />
Just one :( </div>
<div>
I wish I had room for more... I still have many books in boxes under my bed.<br />
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<b>One Book You Have Read Multiple Times</b><br />
Hmm, I really don't re-read books because I have way too many unread books to consume my time. I've been meaning to re-read the Harry Potter series though!</div>
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<b>Preferred Place to Read</b></div>
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In my bed :)<br />
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<b>Quote That Inspires You/Gives you All the Feels from a Book You’ve Read</b><br />
I'm terrible at keeping track of quotes. I don't highlight them or write them down, so I can't really answer this question. My bad, apologies!<br />
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<b>Reading Regret</b><br />
Y'know, just the other day I was thinking about a big reading regret I had... but I can't remember it now.<br />
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<b>Series You Started and Need to Finish (all books are out)</b><br />
VAMPIRE ACADEMY! I can't believe I'm so late to the game but now I'm hooked. I totally see what all the hype was about when this series was first starting up. I've got two books left in the series and I can't wait to finish, the next one is sitting on my shelf waiting for me as we speak :)<br />
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<b>Three of Your All-Time Favorite Books</b><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0547258305/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0547258305&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">Graceling</a> by Kristen Cashore, Stray by Rachel Vincent, Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling<br />
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<b>Unapologetic Fangirl For</b><br />
YA paranormal/fantasy books, even though I get sh*t from my friends for not reading "grown up" books. Pfft.<br />
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<b>Very Excited for This Release More Than All Others</b><br />
City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare... I always highly anticipate the last book in a series I love because I'm excited to dive back into that world, excited to see how the whole series ends, and also nervously anxious about the fact that a favorite series is coming to an end.<br />
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<b>Worst Bookish Habit</b><br />
OVERBUYING BOOKS. I can never resist a good deal, and my reading can never keep up with my buying/borrowing from the library. </div>
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<b>X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0778314308/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0778314308&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">Oath Bound</a> by Rachel Vincent</div>
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<b><br />Your Last Book Purchase</b><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B55913Q/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00B55913Q&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">Forgive My Fins</a> by Tera Lynn Childs, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416975896/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1416975896&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">Clockwork Prince</a> by Cassandra Clare, & <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008W4A2J0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008W4A2J0&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">Teeth: Vampire Tales</a> by Various Authors<br />
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<b>Zzz Snatcher Book (last book that kept you up late)</b><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1595143106/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1595143106&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">Blood Promise</a> (Vampire Academy #4) by Richelle Mead</div>
Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13609279609715882850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346808572493998057.post-13196349101931611622013-08-15T02:35:00.000-04:002013-08-15T02:35:24.158-04:00Booking Through Thursday - borrowing books from friends<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://btt2.wordpress.com/" style="color: #993366; text-decoration: none;">Booking Through Thursday</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">is a weekly meme </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">in which we answer a question about books or reading.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b><i>This week's question:</i></b></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">
How do you feel about borrowing books from friends? Is this something you like to do? Does it make you feel uncomfortable or rushed while reading? Does it affect how you feel about the book you’re reading, pressured into liking it?</blockquote>
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Well, there are only a few friends I ever borrow books from, and they've never made me feel rushed to give them back..... so much so that after a few months I often wind up returning the book without having read it! My TBR is already pretty huge, so I try not to borrow books from friends unless it's something I'm really anxious to read <i>at that moment,</i> or else I know it'll just sit on my shelf indefinitely. </div>
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I don't think that my friend's opinion of a book pressures or persuades me into liking it, especially considering that my friends typically scoff at the YA titles they see me reading. I'm used to them not liking a lot of the books that I do, so what's one more differing opinion?</div>
Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13609279609715882850noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346808572493998057.post-87068298736326641602013-08-12T16:33:00.001-04:002013-08-12T16:39:37.380-04:00Kisses From Hell Anthology<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1266813433l/7343947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1266813433l/7343947.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<b>Title: </b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0057DA1Y0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0057DA1Y0&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">Kisses From Hell</a><br />
<b>Authors: </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Kristin Cast, Richelle Mead, Kelley Armstrong, Alyson Noel & Francesca Lia Block</span><br />
<b>Format: </b>Paperback, 272 pages.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
From a fugitive vampire forced to trust a boy who might work for the group bent on destroying her to the legendary romance of two immortals whose love compels them to risk everything, this heart-pounding collection brings new meaning to the words "love you forever." Whether you're into romances that are dark and moody or light and fun, these stories will quench that insatiable thirst for enchanting tales of the beautiful undead.</blockquote>
<b>Rating: </b>4 stars <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: 'Menlo Regular'; font-size: 20pt;">★</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: 'Menlo Regular'; font-size: 20pt;">★</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138; font-family: 'Menlo Regular'; font-size: 27px; line-height: 20px;">★</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138; font-family: 'Menlo Regular'; font-size: 27px; line-height: 20px;">★</span><br />
<b>My Thoughts: </b>Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to readers that are fans of these authors, the series these stories tie into, or just vampire stories / anthologies in general.<br />
<b><br /></b><u>"Sunshine" by Richelle Mead:</u> *squeeeeeeee* This was such an adorable love story. It was so heartwarming and entertaining. A story about being forced into a semi-arranged relationship due to social status, but rebelling from expectation and pursuing true love. It fits in with extremely well with the Vampire Academy series (which I am also addicted to), telling readers the story of how Lissa's parents met for the first time.<br />
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<u>"Hunting Kat" by Kelley Armstrong:</u> Loved it. The story and romance was really cute. I liked the premise of the Edison Group and their experiment to create genetically modified vampires, it's something new and intriguing that I've never seen before. Very creative, and the main characters were instantly likeable. I'm not sure how/which series this fits into, but I can't wait to find out! I have some of Armstrong's novels in my TBR pile.<br />
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<u>"Lilith" by Francesca Lia Block:</u> Whoa. This story was <i>much</i> darker and creepier than all the others, to the point that I almost felt like it didn't fit in with the rest of the anthology. It was pretty out there, and at times read a little like erotica/smut, which threw me off a little bit. The ending was really eerie and twilight-zone-esque. It wasn't my favorite story but it was interesting.<br />
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<u>"Bring Me to Life" by Alyson Noel:</u> I didn't think I was going to like this story, because I wasn't really a fan of her Evermore series, which this story is supposed to tie into, but I actually didn't hate it. It was a little cliché, but not a bad story. It reminded me a little bit of Lauren Kate's Fallen, both have aspects of reincarnation and searching for long-lost love, so if you enjoyed that I think you would enjoy this too.<br />
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<u>"Above" by Kristen Cast:</u> I couldn't finish this one due to the avant-garde way it was written. The entire story reads/is formatted like poetry, in a sort of free-form prose (similar to what I've seen in some works by Ellen Hopkins). It just personally wasn't for me; I don't enjoy that style of writing unless I'm reading short poetry.<br />
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<b>Warnings: </b>murder, violence, allusions to sex<br />
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<b>Cover Musings: </b>I think it's pretty and I like it, but it doesn't really represent the vampire theme. To be honest, I thought the stories had a general paranormal theme up until I started reading them and noticed they were *all* about vampires .....then I took a look at the back cover of the book and, of course, the very first line says: "This irresistible collection features <i><b>stories of love amid</b> <b>vampires</b></i> by five of today's hottest authors." Oops, my bad. *facepalm*<br />
<br />Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13609279609715882850noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346808572493998057.post-15187865869123988552013-08-10T01:36:00.000-04:002013-08-10T01:36:00.724-04:00Review: On the Hunt (Paranormal Romance Anthology)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/h447/babblingbookworm/91742839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/h447/babblingbookworm/91742839.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hunt-Gena-Showalter/dp/0451232437?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">On the Hunt</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0451232437" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
<b>Authors: </b>Gena Showalter, Shannon K. Butcher, Jessica Anderson, Deidre Knight<br />
<b>Source: </b>won from contest; ARC 432pages<br />
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A steamy collection of all-new novellas featuring sexy paranormal hunters. With shadowy creatures, intoxicating magic, vividly imagined worlds, and sizzling passion, this is an anthology no fan of paranormal romance will want to miss.</div>
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<b>My Thoughts: </b><br />
<ul>
<li><u>Ever Night by Gena Showalter</u> - 5 stars</li>
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Synopsis: <i>"Rose Pascal is swept into a dark, haunting world every year on her birthday - a world ruled by a warrior king who hunts her kind. Neither of them can deny the passion that soon consumes them both..."</i></div>
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One word: STEAMY! The romance was pretty intense; definitely not an on-your-break-at-work type of read. I loved the concept of Dimension Walkers, and the "dark" world. I would totally read a full novel based on these characters / concepts! Also, Vasili sounds super hot! I would consider getting the book even if just to read this story. </div>
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<li><u>Red Angel by Shannon K. Butcher</u> - 2.5 stars</li>
</ul>
Synopsis: <i>"Jamie Angel, leader of the deadly Nightshades, has tracked every kind of monster and demon that roams the darkness, but none of his experiences can prepare him for falling in love with one of the creatures he's trained to destroy."</i><br />
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Now, this synopsis (from the back cover) is misleading. There is a sort of "forbidden love" in the story, but it's <i>not</i> with a "creature he's trained to destroy" (perhaps the finished copy has a different blurb though). I wasn't a huge fan of this story for two main reasons: </div>
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The first was because there were many mentions of God and what's "proper" [by religious standards] . I didn't enjoy the ample references to religion; it's just not something I feel comfortable reading about, and I also didn't think that it fit well in the story. </div>
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The second thing I didn't like was the slang / colloquial language. It seemed to be a contrived mix of a Southern accent and "hip" words. Examples: "Plus, he's hotter than Sunday pancakes!" "bro" "ya'll" "fixin'", etc. Once again - just not my thing, but you may enjoy those aspects of the story if that's your reading preference. </div>
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<br />
<b><u>General Thoughts:</u></b> The book also contains short excerpts from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Hunt-Sentinel-Shannon-Butcher/dp/0451234294?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Bloodhunt </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0451234294" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />by Shannon K. Butcher and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Storm-Kissed-Novel-Nightkeepers-PROPHECY/dp/0451233751?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Storm Kissed</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0451233751" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> by Jessica Anderson. I LOVE the cover of this book - it's smokin' hot!! I might have to go out and buy a finished copy just to have that sexy shirtless man on my shelf :p<br />
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<b>Warnings: </b>18+ (this is an not in the YA genre); sex<br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(Note: I only finished 2 out of the 4 stories so far but this post has been sitting as a draft for wayyyy too long. Will update with brief reviews of the other stories when I get around to finishing them)</span></i></div>
Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13609279609715882850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346808572493998057.post-58440646336962779182013-08-07T00:05:00.000-04:002013-08-07T00:05:01.966-04:00Stacking the Shelves!<div style="text-align: center;">
Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by <a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/2012/05/staking-shelves-official-launch.html">Tynga's Reviews</a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(Normally Shacking the Shelves is a Saturday meme but I'm still adjusting my blogging schedule with my recent return to The Babbling Bookworm!)</span></div>
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Books Mentioned:</div>
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<li style="text-align: left;">From the Library:</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062001825/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0062001825&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">Sweet Venom</a> by Tera Lynn Childs</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142421715/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0142421715&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">Crossed</a> by Ally Condie</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">From PaperBackSwap:</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425269507/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0425269507&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">What Teachers Make</a> by Taylor Mali</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0057DA1Y0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0057DA1Y0&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">Kisses From Hell</a> by Kristin Cast, Richelle Mead, Kelley Armstrong & Alyson Noel <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">** (As I was typing this post I noticed this is a bargain book on Amazon, only $4.00 and free two day shipping with Amazon Prime.. quite a deal!) **</span></li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">Purchased on Amazon:</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416975896/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1416975896&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">Clockwork Prince</a> by Cassandra Clare</li>
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This week I also posed a question for my fellow readers:<br />
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<b><i>Do you read multiple books simultaneously? </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Or do you prefer to read/finish one book at a time?</i></b></div>
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Let me know in the comments, I'm really curious :) Happy Reading! </div>
Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13609279609715882850noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346808572493998057.post-70948271302147265342013-08-05T18:42:00.000-04:002013-08-05T18:42:57.239-04:00As They Slip Away by Beth Revis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bethrevis.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/astheyslipaway-198x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.bethrevis.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/astheyslipaway-198x300.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<b>Title: </b>As They Slip Away (Across the Universe #0.5)<br />
<b>Author: </b>Beth Revis<br />
<b>Source: </b>Free <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/119788927/As-They-Slip-Away">HERE</a>; 48 pages<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
This novella is the story of the girl Amy meets in the rabbits fields in Across the Universe, and who is murdered in A Million Suns. The novella explores the backgrounds of this character, a singer named Selene, and several other background characters of the novels, including Harley, Kayleigh, Bartie, Victria, and Orion…and, of course, Luthe.</blockquote>
<b>My Rating: </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">5 stars </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: 'Menlo Regular'; font-size: 20pt;">★★★★★</span></span><br />
<b>My Thoughts: </b>woooooooo boy. This is some heavy stuff. Yet, that being said, it is also an extremely well written novella... captivating in a tragically beautiful way. In terms of plot, I think the description Beth Revis provides on her website (quoted above) tells more than enough. If I were to add any more details I think it'd spoil the story for other potential readers.<br />
<br />
Although this is technically considered "book zero" or "book #0.5" in the series, I would <b>definitely</b> recommend reading this <b>after</b> having read one of the full novels. I read it after finishing Book #2: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1595145370/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1595145370&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">A Million Suns</a>, and I think that timing is perfect since readers have then already been introduced to the protagonist of this novella (as well as other characters highlighted in the short story), so <i>As They Slip Away</i> reads like a retrospective look on the girl's life through her first-person point of view.<br />
<br />
I personally always love novellas that give new insight to background characters, and this was no exception. In my mind, it helps expand the fictional world the author has created for me, showing me how this world isn't only real for the protagonists I encounter in the full novels, but also real for the seemingly insignificant characters too. It's also always interesting to see the same events pan out through different perspectives and viewpoints. I wholeheartedly recommend this to fans of the Across the Universe Trilogy, though it is quite a sad story, so approach with caution.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>Warnings:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></b>abuse, murder, rape<b><br /></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b>Related Reviews: </b><a href="http://babblingbookworm.blogspot.com/2013/08/across-universe-by-beth-revis.html">Across the Universe</a> by Beth Revis</span>Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13609279609715882850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346808572493998057.post-32839716081132615792013-08-04T19:08:00.000-04:002013-08-05T18:14:20.282-04:00Across the Universe by Beth Revis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vAy9o70iHUw/TMhT7ccyMRI/AAAAAAAABd0/I4e9LBK5XgE/s1600/60969_157502814273677_149253628431929_394663_3366658_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vAy9o70iHUw/TMhT7ccyMRI/AAAAAAAABd0/I4e9LBK5XgE/s200/60969_157502814273677_149253628431929_394663_3366658_n.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1595143971/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1595143971&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">Across the Universe</a><br />
<b>Author:</b> Beth Revis<br />
<b>Source: </b>Purchased; Hardcover 398 pages<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SURVIVE ABOARD A SPACESHIP FUELED BY LIES?<br />
<br />
Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the spaceship <i>Godspeed</i>.
She has left her boyfriend, friends--and planet--behind to join her
parents as a member of Project Ark Ship. Amy and her parents believe
they will wake on a new planet, Centauri-Earth, three hundred years in
the future. But fifty years before <i>Godspeed</i>'s scheduled landing, cryo chamber 42 is mysteriously unplugged, and Amy is violently woken from her frozen slumber.<br />
<br />
Someone tried to murder her.<br />
<br />
Now, Amy is caught inside an enclosed world where nothing makes sense.<i> Godspeed</i>'s
2,312 passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and
frightening leader. And Elder, Eldest's rebellious teenage heir, is
both fascinated with Amy and eager to discover whether he has what it
takes to lead.<br />
<br />
Amy desperately wants to trust Elder. But should
she put her faith in a boy who has never seen life outside the ship's
cold metal walls? All Amy knows is that she and Elder must race to
unlock <i>Godspeed</i>'s hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again.</blockquote>
<b>My Rating: </b>5 stars (favorite!) <span style="color: #e69138; font-family: "Menlo Regular"; font-size: 20pt;">★★★★★ </span>& <span style="color: #943634; font-family: "Menlo Regular"; font-size: 20pt;">♥</span><br />
<b>My Thoughts: </b>THIS BOOK WAS SO FREXING GOOD! <b></b><br />
I'm just sitting here all asdgkhjlldfjkj. I can't believe I waited so long to read this! There were just so many aspects of the book that I enjoyed. <br />
<br />
I didn't realize that this was a dystopian novel (I thought it purely Sci-Fi), but I was very pleasantly surprised. The dystopian features are so perfectly woven into the futuristic world aboard the Godspeed. It was very reminiscent of Matched by Allyson Condie, but with a Star Trek twist.<br />
<br />
The author also does a wonderful job of contrasting the characters born into this new era with Amy, a girl from our contemporary time. Amy's accent, physical appearance and way of thinking are so starkly different from those currently living on the Godspeed, which I found to be very interesting. The use of a two person narrative (Elder and Amy) really helped elucidate these differences even more for the reader. I'm not always a fan of books with multiple narrators, but I think it worked really well here.<br />
<br />
Revis also makes a lot of historical references, such as the Civil War, which I loved. Not only did these references help highlight the differences in characters' perception, as I mentioned before, but they also made the book more relatable to me as a reader. My knowledge of these events made me feel like I was a character, like I could be Amy or some other Sol-Earth human in this new world.<br />
<br />
I also enjoyed the many unique characters in the book, all of which were developed fairly well. I found myself getting attached to certain characters, rooting for the success of some and the demise of others. Especially with the murder mystery type plotline, you get sucked in trying to figure out "whodunnit?". <br />
<br />
This is that type of book that gives you a twinge of sadness when you get to the last page because you don't want the story to be over so soon. I can't wait to read the next book in the series! I would definitely recommend this to lovers of science fiction and/or dystopia.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Warnings: </b>sex, murder<b></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Cover Musings: </b>I quite enjoy the cover. Having the stars in the background fits really well with the recurring image of the stars in the story. It's also reversible, which is really cool! The flipside shows a map of the Godspeed ship. <br />
<br />
<b>Next in Series: </b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/159514398X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=159514398X&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">A Million Suns</a><b></b><br />
<b>If you like this you might also like:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/014241977X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=014241977X&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">Matched</a> by Ally Condie Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13609279609715882850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346808572493998057.post-41324915551399206562012-11-04T13:59:00.002-05:002012-11-04T15:44:03.024-05:00In My Mailbox - Hurricane Sandy Edition<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1345320584l/13157446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1345320584l/13157446.jpg" width="124" /></a>In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi of <a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/">The Story Siren</a> for us bloggers to show off what new books we received this week :)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/171860000/171860704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/171860000/171860704.JPG" width="132" /></a>This week I got two books:<br />
<ul>
<li><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/039925613X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=039925613X&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">Rift</a> by Andrea Cremer (from the library) - I've already finished this! 'Twas very good; I'm hoping to get a review up soon. </blockquote>
</li>
<li><blockquote>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062211102/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0062211102&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">I Am Number Four: The Lost Files: The Legacies</a> by Pittacus Lore (purchased) - After finishing <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061974587/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061974587&linkCode=as2&tag=thebabbbook-20">The Rise of Nine</a>, I needed this ASAP! It's all the smaller e-book novellas together in paperback. </blockquote>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
I'd also just like to take a second to talk about Hurricane Sandy, a terrible storm that shook up the Tri-State Area this past week. I live in <a href="http://tv.msnbc.com/2012/11/02/new-york-citys-staten-island-one-of-the-hardest-hit-areas-after-sandy/">Staten Island</a>, New York and luckily my family and house weathered the storm unscathed, but there were so many other families who were not so lucky. Several <a href="http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/10/hurricane_sandy_complete_round.html#incart_m-rpt-1">Staten Island neighborhoods</a>, mainly those by the water, were <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/photos-of-hurricane-sandys-destruction-of-staten">completely destroyed</a>. Several of my friends are now essentially homeless; many more families still do not have electricity or heat restored to their homes. It is sad to say, but we've barely seen help from FEMA and Red Cross. Thankfully our community has <a href="http://photos.silive.com/silivecom_photo_essays/2012/11/staten_island_amidst_destructi.html">come together in amazing ways</a>, with countless families such as my own <a href="http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/11/for_runners_helping_sandy_vict.html#incart_m-rpt-1">volunteering</a> our time and donating essential items (blankets, clothing, food, bottled water, toiletries) to those who lost everything.<br />
<br />
(PS: clinking on any of the links in the above paragraph leads to relevant news articles with photos) <br />
<br />
That being said, we still need more help. If you live in one of the areas affected by the hurricane, you can check your local news for areas accepting donations. If you live far away, but would still like to help, I am providing links to relief funds being raised by people I know to be used here on Staten Island. I am also providing a link to Red Cross and AmeriCares if you prefer to donate there, although I honestly believe it would be more fruitful to donate to one of the local funds. Every dollar helps! Thank you so much :)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.wepay.com/donations/hurricane-sandy-help-staten-island">Hurricane Sandy Relief: Giving Back From Far Away</a> - this fund was started by New Yorkers who are currently away at college and cannot come home to personally help with the recovery efforts<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youcaring.com/fundraiser_details?url=helpstatenislandhurricanesandyrelieffund&fundraiser_id=13061&fb_action_ids=10152242555765051&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582">Help Staten Island - Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund</a> - this fund was established by one of my former high school classmates; there is more information on exactly where this money will be donated on the link page<br />
<br />
<a href="https://secure.americares.org/site/Donation2?df_id=11784&11784.donation=form1&gclid=CNCwotj9tbMCFREx4AodL2gA5A">AmeriCares Disaster Relief Fund</a> /// <a href="https://www.redcross.org/donate/index.jsp?donateStep=2&itemId=prod10002">American Red Cross - Disaster Relief</a><br />
<br />
<br />Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13609279609715882850noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346808572493998057.post-25420848288708615172012-06-04T14:39:00.000-04:002012-06-04T14:39:00.542-04:00Rampant by Diana Peterfreund<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/h447/babblingbookworm/62524637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/h447/babblingbookworm/62524637.jpg" width="137" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rampant-Diana-Peterfreund/dp/0061490040?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Rampant</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0061490040" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
<b>Author:</b> Diana Peterfreund<br />
<b>Source: </b>Library; Hardcover 416 pages<br />
<blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Forget everything you ever knew about unicorns . . .<br />
Real unicorns are venomous, man-eating monsters with huge fangs and razor-sharp horns. Fortunately, they've been extinct for a hundred and fifty years.<br />
Or not.<br />
Astrid had always scoffed at her eccentric mother's stories about killer unicorns. But when one of the monsters attacks her boyfriend—thereby ruining any chance of him taking her to the prom—Astrid finds herself headed to Rome to train as a unicorn hunter at the ancient cloisters the hunters have used for centuries.</div>
However, at the cloisters all is not what it seems. Outside, the unicorns wait to attack. And within, Astrid faces other, unexpected threats: from the crumbling, bone-covered walls that vibrate with a terrible power to the hidden agendas of her fellow hunters to—perhaps most dangerously of all—her growing attraction to a handsome art student . . . an attraction that could jeopardize everything.</blockquote>
<b>My Rating:</b> 4.5 stars <span style="color: #e69138; font-family: "Menlo Regular"; font-size: 20pt;">★★</span><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: "Menlo Regular"; font-size: 20pt;">★</span><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: "Menlo Regular"; font-size: 20pt;">★</span><span style="color: #e69138; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Menlo Regular";">1/2</span></span><br />
<b>My Thoughts (mini-review):</b><br />
After reading Peterfreund's short story, "Errant", in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0762439491/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebabbbook-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0762439491">Kiss Me Deadly</a> anthology, I knew I wanted to read more about these "killer unicorns". One often thinks of unicorns as majestic, good-natured animals, but that is certainly not the case in Peterfreund's series. Contrarily, the unicorns in her world are blood-thirsty, violent beasts. It was really refreshing to see a new approach on a topic (unicorns) that isn't played out; this was actually the first book I've read that deals with unicorns as a major plot point. In addition to Peterfreund's avant-garde definition of unicorns, she employs lots vivid descriptions to bring these creatures to life in the reader's mind with astonishing clarity.<br />
<br />
As far as the actual plot line goes, I found the story to be enjoyable. The story takes medieval aspects, such as the idea of unicorns and woman unicorn-hunters, and places them in a contemporary setting. With Astrid and her comrades we also get to see plenty of kick-butt heroines and fighting action scenes, which I always like. Overall, I would recommend the book; it's an interesting read.<b><br /></b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>Warnings: </b>mild profanity, rape <b><br /></b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>Cover Musings:</b> This cover has quite a lot of details, such as the unicorn in the reflection of the sword. I kept noticing new things with each glance. Really cool!<br />
<br />
<b>Next in Series:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061490059/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebabbbook-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061490059">Ascendant </a><br />
<br />Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13609279609715882850noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346808572493998057.post-29443202272165596262012-06-03T14:48:00.000-04:002013-08-06T23:57:46.859-04:00Black Dagger Brotherhood Books 1&2<div style="text-align: justify;">
I've recently started reading the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Black-Dagger-Brotherhood-boxed-set/dp/0451947630?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Black Dagger Brotherhood Series</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0451947630" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> by J.R. Ward. Instead of doing a separate review for each book, I decided I'd do a group post with mini reviews for the both of them.</div>
<blockquote>
<i>"In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race" </i></blockquote>
Each book in the series highlights one main character, a member of the Brotherhood...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Lover-Black-Dagger-Brotherhood/dp/0451216954?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 1)" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0451216954&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a> <b>Title:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Lover-Black-Dagger-Brotherhood/dp/0451216954?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Dark Lover</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0451216954" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> (Black Dagger Brotherhood #1) <br />
<b>Source:</b> Purchased; paperback 416 pages<br />
<b>Challenges:</b> <a href="http://babblingbookworm.blogspot.com/2011/01/vampires-and-shifters-reading.html">Vampires</a>; <a href="http://babblingbookworm.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-progress-2011-blogger-recommendation.html">2011 Blogger Recommendation</a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<blockquote>
The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed-leaving his half-breed daughter unaware of his existence or her fate-Wrath must usher her into the world of the undead-a world of sensuality beyond her wildest dreams. </blockquote>
</div>
<b>My Rating:</b> 4 stars <span style="color: #e69138; font-family: "Menlo Regular"; font-size: 20pt;">★</span><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: "Menlo Regular"; font-size: 20pt;">★</span><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: "Menlo Regular"; font-size: 20pt;"></span><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: "Menlo Regular"; font-size: 20pt;">★</span><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: "Menlo Regular"; font-size: 20pt;">★</span><br />
<b>My Thoughts: </b>Let me start off my saying these vampires are <i>nothing </i>like those of the Twilight Saga. Ward creates a interesting world that stands out from its competition thanks to details such as the Brotherhood, the Lessening Society, and The Scribe Virgin.<br />
<br />
I liked this book, but I just didn't <i>love</i> it. As far as paranormal romance goes, I thought it was definitely worth the read. The plot line is intense, and super interesting, and the Brothers are just drool-worthy. The one thing that tended to bother me was the spelling of the Brothers' names: Phury, Rhage, Tohrment, Vishous, etc...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lover-Eternal-Black-Dagger-Brotherhood/dp/0451218043?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0451218043&tag=widgetsamazon-20" /></a><b>Title:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lover-Eternal-Black-Dagger-Brotherhood/dp/0451218043?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Lover Eternal</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0451218043" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> (Black Dagger Brotherhood #2) <br />
<b>Source:</b> Purchased; paperback 464 pages<br />
<b>Challenges:</b> <a href="http://babblingbookworm.blogspot.com/2011/01/vampires-and-shifters-reading.html">Vampires</a><br />
<blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Within the brotherhood, Rhage is the vampire with the strongest appetite. He's the best fighter, the quickest to act on his impulses, and the most voracious lover-for inside him burns a ferocious curse cast by the Scribe Virgin. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Possessed by this dark side, Rhage fears the times when his inner dragon is unleashed, making him a danger to everyone around him. When Mary Luce is unwittingly thrown into the vampire world, she must rely on Rhage's protection. Knowing that Mary feels the same intense animal attraction, Rhage must make her his alone... </div>
</blockquote>
<b>My Rating:</b> 4 stars <span style="color: #e69138; font-family: "Menlo Regular"; font-size: 20pt;">★</span><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: "Menlo Regular"; font-size: 20pt;">★</span><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: "Menlo Regular"; font-size: 20pt;"></span><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: "Menlo Regular"; font-size: 20pt;">★</span><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: "Menlo Regular"; font-size: 20pt;">★</span><br />
<b>My Thoughts:</b> I enjoyed this second book exponentially more than the first book. I absolutely loved Mary and Rhage's character development and quickly found myself rooting for them to end up happily together! It was extremely interesting to learn all the details of Rhage's "inner dragon" that we only get a glimpse of in Dark Lover. I would definitely recommend this serious to lovers of PR, and I definitely see what all the hype is about now! <br />
<br />
<b>Warnings:</b> adult books; mature content: sex & violence<br />
<br />
<b>Cover Musings:</b> I don't think the covers are <i>ah-mazing</i>, but I like the monochromatic color scheme on each cover and the fact that they all go together well as a series <br />
<br />
<b>Next in Series:</b> <a href="http://babblingbookworm.blogspot.com/2011/09/lover-awakened-by-jr-ward.html">Lover Awakened<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=widgetsamazon-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000Q9J0M4" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></a>Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13609279609715882850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346808572493998057.post-43009116091059991512012-02-22T13:04:00.001-05:002012-02-22T13:04:30.239-05:00A poem I wrote for my Italian class...Tu ricordi<br />
Le cose che mi hai detto?<br />
<br />
Il modo in cui mi hai fatto sentire...<br />
Il modo in cui ti ho fatto sentire<br />
<br />
Tu ricordi<br />
Quando tu e io eravamo noi?<br />
<br />
Ricordo io<br />
Il modo in cui tu sorridevi a me<br />
<br />
Il brillo negli occhi tuoi<br />
Quando mi vedevi.<br />
Il suono della risata tua.<br />
<br />
Tu ricordi<br />
La tranquillità<br />
Di essere in una stanza insieme?<br />
Senza fare niente insieme,<br />
Solo condividere lo stesso spazio.<br />
Semplice, comodo, istintivo.<br />
<br />
Come posso essere tale sconosciuta a te?<br />
Come se non riconosci il mio viso<br />
Come se non sai niente di me.<br />
<br />
Ma tu mi conosci,<br />
Tu sai così tanto di me.<br />
<br />
Come io so così tanto di te.<br />
Così tante piccole complessità<br />
Penseresti che io avessi dimenticato,<br />
Ma io ricordo ciascuna di esse.Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13609279609715882850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346808572493998057.post-24447331860320955262011-10-24T20:17:00.002-04:002011-10-24T20:17:39.712-04:00To Know What Love IsI don't know why<br />
it happened. <br />
I don't know when<br />
it happened.<br />
<br />
But it did.<br />
<br />
So here I am:<br />
Bereft.<br />
Void. <br />
Confused.<br />
Broken.<br />
<br />
Wondering<br />
what now?<br />
<br />
Remembering<br />
the way you used to look at me, <br />
a look I haven't seen in weeks.<br />
<br />
The way you used to hold me at night:<br />
possessive,tender, connected.<br />
Now we lie as two separate entities<br />
confined to one space.<br />
<br />
Crying.<br />
Tears streaming down my face.<br />
Knowing I can't change the present<br />
but still wanting to relive the past,<br />
the happy days.<br />
<br />
So where is my best friend now?<br />
<br />
He does not exist.<br />
<br />
Somewhere along the progression of time <br />
he died.<br />
Reborn, this infant a complete stranger to me. <br />
<br />
To know what love is<br />
is also to know what love is not<br />
<br />
And this,<br />
this is not love.<br />
Not anymore.Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13609279609715882850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346808572493998057.post-56977411609951570692011-10-07T00:15:00.000-04:002011-10-07T00:15:08.386-04:00RAK Thank You Post<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://booksoulmates.blogspot.com/2011/09/random-act-of-kindness-september-sign.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Book Soulmates " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-3TpQ5rY8PverpaCxXU5aWWhZOfTRhym_XoybF54bmNL_L9f3HeRuRgI2Lirc2GqjjKFB4gPOaUDs5FGCPbNuTuYlfsujS_qgfXvTpl8UYoLmtVlWyuHTcoUQHUk_TuMV0DcZrdaBIxU/s1600/RAK+button+FINAL1.jpg" title="Book Soulmates " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Two people sent me books last month through the Random Acts of Kindness program hosted by <a href="http://booksoulmates.blogspot.com/">Book Soulmates</a>, so this post is my thank you to them :)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgoqACNDr_ezkH4NjjXocu76Q5VmEFKivGuhDmeW3a6BKeqyWZ-W7s7Zh2CwnWyLLiSsJA4pSkjzVHRI_UipmDGF0BgfwVlvrrPl66LNEZu-idA9_5WgRlNdy_B2WqLwMISAIdBJYcNY/s1600/Photo+on+2011-10-06+at+23.33+%25232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgoqACNDr_ezkH4NjjXocu76Q5VmEFKivGuhDmeW3a6BKeqyWZ-W7s7Zh2CwnWyLLiSsJA4pSkjzVHRI_UipmDGF0BgfwVlvrrPl66LNEZu-idA9_5WgRlNdy_B2WqLwMISAIdBJYcNY/s320/Photo+on+2011-10-06+at+23.33+%25232.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Emily from <a href="http://redhousebooks.blogspot.com/">Red House Books</a> sent me a copy of Born at Midnight by C. C. Hunter. (up there ^) That's a picture of it keeping me company at work!<br />
<br />
Laura from <a href="http://allofeverythingforyou.blogspot.com/">All of Everything</a> also told me she was sending me a book, but she decided to keep it a surprise therefore I don't know which book it is since it hasn't arrived yet. I can't wait to find out; I love surprises! :)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>To both Emily and Laura, once again: Thank You!!!</i></div>Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13609279609715882850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346808572493998057.post-75566389539467764892011-10-02T01:16:00.001-04:002011-10-02T01:17:19.486-04:00In My Mailbox & Giveaway Winner!<div style="text-align: center;">In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi of <a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/">The Story Siren</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Hi guys! I got a few books this week, thanks to the sale rack at Strand and the library :)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwn_qAC39iklALzx6crehwOIltoYndLL52wxelE8H52iRsf03d_ggACeK4WgFH5Otgrb701_pY2F1759LVZXZHoqVAd6pPZQgXL35ulFUduzNF47X_MQS6-Ql6eq13zC0648mYqdxmhI/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-10-02+at+1.07.31+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwn_qAC39iklALzx6crehwOIltoYndLL52wxelE8H52iRsf03d_ggACeK4WgFH5Otgrb701_pY2F1759LVZXZHoqVAd6pPZQgXL35ulFUduzNF47X_MQS6-Ql6eq13zC0648mYqdxmhI/s400/Screen+shot+2011-10-02+at+1.07.31+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><ul><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345419626/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebabbbook-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0345419626">Queen of the Damned</a> by Anne Rice</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316069043/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebabbbook-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0316069043">The Drowning City</a> by Amanda Downum</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316134023/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebabbbook-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=0316134023">The Daughter of Smoke and Bone</a> by Laini Taylor</li>
<li>La Nostra Guerra 1940-1945 by Arrigo Petacco</li>
</ul><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And the Winner of Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent is... </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Entry #112: Mariee</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The winner had been contacted via Twitter and email. If she does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen.<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div>Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13609279609715882850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346808572493998057.post-63388733337575433302011-09-21T22:22:00.002-04:002011-09-22T01:04:16.438-04:00Giveaway: Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent<div style="text-align: center;">I loved Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent <i>so much</i> that I decided to gift a copy to one lucky reader!! </div><br />
Here's the blurb:<br />
<blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/113870000/113875171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/113870000/113875171.JPG" /></a><i>By blood, by word, by magic…</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Most can't touch the power. But Liv Warren is special— a paranormal tracker who follows the scent of blood.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Liv makes her own rules, and the most important one is trust no one.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> But when her friend's daughter goes missing, Liv has no choice but to find the girl. Thanks to a childhood oath, Liv can't rest until the child is home safe. But that means trusting Cam Caballero, the former lover forbidden to her.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Bound by oath and lost in desire for a man she cannot have, Liv is racing to save the child from a dark criminal underworld where secrets, lies, trauma and danger lurk around every corner…every touch…every kiss.</div><div style="text-align: center;">And more blood will be spilled before it's over… </div></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Read my review: <a href="http://babblingbookworm.blogspot.com/2011/09/blood-bound-by-rachel-vincent.html">HERE</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><script id="rafl-script" type="text/javascript">
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<br />
<i>Also just a quick question (for my curiosity): To those of you who have read the book already, which Skill would you most like to have? [Traveler, Seer, Jammer, Blinder, Binder, Tracker, Reader, etc...]</i>Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13609279609715882850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346808572493998057.post-6046419922603718942011-09-21T22:13:00.001-04:002013-08-06T23:57:58.409-04:00Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/113870000/113875171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/113870000/113875171.JPG" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0778312550/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebabbbook-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=0778312550">Blood Bound</a> (Unbound #1)<br />
<b>Author:</b> Rachel Vincent<br />
<b>Source:</b> Purchased; Ebook 329 pages<br />
<blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>By blood, by word, by magic…</i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Most can't touch the power. But Liv Warren is special— a paranormal tracker who follows the scent of blood.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Liv makes her own rules, and the most important one is trust no one.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But when her friend's daughter goes missing, Liv has no choice but to find the girl. Thanks to a childhood oath, Liv can't rest until the child is home safe. But that means trusting Cam Caballero, the former lover forbidden to her.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Bound by oath and lost in desire for a man she cannot have, Liv is racing to save the child from a dark criminal underworld where secrets, lies, trauma and danger lurk around every corner…every touch…every kiss.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And more blood will be spilled before it's over… </div>
</blockquote>
<b>My Rating:</b> 5 stars <span style="color: #e69138; font-family: "Menlo Regular"; font-size: 20pt;">★</span><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: "Menlo Regular"; font-size: 20pt;">★</span><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: "Menlo Regular"; font-size: 20pt;">★</span><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: "Menlo Regular"; font-size: 20pt;">★</span><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: "Menlo Regular"; font-size: 20pt;">★</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>My Thoughts: </b> <style>
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-->Yet another fabulous novel by Rachel Vincent, as well as an extremely promising start to a new series! The "Skilled" world Vincent creates in her new series, Unbound, is completely different than anything else I've ever read. In this fresh addition to the urban fantasy genre, some people have the ability to see the future, travel through shadows, track someone based on only a name or blood sample, or always know whether or not someone is lying to them. These are just a few of the dozen or so Skills a person may be lucky (or unlucky) enough to have. In a addition to that, all it takes is an oath and a drop of blood to create a bond so strong that one could die trying to break it – tattoos are no longer just aesthetic, but instead are the grim markings of a person’s pledge to another. <br />
How does Vincent come up with stuff like this? It’s brilliant, and once again I must commend the ever-astonishing creativity of authors. I was instantly wrapped up in the story, which besides being totally unique, was jam packed with twists, turns, action, and suspense (as per usual with Vincent’s adult novels). This was one of those gripping stories that keeps you awake until four or five in the morning until you finish the book because you simply cannot put it down [I’m speaking from experience here, hehe *sly smile*]. I give Blood Bound an A+ for originality and plotline. <br />
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<span style="font-family: Times;">I also give Blood Bound an A+ for characters and character development. Liv Warren is a total kick-butt chick (very reminiscent of Faythe Sanders, for those of you who have read Vincent’s other adult series, <a href="http://babblingbookworm.blogspot.com/2011/01/shifters-series-by-rachel-vincent.html">Shifters</a>), Cam Caballero is an adorably sexy drool-worthy dreamboat, Ruben Cavazos is one of those villains that you just <i>loveee</i> to hate, as well as many other interesting less prominent characters – the list goes on and on. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times;">The only aspect of Blood Bound that wasn’t a home run was the alternating POV narration. While it was definitely necessary to have both Liv and Cam as narrators –many details were contingent upon the fact that one character knew something that the other one didn’t- the writing just didn’t flow seamlessly. I often found myself reading the first paragraph or two of a new chapter, getting confused, and then reading the same paragraphs over again realizing that the POV had switched to the other character. Hopefully this is something that will be smoother in Shadow Bound, the next installment of the series. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times;"> </span>*<i>Check back tomorrow for a giveaway - </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>a chance to win your own copy of Blood Bound!*</i></div>
<br />
<b>Cover Musings:</b> I really like this cover, especially the interlocking rings in the title (which ties into the story). However, I think I prefer the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaX0LlLyT6qZHh_aevqdPcGUvxoREdVKphBZcysrMAhW7yMpX1MCl9Uu3kY9cLW7Q7zEQDqiovEmnA7fEG91uKu9TYSe_9ba0RvxCa25DnPRlY0AMXQIUaj42fyTAjCR_rBulBI-TbpbE/s1600/BLOOD_BOUND+UK.jpg">UK Cover </a><br />
<br />
<b>Warnings:</b> adult (not YA); lots of violence & profanity; some sex<br />
<br />
<b>Next in Series:</b> Shadow Bound<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Menlo Regular"; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Books Like This: </b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0778329070/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebabbbook-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0778329070">Stray</a> by Rachel Vincent; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0441019277/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebabbbook-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0441019277">Moon Called </a>by Patricia Briggs<b><br />
</b></span></div>
<br />
<i>Also just a quick question (for my curiosity): To those of you who have read the book already, which Skill would you most like to have? [Traveler, Seer, Jammer, Blinder, Binder, Tracker, Reader, etc...]</i>Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13609279609715882850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346808572493998057.post-8590232681609619122011-09-20T00:15:00.000-04:002011-09-20T00:15:00.617-04:00Teaser Tuesday #10Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of <a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/">Should Be Reading</a>. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: <br />
<br />
<ul><li>Grab your current read </li>
<li>Open to a random page </li>
<li>Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page</li>
<li><b>BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!</b> (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) </li>
<li>Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!</li>
</ul><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i> </i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "Menlo Regular";">✦✧</span><span style="font-family: "Menlo Regular";">✦✧</span><span style="font-family: "Menlo Regular";">✦✧</span><span style="font-family: "Menlo Regular";">✦✧</span><span style="font-family: "Menlo Regular";">✦✧</span><span style="font-family: "Menlo Regular";">✦✧</span><span style="font-family: "Menlo Regular";">✦✧</span><span style="font-family: "Menlo Regular";">✦✧</span><span style="font-family: "Menlo Regular";">✦✧</span><span style="font-family: "Menlo Regular";">✦✧</span><span style="font-family: "Menlo Regular";">✦✧</span><span style="font-family: "Menlo Regular";">✦✧</span><span style="font-family: "Menlo Regular";">✦✧</span><span style="font-family: "Menlo Regular";">✦✧</span><span style="font-family: "Menlo Regular";">✦</span></span></div><a href="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/101200000/101209545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/101200000/101209545.JPG" width="133" /></a><b>Title:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1442412321/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebabbbook-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1442412321">The Poison Eaters and Other Stories</a><br />
<b>Author:</b> Holly Black<br />
<blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;">"It took eighty-eight days for the venom to sweat out a person's pores. She had only thirty-seven to go. Thirty-seven days to stay so drunk that she could ignore the buzz in her head that made her want to bite, rend, devour."</div><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">-from <i>The Coldest Girl in Coldtown</i></div></blockquote>Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13609279609715882850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346808572493998057.post-82695571983447521242011-09-17T11:03:00.001-04:002011-09-17T11:04:24.062-04:00In My Mailbox - Sick Edition<div style="text-align: center;">In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi of <a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/">The Story Siren</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hi guys!! I totally recorded a vlog yesterday this week's IMM, but I'm running a fever and too tired to edit/upload it. So I'm gonna do this the old fashioned way! I got three books this week, all borrowed from the library (since all my TBR books are at home and I'm at my dorm and I haven't had a chance to bring any here yet).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8nlhQPQ4O9s2BQlkMQNjSeTU-LiivFC8WqOntqJo4iVJHGsBFxzQwmc-eg7ERs65Vf0LYQZ9hGXQEKqb2jB2OTB148cRjuUXxDv4pGmWo_8QNo6zJA_wYvSzSza1eC-_RWZwbDfsNDk/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-09-17+at+10.56.10+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8nlhQPQ4O9s2BQlkMQNjSeTU-LiivFC8WqOntqJo4iVJHGsBFxzQwmc-eg7ERs65Vf0LYQZ9hGXQEKqb2jB2OTB148cRjuUXxDv4pGmWo_8QNo6zJA_wYvSzSza1eC-_RWZwbDfsNDk/s400/Screen+shot+2011-09-17+at+10.56.10+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><ul><li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1442412321/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebabbbook-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1442412321">The Poison Eaters and Other Stories</a> by Holly Black</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0545259088/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebabbbook-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0545259088">Forever</a> by Maggie Stiefvater</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/038573915X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebabbbook-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=038573915X">Torment</a> by Lauren Kate</span></li>
</ul>Alyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13609279609715882850noreply@blogger.com0