tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59011735389487424482024-03-19T04:11:04.233+00:00The Honest BookclubBook obsession, book reviews and general bookaholism in a tiny, blog-sized package.The Honest Bookclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11459426023919815702noreply@blogger.comBlogger380125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901173538948742448.post-47140654008384582652019-06-29T20:32:00.002+01:002019-06-29T20:32:59.286+01:00Guess who's back?<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Hello friends! </span> I have exciting news - I'm no longer a student which means the blog is now alive! I finished studying towards my degree in English Literature and that means my time is now filled with reading and blogging. I'm incredibly excited to continue talking books with you all!<br />
We also want to apologise for the lack of posts lately and reassure you that it will continue to be updated. Many exciting things are coming so stay tuned! And the blog is still in the process of getting a refurb so don't worry if things look a bit off :)<br />
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Another note, it will be just me (Natalie) posting as Lexie is a very busy girl, but you never know, she may pop up from time to time if she can. But for now, you're stuck with me!<br />
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I hope you're all well and don't hesitate to comment on anything you want to see on the blog.<br />
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<br />The Honest Bookclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11459426023919815702noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901173538948742448.post-51641601198063084332017-07-22T00:50:00.003+01:002017-07-22T00:50:20.988+01:00BOOK REVIEW: THE UNEXPECTED EVERYTHING BY MORGAN MATSON<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></i></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;">Andie had it all planned out. When you are a politician’s daughter who’s pretty much raised yourself, you learn everything can be planned or spun, or both. Especially your future. Important internship? Check. Amazing friends? Check. Guys? Check (as long as we’re talking no more than three weeks).</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;">But that was before the scandal. Before having to be in the same house with her dad. Before walking an insane number of dogs. That was before Clark and those few months that might change her whole life. Because here’s the thing—if everything’s planned out, you can never find the unexpected. And where’s the fun in that?</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm always thrilled to see that there's another Morgan Matson book that's been published! I've still yet to read '<i>Since You've Been Gone</i>' but that's definitely on the list to read next. I do, however, worry about whether it's going to keep me entertained. Why, you ask? It's as big as this book.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm all for cutesy books like this, but not at 500 pages long! I did manage to finish though, wading through all the teenage drama and really cute family/friendship/relationship adorable-ness, but it was worth it. I'm glad I stuck through it, as Matson gave us a really sweet take on what was important in life.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Love, family, friends, and doing what makes you happy. Living for the moment. Reaching for your dream! It's all very inspiring and the right book to get me out of my reading slump. (I swear I've had about 6 in the past year, what is wrong with me?)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;">Another great thing about this book? <b>DOGS</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Our protagonist becomes a dog walker - hence the book cover - when her plans fall through for the summer. This leads to relationships, both with humans and pups, friendships and many fluffy adventures. It's what EVERYONE needs in their life, am I right? It definitely made me want to be a dog walker, it sounds like a lot of fun. Also, did I mention </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;">dogs</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;">?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;">Andie was a nice protagonist to read about, she was kind, hardworking and determined. I loved reading about her friendships with her friends, it brings me back to the old days when I was their age (now I feel old).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;">I found that their friendships were a huge part of this book, realistic and a lot of fun to read! The ending surprised me, but you'll see when you read it. It's definitely a book about friendship, in my opinion, and we always need those because friends are hugely important.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So, further into the book, Andie meets Clark. He's this nerdy fantasy novelist who is only about 19 and just plain adorkable (and smooth asf at times!). I'm all for a teenage author! Their relationship was very sweet so I was more than happy to read about their little adventures together. Ah, young love! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">She also has a rocky relationship with her father, but when a scandal hits them, he has to have some time off from his work in politics. Cue the father-daughter-bonding sessions! As someone who is also amending their relationship with their father, this was very nice to read about. Although my dad won't ever understand a book hangover as Andie's dad does (#dadgoals). I definitely enjoyed it, it wasn't rushed too, it felt realistic and I was definitely rooting for them to repair their relationship!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Overall -<i> VERY CUTE BOOK.</i> Although the size of the book is huge for a YA contemporary, it was still very enjoyable. I'd recommend giving it a read! Especially if you love dogs.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I rated it three stars because of the slowness in the middle and the length of the book. I nearly DNF'd it at one point because I lost a bit of patience, but I'm glad I kept going.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There you have it! Have you read this one yet? If so, what did you think? It seems that I'm having a contemporary summer this year, what is your genre for the summer? Let us know in the comments or find us at any of the following social outlets:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6092526-natalie">Natalie's Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20726801-lexie">Lexie's Goodreads</a></b></span><br />
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The Honest Bookclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11459426023919815702noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901173538948742448.post-13966137428714165142017-07-18T23:51:00.001+01:002017-07-18T23:54:39.980+01:00BOOK REVIEW: THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING BY JEFF GILES<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">For the perfe</span><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ct love, what would you be willing to lose?</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>It’s been a shattering year for seventeen-year-old Zoe, who’s still reeling from her father’s shockingly sudden death in a caving accident and her neighbors’ mysterious disappearance from their own home. Then on a terrifying sub-zero, blizzardy night in Montana, she and her brother are brutally attacked in a cabin in the woods—only to be rescued by a mysterious bounty hunter they call X.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>X is no ordinary bounty hunter. He is from a hell called the Lowlands, sent to claim the soul of Zoe’s evil attacker and others like him. X is forbidden from revealing himself to anyone other than his prey, but he casts aside the Lowlands’ rules for Zoe. As they learn more about their colliding worlds, they begin to question the past, their fate, and their future.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Well, I can confidently say that I’m very disappointed in this book. I’ve been wanting to read it for ages and I just feel like I’ve been lied to and cheated.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A story of a Bounty Hunter, that sounds exciting! Well, it’s not.<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />X is this 19 year old guy who saves the life of the protagonist Zoe (who I will come back to in a bit..), and tries to take the killer to their version of Hell called the Lowlands. But before he does that ….<i style="box-sizing: inherit;">let’s do something weird.</i> Let’s have X PROJECT STAN’S CRIMES ONTO HIS BACK LIKE A TV SCREEN (????) because that makes perfect sense. Seriously, <i style="box-sizing: inherit;">what was that all about. </i>And not just that, but the protagonist Zoe INSTAGRAMS IT because she is a hip and cool teenager. (Just, no)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I don’t want to read about these stupid girls who Instagram when a MURDERER is trying to get her and she is saved by an immortal bounty hunter, what the hell is wrong with her. Why doesn’t she call the police?? If she can’t do that, don’t just fucking Instagram what is happening, DO SOMETHING. She is literally the most annoying girl ever, and she is also stupid. Zoe sends her brother out with the dogs into a BLIZZARD because they’re <i style="box-sizing: inherit;">annoying her</i> and she is upset that they get lost. I’m sure her brother is like 10 so he’s only a child for fuck sake. Oh, and they nearly die. Like, seriously bitch, do you want to see your brother frozen to death so you can be alone?<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />So, she panics and tries to find them, nearly dying herself and I just thought ‘well, that’s your own fault’ and to be honest, at this point, the dogs are my favourite characters. I care about literally nobody. (Also sidenote: there’s animal cruelty in this book)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Stan tries to kill her (can’t say I blame him) but before he does that, he also tries to drown the dogs so I instantly hate him. I’m not sure why but I’m not that bothered about that, it’s not worth reading on to find out.. Anyway, X saves her and <i style="box-sizing: inherit;">lets Stan go</i> (???? dude, it’s your MISSION to get him, why even), he is like ‘fuck I shouldn’t have done that’ WELL NO SHIT, fucking moron. Then let’s get into the boring part of the book where it’s the dreaded ‘I’ word….</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For fucks sake...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">After 2 days of him being unconscious, he has to leave and she kisses him and they’re pretty much in love with each other. <b style="box-sizing: inherit;">By this point, I’m 100% done with this book. </b>I’m at 41% of the book and I just can’t go on because it’s just…..so <i style="box-sizing: inherit;">boring. </i>Nothing happens. And if anything does, it’s just weird, out of place and doesn’t make any bloody sense. I mean, Zoe wakes up one morning and her mum is home and she’s having a PARTY? What is even going on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I would rather not read the rest as I have no interest in what happens, the fate of the characters, reading Zoe’s annoying personality or X’s really strange 1800’s way of talking.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Also disappointed because I got this for my birthday and it was an anticipated read for me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It wasn’t for me, I’m sorry. I have to be honest, and I certainly was. I hate DNF’ing books but life is too short t be reading books that I’m not into, so this has joined the pile. Don’t let this put you off, this is just a personal opinion.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6092526-natalie">Natalie's Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20726801-lexie">Lexie's Goodreads</a></b></span><br />
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<br />The Honest Bookclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11459426023919815702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901173538948742448.post-33431860280026969112017-06-28T22:33:00.000+01:002017-06-28T22:42:54.502+01:00BLOG MAKEOVER<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As you might have noticed, the blog is looking just a<b> little</b> bit different. Well, quite a lot! It seems we've gone for more of a modern and fresh look, so we hope you like it. Now we're getting back into action with books/reviewing/writing/everything, we thought a new look won't do any harm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Let us know what you think! Also, we're still tinkering around with things so we apologise if you might see something on the wrong side of the page, upside down or looking just a little bit weird. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now - ONTO THE BOOKS! Expect posts and reviews in due course. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So let's get the book conversation going - <i> what are you all reading?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6092526-natalie">Natalie's Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20726801-lexie">Lexie's Goodreads</a></b></span><br />
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The Honest Bookclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11459426023919815702noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901173538948742448.post-89830823116864766722017-06-22T14:39:00.000+01:002017-06-22T14:39:01.663+01:00BOOK TAG: READING HABITS<h2>
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It's time for a book tag!</div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's been so long since I've done one on the blog, and I'm happy to be getting back into them. This time we're going to delve into reading habits, because we're all different. We all experience books in various ways and it's always interesting to see how people settle down to read. We found this book tag on <a href="https://dreamlandbookblog.wordpress.com/2013/05/24/tag-reading-habits/">Dreamland Book Blog</a> and I instantly wanted to give it a go because why not? We all love a cheeky tag, so lets get straight to it! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>R E A D I N G H A B I T S</b></span></h3>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>1. Do you have a certain place at home for reading?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I tend to read in bed more than anywhere, mostly because I read before I go to sleep. I'm planning on getting a reading chair with a light, but when I have the time and energy to go buy one, it's just the bed for now. </span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>2. Bookmark or random piece of paper?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-style: inherit;">I collect bookmarks, they're in a Butterbeer cup I got from the Harry Potter studio tour on my bookshelf, and </span><i>I love them all</i><span style="font-style: inherit;">. If I'm too comfy in bed and forget to grab one, I use a receipt from my nightstand. At the moment, I'm using a tag from a shirt I bought ages a go. I refuse to dog-ear the pages.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>3. Can you just stop reading or do you have to stop after a chapter/ a certain amount of pages?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-style: inherit;">I can stop whenever. I usually stop when I have to leave (like if I'm on my break at work or at a coffee shop) or if I fall asleep. I'm used to stopping mid-chapter. My issue is when I open the book back up and think '</span><i>so what's happening, where am I on the page</i><span style="font-style: inherit;">?'</span></span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>4. Do you eat or drink while reading?</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Always. I always drink tea, sometimes coffee, and I'm constantly eating anyway. So, yes. Good to mix two of my favourite things together: caffeine and books.</span><br />
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>5. Multitasking: Music or TV while reading?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Nope, I prefer silence. Too much of a distraction for me. Rain hitting the window is the only sound I like to hear when I read, and seeing as I live in the UK, that happens a lot.</span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>6. One book at a time or several at once?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I've tried reading multiple books and I always neglect the others for one. Not for me.</span></span><br />
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<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>7. Reading at home or everywhere?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Weirdly enough, I read better when I'm out the house. Coffee shop, on a train or bus, at a friends house when I should be sociable. I get distracted at home by literally everything!</span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>8. Reading out lout or silently in your head?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I never read out loud, so always in my head.</span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>9. Do you read ahead or even skip pages?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I skip pages if I don't care for this book anymore, but I am guilty of flicking forward. Don't ask me why I do this, I don't even know myself. Sometimes it's to see if it picks up soon, or if I'm worried about a fate of a character and I need to see if they're still alive. I spoil things for myself, I can't help it. I hate surprises and I'm too impatient.</span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>10. Breaking the spine or keeping it like new?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'd prefer to keep them new, but I don't mind if the spine is a little bent. I'd rather the books looked well-loved on my shelf than looking like a bookshop. </span><br />
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<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>11. Do you write in your books?</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWGRe4mqbwTgtqjHUKkWIbkBMLyI8acFFfPuSqRYcSQrcUMSEgyHiugYnXRJ2ekhh5UhWglkJSGqhf26HcWRtEtjCB7csEByQKx1wM8FhA8DcGQRUtyvLbNo1k08x45P55rNGJ1CR9cdK8/s1600/offended.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWGRe4mqbwTgtqjHUKkWIbkBMLyI8acFFfPuSqRYcSQrcUMSEgyHiugYnXRJ2ekhh5UhWglkJSGqhf26HcWRtEtjCB7csEByQKx1wM8FhA8DcGQRUtyvLbNo1k08x45P55rNGJ1CR9cdK8/s320/offended.gif" width="320" /></a></span></span><br />
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<i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">People do this??? </i></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>12. When do you find yourself reading? Morning, afternoon, evening, whenever you get the chance or all the time?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I love reading in the morning! (is that weird?) When I wake up and get myself a cup of tea, I love snuggling up in my warm bed and reading my book. It's an issue when I need to get up and do something though. But I tend to read whenever I can or when I'm in the mood. </span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>13. What is your best setting to read in?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Warm, comfortable and quiet environment. I do like reading in public, and I don't mind the odd murmur around me in the background (or white noise). As I said before, coffee shop noises and the sound of a train is soothing to me when I'm reading.</span><br />
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<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>14. What do you do first – Read or Watch?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I usually read first but it doesn't really bother me. I find sometimes people get too worked up over things like this, but whether I watch it first or not, I tend to always prefer the book. </span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>15. What form do you prefer? Audiobook, E-book or physical book?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I tend to read faster on my Kindle. With audiobooks, I tend to realise I'm not listening and have to go back or just stop and grab the book because my attention span is poor. I do love physical books too, obviously, so either e-book or the actual book. Both the same story!</span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>16. Do you have a unique habit when you read?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Skipping forward, like I said earlier. I also sniff my book's pages when I read them too, but I think everyone does that!</span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>17. Do book series have to match?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I prefer it, yes. I hate it when they stop a cover design mid-series, that is incredibly frustrating. I love it when the covers and spines match, but if it changes, it's fine. Not much I can do about it, although as I said before, it's the same story and it will look more like a library than a bookshop. I'm not incredibly anal about my bookshelf, as long as my books are in good condition and they are all there for me to admire and enjoy. My babies </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">❤</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ta-da! Weird and unusual or were they similar things to you? I want to know your reading habits too! Feel free to take the tag and do it yourself or let us know in the comments. I'd love to hear from you. You can either comment below or find us at any of the following social outlets:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6092526-natalie">Natalie's Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20726801-lexie">Lexie's Goodreads</a></b></span><br />
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The Honest Bookclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11459426023919815702noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901173538948742448.post-83479937279776303042017-03-14T22:31:00.004+00:002017-03-15T00:16:30.342+00:00TOP 10 BOOKISH TRENDS THAT NEED TO STOP<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Over the past few weeks, life has intervened with blogging in a multitude of ways. (The flu, work and university are an overwhelming mix, let's just say.) We
are, however, navigating and managing our way around it - and here we are again. <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Many apologies for our absence, pumpkins.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Call us foolish optimists, but whenever we step away from a community, however briefly, we tend to remember only the positive. <i>"I can't read, so every single book is the best book ever, and I miss them all desperately!" </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Oh, what naive little pumpkins we are. What little we managed to read during our time away has been, ah, a mixed bag. And whenever you sit down to attempt to explain <i>why</i> it is a mixed bag, you come around to the same few things. (Surprise! What was annoying a week ago still hasn't changed!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">These, succinctly, are those things for us. Because venting is one trend that will never go out of style.</span><br />
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJy_f464dgfRt9WHv6iU8xT7Y2mCByeu6Fa_a3HYOUfce5lxX1HcumvjSs3kb3GKgtD8LDQAcaJnm8CcsE7FWvhYawXE16P6yASDqTKI6g0B6O4pin677SwEflxgDF1pG8oXcgjWBNY33B/s640/Bookish+Trends+intro_sm.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>1. The (im)proper names of things</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4H8UZRwg0vdA80xEa0xxHhizinLFAYYX8zFFdvaIhftVpJvLEU-EKlxC-CV87n4YFYb6UiPmvfR88JdpcIhAcgwgzSseZNt-dV2pG0Cf_x3Lb25BZrD2cqD6sPZObiKbl0amvqw30-T6/s1600/Meaning+gif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4H8UZRwg0vdA80xEa0xxHhizinLFAYYX8zFFdvaIhftVpJvLEU-EKlxC-CV87n4YFYb6UiPmvfR88JdpcIhAcgwgzSseZNt-dV2pG0Cf_x3Lb25BZrD2cqD6sPZObiKbl0amvqw30-T6/s400/Meaning+gif.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>Picked by:</b> Lexie</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In this era of purple metaphors and cultural appropriation, there's nothing dearer to an author than <i>suggest, imply, insinuate, dance around</i> a concept obvious to everyone without ever specifically naming it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's annoying.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But when said concept is more often than not someone's <i>caramel chocolate fudge straciatella hazelnut cookie-dough melting-honey </i>colored skin, it isn't just annoying. It needs to stop.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">'Exotic' means <i>nothing</i>. A food metaphor means nothing (other than an invitation to a reader to put the book down and dive into that awaiting jar of Nutella). 'Asian' also means nothing. Use a proper name of things, as Dumbledore and Kvothe had always intended it. If you've taken a step to write about a character demonstrably different than yourself, it's only another tiny step to actually vocalizing it.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">2. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Story rip-offs</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-gIX3P_qKMIIWLqLqXqZdGNMFiOKqFFva8NX9-jXz1wXCTphr-Knx0yWo0zpc0d9GvOtcALByyFtPVr2HB7RNENvHIhmWd14yfI07FAQ_l53XGCYbIcxpZrDdG26byDSkaL4UWFeIgA-x/s1600/bad+fan+fic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-gIX3P_qKMIIWLqLqXqZdGNMFiOKqFFva8NX9-jXz1wXCTphr-Knx0yWo0zpc0d9GvOtcALByyFtPVr2HB7RNENvHIhmWd14yfI07FAQ_l53XGCYbIcxpZrDdG26byDSkaL4UWFeIgA-x/s400/bad+fan+fic.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>Picked by: </b>Natalie</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Have you ever had a feeling like you're reading the same story over and over? You slowly put the book down and find yourself thinking '<i>I've definitely read this before. Maybe a few times'</i>. It gets a bit frustrating when you're trying to discover new worlds and stories to delve into, and yet you've bought the same story six times in the last month - just with different names. Things are rarely original anymore and it would be nice to get something shiny and new, discover a set of characters who are doing things that are completely different and crazy. There's such potential and it's sad when authors are trying to copy what is popular and not write what could be the next big thing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>3. Cover whitewashing</b></span></div>
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<img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWNyj_SWhdEUlcMDaHzPbPddvRgpo-Iu8UmvgKhPJMRCCE4qaf5Yy8JGt6K8Ka9dkJlc-A8tZ0kp-fMexJxDZOJGNc4rKkPCJKxrZHwR9RapJy1vfsKwB1__ZOfcpvWW_6cqs56Pbzx7FO/s400/Judging+you.gif" width="400" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>Picked by</b>: Lexie</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once upon a time, in a<span style="color: #999999;">(n alarming)</span> land <span style="color: #999999;">(not
nearly as)</span> far away <span style="color: #999999;">(as it should have been)</span>, there was a well-established trend of
depicting characters of color as white on the book's actual cover - (to appeal
to the white demographic, because when you're being insulting, might as well be
utterly so). Julie Kagawa's Japanese protagonist was
famously portrayed by a white model on the cover of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10215349-the-immortal-rules">The Immortal Rules</a>.<span class="apple-converted-space"> That sort of thing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then, with the rise of cultural awareness and
sensitivity, we assumed said trend had been tossed into the fiery pits of Hades, where it belongs. <strike>(Sorry, Hades. You don't deserve that.) </strike>But then, as all good villains, Cover Whitewashing rose from its presumed deadness to stalk and hack at us one final time. (Think the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23127048-air-awakens">Air Awakens</a> series.) I guess a villain never stays dead until the end credits roll. Any takers?</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Twilight/50 Shades of Grey-inspired covers</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21WfbI__Iip3AKL_S0UWvjLqh5WiXYReCrcaIRhVidCvh39Bih2-ntbcxZWE4VwObDu-ha0CnDlmgKxVaC_NIINcEc9wYvGq0Z4zXTOgi9a_cwgIdtDUSsYkD7FDHulySsqfGbyGxCOAI/s1600/not+impressed.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21WfbI__Iip3AKL_S0UWvjLqh5WiXYReCrcaIRhVidCvh39Bih2-ntbcxZWE4VwObDu-ha0CnDlmgKxVaC_NIINcEc9wYvGq0Z4zXTOgi9a_cwgIdtDUSsYkD7FDHulySsqfGbyGxCOAI/s400/not+impressed.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>Picked by:</b> Natalie</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One word: </span><b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">why</b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">. It's incredibly obvious that a publisher is trying to write/sell something as successful as Twilight, but please stop. We the readers aren't stupid. We recognise that sort of marketing. I can understand that on some level a publisher wishes to appeal to an already established group of readers and whatnot, but having covers that are pretty much the same is so unoriginal. Sell your story with your own cover that's inspired by actual events in the book, or something more eye-catching than the 'black/grey backdrop and one item' cover. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>5. Adapt Everything!</b></span></div>
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<img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBm2vNn3QBOuK1rfjg3-Z3ES5Bgw7ttIii75L2z0o_HvkAb5W5Q8APF0-LhFV_3ZGZQQPJOuT9fTR-HmQmjesIRx3PjXTKoRyC9eOoTAFXmmZFvrdLeyL7bnZBV061Zyaiq2vzr5iBAG8k/s400/Not+An+Original+gif.gif" width="400" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>Picked by:</b> Lexie</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am alone in this. Just my
little dinghy floating along in a sea of epic adaptation hype.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am aware.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The truth, however, remains that
in this age of reboots, remakes, retellings and excessive sequelitis, the
bookish market is an easy market to tap into for Hollywood (that miraculously
seems to have run out of original screenplays?). And so studios race to option
everything, the fan base gets ridiculously excited, studios are then further
encouraged to develop it, the fan base starts protesting the second casting
choices are up, and ICEBERG INCOMING. ABANDON SHIP. MAYDAY, MAYDAY!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm biased, but I'm also right:
more YA adaptations have flopped than have succeeded in recent years. And
having no shortage of imagination, I'm perfectly happy to confine every detail
of my favorite series to what's already in my head.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Betcha wish y'all had my dinghy
now, Hypeasaurus Maximus.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">6. The damsel-in-distress</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> trope</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>Picked by: </b>Natalie</i></span></div>
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<i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">"Oh my god I'm so shy and not nearly as pretty as all the other girls, although every boy ever loves me, and I have the personality of a wet rag. Oh look, the hottest guy in the world is in love with me and yet I feel so ugly, and I have only one friend. Now excuse me while I moan about how broken I am and wait for a guy to 'fix' me."</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Um, <a href="http://thehonestbookclub.blogspot.rs/2014/06/the-10-most-common-tropes-in-new-adult.html">these are usually New Adult books</a> but <i>damn </i>they're getting old. What is it about these NA authors that keeps them writing the same story <i>over and over and over and over</i> again but just change the names of the characters? (Names that aren't even real names, let's be honest here.) This also falls under the 'story rip-offs' section, but I feel like this specific dynamic is so old-fashioned and so unnecessary. Shouldn't authors be writing modern, strong females? Independent women who know what they want, know they're beautiful and don't depend on a "muscly man who never exercises and yet has a six-pack" boyfriend to take care of them? I hate to say this, but we're all a bit damaged. You not the only one who is "broken" in some way, protagonist, so stop moaning and get on with your life. I'm bored of reading about whiny characters who only care about themselves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>7. Yearly Trends</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>Picked by:</b> Lexie</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Welcome one, welcome all to Lexie's utopic dreamscape! Here, genre lines aren't so clearly defined. Here, beloved characters don't die and animals live forever. And here, most importantly, everyone writes a story they wish they could read.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Here, in other words, there is no <i>'it'</i> trend to follow this particular season/year/eon. Vampires, dystopia, fantasy, coming-out contemporaries, dragons, fairytale retellings and mermaids are only as good as you make them. A reader is open-minded enough to give fair chance to all, and an author driven enough to tell a story unique unto themselves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I hope you enjoy your stay. 'Tis a divided world out there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">8. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Novellas, additional stories/POVs and companion novels</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>Picked by:</b> Natalie</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Look, authors: I appreciate that you love this world - we do too - but <i>seriously.</i> Let the world go. Some things are better left as they are. Adding more to a series can ruin it, and I've had too much experience with disliking a series a little bit more and losing my interest in an author with each new sequel to a story that was supposed to be over and done with. It's no secret that I loved the <i>Thoughtless</i> series, but its sudden spinoff <i>Untamed</i> was a <b>mess no one asked for.</b> It ruined the story for me. And that's not even mentioning all the YA authors who are well known for writing too much extra and clinging to their worlds way too hard for way too long. Maybe the publishers do have something to do with but, but regardless, it's annoying. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>9. Misogyny, the patriarchy, sexual assault</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>Picked by:</b> Lexie</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You heard me right.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The way I see it is this: if an author can exert themselves as far as creating people out of nothing and worlds out of ideas, then they can also exert themselves as far as bypassing the status quo and promoting equality, for a change. Kingdoms exist, but so do queendoms. Companies are run by men as well as women. Tech geeks can be girls, and ballet dancers can be boys. A girl can prefer blue, and a boy can prefer pink. And no one, absolutely no one, should ever be victimized or undermined as a mere plot device, never to be revisited or explored again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm not talking about misogyny or sexual assault as central themes of the book, or an examination of the patriarchy in today's existing patriarchal societies. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm talking about sexual molestation for the sake of meeting the page count, endless subservient girls in subservient worlds (except for our brave, ferocious heroine who's about to rescue her own gender - as it sits and waits to be rescued) and a slew of Bella Swans in repeated suicide attempts in order to hear their boyfriend's voice again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Find a new trope, world. And make it balanced.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>Picked by:</b> Natalie</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This one is more of a personal one. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It isn't intended as an insult to the whole of the book-vlogging community on YouTube, because they're doing exactly what we do - endlessly fangirl about books. And potentially being paid to advertise a book is literally a dream job for just about all of us. And</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> I understand that we could potentially class book-vlogging as a job now, what with all the sponsorships. But </span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">seriously. </i><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Some of the</span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"> worst books</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> I've read have come from the recommendations of a BookTuber. I tend to watch them now just to see what is coming up, but I try not to buy the books they recommend anymore, or listen to them cry </span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">'omg buy this book it's so good</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">' for a hundredth time, because <i>no. </i>Either these are the luckiest people in the world never to run into a bad book at all, or we have very different standards. Now I would only consider their recommendation if I'd done some research and possibly read the first page or two in the bookshop. Otherwise, I'm sorry, but I won't be buying every book you're flashing at me. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hats off to the publishers - it's an excellent marketing strategy. But <i>no.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Woops! We've been controversial again! Please don't assassinate us or send hate mail to our homes. We're really best-suited to be ice-cream (wo)men as a profession: we can dish it out far better than we can take it back. (Not that we don't have plenty of FIGHT ME moments in-between.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So we suggest you talk to us instead: what are the bookish trends you wish would take a breather (or a million) and leave us to have nice things, for a change? Leave us a comment below and let us know, or track us down on social media below:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6092526-natalie">Natalie's Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20726801-lexie">Lexie's Goodreads</a></b></span></div>
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The Honest Bookclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11459426023919815702noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901173538948742448.post-25996922881583948562017-02-19T13:16:00.002+00:002017-02-24T08:37:14.749+00:00BOOK REVIEW: BY YOUR SIDE BY KASIE WEST<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVLy-mllwf03HqIhCXI0_cP52r4qh-0UvPbyeUhy6aTcFY1PrxSKV8Nn1Nz0PLm9MKogkChxVT42wunVLrP56iXCv6bnUWpXsww5E3LIcHYyEYqw2QOIw2bLhlfSUDMjIdU4qSBGQUA1qR/s1600/side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVLy-mllwf03HqIhCXI0_cP52r4qh-0UvPbyeUhy6aTcFY1PrxSKV8Nn1Nz0PLm9MKogkChxVT42wunVLrP56iXCv6bnUWpXsww5E3LIcHYyEYqw2QOIw2bLhlfSUDMjIdU4qSBGQUA1qR/s320/side.jpg" width="212" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;">In this irresistible story, Kasie West explores the timeless question of what to do when you fall for the person you least expect. Witty and romantic, this paperback original from a fan favorite is perfect for fans of Stephanie Perkins and Morgan Matson.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;">When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her. Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;">Only he doesn’t come. No one does.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;">Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye. As he and Autumn first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side?</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is <i>very nearly </i>a 3 star rating,<i> </i>but I changed it at the last minute<i>.</i> I can't say I'm not disappointed because I really, really am. As you know, I'm a fan of Kasie West. But this one...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I will try and make this as non-spoilery as possible while I'm ranting, but I will be explaining why this book let me down. Before I begin, I will say that this book's summary was a tad misleading, and it won't be what you think when you go into it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Let's get onto what I had issues with.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. <i>The summary says it's about two people locked in a library.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While that is kind of accurate, it happens for only 30% of the book. I genuinely thought the book would end with them <i>leaving </i>but <i>nope. </i>That was a letdown, because for me that was the selling point - along with the book having been written by Kasie West, but we'll get onto that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>2. There is nothing remotely bookish about this at all.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The characters don't talk about books, the protagonist <i>doesn't even read anything</i>. While you'd think this was a bookworm's dream book, it was lacking the book nerd charm. It's marketed very well towards readers, but it lets us down by being just the run-of-the-mill <i>'ugh I'm bored, there's nothing to do, I have no phone</i>' kind of plot. The protagonist actually says this. "<i>There's no entertainment here, I don't have my phone on me"</i> DUDE, you are in a LIBRARY.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>3. The protagonist, Autumn, has anxiety. That's not the issue though, but it's how it's portrayed by the author.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I feel like Kasie wrote anxiety a little off. As someone <i>with</i> anxiety, it fell very flat and kind of... inaccurate? I don't know, I just didn't buy it. I found she could control it all too well, and considering her personality and how she deals with it, it's kind of weird. She also hasn't told her friends that she has it, and I struggle to understand why she feels they'd judge her for it? Which brings me to my next point.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>4. She has the worst friends in the world.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">They are actually <b>the worst</b>. They're very self-absorbed and don't actually care about Autumn at all. (That name, Autumn, irritated me to no end in general.) I find it hard to believe that someone could be not only okay with her friends not caring about her, but also that people in general are<i> that </i>oblivious to someone. But, hey, at least she had the best family!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>5. There was a love triangle involved.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Why. WHY. Why was this even necessary? She had to choose between two people that are complete opposites, and one she'd known for what, three days? Hmm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>6. Being locked in a library.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I know, this was the main reason I read it, but hear me out. I'm 100000% sure there are ways to get out of the library. Whether it's a fire exit, smashing a small window to climb out, or finding a folder full of log details for the computers in the library's office... blergh. It just didn't work. West wrote it a little lazily for my taste, and I just wish there was a more plausible reason as to why and how they got stuck in there. Just something a bit more <i>creative</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>7. It didn't feel like Kasie's usual storytelling.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I felt that <i>By Your Side </i>wasn't like her other books. This one wasn't as fluffy, cutesy or even make me squee because it was just too high school drama "woe is me" for my liking. I tend to always show gifs in my West reviews where I'm like 'THIS WAS ADORABLE' *insert gif of someone fangirling here* but I didn't fangirl once. I rolled my eyes so much my eyes hurt. Such a shame.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>8. Dallin (who I kept getting mixed up with Dax because both are weird D names)...</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He was<b> so annoying</b>. All he did was act like such a douchebag to everyone in this book. '<i>Woe is me, my best friend likes a girl I don't like, so I will treat her like crap through this whole book</i>'. BRO, SERIOUSLY. All he did was throw insults</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">. Can't stand this guy. Needless to say, h</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">e was the thing I commented most about in my Goodreads updates while reading this book. Such a disappointment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I know there are quite a few negatives about this book, but there were some positives too. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">While I didn't really like any of the characters that much, I felt it was still a good read. I was entertained and as usual, Kasie pulled me into her story and I finished it in my unusually fast manner. Her family was very supportive and I found that I enjoyed the parts they were in the most. They didn't add any unnecessary drama to the story to spoil it. They just seemed like the run-of-the-mill parents, and that was refreshing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While the library aspect was a letdown and only 30-35% of the book, the second half was possibly more tolerable. I feel bad that I have mostly negative things to say about this, but it still might be worth giving it a read if you like contemporary. Just don't expect anything about books.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sneaky marketing departments...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Many apologies for this being very ranty, I just had a few things I had to say about it. As a Kasie West fan, this let me down big time. I can't see myself giving this a re-read, as I would re-read some of her other books. WHY KASIE, WHY *bangs fist on the floor in despair*</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you do intend to read this, I hope you enjoy it more than I did. Let me know what you thought if you've picked this one up! Did you like it? Let me know via the comments below or find us at any of the following social media outlets:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6092526-natalie">Natalie's Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20726801-lexie">Lexie's Goodreads</a></b></span></div>
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The Honest Bookclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11459426023919815702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901173538948742448.post-88612876052098217502017-02-15T03:18:00.001+00:002017-02-15T07:19:28.536+00:00TOP 10 SURPRISINGLY TOLERABLE ROMANTIC TROPES<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Oy-to-the-vey, it's Valentine's Day.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Love it or hate it, you can't escape it.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We're just ever so romantic... in that our Valentine's Day traditions typically involve some form of <i>"Top 10 books to help you survive Valentine's Day"</i> or <i>"Top 10 Books For A Non-Romantic Reader"</i> list. So, to break with tradition and strike off on a more positive note, this year we're taking a different approach.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It isn't a blanket "top romance books" recommendation, because the truth is - just pick any one at random. Chances are 99% it's romantic in some form. (Though Amazon seems to be recommending <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19288043-gone-girl">Gone Girl</a> as a perfect Valentine's Day read and... questionable choice, Amazon. Let's maybe save that for, say, Halloween.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As for us, we're discussing tropes - specifically those that overuse hasn't spoiled for us yet. And we're including a book and a pairing which are how you do those right.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">'Tis a love letter to tropes, everybody. Never say we aren't meta-romantic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">1. The Slow Burn</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Picked by: </b>Lexie</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's the literary manifestation of the NAO KISS meme, and it's therefore the best. And it's only partly because said meme is made of glitter, gold and sunshine. The romance that takes awhile to develop comes with inherent benefits: for one, it never dominates the story and allows the actual plot/worldbuilding to happen. For another, it tends not to beat the reader over the head with Obvious Innuendo That Is Obvious. And as an added benefit - it cicrumvents The Dreaded Instalove and all its ugly cousins. Be they enemies, friends or partners-in-crime (and less nefarious activities), the Slow Burn trope ensures that the couple getting together will have been building up to it for a long time. Yay, foreshadowing! Yay, build-up! Yay, fandom frustration!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>As seen in:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17675462-the-raven-boys">The Raven Cycle</a> (everyone)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>2. Friends to Lovers</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Picked by:</b> Natalie</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm not sure if this is an
unpopular opinion or not, but I <i>love</i> reading these. For a start,
they've already got the trust and already know each other so damn well, which gives them the choice to decide whether its worth risking their friendship for it. That's after the constant sexual tension and the 'omg just do it' looks from everyone else in the story, which are always hilarious. There's been plenty of 'friends
to lovers' stories out there, and if done right, they can be some of the best and most memorable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>As seen in: </b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/45175-harry-potter">Harry Potter</a> (Ron and
Hermione)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>3. Forbidden Romance</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Picked by: </b>Lexie</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">HEY, SOME CLICHES HAVE SURVIVED THIS LONG FOR A REASON! While in YA the Forbidden Romance trope tends to err on the side of angst-for-the-sake-of-angst (<i>"We can't be together BECAUSE REASON!"</i>), when done right it can be delightfully frustrating - and it can add valuable commentary on the world/society in which the romance develops. Opposing races? Warring families? A wide chasm in wealth and status? Opposite teams? You name it, I'm there to see a couple of people demolish pre-conceived notions of right and wrong and meet in the middle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>As seen in:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8490112-daughter-of-smoke-bone">Daughter of Smoke and Bone</a> (Karou and Akiva)</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">4. Enemies to Lovers</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Picked by: </b>Natalie</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sticking with the theme of 'Something to
Lovers', I always find 'Enemies to Lovers' an interesting read. They
have that instant hate towards the other from the very start - usually not really knowing the other person <i>truly</i>, and that naturally starts the possibility they might murder each other in cold blood. However, differences aside, there's somethings they can't deny and that's how much they're attracted to one another. <i>Damn feelings..</i><br />Over time, they realise how
similar they really are, whether in personality or beliefs, and end up with a complete change of heart. It's all good with us! It's entertaining to see how a couple shifts from
wanting to stab one another to snogging. I'm all for it. Besides, that only makes for a fiery romance and those are always fun.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>As seen in: </b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13519397-throne-of-glass">Throne of Glass</a> (Rowan and Aelin)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>5. Opposites Attract</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Picked by: </b>Lexie</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The title, really, says it all. One's a lady, one's a tramp. One's a rebel, one's a soldier. One is dead, the other alive. <i>(That escalated quickly.)</i> Depending on the circumstances, this trope could merge with a myriad of other tropes (enemies-to-lovers, anyone?). But regardless of the overarching context, the potential for both epic hilarity and epic romance is high. And it's one of the only tropes that works out well more often than not for me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>As seen in:</b> The Winner's Trilogy (Arin and Kestrel)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>6. Will they? Won't they?</b></span><br />
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<i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: small;"><b>Picked by: </b>Natalie</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Oh, the guessing game of whether they'll get together or not!</i> I do love a 'will they, won't they' kind of romance in a story as it keeps us on our toes and makes it a whole lot more interesting. It's not just the anticipation of the kiss they finally share at the end of the book -<i> maybe even series!</i> - that makes it worth while, but it's whether the author will <i>actually</i> do it! It could be disappointing to some, but for me, I find it realistic. You can't always get the person you want in real life, and the same goes for fictional characters. I will lose appreciation for an author if they make it boring and very predictable, and if they do put said characters together, then it has to be written right to make it worthwhile. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>As seen in:</b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17927395-a-court-of-mist-and-fury?ac=1&from_search=true"> A Court of Mist and Fury</a> (Mor and Azriel)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>7. Competition</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Picked by: </b>Lexie</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">No, I'm <i>not</i> talking about the Cursed Love Triangle. Fear not - some of my sanity remains! <span style="color: #666666;"><i>(Side effects of waning sanity may include a peppy Valentine's Day post, an approval of common tropes, and severe caffeine guzzling. Contact your doctor if you experience any of these warning signs.)</i></span> What I <i>am</i> talking about is that glorious courtship that stems from a competition - official or unofficial. Pit a couple against each other in a deadly game, and I am there for it. Make them like-minded and team them up against others - I am there for that, as well. Essentially, any romance that stems from a high-stakes game is a romance I'm eager to see develop. It's as easy and as difficult (to get right) as that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>As seen in:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9361589-the-night-circus">The Night Circus</a> (Marco and Celia)</span></div>
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8. Unrequited Love</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Picked by: </b>Natalie</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There's nothing more heartbreaking than an unrequited love story. Especially when it's something as permanent as death that separates them before they become a couple, but that's what makes a good story. I can think of a few that make me want to reach for the tissues for a sob-fest just thinking about it, but it shows the strength in the writers storytelling as well as their characters. One pining from a far, the other wishing and hoping for something more, but something could hold them back. Whether it's only a one-sided relationship or being forced apart, this one always manages to pull at the heart strings. *SOB*</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>As seen in:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/45175-harry-potter">Harry Potter </a>(Snape and Lily)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>9. The Second Chance Romance</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Picked by: </b>Lexie</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now, just to be clear: a majority of the time, a break-up is a clear sign that a relationship isn't working. <i><span style="color: #666666;">#captainobvious</span></i> Some of the time, however, a breakup is a sign that your partner accidentally gave you up to local authorities, a draconic overlord has willed them away for your safety, they were compelled to murder you on sight, or some equally logical (or, well, reasonable within the plot's boundaries) reason to stay away. In such cases, the second chance at it (post-murderous-curse-removal) can be glorious - not least because these will be characters who already know how the other ticks, and how best to tick them off. And oh, the sass we'll have!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>As seen in:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23006119-six-of-crows">Six of Crows</a> (Matthias and Nina)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>10. Road trip romances</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Picked by:</b> Natalie</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>I do love a good road trip book! </b>Who doesn't? Reading about all the places they go, the burger joints they eat at, and the
bickering over god knows what makes it a whole lot more enjoyable. But if romance is included, then that can be
the fluffiest kind of road trip (and we all love a bit of fluff every now and then, DON'T LIE). I think a lot of these tropes have to be done right - and made
<i>believable</i> - to work, but this one is likely one of the easiest to write. Both characters are going on a shared journey, at times even forced
together for whatever reason, and arrive at the destination together. D'aww.
Who says travel doesn't bring people closer? They do say it's the only thing
you can buy that makes you richer, maybe that also includes love.<br />
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As seen in:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9725419-amy-roger-s-epic-detour">Amy & Rogers Epic Detour</a> (Amy and Roger)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">'Tis Valentine's Day, so we Valentined it up. And now it's your turn, pumpkins! Let us know what your favorite romantic tropes are (if you admit to liking any!) in the comments below, or find us on social media where we take over the world, one nefarious subliminal plot at a time:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6092526-natalie">Natalie's Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20726801-lexie">Lexie's Goodreads</a></b></span></div>
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The Honest Bookclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11459426023919815702noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901173538948742448.post-79315159031481487222017-02-02T15:05:00.002+00:002017-02-02T15:05:28.670+00:00BOOK REVIEW: GLASS SWORD BY VICTORIA AVEYARD<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;">Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;">The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;">Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;">But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px; text-align: left;">Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Let the record show that my hopes for this book were high, despite the utter lack of originality. The setup for <i>Glass Sword</i> was straight out of <i>Shadow and Bone</i>, and as someone who enjoys the Grishaverse, I had reason to hope.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Alas, Mare has taught me what a fleeting mistress hope can be. (By repeating it. Forty times.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><u>But first, the good:</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>The cover, as usual, is gorgeous.</b> If the content between the front and back cover was as good as said covers, <i>Red Queen</i> would rate right up there with my favorite series. Alas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>The world is now sci-fi/dystopian.</b> Given the amount of books that <i>Red Queen (#1)</i> channeled, the world could never seem to decide if it wanted to be historical fantasy or dystopian. In <i>Glass Sword</i>, it seems to have settled on dystopian. Mare does occasionally butcher the continuity by wondering about "the metal boxes that stay up in the air" only to name specific parts of a plane five seconds later. But for the most part, it's solidly dystopian (touchscreen computers and everything) and solidly Mockingjay. It hasn't gained in originality, but it's settled on a genre. Progress.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Victoria Aveyard is exceptionally kind to fast readers.</b> Speeding through books means that we occasionally miss out on a detail or two (or five or twenty). But in <i>Glass Sword</i>, everything is repeated a minimum of thirty times, so there's absolutely no chance of missing out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"Anyone can betray anyone."</i> (approx. count: 739)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"Trust no one."</i> (approx. count: 591)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"Little lighting girl."</i> (approx. count: 517)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"He's evil, but I miss the boy he used to be."</i> (approx. count: 501)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Cameron.</b> In the interest of not spoiling anything, I will say only this: she thinks what I think, and she isn't afraid to say it. I want her as a protagonist. That would make for a far more interesting series, really.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Cal.</b> (Yes, you read this right.) I won't go so far as to say that Cal has morphed into a thoroughly fascinating character for me. But where <s>most</s> all other characters have regressed, he alone made headway towards development and found his missing two dimensions. His perspective in <i>Glass Sword</i> was easily the only perspective that matched the situation(s) and his past experiences. I got Cal. I understood Cal. Cal made sense. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">*</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><u>But the fun ends there.</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Glass Sword</i> drags. It drags like Remi Gaillard in a snail suit on a highway during rush hour.</b> Nobody is a stranger to the famous Filler-Book trope, especially in dystopian trilogies. But <i>Glass Sword</i> gives Filler-Book a whole new meaning. Practically all altercations are postponed and postponed again in favor of the final few pages (and presumably the sequel). In the interim, we are treated to traveling, moping, more traveling, romantic angst, and endless recruiting of <i>"the specials"</i> straight out of <i>X-Men: First Class</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Unlike <i>X-Men: First Class</i>, however, <b>the whole notion of these gifted people in a society that hunts them was terribly convenient</b>. Practically none of the recruits had personality (or, really, lines of dialogue), but their abilities were perfectly suited to get Mare out of whatever scrape she was about to get herself into. And unlike <i>X-Men</i>, there are no self-destructive abilities.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Mare herself, in the meantime, lacked any and all agency.</b> This isn't the protagonist who sets things in motion. This is the protagonist to whom things happen. She <i>does</i> have plenty of motivation to do things, but she has <i>no</i> drive. She's a lethargic sack of potatoes. It feels like she's either being forced to bring about change, or like she has to be dragged along. She has no leadership qualities to sell her as a Mockingjay, which this series has been attempting all along. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Mare, in fact, is probably my least favorite YA protagonist of all time.</b> And I don't say this lightly. Many a Bella Swan, America Singer, Nora, Luce, etc. has been a contender for this top spot. But in <i>Glass Sword</i>, Mare has dethroned them all. Never has a character felt more entitled (to the point of self-martyrdom) while throwing so many pity-parties. Mare genuinely feels like the speshulest of the speshul snowflakes - she repeatedly emphasizes that she is worth more than anyone else (in these exact words). But then she'll feel so endlessly sorry for herself and for "what happened to her" (I'm still unclear on this severe trauma that fuels her behavior) at every turn. She oscillates between grandiose and woe-is-me attitudes endlessly. <spoiler>I nearly choked laughing when she lamented that "Maven had stolen her ability to smile". WHEN HAS THIS CHARACTER EVER SMILED?!</spoiler> But all this is only natural when Mare truly and sincerely hates her friends. In this I thought Bella Swan would never be surpassed, but Mare once again proves me wrong. This girl looks down on everyone else to such sprawling lengths that her perspective at times read truly alarming.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>And despite it all, <i>Glass Sword</i> is an Everybody Loves Mare show.</b> On the one hand, the romance is well-written insofar as I have no idea where Victoria Aveyard is going with it. In books this derivative, romance tends to be predictable. Not so in <i>Glass Sword</i>. But in every other aspect, the romance was this book's pitfall. For one, the romantic angst that was already too pronounced in <i>Red Queen</i> is heightened in <i>Glass Sword</i>, to soap-opera levels. And for another, despite this love square, there's nobody for me to really root for. Mare looks down on Kilorn worse than perhaps anyone else. With Cal, the romance was painted as convenience more than anything. (Also, I can't envision a universe in which Mare deserves a guy that nice.) And Maven...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Ah, Maven. Such potential wasted.</b> Maven's arc and his development in <i>Red Queen</i> was never original, but it opened up so many possibilities. It constituted about 90% of the reason I continued on with the series after <i>Red Queen</i> left me on the fence. But here in this second book, Maven's entire cause centered around Mare. From this larger-than-life villain, Maven was reduced to a spoiled kid with an unrequited crush which he won't accept. And so the door closes on the biggest hope I had for this series as a whole.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Goodbye" height="280" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/s5uIHJUlZNQFq/giphy.gif" width="400" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So that's me done. Worse than all else was the feeling <i>Glass Sword</i> left me with. There have been many books I've liked <i>less</i> than <i>Glass Sword</i>, but never before have I wished I could unread a book. Mostly it was due to <i>Glass Sword</i> having raised me to a height of indifference I thought I could never achieve. One way or another, I desperately need to <i>care</i>. And in this series, I just can't manage it. I guess it's time we went our separate ways. But to all who enjoyed it - because plenty of my friends did - I wish all the best with book #3. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It should be said that I had an ARC of Glass Sword, read it ahead of its release date, was the first to give it a negative rating on Goodreads, but took until now to post this rant-posing-as-a-review. Because I hoped distance and months of reflection would make the heart grow fonder. Alas, they have not. And here we are.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I want to hear from you, pumpkins - especially you who were driven less crazy (and potentially delighted?) by <i>Glass Sword</i> and the path <i>Red Quee</i>n is now on. What are your expectations for the finale? Who are you rooting for? And how did you end up rating <i>Glass Sword</i>? Leave us a comment below and let us know, or find us and admonish us for being so, so very evil on social media far and wide:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6092526-natalie">Natalie's Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20726801-lexie">Lexie's Goodreads</a></b></span></div>
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The Honest Bookclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11459426023919815702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901173538948742448.post-26877047556125710362017-02-01T15:22:00.000+00:002017-02-01T15:22:43.924+00:00BOOK REVIEW: CRYSTAL MAGIC BY MADELINE FREEMAN<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;">N</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;">othing is safe around Kristyl Barnette. Windows break. Books rocket across the room. Lights flicker. Strange occurrences follow the sixteen-year-old everywhere. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;">When tragedy forces her to move to the small town of Clearwater, Michigan, with her estranged aunt Jodi, Kristyl tries to leave her past behind. But Clearwater has secrets of its own—a mystical history that intersects with Kristyl’s life and might shed light on the inexplicable events that plague her. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;">When a mysterious illness threatens her aunt’s life, Kristyl will do anything to cure her. Enlisting the help of witches could save Jodi, but is dealing in magic worth the consequences?</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is a tricky book to rate. Mostly because I'm not sure if I liked it or not</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">. It's one of those books where my finger is poised over the 'Buy Now' button for the sequel on Amazon, and I just can't press it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Was it entertaining? Yes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Am I curious about the next book? Yes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Will I read it? Maybe. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There were more flaws incorporated in this story than positive, and it outweighed too much to pay £3 to read book two. Not to mention, last time I read a free Amazon book and enjoyed book one, the second one let me down and I didn't even finish it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The primary issue I had with <i>Crystal Magic</i> is that there are way too many people with the name Crystal in this story. I kept getting confused as to who was who, and I kind of lost patience and just rolled with the confusion in the end. And on top of it all, they all seemed pretty similar, too. That's never good for characterization.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Our protagonist Krystal - with a K - was<i> alright</i> as a character, although she was one of those people who I occasionally wished I could shake. She jumped to conclusions, judged people too soon, and would just storm out of the room. And here I am, staring at my Kindle, thinking, <i>'Again?'.</i> Calm down, woman.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The supporting characters were alright, as well - with nobody special to write home about. They kept the story engaging enough - with the love interests perhaps doing that the least efficiently. And yes, there is more than one. <i>Kind of.</i> And I wasn't entirely won over by them, mostly because they were kind of flat. I can sort of see why the protagonist likes the main love interest, but again - nothing special. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We're introduced to witchcraft about 50% into a witch book (... I know), but it still felt quite slow, as it's mostly just tidbits and hints as to what to expect. It's only in the last 20% of the book where things <i>actually happen</i>. We finally learn about the other witches at the school and in Clearwater overall, and I was thrilled to finally get some action. We also discover the <i>'Circle'</i> who are a group of witches who support each other and boost their joint magic. I liked this part, the different personalities, wishes and talents of the other people in the circle, but Krystal... she was just so overly-cautious about people trying to help her. Although, what do I know, I've not read the next four books. Things could change! #cliffhanger.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I don't think I'll finish the story, but it's nice to read something different every once in a while. I've not read many witch books and I think this might have pushed me to read other ones and see what's out there. I sadly don't have a lot to say about this one, mostly because <i>not a lot happened</i>, but give it a go if you want a semi-witch book.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Short but sweet review. I would say I was underwhelmed but it was free, and I can't say I've had much luck with free Amazon Kindle books. Maybe one day I'll grab a fantastic one and it'll be 10000 times better because I didn't pay for it. Have you had much luck with free Amazon books? Do let us know! We wouldn't mind finding a gem in there somewhere. You can either leave us a nice comment down below - or a mean one if you want, but please don't - or find us at any of the following social outlets:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6092526-natalie">Natalie's Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20726801-lexie">Lexie's Goodreads</a></b></span></div>
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The Honest Bookclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11459426023919815702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901173538948742448.post-38208138196836537382017-01-31T17:22:00.003+00:002017-01-31T17:22:31.352+00:00TOP 10 BORDERLINE BONKERS BOOK BLOGGER BEHAVIORS<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yes. Yes, we alliterated in the title. Glad you asked.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's only the first of the many joyous and charming quirks unique to us bloggerly readers. It is not, per se, a qualitatively different category from just <i>'reader'</i> - but it is its most Hermionish extreme. <i>(If such a thing as blogging worked at Hogwarts, you know Hermione would have been doing it throughout the series, don't even lie.) </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">○ <b>There's barely-reading.</b> Blasphemy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">○ <b>There's reading.</b> A complimentary and admirable activity to be praised and encouraged through copious book-shoving at the reader in question.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">○<b> And then there's book blogging</b> - of which the most bonkers behaviors we are exploring in this week's Top 10 Tuesday feature.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And if you find yourself identifying <i>without</i> being a book blogger - welcome. Yer a wizard, 'Arry. Grab your wand and a new blog and pray begin!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>1. Bookish photos in public places</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Picked by: Lexie</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">No. No, you have not truly known <i>awkwardness</i> in its purest and most undiluted form if you have not at some point toted a bagful of pretty, pretty books into a public place, then proceeded to arrange them into pretty displays and snap pictures looking for that perfect angle/lighting/shot/exposure. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>IT'S FOR MY BLOG/BOOKSTAGRAM/BOOKLR, OKAY? I SUFFER FOR MY ART!</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>They only stare because they wish they were this dedicated.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>2. What was this about again?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Picked by: Natalie</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Half-written reviews are the bane of my life. I dedicate time to writing reviews for books I've just read and OH LOOK, SOMETHING SHINY. And then BAM - that's it. My attention is no longer there and I can't finish writing my review. It gets to that point when ' I'll write it later' becomes the mantra. And 6 months later you're clicking on it thinking 'What... what was this about again?'<br />How do we resolve this? *Ignore* What's the point if we don't remember any of the key points of this story, and why we want to mention things. I don't recall the protagonist's name so let's just pretend this didn't happen...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>3. What do you mean, books aren't people?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Picked by: Lexie</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"You stay here," she said. "Hang out with Carrie on the desk. I'll be back to review you later. Your protagonist is just as revenge-happy, so you'll get along great anyway."</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Admittedly, it isn't easy to get a bookworm to applaud you of their own volition. The easiest way is to do say the following: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Clap your hands if you've ever talked to characters, shouted at characters, argued with characters, talked to books, caressed books, grinned at your bookshelf, taken your books for walks, posed with your books, taken pictures of your books, hung out with your books, chose to spend a quiet Saturday in with your books, hugged your books, squealed at your books, drenched your book in ugly tears, confessed your undying love to a book, been physically unable to part from a book, built a book throne and lounged upon it, or any activity that Non-readerly humans perform with their Non-Readerly companions. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">*applause ensues*</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>4. I love being a negative Nancy</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Picked by: Natalie</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Okay, I'm not going to lie here. When it comes to reviewing books, I love writing one about a book I hated. As soon as I've turned the last page - or DNFed it because, let's face it, it's <i>me</i> - I'm hastily rushing to get my laptop and I'm opening blogger. I look forward to pointing out the books flaws and explaining why I didn't enjoy the book, and getting my feelings in a ranty way is fun to me. It could be because I'm British and we love having a good ol' moan, or it could be because it's easy to find things to write about.<br />Who knows? But it's common knowledge if you've worked in customer service that if you have a bad experience, you're going to tell more people than if it's positive. Same with a book? Yes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>5. A pile? A shelf? A BOOKISH FORT!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Picked by: Lexie</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Normal kids people have blanket forts, because blankets are the most conducive to such architectural displays. We have book forts, because no bookshelf in the universe can contain every book we intend to possess. Invention = mother of necessity.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Also, bookish forts are basically the best living arrangement in the world. There's that, too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I don't know about you, but especially when it comes to Top 10s and yearly reviews, I judge myself hard. I look at all the books I've read in a year and I'm <i>disgusted</i>. I see the pile of crap books I read and I think to myself '<i>why do you even have a blog?</i>' because let's face it - <u>my choices aren't always good.</u> I'm not very good at picking what to read next, and I seem to have a lot of faith in authors I shouldn't. Shame on me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Unheard of authors, ridiculousness and <i>'is this even a book?' </i>seems to be my taste, but that's going to change. I punish myself at times when I end up pulling out the same books for Top 10 choices, and my bookish resolutions needs to be made. I don't think I've noticed a lack of many things in my reading choices until I do lists for the blog, so it's partly quite good to have a book blog. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>7. The bottomless bag of bookish hoarding</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Picked by: Lexie</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">KEEP THAT TINY PURSE AWAY FROM US. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a book blogger put in a situation which involves The Outside or Socializing or various non-bookish activities must be carrying: an e-reader, a book in case the e-reader's battery depletes, another book in case it runs long and we finish the first, a notepad (review notes!), a protective sleeve for the book(s), the e-reader and the notepad, a bookmark, another bookmark, three pens so two can die for no apparent reason, highlighters/tabs to mark the book's most memorable moments, a phone with an app that synchronizes with our computers, a bookish support system on speed dial, a travel mug, and a pineapple*.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And then they say we don't work out daily.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">* Don't ask what the pineapple is for. 'Tis a sacred book-bloggerly factoid that only the most highly ranked are privvy to.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>8. This is why we can't have nice things</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm sure most new bloggers have done this. Casually slipping into emails or conversations that you have a book blog for an ARC you've been pining for. ARCs from big publishers are hard to come by, and when the big release of the year is out, you can't help but <i>*hint hint* *wink nudge* </i>which is when they decide to not respond to you. <i>Naturally</i>. I can't say I blame them but there's no harm in trying, am I right? Right. Don't know until you ask. </span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">We'll keep trying until we get that early book from Sarah J. Maas..</span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">. *shakes fist*</i><b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"> One day, dammit!</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>9. The Bloggerly Schedulitis</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Picked by: Lexie</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Much like our writerly kin, there are two kinds of bloggers: those who schedule and plan their posts ahead of time, and those who write them on a whim. BOTH suffer from the infamous, notorious Bloggerly Schedulitis. 'Tis an oft-contracted and many-layered disease, and its most notable features include:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">○ a minor apocalypse <i>always</i> occurring around the time the post is being written/scheduled to be uploaded</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">○ all the most important life events occurring around the time we are inspired/scheduled to perform bloggerly activities</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">○ the notorious Reading Slump striking during the most prominent release month, thereby disrupting all bloggerly activities</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">○ selective mutism when asked <i>why</i> Tuesday evening is bad for a coffee date so as not to have to explain what "I have to write my Top 10" means</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">the redefinition of <i>Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday</i> as <i>Top 10 Tuesday, Waiting On Wednesday, YAY New Release Day, et al.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>10. Never being satisfied with the blog layout</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Picked by: Natalie</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>I love the blog,</i> but I think I've said about 50 times that we were going to re-do the blog with a new layout and what not. Years later, and we're still at the same one. Finding the time, patience and the idea of what we want is not going to be easy but we'll get round to it. One day. It doesn't help that visiting other blogs and seeing their gorgeous blogs makes you want to give your own blog a bit of a face lift.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We'll get there. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We aren't crazy! We are <i>bookish</i> and <i>devoted</i>. The world doesn't understand that bookish blogging is a <i>calling</i> and we honor all our calls... that pertain to books and are therefore relevant to our interests. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What are some of your most bonkerly behaviors, bloggerly pumpkins? Or, if you don't blog, what reading habits regularly inspire people to give you <i>The Look</i>? Leave us a comment below and let us know, or find us on assorted social media below:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://twitter.com/HonestBookclub" style="font-weight: bold;">Twitter</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a href="http://instagram.com/thehonestbookclub/" style="font-weight: bold;">Instagram</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Honest-Bookclub/1496051057292070" style="font-weight: bold;">Facebook</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/honest-bookclub-12534005" style="font-weight: bold;">Bloglovin</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6092526-natalie">Natalie's Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20726801-lexie">Lexie's Goodreads</a></b></span></div>
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The Honest Bookclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11459426023919815702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901173538948742448.post-52755135517223997612017-01-28T02:33:00.000+00:002017-01-28T02:33:19.379+00:00FAN ART: THE ILLUMINAE FILES<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Presumably, in some parallel universe (<i>#hellyeahspacepuns</i>), it is entirely possible to love <i>The Illuminae Files</i> for the plot alone, completely setting aside its utter, groundbreaking artistic brilliance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Alas, this is not said universe. This is where art and literary magnificence marry and comingle and enjoy equal amounts of reverence and respect. We're scandalous like that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">And <i>The Illuminae Files</i>, as the most tangible union of fantastic art, unique storytelling, and crazy amazing writing... <a href="http://thehonestbookclub.blogspot.rs/2016/01/book-review-illuminae-by-amie-kaufman.html">well, I've made my feelings for it known a time or two</a>. (Provided that you are okay with interpreting 'a time' as 'a thousand times' and 'two' as 'actually, twice that much'.) For anyone who has made my bi-weekly mentions of <i>Illuminae</i> in every bookish context imaginable into a drinking game...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">... please don't do that. I care about your well-being, but I also have a problem. Namely, murderous, poetic, sassy AIs and their affection <span style="color: #e69138;"><error></error></span> for <i>humans, by starlight</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">And so - behold. Kady, by starlight, and AIDAN, in his most questionably merciful glory.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I went there. I painted them. Exactly no one is surprised. After all, painting a face out of NUMBERS AND CHARACTERS is akin to a slap in the face to anyone who dabbles in digital art. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The Illuminae Files</i>, perhaps, don't need much fan art. The series is artistic nirvana in its own right. But fan art is has gotten on my end, and fan art it may still get. Because rarely have characters burrowed into my heart quite this much, and rarely have I gone back to them only to find them <i>better</i> (?!) and <i>sassier</i> (?!) every time I do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">They grow in sass in my absence. And said sass I must then honor with a painting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">To whom it may concern, <a href="http://thehonestbookclub.blogspot.rs/2016/10/the-ins-outs-of-bookish-fan-art.html">I posted a general bookish fan art Q&A a few months ago</a>. For any additional questions - fire away in the comments below! (Though not literally, because at this point, methinks even AIDAN would much rather you didn't.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">I dwell (and plot wold domination) on all manner of artsy social media, and I welcome (and demand) your friend requests, that we may join forces and AIDAN the world away. Are we not merciful?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="http://elluna.deviantart.com/">Elluna @ deviantArt</a> | <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/vehreys/">Vehreys @ Pinterest</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ellunaarts/">EllunaArts @ Facebook</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/afleetingstardust/">AFleetingStardust @ Instagram</a> | <a href="http://afleetingstardust.tumblr.com/">AFleetingStardust @ Tumblr</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: justify;">My online stores with graphic design / typography type bookish merch are at:</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><a href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/ellunaarts">EllunaArts @ RedBubble</a> | <a href="https://society6.com/elluna/">Elluna @ Society6</a></b><br />
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The Honest Bookclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11459426023919815702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901173538948742448.post-43840808328957168022017-01-25T00:11:00.008+00:002017-01-25T00:11:54.417+00:00TOP 10 NEW AUTHORS DISCOVERED IN 2016<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Only three and a half weeks into 2017, and here we are, re-litigating 2016. Because good things come to those who wait <strike>to do everything until the last possible second again even though Hermione told us to do it today or tomorrow we'll pay, but did we listen - <i>noooo</i></strike>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ahem. As with ever-mounting TBRs and ever-triple-stacking bookshelves, an author-appreciation list is an ever-fluctuating and ever-expanding thing. Except it fluctuates a little. And it expands a lot. In keeping with the tradition of all previous years, ours grew only slightly out of control in the past year. We only have a million new people whose future releases we're now seeking to trade our souls for, and whose past releases we're now making our way through and claiming <i>we'd been on that bandwagon all along, obviously</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">These are only the ten most prominent of said people. May they ever add to our precariously balanced TBR Piles of Doom with their infinite talent and wisdom. We can take it. Or be crushed trying.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>1. Maggie Stiefvater</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Picked by: </b>Natalie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Wait, you mean, someone hadn't read a Stiefvater original before 2016? Yes. It's <i>always me </i>that's late to jump onto the bandwagon, but here I am. Firmly on it and happy. I finally read The Raven Boys last year and fell in love with it, which surprised me, because I don't tend to like what everyone else likes (I'm not a book hipser by choice, the hipster life chose me).<br />I'm glad I was able to read her work because I was very much impressed, and I can for sure see myself reading her books in the future! And I WILL read <i>The</i> <i>Raven King</i> this year, I'm just too scared...someone encourage me to read it please.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>2. Cinda Williams Chima</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Picked by: </b>Lexie</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The official-unofficial Fantasy Fiend club comes with perks. Alas, the first rule of Fantasy Fiend club is: <i>do not talk about said perks</i>. But in the spirit of breaking oaths and embracing moral dubiousness as well as some of my favorite fantastical fiends, I'll just disclose this one: upon entry, a stack of giant scary books is dropped on your head. Those are the Genre Staples by Revered Authors which Must Be Read, lest your Fiendish Title be stripped away. Chief among said authors: Cinda Williams Chima. And after years of dodging and fleeing official Fantasy Enforcers, at the beginning of 2016 I bought and read <i>The Seven Realms </i>series, and it was exactly as glorious as I was always promised. Now if you'll excuse me - I have a stack of Chimaness to drop on some unsuspecting fresh meat. WELCOME ABOARD, FANTASY FIENDS. Cinda Williams Chima, as it turns out, is a staple for a reason.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>3. Kasie West</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Picked by: </b>Natalie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I bet you scoffed or rolled your eyes when you saw this. It's no secret that I'm a West fangirl, so it's no surprise that she's on this list. Her books just fill me with a fluffy, chirpy goodness, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that'd she'd written quite a few books so I was able to indulge in a Kasie West marathon. Simple writing but it's so easy to fly through, all of her books are readable in one sitting, and they're like crack. Once you read one, you're in need to grab the rest because OMG GIVE THEM TO ME NOW. They are so cute and easily lovable. Did I mention they're cute? I'm sure I did.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>4. Erin Morgenstern</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Picked by: </b>Lexie</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The only reason Erin Morgenstern isn't headlining this Top 10 event is that she's only ever penned that one glorious piece of gloriousness - <i>The Night Circus</i>. But has said piece proven enough to sell me on Erin and all her future work? Yes. Has it resorted me to weekly social media stalk-sessions in hopes a future release is announced? <strike>No, not at all. Except totally.</strike> Has it had me plotting to transplant her magnificent, lyrical, storytelling brain into my own head? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">... Aaaanyway. Erin Morgenstern. 1/1 Lexie would recommend.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>5. Amy Ewing</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Picked by: </b>Natalie</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I picked up <i>The Book of Ivy</i> FINALLY after having it on my bookshelf for yonks, and I was <i>very </i>happy with it. I found her writing was wonderful, it didn't drag and she kept it at a good pace with some very interesting story. It has made me curious to read her other work, and I think I'll be keeping an eye on what's coming up on the horizon this year. I do wish I'd read the books sooner, but it doesn't matter because I've read them and now have an author to add to the 'stalk their future projects' list.</span>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>6. Jennifer Lynn Barnes</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Picked by: </b>Lexie</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Some randomly chosen underrated YA concepts:</b> YA mystery/thrillers (still!), complex and dynamic squads outside of fantasy, serial killers (but only in fiction, kids, don't try this at home), and RESEARCH.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>YA concepts that Jennifer Lynn Barnes champions in <i>The Naturals</i>:</b> YA thrillers, a complex and dynamic squad outside of fantasy, serial killers (but only in fiction, kids, nobody tried this at home), and RESEARCH.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Much as I spared myself the brunt of the sequel-awaiting pains by only picking the series up a few months before its final book was out, I was nevertheless treated to a whopping hangover after it was all said and done. But here's the kick: Jennifer Lynn Barnes has much more in store, some of it already published. Guess we know whose bandwagon I'll be camping out on throughout the upcoming year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>7. Nick Hornby</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Picked by: </b>Natalie</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'd heard of Hornby and I've been aware of his books, but I just never thought I'd enjoy them. They seemed to me as if I wouldn't like or enjoy the humour he has in his stories, but I was quite wrong after picking up About a Boy. I only read it because I adore the film so much, and although strangely enough I did prefer the film - *gasp* - I think I might check out some of his other work. I think trying out different kinds of authors and stories is a good idea, and going into actual fiction in stead of hiding in YA might be a good idea. Hornby can be a start. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>8. Holly Black</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Picked by: </b>Lexie</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yes, hello, everyone. I've been in a coma for ten years, a dog ate my homework, and my brother accidentally took <i>my</i> bookshelf to school with him - which is why I'm only about a decade late to the weird and whimsical wonder that is Holly Black. Until 2016, she was the author of that book with a cow on the cover. In 2016, she became... well, the author of that book with a cow on the cover. But rather than off-putting, now it's incredibly appealing - following the crazy fairytale ride that was <i>The Darkest Part of the Forest</i>. I mean... don't you want to know what that cow is all about?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>9. Robin Benway</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Picked by:</b> Natalie</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Robin wrote the wonderful book<i> Emmy & Oliver </i>that I got from a book box subscription, and at first, I didn't think it was my cup of tea. Well, let me tell you, I devoured that <i>so damn fast </i>and afterwards, I looked online just hoping she'd written something else. Luckily she has, so I've TBR'd a few more she's done, just anticipating on whether it's as good as E&O . I have faith in her though, and I can't wait to pick them up. Emmy & Oliver was one of my favourite contemporaries of 2016, and I wouldn't mind giving it a cheeky re-read before giving other books like <i>'Audrey, Wait!' </i>and <i>'The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, & June'</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>10. Jessica Shirvington</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Picked by:</b> Lexie</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">True story: Jessica Shirvington has me a hair's breadth away from painting myself a very silly color and taking a stand in front of whichever government office in Australia handles its territorial rights - or whichever individual publisher is at fault. Because, as I keep pointing out: getting one's paws on her Disrupton duology is a pain and involves all sorts of chicanery and bribery and things better left unsaid in a public forum. Let's just say that my Australian family was put to a stringent test of loyalty. (They passed. In return I slathered them in Vegemite and sent them into a kangaroo enclave.) And the duology's abundance of sass and sass and ruthless protagonists and sass and sassy friends and also sass is enough to render me unwilling to repeat the procedure when Jessica's future books are out. I ran out of Vegemite and the kangaroos never gave my Aussie contingents back. REEXAMINE YOUR PRIORITIES, AUSSIE PUBLISHING!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That's all, folks - except not at all, because we can (and will) happily bombard you with many a new discovery in the imminent future. But for now, do let us know who your favorite new authorial discoveries of 2016 were - that we may be crushed by our TBRs in style!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://twitter.com/HonestBookclub" style="font-weight: bold;">Twitter</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a href="http://instagram.com/thehonestbookclub/" style="font-weight: bold;">Instagram</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Honest-Bookclub/1496051057292070" style="font-weight: bold;">Facebook</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/honest-bookclub-12534005" style="font-weight: bold;">Bloglovin</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6092526-natalie">Natalie's Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20726801-lexie">Lexie's Goodreads</a></b></span></div>
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The Honest Bookclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11459426023919815702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901173538948742448.post-38729505634137505082017-01-18T02:28:00.002+00:002017-01-18T02:52:16.018+00:00TOP 10 MOST ANTICIPATED 2017 READS<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Fun fact: the size of a reader's anticipated releases list is directly proportional to their time spent reading. The more books you chomp away at, the bigger it gets.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I don't make the rules. It's just how it is.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As part of The Great And Terrible TBR, the list of anticipated books coming out in the year ahead grows when you stare at it and grows when you don't. You're sure one of the two is worse, but you aren't sure which. Last year you had 5 books you were eagerly waiting for. This year it's 25. And as for the next...</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">... let's think about that tomorrow, shall we? As for now, we're sharing our list of our most *GRABBY HANDS* reads due to come out this year, and sneaking in the terrible things we'd do for the ARC ahead of time.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strike>(Just in case some publishers in dire need of a mafiosi duo are listening.)</strike></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;">1. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23766634-a-court-of-wings-and-ruin">A Court of Wings And Ruin</a> by Sarah J. Maas</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Picked by:</i></b> both</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Release date:</i></b> May 2nd 2017</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Just in case we haven't made clear what an awesome little crumpet of joy and importance <i>A Court Of Mist and Fury</i> was - FEEEEEEL OUR NEED FOR THE FINAL BOOK! FEEL IT CONSUME YOUR SOUL AND EAT YOUR HEART AND WEAR YOUR PELT AS A CAPE</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">! Because... that's where we are right now. And if that description was at all gory and ominous and downright foreboding - so is the fear of what said sequel might contain. We coordinate like that. And in an effort not to spoil the previous books in the series, that's all that can really be said about it. (IT WILL DESTROY YOU! WELCOME ABOARD!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>2. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28145767-strange-the-dreamer">Strange the Dreamer</a> by Laini Taylor</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Picked by: </i></b>Lexie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Release date:</i></b> March 28th 2017</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's now officially been ACTUAL, LITERAL ages since Laini Taylor's <i>Daughter of Smoke and Bone</i> series ended. But HAVE I ALLOWED THAT TO STOP ME FROM PROCLAIMING MY UNDYING LOVE OF LAINI AND PLEDGING ALLEGIANCE TO HER FUTURE WORK? Haaardly. I consider any time not admiring Laini to be time wasted, and so here we are. Not only does <i>Strange The Dreamer</i> look and sound exactly as beautiful, poetic, multicultural and MAD as one might expect from Laini, it's also a fantasy duology featuring a clumsy bookworm librarian set in a place called Weep. Excuse me while I weep... for an ARC. (I am not ashamed of that pun. Glad you asked.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>3. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30256248-by-your-side">By Your Side</a> by Kasie West</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Picked by:</i></b> Natalie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Release date: </i></b>January 31st 2017</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Well, first off - it's a Kasie West book. Secondly, it's set in a library. Thirdly, it's a Kasie West book. Wait, did I already say that? I will always read her books. They're like crack -once I read one, I've had to read them all! It's an instant mood-lifter for me, I devour them in one sitting and they're just... so darn cute! I will admit, I've seen some mixed reviews from readers who got ARCs of this one, but I'll try it out for myself. If you're not sure what this one is about, it's about a girl and a boy who are locked inside a library, which, to be fair, I would be alright with. An excuse to read all night and not write anything for university! I'm sure there is a fire exit somewhere but, y'know, books...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>4. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27883214-caraval">Caraval</a> by Stephanie Garber</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Picked by:</i></b> Lexie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Release date:</i></b> January 31st 2017</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>How To Win My Heart: A Practical Guide</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Step 1: Draw a constant comparison to <i>The Night Circus</i> from <strike>lucky, evil</strike> early readers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Step 2: Amass a plethora of NOTHING IN 2017 WILL TOP THIS BOOK reactions from said readers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Step 3: Be unapologetically weird in your synopsis and promise to be just as much so in the actual book.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Step 4: Fantasy + circus + sibling love!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Step 5: Repeat. (Because, seriously, I could go for about a dozen more of these.)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhRaYVDqdCr3JmF5N65gfGTqtLHxeSoJCQ2h-EJXeV6Xb_l_JWbKZl25-UBp-ur65tbrk0fU8Oc2G7pU9ESvtiDDVIf1jW4cVBn02bZiBUu8ej8bMP1k0LbF27gx8cizlOTw26Qzg5Qh3/s1600/valiant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhRaYVDqdCr3JmF5N65gfGTqtLHxeSoJCQ2h-EJXeV6Xb_l_JWbKZl25-UBp-ur65tbrk0fU8Oc2G7pU9ESvtiDDVIf1jW4cVBn02bZiBUu8ej8bMP1k0LbF27gx8cizlOTw26Qzg5Qh3/s320/valiant.jpg" width="211" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>5. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30320008-the-valiant">The Valiant</a> by Lesley Livingston</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>Picked by:</b></i> Natalie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Release date:</i></b> 14th February 2017</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You can't see a book about a women gladiator and not want to read it. How epic, bad-ass and super awesome does this sound? I mean, I can see her being some kind of warrior-Aelin who won't be taking any crap from people, and I hope it's everything I'm envisioning it to be.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I've not seen many reviews for this book, one but the ones I have seen are very positive. The synopsis sounds amazing and I hope it's full of revenge and girl-power because <i>YES. </i>Lately I've felt like that a lot of books that I picked up are quite similar, so it'll be fantastic to see something new like a gladiator-type book. Cannot wait to read this!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>6. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24909347-untitled">The Illuminae Files #3</a> by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Picked by:</i></b> Lexie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Release date:</i></b> October 2017 (but be honest, you know it'll be November/December)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Oh, don't mind me, I'm just sitting here, twiddling my thumbs and plotting theft and chicanery in order to get my hands on this book. Because while it may have been stuck right into the middle of this list, it's one I'd probably do the most nefarious things for. But alas! <i>The Illuminae Files</i> are as uniquely formatted as they are plotted, and they should only ever be read in physical form. So even after the ABSOLUTE GLORIOUSNESS that the first two in the series were, we're stuck here without even a solid hope of an e-ARC. It just isn't the same without having to a giant, brightly-colored murder-weapon-of-a-hardover 360 degrees in midair in a public place and raise every eyebrow in the room, let's just say.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>7. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33590260-untitled">Untitled</a> by Sarah J. Maas</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Picked by:</i></b> Natalie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Release date:</i></b> 5th September 2017</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Naturally, the last <i>Throne of Glass</i> book is going in this list. I mean, we have to know what happens in the final book after all of those years, the action and sass, the blood and tears. The anticipation for this book is huge, and it's obviously going to be a big-ass book because, well, it's by Sarah J. Maas! I'm just hoping she doesn't pull a Veronica Roth or starts slaughtering all the characters because then I'd end up depressed and eating my weight in ice cream. <i>Especially </i>if she harms my Rowan because he is my darling boy! (Yeah, same goes for Rhysand, Sarah, please don't hurt them). <i>Bring on September!</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Also: title and book cover soon? *waits impatiently*</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>8. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22724476-fall-boys-dizzy-in-paradise">Fall Boys & Dizzy In Paradise</a> by Jandy Nelson</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Picked by:</i></b> Lexie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>Release date:</b></i> 2017 (but be honest, you know it'll be 2018)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">(Look at Lexie, pretending to have a diversified genre list by sneaking a single contemporary halfway into it.) Jandy Nelson is a weird human of weirdness, and therefore obviously one of my favorite writerly humans overall. Her (female) protagonists are named Lenon, her (twin) protagonists are Noah-and-Jude, hyphens and all. Parts of her books are poetry, parts of her books are set in a different timeline, parts of her books are gumwrappers, and <i>all</i> of her books are delightful, unique and important. I was always going to develop a crush on the kind of writing that describes art so vividly that it makes it tangible. But it's just my own good fortune that said writing comes in a consistently amazing package. So, no, <i>Fall Boys & Dizzy In Paradise</i> doesn't have a specific release date <i>or</i> a synopsis. But (a) it's Jandy Nelson, and (b) LOOK AT THAT TITLE.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Picked by:</i></b> Natalie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>Release date:</b></i> 31st January 2017</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I hate to say this but I heard about this from Booktube. I hate saying this because I've had bad experience with the books they recommend, mostly because they pretty much get pushed to promote the same exact titles across the board (and that discussion is for another post), but I might give this one a go. It sounds interesting, and with a title like that, it sounds pretty contemporary-ish, but it's surprisingly not. It's supposed to be mysterious and it features a girl and her brother being rescued by a bounty hunter called X. Hmmm, with a name like that, I'm already intrigued by them! I guess we shall see how this one goes!</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">10. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24485589-hunted">Hunted</a> by Meagan Spooner</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>Picked by:</b></i> Lexie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>Release date:</b></i> March 14th 2017</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">True story: I am about as unbiased about <i>Beauty And The Beast</i> as an author is about their own book. Granted, <i>BaTB </i>isn't my brainchild in <i>any</i> sense of the word, BUT IT MIGHT AS WELL BE. ITS ORIGINAL AUTHOR CLEARLY PLAGIARIZED MY SOUL. So with that in mind, a <i>BaTB </i>retelling was <i>always</i> going to make the cut, and always has in the past. Because not only do I <i>love</i> <i>BaTB </i>- I am also very much <i>not</i> a purist when it comes to it. I loved every retelling I've come across so far (YES, EVEN <i>CRUEL BEAUTY</i>!), and Hunted is no different. Because, yes, I may or may not have read it already. And it may or may not have stolen my heart and locked it in a decrepit castle. As you do in <i>BaTB</i>. It's okay, though. I have it on good authority that said castle contains a library. I'm all good.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Go ahead, book dragons (and humans alike) - ADD TO OUR PRECARIOUSLY TILTED TBR PILES OF PISA. Let us know what your most anticipated 2017 releases are in the comments below, and YOU'RE WELCOME FOR ANY ADDITION TO YOURS in turn. We're just ever so kind, and not at all secretly conspiring with your TBRs to kill you in your sleep. #peaceandlove No one ever said bookish life came devoid of any danger.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://twitter.com/HonestBookclub" style="font-weight: bold;">Twitter</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a href="http://instagram.com/thehonestbookclub/" style="font-weight: bold;">Instagram</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Honest-Bookclub/1496051057292070" style="font-weight: bold;">Facebook</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/honest-bookclub-12534005" style="font-weight: bold;">Bloglovin</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6092526-natalie">Natalie's Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20726801-lexie">Lexie's Goodreads</a></b></span></div>
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The Honest Bookclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11459426023919815702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901173538948742448.post-27685444603222829802017-01-04T04:27:00.000+00:002017-01-04T04:27:13.593+00:00TOP 10 MOST DISAPPOINTING 2016 READS<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">MAKE WAY FOR THE PARTY POOPERS! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Let it never be said we only spread joy. After all, there's no sense of accomplishment in saving Christmas unless the Grinch jeopardizes it first. In-between all the happy-go-lucky end-of-the-year features we've been posting as we recap our reading year and pave the way for the next one, eventually the time comes for our <i>least </i>and <i>worst </i>and <i>the most disappointing</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We won't lie - these are among the easiest books to pick. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a blogger in possession of a large <i>'Read'</i> pile must be in want of a rant.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Consider this the end-of-the-year recap of our most prominent rants. <strike>And please don't stone us.</strike></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: xx-large;">1. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29056083-harry-potter-and-the-cursed-child---parts-one-and-two">The Cursed Child</a> by John Tiffany & Jack Thorne</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Picked by:</b> both!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://thehonestbookclub.blogspot.rs/2016/08/the-curse-of-cursed-child-book-review.html">Fun fact: there are more problems with <i>The Cursed Child</i> than there are pages of the actual screenplay.</a> Ultimately, the biggest one seems to be that <i>Harry Potter</i> is not quite <i>Harry Potter</i> without J.K. Rowling. And also: <i>Harry Potter</i> is not quite <i>Harry Potter</i> without... Harry Potter? This is not good writing, friends. Not even for the fanfiction that it is. The HP series has seen better fanfiction. And HP ha</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">s </span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">definitely</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> seen better writing. Forget consistency. Forget characterization. Forget complexity. This is a semblance of a plot stemming from the series' worst plot hole which takes place at a time and in a place we've already experienced - except this time with no rhyme or reason. Also featuring: a really bizarre trolley witch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Picked by:</b> Natalie</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And the award for one of the most disgusting and awful protagonists in 2016 goes to this one. I just... I<i> hated all the characters so much, </i>especially her. I couldn't care less about what happened to any of them and I lost interest so fast. It's a real shame, though, as I've been eager to read this book and series for<i> so </i>long, considering it's been on my kindle for months, and months. The time came, and it didn't last long. I'd heard mixed things about this, but I thought it sounded like a good story especially the Seven Deadly Sins idea. Such a shame it flopped for me. There's being vain and then there's being a huge douche.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: xx-large;">3. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23127048-air-awakens">The Air Awakens</a> series by Elise Kova</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Picked by:</b> Lexie</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It should <i>not</i> be the case that a book set around a library that's essentially a retelling of <i>The Last Airbender</i> should be so very, very... cliched? And yet here we are. While by no means the worst offender of the year for me, <i>Air Awakens</i> is one with the highest potential which fell short of it the most spectacularly. Even deeming this a bona fide 'fantasy series'</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> is giving it more credit than it deserves. Essentially, </span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Air Awakens</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> is a compilation of every YA trope that ever troped, bound together between two covers. Said covers, meanwhile, depict a Caucasian blonde despite the protagonist being a dark-skinned, dark-haired, 'Eastern' eyed (#dontevengetmestarted) girl? Not to be outdone by all the problems of the plot, I guess, the (otherwise immensely talented) cover artist followed suit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Picked by:</b> Natalie</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Little fun fact</i> - this was my first DNF of 2016.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's also the first mermaid book I've read and I hope it's not my last. I don't want this one to leave a bad taste in my mouth because this was just... <i>dull. Really </i>boring. I found myself just skimming the pages, waiting for something to happen but sadly nothing did. Honestly, looking back, I don't even remember any of the characters' names or the concrete events that hardly even happened. I don't want this to taint my idea of mermaid stories, I just haven't found a good one yet. If anyone has any recommendations, do tell! Not much to say because I don't remember anything.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: xx-large;">5</b><b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: xx-large;">. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20983362-passenger">Passenger</a> by Alexandra Bracken</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Picked by:</b> Lexie</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I napped. <i>Oh, the travesty.</i> I napped through the time travel, I napped through the pirates, I napped through the instalove, I napped through the semblance of a plot. I napped through whole sections of unnecessary overdescription and clumsy exposition. I napped even when the book attempted to beat me over the head with its glaringly obvious themes. It could have attempted to garrote me, and I'd have napped. So <i>Passenger </i>was good for my health - but bad for my reading tastes. Any <i>one</i> of its features could have made it thrilling, given more dynamic writing, but alas. I napped.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdvj86NQRzIP46dKCtg6DAmo7vWUwzDffv-USrMxqPblckQhqJrdoaw4iubV6hLLaxjYJKfjK5Vju7gX40VMdVgz9t-vI7KqAhTBr7Nwdj2dSZ0ZiOZgRkXv-nsvPQLRQW_VdY5xaBHB7U/s1600/n9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdvj86NQRzIP46dKCtg6DAmo7vWUwzDffv-USrMxqPblckQhqJrdoaw4iubV6hLLaxjYJKfjK5Vju7gX40VMdVgz9t-vI7KqAhTBr7Nwdj2dSZ0ZiOZgRkXv-nsvPQLRQW_VdY5xaBHB7U/s320/n9.jpg" width="205" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>6. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25111004-november-9">November 9</a> by Colleen Hoover</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Picked by:</b> Natalie</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I knew I wasn't going to LOVE this book, but I thought I'd at least<i> enjoy</i> it. <i>Not even that. </i>This was the first book I read by Ms. Hoover in a while and after Ugly Love (which was just okay, but I enjoyed it), I felt it was turning into those silly, predictable New Adult books. Harsh? Maybe, but it's true. It was just drama and characters who make stupid decisions. The premise of the whole story was just ridiculous to me, as well.</span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"> I didn't like any of its elements, especially the love interest, and I found it was all just unrealistic and too influenced by these other popular NA authors. I found myself thinking 'this is like any other NA book ever', just recycled. I still do like her writing style, but apart from that, it was just a mess. I'm sorry, Colleen. </span></div>
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: xx-large;">7. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23174274-glass-sword">Glass Sword</a> by Victoria Aveyard</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Picked by:</b> Lexie</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This one is on me. I asked for it. I poked a belligerent sleeping dragon with a stick and it... kinda yawned at me? Because <i>booooooring</i>. But eventually it got around to actually breathe the fire of frustration and burn me to a crisp, and that was worse. After having disliked <i>Red Queen</i>, I had no business even being around this sequel. But there I was, poking the slumbering sequel. And in the end I couldn't decide if it was worse when it was boring, or if it was worse when it was frustrating. Those, ultimately, were the only two emotions it inspired.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>8. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19380.Candide">Candide, or Optimism</a> by Voltaire</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Picked by:</b> Natalie</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Isn't this the most random book ever for this list? Why, yes. Yes it is. I had to read this for university, and honestly, I was quite looking forward to getting into this. My tutor was telling us about it in a general sense, saying it's basically a fairy-tale where things went wrong, but the protagonist tries to stay positive. It had a lot of humour in it and I thought this was going to be a funny read where Voltaire just satirizes everything.<br />Well, it was not good for me. I hate this kind of writing style and it doesn't help when you have to write essays about it, takes the fun out of it. If you don't mind reading classics, you might like this, but ugh. I hate dit. The idea of the story is good but nope. Let me down. There was me thinking I'd enjoy a set book for university... psh.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: xx-large;">9. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29569157-zenith">Zenith</a> by Lindsay Cummings & Sasha Alsberg</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Picked by:</b> Lexie</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How to get on a reader's bad side: a two-pronged path.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Path 1: be derivative and an amalgamation of other popular books in the genre.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Path 2: be boring and unintentionally insult a reader's intelligence at every turn.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bonus part 3: somehow be both?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://thehonestbookclub.blogspot.rs/2016/10/book-review-zenith-by-sasha-alsberg.html">Zenith chose #3.</a> Me = not amused.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Picked by:</b> Natalie</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Disclaimer: I DID NOT HATE THIS BOOK. I still enjoyed reading it, and I will continue to enjoy Sarah's books because she is queen. I was a tad disappointed and I'll explain why. Hear me out!</b><br />Just wanted to say that before you started throwing things at me. *peeps head up from behind the sofa* okay, let me explain myself. First off, I was suuuuper excited to read this, and I had many issues with ordering it because Amazon were knobs, but I finally had it in my hands, and I was overjoyed to be delving into this world again. Mid-book, I was actually a little bored. I don't know if this is a popular opinion or an unpopular one, but I found it was quite repetitive. <i>Fight scene, fight scene, fight scene, fight scene, super-long chat, fight scene. </i>Le sigh. I know there is bound to be lots in this but I just felt there were so many, and they were also quite similar. <br />I also find these books can be confusing at times, but I kind of forgot who a lot of people were, like side characters, minor characters, and where everyone was from. The world Sarah has created is very complex and at times, quite confusing, so I was like 'wait, who was that again?' and because I haven't read <i>Assassins Blade</i> yet, I might not have been aware of a few others. I don't know, it's a very long book and I just found it dragged a bit. I just want the finale now, and I wanted it all tied together. I am, however, super excited to see the ending and where they'll all be in the end. <i>BRING ON THE YEAR OF THE MAAS.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For commiserations and constructive debate, please leave a comment below. For stonings and death threats, please take a ticket from the non-existent booth that totally exists, or get a fast pass at the imaginary totally real fast pass booth to your right.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What were your least favorite books of the year, pumpkins? The ones which you hoped would result in a rabid reading frenzy and severe bookish hangover and instead sort of ended with a yawn (or a growl of frustration)?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://twitter.com/HonestBookclub" style="font-weight: bold;">Twitter</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a href="http://instagram.com/thehonestbookclub/" style="font-weight: bold;">Instagram</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Honest-Bookclub/1496051057292070" style="font-weight: bold;">Facebook</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/honest-bookclub-12534005" style="font-weight: bold;">Bloglovin</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6092526-natalie">Natalie's Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20726801-lexie">Lexie's Goodreads</a></b></span></div>
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The Honest Bookclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11459426023919815702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901173538948742448.post-61688834964731267132016-12-29T12:00:00.000+00:002016-12-29T12:21:11.868+00:00FAVORITE BOOK BLOGS THAT INSPIRE US DAILY<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As has been a long-standing end-of-the-year tradition in the blogosphere, at the end of the year we share our favorites. Around these parts, the favorites are usually confined to books, quotes, characters and such things as we can easily devour - and encourage others to devour in turn. (Books are <i>delicious</i>, my friends.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But that's really only a part of it. Because books and characters are made all the more delicious by the people we choose to smother with them - and have them smother us back in turn. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Call it a uniquely bookish kink.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Blogging is not blogging if done alone. In a vacuum, blogging is nothing more than diary-keeping. We tried it. It's a low-risk, low-reward situation, and exactly as mundane as it sounds. But in a community, aaaaah. In a community, blogging is made into a fine art of mutual bookish smotherdom, and this year we're choosing to honor it. So we're sharing the blogs and the bloggers who make it all worthwhile for us - and who have contributed to making 2016 at least a bit brighter than the gloom it's determined to be remembered by.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In no particular order - enjoy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="http://loonyliterate.com/">Loony Literate</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Reigning monarch:</b> Emily</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.loonyliterate.com/lara-jeans-christmas-cookie-bonanza/">Emily's last post was about <i>cookies</i>.</a> They were featured in a delicious, delicious book series. She baked them. There were pictures. <b>Enough said.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When not being a stupendously creative pumpkin of awesome (who serves us ramen-based folk a cocktail of envy and existential crisis), Emily moonlights as <a href="https://www.instagram.com/theloonytuney/">a gloriously talented bookstagrammer</a>, a cat whisperer, a NaNoWriMo conqueror, a communications student and a unique-post-writer-extraordinaire. How she manages to juggle it all is anyone's guess - especially as I have it on good authority that she's as fond of naps as I am.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Except when I nap, I <i>don't </i>sleepwalk and complete 7 tasks simultaneously. Some people just aren't good at napping. It's a curse.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As an Oz representative, her posts are sure to feature Australian books you'll then kill yourself to find. (Nobody ever said that a reader's life is all fun and games.) But the sheer brilliance of their co</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ntent once you do makes up for it entirely. <i>#LookingAtYouDisruption</i></span><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="http://paperfury.com/">PaperFury</a></b><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Reigning monarch:</b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Cait</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">True story: when I first stumbled upon Paper Fury, my first and only pervasive thought was THIS HUMAN SOUNDS LIKE MAGGIE STIEFVATER. MAGGIE STIEFVATER IS MY DEITY. THIS HUMAN IS THEREFORE MY DEITY-BY-PROXY? <strike>(And look at us now, with vague-yet-definitive world-conquering plans.)</strike> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Little did I know that, quite apart from sharing my obsessive love of The Great Stiefvaterland, Cait also shares my brain, my love of writing, my abuse of Caps Lock, and just about <i>all</i> my bookish tastes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Except, you know, she actually conveys them articulately.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Enter Cait's famous love of fantasy, dragons an</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">d cake, her manic speedwriting (think 100,000 words in 4 days), her bookstagram ruling, </span>her overlording tendencies - and you have yourself a recipe for the foremost of my favorite humans. Book reviews come in Caps-prone lists, miscellaneous posts feature Stiefvater shoutouts, ever</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ything is interspersed with <a href="https://www.instagram.com/paperfury/">glorious bookish photos</a>, and the <a href="https://twitter.com/PaperFury">Tweets are an anthology of a bookworm's life</a>. In essence, Cait does all and Cait rules all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But don't let it fool you. Despite the sheer size of her reach and her occasional dreams of tyranny an</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">d firebreathing, Cait is a 100% confirmed nice and benevolent human who will always treat you like an equal. <strike>(But you didn't hear it from me.)</strike></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://quitethenovelidea.com/">Quite The Novel Idea</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Reigning monarchs:</b> Liza, Bee, Rachel & Effie</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As of a few days ago, Quite The Novel Idea is a foursome. And of the four girls who run it, two are my NaNoWriMo writing buddies. You'd think this is a conflict-of-interest disclaimer, but nah. I am merely bragging. Because Quite The Novel Idea is just that good - in case the clever title pun didn't already tip you off to their inherent awesomeness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In a display of crazy, enviable organization skills that not even bloggers are known to possess, the girls at Quite The Novel Idea also post daily. (TEACH US, MASTERS!) Which means that a subscription to QTNI guarantees that the subscriber will never run out of bookish content, and will possibly never be bored a day in their life. If these daily recommendations don't have you itching to grab the nearest book and (literally or figuratively) devour it, nothing ever will.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And that's not to mention that the QTNI girls are Actual Diversity Champions. <i>(The world got together and voted secretly. Tag, girls. You're it.)</i> Nowhere is there quite so much diversity as there is among their reads, and nowhere is it more prominently championed than in their posts. So when the world does such crazy things as elect hateful demagogues to leading positions</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">, QTNI is where we run and hide until we once again believe that the planet is too heterogeneous to be repressed.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><b style="font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="http://reviewsfromabookworm.blogspot.com/">Reviews from a Bookworm</a></b></b>
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Reigning monarch:</b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Charnell</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/reviewbookworm">In her current profile picture on Twitter, Charnell is holding a sickle to Pierce Brown's neck.</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Just... putting that out there. That happened. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">nd that succinctly justifies all further praise I'm about to bestow upon her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You wouldn't know it from such homicidal displays, perhaps, but Charnell is the world's kindest, supportive and most benevolent soul. Replace the sickle with a book, and you get a meticulous, verbose and <i>honest</i> reviewer - and perhaps the only person alive whose negative bookish experiences err on the side of educational rather than ranty and shouty. (Guilty.) You might have loved the book she disliked, but somehow? You agree? With every point? She makes against it? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That I largely agree with her is just a fringe benefit, really. And a testament to her brilliance, obviously.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">These days, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reviews_from_a_bookworm/">Charnell is the official-unoff</a></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reviews_from_a_bookworm/">icial queen of bookstagram</a> - instilling envy in just about everyone (double guilty!) for both her glooorio</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">us bookish collection and her magnificent bookstagrammy skills and dedication. Take it from somebody who knows (and fails) - bookstagram takes time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Apart f</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">rom threatening lives of authors, on Twitter Charnell is also an outspoken mental health advocate and a heaping pile of awesome. Putting <i>that</i> out there, too.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://itstartsatmidnight.com/">It Starts at Midnight</a></b><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Reigning monarch:</b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Shannon</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">With It Starts At Midnight, there was <i>never</i> going to be any debate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- As the title suggests, Shannon 'ensures insomnia through books'.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- I am 3% orange pulp and 97% caffeine.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- Sleep, needless to say, is on neither of our list of priorities - not, that is, when there's JUST ONE MORE PAGE to be read. So me and ISAM was always going to be a match made in heaven.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And just to make absolutely sure I fell in love with the blog completely, It Starts At Midnight is the hotbed of <i>amazing, stunning, thought-provoking, contagious discussion posts.</i> If ever a beloved blog post does poorly and you wonder where all the commenters went - they're at Shannon's, debating whatever the latest discussion topic was. Then they rushed to their own blog/platform of choice, to follow up. #NOCOMMENTSFORYOU #SORRYNOTSORRY Alongside <a href="https://feedyourfictionaddiction.com/">Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction</a>, Shannon also hosts an <a href="https://itstartsatmidnight.com/2016/12/2017-discussion-challenge-sign/">annual discussion challenge</a> - that we may all pretend to be as thoughtful and insightful as she is, with a little help.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/ShannonMiz">Twitter!Shannon</a> is a personable, kind and hilarious human. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/shannonmiz/">Bookstagram!Shannon</a> is an inven</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">tive, inspirational bookish photographer. And general!Shannon shares my love of iced coffee and The 100. However you look at it, it's a winning combo. #totallyunbiased</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ofwonderland.com/">Of Wonderland</a></b></span>
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Reigning monarchs:</b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Inge, Aly, Ella & Anissa</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Much like Quite The Novel Idea, Of Wonderland is also a very recent foursome. Unlike QTNI, none are my writing buddies. (Yet. I HAVE PLANS, FRIENDS. GREAT PLANS. WORLD CONQUERING PLANS.) Social butterfly that I am, these days I stalk Of Wonderland more than interact with it. #becauseawkward But in and of itself, that's as ringing an endorsement as I can give a blog.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Let's just say they had me at 'Wonderland'.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And in keeping with the theme, this escapist little readerly hideout practically <i>is</i> Wonderland. Except what made <i>no</i> sense in Alice's Wonderland makes all the sense in the world in this bookish kind. Which, as it turns out, takes nothing away from the atmospheric weirdness. It only enhances it. (Plus, it's generally considered helpful when discussions and reviews make at least a little bit of sense.) Each of the Wonderland dwellers here has a unique, quirky voice and a equally unique, quirky style, and they never hesitate to make their opinions known - which makes them actual #GOALS to those of us who still get panic attacks every time an unpopular opinion creeps its way into our posts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Not to mention, from personal experien</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ce, these are the sort of humans who organize a massive get-well project for a friend before their surgery, and who praise Maggie Stiefvater about as enthusiastically as I do. Which qualifies a person for sainthood, in this little corner of the blogosphere.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="http://zoereads.org/">Stories On Stage</a></b><b><br /></b></span>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Reigning monarch:</b> Zoe</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Zoe is a fantastic human. 1/1 me would recommend. And I'm not just saying that because she seems to share just about all my bookish opinions. That merely speaks to our mutually excellent taste, obviously.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Unlike a lot of the messy, shouty, disorganized, gif-heavy messes that <i>*cough* some of us *cough*</i> fall prey to, Zoe's reviews are little morsels of deliciousness and awesome. They're informative and to-the-point, always guaranteed to explore the <i>essence</i> of a book rather than its potential fancasts <strike>(mercifully)</strike>, all while remaining honest to a fault. These are the kinds of honest reviews that just about always reflect on a side of a book we never even paused to see - rendering Stories On Stage not just informative, but also downright educational. Zoe achieves that perfect blend of recapping a book and reviewing it that <i>*cough* some of us *cough*</i> might never achieve - and thus basically sets the bar for all of the rest of the community to attempt to leap over.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><strike>Spoiler alert: by "some of us", I may mean me. Possibly it's someone exactly like me, who is also me. But this hasn't been confirmed.</strike></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But I tend to agree with Zoe on just about all. So I'm a tad biased.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It also helps that <a href="https://twitter.com/act_flip_read">on Twitter, she's the funniest and the friendliest of book fiends</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As it turns out, listing favorite bookish blogs/bloggers equals Alice + rabbit hole - bottom. You do the math. Had I listed every single blog we openly or covertly stalk and which inspires us to try and occasionally do better, this little lovefest never would have ended.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But these humans are the foremost of our top-rated humans. Five stars. Highly recommended. Would socialize again. (Despite socialization being THE HEIGHT OF SCARE.) And on behalf of both my co-blogger, myself, and my imaginary friends, I've taken the opportunity to both thank them and recommend them to future stalkers and inspiration-junkies. These bloggers are a walking Pinterest inspiration board. And we're honored to be their followers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So talk to us, pumpkins! Who are your favorite blogs? Let us know in the comments below and consider yourselves tagged to let them know you appreciate them as 2016 winds down, and consider yourselves challenged to try and inspire others in turn next year. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://twitter.com/HonestBookclub" style="font-weight: bold;">Twitter</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a href="http://instagram.com/thehonestbookclub/" style="font-weight: bold;">Instagram</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Honest-Bookclub/1496051057292070" style="font-weight: bold;">Facebook</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/honest-bookclub-12534005" style="font-weight: bold;">Bloglovin</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6092526-natalie">Natalie's Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20726801-lexie">Lexie's Goodreads</a></b></span><br />
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The Honest Bookclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11459426023919815702noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901173538948742448.post-89633597164481662842016-12-27T08:24:00.000+00:002016-12-27T08:27:56.919+00:00TOP 10 SUPERCALIFRAGILISTIC 2016 READS<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It is a truth universally acknowledged that a reader stuck in 2016 must be in want of a book.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">True story.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The world at large doesn't agree on much, but when it comes to the past year, a great many of us can agree that it came a little bit short of ideal. But we are bookworms, bookdragons and book fiends alike - so our escapist comfort zone has been well established. (Cue montage of readers deflecting World Suck with books instead of shields.)</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As a byproduct of said World Suck, we were personally forced to hiatus until we could find books great enough to properly shield us from it all. And now that we have, we're back and sharing the 10 that served as the most effective shields - ones which gobbled us up and away from the real life altogether.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As has been a well-established tradition, these are in no particular order. There's no comparing greatness with greatness.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">1. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17927395-a-court-of-mist-and-fury">A Court of Mist and Fury</a> by Sarah J Maas</b><br />
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</b> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Series</b>: <i>A Court of Mist and Fury #2</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Fantasy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Review: </b><a href="http://thehonestbookclub.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/book-review-court-of-mist-and-fury-by.html">Yes</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you guessed this my number one, you were correct. I think <i class="">ACOMAF</i> has to be my favourite book of 2016, and maybe one of my favourite books <i>of all time.</i> (So far - there is another book to go! *fangirls*)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This book had everything I wanted and expected SJM to pull out of the bag for the sequel and maybe even more, and it's a book I still re-read over and over again. That's a big deal for me as it's rare that I re-read books. There's only a few speshul snowflakes that I actually read again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you're not familiar with the <i>A Court of Mist and Fury </i>series, I<i> highly</i> recommend you give them a try. Also, if anyone happens to be making their way to the Night Court, <i><u>please take me with them</u></i>. KTHNXBAI.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZwtOXUxPuX02mnHqnrUWzvIVuM15F-S0h5oxuwYh9BKY07MxZOx5RYXGgtE6nTWc7AjIGXfxaFtJP9iMIEUipliHilk4bcNJwCWdhHDLZhOCmHEShLX5C11wixJNstVuJC9zf4SADK8/s1600/The+Raven+Boys+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZwtOXUxPuX02mnHqnrUWzvIVuM15F-S0h5oxuwYh9BKY07MxZOx5RYXGgtE6nTWc7AjIGXfxaFtJP9iMIEUipliHilk4bcNJwCWdhHDLZhOCmHEShLX5C11wixJNstVuJC9zf4SADK8/s320/The+Raven+Boys+cover.jpg" width="210" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>2. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17675462-the-raven-boys">The Raven Boys</a> by Maggie Stiefvater</b></span><br />
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</b></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Series</b>: <i>The Raven Boys #1</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Genre:</b> <i>YA Paranormal</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Review:</b> <a href="http://thehonestbookclub.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/book-review-raven-boys-by-maggie.html">Yes</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">It took me awhile to finally read these books. I've had them sitting on my shelf for a good year or two. It eventually happened and I was <i>very pleasantly surprised. </i>I didn't actually expect to like the series quite that much. I fell in love with those Raven Boys as soon as I met them, and it's an ongoing love I have for them that will never die. #RAVENGIRL </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">I definitely think that if anyone isn't sure they'll enjoy this one, they should pick it up - because I was sucked into the world and adventures of Aglionby soooo fast and <i>never </i>wanted to get out. It gets to that point when you're doubting whether you should be even a real person as you now officially love too many fictional characters that your real life is just a lie. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And do not ask me which one is my favourite because I will never be able to answer. Ever. <i>How dare you ask such a question.</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXWp-UcDtqD96-7qB8deQW_h-x_BbsKxo_E-dtClbXMQr2kNxRNKqbUEDm2PxxaCCvXE2J-ej7w5u0F03n-XuDKls_Vj2NfnILbzyr0kD6IcuXpTChF40F8B4uwqy6Ov8Bi538ffPJBq9v/s1600/the+book+of+ivy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXWp-UcDtqD96-7qB8deQW_h-x_BbsKxo_E-dtClbXMQr2kNxRNKqbUEDm2PxxaCCvXE2J-ej7w5u0F03n-XuDKls_Vj2NfnILbzyr0kD6IcuXpTChF40F8B4uwqy6Ov8Bi538ffPJBq9v/s320/the+book+of+ivy.jpg" width="212" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>3. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20640755-the-book-of-ivy">The Book of Ivy</a> by Amy Engel</b></span><br />
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</b></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Series</b>: <i>The Book of Ivy #1</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Genre:</b> YA Dystopian</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Review:</b> <i>Upcoming</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I would like to formally thank this book and Ms. Amy Engel for getting me out of a long-ass reading slump. Like, REALLY, </span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">thank you! *hugs book*</i><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I only recently read this and I was instantly online trying to find it somewhere to be delivered before Christmas because THAT ENDING. I have zero chill when it comes to books that end like that. (Am I teasing you? Maybe. Go read it!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It features good pacing, I adored the characters so much (um, explain why Bishop isn't real because I'm mad rn), and I think the story was so well executed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'll be looking forward to reading more of Amy's work in 2017.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOpn_ewl0sEa0FFir6FqtvrupFRkQq9lJxLbg4Bx_HDMEvatrFZjeoLDpJAt_ohwC8mCN4DcQgTXSMUUChikKx0wV7kqELhYz0qkRb-1Yi_MWLwhvx72VqvoKx06yFKoadNHJXqoro0yEh/s1600/p.s.+i+like+you.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOpn_ewl0sEa0FFir6FqtvrupFRkQq9lJxLbg4Bx_HDMEvatrFZjeoLDpJAt_ohwC8mCN4DcQgTXSMUUChikKx0wV7kqELhYz0qkRb-1Yi_MWLwhvx72VqvoKx06yFKoadNHJXqoro0yEh/s320/p.s.+i+like+you.jpg" width="213" /></b></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>4. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25486998-p-s-i-like-you">P.S. I Like You</a> by Kasie West</b></span><br />
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</b></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Series</b>: <i>/</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Genre:</b> YA Contemporary</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Review:</b><a href="http://thehonestbookclub.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/book-review-ps-i-like-you-by-kasie-west.html#more"> Yes</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You know me, I'm not a huge fan of Kasie Wests books (#sarcasm). I cannot <i>WAIT</i> for her books next year, they are the easiest and fluffiest books you'll read. Her books are the <i>only books</i> that I read in one sitting, and I can guarantee you will put the book down smiling like an absolute idiot. Well, I do, anyway.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What I liked about this one more than the others was how different it was from the others. It had such lovely humour, wonderful ways that the characters came together and the ending was obviously satisfying and cheerful.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Having a tough week? Read the shitty news going on in the world? I can brighten your day and recommend<i> P.S. I Like You.</i> It won't help anything going on around the globe but it will hopefully lift your spirits up!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7bAzv9wjmmoBp2dU39CuSp7LfFJUZ2baFGRX-d8Aq1-OiNKHYKQGDr670LdEdYCuNOdhPzth84RakTlFJnDVcDVJTw7E3wVTRslY5BrxRCIa4MNv7CVXlW8GvNPOpxzh_YQJIrZyZT4/s1600/aboutabpy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7bAzv9wjmmoBp2dU39CuSp7LfFJUZ2baFGRX-d8Aq1-OiNKHYKQGDr670LdEdYCuNOdhPzth84RakTlFJnDVcDVJTw7E3wVTRslY5BrxRCIa4MNv7CVXlW8GvNPOpxzh_YQJIrZyZT4/s320/aboutabpy.jpg" width="190" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>5. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4273.About_a_Boy">About A Boy </a>by Nick Hornby</b></span><br />
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</b></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Series</b>: <i>/</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Brit Lit/Humour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Review</b>: <a href="http://thehonestbookclub.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/book-review-about-boy-by-nick-hornby.html#more">Yes</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I can't deny that I read this with comparisons to the movie in mind. It's one of my favourite movies and the book definitely didn't disappoint! I strangely prefer the film <i>(what?!</i>) but only because of the way the last part of the book plays out and the general pacing. Will and Marcus are delightfully entertaining and play off each other very well, and I love how different they are from other people I've read about. The British humour in the story reminds me of people in my own life, and I'm always fond of reading books from my own country.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's a real giggle at times, and although it does have some sad and emotional parts, they're important to the story. Ultimately I just found it moving and relatable.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHG6Lmgfvvm8gCJwHDifue2yj33O-19-tWDyn3QhmyPI8UCqBznoGHf7yrgH7Ra3s5xmVwbIZphrQEVe59c5aGJASw6k-jCNIlnN4m3HlRDVJyKNrA_-OUjxQYWDys4t8-APHTAerXT4/s1600/wtg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHG6Lmgfvvm8gCJwHDifue2yj33O-19-tWDyn3QhmyPI8UCqBznoGHf7yrgH7Ra3s5xmVwbIZphrQEVe59c5aGJASw6k-jCNIlnN4m3HlRDVJyKNrA_-OUjxQYWDys4t8-APHTAerXT4/s320/wtg.jpg" width="199" /></b></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>6. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26115279-who-s-that-girl">Who's That Girl?</a> by Mhairi McFarlane </b></span><br />
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</b></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Series</b>: <i>/</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Brit Lit/Humour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Review</b>: <a href="http://thehonestbookclub.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/book-review-whos-that-girl-by-mhairi.html#more">Yes</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I've always had a soft spot for Mhairi's writing, and when I saw the huge bloody size of this book, I thought to myself '<i>oh my god, this will take 5 years to read'</i>. Funnily enough, when I got to the end, I was sad it was over. I grew quite attached to the characters, and Mhairi's writing is so easy to consume that it was hard to put down. Although sometimes chick lit books can sometimes be quite silly and unrealistic (and the protag can make some annoying choices - which I expected!), I didn't let it ruin the reading experience for me. Gah, I just<i> love </i>reading a British book!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINuNNaTCUUoaeNOgea4cuWoRaG_Yh6T0rVkgE3chjG1xx5hwqt-r7E4u6O0XWLFy9d49fUGwWi6J8jXRo8208UQg39WsrX8q-qtYUMZVq0ApWEVzAv5-vIkIKaaEY_DRdf_YA3HqKnV8t/s1600/opposition.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINuNNaTCUUoaeNOgea4cuWoRaG_Yh6T0rVkgE3chjG1xx5hwqt-r7E4u6O0XWLFy9d49fUGwWi6J8jXRo8208UQg39WsrX8q-qtYUMZVq0ApWEVzAv5-vIkIKaaEY_DRdf_YA3HqKnV8t/s320/opposition.jpg" width="214" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>7. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13644055-opposition">Opposition</a> by Jennifer L. Armentrout </b></span><br />
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</b></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Series</b>: The Lux series #5</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Paranormal</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Review</b>: <a href="http://thehonestbookclub.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/book-review-opposition-by-jennifer-l.html">Yes</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I read this early in 2016 and I still remember how epic this series was. The ending was just <i>ughhh so good</i>, and although they're long as hell, they were constantly captivating throughout. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I can't deny that I have a crush on an alien. Yes, I would be perfectly happy to find out I live next door to Daemon and be sucked into his world with his badass family and friends. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The Lux series</i> are one of the first and few paranormal books I enjoyed and it's got me spreading my bookish wings into different genres. I owe that to Ms. Armentrout and I think a re-read of this series is due in the next year or two.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnlQWPk_JzkUGfX_jV388mP_hXn8wcIFlIOrGCEgl_2WRFulbCdqHAySZyJmshU9qLJlQj05zlc6daelBk5PpBCSJ51YBbpiIZwuJcUhyphenhyphenaLihVWMQGP26jXXNw3Q6_w6M2dZh6gBVPugw/s1600/emmy+and+oliver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnlQWPk_JzkUGfX_jV388mP_hXn8wcIFlIOrGCEgl_2WRFulbCdqHAySZyJmshU9qLJlQj05zlc6daelBk5PpBCSJ51YBbpiIZwuJcUhyphenhyphenaLihVWMQGP26jXXNw3Q6_w6M2dZh6gBVPugw/s320/emmy+and+oliver.jpg" width="208" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>8. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13132816-emmy-oliver">Emmy & Oliver by</a> Robin Benway </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Series</b>: <i>/</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Contemporary</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Review</b>: <a href="http://thehonestbookclub.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/book-review-emmy-oliver-by-robin-benway.html">Yes</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I got <i>Emmy & Oliver</i> from a book box subscription, and I'm so happy that they chose it. The story by Ms. Benway was emotional, charming and filled with complex and lovable characters. I found it very hard to put this one down. I think it was what I needed to read at that point, and it's high up on my list of favourite contemporaries. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Nothing but good things about this book, and it's a perfect read between heavier reads. If you've just read something huge and depressing, this is a good book to pick up and cheer yourself up. I loved it!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiee9s66i9pSf0p1eeKuAbq8_Hh20gp8yqTGaQ9M2lYgkI1_5CAbrzUsZ3iTcEE36uguyD1EfUMSsn3YqbTCeFa6t6adEMxxDMgRBenvuTiR29Rh3uUOfmjVY0pM1yJW0wKO5Br6DeJBt1a/s1600/dist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiee9s66i9pSf0p1eeKuAbq8_Hh20gp8yqTGaQ9M2lYgkI1_5CAbrzUsZ3iTcEE36uguyD1EfUMSsn3YqbTCeFa6t6adEMxxDMgRBenvuTiR29Rh3uUOfmjVY0pM1yJW0wKO5Br6DeJBt1a/s320/dist.jpg" width="212" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>9. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15283043-the-distance-between-us">The Distance Between Us</a> by Kasie West</b> </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Series</b>: <i>/</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Contemporary</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Review</b>: <a href="http://thehonestbookclub.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/book-review-distance-between-us-by.html#more">Yes</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I listened to this as an audiobook and it was<i> so delightful</i>! I read the title and thought it was a road trip/travel/separation story but I was surprised to find that it wasn't that at all. West writes a love story between a rich boy and a regular everyday girl (I would write poor but she's not exactly poor) and I loved it so much. It was fluffy, fast paced, and left me feeling warm and gooey inside - like all of her books, of course. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Light-hearted and a book you can devour in a single sitting, this one is very close to my heart and I look forward to a re-read soon. I mean, I don't have time for that but I will make time.<b> Books >>> life</b></span><br />
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</b></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Series</b>: <i>/</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Contemporary</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Review</b>: <a href="http://thehonestbookclub.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/book-review-never-evers-by-tom-ellen.html#more">Yes</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Another British book that I devoured in a day or two. Unlike the rest, this particular one was written by two authors - and I didn't even know they had another book out until I saw it at the book shop and squealed. I adore Tom and Lucy's stories. They work together so well as writers, and I think the multiple POVs made the story a lot more enjoyable for me. It can be frustrating reading a book where the two POVs sound the same, but that's not at all the case with this one. Hilarious, silly, but a hell of a lot of fun to read, this is one of those books that I think most kids who grew up in a British school can relate to in some ways. </span><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">1. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24909346-gemina">Gemina</a> by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff</b><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Series</b>: <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/116078-the-illuminae-files">The Illuminae Files</a> #2</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Science fiction</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Show me a morally dubious, sassy and poetic AI and I'll show you <a href="http://thehonestbookclub.blogspot.rs/2016/01/book-review-illuminae-by-amie-kaufman.html">ME SQUEEZING THE BOOK IN PUBLIC</a>, drawing many a quizzical look. That's okay, though, because Gemina and its predecessor are bound to cause dubious looks. Remember that time the text was written in a spiral across two pages and you were forced to flip the book 360 degrees as you made your way through it? That was this series. And much as I thought I'd like the format, I happen to ADORE the contents even more. If I may bottle the essence of Jay and Amy's enviable creativity to use in my own writing at a later date... yes, please, and thank you.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">2. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17378527-the-raven-king">The Raven King</a> by Maggie Stiefvater</b></div>
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Serie<span style="background-color: white;">s</span></b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white;">: </span><i><span style="background-color: white;">The </span><span style="background-color: white;">Raven Cycle</span><span style="background-color: white;"> #4</span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Paranormal</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Who is surprised? NO ONE IS SURPRISED, that's who! Having previously crowned Maggie Stiefvater my official-unofficial deity, and having likewise crowned <i>The Raven Cycle</i> the most stupendously awesometacular series to ever grace my eyeballs, this should come as no surprise. The entirety of <i>The Raven Cycle</i> and its cyclical timeline comes together and essentially deems itself a self-fulfilling prophecy in this finale, and I criiiiied. I cried not because it was sad, but because it was over. <a href="http://thehonestbookclub.blogspot.rs/2016/04/the-raven-king-in-zero-spoilers-and.html">Then I wrote a marvelously miserable review (of sorts)</a> and proceeded to re-read forever.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">3. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22299763-crooked-kingdom">Crooked Kingdom</a> by Leigh Bardugo</b></div>
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Series</b>: <i>Six of Crows #2</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Fantasy</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The honest truth is that I have not even finished <i>Crooked Kingdom</i> yet, and here I am, including it. <i>#cheating</i> Because if ever there was a book (and a plot and a squad) which inspired all manner of less-than-strictly-speaking-moral actions, it's this one. My love of <i>Six of Crows</i> was well-established last year when <a href="http://thehonestbookclub.blogspot.rs/2015/11/book-review-six-of-crows-by-leigh.html">I screamed I loved it more than Nutella cake</a> and voted for it in the GR Choice Awards (*cries forever*), but <i>Six of Crows</i> was only the start. <i>Crooked Kingdom</i> takes the shenanigans to a whooole new level of amorality. And it features the single most lovable character crew in the world. MY MURDEROUS BABIES!</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">4. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17927395-a-court-of-mist-and-fury">A Court of Mist And Fury</a> by Sarah J. Maas</b></div>
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Series</b>: <i>A Court of Mist and Fury #2</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Fantasy</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I've made my feelings regarding ACOMAF plain <a href="http://thehonestbookclub.blogspot.rs/2016/05/book-review-court-of-mist-and-fury-by.html">in my review</a>, <a href="http://thehonestbookclub.blogspot.rs/2016/06/fan-art-court-of-mist-and-fury.html">in my fan art</a>, and <a href="http://afleetingstardust.tumblr.com/">on my Tumblr</a> where I still spam it regularly, months after the fact. While ACOTAR was entertaining-if-ridiculous, there was nothing whatsoever ridiculous to me about the sequel. These were themes it turns out I needed to see explored, and these were characters I could <i>finally</i> root for. Feyre, a lot less foolish. Rhysand, now pairing sass with graciousness. The Night Court squad, 1000% more fabulous than I had envisioned. And Velaris, a city I'd Actually Die<span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">™</span> to be able to depart for immediately, never to be seen again. #sorrynotsorry</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">5. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13597723-the-naturals">The Naturals series</a> by Jennifer Lynn Barnes</b></div>
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Series</b>: <i>The Naturals #1-#4</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Contemporary thriller</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That I didn't get to this series sooner than 2016 probably constitutes some sort of a crime. But that I didn't get to it sooner than 2016 also saved me from the worst of the sequel-awaiting pains. Most waited <i>years</i> for <i>Bad Blood</i>, the final book in the series. I waited 8 months. And it HURT MY SOUL. <a href="http://thehonestbookclub.blogspot.rs/2016/06/book-review-naturals-by-jennifer-lynn.html">The squaddiest squad that ever squadded in a contemporary series absolutely stole my heart</a>, and that their expertise (forensic behavioral science) was also my own academic expertise only heightened the loveloveloooove I had for every single corner they painted themselves into. These are hella intelligent FBI apprentices, my friends. But they aren't the <i>wisest</i>. And therein lies the humor and the crux of my love.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">6. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19032994-disruption">The Disruption series</a> by Jessica Shirvington</b></div>
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Series</b>: <i>Disruption #1-#2</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Dystopian</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">YOU CANNOT FIND THIS SERIES, AND IT'S HONESTLY A CRIME. <strike>(Go ahead and try. I'll wait. [...] Told you.)</strike> Whatever crazy territorial rights law prevents Aussie publishers from distributing worldwide, the <i>Disruption</i> series should be reason enough to STOP. Because for once, a dystopian world is very much like our own, and only a handful of years in the future. For once, a heroine is decisive, unscrupulous and at times downright ruthless while retaining that perfect dose of deadpan sarcasm. For once, her friends can't decide if they love or hate her. And for once, the love interest is the one seemingly over his head, rather than the other way around. Bribe your Aussie family and friends, my pumpkins. It's what I did, and it was <i>so</i> worth it. Who needs a soul, anyway?</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">7. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9361589-the-night-circus">The Night Circus</a> by Erin Morgenstern</b></div>
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Series</b>: <i>/</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Historical fantasy</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I feel like I should blame someone for not having made me read this sooner. And yet, I have no one to blame but myself. Whatever I expected from <i>The Night Circus</i>, it wasn't anything that GLORIOUS, that beautifully-written and atmospheric and so vivid you can almost audition for a sideshow act and honestly believe you'll get in. Mark this down as the <i>only</i> book where I genuinely didn't mind a multitude of POVs or timeline shifts or any number of usually confounding things. Erin Morgenstern is the queen of structure, her pen is the queen of atmosphere, and the Victorian setting is the queen of everything. And I'm off to join a circus right about now.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">8. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23299512-this-savage-song">This Savage Song</a> by Victoria Schwab</b></div>
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Series</b>: <i>Monsters of Verity #1</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Urban paranormal/dystopian</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u>Update:</u> I have since finished <i>A Gathering of Shadows</i>, as well, and consider it an addendum to this post.</span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Victoria Schwab writes it - I read it. Victoria Schwab writes it - I love it. Victoria Schwab writes it - I hug it. Victoria Schwab writes it - I ask it to prom. (Where a backstabbing monster pulls a straight-up Carrie and blood and carnage ensue.) <a href="http://thehonestbookclub.blogspot.rs/2016/07/book-review-this-savage-song-by.html"><i>This Savage Song</i> was every bit as dark, delicious, musical and lyrical as expected.</a> August and Kate are two of the grittiest heroes ever to take the mantle of peace-preachers. And this duality and this contradiction is the foremost of what makes this story so great, and the sequel so very, very far away.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">9. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6342491-the-demon-king">The Seven Realms series</a> by Cinda Williams Chima</b></div>
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Series</b>: <i>The Seven Realms #1-#4</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Fantasy</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In the interest of full disclosure, this is a tetralogy I'm halfway through. <a href="http://thehonestbookclub.blogspot.rs/2016/02/book-review-demon-king-by-cinda.html">While book 1 was an intriguing introduction to a promising series (Thieves! Shamans! Diversity! Queendoms! Native Americans!)</a>, book 2 achieved what no other book achieved before it and effortlessly (and unpretentiously) reminded me of a cross between <i>Harry Potter</i> and <i>The Name of The Wind</i>. And anyone at all familiar with fantasy will understand when I say I feared that nothing that came next could beat that, so I'm downright fearful to continue. It's honestly <i>so good</i>, y'all! Think magic schools and wizard wars against a rich cultural backdrop and sassy, sassy characters.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">10. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28260587-empire-of-storms">Empire of Storms</a> by Sarah J. Maas</b></div>
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Series</b>: <i>Throne of Glass #5</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Genre:</b> Fantasy</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Admittedly, <i>Heir of Fire</i> and <i>The Assassin's Blade</i> are destined to forever remain my favorites in the <i>Throne of Glass </i>series. At the same time, <i>Empire of Storms</i> was a step-up from <i>Queen of Shadows</i> in my little Lexieverse - with more at stake, with the odds stacked against just about everyone, and with (nearly) the full squad at long last coming together and uniting in a common goal. Not to mention, the level of <i>cliffhanger</i> was so real and so painful that the wait for the final book in the series has been amped up tenfold. This also marks the first time I was in awe of not just the content, but also the way it was delivered. Sarah's writing improves so rapidly over time that I'm inclined to believe she traded her soul to an unspeakable deity in exchange for ALL THE WORDS AND VERBOSENESS.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And those, succinctly <strike>(except not at all succinctly)</strike> have been the books that saved us from reality this year. It's small wonder, perhaps, that a large portion of them is so far removed from reality. (ALL the fantasy, ALL the dystopian, ALL the cutesy romance!) 'Tis the escapism factor, friends. It makes a world of difference.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now it's your turn - share your favorite read (or ten) with us in the comments below, or leave us links to your end-of-the-year wrap-ups featuring The Best Of. There are shamefully many books we have yet to get to, and your lists are our... well, not commands, but certainly suggestions. (Such amicability, we know.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6092526-natalie">Natalie's Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20726801-lexie">Lexie's Goodreads</a></b></span></div>
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The Honest Bookclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11459426023919815702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901173538948742448.post-21040116017070073512016-12-20T11:31:00.003+00:002016-12-20T11:31:45.153+00:00OUR MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hello fellow book friends!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We're sorry that we've been MIA for the last month or so, but this really annoying thing called life got in the way. Not sure how aware you are but we're both students at university so that has sucked our life up and we're slowly getting our reading life back. Also work, family and other things have come up but we're still alive - barely! Just a bit disheveled. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As time goes on, we'll be updating as much as we can and hope you can forgive us for being so tardy with updating the blog. We'll get there! Barely had time to read lately but that's changing. Some book reviews are to be expected in the next few days. (I also blame my constant reading slump for my lack of activity and reading....dammit, RS! Monsieur Reading Slump has had his claws in me for a while now but I've shaken him off. Git.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Definitely missed blogging and book chatting with you guys and I see more fangirling in our future. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hoping you're well, that you've been reading some amazing stories and receive a ton of books this holiday season! Recommendations are always welcome too, so feel free to drop a message below!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Happy Holidays!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6092526-natalie">Natalie's Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20726801-lexie">Lexie's Goodreads</a></b></span><br />
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The Honest Bookclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11459426023919815702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901173538948742448.post-89654813703708229292016-11-19T17:26:00.001+00:002016-11-19T17:28:40.749+00:00BIRTHDAY BOOKHAUL EXTRAVAGANZA (& OTHER HYPERBOLES)<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once upon a time, before we were the dazzling, sociable, and all-around communicative blog that we are today, we were... not. You remember the time - when you blogged for yourself and flailed in an ocean all by yourself and somewhere, you heard, there's a Titanic's worth of floating people, as well <strike>(<i>too soon?</i>)</strike>, but you sure couldn't find them.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">These were dark times, friends. But the one silver lining to interacting with absolutely no one and having no one to interact with you is - you can post whatever you please and the pressure is off. It's not as much a blog then as it is a diary.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So, naturally, we filled the blog up with anything and everything that came to our brilliant little heads at the time. News article about a rumor of a rumor of a rumor of a potential rumor of an adaptation that's surely never ever happening? Post it! A series of pictures of, like, every book on our shelves? WHAT A REVOLUTIONARY IDEA! </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Book hauls for the sake of book hauls? Aaaaaaall the time.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And while most of the aforementioned brilliance failed to withstand the public scrutiny once we discovered this community <strike>with standards</strike>, book hauls shall forever remain. Why?</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Because book-feast-for-the-eyes. That's why. And so here we are today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">To whom it may concern, it was my birthday recently. Not that it will ever concern anyone around these parts. What's "celebrating my birthday on Halloween" to some is "freaking out and counting down to NaNoWriMo" to others. But celebrate I did, albeit on a small scale, and then worked myself up into a respectable NaNo panic attack afterwards. #multitaskingpro Such is the nature of all writerly Scorpios.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The up side, however, is that the <strike>bithday presents</strike> books start arriving in the mail at precisely that time NaNo has clobbered you over the head, shattered your self-respect, and danced around your prostrate form going<i> neener-neener.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">These are not just bookish presents is what I'm saying. They're life-savers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Lifesaver #1: </b>the single most gorgeous, epic, incredible edition of <b>Lewis Carroll's <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7505716-alice-s-adventures-in-wonderland-other-stories"><i>Alice In Wonderland (& Other Stories)</i></a></b>, like no edition before it. (FIGHT ME!) ARE YOU SEEING THIS BEAUTY? The only hint my lifesaver friend Dennis (#matchingset) would give me is "It's pink!". And, um, let's just say that PINK is not a common occurrence in Lexieville. In my (clueless) defense, no one could ever expect anything this spectacular to arrive in the mail... until it does. It bears mentioning that in junior high I did this thing where Alice was my library staple. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- Check Alice out. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- Check another book out. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- Check Alice out. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- Check another book out. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It also bears mentioning that my favorite Tom Waits song is <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEj-mrwwaxo">Alice</a></i>, I have no less than two different Alice animated movies (and actually prefer <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0254076/?ref_=ttrel_rel_tt">the Australian one</a>... FIGHT ME AGAIN), most adaptations, that Cait helpfully steered me in <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12558285-splintered">Splintered</a></i>'s direction last year, and I really, really love tea sets and dream madness. ARE WE A PERFECT FIT OR WHAT?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Lifesaver #2:</b> this utterly gorgeous, narcissistic, and wholly accurate <a href="https://society6.com/product/coffee-and-books32935_travel-mug#s6-6025323p46a59v436"><b>travel mug from Society6</b></a>. And I say narcissistic because it's mine. So here I am, calling my own creation gorgeous. But IT WAS A GIFT FROM THE AFOREMENTIONED LIFESAVER DENNIS, so I'm allowed. #foolproof Being 97.9% caffeine and 1947.93% books as I am, it also happens to be a bit of a self-portrait.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Lifesaver #3</b> requires very little explanation if you've ever been (a) on this blog, (b) on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/afleetingstardust/">my Instagram</a>, (c) on the receiving end of any of my many <i>Illuminae </i>worship-fests. But will I let this opportunity pass without another panegyric? HARDLY. <i>(And you didn't really think so, if you're being honest with yourself.)</i> SO HERE WE ARE. AIDAN is my superpowered anti-hero deity (just as he prefers), these characters are the sassiest, most corageous beasts in outer space, and this series is both an artist's and an author's dream. So to get a sequel from my amazing, generous co-blogger before I could start plotting nefarious ways to have one shipped over to Middle of Nowhere, Outer Space was the most incredible, welcome, lovely, YAAAS presents in the universe.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Lifesaver #4:</b> this copy of <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22299763-crooked-kingdom"><b>Crooked Kingdom</b></a></i> was brought to you (well, me) by Fjerda itself! #speshulsnowflake My best friend Stefan took a trip to Sweden last month - and not only did he return with <i>Crooked Kingdom</i> as a belated birthday present, he also returns with stories... stories of magical, sprawling fantasy/sci-fi bookstores the size of small castles which you never want to leave again, and of the many treasures you are not to touch (#unlessAladdin) therein. Fjerda, suffice it to say, is not mere ice, snow and a really sexy Matthias. It's also A Land of Magic Bookstores.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Lifesaver #5:</b> <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28260587-empire-of-storms">Empire-Of-So-Many-Pages-We-Had-To-Switch-To-Thinner-Paper</a> </i>by Sarah J. Maas</b>, and also gifted to me by my fellow booksister/co-blogger/Maaspreciator Natalie - because in my impatience (and my Middle Of Nowhere, Outer Space residence), I purchased an ebook instead - and this series is much too pretty not to complete in physical form, as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And November, needless to say, is not shaping up to be the best month. Not for civil rights, not for basic human decency, and not for any sort of tangible inspiration/creativity. November, basically, is to be weathered rather than enjoyed. So I <i>could</i> just shriek once again about how amazing book gifts are, or I could just remind everyone how essential books are in both our escapist efforts, and in our quest to understand how best to push back against oppression and survive those times when odds are decidedly <i>not</i> in our favor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So what about you, pumpkins? How is your month going, what's the last book you've received/purchased, and which ones do you recommend in an event of a HUMANING SLUMP - when we're just too down to human at all? Leave a comment below and let us know!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://twitter.com/HonestBookclub" style="font-weight: bold;">Twitter</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a href="http://instagram.com/thehonestbookclub/" style="font-weight: bold;">Instagram</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Honest-Bookclub/1496051057292070" style="font-weight: bold;">Facebook</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/honest-bookclub-12534005" style="font-weight: bold;">Bloglovin</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6092526-natalie">Natalie's Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20726801-lexie">Lexie's Goodreads</a></b></span><br />
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The Honest Bookclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11459426023919815702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901173538948742448.post-83507124300339639712016-11-08T11:43:00.006+00:002016-11-08T11:43:54.900+00:00TOP 10 RECENT TBR ADDS WE'RE DYING TO DEVOUR<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Ah, the TBR pile. The never ending abyss of books that you can't stop chucking books into despite the perils that come with diving in to retrieve them. It's both our eternal fear (chances are any day it topples and crushes us to death, as bookworms worldwide have agreed), and our greatest challenge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">Apart from its murderous tendencies, if there's one feature of the TBR pile that has been deemed universal, it's the notion that THESE ONES I'LL DEFINITELY READ. The ones added long ago are traded in for newer ones, sure. But these newer ones - oh, they're top of the list. Right after we add... these still-newer ones.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">It's a vicious cycle, basically.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">So this week we're linking up with <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/p/top-ten-tuesday-other-features.html">The Broke And The Bookish's Top 10 feature</a> and sharing the 10 books we've added recently that we are convinced will get read - despite hundreds upon hundreds already there that claim otherwise. Unrealistic optimism is just our thing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>1. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9460487-miss-peregrine-s-home-for-peculiar-children">Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children by Random Riggs</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Added by</b>: Natalie</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I know, where have I been for the last few years? I'm ridiculously behind on the books that are popular in the YA community, but I'm catching up. At the moment, I work in a cinema, and seeing all the anticipation and excitement for the movie version of Miss Peregrine's, I geared myself up to finally read it. And after seeing the film, it's given me more reason to buy the book and give it a go. As the film goes, it was entertaining if not weird, but I do wish it had more of the creep-factor. The book looks like it does, so fingers crossed I enjoy this as much as I did the film.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>2. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77566.Hyperion">Hyperion by Dan Simmons</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Added by: </b>Lexie</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's sci-fi, my friend is obsessed, and that's quite enough for me. (Really, though - give me intricate political power play amid various fictional worlds and I'm sold. <i>#easy</i>) And that's not to mention my soft spot for 1980s-1990s fantasy and science fiction, especially when it comes in tetralogies. I <i>did</i> spam Raymond E. Heist's <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13812.Magician">Riftwar Saga</a></i> with impunity as a kid, after all. Also, <i>Hyperion </i>is said to have some <i>very interesting </i>AIs, and if you've been on the receiving end of my <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23395680-illuminae">Illuminae</a></i>/<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29236299-gemina?from_choice=true">Gemina</a> </i>obsessing in the past year... you will know how powerful of a statement "very interesting AIs" is to me. <strike>(Team AIDAN foreeeeever.)</strike></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>3. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17399160-snow-like-ashes">Snow Like Ashes by Sarah Raasch</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yet another series that I've never picked up. This is one that I see mostly on Booktube. And after hearing about it for so long, I've finally decided to add it to my TBR pile. I would prefer to wait until the whole series is out, though, cosidering how much I hate waiting for the last book. Also due to my terrible memory, I forget what happened and then frequently never get to the final book at all. So I'll wait a bit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The story sounds interesting, I've heard mostly good things about it. Also, what is this cover. What does it even mean. I need to know these things.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>4. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27883214-caraval">Caraval by Stephanie Garber</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Added by: </b>Lexie</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Recently added to TBR by: me and everyone else in the universe. Because I prize originality above all else and strive for it at all costs. Uhm. *goes back to reading the most anticipated yearly releases* Don't mind me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Not only does Caraval have an exceptionally unique premise, it's also being compared to (1) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9361589-the-night-circus">The Night Circus</a>, (2) <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0325980/?ref_=nv_sr_2">Pirates of the Caribbean</a> (with a more cohesive plot and less sequels, god willing), and (3) <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1054606/?ref_=nv_sr_1">The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus</a>. And judging by the (overwhelmingly positive) early buzz, it's twisted and morbid and romantic and heart-attack-inducing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Go ahead. Run off and add it to your TBR, too. I'll wait.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxWJKko5S6x4RRgHTJIsuSEzRVryeaN6XWsKZcWr3YAvuTT7ywsr1vwfRg9hv3wDNg3vSJn_YNdTleJWL2N5zplzdbwXok80A2Q0sKqfgcZgtHWZHkK7ELu8cPQN4o0iGgYbVJ0Tezf78/s1600/lucky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxWJKko5S6x4RRgHTJIsuSEzRVryeaN6XWsKZcWr3YAvuTT7ywsr1vwfRg9hv3wDNg3vSJn_YNdTleJWL2N5zplzdbwXok80A2Q0sKqfgcZgtHWZHkK7ELu8cPQN4o0iGgYbVJ0Tezf78/s320/lucky.jpg" width="212" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>5. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30285562-lucky-in-love">Lucky In Love by Kasie West</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Added by: </b>Natalie</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hahahhahaha. Kasie West. Funny. Yes, I saw that Kasie had another book (or three) coming out next year and I love the idea of this one. It'll have the typical boy-meets-girl cutesy romance and unrealistic dramatics but it's always fun. I can devour these books in a night and I turn off my kindle with a smile on my face. This one isn't out until July but I'm still looking forward to it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>6. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27424547-bad-blood">Bad Blood by Jennifer Lynn Barnes</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Added by: </b>Lexie</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As has become tradition here at The Honest Bookclub, I'm cheating in a Top 10 segment. <i>#rebelwithacause</i> The final installment in Jennifer Lynn Barnes's <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13597723-the-naturals">The Naturals</a></i> series isn't a new TBR addition. It's been hibernating there for over a year, waiting to be awoken and unleashed upon the world. <i>(No worries or anything.)</i> But having just come out, it's been moved waaaay up and it's the first book on my agenda, after NaNoWriMo ceases to postpone our impending love.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The Naturals</i> is one of my <i>favorite</i> YA Contemporary series, and Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a wonderful, marvelous, morbid crumb of awesomeness and muuuurder.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6r01cPddzbfYXISGLG8WHsZF7cgbOz0qwe6RHIc47aAOSDQDZunAnn8tDUzgdIGjyNabU5bDi0B4KuNdbuXbzTPcfHnFgNpoGX8ufsCUrYHP67CrC7_icqCGcmAM_QAWe5ERpDplbjbu/s1600/fly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6r01cPddzbfYXISGLG8WHsZF7cgbOz0qwe6RHIc47aAOSDQDZunAnn8tDUzgdIGjyNabU5bDi0B4KuNdbuXbzTPcfHnFgNpoGX8ufsCUrYHP67CrC7_icqCGcmAM_QAWe5ERpDplbjbu/s320/fly.jpg" width="206" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>7. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30323804-fly-on-the-wall">Fly on the Wall by E. Lockhart</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Added by</b>: Natalie</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Although I didn't get on with <i>We Were Liars</i> at all, I do like to give authors another chance. So I have added <i>Fly On The Wall</i> and one other E. Lockhart book to my TBR. Of the two, <i>Fly On The Wall</i> is the most recent one, though, and here we are. It sounds fun and I'm curious to see if she'll win me over with this one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>8. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32075671-the-hate-u-give">The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Added by: </b>Lexie</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's impactful, diverse and relevant, <a href="https://quitethenovelidea.com/early-love-hate-u-give/">my friend is obsessed</a>, and here we are. (<i>Sensing a pattern yet?</i>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and a recent string of police shootings of unarmed black men and boys in the United States, this book tells the story of a best friend to one such boy and her struggle with the truth, loyalty, equality, and integrity.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Excuse me while I run off and beg for an ARC.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I guess it speaks volumes that the novel isn't out yet, and already it's 'soon to be a major motion picture'.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh05Qdf9yfdGedAM6OjOmRSElawMW5PvSJYlyrrJhlde-OUqqQm6HNC9uQYMsB6Cxd5LIHVgH-evahbn5Uc-eJYet3QhXKpfFkgs7MNTnvG5vSm9L0xNalLyjfkye7f9OP-TIOhDZm9jZ7Q/s1600/mfeale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh05Qdf9yfdGedAM6OjOmRSElawMW5PvSJYlyrrJhlde-OUqqQm6HNC9uQYMsB6Cxd5LIHVgH-evahbn5Uc-eJYet3QhXKpfFkgs7MNTnvG5vSm9L0xNalLyjfkye7f9OP-TIOhDZm9jZ7Q/s320/mfeale.jpg" width="211" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>9. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25812109-the-female-of-the-species">The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Added by: </b>Natalie</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is one I also heard about on booktube, and it sounded interesting enough to join my TBR. The topic is not really something I'd usually read, but I thought it would be good to try something new. Genre-wise, <i>The Female of the Species </i>is listed as a YA mystery, and mystery is never something I ever read so I do hope this one might push me more into that area of literature. Well, at least give me a little poke. We'll see!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>10. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28147258-the-gallery-of-unfinished-girls">The Gallery of Unfinished Girls by Lauren Karcz</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Added by: </b>Lexie</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Art, artist blocks, introspection, LGBTQ representation, immigration/diversity representation, magic realism, and <i>art that actually comes to life</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">I'm not dying for an ARC, <i>you</i> are!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">I might have missed this book completely had it not been for <a href="http://www.loonyliterate.com/contemporary-ya-im-looking-forward-2017/">Emily's recent 2017 YA Contemporary list</a>. <i>(You have both blessed me with an anticipated release and cursed me with the wait for said release, Emily. *withers away*)</i> Having now found it, and being as thoroughly obsessive and enamored with art and with diversity as I am, I now need this in my life more than I need Nutella.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">You know it's serious when Nutella is on the line.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Such is the nature of TBRs - ever-adding new books and ever-prioritizing said books over ones added a longer time ago. (Much to our frequent foolishness.) These, however, were too good to pass up, and we're dying to get to them just a little bit. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And now it's your turn - what have you been adding to your TBR recently, and what books have you been dying to get to as of late? We always love slapping another book onto that toppling pile of unread books, Jenga-style.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://twitter.com/HonestBookclub" style="font-weight: bold;">Twitter</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a href="http://instagram.com/thehonestbookclub/" style="font-weight: bold;">Instagram</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Honest-Bookclub/1496051057292070" style="font-weight: bold;">Facebook</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/honest-bookclub-12534005" style="font-weight: bold;">Bloglovin</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6092526-natalie">Natalie's Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20726801-lexie">Lexie's Goodreads</a></b></span></div>
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The Honest Bookclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11459426023919815702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901173538948742448.post-90436056621562093702016-11-03T13:36:00.002+00:002016-11-04T02:15:00.527+00:00MURDER, RITUALS AND OTHER NANOWRIMO SHENANIGANS<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A surefire sign November has come around: a not so subtle wave of <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWriMo</a> spam across the board: NaNoWriMo on social media, NaNoWriMo in videos, and NaNoWriMo right here on the blog.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We'd apologize, except NaNoWriMo has a long-established tradition of eating our souls. Blogging about it, as it turns out, seems to be the only cure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So this week I'm teaming up with <a href="http://paperfury.com/beautiful-books-2016/">Cait and Sky's Beautiful <strike>People</strike> Books feature</a> (a week late, and let's just blame <i>that</i> on November, too, while at it) - for the first time ever, mind you - and introducing and discussing my writing project for the month, in all its murderous glory. The story is titled <i>The Ever End</i>, it's Paranormal (in the NA range, but nothing whatsoever to do with the <a href="http://thehonestbookclub.blogspot.rs/2015/07/the-fault-in-new-adult.html">NA genre tropes</a>, let us hope), and it features ice cream and ritualistic sacrifices. <i>(#thatescalatedquickly)</i> So without further ado...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I've been hanging out with this particular novel, on-and-off since August 2014, when I sat down to outline it. It's a strange baby, as all my novel babies are, and stemmed from:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">a particular Buddhist text I got my hands on for free and read that month</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">a video game sequence I watched my best friend play years prior (<i>Tomb Raider</i>, to whom it may concern)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">a general notion of "Wouldn't it be swell if there was no <i>good side</i>, or even the <i>right side</i> in a story?"</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Because chaos and evilry and mayhem and debauchery and anti-heroes. My comfort zones. (Very Buddhist of me, I know.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Tentatively, succinctly, illogically, <i>The Ever End</i> centers around alter egos, resurrection, secret societies, giant libraries, a small New England college town, potential ghosts (but no actual ghosts), potential zombies (but no actual zombies), paranormalcy in the service of making a point rather than developing a grandiose magic system, a mildly infuriating protagonist, and ice cream.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm so good at summaries, someone should hand me an award and hire me as a literary marketing strategist right away. #naturaltalent</span></div>
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<a data-pin-board-width="600" data-pin-do="embedBoard" data-pin-scale-height="240" data-pin-scale-width="120" href="https://www.pinterest.com/vehreys/the-ever-end/"></a><script async="" defer="" src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js"></script></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/vehreys/the-ever-end/">Behold my procrastination-inducing, out-of-control Pinterest board.</a> (Said every amateur/professional writer ever.)</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You don't know what you're asking. Let's just say that apart from a penchant for villainy, G.R.R. Martin and I also get along in terms of the cast size. And they all sort of matter in the grand scheme of things. But to pull a few straws out of that hat:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Morgan</b> - lives for dance, creative procrastination excuses, family (members: one) and friends (members: one), pretty boys, and - as of the inciting incident - murder, graveyards, and obscure rituals. Because one obviously goes with the other</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Riley</b> - that friend without who Morgan would have been murdered much sooner. Studious, grounded, stable and generally centered, but with academic ambition often disproportionate to what any one living human can accomplish <strike>(good thing they're all dying, then)</strike></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Dermot</b> - a college librarian who has been 'done' with everything since the nineties, <i>but</i> <i>someone has to make sure they don't all die</i><i>, and so here we are</i>; super suspicious, super mysterious, super vague, and therefore probably the only half-decent character #logic</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Ellis</b> - Morgan's grandmother, local retired surgeon, local witch, local lunatic, and therefore probably 100% right where everyone else is wrong</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Sharon </b>- the daughter who is 0% impressed by said omniscience</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Vincent</b> - guaranteed 100% loves his dog more than you and would trade you for said dog in a heartbeat</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Ian</b> - not nearly as (a) interested, (b) present, (c) ambitious as he seems; kind of just needs a long nap <strike>(good thing they're all dying, then)</strike></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Lawrence</b> - people actually like him, so the rest of the prickly antisocials could stand to learn a thing or two from him; but try not to pick up the less reputable features of Lawrence's colorful existence while at it #protip</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I sacrifice a virgin, obviously. (Given the previous answers, I could just leave it on this note and keep you in suspense. But I've had my morning coffee, so I'm high on caffeine, and so...)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I've talked about being a religious planner every chance I've gotten, but in the spirit of <i>once more, with feeling</i>: <b>I am a religious planner</b>. While character sheets and such are generally pretty useless to me, I do put outlines, story structuring and general forward-thinking to a veeeery annoyingly detailed use. <i>(This probably makes up for a thorough lack of planning and organization in my everyday life. And if that's the running theory... I agree.)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I then hit my friends up to suggest music for my playlist. I like to make my noveling music something I'd never heard before, and therefore come to associate it with writing said story in time. That way, it tends to help motivate and inspire me later on.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then I fall down a Pinterest rabbit hole and never emerge again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The Ever End</i> is my codependent baby passion-project. It's that one novel you always seem to go back to. I drafted the first half of it (55k out of something like 120k total words) in NaNoWriMo 2014, then redrafted said half in 2015, and now I'm finally tackling the Uncharted Seas of the latter part of the story - that other elusive 60ish thousand. So as far as the idea at large - I'm looking forward to everything. <i>(And foresee a further few rehauls in my future before I'm satisfied. Such is the nature of passion projects. Perfection or death. Or both, in this case.)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. It's my favorite thing of ever, and possibly half the reason I'm so fixated on the story as a whole.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2. Moody, foggy, foreboding, probably-out-to-get-you small New England towns with moody, foggy, foreboding, definitely-out-to-get-you big college campuses. (Featuring a guest appearance by Really Large Libraries.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3. All, of course, entirely made up (because who am I to forego Stephen King's advice?)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have about 5 Word pages jotted down on the subject of each character's individual goals. There may be Transactional Analysis graphs involved. And it's exactly as boring as it sounds. But to put it shortly:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Morgan wants freedom.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Morgan wants self-reliance.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A wild MURDER appears.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Morgan got no freedom.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Morgan got no self-reliance.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A wild REBELLION appears.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Morgan goes after freedom with a club.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Morgan tackles self-reliance and wrestles it into submission.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Three are in the arena, only one can come out. Who shall it be? Cast your votes now at 1-800-DEATH.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">She finds that she isn't as much <i>morally</i> opposed to murder as <i>practically</i> opposed to it. For example, she'd murder half the cast by the end, if only she had the necessary skillset. There may also be actual cognitive and emotional development, but... #muuuuder. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">(Priorities. I'm a fan.)</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The Ever End</i> started with the themes (the aforementioned Buddhist text is to blame):</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. <b>The Indomitable Gray Area</b>: you're only 50% right and your polar opposite is only 50% wrong. (Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.) Intrinsically, it's tackled in how <i>"without darkness, one would never see the stars"</i> - or, rather, how without flaws, our strengths would never stand out</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2. <b>The Lone Wolf vs. The Hive Mind</b>: "you against the world" isn't nearly as romantic and practical as you think (#lookingatyouMorgan), but neither is catering to everyone (#lookingatyouLawrence); exploring coexistence without codependence, and the difference between complementing someone and completing them</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>3. The big Who-Am-I</b> as it pertains to: (a) who am I if I have been both dead and alive, and (b) who am I if I am both an adult and a child, and (c) how much of who I am in the grand scheme of things is in my own hands.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Basically, the themes boil down to: control, freedom, moral relativism, mortal relativism <i><strike>(#hardyhar)</strike></i>, introversion, extroversion, and a fair amount of ice-cream. And the reader is free to <i>feel </i>about it however they choose, though hopefully it encourages them to <i>think </i>more broadly, and hopefully it makes them hungry for both control over their own lives, and for Ben & Jerry's.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Unlike 99% of Sane World and about 100% of my writerly friends - I am a <i>thoroughly </i>private beast. So much so that I've never before shared <i>any</i> part of <i>any</i> writing project with <i>anyone</i>. (To my own detriment, probably, but hey - self-destruction went mainstream, so I'm cool now.) So this is very much a first. Which is my roundabout way of saying - if nothing makes sense and if everything sounds awful - there's concrete reason why. I, however, love the murderous, ritualistic baby passion project, and off to sacrifice innocent bystanders I go!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">(In the story. I'm talking about the story. Naturally.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How about you, pumpkins? Are you participating in NaNoWriMo this November, or are you considering future ones? Are you working on some writing (or other artsy) project of your own? Leave us a comment below and let us know, because my art <i>and</i> misery really love company - despite the private thing. I am <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/participants/elluna">Elluna @ NaNoWriMo</a>, and I welcome writing buddies one and all!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://twitter.com/HonestBookclub" style="font-weight: bold;">Twitter</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a href="http://instagram.com/thehonestbookclub/" style="font-weight: bold;">Instagram</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Honest-Bookclub/1496051057292070" style="font-weight: bold;">Facebook</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> | </span><a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/honest-bookclub-12534005" style="font-weight: bold;">Bloglovin</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6092526-natalie">Natalie's Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20726801-lexie">Lexie's Goodreads</a></b></span><br />
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The Honest Bookclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11459426023919815702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901173538948742448.post-30083977549589096092016-11-01T07:49:00.003+00:002016-11-01T07:57:54.006+00:00TOP 10 WRITERLY WOES<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In the words of one wiser and cooler than myself - <i>"It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die."</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">(Yes, it's Maggie Stiefvater. No one is surprised.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Apart from a deadly race atop demonic horses in <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15827344-the-scorpio-races">The Scorpio Races</a></i>, November 1st also marks another deadly race against time by way of computers and notebooks known as <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWriMo</a>. It's about equally as terrifying, and the death toll is neck-in-neck. In The Scorpio Races, they ride horses who eat them and they die. During NaNoWriMo, we write novels who eat us and we die.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So this week for our Top 10 feature, Lexie has compiled ten hurdles that always come our way while writing. It isn't THE ten hurdles, or even the ten most common hurdles. There is no such thing. The hurdles are endless. <i>(She said, while dramatic music swelled in the background.)</i> But in anticipation of a month of writing dangerously (and all that makes it dangerous), these are the ten we can expect to come our way first.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">May the odds be ever in our favor.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>1. The Invasion of the Plot Bunnies</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There you are, calmly plotting/writing/thinking about your upcoming historical romance novel, when A WILD SPACE OPERA APPEARS. Do you space opera now? Do you historical romance? Or do you turn to another OF THE TWENTY-FIVE PROJECTS WHICH HAVE OCCURRED TO YOU IN THE LAST TEN MINUTES?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You'll be happy to know that it's not you. It's the plot bunnies. Like real bunnies, they repicate entirely too fast, and they can invade anywhere, anytime. (BEWARE THE BUNNIES! I have literal childhood scars.) With these metaphorical bunnies, however, chances are they choose to invade your brain it at the precise moment you're set to write and stick to a specific project. Bonus points if they catch you while racing against time/a deadline!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>2. Rudely Off-Script Characters</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So you've finally planned it all out - whether in your head, or on paper. You know what you wish to write about, you know what happens, and you know what concept you want to explore.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Your characters, however, vehemently disagree.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So the character who is supposed to be injured and bedridden is suddenly scaling fences, ninja-style, the ones meant to fall in love are alternating holding knives to each other's throats, and that one who was meant to save everyone in the final battle? Dead on page 5.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Today's characters. No sense of decorum. No respect for rules or (your) authority. But don't worry - those two trying to kill each other is how all great romances start. As for the rest - well - your choices are twofold: kill them all off and switch to the aforementioned space opera, OR... welcome to the Pantser Zone.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>3. Serial Killer Research</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When it comes to research, too, you'll be happy to find you have options:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Do it all in Incognito Mode, wipe your browser history, pretend it never, ever happened, and live your life in paranoia that others will read your mind and see the depravities you looked up, or</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Do it publicly in full acceptance that a government protection agency might flag you with serious concerns.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At one point or another, we all have to research how to stab/maim/poison someone most efficiently, create a detonator, or destroy a city/planet/galaxy/the universe at large.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But for your social life's sake - I hope the only one with access to your research is you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>4. Crater Memory</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Oh, yes, you'll <i>definitely</i> remember that intricate sideplot </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">in the morning. You'll <i>definitely </i>remember</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> a way around that plot hole after the dishes are done. That foil side character is so unique, there's no <i>possible </i>way to forget them once you're home and on your laptop. And that minor antagonist's tertiary motivation - it's practically already in the story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">See that crater, by the way? That giant hole on the surface of the moon so deep, it might actually go all the way through and expel objects into the aether, never to be found again? Those are your later-to-be-written-down ideas. Eaaaach and every single one of them. Disappearing forever.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And your notebook is judging you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>5. The Internal Editor of Doom</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As NaNoWriMo and assorted authors will repeatedly advise - write now, edit later. It's a PG-version of Hemingway's <i>'Write drunk, edit sober'</i>. But I digress. (And I would also respectfully disagree with Hemingway. I'm in college. What I've witnessed is not conducive to writing.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Except <i>you'll-never-amount-to-anything, oh-my-god-worst-sentence-ever, you-just-used-said-five-times-in-one-sentence, what-even-does-that-mean, </i></span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Stephen-King-hates-adverbs, </i><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">that's-cheesier-than-your-favorite-pizza, people-will-totally-think-you're-ripping-off-your-favorite-author, was-that-a-preposition-at-the-end, this-voice-is-so-mundane, should-have-chosen-past-tense, that-character-lacks-all-agency, and-that-one-is-just-a-token-sidekick, your-protagonist-isn't-really-funny, this-has-all-been-done-to-death.</i><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There are many tricks to dealing with your inner editor. So far I've found none that work, short of stabbing them to death. <strike>(Don't try this at home, kids.)</strike></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>6. Discouraging Comparison</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you're a basically functioning, collected human with ample common sense, you'll probably find reading finished novels while working on your own inspirational. As for the rest of us (#TeamUncommonSense), it's more akin to strategic, self-inflicted torture.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I DO NOT ACCEPT THIS PERFECTLY SENSIBLE COLLECTION OF BOUND PAGES! ALL WRITING IS AS DISJOINTED, ERRATIC, AND AS CONFUSING AS MY MANUSCRIPT! LIFE ONLY MAKES SENSE IF EVERYONE MAKES AS LITTLE SENSE AS ME! REAL BOOKS BEGONE!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>7. Names, Titles And Synopses</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As we've already established last month - names are hard. Titles are also hard. And when NaNoWriMo prompts you to write a story synopsis prior to actually writing the story?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">... How early is <i>too</i> early to quit?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And is it acceptable to just name <i>everyone</i> Bart, name the story Smorgasbord (not because it is like one, but because it's a funny word) and copy the opening sentence of <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/133539.Swann_s_Way">Swann's Way</a></i> in lieu of synopsis? Because the options that occurred to us so far have been canvassed and repeated so many times, they've lost all meaning and they're just a bunch of pointless syllables to us now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Query letters, loglines and general pitches will be a blast.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>8. Procrastination Nation</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">On leisurely days, we procrastinate. On <i>writing days</i>, we procrastinate procrastination by procrastinating.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Unlike leisurely days, however, this brand of delays comes at the cost of guilt, stomach-churning shame, torturous levels of self-reproach, word count math (!), bargaining, all other stages of grief, mild-to-severe panic, and unhealthy amounts of pie.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The pie helps. But only slightly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>9. Reality Checks</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">No, I'm not talking about the horrific realization that Real
World Things have been happening while you were in your writing bubble. (Though
that is a woe, too. Just not one of particular interest to us
extraterrestrially minded.) Rather, I'm talking about that moment when you take
a big enough of a step back from that immersive, intoxicating, exhilerating
first draft only to realize...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">... it's nothing like the wonder you've envisioned in your
head. The atmosphere doesn't translate, the characters are too robust, the
pacing is all wrong, and <i>what were you
even thinking with that entire subplot?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Behold the woe number 10...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Good job, you made it! NOW MAKE SENSE OF IT!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And despite the woes - here we are. Again with shiny new projects and more hope than is rational at this stage, again celebrating the beginning of NaNoWriMo, and again resolved to make our way through it and conquer ALL.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Because ultimately - writing is just that intoxicating.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Talk to us, pumpkins! What are the writerly woes that plot to destroy your (writing) life? Are you, too, participating in NaNoWriMo? (If so - <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/participants/elluna">buddies make it better</a>!) And how do you maintain a shred of sanity? TIPS ARE ENTIRELY TOO WELCOME! Leave us a comment below and let us know.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6092526-natalie">Natalie's Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20726801-lexie">Lexie's Goodreads</a></b></span><br />
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The Honest Bookclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11459426023919815702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901173538948742448.post-60023088493915585742016-10-29T23:20:00.002+01:002016-10-29T23:21:04.044+01:00BOOK REVIEW: THE FILL-IN BOYFRIEND BY KASIE WEST<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she has to think fast. After all, she'd been telling her friends about him for months now. This was supposed to be the night she proved he existed. So when she sees a cute guy waiting to pick up his sister, she enlists his help. The task is simple: be her fill-in boyfriend—two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. After that, she can win back the real Bradley.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">The problem is that days after prom, it's not the real Bradley she's thinking about, but the stand-in. The one whose name she doesn't even know. But tracking him down doesn't mean they're done faking a relationship. Gia owes him a favor and his sister intends to see that he collects: his ex-girlfr</span></i></span><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">iend's graduation party—three hours, zero commitment, a few white lies.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Just when Gia begins to wonder if she could turn her fake boyfriend into a real one, Bradley comes waltzing back into her life, exposing her lie, and threatening to destroy her friendships and her new-found relationship.</span></i></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">mild spoilers but it's not going to ruin the whole book for you</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Guys, I did it. I read a book after a long-ass reading slump!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I know, not another bloody Kasie West contemporary book but hey - it works! I can always rely on a book by Ms West to get me out of that and it didn't fail. Although there were factors of this book that kind of bothered me, it still was a cute read and something that's so easily done in one sitting.<i> Naturally</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">First off, I want to get all the crappy stuff with the book out the way with so let's begin there. I don't like to be down on a book, it's my least favourite part of writing reviews (unless I hated the book with a passion, in that case,<i> it's always fun</i>). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So I'll kick this off by saying that I got really irritated with all the lying. I'm well aware that this book is technically <i>about</i> lying, considering she is having someone pretend to be her boyfriend, but still. The people she's lying to, you'd think that she'd be able to sit down and tell them '<i>listen dude, my boyfriend dumped me so I'm here alone</i>' or at least be like '<i>okay, so my boyfriend dumped me but this guy is here with me now</i>' why lie and keep it going on for so long. It's only her best friends she's lying to and it gets to that point when it's hard to hide it all, so it was only going to end in shit. I guess it wouldn't be much of a story if she hadn't done it in the first place, just a story of a girl going to prom. That's not fun.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Basically, her boyfriend of about 2 months dumps her in the car park of her prom (why not do it before you got ready and went there is beyond me but<i> okay</i>) and she's like '<i>shit, I need a date. I can't go in there, my friends will think I made him u</i>p' because that's the first thing that comes to mind. Sadly she has some judgmental af friends who will assume she pretended to have one which makes me wonder if she <i>is</i> that kind of person. Anyway, she never took any pics with him or let him meet her friends until that night so she is alone at prom. She asks this guy in the car who is dropping off his sister to be Bradley, her now ex-boyfriend, but then I just think - <i>why not explain to them?</i> If they're really your friends, <u>they will understand</u>. It's mostly because she has this friend called Jules who is a total bitch nugget and is classed as a <i>'frenemy'</i> which I think is ridiculous. I, personally, wouldn't have the time or patience for something as ridiculous as a frenemy but sure. So it's mostly for Jules' sake, but I sometimes forget that I'm reading a book about a 16 year old who doesn't know how to actually handle situations in life and thinks the world will end if her friends tease her for being single. (Even though they're single too..)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>teenagers these days...</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>*is an old fart*</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I also find that Gia, our lying protagonist, was also quite dramatic at times. She did have some things happen to her which were a little annoying and frustrating for anyone but still, she ended up sulking for days and ignoring her brother and judging her parents reaction to things. She also made a huge deal over this Jules thing when all she needed to do was to tell her "friend" to just fuck off.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Hey, Jules? Guess what</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Fuck you is what.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That girl was literally trying anything she can to snoop into her life and catch out her lies, but honestly, after a while I was like <i>'yeah, get this girl caught</i>'. Such teenage drama, my goodness.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Anyway, annoying things aside, there were some really nice touches to the book too. Mostly due to that she was very into family, and she would go so far as to do things for her brother (even if he didn't want her to) and also to actually give people chances and make friends with people you never thought you would. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Gia asks Hayden to be her pretend Bradley, and she of course meets the sister he was dropping off that night. Becky is not the usual type of person she would hang out with but I did like her a lot more than the others. Let's just say, Gia and her bitch friends used to bully and ruin things for them (hmm..) but after hanging out with Becky and actually bonding with her, she goes to see that looks aren't always a good way to judge someone. They got along well and I think are better friends than the other crew and that says a lot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The romance between Gia and Hayden in this was cute, if not slow paced. At first, I kind of struggled to see the actual chemistry and why they actually liked each other but as the book went on, it was more enjoyable and you can really see the spark. Hayden was a nice guy, a bit older and getting over some girl who cheated on him with his best mate, so he had some tough things to get. They were able to bond over things they've been through and the fact that they both used each other in different ways for other people, but they had some cute banter. I liked the ending, and I felt that it was also quite open-ended which was different. There is potential for an additional chapter or two, but it was fine because we still got the answers we wanted. I enjoyed where it ended and I was satisfied.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Overall, it's a nice read and, although it's not one of West's best books, it's still enjoyable. If you're thinking of getting into her books, start with this one then go through the others because then you won't read the better one's first. I love her way of writing and how easy to read it is, and the books are also good for people who aren't huge readers too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's full of laughs, unexpected romance and it's a story about friends, family and why it's always good to tell the truth. Even if the truth hurts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Wow it's been too long since I've written a review. I'm so sorry for all the delays, book friends! I hope this one wasn't too shabby but still, getting back into the flow. Just need to find the perfect book to read next for an epic af review for next time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So tell me friends - is this the kind of book you're looking for? I know it's autumn and it's more of a<i> 'wrap up in a blanket with tea' </i>type of weather but sometimes a contemporary can do that. If this isn't, what kind of stories are you wanting to dive into, are there any autumn read that you have on your TBR this year? Do tell us! We're all ears!</span></div>
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The Honest Bookclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11459426023919815702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901173538948742448.post-38912879611522054652016-10-22T16:00:00.000+01:002016-10-22T22:54:45.129+01:00THE INS & OUTS OF BOOKISH FAN ART<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Fan art is amazing - and don't let anybody tell you otherwise (<i>and boy, will they ever try</i>)! We can rhapsodize about our favorite things all day long (a<i>nd boy, do we ever try!</i>), but eventually we run out of ways of expressing the depth of our emotion when it comes to a series.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Along came fan art. Presumably, people are fans of something other than books, and therefore create fan art for things utterly unrelated to books - but this is a bookish blog, and a bookish community, and here all the fan art discussion is of the bookish variety. Also, not to be self-aggrandizing, but bookish fandoms lend themselves best to all forms of artistic expression, precisely because they take place entirely inside our heads. A character can look however we want them to look - and the same holds true for a place or a bizzarre scene.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bizarre scenes might be the best. It's still up for debate. But bookish fan art is our favorite. There is no debate to be had here.</span></div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7RXIuJ5YfUPfD1yAx2klTjzTUIJ9tS5OAiQTWLFsmJGqvM60KkKqIubQM1qubdQ3fmCV8mCZWjhCaUEAw3pHLNoxuHQrkU_21UliNCe13cjcKlc03EAxh3bewqc5klJ71aSO-a6o9UFW/s640/Fan+Art+-+intro.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When I published my last piece and emerged from my blanket fort (wherein I hide upon publication of any piece - it's hard to declare something complete when you're an indecisive pumpkin), I got quite a lot of fan-art-specific questions, which all boiled down to the same thing. And in the interest of covering all my bases - behold! An exhaustive and exhausting fan art post to answer any and all queries, questions, musings, zen koans and limericks I've gotten on the subject.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">What is this fan art of which you speak?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You create art in the medium of your choice based on an already existing book. It's as simple (and as complicated) as that. And usually it errs on the side of complicated for me. But I'm 50% caffeine, 50% anxiety, so I'm by no means representative of all bookish fan artists.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">... Or maybe I am.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0U__pHrpYfWI2BzdD9NDwSsVyJUwlwWme8_4gJwemHBzpuGMrU0gIYyJk5QgTUTjYFA2les5JO8fOxjS3SxIILM_G7BRX17tv528ebMbiZFYRYYeGY6-UwZ7XoDsJ8dyizVW-48E-Hn1x/s1600/Fan+Art+-+Splash+PNG_sm.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0U__pHrpYfWI2BzdD9NDwSsVyJUwlwWme8_4gJwemHBzpuGMrU0gIYyJk5QgTUTjYFA2les5JO8fOxjS3SxIILM_G7BRX17tv528ebMbiZFYRYYeGY6-UwZ7XoDsJ8dyizVW-48E-Hn1x/s1600/Fan+Art+-+Splash+PNG_sm.png" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">So I create Photoshop art based on books?</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is what I do. You, however, may sing it, play it, traditionally paint it, make up an interpretive dance routine to it, write fanfiction for it, or express the degree to which the piece inspired you in any way your glorious heart desires.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For alternative ideas, I shall now point you to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCJAi5mpK2s">this Throne of Glass scene in short-film form</a>, <a href="http://www.loonyliterate.com/category/eat-your-words/">these bookish cookery shenanigans</a>, and to <a href="https://soundcloud.com/maggie_stiefvater">Maggie Stiefvater, who composes and records her own soundtracks for her own books</a>, and then <a href="http://maggie-stiefvater.tumblr.com/tagged/art">creates visual art for them</a>, because she is the queen of everything and we are lowly minions destined to flail helplessly in her presence.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'm not talented at anything at all, but I want to create fan art!</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You'll be happy to know that this is the question/statement I get asked/told the most. Hourly, in conversations with my friends. Daily, in conversations with my co-blogger. Weekly, in assorted social media messages. And recently (and memorably) <a href="http://afleetingstardust.tumblr.com/post/151893321543/ellaraeraerae-rowaelin-superwho-leyylines">in a Tumblr comment thread</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In my experience, this is never the case. Statistically speaking, chances are overwhelming that you have an affinity for at least <i>one</i> of the many, many aforementioned art forms I listed above. And if you've truly never drawn, painted, animated, photographed, written, cooked, played music, filmed something, danced, sung or acted - then good news galore! There's a vast field of art yet available for you to explore, and discover which of said many forms you <i>are</i> good yet - and then turn it into an ode to other artists and fandoms.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJW8fTWzb3n9Hy8xKIZCGzSF3qdyj-sBgERj7xxRKAcq2dBXfqvLGcxhq0LkA_UtP1V50A3w-K5emP7NchSZSk5hnxBCysEaE8sPgmVR7WxZ6X-QFdw7ZXZVu4gI_CBOOXzGhxj3C3o2A/s1600/Fan+Art+-+Splash+PNG_sm.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJW8fTWzb3n9Hy8xKIZCGzSF3qdyj-sBgERj7xxRKAcq2dBXfqvLGcxhq0LkA_UtP1V50A3w-K5emP7NchSZSk5hnxBCysEaE8sPgmVR7WxZ6X-QFdw7ZXZVu4gI_CBOOXzGhxj3C3o2A/s1600/Fan+Art+-+Splash+PNG_sm.png" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">What can I do in terms of visual art?</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>There are more fan art forms on heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.</i> In terms of visual art, I'd divide it thusly:</span><br />
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<img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwVbLuJQ0b_ZnFKLsPym4oteBZWxORh1mmi1yw0mrS7KOXFFz-b4Vf1OFjdBOs0OLxzYyDmfQtDh66qD0i9nw7vGW3FYI0KbPVYuN2OlGG-5ppIVDf1-5aYhcIGoh2tj0MY7d8r73BXHZ/s640/Fan+Art+-+Visual+Art+categories+2_sm.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My (intermediate) knowledge extends only as far as digital art. The rest, as witnessed by the images above, I'm still working on. <a href="http://lyricanna.deviantart.com/journal/A-Guide-to-the-Subcategories-of-Fan-Art-471351619">My longstanding home-away-from-home</a>, however, has excellent examples of each and every single one of these (sub)categories, tons of input, and inspiration galore.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJW8fTWzb3n9Hy8xKIZCGzSF3qdyj-sBgERj7xxRKAcq2dBXfqvLGcxhq0LkA_UtP1V50A3w-K5emP7NchSZSk5hnxBCysEaE8sPgmVR7WxZ6X-QFdw7ZXZVu4gI_CBOOXzGhxj3C3o2A/s1600/Fan+Art+-+Splash+PNG_sm.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJW8fTWzb3n9Hy8xKIZCGzSF3qdyj-sBgERj7xxRKAcq2dBXfqvLGcxhq0LkA_UtP1V50A3w-K5emP7NchSZSk5hnxBCysEaE8sPgmVR7WxZ6X-QFdw7ZXZVu4gI_CBOOXzGhxj3C3o2A/s1600/Fan+Art+-+Splash+PNG_sm.png" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">Where can I find tutorials and additional information?</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">EVERYWHERE. The internet is a Mecca for all things visual and artsy. I'd recommend <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/">deviantArt</a> first - a community centered only and specifically on art (of almost any kind). Then there's <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a>, which also features both art and links to art tutorials. But also <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a>. <a href="http://weheartit.com/">WeHeartIt</a>. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/">Instagram</a>. Art blogs. Online merchandise stores like <a href="https://www.etsy.com/">Etsy</a>, <a href="https://www.redbubble.com/">RedBubble </a>and <a href="https://www.society6.com/">Society6</a>. Your school bulletin board. The back of your closet. That coffee shop 'round the corner. ART IS EVERYWHERE. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But suffice it to say - Google knows. And if you go off of an assumption that there is an answer for whatever you may need, you'll rarely be disappointed. If you find yourself disappointed, however - I'm right here to answer the questions that stump Google. (#wise)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJW8fTWzb3n9Hy8xKIZCGzSF3qdyj-sBgERj7xxRKAcq2dBXfqvLGcxhq0LkA_UtP1V50A3w-K5emP7NchSZSk5hnxBCysEaE8sPgmVR7WxZ6X-QFdw7ZXZVu4gI_CBOOXzGhxj3C3o2A/s1600/Fan+Art+-+Splash+PNG_sm.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJW8fTWzb3n9Hy8xKIZCGzSF3qdyj-sBgERj7xxRKAcq2dBXfqvLGcxhq0LkA_UtP1V50A3w-K5emP7NchSZSk5hnxBCysEaE8sPgmVR7WxZ6X-QFdw7ZXZVu4gI_CBOOXzGhxj3C3o2A/s1600/Fan+Art+-+Splash+PNG_sm.png" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">I am an indecisive pumpkin. Where should I start?</b></div>
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you're completely new to digital art and to graphic design software, I'd <i>strongly</i> suggest starting with some trial-and-error unofficial sketches, some tutorials, a class, or photomanipulation - the latter being that thing which sounds like photography post-production that is actually nothing like photography post-production. (Photomanipulation, in essence, allows you to take stock images available online, edit them, paint over them, cut out whichever portions you need, and import them into other (stock) images. It's basically digital collage, with painting. <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/browse/all/digitalart/photomanip/">And it can lend some truly impressive results</a>.) </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you're already familiar with the ins and outs of your graphic software of choice and you're confident enough in your drawing/painting skill (or really good at faking it #TeamMe), then you can go ahead and transition to plain, old digital painting: an empty canvas before you, a mouse/pen in your hand, and nothing but the limits of your imagination <strike>(and neck spasms, back pain, a need for sustenance, the chaotic passage of time, and real life chores)</strike> standing in your way. In which case, you start: from scratch, with an idea, and lots and lots of hope.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">What does your process look like? How long until your piece is done?</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When I first started my current WIP, dinosaurs still roamed the earth. I am slow, my friends. I am the ultimate tortoise of the digital art community. But this is chiefly because (a) I am terrible at time management at times, and (b) in 2009 when I first got started <i>it didn't occur to me to use tutorials at all</i>. So I'm entirely self-taught, and therefore 4.758 times slower than a professional artist. Heed my advice, oh wise ones: put <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/browse/all/resources/tutorials/">the Tutorial section of deviantArt</a> to a good use. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Otherwise, my process is this: chaotic, disorganized, often indecisive, all-consuming, time-consuming, manic, stressful, but thoroughly and utterly enjoyable the entire time.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">I'll need to spend a fortune to create digital art, won't I?</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Not unless you're reading this on your phone (in which case... I appreciate that diligence). To create digital art, all you really need is the following:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">○ </span>a working computer</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">○ </span>a mouse or a graphics tablet</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">○ </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">graphic software of your choice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Don't panic - that picture is deceiving. That picture is what happens when a brother (mine) moves to NYC for the summer and a sister (me) usurps his super decked-out workspace.</i></span></div>
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The computer and the mouse, presumably, you have covered. While the mouse</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> <i>does</i> make it more challenging to create art, as opposed to a graphics tablet, it doesn't </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">make it impossible. I started creating digital art in 2009 and didn't get a graphics tablet until 2013. If you're dabbling in photo manipulation, a mouse is </span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">plenty</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">. </span><br />
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<a href="http://elluna.deviantart.com/art/Give-Me-Love-375742709"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlj7eJW5L0VWck5q_WcHuhVBL5CpPvk4wDDXsAvtJ3M04e4RwX1EnezrFcCIfVuEizQjnUHzhyphenhyphenXYRjTRpDpSwtihnSEgpM-w6KqCPRXgyP-gprJOyOKOIIv3yUfdAZunFrD8Tp0hhkn5qQ/s400/Give+Me+Love_sm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Created with a mouse. I'm tempted to attack it with a tablet now, of course, but as it stands, it is an argument in a mouse's favor.</i></span></div>
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you have your heart set on a graphics tablet for painting, however, more good news (I am your regular singing telegram today) - they aren't as expensive as you're thinking. By all means - <i>do your research</i> before purchasing! But depending on the model, the size, and the brand - they can come as cheap as $50. Originally, as a student on a budget, I'd had my heart set on Wacom's Bamboo model, which now has sequels/offspring in the form of Wacom One series, or the Wacom Intuos Art/Comic/Draw/Photo models. Alternatively, the Huios lower-range series is also both affordable and has really good reviews and customer feedback. I'd look into the Ugee brand, too, and compare. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Pro tips: </b>(1) The size of the tablet isn't the same as the size of its active area. Mind the distinction. (2) The amount of pressure points is more important than whether they're wireless or glossy or shiny or whatever else the company advertises as the tablet's key features. (3) Pens are necessary; pens with erasers are handy.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's the software, ironically, that tends to be the priciest. But if you're venturing here from any sort of blogging community (your own blog, Tumblr, etc.), chances are you already own some sort of graphic software, and can navigate your way around one. If not - you still have cost-effective options. While the favored Adobe suite <i>is</i> pricey, there's a myriad of Photoshop-reminiscent software at a fraction of the cost. Some even come free. Also, if you're a student or employed in an IT company, I'd recommend checking to see if there isn't software available to you through your school/company, on their community license. My University offers free Adobe student license to its students enrolled in graphics/IT/art/design programs. Some graphics tablets also come with free software.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">What equipment do <i>YOU</i> use, though?</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Disclaimer: do as I say, kids, not as I do. By no means am I saying you need the same equipment I need to achieve equal or better results. I do, however, luuuurve my equipment. (So much so that everything is named Monty. It's a sign of love in Lexieville.)</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I own an 18.4" ASUS laptop. Its name is Monty Jr. I am a Windows-based human and a mobile human, but I needed good graphics and visibility. Ergo - giant laptop. I also use an external cooler pad (attachable via USB port) that I make sure to place my laptop on whenever I'm Photoshopping. My pieces tend to run large, both in pixel size and MB/GB size, and when I run multiple at once, it's tasking on a computer. So I feed it more cool air to keep it happy.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As far as graphic equipment, I work on a Wacom Intuos Pro Touch L tablet, and we've very, very best friends. Her name is Jessamine. I also hang out with Monty - my Nikon D3200 dSLR for photography. And I pair it all up with my 'base of operations' - Adobe Photoshop CC (for actual painting) and Adobe Illustrator CC (for line art and vector graphics).</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">Where do I post my artwork when I'm done?</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In my not-at-all biased opinion, there's no such thing as a bad place for fan art. You may post it anywhere. <i>(Though maybe don't email it to government offices and the like.)</i> The places where your art is sure to get the most visibility, however, is <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a>, <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/">deviantArt</a>, your own personal blog, <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a>, or wherever you already have an established base of friends/followers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Don't forget to also post it on your personal social media, and <i>by all means </i>- notify the author of the original work. There are few things as dear to an author as seeing how their work inspired and impacted others. And what with books being a uniquely intrinsic experience, it's incredibly thought-provoking (and mindblowing) to get to <i>see</i> how someone envisaged a character/scene/concept in their mind.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">Can I sell my fan art? Is that legal?</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It depends on your medium of choice. If you used anyone else's images to create your own (as is the case with photomanipulation and/or mixed media), you would need to look into every stock artist's individual rules and potentially ask them for permission. Some are happy to see their stock help others do well, others will ask for a cut of the profits. With digital painting, on the other hand, your work is entirely your own, but...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Pro tip of the day:</b> ask the author. Find the author whose work you're honoring with your art, either on social media or via email, and ask if they would be okay with it. As with stock artists, some authors are happy to greenlight this, and some will want to work out a commercial license with you so they get a percentage of your sales profits.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">Where can I sell it?</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Art-based websites like <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/">deviantArt</a> offer print sales right off the website. Likewise, online merchandise stores like <a href="http://www.redbubble.com/">RedBubble</a>, <a href="https://society6.com/">Society6</a>, <a href="https://www.zazzle.co.uk/">Zazzle</a>, etc. make it possible for you to upload your artwork, and they do the job of printing it, packaging it, and shipping it to customers - for a cut of the profits. (Sensing a theme yet?) You may also choose to print and ship the artwork yourself, either via proxies like <a href="https://www.etsy.com/">Etsy</a>, e-commerce websites like <a href="http://www.ebay.com/">Ebay</a>, or via your own website. And then there's the possibility of opening an actual, physical, real-life shop in your area.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/ellunaarts"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZ9mQ6VfrFFJEjx7Ibrendb4rs-l002ffGUksGRFd_h7vYCOozTLwsWb_B_K7lwqi8UEpfDAwIh6kVFSoGEUtEIW90xUWJGEnITW7FxPj81TdYFM7edvgFqPe1iEYJ7vfzlctY1WHAvui/s640/Fan+Art+-+Online+Merch_sm.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">May I friend you on your artsy social media?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Not only <i>may</i> you - I <i>insist</i> upon it! (I also routinely hand out virtual cookies, so you don't want to miss it, really.) I am:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="http://elluna.deviantart.com/">Elluna @ deviantArt</a> | <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/vehreys/">Vehreys @ Pinterest</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ellunaarts/">EllunaArts @ Facebook</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/afleetingstardust/">AFleetingStardust @ Instagram</a> | <a href="http://afleetingstardust.tumblr.com/">AFleetingStardust @ Tumblr</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: justify;">My online stores with graphic design / typography type bookish merch are at:</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><a href="http://www.redbubble.com/people/ellunaarts">EllunaArts @ RedBubble</a> | <a href="https://society6.com/elluna/">Elluna @ Society6</a></b></div>
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The Honest Bookclubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11459426023919815702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5901173538948742448.post-50876569479059086162016-10-19T01:18:00.002+01:002016-10-19T03:29:50.342+01:00TOP 10 FICTIONAL CHARACTER NAME TRENDS<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Whichever side of the writing process you're on, this much you're sure of: </span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">naming characters is a delight akin to naming children</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">naming characters is a pain akin to delivering children.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And as with most things trope-ish, it is (almost) inevitable that another famed author has already claimed your superduper unique name as their own in that one fantastically popular series you've been avoiding for ages (which you'll only discover once the book is out in print). Likewise, as with most things trope-ish, whichever name you <i>do</i> end up settling on - you're likely following a trend. And isn't that ever so annoying?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So to make it still more annoying, this week we're linking up with The Broke And The Bookish's Top 10 feature and listing our 10 favorite and least favorite memorable naming strategies in YA.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. Fantastical contemporary names</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">... Literally. Behold Ywyenne, the daughter of NYC stock brokers whose passions include baking, tailgating, and teenage angst - in a YA Contemporary romance that's sweeping the nation! (<i>A/N: Not a real story. But you know it's just a matter of time.</i>) Set up well, this trend can be utilized to better paint the picture of a artsy society/hippie commune where the character was raised. Set up badly, it's the first warning bell of the great, the dreaded... SPESHUL SNOWFLAKE SYNDROME.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Done right in:</b> every Jandy Nelson book to date (hippie communities galore) - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23168945-the-sky-is-everywhere">Lenon</a> being the prime example</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Failed us in:</b> <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10194514-pushing-the-limits">Pushing The Limits</a></i>. Whatever the plot and the characterization, hearing the name Echo repeated about a hundred times in the midst of classes, Family Drama, the Deep, Dark Past and contemporary romance was all sorts of distracting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. Keyboard smash strategies</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At this point in time, with pop culture spreading like wildfire online, this character-naming strategy might well be alternatively titled The G.R.R. Martin Strategy. In practice, it's about equally divided between really technical, really futuristic sci-fi and epic fantasy. And it is, we believe, a direct result of an author growing frustrated with their inability to pick a name and smashing their head on a keyboard. DAENERYS TARGERYEN! PERFECT!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The strategy is also marked by an author's sadistic enjoyment of subsequent embarrassing attempts, tongue injuries, and a risk of asphyxiation that accompanies every attempt to pronounce said name.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>As seen in: </b>many a Sarah J. Maas title (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16096824-a-court-of-thorns-and-roses">Ianthe</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13519397-throne-of-glass">Chaol, Aelin Ashryver Galathynius</a>), every G.R.R. Martin Title (as seen above), <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22544764-uprooted">Uprooted</a> </i>(Agnieszka), and on <a href="http://paperfury.com/hard-to-pronounce-fiction-names/">Cait's entire Top 10 feature over @ Paper Fury</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Overused name</span></b></span><b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">s</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Name trends come and name trends go - in fiction as in real life. You can spot this trend when after 10 minutes of fawning over a character with a friend, you discover that you've been thinking of different Lukes all along. #awkward Or, alternatively, it's evident when every time you mention a certain character's name, it's followed up with a "Which one?" question from someone else. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>As experienced with:</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15724396-the-sword-of-summer" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Magnus Chase</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> | </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16303287-the-bane-chronicles" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Magnus Bane</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> | </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12954620-falling-kingdoms" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Magnus Damora</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11408650-the-unbecoming-of-mara-dyer">Noah Shaw</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17675462-the-raven-boys">Noah Czerny</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20820994-i-ll-give-you-the-sun">Noah Sweetwine</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15931.The_Notebook">Noah Calhoun</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1629601.The_Disreputable_History_of_Frankie_Landau_Banks">Frankie Landau-Banks</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27414434-the-lovely-reckless">Frankie Devereux</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23281652-daughter-of-deep-silence">Frankie Mace</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">4. His royal titles</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In fantasy, title-names are par for the course. It's stranger when a titular character <i>isn't</i> royalty than when they are. (And the more you think about this, the harder it is to think of average-Joe protagonists in fantasy. Even <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33.The_Lord_of_the_Rings">Aragorn had a claim to Gondor from the outset</a>.) Brought over to present-day set books, however, this becomes one of my absolute favorite trends - one that glories in its utter ridiculousness. Pretentiously-named teenage boys and girls in modern-day western world are more than a little bit amazing - and even more amusing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>As seen in:</b> (you saw this coming) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17675462-the-raven-boys">Richard Campbell Gansey III from The Raven Cycle</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">5. Unknown names</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And then there are those times when a character just... doesn't have a name. At least, that is, not one we're aware of right away. This trend can be employed threefold:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- on characters who go by nicknames (The Darkling in the <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10194157-shadow-and-bone">Grisha trilogy</a>, </i>Wesley in <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10929432-the-archived">The Archived</a></i>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- on Those Who Must Not Be Named (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/72193.Harry_Potter_and_the_Philosopher_s_Stone">TOM RIDDLE! I SAID IT!</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- on characters whose names are Top</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Secret<span style="background-color: white; color: #545454;">™</span> (Dorian's father, apparently, in Sarah J. Maas's <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13519397-throne-of-glass"><i>Throne of Glass</i></a>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- on characters whose names are unpronouncable ('Your human tongue isn't capable of producing the sound, so I go by Joe,' as seen in multiple <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34497.The_Color_of_Magic">Discworld</a></i> novels)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">6. That's Not A Name names</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is easily the most common trend in the whole of YA literature. Because unique name = unique character. <i>(Except not really. Not at all.)</i> An author could risk just going with a rare name, but the problem is - so is everyone else. So, instead, why not convert a noun of choice into a name, instead? At times it's done on purpose, to illustrate that sort of mindset in a parent (Blue in <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17675462-the-raven-boys">The Raven Cycle</a></i>) and most other times it's unfortun</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ately misused... and unfortunately hilarious.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Also seen in:</b> Patch (<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6339664-hush-hush">Hush Hush</a></i>), Mare (<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22328546-red-queen">Red Queen</a></i>), Cricket (<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9961796-lola-and-the-boy-next-door">Lola And The Boy Next Door</a></i>), Poppy, Wink, Alabama, Leaf, Midnight (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23203106-wink-poppy-midnight"><i>Wink Poppy Midnight</i></a>), Rhage, Zadist, Wrath, Tohrment, Vishous, Phury - <i>no, I'm not kidding</i> (<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42899.Dark_Lover">The Black Dagger Brotherhood</a></i>), America Singer (<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10507293-the-selection">The Selection</a></i>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">7. That's Not Even A Word names</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Similar to the previous category, but amped up to a whooooole new level - these are names that not only mean: an herb, a time of day, a part of a whole, anger management problems - but, in fact, don't mean <i>anything at all</i>. Unlike the keyboard smash names, these show up in either contemporary or present-day paranormal stories and they are 100% fantastic to behold. They're usually a result of an author's attempt to put an original spin on existing sounds/words/names. And they absolutely never, ever fail to amuse.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Example (one is all you need):</b> Renesmee (</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41865.Twilight">Twilight</a></i>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>8. Hidden Meaning Spoiler names</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You know the drill - the beautiful protagonist named Isabelle (Belle for short) comes across an amnesiac named Nemo. Soon thereafter they're joined by Sidekick McComicReliefson and off to an adventure they go!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's open to interpretation whether names with obvious meanings (which coincidentally correspond with the character's defining trait) are the way to go or not. Memorably, most of J.K. Rowling's <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/72193.Harry_Potter_and_the_Philosopher_s_Stone">Harry Potter</a></i> cast has highly illustrative names (Lupin, Sirius, professor Vektor, professor Sprout), and it's been a source of actual delight to generations of kids who took these names at face value when first introduced to the characters, only to realize the name significance years after the fact. Likewise, <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31359893-in-the-land-of-broken-time">In The Land of Broken Time</a></i> features characters with names highly illustrative of the book's core themes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But in YA (and upwards), at times a name isn't so much a herald as it is a spoiler. So this trend, too, is a double-edged sword. Our take? Cleverly-hidden meanings add an additional nuance to the book as a whole. Poorly-disguised spoilers don't.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>9. Author? Character? Hard to tell!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's hard to decide if it's alarming or ballsy to open a book and find that the protagonist shares (a variation of) the author's name. Is it a poorly-disguised self-insert in an author's fictional wish-fulfillment fantasy? Is it an author winking right at you from the page, all brazen and haughty? Is it even inentional? Unless a book is a masterpiece of subtext, we may never know. And that right there is half the appeal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>As seen in:</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Cassandra Clare's Clairy, the similarly red-haired protagonist of <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/256683.City_of_Bones">The Mortal Instruments</a> </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Victoria Schwab's Victor, the similarly morally dubious, ridiculously impressive Slytherin protagonist of <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13638125-vicious">Vicious</a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>10. Nonsensical/amusing nicknames</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Maggie Stiefvater, needless to say, is a particular fan of this strategy - whether purposely or otherwise. (Though, does God ever do anything by accident? #notatallbiased). You haven't even finished deciding whether to be put out or impressed that the author named their protagonist John Smith, when suddenly he's spotted by his friends, and they're calling his name from across the street. "Hey, Bug! Yo, Bug, good to see you, man!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's a ridiculous nickname, of course. And you'll never admit the author got a laugh out of you for that one. The secret's safe with us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Examples: </b>The previously mentioned Richard Campbell Gansey III from <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17675462-the-raven-boys">The Raven Cycle </a></i>winces at the customary 'Dick'. He then goes on to nickname the previously mentioned Blue - 'Jane'. Kate Connolly in <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15827344-the-scorpio-races">The Scorpio Races</a></i> goes by 'Puck'. </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17928147-walk-the-edge">Walk The Edge</a> </i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">sees a motorcycle gang give all its relatively normally named members supposedly threatening-sounding nicknames</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">, thus leaving us with the broody love interest who answers only to 'Razor'. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Oops - we might have accidentally made the whole character-naming process seem even more daunting. Darn our propensity to laugh at everything! To whom it may concern, however - a good portion of these trends are ones we genuinely like. And a good portion of those are ones we frequently follow. Do we then second-guess the name choices? Absolutely. But do we stick by them in the end? Also a resounding yes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Which are the naming trends you've noticed in YA? What are your favorite and least favorite ones? Do you have 'name crushes' - so much so that you <i>have</i> to use a name in your own story? And have there been names in books which you found too ridiculous to even process? Let us know in the comments below.</span><br />
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