tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70754626501816191752024-03-14T10:53:26.228+00:00The Book LootersARRR! Come aboard as we embark on fantastic literary adventures. We are a couple and a book-loving duo who decided to create The Book Looters to share our love of reading with the worldRainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09913116465314784894noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7075462650181619175.post-74905102610596121592017-05-11T22:04:00.000+01:002017-05-11T22:06:11.400+01:00The Pacifist by Mehreen Ahmed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzQgNq_C-BEDUrC4_e4iCzPFnGJb2KDz9yJx4LuQbJb47hREaYsM0F5xXQ52AXmnfw1f2BtTUx8V2XducGAaPkzIQgV7tCO5R5G4R9__fkPXXgPNnuftdXYCGslcdXSx3VBdaXQvbr60g/s1600/pacifist_ebook_cover.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/AVvXsEiEzQgNq_C-BEDUrC4_e4iCzPFnGJb2KDz9yJx4LuQbJb47hREaYsM0F5xXQ52AXmnfw1f2BtTUx8V2XducGAaPkzIQgV7tCO5R5G4R9__fkPXXgPNnuftdXYCGslcdXSx3VBdaXQvbr60g/s320/pacifist_ebook_cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4PzFQPR5l_Lq6gkWhMrFv71vZLCHx9d4Zc9nQGf6RPBgog-CRqz2j0i6qs0kmY88FKYdCrsIurB0n-6s2nCaRQ05O2YT0AG7UdT_eVAT_AB4Pfa-zCAOIMrMSl6o1KDiMMPsYVqiZeeS2/s1600/5starrating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4PzFQPR5l_Lq6gkWhMrFv71vZLCHx9d4Zc9nQGf6RPBgog-CRqz2j0i6qs0kmY88FKYdCrsIurB0n-6s2nCaRQ05O2YT0AG7UdT_eVAT_AB4Pfa-zCAOIMrMSl6o1KDiMMPsYVqiZeeS2/s1600/5starrating.jpg" /></a><span style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34745496-the-pacifist" target="_blank">The Pacifist</a> by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mehreen.ahmed.3551" target="_blank">Mehreen Ahmed</a></span><br />
Publication date: May 2017<br />
Publisher: <a href="http://www.cosmicteapot.net/" target="_blank">Cosmic Teapot Publishing</a><br />
Format: eBook<br />
Buy it here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pacifist-Mehreen-Ahmed-ebook/dp/B06XYRRZVW" target="_blank">Amazon,</a> <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Pacifist-Mehreen-Ahmed/9781988762036" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a><br />
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: small;">Goodreads Description</span></b></h3>
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In 1866, Peter Baxter’s misfortune ends the day he leaves Badgerys Creek orphanage. Unsure of what to do next, Peter finds himself on a farm run by Mr. Brown. An aging man, Brown needs help and is happy to give Peter a place to live in exchange for his labor. Unbeknownst to Peter, Brown’s past is riddled with dark secrets tied to the same orphanage, which he has documented in a red folder.</div>
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During a chance encounter, Peter meets Rose. Peter cannot help but fall in love with her beauty, grace, and wit but fears that his affection will go unrequited as a result of his crippling poverty. But fate changes when Peter joins the search for gold in Hill End, New South Wales. Striking it rich, he returns to Rose a wealthy man. Peter is changed by his new found affluence, heading towards the mire of greed. Will Rose regret her relationship with Peter? </div>
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Meanwhile, Rose has her own troubled history. One that is deeply entwined with Brown’s past and Peter’s future. </div>
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I absolutely adored this book.</div>
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Originally, I thought I would give this book 4 stars. However, <i>The Pacifist</i> is one of those books that gets better after contemplating the story and the fate of its characters. On the surface, this book feels like quite a simple rags-to-riches story about a man who got caught up in the New South Wales gold rush. </div>
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This book is not that simple, or straightforward, at all. It turns the cliché of rags-to-riches upside down.</div>
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<i>The Pacifist</i> begins with a sixteen-year-old boy, Peter Baxter, who escapes from an orphanage and ends up stumbling into the life of Farmer Brown. They work together and become close, but Peter learns the truth about how the farm is owned by the orphanage with horrible conditions attached, which has caused Brown much stress - however, he confides in Peter, and it is here where we realise that this book is made up of many curious layers piled on top of each other. Peter eventually embarks on a journey to mine gold in the New South Wales gold rush. After a while, he strikes it lucky and brings home a huge gold nugget which makes him wealthy and a respectable gentleman overnight. Using his fortune, he climbs up the gold rush rankings, becoming richer and more powerful than he ever imagined. Meanwhile, we read chapters about Rose, his future wife, and how her history, and her family, intertwines with Peter's. </div>
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This book made me smile, made me laugh, gave me chills and made me cry. </div>
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Ultimately, this book SHINES in its details. I was curious about the New South Wales gold rush, and this book has definitely sparked an interest in Australian history for me. I was glad to find out more about the raw realities the gold miners, the Aboriginals, and the lower classes of society during this period in Australia - which, after all, is connected to my home country back in Britain. It made me realise how we don't get to learn much about Australian history, and this made me downright horrified. The historical details shine through in the form of letters and diary entries, which have an intimate feel to them.</div>
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The mysteries and the revelations, GUYS, are SO satisfying. The delicate way Ahmed weaves the histories of the families together and surprises us with huge details that were missing before, adds quite a special, and unforgettable touch to the book. Ahmed's use of descriptions, metaphors and similes are first-class. The author's description of food made my mouth water - it was on par with George RR Martin's <i>A Song of Ice and Fire.</i> The similes made me smirk: 'a handful of local reporters sat with their camera men, waiting glumly like toads on lily pads for the next scoop'. Haha.</div>
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Ultimately, though, this book is very dark. It explores subjects like pedophilia, rape, adultery, mental illness, suicide, death and the abuse of children. The author is incredibly brave for writing about these subjects, and I wholeheartedly applaud her because she has done it so well. It's raw, but the author pulls no punches. Without a doubt, these awful things would have been happening during this period, as indeed it happens today. Don't let these subjects put you off, but do be prepared beforehand. It is easy to lose yourself in the world of <i>The Pacifist</i>, and you will become emotionally invested in the characters and the mysteries, which will keep you engrossed throughout. It's only 300 pages (for those who love books on the shorter side) so you'll find yourself speeding through it.</div>
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I loved this book so much, and will definitely be exploring more of Ahmed's work.</div>
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P. S. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. </div>
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Rainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09913116465314784894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7075462650181619175.post-73378314242565247182017-04-05T10:30:00.000+01:002017-04-05T10:30:40.182+01:00Outpost by Adam Baker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPaDF9tQkYAdlgp8ubX3LIAzvUELkGwO3mrsrCZ6ven3s04rEffw9J371cvlu320F20RDwK7Yjv6hH613SZoPZwMKvg9c-978Fr3YJWZkjD6fkbdIPbjOQzVFNZLHGAx8YDaC4D4sJ7Bn/s1600/10198374.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/AVvXsEgCPaDF9tQkYAdlgp8ubX3LIAzvUELkGwO3mrsrCZ6ven3s04rEffw9J371cvlu320F20RDwK7Yjv6hH613SZoPZwMKvg9c-978Fr3YJWZkjD6fkbdIPbjOQzVFNZLHGAx8YDaC4D4sJ7Bn/s320/10198374.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO6E1AAoK5Kb9gvPQmmdQKJWuZGZCzlcrpa3msRn0KEsGwn5BykDt2nt2cdlgyXvCMxhSy5j_OhttpSp2jV2kitedC0XkpNw1CmoObwgbutO4muoSErl6lV612VnTWfsm964ueJy0h1klz/s1600/3starrating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO6E1AAoK5Kb9gvPQmmdQKJWuZGZCzlcrpa3msRn0KEsGwn5BykDt2nt2cdlgyXvCMxhSy5j_OhttpSp2jV2kitedC0XkpNw1CmoObwgbutO4muoSErl6lV612VnTWfsm964ueJy0h1klz/s1600/3starrating.jpg" /></a><span style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10198374-outpost" target="_blank">Outpost</a> by <a href="http://www.infectedbooks.co.uk/people/adam-baker/" target="_blank">Adam Baker</a></span><br />
Publication date: January 2011<br />
Publisher: Hodder<br />
Format: Paperback<br />
Buy it here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1444709038" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Outpost-Adam-Baker/9781444709049" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a><br />
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They took the job to escape the world. They didn't expect the world to end.<br />
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Kasker Rampart: a derelict refinery platform moored in the Arctic Ocean. A skeleton crew of fifteen fight boredom and despair as they wait for a relief ship to take them home. But the world beyond their frozen wasteland has gone to hell. Cities lie ravaged by a global pandemic. One by one TV channels die, replaced by silent wavebands. The Rampart crew are marooned. They must survive the long Arctic winter, then make their way home alone. They battle starvation and hypothermia, unaware that the deadly contagion that has devastated the world is heading their way...<br />
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Aaaah the zombie novel.</div>
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Love them or loathe them, it is a rapidly growing genre - from the excellently written and disturbingly well researched zombie survival guide by Max Brooks, to the pretentious pseudo satire that was Feed by Mira Grant. The sub-genre isn’t going anywhere any time soon. Time to get used to it, because it is going nowhere.</div>
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Approaching this novel, it is reasonable to assume that it will be full of the expected standard violence and low on intelligence (come on, it's a book about zombies!) and that, whilst enjoyable, it will fail to leave a lasting impression. My assumption was wrong, and that is why I was pleasantly surprised with Outpost. </div>
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The setting is unusual; abandoning the typical urban high-population infection zones in favour of an isolated oil derrick in the freezing Arctic. This more intimate setting instantly reduces the character count, which in turn means the characters are better developed and the mismatched bunch range from an obese female priest who has lost her faith, to a pot-smoking Sikh, and they are surprisingly well realised and likeable. They make rational decisions and behave like normal, flawed humans. The others are generally less memorable because they appear to be there to enforce the sense of cabin fever on the rig and flesh out the story a little, which in all fairness they do effectively.</div>
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However, more interesting set pieces are few and far between and the industrial grey rig setting soon becomes claustrophobic and tiresome (though I can imagine this being intentional). Also, the actual interactions with the infected are spread fairly thin throughout, almost as if they were an afterthought. Moreover, the time between these interactions is not always well-utilised, and there is more focus on the daily mundanities than feels necessary, even if the author is trying to convey the boredom of unchanging routine.</div>
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Also, there is a slight twist on the zombies themselves, and I appreciated the later first-person perspective from the viewpoint of a person on the brink of 'turning' - it was well-written and suitably dread-inducing even if I didn’t particularly care for them, and rather than going for the typical viral cookie cutter zombie archetype, these were slightly different. The outbreak starts after an unfortunate crewman is infected by a bizarre metallic parasite which causes its host to grow painful-looking spines while going insane. This is a welcome change, albeit a minor one, and one that I am aware is down to personal taste more than anything, but it does allow for a fair amount of body horror.</div>
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There is a clever build of suspension at the start of the novel which tapers off in the middle, however this lull in pace is utilised well, and builds more on the characters interpersonal relationships and back stories. This gives us far more reason to care about the characters than many of the other books in this category, and inevitably makes each loss much more poignant, especially one death in particular (mild spoiler alert) at the end of the book.</div>
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This is a solid read. If you prefer faster paced, more action-based zombie novels such as the Zombie Apocalypse series, this might not be for you. But if you’re a fan of the zombie sub-genre, or just horror in general, and you're looking for something a little more cerebral, or you're longing for a different setting, you’ll probably find something here to enjoy.</div>
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Rainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09913116465314784894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7075462650181619175.post-51669457388481358512017-04-04T07:00:00.000+01:002017-04-04T13:30:00.483+01:00Must-Have Merch For Fans of Throne of Glass<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's almost hump day everyone! :D </div>
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Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/p/top-ten-tuesday-other-features.html" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a>, and this week's theme is: fandom freebie.</div>
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As a self-confessed fan of Throne of Glass and pretty much ANYTHING written by Sarah J. Maas (ugh, Rhysand in ACOMAF), I thought it would be fun to make a list of Throne of Glass merch I personally have, as well as 'Glass merch that's on my wishlist. Also, I think supporting Etsy shops and other small businesses is super important, so I've linked them up! Happy shopping! :D </div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/244827947/celaena-chaol-dorian-magnetic-bookmark" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXXEsORVeIKF4BIyhY-awPE7TPnyFBTnFMUqn8CJ6oCeFR-1gcB_tDFRw3GTO0O3Hjt-4AZOA3b3KUdM14WBi-6TEGEeSHivPueq8Vr_HuRseTWDnTf3_5Ci4fpeiFFt6qvjtPrbKd1wL/s320/il_570xN.833405391_ittg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>MAGNETIC BOOKMARKS</b></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Aren't these just super ADORABLE? Here we have Celaena, Chaol and Dorian magnetic bookmarks. I've seen these on pretty much EVERY ToG fan's YouTube videos at some point, and you can collect them with other bookish characters. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><b>Get them on Magicbookmarks' Etsy shop <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/244827947/celaena-chaol-dorian-magnetic-bookmark" target="_blank">HERE</a></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/453748522/rowan" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAUW6U_5FFa_UaVI5E1EVXFrFlnRfbJvQn4oOyOqi_dIiYEAU6_gHtc5YiYWt7GHuSE1c0PBUrsu6ICgxIJ7BMm4vN8SnsqZm5d5OBcIR6_Fv_IMh0yDNdSzEoJ-gK1MZLj6LgkCFCBQ1B/s320/il_570xN.1215917193_9spy.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div>
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<b>CANDLES</b></div>
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Am I right in saying that if you're a bookish person, you also MUST be a candle person? The two just go together, like cookies and milk, or wine and cheese, or... Aelin and Rowan. Sorry Chaol/Dorian shippers :D This particular candle smells absolutely amazing, and I'm sure most people have heard of Meraki Candles because she puts a lot of time into tweaking her candle scents. </div>
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If you realllyy must get a Chaol or Dorian scent *sigh* then she makes those too!</div>
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<b>Visit her Etsy shop <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/453748522/rowan" target="_blank">HERE</a></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/263164686/aelin-and-rowan-throne-of-glass-earrings" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWz0AA-m_MPwJ9t5be-X-_y-24lRirujsMv_XFvpFJ5PlU5sO2KQ3Kzh-t9NTzHamHyJ_kY-JF2svy5jX3ckpl5S2Ywd1XzZQj756tcpxLBTcZMIdpNbgIgglQ4ZbScc-f9vN7u446GV3/s320/il_570xN.1008532935_4yuo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>EARRINGS</b></div>
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Did I mention that Aelin and Rowan belong together? If I hadn't told you, you'd know now, because I can now wear these on my ears! Haha. </div>
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<b>These very bookish earrings can be bought from BellBookAndScandal's Etsy shop <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/263164686/aelin-and-rowan-throne-of-glass-earrings" target="_blank">HERE</a></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/bookandwords/works/15686535-i-can-survive-well-enough-on-my-own-if-given-the-proper-reading-material?p=throw-pillow&ref=work_carousel_work_recommendation" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpPHE2hDH-PgBJqmlVNtrvm57Mft29yG9VpHzdSVGelOoPs_npgUA_GEzmekrIWGa_QkcHZZQ9o-77ImGlPLGNP_q7QkNHak0UWoyFp5kOo4tqmhSaOYso83oSBnYxs3zwMRKbC41-IyGa/s320/CUSHION.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>THROW CUSHION</b></div>
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I think this is a quote we can all live by. Sarah J. Maas is such a queen for writing this quote, because I think this is really true! As a weapon, knowledge is way more powerful than a sword. This would look lovely on a sofa, bed or your favourite reading chair.</div>
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<b>Get it from bookandwords' shop on RedBubble <a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/bookandwords/works/15686535-i-can-survive-well-enough-on-my-own-if-given-the-proper-reading-material?p=throw-pillow&ref=work_carousel_work_recommendation" target="_blank">HERE</a></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.litographs.com/products/glass-scarf" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhDFYdBb3lKfJgkJlv5MIr4jGwE7PNNhE2funZXqOTiU2tv-U12jZZpjWWqwhs8t5Ghu5YfoEfU15UbBHkQAU-G5PfoIneNGKIEhJiHDeAsoRhb_xricgxRLGj2_BnBsI0fcLGGWcZ3Vy/s320/litograph+scarf.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>LITOGRAPH SCARF</b></div>
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Apparently, wearing thousands of words is now a thing. I think this is incredibly awesome. As Jack just said to me, if you get bored on the train or in a waiting room, you can now look down at yourself and read your favourite book. Litographs also offer t-shirts, posters and totes. You can also choose the colour of the words, as well as the font! Each scarf has around 30,000 words, more if you buy a t-shirt. You can even get the FULL BOOK on a gigantic poster. </div>
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<b>Check out Litographs <a href="https://www.litographs.com/products/glass-scarf" target="_blank">HERE</a></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/485662329/map-of-erilea-map-of-the-world-of-throne" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwzkz9MPpTq98Ys6tmgjU4d9Apkrjw8BcJmjA5hgOrcn2KE6-IbaJa5tTP4SYRYdB6Ffdl8P9lAN28cF0km2kZrsrNwv4qMdraBksa4P9lAIGm-e_a0ZIHv_sU7oN9cQngFcRjYFUz0HM/s320/il_570xN.1062908710_1ern.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>THRONE OF GLASS MAP</b></div>
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This is the perfect companion to the books. I think maps are always so special to fandoms because they make our books feel real. Each map comes wrapped in a satin ribbon. If you know a ToG fan, I'm sure they'd really appreciate this as a gift!</div>
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<b>You can buy this map from LandOfScrolls on Etsy <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/485662329/map-of-erilea-map-of-the-world-of-throne" target="_blank">HERE</a></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/268242544/throne-of-glass-characters-celaena?ref=related-2" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlkTvqabjAzubaJwHQYxuk6y0q7rAh-OGoUxuu1RDsJzi57wRwxApWLWTD6QlOMzn5YoPRGUI7L96fjDZI35UYLItNpOuleiJmuMnvB1ruYvPXOncc00VVKXzcYAbvdcFZvhkD-bCPFNeQ/s320/il_570xN.1027827984_e4d0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>PILLOW WITH CHARACTERS</b></div>
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This is such a pretty pillow! On this pillow there are 6 of the most popular characters, but CymeliumStore makes LOADS more with single character names, maps and quotes. </div>
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<b>Buy this pillow and explore the shop <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/268242544/throne-of-glass-characters-celaena?ref=related-2" target="_blank">HERE</a></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/kbhend9715/works/21840045-celaena-sardothien-empire-of-storms" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5D26WF-o5Sd2zAsE0GuF0j3MaN2y0Zyz738knvKIpYXoYgxh-WtYze2tEfM_zXzGfias_ieb61VG-PLKoXXRp6m4uPsQirTwmGeJGPmqNIeRrb5KMI2fBgXC2JBsqjik6kTfDzzvhiCl/s320/ra%252Crelaxed_fit%252Cx3104%252Cathletic_heather%252Cfront-c%252C600%252C650%252C900%252C850-bg%252Cf8f8f8.1u7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>AELIN T-SHIRT</b></div>
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I've always loved this image of Aelin with a sword and her fire. I think this is wearable with pretty much anything, and would be great to wear at signings and bookish events. As this is RedBubble, you can also choose the type of shirt, as well as the colours.</div>
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<b>Buy it on RedBubble from kbhend9715 <a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/kbhend9715/works/21840045-celaena-sardothien-empire-of-storms" target="_blank">HERE</a></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Sijb2NQd5l9de3ffxQ7pfhzvL_wTMt73CQxYhui-ekTIS8qZeK73N4urKVuc-oP9xTDU1a4TcgkPcO7xhiYQldzBpAb4NBNg7O9F4s4N6BAbrExzmCIH4ky3wY8jUWtOHifymmMnycG2/s1600/il_570xN.1028055594_8lge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Sijb2NQd5l9de3ffxQ7pfhzvL_wTMt73CQxYhui-ekTIS8qZeK73N4urKVuc-oP9xTDU1a4TcgkPcO7xhiYQldzBpAb4NBNg7O9F4s4N6BAbrExzmCIH4ky3wY8jUWtOHifymmMnycG2/s320/il_570xN.1028055594_8lge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>LET'S GO RATTLE THE STARS BOTTLE</b></div>
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I think these are SO itsy-bitsy cute. </div>
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These are little ToG quote bottles filled with silver stars, with Aelin's dagger on the side. EnchantedBottleCraft makes these, and you can buy them in the form of an ornament, necklace, earrings, bookmark or a keyring. There are plenty of ways to wear it!</div>
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<b>You can find this item on Etsy <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/473211269/lets-go-rattle-the-stars-bottle-necklace" target="_blank">HERE</a></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/480801905/throne-of-glass-quote-art-8-x-10" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFUhq_5u2KY6Py87cySieacNmpIuXEDmiBuz5wYuNNDWQmtSZ12zIX9fMrcvIRvWAU3CVNboSlbjADSynw11VfP9anXD3vAF10hYlk5nkV_rGcsLIIhjM8NyxQlnuTXz5OLatgKV4Qbz2/s320/il_570xN.1095273217_tqck.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>RATTLE THE STARS WATERCOLOUR PRINT</b></div>
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This beautiful and colourful print is available on TheQuotedPage's Etsy store. It would look great in any ToG fan's bedroom, bookshelf area, or anywhere in the house really! Each print is 8 x 10 inches.</div>
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<b>You can find the print <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/480801905/throne-of-glass-quote-art-8-x-10" target="_blank">HERE</a></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCH2Y3Z8bcGhFRVtX9mf75ZpPVbyR5Znsrvuk3LgCKaH_0zdiTO9xRy6J8kqG2-wHcnXhy2KHeTgfRyW2RmFG4QxG9HK-f-ysOdZr8riqwVYG_ZJaKMxBaKewavmxYjqNO2Z-fo-C1jY__/s1600/Raine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCH2Y3Z8bcGhFRVtX9mf75ZpPVbyR5Znsrvuk3LgCKaH_0zdiTO9xRy6J8kqG2-wHcnXhy2KHeTgfRyW2RmFG4QxG9HK-f-ysOdZr8riqwVYG_ZJaKMxBaKewavmxYjqNO2Z-fo-C1jY__/s1600/Raine.jpg" /></a></div>
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Rainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09913116465314784894noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7075462650181619175.post-27001734989733269642017-03-30T12:09:00.002+01:002017-04-04T23:59:23.599+01:00Perdido Street Station by China Mieville<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgASfvIT1UJ_V8_prmZFe4wRipfjaP0F2RBjyFx1WY4oV1EtPeP1LheiEMHigyhNN71ocHY8zC_hYML9MHqgm1N_h1LA9mh9bmkAsood-wOFr4qF9Fh3UnAN8S1kDSU3hux7liRKmO9JJe1/s1600/10362658.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/AVvXsEgASfvIT1UJ_V8_prmZFe4wRipfjaP0F2RBjyFx1WY4oV1EtPeP1LheiEMHigyhNN71ocHY8zC_hYML9MHqgm1N_h1LA9mh9bmkAsood-wOFr4qF9Fh3UnAN8S1kDSU3hux7liRKmO9JJe1/s320/10362658.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73JG6dYMyPSnksxrIzrhWzeQeW6BGViSsEgm7UtXZMmglmJTG91Nwio553EfcDOu3L5KeketN48Dio5ooCrIU-TZNfQX2BIyzJXInluqw4qfklT9Iz3J-88Rj41_hNcZXvvSfu0SJxTcE/s1600/5starrating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73JG6dYMyPSnksxrIzrhWzeQeW6BGViSsEgm7UtXZMmglmJTG91Nwio553EfcDOu3L5KeketN48Dio5ooCrIU-TZNfQX2BIyzJXInluqw4qfklT9Iz3J-88Rj41_hNcZXvvSfu0SJxTcE/s1600/5starrating.jpg" /></a><span style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/68494.Perdido_Street_Station?from_search=true" target="_blank">Perdido Street Station</a> by <a href="https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/china-mieville" target="_blank">China Mieville</a></span><br />
Publication date: March 2000<br />
<a href="http://i1383.photobucket.com/albums/ah298/TheBookLooters/TREASUREEE_zpst2h989lp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1383.photobucket.com/albums/ah298/TheBookLooters/TREASUREEE_zpst2h989lp.jpg" /></a>Publisher: Ballantine Del Rey<br />
Format: Paperback<br />
Buy it here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0345459407/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_uk-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738" target="_blank">Amazon,</a> <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Perdido-Street-Station/9780330534239" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a><br />
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: small;">Goodreads Description</span></b></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">The iconic first Bas-Lag novel from an award-winning author.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The metropolis of New Crobuzon sprawls at the centre of its own bewildering world. Humans and mutants and arcane races throng the gloom beneath its chimneys, where the rivers are sluggish with unnatural effluent, and factories and foundries pound into the night. For more than a thousand years, the parliament and its brutal militia have ruled over a vast array of workers and artists, spies, magicians, junkies and whores. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now a stranger has come, with a pocketful of gold and an impossible demand, and inadvertently something unthinkable is released. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As the city becomes gripped by an alien terror, the fate of millions depends on a clutch of outcasts on the run from lawmakers and crimelords alike. The urban nightscape becomes a hunting ground. Battles rage in the shadows of bizarre buildings. And a reckoning is due at the city's heart, under the vast chaotic vaults of Perdido Street Station.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When people ask me what this book is about, all I can say is: <b>just read it.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is rare when a novel is strange enough to warrant its own genre, and this is certainly one of those rare pieces! It dances a fine line between horror, sci-fi, dystopia </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">and yet never fully fits neatly into any one of those categories. Yet on</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">e thing pervades each of its themes… it is utterly - and wonderfully - bizarre. Perdido Street along Mieville’s other works belong to the New Weird sub-genre, which is apt when you consider the subject matter, but to explain too much is to ruin the story so I’ll be intentionally vague when I describe the plot.</span></span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-8d12930b-1edc-f6f1-8f0a-0ec298cfb687"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The book starts with a beautiful description of the approach to the corpulent and corrupted industrial, clockwork nightmare city of New Crobuzon (think Victorian London but EVEN MORE grim and fantastical), and a Garuda (a nomadic bird race from the harsh deserts) on a quest to find a brilliant scientist to help him get his wings back. In his quest to regain his flight, they manage to unleash an unspeakable terror on the unsuspecting denizens of the city.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">To call said denizens colourful would be an understatement. There are surly cactus people, scarab-headed Khepri, impish cockney Wyrmen, eccentric extradimensional spiders with eclectic tastes for inanimate objects, waterbending frog people and so much more! Despite this strange mixture, each seems incredibly relatable, and dare I say it? Human. And each is well-written and fascinating in their own regard - despite their oddities and foibles, it never really feels like Mieville is trying to write Weird for the sake of Weird, and I think it is a testament to Mr Mieville’s writing that I often found myself relating more to something utterly alien than many of the human characters.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is not to say that the human characters are not in any way flawed! One of our main characters, the awkwardly-named Isaac Dan Der Grimnebulin, part scientist, part left-wing political agitator (try saying that when you’re drunk), is wonderfully flawed and grapples with his many moral dilemmas in a thought-provoking and realistic way.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I will point out now that China Mieville is a self-professed Marxist which is something that I sit entirely opposed to, and it does show in his work, but thankfully never enough to become pervasive. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of sometimes less than subtle hints about the oppressive fascist nature of the New Crobuzon government and the moral righteousness of the almost exclusively left-wing main characters, as well as the violent faceless militia (POLICE China, they are called POLICE! Calling them militia implies they are state-sanctioned vigilantes, which judging by their organisation and the fact they have a separate military structure, they certainly are not) but these minor annoyances aside, it would be negligent of me not to mention the beautiful writing style.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mieville does a fantastic job when setting the scene, and it is to his credit that even when describing something that defies logic, he can still paint a clear picture. Although there are some parts later on when the descriptions begin to ramble and really affect the flow of the action, however the city is painted beautifully even if the “corpulent and corrupt” metaphors feel a little overused. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">And those moral dilemmas… Wow. There are a couple! Kill an innocent man to save many, trust a possibly malevolent sentient AI to vanquish a common enemy, or there’s the one at the end which is the final emotional sucker punch in a book chock full of them. I get the impression that Melville is trying to tread the moral grey areas and make the reader agonise over what they would or wouldn’t do, but from my perspective many of the decisions seem fairly clean cut, although that probably says more about me as a person than it does the writer.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The pacing does vary throughout, from moments of intense action and horror, to slower meandering slogs through the city. These breaks in pace are fairly frequent, but because of the rich vibrant world the author has created, it rarely feels like a chore and I personally relished a chance to learn more about the city and its convoluted political and social structures - which I am sure that someone smarter than me will be able to draw a parallel with real life.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is not a book for everybody. It is a fairly niche market and some of the subject matters can be difficult to read, made all the more vivid by Mieville’s fantastic writing style. This is not simply a story of a quest between mismatched friends. It is a brutal slog through the underbelly and bowels of a vast, oft malevolent, city. People will die. People you care about (as well as one or two you won’t care for), but for all it’s wonder and steampunk imagery, it is rarely pretty. I would not call it unrelentingly grim, not by any stretch, but expect a less-than-optimistic change of pace about halfway through, and then get ready for the moral dilemmas, heartache and even more wonder as the world opens up.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Most importantly, enjoy yourself as you get lost in New Crobuzon.</span></span></div>
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Rainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09913116465314784894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7075462650181619175.post-88798034943930064272017-03-21T19:03:00.000+00:002017-04-02T23:49:01.798+01:00Top 10 Tuesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We have FINALLY decided to join a weekly bookish meme...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0QdtkE7sSUaIgUND0jlY-nb02evNblWvVe-TH-OUejwR5FgIcbBGlcK6-ZHG5qVcG7sk2jjmwsExEeC-z0IT-otKa-37tfhJIIPo-uhTrDkZEvsnvmpPM6N3WbmPKxw0dFNFiEH6NkuIe/s1600/TOPP10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0QdtkE7sSUaIgUND0jlY-nb02evNblWvVe-TH-OUejwR5FgIcbBGlcK6-ZHG5qVcG7sk2jjmwsExEeC-z0IT-otKa-37tfhJIIPo-uhTrDkZEvsnvmpPM6N3WbmPKxw0dFNFiEH6NkuIe/s640/TOPP10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This weekly meme is hosted by <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/2017/03/top-ten-books-we-read-in-day.html" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a>, and because I'm absolutely in love with lists, I thought this 'weekly' would be perfect for our blog. </div>
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Each week, The Broke and the Bookish posts a weekly Top 10 for other bloggers to complete. This week, the theme is.... '<span style="text-align: center;">Read In One Sitting'. </span>I'm going be a little more lenient with myself and list books that I've read in a day. Keep in mind that I know everyone reads at different speeds. These are just books that I've personally read in a day and I feel many would enjoy! Even if it does take you a week, or even a month, the experience is still the same! In no particular order...</div>
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Ten Books I've Read In a Day</h3>
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<b>Caraval</b> by Stephanie Garber</div>
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Up first is Caraval! I received this book with my January FairyLoot. I fell in love with Caraval when I first saw the cover, and believe me, the contents are just as gorgeous! This book is about a girl who leaves her little island against her will to visit a once-a-year magical performance called Caraval where the audience participate in the show. She gets caught up in the performance to rescue her sister who has been kidnapped, and immerses herself in the world full of heartbreak, love and magic! 'Welcome, welcome to Caraval... beware of getting swept too far away'... <span style="text-align: center;">And I certainly did, hence why this book was read in a day! </span></div>
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<b>Everything, Everything</b> by Nicola Yoon</div>
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I did actually read this book in one sitting! Hence why it has a well-deserved place on this list. Even though this book has 310 pages, most have a lot of white space because of the multimodal nature of this book (lots of IM conversations, written letters etc). I believe most people could read this in a day, even if you don't have a lot of time to spare! This book is about a girl who is allergic to the world - she hasn't left her house in 17 years! But everything changes when her new neighbour Olly moves next door and she decides to step outside of her comfort zone. I connected with this book pretty deeply because of my struggles with agoraphobia. A very cute, fast contemporary!</div>
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<b>Ready Player One</b> by Ernest Cline</div>
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As a gamer and a fan of the 80s - even though I was born in the next century - I absolutely loved this book. I think Ready Player One is pretty niche, in that if you don't like either of those things, you probably won't totally appreciate it because it's chock-full of references. Because I like both of those things, I absolutely FLEW through this book. The references were perfect, the story was fast-paced (features a type of virtual treasure hunt) and it's not too long either. I felt like this was a love letter to gamers. If you love gaming, nerdy references and 80s movies... you'll love this book. </div>
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<b>These Broken Stars</b> by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner</div>
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An awesome story that begins when a HUUUGE luxury spaceliner called Icarus crashes into a nearby planet and two people on opposite ends of the class spectrum are forced to unite and help each other when they land on an eerie, alien planet. As they grow closer, they eventually discover some wicked secrets. This book contains a huge mystery, and throughout you try to piece together fragments of literary clues while shipping the two protagonists, Lilac and Tarver. You can't help but constantly ask yourself: what's going to happen next? Whenever I put the book down, I couldn't bear leaving Lilac and Tarver in the desert until I found out what happened to them, so I finished in a day!</div>
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<b>Saga (ALL Volumes) </b>by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples</div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Ahh, Saga. I wasn't going to include a comic/graphic novel on this list, but I couldn't leave out this one. At 160 pages and (mostly) beautifully illustrated pictures, you could easily devour a few Saga volumes in one day. This graphic novel is about two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war who fall in love. There are so many weird and wonderful characters and breathtaking places to explore. I was never bothered about reading comic </span><span style="text-align: justify;">books in the past, but I haven't looked back since I read Saga for the first time. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">- </span><a href="http://www.thebooklooters.com/2015/09/saga-1-4-by-brian-k-vaughan-and-fiona.html" style="text-align: justify;">Click here for a review of the first four volumes</a></div>
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<b>Fahrenheit 451</b> by Ray Bradbury</div>
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If you haven't read this masterpiece yet, what's stopping you? At 227 pages, it's certainly short enough to read in a day or two when you have some time to yourself. Plus, this is a mandatory read for all lovers of books. This book is about a fireman (not the firemen we all know and love nowadays, but a burner of forbidden books), who goes on a contemplative journey to discover the truth about why his dystopian society is the way it is. Think 1984 by George Orwell (in my opinion, I prefer this book over Orwell's even though I ADORE 1984), but with a... shall we say... Nazi? twist. This is a classic, and a must-read. Personally, I devoured it all in 4 hours!</div>
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<b>Fangirl</b> by Rainbow Rowell</div>
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I love Rainbow Rowell so much because she writes contemporaries (always with a twist) so well. Fangirl is Rowell at her best, and is a perfect introduction to her writing if you've heard much about her but haven't quite picked up one of her books, ESPECIALLY if you are, or have been, a Harry Potter fan. I resonated so much with this book because of my HP past, and it was nice to read a book about a fangirl, as a fangirl. Haha. This is why I read Fangirl from 2am to 6pm, THE SAME DAY. It's slightly long, at 445 pages, but since I did finish this book in a day, and because it IS one of my favourite books, it's going on this list! </div>
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<b>The Selection</b> by Kiera Cass</div>
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If you're looking to read something a little different, and you're maybe in the mood to swoooon a little, this book is calling your name! The Selection is about a competition in which thirty-five girls get selected to compete for the heart of Prince Maxon and escape their lives. If you've ever watched The Bachelor (I have to admit, I do love trash TV sometimes), then the process will be familiar to you. This book is really enjoyable and totally readable in 1-2 days! Also, look at that cover! It's pretty Cinderellaesque and you'll be bitching in your head at all the nasty characters, so it's a really satisfying read! <a href="http://www.thebooklooters.com/2015/08/the-selection-by-kiera-cass-publication.html">Click here for a review of The Selection</a></div>
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<b>The Hunger Games </b>by Suzanne Collins</div>
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By now you've probably watched THG movies or read the books already. Not to worry. Even if you've read the book before, or watched the movie (or both), re-reading this book will probably still be an enjoyable experience for you. There's something about The Hunger Games that keeps many people coming back, and I think that has a lot to do with our world today - TV is getting more and more ridiculous, political correctness and the attempts to stop free speech is getting out of hand, and it is up to us to wear our Mockingjay pin and shout that something is wrong, even when the Capitol mocks us. The fast-paced nature of this book and the familiar story = fast read. </div>
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<b>Harry Potter (Books 1-3)</b> by J. K. Rowling</div>
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Of course, I had to include Harry Potter in this list. Books 1-3 were the first books I EVER read in a day. I remember going to the bookshop SUPER EARLY in the morning to pick up the recent copy of HP on its release day. It's only 223 pages too. If you STILL haven't picked up a HP book, or at least watched the movies (and I know there are people out there), now's a better time than any! Even if you feel like you missed the bandwagon years ago, or you've watched the movies and feel you don't need to read the books, I would still definitely read them because you're missing out on such a huge magical adventure. Pick up a copy and I'm sure you'll be flying through it in no time!</div>
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Rainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09913116465314784894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7075462650181619175.post-22905469717660219192017-02-07T00:59:00.000+00:002017-04-05T00:12:27.318+01:00Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidXC-5lnuGSY-Ygf5u4Oy7xIbDDMGP16UWvDQvgvLur3O5o8ci8VNDYDuqc2RbEeIi6OhfDr4ZKk9dNfzLJGzbys21KjUdWqWSHmxj-i302iIpyDG-5npUPkCot6UTcfxHbTj9fI1Pklze/s1600/91ym3UjTjfL.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/AVvXsEidXC-5lnuGSY-Ygf5u4Oy7xIbDDMGP16UWvDQvgvLur3O5o8ci8VNDYDuqc2RbEeIi6OhfDr4ZKk9dNfzLJGzbys21KjUdWqWSHmxj-i302iIpyDG-5npUPkCot6UTcfxHbTj9fI1Pklze/s320/91ym3UjTjfL.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHi0bEMEi97DEvoMEjvS91s2wdRrKGvIddkAm1xM-fywiAzYOr0A4Je8PuwQWwhTyP3984JsrqnAS92VzS3ITSXrU_C5b-8v2pJDED47EOXzVaoeNzn70Lt6GvsvWP66mNyGeelVs6Syw/s1600/5starrating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHi0bEMEi97DEvoMEjvS91s2wdRrKGvIddkAm1xM-fywiAzYOr0A4Je8PuwQWwhTyP3984JsrqnAS92VzS3ITSXrU_C5b-8v2pJDED47EOXzVaoeNzn70Lt6GvsvWP66mNyGeelVs6Syw/s1600/5starrating.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7171637-clockwork-angel" target="_blank">Clockwork Angel</a> (The Infernal Devices #1) by <a href="http://shadowhunters.com/" target="_blank">Cassandra Clare</a><br />
Publication date: August 2010<br />
<a href="http://i1383.photobucket.com/albums/ah298/TheBookLooters/TREASUREEE_zpst2h989lp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1383.photobucket.com/albums/ah298/TheBookLooters/TREASUREEE_zpst2h989lp.jpg" /></a>Publisher: Simon & <br />
Schuster<br />
Format: Audiobook via Audible<br />
Buy it here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Infernal-Devices-Clockwork-Angel/1406330345" target="_blank">Amazon,</a> <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Clockwork-Angel--Clockwork-Angel-Bk--1/9781406330342" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a><br />
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: small;">Goodreads Description</span></b></h3>
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In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.<br />
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The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them...</div>
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This book was outstanding. And I don't say that lightly, EVER.<br />
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This book reads from Tessa's point-of-view. She is an American girl from New York, who has come to London, England (my home town, whoop!) in search of her brother Nathaniel. She comes into contact with Shadowhunters (they like, hunt demons and such) and descends into a dark and alluring world. She learns surprising things about herself while attempting to solve a mystery with her new friends. </div>
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I never thought I would pick up another book by Cassandra Clare after I read the first book of her most popular Shadowhunter series <i>The Mortal Instruments</i>. I hated that book because it felt so boring and unoriginal, and I hated the characters and it was all just a bit SLOW. However, I was persuaded to give <i>The Infernal Devices</i> a chance when I read through the glowing reviews on Goodreads. Who does this Will Herondale think he is? He seems so appalling and mean! - I thought. Why on Earth do these readers think so highly of him? How can this book be so different? I mean, it'll still feature the same old Shadowhunters and runes and demons and vampires and everything I hated in the <i>The Mortal Instruments</i>... But actually... actually... it feels entirely different and way more magical. </div>
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This book, Clockwork Angel, changed everything for me. It was so different to <i>The Mortal Instruments</i>, even though it is based in the same world, it's set in the Victorian Era which made it extra charming. And now I feel like an idiot for being so far behind in this fandom. I'm making up for it now though, because as I write this I'm now on the third, yes the THIRD and LAST book already. And now I feel a bit pathetic because I might actually once again have to pick up the first book I hated, <i>City of Bones</i>, to carry on with the Shadowhunter world and experience Cassandra Clare's creation to the fullest, though it'll be without Will, Jem and the others *unhappy face*. </div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: black;">Fantastic read. </span></span><br />
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Rainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09913116465314784894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7075462650181619175.post-63201084825059957432017-01-06T22:49:00.000+00:002017-04-05T00:00:55.190+01:00The Call by Peadar O'Guilin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrp9gtNf50FGY1pIVd-S66zxO-5qGKZgDlY1eyq8JtutYg9HQF6DajLZIHVi9AGDzKGlBUuVMKObfSsBK4dFcfFy5DSaU1L8gyu3OReTxCHei8M7hh94LPusoxjwyQK4dlV-ii4at2ReLD/s1600/The+Call.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/AVvXsEjrp9gtNf50FGY1pIVd-S66zxO-5qGKZgDlY1eyq8JtutYg9HQF6DajLZIHVi9AGDzKGlBUuVMKObfSsBK4dFcfFy5DSaU1L8gyu3OReTxCHei8M7hh94LPusoxjwyQK4dlV-ii4at2ReLD/s320/The+Call.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPr3Gm1nDwTOoJHRfLEg3d1RNW5Dlm7A3t-HGruWxni5Yk49cS1zCrV8tpA6PW9LeXuY9C-rUNFsIdenaz6Z1K81S9LIYa8_GBchE_9awH_xnuyD-o0gHHnEJVdEsRkSKtT2kM8XXiiIA/s1600/4starrating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPr3Gm1nDwTOoJHRfLEg3d1RNW5Dlm7A3t-HGruWxni5Yk49cS1zCrV8tpA6PW9LeXuY9C-rUNFsIdenaz6Z1K81S9LIYa8_GBchE_9awH_xnuyD-o0gHHnEJVdEsRkSKtT2kM8XXiiIA/s1600/4starrating.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31567282-the-call" target="_blank">The Call</a> by <a href="http://www.peadar.org/" target="_blank">Peadar O'Guilin</a><br />
Publication date: September 2016<br />
Publisher: David Fickling Books<br />
Format: Hardback<br />
Buy it here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Call-Peadar-OGuilin/dp/1910200972" target="_blank">Amazon,</a> <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Call-Peadar-OGuilin/9781910200971" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a><br />
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<b><span style="color: #45818e;">Goodreads Description</span></b><br />
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3 minutes and 4 seconds. The length of time every teenager is 'Called', from the moment they vanish to the moment they reappear. 9 out of 10 children return dead. Even the survivors are changed. The nation must survive. Nessa, Megan and Anto are at a training school - to give them some chance to fight back. Their enemy is brutal and unforgiving. But Nessa is determined to come back alive. Determined to prove that her polio-twisted legs won't get her killed. But her enemies don't just live in the <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="0814cce1-cbc9-4528-88e4-78d1ee4fd270" id="ea1e6c16-cd00-4b30-9982-f69020816538">Grey</gs> Land. There are people closer to home who will go to any length to see her, and the nation, fail...<br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Imagine a country that has been isolated away from the world; no one can get in, and no one can get out. Imagine teenagers and children disappearing into thin air, leaving only their clothes behind, then returning 3 minutes later (which is a whole 24 hours for them) - mangled, stretched, decapitated and tortured - because the fairies want to punish Ireland for taking their country and banishing them to the Grey Land. They want Ireland back, and now they're going to torture and kill 9 out of 10 children, one by one. No child/teen knows when their time is up, and so they have to train all of their lives in hope of surviving their 24hrs/3 minutes in the Grey Land to have any hope of becoming an adult.</span></div>
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Yeah, this book is pretty dark and fucked-up. But in a good way. </div>
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When I first looked at the book's description, I was intrigued. I had never read anything quite like this before. I've heard this book being compared to The Hunger Games a few times, and although the similarities are there, this book is way darker and A LOT more violent. The Irish mythology element was also intriguing because I never knew much about these fascinating creatures before, but I'm so happy to say that this book has ignited in me a new love for these Irish stories. In the past my primary impressions about fairies came from the Peter Pan movies and the books written by Julie Kagawa, among others. It was an interesting and terrifying experience reading a book casting fairies in such a psychopathic, murderous light. O'Guilin's characters are so, incredibly <i>bloodthirsty, </i>and I'm not just talking about the Fae. Humans are also portrayed in a dark light - though the Fae are awful creatures, I couldn't help but feel slightly sorry for them for being banished from their land.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">‘Listen,’ he says, ‘we don’t need the Sidhe to teach us evil. We were the ones who put them in the Grey Land, remember? And not just for a day or however long it is the Call lasts. We Irish… we trapped an entire race of people in hell for all eternity, just so we could take their homes for ourselves.’</span></blockquote>
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The only gripe I had with this book was the ending because it felt very <i>anticlimactic </i>and abrupt after being so fast-paced. However, O'Guilin has hinted at a possible sequel! If this is written, all will be forgiven ;)</div>
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This book is perfect for people who love shortish fast-paced books, combined with mythology and a little (okay, A LOT) of gore and horror. If you're usually not into gore though, don't let that put you off. O'Guilin's imagination is dark and fascinating, so this element of the book is well-done - I say this as a person who is squeamish at even the mildest of horror movies!</div>
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Everyone should read this book :) </div>
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P.S. I couldn't write mini character reviews this time because of spoilers.</div>
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Rainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09913116465314784894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7075462650181619175.post-34166132154498389122016-12-01T21:51:00.001+00:002017-04-05T00:02:13.589+01:00The Reality Dysfunction by Peter F. Hamilton<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqiQnHsdyotFSosnMExu_eVlwBUoJqlws6uTdKexcBSAUSc-EjTFmqLVw-6kgc42EQQY62O-eysmjDNv2nLRtfEIDKDB6WoRe8Bu8asvDMvtpxE7MW7HEXXtmJZKpb8u74Ima3a_sde4nN/s1600/reality_dysfunction.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/AVvXsEhqiQnHsdyotFSosnMExu_eVlwBUoJqlws6uTdKexcBSAUSc-EjTFmqLVw-6kgc42EQQY62O-eysmjDNv2nLRtfEIDKDB6WoRe8Bu8asvDMvtpxE7MW7HEXXtmJZKpb8u74Ima3a_sde4nN/s320/reality_dysfunction.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHi0bEMEi97DEvoMEjvS91s2wdRrKGvIddkAm1xM-fywiAzYOr0A4Je8PuwQWwhTyP3984JsrqnAS92VzS3ITSXrU_C5b-8v2pJDED47EOXzVaoeNzn70Lt6GvsvWP66mNyGeelVs6Syw/s1600/5starrating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHi0bEMEi97DEvoMEjvS91s2wdRrKGvIddkAm1xM-fywiAzYOr0A4Je8PuwQWwhTyP3984JsrqnAS92VzS3ITSXrU_C5b-8v2pJDED47EOXzVaoeNzn70Lt6GvsvWP66mNyGeelVs6Syw/s1600/5starrating.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45245.The_Reality_Dysfunction" target="_blank">The Reality Dysfunction</a> (Night's Dawn #1) by <a href="http://www.peterfhamilton.co.uk/" target="_blank">Peter F. Hamilton</a><br />
Publication date: January 26th 1996<br />
Publisher: Pan Books<br />
Format: Paperback<br />
Buy it here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reality-Dysfunction-Nights-Dawn-trilogy/dp/1447208579" target="_blank">Amazon, </a><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/The-Reality-Dysfunction/9781447208570" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a><br />
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<b><span style="color: #45818e;">Goodreads Description</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">In AD 2600 the human race is finally beginning to realize its full potential. Hundreds of colonized planets scattered across the galaxy host a multitude of prosperous and wildly diverse cultures. Genetic engineering has pushed evolution far beyond nature's boundaries, defeating disease and producing extraordinary spaceborn creatures. Huge fleets of sentient trader starships thrive on the wealth created by the industrialization of entire star systems. And throughout inhabited space the Confederation Navy keeps the peace. A true golden age is within our grasp.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">But now something has gone catastrophically wrong. On a primitive colony planet a renegade criminal's chance encounter with an utterly alien entity unleashes the most primal of all our fears. An extinct race which inhabited the galaxy aeons ago called it "The Reality Dysfunction." It is the nightmare which has prowled beside us since the beginning of history.</span></span></div>
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Wow, where do I begin with this book? </div>
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First thing I will mention is that this book is 1200 pages and loaded with sci-fi jargon, so it's not for everybody. However, if you can endure the initial 100 or so pages where the story begins to progress, it’ll be well worth your time. And what a story it is! The word ‘epic’ is bandied around all too often these days, but honestly… I can’t think of a better way to describe it. Peter F. Hamilton has managed to create a vast universe with a rich history and an intricate political structure across a variety of worlds and cultures. However, Hamilton chooses not to elaborate on things like the mercantile Kulu empire and the militaristic commonwealth. This would usually be inexcusable in a novel this size, but they ARE covered in Hamilton’s other commonwealth novels in more detail, which (admittedly) I’ve yet to read...</div>
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The story starts off slow, as the first few hundred pages focuses on the sentient ‘bitek’ (a sentient organic matter, relied on by genetically engineered Edenists to create spaceships and planets), outpost Tranquility and the commonwealth planet Lalonde with its population of exiled convict labourers and wide-eyed colonists, of which the main pool of characters are drawn from (trust me, there are a lot of them). In fact, it’s worth mentioning that the action flits between protagonists fairly regularly, which can be quite disorientating in the few high-action moments.<br />
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I definitely wouldn’t describe this as an action-packed novel - and it does suffer from fairly frequent pacing issues, and I admit, this would be an issue for me if the setting and subplots were not so thoroughly engaging. For example, during the inevitable convict uprising on the Colony planet Lalonde, we are treated to the exploits of the archetypal young manrogue Joshua Calvert, who treats us to the *ahem* racier moments and some pretty cool settings throughout his quest (such as Atlantis, which as its name suggests, is almost entirely covered by ocean, as well as Norfolk which could briefly be described as Downton Abbey in Space) to become… well I’m not sure at this moment in time.</div>
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Now back to the storyline… I’m anxious not to give too much away, but to sum it up briefly: </div>
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Thousands of years ago, an ancient advanced alien society suddenly suffered an instantaneous mass extinction thousands of years ago and scientists are on the verge of a breakthrough in the modern day whilst simultaneously things are getting weird on the colony planets like demonic possessions and mass murder - you know the usual. It is these moments that drive most of the action and are suitably disturbing and seem designed to make the reader question the nature of death (no spoilers), which it does to great effect. The themes of religion and human evolution are also prevalent throughout the story, with mistrust between the Adamists (humans) and the Edenists (genetically engineered humans who can telepathically communicate with Bitek), as well as the exploration of baser human nature and the limitations of science, - which are at this point pretty standard fare for sci-fi novels, but are at times handled clumsily and sometimes feels like Hamilton has shoehorned them in to lend intelligence to the novel.</div>
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Another problem is the reliance on jargon: there is a hell of a lot of it and it can often be difficult to remember the difference between a Voidhawk and a Blackhawk, as is the occasional (but thankfully brief) bombardment of high science, although it becomes more than manageable in the end and actually enriches the universe even more.<br />
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Now, as you can probably tell, I’ve been intentionally vague regarding the plot and that is because I am incredibly reluctant to give any of the wider plot details away, as despite the pacing issues, the story is still masterfully crafted. However, as I have mentioned before, this is not a light read. If you can make the commitment to suffer through the initially confusing technojargon, you will find there is a lot to love. The sheer amount of characters consequently means that some never feel as fleshed out as they could be and the story is prone to meandering. Also, do not expect the loose ends to be tied (I forgot to mention this is part of a trilogy, oh yes there’s another 2400 pages in this series) by the end, but it is one hell of a journey that rarely feels like a chore, thanks to the rich setting and captivating story. It manages to create a sense of mystery, tension and a scale which many less-talented writers could reasonably pull off though.</div>
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Is this book for everybody? No, definitely not. Is it for you? Well… if you love a good space opera with rich story arcs and a beautifully realised setting, intertwined with a healthy amount of existential horror, then I couldn’t recommend it enough!</div>
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If you are undecided, then there’s only one way to find out: take the plunge. I’m sure you won’t regret it.<br />
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Rainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09913116465314784894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7075462650181619175.post-63036780422889461932016-11-23T18:30:00.000+00:002017-03-30T00:26:31.510+01:00Illumicrate Unboxing (November 2016)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
I've ALWAYS wanted to subscribe to a bookish box, but for some reason I never completed the checkout process. I don't know why. It may have been money, or just the fact that I wasn't sure what I was going to get. </div>
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After looking at some of the companies/people that were going to be contributing towards this month's Illumicrate box, I just HAD to get it. And I'm so glad I did.</div>
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Once I got that tracking link via email telling me my box was going to arrive today, I was even more excited than I thought I'd be. At one point I was literally bouncing up and down and pacing my bedroom floor, until my boyfriend told me to sit down, at which point I sat by the window with a drink and a book in hand, waiting for the van to drive down my street like Santa's sleigh. </div>
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It was a good thing I got my Illumicrate before 6pm, because at one point I thought I was going to burst into flames. </div>
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Excuse the quality of the picture below. By the time I got the box, everything looked so low-light and agh. Will update the picture tomorrow.</div>
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Contents of the box:</div>
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<li style="text-align: left;">The Diabolic by S. J. Kincaid with a signed bookplate and bookmark. This book sounds incredible, and I think I'm going to really enjoy it! The author's letter was a really nice touch. Will post a review of the book at the beginning of next month. </li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Exclusive bookish Coffee Cosy by Sparrow + Wolf. This is so awesome. I'll definitely be using it at home and when I go to Starbucks next!</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Exclusive AIDAN candle by Meraki Candles which smells INCREDIBLE and triggered the FEELS of reading Illuminae (Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff) all over again.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Exclusive Evil Plans Notebook by House of Wonderland.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Happy Socks. Anyone who knows me, knows I have a huge thing about SOCKS. I was so happy to receive these.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">And more! Including a Six of Crows card holder and artwork. </li>
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Thank you so much Illumicrate! I look forward to the next box!</div>
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P.S.S. I know we haven't been posting on this blog for a while, but we've been up to our eyes with studying! Jack is currently studying towards getting into Medicine, and I'm finishing up my last year at university, so we haven't had much time to commit to this blog recently, but we'll be posting a lot more starting next month. So see you then! </div>
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Rainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09913116465314784894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7075462650181619175.post-48734802423437063912015-12-05T16:36:00.003+00:002017-04-05T00:02:55.401+01:00Curse of the Seven 70s by Sharon E. Anderson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSCFzFcn4mn7Kw34J1yZ88d3s_sh8Fkc1ZFICf8I391bZL3vJk9uBGvK4TLXDVv2KW89kFNBRO-Yh5b3ib4-G4n-MZS6HwQOzO4SCvIAil4uraRyDICR37EqUkkjTnLnA6SJHejdKagarO/s1600/24500837.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/AVvXsEhSCFzFcn4mn7Kw34J1yZ88d3s_sh8Fkc1ZFICf8I391bZL3vJk9uBGvK4TLXDVv2KW89kFNBRO-Yh5b3ib4-G4n-MZS6HwQOzO4SCvIAil4uraRyDICR37EqUkkjTnLnA6SJHejdKagarO/s320/24500837.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-SFSnyugSKrTtevbb72XK3Oboh_0U6yBSWpQ09Ql83hm2P10TuTg_TCBl2XxZ-Faug6kVQuXtcUnOrmZiRSC05RS9Z_wiSUzM2pe-qQdPAlS3YpM-c19Zw25xyqWfbJhjbDi_IFoj3d0F/s1600/4starrating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-SFSnyugSKrTtevbb72XK3Oboh_0U6yBSWpQ09Ql83hm2P10TuTg_TCBl2XxZ-Faug6kVQuXtcUnOrmZiRSC05RS9Z_wiSUzM2pe-qQdPAlS3YpM-c19Zw25xyqWfbJhjbDi_IFoj3d0F/s1600/4starrating.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24500837-curse-of-the-seven-70s" target="_blank">Curse of the Seven 70s</a> by <a href="http://www.sharonandersonauthor.com/" target="_blank">Sharon E. Anderson</a><br />
Publication date: February 12th 2015<br />
Publisher: Booktrope Editions<br />
Format: Kindle<br />
Buy it here: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Curse-Seven-70s-Sharon-Anderson/dp/1620156504" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Curse-Seven-70s-Sharon-Anderson/9781620156506" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a><br />
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<b><span style="color: #45818e;">Goodreads Description</span></b><br />
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Sometimes love proves sweeter than revenge... even for a 15th century vampire.<br />
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Heartbroken, hungry, and a little bit drunk, Cassandra soon realizes that just when you think things can’t get any worse, sometimes they can get very strange... like finding a skeleton in the basement of your newly inherited cottage. But when that skeleton suddenly becomes a hot, romantic, and business savvy vampire named Varo... sometimes things can get better. That is... until his infamous older brother shows up, and their centuries old sibling rivalry threatens her chance at true love. Can their love survive her conniving ex-fiancé, his vengeful brother, and the Curse of the Seven 70s?</div>
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- I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review - </div>
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- May contain mild spoilers -</div>
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Woah, what a book! Okay, so I'll admit that it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. I read this book without knowing much about it beforehand; all I knew was that it is a paranormal rom/com about Vlad Dracula's brother (as a history nerd, I got very excited about this). I made a few preconceptions about the book because of the cover - it's not exactly the most beautiful cover I've seen - but the contents of the book made for a satisfying read.</div>
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After Cassandra loses her boyfriend to a girl who is determined to take over every part of her life, she feels helpless and depressed. Her world has been turned upside-down. The only light in her life is her newly inherited house which her late aunt left behind. There she finds comfort and employs alcohol (specifically Scotch whiskey, good choice Cass!) as her new friend. But nothing seems to fill the gaping hole in her heart... until Varo. </div>
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Howard was the gorgeous man who had convinced Cassandra that he would love her until the day he died. But here he was, exchanging oxygen for carbon dioxide.</blockquote>
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Introducing Varo Dracula, a 'vampire' whose skeleton is discovered in the basement of Cassandra's late aunt's house. He is accidentally brought back to life by Cassandra (paranormal rom/com, remember), and this is where the real story begins.<br />
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I really enjoyed this book. Yes, it's a bit cheesy, but I think that's one of the reasons why I enjoyed it so much. It was fun to read, and because it's so short (180 pages) I finished it in a matter of hours. I found myself laughing out loud (especially when those two characters died, because it was so unexpected! - yes, I'm dark) several times, which is rare for me. Usually books make me smile or cry, but rarely do I laugh!</div>
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Anderson knows how to write good rom/com. Varo is incredibly sexy (sexier than the man on the cover, I'd say), and there are very steamy scenes throughout the book (some quite erotic, which I wasn't expecting, but they were written well so hey-ho). She also knows how to create provoking, bitchy characters. How I'd love to give both Taffy and Howard a good bitch slap!</div>
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I'd definitely recommend this book to those who love 'vampires' and romance (there were a few references to Twilight in this book) and to those who have a sense of humour.<br />
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Rainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09913116465314784894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7075462650181619175.post-73096502493235551442015-09-24T22:00:00.000+01:002017-04-05T00:03:43.472+01:00SAGA (1-4) by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15704307" target="_blank">Saga</a> by <a href="https://imagecomics.com/creators/view/brian-k-vaughan" target="_blank">Brian K. Vaughan</a> and <a href="http://fionastaples.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Fiona Staples</a></div>
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Publication date: March 14th 2012 - Now (continuous)</div>
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Publisher: Image Comics</div>
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Format: Comic Books/Volumes</div>
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Buy it here: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Saga-1-Comic-Brian-Vaughan/dp/1607066017" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Saga--Volume-1/9781607066019" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a>, <a href="http://www.reedcomics.com/saga-volume-1-graphic-novel-p-53685.html" target="_blank">Reed Comics</a> (recommended)<br />
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Now, let me start by saying I am not a fan of comic books. I have never collected them nor paid any particular interest to them, but Saga is something else entirely.<br />
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Part epic, part space opera, and part social satire - but all awesome. Saga was once described to me as being like Game of Thrones in space. Whilst being compared to such a modern masterpiece is a compliment indeed (in my opinion), it also does Saga a disservice in that it is incredibly unique.<br />
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Whilst the themes aren’t particularly groundbreaking and often focus on old tropes such as forbidden love and raising a child in dangerous times, Saga breathes new life into these themes and places them in a tremendously realised, although entirely fantastic universe and somehow still makes it believable.<br />
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The dialogue flows well and is laden with Britishisms, the artwork is beautiful; flitting effortlessly between stunning interstellar worldscapes and visceral sci-fi warfare.<br />
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And that’s another thing that struck me: it is surprisingly deep, yet rarely feels preachy or heavy handed in its message about the futility of war. For me the best representation of this in Prince Robot IV, (Yes there are robots in Saga as well a myriad of other weird and wonderful races) the television headed protagonist/antagonist who undertakes a dangerous mission to find our two star-crossed lovers and their newborn baby in order to return to his own young family. He also suffers from severe combat PTSD and his struggles with it adds layers to an already complex character whose morals are as grey as his skin.<br />
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Which brings me on to our main characters Alana and Marko - two rival combatants who got together over a love of literature and decided to take on a universe that wants to kill them. If it seems I am over simplifying this, it’s because I am. The story is driven by their interactions and efforts to eek out a safe existence for their child and fend of the numerous bounty hunters and robotic aristocrats that want them all dead.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Volume Four signed by Brian K. Vaughan</td></tr>
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Without these interesting and well developed secondary and tertiary characters the story would be rather plain, but thankfully it isn’t. The art never falls short of stunning, and Fiona Staples is one of the best (although admittedly, I haven’t seen many) comic book artists I have ever seen.</div>
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To summarise, you can read all the reviews but the only way to do Saga justice is to read it for yourself. No character really seems to have plot armour except the main two and it surprised me how much I ended up caring about the bad guys, (I’m looking at you The Will).<br />
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Oh and it also has seal men and lying cats, if that isn’t enough to make you go and read it nothing will. Saga is one of the most refreshing, most fantastic things I have ever read and it is a must read for any sci-fi, fantasy or comic book lover.</div>
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<b>A little tip: if you buy the comics from Reed Comics, there's a chance you will get one through the post signed (as we did above).</b></div>
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Rainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09913116465314784894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7075462650181619175.post-11543580986637920002015-09-08T12:57:00.000+01:002017-04-05T00:04:19.158+01:00Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVPUXI0zylQ81Ej_b8u549tedXtgT924RQQnX5gItaFj8tQ-BS8G_oUyeffMJOKDgnooL-GG5dxxTX7U8SKAN67gV4VMDSGi2OtkJBEwUFDFmnkfInMKVireQWXElqtDRyC9gs6gJ_pJmk/s1600/17878931.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/AVvXsEiVPUXI0zylQ81Ej_b8u549tedXtgT924RQQnX5gItaFj8tQ-BS8G_oUyeffMJOKDgnooL-GG5dxxTX7U8SKAN67gV4VMDSGi2OtkJBEwUFDFmnkfInMKVireQWXElqtDRyC9gs6gJ_pJmk/s320/17878931.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT9fC3FXG1mPxDoGhn_mP-veg6lOHNi52GqSFAKqxwAblupC0dCr7-xTyBfsc_QAi4Gfv6j0PR-X9y-7pYLYwDb9Dm5VBmvNvmz4kKBJrzAjnDmjtvQNtkI60LToqLRBDv1hhZaGA9n3C5/s1600/3starrating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT9fC3FXG1mPxDoGhn_mP-veg6lOHNi52GqSFAKqxwAblupC0dCr7-xTyBfsc_QAi4Gfv6j0PR-X9y-7pYLYwDb9Dm5VBmvNvmz4kKBJrzAjnDmjtvQNtkI60LToqLRBDv1hhZaGA9n3C5/s1600/3starrating.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17878931" target="_blank">Red Queen</a> (Red Queen #1) by <a href="http://victoriaaveyard.com/" target="_blank">Victoria Aveyard</a><br />
Publication date: February 10th 2015<br />
Publisher: Orion<br />
Format: Audiobook and Kindle<br />
Buy it here: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Red-Queen-Victoria-Aveyard/dp/0062310631/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Red-Queen-Victoria-Aveyard/9781409155843" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a><br />
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<b><span style="color: #45818e;">Goodreads Description</span></b><br />
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<span id="freeText14455937356998108209">This is a world divided by blood - red or silver. The
Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like
superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the
poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.<br /><br />That
is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here,
surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that,
despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that
threatens to destroy the balance of power. Fearful of Mare's
potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost
Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that
one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red
Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.<br /><br />But
this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous
dance - Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against
her own heart...</span></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
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</h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></b></h2>
<span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: justify;">I loved this book. I also kind of hated this book. I feel so torn about the world, the characters and the storyline. Not because this book wasn't good, because it really was. There was a healthy dose of suspense, world building, complex characters and romance in every chapter. But as I read this book, I constantly felt </span><span class="st" style="text-align: justify;"><i>déjà vu. </i>Usually, I avoid looking too much into reviews on Goodreads because I prefer to experience books for myself and avoid any potential spoilers. But this time, I had a little browse through the reviews and found out I wasn't the only one feeling like the author had taken a little too much inspiration from elsewhere.</span><br />
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<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="st">“It's our nature. We destroy. It's the constant of our kind. No matter the color of blood, man will always fall.”
</span></div>
</blockquote>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="st"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="st">Mare Barrow (I'm sorry, but this name constantly made me think of a horse and I couldn't help but read it as Bone Marrow) has red blood in a world divided in two. The Reds are the builders, servants, seamstresses and soldiers in this society. They have no special abilities which makes them powerless, unlike the Silvers who each have their own special power (think mind reading, fire and water manipulating, telekinesis etc) and they make up the middle and the upper class. </span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
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<br />
<span class="st">Mare's best friend loses his job as an apprentice, which had previously kept him from being sent to fight the war. Mare (who was also due to go to war) makes it her mission to set out and find a way to smuggle her and her friend out to somewhere safer where they cannot be found (notice any similarities here?). While on her mission she comes across a shady Silver guy who shows her great kindness and this is where the story begins. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
We find out the shady Silver dude is a prince and he unintentionally drags Mare into a situation which changes her life and makes her discover things about herself that she and others never would have thought was possible. She's a Red with a Silver trait. She possesses a power - the ability to control electricity and lightning.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There's plenty of romance, action and betrayal in this book. The ending didn't shock me too much, as I thought you-know-who was a bit of an odd character anyway and I got quite bad vibes off him from the start. As I said, great book! However, the similarities between Red Queen and The Hunger Games and The Selection are a bit too obvious and this ruined the book slightly for me. I will be reading the next in the series to see if Aveyard has taken any of the comments from the readership on board though!<br />
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Rainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09913116465314784894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7075462650181619175.post-47015658797842304992015-08-23T22:56:00.001+01:002017-04-05T00:04:39.717+01:00Ship of Fools by Richard Paul Russo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1F_yOapZ2-G5I4_8afAdpc80xuGNctDwqvKMcsS_Gs-Aenp-elR9D-9LBcgoQw78pFym4m9ZVKGbh306PRgaaCwGVmyfXzbwdc8Vtw_l5pgkwfb3bExy6kM1ES_e6iKqCH49m1-04TRF/s1600/24827.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/AVvXsEhs1F_yOapZ2-G5I4_8afAdpc80xuGNctDwqvKMcsS_Gs-Aenp-elR9D-9LBcgoQw78pFym4m9ZVKGbh306PRgaaCwGVmyfXzbwdc8Vtw_l5pgkwfb3bExy6kM1ES_e6iKqCH49m1-04TRF/s320/24827.jpg" width="197" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3iDX6YifNl5CgO1v7rtAnIc5v73jTUQwT1Nv9GxSPJ7a_jOm_Y9GdFJ00-In8CQb0waIQuBS8EnU_HU3oP7fDEMg8gI5BH2Qd8GCTTESb8F58H8H9fCghrBTEnBbYmoN_udK2HJ9Be0l/s1600/4starrating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3iDX6YifNl5CgO1v7rtAnIc5v73jTUQwT1Nv9GxSPJ7a_jOm_Y9GdFJ00-In8CQb0waIQuBS8EnU_HU3oP7fDEMg8gI5BH2Qd8GCTTESb8F58H8H9fCghrBTEnBbYmoN_udK2HJ9Be0l/s1600/4starrating.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24827.Ship_of_Fools" target="_blank">Ship of Fools</a> (Unto Leviathan) by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13992.Richard_Paul_Russo" target="_blank">Richard Paul Russo</a><br />
Publication date: December 31st 2001<br />
Publisher: Orbit Books<br />
Format: Kindle eBook<br />
Buy it here: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ship-Fools-Richard-Paul-Russo/dp/0441007988" target="_blank">Amazon,</a> <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Ship-Fools-Richard-Paul-Russo/9780441007981" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #45818e;">Goodreads Description</span></b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div id="iframeContent">
On a ship without a mission ... No one
remembers where they came from or where they're going. For hundreds of
years, the starship Argonos, home to generations of humans, has wandered
throughout the galaxy, searching for other signs of life. Now, a
steady, unidentified transmission lures them toward a nearby planet. On a planet without inhabitants ... The colony has vanished. But deep
within the planet's steamy jungles, the exploration team find horrible
evidence of its fate: a cavernous chamber neatly filled with rows of
skeletons, each one hanging on its own hook.<br />
<br />
On a
collision course with the unknown ... Once more, a signal lures the crew
of the Argonos. Haunted by what they have seen, they have no choice but
to follow - deep into space, where an alien mystery waits.<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">I should start by saying that for many years I had searched fruitlessly for a true modern sci-fi horror novel that was actually set in the future, in space. With this book, I thought that I had found it. Well... I have, but not in the way I anticipated.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Ship of Fools</i> or <i>Unto Leviathan</i>, (I personally prefer the latter title) is beautifully written and Russo did a fantastic job at building steady tension throughout the book. This book encompasses many themes such as religion, politics, society and progression, but none of them were ever really elaborated on which is a shame because they added some weight to the story and saved it from becoming another Alien/Event Horizon knock-off which genuinely helped flesh out a society the readers know very little about.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I had listened and reflected all this time without interrupting, and I finally questioned her - "Does God know everything that will happen?" </span></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Moving on to the aliens. You should know that they are very much a background piece in the civil war aboard the Argonos (the archetypal giant spaceship carrying the remnants of humanity through the void of space) and are never fully revealed to the audience (except once, very fleetingly), although the grisly fates of their victims leave little room for speculation as to their motives.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">This brings me on to the main problem I had with this book: it gave me far more questions than answers. This is fine, but why go to the effort of constructing such an intricate socio-political system, lace it with reference and satire to ultimately have it amount to nothing but an echo of something that could have been a modern epic. This made it fall short.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Perhaps if the ending answered some questions, perhaps if the aliens were revealed or there was at least a satisfying conclusion to the story I would forgive it. But unfortunately the attempt to leave it open to reader interpretation fell flat for me. Why do so many authors do this? It's very lazy and makes the book feel unfinished, especially after such a masterful build up of tension and suspense.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">This book tries to be character-driven and succeeds on some levels, although they never truly feel like real people. They disappointingly fall into clichés such as the over zealous bishop, the stressed ship captain struggling with the burden of responsibility, and the priest who holds unorthodox views about God. I also struggled identifying with the protagonist, whose moral and logic seem very questionable at times, and I often found myself wondering, “why the hell would you do that?”</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Although the characters aren’t the best realised, their interactions are often insightful and believable. Their musings on philosophy, the universe and the very nature of God are often poignant and well thought out, which makes the gaping plot holes and damp squib ending so much more upsetting. This is an intelligent book and creates a vivid and interesting (if not a little bleak) universe, yet does not answer any of the questions the readers are screaming to be answered.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The overall pacing of the book is a riveting slow burn laden with tension ending with nothing in particular. It feels like 300 pages or so are missing, but this is still a good read and one I’d recommend to sci-fi/horror lovers. Just don’t expect the story to payoff.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Perhaps like the inhabitants of the Argonos it’s all about the journey... Or maybe, just maybe, Richard Paul Russo will bless us with a sequel!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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Rainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09913116465314784894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7075462650181619175.post-72048228276816486372015-08-22T13:57:00.000+01:002017-04-05T00:11:49.317+01:00The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDMH7ysenr3nfepx1Ea8stFJXx9vg2XXHBERQ9rTP7lWPUztvOmSFD_05rwAlNz_R1a6E8Yaw0NGVsmngNA5w6l1YMP5aL-cCOlt4kOC1_V2KqPBOts8VG_aUqlN2mzj7TdgDM7WKLIRj/s1600/21569527.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/AVvXsEiJDMH7ysenr3nfepx1Ea8stFJXx9vg2XXHBERQ9rTP7lWPUztvOmSFD_05rwAlNz_R1a6E8Yaw0NGVsmngNA5w6l1YMP5aL-cCOlt4kOC1_V2KqPBOts8VG_aUqlN2mzj7TdgDM7WKLIRj/s320/21569527.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8H7Utg8Gww0hNiVUj9FXeQ7GtOVANIDPerRkbbE8dKsTQBrLUDJ0NIj6UsYdrFCl0r7ICpJ62t39tPnxL2OiQt6pVCHzhyphenhyphenrt9bUg1wnhw6hgvpIixgoQ_AsYDhBRAuFFHG4DFmXZBhgut/s1600/5starrating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8H7Utg8Gww0hNiVUj9FXeQ7GtOVANIDPerRkbbE8dKsTQBrLUDJ0NIj6UsYdrFCl0r7ICpJ62t39tPnxL2OiQt6pVCHzhyphenhyphenrt9bUg1wnhw6hgvpIixgoQ_AsYDhBRAuFFHG4DFmXZBhgut/s1600/5starrating.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21569527-the-heart-of-betrayal" target="_blank">The Heart of Betrayal</a> (The Remnant Chronicles #2) by <a href="http://www.marypearson.com/" target="_blank">Mary E. Pearson</a><br />
Publication date: July 7th 2015<br />
<a href="http://i1383.photobucket.com/albums/ah298/TheBookLooters/TREASUREEE_zpst2h989lp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1383.photobucket.com/albums/ah298/TheBookLooters/TREASUREEE_zpst2h989lp.jpg" /></a>Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.<br />
Format: Audiobook via Audible<br />
Buy it here: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Heart-Betrayal-Remnant-Chronicles/dp/0805099247/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1440197012&sr=8-1&keywords=heart+of+betrayal" target="_blank">Amazon,</a> <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Heart-Betrayal-Mary-Pearson/9780805099249" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #45818e;">Goodreads Description</span></b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText15174122763611160476">Held captive in the
barbarian kingdom of Venda, Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape.
Desperate to save her life, Lia's erstwhile assassin, Kaden, has told
the Vendan Komizar that she has the gift, and the Komizar's interest in
Lia is greater than anyone could have foreseen. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText15174122763611160476">Meanwhile,
nothing is straightforward: there's Rafe, who lied to Lia, but has
sacrificed his freedom to protect her; Kaden, who meant to assassinate
her but has now saved her life; and the Vendans, whom Lia always
believed to be barbarians. Now that she lives amongst them, however, she
realises that may be far from the truth. Wrestling with her upbringing,
her gift, and her sense of self, Lia must make powerful choices that
will affect her country... and her own destiny.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;">This review may contain spoilers for the first book.</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
That ending was absolutely heartwrenching! Mary E. Pearson impressed me with the first book of The Remnant Chronicles, <i>The Kiss of Deception, </i>but she impressed me even more with <i>The Heart of Betrayal.</i> There's something about her writing that draws me in; that makes me want to delve deep into this world she has created. Not once was I bored while reading this book. Everything had a purpose, every chapter contained snippets of information that eventually became relevant later on. This made for a very 'complete' book and a VERY satisfying read.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="readable">“We had a terrible start… doesn’t mean we can’t have a better ending.”</span>
</blockquote>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
Princess Lia, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan, has found herself in the Kingdom of Venda among those she had always believed to be barbarians. All of a sudden she once again finds herself pushed back into the limelight as a prisoner of war - a victory for the Vendans and a showpiece for the Komizar who is the invincible and power-hungry leader of the Vendan people.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Lia has 99 problems, and the Komizar is definitely one. That's disgustingly cliché of me, but it's true. Haha!</div>
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We see Lia's character grow even more throughout this book. She learns how to wield in her favour the manipulation that's constantly thrown at her. Her amiable nature attracts many of the Vendans towards her, many of whom show her great loyalty and respect in a place where she's supposed to be despised. She's witty and observant, but at times she's too bold for her own good. She's quite a complex character as you never truly know what she's going to do next. She readily plays the men at their own games and learns many skills which I've no doubt would be useful to her if she ever became Queen.<br />
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We still don't know much about her gift, but it caught me off guard when I found out she's not the only main character who possesses it! Who is it? You'll have to find out for yourself ;)<br />
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In my opinion, this series hasn't been raved about enough. </div>
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I highly recommend the audiobook version as the narrators did a fantastic job. <a href="https://twitter.com/ECardRankin" target="_blank">Emily Rankin</a> had the perfect voice for Lia and I found myself engrossed in the story for hours because the narrators kept me submerged in the world.<br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><b>Rafe</b></span> - I was 100% team Rafe throughout the whole book until the end when I started to sway between him and Kaden. I still think I'm team Rafe though.<br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><b>Kaden</b></span><span style="color: #38761d;"> <span style="color: black;">- God, he was so unpredictable! Throughout I was asking myself, is he loyal to Lia or will his loyalty to the Komizar win? At times I felt sorry for him, but then I remembered why Lia was in Venda in the first place. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: #45818e;"><b>Calantha</b> <span style="color: black;">-</span></span><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;">I hated her, then I loved her. There's so much more to see from her and I really do hope we get to see more of her in the next books - that we get to see more of the REAL Calantha. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #45818e;"><b>Aster</b></span><span style="color: #38761d;"><b> </b>- </span>Probably my favourite character in <i>The Heart of Betrayal</i>. She was one of the sweetest girls I've ever read in fiction. I won't say anymore about her as you'll have to experience her for yourself, but damn you Pearson!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: black;">Fantastic read. </span> </span><br />
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Rainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09913116465314784894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7075462650181619175.post-24447729165764515632015-08-19T17:47:00.001+01:002017-04-05T00:06:03.005+01:00The Silver Pigs by Lindsey Davis<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMjQM-Cx80qtmWmIMU3-tGbP8IczWMYlwMNyPVXk8b2jQy3g6tMbfytq8jXTa3rUoAy6KISDn998niURX_yn02jjTTnfPMBHiqiI-ylacyk6QjL5DPaLqc3R5KE2xetaaO9IGGUC_IXBh/s1600/3182675.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/AVvXsEjAMjQM-Cx80qtmWmIMU3-tGbP8IczWMYlwMNyPVXk8b2jQy3g6tMbfytq8jXTa3rUoAy6KISDn998niURX_yn02jjTTnfPMBHiqiI-ylacyk6QjL5DPaLqc3R5KE2xetaaO9IGGUC_IXBh/s320/3182675.jpg" width="209" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT9fC3FXG1mPxDoGhn_mP-veg6lOHNi52GqSFAKqxwAblupC0dCr7-xTyBfsc_QAi4Gfv6j0PR-X9y-7pYLYwDb9Dm5VBmvNvmz4kKBJrzAjnDmjtvQNtkI60LToqLRBDv1hhZaGA9n3C5/s1600/3starrating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT9fC3FXG1mPxDoGhn_mP-veg6lOHNi52GqSFAKqxwAblupC0dCr7-xTyBfsc_QAi4Gfv6j0PR-X9y-7pYLYwDb9Dm5VBmvNvmz4kKBJrzAjnDmjtvQNtkI60LToqLRBDv1hhZaGA9n3C5/s1600/3starrating.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3182675-the-silver-pigs" target="_blank">The Silver Pigs</a> (Marcus Didius Falco #1) by <a href="http://www.lindseydavis.co.uk/" target="_blank">Lindsey Davis</a><br />
Publication date: October 3rd 2006<br />
Publisher: Minotaur Books<br />
Format: Paperback<br />
Buy it here: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silver-Pigs-Falco-1/dp/0099515059/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1439943745&sr=8-1&keywords=the+silver+pigs" target="_blank">Amazon,</a> <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Silver-Pigs-Lindsey-Davis/9780099515050" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a><br />
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<b><span style="color: #45818e;">Goodreads Description</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Discover one of the world's favourite detectives, as his first case leads him into conspiracy, murder and adventure ...In 1989 THE SILVER PIGS introduced the world to laid-back first-century detective Marcus Didius Falco, his partner Helena Justina, his law and order pal Petronius, and his indomitable Mother - who became some of the most celebrated characters in historical fiction. Now reissued in a special new edition to celebrate publication of Falco's twentieth investigation, THE SILVER PIGS sees Falco cynically eyeing up the new Roman emperor, Vespasian. Our hero, a private informer, rescues a young girl in trouble and is catapulted into a dangerous game involving stolen imperial ingots, a dark political plot and, most hazardous of all, a senator's daughter connected to the traitors Falco has sworn to expose.</span></span></div>
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I'd like to start off this review by saying that I had very high expectations for this book. As a student who has just finished her minor in Classical Studies, I have a huge love for all things Ancient Roman and Greek. I had heard people compare the protagonist, Falco, to Sherlock Holmes and after a few minutes of reading I could see exactly where the comparisons were coming from. Falco is an eccentric private investigator who lives in 70AD Rome. Slightly earlier than the 1800s I'll admit, but the similarities are definitely there. This is not a bad thing, of course - but I had a constant feeling I had 'read this before'.</div>
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Falco chases after a girl running for her life across the streets of Rome, and upon meeting her he gets caught up in a conspiracy in the trading of silver ingots (hence, Silver Pigs). After getting to know a little more about the girl (Sosia Camillina) a mystery begins to unravel which leads to the girl's death and Falco being employed by her Uncle who happens to be a Senator to find out who murdered his niece. He embarks on a journey to Britain with Helena Justina who is the senator's daughter and the girl's cousin. From there they begin to solve the puzzle of the Silver Pigs together.<br />
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I really wanted to love this book. On the face of it, it seemed like the perfect read for me. Ancient Rome, a Sherlock Holmes-like investigator and a mystery. But I'm afraid this book fell a bit flat for me.</div>
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Davis is quite heavy on the adjectives and I'd have liked to have read more 'show, not tell'. The writing slightly spoiled this book for me. Some of the characters didn't seem very realistic (Caesar, for example) and I found myself struggling to read through some tedious parts of the book. On the plus side, Davis knows how to write comically - Falco has many genuinely funny moments.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I rapidly flung the long ends of my toga round us both.<br />
"My own theory is, warming up women was what the founding fathers had in mind when they invented this..." </blockquote>
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<b>I was pleased to learn that I had not guessed the ending correctly.</b></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><span style="color: #45818e;">Falco</span></b> </span>- The protagonist. He's a lovable character and if Davis had created Falco differently, I probably wouldn't have finished this book. He's slightly misogynistic, but get real - this book is based in 70AD Rome. I would have found this book much less realistic if the men weren't misogynistic. However, Falco does have a certain amount of respect for women - for his mother and Helena Justina in particular. </div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: #45818e;"><b>Helena Justina </b></span><span style="color: black;">- </span><span style="color: black;">I liked her. She's more of a complex character than Falco. Is she a realistic portrayal of a 1st Century AD Roman woman? As we don't have much of a voice from the women of Imperial Rome in historical sources, I don't know. I found her to be quite modern, in a sense. Throughout the 2nd half of the book, I was rooting for the relationship that was beginning to unfold between her and Falco. It was all very sweet. I was totally shipping them! But I assume, as there are a whopping 20 books in this series, other women may come into the picture. I'd like to think I'm wrong.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: black;">This is a decent book, but I won't be continuing the series. </span></span></div>
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Rainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09913116465314784894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7075462650181619175.post-18482061133449662792015-08-18T23:30:00.000+01:002017-04-05T00:11:11.919+01:00Scarlet by Marissa Meyer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS275CiUc907ARUvU2Cbn8cAZNvGvlKT8CzuYSe13KVVkD9QmVEKT_kHGEYRoVRpBC9TJOzQR6eJrTSv1aKB32KcPu_C-Cw-t94jsgK2pAKn2L5vH4L4B3U1wc2tBZhDzlPrkGhgGIP3SL/s1600/13206760.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/AVvXsEgS275CiUc907ARUvU2Cbn8cAZNvGvlKT8CzuYSe13KVVkD9QmVEKT_kHGEYRoVRpBC9TJOzQR6eJrTSv1aKB32KcPu_C-Cw-t94jsgK2pAKn2L5vH4L4B3U1wc2tBZhDzlPrkGhgGIP3SL/s320/13206760.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8H7Utg8Gww0hNiVUj9FXeQ7GtOVANIDPerRkbbE8dKsTQBrLUDJ0NIj6UsYdrFCl0r7ICpJ62t39tPnxL2OiQt6pVCHzhyphenhyphenrt9bUg1wnhw6hgvpIixgoQ_AsYDhBRAuFFHG4DFmXZBhgut/s1600/5starrating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8H7Utg8Gww0hNiVUj9FXeQ7GtOVANIDPerRkbbE8dKsTQBrLUDJ0NIj6UsYdrFCl0r7ICpJ62t39tPnxL2OiQt6pVCHzhyphenhyphenrt9bUg1wnhw6hgvpIixgoQ_AsYDhBRAuFFHG4DFmXZBhgut/s1600/5starrating.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13206760-scarlet" target="_blank">Scarlet</a> (The Lunar Chronicles #2) by <a href="http://www.marissameyer.com/" target="_blank">Marissa Meyer</a><br />
Publication date: February 5th 2013<br />
Publisher: Feiwel and <br />
<a href="http://i1383.photobucket.com/albums/ah298/TheBookLooters/TREASUREEE_zpst2h989lp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1383.photobucket.com/albums/ah298/TheBookLooters/TREASUREEE_zpst2h989lp.jpg" /></a>Friends<br />
Format: Paperback<br />
Buy it here: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0312642962/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_uk-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738" target="_blank">Amazon, </a><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Scarlet-Marissa-Meyer/9780312642969" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a><br />
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<b><span style="color: #45818e;">Goodreads Description</span></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.</span></div>
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Oooooh!
Marissa Meyer, I love you! Once again, she has flawlessly
weaved a classic, well-known fairy tale into a dystopic world. When I
first picked up Cinder (# 1), I thought the merging of the two (very)
different genres would be too much, but after reading a few chapters, my
mind was blown. It totally works in ways you wouldn't expect. This
requires much talent and imagination.</div>
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<strong>Before I begin, I'd like to point out that this review WILL contain Cinder spoilers, so read Cinder first!</strong> - shoo.</div>
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In
this installment, we meet Scarlet Benoit. As you can probably guess
from the name, cover and series, Scarlet plays the role of Little Red
Riding Hood alongside Cinder (Cinderella). We find out that her
grandmother (or, grand-mére) has disappeared without a word, leaving her
bloodied ID chip behind wrapped in a cheesecloth.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“I think I realized that I would rather die<br />
because I betrayed them, than live because I betrayed you.”</blockquote>
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After
much disappointment from the authorities, Scarlet decides to take her
grandmother's mystery into her own hands and go out and search for her -
no matter what it takes. Meanwhile, in Scarlet's world, everyone is
talking about Cinder - the cyborg girl who dared to attend the Eastern
Commonwealth's annual ball and turn it into a <em>royal</em> disaster<em>. </em>The
embarrassing situation has been plastered all over the news, and Cinder
has been forced to go into hiding to dodge the wrath of her evil aunt,
Queen Levana.</div>
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<em>Scarlet</em>
has two protagonist's throughout the book. We get to read from the
point-of-view of both Scarlet and Cinder, which was really nice. Cinder
is introduced again in chapter four, which I was over the moon about. I
loved Cinder as a character, and was excited to read about what she was
doing alongside Scarlet's chapters. She's as determined as ever to
figure out what she needs to do and is trying to work out how to control
her glamour. We see her escaping from prison with a new character
called Thorne (one of my favourite new characters, by far). We get to
read back and forth between Scarlet and Cinder (and we get to read about
what Kai's up to, too!) - this makes such a delicious reading
experience when the two protagonists collide for the first time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZpkNWItQcDciG0YLs-nJj8PBSCu_GAOIRCczwMG51DDNW1N44_5vZpkWIFErmRaf1zQ03Nmkt2epYVa1GPoQ7lxB3qd5rrfCVBFKITMrD1SFTe-vkqEHkhIz0xr8ZdvrC1tvrGEtsP7x/s1600/Divider.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="40" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZpkNWItQcDciG0YLs-nJj8PBSCu_GAOIRCczwMG51DDNW1N44_5vZpkWIFErmRaf1zQ03Nmkt2epYVa1GPoQ7lxB3qd5rrfCVBFKITMrD1SFTe-vkqEHkhIz0xr8ZdvrC1tvrGEtsP7x/s320/Divider.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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As
Scarlet decides what to do about her grandmother, she comes across a
street-fighter called Wolf. Now, I automatically know what you're
thinking, but the book isn't that predictable ;) Together, they embark
on a quest to save Scarlet's grandmother and bring her back to their
farm in France where she belongs. This is YA, so expect romance!</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><span style="color: #45818e;">Scarlet</span></strong>
- I loved how her feisty personality mirrored Cinder's and I love how
much she cared about her grandmother, willing to sacrifice herself for
her grand-mére's safety. She's not afraid to voice her opinion and hurt
the people who get in her way.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><span style="color: #45818e;">Cinder</span> </strong>-
Once again, an amazing character. Meyer really took the time to breathe
life into her and make her multidimensional. I loved the banter between
Cinder and Thorne and how their friendship develops. I loved how she
puts others before herself, even though she's of Lunar (and royal)
descent.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #45818e;"><strong><span style="color: #38761d;">Wolf</span></strong>
</span> - Ahh, the love interest in this book. The mysterious Mr. Wolf who is
fascinated with his new-found discovery of tomatoes. I was a bit wary
throughout the book, because his name is well... Wolf. We discover at
the beginning of the book that he is a street-fighter with unnaturally
sharp fangs. But is he really just a street fighter? You'll have to find
out for yourself.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><span style="color: #45818e;">Thorne</span> </strong>-
The funniest character throughout the whole book - he once started a
riot about the soap in prison being too drying. An ex-convict by force.
Though flirtatious (I loved the part when Iko and him first... uh...
(kind of) meet), and sometimes a bit dopey and naive, he appears to have
a heart full of gold - putting himself on the line in order to help
Cinder and her cause (even though he doesn't know who she truly is).</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="text-align: center;">
I can't wait to read Cress! Bring it on, Meyer!</div>
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Rainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09913116465314784894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7075462650181619175.post-9371313405596138552015-08-18T23:21:00.005+01:002017-04-05T00:13:53.193+01:00The Curious Telephone Box Library<br />
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<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUc0MH3JsstE205bXg-oUWz13e0pAcfdXeLP-jqxgKnE8y_AW10HvldaS3gtqYboUyvpH4aNQ7kUl-suiJlYvWBla3HvipZvNM4oH2lsmWcrvIUKt5iCxJy0ycAW-S0JnWVD7N20h-nGAB/s320/img_20140620_203455.jpg" width="218" /></div>
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I found this little gem while walking through my part of London yesterday evening in Brockley, Loampit Hill.</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;">
Somebody
was already inside, browsing through the books that had been left by
local strangers. This requires a lot of trust from the public. There
are, of course, no scanners at the door and no one to tell you when to
bring the book back. Yet, the shelves seemed to be absolutely
overflowing with books.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;">
This
little library is open 24/7 with a built-in light. It was renovated by a
man called Sebastian Handley and I think he's a pretty awesome man for
doing this for the local community.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;">
This part of London isn't exactly the safest, but this project appears to have worked well - even in this area.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;">
Upon
entering, the space was surprisingly not cramped. There was plenty of
space for both of us. The books ranged from Dan Brown to The History of
Castles to cookbooks, children's books, general fiction, autobiographies
and everything in between. There were nice little notes all around.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="text-align: center;">
I was greeted with a message on the ceiling that read...<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"It's not what you get, but what you leave behind"</blockquote>
<br /></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;">
There
are two rules. If you take a book, replace it with another. If you wish
to borrow a book, you are trusted to return it within a reasonable
amount of time.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="text-align: center;">
I'd love to see more of these throughout the city! What a great find.</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemeEzGZIm6Xv7YC0gjt2dHkJnmK6GmA1b7YqktpE9xuN21vJbqTJtz9zdVJ_jofy6jeSbTHbtSUos-fcKcOlr5bqqe2t62_MgCcOwDA_RPk1a2UKwGJY_CmApyqIdbklUvxIvxRm9roFn/s1600/Raine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemeEzGZIm6Xv7YC0gjt2dHkJnmK6GmA1b7YqktpE9xuN21vJbqTJtz9zdVJ_jofy6jeSbTHbtSUos-fcKcOlr5bqqe2t62_MgCcOwDA_RPk1a2UKwGJY_CmApyqIdbklUvxIvxRm9roFn/s1600/Raine.jpg" /></a></div>
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Rainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09913116465314784894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7075462650181619175.post-89673983976977554652015-08-18T22:58:00.000+01:002017-04-05T00:06:56.184+01:00Fever by Lauren DeStefano<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqybGSAvvcBdBU-kjMnU8iYAhn5-GOiIUYIURb4CXYCQ7vzaLkqeY0EAQlyIFRSzeGRjHY8BcUgrdzvmvG2Zq0M1XOjQ6HRgOTneLNOkqo_aNSQ4GC9H-30c-hjasXBjtrwdZjU9i-Qzk/s1600/11112619.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/AVvXsEhXqybGSAvvcBdBU-kjMnU8iYAhn5-GOiIUYIURb4CXYCQ7vzaLkqeY0EAQlyIFRSzeGRjHY8BcUgrdzvmvG2Zq0M1XOjQ6HRgOTneLNOkqo_aNSQ4GC9H-30c-hjasXBjtrwdZjU9i-Qzk/s320/11112619.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT9fC3FXG1mPxDoGhn_mP-veg6lOHNi52GqSFAKqxwAblupC0dCr7-xTyBfsc_QAi4Gfv6j0PR-X9y-7pYLYwDb9Dm5VBmvNvmz4kKBJrzAjnDmjtvQNtkI60LToqLRBDv1hhZaGA9n3C5/s1600/3starrating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT9fC3FXG1mPxDoGhn_mP-veg6lOHNi52GqSFAKqxwAblupC0dCr7-xTyBfsc_QAi4Gfv6j0PR-X9y-7pYLYwDb9Dm5VBmvNvmz4kKBJrzAjnDmjtvQNtkI60LToqLRBDv1hhZaGA9n3C5/s1600/3starrating.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11112619-fever" target="_blank">The Iron Queen</a> (The Chemical Garden #2) by <a href="http://www.laurendestefano.com/" target="_blank">Lauren DeStefano</a><br />
Publication date: January 25th 2011<br />
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing<br />
Format: Paperback<br />
Buy it here: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fever-Chemical-Garden-Book-2/dp/0007387008/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1439934591&sr=8-4&keywords=fever" target="_blank">Amazon, </a><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Chemical-Garden-Trilogy-2-Fever-Lauren-DeStefano/9781442451704" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #45818e;">Goodreads Description</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px;">Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind. </span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px;">Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness. </span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px;">The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary. </span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px;">In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price - now that she has more to lose than ever.</span></div>
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<div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
This
book was a bit half-and-half for me. I'll start out by saying that I
enjoyed Fever for the most part, but at the same time I feel a little
disappointed. This book made me feel like I was on a children's roller
coaster. Some aspects of it were quite disappointing and boring but the
highs throughout this book didn't really make up for the disappointment
as the action wasn't THAT thrilling. However, I did push through it and I
managed to enjoy some of the book. Enough to feel satisfied, at least.</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
“Everyone should remember being born.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
It doesn't seem fair that we only remember dying.”</div>
</blockquote>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;">
It
was interesting to learn about the outside world and finally see what
it's like. The circus-like red district setting was quite enchanting and
haunting at the same time. Although, not much happens here and I didn't
get to meet many characters (I would have liked to have known more
about the girls and men and how they felt about the whole situation). I
mostly remember Rhine and Gabriel just sitting in a tent, and there's
only so much description of a tent I can take. <span style="color: #45818e;"><strong><span style="color: #38761d;">Madame</span></strong> </span>
is quite a character and she makes this part of the book humorous, but I
eventually started to REALLY dislike her with a passion. I hope she
doesn't come back in book three.</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><span style="color: #45818e;">Maddie</span></strong>
- She's a little gem and it takes a lot of talent to create such a
massive personality for someone who never says a word throughout the
entire book. I liked her from the very beginning. I felt like she was
holding a lot of secrets. The only way I can explain it is when you look
at your dog, you see this silent wiseness in his eyes. Maddie is like a
faithful dog (in the best possible way of course, Maddie).</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;">
<strong><span style="color: #45818e;">Rhine</span></strong>
- She grows slightly more stronger throughout the book, but I didn't
really see much character development there. She stays pretty neutral,
and then gives up hope a little nearer the end (this turns around once
the cliffhanger comes into place, as we see in lots of books).</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #45818e;"><strong>Gabriel</strong>
</span> - Don't even get me started with Gabriel. What a boring character! This
is probably the character I don't like the most so far, even Vaughn has
a more interesting personality than Gabriel. It feels like he is the
designated love-interest character, but then it stops there. He has no
special presence, and he hardly says anything (I mean, he has his
moments, but then it all suddenly stops and he turns back into the
boring love-interest again).</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="text-align: center;">
I can't wait to meet <strong><span style="color: #45818e;">Rowan</span></strong>, he sounds quite interesting.</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="text-align: center;">
Hopefully this trilogy will end with a bang!</div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="text-align: center;">
So far, so good, DeStefano.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemeEzGZIm6Xv7YC0gjt2dHkJnmK6GmA1b7YqktpE9xuN21vJbqTJtz9zdVJ_jofy6jeSbTHbtSUos-fcKcOlr5bqqe2t62_MgCcOwDA_RPk1a2UKwGJY_CmApyqIdbklUvxIvxRm9roFn/s1600/Raine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemeEzGZIm6Xv7YC0gjt2dHkJnmK6GmA1b7YqktpE9xuN21vJbqTJtz9zdVJ_jofy6jeSbTHbtSUos-fcKcOlr5bqqe2t62_MgCcOwDA_RPk1a2UKwGJY_CmApyqIdbklUvxIvxRm9roFn/s1600/Raine.jpg" /></a></div>
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Rainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09913116465314784894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7075462650181619175.post-49875863095660020572015-08-18T22:44:00.003+01:002017-04-05T00:07:27.201+01:00The Selection by Kiera Cass<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9yDljn7vd506NYC4lrdevhQIP2wAkQUsBDtisL6XN59H53OKosrm9jZ428J53urOCLMcsHbBRi4FzlyRlmXynqTVGPQldEOLoAF1LVypr6XamLEXk0zIQLHW6WMi_sqDE5tbJuI5dFzj/s1600/10507293.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/AVvXsEhq9yDljn7vd506NYC4lrdevhQIP2wAkQUsBDtisL6XN59H53OKosrm9jZ428J53urOCLMcsHbBRi4FzlyRlmXynqTVGPQldEOLoAF1LVypr6XamLEXk0zIQLHW6WMi_sqDE5tbJuI5dFzj/s320/10507293.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3iDX6YifNl5CgO1v7rtAnIc5v73jTUQwT1Nv9GxSPJ7a_jOm_Y9GdFJ00-In8CQb0waIQuBS8EnU_HU3oP7fDEMg8gI5BH2Qd8GCTTESb8F58H8H9fCghrBTEnBbYmoN_udK2HJ9Be0l/s1600/4starrating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3iDX6YifNl5CgO1v7rtAnIc5v73jTUQwT1Nv9GxSPJ7a_jOm_Y9GdFJ00-In8CQb0waIQuBS8EnU_HU3oP7fDEMg8gI5BH2Qd8GCTTESb8F58H8H9fCghrBTEnBbYmoN_udK2HJ9Be0l/s1600/4starrating.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10507293-the-selection" target="_blank">The Selection</a> by <a href="http://www.kieracass.com/" target="_blank">Kiera Cass</a><br />
Publication date: April 24th 2012<br />
Publisher: HarperTeen<br />
Format: Paperback<br />
Buy it here: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Selection-Book-Stories/dp/0007466692/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1439933862&sr=8-1&keywords=the+selection" target="_blank">Amazon, </a><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Selection-Kiera-Cass/9780007466696" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a><br />
<br />
<h4>
<b><span style="color: #45818e;">Goodreads Description</span></b></h4>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.</span><br />
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This was a magnificent start to a (very) promising trilogy. We meet America Singer (cringeworthy name, I know) who lives in Illéa (future U.S.A.) where everyone is separated into castes. Castes range from 1-8, with each caste having a role in society (1 being the highest ranking, the royalty etc and 8 being the 'scum' of society). America is a five. She comes from a family of artists and is fond of music and singing.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">"True love is usually the most inconvenient kind."</span></blockquote>
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When a Prince comes of age in Illéa, he hosts The Selection (think The Bachelor combined with The Hunger Games - that's a pretty common comparison in the book community). It's Prince Maxon's turn, and 35 girls are chosen (which is supposedly through a lottery system) to go to the palace and compete for the Prince and the chance to move 'up' in society. This is all broadcasted on television (see how it's similar to The Bachelor?), and with it comes perks and money.</div>
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America is not interested in entering The Selection as she's already in love with Aspen, her secret boyfriend - who is unfortunately a caste below her. Marrying him would mean lowering her status in society, but she's prepared to do it because she loves him. He feels inferior to her and doubts himself and his ability to provide for her and their future children. This causes him to beg her to enter The Selection - to have a chance at a better life. America doesn't expect to be chosen out of thousands of girls, but she does it anyway to please Aspen and her family.</div>
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<b>What happens next will change her life forever.</b></div>
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One thing I must mention first is that cover! I know you should never judge a book by its cover, but this cover looks so beautiful and intriguing. No?<br />
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I found the concept of this book quite different. I'm pleased to say it worked for me. I can't wait to read the next one!</div>
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<strong><span style="color: #45818e;">America</span></strong> - I loved the character development for America in this book. She starts off shy and unsure of herself (sometimes quite self-conscious), but she soon learns how to 'play the game' and not take things too seriously. When it comes to Prince Maxon, however, she makes it perfectly clear how she feels about the whole situation (which I found extremely funny). Sometimes I felt like shouting at her for doing the wrong things and sometimes I felt like giving her a high-five. You can tell she really cares about her family and would do anything to help them.</div>
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<strong><span style="color: #45818e;">Prince Maxon</span> </strong>- One word: swoooon. You'll have to experience him for yourself. I think he's a bit misunderstood because he's shy and mysterious, but I'm rooting for him.</div>
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<strong><span style="color: #45818e;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Aspen</span> </span></strong>- America's now ex-boyfriend - but she still has feeling for him. Unfortunately, I don't like him very much. Even towards the end when he tried explaining himself, I still didn't like him and couldn't help but question his intentions. He seems quite... flat and meh I don't care about him and I hope he just goes away, but I have a feeling he won't :(</div>
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I loved the other characters like America's new friends and her maids. I also love America's sister and I hope we get to learn more about her.</div>
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Great book - I hope the rest of the trilogy is just as good!<br />
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Rainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09913116465314784894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7075462650181619175.post-74424056251878249672015-08-18T22:20:00.002+01:002017-04-05T00:07:56.197+01:00The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8H7Utg8Gww0hNiVUj9FXeQ7GtOVANIDPerRkbbE8dKsTQBrLUDJ0NIj6UsYdrFCl0r7ICpJ62t39tPnxL2OiQt6pVCHzhyphenhyphenrt9bUg1wnhw6hgvpIixgoQ_AsYDhBRAuFFHG4DFmXZBhgut/s1600/5starrating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8H7Utg8Gww0hNiVUj9FXeQ7GtOVANIDPerRkbbE8dKsTQBrLUDJ0NIj6UsYdrFCl0r7ICpJ62t39tPnxL2OiQt6pVCHzhyphenhyphenrt9bUg1wnhw6hgvpIixgoQ_AsYDhBRAuFFHG4DFmXZBhgut/s1600/5starrating.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibAGWUEGh24LlN11f1YPn2Qpe0H47TXWNC0iHcSbK493_Jh-e9VjL0z6T3Dmz1lMmU_TnOHIgJx03JlhgnMQuURbAv3utwx7RkmjQQXpNTj3sr4K4iCielFRvUpUe3rlY6A-_6wcN_Adnu/s1600/tumblr_inline_n066cbzaSX1s13pag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibAGWUEGh24LlN11f1YPn2Qpe0H47TXWNC0iHcSbK493_Jh-e9VjL0z6T3Dmz1lMmU_TnOHIgJx03JlhgnMQuURbAv3utwx7RkmjQQXpNTj3sr4K4iCielFRvUpUe3rlY6A-_6wcN_Adnu/s320/tumblr_inline_n066cbzaSX1s13pag.jpg" width="208" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8685612-the-iron-queen?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank">The Iron Queen</a> (The Iron Fey #3) by <a href="http://juliekagawa.com/" target="_blank">Julie Kagawa</a><br />
Publication date: January 25th 2011<br />
Publisher: Harlequin Teen<br />
Format: Paperback<br />
Buy it here: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Iron-Queen-Fey/dp/0778304795/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1439932211&sr=8-1&keywords=iron+queen" target="_blank">Amazon,</a> <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Iron-Queen-Julie-Kagawa/9780373210183" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a><br />
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<b><span style="color: #45818e;">Goodreads Description</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">My name is Meghan Chase. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who has s</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">worn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.</span></span></div>
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Ohh, Julie Kagawa - you've done it to me again. The emotions. The characters. The tension. The beautiful, eloquent writing that causes me to howl with laughter and cry at just the right time. The Iron Fey series is truly a work of art and I've no doubt the characters will stick with me forever. These books hold a special place in my heart. The covers don't do them justice. I would start fangirling if I ever met Julie Kagawa. I can only hope that one day my writing skill will get anywhere near hers.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">“I wished that, for once, faery tales - real faery tales, </span><span style="text-align: center;">not Disney fairy tales – would have a happy ending.”</span></blockquote>
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As the story begins, we see that Meghan, Ash and Puck are still banished from the NeverNever. Once again, I found myself caught in the midst of a new adventure from the offset. Real s**t is going down in Faery as iron is slowly destroying the land, threatening to consume the Summer and Winter Courts, the Fae and everything they've ever know. A new false Iron King is on the loose, and there seems to be no stopping this one. Iron is spreading like the plague, even faster than before - making everything sick in its path.</div>
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But never fear. Faery can count on a handful of badasses to bring the false King down. Meghan, Ash, Puck, some new amazing characters and a certain talking cat are here to save the day, but they've got a hell of a job to do.<br />
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Allow me to swoon over the characters.</div>
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<strong><span style="color: #45818e;">Meghan</span></strong> - She is as badass as ever. Julie really did an amazing job at developing her character from the first book up to the current plot. We see her <em>shine </em>in this third instalment, especially towards the end when she really takes her own and embraces her destiny. She realises that she is capable of more than she ever realised and learns to cherish the friends she meets along the way.</div>
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<strong><span style="color: #45818e;">Ash</span></strong> - Ash's love for Meghan seems to be forever growing, leaving his family behind to look after her. He's still the cold Winter Prince, as he was in the other books, but in The Iron Queen we see a few changes. He learns that in order to protect Meghan, he needs to learn how to let her flourish and teaches her how to fight. He's still protective (<br />
<del>I mean, he becomes her friggin knight</del>), but not so much, and this causes us to see more of his true character throughout the book. I'm still rooting for him.</div>
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><strong><span style="color: #38761d;">Puck</span></strong> </span>- He's still the mischievous faery he's always been, but jealousy takes hold of him in this book as Ash and Meghan get closer. Regardless of the 'lovebird's' relationship, he's as determined as ever to stay by Meghan's side to be there whenever she may need him. We see banter flick between Ash and Puck at times (sometimes at inappropriate moments), which is hilarious.</div>
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><strong><span style="color: #38761d;">Grimalkin</span></strong> </span>- My favourite fictional cat of all time! He once again stays near Meghan, popping up whenever the trio needs his cat wisdom. I'm curious to see what Grimalkin's up to in the next book. Here's one of my favourite quotes:<br />
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“Grim, wait. Are you sure you'll be all right?"<br />
Grimalkin smiled. "I am a cat."<br />
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New characters like<span style="color: #45818e;"><strong> <span style="color: #38761d;">Glitch</span></strong> </span>and little <strong><span style="color: #45818e;">Razor</span></strong> were absolutely excellent. I loved how the characters still grieved over Iron Horse, even after he was gone. We see how he truly sacrificed himself for the cause. I do miss him, but we still feel his presence throughout the book.</div>
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Don't let the glitzy cover put you off, this book is for ANYONE who loves fantasy.</div>
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Rainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09913116465314784894noreply@blogger.com0