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Showing posts with the label Blogger Picks

Book Review: Fourth Wing (The Empyrean #1) by Rebecca Yarros | Climbing Trees Has Never Been So Sexualized, EDS Representation, and Fire-Breathing Dragons, Oh My!

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Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders... Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre:  dragon riders . But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them. With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant. She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise. Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and t...

Ten Noteworthy and Unforgettable Stories to Stash in Your Travel Bag to Explore Both Real and Fictional Worlds on Your Next Vacation or Olympic Games

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Unless you live in the sun-blazing heat and humidity of Houston or anywhere close to the Earth's equator, summer rolls around only once a year. Nonetheless, summer in the United States is a time of change: the weather itself turns warmer as the sun works overtime, tropical storms and hurricanes become more occurrent as beach attendance rises, another academic year ends and readies for the subsequent classes to come later, and the awaited summer vacation and family traveling finally arrives.  Whether I went to my local park or partook in a family road trip to Florida, each vacation was the most anticipated part of my summer. Moreover, partaking in exciting adventures only gave me more brownie points when I inevitably returned to school and expressed all the amusement to my classmates and friends. Nonetheless, I still left energy to read imaginary stories as well as listen to my classmates' summer stories.  Meanwhile, to distract myself from the never-ending wait to reach a dest...

The Cruel Prince's Epic Song Playlist from Cardan to Jude...As Long As Current Pop Songs Can Be Played By Goats On Lyres

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All foundations of great relationships rely on two things: partners with shared interests and specially made mix-tapes presented on anniversaries or all-nighter parties. Meanwhile, if you were in a relationship that resembled the great 80's and 90's classic movies, then the above statement is nothing but an obvious necessity for the relationship to continue. Although I cannot relate to burning songs to CDs or creating playlists for a significant other, my high school years were spent scouring Spotify and YouTube for the next "it" song. Thus, my time spent on these platforms were in the top 1% as a musical theater nerd and overall shy, hoodie-wearing hermit crab. Consequently, after engulfing Holly Black's Folk of the Air trilogy within three days and while surviving the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, I immediately began to soak my sorrows with both tissues and sad break-up songs. These sorrows were eventually subdued after re-reading the stories again, leading me t...

A Poem of Gratitude for Books: Ten Reasons Why I Always Return

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Dear books whose spines have cracked from countless pages turned, for the novels whose covers were folded and worn, for the scenes captivating enough to be performed, and for the stories and endings I will faithfully mourn. Nothing is better said than the ten reasons why I faithfully return to the stories with tens of thousands of words. Firstly, a long-awaited escape from my world to others is mine to yearn. But, this is second to the witty banter and tension between lustful characters and ruling lords.   Thirdly, the diversity in characters, personalities, and conflicts inspire me daily To be courageous, authentic, and honorably sarcastic in every way. Fourth, magnificently designed book covers and sprayed edges are great to display, But the familiar smell of libraries and well-read books are still triumphant without further say. Moreover, an author's recipes for controlled disasters may coax me to resist slumbers. Perfect deliveries of slow-burn romances and cliffhangers fuel be...

Ten Enticing "One Day" Novels with INCREDIBLE Pacing and That Caused Me to Forget the World Around Me

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Every Tuesday, Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl hosts Top Ten Tuesday, a series of posts created to appreciate lists of books and reading-related culture. The theme changes every week and is chosen by Jana. Come join our fangirl/boy craziness by naming your top ten favorite short reads in the comments or in your very own blog/social media post! Books and their stories, no matter the length, are extremely attractive. After a long day of work or school, it's only necessary to curl up on the couch and read a fraction of a story before sleeping the night away. However, some nights, the energy to finish a whole book readily flows in your veins and is fueled from the adrenaline of the right story. It's the nail-biting adventure novel with the cliffhanger chapters or the horrific fantasy giving goosebumps or the short king novellas. Whichever book floats your metaphorical boat, I have curated a list to cater to the interests of most readers. Ten genres is definitely not enough to cover...