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Showing posts with the label July

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...

Matched (Matched Book #1) by Ally Condie | An Interesting Concept With A Painful Execution

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In the Society, officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die. Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one…until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion. Matched  is a story for right now and storytelling with the resonance of a classic. Discussion:                                                                                  ...

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...

Book Review: Truly, Devious by Maureen Johnson | How to Solve a Century-Old Murder as a Teenage Prodigy

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Stevie is experiencing a  My Lottery Dream Home  moment; however, instead of a multi-million dollar prize leading to a new house and bonding time with the show's host David Bromstad, Stevie is enrolling in Ellingham Academy, a school known for teaching the brightest teenagers as well as the site of the near-century-old murder of previous student Dottie Epstein and the kidnappings of the school founder Albert Ellingham's wife and daughter. Both the murders and kidnappings are known to be done by the anonymous Truly Devious -- evidenced by a ransom poem crafted and sent nights before the terrible night in April 1936.  Inclined to solving the school's cold-case with her passion for forensics and with the aid of modern-day technology, Stevie becomes engrossed in a group video project staring the school's Hollywood star Hayes Major. Their focus is to recreate the series as a film showing the unfortunate events after Albert became aware of his wife and daughter's kidnapp...

ARC Review: Phantom Wheel by Tracy Deebs

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Being recruited by the CIA to join a top-secret intelligence program should be the opportunity of a lifetime. For Issa, it's a shot at creating a new and better life for herself and her siblings. For clever con artist Harper, it's a chance to bury the secrets of her troubled past and make sure that those secrets  stay  buried. But for Owen--honor student, star quarterback, and computer-hacking genius--it sounds like a trap. He's right.  Owen discovers that instead of auditioning for the CIA, they've all been tricked by a multibillion-dollar tech company into creating the ultimate computer virus. It's called Phantom Wheel, and it's capable of hacking anyone on Earth, anywhere, at any time. And thanks to six teenagers, it's virtually unstoppable.  Horrified by what they've done, the hackers must team up to stop the virus before the world descends into chaos. But working together is easier said than done, especially as the lines start to blur between tea...

My Ambitious BookTube-A-Thon 2018 TBR

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For two years, I have unofficially been participating in BookTube-A-Thon. Throughout the seven days, I have always completed seven books. I have always been dedicated; plus, I have never been busy as summer vacation occurs during this time. Sadly, I decided to complete some summer classes since I want to graduate earlier. Therefore, there is less time to read sometimes and there are more responsibilities rather than getting up before noon. Usually, I have just read any unread books on my shelves; however, since I am traveling to Michigan while competing in  joining this readathon, I need to keep light. Sadly, this means I can't travel with the usual fifty books I stuff into my suitcase just the night before. Before I start packing my bookshelf, let's look at the challenges to see what I can accomplish during the week. 1. Let a coin toss decide your first read.   VS.                              ...

Book Review: Fire by C. A. Harland | An Unexciting Adventure with Gangs and Demons Doing What They Do Best

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Tala Morgenstern lives for the hunt, embracing her heritage as a demon hunter. When her younger sister, Hartley, disappears while on the trail of her long-lost father, Tala must seek the help of her other sister Aiva, who has turned her back on the underworld of magic and hunting. Suspecting demonic involvement, Tala and Aiva race to find Hartley before she can be claimed by hell. Their search takes them deeper into the bowels of Dublin’s criminal underground, where the gangs are led by demons, and the currency is souls. With each Circle of hell bringing new dangers, and new revelations about their own place in the demon hunting world, Tala and Aiva have to rely on each other if they are to stand a chance of fighting their way to the Ninth Circle, and the demon lord who is waiting for them. Discussion: " But tell me something, Nighthunter, who are you to decide which has more right to live, the man or the monster?" ⭐⭐-DNF When I had read the summary of this b...

The I Spy Book Challenge

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It has been almost a month since Lili from Lili's Blissful Pages tagged me to do this tag. Others may wait a day or two, but I guess a month is the amount for me. I don't like using school as my excuse, but what am I going to do? Sorry not sorry. When I was tiny and used to travel around my home state, I used to force my brother to play I Spy with me. He never wanted to play because I always made it impossible to find the correct answer so I would automatically win. At least, I think that is why. Anyway, once I saw that Lili tagged me, I was ecstatic to see one of my favorite childhood games mixed with a couple of books. The only thing I was nervous about was the five minute timer and the variety of books I had to choose from to answer the questions given. Hopefully, I will survive! Without further ado, let's start the timer and let me spy a bunch of books! - I SPY BOOK CHALLENGE 1. Food (that I want to eat)- Love  à  la mode (Just look at that cake !) 2. T...