tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38476265763972079612024-02-07T18:02:31.476+13:00Lost in WonderlandElle (Lost in Wonderland)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11096211173476379456noreply@blogger.comBlogger264125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847626576397207961.post-71299059662373709322019-01-04T19:46:00.000+13:002019-01-04T19:46:34.860+13:002018 Challenges and Goals Update<br />
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<a href="https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/challenges/2018/reading_challenge_badge-0f31716ab90add103cd6c783646c601c.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for goodreads challenge 2018" border="0" src="https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/challenges/2018/reading_challenge_badge-0f31716ab90add103cd6c783646c601c.png" /></a>So reflecting on what I wanted to achieve this year with my reading I think I did OK... not amazing, but it's been a pretty busy year and I'm proud I managed to achieve what I did. So venture forth to see and I'll be posting shortly my goals for 2019.</div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ"><b>What I wrote in January:</b> <i>I’m going to push myself a little bit further than last year and try for 58 </i></span><i>books in the Goodreads challenge. Last year I managed 45 and just made it, but I felt that I spent a lot of time wasted doing unimportant things like surfing facebook.</i><br />
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<b>What I actually accomplished: </b>So I ended up reducing my goodreads book challenge to just 40 books in December because there was no way I was going to reach 58. Ah how hopeful and naive I was back in January...</div>
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<b>What I wrote in January: </b><i>I’m also keen to participate again in an A-Z challenge. This year I’ve chosen to do the challenge hosted by <a href="https://gingermomreads.com/2018-atoz-reading-challenge/">Ginger Mom and The Kindle Quest.</a> Last year I managed 15 out of 26 (not my best haha) hopefully I can get all 26 this year</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><b>What I actually accomplished: </b>I ended up doing exactly 15 books in this challenge again this year... at least if i'm not doing better, I'm maintaining my mediocrity haha</span><br />
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<a href="http://novelknight.com/2017/12/welcome-beatthebacklist-2018-sign-ups-open/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img src="https://i2.wp.com/novelknight.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/2018BTBSmallIcon.png?resize=300%2C206" width="175" /></a><b>What I wrote in January: </b><i>I’m keen to tackle some of my ever-growing TBR pile, so I’ve joined the #Beatthebacklist challenge hosted by a <a href="http://novelknight.com/2017/12/welcome-beatthebacklist-2018-sign-ups-open/">Novelknight</a>. My goal is to read 25 books on my TBR pile pre- 2018. </i><br />
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<b>What I actually accomplished:</b> I really should have thought ahead with this one... the problem was that if I had the first book on my TBR usually the next books in the series weren't (incase I didn't end up pursing the series) so I didn't count any of the subsequent books in this challenge since I technically added them in 2018. So in the end my count was only at 11. </div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-NZ"><b style="font-style: normal;">What I wrote in January:</b><i>So one of my main faults as a reader is my complete inability to finish a series. I either take a break</i></span><i> half way through and never go back or I get sick of waiting for the next instalment and by the time it’s released I’ve forgotten what had happened previously. So this year I’ve joined the 2018 Finishing the Series Reading Challenege hosted by <a href="http://celebrityreaders.com/2018-finishing-the-series-reading-challenge/">Celebrity Readers.</a> I’m hoping to finish between 5-8 series this year.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><b>What I actually accomplished:</b> I am super proud of myself with this challenge. I ended up reading/finishing 7 series this year which is huge for me because its one of the things I am absolutely the worst at! This was by far my biggest achievement this year :)</span></div>
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Elle (Lost in Wonderland)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11096211173476379456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847626576397207961.post-40597287881324807082018-06-13T12:15:00.000+12:002018-06-13T12:15:00.640+12:00Review- Holes (Louis Sachar)<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Stanley Yelnats' family has a history of bad luck, so he isn't too surprised when a miscarriage of justice sends him to a boys' juvenile detention centre. At Camp Green Lake the boys must dig a hole a day, five feet deep, five feet across, in the dried up lake bed. The Warden claims the labour is character building, but it is a lie. Stanley must dig up the truth.</span></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-NZ">I must admit this isn’t my first time
re-reading Holes, in fact it’s not even my 2<sup>nd</sup> time. I’ve probably
read this book a good half a dozen times at the least, and it never gets old. I
first read this book when I was in middle school (I even stole unknowingly the
copy from my school library), and ever since then I feel like I give it a
reread every couple of years. There are very few books that I can do that with, besides maybe Harry Potter. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">The story starts with Stanley being sent to
Camp Green Lake as the more favourable option rather than going to jail for a
crime that he was wrongly accused of. But Camp Green Lake is anything but
green; A barren wasteland where every boy is made to dig a hole a day to help
‘build character’. But what are they really digging for? And why is the warden
so interested if they find anything of value?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">Stanley is a great protagonist, he’s easily
likable from the start and you want to empathise with him. There is an array of
wacky and odd side characters who all play their roles perfectly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">There’s not much I can say about this book
except that I adore it. It’s a quick read with adventure, suspense, and a great
woven tale between the past and the present. I highly recommend for all age groups, you'll wizz through it in the blink of an eye and wonder why you didn't read it sooner. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u>My Rating 5/5</u></h3>
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Elle (Lost in Wonderland)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11096211173476379456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847626576397207961.post-77307349728513347022018-06-06T19:07:00.000+12:002018-06-06T19:08:30.221+12:00April/ May Wrap-Up<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<u>Personal Updates</u> </h3>
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This month I've been trying to get some wedding planning done, and it's exhausting... even the cats are exhausted. Honestly, my partner and I have been engaged since August 2016 and we've been so lazy about the wedding planning. (To be honest I'm the kind of girl who would be happy with a registry office wedding, but my future Mr. wants a proper wedding). We've looked at a few venues but nothing has really taken my fancy...especially for the prices they're asking. But *crosses fingers* we're going to look at another venue outside of our hometown this weekend so I'm hopeful.</div>
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<u>Finished </u></h3>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1428934147l/24378015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><img alt="Paper Princess (The Royals, #1)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1476744953l/28678119.jpg" width="131" /><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1464248584l/29519514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Broken Prince (The Royals, #2)" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1464248584l/29519514.jpg" width="131" /></a> <img alt="Twisted Palace (The Royals, #3)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474992523l/29519517.jpg" width="131" /> </div>
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<img alt="Tarnished Crown (The Royals, #3.5)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1500880377l/34816694.jpg" width="128" /><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1441908614l/22428707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Great Hunt (Eurona Duology, #1)" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1441908614l/22428707.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
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As you can see I really only focused on 1 series for the last couple months. The Royals series is quite addictive...trashy and dramatic...but definitely addictive. The first 3 books follow Reed Royal and Ella, the orphan teen whose stripping to make ends meet who happens to be taken in by the Royal family. Obviously, Reed has a vendetta against Ella from the start, but sexual tensions lurk pretty close beneath the surface *wink*. While all the drama was entertaining I needed something a little bit more substantial to fill the gaps and started the Eurona duology by Wendy Higgins, which I hope to finish this month. </div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1519787743l/34705684.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cracked Kingdom (The Royals, #5)" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1519787743l/34705684.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1501528398l/33807229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fallen Heir (The Royals, #4)" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1501528398l/33807229.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1466686290l/28370779.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Great Pursuit (Eurona Duology, #2)" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1466686290l/28370779.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1352942844l/9473144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="None of the Regular Rules" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1352942844l/9473144.jpg" width="133" /></a> <img alt="Cross Stitch (Outlander, #1)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1351331327l/10992.jpg" style="text-align: justify;" width="121" /></div>
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Elle (Lost in Wonderland)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11096211173476379456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847626576397207961.post-50868615506591708242018-04-04T13:00:00.000+12:002018-04-04T13:00:05.189+12:00February/March Wrap-Up<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<u>Personal Updates</u> </h3>
<span style="text-align: center;">February and March were not great reading months for me, but I have a feeling April will be different. I put it down to watching way more TV in the last couple months. I've suddenly become addicted to Grey's Anatomy again after not watching for ages (I stopped watching after the season 6 finale- so it's been like 8 years!) </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">I've also been watching the Simpsons here and there, while simultaneously being addicted to The Simpsons Tapped Out. Seriously this is probably the longest standing phone game that I've played. I remember 4 years ago being in University classes and playing. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Easter weekend was amazing. Me and the fiance went to Tauranga for the long weekend to visit our close friends who we haven't seen since New Years. So I got some reading done on the road trip. I also got to soak up some sun on the beach and got introduced to the show Naked Attraction which is brilliant. (I highly recommend if you want something trashy and your Ok with some full frontal nudity.) Also did a little adventuring while we were down there and did a small hike to the gorgeous waterfall featured above.</span></div>
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<u>Finished </u></h3>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1428934147l/24378015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img alt="Never Never (Never Never, #1)" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1428934147l/24378015.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1420928158l/24422492.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Never Never: Part Two (Never Never, #2)" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1420928158l/24422492.jpg" width="136" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1443033152l/25454883.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Never Never: Part Three (Never Never, #3)" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1443033152l/25454883.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
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<img alt="The Bone Witch (The Bone Witch, #1)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1462464739l/30095464.jpg" width="133" /><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1314921063l/2330661.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Wind Singer (Wind on Fire trilogy, #1)" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1314921063l/2330661.jpg" /></a></div>
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As I mentioned before February and March were not kind to me. <b>Never Never</b> was a great short little 3 part read. It had suspense and mystery that kept me turning the pages trying to figure out what the hell was going on. <b>The Bone Witch</b> was a little on the slow side. It was overly word heavy at times and seemed to draw the story out too much. Overall it was Ok, not sure if I want to pick up the next book but the cover is gorgeous. I remember reading <b>The Wind Singer</b> as a kid and absolutely loving it, and not much has changed. While it is a little on the juvenile side now, it still has the whimsical feeling it once had and the sense of childhood adventure. </div>
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<u>Up Next In April</u></h3>
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<img alt="Paper Princess (The Royals, #1)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1476744953l/28678119.jpg" width="131" /> <img alt="Maid of Secrets (Maids of Honor, #1)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1390166321l/13260426.jpg" width="133" /> <img alt="Never Never" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1455267700l/25953488.jpg" width="131" /> </div>
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<img alt="None of the Regular Rules" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1352942844l/9473144.jpg" width="133" /> <img alt="Poison Study (Study, #1)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388519019l/60510.jpg" width="128" /></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Did you have a nice Easter? Tell me what you got up to in the comments below</span></span></h4>
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Elle (Lost in Wonderland)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11096211173476379456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847626576397207961.post-3087686259078261872018-02-04T10:54:00.000+13:002018-02-04T10:54:07.206+13:00January Wrap-Up<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA20_k42-O81rYH7obfj238ggnSIQOptTvGnV92Wyn_iMlBwJwa9sEdAn4B5MNS4QQutzTSV4GGa8EGAfJ8zAAtTUbSRmYpp1y6hAM3BD4wQ5Z6jgvSNsctWjCeVWmgaonY-MwszV-E1UT/s1600/IMG_20180131_210158_049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA20_k42-O81rYH7obfj238ggnSIQOptTvGnV92Wyn_iMlBwJwa9sEdAn4B5MNS4QQutzTSV4GGa8EGAfJ8zAAtTUbSRmYpp1y6hAM3BD4wQ5Z6jgvSNsctWjCeVWmgaonY-MwszV-E1UT/s320/IMG_20180131_210158_049.jpg" width="256" /></a><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span>
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<u>Personal Updates</u> </h3>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">I feel like January brought adventuring which was great- even if there have been 2 heatwaves this summer already!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Me and my partner went camping for New Years with some friends which was great. I'd never been before so it was definitely a new experience with the limited facilities and long drops.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666;">I sang Karaoke for the first time which was thrilling. I was almost soiling my pants before I went up, but then I was on stage singing and it was exhilarating. For those of you who care, I sang "There are worse things I could do" from Grease (I'm big into musicals haha). </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666;">There was a hens party and a wedding for an old friend. We went hiking in the Coromandel and got to visit the beautiful Cathedral Cove (featured), which was so gorgeous. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #666666;">A few other notable mentions include a drag show and a male strip show haha. </span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Reading wise, January was a good month for me. I had a bit of time off here and there so I was able to get some reading done. I'm not as hopeful for February though</span><span style="color: #666666;">.</span></div>
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<u>Finished </u></h3>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1508232928l/35269543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Almost Midnight" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1508232928l/35269543.jpg" width="125" /></a><img alt="Kiss Kill Vanish" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1392041476l/17563833.jpg" width="132" /> <a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1416788618l/7298451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Woman Who Rides Like a Man" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1416788618l/7298451.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495992139l/35247769.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Always and Forever, Lara Jean (To All the Boys I've Loved Before, #3)" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495992139l/35247769.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1506421450l/34963526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Saga, Vol. 8 (Saga, #8)" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1506421450l/34963526.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1469108451l/30896668.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Alex + Ada: The Complete Collection" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1469108451l/30896668.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1494333138l/33385229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="They Both Die at the End" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1494333138l/33385229.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><b>They Both Die at the End</b> was my favorite of the month, just WOW! My review will be up soon, but this book was so thought provoking and so well written. <b>Saga Volume 8</b> was of course just as good as its predecessors, there's not much I can say that I haven't already said before this series is so good. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><b>Alex + Ada</b> was a nice surprise, but almost too short. I wanted more of it and I wish the story could have been extended out. At the same time the ending was fitting and wrapped up nicely. I was glad to be able to finish a series this month when I completed the final installment in the To All the Boys I've Loved Before Series, <b>Always and Forever Lara Jean. </b>While the book probably wasn't necessary, it was a nice 'ending' as Lara Jean goes off to college. </span></div>
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<u>Up Next In February</u></h3>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Going with the flow in January actually worked really well for me. I picked up books as I felt in the mood for them and I also DNF'd or put on hold books which I wasn't feeling (Which is one of my goals for this year). I'm going to go with the same concept in February and only have a few books that I really want to read and the rest is up to my mood. </span></div>
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<img alt="Lioness Rampant" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1416788740l/7344635.jpg" width="132" /> <a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1428934147l/24378015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Never Never (Never Never, #1)" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1428934147l/24378015.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Did you go on any adventures over the New Year period? What was your favorite memory of January?</span></span></h4>
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Elle (Lost in Wonderland)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11096211173476379456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847626576397207961.post-37858511128619395522018-01-16T13:00:00.000+13:002018-01-16T13:01:06.744+13:00Top Ten Tuesday (31)<br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><u>Bookish Resolutions and Goals</u></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-NZ"><u>DNF Books If I’m Not Feeling Them</u></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">I always feel bad when I DNF a book, what if I’m missing out on some
great stuff later in the book? what if the story picks up and gets exciting? Unfortunately,
this means I almost always suffer through the book even if I’m not enjoying it.
This year I resolve to be more ruthless if I’m reading a book that I’m just not
feeling into, so I can put my time into books that I really want to read. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u>Read Quality
over Quantity</u></h3>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">In previous years I have had the habit of picking up smaller novels
to read just to help me reach my Goodreads target or avoiding books longer than
500 pages, as they slow my reading down and when I think about it it’s
absolutely ridiculous. Why avoid a good book just because it’s long and read
shorter books that may bring me less enjoyment all because I need to reach a
target!? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ" style="font-weight: normal;"><u>Read More Of My Backlog and Less New Releases</u></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">My, oh my. My TBR list is ever-growing and so many of the books have
been on there for goodness knows how long. It’s hard when every year more and
more beautiful new releases come out, but this year I’m going to try and read
75% backlog books and 25% new releases.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ"><u>Finish Some Damn Series</u></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I am chronically guilty
of not finishing series. I either start a series when it’s first released and
then never get to the sequels because I’ve forgotten the detail by the time
they’re released or I just ‘take a break’ from a series and then always plan to
‘get back to it’ but alas never do. This year I’ve joined up a challenge, where
I hope to complete 5-8 series this year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ"><o:p> <u><br /></u></o:p></span><span lang="EN-NZ"><u>For Once Complete The Alphabet</u></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">Who knew the alphabet could be so damn hard haha. Every year I try and complete the A-Z or Alphabet challenge and not
once have I reached it (the highest I've ever gotten is 18/26 and I've been trying since 2013!)... This year it changes!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ" style="font-weight: normal;"><u>Blog Consistently</u></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">So last year I started off strong but lost my way about April, and
then completely dropped off the radar. I remember the days when I had a list of
features for everyday of the week that I wanted to do, but in reality it just
hasn’t worked for me. This year I have a very basic goal of 2-3 posts a month.
A wrap-up, A review and a Top Ten Tuesday. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ" style="font-weight: normal;"><u>Comment More</u></span></h3>
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</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">While I may not have much time to write and publish posts, it only
takes a short time out of my day to go through and read others posts and write
comments on them. Historically I haven’t been very good at this. Even when I do often read
peoples reviews and posts sometimes I don’t know what to comment about or
feel awkward posting (my social anxiety strikes again). But I realized even a
simple ‘Awesome review’ can make someones day, so I’m definitely going to work
on this. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Elle (Lost in Wonderland)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11096211173476379456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847626576397207961.post-28788948401986421602018-01-11T13:00:00.000+13:002018-01-11T13:00:00.167+13:00Review- Kiss Kill Vanish (Jessica Martinez)<br />
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<u>Synopsis</u></h3>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Valentina Cruz no longer exists.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">One moment, she was wrapped in Emilio’s arms, melting into his kiss. The next, she was witnessing the unthinkable: a murder in cold blood, ordered by her father and carried out by her boyfriend. When Emilio pulled the trigger, Valentina disappeared. She made a split-second decision to shed her identity and flee her life of privilege, leaving the glittering parties and sultry nightlife of Miami far behind.</span><br style="background-color: white; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">She doesn’t know how to explain to herself what she saw. All she knows now is that nothing she believed about her family, her heart, or Emilio’s love, was real.</span><br style="background-color: white; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">She can change her name and deny her past, but Valentina can’t run from the truth. The lines between right and wrong, and trust and betrayal, will be blurred beyond recognition as she untangles the deceptions of the two men she once loved and races to find her own truth.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; line-height: 19.32px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span> </span> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.32px; text-align: right;">- </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.32px; text-align: right;">Goodreads.com</b></div>
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<u>Review</u> </h3>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">Valentina has
run away from home and is holed up in a small decrepit apartment in Montreal
after witnessing a horrible murder directed by her father and executed by her
boyfriend (and also one of her fathers henchman), Emilio. A few months later, everything
is going along smoothly (well as smoothly as one could hope living alone in a
new city, on the run from your family and living a sudden life of scarcity
after years of luxury, when Emilio pops back into her life after a chance
meeting at an art gallery. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">Emilio’s
explanation of what happened ‘that night’ force Valentina to look at her life
differently, but can she really trust him after what she saw him do?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">I’ve noticed the rather mixed reviews regarding this book, some people with either really liked it, and others were left wanting more. I am the former. This book ticked all the boxes for me in regard to thrills, mystery and suspense.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">So let’s talk
about characters. Valentina is the epitome of a rich girl...</span><br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">"He can't possibly know that the precious three hundred dollars in my wallet would have been a single shoe in my old life. Lunch on South Beach with my sisters. A trim and blow-dry at Petra's</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">."</span></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>- Jessica Martinez (Kiss Kill Vanish)</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">...<b> </b>and yet
she’s left everything behind to try and sort through the events of that night.
I wouldn’t say she’s easily likeable but she’s not the worst character that I’ve
encountered and there is personal growth and development. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">Emilio kept me
on my toes. Just like Valentina, I didn’t know what to think of him, was he
lying to us? Or was he a poor misunderstood guy who got caught up with the
wrong people. Yes, he did kill someone, but when he goes to explain why
(basically Valentina’s dad is a big time crook, who will have his family slaughtered
if he disobeys) you can’t help but feel that while he made some bad choices, he’s
stuck between a rock and a hard place and he wants to get out. Valentina’s back
and forth with Emilio while somewhat annoying at times is realistic. She doesn’t
know if he’s telling the truth or if he’s lying to cover his own arse, that
mixed with teenage love has got her all confused and turned upside down.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">Marcel did not
appeal to me in the beginning. He starts off as starts off a bit of a conceited
jerk, but begins to mellow out after an event in his life forces him to sober
up. His friendship with Valentina is vital as it comes at a time when both are
at the peak of loneliness. The more time they spent together the more I liked
him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">Ok so there’s a
bit of a love triangle, but it’s not terrible. On one hand you have Emilio,
there’s history there, but also betrayal and deceit. Marcel on the other hand,
is a drug induced playboy, with daddy’s money to spend at his leisure, but who’s
refreshingly honest and open with Valentina.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">Regarding plot I
really enjoyed the story. There were some slow bits her and there, but there
was always enough mystery and unanswered questions keeping me going. There were
some great twists that I did not see coming at all that only added to the
suspense, and there were some characters I was never really convinced of their
true intentions till the end. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">Overall enjoyable
and kept me guessing throughout, satisfying ending and a lot of personal growth
in the characters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u>My Rating 4/5</u></h3>
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Elle (Lost in Wonderland)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11096211173476379456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847626576397207961.post-49554875952586294932018-01-07T13:00:00.000+13:002018-01-07T13:00:53.042+13:00December Wrap Up<br />
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<u>Finished </u></h3>
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<img alt="Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass, #3)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1460846511l/20613470.jpg" width="130" /> <img alt="Asunder (Newsoul, #2)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1336406778l/13043180.jpg" width="133" /> <img alt="The Upside of Unrequited" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487956734l/30653853.jpg" width="132" /> </div>
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<img alt="Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness #1)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1411958200l/9394691.jpg" width="133" /> <img alt="In the Hand of the Goddess (Song of the Lioness, #2)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1411958343l/9821781.jpg" width="133" /></div>
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I finally finished <b>Heir Of Fire</b> after taking a break from it for a while (I just couldn't invest the time in it, and it's one of those books that once I start reading I can't stop). Each book in the Throne of Glass series just seems to get better and better. <b>The Upside of Unrequited</b> was one of my favorite books from December (and possibly the year). You can find my review <a href="http://greetingsfrommiddleearth.blogspot.com/2018/01/review-upside-of-unrequited-becky.html">HERE</a>. But basically this book is about Molly and her many crushes. It touches on the insecurities of many teens and has some great diversity of characters. </div>
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I'm not sure how to feel about <b>Asunder</b>. The first book was good, but this one fell a bit flat for me. I'm uncertain if I want to continue onto the last book, but then again I kind of want to see how the series ends. My main surprise of December was the<b> Song of the Lioness quartet</b>. HOW HAVE I NOT READ TAMORA PIERCE BEFORE THIS?! Wow, I am loving this series, it's probably aimed at a slightly younger age group than I'm use to (maybe somewhere between middle grade and YA) but it gives me the nostalgia of Harry Potter. Not to mention the plot is pretty fast paced. </div>
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<u>Up Next In January</u></h3>
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<span style="text-align: center;">For January I'm kind of just going with the flow a bit. I have about a million books out from the library (which I'll only find time to read half of). At the moment I'm just reading whatever grabs my attention and also trying to finish off any series/books I didn't get to in December. </span></div>
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<img alt="They Both Die at the End" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1494333138l/33385229.jpg" width="132" /> <img alt="Always and Forever, Lara Jean (To All the Boys I've Loved Before, #3)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495992139l/35247769.jpg" width="131" /></div>
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<u>Other Updates</u> </h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCw41IrZ0wonxKhtbGQxMyUplg-Vz0ZwV6W1oRUi5G13wRYrsiKp8h31gsz2_j6BVMFX6zr1KmByHz4-8vdGYlhup6YIvzGLnkHxtXFA-vtOhDMzc1jIYCiPJ9VeveSvVHPkIOThNAxIFl/s1600/IMG_20180106_122318_556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCw41IrZ0wonxKhtbGQxMyUplg-Vz0ZwV6W1oRUi5G13wRYrsiKp8h31gsz2_j6BVMFX6zr1KmByHz4-8vdGYlhup6YIvzGLnkHxtXFA-vtOhDMzc1jIYCiPJ9VeveSvVHPkIOThNAxIFl/s320/IMG_20180106_122318_556.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;">Boo! I have to go back to work on Monday :( Which means no more lazy days in the sun reading. I am a little bit excited though, as much as I've enjoyed the last 3 weeks off I miss the social aspect of work and as much as I love him, my partner is starting to get on my nerves after 2 weeks together 24/7 haha.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;">Gaming wise I've been playing Rage, a post apocalyptic shooter. Graphics are good and so is the game-play (I'm getting better at shooter games!). I have been contemplating buying Sims 4 Cats and Dogs as well (I'm a huge Sims fan), but I think I'll save that for later in the year when I'm in a funk and need something fun to look forward to. </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #666666;">As for TV, I am watching Hart of Dixie and also The Good Place (I love Kristin Bell). I've also started my new 2018 journal. This year I opted for a simple already made planner, and then a small moleskin for my fun list making stuff :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Are any of you Gamers? What kind of games do you play/platform do you use?</span></h4>
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Elle (Lost in Wonderland)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11096211173476379456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847626576397207961.post-10089684964252208972018-01-05T12:50:00.000+13:002018-01-05T12:50:12.708+13:00Review- The Upside of Unrequited (Becky Albertalli)<br />
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1434755939l/30324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="30653853" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487956734l/30653853.jpg" width="211" /></a><br />
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<u>Synopsis</u></h3>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love—she’s lived through it twenty-six times. She crushes hard and crushes often, but always in secret. Because no matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can’t stomach the idea of rejection. So she’s careful. Fat girls <i>always</i> have to be careful.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; text-align: left;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; text-align: left;">Then a cute new girl enters Cassie’s orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly’s cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly’s totally not dying of loneliness—except for the part where she is. Luckily, Cassie’s new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. Will is funny and flirtatious and just might be perfect crush material. Maybe more than crush material. And if Molly can win him over, she’ll get her first kiss <i>and</i> she’ll get her twin back. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; text-align: left;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; text-align: left;">There’s only one problem: Molly’s coworker Reid. He’s an awkward Tolkien superfan with a season pass to the Ren Faire, and there’s absolutely no way Molly could fall for him. Right?</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; line-height: 19.32px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span> </span> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.32px; text-align: right;">- </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.32px; text-align: right;">Goodreads.com</b></div>
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<u>Review</u> </h3>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span lang="EN-NZ"><o:p></o:p></span>Ever had a crush that was unrequited love…
How about 26 crushes?</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ"><span style="color: #666666;">Molly is a serial crusher. There’s always a
guy that she’s crushing on, but she’s always too scared to take it any further. Her
anxiety and self-image, along with the fear of rejection are holding her back. After her sister Cassie gets a serious girlfriend, Molly feels like she’s
being left behind. Luckily for her, a cute boy (or 2) happen to pop into her
universe, but will she strike up the courage to take it beyond just a crush?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ"><span style="color: #666666;">I really liked Molly,
she had a realistic voice that speaks for a lot of people, whether they are
teenagers now going through the same worries and stress or like me, older and
remember how hard navigating the ‘romances’ of teenage life were. I remember
dealing with the same anxieties and issues with my body and confidence that she does and it held
me back at times and not just in regards to romantic relationships. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYAlWiJBlq3V0KDBfKhE0ZQTZxpXMKzMA5GOqJgHrL79YZPf9WSaChj8f_sbIoJvaUGfNHxdM9DdFyumb6r6sKg2iWifc1A6j9KRHNVUPPkt22psKm8xh8qn09pv-uBsTngGFIsgIcyYA3/s1600/IMG_20180102_124319_734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYAlWiJBlq3V0KDBfKhE0ZQTZxpXMKzMA5GOqJgHrL79YZPf9WSaChj8f_sbIoJvaUGfNHxdM9DdFyumb6r6sKg2iWifc1A6j9KRHNVUPPkt22psKm8xh8qn09pv-uBsTngGFIsgIcyYA3/s320/IMG_20180102_124319_734.jpg" width="256" /></a><span lang="EN-NZ"><span style="color: #666666;">This book oozes
diversity, representing many facets of the LGBT community, and not just as a
main characters but as everyday supporting roles aswell. Not only that, but we were given diversity in culture and religion as well, and not to mention a main character
who doesn’t fit the ‘ideal stereotype’ of body image that the media likes to
force upon us. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ"><span style="color: #666666;">The relationship
between Molly and her sister is strong, but you can see the cracks in their
friendship as Cassie becomes more and more invested in her new girlfriend. As
an only child I can’t relate much to this but I do understand that relationships
are ever changing and that sometimes the tightness of those bonds break over
years. Sometimes I thought Cassie was a bit of a B*tch to Molly. But I also
kind of get it too. When she gets with her new girlfriend; Mina, everyone else
ceases to exist. I know we all hate to be that person who as soon as we get in
a relationship ignores everyone around us, but we can’t deny that most of us
have been that person at one point or another. It’s the exciting part of the
relationship where all you want to do is spend time with the other person. So I
can’t begrudge her that. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ"><span style="color: #666666;">Patty and
Nadine, are pretty freaking cool parents. I love books that show the
parent/teen relationship. There is nothing worse that absent parents in a YA
novel, because we all know most parents are unbearably involved in your life at
that age. They are both relaxed with Cassie and Molly, but aren’t afraid to lay
down the law when it’s required.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ"><span style="color: #666666;">Overall, a great
summer read that I flew through easily. This was a great follow up from Miss
Albertalli’s debut ‘Simon Vs. The Homosapien Agenda’. </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<u>My Rating 5/5</u></h3>
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Elle (Lost in Wonderland)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11096211173476379456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847626576397207961.post-57223541333378314922018-01-04T17:38:00.001+13:002018-01-04T19:44:48.312+13:002018 Goals and Challenges<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/challenges/2018/reading_challenge_badge-0f31716ab90add103cd6c783646c601c.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for goodreads challenge 2018" border="0" src="https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/challenges/2018/reading_challenge_badge-0f31716ab90add103cd6c783646c601c.png" /></a><span lang="EN-NZ">I love going through everyone’s pots about
resolutions and goals at this time of the year, its neat to see what everyones
up to and looking to the year ahead. So I’ve been inspired to make my own goals
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<span lang="EN-NZ">I’m going to push myself a little bit
further than last year and try for 58 </span>books in the Goodreads challenge. Last
year I managed 45 and just made it, but I felt that I spent a lot of time
wasted doing unimportant things like surfing facebook.</div>
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<a href="https://gingermomreads.com/2018-atoz-reading-challenge/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img src="https://gingermomreads.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/img_20170922_204343_001000.jpg?w=499&h=499" width="175" /></a>A-Z</h3>
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I’m also keen to participate again in an A-Z challenge. This year I’ve chosen to do the challenge hosted by <a href="https://gingermomreads.com/2018-atoz-reading-challenge/">Ginger Mom and The Kindle Quest.</a> Last year I managed 15 out of 26 (not my best haha) hopefully I can get all 26 this year</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #2198a6; font-family: "josefin slab"; font-size: 28px;">TBR Pile</span></div>
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I’m keen to tackle some
of my ever-growing TBR pile, so I’ve joined the #Beatthebacklist challenge hosted
by a <a href="http://novelknight.com/2017/12/welcome-beatthebacklist-2018-sign-ups-open/">Novelknight</a>. My goal is to read 25 books on my TBR pile pre- 2018. </div>
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<a href="https://i1.wp.com/celebrityreaders.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/2018-FTSRC-Button.jpg?resize=400%2C400" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://i1.wp.com/celebrityreaders.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/2018-FTSRC-Button.jpg?resize=400%2C400" width="200" /></a>Finishing Series</div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-NZ">So one of my main faults as a reader is my complete inability to finish a series. I either take a break</span> half way through and never go back or I get sick of waiting for the next instalment and by the time it’s released I’ve forgotten what had happened previously. So this year I’ve joined the 2018 Finishing the Series Reading Challenege hosted by <a href="http://celebrityreaders.com/2018-finishing-the-series-reading-challenge/">Celebrity Readers.</a> I’m hoping to finish between 5-8 series this year.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #2198a6; font-family: "josefin slab";"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 28px;">What are your reading goals this year?</span></span></div>
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<br />Elle (Lost in Wonderland)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11096211173476379456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847626576397207961.post-44821920684060693482018-01-02T11:30:00.000+13:002018-01-02T11:30:29.151+13:002017 End of Year Book Survey<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><b>Number
Of Books You Read:</b> 45</span></div>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><b>
Number of Re-Reads:</b> 4</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Holes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">To All the Boy’s Ove
Loved Before<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Paper Gi<span style="font-family: inherit;">rls Volume 1</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><b>Genre You Read The Most From:</b> YA Contemporar</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">y</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNfLyd9DieJAB5zNiz-zGVqA7W_g6H3jk1QJBBa6YHWYASrjOv1pj3FWKCczpNzNeYYrWLYtnFgDEzHJiC90PwTbLz1nf8TC2FHzY0j6exVIOKSA1KKqHUraxliAwNzuN5O7G8itBckSQ/s1600/best-YA-books-2014-900x244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNfLyd9DieJAB5zNiz-zGVqA7W_g6H3jk1QJBBa6YHWYASrjOv1pj3FWKCczpNzNeYYrWLYtnFgDEzHJiC90PwTbLz1nf8TC2FHzY0j6exVIOKSA1KKqHUraxliAwNzuN5O7G8itBckSQ/s320/best-YA-books-2014-900x244.jpg" style="background-color: transparent;" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #444444;"><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444;">1.
Best Book You Read In 2017?</span></b></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> Traiter to the Throne<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><b>2.
Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But
Didn’t?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">In Real Life<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<img alt="In Real Life by Jessica Love" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1434990225m/21525995.jpg" /></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> 3.
Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><b> </b>None of the Above<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><b> </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><b> 4.
Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Rebel of the Sands<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><b> 5.
Best series you started in 2017? Best Sequel of 2017? Best Series Ender of 2017?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1372086100m/15749186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1372086100m/15749186.jpg" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473701412m/31574408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473701412m/31574408.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; text-indent: 0.5in;" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1381158599m/15769788.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rebel by Amy Tintera" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1381158599m/15769788.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: move; text-indent: 0.5in;" /></a></div>
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1372086100m/15749186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></a><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><b> 6.
Favorite new author you discovered in 2017?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">AGH so many to choose from…Tamora
Pierce<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><b>7. Best
book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> Probably the only book I read out
of my comfort zone this year was Apeshit; a bizarro fiction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><b> 8.
Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> Crown of Midnight<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><b> 9.
Book You Read In 2017 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> A Madness So Discreet<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><b>10.
Favorite cover of a book you read in 2017?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> None of the Above. I'm usually a fan of the girl in the pretty dress, but I really liked the basic idea behind the cover of None of the Above. Simple but striking.</span></div>
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<img alt="None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1412996409m/22896551.jpg" /></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><b>11.
Most memorable character of 2017?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Alanna of Trebond- from Song of
the Lioness Quartet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><b> 12.
Most beautifully written book read in 2017?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> A Walk to Remember- Nicholas
Sparks<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><b>13.
Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2017?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Plain Truth- Jodi Picoult<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><b> 14.
Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2017 to finally read? </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> Reboot and it’s sequel Rebel<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<img alt="Reboot by Amy Tintera" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1350931774m/13517455.jpg" /> <img alt="Rebel by Amy Tintera" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1381158599m/15769788.jpg" style="background-color: transparent;" /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><b> 15.
Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2017?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">“The thing is, sometimes people grow from breaking.” </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #181818; text-align: left;">― </span><a class="authorOrTitle" href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/843820.Julie_Buxbaum" style="color: #333333; text-align: left;">Julie Buxbaum</a><span style="color: #181818; text-align: left;">, </span><span id="quote_book_link_31941431" style="color: #181818; text-align: left;"><a class="authorOrTitle" href="https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/50650745" style="color: #333333;">What to Say Next</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">“It's funny how once you start pretending, you realize how much everyone else is too.” </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #181818; text-align: left;">― </span><a class="authorOrTitle" href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/295178.Gayle_Forman" style="color: #333333; text-align: left;">Gayle Forman</a><span style="color: #181818; text-align: left;">, </span><span id="quote_book_link_18879761" style="color: #181818; text-align: left;"><a class="authorOrTitle" href="https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/26881966" style="color: #333333;">I Was Here</a></span><br /><span id="quote_book_link_18879761" style="color: #181818; text-align: left;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #181818; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Remember, the opposite of bravery is not cowardice, but conformity.”</span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #181818; text-align: left;">― </span><a class="authorOrTitle" href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/295178.Gayle_Forman" style="color: #333333; text-align: left;">Gayle Forman</a><span style="color: #181818; text-align: left;">, </span><span id="quote_book_link_18879761" style="color: #181818; text-align: left;"><a class="authorOrTitle" href="https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/26881966" style="color: #333333;">I Was Here</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><b>16.Shortest
& Longest Book You Read In 2017?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Shortest- Owning the Beast<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Longest
– Traitor to the Throne<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><b> 17.
Book That Shocked You The Most?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #444444;">Crown of Midnight- a certain persons
death came as a surprise and just so much happened in this book that I didn't see coming. </span></span></div>
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<img alt="Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1391580481m/17167166.jpg" /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><b>18.
OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #444444;">Caelena and Rowan.</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">19. Favorite
Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Grace and Thornhollow- A Madness
So Discreet<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><b>20.
Favorite Book You Read in 2017 From An Author You’ve Read Previously</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Coming up for Air Miranda
Kenneally.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><b>21.
Best Book You Read In 2017 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From
Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> Alex, Approximately.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<img alt="Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492787431m/34927042.jpg" /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">22. Newest fictional
crush from a book you read in 2017?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> Rowan Whitethorn. Damn he was
mean to begin with, but oh my my how he came out of his shell. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">23. Best 2017 debut
you read?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">I didn’t read any debuts ☹<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">24. Best
Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444;">Reboot and Rebel</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><b>25. Book That Put A
Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> Wesley James ruined my life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">26. Book That Made You
Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2017?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Crown of Midnight<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">27. Hidden Gem Of The
Year?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">What to Say Next<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<img alt="What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1485341737m/30199656.jpg" /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">28. Book That Crushed
Your Soul?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> Brave New World- only because it
was so drawn out. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">29. Most Unique Book
You Read In 2017?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444;">None of The Above- see my review <a href="https://greetingsfrommiddleearth.blogspot.co.nz/2017/03/review-none-of-above-i-w-gregorio.html">HERE</a></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">30. Book That Made You
The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-NZ" style="line-height: 107%;">Heir of Fire- I hate the king, and that ending had me riled.</span></span><span lang="EN-NZ" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-NZ" style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-NZ" style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-NZ" style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div>
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Elle (Lost in Wonderland)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11096211173476379456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847626576397207961.post-75042404716629160412017-12-06T13:00:00.000+13:002017-12-06T13:00:33.273+13:00November Wrap Up<br />
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<u>Finished </u></h3>
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<img alt="Paper Girls, Vol. 3 (Paper Girls, #3)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497311673l/34504722.jpg" width="131" /> <img alt="Incarnate (Newsoul, #1)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1358271343l/8573642.jpg" width="129" /> <img alt="Holes" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348218592l/285943.jpg" width="138" /> <img alt="What to Say Next" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1485341737l/30199656.jpg" width="132" /></div>
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This latest episode of <b>Paper Girls</b> was kind of weird, I definitely was left with more questions than answers again, and I'm intrigued how its all going to come together as some stage (or if it ever does?)</div>
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Of course because its coming to the end of the year, I decide its a good time to start another series with <b>Incarnate</b> (instead of finishing the piling list I have). It's got some interesting ideas about reincarnation which are pretty unique and the story was pretty good if a little lagging sometimes. <b>Holes</b>, was my favorite book of the month. It got me out of my reading slump as it always does. One of my favorite childhood books. </div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><b>What to Say Next</b> was also a great read this month, about an unlikely friendship between a popular girl whose recently lost her father and the 'odd' boy at school who has Aspergers. Very sweet and funny, but also addressing the cruelty of others for being 'different'. </span></div>
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<u>Up Next In December</u></h3>
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<span style="text-align: center;">I have high hopes for my reading in December. I'm taking annual leave in a few weeks till early January so I'm hoping to dedicate some of my time to finishing my Goodreads challenge, amongst all the Chrsitmas prep and holiday madness. So far on my list I have. </span></div>
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<img alt="Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass, #3)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1460846511l/20613470.jpg" width="130" /> <img alt="The Upside of Unrequited" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487956734l/30653853.jpg" width="132" /> <img alt="Kiss Kill Vanish" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1392041476l/17563833.jpg" width="132" /> </div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1336406778l/13043180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Asunder (Newsoul, #2)" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1336406778l/13043180.jpg" width="133" /></a> <img alt="Always and Forever, Lara Jean (To All the Boys I've Loved Before, #3)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495992139l/35247769.jpg" width="131" /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7aiG9XdHp7FGoAi8xPXuwSNLusyUnPfIuJl901UAgd5EFaKxxhHxbGr2yaRiA0iCv8xPcfuQdleSjAAU9pBP1mMlRZatTLq0xdoBv20D0GcXNuv1mhsRzhfEvySVm4MQaNIhwrHtGfpl/s1600/IMG_20171203_190456_375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7aiG9XdHp7FGoAi8xPXuwSNLusyUnPfIuJl901UAgd5EFaKxxhHxbGr2yaRiA0iCv8xPcfuQdleSjAAU9pBP1mMlRZatTLq0xdoBv20D0GcXNuv1mhsRzhfEvySVm4MQaNIhwrHtGfpl/s320/IMG_20171203_190456_375.jpg" width="256" /></a><u>Other Updates</u> </h3>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">I really enjoyed using my bullet journal this year to document all my crazy lists and notes. I was good at updating these things throughout the year, but I was quite bad at setting up each month for everyday life tracking and planning. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;">Unfortunately that also means I'm left with a whole bunch of empty pages in my bullet journal which seems like a waste. I think next year I am going to revert back to a planner for everyday use for my tasks, and use a smaller moleskine journal for my fun list making and goalsetting etc. </span></div>
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Elle (Lost in Wonderland)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11096211173476379456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847626576397207961.post-88721476267288822372017-12-03T13:08:00.003+13:002018-06-13T12:19:37.098+12:00Thanksgiving Book Tag<div style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 1pt none; color: #2f2f2f; letter-spacing: 0.35pt; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "open sans"; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: justify;">OK, so we don't actually do Thanksgiving down here in little old New Zealand (and it's been over a week since Thanksgiving) but I thought i'd give this one a go. </span></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; color: #2f2f2f; letter-spacing: 0.35pt; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "open sans"; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: justify;">This tag was originally put up by Fangirlscity on Youtube- go <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aimsOkvBEkM">HERE</a> to check out their video. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1309351672l/11593615.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Kiss Crush Collide" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1309351672l/11593615.jpg" style="background-color: transparent;" width="132" /></a><div style="color: #2198a6; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;">
<a href="https://greetingsfrommiddleearth.blogspot.co.nz/2017/11/wrap-up-many-many-months.html" style="color: #2198a6; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration-line: none;"></a><a href="https://greetingsfrommiddleearth.blogspot.co.nz/2017/11/wrap-up-many-many-months.html" style="color: #2198a6; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration-line: none;">B</a>READ- What book is purely fluff, and has no real plot line?</div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "open sans"; text-align: justify;"><b><u> Kiss Crush Collide</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "open sans";">One of the first books I ever reviewed on my blog, and it was complete and utter fluff (but not even good fluff unfortunately)</span></span></div>
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<b style="color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans"; text-align: justify;"><u> Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea</u></b></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "open sans"; text-align: justify;"> It wasn't completely bad, but it was a great cure for my insomnia. Maybe it was the overly descriptive prose that lulled me off to sleep i'm not sure.</span></div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1395612906l/18635016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The One (The Selection, #3)" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1395612906l/18635016.jpg" style="background-color: transparent;" width="132" /></a><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #2f2f2f; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 18.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.35pt; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
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<b style="color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans"; text-align: justify;"><u>The One</u></b></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "open sans";">This is a hard one for me since I am chronic for not finishing series. I loved all the books in this series, but this one was by far my favorite, because everything gets wrapped up and everything turned out how I wanted it.</span></span></div>
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<b style="color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans"; text-align: justify;"><u> Not a Drop to Drink</u></b></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "open sans";">Wow, this book (and it's sequel) are super packed with all the action and drama you could ask for. It was one of my top books of last year and will definitely be reread in the future. </span></span></div>
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<b style="color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans"; text-align: justify;"><u>Biggest Flirts</u></b></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "open sans"; text-align: justify;">I was really excited for this series, but felt really let down by this book. I found it hard to connect with the main character and that impacted my enjoyment. The other books in the series feature different characters so I might give those a go.</span></div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1363678578l/17660979.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Avery Shaw Experiment (Science Squad, #1)" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1363678578l/17660979.jpg" style="background-color: transparent;" width="128" /></a><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #2f2f2f; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 18.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.35pt; padding: 0in;"><a href="https://greetingsfrommiddleearth.blogspot.co.nz/2017/11/wrap-up-many-many-months.html" style="color: #2198a6; font-family: "Josefin Slab"; font-size: 28px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration-line: none;">CRANBERRIES- What book has the sweetest romance? </a></span></div>
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<b style="color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans"; text-align: justify;"><u>The Avery Shaw Experiment</u></b></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "open sans";">This book is so sweet and the budding romance between Avery and Grayson is adorable especially since they've known each other since they were kids, but Grayson has only ever seen Avery as his annoying little brother best friend. </span></span></div>
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<b style="color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans"; text-align: justify;"><u>Fallen</u></b></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "open sans"; text-align: justify;"> Probably longer than it needed to be really. End of story.</span></div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348218592l/285943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Holes" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348218592l/285943.jpg" style="background-color: transparent;" width="138" /></a></div>
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<span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #2f2f2f; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 18.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.35pt; padding: 0in;"><a href="https://greetingsfrommiddleearth.blogspot.co.nz/2017/11/wrap-up-many-many-months.html" style="color: #2198a6; font-family: "Josefin Slab"; font-size: 28px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration-line: none;">PUMPKIN PIE- What book do you read to get out of a reading slump?</a></span></div>
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<b style="color: #666666; font-family: "Open Sans"; text-align: justify;"><u>Holes</u></b></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "open sans";">This is one of my favorite childhood books and it never fails to get me back into reading. </span></span></div>
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<span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #2f2f2f; font-family: "inherit" , serif; font-size: 18.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.35pt; padding: 0in;"><a href="https://greetingsfrommiddleearth.blogspot.co.nz/2017/11/wrap-up-many-many-months.html" style="color: #2198a6; font-family: "Josefin Slab"; font-size: 28px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration-line: none;">DOG/CAT- What's your favorite Thanksgiving food that you would steal from a table? </a></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "open sans";">I'm not that familiar with traditional Thanksgiving foods but I love a good baked/glazed ham and I am definitely having one at Christmas time. Delicious! </span></span></div>
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<img alt="Image result for christmas ham" 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" 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Elle (Lost in Wonderland)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11096211173476379456noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847626576397207961.post-31032477718013896052017-11-06T13:30:00.000+13:002017-11-06T13:30:03.150+13:00Wrap Up (many, many months)<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<u>Finished </u></h3>
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<img alt="Traitor to the Throne (Rebel of the Sands #2)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473701412l/31574408.jpg" width="130" /> <img alt="By Your Side" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1472078174l/30256248.jpg" width="132" /> <img alt="Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1337978469l/13519397.jpg" width="131" /></div>
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<img alt="In Real Life" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1434990225l/21525995.jpg" width="135" /> <img alt="Plain Truth" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1405584966l/13632198.jpg" /> <img alt="Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass, #2)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1391580481l/17167166.jpg" width="132" /></div>
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<img alt="Alex, Approximately" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492787431l/34927042.jpg" width="126" /> <img alt="The Fault in Our Stars" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1360206420l/11870085.jpg" width="129" /> <img alt="Wesley James Ruined My Life" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495203243l/31145064.jpg" width="133" /></div>
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<img alt="Brave New World" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487389574l/5129.jpg" width="130" /> <img alt="Apeshit " height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1349068009l/6011949.jpg" width="129" /> <img alt="Paper Girls, Vol. 1 (Paper Girls, #1)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1506952499l/28204534.jpg" width="129" /> <img alt="Paper Girls, Vol. 2 (Paper Girls, #2)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1508969532l/31338724.jpg" width="130" /></div>
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So over the last couple...OK, OK, like 6 months I've dabbled in all sorts with my reading. I tried for the first time Bizarro fiction which wasn't altogether unpleasant. Definitely different and something I feel many readers that follow here probably haven't looked into before. <b>Apeshit </b>was kind of a mix of a terrible D-grade 80's horror movie. So absurd that it wasn't really scary, but lived up to it' namesake of bizarro fiction. There were definitely some WTF am I reading moments, and I was kept on my toes more due to the sheer nature of what insane debased thing the writer was going to come up with next than the actual scariness. Overall though it wasn't bad, and if you want to something a little (read ALOT) different I'd give it a go. </div>
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I also went back and re-read the first 2 volumes of <b>Paper Girls</b>, and am awaiting the 3rd to come in at the library. My love for Brian K. Vaughan only grows with each new graphic novel I read of his. Ofcourse, I felt in the mood for a short classic at some point, and <b>Brave New World</b> by Aldous Huxley it was. I imagine it's along the same lines as 1984 by George Orwell (which I have still yet to read) and deals with a dystopian society in which the civilians are regulated meticulously in order to function at their most optimal. </div>
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Jodi Picoult has always been a favorite of mine, and I was not disappointed reading <b>Plain Truth</b>, about an Amish family who are caught in a police investigation regarding the death of a newborn infant. The story seemed well researched and the insights into Amish life were intriguing, not to metnion the suspense in finding out what really happened.</div>
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Other honorable mentions, <b>THRONE OF GLASS</b> series, OMG. Ok I'm pretty late to the party on this one, I read the first book a few years back and didn't continue on (There's something wrong with me, I know) but wow, the emotional rollercoaster just in the first 2 books... and I just no there is more to come, my heart can't take it.!</div>
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<u>Up Next In November</u></h3>
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<img alt="What to Say Next" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1485341737l/30199656.jpg" width="132" /> <img alt="Incarnate (Newsoul, #1)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1358271343l/8573642.jpg" width="129" /> <img alt="Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass, #3)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1460846511l/20613470.jpg" width="130" /></div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/velvetpois0n/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhawnh6awe7_bIfzXUz8pISw7fKMzHhOBVSwLDhrqxUBoB-UFx9R8_Q-PZe4axyGFkeeaeJIu9eoaSTMLytUyD9Dq9G397tips_5P_db_uRkb-KzIYMdY_tuRUC6krq72MoEJFA4lEEXJJ-/s320/IMG_20171023_134137_133.jpg" width="256" /></a><u>Other Updates</u> </h3>
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I'm still loving Instagram, AGAIN I was a bit late to the party on this one, and only really started up this year with my Instagram account. It's a bit of a mishmash of things, boos obviously, but also food, nature and lots of animals.<br />
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Wedding planning has actually started...relative style and colors have been settled, budget set (if we can stay within it). For the mot part I think we've decided on a little place that was a vinyard but is now an arts centre. They have a cute little church onsite for the ceremony and we're going to rent this old rustic barrel store for the reception. The only fallback is that it's going to be alot of DIY, which is great because I can get my creative juices flowing and pinterest is a great help, but time constraints is going to be my biggest problem.<br />
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If you have any book reccomendations or even better, wedding advice. I would love to hear it. Until next time :)</div>
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Elle (Lost in Wonderland)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11096211173476379456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847626576397207961.post-60999028894762442152017-11-05T10:54:00.000+13:002017-11-05T10:54:23.204+13:00Back from Hiatus<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOfDr0eZ3u9xK20ROZHEDGU4MvDurtpy8cHKFEmlsIOYvKJpbiZoP-Nk3K3VJllcJTFTFgzSQRBv4lJN3m37N8b2O27GxGVRSiwVaTqMEUuAcueUS8NPh2EjoJsRZf7b3Yhi3oFHwDOR1P/s1600/Screenshot_20171105-105428.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOfDr0eZ3u9xK20ROZHEDGU4MvDurtpy8cHKFEmlsIOYvKJpbiZoP-Nk3K3VJllcJTFTFgzSQRBv4lJN3m37N8b2O27GxGVRSiwVaTqMEUuAcueUS8NPh2EjoJsRZf7b3Yhi3oFHwDOR1P/s320/Screenshot_20171105-105428.png" width="180" /></a><br />
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Ugh, I've missed blogging so much! I was sitting here with my cup of tea on a Saturday night and for the first time in a long time felt like I had nothing to do (didn't feel like reading, the house was clean, caught up on washing etc) and all I could think was how much I missed my book blog... So I'm back :)</div>
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Book blogging use to take up a lot of my time and when work and the rest of life got to be too much it was the first thing to go. There was also a certain pressure I felt to read and review ALL the books I was reading. Not to mention reviewing the latest releases (when to be honest I'm happy just catching up on all the old releases still on my TBR). Despite all this though, after more than 6 months I really feel the need to come back and give it another go. Hopefully if I put less pressure on myself and do it just for the fun of it, I'll be able to stick with it longer term. </div>
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*Sigh* It feels good to be back. </div>
Elle (Lost in Wonderland)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11096211173476379456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847626576397207961.post-15100975207964770502017-05-02T14:30:00.000+12:002017-05-02T14:30:29.348+12:00March/April Wrap-up <div style="text-align: justify;">
I haven't done much reading in the last couple months, so I thought I'd combine March and April Wrap-ups (also because of my complete lack of pre-planning posts). Easter was great because I actually got some reading done and it was such a perfect weekend to be inside and cozy, since we had a cyclone brewing. Lots of chocolate and cups of tea were had, and then it was back to working 50 hour weeks in our currently much understaffed practice, oh the vet tech life. </div>
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<img alt="Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (Between, #1)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1350334557l/12930909.jpg" width="134" /> <img alt="The Beast Is an Animal" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1464054363l/29522966.jpg" width="132" /> <img alt="Rebel of the Sands (Rebel of the Sands, #1)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1446829335l/24934065.jpg" width="132" /></div>
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<img alt="I Was Here" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1405960366l/18879761.jpg" width="133" /> <img alt="Young Widows Club" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1421087497l/23310742.jpg" width="133" /> <img alt="No One's Angel (Chadwell Hearts, #1)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1400510416l/18463756.jpg" width="124" /></div>
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<img alt="Owning the Beast" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1427083508l/25199464.jpg" width="132" /> <img alt="Saga, Vol. 7" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1486029003l/29237211.jpg" width="129" /></div>
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I really struggled with <b>'Between the Devil and The Deep Blue Sea'</b>. It took me a long time to get through and I persevered, but it just wasn't for me. The story line wasn't very streamline and was just confusing in some parts. However there were some nice descriptions and details that highlighted the gothic-horror element of this book. I went into <b>'The Beast is an Animal'</b> thinking it was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, only to find it definitely wasn't, but was pleasantly surprised by a fairytale unknown to me. The story held a wistful creepiness, and the prose was both haunting and enchanting. </div>
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<b>'Saga Volume 7'</b> was amazing as always, but every time a character dies whether they have only been newly introduced or around forever it gets me in the feels so unexpectedly. I read <b>'Owning the Beast' </b>because a) it is a loose retelling of beauty and the beast and I LOVE beauty and the beast and b) I was just in the mood for some <strike>erotica </strike>*cough* romance.</div>
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<u>Up Next In May</u></h3>
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<img alt="Traitor to the Throne (Rebel of the Sands #2)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473701412l/31574408.jpg" width="129" /> <img alt="In Real Life" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1434990225l/21525995.jpg" width="134" /> <img alt="By Your Side" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1472078174l/30256248.jpg" width="132" /></div>
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<u>Other Favorites</u></h3>
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So I have been in the mood to play an old school computer game that I've had since I was about 13 years, called Heroes of Might and Magic. All the nostalgia came back and even though in today's day and age the graphics are unbelievably bad and the game is 2D I still enjoyed it just as much as I use to. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrsIBFSQh8adk_upc6oC91m23Uz2JmXbcEIXJpxboMT6FSdeDx0Fj9ARkr6XHx9efaDMLGlSKrSaluVPEVDMS0I2YtOcyhqWeoZoJNM_UnBtCXySn4ZZeTOriRg_8FJ0-U0xp6RhJJUdKv/s1600/18161188_292149047895350_8366880701047373824_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrsIBFSQh8adk_upc6oC91m23Uz2JmXbcEIXJpxboMT6FSdeDx0Fj9ARkr6XHx9efaDMLGlSKrSaluVPEVDMS0I2YtOcyhqWeoZoJNM_UnBtCXySn4ZZeTOriRg_8FJ0-U0xp6RhJJUdKv/s200/18161188_292149047895350_8366880701047373824_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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I've also been trying to do some wedding planning this month, but I really haven't gotten far. I've essentially set up a page in my bullet journal for it and that's my extent. I keep getting lots of questions from friends and family about when we're getting married etc, but me and my significant other..lets call him 'BookMan' are super laid back and relaxed and aren't in any hurry. Plus the money that a wedding costs we would rather spend on travel and other things. </div>
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Elle (Lost in Wonderland)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11096211173476379456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847626576397207961.post-26109263265238429722017-04-17T13:46:00.000+12:002017-04-17T13:48:59.954+12:00Movie Review: Beauty and The Beast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim67Tw6WJ42pDGsqOryJl1aHG6Ng4L4R1F2STMjq7EWl3Dz1tH1ugVo58pGj-XIzEwqeSZdWNc8jPrjLEGJ8fuFozx7gML97bmUjfuVbqMmuWHpIrbf3OVb5Dmg8xjaiqvCZq0xtX4waDz/s1600/eu_batb_flex-hero_header_r_430eac8d.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim67Tw6WJ42pDGsqOryJl1aHG6Ng4L4R1F2STMjq7EWl3Dz1tH1ugVo58pGj-XIzEwqeSZdWNc8jPrjLEGJ8fuFozx7gML97bmUjfuVbqMmuWHpIrbf3OVb5Dmg8xjaiqvCZq0xtX4waDz/s640/eu_batb_flex-hero_header_r_430eac8d.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">So I meant to
write this review much sooner than I have, mainly because I had so many
feelings and emotions after the movie. But sometimes giving myself time to
ruminate over those reactions can help me decide if they were just knee jerk
reactions or if they are constructive to my review. To start off full
disclosure, Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney Princess movie of all
time so I feel slightly more critical.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">Looks wise I
think Emma Watson fits the bill perfectly, I just can’t say I was overly impressed
with Emma Watsons acting. It just felt a bit off and quite stiff. In part this
could be to do with the fact that a lot of the time she would be acting
opposite a CGI character and that would be unimaginable awkward in more serious, emotional scenes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjkOAQNcpAnAbMBC7DZaO0YZrpYfXpcHkdAT2Ho9ySARimK7FGiBmm5eQksuyaoW22cp1dsLuIAAxUIyryEBUfW5AmZopyjGc-v_Jxh0zft3EuB0tadzmy74pYS-2cHjraTx4VpTFwRCTI/s1600/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjkOAQNcpAnAbMBC7DZaO0YZrpYfXpcHkdAT2Ho9ySARimK7FGiBmm5eQksuyaoW22cp1dsLuIAAxUIyryEBUfW5AmZopyjGc-v_Jxh0zft3EuB0tadzmy74pYS-2cHjraTx4VpTFwRCTI/s320/giphy.gif" width="320" /></a><span lang="EN-NZ"> I think it was
made even more evident in the end scenes where the beast is dying, I just
couldn’t feel it. I didn’t expect to be moved to tears or anything but her acting
felt insincere particularly in this scene and the animated movie just seemed to capture the pain and heartbreak much better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">The new songs
and fill in of the back story we missed in the Disney original was great. I
loved the little bits about the beasts past and explanation of how the village
had completely forgotten about the castle and its inhabitants. I particularly adored
the Beasts song ‘Evermore’ it had a Phantom of the Opera-esque feel to it, ‘Days
in the Sun’ and ‘How Does a Moment Last Forever’ were a delight as well. Of
course all the old favourites were present and delivered by some great talent
like Ewan McGregor, Emma Thompson and Audra McDonald (I didn’t even know she
could sing!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">The Beast
himself, while obviously being CGI had some great voice acting done by Dan Stevens
and as I mentioned his solo song was impressive. Gaston and LeFou were very
good and the actors well chosen for their respective roles Gaston was the
epitome of arrogant and manly just as I remember him from the original movie. The
little nod at the end toward LeFou and his romantic preferences was endearing
and surprisingly brave in a Disney movie. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">Overall, I was
impressed with the movie but I wasn’t in love with it. The original will always
hold a place in my heart that will be hard to replace, and there’s just
something about animated Belle and Beasts romance that is so much more believable
to me. Not to mention I’ve loved animated Beast since before I can remember,
and I still prefer him to the CGI beast (although Dan Stevens voice is
delicious and does give animated Beast a run for his money).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSy_jYtw7xsAgIh1svqbLY2SnbAQyflg7L-qx9tN0Xx1O2xVkitd7qJrn09Oh1UxB0hqCvwTG_-Nrl54sykcRbDtRM5Z08XxmiEvCesax7D4HmoD7lCXZtfXKjSdC3lOU5qXJ3ZYQWOokW/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSy_jYtw7xsAgIh1svqbLY2SnbAQyflg7L-qx9tN0Xx1O2xVkitd7qJrn09Oh1UxB0hqCvwTG_-Nrl54sykcRbDtRM5Z08XxmiEvCesax7D4HmoD7lCXZtfXKjSdC3lOU5qXJ3ZYQWOokW/s1600/download.jpg" /></a><span lang="EN-NZ">Lastly, it may have
something to do with the fact that I prefer my men ruff and rugged with beards,
but I’ve always liked the beast more before he got transformed into his princely
self (too clean shaven and boyish for me) and this especially holds true in the
animated version. Is that weird? Am I the only one who finds him less
attractive as a Prince? I need to know I’m not alone in this haha. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: #2198a6; font-family: "josefin slab";"><span style="font-size: 28px; font-weight: normal;">What Did you guys think of the new Beauty and the Beast remake?</span></span></u></h3>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Image Credits: </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Belle gif- Giphy.com</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Beast-</span><a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/rosapasquarella/manbeast-vs-beastbeast?utm_term=.kwydPmYyE#.bwy5VGNbn" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">https://www.buzzfeed.com/rosapasquarella/manbeast-vs-beastbeast?utm_term=.kwydPmYyE#.bwy5VGNbn</a></span></div>
Elle (Lost in Wonderland)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11096211173476379456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847626576397207961.post-45067992720949689942017-03-12T18:16:00.001+13:002017-03-12T18:16:50.962+13:00February Wrap-Up<div style="text-align: justify;">
And here we go sailing into March. I didn't get a lot of reading done in February, I blame the month for being short, but I also took some time out of my home town to soak up some of the last of the summer sun at the beach for a few weekends.</div>
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Normally that would mean a whole lot of reading for me and my introverted self, but the friends we stayed with are pretty outdoorsy and always need to be doing something (unlike me who is quite content with plonking myself on the sofa and reading the weekend away). So that meant a lot of time swimming at the beach, paddle-boarding and just generally being social in situations where pulling out a book to read may have been interpreted as rude. </div>
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A good time was still had all round and I definitely had a lot of fun (apart from my alabaster skin getting fried in the sun, which lucky with my genetics eventually faded into a nice tan). </div>
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<img alt="Reboot by Amy Tintera" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1350931774m/13517455.jpg" /> <img alt="Rebel by Amy Tintera" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1381158599m/15769788.jpg" /></div>
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<img alt="A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1385738968m/3473.jpg" /> <img alt="Coming Up for Air by Miranda Kenneally" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1482805881m/32470593.jpg" /> <img alt="None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1412996409m/22896551.jpg" /></div>
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<b>Reboot</b> and <b>Rebel</b> were a duology, which I was happily surprised by. It came out some time ago and I've had it on my TBR for a while now. I picked it up on a whim and was instantly caught up in the story. I'll have a review of both books out later this month. If you're looking for a diverse read, I highly recommend <b>None of the Above.</b> It was a greatly informational book while also being entertaining . <a href="http://greetingsfrommiddleearth.blogspot.co.nz/2017/03/review-none-of-above-i-w-gregorio.html">You can find my full review here. </a></div>
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I managed to read <b>A Walk to Remember </b>in a day. While I wouldn't say its the most fast paced book, there is something delightfully charming about its story. However, I do prefer the movie adaptation than the book, same with The Notebook. <b>Coming up for Air, </b>is an ARC I was lucky enough to receive. It was probably my favorite book of the month and I have to say it is my favorite of the Hundred Oak series thus far, and I enjoyed it immensely more than her last release 'Defending Taylor'. <a href="http://greetingsfrommiddleearth.blogspot.co.nz/2017/02/review-defending-taylor-miranda.html">(My Review for Defending Taylor can be found Here)</a></div>
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<img alt="Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (Between, #1)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1350334557l/12930909.jpg" width="134" /><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1394502589l/15851732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Vincent Boys (The Vincent Boys, #1)" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1394502589l/15851732.jpg" width="132" /></a> <img alt="The Vincent Brothers (The Vincent Boys, #2)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388278552l/15851734.jpg" width="132" /></div>
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<u>Other Favorites</u></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7OfNNyAqNofjwRoWM9qtn-VdcwS1spgjF4-rg3KJASgx4El8Gijk1AYIVGecDUIWPR64feRP3J80qgNXvyF5Z2OBNTz_5Ag0VtSjf3DoY8f8hUwqjk_JXQwz4BMDoO6PJIuRg0kvIw1mq/s1600/actual_1410520494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7OfNNyAqNofjwRoWM9qtn-VdcwS1spgjF4-rg3KJASgx4El8Gijk1AYIVGecDUIWPR64feRP3J80qgNXvyF5Z2OBNTz_5Ag0VtSjf3DoY8f8hUwqjk_JXQwz4BMDoO6PJIuRg0kvIw1mq/s320/actual_1410520494.jpg" width="320" /></a>So I built a fort in my living room, because you know I'm 26 and live with my fiance in our own home, so why not? I mean it was a little embarrassing when his auntie showed up unannounced at our house, as you know we're suppose to be adults and all but pfftt. Basically we built the fort so we could watch telly and play playstation in it and that's basically what we did all weekend. (If you want to see a short video of what our fort looked like, it's on my Instagam :P)<br />
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So now I'm back into playing GTA 5, and I'm pretty close to clocking the games main story line. I've sunk a lot of my reading hours into this this past week haha but it's been so worth it and it's also helped with my anxiety quite a bit.<br />
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I've also started back into watching House. M.D after taking a little break. While I love the show, I feel that the story lines may be different but they do tend to follow the same formula of "This person is sick, they must have this. Treats for specific illness/disease. Oh no, they're not getting better, they must actually have this, lets treat them. Oh no they've gotten worse. Amazing spin at the end, where at the last minute the mystery is solved". Don't get me wrong, I do love the show, but there's only so much I can watch at one time, hence the hiatus for a little while. </div>
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Elle (Lost in Wonderland)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11096211173476379456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847626576397207961.post-60905841878323750742017-03-01T15:00:00.000+13:002017-03-01T15:00:04.099+13:00Review- None Of The Above (I. W. Gregorio)<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1434755939l/30324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="None of the Above" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1412996409l/22896551.jpg" width="211" /></a><br />
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<u>Synopsis</u></h3>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">A groundbreaking story about a teenage girl who discovers she was born intersex... and what happens when her secret is revealed to the entire school. Incredibly compelling and sensitively told, None of the Above is a thought-provoking novel that explores what it means to be a boy, a girl, or something in between.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">What if everything you knew about yourself changed in an instant?</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">When Kristin Lattimer is voted homecoming queen, it seems like another piece of her ideal life has fallen into place. She's a champion hurdler with a full scholarship to college and she's madly in love with her boyfriend. In fact, she's decided that she's ready to take things to the next level with him.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">But Kristin's first time isn't the perfect moment she's planned—something is very wrong. A visit to the doctor reveals the truth: Kristin is intersex, which means that though she outwardly looks like a girl, she has male chromosomes, not to mention boy "parts."</span><br style="background-color: white; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Dealing with her body is difficult enough, but when her diagnosis is leaked to the whole school, Kristin's entire identity is thrown into question. As her world unravels, can she come to terms with her new self?</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; line-height: 19.32px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span> </span> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.32px; text-align: right;">- </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.32px; text-align: right;">Goodreads.com</b></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">After a bad
experience trying to have sex after prom, Kristin visits her OB/GYN as a
precaution as her mother had died a few years earlier from cervical cancer.
However, the visit is more than she is expecting and after some questions and
an examination, the doctor is suspicious Kristin may have a chromosomal
abnormality which causes her to externally look female, but internally carry
male hormones and have internal male structures. The book covers her life as
she learns to accept her new diagnosis, which she is having a tough time
dealing with. This is all made worse when people at her school find out. The lack of support she receives from her peers, and the start
of bullying, both emotionally and physically at one point, go to show how ignorance
breeds fear and hatred. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">Kristin is a
strong character overall, but also allows herself to show weakness. She has a
tough time dealing with all the information being thrown at her all at once,
and goes through the stages of grief as a result. The supporting characters
were also important in the overall shaping of the novel. There are the best
friends, Faith and Vee, who upon discovery of Kristin’s disorder attempt to be
supportive but there is also tension and confusion for them as well. Then there
is her dad, who tries to help in the only way he knows how, by researching
everything from A to Z and offering his own support while encouraging her to
reach out to others who are in the same position as her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">This book proved
informative, while also remaining engaging and entertaining. There were a lot
of important educational messages about AIS, along with messages on bullying
and acceptance. The fact that it was written by a surgeon who has encountered people with this disorder before provides an authentic and likely well
researched novel. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">Diverse novels
always leave me with a lot to think about. None of the Above was a particularly
interesting one which brought to the forefront of my mind many a question of
how I would feel in the situation of Kristin. If I had been told that I had
internal male sex organs, or that my chromosomes weren’t the expected XX of a
girl, how would I feel? How would I deal with this knowledge? How would I learn
to adjust to the idea of never carrying a child of my own?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">Reading these
kinds of novels are so important for young and old alike, because it teaches us
to empathize and put ourselves in the position of the characters, and just
maybe if we do that in our everyday lives a little more often the world could
be a better place. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u>SPOILER BELOW</u></h3>
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<span lang="EN-NZ"><span style="color: white;">So the romance
between Darren and Kristin seemed somewhat unnecessary to me. I thought they
could have just remained friends, instead of turning it into a romance and
right at the end too. Or if the author was determined to make it into a romantic
relationship then Darren’s girlfriend, who conveniently broke up with him right
before him and Kristin get together seemed such an unnecessary character. She
didn’t really serve any point to the plot, and if Darren had been single for
the book the romance would have come across much more genuine at the end than
the rushed and opportune ending that we were left with. Other than that I did
like their romance and I thought it was particularly sweet, especially since
they had known each other when they were much younger. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u>My Rating 4/5</u></h3>
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Elle (Lost in Wonderland)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11096211173476379456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847626576397207961.post-58332535977413854052017-02-14T17:41:00.000+13:002017-02-15T20:37:33.233+13:00Review- Blood and Chocolate (Annette Curtis Klause)<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1434755939l/30324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Blood and Chocolate" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1434755939l/30324.jpg" style="text-align: justify;" width="178" /></a><br />
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<u>Synopsis</u></h3>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">Vivian Gandillon relishes the change, the sweet, fierce ache that carries her from girl to wolf. At sixteen, she is beautiful and strong, and all the young wolves are on her tail. But Vivian still grieves for her dead father; her pack remains leaderless and in disarray, and she feels lost in the suburbs of Maryland. She longs for a normal life. But what is normal for a werewolf?</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; text-align: left;" /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">Then Vivian falls in love with a human, a meat-boy. Aiden is kind and gentle, a welcome relief from the squabbling pack. He’s fascinated by magic, and Vivian longs to reveal herself to him. Surely he would understand her and delight in the wonder of her dual nature, not fear her as an ordinary human would.</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; text-align: left;" /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">Vivian’s divided loyalties are strained further when a brutal murder threatens to expose the pack. Moving between two worlds, she does not seem to belong in either. What is she really—human or beast? Which tastes sweeter—blood or chocolate?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; line-height: 19.32px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span> </span> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.32px; text-align: right;">- </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.32px; text-align: right;">Goodreads.com</b></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">As far as
werewolf books go, Blood and Chocolate is one I can read again and again (and
indeed I have). Written quite some time ago (1997), long before the hype of
Twilight and other supernatural books like it. Blood and Chocolate
follows the typical path of werewolf girl falling for a human boy, but it’s not
all candy and roses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">Our main
character Vivian finds kinship in a male teen, Aiden, from her high school, after she reads a poem he’s written for their school newspaper. The poem speaks
to her wolf side on many levels and shows an understanding that she would
never expect to find from a human. Teen romantic escapades ensue, and Vivian begins to
believe that she could actually reveal her true self to Aiden and have a
somewhat normal life.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-NZ" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 14.2667px;"><i><b>“It's only a game, she told her herself, to see if I can snare him. But she wanted to know what was in a human head to make him write that poem, and she wanted to know why he'd stolen the breath from her lips"</b></i></span><span lang="EN-NZ" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>- Annette Curtis Klause (Blood and Chocolate)</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">Vivian is hard
character to empathise with. The author did a great job of giving her a lot of
‘canine’ traits that I would expect to see in a werewolf; aggressive,
hyper-sexuality, conceited and drop-dead gorgeous. Unfortunately, this doesn’t
make for an easy character to like. There are a lot of instances where her
dominant wolf-side comes out and it’s not necessarily pretty or nice. </span><br />
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<span lang="EN-NZ" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 14.2667px;"><i><b>“I'd like to feel my teeth in her throat, Vivian thought. I'd like to slit her gullet"</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>- Annette Curtis Klause (Blood and Chocolate)</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">Aiden on the
other hand is your typical teen boy, who falls for a mysterious, beautiful
girl. While his character loses some esteem in my eyes, I really can’t blame
him for his faults. A teen boy can only accept so much. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">I have a feeling
there will be many ill feelings regarding the ending, but for me it makes
perfect sense. I don’t want to spoil it, but Vivian learns that having someone
who truly accepts and understands you as a mate is better than hiding who you
truly are. Unfortunately, this may disappoint some people who were hoping for a
romantic ending about love overcoming all obstacles blah, blah. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">The wolf pack
itself and all the main players really gave off the vibe of a pack. There was
hierarchy, fights for mates, dominance, and a hell of a lot of misogyny going
on. Which while may be difficult to read in this day and age with equality between the sexes as the ideal, it pretty much nails
the principles of pack and canine behaviour on the head. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">Overall an
enjoyable re-read, that I will more than likely come back to again in the
coming years. Definitely one of my favourite romance werewolf novels that
appears to grasp the morals and conventions of a wolf pack, without any of the
‘sparkles’. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u>My Rating 4/5</u></h3>
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Elle (Lost in Wonderland)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11096211173476379456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847626576397207961.post-23774285273954545532017-02-11T13:41:00.000+13:002017-02-11T13:41:14.720+13:00Review- Defending Taylor (Miranda Kenneally)<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3585xRRGkw6M9jqQpDZairOvmzdJv-RU2Q-yEwubAy8Ix3CUkhq69BL-1axNvLH4Xe2CGmKjSaaU-C5K-Le1x2YJd9l5KwUiPLIaT87viqrAjfkvESCByNTCW6ZxuniFzTVAbwuPpQXag/s1600/A+madness+So+discreet+insta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="22846823" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1453421534l/22846823.jpg" width="212" /></a><br />
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<u>Synopsis</u></h3>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><i>There are no mistakes in love.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Captain of the soccer team, president of the Debate Club, contender for valedictorian: Taylor's always pushed herself to be perfect. After all, that's what is expected of a senator's daughter. But one impulsive decision-one lie to cover for her boyfriend-and Taylor's kicked out of private school. Everything she's worked so hard for is gone, and now she's starting over at Hundred Oaks High.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Soccer has always been Taylor's escape from the pressures of school and family, but it's hard to fit in and play on a team that used to be her rival. The only person who seems to understand all that she's going through is her older brother's best friend, Ezra. Taylor's had a crush on him for as long as she can remember. But it's hard to trust after having been betrayed. Will Taylor repeat her past mistakes or can she score a fresh start?</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; line-height: 19.32px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span> </span> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.32px; text-align: right;">- </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.32px; text-align: right;">Goodreads.com</b></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">After a
‘misunderstanding’ in which Taylor takes the fall for her boyfriend, she is
expelled from her boarding school. The fallout of her choice affects not only
her and her future but her family, specifically her father’s senator campaign.
Taylors world starts to collapse and everything she has worked so hard for
starts to fall away… her future at Harvard is not as unquestionable as it once
was. Not only has she lost her friends, boyfriend and the trust of her parents…
add to that starting a new school. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">Personally I
couldn’t connect with Taylor as I have previously with the authors other
characters. I felt she didn’t think things through properly and her rash decisions
caused her to be in that situation in the first place. However, I did admire
her dedication to her future, she was hardworking and a good team player when
it came to soccer. Mostly I admired her ability to forge her own path and make
the most of the situation she was in. She broke the yoke of her family’s
expectation in regards to her future and chose to do what felt was right for her,
instead of majoring in business which was expected. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">However, the
overall plot was somewhat predictable, along with the romance between Taylor
and her brother’s best friend Ezra who she hasn’t talked to for many years, after a misunderstanding.
While it was an OK read, it was not my favourite of Miranda Kenneally’s work
and I feel she has much better books in her ‘Hundred Oaks’ series to choose
from. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u>My Rating 3/5</u></h3>
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Elle (Lost in Wonderland)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11096211173476379456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847626576397207961.post-71844785752201696682017-02-03T15:00:00.000+13:002017-03-12T18:17:09.048+13:00January Wrap-Up<strike>Alas, Earwax...</strike> I mean alas, it's February already! Time has flown this month and I've been lucky enough to read some pretty great books to start me year off with. I was also able to get some time off work which has helped me read some more this month and having my bullet journal has helped ALOT with the organization of the rest of my life. I'm especially loving my habit tracker! Anyway on with the books...<br />
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<u>Finished </u></h3>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1443368211m/24376529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1443368211m/24376529.jpg" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1372086100m/15749186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1372086100m/15749186.jpg" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1422881430m/20698530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1422881430m/20698530.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1459124898m/28953152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Buffy by Kel Mcdonald" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1459124898m/28953152.jpg" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1454029564m/28109971.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Buffy by Faith Erin Hicks" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1454029564m/28109971.jpg" /></a> <a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1450127643m/26365537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1450127643m/26365537.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1372296764m/13479780.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Landry Park by Bethany Hagen" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1372296764m/13479780.jpg" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1426127809m/23310763.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1426127809m/23310763.jpg" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1375394636m/6307040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fables by Bill Willingham" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1375394636m/6307040.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>To All The Boy's I've Loved Before</b> was a reread for me in preparation for the release of Jenny Han's new book 'Always and Forever Lara Jean'. <b>A Madness So Discreet</b> was possibly my favorite book of the month and you can find my review <a href="http://greetingsfrommiddleearth.blogspot.co.nz/2017/01/review-madness-so-discreet-mindy.html">here</a>. Mindy McGinnis has a great way of writing, and if you want something a bit dark and creepy I urge you to read this book.<b> </b></div>
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<b>Landry Park</b> was a bit of a slow read for me, but I got there in the end and I 'm interested to see what happens in the next book. <b>Kindred Spirits</b> by Rainbow Rowell, was an adorably cute short story, that I feel anyone who has ever belonged to a fandom can relate too. </div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1350931774l/13517455.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Reboot (Reboot, #1)" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1350931774l/13517455.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1381158599l/15769788.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rebel (Reboot, #2)" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1381158599l/15769788.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1412996409l/22896551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="None of the Above" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1412996409l/22896551.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://thegeekiary.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/wynonnaearpsocial-1_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for wynonna earp" border="0" src="http://thegeekiary.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/wynonnaearpsocial-1_1.jpg" height="104" width="200" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.gstatic.com/tv/thumb/tvbanners/12914590/p12914590_b_v8_aa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img alt="Image result" border="0" src="http://www.gstatic.com/tv/thumb/tvbanners/12914590/p12914590_b_v8_aa.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a>So I finished the first season of Wynonna Earp on Netfllix and wholly hell, it brought back all my love for fantasy shows. I kind of reminds me of Buffy in the early days a little, the show's not over polished and the characters are witty and charming. Even the villains are somewhat charming in their own right, and my, my, my Doc Holiday with his southern drawl and cowboy hat. </div>
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I also caught the first episode of Riverdale on Netflix and its GOOD...like REAL GOOD. It's a little Pretty Little Liars meets Gossip Girl with it's intrigue and mystery and I can't wait to see where it's going.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJni1615ZmLCNjMaxsMDdKIkl1tYFUAK9AIsNnRVAdf9_JbPEqxik0qsMjfsniTQ-aO6LgQ5GAnkAQt3RuKUepIeqxiScPdJZXxnJXKgrAgbPyC8LAF78-MQsuuTy9YluO9n96Gwd1h8ja/s1600/16123062_1379308375453333_8481881517004423168_n%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJni1615ZmLCNjMaxsMDdKIkl1tYFUAK9AIsNnRVAdf9_JbPEqxik0qsMjfsniTQ-aO6LgQ5GAnkAQt3RuKUepIeqxiScPdJZXxnJXKgrAgbPyC8LAF78-MQsuuTy9YluO9n96Gwd1h8ja/s320/16123062_1379308375453333_8481881517004423168_n%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a>I'm also loving the Duolingo app. It's one of my goals this year to learn a language and I'm currently trying out the French on the app. So far it's going well and my habit tracker is making sure I'm practicing everyday. Speaking of habit tracking, my bullet journal is a Godsend. I feel so much more organised and I keep all my go-to lists in there ie. Books I've read, Series I want to start/finish, weight loss goals, Bucket list etc. </div>
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Elle (Lost in Wonderland)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11096211173476379456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847626576397207961.post-60945173066035140512017-02-02T14:20:00.001+13:002017-02-02T14:20:20.923+13:00Top Ten Tuesday (30)<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="text-align: center;">
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I have been waiting a really long time for a topic like this to come about, so I'm super buzzed to share with you guys some of my favorite graphic novels/ comics.</div>
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I am a huge fan of Brian K. Vaughn and highly recommend his <b>Saga</b> series and <b>Y-Man </b>series (you can find my review of it h<a href="http://greetingsfrommiddleearth.blogspot.co.nz/2016/04/series-review-y-last-man-brian-k.html">ere</a>). I also like his new graphic novel <b>Papergirls</b>, but I haven't had the chance to fully immerse myself into it, although I think the story has a lot of potential. <b>Giant Days</b> is a great series if your at college and want something lighthearted and relatable. The unlikely trio of friends are always a good laugh.<b> In Real Life</b>, was an amazing eye opening comic, that was so much more than I was expecting (my review can be found <a href="http://greetingsfrommiddleearth.blogspot.co.nz/2015/06/review-in-real-life-cory-doctorow-jen.html">here)</a>.</div>
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Lastly, <b>BTOOOM</b> is the epitome of everything I want in a manga. It has a Hunger Games vibe, but with 1000x more violence and some scenes that definitely made me feel uncomfortable. If you want something a little rougher and more volatile, this would be a great one to pick up.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><u>Honorable Mentions</u></span></h3>
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Elle (Lost in Wonderland)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11096211173476379456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847626576397207961.post-36028844535788238632017-01-24T14:30:00.000+13:002017-01-24T14:30:18.018+13:002017 Challenges<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDmuFObbcFdgkX-KXOmNqUExLyYUJ7B0XXTbWgtZfAi5-6xcdwBVfNRjSSGRwV4fQ-xRqbW63f5HoMQVNoWVbX-WuKAvJ12Be1m0t3PL45yGcIdY6tucEGv9c9teiztEV8y5yfWouHQ22/s1600/16123377_1820492048206783_2758647242133864448_n%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDmuFObbcFdgkX-KXOmNqUExLyYUJ7B0XXTbWgtZfAi5-6xcdwBVfNRjSSGRwV4fQ-xRqbW63f5HoMQVNoWVbX-WuKAvJ12Be1m0t3PL45yGcIdY6tucEGv9c9teiztEV8y5yfWouHQ22/s320/16123377_1820492048206783_2758647242133864448_n%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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This one is just a quickie, with an update on what reading challenges I've decided to take on this year. </div>
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With my new bullet-journaling craze, tracking my progress for my 2017 reading challenges is even more fun. Below are a few of the challenges I'll be participating in this year.</div>
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My goodreads goal is set to 60 books which I think will be achievable. My other goals including reading more classic horror novels... think Frankenstein, The Picture of Dorian Gray and the works of Edgar Allen Poe. Therefore I will be participating in the Classic Horror Challenge (which can be found <a href="http://makingsenseofthestars.weebly.com/classic-horror-challenge.html">here</a>). I've also created my own book bingo with ideas amalgamated from various places, which I had lots of fun creating and I'm sure I'll have lots of fun filling in. </div>
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Overall I'm pretty happy with my challenges this year, and hope to keep you guys updated with pictures from my bullet journal :)</div>
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Elle (Lost in Wonderland)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11096211173476379456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847626576397207961.post-10955164675633083322017-01-18T15:10:00.000+13:002017-01-18T15:10:13.603+13:00Review- A Madness So Discreet (Mindy McGinnis)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3585xRRGkw6M9jqQpDZairOvmzdJv-RU2Q-yEwubAy8Ix3CUkhq69BL-1axNvLH4Xe2CGmKjSaaU-C5K-Le1x2YJd9l5KwUiPLIaT87viqrAjfkvESCByNTCW6ZxuniFzTVAbwuPpQXag/s1600/A+madness+So+discreet+insta.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/AVvXsEj3585xRRGkw6M9jqQpDZairOvmzdJv-RU2Q-yEwubAy8Ix3CUkhq69BL-1axNvLH4Xe2CGmKjSaaU-C5K-Le1x2YJd9l5KwUiPLIaT87viqrAjfkvESCByNTCW6ZxuniFzTVAbwuPpQXag/s1600/A+madness+So+discreet+insta.jpg" /></a><br />
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<u>Synopsis</u></h3>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Grace Mae knows madness.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; text-align: left;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; text-align: left;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars, where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; text-align: left;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">In this beautifully twisted historical thriller, Mindy McGinnis, acclaimed author of </span><em style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Not a Drop to Drink</em><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"> and </span><em style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">In a Handful of Dust</em><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">, explores the fine line between sanity and insanity, good and evil—and the madness that exists in all of us.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; line-height: 19.32px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span> </span> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.32px; text-align: right;">- </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.32px; text-align: right;">Goodreads.com</b></div>
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<u>Review</u> </h3>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">By God, Mindy
McGinnis has managed to do it again. As
if her ‘Not a Drop to Drink’ duology wasn’t great enough, ‘A Madness So
Discreet’ delivered everything I wanted from a slightly creepy and dark novel. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">Mindy has an
amazing ability to write a great novel without ever really resorting to any
kind of romance as a plot device. As someone who enjoys mainly young adult
novels where such conventional things occur on the regular it’s refreshing to
read something without an ounce of romance in it. There was definitely an
opportunity to write a romance into the plot and I’m not going to lie, a part
of me kind of wanted it to happen. However, I’m so glad it didn’t. The whole
character relationship dynamic would have been destroyed by blurring the lines
between patient and physician and I most definitely would have frowned upon the
abuse of power.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">A Madness So Discreet
follows Grace, a girl placed in an insane asylum with questionable standards,
by her father while she is with child. Such an occurrence during this time (the
setting is historical; I believe the late 1800’s) would be a ‘blackmark’ on the
family name. So, she is dealt with until she can return home sans child. The
poor standards and severe treatment of the patients causes a defiant outburst
from Grace and she is sent to spend her remaining time in an isolated area of
the asylum. But a chance encounter with
a visiting Doctor, who performs lobotomies on untreatable patients, allows her
to be freed from her physical prison and taken into his care where she is moved
to a much more humane facility. Her talents in noticing small detail with her
brilliant mind assist the Doctor in his new fascination of solving criminology
cases.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">The grey areas
surrounding the morality of the characters intrigued me. I love it when
characters aren’t just black and white. Grace’s past experiences and the way
she deals with the fallout from these, are precursors to some of her later
actions. Even while she is our hero of the book and we are rooting for her, at
the same time she does some questionable things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">The picture
painted of mental illness and how it was ‘dealt’ with at the time is vividly
accurate. I find it astonishing the things people were put away for,
promiscuity, alcoholism and in Grace’s case being pregnant. The fact that a
single word to a judge from a (male) family member could get you sent away is
harrowing.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-NZ">There are some
dark moments in this book, but the satisfaction felt at the ending was…. well
satisfying. The mystery behind the murders the doctor and Grace are solving
have a Sherlock type vibe to them, which satisfies the detective in me. If you’re after something a little dark and
different, also dealing with a minority group this would be a good one to pick
up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u>My Rating 5/5</u></h3>
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Elle (Lost in Wonderland)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11096211173476379456noreply@blogger.com4