tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-258896462024-03-12T20:54:53.615-05:00The Space Betweenshaunesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646494450896759850noreply@blogger.comBlogger759125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25889646.post-19222629037543214612018-10-17T23:32:00.000-05:002019-03-30T19:04:55.688-05:00Sheets by Brenna Thummler<table border="1" cellpadding="10"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38958846-sheets" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Sheets" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1529034024l/38958846.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38958846-sheets">Sheets</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16430350.Brenna_Thummler">Brenna Thummler</a><br />
Synopsis:<br />
<br />
Marjorie Glatt feels like a ghost. A practical thirteen year old in charge of the family laundry business, her daily routine features unforgiving customers, unbearable P.E. classes, and the fastidious Mr. Saubertuck who is committed to destroying everything she’s worked for.<br />
<br />
Wendell is a ghost. A boy who lost his life much too young, his daily routine features ineffective death therapy, a sheet-dependent identity, and a dangerous need to seek purpose in the forbidden human world.<br />
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When their worlds collide, Marjorie is confronted by unexplainable disasters as Wendell transforms Glatt’s Laundry into his midnight playground, appearing as a mere sheet during the day. While Wendell attempts to create a new afterlife for himself, he unknowingly sabotages the life that Marjorie is struggling to maintain.<br />
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This is a sweet and heartbreaking story with great artwork. I initially thought it sounded fun, but there is a lot more here than just amusement. Both main characters can definitely use a friend, and after a rough start they end up making a great team. The cover is adorable and the concept is well done. I look forward to more from this artist/author!
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2482515044">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/997976-shaunesay">View all my reviews</a>
shaunesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646494450896759850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25889646.post-26577975949176905172018-10-17T23:17:00.004-05:002018-10-17T23:21:18.836-05:00The Darkling Bride by Laura Andersen<table border="1" cellpadding="10"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34019139-the-darkling-bride" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Darkling Bride" border="0" height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1508338953l/34019139.jpg" width="263" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34019139-the-darkling-bride">The Darkling Bride</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5222030.Laura_Andersen">Laura Andersen</a><br />
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<br />
Synopsis: <br />
<br />
<span id="freeText15101910642589426995">Three generations of
Irish nobles face their family secrets in this spellbinding novel from
the award-winning author of the Boleyn King trilogy.<br /><br /> The
Gallagher family has called Deeprath Castle home for seven hundred
years. Nestled in the Wicklow Mountains of Ireland, the estate is now
slated to become a public trust, and book lover and scholar Carragh Ryan
is hired to take inventory of its historic library. But after meeting
Aidan, the current Viscount Gallagher, and his enigmatic family, Carragh
knows that her task will be more challenging than she’d thought.<br /><br />
Two decades before, Aidan’s parents died violently at Deeprath. The
case, which was never closed, has recently been taken up by a new
detective determined to find the truth. The couple’s unusual deaths
harken back a century, when twenty-three-year-old Lady Jenny Gallagher
also died at Deeprath under mysterious circumstances, leaving behind an
infant son and her husband, a renowned writer who never published again.
These incidents only fueled fantastical theories about the Darkling
Bride, a local legend of a sultry and dangerous woman from long ago
whose wrath continues to haunt the castle.<br /><br /> The past catches up
to the present, and odd clues in the house soon have Carragh wondering
if there are unseen forces stalking the Gallagher family. As secrets
emerge from the shadows and Carragh gets closer to answers—and to
Aidan—could she be the Darkling Bride’s next victim?</span> </td></tr>
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The Darkling Bride was an enjoyable historical mystery, with a bit of current day thrill and a little romance thrown in! The setting is an old castle with a dark past that has a presence all it's own. Our heroine gets hired on to catalog the library of the castle before it is given over to the National Trust, but she has a bit of an ulterior motive in that she believes there may be an unpublished manuscript related to the family's history. There are many intertwined relationships that made for an interesting and twisting story.<br />
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It may not be detailed enough for hard core historical fiction fans, but it was a decent and enjoyable story and I would definitely be interested in more from this author.<br />
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2162168640">4 of 5 stars</a> <br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/997976-shaunesay">View all my reviews</a>
shaunesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646494450896759850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25889646.post-82875981998706580482018-08-04T20:43:00.001-05:002018-08-04T20:43:54.093-05:00Prime Meridian by Silvia Moreno-Garcia<br />
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1524611536l/36553975.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="297" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1524611536l/36553975.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<i>Synopsis:</i><br />
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Love, life, dreams, and a world beyond reach.<br />
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Amelia dreams of Mars. The Mars of the movies and the imagination, an endless bastion of opportunities for a colonist with some guts. But she’s trapped in Mexico City, enduring the drudgery of an unkind metropolis, working as a rent-a-friend, selling her blood to old folks with money who hope to rejuvenate themselves with it, enacting a fractured love story. And yet there’s Mars, at the edge of the silver screen, of life. It awaits her.</td></tr>
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This novella length story set in a future where we have traveled to and colonized Mars is packed full of the desperation that many are feeling right now. It is the story of a young woman who put everything she dreamed of on hold to care for a sick parent, then never was able to pick it back up again after that parent passed, with a sister who takes her presence for granted, but tries to make her feel like the leech. It is the story of a woman who finally takes her life back, with help from an unexpected source, in spite of everyone trying to convince her it's a bad idea, for their own reasons, not hers. <br />
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While I cannot say this was a fun read, if you are expecting a sci-fi story about Mars, this is not the place, it was well done and evokes the emotions that the character is feeling so well. Your heart just aches for Amelia, who can never seem to win, and constantly does for others, only to be chastised and unappreciated at every turn. <br />
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I gave this a 4/5, and look forward to reading more from Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I was very affected by the slice of a life she crafted here.shaunesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646494450896759850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25889646.post-85645758092797810792018-08-04T19:55:00.001-05:002018-08-04T19:55:24.983-05:00The English Wife by Lauren Willig<table border="1" cellpadding="10"><tbody>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1494294092l/34945222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="312" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1494294092l/34945222.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<i>Synopsis:</i><br />
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Annabelle and Bayard Van Duyvil live a charmed life: he’s the scion of an old Knickerbocker family, she grew up in a Tudor manor in England, they had a whirlwind romance in London, they have three year old twins on whom they dote, and he’s recreated her family home on the banks of the Hudson and renamed it Illyria. Yes, there are rumors that she’s having an affair with the architect, but rumors are rumors and people will gossip. But then Bayard is found dead with a knife in his chest on the night of their Twelfth Night Ball, Annabelle goes missing, presumed drowned, and the papers go mad. Bay’s sister, Janie, forms an unlikely alliance with a reporter to uncover the truth, convinced that Bay would never have killed his wife, that it must be a third party, but the more she learns about her brother and his wife, the more everything she thought she knew about them starts to unravel. Who were her brother and his wife, really? And why did her brother die with the name George on his lips?</td></tr>
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I am a long time fan of Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation series so I was excited to try something different from her. I was not disappointed! Far from the humorous adventures of the Pink Carnation's compatriots, this is a historical mystery that kept me guessing until the end!<br />
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The story vacillates from the past to the present, finally meeting in the middle as the murder is solved much differently that I expected! The characters are well crafted, as are the elements of their lives, helping to create the tension and make you wonder what really happened! I was interested from beginning to end, and still not entirely convinced about how the ending truly stands. <br />
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I gave this a 5/5, I definitely need to read more of Lauren Willig's non-Carnation books!shaunesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646494450896759850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25889646.post-39558279058635134712018-08-04T19:24:00.000-05:002018-08-04T19:24:48.329-05:00The King of Bones and Ashes by J. D. Horn<table border="1" cellpadding="10"><tbody>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1505329482l/34913737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1505329482l/34913737.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<i>From Goodreads:</i> <br />
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Magic is seeping out of the world, leaving the witches who’ve relied on it for countless centuries increasingly hopeless. While some see an inevitable end of their era, others are courting madness—willing to sacrifice former allies, friends, and family to retain the power they covet. While the other witches watch their reality unravel, young Alice Marin is using magic’s waning days to delve into the mystery of numerous disappearances in the occult circles of New Orleans. Alice disappeared once, too—caged in an asylum by blood relatives. Recently freed, she fears her family may be more involved with the growing crisis than she ever dared imagine.<br />
<br />
Yet the more she seeks the truth about her family’s troubled history, the more she realizes her already-fragile psyche may be at risk. Discovering the cause of the vanishings, though, could be the only way to escape her mother’s reach while determining the future of all witches.</td></tr>
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<i>The King of Bones and Ashes</i> is an atmospheric story filled with mystery, voodoo and different types of magic. There is a lot packed in, and I can't help but compare it to Anne Rice's <i>The Witching Hour</i>, which is what I was hoping for, though not quite what I got. This story builds slowly, with a lot of character set up, starting in the past to set the stage and moving to the present where family rivalries and grudges are in full swing. Most of the action happens towards the end, so I expect that book two will not have the time dedicated to set up that this first book had. While I did enjoy it, some elements were confusing, and I feel that some were not as fully fleshed out as they needed to be. While the write up leads you to believe Alice is the main character, it really skips around between several stories, and Alice isn't as strong of a character as I would have liked. I'm mildly interested to see where it goes next, but I'm not sure I was as drawn in as by the author's <i>Witching Savannah</i> series of which I've read <i>The Line</i> and <i>the Source</i>, which I do intend to continue.<br />
<br />
There is a lot of interest here, it may just be a little slower to get going. 3/5 stars.shaunesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646494450896759850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25889646.post-12955881785125256682018-02-21T21:37:00.002-06:002018-02-21T21:37:50.494-06:00Unearthed by Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner<table border="1" cellpadding="10"><tbody>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495338043l/25446297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495338043l/25446297.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
<i>Synopsis:</i><br />
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When Earth intercepts a message from a long-extinct alien race, it seems like the solution the planet has been waiting for. The Undying's advanced technology has the potential to undo environmental damage and turn lives around, and Gaia, their former home planet, is a treasure trove waiting to be uncovered.<br />
<br />
For Jules Addison and his fellow scholars, the discovery of an alien culture offers unprecedented opportunity for study... as long as scavengers like Amelia Radcliffe don't loot everything first. Mia and Jules' different reasons for smuggling themselves onto Gaia put them immediately at odds, but after escaping a dangerous confrontation with other scavvers, they form a fragile alliance.<br />
<br />
In order to penetrate the Undying temple and reach the tech and information hidden within, the two must decode the ancient race's secrets and survive their traps. But the more they learn about the Undying, the more their presence in the temple seems to be part of a grand design that could spell the end of the human race...</td></tr>
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Publication Date: January 2nd, 2018<br />
Imprint: Disney-Hyperion<br />
Publisher: Disney Book Group<br />
Genre: Teens & YA/Sci-Fi<br />
Received From: Netgalley in exchange for honest feedback<br />
My Rating: 4/5<br />
<br />
An archaeology adventure on another planet? I am in!<br />
<br />
This was a fun, fast paced, puzzle-solving story, full of difficult decisions, secrets kept and revealed, betrayals, new alliances and more! I enjoyed the characters and the setting, though a few things seemed too convenient, that was probably also on purpose to make you think hmmm... something funny is going on here! I'm interested to see what happens next!<br />
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<br />shaunesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646494450896759850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25889646.post-47827879455124531422018-01-23T22:30:00.001-06:002018-01-23T22:30:27.280-06:00As You Wish by Chelsea Sedoti<table border="1" cellpadding="10"><tbody>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1509653237l/34569846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1509653237l/34569846.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<i>Synopsis:</i><br />
<br />
What if you could ask for anything- and get it?<br />
<br />
In the sandy Mojave Desert, Madison is a small town on the road between nothing and nowhere. But Eldon wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, because in Madison, everyone gets one wish—and that wish always comes true.<br />
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Some people wish for money, some people wish for love, but Eldon has seen how wishes have broken the people around him. And with the lives of his family and friends in chaos, he’s left with more questions than answers. Can he make their lives better? How can he be happy if the people around him aren’t? And what hope is there for any of them if happiness isn’t an achievable dream? Doubts build, leading Eldon to a more outlandish and scary thought: maybe you can’t wish for happiness…maybe, just maybe, you have to make it for yourself.</td></tr>
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<br />
Publication Date: January 2nd, 2018<br />
Imprint: Sourcebooks Fire<br />
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire<br />
Genre: Teens & YA/Sci-Fi<br />
Received From: Netgalley in exchange for honest feedback<br />
My Rating: 4/5<br />
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I would like to provide a trigger warning for attempted suicide in the content of this book.<br />
<br />
<i>As You Wish</i> is based on such an interesting concept, one that I'm sure we've all considered, being able to wish for our hearts desire and have it come true. But how many of us have truthfully followed the ideas of our wishes all the way through to consider how they might have come out? That maybe it won't turn out exactly how we hoped? That maybe you should be careful what you wish for? We're safe in our musings because there is no magical way for those wishes to happen so we're not bound by the consequences of just daydreaming. Not so for the people of Madison.<br />
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Just like in life trying to decide what to do with your life, go to college, start working immediately? Are you really ready to make that life-changing to decision at 18? Yet that is when you must make your wish, and live with whatever it brings. I enjoyed the examination of the different wishes and how they turned out. Many were selfish and short sighted, but we're human after all, and at 18 most of us are not equipped to be able to craft a wish that covers all the bases, that plans for every outcome that needs to be avoided. <br />
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I was wary going in from the other varied reviews I was seeing, people either seemed to love it or hate it, and I was pleasantly surprised at how thoroughly and thoughtfully this story covered the premise of wishing and all the ways it might come out. Our main character Eldon is flawed, as we all are, and struggling with what he wants, vs. what his family wants, a true trauma, and with just being a teenager growing up and all the social pressures that come along with that. He doesn't make the best decisions, many of the characters don't, and the final outcome is not necessarily the best one for all involved, or in the mind of the reader, but it certainly provides a lot of food for thought. <br />
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Overall I thought it was a well told and interesting story that made me think and pulled on my heart strings. I appreciate the opportunity to review it!shaunesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646494450896759850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25889646.post-64054559919624526372018-01-21T22:05:00.001-06:002018-01-21T22:05:20.997-06:00Winner! -- My Best Read of 2017 Giveaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498057733l/38447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="308" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498057733l/38447.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The votes are in and you all picked <i>The Handmaid's Tale</i> by Margaret Atwood as my best read of 2017! I won't lie, it was a pretty frightening and intense book, I haven't been able to bring myself to watch the Hulu series of it yet!</span><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The book with the next highest votes was <i>The Hate U Give</i> by Angie Thomas, which was also just excellent and I cannot recommend it enough! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> The Winner of my contest is *drumroll* ....
<b>Rachelle B.</b> who said agreed <i>The Handmaid's Tale</i> was my best read in 2017, and chose to win <i>Norse Mythology</i> by Neil Gaiman! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Congrats Rachelle! I have e-mailed you to work out the details of your win! </span><br />
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<br><br>Thank you to everyone who entered! I had a great reading year in 2017, and I can't wait to see what my best read for 2018 will be!</span>shaunesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646494450896759850noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25889646.post-75776680906009185412018-01-10T22:20:00.002-06:002018-01-10T22:20:24.775-06:00Best Reads of 2017 - A Giveaway!So life happened, and the rest of my polls didn't, so I made some executive decisions and have a best book for each month! Giveaway incoming! This is a two-parter, you're going to tell me which book was the best of the year, and then you're going to tell me which one you'd like to win if you are chosen! So it's a choose your own giveaway!<br />
<br />
The chosen winner will have their choice between a US Kindle copy or a physical copy from The Book Depository or Amazon (my choice which vendor), please note that the cover may vary as I will choose the most economical version of the book for myself to send. Thank you!<br />
<br />
This Giveaway will be open Through Saturday January 20th, 2018! <br />
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Your choices are (with links to their Goodreads pages): <br />
<br />
<center>
<table cellpadding="10"><tbody>
<tr><td>January<br />
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1362495700l/13638125.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1362495700l/13638125.jpg" width="134" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13638125-vicious?from_search=true">Vicious</a><br />
by V. E. Schwab<br />
<br /></td><td>February<br />
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498057733l/38447.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="308" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498057733l/38447.jpg" width="130" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38447.The_Handmaid_s_Tale?from_search=true">The Handmaid's Tale</a> <br />
by Margaret Atwood<br />
<br /></td>
<td>March<br />
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1451435027l/25489625.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1451435027l/25489625.jpg" width="131" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25489625-between-the-world-and-me?ac=1&from_search=true">Between the World<br /> and Me</a><br />
by Ta-Nehisi Coates</td></tr>
<tr><td> April<br />
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473864212l/30831912.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473864212l/30831912.jpg" width="132" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30831912-norse-mythology?from_search=true">Norse Mythology</a><br />
by Neil Gaiman</td><td>May<br />
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1386803701l/19161852.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1386803701l/19161852.jpg" width="132" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19161852-the-fifth-season?from_search=true">The Fifth Season</a><br />
by N. K. Jemisin</td>
<td>June<br />
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1476284759l/32075671.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1476284759l/32075671.jpg" width="132" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35527721-the-hate-u-give?from_search=true">The Hate U Give</a><br />
by Angie Thomas</td></tr>
<tr><td>July<br />
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1476994065l/31931941.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1476994065l/31931941.jpg" width="132" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31931941-eliza-and-her-monsters?from_search=true">Eliza and Her<br /> Monsters</a> <br />
by Francesca Zappia</td>
<td>August<br />
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1470413227l/30038654.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="297" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1470413227l/30038654.jpg" width="125" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30038654-home?ac=1&from_search=true">Binti: Home</a><br />
by Nnedi Okorafor<br />
<br /></td>
<td>September<br />
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1430239646l/23943137.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1430239646l/23943137.jpg" width="133" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23943137-sorcerer-to-the-crown?from_search=true">Sorcerer to the Crown</a><br />
by Zen Cho<br />
<br />
<br /></td></tr>
<tr><td>October<br />
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1489641818l/34219880.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="308" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1489641818l/34219880.jpg" width="130" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34219880-the-tethered-mage?from_search=true">The Tethered Mage</a><br />
by Melissa Caruso<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></td>
<td>November<br />
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492871051l/33574161.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492871051l/33574161.jpg" width="132" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33574161-beasts-of-extraordinary-circumstance?ac=1&from_search=true">Beasts of<br /> Extraordinary<br /> Circumstance</a><br />
by Ruth Emmie<br />
Lang</td>
<td>December<br />
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1471277745l/30269104.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1471277745l/30269104.jpg" width="133" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30269104-the-chilbury-ladies-choir?from_search=true">The Chilbury Ladies' Choir</a><br />
by Jennifer Ryan<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></td></tr>
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shaunesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646494450896759850noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25889646.post-76402921888467486822018-01-06T21:45:00.000-06:002018-01-06T21:45:57.835-06:00Enchantress of Numbers by Jennifer Chiaverini<table border="1" cellpadding="10"><tbody>
<tr><td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498738353l/34555334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498738353l/34555334.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<i>Synopsis:</i><br />
<br />
The only legitimate child of Lord Byron, the most brilliant, revered, and scandalous of the Romantic poets, Ada was destined for fame long before her birth. Estranged from Ada’s father, who was infamously “mad, bad, and dangerous to know,” Ada’s mathematician mother is determined to save her only child from her perilous Byron heritage. Banishing fairy tales and make-believe from the nursery, Ada’s mother provides her daughter with a rigorous education grounded in mathematics and science. Any troubling spark of imagination—or worse yet, passion or poetry—is promptly extinguished. Or so her mother believes.<br />
<br />
When Ada is introduced into London society as a highly eligible young heiress, she at last discovers the intellectual and social circles she has craved all her life. Little does she realize that her delightful new friendship with inventor Charles Babbage—brilliant, charming, and occasionally curmudgeonly—will shape her destiny. Intrigued by the prototype of his first calculating machine, the Difference Engine, and enthralled by the plans for his even more advanced Analytical Engine, Ada resolves to help Babbage realize his extraordinary vision, unique in her understanding of how his invention could transform the world. All the while, she passionately studies mathematics—ignoring skeptics who consider it an unusual, even unhealthy pursuit for a woman—falls in love, discovers the shocking secrets behind her parents’ estrangement, and comes to terms with the unquenchable fire of her imagination.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Publication Date: December 5th, 2017<br />
Imprint: Dutton<br />
Publisher: Penguin Group Dutton<br />
Genre: Historical Fiction<br />
Received From: Netgalley in exchange for honest feedback<br />
My Rating: 4/5<br />
<br />
This cover is gorgeous and I was interested to find out more about Ada Lovelace's work with Charles Babbage as I knew they were associated, but only vaguely. This was a slow read for me, tedious at times as so much of it is Ada, alone with her governesses or her mother's friends, angry and lonely, a brilliant mind with not enough to keep it busy. She did not have an exciting life, and was often ill, but in spite of being the daughter of a wealthy mother, she was nearly a prisoner, as her mother sought to keep her from falling prey to her bad Byron blood, by keeping her imagination reined in. Luckily her mother did approve studies in math and science, or the world might not be where we are now!<br />
<br />
This is my first read by Chiaverini, but I am interested in more. While it was not a quick and smooth read, as I mentioned above parts were somewhat tedious as there was much description of not a lot happening, that does serve to give an idea of how Ada herself must have felt, wanting so badly to experience life and being held in check by her mother's fears that she will turn out like her father. Apparently I was the only person who didn't already know that Lord Byron the poet was her father!<br />
<br />
I think lovers of historical fiction with an interest in Ada Lovelace's life will enjoy this, it is not heavy in actual math and science, but more description of Ada's experiences and interests in those studies and relationships with some of the great minds of the time. The Analytical and Difference Engines of Babbage are mentioned, and described in a way that a person not familiar with them should be able to follow along and have a good idea why they were important. Even though it is told from Ada's point of view, there is a lot of set up from before her birth and while she was very young that helps to establish her mother's feelings about her father, which will in turn affect Ada's entire life. Her story is often a sad and lonely one, but then I wonder, had she not been watched so closely and kept focused on math and science, but allowed more freedom of imagination, what might she have done instead with her brilliant and all too short life? Would we have computers as we now know them?<br />
<br /><br />shaunesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646494450896759850noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25889646.post-49376052046048645092017-12-10T22:54:00.000-06:002017-12-10T22:54:25.866-06:00My Best Read of August 2017 - A Poll Off!It's always hard to decide what the best books you've read in a year are. We can look at our ratings, but those may change depending on our mood. It's really hard to compare some of those books against each other, especially when you've read them months apart, or they are on completely different subjects.<br />
<br />
I'm going to have a friendly competition between the books I've read this year and see what YOU think was my best read in 2017. I'm going to post a poll for each month of the year, with the books I've read in one list for you to vote on, so that by the end of the year, I'll have 12 books for a final poll to decide what the best book I've read this year was, according to you! There may even be a giveaway at the end!<br />
<br />
Starting the first week of October, I will post a month's worth of books every week to be voted on, with the winner for that week going on the final list. <br />
<br />
Here are the books I read in August, covers and links to Goodreads will be below the poll itself so you don't have to scroll if you already know your answer! It's okay if you haven't read any of them, just pick the one that sounds the most appealing to you!<br />
<br />
<b>Update</b>: I got a little behind on making polls, and there will be a giveaway at the end, so if you haven't read any of these, please still vote for the one that interests you the most. Chaos voting is okay! ;)
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13829.Terrier">Terrier</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Tamora Pierce</div>
</td><td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1488877723l/349347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1488877723l/349347.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/349347.American_Gods">American Gods</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Neil Gaiman</div>
</td>
<td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1446557461l/26118426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1446557461l/26118426.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26118426-ninefox-gambit">Ninefox Gambit</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Yoon Ha Lee</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1480097137l/29236299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="175" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1480097137l/29236299.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29236299-gemina">Gemina</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Kauffman<br />
and Kristoff</div>
</td>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495202952l/24611840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="175" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495202952l/24611840.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24611840-believe-me">Believe Me</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Eddie Izzard</div>
</td>
<td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487959896l/28078791.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="251" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487959896l/28078791.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28078791-odd-true">Odd & True</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Cat Winters</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1470413227l/30038654.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="251" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1470413227l/30038654.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30038654-home">Binti: Home</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Nnedi Okorafor</div>
</td>
</tr>
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shaunesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646494450896759850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25889646.post-59105104457417319232017-12-05T19:51:00.003-06:002017-12-05T19:51:50.032-06:00My Best Read of July 2017 - a Poll Off!It's always hard to decide what the best books you've read in a year are. We can look at our ratings, but those may change depending on our mood. It's really hard to compare some of those books against each other, especially when you've read them months apart, or they are on completely different subjects.<br />
<br />
I'm going to have a friendly competition between the books I've read this year and see what YOU think was my best read in 2017. I'm going to post a poll for each month of the year, with the books I've read in one list for you to vote on, so that by the end of the year, I'll have 12 books for a final poll to decide what the best book I've read this year was, according to you! There may even be a giveaway at the end!<br />
<br />
Starting the first week of October, I will post a month's worth of books every week to be voted on, with the winner for that week going on the final list. <br />
<br />
Here are the books I read in July, covers and links to Goodreads will be below the poll itself so you don't have to scroll if you already know your answer! It's okay if you haven't read any of them, just pick the one that sounds the most appealing to you!<br />
<br />
<b>Update</b>: I got a little behind on making polls, and there will be a giveaway at the end, so if you haven't read any of these, please still vote for the one that interests you the most. Chaos voting is okay! ;)
<br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20646647-ether-elephants">Ether & Elephants</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Cindy <br />
Spencer Pape</div>
</td><td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1444923765l/22840421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1444923765l/22840421.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22840421-my-lady-jane">My Lady Jane</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Hand, Ashton<br />
and Meadows</div>
</td>
<td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1476994065l/31931941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1476994065l/31931941.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31931941-eliza-and-her-monsters">Eliza and Her<br /> Monsters</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Francesca Zappia</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30116958-the-epic-crush-of-genie-lo">The Epic Crush<br /> of Genie Lo</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by F. C. Yee</div>
</td>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18293427-the-storied-life-of-a-j-fikry">The Storied Life<br /> of A. J. Fikry</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Gabrielle Zevin</div>
</td>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31450615-the-bedlam-stacks">The Bedlam Stacks</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Natasha Pulley</div>
</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26892110-the-library-at-mount-char">The Library at<br /> Mount Char</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Scott Hawkins</div>
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shaunesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646494450896759850noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25889646.post-27837936176734377512017-11-28T22:42:00.000-06:002017-11-28T22:42:36.109-06:00A Hope Divided (The Loyal League #2) by Alyssa Cole<table border="1" cellpadding="10"><tbody>
<tr><td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1491255823l/34570037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1491255823l/34570037.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<i>Description:</i><br />
<br />
The Civil War has turned neighbor against neighbor--but for one scientist spy and her philosopher soldier, war could bind them together . . .<br />
<br />
For three years of the War Between the States, Marlie Lynch has helped the cause in peace: with coded letters about anti-Rebel uprisings in her Carolina woods, tisanes and poultices for Union prisoners, and silent aid to fleeing slave and Freeman alike. Her formerly enslaved mother's traditions and the name of a white father she never knew have protected her--until the vicious Confederate Home Guard claims Marlie's home for their new base of operations in the guerilla war against Southern resistors of the Rebel cause.<br />
<br />
Unbeknowst to those under her roof, escaped prisoner Ewan McCall is sheltering in her laboratory. Seemingly a quiet philosopher, Ewan has his own history with the cruel captain of the Home Guard, and a thoughtful but unbending strength Marlie finds irresistible.<br />
<br />
When the revelation of a stunning family secret places Marlie's freedom on the line, she and Ewan have to run for their lives into the hostile Carolina night. Following the path of the Underground Railroad, they find themselves caught up in a vicious battle that could dash their hopes of love--and freedom--before they ever cross state lines. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Publication Date: November 14th, 2017<br />
Imprint: Kensington Books<br />
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp.<br />
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance<br />
Received From: Netgalley in exchange for honest feedback<br />
My Rating: 4/5<br />
<br />
I have always been drawn to Civil War fiction, John Jakes' <i>North and South</i> being an early favorite of mine. I have been interested in trying Alyssa Cole's Loyal League series, and when I saw <i>A Hope Divided</i> available on Netgalley I jumped at the chance, and luckily was approved!<br />
<br />
I enjoyed the characters, Marlie is in a difficult position of being considered Negro, yet protected by her family name, and Ewan is not at all your conventional romance hero, often unsure of himself and confused by Marlie's reactions, being relatively inexperienced with the opposite sex. He's very detail oriented and inventive, in this story someone who constantly tries to keep his mind occupied by reading, and fixing and thinking things through logically. Marlie is a good match for him, and is constantly challenging the philosophical ideas he has held as guiding precepts in his life. They are both firmly scientific, but Marlie's healing skills, though carefully derived and precise, originate from a background in arts a little more mystical from her mother, that she struggles with, on the one hand wanting to reject them as unrealistic, but on the other, sometimes they seem to prove out in unexpected ways. <br />
<br />
There are plenty of heart stopping moments as Marlie's home is invaded by the Confederate Home Guard hunting down deserters and resisters, and her life quickly changes and even becomes endangered, her family name no longer a protection compared to the color of her skin. Overall this was an interesting story that gives a good representation of the fear and complications of being a Union sympathizer in the South during the Civil War, and I recommend it if you enjoy stories set in this time period. <br />
<br />shaunesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646494450896759850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25889646.post-59251007858758164262017-11-25T23:47:00.001-06:002017-11-25T23:47:28.492-06:00The Sunday Post #13<table cellpadding="10"><tbody>
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<tr><td>Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted @ <a href="http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/">Caffeinated Book Reviewer</a>. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: <a href="http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/the-sunday-post-meme">Sunday Post Meme</a></td></tr>
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Bowling is going well! I have bowled twice for my team when other ladies have been absent and I felt great! I even bowled decently for me! I have to say it is such a relief, as that's truly the only sport I really participate in, other than walking as exercise, which I don't do nearly enough! I would say the broken arm is just about back, I have a hard time putting weight fully on it, with my hand perpendicular to my arm, so I'm not ready for push ups, but most other things are pack to normal! (Push ups really haven't been normal for me anyway!)<br />
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This past Thursday was Thanksgiving in the US, so that was nice getting together with family for lots of food and visiting! Hav<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">ing</span> </span>a long weekend has been great too!<br />
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This coming Friday my husband and I will be attending another author talk, hosted by our local Rainy Day Books, and it will be astronaut Scott Kelly, discussing his book <a href="http://www.rainydaybooks.com/ScottKelly">Endurance</a>. I can't wait, I think it will be so exciting!<br />
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<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Reviews:</span> </b></i><br />
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I should have had a review for Artemis by Andy Weir. Unfortunately, I DNF'd it about a quarter of the way through because I had real issues with the main character, with how he presented her in relation to our current social/political climate, I just felt that he made bad choices. Here is a link to my Goodreads opinion if you are interested. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2182056058?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1">Artemis review</a><br />
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I was also supposed to have reviewed <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30653853-the-upside-of-unrequited?from_search=true">The Upside of Unrequited</a> for My TBR List's November choice, but I just couldn't get into it, through no fault of the book, it was just too teen and too contemporary, and too cute boys and girls and worried about dating and how they looked, which is exactly what it says it was, but it just wasn't for me right now. I don't want to relive those days, even vicariously, nope!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Features (otherwise known as ALL THE VOTING!):</b></i></span><br />
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<i>Polls:</i><br />
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I've started a poll feature to last from now until the end of the year where you will help me pick what my best reads were! Each week I will have a poll that lists the books I read in a particular month for you to vote what my best read that month was. At the end of the year, I will run those 12 in a poll against each other, and when we have a winner I will host a giveaway for that book!<br />
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Even if you haven't read any of them, please vote on the one that interests you the most!<br />
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I have posted the results for January - May voting here: <a href="http://shaunesay.blogspot.com/2017/11/2017-best-read-poll-off-where-we-are-so.html">January - May 2017 Best Read Results</a><br />
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And have opened the June poll here: <a href="http://shaunesay.blogspot.com/2017/11/my-best-read-of-june-2017-poll-off.html">Best Read of June 2017 Poll</a><br />
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June has a tough choice with 3 books I would be hard pressed to decide between, as they've all been popular and important in different ways. I'm really interested to see how that turns out!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Please Vote!</span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The Polls for My Best Reads for the months I'm behind<span style="font-size: large;">.</span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">A Review for <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34570037-a-hope-divided?ac=1&from_search=true">A Hope Divided</a> by Alyssa Cole - coming out 11/28/17</span></div>
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Received through subscription boxes (Uppercase, Owlcrate and Pagehabit):<br />
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Physical books I bought: None since last time. </div>
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Kindle deals, freebies and Prime checkouts (which may or may not still be freebies or on sale):<br />
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Netgalley Approvals: Nothing new since last time<br />
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Library Books:<br />
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shaunesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646494450896759850noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25889646.post-16534859422011840342017-11-25T16:01:00.001-06:002017-11-25T16:01:21.278-06:00My Best Read of June 2017 - A Poll OffIt's always hard to decide what the best books you've read in a year are. We can look at our ratings, but those may change depending on our mood. It's really hard to compare some of those books against each other, especially when you've read them months apart, or they are on completely different subjects.<br />
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I'm going to have a friendly competition between the books I've read this year and see what YOU think was my best read in 2017. I'm going to post a poll for each month of the year, with the books I've read in one list for you to vote on, so that by the end of the year, I'll have 12 books for a final poll to decide what the best book I've read this year was, according to you! There may even be a giveaway at the end!<br />
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Starting the first week of October, I will post a month's worth of books every week to be voted on, with the winner for that week going on the final list. <br />
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Here are the books I read in June, covers and links to Goodreads will be below the poll itself so you don't have to scroll if you already know your answer! It's okay if you haven't read any of them, just pick the one that sounds the most appealing to you!<br />
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<b>Update</b>: I got a little behind on making polls, and there will be a giveaway at the end, so if you haven't read any of these, please still vote for the one that interests you the most. Chaos voting is okay! ;)
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13166601-when-women-were-birds">When Women<br /> Were Birds</a></div>
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by Terry Tempest<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25667918-binti">Binti</a></div>
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by Nnedi Okorafor</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41811.The_Caves_of_Steel">The Caves of Steel</a></div>
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by Isaac Asimov</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23174274-glass-sword">Glass Sword</a></div>
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by Victoria Aveyard</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32075671-the-hate-u-give">The Hate U Give</a></div>
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by Angie Thomas</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30688435-exit-west">Exit West</a></div>
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by Mohsin Hamid</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28389305-the-other-einstein">The Other Einstein</a></div>
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by Marie Benedict</div>
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shaunesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646494450896759850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25889646.post-11881761559520195342017-11-25T15:04:00.000-06:002017-11-25T15:04:31.450-06:002017 Best Read Poll Off - Where we are so farI've held polls so far for January through May to have you help me decide what my best read of the year is, then to have a giveaway for that book. Here are the standings so far:<br />
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January - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13638125-vicious?from_search=true">Vicious</a> by V. E. Schwab<br />
February - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38447.The_Handmaid_s_Tale?from_search=true">The Handmaid's Tale</a> by Margaret Atwood<br />
March - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25489625-between-the-world-and-me?ac=1&from_search=true">Between the World and Me</a> by Ta-Nehisi Coates<br />
April - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30831912-norse-mythology?from_search=true">Norse Mythology</a> by Neil Gaiman<br />
May - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19161852-the-fifth-season?from_search=true">The Fifth Season</a> by N. K. Jemisin<br />
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We still have June through December to get through and I'm a few weeks behind, but we'll get there! So keep on the lookout and keep voting for me! I'm enjoying the process! I can't say that I'm surprised by the outcomes so far, but some of them are tough choices between great books, so I can't wait to see where we end up for my best read of the year!<br />
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June and July are coming soon! Hopefully this weekend!shaunesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646494450896759850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25889646.post-29019450691704275812017-11-25T14:35:00.004-06:002017-11-25T14:36:24.741-06:00My TBR List - November - The Upside of Unrequited - a not review<table border="1" cellpadding="10"><tbody>
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<i>Book Synopsis:</i><br />
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<span id="freeText14463226779102278820">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 always have to be careful.<br />
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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 and she’ll get her twin back.<br />
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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></td></tr>
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<br />
This sounded really cute, but I just couldn't get into it right now, it was too much OMG cute boys, and so many crushes but never acting on them for me right now, which is exactly what it is supposed to be. The problem for me on this one is that I don't want to live any of those things again, so I've put it aside to try some other time maybe, or maybe not. It's all me, no reflection on the book. Hopefully I'll have better luck in December!shaunesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646494450896759850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25889646.post-34899816139954380842017-11-18T22:54:00.001-06:002017-11-18T22:54:30.543-06:00My Best Reads of May 2017 - a Poll OffIt's always hard to decide what the best books you've read in a year are. We can look at our ratings, but those may change depending on our mood. It's really hard to compare some of those books against each other, especially when you've read them months apart, or they are on completely different subjects.<br />
<br />
I'm going to have a friendly competition between the books I've read this year and see what YOU think was my best read in 2017. I'm going to post a poll for each month of the year, with the books I've read in one list for you to vote on, so that by the end of the year, I'll have 12 books for a final poll to decide what the best book I've read this year was, according to you! There may even be a giveaway at the end!<br />
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Starting the first week of October, I will post a month's worth of books every week to be voted on, with the winner for that week going on the final list. <br />
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Here are the books I read in May, covers and links to Goodreads will be below the poll itself so you don't have to scroll if you already know your answer! It's okay if you haven't read any of them, just pick the one that sounds the most appealing to you!<br />
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<b>Update</b>: I got a little behind on making polls, and there will be a giveaway at the end, so if you haven't read any of these, please still vote for the one that interests you the most. Chaos voting is okay! ;)
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19161852-the-fifth-season">The Fifth Season</a></div>
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by N.K. Jemisin</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16788.Fragile_Things">Fragile Things</a></div>
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by Neil Gaiman</div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1446749751l/20983362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1446749751l/20983362.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20983362-passenger">Passenger</a></div>
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by Alexandra Bracken</div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1299046766l/156510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="175" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1299046766l/156510.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/156510.The_Ghost_and_Mrs_McClure">The Ghost and<br /> Mrs. McClure</a></div>
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by Alice Kimberly</div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1437660786l/88071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="251" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1437660786l/88071.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/88071.The_Last_Colony">The Last Colony</a></div>
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by John Scalzi</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23203252-a-shadow-bright-and-burning">A Shadow Bright<br /> and Burning</a></div>
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by Jessica Cluess</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29496435-you-can-t-touch-my-hair">You Can't Touch<br /> My Hair</a></div>
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by Phoebe Robinson</div>
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shaunesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646494450896759850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25889646.post-72356176691001579122017-11-11T22:50:00.001-06:002017-11-11T22:50:44.192-06:00The Sunday Post #12<table cellpadding="10"><tbody>
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<tr><td>Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted @ <a href="http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/">Caffeinated Book Reviewer</a>. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: <a href="http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/the-sunday-post-meme">Sunday Post Meme</a></td></tr>
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I tried bowling this past Sunday for the first time since I broke my arm back at the end of July! I did it, and my arm didn't really hurt, but the rest of me sure did! I guess I hadn't used those muscles for awhile!<br />
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I did end up going to the dinner session of the library book club this month, and then had the morning session today, so I've already had book club twice in 2 weeks, and it's great! Unfortunately now I have to wait until the first week of December to go again, since I can't make the lunch sessions, darn working! MOAR BOOKCLUB! ;)<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-POnrj82aSBA/WTtgwec8qcI/AAAAAAAACbs/YefQOUCX_QkyrlbR7B1GMXSqk4KiVm2TgCLcB/s1600/Lastweek.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="204" data-original-width="750" height="108" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-POnrj82aSBA/WTtgwec8qcI/AAAAAAAACbs/YefQOUCX_QkyrlbR7B1GMXSqk4KiVm2TgCLcB/s400/Lastweek.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Reviews:</span> </b></i><br />
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<a href="http://shaunesay.blogspot.com/2017/11/beasts-of-extraordinary-circumstance-by.html">Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance</a> - by Ruth Emmie Lang, reviewed for Netgalley.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Features (otherwise known as ALL THE VOTING!):</b></i></span><br />
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<i>My TBR List:</i><br />
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<a href="http://shaunesay.blogspot.com/2017/11/my-tbr-list-november-winner-is-upside.html">The Upside of Unrequited</a> was the winner for my November TBR List read, so I will be reading and reviewing that in the next couple of weeks!<i> </i><br />
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<i>Polls:</i><br />
<i> </i> <br />
I've started a poll feature to last from now until the end of the year where you will help me pick what my best reads were! Each week I will have a poll that lists the books I read in a particular month for you to vote what my best read that month was. At the end of the year, I will run those 12 in a poll against each other, and when we have a winner I will host a giveaway for that book!<br />
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Even if you haven't read any of them, please vote on the one that interests you the most!<br />
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February - April are currently open for votes! <br />
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Here is February, it could use more votes!: <a href="http://shaunesay.blogspot.com/2017/10/my-best-reads-of-2017-poll-off-february.html">February Best Read Poll</a><br />
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March could use more votes as well! <a href="https://shaunesay.blogspot.com/2017/10/my-best-reads-of-2017-poll-off-march.html">March Best Reads Poll</a><br />
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I have just posted the <a href="http://shaunesay.blogspot.com/2017/11/my-best-reads-of-april-2017-poll-off.html">April Best Reads Poll</a> <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Please Vote!</span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Polls for My Best Reads for the months I'm behind (May and June I think) </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Hopefully a review or two!</span></div>
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Received through subscription boxes (Uppercase, Owlcrate and Pagehabit): None since last time.<br />
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Physical books I bought: None since last time. </div>
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Kindle deals, freebies and Prime checkouts (which may or may not still be freebies or on sale):<br />
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Netgalley Approvals:<br />
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Library Books:<br />
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shaunesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646494450896759850noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25889646.post-28214251916715251102017-11-11T22:11:00.003-06:002017-11-11T22:11:57.779-06:00My Best Reads of April 2017 - A Poll Off!It's always hard to decide what the best books you've read in a year are. We can look at our ratings, but those may change depending on our mood. It's really hard to compare some of those books against each other, especially when you've read them months apart, or they are on completely different subjects.<br />
<br />
I'm going to have a friendly competition between the books I've read this year and see what YOU think was my best read in 2017. I'm going to post a poll for each month of the year, with the books I've read in one list for you to vote on, so that by the end of the year, I'll have 12 books for a final poll to decide what the best book I've read this year was, according to you! There may even be a giveaway at the end!<br />
<br />
Starting the first week of October, I will post a month's worth of books every week to be voted on, with the winner for that week going on the final list. <br />
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Here are the books I read in March, covers and links to Goodreads will be below the poll itself so you don't have to scroll if you already know your answer! It's okay if you haven't read any of them, just pick the one that sounds the most appealing to you!<br />
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<b>Update</b>: I got a little behind on making polls, and there will be a giveaway at the end, so if you haven't read any of these, please still vote for the one that interests you the most. Chaos voting is okay! ;)
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30831912-norse-mythology">Norse Mythology</a></div>
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by Neil Gaiman</div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1496315917l/26025989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1496315917l/26025989.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26025989-the-princess-diarist">The Princess Diarist</a></div>
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by Carrie Fisher</div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1428617658l/961831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1428617658l/961831.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/961831.The_Shadowy_Horses">The Shadowy Horses</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Susanna Kearsley</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1451400644l/26200563.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="175" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1451400644l/26200563.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26200563-hamilton">Hamilton: The Revolution</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Lin-Manuel Miranda<br />
and Jeremy McCarter </div>
</td>
<td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1409177869l/23116644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="251" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1409177869l/23116644.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23116644-still-life-with-murder">Still Life with Murder</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by P. B. Ryan</div>
</td>
<td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388959175l/511259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="251" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388959175l/511259.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/511259.Aunt_Dimity_Beats_the_Devil">Aunt Dimity Beats<br />The Devil</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Nancy Atherton</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
shaunesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646494450896759850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25889646.post-58452002972994604602017-11-10T21:39:00.002-06:002017-11-10T21:39:44.531-06:00My TBR List November - The Winner is... The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli<table border="1" cellpadding="10"><tbody>
<tr><td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487956734l/30653853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="296" height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487956734l/30653853.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
<i>Book Synopsis:</i><br />
<br />
<span id="freeText14463226779102278820">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 always have to be careful.<br />
<br />
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 and she’ll get her twin back.<br />
<br />
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></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This sounds potentially cute, and also awkwardly painful. Can I just say how glad I am to be an old married lady that doesn't have to go through those teen finding yourself years again? Let's see what kind of trouble Molly gets into!<br />
<br />
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
46% of the votes
</div>
</td><td><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1496658540l/25695640.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="294" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1496658540l/25695640.jpg" width="123" /></a>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
36% of the votes
</div>
</td><td><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473868084l/32048554.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="175" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473868084l/32048554.jpg" width="128" /></a>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
18% of the votes
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shaunesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646494450896759850noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25889646.post-18114594530035044112017-11-08T21:35:00.001-06:002017-11-08T21:35:02.536-06:00Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang - available 11/14/17<table border="1" cellpadding="10"><tbody>
<tr><td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492871051l/33574161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492871051l/33574161.jpg" width="264" /></a></div>
<i>Synopsis:</i><br />
<br />
<span id="freeText10731651319436479317">Orphaned, raised by
wolves, and the proud owner of a horned pig named Merlin, Weylyn Grey
knew he wasn’t like other people. But when he single-handedly stopped
that tornado on a stormy Christmas day in Oklahoma, he realized just how
different he actually was.<br /><br />That tornado was the first of many
strange events that seem to follow Weylyn from town to town, although he
doesn’t like to take credit. As amazing as these powers may appear,
they tend to manifest themselves at inopportune times and places. From
freak storms to trees that appear to grow over night, Weylyn’s unique
abilities are a curiosity at best and at worst, a danger to himself and
the woman he loves. But Mary doesn’t care. Since Weylyn saved her from
an angry wolf on her eleventh birthday, she’s known that a relationship
with him isn’t without its risks, but as anyone who’s met Weylyn will
tell you, once he wanders into your life, you’ll wish he’d never leave.<br /><br />Beasts
of Extraordinary Circumstance tells the story of Weylyn Grey’s life
from the perspectives of the people who knew him, loved him, and even a
few who thought he was just plain weird. Although he doesn’t stay in any
of their lives for long, he leaves each of them with a story to tell.
Stories about a boy who lives with wolves, great storms that evaporate
into thin air, fireflies that make phosphorescent honey, and a house
filled with spider webs and the strange man who inhabits it.<br /><br />There
is one story, however, that Weylyn wishes he could change: his own. But
first he has to muster enough courage to knock on Mary’s front door.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Publication Date: November 14th, 2017<br />
Imprint: St. Martin's Press<br />
Publisher: St. Martin's Press<br />
Genre: Sci/Fi Fantasy (I would also say Magical Realism)<br />
Received From: Netgalley in exchange for honest feedback<br />
My Rating: 5/5 <br />
<br />
Delightful! By turns whimsical and poignant, poor Weylyn just can't seem to get things quite right. He doesn't have much control over powers he can't really define, and powers you can't control are more of a nuisance, and often dangerous, than a boon to your existence! Most who come into contact with Weylyn realize how special and fascinating he is, but it seems like he is constantly leaving those he loves, whether by his own unhappy decision, afraid he'll hurt them, or by being forced to go. Nature gets a boost around him, and the weather reacts to his moods, and you spend the book rooting for him to find his Happily Ever After, because he's such a gentle, caring and innocent soul.<br />
<br />
The structure of the story was different, told from the alternating points of view of those interacting with Weylyn, only finally getting his perspective towards the end. While you feel sad for this man who has had such a different and often solitary life, it is also a heartwarming story as he seems to make it back to those he loves time and again. This book was a magical hug, and I look forward to more from Ruth Emmie Lang!<br />
<br />shaunesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646494450896759850noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25889646.post-37941858040795291972017-11-04T07:00:00.000-05:002017-11-04T07:00:11.598-05:00My To Be Read List - November 2017 - YA Sub Box Books<br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.becausereading.com/read-list-now-meme-update-post"><img src="http://www.becausereading.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/MyTBRList.jpg" height="206" target="_blank”><img alt=" than="" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Welcome to my November 2017 edition of My To Be Read List, hosted by <a href="http://www.becausereading.com/">Michelle @ Because Reading</a>. This is a monthly meme where we offer up 3 choices from our TBR pile for our readers to pick from to help us make the super hard decision of "what do I read next?" a little easier and to whittle away at the ever growing TBR Mountain! <br />
<br />
Theme: YA Sub Box Books - I've subscribed to Uppercase and Owlcrate for a few months now and have only manged to read on of the books I've received, so let's change that! I went with three that were not Fantasy/Sci-Fi this time.<br />
<br />
The poll will stay open through Friday 11/10, and I'll update this post with the winning book on Saturday 11/11, then post a review on the last Saturday of the month, 11/25. <br />
<br />
If you think this sounds fun and would like to join (the more the merrier, because we love voting!) please head on over to <a href="http://www.becausereading.com/read-list-now-meme-update-post/">Because Reading</a> where Michelle lays out the rules for us!<br />
<br />
And the choices are...<br />
<br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="10"><tbody>
<tr><td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487956734l/30653853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487956734l/30653853.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
<i>Book Synopsis:</i><br />
<br />
<span id="freeText10043725632144434456">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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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></td></tr>
<tr><td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473868084l/32048554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473868084l/32048554.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
<i>Book Synopsis:</i><br />
<br />
<span id="freeText7241344717819528216"><i>Let luck find you.</i><br /><br />Alice
doesn’t believe in luck—at least, not the good kind. But she does
believe in love, and for some time now, she’s been pining for her best
friend, Teddy. On his eighteenth birthday—just when it seems they might
be on the brink of something—she buys him a lottery ticket on a lark. To
their astonishment, he wins $140 million, and in an instant, everything
changes. <br /><br />At first, it seems like a dream come true, especially
since the two of them are no strangers to misfortune. As a kid, Alice
won the worst kind of lottery possible when her parents died just over a
year apart from each other. And Teddy’s father abandoned his family not
long after that, leaving them to grapple with his gambling debts.
Through it all, Teddy and Alice have leaned on each other. But now, as
they negotiate the ripple effects of Teddy’s newfound wealth, a gulf
opens between them. And soon, the money starts to feel like more of a
curse than a windfall. <br /><br />As they try to find their way back to
each other, Alice learns more about herself than she ever could have
imagined…and about the unexpected ways in which luck and love sometimes
intersect.</span></td></tr>
<tr><td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1496658540l/25695640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1496658540l/25695640.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
<i>Book Synopsis:</i><br />
<br />
<span id="freeText4966693687889474111">Adam has just been
diagnosed with schizophrenia. He sees and hears people who aren’t there:
Rebecca, a beautiful girl who understands him; the Mob Boss, who
harasses him; and Jason, the naked guy who’s unfailingly polite. It
should be easy to separate the real from the not real, but Adam can't.<br /><br />Still,
there’s hope. As Adam starts fresh at a new school, he begins a drug
trial that helps him ignore his visions. Suddenly everything seems
possible, even love. When he meets Maya, a fiercely intelligent girl, he
desperately wants to be the great guy that she thinks he is. But then
the miracle drug begins to fail, and Adam will do anything to keep Maya
from discovering his secret.</span>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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shaunesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646494450896759850noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25889646.post-60919527597847342332017-10-29T01:12:00.001-05:002017-10-29T01:12:51.834-05:00The Sunday Post #11<table cellpadding="10"><tbody>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ozjiD4VfZd0/WSEeJBGQXgI/AAAAAAAACZ8/syK8wdLGJVwn1fiy46u6r4xqCtLSZhpsQCLcB/s1600/The%2BSunday%2BPost.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ozjiD4VfZd0/WSEeJBGQXgI/AAAAAAAACZ8/syK8wdLGJVwn1fiy46u6r4xqCtLSZhpsQCLcB/s200/The%2BSunday%2BPost.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ozjiD4VfZd0/WSEeJBGQXgI/AAAAAAAACZ8/syK8wdLGJVwn1fiy46u6r4xqCtLSZhpsQCLcB/s1600/The%2BSunday%2BPost.jpg"> </a></div>
<br />
<br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="10"><tbody>
<tr><td>Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted @ <a href="http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/">Caffeinated Book Reviewer</a>. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: <a href="http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/the-sunday-post-meme">Sunday Post Meme</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JEm1QVGqi_g/WTtgrVhj7fI/AAAAAAAACbo/4_g4nshnxv42ECKBiM9TVZpjRNdzqnjswCLcB/s1600/whatsup.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="204" data-original-width="750" height="108" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JEm1QVGqi_g/WTtgrVhj7fI/AAAAAAAACbo/4_g4nshnxv42ECKBiM9TVZpjRNdzqnjswCLcB/s400/whatsup.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I finished up PT for my broken arm this past Friday, so I may give bowling a try again soon to see if I can get back to the league I was in. Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon was back on 10/21 and that was another great one. Here is my <a href="http://shaunesay.blogspot.com/2017/10/deweys-24-hour-read-thon-october-21st.html">participation post</a> if you want to see how I did!<br />
<br />
I'm thinking about going to another session of the Library Book Club, they do a breakfast, lunch and dinner. I enjoy it so much that I may go to the dinner session as well! I can't decide if I want to just show up, or ask the librarian in charge of it if that's weird, to go to multiple sessions per month. I kind of think I'm not the only person who does that, since many of them seem to be older ladies, a couple are voracious readers, so I bet they already go to more than one. We'll see! <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-POnrj82aSBA/WTtgwec8qcI/AAAAAAAACbs/YefQOUCX_QkyrlbR7B1GMXSqk4KiVm2TgCLcB/s1600/Lastweek.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="204" data-original-width="750" height="108" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-POnrj82aSBA/WTtgwec8qcI/AAAAAAAACbs/YefQOUCX_QkyrlbR7B1GMXSqk4KiVm2TgCLcB/s400/Lastweek.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Reviews:</span> </b></i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://shaunesay.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-tethered-mage-by-melissa-caruso.html">The Tethered Mage</a> by Melissa Caruso - reviewed for Netgalley.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://shaunesay.blogspot.com/2017/10/charmed-to-death-by-shirley-damsgaard.html">Charmed to Death</a> by Shirley Damsgaard - reviewed for the My TBR List Meme<br />
<br />
<a href="http://shaunesay.blogspot.com/2017/10/onyx-webb-book-1-by-richard-fenton-and.html">Onyx Webb Book 1</a> by Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz - reviewed for fun<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Features (otherwise known as ALL THE VOTING!):</b></i></span><br />
<br />
<i>Polls:</i><br />
<i> </i> <br />
I've started a poll feature to last from now until the end of the year where you will help me pick what my best reads were! Each week I will have a poll that lists the books I read in a particular month for you to vote what my best read that month was. At the end of the year, I will run those 12 in a poll against each other, and when we have a winner I will host a giveaway for that book!<br />
<br />
Even if you haven't read any of them, please vote on the one that interests you the most! <br />
<br />
January's winner was <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13638125-vicious?from_search=true">Vicious</a> by V. E. Schwab<br />
<br />
Here is February, it could use more votes!: <a href="http://shaunesay.blogspot.com/2017/10/my-best-reads-of-2017-poll-off-february.html">February Best Read Poll</a><br />
<br />
March could use more votes as well! <a href="https://shaunesay.blogspot.com/2017/10/my-best-reads-of-2017-poll-off-march.html">March Best Reads Poll</a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Please Vote!</span> </div>
<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d0Z8agmRhGQ/WTtg0z5QHCI/AAAAAAAACbw/d8keBdao4Q4fvLjSBsEjKHjG4HpPUKwRwCLcB/s1600/Coming%2BSoon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="204" data-original-width="770" height="106" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d0Z8agmRhGQ/WTtg0z5QHCI/AAAAAAAACbw/d8keBdao4Q4fvLjSBsEjKHjG4HpPUKwRwCLcB/s400/Coming%2BSoon.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Polls for My Best Reads of April and May</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The November Round of My TBR List</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Hopefully a review or two! </span></div>
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</div>
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<br />
I received these through my subscription boxes (Uppercase, Owlcrate and Pagehabit):<br />
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Physical books I bought: None this week
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Kindle deals, freebies and Prime checkouts (which may or may not still be freebies or on sale):<br />
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Netgalley Approvals:<br />
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Library Books:<br />
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1460911565l/29358559.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="264" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1460911565l/29358559.jpg" width="131" /></a>
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shaunesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646494450896759850noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25889646.post-12859008708552604132017-10-27T20:47:00.001-05:002017-10-27T20:47:34.919-05:00Onyx Webb Book 1 by Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz<table border="1" cellpadding="10"><tbody>
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<i>Description:</i><br />
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Delectably Creepy. Gripping. Fascinating.<br />
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Onyx Webb is a multi-genre mash-up that combines supernatural suspense, crime, horror, romance, and more. So the story... Onyx Webb is a ghost. Billionaire playboy Koda Mulvaney becomes obsessed with a girl he sees inside a mirror. Juniper Cole is on her way to the prom and... well, we don't want to spoil anything - we've probably told you too much already. How all these events are related is part of the mystery that is, Onyx Webb.<br />
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The Onyx Webb series follows the unusual life of Onyx Webb along with a central group of characters in various locations and times. The billionaire Mulvaney family, piano prodigy Juniper Cole and her brother Quinn, paranormal show hosts Cryer and Fudge, and a few others make up the core of the series. Written like a book version of a supernatural soap opera (think: American Horror Story) each character’s story moves forward with most every episode.<br />
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It may appear that the characters are entirely unrelated and yet episode by episode, the connections will become clearer. Like being an inch away from a spider web, with each book, the web will move further and further away revealing the full story of every character and most importantly, the stunning conclusion for Onyx Webb herself.</td></tr>
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First of all, oh my goodness that cover! I was so glad I was reading this on my Kindle instead of actually holding a physical copy because this spidery cover just undoes me! Luckily the story itself is not full of spiders, at least not yet, though who knows what is in store for us in future episodes! This books collects the first 3 episodes into 1 book, there are 10 books in all with 32 total episodes. They are available through Kindle Unlimited currently if you have that, or for around $3.99 each book.<br />
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I picked up the first one on hearing how much a friend was enjoying them, and though skeptical (she's much more into horror than I) gave it a try this week, it being the Halloween season and all. There are many characters, all of them very different and well written, so that even though it is a lot to keep track of, they are all different enough that I didn't get confused. You quickly get a feel for each scenario. Add to that the fact they are occurring in different time periods throughout a roughly hundred year time frame, which adds another level of curiosity at how they are related to each other. <br />
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I appreciated the very short, action packed chapters, and the ability of the authors to keep you hooked while doling out the tidbits of story. As a non-horror fan I can report this was not too much for me, yet, and while murdery and twisty things happen, I was more intrigued than squeamish. I'm in for the rest of the story because I need to find out how all of these people end up related!<br />
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Good find DragonGoddess! Thanks!<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Onyx-Webb-Book-One-Episodes-ebook/dp/B00VIP8KLC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509154274&sr=1-1&keywords=Onyx+Webb">Onyx Webb Book 1 on Amazon</a>shaunesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12646494450896759850noreply@blogger.com0