tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88667115981702150772024-03-05T18:11:55.321-05:00Foil the PlotFoil the Plot is a book and movie blog that provides reviews, recommendations and promotes all around nerdy awesomeness. If you have a passion for good conversation about random books, upcoming movies and other assorted pop-geek awesomeness, then this is the place for you.Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825578716168335522noreply@blogger.comBlogger199125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866711598170215077.post-2657690829684126992014-08-22T06:00:00.000-04:002014-08-22T15:20:41.282-04:00Welcome to the Dark Side<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Hi, friends. You may have noticed that I’ve
taken a bit of a hiatus from blogging. Though it’s not uncommon for me to
disappear from time to time, I’ve always managed to find my way back here, to
all of you. This time, however; I’m not sure if I’ll be back at all. It’s taken me
a long time to muster the courage to write this post and even longer to admit that
I even had a problem.</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You see, for the better part of my life, I’ve been
battling depression. And for the last 6 months, it reared its ugly head.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s hard for me to talk about this because so
many people have so many preconceived notions about it. There’s this stigma surrounding
it, one where judgment reigns free. Suddenly, people are looking at you
differently, treating you differently, tip-toeing around you. Sometimes, often
times, it’s the people you love. So in an effort to not be judged, you pull
back, furthering the isolation that you are inevitably already feeling. You dig
down deeper into this gaping hole, going further and further and further until
you’re incapable of finding your way back out again. It’s a brutal and sick cycle.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I think one of the worst misconceptions I’ve
heard about depression is the notion that it’s just a consistently sad
state-of-mind. People think that, if you, the sufferer, could just think with a
little more rationale, you could see that things were fine. But the people that
think this way couldn’t be more wrong. It’s not that simple. Depression <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">isn’t</i> sadness and depression <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">isn’t</i> consistent. Depression is a very
mental, physical and emotional thing that swallows your entire being whole, starting
from the inside on out. It defies the bounds of logic by giving you a false
sense of hope. It eats away at the happy little pieces of you, a little bit at
a time. And it never makes sense. One minute you can feel totally normal and
the next, you start to break apart. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And, for me, that’s my biggest struggle. The
randomness of it. There will be moments, days, months where you feel fine; you
think, “<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></span>I’ve finally got my shit
together.” You feel transparent and free. But then, for no apparent reason at
all, a soul-crushing well will open up, sucking you into this undertow of fear
and hopelessness and pain. It feels like you’ve been punched right in the gut;
so you grasp at strings, at anything to hold onto really, desperate for some
sense control. But after a while, you get tired of fighting and it begins to
feel like a kindness to give in. It gets to a point where you’d do anything, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">anything</i> just to get rid of the pain.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But that’s not the worst part about
depression. It’s the shame. It’s the guilt you feel for feeling this way, the
utter hopelessness of not being able to get out of it. It’s the embarrassment you
get from not being strong enough to fix it—that impermeable despair and torment
that takes up residence in the hollowed out part of yourself. It’s the feeling
that there is something wrong with you and that you deserve it, somehow. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">That</i> is the worst part.</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Look, I don’t want to glamourize depression in
any way. Trust me when I say, there is nothing glamourous about it. I think if
Robin Williams’ recent and untimely death has taught us anything, it’s that
depression is <i>deadly </i>serious. And that’s part of why I made the decision to
share this personal bit of my life with all of you. Because this is a serious
and seriously misunderstood illness, one that deserves a bit of recognition
from and for the people who are afflicted by it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To those of you who may be suffering from
depression, I want you to know that it’s okay to seek help. You are NOT
less than a person for feeling this way and you do NOT deserve this. Please,
please, please tell someone. Say something, anything, to anyone you trust. And
know that you are not alone. Conversely, if you know someone who is or may be
depressed, please, listen. Do not try to fix them. Do not judge. Just listen
and let them know they are loved. In situations like this, that is the greatest
kindness you can give. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As for myself, well, I’m a work in
progress. I won’t lie and say that things are completely fine because they're not. Healing doesn’t
happen overnight. Slowly I’m getting better, one day at a time. And maybe one day I
can claim a victory over my depression, at least, that’s the hope. <i>Hope</i>. Hope is a small spot of colour in
an otherwise vast sea of grey. Hope is what keeps me going. Hope is what keeps me alive.</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And if you're interesting in learning more about the science behind depression, please check out AsapScience's video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOK1tKFFIQI" target="_blank">here</a>. Understanding how something works is the key to curing it.</span></b></div>
Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825578716168335522noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866711598170215077.post-3880929904484954452014-04-10T06:00:00.000-04:002014-07-16T18:39:41.629-04:00London Bound<span style="font-size: large;">OMG, you're never gonna believe this, unless of course, you follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/foiltheplot">Twitter</a>. If you do then you already know that <b>I'M GOING TO ENGLAND! </b>Like, as in right now. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL6RadBcCgTgNWhMCUEfW1CBIoOy4UgEsfo_NFubiLlOdHWSyjQkMSfv1SbNdp9HLOydfCIb386qgxr5ZrKsLryHBmYu0z_Vw09JyCRieYv2B2QVlpIRv8lkmnUDOeXvQUtSXPmhn2heWq/s1600/The+Best.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL6RadBcCgTgNWhMCUEfW1CBIoOy4UgEsfo_NFubiLlOdHWSyjQkMSfv1SbNdp9HLOydfCIb386qgxr5ZrKsLryHBmYu0z_Vw09JyCRieYv2B2QVlpIRv8lkmnUDOeXvQUtSXPmhn2heWq/s1600/The+Best.gif" height="260" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">As we speak I am either in the airport or on a plane and just generally on my way across the pond.<b> I KNOW! </b>And you know what's even cooler? The fact that I'm landing in London <b>ON MY ACTUAL BIRTHDAY!</b> This is a total dream come true!</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4oEjaSZP-lXtbW5oazrbqWrbgl2tXlo0oPrjsbhlXXZcfLASGthF7eaFCYjfZD_lijmQMJ1vr4h6mbYcb18CpevqPEQei00uyrjaOmvmDglWJKdRKR5QRsNI8E7XYYhjXJvy1pCfGSIZ-/s1600/ActNatural.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4oEjaSZP-lXtbW5oazrbqWrbgl2tXlo0oPrjsbhlXXZcfLASGthF7eaFCYjfZD_lijmQMJ1vr4h6mbYcb18CpevqPEQei00uyrjaOmvmDglWJKdRKR5QRsNI8E7XYYhjXJvy1pCfGSIZ-/s1600/ActNatural.gif" height="217" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do you think they'll notice I'm not one of the natives?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">My dad is English so I'm going over for the first time with him to spend some quality time with his side of the family and also to do some sight-seeing. This is also the reasoning behind my lack of posting of late. Between work, prepping for my trip and a recent reading slump, I haven't really had much of a desire to blog. But don't worry! I'm counting on this trip to bring forth some new inspiration (and lots of good reads on the way). I should be back shortly after Easter with some awesome movie/book reviews and new content. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv5DYcK_WVdvDz2mE49ypqnQNtG-JCel_xu1kLADz58wIKbAuNb4Dpkpl9wUWltBh7S1_qfdJDnX84G1z-xd5mXjafjERV6Vp5T75ekux5Xpk-YEOt3YCN2ZXyRUQFculxzG5QCrYZ8rTQ/s1600/Royalty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv5DYcK_WVdvDz2mE49ypqnQNtG-JCel_xu1kLADz58wIKbAuNb4Dpkpl9wUWltBh7S1_qfdJDnX84G1z-xd5mXjafjERV6Vp5T75ekux5Xpk-YEOt3YCN2ZXyRUQFculxzG5QCrYZ8rTQ/s1600/Royalty.jpg" height="306" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Until then, I wish you all well and I'll see you soon... I'm off to bag me a cute Prince. Possibly a Duke. Definitely an Earl. </span>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825578716168335522noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866711598170215077.post-17772089441730426942014-03-31T06:00:00.000-04:002014-07-16T18:41:20.570-04:00Audiobook Review: Of Poseidon by Anna Banks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsrgl3NqDhhHPj7Lgx8SvL57pRUwY8P4nfCCexR0EPM7lhCDZDUSqzYqcKPD7G1mAGOvlD34gYSoyGAP744ItRQ4gNfzgPfYnQ1s-OktN-mGzlw-apjh1YsL9rZ_vGQooj2sEbySSUUfO/s1600/OfPoseidon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsrgl3NqDhhHPj7Lgx8SvL57pRUwY8P4nfCCexR0EPM7lhCDZDUSqzYqcKPD7G1mAGOvlD34gYSoyGAP744ItRQ4gNfzgPfYnQ1s-OktN-mGzlw-apjh1YsL9rZ_vGQooj2sEbySSUUfO/s1600/OfPoseidon.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Title:</b> Of Poseidon</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Author(s):</b> Anna Banks</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Genre(s):</b> Fantasy, Myth, Romance, Young Adult</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Publisher/Date:</b> Feiwel & Friends / May 22, 2012</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Series:</b> The Syrena Legacy (Book #1)
</span><br />
<blockquote style="background: rgb(230, 230, 230);">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Morning tide makes a great companion when you don’t want to be around people. It soothes and comforts and doesn't ask for anything. But the sun does. The higher it gets, the more I am reminded that nothing stops time. There is no escaping it.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">” -<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Emma M<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">cI</span>ntosh</span></span></span></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Case Study </span></span></b></div>
<span id="freeText6683589777094794349" style="font-size: large;">Galen is the prince of
the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he's heard can communicate with
fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into
Galen—literally, <i>ouch!</i>—both teens sense a connection. But it
will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for
Galen to be convinced of Emma's gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma
that she holds the key to his kingdom... <i>(synopsis from Goodreads)</i></span> <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">The Game's Afoot</span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Remember all the reasons I was afraid to read a book about mermaids? Well, remember the time I <a href="http://foiltheplot.blogspot.com/2013/08/book-review-monstrous-beauty-by.html">read a mermaid book</a> and loved it? Yeah. This was <u>not</u> one of those times. I really wanted to enjoy <i>Of Poseidon</i> but the book had too many glaring issues for me to ignore. </span> <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3vNxsJG2GFPXQYG06WiEKbzriADekqsVXVcHVNAgc6LOHiW_DgXcJVPRk-uEVbCWCIv2NUQNF31ruAY-SzdAqasv181wP67eKGG9PJVvbQBWskhFnjBsxbiYWvkwSDzFKX4sjSrBomI9/s1600/Bitch+Please.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3vNxsJG2GFPXQYG06WiEKbzriADekqsVXVcHVNAgc6LOHiW_DgXcJVPRk-uEVbCWCIv2NUQNF31ruAY-SzdAqasv181wP67eKGG9PJVvbQBWskhFnjBsxbiYWvkwSDzFKX4sjSrBomI9/s1600/Bitch+Please.gif" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Overt Sexism</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">While I can appreciate what Banks was trying to accomplish by distinguishing Syrena society from human society, I didn't jive with how the female characters were portrayed. They are just these pretty little things who have no say in what they do or how they get to feel. Rayna, arguably one of the most fierce women in the book, spends all her time fighting "the man" and taking a stand. She's forced to marry Toraf against her will, without consent or even her presence. And what's worse is that in the end, she accepts it all because of a petty manipulation that incites her jealousy. And Emma, who initially backs Rayna, THINKS OF THE PLAN that wins Rayna over! Really?!</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhctwMv0QxBW27-4CfeOOA4pkqvxzcBN35dMIdvOQs4QTInH7cwFD-Opya36ITBoTlTvrZFfe1FfeY5FLr-5CSEEgHaOlkRexlbZ5lbccYm1sEx7Os1IgxdyYqopgcParvf-rsKrKav6sai/s1600/Diversity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhctwMv0QxBW27-4CfeOOA4pkqvxzcBN35dMIdvOQs4QTInH7cwFD-Opya36ITBoTlTvrZFfe1FfeY5FLr-5CSEEgHaOlkRexlbZ5lbccYm1sEx7Os1IgxdyYqopgcParvf-rsKrKav6sai/s1600/Diversity.jpg" height="307" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Yay, Diversity?</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">I would love to applaud Banks' use of diversity in this book, but unfortunately, her portrayal of a POC character leaves something to be desired. She had a great opportunity to make Chloe's character count, but instead, we're given a stereotypical shell who meets every <span class="st">cliché </span>there is. <b><u>SPOILER ALERT</u></b>: Chloe not only dies in the first several chapters, but she dies in a less than dignified way. Her death is used solely as a device to move the plot forward. It becomes all about Emma and is totally meaningless. Not cool, Banks. Not cool.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHspme2iqXqQAuiXrvOMrKY-L7Cf3QrcTolebJ4YuO3JX8KZ4L5-MKvg_XEHPNf3qklsoBza5NFDENZJxQxtjYwM3UlD8-OgUnGOgoIs1NLCQ6sQRB43GpU4h8ME856pdJS5djkv9QxaKb/s1600/Douchebag.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHspme2iqXqQAuiXrvOMrKY-L7Cf3QrcTolebJ4YuO3JX8KZ4L5-MKvg_XEHPNf3qklsoBza5NFDENZJxQxtjYwM3UlD8-OgUnGOgoIs1NLCQ6sQRB43GpU4h8ME856pdJS5djkv9QxaKb/s1600/Douchebag.gif" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>An Unsexy Romance</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">The "swoonworthy" siren, Galen, is supposed to be the walking epitome of sex but I thought he was a complete douchebag. He reminded me a lot of Edward in <i>Twilight </i>with those "serial killer eyes" (yes, that's actually how they're described in the book), his incessant manipulation of Emma, his need for total control and the constant stalking. Seriously? Stalking is NOT sexy! There is not ONE redeemable factor about this guy, except for the fact that he's hot, and I'm sorry, but looks do not make up for a lack in personality. Galen and Emma basically have your run-of-the-mill angsty, teenage romance and I'm not in high school anymore, so I can do without the drama. </span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVExK-fd12PRIzPVxitIZvaC3ljspBt1UKxIdknAC4XEEz-WmNVo3Zh1CykV7n0fc-tnB2DmOId-ZW0xFnnr9J7S0JqsnY2aiRF50Xkz3SDdxemqS1F9NQFeqvRUplbAAF_SfKaccnku1w/s1600/UndertheSea.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVExK-fd12PRIzPVxitIZvaC3ljspBt1UKxIdknAC4XEEz-WmNVo3Zh1CykV7n0fc-tnB2DmOId-ZW0xFnnr9J7S0JqsnY2aiRF50Xkz3SDdxemqS1F9NQFeqvRUplbAAF_SfKaccnku1w/s1600/UndertheSea.gif" height="205" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Under the Sea --- or Lack Thereof</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">When I read a mermaid book, I damn well expect to see a lot of the world beneath the sea. Is that really too much to ask? <i>Of Poseidon</i> only gives us small glimpses of the Syrena world and it wasn't enough. It's probably the only redeeming quality about the book and there's very little attention paid to it. Details and world building --- they're pretty important from what I hear. Immerse me under the sea! Also, with regard to the mythology, you do know that Triton was the SON of Posiedon, not his brother, right? Good. Now that we've cleared that up, let's move on...</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZySqWfppnnTWRNRPVfQaUHzF_Ldk4YWQxHKZsBT88N4_g6W6y6MNNh6KEb4NePiPIN-8ywWEQ2ikJhiLR6dqOD7Mm7wyTWD9wZcKhdJNLED-QOt2pv67-aV7-f1-hsef2Bv_3omrGTyBF/s1600/Language.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZySqWfppnnTWRNRPVfQaUHzF_Ldk4YWQxHKZsBT88N4_g6W6y6MNNh6KEb4NePiPIN-8ywWEQ2ikJhiLR6dqOD7Mm7wyTWD9wZcKhdJNLED-QOt2pv67-aV7-f1-hsef2Bv_3omrGTyBF/s1600/Language.gif" height="168" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Watch Your Language!</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">I really tend to enjoy novels that share a dual POV, which <i>Of Poseidon </i>does, however, there was definitely something off about it here. Banks chose to tell the tale from Emma's first person POV and Galen's third person POV and the change in tense gives the book a choppy, unpolished feel. Grammar. Tense. Structure. All components of a basic English class. Suffice it to say, I know Banks can do better.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Summary Prognosis</span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">This book is everything I feared a mermaid book would be. <i>Of Poseidon</i> was a lackluster story, lacking in any real action or conflict or substance. The characters were unremarkable and in some cases, downright loathesome. Top it off with an unsexy romance and unpolished writing, and let's just say, I'm ready to release this trend back into the sea.</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Rating:</b> <span style="font-size: x-large;">★</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="freeText7628858973050198117"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">½</span></span> </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Read It:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Poseidon-Syrena-Legacy-Anna-Banks/dp/1250027365/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1395008746&sr=1-1&keywords=of+poseidon">Amazon</a> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">| </span></span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/of-poseidon-anna-banks/1105031816?ean=9781250027368">Barnes & Noble</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> | <a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Teens/Of-Poseidon-Audiobook/B007X55TMO/ref=a_search_c4_1_2_srTtl?qid=1395008824&sr=1-2">Audible</a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Discuss It:</b> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12425532-of-poseidon?from_search=true">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://byannabanks.blogspot.com/">Author's Website</a></span></span></span> Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825578716168335522noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866711598170215077.post-15640092735718830512014-03-18T06:00:00.000-04:002014-07-16T18:42:27.331-04:00Page & Screen Pairings: For the Rebel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQ1U2n0R7RxDjK3di_EqAwMPg3FuVzB-a0XRrtNlTQ7Ut9hLViH6Q82zDbQL_AUDgPlIzp7gf6G_0Vi7DJveL0i3z78WIE7qGAa4L-hT9bO0Bj0etXWPQgj5_g2V5LK-iNM4ZwoJHaxOu/s1600/Page&ScreenPairings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQ1U2n0R7RxDjK3di_EqAwMPg3FuVzB-a0XRrtNlTQ7Ut9hLViH6Q82zDbQL_AUDgPlIzp7gf6G_0Vi7DJveL0i3z78WIE7qGAa4L-hT9bO0Bj0etXWPQgj5_g2V5LK-iNM4ZwoJHaxOu/s1600/Page&ScreenPairings.jpg" height="235" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I am a huge lover of dystopias so I was thrilled when my friend <a href="http://itisabooklife.blogspot.com/">Kay</a> requested movie matches for my new favourite dystopian series, <b><i><a href="http://foiltheplot.blogspot.com/2014/02/audibook-review-delirium-by-lauren.html">Delirium</a></i></b>. The world in <i>Delirium</i>, as in most dystopia, is a frightening one. But it also unique. In it, love is a
sickness, something to be avoided and feared and cured and our MC, Lena, must decide if freedom and love are worth forsaking her family, her government and the safety of the cure.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRpUpgn7XyKrYNi-YL9ifLx8HrOgDZgiSz5ocLKvqeerOrmhRYZ_EXQc_HymI7pWhEfQNkeCgvhh1GFdb_MxTOqkV5ByZ6NJ3VuigvWuNja-B699NCOlwSnMgNd4WM7YrDnT1J8jV4wIPR/s1600/PSP+Dystopia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRpUpgn7XyKrYNi-YL9ifLx8HrOgDZgiSz5ocLKvqeerOrmhRYZ_EXQc_HymI7pWhEfQNkeCgvhh1GFdb_MxTOqkV5ByZ6NJ3VuigvWuNja-B699NCOlwSnMgNd4WM7YrDnT1J8jV4wIPR/s1600/PSP+Dystopia.jpg" height="512" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0238380/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Equilibrium</a></b>: In the nation of Libria, the rules are simple. If you are happy, you are arrested. If you cry, you are hunted down. If you read an unapproved book or look at a painting, you are a criminal. To keep the peace, citizens must take their daily allotment of Prozium, a powerful drug designed to stop feelings and keep everyone in line. Refuse to take the drug... you will be found.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120789/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Pleasantville</a></b>: David loves Pleasantville, the cult1950's sitcom. His sister Jennifer, however, is too cool to bother. When a mysterious TV repairman gives them a new remote , the pair are magically transported IN to the fictional town. For better or worse, they are trapped in the alternate black and white reality---a white bread world without passion or violence---and it's up to them to bring life and colour back into their world.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0434409/?ref_=nv_sr_1">V for Vendetta</a></b>: Evey lives in an oppressive world. When faced with a life-or-death situation, V, a masked vigilante, comes to her aide. Both charismatic and highly skilled, V ignites revolution against the totalitarian regime, urging his fellow citizens to fight against the tyranny of their government. As Evey uncovers the truth behind V's identity, she also learns the truth about herself, becoming an unlikely ally. Their fight---to bring freedom and justice to a society that now only knows cruelty and corruption. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>So, what do you think of my matches? </b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><b>Have you read this book or seen
any of these movies? </b>Are there any books/movies you'd like
to have recommendations for? I want this to be an interactive feature
so tell me what books/movies you'd like to see paired. As always, leave your thoughts in the comments
below!</b></span> </span></span>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825578716168335522noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866711598170215077.post-20901645284990592232014-03-13T06:00:00.000-04:002014-07-16T18:43:26.963-04:00Audiobook Review: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQXEPPLcfwcs5QbKZyYzcD653u7-mD4XST4Ikqyj9nb9UVLY6MnkQacUJdtPOUNjGn306Xez1HnjBXr_qDFV3XYsa9rygkl8QBSEr5reVK2F94xkbdGcm5W62Phh1ZKTB26iSlc5SHP7a/s1600/Pandemonium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQXEPPLcfwcs5QbKZyYzcD653u7-mD4XST4Ikqyj9nb9UVLY6MnkQacUJdtPOUNjGn306Xez1HnjBXr_qDFV3XYsa9rygkl8QBSEr5reVK2F94xkbdGcm5W62Phh1ZKTB26iSlc5SHP7a/s1600/Pandemonium.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Title: </b>Pandemonium</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Author(s):</b> Lauren Oliver</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Genre(s):</b> Dystopia, Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Publisher/Release Date:</b> HarperCollins / February 28, 2013</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Series:</b> Delirium (Book #2)</span><br />
<blockquote style="background: rgb(230, 230, 230);">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">“</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Grief is like sinking, like being buried. I am in water the tawny color of kicked-up dirt. Every breath is full of choking. There is nothing to hold on to, no sides, no way to claw myself up. There is nothing to do but let go.
Let go. Feel the weight all around you, feel the squeezing of your lungs, the slow, low pressure. Let yourself go deeper. There is nothing but bottom. There is nothing but the taste of metal, and the echoes of old things, and days that look like darkness.” -Magdalena Haloway-Tiddle</span></span></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u><span style="color: #990000;">Warning</span>:</u> This review may contain spoilers
concerning <i><a href="http://foiltheplot.blogspot.com/2014/02/audibook-review-delirium-by-lauren.html">Delirium</a></i></span></b></span></b></span></span></b></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> </b></span></span></b></span></span>Case Study</span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span id="freeText11340971677914714382">I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare, pushing aside thoughts of Alex, pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school, push, push, push, like Raven taught me to do. The old life is dead. But the old Lena is dead too. I buried her. I left her beyond a fence, behind a wall of smoke and flame.</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>(synopsis from Goodreads)</i></span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>The Game's Afoot</b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You guys, I am totally hoo<span style="font-family: inherit;">ke<span style="font-family: inherit;">d on Lauren Oliver's <i><a href="http://foiltheplot.blogspot.com/2014/02/audibook-review-delirium-by-lauren.html">Delirium</a></i> series. <span style="font-family: inherit;">So intense. So many emotions!</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDsNxKm2P0jBitmywtiAWcK-bsrIhFqA8ISbuPw7-z8eZU4i-7Hh-48Y18nuzpL_lBMHjlMc0OTR3TDxYQrOERWX9dvqmXRdmcw_hIN8mR3jKiyEaJohT0Pizr8_DYHOxKwEerLO9XQehI/s1600/Intensity.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDsNxKm2P0jBitmywtiAWcK-bsrIhFqA8ISbuPw7-z8eZU4i-7Hh-48Y18nuzpL_lBMHjlMc0OTR3TDxYQrOERWX9dvqmXRdmcw_hIN8mR3jKiyEaJohT0Pizr8_DYHOxKwEerLO9XQehI/s1600/Intensity.gif" height="252" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Pandemonium </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">begins immediately after the events of <i>Delirium </i>with<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Lena's daring es<span style="font-family: inherit;">cape in to the Wilds... without Alex. While <i>Delirium </i>had <span style="font-family: inherit;">the whimsy factor, <i>Pandemonium </i>was all about the action<span style="font-family: inherit;">... and drama. <i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pandemonium </span></i></span></span>reminded me of <i>Catching Fire</i> in a way<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> -<span style="font-family: inherit;">-- t</span></span>he plot lines are similar <span style="font-family: inherit;">but the <span style="font-family: inherit;">stakes are higher, the revel<span style="font-family: inherit;">ations, b<span style="font-family: inherit;">igger and bolder. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Delirium </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">introduces us to Lena but <i>Pandemonium</i> opens us up to so much more of <span style="font-family: inherit;">her world and the politics behind it.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Basically, <span style="font-family: inherit;">they're </span>headed <span style="font-family: inherit;">for </span>all out war.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The <span style="font-family: inherit;">book </span>is told in two <span style="font-family: inherit;">sections</span>, Now and Then<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and t</span>he contra<span style="font-family: inherit;">st between past and present is effective in building the tension in the story. It's <span style="font-family: inherit;">never confusi<span style="font-family: inherit;">ng or boring and it<span style="font-family: inherit;"> really h<span style="font-family: inherit;">igh<span style="font-family: inherit;">lights the growth of these characters while pro<span style="font-family: inherit;">viding <span style="font-family: inherit;">a constant sense of intri<span style="font-family: inherit;">g<span style="font-family: inherit;">ue. And if that's not enough to keep you reading, Oliver's <span style="font-family: inherit;">beautiful prose will. <span style="font-family: inherit;">True to form</span></span>, <span style="font-family: inherit;">every word has its place, every senten<span style="font-family: inherit;">ce<span style="font-family: inherit;">, it<span style="font-family: inherit;">s purpose. No word or chapter is wasted. Every page leaves it<span style="font-family: inherit;">s mark. And this is why I am and will be a forever fan.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">One of the most remarkable <span style="font-family: inherit;">things about this book is Lena's <span style="font-family: inherit;">personal jour<span style="font-family: inherit;">ney and growth. She<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">experiences </span>the aftermath of losing her one and only <span style="font-family: inherit;">love<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and is forced to <span style="font-family: inherit;">deal </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;">with survivor's guilt<span style="font-family: inherit;">. She</span> has to start anew<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and rebuild her</span> life in the Wilds. <span style="font-family: inherit;">And that's another thing I loved, seeing the <span style="font-family: inherit;">infamous <span style="font-family: inherit;">Wilds.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Things are hard <span style="font-family: inherit;">for Le<span style="font-family: inherit;">na, life there is hard in general. It's not the fantasy world that Lena<span style="font-family: inherit;"> originally imagined<span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></span> People suffer and people die. But <span style="font-family: inherit;">after spending some</span> time in the Wilds, Lena learns to become a fig<span style="font-family: inherit;">hter. Her transformation is earnest,<span style="font-family: inherit;"> believable a<span style="font-family: inherit;">nd not<span style="font-family: inherit;"> without its share of hardships. She's not handed anything an<span style="font-family: inherit;">d her friend<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and savior, Raven, <span style="font-family: inherit;">sees to that. Lena earns her place with Raven <span style="font-family: inherit;">and the <span style="font-family: inherit;">gang and that's really rewarding to see. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I wasn't a huge fan of the romance in <i>Pandemonium</i>, as admittedly, I am a Len<span style="font-family: inherit;">a-Alex shipper. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Lena and Julian progress s<span style="font-family: inherit;">lowly, in a very natural sort of way, from <span style="font-family: inherit;">overt wariness to gradual friendship then to something more</span>. It's a slow,<span style="font-family: inherit;"> simmering <span style="font-family: inherit;">sort of burn. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;">Don't get me wrong, I </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">understood the development of <span style="font-family: inherit;">her <span style="font-family: inherit;">feelings <span style="font-family: inherit;">for </span></span></span>Julian, but that doesn't mean I have to <span style="font-family: inherit;">like them</span>. It's interesting<span style="font-family: inherit;"> that </span>Lena and Julian's relationship mimics the path that Lena and Alex took when they first met, only the roles are very much reversed. Lena is to </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Julian in <i>Pandemonium </i>what Alex was to Lena in <i>Delirium</i>. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Eventually, Julian experiences the same progression that Le</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">na did with concern to delira amor nervosa and he<span style="font-family: inherit;"> turns out to be</span> a great character. He's one of those people <span style="font-family: inherit;">who was initially</span> shaped by his environment </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">but as soon as you take him away from that, he</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> really flouris</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">hes. Then there's Lena, who went from </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">this scrappy, los</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">t girl to this bad-ass, hard-edged, self-sufficient wo</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">man. She's a fighter. She fights for who</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> she loves, what she believes in and for, well, love itself. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxk3CAz0FOBypkTgrzq9mRm-19S4T-o4d6r5aIaG-rmw6TQHMJLc9h7kP5sRkpyTsfWk8jbzAoy6tCC65sVjg3I4SgSD4LBYwXi-zlTA6eNcCk6V6lpHIFpWNZX2oSQiLvlumyUKPTdtk/s1600/GirlPower.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxk3CAz0FOBypkTgrzq9mRm-19S4T-o4d6r5aIaG-rmw6TQHMJLc9h7kP5sRkpyTsfWk8jbzAoy6tCC65sVjg3I4SgSD4LBYwXi-zlTA6eNcCk6V6lpHIFpWNZX2oSQiLvlumyUKPTdtk/s1600/GirlPower.gif" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A<span style="font-family: inherit;">nd you've got to admire a girl like that<span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Summary Prognosis</b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>P</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>andemonium </i>is <span style="font-family: inherit;">everything you could want and love in a se<span style="font-family: inherit;">ries sequel<span style="font-family: inherit;">. With serious character gro<span style="font-family: inherit;">wth, </span>amped up stakes<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and lots of dramatic tension, it had me hooked from the first page. And trust me, you're gonna want to stick around for t<span style="font-family: inherit;">hat<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;">ending --- <span style="font-family: inherit;">h</span>oly cliffhanger, Batman! I think, deep down, I knew it was coming but no amount of p<span style="font-family: inherit;">reparation <span style="font-family: inherit;">could lessen the s<span style="font-family: inherit;">hock of it. It's a beautiful story <span style="font-family: inherit;">and has solidified <span style="font-family: inherit;">itself as o<span style="font-family: inherit;">ne of my <span style="font-family: inherit;">top <span style="font-family: inherit;">book series</span></span> EVER. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span> <br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Rating:</b> <span style="font-size: x-large;">★★★★</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">½</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Read It:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pandemonium-Delirium-Lauren-Oliver/dp/0061978078/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393865599&sr=1-1&keywords=pandemonium">Amazon</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> | </span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pandemonium-lauren-oliver/1103167901?ean=9780061978074">Barnes & Noble</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> | <a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Teens/Pandemonium-Audiobook/B007BH3ZKC/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1393865653&sr=1-1">Audible</a></span><br />
<b>Discuss It:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9593911-pandemonium?ac=1">Goodreads</a> <span style="font-family: inherit;">| <a href="http://www.laurenoliverbooks.com/">Author's Website</a></span> </span></span> </span></span></span>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825578716168335522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866711598170215077.post-43887585848527663912014-03-11T06:00:00.000-04:002014-07-16T18:43:46.569-04:00Page & Screen Pairings: For the Zombie Newb<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidU4hMdKoHRkxc6cLWZiCc7hye2y6OyZnDbAMXmZNMdm_7Oky8HBzDdtOkQsojDqG7LmXWuhBuZo4FG0Hoa98ItHR1LmO9_1OeNWRLIOeo7h7cqhIvgM3P3nEFhQ3hyphenhyphenTfWmv8z9ZZN1jG/s1600/Page%2526ScreenPairings.jpg" height="236" width="640" /> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Warm Bodies</i> is the clever, funny, sweet and, yes, undead retelling of <i>Romeo and Juliet</i>. I know some of you aren't super into zombies (say whaaaaaat?!) and that's exactly why I'd recommend it as a <a href="http://foiltheplot.blogspot.com/2013/02/movie-review-warm-bodies-by-jonathan.html">movie</a> and/or<a href="http://foiltheplot.blogspot.com/2013/03/book-review-warm-bodies-by-isaac-marion.html"> book</a> (preferably both). It's a zombie story for zombie-haters. If upon reading/watching it, you discover that zombies <i>are </i>your thing, here are a some other introductory zombie reads that will fuel your need for some BRRAAAIIIIINNNSSS.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHxrkfDKyEywjdapqyEoycWmZA31euJbIwKgWUG56Xf8Pzy10YQGvjeo6i03WzdYqRlnfx3kQ2wV51nPhOr7TA0Vm_iAccOMt9eVYltQVF-AEQ_sNDxHEFIKQ74JrHqT8gNTBDH9OIsGZi/s1600/PSP+Zombie+Fan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHxrkfDKyEywjdapqyEoycWmZA31euJbIwKgWUG56Xf8Pzy10YQGvjeo6i03WzdYqRlnfx3kQ2wV51nPhOr7TA0Vm_iAccOMt9eVYltQVF-AEQ_sNDxHEFIKQ74JrHqT8gNTBDH9OIsGZi/s1600/PSP+Zombie+Fan.jpg" height="512" width="640" /></a><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/535441.The_Zombie_Survival_Guide?from_search=true">The Zombie Survival Guide</a> by Max Brooks: </b><span id="freeText16514288601423592980">This book is the perfect survival guide for all your zombie woes. Fully illustrated and exhaustively
comprehensive, covering everything from zombie behavior and physiology to defense tactics, weaponry and basic survival skills. This book is a must-have for any zombie aficionado.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5149517-breathers?ac=1">Breathers: A Zombie's Lament</a> by S.G. Browne: </b><span id="freeText14635067394399760585"><i>Breathers </i>is a dark comedy with surprisingly touching moments and enough gore to please all zombie fans. It's the zombie rom-com that will make you want more of zombie rom-coms. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7716140-married-with-zombies?ac=1">Married With Zombies</a> by Jesse Petersen: </b>This is my favourite zombie-based series. <span style="font-family: inherit;">If
scares and zombies aren’t your thing, that’s okay, this book is the
perfect introductory to both. The first in a series, it screams with LOL
moments and tons of cinematic action. Trust me, our feisty narrator
Sarah won’t allow you to regret a thing. </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>So, what do you think of my matches? </b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Have you seen this movie or read any of these books? Are there any books/movies you'd like
to have recommendations for? I want this to be an interactive feature
so tell me what books/movies you'd like to see paired. As always, leave your thoughts in the comments
below!</b></span> </span></span></div>
Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825578716168335522noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866711598170215077.post-34247721636146655772014-03-06T06:00:00.000-05:002014-03-26T19:44:50.191-04:00Movie Review: Ender's Game by Gavin Hood<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqWHAQkYtEUQj4Hy4Dsk50IWHRUtWADYjtEkPa7mlruT4hwrx-k1huaE9AJzcd9e78LnoeLi-OJkzknU92H62k4j1soD0-DGXurNujHZae7XIGckRu7gjh3do8XHfD3bz4ojGcjEmqvhV/s1600/EndersGame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqWHAQkYtEUQj4Hy4Dsk50IWHRUtWADYjtEkPa7mlruT4hwrx-k1huaE9AJzcd9e78LnoeLi-OJkzknU92H62k4j1soD0-DGXurNujHZae7XIGckRu7gjh3do8XHfD3bz4ojGcjEmqvhV/s1600/EndersGame.jpg" height="320" width="204" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Title:</b> Ender's Game</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Director(s):</b> Gavin Hood</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Genre(s):</b> Dystopia, Science Fiction, Young Adult</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Rating:</b> PG-13</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Release Date (USA):</b> November 1, 2013</span><br />
<blockquote style="background: rgb(230, 230, 230);">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">“</span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Fifty years ago an alien force known as the Formics attacked Earth. Tens of millions died. It was only through the sacrifice of our greatest commander that we avoided total annihilation. We've been preparing for them to come back ever since. The International Fleet decided that the world's smartest children are the planet's best hope. Raised on war games, their decisions are intuitive, decisive, fearless. I am one of those recruits." -Ender Wiggin</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: medium;">1985 was a good year --- not only was I born but this was the publishing year of what many call the original YA dystopia. <i>Ender's Game</i> as a film had a lot of work to do from the outset. It not only had to
overcome years of developmental hell but had to contend with severe controversy surrounding the Orson Scott Card's questionable ideals as well as high expectations from the series' legion of die-hard fans. Now, I haven't ever read the books so I had no basis of comparison when going into the film but I did have high hopes. Based on the trailer, the movie looked awesome! Unfortunately, for me, <i>Ender's Game </i>did not defy the odds.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaDZU2VnPAbqCB9YYI7IX0im3VshmkC5OaAXerdaRtcPQaI54FSIYbl5iFo7zN2twxcp9XDPJRc06z7fkoQWNOBP4vjNOZL9xFa7ZVwAmMdQ7XozWfmkrL10YMm4ixAg8AlAljf8Vefneq/s1600/Gladiator.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaDZU2VnPAbqCB9YYI7IX0im3VshmkC5OaAXerdaRtcPQaI54FSIYbl5iFo7zN2twxcp9XDPJRc06z7fkoQWNOBP4vjNOZL9xFa7ZVwAmMdQ7XozWfmkrL10YMm4ixAg8AlAljf8Vefneq/s1600/Gladiator.gif" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">The story follows Ender Wiggin, a newly recruited member of a
battle school designed to train young children to fight a war against the alien forces that attacked Earth years prior. Ender finds himself alienated and must
overcome incredible pressure from everyone, and most of all, from himself, in order to lead the team to victory.<br /><br />I can't really say if the plot remains faithful to Card's original novel, but I did enjoy the idea of it. For the time it was written, it was probably uniquely original, but being late to the game, I can't say I haven't already seen it all before. Despite the predictability of the storyline, my biggest gripe was that it felt like key elements were missing --- not plot holes exactly, just like critical scenes had been cut at the last minute, like there were gaps in important information. Instead, it relies heavily on these grand info dumps from Wiggin via the narration and the character development and storyline suffer because of this. Another big problem I had was with the story's overall cohesiveness, in that there is none. The whole movie feels as though it takes place in the matter of a week and because of this, there's very little depth. I lost track of time watching it, probably because I was doing other things other than watching it. In short, I just didn't care.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;">You would think that the star-studded cast (Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley, Hailee Steinfeld, Viola Davis & Abigail Breslin) would be enough to save this drowning movie, but alas, such was not the case. Breslin has but a minor role and Davis, arguably the best in her role, isn't featured nearly enough to leave a lasting impression. Ford and Kingsley deliver passable performances, but they hardly shine. And newcomer Asa Butterfield is wooden and stiff in his role as Ender. I don't know if the character in the book is this way, but he's incredibly unrelatable in the film. Things come to him far too easily and I had no idea why he was appointed to be the leader of the group. Nothing he said or did really gave me a good feeling about him. Honestly, I didn't care about a single one of the characters and if you don't care then what's the point? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;">I guess the look and feel of the film were about the only things I think the filmmakers got right. The set and cinematography were spot-on, everything I imagined from the spacey, sci-fi setting. I want to play in that Battle Room. So. Freaking. Amazing. But other than that, <i>Ender's Game</i> was an utter fail as a stand alone movie. If it's done anything positive, it's only made me want to read the book that much more.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Summary Prognosis</b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">All in all, I was less than impressed with <i>Ender's Game</i>. Though it was a visually stunning movie, I found it to be predictable, full of wooden performances and too hard to comprehend. Since I haven't read the book version, I have no basis of comparison so I'll let the rest of you be the judge of that one. Overall, it was a majour letdown for me. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Rating:</b> <span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="freeText7628858973050198117">★★<span style="font-family: inherit;">½</span> </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="freeText7628858973050198117"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="freeText7628858973050198117"><b>Watch It:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Enders-Game-UltraViolet-Digital-Copy/dp/B008JFUNHI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393865015&sr=8-1&keywords=enders+game+dvd">Amazon</a> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">| <a href="http://www.target.com/p/ender-s-game-2-discs-blu-ray-dvd/-/A-14827880#prodSlot=medium_1_0&term=enders%20game">Target</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="freeText7628858973050198117">Discuss It: </span></span></span></b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1731141/?ref_=nv_sr_1">IMDB</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> | <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/enders-game/">Rotten Tomatoes</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="freeText7628858973050198117"><b>View the Trailer:</b> </span></span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/X5ev-nOWJH8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="freeText7628858973050198117" style="font-size: medium;"><span id="goog_69116006"></span><span id="goog_69116007"></span><br /></span></span></span></span>
Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825578716168335522noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866711598170215077.post-57884801556516851432014-03-04T06:00:00.000-05:002014-03-04T20:11:35.270-05:00Page & Screen Pairings: For the Conservationist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi8lUz1j0rPBXaZf4jxlthnG0mbid0ssxAMgkTCiknKnUl0nABod-pSp0WNQCevaEgfUj8yasLUPHNZiF5-BJASvSqMaIFPsiQsZct3ZEBo2BhcIzIDskKRyfC-yCGOS7V5BUM6_l7rpY7/s1600/Page&ScreenPairings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi8lUz1j0rPBXaZf4jxlthnG0mbid0ssxAMgkTCiknKnUl0nABod-pSp0WNQCevaEgfUj8yasLUPHNZiF5-BJASvSqMaIFPsiQsZct3ZEBo2BhcIzIDskKRyfC-yCGOS7V5BUM6_l7rpY7/s1600/Page&ScreenPairings.jpg" height="236" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">It wasn't long ago that I discussed some of my <a href="http://foiltheplot.blogspot.com/2014/01/need-reality-check.html">favourite documentaries</a>. One of them, in particular, led me to my current read, <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12799562-death-at-seaworld">Death at Seaworld</a></i></b>. This book looks at the dark side of Seaworld and the science behind and the costs of keeping cetaceans in captivity. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiEsRrMLsiV3Gxp-eSgC5qKB7EmJsGTXxbBI_LnHZjGxrdWQ-D_ggAElijQT-u1L6ZMGFIoui_tUHZruL3CWwn3z9noj_O3VLMGYLGRRRXZUG8vgJyio37zsyuQf-xwOpA7jHj3cSpS_up/s1600/PageScreenPair1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiEsRrMLsiV3Gxp-eSgC5qKB7EmJsGTXxbBI_LnHZjGxrdWQ-D_ggAElijQT-u1L6ZMGFIoui_tUHZruL3CWwn3z9noj_O3VLMGYLGRRRXZUG8vgJyio37zsyuQf-xwOpA7jHj3cSpS_up/s1600/PageScreenPair1.jpg" height="512" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2545118/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Blackfish</a></i></b> is the eye opening documentary about, Tilikum, the infamous killer whale who is allegedly responsible for the deaths of three people, including senior whale trainer, Dawn Brancheau. It asks deeply moral questions while exploring the devastating and, often, deadly consequences of keeping killer whales in captivity. For a more family friendly version, you might want to watch the 1993 hit, <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106965/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Free Willy</a></i></b>. Conversely, if killer whales aren't your thing then try watching <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1313104/?ref_=nv_sr_2">The Cove</a></i></b>, which exposes the cruel and abusive practice of corralling wild dolphins for sale and slaughter in Japan.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>So, I want to know what you think of the new feature. Are there any books/movies you'd like to have recommendations for? I want this to be an interactive feature where we make suggestions to eachother. Have you read this book or seen any of these movies? As always, leave your own thoughts in the comments below!</b> </span>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825578716168335522noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866711598170215077.post-31619813544538037052014-02-27T06:00:00.000-05:002014-03-16T18:20:56.058-04:00Audiobook Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaRx3UBk4Bj-sDvr_CDHWJZBgQl_PoktKKrO4A8OtX0n1eRH5Ng5coRt-xlj_FfR5_R4COL2grsf5p76Z1P9JQaSd7YnpcQP5l3trZrMT1sJnmme_2m7A8o2IUcz23zohHCh14vesU6UOa/s1600/Delirium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaRx3UBk4Bj-sDvr_CDHWJZBgQl_PoktKKrO4A8OtX0n1eRH5Ng5coRt-xlj_FfR5_R4COL2grsf5p76Z1P9JQaSd7YnpcQP5l3trZrMT1sJnmme_2m7A8o2IUcz23zohHCh14vesU6UOa/s1600/Delirium.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Title: </b>Delirium</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Author(s):</b> Lauren Oliver</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Genre(s):</b> Dystopia, Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Publisher/Date:</b> HarperCollins / February 7, 2012</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Series:</b> Delirium (Book #1)</span>
<br />
<blockquote style="background: rgb(230, 230, 230);">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">“</span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Love: a single word, a wispy thing, a word no bigger or longer than an edge. That's what it is: an edge; a razor. It draws up through the center of your life, cutting everything in two. Before and after. The rest of the world falls away on either side.” -<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Magdalena Haloway-Ti<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">dd</span>le</span></span></span></span></blockquote>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Case Study</span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Ninety-five days, and then I'll be safe. I wonder whether the procedure will hurt. I want to get it over with. It's hard to be patient. It's hard not to be afraid while I'm still uncured, though so far the deliria hasn't touched me yet. Still, I worry. They say that in the old days, love drove people to madness. The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don't. <i>(synopsis from Goodreads)</i></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">The Game's Afoot</span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Guys. Guess what!? I'm in love and I don't care who knows it!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRW10gtMk0crGJY5bzw2tJdXtlb6NTMLdvb1cWqF8puN7t132-rbgDSM5VncxWQhI09wAlQCU_PlvqYetY7EGJsJicklP2j-dEpNqGiZUsHuGKvHFsRdcRteReF0oQxwdmJz7znmDZaLaj/s1600/OMG.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRW10gtMk0crGJY5bzw2tJdXtlb6NTMLdvb1cWqF8puN7t132-rbgDSM5VncxWQhI09wAlQCU_PlvqYetY7EGJsJicklP2j-dEpNqGiZUsHuGKvHFsRdcRteReF0oQxwdmJz7znmDZaLaj/s1600/OMG.gif" height="167" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">I have it bad. A serious case of derliria amor nervosa. I am completely, hopelessly and totally in love with <i>Delirium</i>. I know I'm a little late to the game when it comes to Lauren Oliver's books and I don't know why I've avoided this series for so long, but better late than never, right? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">In <i>Delirium</i>, Oliver has created a unique dystopian society, one where love and passion and feeling is a sickness, something to be avoided and feared and cured. It's really quite brilliant and so, so scary. Just imagine a world without love, and not just love, but a world without pain or hate or fiery passion. The cure for amor deliria nervosa renders people into shells of their former selves. Their vibrancy is gone. They are zombie-like. They don't feel. They don't care and people who don't care are capable of doing terrible things because they lack compassion, the ability to relate. There's no remourse or responsibility for their actions. It's all about duty and safety and security in this highly regulated society. </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Just think about it. What kind of life is that? A life like that, even one without pain, is not a life worth living and that's what our MC, Lena, eventually learns. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I loved watching Lena's transformation from a silly, obedient, little girl into a strong, vibrant, self-aware woman. At first, she was kind of hard to relate to. She was so young and naive, not questioning anything or anyone around her. It was frustrating. But it was also authentic given the narrowness and control required to live in her world. The more you start to understand her world, the more she starts to grow on you. She's more than just a shell and as you get to know her, you unearth this dazzling fighter. She fights for what she believes in and for the people she loves. She's inspiring. And while we're speaking of love, I LOVED her friendship with Hana. I LOVED her relationship with Alex. There is depth to each of these relationships, they're layered and they aren't perfect which lends to their believability.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;">I really enjoyed the intros to each new chapter. Oliver begins with a relevant philosophy of the time or commandment from The Book of Shh, which added to the authenticity of the dystopian environment. And she's done a great job of crafting such a scary world with her vivid imagery and incredible world-building. This truly has to be one of the most beautifully written stories I've ever read. Oliver has a way with words, a way of making a sentence seem like it's the most lyrical and poetic thing in the world. I also have to give Sarah Drew some serious cred for her narration of the audiobook. She is definitely one of my favourite narrators. Everything about her performance was perfect, she added so much dimension to the words, so much soul. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My experience with <i>Delirium </i>was a little like Lena's journey --- I started out wary, scared. But
the more I read, the more I learned, the more I was wooed by Oliver's
gorgeous prose and engaging characters, the more I began to fall. It was like fireworks exploded within me. It touched me and i</span>t's hard to put into words just how much it blew me away. This book is a profound whirlwind of depth and beauty and emotion. This book makes you <i>feel </i>things,
amazing things, so much so that you want to cry and laugh and live.
It's been a long time since a book has really made me feel this way and
it's so freaking incredible. THIS is the power of words. THIS is why I
am and always will be a reader. Because of books and authors and
moments and feelings like this.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Summary Prognosis</span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Delirium </i>is a thought-provoking, gorgeous story about passion and love and fighting for what one believes in. This book will make you think and feel things and want so much more. Oliver's prose is poetic and her characters, layered and relatable. And the narration by Sarah Drew is incredible --- she's one of the best narrators I've ever heard. It's been a long time since a book has made me feel so much and I'm so glad I gave this book a chance. Oliver has found herself another unabashed fangirl and I can't wait to finish the rest of this series. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Rating:</b> <span style="font-size: x-large;">★★★★★</span> </span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Read It:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Delirium-Lauren-Oliver/dp/0061726834/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393280249&sr=1-1&keywords=delirium">Amazon</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> | </span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/delirium-lauren-oliver/1100151138?ean=9780061726835">Barnes & Noble</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> | <a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Teens/Delirium-Audiobook/B004KAOEUI/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1393280293&sr=1-1">Audible</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Discuss It:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11614718-delirium?ac=1">Goodreads</a> </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">| <a href="http://www.laurenoliverbooks.com/">Author's Website</a></span></span></span>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825578716168335522noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866711598170215077.post-9913546370273894282014-02-25T06:00:00.000-05:002014-03-16T18:21:17.153-04:00Book Review: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYUlL5o2k13i_H9WP-P88U7ZLUpYo-qLHhxDWzHXz9RP1LUYP9VsXcmJ8AjPSTSg5BAcgpoVSwcPpzZi6pa6tcCit1uCBbgCbPij-YLT5vQo_6wfQn6kC2MMIGunEgRXrwuISqViNyreR/s1600/CruelBeauty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYUlL5o2k13i_H9WP-P88U7ZLUpYo-qLHhxDWzHXz9RP1LUYP9VsXcmJ8AjPSTSg5BAcgpoVSwcPpzZi6pa6tcCit1uCBbgCbPij-YLT5vQo_6wfQn6kC2MMIGunEgRXrwuISqViNyreR/s1600/CruelBeauty.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Title: </b>Cruel Beauty</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Author(s):</b> Rosamund Hodge</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Genre(s):</b> Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Publisher/Date:</b> Balzer + Bray / January 28, 2014</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Series:</b> Stand Alone</span><br />
<blockquote style="background: rgb(230, 230, 230);">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">“You were sent here to die. You were the one that was not needed, was not wanted, and they sent you here because they knew you would never come back.” -<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Ignifex</span></span></span></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Case Study</b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span id="freeText11010684242993578829">Since birth, Nyx has
been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish
bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training
to kill him.<br /><br />With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents
her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting
to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons
everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex.
Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the
nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.<br /><br />But Ignifex is
not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her,
and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.<br /><br />As
Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's
secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could
bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to
kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important:
the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love. <i>(synopsis from Goodreads)</i></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span id="freeText11010684242993578829">The Game's Afoot</span></span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span id="freeText11010684242993578829"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Beauty & the Beast</span></i> is one of th<span style="font-family: inherit;">e <span style="font-family: inherit;">world's most recognized f<span style="font-family: inherit;">airy tales. But <span style="font-family: inherit;">have you ever wondered</span> what <span style="font-family: inherit;">this <span style="font-family: inherit;">whimsical tale </span>might look like if you fused <span style="font-family: inherit;">it with<span style="font-family: inherit;"> the brutality of ancient Greco-Roman<span style="font-family: inherit;"> mythology?<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>You'd get <span style="font-family: inherit;">a story </span>that's <span style="font-family: inherit;">resoundingly </span>familiar <span style="font-family: inherit;">yet </span>undeniably <span style="font-family: inherit;">unconventi<span style="font-family: inherit;">onal</span></span>. You'd get <i>Cruel Beauty</i>.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span id="freeText11010684242993578829"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Cruel Be</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>auty</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> garnered <span style="font-family: inherit;">quit<span style="font-family: inherit;">e a bit of <span style="font-family: inherit;">buzz </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">in the <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">YA </span>community</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> in that p</span>eople either loved it or they hat<span style="font-family: inherit;">ed it. </span>Books like this are always a gamble <span style="font-family: inherit;">b</span>ut </span>I'm a big fan of fairy tales and mythology <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">so I decided to <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">give it <span style="font-family: inherit;">take the</span> chance.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm really glad I did.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span id="freeText11010684242993578829" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Though </span><i>Cruel Beauty</i> is marketed primarily as a retelling of <span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Beauty & the Bea<span style="font-family: inherit;">st</span></i>, I found it to be more Greek myth<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">than fairy tale. And <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">i</span>f you're familiar <span style="font-family: inherit;">with Greco-R<span style="font-family: inherit;">oman mythos, you'll see <span style="font-family: inherit;">notes of it everywhere<span style="font-family: inherit;">. It's in <span style="font-family: inherit;">the bones, from the setting to<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">the </span>histo<span style="font-family: inherit;">ry and <span style="font-family: inherit;">definitely </span>in the romance.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span id="freeText11010684242993578829"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <i>Cruel Beauty</i> is</span> one of those <span style="font-family: inherit;">books that's</span> <i>inspired by </i>rather than <i>retold</i>,<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and for that, I admire it. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span id="freeText11010684242993578829"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Based on <span style="font-family: inherit;">some of the other </span>reviews, I was expecting grandiose info dumps and <span style="font-family: inherit;">an overly convoluted plot</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">. <span style="font-family: inherit;">F</span></span>ortunately, I didn't see <span style="font-family: inherit;">much of that anywhere.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>I thought the w<span style="font-family: inherit;">orld<span style="font-family: inherit;">-building was co<span style="font-family: inherit;">ncise<span style="font-family: inherit;">,<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span>enough for me to get a good sense of <span style="font-family: inherit;">what the kingdom looked like and how it fu<span style="font-family: inherit;">nctioned.<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Ther<span style="font-family: inherit;">e's a lot <span style="font-family: inherit;">going on and it's easy to get los<span style="font-family: inherit;">t so I saw the descriptiveness <span style="font-family: inherit;">as a necessary thing.<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Like I loved th<span style="font-family: inherit;">e imaginative des<span style="font-family: inherit;">criptions of the Gentle Lord's house<span style="font-family: inherit;">. I loved how</span> it changed and flowed and had a life of its own. <span style="font-family: inherit;">The house feels like<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> a living,<span style="font-family: inherit;"> breathing, <span style="font-family: inherit;">sentient being<span style="font-family: inherit;">. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Through Hodge's <span style="font-family: inherit;">rich descriptions, the house becomes a character in its own right<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and THAT is the mark of a talented author.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But probably my favourite t<span style="font-family: inherit;">hing about this book is <span style="font-family: inherit;">its characters. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Nyx is <span style="font-family: inherit;">quite the unlikeable character. In fact,<span style="font-family: inherit;"> she's downright mean. But she's also incredibly complex<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and given her situation, being raised as a <span style="font-family: inherit;">sacrifice, you <span style="font-family: inherit;">totally understand why she is the way that she is. She's bitter and angry and <span style="font-family: inherit;">vengeful </span>and I <span style="font-family: inherit;">totally felt for h<span style="font-family: inherit;">er</span>. <span style="font-family: inherit;">It makes her hard<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and hostile and bad-ass. I</span> mean, she punches <span style="font-family: inherit;">her </span>demon husband in the face. PU<span style="font-family: inherit;">NCHES<span style="font-family: inherit;">. HIM. IN. THE.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> FACE. <span style="font-family: inherit;">And I <span style="font-family: inherit;">totally want to be her BFF because of it.</span></span> And then there's Ignifex, the Gentle Lord. The <span style="font-family: inherit;">bad guy of all bad guys.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">But he<span style="font-family: inherit;">'s not real<span style="font-family: inherit;">ly so <span style="font-family: inherit;">bad. Well, h<span style="font-family: inherit;">e <span style="font-family: inherit;">is but he's got his reasons for being <span style="font-family: inherit;">so devilish. He's <span style="font-family: inherit;">a tortured guy. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Like Nyx, he's suffered and that suffering has turned him into an unforgiving, iron-fisted ruler. <span style="font-family: inherit;">And it's that suffering that makes him and Nyx the ideal couple.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Oh yeah. Speaking of Ignifex and Nyx, <span style="font-family: inherit;">l</span>et me just talk<span style="font-family: inherit;"> about their romance for a second. <span style="font-family: inherit;">I don't typically like stories sole<span style="font-family: inherit;">ly for the romance, but man, I TOTALLY did <span style="font-family: inherit;">here. I ship Nyx and Ignifex SO hard. <span style="font-family: inherit;">I loved everything about them<span style="font-family: inherit;"> --- their cruel banter<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">to </span>the gradual softening toward<span style="font-family: inherit;">s one another<span style="font-family: inherit;"> ---<span style="font-family: inherit;"> it was incredibly entertaining. They go from hate to tolerate to <span style="font-family: inherit;">mutual understanding to love <span style="font-family: inherit;">in a beautiful way</span>. Now there is <span style="font-family: inherit;">a love tr<span style="font-family: inherit;">iang<span style="font-family: inherit;">le<span style="font-family: inherit;"> in the book, however, it's not you<span style="font-family: inherit;">r average love triangle. It<span style="font-family: inherit;"> doesn't perm<span style="font-family: inherit;">eate the whole of the story and<span style="font-family: inherit;">, thankfully, is resolved quickly and in a unique sort of way. As for <span style="font-family: inherit;">Shade, I wasn't really a big fan. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Like the other characters, there is more to him than meets the eye but I was never really sure what to think of him.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> <br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Aside from the incredible c<span style="font-family: inherit;">haracter development, I</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span id="freeText11010684242993578829"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="freeText11010684242993578829"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">also <span style="font-family: inherit;">hav<span style="font-family: inherit;">e to </span>give Hodge <span style="font-family: inherit;">mad props for the uniqueness of this story. She <span style="font-family: inherit;">blends </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">f<span style="font-family: inherit;">airy tale elements <span style="font-family: inherit;">and</span> classic mytholo<span style="font-family: inherit;">gy in a way that<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">'s </span>fresh, exciting an<span style="font-family: inherit;">d new.<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> There's a <span style="font-family: inherit;">lot going on in thi<span style="font-family: inherit;">s book but she <span style="font-family: inherit;">fuses it <span style="font-family: inherit;">together </span>in a way that makes sense. You get <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">lost</span> in it<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>entirely</span></span>. <span style="font-family: inherit;">And thi<span style="font-family: inherit;">s </span></span>i<span style="font-family: inherit;">s<span style="font-family: inherit;"> why <span style="font-family: inherit;">I think a lot of <span style="font-family: inherit;">us love fairy tales</span>. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Be<span style="font-family: inherit;">cause t</span></span>hey <span style="font-family: inherit;">entrance <span style="font-family: inherit;">you<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and encapsulate you in a fantasy, in a thing of beauty. And this is what makes <i>Cruel Beauty</i> so <span style="font-family: inherit;">successful</span>. It's <span style="font-family: inherit;">whimsic<span style="font-family: inherit;">al and terrifying and beaut<span style="font-family: inherit;">iful and cruel all <span style="font-family: inherit;">at the same time. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">So </span><span id="freeText11010684242993578829" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">yes, while <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Cruel Beauty</i> does</span></span> ha<span style="font-family: inherit;">ve its issues<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">, </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">generally</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> speaking, they </span></span></span>didn't hinder my enjoyment of the ov<span style="font-family: inherit;">erall</span> stor</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">y.<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="freeText11010684242993578829"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="freeText11010684242993578829"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="freeText11010684242993578829"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="freeText11010684242993578829"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is one of those <span style="font-family: inherit;">books </span>where its </span></span>strength lies more in its characters than <span style="font-family: inherit;">in the </span>plot<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> There's magic i<span style="font-family: inherit;">n it<span style="font-family: inherit;">,<span style="font-family: inherit;"> everywhere, and <span style="font-family: inherit;">it completely </span>captivated me<span style="font-family: inherit;">, like any good fairy tale will do.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span id="freeText11010684242993578829">Summary Prognosis</span></span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Cruel Beauty</i> is an interesting blend of fairy tale and mythology. Though the foundations of the story are somewhat familiar, the character and scenery are unforgettable. There are parts to the book (i.e. - the ending) that are a tad confusing, but overall, Hodge has given us something fresh and beautiful. My fondness for the book lies more in its character and breathtaking world building than its convoluted plot. This book has the SHIP of all SHIPS, so if you're looking for something to sail then this book is definitely for you!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Rating:</b> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">★★★★</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">½</span></span> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Read It:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cruel-Beauty-Rosamund-Hodge/dp/0062224735/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392157810&sr=8-1&keywords=cruel+beauty">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cruel-beauty-rosamund-hodge/1115554687?ean=9780062224736">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Teens/Cruel-Beauty-Audiobook/B00H8SHNA2/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1392157908&sr=1-1">Audible</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Discuss It:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15839984-cruel-beauty?ac=1">Goodreads</a> </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">| <a href="http://www.rosamundhodge.net/">Author's Website</a></span></span>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825578716168335522noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866711598170215077.post-27534826393075008482014-02-21T06:00:00.000-05:002014-02-21T06:00:04.178-05:00TGIF / 38<span style="font-size: medium;">HEY-O! It's been a busy week (hence the lack of posting on the blog) and I'm looking forward to having a nice, relaxing weekend with friends and family. There's lots to catch up on, like <a href="http://foiltheplot.blogspot.com/2014/02/will-you-be-my-fictional-valentine.html">fictional crushes</a> or a <a href="http://foiltheplot.blogspot.com/2014/02/audiobook-review-coldest-girl-in.html">renewed love of vampires</a> along with some stellar <a href="http://foiltheplot.blogspot.com/2014/02/mini-reviews-roar-and-liv-brooke-by.html">novellas</a>, a breathtaking <a href="http://foiltheplot.blogspot.com/2014/02/book-review-into-still-blue-by-veronica.html">series finale</a> and <a href="http://foiltheplot.blogspot.com/2014/02/audiobook-review-ocean-at-end-of-lane.html">Neil Gaiman's undeniable awesomeness</a>. And link love. LOTS of link love. Happy weekending, friends!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKDU_y5CH0AOOf1vZpBOWiQoREPnLHgSqR_bjsehb0zDSs1QucDvEKMVx37b0zduW0QO01BbCJ4SjhW4Aq_smEruePEUrH7Lu0mTFBXuZWYpY9CU9yfQhKHkZkNZvVKV2lP3qsIIMA-Lp/s1600/TGIF++38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKDU_y5CH0AOOf1vZpBOWiQoREPnLHgSqR_bjsehb0zDSs1QucDvEKMVx37b0zduW0QO01BbCJ4SjhW4Aq_smEruePEUrH7Lu0mTFBXuZWYpY9CU9yfQhKHkZkNZvVKV2lP3qsIIMA-Lp/s1600/TGIF++38.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Bookish News </b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Book binging – <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/11/books/impatience-has-its-reward-books-are-rolled-out-faster.html?_r=0">the new frontier in publishing</a>?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">ALL THE COVERS ARE REVEALED! From <i><a href="http://www.macteenbooks.com/ya/the-cover-of-ruin-and-rising-has-been-revealed/">Ruin and Rising</a></i> by Leigh Bardugo and <i><a href="http://shelf-life.ew.com/2014/02/17/j-k-rowling-cuckoos-calling-sequel-the-silkworm/">The Silkworm</a></i> by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) to R.L. Stine’s new Fear Street novel, <i><a href="http://shelf-life.ew.com/2014/02/18/r-l-stine-fear-street-party-games-cover-exclusive/">Party Games</a></i>, and Neil Gaiman’s <i><a href="http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2014/02/early-warning-usa-and-exclusive-cover.html">The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains</a></i>. Oh yeah!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">A Pixar artist took graphic movie scenes and <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelzarrell/this-pixar-artist-drew-r-rated-film-scenes-and-turned-it-int">turned them into a children’s book</a>. You can <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1452122334/ref=cm_sw_su_dp">buy it </a>on February 25th. And if that's not artsy enough for you, these <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/krystieyandoli/cool-typography-designs-of-your-favorite-literary-quotes">bookish quotes are composed in gorgeous typography</a> ought to do it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">An important question: <a href="http://www.refinery29.com/hello-giggles/28">do online reviews take the fun out of book buying</a>? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">BookRiot gives some <a href="http://bookriot.com/2014/02/17/audiobooks-to-rock-roadtrip/">audiobook recommendations </a>to satisfy any/all your road tripping needs. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Cassandra Clare releases a snippet of her new book, <i>City of Heavenly Fire</i>, <a href="http://pagetopremiere.com/2014/02/new-city-of-heavenly-fire-snippet-released/">here</a>. You can also read the first three chapters of Maggie Stiefvater’s, <i>Sinner</i>, <a href="http://maggiestiefvater.com/blog/you-can-read-the-first-three-chapters-of-sinner/">here</a>. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Entertainment News </span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Can you recognize all the iconic movie characters in <a href="http://devour.com/video/cinematics/">this cute animation</a> by Pier Paolo? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://moviepilot.com/posts/2014/02/16/top-100-most-memorable-movie-quotes-of-all-time-1241015#!wl6VR">The 100 most memorable movie quotes of all time</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">With the upcoming release of the <i>Divergent </i>movie there comes an inevitable <a href="http://pagetopremiere.com/2014/02/first-look-neca-to-unveil-a-whole-line-of-official-divergent-merchandise/">new line of merchandise</a> to go along with it. Will you be buying into it?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">New stills have been released for <i><a href="http://screenrant.com/guardians-of-the-galaxy-trailer-photos/">Guardians of the Galaxy</a> </i>and <a href="http://www.hypable.com/2014/01/11/maze-runner-director-shares-first-of-many-new-images-from-the-film/"><i>The Maze Runner</i></a>. And there's a <a href="http://www.cinemablend.com/new/First-Guardians-Galaxy-Trailer-Here-It-Incredible-41726.html">trailer</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Michael Keaton <a href="http://www.themarysue.com/michael-keaton-beetlejuice-2/">confirms he’s been in talks</a> with director, Tim Burton, for <i>Beetlejuice 2</i>. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Pop Culture! </span></span></b> </div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">These Disney princesses are <a href="http://www.incrediblethings.com/art-design/disney-princesses-and-their-villains-shadows/">overshadowed by their villainous counterparts</a> and it is stunning! Perhaps a <a href="http://laughingsquid.com/disney-themed-cocktails-a-magic-kingdom-of-mixed-drinks/">Disney themed drink</a> is needed to quell their nerves. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">And in things I need to procure: this man <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/alanwhite/this-man-owns-every-replica-wand-from-the-harry-potter-films">owns every replica wand from the <i>Harry Potter</i> movies</a>. I want them. LEGO has created a <a href="http://geekologie.com/2014/02/official-look-at-the-ghostbusters-ecto-1.php">Ghostbusters Ecto-1 playset</a> and now I see lots of LEGOs in my future. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Can we say, <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/leonoraepstein/problems-only-90s-girls-will-understand">90’s problems</a>? That’s okay, we’ll always have <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/briangalindo/18-kids-movies-from-the-90s-youve-probably-forgotten-about">our favourite 90’s movies</a> to cheer us up. And if that doesn’t make you feel old, <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/briangalindo/things-that-are-going-to-make-you-feel-old">this will</a>. You’re welcome! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">We’ve all seen <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg">the evolution of dance</a>. Now Jimmy Fallon and Will Smith give us <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTpn30Pms8I">the evolution of hip hop dance</a>. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Writing Tips </span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Finished your manuscript and ready to publish? Here are some <a href="http://www.writingforward.com/getting-published/how-to-get-published/writing-query-letter-preparing-submit-fiction-agents-editors">things you need to think about</a> before submitting that query letter and <a href="http://thewritepractice.com/no-choice/">reaching out to publishers</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Once you submit your queries, you’re bound to get rejections. But have no fear! Jodi Meadows’ <a href="http://www.publishingcrawl.com/2014/02/07/a-love-letter-to-my-rejections/">love letter to her rejections</a> may just help you to cope.</span>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825578716168335522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866711598170215077.post-45127613897551860552014-02-18T06:00:00.000-05:002014-02-18T06:00:02.891-05:00Audiobook Review: The Ocean At The End Of The Lane by Neil Gaiman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmRJMXs-an-I7V94Ud3JCCE7jHpYQ5tKOTLyTlxJdlNOpeIjIWnjCTSWSRmf8TTXI9ELVKCcPDj_VIU3ji3fM9YHDV3X5aK92BexLw8rttQnrKzp7HQoScLCPGWrl9EF3J-2tHVg5aBFP/s1600/OceanattheEndofLane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmRJMXs-an-I7V94Ud3JCCE7jHpYQ5tKOTLyTlxJdlNOpeIjIWnjCTSWSRmf8TTXI9ELVKCcPDj_VIU3ji3fM9YHDV3X5aK92BexLw8rttQnrKzp7HQoScLCPGWrl9EF3J-2tHVg5aBFP/s1600/OceanattheEndofLane.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Title: </b>The Ocean At The End Of The Lane</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Author(s):</b> Neil Gaiman</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Genre(s):</b> Fantasy, Horror, Young Adult</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Publisher/Date:</b> William Morrow Books / June 18, 2013</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Series:</b> Stand Alone</span><br />
<blockquote style="background: rgb(230, 230, 230);">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">“</span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">I do not miss childhood, but I miss the way I took pleasure in small
things, even as greater things crumbled. I could not control the world I
was in, could not walk away from things or people or moments that hurt,
but I took joy in the things that made me happy.” -<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Unnamed Narrator</span></span></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Case Study</b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText10825467215734029771"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sussex, England. A
middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral.
Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at
the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most
remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He
hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a
pond that she'd claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old
farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past
too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone,
let alone a small boy.<br /><br />Forty years earlier, a man committed
suicide in a stolen car at this farm at the end of the road. Like a fuse
on a firework, his death lit a touchpaper and resonated in unimaginable
ways. The darkness was unleashed, something scary and thoroughly
incomprehensible to a little boy. And Lettie—magical, comforting, wise
beyond her years—promised to protect him, no matter what. <i>(synopsis from Goodreads)</i></span></span><span id="freeText10825467215734029771"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span id="freeText10825467215734029771">The Game's Afoot </span></span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Neil Gaiman is a legend in the literary world. His books are all smart, beautifully written and full of wonder. <i>The </i><i>Ocean At The End </i><i>Of The Lane</i> is no exception. Admittedly, I've only read one other book by Gaiman, <i>American Gods</i>, and it's a very different sort of story than this one. I wasn't really sure what to expect from his YA, but it definitely wasn't this. <i>Ocean </i>might be a story written for kids, but it's undoubtedly one that's meant more for adults. </span><span style="font-size: medium;">There's a sadness and isolation to the book that goes hand in hand with</span> the narrator's loss of innocence, with the pain of growing up.</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Like in most of Gaiman's other works, magic touches everything in <i>Ocean</i>. And like the background mythology, the magic here is old. </span>There's a quietness, a subtlety to it which lends to the story's very dream-like quality. It also helps that Gaiman narrated the audiobook, so the story is read as it was meant to be read. The narration was like poetry, smooth and rhythmic, lulling the listening deeper and deeper into the story. Gaiman is a wordsmith like no other. His words are so simple yet effective, stimulating to every one of the senses. And the story easily flows from one event to the next, the moments ebbing and flowing like the soft breeze over a gentle sea. </span> <br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the coolest things about this book was the presence of such strong female figures, taken in the form of the Hempstock women. I really loved the mother/maiden/crone dynamic between them. Honestly, they were the ones that drew me in and they were the ones that kept me riveted to the page. I guess the only thing that really threw me was the ending. I read this book over a week ago and now that I've had time to digest it, I still don't know what to think. It raised more questions than answers and lacked and overall feeling of completeness. These are just a few of the questions I still have: Did the boy take away anything at all from his experience? If not, what was the point? Was he worth Lettie's existence? Lettie thought so, but I'm not so sure.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Despite my reservations about the ending, I was really impressed by <i>Ocean</i>. It's a story unlike any other---dark, terrifying and wonderful---one that's beautifully written and superbly spoken by the man, the master, Neil Gaiman.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span id="freeText10825467215734029771">Summary Prognosis</span></span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The Ocean At The End Of The Lane</i> is an exquisite story written by the master of wordsmiths, Neil Gaiman. This book is about the power of childhood and adulthood and loss all rolled into one frighteningly magical journey through one man's memory. It will stimulate both your senses and your mind and leave you wanting more. <span style="font-family: inherit;">In a word, it's simply beautiful.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Rating: </b></span><span style="font-size: x-large;">★★★★</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Read It:</b> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Ocean-End-Lane-Novel/dp/0062255657/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391894069&sr=8-1&keywords=the+ocean+at+the+end+of+the+lane">Amazon</a> | </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ocean-at-the-end-of-the-lane-neil-gaiman/1113200718?ean=9780062255655">Barnes & Noble</a> | </span><a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/The-Ocean-at-the-End-of-the-Lane-Audiobook/B00CRKR77U/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1391894015&sr=1-1">Audible</a></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Discuss It:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15783514-the-ocean-at-the-end-of-the-lane?ac=1">Goodreads</a> <span style="font-family: inherit;">| <a href="http://www.neilgaiman.com/">Author's Website</a></span></span>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825578716168335522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866711598170215077.post-36579039360619300782014-02-14T06:00:00.000-05:002014-02-14T06:00:05.420-05:00Will You Be My Fictional Valentine?<span style="font-size: medium;">It's no secret that we all have our favourite book boyfriends, but this Valentine's Day, I'd like to take some time to honour a few of my very first fictional loves. Before there was Sturmhond there was Casey Jones. Before there was Ignifex, there was Inigo. Before Peeta and Four and Ronan there was Shawn (Hunter) and JTT and Zack (Morris). And you know what... almost 15 years later, they still hold a special place in my heart.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;">So how about it, fellas, will you be my fictional Valentine?</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiobtwpibd-4pbKwY1fGUDu4SBFTxyejPpj3mZfx6060dnEH5Klh2CRdnENr1xKZgc3klERq5IomcUeLkoOFImIBvrrOp1-mUQrObIpyyH6Lxn7LpBr3zzda3MCtSH79d5QSX2tMFKkOnDQ/s1600/Valentine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiobtwpibd-4pbKwY1fGUDu4SBFTxyejPpj3mZfx6060dnEH5Klh2CRdnENr1xKZgc3klERq5IomcUeLkoOFImIBvrrOp1-mUQrObIpyyH6Lxn7LpBr3zzda3MCtSH79d5QSX2tMFKkOnDQ/s1600/Valentine.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Casey Jones (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100758/?ref_=nv_sr_2">Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</a>), Inigo Montoya (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093779/?ref_=nv_sr_1">The Princess Bride</a>), Uncle Jesse (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092359/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Full House</a>), <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001795/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Jonathan Taylor Thomas</a> (from anything), Shawn Hunter (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105958/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Boy Meets World</a>), Clark Kent/Superman (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106057/?ref_=nm_knf_t1">Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman</a>) & Zack Morris (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096694/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Saved By The Bell</a>)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Happy Valentine's Day! So tell me, who were some of your first fictional loves? Do you share the same passion for 80's and 90's boys as I do?</span></b>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825578716168335522noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866711598170215077.post-88781214803196512002014-02-12T06:00:00.000-05:002014-02-14T14:52:15.809-05:00Book Review: Into The Still Blue by Veronica Rossi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmo53znh3Qg0KyDz5tCkFQIR1GrHJwomW7si737UtRoO_00SPQ6nCWZhjw3HLbUALrP_ThGEhsOL2fKi-8GSrXoBZmO178tPbSuNT3-AlpOWIRn11hLCF8CuEK80HPyu4pVzaysb3G1qJZ/s1600/StillBlue.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmo53znh3Qg0KyDz5tCkFQIR1GrHJwomW7si737UtRoO_00SPQ6nCWZhjw3HLbUALrP_ThGEhsOL2fKi-8GSrXoBZmO178tPbSuNT3-AlpOWIRn11hLCF8CuEK80HPyu4pVzaysb3G1qJZ/s1600/StillBlue.JPG" height="320" width="206"></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Title:</b> Into The Still Blue</span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Author(s):</b> Veronica Rossi</span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Genre(s):</b> Dystopia, Science Fiction, Young Adult</span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Publisher/Date:</b> HarperCollins / January 28, 2014</span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Series:</b> Under The Never Sky (Book #3) </span><br>
<blockquote style="background: rgb(230, 230, 230);">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">“</span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">We have to tell each other the little things, the bad things. Maybe
they’ll hurt for a while, but at least they won’t become big things. If
we don’t, we’re just going to keep hurting each other. And I don’t want
to do that anymore.” -<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Aria</span></span></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="color: #990000;">Warning</span>:</u> This review may contain spoilers
concerning </b><a href="http://foiltheplot.blogspot.com/2013/03/book-review-under-never-sky-by-veronica.html"><i><b>Under The Never Sky</b></i></a></span><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"> & <i><a href="http://foiltheplot.blogspot.com/2013/04/book-review-through-ever-night-by.html">Through The Ever Night</a></i>.</span></span></b></span></div>
<br>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Case Study</span></span></b></div>
<span id="freeText2596806936261136425"><span style="font-size: medium;">Their love and their
leadership have been tested. Now it's time for Perry and Aria to unite
the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring
balance to their world.<br><br>The race to the Still Blue has reached a
stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe-haven
from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do-and they are just as
determined to stay together.<br><br>Meanwhile, time is running out to
rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique
abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry
that he won't even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have
already lost.<br><br>Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to
mount an impossible rescue mission-because Cinder isn't just the key to
unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, he's also
their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what
matter most. <i>(synopsis from Goodreads)</i></span></span><br>
<br>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">The Game's Afoot </span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Series enders are tricky business. I'm always hesitant going in, hopeful that the resolution will be everything I wanted and also so afraid that it won't be.<i> Into The Still Blue</i> does what any good series ender should --- it ups the stakes and gives you the FEELS. It answers all our burning questions and does so in a way that feels natural and makes sense. In short,<i> </i>it was exactly the ender I've been hoping for.</span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Stylistically,<i> Into The Still Blue</i> is a little different from UtNS and TtEN in that it's more action driven than character driven. But I don't think this is a bad thing because action is the bridge to the resolution. The book also focuses more on the group as a whole as opposed to any given individual (or couple). Everyone gets equal screen time, per say, and I think that plays into why the book worked for me. Plus, we get answers, answers about the Still Blue, about Aria's father, about Hess and Sable's grand plan! All of these things are wrapped up in a very organic and cohesive way.</span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;">And then there are THE FEELS. Oh my god, there are SO MANY FEELS!</span><br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZeFO_gnrZpHxJc-qqM8YW6CtgrxaNJ8ammzlBzkfdDy2qfEDVz7smQYpo-_YQ8X1boh1m4oFPhWZLjhHmzRU7QEH234PBW3UAGTuS10UWoR7NwmJ6nDQyf10ZkpAVjP7MimAwHpEIzNIR/s1600/FEELINGS.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZeFO_gnrZpHxJc-qqM8YW6CtgrxaNJ8ammzlBzkfdDy2qfEDVz7smQYpo-_YQ8X1boh1m4oFPhWZLjhHmzRU7QEH234PBW3UAGTuS10UWoR7NwmJ6nDQyf10ZkpAVjP7MimAwHpEIzNIR/s1600/FEELINGS.gif" height="223" width="400"></a></div>
<br>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Rossi doesn't hold back in this book. Sacrifices are made, friendships tested, allegiances broken. The stakes are super high and it's do or die time. And people DO die. Between certain deaths and Roar's grief and Cinder... MY HEART! Then we have Soren who is a total wildcard and Sable who is in a villainy class all of his own. The characters undoubtedly make this series one worth reading! They are all complex and dynamic and layered, each with a strong voice and distinctive personality. There are NO stock characters here. And the relationships they share with one another, both romantic and platonic, are to die for! I ship the friendships most of all!</span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;">The one thing that really caught me off guard about ItSB was how abrupt the ending was. I wasn't expecting it to come in the form or swiftness that it did but I think my reluctance to admit that the series was ending probably played a big part in that surprise. Though I wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to the gang, I do think Rossi brought their story to a natural and satisfactory conclusion. There's a nice balance of adversity and triumph. The group doesn't walk away unscathed, all of the characters suffer in some way, though ultimately, they do get a happy sort of ending. It feels very real, organic because everything isn't tied up in a pretty little bow. People die but people also get to live. And for Perry, Aria and the rest --- what more could you ask for?</span><br>
<br>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Summary Prognosis</span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Into The Still Blue</i> is an action-packed, high stakes series ender. It definitely tugged at my heartstrings --- people die, people we've come to know and
love BUT, overall, all the majour issues were resolved in a natural sort of way and the characters get a somewhat happier ending. Though this wasn't my favourite book of the three, it was still a satisfying ending to a brilliant series. I will be pushing this series on to everyone I know!</span><br>
<br>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Rating:</b> <span style="font-size: x-large;">★★★★</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">½</span> </span></span><br>
<br>
<b>Read It:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Into-Still-Blue-Under-Never/dp/0062072099/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391892215&sr=8-1&keywords=into+the+still+blue">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/into-the-still-blue-veronica-rossi/1115554599?ean=9780062072092">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Teens/Into-the-Still-Blue-Audiobook/B00H8SHRIA/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1391892298&sr=1-1">Audible</a><br>
<b>Discuss It:</b> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14288998-into-the-still-blue">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://www.veronicarossi.com/">Author's Website</a> </span>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825578716168335522noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866711598170215077.post-55054599657066262082014-02-10T06:00:00.000-05:002014-02-11T16:22:30.527-05:00Mini Reviews: Roar and Liv & Brooke by Veronica Rossi<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="color: #990000;">Warning</span>:</u> These reviews may contain spoilers
concerning </b><a href="http://foiltheplot.blogspot.com/2013/03/book-review-under-never-sky-by-veronica.html"><i><b>Under The Never Sky</b></i></a></span><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"> & <i><a href="http://foiltheplot.blogspot.com/2013/04/book-review-through-ever-night-by.html">Through The Ever Night</a></i>.</span></span></b></span></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBvfkgvKfKQLJGhzuTdybRqCEoX9_a28nmHRIrpIeqyIuilc8_7EwwONSoD27MtS5vX7AkOJYBnT_gLO_gH2fvdAQyB79XqPnyCbPs874kCUC70Vi_oiZy3-OTHXNmuLPrrApo0WeE2flk/s1600/RoarLiv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBvfkgvKfKQLJGhzuTdybRqCEoX9_a28nmHRIrpIeqyIuilc8_7EwwONSoD27MtS5vX7AkOJYBnT_gLO_gH2fvdAQyB79XqPnyCbPs874kCUC70Vi_oiZy3-OTHXNmuLPrrApo0WeE2flk/s1600/RoarLiv.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Title:</b> Roar and Liv</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Author(s):</b> Veronica Rossi</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Genre(s):</b> Dystopia, Science Fiction, Young Adult</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Publisher/Date:</b> HarperCollins/ October 30, 2012</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Series:</b> Under The Never Sky (Companion Novel)</span><br />
<blockquote style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(230, 230, 230);">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span id="freeText9549286112123452907">After a childhood spent
wandering the borderlands, Roar finally feels like he has a home with
the Tides. His best friend Perry is like a brother to him, and Perry's
sister, Liv, is the love of his life. But Perry and Liv's unpredictable
older brother, Vale, is the Blood Lord of the Tides, and he has never
looked kindly on Roar and Liv's union. Normally, Roar couldn't care less
about Vale's opinion. But with food running low and conditions
worsening every day, Vale's leadership is more vital—and more
brutal—than ever. Desperate to protect his tribe, Vale makes a decision
that will shatter the life Roar knew and change the fate of the Tides
forever. <i>(synopsis from Goodreads)</i></span></span></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Summary Prognosis</b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">I <span style="font-family: inherit;">love <span style="font-family: inherit;">reading novellas.<tt><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></tt><span style="font-family: inherit;">They're</span> the perfect opp<span style="font-family: inherit;">ortunity<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">to <span style="font-family: inherit;">delve dee<span style="font-family: inherit;">per </span>into <span style="font-family: inherit;">backstory, <span style="font-family: inherit;">provide </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">a <span style="font-family: inherit;">better </span>look</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">at </span>secondary c<span style="font-family: inherit;">haracters</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> and elaborate on the world-building. While they're not necessary additions to a series, I feel like they can certainly add to and enhance the overall reading experience and Rossi's novellas do exactly that. They give us a new perspective into the minds and relationships of some of our favourite characters and add depth to events that have already taken place within the series. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Roar and Liv</i> takes place prior to the events in <i>Under The Never Sky</i>, focusing not only the romantic relationships that Perry and Roar have, but also their dynamic as friends and as family. We learn how Vale came to sell his sister and exactly why Roar left the Tides. We get to see how things came to be so tense between Perry and Vale and experience just how callous Vale could be. This story unequivocally broke my heart. It broke my heart because I read it with the tragic knowledge of what would befall Roar and Liv in <i>Through The Ever Night</i>. Roar quickly became one of my favourite characters in this series with his easy-going nature, humourous attitude, loyalty and strength. In a way, after seeing what transpired between Roar and Vale, you can really understand why Roar could be a bit of an ass sometimes. You feel the love between him and Liv, the way they thought they'd really be together for forever. <i>Roar and Liv</i> adds so many feels to this series and I highly recommend reading it after UtNS and TtEN.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Rating:</b> <span style="font-size: x-large;">★★★★★</span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Read It:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Roar-Liv-Veronica-Rossi-ebook/dp/B0090RV3JG/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391893218&sr=1-1&keywords=roar+and+liv">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/roar-and-liv-veronica-rossi/1112575011?ean=9780062239556">Barnes & Noble</a></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"> <a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_1?asin=B009VT59V6&qid=1366145785&sr=1-1"></a></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Discuss It:</b> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15754052-roar-and-liv?from_search=true">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://www.veronicarossi.com/">Author's Website</a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMP0ZRBMHo0DIBemwyMrAGnQvS6ALZTD5IvFt-iIm4yhqrwSZSNd8KQxgkGtZmWMSpdKTu9yvnoQZwUzjUagnRZk4uM3dcyrYI23aZW-QN3lLCCb_zvneCe5dJIsMsKPdiGG8-8GI_0cmj/s1600/Brooke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMP0ZRBMHo0DIBemwyMrAGnQvS6ALZTD5IvFt-iIm4yhqrwSZSNd8KQxgkGtZmWMSpdKTu9yvnoQZwUzjUagnRZk4uM3dcyrYI23aZW-QN3lLCCb_zvneCe5dJIsMsKPdiGG8-8GI_0cmj/s1600/Brooke.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Title:</b> Brooke</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Author(s):</b> Veronica Rossi</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Genre(s):</b> Dystopia, Science Fiction, Young Adult</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Publisher/Date:</b> HarperCollins/ November 26, 2013</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Series:</b> Under The Never Sky (Companion Novel)</span><br />
<blockquote style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(230, 230, 230);">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span id="freeText7371457715440299172">The only fight she can't
win is the one for Perry's heart. Following the stunning climax in
Through the Ever Night, the Tides have been forced to seek shelter from
the Aether storms in a dismal, secluded cave. But Brooke's memories of
the cave go back much further, to when she and Perry used to come here
together. That was before Perry fell in love with Aria and before Vale's
dealings with the Dwellers altered the course of the Tides forever.<br /><br />Now,
with her sister back from a haunting year in captivity and Aria lying
unconscious in the sick bay, Brooke struggles to put the pieces of her
life back together. Without Perry, who is she? And what is her role in
this frightening new world? As these questions swirl about her, an old
threat to the Tides resurfaces, and Brooke is forced to put the lives of
her people before her own. But in taking this step outside of herself,
Brooke may finally discover what she truly wants. <i>(synopsis from Goodreads)</i></span></span></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Summary Prognosis</b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Much like </span><i>Roar and Liv</i>, I feel like <i>Brooke </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">was a novella that added a little something <span style="font-family: inherit;">extra special the the UtNS series.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> We don't really get a lot of insight int<span style="font-family: inherit;">o her character and what little we do know, isn't very p<span style="font-family: inherit;">leasant. Brooke <span style="font-family: inherit;">comes off a<span style="font-family: inherit;">s <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">the a-typic<span style="font-family: inherit;">al jealous ex-girlfriend</span></span>. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To be frank</span>, she's <span style="font-family: inherit;">nothing short of nasty </span>to Aria through<span style="font-family: inherit;">out the series<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and despite her <span style="font-family: inherit;">mad <span style="font-family: inherit;">skills as an <span style="font-family: inherit;">archer, there's <span style="font-family: inherit;">very little to her besides a h<span style="font-family: inherit;">ostile personality. Between <span style="font-family: inherit;">both novellas, <span style="font-family: inherit;">we actually get inside Brooke's head and are able to see just how much of <span style="font-family: inherit;">a mark Perry left on her heart.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> These stories make her relatable, make <span style="font-family: inherit;">her <i>likeable</i>. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Brooke is <span style="font-family: inherit;">bitter and hurt about the loss of Perry to <span style="font-family: inherit;">the dweller, Aria<span style="font-family: inherit;">, for the loss of her </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">best friend, Liv and for t<span style="font-family: inherit;">he arri<span style="font-family: inherit;">val of the people who <span style="font-family: inherit;">previously stole her sister</span></span></span>. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But as</span> </span>the novella progresses,<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Brook<span style="font-family: inherit;">e<span style="font-family: inherit;"> undergoes an</span> amazing transformation as she</span> reflects upon her heartbreak, comes to terms with her losses and rekindles the relationship with her little sister. Her abr<span style="font-family: inherit;">asive exterior slowly softens to re<span style="font-family: inherit;">veal a fierc<span style="font-family: inherit;">ely loyal, strong and independent woman. She <span style="font-family: inherit;">begins the journey of forgiveness and of understand<span style="font-family: inherit;">ing exactly what she wants in a <span style="font-family: inherit;">man<span style="font-family: inherit;">. By the end of the story, I had so<span style="font-family: inherit;"> much more respect for the girl and I really enjoyed the brief gli<span style="font-family: inherit;">mpse inside her head. I read this before reading <span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Into The Still Blue</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> and I'm glad that I did because I feel like it en<span style="font-family: inherit;">hanced <span style="font-family: inherit;">several</span></span> moments in<span style="font-family: inherit;"> the series fi<span style="font-family: inherit;">nale.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Rating:</b> <span style="font-size: x-large;">★★★★★</span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Read It:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Brooke-Under-Never-Sky-Story-ebook/dp/B00CKOVBVQ/ref=pd_sim_b_1">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/brooke-veronica-rossi/1116128461?ean=9780062305442">Barnes & Noble</a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"> <a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_1?asin=B009VT59V6&qid=1366145785&sr=1-1"></a></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Discuss It:</b> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17616704-brooke?from_search=true">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://www.veronicarossi.com/">Author's Website</a></span></div>
Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825578716168335522noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866711598170215077.post-32906969838217892102014-02-06T06:00:00.000-05:002014-02-06T06:00:04.502-05:00Audiobook Review: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWi7cwyn6BLHUb3tbWiM8fhDRG9cXIDz96dJYZvMhseD0z6dRsXFCfmaBs4NamNUzzSjXmq8T-6a3bXtAbT9IpdQwKTKybogmk77Km0b3A2BgkVwDcnI_DaB_9OWufRkfFVrhrUBjwWOk/s1600/Coldtown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWi7cwyn6BLHUb3tbWiM8fhDRG9cXIDz96dJYZvMhseD0z6dRsXFCfmaBs4NamNUzzSjXmq8T-6a3bXtAbT9IpdQwKTKybogmk77Km0b3A2BgkVwDcnI_DaB_9OWufRkfFVrhrUBjwWOk/s1600/Coldtown.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Title:</b> The Coldest Girl in Coldtown</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Author(s): </b>Holly Black</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Genre(s):</b> Horror, Paranormal, Vampires, Young Adult</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Publisher/Date:</b> Little Brown Books for Young Readers / September 3, 2013</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Series:</b> Stand Alone</span><br />
<blockquote style="background: rgb(230, 230, 230);">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">“We all wind up drawn to what we're afraid of, drawn to try to find a way to make ourselves safe from a thing by crawling inside of it, by loving it, by becoming it.” -<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Tana</span></span></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Case Study</span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown’s gates, you can never leave. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself. (<i>synopsis from Goodreads</i>)</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Game's Afoot</span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">First, I'd like to thank my awesomesauce book club for picking this book. Secondly, I'd like to thank Holly Black for making me fall in love with vampires again. Seriously. This book rocks! <i> </i></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHikH0q3jg8zCmwAgGijBM864IwfDOmgPkVbhWUILUYY7ejxNzxDrsLN79PMk5JHodjQrrnNEMzQ0kwZ6us7Oo4tLtKxD17XCYezI8UDY89QOmUCjqhUuYRz8ez2Yx1LIf4gWxfcjRXO8H/s1600/hallelujah.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHikH0q3jg8zCmwAgGijBM864IwfDOmgPkVbhWUILUYY7ejxNzxDrsLN79PMk5JHodjQrrnNEMzQ0kwZ6us7Oo4tLtKxD17XCYezI8UDY89QOmUCjqhUuYRz8ez2Yx1LIf4gWxfcjRXO8H/s1600/hallelujah.gif" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The Coldest Girl in Coldtown</i> is a richly imagined story and Black doesn't skimp on the macabre details, the scintillating danger or the gore. In this world, vampirism is a disease, of sorts, one that can be overcome after 88 agonizing days of bloodlust. Those who are bitten are placed in Coldtowns to mingle with the infected and the undead. The problem is: once you've gone to Coldtown, it's nearly impossible to leave. Black takes classic horror and blends it with modern elements to create something that feels simultaneously familiar yet still so different. And if that's not enough, rejoice in the fact that this is a love triangle free zone! PROGRESS!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;">What really stuck with me was how Black made vampires scary again. These vampires are of the ruthless variety --- callous, mysterious and cruel --- they are to be feared as well as admired, and no scene illustrates that better than the opening one. Black doesn't hold back when it comes to bloody violence and the audio narration really added a little something extra to the book's creepiness. That coupled with unique death quotes at the start of each chapter, it's bound to give you the chills. The story is richly layered, giving us glimpses into multiple POV's as well as past events.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Coldtown </i>also introduces us to some really dynamic characters, like the protagonist, Tana. Tana is the type of heroine you <i>want </i>to root for because she's perfectly imperfect and loyal to a fault. She's not a girl who just stands by and lets life happen. She's all about action, despite the consequences. She doesn't need to be saved, in fact, she's frequently the one doing the saving. Then there's Gavriel, beautiful, dangerous, undead Gavriel. Gavriel is a monster through and through and Black doesn't ever let you forget that. He's an old soul, centuries old, and crazy to boot. Can I just say how much I shipped Gavriel and Tana's romance! It makes sense given their tragic backgrounds and mutual understanding of what mercy is. They are bonded by tragedy, both having suffered and endured. They each struggle with inner demons and that makes them a great match.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;">I like how Tana kept her resolved at the end, despite the ease and lure that beckoned to her. It would've been so convenient for her to give in, but she didn't, and her strength is part of why I loved her. The ending was a bang which matched the rest of the story's intensity so well. It was quite open-ended and though part of me is pleased that this is a stand alone, the other part of me wishes to see where these characters take us next. A little adventure, a little horror and a little road trip, this book has a little of everything. <i>Coldtown </i>is a breath of fresh air in an, otherwise, overdone genre. First <a href="http://foiltheplot.blogspot.com/2014/01/book-review-gone-girl-by-gillian-flynn.html">Gone Girl</a> and now there's this. I think it's safe to say I trust my book club implicitly in choosing some really fantastic reads!</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Summary Prognosis</span></span></b> </div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The Coldest Girl in Coldtown</i> reminded me of why I loved vampire books in the first place. It's a fresh story, macabre, horrifying and equal parts enthralling. I loved the story, I loved the characters and I loved the dark mystery behind it all. And if you have the chance to listen to the audio version, I highly recommend it because the narration and the production value ups the ante on the story's creepiness. This book is sure to top my list of favourites this year, of that I have NO doubt. </span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Rating: </span></b><span style="font-size: x-large;">★★★★★</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Read It:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Coldest-Girl-Coldtown-Holly-Black/dp/0316213101/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389052938&sr=1-1&keywords=the+coldest+girl+in+coldtown">Amazon</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> | </span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-coldest-girl-in-coldtown-holly-black/1114308463?ean=9780316213103">Barnes & Noble</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> | <a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Teens/The-Coldest-Girl-in-Coldtown-Audiobook/B00EHKF97I/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1389053051&sr=1-1">Audible</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Discuss It:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12813630-the-coldest-girl-in-coldtown?ac=1">Goodreads</a> </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">| <a href="http://www.blackholly.com/">Author's Website</a></span></span></span>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825578716168335522noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866711598170215077.post-40284371558335147262014-02-04T06:00:00.000-05:002014-02-11T16:23:48.582-05:00Top Ten Tearjerkers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4LxgbOhO2BZPGSQJmxb0GIz2V_sHk4A4k7RIGi9wdQT8sU0G4_xZZPl-ovETMceK3kraTZiyc27Tv9H-aPuuWj4yk2apvQE2mSaebMgEuPOQFwS5CKzXIiUa89XXJNIteW5UoyLj0mnY/s1600/TTT.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4LxgbOhO2BZPGSQJmxb0GIz2V_sHk4A4k7RIGi9wdQT8sU0G4_xZZPl-ovETMceK3kraTZiyc27Tv9H-aPuuWj4yk2apvQE2mSaebMgEuPOQFwS5CKzXIiUa89XXJNIteW5UoyLj0mnY/s1600/TTT.png" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Top Ten Tuesday is an original weekly feature hosted
by <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #b0135f; font-family: inherit;">The
Broke and the Bookish</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">.
Combining both a passion for all things bookish with
an obsessive love of list-making, this rad meme was born. This week's
topic is the Top Ten Books That Make You Cry</span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>I have an aversion to tears so I perpetually avoid "crying" books/movies. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy "the feels," all except the weepy kind. As a result, this blog is generally a cry-free zone.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiafwT1MQ5_-j6io6EJ9n5cEwMNRrtxFRX_I71ADMvMCu5LBVCIgxzP_yhhqqR6r8QQrH0Q5VJy67oYFZOewlQP-YIW8f-vOcwP9d0VwyWOx76wzFotoPrhuwLrCl3iegLlxOPutwjfVscO/s1600/Crying.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiafwT1MQ5_-j6io6EJ9n5cEwMNRrtxFRX_I71ADMvMCu5LBVCIgxzP_yhhqqR6r8QQrH0Q5VJy67oYFZOewlQP-YIW8f-vOcwP9d0VwyWOx76wzFotoPrhuwLrCl3iegLlxOPutwjfVscO/s1600/Crying.gif" height="160" width="400" />I </a></div>
<br />
I think my avoidance has something to do with my need for control. Basically, I can't maintain that control if I'm a blubbering mess. But you know what? Sometimes a book/movie will catch me by surprise, strike a chord so hard that the tears start to flow. Funny, how sometimes a little lack of control is just what the doctor ordered. So here are my top ten tearjerkers. Make sure you keep some tissues handy!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6ap0lqY3L4ndCg8glVuVoqpxtgWh813UkXIppCrcl7NYj00_uO108Vn5xsY1MeqZcXr0tshEiLcsM5-DHfPlLeJl9qxpFV1vYmJxwUZnJ2J5XxWRSM3taqmhGqYlt_4YrRK9bKOQB_cn/s1600/Beginners.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6ap0lqY3L4ndCg8glVuVoqpxtgWh813UkXIppCrcl7NYj00_uO108Vn5xsY1MeqZcXr0tshEiLcsM5-DHfPlLeJl9qxpFV1vYmJxwUZnJ2J5XxWRSM3taqmhGqYlt_4YrRK9bKOQB_cn/s1600/Beginners.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ygt98uvX8GFfG0WLFColSQW2u25calWhWnXVmL-zKNFWGKzXhX5yYXybosRTjoDHzkK903y-b9jILVr3DrY0Zt5xdr4aLTCxqUBG4DFS5gTMW50OJF6Iz4ov2i80chbIcmA-0Gc3d9KU/s1600/BigFish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ygt98uvX8GFfG0WLFColSQW2u25calWhWnXVmL-zKNFWGKzXhX5yYXybosRTjoDHzkK903y-b9jILVr3DrY0Zt5xdr4aLTCxqUBG4DFS5gTMW50OJF6Iz4ov2i80chbIcmA-0Gc3d9KU/s1600/BigFish.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDORuA7G_ThwEbdFTFE7n3sZLHViPXV2RVpFlQst1REz_s7xdCSqTWLsoyAO5Jc_cWabZssW8eE5DlAEdNFIxv_dgkRqmQoeH32tN_GsZfGFX0MGIZgeS6N8OvFlDGWHVvZ1br_Sbh7uln/s1600/DogsPurpose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDORuA7G_ThwEbdFTFE7n3sZLHViPXV2RVpFlQst1REz_s7xdCSqTWLsoyAO5Jc_cWabZssW8eE5DlAEdNFIxv_dgkRqmQoeH32tN_GsZfGFX0MGIZgeS6N8OvFlDGWHVvZ1br_Sbh7uln/s1600/DogsPurpose.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqnXCQYzd6odGD0aVDar8v-3qfuGoCqbpIhtlj2Ruab1EsNlzXVrlKygggneiDXCTiFtBgggCDJLLzo_oD9OSUgDwXWG9ql5RnNluYICRG8_EDIsPqkM1AepBTqZft-qqGo7mf8jXJUaw/s1600/Harry+Potter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqnXCQYzd6odGD0aVDar8v-3qfuGoCqbpIhtlj2Ruab1EsNlzXVrlKygggneiDXCTiFtBgggCDJLLzo_oD9OSUgDwXWG9ql5RnNluYICRG8_EDIsPqkM1AepBTqZft-qqGo7mf8jXJUaw/s1600/Harry+Potter.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvmfgCnbnWKYcC77qWpBUE4PeMXzmTC3FlsvMWTue7tO7v0rjFWipC5pQ_P_K1vu0O8s6QWCN-QCotmQ2kJ182VRY5AMpFWOHMmTlo8b4x6smKdawXiia-I3LlkBW-RSqnrHjSWbQF89Dl/s1600/Hyperbole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvmfgCnbnWKYcC77qWpBUE4PeMXzmTC3FlsvMWTue7tO7v0rjFWipC5pQ_P_K1vu0O8s6QWCN-QCotmQ2kJ182VRY5AMpFWOHMmTlo8b4x6smKdawXiia-I3LlkBW-RSqnrHjSWbQF89Dl/s1600/Hyperbole.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0sfPtT3TTJbWWllHL4gXxk9I7GRR2apV3jFv4VL3sYX9ViBz7bJNuocarBLhF-AeTCvTgvs5gqYOo6U1F4M-BNIGXP46FyH8XmageBxeaHo-OIvx86BypNAOvQrc-8OQryQr3hX57qtsZ/s1600/Notebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0sfPtT3TTJbWWllHL4gXxk9I7GRR2apV3jFv4VL3sYX9ViBz7bJNuocarBLhF-AeTCvTgvs5gqYOo6U1F4M-BNIGXP46FyH8XmageBxeaHo-OIvx86BypNAOvQrc-8OQryQr3hX57qtsZ/s1600/Notebook.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcp1O32GUd2bZize5h3wvxEpq9I9VXWQj1I-8yfR13LC5pk5aAlznudt-u38GCSHiYdyM4fJcehHDqLHk6UCiLecy78y6o-V9AAa4rSziZrvGXbtncxOvuGmgoUy_t1Eh_9DkhLI7qb8DH/s1600/RedFern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcp1O32GUd2bZize5h3wvxEpq9I9VXWQj1I-8yfR13LC5pk5aAlznudt-u38GCSHiYdyM4fJcehHDqLHk6UCiLecy78y6o-V9AAa4rSziZrvGXbtncxOvuGmgoUy_t1Eh_9DkhLI7qb8DH/s1600/RedFern.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi84BcjYHcHm_hVJt_7NDPjYxR19pM-7NetYSjc0CYPL-v-JCWeNT-VQn3ECkaWFoTDi1Q6lP6zU2btEQ_lgRzN4hYi6kI623ZN6tT_l-f2wYzp86DQ3pzRPJ2tumj2pxzABZyMzzHTGfLa/s1600/THG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi84BcjYHcHm_hVJt_7NDPjYxR19pM-7NetYSjc0CYPL-v-JCWeNT-VQn3ECkaWFoTDi1Q6lP6zU2btEQ_lgRzN4hYi6kI623ZN6tT_l-f2wYzp86DQ3pzRPJ2tumj2pxzABZyMzzHTGfLa/s1600/THG.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTMCZlrzdXJZ4Dx8g9LWGzFk2ZVerQKJd23nsf_ThsuNWGjZmZmu5sDGQKi68LFCmGPwIKZrh1GDQLbGBNluImfW8948FR0FOLX3fAAHtfFghx2qAqMUDaUWfej_raveoxshwjUhh6aysl/s1600/TigerLily.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTMCZlrzdXJZ4Dx8g9LWGzFk2ZVerQKJd23nsf_ThsuNWGjZmZmu5sDGQKi68LFCmGPwIKZrh1GDQLbGBNluImfW8948FR0FOLX3fAAHtfFghx2qAqMUDaUWfej_raveoxshwjUhh6aysl/s1600/TigerLily.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIKjhlGwjVieKOX1IkJIMQnZOI8epqVXPdxZHokTiNkBYa5YO6zA4wQ-lm4IJbFSC-06HY6OevsMBY_HqU5868cpck71_pXaY-ujxMnv1Yz8KK1zXmEwWR7w8EV9Eb2KZm5YsqYS5BJ8O1/s1600/Up.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIKjhlGwjVieKOX1IkJIMQnZOI8epqVXPdxZHokTiNkBYa5YO6zA4wQ-lm4IJbFSC-06HY6OevsMBY_HqU5868cpck71_pXaY-ujxMnv1Yz8KK1zXmEwWR7w8EV9Eb2KZm5YsqYS5BJ8O1/s1600/Up.JPG" height="285" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">So tell me, do you avoid tearjerkers or are you a glutton for punishment? What books/movies have made you cry? Sometimes I feel like I'm really missing out on great books/movies because I fear the tear(s)!</span></b>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825578716168335522noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866711598170215077.post-122336458595982992014-01-30T06:00:00.000-05:002014-02-08T15:50:03.072-05:00Mini Reviews: Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble by HP Mallory & Club Monstrosity by Jesse Petersen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkL0yOUJAr_5A_1oXQ18oqaE2wgiXZsquMrF1ThU2T3n4HC4701M_t6gPPZ5Y8mElhGQnVAQMqUKlFHG2yXcLfdol7CPnqCq65d1EgQLykxpfxWVjzi8gQOHZsKKTDfxLh6QTIPL0zZfdv/s1600/FireBurnCauldronBubble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkL0yOUJAr_5A_1oXQ18oqaE2wgiXZsquMrF1ThU2T3n4HC4701M_t6gPPZ5Y8mElhGQnVAQMqUKlFHG2yXcLfdol7CPnqCq65d1EgQLykxpfxWVjzi8gQOHZsKKTDfxLh6QTIPL0zZfdv/s1600/FireBurnCauldronBubble.jpg" height="320" width="202" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Title:</b> Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Author(s):</b> H.P. Mallory</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Genre(s):</b> Chick-Lit, Paranormal Romance</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Publisher/Date:</b> Self-Published / February 20, 2012</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Series:</b> Jolie Wilkins (Book #1)</span><br />
<blockquote style="background: rgb(230, 230, 230);">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Life isn't bad for psychic Jolie Wilkins. True, she doesn't have a love life to speak of, but she has a cute house in the suburbs of Los Angeles, a cat and a quirky best friend.
Enter Rand Balfour, a sinfully attractive warlock who insists she's a witch and who just might turn her life upside down. Rand hires her to help him solve a mystery regarding the death of his client who also happens to be a ghost. Jolie not only uncovers the cause of the ghost's demise but, in the process, she brings him back to life!
Word of Jolie’s incredible ability to bring back the dead spreads like wildfire, putting her at the top of the underworld’s most wanted list. Consequently, she finds herself at the center of a custody battle between a villainous witch, a dangerous but oh-so-sexy vampire, and her warlock boss, Rand. <i>(synopsis from Goodreads)</i></span></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Summary Prognosis</b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Honestly, I don't even know where to start when it comes to this book. So much to say and none of it positive. What I thought might be an entertaining blend of <i>Beautiful</i> <i>Creatures </i>meets <i>True Blood</i> ended up being a train wreck of shallowness, misogyny and flimsy plots. Mallory is an ineffectual storyteller in that she doesn't show us anything, instead, we're smacked in the face with every little fact/detail, so frequently that it's somewhat insulting. She lacks the subtlety and consistency that is characteristic of more seasoned writers. And for the magic in the story to be believable there has to be a set of rules in that world and in this case, there are none. Everything happens too conveniently. There are no limitations and I just wasn't buying it. Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble doesn't deliver anything new in the genre. It's one of those books where you've seen it all before. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">My other big problem with this book was the characters. Every one of them is unlikeable because they're either stupid, vapid or utterly useless. Jolie, our MC, is the a-typical ordinary girl with extraordinary power who cares more about a man's looks than his actual personality. And the men, nearly every one of them is controlling, arrogant or evil. The best example of this is our main man, Rand, who stoops to using the temptation of sex in a vain attempt to control our MC. If I'm being frank, the only thing this book succeeded in doing was making me want to throw it at the wall. I bought this audiobook hoping for something craptastic --- light and fun --- instead, I got something that was TERRIBAD. So yeah. This series is <i>not </i>for me.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="freeText7628858973050198117"><b>Rating:</b> <span style="font-size: x-large;">★<span style="font-family: inherit;">½</span> </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="freeText7628858973050198117"><b>Read It:</b> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Burn-And-Cauldron-Bubble/dp/1470088282/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1390342438&sr=8-2&keywords=fire+burn+and+cauldron+bubble">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fire-burn-and-cauldron-bubble-a-paranormal-romance-hp-mallory/1116875009?ean=2940011091308">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Fire-Burn-and-Cauldron-Bubble-Audiobook/B00FX73QJM/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1390342552&sr=1-1">Audible</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="freeText7628858973050198117"><b>Discuss It:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8542839-fire-burn-and-cauldron-bubble?ac=1">Goodreads</a> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">| <a href="http://hpmallory.com/">Author's Website</a></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXH4FPSPLEvTxbpZ-UX8pq0kLeT5bu9O7Q6IgCWyJJgTXGrQogujPfGaeEiTLGG6swO99XeIgyfnXCtzzBx4k0odV9XJnJu7lrIktmda9h41W4-MJn5FsyKzvyhJm8EAKoED-S6tDIu1br/s1600/ClubMonstrosity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXH4FPSPLEvTxbpZ-UX8pq0kLeT5bu9O7Q6IgCWyJJgTXGrQogujPfGaeEiTLGG6swO99XeIgyfnXCtzzBx4k0odV9XJnJu7lrIktmda9h41W4-MJn5FsyKzvyhJm8EAKoED-S6tDIu1br/s1600/ClubMonstrosity.jpg" height="320" width="206" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Title:</b> Club Monstrosity</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Author(s):</b> Jesse Petersen</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Genre(s):</b> Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Vampires</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Publisher/Date:</b> Pocket Star / April 29, 2013</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Series:</b> Monstrosity (Book #1)</span><br />
<blockquote style="background: rgb(230, 230, 230);">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Natalie’s one of Frankenstein’s creations and works in a New York City morgue. So of course she needs therapy. She and her friends—er, fellow monsters—have formed the world’s most exclusive, most dysfunctional support group. What could go wrong?
Undetected in the modern world and under pressure to stay that way, Natalie Grey, Dracula, Bob the Blob, and others (including the fetching wolfman Alec) meet regularly to talk about the pressures of being infamous in the Big Apple. Topics include how long it’s been since their last sighting, how their “story” creates stereotypes they can’t fulfill, and—gasp—sometimes even their feelings. But when their pervy Invisible Man, Ellis, is killed in a manner reminiscent of the H.G. Wells novel, it’s clear someone’s discovered their existence and is down for some monster busting.
Led by Natalie—and definitely not helped by Hyde’s bloodthirsty tendencies—the members of Monstofelldosis Anonymous band together for security and a little sleuthing. And maybe—maybe—if they don’t end up dead, they’ll end up friends somewhere along the way. <i>(synopsis from Goodreads)</i></span></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Summary Prognosis</b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">I've been a long-time fan of Jesse Petersen's <i>Living with the Dead</i> series. Her books are some of my go-to reads --- witty, entertaining and snarky as hell --- so it was a no brainer for me to pick up <i>Club Monstrosity</i>. The concept of monsters in a self-help group is so great. C'mon, it's MONSTERS IN A SELF-HELP CLUB! We get to see how a Frankenstein's monster, the Blob, the Invisible Man, a mummy, Dracula, a werewolf, a swamp monster and Dr. Jekyl/Mr. Hyde are all coping in modern day America, that is, until they start being offed in the same fashion as in their horror stories. Hell yes! Where do I sign up? This book was pretty much what I expected it would be --- quick, easy and fun. While it wasn't quite as gripping as Petersen's other series, I definitely enjoyed reading it. The only real quirk that got me were the random POV swaps between two of the main characters. They occur right in the middle of scenes so it makes it difficult to discern who's speaking. Other than that, I found it to be a quirky concept with some really cool characters. While I do prefer Petersen's other books, I will definitely continue reading this series too.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="freeText7628858973050198117"><b>Rating:</b> <span style="font-size: x-large;">★★</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="freeText7628858973050198117">★</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="freeText7628858973050198117"><b>Read It:</b> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Club-Monstrosity-Jesse-Petersen-ebook/dp/B008X6R6OG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390342466&sr=8-1&keywords=club+monstrosity">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/club-monstrosity-jesse-petersen/1112483154?ean=9781476716183">Barnes & Noble</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="freeText7628858973050198117"><b>Discuss It:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15825690-club-monstrosity?ac=1">Goodreads</a> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">| <a href="http://www.jessepetersen.net/">Author's Website</a></span></span>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825578716168335522noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866711598170215077.post-48325975435288957942014-01-28T06:00:00.000-05:002014-02-11T16:25:03.595-05:00TTT: Don't Take Me There!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiujngNKPK3Fv1ImxlMgK_uIA_aQhD8ILxIoaqCg1OzxF2tVixX63rk2VBB8NBS25i84MeXVy5BeOVPj_I6ld5-P9SvAeYec1-MVKtmtTCDQvrC3u1r6r-oRG2OUI57oRBoC1Wm6JJXZ9Q4/s1600/TTT.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiujngNKPK3Fv1ImxlMgK_uIA_aQhD8ILxIoaqCg1OzxF2tVixX63rk2VBB8NBS25i84MeXVy5BeOVPj_I6ld5-P9SvAeYec1-MVKtmtTCDQvrC3u1r6r-oRG2OUI57oRBoC1Wm6JJXZ9Q4/s1600/TTT.png" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Top Ten Tuesday is an original weekly feature hosted
by <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #b0135f; font-family: inherit;">The
Broke and the Bookish</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Combining both a passion for all things bookish with
an obsessive love of list-making, this rad meme was born. This week's topic is the Top Ten Worlds You'd Never Want To Live In. They say triumph is born of tragedy, however, I'm not one to envy these characters or their situations, even if it breeds greatness. The real world is scary enough.</span></span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgS4dT0jLxgCBRnG0ETXY-JJ3maNIF095Oxm4rJVn-Kwv-3SzbKKdpLn2A16rPXaGEmV62nE3bSXO0MdR4qC2S0q8LU4cE1yAVZ1RQIHYE0o7atOuy-HH_2rUFR3dqzWP14OZqAoKk8Zgb/s1600/Coldtown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgS4dT0jLxgCBRnG0ETXY-JJ3maNIF095Oxm4rJVn-Kwv-3SzbKKdpLn2A16rPXaGEmV62nE3bSXO0MdR4qC2S0q8LU4cE1yAVZ1RQIHYE0o7atOuy-HH_2rUFR3dqzWP14OZqAoKk8Zgb/s1600/Coldtown.jpg" height="275" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWAqmBws8sB7bCQJiE9tQYS1M70Fn2h8QKgmGMN38IIxdYu-JsuAZD4afV8BX_00VB9S38giTiCMiMmXUAXCOHavQ6jrSlqrp9Hor767YvikYFVAW79V5zjtr8sGRTFtx3n28jaftWJpF5/s1600/DroptoDrink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWAqmBws8sB7bCQJiE9tQYS1M70Fn2h8QKgmGMN38IIxdYu-JsuAZD4afV8BX_00VB9S38giTiCMiMmXUAXCOHavQ6jrSlqrp9Hor767YvikYFVAW79V5zjtr8sGRTFtx3n28jaftWJpF5/s1600/DroptoDrink.jpg" height="276" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy00qK1_97HsxKqubHLQJQsDDQgoQQ-vz9rXq5KwktlufLrnx__w2YyB24mtQw8jO_crj8Jy9BMCSbW9Jag8ckgx7BjC4Zb-uTXe6yRqmaJHp2z-8YyY6xPnBa9UdY0xhhBMPtczuWIUHm/s1600/Everday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy00qK1_97HsxKqubHLQJQsDDQgoQQ-vz9rXq5KwktlufLrnx__w2YyB24mtQw8jO_crj8Jy9BMCSbW9Jag8ckgx7BjC4Zb-uTXe6yRqmaJHp2z-8YyY6xPnBa9UdY0xhhBMPtczuWIUHm/s1600/Everday.jpg" height="276" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkyivYJztVJfwFd-XvZGoSQU_aD5grNbiWme8k9MRgckn3kgK11nAC5ZOqjYEyzBdpuYBrmcMxUbPEHAEKIGdEJPnrgZnJ_CVsXZFbCKgdg359xc2YnQm4FxIlAM3z08bnpz2llJ54_osa/s1600/GameofThrones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkyivYJztVJfwFd-XvZGoSQU_aD5grNbiWme8k9MRgckn3kgK11nAC5ZOqjYEyzBdpuYBrmcMxUbPEHAEKIGdEJPnrgZnJ_CVsXZFbCKgdg359xc2YnQm4FxIlAM3z08bnpz2llJ54_osa/s1600/GameofThrones.jpg" height="276" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT45QVnjMqY_SXEsR7E4fEiRODe1Cmv8HksEkS1a6jgs-SANLPinEYnCHfYN9kWbdQ-AbJYBOEawGpQ-JzLG_NkWwhWRY-aJ6Wpi2HEWmwki3byN3nsrboIrRSkhCWlwZQpcN-KdVWupDH/s1600/Hansel&Gretel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT45QVnjMqY_SXEsR7E4fEiRODe1Cmv8HksEkS1a6jgs-SANLPinEYnCHfYN9kWbdQ-AbJYBOEawGpQ-JzLG_NkWwhWRY-aJ6Wpi2HEWmwki3byN3nsrboIrRSkhCWlwZQpcN-KdVWupDH/s1600/Hansel&Gretel.jpg" height="276" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8yVxusHCuLceKy3Y4qMNQesufJQCAbAr7M64hE4yOHquq717Lto4dd-P77bYk2p97t_JuNlGB9Xa-WH_X0_Ci9A4Ky208aNr_DdsPw_WsqHFKvvHzenmqNX88q8NtXg0-XEGNQhaHlRMv/s1600/PlagueofDead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8yVxusHCuLceKy3Y4qMNQesufJQCAbAr7M64hE4yOHquq717Lto4dd-P77bYk2p97t_JuNlGB9Xa-WH_X0_Ci9A4Ky208aNr_DdsPw_WsqHFKvvHzenmqNX88q8NtXg0-XEGNQhaHlRMv/s1600/PlagueofDead.jpg" height="276" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRgTiIi-rjN9g3uAkaaQ63_g7oqymL76EOgD68NFwlYf_nOm0NbLB5t3yuJD9F8yaV_wFgcA4olE9w7mtxASOr5LNfKpt2UnGnlpaavKvllanBD2LcmbLpZajRzLri7oh7nqLqkbkXsQB/s1600/TerminalFreeze.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRgTiIi-rjN9g3uAkaaQ63_g7oqymL76EOgD68NFwlYf_nOm0NbLB5t3yuJD9F8yaV_wFgcA4olE9w7mtxASOr5LNfKpt2UnGnlpaavKvllanBD2LcmbLpZajRzLri7oh7nqLqkbkXsQB/s1600/TerminalFreeze.jpg" height="276" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdssSnRB75WdhJyYG1RcaCUHrUc9JkFi67yq3mnCUZk9aEekaGt0u2sllvaqajOvCaUW6ah96V29ysMm0A-SdtwNmVUA62ikHRWrt7zqhIXXDEUmJDgANh2KaMV3nrH8hb_QQ3i0yylU5p/s1600/ThePurge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdssSnRB75WdhJyYG1RcaCUHrUc9JkFi67yq3mnCUZk9aEekaGt0u2sllvaqajOvCaUW6ah96V29ysMm0A-SdtwNmVUA62ikHRWrt7zqhIXXDEUmJDgANh2KaMV3nrH8hb_QQ3i0yylU5p/s1600/ThePurge.jpg" height="276" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyAzDozWzTM3cWN1tx0UwYaqiSXieUN8T5iyqQk5Xvta4XBs4YoO6-5ZfsuCoerGeeFEp1V5K6uHPziPmTEnVihmvsv-DZ1al-wFy5r-bUM8YV3eg8JCsne_gRuv0Ei50768lOStXsllKy/s1600/THG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyAzDozWzTM3cWN1tx0UwYaqiSXieUN8T5iyqQk5Xvta4XBs4YoO6-5ZfsuCoerGeeFEp1V5K6uHPziPmTEnVihmvsv-DZ1al-wFy5r-bUM8YV3eg8JCsne_gRuv0Ei50768lOStXsllKy/s1600/THG.jpg" height="276" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>So, what do you think? I could only think of 9 examples but they're definitely pretty gloomy. Are there any worlds that scare the crap out of you? </b></span>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825578716168335522noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866711598170215077.post-74777549840082866562014-01-24T06:00:00.000-05:002014-01-24T06:00:09.344-05:00TGIF / 37<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Welp, it's certainly been a frigid albeit short week thanks to the holiday and unforeseen snow day. At least I had the chance to catch up on some much needed blog maintenance and reading. And I finally got my reading groove back courtesy of the <a href="http://foiltheplot.blogspot.com/2014/01/book-review-gone-girl-by-gillian-flynn.html">the most f</a><a href="http://foiltheplot.blogspot.com/2014/01/book-review-gone-girl-by-gillian-flynn.html">ucked up book ever</a>. Don't you just love when a good book does that? Happy reading!</span></span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIWY0OO6aLE-xQYJEkL59OgoChVtC3jDVYhQ9NnqqLoT1-_0t3A-WQstm4xubv2n4VqOksLsHuJ7aQ_jX5z8bAFlbhsxxkTlT8ws1UaFqQIQ0ujghAg9_m8IgWYRP2_IXnxSN6YGqr2-wA/s1600/TGIF37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIWY0OO6aLE-xQYJEkL59OgoChVtC3jDVYhQ9NnqqLoT1-_0t3A-WQstm4xubv2n4VqOksLsHuJ7aQ_jX5z8bAFlbhsxxkTlT8ws1UaFqQIQ0ujghAg9_m8IgWYRP2_IXnxSN6YGqr2-wA/s1600/TGIF37.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b> Bookish News</b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">You guys, there are <a href="http://www.incrediblethings.com/web/vending-machines-with-books-instead-of-junk-food/">vending machines that dispense BOOKS</a>! OMG!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">This amazing <a href="http://geekologie.com/2014/01/book-sculpture-smaug-emerging-from-the-h.php">book sculpture</a> of Smaug from <i>The Hobbit</i> is all you need to see.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Cuddlebuggery lets us know <a href="http://cuddlebuggery.com/blog/2014/01/18/the-10-best-times-to-read-a-book/">the best times to read a book</a> and, boy, are they are spot on! And Betty discusses the merits of <a href="http://bookrockbetty.com/2014/01/20/bestbookseries/">series binge reading</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.themidnightgarden.net/2014/01/discussion-bookish-pet-peeves.html">Bookish pet peeves</a>. We all have them. What are some of yours? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.epicreads.com/blog/youre-a-sci-fi-fan-and-you-dont-even-know-it/">You're a sci-fi fan</a>. Yes. You are.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Why it's important <a href="http://bookriot.com/2014/01/23/why-its-important-to-keep-reading-books-by-people-even-if-theyre-monsters/">to read books written by people who were monsters</a>. And <a href="http://bookriot.com/2014/01/22/wont-read-book-think-youre-monster/">why you shouldn't</a>. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Entertainment News </span></span></b> </div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">The Hollywood Reporter <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sag-honoree-rita-moreno-fighting-670660">interviews SAG honoree, Rita Moreno</a>, and it is ADORBS! And if you haven’t done so already, you really should read her fascinating <a href="http://foiltheplot.blogspot.com/2013/06/book-review-rita-moreno-memoir-by-rita.html">memoir</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Wes Craven has been known to cause many a nightmare and now you’ll see why in this <a href="http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/01/20/wes-craven-talks-about-elm-street-doc-never-sleep-again/">interview </a>with him on the documentary, <i>Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy</i>. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">A few upcoming movies get new trailers: <i><a href="http://www.themarysue.com/second-maleficent-trailer/">Maleficent</a></i>, <i><a href="http://badassdigest.com/2014/01/20/new-trailer-insists-300-rise-of-an-empire-really-does-exist/"> 300: Rise of an Empire</a></i> and <a href="http://www.refinery29.com/2014/01/60992/only-lovers-left-alive-review"><i>Only Lovers Left Alive</i></a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">The first official <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/mockingjay-poster-unveiled-article-1.1588023"><i>Mockingjay</i> propaganda</a>! </span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Pop Culture!</span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Andrew Lincoln and a <i>Walking Dead</i> fan pull <a href="http://www.otakusandgeeks.com/2014/01/andrew-lincoln-walking-dead-fan-zombie.html">the most epic prank ever</a> on Norman Reedus. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Buzzfeed delivers a series of fun quizzes: <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/mackenziekruvant/which-hogwarts-house-do-you-belong-in">Which Hogwarts house do you belong in?</a>, <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/juliapugachevsky/which-pixar-movie-are-you">Which Pixar movie are you?</a> & <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/robinedds/which-simpsons-character-are-you">Which Simpsons character are you?</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">It's a <a href="http://www.themarysue.com/full-house-super-bowl-reunion/"><i>Full House</i> reunion</a> (for the Superbowl).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://geekologie.com/2014/01/super-heroines-as-pulp-romance-novel-cov.php">Heroines as pulp romance novel covers</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Hey Netflix subscribers, <a href="http://gizmodo.com/netflix-plans-to-have-a-three-tiered-pricing-structure-1507185125">Netflix is planning on offering new pricing structures</a>. But have no fear, you can still be grandfathered in under your current plan. </span>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825578716168335522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866711598170215077.post-34534888021632264762014-01-20T06:00:00.000-05:002014-02-08T15:50:20.229-05:00Book Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhht_ACG-NiBgODzhVJx7YQ8Uu0eIpXOt5mmYQipdlf_LRXoU2IdLUyco7s-QtpFsB8clwok_ZOCWIbqibUE8Xa7Jv6IR52PM6k8ltThn4QgJG8R1fi7NpQfecO9OK7zxTQaaQByQdO6PoG/s1600/GoneGirl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhht_ACG-NiBgODzhVJx7YQ8Uu0eIpXOt5mmYQipdlf_LRXoU2IdLUyco7s-QtpFsB8clwok_ZOCWIbqibUE8Xa7Jv6IR52PM6k8ltThn4QgJG8R1fi7NpQfecO9OK7zxTQaaQByQdO6PoG/s320/GoneGirl.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Title:</b> Gone Girl</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Author(s):</b> Gillian Flynn</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Genre(s): </b>Crime, Mystery, Thriller</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Publisher/Date: </b>Weidenfeld & Nicolson / May 24, 2012 </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Series:</b> Stand Alone</span><br />
<blockquote style="background: rgb(230, 230, 230);">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Because you can't be as in love as we were and not have it invade your bone marrow. Our kind of love can go into remission, but it's always waiting to return. Like the world's sweetest cancer.” -Amy Dunne</span></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Case Study</b></span></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b></b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife's head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media--as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents--the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter--but is he really a killer? </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn't do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet? <i>(synopsis from Goodreads)</i></span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>The Game's Afoot</b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Wo<span style="font-family: inherit;">ah</span>. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Gone Girl</i> <span style="font-family: inherit;">is </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">fucked up</span>.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Like, reeeeeally <span style="font-family: inherit;">fucked up. </span>But in the best k<span style="font-family: inherit;">ind of way. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's <span style="font-family: inherit;">a </span>story <span style="font-family: inherit;">about </span>marriage</span> gone wrong. Very wrong.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-lOenrSeIquDMGLyziTbLaqcsJEnj0YmCcAVzc6YUoII31isqd4Kv4m614fBpgLpBeXp-Vv08l4RiJLITn90JFNSxzrLKgN5T8L4Iwc8296XJ0iwejyIKKr4sB5HH7li-kEJ2Hw4nE3k/s1600/LoveFern.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-lOenrSeIquDMGLyziTbLaqcsJEnj0YmCcAVzc6YUoII31isqd4Kv4m614fBpgLpBeXp-Vv08l4RiJLITn90JFNSxzrLKgN5T8L4Iwc8296XJ0iwejyIKKr4sB5HH7li-kEJ2Hw4nE3k/s1600/LoveFern.gif" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only in this story, it's not a love fern that dies. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: medium;">On the surface, Nick and Amy seem like the perfect couple. She's a cool girl, the ideal sort of wife. He, the doting and dutiful husband. But on their 5th wedding anniversary, Amy goes missing and Nick quickly becomes a suspect, THE suspect, in her disappearance. As the story unravels through Amy's diary entries and Nick's narrative, so do their lies. It turns out that Amy and Nick aren't who we think they are. And <i>this </i>is where things start to go a little crazy.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Es6oaYMAwKn2D6pvZWlWHcNaqzT0a2WlvZ9K0CcI2SERFUfEYKUQwL6McXbWrJBSqjOlCEgjPfD73efGp4kO0B28ZBH0PvkcSoEz9ZbriFJAzmNHR2IbBk4JXWbp2p04t75GD9S7fio0/s1600/MentalPerson.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Es6oaYMAwKn2D6pvZWlWHcNaqzT0a2WlvZ9K0CcI2SERFUfEYKUQwL6McXbWrJBSqjOlCEgjPfD73efGp4kO0B28ZBH0PvkcSoEz9ZbriFJAzmNHR2IbBk4JXWbp2p04t75GD9S7fio0/s1600/MentalPerson.gif" height="161" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes. Yes I am.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Let me tell you something about Nick and Amy Dunne. <u><b>SPOILER ALERT</b></u>: They are HORRIBLE people. I don't think there's a single redeeming quality about either one of them. Nick is a philandering, misogynistic douchenugget and Amy is a narcissistic, needy sociopath. They are AWFUL. Truly AWFUL. Their relationship is AWFUL and if I had the choice to spend my time Amy and Nick or spend the rest of my days in the pit of despair, I'd choose the pit every time. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. </span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl_mXqZZf11-NlPB2a4k6BwPJk40QkbMjmbc7Zx8hJuS92-nhtN-rTmWn06eEBI-9Z783fy2ZCwqxOl2FWe5nFaccLgkoMYzYg_S0maAFJSh3lqkHIop5PLUzciMtFWXkNkmLu2LnoafsN/s1600/Despair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl_mXqZZf11-NlPB2a4k6BwPJk40QkbMjmbc7Zx8hJuS92-nhtN-rTmWn06eEBI-9Z783fy2ZCwqxOl2FWe5nFaccLgkoMYzYg_S0maAFJSh3lqkHIop5PLUzciMtFWXkNkmLu2LnoafsN/s1600/Despair.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'd much rather hang out with this guy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: medium;">There is seriously so much hate between them and the </span><span style="font-size: medium;">ridiculous lengths at which they go to torment one another is appalling</span><span style="font-size: medium;">. </span><span style="font-size: medium;">Each of them is vindictive and conniving and cruel in their own special sort of way. And this is exactly why they were made for eachother. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">But what's really surprising is that as unlikeable as
the characters were, the writing was well-executed and the plot complex
enough to keep me guessing, even when the majour twist was otherwise
predictable. Flynn had me from the very first page. This is one of those
stories where everything you're told and everyone you meet is
unpredictable, unreliable. You'll spend the entire time forming theory
after theory and it's misleading and frustrating and fucking brilliant. I
always felt like I needed to know more, to delve further into the darkness of Nick and Amy's twisted relationship. I needed to be a part of
their madness. It's sick. The whole story is sick, the characters are
sick and I am sick because I loved every sick minute of it.</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Oh god, and don't get me started on the ending. I can't even think about that ending without wanting to hide in a dark corner and pray for sunshine and unicorns and rainbows.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC1xh41b9QSf0AQR9WqeiKA50YDXuubEItFyhgzSHFD1OrWVcdqWKYoWsOG_O929FXIt5MLr2DXdlAvOT7HDuixuNNcsVuOfuNSTyJXT43Bew6DOOzMY6TmC5KXSRAprxbFdwMYzfSzJc2/s1600/RainbowsandSunshine.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC1xh41b9QSf0AQR9WqeiKA50YDXuubEItFyhgzSHFD1OrWVcdqWKYoWsOG_O929FXIt5MLr2DXdlAvOT7HDuixuNNcsVuOfuNSTyJXT43Bew6DOOzMY6TmC5KXSRAprxbFdwMYzfSzJc2/s1600/RainbowsandSunshine.gif" height="200" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">It was <i>that </i>sadistic. And powerful, so powerful. And perfect. Even if it was a total mind-fuck. And anyone who can evoke that sort of reaction out of me definitely earns some mad respect in my book. So well done, Flynn. Very well done.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Summary Prognosis </b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Gone Girl</i> has to be the most twisted love story ever written. While full of loathsome characters, deception and misdirection, this dark tale will horrify you and satisfy you in all the right ways. Though I didn't find the big reveal to be all that surprising, the ending did catch me off guard. It's quite telling and will evoke a visceral reaction out of the reader, even if it's not a happy one. <i>Gone Girl</i> is the first book in a long time to take me by surprise in the way that it did and I loved every torturous second of it. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Rating:</b> <span style="font-size: x-large;">★★★★★</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Read It:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gone-Girl-Gillian-Flynn/dp/030758836X">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gone-girl-gillian-flynn/1105608095?ean=9780307588364">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-Thrillers/Gone-Girl-Audiobook/B0085XRNWM/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1388882801&sr=1-1">Audible</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Discuss It:</b> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8442457-gone-girl">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://gillian-flynn.com/">Author's Website</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"></span>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825578716168335522noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866711598170215077.post-62257627969611159722014-01-16T06:00:00.000-05:002014-01-16T06:00:11.537-05:00Book Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQDgGuqoBUk0uWDidvY_Pp3_qlSH_85UPm1WcOJQ0C7xZ8JM1e80uICoGxw6lFMsT2ipMe0tkJDKTaDta1I-89_PyOmJLQHZONjQ5fV1ZTDEqPZsTwMyNJaKEcj1eDMArw1Rbi-dudqf06/s1600/The+Statistical+Probability.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQDgGuqoBUk0uWDidvY_Pp3_qlSH_85UPm1WcOJQ0C7xZ8JM1e80uICoGxw6lFMsT2ipMe0tkJDKTaDta1I-89_PyOmJLQHZONjQ5fV1ZTDEqPZsTwMyNJaKEcj1eDMArw1Rbi-dudqf06/s320/The+Statistical+Probability.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Title:</b> The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Author(s):</b> Jennifer E. Smith</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Genre(s): </b>Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Publisher/Date: </b>Poppy/Little Brown / January 2, 2012</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Series:</b> Stand Alone</span><br />
<blockquote style="background: rgb(230, 230, 230);">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">“The idea that their paths might have easily not crossed leaves her breathless, like a near-miss accident on a highway, and she can't help marveling at the sheer randomness of it all. Like any survivor of chance, she feels a quick rush of thankfulness, part adrenaline and part hope.” -Hadley Sullivan</span></span></span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Case Study</b></span></span></div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything? </span></span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more? </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it. <i>(synopsis from Goodreads)</i></span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The Game's Afoot</b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Anyone who knows me knows that I scoff at the idea of "love at first sight." I'm sorry but I just don't buy it. Insta-love = insta-turn-off. I guess I'm cynical like that. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtGznfbJ2fVWaPEadFUBkx3qWnBPVRVAd-RkR_mbMaAAN4g_VrXcQWqyQLnuL6xG_UNTN7e9hbjRddmDnDiDqSVqd11_ONCgnpQVIcy8zo-mL5z_opGRzUKn716F12PF-KumHjb2WJdyLB/s1600/Cynical.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtGznfbJ2fVWaPEadFUBkx3qWnBPVRVAd-RkR_mbMaAAN4g_VrXcQWqyQLnuL6xG_UNTN7e9hbjRddmDnDiDqSVqd11_ONCgnpQVIcy8zo-mL5z_opGRzUKn716F12PF-KumHjb2WJdyLB/s1600/Cynical.gif" height="222" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">So if that's true, you're probably wondering why on earth I'd read a book like this. Well, I'll tell you why. Because I was once a single, young girl who traveled on a plane and met a nice, single, young boy. Between our time in the air and a lunch date at the airport, we spent 6 awesome hours together. We connected. No, it wasn't love and we never had a happily ever after. We did keep in touch online for about a year but that was all. It was merely a connection and a memorable story. So when a book comes along about a girl meeting a boy in an airport, naturally, I was eager to check it out (and maybe compare it to my own experience).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight</i> is more than what it seems. Though it may be a love story upon first glance, there's so much more to it if you're willing to dig beneath the surface. It's a deeply personal story about maturity, growth and forgiveness. It's a story about between a daughter and her estranged father. Honestly, I was more taken with the relationship between Hadley and her father than I was with the one between Hadley and Oliver.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Sure, I enjoyed watching the journey unfold between Hadley and Oliver. Their romance was cute, a far cry from insta-love. But Hadley's journey towards reconciliation with her father was much more touching and relatable. To say their relationship was tense is an understatement. It was downright hostile. Divorce is hard, especially when one parent seems to be moving on more quickly than the other. As a kid, it's a difficult thing to experience so I can really appreciate how tough a journey acceptance can be. I think Smith handled the topic with honesty and grace. Both Hadley and her father made mistakes along the way but I liked that, by the end, they were able to reach an understanding and start forgiving one another. </span><br />
<blockquote style="background: rgb(230, 230, 230);">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">“<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Ha<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">dley realises that even though everything else is different, even though there's still an ocean between them, nothing really important has changed at all.<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> He's still her dad. The rest is just geography</span></span></span>.” </span></span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: medium;">There you can really see just how much Hadley has matured. And for someone as cynical as me, that personal journey was so much more satisfying than the romantic one. How great is that!? I went into it hoping for a small reminder of times past and came out with so much more.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Summary Prognosis</b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight</i> is a quick, cute and easy read. Though the romance may be what initially draws you in, it's the compelling and troubled relationship between a girl and her dad that will keep you there. Full of poetic prose, it promises lots of quote-worthy quips and sound advice. I recommend it for lovers and cynics alike!</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Rating:</b> <span style="font-size: x-large;">★★★★</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Read It:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Statistical-Probability-Love-First-Sight/dp/0316122394">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/statistical-probability-of-love-at-first-sight-jennifer-e-smith/1102212870?ean=9780316122399">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Teens/The-Statistical-Probability-of-Love-at-First-Sight-Audiobook/B006YDJKQW/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1388883670&sr=1-1">Audible</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Discuss It:</b> <span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10798416-the-statistical-probability-of-love-at-first-sight">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://www.jenniferesmith.com/">Author's Website</a></span> </span></span>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825578716168335522noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866711598170215077.post-28313165263902498412014-01-14T06:00:00.000-05:002014-01-14T06:00:06.560-05:00Need A Reality Check?<span style="font-size: medium;">Fake. Manipulative. Boring. These are just a few of the terms that come to mind for many when they think about documentaries. But I'm here to dispel those myths. A good documentary will challenge you, as well as educate you. It will entertain as well as bring about an awareness. It will open you to new perspectives and have you asking important questions. You'll want to know more. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">With all the "reality" we experience through TV and online on a daily basis, isn't it time for a reality check? The world needs more understanding, new perspectives and documentaries provide that. Let's start off the new year by opening our hearts and our minds. Here are just a few of my favourite documentaries to get you started:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipAulHoRStnmZSaa9KW_S7sLGqEioCaEsVZVqLmCY8R3n_4-hTU_wBiDTmVfpeF0MBL6utHxRrbTCUxEMADWUR1_hx18-LfKNIAq-fvKmi3JVHQPyjfPYbvbTCM02_jut7JA6Uc8or9thv/s1600/Documentary1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipAulHoRStnmZSaa9KW_S7sLGqEioCaEsVZVqLmCY8R3n_4-hTU_wBiDTmVfpeF0MBL6utHxRrbTCUxEMADWUR1_hx18-LfKNIAq-fvKmi3JVHQPyjfPYbvbTCM02_jut7JA6Uc8or9thv/s640/Documentary1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1426329/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Lovelace</a> -</b> Okay, so this one is more of a biographical film than documentary but it's still just as fascinating. <i>Lovelace </i>follows 70's icon Linda Lovelace's tragic journey into pornography and the tumultuous relationship with the man who would make her a star. It would only take 17 days before she'd renounce the industry that brought her so much fame.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2545118/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Blackfish</a> - </b>You may have heard the buzz surrounding this one, with good reason too. It follows the story of Tilkum, the famous orca at SeaWorld who killed three people. It shows the devastating consequences of keeping these animals in captivity and will change the way you view marine parks and how they treat their animals (and their people too). </span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2359085/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Hitler's Children</a> -</b> Can you imagine what it might feel like to be Hitler's child? This documentary follows direct descendants of many of the Third Reicht's highest ranking officials as they struggle to cope with the guilt and coming to terms with their family's unfortunate legacy. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2323551/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Hungry for Change</a> - </b>This film tackles issues of food addiction, juicing, cleansing and fad diets and looks at how we have a penchant for taking "healthy" to the extreme. Interviews with industry experts expose the myths and misconceptions behind these health trends. It will shift your perspective about the quality of the foods that you eat.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1613092/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_43">Happy</a> - </b>What makes people happy and why? This documentary takes a look at people across the globe and the specific things that bring them happiness. Experts also analyze the science behind this joyous emotion and break down why you feel the way you do. <i>Happy </i>will have you re-evaluating your definition of the term and reflecting upon the things that truly matter.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZMhIRnBKZUE2V1xq26tg3nSwtiqBz_fxaUXnO5Br8DqSqsylnG7dkqCtbdinVEZ61ayz0_AcRcI1Z8aS2R8FGBpFVyPxup1-18gYlTNu8j2HdA6TPPRN2z6bN3zBLS4g7_oVaSjkVugN/s1600/Documentary2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZMhIRnBKZUE2V1xq26tg3nSwtiqBz_fxaUXnO5Br8DqSqsylnG7dkqCtbdinVEZ61ayz0_AcRcI1Z8aS2R8FGBpFVyPxup1-18gYlTNu8j2HdA6TPPRN2z6bN3zBLS4g7_oVaSjkVugN/s640/Documentary2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1486616/?ref_=nv_sr_2">Craigslist Joe</a> - </b>This is the story of one man with one computer and a mission: survive solely on the goodwill of others through Craigslist. Can it be done? The results will surprise you.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0403778/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Long Way Round</a> -</b> <i>Long Way Round</i> and its companion title, <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0959858/?ref_=nv_sr_2">Long Way Down</a></i>, is broken down as a mini-series of sorts. It follows actors Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman as they make their way across the globe on their motorbikes. You see their struggles, their generosity through their work with UNICEF and their cultural experiences. This show will ignite the wanderlust in you and make you want to plan a trip of your own!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1993286/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Beyond the Myth: A Film About Pit Bulls & Breed Discrimination</a> -</b> This is probably one of the most powerful documentaries I've ever seen. It completely changed my views on this controversial breed and is a MUST SEE for all dog/animal lovers. The stats will shock you, the stories will horrify you and the movie will make you eager for change. I know it had me volunteering at my local SPCA shortly thereafter. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1176244/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Valentino: The Last Emperor</a> - </b>The man, the myth, the legend. Valentino is man who is revered by celebrities and fashion superstars alike. This documentary gives you an inside peek into the fashion icon's life and subsequent retirement from the industry. For me, fashion is an artform, so it's amazing to see where the man gets his inspiration. Plus, he has pugs. Lots of them.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1266029/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Nowhere Boy</a> -</b> Music fans will love this one. <i>Nowhere Boy</i> follows John Lennon's early years, prior to joining the Beatles. Focusing mainly on his adolescence and the critical relationships with his aunt and absentee mother, you can see exactly how the man became such a musical genius. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Netflix offers a wonderful selection of award-winning,
life-changing documentaries in a variety of subjects for the music fan, history buff, health nut, fashion junky and animal lover alike, so I have no doubt
you can find one to entertain you. </span>What are your thoughts on documentaries? Are there any that you would recommend? Sound off in the comments below!</span>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825578716168335522noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866711598170215077.post-542644148493348322014-01-10T06:00:00.000-05:002014-01-10T06:00:05.746-05:00TGIF / 36<span style="font-size: medium;">So, wow. It really has been a long time since I’ve done a TGIF post and, boy, did I miss it! I know I sort of <a href="http://foiltheplot.blogspot.com/2014/01/im-baaaack.html">disappeared on you guys</a> for a while but, really, it was for the best. That’s right. I’m so not sorry (but I am)! Time to move on and get back into the groove with a <a href="http://foiltheplot.blogspot.com/2014/01/book-review-champion-by-marie-lu-legend.html">Legend-ary giveaway</a> and quirky review. It feels good to be back! </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOoXgqk0MzbvKp4ZUCK-YY1K6anNk5Bna9vzpveKHYrXC2tZelJd-0OhMsTERp0qzI1XuUGFteNYz0m7aF-ZvS5g7VL8h_mHGySuIb-KktY2v9GBzMjCrcD2KuBw-P5BtGjhGBQ3JqhFkU/s1600/TGIF36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOoXgqk0MzbvKp4ZUCK-YY1K6anNk5Bna9vzpveKHYrXC2tZelJd-0OhMsTERp0qzI1XuUGFteNYz0m7aF-ZvS5g7VL8h_mHGySuIb-KktY2v9GBzMjCrcD2KuBw-P5BtGjhGBQ3JqhFkU/s1600/TGIF36.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Bookish News</span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">BookRiot discusses the downfalls of <a href="http://bookriot.com/2014/01/07/decline-fall-book-reviewing-empire/">being a commoner</a> in the wide world of professional book reviewing.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Wanna see The Darkling personified? <a href="http://www.therealfauxtographer.com/2014/01/the-darkling.html">You know you do</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Take a peek at some of <a href="http://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2014/01/07/sneak-a-peek-at-our-gotta-have-spring-reads/">spring's most anticipated book releases</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Get ready to share the love with <a href="http://www.alexalovesbooks.com/">Alexa </a>and <a href="http://talesofbooksandbands.com/">Katelyn’s</a> 2014 <a href="http://www.alexalovesbooks.com/2014/01/book-blogger-love-thon-2014.html">Book Blogger Loveathon</a>!
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Steph over at <a href="http://cuddlebuggery.com/">Cuddlebuggery </a>asks the all important question: <a href="http://cuddlebuggery.com/blog/2014/01/06/will-our-non-blogger-readers-please-stand-up/">who are you blogging for</a>?</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Entertainment News</span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Director, David Fincher, shoots the <a href="http://popwatch.ew.com/2014/01/08/cover-david-fincher-gone-girl/">new EW cover</a> for his upcoming movie, <i>Gone Girl</i>. And I’m not sure how to feel abou<span style="font-family: inherit;">t it</span>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Talk about being typecast. Go see bad boy, Bryan Cranston, in <i><a href="http://devour.com/video/cold-comes-the-night-trailer/">Cold Comes the Night</a></i>, in theatres today.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">I will boycott Michael Bay’s version of <i>TMNT </i>with all of my being. <a href="http://moviepilot.com/articles/1210472-first-look-at-shredder-opens-up-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-to-ridicule">Especially now</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">And in YA movie news, Kaya Scodelario dishes on the <a href="http://www.justjaredjr.com/2013/12/24/kaya-scodelario-talks-making-the-maze-runner/">making of <i>The Maze Runner</i></a><i> </i>and <i>Divergent </i>has an official <a href="http://instagram.com/divergent#">Instagram page</a>.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Pop Culture!</span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Ready to feel old? Here are <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/briangalindo/23-movies-that-are-turning-20-years-old-in-2014">23 movies turning 20</a> this year.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">There is a <i>Simpsons </i>LEGO set. I repeat, there is a <a href="http://geekologie.com/2014/01/i-will-be-building-that-the-simpsons-hou.php"><i>Simpsons </i>LEGO set</a> AND IT’S REAL!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">OMG, there are <a href="http://www.hadilaksono.com/harry-potter-travel-posters"><i>Harry Potter</i> travel posters</a>! And these adorbs <a href="http://www.outblush.com/women/home/home-office/chatty-cats-book-buddies/">cat book buddies</a>! Commence the wanting NOW!</span>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825578716168335522noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866711598170215077.post-15587282031918359802014-01-09T06:00:00.000-05:002014-01-09T06:00:10.814-05:00Movie Review: Mary and Max by Adam Elliott<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hlfd42RuKkAFvwdkANaD3T1mFaA7d5RquHmEdkv8rX9VXbCBhZM5v0kWyKPNOft5l3uGDBy1iccO9mlGfrnD6i-9Kk8Ts1O0Wjx0DjNj_7ms2Xxw8q55dicQ5konQcqiJHPWe1SUoY8c/s1600/MaryMax.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hlfd42RuKkAFvwdkANaD3T1mFaA7d5RquHmEdkv8rX9VXbCBhZM5v0kWyKPNOft5l3uGDBy1iccO9mlGfrnD6i-9Kk8Ts1O0Wjx0DjNj_7ms2Xxw8q55dicQ5konQcqiJHPWe1SUoY8c/s320/MaryMax.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Title:</b> Mary and Max</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Director(s):</b> Adam Elliott</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Genre(s):</b> Animation, Comedy, Drama</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Release Date (USA):</b> January 15, 2009</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Rating:</b> NR</span><br />
<blockquote style="background: rgb(230, 230, 230);">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">"<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">People often think I am tactless and rude. I cannot understand how being honest can be improper. Maybe this is why I don't ha<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">ve any friends</span></span>.” -<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Max Jerry Horovit<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">z</span></span></span></span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: medium;">In the mid-1970's, a homely, friendless Australian girl of 8 picks a
name out of a Manhattan phone book and writes to him; she includes a
chocolate bar. She's Mary Dinkle, the only child of an alcoholic mother
and a distracted father. He's Max Horowitz, living alone in New York,
overweight, subject to anxiety attacks. He writes back, with chocolate.
Thus begins a 20-year correspondence, interrupted by a stay in an asylum
and a few misunderstandings. Mary falls in love with a neighbor, saves
money to have a birthmark removed and deals with loss. Max has a
friendship with a neighbor, tries to control his weight, and finally
gets the dream job. Will the two ever meet face to face? <i>(synopsis from IMDB)</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Though most cartoons are meant for younger viewers, <i>Mary and Max</i> most certainly is not. The seriousness of its topics like death, sex, suicide and mental illness definitely requires a more mature audience. But, trust me, as serious as it sounds, you don't wanna miss it! It's a simple story with a BIG message about the value and beauty of oddness and unconventional friendship. You don't quite know if you're</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> watching a tragedy or a comedy and perhaps it's a mix of both. But ultimately, it doesn't matter. The point is to feel something and you feel a lot of everything when you're watching the life-long journey of these mismatched friends. The characters, Mary and Max, are like the Odd Couple meets Sigmund Freud.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Mary and Max</i> is touching, poignant and funny in a very raw and immature sort of way. But what makes this little gem so fantastic is the juxtaposition of the artsy sophistication when contrasted against the emotional crudeness.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> For starters, the animation is impressive. The whole movie is desaturated, lacking vibrancy that cleverly mimics the vulnerability in both Mary and Max's lives. I'd venture to say that the animation rivals that of Tim Burton's <i>The Nightmare Before Christmas</i> or, dare I say it, a Pixar flick. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJzwKl1gLBNlzQ0VPDqjmZYD-4OUcDMdVzVFQ96xfJQswHusTqqXdj4wfRdDLPlBg1mIUJLhUWWo0OBokCHZ6ljvP3IS5TofRvYqTcn2l96qhT64TQiaFkjFTAlL4mKV3jrLbI5pdcmsP/s1600/ReginaGasp.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJzwKl1gLBNlzQ0VPDqjmZYD-4OUcDMdVzVFQ96xfJQswHusTqqXdj4wfRdDLPlBg1mIUJLhUWWo0OBokCHZ6ljvP3IS5TofRvYqTcn2l96qhT64TQiaFkjFTAlL4mKV3jrLbI5pdcmsP/s400/ReginaGasp.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">I know! But seriously, it's an art form, one that Elliott's got down. It's pretty incredible.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Quirky, charming and eclectic. Those are just a few of the words I'd use to describe this film. Seriously, it's hard to do it justice with my meager words because I don't think I've ever seen anything like it. While I recognize this movie won't be everyone's cup of tea, <i>Mary and Max</i> is one of those hidden gems that you should give a chance. I promise, you won't regret it.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Summary Prognosis </b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Mary and Max</i> is not your average cartoon. Raw, poignant, funny and charming, this Sundance Film Festival opener is a touching story about friendship, self-acceptance and love. This won't necessarily be everyone's cup of tea, but for an eclectic and appreciative few, this compelling little gem is a MUST SEE! </span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Rating:</b> <span style="font-size: x-large;">★★★★★</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Watch It:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Max-Toni-Collette/dp/B00366E1E6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1384301811&sr=8-2&keywords=mary+and+max">Amazon</a> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">|</span></span><a href="http://www.target.com/p/mary-and-max/-/A-12332421#prodSlot=medium_1_1&term=mary+and+max"> Target</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Discuss It:</b> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0978762/?ref_=ttrel_rel_tt">IMDB</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> |</span></span> <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1209767-mary_and_max/">Rotten Tomatoes</a></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">View the Trailer:</span></b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/KZ3vlMO-Z-I?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15825578716168335522noreply@blogger.com0