tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59101517707782097752024-03-14T07:38:19.393-04:00dizzy with wordspeople, places, and adventures in adulthoodSam F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04034367402431479011noreply@blogger.comBlogger121125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910151770778209775.post-80609832595753804222016-03-27T22:36:00.001-04:002016-03-27T22:36:38.081-04:00Some Updates<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Why, hello! It has been some time, hasn't it?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A lot has happened since I last wrote. Namely, I started a new job at Penguin Random House and moved to New York City. When I think about that -- when I see those words written on the screen -- I start to spaz. In a good way.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">When I started this blog, I was a freshman at the College of William & Mary. I liked to write, but I thought I was going to be an archaeologist. I knew a lot about publishing thanks to my addiction to agent extraordinaire Janet Reid's blogs, but I hadn't considered it as a career path. Until, suddenly, I did.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I tried everything to make my way in publishing. I took a remote internship at a literary agency. I talked to industry professionals. I read, read, <i>read.</i> I went to the New York University Summer Publishing Institute. I took another internship. I applied to more jobs than I care to admit.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Then, it happened -- and here I am.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I still love to write, but I'm thrilled to join the industry. I'm eager for new adventures in publishing!</span></div>
Sam F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04034367402431479011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910151770778209775.post-51612677368781524352015-12-23T23:16:00.000-05:002015-12-23T23:16:17.626-05:00Best of 2015 - Characters<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now that the year is coming to a close, I've decided to do a series of posts highlighting the many wonderful books I've read this year. It's my own personal Best of 2015. While I've read many recent books, my list isn't based on books <i>published</i> in 2015, but books I've <i>read</i> in 2015.<br />
<br />
A few days ago I did a Best Overall, but there are so many great things about so many different books that I've decided to get a little more specific. In a sense, I'm making Oscar-esque categories. Today, I'm highlighting <b>characters</b>.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Note: I will occasionally highlight a series rather than a single book.<br />
<br /></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Best Female Protagonist</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Yael, Revka, Aziza, and Shirah</b><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="http://cdn.wegotthiscovered.com/wp-content/uploads/Cote-de-Pablo-Kathryn-Prescott-and-Rachel-Brosnahan-in-The-Dovekeepers-e1427826190995.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn.wegotthiscovered.com/wp-content/uploads/Cote-de-Pablo-Kathryn-Prescott-and-Rachel-Brosnahan-in-The-Dovekeepers-e1427826190995.jpg" height="205" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shirah, Aziza, and Yael from the BBC Miniseries.<br />
Unfortunately, Revka was cut from it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
from<br />
<i>The Dovekeepers </i>by Alice Hoffman</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There is no single protagonist in <i>The Dovekeepers </i>(the runner-up for Best Overall - Adult); rather, the story follows four incredible women during the siege of Masada. There's Yael, an assassin's daughter, who has lived her life as an outcast; Revka, an elderly baker's wife who witnesses the brutal murder of her family; Aziza, a girl who disguises herself as a boy to join the warriors fighting the Romans; and Shirah, a witch whose magic infiltrates everyone's lives. Unique and courageous, these women rely on their friendship with each other as they confront one of the darkest moments in Jewish history.</div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Best Male Protagonist</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Kaz Brekker</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b> from<br />
<i>Six of Crows </i>by Leigh Bardugo<br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
One of the greatest things about Kaz is that he earns the reader's trust. Just as he proves himself to his Crows (who give Team Raven a run for their money as far as best group dynamic goes), he convinces the reader that he'll lead them safely through this story. He's brilliant, brutal, and easy to root for.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Best Supporting Male</b></span><br />
<br />
<b>Prince Nikolai</b><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;"><img src="http://cdnstatic.visualizeus.com/thumbs/0f/78/0f7810521a4ed3b2560af769d7a3adfe_h.jpg" height="238" style="-webkit-user-select: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did I mention that his ship(s) can fly?<br />
Image from cdnstatic.visualizeus.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
from<br />
<i>The Grisha Trilogy </i>by Leigh Bardugo<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Nikolai is perfect, hence his nickname "Prince Perfect." When he isn't busy in his role as the dashing prince of Ravka, he's designing brilliant inventions or playing at being the Dread Pirate Roberts -- er, I mean, Captain Sturmhond. Sharp-tongued and witty, he knows how to make light of any situation.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Best Supporting Female</span></b></div>
<br /><span style="font-size: medium;"></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Nina</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">from</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Six of Crows </i>by Leigh Bardugo</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Nina is my favorite of the Crows. She's fun, loyal, and she kicks ass. She is a great female character involved in a strong romantic relationship, but she isn't defined by it at all. With her willingness to crush hearts (literally) pair with her appreciation for nice clothes, she proves that girls can be strong without having to sacrifice their femininity.</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Best Ensemble</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><br /></i></b> <b><i>The Raven Cycle</i> by Maggie Stiefvater</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I love huge casts of characters, which is one of the many reasons I'm drawn to Stiefvater's delightful series. The number of main characters alone is large -- Blue, Gansey, Ronan, Adam, and Noah -- especially considering that four-fifths of them get their own PoV. Then there's <i>everyone else</i>, but in this case, <i>everyone else </i>is like frosting on a cupcake. The psychics, for instance, are a pure delight, especially when trying to outwit the Grey Man -- who, for the record, is my favorite character in the series. A badass hit man with a soft spot for medieval poetry? Yes, please. Then there's Joseph Kavinsky, Greenmantle and Piper, the Lynch brothers, and a whole host of others who bring the story to life.</div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Best Friend Group</b></span><br />
<b><br /></b> <b>Blue & the Raven Boys</b><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;"><img src="http://www.staffersbookreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/the_raven_boys_by_melodramaticfool66-d6eopy8-e1391709057101.jpg" height="152" style="-webkit-user-select: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam, Blue, Gansey, Ronan, Noah<br />
Image from www.staffersbookreview.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
from<br />
<b></b> <i>The Raven Cycle </i>by Maggie Stiefvater<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Blue meeting Gansey, Ronan, Adam, and Noah is the best thing since Harry met Ron and Hermione. Seriously, they have a fantastic group dynamic -- one of the best I've seen in any book. They all have really strong personalities, but they balance each other out perfectly. In short, I want to hang out with them.</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Best Villain</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The Darkling</b><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;"><img src="http://novapopp.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/darkling-wallpaper.jpg" height="174" style="-webkit-user-select: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The quote at which point you realize that all hope is lost.<br />
Image from www.novapopp.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
from<br />
<i>The Grisha Trilogy</i> by Leigh Bardugo<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Swoon. Seriously, the Darkling is all kinds of sexy, especially when you imagine him cutting a nice figure in his flowing black kaftan. But that's not why he's a great villain. The embodiment of darkness, he is cunning and ruthless, but he shows enough weaknesses -- for Alina, for his mother -- that he remains human. The fact that he doubles as a love interest makes him especially wonderful. Even though the Darkling and Alina spend most of the series plotting to kill each other, they tend to end up doubting that aim -- usually while making out.</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Best Comic Relief</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Noah Czerny</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b> from<br />
<i>The Raven Cycle</i> by Maggie Stiefvater<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Even though he's the least important, Noah is my favorite of the Raven Boys. He doesn't crack jokes, but his very presence amuses me. SPOILER ALERT. He's a ghost, and he is incredibly sensitive about being a ghost, especially when the other boys pick on him (i.e. when Ronan pushes him out a window just because he can). He also enjoys bad Irish music.</div>
</div>
Sam F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04034367402431479011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910151770778209775.post-12041939579878172782015-11-19T21:39:00.000-05:002015-11-19T21:39:58.966-05:00Best of 2015 - The Basics<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now that the year is coming to a close, I've decided to do a series of posts highlighting the many wonderful books I've read this year. It's my own personal Best of 2015. While I've read many recent books, my list isn't based on books <i>published</i> in 2015, but books I've <i>read</i> in 2015.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Note: I will occasionally highlight a series rather than a single book.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">BEST OVERALL</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Adult</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61GTgHMU28L._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61GTgHMU28L._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" height="320" width="219" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22544764-uprooted?ac=1&from_search=1" target="_blank"><i>Uprooted </i>by Noami Novik</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I picked up this fantasy on a whim. I never expected to fall in love with it, but the lush prose, mystical setting, and delightful dialogue drew me in immediately. The complex characters leap off the page, inviting you into their dreams and heartaches as they face an enemy that is both unique and terrifying. In three words: beautiful, dark, romantic.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Young Adult</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.leighbardugo.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/shadow-and-bone_hi-res-677x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.leighbardugo.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/shadow-and-bone_hi-res-677x1024.jpg" height="320" style="cursor: move;" width="211" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10194157-shadow-and-bone?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank"><i>The Grisha Trilogy</i> by Leigh Bardugo</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51zb1Ggd5VL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51zb1Ggd5VL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17675462-the-raven-boys?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank"><i>The Raven Cyle</i> by Maggie Stiefvater</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I could not choose just one. The two series are so different, but they both took my breath away. With Bardugo, I was caught up in the romance of it all. Never before have I seen a protagonist fall in love with an antagonist who is <i>really </i>an antagonist. Not an anti-hero. Not a Beast-like figure who changes for the sake of Beauty. No, a real villain who's evil and stays evil. Gorgeous and heart-wrenching, the relationship between Alina and the Darkling will keep you guessing -- and rooting for them -- until the very end.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>The Raven Cycle </i>is just as delightful. The story of five friends who get tangled up in magic during their hunt for a long-dead Welsh king, it's exciting and touching -- and most of all, hilarious. While the very realistic characters offer plenty of touching moments, the series stands out for its ability to get a laugh. And it has <i>everything</i>: psychics, street racing, hit men, teenage ghosts, forgotten kings, aerial yoga, enchanted forests, secret tunnels, and bees. Seriously, what more could you want?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Middle Grade</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Z0zRP9ZAL._SX325_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Z0zRP9ZAL._SX325_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25205301-the-lightning-queen?ac=1&from_search=1" target="_blank"><i>The Lightning Queen </i>by Laura Resau</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Set in Oaxaca, Mexico during the 1950s, this book explores the forbidden friendship between a poor Mexican boy, Teo, and a Roma girl, Esma. Their zest for life impacts everyone around them. The writing is beautiful; the story is moving. And Teo is never without his orphaned duck, blind goat, and three-legged skunk, which is tons of fun.</div>
Sam F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04034367402431479011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910151770778209775.post-34152639982665803432015-08-15T12:05:00.001-04:002015-08-15T12:05:43.082-04:00History Time! Eastern State Penitentiary<table 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://scontent-lga1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/v/t1.0-9/11891156_10205870587298025_8040108061030600971_n.jpg?oh=7c406739a6536ec67b343345785eee32&oe=563F07BC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://scontent-lga1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/v/t1.0-9/11891156_10205870587298025_8040108061030600971_n.jpg?oh=7c406739a6536ec67b343345785eee32&oe=563F07BC" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cellblock 7. (I think?)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I have been to Eastern State Penitentiary plenty of times. For years, I have made a point to do their Terror Behind The Walls haunted house every Halloween. If you haven't done it, you should. It's considered one of the best haunted houses in the country -- and the location makes it extra cool.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A few days ago, I visited Eastern State for the not-haunted tour. And it's <i>awesome</i>. As a big history nerd, I have seen plenty of old sites, but the penitentiary is one of the most interesting.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Construction began in 1822 and the first inmate arrived in 1829. Until it closed in 1970, it housed thousands of men and women, among them some of the nation's most notorious criminals, the most famous being Al Capone.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Despite being abandoned for twenty years, the penitentiary is relatively intact. A few places have been reconstructed (i.e., the synagogue, Al Capone's cell), but the majority of the site is considered a "stabilized ruin."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">If you're in Philly, check it out!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<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://scontent-lga1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/v/t1.0-9/11094347_10205870589018068_1469368673374879052_n.jpg?oh=3240a9c0b1c3567690febc8bcfb6c3ca&oe=56363945" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://scontent-lga1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/v/t1.0-9/11094347_10205870589018068_1469368673374879052_n.jpg?oh=3240a9c0b1c3567690febc8bcfb6c3ca&oe=56363945" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kitchens!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
Sam F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04034367402431479011noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910151770778209775.post-83185046992480317502015-08-09T11:26:00.001-04:002015-08-09T11:26:05.511-04:00This Week in Google Searches (8/8)<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>As usual, I was at a loss for what to write on my blog, so I decided to "write what's on my mind." The best way to sum up what's on my mind, I've realized, is by looking at my Google searches.</i></span></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">How do you address a sultan?</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-size: large;">Your Majesty</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">No, I'm not going to meet any sultans anytime soon. However, if you know me, you know I'm fascinated with Turkey. I research the Ottoman Empire for funsies. And until this week, I didn't know how to address a sultan. Now I do. And so do you.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">You're welcome.</span></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">How do you find your previous Google searches?</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I realized that "Things I've Googled" might make for an interesting blog post. Unfortunately, I can't remember the things I've Googled, but it turns out, Google does! Just go to your Google History! If you don't know how to get to that, I suggest you Google it.</span></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">For Such a Time</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I found out about this book through Elana Roth Parker, a literary agent who was discussing the problems with <i>For Such a Time </i>on Twitter. Turns out, <i>For Such a Time </i>by Kate Breslin is a romance novel about a death camp inmate and a Nazi -- and that's a big problem. Nazis are not romantic heroes. Genocide is not sexy. You can read more about the issues with this book</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><a href="http://bibliogato.tumblr.com/post/125928615686/on-for-such-a-time-by-kate-breslin-and-writing-the" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-size: large;">.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Hungarian Surnames</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Farkas" is Hungarian. And for writing purposes, I needed more Hungarian surnames.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Cherry Hill Public Library Summer Reading</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">AWW YEAH BRING ON THE READING CHALLENGE. Turns out, for every book I read, I can get a raffle ticket to win a Kindle! Considering I read like crazy, that's a lot of raffle tickets.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Of course, I had to enter the "adult" category. I hope I don't have to read "adult" books, considering the vast majority of books I read are MG and YA.</span></div>
Sam F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04034367402431479011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910151770778209775.post-39842417711728946332015-08-03T23:08:00.002-04:002015-08-03T23:08:04.660-04:00Book Review - A PIRATE'S COMMAND by Meg Hennessy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1436184857l/25857818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1436184857l/25857818.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The jacket copy:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17.5636348724365px;"><em>His secrets could destroy her...</em> </strong><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17.5636348724365px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17.5636348724365px;" /><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17.5636348724365px;">New Orleans, 1817</em><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17.5636348724365px;" /></span><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17.5636348724365px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Colette Kincaid once knew such love and delicious passion in the arms of her pirate husband, Donato de la Roche. Yet Colette could not continue to live as the wife of a pirate, when reunited with her family. So she fled, taking their son with her and reconciling herself to never seeing her husband again...</span></span></i></div>
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<i style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;">Until their son is taken.</span></i></div>
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<i style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;">Donato is convinced his wife is behind his son's disappearance-just as she is convinced he is the villain. Now they're unable to leave each other's side as they seek their child, forced to confront the desire that still smolders between them. But Donato knows that soon he must face the secret about Colette he's been hiding for so long. And it's a secret for which there is no forgiveness...</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thank you to Entangled and NetGalley for a free ARC.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Overall: 3/5 stars.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">All right. Well, I picked this one up because of the Spanish pirate. Of course I'd want to read that. Good premise, but the plot moves along slowly. That's this book's biggest fault. It's SLOW. I wanted more tension. More mystery.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I did, however, enjoy the characters. Colette is a little bland, and Donato isn't as pirate-y as I would have liked, but the side characters are fascinating. I liked Colette's brothers, Jordan and Loul, and I would have liked to see more of them. And then Rayna. I'm guessing the author is going to write a third novel with Rayna as the star, and if that's the case, I might give it a shot. We don't see her all that much, but the few times we do, she's COOL. Smart. Dangerous. Ruthless. I liked her.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What else can I say? Good job with nautical terms. Not such a good job with the Spanish. I often found myself quoting Inigo Montoya: "I don't think that word means what you think it means…"</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I appreciate the historical time period. Yay Peninsular Wars! However, I wanted more more MORE.<br /><br />Not bad. I'm certainly interested in this book's predecessor, which tells Jordan's story, and if there is a Rayna tale on the way, I'll probably check it out. If you're interested, you can find <i>A Pirate's Command</i> on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pirates-Command-Entangled-Historical-Secrets-ebook/dp/B0111LZ60U?tag=entangpublis-20&link_code=ur2&creative=9325&camp=211189" target="_blank">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-pirates-command-meg-hennessy/1122252762" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a>.</span></div>
Sam F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04034367402431479011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910151770778209775.post-62710438934811495862015-07-23T12:48:00.001-04:002015-07-23T12:48:04.833-04:00THE LIGHTNING QUEEN by Laura Resau<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZQwGme23K10/VbEabAIEBfI/AAAAAAAAA68/3C0_aq9B09I/s1600/lightning%2Bqueen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZQwGme23K10/VbEabAIEBfI/AAAAAAAAA68/3C0_aq9B09I/s400/lightning%2Bqueen.jpg" width="264" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Wow. Just…wow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This book left me breathless. If you know me at all, then you know that I'm a <i>huge </i>middle grade fan. I read a lot of it. And <i>The Lightning Queen</i> by Laura Resau is one of the best. <b>Someone give this book a Newbery.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Seriously. <i>The Lightning Queen </i>is a heartfelt story that will stick with you long after you read the last page. And it will make you cry. It's <i>that </i>good.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The book alternates between the 1950s and present day as Teo tells his grandson, Mateo, the story of his friendship with Esma, the Gypsy Queen of Lightning. Thus, the vast majority of the book takes place in 1950s Oaxaca.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Resau does a phenomenal job of bringing rural Mexico to life. As I read, I felt as though I were standing on the Hill of Dust, the close-knit village in which Teo lives. I smelled the animals. I heard the river. I tasted the atole.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When a caravan of Gypsies spends a few days on the Hill of Dust, Teo meets Esma, a spirited young girl left crippled by polio. Her grandmother, the Mistress of Destiny, makes a prediction that Teo and Esma will be friends for life -- despite the fact that Mixtecos and Rom don't mix. Teo and Esma set out to make their fortune come true, and in doing so, they change the lives of everyone around them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This book is a lot of fun -- how can you not love Teo's animal companions? -- but it deals with a lot of heavy themes. Prejudice, of course, is the obvious one, but then there's death and grief and depression, all of which Resau handles beautifully. Not everyone gets a happy ending. And it works.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So pick up this book. Read it. Love it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now onto the "pairing," if you will. After reading this book, I was craving Mexican food like crazy, so I went to a restaurant called Oaxaca Taqueria in the Upper West Side. It's a total dive, but it's delicious -- and pretty cheap. Their papas y rajas enchiladas are on point.<br /><br />I'm still hunting for atole. Any suggestions?</span></div>
Sam F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04034367402431479011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910151770778209775.post-20728848816573397792015-07-19T21:51:00.000-04:002015-07-19T21:51:19.801-04:00RUIN & RISING - A Perfect Ending<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nKGHuHKwjYU/VaxTgr3-5qI/AAAAAAAAA6g/H6LRWcqtPBo/s1600/ruinrisinguk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nKGHuHKwjYU/VaxTgr3-5qI/AAAAAAAAA6g/H6LRWcqtPBo/s320/ruinrisinguk.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It's rare that I read an entire series. However, Leigh Bardugo's <i>The Grisha Trilogy</i> grabbed me from the beginning and didn't let go. Even more unusual is the fact that I can't pick a favorite among the three books: <i>Shadow & Bone, Siege & Storm, </i>and <i>Ruin & Rising.</i> Each is incredible in its own way, which is why I'm going to discuss the entire series as I talk about <i>Ruin & Rising</i>, the brilliant finale.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A quick review. The series follows Alina Starkov, a young cartographer whose life takes a drastic turn when she discovers that she is the one-and-only Sun Summoner, meaning that she can control light. Due to this unique ability, she's courted by the Darkling, who--you guessed it--can control darkness. He's also the leader of the Second Army, the army of Grisha (people with magic powers). He needs Alina in order to destroy the Fold, a dangerous shadowland that splits the country in two. We quickly learn that the Darkling may have less-than-admirable plans -- and it's up to Alina to stop them. Essentially, this conflict carries all three books.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Okay, so let's focus on RUIN & RISING. I admit this one gets off to a slow start. Alina & Co. are the prisoners of the Apparat, the crazed priest, and it takes a few chapters for them to break away. It's then that the story picks up -- specifically when Sturmhond arrives on the scene. Let's look at that, shall we?</span></div>
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<em style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17.5636348724365px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">"I saw the prince when I was in Os Alta," said Ekaterina. "He's not bad looking."</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><em style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"> <span style="color: blue;"><div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17.5636348724365px; text-align: justify;">
<em><span style="color: blue; line-height: 17.5636348724365px;">"Not bad looking?" said another voice. "He's damnably handsome."</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="color: blue;">Luchenko<span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;"> scowled. "Since when--"</span></span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17.5636348724365px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<em><span style="color: blue;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;">"Brave in battle, smart as a whip." Now the voice seemed to be coming from above us. </span>Luchenko<span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;"> craned his neck, peering into the trees. "An excellent dancer," said the voice. "Oh, and an even better shot."</span></span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17.5636348724365px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<em><span style="color: blue;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;">"Who--" </span>Luchenko<span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;"> never got to finish. A blast rang out, and a tiny black hole appeared between his eyes.</span></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="color: blue;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;">I gasped. "Imposs--"</span></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="color: blue;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;">"Don't say it," muttered Mal.</span></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="color: blue;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;">Then chaos erupted." </span></span></em></div>
</span></span></em><br />Of course, the best part about that scene is the shout-out to Sturmhond's catchphrase, "When people say impossible, they usually mean improbable." As usual, he breathes life and joy into the story, which takes off as Team Avatar goes in search of the final amplifier.<br /><br />The way Bardugo treats the final amplifier is BRILLIANT. I won't spoil it, but I'll say that I did not see it coming. I was unprepared. And it shows just how much it will cost Alina to defeat the Darkling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Oooh, the Darkling. Wonderful, as usual, and definitely one of the best villains I've ever read. I was rooting for him. Not to win, but to find redemption. Throughout the series, he becomes increasingly awful, yet he retains so much of his humanity in his respect for Baghra, his relationship with Alina, and his conviction that he's doing the best thing for his country.<br /><br />Now I am going to spoil things. So <span style="color: red;">SPOILER ALERT.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">His death was one of the best scenes in the entire series. It encompasses his bizarre relationship with Alina perfectly: in their weird way, they <i>do </i>care about each other deeply. I sobbed all over the place.</span></div>
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<em style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17.5636348724365px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">"Alina," he breathed.</span></em></div>
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<em style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17.5636348724365px;"><br /></span></span></em></div>
<em style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="color: blue;"><div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17.5636348724365px; text-align: justify;">
<em><span style="color: blue; line-height: 17.5636348724365px;">I knelt beside him. The nichevo'ya had left off their attacks. They circled and clattered above us, unsure of what to do. I thought I glimpsed Nikolai above them, arcing toward that patch of blue.</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="color: blue;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;">"Alina," the Darkling repeated, his fingers seeking mine. I was surprised to find fresh tears filling my eyes.</span></span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17.5636348724365px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<em><span style="color: blue;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;">He reached up and brushed his knuckles over the wetness on my cheek. The smallest smile touched his bloodstained lips. "Someone to mourn me." He dropped his </span>hand,<span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;"> as if the weight were too much. "No grave," he gasped, his hand tightening on mine, "for them to desecrate."</span></span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17.5636348724365px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<em><span style="color: blue;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;">"All right," I said. The tears came harder. There will be nothing left.</span></span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17.5636348724365px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<em><span style="color: blue;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;">He shuddered. His eyelids drooped.</span></span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17.5636348724365px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<em><span style="color: blue;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;">"Once more," he said. "Speak my name."</span></span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17.5636348724365px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<em><span style="color: blue;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;">He was ancient, I knew that. </span>But in<span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;"> this moment, was just a boy--brilliant, blessed with too much power, burdened by eternity.</span></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="color: blue;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;">"Aleksander."</span></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="color: blue;"><span style="line-height: 17.5636348724365px;">His eyes fluttered shut. "Don't let me be alone," he murmured. And then he was gone. </span></span></em></div>
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<em style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17.5636348724365px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><br /></span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.5636348724365px;">Ugh, it's perfect. SO PERFECT. And, I mean, super depressing because I was Team Darkling the entire time, but really, it couldn't have ended any other way.<br /><br />All in all, this is perhaps the best YA series I've encountered in recent years. Pick it up. You won't regret it. And make sure to check out Leigh Bardugo's next book, <i>Six of Crows</i>, coming this Fall!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.5636348724365px;">Find <i>Ruin & Rising </i>on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ruin-Rising-The-Grisha-Trilogy/dp/080509461X" target="_blank">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ruin-and-rising-leigh-bardugo/1116970676?ean=9781627792219" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble!</a></span></span></div>
Sam F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04034367402431479011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910151770778209775.post-57609654122473636422015-07-14T20:58:00.001-04:002015-07-14T21:02:52.332-04:00THE WRATH & THE DAWN by Renee Ahdieh<div style="text-align: justify;">
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THE WRATH & THE DAWN was everything I wanted in a YA novel -- until it wasn't.</div>
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It's a retelling of <i>The Arabian Nights</i>, an underrepresented collection as far as retellings go. Shahrzad, our heroine, pulls a Katniss Everdeen in that she volunteers to marry the caliph, Khalid, who murders his wife each dawn. Shahrzad intends to kill him. Of course, he's way too hunky and mysterious for that to work out.</div>
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This book has so much potential. Gorgeous setting. Offbeat fantasy. Romance and intrigue. But it just isn't <i>there</i>. The writing falls flat. Even though I was imagining Disney's Agrabah, the descriptions don't support that image -- nor do they refute it. I wanted lush scenery to pull me into the story.</div>
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I also wanted complex characters. Instead, I got cardboard cutouts: a snarky heroine, even snarkier best friend, a dark and surly hero, and an obsessive knight-in-shining-armor.</div>
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The plot gets repetitive. Shahrzad wants to kill Khalid. Khalid does something to make her change her mind. Then she convinces herself that his kindness doesn't matter. She wants to kill him. Then he does something and she falters. Again. So on and so forth.</div>
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And the magic is…weird. It's barely present in the story, so when it does appear it feels out of place.</div>
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Some people love this book. I didn't. I wanted so much more (than this provincial life).</div>
Sam F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04034367402431479011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910151770778209775.post-34866778529590715952015-06-16T21:49:00.002-04:002015-06-16T21:57:32.721-04:00The High Line<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Until I came to New York City a few weeks ago, I had never heard of the High Line. It gets masked by Central Park, and while Central Park is certainly a wonder, the delightful innovation surrounding the High Line makes it stand out.</span></div>
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<a href="https://scontent.fash1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10403701_10205433577853062_7876290121233343742_n.jpg?oh=84f1a12586c29c1f8440dc79c42c30c2&oe=55F79E7F" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://scontent.fash1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10403701_10205433577853062_7876290121233343742_n.jpg?oh=84f1a12586c29c1f8440dc79c42c30c2&oe=55F79E7F" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-size: large;">So what is the High Line? In short, it's an elevated railroad track that has been repurposed into a park that snakes its way from Gansevoort Street to 34th Street. Unlike most of New York City's parks, it isn't a grassy space that appeals to picnickers and yoga troupes. It feels more like a boardwalk peppered with modern art that hinges on being interactive. Like the water fountain the begs you to pucker up. Or the Lego cityscape that invites passersby to change it around.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Before we ascended, we stopped at the Gansevoort Market, which offers everything from crepes to quinoa. I found happiness in a bowl of couscous topped with lamb kebab and baba ganoush, which I took with me into the park. If you want to picnic, go elsewhere, but there are plenty of benches that afford an excellent view of the Hudson.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">While the High Line is a bit of a hike for me, I intend to visit it often. It's crowded, certainly, and it feels more so due to its narrow width, but it's more peaceful than Central Park. And those built-in lounge chairs near the <a href="http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2010/04/30/high_line_getting_wet_nouvels_moma_mia_getting_ink.php" target="_blank">water feature</a>? Yes, please.</span></div>
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Sam F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04034367402431479011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910151770778209775.post-65933564938106263172015-06-13T11:08:00.000-04:002015-06-13T11:08:01.739-04:00Dark, Stormy, and Delightful - A Review of SIEGE AND STORM<span style="font-size: large;">Let's start with the drink.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Really, there's only one cocktail that looks nice next to Leigh Bardugo's <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Siege-Storm-Grisha-Trilogy-Bardugo/dp/125004443X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1433987392&sr=8-1&keywords=siege+and+storm" target="_blank">Siege and Storm</a>--</i>and that's the dark and stormy. Or if you're feeling particularly punny, you might call it a "Darkling and Sturmhond."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm hilarious.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you've read the book, then you know that the Darkling and Sturmhond are the key players here. Alina and Mal? Who cares? They're gin and tonic, rum and coke. Tasty, but tired.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Let's backtrack.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Make yourself that dark and stormy. Sit back. Dive into the second installment of the Grisha trilogy, which is <i>Avatar: the Last Airbender </i>meets <i>Graceling </i>meets tsarist Russia. And there's monsters and shit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When we left off in <i>Shadow and Bone</i>, our heroine, Alina, and her boy-toy Mal were fleeing the country (called Ravka) in case the evil Darkling wasn't as dunzo as they hoped. Of course, he wasn't, because that would be boring, and that's where <i>Siege and Storm </i>picks up -- with the Darkling capturing Alina and Mal with the help of the pirate Sturmhond.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Dark and stormy, people. Dark and stormy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Anyway, the Darkling hunts Alina because she's the only person who can control light, just as he is the only one who can control darkness. With her help, he could expand the Fold, a shadowy desert filled with flesh-eating bat creatures called <i>volcra</i>. Obviously, she's not thrilled about that, which leads to a war between darkness and light. Literally.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Except what's so great about this book is that the Darkling and Alina -- darkness and light -- are not <i>always </i>fighting. Sometimes, they make out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Okay, so Alina makes out with a lot of guys. The Darkling. Mal. The Darkling. Sturmhond. The Darkling. The Darkling. The Darkling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My biggest complaint about this book is that there isn't <i>enough </i>Darkling. Mostly, he comes in weird visions, during which he creeps hardcore, and the rest of the time he's saints-know-where. He's cunning. Ruthless. And yet, there's something about him that's undeniably appealing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It's rare that a villain is my favorite character. Rarer still that I ship the protagonist and antagonist. But the Darkling <i>gets </i>Alina. And, you know, he has saved her life in the past. The glassy-eyed schoolgirl in me doesn't think he would <i>actually</i> hurt her. All her loved ones, yes, but not her:</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">He was watching me in that cold, assessing way that always made me feel as if he were reading me like words on a page, his fingers moving over the text, gleaning some secret knowledge that I could only guess at. I tried not to fidget, but the irons at my wrists chafed.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">“I’d like to free you,” he said quietly.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">“Free me, flay me. So many options.” I could still feel the press of his knife at my cheek.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">He sighed. “It was a threat, Alina. It accomplished what it needed to.”</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">“So you wouldn’t have cut me?”</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">“I didn’t say that.” His voice was pleasant and matter-of-fact, as always. He might have been threatening to carve me up ordering his dinner.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Yeah, yeah, I know. Not the nicest guy on the block, but I'm optimistic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Darkling. Now let's get to the Sturmhond part.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sturmhond is a new addition to this series -- and he's <i>wonderful</i>. He's a pirate, an inventor, and so much more, as we find out in one of the story's early twists. Like the Darkling, he's intelligent and charming, but in a different way. Mainly, he has a sense of humor (which, unfortunately, the Darkling lacks). And, of course, he believes in everything:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><i>"When people say impossible, they usually mean improbable</i>."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">That brings us to our last two stars: Alina and Mal. Considering they're the main characters, they should probably be first, but they don't shine quite as bright as the Darkling or Sturmhond. I like them. I do. I think Alina's transformation from self-conscious runaway to leader is well done. She makes mistakes. She needs help. And a part of her recognizes that she and the Darkling are the very definition of frenemies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I like Mal, too, except that he's a bit mopey in this book. I like the fun Mal, the popular Mal, who thrives in every environment. In this book, he's jealous and grumpy, so even though he's "the love interest," I'm not shouting <i>"Pick Number 3, my lord."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm shouting pick the Darkling. He may be a raging sociopath, but I have hope that he'll make like Prince Zuko, join Team Avatar, and save the world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We'll find out in the next book.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In the meantime, drink up me hearties yo ho.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Dark and Stormy</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Use <b>one part dark rum. </b>Fill the glass with <b>ginger beer</b>. Top with <b>lime juice</b>.</span></div>
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Sam F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04034367402431479011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910151770778209775.post-48745606404715838602015-06-09T22:44:00.002-04:002015-06-09T22:46:34.970-04:00The Brazen Fox<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>*<i>Game of Thrones </i>spoiler alert*</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Until Sunday, I had never seen a bar fall into utter silence. We stared, our breath bated, our knuckles white against our frosted glasses of Ommegang. Beside me, a girl was crying, her tear-streaked face illuminated by the glow of six TVs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">On screen, Shireen was burning as her father watched on.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Yvm3PyAnM9E/VXekZ30N6mI/AAAAAAAAAvU/cZg_2hFuJ0A/s1600/DSCN9657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Yvm3PyAnM9E/VXekZ30N6mI/AAAAAAAAAvU/cZg_2hFuJ0A/s320/DSCN9657.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-size: large;">This was my first experience at the Brazen Fox, a Manhattan bar on the corner of 3rd and 13th that attracts guests with "nerd culture." There are the usual sports, but there's also Dungeons & Dragons -- and, of course, <i>Game of Thrones.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When we arrived at 8:00, the bar was crowded for the pregame show. That is, last week's episode. Fortunately, we were able to get a table, but soon afterwards the staff set up a waitlist as people flooded the bar.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Then, the opening theme.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'll be honest: I expected commentary throughout the episode. I thought some dirtbag would spoil it, or wolf whistle at Dany, or make homophobic remarks regarding the Tyrells. That didn't happen. Not once. Everyone was quiet, respectful -- and united. I wouldn't have been surprised if we had held hands during Shireen's death.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Then, <i>then</i>…</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It's no secret that Jorah is my favorite character. Not only is he a badass when it comes to fighting, his unrequited love for Daenerys is the best<i> </i>love story in the show. (Think about it: Jaime/Cersei, Jon/Ygritte, Tyrion/Shae). So I was on the edge of my seat when he stepped into the fighting pit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">And so, apparently, was everyone else.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.idigitaltimes.com/sites/idigitaltimes.com/files/styles/image_embed/public/2015/06/08/game-thrones-season-5-spoilers-daenerys-jorah.png?itok=3KxFYFcs" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn.idigitaltimes.com/sites/idigitaltimes.com/files/styles/image_embed/public/2015/06/08/game-thrones-season-5-spoilers-daenerys-jorah.png?itok=3KxFYFcs" height="220" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">How can anyone NOT ship this? Ugh, be still my heart.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The cheers erupted as soon as he started to fight. Every time he took a hit, we gasped. Every time he struck, we screamed. The applause was monstrous. <i>Go Jorah go! Hit him! Get up! Please, get up! </i>We were in the coliseum. We were there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">As the episode raced toward its climax, the cheers escalated. Naturally, my favorite moment happened when Daenerys accepted Jorah's hand, and my delighted scream joined four dozen others. Seriously, who needs football? We whooped and hollered for Tyrion, for Missandei, for Daario and Grey Worm and DROGON DROGON DROGON.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">For Drogon, people jumped out of their seats, screaming as though the United States had just won the World Cup.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">And it continued into the credits.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">For me, <i>Game of Thrones </i>has always been a social event: a way to bond with my brother and mom, a common interest among my coworkers at Barnes & Noble, a part of college culture that involved Martell-esque Mirassou served in plastic wine glasses.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Brazen Fox takes that to a whole new level. If you're in Manhattan next week, stop by for the finale. It's more than a show; it's an experience.</span></div>
Sam F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04034367402431479011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910151770778209775.post-21603017659304087022015-06-06T19:53:00.000-04:002015-06-06T19:53:24.391-04:00Books and…Bananas?<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">If you've read my blog at all, you know that there isn't much I like more than books. I love books. I love to talk about books.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But you know what makes books even better? Booze, especially when enjoyed with bread (bread here meaning "bit, piece, morsel [of food].") (Thanks <a href="http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/22888?rskey=RcaBHb&result=1&isAdvanced=false#eid" target="_blank">OED</a>).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">That leads me to this. In attempting to revamp my blog, I'm going to call on my certification in Beer, Wine, Mixology, and Bar Management (remember when that happened?), my repertoire of cooking skillz (still working on that), and my obsession with books to bring perfect pairings to your library. Or kitchen. Or dorm room.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So let's get started. Unfortunately, there's no alcohol in today's pairing -- partly because I don't have any banana liqueur lying around and partly because I'm reviewing a kids book.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HKWVj__50-0/VXNytFQ1HbI/AAAAAAAAAuk/Ojd2GAyMGDY/s1600/ivan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HKWVj__50-0/VXNytFQ1HbI/AAAAAAAAAuk/Ojd2GAyMGDY/s320/ivan.jpg" width="227" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>The One and Only Ivan </i>by Katherine Applegate won the Newbery Medal in 2013. I had high expectations, even though I didn't know what to anticipate story-wise.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It's a simple story. Ivan is a gorilla who lives a mundane existence in a mall. He loves to paint -- bananas, usually -- but his artistic skills aren't enough to draw a large crowd. In an attempt to rescue the business, his owner purchases a baby elephant named Ruby to join an older elephant named Stella. Being wise, Stella knows that she's dying -- and she makes Ivan promise to help Ruby escape the mall.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">That's the basic set-up. It's a cute story with endearing characters that makes its reader consider the exploitation of animals. Is it memorable? Hard to say, considering I read it a week ago. I forget some of the characters' names. So there's that. In a way, it's <i>Water for Elephants </i>for ten-year olds. </span><span style="font-size: large;">I, by the way, am not a ten-year old, but I think children's literature is of the utmost importance -- especially when it has the heart of </span><i style="font-size: x-large;">The One and Only Ivan</i><span style="font-size: large;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But you know what makes this book even better? Fried bananas. Ivan loves bananas. He paints bananas. I don't paint bananas, but I eat them. Fried. With honey, and maybe some other stuff if I'm feeling really creative.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Fried Bananas</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It's simple. A gorilla could probably do it. Take a <b>banana</b>. Green is good. Slice it. Lay the pieces in a greased skillet. After a minute or so, flip them so that the other side gets cooked, too. Then drizzle <b>honey</b> over the pieces. Remove from skillet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Top with anything and everything. <b>Shredded coconut</b>. <b>Chocolate chips.</b> <b>Walnuts. Cinnamon.</b> Whatever. I don't care.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guys, I'm really good at food photography.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Enjoy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">P.S. If you can find a way to work rum into the recipe, tell me.</span></div>
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Sam F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04034367402431479011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910151770778209775.post-35530703205402239892015-06-02T22:34:00.000-04:002015-06-02T22:34:44.337-04:00Book Thoughts - UPROOTED by Naomi Novik<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0JVoQAOrb4Y/VW5mcUZ9ZFI/AAAAAAAAAuI/uxIIOlBGBoA/s1600/22544764.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0JVoQAOrb4Y/VW5mcUZ9ZFI/AAAAAAAAAuI/uxIIOlBGBoA/s320/22544764.jpg" width="217" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It is rare that I read a book that comes this close to perfection. <i>Uprooted</i>, by Naomi Novik, is both literary and fun, bold and romantic, as it explores the twin themes of belonging and finding your own way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The story begins as a typical "Once upon a time…" The main character, Agniezska, is imprisoned in the tower of a dark wizard known only as the Dragon. She is quiet, obedient, and fearful of him, a man who is powerful, mysterious, and surly. However, the tropes quickly unravel, which is what makes this book so phenomenal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We get our first sense that this isn't your average fairytale with the arrival of Prince Marek, the "white knight," an image that dissolves when he tries to force himself on Agniezska. In protecting herself, she discovers that she's a witch--that she is not the Dragon's servant, but his apprentice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Unfortunately, the Dragon is not Dumbledore. He's more of a Snape. He instructs her in magic because the law requires it--and grows increasingly irritated with her desire to break the rules. However, he understands that she has incredible power. That she might be the key to defeating the horror known as the Wood.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Wood is the great evil in this book. It's incredibly unique--a shapeless thing, invisible without magic, that plots and sets traps and seeks revenge. It gets into people's heads, tortures them, makes them do terrible things they wouldn't do otherwise. Even though the Dragon has been attempting to hold it at bay, it grows stronger every year. It's goal: to devour the entire country.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This sets up the rest of the story. <b>While the action is wonderful, it's the characters--including the Wood--that really drives this book</b>. The only one that falls a bit flat is Agniezska's best friend, Kasia. We see a little bit of depth when we get a glimpse of her jealousy, but it's contained to a single scene. I would have liked to see more of her internal struggle post-Wood. Like, she's practically Pinocchio, and it doesn't seem to bother her in the slightest. While she certainly offers some great battle scenes, she doesn't contribute much to the conversation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As far as strong female characters go, Alosha is better. She's a blacksmith. She's badass.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Falcon--another wizard--serves as a great foil for the Dragon. He's slimy, loves court life and attention, thrives in war, and lusts after Agniezska's power.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But he isn't a villain. In this story, there is no black-and-white: the Wood has its motives, the Dragon's moral compass doesn't quite point north, and even Marek--the would-be rapist--has redeemable qualities. He's brave. He loves his family.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Of course, <b>the star players are Agniezska and the Dragon</b>, who complement each other like pretzels and Nutella. She is sunshine; he is rainclouds. She goes off the beaten path; he is a stickler for rules. She understands the depth of the human experience. He…doesn't. At least, not until she gives him a firm scolding. Here, for instance, she confronts him about his practice of taking village girls as slaves, essentially:</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">He made an impatient gesture, not looking at me; if he had seen my face, perhaps he would have stopped. "I don't take puling girls who want only to marry a village lover, or ones who cringe away from me--"</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">I stood straight up, the chair clattering back over the floor away from me. Slow and late and bubbling, a ferocious anger had risen in me, like a flood. "So you take the ones like Kasia," I burst out, "the ones brave enough to bear it, who won't hurt their families worse by weeping, and you suppose that makes it right? You don't rape them, you only close them up for ten years, and complain that we think you worse than you are?"</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">He stared up at me, and I stared back, panting. I hadn't even known those words were in me to be spoken; I hadn't known they were in me to be felt. I would never have thought of speaking so to my lord, the Dragon: I had hated him, but I wouldn't have reproached him, any more than I would have reproached a bolt of lightning for striking my house. He wasn't a person, he was a lord and a wizard, a strange creature on another plane entirely, as far removed as storms and pestilence.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">But he had stepped down from that plane; he had given me real kindness. He'd let his magic mingle with my own again, that strange breathtaking intimacy, all to save Kasia with me. I suppose it might seem strange that I should thank him by shouting at him, but it meant more than thanks: I wanted him to be human.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">While not my favorite scene in the book, it's one of them because <b>it gets at the central conflict between Agniezska and the Dragon: his self-imposed detachment from ordinary people</b>. It's an issue that Agniezska must confront in her own life, too, as she realizes that she will have to face the same curse that caused his isolation: as a witch, she will live for centuries, forced to watch her loved ones die.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Fortunately, she has the Dragon.</span></div>
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<span class="spoilerContainer" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">There is no insta-love here. In fact, the word "love" is never used to refer to their relationship. <b>It's one of mutual respect, admiration, and a recognition that the other is intelligent and courageous in his/her own way</b>. Neither is possessive. Neither is jealous. And while the Dragon often uses choice words when speaking to Agniezska, his actions are kind. In short, their relationship is beautiful, as seen in this incredible scene in which they combine their power to help Kasia:</span></div>
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<em><span style="color: blue;">He resisted at first, holding for a moment to the clean precision of his own working, but my own magic was offering his an invitation, and little by little he began to read--not any less sharply, but to the beat I gave. He was leaving room for my improvisations, giving them air. We turned the page together and kept on without a pause, and halfway down the page a line flowed out of us that was music, his voice crisply carrying the words while I sang them along, high and low, and abruptly, shockingly, it was easy.</span></em></div>
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<em>No--not easy; that wasn't even an adequate word. His hand had closed on mine, tightly; our fingers were interlaced, and our magic also. </em></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">All right, so there are certainly some weird elements to this relationship. Stockholm Syndrome. A professor/student relationship. The fact that he's 150 years older than her. You know, stuff that wouldn't fly in a lesser story. But it works. The Dragon isn't creepy or controlling. Agniezska isn't obsessive. Both manage to live very independent lives, but every once in a while, they get together and make some magic. Literally. And not so literally.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">All in all, this book is dark and magical and sexy and incredible. If you're a fan of Gregory Maguire or Leigh Bardugo, this book is a must-read.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">You can find it on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_8?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=uprooted&sprefix=uprooted%2Caps%2C137" target="_blank">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/uprooted-naomi-novik/1119702245?ean=9780804179034" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a>!</span></div>
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Sam F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04034367402431479011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910151770778209775.post-85812086232831865402015-05-26T19:04:00.002-04:002015-05-26T19:04:36.170-04:00The First 24 Hours<div style="text-align: justify;">
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I’ve been in New York City over twenty four hours.</div>
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For me, that’s a first. Growing up in New Jersey, the Big Apple was a rare day trip that began and ended with the work day. It was the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, and Broadway. That’s it. I was a tourist in every sense of the word. Of course, I’m still a tourist. Even if I manage to make this move permanent, it’s going to take a while to shake the tourist bug.</div>
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In the past twenty-four hours, however, I’ve made progress.</div>
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For instance, I purchased a Metrocard. That’s a big deal. It means I’ll be here for some time—and that I intend to explore as much of the city as possible. So far, I've navigated the subway four or five times. (Hooray!) Granted, I had to study the map for ten minutes, but still. Progress.</div>
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I had never taken the New York subway before. It brought back memories of <i>el metro</i> in Sevilla, albeit significantly dirtier. In fact, this entire experience--<a href="http://www.scps.nyu.edu/academics/departments/publishing/academic-offerings/summer-publishing-institute.html" target="_blank">The New York University Summer Publishing Institute (SPI)</a>--reminds me of studying abroad. New city. New people. New food.</div>
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<i>Food</i>. Today I ate gelato. It was glorious.</div>
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Anyway, I'm going to try this blogging thing again as I attempt to make New York City <i><b>home</b></i>.</div>
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Sam F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04034367402431479011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910151770778209775.post-11828240485683052262015-04-01T15:23:00.001-04:002015-04-01T15:23:30.820-04:005 Things I Intend to Do in NYC<div style="text-align: justify;">
Turns out I'm kind of awful at keeping up a blog.</div>
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I suppose I think that I don't have anything interesting to write about. I haven't traveled internationally since June, but even then, I didn't bother to post.</div>
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So let's try this blogging thing again, shall we?</div>
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I'm home in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. I love Williamsburg, but everybody needs to go home once in a while.<br /><br />Recently, I've been struggling with the whole concept of "home." For three years, my home was The College of William & Mary. Now that I've graduated, I can't call it home anymore. I don't live on campus. I don't eat in the dining hall. I still walk the brick pathways, but rarely.</div>
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Come May I'm moving to New York to try my luck in the Big Apple. But I can't think of NYC as my future home, either, for my plan is so hazy. I don't know how long I'll be there. Six weeks? Three months? Six months? Ten years? For the rest of my life?</div>
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I'm scared, but I'm excited, too. Here are five things I'm going to do in New York City:</div>
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1. Eat kebabs. Döner. Schwarma. Whatever you want to call them, they're delicious--and impossible to find in Williamsburg, Virginia. I'll probably cry as I take my first bite.</div>
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<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="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tE2qCdQsv_8/VRxCg_blP-I/AAAAAAAAAsc/xnX8wNnx7ug/s1600/doner%2Bkebab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tE2qCdQsv_8/VRxCg_blP-I/AAAAAAAAAsc/xnX8wNnx7ug/s1600/doner%2Bkebab.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ANYTHING MORE BEAUTIFUL? (Photo courtesy of my homeslice Joshua O.S.H.)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--qAkD0VGSGQ/VRxEqMfuesI/AAAAAAAAAso/2IZhEdEx_to/s1600/Tavern%2BNapkins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--qAkD0VGSGQ/VRxEqMfuesI/AAAAAAAAAso/2IZhEdEx_to/s1600/Tavern%2BNapkins.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was taken in a Williamsburg tavern four years ago. I'm cool, guys. Really.</td></tr>
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2. Go out. You see, Williamsburg's bar scene consists of five bars. Unless you want to hit up ye olde taverns and get drunk on mead.</div>
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3. Find a hipster coffee shop. Not because I think I'm a hipster (Me, a hipster? Well, I <i>am </i>coming from the original Williamsburg, est. 1632. Not this Williamsburg, Brooklyn everyone keeps talking about), but because I love the atmosphere of small cafés. Great spots to read and write.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tlWf1z0euW8/VRxFMnZAXxI/AAAAAAAAAsw/cBzoriL8KGk/s1600/cafe%2Bcafe%2Bcafe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tlWf1z0euW8/VRxFMnZAXxI/AAAAAAAAAsw/cBzoriL8KGk/s1600/cafe%2Bcafe%2Bcafe.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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4. Explore Central Park. I've only been to Central Park once--for, like, five minutes. Barely counts.</div>
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5. See off-Broadway shows. Not that I don't love Broadway, but I want to experience lesser known things. (Wait, I sound like a hipster. <i>Broadway is too mainstream</i>. Oh no.)</div>
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What else should I do while I'm in New York? Suggestions?</div>
Sam F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04034367402431479011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910151770778209775.post-87823383498610416462014-12-16T21:09:00.000-05:002014-12-16T21:09:23.069-05:00I'm Still Here<div style="text-align: justify;">
I haven't updated this blog since May. Tsk tsk.</div>
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I'm going to use the usual excuse: I've been busy. Seriously, I have been. Over the summer, I traveled to Israel to do some travel writing. Upon my return, I started to intern with Spells Writing Lab in Philadelphia. Then it was back to school and work, work, work.</div>
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But…</div>
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I'VE GRADUATED.</div>
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That doesn't mean I have a lot of free time. It does, however, mean that I don't have homework, and that means I can spend less time writing about ecumenical councils (three cheers for RELG 210!) and more time writing for my blog.</div>
Sam F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04034367402431479011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910151770778209775.post-70172010088638320742014-05-31T15:05:00.000-04:002014-05-31T15:10:03.917-04:00I can't talk about Israel before I talk about HONDURAS<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>I'm currently in Israel, but I can't discuss this adventure until I talk about my trip to Honduras:</i><br />
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In March, I traveled to Honduras. That was months ago, I know. Still, I'm going to give it a blog post.</div>
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I went to Honduras with Public Health Brigades, a branch of <a href="https://www.globalbrigades.org/" target="_blank">Global Brigades</a>. We were stationed in El Ojochal, a rural village in the coastal Valle region, which is wedged between El Salvador and Nicaragua.</div>
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I expected heat. Mugginess. I'd been taking malaria medicine, and I'd stocked up on unscented soap so as not to attract swarms of mosquitos that could potentially carry malaria or dengue fever. I expected dirt. Grime. To be escorted through the airport by armed guards. (Tegucigalpa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world).</div>
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I wasn't prepared for this:</div>
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This is the interior of one of the homes we were working on. It was a two room hut with dirt floors and large gaps in the walls, which allowed the chickens to enter and exit as they pleased. The first picture shows a stove in the corner of the kitchen. As part of our project, we built a brick stove with a chimney to help prevent respiratory problems. It also requires less wood. The second photo shows the sleeping area. This family slept in hammocks, as did most families in El Ojochal.</div>
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Here we see the exterior of a typical home (at least, typical for the area in which we were working). These photos are from Amapala.</div>
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I knew that Honduras was not a wealthy country by any means. Still, I was struck by the abject poverty I saw all around me. Everywhere I looked, I saw a decrepit hut, a malnourished child, a pile of trash littering the landscape. It was bad.<br />
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At the same time, I was struck by the way life goes on. I met some amazing people who were eager to share their culture with me. We bonded over traditional Honduran folk music, food, and breathtaking vistas.</div>
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It's important to visit places like Honduras, which serve as reminders that there are severe problems in the world. However, too often these places are seen for their problems alone. Yes, the people I met wanted me to take and share photos so that others could see their harsh realities, but when we talked, they wanted to tell me about the beauty of their country. It's important to remember that, too.</div>
Sam F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04034367402431479011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910151770778209775.post-57051189832943004482014-05-13T15:10:00.001-04:002014-05-13T15:10:31.632-04:00Book Blitz! WONDERFULLY WICKED, by C.J. Burright<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16.363636016845703px;">Wonderfully Wicked</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7350547.Coleen_Burright">CJ Burright</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Release Date: 05/13/14<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Summary from Goodreads:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A dreamcaster with the ability to channel creatures from her nightmares, headstrong and cynical Kalila Montgomery longs for a peaceful, picket-fence life…until the man literally of her dreams kidnaps her. Survival quickly becomes her number one goal, yet a growing attraction to the man in her nightmares is impossible to ignore. While she fears he will kill her, other, more terrifying enemies surround her, and Kalila succumbs to his scheme to escape. She may be his one hope for freedom…A deadly combination of power, cunning, and cold-hearted charm, Lydon v'al Endrian fears nothing. Feels nothing.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Chained to a brotherhood of men with the supernatural ability to invade dreams, he hunts dreamcasters to be harvested for their dreams and killed. His target: Kalila Montgomery. But Kalila awakens an undeniable dark desire and a longing for a freedom long-lost. To gain everything he craves, Lydon must seduce Kalila before his plot is discovered…a hopeless challenge which, if failed, will earn him a death-sentence. Caught up in a dangerous world of secrets and obsession, doubt and betrayal, Kalila and Lydon face the nightmare of their lives, where love will either deliver them—or destroy them both.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18685379-wonderfully-wicked?from_search=true" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuDvHqnJhHEuptOBlk7pUpgJeAD7C6G-9qJL7Pxv4Mp63f4seBIogkyvlcE7xv8tcT1IeEBf4r4A81bMTyJXpRmvRFvI2t7ATVdqhmMnQy0_bu_Jib17ff69Gi_LDdwG73wj17eSOXFw8/s1600/add+to+goodreads+black.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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Available from:</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wonderfully-Wicked-C-J-Burright-ebook/dp/B00ILMKZE0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399919793&sr=8-1&keywords=wonderfully+wicked" target="_blank">Amazon</a> * <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/wonderfully-wicked" target="_blank">Kobo</a></div>
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Excerpt:</div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;">“I took great
effort to see you.” His tone hinted the act made him deserving. “You sleep;
I’ll keep watch. And my vow of yesterday stands. I won’t molest you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;">To her
annoyance, her pulse danced a country jig. Whatever efforts he took on her
behalf were of questionable nature, not romantic. She made a rude noise in case
he held any such illusions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;">“Keep watch for
what? No one besides you could reach my window and my door’s bolted.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;">Lydon laced his
hands behind his head, his lips twitching as though fighting a smile. “Then
I’ll watch you. Like before.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;">Horror prickled
over her in a rushing tide. She leapt up. “You watched me sleep? Not skulked
around in my bedroom to attack me?” She groaned, imagining him watching her
drool, snore, or grind her teeth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;">He laughed, low
and warm. “You’re so lovely when you dream, Lils. An angel.” He patted the
empty spot beside him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;">Her traitorous
body, defenseless against him, obeyed. The red, silken comforter hissed beneath
her knees while she climbed onto the opposite side of the giant bed. The lone
lamp by the bed cast a mystical glow over Lydon, catching golden highlights in
his light hair, the silver shards in his eyes. “Watching people sleep is
creepy.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;">He shrugged.
“Not people, just you. Besides, I <i>am</i>
creepy.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;">Definitely not creepy.</span></i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;"> Kalila settled into a
cross-legged position and fixed him with a no-nonsense look. “Since it seems
you have nothing better to do than lie there like a sloth, be useful and fess
up. Why am I being treated as some freaking porcelain doll in a glass case? How
can my nightmares benefit the V’alkara? Can the V’alkara really take my dreams
away? None of you seem sick—and no, mental doesn’t count—so what’s wrong? And
when will you take us home?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;">Lydon jiggled
one black boot. What she thought might be disapproval flickered in his eyes. “I
won’t waste our alone time answering inquiries. I have other plans.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;">She swallowed
hard. Maybe she’d misjudged him. Maybe he was so confident in his assassin
abilities—and her helplessness—he felt sneakiness was unnecessary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;">He sat up in a
blink of an eye, moving with inhuman speed. One large hand was planted next to
her knee. His breath fanned her chin. The scent of the outdoors and a tinge of
smoke drifted from his clothes. His voice whispered spider-soft.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;">“Do you care to
know what other less attractive names some call me?” The world seemed to shrink
to Lydon and the force of his gaze. “Angel of Ruin. Living Nightmare. Scourge.”
His eyes gleamed, darkened. “As you might guess from such monikers, peace in my
life is rare. I’ll relish any fragments of it I happen to stumble across for as
long as possible.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;">His fingers
trailed her cheek to cup her chin. In the span of a heartbeat, his face
changed. From beautiful man to skeletal beast then back to beautiful man. A
chill coiled around her soul, deep and cold as a winter storm. Who—<i>what</i>—was this guy?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;">“Do you feel it
too?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; padding: 0in;">Kalila’s
heartbeat rumbled in her ears, kicked at her throat. Her fingers jerked with a
fierce need to touch him. Instead, she fisted the blanket. <i>Admit nothing to the enemy.</i> Yet the urge to nestle her cheek into
his palm and purr grappled with reason. She had to take control before she did
something stupid.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">About the Author<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">CJ blames her love for reading and all things Medieval on her father, who plied her often with fantasy novels ranging from Sir Lloyd Alexander to Piers Anthony. Her love for romance, however, lies completely at the feet of her best friend Michelle, who dared to give her a romance novel for her birthday. She smiled, politely said thank you, and tossed it in the corner, where it gathered dust. In a moment of desperation, when only the revolting romance remained in her almost-always toppling stack of awaiting books, she sucked it up and read the romance. Doomed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">She started writing fantasy and paranormal romance for the cathartic experience, decided she liked it, and after two overlong, horribly written novels joined RWA and the Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal special interest chapter. Best classes and critique groups ever. Double doomed. Now, writing is a necessity, not just a hobby.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In her spare time, when she’s not writing or reading or actually working, CJ might be found in the dojang (4th Dan Black Belt, baby), rooting on the Mariners (who will some day win the World Series), working out (P90X, anyone?), gardening (a little dirt never hurt anyone), or playing Music of the Night on the piano (without mask or cape). She lives in Oregon with her fabulous husband and daughter. Not to mention her minions, a herd of cats.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">WONDERFULLY WICKED is CJ's Burright's first novel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Sam F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04034367402431479011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910151770778209775.post-7211884904178770822014-05-06T08:00:00.000-04:002014-05-06T08:00:07.043-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">How to Seduce a Band Geek <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/115092-how-to">(How To #2)</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7064948.Cassie_Mae">Cassie Mae</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Release Date: 05/06/14<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Swoon Romance<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Summary from Goodreads:</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sierra Livingston’s got it bad for her sister’s best friend, Levi Mason—the boy who carries his drumsticks in his pocket, marches with the school’s band, and taps his feet to whatever beat runs through his head. Sierra racks her brain for ways to impress the sexy drummer, but the short skirts and bursting cleavage don’t seem to cut it.</span></i></div>
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<i style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">When Sierra gets paired with Levi’s sister, Brea, for a mentorship program, they strike a deal. In exchange for Sierra keeping her mouth shut about Brea ditching the program, Brea lets Sierra dig for more info on Levi to help get the guy of her dreams.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">But when Sierra discovers Levi no longer plays the drums, his family has moved into a trailer, and he’s traded in his Range Rover for a baby blue moped, Sierra’s not sure if she can go through with violating his privacy. She’ll have to find the courage to ask him straight out—if he’s willing to let her in—and explore other ways to seduce the school’s band geek.</span></span></i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">And here's an excerpt:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">“<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Will
you come here?” he asks, taking my wrist and guiding me—</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i>omigosh</i></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">—on
his lap. He slides back to make room for me, but now I’m like,
straddling him. Legs over legs, one of his arms holding me steady,
the other coming up and cupping my neck. I rest my hands on his
waist, not sure where to put them because, holy crap, what is going
on? I like it, whatever it is, but he still looks like someone’s
twisting a knife in his gut.</span></span></div>
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“<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Levi,
you’re kind of scaring me.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">He
gives me this weird smile thingy, only half his mouth twitching up at
the corner. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to scare you.”</span></div>
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“<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Then
what’s wrong? Is everything okay?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">He
shakes his head, keeping his eyes locked on mine. My lips part
slightly as I wait for him to spill. But he doesn’t. He drops his
gaze to my mouth, and my breathing picks up.</span></div>
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“<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">I
need to kiss you.”</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18711450-how-to-seduce-a-band-geek" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQqnRIym-cVRSkuQ9x8TKE8_sOdWY3wqkb3urNMb6yvQVwo8R2TvC4n-z4c5Np08Pnb9_WIA5Spdg_KGIu_KsM_GJ0HKvbMJnmmeLsvAweplM8f8JOLrkUl_JStEx5EwkePxbmHXnnCos/s1600/add+to+goodreads+black.jpg" /></a><br />
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Available from:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Seduce-Band-Geek-Cassie-ebook/dp/B00ILMKZGS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399319863&sr=8-1&keywords=cassie+mae" target="_blank">Amazon</a> * <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/how-to-seduce-a-band-geek" target="_blank">Kobo</a><br />
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Link to book one:<br />
(cover linked to Goodreads)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQzfhSqpkcqpc6yCfI_DFAL_aYeYiJYEga-etygi19sRCBNI8VYl_QrFiw90mUja4qslwQ_LMq7Kb0ST2tcsW3cNtn6VtSSI3hhXa9D7c5wq45RZ6ODDG1LjdDBTVTHOwan4rsw0aofQ/s1600/cassie+mae.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQzfhSqpkcqpc6yCfI_DFAL_aYeYiJYEga-etygi19sRCBNI8VYl_QrFiw90mUja4qslwQ_LMq7Kb0ST2tcsW3cNtn6VtSSI3hhXa9D7c5wq45RZ6ODDG1LjdDBTVTHOwan4rsw0aofQ/s1600/cassie+mae.PNG" height="186" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">About the Author<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Amazon multi-category and international bestselling author of HOW TO DATE A NERD, HOW TO SEDUCE A BAND GEEK and HOW TO HOOK A BOOKWORM</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Cassie Mae is a nerd to the core from Utah, who likes to write about other nerds who find love. Her angel children and perfect husband fan her and feed her grapes while she clacks away on the keyboard. Then she wakes up from that dream world and manages to get a few words on the computer while the house explodes around her. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with the youth in her community as a volleyball and basketball coach, or searching the house desperately for chocolate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Cassie Mae is an Amazon.com bestselling author of the teen contemporary romance novel REASONS I FELL FOR THE FUNNY FAT FRIEND, which she self-published. In addition to publishing with Swoon Romance, she is published by Random House Flirt.</span></div>
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*GIVEAWAY*<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 ebook of How to Seduce a Band Geek & $10 Amazon gift
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/2348b9255/" id="rc-2348b9255" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Book Blitz Organized by:<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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Sam F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04034367402431479011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910151770778209775.post-80805807053380733152014-03-21T08:00:00.000-04:002014-03-21T08:00:15.339-04:00Cover Reveal - THE REAL THING, by Cassie Mae!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Hooray! We have another cover reveal on the blog today! If you haven't read anything by Cassie Mae yet, you're missing out :) She's awesome.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iCbSmqkRGiw/UypTRgrsMII/AAAAAAAAApA/aQQ5Y6SMD4Y/s1600/Final+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iCbSmqkRGiw/UypTRgrsMII/AAAAAAAAApA/aQQ5Y6SMD4Y/s1600/Final+cover.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<b>The Real Thing </b></div>
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<b>By Cassie Mae</b></div>
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<b>Publication: August 19, 2014 by Random House Flirt</b></div>
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<b>What it's all about: </b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Eric Matua has one friend—his best friend and childhood sweetheart, who needs a place to stay for the summer. Mia Johnson has thousands of friends—who live in her computer. Along with her email chats and Facebook notifications, Mia also devours romance novels, spending countless hours with fictional characters, dreaming of her own Romeo to sweep her off her feet. When she starts receiving supersweet messages from a stranger who thinks she’s someone else, Mia begins to believe that real love is possible outside her virtual world. </span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">When the two friends become roommates, Mia finds herself falling harder than she ever thought she could. But Eric keeps his desires locked away, unsure of himself and his ability to give his best friend what she deserves in a boyfriend. As her advances are continually spurned, Mia splits her time between Eric and her computer. But she soon realizes she’s about to lose the only real thing she’s ever had.</span></span></span><br />
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<b>About the Author (who is gorgeous)</b></div>
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Cassie Mae is a nerd to the core from Utah, who likes to write about other nerds who find love. She’s the author of the Amazon Bestsellers REASONS I FELL FOR THE FUNNY FAT FRIEND and HOW TO DATE A NERD, and is the debut author for the Random House FLIRT line with her New Adult novels FRIDAY NIGHT ALIBI and SWITCHED. She spends time with her angel children and perfect husband who fan her and feed her grapes while she clacks away on the keyboard. Then she wakes up from that dream world and manages to get a few words on the computer while the house explodes around her. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with the youth in her community as a volleyball and basketball coach, or searching the house desperately for chocolate.</div>
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Add it to Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20805873-the-real-thing">https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20805873-the-real-thing</a></div>
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Pre-order it now: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Real-Thing-Flirt-Adult-Romance-ebook/dp/B00ILWZAV8/">http://www.amazon.com/Real-Thing-Flirt-Adult-Romance-ebook/dp/B00ILWZAV8/</a></div>
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<br />Sam F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04034367402431479011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910151770778209775.post-2823627904976884262014-02-27T08:00:00.000-05:002014-02-27T08:00:02.769-05:00Cover Reveal: THE SOUL HEALER, by Melissa Giorgio!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2lmx3C9J99Q/Uw6IOHPmUqI/AAAAAAAAAog/ZJu26ZTBSvk/s1600/soulhealercover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2lmx3C9J99Q/Uw6IOHPmUqI/AAAAAAAAAog/ZJu26ZTBSvk/s1600/soulhealercover.jpg" height="640" width="440" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i>It's been two months since Gabi Harkins first learned of demons and the mysterious hunters who battle them. After discovering a few unbelievable surprises about herself, she simply wants to settle into a normal routine that involves dating her boyfriend Rafe Fitzgerald, hanging out with her friends, and eating lots of dessert. But when her peaceful life is destroyed by the ultimate of betrayals, Gabi must rely on her wits -- and a few new crazy friends -- to survive her hardest challenges yet.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i>The sequel to THE SIGHT SEER combines action, romance, and a healthy dose of humor as Gabi struggles to learn the truth about the secrets that surround her life.</i></span></div>
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Sounds awesome, right? Make sure to add it on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20634001-the-soul-healer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>! And if you haven't read THE SIGHT SEER, here it is on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sight-Seer-Silver-Moon-Saga-ebook/dp/B00DDVM3K8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393461673&sr=8-1&keywords=the+sight+seer" target="_blank">Amazon</a>.<br />
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Now about the wonderful author, Melissa Giorgio!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6E3FL7I9WNA/Uw6IRiCscCI/AAAAAAAAAoo/RN1eUiA-Njk/s1600/melissabiopic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6E3FL7I9WNA/Uw6IRiCscCI/AAAAAAAAAoo/RN1eUiA-Njk/s1600/melissabiopic.jpg" /></a></div>
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Melissa Giorgio is a native New Yorker who graduated from Queens College with a degree in English. She's always dreamed of being a writer and has been creating stories (mostly in her head) since she was a little girl. Also an avid reader, Melissa loves to devour thick YA novels. When not reading or writing, she enjoys watching animated films, listening to music by her favorite Japanese boy band, or exploring Manhattan.</div>
Sam F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04034367402431479011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910151770778209775.post-56125821128386641732013-11-22T08:42:00.000-05:002013-11-22T08:42:22.435-05:00Guest Blog: Theresa Paolo - Finding Inspiration<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XThaK_krJb0/Uf5yTt8BtfI/AAAAAAAAAkk/XmGUup9gFm4/s1600/Never+Again.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XThaK_krJb0/Uf5yTt8BtfI/AAAAAAAAAkk/XmGUup9gFm4/s320/Never+Again.gif" width="212" /></a></div>
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I'm super excited to welcome author Theresa Paolo to the blog! Her book (NEVER) AGAIN came out in October. She's here today to talk a little bit about inspiration for the book, as well as inspiration in general. Take it away, Theresa!</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Thanks, for having me!
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Inspiration is a large part of being a
writer. It doesn’t just stop at that first spark of an idea either.
It carries on throughout the entire time you’re working on a book.
It can be triggered by almost anything, at least for me it can. A
conversation, a news story, a sign on a tree, a song, anything. And
when that moment hits, it is the best feeling. I can never get the
idea down fast enough. I carry three notebooks with me at all times,
but even though I’m prepared, most of my inspiration tends to hit
when I’m in the shower. Why wouldn’t it?
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">The inspiration for (Never) Again was
sparked by a news story. It was a tragedy, and I remember thinking
not about the people who were involved in the event, but about the
family members and friends who were watching it unfold, bit by
torturous bit on TV and the radio. Little information was known, but
for the people watching the TV and listening to the radio, it was
enough to know that their lives may be changed forever.
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">I thought about their stories, and how
they were going about their lives just like any other day when they
received word of what was happening. My thoughts turned into a story
and Liz was born. A girl who was not handling the fact that her ex
boyfriend was back in town. Compared to the event she would watch
unfold on TV her problems were absolutely ridiculous. But I wanted
the story to be real. How many times have you had a bad day and you
think it’s the end of the world? And how many times have you seen
something that makes you realize your problems are miniscule? That’s
where the idea came together.
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">A few scenes in the book were inspired
by things my Dad has said. He’d be happy to know I’m giving him
credit. The inspiration for Zach’s grandmother came from a coworker
who was going through a similar situation. And the first scene where
Liz dives into the bathroom to avoid Zach is actually inspired by my
own personal experience of dodging an ex.
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Inspiration can come from anywhere. You
just have to open yourself up to it.
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_duKBE7iO4U/Uf5yOxTzlII/AAAAAAAAAkc/2cd-ExBRes8/s1600/Never_Again-5.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_duKBE7iO4U/Uf5yOxTzlII/AAAAAAAAAkc/2cd-ExBRes8/s640/Never_Again-5.gif" width="409" /></a></div>
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Thanks so much for stopping by, Theresa! Make sure to check out (NEVER) AGAIN on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Never-Again-Theresa-Paolo-ebook/dp/B00CB1COG4/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1385085920&sr=8-5&keywords=%28never%29+again" target="_blank">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/booktheresa-paolo/1115257892?ean=9780698143777" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a>.</div>
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Sam F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04034367402431479011noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910151770778209775.post-28904175797919694992013-10-25T00:46:00.000-04:002013-10-25T00:46:26.924-04:00"Writers betray people."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Last week, I had the honor of meeting Justin Torres, the bestselling author of WE THE ANIMALS. If you haven't read it, you're missing out. In short, it's a haunting coming-of-age story about family, betrayal, and sexuality that packs one hell of a punch in a whopping 125 pages.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XgZ9r335Hoo/Umg5vninvQI/AAAAAAAAAnE/ZCFsEPHwh3I/s1600/DSCN4533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XgZ9r335Hoo/Umg5vninvQI/AAAAAAAAAnE/ZCFsEPHwh3I/s320/DSCN4533.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The book.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6Jtj9_7c2Pk/Umg5vghv6wI/AAAAAAAAAnA/pAWgy1-ujcM/s1600/DSCN4534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6Jtj9_7c2Pk/Umg5vghv6wI/AAAAAAAAAnA/pAWgy1-ujcM/s320/DSCN4534.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The signed book. It's OK to be jealous.</td></tr>
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Though WE THE ANIMALS is fiction, Torres admits that it's thematically autobiographical. Hence, one of the most interesting conversations we had involved his family's reaction to the book. He said it was tough. When the book was first coming out, he spent a lot of time worried about what they'd think when they recognized themselves in the characters.</div>
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"<b>Writers betray people</b>," he said.</div>
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As someone who frequently writes from personal experience, that comment really stuck with me. He went on to say that he doesn't know if it's right. If it's worth it.</div>
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At any rate, it got me thinking.</div>
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P.S. Justin Torres disapproves of the blogosphere. Oh well :)</div>
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<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="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pxb8_1mwOZo/UmgrXkZL0hI/AAAAAAAAAmg/5btSZaNhqD8/s1600/Justin+Torres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pxb8_1mwOZo/UmgrXkZL0hI/AAAAAAAAAmg/5btSZaNhqD8/s640/Justin+Torres.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(left to right) Me with phenomenal writers Tom Chester, Noa Nir, Meagan Smith, and Justin Torres</td></tr>
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<br />Sam F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04034367402431479011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5910151770778209775.post-58029037982162273442013-10-19T23:22:00.000-04:002013-10-19T23:22:52.367-04:00(NEVER) AGAIN Bloghop<div style="text-align: justify;">
Today we're celebrating the release of Theresa Paolo's (NEVER) AGAIN, a contemporary young adult romance. Check out Theresa's <a href="http://theresa-foreverours.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog</a> and find (NEVER) AGAIN on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Never-Again-ebook/dp/B00CB1COG4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1381613012&sr=8-2&keywords=%28never%29+again" target="_blank">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/booktheresa-paolo/1115257892?ean=9780698143777" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_duKBE7iO4U/Uf5yOxTzlII/AAAAAAAAAkc/2cd-ExBRes8/s1600/Never_Again-5.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_duKBE7iO4U/Uf5yOxTzlII/AAAAAAAAAkc/2cd-ExBRes8/s640/Never_Again-5.gif" width="407" /></a></div>
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In honor of (NEVER) AGAIN, I'm going to talk about what I've sworn <i>never </i>to do again, only to break the promise to myself. What is it? <b>Straighten my hair.</b><br />
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I have hair that I like to call the Bellatrix Lestrange look: it's curly and crazy, just like hers, and if I dare to brush out the curls, I get a lion's mane of a mess. So I frequently attempt to tame it with a straightener. However, every single time I do it, I tell myself that it's the last time. Why?<br />
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Several reasons. For one, it's not good for my hair. I have problematic hair to begin with--thin, frizzy, fragile. Then there's the fact that my hair just does't look all that good when I straighten it. Sometimes it does--if someone else does it. But when I do it, I'm impatient, and usually, it just looks stringy, almost matted, and it loses its luster. But I keep doing it anyway. I get frustrated with the curls and, as though to punish my hair for misbehavior, I press it between two burning plates till it's so hot I can't touch it. Yeah, not good.<br />
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I've done it to punish my curls. I've also done it for boys who've said they prefer my hair straight. (The wo Now, looking back, I shouldn't have cared what <i>they </i>thought. I prefer my hair curly, and that's what matters. So, never again will I straighten my hair.<br />
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Yeah, right.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z6jnneeOB7Y/Ul131Sdm7dI/AAAAAAAAAlc/kbEPpttKKZE/s1600/Ronda+-+Princess+Hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z6jnneeOB7Y/Ul131Sdm7dI/AAAAAAAAAlc/kbEPpttKKZE/s320/Ronda+-+Princess+Hair.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my curly hair!</td></tr>
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Sam F.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04034367402431479011noreply@blogger.com0