tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29028082006312531752024-03-12T20:08:11.435-05:00The NerdHerd ReadsitsRayMariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06256408267628399056noreply@blogger.comBlogger352125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902808200631253175.post-58045106763781767932017-12-31T09:00:00.000-06:002017-12-31T09:00:33.989-06:002017 in Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JENykA6isbQ/WkGHauWkcNI/AAAAAAAADlE/oBn_XLXclZ8rVdKaCFQQN8K6u1SuctPgwCLcBGAs/s1600/2017wr.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="154" data-original-width="298" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JENykA6isbQ/WkGHauWkcNI/AAAAAAAADlE/oBn_XLXclZ8rVdKaCFQQN8K6u1SuctPgwCLcBGAs/s1600/2017wr.png" /></a></div>
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2017 is over. I honestly don't know where this year has gone. I read a whopping 184 books this year (don't ask me how because I have no idea). I feel like I've branched out a little bit, reading more comics and nonfiction and even middle grade than before. I am going to break up my favorite books of the year into categories, because there are a lot and hopefully keep it narrowed down.</div>
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<b>Fiction</b></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12974372-a-natural-history-of-dragons" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="389" data-original-width="260" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1359770409l/12974372.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30965619-a-closed-and-common-orbit" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="309" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1467897699l/30965619.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29939230-a-conjuring-of-light" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1464017758l/29939230.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28458598-when-dimple-met-rishi" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1475687488l/28458598.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32714264-the-strange-case-of-the-alchemist-s-daughter" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497784408l/32714264.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29414576-tash-hearts-tolstoy" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495481600l/29414576.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30037781-heartstone" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1471984608l/30037781.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29749085-wonder-woman" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1478886078l/29749085.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33590221-the-dire-king" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1501159660l/33590221.jpg" width="136" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33784373-hunting-prince-dracula" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1489420853l/33784373.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
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<b>Comics</b></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20898019-ms-marvel-vol-1" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="309" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1413031883l/20898019.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27415869-moon-girl-and-devil-dinosaur-vol-1" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1463857837l/27415869.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29467560-doctor-strange-vol-2" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="309" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1504273275l/29467560.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29246432-black-panther" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="260" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1471281399l/29246432.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29653775-the-legend-of-wonder-woman-vol-1" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="264" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479675424l/29653775.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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<b>Nonfiction</b></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26030711-rise-of-the-rocket-girls" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1462515796l/26030711.jpg" width="140" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23602569-we-should-all-be-feminists" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="280" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1493136936l/23602569.jpg" width="140" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30809689-norse-mythology" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1493609691l/30809689.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27161178-hidden-figures" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1460909647l/27161178.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32191710-astrophysics-for-people-in-a-hurry" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="293" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479535337l/32191710.jpg" width="123" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31409135-the-radium-girls" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1496007867l/31409135.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32620339-why-dinosaurs-matter" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1505658642l/32620339.jpg" width="144" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34128230-the-river-of-consciousness" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="250" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498736082l/34128230.jpg" width="129" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34068481-from-here-to-eternity" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1505146488l/34068481.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34128284-courage-is-contagious" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1501160261l/34128284.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
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<b>Classics</b></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4981.Slaughterhouse_Five" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1440319389l/4981.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13259220-fahrenheit-451" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="309" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1408912950l/13259220.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/341272.The_Island_of_Dr_Moreau" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="292" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1390432066l/341272.jpg" width="128" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24874366-o-cruel-alexis" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1423752763l/24874366.jpg" width="137" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20893527-anne-of-green-gables" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="286" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1400842320l/20893527.jpg" width="142" /></a></div>
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<b>Some rambles: </b>Although I did not read as much nonfiction as I would have liked (only 39 of the 184), what I did read was amazing. That was actually the hardest category to narrow down. I didn't add categories for children's or poetry, but those are some things I would like to try and read more of in 2018. I don't have many reading goals for 2018, other than diversifying what I read. I want to read widely in every category, instead of just the few I gravitate towards. I'm not going to pick a top book of 2017, because honestly how can I decide??</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Other favorites</span></b></div>
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<b>Movies</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4846340/mediaviewer/rm2507746048" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="540" height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMzg2Mzg4YmUtNDdkNy00NWY1LWE3NmEtZWMwNGNlMzE5YzU3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjA5MTIzMjQ@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,675,1000_AL_.jpg" width="135" /></a><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0451279/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="540" height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNDFmZjgyMTEtYTk5MC00NmY0LWJhZjktOWY2MzI5YjkzODNlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDA4NzMyOA@@._V1_SY1000_SX675_AL_.jpg" width="135" /></a><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0974015/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="540" height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYWVhZjZkYTItOGIwYS00NmRkLWJlYjctMWM0ZjFmMDU4ZjEzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTMxODk2OTU@._V1_SY1000_SX675_AL_.jpg" width="135" /></a><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1485796/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="540" height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYjQ0ZWJkYjMtYjJmYS00MjJiLTg3NTYtMmIzN2E2Y2YwZmUyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjk5NDA3OTk@._V1_SY1000_SX675_AL_.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
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<b>Television</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5083928/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="424" height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMDc5ZjM3NzMtOTU1ZS00ZGE1LWFlNmYtYWE1NjgzMzkzYTk5L2ltYWdlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjMxNzcwOTI@._V1_.jpg" width="135" /></a><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6470478/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="540" height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjI5NTA0ODA2N15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwOTM2OTI2MzI@._V1_.jpg" width="135" /></a><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4574334/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="535" height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjUwMDgzOTg3Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNTI4MDk5MzI@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,669,1000_AL_.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5171438/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="548" height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjM3NDA1NjM1Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNzg5ODEzMzI@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,685,1000_AL_.jpg" width="136" /></a></div>
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<b>General</b></div>
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<li>I have fallen in love with the Etsy shops <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/TeaWithTolkien" target="_blank">Tea with Tolkien</a> and <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/TookishCandleCompany" target="_blank">Tookish Candle Company</a>. Both ladies have been amazing, and I love absolutely everything I have bought from them.</li>
<li>My favorite BookTuber to watch this year has absolutely been Samantha from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/ThoughtsOnTomes" target="_blank">Thoughts on Tomes</a>. I also love <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPQ06jjBLi-6EAly5vBBBbw" target="_blank">The Paige-Turner</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqV6GHOn3gKCacCHJzhKSQQ" target="_blank">A Frolic Through Fiction</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZi_5QFbUz7tk7EKf1NTohg" target="_blank">BlueEyedBiblio</a>.</li>
<li>My favorite non-bookish YouTube channels are <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnPiKkKdDuC1gWYHgt7NR2w" target="_blank">About That Life</a> (lifestyle), <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSm9WJDmpZDM_m6YvkACuxg" target="_blank">Caitlin's Corner</a> (bullet journaling), <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/logicalharmonydotnet" target="_blank">Logical Harmony</a> (beauty), and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/LetsMakeitUp1" target="_blank">Kayley Melissa</a> (hair).</li>
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And that is it for 2017! And sadly, also for this blog. I know you're probably like "didn't you quit another time too? Obviously that didn't work out". Yes, I did, but this time is (probably) for real. Not to worry! My other social medias (<a href="http://thenerdherdreads.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">tumblr</a>, <a href="http://instagram.com/thenerdherdreads" target="_blank">instagram</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/nerdherdreads" target="_blank">twitter</a>) will stay exactly the same, and you can still keep up with everything I read over on <a href="http://goodreads.com/thenerdherdreads" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>. </div>
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What were your favorite for 2017? Hope everyone has a lovely and joyous new year.</div>
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Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09096576826342760742noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902808200631253175.post-54757335236730218572017-12-30T09:00:00.000-06:002018-01-23T13:35:51.305-06:00December Wrap Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LM8dQz3WZGc/WkGHOE9-4CI/AAAAAAAADk8/x0BGKJ82BlcpFU3rCbEf8-URh2V0tJDQwCLcBGAs/s1600/dec%2Bwr.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="154" data-original-width="543" height="90" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LM8dQz3WZGc/WkGHOE9-4CI/AAAAAAAADk8/x0BGKJ82BlcpFU3rCbEf8-URh2V0tJDQwCLcBGAs/s320/dec%2Bwr.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Well, another month over. I wasn't sure about doing a December wrap up since I have my year wrap up posting tomorrow, but decided to go ahead and do one.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25891438-unicorns" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="293" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1436662538l/25891438.jpg" width="146" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34128284-courage-is-contagious" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1501160261l/34128284.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16092702-sands-of-nezza" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1372680078l/16092702.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24885790-lock-mori" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1435188368l/24885790.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34504361-she-persisted" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1489947578l/34504361.jpg" width="163" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31616114-wonder-woman-volume-2" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="306" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1488393558l/31616114.jpg" width="128" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33232801-wonder-woman-volume-3" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="307" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1499188661l/33232801.jpg" width="128" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34664222-wonder-woman-vol-4" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="305" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1510765356l/34664222.jpg" width="128" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33589853-a-remodelista-manual" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1509274824l/33589853.jpg" width="141" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9473008-of-thee-i-sing" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320472798l/9473008.jpg" width="151" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34219824-malala-s-magic-pencil" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1494921199l/34219824.jpg" width="181" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20893323-a-christmas-carol" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="262" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1396838608l/20893323.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20893324-the-nutcracker" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="264" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1396837445l/20893324.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25855506-adulthood-is-a-myth" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1481219756l/25855506.jpg" width="162" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30754980-big-mushy-happy-lump" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1490071048l/30754980.jpg" width="161" /></a></div>
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<b>Notable Favorites: </b><i>Courage is Contagious, </i>Wonder Woman</div>
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<ul>
<li><i><a href="http://thenerdherdreads.blogspot.com/2017/12/meet-cute-anthology.html" target="_blank">Meet Cute</a> </i>- anthology</li>
<li>Most Anticipated <a href="http://thenerdherdreads.blogspot.com/2017/12/most-anticipated-2018-releases.html" target="_blank">2018 Releases</a></li>
</ul>
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<b>TV: </b>I watched the latest season of <i>Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt</i>, which is one of those shows that I know is super dumb and yet I still keep watching. Also started <i>Mindhunter </i>and I'm not finished yet but I'm already obsessed.</div>
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<b>Movies: </b>I saw <i>The Greatest Showman</i>, and honestly did not have high hopes but I ended up LOVING it.</div>
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<b>Music: </b>And I have basically only listened to the soundtrack for <i>The Greatest Showman</i> since coming out of the theater. No shame.</div>
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Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09096576826342760742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902808200631253175.post-54927128403867208162017-12-27T09:00:00.000-06:002018-01-19T11:31:36.452-06:00Most Anticipated 2018 Releases<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gr2UzpQ77r8/WkGHTLvOANI/AAAAAAAADlA/IuqtwuXY7gs3HTPIbIWc86XyIFiqgaMsQCLcBGAs/s1600/2018%2Brel.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="501" height="122" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gr2UzpQ77r8/WkGHTLvOANI/AAAAAAAADlA/IuqtwuXY7gs3HTPIbIWc86XyIFiqgaMsQCLcBGAs/s320/2018%2Brel.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Hello! So I didn't do a December Anticipated Releases post because I only had one (<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34466910-roomies" target="_blank">Roomies</a> </i>by Christina Lauren, if you were wondering). So I figured I would do my most anticipated releases for 2018! I cannot believe we are at the point where we are saying that already. This was VERY hard to narrow down, but I decided to keep it to 20. If you want to see ALL of my anticipated 2018 books, I do have a dedicated <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/9517479?shelf=2018" target="_blank">Goodreads shelf</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>January</b><br />
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<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29749090-batman" target="_blank">Batman: Nightwalker</a> </i>by Marie Lu (Jan 02)</li>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35008759-markswoman" target="_blank">Markswoman</a> </i>by Rati Mehrotra (Jan 23)</li>
</ul>
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<b>February</b></div>
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<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35181314-heart-of-iron" target="_blank">Heart of Iron</a> </i>by Ashley Poston (Feb 27)</li>
</ul>
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<b>March </b></div>
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<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34499221-to-kill-a-kingdom" target="_blank">To Kill a Kingdom</a> </i>by Alexandra Christo (Mar 06)</li>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29748943-the-radical-element" target="_blank">The Radical Element</a> </i>edited by Jessica Spotswood (Mar 13)</li>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34967819-aru-shah-and-the-end-of-time" target="_blank">Aru Shah and the End of Time</a> </i>by Roshani Chockshi (Mar 27)</li>
</ul>
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<b>April </b></div>
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<div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32993458-circe" target="_blank">Circe</a> </i>by Madeline Miller (Apr 19)</li>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31180248-leah-on-the-offbeat" target="_blank">Leah on the Offbeat</a> </i>by Becky Albertalli (Apr 23)</li>
</ul>
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<b>May </b></div>
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<div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36373464-from-twinkle-with-love" target="_blank">From Twinkle with Love</a> </i>by Sandhya Menon (May 22)</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>June </b></div>
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<div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36301023-my-plain-jane" target="_blank">My Plain Jane</a> </i>by Cynthia Hand (Jun 26)</li>
</ul>
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<b>July </b></div>
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<div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36693747-bright-we-burn" target="_blank">Bright We Burn</a> </i>by Kiersten White (Jul 10)</li>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32802595-record-of-a-spaceborn-few" target="_blank">Record of a Spaceborn Few</a> </i>by Becky Chambers (Jul 24)</li>
</ul>
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<b>August </b></div>
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<div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35403058-city-of-ghosts" target="_blank">City of Ghosts</a> </i>by Victoria Schwab (Aug 28)</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>September </b></div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37588503-a-spark-of-white-fire" target="_blank">A Spark of White Fire</a> </i>by Sangu Mandanna (Sep 04)</li>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30375937-escaping-from-houdini" target="_blank">Escaping from Houdini</a> </i>by Kerri Maniscalco (Sep 18)</li>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26856502-vengeful" target="_blank">Vengeful</a> </i>by V.E. Schwab (Sep 25)</li>
</ul>
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<b>October</b></div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35430702-the-lady-s-guide-to-petticoats-and-piracy" target="_blank">The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy</a> </i>by Mackenzi Lee (Oct 4)</li>
</ul>
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<b>December</b></div>
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<div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32469736-the-disasters" target="_blank">The Disasters</a> </i>by M.K. England (Dec 18)</li>
</ul>
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<b>No Date Yet</b></div>
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<div>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24233708-an-absolutely-remarkable-thing" target="_blank">An Absolutely Unremarkable Thing</a> </i>by Hank Green</li>
<li><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36336353-the-dark-descent-of-elizabeth-frankenstein" target="_blank">The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein</a> </i>by Kiersten White</li>
</ul>
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<div>
Yes, these are all mostly YA Fiction. While I do read a wide variety of other things, I've noticed that YA is the only one that I really keep up with <i>new </i>books (other genres I read more backlist or whatever is being talked about at the time). So tell me, what are you most looking forward to this coming year?</div>
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Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09096576826342760742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902808200631253175.post-24833498155696468282017-12-26T08:00:00.000-06:002019-01-04T00:51:57.545-06:00Meet Cute {anthology}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33503607-meet-cute?from_search=true" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1PDEzjJgH94/WmdnEix3HLI/AAAAAAAADmE/gZW1PtdbU6YZWrMBDgf5io2EXVWO-PF_wCLcBGAs/s320/33503607.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Title: </i>Meet Cute: Some People Are Destined to Meet</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Author: </i>anthology</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Rating: </i>4 out of 5 stars</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Genre: </i>YA Contemporary</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Purchase: </i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Meet-Cute-Jennifer-L-Armentrout/dp/1328759873/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1516726097&sr=8-1&keywords=meet+cute" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/meet-cute-jennifer-l-armentrout/1125381148?ean=9781328759870#/" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></span><br />
<i>source: NetGalley</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <b><i>Whether or not you believe in fate, or luck, or love at first sight, every romance has to start somewhere. MEET CUTE is an anthology of original short stories featuring tales of "how they first met" from some of today’s most popular YA authors. </i></b><br />
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I loved this anthology. It was so cute and fun, and honestly just adorable. I'm usually not sure how to review anthologies, but I think I can honestly say there was not a story in here that I didn't like. I enjoyed all of them.<br />
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I absolutely loved the diversity and representation. All different couples were included. The stories were short, but sweet. Exactly as the title says - a meet cute. The stories ranged all sorts of different topics, and a lot of them left me yearning for more.<br />
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My top favorites, if I had to choose, would be:<br />
<ul>
<li><i>Click </i>by Katharine McGee</li>
<li><i>The Dictionary of You and Me </i>by Jennifer L. Armentrout</li>
<li><i>The Unlikely Likelihood of Falling in Love </i>by Jocelyn Davies</li>
<li><i>The Department of Dead Love </i>by Nicola Yoon</li>
</ul>
If you are looking for something short and sweet, this is perfect.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GtDWNIw1N3o/WFAxJPRPxaI/AAAAAAAADMM/y249LugxB8kQa5OzbcDebFGLtQiv0uWiwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/rm%2Bsignature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="46" data-original-width="197" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GtDWNIw1N3o/WFAxJPRPxaI/AAAAAAAADMM/y249LugxB8kQa5OzbcDebFGLtQiv0uWiwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/rm%2Bsignature.png" /></a></div>
<br />Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09096576826342760742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902808200631253175.post-24118983469105286542017-12-19T08:00:00.000-06:002019-01-04T00:50:13.854-06:00Prince in Disguise {by Stephanie Kate Strohm}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25844635-prince-in-disguise?ac=1&from_search=true" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="311" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rkuIu4xGUEA/Wmdjo7g-4ZI/AAAAAAAADl4/tbyCsH965M0GuSUQly4dyhpL6otLVn29ACLcBGAs/s320/25844635.jpg" width="220" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Title: </i>Prince in Disguise</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Author: </i>Stephanie Kate Strohm</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Rating: </i>3.5 out of 5 stars</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Genre: </i>YA Contemporary</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Purchase: </i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Prince-Disguise-Stephanie-Kate-Strohm/dp/1484768175/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1516725280&sr=1-1&keywords=prince+in+disguise" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/prince-in-disguise-stephanie-kate-strohm/1126095600?ean=9781484768174#/" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></span><br />
<i>source: NetGalley</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <b><i>Life is real enough for Dylan—especially as the ordinary younger sister of Dusty, former Miss Mississippi and the most perfect, popular girl in Tupelo. But when Dusty wins the hand of the handsome Scottish laird-to-be Ronan on the TRC television network’s crown jewel, Prince in Disguise, Dylan has to face a different kind of reality: reality TV.</i></b><br />
<b><i>As the camera crew whisks them off to Scotland to film the lead-up to the wedding, camera-shy Dylan is front and center as Dusty’s maid of honor. The producers are full of surprises—including old family secrets, long-lost relatives, and a hostile future mother-in-law who thinks Dusty and Dylan’s family isn’t good enough for her only son. At least there’s Jamie, an adorably bookish groomsman who might just be the perfect antidote to all Dylan’s stress . . . if she just can keep TRC from turning her into the next reality show sensation.</i></b><br />
<i></i> <i><br /></i><br />
You guys, I just loved this one. It was SO cute and fun, and just fluffy and I loved every minute of it.<br />
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I loved our characters. Dylan and Jamie were so adorable and fun. They were witty and nerdy and just super cute as friends, and I loved seeing it then turn into something more. Their banter had me goofy-grinning on more than one occasion. But they were always down-to-earth and a lot of fun. Also I'm a sucker for any book that takes place in Scotland. I loved how the author set the setting, which made this a perfect wintertime read.<br />
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I'm not sure what else to say. If you are looking for a fluffy, adorable read that will give you all the feels while still being super fun, this is exactly that. It was perfect and I loved it and I can't wait for more from this author.<br />
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<b>Stephanie Kate Strohm</b><br />
<b><br /></b> <a href="http://www.stephaniekatestrohm.com/index2.html" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Kate-Strohm/273696212674794?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/StephKateStrohm" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://pinterest.com/stephkatestrohm" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5078422.Stephanie_Kate_Strohm" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
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<br />Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09096576826342760742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902808200631253175.post-44910955647274471882017-11-30T13:45:00.000-06:002018-01-23T13:36:17.667-06:00November Wrap Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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No one wants to here my say yet again that I can't believe another month is over (and that the year is almost over how???) but here we are.<br />
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So I was in a bit of reading slump this month, though I know it doesn't look like it. I've found that when I get in a slump, I tend to just read a lot of nonfiction. So, almost all nonfiction this month, with a few children's/MG thrown in.</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29358406-oliver-sacks" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1471292878l/29358406.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30160990-martin-luther-king-jr" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1471292131l/30160990.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31202835-how-to-be-a-bawse" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1475608021l/31202835.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497301831l/29346927.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497301831l/29346927.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34608062-because-i-was-a-girl" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1501500665l/34608062.jpg" width="155" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35098761-hidden-figures" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="266" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1500757159l/35098761.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9721669-the-horn-of-moran" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1414559885l/9721669.jpg" width="134" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34068481-from-here-to-eternity" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1505146488l/34068481.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34128230-the-river-of-consciousness" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="250" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498736082l/34128230.jpg" width="129" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34253376-wild-embers" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="254" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1500579644l/34253376.jpg" width="126" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28645694-bad-girls-throughout-history" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1490070383l/28645694.jpg" width="166" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17290220-rosie-revere-engineer" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1362445045l/17290220.jpg" width="163" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28507895-ada-twist-scientist" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1458172796l/28507895.jpg" width="161" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28210996-i-dissent" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474199573l/28210996.jpg" width="153" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32202167-pirate-women" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1475863106l/32202167.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12112863-albrek-s-tomb" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327934238l/12112863.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30312547-amina-s-voice" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1478818044l/30312547.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33585392-dear-ijeawele-or-a-feminist-manifesto-in-fifteen-suggestions" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="308" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1493035257l/33585392.jpg" width="136" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33016249-good-night-stories-for-rebel-girls" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="195" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479609660l/33016249.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
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<b>Notable Favorites: </b><i>Hidden Figures </i>(reread), <i>From Here to Eternity, The River of Consciousness, Dear Ijeawele</i></div>
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<ul>
<li>Most Anticipated <a href="http://thenerdherdreads.blogspot.com/2017/11/most-anticipated-november-releases.html" target="_blank">November Releases</a></li>
<li><i><a href="http://thenerdherdreads.blogspot.com/2017/11/rosemarked-by-livia-blackburne.html" target="_blank">Rosemarked</a> </i>by Livia Blackburne</li>
<li><i><a href="http://thenerdherdreads.blogspot.com/2017/11/artemis-by-andy-weir-dnf-review.html" target="_blank">Artemis</a> </i>by Andy Weir (DNF)</li>
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<b>Movies: </b>I did see <i>Justice League. </i>The only other DC movie I've seen is <i>Wonder Woman, </i>but I still enjoyed it. Let's be honest, I really only watched it for Barry Allen (and Diana of course).</div>
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<b>TV: </b>I binged the first season (so far) of <i>Star Trek: Discovery </i>and guys I REALLY LOVE IT. It's so good and I am so happy.</div>
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<b>Music: </b>Not a huge fan of Christmas music, but love getting to pull out the Pentatonix Christmas albums every year. (Fav songs: <i>Coventry Carol,</i> <i>Coldest Winter</i>, their rendition of <i>How Great Thou Art </i>with Jennifer Hudson).</div>
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Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09096576826342760742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902808200631253175.post-74626524320747243192017-11-14T08:00:00.000-06:002018-01-19T11:06:49.855-06:00Artemis by Andy Weir {DNF Review}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34928122-artemis" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f_-MZ6VwtdU/WiBX9-ASjvI/AAAAAAAADjQ/SPPmr-0w7c0M3m9RV0m9HoREbEzuDEp0QCLcBGAs/s320/34928122.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Title: </i>Artemis</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Author: </i>Andy Weir</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Genre: </i>Science Fiction</span><br />
<i>source: NetGalley</i><br />
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<i><b>Jazz Bashara is a criminal.</b></i><br />
<i><b>Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you're not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you've got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent.</b></i><br />
<i><b>Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down. But pulling off the impossible is just the start of her problems, as she learns that she's stepped square into a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself—and that now, her only chance at survival lies in a gambit even riskier than the first. </b></i><br />
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So I have never read <i>The Martian</i>, but I've heard so many good things about it that when I heard Andy Weir was coming out with a new book, I was very excited. I love all things space and so was very intrigued by the idea of a colony on the moon.<br />
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Unfortunately, I could not get into this one at all. I did not even make it to the customary 25% that I try to give a book before marking it a DNF. While I did enjoy the moon colony and the background of it, the writing was stilted. Our main character Jazz, despite being a grown woman, was written like a 15-year-old dude. Frankly, I am sick and tired of men acting like they are unable to write a decent female character without making them overly sexual, or weird, or fetishized in some way.<br />
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While I love the concept of Weir's books, I am not sure that I really care to read them.<br />
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<b>Andy Weir</b><br />
<b><br /></b><a href="http://andyweirauthor.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Andy-Weir/462962073803090" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/andyweirauthor" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6540057.Andy_Weir" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
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<br />Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09096576826342760742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902808200631253175.post-87145054838358202112017-11-07T08:00:00.000-06:002019-01-04T00:42:48.897-06:00Rosemarked {by Livia Blackburne}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29346927-rosemarked" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4iB2AbKtlRc/WiBWyKBd_jI/AAAAAAAADjE/hb2JW7iDn_81SDWQ26QVUnNJrbP9W71ZgCLcBGAs/s320/29346927.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Title: </i>Rosemarked</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Author: </i>Livia Blackburne</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Series: </i>Rosemarked #1</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Rating: </i>3.5 out of 5 stars </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Genre: </i>YA Fantasy</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Purchase: </i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rosemarked-Livia-Blackburne/dp/1484788559/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1515871905&sr=8-1&keywords=rosemarked" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rosemarked-livia-blackburne/1125923454?ean=9781484788554#/" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></span><br />
<i>source: NetGalley</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <i><b>When Zivah falls prey to the deadly rose plague, she knows it’s only a matter of time before she fully succumbs. Now she’s destined to live her last days in isolation, cut off from her people and unable to practice her art—until a threat to her village creates a need that only she can fill.</b></i><br />
<i><b>A soldier shattered by war . . .</b></i><br />
<i><b>Broken by torture at the hands of the Amparan Empire, Dineas thirsts for revenge against his captors. Now escaped and reunited with his tribe, he’ll do anything to free them from Amparan rule—even if it means undertaking a plan that risks not only his life but his very self.</b></i><br />
<i><b>Thrust together on a high-stakes mission to spy on the capital, the two couldn’t be more different: Zivah, deeply committed to her vow of healing, and Dineas, yearning for vengeance. But as they grow closer, they must find common ground to protect those they love. And amidst the constant fear of discovery, the two grapple with a mutual attraction that could break both of their carefully guarded hearts.</b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i> I loved Blackburne's <i>Midnight Thief</i>, so when I heard about this one and read the synopsis, I was so excited. I love Blackburne's writing and the worlds she creates, and she definitely did not disappoint with this one.<br />
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One of the things I love best about Blackburne is her writing. She pulls you into the story. That, paired with her ability to worldbuild, means you never want to leave. I loved learning about this new world. It's very political, but not in a way that dragged down the story.<br />
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I loved our characters. They are very different, but forced to work together. I thought the amnesia aspect was very intriguing and I liked how the idea played out. (Was it a little <i>too </i>perfectly convenient? Yes, but hey. It worked.)<br />
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Honestly, the only negative thing I have to say is probably the pacing. It started off well, but lagged in the middle, which made the ending seem too rushed. Also, for some reason I thought it was a stand-alone, so I was very happy to hear that there is a sequel. I can't wait to read more about Zivah and Dineas.<br />
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>Livia Blackburne:</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://liviablackburne.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Livia-Blackburne-Author/209792054519" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/lkblackburne" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4519247.Livia_Blackburne" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></span><br />
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Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09096576826342760742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902808200631253175.post-17338758595566367342017-11-01T08:00:00.000-05:002017-11-01T08:00:15.710-05:00Most Anticipated NOVEMBER Releases!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's that time where we get to talk about our most anticipated releases of the month! Yay! November actually doesn't have that many at all compared to other months but let's get right to them.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28421168-renegades" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1494896884l/28421168.jpg" width="136" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29346927-rosemarked" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497301831l/29346927.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31563982-whichwood" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497634113l/31563982.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34928122-artemis" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1494273579l/34928122.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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<b>November 7</b></div>
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<ul>
<li><i>Renegades </i>by Marissa Meyer</li>
<li><i>Rosemarked </i>by Livia Blackburne</li>
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<b>November 14</b></div>
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<ul>
<li><i>Whichwood </i>by Tahereh Mafi</li>
<li><i>Artemis </i>by Andy Weir</li>
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So not very many this month, but I am highly looking forward to all of them. What books are you looking forward to this month?</div>
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Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09096576826342760742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902808200631253175.post-42768315780997089042017-10-31T08:00:00.000-05:002017-11-03T19:28:33.242-05:00October Wrap Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There is no way October is already over. I just can't wrap my mind around it. But here we go.<br />
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After the insane amount I read last month, it feels like I hardly read anything at all this month. Between midterms and feeling crummy for a couple weeks, I didn't read as much as I was hoping. Surprisingly, most of it was nonfiction, which I'm happy about. (I tried to quickly sneak in a few at the end of the month, so it's actually more than I was thinking I had read this month.)</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24874367-a-slip-under-the-microscope" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1424721119l/24874367.jpg" width="137" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29451072-the-sea-raiders" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1458989516l/29451072.jpg" width="137" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25893729-national-geographic-the-greeks" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1444622344l/25893729.jpg" width="156" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35606560-the-sun-and-her-flowers" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="307" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1499791446l/35606560.jpg" width="128" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32807214-women-in-sports" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1507685092l/32807214.jpg" width="166" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29523636-dare-mighty-things" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1486704232l/29523636.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6850747-the-handy-dinosaur-answer-book" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1389828600l/6850747.jpg" width="140" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30840371-hidden-figures" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1480355721l/30840371.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28588101-the-secret-horses-of-briar-hill" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="307" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1453190839l/28588101.jpg" width="128" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32620339-why-dinosaurs-matter" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1505658642l/32620339.jpg" width="144" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29599121-counting-descent" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1469415384l/29599121.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5027092-slathbog-s-gold" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1414559930l/5027092.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30753762-asteroid-hunters" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1489311732l/30753762.jpg" width="144" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20893527-anne-of-green-gables" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="286" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1400842320l/20893527.jpg" width="142" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16170202-the-hobbit" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="310" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1355037599l/16170202.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
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<b>Notable Favorites: </b><i>Women in Sports, Dare Mighty Things, Hidden Figures: Young Readers Edition, Why Dinosaurs Matter, Anne of Green Gables, The Hobbit</i></div>
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<ul>
<li>Most Anticipated <a href="https://thenerdherdreads.blogspot.com/2017/10/most-anticipated-october-releases.html" target="_blank">October Releases</a></li>
<li><i><a href="https://thenerdherdreads.blogspot.com/2017/10/among-red-stars-by-gwen-c-katz.html" target="_blank">Among the Red Stars</a> </i>by Gwen C. Katz</li>
<li><i><a href="https://thenerdherdreads.blogspot.com/2017/10/dare-mighty-things-by-heather-kaczynski.html" target="_blank">Dare Mighty Things</a> </i>by Heather Kaczynski</li>
<li><i><a href="https://thenerdherdreads.blogspot.com/2017/10/beasts-made-of-night-by-tochi-onyebuchi.html" target="_blank">Beasts Made of Night</a> </i>by Tochi Onyebuchi</li>
<li>Alienation <a href="https://thenerdherdreads.blogspot.com/2017/10/alienation-blog-tour.html" target="_blank">Blog Tour</a></li>
<li><i>The Tiger's Daughter </i><a href="http://thenerdherdreads.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-tigers-daughter-dnf-review.html" target="_blank">DNF Review</a></li>
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<b>TV: </b><i>The Good Doctor </i>has been just as amazing as I was hoping. Also <i>Brooklyn Nine-Nine </i>is back and killing it as always. Not really TV, but rereading <i>Anne of Green Gables </i>made me want to rewatch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/greengablesfables" target="_blank">Green Gables Fables</a> and I could just shout about this miniseries forever. IT'S SO CUTE AND LOVELY AND WELL DONE just watch it okay</div>
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<b>Movies: </b>For some reason, decided to get into the Jurassic Park franchise this month. I know, I can't believe I've never seen them either. Also had to watch <i>Patch Adams </i>for a class, and actually really liked it.</div>
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<b>Other: </b><a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/teawithtolkien" target="_blank">TeaWithTolkien</a> is the <i>cutest</i> little Etsy shop and has been feeding my Tolkien obsession. Also made DRAGON EGGS from this tutorial from <a href="https://commasandampersandsblog.wordpress.com/2016/11/27/how-to-make-super-rad-dragon-eggs/" target="_blank">Commas and Ampersands</a> and they were SO CUTE. (I need to post a picture soon)</div>
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That's all for this month! Hope you're enjoying what's left of fall weather :)</div>
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Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09096576826342760742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902808200631253175.post-79872795139466196432017-10-24T08:00:00.000-05:002017-11-03T19:28:21.783-05:00The Tiger's Daughter {DNF Review}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29760778-the-tiger-s-daughter" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oAUf7MQvA4M/Wc_44lQ0_HI/AAAAAAAADgk/gQMRboVIv9MofixiLaTRgqPe5scgK34JwCLcBGAs/s320/29760778.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Title: </i>The Tiger's Daughter</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Author: </i>K. Arsenault Rivera</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Series: </i>Their Bright Ascendency #1</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Genre: </i>YA Fantasy</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Purchase: </i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tigers-Daughter-Their-Bright-Ascendency/dp/0765392534/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1506812754&sr=1-1&keywords=the+tiger%27s+daughter" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-tigers-daughter-k-arsenault-rivera/1125323166?ean=9780765392534#/" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></span><br />
<i>source: NetGalley</i><br />
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<b><i>The Hokkaran empire has conquered every land within their bold reach―but failed to notice a lurking darkness festering within the people. Now, their border walls begin to crumble, and villages fall to demons swarming out of the forests.</i></b><br />
<b><i>Away on the silver steppes, the remaining tribes of nomadic Qorin retreat and protect their own, having bartered a treaty with the empire, exchanging inheritance through the dynasties. It is up to two young warriors, raised together across borders since their prophesied birth, to save the world from the encroaching demons.</i></b><br />
<b><i>This is the story of an infamous Qorin warrior, Barsalayaa Shefali, a spoiled divine warrior empress, O-Shizuka, and a power that can reach through time and space to save a land from a truly insidious evil.</i></b><br />
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I wanted to love this book so, so bad. It was loved by all the people I trust, it was blurbed by my favorite author. But I just couldn't. I DNF'd around 30% and let me tell you, it took WAY too long to even get that far. I like to give books a good chance before setting them down, but that 30% took me almost a month to read.<br />
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First, it was just...boring? I had heard all of this talk of warriors and empresses and saving the world, but apparently I just couldn't wait long enough to get there. The story is told mostly in letter form from one of the girls to the other. While the letter is in interesting aspect, I think it ultimately detracted from its intended purpose. (Also, it didn't really make sense? It seems odd to go into this much detail in a letter to someone who was also there.)<br />
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Also, the world-building was mostly built through dumps of information throughout the letter. It was obviously based on Asian cultures, but very badly done. While I can't speak to the racism and appropriation of Japanese and Chinese culture in this novel, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2032356303?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1" target="_blank">this review</a> can. I encourage you to read it.<br />
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All in all, just highly disappointed.<br />
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<b>K. Arsenault Rivera</b><br />
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<a href="http://karsenaultrivera.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/arsenaultrivera" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15144005.K_Arsenault_Rivera" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
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<br />Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09096576826342760742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902808200631253175.post-12596801055860966042017-10-19T01:00:00.000-05:002017-10-19T01:00:17.734-05:00ALIENATION Blog Tour!<br />
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Hello! Today, I'm super excited to be part of the <i>Alienation </i>Blog Tour! You guys know how much I loved <i><a href="http://thenerdherdreads.blogspot.com/2017/05/starstruck-by-se-anderson.html" target="_blank">Starstruck</a> </i>when I read it, so here we go!<br />
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Please take your seat and strap yourself in, as we take you on an intergalactic tour. You will be amazed, entertained, and educated. Maneuver through the cosmos and be astounded at all you see. Hunt down the hidden words that will get you to your final destination where a one-of-a-kind award awaits one lucky traveler.<br />
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<b>You are here to celebrate the release of <i>Alienation</i>, book two of the humorous Sci-Fi series, Starstruck.</b><br />
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<i>Sally Webber's dream is coming true: Zander is back and taking her out for a night on the town--on a planet hundreds of light years away from Earth. </i><br />
<i>But when an accident separates her from her alien tour guide, she’s thrown into the seedy underbelly of an insane city where nothing is as it seems. Suddenly lost and desperate to get back home, Sally is willing to do anything to get out, even if it means accepting spontaneous marriage proposals, crashing some fancy parties, or joining what appears to be the space mob. </i><br />
<i>All she wanted was some decent interstellar pizza, but now it might be the end of the world as evil nanobots and an out of control AI try to take the universe by force, and the only one who can stop them is missing in action. Sally has no choice but to try to stop them herself--if she can stay alive that long.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Alienation-S-Anderson-ebook/dp/B074XLMQB4" target="_blank"><b>Pre-order your copy now!</b></a><br />
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<b><i>Alienation</i> is the fantastic sequel to the hit sci-fi comedy, <i>Starstruck</i> by S.E.Anderson.</b><br />
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<b>Meegrans</b><br />
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While Meegrans were some of the first to join the Alliance, they still make up a vast minority of the population on the core planets. This is mainly due to the fact that their closely related to spiders, which has an unsettling effect on most human beings.<br />
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Just like spiders, Meegrans have 8 appendages, though in an effort to fit into humanoid society, they use two pairs as arms and two as legs. But it is impossible to hide the eight black eyes, or the light coating of hair that covers their entire body.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EaGOLceqeq0/Weg5joni0OI/AAAAAAAADh0/YpH3JRzyYKsHMN23aHphsW3mJaiw1eNKQCLcBGAs/s1600/22199213_10210505034002727_1523316283_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1132" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EaGOLceqeq0/Weg5joni0OI/AAAAAAAADh0/YpH3JRzyYKsHMN23aHphsW3mJaiw1eNKQCLcBGAs/s200/22199213_10210505034002727_1523316283_o.jpg" width="141" /></a>Meegrans usually live on their home planet of Meegra, though the wealthy or the well employed will sometimes be found on the core planets. Meegra – oddly enough – is also the only planet to employ an entire race to be their police force. The Fruallux are massive, dog-like beasts, who run an incorruptible justice system. The Meegrans and Fruallux enjoy a symbiotic relationship the Alliance still can’t quite understand.<br />
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Sally encounters Tchilla, a dressmaker and award winning designer, on platform six – a swanky shopping center in Da-Duhui. Tchilla weaves her silk into outstanding designs and dresses, and swears that she can dress any creature from any planet. As much as she’d love to return home, her involvement with the Maakuna family prohibits her from doing so.<br />
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Follow this exciting blog tour starting at your first stop <a href="https://urbanhype101.wordpress.com/2017/10/03/scavenger-hunt-blog-tour/" target="_blank">UrbanHype101</a> and if you get lost in cyber space, come back to <a href="https://urbanhype101.wordpress.com/2017/10/03/scavenger-hunt-blog-tour/" target="_blank">UrbanHype101</a> for the tour map. There’s something new to read, see, or hear on each of these stops. Don’t forget to hunt for that special word (ahem -- try <i>journal</i>) and if you find ALL of them, send them to <i>scavengerhunt@bolidepublishing.com</i> and you could win a signed copy of <i>Alienation </i>and a gift pack of unique swag! This contest is open internationally.<br />
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Make sure to visit the next blog!<br />
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<i>20th October </i><a href="https://bookishlyslytherin.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Bookish Slytherin</a><br />
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<br />Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09096576826342760742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902808200631253175.post-20095026335587790712017-10-17T08:00:00.001-05:002019-01-04T00:35:20.540-06:00Beasts Made of Night {by Tochi Onyebuchi}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33395234-beasts-made-of-night" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yZVmmJKLBNU/Wc_1RFwTVSI/AAAAAAAADgM/Ec-60RUurvMZXCR6Oqskc2Em7klRLTV5gCLcBGAs/s320/33395234.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Title: </i>Beasts Made of Night</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Author: </i>Tochi Onyebuchi</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Series: </i>Beasts Made of Night #1</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Rating: </i>3 out of 5 stars</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Genre: </i>YA Fantasy</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Purchase: </i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Beasts-Made-Night-Tochi-Onyebuchi/dp/044849390X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1506812813&sr=1-1&keywords=beasts+made+of+night" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beasts-made-of-night-tochi-onyebuchi/1125424094?ean=9780448493909#/" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></span><br />
<i>source: First to Read</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <b><i>In the walled city of Kos, corrupt mages can magically call forth sin from a sinner in the form of sin-beasts – lethal creatures spawned from feelings of guilt. </i></b><br />
<b><i>Taj is the most talented of the aki, young sin-eaters indentured by the mages to slay the sin-beasts. But Taj’s livelihood comes at a terrible cost. When he kills a sin-beast, a tattoo of the beast appears on his skin while the guilt of committing the sin appears on his mind. Most aki are driven mad by the process, but 17-year-old Taj is cocky and desperate to provide for his family. </i></b><br />
<b><i>When Taj is called to eat a sin of a royal, he’s suddenly thrust into the center of a dark conspiracy to destroy Kos. Now Taj must fight to save the princess that he loves – and his own life. </i></b><br />
<b><i>A gritty Nigerian-influenced fantasy.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b> I loved the idea for this story, and I was very excited for the Nigerian-inspired elements. But I don't think it <i>quite </i>lived up to my expectations.<br />
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<b>Pros:</b><br />
-The Nigerian elements. This world was very rich and full, both the setting and the folklore and the characters. I thought that it was such an eye-opening look into another culture and its people.<br />
-The characters. I loved our main character, Taj, but also his friends and the others in this story. While I didn't feel that they were so fully fleshed out, I loved them.<br />
-The plot. This idea that sins are manifested and "eaten" was super interested and very well executed.<br />
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<b>Cons:</b><br />
-The writing. There was never really a point where the writing sucked me in. While I was interested in the story, sometimes the flow of the writing just sucked me out of the story.<br />
-The plot. I know I listed it above as a pro, but hear me out. While I enjoyed the story and what was happening, I also feel that it jumped around way too much. Certain things weren't explained well, which added to the feeling of not being fully invested.<br />
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In the end, while I loved the idea of this book, it did not live up to its full potential. However, it was still a very enjoyable read, and I am looking forward to picking up more of Onyebuchi's writing in the future.<br />
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<b>Tochi Onyebuchi</b><br />
<b><br /></b> <a href="https://tdotscribblings.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/TochiTrueStory" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7324271.Tochi_Onyebuchi" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
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Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09096576826342760742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902808200631253175.post-25826012383435960262017-10-10T08:00:00.000-05:002019-01-04T00:30:43.458-06:00Dare Mighty Things {by Heather Kaczynski}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29523636-dare-mighty-things" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GpnoMCzZUYA/Wc_2TiuEgLI/AAAAAAAADgY/V-lkwxONrzIua8RuNKj1S97bEwI-daB-gCLcBGAs/s320/29523636.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Title: </i>Dare Mighty Things</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Author: </i>Heather Kaczynski</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Series: </i>Dare Mighty Things #1</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Rating: </i>4 out of 5 stars</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Genre: </i>YA SciFi</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Purchase: </i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dare-Mighty-Things-Heather-Kaczynski/dp/0062479865/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=7T290AGE1BYJR6X29HBQ&dpID=51Agfozg91L&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=detail" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dare-mighty-things-heather-kaczynski/1125454890?ean=9780062479860#/" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></span><br />
<i>source: Edelweiss</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<b><i>THE RULES ARE SIMPLE: You must be gifted. You must be younger than twenty-five. You must be willing to accept the dangers that you will face if you win.</i></b><br />
<b><i>Seventeen-year-old Cassandra Gupta’s entire life has been leading up to this—the opportunity to travel to space. But to secure a spot on this classified mission, she must first compete against the best and brightest people on the planet. People who are as determined as she to win a place on a journey to the farthest reaches of the universe. </i></b><br />
<b><i>Cassie is ready for the toll that the competition will take; the rigorous mental and physical tests designed to push her to the brink of her endurance. But nothing could have prepared her for the bonds she would form with the very people she hopes to beat. Or that with each passing day it would be more and more difficult to ignore the feeling that the true objective of the mission is being kept from her.</i></b><br />
<b><i>As the days until the launch tick down and the stakes rise higher than ever before, only one thing is clear to Cassie: she’ll never back down . . . even if it costs her everything.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
Okay. Um, wow. That's kind of where I'm at upon completing this novel. I knew I was going to love it (I mean, space!!) but I don't think I was quite prepared for HOW much I ended up loving it.<br />
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Okay, first Cassandra is (half) Indian-American, which pushed this to the top of my TBR when I realized it (if you didn't know, I am also Indian-American). Second, she comes out as asexual, which DO YOU KNOW HOW HAPPY THAT MADE ME I honestly almost cried. Cassandra herself is a very hard-working, motivated individual. She maybe isn't the greatest at social interactions and having friends, though. Cassandra starts off pretty judgmental and self-righteous, thinking she's better than most of the candidates. But wow does she grow and learn throughout the story.<br />
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I also loved our secondary characters. Even though the competition was serious, they were fun and humorous together. I also loved the competition itself, as I love space and tech and so that was a fun look inside what it takes to actually go into space.<br />
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The book did take a little while for me to get into, and I felt the ending was way rushed. I will say, I did not expect what happened there at the end, but it was all so rushed I think it took a little while for me to comprehend what had happened. Those two reasons are why it wasn't a full 5 stars, but I really did love this one and will be eagerly anticipating the sequel.<br />
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<b>Heather Kaczynski:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<a href="http://heatherkaczynski.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/heatherkaczyn" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/HKaczynski" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/heatherkaczynski/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> | <a href="http://dare-mightythings.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumblr</a> | <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/hckaczyn/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15087537.Heather_Kaczynski" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
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Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09096576826342760742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902808200631253175.post-32192355372738942272017-10-03T08:00:00.000-05:002019-01-04T00:25:01.224-06:00Among the Red Stars {by Gwen C. Katz}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30122938-among-the-red-stars" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="303" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zhcymkuVc9c/Wc_zruOSB3I/AAAAAAAADf8/8vAeQXdG_WQdp_9S3QXsKq0YBx9CPwKZQCLcBGAs/s320/30122938.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Title: </i>Among the Red Stars</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Author: </i>Gwen C. Katz</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Rating: </i>4 out of 5 stars</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Genre: </i>YA Historical Fiction</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Purchase: </i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Among-Red-Stars-Gwen-Katz/dp/006264274X/ref=sr_1_1_twi_har_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506812414&sr=8-1&keywords=among+the+red+stars" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/among-the-red-stars-gwen-c-katz/1125454172?ean=9780062642745#/" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></span><br />
<i>source: Edelweiss</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <b><i>World War Two has shattered Valka’s homeland of Russia, and Valka is determined to help the effort. She knows her skills as a pilot rival the best of the men, so when an all-female aviation group forms, Valka is the first to sign up.</i></b><br />
<b><i>Flying has always meant freedom and exhilaration for Valka, but dropping bombs on German soldiers from a fragile canvas biplane is no joyride. The war is taking its toll on everyone, including the boy Valka grew up with, who is fighting for his life on the front lines. </i></b><br />
<b><i>As the war intensifies and those around her fall, Valka must decide how much she is willing to risk to defend the skies she once called home.</i></b><br />
<b><i>Inspired by the true story of the airwomen the Nazis called Night Witches, Gwen C. Katz weaves a tale of strength and sacrifice, learning to fight for yourself, and the perils of a world at war.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>When I heard about a book based off the true story of the Night Witches, I was super excited. And this one lived up to my excitement.<br />
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Valka is a pilot, desperate to help the war efforts with her skills. She and her cousin fight for a place in the first all-female aviation group, and Valka finally gets her wish. I loved Valka. She was strong and fierce and loyal to her country. She was flawed, sure, but you were rooting for her the entire time. She and the other girls had to fight to be taken even half as seriously as the men, and they were not going down easily. I also loved the camaraderie between the girls. This would have been such an easy opportunity for girl-on-girl hate (something I feel is too prevalent in YA), and while there were some disagreements, I loved seeing them support each other and become like family.<br />
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This story is told from Valka's POV as well as letters between Valka and Pasha. Pasha was just a sweet boy who was not cut out for war at all. I loved getting his point of view, so different from Valka's. I did feel that the story took a little while to get into, and sometimes I felt that the letters were a bit too much, but once I got into the story, I was hooked.<br />
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I also just loved the story in general. The strength and resilience of these girls, to fight in a war because they loved their country. They definitely start the story with a romanticized view of war, but even when they realize it wasn't quite what they thought, they were still determined. Even when they weren't given a fair chance. And yet they turned it around to become some of the best there were. I'm not usually a fan of historical fiction, and I loved this one.<br />
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<a href="https://nomoredeadparents.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/self-portrait-2.png?w=222&resize=222%2C300" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="222" height="200" src="https://nomoredeadparents.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/self-portrait-2.png?w=222&resize=222%2C300" width="148" /></a></div>
<b>Gwen C. Katz</b><br />
<b><br /></b> <a href="http://gwenckatz.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/gwenckatz/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/gwenckatz" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15231604.Gwen_C_Katz" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
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Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09096576826342760742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902808200631253175.post-2363843169108007612017-10-01T09:00:00.000-05:002017-10-31T14:35:30.334-05:00Most Anticipated OCTOBER Releases!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, it's already another month! October has some amazing releases coming out (I believe it has the most out of any other month this year) so let's get right into it!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25528808-that-inevitable-victorian-thing" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498909174l/25528808.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34608062-because-i-was-a-girl" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1501500665l/34608062.jpg" width="155" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29543122-satellite" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1485357884l/29543122.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30122938-among-the-red-stars" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="303" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1486145204l/30122938.jpg" width="127" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28006120-the-ship-of-the-dead" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1493178281l/28006120.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34597537-where-the-stars-rise" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1489530067l/34597537.jpg" width="136" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29523636-dare-mighty-things" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1486704232l/29523636.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30025336-all-the-crooked-saints" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1500451773l/30025336.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18054074-into-the-bright-unknown" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487008852l/18054074.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33958230-forest-of-a-thousand-lanterns" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1496338822l/33958230.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32714258-barbary-station" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1481746728l/32714258.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33395234-beasts-made-of-night?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1491088210l/33395234.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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<b>October 3</b></div>
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<ul>
<li><i>That Inevitable Victorian Thing </i>by E.K. Johnston</li>
<li><i>Because I was a Girl </i>edited by Melissa de la Cruz</li>
<li><i>Satellite </i>by Nick Lake</li>
<li><i>Among the Red Stars </i>by Gwen C. Katz</li>
<li><i>The Ship of the Dead </i>by Rick Riordan</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>October 8</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><i>Where the Stars Rise </i>edited by Lucas K. Law</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>October 10</b></div>
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<div>
<ul>
<li><i>Dare Mighty Things </i>by Heather Kaczynski</li>
<li><i>All the Crooked Saints </i>by Maggie Stiefvater</li>
<li><i>Into the Bright Unknown </i>by Rae Carson</li>
<li><i>Forest of a Thousand Lanterns </i>by Julie C. Dao</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>October 31</b></div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><i>Barbary Station </i>by R.E. Stearns</li>
<li><i>Beasts Made of Night </i>by Tochi Onyebuchi</li>
</ul>
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<div>
My <b>most anticipated </b>for this month are <i>That Inevitable Victorian Thing </i>and <i>Barbary Station.</i>What books are you looking forward to this month?</div>
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Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09096576826342760742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902808200631253175.post-63225244110799270722017-09-30T08:00:00.000-05:002017-09-30T11:01:18.506-05:00September Wrap Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LBWAntBq0aU/WcaZFcMNDHI/AAAAAAAADfg/vTsSQdLzbhEIgQBtsHMB_3Ldjlp0rLidACLcBGAs/s1600/sep%2Bwr.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="154" data-original-width="543" height="90" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LBWAntBq0aU/WcaZFcMNDHI/AAAAAAAADfg/vTsSQdLzbhEIgQBtsHMB_3Ldjlp0rLidACLcBGAs/s320/sep%2Bwr.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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I hadn't realized how much I read until I put it all together like this, but wow this looks like a lot.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29749085-wonder-woman" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1478886078l/29749085.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/536478.The_First_Men_in_the_Moon" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="183" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1311647668l/536478.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32766747-the-library-of-fates" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1477677106l/32766747.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2968975-reaching-for-the-moon" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348198434l/2968975.jpg" width="155" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/346518.Beowulf" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1483656616l/346518.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32938151-doctor-who" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="261" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495829873l/32938151.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9323088-excalibur" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="288" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320457014l/9323088.jpg" width="127" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1048676.Rappaccini_s_Daughter" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="220" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1355342799l/1048676.jpg" width="123" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20312462-jackaby" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1410170969l/20312462.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24001095-beastly-bones" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1425592816l/24001095.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28110857-ghostly-echoes" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1464908803l/28110857.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33590221-the-dire-king" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1501159660l/33590221.jpg" width="136" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6566692-outlaw" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="291" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320409323l/6566692.jpg" width="128" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31223882-wonder-woman-volume-1" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="309" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1476757866l/31223882.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29966530-the-wanderers" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="264" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1469411034l/29966530.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28962906-stalking-jack-the-ripper" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1471010109l/28962906.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33784373-hunting-prince-dracula" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1489420853l/33784373.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35083304-taste-of-marrow" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="297" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495459313l/35083304.jpg" width="125" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29385546-warcross" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1489081682l/29385546.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35828620-i-temporarily-do" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="297" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1501030439l/35828620.jpg" width="125" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30122938-among-the-red-stars" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="303" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1486145204l/30122938.jpg" width="127" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28588137-dinosaurs" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="304" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1460909557l/28588137.jpg" width="151" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30038985-waves-passing-in-the-night" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479737110l/30038985.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
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<b>Five-Star: </b><i>Stalking Jack the Ripper, Hunting Prince Dracula</i></div>
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<b>Other Notable Favorites: </b><i>Wonder Woman: Warbringer, </i>The Jackaby Series, <i>The Wanderers, Warcross</i></div>
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<ul>
<li>Most Anticipated <a href="http://thenerdherdreads.blogspot.com/2017/09/most-anticipated-september-releases.html" target="_blank">September Releases</a></li>
<li><i><a href="https://thenerdherdreads.blogspot.com/2017/09/welcome-home-anthology.html" target="_blank">Welcome Home</a> </i>edited by Eric Smith</li>
<li><i><a href="https://thenerdherdreads.blogspot.com/2017/09/red-balloon-book.html" target="_blank">The Girl with the Red Balloon</a> </i>by Katherine Locke</li>
<li><a href="https://thenerdherdreads.blogspot.com/2017/09/muse-monthly-unboxing-review.html" target="_blank">Muse Monthly</a> unboxing + review</li>
<li><i><a href="https://thenerdherdreads.blogspot.com/2017/09/doctor-who-myths-and-legends.html" target="_blank">Doctor Who: Myths and Legends</a> </i>by Robert Dinnick</li>
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<b>TV: </b>OMG YOU GUYS <i>THE GOOD DOCTOR</i>. I know there's only been one episode so far, so I'm hoping it lives up, but wowowow I loved it.</div>
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<b>Movies: </b>Watched <i>Hidden Figures </i>again (y'all already know how much I love that movie, it's a problem) and also watched <i>The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, </i>which I liked.</div>
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<b>Music: </b>Just now realized Foster the People released a new album back in JULY /facepalm</div>
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Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09096576826342760742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902808200631253175.post-11587393027736305102017-09-26T08:00:00.000-05:002019-01-04T00:22:25.124-06:00Doctor Who: Myths and Legends {by Richard Dinnick}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32938151-doctor-who" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="261" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hS1rw9ofUlI/WbrudGdz8II/AAAAAAAADek/7hHu4naZDJEIvB86VncPe9gXLSY2JcuOACLcBGAs/s320/32938151.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Title: </i>Doctor Who: Myths and Legends</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Author: </i>Richard Dinnick</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Rating: </i>3 out of 5 stars</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Genre: </i>Fantasy, Media Tie-In</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Purchase: </i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Who-Myths-Legends-Dr-ebook/dp/B01MTKNNRN/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505423248&sr=8-1&keywords=doctor+who+myths+and+legends" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/doctor-who-richard-dinnick/1125115423?ean=9781785942495#/" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></span><br />
<i>source: NetGalley</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <b><i>For thousands of years, epic stories have been passed down from Time Lord to student, generation to generation. The truth of these tales was lost millennia ago, but the myths and legends themselves are timeless.</i></b><br />
<b><i>These are the most enduring of those tales. From the princess Manussa and her giant snake Mara, to the Vardon Horse of Xeriphin, these stories shed light on the universe around us and the beings from other worlds that we meet. Myths hold up a mirror to our past, present and future, explaining our culture, our history, our hopes and fears.</i></b><br />
<b><i>A collection of epic adventures from the Time Lords’ mist-covered past, Myths and Legends is an unforgettable gallery of heroes and villains, gods and monsters. </i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b> Doctor Who? Um yes please. I loved this one. Getting stories from all different worlds and planets in the Doctor Who galaxy was so much fun. These stories were based off of myths and legends that we already know, and it was easy to see which one they were based off of most of the time.<br />
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Some of the places/characters are ones that we see a lot throughout the show, and some are from ones that are just mentioned (I could be wrong, I'm not completely caught up on the show). However, you don't need any background information to read these stories. And a familiar Time Lord just <i>might </i>pop up here and there throughout some of the stories...<br />
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The only negative I have was the writing style. It was a little hard to get into, and sometimes disrupted the flow of the story. But other than that, I really enjoyed this collection.<br />
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<b>Richard Dinnick:</b><br />
<b><br /></b> <a href="https://richarddinnick.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/richarddinnick" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1082411.Richard_Dinnick" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
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<br />Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09096576826342760742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902808200631253175.post-24839432474822766662017-09-18T09:00:00.000-05:002017-09-18T09:00:08.418-05:00Muse Monthly Unboxing + ReviewToday's post is a little different! I thought I would share with you a subscription box. Now, I don't get subscription boxes hardly at all -- as a broke college student, it's just not really something I can do right now. However, Muse Monthly is one that I consistently love, and consistently feel like I'm getting my money's worth. So, I thought I would share.<br />
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<i>Disclaimer: I was sent this box by Muse Monthly. All opinions are strictly my own, as I have bought boxes in the past with my own money and stand by everything I say in this post. I received no compensation, nor use any affiliate links. I wasn't even asked to write this post. I just like 'em.</i><br />
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If you don't know, Muse Monthly is a books + tea subscription box. Each month, you get a new book (usually literary fiction) and a new, full-size tea to go along with it. September's book was <i>Little Fires Everywhere </i>by Celeste Ng, and we also got TWO teas this month.<br />
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The teas I've gotten from Muse Monthly boxes have honestly been some of the best teas I've ever had (y'all I'm still holding on to my last little bit of tea from the Feb 2016 box because it was THAT GOOD). Every box I've had from them has been so well-curated; Christina does an excellent job of picking great books, and carefully picking teas that go well with it. There is also usually another item with it, in this case a Burning Books candle that smells SO good.<br />
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So there ya have it! If there was one subscription box that I would recommend, Muse Monthly would be it. I don't buy a lot of bookish merch/items, but I think it would be cool to start showcasing the ones I do. What do you think?<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GtDWNIw1N3o/WFAxJPRPxaI/AAAAAAAADMM/y249LugxB8kQa5OzbcDebFGLtQiv0uWiwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/rm%2Bsignature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="46" data-original-width="197" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GtDWNIw1N3o/WFAxJPRPxaI/AAAAAAAADMM/y249LugxB8kQa5OzbcDebFGLtQiv0uWiwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/rm%2Bsignature.png" /></a></div>
<br />Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09096576826342760742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902808200631253175.post-46276749749937936562017-09-12T08:00:00.000-05:002019-01-04T00:19:40.704-06:00The Girl with the Red Balloon {by Katherine Locke}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34448701-the-girl-with-the-red-balloon" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9Lub_K1V9K8/WasZ4sM-x3I/AAAAAAAADdE/ewT8C9qCPr0HUBZfcg9LFtWuXOXd5DU3ACLcBGAs/s320/34448701.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Title: </i>The Girl with the Red Balloon</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Author: </i>Katherine Locke</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Series: </i>The Balloonmakers #1</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Rating: </i>3 out of 5 stars</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Genre: </i>YA Historical Fantasy</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Purchase: </i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Red-Balloon-Balloonmakers/dp/0807529338/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1504386046&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/girl-with-the-red-balloon-katherine-locke/1125796622?ean=9780807529331" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></span><br />
<i>source: NetGalley</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <b><i>When sixteen-year-old Ellie Baum accidentally time-travels via red balloon to 1988 East Berlin, she’s caught up in a conspiracy of history and magic. She meets members of an underground guild in East Berlin who use balloons and magic to help people escape over the Wall—but even to the balloon makers, Ellie’s time travel is a mystery. When it becomes clear that someone is using dark magic to change history, Ellie must risk everything—including her only way home—to stop the process.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b> This book took awhile for me to get into. I don't know if it was the writing style, or Ellie's narration, but after I got into the story, I was drawn into the story.<br />
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The story is told in three POV's: Ellie, Kai, and Benno. Honestly, I probably liked Kai's the least. His seemed more like info dumps, and not things that actually moved the plot along. I think I liked Benno's the best, although his were also the saddest.<br />
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I liked our characters, but still felt meh. I didn't feel that I really connected with any of them. I think they could have been written to be a bit more complex. There seemed to be a lot more telling than showing. I wasn't really drawn into the story through the characters, if that makes sense.<br />
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The plot had me intrigued and is what kept me interested throughout the story. The magic system of the balloons, although at times a bit confusing, kept me intrigued. I wouldn't say this was so suspenseful or anything, but I liked it.<br />
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In general, I felt a little mediocre about this book as a whole. It definitely has captured my interest, so I will probably pick up the second one. It has potential, and I'm curious to see if that potential is fulfilled.<br />
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<i>More books by this author:</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25229482-turning-pointe" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1439946872l/25229482.jpg" width="126" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22663595-second-position" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1423668736l/22663595.jpg" width="126" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25265879-finding-center" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1429539020l/25265879.jpg" width="126" /></a></div>
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<b>Katherine Locke:</b><br />
<b><br /></b> <a href="https://katherinelockebooks.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KatherineLockeBooks/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/Bibliogato/" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/Bibliogato/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/Bibliogato/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8430243.Katherine_Locke" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
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<br />Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09096576826342760742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902808200631253175.post-10507741504506667762017-09-05T08:00:00.001-05:002017-09-05T12:53:47.631-05:00Welcome Home {anthology}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28902446-welcome-home" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="312" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NTKrR65hMnw/WasbNvTWdWI/AAAAAAAADdQ/eF2sUdkpx1Q48PFfG6LIBb0P6AYN2AyxQCLcBGAs/s320/28902446.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Title: </i>Welcome Home: An Anthology on Love and Adoption</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Edited By: </i>Eric Smith</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Genre: </i>Young Adult</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Purchase: </i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Home-Eric-Smith/dp/1635830044/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1504385999&sr=8-1&keywords=welcome+home+eric+smith" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/welcome-home-eric-smith/1126229412?ean=9781635830040" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></span><br />
<i>source: NetGalley</i><br />
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<b><i>Welcome Home collects a number of adoption-themed fictional short stories, and brings them together in one anthology from a diverse range of celebrated Young Adult authors. The all-star roster includes Edgar-award winner Mindy McGinnis, New York Times bestselling authors C.J. Redwine (The Shadow Queen) and William Ritter (Jackaby), and acclaimed YA authors across all genres, like Adi Alsaid, Lauren Gibaldi, Sangu Mandanna, Karen Akins, and many more.</i></b><br />
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As always, it's very hard for me to review an anthology. Of course there are stories that I liked, and some that I didn't. I think this is an important one, with stories that are very needed in YA, especially.<br />
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In general, I think this anthology had a good mix, both in genre of stories and voice. Some will be good for younger audiences, and I think some will speak to older audiences. The running theme of adoption is such an important one.<br />
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Ultimately I felt that as a whole, this book fell a little flat. There were stories that I liked, but none that I truly <i>loved, </i>and I was left feeling a little disappointed.<br />
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<br />Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09096576826342760742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902808200631253175.post-50662451883874317282017-09-01T08:00:00.000-05:002017-09-15T12:53:56.774-05:00Most Anticipated SEPTEMBER Releases!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PNoMdIYq82o/WbsTlFFxVuI/AAAAAAAADe0/g-k_-fi-rTM0YRGG2oEn-ffhM9aFebghQCLcBGAs/s1600/Sep%2BRel.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="804" height="90" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PNoMdIYq82o/WbsTlFFxVuI/AAAAAAAADe0/g-k_-fi-rTM0YRGG2oEn-ffhM9aFebghQCLcBGAs/s320/Sep%2BRel.png" width="320" /></a></div>
First off, yes, I am back from hiatus! And I'm back with a new kind of post. I'm not sure I've ever done a post on my anticipated releases, actually. This year, I started a new way of tracking the new releases I was most excited about by month as to actually stay on top of them. It's been working out for me fairly well, and I decided, why not share which books I most looking forward to each month?<br />
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September actually has quite a few, I feel, compared to other months. So here we go!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34448701-the-girl-with-the-red-balloon" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="255" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1490106848l/34448701.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28902446-welcome-home" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="312" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1490823015l/28902446.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33385229-they-both-die-at-the-end" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1494333138l/33385229.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29385546-warcross" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1489081682l/29385546.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35083304-taste-of-marrow" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="297" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495459313l/35083304.jpg" width="125" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34273236-little-fires-everywhere" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1490351351l/34273236.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28209634-autonomous" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1484305104l/28209634.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33784373-hunting-prince-dracula" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1489420853l/33784373.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29456598-starfish" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1485256458l/29456598.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34076952-the-language-of-thorns" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1491842507l/34076952.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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<b>September 1</b></div>
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<li><i>The Girl with the Red Balloon </i>by Katherine Locke (<a href="http://thenerdherdreads.blogspot.com/2017/09/red-balloon-book.html" target="_blank">review</a>)</li>
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<b>September 5</b></div>
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<li><i>Welcome Home </i>edited by Eric Smith (<a href="http://thenerdherdreads.blogspot.com/2017/09/welcome-home-anthology.html" target="_blank">review</a>)</li>
<li><i>They Both Die at the End </i>by Adam Silvera</li>
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<b>September 12</b></div>
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<li><i>Warcross </i>by Marie Lu</li>
<li><i>Taste of Marrow</i> by Sarah Gailey</li>
<li><i>Little Fires Everywhere </i>by Celeste Ng</li>
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<b>September 19</b></div>
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<li><i>Autonomous </i>by Annalee Newitz</li>
<li><i>Hunting Prince Dracula </i>by Kerri Maniscalco</li>
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<b>September 26</b></div>
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<li><i>Starfish </i>by Akemi Dawn Bowman</li>
<li><i>The Language of Thorns </i>by Leigh Bardugo</li>
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My <b>most anticipated </b>for this month are probably <i>Warcross, Hunting Prince Dracula, </i>and <i>The Language of Thorns. </i>What books are you looking forward to in September?</div>
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Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09096576826342760742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902808200631253175.post-58550116527607275612017-06-30T08:00:00.000-05:002017-11-30T13:24:33.711-06:00June Wrap Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This summer has been insanely busy. I'm actually busier than I was during the regular semester, so rip reading. I've been pretty quiet online because of that, and haven't had much time for reading. I am also taking a small blog hiatus through July and August. You can keep up with me elsewhere on the Internet and <a href="http://goodreads.com/thenerdherdreads" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>, and I'll see you back here in September!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2018838753?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="307" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1476462650l/32510788.jpg" width="128" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2018839643?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1478467332l/32884266.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32570466-girling-up" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1482859011l/32570466.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29653775-the-legend-of-wonder-woman-vol-1" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="264" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479675424l/29653775.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2024980478?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1476031720l/30754000.jpg" width="155" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2029310290?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479268748l/32980216.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2018841638?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1496007867l/31409135.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28458598-when-dimple-met-rishi" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1475687488l/28458598.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1881186316?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1481599871l/32828539.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31179559-black-panther" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="309" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1489189023l/31179559.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1471718943l/30649390.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="312" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1471718943l/30649390.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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<b>Five Star Reads: </b><i>When Dimple Met Rishi</i></div>
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<b>Other Notable Favs: </b><i>The Radium Girls, Wonder Woman: Origins vol 1, Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet vol 3</i></div>
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<b>Nonfiction: </b><i>Girling Up, Here We Are, The Radium Girls, Swipe Right</i></div>
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<li><i><a href="http://thenerdherdreads.blogspot.com/2017/06/wings-of-wind-by-connilyn-cossette.html" target="_blank">Wings of the Wind</a> </i>by Connilyn Cossette</li>
<li><i><a href="http://thenerdherdreads.blogspot.com/2017/06/bread-of-angels-by-tessa-afshar.html" target="_blank">Bread of Angels</a> </i>by Tessa Afshar</li>
<li><i><a href="http://thenerdherdreads.blogspot.com/2017/06/the-space-between-stars-by-anne-corlett.html" target="_blank">The Space Between the Stars</a> </i>by Anne Corlett</li>
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<b>Movies: </b>Finally saw Wonder Woman on Friday, and OMG OBSESSED. It wasn't perfect, sure, but it was so good and I am so in love with it.</div>
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<b>TV: </b>Other than being ridiculously upset that <i>Powerless </i>was cancelled, I haven't actually watched hardly any tv at all.</div>
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Hope you guys have a wonderful summer, and I'll see you back here in September (with some reviews I am very excited about!).</div>
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Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09096576826342760742noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902808200631253175.post-76362030214331578672017-06-27T08:00:00.000-05:002019-01-04T00:10:05.309-06:00The Space Between the Stars {by Anne Corlett}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32828539-the-space-between-the-stars" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SudvEBIPdrU/WUNitIdqt5I/AAAAAAAADYU/UFbod6m1gaE7jBR3mgIhTs2ZZc_88psFgCLcBGAs/s320/32828539.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Title: </i>The Space Between the Stars</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Author: </i>Anne Corlett</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Rating: </i>4 out of 5 stars</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Genre: </i>Science Fiction</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Purchase:</span></i><i style="font-size: x-large;"> </i><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Space-Between-Stars-Anne-Corlett/dp/0399585117/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499041914&sr=8-1&keywords=space+between+the+stars" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-space-between-the-stars-anne-corlett/1124998287?ean=9780399585111" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></span></span><br />
<i>source: First to Read</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <i><b>All Jamie Allenby ever wanted was space. Even though she wasn’t forced to emigrate from Earth, she willingly left the overpopulated, claustrophobic planet. And when a long relationship devolved into silence and suffocating sadness, she found work on a frontier world on the edges of civilization. Then the virus hit...</b></i><br />
<i><b>Now Jamie finds herself dreadfully alone, with all that’s left of the dead. Until a garbled message from Earth gives her hope that someone from her past might still be alive. </b></i><br />
<i><b>Soon Jamie finds other survivors, and their ragtag group will travel through the vast reaches of space, drawn to the promise of a new beginning on Earth. But their dream will pit them against those desperately clinging to the old ways. And Jamie’s own journey home will help her close the distance between who she has become and who she is meant to be... </b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i> I loved this one. I will say, it wasn't quite what I was expecting. I was so excited for this one, and I think I hyped it up too much. But it didn't disappoint. I still ended up loving it, even though it was different than I thought. If you're not into super "sci-fi"-type books, I think you would still like this one. It reads more as literary fiction...just set in space.<br />
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<b>Characters: </b>Jamie is a mess. She was before, and you can imagine how she was after. And that's not a bad thing. I can't imagine being in this position and I think it was portrayed very well. How you would feel, how you would act, how scary it would be. I also liked all the other characters. This sort of "ragtag" group of people thrown together is one of my favorites to read about when well done, and this one was. We got so many different personalities -- the cold, gruff captain; a special needs teenager; a former priest; an older woman who may be losing her mind, etc. Not everyone gets along with everyone else, and I liked that aspect too. Everyone is going to have different thoughts on the world ending, and I just loved reading about all of them.<br />
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<b>Setting: </b>I think the world could have been more fleshed out, but it was also fleshed out perfectly enough for the story (if that even makes sense). There wasn't an info-dump, but things were explained as they needed to be, which worked for the story.<br />
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<b>Plot: </b>While there was a plot (this group trying to get to earth), I also feel that this was more character based. I also feel like this was heavier on the "deep questions" side of the world ending. From social class, to religion, to who deserves to live in this new world. It wasn't so very fast-paced, but it wasn't slow either.<br />
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So if you couldn't tell, I loved this one. The characters, the world, the overall feel and mood of this story. (If you loved <i>Station Eleven, </i>I think you would also love this one.)<br />
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<b>Anne Corlett:</b><br />
<b><br /></b> <a href="http://www.annecorlett.co.uk/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="http://www.facebook.com/annecorlettauthor" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://twitter.com/intent/follow?source=followbutton&variant=1.0&screen_name=ConsummateChaos" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://instagram.com/consummatechaos" target="_blank">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7556606.Anne_Corlett" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
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Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09096576826342760742noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902808200631253175.post-45460937621158938412017-06-13T08:00:00.000-05:002019-01-04T00:06:13.933-06:00Bread of Angels {by Tessa Afshar}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32980216-bread-of-angels" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aPiWaFL63pI/WUNg9FD-gxI/AAAAAAAADYQ/WHvTaggy5-AqMBSfBU6DO716K9nbRq6JQCLcBGAs/s320/32980216.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Title: </i>Bread of Angels</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Author: </i>Tessa Afshar</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Rating: </i>4 out of 5 stars</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Genre: </i>Biblical Fiction</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Purchase: </i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bread-Angels-Tessa-Afshar/dp/1496406478/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497665583&sr=8-1&keywords=bread+of+angels" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bread-of-angels-tessa-afshar/1125139747?ean=9781496406477" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></span><br />
<i>source: publisher</i><br />
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<i><b>Purple. The foundation of an influential trade in a Roman world dominated by men. One woman rises up to take the reins of success in an incredible journey of courage, grit, and friendship. And along the way, she changes the world.</b></i><br />
<i><b>But before she was Lydia, the seller of purple, she was simply a merchant's daughter who loved three things: her father, her ancestral home, and making dye. Then unbearable betrayal robs her of nearly everything.</b></i><br />
<i><b>With only her father's secret formulas left, Lydia flees to Philippi and struggles to establish her business on her own. Determination and serendipitous acquaintances--along with her father's precious dye--help her become one of the city's preeminent merchants. But fear lingers in every shadow, until Lydia meets the apostle Paul and hears his message of hope, becoming his first European convert. Still, Lydia can't outrun her secrets forever, and when past and present collide, she must either stand firm and trust in her fledgling faith or succumb to the fear that has ruled her life.</b></i><br />
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I really enjoyed this one. One thing I love about Tessa Afshar is that she chooses characters to write about that aren't really talked about or written about. I don't think much thought is given to Lydia, a seller of purple briefly mentioned in the Bible as one of Paul's friends, so I really enjoyed this story and getting to envision her life.<br />
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Lydia helps her father, a renowned seller of purple. When they are betrayed, Lydia has no choice but to flee to Philippi, the only place in the empire where a woman can run her own business. I liked Lydia. Her being "fearful" is I think what we would today think of as anxiety, so it was nice to see that represented in an era where it really isn't talked about. She was just trying to do the best she could in a world that didn't afford her many opportunities. She worked hard, and I think she was a great character.<br />
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This book spans over 20 years, which I thought was refreshing. It wasn't just a story about a young girl, it shows her life, shows her as a middle-aged woman. It also wasn't a romance, although there is a slight bit there at the end, which was nice.<br />
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This was probably my favorite Tessa Afshar book to date. I loved the world she has crafted, the characters, and this story. It was a beautiful book that captivated me from the start.<br />
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<i>More books by this author:</i><br />
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<b>Tessa Afshar:</b><br />
<b><br /></b><a href="http://www.tessaafshar.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTessaAfshar" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/tessaafshar" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3501390.Tessa_Afshar" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
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Rachel Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09096576826342760742noreply@blogger.com0