tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3959478153399842492024-03-06T19:34:20.576-08:00The BookshelvesPatrick Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03589231070322829420noreply@blogger.comBlogger620125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-395947815339984249.post-43983217246857090032015-12-26T00:01:00.000-08:002015-12-26T00:01:04.728-08:00The Best Of Her Best: Dangerous Lies - Becca Fitzpatrick <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61JysbYSOBL._SX329_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61JysbYSOBL._SX329_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" height="400" style="-webkit-user-select: none;" width="265" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><em><span style="font-size: large;">Dangerous Lies by Becca Fitzpatrick </span></em><em></em></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
Date Released: November 10, 2015<br />
Publisher: Simon and Schuster </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Pages: 400 pages </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Format: Hardcover<br />
Source: For Review from Teenreads.com<br />
Rating: 4 Stars!<br />
Series: Standalone!</span><br />
<div style="background: rgb(248, 237, 225); border: 3px solid rgb(17, 17, 17); padding: 5px;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Goodreads Synopsis: </span></b></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;">A teen is forced to make a fresh start after witnessing a violent crime—but love and danger find</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 21px;"> her anyway in this novel from Becca Fitzpatrick, the </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">New York Times</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 21px;"> bestselling author of the Hush, Hush saga.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;">Stella Gordon is not her real name. Thunder Basin, Nebraska, is not her real home. This is not her real life.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;">After witnessing a lethal crime, Stella Gordon is sent to the middle of nowhere for her own safety before she testifies against the man she saw kill her mother’s drug dealer.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;">But Stella was about to start her senior year with the boyfriend she loves. How can she be pulled away from the only life she knows and expected to start a new one in Nebraska? Stella chafes at her protection and is rude to everyone she meets. She’s not planning on staying long, so why be friendly? Then she meets Chet Falconer and it becomes harder to keep her guard up, even as her guilt about having to lie to him grows.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;">As Stella starts to feel safer, the real threat to her life increases—because her enemies are actually closer than she thinks…</span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">From <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/">Goodreads</a></span><br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUAtNc26XQeAVw1o01fl0550AIkzHBMrqIohd6VS4I7gFPKu3ZNlUCZHIu4BePRe7GKl2N2PbKbin3NBLYe7O-Vp5z77j8IOYhkThJoZvUpHTy3tz4hcQ1gqlNrve2Tq4CoEQYe30mPaA/s1600/Review+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUAtNc26XQeAVw1o01fl0550AIkzHBMrqIohd6VS4I7gFPKu3ZNlUCZHIu4BePRe7GKl2N2PbKbin3NBLYe7O-Vp5z77j8IOYhkThJoZvUpHTy3tz4hcQ1gqlNrve2Tq4CoEQYe30mPaA/s1600/Review+.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I went into <i><b>Dangerous Lies</b></i> by Becca Fitzpatrick with no high expectations. Her other novels, <i><b>Black Ice</b></i>, was an okay read and I still have yet to pick up her <i><b>Hush, Hush</b></i> series, so I knew I couldn't set any high expectations. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But wow, I was so wrong with that!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b>Dangerous Lies</b></i> was a perfectly weaved witness protection program novel that had elements of action and suspense with a strong romance. I was so surprised on how much I greatly enjoyed the book, especially how far Fitzpatrick was able to develop her writing more. The dialogue was fluid and the plot was moving.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b>Dangerous Lies</b></i> begins with Stella Gordon whose life has been turned upside down every since a violent crime involving her mother and Stella sent her to the Witness Protection Program. I enjoyed Stella, she was well-written and I think one of Fitzpatrick's best characters written. She goes through so much in the novel from a druggie mother who has a relationship with a leader of a drug cartel to the adjustments she makes moving to Thunder Basin, Nebraska, any reader can't help but relate to her. As she makes her way in Thunder Basin with the care of Carmina, Stella meets Chet Falconer who changes the person she become. The characters in <i style="font-weight: bold;">Dangerous Lies </i>might be a small size, but each one was well developed. There is such a flow between the characters and what they say, it very much felt real. In addition, I loved how fast the book started right away. Right from the first page, you get hit with Stella's situation and it all climaxes until the very end. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I absolutely love witness protection program books, especially when it's filled with tons of suspense and action. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Dangerous Lies </i>was a great novel that tackles so much more than just living the consequences of your action. It was about coming face to face with what is really going on among it all and identity. I love how Fitzpatrick grew Stella's character throughout the novel. Despite the novel centering on Stella's relationship with Chet, Fitzpatrick brings up other aspects of the novel such as Carmina's past, Stella's mom, that are weaved throughly.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ultimately, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Dangerous Lies </i>was a home run. Complex characters and a fast paced story line will have any reader on the edge of their seat. Check this one out!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Find <i style="font-weight: bold;">Dangerous Lies </i>On:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:RelyOnVML/>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TBKYK0Q/ref=x_gr_w_visstd_sout_t1_control_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_visstd_sout_t1_control_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00TBKYK0Q&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" target="_blank">Amazon</a> |<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dangerous-lies-becca-fitzpatrick/1121227837?ean=9781481424912" target="_blank"> Barnes and Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20909906-dangerous-lies" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Patrick Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03589231070322829420noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-395947815339984249.post-50197390823149859322015-12-22T00:01:00.000-08:002015-12-23T16:29:43.291-08:00Just Good: Break Away - Kat Spears<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1429101848l/23848184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Breakaway" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1429101848l/23848184.jpg" height="320" id="coverImage" width="216" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Break Away by Kat Spears</span></i><br />
Date Released: September 15, 2015<br />
Pub</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">lisher: St. Martin's Griffin </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Pages: 290 pages</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
Format: Hardcover<br />
Source: For Review<br />
Rating: 3 Stars<br />
Series: Standalone!</span><br />
<div style="background: rgb(248, 237, 225); border: 3px solid rgb(17, 17, 17); padding: 5px;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Goodreads Synopsis: </span></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When Jason Marshall’s younger sister passes away, he knows he can count on his three best friends and soccer teammates—Mario, Jordie, and Chick—to be there for him. With a grief-crippled mother and a father who’s not in the picture, he needs them more than ever. But when Mario starts hanging out with a rough group of friends and Jordie finally lands the girl of his dreams, Jason is left to fend for himself while maintaining a strained relationship with troubled and quiet Chick.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;">Then Jason meets Raine, a girl he thinks is out of his league but who sees him for everything he wants to be, and he finds himself pulled between building a healthy and stable relationship with a girl he might be falling in love with, grieving for his sister, and trying to hold on to the friendships he has always relied on. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;">A witty and emotionally moving tale of friendship, first love, and loss, </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;">Breakaway</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 21px;"> is Kat Spears at her finest.</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">From</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/">Goodreads</a></span></span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUAtNc26XQeAVw1o01fl0550AIkzHBMrqIohd6VS4I7gFPKu3ZNlUCZHIu4BePRe7GKl2N2PbKbin3NBLYe7O-Vp5z77j8IOYhkThJoZvUpHTy3tz4hcQ1gqlNrve2Tq4CoEQYe30mPaA/s1600/Review+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUAtNc26XQeAVw1o01fl0550AIkzHBMrqIohd6VS4I7gFPKu3ZNlUCZHIu4BePRe7GKl2N2PbKbin3NBLYe7O-Vp5z77j8IOYhkThJoZvUpHTy3tz4hcQ1gqlNrve2Tq4CoEQYe30mPaA/s1600/Review+.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You know when you are hyped up for a book, the moment when you can't wait to sink into the pages of a promising story? Then after finishing it, it was nothing special just good? Yeah, that how I felt with <i><b>Break Away</b></i> by Kat Spears. I was greatly looking forward to picking up her latest one. Everything about it seemed liked the perfect young adult contemporary novel, but it was just a good book. Nothing special here or there, just good. Average.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Break Away </i>begins the story of Jason Marshall whose younger sister recently passed away. Jason was a great character, I believe any teenager could easily relate as he deals with family issues to friend problems and his girlfriend Raine. Jason also deals with a mother who is stuck in her own world grieving and a father who was never there to begin with in Jason's life. Having his life turned around he knows he can count on his friends - Mario, Jordie, and Chick to help him get through it. Spears does a wonderful job crafting each of Jason's friends. From Chick's social awkwardness and shyness to Mario, a upbeat friend and even Jordie who helped introduce Raine, a girl who is ready for change, to Jason. Spears definitely hit the mark on the characters, everyone felt real and true to what teens would experience today. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The book does focus greatly on Jason and Raine's relationship. From Jason dealing with family issues to Raine finding her way and place in school and in the world, I could easily relate to it all. It was so easy to step into Jason's shoes and experience what he went through, and I thought that is what made it a good novel. The relationship between Jason and Raine felt honest and true. It was not any of those fast paced relationships typical in young adult contemporary novels. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Overall, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Break Away </i>was a solid novel. Nothing special, but well written and crafted to match the nature of teens and life's issues. I feel like every reader can relate to any of the characters and be sure to check this one out!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Find <i style="font-weight: bold;">Break Away </i>On:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:RelyOnVML/>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250065518/ref=x_gr_w_visstd_sout_t1_control_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_visstd_sout_t1_control_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1250065518&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/breakaway-kat-spears/1120919330?ean=9781250065513&cm_mmc=AFFILIATES-_-Linkshare-_-GwEz7vxblVU-_-10:1" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23848184-breakaway" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Patrick Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03589231070322829420noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-395947815339984249.post-51378959643584112582015-11-15T00:01:00.000-08:002015-11-15T00:01:00.806-08:00A Historical Thriller: These Shallow Graves - Jennifer Donnelly<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1430165052l/24187925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="These Shallow Graves" border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1430165052l/24187925.jpg" width="221" /></a><em style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly </span></em><em style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></em></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
Date Released: October 27, 2015<br />
Publisher: Random House Delacorte </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">Pages: 496 pages</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
Format: ARC<br />
Source: For Review Fr</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">om Teenreads!<br />
Rating: 4 Stars!<br />
Series: Standalone</span><br />
<div style="background: rgb(248, 237, 225); border: 3px solid rgb(17, 17, 17); padding: 5px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Goodreads Synopsis: </span></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;">Jo Montfort is beautiful and rich, and soon—like all the girls in her class—she’ll graduate from finishing school and be married off to a wealthy bachelor. Which is the last thing she wants. Jo secretly dreams of becoming a writer—a newspaper reporter like the trailblazing Nellie Bly.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span id="freeText17478338278345932059" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;"><br />Wild aspirations aside, Jo’s life seems perfect until tragedy strikes: her father is found dead. Charles Montfort accidentally shot himself while cleaning his revolver. One of New York City’s wealthiest men, he owned a newspaper and was partner in a massive shipping firm, and Jo knows he was far too smart to clean a loaded gun.<br /><br />The more Jo uncovers about her father’s death, the more her suspicions grow. There are too many secrets. And they all seem to be buried in plain sight. Then she meets Eddie—a young, brash, infuriatingly handsome reporter at her father’s newspaper—and it becomes all too clear how much she stands to lose if she keeps searching for the truth. Only now it might be too late to stop.<br /><br />The past never stays buried forever. Life is dirtier than Jo Montfort could ever have imagined, and the truth is the dirtiest part of all.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;"> </span></span><div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">From <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/">Goodreads</a></span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUAtNc26XQeAVw1o01fl0550AIkzHBMrqIohd6VS4I7gFPKu3ZNlUCZHIu4BePRe7GKl2N2PbKbin3NBLYe7O-Vp5z77j8IOYhkThJoZvUpHTy3tz4hcQ1gqlNrve2Tq4CoEQYe30mPaA/s1600/Review+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUAtNc26XQeAVw1o01fl0550AIkzHBMrqIohd6VS4I7gFPKu3ZNlUCZHIu4BePRe7GKl2N2PbKbin3NBLYe7O-Vp5z77j8IOYhkThJoZvUpHTy3tz4hcQ1gqlNrve2Tq4CoEQYe30mPaA/s1600/Review+.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">These Shallow Graves </i>was such a complex, rich historical novel that brought me back into reading. Everything about it, from it's quirky, emotional characters to a dark plot had me racing through the pages. I read Donnelly's other novel, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Revolution</i>, and loved it. It was great knowing <i style="font-weight: bold;">These Shallow Graves </i>lived up to my expectations!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The novel circles around the Victorian era. Girls forced into arranged marriages. The corrupt media spreading lies. The powerful men dominating the social classes. Donnelly creates such a rich and detailed setting, I was automatically drawn into it. The protagonist, Joe Montfort is from a rich, well-established family. She has big dreams to become a new reporter, but as her father's fatal death comes crashing into her life, that dream is far from reality. Her dad's death instantly sets the dark, suspenseful tone of the novel. I greatly enjoyed how Donnelly took the type to establish Joe and her motivating and strong personality within the first few chapters. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As Joe searches for the answers to whom killed her dad, she meets Eddie Gallagher, a new reporter, someone she would never see herself talking with. Or much less fall in love. Joe and Eddies were great foil characters for each other. Joe is such a determined and strong willed character she balanced out Eddie's whimsical, caring attitude. The novel delves upon dark secrets hidden within Joe's world, but also the world Eddie comes from. While Donnelly's idea is not new, she presents it in her own way and provides a twist that I never saw coming!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The novel definitely kicked up as Joe and Eddies uncovered clues pertaining to her dad's killer. Joe and Eddies go through many emotional journeys from Joe's arranged marriage with Bram to a close betrayal from a family member, you can't help but be in her shoes. Another great thing was that Donnelly did not circle the whole novel around them. It was all about the killer and uncovering her family secrets. The romance between it all added to the emotional appeal of the novel and added a great depth to the novel. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In all honestly, I believed Donnelly could have sped up on revealing who the killer is. 496 pages was a lot and she could have produced a much stronger novel with fewer pages. Some chapters just dragged me down and I felt like it didn't contribute to the novel as a whole. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ultimately, <i style="font-weight: bold;">These Shallow Graves </i>is one of my favorite historical YA novel from this year! Donnelly is back with a richly drawn novel filled with complex characters and a killer that will have you on the edge of you seat!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385737653/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb_sout?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb_sout-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0385737653&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" target="_blank">Amazon </a>| <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/these-shallow-graves-jennifer-donnelly/1121191438?ean=9780385737654&cm_mmc=AFFILIATES-_-Linkshare-_-GwEz7vxblVU-_-10:1" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a> |<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24187925-these-shallow-graves" target="_blank"> Goodreads</a></span></div>
Patrick Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03589231070322829420noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-395947815339984249.post-70665388609985957972015-10-05T00:01:00.000-07:002015-10-05T00:01:00.095-07:00Life Updates: College Apps, Stress, Looking for Blog Designers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaHicIVKTsceCebdcS3A7HLHeDNdZcqNQVSuPI2lEvHijdBKvpRmgYH33ACpX2rgbf82Z7rF9Z_QhhUR8eJd8bptCk8mc1csLvr1ANajgZ5NO60VTVNuoH_FNDYRkEkyBiIlF7FW9Iq8k/s1600/Life+Updates+Button+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaHicIVKTsceCebdcS3A7HLHeDNdZcqNQVSuPI2lEvHijdBKvpRmgYH33ACpX2rgbf82Z7rF9Z_QhhUR8eJd8bptCk8mc1csLvr1ANajgZ5NO60VTVNuoH_FNDYRkEkyBiIlF7FW9Iq8k/s400/Life+Updates+Button+.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">September was just brutal...I was so stressed out with everything and barely had time to do the blog, I feel like such a let down :/ As October approaches, I hope to still have time to read and blog just that senior year and college and stress reached a whole new level!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4h4jxsAkU1rwcc6bo1_400.gif" /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But I'm glad I have been reading much more and keeping up with emails and being active on social media! College apps have been pretty intense for the most part. If you guys have any advice please tell me here or on social media! And especially dealing with stress and school/time management!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I will definitely still be reading behind the scenes, I just need to find the time to write reviews and posts, I'll just see how October treats me. I MISS blogging!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">ALSO! I am looking to change up my blog design, if you know anyone please tell me on social media or here in the comments section! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img height="184" src="http://img.pandawhale.com/90398-ialec-baldwin-thumbs-up-gif-30-eXck.gif" width="320" /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Be sure to follow me on my social media to keep up with me :)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Instagram:</b> https://instagram.com/patrick_castro_/</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Twitter:</b> https://twitter.com/patrick__castro</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Pinterest:</b> https://www.pinterest.com/PatrickkCastro/</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Tumblr:</b> http://castropatrick.tumblr.com/</span></div>
Patrick Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03589231070322829420noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-395947815339984249.post-45180548904722103452015-09-21T00:01:00.000-07:002015-09-21T00:01:00.586-07:00The Best of The Best: The Fixer - Jennifer Lynn Barnes <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1418036245l/22929578.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Fixer (The Fixer, #1)" border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1418036245l/22929578.jpg" width="211" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><em><span style="font-size: large;">The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes </span></em><em></em></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
Date Released: July 7, 2015<br />
Publisher: <o:p></o:p></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Bloomsbury USA Childrens</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pages: 384 pages<br />
Format: Hardcover<br />
Source: Library<br />
Rating: LOVED IT! (5 Stars)<br />
Series: Standalone!</span><br />
<div style="background: rgb(248, 237, 225); border: 3px solid rgb(17, 17, 17); padding: 5px;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Goodreads Synopsis: </span></b></span><strong style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This thriller YA is Scandal meets Veronica Mars.</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;">Sixteen-year-old Tess Kendrick has spent her entire life on her grandfather's ranch. But when her estranged sister Ivy uproots her to D.C., Tess is thrown into a world that revolves around politics and power. She also starts at Hardwicke Academy, the D.C. school for the children of the rich and powerful, where she unwittingly becomes a fixer for the high school set, fixing teens’ problems the way her sister fixes their parents’ problems.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;">And when a conspiracy surfaces that involves the family member of one of Tess's classmates, love triangles and unbelievable family secrets come to light and life gets even more interesting—and complicated—for Tess.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;">Perfect for fans of </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;">Pretty Little Liars</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;"> and </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;">Heist Society</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;">, readers will be clamoring for this compelling teen drama with a political twist.</span></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">From <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/">Goodreads</a></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyIMT-UfltpWn64Ea4yOjHf4yn97jWyjJ6sZzpi14gRvv0RqkyHO-JN-QzUlMvGFnOSREwZIDNgtQaC9AYtfvHJ-acVreS7QOumsCLXFWlwoOOrIda74GQtl7TWR7U1kMNPB1fMBwRVMQ/s1600/Review+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyIMT-UfltpWn64Ea4yOjHf4yn97jWyjJ6sZzpi14gRvv0RqkyHO-JN-QzUlMvGFnOSREwZIDNgtQaC9AYtfvHJ-acVreS7QOumsCLXFWlwoOOrIda74GQtl7TWR7U1kMNPB1fMBwRVMQ/s1600/Review+.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Wow. Just wow. I loved everything in Barnes's new book <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Fixer</i>, from it's strong heroine to a suspenseful story line set in the scandalous DC, it was perfect! I've read a couple of Barnes's other books, but <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Fixer </i>tops all of them off, and possibly is one of my favorite reads of 2015 so far! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Fixer </i>begins when Tess Kendrick's life is turned in a whole different direction when her sister, Ivy Kendrick takes her away from her grandfather. Tess's relationship with grandfather has been strong ever since the death of her parents. Ivy then whisks her away into the political, social bubble of DC where she is enrolled in Hardwicke Academy, where all the rich and powerful elite children go. But Tess knows something is up and she begins question who her sister really is and the power she hold in DC, known as "the fixer". I absolutely loved Tess, she was a good smart, sassy, and knew what she had to do. She was the type of person you know would do anything to undercover a mystery and Barnes wrote her well. Plus all the other characters, such as Ivy, Adam, Vivie were all great, they each had their own struggles that brought the novel together. I honestly felt sooo sad for Vivie, especially the things she goes through, that was brutal!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Action and suspense are the bread and butter to the novel. I loved the suspense after each chapter, Barnes always leaves you hanging making you read more and more. Tess learns so much more about her family, herself, and the world she is now part of, I did feel sad for her, but she is a tough character and she fought it through. Another aspect I loved was the whole Scandal vibes I got from this! I felt like I saw Ivy as Olivia Pope and it oozed Scandal. If you have not picked up that TV show, it is a must watch! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Overall, I LOVED <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Fixer </i>a perfect balance of romance, action, scandal, and drama. Perfect for any reader looking for a great suspenseful, scandalous novel, YOU NEED TO PICK THIS ONE UP!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Fixer-Jennifer-Lynn-Barnes/dp/1619635941" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-fixer-jennifer-lynn-barnes/1120160541?ean=9781619635944" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22929578-the-fixer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Patrick Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03589231070322829420noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-395947815339984249.post-80290763034310179732015-09-16T00:01:00.000-07:002015-09-16T00:01:00.433-07:00Waiting on Wednesday (#86) - These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly <div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #0a0600; font-family: Teburchet; font-size: 14.6666669845581px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Jp6Agw2hUiWJrYw-RHx50By1QdZkX7sCyDOKluoiRtzMmVzYCxzbMkwswEJHgswc-HbE3DSdQ1IjO-IXTVW1ZMXbfHYxeSQZl4f2QJ9dvHrYEUqG6c7Dq6NKeFxQ-2fIMGd_-ZWDRFY/s1600/Waiting+on+Wednesday+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #11a2a7; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Jp6Agw2hUiWJrYw-RHx50By1QdZkX7sCyDOKluoiRtzMmVzYCxzbMkwswEJHgswc-HbE3DSdQ1IjO-IXTVW1ZMXbfHYxeSQZl4f2QJ9dvHrYEUqG6c7Dq6NKeFxQ-2fIMGd_-ZWDRFY/s320/Waiting+on+Wednesday+.jpg" style="border: 1px dashed rgb(17, 162, 167); padding: 3px;" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #0a0600; font-family: Teburchet; font-size: 14.6666669845581px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #0a0600; font-family: Teburchet; font-size: 14.6666669845581px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Waiting on Wednesday is Hosted by Jill @ Breaking The Spine</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<img alt="These Shallow Graves" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1430165052l/24187925.jpg" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 2px dashed rgb(255, 153, 0); padding: 6px;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Goodreads Summary: </span></span></i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Set in gilded age New York, These Shallow Graves follows the story of Josephine Montfort, an American aristocrat. Jo lives a life of old-money ease. Not much is expected of her other than to look good and marry well. But when her father dies due to an accidental gunshot, the gilding on Jo’s world starts to tarnish. With the help of a handsome and brash reporter, and a young medical student who moonlights in the city morgue, Jo uncovers the truth behind her father’s death and learns that if you’re going to bury the past, you’d better bury it deep.</span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Why I'm Waiting For It: </b>I absolutely loved Donnelly's <i><b>Revolution</b></i> so when I received the book from Teenboard to review I was beyond happy!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b>These Shallow Graves </b></i>sounds amazing and I love how it is set in the gilded age New York. But also the topic of dealing with the past and secrets. I already expect this one to be mind blowingly amazing! And if you haven't picked up <i><b>Revolution</b></i> from her, you must!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385737653/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0385737653&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/these-shallow-graves-jennifer-donnelly/1121191438?ean=9780385737654" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24187925-these-shallow-graves" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "http://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Jp6Agw2hUiWJrYw-RHx50By1QdZkX7sCyDOKluoiRtzMmVzYCxzbMkwswEJHgswc-HbE3DSdQ1IjO-IXTVW1ZMXbfHYxeSQZl4f2QJ9dvHrYEUqG6c7Dq6NKeFxQ-2fIMGd_-ZWDRFY/s320/Waiting%252Bon%252BWednesday%252B.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image/*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Jp6Agw2hUiWJrYw-RHx50By1QdZkX7sCyDOKluoiRtzMmVzYCxzbMkwswEJHgswc-HbE3DSdQ1IjO-IXTVW1ZMXbfHYxeSQZl4f2QJ9dvHrYEUqG6c7Dq6NKeFxQ-2fIMGd_-ZWDRFY/s320/Waiting+on+Wednesday+.jpg" -->Patrick Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03589231070322829420noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-395947815339984249.post-12001407584959971232015-09-14T00:01:00.000-07:002015-09-14T00:01:00.643-07:00Western Inspired: Vengance Road - Erin Bowman <a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1422925649l/23719270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Vengeance Road" border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1422925649l/23719270.jpg" width="214" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Vengeance</i></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i> Road by Erin Bowman </i></span><br />
Date Released: September 1, 2015<br />
Publisher: <o:p></o:p></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">HMH Books for Young Readers</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pages: 336 pages<br />
Format: ARC<br />
Source: For Review From Teenboard<br />
Rating: 3.5 Stars<br />
Series: Standalone!</span><br />
<div style="background: rgb(248, 237, 225); border: 3px solid rgb(17, 17, 17); padding: 5px;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Goodreads Synopsis: </span></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When Kate Thompson’s father is killed by the notorious Rose Riders for a mysterious journal that reveals the secret location of a gold mine, the eighteen-year-old disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers and justice. What she finds are devious strangers, dust storms, and a pair of brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, she gets closer to the truth about herself and must decide if there's room for love in a heart so full of hate.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br style="color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;" /><span style="color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;">In the spirit of </span><em style="color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;">True Grit</em><span style="color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;">, the cutthroat days of the Wild West come to life for a new generation.</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">From <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/">Goodreads</a></span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVQKERgz4M6qigVwH-S-5Ou6gvuU2WtLpVBhonYY7Jq5leYi9uMLR5Pvyc3KiXXdgw7PxtlAhdGT8MYwBu90XE4v395UAdoEcic8A-PyiCTPrJYglf4JoDkBXEn7cVS8kpPvDKkLo-WLA/s1600/Review+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVQKERgz4M6qigVwH-S-5Ou6gvuU2WtLpVBhonYY7Jq5leYi9uMLR5Pvyc3KiXXdgw7PxtlAhdGT8MYwBu90XE4v395UAdoEcic8A-PyiCTPrJYglf4JoDkBXEn7cVS8kpPvDKkLo-WLA/s320/Review+.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Thrilling. Racing. Action packed. <i><b>Vengeance Road </b></i>by Erin Bowman was a great novel that was so unique and fresh, I enjoyed reading it. Featuring a strong protagonist with a passion driving her around the dry, hot desert of the West. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The novel begins with Kate Thompson, who is disguised as Nate Thompson in hopes of finding her father's journal. Her father was killed by the Rose Riders and now Kate has no one left but herself. She was a strong, fierce character is absolutely radiated off the pages. She has one goal and she achieves it. While there is tons of action and suspense in the novel, Bowman balances it with a growing romance between Kate and Jesse. She introduces two guys: Jesse and Will that help her on her path to vengeance and I enjoyed seeing how they worked together. I thought Kate and Jesse were great for each other and I love the companionship they each had for one another. The novel may have a small cast of characters, Bowman does a fantastic job weaving in the Rose Riders, the wild West, and Kate. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One thing that stood out from the novel that I enjoyed was the ending of the novel. It took me by surprise! Bowman mind blows you with a twist that I did not see coming at all. The least I could say was that it was suspenseful! I love how the book came together and it was well done :)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Overall, <b style="font-style: italic;">Vengeance Road </b>was a great novel. I do wish the novel was more complex in terms of Kate as a character overall and her family relations. But that being said, it was still a fantastic novel that will have you looking at the West in a whole new light.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pick this one up now!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0544466381/ref=x_gr_w_glide_sout_t2_control_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_sout_t2_control_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0544466381&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/vengeance-road-erin-bowman/1120874786?ean=9780544466388" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23719270-vengeance-road" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></div>
Patrick Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03589231070322829420noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-395947815339984249.post-43458022626446874262015-09-08T00:01:00.000-07:002015-09-08T00:01:00.547-07:00What's On My Playlist? (#3) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3qLDfWZ4CT9ks6dZmG34woqFU0BGweRE34GJunL1z4ZMuKKAjEqqGl4VXzrj2s6qeo8MP9XgY69mEJcct5kgUWynjWBJOZhPbXlkbKT3CiBDrwcGhIkf1p75TcTVvAr_A_6IcDthOQbU/s1600/What%2527s+On+My+Playlist+Button.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3qLDfWZ4CT9ks6dZmG34woqFU0BGweRE34GJunL1z4ZMuKKAjEqqGl4VXzrj2s6qeo8MP9XgY69mEJcct5kgUWynjWBJOZhPbXlkbKT3CiBDrwcGhIkf1p75TcTVvAr_A_6IcDthOQbU/s320/What%2527s+On+My+Playlist+Button.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I hope you guys had an amazing Labor Day weekend! I was mostly busy with school and college apps, but I did manage to go places and I went to a new cafe so be on the lookout for a new In LA feature! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This week's playlist is definitely upbeat and fun! I think these songs are great to listen to if you looking to start your day or need a pick me up :)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1.) <b>Should've Been Us - <i>Tori Kelly</i></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2.) <b>In The Night - <i>The Weeknd </i></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3.) <b>Search Party - <i>Sam Bruno </i></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4.) <b>Runaway (U & I) - <i>Galantis </i></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5.) <b>Photograph - <i>Ed Sheeran</i></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That is it for this week's "what on my playlist"! Hope you listen to the songs and if you have any suggestions for music or new artists, I'd love to check them out, so leave a comment below!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Patrick Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03589231070322829420noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-395947815339984249.post-46071682852796429822015-09-07T00:01:00.000-07:002015-09-07T00:01:00.094-07:00Quick & Simple: Hide & Seek (Jess Tennant #3) - Jane Casey <a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1416448178l/23014610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hide and Seek" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1416448178l/23014610.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Hide & Seek by Jane Casey </i></span><br />
Date Released: August 25, 2015<br />
Publisher: St. Martin's Press</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pages: 288 pages<br />
Format: Hardcover<br />
Source: For Review (Thanks!)<br />
Rating: 3.5 Stars<br />
Series: (Jess Tennant #3)</span><br />
<div style="background: rgb(248, 237, 225); border: 3px solid rgb(17, 17, 17); padding: 5px;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Goodreads Synopsis: </span></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Jess Tennant's classmate is kidnapped right before the Christmas holiday in this third novel in Jane Casey's brilliant young adult mystery series.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;">It's Christmas in Port Sentinel, the tiny English town where Jess Tennant has been living for more than a year now. She wasn't sure how she felt about moving away from London when her mom dragged her to Port Sentinel right before the beginning of high school, but even Jess has to admit the town has completely outdone itself for the holidays. There's a Christmas market complete with mini ice-rink, and fairy lights decorate the bare trees all over town.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;">For one of Jess's classmates, though, the Christmas season is anything but magical. She's been kidnapped and is being held in a dilapidated cottage near a deserted beach. And Jess might be the only one who can figure out where she is in time to rescue her.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;">Hide and Seek is another delightfully clever young adult mystery from beloved author Jane Casey.</span></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">From <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/">Goodreads</a></span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyIMT-UfltpWn64Ea4yOjHf4yn97jWyjJ6sZzpi14gRvv0RqkyHO-JN-QzUlMvGFnOSREwZIDNgtQaC9AYtfvHJ-acVreS7QOumsCLXFWlwoOOrIda74GQtl7TWR7U1kMNPB1fMBwRVMQ/s1600/Review+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyIMT-UfltpWn64Ea4yOjHf4yn97jWyjJ6sZzpi14gRvv0RqkyHO-JN-QzUlMvGFnOSREwZIDNgtQaC9AYtfvHJ-acVreS7QOumsCLXFWlwoOOrIda74GQtl7TWR7U1kMNPB1fMBwRVMQ/s320/Review+.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I greatly enjoy the Jess Tennant series and the third book was a bit overshadowed by the first two. Don't get me wrong, I loved the second one, but the third one just felt flat, it was good, but I wished it was more complex in terms of mystery and plot. Ultimately, it turned out a great read and definitely still worth picking up seeing how everything in Jess's life turns out. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Hide and Seek </i>just by the title relates to a lot of what goes on in the novel. It is Christmas in Port Sentinel and the mystery begins when one of Jess's classmates is kidnapped and held in a cottage near a beach. The tensions in the novel were intense and everything moved pretty quickly. Jess is just as great of a protagonist as she is in the previous books, and in this one, she deals a lot more with her emotions towards Will and family circles. Casey does a great job with weaving together a mystery, but also exploring Jess and her emotions as well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'd have to admit, the mystery of the novel was bit cliche, but I didn't suspect who did what until the very end. I wish Casey added more plot to the whole novel, things just needed to be more developed. The action was okay, nothing super crazy, just was hoping for more out of Jess and her incredible abilities to rescue people and solve mysteries. It almost seemed too easy...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But overall, I enjoyed reading the finale to the Jess Tennant series! It was a quick and simple book and goes straight to the point. Be sure to pick this one up if your reading the Jess Tennant series or looking for a new mystery series to start!</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hide-Seek-Jess-Tennant-Mysteries/dp/1250040671" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hide-and-seek-jane-casey/1120204846?ean=9781250040671" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23014610-hide-and-seek" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Patrick Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03589231070322829420noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-395947815339984249.post-44450106785147203612015-09-05T14:12:00.001-07:002015-09-19T08:25:07.235-07:00Interview/Video + Giveaway: Dream Things True - Marie Marquardt<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/netgalley-covers/cover65420-medium.png" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For my stop on Marquardt's<b> </b><i><b>Dream Things True</b> </i>tour, I'll be doing an interview, video, and giveaway! Be sure check out everything below as I update the post with an interview and a video clip from the author! :) Thanks so much for St. Martin's Press for reaching out to me and I'm glad to be on this tour!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Interview: </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>1.) What was the inspiration behind the book?</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Because I’ve written non-fiction books about undocumented
immigration, I often get asked to talk with groups of non-immigrants about
these issues. I know a lot of facts and figures, and these help people think
about immigration in new ways, but I find that what really matters is
relationship – knowing and loving a person who faces these issues is what makes
a person care. Not everyone gets the chance to know and love an undocumented immigrant,
but fiction can give us all the opportunity to step into others’ lives – in
this case, the lives of undocumented immigrants and the people who love
them. This is powerful, and I believe it
is so important – it helps us to overcome all of the politicized rhetoric, and
simply see each other as human beings deserving of love and respect. So I
decided to take all those years of research and write a love story with them. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>2.) Which character best resembles you and why?</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Like Alma, I was a very driven student, and I dreamed of
becoming (of all things!) a cultural anthropologist. Like Evan, I sort-of lived
in a world of Southern comfort, but I never felt at home there. Probably, as an
adult, I can relate most closely to Alma’s middle school counselor and mentor,
Mrs. King. I have worked with many undocumented teens and, like Alma’s
counselor, I have experienced the pain and frustration of trying to help them
overcome barriers, knowing that those barriers are almost insurmountable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>3.) In 140 words or less (Twitter style!), describe <i>Dream Things True</i>!</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(Yikes. This is hard.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="Normal1" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Alma is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. Evan is a privileged
Southern boy. They fall in love, in a world that wants to keep them apart.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>4.) Do you have a music playlist inspired by the book? If so, give a
couple of the songs!</b></span></span></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There’s a story in this answer! I sort of have the reverse – a book
inspired by a music playlist. A few years ago, I reconnected with one of my
best friends from high school who would always give me fabulous mixtapes. After
we finished lunch he gave me a mix that had “18 Songs from JRB” (his initials)
written on it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I listened to the mix as I was driving across Florida, and when the
eighteen songs were over, I pulled over and texted him: <i>listening to this music felt like coming home.</i> I had never heard of
any of the songs on the mix. I didn’t even know the bands. It’s a totally
random assortment of songs – from “Boy
with a Coin” by Iron & Wine to “Lazy Eye” by Silversun Pickups to “Be
Mine!” by Robyn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="Normal1" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I listened obsessively to the mix and built Evan and Alma’s story around
it. The music gave me the emotional arc for the story. It took me a very long
time to write <i>Dream Things True, </i>because
I kept having to set it aside. But whenever I listened to “18 Songs from JRB”,
I was immersed right back into the story. So: Thanks JRB (and send me another
mix ASAP)!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>5.) One Wish. A Fav Quote. A Fav TV/Movie.</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On days like today, it would be really great to slow down
time. So I guess I’ll go with that wish, even though I suppose it’s a bit more
selfish than, say, world peace.</span> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>6.) What book are you currently reading? </b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Like No Other</i> by Una
LaMarche. I’m loving it</span>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Giveaway:</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One winner, US/Int will win a brand new copy of </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b>Dream Things True by Marie Marquardt</b>!</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Enter the giveaway through the rafflecopter entries below!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="fcbeccee22" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/fcbeccee22/" id="rcwidget_nbc3iac9" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Thanks for stopping by!</span></div>
Patrick Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03589231070322829420noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-395947815339984249.post-68835697425318961012015-08-31T00:01:00.000-07:002015-08-31T00:01:01.023-07:00What's On My Playlist? (#2) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0y10V5zzbepWkldR1oGs0g1IECPqD3Cx4kFtwn2Z2L02uArjYOJBxwKX_CxVDgOi6v_OkoAiSKFnxDyPNGqJEzP5DFrSuEHMej31yAHzOmW0oAnBn7faSywNMdZtcRLYEC3hojYcol6k/s1600/What%2527s+On+My+Playlist+Button.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0y10V5zzbepWkldR1oGs0g1IECPqD3Cx4kFtwn2Z2L02uArjYOJBxwKX_CxVDgOi6v_OkoAiSKFnxDyPNGqJEzP5DFrSuEHMej31yAHzOmW0oAnBn7faSywNMdZtcRLYEC3hojYcol6k/s320/What%2527s+On+My+Playlist+Button.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have been obsessed with <i><b>Spotify</b></i>, since it's been my go-to app for discovering new music and artists, it definitely helped find these new songs I'm obsessed with! If you have not heard of it, be sure to check it out, it's available for your phone and laptop :)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Anyways, let's get onto the playlist!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>1.) Dark Times - <i>The Weeknd (ft. Ed Sheeran)</i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>2.) Omen - <i>Disclosure (ft. Sam Smith)</i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>3.) Let It Go - <i>James Bay</i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>4.) Marvin Gaye - <i>Charlie Puth (ft. Meghan Trainor)</i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>5.) Real Life - <i>Kopecky</i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>6.) Who Is Goodbye - Fancy </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So that's what I've been playing on my phone over and over for the month of August! Be sure to check them out, and if you guys have any other suggestions leave them in the comments or tell me on my social media!</span></div>
Patrick Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03589231070322829420noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-395947815339984249.post-25842360215648341222015-08-30T00:01:00.000-07:002015-08-30T00:01:00.259-07:00Life Updates + I'm Getting Featured?!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46cykPu0urpindNzfqJZ-jWDFCEZgzNMZtHxyOzLMJ8j-Yh9u_X5gICEBchnz14UJJPcETpQwuqy-_8x0STBrcUqrryjV1zhEhIRS-Whwf_SXZDuT-vhZjy4vaEi8ieyboOe-aWzP8gU/s1600/Life+Updates+Buttton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="77" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46cykPu0urpindNzfqJZ-jWDFCEZgzNMZtHxyOzLMJ8j-Yh9u_X5gICEBchnz14UJJPcETpQwuqy-_8x0STBrcUqrryjV1zhEhIRS-Whwf_SXZDuT-vhZjy4vaEi8ieyboOe-aWzP8gU/s400/Life+Updates+Buttton.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Well I'm finally back? Yes no maybe so? Honestly I've been so crazy busy with school, whoever thought senior year was easy was lying. It's just a bunch of tests, quizzes, deadlines you're social life just falls down. I've been doing my best to keep up with reading and going to places for my <i style="font-weight: bold;">In LA </i>feature just so I don't feel bad I abandoned my blog!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you guys have any tips on surviving back to school especially senior year and college admissions please comment below! I'd love to know what your guys tips are to survive such a hectic point in my life. Ahh!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In other great new, I'm me and my blog and getting featured over at </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Krystianna's blog, <i><b><a href="http://downrightdystopian.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Downright Dystopian</a></b></i>! Be sure to check out tomorrow!</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="http://assets0.ordienetworks.com/images/GifGuide/clapping/audience.gif" /></div>
Patrick Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03589231070322829420noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-395947815339984249.post-31525586147243618582015-08-12T00:01:00.000-07:002015-08-12T00:01:00.234-07:00Waiting on Wednesday (#85) - A Step Toward Falling - Cammie McGovern <div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #0a0600; font-family: Teburchet; font-size: 14.6666669845581px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Jp6Agw2hUiWJrYw-RHx50By1QdZkX7sCyDOKluoiRtzMmVzYCxzbMkwswEJHgswc-HbE3DSdQ1IjO-IXTVW1ZMXbfHYxeSQZl4f2QJ9dvHrYEUqG6c7Dq6NKeFxQ-2fIMGd_-ZWDRFY/s1600/Waiting+on+Wednesday+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #11a2a7; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Jp6Agw2hUiWJrYw-RHx50By1QdZkX7sCyDOKluoiRtzMmVzYCxzbMkwswEJHgswc-HbE3DSdQ1IjO-IXTVW1ZMXbfHYxeSQZl4f2QJ9dvHrYEUqG6c7Dq6NKeFxQ-2fIMGd_-ZWDRFY/s320/Waiting+on+Wednesday+.jpg" style="border: 1px dashed rgb(17, 162, 167); padding: 3px;" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #0a0600; font-family: Teburchet; font-size: 14.6666669845581px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #0a0600; font-family: Teburchet; font-size: 14.6666669845581px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Waiting on Wednesday is Hosted by Jill @ Breaking The Spine</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #0a0600; font-family: Teburchet; font-size: 14.6666669845581px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #0a0600; font-family: Teburchet; font-size: 14.6666669845581px; text-align: center;">
<img alt="A Step Toward Falling" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1424367975l/24605853.jpg" /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 2px dashed rgb(255, 153, 0); padding: 6px;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Goodreads Summary: </span></span></i></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;">Cammie McGovern follows up her breakout young adult debut, </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;">Say What You Will</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;">, with this powerful and unforgettable novel about learning from your mistakes, and learning to forgive. Told in alternating points of view, </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;">A Step Toward Falling</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;"> is a poignant, hopeful, and altogether stunning work that will appeal to fans of Jennifer Nevin, Robyn Schneider, and Jandy Nelson.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;">Emily has always been the kind of girl who tries to do the right thing—until one night when she does the worst thing possible. She sees Belinda, a classmate with developmental disabilities, being attacked. Inexplicably, she does nothing at all.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;">Belinda, however, manages to save herself. When their high school finds out what happened, Emily and Lucas, a football player who was also there that night, are required to perform community service at a center for disabled people. Soon, Lucas and Emily begin to feel like maybe they're starting to make a real difference. Like they would be able to do the right thing if they could do that night all over again. But can they do anything that will actually help the one person they hurt the most?</span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Why I'm Waiting For It: </b>I greatly enjoyed McGovern's Say What You Will and everything about that book was just eye - openning and fresh, so of course I CANNOT wait for this one! I like the cover a lot - the colors are amazing and I love the stepping stone-esque feel hence the novel's title. I like the plot of the novel and I want to see how McGovern weaves in Emily, Belinda, and Lucas's situation in the novel. The novel is so close, yet so far from being released, it is definitely going to be a great novel to read during the fall/winter months!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Be sure to check out my review of McGovern's Say What You Will <a href="http://wwwthebookshelves.blogspot.com/2014/07/flawed-yet-perfect-say-what-you-will.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><i>A Step Toward Falling hits shelves September 23, 2015 from HarperTeen!</i></b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Find <i><b>A Step Toward Falling</b></i> On:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Step-Toward-Falling-Cammie-McGovern/dp/006227113X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1438883968&sr=8-1&keywords=a+step+toward+falling+by+cammie+mcgovern" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-step-toward-falling-cammie-mcgovern/1121093636?ean=9780062271150" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24605853-a-step-toward-falling" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24605853-a-step-toward-falling" target="_blank"> </a></div>
Patrick Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03589231070322829420noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-395947815339984249.post-38114422435947160582015-08-09T00:01:00.001-07:002015-08-09T00:01:00.245-07:00What's On My Playlist? (#1) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieaxVtSCdZStTZAP4jEAEI03qdM4Gicv3M2Ap8Nu4LN0_BBq95MUjadFyo_5MI_5V73q9GFPrV9ztP27iPPWT1NSEI5R9GRGr4MqWbYtnyz50fNsC6VNy2GEcMTqIZ8veTJbMPXhqjm7M/s1600/What%2527s+On+My+Playlist+Button.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieaxVtSCdZStTZAP4jEAEI03qdM4Gicv3M2Ap8Nu4LN0_BBq95MUjadFyo_5MI_5V73q9GFPrV9ztP27iPPWT1NSEI5R9GRGr4MqWbYtnyz50fNsC6VNy2GEcMTqIZ8veTJbMPXhqjm7M/s320/What%2527s+On+My+Playlist+Button.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As summer is about to come to an end, it is that time when one's playlist is filled with all sort of great summer hits. This summer had some amazing songs and I found some great songs to share with you guys. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Since I'm heading back to school this Monday, as a senior (YES!), my blogging game hopefully will be great like how it was this summer. Have a couple post scheduled for the month of August, so be on the lookout for those! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Anyways, let's get to the playlist below!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>1.)</b> <b>Can't Feel My Face - The <i>Weeknd </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>2.) Honey I'm Good - </b><i><b>Andy Grammer </b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>3.) Thinking About You - <i>Calvin Harris (ft. Ayah Marar)</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>4.) Mess Is Mine - <i>Vance Joy </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>5.) Running - <i>James Bay</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">6.) Lean On - Major Lazer (ft. MO & DJ Snake)</span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Be sure to check these songs out! I've been loving to listen to them while blogging and even when working it. It's definitely upbeat and cannot wait for the new The Weeknd album coming out this week!</span><br />
<br /></div>
Patrick Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03589231070322829420noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-395947815339984249.post-43509887561389687852015-08-09T00:01:00.000-07:002015-08-09T00:01:00.449-07:002015 Summer Blogger Promo Tour: (Emily @ Always Opinionated)<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #0a0600; font-family: Teburchet; font-size: 14.6666669845581px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8dmManUBmLmwszu7MnLHs2yu7NRGcPEwx3O25getafYL4rG0BQK93K-73QZG6hAu3RCAECbe7T3b7IBV0SLx9AddglcFsyyS7aIDGpoxwdb3e7SB7_FNAtQoPz8ZPGKyRq57TJdWtL4/s1600/SBPT15+MEME.png" imageanchor="1" style="color: #11a2a7; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8dmManUBmLmwszu7MnLHs2yu7NRGcPEwx3O25getafYL4rG0BQK93K-73QZG6hAu3RCAECbe7T3b7IBV0SLx9AddglcFsyyS7aIDGpoxwdb3e7SB7_FNAtQoPz8ZPGKyRq57TJdWtL4/s320/SBPT15+MEME.png" style="border: 1px dashed rgb(17, 162, 167); padding: 3px;" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #0a0600; font-family: Teburchet; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #0a0600; font-family: Teburchet; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I am SO EXCITED to be participating in the <i style="font-weight: bold;">2015 Summer Blogger Promo Tour </i>hosted by the amazing Book Bratz (Amber & Jessica!) </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #0a0600; font-family: Teburchet; font-size: 14.6666669845581px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #0a0600; font-family: Teburchet; font-size: 14.6666669845581px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrX7dGz6HbfG3Og88U4G767dBPb8k5NuW3oiNapI7vMgvhj6aQNPRyg2FdelSOEnshySdbI6ai_OoS9LSTEbeh3FQGfC4x4cU0HYLNMhUVbsX3ZJE0VFBBlj8fNbn86MS4Fb6Hn1nvsw/s1600/Featuring+Button+for+2015+Summer+Promo+Tour1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #11a2a7; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrX7dGz6HbfG3Og88U4G767dBPb8k5NuW3oiNapI7vMgvhj6aQNPRyg2FdelSOEnshySdbI6ai_OoS9LSTEbeh3FQGfC4x4cU0HYLNMhUVbsX3ZJE0VFBBlj8fNbn86MS4Fb6Hn1nvsw/s320/Featuring+Button+for+2015+Summer+Promo+Tour1.jpg" style="border: 1px dashed rgb(17, 162, 167); padding: 3px;" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #0a0600; font-family: Teburchet; font-size: 14.6666669845581px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0a0600; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Emily @ <a href="https://alwaysopinionatedgirl.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Always Opinionated</a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For her post, we did her Top 5 Summer Books! Be sure to check out her choices below and comment below if you picked any of them up before or are about to :)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.2999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Her Top 5 Summer Reads</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.2999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<a href="http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140318102200/mortalinstruments/images/a/a5/TBC_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140318102200/mortalinstruments/images/a/a5/TBC_cover.jpg" style="background-color: transparent;" width="211" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><i>The Bane Chronicles</i></b> - As a set of novellas, this book is perfect for picking up and putting down in the midst of a busy holiday. I'm currently reading this and I find it great to pick up in between kayaking and swimming when I just want a few moments to relax in the sun. Any set of novellas are perfect however these are particularly good as the stories are lighthearted and amusing.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.2999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b>A Court of Thorns and Roses</b></i> - This beautiful faerie world of the Spring Court goes wonderful with a refreshing glass of cool fruit juice as you are sat out in the sunshine. You get so emerged in this novel, the day passed by so quickly, with you only pausing to eat or go to the bathroom, which makes it great if you have a free day during the summer where you just want to relax.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.2999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<a href="https://nerdysoul.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/nowhere-but-here.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://nerdysoul.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/nowhere-but-here.jpg" style="background-color: transparent;" width="211" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b>Nowhere But Here</b></i> - For some reason, to me this book is the ideal summer read. I'm not 100% sure why, but in my mind this would be a perfect book to read on the beach or in your garden in the sunshine. I absolutely adore this novel, so would recommend it for any time of the year however I would say if you were going to pick one time to read it, I'd say summer.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.2999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b>The Heartbreakers</b></i> - This is the traditional light hearted contemporary romance that is </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">usually on people's summer reads list. It's quick enjoyable and heart warming. It isn't particularly deep and the writing isn't absolutely beautiful but it is good fun to read and for me that's the most important thing, especially in the summer. There's no point in reading something you're not enjoying.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.2999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b>Any of your favourite series</b></i> - Most people believe summer is a time to read fluffy contemporary novels, but for me I find summer a perfect time to reread one of my favourites fantasy series. The ones I would never normally have time to reread, like Harry Potter or Percy Jackson. Being a book blogger, tragically means I rarely tend reread, so this is the perfect opportunity to do that without worrying too much about getting behind.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Be sure to check out Emily's blog and all her social medias! It was great having you on the blog :D</span></div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "http://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8dmManUBmLmwszu7MnLHs2yu7NRGcPEwx3O25getafYL4rG0BQK93K-73QZG6hAu3RCAECbe7T3b7IBV0SLx9AddglcFsyyS7aIDGpoxwdb3e7SB7_FNAtQoPz8ZPGKyRq57TJdWtL4/s320/SBPT15%252BMEME.png&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image/*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8dmManUBmLmwszu7MnLHs2yu7NRGcPEwx3O25getafYL4rG0BQK93K-73QZG6hAu3RCAECbe7T3b7IBV0SLx9AddglcFsyyS7aIDGpoxwdb3e7SB7_FNAtQoPz8ZPGKyRq57TJdWtL4/s320/SBPT15+MEME.png" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "http://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrX7dGz6HbfG3Og88U4G767dBPb8k5NuW3oiNapI7vMgvhj6aQNPRyg2FdelSOEnshySdbI6ai_OoS9LSTEbeh3FQGfC4x4cU0HYLNMhUVbsX3ZJE0VFBBlj8fNbn86MS4Fb6Hn1nvsw/s320/Featuring%252BButton%252Bfor%252B2015%252BSummer%252BPromo%252BTour1.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image/*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrX7dGz6HbfG3Og88U4G767dBPb8k5NuW3oiNapI7vMgvhj6aQNPRyg2FdelSOEnshySdbI6ai_OoS9LSTEbeh3FQGfC4x4cU0HYLNMhUVbsX3ZJE0VFBBlj8fNbn86MS4Fb6Hn1nvsw/s320/Featuring+Button+for+2015+Summer+Promo+Tour1.jpg" -->Patrick Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03589231070322829420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-395947815339984249.post-79028629491514297942015-08-07T00:01:00.000-07:002015-08-07T00:01:00.253-07:00A Thoughtful Read: We All Looked Up - Tommy Wallach<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1414786550l/18392459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="We All Looked Up" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1414786550l/18392459.jpg" height="320" width="205" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach </i></span><br />
Date Released: March 24, 2015<br />
Publisher: </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pages: 384 pages<br />
Format: Hardcover<br />
Source: Library<br />
Rating: 2.5 Stars<br />
Series: Standalone!</span><br />
<div style="background: rgb(248, 237, 225); border: 3px solid rgb(17, 17, 17); padding: 5px;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Goodreads Synopsis: </span></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Before the asteroid we let ourselves be defined by labels:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">The athlete, the outcast, the slacker, the overachiever. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">But then we all looked up and everything changed. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">They said it would be here in two months. That gave us two months to leave our labels behind. Two months to become something bigger than what we'd been, something that would last even after the end. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Two months to really live.</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">From <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/">Goodreads</a></span></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6fQycPBGqayd7PyRdLWO6D0UI6HF0_2Xa-MgusT0IR3i-6UoAbYUCXFxPO5wjtAZWfHk4l-Y08LQXHybjpTRSNmg-wMuazJhW3io7ayVUfkvsLHnt8FD4vmlX00ex-CzF5F0CPxnhMQ/s1600/Review+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6fQycPBGqayd7PyRdLWO6D0UI6HF0_2Xa-MgusT0IR3i-6UoAbYUCXFxPO5wjtAZWfHk4l-Y08LQXHybjpTRSNmg-wMuazJhW3io7ayVUfkvsLHnt8FD4vmlX00ex-CzF5F0CPxnhMQ/s320/Review+.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To be honest, I was looking forward to picking this one up. There was a lot of good reviews here and there, with the exception of a couple bad ones, I knew I had to pick it up. <i style="font-weight: bold;">We All Looked Up </i>was a good portrayal of how teens would react and act if their circumstances forced them do value every second of their lives just as a asteroid, Ardor, is about to come crashing into Earth. The novel was good, nothing special, but I enjoyed reading about each of the character's journey into a world where they almost have nothing left. Opening and refreshing, it was a great novel :) </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The novel has multiple perspectives from Eliza, Andy, Peter and Anita, four high school students who's lives are about to change because of Ardor, an asteroid, that is about to hit Earth. Wallach is able to paint a novel where any reader could relate to at least one of the characters and see themselves in their shoes. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I enjoyed reading all of the perspectives, and I was actually able to keep up with the plot and characters. Wallach also bring in some diversity in his novel, by including a trans, Hispanic, and African American characters into the mix. While each character goes through with their own journey, it all eventually leads them together and it gives a lot of though to the reader. Like how would we change if an asteroid</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> was coming to Earth to destroy the only place we know? What would we do with out limited time? I absolutely love it when a novel does that and if you do to check this one out!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The novel does suffer from a some slow points in the novel, with a couple drawn out chapters. Some times I found myself having to re-read a couple chapters before to remember where I was and what was going on. But overall, I still greatly enjoyed the book!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">We All Looked Up </i>is a great read if your looking for a realistic/contemporary that leaves you with a lot to think about life and how valuable time is. Check this one out!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1481418777/ref=x_gr_w_glide_sout_t2_control_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_sout_t2_control_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1481418777&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" target="_blank">Amazon</a> |<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/we-all-looked-up-tommy-wallach/1119701404?ean=9781481418775" target="_blank"> Barnes and Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18392459-we-all-looked-up" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Patrick Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03589231070322829420noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-395947815339984249.post-67336111340458216712015-08-05T00:01:00.000-07:002015-08-05T00:01:00.219-07:00Waiting on Wednesday (#84) - Rise by Stephanie Clifford <div style="background-color: white; color: #0a0600; font-family: Teburchet; font-size: 14.6666669845581px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Jp6Agw2hUiWJrYw-RHx50By1QdZkX7sCyDOKluoiRtzMmVzYCxzbMkwswEJHgswc-HbE3DSdQ1IjO-IXTVW1ZMXbfHYxeSQZl4f2QJ9dvHrYEUqG6c7Dq6NKeFxQ-2fIMGd_-ZWDRFY/s1600/Waiting+on+Wednesday+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Jp6Agw2hUiWJrYw-RHx50By1QdZkX7sCyDOKluoiRtzMmVzYCxzbMkwswEJHgswc-HbE3DSdQ1IjO-IXTVW1ZMXbfHYxeSQZl4f2QJ9dvHrYEUqG6c7Dq6NKeFxQ-2fIMGd_-ZWDRFY/s320/Waiting+on+Wednesday+.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #0a0600; font-family: Teburchet; font-size: 14.6666669845581px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #0a0600; font-family: Teburchet; font-size: 14.6666669845581px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Waiting on Wednesday is Hosted by Jill @ Breaking The Spine</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #0a0600; font-family: Teburchet; font-size: 14.6666669845581px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #0a0600; font-family: Teburchet; font-size: 14.6666669845581px; text-align: center;">
<img alt="Everybody Rise" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1423522763l/23605009.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 2px dashed rgb(255, 153, 0); padding: 6px;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Goodreads Summary: </span></span></i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">An extraordinary debut novel by New York Times reporter Stephanie Clifford—a Bonfire of the Vanities for the 21st century mixed with Curtis Sittenfeld’s Prep and Amor Towles's Rules of Civility.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;">It’s 2006 in the Manhattan of the young and privileged, and a new generation of heirs and strivers are jockeying for social power and discovering that class, especially on the Upper East Side, still holds sway.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;">At 26, Evelyn Beegan is the product of new money, propelled by her social-climbing mother through an elite prep school, a posh college, and into Manhattan. Evelyn has always managed to stay just on the periphery of this world her mother so desperately wants her to become a part of. But when she takes a job at a new social networking site aimed at her very elite peers, she’s forced to leverage her few connections to work her way to the front of the pack. With the help of her prep school friends, Evelyn goes from lush "camps" in the Adirondacks and "cottages" in Newport, to Southampton weekends and clubs thick with socialites and Wall Street types, eventually befriending target #1, Camilla Rutherford—a young woman who is a regular on the front page of every society blog.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;">In order to be accepted by this rarefied set, Evelyn must be seen as someone with established old money. Her lies start small, but quickly grow, and as she relentlessly elbows her way up the social ladder, the ground underneath her begins to give way. </span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Why I'm Waiting For It: </b>The minute I saw this on Goodreads I knew I had to feature it for my WoW! Social classes? Manhattan? Boarding school but also a job at a social networking site? Count me in! Definitely have high hopes for this one, and I do hope it turns out good, some reviews on Goodreads say it was a letdown. So hopefully it turns out good for me and I am obsessed with the cover! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><i>Rise by Stephanie Clifford hits shelves August 18, 2015 from St. Martin's Press!</i></b></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Find <i style="font-weight: bold;">Rise </i>On:</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250077176/ref=x_gr_w_glide_sout_t2_control_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_sout_t2_control_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1250077176&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" target="_blank">Amazon </a>| <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/everybody-rise-stephanie-clifford/1120822982?ean=9781250077172" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23605009-everybody-rise" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Patrick Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03589231070322829420noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-395947815339984249.post-83879877507364610162015-08-04T00:01:00.000-07:002015-08-04T00:01:00.345-07:00Book Promo: Crushed by Kasi Blake (Character Interview!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9nUGLh-jA6hFfWY2O-2JrRYpmq9EcUepYykEA9N-xvpMt-gjZkhGbA94Ef-DC_cgyK2-Yvn8hBoWmFXeW5T5JT5DwZUZT3W9PCkR_Mh51VqBKQzX3Yq12TYl6Om2qG0eSAJEniHvMqQ/s1600/Crushed+Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9nUGLh-jA6hFfWY2O-2JrRYpmq9EcUepYykEA9N-xvpMt-gjZkhGbA94Ef-DC_cgyK2-Yvn8hBoWmFXeW5T5JT5DwZUZT3W9PCkR_Mh51VqBKQzX3Yq12TYl6Om2qG0eSAJEniHvMqQ/s400/Crushed+Banner.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<h1 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">CRUSHED by Kasi Blake</span></h1>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.cleanteenpublishing.com/" target="_blank">Clean Teen Publishing</a> has a new release! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">CRUSHED by <a href="http://www.kasiblake.com/" target="_blank">Kasi Blake</a> is the first book in a young adult paranormal romance series </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">called— The Witch Games. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We currently have a release day deal on CRUSHED by Kasi Blake. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Readers can save $1 on the digital version of CRUSHED.</span></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">NOW AVAILABLE!</span></h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.cleanteenpublishing.com/books/crushed/" target="_blank"><img alt="Ebook- Crushed no arc" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-5085" src="http://www.cleanteenpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Ebook-Crushed-no-arc-683x1024.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a>
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crushed-Witch-Game-Novels-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00Y777UFU/ref=sr_1_1_twi_2_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1438449300&sr=8-1&keywords=crushed+kasi+blake" target="_blank">AMAZON</a> / <a href="https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/crushed/id998691999?mt=11" target="_blank">iBOOKS</a> / <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/crushed-kc-blake/1104561435?ean=2940151932417" target="_blank">BARNES and NOBLE</a> / <a href="http://www.cleanteenpublishing.com/books/crushed/" target="_blank">MORE</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>The Noah girls have beauty, powers, and brains.</i></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>They use all three to play their games.</i></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>They blow the dust,</i></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>the boys are crushed,</i></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>and no one is ever the same.</i></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Each year the Noah girls play a secret game― Crushed. The rules are simple.</span></div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Use wisdom to pick your target. The boy can't be too weak or too strong-willed. </span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Blow the enchanted dust into your target's face to enchant (Crush) him. </span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. Give verbal commands and assign them tasks to perform throughout the year. The more tasks completed, the stronger the witch's power grows. </span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4. At the end of the year, the witch with the most power wins cold, hard cash. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin-bottom: 14px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As if being a witch in high school isn't complicated enough, Kristen picks the wrong boy to Crush. Zach is tall, handsome, and a little scary. Her Crush spell isn't working on him like it has with the others. In fact, he is behaving the opposite of every other boy she's Crushed, hating her instead of adoring her. Something is definitely wrong. After someone attempts to kill her, Kristen realizes there is more at risk than a few hundred dollars. She may be betting with her life.</span><br />
<span class="s1" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; margin-bottom: 14px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">WATCH THE TRAILER: <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Yjcj5HaB3wo" width="560"></iframe></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">GET CRUSHED TODAY! </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crushed-Witch-Game-Novels-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00Y777UFU/ref=sr_1_1_twi_2_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1438449300&sr=8-1&keywords=crushed+kasi+blake" target="_blank">AMAZON</a> / <a href="https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/crushed/id998691999?mt=11" target="_blank">iBOOKS</a> / <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/crushed-kc-blake/1104561435?ean=2940151932417" target="_blank">BARNES and NOBLE</a> / <a href="http://www.cleanteenpublishing.com/books/crushed/" target="_blank">MORE</a></span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><strong><br /></strong>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XndHBvDfQwarJWcDHwm-YMX037x9MwVJpMJhdNPThlP7OLUVaCCENvFbwSCxcrBhcbvuTT5GjnEBNN_oJa3RwgsD-rbsX1gfs0q3o3T8T3PXR9IKyLchkdjwNoH8oUVuD6E5lhdOt3k/s1600/kasiblake2+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XndHBvDfQwarJWcDHwm-YMX037x9MwVJpMJhdNPThlP7OLUVaCCENvFbwSCxcrBhcbvuTT5GjnEBNN_oJa3RwgsD-rbsX1gfs0q3o3T8T3PXR9IKyLchkdjwNoH8oUVuD6E5lhdOt3k/s320/kasiblake2+%25281%2529.jpg" width="318" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: start;">When Kasi Blake was in the third grade, she found out that a good story could get her out of trouble. Okay, some people call it a lie, but she didn't see anything wrong with using every skill available to her to avoid being grounded. Over the years, that didn't change. Her stories just grew more elaborate. When she was 12, she began to write them down, starting with a six-page tale about a boy from the wrong side of the tracks and the good girl that secretly wanted him. Kasi went on to write for Harlequin for a few years. Then, she published a vampire series on her own, and now she is publishing with Clean Teen. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: start;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: start;">Get ready for an exciting series on witches using their powers to play dangerous games at school. The first is Crushed. You can find her on Twitter @kasiblake, on FB, and she has a website under her name.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: start;">
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: start;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: start;">Kasi lives on a farm in the Midwest with tons of animals including cows, ducks, chickens, a dog, and cats.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: start;">
</span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kasi-Blake/e/B004ZH6MJM/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4809417.Kasi_Blake?from_search=true&search_version=service">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://kasi-kcblake.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kasi-KC-Blakes-Author-Page/246146215412824">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/kasiblake">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/KasiBlake">Smashwords</a></span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
Hosted and Organized by:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqZkrk7EFUV3mBNRqQhcW2CwEgsnEtXGp1p8BeYw7JOLM3n_5lziKNhmxJOTIqbmlFsfyyHTP-KI5xT8TSLIC5poeM0J7QFMjYnJWbF_4Lnt0aKbeRgNYLKcxh0kmZzPFdoBqHWivTzE/s1600/CleanTeenLogo_Single_TRANS_Large.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqZkrk7EFUV3mBNRqQhcW2CwEgsnEtXGp1p8BeYw7JOLM3n_5lziKNhmxJOTIqbmlFsfyyHTP-KI5xT8TSLIC5poeM0J7QFMjYnJWbF_4Lnt0aKbeRgNYLKcxh0kmZzPFdoBqHWivTzE/s320/CleanTeenLogo_Single_TRANS_Large.png" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Now here is an interview with Kasi Blake!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;">1.) Do you write full-time or part-time?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I
consider myself a full-time writer with a part-time job on the side. I used to
teach Kindergarten thru 3<sup>rd</sup> grade, and it was a lot of fun.
Little kids are a hoot. Now, I do closed captioning for a local broadcast, but
that only takes about six hours. The rest of my time is split between writing,
taking care of our farm animals, and other commitments.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">2.) Do you write on a typewriter, computer, dictate or longhand?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My notes
fill up several notebooks, but I do the actual writing on my laptop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>3.) If this book is part of a series, tell us a little about it?</b><span style="color: #500050;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Witch
Game Series focuses on a different set of characters and a brand new game in
each novel. Witch Hunt is the second book. At this moment, that’s all there is,
but I have several ideas for other books.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>4.) Tell us about the cover/s and how it/they came about.</b><span style="color: #500050;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Marya
Heiman did the cover and did an awesome job. We talked about potential ideas
and searched for photos. Then, she ran with it. One of the ideas was for a girl
to be blowing pink dust out of her hands. It is a stunning cover.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>5.) What was your favorite of this book to write?</b><span style="color: #500050;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Kristen
is a firecracker, and Zach is the mysterious bad boy at school. I loved writing
their scenes, watching them fight, and seeing them fall for each other.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>6.) What writing process like?</b><span style="color: #500050;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I do
character bios, outlines, etc. Then, after I feel like I know my characters and
the story, I use Scrivener to write it. Scrivener is awesome because you can
jump around and write the scenes out of order if you want. It also has a place
for pictures of my characters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>7.) How has your writing changed from your first book to
now?</b><span style="color: #500050;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Well, I
started my first book when I was twelve and had no idea what I was doing. The
difference is like night and day. It’s easier for me to get lost in the story
now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>8.) How do you decided if a book is going to be a single or
a series?</b><span style="color: #500050;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I think
every case is different. When I wrote Vampires Rule, it was supposed to be a
single book. But I had a dream about it when I was halfway finished. The dream
made the story a lot more complicated, and I knew it would take at least three
books to tell it. When it comes to the Witch Game books, I purposely set out to
do a series. My hunter series that starts with Bait had to be a series because
so many things needed to happen to change the main character. Monster fighting
isn’t easy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>9.) Do you have a snack you must have to write?</b><span style="color: #500050;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">No. I
don’t usually eat when I write. During the winter, I like to drink cocoa while
I write, but it usually gets cold because I forget to drink it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">10.) What would like your readers to know about you or your
books? </b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> I
write the books I want to read, filled with action, humor, romance, and
paranormal elements. I love it when my characters come to life so I can live in
their skin and in their world. It’s always sad to say goodbye to them, like old
friends, but I know new friends are waiting. I also love to hear from readers.
They can find me on Twitter @kasiblake, on my webiste at kasiblake(dot)com, and
I have an author page on FB. Thanks for the interview.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #F1F1F1; mso-line-height-alt: 4.5pt;">
<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype
id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t"
path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter"/>
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"/>
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"/>
</v:formulas>
<v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"/>
<o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"/>
</v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_1" o:spid="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75"
alt="https://ssl.gstatic.com/ui/v1/icons/mail/images/cleardot.gif" style='width:.75pt;
height:.75pt;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square'>
<v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\Patrick\AppData\Local\Packages\oice_15_974fa576_32c1d314_bdf\AC\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.gif"
o:title="cleardot"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img alt="https://ssl.gstatic.com/ui/v1/icons/mail/images/cleardot.gif" height="1" src="file:///C:/Users/Patrick/AppData/Local/Packages/oice_15_974fa576_32c1d314_bdf/AC/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.gif" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_1" width="1" /><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Be sure to check out Kasi on her social media and check out her new book!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Patrick Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03589231070322829420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-395947815339984249.post-31346435239107092522015-08-02T00:01:00.000-07:002015-08-02T07:03:57.006-07:002015 Summer Blogger Promo Tour: (Vivian @ Beauty of Books)<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8dmManUBmLmwszu7MnLHs2yu7NRGcPEwx3O25getafYL4rG0BQK93K-73QZG6hAu3RCAECbe7T3b7IBV0SLx9AddglcFsyyS7aIDGpoxwdb3e7SB7_FNAtQoPz8ZPGKyRq57TJdWtL4/s1600/SBPT15+MEME.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8dmManUBmLmwszu7MnLHs2yu7NRGcPEwx3O25getafYL4rG0BQK93K-73QZG6hAu3RCAECbe7T3b7IBV0SLx9AddglcFsyyS7aIDGpoxwdb3e7SB7_FNAtQoPz8ZPGKyRq57TJdWtL4/s320/SBPT15+MEME.png" style="border: 1px dashed rgb(17, 162, 167); padding: 3px;" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I am SO EXCITED to be participating in the <i style="font-weight: bold;">2015 Summer Blogger Promo Tour </i>hosted by the amazing Book Bratz (Amber & Jessica!) </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrX7dGz6HbfG3Og88U4G767dBPb8k5NuW3oiNapI7vMgvhj6aQNPRyg2FdelSOEnshySdbI6ai_OoS9LSTEbeh3FQGfC4x4cU0HYLNMhUVbsX3ZJE0VFBBlj8fNbn86MS4Fb6Hn1nvsw/s1600/Featuring+Button+for+2015+Summer+Promo+Tour1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrX7dGz6HbfG3Og88U4G767dBPb8k5NuW3oiNapI7vMgvhj6aQNPRyg2FdelSOEnshySdbI6ai_OoS9LSTEbeh3FQGfC4x4cU0HYLNMhUVbsX3ZJE0VFBBlj8fNbn86MS4Fb6Hn1nvsw/s320/Featuring+Button+for+2015+Summer+Promo+Tour1.jpg" style="border: 1px dashed rgb(17, 162, 167); padding: 3px;" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://beautedelivres.com/" target="_blank">Vivian @ Beauty of Books</a> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Before we get to Vivian's post, we did a quick little interview! It was fun and great meeting your Vivian!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.25pt; margin-bottom: 16.2pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1.) How long have you been blogging?</span></b></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.25pt; margin-bottom: 16.2pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.25pt;">I</span><span style="line-height: 18.25pt;"> only started blogging in April – so I really am a
newbie.</span></span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.25pt; margin-bottom: 16.2pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2.) Why did you start blogging?</span></b></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.25pt; margin-bottom: 16.2pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I basically woke up one day and thought why am I not
doing this? I’m always looking at other people’s blogs about books, why don’t I
just invite myself into this community and share my love of books, with others
that get how I feel.<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.25pt; margin-bottom: 16.2pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>3.) How old are you?</b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.25pt; margin-bottom: 16.2pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Well, I will be 28 in 2 weeks (feel super old in this
group)<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 16.2pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 18.25pt;">4. ) </span><span style="line-height: 24.3333339691162px;">Favorite</span><span style="line-height: 18.25pt;"> Book/Book Series? What genre do you mostly
read?</span></b><span style="line-height: 18.25pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.25pt; margin-bottom: 16.2pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My favourite book series is the obvious Harry Potter but
to steer away from the mainstream. I would say that my favourite series is a
tie between Abbi Glines – Sea Breeze Series or Rosemary Beach Series.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.25pt; margin-bottom: 16.2pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I read a lot of New Adult/Adult Romance but do read YA novels
(maybe 2 a month).<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.25pt; margin-bottom: 16.2pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>5.) Why do you love to read AND blog?</b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.25pt; margin-bottom: 16.2pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I love to read because it takes me away from reality, a
place where anything can happen – for me it is just like watching TV. I also
love exploring my boundaries through reading. I love blogging more so for the
community then actually blogging. I love being around people and understood by
people; when it comes to reading. A lot of people do not understand my
obsession with books.<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.25pt; margin-bottom: 16.2pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>6.) Fav TV Show + Fav Song?</b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.25pt; margin-bottom: 16.2pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Fav TV Show (so many to mention) I love Friends,
Entourage, Gossip Girl & Grey’s Anatomy. Right now I can’t say I’m 100%
invested into anything. Music anything by Mumford & Sons, Florence &
Ed…<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 16.2pt;">
<div style="line-height: 18.25pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Now Vivian's book tag!</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.25pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><b>1.) Favorite Fictional Character?</b></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<span style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One of my favourite fictional characters is Augustus Waters from Fault In Our Stars by John Green. I absolutely love his quirkiness, his loyalty and his gorgeous heart. His character is the right amount of funny and serious – I would totally want him as my best friend.</span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><b>2.) Favourite Fictional Universe?</b></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<span style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hmmm Hogwarts is the obvious answer but lets say any book where vampires are real because heck, I would love to be in a universe where I am a vampire or vampires do exist.</span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><b>3.) Fictional Arch Enemy?</b></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Tough Question. How terrible am I, I can’t even think of the guy’s name in the Divergent Series that I dislike VERY much. Oh yeah his name is either Peter or Edward. Lets go with both because I know they were both horrible. <b style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"> </b></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>4.) Favorite Book Quote?</b></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">These Questions are a killer…</span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><span style="line-height: normal;">This is my favourite quote of all time from <b style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">The Diary of Anne Frank</b></span></span><span style="line-height: normal;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">The quote says:</span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<b style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">“In spite of everything, I really believe people are good at heart.”</span></span></b></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><b>5.) If you wrote a book what would it be about?</b></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><span style="line-height: normal;">If I wrote a YA novel it would be set in high school and be about all the pressures of being a nerd and I don’t mean a popular valedictorian I mean a student who does nothing but study and goes home to deal with parents who think nothing is good enough and keep pushing.</span></span><span style="line-height: normal;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">If I wrote a NA novel it would be hearts, flower, romance and lots of swooning. **Hearty eye emojis**</span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Thanks so much Patrick for hosting me on your blog – I enjoyed the Book Tag</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Thanks so much Vivian! Be sure to check out Vivian on her bio page and all her social media links below! :)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #0a0600; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #0a0600; text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">About Vivian:</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #0a0600; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #1a1a1a;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Vivian is a Book Blogger from Sydney, Australia. Vivian started Beaute' De Livres - Beauty of Books to fuel her book obsession and eeting other people that understand her obsession a very welcomed surprise. With her Kindle in her bag always Vivian will read anything you throw at her. Beaute' De Livres - Beauty of Books is a bag of mixed goodies. Her reviews range from genre to genre (But mainly Romance because she is a MASSIVE sap). Beaute' De Livres - Beauty of Books is like a mixed bag of lollies, there are reviews, giveaways, weekly memes; basically a whole lot of things and thoughts.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #0a0600; font-size: 14.6666669845581px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">You can find follow Beaute' De Livres - Beauty of Books on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram/Website</span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.2999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><span style="cursor: pointer; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><b>Facebook:</b></span><span style="cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Beaute-De-Livres-Beauty-of-Books/710489035728065?ref=hl" style="cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Beaute-De-Livres-Beauty-of-Books/710489035728065?ref=hl</a></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.2999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Twitter:</b> <a href="https://twitter.com/BeauteDeLivres" style="cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/BeauteDeLivres</a></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.2999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="cursor: pointer; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><b>Blog:</b></span><span style="cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"> <a href="http://beautedelivres.com/" style="cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" target="_blank">http://beautedelivres.com</a></span></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.2999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="cursor: pointer; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><b>Instagram:</b></span><span style="cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"> <a href="https://instagram.com/beautedelivres" style="cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" target="_blank">https://Instagram.com/beautedelivres</a></span></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.2999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="cursor: pointer; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><b>Pinterest:</b></span><span style="cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"> <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/bdelivres/" style="cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" target="_blank">https://www.pinterest.com/bdelivres/</a></span></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.2999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="cursor: pointer; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><b>Tumblr:</b></span><span style="cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"> <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/beautedelivres" style="cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" target="_blank">https://www.tumblr.com/blog/beautedelivres</a></span></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.2999992370605px; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="cursor: pointer; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"><b>Google +:</b></span><span style="cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;"> <a href="https://www.google.com/+BeauteDeLivres" style="cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" target="_blank">google.com/+BeauteDeLivres</a></span></span></span></div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "http://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8dmManUBmLmwszu7MnLHs2yu7NRGcPEwx3O25getafYL4rG0BQK93K-73QZG6hAu3RCAECbe7T3b7IBV0SLx9AddglcFsyyS7aIDGpoxwdb3e7SB7_FNAtQoPz8ZPGKyRq57TJdWtL4/s320/SBPT15%252BMEME.png&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image/*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8dmManUBmLmwszu7MnLHs2yu7NRGcPEwx3O25getafYL4rG0BQK93K-73QZG6hAu3RCAECbe7T3b7IBV0SLx9AddglcFsyyS7aIDGpoxwdb3e7SB7_FNAtQoPz8ZPGKyRq57TJdWtL4/s320/SBPT15+MEME.png" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "http://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrX7dGz6HbfG3Og88U4G767dBPb8k5NuW3oiNapI7vMgvhj6aQNPRyg2FdelSOEnshySdbI6ai_OoS9LSTEbeh3FQGfC4x4cU0HYLNMhUVbsX3ZJE0VFBBlj8fNbn86MS4Fb6Hn1nvsw/s320/Featuring%252BButton%252Bfor%252B2015%252BSummer%252BPromo%252BTour1.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image/*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrX7dGz6HbfG3Og88U4G767dBPb8k5NuW3oiNapI7vMgvhj6aQNPRyg2FdelSOEnshySdbI6ai_OoS9LSTEbeh3FQGfC4x4cU0HYLNMhUVbsX3ZJE0VFBBlj8fNbn86MS4Fb6Hn1nvsw/s320/Featuring+Button+for+2015+Summer+Promo+Tour1.jpg" -->Patrick Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03589231070322829420noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-395947815339984249.post-80551124319844478792015-08-01T00:01:00.000-07:002015-08-01T00:01:00.444-07:00Thoughtful & Real: The Porcupine of Truth - Bill Konigsberg<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1413561305l/23388164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Porcupine of Truth" border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1413561305l/23388164.jpg" width="210" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Porcupine of Truth by Bill Konigsberg</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Date Released: May 26, 2015<br />
Publisher: <o:p></o:p></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Arthur A. Levine Books</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pages: 336 pages<br />
Format: Hardcover<br />
Source: Library<br />
Rating: 4 Stars!<br />
Series: Standalone!</span><br />
<div style="background: rgb(248, 237, 225); border: 3px solid rgb(17, 17, 17); padding: 5px;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Goodreads Synopsis: </span></b></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">The author of OPENLY STRAIGHT returns with an epic road trip involving family history, gay history, the girlfriend our hero can't have, the grandfather he never knew, and the Porcupine of Truth.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span id="freeText16554401609301568692" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><br />Carson Smith is resigned to spending his summer in Billings, Montana, helping his mom take care of his father, a dying alcoholic he doesn't really know. Then he meets Aisha Stinson, a beautiful girl who has run away from her difficult family, and Pastor John Logan, who's long held a secret regarding Carson's grandfather, who disappeared without warning or explanation thirty years before. Together, Carson and Aisha embark on an epic road trip to find the answers that might save Carson's dad, restore his fragmented family, and discover the "Porcupine of Truth" in all of their lives.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"> </span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">From <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/">Goodreads</a></span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguXry6T6iJ13q9SkE398yqo8UBCMdWleT8bu4zM1w6YYVRvWHIEz6ySTOxDNi7lD2VNU3QC7wOJZ8kGS32zPp5PCqaYSeRDtFsbTNRjxYPYzWjGiwjLNhBHPde28XsCsvl6fVos6VZkb4/s1600/Review+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguXry6T6iJ13q9SkE398yqo8UBCMdWleT8bu4zM1w6YYVRvWHIEz6ySTOxDNi7lD2VNU3QC7wOJZ8kGS32zPp5PCqaYSeRDtFsbTNRjxYPYzWjGiwjLNhBHPde28XsCsvl6fVos6VZkb4/s320/Review+.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I absolutely loved <i><b>The Porcupine of Truth</b></i> by Bill Konigsberg! It was fun, real and honest and it was just a book that opened up a lot about people and what life is. Konigsberg crafted such a well-written and funny YA novel that I believe any reader, young or old, definitely needs to pick it. Everything from its adventurous and fun protagonist Carson Smith to a secret that's been left in the shadows, it was an amazing read.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Some things you remember, and some you forget. Of the things you remember, you have to wonder what’s real and what’s translated into a memory from a story you heard.”</span></b></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The book begins with Carson who meets Alisha Stinson, a beautiful girl that he happens to met at the zoo. Who also happens to be a lesbian. In addition, Alisha faces a tough situation being kicked out of her house because of being a lesbian. Carson then decides to take her into his house and ultimately sets the path to finding his grandfather's long held secret to meeting new people. I greatly enjoyed Carson as a protagonist, he had such an ease and teenage spirit that any YA reader could relate to. His relationship with Alisha was something unique and special. I thought Alisha was a great contrast character to Carson because she was there to add some fun and spunk to their trip. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I loved how the novel deals with Carson's grandfather's secret. Konigsberg doesn't automatically hit the reader with Carson's gay history. While this was my first LGBT novel, it definitely did not disappoint. The author does an amazing job in weaving a journey with Carson in finding who his grandfather was and telling his alcoholic dad who he was. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b style="font-style: italic;">The Porcupine of Truth </b>touched upon issues of hate against "gays" but also the idea that they are also humans and need to be treated just like normal people. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Ultimately, </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b style="font-style: italic;">The Porcupine of Truth </b>was such a thoughtful and real read. It opens a lot about human nature and how powerful the truth is. I loved everything about this book and I cannot wait to see what else Konigsberg has to write in the future! Definitely pick up the novel if your looking for a great LGBT novel. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OU4Y8AU/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00OU4Y8AU&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" target="_blank">Amazon </a>|<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-porcupine-of-truth-bill-konigsberg/1120613149?ean=9780545648936" target="_blank"> Barnes and Noble </a>| <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23388164-the-porcupine-of-truth" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Patrick Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03589231070322829420noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-395947815339984249.post-21187276207982736092015-07-31T00:01:00.000-07:002015-07-31T00:01:00.383-07:00In LA: Sipping Ice Coffees @ Alfred's Coffee in Melrose!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrqXrVlyi1hJJsR2w2i3ETl2es0RIax8uRjTi5xA57GcNHqaQFcVIp40VYmiIs8gnEfmgAAsVvlmAY462OE5A-rkTQLy-fnBKEIeZETBcLSfyecAMrTFxvA74MCDxifGKiSs-qYskAsjA/s1600/In+LA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrqXrVlyi1hJJsR2w2i3ETl2es0RIax8uRjTi5xA57GcNHqaQFcVIp40VYmiIs8gnEfmgAAsVvlmAY462OE5A-rkTQLy-fnBKEIeZETBcLSfyecAMrTFxvA74MCDxifGKiSs-qYskAsjA/s320/In+LA.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This Sunday I visited an amazing coffee shop in Melrose with my sister, LA called <i><b>Alfred's Coffee {Melrose Place} </b></i>and I was blown away by the atmosphere, coffee, and pastries!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b>"Alfred's Coffee was definitely a unique and bold coffee shop filled with mind blowing coffee and genuine pastries, it is a must stop for coffee!"</b></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglItrWGc1zIkck5ayGZ1-4Qcfhpl3xmD5JWPWMHVY6Ru5hLSgmbf7QslWCllwmpca6OsSbG901oeTE8vmna2wDT9CzjknsL5DEfJOVhRjL6X1vBR4z3SYSWrqk6Vaa4BbO7aTivmXKSsw/s1600/IMG_5404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglItrWGc1zIkck5ayGZ1-4Qcfhpl3xmD5JWPWMHVY6Ru5hLSgmbf7QslWCllwmpca6OsSbG901oeTE8vmna2wDT9CzjknsL5DEfJOVhRjL6X1vBR4z3SYSWrqk6Vaa4BbO7aTivmXKSsw/s320/IMG_5404.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The famous But first, coffee sign spotted as you fall in line to order! Very Instagram worthy!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>The Food & Ordering:</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyphenhyphenlEWlQeVRQ1EHFJJC9bnb4_DF6pwD7NqCKSDbjwaomWZiOO71c08lermlOx56h1WrkYwYlpZZaHppr5Hwz_wYamA4XHpHph39AHQvdbJaxo9_SaWcSjCitBXY9RpqCPAgenIlbeIuAM/s1600/IMG_5315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyphenhyphenlEWlQeVRQ1EHFJJC9bnb4_DF6pwD7NqCKSDbjwaomWZiOO71c08lermlOx56h1WrkYwYlpZZaHppr5Hwz_wYamA4XHpHph39AHQvdbJaxo9_SaWcSjCitBXY9RpqCPAgenIlbeIuAM/s320/IMG_5315.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Once stepping in Alfred's one can be greeted by a long, but yet fast line of eager coffee lovers ready to drink their iced lattes. It seems like the ordering part was so fast because you get so immense in the artwork and atmosphere of Alfred's before you know it, your in the front of the line. While at Alfred's my sister and I both ordered iced vanilla lattes and a ham and cheese pastry, coming out to around $20. The food came out fast and was just pure heaven! The lattes were so amazing, it had such a clean and slightly caramel taste that I just loved. The ham and cheese was so fulling and the ham was juicy and real! Food was worth every cent!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1FggX-bS0mB0cmdCOpqEkQkPzeOqLWPFdSPFESHNOotQamIZE6jAxIn0nHFt8DYeiimHfasEev-3vssjSS3uTZKvs1L-e8g33lHcfRC9_6ZC4ZYbSqbOLnqC5I_XIDQJGYrsKvwKz2hE/s1600/IMG_5323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1FggX-bS0mB0cmdCOpqEkQkPzeOqLWPFdSPFESHNOotQamIZE6jAxIn0nHFt8DYeiimHfasEev-3vssjSS3uTZKvs1L-e8g33lHcfRC9_6ZC4ZYbSqbOLnqC5I_XIDQJGYrsKvwKz2hE/s320/IMG_5323.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>The Atmosphere: </b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Alfred's Coffee is definitely a worthy coffee shop, while the prices may be a little up there, it also pays for the environment. From it's but first, coffee sign to it's green outdoor seating, Alfred's is a great place to go with friends or family!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCguIJjb1h0b9Pl7CKGDOniOPxEBAvQ9lUqsLB7t8iuuFlIcd2tx6FPXQCbfSuK7WgpexC4N4ycYuZatk2jho6uQONw2v3_4CxuoGC5bbxY3A5KqUsx3H_nMlpfCtPydfsS9C9G0oGBL0/s1600/IMG_5405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCguIJjb1h0b9Pl7CKGDOniOPxEBAvQ9lUqsLB7t8iuuFlIcd2tx6FPXQCbfSuK7WgpexC4N4ycYuZatk2jho6uQONw2v3_4CxuoGC5bbxY3A5KqUsx3H_nMlpfCtPydfsS9C9G0oGBL0/s320/IMG_5405.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My iced vanilla latte photographed behind one of Alfred's many picture worthy walls!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Final Thoughts:</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I LOVE Alfred's Coffee in Melrose and I'll definitely be back! It was great coffee shop, hip and urban, it is the perfect place to try if your looking to get something beyond the usual Starbucks :)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-63YTA9HqHLClB0PyKoY_DObtV1YCGpDGlDrDaxXzfEYYcJcWFWro1Nzph-iwtPMlUHs_2KANxX36LJeQmyb3kZ61-qvkQCLpLnLGP5-zOUuS-9RN8brWhYUH2dQEPiwaSNeFhGaJz0A/s1600/IMG_5322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-63YTA9HqHLClB0PyKoY_DObtV1YCGpDGlDrDaxXzfEYYcJcWFWro1Nzph-iwtPMlUHs_2KANxX36LJeQmyb3kZ61-qvkQCLpLnLGP5-zOUuS-9RN8brWhYUH2dQEPiwaSNeFhGaJz0A/s320/IMG_5322.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you know any other great cafes in LA and if you are interested in visiting Alfred's be sure to tell me in the comments! Happy Weekend!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Find Alfred's Coffee: </b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1.) Alfred's Coffee {Melrose Place} 8428 Melrose Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90069 (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/alfred-coffee-and-kitchen-los-angeles-15" target="_blank">Yelp</a>)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2.) Alfred's Coffee {In The Alley} 8509 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90069<span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; line-height: 15.5999994277954px;"> (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/alfred-coffee-in-the-alley-west-hollywood" target="_blank">Yelp</a>)</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3.) Alfred's Coffee {Brentwood} 11908 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049 (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/alfred-coffee-brentwood-los-angeles-7" target="_blank">Yelp</a>) <span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; line-height: 15.5999994277954px;"> </span></span></div>
Patrick Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03589231070322829420noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-395947815339984249.post-5209864498592019292015-07-29T00:01:00.000-07:002015-07-29T00:01:00.087-07:00Waiting on Wednesday (#83) - Zero Day by Jan Gangsei<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg51xisopVSOZxSNFXlMBtk7lyqppk9nmluDfyGYAYROqT8aAasl_21YiYnnCHl2Rm4_gcWTKhpmKaG8a3OQaipTsTDyLjXFVAkrtjObrPKokeVNbyVogIqrTeOeFPdKKJpU5VnOVzvqEo/s1600/Waiting+on+Wednesday+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg51xisopVSOZxSNFXlMBtk7lyqppk9nmluDfyGYAYROqT8aAasl_21YiYnnCHl2Rm4_gcWTKhpmKaG8a3OQaipTsTDyLjXFVAkrtjObrPKokeVNbyVogIqrTeOeFPdKKJpU5VnOVzvqEo/s320/Waiting+on+Wednesday+.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0600; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 14.6666669845581px; line-height: 18px;">Waiting on Wednesday is Hosted by Jill @ Breaking The Spine</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0600; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 14.6666669845581px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img alt="Zero Day" height="400" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1414415067l/23197623.jpg" width="264" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 2px dashed rgb(255, 153, 0); padding: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Goodreads Summary: </i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Eight years ago, Addie Webster was the victim of the most notorious kidnapping case of the decade. Addie vanished—and her high-profile parents were forced to move on.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;">Mark Webster is now president of the United States, fighting to keep the oval office after a tumultuous first term. Then, the unthinkable happens: the president’s daughter resurfaces. Addie is brought back into her family’s fold, but who is this sixteen-year-old girl with a quiet, burning intelligence now living in the White House? There are those in the president’s political circle who find her timely return suspicious.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;">When the NSA approaches Darrow Fergusson, Addie’s childhood best friend and the son of the president’s chief of staff, he doesn't know what to think. How could this slip of a girl be a threat to national security? But at the risk of having his own secrets exposed by the powerful government agency, Darrow agrees to spy on Addie.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;">It soon becomes apparent that Addie is much more than the traumatized victim of a sick political fringe group. Addie has come with a mission. Will she choose to complete it? And what will happen if she does?</span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Why I'm Waiting For It: </b>I absolutely love reading or even watching movie when it involves the government, the president, and tons of action and suspense! Addie sounds like a great protagonist and the whole plot line is thrilling and I know should be action - packed! So far, tons of great reviews and I cannot wait for this!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><i>Zero Day by Jan Gangsei hits shelves January 12, 2016 from Disney-Hyperion! </i></b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Find <i style="font-weight: bold;">Zero Day </i>On:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1484722264/ref=x_gr_w_glide_sout_t2_control_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_sout_t2_control_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1484722264&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" target="_blank">Amazon</a> |<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/zero-day-jan-gangsei/1120510174?ean=9781484722268" target="_blank"> Barnes and Noble</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23197623-zero-day" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23197623-zero-day" target="_blank"> </a></div>
Patrick Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03589231070322829420noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-395947815339984249.post-20772319021369402302015-07-27T00:01:00.000-07:002015-07-27T00:01:00.780-07:00Tragic & Likeable:Trouble - Non Pratt<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1380372541l/18138917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Trouble" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1380372541l/18138917.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Trouble by Non Pratt</i></span><br />
Date Released: March 6, 2014<br />
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pages: 384 pages<br />
Format: Hardcover<br />
Source: Library<br />
Rating: 2.5 Stars<br />
Series: Standalone!</span><br />
<div style="background: rgb(248, 237, 225); border: 3px solid rgb(17, 17, 17); padding: 5px;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Goodreads Synopsis: </span></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In this dazzling debut novel, a pregnant teen learns the meaning of friendship—from the boy who pretends to be her baby’s father.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span id="freeText7342222809595656571" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><br />When the entire high school finds out that Hannah Shepard is pregnant via her ex-best friend, she has a full-on meltdown in her backyard. The one witness (besides the rest of the world): Aaron Tyler, a transfer student and the only boy who doesn’t seem to want to get into Hannah’s pants. Confused and scared, Hannah needs someone to be on her side. Wishing to make up for his own past mistakes, Aaron does the unthinkable and offers to pretend to be the father of Hannah’s unborn baby. Even more unbelievable, Hannah hears herself saying “yes.”<br /><br />Told in alternating perspectives between Hannah and Aaron, Trouble is the story of two teenagers helping each other to move forward in the wake of tragedy and devastating choices. As you read about their year of loss, regret, and hope, you’ll remember your first, real best friend—and how they were like a first love.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"> </span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br />From <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/">Goodreads</a></span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPlfQwLR0DPuCceCOjwPJnQLSue9-9Vk9c3goXJtM7_u3mO_UEs4g9H0rpAOCaFX5hURi1qAAhov9ofd8DfKwEN55Hhmjai_E1sDGnm9sUI28j_HMzpsEC_wHd75nL2hV4ix1Jyzy-kSI/s320/Review+Button.jpg" /></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Trouble </i>by Non Pratt was a book I really wanted to like, but it just ended up as a book to finish to get off my TBR pile. While it had it's golden moments (such as the protagonist and her new found friend) it gets bogged down by a boring story line and lack of characterization. But overall, the book had a great message about finding those true friends and who will be there when life becomes hard.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The book begins with Hannah, who is 15 and pregnant. As she navigates high school, her pregnancy becomes a big issue, affecting herself, friends, and family. Her best friend, Katie starts to become more mean and her family becomes distant. I enjoyed how the book wasn't full on about Hannah being pregnant from page one, but transitioned to her journey. The book also splits POV with young, new boy named Aaron who seems to care for Hannah. I thought that Aaron was a great supporting character to Hannah, he seemed to bring out things from Hannah she never experiences and say things she never saw her self saying. The characterization on Hannah and Aaron was great, just wished Pratt developed the other characters more. Also, the plot needed more layers and longer chapters to further the story.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Just like with any pregnancy YA novels, the protagonist makes the choice to do an abortion, adoption, or keep the baby. I won't be giving away spoilers but I thought Hannah's choice was very brave and right. The father of the baby also is brought up in the book that comes at a total shock!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Overalll, Trouble by Non Pratt was a good novel, definitely should be read by teens to show teenage pregnancy has an BIG effect on one's life. Unique and powerful, Trouble by Non Pratt was a book that explores family and friend relationship, no matter the current situation. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=x_gr_w_glide_sout_t2_control_bb?keywords=9781406347692&index=books&linkCode=qs&tag=x_gr_w_glide_sout_t2_control_bb-20" target="_blank">Amazon </a>|<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/trouble-non-pratt/1117053472?ean=9781442497726" target="_blank"> Barnes and Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18138917-trouble" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Patrick Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03589231070322829420noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-395947815339984249.post-54536606211728451062015-07-25T00:01:00.000-07:002015-07-25T00:01:00.161-07:00In LA: My Trip to Caffe Bene! <div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEOlAKSxf_CXg5PDReYBZ1gdpnd1UjEN46ff76gEFBVNR6pkRRtB5KBzOF1wrc0PqIJn0ZnWCEvBP-BrdBSvEmTFqVkHO2xrP1C1DqpKFJfpww7Q0ezFWVFv5Cg2FuZSDRFlHBXYiB0rE/s1600/In+LA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEOlAKSxf_CXg5PDReYBZ1gdpnd1UjEN46ff76gEFBVNR6pkRRtB5KBzOF1wrc0PqIJn0ZnWCEvBP-BrdBSvEmTFqVkHO2xrP1C1DqpKFJfpww7Q0ezFWVFv5Cg2FuZSDRFlHBXYiB0rE/s400/In+LA.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Last week, I visited a great cafe in LA called Caffe Bene, and I knew I had to post a review up on the blog, on a new meme called "<i><b>In LA</b></i>" where I'll be featuring food, entertainment, and eventful places in LA. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Caffe Bene was hip, cozy, and perfect for sipping upon artistic lattes!</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-FXb1CBq6EEVtImSLUKyzTgyU28vU3MZGOc62kGISbXvDx1dL6bNX_UdBsdFoqeKHHUWssFvoXyE2ZRiaduRoUbYpZM_eTgBVBX-MEDY-ZNdV9gczJQPUwimt4kVzQ7-mrzcJvBoyWI/s1600/Caffe+Bene+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-FXb1CBq6EEVtImSLUKyzTgyU28vU3MZGOc62kGISbXvDx1dL6bNX_UdBsdFoqeKHHUWssFvoXyE2ZRiaduRoUbYpZM_eTgBVBX-MEDY-ZNdV9gczJQPUwimt4kVzQ7-mrzcJvBoyWI/s200/Caffe+Bene+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><div>
While at Caffe Bene with my cousin, I decided to drink a mocha latte (of course for a Instagram pic), but I actually never had art latte! The latte was perfect - not too bitter and not too sweet, it was a perfect balance. </div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="text-align: center;">Overall, I absoultey loved Caffe Bene. While the price were slightly higher than Starbucks, it definitely pays for the atmosphere and drinks. I'll be sure to head back to Caffe Bene! Be sure to stop by this amazing cafe when in LA!</span><br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Find Caffe Bene:</b><br />
1.) <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15.5999994277954px;">3287 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010 </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15.5999994277954px;">(213) 384-3713</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15.5999994277954px;"> (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/caffebene-los-angeles-8" target="_blank">Yelp</a>)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15.5999994277954px;">2.) </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15.5999994277954px;">607 S Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90005 </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15.5999994277954px;">(213) 251-1022 (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/caffebene-los-angeles-2" target="_blank">Yelp</a>)</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
Patrick Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03589231070322829420noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-395947815339984249.post-43209259994060098612015-07-23T00:01:00.001-07:002015-07-23T00:01:00.101-07:00Feature + Guest Post: Rome in Love by Anita Hughes<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJIlKg1sOq5SYkQXTPSOBBZQ8w6AtA1bnw3x1a18sYE86qLAO81hyphenhyphenpI3vfGATTTLER4RrvV4XqxZ0vUZbw7TVfu6i975gMd8gz-DxqoB6hRsDZS2V5xIlyNCER_Egjxj3qFiA88qHxdE/s1600/Feature+Button+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJIlKg1sOq5SYkQXTPSOBBZQ8w6AtA1bnw3x1a18sYE86qLAO81hyphenhyphenpI3vfGATTTLER4RrvV4XqxZ0vUZbw7TVfu6i975gMd8gz-DxqoB6hRsDZS2V5xIlyNCER_Egjxj3qFiA88qHxdE/s400/Feature+Button+.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This week I am excited to share a feature plus a guest post on Anita Hughes's new novel, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Rome in Love</i>! Be sure to check out the book below and the guest post right after it :)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img height="400" src="https://travelingwitht.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/rome-in-love-by-anita-hughes.jpg" width="266" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 2px dashed rgb(255, 153, 0); padding: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Goodreads Summary: </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 19.8799991607666px; text-align: start;">When Amelia Tate is cast to play the Audrey Hepburn role in a remake of</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 19.8799991607666px; text-align: start;"> </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 19.8799991607666px; text-align: start;">Roman Holiday</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 19.8799991607666px; text-align: start;">, she feels as if all her dreams have come true. She has a handsome boyfriend, is portraying her idol in a major motion picture, and gets to live in beautiful Rome for the next two months.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 19.8799991607666px; text-align: start;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="ecxMsoNoSpacing" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 20.8266677856445px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; text-align: start;">
<span style="line-height: 19.8799991607666px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />Once there, she befriends a young woman named Sophie with whom she begins to explore the city. Together, they discover all the amazing riches that Rome has to offer. But when Amelia's boyfriend breaks up with her over her acting career, her perfect world begins to crumble.<br /><br />While moping in her hotel suite, Amelia discovers a stack of letters written by Audrey Hepburn that start to put her own life into perspective. Then, she meets Philip, a handsome journalist who is under the impression that she is a hotel maid, and it appears as if things are finally looking up. The problem is she can never find the right time to tell Philip her true identity. Not to mention that Philip has a few secrets of his own. Can Amelia finally have both the career and love that she's always wanted, or will she be forced to choose again?<br /><br />With her sensory descriptions of the beautiful sites, decadent food, and high fashion of Rome, Hughes draws readers into this fast-paced and superbly written novel. <i>Rome in Love</i> will capture the hearts of readers everywhere.</span></span></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Now, here is the guest post from Anita about the inspiration behind <b><i>Rome in Love!</i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; line-height: 19.8799991607666px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> I have always been a fan of classic romantic movies, particularly the dialogue between actors like Cary Grant and Grace Kelly, Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, and Doris Day and Rock Hudson. One Christmas, I sat down to watch Roman Holiday and fell in love with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. In Roman Holiday, Audrey Hepburn's first starring role (for which she won an Academy Award) she plays a princess in Rome, who pretends to be an ordinary girl for a day. She meets a reporter (Gregory Peck) and of course they fall in love.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 19.8799991607666px;"> </span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; line-height: 19.8799991607666px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I was inspired to write ROME IN LOVE by watching Audrey Hepburn and by seeing the gorgeous locations in Rome. Hepburn has one of the most unique voices' I've ever heard. I watched all her movies (I especially loved TWO FOR THE ROAD with Albert Finney) and couldn't get her voice out of my head. I thought about writing an updated version of Roman Holiday - set in Rome, with all the glorious foods and clothes and monuments. It was great fun to write and I discovered many interesting things about Audrey Hepburn's past while I was researching the book.</span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; line-height: 19.8799991607666px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I hope my readers enjoy a short holiday in Rome when they read ROME IN LOVE!</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><i>Be Sure to Follow Anita @ Her Social Media:</i></b></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; text-align: start;">
<span style="line-height: 19.8799991607666px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Website: <a href="http://anitahughesbooks.com/" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit;" target="_blank">http://anitahughesbooks.com/</a></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; text-align: start;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 19.8799991607666px;">Facebook:</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 19.8799991607666px;"> </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/anitahughesauthor" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 19.8799991607666px;" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/anitahughesauthor</a></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 22.7199993133545px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; text-align: start;">
<span style="line-height: 19.8799991607666px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/hughesanita" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit;" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/hughesanita</a></span></span></div>
</div>
Patrick Castrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03589231070322829420noreply@blogger.com1