tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547106534314965692024-03-06T00:15:16.974-05:00Harmony's Radiant ReadsA YA book blog for book lovers :)Harmony B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11555478852912269168noreply@blogger.comBlogger554125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54710653431496569.post-81536326850498761492012-11-05T10:46:00.002-05:002012-11-05T10:46:47.333-05:00This Blog Has Officially MovedSO IT'S TIME!<br />
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After a week of continuous techy-type stuff and switching over to wordpress and getting everything finalized, I have a new website! Which means that this beautiful blogspot is now my old blog and my new blog is:<br />
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<a href="http://radiantreads.com/"><span style="font-size: x-large;">radiantreads.com</span></a></div>
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I KNOW A DOMAIN AND EVERYTHING! So if you want to keep following this good 'ole blog, please make your way over there because this shall be my last post on blogspot.<br />
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Thank you so much for your patience and I'm excited to continue our journey other there!<br />
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-HarmonyHarmony B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11555478852912269168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54710653431496569.post-31943102611291277922012-10-26T12:39:00.003-04:002012-10-26T12:40:17.349-04:00This Blog Is Officially Under Construction Hey guys! So I casually mentioned my move to Wordpress earlier this week and now I'm officially saying: YES. IT IS HAPPENING.<br />
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I won't be posting this weekend because of my insane fear something is going to go wrong if I do things on this website while everything is being man-handled so I will see you guys on Monday!<br />
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I'm seriously so excited for you guys to see the new design; it's gorgeous. As an apology for my lack of posting, here's a video of a scene from What's Left Of Me by Kat Zhang made by the awesome people at MainstayPro (same people who did the Katniss/Rue scene before the movie happened and the people who did the Finnick and Annie miniseries)<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZB4_qy2ALQ&list=UUzwaBPmCFAGErpYrpusj1bw&index=1&feature=plcp"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4ZB4_qy2ALQ?list=UUzwaBPmCFAGErpYrpusj1bw&hl=en_US" width="560"></iframe></a><br />
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I hope to see all of you on the new site when I put the link up!<br />
-HarmonyHarmony B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11555478852912269168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54710653431496569.post-28265296522064278292012-10-23T16:46:00.001-04:002012-10-23T16:46:19.376-04:00Top Ten Tuesday: Halloween Books!I thought this looked fun and since Halloween is coming up, let's do this! (also just a warning before my official announcement: I WILL be moving to Wordpress this weekend. I know, I know, crazy.)<br />
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TOP TEN BOOKS THAT WILL (HOPEFULLY) FREAK YOU OUT.<br /><br />1. <b>Frost by Marianna Bear </b><br />
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This is my go-to scary psychological freaky book. It's about a girl who moves in to an old boarding house with her friends for the school year and of course, horrifying stuff happens while she's there!<br />
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2. <b>Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves</b><br />
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Girl with manic depressive disorder that moves to this small town in Texas that has a bunch of freaky secrets? Reeves is a master at writing weird, slightly disturbing books and while this is the milder of the two, it's no exception!<br />
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3. <b>Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves</b><br />
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THE DAUGHTERS OF A SERIAL KILLER WHO HAVE TEA PARTIES OF BLOOD AND DESTRUCTION. Like honestly, best description I can give you for this eerie book.<br />
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4. <b>Ashes by Isla J. Bick</b><br />
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This one is less scary, more gory! But gore is kind of scary, right?<br />
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5. <b>Enclave by Ann Aguirre</b><br />
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Another one that is kind of gory but plus it's ALSO about freaky zombie-like things coming to kill and eat you.<br />
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6. <b>Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann</b><br />
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Oh man, guys. I thought this wasn't going to be that scary but did McMann prove me wrong. The chapters told in the point of view of the actual scary creatures were the worst part!<br />
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7. <b>Anything by Holly Black ever</b><br />
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It's dark and gritty and a great alternative if you don't want to get freaked out but you still want that kind of feeling of scary!<br />
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8. <b>Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr </b><br />
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Another dark series that I can definitely recommend!<br />
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9. <b>The Diviners by Libba Bray</b><br />
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SO GOOD AND YES FREAKY. Not scary enough that you'll be completely spooked but just enough ghosts and killers to get your blood pumping.<br />
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10. <b>The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin</b><br />
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I picked this one because the mystery and the unreliable narrator make for a very dark halloween-ish mood!<br />
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And that's it for me today!Harmony B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11555478852912269168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54710653431496569.post-40077618501222394092012-10-21T13:52:00.000-04:002012-10-21T13:52:33.422-04:00State of the Union 10/15<br />
Hey guys! There's going to be no "What I'm Watching" this week because it's all the same stuff! But here's a gif of one of the shows i'm watching anyway!<br />
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">WHAT AM I READING?</b><br />
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I sadly haven't started anything extensively but I started Through To You! Sounds like some crazy no nonsense hacker-style awesome punch of awesome so I'm excited to get it really into it!</div>
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">WHAT I POSTED:</b><br />
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Monday: <a href="http://harmonyradiantreads.blogspot.com/2012/10/cause-your-red-ribbon-has-me-tied-up-in.html">Burn For Burn Review</a><br />
Wednesday: <a href="http://harmonyradiantreads.blogspot.com/2012/10/food-for-thought-siblings-13.html">Food For Thought: Siblings</a><br />
Friday: <a href="http://harmonyradiantreads.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-vampire-diaries-4x02-memorials-lets.html">The Vampire Diaries Recap</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>BOOK HAULING IT UP:</b></span></div>
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For Review:<br />
Asunder by Jodi Meadows<br />
Prophecy by Ellen Oh<br />
Echo by Alyson Noel<br />
The Bully Book by Eric Gale<br />
The Lies That Bind by Lisa and Laura Roecker<br />
Midwinter Blood by Marcus Sedgwick<br /></div>
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Happy Reading!</div>
Harmony B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11555478852912269168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54710653431496569.post-22817809823671386972012-10-19T11:36:00.000-04:002012-10-19T11:36:00.249-04:00The Vampire Diaries 4x02 Memorials: Let's Talk About It!Hey guys! Welcome to another segment of what the hell is happening on Vampire Diaries! Terribly exciting! I predict Elena's breakdown, Caroline and Tyler 'thank god we're not dead' sex, and Damon being douchey.<br />
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<li>Little intro thing is playing and I hope the rest of them once we get into the season aren't this long. Last time: Elena became a vampire, Klaus is now out and about in his own body, and Bonnie killed her already dead grandmother. </li>
<li>We open to Elena and Stefan sleeping in the forest and then Damon berating Stefan because he wants to put Elena under an animal diet. I don't know why this is such a problem -- after Caroline had her first human feed, she was fine having animal blood. This irrationally over Elena is the kind of thing that gets on my nerves. I get she's the special snowflake of the show but she'll be fine given time considering the amount of people she has to help her through this. </li>
<li>She drank the blood and is freaking out with good reason and now she caught Damon and Stefan having a marital spat. Damon is being like YOU MUST BECOME KILLER PLZ. And I have no idea why he's trying to hard to make her into this hardened vampire hardcore person when she has the constitution of a butterfly. </li>
<li>Stefan and Elena are now intense vampire making-out in the forest. Jesus, doesn't getting slammed against a tree HURT? </li>
<li>AND then Elena vomits some blood; it's quite dramatic. </li>
<li>Now we have some guy coming in and oh! I recognize him from Tumblr! He's Connor, the new vampire hunter in town so we know shit's gonna start going down this very episode because unlike other shows were it takes ten season to do things, we get results in the same episode thank god. He's looking around the crime scene and takes some stuff. (crime scene being when the pastor burned them all). </li>
<li>Damon is drinking and Liz comes to accuse him of being the one to kill them all. He's surprised but really, Damon? Are you REALLY surprised? </li>
<li>Connor comes to speak with her in private and Liz gives Damon this "behave" face and it's amazing. </li>
<li>Jeremy and Matt are packing up some lanturns and stuff and talking about how Elena is fine but not fine. Matt still feels guilty and then that girl from Chloe King comes up and goes JEREMY. This is another new character I heard about (we're getting three this season, in case you're curious) and I gave her about five episodes before she's killed off. Considering they seem like they're going to be pairing her up with Jeremy, maybe three episodes. </li>
<li>April was at a boarding school but came for her DAD'S FUNERAL and it's clear there's no lost love between them considering she makes a joke about it. </li>
<li>Stefan takes out the champagne and he and Elena celebrate the fact she can now feed on animal carcasses! Yay!</li>
<li>Elena goes to see Damon and he says the seat next to him is taken and <i>oh my god it was Alaric's seat that is so sweet and sad urgh</i>. </li>
<li>Elena accuses him of burning people to death and he's like: god, no, how could you possibly thing that? I'm always harmless when I'm brooding. PFFT. </li>
<li>Then Elena is like halp me I don't keep animal blood down, I need human blood. And so he thinks better alternative, drink from me even though it's apparently an intimate experience or something and so they do it and it's weird how into it they are, haha. </li>
<li>CALLED IT CALLED IT TYLER AND CAROLINE IN BED. And Caroline is like: there's dead people and we're having sex. And Tyler is like bro it's totally fine let's keep going and Caroline is like: no man. And he's like: okay, I love you. And this is what bothers me about their relationship these days: all they do is have sex. And more sex. Like okay I get it horny teenage vampires, it's alright. </li>
<li>Connor shows up at their doorstep and Tyler comes downstairs to I guess like have a manly-stare off? Connor takes his hand AND HIS HAND IS FULL OF VERVAIN AND HE SHOTS TYLER. </li>
<li>Caroline is running out of bed and honey put some clothes on. She does, just barely, and HOW are you guys about to have sex with his mother downstairs? Oh my god, no. </li>
<li>Stefan is extracting bullets from Tyler who would've died if he was a regular vampire but good thing he's not!</li>
<li>Matt and Elena are handing out pamphlets of sadness through the church and her dress is pretty and quite innocent in contrast to her vampire-ness. </li>
<li>Elena goes to comfort April, who she used to babysit. They bond over how they went to each other's parent's funerals and April is freaking out because her dad sent her away and she doesn't like him but she doesn't want his part in the funeral to be empty. </li>
<li>Elena nearly bit April when she was stroking her arm in comfort and now she's vomiting blood again and it's really gross jeez. She has no idea what's going on through and yeah, this is weird. </li>
<li>Stefan is at Bonnie's house to ask her to look at the bullets I guess and aw, I love Stefan so much. He comforts everyone and he's so sweet. Bonnie is freaking out over the messages the witches sent and avoiding everyone. </li>
<li>Aw, Stefan is like: don't worry about what I was going to ask you because he's so sweet and nice, urgh. </li>
<li>WOW, Elena, there is BLOOD EVERYWHERE and so Damon is bringing her a different dress. </li>
<li>Connor and Damon are having a sass-off with Damon probably winning or something. </li>
<li>AND CONNOR JUST STABBED APRIL WOW I ACTUALLY GIVE HER <i>TOO</i> MUCH TIME. I thought I was being harsh!</li>
<li>Why would her doppleganger blood be rejecting the transition IF KATHERINE IS A VAMPIRE DAMON. But for some reason, Elena is rejecting the blood, probably because she's so disgusted by it. </li>
<li>Stefan just saw Damon hide a blood bag and to prove his point, he's told Stefan that Elena hasn't been able to keep any blood down. INCLUDING HIS. Wow Damon, that was a petty move. </li>
<li>Stefan is like: Tyler, why you here if Hunter is after you? And he's like: I'm not gonna let any hunter stop me! Which is dumb but okay, Tyler (also smiling like that at a funeral probably isn't the best idea). And then Caroline, because she is awesome, says: And if he comes around here, I'm gonna kick his ass. Stefan is amused. I can't wait for their friendship to finally show some more. </li>
<li>Oh god, April is currently unconscious so Elena is getting up to say a few words about Pastor Young and Damon puts holy water on himself and yeah, I have to admit it's amusing that he's amused by that. </li>
<li>HA, Stefan just told Damon to bite him and this always amuses me when vampires say that. </li>
<li>BLOOD ON THE WALL. Caroline and Tyler immediately sense it and then Damon tells none of them to move because it's a trap. But Elena is on-stage and having some major issues. </li>
<li>Thank god Stefan went to rescue him because she was about ready to burst. He needs to get her out of here. Even Caroline is kind of struggling to keep it in although Tyler seems perfectly fine. </li>
<li>Matt is like: dude just feed from me. And you can see Caroline and Tyler on the other side of the church like: WUT? But Elena does it and manages to pull back with surprising ease and thanks Matt for being awesome. </li>
<li>OH MY GOD TYLER. YOU ARE AWESOME. He goes up even though the vampire hunter is after him so that he could take the attention off everyone else and they can go get April or do whatever they have to do.</li>
<li>AND HE GETS SHOT. And everyone runs away and Caroline is like UM CALLED IT and runs over to pull the stake out once everyone is gone. Tyler is particularly hilarious in this episode with his: I'm gonna kill that bastard and his mom is like: OH MY GOD AMBULANCE. </li>
<li>HAHAHAHAHA oh my god best part of the episode. Stefan punches Damon while he's down</li>
<li>And then, in an amazing way, they make it so that it's CAROLINE who is the one to keep Elena from her bloodlust, which is awesome. She manages to calm Elena down from attacking April AND CAROLINE IS SO PRECIOUS OH MY GOD I LOVE YOU. </li>
<li>Caroline says Elena needs to compel April but she doesn't want to but Caroline says that the only way Elena is going to learn is by doing it herself and god, Stefan and Damon should be fired because Caroline neither coddles her nor is mean and harsh to her so she is obviously the better caretaker. </li>
<li>And then Jeremy and Matt are joking around about how Tyler got shot and Jeremy compliments a drinking Connor on his tattoo BUT HE DOESN'T HAVE ONE IT IS A SECRET TATTOO ONLY SPECIAL JEREMY CAN SEE. </li>
<li>Maybe it's a dead tattoo? </li>
<li>Connor lives in a trailer and he reads the letter Pastor Young left April which says they'll all reach salvation and that jazz. </li>
<li>Stefan is mad at Elena for not telling him the truth because it endangered her life and Elena is like chill and Stefan is like: YOU FED ON HIM and urgh, calm down. </li>
<li>"I thought Damon would understand"? Yeah because Stefan wasn't a ripper or anything. </li>
<li>"I'm sick of crying"! Yeah damn straight Elena. So she said you wanna know what's heightening? And I thought she was gonna say the body count but that's too sassy for Elena so she said grief. </li>
<li>Now they're lighting lanterns to commemorate their dead friends and relatives and Damon is refusing because of his refusal to deal with the fact Alaric is dead which is SAD. </li>
<li>WOW, Jeremy, your count is way too high how are you still sane. </li>
<li>Oh my god Damon is drinking and snarking in front of Alaric's grave and even though I rag on Damon a lot, THIS IS REALLY SAD. Ha "lighting lanterns is a Japanese way of letting go of the dead. guess what? we're not Japanese!"</li>
<li>AH OH MY GOD ALARIC IS THERE BUT NOT THERE I CAN'T. </li>
<li>Ha, Damon just called him and Stefan everyone's parents which is so true. AND THEN ALARIC SAYS MISS YOU TOO AND END OF EPISODE AW. </li>
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What did you guys think of the episode? April gonna last a bit longer? Also WHERE is the Klaus in this episode, people?<br />Happy Reading!</div>
Harmony B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11555478852912269168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54710653431496569.post-59611440151691054732012-10-17T17:00:00.003-04:002012-10-17T17:36:58.208-04:00Food For Thought: Siblings (13)Hey guys!<br />
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One of my favorite things when I'm reading a story is the interaction between family and I think I've talked about that before but I want to focus on something much more in-depth: siblings. (I did do a Food For Thought on parents, in case you want to check it out!)<br />
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I think one of the most interesting relationships to read about in YA is sibling relationships because there's so many different ways you can go about it. There's something really special about having a sibling and I think that so many novels don't focus on the intense and intricate relationship some siblings have.<br />
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I think the two extremes are something that I'd love to see in YA more often: the rivalry and the intense devotion. I love the idea of having two siblings being pitted against each other (an example would be Prophecy of the Sisters). Because how do you fight (or kill!) someone who is..kind of a part of you?<br />
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And then you have on the other spectrum (an example would be the first Iron Fey book), you have this deep connection between siblings that makes one of them cross countries to get to them and to keep them safe. This is probably my favorite because you can have close friends or close family but nothing beats the bond between siblings that are willing to sacrifice their lives for each other.<br />
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Now enough of my rambling, I want to hear your opinion! Siblings, yay or nay? Any great books that have siblings in it that you'd recommend to me?<br />
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Happy Reading!<br />
<br />Harmony B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11555478852912269168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54710653431496569.post-16498900483929001042012-10-16T16:24:00.003-04:002012-10-16T16:24:55.094-04:00"Cause your red ribbon has me tied up in knots"<br />
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<b>Title: </b>Burn For Burn</div>
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<b>Author:</b> Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian </div>
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<b>Release Date: </b>September 18th, 2012</div>
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<b>Publisher: </b>Simon and Schuster </div>
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<b>Pages:</b> 368</div>
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<b style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Cover Judge: </b><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">I love it! Each girl was exactly how I pictured them and the font is awesome</span></div>
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<b>Quote Choice</b>: I had a sneaking suspicion about this poem and I was right.<br />
<b>Source:</b> For Review </div>
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<b>Goodreads:</b> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13406425-burn-for-burn">Link</a><br />
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<i>Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister.</i><i><br /></i><i>Kat is tired of the rumours, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person– her ex-best friend– and she's ready to make her pay.</i><i><br /></i><i>Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And she's ready to prove it to him.</i><i><br /></i><i>Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they each had a taste.</i></blockquote>
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So...this was a weird book, not going to lie. It's been like two days since I read it and I'm still confused on what was even going on. And it doesn't start that way! It starts out like a normal contemporary and then just...what in the world.<br />
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But I'll get into that later! What you need to know is that it's about three girls -- Lillia, Kat, and Mary -- who all want revenge on three different people for three different reasons. And so, they all team together to exact their revenge (even if some of it is undeserved). Now, for the girls, I did enjoy reading about each of them! Even though Kat's "too badass for you" attitude got a little tiring, she was a crazy chick. Lillia was probably my favorite because I could empathize with her character (maybe because that was totally me in Middle School) -- hanging out with a popular crowd but a major goody-two-shoes. But what I loved is that she also had a sarcastic, biting streak to her as well as the fact she was protective of the people she cared about. Finally, Mary..was a little weird. But I liked her!<br />
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As for the plot, this is where I was confused. The motives for revenge are all legitimate and damn, were these girls going to some extremes to get what they wanted. This isn't child's play, this was real and scary, especially their closing act. But every once in a while, with Mary, they would sneak in some...suspicious behavior. I don't know if it was just coincidence but I really doubt it...but I gave an element of supernatural to it that's difficult to explain unless you've read the book.<br />
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Truth to told, I kind of felt for Rennie. Yeah she was an awful girl who was way too selfish and immature, but you could really see some glimpses of her that showed she cared about her friends and the people around her. Reeve was a total asshole and I liked Alex even though I'm still suspicious of him.<br />
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The end is what got me just...shaking my head at the book. It ends on such an abrupt note I was turning the blank pages like: "what in the world?" I felt like the story didn't tie up or resolve and with so many unanswered questions it really ruined my view of the book.<br />
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But that's my opinion, have you guys read it? What did you think?<br />Happy Reading!Harmony B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11555478852912269168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54710653431496569.post-91671089213040174152012-10-14T12:40:00.000-04:002012-10-14T12:40:08.547-04:00State of the Union: 10/8Hey guys! This week was full of staying after school so sadly, I didn't get to post everyday. Shame! But here's my state of the union!<br /><br />
<b style="font-size: x-large;">WHAT AM I WATCHING?</b><br />
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1. Hetalia: World Series<br />
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Guys. Seriously. This show is just too damn funny and sometimes freaky accurate in it's stereotypes, hahaha. I'm not done yet but I"m almost there considering how small the episodes are.<br />
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2. Tonari No Kaibutsu-Kun<br />
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I really wanted to find a GIF that would show how crazy epic this anime is, haha. Might I point out though guys: It's a shoujo. And I'm liking it! THIS IS A FEAT! I don't usually watch a lot of shoujo (I did when I was younger however!) and I've only ever seen two that I liked. But this one is awesome!<br />
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3. Durarara!!<br /><br />STARTED IT. I have absolutely no idea what it's about, haha. But it seems like it's going to be a wild ride! The main character is adorable and his best friend is the bomb and I want him to be my best friend ASAP.<br />
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">WHAT AM I READING?</b><br />
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So I obviously finished Vessel but I also finished Burn For Burn! I was kind of disappointed in it and I'll give my whole explanation in my review tomorrow.<br />
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Now I'm finishing up Because It Is My Blood by Gabrielle Zevin because I left it in my locker one day while I was half-way through and then just never got it again. But strangely enough, not because I didn't like it! Because I really was enjoying it, haha.</div>
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">WHAT I POSTED:</b><br />
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Wednesday: <a href="http://harmonyradiantreads.blogspot.com/2012/10/at-least-you-dont-have-to-eat-me.html">Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst</a><br />Thursday: <a href="http://harmonyradiantreads.blogspot.com/2012/10/if-you-likejourney-stories-3.html">If You Like....Journey Stories</a><br />Friday: <a href="http://harmonyradiantreads.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-vampire-diaries-3x01-growing-pains.html">The Vampire Diaries 4x01 Recap</a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">BOOK HAULING IT UP:</span></b>I'm so sad that I never make Book Haul videos anymore :( But until I get a camera, this can't be solved! Hopefully I can petition my parents for one soon, ha. </div>
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For Review:<br />
Through To You by Emily Hainsworth<br />Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys<br />Scarlet by Marissa Meyer<br />The Steam Mole by Dave Freer<br />
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Bought:<br />
This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers<br />Death Note Volumes 1-3 by Tsugami Ohba & Takeshi Obata<br />Fullmetal Alchemist Volumes 6-8 by Hiromu Arakawa<br />
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Happy Reading!</div>
Harmony B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11555478852912269168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54710653431496569.post-77666894835034832642012-10-12T17:03:00.001-04:002012-10-12T22:59:50.338-04:00The Vampire Diaries 4x01 Growing Pains RecapWelcome to the premiere recap of The Vampire Diaries! In which I kept shouting at the TV screen MOVE OUT OF TOWN OUT OF THE COUNTRY ANYTHING JESUS.<br />
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<li>A little recap of the past season with everyone saying Mystic falls is their home (and I keep thinking: GUYS. MOVE. SERIOUSLY) and blah blah blah </li>
<li>Drilling noises! Elena is waking up in a panic and Stefan and Damon are there to greet her. They're trying to break it to Elena gently that she's DEAD but you know, she's dead so you can't really break that to someone. </li>
<li>Damon is being bitter (with good reason because I mean Stefan is STRONG BRO) and now Elena knows she's transitioning and she's panicking (again with good reason). </li>
<li>Stefan is trying to give her false hope with Bonnie saying she's stronger than her but guys, Bonnie's plans usually backfire. Elena is like: but I dunz want to be a vampire! BETTER THAN DEAD, at least for me. </li>
<li>Stefan and Damon are fighting because Damon is like: I would've met Matt die obviously. Stefan ain't taking none of Damon's shit today and Damon is drinking. So you know, regular day. </li>
<li>Elena is checking for teeth in the mirror but sadly, she still hasn't gotten a pair of awesome fangs. Jeremy is there to comfort her with the not-comforting words: "That's worse than you turning into a vampire. I need my sister, not one of her." Wow, thanks of letting her now you'll love her no matter what. JEEZ. </li>
<li>Elena is having these crazy freak-out moments with a lamp and SO SHE CRUSHES THE LAP.</li>
<li>Oh my god, Tyler-Klaus! Seriously, Michael Trevino is an amazing actor. You can <i>so </i>tell it's Klaus even though it's Tyler's voice and body. Bonnie is buying herself some time so she can help Elena but Klaus isn't going to budge much. </li>
<li>In the Hospital of Mystic Falls, Meredith is being fired for using vampire blood. </li>
<li>Matt is angsting about how it's all his fault Elena is dead. But guys, I mean, it's not Matt ASKED to be taken out first. He was unconscious! Caroline as usual is being awesome and my favorite AND the voice of reason in saying: she didn't want to be dead. Now she's not. If Caroline could go through this with zero help, so can Elena. Also, it changed Caroline for the better and she knows that. </li>
<li>Matt is being douchey to Caroline EVEN THOUGH HER BOYFRIEND IS NOW DEAD SO CHILLAX. And now they're hugging which makes me happy because I like Matt and Caroline's friendship a lot. They give epic hugs.</li>
<li>Pastor Bob (that's what I'm naming him) is collecting Liz and Tyler's mom since they were hiding Caroline and Tyler from them. She calls Caroline, who still hasn't left, and Caroline ends up getting CAPTURED. </li>
<li>Wait, human food is disgusting to vampires? NO IT'S NOT! Caroline spent of her baby vamp days eating all the food in sight and she still eats people food! Her and Stefan went out to eat once! Whyyyy!</li>
<li>Elena is trying to calm Stefan down and Stefan is calming her down. But Elena is hysterical and laughing about her lame "crossing that bridge" joke and she's going to burst into tears any minute. </li>
<li>Yup, there are the tears. </li>
<li>Elena walks in and Damon just told her cute pjs. Damon she's not even WHOA OH MY GOD IT'S A MEMORY. It's <i>the</i> memory; the one where Damon tells her he loves her but then he compelled her to forget! Man, if I wanted them together, this would be an awesome moment. </li>
<li>Elena is now like WTF because she's getting all of her memories back. <i>All</i>. What does this mean? (probably nothing) Will it change anything? (probably not). </li>
<li>Rebekah is causing a mess of Klaus' room because she thinks he's dead and Damon came to let out some of his anger on the girl who caused all of this. Rebekah however, has other plans which involve getting shot in the back. </li>
<li>Stefan also has guns pointed at him </li>
<li>HAHAHAHA, I love Klaus. "This incessecent woman!" and then he answers the phone like HEY MOM! All the points to Trevino. </li>
<li>Klaus is also annoyed at Tyler's mom for calling but then she says Caroline has been taken and he's like EXCUSE ME I MUST GO SAVE MY LOVE. </li>
<li>Rebekah and Caroline are in the back of a van and TYLER!KLAUS TO THE RESCUE. Caroline is like: what the frigging hell I thought you were dead. But then Klaus doesn't get Rebekah and instead leaves her behind to keep the council busy. </li>
<li>Damon, Liz, and Meredith are trying to figure out a plan and failing epicly.</li>
<li>DAMON STOP GOD IT WASN'T MATT'S FAULT JESUS. </li>
<li>Pastor Bob is making small talk with Elena who is currently freaking out. He's serving her food which is not a good AND SERIOUSLY A BLOODY STEAK REALLY? This girl is gonna go bonkers. I can't believe Caroline had to go through this having no idea what was going on. And...she's knocked out. </li>
<li>Tyler!Klaus and Caroline are currently making out in the woods and every time Klaus tries pulling away, she attacks him with kisses, haha. But because he's so excited about making out with Caroline, he calls her love, which we all knows is Klaus' thing. (Also, best line of the whole episode: Wrong place, wrong time, wrong equipment. HA!) Caroline immediately notices and knows it's Klaus and not Tyler because this sort of thing is normal in Mystic Falls. </li>
<li>Klaus is being hilarious ("I was an innocent victim!") and Caroline is being disgusted so everything as usual. She tells him to get Tyler back in his body and he's more than happy to oblige because he wants to get back to his sexy British body. </li>
<li>It's Bonnie time! She's getting ready to do some major freaky magic and Jeremy is like: nothing's happening? Nothing is happening. The spirits aren't listening but Bonnie is willing to go to the dark side to get Elena back. So she does it and it's freaky and she has Elena and she's bringing her over BUT THEN HER GRANDMA APPEARS OUT OF NOWHERE AND GOES: NOPE!</li>
<li>And so, this is the story about how that plan backfired majorly. Rebekah is amused at the fact she's going to get to watch Elena die and Elena is getting ready to pass out from her need for blood.</li>
<li>Stefan is having a freak out because Elena is going to die in less than three hours and while he's throwing a fit, he gets shot in the leg. </li>
<li>Klaus is like: Bonnie, shut up, DO THE BLOODY SPELL. And when Bonnie says no, he's like oh no? Alright let me just kill Tyler's body then PFFT. And everyone is wigging out (even though I think he's bluffing but you never know with Klaus) and so, Bonnie agrees to do it. </li>
<li>Elena and Stefan are having a really touching moment now and even though I don't hardcore ship them either, I do like them together. I know Elena is going to live but this is still sad. Rebekah is watching and I have a feeling she's going to help them because she's a sucker for sob stories and romance.</li>
<li>Damon and Matt have arrived at the party and you know what's Damon's stupid plan to get in and save everyone? RIP MATT'S THROAT OUT TO CALL THE PASTOR OUTSIDE. Like honestly Damon enough of this already, god. Also you are dumb; they obviously have guns and vervain idiot. </li>
<li>Bonnie is doing the spell on Klaus to get him out of Tyler's body and it's working! Tyler is fine! EXCEPT NOT BECAUSE BONNIE CAN'T STOP!</li>
<li>But I mean what is happening to her grandma? I mean, she's DEAD. </li>
<li>Elena is finally getting some blood after a little teamwork by Stefan and Rebekah and it's taking her a ridiculious amount of time to reach other and get it. BUT SHE GETS SOME. And now she's officially a vampire!</li>
<li>Damon is being annoying to Matt again and ELENA AIN'T TAKING NONE OF THAT DOWN BOY. Stefan is now helping Matt up and Matt is being a stupid little boy so Stefan sets him straight. </li>
<li>Elena is telling Damon how she remembers anything but Elena is saying it doesn't change anything because she still loves Stefan more. And so, this should be the end of the love triangle! Damon, go find someone else and stop brooding! </li>
<li>Klaus is putting away the remaining blood and oh my god your haircut looks so good (I'm amused how he's supposed to be in a coffin decaying and yet he's hotter than ever AND WITH A HAIRCUT). </li>
<li>Rebekah is having a breakdown because she's always stuck through him and yet he saved Caroline and not her. And oh god this scene is so heart-breaking and he just snapped her neck and she'll wake up in a bit but his words definitely won't be forgotten easily. </li>
<li>Elena and Stefan are having a moment on the roof and boom! End of episode! </li>
<li>EXCEPT NOT WAIT THE PASTOR IS BURNING EVERYONE WHAT THE HELL THIS MAKES NO SENSE. </li>
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Good start to the season, excited to see what's happening next! Plus, new characters coming soon! What did you guys think?<br />
-Happy Reading!</div>
Harmony B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11555478852912269168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54710653431496569.post-88554285879265650552012-10-11T16:34:00.000-04:002012-10-11T16:34:29.704-04:00If You Like...Journey Stories (3)Ah, the blessed Journey stories. If you don't know what a journey story is it's pretty self-explanitory: it's a book about a person or a group or people that spend the entire novel traveling from Point A to Point B for some reason or purpose. It would range from roadtrips to high fantasy treks across deserts so let's do this!<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9917938-blood-red-road">Blood Red Road </a>| Moira Young<br /><br />No doubt about it, this is an epic journey story. Saba is an amazing heroine and her journey across desert, town, and mountains along with all the people she meets on the way is a book I recommend to everyone. The beginning is a little slow but once you hit the twenty page mark, you won't be able to stop.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9672990-saving-june">Saving June</a> | Hannah Harrington<br />
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A road-trip book! Sad, poignant and just a damn good read. I seriously recommend it; it's probably my favorite road trip book.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7824322-between-shades-of-gray">Between Shades of Gray</a> | Ruta Sepetys<br />
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Now some people might not consider this a journey story but once is Lena is constantly moving around from different work camps and harsh conditions, I'm counting it. This is a book I think everyone should read at least once (I've read it twice and am contemplating a third time) just because it's THAT good a book.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3236307-graceling">Graceling</a> | Kristin Cashore<br />
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Haha, it's been a while since I've mentioned my favorite book! Of course Graceling is a journey story since the entire book is Po and Katsa's journey to finding his niece and discovering everything that's going down in Leck City and all that good stuff.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6580510-brightly-woven">Brightly Woven </a>| Alexandra Bracken<br />
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Another one of my favorite books (most of my favorite books are journey stories; I'm a sucker for them. Fun fact: most of the novels I write myself, when I do write, are journey stories) because it's so amazing! The characters are great, the world-building is phenomenal, and the writing is..well, it's Alexandra Bracken! Enough said.<br />
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Happy Reading and DON'T FORGET VAMPIRE DIARIES TONIGHT!Harmony B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11555478852912269168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54710653431496569.post-19793441294535385672012-10-10T16:24:00.001-04:002012-10-10T16:24:32.192-04:00"At least you don't have to eat me."<br />
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<b>Title: </b>Vessel</div>
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<b>Author:</b> Sarah Beth Durst</div>
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<b>Release Date: </b>September 11th, 2012</div>
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<b>Publisher: </b>Simon and Schuster </div>
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<b>Pages:</b> 424</div>
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<b style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Cover Judge: </b><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">I love it so much I can't even tell you. The scarf, the colors, the oriental style that's going on and guys she's wasn't white-washed! </span></div>
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<b>Quote Choice</b>: Liyana, you are too awesome for this world.<br />
<b>Source:</b> For Review </div>
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<b>Goodreads:</b> Link</div>
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<i>Liyana has trained her entire life to be the vessel of a goddess. The goddess will inhabit Liyana’s body and use magic to bring rain to the desert. But Liyana’s goddess never comes. Abandoned by her angry tribe, Liyana expects to die in the desert. Until a boy walks out of the dust in search of her.</i><i><br /></i><i> Korbyn is a god inside his vessel, and a trickster god at that. He tells Liyana that five other gods are missing, and they set off across the desert in search of the other vessels. For the desert tribes cannot survive without the magic of their gods. But the journey is dangerous, even with a god’s help. And not everyone is willing to believe the trickster god’s tale.</i><i><br /></i><i> The closer she grows to Korbyn, the less Liyana wants to disappear to make way for her goddess. But she has no choice: She must die for her tribe to live. Unless a trickster god can help her to trick fate—or a human girl can muster some magic of her own.</i></blockquote>
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So I have a lot of feelings about Vessel and so, it's probably going to be difficult to write up this review but of course I'll try!<br />
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Vessel is a really unique story in both the plot and the way it's written. Plot-wise, it's about a girl Liyana who is a "vessel" -- a person chosen by one of the gods of the desert to be their human sacrifice of sorts. So she's all ready to be sacrificed but the problem is? Her goddess, Bayla, never comes. So when Korbyn, the trickster God, comes to her when her clan has exiled her and says the gods are in trouble and he needs her help, she jumps in to help. Now, the world-building in this story is amazing. I think it's what makes it so unique -- you have this fantasy world filled with these amazing myths and legends and desert people that worship these magical gods. But the thing I found really unique was the way Durst presented the story.<br />
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It's written in third person, for one. But it's written in a sort of...detached sense, if that makes any sense. I adored Liyana; I thought she was brave, fearless, and compassionate. She knew what she had to do and was willing to make sacrifices to do it (but she also knew that sometimes she just had to give herself a moment to cry). It was also very interesting watching her already, you know, get to have a life full of adventure as opposed to the sheltered life she's lived her entire life while being a vessel. But still, I was detached. I wasn't in her head but it really worked for the story because it made it almost like a myth itself.<br />
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I say this because a large part of the story is about the legends surrounding the gods and how this world was created. Liyana tells these amazing stories about sand worms and her deities and all this good stuff and so, it was written in way like that as well.<br />
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The other characters were great but you guys are going to be shocked when I say this but: I loved how subtle the development of the side-characters was. Really, none of them have much screen time which is usually something that gets me sad! But the way the characters of Pia, Maara, and Fennik are presented is just so nice and beautiful and seriously, I love Pia anyone who doesn't is wrong.<br />
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Finally, we have Korbyn. Not gonna lie, I was a bit disappointed at the fact it didn't really go anymore. It was subtle and beautiful and I would've wanted a more satisfying ending with that, even if they ended up not getting together. It felt like I was being teased for so long and it didn't end up amounting to anything. As for the other romance issue in the book, it fit but I wasn't very happy with it anyway. It was just thrust on me but at the same time...I was cool with it. Why? Because it <i>felt</i> like the ending to the epic that I felt like I was reading. It felt like it fit in well with the story and so, all the things I usually hate evaporated.<br />
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The point of this is: even the things you hate can be done totally right and you have to pick up this book.<br />
Happy Reading!Harmony B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11555478852912269168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54710653431496569.post-40466234086154986242012-10-07T11:19:00.001-04:002012-10-07T11:19:04.113-04:00State of the Union: Week of 10/1<br />
Hi everyone! I've fallen in love with doing State of the Unions so this is definitely going to become a regular thing on the site. As for my return from not blogging, i'm loving it! And I'm so glad all of you decided to stick around in my absence, haha. There's going to be some big changes around here soon enough (once my new layout is finished, which will hopefully be some) and some features that will come along with the new look!<br />
<b style="font-size: x-large;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />WHAT AM I WATCHING?</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erza is flawless. Natsu is adorable.</td></tr>
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1. Fairy Tail<br />
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<i>Guys</i>. I seriously didn't think I was going to like this show that much but now i'm on episode 51 AND I LOVE EVERYONE. I honesty have so many feelings for the friendship between Gray, Erza, and Natsu that I can't express into coherent sentences. They are undoubtedly loyal to not only themselves but their entire guild and even though they constantly bicker (especially Gray and Natsu), they would sacrifice their lives for each other. I definitely recommend this anime!<br />
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This is really the only one I've been watching (and I've been rewatching Hetalia: Axis Powers because I can) but I'm going to be starting D. Gray Man and Duradura!! pretty soon so I'll fill you in next week!<br />
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">WHAT AM I READING?</b><br />
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I'm going to start reading the Fairy Tail manga as well as continue the Tsubasa Resevoir Chronicles since I haven't read them in forever and a half.<br />
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As for real people books, I finished The Diviners as you guys saw! Such a huge book but totally brilliant and I recommend it to everyone who loves good books.<br />
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I also just started Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst and I'm really loving it so far. This girl is a ritual sacrifice for a clan where if their god doesn't show up to collect the sacrifice, they will starve and die. <i>And then their God doesn't show up</i>. It's an awesome fantasy with a rich world and I'm enjoying the main character so this'll probably be good! Durst always has awesome books though so I'm not even surprised.</div>
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<br />
<b style="font-size: x-large;">WHAT I POSTED:</b><br />
<br />
Monday: <a href="http://harmonyradiantreads.blogspot.com/2012/10/once-upon-time-recap-2x01-broken.html">Once Upon A Time 2.01 Recap</a><br />
Tuesday:<a href="http://harmonyradiantreads.blogspot.com/2012/10/food-for-thought-friendship-is-magic-12.html"> Food For Thought: Friendship is Magic</a><br />
Thursday: <a href="http://harmonyradiantreads.blogspot.com/2012/10/charity-begins-at-home-so-does-mental.html">The Diviners Review</a><br />
Saturday: <a href="http://harmonyradiantreads.blogspot.com/2012/10/favorite-book-first-lines-again-with.html">Favorite Book First Lines</a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">BOOK HAULING IT UP:</span></b></div>
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For Review:<br />
The Diviners by Libba Bray<br />
Unremembered by Jessica Brody<br />
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Borrowed:<br />
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa<br />
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Gifted:<br />
Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi (if you guys don't know the story: my copy got stolen at my school when I was halfway through it. And <a href="http://www.katiesbookblog.com/">Katie</a>, because she is awesome, gave me her second copy!)<br />
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Happy Reading!</div>
Harmony B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11555478852912269168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54710653431496569.post-59885062832944849482012-10-05T16:30:00.001-04:002012-10-05T16:30:35.282-04:00Favorite Book First Lines: Again With The Shock FactorHey guys! So I was thinking about what I wanted to post about today and then I realized I didn't get to do Favorite Book First Lines on Totally Booksessed a few weeks ago and I want to do it here!<br />
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The first line of your book is arguably one of the most important. Once your cover and black/side flap interest your reader enough for them to actually open your book, you have one final impression to make before they dive in. If I'm at B&N, I'll give things a chapter to catch my attention. If it's a review book or a book I already bought, I'll give it 50 pages. But! Sometimes that first line is just so awesome, so epic, I have to keep reading and that's that!<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Imagine my surprise when, after three centuries of fighting with siblings ov a spare furry teat and licking my water from a bowl, I was given a huge human nipple, all to myself, filled with warm mother's milk."</blockquote>
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<div style="text-align: right;">
- The Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S King</div>
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Why: GUYS. If you know what this book is about, which I didn't have a very detailed notion of, you're immediately like WUT. </div>
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"It did not surprise Fire that the man in the forest shot her." </blockquote>
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- Fire by Kristin Cashore </div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
Why: You'll probably stop to notice I love shock factor in my first lines. </div>
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"Wait, did you, you just yawned!" The vampire's arms, raised over his head in a classic Dracula pose, dropped to his sides."</blockquote>
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- Paranormalcy by Kiersten White</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
Why: This is SO SO perfectly Evie, I adore it. Plus it automatically fills you in that this is going to be a funny book. </div>
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"It was the first day of November and so, today, someone will die."</blockquote>
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- The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater </div>
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Why: AGAIN WITH THE SHOCK FACTOR.</div>
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"I bear a deep red stain that runs from my left shoulder down to my right hip, a trail left by the herbwitch's poison my mother used to try to expel me from her womb."</blockquote>
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- Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
Why: This might be my favorite of all of them, actually! This simple line has so much pain, memories, and sadness in it that it makes you stop and gasp to yourself. </div>
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I really want to hear some of your favorite first lines so leave them down below! Happy Reading!Harmony B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11555478852912269168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54710653431496569.post-29081614465577647492012-10-03T16:22:00.000-04:002012-10-03T16:22:05.720-04:00“Charity begins at home.” “So does mental illness.” <br />
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<b>Title: </b>The Diviners (The Diviners #1)</div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<b>Author: </b><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Libba Bray</span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<b>Release Date: </b>September 18th, 2012</div>
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<b>Publisher: </b>Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan)</div>
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<b>Pages:</b> 578</div>
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<b style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Cover Judge: </b><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">I love it! Elegant, classy, slightly creepy with the eye and the dark covers. </span></div>
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<b>Quote Choice</b>: HA, I love Evie.<br />
<b>Source:</b> For Review </div>
<div>
<b>Goodreads:</b> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7728889-the-diviners">Link</a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."</i><i><br /></i><i><br /></i><i>When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.</i></blockquote>
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Now I can say <i>for sure</i> that Libba Bray's historicals are seriously what do it for me. I was discouraged because while I love her Gemma Doyle Trilogy, her last two contemporaries (although not really cotemporaries, what can I consider Beauty Queens and Going Bovine?) didn't really do it for me. But! The Diviners did not disappoint. (I can also officially say it's my favorite Libba book.)<br />
<br />
One of my favorite things about Libba's writing is that although it's lush, descriptive, and prose-tastic, it's not boring and long. She writes with a simplistic style that doesn't make me want to keep flipping the pages but still manages to be not only beautiful but in this case? <i>Creepy</i>. If you don't know what the book it's about, a girl named Evie moves to New York to live with her Uncle at the same time that her Uncle starts helping out on this murder case that is strangely leaning towards the Occult. The story shifts from three main perspectives (aside from the killers): Evie, Theta, and Memphis but all in the third person. I loved this because while Evie is amazing, I loved hearing Theta and Memphis' stories, especially when they intertwined.<br />
<br />
But seriously, Evie was awesome. Evie was "spoiled and a bit selfish" (as Jericho calls her) but also kind-hearted and witty and she just...she's the kind of character who you know if they were real, they'd be the type of people who light up a room when they get excited about things. She was upbeat and unrelenting in her originality and spunk which is a great contrast against Theta, who while still being spunky and fun, is much more inherently sad and her story much more dark. All the same, I loved her and I loved her relationship with her best friend, Henry. They were what best friends should be: teasing and fun but deep down they had this loyalty and honesty towards each other that I really loved reading about. And finally, Memphis! Memphis is someone you have to discover on your own people!<br />
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The murder aspect itself is creepy and crazy, as things usually get when they involve the occult and supernatural! The killer's chapters were dark and twisted and the way the supernatural in this world was woven into the story was very seamless and realistic.<br />
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And finally, the romance. There isn't much in the book but just enough to get my toes tingling, really. While there is no implicit love triangle or anything, there is more than one person vying for Evie's attentions. This is something I love about Libba: when she gives her main character more than one opinion, it never feels like it's suddenly a love triangle or a competition. It just <i>is</i>. And because of this, I have to mention Jericho who I love because gah he was so sweet and shy and stoic. I adored him and I adored him and Evie's moment in the story. That isn't to say I didn't love Sam! I mean, handsome, rakish, and just a little bit dangerous? That's practically the formula for every bad boy persona except Sam manages to pull it off with such a charm and candor that I actually enjoyed it instead of rolling my eyes all the time.<br />
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All in all, I recommend it a thousand times over! Happy Reading!Harmony B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11555478852912269168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54710653431496569.post-32579530595439142242012-10-02T16:43:00.004-04:002012-10-02T16:43:28.238-04:00Food For Thought: Friendship is Magic (12)Hey guys! Today I have a Food For Thought for you so prepare yourselves for epic.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I felt this was appropriate due to the title of this post, even though I've never seen the show!</td></tr>
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<br />
So as I watch Fairy Tail (fangirling about my journey with this on State of the Union this weekend), I've been thinking a lot about how important friendships are when you're writing about a character's journey.<br />
<br />
What happens a lot of the time is that best friends or even just friends are quickly shoved to the side in favor of whoever the love interest (or love interests) are at the moment. They get left behind for the magical journey. Hell, they completely disappear for no reason sometimes!<br />
<br />
The reason I read is because I am fascinated by how people react to things. Seriously, it's something I discovered when I started roleplaying online last year. I love reading about how characters interact and feed off each other and connect and disconnect. So of course I love reading the evolution of love between people or between families but I think there's something really awesome and special about reading interactions between main characters and their friends.<br />
<br />
One of the best examples of this I think is Kate from Angelfire by Courtney Alllison Moulton. Kate has NO freaking idea about anything that is going on in Ellie's paranormal life, right? And that's okay! But instead of just making her disappear because she's not essential to the main plot, she's an important person in Ellie's life. She's a constant and she matters and I don't know if Ellie would survive and adapt to this new life as well as she has without this girl by her side.<br />
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So authors! Friends! Important! And now I turn to you lovely people, what do you think? Also: give me some of your favorite awesome best friend examples from YA done below!<br />
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Happy Reading!Harmony B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11555478852912269168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54710653431496569.post-80919663034179224642012-10-01T11:38:00.000-04:002012-10-01T17:08:28.222-04:00Once Upon A Time Recap: 2x01 Broken Ah! Hey guys! I've missed you so much but I'm finally back and better than ever! Books have been read, ideas have been stewing, a big change is coming up soon since my new layout is almost finished, AND WE HAVE A RECAP! Once Upon A Time came back today so let's get started!<br />
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<li>We start the scene with this really...weird start. I think this is New York City and some dude is walking around being followed by a camera and I don't recognize him or anything. He goes into this apartment and it's raining and...there better be a good explanation for this. A pigeon just...randomly left him a note. LOL, I'd probably die of laughter if this happened to me. BUT OH! The note is a postcard from Storybrooke!</li>
<li>Now we have cool stuff happening like horses and dramatic music OH MY GOD IS THIS MULAN I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS. Oh bah no it's Sleeping Beauty bummer. I mean YAY SLEEPING BEAUTY. But guys it's Wren from Pretty Little Liars and you know I hate him. Also how awkward waking up to a man you've never met kissing you. Oh but they've met okay that's good. </li>
<li>OH MY GOD IS THAT MARY FROM THE TUDORS? IT IS! Aurora is really confused and Philip is being annoying and not explaining anything because the entire landscape is barren and such. </li>
<li>We're back in Storybrooke and there is purple everywhere! I guess we're starting RIGHT where we ended, which was Snow and Charming hugging in the street. </li>
<li>Ruby and Snow are hugging and I loved their friendship so I'm happy. AWW ALL THE DWARVES AND GRUMPY LOVE YOU. </li>
<li>This is like a big happy reunion love it. AWKWARDEST REUNION EVER now that Emma has arrived.</li>
<li>LOL, Emma is probs like: this douchebag I've been hating on is my father and my BFF is my mother how awkward is this. And Snow is all happy but Emma is like: wut. </li>
<li>AHHH RUMPLE I MISSED YOU. Him and Belle break my heart, I love them. WAIT, she was locked in there for 28 years? She doesn't even look 28!</li>
<li>Back in Fairy Tale world, this guard is like: something suspicious is afoot. And he is right because CREEPY WRAITH DEMENTOR THING WHAT. That was weird. Also Philip tried fighting it back with a sword, you dumb Philip. But the wraith dropped a medallion that might be important</li>
<li>Rumple is now opening some box and OOP, there's the medallion! </li>
<li>Now the angry mob is at Regina's door and HA, I love how she opens the door. 'HELLO PEASANTS'. And now she's getting ready to use her powers except awkward she doesn't have any HA. </li>
<li>Oh my god seriously they just left to go get Rumple and RUMPLE COMES RIGHT WHEN THEY LEAVE SERIOUSLY. I love Queen/Rumple banter so this is a good scene. </li>
<li>Now Rumple says he's going to give her a fate worse than death and god dammit Rumple, you're going to lose Belle with that kind of attitude. </li>
<li>HA, I was right! It's a wraith! AND HOLY SHIT THE GUARD TOOK OFF HIS MASK AND IT'S A SHE. IT'S MULAN. YES YES YES. "You're a girl!" "A woman."</li>
<li>Aurora is like: wtf you fought with a girl. And Mulan is like bitch please. Philip god dammit stop keeping secrets from Aurora. </li>
<li>Now Rumple is doing something weird with his knife and the medallion which is causing Regina to wig out and her arm is burning. And now a creepy wraith is in our world and DAMMIT RUMPLE STOP.</li>
<li>LOL, Charming is looking at Snow like: don't push her and Snow is like: DISMYDAUGHTERIMUST. And oh my god best part of the episode: Snow is like "we talked about One Night Stands" and Charming is like: "WUT?". Oh please Charming YOU GOT MARRIED MAN. </li>
<li>Oh man my heart is BREAKING for Emma. She has a point: if she would've been cursed as well, at least they would've all been cursed together. </li>
<li>Mulan is so pretty. Hah, how awkward is it for Mulan with these two humping like rabbits every two seconds. BUT PHILIP IS CRYING WHY YOU CRYING.</li>
<li>Lol, Emma looks so pissed with Rumple but Rumple is pouring tea all calm-like. "Maybe I don't need answers, maybe I need to punch you in the face." Heh. </li>
<li>Rumple is using logic against Emma which always pisses her off. </li>
<li>The entire city looks like a scene from Twister and it's apparently because of the Wraith. Emma wants to stay and annoy Rumple but she has to go save Regina for some damn reason. </li>
<li>Oh man Rumple I told you, you mess everything up by talking! But don't worry, I still love you. </li>
<li>So Philip left so that these two would be safe from the Wraith but Mulan ain't having none of his self-sacrificing BS so she's giving after him. Aurora insists she'll be useful but Mulan is doubtful.</li>
<li>THE DEMENTOR--I MEAN WRAITH is here for Regina and she looks downright terrified. OH MY GOD IT'S A DEMENTOR BRO IT'S SUCKING HER SOUL. </li>
<li>Where did Snow even get a lighter and hair spray hahaha but whatever. </li>
<li>So apparently you can't kill the Wraith but when has not being able to do something stopped Emma? </li>
<li>So Regina is using Mad Hatter's Hat to make the Wraith go into an alternate world, from what I understand. But how are they going to make the hat work without Jefferson is my question. Another question: anyone remember what happened to him? Why isn't he here?</li>
<li>I'm waiting for Mulan and Aurora best friendship to start happening. </li>
<li>NO MULAN YOU LOVE SHANG. You can't love Philip! But apparently she does because Aurora said it and Aurora is omnipotent apparently. </li>
<li>Philip is sacrificing himself and he's very upset and this is very dramatic. Also: Philip said "I love you" as his last words but he didn't say it to either of their faces so I'm imagining Mulan is pretending it was for her and that is depressing. </li>
<li>THE HAT WORKED BECAUSE EMMA TOUCHED IT DUH. </li>
<li>Oh my god Emma fell into the hat with the Wraith AND THEN SNOW JUMPED IN. And then Charming tried to jump in but the portal closed so he just lost his wife and his daughter what no premiere you are being really good and awesome. </li>
<li>Oh my god Regina got her magic back and Charming is just the son of a shepherd and I cannot. </li>
<li>The one thing that can stop Regina in her tracks has arrived: Henry. And he ain't talking to her until Emma and Snow come back. </li>
<li>Awww Belle came back oh my god you two are precious. </li>
<li>Henry and Charming are staying at Snow's place until they come back and oh my god he just said: " will always find them". DEAD. </li>
<li>OH MY GOD this isn't a flash-back! This is in the real time because this part of the land was left untouched! Wuuuut. But time was frozen! Damn, that sucks. OH SO THE WRAITH THAT KILLED PHILIP WAS THE WRAITH THAT REGINA BROUGHT OVER WOW! That was good!</li>
<li>And so this means that Emma and Snow are going to have adventures! With Mulan and Aurora! In Fairy Tale land! Oh this is awesome. </li>
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And that's it for this week! What'd you guys think of the episode? Happy watching!</div>
Harmony B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11555478852912269168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54710653431496569.post-24423819445583535662012-09-20T18:35:00.002-04:002012-09-20T18:35:42.011-04:00Official Hiatus Post: Rest of September Hey guys!<br />
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So....I've sucked this past month. I know, you can tell me! I can take it.<br />
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I've posted nine posts in twenty days not to mention the fact I've hardly been able to read anything getting used to my new insane schedule. So...I'm taking the rest of September off. It's only ten days, not long, but it's long enough for me to get some books read, some ideas brewing, and everything set up.<br />
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You guys know I hate leaving. I love blogging and I'm not leaving it anytime soon so this is just me getting back into my element. Hopefully you all will be here once I'm back :) <br />
So I'll be back in ten days and good as new!<br />
<br />
See you soon,<br />
-Happy Reading!Harmony B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11555478852912269168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54710653431496569.post-86765834688078244932012-09-19T16:42:00.005-04:002012-09-19T16:42:35.174-04:00“Love sounded terrible if it made you so weak, you couldn't survive without it.” <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzlXeFFmXv-847KMiZwS7FHqKN06v6IhmwoYkwy7frY72oNvuFq7OPdtD0uOH2JgOKiQLfVzVh4j3dWSxBAJwIxOG3TIpZdg5-SDmcLV6pXVoYZHQ4q-AVFwKKuoscGHy7BaMy60qGOw/s1600/10193062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzlXeFFmXv-847KMiZwS7FHqKN06v6IhmwoYkwy7frY72oNvuFq7OPdtD0uOH2JgOKiQLfVzVh4j3dWSxBAJwIxOG3TIpZdg5-SDmcLV6pXVoYZHQ4q-AVFwKKuoscGHy7BaMy60qGOw/s400/10193062.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
<b>Title: </b>Outpost (Razorland #2)</div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<b>Author: </b><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Ann Aguirre</span></div>
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<b>Release Date: </b>September 4th, 2012</div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<b>Publisher: </b>Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan)</div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<b>Pages:</b> 336</div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<b style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Cover Judge: </b><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">It's really badass, I like it. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<b>Quote Choice</b>: An example of the exploration of emotions Deuce has to go through, love it.<br />
<b>Source:</b> For Review </div>
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<b>Goodreads:</b> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10193062-outpost">Link</a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Deuce’s whole world has changed. Down below, she was considered an adult. Now, topside in a town called Salvation, she’s a brat in need of training in the eyes of the townsfolk. She doesn’t fit in with the other girls: Deuce only knows how to fight.</i><i><br /></i><i>To make matters worse, her Hunter partner, Fade, keeps Deuce at a distance. Her feelings for Fade haven’t changed, but he seems not to want her around anymore. Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out.</i><i><br /></i><i>Deuce signs up to serve in the summer patrols—those who make sure the planters can work the fields without danger. It should be routine, but things have been changing on the surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks have grown smarter. They’re watching. Waiting. Planning. The monsters don’t intend to let Salvation survive, and it may take a girl like Deuce to turn back the tide.</i></blockquote>
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Sadly, I didn't like Outpost as much as I loved Enclave! I think this might be because in Enclave, <i>all of the things happen</i>. You're taken from below to above, going from places to places, meeting new people, discovering new things. But in Outpost, you're in the SAME place the whole time. I mean there's some revelations but nothing that really made me gasp and no action that had me flipping pages faster and faster.<br />
<br />
However, one thing that is always consistent? How much I enjoy Deuce. While I said before that I didn't like Outpost as much as Enclave, I <i>tore</i> through Outpost. I read it in one sitting and even though I would think to myself "nothing's even happened", I couldn't stop. Aguirre has that sort of writing style and she really hit the mark with Deuce. This is a girl who is smart and capable and trained to be a huntress going through the internal struggle of having to figure out...well, who she is. The "girl" part of Deuce, as she likes to call it. Now that she's not constantly struggling for her life and living with a set of foster parents that offer her comfort and warmth, she doesn't know what to do with herself. I loved reading about her exploration of feelings and being able to be around people again, especially when it came to her foster mother. I thought that relationship was the strongest out of everyone's and it was something that nearly brought me to tears at one point.<br />
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The Freaks were terrifying, as per usual. But it's not the fact that it was slightly gorey and freaky like in the first book. No instead, it was horrifying because of the moral questions that start to come into place half-way through the book. The idea that maybe these Freaks are people too and the only reason they're attacking is because they see <i>humans</i> as a threat. I was definitely impressed with this area of the novel.<br />
<br />
Finally, we have Fade. Ah Fade, I really liked you in Enclave. You were strong and silent, brave and understanding while still managing to be broken and flawed. But in Outpost? I just...didn't like you. Especially in the beginning! He was horribly jealous all the time, pretty emo, and super possessive. I understood where he was coming from but dude needed to calm down. His temper exploded throughout the whole book and it didn't remind me of the Fade I remembered in the first book. Stalker of course is the other romantic option but I'm sorry, I can't love A RAPIST. Like, this is something that is forgiven and forgotten from the first book? Seriously? Deuce is like: Oh man why does Tegan not like Stalker? Well, because he was one of the gang leaders of the gang who TOOK HER. Just...no. Tegan herself was awesome, as per usual.<br />
<br />
Overall, it's a good book and a really good series that can be addicting regardless of its other problems!<br />
-Happy Reading!Harmony B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11555478852912269168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54710653431496569.post-91313982717970690222012-09-16T12:52:00.002-04:002012-09-16T12:56:06.547-04:00State of the Union: Week of 9/9Hey guys! How you doing this fine day?<br />
<b style="font-size: x-large;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />WHAT AM I WATCHING?</b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.photobucket.com/image/fairy%20tail%20gif/Dansei/tumblr_lkotnyqKqY1qhjsago1_500.gif?o=68" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k603/Dansei/tumblr_lkotnyqKqY1qhjsago1_500.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">these are the main characters! </td></tr>
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1. Fairy Tail<br />
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So the reason I started this one is so silly: Guy With Pink Hair (it always takes me a while to remember people's names) looked a lot like Black Star (I spent the first three episodes calling him Pink Star). BUT I had also heard a lot of good stuff about it and it's really popular so I thought: why not! Most of the episodes are on Hulu and I'm really enjoying it so far. It's fun, filled with magic and some occassional deeper meaning, and badass-ness.<br />
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2. Sword Art Online<br />
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So I have so many mixed feelings about this series at the moment. <b>SPOILERS AHEAD FOR EPISODE 9 AND UP.</b> I mean, they're already MARRIED. I know it's meant to just be a short series but everything is happening so quickly and..booo. But Kirito and Asuna are still adorable and all that; I was just expecting some epic fighting and plot. I think it's just because I'm used to it but who knows.<br />
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3. Bleach<br />
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<i>I know</i>. I know. I am insane for starting this because it's on like episode 1000 but I wanted to ask you guys: worth it? I read the first volume at Barnes and Nobles yesterday and I liked it! But I've heard as the story goes on, the quality goes down.<br />
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">WHAT AM I READING?</b><br />
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<br /></div>
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I finished Ao No Exorcist / Blue Exorcist manga! I really, really enjoyed it and I can't wait for the next chapter to come out. Rin is amazing and once I got to the Impure King Arc, I was sold.<br />
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I got half-way through <i>Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi</i> but...it got stolen. I KNOW I KNOW, evil school people. I'm trying my best to track it down but I have a feeling it's lost forever. And I was at a good part so just...all the suck. As for my thoughts on the book sadly, it's not living up to the first one for me. More details once my review is up but that's my general thought.<br />
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Other than that, I'm almost done with <i>Beause it is my Blood by Gabrielle Zevin, </i>the sequel to All These Things I've Done and I'm loooving it. Seriously, she writes awesome books. </div>
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">WHAT I POSTED:</b><br />
<br />
Monday: <a href="http://harmonyradiantreads.blogspot.com/2012/09/author-interview-sarah-beth-durst.html">Sarah Beth Durst Interview</a><br />
Tuesday: <a href="http://harmonyradiantreads.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-crown-of-embers-by-rae-carson.html">The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson</a><br />
Thursday: <a href="http://harmonyradiantreads.blogspot.com/2012/09/if-you-likepost-apocalyptic-madness-2.html">If You Like....Post-Apocalyptic Madness</a><br />
Saturday: <a href="http://harmonyradiantreads.blogspot.com/2012/09/food-for-thought-character-appearances.html">Food For Thought: Character Appearances</a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">BOOK HAULING IT UP:</span></b></div>
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For Review:<br />
Fathomless by Jackson Pearce (excited! Jackson's book are usually hit or miss for me so we'll see!<br />
Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst (SO PSYCHED OH MY GOD)<br />
In A Fix by Linda Grimes (Haven't heard of it and it showed up unexpectedly! But it looks cool so I'm gonna give it a shot)<br />
<br />
Bought:<br />
Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 1 by Hiromu Arakawa (I've read the entire manga but since she is brilliant, I want to support her and buy the entire series. Slowly but surely!)<br />
Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 4-5-6 by Hiromu Arakawa<br />
<br />
Gifted:<br />
Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear (Ahh! Suzanne is so sweet and sent me one of her author copies signed!)</div>
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Happy Reading!</div>
Harmony B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11555478852912269168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54710653431496569.post-50350790263912556462012-09-15T11:39:00.000-04:002012-09-15T11:39:02.709-04:00Food For Thought: Character Appearances (11)Hey guys! So today's topic is a bit of a random subject but it's something I think about a lot: character descriptions.<br />
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<a href="http://media.photobucket.com/image/panic%20gif/scmont06/tumblr_lnmp7d2rdE1qfwrx4.gif?o=12" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y97/scmont06/tumblr_lnmp7d2rdE1qfwrx4.gif" /></a></div>
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I always see people getting annoyed when they have models on the cover that don't match their descriptions/models at all because it distorts the image in their head. The description of the character is the only thing that matters, you know?<br />
<br />
But I don't pay attention to them. Like I could read a book where the main character's features aren't mentioned once and I'd likely not even notice.<br />
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I can't tell you the features of virtually away of my favorite characters (a few notable exceptions: I know Katsa's hair is brown, Meghan's hair is blonde, Four has a crooked nose)<br />
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I'm really curious if I'm the only one who does this? When I'm reading a book, the picture in my head are just like....blobs. I don't even know how to explain it coherently but it's just never something that comes to mind when I'm recalling a book I've read.<br />
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So let me know down in the comments and guys: if you want me to cover anything on Food For Thought (or if it's something lengthy, a discussion post) just leave it down in the comments below! You guys know I love writing discussion posts.<br />
Happy Reading!Harmony B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11555478852912269168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54710653431496569.post-41618140866813898222012-09-13T16:50:00.001-04:002012-09-13T16:50:46.118-04:00If You Like...Post-Apocalyptic Madness (2)This week I have books for people who love post-apocalyptic novels! I think they're awesome because only dystopian which are usually about a uniformed society and breaking apart from it? THESE ARE ALL ABOUT CHAOS.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3Za37RjXOR07lWPPquGgUV8OvYUY4da1STiVmambZKefhz5FWcSFRC7fFex3JcufKYVS6YWM8nAGMKBXVFhrNSj8hiT0PAqJW4SF7A_GUfukg7bGWMHvO-s-CLn7b0_V7pnx1X8JnQ/s1600/12432229+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3Za37RjXOR07lWPPquGgUV8OvYUY4da1STiVmambZKefhz5FWcSFRC7fFex3JcufKYVS6YWM8nAGMKBXVFhrNSj8hiT0PAqJW4SF7A_GUfukg7bGWMHvO-s-CLn7b0_V7pnx1X8JnQ/s320/12432229+(1).jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2-99viouUM9RM5uh3NztFCLQHARF8bGN3-jUHxv9Ft6tfVqTOchWkkUPn43MFprE6b1ATWcrGPHCU1GixPEYsNhnGQanSXYIYQHrcigHDv1rdxOJGevg15-OpJtO4mW2U9WJ9WMdSw/s1600/7903871.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2-99viouUM9RM5uh3NztFCLQHARF8bGN3-jUHxv9Ft6tfVqTOchWkkUPn43MFprE6b1ATWcrGPHCU1GixPEYsNhnGQanSXYIYQHrcigHDv1rdxOJGevg15-OpJtO4mW2U9WJ9WMdSw/s320/7903871.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12432229-struck">Struck by Jennifer Bosworth </a></div>
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Definitely! An earthquake shatters Los Angeles and you have: crazy cults, religious fanatics, powers, all that good stuff. </div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9975679-ashes">Ashes by Isla J. Bick</a>:</div>
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My favorite on this list without a doubt. Dark, well-written, and just gory enough that you might wince once or twice, it's an awesome book with zombie-like mutants. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBa9kPlWkVrDcjhnkb-TAWL79Mwk5EVA1A1Ge9WtyMoshYfzzqglBC9WPJvJ5MG7YQbnV1NTI3cMjwAOyv9yAGRrnprVjvdyIHQGTM4MgCmBIYonTwO9jxpX55rn17TN_FyQaxFSueA/s1600/7137327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBa9kPlWkVrDcjhnkb-TAWL79Mwk5EVA1A1Ge9WtyMoshYfzzqglBC9WPJvJ5MG7YQbnV1NTI3cMjwAOyv9yAGRrnprVjvdyIHQGTM4MgCmBIYonTwO9jxpX55rn17TN_FyQaxFSueA/s320/7137327.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8iW16tqmyZxIH_1AAZ6ScapHMjUeIg4hpYfVhpfJj85Ufms243ixcC6Xv-ObTD02TuXLujaEI8u3u1wciBNVQ649hbKfCKqbo4un0vOhSt4RG5R1Y_H_01I920BLx4qVUleTz-4Jig/s1600/12476820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8iW16tqmyZxIH_1AAZ6ScapHMjUeIg4hpYfVhpfJj85Ufms243ixcC6Xv-ObTD02TuXLujaEI8u3u1wciBNVQ649hbKfCKqbo4un0vOhSt4RG5R1Y_H_01I920BLx4qVUleTz-4Jig/s320/12476820.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7137327-enclave">Enclave by Ann Aguirre: </a></div>
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Again with zombie-like mutants! But Enclave is about a girl who lives in this underground warrior tribe and once she's kicked her, her and her partner, Fade, are forced to travel Above. </div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12476820-partials">Partials by Dan Wells:</a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
I loved this book! Smart, funny, and addicting, it's definitely a thick book but a good read! Plus the heroine is seriously just <i>the best</i>. Determined, spunky without being overly sarcastic, and just plain cool.</div>
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And that's all for me! See you tomorrow!</div>
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Happy Reading.</div>
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Harmony B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11555478852912269168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54710653431496569.post-61379168354138793282012-09-11T16:47:00.001-04:002012-09-11T16:47:31.684-04:00The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRWUf29uRkjqOc0UD4VttF0EHsV2rOpHVmQSY8KHB0joXqFHRe6TV5iTK5wWt7E2U7sHSD0Vuu0oVwqcdhntiK4ZtpkfKdDT9NTNrNuyvjnrO6DOI6yz3I7ryvt3I9k27jltczX1kNvw/s1600/10816908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRWUf29uRkjqOc0UD4VttF0EHsV2rOpHVmQSY8KHB0joXqFHRe6TV5iTK5wWt7E2U7sHSD0Vuu0oVwqcdhntiK4ZtpkfKdDT9NTNrNuyvjnrO6DOI6yz3I7ryvt3I9k27jltczX1kNvw/s400/10816908.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
<b>Title: </b>The Crown of Embers (Fire and Thorns #2)</div>
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<b>Author: </b><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Rae Carson</span></div>
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<b>Release Date: </b>September 18th, 2012</div>
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<b>Publisher: </b>Greenwillow (Harper)</div>
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<b>Pages:</b> 410</div>
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<b style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Cover Judge: </b><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">It matches so I like it! Plus, it has a very high fantasy-esque feel to it.</span></div>
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<b>Quote Choice</b>: Gargh, I don't have my copy today so I can't find the quote I chose for this review!<br />
<b>Source:</b> For Review </div>
<div>
<b>Goodreads:</b> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10816908-the-crown-of-embers">Link</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><br /></i><i>In the sequel to the acclaimed The Girl of Fire and Thorns, a seventeen-year-old princess turned war queen faces sorcery, adventure, untold power, and romance as she fulfills her epic destiny.</i><i><br /></i><i>Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey. With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. That is not all she finds. A breathtaking, romantic, and dangerous second volume in the Fire and Thorns trilogy.<br /> </i><i><br /></i><i>- from Goodreads</i></blockquote>
</div>
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<br />
Oh my god, guys. So when I read Girl of Fire And Thorns I was like: nothing can top this. AND THEN I READ CROWN OF EMBERS. So you know to expect some fangirling in this review.<br />
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Elisa is queen now and between Inviernos threats that they thought they had eradicated coming back to haunt her and this crazy spirit journey she has to take to save her kingdom, you're in for a wild ride. Elisa, as always, was a great heroine. She's a girl who's been thrust into a position of power that she feels too inexperienced to deal with while having to deal with the fact that there's hardly anyone living in the castle that has her best interests in mind. She's young and confused but Rae Carson knows how to write a damn good heroine which means that for every flaw that this girl has, she is gifted with a lovely persona and a brave nature. With Elisa, there is always room for improvement because she is a wonderfully flawed character.<br />
<br />
The plot <i>is damn crazy, guys. </i>I loved reading about it because I liked that the story isn't set in one place like I thought it was going to be: the castle. While we do stay there for a while to set the scene and see where the kingdom is since Alejandro's stepping down from the throne, we are almost immediately thrust into a journey that is even more treacherous than the first. And then of course, we have the Godstone drama. I love that while religion and the religion of this High Fantasy world is an important part of the story, it's not being shoved in your face. I mean, Elisa gets power from <i>praying</i> but I don't feel like I'm having religious preaching forced on me.<br />
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Guys. You thought the romance was good in GoFaT? YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW MY HEART WAS LIKE ON FIRE. It looks a lot for me to full-on swoon and this book managed to make it happen multiple times. The sexual tension and the sadness at the idea that their love is so impossible while still holding a sliver of hope is just...lovely. Everything about it was lovely.<br />
<br />
This book was just fantastic and it definitely lives up to the first book! Also can we just...mention that ending? Way to sever my heartstrings, gah. Can't wait for the final book.<br />
Happy ReadingHarmony B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11555478852912269168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54710653431496569.post-22803555665970714352012-09-10T16:24:00.003-04:002012-09-10T16:24:36.055-04:00Author Interview: Sarah Beth DurstHey guys! So recently I've been on a bit of a semi-hiatus because I had to start getting used to...you know, life coming back. I'm in my third week of school and not only that, but I started my internship at Spencer Hill Press this week if you didn't see the news! But now I'm back and going to be posting regularly :)<br />
<br />
And today! I have an interview with the lovely, awesome Sarah Beth Durst. Her next novel, Vessel, is coming out this month and I just love her other book, Drink Slay Love!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMvArGruYXTZ24CfOoM-8BLfROIlCmSomdw-16LsqxCSBC3FhbNdvOWLKA0NuuZwPhcyiAZjCBnYiGuqdDxtPHpRkI6cX7ArqAB1s7rO2bUNzcWFAMk3lMDQHIsjHy-O_KOWk01GzWA/s1600/13056868.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMvArGruYXTZ24CfOoM-8BLfROIlCmSomdw-16LsqxCSBC3FhbNdvOWLKA0NuuZwPhcyiAZjCBnYiGuqdDxtPHpRkI6cX7ArqAB1s7rO2bUNzcWFAMk3lMDQHIsjHy-O_KOWk01GzWA/s320/13056868.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>In a desert world of sandstorms and sand-wolves, a teen girl must defy the gods to save her tribe in this mystical, atmospheric tale from the author of Drink, Slay, Love. Liyana has trained her entire life to be the vessel of a goddess. The goddess will inhabit Liyana’s body and use magic to bring rain to the desert. But Liyana’s goddess never comes. Abandoned by her angry tribe, Liyana expects to die in the desert. Until a boy walks out of the dust in search of her.</i><i><br /></i><i> Korbyn is a god inside his vessel, and a trickster god at that. He tells Liyana that five other gods are missing, and they set off across the desert in search of the other vessels. For the desert tribes cannot survive without the magic of their gods. But the journey is dangerous, even with a god’s help. And not everyone is willing to believe the trickster god’s tale.</i><i><br /></i><i> The closer she grows to Korbyn, the less Liyana wants to disappear to make way for her goddess. But she has no choice: She must die for her tribe to live. Unless a trickster god can help her to trick fate—or a human girl can muster some magic of her own.</i></blockquote>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">1) If you could live
with three YA characters (not your own) in a house, who would they be?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Hermione Granger from
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling (because a talented witch friend could be useful)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Daine from Wild Magic
by Tamora Pierce (because she can talk with animals)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Silk from the
Belgariad by David Eddings (because he'd make me laugh)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">2) Which character is
most like you in any of your novels? Least?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Gillian (the best
friend from INTO THE WILD) or Bethany (the friend from DRINK, SLAY, LOVE). Like them, I tend to be relentlessly
optimistic. Faced with evidence of magic
in the world, I think my reaction would be, "Wow! Cool!"
Unlike them, I'd probably promptly be eaten by wolves or vampires.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Least like me... I
think I'd have to choose Pearl from DRINK, SLAY, LOVE. She's fearless. She's evil.
And she drinks blood.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">3) What’s your
favorite Disney Movie?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Beauty and the
Beast. I love that library! Plus, the dining room scene always makes me
want to go to France and eat copious amounts of dessert.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">4) You always invent
these amazing worlds in your books -- from Enchanted Ivy's secret realm to
Drink, Slay, Love's vampire lore and now a full-out high fantasy! How do you go
about thinking up these worlds? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I like to start with
the real world and then inject magic into it.
To create the desert land in VESSEL, I researched various deserts (the
Sahara, the Gobi, a few deserts in the southwestern part of the United States),
and then I set about dreaming up ways to make a desert as awesome as I could
imagine it. Seriously, that's the litmus
test I ask myself as I write, "Is it awesome enough?" I try hard to maximize awesomeness as I
write. :)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The world of VESSEL
includes wolves made out of sand that hunt within storms, sky serpents made of
unbreakable glass, monstrous worms, gods and goddess that inhabit human bodies,
a young emperor, a trickster god, and a girl destined to sacrifice herself... I had such a fantastic time writing this
book!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">And that's it! Thank you for coming to my blog Sarah and I'll see you guys tomorrow with a review!<br />Happy Reading!</span></div>
Harmony B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11555478852912269168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54710653431496569.post-56954688521703395302012-09-06T16:35:00.001-04:002012-09-06T16:35:23.594-04:00"I've never been Action Girl. I've only ever been Kristen's supporting character.” <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjknIXTKexoAnAteKBh_a7P9MDUDZYBB6bMMzb00Dl1O3UpVxqFcU09aNiHG6EaKj3KJqwam1YW_KMqCIg3PPJbeGke9yb2WVdZvRMG9WpQztk6mUmabXCexrYXwCSpGf3gyc2iB0gAog/s1600/13069681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjknIXTKexoAnAteKBh_a7P9MDUDZYBB6bMMzb00Dl1O3UpVxqFcU09aNiHG6EaKj3KJqwam1YW_KMqCIg3PPJbeGke9yb2WVdZvRMG9WpQztk6mUmabXCexrYXwCSpGf3gyc2iB0gAog/s400/13069681.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>
<b>Title: </b>Speechless</div>
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<b>Author: </b><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Hannah Harrington</span></div>
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<b>Release Date: </b>August 28th, 2012</div>
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<b>Publisher: </b>Harlequin Teen</div>
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<b>Pages:</b> 288</div>
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<b>Edition:</b> Paperback<br />
<b style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Cover Judge: </b><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Bold, I like it.</span></div>
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<b>Quote Choice</b>: Perfectly describes her life pre-Speechless.<br />
<b>Source:</b> For Review </div>
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<b>Goodreads:</b> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13069681-speechless">Link</a><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can't keep a secret.</i><i>Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.</i><i><br /></i><i>Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.</i><i><br /></i><i>But there's strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she's done. If only she can forgive herself.</i></blockquote>
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Hannah Harrington has an amazing writing style that manages to be both filled with heavy meaning AND super easy and breezy to read. This is seriously one of my favorite things about her writing.<br />
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So I was a little apprehensive about diving into Speechless because I haven't been feeling the contemporary vibe lately but I'm so glad I decided to pick it up because <i>looooove</i>. It's about a girl called Chelsea who is tipsy and sees two boys making out at a party. As the sidekick of the head bitch of the school, she goes downstairs and tells everyone. Two of the popular boys get mad and chase after the gay boy, Noah, who is now leaving the party and the next day, he ends up in the hospital. She tells the truth about the two guys and in turn, her entire friend circle and school turns on her.<br />
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I loved Chelsea. She was just the right amount of superficial while still managing to be sincere and heartfelt and that made her a real teenager. It might be because I really connected with her (my middle school existence was spent almost entirely inside the "popular" crowd even though I didn't like many of them and I wasn't really being myself) but she was just a great character to me. Funny, resilient, and she didn't let things get her down, even when it seemed the world was turning on her. Also: for a character who doesn't actually TALK (Chelsea takes a vow of silence and uses notes to communicate with people throughout the whole book), she was awesome.<br />
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The book does a really good job with addressing the consequences that come when you decide to take your own path in life even if it's not the one most taken. Chelsea is shunned by nearly everyone -- people write stuff on her locker, egg her car, bully her relentlessly. All because she turned in two boys who BEAT A KID INTO A COMA for being gay. While this book doesn't scream "issue book" (which I was glad for because I'm not into issue books much), the message was there and it was well-done.<br />
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SAM. SAM I LOVE YOU. Seriously guys I thought Sam was awesome. Definitely less angsty than Hannah's debut love interest in Saving June, Sam is sweet, funny, dorky, and can make a mean tuna melt. The only thing I didn't like about this book is that it's really short so I felt that a lot of development could've been explored.<br />
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But mostly I was sad because it ended!<br />Happy Reading!Harmony B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11555478852912269168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54710653431496569.post-80237206536046796672012-09-04T16:14:00.000-04:002012-09-04T16:14:36.025-04:00Contest: Speechless by Hannah HarringtonHey guys! Thanks to the lovely people over at HarlequinTeen I have a giveaway!<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13069681-speechless">Speechless</a> by Hannah Harrington | Harlequin Teen | August 28th, 2012</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_f8ohkayuwqVkF0RAIn8APH468G5TGb-5N3qw-GEwpANetsNJFMVUxaSf22djaSQPW5GiZN3HsXoqwvxLRjwcL8uOExm7ny9a5pCySvXi_2I6PqMYiyYAjHwZV7UIXsZbGMo43DcUWA/s1600/13069681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_f8ohkayuwqVkF0RAIn8APH468G5TGb-5N3qw-GEwpANetsNJFMVUxaSf22djaSQPW5GiZN3HsXoqwvxLRjwcL8uOExm7ny9a5pCySvXi_2I6PqMYiyYAjHwZV7UIXsZbGMo43DcUWA/s320/13069681.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can’t keep a secret. Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast – and nearly got someone killed. Chelsea has taken a vow of silence – to learn to keep her mouth shut and to stop hurting anyone else.<br />
Speechless explores the real-life teen issues of bullying, mean girls, LGBT awareness and hate crimes. Compared to the many books already out about bullies, Harrington’s novel stands out for its authentic voice and unflinching portrayal of what it means to be part of the bullying. In October 2012, Harlequin TEEN will be releasing a brand new survey that has interviewed 1,500 girls between 13-18 years old on the subject of bullying.</blockquote>
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/27908311/" id="rc-27908311" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a></div>
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<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script></div>
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Harlequin has also partnered up with Louder than Words to promote this book!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIsd7804vOmvHJBdoeIx8km1AbPqOag7S26XB58esIN8kYFXR1JNywcc443MaFCm-nayqWDCY9IpRkD-CQNO0CtxOSGOWBmVCHQcev4pc33MW8BUDzQE7kUjjZmzQSjyN8hTvf1LK3aA/s1600/LoveIsLouderLogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIsd7804vOmvHJBdoeIx8km1AbPqOag7S26XB58esIN8kYFXR1JNywcc443MaFCm-nayqWDCY9IpRkD-CQNO0CtxOSGOWBmVCHQcev4pc33MW8BUDzQE7kUjjZmzQSjyN8hTvf1LK3aA/s400/LoveIsLouderLogo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">About Love is Louder: </span></b><br />
Harlequin TEEN has partnered with the nonprofit <a href="http://www.loveislouder.com/">Love is Louder</a>, a movement that started when actress Brittany Snow, MTV and the Jed Foundation decided to do something to help those feeling mistreated. Hundreds of thousands of people just like you have come together to raise the volume around the message that love and support are louder than any internal or external voice that brings you down.</div>
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And that's all for me! My review of this book will be up tomorrow!<br />
Happy Reading!</div>
Harmony B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11555478852912269168noreply@blogger.com